Community
Briefs
by Samoa News
Staff
FEDERAL FARM
BILL EXTENDED FOR TWO WEEKS
The U.S. Congress
has again approved another extension for the federal farm bill,
which includes provisions for the food stamp funding for American
Samoa and Puerto Rico.
The last extension,
made last week, expired yesterday and Congress approved early
Friday morning the a new extension of two weeks, which would
give U.S. lawmakers enough time to iron out their differences
in the final language of the farm bill that covers farm and nutrition
programs.
President Bush,
who's threatening to veto the legislation, has indicated he is
not happy with the bill's progress, saying earlier this week
that it's "bloated" with farmer subsidies, The Associated
Press reported.
According to
national media, the bill also increases funding for nutrition
programs, but Samoa News was unable to confirm yesterday if any
of the increases would come to American Samoa.
LOCAL CANCER
NETWORK DONATES TO FELETI LIBRARY
The American
Samoa Community Cancer Network (ASCCN), in an effort to increase
resources for cancer research and general public information,
has donated three boxes of materials to the Feleti Barstow Public
Library.
ASCCN Assistant
Director Luana Scanlan said the materials included general cancer
education, monographs on research in the Pacific region, books
on nutrition and a cookbook. She said more books are on order.
On hand to accept
the donation were the thankful Territorial Librarian Cheryl Morales
and library official Abe King.
The ASCCN is
a partner of the American Samoa Community Cancer Coalition, the
organization that assists cancer patients by providing stipends
to help ease the cost of medical expenses.
The ASCCN's mantra
is Screen for Cancer, Find the Cancer, Beat the Cancer! By getting
screened, the group says you can prevent most cancer from spreading
to the point that it is untreatable.
HIGH SCHOOL
'O LEO O LE PASIFIKA' MUSIC FEST IS TODAY
Four high schools
will be singing during today's 8th Annual Secondary Music Festival
"O Leo O Le Pasifika" (Voices of the Pacific), sponsored
by the Department of Education and dedicated to the 10th Festival
of Pacific Arts.
Miss American
Samoa Faasilitamaitai Shanette Tilo is expected to deliver a
special arts festival message to the students when the program
opens at 10 a.m. at the Samoana High School gym.
"Though
the elementary schools performed various songs from different
islands, our high schools will perform numbers dedicated to the
Samoan culture," said Francis Leleua, music coordinator
at DOE's Office of Curriculum Instruction and Accountability
(OCIA).
High school bands
and choirs are also expected to perform.
Leleua said,
DOE has rescheduled testing that was previously set for the same
time as the music festival, for a later time Saturday and on
Sunday.
Tafuna High School
had previously canceled out due to testing and Leleua was pleased
to inform Samoa News that all four high schools - Leone, Samoana,
Fagaitua and Tafuna High Schools - will all be performing.
The public is
invited to attend the music festival, which is free.
TONGA DELEGATION
CONFIRMS PARTICIPATION IN ARTS FESTIVAL
Radio Tonga confirmed
early this week the participation of Tonga in the 10th Pacific
Arts Festival set for July 20-Aug. 2.
There was a possibility
that Tonga was not going to participate because of the king's
coronation in August.
Radio Tonga reported
that about 150 students from the Teachers Training College will
represent the Island Kingdom.
Director of education
Dr. Uili Fukofuka told the media in Nukualofa that he is satisfied
with the territory's festival preparations following a visit
here last month.
DEADLINE FOR
BPWAS SCHOLARSHIPS IS MAY 9
Young women who
will graduate from high school this year and have plans to attend
college, have until May 9 to apply for the Business and Professional
Women of American Samoa's college scholarship.
The scholarships
have been awarded annually since 1996 to deserving female students
who seek to pursue an undergraduate degree following high school
graduation.
Last year BPWAS
gave away $6,000 in scholarships.
BPWAS will be
providing $1,000 scholarships to female students who will attend
an off-island colleges or universities and $500 awards to students
who will attend ASCC.
"We want
as many people to apply for the scholarships as possible,"
said BPWAS president Merrilee May. "We will process the
applications as soon as we receive them and hope to have them
presented during high school graduations."
The BPWAS scholarships
are funded annually by a scholarship raffle and other fund-raisers.
Eligible students
must have a 3.0 Grade-Point-Average (GPA); must be graduating
from a high school on Tutuila or Manu'a and must submit a completed
application package by 5 p.m. on May 9.
Among the required
submittals are: a brief biography; an essay (typed, double-spaced)
in English outlining goals for the next four years and post-college
plans; an acceptance letter from a US accredited college in the
US or its territories (or ASCC) and a high school transcript.
Applications
must be handed in at the Feleti Barstow Public Library in Utulei
or J-Len T's in Nu'uuli. For more information, call Merrilee
May at 258-1321 or Fuala'au Tago Lancaster at 258-2900.
Reach the
reporters at news.newsroom@samoatelco.com.
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Inc. dba Samoa News reserves all rights.
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