Hawai'i briefs
Advertiser Staff and News Services
HONOLULU
Woman held for abandoning kids
Police said they arrested a 24-year-old woman yesterday after she allegedly abandoned her three children at Honolulu International Airport.
The girl and two boys — believed to range in age from 3 to 7 — were discovered by a security guard in the foreign arrivals section of the international terminal. The children, described as military dependents, were turned over to Child & Family Service.
Their 24-year-old mother was arrested a few hours later in Pearl City, police said.
The Makakilo woman left the children with a suitcase, backpack and $500 before driving off in her car after being told she couldn't park at the curb, an airport worker said.
Sewage spills at Blaisdell Center
A sewage spill at Blaisdell Center dumped 1,445 gallons of wastewater into Kewalo Basin yesterday.
The sewage backed up in a grease-filled 8-inch sewer line and overflowed through a manhole into the Blaisdell parking structure, city officials said. The drainage system of the parking structure flows into Kewalo Basin.
The spill was reported at about 12:30 p.m.
Crews posted signs at the wharf and took samples of the contaminated water for analysis. Another crew disinfected the parking structure.
Kuakini to hold surgery seminar
Kuakini Medical Center is sponsoring a free public seminar tonight on gastric bypass surgery, a surgical treatment designed to save the lives of very obese people.
The seminar will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Kuakini's Hale Pulama Mau Auditorium and will feature Dr. Brandt Lapschies, one of Hawai'i's leading experts in the field.
Parking will be validated and seating is limited to the first 100 people. For more information, call the Kuakini Bariatric Hotline at 547-9007 or Marketing and Public Relations at 547-9168.
Volunteer wins national honor
Richard K.C. Ching has been named the 2002 Elementary School Volunteer of the Year by the national office of Junior Achievement for his work with elementary school students over the past nine years.
Ching is the owner of Hawai'i Appraisal Services Co. and has served as a volunteer adviser since 1994. He has volunteered at Kalihi, Wai'alae, Liholiho, Hokulani, Benjamin Parker, Kalihi Uka, Royal and Kipapa elementary schools.
Ching, a Kaimuki resident, was selected from nominees from all 156 local Junior Achievement offices across the country and given a $1,000 cash prize.
Pulitzer winner to speak
Pulitzer Prize-winning poet W.S. Merwin will speak at 7 p.m. Thursday on the lawn of the Mission Houses Museum, 553 S. King St.
Merwin, a Maui resident, has published 18 collections of his works including "The Pupil" and "The River Sound" along with 25 books of prose and translations.
The free event is part of the Hawaiian Mission Children's Society's year-long celebration of its 150th anniversary.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Fire department receives grant
KAHULUI, Maui — The Maui County Department of Fire Control recently received a $280,000 federal grant to purchase a special trailer that will allow firefighters to train in live fires.
The money from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program was awarded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Fire Administration, said Fire Chief Clayton Ishikawa.
Grants totalling $360 million were given out for fire protection, emergency medical service delivery, vehicle purchases and prevention programs in 2002.
ELECTION 2002
Candidates to debate
Incumbent Democrat Les Ihara Jr. and Republican challenger Gladys Hayes, running to represent Senate District 9 (Kapahulu, Kaimuki, Palolo), will participate in a live TV debate tonight as part of the "Vote! 2002: Candidates Debate" series sponsored by 'Olelo Community Television.
The debate will air from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Oceanic Channel 54 and Oceanic Digital Control.
