Former Police Chief Lee Donohue, a karate expert, will be inducted into the national martial arts Masters Hall of Fame, based in Costa Mesa, Calif., at an awards dinner Saturday night. It will be a fine pre-birthday present for Donohue, who turns 70 Sept. 16. Two other hall of famers with Hawaii ties are Ed Parker and Olohe Solomon Kaihewalu.
Donohue began his martial arts training in 1957 and earned his seventh-degree black belt in 1999. He became police chief in 1998 and retired in 2004 after 40 years with HPD. He co-founded Kick Start Karate, an organization devoted to encouraging at-risk youths to pursue higher education and their dreams, and serves as its president.
The 10th annual Taste of Kick Start will be held Sept. 2 at Maile’s Thai Bistro at Hawaii Kai Towne Center. Besides Maile’s, food from Alan Wong’s, Roy’s and Tiki’s, and drinks will be provided. For more info and $200 tickets, call 286-8831 or 753-5617, or go to www.kickstarthawaii.org. …
AT LAST Saturday’s dinner honoring Mother Marianne Cope at the Hawai‘i Convention Center, Willie K dedicated a hana hou song, "Danny Boy," to Danny Kaleikini, who was in the program. Willie told the crowd of 900 that he will never forget the help Danny gave to him and his dad when they were starting out. Sen. Brickwood Galuteria handled the entertainment, which also included Jimmy Borges, Blaine Kia and his halau, Rene Paulo, Marlene Sai and Bruce Hamada. Rick Hamada and his wife, Bernadette Baraquio, emceed. Money raised will go toward travel costs to Rome in October for Kalaupapa patients and their caregivers when Mother Marianne, whose sainthood has been approved, will be canonized.
Danny has again been invited by the Cincinnati Bengals to sing the national anthem at one of their home games. This one is Nov. 4 against the Denver Broncos.
Danny headlined a long-running, outstanding Hawaiian show on the Kahala Hilton’s Hala Terrace in earlier years. On Sept. 22 he will emcee the sixth reunion of employees who worked at the hotel from 1964 to 1995. Adam Suapaia, former Hala Terrace manager, says it will start at 5 and run until "we all run out of stories to tell." Tickets are $65 and include a buffet dinner, tax and tip. Call Adam at 395-3469 or reach him at adam.suapaia@yahoo.com. …
THE HAWAIIAN Music Hall of Fame has named Edwin Mahiai Copp Beamer, 83, better known as Mahi Beamer, as its honoree at the 28th Ka Himeni Ana Hawaiian music competition, 7 p.m. Aug. 25 at the Hawai‘i Theatre. Mahi is a singer, hula dancer, composer and pianist/organist. He graduated from Kamehameha in 1946. … Ulrich Krauer has been named GM of the Halekulani and Waikiki Parc hotels, both owned by Halekulani Corp. … Carla Beachcomber and husband Jess Lutz are here for their annual visit, which will run through October. …
FIVE OF SEVEN Hawaiian travel and tourism posters of the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s were sold at a New York auction Aug. 1. "Fly to the South Sea Isles/Via Pan American," circa 1938, designed by Paul George Lawler, brought in the top bid of $7,200. It pictures a lovely wahine in a sarong lounging near the shore as a Boeing 314 Flying Clipper is about to land in a tropical lagoon. Other posters went for $450 to $1,200. The sale was at Swann Auction Galleries. …
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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.
