The Koloa Plantation Days Parade and associated events (the CJM Country Stables’ mounted unit promised participation in next year’s parade, said Julie Souza) might be over, but Ada Koene (she scored a vantage point near the judges’ and announcers’ station at Sueoka Store) is still looking for people who have tales from the plantation days era for a book project.
The Koloa Plantation Days Parade and associated events (the CJM Country Stables’ mounted unit promised participation in next year’s parade, said Julie Souza) might be over, but Ada Koene (she scored a vantage point near the judges’ and announcers’ station at Sueoka Store) is still looking for people who have tales from the plantation days era for a book project.
Coach Bobby Kubota (this was his first parade, thanks to his 17-day-old daughter Kiara) scored his spot in the shade near food truck alley, and Nick and Amy Galante found their spot in the shade of the golden shower tree that Dickie Chang said was only in half bloom because it celebrated the parade (on the blooming side) while remembering the parade’s co-founder Phyllis Kunimura, and Edwin Vea hopefully got a glimpse of that fabulous pooper scooper from Na Paniolo O Kauai from his spot at Mailelani’s (no time for smoke break, Karin Panui) in the crafters’ tents (and there was no room for a grill for Chef Thomas Metcalfe of Salty Wahine Gourmet Hawaiian Sea Salts — you had to do that at The Kauai Culinary Market).
Scott Johnson had the locomotive Paulo out for the parade, picking up a load of parade wanna-bes at the start of the route, and popped a couple of steam blows for the residents of the Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital who had a VIP spot in the pavilion. Debbie Ogden had her family bringing Nobue Watanabe to the parade from Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital (yes, Hawaii Health Systems Corp., Kauai Region had a parade unit, too).
Kudos to Arryl Kaneshiro and the many (!!!) hands who made the event shine despite the bouts of passing rain!
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
