Island Snapshots – March 2018
- WOMEN’S AFFAIRS’ OFFICE – Women and dignitaries cut the ribbon to officially open the new Women’s Affair Office building on Capital Hill yesterday during the Women’s Empowerment Month proclamation signing. The progress made by the women of the CNMI will be commemorated throughout the month of March. (Kimberly A. Bautista)
- NEW TANK Tinian Mayor Joey Patrick San Nicolas is joined by Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan, Sen. Jude Hoffschneider, Commonwealth Utilities Corp. staff headed by Liz Balajadia, and Maeda Pacific Corp. president Thomas J. Nielsen for the ribbon cutting ceremony on Tinian on Tuesday to unveil the 0.5-million-gallon reservoir tan. The prime contractor for this project was Maeda Pacific Corp. (Contributed Photo)
- NEW TANK Tinian Mayor Joey Patrick San Nicolas is joined by Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan, Sen. Jude Hoffschneider, Commonwealth Utilities Corp. staff headed by Liz Balajadia, and Maeda Pacific Corp. president Thomas J. Nielsen for the ribbon cutting ceremony on Tinian on Tuesday to unveil the 0.5-million-gallon reservoir tan. The prime contractor for this project was Maeda Pacific Corp. (Contributed Photo)
- NEW CHARGING STATIONS Docomo Pacific is excited to work with the community and business partners to help people stay connected. This month, Docomo Pacific donated charging stations to the Joeten-Kiyu Public Library and the Fiesta Resort and Spa Saipan. Each charging station is equipped with lighting cable chargers capable of charging any USB device. Being one with the community is part of the foundation of Docomo Pacific, and we plan to reach out to our community partners for more future projects that will help students, families, and visitors. (Contributed Photo)
- NEW CHARGING STATIONS Docomo Pacific is excited to work with the community and business partners to help people stay connected. This month, Docomo Pacific donated charging stations to the Joeten-Kiyu Public Library and the Fiesta Resort and Spa Saipan. Each charging station is equipped with lighting cable chargers capable of charging any USB device. Being one with the community is part of the foundation of Docomo Pacific, and we plan to reach out to our community partners for more future projects that will help students, families, and visitors. (Contributed Photo)
- MATHCOURT KNIGHTS Mount Carmel School congratulates the following MathCourt Knights for their impressive performances in the recent competition: 2nd Grade: Room B106, 3rd place – Julius Sheu, Room B202, 1st place – Layla Palacios, 2nd place – Remiegem Melchor. FOURTH -SIXTH GRADE INDIVIDUAL RESULTS: 4th grade: 4th place – William Matthew Cano, 5th grade, 1st place – Nathaniel Clark, 6th grade, 4th place – Eunkyu Hong. STATE ROUND QUALIFIERS FROM ALL REGULAR MEETS: K-3, Julius Sheu, Layla Palacios, Remiegem Melchor; 4th – 6th, Oscar Bien Buenaflor, Gavril Myles Santiago, William Matthew Can, Nathaniel Clark, Valerie Anne Estella, Eunkyu Hong, and Minki Jung. (Contributed Photo)
- RED CROSS MONTH-Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, partly hidden, listens as American Red Cross-NMI Chapter executive director John Hirsh say a few words after yesterday’s American Red Cross Month proclamation signing. (Erwin Encinares)
- JUDICIAL CONFERENCE-U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Judge M. Margaret McKeown, front row center, pose for a group photo with presenters, judges, justices, and lawyers during the 24th Annual District Conference held at the Kanoa Resort last Saturday. (Ferdie de la Torre)
- TOURNAMENT WINNER As part of is 45th anniversary celebration, MarPac recently awarded 45 six packs of Budweiser and Bud Light beer to Terry Deleon Guerrero, center, the winner of the Most Accurate Drive contest at the recently held 15thAnnual NMC Foundation Golf Tournament. The prize was presented by Tom Basa Jr., MarPac’s consumer sales manager, left, and James Lee, MarPac’s beverage sales and marketing manager, right. (NMC)
- PICKLES BEFRIENDS MARIANAS-CHAN-Japan’s Pickles the Frog is spotted visiting Saipan and Tinian in February 2018. The Japanese character recently befriended Marianas-chan as part of its world traveling excursions. Pickles the Frog was the No. 1-selling plush toy at many pop-up stores at the Tokyo Station Character Street Ichiban Plaza in 2016 and remains popular among young Japanese women and children today. (MVA)
- World traveler Pickles the Frog is seen sporting a mwar (head lei) and a pendant with “Saipan Tinian Rota” after the Marianas Visitors Authority brought Marianas-chan and the Japanese character together in February 2018. The Marianas version of Pickles was also sold at Tokyo Station on Feb. 9-22, 2018, with nearly 40 media outlets in Japan reporting on the story. (MVA)
- Customers at the Tokyo Station line up on Feb. 9, 2018, to purchase the Marianas version and other new products of popular toy Pickles the Frog. (MVA)
- A tag of Marianas-chan and popular character Pickles the Frog was launched in Japan in February 2018. (MVA)
- E-CITATION Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, center, signs House Bill 20-3, SD1 into law, as he is joined by the bill’s author, Rep. Blas Jonathan “BJ” T. Attao, and Public Safety Commissioner Robert A. Guerrero. The bill, now Public Law 20-45, amends and repeals provisions of the Vehicle Code to allow for e-citation implementation. (Contributed Photo)
- WILDLAND FIRE – A member of the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services Strike Team walks toward the area where a wildland fire destroyed vegetation in Wireless Ridge by Mt. Susu yesterday afternoon. As of press time, the fire was still raging. (DFEMS)
- T GALLERIA DONATION Staff and management of T Galleria present a donation of $3,000 to the 37th Annual Flame Tree Arts Festival. T Galleria has been a major sponsor of the event for over 25 years. In photo from left are: Luis Ogo, Commonwealth Council for Arts and Culture program staff; Department of Community and Cultural Affairs Secretary Robert Hunter; Jose Tudela, DFS inventory coordinator; CCAC executive director Parker Yobei; DFS promotions specialist Marie Sablan; CCAC accountant Margaret Muna; DFS finance specialist Suzie Tighe; DFS travel industry marketing manager Kazu Koyama; DFS communications specialist Christina Foo; and DFS talent scheduling specialist Theodora Lizama. (Contributed Photo)
- HANMI SUPPORT STELLAR MARIANAS The Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands donates $1,000 to Stellar Marianas on March 9, 2018, at Fiesta Resort & Spa Sapan. From left are HANMI treasurer Mike Johnson, HANMI board member Nick Nishikawa, Stellar Marianas Laila Younis, HANMI chair Gloria Cavanagh, HANMI counsel Marcia Schultz, HANMI vice chair Wendi Herring, Stellar Marianas treasurer Myla Capilitan, and HANMI secretary Ivan Quichocho. (Contributed Photo)
- TAGAMAN SUPPORTER Marpac Inc. general manager Guy Pudney, third left, and Ambros Inc. marketing manager Jojo Camacho, right, join forces to support the 2018 Tagaman Triathlon, which will be held this Saturday. Joining Camacho and Pudney in the group photo are, from left, Jay Diyco, Triathlon Association of the CNMI director Manny Sitchon, TRAC president Ricky Castro, and TRAC director Jojo Valencia. (Contributed Photo)
- COMPOSTING WORKSHOP NMC’s Cooperative Research Extension & Educational Services recently hosted a Composting Workshop where participants discussed the different types of composting as well as the best ingredients for home-managed compost. For more information about upcoming CREES agriculture workshops contact Solly Takai-Nakamura at sollyann.nakamura@marianas.edu. (NMC)
- TANK-HENGE-This once-a-year phenomenon, known as “Tank-henge” when the setting sun is visible directly in line with two of the World War II Sherman tanks in the Saipan Lagoon, has become a sought-after photography moment. But on Thursday, March 22, 2018, the tanks were decked with tourist flags in preparation for an upcoming triathlon. Is it desecration or is it tourism? Is there a way to respect these historic landmarks, while at the same time promoting tourism? (BILL BEZZANT)
- SENATE RESOLUTION Commonwealth Women’s Association president Rose Ada-Hocog shares a few words as the Senate presents a resolution honoring them and the CNMI Women’s Affairs last Thursday. (Erwin Encinares)
- EDUCATION ACT OF 2017 Gov. Ralph DLG Torres signs House Bill 20-88 into Public Law 20-48 yesterday morning, effectively repealing and re-enacting “The Education of Act of 1988” and witnessed by CNMI Board of Education chair MaryLou S. Ada and vice chair Janice Marie A. Tenorio. Effectively, the new statute will allow for the inclusion of Early Intervention, the concept of the “whole child” and to repeal the laws that are redundant in the Education Act of 1988, among others. (Contributed Photo)
- ABE GRADUATES Graduates of the Adult Basic Education Program at Northern Marianas College on Rota pose for a group photo with Lt. Gov. Victor Hocog, fifth from left, and Rota Mayor Efraim Atalig, fourth from left. This is the second cohort of graduates that completed the Adult Basic Education program since the program was re-introduced one year ago. Also in the photo is Martin Mendiola, NMC Rota center executive director. (NMC)
- MOST POPULAR DESTINATION The Most Popular Island Award is given to Saipan at Guangzhou Daily Star Brand Recommendation anniversary on March 7, 2018, in Guangzhou, China. Ben Liu, marketing manager from the MVA’s China office, third from the right, accepts the award. (MVA)
- The Most Popular Island Award is given to Saipan at the Guangzhou Daily Star Brand Recommendation anniversary on March 7, 2018, in Guangzhou, China. Guangzhou Daily Star is the No. 1 newspaper in southern China. (MVA)