Hawaii
FIELD of screams: The two owners of adjacent properties in Dyersville, Iowa, used for the film "Field of Dreams" are engaged in dueling tourist attractions, hoping that having built it, people will come and buy souvenirs. Isle duo a winning team
Now another "Field of Dreams" has emerged for two island men, and it's in, of all places, Taiwan. We itemed recently about how Hideo Nomo's agent, Mac Hamada, had signed young Mike Hickey to a contract to play professional baseball in Taiwan, and asked if he knew any good pitchers who'd like to join him. Hickey suggested Matt Apana, and the two flew to Taipei and were signed by the Tai Chung Tigers. Their very first outing was the stuff of dreams. Apana was brought in to pitch the eighth and ninth innings with his team trailing 2-1, and in the bottom of the ninth, with two outs, Hickey hit a two-run homer to win the game for the Tigers and make Apana the winning pitcher. Now they're heroes ...
THE Washington Post had a story the other day which called Sandy Beach "the most dangerous surfing spot in the U.S." with "the highest rate of spinal injuries of any beach in the country." The author called Sandies, "The island's answer to professional wrestling." And in perhaps a slight bit of hyperbole, author Alex Salkever writes that "rip currents have been known to whip stunned surfers more than 30 miles across the Kaiwi Channel toward the island of Molokai." And what's the negative that's made up of two positives? Yeah, right! ...
Spade in the shade
YOU have to hand it to "Just Shoot Me" nerd David Spade. He believes in calling one one. A spade a spade, that is. The quirky comic, ex-of "Saturday Night Live," plays Finch on the NBC-TV series and gets the bulk of the laughs on the show. He also got one from Halekulani G.M. Patricia Tam by writing her a note after a stay at the resort: "I was so glad to make it here in time for the Humidity Festival. I almost blacked out!! I love this place. Great views, great staff. I hope my credit card clears." ...QUICKIE QUIZ: When was Iolani School's last graduating class from its Nuuanu campus? Answer: 1953. One member of that class, William Chee, has just been honored as Alumni of the Year at the school's all-class reunion. For 37 years, Chee has served as teacher, registrar and dean of students at Iolani. More than 800 alumni and guests were at the reunion, including Chee's '53 classmate Clarence Lee, First Hawaiian Bank V.P. Raymond Ono ('72) and movie maker Chris Lee ('75) ...
TV or not TV
THE "Today" show's Matt Lauer yesterday introduced a woman who has sung the National Anthem all over the country -- "hundreds of times." She probably wasn't even born the first time Hawaii's Guido Salmaggi sang it. He'll be doing it once again to start off the USO Hawaii Race-Walk Sunday at 7 a.m. at Hickam ... That "Best Friends" segment of "Wheel of Fortune" which featured political gadflies Kekoa Kaapu and Brett White from the Hilton Hawaiian Village will be rebroadcast the week of Aug. 23-27. No, they don't win and I don't even think they're "Best Friends" anymore ... Comic Rip Taylor was a hit on the Perry & Price Hanohano Room show Saturday (wearing a "Rippah" T-shirt) and he'll appear at the Waikiki Community Center's benefit Friday night and at the "Good Life Expo" at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall Saturday cooking "Rip's Roll-up." Don't ask! ...
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: ddonnelly@starbulletin.com