Hawaii
TOYS for Tots is becoming Bikes for Tykes at Honolulu Hale. The Toys for Tots display, sponsored by Hawaiian Airlines, is overflowing each morning with donations from families who drop by to see the Honolulu City Lights each evening. Hawaiian Air people are also making sure the box is full -- Former Miss Hawaii Debbie Nakanelua-Richards brought along 150 bears with Signs of
holiday spiritHAL T-shirts and put them in the box. But what really impressed many folks at City Hall was when young Kristi Hirozawa of Waipahu came by with a brand new girl's bicycle. She said she'd won it in a contest, but decided to contribute it to the Toys for Tots drive. City Hall security guard DaNang McKay described the gesture as proof there's "hope for the future." ... WHILE lauding the talents of Slava Polunin and his "Slava's Snowshow" at Hawaii Theatre, I compared it to the comedic hilarity of "Fool Moon," and like a fool got the name of one of the two performers in that show wrong. It stars David Shiner and Bill Irwin. The zany Slava and his troupe of verrrrry strange accomplices continue through Friday, with two more shows Sunday, the day after Christmas ... SPEAKING of Christmas, Campbell High Vice Principal Bob Elliott (not of "Bob and Ray" fame) is masquerading as Santa on Perry & Price's Christmas show for the eighth time ... Also on the subject, the sons of plastic surgeon Dr. Gregory Caputy are familiar with illusions. While Santa Claus was taking a break from his appearance at Ala Moana Center the other day, the Caputy kids told other youngsters there, "He's not the real Santa. He's just gluing his beard on back there." ...
To err is inhumane
MANY thanks to the friend who sent me the perfect gift for Christmas, "The Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations," by Charles Harrington Elster, published by Houghton Mifflin. Every television and radio station owner ought to have copies of this book on hand for news readers who blaze their way through stories, often less than careful with regard to proper pronunciation. The gift was inspired, she reports, by the fact there's a nice long section on "forte" (as an area of expertise) and how the "e" should be silent just as it is in "morale" or "locale." Elster also notes an even more common mispronunciation. "Err" as in "To err is human," rhymes with "sir" and not "air." He begins the book, "When it comes to pronunciation, there are two types of people: Those who don't give the subject a second thought and those who do. This book is for those who do." And that includes me ... LOCAL writer Kirby Wright has had his Molokai stories published in six straight issues of Chaminade Literary Review and has another forthcoming in Hawaii Review. But when he bragged to his dad he'd made it into the millennium edition of "Who's Who in the West," his father responded that it was nice, but that HE was in "Who's Who in the World." Dad is Harold Wright of Cades, Schutte, Fleming and Wright ...
Bette bags big bucks
TWO localites, Dennis Momyer and Renee L'Abbe flew to L.A. to see Bette Midler in concert at the sold out Staples Arena. They were happy she paid tribute to her Hawaii roots with a reprise of Dolores Del Lago, complete with wheelchairs. And local girl Christine Souza danced a hula as a background to one song. Bette will be making a bundle when she ends her tour with sold out shows in Las Vegas on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, 2000 ...
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