Wood Craft
Myra Brandt never had a birthday party in her life because she was born on Christmas Day. Who throws a birthday party on Christmas Day? So some of Myra's pals and her husband, Victor, decided she should have a birthday party and conspired with Charley Meyer to pull it off last Saturday night. Myra thought her husband was taking her to Charley's annual Christmas party and she was complaining about him trying to make her get to the Meyer home at the designated 7:15 p.m. time. Myra finally was ready and they arrived. She was totally surprised to find her parents, Hideo and Yoshi Kaneshiro there as well as other friends wishing her happy birthday ... More birthday wishes to Sonny Beamer, who makes 75 today ... Myra finally has
a birthday party
Boy Choir's show is a hit
The Honolulu Boy Choir put on an excellent Christmas show last weekend at Oahu Country Club. The choir's traditional and Hawaiian Christmas songs put everyone in the holiday spirit. Hula by the group's halau was an extra present. Shari Lynn, with Ray Kaneyama on keyboard, got the crowd in the holiday mood with her songs and had guests sing Christmas carols ...You don't have to be a kid to enjoy the Christmas lights downtown. The huge glittering star on top of the City Hall Christmas tree is fabulous. The lights will be on through Jan. 2 ... Former Star-Bulletin staffer Jennifer Ablan has accepted a position with Barron's as specialty writer and columnist ...
The best Christmas present for golfers would be for Gov. Ben Cayetano to forget about any kind of development for the Ala Wai Golf Course. Besides keeping the most-used golf course in the world open for golfers, here's another reason the course should be left alone. Wally Won, who grew up in Kapahulu and caddied at Ala Wai, said his late uncle, Chinn Ho, told him that if the Ala Wai Golf Course is ever developed, Waikiki will stink. He said the open space has to be kept free in order to keep the trade winds blowing into Waikiki. I asked Chinn's son, Stuart Ho, about his cousin Wally's story. Stuart said his dad knew the area very well because he grew up in the area with the Kahanamokus and Paoas. Way back in those good old days, Chinn Ho's family had property at McCully and Kalakaua. Keep that in mind, guv. A man such as Chinn Ho knew his stuff. We don't want Waikiki to stink. Please leave the Ala Wai Golf Course alone ...
Food Network cameras will zero in on La Mer in the Halekulani on New Year's Eve. At a cost of $325 per, Chef Yves Garnier's menu reflective of the cuisine that was served during the reigns of Louis XIV through Louis XVI, is probably the most expensive ticket in town. And it's sold out ... John Astin, a star in the "Addams Family" films, was a recent guest at the Halekulani with his wife Val, a former isle resident. Val's uncle, James Sandobal, is a longtime Halekulani employee ...
Borges, Taylor teaming up
The Kahala Mandarin has a big New Year's Eve bash planned. Jimmy Borges, with superb pianist Betty Loo Taylor and her All-Star Band made up of Sam Ahia, Noel Okimoto, Byron Yasui and Deshannon Higa and singer Sydette Sakauye, will make dancers happy. A gourmet dinner and a midnight fireworks display are included in the $245 per person package ... Thomas Meier is the new manager at Hoku's at the Kahala Mandarin, replacing Kevin Hee, who is managing Tokyo, Tokyo Japanese restaurant in the hotel ... Diane Bennett's name was mispelled here last week ...
Ben Wood, who sold the Star-Bulletin in the streets
of downtown Honolulu during World War II, writes of
people, places and things every Saturday.
E-mail him at bwood@starbulletin.com