Proposal via
piano flambeIam a sucker for "popping the question" items, though most proposals are well thought out and hardly "popped." Take Scott Osterhout, right hand man of Aaron Placourakis with Tri-Star Restaurants. He did some behind the scenes scheming with Sarento's Italian chef Donato Loperfido, and they came up with a piece de resistance that they hoped would meet with no resistance whatsoever when Scott's fiancee, Kristie Lizama, encountered it. At the conclusion of her birthday dinner at Sarento's, a flaming miniature chocolate grand piano bedecked with flowers arrived at the table, a fine birthday surprise. But the real surprise came when the lid was lifted and there was an awaiting engagement ring. Scott kneeled in classic gallant style, she naturally said, "Yes!" and the tears flowed like the champagne that followed. But as one cynical wag quipped, eyeing the piano, "Soon he'll be dancing to a different tune."
THE other day I said former Hawaiian Airline honcho Paul Finazzo's beautiful daughter, Maria Finazzo, was a flight engineer on Hawaiian's DC-10 flights to the mainland. In reality, she's first officer, equivalent to co-pilot. Sorry. She can drive me anywhere any time, including to distraction ...
IT would seem First Officer Finazzo had the same effect on singer Jimmy Borges. She sat in the front row at "Full Moon Madness," the monthly jazz evening held at David Paul's Diamond Head Grill Sunday, and he directed a rewritten lyric about "flying so high with some girl in the sky." He'd better be careful or the "kick" he gets will be out of wife Vicky. All in good fun, however. Shari Lynn, quite evocative, and Anita Hall, a favorite of owner David Paul Johnson, were other performers with a quartet headed by the nonpareil Betty Loo Taylor ...
Mo bettah
SO many local folks who visit Vegas have a lucky charm or something they feel will give them an edge while leaving behind a bundle of cash. Now you can add the "Mighty Mo" to the list of good luck pieces. It came about when Milton Ebesu of the Custom Co., the Kalihi firm which makes those distinctive hats and shirts for the Battleship Missouri Memorial, gave samples to a couple of pals who were Las Vegas bound. You guessed it -- faster than you can say, "Seven, a winner," the two cleaned up, even hitting big slot machine jackpots for the first time. Ebesu says the two credit the "Mighty Mo" shirts they were wearing and vow they'll never do Vegas again without them. Now if the memorial becomes a winner as a visitor attraction at Pearl Harbor, the story will be complete ...MY old pal Roger Carroll, until retirement one of the top D.J.'s in L.A. on KMPC with Gary Owens et al., keeps up on Hawaii happenings by reading the Star-Bulletin online edition from his home in Malibu. Regarding my recent item about the resurgence of aloha shirts, he e-mails, "I have 22 Reyn Spooner shirts. Wear one every day. Also have the first shirt R.S. made. Think you introduced me to the Reyn Spooner name." Carroll, an early promoter of Don Ho on the mainland, opined that Ho looked "old" in the photo that ran with the shirt item. Oh, and who doesn't? ...
Angel on high
HAWAII has another nationwide title holder. Miss Hawaii United States Angel Teves competed in Orlando, Fla., Sunday against other state winners and was crowned Miss American United States. She also copped evening gown and aerobics wear competition on her way to winning the national title ...
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings
in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968.
His columns run Monday through Friday.Contact Dave by e-mail: donnelly@kestrok.com.