Star-studded lineup lauds isle legend Jimmy Borges

This is a tribute to you," Gov. Neil Abercrombie said to Jimmy Borges Monday night at The Pacific Club as a crowd of 140 stood and cheered. Jimmy was honored by the Hawaii chapter of the National Society of Arts and Letters, which assists promising young artists. The guv proclaimed May 13 Jimmy Borges Day and did not forget Jimmy’s wife, Vicki. He praised "the team of Jimmy and Vicki Borges." Jimmy, who survived life-threatening liver cancer, said "This is my second life" and that he wants to pass on what he knows about music. Jim Nabors, seated at the head table, is a 20-year liver-cancer survivor and was singled out by Jimmy as one who offered him much support.

Some of Hawaii’s top singers and musicians performed. Jimmy sang "Without a Song" and "A Song for You." Emcee Matt Catingub said it was because of Jimmy that he came here to start the pops concerts. The backup musicians were fabulous — keyboarder Dan Del Negro, bassist Steve Jones, drummer Noel Okimoto and trumpet man DeShannon Higa, Hawaii’s Wynton Marsalis. This cat can blow. Vocal soloists were Catingub, Loretta Ables Sayer, Kristian Lei, Shari Lynn, Amy Hanaiali‘i, Starr Kalahiki, Robert Cazimero and Henry Kapono. Carolyn Berry Wilson and Dr. Phil McNamee co-chaired the event. Chef Eric Leterc, catering director Jill Becker and the Pacific Club staff deserve praise …

ATTORNEY Shawn Ching is leaving his Hawaii News Now anchor post and will concentrate full time on his litigation practice starting June 1. Ching’s law practice will be associated with attorney Michael J. Green in Davies Pacific Center. "I look forward to collaborating with Michael on future civil cases," he said. Ching, a former Roosevelt High football star and 1987 grad, was a four-year letterman and three-year starting center for the University of Hawaii. He was first team Academic All-Western Athletic Conference in 1989 and second team All-WAC center in 1990. Ching earned his undergraduate degree in 1990 and master’s in 1993, both in political science. In 2003 he received his law degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law. In 1992, he won the Jack Bonham Award, presented annually to the top UH male and female student athletes. Ching carried up to 300 pounds on his 6-foot-1 frame in his football days. He’s a trim 240 now …

ACTOR Don Stroud, a former Waikiki beach boy, agreed to visit St. Francis teacher Rick Saunders‘ history class May 9 to talk about a World War I movie he made, "Von Richthofen and Brown," released in 1971. Roy Brown, played by Stroud, is the Canadian pilot believed to have shot down German flying ace Baron Manfred von Richthofen, also known as the Red Baron, in 1918. The late John Phillip Law, a former UH student and "The Hawaiians" cast member, portrayed the Red Baron. The movie was filmed over Ireland. The open-cockpit planes (can’t help thinking of Snoopy in "Peanuts") had two seats, one behind the other. The real pilots leaned out of the planes so cameras could focus on the actors to make audiences believe they were piloting. Stroud’s plane crashed in a lake when a bird flew into the real pilot’s face and knocked him out. As they were sinking, Stroud managed to bring him to the surface, saving his life. The pilot was taken to the hospital. Stroud said, "Take me to the pub" …

Ben Wood, who sold newspapers on Honolulu streets in World War II, writes of people, places and things. Email him at bwood@staradvertiser.com.