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Wood Craft Ben Wood |
Bob Hope’s death
brings back memoriesThe death of Bob Hope Sunday at 100 brought back memories. In the late 1960s and early '70s I had two exclusive interviews with him. One was when he made a stop here on the way to entertain troops in Vietnam. He was carrying a golf club and I asked him if the club came from V.P. Spiro Agnew, with whom he had played golf. The veep was known for damaging clubs. "Oh no," Hope replied, displaying the club. "As you can see, it's in perfect condition." The second meeting was backstage at Blaisdell where he was giving a show. The late Sybil Bock, former organist for the old "One Man's Family" radio show, knew Hope well and got us backstage. The big star was easy to talk with on both occasions. Jeff Apaka said it was Hope who gave his dad, Alfred Apaka, national exposure and resulted in the Apaka family moving to Beverly Hills. Hope was told about the young singer in 1951 by philanthropist Sybil Brand, now 99. Hope caught Alfred at Don the Beachcombers, was impressed, and put him under contract for his radio and TV shows ...
Women Drivers at play
Linda Coble has been bitten by the contagious golf bug and is chairing the Women Drivers Tourney -- a great name -- Aug. 18 at Mid Pac. Open only to women, the event will benefit HFSC-Healthy Start Diamond Head and Koolauloa Child Abuse Prevention programs. The entry fee is $100 and there is no handicap limit. Linda, a fun gal, says, "Men will be doing the work for a change," taking care of women on the course. There will be prizes, food, gift registration bags filled with Dior and other designer goodies, plus Morton's steak sandwiches and Compadres' chilled martinis and margaritas at the turn. Call Jill Becker, 535-7664, to get in on this ...Cable One of Munich was here last month filming a special on Hawaii real estate. Three properties listed by Mary Worrall were featured: A beachfront apartment at Diamond Head, a beachfront home at Diamond Head and a home at Portlock ... Champagne during the match and a potluck will spice the Wahine Challenge at Waimanalo Polo Field at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Entry is $3. It's a benefit for Therapeutic Horsemanship ...
On Jin sings at rites
On Jin Kim, owner of On Jin's Cafe, sang the South Korean national anthem during 50th anniversary ceremonies for the Korean War armistice at Punchbowl veterans' cemetery and at the Waikiki Shell Sunday. Retired Brig. Gen. Irwin "Yoka" Cockett, a Korean and Vietnam war veteran and chair of the 50th anniversary commission, lined up On Jin to sing ... Mihana Souza is on a swing through radio stations in Sacramento, Reno, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Long Beach and San Diego as a result of her "Rust on the Moon" CD success ... Maunalua has come out with a tasty follow up to its debut CD which won Best Hawaiian Album in the 2001 Hoku awards. The trio is made up of Bobby Moderow Jr., Kahi Kaonohi and Bruce Spencer. Songs on "Kuleana" I particularly liked were "Pele Kane," "Ka Loke," "Sanoe" and "Hawaiian Soul" ... Nina Kealiiwahamana is one of the great voices of Hawaii and her beautiful 1970 album, "Nina," has been released on CD. ...
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
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
