People Briefs
People Briefs
Former American Samoa Justice Richard I. Miyamoto passed away in May in Honolulu. Miyamoto, 76, from the Big Island of Hawaii was appointed by the Nixon Administration as Attorney General for the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Miyamoto served as chief justice for American Samoa from 1976-1981 and was reassigned in 1982 to Saipan to serve as associate justice of the Micronesian High Court.
Former Saipan, now Hawaii resident Susan Burr won the 12th New Tagaman Triathlon in Saipan in May, beating Australian Caroline Cooksley by more than a minute in 3:03:36. Jason Metters of Australia won the men’s title in 2:38:59, followed by Mike Tree of England. Of 142 entrants, 131 completed the rigorous course.
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U.S. Ambassador to the Marshall Islands Michael J. Senko laid out America’s Compact renegotiating plan to Majuro Chamber of Commerce members in June, saying future American funds will be subject to stringent oversight and focused in six areas: education, health, infrastructure/maintenance, private sector, capacity building and environment. The U.S. Embassy is boosting staff levels to 19, its largest ever, and all of the more than four dozen U.S. federal programs operating in the Marshalls will be coming under direct Embassy oversight, a major change from the first Compact period.
Former American Samoa cabinet member John E. Suisala was named in May as the new general manager of Polynesian Shipping Service (PSS), Inc. PSS president Lealaifuaneva Peter Reid said he is happy Suisala joined the company. Suisala was an assistant to Congressman Eni F.H. Faleomavaega in his Washington, D.C. office prior to returning to American Samoa to serve as a cabinet director for Governor A.P. Lutali during his second term in the early 1990s.
Madeleen Helmer, who was instrumental in establishing and running the European Center on Pacific Issues in The Netherlands since the mid-1980s, has switched from Pacific advocacy to working for the Dutch Red Cross on climate change, adaptation and disaster preparedness, with a focus on developing countries.
After serving as American Samoa's federal engineer for the Federal Highways Administration for more than 10 years, Honolulu-based Glen Yasui retired in June. He worked with the federal government for more than 30 years and will be replaced by engineer Pat Phung.
Former U.S. Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia Diane Watson, who previously was the first black woman to serve in the California State Senate, won easy election in June to replace the late Julian Dixon in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Federated States of Micronesia Congress Speaker Jack Fritz was recognized in May with a 2001 University of Hawaii Distinguished Alumni Award for guiding Micronesia to political maturity. The long-time representative from Chuuk State graduated with a BA in 1973 and a law degree in 1979, both from UH.
Publisher of the Samoa Journal and Advertiser newspaper Rowena King passed away in May after a short and unexpected illness. She was 65. King was well-known in the territory for her 25 years as a newspaper woman especially her Samoan language column "Tailo" that looked into issues considered taboo. She published the daily newspaper Samoa News until 1983, when the Kings sold it. Soon thereafter, however, she began publishing the Samoa Journal as a weekly paper in the territory and later expanded to three-times a week, before selling it in 1996.
Myriam Abel, director of public health in Vanuatu, has been elected chairperson of the World Health Organization’s Executive Board, which has 32 members worldwide and meets twice annually to review program and budget work of the WHO.
Outrigger canoe navigator Rapwi Amwit of Puluat Atoll and five of his companions were honored on arrival in Pohnpei recently after a nearly month-long voyage from their outer atoll in Chuuk State. Using only their knowledge of the stars, currents, waves, weather and birds to guide them over hundreds of miles of open ocean, Amwit was continuing a long tradition of passing navigation skills to the younger generation. FSM Speaker Jack Fritz welcomed the crew with a dinner reception in Pohnpei.
Chief Warrant Officer Nicholas L. Punimata was honored in May by the U.S. Army with the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award, and was extended the privilege of laying a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Ceremony in Virginia. Punimata is the son of Nuuese and Matamulisesula Punimata of American Samoa.
Former American Samoa Governor A. P. Lutali on June 8 launched his biography, "My Samoan Journey", in American Samoa. Published recently in New Zealand, the 296-page biography contains numerous photographs. The book tells about the workings of American democracy in the Pacific and the struggle of a people to adjust to Western ways of doing things.
