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Hawaii
THE Beatles TV special, "Revolution," actually brought 64 once seemed
a long way offtears to my eyes Friday. The two-hour ABC special not only brought the group to life through their music and messages and style from 1963 to '69, it brought home to me that I was along for the entire ride. As a DJ on K-POI and also a pop music columnist for the Star-Bulletin, we introduced the remarkable group's work to radio listeners and Star-Bulletin readers. The remarks made by many on the special, notably Mike Myers, Tim Allen, Salmon Rushdie, Bruce Springsteen, Smokey Robinson and many, many others, showed how the four one-time "mop-toppers" effected the lives of so many people. At the end of the segment, many of these people told which Beatle song was his favorite and why. Old Beatnik Ken Kesey picked "When I'm 64," because he had turned 64 and when he first heard the song never knew he would or how much he'd enjoy the trip along the way. That set me to thinking that I'll be 64 next year, and in my mind the Beatle lyrics changed slightly to, "Will you still need me, will you still read me, when I'm 64." If my friend Herb Caen could itemize until he was nearly 80, I figured, why not? ...
ONE dear old friend, former Isle resident Mike Sweetow, a labor mediator and great guy, turned 65 last month at the place he chose to live out his life, State College, Pa. On Saturday, his wife Beth called with the news that the cancer which had been ravaging him for over six years, long past the "outside chance" his San Francisco doctors had given him, had finally taken its toll, and he died early Saturday. There'll be memorial services in both S.F., where the two lived for many years, and in his earlier home, Hawaii. Beth recounted that he wanted his ashes scattered in Waipio Valley, his favorite place on earth and the spot where he found such peace ...
Church bulletin
THIS column finds itself in some pretty unusual venues -- over the men's room facility at Murphy's comes to mind -- but this one tops all. C. Brewer CEO J.W. "Doc" Buyers acknowledges that while Star-Bulletins are hard to come by on the Big Isle -- at least for now -- a copy of a column I wrote about Buyers revisiting his alma mater, Princeton, appeared in the church bulletin of the Hilo Coast United Church of Christ in Honomu, a congregation of 250 members mostly of Japanese ancestry or former sugar plantation workers ...ALTERNATING channels: Weather people Kim Gennaula of KGMB and Guy Hagi of KHNL, are hoping for calm seas ahead. They've selected Jan. 21 as their wedding date and are eyeing a honeymoon Down Under ... Tony Curtis and his young wife enjoyed their dinner at Alan Wong's so much they wanted to meet the chef and were ushered into the kitchen where he was working on someone else's dinner, but did say "Hi." ... Clint Eastwood made the day at Nick's Fishmarket Maui G.M. Ron Panzo when he, his wife and two friends dined there. And when he asked for extra garlic on his crab leg, nobody objected ...
Now batting, Benny
GOING to bat for Verizon during off-season for baseball will be Benny Agbayani. Seems he strolled into the Verizon Wireless store at Waiau Center to update his wireless service, and somebody came up with a great idea. He's agreed to be a spokesman for the company in both print and radio ads. He's been a longtime Verizon wireless customer ...
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: ddonnelly@starbulletin.com