American Samoa Visitor’s Bureau executive director David Vaeafe has responded to complaints that there will be no general admission or general seating for the 2012 McDonald’s Miss South Pacific pageant Saturday night when the new beauty queen is crowned at the Governor H.Rex Lee Auditorium in Utulei.

There have been several complaints that the host committee has only corporate table seating, which is an issue that was first pointed out in a Samoa News story more than four weeks ago. In that story, Samoa News quoted Vaeafe saying that there will be no general admission, and at that time there were only a few corporate tables left.

“It was always — from the beginning — corporate table seating only, because this is a different and special event for the sponsors and everyone involved,” Vaeafe told Samoa News yesterday and reiterated that this was always the plan from the outset.

He also said that there are now inquiries for more corporate tables, but “there aren’t any left... it’s all sold out.”

Vaeafe had told Samoa News towards the end of October that pageant night will be all corporate tables — a total of 50 tables, each at $750 and corporate sponsorship comes with a three-course meal.

Meanwhile, Vaeafe said things are going well for the local organizing committee, with all the contestants on island along with the reigning Miss South Pacific. “Things are great” he said, as the contestants participated yesterday in Day One of the weeklong activities.

One of yesterday’s activities was a news conference at Sadie’s by the Sea, where three main questions were asked for each contestant to answer, including the reigning Miss South Pacific.

In tomorrow’s edition, are the contestant’s responses to a Fiji women’s rights group, who claim that the Miss South Pacific pageant is outdated and promotes a concept of beauty into which Pacific women often don’t fit.

Asked whether he knows if KVZK-TV is broadcasting live Saturday evening, Vaeafe said it will be taped delayed, to air the following day.

However, Office of Public Information (KVZK-TV) director Paolo Sivia Jr., told Samoa News that he received a call yesterday from Vaeafe about television coverage of the pageant and the two are scheduled to meet today for a discussion.

The pageant will be website live on www.misssouthpacificpageant.ws on Dec. 8  from 7.00 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. American Samoa time.

ROAD CONCERNS

Some residents have voiced to Samoa News their disappointment with current conditions of roads in the territory, saying that they should have been given a temporary fix prior to the arrival of the contestants and other visitors for the pageant.

One caller yesterday urged the government to put a temporary fix on the road to LBJ Medical Center, which will be traveled by the contestants as they visit the Pediatric Ward for a gift presentation there this week.