Lord recovers
lost treasureNOTHING like a heart warming story for the holiday season: Tears were flowing at Hoku's in the Kahala Mandarin at lunchtime Wednesday. The hotel's Marion Sato had arranged a meeting between Marie Lord, who lunches there at least once a week, and a California resident named James Knapp. It seems Knapp had purchased "Hawaii Five-O" star Jack Lord's car from the estate and while cleaning it out discovered something under the seat. It was the wedding band Lord had given his life-long love, Marie, and was believed lost forever. Knapp, a big fan of Jack Lord, was thrilled to visit Hawaii and meet the widow of the "Five-O" star at Hoku's, personally delivering the ring to her. Once again she was able to read the inscription: "Dear Love. Be mine forever" ...
FROM heart warming to nerve wracking: Henry Kapono came on stage at the Hawaii Theatre Wednesday night as a keiki choir was descending on the hydraulic orchestra pit, and as he concentrated on tuning his guitar, fell into said pit with a crash. Kapono is a gamer, however, and as the audience sat holding its collective breath, he returned to the stage with a big hand of applause and in classic fashion, gave truth to the adage that "The show must go on" ...
Kona coasts
YESTERDAY'S sports section story on Hawaii basketball players Nani Cockett and Nani Flores running into old Kamehameha Schools pal Kona Carmack in Europe mentioned that she's modeling in Israel and she'll be in a forthcoming film with Gerard Depardieu. But it failed to mention Kona is surely best known for her appearance as a Playboy "Playmate" in one of the most tasteful displays the magazine has run. She's also the daughter of well known localite Billie Gabriel-Zito ...IT'S rare that I'm caught in a flat-footed surprise, but so it was Wednesday evening when I showed up at Havana Cabana to join a couple of friends for dinner. The dinner was a ruse and the place was overflowing with public relations people -- about 90 per cent women -- marking my 30th anniversary in this slot. Somehow David McNeil of McNeil-Wilson found a copy of my first column, had it framed with a plaque reading "Here's to another 30 years" and it now hangs over my desk. Another gift from the assembled was a wooden drum, suitable for banging. Leis were up to here, and were sagely recycled and distributed to the women in the Star-Bulletin Today section yesterday. Mahalo to all ...
AND collecting a Certificate of Merit from HPD chief Lee Donohue this week was Gaylord Komoto of the Queen Kapiolani Hotel, who helped capture a purse snatcher outside his hotel. The miscreant should have known Komoto was the head of the K-POI "Riot Squad" many moons ago, which gave him a good background in crime prevention ...
Hello Dolly
NOT content with having politicos Peter Carlisle and Rene Mansho in its production of "Nutcracker," Ballet Hawaii has added Dolly Ching, special assistant to Mayor Jeremy Harris, to the cast. The show opens tonight and runs through the weekend. Dolly is pals with fashion designer Anne Namba and her husband, Dave Cassidy, and managed to work her way into a party scene with their daughter, Roxanne ... Hip marketing duo Tom and Sherry Sellers is now referring to themselves as the "grand-dude" and "grand-chick" since son Dustin and his wife, Lisa, had a son, Maxx, who came into this world weighing over 9 pounds and who was 22 inches long. Sounds like he has a big future ...
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.