Flashback – June 29, 1999 – 2001

[B][U]June 29, 1999[/U][/B] [B]NMC hosts first doctoral degree program[/B]

The Northern Marianas College and the University of San Diego (USD) has again collaborated to offer local educators the opportunity to pursue post-graduate program. After the first batch of 25 local educators completed their masteral degree program on educational leadership last year, six are currently pursuing a doctoral degree this summer at NMC. According to NMC Provost Roy Fua, together with students from Guam, American Samoa, Palau, Indonesia, Taiwan and Singapore, the six from Saipan are pursuing the final degree with emphasis on leadership.

[B]CNMI braces for oversight hearing in DC[/B]

Northern Marianas leaders yesterday underscored the significance of the oversight hearing scheduled by the U.S. Senate Energy and Resources Committee late next month on local immigration policy, saying this may be an opportunity to present recent reforms undertaken on the island. While the CNMI government has yet to prepare for the July 27 hearing, legislators believe only a small delegation headed by Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio will likely travel to Washington D.C. This will be the second hearing in one and half year on the Commonwealth’s labor and immigration standards following the inquiry conducted by the same Senate committee in March last year to address the proposed federal takeover bill then pending in the Congress.

[B][U]June 29, 2000[/U][/B] [B]Kumoi: Ban oil tankers during daytime[/B]

The government may ban oil tankers from plying the islands’ streets during daytime for safety reasons if a proposed bill sponsored by Sen. Ramon S. Guerrero becomes a law. The proposal, pending with the upper house, seeks to schedule delivery of fuel to gas service stations only at nighttime in an effort to prevent potential deadly accidents on the road. Noting that some pumping stations are located near schools, Mr. Guerrero said an accident with more casualties could happen when tankers deliver fuel in the daytime. “I have introduced the bill for safety reasons so that we could keep [delivery] away from schools when children are around,” he told in an interview yesterday. “The delivery should only be done at night.”

[B]CPA wants free hand on investing bond proceeds[/B]

The Commonwealth Ports Authority has sounded the alarm on proposed legislation that seeks to regulate trust companies in the Northern Marianas, pointing out provisions in the draft measure that may run in contrast to government efforts at luring more investors into the CNMI. Executive Director Carlos H. Salas said CPA was specifically concerned on the possible impacts of the proposed measure to the agency’s ability to freely choose finance companies or banking institutions, to where its bond proceeds will be invested. Existing local laws allow CPA, an autonomous government corporation, to issue revenue bonds in order to finance various airport and seaport infrastructure projects throughout the Northern Marianas.

[B][U]June 29, 2001[/U][/B] [B]DPH mulls high-tech AIDS center[/B]

The Department of Public Health yesterday said it is putting up a technologically-updated health center that will attend to the needs of HIV patients. The “HIV-AIDS Treatment and Support Center” will be the CNMI’s premiere health center, which will respond to the medical needs of people with HIV or AIDS, said David B. Rosario, DPH public health adviser. In an interview, Rosario said DPH is working out the release of some $150,000 to start the project. Half of the amount, he said, will be used to finance the renovation of a building that the government has donated for the AIDS treatment center. The remaining funds will be allotted for its manpower services.

[B]NMI student joins US research program[/B]

A young Saipan resident was accepted to participate in the Summer Research with the National Institute on Drug Abuse Program at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Bradley Matsumoto, salutatorian of the 1999 Mount Carmel High School batch of graduates, was picked from a handful of the nation’s brightest applicants with desire to take part in the exclusive 10-month summer program. NIDA was designed to introduce high school and undergraduate underrepresented minority students to drug abuse research with some of the nation’s most distinguished scientists.