Lolo, Eni pledge open, frank co- operation in DC - Samoa News

Page 12 samoa news, Thursday, February 28, 2013
A flower tribute sits on a fence post as a memorial at Muriwai Beach near Auckland, New
Zealand, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013, a day after Adam Strange was killed by a shark.
About 150 friends and family of Strange, 46, wrote messages to him in the sand and stepped
into the water Thursday to say goodbye. (AP Photo/New Zealand Herald, Brett Phibbs)
Loved ones honor, salute New
Zealand father killed by shark
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) —
About 150 friends and family of Adam Strange
wrote messages to him in the sand and stepped
into the water Thursday at a New Zealand beach
to say goodbye a day after he was killed by a
large shark while training for an endurance swim.
Strange, 46, was an award-winning television
and short film director and the father of a
2-year-old girl. He was swimming near popular
Muriwai Beach on Wednesday when he was
attacked by the shark that was possibly 14 feet
(4 meters) long. Surf lifesavers say they are convinced
it was a great white shark.
Police attempting to save him raced out in
boats and fired gunshots at the enormous predator,
which they say rolled away and disappeared.
They couldn’t confirm if they’d killed it.
Police were able to recover Strange’s body.
Muriwai will stay closed for swimming until
Saturday after the fatal attack, one of only about
a dozen in New Zealand in the past 180 years.
Friend Adam Stevens said the Thursday
beach service was run by indigenous Maori who
removed the “tapu” or spiritual restriction at
the beach. He said it was a “perfect tribute” to
a man who spent much of his time swimming
and surfing. “He was a very robust, big, barrelchested
surfer,” Stevens said. “He was basically
completely obsessed with the ocean, with paddle
boards and body surfing, everything. His garage
was like a museum of surf craft.”
According to Police Inspector Shawn Rutene,
Strange was about 650 feet from the shore when
he was attacked by a shark that police estimated
was up to four meters (14 feet) long.
Stevens said his friend was planning to swim
about 1 ½ kilometers (one mile) Wednesday as
he tested new goggles and trained for an annual
endurance swim from Auckland to Rangitoto
Island. The 2.8 mile swim takes place on Sunday.
“I surfed with him the day before,” Stevens
said. “He wasn’t that pleased with his fitness
level but was just getting into the right headspace
and finding the motivation to get out there.”
Pio Mose, who was fishing at the beach
Wednesday, told the New Zealand Herald newspaper
he saw Strange struggle against the huge
shark. Mose yelled at Strange to swim to the
rocks, but it was too late.
“All of a sudden there was blood everywhere,”
Mose said. “I was shaking, scared, panicked.”
About 200 people had been enjoying the
beach during the Southern Hemisphere summer
at the time of the attack.
Stevens said he’s been comforting Strange’s
wife Meg and their daughter since the accident.
He said the girl is too young to understand what
has happened but is aware of the emotions.
On his website, Strange says: “When I get a
spare 5 minutes, I like to make a fruit smoothy,
surf some big waves out on the West Coast,
point my skis down a mountain with Meg, haul
my mountain bike up and down a few hills, drink
some pinot while scratching away at a film script
... If I get a spare 5 minutes ...”
Stevens said his friend, whom he’s known
about 15 years, was very creative and always
positive. “He lived in the moment brilliantly. It
was completely infectious,” Stevens said. “He
feasted on the details.”
Stevens said he and Strange worked alongside
each other for a number of years at a film
production company, Silverscreen.
On his site, Strange said he studied as a
graphic designer and art director before getting
into directing. He said he’d worked on commercials
all over the world and had been a finalist for
a number of advertising awards.
Tim Jago, chairman of the Muriwai Lifeguard
Service, said a number of beaches near Muriwai
reopened Thursday and that Muriwai would
open for beach visits Friday and then swimming
on Saturday. He said the closure at this point is
to give surf lifesavers a break and he doesn’t fear
a repeat attack. “We are quite comfortable the
beast is dead,” he said. “Footage from a helicopter
indicates that when the shark rolled over
and rolled off, it also sank to bottom.”
Jago said witnesses spotted one or two other
large sharks circling at the time of the attack, but
that no sharks have been seen since then.
Police did not say what species of shark was
involved in the attack. Clinton Duffy, a shark
expert with the Department of Conservation,
said New Zealand is a hotspot for great white
sharks, and other potentially lethal species also
inhabit the waters. Attacks are rare. Duffy estimated
that only 12 to 14 people have been killed
by sharks in New Zealand since record keeping
began in the 1830s.
“There are much lower levels of shark attacks
here than in Australia,” he said. “It’s possibly a
function of how many people are in the water” in
New Zealand’s cooler climate.
He said that during the Southern Hemisphere
summer, sharks often come in closer to shore to
feed and to give birth, although that doesn’t necessarily
equate to a greater risk of attack.
“Ninety-nine percent of the time they ignore
people,” he said. “Sometimes, people get bitten.”
Around the world, sharks attacked humans
80 times last year, and seven people were killed,
according to the University of Florida’s International
Shark Attack File. The death toll was
lower than it was in 2011 but higher than the
average of 4.4 from 2001 to 2010.
➧ Lolo & Eni to cooperate…
Continued from page 1
Following his meeting with the governor, Faleomavaega
issued a news release relaying his proposal for introduction in
the U.S. House, which will amend the federal laws pertaining
to American Samoa and our Pacific island brothers and sisters.
(See yesterday’s edition for details of the news release)
One proposal is to allow U.S. nationals to apply for U.S.
citizenship directly from American Samoa instead of having to
travel to, and reside in a state for three months before qualifying
to apply for U.S. citizenship. This is not the first time that the
congressman has made such a proposal.
During the last seating of the U.S. House, the congressman
introduced the same bill ( in February 2012 ) and told Congressional
members that the bill will lift the burden from U.S.
Nationals, who by definition owe a permanent allegiance to the
United States.
Asked for the governor’s reaction to this proposal, Iulogologo
says that the “primary goal” of this proposal as explained
by the Congressman, “is to simplify the process” for American
Samoan nationals residing in the territory, making it easier for
them to file for U.S. citizenship.
“The option to become a U.S. Citizen remains with the individual.
This provision, according to Faleomavaega, does not
automatically compel or force anyone to become a U.S. Citizen,”
said Iulogologo. “Again, the objective is to provide seamless
access and to reduce the cost of filing for U.S. Citizenship.”
“Governor Lolo appreciates this effort to afford our people
some dignity wherein they can file U.S. Citizenship documents
without leaving American Samoa and at the same time reduce
the financial burden attached to activating this process,” said
Iulogologo.
Faleomavaega also explained to Lolo that he wishes to help
Samoans and other Pacific nationalities by setting up a process
which these Pacific nationalities can employ to address their
overstay status, and allow them to reside legally in the United
States, said Iulogologo.
“This provision does not affect U. S. Nationals. The Governor
does not envision any problems with this particular provision.
The Congressman is attempting to provide a legal pathway
for our brothers and sisters from the Independent State of Samoa
and other Pacific Nationalities to live legally in the United
States,” he added.
➧ inouye Legacy Fund…
Continued from page 1
“As appropriate, I hope you will display it proudly and fondly
in Dan’s memory. His life’s work can be captured in two simple
words — freedom and fairness,” wrote Mrs. Inouye. “Through
this gift, I hope his legacy of leadership and an unwavering hope
for the future will be carried forward.”
Afimutasi told Samoa News early this week that the gifts
from the late senator are “proudly” on display at ASG’s Hawai’i
office in the lobby area.
“I find myself in a very unfamiliar territory as the honor that
you have bestowed on the people of American Samoa and my
family, manifested in such a generous display of unselfishness
act, permitting us to share emblems defining our late hero and
leader’s love and commitment to people of Samoan Ancestry
and all other Pacific nationalities, has silenced the orator for I
don’t know how or where to find the appropriate words to reciprocate
to this immeasurable gift of love,” Afimutasi wrote in a
Feb. 20 letter to Mrs. Inouye.
“The title Fofoga O Samoa (Voice of Samoa) which Senator
Inouye assumed with pride gave us self-importance and assurances
that our needs were being safeguarded and protected,”
said Afimutasi.
“It is our fervent hope that through his many years of tutelage
and mentoring of other Congressional leaders, they will facilitate
the continuation of his legacy in Washington D.C.”
“Senator Inouye has left a living legacy in both Samoas
and it will never be emulated or surpassed. We, the people of
American Samoa reflect Senator Inouye’s legacy for we have
benefitted significantly from his work,” he said and noted that
gifts will be displayed proudly in the Hawai’i office and “it will
become a source of inspiration for all of us who work here.”
Afimutasi also extended his family’s sincerest appreciation
for “ Inouye’s guidance and support, which allowed my brother
Muliufi to break the stereotyping and stigmatism attached to
Samoans living in Hawaii.”
“We are truly honored for the gift which embodies the
love Senator Inouye had for our family. Our lives have been
enriched and blessed because of the generous support provided
by someone who became a mentor figure for me and my siblings.
We will forever treasure and we will display proudly the
to’oto’o, which is to us, a symbol of wisdom, leadership, and
seasoned orator,” he said.
“We pray that God will bestow upon you all the blessings
accrued to you, and we also ask for God’s peace to be upon you
and be your constant companion so the pain due to the loss of
such a great man is eased and minimized,” he concluded.
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