Flashback July 26, 1999-2001

[B]July 26, 1999

Money for SNILD pet projects disapproved[/B]

Acting Gov. Jesus R. Sablan has vetoed a local measure appropriating some $806,000 for the Saipan Mayor’s office and other municipal concerns, quashing attempt by lawmakers to set aside revenues from poker license fees for their pet projects. Although it was expected, the veto followed last week’s decision by the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation not to recall House Local Bill 11-21 from the Office of the Governor despite uncertainties on funding.

[B]Education summit opens tonight[/B]

Delegates to the 16th Annual Pacific Educational Conference will gather at Diamond Hotel tonight for the summit’s official opening ceremony which starts at 6:30 PM. About 500 educators from the mainland and Pacific island states and entities are expected to attend the region’s biggest educational summit, which will start formal discussions at the Marianas High School tomorrow.

[B]Inos seeks creation of new team to evaluate teacher performance[/B]

Education Commissioner Rita H. Inos said the Public School System is creating a new team that would evaluate teachers’ performances based on what are expected of them. Inos said the creation of this team is part of the education agency’s efforts to improve the quality of teaching in public schools. The evaluation process would be based on the teaching performance criteria and personal conduct criteria drafted by PSS and adopted by the Board of Education in 1997.

[B]July 26, 2000

Lin’s garment factory raided[/B]

Nine people were arrested and detained by agents of the Department of Labor and Immigration during a surprise inspection of the UIC garment factory in San Antonio at dawn yesterday, according to officials. Assistant Attorney General Andrew Clayton, legal counsel for the department, said the inspection was part of the DOLI’s compliance monitoring operations.

[B]Bitter fight over fees strand tourists at Outer Cove[/B]

Bus loads of Japanese tourists scheduled to take a day trip to Managaha island were turned away yesterday morning from taking their boat ride at the Outer Cove Marina by the management of Marine Revitalization Corp. after Tasi Tours refused to pay higher passenger departure fee. The Japanese tourists who had to endure several hours of delay were finally able to leave for Managaha using the convenience dock. The National Parks Service allowed Tasi Tours only to use the convenience dock for a day.

[B]Healthy baby for a hemodialysis patient at CHC[/B]

Twenty-eight-year-old Maria Borja made history when she gave birth to her daughter Corina Olympia Borja two-and-a-half weeks ago at the Commonwealth Health Center. Women who are undergoing hemodialysis and are still in their child bearing age like Ms. Borja have very slim chance of having a baby. In fact, the statistical probability is 1 out of 200. But miracles do happen.

[B]July 26, 2001

Higher PSS budget dead[/B]

House Legislative Initiative 12-001 is dead. The measure, which seeks to amend the Commonwealth Constitution to increase the Public School System’s mandatory funding by 10 percent, failed to garner the required number of votes to pass through the Senate during yesterday’s special session. The initiative needed three-fourths of the vote-at least seven affirmative votes-to pass through the upper chamber. However, it only managed to garner six affirmative votes, with three voting no.

[B]Less than 2 years left for dump[/B]

The Puerto Rico dumpsite has had enough. A study conducted by a California-based consultancy firm disclosed that it may only take over a year of continuous dumping of garbage before the Puerto Rico dumpsite reaches the maximum level. The dumpsite’s remaining capacity is just 267,684 cubic yards, already unfit to accommodate Saipan’s estimated 114,816,000 pounds (57,408 tons) of thrash yearly longer than two years.

[B]NMC plans to adopt uniform tuition for resident students[/B]

A proposal to adopt a uniform tuition for Northern Marianas College resident students is up for discussion among college heads. The proposal came in light of the steps taken by the Board of Regents to restructure student tuition and fees that are in line with the CNMI’s economic climate. College officials are looking at leveling the resident student tuition rate to a uniform $65 per credit across all course levels.