Rob Fukuzaki, Fred Piluso
EEKS of Eden: There were so many flowers spilling out of her room at Queen's Hospital into the nurses' station that Frances Hill called her resting place "Eden." Hill had been thrown from a horse while riding at Molokai Ranch, and husband Hersh Singer, SMS chairman, had her air ambulanced to Queen's. The squeals heard coming from Hill's room might be related to two bad breaks she sustained in her arm, but then again they have something to do with the fact her playful hubby raced to Satellite City Hall to secure for her a pair of personalized auto plates reading "KLUTZ." But what should she have expected, considering Singer's plates read "SCHMUCK"? ... ‘KLUTZ’ plates
for car or horse?THE sports anchor for KPIX in San Francisco, Dan Fouts, has resigned to join ABC sports to be part of the NCAA football telecasts. That's the same job Russ Francis held during the year he retired from the NFL in 1981. Then 49er coach Bill Walsh showed Francis his Super Bowl ring and lured him back into football. Now that Fouts, an ex-San Diego Charger quarterback, is leaving the S.F. station, wouldn't it be something if Francis were offered that job? If they'd hire an ex-Charger, you'd think they'd love an ex-49er. Francis now works at the state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism, having left the post of sports editor at KGMB-9 TV ...
AND speaking of sports, ex-isle sportscaster Rob Fukuzaki, now toiling in L.A., will be on the Oprah Winfrey TV show on Tuesday in a segment about "Single Men on TV News." There aren't too many around here, but NBC "Today Show" host Matt Lauer must be among the most eligible around ... They're already calling Sam Choy's new "Breakfast, Lunch and Crab House" on Nimitz Highway "B.L.C." The huge new eatery (380 seats) holds a gala benefit opening May 7 with proceeds going to Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Prevent Child Abuse Hawaii ...
IF you saw "Annie" at the Army Community Theater, you saw David Kleist as Daddy Warbucks and Stephanie Fodor as Annie. Now the two are teaming up again, this time as the father and daughter twosome of Pa Joad and Ruthie Joad in "The Grapes of Wrath," opening tonight at Kennedy Theatre and running until May 4. It's a kind of riches to rags story, those two ... Then there's opera singer (and voice teacher) John Mount, who was doubly excited about attending a preview performance of "South Pacific" at Castle Performing Arts Center. Not only is he voice tutor to male lead Jordan Shanahan, but his real life daughter, Meagan Mount, made her CPAC stage debut in the musical ... Fathers and daughters
AN article in yesterday's Seattle Times focused on slack key and its growth in popularity and sales since an all-star Hawaiian slack key show took place in Seattle five years ago. Then it was in a high school auditorium with an amateur sound system and the audience nearly all Hawaiian. Now slack key has become huge and everyone's predicting it'll grow even more in national popularity. A big festival is taking place in Seattle next Wednesday featuring Ledward Kaapana, Keola Beamer, George Kahumoku Jr. and mainland steel guitar whiz Bob Brozman.
WHEN Scruples owner Fred Piluso was in L.A. for the opening of pal Larry Manetti's new restaurant, Duet, he also attended the "Ferraris on Rodeo Drive" display. It was of particular interest to him since his personal Ferrari was one of only 80 invited to be in the exhibit, for which the street was blocked off for the day so people could walk around and check out the classic vehicles ...
GIVING his blessing this week to the restoration by Bishop Museum of Queen Liliuokalani's carriage was G.E. "Dutch" Schuman, board chairman of Schuman Carriage. Dutch supervised the restoration of the carriage back in 1955 when it was used by the Hawaiian Civic Club in the Aloha Week Parade. It'll again be on display at Bishop Museum's "For You, Pauahi" Family Festival Sunday. Admission is $5, for the preservation and care of the Museum's Hawaiian collections ... A fancy carriage
Contact Dave by e-mail: donnelly@kestrok.com.