Archive

Renato Curto, the chief executive officer and majority shareholder of Tri Marine Group -  the U.S. based company looking at setting up a cannery in American Samoa next year under its local subsidiary Samoa Tuna Processors Inc. — has joined other local and off-island potential investors pledging their support of the locally based Community Bank of Amerika Samoa (IO).
 

The three major U.S. based tuna canneries have voiced concerns and objections to a federal government proposal to revise regulations under the Dolphin Protection Consumer Information Act (DPCIA) to enhance the requirements for documentation to support labels on tuna products that represent the product as dolphin-safe.
 
Industry sources told Samoa News that the proposed rule change, if adopted, could have serious impact on the tuna canneries and the fishing fleets that service them, due to the additional costs to the canneries to comply with such rules.

Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga has re-established the stray dog task force, similar to the one set up more than five years ago by the Togiola Administration to address the island wide problem.
 
The reestablished task force will also follow goals and mission cited in the executive order issued by Togiola so that this new task force can move forward right away, and additional goals and focuses can be added later via another memo or executive order, if necessary.
 

Jerome Ierome of Tula and Onenoa is the new coordinator for the American Samoa Government’s High Risk Task Force, said Governor’s Legal Counsel Steve Watson, who chairs the High Risk Task Force.
 

The Pene family, through their GSR Pene Foundation are seeking eligible students to apply for Academic and Athletic scholarships — specifically, they are looking for baseball and softball players who want to elevate their game to the next level.
 

There is good news for secondary students and parents this year.

In July, students in the year 9 up to year 11 will no longer have to pay for school fees.

That is made possible thanks to a grant from the government and New Zealand.

Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Education Sports and Culture, Matafeo Tanielu Aiafi said the aid is a much-needed help for students.

What the grant means is there are no more fees, he said.

“This is a great help for parents who don’t have regular income,” he said.

The American Samoa Athletics Association  Track and Field Association is sending a team of five  (4 males/1 female) to compete in the Oceania Championships for Track and Field in Papeete, Tahiti  this coming June 4-7. The Oceania Championship is held every year and last year it was held in Australia with the Athletics Association also sending five to compete.
 

Samoana and Fa’asao-Marist have been crowned as champions of the American Samoa High School Athletics Association’s boys soccer varsity and junior varsity, respectively, divisions.
 
The teams were officially handed their trophies during a presentation on May 8, 2013 held at the KVZK Studio in Utulei.
 
VARSITY
 
Samoana 7-0-1) ended the competition with a league-best 21 points, eight better than second place finisher, Fa’asao-Marist Crusaders (4-1-3, 13 points).
 

On Friday, May 10, faculty and students from the Business Department at the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) held a special gathering to celebrate a number of significant accomplishments over the spring 2013 semester, in which Business students combined their learning activities with community service and outreach.
 
The gathering combined acknowledgement of Business students’ efforts on behalf of the public, recognition of Business majors graduating this semester, and a farewell to a longstanding member of the department.
 

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. — Bright leis of pink, yellow, green and blue draped the necks of service members attending the Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Celebration at Tommy B’s Community Center.

Soldiers and airmen replaced their uniform blouses for a more celebratory Hawaiian shirt to honor the occasion May 13. With island music and spicy scents, participants converged on a buffet of Asian and Pacific cuisine and cultural experiences.