Hawaii
How times flies
when youre saving soulsIN A BREAK between the plethora of "Spam" messages waiting to be dumped out of my computer, came a heart-warming note from Yvonne Turnbull, wife of the man known during his Hawaii years as "The Chaplain of Waikiki Beach," Bob Turnbull. During their recent trip back "home," the Turnbulls spoke at several church services here and flew to Molokai to speak at Calvary Chapel. The pastor there, Waxer Tipton, was 8 years old when Turnbull last saw him. He's now 38! It was Waxer's father, Bill Tipton of First Baptist Church in Honolulu, who married the Turnbulls. But the highlight of the trip, Yvonne reports, involved a retired HPD officer who read here about the Turnbulls speaking at Wayne Cordiero's New Hope Church, and who showed up. He wanted to personally thank Bob for talking him out of a murder-suicide pact he'd made in the '70s involving him and his wife. The former officer told Bob that their conversation completely changed his mind and today he's happily married to the same woman he once wanted to kill, and a proud grandpa to boot. If you wonder why Bob, once an actor in Hollywood, loves his work -- you only have to hear stories like this one ...
L.A. La-di-dah
OUR L.A. spies discovered some isle gals at Basanova's in North Hollywood. There was writer/producer Keala Yuen with actress Rena Owens, Jo "Pepe" Wolf of Wolf Entertainment and Dutch actor Merell Molly. Yuen and Owens were catching up on what's happening in the islands ... And while we're in California, there's a new spot in Santa Monica called Kua Aina's, usually packed with expats or vacationing Hawaii folks ...WANT to write a hot romance novel? You might consider taking a course at the Pacific New Media at UH. It will be taught by Billy Merrit, author of the book, "Writing the Romantic Comedy" and who teaches at UCLA's School of Television and Film. His Hawaii classes will be held April 4 to 6 ... Also teaching a class in the same UH school is Kathie Fong Yoneda. Her book, "The Script Selling Game," is in its third printing. After a worldwide book signing tour, Yoneda will be teaching at UH June 7 and 8. For info on either class, contact Susan Horowitz at the Pacific New Media at UH at 956-8400 ...
Better late than never -- former Star-Bulletin music reviewer Janos Gereben, now with the Post Newspaper Group in San Francisco, wants to alert all to a new film by Hawaii filmmaker Eric Byler. Janos describes "Charlotte Sometimes" as a "dynamite film" made for about half a million dollars, and first screened at last year's Hawaii International Film Festival ...
Wo is me
NO, that's not how Bob Wo of C.S. Wo introduces himself, but he and wife Betty and Aloha Airlines board chairman Sonny Ching and wife Barbara, shared a table with restaurateur Fred Livingston and wife Nicki at the 80th birthday celebration of Bob Chinn, owner of the famed restaurant Bob Chinn's Crab House in Illinois. More than 80 guests helped the birthday boy celebrate his 80th, including Don Ho ...
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