Graveside gathering set for baseball’s ‘father’

VIP Ralph Carhart will be joining the Friends of Alexander Joy Cartwright Jr., known as the father of modern baseball, on his 197th birthday Monday at his Oahu Cemetery gravesite. Carhart is a professor at Queens College in New York. He has visited and photographed the gravesites of 312 deceased members of the Baseball Hall of Fame. The lone remaining site is that of Cartwright, who died in 1892. Carhart, who has received national publicity for his project, will speak at 11 a.m. Bob Corboy, Patrick “Korky” Gallagher, Jack Sullivan and Lyle Nelson will also speak at the gravesite. Bring your glove and toss the ball with these fellas …

PEOPLE magazine’s April 17 issue with Barry Manilow pictured on the cover is loaded with folks with Hawaii connections. Hawaii-born Bette Midler, a Radford High grad who attended UH-Manoa, is pictured with Barry in 1973 when he was her pianist and arranger at the Continental Baths, a hot spot for gays in New York City. They both praise each other in the People story in which Barry reveals he is gay and married to a man … David Spade and Naya Rivera are pictured together in the issue at a Honolulu hotel swimming pool in late March. He was here on a comedy tour with Adam Sandler …

Barry’s picture dominates the cover of the issue but in the upper left-hand corner are head shots of blond 38-year-old twin sisters Alexandria and Anastasia Duval with the headline: “Killed by her twin sister?” Remember the Duvals? On May 29, Alexandria was behind the wheel of an SUV when it went off a cliff on Maui’s Hana Highway and plunged 200 feet to the rocky shoreline. Anastasia was killed and Alexandria was injured and charged with second-degree murder. She is free on bail. Former Honolulu mayor and prosecutor Peter Carlisle is quoted in the story…

A photo of ruggedly handsome Pierce Brosnan, 63, who starred in James Bond thrillers, takes up the last page of the issue. The Kauai homeowner is starring in AMC’s western “The Son.” The series is listed in the issue as one of People’s “picks,” also with his photo. The series is shown here Saturdays at 6 p.m. …

The former 007 received much applause when he was introduced during the Hawaii European Cinema Film Festival awards gala March 31 at the iconic Moana Hotel on Waikiki Beach. And there were many would-be Bond Girls doing much of the cheering. The European Cinema team and hotel staff each year put on a fabulous party, starting with a red carpet leading to the hotel’s historic entry. Adding European flair was Euro Film Festival Prez Patrick Gey with his French accent. He and his beautiful assistants (could-be Bond Girls) greeted guests as they arrived. The guests walked up the red carpet and turned to face a barrage of photographers before entering the hotel. Many headed for the lanai bar area, where jazz singer-pianist Scott Smith (he’s good) dished up favorite numbers as people mingled. Then the doors opened to the lawn for food, beverage and a show: This year it was headlined by talented ukulele artist Taimane Gardner. She gained fame working with Don Ho. KHNL will screen a rerun of “Don Ho Remembered” Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. He died 10 years ago on April 14. I will remember Don in my next column …

Building Voices, created by the School of Architecture and Community Design Center at the University of Hawaii, is a free public design festival featuring local, national and international designers, architects, artists, engineers and problem solvers. It’s happening on Earth Day, Saturday, at the state Capitol … Former Miss Hawaii Beverly Rivera Noa, 80, is Hula Grill’s I Ola Mau Ka Hula (in order to perpetuate the hula) 2017 honoree …

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