Flashback December 23, 1998-2003

[B][U]December 23, 1998[/U][/B] [B]PSS may cut jobs [/B]

The Public School System had escaped a 10 percent wage cut, all right, but nonrenewals of job contracts for nonteaching staff look inevitable in March. About 270 custodians, janitors, counselors and school principals would be affected if the nonrenewals go ahead. But Education Commissioner Rita H. Inos said several options are being considered in order to keep some, not all, of them. She said: “We would have some abilities to hire some back. But there would be no hiring all at one time.”

[B]Gov’t to launch crackdown vs embezzlers[/B]

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio yesterday pressed the Attorney General’s Office to pursue the recommendations of the Office of the Public Auditor which called for the prosecution of government officials who were found to have misspent public funds. The governor made the call, the first since he assumed office in January, in another attempt to strengthen accountability of officials holding public office. The public auditor’s office has flooded the AGO with recommendations seeking punishment of officials who have erred in the past for ignoring procurement regulations to mishandling of government money.

[B][U]December 23, 2002[/U][/B] [B]Rebate talks hit glitch[/B]

The Department of Finance has not printed yet all the rebate and refund checks that are supposed to be released beginning today, pending final loan negotiations with the Bank of Guam. As of press time yesterday, officials had received no confirmation yet from the bank about the release of the $19-million loan. Sources privy to the issue said the Department of Finance began the printing of the checks Friday but they eventually stopped after the bank’s legal counsel raised some issues relating to the conditions set forth in the agreement between the bank and the CNMI government.

[B]Narita-Saipan flights begin[/B]

Continental Airlines has begun direct flights between Narita International Airport in Tokyo, Japan, and the Saipan International Airport-much earlier than the announced resumption by April 2003. Yesterday, Continental’s Flight CO964 was to depart Narita around 9:30pm and was expected to arrive on Saipan about 2:05am this morning. Flight schedules posted on Continental’s Internet website show daily available flights today until Christmas Day. Direct flights from Saipan back to Narita are also available from today, with departure time slated at 6pm. Continental Micronesia president and chief executive officer Mark Erwin told the Saipan Tribune that, although the Narita-Saipan direct flights were to officially start by April 1, 2003, they have decided to start such operations “immediately.”

[B][U]December 23, 2003[/U][/B] [B]EPA opposes Sugar Dock project[/B]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is opposed to the planned dredging and renovation of the Sugar Dock, citing potential adverse environmental impact entailed by the project. In a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, EPA National Wetlands expert Thomas G. Yocom said his agency could not support the issuance of permit for the project. The EPA-the nation’s premier environmental agency-took this position, as the first public hearing on the proposed project was to take place on Saipan last night.

[B]Agencies cautioned on dredging plan[/B]

The administration has advised government agencies to be careful in their review of the proposed Sugar Dock dredging project amid massive protests from the community. Lt. Gov. Diego T. Benavente said Gov. Juan N. Babauta and himself are basically awaiting permitting agencies-Division of Environmental Quality, Coastal Resources Management, and Historical Preservation Office-to come up with their own recommendations on the project, which paves the way for a new Saipan-Tinian ferry route. “I asked agencies to review this carefully. The governor and I have basically decided to wait and see on what these agencies will be reporting,” said Benavente in an interview during yesterday’s scheduled ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new youth detention center in Kagman.