Wood Craft Ben Wood

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1,000 kick off the Christmas season at C.S. Wo party

C.S. WO WAS THE PLACE to be Saturday night as the furniture store kicked off the Christmas season with a glittering party for 1,000 happy guests. Store President Robert "Bub" Wo Jr. and his brothers Wendell, Michael, Bennett and Scott greeted guests. The Wo Brothers' parents, Robert and Betty, attended. Guests included some of Honolulu's best-known and best-dressed people, who packed two floors of the Wo store. They listened to carols by Diamond Head Theatre's young Shooting Stars, directed by the talented John Rampage; ate tasty gourmet offerings by Chef Kelvin Ro, assisted by Chef Diane Nazarro's Windward Community College students; sipped beverages selected by Emily Field of Southern Wine & Spirits, and viewed models in fashions from Neiman Marcus. Major attractions were the holiday table settings by Neiman, on display until Nov. 26. The Neiman group was led by G.M. Al Tomonari and included visual presentation whiz Doug Jago, Lucy Chelini, Chip Ching, Judith Chiarottino, Jeanine Espinda, Amy Tomita and Margaret Akinaka ...

ONWARD: Actress Kelly Hu, who has made it in Hollywood, is host for the opening of the Miss Sixty/Energie Boutique at Ala Moana Center Dec. 2. Kelly, a Kamehameha grad, will also host Reef Check Hawaii's Run for the Reefs Luau by Vonage Dec. 11 at the Sheraton Waikiki, the day after the Honolulu Marathon. Kelly will also run the marathon ...

BONDED: Star-Bulletin News Editor Stephanie Kendrick is an ultra James Bond movie fan. She has seen every Bond picture, owns most of them, and says the new "Casino Royale," starring Daniel Craig, "is the best Bond ever" ...

Wives, kids of troops in Mideast invited to 'Annie'

NICE GESTURE by Army Community Theatre Producer Vanita Rae Smith to invite 200 spouses and children of soldiers from Schofield Barracks, who are serving in Iraq, to the preview of "Annie" last Wednesday night. The musical runs through Dec. 2 at Fort Shafter's Richardson Theatre. The show is special for Mideast veteran Lt. Col. Russell Weir as his daughter Channing, 12, stars as Annie and son Ian, 14, portrays a lad selling papers -- Star-Bulletins, I hope ... Happy Thanksgiving to you all ...