Wood Craft

Isle actress among judges of heroic dog competition

HAWAII ACTRESS Christie Brooke (“Soul Surfer” and “The Descendants”) was a celebrity judge when Hallmark’s “Hero Dog Awards,” was taped last month in Beverly Hills. The Castle High grad was alongside celeb judges and presenters Betty White, Whoopi Goldberg, Ewan McGregor, Peter Fonda, Faith Ford, Kristin Chenoweth and others. Hosted by Carson Kressley and taped before a live audience at the Beverly Hilton, the “Hero Dog Awards” paid tribute to eight remarkable dogs and their handlers. The show airs tonight at 6 on the Hallmark Channel. …

Inouye’s better half to speak at disaster prep summit

IRENE HIRANO INOUYE, president of the U.S.-Japan Council and wife of Sen. Dan, will keynote the University of Hawaii/Pacific Command’s upcoming Pacific Rim Disaster Risk Reduction and Resiliency Workshop Aug. 7 to 9 here. Irene is the perfect keynoter because she happened to be in Japan when the March earthquake and tsunami struck and was interviewed by CNN.

Kauai family's video a finalist in $1 million soap contest

KAUAI'S Rainbow Star Zephier, 9, saw the Gain "Smells Like a Million Bucks" contest on Facebook and asked her single mom, Erika Schneider, if the family could enter a video with her singing and playing ukulele. Rainbow Star had already written song lyrics for a contest entry, thinking if the family wins, the money could go to fix the clan's car.

Jazz Quartet marks 10 years with CD release and party

THIS ONE’S FOR DOLLY: “I still remember my mom telling me I should form my own jazz group, and egging me on to do it,” John Kolivas said. “She also encouraged me to try out for the Honolulu Symphony, which I did in 1997. She was a force of nature.”

Bada bing, bada boom birthday at Chart House

RUTH LIN’S daughter Deborah and son-in-law James Gandolfini surprised her at her birthday party at the Chart House on the Fourth of July. Ruth returned from Europe Saturday and called her daughter Sunday, thinking she was in New York, but she and her actor husband were here.

Models go for the grinds after show at Wolfgang's

HAWAII fashion designer Andy South, 24, of "Project Runway" fame, sporting a full head of white hair, was a guest at Wolfgang's Steakhouse fashion show brunch June 25.

Maui chef makes it to Everest Base Camp

CHEF ALFRED VOLLENWEIDER is back home on Maui after a trip to Nepal where he climbed several mountains in two weeks, including a 17,594-foot trek to his goal, the Mount Everest Base Camp. Trying to reach the 29,029-foot Everest summit was not in his plan, or shall we say, dreams.

Prayers from afar help buoy Borges

Jimmy Borges has been diagnosed with liver cancer. But Hawaii's top jazz-pops singer is not taking it lying down. He is determined to beat the illness.

Veary offers up $100 and her voice in PBS drive

AT AGE 81, Emma Veary still has the golden voice that has made her one of Hawaii’s biggest and brightest singing stars for decades. PBS Hawaii’s “Hawaiian Airlines Presents Na Mele: Emma Veary at the Halekulani,” aired by the station Sunday night, was a thing of beauty.

‘Mr. Magic’ always made the customer the star

BOBBY “MR. MAGIC” Acoba, 71, who died May 13, gained fame over the years for doing magic tricks behind the bar for customers. Bobby was working at Sarento’s until mid-February when he was diagnosed with leukemia. He underwent treatment and was in remission, according to his daughter, Jodee Acoba-Suganuma.