Flashback – June 1999-June 2001

Jun. 15, 1999

BPL chairmanship vacant

Tomas B. Aldan, chairman of the Board of Public Lands, has left the policy-making body recently after his appointment has expired. In an interview over the phone, Aldan, who was named to the post by former Gov. Froilan C. Tenorio, said his two-year term ended June 4. There is no word yet from the office of Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio whether Aldan will be reappointed or another person will be selected for the post.

Legislature backs advisory council for regional airlines

Legislators threw support yesterday behind the creation of a regional advisory council aimed to bridge various island governments with airlines servicing Micronesia, saying this may be a step in the right direction to deal with growing problem of air transportation in the region. The Association of Pacific Island Legislatures has agreed in principle to set up the body which was proposed by Continental Micronesia in its meeting on Guam last week, but concrete actions on the proposal are expected to begin in the next few months. House majority floor leader Ana S. Teregeyo said this council is a “working-type” group that will pursue issues affecting airline service to the region, including cut back on the number of flights from key destinations.

Jun. 15, 2000

PSS foresees growth in SAT9 results

Education Commissioner Rita H. Inos has expressed optimism that students will gain higher scores in this year’s Stanford Achievement Test — 9th Edition, an assessment that selected grade levels in the Public School System took before the end of the school year. Dr. Inos said she is hopeful that SAT9, to be released in the succeeding summer months, will show some trends in growth as PSS did all it can during the previous academic year to strengthen areas which needed utmost attention. Specific areas for improvement were determined as a result of last year’s evaluation.

PSS secures $400K for advanced placement courses

As Marianas High School students gear up for the nationwide advanced placement courses to be offered in May 2001, the Public School System said it is now financially equipped to support students preparing for the assessment as early as this summer. Advanced placement courses are post secondary preparatory subjects for incoming college students that will allow high schoolers to be exposed to the rigorous course outlines in the undergraduate level. “This would allow the high academic achievers at MHS to participate in specialized classes and take these tests that would earn them college credits,” said PSS Federal Programs Officer Bill Matson.

Jun. 15, 2001

EMO calms fears on possible effects of S. Pacific disasters

The Emergency Management Office yesterday said that there is no indication of another earthquake following the recent disaster that rocked another Pacific island. “There’s no information of any pending alerts or warning,” EMO Director Gregorio Guerrero said in a phone interview. Guerrero also assured that there will be no tsunami in the Northern Marianas. At least 200 people were displaced in a recent earthquake that destroyed two villages in Papua New Guinea. The quake measured 6.4 on the Richter Scale. The Geophysical Observatory in Port Moresby reported the earthquake had been shallow, about 10-kilometer underground, and had started at about 7pm. A number of aftershocks followed, including a strong tremor after 1am Wednesday last week.

Federal court: CNMI a US territory

The US District Court yesterday denied a motion that sought to dismiss charges against suspected illegal gambling operator Qian Wu on grounds that the CNMI is not a territory of the United States. District Judge Alex R. Munson referred to the Covenant as basis for the ruling that junked the argument of the defense panel. In a decision, Munson upheld Asst. US Attorney David Wood’s contention that asserted the US’ jurisdiction to enforce a federal illegal gambling statute which Wu had allegedly violated. The defense previously filed a motion to dismiss the charges on ground that defendant Wu’s alleged crime was conducted outside the gambling statute’s definition of the term “State.” Defense lawyer Joseph A. Arriola cited that the definition of State as any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and any territory or possession of the United States.