Pacific Magazine > Magazine > March 1, 2003
Briefs
People
Lingikoni Vakauta, a senior artist at the University of the South Pacific in Suva, has won a prestigious 2003 Commonwealth arts and crafts award. He was one of 10 artists from 54 member countries of the Commonwealth Foundation selected for the award, which will provide F$9,000 to support him to spend the second semester of 2003 as a visiting artist with the Manukau School of Visual Arts at the University of Auckland.
—GJ
F. Philip Carbullido became the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Guam on January 23 following his election by fellow justices. He succeeds former Chief Justice Peter Siguenza who announced his retirement earlier in January. Siguenza was the high court’s first chief justice when the court was established in 1996. He was elected to the chief justice position again in 2001, following the retirement of then-Chief Justice Benjamin Cruz. Carbullido was appointed to the court in 2000 by then-Governor Carl Gutierrez after he had practiced law with private law firms for almost two decades.
—FW
Jessica Reimers was elected president of the Majuro Chamber of Commerce in late January, becoming the first woman to head the business organization. She is a manager at Robert Reimers Enterprises, which operates retail stores, water bottling, a hotel and restaurant, as well as pearl and clam farms.
—GJ
Deputy general manager for the Samoa Tourism Authority, Matafeo Lesaisaea Reupena has been named by Cabinet as the new agency head, replacing Fu’a Hazelman, whose three-year term was not extended despite the Tourism Authority board’s recommendation of extending Hazelman. Matafeo ran unsuccessfully for office in the 2001 national elections for the ruling Human Rights Protection Party.
—FS
Guam-based Morrico Equipment Corporation has appointed Torgun Smith as general manager. Smith, a CPA, joined Morrico in August 2000 as controller and is in charge of guiding Morrico’s five-year growth plan specifically in diesel generator sales and on-site diesel delivery. Allan Morrison, Morrico’s president, will spend 2003 setting up a new Morrico Equipment Corporation dealership office in Brisbane, Australia.
—GJ
Microsoft Corporation co-founder Paul Allen recently sailed his mega-yacht, Tatoosh, into Malakal Harbor in Palau. Allen, along with Bill Gates, founded the Microsoft Corporation and served as its vice-president from 1975-1983. Allen owns the Portland Trailblazers (National Basketball Association), the Seattle Seahawks (National Football League) and other large business interests. At approximately 300 feet, Tatoosh dominated Palau’s shipping harbor. The vessel has an international crew of 30 and sports such extras as a helicopter, 42-foot sailboat, shore-launch fishing boat, speedboat, jet skis, tenders and a fully equipped dive shop.
—NC
Kim T. Gould has joined Hawaii-based Pacific Resources for Education and Learning as director of human resources. Gould comes to PREL from the Nature Conservancy, where she served for eight years as human resources director of the Asia/Pacific region. Her ties to the island community include serving on the boards of the YWCA of Oahu and the Hemophilia Foundation of Hawaii.
—GJ
The Solomon Islands has a new police commissioner. He is William (Bill) Morrell, a Britisher who, until his recent exotic posting, was deputy chief constable in the English city of Manchester. Morrell’s appointment resulted from the deep factional divisions among the Solomons force during and since the country’s ethnic conflict, and the apparent need to appoint an impartial head of police. On hand to welcome the new commissioner at Henderson airfield and issue a traditional challenge were spear and axe wielding warriors. The real challenges, however, are yet to come in a country which some observers have claimed is effectively bankrupt and lacking a truly functioning government. The financial condition of the Solomons may be gauged from the fact that Bill Morrell’s salary will be paid by the European Union and Britain.
—ND
The Saipan Chamber of Commerce installed its new officers and board of president; Alex Sablan, vice president; Mark Thomson, treasurer and Tamara Hunter-Talalemotu, secretary. Keynote speaker at the event was Guam Governor Felix Camacho. Addressing the group, Jones said the Chamber would look at such issues as foreign labor, immigration, asylum, the environment, prostitution and tourism.
—FW
Noel Levy, chairman of French Polynesia’s four-year-old flag carrier Air Tahiti Nui, was selected “Manager of the Year 2002” for Asia-Pacific airlines by the American magazine Travel Agent. The airline said Levy’s honor would generate “more recognition from our peers and more visibility on our main tourism market: the United States.” Levy was competing against managers from such major inter-continental companies as Japan Airlines, Qantas and Air New Zealand.
—GJ
Former secretary to Cabinet, Vaai Simon Potoi, is now Samoa’s consul general in Auckland, New Zealand. Potoi replaces Alipia Siaosi, who left the post late last year.
—FS
Len Isotoff has been promoted to sales manager for Pacific Northwest for Matson, succeeding Chris Scott. His first assignment with Matson in Guam was in1999 as Matson logistics solutions project manager for the Palau Road Project. In 2001, Isotoff transferred to Matson where he was promoted to manager, sales and customer service, Guam. Meanwhile, Joseph Rios has been promoted to manager, sales and customer service, Guam, succeeding Isotoff. He began his career with Matson in 1996 as manager, area systems. He was promoted to manager, operations, Guam in 1997.
—GJ
Papua New Guinea’s new Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Immigration is Gabriel Pepson, formerly head of mission to the European Union and the Holy See and based in Brussels. Pepson was appointed in mid-January by the National Executive Council as replacement for Evoa Lalatute. Pepson is from PNG’s Western Highlands Province and assisted the successful election campaign of Paias Wingti, now governor of the province. His appointment as foreign affairs secretary was sponsored at the executive council by Sir Rabbie Namaliu. Both Wingti and Sir Rabbie are former prime ministers of PNG.
—ND
Tuiloma Neroni Slade, Samoa’s ambassador to the United Nations and the U.S., has been elected a judge of the new International Criminal Court. He is one of 18 judges selected for the panel.
—FS
Archeologist Dr. Anne Di Piazza, from France’s National Center for Scientific Research, has been digging on Rakahanga in the Northern Cook Islands and has come up with artifacts that could be between 800 and 1,000 years old. The items, including three umu (earth ovens) and tools fashioned from shell or coral, were unearthed on the small islet of Te Kainga, opposite the boat passage through Rakahanga’s reef. Ngatuaine Maui of the Cook Islands Ministry of Culture said the finds are “really important for the people of the Cooks” as little from Rakahanga had been found previously.
—ND
The tragedy of the Columbia space shuttle has a Guam connection. Shuttle pilot Lieutenant Commander William McCool lived on the island from 1975 to 1977 when his father was stationed in Guam with the U.S. Navy. He attended then-Dededo Junior High School and John F. Kennedy High School. He also was a member of the Manukai swim team. His wife, Atilana McCool, was raised in Guam and is the daughter of Atilana and Albert Vallejos who reside in the village of Dededo. McCool had a Guam flag on board the shuttle that was given to him by former Guam Congressman Robert Underwood.
—FW
The newly-selected Guam Visitors Bureau board of directors met for the first time in early January and selected David Tydingco as its chairman. Tydingco will continue in his position as president of the Guam Hotel and Restaurant Association. In addition, former Guam legislator Tony Lamorena began his duties as the GVB’s new general manager. Four board members were elected by the GVB membership: Bart Jackson, general manager of the Pacific Islands Club, Bruce Kloppenburg, president of Turtle Tours, Joseph Camacho, managing director of DFS mid-Pacific division and Vic Lo, vice president/chief operating officer of Goodwind Travel and Tours. Four members were appointed by Gov. Felix Camacho - Tydingco, Richard Lai, vice president of Shirley’s Coffee Shop restaurants, Monte Mesa, president of Guam Premier Outlets and Judy Flores, executive director of Gef Pa’go Cultural Village. Mayor Connie Duenas of Tamuning represents the mayors council. Walter Dias, staff vice president for sales and marketing of Continental Micronesia, was selected by the elected and appointed directors.
—FW
In Memoriam
Well-known anti-nuclear activist and writer Marie-Therese Danielsson died in early February at the age of 79 in French Polynesia. She and her late husband, Bengt Danielsson, a crew member on the Kon Tiki raft expedition from South America to French Polynesia in 1947, were outspoken critics of French nuclear tests at Moruroa and Fangataufa atolls in French Polynesia. The Danielsson's 1974 book Moruroa Mon Amour is credited with shaping world opinion against the French tests, which ended in 1996. "In spite of pressures and threats against them, the Danielssons never changed their line," pro-independence leader Oscar Temaru told the newspaper Les Nouvelles de Tahiti. Following funeral services, her remains were sent to Sweden.
—GJ
Samoa's oldest resident Tise Fauolo died in mid-January at the age of 114. Born in 1888, she bore no children but raised six adopted ones. She lived most of her life in Safotulafai village, Savai'i Island.
—FS
Contributors: Giff Johnson, Frank Whitman, Filisagapolutele, Nancy Chism, Norman Douglas. Olivier Wortel.
