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Hawaii Dave Donnelly |
Maybe Noah was
off hitting the slotsYOU'VE probably read about or seen on TV scenes of a mammoth, quick-hitting flood in Las Vegas, so I called to ask former localite Joe North, now peddling real estate in Sin City, about it. I even got a laugh from Joe -- not necessarily an easy thing to do with the experience still fresh in his mind -- when I suggested Steve Wynn or some other Vegas entrepreneur flooded the streets to create a new theme for the town which they could name Las Venice ... North left his office and on heading for home, realized it would be quicker to drive to the house of fellow ex-Honolulan Dennis Conway, figuring the nearest place he could get a drink was the place to be. And so he began what would normally be a 20-minute drive, arriving at Conway's three and a half hours later. By the time he arrived he was so shaken he could barely hold his glass, but managed to finally take his mind off the chaos outside ...
WHILE he never actually lived in Hawaii, Roger Carroll, when he was a top D.J. on KMPC in L.A. always promoted the Islands and even gave Don Ho his first big push on the mainland. He still keeps up with isle goings-on via the Star-Bulletin Web site and was particularly interested in the item here yesterday about Reyn's Spooner shirts. All his kids know Reyn's Spooners are a most cherished gift. "I have 41 RS'er," he emails, including "the original one when you introduced me to Reyn's Spooner when they first started business." He still visits the Crazy Shirts Hawaii Internet site when looking for a good new shirt ...
Sweet Candes
YOU think all a Miss Hawaii has to do is smile for the camera and look beautiful. That part is second nature for one of our former Miss Hawaii's, Candes Meijide Gentry, but she also has that competitive edge and drive for excellence that was personified by her late father, Tom Gentry, who was killed in a motorboat mishap. Candes is just back from Argentina where she took some time off to be with her mother, the lovely Nora Gentry, and sister Corin and her two children. But before the trip, Candes participated in the Tinman Triathlon, placing first in her age group and was the sixth overall woman finisher. Prior to that she placed fifth among women in the Jamba Juice Mountainman, and qualified for the Xterra World Championships to be held in Wailea, Maui on Oct. 26. She hasn't neglected the Miss Hawaii Scholarship program, and will appear at and perform in the second annual Yun Tau Zane scholarship fund-raising event along with 17 other former Miss Hawaii winners Aug. 30 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Kimo Kahoano emcees the event with the former queens singing and dancing. It'll be an official send off to Miss Hawaii 2003, Kanoelani Gibson, who'll represent our state at the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City ...
Not tired but retiring
NEXT Tuesday will mark the end of an era at the Halekulani when Sonny Kamahele marks his 20th year of singing at the House Without a Key and retires. Sonny is a recipient the Lifetime Achievement Award by he Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts, and made his singing debut with the Police Glee Club back in 1929 ...
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
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
