TODAY is the day each year when football widows awake with smiles on their faces with the knowledge that their gridiron-crazed spouses won't be grabbing the remote instead of them. Football is over for the next several months. It concluded officially yesterday with the Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium, as it has each year for the past dozen or so. And prior to the game, there was much whoopty-do about town. One funny sight was when Denver's Super Bowl winning quarterback John Elway, sitting with a number of football cohorts like Shannon Sharpe, coach Mike Shanahan and Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, were in Bowlen's Waikiki eatery, Nick's Fishmarket. A guy in the motorcycle-renting business at the bar had Elway and Sharpe all set to go out for a Harley ride when Bowlen heard about it and yelled, in essence, "No way." That ended that! ... Bowlen grounds
Elway, Sharpe
THE folks at Cheeseburger in Paradise were excited when Elway and Coach Shanahan stopped in for a bite other day. They were especially pleased when the two left tickets to the game for the staff ... You don't necessarily think of ABC sports commentator Dan Dierdorf as a gourmet -- he seems more like a burger guy, too -- but there he was, brandishing chopsticks at Keo Sananikone's elegant new Thai eatery in the Ambassador Hotel. Keo's in Kapahulu will be closing shortly, so the owner and family can dedicate all their efforts to the new restaurant ... And the Hilton Hawaiian Village has been awash with football talent with the ESPN "Sports Center" team -- Chris Berman, Chris Myers, Joe Thiesman, Tom Jackson and Sterling Sharpe -- doing reports for over 15 million viewers nationwide. Steve Young of the 49ers and Herman Moore of the Lions both appeared on ESPN's "Upclose." ...
Memories of Tavares
LOBBIEST extraordinaire G.A. "Red" Morris, mourning the death of Hannibal Tavares, is forever grateful the "Gentle Giant" took him under his wing. He learned a lot from the man who went on to be Maui mayor, Morris recalls. Like when he was newly graduated from UH and Tavares took him to LaRonde, the restaurant in the Ala Moana Building then owned by John Henry Felix. Tavares suffered from diabetes and couldn't eat sugar, but he opened a couple of packs and poured them in the ash tray. Morris asked how come? Tavares replied, sensibly, "The industry." And anyone not using C&H Sugar would get a lecture from Tavares about supporting the local sugar industry. "I'm sure glad I had him on my side," sighs Morris ...OWNER Jack Law has found perhaps the perfect locale for his Hula's Bar & Lei Stand which has to move from its current location. The new Hula's will be in the Waikiki Grand, directly across from the Zoo. He hopes to have it open in time for the Brothers Cazimero's May Day Concert at the Waikiki Shell ...
Let's hear it for low-tech
IN this high-tech age, the communications industry has advanced faster than most. It's not a new concept, but many companies, like Costco, use at least a vacuum-powered system to transport messages and cash from one part of the store to the other. Not so at Leroy Chandler's new Central Body & Paint locale in Pearl City behind Cutter Ford. In this huge space, about an acre under roof with 40-foot ceilings, Chandler has installed a new internal communication device between the ground floor and the second floor where the accounting office is located. It's a string with a paper clip on the end to get things upstairs. "Beats walking the stairs," says Chandler ...
Contact Dave by e-mail: donnelly@kestrok.com.