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1 C Y M K Bluesky Communications brought Christmas early to the territory with the launch of their new 4G wireless broadband mobile service in American Samoa yesterday. The day culminated with a fireworks display over the Bay area that had spectators cheering and clapping. [photo: TG] samoanews.com Daily CirCulation 7,000 PAGO PAGO, AMERICAN SAMOA WEdNESdAy, december 14, 2011 $1.00 Matafao Elementary is celebrating tis the season with a Christmas in Samoa week, which began on Monday, Dec. 12. The spirit week focuses on creating Christmas ornaments and items, i.e. trees, banners, wreathes, snowmen, using local natural resources and any Samoan-made items. Hosted by their Music Committee, Matafao students from level K to Level 8, including ECE and SP-ED are competing for monetary prizes to be presented next week Monday. Look for some of the creations on display on the school s fence area each day as you pass by. (See inside for more photos of Matafao students creations) [photos: THA] ASSAC says it has & does NOT voluntarily withdraw its proposal for call center C Y M K Miss South Pacific Alisi Rabukawaqa (Miss Fiji) after winning the crown last Saturday night in Apia. [Photo: Naenae Productions] by Fili Sagapolutele Samoa News Correspondent American Samoa Services Associate Corporation (ASSAC) says it has not voluntarily withdrawn its proposal for the call center project as local acting CPO Ivy TaufaÕ asau says it did, because the territorial government didnõ t even Ô mention the possibilityõ of a 50/50 match fund requirement, until months after it had submitted its proposal. The companyõ s vice president, John R. Dwyer Jr., was responding to a Samoa News story last Friday, in which TaufaÕ asau is quoted saying that she had received letters from American Pacific Resources Inc. and ASSAC withdrawing from the project and both companies Ò cited the 50% matching requirement as the reasonó. TaufaÕ asau wrote separate letters last week Monday to the two companies acknowledging receipt of their letters Ò and acceptance of your voluntary withdrawal.ó The project, overseen by the Department of Human Resources (DHR), is funded with the National Emergency Grant (NEG). However, in a Dec. 9 letter, Dwyer informed TaufaÕ asau that ASSAC Ò has and does NOT Ô voluntarily withdrawõ its Ô Proposal for the Development of a Call Center Training Facility in American SamoaÕ dated Sept. 2, 2010.Ó Dwyer made it clear to TaufaÕ asau that it is ASSACÕ s position that after submitting its proposal for the RFP and in participating in a number of lengthy meetings with DHR director Evelyn Vaitautolu Langford and C.L. Cheshire and others over a 4-5 month period, the American Samoa Government, by its Procurement Officer, accepted ASSAC s proposal in writing. (Cheshire is a senior program development manager for the Pacific Business Center in Honolulu. He is providing technical assistance to ASG for tsunami related grants through a Dept. of Interior program.) Ò In spite of that acceptance and its legal obligations, ASG subsequently added a Ô matching fundsõ component that was not included in either ASSACÕ s proposal or the extensive discussions with... Langford et. al,ó he wrote to TaufaÕ asau. Ò Thus, please do Ô notõ consider ASSACÕ s action as a voluntary withdrawal of its proposal or its rights under its agreement with ASG,Ó he said in the letter, which was copied to Langford and Cheshire. In October this year, ASSAC president Mark Hunsaker informed Langford that the company (Continued on page 15)

2 Page 2 samoa news, Wednesday, December 14, 2011 GEAR UP Director Tupua Roy Fua (center) is seen here with staff and students at the program s headquarters on the ASCC campus. GEAR UP assisted potential college students with the application process during its College Night last week. [Photo: J. Kneubuhl] ASCC GEAR UP holds College Night By ASCC Staff Ms. Baker also urged all students not registered On Monday, December 6th, the GEAR UP for Federal Financial Aid to come to the GEAR program, hosted by the American Samoa Community College (ASCC), welcomed over 150 late registration will only delay receiving finan- UP Office for assistance, and reminded them that people to the third Parent, Student and Teacher cial assistance. Ms. Baker and Director Tupua College Night event for the Fall 2011 Semester. emphasized that college scholarships are available, but students themselves must initiate and The GEAR UP College Night, held at the ASCC Lecture Hall, featured three presentations of special interest to high school seniors who will grad- Office staff is available to assist and serve as a prepare scholarship applications. Ò The GEAR UP uate in June resource, though students must not wait until the In his welcoming remarks, GEAR UP Director last minute, said Ms. Baker. Make an appointment and come in after school to start the process.ó Tupua Roy Fua highlighted the urgent need for all graduating seniors to get serious, pay more For the final presentation, which Tupua attention to their studies, and prepare for their described as Ò quite the eye opener for all who transition to college. Ò The GEAR UP programõ s attended,ó the GEAR UP staff shared the test primary mission for the last five years has been results of the GUAS College Practice Placement Exam taken by approximately 700 GEAR to prepare you for college,ó said Tupua. Ò You are your familyõ s future; and they depend on you to UP Seniors this past October. Test results were complete a good education and become a person broken down by cohort high schools, and overall they can be proud of. You must get serious, work showed a large percentage of students testing smart and study hard.ó below average. Math results showed higher GEAR UP Math Instructor Mr. Anthony Felise scores then the English results, and the four private schools showed higher scores compared to introduced the evening s first presenters, ASCC Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society Chapter President Sophia AÕ asa and Vice President Gemmir that the key responsibility sits with the students. the DOE schools. Felise and Baker both stressed Luardo, who shared information about the PTK Ò Too often, students donõ t take the SAT, ACT, organization, its mission, and benefits PTK students are entitled to when they accept the rig- while the fact of the matter is these exams impact ASVAB or College Placement Exams seriously, orous academic, community service and leadership challenge. Specifically, all PTK students are To underscore the importance of students the path you take in life,ó stated Tupua. offered scholarships and invitations to continue making adequate preparations for their college their college education to over 600 colleges and placement tests, Tupua presented data from universities across the U.S. which are chartered ASCC. Ò Just last semester, 95-97% of new PTK affiliates. freshmen college applicants took the ASCC College Placement Exam and were placed in remedial Next, GEAR UP Instructors announced information and important dates for the Scholastic Math and English,Ó he pointed out. Ò Therefore, Aptitude Test (SAT), which graduating seniors we cannot overstate the urgency of high school must take if they intend to go to college. Felise students getting serious with their studies and and English Instructor/Counselor Lori Baker provided information needed for the next testing date, ASVAB and College Placement Exams. making better preparations for the SAT, ACT, which is January 28, Ms Baker explained GEAR UP stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Pro- that an SAT fee waiver worth $49.00 is available at the GEAR UP Office for students who sign grams. GEAR UP American Samoa or GUAS is up for the exam. As of December, GEAR UP headquartered on the ASCC campus and can be has issued 225 SAT test waivers to GEAR UP reached at You can also visit their web students. page at ALL PUZZLE ANSWERS ON PAGE 14

3 samoa news, Wednesday, December 14, 2011 Page 3 StarKist is pleased to sign MOU with local government LOOkS forward to finalizing the details by Fili Sagapolutele Samoa News Correspondent StarKist Co. spokesperson Mary Sestric says the Pittsburghbased company is Ò pleased to have signedó a Memorandum of Understanding with the American Samoa government regarding land to be used for a cold storage facility. Ò The structure is Ò critically needed for StarKist operations in American Samoa,Ó Sestric said yesterday responding to Samoa News questions. Ò We look forward to working with the Governor and the American Samoa Government to finalize the details of this agreement soon.ó The 42,000 square foot parcel of land for construction of the facility lies directly between the Port Administration building and the inter-island dock, according to the governor s office, but didnõ t provide any other details such as funding for the cold storage facility. Togiola on his radio program in early October said his administration is working on building a multi-million dollar freezer storage facility to provide fish storage space for not only the canneries but the local fishing fleet, which is part of the governmentõ s commitment to assist the canneries in the territory. According to the governor, the administration was to submit a funding application to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The MOU was signed Monday afternoon after meetings between the governor and his staffers and StarKist president and chief executive officer In-Soo Cho and Dongwon Industries board chairman Jaechul Kim. This major achievement in cooperation between the company and ASG caps the StarKist board meeting held last week in the territory. Ò StarKist would like to take the opportunity to thank the Governor and the people of American Samoa for their generous hospitality while the StarKist Board of Directors and executive team were on island last week,ó Sestric said via from Pittsburgh. Ò We appreciate the renewed support our team received from the American Samoa government, business partners and the community as a whole.ó Ò We look forward to ongoing partnership with American Samoa and its leaders in working to restore the island to its position as a globally competitive tuna processor, for the mutual benefit of StarKist and American Samoa,Ó she said. Kim emphasized to reporters last week the importance of continuous collaborative efforts between StarKist and the territorial government as well as the local community in order for American Samoa be more ANNUAL TERRITORIAL CHRISTMAS ADDRESS competitive in the global tuna processing industry. As noted by Samoa News in its story on Monday, some public comments have began to come to light, with environmental concerns about the site being their main focus. Reach the reporter at [email protected] HOLIDAY SEASON ROOM SPECIALS Reservation call: Now thru January 4th Local ID Only 1 night - $120 per night 2 nights - $98 per night 3 nights - $89 per night Pava ia i Elementary School Choir presents... Music, Our Universal Language Celebrating the music of the past and present, and Jolly Christmas arena filled with excitement and joy DATE:December 16, 2011 TIME: 6:30pm VENUE: ASCC Gymnasium Tickets Sold at School Campus - $5.00 Come celebrate an evening of Christmas caroling and more... For more information: Call AND LIVE PROGRAM by Samoa News Staff Gov. Togiola Tulafono will deliver his annual Territorial Christmas Address at tonightõ s opening of the ASG sponsored Territorial Christmas Program, which is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. at the Malaeoletalu Fagatogo Pavilion and will be broadcast live on KVZK-TV. A special part of the opening program will include a Gold Star Families Recognition Ñ in honor of the families who lost a family member in a combat zone. The mission of Gold Star Family is to see that all 50 states and U.S. territories honor their Fallen Warriors with a Gold Star Family license plate. The First Lady Mary Ann Tulafono will also turn on the lights for the territoryõ s Christmas tree. Choirs from six government departments and offices will taking the stage to perform Christmas songs and skits for the Christmas program. First on stage is the Governor s Office, which will also provide hymns for the opening prayer service, and the last choir of the evening will be the Dept. of Public Safety. The program continues tomorrow night with six departments and offices and the final night on Friday will have eight choirs with closing remarks offered by Lt. Gov. Faoa Aitofele Sunia. Some small departments and offices have been combined to make larger choirs. The administration invites the public to come out to the Fagatogo malae to watch and enjoy the evening of Christmas song and music for the holiday season. Togiola said this program Ò has become a wonderful opportunity to rejoice in the many blessings we enjoy as an island community through the joyful celebration in song, dance, skits and plays of the festive season.ó 12 of DAYS On the 2nd day of Christmas... R ockford Fosgate 12 Prime Subwoofer Model Number R2D4-12 Dual 4 ohm Voice Coils 500 Watts Samoa s only Authorized Rockford Fosgate Dealer Christmas Sale Reg. Price $ Sale Price $90.00 External Portable Hard Disk Drives 320GB to 1TB 2.5 Portable 500GB to 3TB 3.5 Desktop 20% OFF Discount Electronics Fa atamalii Center Malaeimi Sale items limited to stock on hand no rain checks Sale price good thru Monday December 14, 2011

4 Page 4 samoa news, Wednesday, December 14, 2011 A CRiSiS in GOvERNANCE: Protests that marked 2011 show anger at corruption in politics and public sector (BASED ON A PRESS RELEASE) Berlin, 1 December 2011 Ñ Corruption continues to plague too many countries around the world, according to Transparency InternationalÕ s 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index released today. It shows some governments failing to protect citizens from corruption, be it abuse of public resources, bribery or secretive decision-making. Transparency International warned that protests around the world, often fueled by corruption and economic instability, clearly show citizens feel their leaders and public institutions are neither transparent nor accountable enough. Ò This year we have seen corruption on protestorsõ banners be they rich or poor. Whether in a Europe hit by debt crisis or an Arab world starting a new political era, leaders must heed the demands for better government,ó said Huguette Labelle, Chair of Transparency International. CORRUPtION PERCEPtIONS INdEx 2011: RESULtS The index scores 183 countries and territories from 0 (highly corrupt) to 10 (very clean) based on perceived levels of public sector corruption. It uses data from 17 surveys that look at factors such as enforcement of anti-corruption laws, access to information and conflicts of interest. Two thirds of ranked countries score less than 5. New Zealand ranks first (for least perceived corruption) followed by Finland and Denmark. Somalia and North Korea (included in the index for the first time), are last. Ò 2011 saw the movement for greater transparency take on irresistible momentum, as citizens around the world demand accountability from their governments. High-scoring countries show that over time efforts to improve transparency can, if sustained, be successful and benefit their people, said Transparency International Managing Director, Cobus de Swardt. Most Arab Spring countries rank in the lower half of the index, scoring below 4. Before the Arab Spring, a Transparency International report on the region warned that nepotism, bribery and patronage were so deeply engrained in daily life that even existing anti-corruption laws had little impact. Eurozone countries suffering debt crises, partly because of public authoritiesõ failure to tackle the bribery and tax evasion that are key drivers of debt crisis, are among the lowest-scoring EU countries. The United States ranks 24th, Samoa is ranked 69th, Tonga ranks at 95, Philippines is ranked 129th. (American Samoa is not ranked, but this could be due to American territories, such as Guam, Virgin Islands, etc. are not ranked individually Ñ and are perhaps included in the U.S. ranking, indicated as 24th with a score of 7.1) To download the report, go to: (Source: Transparency International media release) editorial POliCY ChANge LEttERS to the EdItOR ANd GUESt EdItORIAL POLICy In order to provide space for as many letters as possible, we ask readers to limit the length of their comments. All letters should be no more than 300 words in length, and must include the writerõ s name, phone number and address. We use this information to verify the letterõ s authenticity. The Samoa News does not give out any phone numbers or addresses, unless the letter writer wishes such information to be displayed with his/her letter. A letter to the Editor that cannot be verified will not be published. A change in the Samoa News letters policy is that a letter will no longer be published with Ô Name Withheld by RequestÕ or a writerõ s preferred alias. The letter must be signed by the letter writer in order for it to be published, and the true name of the letter writer must appear at the bottom of any letter. Letters should be typed or neatly written. When using acronyms in letters, please spell out the acronyms in order to make letters clear for the readers. All letters are subject to editing for space, content, grammar, and libel. This protects both the newspaper and the writer. If a letter is potentially libelous, slanderous or appears to have been written with malice or harmful intent, it will be edited or rejected. On occasion, we are forced to edit or omit letters to the Editor that are grossly inaccurate, unfair or cross the boundaries of good taste, but we never edit or omit a letter just because we disagree with the writerõ s viewpoint. If the editor comments about a letter, the reader may respond with at least as many words as were used by the editor. Letters criticizing the Samoa News are accepted, and even encouraged, as long as the criticism is constructive and to the point. POLItICAL LEttERS All political letters should be concise and to the point and must include the name, address and phone number of the writer for verification purposes. The true name of the letter writer must appear at the bottom of any political letter. We will not publish any political letters during this campaign season with names withheld or aliases. Letters to the Editor that directly attack a political candidate or camp must be signed and verified and the true name of the writer must appear at the bottom of the letter. Once a letter is verified and the letter writer signs his/her name, Samoa News will attempt to get comment from the candidate or camp being attacked, and the reply will be published with the letter. To ensure fairness, no letters for or against any candidate will be published in the last edition of the Samoa News prior to election day. GUESt EdItORIAL Guest editorials should be no more than 600 words in length. Please mark your letter if you want it considered as a guest editorial. As in the case of letters, guest editorials must include name, address and phone number for verification purposes and the writer s true name must appear on the guest editorial. GENERAL POLICy All letters and guest editorials once accepted for publication become the property of Samoa News. Priority is given to letters that discuss issues rather than personalities. Samoa News reserves the right to accept or reject any letter or guest editorial. 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 Contact us by Telephone at (684) Contact us by Fax at (684) Contact us by 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.

5 samoa news, Wednesday, December 14, 2011 Page 5 LBJ projects $10 Mil shortfall for FY 2012 UNCERtAIN SUbSIdIES drive RAtE hikes by Fili Sagapolutele Samoa News Correspondent Faced with serious financial woes, the LBJ Medical Center is projecting a shortfall of more than $10 million for the current fiscal year 2012, and the hospital plans to move forward with facility rate increases on Christmas Eve. The hospital Ñ which exhausted all its reserves in FY 2011 due to the failure of the territorial government to pay the remainder of required subsidies (about $2.5 million) Ñ is proposing a drastic fee increase of between % effective Dec. 24, prompting meetings between the Fono leaders and Gov. Togiola Tulafono as well as two House committee hearings this week. It was during the House Health/LBJ Hospital Committee hearing yesterday that LBJ chief executive officer Mike Gerstenberger revealed the shortfall, in response to House Vice Speaker Talia FaÕ afetai IaulualoÕ s question, asking if LBJ had explored other alternatives instead of imposing Ò drasticó rate hikes. Gerstenberger said all options were explored by the hospital, but there is an uncertainty as to whether the territorial government will continue to pay its subsidy in FY 2012, which is used to pay the hospitalõ s matching funds for Medicaid. He said the Interior Department, which provides annual grant funding for hospital operations, is operating on a continuing resolution without a federal budget for FY When asked Monday about DOI funding, Gerstenberger told Samoa News that since the U.S. Congress has not yet passed a budget for the current fiscal year, DOI has been operating under a series of continuing resolutions. That effectively means they cannot project support beyond the term of the current resolution.ó Ò For budgeting purposes, we were told that we should expect the same level of support from DOI for Fiscal 2012 as we received last year - that was $7,943,000 or $661,917 per month,ó he explained. Asked how much LBJ has received so far in DOI funding for the current fiscal year, Gerstenberger said the hospital in October received $637,000; $371,000 in November; and $576,000 in December - totaling more than $1.58 million or 79.7% of the total Ò owedó. Ò We are very grateful for the DOI support and understand the uncertainty regarding future support, if any, is not the fault of the Department but rather of the Congress,Ó said Gerstenberger. Asked about Medicaid funding, he said the total available to American Samoa is about $25 million this year and the matching fund portion for FY 2012 is 45% local and 55% federal. This means American Samoa would have to come up with $20,454,545 (or $20.45 million) match for the feds to kick in the $25 million. He explained the federal components of Ò MedicaidÓ include the FMAP [Federal Medical Assistance Percentage], the EAP [Employee Assistance Programs], the SCHIP [State ChildrenÕ s Health Insurance Program] and the ACA [Affordable Care Act]. The $25 million covers all these components. COMMIttEE hearing Gerstenberger told the committee that in this type of financial situation, in any operation faced with a projected shortfall, the thing to do is look at reducing payroll costs, and for (Continued on page 15) There was plenty of entertainment, games, food, local entertainment and the ultimate a fireworks display at the end of the special day during Bluesky Communications 4G wireless broadband mobile launch carnival on Monday night at Utulei Beach that was attended by close to 1,000 people. It was the end of Bluesky s day-long celebration to launch what it is calling the [photo: Jeff Hayner] most advanced broadband network in the South Pacific. BIG SALE! 20% OFF ALL ITEMS IN STORE (Not including Handmade & Local Supply items!) Merchandise Shipped Directly from the USA COSMETICS PERFUMES SPIDERMAN/HULK PERSONAL DVD PLAYER DIGITAL CAMERA PICTURE FRAMES WITH JESUS ON IT WATCHES FLASH DRIVE WALL CLOCKS EARPHONES FOR IPODS, MP3, MP4, CD, CLOTHES DVD PLAYERS, ETC. BABY ITEMS MP3 and many more toys & items to choose from. TOYS & Merchandise Shipped Directly from the USA! ALL CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS GARLANDS CHRISTMAS RIBBONS & ALL CHRISTMAS LIGHTS Your One Stop Store For All Your Christmas Shopping! PARADISE GIFT CENTER Paradise, Inc. In front of Laufou Shopping Center Open from 8:00am-8pm

6 Page 6 samoa news, Wednesday, December 14, 2011 House Republicans muscle tax cut bill A cocktail party with special guests, including Gov. Togiola Tulafono and the First Lady Mary Ann, was a part of the Bluesky Communications 4G wireless broadband mobile launch Monday night at DDW in Utulei which also included a fantastic fireworks display to finish the special day off. (L-R) Bluesky CEO Adolfo Montenegro, DHSS Director Lei Stevenson, Rochelle Reid, with other guests.) [photo: Jeff Hayner] WASHINGTON (AP) -- Defiant Republicans pushed legislation through the House Tuesday night that would keep alive Social Security payroll tax cuts for some 160 million Americans at President Barack Obama s request - but also would require construction of a Canada-to-Texas oil pipeline that has sparked a White House veto threat. Passage, on a largely party-line vote of , sent the measure toward its certain demise in the Democratic-controlled Senate, triggering the final partisan showdown of a remarkably quarrelsome year of divided government. The legislation Ò extends the payroll tax relief, extends and reforms unemployment insurance and protects Social Security - without jobkilling tax hikes, Republican House Speaker John Boehner declared after the measure had cleared. Referring to the controversy over the Keystone XL pipeline, he added, Ò Our bill includes sensible, bipartisan measures to help the private sector create jobs.ó On a day of finger pointing, however, House Democrats accused Republicans of protecting Ò millionaires and billionaires, `Õ and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., derided the GOP-backed pipeline provision as Ò ideological candyó for the tea party-set. After the House vote, the White House urged Congress on in finishing work on extending the tax cuts and jobless aid. Press Secretary Jay Carney issued a statement that didnõ t mention the pipeline but renewed ObamaÕ s insistence that the legislation be paid for, at least in part, by Ò asking the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair shareó in higher tax levies. Lawmakers Ò cannot go on vacation before agreeing to prevent a tax hike on 160 million Americans and extending unemployment insurance,ó he said. Republicans mocked ObamaÕ s objections to their version of the bill. Ò Mr. President, we canõ t wait,ó said House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia, employing a refrain the White House often uses to criticize Republicans for failing to take steps to improve an economy struggling to recover from the worst recession in decades. Voting in favor of the legislation were 224 Republicans and 10 Democrats, while 179 Democrats and 14 Republicans opposed it. At its core, the measure did include key parts of the jobs program that Obama asked Congress to approve in September. The Social Security payroll tax cuts approved a year ago to help stimulate the economy would be extended through 2012, avoiding a loss of take-home income for wage-earners. An expiring program of unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless would remain in place, although at reduced levels that the administration said would cut off aid for 3.3 million. A third major component would avert a threatened 27 percent cut in payments to doctors who treat Medicare patients, a provision Republicans added to appeal to conservatives but one that the White House and Democrats embrace, too. While the tax and unemployment provisions were less generous than Obama sought, he and Republicans clashed principally over steps to cover the estimated $180 billion cost of the measure, and on the proposed 1,700-mile Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada through environmentally sensitive terrain in Nebraska to the Texas Gulf Coast. Obama recently delayed a decision on granting a permit for the pipeline until after the 2012 election. The payroll tax legislation was one of three major bills that Congress was struggling to finish before adjourning for the year, and by far the most contentious. A measure covering Pentagon spending was ready for passage, and, separately, negotiators said they were close to a deal on a $1 trillion measure to fund most government agencies through the end of the budget year. That deal was in limbo, though, with Obama and congressional Democrats using it as leverage to keep House Republicans at the table negotiating a final compromise on the tax and unemployment measure. It was the final showdown of a year that once brought the government to the brink of a shutdown and also pushed the Treasury to the cusp of a first-ever default. Those confrontations produced last-minute compromises. This time, leaders in both parties stressed a desire to renew the unemployment tax cuts and jobless benefits that are at the core of ObamaÕ s jobs program. Obama and most Democrats favor an income surtax on milliondollar earners to pay for extending the Social Security tax cut, but Republicans oppose that, saying it is a violation of their pledge not to raise taxes. Instead, the House bill called for a one-year pay freeze and higher pension costs for federal workers, higher Medicare costs for seniors over $80,000 in income as well as other items to cover the cost. ObamaÕ s veto message focused on economic issues - which unite Democrats - accusing Republicans of putting the burden of paying for the legislation on working families Ò while giving a free pass to the wealthiest and to big corporations by protecting their loopholes and subsidies.ó Republicans drew attention at every turn to the pipeline, which is backed by some lawmakers in the presidentõ s party as well as by the blue-collar unions representing plumbers, pipefitters, electricians, carpenters and construction workers. Estimates of the jobs that would be produced by pipeline construction vary widely but are in the thousands in a time of high national unemployment. The State Department estimated the total at (Continued on page 14)

7 samoa news, Wednesday, December 14, 2011 Page 7 Attack in Belgian city leaves 5 dead and 122 wounded LIEGE, Belgium (AP) -- Summoned for questioning by Belgian police, a man with a history of weapons and drug offenses left home armed with hand grenades, a revolver and an assault rifle. Stopping at a central square filled with holiday shoppers, he lobbed three grenades into the crowd, then opened fire. Four people were killed, including an 18-month-old toddler, and 122 were wounded in the assault Tuesday that brought tragedy to the pre-christmas season of students reveling in exam results and preschoolers enchanted by brightly lit trees and holiday stalls. Authorities said the shooter also died, but they were at a loss to explain the reason for the onslaught. The prime minister said it was not related to terrorism. In a second burst of deadly violence in Western Europe on Tuesday - attacks rare for the continent - a man shot and killed two Senegalese vendors at a market in Italy. The midday attack in the eastern Belgian city of Liege sent hundreds of panicked shoppers stampeding down the cobbled streets of the old city, fleeing explosions and bullets. Belgian authorities identified the shooter as Nordine Amrani, a 33-year-old Liege resident who had done jail time for offenses involving guns and drugs, and had been called in for questioning Tuesday in a sexual abuse case. Officials said Amrani left his home with a backpack, armed with hand grenades, a revolver and an FAL assault rifle. He walked alone to the busy Place Saint-Lambert, the central entry point to downtown shopping streets, then climbed onto an overpass that gave him an ideal view of the square, which was bedecked with a huge Christmas tree and crowded with shoppers. From there, Amrani lobbed three hand grenades toward a central bus stop, which serves 1,800 buses a day, and opened fire. The explosions sent shards of glass from the bus shelter across a wide area. Ò I heard a loud boom,ó said Dimitri Degryse, who was driving near the square. Ò I thought it was something on my car that was broken or something. Then a few seconds after a second boom, and I saw all the glass breaking, I saw people running, screaming.ó Hundreds fled the square as well as a nearby Christmas market. Video showed people, including a large group of preschoolers, rushing to seek cover, some still carrying shopping bags. Amrani died at the scene, but Liege Prosecutor Danielle Reynders told reporters he was not killed by police. It was unclear if he committed suicide or died by accident, though he still had a number of grenades with him. Those killed were two boys ages 15 and 17, a 75-year-old woman, and an 18-month-old toddler who died Tuesday evening in the hospital, Liege police said. As police hunted for possible accomplices, residents were ordered to stay in their homes or seek shelter in shops or public buildings. Sirens blared and a police chopper roared overhead, and a medical post was set up in the nearby courtyard of the Prince Bishops courthouse. Dozens of emergency vehicles took victims away for treatment. Police closed off the area but found no accomplices, and calm returned a few hours later. The Place Saint-Lambert and the nearby Place du Marche host LiegeÕ s annual Christmas market, which features 200 shops and attracts some 1.5 million visitors a year. A nearby Ferris wheel is also a central attraction. By dusk, with the Christmas lights gleaming again, King Albert II and Queen Paola came to pay their respects, as did Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo. Di Rupo stressed the attack was the act of a lone assailant, a man known to police who had no links to terrorism. Ò The whole country shares in the pain. This is an isolated case. This is not about terrorism,ó he said. Herman Van Rompuy, a former Belgian prime minister who is now president of the European Council, said he was badly shaken by the attack. Ò There is no explanation whatsoever,ó Van Rompuy said. Ò It leaves me perplexed and shocked.ó While such attacks are unusual in Western Europe, the continent has not been immune to such violence. There was another deadly shooting Tuesday in Italy, where a man opened fire in an outdoor market in Florence, killing two vendors from Senegal and wounding three other Senegalese before killing himself, authorities said. Investigators identified the attacker as 50-year-old Gianluca Casseri, and RAI state TV said he was known to police for having participated in racist marches by an extreme right-wing group. In Norway last July, far-right extremist Anders Behring Breivik went on a bomb and shooting spree that killed 77 people in Oslo and an island retreat, apparently motivated by a hatred of Muslim immigrants and a deep grudge against the governing Labor Party. A psychiatric evaluation found him criminally insane, which if upheld by the courts means he would end up in compulsory psychiatric care instead of prison. PH: Fantastic Friday$ALE 1 Day only! 8am 6p m Friday Dec. 16th ALL DAY! $50 $ Canon Digital Cam 14.1 Megapixel $10 $299 Futon Sofa 99 Digital Camcorder 5MP Coby $49 Your Choice 99 Samsung EZ View DVD Player $449 Xbox360 Console 250GB Kinect w/game 99 $29 Air Mattress Double 99 $14 $ 99 Craftsman 8pc Screwdriver Set 499 TV 32 LCD MAGAVOX $229 CD System Sharp More Deals in Store! 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8 Page 8 samoa news, Wednesday, December 14, 2011 The Matafao Elementary Christmas in Samoa creations from students in K levels to Level 8, including ECE and SP-ED. They can be seen on display along the school s fence area as you pass by. [photos: THA] C Y M K Original offering found at Teotihuacan pyramid MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Archaeologists announced Tuesday that they dug to the very core of MexicoÕ s tallest pyramid and found what may be the original ceremonial offering placed on the site of the Pyramid of the Sun before construction began. The offerings found at the base of the pyramid in the Teotihuacan ruin site just north of Mexico City include a green serpentine stone mask so delicately carved and detailed that archaeologists believe it may have been a portrait. The find also includes 11 ceremonial clay pots dedicated to a rain god similar to Tlaloc, who was still worshipped in the area 1,500 years later, according to a statement by the National Institute of Anthropology and History, or INAH. The offerings, including bones of an eagle fed rabbits as well as feline and canine animals that haven t yet been identified, were laid on a sort of rubble base where the temple was erected about A.D. 50. Ò We know that it was deposited as part of a consecration ritual for the construction of the Pyramid of the Sun,Ó said INAH archaeologist Enrique Perez Cortes. Experts followed an old tunnel dug through the pyramid by researchers in the 1930s that narrowly missed the center, and then dug small extensions and exploratory shafts off it. What they found points to the earliest days of the still largely mysterious Teotihuacan culture. The remains of three structures that predate the pyramid were found buried at the base. Archaeologists have known that the ceremonial significance of the site, perhaps as a Ò linkó to the underworld, predates the pyramids. They also found seven burials, some of them infant remains. Susan Gillespie, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Florida who was not involved in the project, called the find exciting and important, although I would not say it was unexpectedó given that dedicatory offerings were commonly placed in MesoAmerican pyramids. Ò It is exciting that what looks like the original foundation dedicatory cache for what was to become the largest (in height) pyramid in Mexico (and one of the largest in the world) has finally been found, after much concerted efforts looking for it,ó Gillespie wrote in an . She said the find gives a better picture of the continuity of religious practices during TeotihuacanÕ s long history. Some of the same themes found in the offering are repeated in ancient murals painted on the cityõ s walls centuries later. George Cowgill, an anthropologist at Arizona State University, called the find pretty important and suggested the Tlaloc offerings may thicken the debate about whether the pyramid was linked to the sun, the underworld or Tlaloc, who was also considered a war god. Ò The discovery of seven humans suggests that they were probably sacrificial victims, along with several species of fierce animals,ó Cowgill wrote. The city was founded nearly 2,500 years ago and came to have a dominant influence in architecture, trade and cultural in large swaths of ancient Mexico. But the identity of its rulers remains a mystery, and the city was abandoned by the time the Aztecs arrived in the area in the 1300s and gave it the name Teotihuacan, which means Ò the place where men become gods.ó C Y M K

9 samoa news, Wednesday, December 14, 2011 Page 9 imf: Greece can t tax its people any further C Y C Y M K M K ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Greece has reached its limit in raising taxes and needs to refocus its austerity program on long-term spending cuts, the International Monetary Fund said Tuesday. The warning came as the debt-shackled eurozone member heads toward its fourth year of recession, with revenues weakening despite draconian new emergency taxes. Ò I think one of the things we have seen in 2011 is that we have reached the limit of what can be achieved through increasing taxes,ó Poul Thomsen, the IMF mission chief in Greece, told reporters in a conference call. Thomsen, speaking about the IMFÕ s latest report on GreeceÕ s progress, said the countryõ s structural reforms have fallen well short of expectations. But he said it was too early to say whether new austerity measures would have to be taken next year. Greece has relied on euro110 billion ($145 billion) bailout loan package from eurozone countries and the IMF since May 2010 to stave off default. In return, it has taken a series of debt-reducing measures, including slashing salaries and pensions and imposing several rounds of tax hikes. GreeceÕ s austerity program Ò has relied, in our view, too much on taxes and I think one of the things we have seen in 2011 is that we have reached the limit of what can be achieved through increasing taxes,ó Thomsen said. Ò Any further measures, if needed, should be on the expenditure side.ó Greece has consistently missed deficit reduction targets, and it quickly became clear that the initial bailout would not be enough to prevent a potentially catastrophic default that could drag down other eurozone countries and affect the entire global economy. European leaders in October agreed on a second rescue deal worth euro130 billion ($171 billion), with key details still being negotiated. Part of the deal includes provisions to write off 50 percent of the value of Greek bonds held by private creditors, potentially cutting the countryõ s overall debt by euro100 billion ($132 billion). Thomsen said the IMF has not been asked yet to join in the second rescue package. He would not comment on the bond-swap negotiations still under way, except to say the IMF was hopeful banks would have a Ò high participationó in the voluntary deal. In its 161-page report, the IMF said successful efforts to reduce GreeceÕ s national debt to sustainable levels now hinged on Ò nearuniversal participationó in that bond swap deal. If the bond swap deal goes according to plan, it aims to reduce GreeceÕ s debt to 120 percent of gross domestic product by However, if there is low participation by banks and other private creditors, the IMF warned, GreeceÕ s debt could stick above 145 percent of GDP in GreeceÕ s reforms have also been troubled by a lack of broad political support for the bailout program, Thomsen said. The country has also been rocked over the last year by frequent strikes and demonstrations, some of which have turned into riots. However, a political crisis led to the appointment last month of an interim coalition government headed by a former European Central Bank governor, Lucas Papademos. With the countryõ s two main political parties, plus a smaller nationalist party, now holding government seats, the situation has improved. Thomsen and other international debt inspectors are currently in Athens to review GreeceÕ s finances. They will meet with the ministers of transport, development and labor on Wednesday, Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos on Thursday, and Papademos and the finance minister on Friday. Venizelos on Tuesday discussed ways of kick-starting the countryõ s depressed economy with European officials. GreeceÕ s budget performance has continued to slip with a deep recession unraveling the revenue gains from additional taxes. The central government s deficit from January to November this year widened by 5.1 percent compared to the same period in 2010, reaching euro20.5 billion ($27 billion) from euro19.5 billion last year, finance ministry preliminary figures showed. Separately, Greece raised euro1.625 billion ($2.14 billion) in the sale of 26-week treasury bills at a yield of 4.95 percent, slightly higher than the 4.89 percent interest rate from a similar sale last month. G ot P lans for the NEW YEAR? CHECK THIS OUT. 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10 Page 10 samoa news, Wednesday, December 14, 2011 Le Lali E tutusa lava le oti ona o pili falema i ma le oti pili ASPA Se vaaiga i nisi o fanau na mafai ona auai i nisi o faagaioiga e pei o taaloga sa faia i le taelega i Utulei i le afiafi o le aso Gafua na tea nei, i le taimi na faatautaia ai polokalame a le kamupani telefoni o le Bluesky, ao lumanai ai le faamanatuina o le kerisimasi ma le tausaga fou i lenei tausaga. [ata AF] Loka i le 5 tausaga i le gaoi tusia Ausage Fausia Sa ia faatoese foi i ona matua e tusa ai i lona O le alii e 19 tausaga lea na o latou osofaia ma le usitai ma lona le faalogo, lea ua mafua ai ona nisi le faleoloa o le SamoaOne.com i Tafuna, ua saisaitia lona olaga i le toese. faõ asala e le FaÕ amasinoga Maualuga i le toõ ese Na talosaga le loia a Aokusitino o Leslie Cardin i Tafuna mo le umi e 5 tausaga, o se tasi lea o tuutuuga o lana faanofovaavaaia e 15 tausaga. E ui e tusa ma le $10,000 le tau aofai o meatotino sa gaoia i lenei osofaiga, peitai e lei poloaina e le faamasinoga le toe totogiina atu lea e le alii o Fotu Aokusitino i le kamupani na aafia, ae ua fautuaina e le faamasinoga le malo, o loo i ai le avanoa e mafai ai ona faila e le kamupani na aafia sana tagi i le Faamasinoga faasaga i le ua molia, mo le toe totogiina atu lea o meatotino uma sa faaleagaina ma gaoia. Ao lei tuuina mai le faõ asalaga a le faõ amasinoga faõ asaga ia Aokusitino, na saunoa le alii faõ amasino sili ia Michael Kruse, mai tausaga e tele talu ona avea o ia ma faamasino, o se tasi lenei o mataõ upu ua ia maitauina le tula i so o mai, o le a afia o nisi o pisinisi i gaioiga faõ asolitulafono ma faõ aletonu ai le tamaoaiga o ia pisinisi, e pei o le faõ alavelave lea ua taõ usalaina ai Aokusitino. O se pisinisi na mafai ona faõ ailoa mai e Kruse sa a afia i faiga faasolitulafono nei e aofia ai le Swiss Jewelry, lea sa ola ma manuia taumafaiga peitai ua afaina le itu tau tupe ona o faiga nei. Saunoa Kruse, o ituaiga amioga nei, e le gata ua a afia ai le tulaga ola lelei o pisinisi, ae ua a afia ai ma le tamaoaiga o le atunu u ma aiga, ina ua pe le pisinisi ma le toe maua ai galuega sa galulue ai tagata e fesoasoani ai i le tausiga o latou aiga. Na talosaga le ua molia i le faamasinoga mo se isi avanoa mo ia, ina ua maea ona ia faatoese e tusa ai o le solitulafono sa ia faia. Na taua e Aokusitino, e le o se taimi muamua lenei ua tulai ai i luma o le faamasinoga ona o solitulafono tau i le talepe fale ma le gaoi. i le faõ amasinoga ina ia faõ anofovaõ avaõ aia le ua molia, ma ia tuõ uina atu i ai nisi o polokalama e fesoasoani ai i lona olaga. Na taua e Cardin i le faõ amasinoga, e ui o lea ua taõ utino le ua molia e le o se taimi muamua lea ua tulai ai i luma o le faamasinoga ona o solitulafono faapea, peitai e i ai lona talitonuga e manaomia lava se fesoasoani mo ia. E ui e lei tetee le loia a le malo e faanofovaavaaia le ua molia, peitai sa ia finauina se faasalaga faafalepuipui e tuuina atu ia te ia. Na taua e le tamaitai loia o Mitzie Folau i le faamasinoga, e le o se taimi muamua lenei ua tausala ai le ua molia i ituaiga solitulafono nei. Na fesili Kruse ia Folau pe o le a le taimi mulimuli na asiasi ai i le toese i Tafuna, na tali Folau pe a ma le lua masina talu ai, ae na saunoa Kruse, o vaiaso uma lava e asiasi ai le Ofisa Faanofovaavaaia i le toese i Tafuna, ma o iina lea o loo maua mai ai e le faamasinoga nisi o faamatalaga e faatatau i le toese, ma faafitauli o loo tulai mai ai, e le gata i le toatele o pagota o loo taofia ai, ae foliga mai foi o le faatele ma le umi e taofia ai se tagata i totonu, o le faateteleina foi lena o le leaga o lona olaga. O Aokusitino na uluai tuuaia e le malo i moliaga o le talepe fale i le tulaga muamau, gaoi atoa ai ma lona taliaina o ni oloa sa ave faagaoi, ae i lalo o le maliliega sa ia sainia ma le malo lea foi na talia e le faamasinoga, sa ia tali ioe ai i le moliaga o le talepe fale, ae solofua isi moliaga e lua o loo totoe ai. I faamaumauga a le faamasinoga, o loo taua ai le faatonu e Aokusitino o ni alii laiti se toatolu latou te talepe ma osofai le faleoloa na aafia, lea na ia aveina ai loa nisi o oloa sa gaoia mai i lenei osofaiga. (Faaauau itulau 12) tusia Ausage Fausia E leõ i taliaina e nisi o le atunuõ u saunoaga a le kovana sili e faapea, e tua siitaga a le ASPA i le moli matagi ma le fagu karasini, ae o tua o siõ itaga a le falemaõ i o le oti, na taua e nisi na mafai ona fesiligia e le Samoa News i lenei mataupu, e talitonu latou e tutusa lava le oti ona o siitaga a le falemaõ i ma le oti ona o siitaga a le ASPA. Ò E oti foi le tagata pe afai e leai se tupe e faõ atau ai se meaõ ai ona ua alu uma e totogi ai pili a le ASPAÓ, o le saunoaga lea a Ifopo Maiava o Tafuna, o se alii e galue i se tasi o konekarate fau fale i le atunuu. Na taua e Maiava, e le tatau i le kovana ona taumafai e fai ni saunoaga e ufiufi ai le tulaga matuia ua i ai siitaga a le ASPA i le taimi nei, ona o le aitalafu a le malo lea e oõ o mai lava i le taimi nei e lei totogia mo le pili o le eletise ma le suavai, lea ua oõ o atu i le $7.2 miliona. O manatu foi ia o ni tina faiaoga talavou se toalua sa faaalia e uiga i lenei mataupu e le i finagalo e faailoa o laua suafa. Na taua e tina faiaoga nei, e atagia mai i saunoaga a le alii kovana o loo ia lagolagoina siitaga a le ASPA. Ò Ou te manatu, e sili atu foi ona mafatia le tagata soifua pe afai e popole lona loto ona o le leai o se tupe e tausi ai lona aiga ma faatino ai nisi o manaoga, ma o ituaiga lagona na e mafai foi ona oo ai le popole, atuatuvale ma iõ u ina oti ai le tagata,ó o le saunoaga lea a le isi o tamaitai faiaoga ia e toalua. Saunoa le alii faipule ia Maneafaiga Faoa, tusa lava po o fea e tafe agai i ai le Ô au i siitaga a le falemai ma le ASPA, o le mea mautinoa lava e le fesiligia le tulaga pagatia o le atunuu o lo o i ai. Ò E oti le tagata pe a le alu i le falemai ona o siitaga fou i totogi, e oti foi le tagata pe afai e leai se tupe e tausi ai lona aiga, ae o le itu e sili atu ona matuia, o le aafia o le mafaufau ui le pologa ma le atuatuvale ona o le tau sailiga o se tupe e tausi ai le aiga, totogi ai pili ma le tulaga pagatia lava ua i ai le tau o le soifuaga i lenei taimi,ó o le faamatalaga lea a le alii ave pasi o Panapa Iuliano. Saunoa le afioga i le alii kovana sili ia Togiola Tulafono i luga o lana polokalame i le faaiuga o le vaiaso na tea nei, e mafua ona ia talitonu e matuia atu aafiaga o siitaga a le falemai ua faia nei nai lo le ASPA, afai e leai se tupe e totogi ai e le aiga le latou pili o le ASPA, e mafai ona faatau le karasini ona fai ai lea o le moli matagi e mumu ai le aiga, ae o siitaga a le falemai, e le mafai ona faia lea ituaiga alofaga o le leai o se tupe e vaai ai le fomai ona nofonofo lea i le fale, aua e na o le oti lava le mea e oo mai ai. O le aso lea ua faamoemoe e toe feiloaõ i feiloai ai le kovana sili ma taitai o le Fono Faitulafono, i le tau sailiga o se fofo o le faafitauli tau tupe lea ua feagai nei ma le falemai i Fagaalu, le LBJ. O le po o le kerisimasi lea ua faamoemoe le pulega a le falemaõ i e amata faamamalu ai a latou siitaga fou i vaega eseese o le falemai mo le atunuõ u, ina ua maitauina se tulaga faaletonu i le itu tau tupe o loo faatautaia ai galuega a le falemai. E toatele le atunuu ua faailoa lo latou teena o nei fuafuaga, atoa ai ma lo latou fesiligia o le malo i le mafuaaga ua ala ai ona le totogiina tupe ua maea ona faatulafono i le falemai, e fesoasoani ai i a latou gaioiga. E tusa ai ma le molimau a le falemai o loo taua ai, e tusa ma le $5 miliona le tupe e lei totogiina atu e le malo ia i latou, mai tupe ua maea ona faatulafono e fesoasoani ai i le latou tautua. Feso ota i mai i le tusitala ia [email protected] O se va aiga i le fonotaga a le ASOA lea sa faia i le latou Ofisa i le Paka Liona, lea sa latou tapunia ai lenei tausaga i mataupu tuai ua fa amae aina, ae maise o le mataupu fou o le a latou fa amalosia: Tete e i le Si itaga Maualuga tele a le Falema i i Faga alu! Sauni, ua i ai le latou fuafuaga e ao ina fa ataunu uina : o le a silamio i ai le atunu u, aua e le fai mea tu u le a Asosi i le taimi nei. E sau soli lea ua pasia nei, ma e faia lava! [ata: Leua Aiono Frost]

11 samoa news, Wednesday, December 14, 2011 Page 11 tusia Ausage Fausia GAfAtASI taveuveu & LOGO faamausili O alii talavou e toalua ia o lo o tuõ uaõ ia i lo la faõ aoõ o o ni manuõ a i se isi alii i le nuõ u o SeÕ etaga, e ala i lo la faõ aaogaina o se fagupia ma o la lima, ua faõ atulaga e le FaÕ amasinoga Maualuga le aso 4 Iulai 2012 e faia ai le la faõ amasinoga autu, e ui o lo o faõ aauau pea talanoaga a itu e lua mo se maliliega. O Gafatasi Taveuveu ma Logo Faamausili, o lo o tuõ uaõ ia e le malo i le moliaga mamafa e tasi o le faaoolima i le tulaga lua, ma le moliaga mama o le faatupu vevesi i nofoaga faitele. O ia moliaga na afua mai se faalavelave na tulai mai i le vaiaso muamua o le masina o Novema i Seetaga, lea na manuõ a tigaina ai se alii, ina ua fasi e Gafatasi ma Logo, e pei ona tuõ uaõ ia ai i laõ ua e le malo. O le vaiaso nei na faatulaga e faia ai le uluai iloiloga o lenei mataupu, peitai na faailoa e tamaitai loia fautua o loo tulai mo Gafatasi ma Logo ia Ruth Risch-Fuatagavi ma Leslie Cardin, o loo faaauau pea talanoaga mo se maliliega i lenei mataupu, faapea ai ma le manaomia o se isi taimi faaopoopo mo nisi suesuega, ona o nisi o faamatalaga fou ua mafai ona maua mai e le malo e uiga i lenei mataupu. O le aso 9 o Ianuari 2012 lea ua toe tolopo i ai le uluai iloiloga o lenei mataupu ma le tuutuuga, afai e oo atu i le aso lea e lei maua lava se maliliega, o le a faataunuuina loa le faamasinoga autu i le masina o Iuni. O loo tumau pea poloaiga a le faamasinoga o loo tatala ai Gafatasi ma Logo i tua mai le toese i Tafuna. SAUNI LE tama fai E tali IOE I ONA MOLIAGA O le Tama Fai lea o lo o tuuaia i lona faia o ni amioga mataga i lona afafine fai, ua i ai le faamoemoe o le Aso Tofi o le vaiaso nei lea o le a tuu aloaia atu ai lana tali ioe i moliaga ia ua manatu le malo na te ioeina, i lalo o se maliliega ua maea ona sainia ma ua tuuina atu foi i le faamasinoga maualuga. O le vaiaso nei na faailoa ai e loia i le alii faamasino sili lagolago ia Lyle L. Richmond, ua maea ona sainia e le ua molia ma le malo se maliliega e faamuta ai lenei mataupu, ma ua uma foi ona tuuina atu i luma o le faamasinoga. Ae talu ai e lei lava se taimi e iloilo ma faitau ai e alii faamasino le maliliega ua maea ona sainia, o le mafuaaga lea ua toe tolopo ai lenei mataupu i le aso Tofi o le vaiaso nei, e fofoga aloaia ai loa le tali ioe a le ua molia, lea o loo taofia pea i le toese i Tafuna i le taimi nei e aunoa ma se tupe na faatulaga e tatala ai o ia, ona o le tulaga matuia o moliaga o loo tuuaia ai o ia. O le step father e 49 tausaga le matua o loo tuuaia i le faiaiga faamalosi, faia o amioga mataga, faiaiga i se tagata e aiga i ai, atoa ai ma lona faia o ni gaioiga e ono lamatia ai le soifua maloloina o se fanau laititi. MARIAIvA MAALONA O le tamaita i mai Pago Pago lea na taofia i le falema i i le masina na teõ a nei, ina ua manuõ a i se vevesi na tulai mai i le va o ia ma le isi foi tamaitai, na tulai i luma o le faamasinoga i le taeao ananafi, mo le tuuina atu o lana tali e tusa ai o moliaga ua faia e le malo faasaga ia te ia. O moliaga ua faila e le malo faasaga ia Mariaiva Maalona e aofia ai le faaoolima i le tulaga tolu, ma le faatupu vevesi i nofoaga faitele. O se faalavelave na tulai mai i le aso 19 Novema i Pago Pago, ina ua fufusu le ua molia ma le isi foi tamaitai lea foi o loo tuuaia e le malo i le mataupu lava lenei, na faaiõ u ai ina ua u e le isi tamaitai le taliga o le ua molia ma taofia ai loa o ia i le falemai mo le faia o ni togafitiga i lona manu a. Na faatali le malo sei malosi mai Mariaiva ona faatoa faila lea o moliaga faasaga ia te ia, ma o le vaiaso nei na tulai ai loa o ia i luma o le faamasinoga, ma ia teena ai moliaga a le malo. O le aso 22 Tesema lea ua faatulaga e toe fofogaina ai lana mataupu, ma ua poloaina o ia e le faamasinoga e aua nei ona toe taumafai e faafesootai le tamaitai lea na la vevesi, pe na te toe soliina foi se tulafono a le malo, a ia auai i ona faamasinoga uma ma fesootai vavalalata ma lana loia. E le ma ima i lava nai tama o le Tauga Apu, o se fa afiafiaga na tatala aloa ia ai le po mo le sa iliga o se Tausala ma se Manaia a le a oga maualuga a Kanana Fou, i le afiafi o le Aso Faraile o le vaiaso ua mavae. [ata: A. Tuna] Le taimi o le tulai faaaloalo a le Vaega o le Ami Faaleoleo atoa ai ma le momoliina atu o le tagavai a le malo tele, e ufi ai le Sa o se tasi o tamali i o le atunuu ua loa tausaga o tautua i vaega au a le malotele, susuga Aufotu Saafiga Malaefono Lemafa, i se sauniga faapitoa sa faatautaia lea i le malumalu i le maota gasegase i Fagaalu i le taeao ananafi, ma molimoli atu ai loa lea o lona Sa i lona aiga i Aunuu. [ata AF] DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Project Notification & Review System Legal Notice PNRS BO ARD MEETING December 21, 2011 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. ASPC: c/o John Goeke L Proposal for Federal Consistency Certification, demolition of existing office, Gataivai construction of a two story building with utilities, driveway and paving. 2. CCCAS c/o Talavou Ale L Proposal for demolition and construction of a new church building with utilities Fagali i 3. Happy World c/o Jaeuhng Myung L Proposal to construct new extension to existing commercial structure Nu uuli 4.Taumaoe Taufete e L Proposal for filling and construct new rock wall Nu uuli 5. Ronald Meaole L Proposal for construction of a new building with utilities, driveway, paving, Vaitogi clearing, filling and septic tank 6. Talavave Ma ae L Proposal to construct new commercial Samoan beach fale(s) and with utilities Taputimu 7. American Samoa Red Cross: c/- Lolo Moliga and Robert Tuala L Proposal for Construction of a New Red Cross Office Building with Utilities. Tafuna 8. Catholic Church (Our Lady of the Rosary) c/- HC Fuamatu L Proposal for a playground and walls (Retaining Wall) Afao 9. ASCO MOTORS: c/- Pani Nglam L Proposal for demolition, new construction, utilities and paving Tafuna 10.Togotogo P.S. Sotoa L Proposal to construct new retaining wall, filling and utilities Fagaalu 11.Continental Transport Corp c/o Tony Togiai LVB Proposal to construct and operate a new quarry site to include drilling Tula and excavating MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION 12. Ernest Haleck L Proposal to construct new residential structure, Ottoville roads/ driveways, walls/fences to include clearing, paving, and excavating (rainforest) 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 , at the Department of Commerce in Utulei during regular ASG hours. Public comments must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 21, Interested individuals are also invited to attend a Public Hearing at 9:00 a.m. Wednesday, December 21, 2011 at DOC Conference Room, on the 2nd. Floor of the Executive Office Building in Utulei. O lo o iai ile Ofisa o Fa afetauaina ni talosaga mo Pemita e Fa atagaina ai le Fa aaogaina o Fanua ma Laueleele e tusa ma ala ole Tulafono. A iai se tasi e Fa asea pe fia tusia se molimau i ni Afaina ole Si osi omaga pe a galueaina nei Galuega, telefoni mai Marvis Vaiaga e i le E mafai fo i ona e auai Ile Fono a le Komiti Fa afoe ia Tesema 21, 2011, ile itula e 9 ile taeao.

12 Page 12 samoa news, Wednesday, December 14, 2011 TA fa AILOA MAI E LE NASA - LE ISI USO O LE LALOLAGI! saunia: Leua Aiono Frost Mai le aõ ai o MOUNTAIN VIEW, Kalefonia, ua faõ ailoa mai ai e le VaÕ a o le Vateatea a le NASA, le Kepler, o lo Õ o i ai se paneta fou i le Iunivesi ua Ô iloga mai e pei lava o le Lalolagi, e mafai ona lelei lona ea Okesene e manava e tagata, ma e i ai foõ i le suavai mama e inumia e i tatou pe afai o le a tatou ola ai. Ua faõ aigoaina e i latou lea Paneta o le Ò Uso o le Lalolagi.Ó Ua Ô iloga mai e i ai ma isi paneta e silia ma le 1,000 i le ala lava lea e i ai ma le paneta fou lea ua maua nei e le Kepler. O se tala faõ asalalau lea mai le NASA ia tesema 5, O lenei paneta fou ua maua nei e le Kepler, ua mautu ai le aofaõ iga e 2,326 o le aofaõ iga o paneta ua maua e lea vaõ a o le vateatea a le NASA ae naõ o le 16 masina talu mai ona fana lea vaõ a saõ iliõ ili i le vateatea. Afai foõ i ae faõ amaonia uma le saõ iliga a le vaõ a lea o Kepler, o le a faõ afaina ai le aofaõ iga o paneta o loõ o faõ amauina e le lalolagi atoa lea e faõ ailoa mai e naõ o le 700. O le Uso lea o le Lalolagi, ua faõ ailoa mai i faõ amaumauga a Kepler, e i ai foõ i le paneta o lo Õ o taõ amilo ai, e foliga mai e tasi lona la. O le faõ amaumauga lenei ua Ô avea foõ i ma se laõ asaga agaõ i i luma o faõ amaumauga LAM O I? N A e K ailo Se!!! ma saõ iliga a Saenitisi ina ia saõ ilia se isi paneta e faõ aoõ o atu i ai ni isi o tagata soifua o lo tatou lalolagi e amata faõ amautu ma soifua ai. Ò Ua tatou tulata atili atu lava i le faõ amoemoe ina ia tatou mauaina se isi Paneta e pei lava o le lalolagi, ina ia faõ amaonia ai le valoõ aga a se tasi saenitisi ma ia faõ ailoa ai le Ò Paneta o Goldilocks.Ó O se tala lea a le aliõ i faõ atonu o le NASA, Pete Worden mai Moffett Field, Kalefonia. O le Uso lea o le lalolagi, ua faõ ailogaina nei o le Kepler -22b ma o lona tulaga tonu o i ai nei e 600light years le mamao ma i tatou, ma o lo Õ o taõ amilo ai foõ i le la e tasi. O le ogatotonugalemu o le Kepler-22b ua faõ ailoa mai e faõ aluaina [2.4radius] le ogatotonu o le Lalolagi, ae ua Ô iloga mai foõ i o le vevela o i ai lea paneta e tusa lea ma le 72tikeri Farenheit [22 tikeri Celcius] O le vaõ a lenei o le vateatea Kepler Observatory na fanaina aõ e ia Mati 2009 ina ia mafai ona saõ ilia ni isi paneta e tali tutusa lelei ma le Lalolagi, ina ia mafai ona maua se isi paneta e faõ amautu mo le soifua ai o le anoanoaõ i o tagata o lo tatou lalolagi, pe afai ae faõ aumatia lenei lalolagi! O se mea e lelei ai, aua o le sone o le vateatea lea e faõ atulaga ma taõ amilo ai le Lalolagi o lo Õ o taõ amilo ai foõ i lea uso o le lalolagi ae pau lava o lea, e mamao tele. E matua moõ omia lava le tele o vaõ a o le vateatea e laõ u ai tagata e toõ atele i lena paneta. O le afuaga ona iloa e i ai le suavai manino i lena paneta ma e i ai foõ i ma le okesene, ona o lo Õ o i ai i la tatou sone lea e taõ amilo ai le laloalagi faõ atasi ai ma faõ amaumauga a le Kepler-22b lea e Ô iloga ai e tutusa lelei le lalolagi ma lea paneta. O le tau o le vaõ a lea o le vateatea e faia nei suõ esuõ ega ma faõ amaumauga e $600miliona mo Amerika. O le uluaõ i faõ amaumauga na mafai ona faõ ailoa mai e le Kepler Team mo le silafia a le mamalu o aliõ i saenitisi mo a latou suõ esuõ ega atili ma faõ amaumauga, na faõ ailo ai, e 1,235 paneta o lo Õ o ua faõ ailoa mai o lo Õ o taõ amilo i le tele o ala o le vateatea, ae 54 o i latou nei e taõ amilo i le sone lava e tasi ma le lalolagi peitaõ i e 68 o i latou e tali tutusa lelei ma le tele o le Lalolagi. O le aofaõ iga o paneta ua mafai ona faõ amaumauina mai e le Kepler e 2,326 ae 207 o ia paneta e tali tutusa ma le Lalolagi i lo latou tetele, e silia ma le 680 e lapopoõ a atu i le lalolagi, ae o le aofaõ iga lea e i ai nei i paneta uma o lo Õ o taõ amilo i le sone a le Lalolagi ae mamao atu nai lo i tatou, e 48. O le faõ aiõ uga lea o saõ iliga a le Kepler i lenei tausaga. Ua faõ ailoa mai e le vaega o saenitisi o lo Õ o latou faõ aaogaina le tele o saõ iliõ iliga a le Kepler, ua latou faõ ailoa patino mai, e tusa ma le 80% o le faõ amaumauga ma saõ iliga ua maeõ a faõ ailoa mai nei e le Kepler, e moni ma ua mafai ona faõ amautuina atili i a latou faõ amaumauga ma saõ iliga maõ oti. K&K ISLAND STAR FURNITURES CHRISTMAS SPECIALS CERAMIC TILES ALUMINUM WINDOWS CHANDELIERS FURNITURE (SOFAS, BEDS, ENTERTAINMENT CENTERS, DINING TABLES etc...) LOW LOW...PRICES!!! 10% - 30% Discounts on Everything Call for more information Next to Pacific Sales - Industrial Park Tafuna ALOFA FA AvAe Ai AigA vaega 70 Na liliu nei Lameko ma faõ apea ane i lona tausoga, Ò Ia Maselina, saunoa ia oe le tina, pe i ai se mea na e sau ai?ó O le fesili ane lea a Lameko i lona tausoga. Ò Ioe Lameko, o lea foõ i e alaala mai le tina nei i a Tagiilima, ua uma foõ i ona ou talanoa i a Tagiilima e tusa ai ma laõ u savali na sau nei, na ou oõ o mai e taõ u mai saoga a le tatou aiga i le maliu o le toõ alua o Lumepa.Ó Ua faõ ateõ ia Lameko i lea tala faõ anoanoa, ae faõ apea le faõ amatalaga o le maõ i oso o le toeaina ua mafua ai. O lea la e taoto nei i le falemaliu, se i sauni le aiga, ma fai fuafuaga uma ona au mai ai lea i tua. Oi, talofa se i a Teofilo, ae na malosi lava si toeaina, ia soia ia, e le o se olaga tumau lenei tatou te i ai, e sau lava le valaõ au latou ma alu faõ asasao le tagata i le mea e alu i ai.ó Ua na o le punou o le loõ omatua o Tagiilima i lea taimi. Ua teõ i lava ua oõ o ona mafaufauga e faõ apea, pe o le a faõ afefea ia pe a uma lona ola i le aiga o lona toõ alua, o lona uiga, e le tuõ ua i se pusa oti, na ona uma lava, ave saõ o e le aiga o Lameko ia i le sami. Ua le tautala le loõ omatua, o ona mafaufauga ia ina ua ia toe manatu mulimuli ane i mea o loõ o tutupu i totonu o le aiga o Lameko, e taulamua ai lava ia i mea e fai. Ua fai foõ i ia ma avega mamafa i le toõ atele o le auaiga. Ua talatalanoa nei Lameko, o Tagiilima ma le loõ omatua o Maselina i lea taimi, ae o loõ o fai lava le muimuiga a Loimata I lona tuagane ona o uiga o lo latou tina. Ò Eteuati, e te iloa oe, e Ô ese lava uiga o le tatou tina, na te le faia mai ni tala e lelei ai lo ta mafaufau, ae na o tala malolosi e lafo mai ia te aõ u. VaÕ ai foõ i oe, e leai lava se mea tele na tupu i le fale o le faifeau, ae le mafai lava.ó Ua le tautala le tama i le muimui a lona tuafafine e to atasi, na pau le tala na lafo e Eteuati, Loimta, tu mai i lou tofi, o le mea fo i le na e otegia so o ai oe, o le teine e leai se mea e pau i totonu o lona aiga, a o lou teine, e te fia papalagi a oe i taimi uma, tu mai i lou tofi e tatau ona e tu mau ai. Ua pisi solo nei Etuati i le gaoõ oina o le meatausami, aõ o lea na o le nofo o Loimata ma fai ana faõ amatalaga e uiga i lona tina. O le mea moni, a faõ apea e lagona mai e le loõ omatua, ua leva ona taõ u le se se o Loimata. Na aõ apa ane nei le lima o Loimata ma uõ u ane le tui ma tau mafai e Ô eu aõ e i luga le fasi povi, lea na amata ona saka mai i le taeao, ua toetiti nei ta le ono i le afiafi o tau faõ amalu. Na tilotilo ane nei Lameko i a Tagiilima pe o le a se tali o le a tuõ u ane i a Maselina, ona o lea o loõ o faõ atalitali le loõ omatua e tusa ai ma le talaõ iga i saoga mea a le aiga. Na iloa e Lameko, o lea na faõ atali atu Tagiilima ia te ia, ma e tatau ona ia tautala ane i a Maselina e tusa ai ma le savali na alu ane ai le loõ omatua. Ò Ia Maselina faõ afetai atu pau le mea e sili ona taua ua e oõ o mai, o le mea moni lava sa tatau ona fai se talanoaga a le aiga potopoto e tusa ai ma le faõ alavelave ua tupu mai. AÕ o lea ua ou vaõ ai atu ua, e sau e talaõ i mai saoga o le faõ alavelave. O se mea ua sili ona le fetaui lea tulaga. Silasila foõ i oe le tina, e le o se mea laõ ititi, manatua fo i e oe le tuafafine, afai ae tupu mai se fa alavelave faõ apea i le isi itu o le tatou aiga e tatau ona faõ atino e tatou mea uma. O le uiga o laõ u tala, o le tatou feagaiga osi, o lea la ua faõ ateia aõ u, ma ou te le iloa poõ o le a se tala a Tagiilima, ae o le tulaga lea e tatau ona fai.ó Ua na o le punou o le loõ omatua o Maselina e aunoa ma se tala, ua toe manatua nei e le loõ omatua, e saõ o lelei lava Lameko, aõ o le tonu lea na alu ane nei ma ia ua matuaõ i le fetaui lava. Ò Maselina, ia o le na ua tuõ u atu le tali a Lameko, ma o le mea tonu lava lea na ou faõ atalitali ai se i manava mai le galuega a le tama o le aiga. E pei ona ou fai atu ia te oe i lou taunuõ u mai, e le fetaui, ma o i latou foõ i na faia le tonu o ni tagata ua sili ona vaõ avaõ a mafaufau, o le uiga o laõ u tala, o ni tagata ua le iloa fai ni mea a se aiga. O lea la Maselina, ne i e faõ apea ua ma talitualima lau savali, ma ou te lagona fo i, ua e silafia lea itu. E saõ o lelei Lameko, o le feagaiga osi a le tou aiga, le la itu, lea ua tupu mai ai le faõ alavelave, o le tatou aiga la, e faia mea uma. O faõ aaloaloga, o mea uma lava e patino i le maliu, o tatou e fa atinoina tulaga uma na. Ou te talitonu fo i, o lo o silafia e le na itu, aõ o lea ua e oõ o mai ma le talaiga, ia ou te faõ amalie atu Maselina. Ae e sili pe a e toe alu, fai i le tatou aiga potopoto e fai le talanoaga i le afiafi a taeao, pe a le na tonu Lameko e talafeagai ma au fuafuaga?ó Loka i le 5 tausaga i le gaoi Mai itulau 10 E 15 tausaga na manatu le faamasinoga e faasala ai le ua molia i le toese, peitai ua faamalumalu lona tuliina o lea faasalaga, ae o le a faanofovaavaaia ai o ia mo le umi lea i lalo o poloaiga a le faamasinoga. O nisi o poloaiga e aofia ai lona tuliina o tausaga e 5 i le toese, faasa ona ia toe tagofia le ava malosi poo ni fualaau faasaina, faasa foi ona ia toe soliina se isi tulafono a le malo. Feso ota i mai i le tusitala ia [email protected]

13 samoa news, Wednesday, December 14, 2011 Page 13 Consulate General of Samoa NOTICE CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR HOLIDAY The Traveling Public is hereby advised that our office will be closed on the following days: Monday - 26 December 2011 Then Open On: Tuesday - 27 December from 9am - 1pm Wednesday - 28 December from 9am - 1pm Thursday - 29 December from 9am - 1pm Friday - 30 December from 8am - 10am O se va aiga i fanau a oga a le A oga Maualuga a Tafuna i le latou aso o atunu u ese ese (International Day). O se tasi nei o vasega sa fa atinoina fa afiafiaga mai i le atunu u o Aferika. [ata foa i] Then Open again for Usual Business on Tuesday - 3 January 2012 Samoa Consulate General Fautuaina le atunuu e faitau le ripoti a le NOAA tusia Ausage Fausia AÕ o faõ aauau ai pea ona fa aalia finagalo tete e o le atunuu faõ asaga i le mataupu lea o lo o taumafai mai ai le Vaega o le NOAA, ina ia faõ aopoopo ogasami e faõ asa ona fagotaina o lo o i lalo o le latou vaõ avaõ aiga i le taimi nei, nisi o ogasami mai le itu i SasaÕ e o le atunuu, ua fautuaina ai e le kovana sili le atunuõ u ina ia faitau muamua i le ripoti a le NOAA sa tuõ uina mai, o lo o faõ amanino mai ai le mafuaõ aga o lea fuafuaga, ona faõ atoa faaleo ai lea o a latou faitioga. Ò E leai se taumafaiga e faamuta aia o le atunuu mai lo latou fagotaina o ogasami nei, ae o le agaga, ia mafai ona faasaoina nei ogasami mai le toe fagotaina mo sina taimi,ó o le saunoaga lea a le alii kovana. Saunoa le afioga i le matua ia Togiola Tulafono, o lo o atagia mai i finagalo tete e a nisi o le atunuu, e leai so latou malamalamaõ aga e uiga i lenei fuafuaga, peitai o le faõ amoemoe e pei ona taumafai mai i ai le NOAA, ia mafai ona faasaoina se vaega o le gataifale mai le toe fagotaina mo sina taimi, ina ia toe fagota atu i se taimi oi luma ua tele le iõ a ma tele ai le tamaoaiga mo le atunuu. Ò O le agaga o le ripoti lea ua ou fautuaina le atunuu e faitau, ia mafai ona lafo atu i ai finagalo o le atunuu ina ia mafai ai ona fausia le ripoti e avea ma ripoti mautu, ina ia mautinoa ai e manuia ma lelei mo le atunuu.ó E ese mai i vaega ua i lalo o le Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary, i ai se fuafuaga a le NOAA e pei ona saunoa Togiola, ina ia faaopoopo atu ai ma isi vaega i SasaÕ e o le atunuu e aofia ai Aunuu, Alao ma faasolo atu ai i Tula. O le tele o finagalo tete e o le atunuõ u e uiga i lenei mataõ upu, e le gata ua faõ aleoina i luga o vaega faõ asalalau, ae ua oõ o lava foi i luga o le initaneti faõ apea ai ma le polokalama a le alii faipule mai Uosigitone. O nisi o finagalo tete e o lo o atagia mai ai le tulaga lea, afai ae faõ aopoopo atu i ogasami ua faõ asa ona toe fagotaina vaega o le atunuu e pei ona taua, o le a laititi vaega o ogasami e fagogota ai le atunuu. Na taua e nisi, o le sami e faalagolago i ai le tamaoaiga ma le soifua manuia o nisi o aiga, ae afai o le a faasa ona toe fagotaina, o lona uiga ua faaletonu foi le tamaoaiga o aiga. Ae na saunoa Togiola, ua molimauina i suesuega sa faia e faapea, o iõ a o loo agaõ i atu i totonu o le Rose Island, lea o loo i lalo o le vaavaaiga a le NOAA, o loo toe agaõ i mai i le itu i SasaÕ e o le atunuu ma tau tuufua Ò Ou te le lagolagoina e aõ u le taumafaiga a le NOAA lea ua faasalalau mai, ina ia faaopoopo atu i ogasami ua latou faasa ona toe fagotaina, nisi o ogasami i le atunuu, ae o ogasami nei sa fagogota ai o matou tuaa i aso ua mavae,ó o le saunoaga lea a se tasi o tootoo i luga o le polokalame a le alii faipule ia Faleomavaega Eni i le vaiaso na tea nei. Ae na saunoa Togiola, e ui e moni lagona o le atunuu, o ogasami nei sa fagogota ai tuaa i aso ua mavae, peitai e ao ona latou silafia le eseesega o fagotaga sa faia i aso ia e na o le 200 tagata na nonofo i nuu, ma le suiga lea ua i ai le atunuu i le taimi nei. Saunoa Togiola, o aso ua mavae sa fagogota tagata i paopao, peitai o aso nei ua faaaoga vaa fagota tetele, ofe ma upega matau, ma ua faitau tane le mamafa o uta o iõ a o loo maua mai i vaa fagota ia ua latou fagotaina ogasami i le taimi nei, o se tasi lena o faafitauli ua vaaia i le televave o le fagotaina o ogasami. Na taua e le alii kovana lona le manatu e faapei Amerika Samoa o le tulaga pagatia lea ua oo i ai ogasami o le setete o Hawaii, i le faaitiitia lea o nisi o iõ a ma mafua ai loa ona faasa e le malo ona toe fagotaina ituaiga iõ a nei. Ò O le tiute o le tagatanuu moni, ia alofa i lona atunuu ma ia manatu foi e tuu se isi vaega e faasao mo tupulaga lumanaõ i, ae aua le faalogo atu loa ua sau le faasilasilaga o polokalame nei ma fuafuaga a le malo, ona televave lea o le teteõ e leaga e le o se malo e tu na o ia, ae o le malo o loo soifua ai tagata, e mafua foi ona aapa atu le malo e puipui faasao nei, o le manatu lava ia manuia tagata ma le atunuu, aemaise ai le lumanai manuia o fanau,ó o le saunoaga faaumiumi lea a le alii kovana. Fesootai mai i le tusitala ia [email protected] ARE YOU READY FOR THE PARTY SEASON? Here at Cherries, we are going to help you save money so you can enjoy the holiday festivities even more, while looking your best! Before you check out, you ll receive the chance to draw from our Mystery Discount Box and get some of our best deals in the house! Come by Cherries located on Fagaima Road in Tafuna or call us at for an appointment. Happy Holidays American Samoa American Samoa Government OFFICE OF PROCUREMENT INVITATION FOR BIDS IFB No: Issuance Date: December 13, 2011 Date & Time Due: December 27, 2011 No Later than 2:00pm local time 1.INVITATION Sealed bids are invited from qualified contractors for the Tafuna Industrial Park Landscaping and Cleanup, located in the village of Tafuna, Territory of American Samoa. 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. Tuesday, December 27, 2011 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 Tuesday, December 20, 2011, 10:00 a.m. at the Office of Procurement Conference Room. Bids will not be accepted from bidders who are not present at the pre-bid conference. 4. CONTRACT DOCUMENTS Contract documents, including Scope of Work and Bid Form may be examined at the Office of Procurement or obtained there from, free of charge during regular business hours. 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 informalities in bidding as may be in the best interest of the American Samoa Government. IVY V. TAUFA ASAU Chief Procurement Officer

14 Page 14 samoa news, Wednesday, December 14, 2011 FAMOUS RESTAURANT Call us now to book your Party for the Holidays! Located behind Triple S Gas Station in Tafuna and in Fagaalu (Seafood Restaurant). For more details please call Location: Industrial Park in Tafuna Contact: Fax: Dependable from Start to Finish Physicists closing in on an elusive subatomic particle GENEVA (AP) -- Physicists are closing in on an elusive subatomic weõ ve been using all these years,ó said one Nobel laureate. particle that, if found, would confirm a long-held understanding about why matter has mass and how the universeõ s fundamental building blocks behave. Few people outside physics can fully comprehend the search for the Higgs boson, which was first hypothesized 40 years ago. But proving that the God particleó actually exists would be Ò a vindication of the equations Scientists announced The Supply Chain Partner You Can Depend On Tuesday that they had found hints but no definitive proof of the particle that is believed to be a basic component of the universe. They hope to determine whether it exists by next year. It s hard to find, not because it is especially tiny, but because it is hard to create, said physicist Howard Gordon of the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York. He works with the ATLAS experiment, one of two independent teams looking for the Higgs boson at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research near Geneva. CERN runs the Large Hadron Collider under the Swiss-French border, a 17-mile (27-kilometer) tunnel where high-energy beams of protons are sent crashing into each other at incredible speeds. A fraction of those collisions could produce the Higgs particle, assuming it exists. Researchers said Tuesday that they had defined a range of likely masses for the Higgs. CERNÕ s director-general, Rolf Heuer, said Ò the window for the Higgs mass gets smaller and smalleró as scientists learn more. But be careful - it s intriguing hints,ó he said. Ò We have not found it yet. We have not excluded it yet.ó TuesdayÕ s revelations were highly anticipated by thousands of researchers, but the ideas behind the Higgs boson date back to the 1960s. British physicist Peter Higgs and others theorized its existence to explain why the fundamental particles in matter have mass. Those particles, such as electrons, are the building blocks of the universe. Mass is a trait that combines with gravity to give an object weight. Frank Wilczek, a Nobel laureate and physics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said finding the Higgs boson would tie up a loose end of the standard model of physics, which requires that a Higgs-like particle exist. Ò Since the equations have worked so brilliantly now for decades, itõ s really nice to dot the iõ s and cross the tõ s,ó Wilczek said. In addition, if the mass of the Higgs is within a certain range, that would support some other theories that go beyond the standard model, he said. Those theories predict the existence of other yet-to-befound particles, meaning the Large Hadron Collider Ò will have another wave of brilliant discoveries in the future,ó Wilczek said. The mass range reported Tuesday is Ò perfectó to meet that requirement, he said. Because it fits together so beautifully with everything else we know... IÕ m certainly inclined to believe it,ó he said. He called TuesdayÕ s presentations Ò awesome... just beautiful work.ó The lead physicist for the team running the separate CMS experiment outlined findings similar to those of the ATLAS team. The collaborations for the ATLAS and CMS experiments each involve about 3,000 scientists and engineers. House tax cut bill Continued from page 6 about 6,000; project manager TransCanada put it at 20,000 directly, and Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich., said in debate on the House floor it was more than 100,000. Democrats aimed their criticism at the billõ s impact on those who would bear the cost. Rep. Sander Levin of Michigan, the partyõ s senior lawmaker on the Ways and Means Committee, displayed a placard that said Seniors sacrifice: $31 billion. Federal workers sacrifice: $40 billion. Unemployed Americans sacrifice: $11 billion. Millionaires and billionaires sacrifice: $0. The bill also spends $300 million on a special interest provision that helps a handful of specialty hospitals while cutting billions from community hospitals,ó he said, referring to a part of the measure that will raise federal Medicare payments to doctor-owned hospitals. Rep. Eliot Engel, a New York Democrat, said he had an open mind about the pipeline but also said it had no legitimate role in the payroll tax bill. Republicans argued otherwise. Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan said the pipelineõ s construction would allow Canada to send one million barrels of oil a day into the United States, lessening domestic reliance on imports. He said Canadian development of a pipeline is a certainty, and lawmakers needed to decide whether they wanted it to end up in the United States or Ò someplace like China.Ó As drafted by Republicans, the measure also would block the Environmental Protection Agency from issuing planned rules to limit toxic emissions from industrial boilers. Republicans said the regulation would be a job killer, and 41 Democrats supported an earlier stand-alone measure to prevent the administration from acting. Other provisions to cover the cost of the legislation would repeal billions from the health care bill that Obama won from Congress last year when both the House and Senate were under Democratic control and from boosting fees that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac charge banks for backing their mortgages.

15 samoa news, Wednesday, December 14, 2011 Page 15 ASSAC does NOT voluntarily withdraw Continued from page 1 has pulled out of the project and operations in the territory because their pre-contract expenditures will not qualify for the 50/50 match requirement. (See Samoa News Nov. 7 story for specific details on In a Dec. 12 letter to Samoa News following the story last Friday, Dwyer explained what he calls the Ò actual factsó, saying that it was months after ASSAC submitted its proposal before ASG officials even mentioned the possibility of a 50/50 matching requirement.ó Ò That requirement resulted in a series of extended meetings and discussions between ASSAC and ASG officials beginning in early 2011,Ó he said. Ò At all times throughout those discussions, ASSAC made it clear that ASSAC was not willing to agree to this new Ô matching fundsõ requirement.ó At the conclusion of those discussions, in September 2011, TaufaÕ asau accepted ASSACÕ s proposal in writing, he noted. Ò Subsequently and in spite of that formal acceptance, Ms. TaufaÕ asau materially changed the substance of the agreement and advised ASSAC that it must meet the 50/50 matching funds requirement,ó he claims. Ò From the outset, it has been ASSACÕ s consistent position that it is unwilling to proceed or to recognize ASGÕ s additional 50/50 cost sharing requirement that was part of neither ASSACÕ s proposal nor ASGÕ s acceptance,ó he said, adding that ASSACÕ s proposal for the project was accepted by ASG on Sept. 26, Dwyer also emphasized to Samoa News that ASSAC Ò has not and does not voluntarily withdrawó its Sept. 2, 2010 proposal, which was accepted by ASG on Sept. 26, TaufaÕ asau has responded to Samoa News recent questions on the 50/50 matching fund based on DwyerÕ s letter and Langford has yet to reply to Samoa News questions on whether the matching fund requirement was ever discussed with the vendors who submitted proposals for this project. Samoa News understands that the matching fund requirement was always part of the federal Workforce Investment Act and that the 50/50 match only applies if the company doing the training is also the one doing the hiring. A company that just does training does not have to come up with a match. ItÕ s also understood that the governor could have applied for a reduction in the match Ñ down to 10 percent- but he chose not to. Hunsaker told Samoa News last month that Ò we understand from an , Dave Haleck Ñ one of our shareholders Ñ received from C.L. Cheshire, that Langford had approached the Governor... and requested that he initiate a waiver of any further matching investment by ASSAC in order for ASSAC to receive the NEG grant.ó Ò It is our understanding that the Governor declined that request,ó said Hunsaker. ASSAC OffEREd three LEvELS Of training Responding to Samoa News questions for more information and clarification, Dwyer reiterated yesterday that there were Ò numerous discussions and negotiationsó with ASG representatives of this project. Ò Ultimately, ASSAC was asked to submit its Final and Best Offer. ASSAC did so, and based on the prior negotiations, ASSAC provided three levels of training it was willing to perform: 750 students, 1000 students, and 1500 students,ó he said via from Honolulu yesterday. Ò ASG had the right to select one of these three; but each level related to a very specific budget and cost that was included in the Final and Best Offer. Then on Jun. 3 this year, he said, ASSAC was advised by ASG that the Federal National office responsible for the NEG had approved ASSACÕ s concept for this new industry and its Proposal for the training. Ò After further discussions with the ASG representatives, we understood that an entity named American Pacific Resources would also be involved in a separate training activity in American Samoa, but that it would be under the same NEG grant,ó he said. Ò That was acceptable to ASSAC, because ASG could choose any one of the three levels of training pursuant to the budget that related to the level chosen by ASG.Ó Ò Thus, the September 26, 2011 acceptance letter from Ms. TaufaÕ asau established all of the key or material terms and budgets for the agreement for the training service/work that ASSAC had agreed to perform,ó he points out. Ò ASSAC has not voluntarily withdrawn from that Agreement. That is to say, after ASG agreed to the terms, ASG unilaterally added a new and unacceptable term: a 50/50 matching funds requirement,ó he stated. Reach the reporter at [email protected] LBJ projects $10M shortfall Continued from page 5 the hospital that would be a savings of only $2 million a year Ñ which does not fully address the financial situation. However, he said reduction of the workforce, which is already limited at this pointñ especially regarding highly qualified professionals would not be the best option for the hospital, because itõ s the only medical center in the territory and service to the community would be greatly affected. For example, he said a workforce reduction would result in people going to the emergency room, where the waiting time would end up being around 10 hours before being seen by a physician. He also explained that the hospital had used up all its reserves due to the governmentõ s failure to pay the rest of the required FY 2011 subsidies, which meant the hospital had to pay out of its pocket $8 million to cover expenses for the rest of the fiscal year. The committee then asked if LBJ is able to recover from the executive branch the money it failed to pay in subsidies for FY Gerstenberger said this question was raised during a recent meeting with the governor, who pointed out that there was a previous court ruling on this issue, but the governor s office will further research the matter. The court ruling bars the government from using funds already approved by the Fono and obligated for the current fiscal year to pay past debts and other financial obligations from a previous fiscal year. Of the $4.7 million allocated for LBJ subsidies in FY 2011, ASG paid only 37%. Gerstenberger said that ASG has already paid its subsidies for October and November for the fiscal year and LBJ is awaiting their December allocation. Regarding LBJ s monthly expenses, he said the total comes to about $3.1 million while only $1 million is generated by LBJ in revenues, and therefore needs the financial assistance from the ASG subsidies, DOI funding and Medicaid. Additionally, he noted that LBJ currently owes about $2 million to vendors, who are very cooperative about the hospitalõ s needs, but at the same time, vendors are now requiring prepayment from LBJ for medication which is very expensive. He said LBJ has reduced its inventory, particularly in medication. Also, they have not filled any vacant positions at this critical time. He says LBJ is still reviewing other areas where possible cuts can be made to save money. He told the committee that the hospital has no choice but to propose the new rates and the hospital does intend to implement the rates on Dec. 24. Asked what could be done to delay the rate increase, LBJ board chairman Moananu Va told the committee that if the government can provide funds to cover the next three months Ñ which is about $2.1 millionñ that could delay the rates. Responding to the same question, Gerstenberger said Ò we would carefully takeó the ASG payment proposal into consideration. Ò If we have assurance of continued revenue streams, we can look at a delay,ó he added. Moananu shared with the committee a few details from the boardõ s meeting a week ago with the governor, who told the board and LBJ management to give the administration and the Fono at least 10 days to come up with a solution to assist the hospital. Reach the reporter at [email protected]

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