Hawai'i residents responded in a record way yesterday to an annual food drive organized by postal workers.

Letter carriers on O'ahu collected a "huge amount" of donated food during the National Association of Letter Carriers' drive, said Adele Yoshikawa, a spokeswoman for the group.

Although official collection totals were not available last night, the carriers picked up "far more than any year in the past," Yoshikawa said.

"The drivers said they found donated food this year at many homes that had not participated in the past," she said.

Volunteers last night were still sorting the thousands of canned good contributions, which will be distributed by the Hawaii Foodbank to needy people across the state.

"In the past, we were usually done by early evening; this year, we're going to be working well into the night to count and organize the food," Yoshikawa said.

The letter carriers' effort helps almost single-handedly sustain Foodbank stocks during the summer, when children are out of school and not receiving meals in the schools, said Lynn Chang, a spokeswoman for Aloha United Way.

'AINAKOA FIRE DAMAGE $500,000

A fire that left three people homeless in 'Ainakoa on Friday night caused an estimated $500,000 in damage, fire officials said yesterday.

The fire gutted a single-story, wooden frame home at 4552 Ali'i Koa St. near Kahala Mall, causing $450,000 in damage to the structure and $50,000 to its contents, said fire department spokesman Capt. Ed Kealoha.

A fire investigator determined that the fire started in a front bedroom, but could not pinpoint the cause of the blaze, Kealoha said.

However, investigators have ruled out an electrical problem as the cause, he said.

No one was at home at the time of the fire and no one was injured.

ROAD RESURFACING WORK SCHEDULED

The city will soon begin three repair and repaving projects to resurface approximately 2,600 lane feet of roads.

The first project will be along the portion of Waimanu Street from Pi'ikoi Street to Pensacola Street. Work is expected to begin Tuesday and take about two weeks.

The work on the 500 lane feet is expected to cost $120,000.

The second project will include the portion of Queen Street from Ward Avenue to Kamake'e Street. That project will involve 1,000 lane feet and is expected to cost $240,000.

Work is expected to begin soon after the Waimanu Street project is completed.

The third project will involve 1,100 lane feet on the portion of Diamond Head Road from the lighthouse to the third lookout. The project is expected to cost $430,000.

That work will begin soon after the Queen Street project is completed.

All three projects are expected to be completed within eight weeks.