Community Briefs – June 20, 2012

Animal Health Clinic services resume

The CNMI Department of Lands and Natural Resources has resumed its Animal Health Clinic services, which will open twice weekly, to pet owners who want to avail of immunizations for their cats and dogs. Dr. Ignacio T. dela Cruz, DVM was recently retained as the CNMI State Veterinarian. The State Veterinarian is responsible for reviewing and approving permits to import and to export live animals such as livestock, poultry, birds and pets such as dogs and cats into the CNMI. This includes animal products and byproducts, meat, poultry and processed egg products. USDA-APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine rules, laws and regulations, as well as local regulations will be implemented and enforced. Dr. dela Cruz will also conduct national program animal disease testing such as brucellosis and tuberculosis as the need arise. Dr. dela Cruz will also provide meat and poultry inspection services, conduct anti-mortem and post-mortem inspection on suspect animals and animals with pathological lesions or conditions. He will act as a USDA relief inspector whenever needed. For more information on Animal Clinic hours, contact DLNR Division of Agriculture, As Perdido at 234-6169. (DLNR)

Free business workshops

The CNMI Small Business Development Center, in partnership with the Saipan Chamber of Commerce, presents the following free workshops:

* How to start a business: June 22, 2012
How to write a business plan: June 29, 2012
* How to read your financial statements: July 6, 2012
* How to market your business: July 13, 2012

The workshops will be held at the Saipan Chamber of Commerce office on the first floor of the Familia Building in Garapan. All workshops will be from 9am to 11am. Register online at http://pisbdcn.ecenterdirect.com/.Deadline for pre-registration is 12pm, one day before the workshop. For more information contact Linda at 664-3018 or linda@pacificsbdc.com. The Pacific Islands SBDC Network is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Requests for reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. For arrangements, contact Linda, Tel: (670) 664-3018, or email linda@pacificsbdc.com. (PR)

Pew to host screening of ‘Sanctuary: Last Stand for Sharks’

On Friday, June 22, and Saturday, June 23, the Pew Environment Group will host public screenings of Sanctuary: The Last Stand for Sharks, a new documentary that portrays the underwater world of sharks and the global threats they face. This hour-long film, directed and produced by John Weller and Shawn Heinrichs, highlights the important steps needed to protect sharks in Federated States of Micronesia waters and the growing movement in the Pacific to prevent extinction and save these threatened species. The film also portrays the most recent protections and depicts the global threats faced by sharks. Watch the trailer on http://youtu.be/ZIeuIECJbeo. The Friday screening will be held at the Hopwood Junior High School on Saipan at 7pm, while the Saturday screening will be at the American Memorial Park at 7pm. The screenings will be attended by the film’s director, Weller, and Liz Karan and Angelo Villagomez of the Global Shark Conservation Campaign, Pew Environment Group. The Pew Environment Group is the conservation arm of The Pew Charitable Trusts, a nongovernmental organization that works globally to establish pragmatic, science-based policies that protect our oceans, preserve our wildlands, and promote clean energy. For more information, visit www.PewEnvironment.org. (Pew)

MHS Class of 2002 Reunion Dinner

Attention all MHS Class of 2002. A Reunion Dinner Banquet will be held on Saturday, June 23, 2012 from 6pm to 10pm at Pacific Islands Club. Color attire is black, red, or white. Payments received at the door on the day of the event will be $26 per person. RSVP is required For more information, contact Tomokane at 483-0805. (PR)