Candidate debate canceled

A debate scheduled for tonight between 1st Congressional District candidates Charles Djou and Colleen Hanabusa is canceled.

Hawaii Public Radio, which had organized the debate, said on its website that Djou pulled out of the debate last week. His campaign did not give a reason for the withdrawal.

There are seven other debates and forums are scheduled this month. Djou and Hanabusa willl appear at a Chamber of Commerce forum on Oct. 13, a PBS debate on Oct. 14, a KITV debate on Oct. 15, a Hawaii News Now debate on October 19, a KHON debate on Oct. 21 a Rick Hamada forum on Oct. 22, and a meet the candidates event on Oct. 23.

Kaimuki High’s Aloha Aina Project to clean up area, raise funds Oct. 16

Kaimuki High School will host its seventh community Aloha Aina Project on Oct. 16, accepting recyclables to help clean up the community and raise money for the school and the Moiliili Community Center.

Curbside pickup, including for bulky items, will be available from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Information that had been published earlier in MidWeek Islander East Oahu erroneously reported the Kaimuki event would be held tomorrow.

Among recyclables accepted are computers and e-waste; scrap metal (auto parts, bicycles, metal appliances, lawn mowers, pipes, beams); newspaper and cardboard; cardboard egg cartons and drink trays; telephone books and magazines; HI-5 beverage containers; plastic bags and plastic hangers; green waste; batteries; cell phones; printer cartridges; cooking oil; reusable household items, clothing and more for Goodwill Industries; and incandescent light bulbs to swap for CFLs.

Not accepted: tires, televisions, microwave ovens, motor oil, paints, hazardous fluids and gas tanks.

Number of medical marijuana users surges to more than 8,000 in islands

KAILUA-KONA » The number of medical marijuana users in Hawaii has jumped to more than 8,000, up from about 2,575 in January 2007.

The chief of the Narcotics Enforcement Division for the state Department of Public Safety, Keith Kamita, said Wednesday that just 2 percent of the current patients suffer from cancer and other debilitating ailments the program is intended to target.

West Hawaii Today reports Kamita says 4,938 permit-holders were prescribed marijuana for claims of severe pain.

He says marijuana is also prescribed for patients complaining of headaches, pain from wearing high heels, dry skin, insomnia and other ailments.

Kamita says more than half of the patients in the medical marijuana program live on the Big Island.

Maui residents asked to help find seabirds left disoriented by lights

Biologists are asking for the public’s help in finding Maui seabirds that fall to the ground after becoming disoriented by man-made lighting.

The biologists at Haleakala National Park and the Department of Land and Natural Resources said this week that residents should help protect endangered Hawaiian petrels and nonendangered wedge-tailed shearwaters.

When young seabirds leave their nests to fly to ocean feeding grounds annually in October and November, they use the stars to navigate.

But the birds sometimes get confused by lights from the land, flying in circles around the lights before tiring and falling to the ground.

Grounded birds should be put in a ventilated cardboard box, and park officials should be called to recover them.

Hawaii Restaurant Association backs Aiona in his bid to become governor

The Hawaii Restaurant Association has endorsed Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, the Republican candidate for governor.

The trade association is an advocacy group for 3,500 restaurants.

"Our industry believes he has always supported many of our positions and is committed to keeping down the high cost of doing business in Hawaii," Chris Colgate, chairman of the Hawaii Restaurant Association board of directors, said in a statement.

Aiona is facing former U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, a Democrat, in the November general election.

 Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said the Congressional debate between candidates Colleen Hanabusa and Charlese Djou was being held tonight.