John K.B. Nakata, Jackie Dudock
THERE were probably more people watching the Masters Tournament over the weekend than any other golf tourney shown during the year. One reason: Because it was the Masters, golf's most prestigious tourney in many ways, and the other was because of Tiger Woods. The "phenom" 21-year-old was everyone's favorite, all the more so because all the wise-guy sports columnists across the country had enumerated all the reasons why he wouldn't win -- too young, too inexperienced, didn't play well at the Masters course previously, etc. But of course win he did. BIG time! If I had a dollar for every sports section in the country today that quotes William Blake ("Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright"), many without knowing who they're quoting, I'd have a nifty bundle ... And how fitting that this young black man, fresh out of Stanford, set the golf world on its collective ear on the eve of the 50th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball. Great show! ... Tiger brightens
Masters tourneyAFRICAN-AMERICANS also played a big role in the Hawaii International Jazz Festival's variety show fund-raiser, "A Night of Gospel! Blues! Jazz!" at the Hawaii Theatre Saturday night. Abe Weinstein put together the most eclectic of musical evenings, ranging from Jimmy Borges, Betty Loo Taylor, Rachel Gonsalves, Danny Otholt, Noel Okimoto, Lyle Ritz and world-class sax man David Choy to a junior jazz ensemble made up of high school kids. After the intermission, gospel was featured with the elegant black church-like musical prayers of Chosen Few, followed by the pair of Michael Jackson-esque dancer/rappers/ singers known as the Spencer Brothers. The evening concluded with a group called Spiritual Ambush, a multi-racial group that really shook the place up. The fund-raiser was held to draw attention to the fourth annual jazz festival to be held at the same theater July 31 and Aug. 1 to 3, featuring local and visiting groups and raising music scholarship funds ...
AFTER graduating from Punahou in June, John K.B. Nakata will be sworn in as a cadet at West Point. Nakata, a colonel in the Punahou ROTC, is an accomplished musician in his own right, playing trumpet in the Punahou Symphony & Wind Ensemble. And for many years he's been the principal accompaniest on piano and keyboard for his father, lyric tenor Harold S. Nakata. Papa is quick to sing his son's praises, but is currently auditioning for a replacement accompaniest ... Marching to a different beat
PALS of restaurateur Fred Livingston have been calling him from the mainland to ask if he's being investigated regarding Democratic Party fund-raising activities. Seems his restaurant, Matteo's, was mentioned in the most recent New Yorker magazine since Gene and Nora Lum, regular Matteo's diners, had entertained the late Ron Brown there on his way back from an Asia trip. At that dinner, Brown was handed $26,000 in checks from Nora Lum and various businesses to Brown, then the chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Now Livingston is being questioned, at least by his mainland pals ...
SPEAKING of restaurateurs, Budd Gould and wife Sharon are making the rounds of highly regarded Pacific Rim Cuisine eateries in Honolulu: Alan Wong's, Roy's, A Pacific Cafe, Sam Choy's etc. Gould operates a dozen restaurants in the Seattle area, all prefixed with "Anthony's. The latest, Anthony's Pier 66 is featured in the April Bon Appetit magazine. With him on this trip is his longtime architect, Joey Ing, a 1954 Roosevelt grad ...
KCAA Preschools, preparing to celebrate its 102nd birthday, is holding open houses at its various facilities each Tuesday and Wednesday morning in April. Jackie Dudock, KCAA president is offering an incentive to parents to bring their 3- and 4-year-old toddlers to visit one of their many area preschools -- a $50 discount on a student's first month's tuition. Call 941-9414 for more info. Dudock's philosophy is simple: "To educate the child is to educate the world." Amen ... A century of caring
Contact Dave by e-mail: donnelly@kestrok.com.