Emeril Lagasse, Harrison Ford
LOOKS like Joni Mitchell may have been right in the first place. In fact, she may have been more right than she knew. In her song, "Big Yellow Taxi," she wrote "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot." We could probably use even more parking, but Mitchell went on about how they took all the trees and "put 'em in a tree museum" where they charged all the people "a dollar and half just to see em." The price of Paradise has gone up: Foster Botanical Gardens now charges $5 to get in ($3 for residents and $1 for kids) and a telephone tape there advises "bring insect repellent." Mitchell didn't even foresee a charge to visit Hanauma Bay, which has been put in effect for visitors to Paradise. And now Gov. Ben Cayetano wants an entrance fee to get into Diamond Head Crater! As another folk singer once asked, "Where will it ever end?" ... They pave it, then
you pay for itHAWAII has even more oddball regulations, one of them regarding the transportation of live animals into the state. And so it was that Chef Emeril Lagasse, on Maui for the Grand Chefs on Tour event at the Kea Lani Hotel, found himself at Maui Airport a scant two hours before "show time," rescuing over 100 live scallops. The mollusks were being detained until Chef Lagasse and his crew showed up to demonstrate how they'd be shucked and transformed into a delicious appetizer with truffles. ...
LET'S salute Rep. Terrance Tom, who's opposed to Gov. Cayetano's call to have the new "reciprocal benefits" law amended so it only applies to gay couples. As I pointed out many months ago, a message that stood alone until Rep. Tom echoed it, if these benefits go only to avowed gays, what is to stop two straight people of the same sex to falsely claim they're gay in order to qualify? Does the state then form a "Bedroom Investigative Unit" to check on their claim? Let's just say a big can of worms has been opened ...
IT seems that Nick Kaars isn't as "flaky" as some people may think. In fact, his creative efforts on behalf of Napples have earned him the sweet taste of success. Kaars' new spot for Napoleon's Bakery has just won him a bronze statuette in the prestigious 1997 Telly Awards, a national competition which showcases excellence in TV commercials and film/video/TV programs ... Flaky? Moi?
GOLDEN oldie D.J. Ron Jacobs has found that there's nothing new under the sun. For example, whoever came up with the name "Dream Team" for the Olympic basketballers probably thought they'd coined a winner. Trouble is, someone beat them to it -- in doing some research, Jacobs found the same term applied to a 1950 roller-derby team. You're an oldtimer yourself if you remember Jacobs on the mike at the old Civic Auditorium doing the commentary describing Freddie Noa, Ann Carvalho et al. ...
STAFFERS of JN Productions were gathered at Kyo-ya in Waikiki the other night helping boss lady Joanne Ninomiya celebrate JN's 16th anniversary and KIKU-TV's 30th. While there, they ran into Danny Kaleikini who greeted them with a big "Alooooooha." Later, they learned that Harrison Ford (taking a break from filming "6 Days 7 Nights" on Kauai) was dining with friends at the same eatery. The actor obligingly posed for photos with the group, making it a memorable "Sweet 16th" for Ninomiya and company ...
WHAT better way to get the "Journey to Samolo" benefit for the Hawaiian Historical Society under way than by "Exotica" creator Martin Denny striking an antique Burmese Gong. The benefit, held at Vagabond House in Ward Centre, unveiled the furniture of artists Georg James and John Dinsmore and came from what they playfully call their "Samolo Collection." Samolo is a mythological Polynesian Kingdom dreamed up by playwright Noel Coward. As for Denny, at 86 he's still tickling the 88s and will be playing on a new exotica album created by Kit Ebersbach and Lloyd Kandell ... Gong with the wind chimes
Contact Dave by e-mail: donnelly@kestrok.com.