Flashback November 17, 1999-2002

[B]November 17, 1999[/B] [B]NMC slams ex-BDC chief[/B]

The former head of the Northern Marianas College Small Business Development Center was accused yesterday of abuse of power and attempting to secure a contract for himself while still head of SBDC in connection with a project being administered by his office.

Ramon A. Villagomez, chairman of the Board of Regents, made the allegations in his letter to Jack Peters, former director of NMC-SBDC, whose proposal to close down the center has drawn criticisms from the Legislature and the college.

The plan to scrap the center was only made public after Senate Majority Floor Leader Peter Reyes said he would investigate into the recommendation he described as highly “suspicious.” Peters has proposed the closure of SBDC months after he left office to head the Pacific Islands Small Development Network at the University of Guam.

[B]November 17, 2000[/B] [B]Thousands flee homes due to tsunami threat[/B]

Thousands of residents fled their homes and drove to higher grounds in anticipation of giant tidal waves hitting the islands as CNMI authorities raised late yesterday two tsunami alert in the wake of a powerful earthquake that shook the Pacific Ocean.

The warning, issued by the Emergency Management Office based on the report from the Pacific Tsunami Center in Hawaii, triggered confusion after officials lifted the first alert, then reinstated it a few minutes later just as when people were starting to return home.

But the Northern Marianas finally was cleared of the danger at about 8:15 p.m. last night. The warning was the first in five years since EMO last issued similar emergency in 1995.

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio, who personally went to the EMO in Capitol Hill to monitor the situation, expressed relief for the cancellation, but said the government may get criticized for the emergency.

[B]Pepero-Kiyu to run as independent candidates?[/B]

More than a hundred supporters of Pepero-Kiyu gathered Wednesday night at an undisclosed location on the island, prompting speculation the camp may be plotting a comeback in next year’s gubernatorial election.

According to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, the group met with top officials of the campaign committee to discuss the possibility of the two running as independent candidates in the November 2001 polls.

Lt. Gov. Jesus R. Sablan is in Japan, while Senate Vice President Thomas P. Villagomez could not be reached for comment. His office said he had been in a meeting with other senators to tackle the budget the entire day.

[B]November 17, 2002[/B] [B]Use telephones wisely[/B]

On top of existing cost-cutting measures now being implemented by the CNMI government, Finance Secretary Frankie Villanueva is adding another one: cutting back on the bureaucracy’s communication costs.

Communication costs, he said, is one expenditure class that the government can reduce immediately.

In line with this, Villanueva has directed all departments and activity heads to make the necessary changes in their communication infrastructure and systems.

[B]Move over Harry, Saipan’s ‘potters’ are here[/B]

Gone were the days when attending classes-like going to work-causes stress. This holds true, at least, to a group of students at the Northern Marianas College who attend one of the institution’s most popular classes: Ceramics.

Anne Sablan, 2nd year accounting and business student, said taking up ceramics class is a stress-reliever. “It’s my time-out. I got into here in between classes to relax. I enjoy it very much.”

At NMC’s F6 Building, which serves as the campus ceramics studio, students can let their hair down-literally-and put on their apron, as well as get their both hands dirty with clay.