Hawaii
By Dave Donnelly
Monday, September 30, 1996
Dods banking on grand opening
IF you've been downtown much in the last couple of weeks, you've probably noticed that several lanes of Bishop, Merchant, Alakea and King streets have been blocked off day and night and weekends as workers rush to get the new First Hawaiian Bank Building completed. Bank chairman Walter Dods, who heads up the American Bankers Association this year, is having a dinner for visiting bankers this Friday, and among those who'll be in attendance is Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, a popular chap these days since the Fed elected not to raise interest rates. Dods also plans to whisk the banking elite up to the 27th floor to an unfinished area where they'll have an unparalleled view. It shouldn't take long to get there either - the elevators, which are operating, travel at a brisk 1,000 feet per minute. The bank is slated to open for business Nov. 12 ...
POPPING into town for one of his periodic visits was restaurateur Rod Gardiner, a shadow of his former self, having lost about 30 pounds - on purpose. It's tough, too, when you own a number of eateries. Rod and wife Marilyn sold their Hy's Steak House a few years ago, but still own Bandito's Cantina in Pearlridge and the real money cow, Kobe Steak House on Ala Moana fronting the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Gardiner has owned that chopstickery for 25 years now and he says he thinks it's the longest major free-standing restaurant in Waikiki under one ownership since Canlis' closed ...
HEARD from a Star-Bulletin online reader, Harry Williams, former actor and director in Honolulu theater, who read in the column about a Liver Foundation fund-raiser and decided to go public with his own battle. Now living in Incline Village, Nev., Williams has been diagnosed with Hepatitis C, probably contracted in Hawaii in 1983 with a blood transfusion in pre-screening days. He'd been keeping it from general knowledge but e-mails, "I decided to share it since the disease is so widespread and since I know there are many undiscovered cases out there." He suggests anyone wishing additional data contact their local chapter of the liver foundation ...
Arachnophobia!
HALLOWEEN is a month away, but the Bishop Museum folks are already in the mood and have opened a "Spiders" exhibit. (I don't know if it has a web page, but it ought to!) The scary denizens of the arachnid world are currently fascinating visitors to the Museum's Castle Building. Visitors can also crawl across a giant spider web - if they dare - to feel what it's like to be a bug trapped by a spider. "Spiders" will remain on view through the end of the year ...
ON Friday the 13th of September, Lori and David J. Dung had a baby girl they named Brianna. Lori considered it a bit of good luck, since she also was born on a Friday the 13th, but the Liberty House buyer is keeping mum on what year. Nothing like keeping things "All in the Family" - Lori's dad is Dr. Allan Takase, an OB-GYN in Hilo and husband David is an orthodontist ... A localite visiting the Amandari in Ubud, Bali, picked up a copy of a book entitled "Best Resorts in the World," and found just two Hawaii resorts listed: The Lodge at Koele and the Manele Bay Hotel, both on Lanai ...
THE RainSong Graphite Guitar people on Maui were tickled to see John Cale, formerly of the Velvet Underground, playing a RainSong Guitar on his "Tonight Show" appearance last week ...
Quickie reunion for Five-O gang
HOSTING a dinner party at the Kahala Mandarin Friday night was Rose Freeman, widow of "Hawaii Five-O" creator Lenny Freeman. Many of the old "Five-O" gang, including Jim MacArthur and several local folks who appeared in the series over the years, were hastily gathered together for a quickie reunion prior to an official one coming up later this month. Ironically enough, pre-dinner cocktails were served in an area on the beach known as the "Magnum Bar," frequently used during filming of "Magnum, P.I.," the series that followed on the heels of "Five-O." ...
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968. His columns run Monday through Friday. Contact Dave by e-mail at donnelly@kestrok.com.
Hawaii by Dave Donnelly is a daily feature of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
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