Flashback July 22, 1999-2003

[B]July 22, 1999

Charge students for books, buses[/B]

Two members of the Board of Education are pressing the Public School System to consider charging students for bus ride and use of books as a way of raising revenues for the agency. “We cannot continue complaining about this budget crisis. We have to raise our own money by being creative,” board member Anthony Pellegrino said during the BOE meeting Tuesday. Pellegrino noted that several other government agencies are implementing their own fund-raising measures to meet their financial needs.

[B]Another takeover hearing in Sept. 16[/B]

After the scheduled hearing next month by the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Northern Marianas leaders will face its House counterpart for another oversight set in September 16 in Washington D.C. House Resources Committee chair Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) said the forthcoming hearing will tackle enforcement of federal laws and the use of federal funds in the Commonwealth.

[B]Ports authority ready for the millennium bug[/B]

All systems at the airport and seaport are now Y2K compliant except the Security Access Control System, ruling out any possibility of a computer shutdown brought about by the millennium bug. The Commonwealth Ports Authority’s Y2K Task Force made sure that all software, hardware and embedded systems are able to process dates near and beyond Jan. 1, 2000 correctly.

[B]July 22, 2002

“Heinz offered to step down'[/B]

The proposed hike in the user’s fee has become a divisive force in the House of Representatives, with House Speaker Heinz S. Hofschneider reportedly offering to step down as Speaker during Friday’s leadership meeting and with the leadership vigorously opposing the offer. This development came even as about 150 local workers from the different garment manufacturers in Saipan converged in front of the Legislature building to rally against the 1.3 percent user’s fee hike, which they said would lead to massive job layoffs and the potential closure of several factories.

[B]Ralliers descend on Legislature to protest user fee hike[/B]

More than 150 local employees of garment manufacturers on Saipan rallied in front of the Legislature building Friday and called on lawmakers not to pass the proposed 1.3 percent increase on user’s fee. Appealing to lawmakers to protect their families and ensure their continued employment, the ralliers peacefully marched to the Legislature building around 8:30am and met with about five lawmakers, who promised to review the measure thoroughly.

[B]CDA prods 378 delinquent borrowers[/B]

The Commonwealth Development Authority ordered 378 delinquent borrowers to discuss alternative measures that would prevent the agency from foreclosing existing businesses in the Northern Marianas. The CDA Board has laid out a win-win measure for both the government-lending agency and its delinquent borrowers during its recent board meeting.

[B]July 22, 2003

DPH mum on new AIDS cases[/B]

The Department of Public Health has remained silent on the reported two new cases of AIDS this year in the CNMI. Reached repeatedly yesterday for any details on the two cases, as reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, DPH acting secretary Pete Untalan declined to be interviewed citing “a very busy” schedule.

[B]Two A. Samoa customs officers train on Saipan[/B]

The CNMI Pacific Region Detector Dog Training Center began its 10-week K9 Detector Dog Handling training program for two American Samoa custom officials who arrived Sunday last week, it was disclosed yesterday. Customs director John Santos said the two officials-Polo Fruean and Iuliano Falaniko-would be undergoing a two-and-a-half month extensive training that would deal on dog detector handling to help them improve their custom inspection procedures.