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Community Briefs

compiled by Samoa News staff

MEETING OF PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS FOR FOOD PLANT ONGOING

Meetings off island with prospective investors in a local multi purpose food processing plant by Philippines based AVM Bernardo Engineering is ongoing, says Commerce Department Director Keniseli Lafaele.

During his Senate confirmation hearing early last month, Lafaele was asked by senators on the status of the multi-million dollar plant project at the Tafuna Industrial Park, where it broke ground in January last year but construction have yet to commence.

Lafaele told senators that AVM was holding a meeting with possible investors the second week of February in Honolulu and once investors are firmed up, then a construction date would be set thereafter. He also says that he was to attend the meeting. (See Samoa News edition Feb. 10th for details)

Responding to Samoa News inquiries on the outcome of the Honolulu meetings, Lafaele responded via email, “Meetings with prospective investors are on-going. We're hoping to complete talks and start construction sooner than later. I am currently off-island for this purpose.”

Some senators have promised to call Lafaele back to the Senate to find out the status of the project in the next couple of months, if there is still no sign of the construction project beginning. The plant is expected to provide up to 800 jobs.

AVM Bernardo Engineering has proposed to invest $106 million to set up a “multi-line food processing plant” focusing first on frozen fish-based sausage, ham, nuggets and patties; and later extending to other products, such as juices.

MCCONNELL DOWELL STEPS UP — AGAIN — TO FIX OTTOVILLE ROADS

With the Easter season approaching, McConnell Dowell construction has again stepped in to help with a community request to patch potholes for the two roads in Ottoville that are widely used by the public, although two roads are described by Public Works Department as private roads.

Last week Larry Sanitoa, chairman of the Catholic Church's Holy Family Parish International Community at Fatuoaiga, wrote to McConnell Dowell’s local manager Nicholas Strange for help on behalf of residents, motorists and parishioners of the Holy Family Parish at Fatuoaiga, to address the “recurring deplorable problem” with the two access roads going towards the Cathedral at Fatuoaiga.

Sanitoa explained that Easter season is around the corner, and the Diocese of Samoa Pago Pago and Parish will be holding several church services. “Obviously, there will be higher than normal traffic in the Ottoville area especially the two roads going towards Fatuoaiga from the main road,” he said, adding that in the past McConnell Dowell “has helped us tremendously in repairing these two badly damaged roads as a community service project.”

“We are again humbly requesting your assistance for a temporary repair to the sections of these two roads with used asphalt if possible,” Sanitoa wrote. “Although it is a temporary fix, the used asphalt lasts a lot longer than the base course or the standard fill loads.”

The two roads referred to by Sanitoa are the one that goes through in front of a Mormon church and the other which goes through the private cemetery inside Ottoville and next to the Hope House — this road is so bad; a large pool of water has remained there since last month and gets much larger — every time it rains.

Avamua Dave Haleck in a separate email informed McConnell Dowell that DPW has treated these two roads as private roads when in fact they are not, as the Haleck family has provided these access roads for the sake of the Ottoville residents.

“The roads are public and therefore it is my opinion that ASG should include the roads with all the public roads in American Samoa,” he said, and suggested an asphalt coating instead of a reseal. “We have been using a packaged asphalt product to fill and patch the pot holes. We've run out.”

Sanitoa told Samoa News yesterday that McConnell Dowell has been kind enough to start patching the potholes now with asphalt.

Samoa News notes that besides the Mormon Church at Ottoville and the Catholic Church at Fatuoaiga, there are at least five other denomination churches within the Ottoville area and the two roads on Sundays are busy with traffic as people head to church services in the morning and afternoon.

TSUNAMI EVACUATION DRILL

The American Samoa Department of Homeland Security / TEMCO Division wishes to advise the public that as part of our Disaster Preparedness effort, Matafao Elementary school will be conducting a Tsunami evacuation drill on Thursday, March 16, 2017.

The tsunami evacuation drill will start at 12:00 noon and conclude at 01:00 p.m. Public roads will be closed temporarily for the safety of children crossing road. Please plan ahead with your daily commute around Matafao Elementary area.

The goal of the tsunami evacuation drill is to validate and evaluate the Emergency Operation Plan for Matafao Elementary School. Please do not be alarmed this is just an evacuation drill.

Should you have any questions, please contact 699-0411 or 699-3800.  Thank you.

Ua fa’ailoa mai e le Matagaluega o le Puipuiga o le Saogalemu Fa’a-Lotoifale, le Homeland Security / TEMCO, le Ofisa e gafa ma Fa’alavelave Fa’afuase’i e fa’apea, ona o le fa’atauaina o tapenaga mo fa’alavelave fa’afuase’i, o lea o le a faia ai se fa’ata’ita’iga mo le aoga tulaga muamua I Matafao. O lea fa’ata’ita’iga o le a fa’ataunu’uina i le Aso Tofi, Mati 16, 2017. O le a amataina lenei fa’ata’ita’iga i le 12:00 i le aoauli ma fa’ai’u ai i le 01:00 i le aoauli o le aso tofi. O le a tapunia auala mo se taimi pu’upu’u aua le saogalemu mo fanau aoga. Fa’amolemole, vaai totoa i tonu ma feoa’iga i le auala i lea aso mo le saogalemu a le fanau a’oga o Matafao.

O le fa’ammoemoe o lenei fa’ata’ita’iga, ia toe fa’amaonia ma toe va’ai toto’a i tonu ma gaioiga ua fa’amaumauina i tusitusiga mo aoga tulaga muamua i Matafao. ‘Aua le fa’apopoleina fua, o lenei taumafaiga ua na’o se fa’ata’ita’iga.

O lenei fa’aliga ua faia ma le fa’aaloalo mo lou silafia ma le lagolagosua mai.  A iai se fesili fa’amolemole vala’au mai i le 699-0411 po’o 699-3800.  

Fa’afetai tele.  O le pule’aga o le matagaluega o le Homeland Security, Ofisa o le TEMCO - Fa’alavelave Fa’afuase’i.