Wood Craft
Former UH AD
Young Suk Ko in hospitalFormer UH Athletic Director Young Suk Ko, who hired basketball coach Red Rocha, football coach Larry Price and Donnis Thompson during his 1962-66 reign at Manoa, is in St. Francis Hospital with prostate cancer. He is also recovering from hip surgery. Thompson was hired as women's track coach and later became UH's first women's athletic director. Ko, 81, also served as Mayor Frank Fasi's Parks and Recreation chief and was a school teacher. He was a football and track star at McKinley, graduating in 1940. Ko was a single-wing quarterback on coach Frank Hluboky's 1938 championship team in a backfield with George Padaken, Wally Won and James Wasa. All four backs were named to the prep All-Star team, which was unprecedented, Ko said. After World War II, Ko played football for a year at UH and then for two years at the U. of Minnesota as an end and tackle. Get well Young Suk ...
2100 Kalakaua Avenue
A huge grand opening party is scheduled Dec. 6 for 2100 Kalakaua Avenue, a shopping complex with a number of upscale stores. The opening will benefit the art and cultural partners of the complex. Art partners are coupled with retail partners. Tiffany is partnered with Diamond Head Theatre, Hawaii Opera Theatre and Hawaii Theatre Center; Gucci is partnered with The Contemporary Museum; Yves Saint Laurent is partnered with the Academy of Arts; Tod's has the Hawaii State Art Museum; Chanel is partnered with the Honolulu Symphony, and Boucheron is teamed with Iolani Palace. The event will be a progressive dinner with entertainment and fashion shows ... Clint Eastwood, portraying a retired FBI agent with a recent heart transplant, is forced to take it slow when he tracks a killer in "Blood Work." Despite his real age, 72, Clint shows no sign of weakness as a superstar in the thriller ...Guitarist Jimmy Funai and his son Corey, a singer, will head KIPO's Jazz Night Monday at Kapono's, 7 to 10. The band has Steve Jones on bass, Rocky Holmes on sax, keyboarder Hal Mita and drummer Adam Baron. Haven't heard Corey sing yet but if he can croon as well as his dad can play guitar he will do just fine. Jimmy also performs in bassist Miles Jackson's Milestone Jazz Trio, which specializes in light jazz for Mariposa dinner guests Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from 6 to 9. Other musicians who alternate are drummers Peter Factora and Richie Pratt, Ernie Provencher and Byron Yasui on bass and guitarist James Kraft ...
Sam Choy's 7th year
A ton of good food and wine at grazing stations plus music is offered at Sam Choy's Diamond Head 7th anniversary party Sept. 18. Sean Naauao, Sistah Robi Kahakalau and Three Plus will entertain. Tickets are $80. It's a benefit for Ronald MacDonald House Charities of Hawaii ... To know more about Duke Kahanamoku visit the Bishop Museum at Kalia at the Hilton. The exhibit has the photo of Duke used for his new stamp and more ... The owner of a Corvette with the license 2QUICK must have something hot under the hood. The top of his plate holder reads "Porches for breakfast," the bottom of the plate says "Ferraris for lunch." Oooooookay ...
Ben Wood, who sold the Star-Bulletin in the streets
of downtown Honolulu during World War II, writes of
people, places and things every Saturday.
E-mail him at bwood@starbulletin.com