Hawaii
1982: Admiral McCain’s
son a sure bet for CongressTHE WEEK THAT WAS
MAYOR Frank Fasi is getting into the Aloha Week act by providing a city and county float in the parade, the first time in the 23-year history of the event that the city has participated in this way. Harry Nordmark, "Father of Aloha Week," was highly impressed that the mayor is going along with his suggestion. (Sept. 17, 1969) ... Name Game: Dillingham Corp.'s PR chief "Doc" Stryker is answering his phone with "Bill Stryker" until the dock strike is over. (Sept. 21, 1971) ... Adman John McDermott began his corporate letter, "Our Annual Spring Luncheon which will be held in the Fall is going to be a cocktail party," and then he added parenthetically, "I think we need a new title." (Sept. 20, 1973) ...TENNIS BUFF Elton John played four sets on the Waialae Country Club courts Tuesday and then treated a party of 10 (all fellows) at the Third Floor restaurant that night. In fact, we witnessed what must surely be a first at the elegant spot when John, moved by the flamenco-like music that the strolling Sounds of Love musicians were providing, leaped on the table and did an impromptu Jose Greco imitation. Some nearby patrons sat open-mouthed, and others grabbed up cameras and took pictures, and there was general applause when the purple-haired performer (well, the hair over each ear is died purple, giving him the appearance of having flamboyant earmuffs) returned to his seat and his dinner. (Sept. 20, 1973) ...
HOUSE-GUESTING at Jim Nabors' beachside home are Carol Burnett and Florence Henderson, who just may be keeping in voice by practicing on Jim's piano, a housewarming gift from longtime pal Burnett. (Sept. 20, 1979) ... Rated a sure bet for a seat in the next Congress is John McCain, a one-time Navy pilot who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for six years. He's the son of the late Adm. John McCain, the peppery commander in chief Pacific at the same time his son was a POW. The younger McCain won the Republican nomination over three challengers in Arizona's 1st District, which is so Republican that it means he'll likely win in November, too. (Sept. 17, 1982) ...
DOWNTOWN New Orleans was covered in lei Tuesday night. Walter Dods of First Hawaiian and Wayne Miyao of City Bank led a contingent of Hawaii bankers to the Bank Marketing Convention in New Orleans. They took along 1,500 lei, Hawaiian Air hula dancers and HVB poster girl Zoe Ann Roach, who tirelessly presented lei to bankers and their spouses. After the convention, the bankers dispersed into the city, passing around the lei and aloha spirit. Later, policemen, cabbies, doormen and even horses were covered with lei -- it was as though Bourbon Street became part of Hawaii for a night. (Sept. 21, 1984) ...
JUST last week, Howdy Reynolds, the real estate salesman and ventriloquist, called to wish me a happy birthday as he's done for years. He kept a huge file of names and birth dates of people he'd call to say "Happy Birthday." I learned yesterday that Howdy died a year after his latest call to me. I'll miss his cheery greetings. (Sept. 17, 1985) ... Joe Moore told a story on himself on his "Moore Mozart" program on KHPR Saturday. He admitted to those who might have missed it that in his late-night newscast on Channel 2 the night before, he'd reported that the USS Missouri was leaving Honolulu and heading "for Austria." It was going Down Under, of course, but Moore has this thing about Mozart, you see, and Vienna must have been on his mind. (Can't you just picture the Mighty Mo sailing down the Danube?) (Sept. 22, 1986) ...
IF you plan to watch the Aloha Festivals parade tomorrow, look for the "Hi-Y-an" entry. That would be actor Pat Morita of First Hawaiian "Hi-Y" fame leading a contingent of First Hawaiian Bank employees in drill-team formation doing an umbrella-twirling rendition of "Yes we can." Morita is in town after wrapping filming for the new "Karate Kid IV" movie. (Sept. 17, 1993) ...
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings
in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968.
The Week That Was recalls items from Dave's 30 years of columns.Contact Dave by e-mail: ddonnelly@starbulletin.com