Hawaii
Hole-in-one
may have been
the blessing of an angelUNTIL Kauai's Eric Shinseki was awarded his fourth star and became U.S. Army Chief of Staff, the highest ranked Army AJA was Allen Ono, who retired as a three-star general in 1990 when he retired and joined City Bank. But Ono has one up on Shinseki. He's now hit a hole-in-one, a feat he accomplished Tuesday at Kalakaua Golf Course at Schofield. Not many people know that Gen. Ono was a Star-Bulletin reporter while attending UH in the 1950s, and was a buddy of the late Joe Arakaki -- Ono the cub reporter and Arakaki the wily veteran. Ono took up golf just seven years ago and was inspired on reading in this column that Arakaki made his first hole-in-one in a lifetime of golf. He called Joe and asked for hole-in-one tips and was told it's 10 percent skill and 90 percent luck with an angel looking over you. They may not be angels, but looking over Ono's ace were Military Intelligence Service Golf Club buddies Judge Frank Takao, Stanley Nakahara and Harold Sasaki making up his foursome. "It was perfect," reports Ono. "Bright sunny day, playing with my heroes on an Army course, and being watched over by Joe." ...
MISTAKES in newspapers of old were traditionally blamed on "gremlins" instead of owning up to error. But I had the wrong phone number for tickets to Zoorotica! at Honolulu Zoo on Valentine's Day. For tickets, call 926-3191 ... And mahalo to the stickler for correctness who pointed out that Ray Romano plays a guy from Queens (and not Queen's) in "Everybody Loves Raymond." ... And thanks to Rabbett for this timely haiku: "Ouch! Traffic ScamCams/Like a four lane accident/On a two lane road." ...
Carrying a torch
YOU read about a lot of famous people carrying Olympic torches during the trek to the site of the Olympic Flame in Utah, but some torch bearers aren't all that famous, but deserving all the same. So it is with Jennifer Spengler, a massage therapist at Malama. She not only kneads people into better health, but doubles as a mid-wife, sometimes called out for emergencies. She often flew home to the mainland to give her younger brother massages when he was suffering from leukemia. He recently died, but she was there for him all the way. Jennifer's sister wrote the Olympic committee who selected the torch bearers throughout the country, and they must have been moved by her letter, because she was one of six locally who were selected. They're proud of her at Aveda also, sending her to corporate headquarters for extensive training so she can train employees on her return ...
A tasty tasting
ANYONE can put on a wine tasting, but North Hawaii Hospice lucked out when it got Alvin Wakayama, knowledgeable owner (with his mom) of the Kamuela Liquor Store and wine authority to host a tasting Valentine's Day at Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel. In addition to the sampling of some fine vintages, there'll be a silent auction on such items as a dinner for four prepared by Waimea shopkeeper Patti Cook with wines selected and poured by Wakayama and his wife, Linda Amour, formerly of Clambake Hawaii. One organizer of the event is former hotelier Steve Boyle, now happily retired in Waimea ...
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