Community Briefs – January 28, 2015

2 Saipan beaches red-flagged
The Division of Environmental Quality has red-flagged the Hidden Beach and the Old Man by the Sea on Saipan and is advising the public not to fish or swim within 300 feet of these locations for the next 48 hours or until otherwise notified. Samples collected from these locations contained excessive concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria (enterococci) that exceeded the CNMI Marine Water Quality Standards. These bacteria can indicate the presence of human and animal waste in the water. For more information, contact DEQ at 664-8500. (DEQ)

Free OSHA workshop today
Rick C. Foster of the Compliance Office, Honolulu Area Office, will present a free workshop today, Jan. 28, 2015, on severe injuries and new record-keeping reporting requirements effective Jan. 1, 2015, for workplaces under federal OSHA; the importance of having a safety and health plan in place; and federal OSHA jurisdiction in the Pacific. The workshop will be held at WIA Building No. 1215, Capitol Hill from 9am to 12pm. (PR)

High surf advisory cancelled
The National Weather Service in Tiyan, Guam, cancelled the high surf advisory for the region. According to the CNMI Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the north-northeast swell has subsided so that surf has fallen below hazardous levels and thus the high surf advisory has been cancelled. (PR)

Kagman High sets sessions with parents
Kagman High School will be having four sessions for parents in the Kagman, Capital Hill, and San Vicente areas and four sessions for parents in Tanapag, San Roque, and As Matius areas. The dates are as follows:
• KHS Café: Feb. 7, March 7, and April 14
• Tanapag Head Start Center: Jan. 31, Feb. 21, March 21, and April 18
Finale will be May 2 and it will be a carnival theme with entertainment by our very own KHS students. Parents that come with their child will receive three raffle tickets for the drawing at the end of the school year and 10 tickets for use at the carnival. Students will receive a raffle ticket for the school drawing and 10 tickets for the carnival. (KHS)

OVR counselors to hold outreach in Susupe
Office of Vocational Rehabilitation counselors will be conducting an outreach session at the House of Manhoben, located behind the cemetery next to Susupe Chapel on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015, from 9am to 11am. An applicant is eligible for vocational rehabilitation services if the individual: 1) has a disability; 2) has a physical or mental impairment which for that individual constitutes or results in a substantial impediment to employment; and can benefit in terms of an employment outcome from vocational rehabilitation services; 3) requires vocational rehabilitation services to prepare for, secure, or retain employment; and 4) has legal status to allow employment in the CNMI or United States. (OVR)

Private schools invited to membership meeting
The Commonwealth Coalition of Private Schools is inviting all private schools in the CNMI to attend an open membership meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 4, at 3:30pm at Mount Carmel School’s faculty lounge. The purpose of the meeting will be to allow current and prospective members of the coalition to submit required items for membership, as well as to move forward with several initiatives. 

Private schools on Rota and Tinian may also participate in the CCOPS meeting via Google Hangouts. For more information, contact CCOPS president Galvin Deleon Guerrero at galvin.deleonguerrero@gmail.com. (CCOPS)

Air Force training at Warning Area 517
ASAN, Guam—The U.S. Air Force will conduct training at Warning Area 517 from 2am to 2pm and 8pm to 11:59pm on Jan. 29. The general public—especially fishermen, commercial pilots, and marine tour operators—are advised to stay clear of the area during the times and date indicated. W-517 is an irregular shaped polygon comprised of 14,000 nautical square miles of airspace that begins south of Guam and extends south-southwest in international waters. This will affect fishing in the vicinity of Santa Rosa Reef and Galvez Bank. (PR)

SHRM to hold first 2015 meeting Thursday
The Society for Human Resource Management CNMI Chapter will host Lt. Gov. Ralph DLG Torres as its special guest speaker at the group’s first general membership meeting of 2015, this Thursday, Jan. 29, at Charley’s Cabaret of Pacific Islands Club. The program will include the installation ceremony for the 2015 board.

This meeting will be held from 11:30am to 1:30pm and will include lunch at a cost of $20 for SHRM members and $30 for non-members. Seats are limited and can be reserved by contacting Micah Parico-Acuavera by phone at 234-1795 or by e-mail at corpoffice@triplejsaipan.com or by e-mail to Frank Gibson at flgibson@yahoo.com. (SHRM)

NMPASI closed on Jan. 30
The Northern Marianas Protection & Advocacy Systems, Inc. would like to let the public know that our office will be closed on Jan. 30, 2015, from 8am to 5pm, for Staff Development. Business will resume on Feb. 2, 2015. (PR)

NMDC membership meeting set
The Northern Marianas Descent Corp., a chartered non-profit, will hold a general membership meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015, starting at 6pm, at the Carolinian Utt in Garapan. The agenda includes developing and adopting the 2015 Community Action Plan; membership recruitment; election of officers & standing committees; and updating the NMD amicus curiae filed with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. (PR)

Free training on effective parenting
Brilliant Star School will be offering a “Parent Effectiveness Training” at no charge to anyone in the community interested in attending. The training will be held on Feb. 4 from 6:30pm to 8pm at the Brilliant Star School located on Navy Hill. The talk is appropriate for parents of all age children. The presenter, Ganasini Iris, holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from State University of New York and a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Oregon. For more information contact Brilliant Star School at (670) 323-STAR (7827). (PR)