Vol. 40 No. 119 © 2012 Marianas Variety
Wednesday • August 29, 2012
www.mvariety.com Serving the CNMI for 40 Years
LOCAL
PHILIPPINES/ASIA
NATION
ENTERTAINMENT
Departure of CHC doctors worries Senate
Erap backs Arroyo’s treatment abroad
Top California lawmaker sees pension reform deal
From teen love to adult betrayal
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Page 14
Page 15
75¢
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Feds arrest woman for fraudulent birth certificate, passport applications By Andrew O. De Guzman andrew.deguzman@mvariety.com Variety News Staff
THE U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service has arrested a 39-year-old woman on the charge of conspiring with another individual to submit fraudulent applications for a CNMI birth certificate and a U.S. passport. U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona allowed Ying Liu, also known as Da Niu, to post $25,000 unsecured BACK TO SCHOOL. Simon Pang, a fifth grader at Saipan American Education Foundation, shops for school supplies at Modern Office Supply on Monday. Photo by Raquel C. Bagnol
Roe, Doe say adequate remedies can only be sought in US court By Alexie Villegas Zotomayor avz@mvariety.com Variety News Staff
“AGGRIEVED” retirees can seek adequate remedies only in federal court where judgment can be enforced. So stated yesterday Jane Roe and John Doe, through their counsels Robert M. Hatch, Bruce L. Jorgensen and Stephen Woodruff, in their response to the Retirement Fund and Fitial administration’s opposition to their emergency motion to lift stay. MV 8-29-12.indd 1
Roe and Doe said the defendants themselves have conceded that adequate remedy is not available in the local court which cannot enforce its judgments. “Given the defendants’ view that the Superior Court has no power to enforce its judgment, it is hardly surprising that in three years of ‘litigation’ no progress has been made there,” the plaintiffs said. The defendants treated the local court as a forum for discussion Continued on page 2
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Budget and impeachment
draft a budget bill acceptable to both houses. Camacho said the House leaderIN the following days, the Legis- ship will not delay the impeachlature will work on two pressing ment proceedings. issues — the House impeachment Failure to enact a new budget resolution and the Senate law on or before Oct. 1 version of the fiscal year will result in a government 2013 budget bill. shutdown but essential ofSpeaker Eli D. Cabrera fices will remain open. on Monday said they will The Senate is expected form a special committee to pass its version of the to look into the resolution budget measure today, calling for the impeachalong with two bills that Eli Cabrera ment of Gov. Benigno R. will allow CNMI governFitial. ment employees to join For his part, House Floor Leader U.S. Social Security. George N. Camacho, Ind.-Saipan, Cabrera, R-Saipan, told reporters said a bicameral conference com- that the impeachment resolution mittee is likely to be convened to must go through a process because By Emmanuel T. Erediano emmanuel.erediano@mvariety.com Variety News Staff
it is a very serious matter. Once the Senate acts on the budget bill and the two Social Security measures today and transmit them to the House, its leadership will need a day or two to review them before the speaker can call for a session. The minority bloc is expected to introduce House Resolution 17111, the articles of impeachment, once the House holds a session. “I have to come up with a special committee to tackle the impeachment resolution,” Cabrera said. Rep. Stanley T. Torres, Ind.Saipan, said the committee should have a member or members from the minority bloc, adding that he, Continued on page 2 8/29/12 12:07:50 AM
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Correction THE governor’s special advisor on Medicaid program Esther Muna did not go on the record agreeing with the hiring of a public relations officer for the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. She said she does not know Jeanette Rocher’s job description and will not comment on the hiring of CHC’s new spokeswoman.
Feds... Continued from page 1 bond. She was released under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office with conditions after her initial court appearance on Monday afternoon. Liu has been charged with unlawful production of identification document, false statement of material fact, and conspiracy to defraud the United States. The court remanded Liu to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service for processing of her release papers. Liu will be arraigned on Aug. 31, 2012. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ross Naughton, the prosecutor, didn’t move for the defendant’s detention. After the court advised her of her rights and the charges filed against her, Liu said she was not able to contact her attorney, but she would retain counsel to represent her. According to the complaint, from on or about April 30, 2012 through July 2012, Liu knowingly conspired and agreed with unindicted co-conspirator, Hua Li, the mother of the baby, and other persons to defraud the United States. Liu deliberately counseled and caused Li to falsify her marital status in the birth certificate application of baby BG filed with the CNMI Health and Vital Statistics Office that she, Li, was not married, “when Hua Li was in fact married,” according to the complaint. Liu also aided and abetted and caused the submission of a U.S. passport application for minor child BG on April 30, the complaint added. It said that Liu and Li fraudulently circumvented the two-parent consent rule by offering a “fatherless” birth certificate as documentary evidence that would allow exception from the two-parent federal consent rule. But on or about June 25, 2012, Liu aided and abetted and caused the submission of an “Affidavit of Correction on Vital Record” to amend BG’s birth certificate to show the name of BG’s father, Dongjun Guo, the complaint added.
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WEDNESDAY - AUGUST 29, 2012 - MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS
DPS rehires 5 former cops By Andrew O. De Guzman andrew.deguzman@mvariety.com Variety News Staff
THE Department of Public Safety has rehired five of its former police officers, including one with a pending case in federal court and another who was convicted of obstructing justice. “We really need manpower,” acting DPS Commissioner Aniceto T. Ogumoro told Variety late yesterday afternoon. Ogumoro, who is also the police director, said police officers are “quitting,” either seeking higher
education or retiring from the on-the-job training, Variety was government service. told. The newly hired officers are A Chinese national has sued Jesse Dubrall, Kui Rogopes, Glenn former DPS detective Dubrall in Rabago, Vincent Salas federal court for police and Patrick Togawa. brutality. The victim was They will be assigned to beaten up after he was the traffic and patrol secmistakenly identified as tions, according to Sgt. an “ice” dealer in 2010. Thomas Blas, the traffic The case is still pendsection commander. ing. The five officers sepa- Jesse Dubrall After Dubrall resigned rately came on board in as police detective in the the past two weeks. They have same year, he worked for the Ofbeen sworn in, recertified for use fice of Public Auditor. It was not of firearms, and are undergoing disclosed why he has left OPA.
Jaylene Attao accepted to National Society of High School Scholars
Jaylene T. Ada Attao poses with her parents, Jerome and Abelene Attao, and sister Jerene. Contributed photo
Roe... Continued from page 1 only, the plaintiffs said. They said even the looming threat of a receiver appointed by the local court will not apply pressure on the defendants “because the receiver would have no more power to execute on the judgment than the court that appointed him.” The plaintiffs said the defendants have not shown progress in paying the over $300 million that the CNMI government owes the Fund, in remedying contribution shortfalls or raising revenue. The plaintiffs said seeking remedies in the local court will be futile. Roe and Doe at the same time circumstances have changed said since the court last addressed the stay order: (1) the governor has issued Executive Order 2012-06; (2) the Fund has been deprived of quorum; (3) the Fund unsuccessfully sought bankruptcy protection; (4) defendants have claimed Superior Court has no power to enforce its judgment; and (5) no progress has been made in Superior Court.
These, the plaintiffs said, show that it is no longer warranted to defer to Superior Court proceedings where adequate remedy could not be possibly given. The plaintiffs noted that governor failed to fill the three vacant Fund board seats within 90 days of the vacancy, which they said is a violation of Article III, Section 21 of the CNMI Constitution. This was followed by the issuance of an executive order that dissolves the Fund board, seizes the Fund, and suspends all laws relating to it. The plaintiffs said the executive order “expressly states that one purpose is to stop the Superior Court litigation.” They also cited the Marine Revitalization Corp. case as proof that the Superior Court cannot enforce its judgment. The government has yet to pay the over $5 million that it owes Marine Revitalization Corp., which is owned by local businessman Tony Pellegrino. The plaintiffs said the stay order should now be lifted, otherwise Fitial’s executive order will dis-
JAYLENE T. Attao, of CNMI has been accepted to the National Society of High School Scholars. Attao, who studies at Mountain View High School in Boise, Idaho, received a letter from society chairman Claes Nobel welcoming her to the “dynamic organization that connects young scholars to an educational community that shares a commitment to excellence, education and world betterment.” Jaylene is also in the National Honor Society, Jaylene is the granddaughter of former Rep. Jesus T. and Ramona Attao and former Saipan Mayor Gilbert C. and Faustina Ada. (ETE)
solve the Fund board. According to the plaintiffs, the defendants failed to show circumstances warranting the continuation of the stay. They said there is no danger that the federal court action would reach a different result from the local court judgment because “it is res judicata, and the plaintiffs do not challenge its validity.” Res judicata is the Latin term for “a matter [already] judged.” The defendants have argued that the plaintiffs’ federal claims arise from their claimed rights under the CNMI Constitution thus local law controls the action. This is not true, the plaintiffs said, adding that the defendants’ actions violated the Contract Clause and Due Process Clause of the U.S. Constitution as well as 42 U.S.C. §1983. They said they want purely federal remedies that arise under federal law. The plaintiffs said Fitial’s executive order provides no legal protection and is an act by the same governor who “deliberately” and “illegally” signed legislation — P.L. 15-15 — mandating a
Rogopes, for his part admitted the charge of obstructing justice on July 5, 2006, and received a one-year suspended sentence. On March 19, 2010, the Superior Court issued an order discharging and vacating Rogopes’s conviction as he had already “met all conditions of his sentence.” According to the first amended information filed against Rogopes, on or about Aug. 6, 2005 through Aug. 7, 2005, he failed to relay to Officer Glenn Rabago the report of a defendant in an assault case.
Budget... Continued from page 1 too, wants to be part of it. Camacho said the priority is the appropriation measure. “Time is of the essence here,” he added. “The budget is the paramount reason why we need to hold a session soon. That session has nothing to do with the impeachment move. But if the minority bloc will introduce the resolution during that session, so be it.” Rep. Edmund S. Villagomez, Covenant-Saipan, said the impeachment resolution “is something that we are going to deal with.” “We are elected to do our job so we cannot make any excuses,” he added. “The impeachment issue is something we cannot just ignore.” House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Ramon S. Basa, Covenant-Saipan, said the impeachment resolution will not be ignored, “but at the same time we need to focus on the pressing issue which is the budget.” He added, “We also have to look at Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. because the problem there is not getting better — it is getting worse.” He said he will think about the impeachment resolution later. Seven House members have signed the resolution which needs the support of at least 14 representatives. As of yesterday, nine members were “solidly” supporting the resolution. contribution holiday, which the Superior Court later declared unconstitutional. The plaintiffs, moreover, find it “ridiculous” for the defendants to claim that [Fund board] trustees could be appointed quickly to comprise a quorum. They said “if the stay is not lifted, the EO will dissolve the Fund board; if the stay is not lifted, there is no reason to think that the governor who refused to comply with his obligation to timely appoint replacement trustees under Article III Section 21 for several years will suddenly start to do so.” 8/29/12 12:07:51 AM
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MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS - WEDNESDAY - AUGUST 29, 2012
Kilili hails use of ‘Obamacare’ funds (Office of the CNMI Congressio- to account for what it spends to treat nal Delegate) — U.S. Congress- Medicaid patients and to use those man Gregorio Kilili Camacho expenditures to match the available Sablan said today that he was federal Medicaid money. very encouraged to hear that the “That means better healthcare Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. for Medicaid patients and for all would be getting access to some of us who use CHC.” of the $100 million in new MedTogether with the $100 million icaid funds now available to the in new Obamacare funds and the Northern Marianas as a result of existing funding stream there are “Obamacare.” 140 million in federal Medicaid dolPreviously, local officials have lars available to the Commonwealth said the funds do not exist or that between July 2011 and September the CNMI could not afford to come 2019. up with the required local match. “That is about $17.5 million each But the governor’s year,” Congressman Saspecial advisor on medblan calculated. icaid program, Esther “Unless, of course, Muna, was reported to Obamacare is rehave informed the CHC pealed.” board on Friday that Sablan was not speakimproved bookkeeping ing hypothetically. In July had allowed the CNMI Gregorio Sablan of this year Republicans to identify $15 million in the House Energy and in local funds to match with the Commerce Committee specifically Obamacare money. targeted the new Medicaid money Under the 45-55 local-federal for the Northern Marianas and the match, which is also a result of other U.S. territories for repeal. Obamacare, a $15 million local The 30 Republicans on the match would be worth $18.3 mil- committee beat 21 Democrats on lion in federal funds. a motion not only to take away “Given the crisis in healthcare the Obamacare money, but also we face in the Northern Mariana to return the local-federal match Islands,” Congressman Sablan to 50-50. said, “the additional $100 million “There is no question that we in Medicaid funding that the presi- could lose the Medicaid money that dent and Democratic leadership we so desperately need,” Congressincluded in the Affordable Care Act man Kilili cautioned. in the previous Congress could not “House Republicans have voted be coming at a better time. 33 times to repeal Obamacare. “I am sure that everyone is very “Their leadership has repeatedly glad to hear that CHC is beginning said they will not give up until
Obamacare is off the books, even though the U.S. Supreme Court has found it constitutional,” Sablan said. Meanwhile, officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in San Francisco, who are working with Muna on the accounting procedures, told Sablan’s office good progress was being made. They could not predict when the new methodology would be submitted for final approval to CMMS headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland, but could say that when approved it will be used to match federal Medicaid dollars retroactive to January of 2012. The CNMI will not receive a lump sum payment of $18.3 million, however. Some of that federal money has already been drawn down this year, using older accounting practices. The remainder will be placed in a holding account available for drawdown each month and subject to year-end reconciliation of all expenditures. “Change can be difficult,” Congressman Sablan said. “But the changes that Ms. Muna and CHC officials are making will pay benefits to those who need healthcare in the Northern Marianas. “Obamacare represents a significant opportunity to improve finances at CHC. We should all be glad to see that this game-changing law is going to have a positive effect here. “And we should all hope that efforts to repeal the law fail.”
Roe/Doe counsels say Huesman’s response should be removed from record By Alexie Villegas Zotomayor avz@mvariety.com Variety News Staff
FINDING the Retirement Fund lawyer’s omnibus response as procedurally incorrect, the anonymous retirees through their counsels asked the court yesterday to strike it off. They said the response filed by attorney Braddock J. Huesman on behalf of the Fund board of trustees also shows why the Roe/Doe emergency motions to lift stay, for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction and for leave to file a second amended complaint “are necessary and required in order to effectuate justice” in the CNMI. The plaintiffs said they seek the lifting of the stay so they can pursue their claims in federal court and enjoin Gov. Benigno R. Fitial from executing his “unlawful” executive order that abolishes the Fund board, transfers direct control of the Fund’s assets to him, and prevent enforcement of the Superior Court in 2009 judgment. They noted that Huesman himself admitted that the Fund board lacks quorum: “No one has authorized him to take any action MV 8-29-12.indd 3
in response to plaintiffs’ motions. they added, further illustrates the Without a quorum, the Fund cannot need for court intervention. authorize Mr. Huesman to act as They noted that the Fund has the Fund’s lawyer, so his response admitted that the CNMI Supeshould be stricken.” rior Court is not an appropriate Saying that he was trying to venue. protect his clients’ rights, Huesman Yet “Huesman purports to argue filed an opposition to the plaintiffs’ that the plaintiffs should compel emergency motions until such time the Fund and its board to pursue as the board and its members are post judgment remedies in Superior able to take a corporate action to Court,” they said. defend themselves. According to the plainAccording to the plaintiffs, the Fund has said that tiffs, the board’s lack “it operates in a jurisdicof quorum is due to the tion where…judgments governor’s inaction which may be ignored and/or not they said is a violation of enforced.” the Constitution. The plaintiffs reiterated Fitial refuses to reapthat the U.S. District Court Braddock point trustees or nominate for the NMI which, they Huesman anyone to fill three current added, “is the only court vacancies knowing that he renders that can actually provide a remedy the Fund unable to act, the plain- for the plaintiffs.” tiffs added. The plaintiffs said they want “The Fund’s lack of quorum is to pursue their claims in federal an intentional act of the governor’s court as Superior Court action have own doing in violation of the proven fruitless. CNMI Constitution,” the plaintiffs The Fund itself admitted that it stated. has no intention or ability to colThey said that they and the class lect on the 2009 judgment in local they represent should not be penal- court, the plaintiffs added. ized for the governor’s deliberate The financially strapped CNMI violations of CNMI law and failure government owes the Fund over to abide by the Constitution which, $300 million.
Conner: Tinian residents want Fitial impeached whether the governor has been upholding the law. “If he has not fulfilled his duty TINIAN residents want Gov. Be- to uphold the law and has instead nigno R. Fitial impeached, accord- made things go from bad to worse, ing to, Rep. Trenton B. Conner. then we lawmakers have to stand Conner, R-Tinian, said his con- up and effect change for the stituents “have been calling me up people,” Conner said. [to tell me that] if [the impeachBut not all Tinian residents supment resolution] is the action to port the call to impeach Fitial. take then, ‘by all means do it.’ ” One of them, Martin Sakisat, He said he believes that the who calls himself “a staunch supimpeachment resolution he and porter” of the governor, said the his colleagues in the incumbent lawmakers minority bloc pre-filed should go house to house last Monday is for the so they can answer the benefit of the entire comfollowing question: monwealth. “What have you acConner said impeachcomplished?” ing the governor will be Sakisat said all memfor the best interest and bers of the Senate and the well-being of the people Trenton Conner House, especially those of the CNMI. who want to impeach the goverIn the 2009 elections, Fitial nor, should “honestly and openly” won on Saipan and Rota but lost answer that question. on Tinian. Sakisat said this is not the right But Conner said politics “is not time to fight the governor. The the issue here. I think the issue is people of the CNMI are suffering, helping the CNMI as a whole.” he added. The upcoming November elec“These lawmakers are using tions also have nothing to do with the impeachment as propaganda the impeachment resolution, he so they can hide the truth — they added. have done nothing in office,” He said the issue is about Sakisat said. By Emmanuel T. Erediano emmanuel.erediano@mvariety.com Variety News Staff
CDA to assist Freedom Air By Alexie Villegas Zotomayor avz@mvariety.com Variety News Staff
THE Commonwealth Development Authority, despite not lifting its moratorium on loans, has indicated its willingness to assist a local airline. On Monday, Variety asked CDA Executive Director Manuel A. Sablan if the agency was able to address a request made by Freedom Air, to which he replied, “We are having a loan officer contact them and review their financial position.” Sablan said they will try to figure out how they can assist the local airline obtain additional financing from a bank. He said the $13.1 million State Small Business Credit Initiative program will also be launched soon. Back in July, Freedom Air asked the Development Corporation Division board of the CDA if it could provide $600,000 in supplemental funding to the airline. In a board meeting, it was revealed that even if CDA were to lift the moratorium policy, the agency’s cash reserve of a little over $300,000 would not be sufficient to address the Freedom Air request. Last March, CDA approved a $900,000 emergency loan for Freedom Air, but its other $2 million loan request was not addressed pending the launch of the $13.1 State Small Business Credit Initia-
tive program. Variety learned that prior to obtaining the emergency loan, the CDA board asked Freedom Air if $900,000 would be enough to cover operation costs for two years to which the airline responded in the affirmative. Variety reported back in March that Freedom Air’s loan was a demand note for one year at 7 percent interest. In July, Freedom Air representative Amjad Farhoud informed the board that they were requesting $600,000 in supplemental funding. He said that they were having difficulty in securing loans from banks as they lacked the collateral which they already pledged to CDA. He told the CDA board that Freedom Air had about $6 million in collateral for the $900,000 loan. In March, CDA provided the emergency loan to Freedom Air so it could also be released by the banks which held first lien or mortgage on properties and other collaterals. The $900,000 emergency loan allowed Freedom Air to resume flights on March 28. The local airline, which has been serving the CNMI for close to 40 years, spent close to $300,000 to repair its 30-seat Short 360 aircraft whose engine was repaired, overhauled and retrofitted in Wisconsin. 8/29/12 12:07:52 AM
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WEDNESDAY - AUGUST 29, 2012 - MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS
CDA reviews an investor’s qualifying certificate By Alexie Villegas Zotomayor avz@mvariety.com Variety News Staff
THE Commonwealth Development Authority is reviewing a company’s compliance with the qualifying certificate requirements, according to CDA Executive Director Manuel A. Sablan who declined to provide any other details. Sablan said they are requesting the company to provide CDA additional information. In a separate interview, CDA Board Chairman Pedro I. Itibus said the matter was referred to the CDA administration so it can discuss with the QC beneficiary the CDA board’s concerns. “There were several issues that the board wanted to clarify with the company,” he said. Asked if the board is considering the revocation of the company’s QC, Itibus said “No.” A QC entitles a company to tax breaks. Itibus said once the QC beneficiary is able to clarify the points raised by the board, then CDA will issue a certificate of compliance. According to the list of QC beneficiaries available in early 2011, CDA issued 15 certificates
The Commonwealth Development Authority board members address the policy of loan moratorium and qualifying certificate issues last Friday. Photo by Alexie Villegas Zotomayor
to investors. Of the 15, seven remain active: (1) SandCastle Saipan, (2) HRC Saipan Co. dba Hard Rock Café Saipan, (3) WDI Saipan Inc. dba Tony Roma’s & Capricciosa, (4) World Corporation dba World Resort Saipan, (5) Bridge Capital LLC, (6) Saipan Laulau Development Inc., and (7) Sandy Beach Homes LLC. Late last year, two investors — IT&E and We Manage Calls — voluntarily surrendered their
qualifying certificates because their projects didn’t move forward. The QC program was established in Dec. 2000, and was later amended to include a provision allowing existing tourism-based businesses with a minimum of $2 million investment to avail themselves of the tax breaks. Issuance and revocation of the QC certificate rests with the governor at the recommendation of CDA.
Judge Camacho allows ‘ice’ defendants’ to post $5K property bond Darren Robinson represented the government during the bail modification hearing while the SUPERIOR Court Judge Joseph defendants were represented by N. Camacho has converted to attorney Michael Ernest on behalf $5,000 property bond the cash of Colin Thompson, and bail separately imposed Assistant Public Defender on two men arrested on Daniel Guidotti. “ice” charges. On Aug. 15, 2012, Camacho also ordered CNMI Drug Enforcement that Antonio E. Reyes, 43, Task Force officers and Dibe released to his mother, vision of Fish and Wildlife while Dusty Nisarafach, conservation officers were 45, will be released to his executing a search warrant Joseph wife as their third-party Camacho on a boat for possession custodians. of green sea turtle when The defendants will return to Reyes and Nisarafach arrived in court on Sept. 10, 2012 for their Reyes’s pick-up truck. arraignment. One of the detectives approached Assistant Attorney General Reyes on the driver side and saw By Andrew O. De Guzman andrew.deguzman@mvariety.com Variety News Staff
in plain view a blue container that contained several Ziplock bags, a cut-off straw and a clear glass pipe with residue. When asked by authorities, Antonio said he owned the paraphernalia. After securing consent from Antonio to search his vehicle, authorities found a black bag which Nisarafach admitted that he owned. Authorities found more Ziplock bags as well as another cut-off straw and a clear glass pipe with residue in the black bag. When tested, the residues seized from Antonio and Nisarafach yielded presumptive positive “ice,” police said.
Inos OKs $190K spending bill for Saipan are approved.” Unanimously passed by the Saipan and Northern Island LegisACTING Gov. Eloy S. Inos lative Delegation a few weeks ago, yesterday approved a local bud- the measure appropriates $100,000 get appropriating $190,000 in for various projects in Precinct 2, developer’s tax collections for including the repair of Niyok Road Saipan projects. in Chalan Kanoa. House Local Bill 17-69 is now The rest of the money is divided Saipan Local Law 17-16. proportionately to the other Saipan In his transmittal mesprecincts. Precincts 1, 3, 4 sage to lawmakers, Inos and 5 will receive $22,500 said the expenditure each for their respective authority, the Departprojects. ment of Public Works, In an interview yester“must be cognizant that day, the local law’s author, the source of funding for Rep. Ralph S. Demapan, these various projects Covenant-Saipan, said Eloy Inos is the developer infrahe is grateful to Inos for structure fund, which is acting on appropriation measures limited for use of infrastructure that benefit the people of Saipan, improvements to electrical sys- particularly those in Precinct 2. tems, water systems, sewerage He said S.L.L 17-16 is very systems, road drainage and flood important for the residents of control systems and solid waste Precinct 2. management systems.” “We the leaders of Precinct 2 He said all projects, therefore, always want to make sure that “must conform with the require- infrastructure projects are comments of the statute before they pleted,” he added. By Emmanuel T. Erediano emmanuel.erediano@mvariety.com Variety News Staff
Departure of CHC doctors worries Senate
the CNMI to identify $15 million in local funds to match with the new Medicaid money for the commonTHE recent departure of Common- wealth under “Obamacare.” wealth Healthcare Corp. doctors Based on the 45-55 local-federal and the resignation of its director matching requirement, the CNMI’s for medical affairs are adding more $15 million local match will be worth pressure on the Senate which has $18.3 million in federal funds. yet to act on the fiscal year 2013 Torres said it has always been budget bill. the Senate’s priority to secure local Today, the senators will meet to matching for Medicaid in order to get consider more funding for CHC, more federal funds for CHC. according to Sen. Ralph For his part, Senate PresiDLG Torres. dent Paul A. Manglona, In an interview yesterday, Ind.-Rota, said the resignaTorres, R-Saipan and the tion of many doctors conchairman of the Senate cerns the Senate a lot. Committee on Health and “Alot of our doctors have Welfare, said it is very unbeen resigning. We don’t fortunate that the hospital need to continue to move in Jeremy no longer has a director of this phase. We need to give Richards medical affairs after Jeremy the MPLT loan to CHC so Richards stepped down to focus on they can use it,” Manglona said. his job as psychiatrist. The Senate, he added, is fully Torres said CHC should receive aware of the situation at CHC. “The funds from its $7 million line of credit drawdown of the MPLT money has provided by the Marianas Public not materialized. Why?” he asked. Land Trust so the hospital can meet “I think that should be transferred its next payroll. immediately to address the situation He noted that CHC now stands to there,” he added. receive bigger Medicaid funding. The Fitial administration and According to U.S. Congressman MPLT earlier said that they were Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, still waiting for a payment plan improved bookkeeping has allowed from CHC. By Emmanuel T. Erediano emmanuel.erediano@mvariety.com Variety News Staff
Manglona revokes ex-probation officer’s supervised release By Andrew O. De Guzman andrew.deguzman@mvariety.com Variety News Staff
U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona has revoked former CNMI Adult Probation Officer Robin Norita Sablan’s supervised release and sentenced him to nine months’ imprisonment. Manglona handed down the sentence on Aug. 21, 2012 but allowed Sablan to remain at liberty pending notification from the U.S. Marshals Service for the service of MV 8-29-12.indd 4
his sentence. On the following day, Aug. 22, federal and CNMI law enforcement officers executed search and arrest orders against 10 individuals, including Sablan, for separate “ice” and gunrunning charges. Sablan along with his wife and a current CNMI Division of Youth Services juvenile probation officer were indicted on charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of distribution of methamphetamine. Sablan has been in the custody of
the U.S. Marshals Service after his munity service; failed to submit for arrest on Aug. 22. evaluation; and failed to report to the According to court documents, probation officer and submit truthful Sablan failed to refrain and written reports. from unlawful use of conThe court ordered Sablan trolled substance on April to participate in a 500-hour 24 and June 13, 2012; failed drug treatment program to show for drug testing and any vocational training on several appointments; program available while failed to answer truthfully incarcerated. all inquiries by his probaOnce he gets out of Ramona tion officer, and to follow jail, he will be placed on Manglona instructions by the officer; supervised release for 27 failed to pay $7,040 in restitution months. and perform 200 hours of comOn Sept. 17, 2008, then-Chief
Judge Alex Munson sentenced Sablan to 30 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to the charge of extortion under color of official right. The extortion occurred between Sept. 18, 2004 and March 20, 2006, the prosecution said. At that time, Sablan was a CNMI assistant probation officer who demanded and received money from defendants under his supervision in return for promises of favorable official action, the prosecution said. 8/29/12 12:07:54 AM
Local
MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS - WEDNESDAY - AUGUST 29, 2012
Chamber supports stiffer penalties for minors consuming alcoholic beverages THE Saipan Chamber of Commerce believes that stiffer penalties against minors consuming alcoholic beverages and stiffer fines on those who sell alcoholic beverages will deter these illegal activities. The chamber also expressed comments about various other House and Senate bills in a letter addressed to acting Gov. Eloy S. Inos dated August 25, 2012. Chamber president Douglas Brennan said they support H.B. 17-17, which will strengthen the penalties for minors consuming alcoholic beverages, and impose stiffer fines for persons or establishments who are providing and selling alcoholic beverages. Brennan said the chamber also supports additional enforcement activity created by the application filing fees collected by the Department of Commerce Alcoholic Beverage and Tobacco Control Division. “The intent of this legislation is admirable, where stiffer penalties and better enforcement would curb illegal activity but without that enforcement activity being carried out, this bill becomes nothing more than ‘lip service’ to a problem all know exists in Douglas the CNMI,” Brennan Brennan said. The chamber likewise supports H.B. 17-294 which will allow the Northern Marianas College board of regents to make certain exceptions from the basic residency requirement. The chamber at the same time expressed support for H.B. 17-214, which will amend some sections of the Public Utilities Commission Act of 2006. Brennan said although the current administrative orders negate such proposed amendments to current law, the chamber supports the bill as necessary to properly establish quorums on matters before the PUC. The chamber, however, chooses not to comment on the other matters contained within the bill such as commissioner standards and restrictions, as well as television broadcasting requisites. Finally, the chamber recommends a further review be undertaken for S.B. 17-62 which proposes to repeal sections 3 of Public Law 13-1 and repeal and reenact the Civil Service Act 1 CMC Division 8 Part 1in order to establish a non-partisan and independent Civil Service System. Brennan said the chamber agrees with the intent of the Senate to correct partisan abuse of employment practices in the CNMI for all government employees. But he said the chamber is not MV 8-29-12.indd 5
certain whether the bill, as written, would necessarily stop abuse. “It is an election year, and the chamber neither supports nor [opposes] this bill,” Brennan said.” “We recommend a further review be undertaken to determine if this realignment of the Office of Personnel Management within, and into a new Civil Service Commission would effectuate the desired changes to those partisan practices identified, and as recognized by the chamber as needing to be addressed,” Brennan said. Copies of the chamber’s comments were also furnished to Senate President Paul A. Manglona, Ind.-Rota, and Speaker Eli D. Cabrera, R-Saipan. (Raquel C. Bagnol)
Sorroza to serve as manamko’ council adviser By Junhan B. Todeno junhan.todeno@mvariety.com Variety News Staff
TERESITA Sorroza, who served as president of the Senior Citizens Advisory Council for two terms, will now be its adviser. Her current term ends on Sept. 30 when the eight new council members will choose who among them will be the officers for 2012-2013. “I am always willing to help for the benefit of the council,” said Sorroza who has also served as its treasurer and secretary. She said she decided not to seek reelection to give others a chance to serve. She is satisfied with the council’s achievements during her administration. Council treasurer Christiana Michael said Sorroza has been a “very good helper.” “We really appreciate that she will continue to be a volunteer because we can’t do it on our own,” she said.
Sorroza said the support of the spent well and all of us benefit from congregates, the private sector and it,” Sorroza said. the Aging Office, including its proIt was also Sorroza who succeeded gram coordinator Walter Manglona, in persuading then-acting Lt. Gov. are important. Eloy S. Inos to allow theAging Office Under her leadership, she noted to remain open during austerity Frithat the council was able to conduct days so the manamko’ could spend a series of fundraising events, includ- more time at the center. ing a recent talent She is hoping show, as well as that the incoming other entertaincouncil officers ment presentawill continue to tions that included ask the central the production of a government not movie. to include the AgShe said she aping Center in the preciates the talent implementation of Manglona who of austerity meaTeresita Sorroza has helped the masures. namko’ learn about music, acting, Moreover, Sorroza said the dancing and sports. council should always take disciThrough its fundraising efforts, plinary action against misbehaving the council has acquired basketballs, congregates. a treadmill, drum sets, a set of free “Disciplinary action is allowed weights, an HDTV, keyboards and by our by-laws and it should be others. enforced without exemption,” “I always see to it that our money is she added.
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8/29/12 12:07:55 AM
Local
WEDNESDAY - AUGUST 29, 2012 - MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS
Kiosku program organizers prepare for bad weather
By Junhan B. Todeno junhan.todeno@mvariety.com Variety News Staff
ORGANIZERS of the Saipan and Northern Islands Leadership Memorial Kiosku opening next month say they are preparing “Plan B” to ensure that the ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held regardless of the weather. Former Rep. William S. Torres, the volunteer project consultant, said they will not cancel the event scheduled for Sept. 29 unless there’s a typhoon. Local architect Herman B. Cabrera, kiosku project manager, said they are monitoring the weather forecasts. For his part, Ramon B. Camacho, logistics committee chairman, said construction company GPPC will assist in providing aggregates to fill up the surrounding area of the municipal council office which will serve as a parking area for VIP’s and a refreshment station. The Department of Public Works will also help level the ground, he added. The ribbon-cutting ceremony com-
Ike Demapan presides over a meeting to discuss the traffic route and other preparations for the opening of the Chalan Kanoa kiosku on Sept. 29.
mittee headed by Indigenous Affairs Office Director Ike Demapan said it has finalized the ground arrangement for the event, including the canopies for the honorees, guests and com-
munity members. Traffic Yesterday, Police Capt. Pete Leon Guerrero, Police Officers Josefa Deleon Guerrero and Antonio Kaipat
Volunteer project consultant William S. Torres uses a whiteboard to explain how Department Public Safety personnel can direct during the opening ceremony of the kiosku project. Looking on are Capt. Pete Leon Guerrero, Police Officer Josefa De Leon Guerrero, Police Officer Antonio Kaipat and Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council Chairman Ramon B. Camacho. Photos by Junhan B. Todeno
discussed with the committee members traffic control in Chalan Kanoa on the day of the event. Also discussed were the 21-gun salute and the need to conduct a site assessment in the area in order to come up with a smooth traffic plan. Donations Camacho is again urging family members of the honorees to contribute refreshments and finger food for the event. Those who want to donate are requested to call the Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council office at 664-2700. Camacho said KKMPradio station,
for its part, will provide the sound system. Torres asked the CarolinianAffairs Office headed by Angie Mangarero, who is also a member of the ribboncutting ceremony committee, and Demapan to sponsor the printing of the souvenir booklets. Torres said they should also ask the Marianas Visitors Authority to provide souvenir gift items, including mwars and leis, for the honorees and special guests. The committee asked Torres, who is a Northern Marianas College trustee, to find out if NMC can help video-tape the event.
Cruise ship to visit Pagan, Maug in September By Junhan B. Todeno junhan.todeno@mvariety.com Variety News Staff
golds gym
CRUISE ship Silver Explorer, which will come from Japan with 132 passengers, will visit Maug and Pagan islands on Sept. 27 and 28, Variety was told. “Our aim is to break away from the normal cruise itineraries and we want to be able to offer our guests something different, something that they will not be able to experience on a normal cruise ship,” said Conrad Combrink, director of expedition cruises for Silversea Cruises. Northern Islands acting Mayor Jerome Aldan said he has been communicating with Inchcape Shipping Services which will facilitate the Silversea expedition. Aldan said they will have an initial scoping meeting on Saipan or Guam with Inchcape Shipping Services to identify stakeholders and key players in this “historic cruise of a lifetime to the naturally pristine garden isles of the Northern Frontier.” He said he also invited Ariel R. Dumapit and Matt Buenabajo of Inchcape Shipping Services to at-
tend the Northern Islands summit on Sept. 6. The event, he added, will discuss tourism in the Northern Islands, and the assistance that stakeholders can provide during the visit of the cruise ship. In his letter to Mayor Tobias Aldan, Inchcape Shipping Services executives said they don’t find any problem heading to an island that doesn’t have a port. With the use of Zodiak landing craft, “we can virtually go anywhere and do not need to go into big ports of call in order for us to explore ashore,” Beunabajo said. He said it is their aim to explore some of the world’s most remote and pristine locations. “Our guests have a genuine interest to learn about the areas we visit and we like to show them the countries, cities and villages from a different perspective,” he told the mayor. He said they will need a guide for snorkeling tours. On Sept. 29, the cruise ship will visit Saipan and Tinian. It will be on Guam on Sept. 30 before proceeding to Gaferut and Ifaluk on Oct. 1.
Marianas Variety News & Views is circulated by home and office delivery throughout Saipan, Rota, Tinian, Guam and Palau as well as mail delivery to the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, South Pacific, Hawaii, Japan and the U.S. Daily coverage also can be read from our Web site via www.mvariety.com. MV 8-29-12.indd 6
8/29/12 12:07:56 AM
Local
MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS - WEDNESDAY - AUGUST 29, 2012
Let’s Move Marianas initiative to be launched next month By Raquel C. Bagnol raquel.bagnol@mvariety.com Variety News Staff
OVER 2,000 children, parents, teachers and representatives from various organizations are expected to join the Let’s Move Marianas Expo at the Ada Gym Track and Field in Susupe on Sept. 29. Let’s Move Marianas committee chairwoman Amber Mendiola who was one of yesterday’s guests at the Rotary Club of Saipan meeting at the Hyatt, said the initiative is in line with first lady Michelle Obama’s campaign launched in Feb. 2010 to fight obesity especially among children. Mendiola said September is also Children Obesity Awareness Month and the CNMI has adopted the Mrs. Obama’s initiative through the support of several agencies and organizations including the KKMP Foundation, the Division of Environmental Quality, the Commonwealth Cancer Association, Joeten-Kiyu Public Library and the Division of Youth Affairs. Mendiola said there will be various activities September. “The Let’s Move Marianas Expo on Sep. 29 will officially start a whole year of activities for
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Saipan’s young dancers surprised the Rotary Club of Saipan members perform a flash mob to promote the Let’s Move Marianas Initiative yesterday at Giovanni’s Restaurant. Photo by Raquel C. Bagnol
everyone,” Mendiola said. The expo will be held from 7 a.m. to 12 noon and will feature cooking demonstrations by chefs and other activities. Mendiola said Esther Huh will also participate in the expo. A sixth grader from Kagman Elementary School, Huh won the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge and was one of the children from across the nation who were invited to have dinner with Mrs. Obama at the White House last week Mendiola said they sent an
invitation letter to Mrs. Obama and the Let’s Move council to watch the event, which will be seen live on the Internet. “We are still waiting for a response to our invitation,” Mendiola said. The Public School System is strongly involved in the initiative and has started a “Ten at Ten” program in which students will step out of the classrooms at 9:50 a.m. and do some stretching and physical exercises for 10 minutes. Mendiola said local radio stations will plug the commercials at
Amber Mendiola
9:50 a.m. and KSPN will air instructions after every news time. For the whole month of September, Mendiola said they will incorporate three things in their campaign — nutrition demonstrations, physical activities on the three major islands, and demonstrations regarding the dangers of tobacco and substance abuse. During yesterday’s Rotary meeting, young dancers from different groups performed a flash mob much to the surprise and delight of the Rotarians.
Saipan’s choreographers put a twist to the original “Let’s Move” dance steps performed by Beyonce to give it a local flavor. Mendiola said more flash mobs can be expected in the coming days. “If you want to get involved let us know we will come to your place to teach you the dance moves. Join the campaign to move everything and have everyone get involved in physical exercise,” Mendiola said. For more information email letsmovemarianas@gmail.com.
8/29/12 12:08:01 AM
Local / Pacific Islands
WEDNESDAY - AUGUST 29, 2012 - MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS
USS Greeneville here for R&R
By Raquel C. Bagnol raquel.bagnol@mvariety.com Variety News Staff
USS Greeneville SSN-772, a Los Angeles class submarine, is here with 150 officers and crewmembers for a few days of rest and recreation. Saipan port manager MaryAnn Q. Lizama said the submarine pulled into the harbor at 10 a.m. on Monday. Lizama said because of the rainy weather, the crewmembers and officers did not get the customary welcome from the Marianas Visitors Authority’s cultural dancers. But Frank Tudela representing the MVA was there to greet the sailors, along with Saipan Chamber of Commerce executive director Richard A. Pierce and president Douglas Brennan. The USS Greeneville is the first submarine to visit Saipan this year, according to Lizama, but this is its second time on island. USS Greeneville made its first visit in 2001. Tonight, the chamber will host a reception for the USS Greeneville officers and crewmembers at Tony Roma’s in Garapan from 6 p.m.
USS Greeneville SSN-772, a Los Angeles class submarine, pulls into the Saipan dock on Monday. Photo by Saipan Chamber of Commerce/Richard Pierce
to 8 p.m. The chamber is calling on the members of the community to welcome the USS Greeneville officers and crewmembers, and continue the tradition of making Saipan the “best recreation destination in the western Pacific for our visiting military vessels.” USS Greeneville is under the command of Capt. Martin Muck-
ian whose executive officer is Lt. Cmdr. David Coe. The vessel is named after Greeneville, Tennessee. It was launched on Sept. 17, 1994, sponsored by the then-vice president’s wife, Tipper Gore, and commissioned on Feb. 16, 1996 under Cmdr. Duane B. Hatch. USS Greeneville is scheduled to depart Saipan on Friday.
Yap People’s Market schedules new event COLONIA, Yap (Yap State Government) — The People’s Market has invited all members including vendors and customers to its next event scheduled for Friday, Sept. 21. It will take place at the Small Business Development Center from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on that day.
People are encouraged take part in the event as it is open to the public, and groups and individuals are also welcome to sell their local food products on market days. A special membership meeting is being scheduled to begin shortly following the event on Sept. 21. All members have been requested
Saipan’s Next Top Chef at street market tomorrow for school supplies donation drive By Raquel C. Bagnol raquel.bagnol@mvariety.com Variety News Staff
SAIPAN’S Next Top Chef 2012 winner Emmanuel Pancha of Marianas Resort & Spa will be at the Street Market at the Garapan Fishing Base tomorrow afternoon to help raise funds for school supplies of children from low-income families. Empty Vessel Ministry Foundation founder/director Rose Smith said for a $1 donation, anyone can have their photo taken with Pancha. Smith is also encouraging members of the community to bring school supplies to support Pancha’s efforts. Last year, 280 students benefited from the school supplies drive initiated by Empty Vessel through the help of 2011 Saipan’s Next Top Chef winner Chef Melquiades De Ramos of Fiesta Resort & Spa, along with the generous donations from individuals and businesses. “We would like to thank again all our sponsors and supporters who have supported our efforts in the past, for us to reach out to the community and abroad,” Smith said. “Let us all share what we have to help those families struggling through the hard times. We encourage the community to make a difference in children’s lives by donating school supplies, including
pencils and pens, coloring pens, crayons and markers, writing pads, notebooks, filler paper, rulers, glue, erasers, sharpeners, scissors and school backpacks. “These are basic needs and will go a long way to support and provide a significant impact on the children and their families,” Smith said. The 2012 Saipan’s Next Top Chef fundraiser competition was successful, she added, because of the generosity of businesses and churches including the Pacific Islands Club which was the major donor and event host. The other sponsors and supporters are Joeten Enterprises, Docomo Pacific, Fiesta Resort & Spa, Hyatt Regency Saipan, Mobil Tanapag, Kevin Department Store, Taro Sue, 360 Revolving Restaurant, Delta Air Lines, Mariana Resort & Spa, Serenity Salon & Spa, Kanoa Resort, Wushin Corp., Bridge Capital, McDonald’s, Dolphin’s Wholesale, IT&E, Marianas High School, Faith Works Church, Life in the Son Church and Guam “Outdoor” Chef Peter Duenas, owner of Chamoru Fusion cuisine restaurant on Guam, for hosting this year’s event. Those who want to make monetary donations can do so at the Empty Vessel Ministry office in Gualo Rai or at its street market booth. For more information, call 483-0162 or 235-2340.
to attend and participate in the discussions of all the issues that will be brought up during this special meeting which starts at 3:15 p.m. For further clarification on the Market Event, contact the Yap Small Business Development Center at 691-350-4801.
COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS STATE BOARD OF EDuCATION, PuBLIC SCHOOL SySTEM P.O. Box 501370 CK, Saipan, MP 96950 HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICE
JOB VACANCy ANNOuNCEMENT OPEN COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION ANNOuNCEMENT
It is the policy of the State Board of Education, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, that the Public School System’s Human Resources Regulations shall be applied and administered according to the principles of equal employment opportunity as defined by the Northern Marianas Commonwealth Public Law 6 - 10, regardless of age, race, sex, religion, political affiliation or belief, marital status, handicap or place of origin. Applicants for this position must be a U.S. Citizen or be eligible and authorized to work in the U.S., including the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
========================================================================== Announcement No: PSS-2012-077 Position Title: Certification & Licensure Officer Pay Level/Step: UNGRADED Per Annum Salary: $40,000.00 per annum Opening Date: August 16, 2012 Closing Date: August 30, 2012 Location: PSS, Office of the CNMI State Board of Education Benefits: Salary Commensurate with qualifications and experience, plus excellent benefits (including Life Insurance, Retirement Benefits, and Paid Leave/Holidays
Minimum Requirements: Graduation from a U.S. accredited college or university with a Bachelors Degree in Human Resources Management, Business Management, Education or related field with at least five (5) years work related experience.
==========================================================================
INTERESTED APPLICANTS MAY OBTAIN A DETAILED JOB DESCRIPTION WITH QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AND APPLICATION FORMS AT THE PSS HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICE AT THE 1st FLOOR, CNMI PSS CENTRAL OFFICE BUILDING, BWUGHOS STREET, SUSUPE. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS MUST BE ATTACHED TO COMPLETE APPLICATION FORMS: (1) COPY OF DIPLOMA/ DEGREE, (2) TRANSCRIPTS, (3) POLICE CLEARANCE (FROM PLACE OF RESIDENCE FOR PAST SIX MONTHS), (4) VERIFICATION OF EMPLOYMENT LETTER, (5) RESUME, AND (6) TEACHING CERTIFICATE (IF APPLICABLE).COMPLETED APPLICATIONS AND REQUIRED DOCUMENTS MAY BE SUBMITTED TO THE HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICE OR MAILED TO: CNMI PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, ATTN: HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICE, FIRST FLOOR, CNMI PSS CENTRAL OFFICE BUILDING, BWUGHOS STREET, SUSUPE, P.O. BOX 501370 CK, SAIPAN, MP 96950, and TEL. #. (670) 237-3052/79/64/31, FAX # (670) 664-3707. ALSO VISIT http://www.cnmipss. org ON THE WORLDWIDE WEB. MV 8-29-12.indd 8
Emmanuel Pancha
SSHS advisory (SSHS) — Saipan Southern High School would like to inform its students and their parents about the following upcoming events: First day of classes for SY 2012-2013 will be Sept. 4, 2012. Students must be on campus by 8 a.m. Classes start at 8:30 a.m. and dismissal is at 3 p.m. All new students enrolling at SSHS for school year 2012-2013 must complete and submit a
registration form ASAP. Registration forms are available in the registrar’s office or main office. All returning students who attended SSHS last year must return all your textbooks and settle all obligations with the school, before you can pick up your class schedule. Should you have questions, call 237-3702, 664-4000 or 237-3710. 8/29/12 12:08:03 AM
Local / Guam
MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS - WEDNESDAY - AUGUST 29, 2012
Guam’s Bordallo: Experience is important By Joy White joy@mvguam.com Variety News Staff
HAGÅTÑA — Guam Delegate Madeleine Z. Bordallo stressed the value of experience during her speech on Monday at the Rotary Club of Northern Guam meeting. Bordallo reminded Rotarians of all work that had been done during the five terms she had been serving as Guam’s delegate to Congress and how the progress made could be lost if she is not re-elected. “The relationships I have built during my tenure as your delegate means that I have more influence on issues than any delegate would have,” said the former first lady,
Korean media to explore golf on Saipan, Rota (MVA) — Six South Korean media outlets, including one of the top newspapers in the country, will arrive on Saipan and Rota Friday, Aug. 31, to report on this beach resort destination and highlight golf opportunities. DongA Ilbo, one of Korea’s top daily newspapers with a circulation of 2.3 million copies, will visit along with economic dailies TheAju Business and The Seoul Economic Daily, daily sports newspaper The Daily Sports Seoul, and travel trade weekly newspapers Korea Travel Times and Global Travel News. The combined circulation of all the media attending this familiarization, or FAM, tour is 6.7 million copies, and the Northern Marianas will receive $157,000 worth of ad coverage. The Marianas Visitors Authority assisting the FAM tour with airfares, ground handling, and filming permits. During their three-day visit, the media will cover golf at Mariana Country Club, Laolao Bay Golf Resort and Rota Resort & Country Club. Other tourism Bruce Bateman attractions will be featured, including Mandi Asian Spa, Rota Bird Sanctuary, DFS Galleria, I Love Saipan store, SandCastle Saipan dinner show, and Hanamitsu Spa. While on Rota, the group will also take time for an island tour. Lodging will be at Mariana Resort & Spa and Rota Resort & Country Club. As of June this fiscal year, visitor arrivals from Korea to the Northern Marina are up 17 percent to 94,160. “Since November 2011, monthly arrivals from Korea have shown consistent growth compared to the same months the previous year. This underscores the growing value of the Korea market,” said MVA marketing manager Bruce Bateman. “Supporting FAM tours such as this are an excellent investment and a way of getting the best value for MVA’s advertising dollar, as the resulting stories will provide major publicity coverage that we could not afford to purchase outright.” MVA will also provide a Koreanspeaking staff member to assist the media during their visit. MV 8-29-12.indd 9
senator and lt. governor. If a new candidate were to take the seat, they would have to start from the bottom, Bordallo stressed. Bordallo also pointed out that she had been continuously pushing war claims and the issue had progressed farther than it had in the years before her term had started. In addition, Bordallo said she had been working for a fair and beneficial military buildup for Guam. Bordallo also discussed her efforts for more Compact-Impact funds for Guam, improved health care, the Russia visa waiver, and the economy. “These and many questions about the direction for Guam and our nation are the reasons I am running for re-election. But above all, I am running to ensure that our families on Guam will have an avenue for their success,” Bordallo said.
Guam Delegate Madeleine Z. Bordallo was the guest speaker during Monday’s Rotary Club of Northern Guam’s weekly luncheon at the Hyatt. Photo by Matt Weiss
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WEDNESDAY - AUGUST 29, 2012 - MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS
FORUM A Meeting Place For Our Opinions. . .And Yours. . .
• Dr. Chen Huang
Doctor’s Notes End-of-life care for people dying of cancer HAGÅTÑA — Key points: End-of-life care provides physical, mental and emotional comfort, as well as social support, to people who are living with and dying of advanced illness. People who have already discussed their wishes for end-of-life care with their loved ones feel less stress at the end of their life, and so do their families. Advance directives are legal documents that record a person’s wishes for end-of-life care. Research has shown that hospice care may improve the quality of life of a cancer patient who is dying and of the patient’s family. What does end-of-life care mean for people who have cancer? When a cancer patient’s healthcare team determines that the cancer can no longer be controlled, medical testing and cancer treatment often stop. But the person’s care continues, with an emphasis on improving their quality of life and that of their loved ones, and making them comfortable for the following weeks or months. Medicines and treatments people receive at the end of life can control pain and other symptoms, such as constipation, nausea, and shortness of breath. Some people remain at home while receiving these treatments, whereas others enter a hospital or other facility. Either way, services are available to help patients and their families with the medical, psychological, social and spiritual issues around dying. Hospice programs are the most comprehensive and coordinated providers of these services. In Guam the hospice programs operate out of a person’s home. A nurse may be sent to the home to assess and assist the patient and provide support. A hospice director is the physician in charge and will be advised if symptoms are not controllable at home or if further need for medications arise. Pain control is a cornerstone of symptom management. Pain in a loved one many times means pain for the family that is around and assisting the patient with pain. Soon enough it becomes a symptom not only for the patient, but also for the whole family; therefore the importance of pain control in end-stages of cancer. The period at the end of life is different for each person. The signs and symptoms people have vary as their illness continues, and each person has unique needs for information, palliative treatment, and support. Questions and concerns that family members have about the end of life should be discussed with each other, as well as with the healthcare team, as they arise. Communication about end-of-life care and decision-making during the final months of a person’s life are very important. Research has shown that if a person who has advanced cancer discusses his or her options for care with a doctor early on, that person’s level of stress decreases and their ability to cope with illness increases. Studies also show that patients prefer an open and honest conversation with their doctor about choices for end-of-life care early in the course of their disease, and are more satisfied when they have this talk. Experts strongly encourage patients to complete advance directives, which are documents stating a person’s wishes for care. They can dictate (of course upon previous discussion and thought) wishes about life support — intubation (the act of putting a breathing tube in the windpipe of a patient) and cardiac resuscitation, as well as Continued on page 11
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OPINION
Romney’s play for Michigan By Marc A. Thiessen
LANSING, Mich. — It is no surprise that in the run-up to this week’s Republican National Convention, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan made their first joint campaign appearance in the key battleground state of Ohio. More interesting is that Romney and Ryan took their pre-convention tour to a Midwestern state that went for Barack Obama by double digits in 2008: Michigan. No GOP presidential candidate has carried Michigan in almost a quarter-century, and four years ago Obama won here in a 16-point landslide. This November, however, Romney sees Michigan as ripe for a pickup. Most polls show Obama leading here narrowly, but Romney strategists point out that their man is nearly tied with the president before the TV ad war between the campaigns has even begun. Michigan is one of 11 states where the Romney campaign is fully staffed with a battleground footprint and money flowing in. So can Romney pull an upset here? While he emphasized his Michigan roots this weekend with an ill-considered birther joke, his favorite-son status gets him only so far. After all, most Michigan voters have only distant memories of his father’s tenure as governor in the 1960s, and Romney barely squeaked out a three-point primary win over Rick Santorum in his home state. But a number of factors suggest that Romney has a shot in Michigan. For one thing, since Obama’s 2008 victory, Michigan voters put the House in GOP hands and have elected a Republican governor, Rick Snyder, who campaigned (like Romney) on his experience in the private sector. Since taking office, Snyder has erased a $1.5 billion budget deficit and cut corporate taxes by $1 billion a year — and Michigan’s unemployment rate dropped from over 13 percent in 2010 to 8.6 percent in June. If Michigan voters are comfortable enough to put a chief executive in charge in Lansing, it stands to reason they would also put a chief executive in charge in Washington. Despite the recent progress, Michigan is not yet out of the woods economically. The state is still in its 48th straight month of above-8-percent unemployment and has one of the highest foreclosure rates in the nation. The election will turn on jobs and the economy — and those are the issues Romney and Ryan emphasized
at a rally in Commerce this weekend. But the Romney campaign has also been highlighting two other issues that have particular resonance in Michigan. One is the administration’s contraception and abortifacient mandate, which hurts the president with the socially conservative Reagan Democrats in such places as Macomb County. There are 2.4 million Catholic voters in Michigan, and Obama’s assault on religious liberty has alienated many of them. In May, the Michigan Catholic Conference filed suit against the Obama administration over the Health and Human Services mandate — and Catholic priests will be preaching against it in parishes across the state between now and Election Day. Look for Romney to underscore his opposition to the HHS mandate — and his endorsement by Lech Walesa — with these Catholic voters, many of whom are of Polish and Ukrainian descent. The second issue is welfare reform. Welfare fraud is fresh on people’s minds here, thanks to the news of a Detroit area woman who was recently caught continuing to collect benefits despite winning a $1 million state lottery prize. Michiganders have a strong work ethic and remain justly proud of their state’s role as a pioneer of welfare reform in the 1990s. The charge that Obama is gutting welfare reform hits a nerve here. For these and other reasons, some Michigan Democrats are increasingly worried that Obama may be taking victory here for granted. Local Democratic pollster Bernie Porn recently told the political newsletter MIRS that the Obama campaign seems to be “of the opinion that the bailout and loans he approved for the auto industry is such a powerful message that’s going to win the day for him. But I think he could be waiting too long.” Romney knows he must win key battleground states, like Ohio, and take back states such as Virginia and North Carolina, which George W. Bush carried but John McCain lost in 2008. But he is also making a serious play for a few additional states no Republican has carried in the past five elections. His selection of Ryan as his running mate has put one of those states — Wisconsin — in play. And while a GOP victory in Michigan is still a long shot, Romney is betting he can also become the first Republican to win the state since 1988 — and with it the White House. (The Washington Post) 8/29/12 12:08:08 AM
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MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS - WEDNESDAY - AUGUST 29, 2012
OPINION
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By E.J. Dionne Jr.
TAMPA, Fla. — In 1964, George Romney, then the governor of Michigan, walked out of the Republican National Convention during Barry Goldwater’s acceptance speech. He was protesting his party’s sharp turn rightward and its weak platform plank on civil rights. This week, 48 years on, Mitt Romney is set to achieve what his father never could. But his great family triumph will not represent a vindication of his father’s principles. Mitt Romney reached the summit not by battling the GOP’s staunchest conservatives but by accommodating them. Nothing better captures the absolute victory of the forces of Goldwaterism than a Romney triumph on the basis of Goldwater’s ideas. There will certainly be no speeches akin to the one offered by Nelson Rockefeller, the champion of liberal Republicanism. He was booed and hissed by the Goldwater legions who dominated the 1964 gathering. Scorning the militants of a new right, Rockefeller pronounced their views “wholly alien to the sound and honest conservatism that has firmly based the Republican Party in the best of a century’s traditions, wholly alien to the sound and honest Republican liberalism that has kept the party abreast of human needs in a changing world, wholly alien to the broad middle course that accommodates the mainstream of Republican principles.” Liberalism cannot speak its name at a Republican convention anymore. And the contemporary figure closest to the liberal Republicanism of old may well be a man named Barack Obama. Nowhere is it written that a son must follow his father’s political creed, and the times that shaped Mitt Romney were very different from the post-World War II era of social solidarity that set George Romney on his course in business and politics. The capitalism of Bain is not the capitalism of the auto industry during the ’50s and ’60s in which the elder Romney made his mark. And to get to the top of a far more conservative GOP, Mitt Romney had to make his peace with the tea party, the Christian Coalition, the Club for Growth and all the other forces that have produced the most radically individualistic brand of politics our country has seen since the Gilded Age. Romney sealed this pact by choosing to run with Rep. Paul Ryan, the onetime devotee of Ayn Rand’s self-regarding philosophy. Thus will this election be as large in its implications as Goldwater’s was — but against an incumbent presiding over an economy far less carefree than the booming prosperity machine that helped Lyndon B. Johnson to his landslide and liberalism to its high tide. The Romney top brass, however, is contemplating not 1964 but Ronald Reagan’s convention of 1980. That’s when the Gipper, a proud Goldwater disciple, used a truly exceptional speech to begin reassuring the nation that he was no extremist while reaching out to the restive constituency that came to be known as the Reagan Democrats. A Romney who badly needs to reintroduce himself to voters has a lot of work to do this week. It will be difficult work in an era when party conclaves do not draw the audiences they once did. Partisan polarization (and the multiplication of programming options) has sharply limited convention audiences, tilting them toward the already decided. So far, Romney has used the campaign to make negative arguments — first against his primary opponents and then against Obama. He has not made the case for himself, he has seen his business experience transformed from an asset into a liability, and he cannot seem to escape curiosity about his reluctance to release more tax returns. He has let the summer campaign dialogue get away from him, most spectacularly last week when the political media were focused not on the sluggish economy but on the bizarre comments of Todd Akin, the Republican Senate nominee in Missouri who put forward the concept of “legitimate rape.” So Romney’s tasks will be both biographical, presenting his best self, and thematic, turning the campaign toward Obama’s shortcomings rather than his own. But above all, Romney must solve his authenticity problem. Through all his transformations since 1994, when he first sought public office in Massachusetts, Romney has seemed more a politician who would do whatever it took to close a deal than a leader driven by conviction and commitment. This is a problem George Romney never had. For all of Mitt Romney’s impressive achievements, he will not emerge successfully from Tampa unless he can convince voters that what they are seeing is a real person and not an image cleverly crafted for the sole purpose of getting to 270 electoral votes. (The Washington Post)
End-of-life... Continued from page 10 the overall level of “investment” from the healthcare system. They also designate who the patient chooses as the decision-maker for their care when they are unable to MV 8-29-12.indd 11
decide. It’s important for people with cancer to have these decisions made before they become too sick to make them. However, if a person does become too sick before they have completed an advance directive, it’s helpful for
To all legislators THANK you to the seven representatives who have pre-filed the articles of impeachment. You have done an amazing thing and something you should be very proud of. Surely you may encounter some backlash. Stand strong against it. There are many many people that are so proud of you. Many that have not or cannot speak up. Although there may be some argument as to what constitutes a “felony,” “neglect of duty” or “corruption,” it is very clear from these 16 articles and the information contained, there is no question that Fitial has committed some extremely questionable acts. I appeal to the remaining 13 members of the CNMI House of Representatives to read the articles and do what is right. Pass this resolution. Give the Senate the ability to investigate the claims. Some among you have said that Fitial is “innocent until proven guilty.” This is true. I ask you to give the Senate a chance to hear Fitial defend himself against these charges. Should this matter go to public recall, he will not be given such an opportunity. It
is immensely clear that the public sentiment is behind the impeachment proceedings. I ask each of you to look around at the state of the CNMI today. You know as well as I that it is in bad shape. It is due to at the most basic level, a neglect of duty by Governor Fitial. Will impeaching him solve all the problems? No, but it will send a message throughout the community and throughout the world that the neglect is not tolerated and that we as a commonwealth deserve more. There has always been a strong sense of fear in this community. I am so glad that is disappearing. As a friend of mine wrote back in 2007: “There is the problem of our silence in the midst of crisis. Our silence is perhaps the single greatest threat to the future of the commonwealth. Why have we been so quiet in the face of blatant corruption and failed leadership? I can think of at least three reasons: fear, cynicism, and an unquestioning acceptance of what we are told.” Aside from all the many fears
to act, one may be that we are being told not to “cast the stone if you have done wrong.” To that I share this other quote from that same person: “Perhaps we do not speak up for fear that we ourselves will be exposed for wrongdoing or dishonesty. Maybe we ourselves have benefited unfairly from the ‘who-you-know not-what-youknow’ way of doing things in the islands, and we are reluctant to be the ones in the glass house throwing stones. If this is the case, then let’s be honest about our mistakes, and let’s focus on moving forward to solutions. No one among us is perfect, no one is above reproach. I would venture to say that all of us have played the system in one way or another in order to get by. It is up to all of us now to change the system, and we can begin by changing ourselves.” Let us do the right thing CNMI. We can do this. Regards, GLEN HUNTER Fina Sisu, Saipan
Time to count noses A RECENT Guam Variety editorial refers to polls taken by We Are Guåhan and the Guam Chamber of Commerce as “intended to stifle debate, not promote it.” You miss the point. It is not about debate, it is about decision. The debate over the buildup has raged large for years now, and people have been all over the road. Look at just one “debater,” Sen. Judi Guthertz. She at one point called for putting up tollbooths
outside the bases, and then just a couple of weeks ago declared, in an article carried in your paper, “I support any program by our military to enhance its presence in the Mariana Islands.” So, where then does she, and all the other “shades of gray,” actually stand? All intelligent people understand nuance and qualification. But when you go into the voting booth, you don’t get to qualify your vote and wax eloquently
and conveniently about what’s in this hand and the other. It is a “yes” or “no” vote. Elections are not debates, they are decisions, often very hard and soul-searching decisions. We’ve heard the debates, and we understand the issues. It is time to count noses, and these polls are very useful for that purpose.
family caregivers to know what type of care their loved one would want to receive. In fact, everyone — not just cancer patients — should have a good idea of how they view topics such as cardiac resuscitation, intubation and the overall level of
investment desired. Your primary care physician is a good source to start discussion about this topic. Please make sure to bring this up on your next visit with your family doctor. This will ensure that everyone has the ques-
tions answered and there are no surprises if something should happen. So beware of issues regarding end of life — this is important for everyone. We will have more information in future articles.
JOHN BROWN Tumon, Guam
8/29/12 12:08:09 AM
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Local
Community Briefs DUI sobriety checkpoints (DPS) — The Department of Public Safety will conduct DUI sobriety checkpoints on the dates and times listed below: Friday, Aug. 31 10 p.m. to 11:15 p.m., Beach Road Chalan Kanoa by Meena’s. Saturday, Sept. 1 1 a.m. to 2:15 a.m., Chalan Monsignor Guerrero, Chalan Kiya by the CUC Waterloo. Each sobriety checkpoint will last at least one hour and 15 minutes. For more information, contact Sgt. Thomas Blas at 6649022.
Survivors, caregivers support meeting (Commonwealth Cancer Association) — All people facing cancer, their family members, and caregivers are invited to the next CCA monthly support meeting scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 30, at Fiesta Resort, starting at 5:30pm. This month’s support meeting guest speaker will be Trina Sablan, healthy lifestyle promotion coordinator, Non-Communicable Diseases Bureau. Her presentation will feature detailed information on health promotion. To RSVP or for more information, call the Commonwealth Cancer Association at 682-0050 or email at ccamarianas@gmail. com.
Park events (American Memorial Park) — American Memorial Park has the following schedule of events for September: • Sept. 7 First Friday film: 6:30 p.m. “End of the Line” • Sept. 19, Wednesday “International Talk Like a Pirate Celebration,” 5 p.m. • September, any day, “Talk Like a Pirate Month” • Curriculum-based team building programs Call Ranger Nancy Kelchner for reservations at 234-7207 ext. 2020 • Saturdays, Sept. 1, 8, 15, 22 Let’s Move — movies and activities 2-6 p.m. The Visitor Center is open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. MV 8-29-12.indd 12
WEDNESDAY - AUGUST 29, 2012 - MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS
NMI job access mobility team submits application (Office of the CNMI Governor) members will discuss informa— In response to a call for innova- tion and insights from the listentive community teams for JobLinks ing sessions, determine the key Employment Transportation Job mobility challenge to solve, and Access Mobility Institute, the otherwise prepare for the work of Commonwealth Office of Transit the Job Access Mobility Summit; Authority took the initiative to 3) Attend the 3.5 day Job Access form one. By favorable decision, Mobility Summit (November 27a CNMI Job Access Mobility 30, 2012) in the Washington, D.C. Institute Team was organized and area. During this summit, teams submitted its application on August will have several hours dedicated 23, 2012 before the August 24, to team discussions and action plan 2012 deadline. development. Work in these team The Community Transportation meetings will be supported through of America’s Joblinks Employment plenary sessions, workshops, faTransportation Center is looking cilitation, and networking; and 4) to support five communities in be active participant in team work designing new and improved on- following the November summit to the-ground transportation services implement the job access solution that respond to a key transportation the team designed for its comchallenge facing job seekers, train- munity (December 2012-March ees, and employees in their locale. 2013). The Job Access Mobility Institute In return, Joblinks will 1) provide is a multi-month, team-based re- assistance from September 2012 search, design, and implementing through March 2013 to support process in which teams teams in designing and will develop and test a implementing their job transportation service that access solutions, and will solves a key challenge of link teams to additional their constituents. This support beyond that period, opportunity will bring toas request; 2) collaborate gether innovative thinkers with an innovative strategy from the transportation, company to support Thomas employment and training, teams in building an Camacho and business sectors to innovation design process solve their community’s unique into their work, customizing the mobility challenges, according to process to meet local needs; 3) CTAA. offer trainings sessions and workFive communities (states/insular shops both virtually and in person, areas) will be competitively chosen customized to this Institute process to participate in the Job Access Mo- and the team’s goals; and 4) Pay bility Institute, CTAA team-based all costs (up to $7,500 airfare per training and action planning pro- team including ground, room and cess to grow innovative solutions meal accommodations) for up to to local and regional workplace eight members from each commobility challenges. munity to attend the November The institute process includes 27-30 Job Access Mobility Summit community fieldwork, a commu- in Arlington, VA. nity-based workshop for the team This is a timely opportunity for and a larger group of stakeholders, the commonwealth Office of Tranand a 3.5 day training and action sit Authority because of its infancy planning summit in the Washing- stage and its plan to expand the ton, D.C. area. current transit system to serve other Selected team members will riders in need of transportation 1) undertake community-based and the newly awarded Veterans work involving listening sessions, Transportation grant, said Thomas customer-focused data gathering, J. Camacho, special assistant for and research (September-October public transportation. The teams 21012) to inform the team’s work met two times and communicated during and after the Institute; 2) via emails to decide and prepare convene an on-site community the application. Members of the workshop that Joblinks will co- CNMI Team includes a repredevelop with the team. During sentative from 1) the Commonthe one-day workshop (to be held wealth Development Authority in October or early November), (economic development agency); the team and other community 2) representative from the Saipan
Call-a-Ride (private transportation provider); 3) representative from the Workforce Investment Agency (Workforce Investment Board staff or board member); 4) individual with disability who uses the transit system; 5) representative from the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (community-based employment and training provider); 6) representative from the CNMI Council on Developmental Disabilities (advocates for job-seekers/mobility manager); 7) representative from the Commonwealth Office of Transit Authority (public transportation provider/transportation planner). As a requirement, the team designated CDA representative as the Team Leader who comes from the economic development sector. Originally, representatives from the Office of Aging the Saipan Chamber of Commerce were participants on the team but later withdrew. The team also invited the Department of Commerce. Joblinks will select teams whose members bring diverse perspective and knowledge; have a broad and diverse networks; are committed to solving often complex mobility challenges; are knowledgeable or interested in learning about existing conditions affecting access to employment opportunities; and are flexible, open to new ideas and comfortable doing things differently, when necessary. Realizing the critical and importance of this institute for the CNMI transit system, the team agreed to pursue its plan to participate regardless if the team is not selected. According to the CNMI Team’s application statement, “Currently, there is NO public or mass transit system available to residents on Saipan, Tinian and Rota. The Saipan Call-aRide, a small scale para-transit service offering specialized service to those with disabilities and the manamko’ (elderly), addresses the needs of just a small segment of the population. Its services should, thus, be broadened to address the transportation needs of the general populace — the many low-income and carless residents and the working and work-seeking population
(i.e., for events such as job fairs, interviews, employment training programs and other employment services). A private bus company once offered public transportation services along a fixed route on Saipan. The service; however, was not operational for too long as it received no public assistance/government subsidies.” In 2003, the CNMI under the leadership of the CNMI Council on Developmental Disabilities applied and was selected to attend the 2003 Mobility Planning Services Institute in Washington, D.C. sponsored by the Easter Seals Project ACTION (Accessible Community Transportation in our Nation, http://www.metro-magazine.com/ News/Print/2011/10/Improvingaccessible-transportation-throughcoalition-building.aspx). Team members were awarded $4,000 for travel-related expenses. The team then included representative from the Advocacy Organization represented by the CNMI Council on Developmental Disabilities (Team Leader); Public School System Bus Services; PSS Special Education Program; then Department of Public Health; and a community disability self-advocate who used the transit system. Just like Joblinks, the MPS CNMI Team developed an Transportation Action Plan. Originally, the team included representative from the private transportation provider of Saipan Call-a-Ride operated then by PDI. As a result of the team action plan, two major accomplishments were realized in the CNMI: the establishment of the first transportation services for people with disabilities and the elderly and the advocacy work towards the passing and signing into law establishing the Commonwealth Office of Transit Authority (or PL. 17-43). The Transportation Employment Plan of Action the team will design will be made a part as a reference when designing and developing the CNMI Transportation Master Plan. The 5-Team selection decision will be announced on August 31, 2012.
Zoning advisory on business/political signs and banners (Zoning Office) — The Zoning Office is advising the public that the zoning law contains requirements regarding signs and banners for business establishments as well as community, personal, and political events and therefore encourages all
owners to apply for and obtain the appropriate permits. Such requirements include the specific timelines for temporary usage, allowable distance from the public right-of-way, intersection clearance for safe vehicular/pedestrian view,
or the permanent removal of any damaged signs. Due to the growing number of violations, the Zoning Office is announcing a deadline of Sept. 4, 2012 for owners to bring their business, personal, or political signs and banners into compliance with the law. The office further advises that failure to do so may result in
the imposition of up to $1,000 per day until the day that such violation is corrected. Zoning encourages the public and business community to visit their website at www.zoning.gov. mp or office on the 2nd Floor of Joeten Dandan Building to learn more about the requirements for signs and banners. 8/29/12 12:08:10 AM
MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS - WEDNESDAY - AUGUST 29, 2012
Guam gets federal funds for fire trucks, more ambulances By Zita Y. Taitano zita@mvguam.com Variety News Staff
HAGÅTÑA — The Guam Fire Department is getting muchneeded vehicles to add to their fleet using Compact-Impact funding. Acting Gov. Ray Tenorio on Monday announced that the Office of Insular Affairs is awarding GFD $1.5 million from the CompactImpact program to purchase new fire trucks and new ambulances. “Having more fire trucks and more ambulances on our roads will save more lives — it’s as simple as that,” Tenorio said. “I congratulate Gov. (Eddie) Calvo and the men and women of the fire
department on this milestone.” The money will be used to buy two new fire trucks and four new ambulances. The funding will also continue the current lease of four ambulances. GFD spokesman Lt. Ed Artero said the department will determine where to place the new trucks when they come in. “Some current trucks will go to other stations and some will be determined at a later date,” he said, adding none of the trucks need to be replaced despite their age. There are currently 12 fire stations, 10 of which have fire trucks. One facility has a forestry fire truck but one fire station, in Sinajana,
doesn’t have any, although it has an EMT vehicle and an advance life support vehicle. As for the new ambulances, Artero said they have three that had just arrived and four that are on lease. “And then we have another three coming in that are exactly the same as the first three that arrived last month,” he said. The three new ambulances are expected to arrive by the end of September. When asked about the new ambulances, Artero said the total number of vehicles for this particular fleet will come to 10. With regard to the four leased ambulances, Artero said the Compact-Impact money will continue the lease of those particular vehicles until the end of October, which is when the contract expires.
Guam / Pacific Islands
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Pacific Digest ‘Democracy has been wounded’ SUVA (Pacnews) — The man responsible for Fiji’s first two military coups says they have been a serious setback for democracy. Former Maj. Gen. Sitiveni Rabuka staged two coups in Fiji in 1987 in an attempt to reassert ethnic Fijian supremacy. He is due to be a keynote speaker at a conference on democracy at University of Canterbury in New Zealand. “Democracy has suffered it has been wounded. It’s up to us to recover from the wounds and move forward,” he said. He officially apologized for the coups in 2006 saying they were wrong. He hopes Fiji’s new constitution will be framed to ward against coups. Fiji is currently under a military regime that seized power in a coup six years ago.
Fiji rejects proposal for assisted suicide clinic
SUVA (Pacnews) — Fiji’s government has rejected a proposal by Australian euthanasia advocate Dr Philip Nitschke to set up an assisted suicide clinic in the country. Nischke previously said the clinic could a considerable source of revenue for Fiji if it went ahead. The government said the proposal was never seriously considered. Fiji’s Methodist Church has welcomed the decision, and its deputy general-secretary, the Reverend Tevita Banivanua, said Fijian Christians would never have supported it.
Australia under pressure to fund TB clinics
PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) — The Australian government is under pressure to reinstate funding for tuberculosis clinics in the Torres Strait islands and Papua New Guinea after warnings of an increase in medical refugees. Doctors warn a humanitarian crisis unfolding in PNG’s Western Province is spreading to Brisbane, Cairns and Townsville hospitals as more medical refugees seek treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis, cholera, AIDS and leprosy. The Queensland and Australian governments controversially decided to close health clinics in Queensland’s northernmost islands in mid-June despite the World Health Organization listing it as a crisis.
West Papua resistance losing fight for freedom JAYAPURA (Pacnews) — West Papua resistance leaders say they are losing their struggle for independence amid a rising tide of violence. After almost 50 years of Indonesian rule, the reins of control are being pulled tighter than ever, with human rights groups saying the frequency and ferocity of abuse is on the rise. There are even claims that an elite counter-terrorism unit, one that has been funded and trained by Australia, is operating in West Papua where it is accused of targeting and killing independence leaders. ABC’s Hayden Cooper went undercover in the secretive Indonesian province, where he discovered a police state operating with impunity. The sheer scale of the police and military presence is obvious from the moment of arrival in the ruggedly beautiful region — a treasure trove of mineral wealth and a place where two vibrant cultures meet and struggle for the right to rule.
Tongan consulate plans on the table
GUAM CONTESTANT. Jennifer Lynn Cortez, 21, smiles during the Miss Universe Guam 2012 preliminaries on Sunday. She is one of the nine candidates vying for the Miss Universe Guam, Miss International Guam and Miss Super Model Guam titles on Friday, Aug. 31. Photo by Matt Weiss MV 8-29-12.indd 13
AUCKLAND (Pacnews) — The Tongan king and the Auckland mayor discussed plans for a consulate in the city over lunch Monday during the king’s first visit to New Zealand since his coronation in March. King Tupou VI is visiting the country after an invitation from the Maori King Tuheitia in conjunction with his annual coronation celebration. Guests at the Auckland Town Hall included his wife, Queen Nanasipau’u, Tongan delegates, Auckland councillors, local board chairs and the Minister of Maori Affairs Pita Sharples. “It was quite a historic day because it’s the first time that we have officially hosted the Maori king as well as the new Tongan king,” Mayor Len Brown said. Tongan community leader Kehe Moana Fameitau said plans for a new high commission were a talking point during the visit. The high commission in Wellington was closed last year to save money. 8/29/12 12:08:11 AM
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Philippines / Asia
WEDNESDAY - AUGUST 29, 2012 - MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS
Erap backs Arroyo’s treatment abroad MANILA (The Philippine Star) — Former President and now Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal Arroyo should be allowed to seek medical treatment abroad, former President Joseph Estrada said on Monday. Estrada said the International Police could track down Arroyo should she try to hide abroad as feared by some people in the Aquino administration. Estrada cited his own case when the ant-graft court special division allowed him to undergo knee surgery in Hong Kong. On Dec. 27, 2004 his personal doctor, Christopher Mow, flew to Hong Kong to do the surgery. “There were four policemen from the Philippine National Police sent in addition to the three or so Hong Kong policemen assigned to guard me,” Estrada recalled. “Like her, I had titanium implanted in both knees. In GMA’s
case, she had titanium in her cervix spine that loosened up. I could just imagine the pain she’s going through now, like when she reportedly choked even while just eating,” he said. “It’s a very painful procedure, especially after the effect of anesthesia wore off. I called on all the saints, but none of them answered,” he added. Estrada returned to the country on Jan. 15, 2005 and continued his therapy at his rest house. He can now walk without a limp. Estrada also admitted undergoing stem cell treatment in Germany recently. The procedure was in preparation for his mayoralty bid in Manila against re-electionist Mayor Alfredo Lim in the midterm elections next year. Arroyo was Estrada’s vice president when he was ousted in a military-backed uprising that installed her as president in 2001.
Pakistani court gives premier time to obey order ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s top court on Monday gave the country’s prime minister three more weeks to decide whether to obey its order to reopen an old corruption case against the president or face the prospect of being ousted from office like his predecessor. The decision followed an appearance by Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf before the judges and was seen as a rare conciliatory gesture by the supreme court toward the government after months of conflict over the issue. With the reprieve, the judges may be responding to criticism from the public for relentlessly pursuing the case. Some have suggested the court should focus on legal matters affecting ordinary citizens and leave the government alone to tackle pressing problems like the country’s ailing economy and fight against the Taliban. Taliban militants coming from Afghanistan attacked an area of northwest Pakistan for the fourth day in a row Monday, trapping people in villages where the fighting was most fierce, said officials and local residents. The dispute involving the prime minister centers on a graft case in a Swiss court against President Asif Ali Zardari dating back to the late 1990s. The Pakistani Supreme Court has demanded the government write a letter to Swiss authorities asking them to reopen the case. The government has refused, saying Zardari enjoys immunity from prosecution while in office. Zardari is in little immediate danger of being tried — the Swiss MV 8-29-12.indd 14
Japan ambassador targeted in China amid protests BEIJING (AFP) — The car carrying Japan’s ambassador to China was targeted here on Monday by a man who ripped off the vehicle’s national flag, prompting a protest by Tokyo, Japanese officials said. The incident followed widespread anti-Japan demonstrations in China over a disputed East China Sea island chain known in China as Diaoyu and in Japan as Senkaku. The ambassador, Uichiro Niwa, was in the vehicle at the time but was not hurt in the incident, said a Japanese foreign ministry official in Tokyo. An official at the Japanese embassy told AFP the Japanese flag, which identifies the ambassador’s car, was taken away by the man but the vehicle was not damaged in the afternoon incident. “At least two cars let the ambassador’s car stop on the road and a Chinese man took the national flag,” he said. Chinese authorities later said they were “seriously investigating” the incident, the official Xinhua news agency reported. The agency quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying the Chinese government always conscientiously fulfils the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations to protect the safety of foreign embassies and personnel. Diplomatic vehicles in China are also identified by special car plates but typically only ambassadors’ vehicles carry national flags. A Japanese diplomat later registered a protest with the Chinese foreign ministry in a meeting, demanding an investigation and prevention of future such incidents,
Anti-Japan protesters march in Chengdu, in southwestern China’s Sichuan province on Aug. 19, 2012. AP
the embassy official said. No arrests have been made, he said, adding the embassy has not warned Japanese nationals in China following the incident. Tensions between Japan and China flared earlier this month after pro-Beijing activists who landed on one of the disputed islands were arrested by Japanese authorities
and later deported. Around a dozen nationalists raised Japanese flags on the island just days later. Thousands of Chinese citizens in more than 20 cities have protested over the last two weeks, which saw Japanese businesses, restaurants and cars targeted in some cities.
Mumbai dogs bite man — more than 200 times a day Raja Pervaiz Ashraf
have indicated they have no plans to continue with the case, at least not while the president is in office. But the supreme court still wants the government to write the letter. The court convicted then-Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani of contempt in April and ousted him from office two months later for rejecting its order. The ruling Pakistan People’s Party rallied support to elect the new premier, Ashraf, and has given no indication it plans to implement the court’s decision. Many expected the judges to announce Monday that they would charge Ashraf with contempt for also refusing to write the letter.
MUMBAI (AFP) — More than 200 people were bitten by dogs every day last year in India’s commercial capital Mumbai, up 50 percent in four years due to a surging population of strays, a
report said Monday. The number of bites recorded since 2001 is 650,000, and last year’s average of 221 a day up was up by 50 percent from 2007, according to data from the Brihan-
Stray dogs are seen in Mumbai, India.
AFP
mumbai Municipal Corp., published in the Mumbai Mirror. The newspaper said the number of stray dogs roaming the chaotic city has doubled to 150,000 since 2007. But fewer deaths related to dog bites have been recorded, probably because sterilization and vaccinations have improved. Six dog bite-related deaths were registered in 2011, down from 14 in 2010. The figures were released in response to a Right to Information request. Abodh Aras, chief executive of the Welfare of Stray Dogs trust, said he was unsure how the BMC’s figures had been derived, but the increase in registered bites did not necessarily mean more dogs had started biting. “It’s very clear that awareness has gone up,” he told AFP, so people are more likely to go for anti-rabies medication and get their bites recorded. 8/29/12 12:08:14 AM
Nation
MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS - WEDNESDAY - AUGUST 29, 2012
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Poll: Romney faces headwinds in race against Obama TAMPA, Florida (Reuters) tive attacks from Obama over the — Mitt Romney enters Republican summer. convention week facing serious The poll found that Obama challenges in his drive to unseat far outstrips Romney on who is President Obama in the Novem- more eloquent by 51 percent to 21 ber 6 election, with the Democrat percent. Obama also gets higher outscoring him on eloquence and likability numbers, with 54 percent likability, according to a Reuters/ to 26 percent finding him more Ipsos poll released on Monday. likeable. But many factors weigh in the Forty-seven percent say he is Republican’s favor as he seeks a “a good person,” compared to 29 boost from his Tampa, Florida, percent for Romney, and 48 percent convention. An overwhelming said Obama would be “fun to meet majority of Americans believe in person,” while 21 percent said the U.S. economy is on the wrong that about Romney. track, the poll found. Romney is seeking The convention that to use his convention will nominate Romthis week to improve ney as the Republihis likability perforcan candidate to face mance with several Obama begins in earspeakers expected to nest on Tuesday. The talk up his life and caformer Massachusetts reer as a family man, governor addresses former businessman, thousands of delegates and ex-governor. gathered for the event The one trait where on Thursday. Romney leads by a Obama and Vice large margin is “a President Joe Biden man of faith” — 40 were ahead of Rompercent for Romney ney and running mate against 28 percent for Paul Ryan by 46 perObama. cent to 42 percent, acThe two candicording to the online dates were within a poll. The Obama team few points of each Mitt Romney led the Republicans other on “will protect by 16 percentage points among American jobs,” 36 percent for independents, a key voting bloc Obama against 33 percent for Romthat could tip the election in battle- ney. There were identical numbers ground states. on the question of who “can be It was the first installment of a effective in Washington.” four-day rolling poll by Reuters/IpA host of factors that arose in sos which will measure and track the poll should serve as warning attitudes during the Republican and signs for the president despite his Democratic conventions. advantages over the lesser-known Other polls have shown Obama Republican. and Romney neck-and-neck and According to the poll, 75 percent the Republican’s campaign of- believe the economy is on the ficials believe they are in good wrong track, 83 percent believe the position to upset the Democrat same of fuel and gasoline prices, in November given that Romney and 79 percent think “your cost of has withstood a barrage of nega- living” is doing badly.
New York ‘stop and frisk’ trial set for March 2013 NEW YORK (Reuters) — The broadest legal challenge to the New York Police Department’s controversial crime-fighting tactic known as “stop and frisk” will head to trial in March, a U.S. judge ruled on Monday. The case stems from a class action lawsuit filed in 2008 by four black men claiming they were improperly targeted by police because of their race. U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin in Manhattan granted class action status to the lawsuit in March, saying the plaintiffs had established their cases were emblematic of a city-wide problem. The city promptly appealed her decision and the NYPD has strongly defended the tactic, arguing it has MV 8-29-12.indd 15
been critical in taking guns off the streets and achieving an historic drop in crime rates. The police deny that race or quotas motivate stops and say they are stopping people considered suspicious. At Monday’s hearing, the judge said the case had dragged on long enough and noted that the March 18, 2013 trial would be more than five years since the case was first filed. Darius Charney, a lawyer for the Center for Constitutional Rights, told the judge Monday that the plaintiffs had not yet decided whether to ask for a bench trial or whether they would seek to present their case to a jury. Judge Scheindlin is also overseeing two other separate lawsuits contesting the NYPD tactic.
California Gov. Jerry Brown trades pens with Jong Joong Kim, president of Samsung Electronics Co. at the MOU signing ceremony at San Jose City Hall in San Jose, Calif. on Aug. 16, 2012. Samsung will expand its research and development operations in San Jose. Brown said Samsung’s announcement shows that despite persistent criticism that California’s high taxes and heavy regulations make it hostile toward business, the state remains a draw for technology companies. AP
Top California lawmaker sees pension reform deal SACRAMENTO, California (Reuters) — Democrats who control California’s legislature aim to hammer out a pension overhaul deal by Tuesday, improving the odds for voter approval of Gov. Jerry Brown’s November tax measure. State Senate President Darrell Steinberg told reporters in the state capital Sacramento that a committee of lawmakers would vote on Tuesday on a package of bills based on Brown’s pension proposals. Lawmakers end this year’s session on Friday and Brown, a Democrat, wants to show voters the state’s leaders are intent on curbing retirement expenses. That would raise government credibility — and chances for a temporary tax hike he is pushing, Brown and his allies believe. Pension costs have become a major concern for voters in California and across the nation. California cities Stockton and San Bernardino recently filed for bankruptcy protection from their creditors, and both had substantial pension burdens. “I’m confident there will be a deal tomorrow,” Steinberg said.
The state Assembly and Senate will not be able to amend the conference committee deal, and he predicted Democrats with majorities in both houses would approve it on Friday. Democratic legislators have been cool to some of Brown’s key proposals such as higher retirement ages, increased pension contributions by employees and “hybrid” pensions combining features of traditional pensions and 401(k)-style accounts. Hybrid plans will not be included in the package the legislative committee will vote on, but a cap on salaries used to determine pension payments will be in the bill, Steinberg said. Steinberg did not mention changing retirement age, but he did suggest there would be a step toward Brown’s proposal that employees share equally in pension contribution costs now shouldered mostly by employers. “It deals with formulas, it deals with mandatory contributions — additional contributions — by current employees, it deals with all of the abuse issues, it deals with more of a wide range of issues that have been discussed and debated
for some time,” Steinberg said. “There are going to be some people — people in organized labor, frankly — that are not going to be thrilled with it,” he added. A spokesman for Brown declined to comment on ongoing talks between the governor’s office and lawmakers. Taxpayers without pensions are increasingly cranky about having to support government employees in retirement, said Bob Stern, past president of the Center for the Governmental Studies: “There is a bit of pension envy.” Brown last year rolled out his plan to overhaul pensions for government workers in the most populous U.S. state, a move that made many Democratic lawmakers allied with public employee unions nervous. Overhauling pensions would give Brown a major selling point for his tax measure, said Dan Schnur, director of the Unruh Institute of Politics at the University of Southern California. “It’s his single best chance between now and November to convince voters the state government can be trusted with their dollars,” Schnur said. Polls show the measure ahead, but support is expected to wane by election day. The state budget Brown signed in June closed a $15.7 billion deficit in part based on assumed revenue from voters approving his ballot measure. If voters reject it, California will need to cut more spending, including more than $5 billion from popular education programs, to keep its books balanced. Brown’s tax measure would increase the state sales tax to 7.5 percent from 7.25 percent for four years and raise income taxes on Californians making more than $250,000 a year for seven years. 8/29/12 12:08:16 AM
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World
WEDNESDAY - AUGUST 29, 2012 - MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS
France ready to recognize Syria opposition government
PARIS (AFP) — French President Francois Hollande stepped up pressure on Syria Monday, saying France would recognize a provisional government and warning of a foreign intervention if the regime uses chemical weapons. In a speech to French diplomats, Hollande called for an “intensification of efforts for the political transition to take place quickly” and urged the Syrian opposition to form a “provisional, inclusive and representative” government. “France will recognize the provisional government of the new Syria as soon as it is formed,” he said. Washington, however, reacted that before setting up a government the Syrian opposition first needed to coordinate with citizens inside and outside the country and set a democratic path. “So that’s the first order of business — for them to all agree on what a transition ought to look like. Obviously, it’s a matter for them to decide if and when they may be prepared to start naming folks,” said U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland. Hollande was on the same page with the United States and Britain when he warned the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that using chemical weapons would be a legitimate reason for a foreign intervention.
French President Francois Hollande, left, welcomes Syrian opposition leader of the National Council Abdelbaset Sieda at the Elysee Palace, Tuesday. AP
“We with our allies remain very watchful to prevent the use of chemical weapons by the regime, which would be for the international community a legitimate cause for direct intervention,” Hollande said. Hollande also confirmed France was working with its partners on the possible establishment of buffer zones within Syria to receive
people displaced by the conflict and prevent them flooding over the borders into neighboring states. Turkey in particular has been pushing for such a move, which would require military backup to ensure the security of the refugees. “We are working ... (on) the initiative of buffer zones proposed by Turkey,” Hollande said, adding
that “we are doing so in coordination with our closest partners.” Hollande said the opposition of Russia and China to action against the Syrian regime was weakening the United Nations. “I am saying to Russia and to China that their attitude in the Syria crisis is weakening our capacity to fulfill the mandate given us by the United Nations charter,”
he said. “Our country only participates in operations to keep the peace or protect civilians by virtue of a mandate and therefore a resolution of the United Nations Security Council,” Hollande said. “For this the (Security Council) members must take their responsibility to allow it to take decisions,” he said. Hollande said resolving the Syria crisis was crucial not only for the country itself but for the region as a whole. “I know the difficulty of the task, I understand the risks, but the stakes go beyond Syria. This concerns the security of all the Middle East and in particular the independence and stability of Lebanon,” he said. Hollande also touched on Iran in the speech outlining his foreign policy priorities, saying it was unacceptable for Tehran to obtain nuclear weapons and warning of new sanctions. “It would be unacceptable for Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon and this country must meet its international obligations,” Hollande said. “As long as Iran does not answer all questions (on its nuclear program) and does not conform to international law, it is France’s responsibility to further increase sanctions against the Iranian regime.”
Hamas declines invite to Iran summit, Britain appalled by Afghanistan beheadings citing Palestinian unity GAZA (Reuters) — The Hamas Islamist government in Gaza said it had declined an invitation to a meeting of 120 developing nations in Tehran this week, heading off a potential confrontation with rival Palestinian leaders in the West Bank. Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’s leader in Gaza, had accepted the invite over the weekend but backtracked on Sunday “in order that the participation would not be an introduction to deepening a Palestinian, Arab and Muslim division over the Palestinian cause,” said spokesman Taher al-Nono. Iran’s call for Hamas to attend the annual Non-Aligned Movement conference had infuriated the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, which sees itself as the sole legitimate representative of all Palestinians. PA leader President Mahmoud Abbas has been at loggerheads with Hamas since his forces lost control of Gaza in a brief 2007 war with the Islamist movement. He has since governed only in the occupied West Bank. Abbas had also accepted an invitation to the conference. But his aides had earlier mulled cancelling MV 8-29-12.indd 16
LONDON (AFP) — Britain on Monday condemned “in the strongest terms” reports that Taliban Islamist insurgents had beheaded 17 civilians at a party in Afghanistan’s Helmand province. Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt said he was “appalled” at the killings and also at an attack on a checkpoint in the province which killed 10 Afghan soldiers. “I am appalled at the cruel killing of 17 people at a party.... The facts are still being established but early indications are that the Taliban were responsible,” he said in a statement. “We condemn acts of extreme violence like this in the strongest
terms.” The Taliban were responsible for beheading the civilians, including two women, who were holding a party with music in a southern Afghanistan village, officials said. “This incident, alongside the attack today on a Helmand checkpoint where 10 Afghan soldiers were killed, underlines the continuing importance of our work to strengthen the capacity of the Afghan security authorities,” argued Burt. “We will continue to work closely with the Afghans to develop a more secure and prosperous state where the Afghan people can live free from fear,” he added.
A Palestinian woman walks past a poster of Gaza’s Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, left, and Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi in Gaza City, Saturday. AP
the trip if Haniyeh attended. “We won’t allow Palestinian representation to be ripped up — we won’t allow anyone to do this,” Abbas told a cheering crowd at a civic event in the West Bank capital of Ramallah earlier on Sunday. “We are capable of looking after ourselves and our dignity, and we want unity and want to return to this unity,” he added. The Non-Aligned Movement
conference, a grouping of developing nations founded during the Cold War, has emerged from obscurity with this year’s summit - largely thanks to the fact that its revolving leadership has passed to Iran. Iran hopes to earn diplomatic kudos by hosting the summit from August 29-31 at a time when the West is seeking to cripple its economy and isolate it diplomatically over its disputed nuclear program.
An Afghan police officer walks over the debris after Monday’s night explosion in Kandahar south of Kabul. A truck bomb killed two civilians and wounded the provincial police chief. AP 8/29/12 12:08:17 AM
MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS - WEDNESDAY - AUGUST 29, 2012
Wall Street finishes flat but Apple reaches another high NEW YORK (Reuters) — Shares of Apple climbed to another record on Monday, keeping the Nasdaq index afloat in the lowest trading volume of the year, with investors looking ahead to a key speech by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Friday. Apple Inc. hit an all-time high of $680.87 during the day after the iPad maker won a $1 billion judgment in a patent lawsuit against Samsung Electronics. The Korean company said it would contest the verdict. Apple, the world’s most valuable company, ended up 1.9 percent at $676.68. The verdict on Friday jolted shares of Google Inc., as the case could change the dynamics of the mobile device market. Companies using Google’s Android system may have to consider design changes. Google shares declined 1.4 percent to $669.22. Beyond the notable moves of those tech giants, investors mostly cooled their heels before Bernanke’s remarks to central bankers at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on Friday. Data showed volume was 4.46 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and the Amex. The year-to-date average is about 6.6 billion. Expectations are for Fed action of some kind next month, but Bernanke is likely to keep markets guessing about the timing of another round of bond purchases. “The big upswing in the equity market that we’ve seen is based on the belief the Fed is going to do something and that Bernanke is going to say sooner rather than later that he’s willing to commit
Business & Trade
The Apple share price is shown on a stock ticker at the Nasdaq MarketSite on Aug. 21, 2012 in New York. AP
to further easing,” said Subodh Kumar, chief investment strategist at Subodh Kumar & Associates in Toronto. “But I don’t think he’s got the policy support within the Fed to do that, so the markets are set for some more correction here.” The Dow Jones industrial average was down 33.30 points, or 0.25 percent, at 13,124.67. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index was down 0.69 points, or 0.05 percent, at 1,410.44. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 3.40 points, or 0.11 percent, at 3,073.19. Stocks have rallied in recent weeks on growing expectations for
a third round of quantitative easing from the Fed, as well as possible action from the European Central Bank. News from Jackson Hole could determine whether the rally that took the S&P index to four-year highs will be sustained. The S&P 500 has been unable to stay above the April high of 1,422.38, which is seen as a key resistance point, the index finds support at the 1,400 level. Investors will be faced with other potentially market-moving events in the next few weeks. The European Central Bank will meet on September 6 and is expected to take some action to support the
region’s sputtering economy and tackle the debt crisis. Germany’s constitutional court is expected to rule on the legality of the euro zone bailout fund on September 12. The Dow was led down by shares of IBM Corp., which agreed to buy Kenexa Corp. for $1.3 billion. IBM shares were off 1.1 percent at $195.69. Shares of Kenexa were up 41.4 percent at $45.79. In other deal news, car rental firm Hertz Global Holdings said it would buy smaller rival Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group for about $2.3 billion, ending years of an on-off takeover battle.
Japan cuts economy assessment as global slowdown bites
TOKYO (Reuters) — Japan’s government cut its assessment for the export-reliant economy on Tuesday for the first time since October 2011, as slowing global growth weighed on exports and factory output, and threatened recovery prospects. Deceleration in the United States and China, on top of Europe’s debt crisis, caused the downgrade, the government said, warning that further global slowdown and sharp market swings posed risks to the world’s third-largest economy. The assessment underscores policymakers’ worry that fresh stimulus measures could be needed, as exports may struggle to recover before the economy feels the full effects around the year-end from rebuilding following last year’s earthquake and tsunami. “The economy is moderately recovering helped by reconstruction demand, while some weak movements were seen recently,” the Cabinet Office said in its monthly report, adding that the recovery will be affected by a MV 8-29-12.indd 17
A woman shops around jewels at a jewelry store in Tokyo, Japan.
global slowdown. While the previous monthly report had also seen the economy recovering moderately helped by reconstruction demand, it had merely noted that there were difficulties, whereas the latest report’s allusion to “weak movements” struck a more negative note. Flagging concern that personal consumption, which accounts for about 60 percent of the economy, may lose momentum, the government cut its view on private spending, saying it is in a moderately
AP
increasing trend, again using a slightly more negative term than a month earlier. “We used the word trend to show that the pace of increase is slowing. Car sales are leveling off after a rapid increase earlier this year. In addition, poor weather in June has hurt consumption of clothing, beverages and air-conditioners,” a Cabinet Office official said. Japan’s growth slowed to 0.3 percent in April-June as a rebound in personal consumption lost momentum and Europe’s debt woes
weighed on global demand, and economists have trimmed forecasts for Japan’s growth in the second half of 2012. The government cut its view on exports and industrial production, saying shipments overseas are weakening and factory output leveled off recently. In July it said exports were showing signs of recovery and output was recovering moderately. July trade data had shown the sharpest drop in exports since January, in line with trends seen among other export-driven economies in Asia. Still, Japan’s growth is seen outpacing that of most other G7 countries. The government lowered its outlook for the world economy, including the United States, Europe, China and other parts of Asia. Earlier this month the Bank of Japan reiterated its expectations that overseas growth will gradually pick up while warning that there was a high degree of uncertainty over the outlook.
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Hot hog sales raise specter of inflation in China SINGAPORE (Reuters) — Pigs are an unlikely barometer of inflationary pressure, but in China the country’s declining herds are a matter of concern amid fears that a spike in pork sales could drive consumer prices higher next year. Faced with sluggish domestic demand and the record cost of fattening animals — due to a steep rise in the price of corn and soybeans as a drought grips top exporter the United States — China’s hog producers are being forced to sell their herds. China’s food price cycle is driven in a large part by pork, the country’s staple meat, and while it is in abundance now, in about six months meat stocks are expected to fall as a result of the sell-off, resulting in a surge in prices. Any increase in food prices is expected to push up inflation, which now sits at a comfortable level in Beijing having cooled from last year, but is still one of China’s biggest economic concerns given the potential for rising prices to trigger social unrest. “If you look at corn and soymeal prices in China, the cost of feeding animals is already reaching a record,” said Jean-Yves Chow, a senior feed industry analyst at Rabobank in Hong Kong. “We expect pork supplies to decline by early next year if profitability remains depressed, resulting in higher prices which will fuel food inflation.” Worried by the state of the pig industry, China’s top economic planning agency this month ordered stockpiling of frozen pork in anticipation of a supply squeeze when consumption peaks during the Lunar New Year next February. China holds reserves of pork, both in live animals and frozen meat, to help stabilize domestic prices during extreme price fluctuations. The stockpiling is also used to try to curtail food inflation and steady its domestic industry. In 2007, rapidly rising pork prices became a national concern when China’s hog industry, responsible for producing 50 million metric tons, or half of the world’s pork, a year, suffered a deadly outbreak of blue ear disease. Then, the resulting jump in pork prices drove food inflation sharply higher, the impact of which was most acutely felt in the poor rural areas, home to most of the country’s billion-strong population. Rising global food prices fuelled by the U.S. drought have so far had a limited impact on China’s consumer price inflation, which fell to a 30month low in July. China’s food prices, which account for about 30 percent of the CPI basket, rose 2.4 percent in July from a year earlier, cooling from 3.8 percent in June as pork prices eased. 8/29/12 12:08:18 AM
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Lifestyle & Entertainment
• Ask Dr. Brothers By Dr. Joyce Brothers
Quiz topic: Aggression in children When young children lash out with violence, it can be difficult to know where the problem lies. Aggression often is the first line of defense against anger and frustration for young children, and it’s important for adults to know how to respond to these outbursts in a way that will help teach kids how to respond more appropriately in the future. This quiz will test your knowledge of aggression and violence in children, and some good ways to cope with it. 1. Overly aggressive children are always bullies. TRUE ( ) FALSE ( ) 2. Learning and practicing needed social skills can help aggressive children control their impulses toward violence. TRUE ( ) FALSE ( ) 3. Many kids who struggle with aggression problems also have other social issues, such as being unable to concentrate or sit still. TRUE ( ) FALSE ( ) 4. Giving aggressive children a predictable daily routine only will make their aggression worse. TRUE ( ) FALSE ( ) 5. Teaching aggressive children to focus on the positive aspects of a situation can help them reduce their violent and impulsive reactions. TRUE ( ) FALSE ( ) 6. Kids model their behaviors from television, movies and video games, so eliminating violence from your kids’ media can help them reduce their own aggression. TRUE ( ) FALSE ( ) 7. Punishment is the most effective way of combating aggression in children. TRUE ( ) FALSE ( ) ANSWERS 1. FALSE. Aggressive kids often end up in fights with other kids who are bigger and stronger than themselves, and their problems stem not from their aggression per se, but from aggression in the wrong situations. They react to any perceived threat with aggression, and therefore this aggression often is inappropriate and gets them into trouble. They don’t focus on seeking out a smaller or weaker target, though, as bullies often do. 2. TRUE. While some aggressive kids seem to have a very hard time controlling their impulse toward violence, practicing appropriate social skills and reminding your child what an acceptable response to certain situations looks like can make it easier for him or her to act appropriately. Aggression sometimes can be the easiest response when one feels threatened, so it’s important to give your kids a toolbox of other ways to deal with frustration or anger rather than pushing or hitting. 3. TRUE. Kids who struggle with controlling their aggression also have other self-control or concentration problems. They may not be able to concentrate in school or sit still when asked. Once they get excited or angry, this only becomes magnified, and they can’t control their responses or actions. Teaching kids skills to help their self-control also will minimize the aggression they act out. 4. FALSE. Actually, giving these kids some measure of predictability and control can help keep them calm. When they feel more in control of a situation and are able to predict what will happen in their day, they’ll be able to respond in a more reasonable way. If you can determine what situations typically trigger aggression in your kids, you can avoid these triggers or teach your kids to anticipate their feelings when these situations come up. 5. TRUE. It can be helpful for kids who tend to be aggressive to look at situations from a different perspective. Rather than focusing on what is wrong or unfair about a situation, teach them to look for other ways to deal with the issue. Focusing on the negatives creates a spiral that only emphasizes a child’s problems. Instead, look at the progress and gains that your child has made. Point out improvements just as much as, if not more than, you point out failings. 6. TRUE. Kids learn how to behave from all kinds of different sources, but the media they take in on a daily basis provide an important model. For this reason, it’s a good idea to monitor your kids’ viewing closely, especially if they’re exhibiting behaviors that you’re not teaching them. It’s always appropriate to restrict their access to violent content. 7. FALSE. Punishing kids who are aggressive, especially if you use spanking or other forms of violent or aggressive punishment, actually has the opposite effect. This can teach children that aggression and violence are the way to deal with their problems, and sends them entirely mixed messages. If you answered five of the seven questions correctly, you are more informed than most on this subject. (c) 2012 by King Features Syndicate MV 8-29-12.indd 18
WEDNESDAY - AUGUST 29, 2012 - MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS
Martin Amis weighs ‘State of England’ from new US home NEW YORK (Reuters) — Devotees of British novelist Martin Amis anxiously awaiting his fictional commentary on the state of America after his move to U.S. shores shouldn’t hold their breath. It will take time for the acclaimed author, who moved to the United States six months ago, to dig into U.S. culture the way he has in his satirical new novel, “Lionel Asbo: State of England.” Although he is certain of at least one thing in these days of fiscal austerity: He does not understand why some Americans want less taxes for the rich. “Lionel Asbo” once again illustrates the author’s insight into modern Britain as he explores his country’s working-class citizens, a vacuous tabloid media and declining morality reflected in celebrity culture. It was written before the author of “Money,” “London Fields” and other celebrated novels abandoned London for an idyllic writer’s haven in Brooklyn, and Amis said he has yet to distill his thoughts about America’s own class warfare and obsession with celebrity. “It has different kinds of vulgarity — the English more sordid, the American more glitzy and cosmetic, kitsch,” the 62-year-old said under the high ceilings of his new home. “My wife insists it is not very much (different)...but I am not so sure.” Amis, often called one of the most innovative voices of his generation, has himself long been subjected to scrutiny by the British media. Most recently, critics have said his decision to leave London reflected spite, rather than his publicly stated reason of needing to be close to his wife’s mother and his late friend, writer Christopher Hitchens. “It was rigged up that I was leaving in bitter hatred of Britain, and every chance I got I said the opposite,” he said. The immediate response in the United States to his new book has been lukewarm. The New York Times said “Lionel Asbo” “reads less like a big ‘state of England’ novel than a smallish postcard
Novelist Martin Amis, left, talks to Tina Brown at the launch of Brown’s book “The Diana Chronicles” at a party hosted by Reuters in the Serpentine Gallery in central London on June 18, 2007. REUTERS
mailed from there some years ago.” The writer’s 13th novel centers around a thuggish, yet briefly endearing antihero, Lionel Asbo, whose last name results from being handed down at age 3 an Anti-Social Behaviour Order, a civil order issued in Britain against conduct that includes things like begging, graffiti and excessive noise. In contrast, Lionel’s nephew is depicted as a working-class role model in his earnest pursuit of education and love. When Lionel wins the lottery, earning the tabloid nickname “Lotto Lout” and begins dating a publicity hound, the novel comes to reflect society moving toward rewarding the base actions of people such as those found on reality TV shows, who typically reap some fame and fortune. “It’s that strange democratization of fame,” Amis said. “Since celebrity is ‘A’the new religion, and ‘B’ considered a basic human right now, you feel incredibly deprived if you haven’t got it, right? It’s the spur for many of these terrorist acts, such as these massacres.” Without recalling the exact tabloid, he said the genesis for his new book came from two newspaper clippings, including one snippet about a boy having an affair with his grandmother. “It was probably, ‘The Sun,’ or worse, ‘The Daily Sport,’” he said, trying to recall the London tabloid
before comparing their outlandish headlines to New York’s comparatively more tame reporting. “Compared to ‘The Sun,’ ‘The New York Post’ is sort of like ‘Critical Quarterly’ or something,” Amis joked. Reflecting upon the two countries, Amis said the United States and Britain were now pursuing a “terrific evil” of separating the rich and poor, “back to the levels after the first World War.” Amis, a self-described political leftist, is outraged by U.S. political support for tax cuts for the rich. “I mean, everyone would say, hang on, tax cuts for the rich?” he said. His own belief is reflected in the slogan from Britain’s Labor Party based on taxing the rich and educating the poor, and that view comes across in “Lionel Asbo.” He scoffed at suggestions in Britain that he shouldn’t be writing about the working class by saying such criticism reflected current British “anxiety about class,” and calling it “incredibly patronizing to the class they are speaking for.” As for suggestions his latest book, as well as some of his more recent ones, do not reflect his best writing, Amis feels the opposite. He is happiest with his most recent novel and less happy with its predecessors, “all the way down the line.” The reason, he said, can be found in an essay about “Lolita” author Vladimir Nabokov, which contends that every writer has a bit of genius — “your God-given stuff and that musical quality” — and talent — that “gets the thing going, knows what goes where.” “What happens is your genius gets weaker and your talent gets stronger,” Amis said. As for that next book from his new base in America, it may not be the work his readers expect. Against the warnings of fellow writers, he said, he is now “having a good time” writing a Holocaust novel. 8/29/12 12:08:20 AM
Lifestyle & Entertainment
MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS - WEDNESDAY - AUGUST 29, 2012
Known for teen love, Molly Ringwald now writes of adult betrayal LOS ANGELES (Reuters) — Molly Ringwald is perhaps best known for playing the teenage protagonist in 1980s film classics “Pretty in Pink” and “Sixteen Candles,” but the now 44-year-old mother of three has published a novel focusing on the decidedly adult topic of betrayal — marital and otherwise. “When It Happens to You” centers on a Los Angeles couple with a troubled marriage, while also telling the stories of their friends’ and neighbors’struggles with child-rearing, crashing careers and the death of a spouse. The novel is Ringwald’s first book of fiction, though it does follow her 2010 title, “Getting the Pretty Back,” which was part advice book, part memoir. Ringwald, whose newly launched website includes a simple introduction page noting she “acts, writes books and sings jazz,” spoke with Reuters about her novel, communicating with fans via Twitter and suffering with other writers. Q: You call the book “a novel in stories.” What do you mean and why choose to write it in that form? A: “I had originally intended to write just a collection of stories along the line of betrayal. As I started it, I realized ... it would be more interesting to have the characters connect and intersect, because ... one of the themes, if you want to call it, is that we are all betrayers and we are all betrayed. I thought it would be interesting to have them all connect in that way, even though their betrayals are of different natures.” You write a lot about what children do to a marriage, the good and the bad. Can you address that? “It really is different for each character. You know, I have three mothers in the book and the ways that they are with their children are very, very different. And...in terms of Greta and Phillip, who are the anchor of the book, it’s very difficult for them. “It’s difficult for both of them, but they respond to it in different ways as men and women tend to
Molly Ringwald
do. Phillip acts out and Greta kind of internalizes everything.” Infidelity touches every chapter. Do you think society sees infidelity as one of the great betrayals? “Betrayal really is one of the great connectors. I think we’ve all been through it at one point of our lives, and we’ve probably been on either side of it, in some way. Because of the age I am, and being around mothers in my kids’ schools, it feels like it was very prevalent. I saw it all around me. “It’s basically one of the most painful things you can go through... I was interested in that.” Is this something you’ve had to deal with personally? “I know betrayal from my life. I’ve been on both sides of it. But no, I wasn’t writing about my marriage.” Do you think the book would translate to film? “I think it’s something I’d like to do, but I didn’t think about it at all as I was writing it. But I think the characters are all really interesting and compelling, if I do say so myself...I always put my own characters to the test and ask myself, ‘Would this be someone I was interested to play?’ ” You do that as you’re writing? “Yes. And if they’re not, if they don’t snap, if they’re not complex and they’re not flawed, then what’s the point?”
Who would you want to play? “I very much want to direct it, and I very much want to write it. If I played any part, I’d want to play Marina.” (Note: Marina is a woman whose young son wants to wear girls’ clothes and believes he is a girl.) How did you approach writing this book versus writing your first one? “My writing schedule’s the same, which was set up for the first book. Five hundred words or two hours, whichever came first. That seems to work for me. When I get to write, and I have a place where I go, that’s the plan...I like to write around people, there’s a certain comfort in that, that everyone’s going through the same thing. And you can look around and you can see people being absolutely as tortured as you are.” You’re active on Twitter. Why did you decide to tweet, and what do you like about it? “I started a while ago because I’d been doing a blog and I found that the blogging took a lot of time away from my writing. I didn’t feel like I mastered the quick blog...I fretted over it way too much. “(Twitter) has given me a connection to fans that I’ve never really had before because I’m a pretty private person, and I don’t do a ton of events ... It’s been amazing to connect with these people who have followed me for all of these years.”
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EMPLOYMENT
EMPLOYMENT
Office & Accounts Manager (1) - Directs or coordinates operational, administrative & personnel matters. Handles the company’s account system including preparation of government taxes, payroll, and billings. Must have at least 5 years work experience with at least 4 years Bachelor’s degree. Knowledge in computer is a must. Interested applicants may pick up an application form at Team Advance Group’s office located at Beach Road (besides Naked Fish), Garapan, Saipan.
(2) Civil Engineering Technician Rate : $ 5.05 to $ 7.50 per hour With minimum 5 years experience as a Civil Engineering Technician. With knowledge how to apply theory and principles of civil engineering in planning, designing, and overseeing construction and maintenance of structures and facilities under the direction of engineering staff or physical scientists. Must be able to work. Deadline for accepting application is on September 1, 2012. Applications are available at GPPC Inc office located in As Perdido, Saipan. A copy of valid Police Clearance must be attached to the application. Incomplete application will NOT be accepted. Skills testing may be required. GPPC, INC is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Bartender (1) - Applicants must have a thorough knowledge on mixing and serving variety of drinks, customer service oriented, and able to work on flexible shifts. Interested applicants, please send application or resume at PMB 144 Box 10001, Saipan, MP 96950 or email to teamadvancegroup.spn@gmail.com. Cook (1) - 2 years experience required Please send application to KYS Enterprises, Inc. PMB 1336, P.O. Box 10003, Saipan, MP 96950 Tel. 2334865
JOB VACANCY
COOK (1)
Must have (2) yrs. experience in Japanese Cuisine, know how to drive & w/ valid driver license. Salary $5.05/hr. Please apply to Emperor Ent. Corp
or call 234-1111 (1pm-7pm)
WANTED
WAITER/WAITRESS FOR IMMEDIATE HIRING Apply at Kingfisher Golflinks 322-1100
For Sale/Lease for 55 Years
• 1-storey, 3 units of 1 Bedroom Apartment Bldg. at Dandan Village $125,000.00 • Vacant Lot For Sale Good for Commercial or Apartment Bldg., located along ISA Drive, I-Denni/ Capitol Hill Area (3,379 sq. m.) • 1990 Toyota 4Runner, $1,000.00 Contact: 285-8189 Vince
APARTMENT FOR RENT Going in to Capitol Hill Market go on the 1st right • 2 bedroom with washer and dryer outlet • front and backyard space • free trash and mowing •quiet and breezy Rent is only $ 300.00 every month plus security deposit required. Please call 287-4447 for more details. Victorino DLG. Torres Brenda C. Torres P.O. Box 501856 Saipan MP 96950 Tel: 670-233-5503/4/6 Fax: 670) 233-5510 Pro Se
IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION FOR GENERAL GUARDIAN OF M.J.C.M. Minor Child, By: VICTORINO DLG. TORRES AND BRENDA DOREEN C. TORRES, Petitioners. FCD-GU CIVIL ACTION NO. 12-0399 NOTICE OF HEARING ON PETITION FOR APPOINTMENT OF GENERAL GUARDIANSHIP PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that Petitioners, will cause the Court to hear its Petition for Appointment of General Guardianship on the above-entitled matter, on the 27th day of September, 2012, at 10:30 a.m. before the Honorable Judge Kenneth Govendo in courtroom 205A at the Commonwealth Superior Court, Susupe, Saipan, CNMI. SO ORDERED this 25th day of August, 2012. /s/ Clerk of Court
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VENICE FILM FESTIVAL. Italian actress Kasia Smutniak, left, master of ceremonies of the 69th edition of the Venice Film Festival, and festival’s director Alberto Barbera wave as they arrive at Venice Lido, Italy, Monday. AP MV 8-29-12.indd 19
All advertisement copies designed and created by the YAS graphic artists are the property of Marianas Variety Newspaper. Advertisers agree that it cannot authorize the production of any such advertising copy, in whole or in part, for use in any other medium without the written consent of the publisher. 8/29/12 12:08:21 AM
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MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS - WEDNESDAY - AUGUST 29, 2012
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WEDNESDAY - AUGUST 29, 2012 - MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS
Sharapova eases into 2nd round at US Open
NEW YORK (AP) — Maria Sharapova’s stomach ache turned out to be nothing more than that. That lopsided loss she suffered at the Olympics — well, that may have only been a false alarm, as well. Playing her first match since a blowout loss to Serena Williams in London and a stomach virus forced her out of two tuneup tournaments, Sharapova returned to tennis in fine fashion Monday at the U.S. Open. The third-seeded Russian came back from a three-week break and defeated Melinda Czink of Hungary 6-2, 6-2 in a stress-free, 67-minute first-round match at blustery Arthur Ashe Stadium. Later, top-seeded Roger Federer took center stage and beat American Donald Young 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to begin the chase for his 18th major title. Sharapova completed the career Grand Slam earlier this year by winning the French Open. Monday’s victory, in front of the halffilled stadium, was her first match since a 6-0, 6-1 loss to Williams at the London Games in a gold-medal showdown that looked more like one of these first-round wipeouts Sharapova usually inflicts. Turns out, Sharapova was dealing with some stomach pain then, which only got worse a few weeks later. She went to the doctor for a series of tests, including an ultrasound to see if she was pregnant. The test turned up negative. “Just because of the pain I was having, it was really weird,” said Sharapova, who is engaged to basketball player Sasha Vujacic. “They told me I was fine, not pregnant. Then, I’m like, ‘Can I get my money back?’” It has been an eventful summer for one of tennis’ biggest stars. After serving as the flag-bearer for Russia, then finishing as the silver medalist at the Olympics at Wimbledon, Sharapova’s original plan was to come to North America and play in tuneups in Montreal and Cincinnati to acclimate herself to the hard courts. But the Olympics took a lot out
Maria Sharapova of Russia returns a shot to Melinda Czink of Hungary at the 2012 US Open Tennis tournament, Monday, in New York.
of Sharapova, and when she arrived in Canada, she got knocked down by a stomach ache so bad that she went to the doctor. It turned out to be a virus — her body’s way of telling her to take it easy, she said, so she withdrew from the events and took a few weeks off. “It was a nice break in a way, but after so many weeks of practicing, you’re just eager to get back on the court,” she said. She looked eager to get off the court, as well, showing very few signs of rust against her 88thranked opponent. Wearing a soft-pink dress with a touch of mauve — more subdued than what she usually wears for, say, a nighttime appearance — Sharapova served five aces and maxed out at 115 mph. It took her
31 minutes to finish the first set and she was up 3-0 in the second before Czink got her only break. That made things only mildly interesting, and only for a very short time. Leading 4-2, Sharapova won one point by chasing a ball almost into the stands on the sidelines, reaching out to get it back, then closing in on the net to win the point. Czink stood there shaking her head, hardly believing what she had just seen. Sharapova said getting the blowout loss to Williams out of her mind was not a problem. “It doesn’t stick with you,” she said. “I mean, personally, I’ve been part of many different types of matches in my career. Looking back at that week, it was really special. It was so hectic.” The routine win was part of a
Belgian Kim Clijsters returns to Victoria Duval of the U.S. in the first round of play at the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Monday, in New York. Clijsters won 6-3, 6-1. AP MV 8-29-12.indd 22
day filled mostly with by-the-book results: Defending champion Sam Stosur’s 6-1, 6-1 victory over Croatia’s Petra Martic, No. 3 Andy Murray’s 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 win over Alex Bogomolov Jr., of Russia and, of course, a two-hour rain delay at a tournament that has finished on a Monday for four straight years because of bad weather. Federer closed the night with a 1-hour, 34-minute dispatching of Young and stayed in the mix for his sixth U.S. Open title. Federer, a loser to Novak Djokovic in the semifinals the last two years, is seeded first for the 23rd time at a Grand Slam, breaking the record he shared with Pete Sampras. “Being back in New York as world No. 1, it’s crazy, and I really, really enjoy it,” Federer said. Before Federer played, No. 23 Kim Clijsters extended her Flushing Meadows winning streak to 22 straight matches, defeating the youngest player in the field, 16-year-old American Victoria Duval, 6-3, 6-1. Top-seeded Victoria Azarenka, the Australian Open champion, began the quest for her second Grand Slam title of the year with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Alexandra Panova. Stosur won the day’s first match in Ashe, and any thought that the early round jitters might get to her — the way they did in first-round exits at the Australian Open and the Olympics or a second-round loss at Wimbledon — were over before the crowd even got settled. The seventh-seeded Aussie won the first 19 points — she was five away from a perfect set before she double-faulted — and needed only 51 minutes to finish the match.
AP
“It did pop into my head for a split second,” Stosur said of the prospect of a golden set. “Then I hit the double fault and it was erased and I was quickly on with the next point.” Murray is trying to become the first man to win the Olympics and the U.S. Open in the same year. His first match of 2012 at Flushing Meadows gave him a decent test — with just a little something to worry about. He fell down a break to open the first two sets but won the last five games of the first and last four games of the second, then cruised in the third, which he began by shouting “focus.” “It’s an important stage of the match, when he was up 4-3 in the second with a break, then I won three games in a row and momentum was with me,” Murray said. “You want to win the matches as quickly as possible.” He finished with 46 winners to 24 for Bogomolov, and handled the array of drop shots Bogomolov tried on him. Leading 4-1 in the third set, Murray grabbed his left hamstring while lunging for a ball near the net. But he closed out the match with no problem. “Maybe I didn’t take enough fluid,” Murray said. That could have been the problem No. 22 Florian Mayer encountered, as well. He withdrew while trailing 19-year-old American wild card Jack Sock 6-3, 6-2, 3-2, saying he felt dizzy and had blurred vision. “He played the perfect match,” Mayer said. “He hit the forehand fast, didn’t really make any mistakes, just played really good.” 8/29/12 12:08:23 AM
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Natibu Sports Association’s T-Ball Tournament 2012 Funday
Jylon of Team Zokai hits the Tee-Ball during the Homerun Derby.
The Rookies pose during the award ceremony.
Sluggers’ Kika, Mya, Tyler, and Fabio receive their prizes after winning third place in the Balloon Pop Relay.
Sluggers’ Josh up to bat in the Homerun Derby.
The only girl to participate in the Homerun Derby, Team Zokai’s Kiana Camacho.
Rookie’s Lamar pops the balloon at second base for Dalin to proceed to third base. MV 8-29-12.indd 23
Photos by Demalynn F. Sablan
Jr and Johnathan Baby of Bad News Bears during the Ball Toss competition. 8/29/12 12:08:27 AM
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WEDNESDAY- -AUGUST AUGUST29, 29,2012 2012 - MARIANAS MARIANASVARIETY VARIETYNEWS NEWS&AND VIEWS WEDNESDAY VIEWS P.O. Box 500231 Saipan, MP 96950 • Tel. (670) 234-9272 • 9797 • Fax: (670) 234-9271 E-mail: younis@pticom.com • mvariety@pticom.com www.mvariety.com
Ron Cal and Raymond Angeles are Budweiser King and Queen of the Lanes for the SBA August tournament at the Saipan Bowling Center last weekend. Contributed photo
P.O. Box 6338, Tamuning Guam 96931 • Tel. (671) 649-1924 • 4678 • Fax: (671) 648-2007 E-mail: admin@mvguam.com
From left, Ryan Batac, John Taisacan, and MJ Aldan pose with prizes after the Fiji Water Prince or Princess of Lanes last weekend for the SBA August tournament at the Saipan Bowling Center.
Contributed photo
Bowlers’ association awards August King, Queen, Prince of Lanes By Demalynn F. Sablan demalynn.sablan@mvariety.com For Variety
THE Saipan Bowling Association held its monthly tournament for Budweiser King and Queen of Lanes and Fiji Water Prince or Princess of Lanes on Aug. 2627 at the Saipan Bowling Center in San Jose. Ron Cal was again named Queen of the Lanes after reigning
over 11 other women. She averaged 188.75 and ended with a game-high 755, rolling games of 159, 267, 159, and 170. She locked in first place after striking the highest pinfalls in game two. Raymond Angeles was King of the Lanes after rolling an average of 215.75 and a total pinfall of 863.
Early in the game, Angeles was close to conceding the top spot to second-place winner Simon Manacop whose surge faltered in games three and four. He scored 207 pinfalls for game one, 197 for game two, 247 for game three, and 212 pinfalls for game four. Monthly tournaments award cash prizes to the top three individual winners in the men and
Hocog secures AGC’s August Ace of the Month By Demalynn F. Sablan demalynn.sablan@mvariety.com For Variety
THE Amigos Golf Club held their “qualifying round” on Aug. 12 at the Kingfisher Golf Links. A total of seven players participated vying to qualify for the club’s August Ace honor. Topping the qualifying round was Diding Hocog who shot a net score of 69. Hocog shot 52 at the front and vastly improved in the back mine by eleven strokes with a 41 for a total gross of 93 with her 24 handicap posted 69 net. Despite the dismal score at the front, Hocog somehow made the necessary adjustment going to the back and putting greatly helped her in the process. Coming in second was Frank Sablan who shot a 38 at the front, but added three more strokes at the back for a 41 for a total gross of 79, with his 8 handicap putting him a MV 8-29-12.indd 24
Diding Hocog
stroke behind leader Hocog. Joe Tudela completed the top three carding a 39 at the front and 45 at the back for a total gross of 84 with this 12 handicap securing a net score of 72. John Guerrero and Dr. Larry Hocog settled for a net of 84 and 86 respectively. In last Sunday’s “Ace of the Month” at Kingfisher Golf Links,
Hocog began her round with confidence, drawing from her back nine performance during the qualifying round as she continued her consistent striking and timely putting that earned her the Club’s August “Ace”. She posted a gross of 91 with her 24 handicap garnered an impressive net score of 67 her 69 qualifying net for a total net score of 136. Coming in a distant second was Frank Sablan with a net of 72 and his qualifying net of 71 for a total net score of 143. Joe Tudela placed third with his net 73 and his qualifying net of 72 settled for a total net of 145. Hocog was determined to not let anyone derail her quest to be the Ace of the Month for August. John Guerrero’s and Dr. Larry Hocog’s game did not go as planned and both were already looking forward to September by midway in the round.
women categories. As Queen of the Lanes, Cal won $50; second-place winner Gloria Omechelang, $25; and Gigi Zapanta, who placed third, won $15. In the men’s category, Zapanta earned $60; Manacop, $30; and Percy Omecheland, $15. This month, John Taisacan was declared FIJI Water Monthly Prince of the Lanes dethroning
last month’s prince MJ Aldan. With 659 total pinfalls, averaging 164.75, Taisacan wrested control of the competition from three other opponents. Taisacan took an early lead after pinning down 180 in game one, winning himself $15. Aldan rolled 647 total pinfalls while third-place winner Ryan Batac had 474.
Church 360 triumph over Gualo Rai Boys, 74-67 By Demalynn F. Sablan demalynn.sablan@mvariety.com For Variety
JOHN Capoyun’s resurgent game in the fourth quarter put Church 360 in the driver’s seat and claimed victory over Gualo Rai Boys last Saturday in the Domino Lux Intercolor Baksetball League at Gualo Rai court. Church 360 won, 74-67. After Church 360 took the lead, 21-15, at the end of the first quarter, JP Jose and Victor Mallari picked up the pace and together lifted the Gualo Rai Boys 14 points to steal the lead, 37-35. In the third quarter, Josh Lutrell of Church 360 and Capoyun both knew they were not going down with a fight and pushed to the lead, 51-45. Lutrell contributed seven points, while Capoyun bagged five. Lutrell was able to shoot three
that broke the deadlock and helped widen the gap. Capoyun then caught a foul behind the three-point line and went three for three. Locking it at 51 points was Matt Buenabago with an easy layup. Capoyun took it away right in the fourth quarter stepping on to the court and popping five shots in a row with no movement on Gualo Rai’s scoreboard. Already at 61-45, the win was locked in. Scores: Church 360 74 – J. Lutrell 26, A. Wood 16, J. Capoyun 15, J. Buniag 2, E. Chavez 2, M. Buenabajo 2 Gualo Rai 67 – J. Jose 17, V. Mallari 14, D. Dayrit 14, R. Morales 11, J. Gazote 4, Z. Diaz 2, A. Lauron 2, Navaro 2 Quarterscores: 21-15, 37-35, 5145, 74-67 8/29/12 12:08:32 AM