Flashback July 29-1999-2003

[B]July 29, 1999[/B] [I]To settle CUC bills, Teno eyes more belt-tightening[/I]

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio pledged yesterday to settle its mounting utility bills, saying the government will have to tighten its belt further to meet growing financial obligations. He, however, did not say when his administration will make payment to the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation to reduce its $6.8 million in unpaid billings that have accumulated over the past six months.

[I]Teacher absenteeism in region exceeds US average[/I]

The rate of absenteeism among teachers in Micronesia is higher than the national average in the United States, according to a study by the Pacific Resources for Education and Learning or PREL. The study, which covered all eight island states and entities, showed that teachers in Micronesia are “away from their classrooms” on an average of 11 days.

[I]Teno backs memo against entry of PROC nationals[/I]

Admitting the move was prompted by “misleading” reports that Chinese nationals can apply for asylum in the CNMI, Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio yesterday backed the Department of Labor and Immigration to halt again issuance of new entry permits to citizens of mainland China. He said the People’s Republic of China is included among the “high-risk” countries and that their workers and visitors intending to travel to the Northern Marianas must seek first DOLI’s approval.

[B]July 29, 2002[/B] [I]NMI tourism industry choking[/I]

The Northern Marianas is bracing for another slow year in visitor arrivals, with its top tourism market Japanese travelers reportedly planning to cut back on overseas trips this summer. This translates to another bad news for the Commonwealth, whose ailing economy is beset with declining government revenue from the garment manufacturing sector.

[I]DPS chief: Enough is enough[/I]

Despite efforts to cut back on overtime, Public Safety Commissioner Edward C. Camacho has called on DPS officers to come back and spend extra hours monitoring Saipan’s streets, in response to the spate of criminal activities predominantly burglaries and robberies in the community. I am fed up already with all these kinds of activities, no matter how petty they are. Obviously, they are becoming more and more serious. There are all kinds of articles telling the folks in Japan that Saipan is not a good place to visit anymore because you get robbed in the beach, in your own hotel room, while walking down the street. And that’s not going to help us out, a stern Camacho said Friday.

[I]…as Babauta commits more money for MVA[/I]

Gov. Juan N. Babauta acknowledged the need to better promote the Commonwealth as a tourist destination, as he commits to giving the Marianas Visitors Authority more campaign money in the next fiscal year. Babauta disclosed that more than $5 million in budgetary increases would be made not just for the MVA but also for the Departments of Public Safety and of Labor and Immigration, among other government offices.

[B]July 29, 2003[/B] [I]OPM tightens noose on drug users[/I]

An estimated 9 percent of all random drug tests implemented among government employees in Fiscal Year 2002 yielded positive results for illegal drug use. This translates to almost one in 10 employees who were found positive for drug use, according to the Office of Personnel Management.

[I]Babauta touts investment incentives[/I]

Before a diversified group of 750 business leaders in Japan, Gov. Juan N. Babauta reportedly made a sales pitch on the variety of investment opportunities in the Northern Marianas, touting, among others, tax benefits and other incentives that the Commonwealth has to offer. Speaking in front of members of the Japan Management Consultants Association last July 25, the chief executive informed Japan’s leading entrepreneurs of possible investment projects they can pursue, including the construction of cultural centers, retirement homes, beverage bottling businesses, fishing and pozzolan mining, to name a few.

[I]NMC acquires Jacoulet painting[/I]

A 1935 painting of acclaimed French-Japanese artist Paul Jacoulet—whose rare creations are found in the rooms of people like Gen. Douglas McArthur, Greta Garbo, Pope Pious XII, and Queen Elizabeth II—is now part of the prized collections of the Northern Marianas College’s Oceania and Special Collections department. Titled Une Belle de Palaos or Palauan Beauty, this wood block print is Jacoulet’s print No. 30 that was conceived and printed as a pair with No. 31 as part of his “Flowers” series.