Wood Craft Ben Wood

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Sculptor fashions elephant for princess

Maui sculptor Steve Turnbull created an abstract elephant of koa wood that was presented to Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand at the East-West Center's annual International Affair dinner at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Chairing the recent dinner were Don K. Kim and Jean Ariyoshi. They took part in the presentation with center President Charles Morrison. The princess was guest of honor at the dinner and also accepted the Center's Asia Pacific Community Building Award on behalf of her father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej in recognition of the king's work for the welfare of the Thai people ...

...surprise! Tropical Roofing and Raingutters owner Charlie Beeck was surprised by about 45 friends on his 60th birthday Saturday at a dinner party thrown by his wife, Atsuko, in Morton's private dining room. Guests Kristian Lei and her husband, Gavin Vinta, sang. Kristian is performing Saturday at Chai's, 7 to 9 p.m. Beeck is a strong Lei supporter. Nathan Minn, who has the same March 13 birthday as Charlie, has been celebrating together with Charlie for years. Charlie was surrounded by a diverse group of people at his table. They included Nathan, Realtor Drea Kia, Russell Akamine, David Leong, former UH basketball star Jack Miller and his dad, another Jack, who is visiting from Ohio, and retired HFD Capt. Juvie Coito and his wife, Christy, a 30-year Hawaiian Airlines employee whose dad, Chris Vicari, owned the Swing Club on Hotel Street ...

Birthday at Bali

M. Lee Goff took his wife, Dianne, to dinner at the Hilton's Bali-by-the-Sea March 8 for her birthday. The Bali was an appropriate spot because it overlooks the Hilton's beach. That's where they met in the 1960s when she was a surfer from California and he was a guitarist. Lee is now chairman of the Forensic Sciences Program at Chaminade ... Daynin Dashefsky marked her birthday March 1 with party at her Kahala home. Among Daynin's talents is singing, so there was much karaoke at the party. Kimo Kahoano was also heavy into the karaoke mode ...

Dolly Kang Lott, 77, mother of writer Robert Pennybacker and John Kolivas, a bassist and leader of the Honolulu Jazz Quartet, died Saturday in her sleep at home. Dolly, a strong supporter of the Honolulu Symphony, was a gifted pianist who taught piano at Punahou School and also opened a piano studio. She graduated from Roosevelt High and studied at Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and Iowa and Indiana universities. She had been dealing with the aftermath of a major stroke for 4-1/2 years. Condolences to her family ...