FLASHBACK June 24, 1999-2003

[B]June 24, 1999

Northwest braces for more tourists[/B]

In anticipation of the influx of visitors this summer, Northwest Airlines would be replacing its current DC 10 aircraft to a B747 to accommodate additional number of passengers coming to Saipan. However, in exchange for the increased seat capacity, Northwest Airlines wants the Commonwealth Ports Authority to extend its incentive program until October 2000.

[B]DPL, Rota Resort strike deal on lease extension[/B]

The Division of Public Lands has struck an agreement with the Rota Resort and Country Club regarding its request for a 15-year lease extension, but the deal has to be approved first by the Board of Public Lands and the Legislature. Rep. Manuel A. Tenorio, chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, yesterday expressed hope that it will finally resolve the differences between the two sides to push a plan by lawmakers to grant the extension.

[B]Tinian ‘tent city’ to be shut down[/B]

The “tent city” on Tinian will be closed down soon after the last batch of illegal Chinese immigrants had left the island, but the Northern Marianas will still accept undocumented aliens referred by federal authorities, Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio said yesterday. He also said the island government is currently reviewing the total costs borne by the CNMI when it agreed to host nearly 500 Chinese, who were caught by U.S. Coast Guard attempting to enter Guam, while awaiting Washington’s decision on their fate.

[B]June 24, 2002

MVA reports growth in visitor arrivals in May[/B]

For the first time after the September 11 terrorist attacks, visitor arrivals in the CNMI in May reflected a positive growth compared to the same period last year, even if tourist arrival figures from its number one market-Japan-plunged by as much as 14 percent. A report released by the Marianas Visitors Authority showed a total arrival figure of 38,618 for the month, reflecting a 0.58-percent increase from last year’s 38,394.

[B]Straub threatens to turn down NMI patients-again[/B]

Alarmed over plans to review past unpaid claims, Hawaii-based Straub Medical Center is once more threatening to stop accepting patients from the CNMI if these unpaid claims are not paid in full anytime soon. The Northern Mariana Islands Retirement Fund is shrugging off this threat, however, saying they will only pay these unpaid claims once its third-party administrator, Hawaii Pacific Medical Referral, finishes reviewing the claims for accuracy.

[B]EPA officials visit Saipan[/B]

Top officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 9, led by administrator Wayne Nastri, visited Saipan yesterday and had a quick tour of the different environmental hotspots on the island, which included the Puerto Rico dump and the treatment site of PCB-laced soil in Tanapag. Local officials representing the office of Gov. Juan N. Babauta and the Division of Environmental Quality accompanied Nastri and his delegation in the regional administrator’s first visit to the island.

[B]June 24, 2003

Power disconnection plan backed[/B]

Some legislators are not opposed to cutting off utility services to some government offices if it means keeping the delivery of utility services flowing to the vast majority of paying consumers who need power and water. Senate Public Utilities, Transportation and Communication chairman Diego M. Songao said the government’s failure to pay its utility bills has been a recurring negligence and may be a detriment to the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.’s ability to continue providing power and water services to both public and private agencies.

[B]NMC gets $3.5M for Pacific Gateway[/B]

The Northern Marianas College has received $3.5 million in grant money for its Pacific Gateway project. NMC Board of Regents chairman Vince Seman said yesterday the money came from the Governor’s Office, which signed a corresponding memorandum of agreement with the NMC last Thursday.