Tagami and Powell to reopen their art gallery in Kahaluu

ARTIST HIROSHI TAGAMI, one of Hawaii's famous painters, says that "by popular demand" he has repurchased his former Kahaluu home and he and Michael Powell will reopen their gallery on the property before long. After selling the home with its sprawling gardens several years ago, the two painters lived on the Big Island and then Maui before returning to Honolulu. Annie Landrum will be a part-owner of the gallery and will handle administration. Besides their paintings, Hiroshi said Jonathan Winters and Maui's Dick Nelson and others will display their art at the gallery ... Eight portraits by Kauai photographer-artist David Allio are being displayed at the Saatchi Gallery in London's Contemporary Art Gallery this month. Allio says his exhibit is "not all just portraits in a photographic style but includes everything from impressionist charcoal sketches to expressionist color washes" ...

RUTH'S CHRIS seemed like a Sen. Daniel Akaka camp during his debate Thursday with Rep. Ed Case. David Wilson of McNeil Wilson headed a large group of Akaka backers who gathered in the steak house's lounge to watch the debate. After it was over, the senator arrived with his family and friends, including Walter Dods, and had dinner in the Victoria Room. Randy Schoch opens his fourth Ruth's Chris in Hawaii in the Shops at Mauna Lani on the Big Isle Oct. 9 ...

La Pietra presents Sunset Jazz Sunday

SHARI LYNN, Jimmy Borges and the Savoy Sisters will appear at La Pietra School's annual Sunset Jazz benefit that gets under way at 6 p.m. Sunday on the Great Lawn. Grounds open for picnics at 5:30 p.m. Call 924-7515 for more info ... Former Alii Manny LaGod arrives home tomorrow for a week to visit his mom, Juanita, and to attend the wedding of his nephew Rocky Paredes to Lori Lei Limbago. He also plans to golf with former Gov. Ben Cayetano, who sat next to him when they played clarinet in the Farrington High band in their youth ... One of the best-watched shows on "House Hunters" on the Home and Garden TV Network this season was a program with Realtor Robin Rohr showing a Honolulu condo she sold to Alicia Ulrich, an "Entertainment Tonight" producer ...

Ben Wood, who sold the Star-Bulletin in the streets of downtown Honolulu during World War II, writes of people, places and things in our Hawaii. E-mail him at bwood@starbulletin.com