Hawaii
PEOPLE dining at the Outrigger Canoe Club Monday night might have thought it was a beauty queen being introduced in the upstairs dining room, but no. It was young Meghan Deagle, a 6-foot-2-inch lass from Queen Charlotte City on Queen Charlotte Island in British Columbia. She was the first to be awarded a Kane Fernandez Scholarship in the name of the late isle show producer who fished annually at a Canada lodge, often bringing many Hawaii folks with him and who, like him, became fast friends with their Canadian fishing mates. A committee was formed to pay for a UH scholarship with a stipend for dorm, meals and books and meant to inspire others in her community to do better in school. Deagle is studying marine biology at UH, a major which would have made Kane Fernandez proud. Local scholarship board members include such Fernandez fishing buddies as Richard Coons, Jim Romig, Franklin Tokioka and Tiare Finney, who holds the women's record at the fishing lodge Fernandez loved so much, landing a 64-pound king salmon. Also on the board is statuesque beauty Sydney Fernandez Fasi, Kane's daughter, who holds the title of Mrs. Hawaii. Beaming at the event was her father-in-law Frank Fasi and wife Joyce, thrilled at the news they'd become grandparents in August ... Kane Fernandez scholarship
helps bring Canadian to UHALSO at the scholarship dinner was UH football coach June Jones, who intends to attend the second Irv Ridd Invitational fishing tourney in August. Not sounding like someone planning to make a move, Jones suggested he might even talk some Canadian footballers into coming to UH ... Looking in great shape at the affair was Gulab Watumull, who attests he plays tennis four times a week. I asked if he'd played Cal Lui, another Fernandez fishing buddy, who has his own tennis court. "He's not in my league," boasted Watumull. "I'd beat him 6-0, 6-0." How about attorney Rick Fried, an attorney who's one of the best in his age group, and many years younger than Watumull. "Nah," said Gulab, "he's too good for me." At least he can handicap his competitors ...
Grandstand seating
HITTING a grand slam are the Honolulu Festival folks, who've lined up former UH baseball coach Les Murakami to ride in Sunday's parade as Grand Marshal ... And former baseball great Pete Rose appeared to be batting 1.000 at Sarento's atop the Ilikai, dining there with a blonde beauty and requesting a table in a remote location ... Hilo girl Michelle Suzuki will perform with Liza Minnelli during a 10-day appearance in London. Suzuki, a 1990 Hilo High grad, is one of two background jazz dancers. She's currently living and working as a dance instructor in New York City ...
Cooking up a storm
Quite an array of culinary experts took part in the first anniversary of Roy's Kihei on Maui the other night. Flying in were such Isle chefs as Alan Wong, Hiroshi Fukui, DK Kodama, Chai Chaowasaree, George Gomes and Jason Siebert. Also on hand with some visiting vintners was Master Sommelier Chuck Furuya. But the highlight of the evening was when host Roy Yamaguchi got cooking on drums with Chef Hiro Sone on guitar with some hot licks of "Mustang Sally." No horses were harmed during the evening's festivities ...
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