A year that was and a year yet to be

Another year ends and a new one begins. This passing year is notable for its catastrophes, book-ended by disasters of such great magnitude that they defy comprehension. In Dec. 26, 2003, the world woke up to the 6.7 magnitude earthquake in Bam, Iran, which killed an estimated 32,000 people and leveled 70 percent of that ancient city. Exactly to the day a year later, Dec. 26, 2004, proved to be another tragic date, with the 9.0 magnitude earthquake beneath the Indian Ocean that triggered deadly tsunamis, which had already claimed more than 77,000 lives in South and Southeast Asia as of last count. In between, double-header typhoons slammed into the Philippines, causing floods and mudslides that killed more than 1,000 people; droughts coupled with civil unrest displaced and killed thousands in Darfur; while American deaths in Iraq have already reached 1,328, with 1,044 of them in combat. Even the CNMI was not spared from these adversities, sustaining double blows from Typhoon Tingting and Supertyphoon Chaba, which caused economic losses in the Mariana Islands in June and August respectively.

It would be an incomplete picture, though, if we just focus on the calamities, as we also had our share of small triumphs and private joys this year. Despite the losses in property brought by the typhoons, we still have to be thankful that our families were kept safe. Roofs can be re-thatched, homes can be rebuilt, but loved ones can never be replaced and the fact that we were all still standing in the aftermath of the typhoons was a miracle that we have to be thankful for.

The resiliency of the CNMI also came to the fore, managing to get back on its feet in a few months time, thanks in large part to the help of volunteer groups and the federal agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Office and the U.S. Small Business Administration, who were immediately on the island to assist in the rebuilding and in helping people get back to their feet.

The Saipan Tribune also has a lot to be thankful for, notably for its readers, whose continued patronage is this paper’s raison d’etre. We have always strived to provide the most comprehensive coverage, the most balanced treatment of stories, and the most diverse stories to ensure that you, our readers, are kept up to date on what is happening within and outside the islands. If we have fallen short from time to time, we apologize. These were not intentional and we tried to make amends as soon as we could.

We are also thankful for our loyal advertisers, whose continued and unflagging support for our paper has sustained us through the years. Through good and lean times, they have stood by us; without them, we would not be here. New clients have also boosted support for the paper and to them, I say welcome aboard. I hope that this will be the start of a long, fulfilling, and mutually satisfying relationship.

We are also thankful for our contributors who have helped diversify our regular offerings and have brought fresh perspectives to our lineup. Notable among these are Qamar Schuyler, John Moreno, and their team at the Coastal Resources Management Office and Department of Environmental Quality, whose contributions to our Environment section every Thursday has helped enhance the paper’s environmental agenda, while giving them a venue where they can inform and educate the public of their activities and what can be done to help protect the CNMI’s fragile ecosystem. We are also thankful to Verizon webmaster Franco Mendoza, scientist John Hait, and Hard Rock’s executive chef Kotwal Singh, whose regular contributions have beefed up our local lineup, teaching us not only how to surf the Internet safely but also about physics and how to make our way around the kitchen.

This paper itself has made several changes this year as it continually strives to better itself and provide its readers a newspaper that speaks of their interests and responds to their needs. We have moved back the Opinion pages from six and seven to 10 and 11 to allocate more space to local news, put on the front page section our weekly poll to encourage our readers to make their opinions heard on diverse issues (results are printed every Monday on the same space), brought aboard new contributors such as Ruth Tighe (columnist), Joe Weindl (movie/DVD critic) and Dr. David Khorram (health columnist), and a host of other minor tweaks—all intended to provide readers a more interesting and readable paper.

So, as the year ends, let us all be thankful for the small blessings that we got this year and look forward to the coming year with optimism and belief that, despite the challenges that we will face, we will survive them, to become even stronger, not only for 2005 but also for more years to come. Happy New Year to all!

(Strictly a personal view. John Pangelinan is publisher of Saipan Tribune.)