Community Briefs – May 18, 2017

Family Fun Night at Hopwood
Hopwood Middle School will be having a Family Fun Night Program on Friday, May 19, 2017, from 5pm to 9pm Please invite your families and friends to come on Friday! There will be raffle tickets and lots of prizes. Performers include the HDMP Band, Simiyan Marianas, Re-Up, and Saipan Music and Dance Studio. Entrance is free. There will be free games and several food vendors. (PR)

USA Fanther damages IT&E cable
On Monday, USA Fanther damaged several pairs of fiber optic cable in Garapan. USA Fanther is being subcontracted by Best Sunshine International and is performing digging activities without adequate clearance, affecting landline and DSL customers from T Galleria to I Love Saipan. IT&E has isolated the issue and would like to apologize for the temporary outage caused by USA Fanther this week. The public and all contractors are reminded that they are required to contact IT&E seven days before any digging activity so that IT&E cables can be properly marked to prevent these outages and inconveniences to our customers. Affected customers are being asked to inform CallCenterLeads@itehq.net. (IT&E)

Navy to hold underwater training in Outer Apra Harbor
ASAN, Guam—The Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5 will conduct underwater detonation training in Outer Apra Harbor today, May 18, from 8am to 4pm. For the safety of the public and participants involved, the Coast Guard will establish a safety zone to restrict access in the vicinity.

As part of the training, EODMU 5 will detonate a total of 5 lbs of explosives beneath the water’s surface on a sandy bottom.

EODMU 5 performs underwater detonation training to develop the skills needed to be ready to rapidly respond to operational missions and unexploded ordnance support in Guam and the CNMI.

The Navy conducted a multi-year environmental analysis, following which the National Marine Fisheries Service, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act, granted the Navy authorization to conduct underwater detonation training. The Navy is a committed environmental steward and employs protective measures to safeguard marine resources.

For the safety of personnel and marine life, the area will be visually cleared by divers and by lookouts on the surface before, during and after the exercise. All activity will cease temporarily if a person or marine life is seen in the area. (PR)

BBQ cookoff at Taste of the Marianas on Saturday
The 19th Annual Taste of the Marianas International Food Festival & Beer Garden will be held Saturday in May at the Garapan Fishing Base from 6pm to 10pm. Registration is open for the first 10 participants in the BBQ Pork Ribs Cookoff co-sponsored by Twins and Hannam supermarkets, with hundreds of dollars in cash, shopping gift certificates, and Taste tokens for the top three winners. This Saturday’s entertainment includes the Out of the Ordinary Band, CAB Dancers, Alana’ai, Saipan Music & Dance Studio, UBSES, and Da Kine. Cookoff registration forms and rules are available at www.mymarianas.com, and the last day to register is May 19. (MVA)

NMC 37th Commencement Exercise will stream live online
Families and friends who are not able to attend the Northern Marianas College’s 37th Commencement Exercise in person on May 20, 2017, at the Koblerville Gymnasium can watch the event live online. The graduation ceremony will be streamed live at the following website: http://www.marianas.edu/graduation2017/. The live stream will begin at approximately 4pm (Local CNMI Time) on Saturday May 20, 2017, and will end at about 6pm. (NMC)

Learn basic Chamorro
Are you interested in learning the basics of Chamorro? Or do you speak Chamorro or understand Chamorro, and just want to practice your Chamorro language skills? The CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Family Literacy Program offers a free Beginner’s Chamorro Literacy Class at the Joeten-Kiyu Public Library this summer! Read and borrow books translated into Chamorro from the Motheread/Fatheread curriculum. Classes are held every Thursday from May to July. This is an eight-week class that meets every Thursday starting May 18, 2017, from 5pm to 6pm. Class schedule: May 18, 25, and June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29. Completion class on July 1(1pm to 2pm). Call 235-7319/783-7678 or email at cnmimotheread@gmail.com and sign up today. (PR)

Notice to Prior Service Trust Fund beneficiaries
This notice applies to the Prior Service Trust Fund beneficiaries who are having their monthly benefit checks directly deposited to their account at Bank of Guam. Effective June 1, 2017, Bank of Guam will no longer perform this service for you. In the interim, until PSTF can establish an automatic deposit clearing, PSTF will be mailing your benefit check to your mailing address on file. Contact the PSTF Administration Office at telephone number 322-9753 to confirm your current mailing address by June 1, 2017. The PSTF office is open on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8am to noon and from 1pm to 5pm. (PR)

VA benefits counselor visiting Saipan
The U.S. Department of Veterans benefits administration will be visiting Saipan. A VA benefits counselor will be at the Saipan VA Outreach Clinic on May 24, 2017, from 9:30am to 3:30pm to answer benefits questions, and assist with the claim process. The Saipan VA Outreach Clinic is located at the MH II Bldg., Suite 206, Marina Heights Business Park in Garapan. To request an appointment, contact Ruth Coleman at 322-0035. (PR)

Register for Chamber’s Corporate Challenge
The Saipan Chamber of Commerce is still accepting team registrations for the 17th annual Corporate Challenge on Sunday, May 28, 2017. The event will be held at Minatchom Atdao. Registrations are due this Friday, May 19, 2017 at 5pm. Submit completed team player listing. Competing this year are Imperial Pacific, Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan, Hyatt Regency Saipan, Delta Management, The Shack, Pacific Trading Co., Marianas Pacific Distributors, IT&E, and Kanoa Resort. To register now, or for more information, call 234-7150 or e-mail administrator@saipanchamber.com for more information or visit www.saipanchamber.com. (PR)

Call for historical papers
The Northern Marianas Humanities Council, University of Guam, Northern Marianas College, and Guampedia are calling for papers for the 3rd Marianas History Conference. The conference will be held on Saipan on Sept. 1-3, 2017, at a venue to be announced later. The deadline for abstracts is April 28, 2017. Conference presenters will be allotted 20 minutes to present. For more information about the conference, contact council staff at 235-4785 or visit the council’s website at: www.northernmarianashumanities.org. (PR)

Child seat checkpoints on Saipan
The Department of Public Safety’s Highway Patrol will be conducting occupant protection and child restraint on May 24, 27, and 30.

On May 24, Wednesday, the first checkpoint will be from Beach Road, Garapan to Beach Road, Chalan Kanoa from 7am to 9am.

The second checkpoint will be from Chalan Pale Arnold, Puerto Rico to Chalan Pale Arnold, Chalan Laulau from 10am to 12pm.

On May 27, Saturday, the first checkpoint will be from Beach Road, Garapan to Beach Road, Susupe from 5pm to 7pm.

The second checkpoint will be from Chalan Pale Arnold, Garapan to Chalan Pale Arnold, Chalan Laulau from 8pm to 10pm.

On May 30, the first checkpoint will be from Beach Road, Chalan Laulau to Beach Road, San Antonio from 9am to 11am.

The second checkpoint will be from Chalan Monsignor Guerrero, San Jose to Chalan Monsignor Guerrero, Dandan from 12pm to 2pm.

In addition, police will be conducting laser speed enforcement along various highways. (PR)

DPS Rota to conduct seatbelt, child seat checkpoints
The Department of Public Safety’s Rota Highway Patrol Section will be conducting seatbelt/child seat restraint checkpoints.

On Monday, May 22, the first setup is from 6am to 7:15am at the road by San Isidro Church. The second setup is from 6pm to 7:15pm, San Francisco highway by the Pinatang Park.

On Wednesday, May 24, the first setup is from 6am to 7:15am by the San Francisco Highway at the Sinapalo 3 Park. The second setup from 6pm to 7:15pm will be at the San Francisco highway Uyulan area.

On Thursday, May 26, the first setup is from 6am to 7:15am, San Francisco highway Igua area. The second setup is from 6pm to 7:15pm, San Francisco highway Guata area.

On May 29, 2017, the first setup is from 6am to 7:15am at the San Francisco highway Tatgua area. The second setup is from 6pm to 7:15pm, along the San Francisco highway Tatachog area.

On June 2, the first setup is from 6am to 7:15am at the San Francisco highway Tatachog area. The second setup from 6pm to 7:15pm is at the San Francisco highway Sonton area.

On June 3, the first setup is from 6am to 7:15am along the San Francisco highway Lotgan area. The second setup from 6pm to 7:15pm will be along the San Francisco highway by Teteto beach.

In addition, traffic and patrol officers will be conducting highway criminal interdictions, saturation patrols, aggressive driver interdictions, and laser (speed detection) enforcement. (PR)