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Love, laughs will shower new mayor’s celebration

In lieu of an inaugural ball, Mayor Peter Carlisle will hold a "Mayoral Celebration" on Feb. 14 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Coral Ballroom. Because of Valentine’s Day, love will obviously be a theme.

Matt Catingub will helm the orchestra. The talent parade includes singers Monica Mancini, Jim Nabors, Jimmy Borges and Afatia, with Andy Bumatai providing the laughs and Al Waterson emceeing. Cha Thompson, who was Carlisle’s campaign manager, is chairing the event.

Invites should be out in a few days, but for inquiries call 877-238-6323 or e-mail celebration@petercarlisle.com. …

CELEB-RATIONS: A-list celebs flocked to the islands during the holidays. One got married; others simply exchanged the mainland chill for warmer climes in paradise.

Recording star Carlos Santana married his drummer-wife Cindy Blackman on Maui in December, and the party included such pals as George Lopez, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. A "Smooth" move for the Latin rocker, who adores the islands. Acting couple Ben Affleck (with a beard) and Jennifer Garner also soaked up the sun and splashed in the surf with daughter Violet and Seraphina. Garner even had a surfing lesson. …

And Jennifer Love Hewitt, who fell in love with Hawaii as a teen star in the isle-filmed "Byrds of Paradise" ABC series, vacationed with boyfriend Alex Beh and even donned a ti-leaf hula skirt to punctuate her glee. Her mom, Pat, also was here. …

Actor Pierce Brosnan and wife Keely Shay Smith also have been spotted; they own a vacation pad on Kauai. …

Others spending time here: Robin Leach, Byron Allen and Sam Riddle, and developer David Murdoch has been wintering at his Lanai home. …

ABOUT PEOPLE: It’s truly a new year for singer Melveen Leed, who’s telling friends she just divorced martial arts luminary Al Dacascos. …

Pro surfer Fred Patacchia Jr. wed his longtime girlfriend Melissa Gomez at Lanikuhonua at the Ko Olina Resort on Jan. 9. Celebrants included pro surfers Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning and Sunny Garcia. The bride is a stepdaughter of master sommelier Chuck Furuya; mom is Cheryle Gomez. Chef D.K. Kodama and his Sansei and Vino crew prepared the food. …

Frank B. Shaner, whose morning drive ranking at KUMU 94.7 FM has taken flight in the radio ratings, continues to blossom as an artist. One of his works, "Meet My Friends," has been tapped for an ad campaign in Japan. "It’s pen, ink, pastels … and martinis," said Shaner, sounding like a happy kid. …

TRAVEL LOG: Jack Cione surely knows how to travel and quantify his time; in a five-day Las Vegas trek, he stayed at the Aria hotel ("You rub your key on the door, it opens, the lights go on, the drapes open … just like a show," he said) and ate at all of the hotel’s restaurants. Further, he took in two shows a night (including "La Reve," Cirque du Soleil’s "Viva Elvis," "Phantom of the Opera," "Sinatra: Dance With Me," "Nunsense") … and even spent a couple of hours amid adult film industry types at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Really! A pause at the Palm Springs Film Festival resulted in a number of sight-’ems (Ben Affleck, Robert DeNiro, Renee Zellwegger). …

And that’s "Show Biz." …

Wayne Harada is a veteran entertainment columnist. Reach him at 266-0926 or wayneharada@gmail.com; read his Show and Tell Hawaii blog at www.staradvertiser.com.

 

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