Wood Craft
Del’s 92nd birthday bash
packs ’em inBand leader Del Courtney sat next to the big band in a wheelchair, keeping time as a large dance crowd paid tribute to him on his 92nd birthday at the Royal's Monarch Room Sunday. He spoke to the happy audience using a hand-held mike, announcing songs or guest artists. Jimmy Borges was a workhorse as emcee, singer, joke-teller and yes, dancer. Brilliant sax player Gabe Baltazar gave the band the downbeat to start each number. A long line of women gave the birthday boy leis and kisses during a break. What a guy! Del's still attracting the girls at 92. He's my idol. ...
Baby talk: The Star-Bulletin city room has to be fertile ground as several staffers had babies in the past year. Tuesday, Assistant Editor Lucy Young-Oda gave birth to daughter, Zoe. Proud papa, photographer Dennis Oda, snapped photos of the newborn. On Aug. 26, copy editor/reporter Christine Donnelly and her hubby, City Editor Ed Lynch, became the parents of son, Liam. Reporter Debra Barayuga had a girl, Joie, on March 12. Her spouse is Johnny Agoo. Last Dec. 4, News Editor Joe Edwards' wife, Jaymi, gave birth to their sixth, Ilima. Fortunately, all the babies look like their moms ...
Oktoberfest time
It's Oktoberfest time again and the Ala Moana Hotel will hold its 32nd annual beer fest and Bavarian food feast Oct. 8-13. Oom-pah-pah music will be played by the Edelweiss Band ... Pavilion Cafe Chef Mike Nevin is back from Europe and has added new dishes at the Academy of Arts eatery ..."Chicago," the hit musical that takes place during Chicago's roaring 20s, gunned its way into Diamond Head Theatre last night. It keeps firing through Oct. 13 ... "Hello Broadway" features favorite show tunes performed by Jade Stice, Welly Yang, Cliffton Hall, Deedee Lynn Magno and keiki winner Natayasha Echevarria at the Concert Hall next Saturday, 2 and 8 p.m. The adults have performed on Broadway or in national touring company shows. A 25-piece orchestra will back up the singers ...
Malani Bilyeu, with the Gifts of Aloha contingent in New York recently, visited a Brooklyn fire station and was recognized as a Kalapana member by former local resident Joe Montalbo, now a Big Apple firefighter. Malani gave Joe and other firefighters a concert on the spot ... Lily Yao and Bev Kim are co-chairs for the first Waikoloa Women's Golf Challenge, Oct. 25-27. Sign up by Oct. 7. Emi Espinda is Waikoloa's new golf sales manager. Cindy Rarick is touring pro ...
Morton's diplomatic G.M.
Cheng Hsiao, new G.M. at Morton's, says his goal is "to feed more people." To accomplish this, the Taiwan native is going all out to make his employees happy. That will help make customers happy and keep them coming, he says. Cheng studied to be a diplomat in Taiwan. The slender 6-foot-2 Cheng also served as a Taiwan military police officer. He came to America in 1993, earned a masters degree in hospitality management at Florida International U. and joined Morton's in Washington as a server four years ago. As for hobbies, "I'm single," he replied. He will have to be very diplomatic when his girlfriend reads this ...
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