 The news wires picked up the story of the beauty queen and the Howell melons, earning front page stories in the "Chicago Tribune" and the "Los Angeles Times", and "that's how the Howell melon got famous", according to Dr. Louis May, organizer of the first festival.The festival is now managed by the Howell Area Parks and Recreation Authority.Instead of a Melon Queen, the new tradition is to elect children as Melon Prince and Princess, Mini Prince and Princess, and (the youngest category) Sprout Prince and Princess .