By Dave Donnelly
Thursday, January 23, 1997
Ben Cayetano, Evan Cruthers
Ben Cayetano, Evan Cruthers
IT'S not as if Gov. Ben Cayetano doesn't have anything else to do, working long and hard on his State of the State address. But he's been mighty busy of late, and not just visiting all the morning TV shows discussing the speech (and his new diet - he's lost eight pounds) as he did yesterday. He co-hosted the multi-ethnic Washington Place Martin Luther King Jr. Day reception with the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, and got word to reception chairwoman Faye Kennedy that he wanted to send "thank you" notes to all the guests. And when the HCRC's Dr. Amy Agbayani and Jack Law headed off to the Presidential Inaugural Ball in Washington, Kennedy sent her invite to her famous sister Flo Kennedy, the lawyer/activist, so she could attend ... Gov’s gotta be
a great time managerTHE governor also was the opening speaker at the American Association of Retired People forum at the Capitol, and when he learned the age for eligibility is 50, the 58-year-old governor graciously accepted an application card from an AARP official ... Gov. Cayetano also hosted a group of VIPs from Thailand's tourism and investment sectors at Washington Place, and wisely elected to take them to Keo's Thai Cuisine for some authentic Thai food rather than try to create it in the Washington Place kitchen ...
AND finally, the governor's official residence will be the subject of a Hawaii Public Television special called, "First Ladies of Washington Place" on Monday at 9:30 p.m. following a segment of "The American Experience" entitled "Hawaii's Last Queen," about Queen Liliuokalani. The "First Ladies" special, will be rebroadcast on Feb. 1 when it precedes "Hawaii's Last Queen." It was written and narrated by Emme Tomimbang, who has more than a little interest in the subject - she's married to Judge James Burns, son of Bea Burns and the late Gov. John A. Burns. The judge will be interviewed along with former first ladies Nancy Quinn, Lynne Waihee and Jean Ariyoshi. And Gov. Cayetano will add a new perspective on life at Washington place - without a First Lady ...
WAIMEA residents were reminded last week of the fact that the upcountry ranch town is located in the heart of paniolo country. Parker Ranch cowboys rose before dawn, saddled up in 49-degree fog and headed out to move a big herd of cattle to greener pastures. Unlike in the early paniolo days, the move required crossing both Saddle Road and Highway 19 - still called Mamalahoa Highway by old-timers. Big Islanders report it was quite a sight with hundreds of cattle thundering across the highway while 20 paniolo on horseback kept order. Older Waimea residents remember cattle drives down the main street of the town, though now there are two stop lights ("Hold it right there, you doggies!") and to move your cattle practically requires an environmental impact statement. Still, they recall, there are more cows than people in Waimea ... Paniolo country
MORE Big Isle news: Mac Pie, the "Original Kona Gourmet Macadamia Nut Pie," was selected as "Best of Show" after the QVC Hawaii program aired Jan. 11. Mac Pie founder Sheila Everitt, who lives in Kona, reports her "Original 10" pie won a spot on QVC's "Quest for the Best," and now that it's won "Best of Show," will become a regularly-aired product on the shopping network ... Bill Cook, the former Honolulan who's now living on the Big Isle, was in Honolulu this week to upgrade his pacemaker at Queen's. Honolulu cardiologist Dr. Stewart Matsumoto is handling the "installation." As Cook puts it, he's going from a one-cylinder to a two-cylinder job - two spark plugs instead of one. Just call him Sparky ...
MEANWHILE, over in Hilo, much building is going on and Media Five president Evan Cruthers is among the busiest. His firm designed both the new C. Brewer headquarters, which just held its groundbreaking, and the newly completed Kaiser Hilo Clinic. His wife Shirley understands his busy schedule - she's exec V.P. of the American Institute of Architects, Honolulu office. A real design team! ... Designs of the times
