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MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL. It’s time to look back at Wood Craft happenings during the year. Malia and Sasha Obama brightened Romano’s Macaroni Grill Jan. 4 by dining at Randy Schoch‘s Ala Moana Center eatery. The Obamas come to Hawaii, where the president was born, each year for Christmas and depart for the islands today …
BIG Bill Smith, 88, who captained the 1948 U.S. Olympic swim team and won two gold medals, died Feb. 8. Bill swam for legendary coach Soichi Sakamoto‘s club in Maui irrigation ditches before going to Ohio State U. where he set world records … Barry Bonds dined at Wailea Ruth’s Chris Steak House on Maui Feb. 9 … "Hawaii Five-0" regular Daniel Dae Kim teamed with the Honolulu Theatre for Youth to present and produce the Off Broadway show "Hold These Truths," a story of Japanese internment activist Gordon Hirabayashi, Feb. 21-March 2 at Tenney Theatre. The show was dedicated to the memory of Sen. Daniel Inouye, a Medal of Honor recipient … "A Tradition of Honor" was shown on KGMB in March. It was part of the celebration of the "American Heroes:Japanese American World War II Nisei Soldiers and the Congressional Gold Medal" exhibit at Bishop Museum. The documentary tells the story of the legendary Japanese-American World War II units — the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the Military IntelligenceService … Hawaii’s Harold Sakata was in the snazzy James Bond tribute in his Oddjob role, throwing his deadly steel-brimmed hat in a clip from "Goldfinger" in the Feb. 24 Oscars show … Blind musical prodigy Kuhao Case, 16, of Hawaii Island spoke at TEDxTeen 2013, hosted by Chelsea Clinton, March 9 in Manhattan …
RADFORD HIGH grad Bette Midler was featured in Vanity Fair’s April edition for taking on the one-woman Broadway role about her friend, Hollywood superagent Sue Mengers, who died in 2011 at 79. Bette received fine reviews for "I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers," which opened April 24 … Castle Performing Arts Center celebrated its 50th anniversary and honored founder Ron Bright April 7 at Castle High’s Bright Theatre … Waikiki Beach and the Royal Hawaiian Hotel received major plugs in the two-hour "Mad Men" Season 6 opener April 7 on AMC. King Kamehameha and Don Ho were mentioned as well. The show was set in 1967 and started on the beach with main man Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and his wife, Megan (Jessica Pare), and continued for 12 minutes in and around the hotel. A luau show was presented by Tihati performers … Filmmaker, singer and ukulele virtuoso Eddie Kamae, 85, was honored with an honorary doctorate of humane letters May 11 at UH …
SINGER-ACTOR Jimmy Borges was honored at the Pacific Club by the Hawaii chapter of the National Society of Arts and Letters, which assists promising young artists. Gov. Neil Abercrombie proclaimed May 13 Jimmy Borges Day and praised "the team of Jimmy and Vicki Borges." Jimmy is a liver cancer survivor. Jim Nabors, seated at the head table, is a 20-year liver cancer survivor and was mentioned by Jimmy as one who offered him much support … Kevin Spacey was on hand to congratulate Michael-Logan Jordan, 14, and Brittany Amano, 15, at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington May 5 for being named Hawaii’s top two youth volunteers for 2013 by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards organization … Charles Higa, 82, co-founder of Zippy’s, donated $125,000 to the McKinley High School Foundation … NBC-TV’s "Today" program was shot on location in Hawaii for its May 20 screening …
A CELEBRATION of Bernadette "Bernie" Hernandez‘s life was held at 8 Fat Fat 8 Bar and Grille, where she worked, on June 8. She was the mother of Bruno Mars and performed in the Hernandez family group in which Bruno starred at age 4 impersonating Elvis Presley in Sheraton Waikiki’s Esprit. Hernandez died June 1 at age 55 … Oscar winner Patty Duke and KHON anchorman Joe Moore starred in Michael Aitkens‘ comedy "Heaven Forbid!" in June at Hawaii Theatre … Actor James Gandolfini, 51, died June 19 while in Rome to receive a film festival award. In 2008 former Hawaii model Deborah Lin and Gandolfini wed at Central Union Church. A reception followed at the Kahala Hotel, organized by Deborah’s mom, Ruth Lin. The Gandolfinis’ daughter, Liliana Ruth, was born in L.A. Oct. 10, 2012 … Next week, items from the rest of the year will run …
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Ben Wood, who sold newspapers on Honolulu streets in World War II, writes of people, places and things. Email him at bwood@staradvertiser.com.
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