Having a merry time in old Hilo

There’s something about the Merrie Monarch Royal Parade on Saturday capping festival week that is so uniquely Hilo.

Maybe it’s the highly eclectic mix of participants: the rag-tag fringe groups waving ti leaves and toting cardboard signs, mixing in seamlessly with regal pa‘u riders dressed in colorful finery representing the various Hawaiian islands. There’s the Hawaiian Air or Wal-Mart float decked with flowers, transporting hula dancers and musicians, tossing out candy to delighted kids. Prominent tutus, looking radiant as they get chauffered in vintage cars, draw cheers, as do assorted military contingents and school bands.

Oddly enough for rainy Hilo, the sun usually stays out for this one. It’s almost as if the gods themselves are smiling down on the little town.

UH report needs to be unredacted

Anyone who read the 57-page fact-finders’ report the University of Hawaii issued after the Stevie Wonder fake-concert swindle remembers it as almost comical.

What was funny? It seemed there was as much left out of the report, for which taxpayers paid about $65,000, as was put in.

That may be an exaggeration, but UH lawyers redacted the document so heavily that even the name of the concert artist in question some had been crossed out.

Now the state Office of Information Practices tells us that virtually everything blacked out should have been revealed, after all.

OIP’s recommendation is to have most of the deletions restored.

Yes, please do that.

If not, can we get our $65,000 back?