It was a surprise Hawaii 5-0 birthday party for Joe Leineweber Aug. 28, organized by his girlfriend Drea Kia, at the Kahala home of Daynin Dashefsky. Not too many islanders get to celebrate their 50th birthday in the 50th state the same week Hawaii celebrates 50 years of statehood. Joe is with Hardware Hawaii. The Leineweber family arrived in Hawaii on the Lurline in 1963 as Joe's dad, Col. Thomas Leineweber, was to report for duty as commandant at Marine Barracks Pearl Harbor. For the party, members of the birthday boy's family who do not live here flew in from Oregon and Washington state to celebrate with Joe, the last of seven Leineweber children to turn 50. The party included more than 25 family members, plus close friends, including Eric and Skinny Lynnie Crawley who created a fabulous slideshow, complete with music relating to Joe's early years in Virginia up to the present. Auntie Pasto's owner Ed Wary is Joe's golfing buddy so he was a natural choice to cater the party. Wrapping up the evening with rhythm and rap were talented—and not-so-talented—karaoke singers and dancers ...

Sports Illustrated's editors took notice of Hawaii golfer Michelle Wie in the recent Solheim Cup and spread her face across two pages in the Aug. 31 issue. Under the headline, “;United We Stand,”; the picture clearly shows patriotic decals on each of her cheeks. One was the U.S. flag and the other a red, white and blue starburst. Michelle's outstanding, undefeated play in the Solheim against the Europeans was the best thing that could have happened to her at this stage of her professional career. It wasn't just her exceptional golf that made people take notice, it was also her exuberant, energetic cheering and support for her American teammates when she was not playing. Michelle also had considerable TV coverage while both playing and cheering during the competition, at one point holding a large American flag while running along the “;sidelines.”; All the hugging with her American teammates after the U.S. victory over the Europeans really shows that she is now “;one of the girls”; on the tour ...

Hawaii resident Sheree Lipton, a travel writer and photographer, has written a book about her experiences and adventures in the South Pacific starting in the late 1960s to 2000. “;A Woman in the South Pacific”; tells of her adventures beginning in Palmyra and the Fanning Islands, and continues through Samoa, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Uvea, Tahiti, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Tonga, one chapter at a time. Sheree says she met warm-hearted islanders who welcomed her into their homes. She also found lovers, rogues and even ex-cannibals. The 162-page book, edited by Rita Ariyoshi and published by Belknap, sells for $29.95. It can be ordered at local bookstores or by e-mail at http://www.SouthPacificWoman.com and at Amazon.com. The former cannibals Sheree lived with for a time are called the Big Nambas and live on Malekula Island, Vanuatu, in the village of Amok. One of the cannibals she met is pictured on the book's cover jacket. Except for a pot belly, the scrawny little old guy looks like he needs a meal ...