Buckle up!
Fatalities CraSHES
0
LOCAL HIGHWAYS
01-01-14 to date
134
LOCAL HIGHWAYS
01-01-14 to date
office of highway safety
Paramount Builders has begun working
on the area between the Fagatogo Square and
the Iseula boat shed, prepping it for the construction of a multi-use court and playground
that, according to Fagatogo faipule Rep.
Maugaoalii Leapai Sipa Anoa’i, will eventually expand to become a mini public park,
open to the whole island. Funding for the park
comes from the special projects budget that
was approved by the Fono last year.
See inside for more details of the project.
[photo: Blue Chen]
Wrestler who lost his
title hugs opponent’s
ailing father… B1
C
M
Y
K
Fa’amanino Moefa’auo
i faipule itu lelei o le
“BLAST Project”… 9
online @ samoanews.com
Daily Circulation 7,000
PAGO PAGO, AMERICAN SAMOA
A dialogue with Samoa
sought in dealing with
human trafficking here
by Fili Sagapolutele, Samoa News Correspondent
Deputy attorney general Mitzie Jessop hopes for an “open
dialogue” with neighboring Samoa in dealing with human trafficking of that country’s citizens, brought to the territory by
their local families and others for domestic work as well as
“tautua (service)”. She claims the majority of persons victimized in human trafficking are now from Samoa, which has both
strong family and cultural ties to American Samoa.
American Samoa’s anti-human trafficking bill was approved
last year by the House and last week by the Senate. The bill
by the Lolo Administration now goes to the governor for his
review and is expected to be signed into law.
Asked how this bill, once it becomes law will help residents of Samoa brought here for domestic work, wherein the
Attorney General’s office later finds evidence of human trafficking, Jessop first pointed out that the AGs office has open
and pending cases “that I could have used a human trafficking
law in order to prosecute, unfortunately I had to be creative
and use other laws” in order to file charges.
(Continued on page 14)
C
M
Y
K
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
$1.00
Nua responds to Galea’i’s
call to step down as chair
by Joyetter Feagaimaali’i-Luamanu
Samoa News Reporter
“I was not on the DBAS board when I
applied for the section1602 federal housing
program,” says Chairman of the DBAS Board,
Nuanuaolefeagaiga Saoluaga Nua. The DBAS
Board Chair was responding to comments made
by Senator Galea’i Tu’ufuli for Senator Nua,
who is also the Senate Pro Tem, to step down as
Chairman of the Board or recuse himself, due
to his being currently sued by DBAS over his
incomplete 1602 housing project loan.
Nua, who spoke to Samoa News from Manu’a
via phone, thanked Galea’i for his keenness on the
issue, but said, “This matter has nothing to do with
the Fono and I was not involved in the (DBAS)
board when I applied for my 1602 project.”
He explained the 1602 program started in
2010, which was when he had applied for the
program, and his request was granted. He was not
with the bank at the time, nor was he a senator.
Nua is currently the Senate’s representative
on the DBAS board, and is also its Chairman.
“The public should understand, I had no connection nor ties with the DBAS board at the time.
It’s not even a year since I was appointed by the
Senate President to represent the Senate with the
DBAS board,” said Nua. He also noted that his
1602 project has no connection with him being
the Chairman, and it was the Board of Directors
who agreed for him to be Chairman of the Board.
Galeai’s comments were referring to the
move by DBAS, which has filed civil litigation
in High Court against some of its customers
who failed to comply with conditions of the section1602 federal housing program contract, by
the mandated deadline of Dec. 31, 2012. Among
the cases, there is one filed against Senator Nua
and his wife, Usu Nua for $351,124.80.
According to Nua, he had written a letter to
then Acting DBAS President, Jason Betham, on
(Continued on page 16)
Am. Samoa rugby embarks on a historic trip
Bluesky Communications, the major sponsor of American Samoa’s national 7’s rugby team,
is proud to present profiles of the players and officials who will represent the territory at the
upcoming IRB Hong Kong Invitational tournament.
Today, Bluesky features Pentateuch Vaki, a 22-year-old, first five from the village of Malaeloa.
Pentateuch hails from the Tafuna Marist Sports Club.
“Who Are You?” asks Vaki’s Dad
By Falaniko Vitolio, Special to Samoa News
Pentateuch So’’oso’o Vaki [photo:TCA]
On Wednesday, Feb. 12, 1992, as the late Malaeloa Methodist deacon, So’oso’o Tuiolemotu,
delivered his sermon about the five books of Moses, his grandson filled his lungs with his first
breath of fresh air at LBJ’s maternity ward.
So’oso’o, who was formerly the ASG’s Chief Immigration Officer, sent word to the new
baby’s mom, Audrey Vaki, to name the baby, Pentateuch (the biblical name given to the first five
books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, which is
also known as the Torah by the Jews).
Now Pen, as family and friends know him, is 22 years old and very proud to serve his territory
of American Samoa as a Talavalu player.
“I am very happy with my selection to the Talavalu team,” Vaki told this correspondent. “I’d
like to thank God for the His divine guidance and protection. Without Him, I would never have
gotten this far, and thanks to my parents for encouraging me to take the opportunity and for what
(Continued on page 15)
Page 2
samoa news, Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Deputy Chief Medical Office, Dr Annie Fuavai, Dr Faiaoga Tosi and Dr Fiatele Porotesano
following a service held for doctors on Sunday at the LBJ Hospital Chapel.
[courtesy photo: Atianna Tufono]
American Samoa joining the
global celebration of doctors
by Joyetter Feagaimaali’i-Luamanu
Samoa News Reporter
High Finance; hear from Pro’s
Wednesday, March 12 • 12 noon
Tradewind’s Naumati Room • Lunch available
The community is invited to hear from financial experts
contracted by ASG’s Economic Development Authority.
The visitors will share their expertise related to the U.S.
economy and other matters, including municipal financing.
It will be a unique and valuable opportunity to learn from
financial professionals. Bring a friend; open to all.
Please join us Wednesday!
Questions? Contact Lewis Wolman (258-1077)
ALL PUZZLE ANSWERs on page 14
The Lolo and Lemanu Administration has
joined a worldwide celebration of doctors and
declared Sunday, Mar. 30, 2014, the day to
honor all physicians or doctors in the territory
for the first time, says Deputy Chief Medical
Officer, Dr. Annie Fuavai.
In the territory, Doctors Month kicked off
with a church service last Sunday, at the hospital chapel, with numerous activities planned
throughout the month. It was initiated by Chief
Medical Officer Dr Iotamo Saleapaga, the
Medical office and the Medical Staff office,
according to Dr. Fuavai.
She told Samoa News the celebration is in collaboration with the Department of Health whose
doctors and dentists are also participating. She
explained that while the Doctor’s Day celebration was first established on Mar. 30, 1842, this
is the first time American Samoa has joined the
global celebration in honoring doctors.
“Imagine a world without doctors,” asked
Dr. Fuaiva, “if it were not for doctors, the world
we know today would be a much sicker place;
however, doctors bring to us the medicine that
makes us well and keeps us healthy and what’s
amazing about our jobs is that we save lives.”
Dr. Fuavai urges local student to take up the
challenge and become doctors.
She noted that the planned activities include
school and community outreaches, where the doc-
tors will go back to their schools and work with
the students. The community outreach will also
be done through live radio and TV talk shows.
According to a proclamation issued by Acting
Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga, society owes a
debt of gratitude to doctors, or physicians and
dentists for their contributions, which enlarge
the reservoir of scientific knowledge and tools
and expand the ability of health professionals to
use these tools effectively in the never ending
fights against disease.
“On March 30, 1842 Dr. Crafors W. Long of
Jefferson, Georgia, became the first physician
in history to use ether as anesthesia in surgery,
which prompted the date of March 30, being
chosen as the official day on which to celebrate
Doctors Day,” Lemanu noted. According to the
proclamation, doctors play a vital and significant
role in the health and wellbeing of the people.
“Reverence of Human Life and individual dignity is both the hallmark of a good doctor and the
key to truly beneficial advances in medicine.”
The Acting Governor quoted Dr Elmer Hess,
saying “there is no greater reward in our profession than the knowledge that God has entrusted
us with the physical care of his people. The
Almighty has reserved the power to create
life, but we are assigned the responsibility in
keeping in good repair the bodies in which this
life is sustained.”
The theme for this first time celebration in
the territory is “Doctors: touching lives 24/7”.
(Continued on page 14)
March 29
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A federal audit report recommends that the American Samoa
Department of Homeland Security (ASDHS), among other
things, establish standard procedures to ensure compliance
with federal requirements on use of grant funds for personnel
activity costs.
This is one of 17 recommendations given in a performance
audit report by the U.S. Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector
General covering fiscal years 2009 through 2011 on the State
Homeland Security Program (SHSP) grant awarded ASDHS.
The funds were awarded by the USDHS’ Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA).
As previously reported by Samoa News, the grant period
covered in the performance audit, which was conducted by an
independent auditing firm, was under the previous administration, while the current Lolo Administration took office in January 2013 and has responded to the recommendations.
PERSONNEL TIME CHARGES
“ASDHS did not appropriately account for personnel activity
costs for the FY 2008 through 2011 grant awards. Personnel
costs were charged to the oldest grant that had available funds
rather than to the grant for which the activity was performed,”
the report says.
For example, ASDHS’ financial report for FY 2012 management and administration activities showed that $52,292
was charged to the FY 2008 grant. Further, “personnel time
charges were not supported by activity reports or time sheets
that identified the grant that personnel had worked on, as required
by regulations.
“As a result, ASDHS could not support the accuracy of what
was charged to the grants in their appropriate grant year,” it says
and noted that $52,292 claimed on the FY 2008 award which
represented an effort in 2012 is “considered a questioned cost”.
The report went on to explain that federal regulations require
that when employees work on multiple activities or cost objectives, a distribution of their salaries or wages is supported by
personnel activity reports or equivalent documentation.
Additionally, personnel activity reports must reflect an afterthe-fact distribution of the actual activity, must account for
the total activity for each employee, must be prepared at least
monthly, and must be signed by the employee.
Furthermore, budget estimates or other distribution percentages determined before the services are performed do not qualify
as support for charges to federal awards. Substitute systems for
allocating salaries and wages may be used in place of activity
reports and these systems are subject to approval if required by
the cognizant federal agency.
However, ASDHS did not have standard operating procedures to ensure that personnel activity costs were claimed in
accordance with federal requirements, according to the report,
which quotes an unnamed assistant finance administrator saying
that an employee’s direct time (or hours worked) were allocated
to the various grants based on which grants had funds available.
The financial administrator had stated that a spending plan
was prepared that identified the grant against which each
employee’s time was to be charged and the spending plan was
given to the ASDHS payroll clerk who coded the timecards for
each employee according to the plan.
However, the report says, the payroll clerk continued to
charge the oldest grant for personnel activity costs until the personnel funds for that grant were no longer available.
According to the report, ASDHS required each employee to
submit a weekly activity report for the time spent during the
week; and although these activity reports did not provide the
hours of work performed by individual grant year, financial
records provided by ASDHS showed that personnel costs were
charged to prior year grants.
Because so little of FYs 2009 through 2011 grant funds had
been obligated and expended by ASDHS when the performance
audit was conducted last year, the auditors say they reviewed
personnel charges to the FY 2008 grant and questioned costs
totaling $52,292 that resulted from charging FY 2012 management administration costs to the FY 2008 grant.
(Of the $4.06 plus million awarded between FY 2009 though
2011 in SHSP grants, the auditors say only about $205,000 was
expended).
NOW THROUGH
by Fili Sagapolutele, Samoa News Correspondent
Grant funding for
personnel activity
costs come under
scrutiny at ASDHS
samoa news, Wednesday, March 12, 2014 Page 3
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samoa news, Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Paramount Builders
is on contract for
ads…..please run
Fagatogo playground project begins
by Blue Chen, Samoa News reporter
Paramount Builders is currently working on the area between
the Fagatogo Square and the Iseula boat shed, prepping it for
the construction of a multi-use court and playground that,
according to Fagatogo faipule Rep. Maugaoalii Leapai Sipa
Anoa’i, will eventually expand to become a mini public park.
Paramount Builders’ Operations Manager Danny Delara
said that while their company is bombarded with so many
big projects, they were willing to take on this “small” project
because “it is for a good cause - something that will be used by
the general public, especially the youth and children.”
Maugaoalii said the project is one that has been in the pipeline for a “long time.” As a matter of fact, he added, “it was
from a couple of administrations ago, back in the 90s…..and
while funding was available at the time to carry out the work,
everything just fell through the cracks.”
Maugaoalii resubmitted the resolution and said Governor
Lolo Moliga “was very receptive and responded in a big way,
in line with his vision of promoting the territory’s youth.”
The project will be carried out in two phases. The first phase
is underway and includes the construction of a multi-purpose
court, enough to hold three basketball courts, two volleyball
courts, and a tennis court - all within a fenced perimeter.
“It will all depend on how the space is utilized,” said
Maugaoalii. “The area is geared for multi-use and will be open
to the general public - not limited to Fagatogo residents.”
The second phase of the project will feature a playground
for the younger kids, and a food court. “Essentially, the area
will become a mini public park - a place where one can read
a book, have a picnic, or take the kids to play.” Benches and
chairs, including a stone to commemorate the raising of the US
flag in American Samoa, will be in place at a later time.
The park will be maintained and overseen by the Dept. of
Parks and Recreation.
According to Maugaoalii, “there is just nowhere else for kids
to go and play.” During early evening hours, anyone driving
through the town area will see volleyball games being played
in the ASTCA parking lot behind the court house.
“Sometimes, kids are so bored, they go down to the streams
to find things to do,” he said. “With the new mini park, we
are able to provide our youth and children with a place where
they can improve their physical health. Kids need these sort of
things so they can utilize their time better, as opposed to running around causing trouble.”
He concluded, “The bottom line is, kids need a place where
they can exert all that energy they have.”
Yesterday during the Fono regular session, Maugaoalii, on
behalf of Fagatogo village, expressed his gratitude to his fellow
faipule and the Governor for their blessing, which has allowed
the project to finally take off.
Funding for the park comes from the special projects budget
that was approved by the Fono last year.
CLARIFICATION:
In the Samoa News article, “DBAS terminates Counsel’s
contract, demands laptop” — published Mar. 7, 2014 — Acting
Chairman of the DBAS board, I’aulualo Faafetai Talia is
reported to state, “There is one issue I want to make known.
Governor Lolo has no bearing on this move— this was the
board’s action based on his (Fainu’ulelei’s) request in his letter.
I only bring up the governor on this, because people are asking
if the governor contacted the board on this matter. He did not.
The board acted because Fainu’ulelei asked the board and also
gave us the deadline.”
Samoa News should have pointed out that Talia’s statement
is in response to queries made by Samoa News.
© Osini Faleatasi Inc. reserves all rights.
dba Samoa News is published Monday through Saturday,
except for some local and federal holidays.
Please send correspondences to: OF, dba Samoa News,
Box 909, Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799.
Contact us by Telephone at (684) 633-5599
Contact us by Fax at (684) 633-4864
Contact us by Email at [email protected]
Normal business hours are Mon. thru Fri. 8am to 5pm.
Permission to reproduce editorial and/or advertisements,
in whole or in part, is required. Please address such requests
to the Publisher at the address provided above.
The Lions Club of Pago Pago continue their outreach program for the community. Seen here
at the Fagatogo Marketplace on the First Friday of March, where they set up their tent and
mobile eye exam unit, are Lions Taotasi Archie Soliai, helping someone find the perfect reading
glasses, while Lion President Chris King gives a vision acuity exam and Lion Tafa Tua-Tupuola
registers those waiting to be seen. The Lions have been engaged in vision screening and eyeglass
distribution for many years, just one of many projects undertaken by the group. With the help of
LBJ Ophthalmologist and Lion member Dr. Ernest Oo, Lions have served thousands of residents
[photo: tlh]
and donated countless hours to enrich the lives of others with Project Eye Care.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Senate investigation of CIA
dogged by controversy
WASHINGTON (AP) — A marathon
Senate investigation into allegations of CIA
torture during the Bush-era war on terror is
veering toward partisan political territory and
possibly the federal courts after unusually
pointed accusations against the spy agency,
including potential criminal wrongdoing.
As a result of Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s remarks
Tuesday, yet another investigation may be in the
offing to sort out what the CIA did — or didn’t
do — to help or hamper Senate investigators.
Already, the episode has the markings of a
classic Washington controversy as interpretations of facts diverge, some lawmakers choose
sides, others suggest the new probe and the
White House seeks a middle ground.
At its core, the controversy involves Feinstein’s allegation that a CIA search of a computer
network it set up for Senate investigators may
have violated the Constitution and federal law.
“As far as allegations of the CIA hacking
Senate computers, nothing could be further
from the truth,” the agency’s director, John
Brennan, said Tuesday, denying an allegation
that Feinstein, D-Calif., did not make in her
extensive remarks on the Senate floor.
Brennan also said the agency had not sought
to thwart Senate investigators put to work
investigating the issue, an accusation that Feinstein did level. He added that the agency was
eager to put to rest the controversy stemming
from the interrogation of detainees in the war
on terror, and said agency personnel “believe
strongly in the necessity of effective, strong
and bipartisan congressional oversight.”
But bipartisanship seemed to erode in the
wake of Feinstein’s speech, in which she said the
CIA’s search of the dedicated computer system
possibly violated the Constitution as well as federal law and an executive order that prohibits the
agency from conducting domestic searches.
Facebook headquarters
cleared after false threat
MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) — Police
flooded Facebook’s headquarters in Northern
California to investigate a threat they later found
wasn’t credible. Menlo Park police Commander
Dave Bertini says Facebook’s campus was
locked down Tuesday night after San Francisco
police passed on a report of a threat shortly after
7 p.m. He says the threat was found to be unsubstantiated and not credible, and would not give
further details. The area was declared safe, and
employees were allowed to leave about 8:30 p.m.
Airline probing report
2 visited cockpit in 2011
KUALA LUMPUR (AP) — Malaysia Airlines says it is investigating an Australia television report that the co-pilot on its missing flight
had invited two women to stay in the cockpit
for the duration of a flight two years ago.
Jonti Roos spoke about her flight on the program “A Current Affair,” which aired multiple
still photographs from Roos that showed the
women inside the cockpit and the pilots apparently working the plane’s controls. The airline
said late Tuesday it wouldn’t comment about the
report until its investigation into it is complete.
Roos said she and her friend were allowed
to stay in the cockpit during the entire one-hour
flight in December 2011 from Phuket, Thailand, to Kuala Lumpur. She said the arrangement did not seem unusual to the plane’s crew.
Fariq Abdul Hamid and the other pilot talked
to the women, smoked and posed for photos
during the flight, she said. The second pilot was
not identified. “Throughout the entire flight
they were talking to us, and they were actually
smoking throughout the flight,” Roos said.
Roos didn’t immediately reply to a message
sent to her via Facebook. The second woman,
Jaan Maree, could not be located.
Democrats clock an allnighter with climate talk
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic senators clocked an all-nighter, working in shifts
into Tuesday morning to warn of devastation
from climate change and the danger of inaction.
Addressing a nearly empty chamber and visitor gallery, more than two dozen speakers agreed
with each other about the need to act on climate
change. Naysayers — Republicans — stayed
away, arguing hours earlier that regulation would
cost Americans jobs in a sluggish economy.
The talk-a-thon ended at 8:55 a.m., almost
15 hours since it began. It was the 35th all-night
session since 1915, according to the Senate.
Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, who flew aboard
the space shuttle Columbia in 1986, said when
he looked out at the rim of the earth, “you could
see what sustains all of life, the atmosphere. I
became more than an environmentalist. I saw in
its entirety how fragile this ecosystem is.”
Nelson closed out the talk. “We can translate climate destruction into a positive,” insisted
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who spoke
about fuel cells built in Danbury and other Connecticut cities. He called climate change “implacable, relentless and only we can stop it.”
(Continued on page 6)
samoa news, Wednesday, March 12, 2014 Page 5
Mataala Ma Fuafua Tatau
Page 6
samoa news, Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Happy 21stBirthday ➧ NEWS IN BRIEF…
Elder E. Brown
Auckland, New Zealand Mission
“Remember faith, virtue, knowledge,
temperance, patience, brotherly kindness,
godliness, charity, humility, diligence. Ask
and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be
opened unto you.” D&C 4: 6-7
21
Love from your Mom, Falenu’u Brown
All your siblings; Eugene, Toetu & Edmund
Your Aunties, Uncles and Cousins and families
in American Samoa and Abroad
Hawaii’s Brian Schatz said,
“Climate change is real, it is
caused by humans, and it is
solvable.”
Republicans
challenged
Democrats to bring legislation to the floor to address the
problem - secure in the knowledge they won’t.
Officer arrested in
sexual assault case
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) —
A Northern California police
officer has been arrested on
suspicion of sexual assault,
authorities
announced
Tuesday. The Santa Clara
County District Attorney’s
Office filed one count of forcible rape against 38-year-old
San Jose Police Officer Geoff
Graves for an incident that
occurred on Sept. 22, 2013.
Graves, who is a six-year
veteran of the police force,
surrendered to authorities on
Monday, and he was booked
into the county jail and placed
on administrative leave.
KTVU-TV reports that he
posed $100,000 bail and was
released Tuesday.
Authorities said Graves
raped a woman who had
reported a domestic violence
incident and whom he had
transported to a hotel for the
night.
Physical evidence supports
the victim’s allegations, investigators said.
Graves’ arraignment is
scheduled for March 24.
Medical School
Scholarships
Oceania University of Medicine is offering full tuition scholarships to two
American Samoan students who are willing to serve the territory as a
Medical Doctor for at least five years. Qualified applicants must meet the
following criteria:
• Born in American Samoa or a current resident of the territory for at
least three years.
• Have earned a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university.
• Proficient in the use of computers and spoken and written English.
• Willing to sign a bond committing to work as a Physician in American
Samoa for at least five years after completing post-graduate training.
Application deadline is April 1, 2014. To apply, visit www.oum.edu.ws.
Classes begin July 28.
For more information about the Scholarships, e-mail [email protected].
OUM is an internationally accredited university,
offering MD and MBBS degrees to students in the
South Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, the United
States, and Canada. Graduates are qualified to sit
for the United States Medical Licensing Exam and
may practice in most US states.
www.oum.edu.ws
the Search on for
biting suspect in
parking spot brawl
CHERRY HILL, N.J. (AP)
— The search is on for a woman
suspected of biting another
woman’s finger amid a dispute
over a parking spot at a southern
New Jersey mall. Police are still
trying to identify the woman
who bit Tonya Knight-Joseph’s
finger outside the Cherry
Hill Mall on Saturday. The
42-year-old Philadelphia resident says she was arguing with
two women who accused her
of stealing their parking space
when one attacked her.
Knight-Joseph says the
attacker was cursing, yelling,
getting in her face and hitting
her. Then, the woman bit her
finger, nearly severing it. That
was “game over,” in KnightJoseph’s words. She says hospital workers who took X-rays
couldn’t believe the bite was
caused by a human. Police have
released an image of the suspect. They say she could face
aggravated assault charges.
Actor Chris Pine
charged in New
Zealand with DUI
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Hollywood actor
Chris Pine, known for playing
Captain Kirk in the “Star Trek”
movies, has been charged
with drunken driving in New
Zealand. Court officials said
Wednesday that the 33-yearold American is due to make
his first court appearance in the
case on Monday.
New Zealand Police said in
a statement that a 33-year-old
American man was charged
March 1 with driving with a
blood-alcohol level over the
legal limit. The blood-alcohol
limit in New Zealand is .08%.
Police did not name the
man, but said he was stopped
during a routine early-morning
check near the South Island
town of Methven.
Pine’s agent and publicist
could not be reached immediately Wednesday for comment.
In Bermuda, officials
vow to conserve
the Sargasso Sea
HAMILTON,
Bermuda
(AP) — The U.S., Britain,
Monaco and the Azores have
joined Bermuda in signing a
non-binding declaration to collaborate on conservation of the
Sargasso Sea, the ecologically
rich waters in the mid-Atlantic.
The British territory of Bermuda is the only island within
the Sargasso Sea, a 2 millionsquare-mile (3 million-squarekilometer) body of warm
water in the Atlantic that is a
major habitat and nursery for
numerous marine species that
migrate widely, such as eels.
Premier Craig Cannonier
says Bermuda believes it is
“our responsibility to lead the
stewardship of this unique
marine ecosystem.”
Conservationists have lobbied Bermuda to create a vast
reserve that they say would
safeguard significant parts of
the Sargasso Sea, known for its
brownish Sargassum seaweed.
Continued from page 4
Bernice King
turns in father’s
Bible, Nobel prize
ATLANTA (AP) — A
lawyer involved in a dispute
over Martin Luther King
Jr.’s Bible and Nobel Peace
Prize says few words were
exchanged as King’s daughter
surrendered the items to be put
in a safe deposit box.
A judge had ordered the
items be kept there, with the
keys held by the court, until the
dispute is settled.
Lawyer William Hill, who
represents the slain civil rights
icon’s estate, tells The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution the Rev.
Bernice King gave the items to
her brother Martin Luther King
III so they could be placed in
the safe deposit box during a
Monday meeting that was over
in five minutes.
Bernice and her father’s
estate, which is controlled by
her brothers, are locked in a
legal dispute over the ownership
of the Bible and peace prize.
San Francisco
firefighters stop
big blaze spread
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)
— San Francisco firefighters
have prevented a major blaze
from spreading from a condominium construction site to
nearby buildings.
The five-alarm fire started
burning at around 5 p.m. on
Tuesday in the city’s Mission
Bay neighborhood, a onetime
industrial area that lies along
the San Francisco Bay.
The fire sent an enormous
plume of black smoke high
into the sky and eventually
caused a wall of the structure to
collapse. Officials say fire-suppression systems had not yet
been installed in the building,
making the battle against the
blaze more difficult.
Fire Chief Joanne HayesWhite tells the San Francisco
Chronicle that the fire is the
city’s largest in several years.
Mission Bay is home to a
University of California, San
Francisco medical campus and
is close to AT&T Park, the San
Francisco Giants stadium.
Prisons director
takes leave,
grandson charged
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The
head of Idaho’s Department of
Correction is taking a leave of
absence as his grandson faces a
murder charge in southern Idaho.
Brent Reinke has led the
department since 2007. Department spokesman Jeff Ray said
in a prepared statement that
Reinke is taking two weeks’
leave, effective immediately,
to address his grandson’s criminal prosecution.
Twenty-three-year-old
Bradly Frank James is charged
with first-degree murder in
connection with the shooting
and stabbing death of 58-yearold Larry R. Miller in Filer.
Prosecutors say Miller died
Dec. 12 after he was shot in the
face and stabbed 25 times.
A state judge entered a notguilty plea on James’ behalf.
(Continued on page 12)
Penn. jury begins hearing
about black man’s beating
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Three white plainclothes police officers concocted a story about
mistaking a soda bottle for a weapon as an excuse
for beating a black Pittsburgh performing arts
student, the man’s lawyer told jurors Tuesday at
the start of a second civil rights trial linked to the
plaintiff’s 2010 arrest.
Attorneys for Jordan Miles and the three officers accused of unjustly arresting and beating
him described starkly different versions of the
confrontation: one started either by white officers suspicious of a black teenager in a bulky
coat, or a prowling man who fled from officers
and appeared to be armed.
A lawyer for Miles, who was an 18-year-old
senior at the city’s performing arts high school
when he was arrested on a frigid night in January 2010, contended the officers didn’t identify
themselves as police when they jumped out of
an unmarked car and chased him down.
The officers have claimed they thought a
bulge in Miles’ bulky black coat was a gun,
when it was actually a soda bottle. But Miles’
attorney, Robert Giroux, told the jury Tuesday
that his client had neither a gun nor a bottle, and
that police made up the story as an excuse.
“What this case is about, we believe, is abuse
of power,” Giroux said. “They saw a young
black male in a big black coat with dreadlocks,
and they jumped to the conclusion that he was
up to no good.”
When Miles was arrested, officers found he
was not armed. Police said he had a soda bottle in
his pocket, but it was thrown away. “Are you kidding me?” Giroux asked the jury. “How do you
prove you had some basis for saying there’s a
bulge if the thing that created the bulge is gone?”
James Wymard, the defense attorney for officer
David Sisak, said the bottle was tossed because it
wasn’t evidence of the crimes police filed against
Miles, including loitering and prowling at night,
and resisting arrest. The charges were eventually dismissed by a city magistrate who said he
doubted the police version of events.
In August 2012, a different federal jury
rejected Miles’ claim that officers Sisak, Michael
Saldutte and Richard Ewing maliciously prosecuted him. Ewing has since left the Pittsburgh
police to become an officer in McCandless, a
suburb just north of the city.
The jury must weigh two remaining civil rights
claims: that Miles was wrongfully arrested and
that officers used excessive force against him.
Defense attorneys argue police were justified
in stopping and even beating Miles. The officers
were on special patrol in the high-crime, predominantly black neighborhood of Homewood when
they reportedly saw Miles lurking near a house.
Miles said he was walking from his mother’s
house to his grandmother’s house while talking
to his girlfriend on a cellphone. But police allege
he acted suspiciously when they stopped him
and clearly identified themselves as officers, and
then precipitated the incident by running away.
“All he had to do, members of the jury, was
stop as any reasonable person would have done,
and we wouldn’t be here,” Wymard said in his
opening statement.
Miles has previously testified that he thought
he was being robbed and didn’t realize the men
who jumped him were members of law enforcement until he was put into a police vehicle after
his arrest. Wymard ridiculed that claim Tuesday,
calling it “utterly preposterous.”
“We have three white guys in Homewood
trying to put handcuffs on somebody. Who else
could it be but police officers?” Wymard said.
“It’s ridiculous.”
samoa news, Wednesday, March 12, 2014 Page 7
Local Election Office
hires 14 to fortify its
Outreach Program
by B. Chen, Samoa News Correspondent
Fourteen people have been hired by the Election Office under
the Voter Outreach Program, which is funded under the Special
Programs category of the Fiscal Year 2014 budget.
Chief Election Officer Tuaolo Vaivao Manaia Fruean
explained that the new hires are employed under one-year contracts at salaries of $10,400 each, and have been hired solely to
conduct outreach programs in different villages and schools —
both elementary and high schools.
Tuaolo said that while elementary school kids are too young
to vote, it is their duty to educate the youngsters about the voting
process, and inform them about the importance of elections and
how much their vote counts. He said, “Our goal is to educate
the younger kids now, so when they reach voting age, they will
have an understanding of what they need to do.”
According to the Chief Election Officer, the outreach programs have been very productive and useful, as evident in the
steady number of new people registering to vote. He reports that
some days, anywhere between 10-20 people are registering to
vote, as a result of their outreach efforts.
“The outreach program is working,” Tuaolo said. “We need
to continue to reach out to the community, to educate people
about their right to vote and how crucial the election process is.”
The funding allocation for the Voter Outreach Program is
$150,000. (The Fono voted to slash $50,000 from the initial
$200,000). Tuaolo said that in addition to paying for the new
hires, money from the Voter Outreach Program will be used to
buy supplies such as paper and pencils, which are necessary in
order to get the job done. Supplemental funding will be sought
to carry out the November elections for the local House of Representatives and the Delegate at Large.
As for the new hires, Tuaolo said, “more jobs means more
buying power. More buying power means a better economy and
that leads to a better government.”
This coming November, the veto override amendment that
was passed by the Fono will be on the ballot for the third time.
The amendment gives the Fono the power to override the governor’s veto of a bill.
AUCTION
Memorial Sale
Sale starts Monday, May 14th thru Saturday, May 25th
(Store will be closed on Memorial Day, May 27th)
Nu’uuli: 699-9866
Tafuna: 699-4823
CBT Ho Ching & Co., Inc.
WHEN:
WHERE:
SATURDAY, MARCH 15TH
7:00am to 9:00am
CBT NU’UULI PARKING LOT
PALLET
SPECIALS
BID ON “PALLET SPECIALS” OF LUMBER, TILES,
APPLIANCES AND MORE
SEE STORE FOR DETAILS
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES, CORRECT PRINTING ERRORS AND ACCEPT ANY OR ALL CREDIT CARDS. NOT REPONSIBLE FOR OMISSIONS OR TYPOGRAPICAL ERRORS.
Page 8
samoa news, Wednesday, March 12, 2014
ASPA CEO explains series of
“outages” in Eastern District
Also of note: ASEPA lifts Boil Water notice for Leone
by Joyetter
Feagaimaali’i-Luamanu
Samoa News Reporter
Pictured here is Shana Poasa (center), one of the handful of
girls playing alongside the boys this year in the American Youth
Football of Samoa (AYFS) league. After three years of playing in
the AYFS, this is Shana’s last year as she prepares to enter high
school in the fall. She is hoping to play football in high school.
This photo was taken this past Saturday after Shana’s last
game in the AYFS. She is pictured here with Steelers coaches
Sergio Covarrubias and JaeAre Poasa. The AYFS playoffs will
feature the Bears and the Falcons, both of which have girls on
[photo: BC]
their rosters as well.
The series of outages on
the Eastern Side was a result
of the failure of electrical
equipment at the Satala power
plant due to the incorrect
installment of a switch next to
the shipyard, says American
Samoa Power Authority, CEO
Utu Abe Malae.
He was responding to
Samoa News queries which
were prompted after the matter
was raised in the House regular
session on Monday and calls
from the Eastern Side residents.
During the House session,
the matter was raised by Rep
Faimealelei Anthony Allen,
who called for the House
ASPA Committee to conduct a
hearing on the ongoing outages
in the Eastern District.
According to Utu, the
serious outages (blackouts)
were on Feeder 1 (Eastern villages) and StarKist as result of
the failure of electrical equipment at the Satala Plant and
an out-of-phase condition at a
switch next to the shipyard.
Once power was restored,
StarKist also had some problems
with breakers; their engineers
and ASPA engineers worked
together to fix the problems.
“There would not have been
an outage if the switch next
to the shipyard was phased
correctly. It appeared to have
been installed incorrectly in the
rush to restore normality postTsunami. This underscores the
importance of quality control
and assurance at all levels of
operation,” said Utu.
He also said that the hospital, which is on Feeder 8,
was affected by the blackout at
Satala for about 15 minutes. He
noted the hospital has a back
up generator which is supposed
to kick on in under 30 seconds.
Utu further noted that maintenance work was scheduled at
1:30p.m., Sunday afternoon
— to isolate the left side of the
Satala 13.2KV Busbar #2.
“Work
was
necessary
to repair a heavy electrical
leakage (corona) in the voltage
transformer cubical above
Feeder-4 circuit breaker panel,”
he explained. “In order to isolate the affected panels — all
Bus-2 feeders except Feeder 1
had to be transferred to Bus#1.
This necessitated the paralleling and transfer of Feeder
#4 to the Starkist Feeder. At
approximately 1:39p.m., all
online generators at the Satala
power plant shut down without
warning on under-voltage —
after linemen closed the parallel switch for Feeder-4 and
StarKist.”
According to Utu, the plant
operators scrambled to restart
the generator sets and to restore
power to affected Feeders
except F4. It was later found that
the StarKist and Feeder-4 power
cables to the parallel switch at
the shipyard were out-of-phase.
The A and C phases of
Feeder-4 were reversed, he
noted. Utu said, all parallel
switches must be successfully
phased-out before they are put
into operation; and this parallel switch was operational for
many years.
To correct the problem, Utu
said the incorrect phasing on
Feeder-4 to the shipyard was
corrected first, before Feeder-4
was restored at 7:10p.m. However, during repairs to the
voltage transformer cubical,
the two remaining generators
on Bus# 2 (supplying Feeder1only) tripped without warning.
This occurred at 6:43p.m.,
and the shutdown was initiated by the plant’s PLC (programmable logic controllers).
Attempts to re-close Feeder-1
failed, because of repeated trip
signals from the PLC.
After repairs to the voltage
transformer cubical had been
completed — Bus #2 was
re-energized, then Feeder-1
restored in sections beginning
at 7:04p.m., said Utu.
WATER BOIL NOTICE
LIFTED FOR LEONE
In other ASPA news, the
ASPA CEO also shared information that the American
Samoa Environmental Protection Agency — ASEPA — has
approved ASPA to lift the Boil
Water Notice for the Leone
water distribution system,
which consists of Leone and all
the villages west.
“Families in this sub-system
do not need to boil tap water or
buy bottled water. Fortunately,
the Leone system water tastes
pretty good,” said Utu.
C
M
Y
K
C
M
Y
K
Fa’amanino Moefa’auo i faipule itu lelei
o le “BLAST Project”
Lali
Le
tusia Ausage Fausia
C
M
Y
K
C
M
Y
K
Na taua e le Pulesili o le Kamupani Telefoni a le ASTCA
i luma o le Komiti o le Faagaioiga o le malo a le maota o sui
ananafi e faapea, o itu lelei o le poloketi o le ‘BLAST Project’
lea o lo o fa’agasolo i le taimi nei galuega mo le tosoina mai ai o
le uaea o fesootaiga, e le gata e taugofie, ae televave atu tulaga o
feso’otaiga i initaneti mo le atunuu.
O le poloketi e $91 miliona tau o lo o fa’atupe mai e le fetarale, ma ua fa’amoemoe e mae’a le taimi e tatau ona fausia ai i
le masina o Setema 2015, ma o le taimi nei e pei ona molimau
Moefa’auo Bill Emmsley, o le 40% o le galuega ua mae’a ona
fa’atinoina e le konekarate mai Amerika, le Michels Corporation, tusa lea o le 30% o le paketi o le galuega ua mae’a ona
fa’aaoga.
“O le itu lelei o le poloketi fou lenei, e le gata e televave atu ai
fesootaiga tau initaneti ma taugofie mo le atunuu, ae tolu ituaiga
auaunaga e mafai ona maua e le tagata i le taimi nei,” o le saunoaga lea a Moefa’auo. O ia auaunaga e aofia ai le initaneti, o le
telefoni ma le televise.
Ina ua fesiligia e le ta’ita’ifono o le Komiti a le maota o
sui ia Faimealelei Anthony Fu’e Allen le molimau po o i ai se
fa’aletonu i le faatinoina o le poloketi i le taimi nei, na saunoa
Moefa’auo, na pau le atugaluga o lo o i ai, ina ne’i tuai laititi lava
ona mae’a le poloketi mai le taimi o lo o faatulagaina, ona sa i ai
faaletonu na mafua ai ona taofia le galuega i tausaga ua mavae.
Na faamanino e Moefa’auo e faapea, o le tausaga e 2010 na
tuuina atu ai le galuega lenei i le kamupani a le Michels Corporation latou te fa’atinoina, ae o ni isi o fesuiaiga sa moomia le
fia faia i le galuega, tulaga o le paketi atoa ai ma isi faaiuga na
mafua ai ona poloka le galuega mo le silia i le tausaga.
Na fesili le alii faipule ia Atualevao Gafatasi Afalava poo fea
vaega o le atunuu e au i ai le auaunaga a le cable fou lea o le a
fuafua e toso mai i le atunuu, ae na tali Moefa’auo, o le cable
lenei e aofia ai Tutuila, Manu’a ma Aunuu.
O se tasi o atugaluga na fa’aalia e le afioga i le ali’i faipule
ia Vaamua Henry Sesepasara, o le leai lea o ni tagata faigaluega Samoa e galulue i le konekarate o lo o tosoina laina i vaega
eseese o le atunuu i le taimi nei.
O ni isi o mafuaaga na taua e Vaamua e tatau ai ona i ai ni
tagata faigaluega Samoa, e le gata ia maua ai avanoa faigaluega
mo tagata o le atunuu, nofo ai le tamaoaiga i totonu o le atunuu,
ae maua ai fo’i le avanoa e aoaoina ai e tagata Samoa le tomai
ma metotia e fa’atino ai ituaiga galuega nei.
O se tasi o faataitaiga na siitia e Vaamua i lana saunoaga, o
le tele o taimi, e paka solo masini ma loli a le kamupani lenei i
luga o fanua o aiga atoa ai ma luma o fale o aiga e pei o lona nuu
i Pago Pago, e aunoa ma le fesiligia e alii papalagi o lo o galulue
ai o se fa’atanaga mai aiga.
O le popolega o le alii faipule, ina ne’i fa’aleaga e ni isi
masini ma loli o lo o fa’aaoga i galuega, atoa ai ma le faaaoga o
fanua o aiga e aunoa ma se faatanaga, ae o le itu e laki ai e pei
ona saunoa Va’amua, o le lelei o galuega faatino a le pulenuu a
Pago Pago o lo o mafua ai ona malu puipuia masini ma loli a le
kamupani.
Na faafetaia e le toatele o faipule le tofa a Moefa’auo ona o
le lelei o le faatinoina e le kamupani o galuega, ma ua maitauina
fo’i le aga’i pea i luma o le galuega.
(Faaauau itulau 11)
Le Pulesili o le Kamupani Faletelefoni a le malo ia Moefa’auo
Bill Emmsley i le taimi na molimau ai i luma o le maota o sui i
[ata: AF]
le taeao ananafi.
samoa news, Wednesday, March 12, 2014 Page 9
O se va’aiga taeao ananafi i sui o le faigamalo, e aofia ai le afioga i le Lutena Kovana Lemanu
Peleti Mauga, ma nisi o auauna a le Atua ma sui o le afio’aga o Fagasa, sa o’o atu ina ia suaina le
eleele e fa’atula’ia ai le faleaoga fogafale lua i le aoga tulaga muamua a Le’atele i Fagasa.
[ata: Leua Aiono Frost]
tusia Ausage Fausia
FESILIGIA FUALAAU AINA
O LO O TOTO TAGATA ASIA
O le fa’afitauli lea na aliali mai i ni isi o aoga
i le atunuu ina ua le fa’aaogaina e fanau aoga
fualaau aina o lo o fa’atau mai i fa’atoaga a
tagata mai Asia, ua fesiligia ai e afioga i senatoa
auala o lo o toto ai e i latou nei ia fa’atoaga laau
‘aina i le atunuu.
Saunoa le afioga i le alii senatoa ia Soliai
Tuipine Fuimaono ananafi e faapea, o ripoti ua
oo mai i le tele o aoga i lona itumalo faapea ai le
itumalo o le Maoputasi, e leai ma se isi o fanau
aoga e fia aai i fualaau ‘aina o lo o kuka ai meaai
mai le polokalame a le school lunch.
I suesuega sa faia sa ia mauaina ai, o fualaau
‘aina o lo o faatau atu i le School Lunch o lo o
toto e tagata Asia.
O le popolega o lenei mataupu e pei ona
saunoa Soliai, afai ua iloa e fanau aoga tulaga
faaletonu o fualaau ‘aina nei, lona uiga e ono i ai
masalosaloga e ese ituaiga vailaau o lo o fa’aaoga
e tagata Asia e fa’atutupu ai a latou fa’atoaga.
Saunoa Gaoteote Palaie Tofau e faapea, ua
tau lagona le popole ina ua toe alia’e mai fo’i
lenei mataupu, ma o ni isi o taimi a vaavaai atu i
le esi ua pei lava o se maukegi, ae o kukama ua
ese le ituaiga lapopo’a ua oo i ai.
Na fa’amaonia e le afioga i le alii senatoa ia
Mauga Tasi Asuega e faapea, sa i ai se faaletonu na tula’i mai i le aoga a Pago Pago i le
vaiaso na te’a nei, ina ua lafoa’i uma fualaau
‘aina na avatu e kuka ai meaai a fanau aoga, ina
ua masalomia le i ai o se fa’aletonu.
O le vaiaso fou lea ua fa’atulaga e faia ai
le iloiloga a le komiti o Fa’atoaga a le maota
maualuga, e fesiligia ai lea mataupu, lea o le
a molimau ai le Faatonusili o le Ofisa o
Fa’atoaga atoa ai ma le pule o le polokalame
o le School Lunch.
FINAGALO AFALAVA IA FA’APITOA
AUAUNAGA MO FAIPULE, SENATOA
Ua talosagaina e le afioga i le ali’i faipule
ia Atualevao Gafatasi Afalava le tatau lea ona
faapitoa se auala e ofo atu ai e le falema’i o le
LBJ i Fagaalu auaunaga mo ta’ita’i o le malo e
aofia ai faipule ma senatoa, ia ese mai le auala
o lo o tautua ai e le falema’i le atunuu lautele.
I le taimi o folafolaga a le maota o sui i le aso
Gafua na te’a nei, na tula’i ai le ali’i faipule ma
faaleo lona finagalo i luma o le maota.
Saunoa Afalava e faapea, ina ua alu atu e
faatumu mai lana fagu fualaau i le fale talavai
i le aso Gafua na te’a nei, sa ia maitauina ai le
to’atele o le mamalu o le atunu’u o lo o fa’atali
i le laina, ona ia fa’atali atu ai fo’i lea ma ia
mo sina taimi, ae talu ai e tele isi ana galuega e
mana’omia le fa’atinoina, o lea na toe tuumuli
ese mai ai i le falema’i.
Na faatepa e le alii faipule le maota o sui i
taimi a’o tautua i vaega au a le malo tele, e i ai
lava le laina faapitoa i le fale talavai i le falema’i
mo fitafita o lo o tautua i le malo tele pe a o i le
falema’i, e muamua fo’i ona ofo atu e le falemai
le tautua mo latou, e tatau fo’i ona i ai se auaunaga faapitoa faapenei mo ta’ita’i o le malo e
aofia ai faipule ma senatoa i Amerika Samoa nei.
E le i nofo lelei i finagalo o le fofoga fetalai ia
Savali Talavou Ale ma le afioga i le alii faipule
ia Faimealelei Anthony Fu’e Allen, le sui o le
komiti faafoe o le LBJ le finagalo o Afalava.
Saunoa Savali e fa’apea, sa i ai lona manatu e
talosaga Afalava mo se avanoa faapitoa faapea
e tautua ai gasegase pito tigaina e auina atu i le
falema’i i aso taitasi.
“E tatau fo’i ona tatou fa’aeteete i ituaiga
talosaga faapenei, aua o nei ituaiga talosaga e
le taitai nofo lelei i finagalo o le atunuu,” o le
saunoaga lea a Savali.
(Faaauau itulau 10)
Page 10
samoa news, Wednesday, March 12, 2014
TEL: 633-4266
FAX: 633-2964
NATIONAL PACIFIC INSURANCE LTD
invites written tenders for:
2012 HAWAIIAN CHARIOT WHEELCHAIR MOTORBIKE
(CANARY YELLOW) on “as is, where is” basis:
tusia Ausage Fausia
Standard Features: Handlebars / Passenger seat/ Powered Ramp
250cc/4 stroke water-cooled.
2 speed auto trans /
Front & Rear Disc brakes
Solar Panel/Dual heavy duty batteries
On board trickle charger
This customized motorbike is new and has never been used. The
purchase price of the motorbike is $21,500.00, and it can be
inspected at the Harvey Golk Bike Shop in Tafuna during normal
working hours from 8.00am to 4.00pm.
Bid closes at 4.00 p.m. on March 24, 2014.
Bid should be in a sealed envelope and must be addressed to:
Mr. Dennis Wellborn
Country Branch Manager
Utulei, Centennial Building
Please do not hesitate to contact Harvey Golk at 699-9846 or
Baron Thomsen at 633-4266 for any questions regarding the above
mentioned motorbike.
LIKI TAO
O le ali’i talavou e 18 tausaga
le matua lea na tu’uaia e le malo
i lona faia o amioga faasotoma
i ni tamaiti laiti se to’alua,
atoa ai ma lona faia o isi fo’i
uiga mataga i se tamaititi e 14
tausaga le matua sa loka faatasi
i laua i le falepuipui o Tamaiti
i Tafuna, ua ia ta’utino i luma
o le fa’amasinoga e fa’amaonia
tuuaiga uma faasaga ia te ia.
E lua mataupu eseese na
tuuaia ai e le malo le ali’i o Liki
Tao, lea e pei ona taua i faamaumauga a le faamasinoga i le
taeao ananafi. O le mataupu
muamua sa tuuaia ai o ia e le
malo i moliaga e 7, ona o le
fa’alavelave lea na ia faia ai ni
amioga mataga i ni tamaiti laiti
se to’alua, e 5 tausaga ma le 9
tausaga le matutua.
Ae i lalo o se maliliega na
sainia e Tao ma le malo, ua ia
tali ioe ai i moliaga mamafa
e lua o lo o i le pepa o tagi sa
faaulu e le malo, le moliaga
o lona tagofia lea o itutinosa
o se tamaititi e talavou i lalo
o le tulafono. I le talia e le
fa’amasinoga le maliliega, ua
solofua ai isi moliaga e 5.
I le tali ioe ai o Tao, sa ia
tautino ai e faapea, i le va o
Public Notice
Branch Opening Hours
ANZ wishes to advise all our valued customers that
effective 15 March 2014, our branch opening hours
will be as follows:
TAFUNA BRANCH
8:30 AM to 4:00 PM - Monday to Friday
TAFUNA DRIVE-THRU
8:30 AM to 4:00 PM - Monday to Friday
9:00 AM to 12:00 PM - Saturday
FAGATOGO BRANCH
8:30 AM to 4:00 PM - Monday to Friday
FITIUTA BRANCH
Closed for operations effective 15 March 2014
For more information, please speak to any of our
friendly staff at an ANZ Branch near you.
le masina o Tesema 2011 ma
Me 2012 i Amerika Samoa, sa
ia faia ai ni uiga mataga i ni
tamaiti laiti se to’alua e le tusa
ai ma ala o le tulafono.
O le mataupu lona lua i le
va o le malo ma Tao, na tuuaia
ai le ua molia i moliaga e fa,
ae i lalo o le maliliega na sainia
ma le malo lea foi ua talia e le
fa’amasinoga, ua ia tali ioe ai i
le moliaga e tasi o lona tagofia
lea o itutinosa o se tamaititi e
14 tausaga le matua, ae solofua
ai e le faamasinoga moliaga o
lo’o totoe.
I le tali ioe ai o Tao sa ia tautino ai e faapea, i le va o le masina
o Aperila ma Me 2013 a’o taofia
o ia i totonu o le falepuipui o
tamaiti i Tafuna, sa ia faia ai ni
uiga mataga i se tamaititi e 14
tausaga na loka faatasi i laua, e
aofia ai ma lona faiaiga ia te ia i
ni auala faasotoma.
Talu ai o le tulaga ma’ale’ale
o lenei mataupu aemaise ai o lo
o aafia ai fanau e laitti i lalo o
le tulafono, na poloaina ai loa e
le alii faamasino sili ia Michael
Kruse le tuuina atu o le mataupu
a Tao, e fofogaina lea i luma o
le fa’amasinoga o Aiga.
AUSTRALIA LAUVAI
O le ali’i lea na tu’uaia e le
malo i lona faia lea o ni uiga
mataga i se teineititi e laititi i
lalo o le tulafono, ua ia tautino
i le fa’amasinoga maualuga i
le taeao ananafi e fa’amaonia
tu’uaiga faasaga ia te ia.
E fa moliaga na ulua’i tuuaia
ai e le malo le alii o Australia
Lauvai, ae i lalo o se maliliega
sa latou sainia ma le malo ma
talia e le fa’amasinoga maualuga, ua ia tali ioe ai i le moliaga
mamafa o lona tagofia lea o
itutinosa o se tama’ita’i e laititi
i lalo o le tulafono, ae solofua
e le fa’amasinoga isi moliaga
e tolu o lo o totoe ai i le pepa
o tagi sa faaulu e le malo, lea e
aofia ai le moliaga o le faiaiga
ma se teineititi talavou, faaoolima mataga, atoa ai ma le faia
o amioga faasotoma.
I le tali ioe ai o Lauvai i
le moliaga, sa ia tautino ai e
faapea, i le va o le aso 1 - 28
Fepuari 2013 i Amerika Samoa,
sa ia faia ai ni uiga mataga i le
tama’ita’i talavou na a’afia, e
ala i lona tagofia o ona itutinosa
i se auala e le i tusa ai ma ala o
le tulafono, o se auala fo’i sa ia
faatinoina ina ia faamalieina ai
lagona tu’inanau sa i lona loto.
O lo o taofia pea Lauvai i
le toese i Tafuna e fa’atali ai le
masina fou lea ua faatulaga e
lau ai lana faasalaga.
ARTHUR BLAKE
Ua fautuaina e le afioga i
le fa’amasino sili ia Michael
Kruse le itu a le malo, ina ia
faia se gaioiga vave fa’asaga i
le mataupu a le ali’i o Arthur
Blake lea o lo o tu’uaia i le
moliaga o le fasioti tagata talu
mai le 2013, ae a tuai, o le a ia
faia loa le fa’aiuga e solofua ai
lea mataupu.
Ina ua valaau le mataupu a
Blake i le vaiaso na te’a nei, na
manino mai ai i fa’amatalaga a
loia, e le o i ai lava se gaioiga
ua faia e faatatau i se suesuega
faapitoa i le mafaufau o lenei
ali’i, talu ona loka o ia i le
falepuipui i le tausaga na te’a
nei, ona o tu’uaiga i lona faaoo
lea o le oti i se ali’i Tonga i le
aso 23 Iuni 2013 i Iliili.
Saunoa Kruse e faapea, ua
maea ona tuuina atu se poloaiga
a le fa’amasinoga e faatonu ai
le malo ina ia totogi se foma’i
o le mafaufau na te su’esu’eina
le tulaga o lo o i ai le malosi
o le mafaufau o Blake, pe
gafatia ona ia tali atu i tuuaiga
faasaga ia te ia i le aso lona
fa’amasinoga.
Na taua e le loia a Blake i
luma o le fa’amasinoga, e le i
alu lava Blake e vaai se foma’i
o le mafaufau.
Ua toe tolopo le mataupu a
Blake mo le masina fou ma le
talitonuga a le ali’i fa’amasino,
e tatau ona oo atu i ai ua mae’a
se suesuega i le mafaufau o
lenei ali’i.
➧ TALA MAI LE FONO…
Mai itulau 9
Ae i le finagalo o Faimealelei, sa ia talosagaina ai le le tatau
lea ona aloaia le finagalo o le ali’i faipule ia Afalava, aua o ta’ita’i
o le malo e aofia ai ma faipule, na tofia e le atunuu ina ia fai ma
tautua ma auauna, ae le o le tuuina atu i ai o ni faiga faapitoa e
tautua ai i latou.
$100,000 FA’ALELEIA AI AUALA I TUALAUTA
Ua i luma o le maota o sui se pili mo se tulafono tau faaofi, e
fa’asoa atu ai le $100,000 e ao ina mai i se lafoga fou e fa’aleleia
ma toe fausia ai auala i totonu o le itumalo o Tualauta. I le tino o le
tulafono o lo o taua ai e faapea, o le agaga o le tulafono ia fa’asao
ai le fa’aletonu tele o lo o aliali mai i le Tiute i le fa’amalosia o
aiaiga o meainu e i ai le ‘ava malosi i totonu o le teritori.
E i ai ituaiga meainu e le o aofia i totonu o le faauigaina o
meainu e pei o le pia, sipili ma le uaina, ma o meainu ia e faapitoa
mo pati e pei o le smirnoff ice, Jack Daniels Lynchburg Lemonade, Vodka Cruiser, Impulse, Mike’s Hard Lemonade ma isi.
Ua talosagaina la e faapea, o le lafoga lea e maua mai i ‘ava
malosi e le o mamafa se alakaholo o lo o i ai, o le a fa’aaoga mai
ai le $100,000 e faatupe ai galuega tatau mo Tualauta, ae o isi tupe
o lo o maua mai ai o le a vaevae i isi atina’e.
O lenei tulafono sa faaulufaleina e le afioga i le tama’ita’i
faipule ia Vui Florence Vaili Saulo mai le itumalo o Tualauta.
samoa news, Wednesday, March 12, 2014 Page 11
Sone
Vevela
NOTICE FOR SEPARATION AGREEMENT
O le
Fa’aliliu: Akenese Ilalio Zec
Vaega: 112
Tatou fa’afetaia pea le alofa
ma le agalelei o le Atua Soifua,
ona o Lana tausiga alofa mo
i tatou, lea ua mafai ai ona o
tatou alafa’i mai i le manuia i
lenei taeao fou.
E ao ai ona o tatou fa’apea
ifo, “Le Ali’i e, a ma’ea lenei
aso ma galuega o le a feagai
ai ma i matou, ona o matou
fa’apea lea, o Oe lava o lo
matou Atua silisili, Amene.”
Ae alo maia, o le a toe fa’aauau
atu la tatou tala e pei ona
masani ai, ae ia manuia faiva
ma tiute o le a feagai ai ma le
atunu’u i lenei aso.
Na muta mai la tatou tala,
ina ua amata nei le galuega a le
ali’i o Jerry Jaxx ma lana vaega
i le tapeina lea o manuki o lo’o
i le potu H, i le nofoaga o lo’o
i Reston i Virginia. O le taimi
lea, ua tu’ua ai e le ali’i foma’i
o Eugene Johnson le potu lea,
ae alu atu i le ofisa o lo’o i le
pito i luma o le fale, mo nisi
ana galuega.
I le aoauli o le aso lava lea,
na mamate uma ai manuki o
lo’o i totonu o le potu H. Ae o
le taimi fo’i lea na fa’alogoina
ai le pisapisao mai o tamaiti
laiti o lo’o ta’alo i luga o le
malae ta’alo o le fale lea e i
talane o le nofoaga o lo’o i ai
manuki.
O le taimi fo’i lea, ua amata
ona o ane o latou matua e piki
i latou mai totonu o le lotoa a
le a’oga.
Fai mai, ua ma’ea le galuega sa feagai ai ma le vaega
a Jerry Jaxx, ma ua amata ona
o mai ta’i to’alua i fafo. Ua toe
sui nei o latou lavalava, ma ua
tutu i fafo e fa’atalitali mo se
isi fa’atonuga mo latou. O le
taimi lea, o lo’o ta’oto’oto le
ali’i o Jarvis Purdy i luga o lona
moega, i totonu o le falema’i.
Ua fa’asolosolo manuia mai le
ma’i fatu na maua ai.
O lea ali’i, o se tagata e
faigaluega i le kamupani a le
Hazelton Washington fa’atasi
ma le ali’i foma’i manu o Dan
Dalgard i totonu o Reston, lea
o lo’o tausi ai manuki.
A’o alo atu le vaega a le
Ami, ae maise ai fo’i le ali’i o
Jerry Jaxx ma lana vaega i le
tapeina o manuki, o le taimi
lea, ua galue Nancy Jaxx i
totonu o le nofoaga a le Ami
o USAMRIID, i le su’eina o
manuki mamate lea na avane
mai Reston.
Ua fai nei ofu puipuia o
Nancy ma se tasi o ali’i ua leva
ona o la galulue fa’atasi o Ron
Trotter, ma ua amata loa le la
galuega. Ua amata ona su’esu’e
ma ma, ma fatu o manuki nei
na o ane ma la’ua mai Reston.
Ua amata fo’i ona i ai le manatu
o Nancy, o fa’aaliga ma auga
uma o le virusi o le Ebola lea
ua maua ai manuki nei.
Fai mai le fa’amatalaga a
Nancy Jaxx, ina ua feiloa’i ma
le tusi tala o Richard Preston,
ina ua fai ana su’esu’ega i
manuki nei, na ia iloa ai, ua
matua’i fa’aleagaina uma
totoga o manuki, o le toto fo’i
ua poloka ma ua le mafai ai
ona o’o atu le toto i le fatu.
O le isi tulaga sa ia iloa, o
lo’o piliki le toto i totonu o ma
ma o manuki. E foliga mai o
manuki nei na mamate i le lua
i le tolu aso talu ai, ae o lea
fa’atoa mamate ina ua tui.
O se va’aiga fa’agalo gata i
a Nancy e pei ona fa’amatala
mai e Richard Preston, ona
o le tulaga na ia va’ai tino
i ai e uiga i manuki nei. O le
isi itu na fa’amatala e Nancy
ia Richard, o le tulaga lea e
uiga i totoga o manuki, ona e
foliga mai, o lo’o iai se mea oi
totonu o lo’o sosolo atoa ma
ua matua’i fa’aleaga uma ai
totoga o manuki.
Ina ua amata le la galuega
ma Trotter, na lagona lava i
ona tino le fefe ma le popole,
ae sa taumafai malosi pea,
ina ia fa’ama’ea lelei le galuega, ona o lo’o i ai tagata o
lo’o fa’atalitali mai mo se tali
mautu. O le isi itu sa manatu
➧ Fa’amanino Moefa’auo…
Mai itulau 9
Na taua e Moefa’auo e faapea, talu ai o le konekarate na
sainia a’o le i avea o ia ma pule o le ASTCA, o le mafua’aga lea
ua latou faia ai isi konekarate faaopoopo (sub contractor), ina ia
mafai ai ona maua le avanoa e galulue ai tagata Samoa i le faatinoina o le galuega, ma latou maua ai ma le avanoa e aoaoina ai
le tomai ma le poto mai sui a le Michels.
Ina ua fesiligia le vaega a le Ofisa o le Soifua Maloloina atoa
ai ma le EPA e uiga i le galuega lenei, na taua ai e le Faatonusili
o le EPA ia Ameko Pato, e le gata o lo o galulue le latou ofisa i
tulaga o pemita, ae o lo o latou vaavaaia fo’i le saogalemu o le
palapala mai le ga’o o lo o fa’aaoga i uaea o lo o tosoina i lalo
o le palapala ina ia mautinoa, e le a’afia ai le soifua maloloina o
le atunuu.
Ina ua fesiligia e Taotasi Archie Soliai le aofai o le konekarate o lo o galulue ai le kamupani a le Michels mo le tosoina o
uaea, na saunoa Moefa’auo, e i le va o le $30 miliona e oo atu i
le $35 miliona, ae le mafai ona ia ta’uina mai le aofa’i sa’o ona
o aiaiga o le konekarate sa sainia.
Feso’ota’i mai i le tusitala ia [email protected]
i ai Nancy, o lona manatu lea
i lona to’alua o Jerry ma lana
vaega, lea o lo’o i totonu o le
kamupani a Hazelton, ae maise
ai o le fale o lo’o i ai manuki.
Fai mai, na maligi ifo loimata
o Nancy ina ua fa’amatala i a
Richard Preston ana su’esu’ega
ma fa’amaumauga, ona o le
mata’utia o lenei virusi o le
Ebola. E faia pea…
TO Members of the SALANOA Family and to all whom these present may come!
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that AOMALO AUMOEUALOGO of TULA has offered for recording in
this office an instrument in writing which seeks to separate a certain structure which is or to be
erected, on land SINAVEVELA allegedly belonging to SALANOA FAMILY of the village of TULA. Said
land SINAVEVELA is situated in or near the village of TULA in the County of VAIFANUA, Island of
TUTUILA, American Samoa.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that any interested person may object to the recording of such
instrument by filing in the Territorial Registar’s Office in Fagatogo, a written objection to the
recording of said instrument. Any objections thereto must be filed with in 30 days from the date of
posting of this notice.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that if no such objections are filed within the said 30 day period, the
instrument will be recorded and shall be valid and binding on all persons. The said instrument may
be examined at any time at the Territorial Registrar’s Office.
POSTED:
FEBRUARY 13, 2014 thru MARCH 17, 2014
SIGNED:
Taito S.B. White, Territorial Registrar
FA’AALIGA O LE FEAGAIGA MO SE TU’U’ESEINA
I tagata o le aiga sa SALANOA, ma i latou uma e silasila ma lauiloaina lenei fa’aaliga!
O le fa’aaliga lenei ona o AOMALO AUMOEUALOGO o le nu’u o TULA ua ia fa’aulufaleina mai i
lenei ofisa se feagaiga tusitusi e fa’ailoa ai se mana’oga fia tu’u’eseina o se fale ua/po o le a, fa’atuina
i luga o le fanua o SINAVEVELA e fa’asino i le aiga sa SALANOA, o le nu’u o TULA. O lenei fanua e
totonu pe latalata ane i le nu’u o TULA , itumalo o VAIFANUA, ile motu o TUTUILA, Amerika Samoa.
O le fa’aaliga fo’i e fa’apea, so o se tasi e iai sona aia i lenei mata’upu e mafai ona fa’atu’i’iese ile
fa’amauina o lenei feagaiga pe a auina mai i le ofisa ole Resitara o le Teritori of Amerika Samoa i
Fagatogo, sana fa’atu’ese tusitusia. O fa’atu’iesega uma lava e ao ona fa’aulufaleina mai i totonu o
aso e 30 faitauina mai i le aso na faíaalia ai lenei fa’aaliga.
Afai ole a leai se fa’atu’i’esega e fa’aulufaleina i totonu o aso 30 e pei ona ta’ua i luga, o le a
fa’amauina loa lenei feagaiga e taualoaina ma ‘a’afia ai tagata uma.
02/26 & 03/12/14
Aoga Kuka
mo Tina ma Tamaitai
Amataina Mati 24, 2014, 8:00 i le taeao i le 1:00 i le afiafi
Faatolu i le Vaiaso ae filifili i le aso e tasi e fetaui ma lau kalena
Aso Gafua/Aso Lulu/Aso Faraile mo le 10 vaiaso
Matua o Faiva; Malia A. Lemalu
Faauu i le Aoga Kuka;
American Samoa Culinary Academy, Polokalama NEG
Nofoaga: Maota o Ausage i Leone; Magatolu aga’i i Malaeloa
30 Avanoa
Lesitala ia Loretta Misiaita i le 633-2835
poo le i-meli a Pa’u Roy Ausage i le [email protected]
Matagaluega o Mataupu Tau Tupulaga, Tina, ma Tamaita’i
Department of Youth and Women’s Affairs
Page 12
samoa news, Wednesday, March 12, 2014
➧ NEWS IN BRIEF…
Continued from page 6
tusia: Leua Aiono Frost
24 TALAVOU FILIFILIA - LE LEO
Ua fa’ailoa mai e le tofa Tapumanaia Galu Satele Jr, sui fa’atonu o le Matagaluega o Tina ma
Talavou, e ui ina fita le filifiliga, ona o le fanau sa mua’i tauva, e le o fa’avaivai ai le tauvaga, ma
ua tu’u uma i ai lo latou naunau ia maua avanoa o nis o le fanau e toe tauva fa’alua ai.
Ma ua fa’atulaga ai le isi to’a 24 o ali’i ma tama’ita’i pepese, mo le vaega lua o le tauvaga pese
a Le Leo, mo le afiafi o le aso 12 o Mati. Ua fa’ailoa mai, o le a suia le nofoaga mo lenei vaega o le
tauvaga, o le a faia i le Lee Auditorium i Utulei. Ua suia fo’i ma le taimi e faia ai, o le afiafi i le itula
e 6:00 e fa’atino ai, ma e le o taofia fo’i le auai atu o matua ma aiga e sapaia le latou talavou pese.
“O le fa’amoemoe, ia nofoia lelei fo’i le vaega o tapua’ia faiva o latou talavou pese, ina ia
fa’alogo lelei ma fiafia i lea fo’i tauvaga a’o fa’agasolo! Tau ina ia iloa e le mamalu o le atunu’u,
e fa’afofoga lava i ai i luga o le alaata o le KVZK televise.” O se tala lea a Tapumanaia.
O i latou la nei: Emanuel Misa, Ishael Sefo, Denise Suesue, Melaia Havenawsa, Selena Pefu,
Rosetta Maiava, Tonu Maiava, Patricia Ana Aupa’au, Sam Tualaulelei, Carine Feliciano, Christina Pulu, Annie Moe, Apialofi Ala, Marcus Maiava, Nelson Tualevao, Eden Brown, Shon Satele,
Jody Sa’au, Herthalina Aumoeualogo, Fa’asavili Eseta Fiti, Lautua Ueligitone, Mau Brown,
Ne’emia Fa’afia Ula ma Tolu J. Aulava.
TOE TAPENA MAKETI I’A FAGATOGO
“Ua taumafai nei o toe fa’aleleia le Maketi o I’a i le tatou Maketi i Fagatogo, ina ia mafai ona
fa’atau ai i’a o faiva a le auafai faiva o le atunu’u, lea e matele ina fa’atau solo a latou i’a i autafa o
alatele.” O se toe fa’apupula mai lea a Ruth Matagi-Tofiga, le fa’atonusili o le Matagaluega o Faigafaiva ma le Vaomatua. O le toe fa’afouga o le Maketi o I’a, o le a fausia se latou alavai mautu, ina ia
mafai ona fa’aaoga lava le vai e fufulu ai le i’a ma toe fa’aalu ese mai, ina ia le manogi lalaoa le maketi
atoa. O lea galuega ua fa’atautaia i le taimi nei lona tauofoga, ma e tapunia ofo uma i le aso 13 o Mati.
E ese mai lea, ua mo’omia fo’i se masini ‘aisa ina ia fa’atulaga i totonu o le Maketi I’a e sapalai
mai ai le aisa e fa’amalulu ai le i’a a’o folasia mo fa’atauga a le mamalu lautele i luga o laulau
tioata ia o le a fausia, e suia ai laulau sima sa mua’i fa’atulaga i le potu e fa’atau atu ai le i’a mai lea
maketi. “O le lelei o nei fata tioata o le a fa’atutuina e folasia atu ai i’a mo le filifiliga a le ‘au fa’atau,
e fa’amaluluina, ia le toe afaina le a’ano o le i’a a’o folasia. O se isi lea tulaga sa le manana’o ai le
mamalu o le au Faifaiva e fa’aaogaina le tatou maketi mo latou fa’atauga.” O se tala lea Matagi-Tofiga.
O le taimi atofa ua fa’atulaga e le matagaluega e na’o le fa masina mo le Kamupani o le a
manumalo i le tauofoga, ae o le tupe e totogi ai lea galuega ua tu’ufa’atasia lea e le Western Pacific
Fisheries Management Council lea ua fa’afaigaluegaina ai le susuga Ueta Fa’asili, na te va’aia
fa’apitoa lea fo’i poloketi se’ia o’o ina mae’a. O le naunauta’iga ua i ai nei, ia mafai ona tautuaina
mana’oga fa’apitoa o le au Faifaiva o le atunu’u ao latou taumafai e fa’atau atu latou i’a. Ia mama
ma tulaga lelei uma a’ano ma nofoaga o lo’o fa’atau atu ai i’a i le mamalu lautele, ia puipuia fo’i
le fa’aleagaina o i’a a’o taumafai e fa’atau atu.
American Samoa Government
OFFICE OF PROCUREMENT
INVITATION FOR BIDS
IFB-043-2014
Issuance Date: March 6, 2014
Closing Date: April 07, 2014
No later than 2:00 p.m. (local time)
1. INVITATION
Sealed bids are invited from qualified firms to provide “Food commodities
including Milk, Juice and Water” for the Department of Education, School
Lunch Program.
2. RECEIPT & OPENING OF BIDS
Sealed bids will be received by the Chief Procurement Officer, American Samoa
Government, Tafuna, American Samoa 96799, until 2:00 p.m. Monday, April 7,
2014 at which time and place the sealed bids will be publicly opened and read.
3. PRE-BID CONFERENCE
A MANDATORY Pre-Bid Meeting will be held on Friday, March 14, 2014 at
10:30 a.m. at the Office of Procurement Conference Room. Bids will not be
accepted from bidders who are not present at the pre-bid meeting.
4. CONTRACT DOCUMENTS
Bid documents, including specifications, may be examined at the Office of
Procurement or obtained there from, free of charge.
5. The American Samoa Government reserves the right not to accept the lowest or
any bid.
6. The American Samoa Government reserves the right to waive any informality in
bidding as may be in the interest of the American Samoa Government.
“Equal Opportunity Employer / Affirmative Action”
SAPIA’I MA’O ENA
Deputy Chief Procurement Officer
Injunction for
husband of woman
who drove in ocean
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.
(AP) — A judge has issued a
temporary injunction ordering
the husband of the woman
accused of trying to kill her
three children by driving into
the ocean to stay away from
some family members.
The Daytona Beach NewsJournal reports that a circuit
judge issued the injunction
Monday against Lutful Ronjon,
husband of Ebony Wilkerson
of North Charleston, S.C.
In court documents, Wilkerson’s sister Jessica Harrell
says Ronjon threatened to kill
her and her sister if she tried
to help the woman escape
his abuse. Records show the
injunction against Ronjon is in
effect until March 20, when a
hearing is scheduled.
The injunction orders Ronjon
to stay away from Harrell, her
house, her child’s school and a
residence where the family is
staying. Wilkerson is in jail in
Florida on attempted murder
and other charges.
Couple pleads
no contest in
luggage theft
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)
— A United Airlines employee
and his wife have pleaded no
contest to stealing luggage in
the aftermath of the Asiana
Airlines crash.
The 44-year-old Sean Sharif
Crudup of Richmond and his
wife, 32-year-old Raychas Elizabeth Thomas, entered pleas
Monday in San Mateo County
Superior Court on charges of
grand theft and possession of
stolen property. They each face
up to a year in prison.
The couple is accused of
stealing the luggage of passengers who were supposed
to fly into the San Francisco
International Airport but were
diverted because of the Asiana
Airlines crash on July 6, 2013.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the luggage
contained valuable items
including a large quantity of
clothing that Thomas returned
to the store for about $5,000,
according to San Mateo
County’s chief deputy district
attorney, Karen Guidotti.
college students
charged after
dog’s beer photo
BROCKPORT, N.Y. (AP)
— Authorities say two students at a New York state college were charged with animal
abuse after a dog was held
upside down over a keg and
forced to drink beer.
Police say one of the College at Brockport students held
the black Labrador retriever
over a keg and apparently
forced the animal to drink from
the tap during an off-campus
party Saturday at a house in the
village, located 17 miles west
of Rochester.
Another
student
took
a photo and posted it on a
Twitter account featuring stories and pictures from parties
thrown by students enrolled at
state colleges in New York.
The two men, both 20, were
charged with torturing and
injuring an animal.
They were issued appearance tickets for town court.
The dog was taken by the
local dog warden.
Federal jury
convicts former
Arkansas treasurer
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP)
— A jury convicted former
Arkansas Treasurer Martha
Shoffner of federal bribery and
extortion charges Tuesday,
saying her acceptance of
$36,000 from a bond trader
who did business with the state
was a felony rather than just a
lapse in ethical judgment.
Shoffner wept quietly at the
defense table before the jurors,
who deliberated for about
three hours, returned to the
courtroom.
But the former Democratic
official regained her composure and showed no reaction
as U.S. District Judge J. Leon
Holmes read the 14 consecutive guilty verdicts.
Holmes still must rule on
a motion to acquit that was
filed by defense lawyers, who
argued that the government
didn’t prove key elements
of its case, including that the
payments affected interstate
commerce and that the bonds
involved federal funds.
Shoffner was arrested in
May when FBI agents raided
her home in Newport, finding
$6,000 that was delivered in a
pie box by bond dealer Steele
Stephens after he began cooperating with authorities. That
cash had been supplied by the
FBI, though Stephens testified that he’d made a series of
$6,000 payments with his own
money, totaling $36,000 that
he gave in exchange for getting
more state bond business.
$600K taken from
safe at Osteen’s
megachurch
HOUSTON
(AP)
—
Authorities are investigating
after $600,000 in checks and
cash was stolen from a safe at
Pastor Joel Osteen’s Houston
megachurch, which has one
of the largest congregations in
the country.
Police spokesman Kese
Smith said Tuesday $200,000
in cash and $400,000 in checks
were stolen from a safe sometime between 2:30 p.m. Sunday
and 8:30 a.m. Monday.
The theft was reported
Monday morning by a church
employee and an off-duty
sheriff’s deputy who provides
security at the facility.
No arrests have been made,
Smith said.
Church officials declined to
comment Tuesday.
In a statement issued
Monday, Lakewood Church
said the money and checks
taken, as well as some envelopes with written credit card
information, were limited
to funds given during this
past weekend’s Saturday and
Sunday services.
(Continued on page 13)
samoa news, Wednesday, March 12, 2014 Page 13
➧ NEWS IN BRIEF…
Prosecutors say
money not motive
in parents killing
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP)
— Prosecutors say money was
not a motive for a 19-year-old
man charged with shooting his
parents to death and trying to kill
two of his siblings inside their
luxury Orange County home.
Ashton Sachs, wearing an
orange jumpsuit, appeared
via video for his first court
appearance Monday. He barely
spoke, except to tell the judge
he could not afford a lawyer.
Deputy District Attorney
Ebrahim Baytieh said Sachs
was not motivated by money
and the crime did not happen
in the spur of the moment.
Prosecutors said Sachs
made a trip home from Seattle
planning to kill his family.
Bradford Sachs and Andra
Sachs were found shot to death
in February inside their nearly
9,000-square-foot San Juan
Capistrano house. Their 8-yearold son was also shot but survived. Two daughters survived.
Poland moves to
reduce dependence
on Russian gas
WARSAW, Poland (AP)
— Poland’s government has
adopted a draft law designed
to speed up shale gas exploration and reduce dependence
on Russian supplies, the prime
minister said Tuesday.
Poland, which imports
about 70 percent of its gas from
Russia, is seeking to exploit its
shale gas deposits, but complicated legislation has been an
obstacle and discouraged some
foreign energy firms.
Donald Tusk said that
Ukraine’s conflict with gas supplier Russia adds to the importance of the legislation. Put on
fast track, it could take effect this
year. “The idea behind the draft
law is to make possible intensive exploration and extraction
of shale gas,” Tusk said.
Tusk said the draft law
will simplify and accelerate
license procedures for companies. Taxes on exploration will
begin in 2020 and should not
be higher than 40 percent.
Pa. man pleads
guilty to threat
against Obama
SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — A
northeastern Pennsylvania man
has pleaded guilty to posting an
online threat to kill the president. Nicholas Savino pleaded
guilty Monday to posting a
threat on the White House
website last August that said,
“President Obama the AntiChrist. As a result of breaking
the constitution you will stand
down or be shot dead.”
The 42-year-old Clarks
Summit man will be sentenced
June 11. He faces up to five
years in prison and a $250,000
fine. Under a plea agreement,
Savino will forfeit three guns
and about 11,000 rounds of
ammunition that agents found
in his apartment and car.
Savino was arrested about a
week after posting the threat,
just before Obama visited
nearby Scranton.
Haitians sue UN over
cholera epidemic
NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly
1,500 Haitians filed a lawsuit
Tuesday seeking compensation
from the United Nations for victims of a cholera outbreak that
health officials say has killed
more than 8,000 people and
sickened over 600,000 in the
impoverished Caribbean nation.
Scientific studies have shown
that cholera was likely introduced in Haiti by U.N. peacekeepers from Nepal, where the
disease is endemic.
U.N.
Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon rejected a previous claim for compensation for cholera victims, citing
diplomatic immunity, but
announced a $2.27 billion initiative to help eradicate cholera
in Haiti in December 2012.
The lawsuit filed Tuesday
in Brooklyn federal court seeks
compensations for deaths and
illnesses and funding for clean
water in Haiti, which was devastated by a 2010 earthquake.
The suit includes documents
which the plaintiffs say clearly
show that the U.N. waived its
immunity. It asks the court to
declare that the U.N. has no
immunity.
Teens held in
throat-slashing
attack on mother
OCALA, Fla. (AP) — Two
central Florida teenagers are
accused in a throat-slashing
attack on the mother of one of
the teens. Circuit Judge David
Eddy on Monday set an arraignment hearing for the 15-yearold boy and 13-year-old girl
who are said to have planned to
attack the girl’s family so they
could be together.
The Ocala Star-Banner
reports that authorities say the
attack happened early Sunday
when the girl lured her mother
into the garage, where the boy
was waiting with a kitchen
knife. After slashing the mother’s throat, the boy went into
the master bedroom and confronted the father. Instead, he
was convinced to drive the
mother to the hospital, where
she’s now recovering.
The parents opposed the
teens’ relationship.
The judge appointed public
defenders to represent both
teens.
Ex-attorney pleads
no contest to
bilking LA Metro
LOS ANGELES (AP)
— A disbarred attorney has
pleaded no contest to stealing
more than $3 million from
his clients, including the Los
Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportation Authority.
The district attorney’s office
says James Reiss entered the
plea Tuesday to grand theft.
He’ll be sentenced later this
month to 10 years in state
prison and ordered to pay restitution to three victims.
Prosecutors say Reiss
received nearly $2 million in
fraudulent
reimbursements
from the MTA while handling
liability claims for the agency
between 2010 and 2011.
Continued from page 12
Ex-Croat PM Sanader
convicted of graft
ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) —
A court in Croatia on Tuesday
convicted a former prime
minister of siphoning millions in state money while in
power, and sentenced him to
nine years in prison as part
of efforts by the European
Union’s newest member to
root out corruption.
The verdict was the second
conviction for Ivo Sanader,
who ruled from 2004 to 2009.
Sanader, the highest-ranking
former official ever tried in the
Balkan country, was sentenced
separately to 10 years in prison
for bribery in 2012.
The County court in Zagreb
ruled that Sanader and his associates siphoned millions from
state-run companies through
a private firm and then to their
own accounts and to the Croatian Democratic Union’s party
funds.
Judges ordered Sanader to
return some 2 million euros
(nearly $2.8 million).
LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION
Notice of Availability of Competitive
Grant Funds for Calendar Year 2015
The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) announces the availability
of competitive grant funds to provide civil legal services to
eligible clients during calendar year 2015. A Request for
Proposals (RFP) and other information pertaining to the LSC
grants competition will be available from http://
www.grants.lsc.gov/ during the week of April 11, 2014. In
accordance with LSC’s multiyear funding policy, grants are
available for only specified service areas. To review the service
areas for which competitive grants are available, by state, go to
http://www.grants.lsc.gov/about-grants/where-we-fund
and
click on the name of the state. A full list of all service areas in
competition will also be posted on that page. Applicants must
file a Notice of Intent to Compete (NIC) through the online
application system in order to participate in the competitive
grants process. Information about LSC Grants funding, the
application process, eligibility to apply for a grant, and how to
file a NIC is available at http://www.grants.lsc.gov/about-grants .
Complete instructions will be available in the Request for
Proposals Narrative Instruction. Please refer to http://
www.grants.lsc.gov/ for filing dates and submission
requirements. Email inquiries on the competitive grants process
to mailto:[email protected] .
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Project Notification & Review System
Legal Notice
PNRS BOARD MEETING
March 19, 2014
Notice is hereby given that the Department of Commerce/American Samoa Coastal
Management Program has received a Land Use Permit Application from the following
individuals.
1. ASPA c/o Ted Leiato
14-2538-L
Proposal for construction of a Wind Turbine system - Aoloau
2. Ieova Irae c/o Aifa Tanuvasa
14-2591-L
Proposal for new construction (40’x 60’) with utilities (electric & water) and sewer line
- Tafuna
3. SeongL imH eo
14-2607-LVB
Proposal for a scrap metal yard - Futiga
4. MarkA tafua
13-2491-LVB
Proposal for new construction of a storage with utilities - Nu’uuli
PROPOSAL FOR DRY LITTER PIGGERIES:
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Talo Ioapo
Epati Epati
LaufaumaloS aega
SaoN ua
PeleiupuN iko
AoauliL okeni
Tuna Porotesano
Futiga
Malaeloa
Ta’uM anu’a
Ta’uM anu’a
Malaeloa
Aunu’u
Tula
ENVIRONMENTAL VIOLATION:
1.
SeongLimH eo
Non permitted scrap metal yard - Futiga
14-2593-L
14-2595-L
14-2613-L
14-2612-L
14-2594-L
14-2629-L
14-2633-L
SWO-0901
Persons interested in or affected by a proposed project, are invited to review the project file
and provide comments based on environmental issues, by contacting Marvis Vaiaga’e at
633-5155, at the Department of Commerce in Utulei during regular ASG working hours.
Public comments must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18, 2014.
Interested individuals are also invited to attend a Public Hearing at 9:00 a.m. Wednesday,
March 19, 2014 at DOC Conference Room, on the 2nd Floor of the Executive Office
Building in Utulei.
O lo’o iai i le Ofisa o Fa’afetauaina ni talosaga mo Pemita e Fa’atagaina ai le Fa’aaogaina o
Fanua ma Laueleele e tusa ma ala o le Tulafono. A iai se tasi e fa’asea pe fia tusia se
molimau i ni afaina o le si’osi’omaga pe a galueaina nei galuega, telefoni mai ia Marvis
Vaiaga’e i le 633-5155. E mafai fo’i ona e auai i le fono a le Komiti Fa’afoe ia Mati 19, 2014,
ile itula e 9 ile taeao.
Page 14
samoa news, Wednesday, March 12, 2014
➧ A dialogue with Samoa sought…
➧ ASDHS personnel costs…
She noted that while there is a federal law
dealing with human trafficking, “I can’t use that
federal law to prosecute local cases.”
Further, this proposed law for American
Samoa “is also very important because it
requires the government to provide victims’
support services that will for sure help victims, as no such provision exists in any current
statute,” she said.
“...we are also looking forward to doing
training, to train our first responders” on human
trafficking, Mitzi said.
A provision of the bill states that in coordination with the local Department of Homeland
Security, the Department of Public Safety shall
receive “mandatory and ongoing training on
human trafficking for all law enforcement and
emergency first responders in American Samoa”.
According to Jessop the “majority of human
trafficking [cases] do come from Samoa... so
down the line we’re hopeful to open the dialogue with them and be able to trade information
and … help to become resources for each other.”
Jessop was also asked for her reaction to
some local residents who have told Samoa
News that bringing their relatives from Samoa
to do domestic work and help out around the
home is a long standing practice over the years
to help “our families from Upolu and Savai’i”
and it would be inappropriate for the territorial
government to consider it human trafficking.
(Similar concerns were raised in the Senate last
year, during their first hearing on the bill.)
“There is nothing wrong with that, and it’s
part of our culture that we do bring our family
members in to ‘tautua’ (or serve ) our families,”
Jessop told Samoa News. “The spirit of that is
good, because we are communal in nature and
our culture is set up that we do help each other
in that way.”
She continued, “Unfortunately, we do have
people here taking advantage of that situation and
The audit report says the ASDHS practice of charging prior
year grants for activities not related to those grants — and not
completing personnel activity reports with the information
needed to accurately distribute costs — “was not in compliance
with federal requirements.”
Additionally, the coding of timecards by the payroll clerk for
effort not actually spent on those projects was also a violation of
federal requirements.
“This practice resulted in inflated costs for the prior year
grants and an understatement of the costs for the fiscal year grant
that received the benefit of the activity performed,” it says.
RECOMMENDATIONS
OIG recommended the ASDHS director establish and implement standard operating procedures to ensure compliance with
Federal requirements.
FEMA concurred and ASDHS also concurred and said it
would ensure compliance by adopting and utilizing templates
and reporting formats and procedures to document and track
time and attendance of all personnel activity costs regardless of
funding sources, according to the report.
According to ASDHS, a FEMA sponsored Grants Management Technical Assistance (GMTA) Workshop delivered to the
ASG workforce late last year provided new insights on ASG’s
ability inclusive of ASDHS to better manage, track, implement
and expend its grant programs in accordance with applicable
federal requirements and guidelines.
Another recommendation by OIG is that ASDHS ensure
that employees prepare activity reports, or develop a substitute
system that can identify the grant against which employees’
hours should be charged.
In response, FEMA concurred and ASDHS also concurred,
saying that as a matter of policy, all ASDHS personnel already
submit activity reports.
OIG also recommended that the grantor determine the
amount of personnel costs, including the $52,292 in costs associated with FY 2012 management and administration activities,
which were inappropriately charged to the FYs 2008 through
2011 grants, and adjust the financial records to reflect the appropriate costs by grant year.
The grantor is further recommended to disallow all claimed
personnel costs for management and administration activities
that were not in compliance with federal requirements
FEMA concurred with both recommendations and said for
those costs determined as unallowable, FEMA will institute its
normal debt collection procedures.
ASDHS concurred, but explained that personnel costs from
2012 were charged to the FY 2008 Homeland Security Grant
Program (HSGP) because this was the only award open to
ASDHS at the time. ASDHS said that the costs questioned were
subsequently reversed or backed out of FYs 2008 through 2011
and charged under the appropriate award.
ASDHS said that it will request that FEMA permit the allowable management and administration costs to be charged to
the remaining HSGP awards. And if directed by the grantor to
disallow the claimed personnel costs, “ASDHS will comply
accordingly”, the report says.
Continued from page 1
they are adulterating [polluting] our culture…
they are using their own family members as
slaves, to do their domestic work without compensating them, without taking care of them.”
“Our culture is that we provide housing, we
provide schooling for their children, and we
provide food and clothing for them while they
tautua — doing the hard labor for us,” the Assistant AG said. “But we have families... who are
not doing that. We’re not even living up to our
own culture, and that is the behavior that this
proposed law seeks to prevent.”
She also pointed out that there are two specific provisions of the bill that provide temporary protected status for potential victims
of human trafficking and treating information
from them as confidential.
To “encourage victims of human trafficking to
come forward and to aid the investigations and
prosecutions of such crime, the Attorney General’s Office may grant ‘Temporary Protect Status’
to potential victims,” according to the bill.
It also says that information from victims is
privileged and confidential and protected from
disclosure.
Further, ASG would implement measures
to ensure the victim’s name and other personal
information remain confidential and private.
With American Samoa in the middle of the
South Pacific and so far away from Hawai’i and
the mainland, there have been long standing
rumors or reports of the territory allegedly
being used as a human trafficking transit point
to the U.S., especially since American Samoa
controls its own borders.
Asked for comments on that, Jessop said, “I
have heard those theories many times within the
law enforcement community. I’m hoping, now
that we have a human trafficking law, that when
those complaints do come up, we’ll actually be
able to investigate them and actually do something about it.”
Continued from page 3
Oregon couple “attacked”
by cat plans to get it help
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon owners of a 22-pound
housecat that trapped them in their bedroom after attacking their
baby say they’re not giving up on their pet and are getting it
medical attention and therapy.
Two days after police arrived to subdue the 4-year-old partHimalayan cat, owner Lee Palmer of Portland said he’s taking
the feline to a veterinarian. A pet psychologist also is due at the
house to see the cat, named Lux.
“We’re not getting rid of him right now,” Palmer said. “He’s
been part of our family for a long time.”
Palmer says the animal attacked his 7-month-old child after
the baby pulled its tail. The child suffered a few scratches on the
forehead.
On the 911 call, Palmer tells the dispatcher he kicked the cat
“in the rear” to protect his child. Palmer says the animal then
“just went off over the edge” — leading Palmer and his girlfriend to barricade themselves, their baby and the family dog in
the bedroom for safety.
The cat can be heard screeching in the background of the call
as Palmer says in a panicked voice: “He’s charging us. He’s at
our bedroom door.” Palmer also tells the dispatcher the cat has
been violent in the past.
Officers used a dog snare to capture the animal, and placed
it in a crate.
The cat attack story gained national attention after police put
out a news release about it Monday. Palmer says the family has
had proposals from people wanting to adopt Lux, but the family
is not taking them up on it.
samoa news, Wednesday, March 12, 2014 Page 15
➧ Am. Samoa rugby embarks
Continued from page 1
I have achieved so far.
“I would also like to thank our Rev. faifea’u and his wife for
their prayers, uncle Haserota and his wife Terry for looking after
me, our village and our rugby club, Marist, for their support.”
But the road Vaki took to get to where he is now had many
twists and turns. Vaki had to make personal sacrifices and carry
big family responsibilities during his ordeal, which almost
derailed his career.
Not long after he was born, Vaki’s parents, Semisi (a
Tongan), and Audrey (a Samoa citizen) decided to move the
family to Independent Samoa and settled in Vaoala. That was
where he grew up with his older brother and four sisters. He
went to Vaoala primary school (elementary) and attended Avele
College from 2005 for five years.
It was at Avele that Vaki excelled in his position as first
five and was selected in the Samoa Under 18 Secondary
School representative team that played against teams from
Fiji, Tonga Tahiti, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and
Australia in the international collegiate rugby competition
that Samoa hosted.
When he graduated from Avele College in 2009, Vaki
moved to Malaeloa, American Samoa, where he lives with his
uncle and aunt, Haserota and Terry Auva’a.
He was admitted at ASCC and joined the Marist Sports club
in Tafuna.
Vaki’s excellent play caught the American Samoa Rugby
Union selectors’ attention and he was selected in the Under 19
team. But as his rugby career started to flourish, he received
word from his parents at Vaoala that his mom had been
admitted to the Tamasese Mea’ole National Hospital for heart
complications.
Last July, Vaki left for Samoa to take care of his parents and
sisters as the oldest of the family, his brother, had moved to the
United States.
But two months later, Vaki was contacted by the ASRU and
asked to return and try out for the Talavalu team that was bound
for the Oceania rugby 7’s tournament in Fiji. That tournament
was to decide the Oceania Region’s representatives to the 2014
Hong Kong IRB qualifier tournament.
Vaki was reluctant to accept the offer because of his obligations to his family, but his dad, Semisi, challenged him with a
patriotic question. “O ai oe ua vala’au mamao mai ai le au a
Amerika Samoa e te toe fo’i atu. O ai oe? (Who are you that the
American Samoa team has called from far away to come back?
Who are you?)”
With his parent’s blessing, Vaki headed east and made the
Talavalu team that went on to play in the Fiji Oceania qualifying tournament late last year. Along with the Cook Islands,
Talavalu succeeded in securing a position for American Samoa
in this year’s Hong Kong tournament.
When he retuned, Vaki visited his mom and found that she
was recovering well. He then returned to Pago Pago, where he
was invited to try out for a place in the Talavalu team traveling
to Hong Kong this year. He also intended to compete for one of
seven slots offered by the IRB to train at the Australian Institute
of Sports in Canberra.
Just as things started to settle down for Vaki, he received
another distress call from home in early last December saying
his mom had to have an urgent open-heart surgery in New Zealand and that her condition was deteriorating. His dad had to be
by her side during the operation, leaving Vaki’s young sisters
alone at home in Vaoala.
Vaki immediately flew to Apia to look after his sisters,
leaving behind his rugby career that he believed might never
be revived. But according to his aunt, Terry Auva’a, relatives
stepped in and took over his family’s caretaker responsibilities.
“Family members from the US, Australia, New Zealand,
American Samoa and Samoa pulled together and figured out a
way to take care of Pen’s sisters and their parents.”
With those heavy responsibilities lifted from the young
man’s strong shoulders, Vaki headed back to American Samoa
and returned to rugby.
He not only made the Hong Kong team, but was also selected
for the Australia trip, where he participated in the IRB-sponsored training in Canberra last month.
Last week on Friday, Vaki again took a call from his family
in Samoa, but this time on a happy note. He learned that his parents returned to Vaoala and that his 48-year old mom Audrey
had a successful operation and was recuperating well at home.
Vaki is a member of the Malaeloa Methodist Church and the
Vaoala EFKS. He is a Sunday school teacher, a choir singer and
a member of the youth group.
Vaki is putting on hold his education at ASCC and is not
looking for a job at this time as he is concentrating on making
a career in rugby.
“Pen is out to prove that his father’s words to him, ‘O ai oe
ua vala’au mai ai Amerika Samoa?’ were a personal challenge
to him and his loyalty to his birth country, American Samoa.”
These comments made by his aunt Terry sum up young
Vaki’s arduous climb from the depths of suffering to his victorious stand on the podium of success.
Pentateuch Vaki in action during the Talavalu training Camp ongoing now.
[photo:TCA]
AMERICAN SAMOA
SMALL BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT CENTER
SBDC Seminar Schedule
The American Samoa Small Business Development Center will be offering the
following seminars to all interested individuals and organizations:
Grant Writing Seminar
Business Start Up Seminar
Business Start Up Seminar
Grant Writing
March 18-19, 2014
April 01-04, 2014
April 15-18, 2014
April 22-23 , 2014
5-7 pm
5-7 pm
5-7pm
5-7pm
$40
$40
$40
$40
These are non-credit trainings designed to educate individuals who wish to start a
business, or those who are already in business but need assistance in the areas being
covered.
A non-college-credit Certificate of Completion will be awarded to the participants of
each seminar. The courses were enhanced and updated to better assist individuals
and companies by providing more materials such as training CDs, DVDs and
business software.
Companies or individuals may register now with an SBDC representative by calling
699-4830 or 699-4834.
Location:
SBDC, M1 Building
Instructor:
Mr. Herbert Thweatt (MA Marketing)
Contact:
Talalelei Pua, Priti Smith, Catherine Balauro, Elaine Baul or
June Paogofie-Sitala 699-4830/ 699-4834
FREE COUNSELING
Our confidential business consulting services are free of charge to our clients whose
Gross Revenue is less than $20 million.
Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S Small Business Administration. The American Samoa Small
Business Development Center was created as result of an American Samoa Community College (ASCC) and U.S Small Business
Administration (SBA) Partnership. Neither SBA funding nor that from ASCC is an endorsement of any products, opinions or
services. SBA and ASCC Programs are extended to the public on a non-discriminatory basis.
VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT: www.as-sbdc.org
Page 16
samoa news, Wednesday, March 12, 2014
➧ Nua responds to Galea’i…
Continued from page 1
Dec. 2, 2013, explaining the delay in the 1602 project, saying it
was not entirely his fault due to transportation issues between
Tutuila and the Manu’a Islands, and the difficulties of getting
supplies to Manu’a. His letter was in response to the bank’s
“Notice of Dispute and Demand for Repayment of 1602 funds”.
In his letter (which Samoa News obtained), Nua informed the
bank of his intention to resolve the dispute by obtaining the Certificate of Occupancy for all eight units and occupy 40% of said
units by low-income tenants as soon as the COO is secured.
Nua asked DBAS to give him until Mar. 31, 2014 to complete his 1602 project and be in full compliance.
He wrote, “As you may already know, the Manu’a Islands
have been facing unreliable surface and air transportation for
many years and has gotten worse since 2010. This has made it
very difficult for me to ship materials, supplies, and experienced
labor to my project’s site, thus delaying its completion.”
He further pointed out that it remains his intention to complete all necessary construction and or repairs and conform to
the building code. “I humbly seek your understanding and grant
my request, as I believe 90% of the work is complete.”
Nua, in his phone interview with Samoa News, said his 1602
project has since been completed and it’s been two weeks now
since he has been waiting for DBAS officials to come to Manu’a
to conduct a final inspection of his housing — which was completed before the date he sought in his requested extension from
DBAS. However, he noted, “again there has been minimal or no
transportation at all to Manu’a.”
Senate Pro Tem Nua again thanked Gale’ai for bringing up
the issue, however he said that he (Galea’i) lacks understanding
and knowledge of the whole situation.
In the meantime, Nua through his attorney, Matailupe
Leupolu has submitted a response to the DBAS civil litigation,
which Samoa News will report on in later editions.
BACKGROUND
Samoa News should point out in its story, “Senator Galea’i
calls on Senate Pro-Tem to step down as DBAS board chair”,
published on Monday, Mar. 11, 2014, we did not note that the
Senator’s name, Nuanuaolefeagaiga Saoluaga Nua, was not
actually stated during the hearing. Instead, the call by Galea’i
was for the Chairman of the DBAS board to step down, given
the recent developments at the bank.
Senator Nuanuaolefeagaiga Saoluaga Nua is the Chairman of
the DBAS Board and is the Senate Pro Tem.
ASPA puts water disinfection
systems project out for bid
Ultra-Violet method chosen as safest, most cost-effective
by B. Chen, Samoa News Correspondent
The American Samoa Power Authority
(ASPA) is currently inviting bids for the construction of Ultra-Violet disinfection systems
for the Utulei (Town Area) and Fogagogo
(Tafuna Area) wastewater treatment plants.
A one-time pre-bid meeting was held on
Tuesday, Feb. 25 and according to ASPA Executive Director, Utu Abe Malae, seven companies were represented during the meeting: RW,
Fletcher, PEP, RM Construction, E&W Construction, Tresmel Inc., and APECS.
When asked for brief insight about the local
disinfection systems, Utu explained that there
was a chlorine gas disinfection system that had
been utilized at the Utulei wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) until 1985, when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a
waiver and the system was shut down.
“There has never been a disinfection system
at the Tafuna WWTP since,” Utu continued.
“Under the current US-EPA Administrative
Order, ASPA is working with the US-EPA in
keeping a 301 H waiver that allows ASPA’s
WWTPs at Utulei and Tafuna to discharge into
the ocean with only primary WW treatment,
omitting secondary WW treatment.”
Utu said that in pursuit of maintaining the
semi-autonomous agency’s waiver, ASPA and
the US-EPA have decided to install disinfection
systems for both wastewater treatment plants.
He said there were many disinfection
options available, but after a thorough study of
those options, a decision was made to install an
ultra-violet (UV) disinfection system which,
according to him, “was determined to be the
most cost effective… and UV disinfection has
the added benefit of being the safest disinfec-
tion system on the market.”
In addition, Utu added, there is no chlorine
residual that may be discharged into the ocean.
“The system has a life cycle of about 50 years;
however, the electronic and electrical components will need to be replaced more frequently.”
The ASPA Executive Director explained
that the two disinfection systems will serve all
of the customers—about 5,000 families— connected to the central sewer systems. The Utulei
waste water treatment plant will serve current
customers from the Fagaalu to Atu’u areas,
and is being sized to accommodate future customers, such as Aua village.
On the other hand, the Tafuna waste water
treatment plant will serve current customers
in the Tualauta area and Nuuuli, and is also
being sized to accommodate future customers,
such as Leone.
According to Utu, municipal waste water
generally requires disinfection to meet specific
bacterial limits before being discharged to surface waters.
The main objective of disinfection is to
reduce the number of waterborne pathogens
to safe levels, thereby lowering the risk of
exposing the public to infectious diseases.
“The persistence of some pathogens in
receiving waters and soils indicate that disinfection of wastewater effluents provide the
first line of defense for drinking water from
surface water or groundwater,” Utu explained.
“Disinfection protects our marine environment,
including the reefs and indigenous species.”
All submittals for bids on this project must
be received at the ASPA Materials Management Office - Procurement, no later than 2 p.m.
on Wednesday, March 19, 2014.
Contact DPS Office of Highway Safety
633-7634 - 2nd floor Lumana’i Bldg. - Fagatogo
for free presentations on the effects of alcohol and driving
PLEASE DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE
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D-LIGHT VALENTINE`S DAY @ DUSIT D2 CHIANG MAI