HPU inspires
run on latkesHANNUKAH is just a couple of weeks away, and already members of the Jewish community are preparing to make potato latkes to celebrate. If you're familiar with "The Diary of Anne Frank," the play currently running at Hawaii Pacific University, you'll know the Jewish residents hiding out in the attic in Amsterdam long for the delicacy. It became so real that the cast and crew headed out after a recent matinee and visited Brent's deli in Kailua where latkes are on the menu, and feasted on them. Incidentally, Stan Jacobs, who plays Mr. Dussel in the HPU production, has real ties to the Anne Frank story. His parents were both in concentration camps -- his mother in the same one as Anne -- and his parents met at the end of the war when the camps were liberated ...
AT the taping of "Emme's Island Moments" holiday special at the Coral Ballroom Sunday afternoon, singer Jimmy Borges spotted newly bearded John Waihee at a nearby table and asked the former governor, "Are you one of the Cazimeros?" To which a tablemate added, "Which one do you mean? Bozo?" It's not as mean as it sounds -- "Bozo" is the nickname of Roland Cazimero, who also has a beard ... The Christmas special, a benefit for the Youth Symphony, featured an impressive array of talent: Hapa, Keali'i Reichel, Na Leo Pilimehana, Aunty Genoa Keawe and, most impressively, Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom singing "Ave Maria" and Willie K reprising "O Holy Night" from last year, both in English and Hawaiian. It'll be shown later this month ...
Early Times
LEGENDARY bartender (Palm Tree Inn) and bar owner (Zebra Room) Tommy Velasco is lifting a glass himself these days. He and wife Rumelia flew to L.A. for Thanksgiving and, hopefully, to welcome their first grandchild. Their daughter, also named Rumelia, and husband Malcolm Cortez knew their arrival was at the same time birth was imminent, so she had her cousin meet the parents at the airport. Sure enough, just as they walked into the house young Rumelia's water broke, and off they all headed to the hospital where they welcomed a boy, Noah Kalei. The genial Velasco had hoped they'd hold off until his birthday, Sunday, but it wasn't to be. And now, Tommy, who at 84 had all but given up hope of ever being a grandfather, is about to become one again. His other daughter, Adelaida Severson (wife of news reporter Barry Severson), informed them she's also pregnant and should give birth around St. Patrick's Day. Better keep a bottle of Irish Whiskey on hand ...CHANNEL 2's "Hawaii Sports Final" Sunday had some interesting verbiage. Reporter John Veneri said that midway through the Michigan-UH contest, "For all intensive purposes the game was over." I believe he meant "intents and purposes." But then UH volleyballer Heidi Illustre checked in with her assessment of that monumental match with BYU: "It could have gone both ways." Sorry, Heidi. It might have gone either way, but certainly not "both." Beware, the grammar police are everywhere ...
Get back, Loretta
NO sooner was it announced that last weekend was to be the last for singer Loretta Ables at the Lewers Lounge than a new calendar came out featuring her on Thursdays through Saturdays in the lounge with Jim Howard and Bruce Hamada Jr. on piano and bass. The two will provide dinner music nightly for patrons at Orchids, repairing to the Lounge at 10:15 p.m. for two hours with Loretta Thursdays through Saturdays ...
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.