Hawai'i briefs
Advertiser Staff and News Services
HONOLULU
Hanabusa joins U.S. House race
State Sen. Colleen Hanabusa has joined a growing field of candidates for the Jan. 4 special election to replace the late Patsy Mink in the 108th Congress.
Hanabusa, a Democrat and labor attorney who has represented the Leeward Coast of O'ahu in the state Senate since 1998, filed nomination papers yesterday. The 2nd Congressional District seat represents rural O'ahu and the Neighbor Islands.
Twenty-three people have now filed for the race. The candidate filing deadline for the special election is tomorrow.
A Nov. 30 election will determine who will serve the final five weeks of Mink's term. Thirty-eight candidates are vying for the position.
Mink served in Congress for more than 20 years. She died Sept. 28, two days after the deadline to have her name removed from the general election ballot.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Power goes out on Big Island
Roughly 4,500 Big Island residents in scattered locations suffered a brief power failure shortly before noon yesterday after the sudden shutdown of one of Hawai'i Electric Light Co.'s large combustion turbine generators.
The company said the 21.3-megawatt generator tripped offline at 11:29 a.m. for reasons that were not immediately known. Engineers expected to be able to get the machine running again today, said Jay Ignacio, HELCO's distribution department manager.
Customers in Hilo, Captain Cook, Waikoloa, Puna and Keaukaha were knocked off the grid. The utility started additional generators and power was restored within six minutes, Ignacio said.
WINDWARD O'AHU
Turkey Trot in Kane'ohe today
The 28th annual Turkey Trot will sprint into action today, beginning with registration at 5 p.m. and obstacle course races at 5:30 p.m. at Kane'ohe Community Park, 45-529 Kea'ahala Road.
The free family event is divided into race categories determined by age and gender, from tots 3 to 5 years old, to seniors.
For more information, call 233-7330 or 233-7312.
'Fiddler' tickets going for $25
A group of Thursday's opening night seats for "Fiddler on the Roof" at 7:30 p.m. at the Windward Community College Paliku Theatre is available at regular prices.
The tickets are $25 for adults, with a $5 discount for people 65 years or older, military, students and children, and University of Hawai'i faculty and staff.
A benefit gala also is planned for the same evening featuring a gourmet buffet pupu dinner at 6 p.m. The cost is $100.
For reservations, call the WCC Continuing Education office at 235-7433 or visit the theater's Web site at www.Paliku.org. Tickets also are available at TicketPlus outlets, including Foodland stores, the Blaisdell box office and the UH Campus Center, or by calling 526-4400.
