WITH PHOTOS PLEASE
 
 
 
By James Kneubuhl, ASCC Press Officer
 
As a community service and an opportunity for children interested in hands-on experience at a number of practical life skills, the 4-H agents at the Community and Natural Resources (CNR) division of the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) have initiated an after-school program for youngsters from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. every Wednesday for the duration of the spring 2016 semester. Activities fall within the components of 4-H, namely: head, heart, health, and hands.
 
Active in the United States since the early 1900s, the initial purpose of 4-H was to bridge the gap between public school education and rural life. Over the years, 4-H has evolved into a global network of youth organizations whose mission is "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The goal of 4-H is to develop citizenship, leadership, responsibility and life skills of youth through experiential learning programs and a positive youth development approach. Though typically thought of as an agriculturally focused organization as a result of its history, 4-H today focuses on citizenship, healthy living, science, engineering, and technology programs. The 4-H motto is "to make the best better" while its slogan is "learn by doing."
 
In American Samoa, 4-H is one of the four CNR extension programs at ASCC. The 4-H after-school program, offered free of charge to youngsters aged 8-19, includes a wide variety of activities that relate to “head, heart, health, and hands,” such as food safety, nutrition, staying healthy, fishing, team-building, textile printing, arts and crafts, sewing, vegetable gardening and forestry. “They all seem excited,” said 4-H program manager Molly Lagai of the first group of 35 youngsters who signed up to participate in the first semester of the program.
 
 “After a semester with us, we hope the children will have picked up both practical knowledge and social skills, such as learning from each other and sharing,” continued Lagai. “We help them work together, share information, and evaluate themselves and others, so that ultimately they can take responsibility for their own learning and relate the experiences they have with us to their own lives.” In addition to Lagai, the 4-H team includes agents Nellie Fuimaono, Aliimau Petaia, and Daisy Talatau Maugalei, all of whom provide instruction with occasional assistance from other agents and professionals who come to lead workshops, depending on the topic.
 
While the federally funded after-school program is offered free of charge, enrollment is limited to 25 students each semester. To attract the current group of youngsters participating, 4-H ran an advertisement in the local newspapers prior to the start of the semester. Although registration is closed for this semester, parents interested in enrolling their children for the fall can contact Nellie Fuimaono, Daisy Talatau, or Aliimau Petaia for more information at 699-1575, extensions 236 or 243.

After advancing through two phases of online competition, the Tafuna Warrior JROTC Academic Team composed of Cadet Major Neon Osa, Team Captain; Cadet Second Lieutenant Farrah Young, Cadet Second Lieutenant Emla Solaita, Cadet First Lieutenant Vai Tokomaata, and Cadet Sergeant Vini Sipili won first place in the 8th ROTC Brigade will compete in person at the Championship event in Washington, DC. The 2016 Army JROTC Academic Bowl Championship will be held on the campus of the Catholic University of America, June 24- 28, 2016.
 
Tafuna Warrior JROTC team earned top scores out of the 1, 498 Army JROTC teams that competed from around the world. The team is one of only twenty-four Army JROTC Academic Bowl teams in the nation to advance to the National Academic Bowl competition, which includes an all-expense paid trip to the Championship event in DC. 
 
During the two fast-paced preliminary rounds, students were tested on their knowledge of JROTC curriculum, English, Math and Science. One of the main goals of the JROTC Academic Bowl is to prepare students for state exit/graduation exams as well as college entrance exams, such as the SAT and ACT.
 
“I am ecstatic and extremely proud of our cadets,” said Sergeant Major (retired) Samana Semo Ve’ave’a, Senior Army Instructor and JLAB Coach. “They have earned top scores in this yearlong academic competition and outperformed 1,498 Academic Teams that competed from around the world. The opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. will be an inflection point in our cadets’ lives.”
 
The winner of the Army JROTC Academic Championship will compete against the winners of the Air force, Marine Corps, and Navy JROTC Academic Bowls in the JROTC Joint Service Academic Bowl Championship.
 
The JROTC Leadership & Academic Bowl (JLAB) is a nationally recognized academic competition created exclusively for JROTC students. By participating, cadets learn the values of citizenship, academic competition, and college opportunity. The competition creates tremendous opportunities for JROTC cadets by allowing them to demonstrate leadership and academic abilities.
 
College Options Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the academic development of high school students and assisting them with their preparation for higher education. Using academic competitions, college exam study guides, college admissions tutorials and personalized counseling. College Options Foundation has assisted the nation’s JROTC cadets worldwide for over a decade.

Former US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton has again won a majority of delegates at the American Samoa Democratic Party caucus beating out rivals US Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and California businessman Roque ‘Rocky’ De la Fuentes — an unknown candidate and not mentioned at all by the national media as a Democratic candidate in the US Presidential race.

The local caucus got underway at 8a.m. yesterday at the Veterans Memorial Center with registration and results were available just after 1p.m. Of the total 237 votes cast, Clinton received 162 votes (68%); Sanders 61 (25%) and De la Fuentes 14 (or about 6%).

It was during the caucus that the local Party firmed up its 11 delegates — which are also American Samoa’s eleven votes at the Democratic National Convention set for July 25-28 in Philadelphia.

Clinton had already received four endorsements — these from Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga, chairman Fagafaga Daniel Langkilde, vice chair Clara Reid and national committeeman Sen. Galeai Tu’ufuli. For Sanders, his advance endorsement came from national committeewoman Theresa Hunkin.

At the caucus, six other delegates were elected and Clinton got four endorsements while Sanders came up with two.

Each candidate also spoke to the local caucus with Clinton via teleconferencing while Sanders and De la Fuentes talked via SKYPE, which encountered minor problems at the beginning. Clinton was the first to address the gathering recalling her visit to American Samoa in 2010 as then Secretary of State saying that she is grateful for the endorsements she has received so far from four Democratic leaders, including Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga.

If elected President, the former First Lady of the United States says that she “will work hard to tear down all the barriers that hold the people of American Samoa back” and to provide better opportunities for the territory.

“I know how hard your economy has been,” she said, and promised to work with American Samoa to — among other things, “get more jobs, make college affordable” and to stop the epidemic of substance abuse.

She expressed her thanks to American Samoa’s “great record of serving in the military and to let you know, I will support the men and women who volunteer to serve in our Armed Forces as well as their families.”

And she promised, “to have a plan to solve the problems at the Veterans Administration to ensure that everyone who serves gets the support and quality health care and the benefits you have earned, no matter where you live.”

In her less than 2-minute teleconferencing call, Clinton says she was honored to earn the support from American Samoa and “I want to work with you to build a bright future.”

Sanders said that it’s important that “ordinarily people begin to stand up and fight against corrupt campaign finances... with billionaires buying up elections.” Additionally, “I think it’s important that we stand in opposition to a rigged economy in which ordinary people work longer hours at below living wages.”

He believes that the US criminal justice system is broken and needs to be fixed, saying that it doesn’t make sense to him that the US has more people in jail than any other country on earth.

Furthermore, “we have also got to address the need for women to get a fair shake in the economy” by getting the salaries they deserve instead of less then their male counter-parts.

Sanders also says that its “wrong in my view, when we have Republicans going around the country telling us that women do not have the right to control their own bodies. It is wrong, when we have Republicans saying that our gay brothers and sisters should not have the right to be married.”

He also spoke about education, saying that “when we talk about public education, we’ve got to be talking about making public colleges and universities tuition free,” making it easy for all Americans to get a college education.

Another issue dealing with education, he said, “is the outrageous level of student debt that millions of Americans are now experiencing.” He said people should not be $50,000 to $100,000 in debt for getting a college education or going to graduate school.

He went on to point out that “our campaign” is about “raising the minimum wage to a living wage, rebuilding our crumpling infrastructure, demanding that the wealthiest people in this country and the largest corporations, start paying their fair share of taxes.”

“And what this campaign is also about is recognizing that climate change is real, it is caused by human activity and it’s already causing devastating problems all over the world,” Sanders said in his 4-minute speech.

“And that is why the United States has got to work... to transform our energy system away from fossil fuel to energy efficiency, to sustainable energy such as solar and wind,” he added.

In addressing the caucus, De la Fuentes made clear that he and his children have visited American Samoa and that even his nephew is currently on island. (He didn’t identify his nephew by name, but two of his representatives, including Doug Berquist, arrived last Friday night and attended the caucus.)

“I’ve been on your island. I know your issues, you’re a minority so am I,” he said, adding that he knows that the territory does not have high speed Internet, which he also says is too expensive and that is not fair, especially if the territory is part of the United States.

He also spoke on the need for American Samoa to get affordable health care, and better education. He acknowledged that local voters do not know much about him, but “I’m genuine, I’m a business person. I’m not a politician and I will basically bring more tourists to your island.”

“I need you as much as you need me. We need to work together. We need to have ideas together. We need to prosper together,” he said adding that he is honored to be on the ballot in American Samoa and if elected US President, he promised to visit American Samoa more often.

Earlier in the caucus, Berquist had a chance to address the audience. He first acknowledged that Clinton had been to American Samoa, “but she didn’t leave the airport” unlike “Rocky, who’s been here three times” as a tourist, a businessman, and as a concerned US citizen.

Berquist cited some of the issues of concerns that De la Fuentes wants addressed if elected to the White House and among them “is our health care system.  He would like to be able to figure out a way that we can be included into the Obama care, through Hawai’i or through another state so we can co-op that” in order to get better affordable health care.

“Rocky is also very concerned about the educational system not only here but the states. The educational system is not doing very well. In fact in most eyes, it’s failing — failing our kids and we need to do something to turn that around,” he said.

Additionally, “Rocky would like to see more local initiative in the educational system so that we have more control over what’s going on and less federal control through mandatory testing,” he said, adding that De la Fuentes wants to bring more science and technology to the classroom.

HONOLULU (AP) - The Polynesian voyaging canoe sailing around the world without modern navigation equipment will be stopping in Cuba.

The Polynesian Voyaging Society announced this week that Hokulea will visit Cuba during the Caribbean leg of the journey.

Hokulea is expected to arrive at Havana, Cuba on March 17.

During the four-day visit, crewmembers will join a meeting on U.S.-Cuba relations and discussions on cultural connections between Cuba and Hawaii.

Polynesian Voyaging Society President Nainoa Thompson says crewmembers look forward to learning more about Cuba's cultural and environmental preservation efforts.

Hokulea arrived in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, on Sunday. Weather permitting, Hokulea will depart for the British Virgin Islands on Friday.

Hokulea left Hawaii in 2014. The voyage is expected to end in 2017.

The American Samoa National Olympic Committee (ASNOC) during it meeting last week accepted the resignation of their Secretary General, Billy Young who had served in that office for the past 2-1/2 years.
 
Young who was present at the meeting said it was his final meeting as an Executive Board Member.
 
In his letter to Langkilde and the Executive Board Members, Young said, “this is a step which I feel needs to be taken and the Board needs to decide whether the new Constitution which was ratified last year is to be followed or whether the same old outdated mind set continues.”
 
He wrote, “I truly believe that the Secretary General position should be paid and board appointed. This is imperative so that the office can operate without any political pressure.”
 
Young assured the board members that despite resigning from his position, he “will be available to assist the office and President with the pending reports and applications required to secure the Admin Subsidy and National Activity Program Funding.
 
”It has been an honor to serve the athletes of American Samoa and I have had great pleasure in their achievement over the period of time that I was in this position,” Young concluded.
 
Before accepting his resignation, president of the ASNOC Victor Langkilde and members of the Executive Board thanked Young for his service to ASNOC and the great job he has done in assisting with the development of sports on island.
 
Young told Samoa News yesterday in a telephone interview that what he wrote about in his letter is why he is stepping down from his position.
 
Langkilde said that ASNOC is planning to inform the ASNOC General Assembly that there will be a 2016 Annual Meeting at the end of this month.
 
“With the General Assembly looking to come together, one of the pressing issues is agreeing to the new constitution. With the revision of the constitution from last year, it is still lacking in some areas and more dialogue from its general membership is required,” said Langkilde.
 
The ASNOC president continued, saying that Young’s resignation makes way for one of the major changes, which is in the position of the ASNOC Secretary General.
 
“The ASNOC General Assembly has to now decide whether or not to make the position a paid position and an ex officio member of the executive committee (voice but no vote). There also needs to be proper planning in making sure the position has a specific job description, funding source, and contract if the general membership decides to move in this direction. If this process takes place, this position would be advertised to the general public,” said Langkilde.
 
In conclusion, he said that Young has done a good job with the position and with the many challenges that were presented.
 
“I thank Billy for his service and time at the position and look forward to working with him in the general assembly. I wish him all the best,” Langkilde concluded.

The Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS) redeployed on Mar. 2, its wave buoy in the waters off Aunu’u with the support of the National Park of American Samoa. The buoy is located more than three miles offshore and provides real-time data — freely available online —on wave height, direction, period, and sea surface temperature in 30-minute intervals, according to a news release.
 
“We are excited that the wave buoy is back in the water to serve our community. Having real-time wave observations at hand helps to keep our people safe, both in the water and on land,” Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources (DMWR) director Ruth Matagi-Tofiga said in a statement last Friday. “DMWR is a close partner of PacIOOS and we truly appreciate the availability of ocean data to inform our agency and the community at large.”
 
Fishermen, commercial operators, and other ocean users can access ocean data online to make well-informed and safe decisions with respect to current ocean conditions, according to DMWR.
 
Real-time wave data are also vital to inform the National Weather Service, emergency responders, and agency officials to prepare the community for big wave events that could potentially impact the islands, the news release says, adding that sea surface temperature information allows local marine biologists to monitor temperature changes that may harm coral reefs.
 
Peter Eves, Enforcement Division of DMWR and member of the PacIOOS Governing Council, asks boaters not to tie to the buoy and avoid fishing near the buoy to minimize entanglement in the mooring line.
 
“Fishing line and other gear can damage the buoy’s mooring line. We want to make sure the wave buoy stays operational for a long time,” Eves says in the news release. “It’s an important ocean observation instrument for American Samoa that we need to take good care of.”
 
The buoy joins the existing PacIOOS network of 13 real-time wave buoys across the Pacific. Data streaming for the PacIOOS wave buoy is made possible through long-term partnerships between PacIOOS, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Coastal Data Information Program. Aunu’u wave buoy data online: http://oos.soest.hawaii.edu/pacioos/wavebuoy/aunuubuoy.php

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are investigating a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella linked to pistachio nuts produced by Wonderful Pistachios, located in Lost Hills, California. Distributed worldwide and seen locally, Wonderful Pistachios announced this week it is voluntarily recalling a limited number of flavors and sizes of in-shell and shelled pistachios due to a risk of Salmonella contamination.
 
In cooperation with the Wonderful Pistachios the FDA directed retailers to remove the specified pistachio products from shelves and advised consumers not to eat and to discard these products.
 
The pistachios, which were distributed through several retailers, food companies and manufacturers nationwide and in Canada, Mexico and Peru, can be identified by a 13-digit lot code number, which can be found on the lower back or bottom panel of the package.  To see a list of the lot numbers, go to: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm489959.htm
 
They are sold under the brand names of Wonderful, Paramount Farms and Trader Joe’s, according to the chart on the FDA website.
 
Health officials are currently investigating 11 cases in nine states that have been reported in connection with this matter. In a statement issued by Wonderful Pistachios, they say take food safety matters very seriously and are working closely with health officials to identify the source of the problem.
 
 “In an effort to further enhance our food safety program and ensure the health and well being of our consumers, we have, effective immediately, proactively increased our sampling frequencies and lot size testing,” the company stated.
 
Consumers may return these products to Wonderful Pistachios for a refund by sending the back or bottom portion of the package that contains the lot code to Wonderful Pistachios. According to CDC reports 11 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Montevideo have been reported in nine states, and there have been no deaths. Reported illness onset dates range from December 12, 2015 to February 9, 2016.
 
Collaborative investigation efforts of the FDA, CDC, and the California Department of Public Health indicate that pistachio nuts produced by Wonderful Pistachios are the likely source of this outbreak. Of nine people interviewed, eight (89 percent) reported eating pistachios the week before illnesses started. Of these eight, five reported eating Wonderful brand pistachios. 
The FDA collected product samples from a firm supplied by Wonderful Pistachios in January 2016. Whole Genome Sequencing confirmed the samples were highly related to cases of ill people.
 
BACKGROUND
 
According to FDA Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella can experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. 
 
In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e. infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis. 

Jensen Uyeda, an Agriculture Extension Agent specializing in Edible Crops at the University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources led a series of workshops in mid-June at the Agriculture, Community and Natural Resources (ACNR) division of the American Samoa Community College (ASCC).
 
ASCC-ACNR invited Uyeda to American Samoa to conduct a Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (WSARE) Professional Development Program Workshop. Funded by WSARE, the workshop attracted an audience of agricultural professionals, nonprofit organizations involved in agriculture, and farmers.
 
“Samoa is in the same boat as Hawai’i in that we are both isolated and have very limited natural resources, which makes food production very challenging to do locally,” observed Uyeda, of the “agroprofessional” trainings he conducted. “This is mostly due to the need to import everything from fertilizer to animal feed and seeds.”  
 
Over the course of two days, Uyeda shared his knowledge on topics including Irrigation Management; Hydroponic Farming Systems; Integrated Pest Management; Good Agricultural Practices & the Food Safety Modernization Act; and Crop Selection/ Conducting Variety Trials.
 
“The main goal was professional development for our agriculture professionals, such as agriculture extension agents and researchers, Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) staff, non-profit organizations conducting agriculture related projects, and farmers,” explained Dr. Ian Gurr of ASCC-ACNR.
 
“The workshops focused on topics that would benefit our local agriculture professionals, who can use the training they received to assist farmers in improving production while also protecting the environment. The farmers who attended the workshop were able to request that Mr. Uyeda visit their farms, where he answered questions, observed their operations and made recommendations.”
 
In addition to the two days of workshops at ASCC-ACNR, Uyeda also visited local hydroponic farms, where he answered questions and made suggestions for improvements.
 
Among these were farms participating in the American Samoa Community Hydroponics Development Project, a three-year project venture by US Department of Agriculture through the local non-profit Pacific Youth and Community Development (PYCD). 
 
“We are currently training five new farmers in hydroponic techniques, and three of them were in attendance at the workshops,” said project manager Brooke Gurr. “Jensen also visited with one of our mentor farmers, Larry Hirata, at Hirata HydroGardens,” continued Gurr, “and discussed building greenhouses with some locally available resources instead of purchasing expensive hoop-house designed structures from off island. He also talked with Teleia Semi Puni, a participant in the training, about understanding pH and how it can affect crops in a hydroponic system.”
 
Uyeda said that while the workshops proved rewarding, getting to know local farmers also proved a highlight of his time here.
 
“The most interesting activity was visiting the farms around the Island and being able to see how food is being grown,” he said. “American Samoa is a beautiful island that has great potential for food production.”
 
When asked if he could think of any crop not currently being grown that could thrive in the Territory, he observed, “I think that citrus production, mainly limes, might do well and could be sold to the mainland US since in Hawa’ii most of the limes are imported from Mexico. This may be profitable in the future if Mexico is hit heavy with the HLB bacterium and cannot produce limes for export.”
 
Before returning to Hawai’i, Uyeda expressed interest in working again with local agriculture professionals. “I hope that Hawaii and American Samoa can continue to collaborate on projects and educational events in the future to further advance both of our agricultural industries,” he said.
 
For more information on ASCC-ACNR services to local farmers, contact Dr. Ian Gurr at 699-1575.

A claim that a centipede was found in a meat pie bought from a local supermarket has been referred to the Ministry of Health for an investigation.

The claim was made by Loimata o Apaula Wendt who bought the meat pie from the Apia supermarket last week. Attempts to get a comment from the Ministry of Health about the matter were unsuccessful.

But the customer who works in Apia said she was startled by the discovery. She said she bought the pie at 9.30am but she did not eat it until 3pm.

“We always buy our breakfast from there but on this day we were so busy so I put the meat pie inside the fridge untouched,” she said.

“Around 3 o’clock in the afternoon when our office finally calmed down, I went and got the meat pie and I heat it up in the microwave.

“I brought it out and I took a bite and I was half way through the meat pie when I saw something black inside. I actually thought it was a piece of cabbage, but I was wrong because I looked closely it was a centipede.”

A claim that a centipede was found in a meat pie bought from a local supermarket has been referred to the Ministry of Health for an investigation.

The claim was made by Loimata o Apaula Wendt who bought the meat pie from the Apia supermarket last week. Attempts to get a comment from the Ministry of Health about the matter were unsuccessful.

But the customer who works in Apia said she was startled by the discovery. She said she bought the pie at 9.30am but she did not eat it until 3pm.

“We always buy our breakfast from there but on this day we were so busy so I put the meat pie inside the fridge untouched,” she said.

“Around 3 o’clock in the afternoon when our office finally calmed down, I went and got the meat pie and I heat it up in the microwave.

“I brought it out and I took a bite and I was half way through the meat pie when I saw something black inside. I actually thought it was a piece of cabbage, but I was wrong because I looked closely it was a centipede.”

Needless to say, Ms. Wendt said she felt disgusted and immediately lost her appetite. She also criticised the response from the store, accusing them of being unprofessional.

Contacted for a comment, an official from the supermarket said the matter has been referred to the Ministry of Health. She said hygienic standards are of the utmost important to them because they value the health of customers.

“We did apologise when they called us,” she said.

 
 
Keilani Miliamasaline Afalava has been selected as a national finalist for Miss World America, nominated and appointed specifically by the Miss American Samoa World Organization to represent American Samoa at the national competition currently being held in Washington DC — July 4- July 9 at the Gaylord National Resort on the National Harbor.
 
Miss World America is the official preliminary to the Miss World. This is the second time American Samoa will be represented at Miss World America. In 2015, the territory was represented by Salamasina Tuitama Salcido.
 
On May 23, 2016, the Miss World America Organization officially accepted Keilani as a national finalist to represent America Samoa at Miss World America. The beautiful Keilani was discovered by another former beauty queen, Miss American Samoa United States 2015, Constance Anna Palelei Polamalu and appointed by Mrs. Liga Apaula Kuresa Brown.
 
Keilani M. Afalava is 22 years old, daughter and only child of Roger and Susan Afalava; and granddaughter of retired American Samoa Representative, Atualevao (Gafatasi) Afalava and Miliama Afalava of Aoloau Village in Tutuila, American Samoa.
 
Roger and Susan Afalava currently live in Tacoma Washington; however, they are proud and boast about their beautiful hometown, Aoloau Village, up on the mountain where they see the magnificent panoramic views of Tutuila!
 
Keilani graduated from Lakes High School near Tacoma,Washington; she later attended the University of Washington in Seattle, where she recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications. She plans to further her education at Ottawa University in the Fall of 2016, for a Master's Degree in Business Administration and/or Human Resources.
 
The keystone of Miss World is “Beauty with a Purpose.”
 
Each young woman selected as a delegate to any level of Miss World is not only a beautiful face but a woman driven with a purpose to make a difference in the world. During the national pageant all contestants have an opportunity to share their personal “Beauty with a Purpose” to drive national attention and awareness toward their work to better the world. Since 1972, when the idea of "Beauty with a Purpose" was incorporated into Miss World, billions of dollars have been raised for charities worldwide.
 
Keilani is passionate about increasing the number of Polynesian students attending college. During her four years at the University of Washington, Keilani was part of the Polynesian Student Alliance. She also chaired the Polynesian Outreach Program, where she traveled to local high schools to speak, encourage and tutor Polynesian students about the importance of a college education.
 
Since then, Keilani has developed a program called "PIER" which stands for "Pacific Islander Education Readiness." This is a program she is facilitating in high schools to introduce Pacific Islander students to the college application process, essay-writing, application deadlines, campus visits, and other collegiate aspects. In the future Keilani looks forward to growing her efforts to reach all communities which are under represented within higher education.
 
As an inspirational blogger, Keilani is able to reach young Pacific Islanders around the world to further her mission beyond geographic boundaries. Her writings include very personal accounts of triumph coupled with cultural perspectives. Keilani is also writing her first book, which will serve as a self-help book she says is aimed at “engendering confidence in young women.”
 
Keilani's extracurricular activities include Polynesian dance, journaling, and volunteering in her local community with children's sports. She played competitive volleyball during middle and high school, which she says is "still one of my biggest passions and having my father as my coach was immeasurable."
 
On Keilani's application to the Miss World America Pageant, she states, "I proudly assert that our Island of American Samoa may be tiny, but rich with cultural heritage, family customs and traditions, and faith in God." In addition, she continues, "It is with immense pride and dignity that I have been chosen to represent the people of American Samoa. My heart is full of joy, gratitude and humility for this wonderful opportunity to represent the people of American Samoa in this prestigious competition."
 
Support Keilani Miliamasaline Afalava, as she proudly represents American Samoa through five final phases of Miss World America: Beauty with a Purpose Presentation, Multimedia Competition, Sports and Fitness, Top model, Interview, and On-Stage Question.
 
Tickets for all Finals can be purchased at www.MissWorldAmerica.com
 
Fans and supporters can also vote for the “Peoples Choice” and “Most Photogenic” by donating one dollar per vote to the Miss World America Organization fund for “Beauty with a Purpose.” Votes and Donations are not limited.
 
For more information contact director.missamsamoawa@gmail.com or (917) 373-3399.

An Australian teenager attempting to become the youngest person in history to fly around the world in a single plane hopes that his quest will inspire other youngsters to be motivated to reach their dreams and goals.
 
Eighteen-year old Lachlan Smart, fresh out of high school, landed around 2:30p.m. Tuesday at Pago Pago International Airport in a single engine propeller driven aircraft after departing Queensland, Australia on July 4 (July 3 local time) with a stop in Fiji. 
 
He was met at the airport by American Samoa Visitors Bureau executive director David Vaeafe, whose office is hosting the young man.  Smart is spending two days in American Samoa, before he departs this morning heading to Christmas Island in Kiribati.
 
Vaeafe told Samoa News that he was informed by Smart that the flight from Fiji to Pago Pago took about five hours, and the next leg of the trip—heading to Christmas Island—will take about eight hours.
 
While on the ground for two days, Smart filled out various paperwork for clearance, as well as filing a flight plan with the federal government as his flight will enter Hilo, Hawai’i—the next stop after Christmas Island—and then on to the mainland US.
 
“We will also take Lachlan on a tour of the island for a ‘taste of American Samoa’,” Vaeafe said before a news conference at the Tradewinds Hotel, two hours after Smart landed at the Tafuna airport.
 
Speaking to reporters, Smart says planning the “Wings Around the World” trip began two and half years ago and the cost is around $350,000, which includes in-kind donations from various sponsors and supporters.
 
He said the planning included talking to aviation experts and others before coming up with the route, and he is looking at a journey of seven and a half weeks, covering 45,000 kilometers (about 30,000 miles), 24 locations in 20 countries on five continents.
 
He says his journey is not only a trip around the world but is also meant to make a difference in the lives of young people.
 
“I want to see more young people get out there and achieve their dreams and go for their goals as well, because as a generation of young people, often we tend to get sidetracked and lose that motivation and self-belief, and that's what stops us from achieving our dreams," he said. “I want to show that with a bit of determination, hard work, and motivation you can achieve anything."
 
Asked why he chose the locations which he did to land during this trip, Smart first pointed out that a lot of hard work went into the planning, which included logistical issues such as the type of fuel for the plane, accommodations, and airport transfers.
 
“During the stops, I do get to see a lot of different cultures, experience a lot of those great things, which I’m very excited about,” he said, adding that he does want to see first hand some of the locations on his route. “And I think they are incredible places.”
 
He acknowledged that despite all the preparations, things could change very quickly. For example, there was originally a stop at a location in Indonesia, but two weeks before departing Australia, his team received word that the type of fuel needed for the aircraft is no longer available there, and therefore changes had to be made.
 
He admitted that this type of trip “does present a lot of challenges” and it’s not going to be easy. “It wouldn’t be a world record if it was easy,” he said and identified two of the challenges— one being the weather—“one of the few things that we can’t control in aviation.”
 
While he can control the maintenance schedule for the plane, the fuel issue and how to pilot the aircraft, Smart said, “Weather is something that presents a big challenge.”
 
The National Weather Service in Tafuna, in its weather bulletin yesterday morning, stated that today’s forecast is mostly cloudy with isolated showers; with southeast winds of 15-25 mph. Wind speed is forecast to reduce tonight to 10-15 mph.
 
Another challenge he noted is that “political situations” in countries “tend to change” and cited for example, his predecessor, Ryan Campbell, also an Australian, who had to change his route during his trip because there was a “political uprising” in a couple of countries he was planning to go stop in.
 
“It’s just something that we’ve got to monitor very closely and I have a ‘great team’ behind me... making sure that everything goes as planned.  If we do need to change something, they will let me know straight away,” he said.
 
The “great team” referred to by Smart is the seven-member team—most of them based in Australia— who are monitoring his flight and updating trip information online (www.wingsaroundtheworld.com.au), as well as a company in Great Britain looking after necessary flight permits, especially for flying through international airspace.
 
Flying by himself on this long journey is something Smart says is not new to him, because as “an only child, with my parents divorced when I was two-years old... I’ve been used to being on my own a bit and spending time on my own. So spending long periods of time alone is okay, and I’ve also travelled internationally on my own.”
 
“There are times you get homesick and there are times it’s going to be difficult, but I’m going to embrace the fact that I’m very luck in today’s age that we have this technology, and I can always communicate back home from pretty much anywhere in the world,” he said.
 
“As much as I am alone in the cockpit, the amount of support I have been receiving from back home in Australia and all around the world has been absolutely incredible and I always felt very supported, knowing that other people believe in me, and this has given me that extra confidence to go out and achieve a little bit more,” he said.
 
Asked what he would learn most from this journey as a teenager, even if he doesn’t succeed in the around-the world-trip, Smart responded, “even if I don’t succeed, the whole trip in its entirety has been a learning experience for me, because I had freshly finished school and I didn’t have much time to have a break” —to go party as a teenager, or go to work.
 
“So I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been a lot of hard work, and I love working hard,” he said. “If I have to say one thing, that I do want to learn on this trip, is being able to adapt because there are so many things that are constantly changing. You’ve got to be able to learn very quickly on the go and that’s something that I very much enjoy doing.”

Ua talosagaina e ta’ita’i o le malo le mamalu lautele o le atunu’u atoa, ina ia auai i se sauniga lotu fa’apitoa ua fa’amoemoe e faia i le aso Sa o lo o lumana’i nei, i le maota o le Fale Laumei i Utulei, e fa’ailoa ai le lagolagoina atoa ai ma le amanaiaina o le tautua a le Faletua o le afioga i le ali’i Lutena Kovana ia Pohakalani Dawn Mauga ua tu’umalo.
 
O lenei sauniga lotu ua fa’atulaga e faia i le itula e 2:00 i le aso Sa, aso 10 Iulai i le maota o H. Rex Lee Audotrium i Utulei, ma ua valaauina le atunu’u atoa ina ia auai, e fa’ailoa ai lo latou fa’aaloalo aemaise ai o le tu’u atu o le fa’amalo i lenei auauna, mo taimi e tele sa ia tautua ai mo Amerika Samoa.
 
I se pepa o fa’atamalaga sa tu’uina mai e le afioga i le ali’i kovana ia Lolo Matalasi Moliga i le vaiaso nei, na taua ai e le afioga i le ali’i kovana e fa’apea, e ui o toe sauniga o le Faletua ia Pohakalani e fa’ataunu’uina uma lava i Hawaii, peita’i o se avanoa lelei lenei mo ana uo, aiga, aemaise i latou e fiafia i lenei Tina, e o mai fa’atasi ai e fa’amanatu lona soifua tautua i le aiga ma le atunu’u.
 
E pei ona fa’amatalaina e le afioga i le ali’i kovana, o Pohakalani na tautua i le teritori o Amerika Samoa o se faiaoga, faufautua atoa ai o se sui puleaoga mo le aoga maualuga a Samoana i tausaga e tele.
 
Ae ina ua tofia lona ali’i ia Lemanu Peleti Mauga e avea ma Lutena Kovana o le malo, sa filifili ai loa Pohakalani e ofo fua atu lona taimi atoa ai ma lona tomai e avea ai o ia ma faiaoga mo fanau o lo o taofia i le Falepuipui o Tamaiti i Tafuna. Sa avea fo’i o ia o se totino o le Komiti mo i latou e tete’e atu i le gasegase o le Kanesa i Amerika Samoa.
 
“I le avea ai o lenei tala fa’avauvau i le tuua o le malo e le Faletua ia Pohakalani, o se tala e matuitui ma oona i le to’atele o le atunu’u, o le a mafai ona maua le fa’amafanafana mai o le Ali’i, e ala i lo latou ole atu ia te ia mo lana fa’amafanafanaga, atoa ai ma lana fa’amaisega i le afioga ia Lemanu ma lona aiga”, o se vaega lea o le saunoaga a le ali’i kovana.
 
“E talosaga tau ai fo’i i le atunu’u atoa ma le agaga maualalo, ina ia tatou auai i lenei sauniga lotu taua, e fa’ailoa ai lo tatou aloaia o le soifua galue o lenei Tina, ma fa’ailoa atu ai lo latou lagolagoina o ona toe sauniga”, o le fa’aiuga lea o le saunoaga a le ali’i kovana.
 
I luga o le alaata fa’asalalau a le atunu’u, le KVZK-TV, na fa’asalalauina ai se saunoaga tu’u sa’o mai le Sui Failautusi o le Ofisa o Mataupu Tau Samoa, le tofa i le Tama Matua ia Tuiagamoa Tavai, ma ia talosagiana ai le atunu’u ina ia auai i lenei sauniga fa’apitoa.
 
Saunoa Tuiagamoa e fa’apea, talu ai o Samoa o le atunu’u e malosi lana agaifanua, o se fa’aaloalo maualuga lenei a le atunu’u e fa’ailoa atu ai lo lo latou fa’afetaia o Pohakalani ma lana auaunaga i le teritori, e ala i le auai fa’atasi i lenei sauniga lotu.
 
“E pei ona masani ai upu a le atunu’u, ia toesea a nu’u potopoto, lona uiga, ia tatou auai fa’atasi mo le lagolagoina o soo se vaega e autasi i ai le atunu’u, ina ia fa’ailoa ai lo tatou faaaloalo i lenei Tina ua tuua le atunu’u, ae ua tele galuega lelei ua ia faia mo alo ma fanau a Amerika Samoa, e ala i le itu tau a’oa’oga”, o le saunoaga fa’ai’u lea a Tuiagamoa.

On Tuesday evening, July 5, 2016, members of the Lions Club of Pago Pago gathered at the A & E Cafe in Tafuna, with families and friends looking on, to install a new president and board of directors for the 2016-2017 Lion year.
 
It is an especially significant year for the Lions, as they will be celebrating their Centennial Year in 2017.  Founded in Chicago in 1917, the Lions have grown to become the world’s largest volunteer community service organization, with over 46,000 clubs and 1.5million members in over 200 countries and territories worldwide.
 
Their signature projects often involve eye care, vision screening, and eyeglass distribution, as their first convention’s keynote speaker was none other than Helen Keller. She stood before that first group of community minded people, and challenged them to be “the knights of the blind” and do everything possible to prevent blindness in the world.
 
Picking up the challenge, Lions everywhere still engage in activities that promote sight, as well as healthy lifestyles, good citizenship, and care for the environment.
 
For the third time since he became a Lion over 15 years ago, Chris King took the helm of the club to guide it through its new year. Turning over the gavel to ‘Lion King’, as he is affectionately known, was outgoing Lion president Tafaimamao Tua- Tupuola, who declared in her farewell speech how wonderful the experience of service has been, and in serving others we grow as people. She said, “Thank you for allowing me to lead, thank you for being a “heart print” in our community, but most importantly, Thank You for the experience of service.”
 
The list of accomplishments for this Lions Club grows each year, and this past year was no exception. For the first time ever, a “Campus Club” was instituted at the American Samoa Community College, and its first president was none other than Chris and Danielle King’s eldest son, Aiden. The example of community service is one which the King family believes in, as others in the King family are involved in worthy causes and volunteer work, such as the American Samoa Humane Society.
 
During the past year the Lions participated in four Centennial Year service challenges.
 
The first, “Sharing the Vision” saw Lions distributing eyeglasses at the Fagatogo Marketplace, and training Lion members and future Campus Lion members on vision acuity screening procedures.
 
To “Relieve Hunger and Poverty” the Lions took it upon themselves, under the leadership of new Lion member, Tuna Sunia, to collect and distribute clothing and food to low income families during the Christmas holiday season.
 
“Engaging our Youth” meant involving the newly formed ASCC Campus Lions Club in the 1Day Stand Against Tobacco, and with the support of the ASCC president, they promoted a smoke-free campus for one day.
 
“Protecting our Environment” was met with a campus-wide clean up during the Stand Against Tobacco Day, again accomplished by the new ASCC Lions Club.
 
The Lions signature service project, Project Eye Care addressed the high number of cataract cases in the Territory, and succeeded in procuring and donating a “Phacoemulsification” machine for the Eye Clinic at LBJ Medical Center.  Valued at over $100K, the machine was made possible by the Lions partnership with Alcon Laboratories, Oregon Health Sciences University, Dr. Mitch Brinks, Dr. Ben Siatu’u and shipping sponsors CSL Cargo Services and Island Cargo Support.
 
Six “Centennial Members” were inducted into the club during the past year, and as noted, the first of its kind in this Lions constitutional area, the ASCC campus club was chartered with 20 Centennial members.
 
Lions Club International also gave their highest award, the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award, to Chris King, and to Mrs. Olivia Reid-Gillette, for their outstanding support of Lions in this community.
 
During the evening, which was punctuated with much laughter and good-natured ribbing—also known as “tail twisting— two new Lions were installed into the club, and two were given recognition as long serving members. Chris and Terrie Bullinger were officially welcomed by the club on that night, while Lions Teri Hunkin and Isabel Steffany Hudson, both past presidents and past zone chairs for the club, were each congratulated for 15 years of dedicated service.
 
Lion King noted in his remarks, “I am excited to once again lead our Pride as we journey into a new year of service. I look forward to working with each of you as we strive to make our community, and the world, a better place for everyone.”  Lion volunteers everywhere serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace and promote international understanding, while their motto is simply, “We Serve”.
 
It has been their desire for one hundred years to be a global leader in community and humanitarian service, and they have been tireless throughout those  years, in good times, as well as in times of disasters and emergencies, when Lions are often among the first responders rendering comfort and aid.
 
Charter President Mike Sala, who was off-island for the event, was awarded the Lion of the Year for his never-failing support of the club and its members.

Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga was joined yesterday afternoon by traditional and political leaders, as well as cabinet directors and members of the US Armed Forces at the Gov. Rex Lee Auditorium for the government memorial service for Mrs. Pohakalani Dawn Mauga, the late wife of Lt. Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga, who passed away June 30 in Honolulu. She was 53.

Lt. Lemanu Peleti Mauga, who is seen at the podium on stage, speaking yesterday to a standing room only crowd of mourners who packed the memorial service.

Lemanu shared with mourners his life with Mrs. Pohakalani Mauga, who he described as a loving wife and mother, and a person who insisted on honesty. He spoke of his wife adapting to her new life in American Samoa including culture and church. He attributed all this to his wife’s love for him and their children as well family.

Although much of his wife’s life was in the military, Lemanu said his wife loved her job as a teacher, starting at Samoana High School, and was a dedicated educator.

Also pictured is a display next to the stage and includes a photograph of Lt. Gov. Lemanu and Mrs. Mauga, and other cultural artifacts including those from Hawai’i, to remember Mrs. Mauga’s Hawaiian heritage.

Mrs. Pohakalani Mauga was born in Hilo, Hawai’i and her funeral service is set for July 19, at the Kanana Fou Church in Waipahu (Oahu island), Hawai’i.

 Public viewing will begin at 8:30a.m. with church services at 9:30a.m. followed by burial at Hawai’i State Veteran’s Cemetery in Kane’ohe at 2p.m, according to the family’s announcement in yesterday’s memorial service program.

Washington, D.C.– Congresswoman Aumua Amata hosted a Flag Day celebration on Capitol Hill last Friday, turning the House Cannon Caucus Room into one of the islands for a few hours.

The Flag Day celebration was scheduled a few months after the actual Flag Day to accommodate for weather and the schedule of the House of Representatives, and was also set in coordination with the local Samoan community in the Washington area, who held their event the following Saturday evening just across the Potomac River in Ft. Myer.

“I am thrilled to be able to host this wonderful event,” said Amata. “It is my hope that this celebration will introduce some of my fellow Members of Congress to our beautiful home, some of the customs we practice, and food we eat. By doing so, it will enable them to better understand where we come from, and why it is so essential that we make sure the people of American Samoa are presented with the same opportunities and resources as those in the States,” continued Amata.

Congresswoman Aumua Amata hosted the first American Samoa Flag Day Celebration on Capitol Hill. She is seen here during her ‘siva Samoa’. VPrayers, dancing and food were all part of the well attended celebration. [courtesy photo]

The celebration took place in the Cannon House Office Building Caucus Room on Capitol Hill from noon to 2pm. Reverend Meki To’alepai opened the celebration with a prayer and hymn.  Following the prayer was the singing of both the United States & American Samoa anthems by Vaiki Pa’au, Neta Vaovasa and Misiogale Pa’au, who sang beautifully for those in attendance. 

Following the opening prayer and anthems, Congresswoman Amata spoke to the crowd about what they would see during the celebration, and the special relationship between the United States and American Samoa stating, “I want to thank you all for coming today, to join us in celebrating the unique and treasured relationship between the United States and my beautiful home islands of American Samoa. We Samoans like to demonstrate our pride in our culture through the Siva. The Siva is the long honored dance of our people and I am sure that we will see many examples of it this afternoon. When combined with rhythmic chants and harmonies called pese malie, you can be sure that a beautiful story is about to be revealed.” 

The celebration continued with a short video presentation on the history of the relationship between the U.S. and American Samoa, followed by dancing and the buffet, which included roast pig, sapasui, palusami, and several other traditional Samoan dishes.

The dance troupes which performed included Teine Suau’u Dance Group; Toa Samoa, and the Samoan Language Class. After the dancers entertained the crowd to everyone’s delight, Reverend To’alepai gave the benediction to close the event.

Congresswoman Aumua Amata hosted a Flag Day celebration on Capitol Hill last Friday, turning the House Cannon Caucus Room into one of the islands for a few hours. The event celebrated the “unique and treasured relationship between the US and my beautiful home islands of American Samoa,” she told the crowd. [courtesy photo]

“I want to thank everyone who came today and welcome you all to stop by my office here in Washington, or Pago Pago should you ever need anything, or simply just want to say hello…my door is always open. God bless you all, the United States, and American Samoa,” stated Amata to the large crowd in attendance.

Congresswoman Amata would like to acknowledge and send her most heartfelt “Fa’afetai tele lava” to the following groups and individuals for their outstanding support and making this event possible.

“I cannot thank you all enough for volunteering to provide food, setup the venue, sing, dance, providing dance uniforms, and helping our office with everything.  Ia fa’atutumu e le Atua mea ua fa’agaogaoina ona o lo outou lima foa’i ma le alolofa mai i lenei ofisa vaivai.”

Specifically, the Congresswoman would like to thank:

Congressman Sablan (CNMI), and his staff, especially Antoinette Camacho and Harry Masga;

Congresswoman Bordallo (GU);

Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02);

Isapela Coggins and the American Samoa Society;

David Alaga and the Samoan Community;

Reverend Lalomauga and Saifagaloa Pa’au of Faga’alu (Congregational Christian Church in American  Samoa);

Reverend Meki To’alepai for leading both of our ceremonies in prayer;

Dance groups: Toa Samoa, Samoan Language Class, Teine Suau’u Dancers (Vaiki Pa’au, Misiogale Pa’au, Neta Vaovasa, Leafaina Pa’au)

American Samoa Historic Preservation Office for providing the video clips and photos

Mike Cicale, U.S. House of Representatives, and his crew for the room setup

Our Samoan military members and their units

District Office Staff, especially:

Ola Foster for coordinating with the Am. Samoa Historic Preservation Office

Howard “Deenah” Howard for the case of Palusami

DC Staff – especially Jared Christel

Families and friends who pitched in to help in every way

FT. MYER CELEBRATION

The next evening, across the Potomac River in Ft. Myer, the local Samoan community from the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia region hosted their own event and invited the Congresswoman to participate in the evening’s ceremonies. 

The evening began with the presentation of the United States, Independent Samoa, and American Samoan Colors by the Toa O Samoa Color Guard, an opening prayer, and the singing of the United States, American Samoa, and Independent Samoa anthems. Following the opening ceremonies, those in attendance were treated to traditional Samoan dances, including a dance that signifies the sacred Ava Ceremony, meant to welcome newcomers to the islands.  During the dancing, guests dined on traditional Samoan cuisine, and a wonderful time was had by all.

Apia, SAMOA— “Physical verification & examination of the corned beef product carried out by our Food Safety Officers found unusual meat products,” said Samoa’s Ministry of Health (MOH) Chief Executive Officer Leausa Dr. Take Naseri, regarding Farmers Corned Beef that’s been recalled in Samoa since last week, and revealed in an email to Samoa News yesterday evening. The MOH notice has been televised since last week and emails to the CEO were sent immediately regarding the recall notice.

A week later, Leausa replied, noting that the process resulting in the recall of Farmers Corned Beef was initiated after public complaints noting contamination of the corned beef with flesh or tissue which some found suspicious, thinking it was not beef.  

According to the MOH, the recall notice was publicized for all local suppliers, the supermarkets and retail outlets, advising them not to sell the Farmers Style Corned Beef brand.

“The Ministry of Health requests the co-operation of the business community and the public in this important matter. The local suppliers, all supermarkets, and retail outlets are advised not to sell the FARMERS style CORNED BEEF to the public until further notice.

The Public is hereby advised that FARMERS style CORNED BEEF with the above mentioned information should not be consumed,” according to the public notice by MOH. Leausa stated that MOH is investigating claims following complaints from the public.

“The process resulting in the recall of Farmers Corned Beef was initiated after public complaints of contamination of the corned beef with flesh or tissue, suspicious that it was not beef. Physical verification & examination of the corned beef product carried out by our Food Safety Officers found unusual meat products.”

Leausa also told Samoa News that there was also inconsistency of the labeling information with the food content.

Heart-like tissue found in the corned beef. [courtesy photo]

“Recall process is enforced while samples of the corned beef have been sent for tissue analysis at SROS (Scientific Research Organization of Samoa) & National Health Services Diagnostic laboratories.” Leausa further told Samoa News that the local distributor has been advised and will be informed of the investigation once laboratory results are ready. He also made it clear the Food Product Recall notice is empowered through section 21 Food Act 2015 & Health Ordinance 1959.

 Farmer’s Style Corned Beef is distributed by Foods Pacific Limited in Fiji, who noted in the Fiji Sun Online, “The allegations of contamination in Foods Pacific Limited’s Farmers Style Corned Beef in Samoa have been labeled a first by the company in its over 40 years of business operations."

Samoa News was not able to find any cans locally at the few retail outlets it visited, however, would advise local consumers to watch out for the recalled item.

Suva, FIJI — While rumor regarding Bluesky Communications ownership is buzzing at both Samoa's Ava Bowls and bars...here in Suva, Fiji...it's just another day of happy local folks going to work, school and grand openings.

Near the Queens Wharf & the traditional produce market in Suva, Fiji, locals, cruise ship visitors, and
even Cool Stuff, pour into the rugged busy streets.

An air conditioned sanctuary, Connect Cafe, celebrated their opening on Thursday (Fiji) to afford locals and visitors, air conditioned comfort and good value internet. What is good value at Connect Cafe? Hold on to your lava lava...drum roll please...7 days unlimited wi-fi for only $2.45 USD.

Yeah hooray...somebody really understands economics, price elasticity, and how mativa we usually are after the kids, and Mrs Cool Stuff make their daily visit to our wallets.

Gee...Connect Cafe/TFL/ATH...with those prices can't you come to the Territory, Apia and our beloved Savai'i? I spend 7 days worth of unlimited Connect Cafe data, in less than 10 minutes with my Manu Samoa images from Apia to Samoa News, Pago Pago bosses.

As you have read in the Samoa News, Fiji Times and others, talks are on between Bluesky and Connect Cafe's parent company, ATH.

How did this happen and is it really going to happen?

ATH executive, Ivan Fong, indicated that Bluesky shareholders reached out to ATH, that a memorandum of understanding was signed between companies, and that due diligence will take place to review the infrastructure and financial value of Bluesky. ATH folks project they will review Bluesky's Samoa assets and operations in two weeks time.

So that's how it happened, and why there is absolutely no guarantee a transaction will occur.

Well, we can always dream, that a personable straight up ATH exec, like Ivan Fong will at least take a look...fix what needs fixing and preserve the good stuff

An interesting connection is that Ivan Fong has previously met Bluesky Samoa shareholder and former American Samoa Country Manager, Lewis Wolman at past Honolulu telecommunications gatherings.

Suva is a huge wonderful city, especially in our Souther Hemisphere July breezy dry winter. Fly Fiji Air and maybe bring your ATH/Bluesky cell?

Suva, FIJI– Government representatives from Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Samoa together with international stakeholders have launched a mission to protect Pacific coconut diversity and associated livelihoods from climate change impacts and other threats.
 
The mission is being coordinated by Bioversity International and The International Coconut Genetic Resources Network (COGENT) in partnership with the Pacific Community (SPC) through its Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees.
 
Getting under way now, the three-year project, Upgrading and broadening the new South-Pacific International Coconut Genebank, aims to conserve Pacific coconut genetic resources for current and future generations.
 
The project is funded by the Darwin Initiative, a UK government grants plan that helps to protect biodiversity worldwide.
 
The coconut is an important livelihood and food security crop for more than 10 million farmers who cultivate coconut palms worldwide on around 30 million acres of land.
 
In many Pacific islands, coconut biodiversity is already seriously threatened by soil salinization and climate change impacts, with potential sea level rise a looming threat.
 
Through the project, a new International Coconut Genebank (ICG) is to be established in Papua New Guinea where an existing ICG-SP facility is believed to be threatened by a phytoplasma Bogia Syndrome disease with symptoms appearing similar to the lethal yellowing disease.
 
A proposed transfer of the ICG-SP facility, partly supported by the Government of Papua New Guinea, from Madang to Punipuni, with a duplication back up planned in Fiji and Samoa, is also a unique opportunity to collect and protect endangered cultivars.
 
 “The Darwin initiative is important for sustainability of our local genetic diversity for future prosperity in terms of utilization for livelihood security, and to address the current threats posed by pests and diseases and global warming,” Alan Aku from Kokonas Indastri Korporesen (KIK) in Papua New Guinea said at an inception workshop for the project in Fiji.
 
Also remarking on the significance of the project for the region, Assistant Chief Executive Officer of Samoa’s Ministry of Agriculture, Misa Konelio, said that the “coconut is a tree of life and conserving unique diversity supported by innovative approaches and capacity building helps to secure this important resource for food security in our country.”
 
Fiji’s Acting Director for Research, Apaitia Macanawai stated, “How can we live without coconut? Coconut is about food and nutrient security and income generation for our people. This project is important to conserve our unique diversity for addressing global challenges.”
 
The project will amend the current list of coconut varieties held in the ICG-SP with new varieties selected from other Pacific countries based on validated criteria.
 
A partner-panel of experts from international, regional and local organizations will collaborate to identify the most threatened coconut varieties on habitat loss over the next 40 years.
 
A zone of ‘most-endangered areas’ will be established and explored for identification and characterization of unknown or “orphan” coconut varieties.
 
The selected rare varieties collected will then be safely transferred to be conserved within their genebanks in Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Samoa sites.
 
Another key expected outcome of the project is building the capacity of genebank staff and training young scientists in coconut breeding and conservation.
 
An inception workshop for the project last month brought the partners together, including COGENT/Bioversity International; the curator of the South Pacific International Coconut Genebank, hosted by the Cocoa Coconut Institute (CCI) in Papua New Guinea (PNG); SPC; the Centre de coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD); as well as representatives from the governments of Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Samoa. The Global Crop Diversity Trust (GCDT) and the Asia Pacific Coconut Community (APCC) are also involved in the new project.

As coastal erosion and sea level rise eats away the Solomon Islands due to climate change, the Pacific island nations are considering the world's first international treaty that would ban or phase out fossil fuels and set goals for renewables.

The "Pacific Climate Treaty" is currently under consideration after the fourth annual Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) held in the Solomon Islands this week.

During the two-day summit, 14 presidents, prime ministers and ambassadors from the island countries and territories discussed solutions to the Pacific's development challenges.

“[Leaders] seemed convinced that this is an avenue where the Pacific could again show or build on the moral and political leadership that they've shown earlier in their efforts to tackle climate change," Mahendra Kumar, climate change advisor to PIDF, told the Guardian.

The treaty is being utilized as a way to implement the aspirational 1.5 degrees Celsius target set by the Paris COP21 climate talks in the Pacific region, according to the Pacific Islands Climate Action Network (PICAN), a coalition of NGOs that wrote the treaty.

The proposed treaty will be studied and a report will be presented at the 2017 summit.

"Expressing positive reviews to our proposal, the Leaders agreed to 'note the content of the draft Pacific Climate Treaty and approve that further consultations be undertaken, with a report back at the 5th PIDF Leaders Summit next year' for possible adoption," PICAN wrote on its Facebook page. "This is a major accomplishment for our PICAN team working in partnership with our Government Leaders to lead the sustainable development agenda of the region."

Kumar said the treaty could be ratified in 2018.

The PIDF was created in 2013 by Fiji. This year's summit excluded Australia and New Zealand, which were part of earlier talks. At last year's talks, Australia and New Zealand were criticized by their smaller and developing island neighbors for having less ambitious climate change targets and for not doing more to combat climate change.

“Pacific island leaders are among the most proactive in the world on global warming because their countries are bearing the brunt of climate changes ... Their willingness to consider a Pacific climate treaty shows much-needed leadership on the world's most pressing environmental challenge," Joeteshna Gurdayal Zenos, acting head of Pacfic Net, which is Greenpeace Australia Pacific's climate justice project, told the Guardian.

Auckland Future, the new centre right ticket contesting upcoming Auckland Council elections, has selected community leader So’oalo Setu Mua to replace Christina Atoa who has had to stand down for health reasons.

Auckland Future chairman Peter Tong, said while regretting the loss of Christina on the Auckland Future ticket for Manukau, he was delighted that So’oalo had been selected.

“As a trained teacher with a Bachelor in Education – Adult Teaching - from Massey University So’oalo is a passionate advocate for personal advancement through educational opportunity. He has been at the forefront of both the Samoa College Old Pupils Association in New Zealand and served at a management level at the Martin Hautus Institute, a private training organization providing quality education and training with a focus on Pacific and Maori learners.”

So’oalo was on the organizing committees for both the Cyclone Winston 2016 relief project and the Samoa Savalalo Market fundraising appeal 2016. He is co-organiser of the ‘Walking Samoans’ initiative in Otara, Mangere and Tamaki which promotes health and wellness by engaging the Pacific community in these areas to take part in regular walks three days a week.

His previous work includes designing and delivery of cultural programmes for the Ministry of Justice to Pacific inmates at Mt Eden and Wiri Women’s Prison.

He has undertaken contract projects for both the Auckland City Council, Entrust (former Auckland Energy Consumer Trust) and Ministry of Health promoting Pacific community engagement and health promotion.

So’oalo will join Ika Tameifuna to contest the two seats for Council in the Manukau ward.