FLASHBACK – June 27, 2011

Task force to expedite data gathering[/B]

The newly-organized education task force directed at improving vocational and occupational programs in schools is in the process of gathering data that would identify areas of weaknesses in the existing educational programs. Statistical information on the number of teachers and students under school programs will aid the Public School System and the Northern Marianas College outline priorities with regard to carrying out reforms, according to House Committee on Education Chair Brigida Ichihara. But the task force, according to the congresswoman, has yet to meet and finalize concrete action plans in attacking the issue. “We need at least an estimate of the necessary figures and then we can work from there,” said Ichihara.

The Senate is expected to vote today on the Omnibus Labor and Business Reform bill that it has extensively revamped following three public hearings and several meetings held with both administration officials and private sector leaders. Senators have scheduled a session this morning where the proposal under HB 12-39 is one of key legislation up for voting on the floor. The Senate Committee on Resources, Economic, Development and Program, chaired by Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes, continued to hammer out a compromise version yesterday with several agreements reached with both parties.

70M gallon reservoir to be built for watershed project[/B]

The second phase of the Kagman Watershed Project took off yesterday with the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the Commonwealth government and the Natural Resource Conservation Service of the US Department of Agriculture. The CNMI government, represented by Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio, signed the agreement with Joan Perry of the USDA-NRCS at the Capitol Hill, and was witnessed by Secretary Joaquin S. Tenorio of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Patrick Calvo, chairman of the Saipan and Northern Islands Soil and Water Conservation District, and project engineer Tim Brasuell. Brasuell said the second phase of the watershed project involves the construction of a water reservoir in the middle of the watershed area that will hold 70 million gallons of water. The reservoir will intercept floodwater in the area and store this water for irrigation use during the dry season. At the same time, it will also act as a desiltation chamber that will prevent silt from being washed away to sea.

The Northern Marianas travel industry has set its eyes on how visitor arrivals from Japan would perform this year, following previous predictions that stabilization of the Japanese tourism market will take place around this time. Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio even went as far as creating a special task force to oversee infrastructure improvements, which were seen essential to lure more foreign travelers into the Northern Marianas. With the current development in the Japanese economy, Tenorio is confident the CNMI travel sector will witness a marginal growth this year, compared to how the industry rallied in the past three years.

NMI emergency system gets $39K[/B]

The emergency and rescue system in the Commonwealth just got a much-needed booster shot in the arm after acting Gov. Diego T. Benavente signed into law two measures that ensures continuous appropriations for the system’s upkeep. Underscoring the urgency of the matter, some $39,000 from the Ambulance Fee Act is now available for the repair, maintenance and upgrade of ambulance and rescue vehicles and the purchase of new equipment and supplies. Benavente signed into law House Bills 13-3 and 13-4 on Tuesday, just before he left for an environmental conference in Palau early yesterday morning.

The Division of Environmental Quality yesterday warned that those caught dumping trash on a non-designated site would be fined at least $200. This, as some Saipan residents reported that garbage is improperly disposed in different places other then the Puerto Rico dump. Acting DEQ director Antonio I. DeLeon Guerrero yesterday said that even policemen can enforce this, since it is illegal to dump garbage in non-designated areas. At present, the only place on Saipan where it is legal to dump garbage is the Puerto Rico dump, Guerrero said.