WHILE helping a friend celebrate his birthday at the Pacific Club, I spotted Hawaii Republican Party chairwoman Donna Alcantara dining with husband Len and another gentleman. But she was not totally amused when I asked if it were a GOP caucus session. In fact, she suggested there would be some surprises this year. The Alcantaras were thrilled that California Gov. Pete Wilson is coming here to speak at the Lincoln Day Dinner. That sounded interesting until I read S.F. Chronicle columnist Ken Garcia's rundown of potential successors to Wilson. He said of Gray Davis, "There aren't many politicians around who can make a Pete Wilson speech sound exciting by comparison, but our lieutenant governor holds that distinction." Let's be happy he's not taking the mike. Incidentally, is anyone excited over the fact that multi-bucks David Murdock is footing the bill to bring Wilson to town? Lincoln speaker
a snooze?
ADMAN Doc Stryker, now singing "The Desert Song" at his retirement home in Scottsdale, Ariz., was writing something about the Superbowl when the word popped up on his spell check. His trusty P.C. suggested he might be trying to say "Superb Owl," which, considering the fact Doc's the most dedicated bird-watcher I know, seemed pretty funny ... Attorney Evan Shirley was talking about Maui lawyer Dennis Niles, a former associate of Shirley's, when he mentioned that the man had the perfect signature for his profession: D. Niles. But when I asked if Dennis called his wife Cleopatra because she was the Queen of D. Niles, he could only utter, "No comment." ... Aviation buff Burl Burlingame, who named his daughter after Amelia Earhart, just shook his head when teachers asked her what "Ah-meh-LEE-uh" meant in Hawaiian ...
Statehood Recognition
SINCE we haven't given out one of our Statehood Recognition Awards recently, how about one for the Federal Railroad Administration, of all entities. The FRA requires every railway in the country to fill out an annual form and mail it in. But the report form, listing employee hours and casualties by state, has 50 spots on the list and one of them is the District of Columbia. Hawaii, in their eyes, either doesn't exist or has no trains. The Hawaiian Railway, which operates rides in the Ewa Beach area, ought to just ignore the form, or send it back with "no appropriate space" written across it ... Incidentally, the railway's famous Dillingham Parlor Car is again in operation after 50 years of inactivity. Doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun, however. A sign reads: "No smoking on board. No food or beverages allowed in the parlor car. The toilet in the parlor car is inoperable and may not be used." Left unsaid: "Have Fun!" ...
The world's a stage
IT was Shakespeare who wrote all the world's a stage, but did he have Kealakekua in mind? Still, the Aloha Theater is alive and very well indeed in the tiny Big Isle town. They even have guest stars in. Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker of "L.A. Law" were just there performing A.R. Gurney's "Love Letters" as a theater benefit. Director Jerry Tracy says he found them "gracious and humble as well as incredibly talented." Now he and Sandy Horn are Honolulu-bound to do the same two-character work at Tenney Theater on Valentine's Day as a benefit for St. Andrew's. Tracy told Tucker he planned to steal all his acting tricks and Tucker was delighted. But before his Honolulu trek, Tracy has the little matter of directing "Gypsy," which opens tomorrow ...
Contact Dave by e-mail: donnelly@kestrok.com.