Hawaii Tribune-Herald Sunday, April 1, 2018 35
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2018 Merrie Monarch Festival
The parade’s grand marshal is
Gerald De Mello, whose record of professional
experience, awards, and service
to the Hawaii Island community
is extensive. A graduate of Hilo High
School, Eastern Washington University
and UH-Manoa, De Mello taught
for 14 years at Hawaii Community
College and UH-Hilo, was UH-Hilo’s
director of university relations and
external affairs for 22 years, and was
conferred the honor of emeritus professor
by the UH Board of Regents.
During his tenure at UH-Hilo, De
Mello oversaw the development of
a number of major projects, including
the Daniel K. Inouye College of
Pharmacy, North Hawaii Education
and Research Center in Honokaa
and a new home for Ka Haka ‘Ula
O Ke‘elikolani College of Hawaiian
Language. He was East Hawaii liaison
for former Gov. John Waihee
and has served on numerous boards,
commissions and community associations,
including the Hawaii Historical
Places Review Board, Hawaii Tourism
Authority, Historic Honokaa Town
Project and Hilo Main Street Program.
De Mello wholeheartedly credits
his sweetheart and wife, Claudette,
for his accomplishments.
“Without her support,” he said,
“I cannot even get out the door.”
Also riding in a convertible will
be the new Miss Aloha Hula, who’ll
be crowned Thursday night.
Kaleohano said about 50 organizations
have entered the parade,
which will start at 10:30 a.m.,
rain or shine. The clockwise route
through downtown Hilo starts at
Piopio Street with a left turn up
Pauahi Street, a right onto Kilauea
Avenue where they’ll pass the judges’
reviewing stand atop Central
Pacific Bank, a slight right onto
Keawe Street, a right on Waianuenue
Avenue, then right on Kamehameha
Avenue, ending on Bishop Street
by the Kamehameha statue.
Emery Aceret’s Halau Na Pua O
Maunakea Astronomy Ohana celebrates
the 55th Merrie Monarch Festival
Canada-France-Hawaii
Telescope
East Asian
Observatory
Gemini
Observatory
‘Imiloa Astronomy
Center of Hawai‘i
Maunakea Visitor
Information
Station
NASA Infrared
Telescope Facility
Pacifi c International Space
Center for Exploration
Systems (PISCES)
Submillimeter Array
Subaru Telescope
Thirty Meter Telescope
UKIRT
University of
Hawai‘i at Hilo
University of
Hawai‘i Institute
for Astronomy
Very Long
Baseline Array
W.M. Keck Observatory
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Celebrating the Merrie Monarch
King Kal–akaua–An Astronomy Enthusiast
Uluhaimalama, which has a number
of wins for best float, isn’t entered
this year, but filling the void is Halau
Hula O Kahikilaulani under the direction
of kumu hula Nahoku Gaspang,
who are taking a break from competition
after a five-year run of taking
home Merrie Monarch hula hardware.
Among the floats, equestrian
units, marching bands and convertibles
are a number of curiosities,
including Mauna Kea Observatories,
who’ll have a snow machine.
“They have a snowmobile and
they wanted to have snow with their
snowmobile. They’ve done it in public
events before,” Kaleohano said.
Another quirky favorite is “Just
Tom” — whose pet puffy chickens
ride on his bicycle with him, and who
stops to let children get up close and
personal with the exotic poultry.
Floats include Hui Okinawa
Kobudo Taiko, who, Kaleohano said
“always puts out a spectacular float.”
The Korean War Veterans
Association Hawaii 231 chapter
also will participate.
“When you think about it, those
guys are in their 80s and 90s and
they keep coming,” Kaleohano said.
Current military units include
the Hawaii Air National Guard’s
291st Combat Communications
Squadron and the Navy’s
U.S. Pacific Fleet Band.
“King Kalakaua was an honorary
member of the Navy,” Kaleohano
said. “That’s why the Navy has been
invited to the festival every year.”
And presiding over the parade, as
they do over the week’s festivities, are
the Merrie Monarch mo‘i kane and
mo‘i wahine, the festival’s representatives
of King Kalakaua and Queen
Kapi‘olani. For the second straight
year, they are a real-life married
couple, Byron Kimo Souza Scholtz
and Helaninoheaikamakakeikeaku
Nicole-Ann MeiLan Scholtz.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@
hawaiitribune-herald.com.
Parade From page 34
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