FLASHBACK – Dec. 17, 2011

Dec. 17, 2001

CPA empowered to certify firefighters

The National Pro-Board Committee on Accreditation voted to make the Commonwealth Ports Authority a certification agency for fire and emergency personnel. CPA Airport Rescue and Firefighting Chief Stanley Torres Jr. said this would make Saipan a training hub for fire and emergency personnel throughout the region. It gives the CPA the power to certify fire and emergency personnel using the National Fire Protection Association standards beginning December 6, 2001. The ports authority will open the certification program to fire and emergency organizations within the Western Pacific region that may wish to be certified under the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications, Torres said.

Hopwood says no to drugs

The Hopwood Junior High School community believes that acknowledging its existence is the first step that should be taken to effectively solve the campus’ drug problems. Principal David Borja, during Hopwood’s annual Drug Free March Friday, conceded that staging the anti-drug rally is one way of showing the school’s efforts in combating the serious social and health threat especially affecting its young students. “To me, it’s very important that we continue to make a very public and open statement to the community. It is our small of saying that we need to do something about the drug use, and the prevention of family and domestic violence. It’s important that we communicate that we are part of the community and we need their help,” said Borja.

Dec. 17, 2002

Humanitarian spirit shines in NMI

The spirit of humanitarianism reigned on Saipan over the weekend with hundreds of residents-and even tourists-generously donating all the relief items they could spare for the benefit of supertyphoon victims on Rota and Guam. Kind-hearted families and individuals offered foodstuffs, sleeping amenities and other necessities at drop-off booths set up by the House of Representatives and the Legislative Bureau throughout Saipan since Saturday. Volunteer relief workers from the government were awed by the overwhelming response that the special project-dubbed “Saipan Cares”-drew from the community.

NMHC pumps in $30M to economy

The Northern Marianas Housing Corporation has pumped in more than $30 million in to the local economy, even if it failed to meet its target of financing a thousand housing units by the turn of the new millennium. Since its creation in 1994, NMHC Executive Director MaryLou S. Ada said the agency, a subsidiary corporation of the Commonwealth Development Authority, has, so far, financed and built 754 housing units throughout the Northern Marianas. Its most recent project was the 45-unit Tototville in Koblerville, which was completed in 2001, more than one year since construction started in late 1999. The housing project also involved the construction of equally important infrastructure facilities like roads and sewerlines.

Dec. 17, 2003

OPA denies protest on fuel supply contract

The Office of the Public Auditor has denied the appeal filed by Pacific Petroleum Corp., saying it has no standing to protest the decision of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. to award a $72-million fuel supply contract to Mobil Corp. In its 15-page decision released to the media Monday, the OPA cited 12 reasons for turning down Pacific Petroleum’s appeal, including its being not an actual or prospective bidder or offeror and its failure to conform to the requirements of CUC’s request for proposal. The RFP was related to the supply of fuel to CUC’s power plants on Saipan, Tinian and Rota. Pacific Petroleum is the designated CNMI representative of SK Shipping, a Korean firm.

Cohen: Investment confab results won’t be immediate

Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Interior David B. Cohen said Monday that his office is now busy doing follow-up work on investors who had expressed interest during last September’s investment conference in Washington D.C. He conceded, though, that the process-and results-could take some time, as investment decisions have to go through the corporate tier of command. “I know that a number of the presentations were well received, especially on education, and we had a subsequent follow-up in Tokyo, where we attempted to entice Japanese investors to invest in the CNMI,” he said. “But it’s a long process. Investment decisions are not made overnight.”