Hawaii
BACK on September 6, 1969, Bill Bachran asked if I realized that the date, written out numerically -- 9/6/69 -- Fun with numbers
was a palindrome? Somehow, between assisting the media at the Hawaiian Open press tent, Bachran managed to inform me of each palindromatic date since: 1/7/71, 2/7/72 etc. But this year's 9/9/99 seems to have slipped past him. Maybe it was too obvious. In any case, it was a birthday which Ciera Aiwohi won't ever forget. She turned 9 on 9/9/99 ... It was easily the most bizarre story on the front page yesterday -- maybe ever! -- that to commemorate the date, 999 senior citizens were to attempt to set a new "albeit obscure" record in Malaysia "for the gathering of older persons in a circus." ...
YOU can bet that a future Honolulu concert date was being discussed at Pietro's Wednesday when promoter Tom Moffatt was lunching with the "Secret Agent Man" himself, Johnny Rivers. The singer is enjoying an isle respite, flush from the dough he got when Steve Martin elected to use his song in the hit film, "Bowfinger." ... Speaking of Moffatt, his somewhat cynical newsman, Donn Tyler, got off a good one the other morning when he reported on D.G. "Andy" Anderson and his desire to put in a Ferris wheel, merry-go-round and miniature golf course at Kewalo Basin. "If he does build it," Tyler added, "we can rename the area 'Crony Island." ...
What parking problem?
IN a classic case of locking the barn door after the horse was stolen, a new parking scheme has been implemented at Aloha Stadium to prevent a reoccurance of the gridlock caused when more cars showed up for the UH-USC football game than there were spaces available. I think that problem may pretty well have been made moot by UH getting annihilated 62-7. And an influx of Eastern Illinois fans isn't anticipated for the next game. Stadium spokesman Les Keiter was quoted yesterday as saying, "Anything that will reduce the number of cars going through the main gate is what we're after." They may be heading in that direction ...IT looks like Harry Soria Jr. isn't the only one taking his Sunday show from KCCN to KINE. Also making the switch is Sunday morning D.J. Jake Hoopai, who's been on KCCN for nine years when not pitching Zippy's chili on TV ... Country singer Roger Whitaker will be appearing Sept. 17 at the Blaisdell Concert Hall. There's no guarantee he'll be singing it, but if he's smart he'll sure include a tune he recorded on one album, "Honolulu City Lights." ...
One star to another
AS he lay in St. Francis Hospice, Chris Peterson was glad his brother, Joseph Francis Hopaka Peterson, was going to be promoted to Brigadier General, but was saddened he wouldn't be able to attend the ceremonies in Fort Stewart, Georgia. Then a call came from the Pentagon, authorizing the St. Louis High grad to get his star earlier at Camp Smith. Chris was pleased, and attended the ceremony with an oxygen tank. Chris died just over two weeks later and, with sister Patrice holding his left hand, pointed his right skyward and said, "Angels inside." His mother, Marilyn Peterson, says he wasn't hallucinating and was alert to the end. And, after 25 years away from the Catholic Church, he went to confession, received communion and the last rites. After his death, a book arrived for him and his parents returned it with a notation: "New address, Heaven with God, 8/26/99." ...
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