Wood Craft Ben Wood

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Performers, Worthy Women, surprise highlight my 75th

TURNING 75 is big, just to be alive and kicking. But it's pure joy when Mihana Souza and Andrea Kia get a group of Worthy Women together, along with Charlie Beeck, Mariposa Manager David Brown and some of the best singers, hula dancers and musicians in town to throw me a terrific party. It was held Thursday at Neiman's Mariposa. Mayor Mufi Hannemann had his brothers, Gus and Nephi, bring me a proclamation calling Oct. 26 Ben Wood Day. Gus had the crowd of 100 rolling with his jokes. The big surprise came when I was resting before the party and received a call from Michelle Doherty. I thought she was calling from her home in Miami and I heard knocking over the phone. Then I realized the knocking was at my apartment door. I opened it and there was Michelle. Wow! I used to date her mom 45 years ago when I was working in Germany. I learned about Michelle last spring. She came here in July and we bonded. She told me, "I came to Hawaii to find my dad and I found him." That's just fine with me ... Melveen Leed, Augie Rey, Kimo Kahoano, Danny Kaleikini, Kristian Lei, Jimmy Borges, Kanoe Miller and Kanoe Cazimero performed. Melveen and Augie sang deliciously long sets. The solid band was made up of Miles Jackson on bass, drummer Peter Factora, Aaron Aranita on keyboard and guitarist Shoji Ledward. Mihana sang and did a chant for me ...

Jim Nabors' songs bring tears to her eyes

JIM NABORS attended and a guest said she cries whenever Jim sings. When told that, Jim said, "Do I sing that bad?" Daynin Dashefsky stood by me with a big basket of long-stemmed roses so I could give each woman arriving a rose. Cameraman Dean Sensui of "Hawaii Goes Fishing" shot much of the event and photographers Laurie Callies, Bob Asakura and Nora Gentry snapped away. Guests included Jack and Cha Thompson, Irwin "Yoka" Cockett, Candes Gentry, Neiman G.M. Al Tomonari, Ram and Pat Pederson, Alice Clay, Vicki Borges, Lori Tom, Jackie Smythe, Myra Brandt, Norm and Ramsay Goldstein, Al Dacascos, Bobby Joy, David and Wendy Nagaishi, Karl Kimoto, Mariese Montano-Smith, Linda Wong, Margaret Murchie, Jane Stubenberg, Rachel Simmons, Corky and Hana Trinidad, many of my Roosevelt classmates and the incomparable Worthy Women and their mascot, "Giddyup" Beeck ...