Hawaii
Dinners at Golden Corral
ensure UH basketball winIT'S not that he's superstitious -- well, yes, it is that Riley Wallace is superstitious. That's why the UH basketball coach always seeks out a Golden Corral restaurant for the team on the road, since they seem to win after eating there and lose when they can't find one. Rick Enos heard Wallace tell about his Golden Corral fixation on TV and e-mailed Ted Fowler, Golden Corral president, who serves on the same National Restaurant Association board as Enos. The story was even reported on ESPN. Fowler has begun following the basketball team and even hosted them to dinner in Tulsa. Alas, there's no Golden Corral in Dallas, where the first round of the Bows' NCAA play will be held, but Wallace doesn't mind a bus ride to find one, and Fowler is there to help ...
FILMMAKER Edgy Lee was thrilled to learn that her documentary, "Waikiki in the Wake of Dreams," won the 2002 Best Cinematography Award in the documentary category at the N.Y. International Independent Film & Video Festival. Her first reaction was, typically, to thank and congratulate Jiiri Dvorsky and Ken Libby who helped produce the film right here in Hawaii ... When Alvin Kobayashi of Waipahu was given a $10,000 check by Perry & Price for winning a radio contest, he told the pair he'd lost his job just three days before winning the contest ...
HAWAII is getting national exposure and some subsequent business thanks to Macy's. A national promotion in 100 mainland stores will be giving away 19 Hawaii wedding, honeymoon and anniversary packages to prospective couples ...
Gay bash
WHILE Hawaii's Irish community and those who just like a good party celebrate St. Patrick's Day Friday through Sunday throughout the state, a "gay-friendly" event, "Volcano Party," will be held at the same time -- a benefit for the Maui AIDS Foundation. The main event at the three-day blowout will take place Saturday night at the Blaisdell when Peter Espiritu and dancers from his troupe will perform. The idea is to make worldwide gays, who spend $47 million annually on tourism, according to the International Lesbian & Gay Travel Association, aware of Hawaii's gay community ...TWO new eateries are opening next month. DK Kodama will be opening his latest Sansei on April 1 on the site of the old Chuck's Steakhouse in Kihei ... And Sergio's, which hopes to recreate the cuisine and ambiance of the late Sergio Battistetti's Waikiki restaurant, opens at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in April. Owners are George and Wini Vandeman, who miss the old Sergio's ...
Fish tale
AFTER the recent item about Tiare Finney holding the women's record of a king salmon caught at a fishing tournament held at the Canadian fishing lodge -- which was late isle showman Kane Fernandez's favorite -- Walter Davis revealed his 69.5 king salmon, caught with the assist of Cal Lui, won the latest tourney and will be mounted on the wall of the lodge with a dedication to Kane ... Incidentally, in the same item, I quoted Gulab Watumull as saying he could beat Cal Lui 6-0, 6-0 in tennis. Lui now says he'll wager any amount Gulab wants, saying he'll take at least one game out of two sets. Will Gulab put up or you know what? ...
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