Ono honored for
retiree workRETIRED Lt. Gen. Allen Ono received the Army's Outstanding Civilian Service medal as he stepped down as chairman of the Army's Retiree Council in Hawaii recently. "This former Kalihi boy shed a tear at being honored before 300 veterans, all local and proud to have served our nation," he said at Schofield. American Savings Executive V.P. Ono was the first Asian to earn three stars ...
THE Navy's April Wright singing "My Heart Will Go On" from "Titanic" was a highlight of the combined military band concert at Hawaii Theatre Wednesday. The concert, sponsored by AT&T and the Chamber of Commerce, was part of Military Appreciation week. At an Indigo pre-concert reception, lean Col. Ann Testa, Hickam's first woman base commander, said she likes to bike, run and swim but is not into golfing. That's weird ... Speaking of golf, Honolulu Magazine Publisher John Alves fired a hole-in-one worth $10,000 at the Hawaii Prince Golf Club Monday in the Hale Aina Foundation tourney. John used a 7-iron on the 147-yard 3rd hole on the A Course. Hale Aina gets $5,000 of the prize ...
Cayetano, Masini happy
GOV. Ben Cayetano was happy after Tuesday's Miss Universe pageant, posing for photos at the Convention Center. "It's one hellava investment," he said, with tourist dollars twinkling in his eyes. "We're looking at a worldwide audience, we think, of a half-billion." His wife, Vicky, said she wants to congratulate the isle judges who picked the 10 finalists. Big-time show producer Al Masini said, "I think it went sensationally. I'm a nervous person. I was nervous all day. But everything went flawlessly. Everyone is happy. I'm happy, (Donald) Trump's happy, CBS is happy" ...DAVID PAUL's cabaret room was jumping Sunday. Backed by pianist Betty Loo Taylor, bassist Bruce Hamada Jr., drummer Jess Gopen, singers Nohelani Cypriano, Azure McCall and alto sax player Gabe Baltazar styled luscious solos then teamed to rip the room apart jamming on "The Blues." Talented pianist-singer David Swanson followed with slow stuff that should have been sung earlier. You don't slam on the brakes when the joint is rocking. But when he relinquished the piano to Taylor and joined the gals singing "Kansas City," the place sizzled ... This is the last night to catch Francis Ruivivar and his singer-dancers, who bring a bright touch of Broadway to the Outrigger Waikiki. The show offers top show tunes. The Society of Seven returns Monday ... "Bye Bye Birdie," with Troy Donahue, closes tonight at the Concert Hall ...
HILO HATTIE'S Jim Romig, who has the Anne Klein Hawaii license, didn't make the Kahala Mandarin's Klein fashion show Thursday but his wife, Puchi, and her sister, Patty Dunn, came with Eleanor Kawananakoa ... Barbara Furstenberg, retiring UH continuing Education and Community Services chief, was honored last week at a Hawaii Theatre lunch by Sarah Richards, Steve Knox, Henry Akina, Fritz Luden, Betty Jones, Kathleen Cabral, Marty Myers and others ...
'The Voice' is silenced
FRANK SINATRA'S death Thursday hurt. His songs brought so much joy ... It was great seeing all the "Seinfeld" characters and guests in the aloha show. But I thought the jailing at the end was flat ... Linda Lingle, at Wednesday's Legislative Report Card Update at the Ilikai, got wild applause as she credited and quoted from Bulletin Managing Editor Dave Shapiro's column which compared "Seinfeld" and the Legislature: "Both were big shows about nothing." Bye ...
Ben Wood, who sold the Star-Bulletin in the streets
of downtown Honolulu during World War II, writes of
people, places and things every Saturday.
His columns appear online every Monday.