Hawaii
MEMBERS of the Kennedy family clan will be getting in some island R&R before appearing at next Monday's dinner to honor Ethel Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the Hilton Hawaiian Village's Tapa Ballroom. The two are recipients of the 1999 Naito Award, named for Dr. Jushichiro Naito, known in Japan as that country's "God of Child Care." Like Dr. Spock and then some. The evening was put together by localite Manny Menendez, a family friend (and touch football playing buddy) of the Kennedys and of Dr. Naito, an author of more than 30 books on child care and doctor for Japan's Imperial Family. Dr. Naito is also a winner of the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Award, which puts him in the august company of Bishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama XIV. The Kennedys will also be receiving the Naito-Kassai Award, co-named for Dr. Naito and Kenzo Kassai, president of Aprica Childcare Institute. Menendez is an American advisor for Aprica, which makes baby strollers and child car seats. Others here for the award are Robert's wife, Mary Richardson Kennedy, plus Kerry Kennedy Cuomo and her husband, Andrew Cuomo, HUD head ... Kennedys gain honors here
CHANCES are you won't believe this, but Gov. Ben Cayetano has been named one of "my favorite hunks of summer" by the author of the Black Widow's Web of Love Zine on the Internet. Sure enough, there's his photo (right alongside that of Scott Wolf, Broadway's "Side Man") and the explanation from the author, "I was researching Hawaii because that's one of the places where my dear Keanu is from, and I came across this island prince! Alo-HOT!" I'm not making this up -- check it out on the World Wide Web: http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/spaceghost/cod/blackwidow/index.html ...
Diamonds in the rough
NOW that Hawaii's Benny Agbayani of the New York Mets has declared himself the home run threat of the year -- through deed, not word -- the Shea Stadium organist's new favorite song is Elton John's "Benny and the Mets." Uh, I mean "Jets." Sir Elton may start requesting royalties, if he hasn't already ... Localite Lilia Johnson is coming home for a couple of family reunions from her new home in Louisville, and was hoping her husband, American League umpire Mark Johnson, could join her over the All-Star break. Alas, Johnson will be working that game, a nice honor, but it put the kibosh on an isle junket. Lilia's leery about this year's game since it's in Boston -- that's where Mark was in a major auto accident last year, where he had hernia complications and got smacked by a fast ball. "Say a prayer for him," she advises ...AND our sporty sports editor, Joe Edwards, is the father of child number four. Wife Jaime delivered a 10-pound, 2-ounce baby last week that they named Maika. Hmmmm, I mused, "Four-Maika?" "I don't want to see that in print," said jovial Joe. "But it's what I do," I replied. When they had their third child (in just over three years) Edward gave me a "Repeater" cigar. This time it was a Davidoff No. 4. One more and he'll have a basketball team, I suggested. "Nah," he replied, "I got an infield. That's enough." He's the hurler? ...
Perfect Pitches
NOTHING to do with baseball, but the Radcliffe Pitches did their a capella thing at David Paul's Diamond Head Grill's Sunday Jam yesterday. Devise your own baseball metaphors -- these Pitches are a dozen Harvard undergrads who have one thing in common. They love to sing ...
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: donnelly@kestrok.com.