Wood Craft Ben Wood

---

Former isle P.R. executive returns to mark his birthday

Former Hawaii public relations and ad exec Nick Sylvester and his wife, Barbara, came here from their Vero Beach, Fla., home for his 73rd birthday. With them were their son, David Kalani, and his fiancee, Amanda Bilbro, who live in Orlando, Fla. They had a birthday dinner with dear friends Nina Kealiiwahamana, her husband, Gordon Rapozo, and her brother, Boyce Rodrigues, at the Hilton's Steak and Seafood Restaurant recently. As the night drew to a misty-eyed close, Nick asked Boyce to sing the Myra English hit, "Drinking Champagne." Boyce used to sing the song to Barbara when she and Nick dropped in at the Ilikai's old Primo Garden, where Boyce performed in the '70s. Boyce received big applause from the crowd for his impromptu number. Besides promoting isle singers and hotels, Nick served as promo chief and assistant G.M. of the Hawaii Islanders baseball team ...

A celebration of life for consummate waterman Steve Kaowili, 81, a retired City and County lifeguard who died July 5, will be held Friday, 8:30 a.m., at the Elks Club. Steve's survivors include daughter Kaulu Hopkins, a former dancer at Walt Disney World in Florida; sons Mahinulani Novikoff, a retired Honolulu firefighter, and Kapala Novikoff, a captain in Maui's fire department ... Kahu Marion Lyman-Mersereau was on the Hokulea with Eddie Aikau when the canoe capsized in rough seas in 1978. Eddie surfed away in the darkness to get help and was never seen again. A reading and book signing of Marion's book, "Eddie Wen Go - The Story of the Upside Down Canoe," will be held Friday at 6 p.m., at Native Books Na Mea Hawaii and Saturday at 1 p.m. at Kahala's Barnes & Noble ...

SMEISSER SENDS WORD FROM THE PHILIPPINES

Longtime isle residents may remember Bernd Smeisser, who partnered with the late Sergio Battistetti when they had Sergio's. Sergio's was one of Tom Selleck's favorite restaurants, along with Hy's Steak House. Bernd managed the Trattoria for Sergio Inc., in the 1970s. He also managed other eateries. He has been living in the Philippines for 12 years, working in hotel management. He reads the Star-Bulletin online and sent me an e-mail recalling the old days. He even remembered my brief venture into the restaurant biz more than 40 years ago, much of which I'd just as soon forget ...