Hawaii
Dave’s daring
deep-diving adventureWHILE Atlantis Submarines have been giving guided underwater tours in waters off Waikiki for years, I'd never gone aboard until this week when I accepted a friend's invite to tag along. It was an eye-opening experience, and if you follow a picture chart you can identify all the fish you see swimming in and around such items as an old Navy ship, an inter-island plane which had seen better days, an ancient anchor and assorted man-made reefs. The guide, the appropriately named Sean Goodspeed, proved fluent in both English and Japanese, a must with many visitors from Japan apparently interested in underwater life. Goodspeed revealed he had lived in Japan for nine years teaching English, which would account for his language proficiency. But the Atlantis ride, dipping down to 150 feet, is a highly recommended adventure and educational to boot ...
WHILE returning to the parking garage we watched as hundreds of supporters of hotel worker's union members marched in a circle. As leaders asked on bullhorns, "What do you want?", the supporters replied "Contract!" and to "When do you want it?" a clear and forceful "Now!" ...
Fine and Dondi
CHECK out the uniforms on associates of the Waikiki Beach Mariott Resort and you'll see designs created by Dondi Ho. With a name like that, how could she be anything but the daughter of the legendary Don Ho? The resort stands on land that was once the summer home of Queen Liliuokalani, who composed numerous songs about sweet fragrances. Ho took that into account when designing uniforms with hand-painted blossoms she formed into a lei of roses, pikake, ginger, mailie, and ilima to name but a few. Sounds like Ho has daddy's showbiz flair ...AFTER two decades in Atlanta, Mele Prescott has returned to Hawaii and is living up to her first name. While in Georgia, she would sing "The Hawaiian Wedding Song" at marriage ceremonies and will likely do the same here, though she's currently practicing Ho'oponopono -- the art of Hawaiian healing -- at Serendipity Books ... Katie Doyle, who has appeared on stage in many musicals in Hawaii, is another singer who travels around town singing at weddings. And she even gives the bride and groom a hint of what's to come by bringing along baby Connor, not yet 2-years-old ...
Gotta have a gimmick
ONE supporter of Sen. Rod Tam's run for City Council has come up with a new twist worthy of Wham-o. The campaigner made double-sided signs to fit over his hands and he goes through a kind of t'ai chi workout in slow motion, promoting Tam to commuters traveling in both directions ... And Republican lieutenant governor candidate Dalton Tanonaka has come up with a mobile campaign HQ called the Tanonaka Trolley. He's invited district candidates to join him on the vehicle as it makes stops at parks and other gathering places, dispensing free ice cream. He has a reputation as being a man of good humor, but perhaps the candidate is carrying it a step farther than necessary with his Tanonaka Trolley ...
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