Wood Craft Ben Wood

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Herb Alpert blows his horn for Jim and Carl Smigielski

Carl Smigielski and his wife, a woman named Jim, are friends with Herb Alpert and his wife, singer Lani Hall, who live part time here. The Smigielskis had them over for Easter dinner. Jim is a fab cook and a cookbook author. To reciprocate, Herb and Lani took them to Hoku's for dinner and a stop at their Kahala residence. Jim saw Herb's well-worn trumpet next to a couch and asked him to play. He knocked out the theme from "The Dating Game," "Spanish Flea" and "A Taste of Honey." Before she was born, Lani's parents always wanted to come to Hawaii but couldn't make it. So, for a touch of Hawaiiana, when she came along they named her Leilani ...

Sorry to learn former PBS "Wall $treet Week" host Lou Rukeyser, 73, died Monday of cancer. Lou and I were soldiers together with Stars & Stripes in Darmstadt, Germany. We had good beer-drinking sessions. I got together with him when he filmed a "Wall $treet" show from the old Halekulani back in the 1970s. He was still drinking German beer ... A celebration of artist Mary Leineweber's life will be held at St. Anthony Church in Kailua next Saturday, 10:30 a.m. Mary, a renaissance woman, died April 1 at age 83. Mary was from Oregon but fell in love with Hawaii after arriving in 1964. Her drawings and paintings include many of Hawaii's historic structures and sites. She was a pianist, composer and sang in the St. Anthony Choir. She was also a member of the Kawaiaha'o Church Quilters. Condolences to her family ...

Nina Kealiiwahamana sings with Youth Symphony

Singer Nina Kealiiwahamana enhances any musical performance, and she will do just that when she sings with the Hawaii Youth Symphony tomorrow at its luncheon concert at the Hilton's Tapa Ballroom. Conductors are Henry Miyamura and Michael Nakasone. Paula Akana is emcee. The Honolulu Boy Choir, directed by Pamela DeBoard, will perform. It is an aloha concert for 44 seniors in HYS orchestras who are graduating from 15 high schools. A silent auction starts at 10:30 a.m., followed by lunch at 11:30 a.m. The concert begins at 12:15 p.m. Tickets, $40, will be sold at the door ... Teams are needed for the American Diabetes Association golf tourney Thursday at the Hawaii Prince. Call ADA at 947-5979. Laurie Tom and John Wells are co-chairs ...