COMMUNITY BRIEFS – Sept. 3, 2014

International Festival of Cultures kicks off Sept. 13

The Marianas Visitors Authority kicks off its newest annual signature event, the International Festival of Cultures, on Sept. 13, 2014. Organized in conjunction with the Commonwealth Council for Arts & Culture and PDM Promoters, the festival will be staged for four consecutive Saturdays—Sept. 13, 20, and 27 and Oct. 4, 2014—at the Paseo de Marianas pedestrian mall in Garapan. A parade of cultures will be held on Oct. 4 at 5:30pm in Garapan from the Carolinian Affairs Office north along Beach Road to American Memorial Park, ending at Coral Tree Avenue. Booths will open at 5pm. Performances begin at 6pm and the event will run until 11pm. Admission is free. (MVA)

Chamber membership meeting today

The Saipan Chamber of Commerce’s September general membership meeting will be held today, Sept. 3, at the Hibiscus Hall of the Fiesta Resort and Spa Saipan. Luncheon begins at 11:30am, with the meeting starting at noon. The main guest speaker is Alan Fletcher, executive director of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. His presentation will include the Integrated Resource Plan and the soon-to-be-in-place Incentive Rate for those who self-generate. Also speaking is Christopher Tenorio regarding the PSS Cooperative Education Program. Luncheon cost for SCC members is $20. Non-member cost is $30. (SCC)

Donations to benefit Feds Feed Families campaign

SANTA RITA, Guam—Canned goods and money will be donated to local nonprofit organizations today, Sept. 3, as part of the Feds Feed Families campaign. The campaign is a voluntary effort that collects nonperishable food items and monetary donations for distribution to local food banks. U.S. Naval Base Guam Chapel Sailors will deliver the donations to Kamalen Karidat and Salvation Army on behalf of service members, federal employees, and their families. The Feds Feed Families campaign was launched in June on Naval Base Guam. It ended on Aug. 31.

Navy training on Farallon de Medinilla

The U.S. Navy will conduct training on the island of Farallon de Medinilla on Sept. 5, from 7pm to 11:59pm. The U.S. military will conduct training on the island from 5am on Sept. 8 to 11:59pm on Oct. 6. The general public—especially fishermen, commercial pilots, and marine tour operators—are advised to stay clear from the area during the times and date indicated. The general location of the training is on the island of Farallon de Medinilla will be on a 10-nautical mile radius on all quadrants. For more information, contact the Joint Region Marianas Public Affairs Office at (671) 349-4055/3209. (PR)

Japan Consulate offers class on Japanese culture

The Consular Office of Japan on Saipan will host a class about the Japanese culture on Friday, Sept. 19, 2014, from 3pm to 4:30pm, at the conference room of the Consular Office of Japan, second floor of the Bank of Hawaii Building, Mariana Heights Business Park, Puerto Rico, Saipan. The lecture will focus on the nature of Japanese culture, haiku (Japanese poetry), and Japan video topics. Any interested person is requested to register by Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2014, by contacting the Saipan Secretariat at cojsf@ag.mofa.go.jp. The class will be limited to 10 people and will be on a first-come, first-served basis. (PR)

Family grief support meeting on Sept. 4

A group that is in the process of forming a Compassionate Friends chapter on Saipan will be holding their monthly grief support meeting on Thursday Sept. 4, from 6pm to 7:30pm, in the NMPASI conference room on Middle Road, in Gualo Rai. The mission of The Compassionate Friends is to assist families toward the positive resolution of grief following the death of a child of any age and to provide information to help others to be supportive. For more information, call Donna Krum at 783-0755 or e-mail donnakrum@gmail.com or Jill Derickson, at HYPERLINK “mailto:jilld@pticom.com”jilld@pticom.com. (PR)

Free workshop on project planning and development

The Administration for Native Americans Pacific Region Training and Technical Assistance Center will be conducting a Project Planning & Development Training workshop at Northern Marianas College from Sept. 8 to 10, from 9am to 4pm, in room N-5. The training will be held on Saipan but will be broadcast through videoconference live to Rota (NMC campus) and Tinian (NMC campus). The three-day workshop is free, and you can register on the first day (Sept. 8, at NMC, Room N-5) or register online at www.anapacificbasin.org. (PR)