Flashback July 16, 1999

[B]July 16, 1999

CPA okays extension of incentives to Northwest[/B]

The Commonwealth Ports Authority board yesterday gave a conditional approval to the request of Northwest Airlines to extend its airline incentive program by seven months, hoping the company would bring in more tourists into the Northern Marianas. However, failure to meet the three conditions by January 2000 means that the incentive program would still end on Feb. 29, 2000.

[B]Is he a cause-oriented rebel or a plain criminal?[/B]

“I’m not a bad person. I’m only angry because I’m being treated like an animal. My life is a nightmare,” thus said convicted hostage-taker William C. Sablan, in his attempt to soften the judge’s heart and appeal for a reduced sentence. His lawyer Bruce Berline went on to describe Sablan as a “cause-oriented protester,” who tried to fight for a humane jail condition.

[B]AGO slammed for delay in Koblerville housing project[/B]

The Senate yesterday lashed out at the Attorney General’s Office for allegedly holding up approval on the contract of the Koblerville expansion project that has been awarded to Telesource more than three months ago. A resolution offered by Senate Vice President Thomas P. Villagomez is asking the AGO and the Office of Procurement and Supply to hasten review of the agreement with the Northern Marianas Housing Corporation on the $7 million project.

[B]July 16, 2001

Arrivals slump 7.7 percent[/B]

Tourist arrivals in the Northern Marianas slumped 7.7 percent to 40,663 visitors last month from June 2000’s 44,037, government reports disclosed. Tourism officials explained the number of visitors to the islands was pulled down by the suspension of direct flights between Taiwan and Saipan.

[B]EPA backs call against land crab consumption[/B]

Toxicologists detected the highest levels of PCB in at least three crab samples taken from the village’s Homestead 2 Beach Park site and Lower Base Cemetery area. But a final report prepared by the EPA has labeled these results as low. The experts surveyed 100 Tanapag land crabs for PCB December last year as part of cleanup efforts.

[B]Companies take landfill bidding protest to court[/B]

The joint venture of Western Equipment, Inc. and DRC Pacific, Inc. said yesterday it has filed a separate complaint before the court in connection with the multi-million dollar Marpi Solid Waste Facility. The joint venture last week filed a lawsuit against four government officials, in protest of what it claimed was an unfair bidding process for the Saipan prison contract.

[B]July 16, 2002

Nevada: We don’t want your PCB[/B]

The PCBs extracted from the soil in Tanapag are due to arrive in Nevada today for disposal but Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn is opposing the move and has vowed to block its entry into the Silver State. Although he sympathizes with Guinn, Gov. Juan N. Babauta said he will also oppose any move to bring these PCBs back into the Commonwealth and vowed to personally go down to the Saipan dock to block its return.

[B]”Safeguards in place for use of treated soil as dump cover'[/B]

The Division of Environmental Quality confirmed that it allowed the Department of Public Works to use treated soil from the PCB treatment site in Tanapag as daily cover for the Puerto Rico dumpsite, but the agency clarified it also imposed conditions to protect the Saipan Lagoon from possible contamination. DEQ director John I. Castro Jr. stressed this, even as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released an opinion saying that treated soil is suitable as daily cover for the garbage site.

[B]Carolinian language endangered[/B]

The Carolinian language can now be considered endangered, thus a standardized spelling procedure is necessary to revitalize the use of the local language, the Chamorro/Carolinian Language Policy Commission said. Commission Executive Director Tony Mareham explained that the complete implementation of the Standard Carolinian Language Orthography will set the proper procedure on spelling that would set the standard for the entire CNMI. In an interview, Mareham said that, with the diverse culture of the Northern Marianas, there is a need to require all schools throughout the CNMI to teach the Carolinian language at all grade levels.