Abercrombie and Ige to Appear at Waimea Forum July 23

The Waimea Community Association today announced it will host a forum next week featuring Democratic primary opponents Gov. Neil Abercrombie and state Sen. David Ige.

The two candidates for governor will field questions from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, July 23, at the Waimea School cafeteria.

The two are also scheduled to take part in an AARP-sponsored debate on Tuesday, July 29, at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel in Kailua-Kona.

Abercrombie last week withdrew from three other AARP events, including one scheduled for July 28 in Hilo.

According to Abercrombie campaign spokesman Shane Peters, the Waimea and Kona forums are the only head-to-head matchups between Abercrombie and Ige currently scheduled for the Big Island.

The Waimea event will be moderated by newswoman Sherry Bracken, public affairs director for Mahalo Broadcasting and a Hawaii Public Radio reporter.

Organizers said questions for the candidates will primarily address Big Island issues and will come from sponsoring groups. The public is also invited to submit questions to cookshi@aol.com.

Co-hosts of the event include Waimea’s Lalamilo Farmers, Friends of the Future, Tutu’s House, Mala’ai: The Culinary Garden of Waimea Middle School, North Hawai’i Rotary, Parker School, Waimea Town Market, Waimea Preservation Association, Coqui Free Waimea, Habitat for Humanity – West Hawai’i and Waimea Middle School.

For more information, visit www.WaimeaTown.org, or call WCA President Sherman Warner at 885-1725 or Patti Cook at 937-2833.