LINKS high jinks: Realtor Dave Lewis was playing golf at Oahu Country Club with pal Gary Kong, who is usually his partner but not on this particular day when they went head to head. So what happens: Kong aced the fifth hole at Oahu, the par-4, 270 yarder. They were told it was the first time in this history of OCC, which dates back to 1907, that the hole had ever been aced. Call him King Kong! As for Lewis, when last seen he was grousing, "I carried him longer than his mother, and this is the thanks I get." ... Singer Celine Dion is known for her pipes, but her irons and woods are pretty impressive as well. She played Waialae Country Club this week and soundly beat her husband. Given that folks on the golf course love to make bets, it seems like she's the breadwinner in the family in every sense of the word ... Great golf
by Kong, Celine
SPEAKING of golf, restaurateur Roy Yamaguchi took a little time off when he was in Scottsdale opening his 13th Roy's at the Seville Plaza, and caddied for former Vice President Dan Quayle at the Phoenix Open ... Former Olympic gold medal weigh tlifter Tommy Kono has remained active in the Olympic movement, but always with the Summer Games. He's now in Nagano, Japan, and while this is the 10th Olympics he's been involved with, it's his first time with the winter games ... Final sports note of the day: The 1997 ALTRES King Kalakaua Regatta, which was held Nov. 16 from Magic Island to the Aloha Tower Marketplace, is going to be featured on ESPN's "Hawaiian Sports Adventure" Feb. 11 at 8 p.m. Hosted by KHNL anchorman Dan Cooke, the five-minute segment features aerial views to the Aloha Tower finish line.
Young again
VIOLIST Richard Young of the Vermeer Quartet returns to Honolulu Friday to a welcome from old friends such as Karen Misaki, Culture & Arts Officer for the Hawaii Community Foundation. She's known him since her high school years. Her mother, music teacher Ellen Masaki, accompanied Young when he played during the funeral of Peter Mesrobian, leader of the Hawaiian Youth Symphony. Lydia Mesrobian recalls her husband teaching the 5-year-old Richard in New York who by age 13 was performing for the Queen of Belgium. The Vermeer performs Friday at Orvis Auditorium for the Honolulu Chamber Music Series. Others in the group hail from Israel, Germany and Nebraska ...WHEN Bishop Estate trustee Lokelani Lindsey spoke to the Honolulu Sunrise Rotary Club this week, the song they chose to sing could have been her anthem: "Stand By Me." ... A letter-to-the-editor writer suggested if Porteus Hall is to be renamed at UH, they might think of honoring "the founding father" of the university, William Kwai-Fong Yap. I don't know -- Yap Hall? It could fit so many departments ...
Hapa new year
IT'S kind of one of those good news--bad news types of things. Mark Haworth, new lead singer for the local Cajun/zydeco band, Bon Ton Roule, found someone had broken into his car. While he was singing at Saint Clement's Episcopal Church, yet! The thieves went through all the Cajun and zydeco tapes and CDs he had in his car which he needed for his new gig, but all they took were his Hapa CDs. Fortunately for Haworth, Bon Ton Roule's bass player, Rick Schneider, is the promo man for Hapa; so he was able to replace those CDs. And the cops managed to lift prints off the CDs left behind. Wouldn't it be sweet if the thieves' distaste for zydeco led to their downfall? ...
Contact Dave by e-mail: donnelly@kestrok.com.