SNAPSHOTS. Local youth survey reveals some bad,

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1 DOC eys changes in law governing biz definitions 3 The official Welcoming Dinner to honor all young Samoan athletes, coaches and participants of the Samoa Bowl IX to the territory was hosted by Gov. Togiola Tulafono and First Lady Mary Ann last night at the Fale Laumei. The welcoming event included a special performance by the Malaeloa Methodist Youth, who performed a variety of numbers, from the spiritual faaevagelia to the traditional Samoan dances, such as the faataupati, and a cultural blend of skitsong-dance that depicted how we play sports on island that s no equipment, no technique and basic rules of the game being played All for the Love of the Game. [photo: tha] C Y M K Samoa Bowl IX Special Section in today s issue samoanews.com Daily Circulation 7,000 PAGO PAGO, AMERICAN SAMOA Thursday, December 29, 2011 $1.00 Local youth survey reveals some bad, SNAPSHOTS from the SAMOA BOWL C Y M K some good news by Fili Sagapolutele Samoa News Correspondent Bad news from the American Samoa Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) released earlier this month shows an increase in the use of serious drugs such as marijuana and methamphetamine; the good news is that there has been a slight decrease in alcohol and tobacco use. Developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since 1990 and carried out locally by the Department of Education, the YRBS measures youth behavior in six categories, including tobacco, alcohol and other drug use. According to a report distributed to local leaders, lawmakers and others, the YRBS was completed by 3,190 students in six public high schools in American Samoa during the spring of The school response rate was 100%, the student response rate was 75%, and the overall response rate was 75%. The results are representative of all students in grades It says that students completed a self-administered, anonymous, 89-item questionnaire, and survey procedures were designed to protect the privacy of students by allowing for anonymous and voluntary participation. Local parental permission procedures were followed before the survey was administered. Additionally, it notes that the YRBS was designed to focus the nation on behaviors among youth related to the leading causes of mortality and morbidity among both youth and adults and to assess how these risk behaviors change over time. The results of this year s YRBS for American Samoa were compared to results in 2007 which is the last time it was carried out here when more than 3,000 students participated. SOME GOOD NEWS Alcohol Use For alcohol use, the survey showed a decline in alcohol use this year with 41.3% students reported to have had at least one drink of alcohol on one or more days during their life compared to 46.6% in Additionally, 22.8% of students had one drink in the past 30 days compared to 29.8% in Moreover, 14.3% have had five or more drinks of alcohol in a row, that is, within a couple of hours, on one or more of the past 30 days compared to 18.3% in Of note, 33.6% of students surveyed said they usually got the alcohol they drank from someone who gave it to them during the past 30 days. Data from 2007 was not available for comparison. Tobacco Use According to the results, 47% of students tried cigarette smoking, even one or two puffs compared to 56.8% in Additionally 14.4% of students smoked a whole cigarette for the first time at age 13 years, while it was 16.8% in For current cigarette users, 7.9% of students smoked 10 or more cigarettes per day in 2011 compared to 11.8% in It also says that 13.4% of current cigarette users, got their own cigarettes by buying them in a store or a gas station, compared to 14.9% in (Continued on page 14) Sponsored by American Samoa National Olympic Committee and the Samoa Bowl Committee, a series of snapshots of the Samoa Bowl IX events and personalities that are adding to this year s Samoa Bowl tattoo a ta that merges the Samoan culture to the athletic talent of our Samoan youth giving us all a chance to experience the uniqueness of our heritage through Samoa Bowl IX Back to the Roots. Samoa Bowl IX Back to the Roots volleyball competition for both men and women is currently in play, with Day 1 yesterday at the ASCC gymnasium. Precious Manu struggling to save a kill sent over by Kalala Eletise of the American Samoa All Star team, as they dominated California for the first two sets, to open off this year s Samoa Bowl IX volleyball competition. California came back to tie the third set, then racked up the remaining sets to see their first victory in their first performance in this year s Samoa Bowl. It was exciting action, if you measured the noise factor echoing from the the packed venue. Teams are from Hawaii, California and American Samoa,. It s open to the public, it s free and its high octane competition, with Friday as the last day of competition. DON T MISS THE ACTION! [photo: TG]

2 Page 2 samoa news, Thursday, December 29, 2011 Sweeties Restaurant NEW LOCATION - FAGATOGO Across from Market near Fagatogo Taxi Stand $3.00 Special Holiday Plate. We cater to your special occasions: Parties, Meetings, Get Togethers, Fundraisings We serve Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Open 6:00am to 7:00pm MOMENTS IN TIME The History Channel On Jan. 9, 1493, Christopher Columbus, sailing near the Dominican Republic, sees three mermaids and describes them as not half as beautiful as they are painted. They were in reality manatees. Mythical mermaids have existed in seafaring cultures since the time of the ancient Greeks. On Jan. 14, 1639, in Hartford, Conn., the first constitution in the American colonies, the Fundamental Orders, is adopted. The Fundamental Orders declared that the foundation of authority is in the free consent of the people. On Jan. 10, 1901, a drilling derrick at Spindletop Hill near Beaumont, Texas, produces an enormous gusher of crude oil, signaling the advent of the American oil industry. The geyser flowed at an initial rate of approximately 100,000 barrels a day and took nine days to cap. On Jan. 15, 1919, two million gallons of fiery hot molasses floods the streets of Boston, killing 21 people and a dozen horses. The molasses burst from a 58-foot-high tank in the heart of the city. An 8-foot-high wave of molasses swept away freight cars, knocked over the local firehouse and pushed over the support beams for the elevated train line. On Jan. 13, 1939, Arthur Doc Barker is shot and killed while trying to escape from Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay. Barker, of the notorious Bloody Barkers gang, was spotted on the rock-strewn shore of the island after climbing over the walls and tying pieces of wood together into a makeshift raft. On Jan. 11, 1973, the owners of America s 24 major-league baseball teams vote to allow teams in the American League to use a designated pinch-hitter that could bat for the pitcher, while still allowing the pitcher to stay in the game. On Jan. 12, 1984, a panel overseeing the restoration of the Great Pyramids in Egypt abandons modern construction techniques in favor of the method employed by the ancient Egyptians. Restorers stopped using mortar and adopted the system of interlocking blocks practiced by the original pyramid builders. (c) 2011 King Features Synd., Inc. Cranky croc steals Aussie zoo worker s lawn mower SYDNEY (AP) -- A giant saltwater crocodile named Elvis with an apparent affinity for household machinery charged at an Australian reptile park worker Wednesday before stealing his lawn mower. Tim Faulkner, operations manager at the Australian Reptile Park, north of Sydney, was one of three workers tending to the lawn in Elvis enclosure when he heard reptile keeper Billy Collett let out a yelp. Faulkner looked up to see the 16-foot (5-meter), 1,100-pound (500-kilogram) crocodile lunging out of its lagoon at Collett, who warded the creature off with his mower. Before we knew it, the croc had the mower above his head, Faulkner said. He got his jaws around the top of the mower and picked it up and took it underwater with him. The workers quickly left the enclosure. Elvis, meanwhile, showed no signs of relinquishing his new toy and sat guarding it closely all morning. Eventually, Faulkner realized he had no other choice but to go back in after the mower. Collett lured Elvis to the opposite end of the lagoon with a heaping helping of kangaroo meat while Faulkner plunged, fully clothed, into the water. Before grabbing the mower, however, he had to search the bottom of the lagoon for two 3-inch (7-centimeter) teeth Elvis lost during the encounter. He quickly found them and escaped from the pool, unharmed and with mower in tow. Though many may question the wisdom of going after a couple of teeth with a massive crocodile lurking just feet away, Faulkner said finding them was critical. They clog up the filter systems, he said. And, perhaps more important, he said, They re a nice souvenir. Elvis has a history of cranky behavior and has occasionally lunged at staff before, though this is the first time he has stolen something from one of the workers. The croc was initially captured in the northern Australian city of Darwin, where he had been attacking fishing boats. He was then moved to a crocodile farm, where he proceeded to kill his two crocodile girlfriends. In 2008, he was moved to the reptile park, where he has enjoyed solitary confinement in his own enclosure. When they are the dominant croc, they re just full of testosterone, Faulkner said. He s got his beautiful own yard, he wants to be a solitary creature. He s happy. Despite having to give up the lawn mower, Elvis was clearly pleased with himself, Faulkner said. He s beaten us today... he s kingpin, Faulkner said. He s going to be walking around with his chest puffed out all day. As for the staff at the reptile park? I can t lie, the bosses are not going to be happy about the cost of a new lawn mower, Faulkner said with a laugh. (But) we love it. No one s injured... and when you get scared and it all turns out to be good, it s actually quite enjoyable. ALL PUZZLE ANSWERs on page 14 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 samoanews@samoatelco.com 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.

3 DOC proposes changes in law governing business definitions by Fili Sagapolutele Samoa News Correspondent Among the changes proposed by the Department of Commerce to provisions of the law dealing with the issuance of business licenses and fees, the definition of a business would be amended, along with business classifications. It would also repeal an entire provision that deals with the government owned hotel property. BUSINESS DEFINITION According to DOC, the definition of business has been slightly changed under the proposed amendments to include non-profit organizations, and the reasoning behind this is that non-profits are generally regulated no differently than forprofit businesses. The only difference has to do with taxes, said DOC. The new system adds them, but the process will be made easy for them through the regulations. This way, the government is able to keep track of non-profits operating in the territory, where currently we have no way of telling who is here or what they are doing. This proposed change would address concerns raised by lawmakers in past years over who is a non-profit group in the territory and who is not, especially when several such groups have surfaced over the years. A footnote in the proposal, that includes non-profit groups in the business definition, states that law will bring American Samoa in line with the majority of U.S. jurisdictions. Additionally, this regulation will be written to alleviate much of the burden placed on the non-profits by the licensing procedure, so that this will not become an unnecessary burden. BUSINESS CLASSIFICATION According to DOC, business types and classifications in current law are very vague and the new proposed system would put the classification of businesses into the hands of the regulations. The plan is to implement the latest NAICS classification, perhaps with some minor modifications to reflect the territory s needs. Additionally, the language in the proposed law remains vague so as to allow updates to be done in the future. Part of this change includes repealing which deals with hotels which will be better addressed through the NAICS, the North American Industry Classification System. The NAICS is the standard used by Federal statistical agencies in classifying business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. business economy. According to DOC, this section of the law is outdated as it referred to a hotel that is no longer operational, and is in a dilapidated state. This section refers to the hotel at Goat Island Point, which is the now defunct Rainmaker Hotel. IMMIGRATION AND FRONT BUSINESSES The largest concerns raised by government agencies, Chamber of Commerce, and everyone else who commented on the proposal, dealt with immigration issues and front businesses, said DOC, adding that this legislation does not address either. While it does eliminate the separate review for businesses owned by aliens, this is merely a reflection of the fact that all businesses will undergo a similar review, said DOC. The immigration review comes from the immigration regulations, which are not touched here. Front businesses are a larger problem requiring a much more comprehensive bill that makes changes through immigration, corporations, and other fields. The licensing itself is just one small tool used to address a larger problem, it says. FUTURE WORK More work clearly needs to be done on business issues, said DOC and pointed out for example, Title 30, entitled Corporations and Partnerships, does not actually have anything on partnerships. It also points out that American Samoa remains the only U.S. jurisdiction not using the Uniform Commercial Code in some form. Further updates need to be done in the fields of electronic transactions and businesses, and it may also be useful to create a system of intellectual property protection, since the federal law excludes American Samoa, the proposal says. Reach the reporter at fili@samoanews.com G ot P lans for the For Reservations & more information: Call us at info@tradewinds.as samoa news, Thursday, December 29, 2011 Page 3 NEW YEAR? CHECK THIS OUT. NEW YEAR S EVE CELEBRATION WITH LIVE MUSIC at the TRADEWINDS HOTEL I t s a B lack & W hite A ffair COME DRESSED TO IMPRESS AND RING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH US $25 PER PERSON Includes: AN ASSORTMENT OF DELICIOUS APPETIZERS, PARTY FAVORS & CHAMPAGNE AT MIDNIGHT!! C elebration b egins at 9pm PLAN TO STAY THE NIGHT? 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4 Page 4 samoa news, Thursday, December 29, 2011 U.S. warns Iran against closing key oil passage Afghan refugee children collect items of use from a pile of garbage on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, Dec. 28, (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen) Samoa & Tokelau to cross the international date line APIA, Samoa (AP) The tiny South Pacific Australia and increasingly prominent east Asian nation of Samoa and its neighbor Tokelau will trade partners such as China. jump forward in time on Thursday, crossing In doing business with New Zealand and westward over the international date line to align Australia, we re losing out on two working days a themselves with their other 21st century trading week, Tuila epa said in a statement. While it s partners throughout the region. Friday here, it s Saturday in New Zealand, and At the stroke of midnight on Dec. 29, time in when we re at church on Sunday, they re already Samoa and Tokelau will leap forward to Dec. 31 conducting business in Sydney and Brisbane. New Year s Eve. For Samoa s 186,000 citizens, and the 1,500 in Tokelau, Friday, Dec. 30, Zealand and Australia, China and Pacific Rim Today we do a lot more business with New 2011, will simply cease to exist. countries such as Singapore, the prime minister The time jump back to the future comes 119 said, adding that his latest idea will make commerce with the region far, far easier. years after some U.S. traders persuaded local Samoan authorities to align their islands time Like many small Pacific island states, more of with nearby U.S.-controlled American Samoa Samoa s people live permanently overseas than and the U.S. to assist their trading with California. on its islands. Around 180,000 Samoans live in But the time zone has proved problematic in New Zealand, 15,000 in Australia and tens of recent years, putting Samoa and Tokelau nearly thousands more in the U.S. a full day behind neighboring Australia and New Other island groups with more of their citizens living offshore than on include Tuvalu, Zealand, increasingly important trading partners. In a bid to remedy that, the Samoan government Niue, Tonga, Cook Islands and tiny Tokelau. passed a law in June that will move Samoa west The Ulu, or chief, of Tokelau, Foua Toloa, said of the international date line, which separates one Thursday that the New Zealand government had calendar day from the next and runs roughly northto-south through the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The General Fono (parliament) decision given its blessing for Tokelau to make the change. Under a government decree, all those scheduled to has been endorsed, and we hope that the people work on the nonexistent Friday will be given full will go to sleep on Thursday night and wake up pay for the missed day of labor. the next day, Saturday, the 31st of December, The time shift will be marked by the ringing without any huge changes, he told Radio New of church bells across Samoa s two main islands, Zealand International. and prayer services in all the main churches of For Samoa, it s the second big economic modernizing move by the governing Human Rights the devoutly Christian nation. The government will also host a service for Protection Party in recent years, following its invited guests and dignitaries. switch to driving on the left side of the country s Nearby Tokelau, a three-atoll United Nations roads in 2009, another move to align it with the dependency, said it will join its neighbor in two regional powers. the date line dance to maintain its alignment Tuila epa said at the time the change made it with Samoa, three sailing days away, where its easier for Samoans in Australia and New Zealand to send used cars home to their relatives. administration is based. Tokelau s parliament, the Tokelau General Opponents predicted major traffic problems, but Fono, recently voted to go ahead with the change, they never happened. although it still has to complete all formalities So far, only Samoa s small Seventh Day for the date line switch, a New Zealand foreign Adventist Church has indicated a major problem ministry official said in Wellington on Thursday. for its congregation, which traditionally begins They re going ahead and doing it... the same celebrations for the Sabbath on Friday night and as Samoa, ministry spokeswoman Susan Budd continues through Saturday. said. The territory is administered by New Zealand on behalf of the U.N. Samatau village has decided it will continue to The Seventh Day Adventist parish in Samoa s Initially strongly opposed by Samoa s opposition Tautua Samoa Party, the law to make the changes forced on the church by the westward observe the Sabbath day on Saturdays despite date line switch won its support after leader switch of the date line. A eau Peniamina told the nation s Parliament, The original shift to the east side of the line It s a change that benefits the people. was made in 1892, when Samoa celebrated July Prime Minister Tuila epa Sailele Malielegaoi earlier said it would strengthen trade and U.S. The date line drawn by mapmakers is not 4 twice, giving a nod to Independence Day in the economic links with Australia, New Zealand mandated by any international body. By tradition, it runs roughly through the 180-degree line and Asia. Being a day behind the region has meant that when it s dawn Sunday in Samoa, of longitude, but it zigzags to accommodate the it s already dawn Monday in adjacent Tonga and choices of Pacific nations on how to align their nearly dawn Monday in nearby New Zealand, calendars. TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- The U.S. strongly warned Iran on Wednesday against closing a vital Persian Gulf waterway that carries one-sixth of the world s oil supply, after Iran threatened to choke off traffic through the Strait of Hormuz if Washington imposes sanctions targeting the country s crude exports. The increasingly heated exchange raises new tensions in a standoff that has the potential to spark military reprisals and spike oil prices to levels that could batter an already fragile global economy. Iran s navy chief said Wednesday that it would be very easy for his country s forces to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the passage at the mouth of the Persian Gulf through which about 15 million barrels of oil pass daily. It was the second such warning by Iran in two days, reflecting Tehran s concern that the West is about to impose new sanctions that could hit the country s biggest source of revenue, oil. Iran has comprehensive control over the strategic waterway, Adm. Habibollah Sayyari told state-run Press TV, as the country was in the midst of a 10-day military drill near the strategic waterway. The comments drew a quick response from the U.S. This is not just an important issue for security and stability in the region, but is an economic lifeline for countries in the Gulf, to include Iran, Pentagon press secretary George Little said. Interference with the transit or passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz will not be tolerated. Separately, Bahrain-based U.S. Navy 5th Fleet spokeswoman Lt. Rebecca Rebarich said the Navy is always ready to counter malevolent actions to ensure freedom of navigation. Rebarich declined to say whether the U.S. force had adjusted its presence or readiness in the Gulf in response to Iran s comments, but said the Navy maintains a robust presence in the region to deter or counter destabilizing activities, while safeguarding the region s vital links to the international community. Iran s threat to seal off the Gulf, surrounded by oil-rich Gulf states, reflect its concerns over the prospect that the Obama administration will impose sanctions over its nuclear program that would severely hit its biggest revenue source. Iran is the world s fourth-largest oil producer, pumping about 4 million barrels a day. Gulf Arab nations appeared ready to at least ease market tensions. A senior Saudi Arabian oil official told The Associated Press that Gulf Arab nations are ready to step in to offset any potential loss of exports from Iran. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the issue. Saudi Arabia, which has been producing about 10 million barrels per day, has an overall production capacity of over 12 million barrels per day and is widely seen as the only OPEC member with sufficient spare capacity to offset major shortages. What remains unclear is what routes the Gulf nations could take to move the oil to markets if Iran goes through with its threat. About 15 million barrels per day pass through the Hormuz Strait, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. There are some pipelines that could be tapped, but Gulf oil leaders, who met in Cairo on Dec. 24, declined to say whether they had discussed alternate routes or what they may be. The Saudi official s comment, however, appeared to allay some concerns. The U.S. benchmark crude futures contract fell $1.98 by the close of trading Wednesday on the New York Mercantile Exchange, but still hovered just below $100 per barrel. U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner played down the Iranian threats as rhetoric, saying, we ve seen these kinds of comments before. While the Obama administration has warned Iran that it would not tolerate attempts to disrupt traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. officials do not see any indication that the situation will come to that. Nor do they believe that Iran, which is already under increasing pressure from sanctions, would risk disrupting the Strait because doing so would further damage Iran s own economy. Instead, the administration believes Iran is playing the only card it has left: issuing threats and attempting to shift focus away from its own behavior. (Continued on page 14)

5 samoa news, Thursday, December 29, 2011 Page 5 Lions Club of Pago Pago Thank You for Your Support! MAJOR SPONSORS: G.H.C. REID & CO., LTD. ACE American Industries ARRA/ ASESRO Fono House of Representatives ASG IT Department Fono Senate ASMC/Young Electric Inc Bank of Hawaii Blue Sky Congressman Faleomavaega Continental Transport Corp. Feleti Barstow Library Fletcher Construction Golf Pro Shop HOLE SPONSORS: Daniel King and Associates Forsgren s Hall and Associates Mabuhay Travel/Ina Corp. McDonald s Oxford Insurance Rose Joneson Vargas Law Offices Samoa Motors Skyview South Pacific Equipment and Repair (NAPA) Stitch N Stuff Turtle & Shark TEAM SPONSORS : Governor s Office Hamburg Sud Industrial Gases Jacinta Brown KS Mart Law Office of Afoa M. Lutu Law Office of Sharron Rancourt LeeAnne Hartman/Dr. Brett Cascio LBJ Tropical Medical Center Marist St. Joseph Old Boys McConnell Dowell MHJ Development Corp. Morris Scanlan Inc. Peter E Reid Stevedoring Polynesian Shipping Rotary Club Samoa News Solar Environmental Services Star Kist Samoa Steffany Family Maritime Foundation TOA COM Tool Shop Inc. Tropik Traders Young Mart Halecks West RAFFLE PRIZES/ GIFT CERTIFICATES Hawaiian Airlines ACE American Industries Blue Sky Communications Deluxe Cafe Hong Kong Restaurant Inter-Island Airways Origin Energy Samoa News Sight n Sound StarKist Samoa Tool Shop Inc. DONATIONS All-Star Signs Pago Printshop McCoys Icehouse KSBS - FM 92.1 KHJ - FM 93.1 V103 FM Samoa Post SPECIAL THANKS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Aumua Amata Danielle King Godinet Rentals John Mitchell Evelyn Hudson & Sharon Ho Ching - Tafuna High School Pro Shop Staff Golf Course staff Boy Scout volunteers KS Mart and Cost-U-Less (Raffle Venues)

6 Page 6 samoa news, Thursday, December 29, 2011 ASG guest fale to be dedicated on Flag Day 2012 People use outdoor escalators, newly installed at Comuna 13 shantytown as part of an urbanization plan to improve living conditions of residents, in Medellin, Colombia, Dec. 26, (AP Photo/Luis Benavides) Nana s Incorporation Call Us or / We offer You the following services: CONSTRUCTION SECURITY LANDSCAPING JANITORIAL WAREHOUSE SMALL LOAN FINANCING RENTAL CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY TATALA LE AVANOA MO NONOGATUPE IANUARI LEAI SE TUPE TULUI P.O. Box 1027, Pago Pago, American Samoa, Fax: nana.inc09@gmail.com by Samoa News staff The government plans to dedicate at next year s Flag Day ceremony the Le Upega Ua Toe Timata (The net is being renewed) guesthouse, which will be one year from the ground breaking of the project at Su igaula o le Atuvasa, during this year s Flag Day. The guesthouse, which is about 135 feet in circumference and located close to the former Pago Pago Yacht Club, is to be used to preserve and promote the fa asamoa as well as a forum to learn the fa alupega, or the Samoan salutations for various Samoan chiefly titles. It was funded with a grant from the U.S. Department of Interior s Office of Insular Affairs. At a news conference yesterday morning, deputy secretary of Samoan Affairs Nanai Afuola announced the government s plan for Flag Day 2012 to dedicate the guest fale and also to announce that a final payment of $10,000 for the contract was given to the builders before they left for Samoa to spend the holidays with their families. Nanai explained that the total contract for the builders is $50,000, which officially ends Dec. 31, 2011 and this also completes funding of the more than $200,000 from DOI. He pointed out that there is a bit more work that needs to be done, such as putting in tiles, steps, railing and lights and the government will look for funding to complete this work. According to the deputy secretary, Secretary of Samoan Affairs Lefiti Atiulagi Pese met with Gov. Togiola Tulafono and decided to give the builders time off to be with their families as they have been in the territory for several months. He said the builders will return in February to make final completion and put on any final touches to the structure before the dedication in April. Nanai expressed his thanks to all villages and counties that made traditional gift presentations to the builders over the past several weeks. At the ground breaking this past April, the late Secretary of Samoan Affairs Tufele Li amatua said the guest house is to serve the people of American Samoa and thanked DOI for providing financial assistance for this project, which he called a way of contribution by our generation to the future generations who shall come after us in the continuing efforts of maintaining and preservation of our Samoan culture. Samoa News reporter Ausage Fausia and Fili Sagapolutele contributed to this report. Reach the newsroom at news.newsroom@samoatelco.com Colombian city builds a giant, outdoor escalator BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) -- Officials in Colombia s secondlargest city on Monday inaugurated a giant, outdoor escalator for residents of one of its poorest neighborhoods. For generations, the 12,000 residents of Medellin s tough Comuna 13, which clings to the side of a steep hillside, have had to climb hundreds of large steps authorities say is the same as going up a 28-story building. Now they can ride an escalator Medellin s mayor says is the first massive, outdoor public escalator for use by residents of a poor area. It turned out very well, said Mayor Alonso Salazar, adding that he has not heard of any such project elsewhere in this world. Salazar said officials from Rio de Janeiro plan to visit Medellin to see if such an escalator would work in that city s favelas, which also cling precariously to hillsides. Comuna 13 residents came out to celebrate and study the $6.7 million escalator which officials say will shorten the 35-minute hike on foot up the hillside to six minutes. Use of the escalator is free. This is a dream come true, homemaker Olga Holguin told RCN television. Cesar Hernandez, head of projects for Medellin, said the electric stairway is divided into six sections and has a length of 384 meters (1,260 feet). An escalator goes up and a second goes down. Authorities plan to build a covering for inclement whether. Salazar described Comuna 13 as the city s district that has suffered the greatest urban violence... but lately this has been receding and we hope this social package will help it move forward.

7 samoa news, Thursday, December 29, 2011 Page 7 E valani s in PAGO Ring in the New Year with us! * New Year s Eve Dinner special Top Sirloin Steak & Grilled Mahimahi served with all the trimmings & cocktail $19.95 per person * Champagne countdown & midnight * Party favors & drink specials * $50.00 special room rates/new Year s weekend Ms. Evalani & her staff wishes everyone a blessed and prosperous Call , , ASCC fall 2011 graduate Tonya Tuigamala receives a PTK award in Fundraising from Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs Kathleen Kolhoff-Belle at the College s Graduate Banquet on Wednesday, December 21st. [Photo: J. Kneubuhl] Graduate awards for academic excellence, community service By James Kneubuhl, ASCC Press Officer As a prelude to its regular Commencement Ceremony, the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) traditionally hosts a Graduate Banquet during graduation week to in order to recognize academic excellence and community service among the young men and women who will receive their degrees and certificates. This semester s ASCC Graduate Banquet took place on Wednesday, December 21, at Seafood Restaurant in Tafuna, and a number of students took home awards in various categories. Following a spirited program of island music performed by the ASCC Ukulele Ensemble, the evening got underway with Mr. Apisaloma Toleafoa of the Samoan Studies Department serving as MC. First, ASCC Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs Dr. Kathleen Kolhoff-Belle gave the opening remarks, congratulating the soon-to-be-graduating students on a job well done and wishing them well in the next phase of their lives, after which Mrs. Amio Luvu presented the evening s first awards on behalf of the ASCC Alumni Association. This semester s Alumni Awards for outstanding academic achievement went to Gemmir L. Luardo in English, Atene Fa amago Ulimasao in Math, and Sweetheart Nua in Science. The Alumni also present an award for achievement in the study of Samoan, which this semester ended up in a three-way tie between Mavaega Ronnie Fuimaono, Ofa Tauave and Fatuoaiga Tuivaiti. Following the Alumni Awards, Dr. Faofua Fa atoafe, Chairperson of the Business Department, presented this semester s Business Education Award to Katie Leilua, a student who has juggled her full-time studies with fulltime employment at Bluesky Communications. Mrs. Pauline McFall presented the CNR/Land Grant awards for Outstanding Achievement in Agriculture and Community & Natural Resources to Samuel Ioka Meleisea, Denis Sene, Jr. and Maryangie Iosua. Then Mr. Kuki Tuiasosopo of the Fine Arts Department announced Magic Aumoeualogo, Peleimatua Betham and Tiapepe Uiagalelei as the recipients of this semester s Music Awards. Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society advisor Mr. Evile Feleti was joined by VP Kolhoff- Belle to present awards to PTK members Gemmir L. Luardo in the area of Community Service, Samuel Ioka Meleisea for Highest Number of Community Service Hours, and Elisa Ongosia, Magic Aumoeualogo and Tonya Tuigamala in Fundraising. Other PTK members who will graduate this semester, including previous Miss ASCC Toefuataina Ta ai, Sweetheart Nua, Peleimatua Betham, Carly Toia and Denis Sene Jr., were asked to stand and receive leis in recognition of their accomplishments. Mrs. Evelyn Fruean of the Trades & Technology Division presented the evening s final awards to Lorraine Seumanu and Jeremiah O Brien for outstanding achievements. The Banquet offers our graduates one final social occasion before the ceremony, explained ASCC Director of Student Services Dr. Emilia Le i, and also an opportunity for us to present the departmental awards for academic performance and community service. We thank all the students, family members and friends who joined us for this fun event. Find anything yet? Place an ad now! OB Mart Store After Christmas Sale 20% - 40% Off on Assorted Electronics... 50% Off on All Fashion Earrings, Ladies & Men s Fashion, Watches and all Flowers, Sei s etc Location: Iliili, right across from Country Club

8 Page 8 samoa news, Thursday, December 29, 2011 C Y M K FALL 2011 Commissioning Pinning Ceremony on Dec. 28th, at the Laulii CCCAS for Army 2LT Iakopo Kataferu Seumalo, Jr. (center). He is a member of the American Samoa Community College Army ROTC program. [photo: SEER] A. Samoa s request for full membership on IRB on calendar by Fili Sagapolutele Samoa News Correspondent American Samoa application for full membership on the International Rugby Board (IRB), the governing body of world rugby, will be reviewed by the IRB council when they meet next year and Gov. Togiola Tulafono is hopeful that the territory will be granted its application. Togiola made American Samoa s official application presentation when he attended the IRB meeting in Auckland, New Zealand during the World Rugby Cup. Speaking on his weekend radio program Togiola said he was informed last week by the president of the Federation of Oceania Rugby Unions (FORU) of a firm announcement from the IRB regarding American Samoa s request for full membership, and this issue is on the calendar for May 15 next year, during the IRB council meeting. Togiola explained that there were some concerns raised with the territory and those have been since addressed through a written reply and explanation. He also said that there were also concerns from the U.S. rugby federation which have since been clarified and the American federation has since voiced full support for American Samoa as a permanent member of the IRB. The governor said that at least now, there is firmed up support for the territory s request, as well as a date indicating when the application will be reviewed by the IRB. Responding to a caller who was concerned that more attention is focused on American football, instead of rugby when it comes to training players and coaches, the governor said that once American Samoa gets full membership that will provide additional funding to recruit staffers as well as coaches and others to work with the team, which means more job opportunities in rugby. He also said that any youngster in the territory unable to gain an American football scholarship can fully participate in the local rugby team, to further improve their skills for international competition. The IRB offers accredited training courses of various levels for both coaching and officiating, as well as trainers and educators courses and specialist courses for the training of officials, according to the FORU website. Togiola said that a full membership would mean funds from IRB to strengthen the development of rugby in American Samoa, which is currently an associate member. He also stated that rugby can provide many opportunity for players, who can advance further in their rugby career and can even be recruited by major countries with strong rugby teams. Reach the reporter at fili@samoanews.com C Y M K

9 samoa news, Thursday, December 29, 2011 Page 9 C Y M K Gov t will pay a family $17.8 million for military jet crash C Y M K SAN DIEGO (AP) A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the U.S. government to pay $17.8 million to a family that lost four members when a Marine Corps fighter jet crashed into their San Diego home in U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Miller s ruling came after a nonjury trial between the Department of Justice and the family, who sought $56 million for emotional and monetary loss. Don Yoon lost his 36-year-old wife, Youngmi Lee Yoon; his 15-month-old daughter, Grace; his 2-month-old daughter, Rachel; and his 59-yearold mother-in-law, Seokim Kim Lee, who was visiting from Korea to help her eldest daughter take care of their children. Yoon said in a statement that Miller s ruling was thoughtful, reasoned and just. Yoon broke down crying throughout his testimony, which came three years to the day when he buried his wife and baby girls in the same casket. He told the judge he only looks forward to the day when he can join them. Our family is relieved this part of the process is over, but no sum of money will ever make up for the loss of our loved ones, he said. The Marine Corps has said the plane suffered a mechanical failure but a series of bad decisions led the pilot a student to bypass a potentially safe landing at a coastal Navy base after his engine failed on Dec. 8, The pilot ejected and told investigators he screamed in horror as he watched the jet plow into the neighborhood, incinerating two homes. The case was unique in that the government admitted liability but disputed how much should be paid to Yoon and his extended family. Government lawyers had put economic losses at about $1 million but left it up to Miller to decide how much should be paid for the loss of love and companionship. During the trial, government attorneys offered their condolences to the family but questioned how much they depended on each other. The law does not allow victims to be compensated for grief, suffering or punitive damages. The judge said the deaths of the two girls deprived Yoon of the comfort, companionship, society and love a young child is capable of providing to a new parent and, then, in later life. By all accounts, the Yoon girls would have been raised with traditional cultural and family values emphasizing love and devotion to parents and family. He ordered Yoon to be awarded about $9.6 million, and his father-in-law, Sanghyun Lee, to be given about $3.7 million. Miller said $1.5 million should go to each of Lee s three adult children for the loss of their mother, Seokim Kim Lee. In his written ruling, Miller called Seokim Kim Lee an extraordinary woman whose profound and loving influence greatly molded, directly or indirectly, virtually every plaintiff in this case, after hearing the testimonies of her husband and children, who flew in from Korea to testify. During the trial, the family s attorney, Brian Panish, showed photographs and videos depicting a close-knit farming family whose lives were shattered on two continents by the crash. Youngmi Lee came to the United States in 2004 to marry Yoon. Yoon said he harbors no ill will toward the Marine pilot who did everything he could to prevent this tragedy, but added that his family believes that misguided attempts by the military to save money and cut costs contributed to the crash. If the cost of paying fair compensation as ordered by this court will be factored into the daily decisions by our military in its operations that affect both military and civilian safety, other families may be saved, the family s statement said. The military disciplined 13 for the errors. In this Dec. 9, 2011 photo released by Westcom Electronics, a Christmas pine tree made of unusable cellphones is lit up in front of the electronic store in My Tho, Tien Giang province, Vietnam. The store rang in Christmas with the 15-foot tree made of more than 2,500 unusable cellphones. Store manager Nguyen Trai said 10 workers spent two weeks building the cellular Christmas tree. (AP Photo/Westcom Electronics)

10 Page 10 samoa news, Thursday, December 29, 2011 Le Lali Se tasi lena o vaaiga matagofie i totonu o le Maota o le Malo lea ua maea ona fausia, ma le faamoemoe o le aso o le sisigafu a i le tausaga fou e faaulufaleina ai. [ata AF] Sauni IRB e iloilo le talosaga a Amerika Samoa tusia Ausage Fausia foliga mai o lo o ave le fa amuamua a le malo e O le a aofia i totonu o mata upu o le a talanoaina una ia ai fanau e fa aleleia le ta aloga o le football (lakapi fa a Amerika), ae fa atuatuana i i le i le Fonotaga Fa aletausaga a le Fa alapotopotoga e mata ituina le fa agatama o le lakapi i le lalolagi lakapi fa a peretania lea ua to atele alo Samoa ua (IRB), i le masina o Me i le tausaga fou, ia le talosaga sa fa aulu e Amerika Samoa, ina ia mafai Na ta ua e se tasi o to oto o, o lo o maua e lauiloa ma ta uta ua ai i le lalolagi. ona avea ma sui tumau o le IRB. fanau aoga i le atunu u avanoa sikolasipi e ulufale atu ai i Amerika mo le taaloga football ae O le fa anaunauga e pei ona saunoa so o i ai le Peresetene o le Iuni Lakapi a le atunuu, le afioga leai ni le lakapi faaperetania. i le Anavaotaua ia Te o J. Fuavai, ia mafai ona Ae peita i, na saunoa Togiola, e le o le manatu ausia e Amerika Samoa le avea ma totino tumau, lea o le malo, ona e tutusa uma lava fa amanuiaga ina ia mafai ai ona tatala mai fa amanuiaga tau e maua mai e alo ma fanau o le atunu u, ae pau le tupe o lo o maua e atunu u ua avea ma sui tumau, fautuaga a le malo, o fanau uma lava ua le ausia e fesoasoani ai i le atina ega o le ta aloga lakapi avanoa sikolasipi e malaga atu ai i Amerika mo i le atunu u. le fa alauteleina o le tomai i le taaloga football, Na fa aalia e kovana Togiola Tulafono, i le alo ane loa e fa aleleia le ta aloga lakapi ina ua fa ai uga o le vaiaso na te a nei, le fa amaonia maua ai foi se lumana i mo aiga. mai o le iloiloina o le talosaga a Amerika Samoa Saunoa Togiola, o lea ua ofi Amerika Samoa e le IRB i le fono o loma nei a le IRB, e le peresetene o le Fa alapotopotoga o ta aloga Lakapi i pei ona i ai le ta amilosaga o le Oceania lea sa i ni isi o ta amilosaga fa avaomalo a le IRB, e le Pasefika (FORU). faia i Samoa. E le gata ua mae a ona tu uina atu ni isi o O le isi la asaga, o le taumafai lea e fa aofi se tusitusiga e lagolagoina atili ai le talosaga a le au i le ta amilosaga taitoa 7 a le lalolagi lea e atunu u e pei ona ta ua e le alii kovana, ae ua fa agasolo i tausaga uma lava, aua o lea ua ofi atu mae a foi ona tu uina atu i le IRB se tusi mai le le ta aloga lakapi taitoa 7 i ta aloga mo le Olimipeka, lea ua faamoemoe e faia i Brazil i le Iuni Lakapi a Amerika, latou te lagolagoina ai le talosaga a Amerika Samoa, ina ia avea i latou ma O le tulaga manuia pe afai ae avea Amerika totino tumau o le IRB mo le lumanai. Samoa ma totino tumau a le IRB e pei ona Na saunoa Te o, o le autu lea ma le saunoa Togiola, o le a mafai ai loa ona sasa a fa amoemoe na ala ai ona fa avae le Iuni lakapi a mai fesoasoani tau tupe e atina e ai le ta aloga i Amerika Samoa, ina ia mafai ona ofi atu i totonu le atunu u, ma maua ai loa ma avanoa faigaluega o falaga maea o ta aloga lakapi a le lalolagi. e pei o le totogia o le faiaoga o le au, tagata na I le silia ai ma le 30 tausaga o avea Te o ma te kolenia le au, o le foma i fa apitoa mo tama peresetene o le Iuni Lakapi a Amerika Samoa, e ta a alo manunu a, atoa ai ma isi lava ituaiga aofia ai ma le taimi lenei ua tu u fa atasi ai Iuni e fa amanuiaga e maua mai, lea fo i o lo o aeae ai lua ma avea ai o le Iuni Lakapi e tasi, o le agaga isi atunu u o le lalolagi, e aofia ai ma Samoa ua atoa a Te o, ia mafai ona avea Amerika Samoa leva ona avea ma totino tumau o le IRB. ma sui tumau o le IRB. O popolega o ni isi e pei ona ta ua e se tasi Feso ota i mai i le tusitala ia o tina i luga o le polokalame a le alii kovana, e ausage@samoanews.com U una ia Togiola le galulue fa atasi o tagata ma leoleo TOGIOLA: Mumusu tagata e FA ailoa mea sese o lo o fa tusia Ausage Fausia I le tele ai o fa asea mai ni isi o le atunu u i le le lelei o le fa amalosia e le Ofisa o Leoleo o tulafono ia ua mae a ona pasia e le Fono ma sainia e le Kovana, na saunoa ai le alii kovana e fa apea, e mana omia le galulue fa atasi o tagata uma e fa amalosi ma puipui le tulafono, aua e le mafai e le to atele o Leoleo o lo o i ai i le taimi nei ona fa atino lea tiute. Na ta ua e se to oto o i luga o le polokalame a le alii kovana i le fa ai uga o le vaiaso na te a nei, ua tele tulafono ua pasia e le fono ma saini e le kovana, peitai e foliga mai e le o lelei ona fa amalosi e le Ofisa o Leoleo. Ua matua leai lava se faamalosiga o le tulafono e faasa ai le ulaula tapa a, e oo i le tulafono e faasa ai le faalapisi ma le faaaogaina o laau faleotele leo i totonu o taavale, e le o ia i lava se galuega o fai i ai e leoleo, o le matou nuu e matua ki faaleo tele lava laau o taavale a tagata e leai ma se usitai i le tulafono, o le faasea lea a lea tootoo i luga o le polokalame. Na ta ua e le to oto o, o ni isi o tagata a fai atu i ai i le ulaula i nofoaga o lo o fa asa e pei o le falema i ma tafatafa o Ofisa o le malo, ae feita ma fa asea ma lafo upu le fiafia ma fai mai, e leai se feau a se isi e pule lava latou. O le fautuaga a le to oto o i le kovana, e tatau ona fa amalosia e le malo ia leoleo, ina ia silasila toto a i fa afitauli o lo o tula i mai ina ia mautinoa o lo o fa amalosia tulafono ua uma ona pasia mo le atunu u. Saunoa kovana Togiola Tulafono, e le mafai ona fa atino e leoleo a le malo le galuega o le o i tua i nu u ma itumalo, i minute uma o le aso, ma aso uma o le vaiaso, e va ai ma tilotilo po o ai o solitulafono, sei vagana ua galulue fa atasi le atunu u e ripoti ma fa ailoa fa afitauli ia i leoleo. Na lagolagoina e Togiola le fa asea a le to oto o lea, o lo o vaivai le faamalosia o tulafono e leoleo, peitai o le fa afitauli ua masani ai le atunu u o lo o tulai mai, o le ufiuifi o le mea sese o lo o fai, e musu e fa ailoa. O isi tagata e fiafia tele e vala au mai ma fa ailoa mai mea sese o lo o tupu, ae musu e fa ailoa lona igoa fai mai e le mana o e iloa atu ai fua ma ia ma lona aiga, o le faafitauli la lena o loo tulai mai, o le fiafia e ufiufi, faaopoopo atu ai ma le fia lelei ma le le fia aafia i se mea, ua atili ai ona faigata i leoleo ona faatino a latou galuega o le faamalosiina lea o le tulafono, o le saunoaga lea a le alii kovana. E le mafai e leoleo ona faamalosi le tulafono i minute uma ma itumalo o le aso, ae mafai ona faatino pe afai e fesoasoani mai le atunuu, o le isi lea saunoaga a Togiola. Saunoa Togiola, e mafua ona tele solitulafono, e aofia ai ma le totoina o fuala au fa asaina, ona o lo o ufiufi e tagata e le mananao e ta u ma faailoa, e mumusu e faailoa ne i aafia atu ai o latou igoa ma ta u leagaina ai i latou i le nuu. Ua outou silafia lelei le atunuu, o le tele o solitulafono e le mafai ona iloa e leoleo sei vagana ua outou fesoasoani e faailoa mai ona faatoa mafai lea ona agai atu leoleo e faatino o latou tiute. (Faaauau itulau 11) O se va aiga fo i i nisi o le au fa au u mai le Kolisi Tu ufa atasi i le vaiaso na te a. Malo le taumafai. [ata: Leua Aiono Frost]