FLASHBACK November 17, 1999-2003

[B]November 17, 1999

Bank of Guam tapped for educational loans[/B]

CNMI officials have begun talks with Bank of Guam on the possibility of extending government-guaranteed loans to local students who will not be able to receive financial assistance under the scholarship program. They are also studying a proposal to ask the Marianas Public Land Trust to invest some of its money into the education of government scholars in an effort to help defray tuition costs and other expenses.

[B]NMC slams ex-BDC chief [/B]

The former head of the Northern Marianas College Small Business Development Center was accused yesterday of abuse of power and attempting to secure a contract for himself while still head of SBDC in connection with a project being administered by his office. Ramon A. Villagomez, chairman of the Board of Regents, made the allegations in his letter to Jack Peters, former director of NMC-SBDC, whose proposal to close down the center has drawn criticisms from the Legislature and the college.

[B]November 17, 2000

Thousands flee homes due to tsunami threat[/B]

Thousands of residents fled their homes and drove to higher grounds in anticipation of giant tidal waves hitting the islands as CNMI authorities raised late yesterday two tsunami alert in the wake of a powerful earthquake that shook the Pacific Ocean. The warning, issued by the Emergency Management Office based on the report from the Pacific Tsunami Center in Hawaii, triggered confusion after officials lifted the first alert, then reinstated it a few minutes later just as when people were starting to return home.

[B]Pepero-Kiyu to run as independent candidates?[/B]

More than a hundred supporters of Pepero-Kiyu gathered Wednesday night at an undisclosed location on the island, prompting speculation the camp may be plotting a comeback in next year’s gubernatorial election. According to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, the group met with top officials of the campaign committee to discuss the possibility of the two running as independent candidates in the November 2001 polls.

[B]November 17, 2001

Use telephones wisely[/B]

On top of existing cost-cutting measures now being implemented by the CNMI government, Finance Secretary Frankie Villanueva is adding another one: cutting back on the bureaucracy’s communication costs. Communication costs, he said, is one expenditure class that the government can reduce immediately.

[B]Move over Harry, Saipan’s ‘potters’ are here[/B]

Gone were the days when attending classes—like going to work—causes stress. This holds true, at least, to a group of students at the Northern Marianas College who attend one of the institution’s most popular classes: Ceramics. Anne Sablan, 2nd year accounting and business student, said taking up ceramics class is a stress-reliever. “It’s my time-out. I got into here in between classes to relax. I enjoy it very much.”

[B]November 17, 2003

Pagan ash elicits interest[/B]

Northern Islands Mayor Valentin Taisakan is pushing for the immediate termination of an existing commercial mining operator on Pagan amid interests by a Japanese investor to extract the volcano’s high quality ashes. Taisakan, in a Nov. 6, 2003 letter to Gov. Juan N. Babauta, said that the local operator, J.G. Sablan Rock Quarry, Inc., which he said has been violating permit conditions including the non-payment of fees, poses a great concern as the government promotes “tremendous mining opportunities on Pagan” before capable investors.

[B]Brown’s 1992 legal opinion may influence her nomination as AG[/B]

Her own words remain that it might even prevail over her possible stint to head the Attorney General’s Office. When Pamela Brown was Senate legal counsel for the 8th CNMI Legislature, she issued an opinion stating that a gubernatorial appointee or nominee whose confirmation was rejected by the Senate cannot be re-nominated to the position.