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Wood Craft
PAUL AZINGER'S Sony Open victory at Waialae Sunday was a great Hawaii sports story. Here's a gentleman who won his first tourney since he was diagnosed with lymph cancer six years ago. A man who was devastated a few months ago when his dear friend, fellow pro golfer Payne Stewart, and two other close friends were killed in a plane crash. The death of a cousin last year was painful as well. Sony officials were happy he won. Just about everyone here who follows golf ‘Zinger’ was isle
favorite Son(y)pulled for "Zinger." "Dreams do come true," said Waialae Head Pro Greg Nichols, a close friend of the Azinger family, who has caddied for Paul on the Mainland and was seen on ESPN on the beautiful Waialae course with Paul's wife, Toni, and their daughters, Josie and Lynn. The victory was for the people he mentioned, Greg said, cancer survivors throughout the world. He gave them hope. And for the families of his late friends and cousin. On Saturday, Schuman Carriage's Wally Won, who caddied at Ala Wai as a boy and now plays his golf at Mid-Pac, said, "I hope Azinger wins." After Paul won, AT&T Veep Ken Sandefur said, "I think it's a marvelous story. It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy." Paine Webber veep Al Souza, one of Waialae's finest golfers and a partner in Aaron's and Sarento's restaurants, said: "I can't imagine a more fitting and deserving champion than Paul Azinger." Danny Kaleikini, who with Elroy Chong announced the golfers as they reached the 18th green, said, "Paul gave everyone the hope we need, the hope that it can be done no matter what the obstacles. On the 18th, I introduced him as a graduate of Kamehameha. Everybody cracked up. He asked me, 'What school did I graduate from?' " At Waialae's party, Paul spoke of his love for Hawaii, its people, Waialae and its members ...
Bosanko adds flash to St. John
ISLE model Carolyn Bosanko livened things at the grand opening of Ala Moana's new St. John store Jan. 14 by grabbing a partner and dancing to the swinging beat of pianist Les Peetz, bassist Alex Ikehara, Bill Popaka on sax and singer Kimberly Bradford. St. John founder Marie Gray flew in for the event. Models from L.A. displayed fashions for guests such as Gina Schultz, Nadine Macnish, Janice Choate-Zavokos and isle actress Lisa Konove. Another singer in the house, Kathy Mitchell, sang praises of Bradford. Stan and Ruth Nishimura, John Alves, Claude Chemptob, and Daryl and Sharon Matsuo enjoyed Creations in Catering refreshments, arranged by St. John's Marie Casey and Robb Parr ...CAROLE BROOKS showed off her granddaughter, Makenna Auve, 17 months, at an Outrigger Canoe Club reception last weekend. Carole's daughter, Kalena, a Kaiser grad living with hubby, Randy, in San Diego, brought the baby here for a visit ...
Olive hits 90; Betty turns 80
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Kapahulu's Olive Kruse, who hit 90 Dec. 29. Son, Roy, came from Vancouver, Wash., for the celebrations as did daughter, Geraldine, from California. Howard and George are Olive's other children. Olive has 19 grandkids, 32 great-grandchildren and 5 great-great-great grandkids ... About 300 were at the Cannery party for Betty Tkachenko's 80th Jan. 8. Betty loves Vegas, so her kids, Alice Clay and Richard and Norman Tkachenko, set up a "casino" with millions of Betty Bucks, "bills" sporting Betty's photo ... Cheers to Mariposa bartender Karl Kimoto and well-dressed Eriko Dimtrovsky, who had birthdays on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. Eriko partied at La Mer ...
Ben Wood, who sold the Star-Bulletin in the streets
of downtown Honolulu during World War II, writes of
people, places and things every Saturday.
E-mail him at bwood@starbulletin.com