Hawaii
UNOFFICIAL sports historian Lyle Nelson, a retired Star-Bulletin writer, was excited to hear Don Sutton announce that Philadelphia Phillies announcer Harry Kalas, winner of the 2002 Ford Frick Award, is going into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. Nelson, you see, was sitting in the booth when Kalas announced the first pitch for the Hawaii Islanders in the old Honolulu Stadium on King St. Nelson can recall much of the game, such as the Islanders winning it, much as he can tell you of specific moments in specific games at Nevin Field in Detroit in the 1930's. For a time, Nelson moonlighted as color man for Kalas and later Al Michaels (now of ABC-TV) doing Islander games on radio ... Memories of Hawaiian
baseball daysSPEAKING of former Islanders broadcasters, Mel Proctor has an itch to return to Hawaii. This despite the fact that for five years he's been doing play-by-play for San Diego Padres games and announcing for Fox TV. His next TV game is Aug. 3, Cleveland at Seattle, but no word on whether it'll be shown in Hawaii. Proctor emails that he enjoys these columns because they "always help my Hawaii cravings." He and wife Julie, who were married at the Round Table of the Columbia Inn, where Proctor hosted a radio show, were in the Islands in February visiting Julie's family on Maui. He checked out the possibility of returning to Isle airwaves on TV and though they seemed quite interested, "Nothing happened." He might have priced himself out of contention, reaching the Big League level ...
Talk, don't run
WHEN Larry Rodriguez, managing partner of Ernst & (Forever) Young was solicited to head up the Oct. 13 Honolulu Symphony Fun Run & Walk, he had but one question: "How far do I have to run?" Then he got an ingenious idea he revealed at the event's kick-off at Compadres. He'd take the job, he said, if he can co-chair with wife Patricia. Explained Rodriguez, "She runs. I organize." And that's what he's doing now, signing up teams with special emphasis on first-time participants. His goal is to have 50 runners on his team raising $100 each ...THE timing couldn't have been better for salsa queen Celia Cruz, who concertizes tonight at the Sheraton-Waikiki's five-hour salsa dance party. This week Cruz, a two-time Latin Grammy winner, has been nominated for four Latin Grammys -album and record of the year, best salsa album and best music video. The music tonight starts cranking up at 7 p.m. and goes until midnight ...
Lovelies then and now
BEAUTIES galore will be attending "Ka Wahine Ku I Ka Ni'o," (A Woman of High Achievement) Aug. 7 at the Honolulu Country Club. A number of Miss Hawaiis will be on hand to honor the memory of Hawaii's first title holder, Yun Tau Zane. Proceeds from the event will go toward scholarships for future Miss Hawaii contestants, the brainchild of Billie Takaki (Miss Hawaii 2000) and Cathy Foy Mahi (Miss Hawaii 1975). Even Beverly Noa has agreed to make a rare public appearance. Emceeing the program is Brickwood Galuteria, and no matter what you may have heard, he's never held the Miss Hawaii title ...
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