Flashback April 21, 2000-2004

[B]April 21, 2000

Hopwood woes still unresolved[/B]

The mediation board of the Public School System has failed to resolve the controversy hounding the island’s lone government-run junior high school during a meeting earlier this week with the complaining teachers and Principal Lourdes Mendiola. The failure by the mediation board to address the unrest among Hopwood Junior High School teachers and administration officials forces the need for Board of Education members to convene to discuss ways to settle the dispute.

[B]CUC braces for re-bidding of power project[/B]

At least the three top bidders on Saipan’s new power plant will have the chance to bag the contract to build and operate the much delayed project under a plan to be presented to the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation board next week. Members of CUC’s policy-making body have tentatively set its meeting on April 27, the first after Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio signed Public Law 12-1 which reinstated the original plan to install a plant with a capacity of up to 80 megawatts.

[B]AGO asked to review rule on OT, comptime[/B]

The NMI Retirement Fund has asked the Attorney General’s Office to issue a legal opinion whether overtime and compensatory time can be factored in when computing a member’s length of credited service for retirement. NMIRF Administrator Juan S. Torres has expressed concern on the continued practice which he said may have “catastrophic financial impact” on the Fund if not immediately resolved.

[B]April 21, 2003

Company warned on compliance[/B]

Four pending renewal applications face a tough review at the Department of Labor and Immigration following findings that the applicants’ employer has been in violation of the local preference law. DOLI hearing officer Jerry Cody said in a recent administrative order that Widwest Trading Corp. has not been employing full-time resident workers since May 2002.

[B]Wright not yet president-on college’s website[/B]

Apparently, Northern Marianas College president Dr. Kenneth E. Wright has yet to be introduced to the college’s website. Eight months after Wright assumed office as the college’s new president, the institution’s website has yet to be updated to reflect this change. In fact, it was only recently that the website removed the name of former NMC president Joaquin Sablan as president.

[B]Suspected SARS case in NMI[/B]

A ranking government official has confirmed that the Department of Public Health has quarantined a person suspected to be afflicted with the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The highly reliable source, who wanted anonymity, said the department learned about the case “a few days ago.” An earlier unconfirmed report said that the suspected person recently arrived from Thailand, which has recorded two SARS deaths and seven probable SARS cases.

[B]April 21, 2004

One-two punch at the pump[/B]

Shell gas stations on Saipan increased their prices by 5 cents a gallon after midnight today, two days after their sole competitor in the CNMI-Mobil-increased pump prices at the same rate. As this developed, House Rep. Ray Yumul said he is looking at possibly introducing a measure that would cap gas prices in the CNMI. He said he would also consider reintroducing a divorcement measure that would prohibit gas suppliers from engaging in retail.

[B]Airline says high fuel prices to eventually impact its air fares[/B]

The steady increase in the price of crude oil in the world market has started to exact a toll on the operations of the region’s main air carrier and could ultimately have an impact on its fare structure. Continental Micronesia is keeping mum on whether the recent spate of fuel price increases would amount to an increase in its airfares any time soon.