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Hawaii
THE question was kind of spooky. "Did you see where Akio Morita shot a hole in one at Waialae," asked Joe Anthony. This puzzled Ray Sweeney of Sweeney Communications, who replied "Akio Art career
up in the airMorita died." The Sony founder did indeed die, and the person listed in Sunday's paper for carding an ace at Waialae was Aiko Morita, wife of banker James Morita. The consensus was that Anthony, the former amateur champ at Waialae, needs glasses ... One guy who doesn't need glasses to perform his artwork is Al Furtado, former newspaper advertising art director who went legit. He's the current featured artist on Hawaiian Airlines' "Artist in the Sky" promotion, and in addition, Furtado's artworks are on display in the windows of Martin & MacArthur's Aloha Tower Marketplace store ...
WHILE browsing through newspapers on the Internet late Saturday afternoon, I came upon a story in the Sunday Times of London (already online) about Noel Coward being a spy during the war. My friend Sheridan Morley is Coward's biographer, and he was quoted throughout the article. I sent him an email about it and got a brief reply from his wife, Ruth Leon, saying they hadn't seen the Times yet ("it's early here") but would check it out. How about that -- sitting in Hawaii reading a story in the Times before Londoners even see it! ...
Kodak moments
WHEN Randy and Gay Hongo set their schedule of performances in California, they called Brook Lee to ask if she'd like to join any of their concerts. She had so much fun at Friday's show that she showed up again at a luau Saturday night and sang a couple of numbers wearing a red Allen Akina off-the-shoulder muumuu. Before the show got under way, Gay came running backstage and said, "Guess who's here?" Turns out it was Courtney Glaza (Miss Hawaii '94) and Traci Toguchi (who took over her crown in '95.) All the beauty queens took the stage during the section where the Hongos teach the audience to dance to "Pearly Shells," and the pearly whites were much in view, causing camera bugs to go gaga. Once again a Mainland audience saw firsthand how localites never lose touch with the Islands ...SPEAKING of the Hongos, their son, Andrew Hongo, is now a member of the Yale University a capella choir, the Whiffenpoofs. They'll be kicking off a world concert tour in Honolulu June 2 at Punahou's Dillingham Auditorium. The group is the nation's oldest -- established in 1909 -- and their 13-week tour will take them from Honolulu to Tokyo, Beijing, Hong Kong, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Berlin, Amsterdam and London. For tickets to the Hawaii show, call 488-4963. Young Hongo, incidentally, is a Punahou classmate ('96) of Amanda Schull, who's creating a national sensation with her dancing in the film, "Center Stage." ...
HUGS for Jones
ONE of the nicest coaches you'd ever want to meet is UH Rainbow Warrior honcho June Jones. A big supporter of HUGS, Jones was guest speaker at the charity's big fund-raising dinner at the Royal Hawaiian's Monarch Room. He told some inspirational tales dealing with hope and love, and then scored big with his wife when he was high bidder for a black pearl necklace auctioned off by KHNL's Howard Dashevsky. Another member of the Jones family was also there -- that would be June Jones Jr., who was celebrating a birthday, and who was serenaded by the entire room ...
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