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Wood Craft
A spectacular party for the First Lady of Waikiki, the Moana Hotel, was held Thursday night to kick off the beautiful Grande Dame's 100th birthday celebrations. Many songs from the Moana's "Hawaii Calls" years were performed by Hawaii Loa -- herb Lee, Joe Mokulehua, Eddie Palama and hula dancer Tianna Barrett. As a special treat, 100 hula dancers from Halau Olana danced. Pianist Ginny Tiu also performed. Guests consumed oysters, shrimp, beef fillet, sushi and desserts along with drinks. Guests received a plate picturing the Moana in the old days ... Moana looks
grand at 100
Cherye's face turns red
PAUL BROWN, who co-chaired the Alzheimer's Association benefit at the Hilton lastSaturday, bid the princely sum of $600 for Cherye Pierce's famed cheesecake during the live auction. Cherye, a major charity fund-raiser, was so excited over the high bid that when she zoomed over to Paul's table to congratulate him, she knocked over a tray full of water glasses and coffee. Cherye managed to laugh about it ...
HAPPY birthday to Audy Kimura, Chriss Heyd and Keith Haugen, all of whom had birthdays Wednesday, and to Better Brands' Kit Nagelmann, who marked his Thursday ... Chant's Darren Porlas and Ben Taaca sang at a wine tasting at Palomino Wednesday ... Tom Moffatt presents Let's Dance with Willie Barton's band tomorrow in the Royal's Monarch Room ...
AUCTION items for the Honolulu Symphony Ball May 26 at the Hilton include a Mazda Miata, and a chance to conduct the symphony (lessons by conductor Sam Wong) along with 20 concert tickets and a post-concert dinner for 20 guests and Wong at Ruth's Chris Steak House. Call Dee Levy at 531-0855. ... The symphony features violinist Iggy Jang tomorrow and Tuesday at the Concert Hall ... Spirit of the Dance prances into the Hawaii Theatre Tuesday ...
LEXUS unveils its hot SC 430 convertible hardtop tonight at a private party. The eight cylinder, 300 horsepower rocket is a beaut and sells for just under $60,000. It goes on public display at Servco Lexus tomorrow ... The first Roosevelt Rough Rider Golf Shoot Out is scheduled March 30 at Hickam. Call 587-4626 ... Bartender Kalani Kia's ashes will be scattered off the Reef Hotel tomorrow morning at 8. Kalani, 54, died of cancer March 2. His brother, entertainer and kumu hula Blaine Kia, played guitar and sang for Kalani in his hospice room for 2-1/2 hours the day before he died. Kalani loved to play music with his brothers ...
A new Star-Bulletin chapter
TUESDAY marks my 34th year with the Star-Bulletin. The following day, we will march down the street to our new offices at Restaurant Row and start work with our new owner, David Black. I go back to 1942 with the Bulletin, when I sold the newspaper. I also worked for three months at the paper in sports and as a city side reporter before entering the Army in 1954. I was assigned to the Stars and Stripes in Germany and continued with Stripes as a civilian. After returning home in 1964, I dabbled in the restaurant biz and worked part-time for the Bulletin before becoming a full-time employee in 1967. I have been a copy editor, entertainment editor, home section editor and for four months a temporary food editor with this paper. Besides editing copy and writing headlines, I have written this column as well for the past 20 years. The Star-Bulletin has taken me on a wonderful trip. I'm looking forward to more of the same with the new Bulletin. Hope to see you there ...
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