FLASHBACK – August 22, 2011

AGO cautions House against land study[/B]

The Office of the Attorney General has cautioned the House Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations against the passage of a proposed measure, which seeks to establish the Landlocked Property Commission Act of 2000 without clarifying certain provisions of the bill. Under HB 12-221, the Commission shall study landlocked properties throughout the Commonwealth and report its findings and recommendations to both the Legislature and the governor. While there is no constitutional prohibition on the proposed measure, assistant attorney general Elliott A. Sattler said the bill should set the number of individuals that will serve in the commission and appropriate compensation to members who are not government employees.

Recent developments involving key CNMI capital improvement projects bode well for a recovering economy, according to a news release from the Governor’s Office. With the deadline for proposals passed last week, selection of a contractor for the design and construction of the new Juvenile Detention Facility has begun. According to Prison Task Force Chair Rep. Heinz S. Hofschneider, a contract award is expected within the next two weeks and construction is slated to begin 90 to 100 days after the award. The facility is slated to take a year and three months to complete. Meanwhile, the first design development documents, or working drawings for the new Adult Prison will be presented to the Prison Task Force this week and are targeted for bid in mid-December.

Adriano supports drug tests for elected officials[/B]

Sen. Joaquin G. Adriano threw his support behind the plan of Rep. Egredino M. Jones to file a measure that will require CNMI legislators and candidates for public posts to undergo mandatory drug and alcohol testing. “I totally agree that the candidates, including the incumbent ones who are seeking reelection, must be made to undergo such a drug test and the results be submitted to the Board of Elections to be used as a basis for qualifying these persons as candidates,” Adriano said. “Once the test shows that you are positive of drug use, then you should be disqualified.”

The Hyatt Regency Saipan will gather hotel managers and employees to present banquet packages through an in-house demonstration that will be made open to the public on Saturday at the Gilligan’s Entertainment Center. Billed as the first Hyatt Fair and slated on August 25 from 11am to 4pm, the event will provide an opportunity for the public to learn more of the hotel’s expertise in banquet preparations. The show will feature banquet packages made available to the community by Hyatt, which caters to celebrations like christening, birthdays, dinner parties, Christmas parties and weddings.

Beautification tax peeves Chamber[/B]

Passage of the Environmental Beautification Tax of 2002, or House Bill 13-171, peeved the Saipan Chamber of Commerce, which has consistently expressed objection to the measure. The Chamber opposes the additional tax burden on CNMI businesses and consumers on principle, past assurances, a matter of priority and that no public hearing has been conducted to entertain comments on this new tax, it said in a media statement. The Chamber Board of Directors and the Chamber general membership, as well as the Strategic Economic Development Council, the Saipan Garment Manufacturers Association and the Saipan Contractors Association, in separate meetings, listened to a presentation by the CNMI Public Works Department and the Solid Waste task Force on the Environmental Beautification Tax proposition in mid-2001.

The Northern Marianas College’s Workforce and Community Development Programs is offering a review course in American Sign Language. The review course will help prepare and expose students to the proper execution of signs (handshape, movement, location, and palm orientation). Correct use of facial grammar, classifiers and spatialization will also be stressed throughout the course. This refresher course will help students regain their skill and confidence in signing, as well as prepare them to meet the entrance requirements for the intermediate level class. The course is open to any student having completed SL 101 or its equivalent.