Wood Craft
Li Hall leaving Academy
after nearly 54 yearsLitheia "Li" Wong Hall, 82-year-old executive secretary to Academy of Arts Director George Ellis and who is sometimes called "Mother Superior" by staffers, will retire Oct. 31 after 53 years and 10 months on the job. "I'm gonna look for a second career," Li said with a laugh yesterday. Getting serious, Li said they've been wonderful years and that she was fortunate to have met many of the people involved in the founding of the 75-year-old Academy. A 1937 Punahou graduate, Li captained the Punahou girls' tennis team and still plays weekend tennis. She was married to artist John Young and later to Lawrence Hall, a college professor and tennis pro. "I doubt if we will ever see another employee with a work ethic as strong as Li's," said Ellis. "She more than anyone has carried out the mission of Anna Rice Cooke to spread aloha and cultural sensitivity through the channels of art. Li will be dearly missed" ...
Aniston's a 'Good Girl'
Jennifer Aniston's "The Good Girl" role isn't anything like her role as Rachel, the sexy, good-looking, funny babe she plays on "Friends." She goes dramatic in this picture and is excellent. She wears loose pants, shirts and jacket in portraying a disillusioned wife who works in a small Texas town store. But she gets mixed up with a couple of men big-time and things get ugly ...If 94-year-old Bill Tapia flies in from California to join uke players Lyle Ritz, Benny Chong and Byron Yasui for the ukulele bash Nov. 16-17 at the Marriott in Waikiki, 260 years of professional music experience will be represented, 84 years for Tapia alone. Lecturing will be Leslie Nunes, a descendant of Manuel Nunes of Portugal, one of the first ukulele makers here. What's more, there will be a whole lotta plucking, picking and strumming at Orvis Auditorium Sept. 28-29 when Jake Shimabukuro, Gorden Mark, Chong and Yasui, the foursome on "The Art of Solo 'Ukulele" CD, concertize ...
Sleeping with big guys
Listen up if camping is your bag. Friday, two days before the exhibit closes, is the last chance to snooze with the dinosaurs of "Jurassic Park" at Bishop Museum's Dino-Snore sleepover. Island families may bring sleeping bags, pillows and blankets and sack out with some of the critters from Steven Spielberg's "Jurassic Park" in the Castle Building. For info call 848-4127 ...The Friends of the Cancer Research Center will honor Jim Schuler with its Mauka Makai Award and board member Gladys Brandt with a special award next Saturday at its dinner and silent auction at the Children's Discovery Center. Both are worthy award recipients. Call 589-2407 for details ... Master wood carver Bob Holden sends word that Hawaii's WoodShow 2002 is Friday, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., on the second floor of the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center ...
Don't forget the annual Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame induction show, produced by Kahauanu Lake, today, 5:30 p.m., at Kawaiahao, and Musica de Italia at Villa La Pietra tomorrow, with the Honolulu Symphony under the baton of Stuart Chafetz, tomorrow. Grounds open at 5:30 p.m. for picnics at La Pietra and music starts at 6:30 ...
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