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Hawaii
WHILE they're still arguing over ballot counting in Florida to see who will be declared the electoral vote winner in that hopelessly inept state, the president of the United States was in Hawaii, albeit briefly. Bill Clinton, who'll remain the only president in the 21st century thus far to serve Clinton pledges
Akaka supportwith a clear mandate, was here for less than three hours, but during that time he promised to support the Akaka bill for native Hawaiian recognition and join with Gov. Ben Cayetano in opposing the conversion of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands into a national monument. Should George W. Bush be declared the victor in Florida, that state will get much of what it wants -- Jonathan Alter on the "Today" show yesterday joked that the admittedly partisan secretary of state in Florida may well end up with a small ambassadorship, say to Togo. But the promises to Hawaii came without controversy, and were widely welcomed, even coming from a lame duck president ...
WHEN she left Hawaii two years ago, Andrea Simpson transferred to Tesoro's headquarters in Texas. Now she's moved from the Lone Star State and has spent the last two months with Edison, the parent company of the electric utility in Southern California. Her office is in Rosemead, just a few miles south of the Rose Bowl, and Simpson reports Rosemead's other claim to fame, besides its 4,000 employee campus, is the huge and well-stocked "Hawaii Market" (in both English and Chinese), so she's rarely in need of a local "fix." "Keep those columns coming," Simpson emails, "I read them online each night." ...
Real men drink tea
MY mention yesterday of having lunch at Michelle Henry's Tea at 1024 on Nuuanu and being the only male along with 21 women in the place, brought to mind Nikki Yasutake's insistence that her afternoon tea service at the Waikiki Beachside Hotel has many gentlemen as guests, some even young men. "Join us sometime," she writes suggestively. "Maybe we'll tell you about the gigolo ..." Unlike Tea at 1024, the Waikiki Beachside's tea service is only available on Saturdays and Sundays ...YOU hear a lot about awards for prime resort properties around the world. For example, the Lodge at Koele on Lanai has been named No. 1 Pacific Rim Resort in the 2000 Reader's Choice poll in Conde Nast Traveler. It's sister property, the Manele Bay Hotel, came in No. 6. But moderately priced hotels are getting into the act, too. Best Western puts its properties around the world through a precise inspection, and hands out awards to those receiving a score of 950 points out of 1,000. Both the Ohana Surf and Ohana Waikiki Tower Hotels were recipients of this year's Best Western award. But the Ohana Surf Hotel went one up and won the Chairman's Award for achieving a perfect score of 1,000, one of only 23 of the chain's 3,400 hotels to achieve the honor ...
Ahead by a snout
IN a never-ending battle to come up with something different to promote its charity, the American Diabetes Association is holding a "Kiss a Pig" campaign. People visiting Star Supermarkets can vote for the competing celebs, Mike Nakamura, Robert Kekaula, Cal Lee and Benny Agbayani. Campaign manager for Benny is Kanoe "Tootsie" Cazimero, sister of the Brothers Cazimero. Benny is in the lead, but all will be on hand at Ala Moana Center Stage on Nov. 26 when the winner kisses a pig for ADA ...
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