Football and the Northern Marianas

Sept. – Oct. 1983

The Sept./Oct. 1983 issue of Pacific Magazine led with a feature article on the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas. "People At The Crossroads" was the subtitle, which would work just as well for us today were we writing about the Marianas. There is an interview with the then-governor Pedro P. Tenorio, in which he admits that his government will be broke before the end of the fiscal year. There is a new superintendent of schools and a new college president in CNMI, both facing daunting tasks upgrading their institutions. In the Marianas feature there is much discussion of the increasing number of foreign workers, namely Korean and Chinese, in the commonwealth.

Recalling the cover of our recent July issue, there's a sports page dedicated to the "Big Samoan Family on Hawaii Squad." There are names and picture of many University of Hawaii football players we remember from the past-Petelo and Falaniko Noga, Francis Savusa, Vernon Salanoa, Nuu Faaola and Pili Faagai. Assistant coach Sam Papalii is also profiled.

There's a small item from Western Samoa (as it was called then) reporting that the country's Cabinet had just approved the lengthening of Faleolo airport to accommodate the landing of Boeing 747s-a plane that would now be a rare sight at Faleolo. Also from Samoa, the report of the opening of the new Mormon temple on the outskirts of Apia. It recently burned down and is now, in 2003, being rebuilt. There is also a progress report on Western Samoa's preparations for the South Pacific Games. This year, 2003, the country is just now beginning preparations for its hosting of the SPG in 2007.

In American Samoa, the Pago Pago Yacht Club reports it is working with the government to create an aquatic park around its shoreline headquarters. (They didn't, as it turns out.)