FONO SAMOAN FALE IN NEED OF REPAIR

The head of Congresswoman Aumua Amata’s local office, HC Pulu Ae Ae Jr., says he is appalled at the condition of the Fono’s Fale Samoa, and he wonders why nothing is being done about it.

Pulu, a former faipule for Ma’oputasi, told Samoa News that the leaky roof at the Fale Samoa has been a longstanding problem, and attempts to address it have never been successful.

“When the rainfall is heavy, workers from the Fono will usually cover the roof with plastic and nail it down with boards,” he said. “But that doesn’t fix anything. It actually creates a bigger problem.”

According to Pulu, the strong winds have caused the plastic to rip, leaving half of the plastic pinned down while the rest flies around in whichever direction the wind is blowing.

“It is such an eyesore for us and the rest of the people who pass by this area everyday,” Pulu said. (Aumua’s local office is located on the ground floor of the Fagatogo Square, facing the Fale Samoa).

Pulu said his concern is that the bags will serve as a breeding ground for mosquitoes that carry the dengue fever virus.

“Tourists who come here on the cruise ships take pictures of the Fono when they visit. Is this the kind of image we want them to take home?” Pulu asked. “It is so embarrassing.”

He concluded, “Instead of lawmakers doing other things, they need to focus on what needs to be done and this is one of them. The roof of this Fale Samoa needs to be repaired and I’m sure that if they really wanted to, they can find a source of funding to pay for it.”

TEACHER WORKSHOPS

The new school year kicks off in less than a month and educators are preparing for it through workshops and group discussions.

Manumalo Baptist Academy is leading the way this year with the first day of school set for Monday, August 10. This past week, the more than thirty teachers from the Home of the Flames have been getting their classrooms prepared for incoming students, in addition to gathering for morning devotions with board members and familiarizing themselves with the curriculum.

In the meantime, the Office of Students Services for the local Department of Education is accepting registration for new students. A schedule of dates and times is printed elsewhere in Samoa News. Those who miss the deadline may opt for late registration, which begins Monday, August 31.

All public schools in Tutuila, Aunu’u, and the Manu’a Islands — from the ECE level to high school — will be back in session on Thursday, August 27.

BURNSVILLE MAYOR VISITS LT. GOV LEMANU

Elizabeth Malae Langkilde Kautz, the Mayor of Burnsville, Minnesota, paid a special visit to Lt. Lemanu Peleti Mauga earlier this week. Kautz, who is from Leloaloa, presented Lemanu with gifts that included a key to the city of Burnsville, in addition to a book on the history of the city which has more than 60,000 residents.

According to Kautz’s younger brother Vaito’a Hans Langkilde, Elizabeth’s visit to the territory is her first since 2000, when she was last here for her mother’s funeral.

“We are hosting a family reunion for the children of Joseph and Odilla Faumuina Langkilde and that is why Elizabeth is here,” Vaito’a told Samoa News.

Elizabeth, the eldest, departed the territory at a young age to live with relatives in California and went on to attend college in Minnesota, where she graduated and eventually called ‘home’. Kautz has been the Mayor of Burnsville for twenty terms and once served as president of the Conference of US City Mayors.

She is also a two-time cancer survivor.

During her meeting with the Lt. Governor, the Mayor was receptive to Lemanu’s suggestion that Burnsville develop a sister city arrangement with American Samoa.

Lemanu presented Kautz with a copy of the Centennial Book and cases of wahoo.

LIANA GURR RETURNS FROM AG-DISCOVERY HAWAII

Tafuna High School graduate Liana Gurr has returned from the Aloha State, after representing American Samoa during the two-week AgDiscovery program.

Gurr told Samoa News yesterday that during the trip, she was able to visit several different sites in Hawai’i, including farms that use hydroponics, as well as the Honolulu Zoo, “where we learned how to care for the animals.”

She said that her experience allowed her to get an in-depth understanding of genetically modified organisms or GMOs.

“Right now around the world, there is a bit of controversy about GMOs, with people expressing fear because they don’t fully understand what it’s about,” Gurr said.  She explained that GMOs are genes that are injected into fruits and vegetables to genetically modify them, so farmers can save money by not having to buy chemical sprays.

Gurr said GMOs make fruit resistant to certain diseases and she clarified that GMOs are in most things that we eat, including papayas, bananas, and even corn.

Gurr’s recent trip is one of many successes in her long list of achievements.

This past school year, she graduated from Tafuna HS with the highest ACT and SAT scores. She was awarded a scholarship from BlueSky Communications and this past Tuesday, StarKist Samoa awarded her a scholarship as well.

She will be departing August 17 for the University of Hawaii, Manoa, where she will major in mathematics.

Gurr is the only daughter and youngest child of Peter and Donna Gurr of Malota.