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Hawaii
WORKERS have been feverishly putting the finishing touches to the faux Chinese cement blocks found throughout the downtown area, which were brought here as ballast on ships. One area that now Harris getting
ready to runlooks as spiffy as any in the entire downtown region is at the corner of King and Nuuanu fronting what used to be the Liberty House Penthouse. I noticed painters working inside, so inquired of a nearby merchant what was going into the space with the nice new entryway. Turns out it's going to be the downtown "Harris for Governor" headquarters. What a coincidence, wouldn't you say? Apparently Mayor Jeremy Harris is planning a Penthouse to the Statehouse strategy ...
FIRST localite Jason Scott Lee opened last week in "The King and I" in London, and then on Sunday night Columbia Pictures hosted the gala world premiere of "Center Stage" at the new AMC 25-plex theater on 42nd Street. Starring in the film is ex-Punahou and City Ballet star Amanda Schull. Flying in from Honolulu for the occasion were her parents, Susie and Gunner Schull, as well as "Mother McPhee." That would be Sharon McPhee, wife of ex-Punahou honcho Rod McPhee and surrogate mother to all, who was so proud of the local grad ... Hawaii's premiere of "Center Stage" is tonight at Dole Cannery's Signature Theaters, a benefit for Ballet Hawaii, with a reception to follow ...
Networking
WHO should pop up on KGMB with a CBS network news piece but ex-Channel 9 reporter Teri Okita. Her appearance there might be limited if KHON decides to switch formats from Fox to CBS, having purchased the station, and carry that network's newscasts instead of Fox's ... Then there's Dalton Tanonaka, who's taken yet another new news position. Formerly Hong Kong based anchor for three CNBC financial programs, Tanonaka returned to Hawaii in hopes of landing an anchor job here. That didn't work out, so he's returning to Hong Kong, where he'll anchor CNN International's prime time daily news programs plus "Asia Tonight" and "Asian Edition." ...WHEN Debbie Brady asked husband Todd where he wanted to have dinner on his birthday, he demonstrated he's a guy who thinks big. "Carelli's on the Beach," he answered without hesitation. Trouble is, Carelli's is on Maui, and the Bradys live in Los Angeles. Debbie rose to the occasion, getting plane tickets overnight and treating her hubby to an oceanside dinner where Carlos Garcia and the Carelli's staff gave them the royal treatment ...
WHILE the Chart House isn't a Mexican joint, you've got to hand it to their bartenders where Margarita making is concerned. Winning first prize in the annual contest at Compadres was the Chart House's Guy Maynard. He donned sombrero and serape and played "Tequila" by the Champs as he made his winning entry, the Blushing Senorita. Copping third place in the contest, which had 40 entrants, was the Chart House's Jerry Boyce ...
Long way to go solo
WINNERS of the Honolulu Symphony's "Hawaii's Best and Brightest" competition get to solo with the Symphony Saturday. One of the seven winners, 17-year-old Cynthia Dillard has to fly in from Minot, North Dakota, for her solo performance. Since she won the competition, her Air Force dad was transferred to North Dakota, but the young pianist wasn't about to let that interfere with her day in the sun ...
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