Venue renamed Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell

The Waikiki Shell was renamed the Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell Sunday during a ceremony that included the unveiling of a plaque and signage bearing the new name.

Moffatt, the legendary concert promoter and radio disc jockey, died in December 2016 at the age of 85.

Many of Moffatt’s most memorable events took place at the Shell, which his family and friends called his favorite entertainment venue. Many radio and television advertisements promoting his concerts at the Shell were accompanied by the phrase “under the stars.”

The Honolulu City Council adopted Resolution 17-229 a year ago giving approval to the renaming. Mayor Kirk Caldwell recently signed a proclamation making it official.

Besides bringing a long string of famous artists from Elvis Presley to the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson and Bruno Mars, Moffatt was one of the famous “Poi boys” who ruled the rock ’n’ roll radio airwaves at station KPOI through much of the 1960s.

UH attracts more research funding

The University of Hawaii at Manoa brought in 2.4 percent more funding from outside sources for its research in the last fiscal year, with the total topping $301 million.

The influx reversed last year’s trend. In 2017 extramural research funding from federal and private sources had dropped 4.7 percent from the previous year, according to a news release.

The UH School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology accounted for a big chunk of the 2018 research pie, boosting its outside funding by 15 percent to $93 million.

The College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources received $2.1 million in funding in 2018 to continue its Children’s Healthy Living Program for Remote Underserved Minority Populations, which works to reduce obesity in the Pacific islands, including Hawaii.