People Briefs

-FR

Abe Malae, former head of the American Samoa Power Association and chairman of the Pacific Power Association, which represents utility companies in the region, stepped down recently from both to move to the Development Bank of American Samoa on a special assignment. Taking over as the new chairman of the PPA is Marshalls Energy Company general manager William (Billy) Roberts, who has run the Majuro-based power company since the mid-1980s.

-GJ

l Andy Jordanou has been nominated to be Guam banking and insurance commissioner by Governor Felix Camacho. Jordanou is a former senior vice president with Bank of Hawaii.

-FW

One of Rarotonga's youngest lawyers will reign as Miss Cook Islands for the next two years. She was crowned on September 18 after two weeks of pageantry in Rarotonga. Noovai Tylor takes over the crown from Donna Tuara who works as a tourism officer. Tylor, 23, was sponsored by Tepaki Group, the developers who are proposing to build two major resorts in the Cook Islands. She works as an attorney for the Cook Islands Trust and Banking Corporation in downtown Avarua. Janice Nicholas, the second runner-up to Tylor's predecessor, is the reigning Miss South Pacific.

-UKM

Trixy Theresa Taua was crowned in September as the new Miss American Samoa 2004-2005. She also represented the territory in the annual Miss South Pacific pageant held in Pago Pago recently.

-FS

Taiwan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Mark Chen traveled to Palau on Oct.1 to take part in the republic's tenth anniversary of independence. During his four-day trip, Chen met with President Tommy Remengesau and Vice President Sandra Pierantozzi, and visited Taiwan's agricultural-technical mission. During his visit, the minister lauded Remengesau for his "staunch support of Taiwan's bid to gain membership in the United Nations."

-MWB

New Caledonia Congress Speaker Harold Martin was elected as the first president of the newest political party in the island group, Avenir Ensemble (Future Together). He was elected unopposed. Martin says that he will lead his party under the guideline of "democratic principles, which under previous administrations now has not really been the rule."

-GJ

The Pacific's candidate for the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) top job of secretary general, Sir John Kaputin, will face an uphill battle with the current incumbent, Gabonian Jean-Robert Goulangana, reportedly seeking another term in office. Papua New Guinea, which sponsored Sir John, is believed to be "concerned" with Goulangana's intention. PNG foreign affairs Minister Sir Rabbie Namaliu has gone to United Nations in New York to campaign for the Pacific's candidate. A meeting of the ACP Council of Ministers in November is expected to decide on the new secretary general. Under ACP rules, it's now the Pacific's turn to hold the top post for the secretariat based in Brussels.

-MK

A Papua New Guinea committal court has thrown out a bribery charge laid against opposition parliamentarian Tim Neville. Pro-government politician Carlos Yuni laid a complaint with local police in August that Neville allegedly gave him K5,000 to support an opposition-led vote of no confidence to topple the government of PNG Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare. However, magistrate Allan Kopi after considering a submission by police that the file containing the bribery charge be withdrawn for further investigation, ruled that the charge be dropped as there was insufficient evidence. Neville plans to sue police, Yuni and the state for malicious prosecution.

-AR

Three Samoans were selected for the American football team, the Washington Redskins for this year's National Football League (NFL) season. In early September, the Redskins signed defensive tackle Joe Salave'a, fullback Mike Sellers, and offensive lineman Pita Elisara, who is in his second year with the team. The other two have played with other NFL teams.

-FS

New U.S. ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia, Suzanne Hale, met local leaders, the American expatriate community and the heads of the three branches of government in Kosrae on a stopover from Honolulu. The trip was Hale's first official courtesy visit to another FSM state outside of Pohnpei, and discussion revolved primarily around the newly implemented amended Compact of Free Association and the 50 or so U.S. federal programs in the FSM. Hale is a 27-year foreign-service worker whose most recent posts were in Beijing, China and Tokyo, Japan.

-OW

An appeal has been lodged in the Papua New Guinea Supreme Court against a non-jail sentence the national court imposed on former National Gaming and Control Board chairman Daniel Mapiria for stealing K3.18 million ($US949,705) in state funds. Public prosecutor Chronox Manek said the trial court did not give sufficient weight to the seriousness of the offense and the increasing prevalence of white-collar crime committed by a high-ranking members of the community. Manek says the sentence imposed by the trial judge was inadequate and insufficient.

-AR

Archeologist Felicia Beardsley added to her impressive list of archeological digs in Micronesia when she found recently what is believed to be the legendary King's Mound of Kosrae. In the mountains and hanging gorges that form the middle reaches of the Tofol drainage, Beardsley, along with a team from Kosrae, the Marshall Islands, Saipan and China, found what has been referred to as the "King's final revenge." "The interior of this island probably holds all kinds of treasures," says Beardsley. There may be efforts to rebuild portions into a living traditional village for tourism and educational purposes.

-OW

The Guam team, led by captain Hoa Van Nguyen, captured the $10,000 grand prize at the 20th annual Saipan International Fishing Tournament during the two-day fishing event in mid-September. Nguyen reeled in the biggest marlin at 519 pounds, although it wasn't enough to beat the old record set in 1997 by Daniel Agulto with a 624 pounder. Nguyen and his team took home an additional $4,000 for winning the Governor's Cup. There were a total of 93 boats, the biggest since the inception of the tournament, with teams from Guam, Palau, Saipan, Tinian and Rota. Team Palau caught the second biggest marlin at 379 pounds, earning $2,000 cash.

-FR

The recent General Assembly of the Kiribati Protestant Church (KPC) approved the creation of a new post in the church's hierarchy: Secretary for the 'church and society' program. The new post is being filled by Rev. Baranite Kirata, a former lecturer and deputy principal at the church's Theological College in Tangintebu.

-BB

Mike Chinoy, senior Asia correspondent for CNN, recently interviewed Alan Seid, president of Palau Micronesia Air, at the Palasia Hotel in Koror. The interview was to air in late October as Pacific went to press as part of a report on Palau for CNN's Global Challenges program. The first episode showcases the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Peleliu; the second highlights interviews with Palau leadership about the challenges of development versus environmental balance.

-NC

Tafuna High School biology teacher Telesia Paopao Mauigoa was awarded the Outstanding Biology Teacher Award for American Samoa by the U.S. National Association of Biology Teachers. This prestigious award is presented each year to one teacher in each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, Canada, Puerto Rico and U.S. Pacific territories to recognize their teaching skills.

-FS

The influential Pa Ariki title, the most paramount for the district of Takitumu on Rarotonga, has been disputed for the second time this year. Postal officer Moeroa Taka'i Harmon, with over 80 supporters, invested herself in late September disputing the current titleholder, Pa Marie Tepaeru Upokotini Ariki. Pa Marie works at the Cook Islands Consul office in Auckland, New Zealand where she has resided for the last three years. In April, Lily Henderson, Pa Marie's younger sister invested herself but a high court ruling threw out her claim. The Pa Ariki title is influential in the Cook Islands chiefly hierarchy and land belonging to the titleholder has been earmarked by the Tepaki Group developers for their five star hotel in Rarotonga. Harmon renamed herself Pa Tetianui Ariki after her investiture, claiming to be a descendant of a woman titleholder with the same name in the early 1900s.

-UKM

Bill Morrell, Solomon Islands police commissioner, sacked a policeman in September who was involved in domestic violence, warning that in future any officers who used violence in their homes will face instant dismissal. Morrell said domestic violence was a crime and the role of the police was to uphold the law. He said women were entitled to live in peace without fear as stipulated in the UN Charter of fundamental human rights.

-MLOC

Two young Papua New Guineans have been named as Commonwealth Youth Leadership Award Winners. Australian Foreign Affairs Secretary Bruce Bilson says the awards "offer opportunities for talented postgraduate students…to apply their new skills developed in Australia and prepare for leadership roles back home." Stanley Enn Alphonse will study for a masters in commerce and finance and Presley Yekanamiale Kokwaiye will study for a masters in applied science under the awards.

-SM

Chitra Jeremiah, a former secretary to cabinet in Nauru, has been appointed by the Pacific Islands Forum to examine ways the region's main political body can help the financially-strapped nation. The appointment follows the decision in August by Forum leaders at their annual summit to appoint a representative in response to a request for help from Nauru. "Ms. Jeremiah will help to ensure that Nauru has effective access to the Forum Secretariat and related agencies, and also strengthen Nauru's relationship with other international agencies, which I'm sure will be prepared to support Nauru's commitment to wider reforms," the secretary general of the Forum Greg Urwin says.

-MLOC

Dora Tuiletufuga, a student at Leifiifi College, has won the peace poster competition sponsored by the Pan Pacific and South East Asian Women's Association (PPSEAWA) of Samoa. Her prize is a scholarship awarded by PPSEAWA-USA in which her school fees, starting with the school year 2005 will be paid for by the U.S. branch of the organization.

-FS

An article by assistant professor at the University of Guam's Marine Lab, Dr. Rob Rowan-"Coral Bleaching: Thermal Adaptation in Reef Coral Symbionts"-in the August 12 issue of the highly regarded international science magazine, Nature, reports the results of his research showing the ability of some corals to adapt to warmer habitats by hosting certain types of symbiotic algae that are already adapted to higher temperatures-of particular relevance in the face of concerns about global warming.

-FW

New Zealand Maori Darrel Waiti has been appointed the new principal of Rarotonga's only high school with bursary or seventh form studies, Tereora College.

-UKM

The district governor for the Manu'a Island group in American Samoa used the 100th anniversary of his island group's ceding to the United States to blame the U.S. Department of Interior for development problems over the last century. "The time has come for the Manu'a people to revisit their relationship with the United States government," paramount chief Galeai M. L. Tu'ufuli says. He told Interior Department representative Nikolao Pula that Washington needs to live up to its promises.

-FS

Dick Pacific Construction has appointed Keith Farrell vice president of its Micronesia division. He will oversee all aspects of the Micronesia division, including operations, administration, marketing, estimating and government and public relations.

-GJ

French Polynesia's minister for outer islands development Emile Vernaudon was sentenced in September to a one-year suspended jail term for using public property for personal benefit. Tahitipresse reports Vernaudon was also fined $30,000.

-GJ

Stephen Ward recently took up his new job as director of marketing and communications at the University of the South Pacific in Suva. An American, Ward has been a bank vice president, worked at a state university in Michigan, served as a staff member for a U.S. Congressman, and been a broadcast journalist.

-GJ

Australia's Returned Servicemen's League (RSL) will help strike a medal to honor some 50,000 Papua New Guinean carriers who assisted Australian soldiers during the 1942 Kokoda Track campaign. The Australian government refused to give its official recognition to the issue, for fear of compensation claims from PNG.

-SM

In Memoriam

Edward M. Calvo

Edward M. Calvo, one of the region's most prominent businessmen, died September 15 at age 68. Calvo, along with brothers Paul M. Calvo and Thomas J. Calvo, developed the insurance company founded by their father, Eduardo T. Calvo, into a local business empire on Guam. At the time of his death he was first vice president and chairman of the board of Calvo's Insurance Underwriters Inc, Calvo Enterprises, Inc, and president of EC Development-the latter a company he formed with his children. Businesses in the Calvo realm include Payless Supermarkets; EC Communications, a telecommunications provider; KUAM radio and television stations; and numerous commercial and residential real estate holdings. He was a senator in the Guam Legislature from 1977 to 1979. He is survived by his wife Frances; sons Eduardo, John, Joseph and Leonard; and daughter Carmen.

-FW

In American Samoa, Senate President Lutu Tenari Fuimaono died on September 19th at his home in Fagatogo village. He was 74. Governor Togiola Tulafono noted Lutu was the longest-serving senator in the history of the U.S. territory. Lutu served for 19 years as senator before being elected president in 1996. He also served three terms House of Representatives as chief clerk before being elected to the Senate.

-FS

Contributors: Frank Rosario, Giff Johnson, Frank Whitman, Ulamila Kurai-Marrie, Fili Sagapolutele, Batiri Bataua, Mac William Bishop, Makareta Komai, Alex Rheeney, Olivier Wortel, Mary-Louise O'Callaghan and Samantha Magick.