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Hawaii
IF any further proof were needed, the naming of Angela Perez Baraquio as Miss America Saturday night should be enough -- Hawaii has the most beautiful and talented women in the country. Local beauties stand out
Though nobody attending the nationally televised pageant seemed to be aware of it, Hawaii is also the home of the just-named Mrs. America, Leslie Lam. Both are teachers, and bear zero likeness to the teachers I experienced growing up in the Midwest. Come of think of it, Brook Lee was a recent Miss Universe and Carolyn Sapp won the Miss America crown in 1992. While I've not met Angela, I've known her sister, Bernadette Baraquio, another beauty, since before she became a reporter on KHON and the wife of talk show host Rick Hamada, who I'd guess has lots to talk about these days what with Bernadette expecting in January a kid already destined to have a famous auntie ...
SEVERAL people pointed out, and I noticed as well, that while the fourth and fifth runners-up in the Miss America pageant were haole, the winner and first two runners-up were all women of color. Maybe some day nobody will even notice ... Hawaii got a lot of mentions in the Sunday New York Times magazine cover story on Bette Midler last week. She even mentioned her seventh grade teacher, Mr. Bryce Omar-Todd. I looked in vain for any mention of me directing Bette in the last show she did in Hawaii before leaving for Broadway and the Big Apple. But no! For the record, it was "Young Tom Jefferson," a musical for the Theatre for Youth ...
Ach der Hummel
TIMING is everything sometimes. I dropped by Queen's Hospital Saturday just to say "Hi" to old friend Katie Doyle, who was expecting. The pregnant moment had passed just before I arrived at the nurse's station and the unmistakable lungs of a future tenor echoed from her room. And so it was Conor James Hummel made his entrance into the world. Other than the hospital staff, Daddy Bill Hummel and, of course, the Mom, I was the first to lay eyes on little Conor, 6 pounds, 13 ounces and 20 inches long. Considering he'd just poked his head into the world, he was clear-eyed and focused on whoever was talking to him. About those lungs -- Mommy says she hopes he takes after her because Bill is tone deaf ...GREAT line from the Fox color commentator during the St. Louis Rams high-scoring victory over the Atlanta Falcons yesterday. "If I were going to open a bar," said the Fox-y one, "I'd call it 'Rams,' 'cause everybody scores." Or so it seemed yesterday. And, barring injury, will the Rams ever lose a game this year? ... Auctioneer Marty McClain celebrated his 50th birthday yesterday at the place where he's raised so much money for the UH Warriors, Murphy's Bar & Grill. And what a pleasure, getting to enjoy himself there without working his tail off ...
Winz & Grinz
THE first in a series of "Winz & Grinz" dinners created by Wahiawa's own Alan Wong will be a localized version of pairing wine with food from the Pineapple Room at Liberty House, Ala Moana. The dinner is slated for Friday and will feature the culinary creations of the restaurant's chef de cuisine, Steven Ariel, and pastry chef Mark Okumura. To tantalize your taste buds, the first course is a crispy filo laulau with poi vinaigrette and lomi tomatoes. The rest is a surprise, and you can make reservations by calling 945-8881 ...
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