Inauguration events span ballroom to beach
By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Advertiser Capitol Bureau
Linda Lingle will be sworn-in as Hawai'i's sixth governor since statehood and the first Republican governor in 40 years during ceremonies at noon today in the State Capitol atrium.
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser
About half of the 1,956 seats set up for the inauguration, which will be televised live statewide, will be open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. An additional 400 seats will be available to the public at the Capitol lawn on South Beretania Street, and 600 at 'Iolani Palace.
Tomu Matavale of Productions Hawaii prepares the seating area at the State Capitol in preparation for Linda Lingle's inauguration today.
"It's an historic inauguration, and in order to celebrate in an appropriate way, we wanted to provide various venues for all the people of Hawai'i," said Lenny Klompus, Lingle's director of communications.
Lingle supporters also organized several other events tied to the inauguration, most notably a $150-per-person dinner-dance at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel tonight and a free " 'ohana party" at Magic Island tomorrow.
The dinner-dance, however, has been sold out and 4,000 tickets for the Magic Island event, which the public could obtain from Lingle's campaign headquarters on Ala Moana Boulevard, were gone by Friday. Of the Magic Island event, Klompus said, "I don't think that's ever been done."
Lingle, a former Maui mayor, will be the first Republican governor since William Quinn, who was elected the first governor following statehood in 1959. Quinn was followed by Democratic Govs. John A. Burns, George Ariyoshi, John Waihee and Ben Cayetano, who leaves office today.
Today's events start with a 10 a.m. parade of about 15 bands and other musical groups that will march from the top of Richards Street, turn down South King Street and enter 'Iolani Palace, where a review area has been set up for Lingle and other dignitaries.
A fly-by of F-15 jets from the Hawai'i National Guard's 199th Fighter Squadron will take place at 10:30 a.m. They will be followed by performances from the group Na Leo and the Royal Hawaiian Band.
At 11 a.m., Lingle, Lt. Gov.-elect James "Duke" Aiona and other dignitaries will make their way from 'Iolani Palace to the Capitol atrium, stopping briefly to place a bouquet at the Queen Lili'uokalani Statue.
A group of seven ministers from various religious denominations will give the invocation at about 11:45 a.m. Chief Justice Ronald Moon will swear in Lingle at 11:59 a.m. and Aiona at 12:04 p.m. Both are expected to address the audience.
• Today: The inauguration will be broadcast live on KHON beginning at 9 a.m.; KGMB at 11 a.m.; KHNL at 11:30 a.m., and KITV at 11:45 a.m. 10 a.m. Parade of bands from Richards Street to 'Iolani Palace 11:30 a.m. Procession from 'Iolani Palace to the State Capitol atrium. 11:59 a.m. Lingle Lingle sworn in as governor by Chief Justice Ronald Moon at the Capitol. 6:30 p.m. Sold-out dinner-dance at Royal Hawaiian Hotel. • Tomorrow: 5:30 p.m. 'Ohana Party at Magic Island. All 4,000 tickets have been handed out.
At 12:40 p.m., flowers will be dropped from the third floor of the Capitol by the HNG Youth Challenge group to end the ceremony. Lingle and Aiona are expected to greet well-wishers after the event.
Inaugural events
Refreshments will be served at 'Iolani Palace on the lawn next to the bandstand and also at the Beretania lawn of the Capitol. There will also be an open house of the executive chambers on the fifth floor of the Capitol.
Tickets for the dinner-dance have been sold out for about a week. They went so quickly, Klompus said, the initial 1,200-seat event was expanded to allow 1,500. The event begins at 6:30 p.m.
Lingle officials estimated the total cost of the two days of events at about $350,000. A nonprofit group was set up to raise money and organize the event. Proceeds from the dinner-dance will go toward offsetting the cost of the events.
Various companies, organizations and individuals also contributed to the effort, Klompus said. Any remaining money will be donated to charity.
