TAUESE P.F. SUNIA OCEAN CENTER GETS RAVE REVIEWS

The Tauese P.F. Sunia Ocean Center in Utulei has been dubbed a “wonderful learning center” on tripadvisor.com, the ultimate source for online reviews.

According to a visitor who stopped by the Ocean Center last month, “This was a brief, but very rewarding stop while in Pago Pago, AS earlier this month. It's a high-tech, modern and informative learning center about our earth and our oceans. Definitely worth the time if you're in Pago Pago.”

Another reviewer described the Ocean Center as “modern and informative” saying, “What a great learning experience for me and my family! We were visiting the Samoan Islands and found this Ocean Center to be refreshing, informative and very friendly. The tour is lead by a super friendly guide who does a great job of mixing local cultural tales with scientific facts, making for a fun and interesting presentation of the local marine ecosystem……We spent about an hour checking everything out. Free of charge and centrally located in Pago, just next door to the old Rainmaker Hotel. Worth the visit!”

Another visitor posted, “A great place to learn about the National Marine Sanctuary. I was the only visitor so I had a personal tour guide. His family owned a small island out in the sanctuary and he was very knowledgeable about the land, ocean life, and history of the area. The center is free to visit but please consider a donation to help with their funding and enable them to remain open.”

The state-of-the-art Ocean Center is managed by the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa and hosts multiple field trips for local school children, as well as tours for tourists and those wanting to learn more about the Sanctuary system.

EMERGENCY SIREN SYSTEM TO UNDERGO MAINTENANCE WORK

The Department of Homeland Security/TEMCO has announced that maintenance and repair work will be conducted for all emergency sirens on Tutuila, Aunu’u and the Manu’a Islands starting this weekend.

The maintenance work will be carried out by off-island contractors from December 6-19 and may include weekends.

According to DHS/TEMCO, maintenance service is necessary to ensure that all sirens are functional and in proper working condition during emergencies.

Meanwhile, the public is reminded that the monthly territory- wide emergency siren test for this month will be carried out this Friday, December 5 at 12 noon.

This is the monthly siren test which is held on the first Friday of every month.

The public is encouraged to call 699-3800 and report any issues with respect to the siren testing this Friday.  “We request and kindly remind village mayors (Pulenu’u) to please call 699-3800 to advise and report results of siren testing in your respective villages and counties.”

CHANGE OF DATES FOR 37TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY MUSIC FESTIVAL

The scheduled dates for the 37th Annual Holiday Music Festival have been changed and will now be held Sunday, December 14 to Wednesday, December 17, 2014 at the Malaeoletalu, Fagatogo Pavilion.

An estimated 30 local groups — mostly youth groups and church choirs — have already auditioned for a slot to perform during the event, which is hosted by the American Samoa Council on Arts, Culture, and Humanities (ASCACH).

Program coordinator Rexx Yandall said yesterday that a meeting will be held to discuss issues that include the number of people per group and how everything can blend together in order to make this year’s performances a success.

As with previous years, all performers will be held to the same strict standards to ensure “fairness” across the board. Those who make the cut will be “the best of the best” said Yandall who added that the confirmed number of performers will be made official later this week on Thursday.

Those who auditioned were judged on several criteria that included artistic value, gracefulness of the performers, unity, quality of voices, discipline, enter and exit, appropriateness of the message (holiday theme), and obeying the 10-minute time limit.

One requirement is that all interested groups MUST include 30 or more members. However, some of the groups that auditioned had fewer than that number.

The project is supported by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts and more information can be obtained by calling 633-4347/4490/5613.