Hawaii
MANY years ago I sat out on a non-stop trip to London from L.A. on Pam American World Airways. There was a series of mishaps, including two hours sitting in the plane at LAX while an oil leak was investigated, and there was an unscheduled landing in Gander, Newfoundland, in the middle of the night to handle Pan Am alums gather
the same problem. This delayed our arrival in London considerably, ruining some plans. At the time, I suggested Pam Am reword it slogan to "Pan Am Makes the Going Grate." All is forgotten now, with the airline going under eight years ago. But World Wings International is still going strong. That's a philanthropic organization of more than 2,000 former Pan Am flight attendants world-wide. The local chapter celebrates its 30th anniversary this year with a gala dinner Saturday. Any former Pan Am flight attendant can still join the event by calling 671-1525 ...
AT a recent OHA small business conference, the luncheon speaker was Nalani Choy of the group Na Leo Pilimehana. She spoke about how the trio works as a team with each of the three bringing their strengths to the table. Choy, a former banker, does the accounting; Angela Morales does the bookings; Lehua Kalima, says Choy, "goes golfing two or three times a week and calls it 'P.R.' " ... John Sheuer is a Ph.D candidate, but still able to learn things. The other night at a dinner he was impressed with a vegetable casserole and asked hostess Adrienne Sweeney how she kept the eggplant from being bitter. Sweeney deadpanned, "Easy, I softly discuss things with the eggplant like, 'It happened a long time ago, forget the past, just let it go.' " ...
Wots the Motter
DURING a rehearsal for Manoa Valley Theater's upcoming production, Russell Motter was reflecting that MVT seems to bring out the worst in him. He played the man you loved to hate in last season's "To Kill a Mockingbird," framing a black man for rape. Then he segued to the part of the Warden in "Kiss of the Spiderwoman" in which he tortured prisoners and killed a gay man. Now as Carlson in the Steinbeck classic, "Of Mice and Men," he shoots and kills a man's old dog -- just because it's there. Those who know him well insist he's a great guy, so he must be a heck of an actor, too. The Steinbeck drama opens Nov. 17 ...THE man who seems to know more about what's going on in this country economically than anyone is Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. One isle resident is going to get an up close and personal reading on things from Greenspan next week. David McClain, the Henry A. Walker Jr. Professor at the UH College of Business, was recently elected to the board of the National Association for Business Economics and they'll meet with Greenspan and his board for a briefing on the economic outlook Nov. 10 in Washington ...
Believe in magic
Waikiki Yacht Club has sunk a reported $20 million into its America's Cup yacht "Abracadabra 2000" in New Zealand, yet it's still underfunded. How much so? After a day of competition, the tired crew members clean and repair the boat, then bike to their crowded apartments. By comparison, the Italian team has a shoreside crew to do maintenance while the sailors hop into Lamborghinis and head for a four-star hotel. That's why Skip Naftel of O'Toole's is having a fund-raiser for "Abracadabra 2000" Thursday at 5 p.m. Food (with help from neighbor Don Murphy), fun and an auction are on tap ...
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