By Bob Krauss
Advertiser Columnist

A kolea soap opera is developing behind Kaimuki High School. One crippled male stayed behind after his buddies departed from the Kaimuki playing fields for Alaska in April. He hopped on one leg in a weed patch. Now he's taken over the entire playing field.

He had the whole place to himself until Monday when I noticed an undersized female kolea hunting bugs in the grass nearby. She's skinny and spry. He's fat and crippled. Will love blossom behind the classrooms? Do you suppose they'll get together and have babies?

I'll consult our kolea gurus. Meanwhile, stay tuned.

Here are other items from over the back fence:

Down Beach Walk

Stories about hotel tycoon Roy Kelley have been making the rounds since the renovation of his hotels in Waikiki began.

Here's a story from Michael Augusta on Isenberg Street who helped manage the Edgewater Hotel from 1966 to 2000:

Augusta said Kelley bought the property at Beach Walk and Kalia Road from a woman who drove up to the curb, parked her car and came up to him while he was mowing the lawn at his Seaside building.

This was in the mid-1940s. She asked if he wanted to buy her Beach WalkiKalia property which then housed the Willard Inn. They completed the deal in a matter of minutes.

Augusta said the Edgewater in 1950 had Hawai'i's first automatic elevator and an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Lana Turner stayed there. Also John Wayne and the filmmakers of the movie "Big Jim McLain" with James Arness of "Gunsmoke" TV fame.

The slow and scenic

The slowest elevators in Honolulu are at the Aloha Tower and the Kahala Mall parking lot on the second level that goes down to Star Market.

Also, the bathroom with the best view in Hawai'i is owned by Kindy Sproat in Kohala on the Big Island. It looks out on a splendid view of uninhabited Pololu Valley.

While we're on the Big Island, artist and author Herb Kane said he paid a visit to Hikiau Heiau at Kealakekua Bay not long ago.

Guess who he ran into? The descendant of a Hawaiian chief who stabbed Captain Cook. He was believed to be a bodyguard of the high chief Kalaniopu'u. The affray took place just across the bay at Ka'awaloa where Cook's monument stands. Kane's friend's name is Jerome Kanuha.

More about Kelley

One more Roy Kelley story:

A reader recalls seeing the owner of Hawai'i's biggest hotel chain run out in front of the Reef Hotel and help the bellboys carry guests' bags. He didn't have an office. Kelley's desk was in the lobby where he could see what was going on.

Reach Bob Krauss at 525-8073.