TexasTowelie
TexasTowelie's JournalHonolulu City Council clears way for city funds to pay for rail
A measure giving the go-ahead for city-backed bond money to be used for the first time for construction of rail was approved by the Honolulu City Council today.
The vote was 7-2, with members Ann Kobayashi and Trevor Ozawa the two “no” votes.
Bill 42 (2017) allows the city to spend up to $214 million — no more than $26 million annually — to help finance the administrative costs for construction of the now $8 billion-plus, East Kapolei-to-Ala Moana Center line.
Critics say Council members were going back on a 2006 vote to not use city funds for rail construction.
Read more: http://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/10/30/breaking-news/council-clears-way-for-city-funds-to-pay-for-rail/
Woman accused of stealing over $110K from Forsgren's stores in American Samoa
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The woman accused of stealing more than $110,000 from her former employer told investigators that she used the money to make her car payments, pay bills, give to her church, and pay for a family trip to Australia.
Jennifer Atafua was arrested last Thursday, pursuant to an arrest warrant from the court, which accompanied the affidavit of support and the complaint filed against her by the government.
She made her initial appearance in District Court last Friday. She was represented by private attorney Marcellus T. Uiagalelei, while prosecuting the case was Assistant Attorney General Christy Dunn.
Atafua is charged with stealing and embezzlement, both class C felonies, punishable by up to seven years in jail, a $5,000 fine, or both.
Read more: http://www.samoanews.com/woman-accused-stealing-over-110k-forsgrens
'Certified Kosher Tuna' will be produced at Star Kist Samoa's Atuu plant next month
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — StarKist Samoa will be producing at the Satala plant next month, more than 100 tons of “certified kosher tuna” products for the Board of Jewish Education of Greater New York, dba The Jewish Education Project, which “is sending kosher supervisors to the South Pacific in order to provide U.S. government-subsidized tuna on the menu for approximately 50,000 Jewish students from low income families in New York,” according to the New York City based education group in a Tuesday news release.
The Jewish Education Project had first informed Samoa News early this month about the contract with StarKist Samoa, with an official statement to follow later with specific details, once all the information is confirmed.
Responding to Samoa News inquiries, StarKist Inc., corporate spokesperson Michelle Faist said a tour of the plant is scheduled for next week, at which time they will provide comments on this special project.
According to the Jewish Education Project news release, the StarKist plant in Pago Pago “will be producing 141 tons of tuna in only four days.”
Read more: http://www.samoanews.com/local-news/certified-kosher-tuna-will-be-produced-star-kist-samoas-atuu-plant-next-month
Cross-posted in the Jewish Group.
'Certified Kosher Tuna' will be produced at Star Kist Samoa's Atuu plant next month
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — StarKist Samoa will be producing at the Satala plant next month, more than 100 tons of “certified kosher tuna” products for the Board of Jewish Education of Greater New York, dba The Jewish Education Project, which “is sending kosher supervisors to the South Pacific in order to provide U.S. government-subsidized tuna on the menu for approximately 50,000 Jewish students from low income families in New York,” according to the New York City based education group in a Tuesday news release.
The Jewish Education Project had first informed Samoa News early this month about the contract with StarKist Samoa, with an official statement to follow later with specific details, once all the information is confirmed.
Responding to Samoa News inquiries, StarKist Inc., corporate spokesperson Michelle Faist said a tour of the plant is scheduled for next week, at which time they will provide comments on this special project.
According to the Jewish Education Project news release, the StarKist plant in Pago Pago “will be producing 141 tons of tuna in only four days.”
Read more: http://www.samoanews.com/local-news/certified-kosher-tuna-will-be-produced-star-kist-samoas-atuu-plant-next-month
Cross-posted in the U.S. Territories Group.
American Samoa government welcomes U.S. guided-missile destroyer back to the territory
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga says the visit of a US Navy guided-missile destroyer, the USS Shoup, to the territory reassures American Samoa of the US government’s commitment “to protect our people, our rights, our property.”
The governor was speaking yesterday morning during a news conference at the Governor’s Office, where he, along with several cabinet members and his senior staff, were present to officially welcome Commander Andy Strickland, Commanding Officer of the USS Shoup, and its crew, who sailed into port last Saturday and are scheduled to depart later this week.
Strickland says the USS Shoup last visited the territory in 2011 and he had also visited the territory in 2003. The current visit is part of the ship’s Oceania Maritime Security Initiative (OMSI) deployment.
In his remarks, Lolo explained that since his administration took over in 2013, this is the first official tour of a military vessel. He then provided a brief background history of the territory and its connection to the US Navy, going back to 1900.
Read more: http://www.samoanews.com/local-news/asg-welcomes-us-guided-missile-destroyer-back-territory
Governor: Saipan, Tinian shores ready for tourists by Nov. 15
After the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Yutu, Saipan and Tinian will be ready to welcome tourists back to their shores as early as Nov. 15, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands officials said.
The CNMI is a tourism-based economy.
Its tourism industry took a hit from Yutu, when the super typhoon damaged the Saipan International Airport and halted the flow of thousands of tourists into the islands starting Oct. 24.
CNMI Gov. Ralph Deleon Guerrero Torres on Wednesday said tourism recovery is proceeding steadily and rapidly on Saipan and Tinian, and announced a Nov. 15 target date for the reopening of Saipan International Airport.
Torres said assistance from U.S. federal and military partners from around the country is accelerating that recovery.
Read more: https://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2018/10/31/governor-saipan-tinian-shores-ready-tourists-nov-15/1829916002/
Peaceful demonstration to protest military bulldozing ancient Chamoru village
Direct action group Prutehi Litekyan: Save Ritidian and political group Independent Guåhan invite the community to join a peaceful public demonstration, in protest of the U.S. military's disruption of an ancient Chamoru village site, on Saturday.
The demonstration will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, in front of the U.S. Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station base - the entrance to the South Finegayan site.
The military stirred controversy earlier this week for bulldozing and removing the remains of the ancient Chamoru village Magua', at the site of the new Marine Corps base in Dededo.
Guam Preservation Trust board member and historian Dave Lotz discovered on Sunday that the site had been bulldozed, despite the group's wishes to preserve the site.
Read more: https://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2018/10/31/peaceful-demonstration-protest-military-bulldozing-ancient-village/1829904002/
Guam Democrats respond, call Tenorio camp 'desperate'
"When is enough enough? My opponent has called me practically every name in the book," Democratic gubernatorial candidate Lou Leon Guerrerro stated Tuesday.
"If a candidate for office cannot stand on his record or articulate his vision for a better Guam, then why is he even in the race?" Leon Guerrero stated.
Leon Guerrero issued the statement after her remarks at a recent campaign rally drew some fire from Republican gubernatorial candidate Ray Tenorio.
Tenorio issued a statement calling the remarks "appalling."
The Republican Party of Guam called on the Democratic Party to reprimand Leon Guerrero. Her comments had "racial undertones," Jerry Crisostomo, the Guam Republicans' state chairman stated in a new release.
Read more: https://www.postguam.com/news/local/democrats-respond-call-tenorio-camp-desperate/article_002c0056-dbd0-11e8-95d9-cf2337cde9f6.html
Democratic Party of Guam responds to GOP "condemning" Lou Leon Guerrero
Guam – Calling it the oldest trick in the book, the Democrats respond to the Republican Party Chairman’s comments depicting Lou Leon Guerrero as a racist. Read the entire release below:
“Our opponent’s oldest trick in the book is to allege racism in this election. Let’s be clear: Democrats respect, accept, and love everyone who calls Guam home and works to make it better. No one should be ashamed of the language they speak or where they were born. That’s true whether you come from Mangilao, Manila, or Memphis. We all have a special responsibility to our home.
Just when you thought our political opponents could sink no lower, they have taken 10 seconds of a 10-minute stump speech made by our Democratic nominee, Lou Leon Guerrero, and released it out of context.
Here is the statement in its entirety and in context: “Move over Ray, because the better team of Lou and Josh are going to provide what our people need. Why? Because I love our people. I love our island. I love our culture. This is my island. I am from here, Ray. I was born and raised here Ray. My family lives here Ray and I am more qualified to be the Governor of Guam.”
Read more: https://pacificnewscenter.com/democratic-party-of-guam-responds-to-gop-condemning-lou-leon-guerrero/
Candidate says he wasn't involved in plans to postpone CNMI election
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands gubernatorial candidate Juan Babauta said neither he nor the Democratic Party of the CNMI were consulted about the decision to delay the Nov. 6 general election.
"This decision was made unilaterally, without consultation or consideration to the other parties involved," Babauta said.
The CNMI general election will now be held on Nov. 13, although early voting will begin on Nov. 6.
Babauta said he understood the need for a delay because of "the suffering of the people" in the wake of the devastation caused by Supertyphoon Yutu.
Read more: https://www.postguam.com/news/cnmi/candidate-says-he-wasn-t-involved-in-plans-to-postpone/article_e15d411a-dbe0-11e8-9d76-7b80f3206503.html
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