Flashback October 07, 1999-2003

[B]October 07, 1999

Acquitted defendant to seek asylum[/B]

Shi Guo Ri was among those who had paid for a dream that would turn into a nightmare. He wanted to go to the United States. He would eventually bring over his family to join him when he gets settled there. He drew beautiful images on his mind when he left Fu Quing village and boarded the rusty boat bound for Guam. Instead, he spent several months in jail after being charged with crimes that he said he did not understand.

[B]Delay in Saipan power project questioned[/B]

Senate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes has expressed concern over the delay in the decision of the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation on the Saipan power plant despite completion of an independent evaluation on the various proposals for the long-stalled project. He warned bids submitted by different power companies as early as 1997 are valid only until October 16 this year as stipulated in the initial request for proposal, which will make the two-year procurement process void unless the $120 million contract is awarded before the deadline.

[B]DEQ seeks environmental assessment[/B]

The Division of Environmental Quality has asked the U.S. Navy and the Coast Guard whether they have conducted an assessment of the area where the military vessels are currently stationed to prevent any possibility of hitting an ordnance that may have been buried within the vicinity. DEQ Director Ignacio Cabrera raised this issue during a recent meeting on disaster preparedness attended by various federal and local government agencies.

[B]October 07, 2002

More staff shuffling at NMC
[/B] Staff reorganization continues at the Northern Marianas College, which has, so far, resulted in the promotion, demotion or changing of assignments of several employees. Based on the latest changes, Tony V. Deleon Guerrero, who used to be the director of Institutional Development, is now dean of the NMC’s reorganized Community Programs and Services department.

[B]NMIRF saves $4.6M in claims[/B]

A year after signing a contract with a third-party administrator, the Northern Mariana Islands Retirement Fund has saved $4.6 million, representing a potential cost that was avoided after the Hawaii Pacific Medical Referral weeded out the ineligibles and factored in the discounts and other considerations.

[B]Stores selling fake Stussy clothes sued[/B]

A California-based garment firm has filed a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against more than 15 department stores and dress shops in the Commonwealth for allegedly selling counterfeit clothing using its registered brand and trademark to locals and foreign tourists alike. Stussy, Inc., manufacturer of Stussy clothing, is claiming at least “$1 million per mark per type of goods per defendant,” in a civil action it filed with the U.S. District Court on Saipan. Stussy manufactures clothing that include shirts, pants, shorts, bathing suits, sweat suits, and vests, among others.

[B]October 07, 2003

Majority predicts 4-4 split[/B]

Despite a report that Tinian’s new senator-elect Joseph Mendiola is poised to join Sen. Paul A. Manglona’s bloc, the new Senate majority is encouraging the newcomer to hear both sides before committing his allegiance to one camp. But in the event that Mendiola chooses to side with Manglona’s group, the majority predicts a clean 4-4 split, which is expected to create a deadlock in the upper house-at least until after the midterm and special elections come up with victors that will complete the Senate membership of nine senators.

[B]HJHS discusses teen dating violence[/B]

Hopwood Junior High School will highlight the risks of teen dating when its Student Council officers lead the discussion on dating violence on October 11 at the Hopwood campus. Domestic Violence Intervention Center coordinator Jesse P. Stein said Hopwood Stuco officers are so supportive of the domestic violence awareness campaign that a mini-conference would be held during the weekend to educate teenagers on the risk of teen dating.