Liko Pereira (how come there is a delay in some smartphones?), Harriet Watanabe and County Council Chair Mel Rapozo didn’t let the 25th Kauai Christmas Parade stop them from watching the Kapaa High School football team battle the Lahainaluna Lunas for the First Hawaiian Bank Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II football title Saturday afternoon at Kukui Grove Center.
Liko Pereira (how come there is a delay in some smartphones?), Harriet Watanabe and County Council Chair Mel Rapozo didn’t let the 25th Kauai Christmas Parade stop them from watching the Kapaa High School football team battle the Lahainaluna Lunas for the First Hawaiian Bank Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II football title Saturday afternoon at Kukui Grove Center.
You could find them by the pockets of emotional eruptions at the staging area where Flo Tazaki (yes, her brother was at the parade too!) and her Garden Island Federal Credit Union co-workers got to enjoy the shade of the Kmart entrance to check in the 25 groups (Annette Hashimoto of Kalia got a visit from an Aloha Dance Studio cast before the parade).
Kudos to Maj. Victor Aguilar and the Waimea High School JROTC for making the trek over the hill to grace the parade (Alvin Uchida said he should’ve taken Kuma for a pre-parade walk), where Harvey Maeda was counting his blessings for the good weather, and Beth Haddock could escape for a little while to participate with one of her dogs.
Kalaheo School music director Laine Griffith had the Sunshine Express doing a preview of their holiday musical (this one will leave you breathless!) that opens Friday night at the school’s cafeteria (go early for parking, and don’t worry — there will be a food booth).
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
