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Hawaii
FORMER U.S. Attorney Mark Bennett is now in private practice, but he can still make opponents sweat. Even Bill Gates! Bennett was a member of a Hawaii team who flew to Bennett faces Bill
over bridgeAnaheim to participate in a huge bridge tournament, and at one point found himself going head to head with the Microsoft billionaire, who's also a bridge fanatic. While he didn't win the tournament, Bennett was happy to make the final 50 out of the thousands entered, and the realization he may have been responsible for causing beads of sweat on Gates' forehead was almost as satisfying. Thus far, only federal judges have had that effect on the usually unflappable Gates ...
SUCH a negative sounding name on the candidate for City Council from Aiea, Pearl City and Waipahu: Richard Nono. You'd think it would be hard to get him to vote "Yea" on anything ... When restaurateur Don Murphy set a goal of $100,000 for the UH football team at his annual "Pigskin Pigout" and auction this year, pals suggested he lower his anticipation to something do-able. But Murph stuck to his guns, and now that all the monies have been counted, he can proudly announce to naysayers that he topped his goal, and raised nearly $102,000 at this year's event. You can bet he's at or near the top of coach June Jones' favorite fans list ...
London stars still shine
EVEN though he took a leave of absence from his starring role as the king in "The King and I" with Elaine Page at the London Palladium, Jason Scott Lee "definitely will be coming back," a spokesman told Playbill Online. Jason returned to Honolulu to be with his dad, who is battling cancer ... And Lea Salonga, who played Eponine in "Les Miserables" both in the touring company that played Honolulu and in the 10th anniversary concert version of the musical at Albert Hall in London, is reprising her role of Kim in "Miss Saigon." Lea originated the role more than 10 years ago in London and then on Broadway, and she's not finished with it yet. She'll appear in a production of "Miss Saigon" in her hometown, Manila, in October at the Cultural Center. Directing that production will be another isle theater alum, Peter Lawrence, who did shows with HPAC (now Manoa Valley Theatre) years ago ...YOU, too, can be a star of sorts. Retired showman Jack Cione is once more directing the Mardi Gras Follies for the Pearl Harbor Performing Arts Association. In this, his 15th follies year, Cione is again looking for singers, dancers, comics, models and above all else, showgirls, for the annual fund-raiser. Cione has all these lavish Vegas-y costumes he used at various clubs he owned like the Dunes and Forbidden City, now long gone. Auditions are a month away, but get your act in gear for them Oct. 2 and 3 at the Banyans Club at Pearl Harbor. The follies will play Feb. 25 to March 25, 2001 ...
No desire to re-tire
THE rack of lamb and peppercorn duck at Edelweiss Restaurant in Waimea must be a powerful lure. While visiting the Hilton Waikoloa, stockbroker Wes Yamamoto and wife Jan ran into attorney George Hetherington and family plus Dr. Al Miyasato, head of the Hawaii United Okinawa Association. After dining at the Manago Hotel one evening, they decided it was Edelweiss or bust the following night. It was almost bust, their car had a flat tire! Never mind, it was a mere $50 cab ride each way to get there and dig into that lamb and peppercorn duck ...
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