Saipan Tribune

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Thursday, January 03, 2013

FLASHBACK - Jan. 3, 2012

Jan. 3, 2001

BOE ponders on AG recommendation

The Attorney General's Office has advised the State Board of Education against validating a decision rendered by several Public School System teachers in connection with the long-winded selection of one BOE Teacher Representative, citing that the number of teachers who turned in their ballots were not representative of the entire PSS faculty. According to PSS Asst. Legal Counsel Heather Kennedy, the legal opinion issued by the AGO was particular on stressing that the board should not honor the results of the teacher representative elections conducted last year.

BoG’s 4Q dividends reach $1.24M

Slowdown in the overall lending activities of the banking industry in the region failed to deter Bank of Guam from posting growth in the fourth quarter of 2000, with dividends paid to shareholders reaching $1.24 million. Payment of common stock dividends of $0.125 per share on more than 9.902 million shares outstanding was authorized by the bank's Board of Directors during its regular meeting on November 27, 2000. The payment of common stock dividends was made possible by the continued strong financial performance of the bank, according to BoG President and Chief Executive Officer Anthony A. Leon Guerrero in a statement.

Jan. 3, 2002

Marpi landfill project moves forward

The Division of Procurement and Supply made a final determination to award the contract for the construction of the Marpi Solid Waste Facility, as the government runs after time to put up an alternative dumpsite before Puerto Rico reaches its maximum capacity. A week after receiving the recommendation of a private evaluator, Procurement and Supply Director Herman S. Sablan decided in favor of the joint venture of Dick Pacific Corporation and Pacific Drilling Ltd. Sablan, in a notification of contract award addressed to the Public Auditor and the consortium's competitor that included the joint venture of Western Equipment Inc. and DRC Pacific Corporation, affirmed the findings of the evaluator that the DPC/PDL was a responsible contractor and, therefore, entitled to local preference.

Stay-limit TF to get new members?

Both legislative representatives to the stay-limit task force expressed support for the appointment of new members to the task force once the incoming Babauta administration assumes office. Sen. Thomas P. Villagomez and House Speaker-designate Heinz S. Hofschneider both said that, if the new administration deems it so, it can appoint new members to the panel. The two lawmakers were appointed to represent the 12th Legislature in the task force. “If it [Babauta administration] feels that putting people of its own choice will be more representative of its stance toward the issue, then it can do so,” said Villagomez.

Jan. 3, 2003

House: Cut govt hours

House lawmakers have drawn up a legislative proposal to reduce government daily work hours from 8 to 7-a plan seen to realize $19.5 million in savings for the government in one year. Money that will be saved from the proposed work-hour reduction will be used to address retirement pension arrears now estimated at a staggering $90.5 million and possibly the tax refund and rebate payments. A draft of the legislative initiative states that reducing government work hours from 80 to 72 is necessary “because payroll and other personnel costs comprise over 70 percent of the total government budget, leaving non-personnel funds at a bare minimum.”

Ex-PSS employee sues Superior Court, NMHC, others

A retired employee of the Public School System who has suffered from brain damage has filed a lawsuit in federal court that not only seeks monetary relief from those she is suing but also seeks to test the legal system in the CNMI. Yonami Kochi, through lawyer Jane Mack of the Micronesian Legal Services Corp., has sued the CNMI Superior Court, Associate Judge Juan T. Lizama, the Northern Marianas Housing Corp., Triple J Saipan, Inc. and lawyer Michael White. In the civil case now with the U.S. District Court, Kochi said the defendants violated her civil rights guaranteed by the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution when Lizama signed an order that imposed a levy on her bank account that held her benefits from the NMI Retirement Fund.