Hawaii
1969: A lot can be learned
from Fort Street Mall trashTHE man seen almost every morning rooting around in trash cans on the Fort Street Mall and examining mall litter is not a bum or an eccentric. He's M.L. Randolph, president of the Downtown Improvement Association, and he's searching for the source of windblown trash. "We have a beautiful mall," he says, "and the least we can do is keep it clean." (March 12, 1969) ... Ann McCormack sang her last blues song Tuesday night before departing for her new home in L.A. yesterday. Appropriately, it was accompanied by Paul Conrad at Arthur's. Paul played for Annie for years at the old Embers, at the Romanie and at the Cavalier (March 15, 1973) ...
THE specifics surrounding it are a bit vague, but Dr. Hung Wo Ching and Edwin Yee contributed $25 to the Bishop Hall fund at Punahou School. A hint of the circumstances is contained in a letter which Thomas Conger, director of development at Punahou, wrote to the pair, thanking them. In the letter, he mentions that Dr. Rod McPhee "tells me that he has you two gentlemen to thank for this contribution. In fact, he got rather specific and said that the contribution really was due to the putting ability of Dr. Ching. I find that hard to believe, based on the reputation Dr. Ching has established on local golf courses, but then, who am I to doubt the veracity of the President of Punahou School." The moral would seem to be, don't bet on the greens with Dr. McPhee. (March 13, 1974) ...
JUST so nobody gets the wrong idea because of the name of the place, the Red Light Pizza place on Hotel Street has a sign out front which states: "No Nudes -- Just Foods." ... The annual St. Patrick's Day Parade is on Monday, and Pete Canlis, who's about as Irish as Yasser Arafat, donated boxes of candy for Shriner clowns to toss to kiddies along the parade route. (March 14, 1975) ... Several deaf children from the Hawaii School for the Deaf & Blind will be among the 1,500 people marching in this year's St. Patrick's Day Parade. And as a tape blares out "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling," the children will be "singing along" in sign language. (March 10, 1977) ...
THERE'S a lengthy story in the March 20 issue of People magazine on writer-cinemaphotographer Susan Sontag, whose mother and stepfather, the Nat Sontags, live in Honolulu, and whose sister, Judith, teaches at Maui Community College. Mrs. Sontag was unaware of the story about her daughter until I mentioned it yesterday. Said she, "Susan is the sort of person who assumes I know everything and who tells me nothing." (March 15, 1978) ...
DISCO star Alicia Bridges was an exhilarating example of her hit single, "I Love the Nightlife," last night as she and close friend Abel Ronqillo -- who also cut her locks at Paul Brown's -- hit many local hot spots including Hulas Bar & Lei Stand and Lava Lava. (March 16, 1980) ...
HAVE you noticed that everyone's getting into the St. Patrick's Day act -- even Benihana of Tokyo. On Tuesday all the Japanese waitresses at the teppanyaki eatery will sport buttons on their kimonos reading, "Kiss Me, I'm Irish." And if that's not enough, the lounge will be serving corned beef and cabbage as pupus. Saints preserve us. (March 1, 1981) ...
SAN Francisco 49er Russ Francis has been relaxing for the past several days at Kapalua along with several other 49ers including Randy Cross, Bill Ring and quarterback Joe Montana with wife Jennifer and their baby. Francis said he hadn't heard the line about how frequent fumbler Wendell Tyler was angry at Montana because he wouldn't let him hold the baby. "I wonder if Wendell's heard it," mused Francis, adding, "I can hardly wait to ask him." (March 14, 1986) ...
TO celebrate Spring Break, Wave Waikiki is hosting a different theme party nightly from March 23 to 28. The March 26 event caught my eye -- it's called "The Shady, Shifty, Sneaky, Slimy, Phony, Bogus Liar's Party." It's a salute to "those great American pastimes -- dishonesty and deceit." The flier for the party continues, "Grand Prize $10,000 cash, a new Porsche and a Caribbean cruise -- NOT!" Let the deceit begin. (March 13, 1992) ...
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