Flashback – Oct. 2006 – Oct. 2011

October 9, 2011

Island Trybe rocks crowd in ‘Coming Home Tour’
The Pacific Islands Club Pool Bar was teeming with mostly young aficionados of contemporary island music, making it the place to be on Saipan last Saturday for the United Nesia Fest Coming Home Tour. Saturday’s event was top-billed by Island Trybe, the Washington-based group that started in 1996 and comprised of B.O.I., Y.D., and Jay Sway and known for their tunes of combined hip-hop, reggae, and R&B sounds. Homegrown talents that included Fatal Hitz, RoccJuan, Latte Vibes, and 6se7nh0 served as the front acts for the show that saw Island Trybe embracing their island lineage with pride. Spectators enjoyed the show, described by many as a “good event with good music.” San Antonio resident Javiun Sablan said he looked forward to the performances not just of Island Trybe but also the group Latte Vibes, the members of which are his friends. “The event lets the people loose. It’s good. I hope there are more bands to come here, please,” he told Saipan Tribune.

Jobless thought they could be given parole
Hundreds of mostly jobless individuals from the Philippines trooped to an area in Oleai yesterday to get assistance in filling out forms that many of them wrongfully thought that once submitted to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, would allow them to remain in the CNMI beyond Nov. 27 while looking for an employer. Many of these jobless foreigners didn’t know that they cannot be granted parole to remain in the CNMI beyond Nov. 27 if they do not have an employer that will petition them for a Commonwealth-only worker, or CW, status, by Nov. 27. Without a pending CW application filed by their employer by Nov. 27, they could lose status to remain in the CNMI and face deportation. USCIS may grant parole or permission to be in the CNMI to CNMI permanent residents, immediate relatives of CNMI permanent residents, and the immediate relatives of citizens of the Compacts of Free Association states such as Palau, the Marshall Islands, and Federated States of Micronesia’s Chuuk, Pohnpei, Yap, and Kosrae.

October 9, 2006

Alvarez victorious in Guam
Saipan fighter Cuki Alvarez put on a good show as he represented Saipan well and was victorious in Fury Fighting Islands Western Pacific Invitational Saturday at the Compadres Mall in Harmon, Guam. Alvarez, who along with fellow Saipan fighters Slade “Rage” Adelbai, Danny Atalig, J.J. Maliti, and Bernie “The Shadow of Death” Neth returned Sunday after gaining experience, that according to Alvarez, will only improve their mix martial arts fighting skills. Alvarez fought Guam’s Joey Taijeron and was able to win in the first round via referee stoppage. Alvarez was the aggressor in the early stage of the round, attempting a low leg kick and following with a superman punch that skinned Taijeron’s head. Taijeron, however, was able to execute a double-leg take down, and the two began exchanging positions on the ground before Alvarez was able to lock his opponent with a triangle choke. While executing the maneuver and moving Taijeron against the fence, Alvarez saw an opening on the right side of Taijeron’s head, and thus, landed a couple of punches before the fight was stopped.

Judge: Angello failed to back up allegations
The federal court has ruled that terminated Northern Marianas College employee John “Jack” Angello failed to present evidence that an NMC official subjected him to gender discrimination or a hostile work environment. U.S. District Court for the NMI designated Judge David A. Wiseman pointed out that there was no evidence that, when Dr. Barbara Moir was briefly the interim NMC president, she took any action directly against Angello or his program in the college in retaliation for his equal employment opportunity complaints against her. “At every turn, plaintiff [Angello] perceived setbacks to his programs as attributable exclusively to Dr. Moir’s influence or behind-the-scenes machinations, although he acknowledged that during most of the relevant time she had no direct supervisory control over him or his program,” said Wiseman in a written order favoring NMC in Angello’s lawsuit against the college. Wiseman said that, after two days of bench trial that ended last Tuesday, the court was left with the indelible impression that Angello’s perception of events found no support in the admissible evidence.