NEWS BRIEFS – December 14, 2020

CNMI Bar Association donates to Toys for Tots and the NMI Cycling Federation

In past years, the CNMI Bar Association celebrated the holidays with an annual holiday party for its members. In light of everything the CNMI community has gone through this year, the Bar Association elected to forego their annual holiday party and instead use the funds to spread some holiday cheer by gifting a $500 donation each to both Toys for Tots and the NMI Cycling Federation.

The CNMI Bar Association chose Toys for Tots for a donation because all children are the future and even if the celebration of the holidays is a little different this year, one of the most important gifts is kindness and support to those in need. The CNMI Bar Association also chose the NMI Cycling Federation for a donation to help raise health awareness of the benefits of physical activity and encourage the Marianas to keep moving. (PR)

Free training for improving communication with those with dementia 

Caregivers of the elderly are invited to a free virtual training session on tips and strategies for improving communication with the elderly, in particular those with dementia.  

The Guam/Micronesia Geriatrics Workforce En-hancement Program at the University of Guam’s School of Health will host the session from 6pm to 7:30pm today, Dec. 14, on Zoom. 

Clare Camacho, a certified speech-language pathologist, will present on important communication aspects when caring for those with dementia, including communication aides, tips for speaking, and the effects of such tactics.   

The session is free and open to the public in Guam and all of Micronesia. Register at https://bit.ly/SP121420. (PR)

SESAP Q1 meeting tomorrow

The Public School System State Board of Education, through its Special Education State Advisory Panel, will hold its first quarter meeting tomorrow, Dec. 15, 2020, from 1pm to 3pm at the Board of Education conference room, Capital Hill, Saipan and via videoconferencing. This meeting is open to the public, interested individuals are welcome.

In compliance with the American Disabilities Act, individuals who wish to attend this meeting, but require accessibility such as large print or sign language interpreters must call 237-3029/3012. (PR)

Join the 2020 Christmas Bird Count

Did you know the CNMI is home to bird species found nowhere else in the world? Are you interested in practicing your bird identification skills and meeting other Saipan birders?

On Saturday, Dec. 19, the public is invited to participate in the annual Christmas Bird Count with the Division of Fish and Wildlife. Started in 1900 by the National Audubon Society, the Christmas Bird Count is the world’s longest-running citizen science project. Volunteers for the count will meet at 6am at American Memorial Park to divide into teams for roadside and walking surveys.

Teams will spread out to cover the island, finding and recording as many birds and bird species as possible. Bring binoculars if you have them, but it’s okay if you don’t.
For more information, contact Emilie Kohler, 670-664-6030 or kohler.dfw@gmail.com. (PR)

Scheduled power interruption on Thursday

There will be a scheduled power interruption on Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020, from 9am to 1pm in the Tapochao area to replace a damaged primary power pole along Tapochao Road. No water well or wastewater lift station will be affected.

Because of the scale of work that will be performed, the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. asks travelers to exercise caution when driving through the working area. CUC apologizes in advance for any inconvenience and appreciates the public’s understanding during this scheduled outage. For more information, contact the CUC Hotline at 236-4333 or monitor our Facebook page for the latest updates (https://www.facebook.comlCommonwealthUtilitiesCorporationl). (PR)

Emergency wastewater service interruption and temporary road closure

The Commonwealth Utilities Corp. would like to inform the public that there is currently an emergency wastewater service interruption for customers in the Chalan Kanoa area, from south of Mt. Carmel Cathedral (Chalan Kanoa Dr.) to west of Chalan Kanoa (San Isidro Ave.).

The cause of the emergency wastewater service interruption is due to a sewer line blockage located along Chalan Kanoa, Beach Road (across from Dial Rent-to-Own). CUC Wastewater personnel conducted a daily routine check last Thursday and discovered a deficiency in the wastewater system, prompting operators to inspect the sewerline.

To minimize the deficiency, CUC will be installing a temporary wastewater bypass line on the southbound outer lane on Beach Road, Chalan Kanoa. This lane will be closed during the duration of the bypass line scheduled run time hours. The schedule to operate the bypass line will be performed twice daily from 8:30am to 11:30am, and from 2:30pm to 5:30pm, beginning last Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020, until further notice. However, should heavy rainfall occur, the bypass line would be running more frequently to avoid any sewer overflows.

For the safety of the men and women at the jobsite, motorists are advised to exercise caution or take alternative routes.

For more information, contact the CUC hotline at 236-4333 or monitor our Facebook page for the latest updates (https://www.facebook.com/CommonwealthUtilitiesCorporation/). (PR)