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Wood Craft
Ben Wood
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Models Stevenson and Li announce their engagement
A
udra Stevenson and
Steve Li, a hot couple, are engaged. Both are models for ADR agency and have modeled together, once, appropriately in a wedding shoot. But they have other employment. Audra is a financial adviser for Smith Barney, has a CPA license, an MBA and is a fitness buff. She is one-quarter Samoan. Her dad,
Alo Stevenson, is a senator in Samoa. Mom
Sharon is a retired educator there. Steve is an agent with the federal Office of Inspector General, has a law degree and is a beach volleyball standout. He was volleyball star at USC and Punahou. Audra and Steve are taking an engagement trip to Italy later this month. Last Saturday she was lunching with Escada boss
Mariese Montano-Smith at Neiman's Mariposa. Mariese reported that Audra's special-order engagement ring had just arrived in her store. Mariese was beaming and thankful that a new Ala Moana Center report listed Escada as having the highest percentage sales increase for the women's apparel category in 2006 ...
Rep. Mazie Hirono was guest of honor at Georgetown University's annual Hawaiian Club Luau in Washington, March 24. The feast and program drew a capacity crowd of 400 to O'Donovan Hall, which was decorated Hawaiian style with ti leaves and tropical foliage. Wilson Unga and Krystle Corpuz, both Kahuku High grads, were emcees. The Aloha Boys played music and a Polynesian show was presented. Unga said 140 people participated in this year's event, up from 60 last year ...
Big crowd packs Honolulu Design Center
The Honolulu Design Center was jammed with about 1,250 guests -- including "The Bachelor"
Dr.
Andy Baldwin -- for its grand opening Thursday. Owner
Thomas Sorensen welcomed guests and introduced key members of his team. After Hawaiian entertainment, directed by
Peter Rockford-Espiritu, and with
Kala'e Stern, Star Kalahiki, Kamakoa, Felward Kahakeli'i and
Melvin Lantaka, Danny Akaka gave the blessing and people streamed in. Long lines formed at the food and beverage stations on each of the three floors. There was live music on each floor by the likes of vocalist
Rocky Brown and musicians
Rich Crandall, Steve Jones, Abe Lagrimas Jr., Noel Okimoto, Dan Del Negro, Bryan Kessler and the
Boughs Balcony String Quartet ...
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