SERGEANT IS A SHOE-IN: Sgt. Ashleigh Berg’s passion for high-heeled shoes may have had something to do with her being seated in first lady Michelle Obama’s box with Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, and other VIPs during President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address Jan. 24. Berg, an executive administrative assistant to Brig. Gen. James H. Dickinson, commanding general of the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command at Fort Shafter, received the invite thanks to the vice president’s wife. “I first met Dr. Biden in July 2010 while deployed to Camp Victory, Iraq,” Berg said. Berg was one of 11 female soldiers chosen to eat lunch with Biden on her visit. “Dr. Biden remembered me because we share the same passion for high-heel shoes,” Berg said. The friendship led to Berg’s mom, Elizabeth Safinick, and sister, Tara Rush, both of California, being invited to the White House last year for the launch of Joining Forces, a national initiative to support and honor America’s service members and their families. On the night of Obama’s address, Biden and Berg again talked about their passion for shoe shopping. Biden also asked how Berg’s husband, Sgt. Matthew Berg, was doing and told Berg to wish him happy birthday, which was also on the day of Obama’s address. “That really meant a lot to me because she actually remembered his birthday and since he was recently deployed to Afghanistan. I also met Pres. Obama and the first lady. The president presented me with a presidential coin after his speech.” Berg says things have been “pretty interesting” after returning to work. She found her desk had been decorated with flags and other items by her general’s wife, Angie Dickinson, and Lori Pritchard, wife of Command Sgt. Maj. Ted Pritchard …
ROCKING ON: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson played a uke and sang “What a Wonderful World” to attractive Nancy O’Dell of “Entertainment Tonight” on the Kahala Hotel’s beach during the Jan. 23 program to plug his film “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island,” which hits theaters next Friday. The “Journey 2” cast includes Michael Caine, Josh Hutcherson, Vanessa Hudgens and Kristin Davis. Much of the filming for “Journey 2” was in Hawaii. Rock closed the “E.T.” segment by singing a few bars of “Hiilawe.” The Rock was also on the Jan. 20 “E.T.” show. In that segment, he said when he was growing up in Hawaii, he and some of his pals would play hooky and go to a theater in Waikiki to see action films starring Harrison Ford and Sylvester Stallone. They were his heroes, he said. Now, The Rock is an action-film star. Hopefully his younger fans are not skipping school to see him …
WOOD CHIPS: Tuesday was Lance Kosaka’s last day as Alan Wong’s Pineapple Room chef. He had been with Alan for 18 years. All the best, Lance, when you start slaving over stoves and ovens in your own place …
HAWAII-born Nicole Scherzinger was chosen 46th in AskMen’s “Top 99 Most Desirable Women of 2012.” Sofia Vergara was voted No. 1 by AskMen’s online readers. Nicole can take that as encouragement after getting booted from “The X Factor” judging panel this week alon with Paula Abdul. … Fashion icon Diane Von Furstenberg was a judge on the Jan. 26 “Project Runway: All Stars” show. She must like the outfit she wore at the Nov. 22 opening party of her Ala Moana Center shop because that’s exactly what she was wearing on the “Runway” show …
———
Ben Wood, who sold newspapers on Honolulu streets in World War II, writes of people, places and things. Email him at bwood@staradvertiser.com.
