By Dave Donnelly
Tuesday, March 4, 1997
Tia Carrere, Bruce Hale
Tia Carrere, Bruce Hale
ACTRESS Tia Carrere stopped by the Hungry Lion Sunday on her way to the airport and proved to be something of a hungry lioness, downing one of Roy Shimonishi's gargantuan "Pro Bowls." Tia, whom I remember as a teenage model, real name Althea Janeiro -- taped an "Island Moments" episode with Emme Tomimbang while here. She returns home to appear as "Ala Moana Girl," as she calls it, at the shopping center's spring fashion show March 22. Not everyone knows Tia got her start as a "Brown Bags to Stardom" singer. She's now gone full circle with the release of a new CD and her Ala Moana appearance. The center's Vim & Vigor manager, Sherri Kozuki, was in the same "Brown Bags" singing group as Tia. While Sherri got Vim & Vigor, Tia got Rich & Famous ... Tia rich, famous,
hungry lionessALSO slated to appear at Ala Moana's spring show is Brook Lee, the new Miss USA. Already being called the "most requested" title holder ever for appearances, Brook is taking a week off to come home and visit with friends and family, and will be here March 19-25, sandwiching the Ala Moana show in the middle. She'll also do an appearance at Chaminade, which she attended, and functions for Special Olympics and Prevent Child Abuse. Then it's back to L.A. to get prepped for the Miss Universe contest. You think her life hasn't changed a lot? ...
WHAT are the chances that a squelch by Winston Churchill would appear on two American sitcoms at once? But the old saw about Mrs. Astor telling Churchill that he was drunk and him replying, "Yes, but you are ugly, and tomorrow I'll be sober," was on both "Frasier" and "Home Improvement" last week, and the two shows air opposite one another ... Habilitat's Vinny Marino is in L.A. taping the "Carol and Marilyn Show," which airs this week. He's promoting his book, "Journey From Hell," and also introducing a Habilitat grad who lives in L.A. ...
WHEN local author Bruce Hale appeared at Kanewai Elementary School for a storytelling session with his pal, Moki the Gecko, the kids were so excited they didn't want to let the gecko go. Literally! When Moki (who is played by Hale's wife, Janette Cross) went to the bathroom to change her costume, the students tried to follow. One third-grader, perhaps an aspiring actor, attempted a bit of deception. Lowering his voice as much as he could, the youngster boomed, "Come out now! This is the principal!" But as those who live here know, geckos don't bite -- neither did Moki ... When you gotta gecko
IT hardly seems possible, but the Kahala Mandarin is holding its first year anniversary tomorrow with a reception in the Maile Ballroom. And people are finally beginning to stop calling it the Kahala Hilton ... The slick Iolani School Bulletin shows a photo of the star of Broadway's "The King and I," Lou Diamond Phillips, with two cast members, dancers Greg Zane and Christine Yasunaga of Iolani classes of '81 and '89, respectively ... Norm Blackburn looked at his e-mail the other day and found a letter from Norm Blackburn. Had he written himself on his computer by mistake? No, it was from another Norm Blackburn who lives in Leeds, just a few miles from his family's home in Bolton, England, just down the road from the town of Blackburn! Probably a distant cousin, relatively speaking ...
IT was certainly the shortest contest in KSSK history. The "Where in the World" contest normally runs about a month, with daily clues on the air getting listeners closer to the exact place where the station has (theoretically) "hidden" $10,000. In the fifth such contest, two clues had eliminated only Australia and Brazil as the hiding place. On Day No. 2, Larry Tsuchiyama called in and guessed "Winner, South Dakota, USA." You could have knocked over promotions director Scott Mackenzie with a feather. Tsuchiyama said it was the only thing he'd won in his life, except for the Panasonic phone he won at his company's Christmas party, from which he made the winning call ... We have a Winner!
