COMMUNITY BRIEFS – Aug. 21, 2017

PH consular outreach in September

The Philippine Consulate General in Guam will be holding a mobile outreach on Saipan on Sept. 8 to Sept. 11 at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe. It will accommodate 640 applicants who pre-registered for passport renewal.

If an individual wants to avail of one of the 640 slots available for the outreach program, they must call the office of Philippine honorary consul to the Commonwealth Glicerio Arago at 233-6293. The individual has to set up the renewal appointment with Mel Santos. (Saipan Tribune)

Class of 1987 gears up for 30-year reunion

The Marianas High School Class of 1987 will be having its 30th-year class reunion on Sept. 23. The reunion is open to any CNMI Class of 1987 graduate, regardless of which high school they graduated from. A Mass in honor of departed classmates will be held at the San Antonio Church on Sept. 23, 2017, at 4pm. The reunion will follow immediately after the Mass, from 5:30pm to 10pm, at the Surf Club (beach side) in Chalan Kanoa, the former Pacific Gardenia Sunset Bar and Grill. To purchase a reunion ticket or to get more information, send an email to cnmiclassof87@gmail.com or join the CNMI Class of ’87 Facebook for updates on the reunion event and/or to request for ticket. (PR)

Free cat adoption month

Saipan’s animal welfare group, Saipan Cares for Animals, is hosting a free cat adoption month until the end of August. All cat and kitten adoptions are free until the end of the month on Aug. 31. Call Beth at 285-5448 or visit www.SaipanCaresforAnimals.com to find out more. You can also visit Saipan Cares for Animals on Facebook for directions on how to get there! (CSA)

Notice to all Kagman farm plot permittees

The Department of Land and Natural Resource agents will be conducting scheduled visits as well as permitting inspections to all Kagman farm plots to determine whether permittees are in compliance with the rules and policies. In order to address issues with violations, DLNR has already begun issuing eviction notices to any permittee engaging in the subleasing or transferring of farm plot(s) to a corporation or partner. This includes the use of the plots to cultivate forbidden substances. Call the DLNR-Division of Agriculture if there are any questions or concerns to this notice at 256-3318/19 or 322-9834. (PR)

Saturday Story Time at AMP

Youth of all ages are invited to join the American Memorial Park on Aug. 26, from 2pm to 3pm for story time. During the hour, read Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr. Following the reading, everyone will be invited to make paper cranes, just like Sadako did in the story. The paper cranes will be folded and sent to the Children’s Peace Memorial in Hiroshima Japan. To learn more about this program or other happenings at the park, contact park ranger Brooke Nevitt at 234-7207 or 2020 or email brooke_nevitt@nps.gov. (NPS)

US Navy releases new input dates

The U.S. Navy will accept public comments about the Training and Testing Supplemental Environmental Impact statement for the Mariana Island Training and Testing area until Sept. 15, 2017. Comments must be postmarked or received online by Sept. 15, 2017, for consideration in the development of the Draft Supplemental EIS/OEIS. Comments may be submitted online at www.MITT-EIS.com or mail to: Naval Facilities Engineering Command Pacific Attention: MITT Supplemental EIS/OEIS Project Manager, 258 Makapala Drive, Suite 100 Pearl Harbor, HI 96860-3134. (PR)

VA benefits outreach on Saipan

The U.S. Department of Veterans Benefits Administration will be visiting Saipan on Aug. 31, 2017, and will be conducting a benefits workshop/claims clinic and outreach at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe. The workshop/claims clinic will be from 9:30am to 12:30pm. Veterans will also be meeting one-on-one with the benefit counselor from 12:30pm to 3:30pm. Workshop topics include VA benefits, loan guaranty, vocational rehabilitation & employment, death benefits & education benefits. Counselors will be available to answer questions and assist with the claim process. (PR)