Wood Craft
Martin Denny sends word that Arthur Lyman has throat cancer. There will be a benefit for him, with many isle stars performing, Sunday, Nov. 11, at the Elks Club from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. "This being a Hawaiian mele, it could go on until 6 in the morning," said Neal Tamura, one of the organizers. Denny is putting a group together and hopes that Arthur will be able to join in on the vibes for a few numbers at about 4 p.m. Augie Colon and his son Lopaka, Noel Okimoto, Archie Grant, Harold Chang, Al Waterson and others are expected to be in the Denny group. Genoa Keawe, the Kahauanu Lake Trio, Sam Kapu, Don Tiki, Jake Shimabukuro and Gabe Baltazar are among many more entertainers volunteering their time. Music coordinator is Pat Sylva. Other organizers are Alan Awana, Russ Swaney and Scott Thompson. Entry to the benefit is $25. An account has been set up at American Savings for those who wish to make contributions to help Arthur ... Arthur Lyman is ill,
benefit set for Nov. 11
Cayetano fights back
Gov. Ben Cayetano was thoroughly roasted at the Governor's Ball Oct. 19, a benefit for the March of Dimes, at Hilton's Coral Ballroom. Three of the guv's friends -- John Felix, Bert Kobayashi and Neil Abercrombie -- roasted him. The GOP's Felix, first up, made it clear that this was not going to be a powder-puff roast. He attacked the Democratic guv with a vengeance. Abercrombie and Kobayashi laid into him as well. They went on forever. With friends like these, who needs enemies, the guv must have thought. But then it was his turn and he held nothing back, showing no mercy in battering the trio. Felix's wedding business was a prime attack topic. The huge crowd enjoyed it. Dr. T's big band, with singer Mary Gutzi, entertained. Emme Tomimbang and Rodney Villanueva emceed ...
Honors for Bob Burns
"When you're over 70 you get awards, you become a legend and then fade away," said hotel management giant Bob Burns, speaking of the award he will be receiving from the UH Travel Industry Management school. The award "To Celebrate a Legacy in Tourism," will be presented to Burns at a dinner Nov. 14 in the Royal's Monarch Room. Bob is the former Kahala Hilton manager who made the hotel famous. He also was in charge of building and managing the former Regent Hotel in Waikiki and in rebuilding the Halekulani. His former Regent International Hotels in Hong Kong and Sydney are world renowned. He is in no danger of fading away. I tried to reach Bob at his home in New York but he was in Italy at his newest endeavor, Villa Feltrinelli, in Gargnano in the Alps on Lake Garda. He was there with his wife, Janice, and their 21-month old son, Junior. He called from the Villa and said he opened the property on July 5, his 72nd birthday. "We invited the people from the town and 1,200 people showed up, everybody came," Bob said. They had never been on the private property. Italy's WWII dictator Benito Mussolini had it from July 1943 until April 1945. Call Raina Matsui at 956-4885 for dinner tickets, priced at $125 ...I won't be in the office until Monday, Nov. 5, as I will be on vacation celebrating my 70th birthday, which was yesterday, and playing in the Mini-Benny Birthday Tourney for Wobbly Golfers and Worthy Women ...
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