FLASHBACK – August 29, 2011

FAA poised to take over airport tower equipment[/B]

The Federal Aviation Administration is taking over the control of navigational aids and equipment at the Saipan International Airport tower beginning October in fresh efforts to make the Commonwealth’s air transport facilities at par with other international airports. Ports Authority Executive Director Carlos H. Salas said FAA is actually assuming control in the maintenance of about 78 pieces of equipment at the airport tower, the runway and around the runway safety area. “FAA will take over about 90 percent of maintenance work of most of the equipment beginning October this year. They are also eventually setting up an office on the island to do all the needed repair,” Mr. Salas said.

The CNMI’s Strategic Economic Development Council (SEDC) comprised of private and public representatives met anew last week in what is expected to be an accelerated series of meetings aimed at producing a long-term development plan by the end of this year. Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio, House Speaker Benigno R. Fitial, and Senate Vice President Thomas P. Villagomez joined key executives from local and regional banks, hotels, retailers, and travel agents at the meeting, where the chief executive reaffirmed his commitment to the goals of the Council. Those goals are to develop a strategic economic plan to guide future development in the CNMI through improvement of the quality of life for citizens and cushioning the anticipated loss of local manufacturing.

CUC calls PUTC a failure[/B]

A lawyer of the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation called a house committee a “failure” when it declared a hands-off policy on the Commonwealth Development Authority’s claim involving more than $100 million in CIP funds. “Whereas the House [committee on] PUTC [Public Utilities, Transportation and Communications] failed to resolve the matter, perhaps the intervention of the legislature through the Senate will result in a more proactive effort by our representative,” said CUC counsel Robert T. Torres. A lawsuit was filed by the CDA against the CUC to collect three sets of loans totaling $51.5 million, but which have ballooned to roughly $102 million due to interests. The house committee has maintained its stand to leave the matter to the judiciary.

An inspector of the Department of Labor and Immigration is facing charges of unlawful carrying of a firearm, carrying a firearm while under the influence of alcohol, and disturbing the peace. Marvin Rodney Pangelinan, 29, was brandishing a caliber-223 gun when a responding police officer succeeded in snatching the weapon from the accused. Chief government prosecutor Kevin Lynch said Pangelinan harassed a group of people entering the Arizona Sports Bar. While outside the establishment, Pangelinan allegedly became belligerent, threatening to harm several people.

DOF asked to release $110K for Rota[/B]

The chairman of the Rota Legislative Delegation has instructed the Department of Finance to release some $110,000 for the voucher program that Rota Mayor Benjamin Manglona had established in the wake of the devastation of Typhoon Chata’an. In a letter to Finance Secretary Frankie B. Villanueva, delegation chairman Sen. Ricardo S. Atalig asked for the release of the funds in accordance with the mandate of Public Law 13-21 and Rota Legislative Delegation Resolution 13-8. The $110,000 for the voucher program is part of the $462,322 that the delegation had reprogrammed from previous allocations to fund the rehabilitation of Rota.

Fewer aircraft landed on the Saipan International Airport last month compared to landing statistics recorded in June 2002, a report from the Commonwealth Ports Authority disclosed. Aircraft landing statistics shrunk 9.7 percent in July 2002 from 1,219 airplanes during the month earlier to 1,100. The number of outbound passengers also dropped by 1.8 percent from 45,277 in June 2002 to 44,447 the following month.