COMMUNITY BRIEFS

SMILING COVE MARINA TO BE CLOSED TUESDAY

The Department of Lands and Natural Resources is informing tenants, boaters and visitors of the Smiling Cove Marina that due to security reasons for the planned visit of the Emperor of Japan, the Smiling Cove Marina will be closed from 12:01am to 1am on Tuesday, June 28, 2005. With this, any access within the Smiling Cove Marina will be restricted. For more information, contact the Marina Manager/Officer at 285-7261 or 285-7266 or contact the Smiling Cove Marina Office at 664-6070/1.

VISMINDA’S RAFFLE DRAW POSTPONED

The coronation and raffle draw of the Visayas Mindanao Association’s “Mrs. VISMINDA 2005” has been postponed to July 2, 2005

“We decided to postpone the coronation night and raffle draw to make the event more memorable, colorful, appealing, and full of entertainment for our patrons, sponsors and the public who will attending our gala night,” the group said in a statement. “We are inviting you to come and join the fun with us.”

The coronation night’s entrance/dinner tickets shall be available soon. Contact any Visminda officers for details at (670) 322-0691 or (670)234-6529 [available after office hours].

ARMY ENLISTMENT TEST ON SATURDAY

An official from the U.S. Army Recruiting Station in Guam will be on Saipan on June 22-25 to test young men and women for service in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve.

SFC Albert Abadam will be available to answer any questions people may have about joining the U.S. Army, including incentives like money for college, skill training, guaranteed pay and entitlement, travel, adventure, medical and dental care, 20-year retirement and much more.

Ages to qualify for Army active duty is from 17 to 34; for the Army Reserve, 17-39.

The test will be administered on Saturday, June 25, 2005 at the U.S. Army Reserve Center, Puerto Rico. Showtimes are 8:30am and 1:30pm.

Abadam will be staying at the Pacific Islands Club (234-7976).

Prior to their visit to Saipan, the recruiters may be contacted at the U.S. Army Recruiting Station in Guam. Call (671) 477-7666, (671) 477-7330; cell phone (671) 687-3660, (671) 687-3540; or call the U.S. Army Reserve Center to reserve a test seat at 322-6680.

NMHC BOARD MEETING RESET

The Northern Marianas Housing Corporation’s board of directors, through its vice chair, is giving notice that the board’s regular meeting, which recessed on June 6, 2005, and is scheduled to reconvene on June 22, 2005, is postponed until June 28, 2005. The meeting will start at 10am at the NMHC Conference Room in Garapan, Saipan. The public is welcome to submit written or oral comments regarding the agenda. Individuals interested in attending the meeting and needing special accommodations are requested to contact NMHC in advance.

AUDITIONS FOR ECOARTS FEST DRAMA

Youth preparing to enter grades 6 through 12 are invited to audition for a drama to be performed on July 30, 2005, as part of the Eco Arts Festival.

Rehearsals will be conducted in a workshop format, with presentations and activities that focus on ecological issues, props and set design, costuming, interpretive movement, stage make-up, and more.

To audition, go to Marianas High School, Building D, Room 101 (Drama Studio), tomorrow, June 24, from 3:30pm to 5pm, or Saturday, June 25, from 1pm to 3pm.

“Come prepared to share something you think is an important environmental concern on our island,” said a statement by the Friends of the Arts.

For more information, contact Friends of the Arts president Melody Actouka at 235-1320 or 234-5498 x 1734 or at melodya@nmcnet.edu.

ARTWORK NEEDED FOR SUMMER EXHIBIT

The Commonwealth Council for the Art and Culture will be holding an exhibit of artwork from July 1 through July 31, 2005. The exhibit is an interim for summer and before the opening of the annual Cultural Heritage Month Exhibit and activities, in order to provide artist with a space to feature their artwork that is for sale.

The exhibit is being planned and coordinated by the WIA-CCAC summer staff.

All form of visual and folk (traditional) artwork will be accepted. Work must be created by an artist residing in the CNMI. Interested artists should deliver their artwork to the Art Council office, located next to the Capitol Hill Post Office, by 4:30pm Monday, June 27.

There is no charge for entering artworks into the exhibit and there is no charge or commission for pieces sold in the exhibit.

For more information, contact Eliza Matagolai at the Art Council at 322-9982.