Hawaii
And the Oscar goes to
-- the biggest mouthTHE official Oscar-night party at the Royal Hawaiian Sunday was a sparkling affair, as usual. Emcee Jeffrey Portnoy thanked the corporate sponsors and mentioned that Verizon had been a long-time supporter. He then awarded the eight door prizes, exactly half of which went to the table hosted by Verizon's Brian Blevins, who won one of the four himself. Talk about important! ... Michael Moore drew some boos when he attacked President Bush and the Iraqi war, striking many as inappropriate and late. Writer/director Ken Levine, in his annual "bitchy post Oscar review" wrote, "I suspect the other documentary nominees, who (Moore) asked to join him, feel like he threw them under a bus. Bet they didn't know the 'content' of his little speech." And I agreed with Levine that emcee Steve Martin "was actually funny," particularly at the end when he said, "I have so many people to thank -- Steven Speilberg! Why? Because it can't hurt!" ...
TWO great evenings in a row. I took in the Bobby McFerrin concert at the Blaisdell Concert Hall Saturday and was simply blown away. I sat there with a stupid-looking smile on my face for more than an hour. What a talent ...
Belated honor
ONE week from today, a film about a little known Japanese hero will be unveiled at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii. A film about Chiune Sugihara and his role in saving the lives of thousands of Jews at the onset of World War II, "Visas for Life," will be screened at 3:30 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. The Simon Wiesenthal Center in L.A. estimated 40,000 descendants of the Jewish refugees aided by Sugihara are alive today because of him. As Japanese Consul General in Kovno, Lithuania in 1939 and 40, Sugihara, with the encouragement of his wife, Yukiko. issued Japanese transit visas to some 6,000 Polish Jews. After the war, he was released by the Japanese diplomatic service and instead of being honored, spent his life in disgrace, never recognized by Japan in his lifetime. At the April 2 JCCH ceremony, Yukiko and their only surviving son will be in attendance and be honored ...THERE'S going to be a fund-raiser at Murphy's Bar and Grill on behalf of Glen Gaspar, the policeman killed March 4, will be held on Sunday and all money raised from the ticket donations of $100 will go to his surviving kids, Kiana, 13, and Taysia, 11. Donations or gifts to be used as door prizes are welcomed -- they can be dropped off at Murphy's or arrangements made for pick up ...
Weather convention?
Adman David Patterson was wondering if a weather convention was going on in town. He got together with former KGMB beauty Ku'ualoha Taylor, now with the CBS outlet in San Diego, and then with another ex-weathercasting beauty Maria Quiban, now with KCOP in L.A. Both were back for isle visits ... And former KGMB'er Jim Doney felt right at home watching the news from Kuwait and seeing Atlanta newscaster Teri Okita, who was also with KGMB, doing news reporting from the field ...
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