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Wood Craft Ben Wood |
Sorenstam was hot topic
at the Symphony BallAnnika Sorenstam, playing against the big boys in this week's Colonial golf tourney, was a hot topic at the impressive Symphony Ball at the Sheraton-Waikiki last Saturday. Annika didn't make the cut, but ex-Gov. Ben Cayetano was all for her. "I played in a pro am with Annika," Cayetano said. "She's a terrific player and a terrific person." He wanted her to win. Dancing over to a nearby table, I asked UH basketball coach Riley Wallace what he thought about Annika playing in the men's event, which has upset some male pros. "No comment," the sage cage coach replied, adding, "The last time I said 'no comment,' it got me in trouble." Then it was UH athletic director Herman Frazier's turn to take the Annika question. "I can't hear," the wise AD said, looking strangely distant. "What sport is that?" UH Prez Evan Dobelle said that when he was the mayor of Dalton, Mass., he played in a golf tourney. "I played so badly they gave me a tennis racquet and told me never to come back." TV anchor Joe Moore said he played one round of golf and shot 72 -- then went to the next nine ...
Symphonic notes
Mark Milton's M&S Brokerage donated all the wine for the Symphony Ball, as he does for every Symphony affair. The orchestra, first under the baton of Sam Wong and then swinging it with pops conductor Matt Catingub, was magnificent. The ball theme was "As Time Goes By." The silent auction booklet was smashing, with Bogey on the cover talking to the pianist in a scene from "Casablanca." Song titles were used to top off the many items for bid. Elizabeth Mancuso, Cynthia Bond, ball chairs Jim and Jan George and their sons, Jason and Justin, did much of the work on the booklet ...ONWARD: Bumped into Jim Nabors in a parking garage this week and we discussed health. I told him that part of my shoulder joint had been replaced with metal and now I'm part titanium. "Well I'm part-Mexican," Jim replied. "At least my liver is." Jim had a liver transplant, and it came from a Mexican. "It's hard to pass up a taco stand now," he added ...
Morton's G.M. stands out
Morton's new 6-foot-4 G.M. David Martin is also the regional manager for Morton's in Hong Kong and Singapore. He started work at a Hampshire, England, hotel mowing the lawn 18 years ago when he was 13, and the next day he became a breakfast waiter and was hooked on the restaurant biz. His parents wanted him to be a banker but the 9-to-5 job was not for him. But they insisted he go to college, and he holds a degree in hotel and catering. David, who likes smiling faces, was quick to pick up on Hawaii's aloha spirit. "Guests have aloha, not like other places I have worked," he said. "People are so grateful here. Some places they won't ever tell you when they've had a good time." Among the new things at Morton's is a monthly wine tasting with pupus. Tuesday, Zyron Schoniwitz will serve robust reds from 5 to 7 p.m. with steak sandwiches and other pupus for only $15 per person ...Forty Niner's ex-coach Bill Walsh was a recent visitor to the Bistro at Century Center. Walsh was with UH football coach June Jones and former Iolani and UH star quarterback Elroy Chong ...
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