COMMUNITY BRIEFS – January 8, 2021

BECQ closures next week

The Bureau of Environmental & Coastal Quality would like to inform the public that the BECQ office will be closed on Jan. 14 (Thursday) and Jan. 15 (Friday), 2021 for a Professional Development Workshop.
In observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the office will remain closed through Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. Office hours will resume on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021. Note that BECQ’s Division of Coastal Resources Management continues to operate on an adjusted schedule (Monday: closed; Tuesday – Friday: 9am to 3pm). (PR)

Zoning Office announces new hours of operation

Effective Monday, Jan. 11, 2021, there will be a slight change in the daily operation hours of the Commonwealth Zoning Office. Their new business hours are as follows: 
• Monday – Thursday
-7:30am–12pm: Window open
-12pm–1pm: Closed
-1pm–4:30pm: Window open
• Friday – Closed for processing
For inquiries or for more information contact the Commonwealth Zoning Office at (670) 234-9661 or via email at geri.delacruz@cnmizoning.com. (PR)

Public warned of beach hazards until tonight

The public is being warned of a high rip current risk and men-o-war jellyfish until tonight.
Based on the information received from the National Weather Service in Guam and compiled at the CNMI Emergency Operations Center State Warning Point, Indo-Pacific men-o-war jellyfish are present along northeast, east, and southeast facing reefs, while dangerous rip currents are present along east facing reefs through Friday night.

Contact with Indo-Pacific men-o-war, alive or dead, can cause extreme pain. Residents of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota are urged to stay out of the water, especially along northeast, east, and southeast facing beaches and reef lines. If men-o-war are not found along the beach, they could still be out in the water. Avoid making contact with men-o-war that have washed up on beaches, especially when bubbles can be seen. If stung, take out the tentacles, wash the wound with vinegar and then treat with heat pack.

If caught in a rip current, relax and float. Don’t swim against the current. If able, swim in a direction following the shoreline. If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help. (PR)

Free webinars on federal contracting

The Guam Procurement Technical Assistance Center is offering free live webinars in January. Webinars run from 10am to 11:30am and will be conducted via Zoom. Links to the live webinar and the webinar evaluation will be emailed to all registered attendees 15 minutes before the start of the webinar.

– Jan. 14 – DUNS/SAM – To sell your product or service to the Federal government, you need to get a DUNS number and register in SAM. These registrations pose unique challenges to Guam/CNMI based businesses. Tips and solutions for these challenges will be discussed.

– Jan. 21 – Federal Contract Opportunities – Beta.sam.gov is the portal for Federal Contract Opportunities. The Guam PTAC will show you how to setup an account and how to use the search filters to ensure you do not miss any opportunities.

– Jan. 28/21 – Marketing to the Federal Government – The government buys products and services differently than the private sector. The Guam PTAC will discuss marketing strategies, essential documents, and how to get your company on “the list.”

Register on our website, http://guamptac.com/news-and-events.php. (PR)