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Up Front Lahaina

By Staff | Jun 18, 2009

… Well, the KAMEHAMEHA DAY PARADE on Saturday went off without a hitch — or none that you noticed — under the new direction of DARYL FUJIWARA. Congratulations on a job well done!…

… the music in BANYAN TREE PARK was organized by WILMONT KAHAIALII and the street decorations by LAHAINATOWN ACTION COMMITTEE’S RON EGAN. Thanks to the perennial announcers, TODDY LILIKOI and DONNA SOARES at the WHARF, and the others stationed to provide commentary along the parade route…

… and Saturday night, the Kapalua Wine Festival’s event at D.T. Fleming Beach Park was sold out — the food was elegant, the wine flowed and the music was great. It was the first event I have attended in that location, and what a great spot! The weather was perfect, although that place seems protected from any wind. Congratulations to the organizers!…

… attending this year’s event brought back memories of over 20 years ago, when the first Kapalua Wine Festival was organized by the late A.N. “MAC” McKELVEY, then-Kapalua Bay Hotel Manager HANS TURNOVSKY and ERIC HANSEN, the sommelier at the lovely old hotel. It was held in the old Kapalua Shops (since demolished) and sponsored by the premier people in the wine business, including ROBERT MONDAVI and MIKE GRGICH…

… which brings me to another memory — GRGICH was born in Yugoslavia, and while we were having lunch, he said to me, “You know your ‘Hawaii Pono‘i’ is a Yugoslavian folk song?” He immediately launched into our anthem in a slavic dialect. But when you think about it, QUEEN LILIUOKALANI, who wrote the song, had as her companion a ship’s captain from Yugoslavia, so it could be the tune caught her attention. The great Queen was a prolific songwriter!…

… and another honorable mention, or maybe the first prize, is the new CIRQUE DE POLYNESIA at the HYATT REGENCY MAUI in Kaanapali. I attended last week, and I must say I enjoyed it thoroughly — it has the LAS VEGAS touch, but that doesn’t detract from the thrill of the performances. The high-wire walks were a heart-stopper — great show!…

… and a short trip over the pond that I found interesting: reading a story on the OBAMA family at The White House in National Geographic, it seems the President is billed for all food consumed by his family and his personal guests. In the first months of a new administration, the sticker shock is routine, and apparently they all complain about the size of the bills!…

… and LAHAINA was sad to learn of the death of one its former leading citizens — DON AUS died in Honolulu last week. His family is bringing him back to Lahaina for a Celebration of Life at the Pioneer Inn on Wednesday, June 24, at 4 p.m. Don, they broke the mold with you! You were one-of-a-kind — aloha ‘oe, my friend. Your many, many friends will miss your smiling face and jaunty step…

Up Front Lahaina is a twice monthly feature. To protect his innocence, the writer chooses to remain anonymous. The views expressed in this column belong to the author, and do not necessarily represent the views of the Lahaina News staff and owners.