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Wood Craft
Ben Wood
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Ex-Alii LaGod to release CD; FHS bandmate was Cayetano
Manny LaGod, one of the original
Aliis who helped
Don Ho pack 'em in at
Duke Kahanamoku's in the International Market Place in the 1960s, has been living on the mainland for years and will release a CD in June. Besides singing, Manny played bass guitar in his years with the Aliis. But back in his Farrington High days in the late 1950s, Manny played clarinet in the school's band, which was the best high school band in town. A clarinet player who sat next to him was named
Ben Cayetano. Yep, the Farrington student who went on to become governor of the great state of Hawaii used to play the licorice stick. Manny said that he bought Cayetano's clarinet from him for $50, making a deal to pay him $5 a week. "I could hardly make the payments, what with the $5-per-week allowance I had," Manny said. "I had to shoot pool and do odd jobs to earn the extra $5 per week, and I sometimes fell short." Manny said the ex-gov recently talked to him about getting together for lunch and golf, and to talk about high school days ...
After reading about Time calling Sen. Dan Akaka one of the Senate's five worst senators, it's obvious that nice guys finish last as far as that magazine is concerned. Don't change, Senator ... Belated happy birthday wishes to Halekulani GM Janis Clapoff, whose special day was Monday ... Ballet Hawaii's Judy Muncaster, Bob and Mary Lou Sandla and David and Mary Anne Stubenberg took in an Australian Ballet concert in Sydney this week. They're cruising ...
Sharon McPhee gets JFK Center advisory post
Sharon McPhee is a member of many boards and organizations, and the latest one to invite her in is a biggie: the National Committee for the Performing Arts, the permanent national advisory board of the
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Get a load of how active this woman is: She is vice chairwoman of the
Honolulu Symphony and serves on the Chaminade Board of Governors and the city Commission on Culture and the Arts. She serves on the boards of Diamond Head Theatre, the Hawaii Theatre and more. She and her late husband,
Rod, have been honored by the Heart Association as outstanding volunteers. Rod was president of Punahou School for 26 years ...
Ben Wood, who sold the Star-Bulletin in the streets of downtown Honolulu during World War II, writes of people, places and things every Wednesday and Saturday. E-mail him at
bwood@starbulletin.com