Hawaii
Waimea views spectacular,
even from garbage dumpSCREEN actress Bette Davis was best known for her line in one film, "What a dump!" She might well have been talking about Waimea on the Big Isle ... Let me hasten to explain: I visited the dump in Waimea (or "transfer station" as they call it) and was staggered by the majestic view. "What a dump!" was all I could say. It overlooks the ocean of South Kohala and you have a panoramic view of snow-capped Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa with Hualalai thrown in for good measure. Eventually, I'm told, the garbage dropped down chutes there is transferred to another site, but it too probably has a great view. Nearly every place in Waimea does ...
JUST a few miles down the mountain from the dump is the home of old pal Steve Boyle and wife June. The former GM of the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel and I watched whales cavorting as we lunched in his new gated community called Kohala by the Sea. Thus far, the Boyle house is the only one located on Hahalua Place. Of course you and I would interpret the name as "funny toilet," but Boyle insists it's Hawaiian for "manta ray." ... One of Boyle's neighbors is Dr. Virgil Place, who has 400 acres just behind his home with a fabulous house and swimming pool. And since Dr. Place, who seems to have a devilish sense of humor, invented the penile implant, it only figures he'd have his swimming pool built into the shape of a -- well, let's just say that helicopters often fly over it to get pictures ...
My dinner with Alan
I FLEW to Waimea to attend the auction to benefit North Hawaii Hospice with Waimea resident Patti Cook, widow of old buddy Bill Cook. I ended up buying a pricey dinner for two at Alan Wong's. His was the only Oahu restaurant to offer up dinner ... At least I didn't cough up $1,000 for an oil painting of Waimea by Michael Powell as ex-Iolani headmaster David Coons did ... To my delight, singing at the auction/pupu party was Betsy Curtis and her trio. Years ago, she and her sister, Paula, were singing sensations in Japan, even releasing an album there. Paula gave up showbiz and ended up marrying adman Jim Loomis. Betsy, who never sounded better, is planning a trip back to Japan for some club dates and, she hopes, a new recording contract with a major company in Tokyo ...
Fat and unhappy
BELIEVE it or not, I went to the 7 a.m. Farmer's Market with Patti -- "You have to go early to get the good stuff." It was a combination of the freshest fruits and veggies I've ever seen and a neighborly "back fence" type gossip-fest with neighbors, right down Patti's alley ... She cooked dinner for some Waimeans one night at her B&B as did neighbor Sheri Garvey's husband, Mark Kissner, the night before ... I flew back on the same Aloha flight with Jim Nabors, still scratching his head about security pulling him aside and asking him to remove his shoes not once, but twice. I was even more unhappy since my "guaranteed" Aloha E-ticket wasn't honored and I had to buy another ticket. Home at last, on entering my Honolulu digs preparing to diet, I couldn't help but remark, "What a dump!" I wasn't so much thinking about my place as Waimea, where even the dump is beautiful ...
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