Hawaii
ACTING Governor Mazie Hirono hosted a Pacific Club reception for visiting Philippines Speaker of the House Jose C. de Venecia and his wife, Gina, and is hoping for better luck in the next local election than de Venecia had. Hirono is eyeing the governorship, and her guest, Philippine ambassador to Vietnam from 1966-69, lost in his bid for the presidency in 1998. Among those in attendance were new UH president Evan Dobelle, State Sen. Donna Mercado Kim, Mufi & Gail Hannemann, Jack & Heidi Borja and co-hosts Joseph and Fred Blanco and attorney Mark Mukai. Gina made a point of visiting Costco to pick up 40 boxes of Island Princess Chocolates to take home to family and friends ... Hirono hosts dignitary
from PhilippinesMAYBE they'll name their baby Alex. Kapiolani Community Colleges fund development officer Sami Takai is planning a new development in October. That's when she and her husband, State Rep. Mark Takai, are expecting their baby. She was having trouble sleeping the other night and turned on the late version of "Jeopardy." She was surprised when one category was "community colleges" and amazed when the $100 answer was "Kapiolani Community College is part of the University system in this state." And she must have startled her husband when she yelled out, "What is Hawaii." ... Rip Taylor didn't throw any confetti, but did peddle Star-Bulletins Friday at Starbucks in Ward Village to help buy playground equipment for Kalihi Kai Elementary School. I sold papers at the same site Sunday morning and my first customer at 7 a.m. was singer Annie McLaughlin, who paid up and quipped, "So, it's come to this, has it." ...
Chopsticking in Kohala
IMARI Japanese Restaurant at the Hilton Waikoloa Village has become the place to spot the stars. Recently seating themselves with sushi there were Sacramento Kings star Chris Webber with knockout model/actress Tyra Banks. Also stopping by was Barbara Lazoroff, who's married to celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, actress Juliette Lewis ("Natural Born Killers") and Imari regular when she's on the Big Isle, Lisa Marie Presley. Also vacationing at the Hilton recently was Donny Osmond with wife and sons ...ADMAN Jim Loomis was happy when a key staffer, Phyllis S.K. Look, won a Po'okela award for her direction of "Sisters Matsumoto" at Manoa Valley Theatre, but now he's really happy. Look has been invited by the Sundance Institute to direct another play, "A Thousand Cranes," to tour through Utah schools in the fall. Loomis is so proud of her that he's giving Look a three-week leave of absence to make the project a reality ...
Hawaiians on the move
AUNTIE Genoa Keawe is movin' on up. Where she once performed in the lobby bar of the Waikiki Beach Marriott (former Hawaiian Regent), Auntie Genoa will debut Aug. 16 at the Ocean Terrace, on the third floor of the Kalakaua Tower, each Thursday ... And at Sunday's luncheon benefiting the Prince Kuhio Hawaii Civic Club, Kumu Hula John Lake will do a tribute for Myron "Pinkie" Thompson, while the Kamehameha Glee Club will do a music tribute for Gladys Ainoa Brandt ...
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings
in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968.Contact Dave by e-mail: ddonnelly@starbulletin.com