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Hawaii Dave Donnelly |
Another Blears
generation
gets feet wetON A Blears Day: The name Blears was once associated with wrestling as Lord James "Tally Ho" Blears both took to the ring and later to the microphone to describe the "rasslin" action. But Blears, who spent a lot of time in the water after his ship was sunk during World War II, and lived to tell about it, was also associated with surfing. He used to take to the water with the famed Duke Kahanamoku, and before you knew it, his wife had put down the ironing board in favor of the surf board. Next, son Jimmy Blears became a familiar sight riding waves off the North Shore and at Makaha. Likewise, Lord Blears' daughter, Laura, became perhaps the most famous surfer of the family, especially after being photographed naked on her board in Playboy. Well, now we have a third generation Blears making a name for himself. The patriarch's maternal grandson, Zach Arreola, son of Duke's Kauai G.M. Jaime Arreola, has just been named state champ at the Hawaii Amateur Surfing Association ...
SAN FRANCISCO Mayor Willie Brown won't be at this weekend's North Beach Festival because he'll be on Kauai attending the wedding of his son Michael to Isabella Chanette Badger...
FORMER Isle D.J. Kamasami Kong is wondering if local jazz promoter Abe Weinstein's ears were burning Tuesday night. Kong recently schmoozed with the likes of Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger and Prince, but as impressive a bunch as that is, he was most impressed meeting backstage with jazz great Oscar Peterson after his Osaka, Japan, concert. The pianist's bassist, Ulf Wakenius, told him Weinstein was trying to line up the legendary Peterson to perform in Honolulu. Kong reports Peterson is confined to a wheelchair, but his fingers are as nimble as ever and the sold out house in Osaka went wild over his SRO show ...
Hello, Ducks!
WHILE a lot of folks will be shooting off fireworks on the Fourth of July, others will be shooting ducks. And not with a gun, either. There will, however, be a shotgun start for the Great Waikoloa Rubber Duckie Race and Extravagana at the Kings' Shops at Waikoloa Beach Resort. G.M. Debbie Parmley has lined up some great prizes for the first duckies to cross the finish line. There's a one-year lease on a 2003 Honda Civic, a $1,000 cash gift, Hilton Waikoloa Village room and spa package, and finally, dinner for two once a month for a year at Roy's Waikoloa. You can adopt a duckie for $5, with proceeds benefitting the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Hawaii ...
Thumbs down
MY vote for most annoying ad on TV is for Bank of Hawaii. It's the one with the really "local" boy who keeps saying, "There's my bank. There's my bank again." He adds to his friend, "What's wrong with your bank. It stay broken?" That has to go down as the worst pidgin I've ever heard, enabling it to edge out the other annoying ad for Honey Nuts in which a guy, quite unsolicited, says to everyone he meets, "I've lowered my cholesterol."
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Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968. The Week That Was runs Sundays and recalls items from Dave's 30 years of columns. Contact Dave by e-mail: ddonnelly@starbulletin.com