Hawaii
1969: Vietnam-bound
soldier prepares for
some surfingSEEN departing the Fort DeRussy R&R Center for Vietnam: A GI, with a surfboard under his arm ... And a Marine sergeant just back from Saigon says the number of soldiers carrying pot out of Vietnam had decreased substantially since a police dog with a nose for grass has gone on duty at the airport. (Sept. 3, 1969) ... Jack DeMello writes from London where he's just finished a three-record set (36 tunes) called "The World of Kui Lee." DeMello sent along a clipping from the Evening News which pictures Geraldine Chaplin holding young Tanya Chang, who appears in the film. A caption states that action was filmed on "Maui and Kaui" and says "the whole population of the Islands" served as extras. Typical British understatement! (Sept. 7, 1970) ...
WHEN it became time to levy fines at a recent meeting of the West Honolulu Rotary Club, prexy Dave Dingeman made an unusual move regarding the often talkative Arthur Trask: "Before I ask Arthur to speak and lose the whole meeting," Dingeman said, "he is fined 15 minutes of silence." (Sept. 2, 1975) ...
BOSTON Symphony maestro Seiji Ozawa has just completed another isle vacation at his favorite Waikiki hotel, the Kaimana Beach. On this visit he brought along his wife, kids and mother-in-law. Ozawa told hotel GM Jack Foote that he likes the Kaimana Beach because there are so many Japanese tourists on the beach there that he fits right in and is rarely recognized by autograph seekers ... Ilikai staffers reported an instant love affair with members of Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult and Molly Hatchet, here for last Sunday's huge "Summer Blowout '80" at Aloha Stadium. All were gracious about chatting with hotel employees and signing autographs. (Sept. 2, 1980) ...
IS "The Hawaiian Wedding Song" about to be added to the repertoire of Jimmy Borges? The other day, the Trappers star was spotted at the World Airways passenger area with girlfriend Vicki Bergeron (whom I long ago nicknamed Trader Vicki, since she shares the same last name with the founder of Trader Vic's), and the following ensued: Borges stood and removed his denim jacket revealing a T-shirt on which was printed, "Vicki, I love you very much." He let the message sink in for a moment and then turned around. On the back of the shirt was written, "Will you marry me?" All together now: "Awwwwwwwww." (Sept. 6, 1984) ...
NICE to see UH Rainbows' main man Al Noga picked by Sports Illustrated for its "Best and Brightest" team. Included was a photo of the Samoan Sackman wearing a lavalava, as snapped by our own Tim Ryan -- the picture, not the lavalava. (Sept. 1, 1987) ... Two well-fed softball teams will be squaring off for charity Sept. 18 at Cooke Field when Roy Shimonishi's Hungry Lion Coffee Shop takes on Gene Kaneshiro's Columbia Inn Round Table All-Stars. Monies collected will go to the Catholic Services to the Elderly, appropriate since some Round Tablers are nearing the age to qualify. (Sept. 2, 1988) ...
SEN. William Proxmire, creator of he "Golden Fleece" award bestowed on those who waste taxpayers dollars, will be in town next week. He'll speak on the Mideast crisis in an address before the year's Top 250 business luncheon Sept. 12 at the Hawaiian Regent Hotel. Proxmire originally came to office in 1957 in a special election to fill the seat of the late Sen. Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin. He went on to win elections in 1964, '70, '76 and '82. Local politicians spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in this year's campaigns may be interested to know that in the 1978 campaign, Proxmire spent a total of $177.73 and in '83 whittled that amount down to $145.10. (Sept. 6, 1987) ...
MANY people here, particularly military families, are understandably concerned about the Persian Gulf crisis, but I've never seen a similar crisis spawn so many jokes. First there was "Iraqnophobia." The latest I heard was that Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait to create affordable housing which he plans to call "Low Rents of Arabia." ... Best headline pun was a story on Kuwait in U.S. News & World Report: "Between Iraq and a Hard Place." (Sept. 1, 1987) ...
"The Week That Was" recalls events culled from Dave Donnelly's three-dot columns over the past 30 years. Donnelly continues to write his Hawaii column Tuesdays through Fridays in the Star-Bulletin.
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