Small Town, Big Tradition

The Maui News
Sunday, July 6, 2008

By CHRIS HAMILTON Staff Writer

Fact Box 2008 Makawao Paniolo Parade Winners Best Parade Horse: Kula Kai Farms Best Mounted Rider: Cashmere Burns Best Mounted Pair: Gretchen Cardoso, Sandy Ellison Best Mounted Group: Kula Kai Farms Best Mounted Keiki: Noel Tancayo Most Unusual Entry: Maui Invasive Species Committee Best Musical Entry: Isle of Maui Celtic Pipe Band Best Costume Mounted: Rose Freitas Best Float: St. Joseph School Best Representation of Theme: Double Trouble Mayor Tavares Award: Maui Pau Riders Lt. Gov. Aiona Award: Purdy Ohana Gov. Lingle Award: John Tavares Family

MAKAWAO -- The real Fourth of July celebration came a day later Upcountry.

The 43rd annual Makawao Paniolo Parade drew hundreds of spectators to the parade route along Makawao and Baldwin avenues with their lawn chairs and umbrellas to shield themselves from the intense mountain sunshine.

A few people commented that they thought the crowd was a bit lighter than in years past - then they looked at the folks out of view in the shade of trees and reassessed their estimate to be about the same numbers as usual.

And what's more American then people seated in the beds of their pickup trucks, draped in flags and topped with cowboy hats, watching decked-out men and women on horseback? It was the Fourth of July weekend in Makawao, marked by hot dogs, hot rods, rumbling hogs and horse apples.

This modest country parade is really about the horses and colorful costumes of the paniolo and paniolo wahine, many of whom still work the Upcountry cattle ranches and compete in the rodeo that follows the parade.

This year's best parade horse was from Kula Kai Farms, and the best mounted rider was Cashmere Burns.

In Maui style, many of the riders presented braided ti-leaf lei to lucky audience members. And nearly everyone got a Maui Gold pineapple from Maui Land & Pine, which brought an entire flatbed of the fruit.

The parade is also the unofficial kickoff to Maui's campaign season, said Sen. J. Kalani English, who led a contingent of more than 200 Democratic Party members and candidates, many of them sporting shirts and signs for their candidate for president.

"It's Obama mania," English said.

Maui Democratic Party Chairman Lance Holter noted how many young people showed up.

"It's all about Barack Obama's broad sense of hope," Holter said.

A number of Maui County Council candidates and contenders worked the crowd, including incumbents Michael Molina, Bill Medeiros, Gladys Baisa and Michael Victorino. Victorino practically brought his own parade with him, replete with a preteen cheerleading squad who shouted "Vote for Mike! Become part of the Victorino team!"

Victorino, who rode on horseback, was all smiles.

"It's better than council meetings," he said.

In the parade, the challengers were right on the tails of the incumbents and included Susan "Netra" Halperin, who is gunning for Council Member Joe Pontanilla's Kahului seat; Don Couch, who wants Kihei resident Michelle Anderson's office; and Kahekai "Kai" Nishiki, who is running against Molina. Nishiki is the daughter of 11-term former South Maui Council Member Wayne Nishiki.

One of her campaign volunteers joked to the spectators, "Kai Nishiki for council. Wayne's daughter. Don't hold it against her."

The Republicans' main presence was Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, who walked near the head of the parade. Mayor Charmaine Tavares was there as well, except the Upcountry-raised woman rode on horseback.

"It beats walking," she said.

Coach Jon Furtado of Kula had members of his Upcountry Elite Basketball Team selling food, soda and baked goods to raise $8,000 needed for a tournament in Kona. The 10- to 14-year-old boys were working the spectators with handmade signs.

"It's just a good family-oriented event," Furtado said. "And you get to see a lot of friends and family from all over the island."

Betsy Lyons and her friend, Holly Huelsmann, of Makawao wore feather boas and colorful hats and put costumes on their dogs, Roxy and The Amazing Zelda, the latter of which wore a hula skirt. Lyons said they were thinking about sneaking into the parade at some point.

"It's a small-town tradition, but it's our big event here," Lyons said. "It gives us a chance to have a little fun."

Chris Hamilton can be reached at chamilton@mauinews.com.

Original article URL: http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/505649.html

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