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“Decorating our island” sends a message of peace and love

Territorial Christmas Tree 2020
fili@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — With the Administration’s last year in office, Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga has put out his final call to all ASG agencies to “decorate our island” sending a message of peace and love to the people of American Samoa.

Christmas 2020 is also very important to the Administration — and all residents — as American Samoa has been under COVID-19 restrictions since March this year.

In a Dec. 7th memo to cabinet members, the governor recalled that for the last seven years, the administration had “placed meticulous attention on spreading the Christmas spirit of love, joy and peace through the territory through elaborate decorations of the island’s” government agencies.

In past years, ASG agencies adopted or were assigned certain areas of the island to decorate and at least two agencies  — as of early this week — have already started their efforts such as the American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA) with their decorating in front of the Nu’uuli-Airport road, closest to its Tafuna compound, as well as its surrounding fence and compound.

“This Christmas is our last before we exit the political scene, thus, it behooves us to reaffirm our commitment to broadcasting and advancing the spirit of Christmas through our investment of our time and effort in lighting up our landscape,” the governor wrote.

“Accordingly, I am asking all of you for the last time to please go all out to decorate our island to showcase, proclaim and reaffirm our commitment to sending our message of peace and love to all our people.”

The governor noted that this Christmas is “also very important because we lived under  restrictions for nine months because of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic so it is vital that we lighten their burden from whatever personal stresses which they are experiencing by the brightness of the Christmas lights, sending them the message of hope for God’s promises for tomorrow.”

Lolo requested cabinet members’ leadership to ensure that zones assigned to each agency are decorated.

Meanwhile, the Amerika Samoa Council on Arts, Culture and Humanities annual Christmas music festival kicks off for three nights starting this Sunday evening, where the governor will deliver his last annual Christmas address before leaving office.

About 34 groups — which include church choirs, Sunday schools and youth groups —  are scheduled to perform through Tuesday night at the Fagatogo Pavilion, where the tall pine Christmas Tree was put in place this week.

Christmas lights around the Fagatogo Malae, as well as at the Suigaula o le Atuvasa at Utulei were being hung starting yesterday.

In front of the Jean P. Haydon Museum the usual beautiful Christmas decorations were in place and local residents are expected to flock there to take photos.