Punahou School's marching band and Junior ROTC will be the first civilian marching units in today's presidential inaugural parade in Washington, D.C.

More than 150 members of the band, JROTC cadets and cheerleaders will follow representatives of the U.S. Army, U.S. Military Academy and Army Reserve in the parade down Pennsylvania Avenue.

The official order of appearance in the event was released yesterday by the Presidential Inaugural Committee. More than 10,000 people from 50 states will follow the new president and vice president from the Capitol down the 1.5-mile route to the White House.

The parade begins about 9:30 a.m. today.

ALI HONORS OBAMA AT INAUGURAL PARTY

WASHINGTON — "The Greatest" saluted the nation's first black president at an inaugural soiree last night.

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali, celebrating his 67th birthday, was the guest of honor at a party for 1,400 that included other celebrities and native Kentuckians.

Ali, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, will be sitting on the platform today when Barack Obama is sworn in as the nation's first black president. When that happens, Ali's wife, Lonnie, says, a torch will have been passed.

Muhammad Ali carried the dreams of a generation during his prime as an athlete, and later as a humanitarian. "What's interesting is that Muhammad had time to grow into his role as being a world humanitarian," Lonnie Ali said. Obama, on the other hand, "will inherit the world on his shoulders, not just the U.S. And it is a much heavier burden than I think Muhammad had to face.

"But I think his (Obama's) shoulders are broad," she added.

ENVIRONMENTALISTS CELEBRATE NEW ERA

WASHINGTON — Green is suddenly glamorous again.

Advocates supporting renewable energy and conservation gathered last night at a glitzy ball to celebrate the greening of the White House.

Environmental groups that have spent years playing defense against the Bush administration see an opportunity to push through their policies under President Obama.

The event, hosted by former Vice President and Nobel-laureate Al Gore, drew celebrities such as Will.i.am, Blair Underwood and Melissa Etheridge, many of whom made their entrance on a moss-green carpet made partly of recycled fiber.

BIDEN HUSHES WIFE ABOUT JOB CHOICE

Vice President-elect Joe Biden chose that job over secretary of state, his wife said yesterday on Oprah Winfrey's TV show. "Shhh!" Biden hushed her. The secretary of state appointment later went to Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Biden's staff wasted no time issuing an explanation: that Jill Biden was talking about two jobs that "could" have been offered to her husband after the primaries. "To be clear, President-elect Obama offered Vice President-elect Biden one job only — to be his running mate," said spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander.

IT'S GLOVES OFF FOR IPHONE USERS

WASHINGTON — Here's a blow to gadget geeks in town braving D.C.'s chilly weather for Barack Obama's inauguration: gloved fingers can't control the iPhone.

The device's touch screen needs the electrical charge emitted by fingertips to function. So those dying to Twitter about the parties they're crashing or send photos of the presidential motorcade that just raced by will have to hold that thought or take their gloves off.