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Hawaii Dave Donnelly |
Mysteries of the
Keokuk connectionTHERE'S a kind of weird Keokuk-Hawaii-San Francisco connection. Just back from the City, as everyone calls S.F., on my last full day there I met well known restaurateur Charles Conde, who owns two of the best and most-beloved restaurants in the City, Aqua and Charles Nob Hill. He's an old friend of localite John Spierling, a frequent visitor to S.F., and was leaving the next day, as I was, for Honolulu to discuss a restaurant involvement here. The well-heeled Conde had no trouble with lodging here, as he owns a unit in the Colony Surf. During the course of our conversion, he asked if I was born in Hawaii. I told him no, that I was born and reared in a little town on the Mississippi River, Keokuk, Iowa. He barely flinched. "My wife was born in Keokuk," he replied ... Bob Mulcrevy, who used to own an Irish bar and restaurant in the Marina district, and I became fast friends when I discovered his roommate at Santa Clara was from Keokuk...
WAIT, it's not over yet. Bob LaMonte sports agent for people like Jon Gruden, of Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay, was a Santa Clara roommate of Compadres owner Rick Enos. While vacationing on Lanai, LaMonte's wife, Lynn, was hungry for Mexican food. LaMonte recalled that Enos had a Compadres on Maui, so the two boarded a ferry, cruised to Maui, cabbed to Compadres and got their fill. Until they arrived back in Honolulu, that is. There the LaMontes visited the Ward Centre's Compadres -- three times. Craving fulfilled ...
Hope springs eternal
COMIC extraordinaire Bob Hope lived to see his 100th birthday before breathing his last this week, and kahu Sam Saffery is nearing the century mark himself. A big 92nd birthday bash will be held for Kahu Sam Saturday afternoon from 1 to 4 at a Liliuokalani Church luau in Haleiwa. Harry Soria Jr. emcees and is slated to perform along with the church choir are Genoa Keawe, Randy & Gay Hongo, Joseph Wilcox & Makaloa, Raymond Kane, Van Diamond, Nalani Olds and Kanikapila. Call Dick Rodby, longtime Kemoo Farm operator, for more info at 621-8481 ...FANS of singer Nina Keali'iwahamana will be happy to learn that the Mountain Apple company has put out a CD of some of her favorite songs. The music was recorded with Jack de Mello and his orchestra in the 1970s, has been digitally re-mastered and is Nina's first CD release ...
Forgiveness Day
WHILE I didn't see island girl Erin Sweeney in S.F., one of the 2,240 e-mails I received in that three-week period was from her. She wanted all Hawaii to know that Eth-Noh-Tec, the performing arts group she's been working with, will be giving a free show Sunday at the East-West Center's Imin Conference Center. The group is made up of Robert Kikuchi-Yagojo & Nancy Wang. Also part of the Forgiveness Day gathering is Takashi Tanemori, a survivor of the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb drop, and Frank DeLima. The comic is also founder of the School Enrichment Project. Parking is free that day ...
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Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968. The Week That Was runs Sundays and recalls items from Dave's 30 years of columns. Contact Dave by e-mail: ddonnelly@starbulletin.com
