FLASHBACK – December 8, 2011

Dec. 8, 1999

Students say NMC should conduct PR blitz

What could be a better way to market the Northern Marianas College but to utilize its own radio station KRNM to advertise its programs and activities. An advertising proposal conducted by eight students enrolled in Fundamentals of Advertising Class under Prof. Rik Villegas has recommended that the College maximize the full potential of the radio station to inform the public about the various projects carried out by NMC. It was the first marketing plan ever made by students of NMC in 18 years. The students made the presentation to NMC officials at the Pacific Islands Club recently.

Micronesia urged to develop cruise tourism

An official of the Pacific Asia Travel Association has urged tourism officials in the Northern Marianas and other Micronesian islands to develop cruise tourism, considered as one of the biggest growth areas in the travel industry. According to Sharon Hannaford, PATA managing director in the Pacific, officials in various Micronesian islands should begin developing their port facilities so that they can sell their destinations to various cruise companies. Ms. Hannaford said this market will ensure the arrival of high quality of tourists on a regular basis which would have low impact on the destination. Enticing the cruise vessels would also resolve problems of constructing big hotels to accommodate guests.

Dec. 8, 2000

PSS seeks 20 pct. differential

Marianas High School administrators are pressing the State Board of Education to provide principals and vice principals 20 percent salary differentials that they believe they are entitled to as school officials tasked with administering over 1,800 students. MHS Principal James Denight, in a letter addressed to the BOE Fiscal and Personnel Committee, has proposed that the Public School System consider giving out one-time differentials each year for administrators specifically in campuses handling over a thousand students such as MHS and Hopwood Junior High School.

Use of MPLT funds to pay landowners opposed

The Marianas Public Land Trust has opposed a legislative initiative filed in the House of Representatives that will seek to tap its own funds to pay landowners who gave up their properties to the government for public use. MPLT trustees said the measure would take away their authority to manage investments of the agency in order to benefit few residents primarily from Saipan. House Legislative Initiative 12-3 will affect the investment policy set forth by the MPLT and curtail the growth of its capital for the next 21 years, they said in their testimony to the House Natural Resources Committee.

Dec. 8, 2002

Draft critical habitat analysis out

The direct cost of designating critical habitats on Guam and Rota for several protected species over a 10-year period would amount to less than half-a-million dollars. This was learned in a draft U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report released Friday, which outlined an economic analysis of the potential impacts of designating critical habitats for the Mariana fruit bat, Guam Micronesian kingfisher, and Mariana crow on Guam and for the Mariana crow on Rota. The report indicates that in 10 years, direct costs that would be attributable to critical habitat on the two islands would be relatively minor at a total of less than $555,000. Indirect costs, which are described as uncertain, were not quantified.

Illegal remittance operations cost govt thousands in dollars

The CNMI Department of Commerce is now looking deep into the remittance sector, baffled by the absence of money transfer companies to Korea despite the existing market in the Commonwealth for such a service. Commerce officials have, in fact, inquired about an advertisement about a remittance service to Korea that reportedly appeared in a Korean newspaper that circulates locally. Officials from the Commerce disclosed that they have already interrogated the company that placed the Korean language-printed advertisement in the paper. The Saipan Tribune was told of the name of the Korean company, which is a household name on Saipan, but decided to withhold its identity on ground that it has reportedly started applying for a license to offer remittance services.