Hawaii
50 ways to leave
your liver
IT'S a state holiday today, to mark Hawaii's attaining Statehood 43 years ago, meaning a lot of state workers have the day off. It doesn't apply to the newspaper, however, so here we go again. Actually, today is a special anniversary for me. It was eight years ago today -- time flies while you're alive and having fun -- that I underwent an emergency liver operation at Kaiser Hospital and despite the doctors' prediction that I had probably only 48 hours to live, I quickly recovered and was back at work missing only 20 columns. In the eight years since that "E.R." experience, I've not had to take a single sick day. So if you're going to make a joke about HMO's, please leave Kaiser out of it. They're still No. 1 in my book ...IT'S also anniversary time for Judy Eguchi, owner of Child's Play in Ward Warehouse. She'll be celebrating the 20th anniversary of her store today through Sunday with free balloons and cookies for kids there with their parents. Eguchi opened the store two decades ago because she couldn't find toys she considered appropriate for her two kids. Her son is now a 25-year old architect, and her daughter is 22 and studying architecture ... Local interior designer Elisa Nardone Yates, who's 100 per cent Italian, was twirling pasta with husband Brad at Auntie Pasto's on Beretania the other night and reminisced with staffers about helping owner Ed Wary "way back when" with the decor. She suddenly felt very old when told the restaurant is about to celebrate its 20th anniversary ...
The King's garments
THE Summer 2002 TV Guide special collector's edition, "This is Elvis," contains photos of the King in various of his garments. When it came to Elvis, Hawaiian-style, they looked to local aloha wear manufacturer Reyn Spooner, and featured the "Elvis Greatest Hits" album cover print shirt and mentions other prints, including "Blue Hawaii," produced by Reyn Spooner during a three-year relationship with Elvis Presley Enterprises ...WHEN I saw "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)" in London last year, I described it (and recall it) as "a riot." Now TAG, The Actors' Group, is in rehearsal with the same work, directed by young Devon Leigh. It'll play at the Yellow Brick Studio on Keawe St. Sept. 18 to Oct. 13. I hope to catch opening night before heading back to London for another theatrical feast ... Meanwhile, Diamond Head Theatre will be presenting "Chicago" Sept. 27 to Oct. 13. Since I saw the touring company at the Blaisdell Concert Hall in 2000 and the London version last year, I won't mind so much missing this one ...
Hawaii Kai, Italian Style
THEY'RE calling the Aug. 24 event in Hawaii Kai "Little Venice in Paradise" with all three of the area shopping centers participating. There'll be Venitian-style gondola rides in the marina, though the Grand Canal it ain't, and lots of Italian food and merchandise available all day and into the evening. Jimmy Borges and the Jazz All Stars will perform things like "That's Amore, and a Marilyn Monroe look alike will appear -- she was married to an Italian, remember. "Where have you gone, Joe Dimaggio?" ...
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