Flashback April 03, 2000-2002

[B] April 03, 2000

CDA delinquency rate up 2 percent[/B]

The Commonwealth Development Authority has recorded a two percent increase in delinquency rate, indicating a distressing growth in the number of remiss borrowers during the first three months of the year, Board Chair John S. Tenorio said. The two percent rise in the January-March loan payment delinquency brought to 15 percent the development authority’s overdue collectibles. CDA reported a 13 percent delinquency rate by end-December 1999.

[B]Officials urge NMI residents: ‘Be counted'[/B]

The federal government deployed close to 300 enumerators and field supervisors throughout the Northern Marianas Saturday, marking the start of the CNMI-wide Census 2000 which is being carried out once every 10 years. Census 2000 Area Manager Sohale Samari said celebrity households including those of Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio, Lt. Gov. Jesus R. Sablan, Bishop Thomas Camacho and Saipan Mayor Jose Sablan were the first to be enumerated.

[B]Food for street names[/B]

How would you like the name of the streets where you live remind you of your favorite food on the island? Well, residents of Koblerville may just have to live with that when the federal highway fund is finally given to the CNMI for the street naming project. Some of the approved names are Empanada Lane, Ice Keki Road, Tamales Road, Kelaguen Drive, Bibinka Road, to name a few.

[B]April 03, 2001

Govt chronicles slow but sure growth [/B]

Slight upsurge in the tourism industry and growing business confidence have given the Northern Marianas economy the extra push to reach the $2-billion mark by end-December 2000. A report released by the Tenorio Administration indicated that Business Gross Revenues is likely to soar 1.6 percent, or amount to $2.140 billion, for the end of the year 2000.

[B]Tobacco fund to finance GHLI transfer[/B]

Initial funding capital of $1 million from the Tobacco Master Settlement Fund and health premium will be used to finance operations of the proposed CNMI Health and Life Insurance Trust Fund Program. The proposed legislative measure is in response to earlier recommendations made by the Group Health Life Insurance Program to study possible transfer of GHLI Trust Fund to the purview of the Office of the Governor.

[B]Borja: Lift ban on entry of tourists from China[/B]

The existing ban on the entry of Chinese tourists to the Commonwealth should be lifted to further boost the revenue-generating capability of the islands’ travel industry. Tinian Mayor Francisco Borja urged the Legislature and Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio to establish a procedure acceptable to the Department of Labor and Immigration, in processing entry of Chinese visitors to enhance economic potentials of the CNMI.

[B]April 03, 2002

San Antonio school vandalized[/B]

The staff and faculty of San Antonio Elementary School are spending what’s left of the spring break cleaning up an enormous mess caused by unidentified suspects on majority of the public campus’ classrooms. Tobet Smith, the school’s acting principal, said yesterday they are trying to restore the classrooms and salvage school appliances which were trashed by unknown trespassers over the Holy weekend.

[B]US Marines leave Tinian; Guam’s National Guard to replace them[/B]

The U.S. Marines stationed on Tinian have begun leaving the island, after the conclusion of the recent Millennium Edge military exercises, with the first batch taking off Monday last week and the last batch set to leave on April 8. According to Tinian Rep. Norman S. Palacios, the U.S. Marines begun leaving the island in batches since March 25. “All the soldiers are leaving and I understand that their last day will be on April 8. After that, though, a new batch will be coming in and I think even Guam’s National Guard are also going to come in, about 200 of them,” said Palacios yesterday.