Hawaii
1969:
‘World’s Biggest Chandelier’
forgot Hilton DomePACIFIC Travel News magazine claims that a new Macao hotel has "the world's biggest chandelier," with a diameter of 23 feet and a height of 17 feet. But the Hilton Dome's 3-year-old chandelier is 28 feet by 25 feet. Sorry, Hotel-Casino Lisboa, but join Avis. (Feb. 24, 1969) ...
THERE was Mayor Fasi's administrative assistant Mason Altiery (whose name keeps popping up as a potential candidate for the City Council race in November) on his Cal-20 sailboat in another kind of race - this one sponsored by the Waikiki Yacht Club. We hope Mason has better luck in the political races than in this one. He twice turned before maneuvering around the first buoy, finally gave up and dropped out of the race, settling for a leisurely sail off Diamond Head. Ironically enough, Mason's boat is called Drop Out. A political parable there? (March 2, 1970) ...
OCCUPATIONAL hazard: After busting a Waikiki prostitute for lewdness the other night, the police officer filling out the arrest sheet listed under "apparent injuries" the entry "pregnant." (Feb. 23, 1971) ... Nixon may be close to Agnew, but he's got nothing on Milt Wilpon, the income tax man. He's marrying his Taxtronics VP Faye Schofield - and not for tax purposes, either. (March 1, 1973) ...
THE mainland's wintry weather hasn't done anything to alleviate the tight hotel situation in Waikiki. One tour party of 160 from Baltimore had rooms booked months ago at the Queen Kapiolani, but on arrival found that 30 of them had to be shifted to the Napualani temporarily. Most of the problems - and this was just one of them - stemmed from people extending their stays when they read of the horrible weather back home. (Feb. 23, 1978) ...
STRIKING model Denise Michelle Tom, the former Kailua High tomboy who went on to be a Playboy "Playmate of the Month," is back in town visiting her parents. She's now living and doing her modeling in Arizona. (Feb. 25, 1980) ... Inspiring the copy for a new T-shirt, "I'm Running for Two," Peggy Murphy-Hazard, four months pregnant, ran the women's 10K race Sunday along with 2,000 others, and was lamenting her 65-minute time. Cousin John Emory consoled her by suggesting that since she ran for two, the time should be divided in half, giving baby and Peggy each a respectable finish time of 32.5 minutes. (Feb. 24, 1983) ...
YOU hear about actors "taking risks," but somebody should slow down Hoku Award winner Tony Conjugacion and tell him not to wear a green housecoat when accepting praise from the local recording fraternity. The group has become a mutual backslapping society, and the Hokus are becoming an embarrassment to all concerned. (Feb. 26, 1986) ...
YOU just knew that when three ex-Oakland Raiders showed up at Del Courtney's Monarch Room tea dance Monday that he'd play the Raiders fight song. Courtney had written the song, after all, when he was musical director for bossman Al Davis and the Raiders, and Dave Dalby, Bob Svihus and Wayne Hawkins, all of whom played for John Madden and sport Raiders Super Bowl rings, got into the spirit of things. Hawkins now lives in Hawaii and works for the Gentry Co. (Feb. 26, 1987) ...
PEOPLE in the vicinity of Nuuanu and Beretania on Saturday morning might have seen a dramatic sight: A young man jumped from the top story of Kukui Plaza. No, it wasn't a suicide attempt, but a "base jump," a parachute leap from a structure anchored on the ground and not a plane. The fellow who did the jump had obviously planned it, but not for personal publicity. A car was waiting in the street, and as soon as he pulled in his chute, he was being whisked away. "Hawaiian Moving Company" has been tipped off about the jump, however, and you can watch it on next Sunday evening's KGMB telecast. (Feb. 23, 1988) ...
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