Congress to investigate Pacific fisheries advisory body
10 April 2008 - Source: Hawaii News

The Government Accountability Office plans to investigate whether the federal advisory body responsible for protecting fisheries off Hawaii and other parts of the Pacific is properly using and accounting for government money.

The investigative arm of Congress said in a March 20 letter to U.S. Rep. Henry A. Waxman that it would launch a review of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council.

Waxman, D-Calif., the chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, had written to the GAO requesting the investigation to "verify whether the council and its executive director are properly using and accounting for government funds."

Waxman cited allegations made last year by Hawaii nonprofit organizations against the council. Those included charges the council improperly used federal funds to lobby lawmakers.

Both letters are posted on the committee's Web site.

The GAO said it would start the study around August when it expects staff with the required skills will be available.

Kitty Simonds, the council's executive director, said she did not know what the agency would investigate.

"We're ready to fully cooperate and answer any questions the GAO may have regarding the council or its use and management of federal funds," she said.

A March 28 letter by council chair Sean Martin to Gene Dodaro, the acting head of the GAO, said the issues Waxman raised had been previously brought up by activists.

"The council believes the complaints lodged by those groups are unfounded and do not warrant further investigation," Martin's letter said.

William Aila, a member of the Waianae Boat Fishing Club who has complained about the council's alleged use of federal funds for lobbying, said the investigation would be good for transparency in government.

Peter Young, a council member, consultant and the former director of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, didn't comment on the GAO's investigation.

But Young said he had to file a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain copies of the council's budget and meeting minutes from recent years because the council wouldn't give the documents to him.

Young said he wanted to see the materials to make sure government funds were being spent appropriately and efficiently.

He received the documents a few weeks ago but said he hasn't had enough time to review all of them yet. He believes most, if not all, of the materials he requested under FOIA were sent to him.

"Things like budget and minutes of meetings are the types of things that every member of the public expects a government agency to provide without hesitation," Young said. "It has been frustrating and I'm hopeful that we can get a clear understanding of how federal money is being spent."

Simonds said she was unaware Young was unable to get hold of documents he asked for and believed he picked up a copy of the budget at the council office.

She added that as a council member, Young receives whatever budget reports the council produces.

Young is currently one of eight council members appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to represent fishing and community interests. From 2003-2007, he represented the state of Hawaii on the council when he headed the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Beningno Sablan, a member from Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands, said he fully supported the letter by Martin, the council chair, to to the GAO. He added the council has been audited and he's unaware of problems with the audit.

Simonds said the council's mission makes it an easy target for criticism.

"We recommend regulations, so we live with controversy. That's the nature of our mission," Simonds said. "People like us, don't like us. That's the way life is."

The council is responsible for protecting fishery resources in the U.S. exclusive economic zones around western Pacific islands, including Hawaii, Guam, the Northern Marianas and American Samoa.

It is one of eight fishery management councils for different parts of the country.

Micronesian Voices In Hawaii Conference Opens Today
06 April 2008 - Source: Pacific Magazine

A two-day conference addressing Micronesian migrational challenges opens Thursday, April 3, 2008, at the University of Hawaii-Manoa. The conference, titled Micronesian Voices in Hawaii, is sponsored and organized by the UHM’s Center for Pacific Island Studies.

“The focus of the conference will be on the challenges Micronesian people are experiencing here in Hawaii and the constructive ways in which they are addressing or responding to these challenges,” explains conference organizer, UHM CPIS director, Dr. David Hanlon.

 “It is a conference that will feature Micronesians in the foreground,” Dr. Hanlon said. “All the speakers, panelists and moderators are Micronesians. We think that this is something distinctive, something special, and something as it should be.

“The story of the Micronesians here in Hawaii is of course connected to a larger story involving global patterns of migration,” Dr. Hanlon continued, “and, more immediately, those forces are conditions within the Micronesian geographical area that are pushing or otherwise, contributing to the migration from those islands.”

Thursday’s keynote speaker will be Dr. Hilda Heine, Director of Policy and Pacific Comprehensive Center Program, Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL). She will speak of “Micronesian Challenges and Contributions in Hawaii.”

Thursday’s panel discussions will focus on community, communication, education and health.

Friday’s keynote speaker will be the Honorable Andon L. Amaraich, Chief Justice of the Federated States of Micronesia, who was also the lead negotiator for the first FSM Compact of Free Association with the United States. He will speak about “Compact Negotiations, Expectations, Hopes.” The Chief Justice will be assisted by James Naich, Charges de Affaires, FSM Embassy, Washington, D.C.

Friday will feature also be a Pastors Panel that will discuss the role of various churches in assisting their communities with the transition process.

Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle is expected to be Friday’s last speaker. She is also expected to take questions from the audience, following her address.

The conference is also sponsored by the UHM School of Pacific and Asian Studies and the Sidney Stern Memorial Trust.

Industry bigs try to help carrier’s customers, staff
02 April 2008 - Source: Honolulu Star Bulletin

Tourism executives and officials were reeling following yesterday's announcement that Aloha Airlines, after 61 years in Hawaii, plans to cease operations.

It is still too early to gauge the impact that this latest development will have on Hawaii's lead industry -- even if Aloha is allowed to follow through. Gov. Linda Lingle announced plans late yesterday afternoon to fight Aloha's shutdown, which would eliminate 1,900 jobs.

The potential for an Aloha closure, coming on the heels of an announcement earlier this year that Norwegian Cruise Line's U.S. unit is cutting its Hawaii fleet by two-thirds, has some members of the visitor industry worried about the big picture.

They voiced concern that reduced airline capacity could boost flight prices at a time when visitors, particularly from the U.S. markets that have been plagued by the subprime mortgage crisis, are at their most price-sensitive.

But yesterday, local tourism executives were busy scrambling with the shorter-term problems: ensuring that Aloha customers already in the islands can find a way to return home and that those still planning to come will find a way to get here.

"It's a sad day for Hawaii and for a company that's been in business for over 61 years," said Jack Richards, president and chief executive officer of California-based Pleasant Holidays LLC.

Hawaii's largest vacation wholesaler estimated that as many as 1,800 of its customers would be affected if Aloha closes.

"We're in the process of working to help move them -- it's really impossible to know how many will be stranded or find that they have to alter their travel plans," Richards said.

Various hotels statewide are offering special considerations to stranded passengers who need extended or emergency accommodations, said Barry Wallace, chairman of the Hawaii Hotel & Lodging Association board.

"We're also looking at trying to provide job assistance to Aloha employees," said Wallace, who also serves as vice president of hospitality services for Outrigger Enterprises Group. "However, there are so many that it's doubtful that the industry will be able to accommodate all of them."

Keith Vieira, senior vice president for Starwood Hotels and Resorts Hawaii and French Polynesia, said, "It's too early to tell if there's going to be a substantial impact, but it will definitely have an impact."

Since Aloha's March 20 bankruptcy filing, the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, the governor's tourism liaison, the Hawaii Tourism Authority and the Hawaii Hotel and Lodging Association have been coordinating with airlines and hotels to form contingency plans.

Hawaii's primary interisland carriers will expand daily schedules and add aircraft to compensate for the loss of seats resulting from Aloha's closure, said Rex Johnson, president and chief executive officer of the Hawaii Tourism Authority. The trans-Pacific carriers that serve Aloha's regional markets on the mainland should also be able to absorb the void left by Aloha, Johnson said.

"This is a very difficult time for Aloha Airlines, its employees and our state. HTA is committed to working with all stakeholders and involved parties and to provide assistance, when possible, as the situation continues to develop," Johnson said.

Many carriers are offering special rates, and several package companies, including Pleasant Holidays, are offering two-for-one fares, so it is unlikely that short-term airline costs will rise for consumers, said state Tourism Liaison Marsha Wienert. In the long term, prices will be what the market will bear, Wienert said.

"When you pull capacity out of the market, prices tend to go up," Richards said. "And that's not good."

However, with the coming drop in ship arrivals, Hawaii's market might not feel the usual supply-and-demand pricing pressures, Wienert said.

Hawaii Kids 'Kick Butts' on April 2
29 March 2008 - Source: FOX News

Kids across Hawaii will rally against tobacco on April 2 as they join thousands of young people nationwide for the 13th annual Kick Butts Day, sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Hundreds of events are planned across the nation (for a list of local events, go to http://www.kickbuttsday.org/events).

This year, Kick Butts Day is raising awareness about continued tobacco marketing and sales to kids and the need for Congress to crack down on these harmful practices by passing legislation granting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate tobacco products.

Ten years after the 1998 state tobacco settlement, a new poll conducted for Kick Butts Day 2008 finds that kids still feel targeted by tobacco advertising and still find it easy to buy tobacco products. The national telephone survey of 507 teens (12-17 year olds) and 1,008 adults found:

-- Three-fourths of teens (74 percent) think tobacco companies want them to smoke, and 70 percent think tobacco companies target them with their advertising.

-- Teens are twice as likely as adults to remember tobacco advertising. While almost half (47 percent) of teens recalled tobacco advertising from the last two weeks before the survey, only 24 percent of adults did. Among teens who recalled tobacco advertising, the most commonly mentioned source was "in or outside a store."

-- Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of teens think it is easy for teenagers to buy tobacco products. Among 15-17 year olds, 76 percent think it is easy.

The survey was conducted March 5-10, 2008, by International Communications Research and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points for the teen survey and 3.1 percentage points for the adult survey. A report about the poll findings and the impact of tobacco marketing on youth can be found at: http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/kbd2008poll

To protect kids from tobacco addiction and save lives, health advocates are urging Congress to pass pending legislation (S. 625/H.R. 1008) granting the FDA authority to regulate tobacco products. The House Energy and Commerce Committee is expected to vote on the legislation on Kick Butts Day (April 2). Among other things, the legislation would grant the FDA authority to crack down on tobacco marketing and sales to kids; require that tobacco companies disclose the contents of their products and reduce or remove harmful ingredients; stop tobacco companies from misleading the public about the health risks of tobacco products; and require larger, more effective health warnings on tobacco products.

"It is unacceptable that tobacco products are the number one cause of preventable death in the United States, yet they are virtually unregulated to protect our kids and the nation's health," said William V. Corr, Executive Director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "By granting the FDA authority over tobacco products, Congress can stop the tobacco industry from targeting our children and misleading the public. We hope Kick Butts Day will inspire our nation's leaders to take effective action to protect children and save lives."

At the state level, health advocates are urging governors and legislators to adopt proven measures to reduce tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke, including higher tobacco taxes, smoke-free workplace laws, and well-funded programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit.

Since the 1998 tobacco settlement, tobacco companies have nearly doubled their annual marketing expenditures, from $6.9 billion in 1998 to $13.4 billion in 2005 - more than $36 million per day, according to the Federal Trade Commission. In Hawaii, tobacco companies spend $42.2 million a year to market their products.

Nationwide, tobacco use kills more than 400,000 people and costs the nation nearly $100 billion in health care bills each year, and 23 percent of high school students smoke. In Hawaii, tobacco use claims 1,200 lives and costs the state $336 million in health care bills a year, and 16.4 percent of high school students smoke.

On Kick Butts Day, kids turn the tables on Big Tobacco with events that range from "They put WHAT in a cigarette?" demonstrations to mock-funerals for the Marlboro Man to rallies at state capitols. Activities in Hawaii include (all events are on April 2 unless otherwise noted):

At five Boys and Girls Club locations on the Big Island, youth will participate in interactive "They put WHAT in a Cigarette?" activities that will expose the truth about hazardous chemicals in cigarettes. Youth will also learn about the dangers of tobacco use through games, booths and educational displays. Time: 3 PM. Location: Boys and Girls Clubs of the Big Island of Hawaii. Contact: Jay Ihara: (808) 756-5258.

Note to the media: For a list of Kick Butts Day events in Hawaii visit www.kickbuttsday.org/events. Additional information about tobacco, including state-by-state statistics, can be found at www.tobaccofreekids.org.

Study Says American Samoa Has Qualified Workforce For Knowledge
25 March 2008 - Source: Pacific Magazine

A University of Hawai’i (UH) study has concluded that a qualified workforce is available in American Samoa to fill jobs created by new ventures such as call centers. And the UH study says this workforce could be supplemented with workers from neighboring Samoa and the Samoan community in Hawai’i.

Gov. Togiola T.A. Tulafono hopes to have American Samoa link up to the undersea fiber optic cable in early 2009 and a U.S. company is looking to set up call centers in Pago Pago once that fiber cable is in place.

A study by UH’s Pacific Business Center Program (PBCP) found that the qualified available labor pool in American Samoa “demonstrated the necessary analytic and
verbal skills to satisfy the requirements of new ventures in the knowledge industry. This included knowledge of computer usage, elementary mathematics skills such as elementary trigonometry, and, importantly, adequate command of written and spoken English language.”

The team visited American Samoa and Samoa last summer and conducted paper and pencil surveys in randomly selected villages, focus group discussions and interviewed chiefs and opinion leaders. A random telephone survey in American Samoa and of Samoan households in Hawaii was also undertaken.

The PBCP team says a new venture in the knowledge industry, such as a call center,
could find, at prevailing wage rates, at least 1,500 to approximately 2,000 qualified available workers currently residing in the Territory.

In addition, approximately another 6,000 might be lured from Samoa and approximately 1,700 might be lured from Hawaii, “but this process will likely be replete with complications and costs associated with that relocation, born both by the venture and the
current residents of American Samoa.”

It also suggests that by offering wages higher than in the government sector, it could find even more workers, “but (that) this is likely to result in the serious depletion of the
government workforce, with the best and brightest being the first to leave.”

A third alternative, suggested a number of times by chiefs and opinion leaders in both American Samoa and Samoa, involves a dual organizational design with the central venture and management located in American Samoa.

“In addition, the organizational design will also embrace a sister entity in Samoa, with a middle level of management reporting to a central center in American Samoa,” the team noted. The UH study says a Samoa based center could find about 6,000 people willing to work at “very favorable wages.”

Hawaii prepares for 50th anniversary
21 March 2008 - Source: Associated Press

When Hawaii celebrates the 50th anniversary of statehood next year, organizers envision a grand Waikiki parade and other events celebrating a half-century of cultural integration and economic growth.

No events are final, but planners have been meeting since November to decide on an appropriate way to remember the golden anniversary of the nation's youngest state on Aug. 21, 2009.

Hawaii marks the 49th anniversary of Congress' approval of statehood Wednesday.

"I can see why some people would want to celebrate it, others would want to observe it and others will reject it entirely," said Arnie Saiki, an independent Web developer who created statehoodhawaii.org.

The festivities will highlight the islands' accomplishments since 1959, and there also could be educational events to discuss the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy that eventually led to statehood, said Kippen de Alba Chu, chairman of the 50th Anniversary of Statehood Commission.

There won't be accommodations for those who reject the United States and claim Hawaii is still an independent nation, he said.

"They will probably organize their own events, but that's outside our scope," he said. "Once we became a state, it's hard to reverse. It put us on equal footing with the rest of the United States."

In addition to the Waikiki parade, Chu foresees the potential for commemorative aloha shirts, license plates and stamps.

The anniversary could be used to hold community discussions on Hawaii's history, Native Hawaiian rights and efforts to preserve the islands for the next 50 years, he said.

"I'm hoping that it's a celebration," said Rep. Ryan Yamane, D-Waipahu-Mililani, chairman of the House Tourism and Culture Committee. "However, those who were impacted by the overthrow have every right to have their say as well. ... Maybe it's a time we can reflect on how much Hawaii has changed."

One idea would be for Hawaii to host a Makahiki festival as part of the party, where islanders across the Pacific could visit to participate in activities including sports, hula dancing, singing and eating, Saiki said.

Ah Quon McElrath, a labor union activist who rallied for statehood decades ago, said she wants the anniversary to emphasize how the workers rights' movement built momentum for Hawaii's admission into the union.

"Let's make people understand the history," said McElrath, a commission member. "Many people who have grown up and come to Hawaii don't realize what the labor movement did to get us statehood."

The commission requested $500,000 from the state budget to pay for the anniversary events.

The Senate Committee on Economic Development and Taxation approved the measure Tuesday, but lawmakers haven't decided on how much money to appropriate. The full House of Representatives previously passed the bill.

Hawaii prepares for 50th anniversary
17 March 2008 - Source: Associated Press

When Hawaii celebrates the 50th anniversary of statehood next year, organizers envision a grand Waikiki parade and other events celebrating a half-century of cultural integration and economic growth.

No events are final, but planners have been meeting since November to decide on an appropriate way to remember the golden anniversary of the nation's youngest state on Aug. 21, 2009.

Hawaii marks the 49th anniversary of Congress' approval of statehood Wednesday.

"I can see why some people would want to celebrate it, others would want to observe it and others will reject it entirely," said Arnie Saiki, an independent Web developer who created statehoodhawaii.org.

The festivities will highlight the islands' accomplishments since 1959, and there also could be educational events to discuss the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy that eventually led to statehood, said Kippen de Alba Chu, chairman of the 50th Anniversary of Statehood Commission.

There won't be accommodations for those who reject the United States and claim Hawaii is still an independent nation, he said.

"They will probably organize their own events, but that's outside our scope," he said. "Once we became a state, it's hard to reverse. It put us on equal footing with the rest of the United States."

In addition to the Waikiki parade, Chu foresees the potential for commemorative aloha shirts, license plates and stamps.

The anniversary could be used to hold community discussions on Hawaii's history, Native Hawaiian rights and efforts to preserve the islands for the next 50 years, he said.

"I'm hoping that it's a celebration," said Rep. Ryan Yamane, D-Waipahu-Mililani, chairman of the House Tourism and Culture Committee. "However, those who were impacted by the overthrow have every right to have their say as well. ... Maybe it's a time we can reflect on how much Hawaii has changed."

One idea would be for Hawaii to host a Makahiki festival as part of the party, where islanders across the Pacific could visit to participate in activities including sports, hula dancing, singing and eating, Saiki said.

Ah Quon McElrath, a labor union activist who rallied for statehood decades ago, said she wants the anniversary to emphasize how the workers rights' movement built momentum for Hawaii's admission into the union.

"Let's make people understand the history," said McElrath, a commission member. "Many people who have grown up and come to Hawaii don't realize what the labor movement did to get us statehood."

The commission requested $500,000 from the state budget to pay for the anniversary events.

The Senate Committee on Economic Development and Taxation approved the measure Tuesday, but lawmakers haven't decided on how much money to appropriate. The full House of Representatives previously passed the bill.

Hawaii on Moira Tarry's horizon
13 March 2008 - Source: The Ashburton Guardian

Up until recently, Moira Tarry didn’t see herself as an athlete. But now that’s she’s finished second in her age group at Ironman New Zealand in Taupo she agrees that maybe she is indeed an athlete.

In finishing the 4km swim, 180km bike ride and 42km run in 11 hours 56 minutes, the 45-year-old finished second in the 45-49 age group, which also qualified her for the world championships in Hawaii on October 11.

She knew she’d done well, but it wasn’t until a friend who had been watching a live stream on the internet sent her a text message that she realised just how well she’d done.

Initially her aim was just to finish. But after a smooth swim followed by a challenging but good bike ride, Tarry figured she might be in the top five so with 14km to go in the marathon she decided to put her foot down.

If she’d finished in under 12-and-a-half hours she would have been happy and while the clock was down when she crossed the line, going from her watch she knew she was around the 12 hour mark. To find she was under even that was amazing, she said. “My expectation originally was about 13 hours and anything under that would’ve been a fantastic day,” she said.

Her family was there to cheer her on at every turn and Tarry said while entering had been a personal challenge, she wouldn’t have been able to do it without them. Tarry’s husband Mick is a local doctor and they have four children aged between seven and 13.

With part-time work also on her books, some may wonder how she found the time to prepare for such a big event, especially with her husband also training for a mountain run. Knowing that the windows of opportunity for training were small actually helped, she said. She worked it in where she could. “It’s amazing how much more you can fit in when you’ve got less time,” she said.
“Having the pressure of time constraints makes you work even harder and is a good motivator.”
All the hard work the Tarrys had been doing had rubbed off on their children, with two taking part in this weekend’s Weetbix Tryathlon in Christchurch.

“We’ve become more active as a family,” she said. Tarry didn’t know much about triathlons before she agreed to go in the Special K women’s triathlon with a friend in 2005, although like many, she’d heard all about the achievements of two of the country’s stars Hamish Carter and Bevan Docherty.

But she enjoyed it and decided to take it one step further by entering the South Island Half Ironman at Lake Hood. A challenge from her brother prompted her to think about tackling a full ironman, but before making that decision she travelled to Taupo to watch the 2007 event.
“It was quite overwhelming, but I thought I’ll give it a go, so that’s really when I started thinking seriously about it,” she said.

She had no coach so made her own training schedule and her own nutrition plan.
During the race it had been a matter of pacing herself and making sure she made the most of the sugary snacks along the way to keep her energy up.

And after being second in her age group, 58th woman home and 523rd overall, she obviously worked those aspects well. With an unexpected family trip to Hawaii to plan for now, Tarry was planning on having a break from training before a full on winter preparing for the October 11 event.

The world championships were a once in a lifetime opportunity, Tarry said.
“Everyone who is anyone will be there … and me.”

Church dedication in Killeen celebrates island culture
09 March 2008 - Source: kdhnews.com

One aspect of the Samoan culture is preservation.

“We keep our culture alive. Even in the modern day, our culture still lives,” Absalom Eteuati said last Saturday after standing in the front of the church sanctuary for two hours.

He and Uelese Lauti were wearing a grass skirt while holding a staff and fue for the Body of Christ Outreach Center’s blessing and dedication. In the Samoan culture, the staff is to lean on and allows someone to address a group of people. The fue, a whisk, represents wisdom.

“It has all these things on it ... every knot on those things are wisdom,” said the Rev. Silao Tausinio, pastor of the Body of Christ Outreach Center in Killeen.

Samoans and Pacific Islanders from Central Texas and across the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, gathered in Killeen last week for the church dedication and blessing. They boasted a rich culture that has lived long.

“It all happened back in 1830 when missionaries came to our island,” said Mika Setefano, choir leader for Samoan Christian Congregation Church at Fort Hood.

He said that before the missionaries spread the gospel to Samoans, they worshipped many false gods. After hearing the gospel, they switched to one God to follow Christianity. But that’s the only thing that changed, Samoan church leaders said.

“I think we’re the only one that our culture is the same as when it started,” Tausinio said.

The Samoan church had a weeklong celebration that included daily Bible studies and revival services. The celebration also included an “Aiga,” also known as a luau, at the Oceana restaurant in Harker Heights. The luau, which followed the dedication and blessing Sunday, was a continuation of Samoan culture blended with Christian fellowship.

The event featured a traditional Samoan meal that was a plate of taro, sapasui, puaa, chicken, fish and octopus in coconut milk.

The taro is like a potato from the Pacific islands. It is eaten alone like a piece of fruit or vegetable. It’s like the bread of the meal for Samoans.

“It’s one of the biggest foods in events like this,” Feagai Lauti said.

If taro isn’t served, grapefruit or bananas are included in the meal.

The sapasui is a long-grained rice with meat and vegetables mixed in. The puaa is pig. In line with the Hawaiian tradition, the pig was buried in the ground to be cooked under hot coals for hours.

Another traditional aspect of luaus is gift giving. The Body of Christ church presented gifts to pastors from the visiting churches.

“We thank you and appreciate you,” Lene Eteuati, of Killeen, said.

The gifts for each pastor included a mat, a box of several items, a can of soda with a dollar attached to the top and a box of corned beef. Eteuati said all the visiting churches gave gifts to help the new church.

“This is our way to honor them,” Eteuati said.

The box of items included a cooked chicken and other food.

“In our culture, that is supposed to be the chief’s food,” Eteuati said.

The mat, while thin, is meant for rest.

“It is for them to sleep on after they eat,” Eteuati said. “Sometimes money is not important to them, these fine mats are honorable.”

Pastors and church members came from as far away as Alaska and Hawaii and as close as El Paso and Copperas Cove.

“It’s nice when we get together like this,” Setefano said.

He said the song selections for the Saturday morning dedication and blessing service were focused on the special day of the new church.

“God’s people all together for worship,” Setefano said about the significance of the songs in the service. “It was nice, all these different leaders — pastors — from all these different churches.”

Setefano said the fellowship in the new church celebration is important.

“It’s what the Bible says: We are all God’s people,” Setefano said.

They gathered together as God’s people in Christian and Samoan fellowship Friday night for a rally service. It included traditional songs of worship.

It didn’t take the crowd of more than 150 at the church Friday night to get into the spirit of celebration.

“Praise the Lord!” Tausinio told the crowd. “This is not a funeral. This is blessing.”

After that, people stood up to sing and clapped hands or raised their arms to praise songs.

A youth group also performed a skit and traditional dance.

The skit was about a teenager losing focus of what is important in life: God. A series of bad decisions leads him to an early death.

He finds out his string of bad decisions and doom are merely a dream.

“Thank you, Jesus,” the teen actor proclaimed after he learned it was a dream. “I got the message.”

The Body of Christ Outreach Center is located at 211 W. Hallmark Ave. in Killeen.

For more information about the church or the Samoan culture, call (254) 768-0284.

Pacific Forum And Commonwealth To Cooperate On Local Government
05 March 2008 - Source: Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat

The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) are combining their efforts to meet the challenges that face local governments in the Pacific region.

In acknowledgment of the important role of local government in achieving shared goals, the two regional organisations have decided to enter into a formal cooperation agreement.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to give effect to this agreement was signed last December.

The two organisations recognise that Pacific Island States are undergoing a systematic process of growth and development which has been accompanied by an accelerated pace of urbanisation.

Increasingly, cities and towns are recognised as de facto engines of economic growth and opportunity with expanding business, trade and tourism links internationally with growing linkages to their rural hinterlands.

Against this background, many governments in the region have sought to improve governance and quality of life indicators through the adoption of decentralisation policies which seek to empower local governments, locally elected leaders and their stakeholders.

PIFS and CLGF believe that there is need to raise the stakes in respect to local government in the Pacific; to improve quality of life in the towns and cities; to exemplify good governance and to develop local governments that exhibit creativity and integrity, have the confidence of the communities they serve and deliver best possible services.

They say that local government in the Pacific region operates in a changing and uncertain environment. Challenges such as rapid urbanisation with its inherent increased management responsibilities, decentralisation, high expectations from the citizens, resource constraints, service delivery and implementation gaps, good governance, citizen participation and community mobilisation, remoteness, political volatility and effective working relationship with traditional structures all add to the strategic management and decision making responsibilities of local leaders.

“To meet these challenges the Commonwealth Local Government Forum has developed a local government capacity building programme targeting the Pacific Islands to strengthen good governance within councils across the region,” said CLGF Secretary-General Carl Wright.

“CLGF looks forward to enhancing the already well established working environment with PIFS following signing of the MoU.”

“The respective visions of CLGF and PIFS are closely linked. Both recognise the value of partnership and regional cooperation,” stated PIFS Acting Secretary-General Peter Forau.

The MoU acknowledges that the Pacific Plan forms the basis of ongoing strengthening of regional cooperation and integration for the benefit of the people of the Pacific and that local and sub-national government can contribute to achieving the goals of the Plan.

“The Pacific Plan enhances and stimulates economic growth, sustainable development, good governance and security for Pacific countries through regionalism,” said Mr Forau.

“CLGF fully supports the Pacific Plan and the coordination role of PIFS and looks forward to working with the Secretariat in a spirit of friendly cooperation based on mutual respect and professional interaction, in particular on the work dealing with urbanisation and urban management through the implementation of the Pacific Urban Agenda,” Mr Wright added.

N.C. Baptists find ways to help in Hawaii
01 March 2008 - Source: Raleigh Biblical Recorder

More North Carolina Baptist teams are willing to come to beautiful Hawaii than Furman Toney can put to work, but he'd rather be in Africa.

Toney and Faye, his wife of 44 years, have participated in mission trips and managed projects the world over. They felt most at home in South Africa. For the past four years, and through December, they've managed Pu'u Kahea, the Caraway Conference Center of Hawaii.

Pu'u Kahea is a vital part of Hawaiian Baptist ministry as it provides a central gathering area for the far flung convention, encompassing 97 churches and 12,700 members on eight islands, which stretch 400 miles in Hawaii, but 3,000 miles to Guam.

Pu'u Kahea occupies the main buildings and heart of the old Waianae sugar plantation, which closed and was purchased by Hawaiian Woman's Missionary Union in 1946. The main building went up in 1910 as the manager's residence and covers about 5,000 square feet on each of two floors and a smaller area on the third floor, which was the manager's private living area. Today it is the primary residence for Pu'u Kahea visitors.

In the ongoing partnership with Hawaii Baptists and the churches of the Pacific Rim, N.C. Baptists have accomplished significant restoration of this main building and several outlying houses. The main building had to be "tented" and fumigated to kill termites before major work could begin.

At Pu'u Kahea volunteers also have painted storage containers, roofed the manager's house and rebuilt the sunroom and porch, added concrete walkways, roofed the kitchen, moved a safety fence that was falling into a ditch, and repaired and painted the hotel rooms, ceilings and eaves inside and out.

While N.C. Baptists are eager to help in Hawaii, teams must be sandwiched between conferences hosted at the center, so that retreats are not disrupted by men and women drilling, hammering, sawing and splashing paint.

Other opportunities in the Hawaii and Pacific Rim partnership exist for those willing to make the 5,000 mile trip to the paradise islands formed by underwater volcanic eruption.

Mark Abernathy, who directs N.C. Baptist Men's partnerships and coordinates partnerships of the Baptist State Convention, has been sending 20-25 teams a year to various projects on the islands. He also sent five teams to American Samoa and Guam as part of the partnership.

Several projects remain at Pu'u Kahea, and he has several requests for Vacation Bible School teams in this, the fourth year of the partnership. It goes through 2009.

He said there also is continuing need for persons who can spend a month or two at Pu'u Kahea to help with maintenance.

Record Number of Whales Sighted During Today's Maui's Great Whale Count
26 February 2008 - Source: Hawaii Reporter

Today proved to be a record-breaker for the annual Great Whale Count on Maui, which recorded a total of 1,726 whale sightings in a three-hour period this morning.

Perfect weather conditions for whalewatching and a growing whale population are thought to be the reasons for the unprecedented number of humpback whale sightings.

"It was absolutely gorgeous out there today," said Dr. Quincy Gibson, Research Director at Pacific Whale Foundation and the coordinator of The Great Whale Count. "The weather was sunny with no clouds, with just a light breeze, little glare and very flat, calm seas -- just ideal for watching whales."

Due to the lack of tradewind activity, volcanic gas ("vog") from the continuing eruption of Kiluea on the Big Island accumulated over Maui throughout the morning, but did not hinder the visibility for the counters.

"It's also important to note that researchers believe that the North Pacific humpback whale population has been increasing steadily over the years, at a rate of about 7% per year," says Gibson. "We could certainly see the results of that population growth today."

The Great Whale Count is an annual event organized by Pacific Whale Foundation that brings together Maui visitors, residents and Pacific Whale Foundation's researchers, educators and other staff, to tally the number of whale sightings and record whale surface behaviors that could be viewed from twelve shoreline observation stations. These counting locations stretched along Maui's south and western shores, from the Ritz Carlton in Kapalua to Pu'u Olai in Makena, and included a site at Ho'okipa Beach on Maui's north shore.

Today's count of 1,726 whale sightings broke the 2006 record of 1,265 humpback whales counted.

The location with the most whale sightings was Pu'u Olai, the hill located behind Makena Beach State Park. Greg Kaufman was stationed there, with Dr. Paul Forestell, Vice President and Senior Research Associate at Pacific Whale Foundation, with six volunteer counters. Between 8:30 and 11:20 a.m., this hilltop group tallied 287 whale sightings.

The next best station for sighting whales was McGregor Point lookout which recorded 281 sightings during the three-hour counting period. Launiopoko Park in Lahaina was the third best counting site, with 249 sightings recorded.

More than 150 people participated in the Great Whale Count. The majority of the counters were visitors, who gave of their vacation time to help count the whales. Pacific Whale Foundation's staff instructed the participants in the methodology of the count, which involved using compasses, binoculars and data sheets.

The counters worked in 20-minute intervals. During the first ten minutes of each interval, they scanned the area extending three miles out from their station, noting the numbers of pods, the numbers of whales in each pod, whether calves were present and the direction in which the animals were moving. They took compass bearings to note the location of the whales on a map. They also recorded data on sea state, percentage glare, wind speed and wind direction.

Immediately following this scan, the counters devoted five minutes to recording significant behaviors, such as breaches, pectoral fin slaps, tail slaps, and peduncle throws. The next five minutes were "rest time" -- and then the scanning cycle was repeated. The same cycles were followed at each of the counting sites.

The count is limited to within three miles of shore, because the accuracy of determining numbers in each pod or group and the sightability of calves diminishes dramatically beyond that point.

Pacific Whale Foundation researchers noted the differences between the results on Maui's leeward side versus the results from the north shore.

"We conducted the Great Whale Count from eleven sites along Maui's leeward side, positioned far enough from each other to ensure no overlap in counts," explained Kaufman. "On the leeward side, between 8:30 and 11:30 in the morning, during nine 10- minute scans, we documented sightings of 1,667 animals. Averaged across the nine sighting intervals, there were 185 animals seen within three miles of shore, ranging from a low of 156 animals reported at 8:30 a.m. to a high of 220 during the last scan at 11:30 a.m."

"Overall this represents an average of 16.8 whales per site per ten minute observation period," said Kaufman.

"Approximately 5.6% of the whales observed were calves," noted Kaufman.

"Based on these findings, we can assume that there was an average of 185 whales within three miles of Maui's leeward shore throughout the morning, and that this included 163 adults and 12 calves," said Kaufman.

At Hookipa, off Maui's windward side, there were an average of 7 whales sighted per ten minute observation period.

"Pacific Whale Foundation continues to be concerned that insufficient attention is being given by Hawaii Superferry to the number of whales off the windward side," said Kaufman. "Our count today and anecdotal reports of whale sightings along Maui's north shore show that the whales are certainly in the areas where the Superferry is traveling, and are jeopardized by the Superferry's route and operating speed."

"Over the years, we have followed the same systematic counting method for each of The Great Whale Counts," says Anne Rillero, spokesperson at Pacific Whale Foundation. “This lets us compare results from year to year.”

Last year, counters tallied a total of 959 whale sightings during the counting period from 8:30 a.m. to 11:40 a.m. In 2006, there were 1,265 humpback whales counted – the prior record. There were 649 humpback whale sightings recorded during the 2005 count. In 2004, rainy weather caused a disruption in the counting. In 2003, there were 815 sightings tallied. The counters in 2002 reported 673 sightings.

"We are still early in the season," said Greg Kaufman, noting that the number of calves sighted today was relatively low while the number of adult whales was relatively high.

"We are not at the peak of the season yet -- there will be a lot more whales here before the winter is over," he said. "Given that the peak is yet to occur, we want to remind ocean users to operate with utmost care and at slow speeds in areas where whales are present."

About 60% of the population of North Pacific humpback whales migrates to Hawaii each winter to mate and to give birth to calves conceived during last year’s breeding season. The first whales of the season generally appear during the autumn, with the greatest numbers in residence from December through early May. Maui County, comprised of the islands of Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Kahoolawe, is known for the highest concentration of humpback whales in Hawaii.

The Great Whale Count by Pacific Whale Foundation was the first and original annual whale count to take place in Hawaii.

"The Great Whale Count is a tradition we began on Maui back in 1988," says Greg Kaufman, President and founder of Pacific Whale Foundation. "We then expanded the Great Whale Count to take place on Oahu in 1996 in partnership with the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. In 1998 they changed the name to 'Ocean Count' and took over running it as a Sanctuary-sponsored event."

Pacific Whale Foundation is Maui's oldest and largest marine conservation organization. Pacific Whale Foundation researchers have conducted field studies of humpback whales in Hawaii, Australia, Tonga, Ecuador and other parts of the Pacific since 1980. The Great Whale Count makes it possible for the public to learn more about whale research, by participating in a systematic collection of useful data.

"This is our 18th year conducting the Great Whale Count, says Kaufman. "We are grateful to the public for volunteering -- we couldn't do this without the support of the public."

Pacific Whale Foundation offers a variety of ways for Maui residents and visitors to learn more about whales. In addition to more than 17 whalewatch cruises offered daily, there is a Pacific Whale Foundation naturalist stationed at McGregor Point lookout, on Route 30 between Ma’alaea and Lahaina, from around 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. The naturalist helps visitors locate whales that can be seen from shore.

Hawaii’s 50 contender Beijing-bound
22 February 2008 - Source: Reuters

There are many roads to the Beijing Games, and I stumbled onto an unlikely pathway during a recent visit home to the small town of Kapa’au on the north shore of Hawaii’s Big Island.

There, against the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean and under towering Norfolk pines, the community’s sun-heated 25-yard pool is not the sort of place you’d expect Olympic ambitions to take root.

But 18-year-old Daniel Coakley, a dual Philippine-US citizen from the North Kohala community, has defied the odds by qualifying for the Olympics. In doing so, he has sparked dreams among the town’s roughly 1,200 residents that a local boy might become a medal winner in an aquatic discipline — the first in nearly 40 years from the entire state of Hawaii.

In December Daniel set a record 22.80 seconds for the 50 meter freestyle at the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand, securing a berth to the Beijing Olympics as a member of the Philippine National Team.

“Who would have ever thought he could reach the Olympics by training in this pool, with no equipment and just his dad as a coach,” mused Daniel’s father Jeff, who was working as a life guard on the day I visited. “For nine years, we had to improvise and make our own training equipment. He’s never done any weight training. He just swam.”

Daniel Coakley’s story is not one of tireless effort and perseverance. In fact, Jeff says his relations with his son were more typical of a rebellious teen than of coach nurturing a star athlete.

“I remember so many times it was a struggle just to get him to the pool to practice. Then once he was in the pool, he’d duck underwater every time I tried to tell him what to swim. I’d be lucky to get 1,500 yards out of him in a practice.”

But Daniel had a knack for focusing and pouring it on when it counted.

“A week or so before a race, he’d say “Dad, I want to break the record. What is it? Then he’d work hard and sure enough, most often he’d go out there and break the record.”

Like many kids, Daniel dreamed of going to the Olympics when he first started swimming at the age of 8. Like many kids, it seemed just a dream until the age of 15 when he started winning and breaking records.

“If I’d known then that he could really do it, I would have worked him harder,” laughs Jeff Coakley.

After Daniel qualified for the Olympics, local residents raised money to help send him to Florida where he will be training for the Olympics with some of the top U.S. contenders and under the guidance of some of the best coaches.

“The other day he called and said, “Dad, what’s tapering?” referring to the training technique of slowly easing off hard workouts to allow the body to gain maximum strength in the lead-up to important races.

“I laughed and said, don’t worry, Daniel, you’ve been tapering you’re whole life.”

Event Polynesia to market and promote Toa Samoa RLWC campaign
18 February 2008 - Source: eventpolynesia.com

Samoa Rugby League has announced the appointment of Event Polynesia to market and promote Toa Samoa for the upcoming Rugby League World Cup, to be held in Australia starting in October. The arrangement includes marketing, promotion and fundraising, starting as soon as possible and includes all commercial arrangements from now up to and after the Rugby League World Cup. Details of the partnership are yet to be finalised, but the two parties are keen to work together for the betterment of Toa Samoa’s World Cup Campaign and commercial arrangements going forward.

“We are so delighted to be working with Event Polynesia for the World Cup and going forward" said SRL President Mr Peter Paul.

Toa Samoa RLWC Fundraising will kick-off in mid April with corporate fights pitching rugby league legends against those from other sports. It will also include fights between corporate professionals pitching CEO’s of the public and private sector against one another. This will be the first time for corporate Samoa to enjoy corporate fights, including wining and dining and cheering on a professional partner, while at the same time, contributing to and fundraising for Toa Samoa’s Rugby League World Cup campaign.

“It is such a relief for us to bring in a professional event company to take care of marketing and commercial matters whilst we concentrate on the administration side of things for the World Cup” said SRL Secretary General Fritz Tuiavii.

The local Samoa Rugby League competition kicks-off in early April, with trials set for July and the World Cup squad to be finalised in August. With the high interest and participation of our premier Samoan professional rugby league stars from all over the world, Toa Samoa stands a very positive chance to make the Semi Finals of the World Cup.

Pacific library staff to attend Hawaii training institute
14 February 2008 - Source: Mariana's Variety
 

Twenty residents of the U.S.-affiliated Pacific have been selected to attend the 2008 Pacific Library Training Institute in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The PLTI, funded by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services and organized by Pacific Resources for Education and Learning, will take place from July 21 through August 8, 2008, at the University of Hawaii at Mânoa.

By providing professional development to this group of preprofessional staff working in special libraries in their home jurisdictions, the PLTI seeks to improve library services across the region.

Following is a list of the attendees: Nathaidia Moeia from American Samoa; Erlinda Naputi and Gregorio Sablan from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; Kersweet Eria from Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia; Shra Renton from Kosrae, FSM; Atarino Helieisar, Karleen Manuel, Julia Martin, and Julie Nimea from Pohnpei, FSM; Erica Ruwepin and Helen Salap from Yap, FSM; Walfrid Benavente and Lourdes Nedegog from Guam; Pearl Anien, Tina Edmond, and Kiona Lalimo from the Republic of the Marshall Islands; and Pioria Asito, Everett Belelai, Sandy Fernandez, and Grace Merong from the Republic of Palau.

PREL is an independent, nonprofit 501 (c)(3) corporation that works in partnership with the Pacific educational community to provide quality programs and products developed to promote educational excellence, including professional development and educational materials. In addition, PREL administers the Regional Educational Laboratory Pacific, 1 of 10 Regional Educational Laboratories funded through the Institute of Education Sciences of the U.S. Department of Education.

With a commitment to ensuring that all students have an equal opportunity to develop a strong academic foundation, regardless of circumstances or geographic location, PREL serves the U.S.-affiliated Pacific islands, including American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia — Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap — Guam, Hawaii, the Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
 

Expanding State Partnership Program eyes the Pacific
10 February 2008 - Source: National Guard
 

Following successes in Europe, South and Central America, the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa, the National Guard’s State Partnership Program (SPP) is expanding in the Asia-Pacific region.

“These partnerships are limited only by what the two partners want to accomplish,” said LTG H Steven Blum, the chief of the National Guard Bureau, characterizing the SPP as two-way relationships built on trust that outlives individual political administrations. “None are more important than the ones we have in the Pacific,” he said.

U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) commander, Adm. Timothy Keating has endorsed Bangladesh’s request for a SPP and asked Blum to nominate a National Guard state for this new partnership. If approved, this SPP would bring the number of foreign countries matched with U.S. states to 59. Five of these are Pacific Rim or Southeast Asian countries, and Blum predicted that much of the SPP’s expansion in the next two to three years will occur in the region. Some states have more than one partner.

“Our nation needs to do this,” Blum said. “It is … absolutely essential in our international relations in the future.”

“The potential and the opportunity in the Asia-Pacific region are significant,” Keating told attendees. “Underpinning this potential is the requirement for security and stability, and that’s where we all come in. … Thanks for your efforts. It’s making a difference. Life is better for hundreds of millions of people throughout the Asia-Pacific region, and a big reason is the effort you’re putting forth in the State Partnership Program.”

Marine Lt. Gen. John Goodman, the commanding general of Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, said, “Everything we do from now on is about partnerships, … setting the conditions where we can … helping one another move forward together to address this complex, dynamic, changing security environment.”

“The United States in its national defense military strategy sees the need to do a much better job than we have done … in increasing our partnership capacity,” Blum said. “There’s nobody better-suited to do it than the National Guard. Anytime you call out the Guard to do anything, you call out America, and this truly calls out Americans into an international program that otherwise wouldn’t be involved.”

Keating said his impression of the National Guard was profoundly affected by working with Blum on the response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. “I developed an intense and abiding appreciation and respect for what the National Guard does for our country,” he said.

The first-ever two-day Pacific State Partnership Program Regional Workshop in Honolulu in late January, co-hosted by Blum and Maj. Gen. Bob Lee, Hawaii’s adjutant general, brought together Indonesia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Thailand and their respective National Guard partner states of Hawaii, Alaska, Guam and Washington.

Foreign military chiefs, National Guard adjutants general and others discussed activities that promote mutual security cooperation, stability and progress throughout the 41-country PACOM area of operations. The SPP in the Pacific draws on the resources of PACOM, the National Guard Bureau, National Guard states, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, U.S. ambassadors and country teams and other agencies and individuals.
 

Honolulu fire fighter 44th in Empire State Run-up
06 February 2008 - Source: The Honolulu Advertiser
 

Chris Miller, a 33-year-old firefighter from Honolulu, finished in 44th place overall with a time of 14:35 in the Empire State Building Run-up today.

Thomas Dold, a 23-year-old student from Germany, scampered up 86 breath-sapping flights to win the event for the third straight year. His time was 10 minutes, 8 seconds.

Australia's Suzanne Walsham, a 34-year-old accountant who lives in Singapore, fought through a calf strain to win for the second straight time. She finished in 12:44.

The event is one of the world's premier tower races, beginning with a mad dash in the lobby and finishing 1,576 steps later on the observation deck. This year, 171 men and 64 women competed. All but 20 finished.
 

Photo captions below.
Maui, Hawaii (Photos: William Nill)

Maui Shrine Club celebrates 65th Anniversary
02 February 2008 - Source: Maui Shrine Club Press Release
 

Maui Shriners celebrated the 65th Anniversary of the Maui Shrine Club and installed the 2008 Officers at a gala dinner attended by 64 members and guest this past Saturday evening at the Royal Lahaina Resort.

A State of Hawaii Commendation was presented to the club on behalf of Governor Linda Lingle by Mr. George Kaya her Representative on Maui. “The Shriners Hospital for Children in Honolulu continues to play a vital role in our state by providing necessary medical services to children at no cost to their families. Your dedicated leadership and guidance in building the Patient Transportation Fund ensures that children continue to receive top quality medical care from this important hospital”.

Senator Daniel K.Inouye also sent a letter of best wishes to the Maui Shrine Club congratulating them on their dedication to community service though its fundraising efforts for the Shrine Hospital Children’s transportation fund. “The club’s Transportation Fund and Children’s Clinics are the means through which Maui Shriners provide hope for a better and productive future for young patients. Through their tireless efforts, Maui Shriners nurture a vibrant community that values care giving, selfless support, and humanity.”

During the dinner event the Maui Shrine Club presented a cheque for $27,000.00 to the Potentate Karvel Rose of the Honolulu Aloha Temple for deposit in the Children’s Transportation fund, a 501 3 (c) non-profit charity. These funds were raised during 2007 by the Maui Shrine Club thanks to the generous contributions by Maui businesses and individuals who participated in the Golf tournament, Annual Fun Walk and Silent Auction, the Maui County Fair Chili cook-off held the Maui Fire & Public Safety departments as well as individual contributions. The Shriners would like to express their sincere appreciation to all those businesses and individuals that contributed to the success of their annual fund raising drive and their support for the Children’s Patient Transportation fund. This fund provides transportation for patients and their parent to and from the hospital in Honolulu for treatment. The Maui Shrine Club also conducts several children’s clinics on Maui each year so that Maui county patients can be seen locally. More than 460 children were seen during 2007 at the Maui Shrine Clinics in Kahului.

For nearly 85 years, Shriners Hospitals for Children has provided some of the best medical care in the world, totally free of charge, to more than 835,000 children with orthopedic conditions, burn injuries of all degrees, spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate. Shriners Hospitals for Children has received a “Best in America” seal from Independent Charities of America (ICA) and Local Independent Charities of American (LICA). The seal of excellence is awarded to members of ICA and LICA that have, upon rigorous independent review, been able to certify, document and demonstrate on an annual basis that they meet the highest standards of public accountability, program effectiveness and cost effectiveness.

The Shriners of North America is a fraternal organisation established in 1872 with a current international membership of approximately 412,000 and 191 Shrine Centers. The Shriners support the 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children throughout North America.

Please contact Noble Jeff Brown at 808-877-6328 if you would like to make a donation to the Children’s Transportation Fund or if you have any questions about the Maui Shrine Club.
 

Photo #1: George Kaya, Governor Lingle’s Representative on Maui, presenting the commendation to the Maui Shrine Club. Noble Jeff Brown, President of the Maui Shrine Club is shown standing behind him. 

Photo #2: $27,000 Cheque for the Children’s Transportation Fund being presented by officers of the Maui Shrine Club, from left to right, Noble Keoni Woo, Noble Loren L. Holmberg, Noble Clifford Hashimoto, Potentate Karvel Rose, Noble Jeff Brown, Noble Tom Rossman and Noble John R. Perry.