Rota may face shortage of supply again

MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 2011 12:00AM BY JUNHAN B. TODENO - REPORTER for THE Marianas VARIETY

THERE could be a scarcity of commodities on Rota like what happened in Feb. 2010 if there is no shipment of goods due to the current weather condition.

Mayor Melchor Mendiola said the shipment didn’t arrive on Rota as scheduled on Saturday.

“It did not happen due to an increase in wave activity,” the mayor said in an email.

According to the National Weather Service on Guam yesterday, “a trade-wind disturbance in combination with a shear line will bring scattered showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms to portions of the Marianas through Monday.”

Currently, MV Super Shuttle and MV Tug Chamorro are the only vessels servicing Rota.

“This is one major reason Rota must provide an accessible sea port,” Mendiola said. “The health of the community must not be compromised. This is a priority among other priorities.”

‘Panic buying’

One of the advisers of the Rota mayor, Tomy Mendiola, told Variety that whenever there are no shipments of goods, “people worry.”

He said “panic buying” is inevitable and usually occurs every time there’s a weather disturbance.

“People tend to buy more than what they need,” he added.

Tomy Mendiola said the mayor already submitted a proposed development plan for the port of Rota.

He said Rota is seeking financial assistance from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The administration of Gov. Benigno R. Fitial supports the development of Rota’s port, he added.

“The administration has been pushing for this project because the governor knows the situation and the needs of the people of Rota,” he said.

Mayor Mendiola said an accessible seaport will contribute to the development of Rota and will mean more economic activities there.

“I cry to our leaders not to wipe my people’s tears but to dry them with greater vision,” the mayor said.

He said the seaport project will also address the concerns regarding the high costs of commodities on Rota.

In Feb. 2010, the island experienced a shortage of food and other basic commodities after a 55-day delay in the shipment of goods due to bad weather conditions.

Forum gives answers to military buildup

Forum gives answers to military buildup

Saipan Tribune
Friday, January 29, 2010

The MIMC public forum held Wednesday at the Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe and broadcast live to Tinian and Rota through sponsors NMC and IT&E provided many answers about the pending military buildup in the Marianas region.

The event drew a larger than anticipated crowd and provided an opportunity for community members to get answers about the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and its effects on the islands.

The advisory consulting team from Guam, Celeste Werner and Mike Hrapla, vice presidents of Matrix Design, were on hand to give a presentation of the realities that the CNMI faces in the U.S. Marines' relocation to Guam and Tinian. It covered details of the live fire range, restricted access areas, training frequency, possible future expansion plans, and economic and environmental impacts. They also provided specific details on how to best submit comments to the Joint Guam Program Office so that local concerns can be heard prior to the Feb. 17, 2010, submission deadline.

Each of the islands had three rounds of question and answer periods in which many questions were asked. The most common concern seemed to be restricted access to the north end of Tinian and the numerous cultural and historic landmarks. While the draft EIS only provides potential impacts, the ACT team was able to shed a better perspective on what to expect.

MIMC coordinator Tom Linden was on hand on Tinian and was highly encouraged by the number of students who took the time to attend and ask questions. “The fact that so many students are concerned and interested in how it will influence the future of our islands and culture was very inspiring,” said Linden.

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial was very pleased with the turnout of the forum and the active participation of the community. “As stakeholders, we must ensure that the concerns of the community are heard,” said Fitial.

Anyone who wants more information on the Draft EIS or the information that was presented at the MIMC Forum can download the information from the Department of Commerce website at www.commerce.gov.mp or contact Tom Linden at cnmi.mimc@commerce.gov.mp. (PR)

MIMC sets public forum on Guam buildup EIS

MIMC sets public forum on Guam buildup EIS

Friday, January 22, 2010
Saipan Tribune

The Military Integration Management Committee, along with the Office of Economic Adjustment and Guam Advisory Consulting Team, will be hosting a public workshop/forum on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010, from 9am to 11am at the Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe.

This event will also be broadcast live to both Tinian and Rota through a VCT provided by the Northern Mariana's College and sponsored by NMC and IT&E. The NMC campuses on Tinian and Rota will allow the public to view the forum live and ask questions. The purpose of this workshop is to break down the Draft Environmental Impact Statement that was presented last week by the Joint Guam Program Office.

The ACT will present in more basic terms the 11,000-page EIS. Unlike the JGPO public hearing and comment sessions that were held last week on Tinian and Saipan, this event allows the public to ask direct questions which will be answered by the ACT or OEA. The MIMC would like to encourage anyone who wants a brief overview of the EIS to read the Executive Summary at www.guambuildupeis.us. While only 40 pages, the executive summary does offer a good basic understanding of the plans for both Guam and Tinian.

The JGPO public hearings had a fair turnout, and the majority of CNMI residents were very encouraged by the potential economic opportunities that the military realignment has to offer. The MIMC encourages the public's participation in this event as the comment period for the Draft EIS ends on Feb. 17, 2010, at midnight EST. Now is the time to get involved so that our voices and concerns can be heard.

If you are unable to attend or would like to submit your questions ahead of time, feel free to e-mail them to MIMC Coordinator Tom Linden at cnmi.mimc@commerce.gov.mp. (PR)

CNMI echoes Guam

CNMI echoes Guam

Monday, 18 January 2010 03:44
by Gemma Q. Casas | Variety News Staff

Rota, Saipan public hearings raise concerns over buildup

Saipan—CNMI residents welcomed the idea of increasing the U.S. military’s presence in the Marianas but some expressed concerns over the consequences of the move on the environment and the socioeconomic landscape of the islands.

Last week, the U.S. Department of the Navy led a series of open house/public hearings on Saipan and Rota about the draft environmental impact statement for the Guam and CNMI Military Relocation project.

The relocation of the American troops, believed to be the largest since after the Vietnam War would cost both governments up to $10 billion.

The movement of the troops and their estimated 9,000 dependents would require massive construction of new facilities to house them and provide their regular drills and exercises.

The CNMI’s third largest island, Tinian, is envisioned to host a “warm base.” Two thirds of Tinian’s public lands or about 15,353 acres are leased to the military which plans to use them for live-fire ranges and other training activities.

At the public hearing on Saipan last Friday, Benigno Sablan, former secretary of the CNMI Department of Lands and Natural Resources, said he has concerns about the dredging activities of the military that may affect activities of boat enthusiasts and fishermen.

He also raised concern about the definition of air space which the U.S. military intends to utilize to further train air force personnel and their allied forces.

Richard Seman, former director of the Division of Fish and Wildlife, said local access to fishing areas must be defined. He also urged military officials to look into the PCB contamination in other villages on Saipan.

Martin Manglona, former Covenant Party chairman and a military veteran, said a so-called “maneuver damage” should be established to afford residents and the CNMI government reimbursements in case of destruction on their properties by military activities.

Theresa Arriola of Saipan said the public has not been given enough time to study the impact of the military buildup project.

She said the indigenous people of the CNMI are not given proper considerations for what would become of their islands.

“We have to stand up and be proud of who we are. It is not intended to benefit our islands,” she said.

Victoria-Lola Leon Guerrero of Guam said the people of the Marianas are being treated like second-class citizens in their own lands. “Comments are powerless. We are not making the final decision. They are. It needs to be on our terms. Until then, we would continue to die. My alternative is no action. Enough is enough,” she said at the public hearing.

Manglona, however, countered the public should not be hasty in making judgments against the military.

“Before we jump into any conclusion, let’s see what they have [to offer]. Let’s not get into scare tactics. Let’s be fair that’s all I am asking,” he said.

Commerce Deputy Secretary Sixto Igisomar urged the military to be more transparent and keep the public informed.“Please communicate with the people. Give us time,” he said. “If you want us to help you, please keep us informed.”

Igisomar also noted that the CNMI’s uninhabited volcanic island of Pagan which has rich deposits of pozzolan, a cement additive, should be tapped when the construction phase in Guam begins to help jumpstart the CNMI’s economy. “Make use of us to help you. Give opportunities to our contractors. We want to make sure that we all grow together,” he added.

Former House representative Manuel Tenorio, for his part, urged the military to work with the people of the commonwealth. He noted that a lot of the locals are educated people but most of them have not been given opportunities.

With the military buildup in the offing, he expressed hope that it would open up more opportunities for the locals. “We’re not second-class citizens. We’re good as anybody else. This island is drying up. Please listen to the local people,” he said.

Public hearings on military buildup

Public hearings on military buildup

Monday, 11 January 2010 00:00

THE CNMI Military Integration Management Committee would like to encourage the public to participate in the upcoming Joint Guam Program Office public hearings that are scheduled for Tinian on Thursday, Jan. 14, and Saipan on Friday, Jan. 15, a media release stated.

The committee, or MIMC, coordinator Tom Linden will be on hand at both of these public hearings to answer any questions in regards to how the CNMI is dealing with the regional military buildup.

These meetings will be an introduction to the draft environmental impact statement, or EIS, that has been prepared for both Guam and the CNMI.

While the CNMI government understands the complexity of the document which is to be commented on, the MIMC office encourages active participation. In an effort to ensure that the community has an opportunity to fully digest the contents contained in the EIS, the MIMC in partnership with Office of Economic Adjustment, or OEA, and the Guam Advisory Consulting Team, or ACT, will be hosting a public forum on Jan. 27 at the multi-purpose center in Susupe.

Representatives of the OEA and ACT will breakdown the 11,000-page EIS and be willing to answer any questions in regards to the military buildup in our region.
The public hearings will be a great introduction to the EIS and then allow the public time to review and comment prior to the public forum which will be held on the 27th.

The MIMC public forum will also be broadcast to both Tinian and Rota through a VTC provided by Northern Marianas College and IT&E.

The MIMC and the Department of Commerce will have representatives on Tinian and Rota to help answer any questions.

Members of the public are urged to submit questions ahead of time to the MIMC coordinator by e-mailing them to cnmi.mimc@commerce.gov.mp This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
The MIMC was created through a charter in June 2009.

It serves as the planning and policy making entity for all activities that relate to the expansion of military training and other defense transformation initiatives in the CNMI and Guam.

The CNMI-MIMC is the official entity through which the commonwealth will interface with the Department of the Navy, the Marine Corps, JGPO, the Department of Defense, and all other military representatives in regards to the military buildup in the region.

The policy making committee is chaired by Gov. Benigno Fitial and consists of the governor, lt. governor, Senate president, speaker of the House, and the mayors of Rota, Tinian, Saipan and the Northern Islands.

Due to the overwhelming scope of this military relocation, the MIMC realizes that the path to success will require a partnership with Guam and both Fitial and Guam Gov. Felix Camacho have pledged their support of one another to ensure that the entire region benefits.

Rota poachers attack fruit bat colony

Rota poachers attack fruit bat colony

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

The Division of Fish and Wildlife has discovered another incident of illegal hunting at another Mariana fruit bat maternity colony on Rota.

In a statement issued yesterday, the division said the poaching incident was discovered during the course of routine bird surveys on the morning of Dec. 24, 2009.

“[About] 25 to 50 fruit bats were witnessed flying overhead. Fruit bats are generally only active at night unless disturbed. Division of Fish and Wildlife biologists conducted a survey of a nearby roost site and found fresh footprints, shotgun shells, and a fresh fruit bat carcass riddled with shotgun pellets, but no live fruit bats remained,” DFW said.

At least 222 adults and 26 juvenile fruit bats were known to inhabit this roost before the poaching incident.

This is the sixth poaching event at a fruit bat colony on Rota in the last year and a half; the previous events occurred in June, October, and November of 2008 and October of 2009.

Maternity colonies are where fruit bats gather for breeding and infant-rearing.

“Hunting at colonies kills many fruit bats at once and severely inhibits the ability of the fruit bat population to recover,” DFW said. “However, research has shown that if the fruit bat population is not hunted, it can begin to recover. Rota has the last viable population of fruit bats in the southern Marianas. The recovery of the species in this region is dependent on recovery and persistence of the population on Rota.”

There has been a moratorium on hunting in the CNMI since the 1990s and in 2005 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the Mariana fruit bats in the CNMI as threatened due to an alarming decline in the fruit bat population.

“The only hope for the recovery of the fruit bat population in the CNMI is for the people to become involved and support the ban on hunting. There is still hope for the recovery of the fruit bat if the people of the CNMI work together to stop illegal hunting and trade of fruit bats in the Marianas,” DFW said.

The Mariana fruit bat-a medium-sized bat found only in Guam and the CNMI-is known as “fanihi” in Chamorro.

Currently, fewer than 100 individual Mariana fruit bats remain on Guam and a fluctuating population of 1,100 remains on Rota. In the northern islands (all islands north of Farallon de Medinilla) fewer than 5,000 individuals remain. On Saipan and Tinian, few individuals are known to inhabit or visit these islands.

(DFW)

A home for Saina

A home for Saina

Monday, 04 January 2010 01:29
by Zita Y. Taitano | Variety News Staff

GUAM’S sakman outrigger canoe “Saina” will have a new home at the Ypao Beach Park in Tumon by the end of summer.



Artist Ron Castro’s rendition of the latte house that will be built for Saina. Photo courtesy of Ron Castro



Members of Traditions About Seafaring Islands or TASI have been gathering the right wood to build a latte stone house for the Saina. The house will have latte stones similar to the ones found on Tinian and Rota.

TASI member Ron Acfalle said the group has collected Gagu or pine wood. “They are really strong wood that we use here,” he said referring to a Chamorro village set up in the park that was part of the recent Micronesian Island Fair.

“The latte will come up first and it’s going to be 12 feet and the structure on top will be 27 feet for a total of 39 feet so almost close to four stories high,” he said.

The latte stones will not be made out of the limestone ancient Chamorros used in the past. They will be made out of concrete because there is no equipment available on Guam to cut the limestone for the latte, Acfalle said. The structure will be about 80feet tall and about 35 feet wide, he added.

The project is scheduled to be completed in about eight months although Acfalle would like to see the hut up sooner. “We need to take it slow here so that all those who find they want to be a part of this will be given that opportunity. Summer time will come in about six months,” he said. “That might entice some of the locals who come from school.”

Acfalle wants the community to be part of the project. “It’s really important that’s really known it’s for our brothers and sisters,” he said. “Our goal really is to touch everyone’s heart. To bring harmony to kids who are lost in the culture and the elders who want to see it.”

The latte house is the second building TASI has built for canoes. The first one, Sayan Tasi Fache Mwan, is located at the Hagatna Boat Basin next to the Paseo baseball stadium.

Tony Taga, 40, of Dededo, is looking forward to completing the project is glad to be part of the effort.

“I just want to give back to the culture and learning about (my) family’s culture,” said Taga, who is also a direct descendant of Rota’s Chief Taga.

According to legends, Chief Taga was instrumental in the building of the latte stone structures in Rota and Tinian.

He said his family and relatives in Rota are not aware that he’s helping with the construction. “They don’t know yet, but I know they’ll be proud of me that I’m helping the culture so I know they’ll be happing that I want to learn something,” he said.

Also proud to be part of the process is Ben “Guelo” Rosario, 45 of Rota.

“Helping the latte house is a very great opportunity or great experience because right now the engineering building of the Latte house has been gone for over 300 or 400 years. Maybe 500 years,” said Rosario. “I think building this is part of our mission to perpetuate the culture and to experience the engineering of the latte.”

Rota casino officials deny conflict of interest

Rota casino officials deny conflict of interest

Thursday, 24 December 2009 00:00 By Junhan B. Todeno - Reporter

MEMBERS of the Rota Casino Gaming Commission are not offering their properties to a prospective investor, its Secretary Justin S. Manglona said.

He said none of them have personal interests in the casino business.

A Rota resident told the Variety that the casino commissioners were “racing against each other” to get the prospective investor’s approval regarding the site for a new hotel.

One investor, according to the resident, who refused to be identified, chose the prime lots between Songsong and Sinapalo.

But the commission, he said, offered another site located on one of the commissioners’ properties.

“There’s no such thing like that. We are professionals in the commission,” Manglona said.

He said the commission hasn’t heard any complaint from residents.
The commission, he added, will not be influenced by its members in choosing the lot for the site of a casino hotel.

This month, three prospective casino investors picked up application forms, one of which has already been submitted to the commission, Manglona said.

It will take at least a month for the commission to evaluate the application to determine whether it is in compliance with regulations, he added.

Final report on Marianas range expected soon

Final report on Marianas range expected soon

By Steve Limtiaco • Pacific Daily News • November 9, 2009

The draft environmental report that will set the stage for the military buildup on Guam, including the construction of a new Marine Corps base in Dededo, won't be made public for about two more weeks, but a different environmental process related to increased military training in the region is expected to wrap up by the end of this year.

The military plans to step up the number and types of training exercises on and around Guam and the rest of the Mariana Islands, and it started an environmental review process for the "Mariana Islands Range Complex." A draft environmental report was released Jan. 30, the public comment period on that report ended March 31, and a final record of decision is expected by the end of this year.

As an example of the proposed changes, the "Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance/Strike Force at Andersen Air Force Base, which operates as many as 48 fighter planes, six bombers, four drones and 12 aerial refuelling planes, is scheduled to increase its operations by 45 percent."

The strike force currently operates an average of 14 take-offs and landings a day from Andersen, the environmental report states, which means there could be about 20 a day.

And a permanent 10-mile restricted safety zone would be created around the Farallon De Medinilla firing range in the Northern Mariana Islands, the study states. All private and commercial vessels would be prohibited from entering that restricted area, which could be temporarily extended as far as 30 miles during military training.

The waters around that island currently are restricted only 3 miles from shore, and only when there is training, the environmental report states.
Provides a glimpse

The environmental process for the new training plan, although on a smaller scale than the Guam buildup, is several months ahead of the buildup's environmental process and provides a glimpse of what Guam residents can expect to see in the environmental report.

Residents will have 90 days to comment on the Guam buildup's draft environmental report after it is made public.

The section devoted to the impact of training on marine mammals reads like a science textbook, providing information about the types of whales that can be found in the Marianas, how well they hear underwater, and the effect military sonar training might have on their behavior.

As an example, the report states Blue Whales continued foraging when exposed to low frequency active sonar.

Unlike the military buildup and the relocation of Marines from Okinawa to Guam, the new military training proposal will not involve any extensive changes or expansion and will not require any construction projects, the environmental report states.

There could be an overlap between the requirements for the military buildup and the new training proposal, the environmental report states, and documents for the two environmental reports are being coordinated to ensure consistency.

"This study is important because it determines the potential effects on the environment from current and future training activities and provides recommendations for minimizing those effects. It also gives the services the opportunity to review their procedures and ensure that the benefits of recent scientific and technological advances are used to lessen effects on the environment," the environmental report states.

The environmental report concludes that the increased training would create "irregular, minor, and short-term disturbances from military activity noise, but would have no unavoidable significant environmental effects."

PBS National Broadcast - At Last!

PBS National Broadcast - At Last!

Monday, November 2, 2009



Some good news to report: last week, NETA agreed to pick up The Insular Empire for a national PBS feed. What this means is that sometime in January or (more likely) February, 2010, The Insular Empire will go out on NETA's satellite feed to most of the PBS stations in the American Public TV system.

However - and this is where you, dear reader, fit in - it's up to the individual stations whether or not they choose to grab the show and air it. So if we want this film to have a truly national broadcast, it's going to be up to us to make sure it happens - by letting our PBS stations know that we want to see The Insular Empire on Public TV. As soon as I have a feed date from NETA, I will be posting a letter here that you can print out and send directly to your PBS stations, telling them about the show and urging them to air it.

So stay tuned for more info to come...

Thanks, Si Yu'us maase, and Olomwaay for your continued support!

US Customs poised to control NMI borders

US Customs poised to control NMI borders

Full access to airport facilities sought for up to 53 officers

By Haidee V. Eugenio
Reporter

Friday, October 23, 2009

Key officials of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection led by Assistant Commissioner for Field Operations Thomas S. Winkowski personally told Gov. Benigno R. Fitial, lawmakers, and other local officials yesterday that CBP is “fully ready” to secure CNMI borders by Nov. 28 as required by the federalization law.

“From an operational standpoint, we're ready,” Winkowski told House Speaker Arnold I. Palacios (R-Saipan), Senate President Pete P. Reyes (R-Saipan) and other members of the 16th Legislature on Capital Hill yesterday morning.

In their “operational readiness visit,” the federal team sought “full access” to the immigration facilities at the Saipan and Rota airports ahead of the Nov. 28 federalization to be able to install equipment and prepare for the takeover of border control.

Fitial gave CBP access to the facility, which the officials visited yesterday afternoon, said Winkowski.

Press secretary Charles Reyes confirmed that Fitial assured the federal officials that they would get the necessary access to the airports over the next several weeks to do their job.

“The federal officials agreed that they would make every effort not to interfere with the Commonwealth's enforcement of its immigration laws through Nov. 27,” Reyes said in a statement.

Winkowski said the team has had “productive meetings” with local officials.

“This is an operational readiness visit. I want to be sure that come Nov. 28, we're going to be up and running and you can't do that by sitting in Washington, D.C. You have to come out here and look at the facility, have meetings that we have today with the Legislature, with the governor, and work through any type of issues,” he told reporters.

Up to 53 CBP personnel

Winkowski said between 45 and 53 CBP personnel will be temporarily assigned to the CNMI, primarily at the Saipan International Airport, to screen some 400,000 passengers a year. Others will also be detailed at the Rota airport.

He said qualified CBP personnel from Guam and other U.S. states will be temporarily stationed until permanent hires are in place.

“I'm estimating it will take a year to eliminate temporary personnel,” Winkowski told lawmakers.

Jerry Aevermann, the current assistant port director for CBP Guam, has been named CBP interim port director for the CNMI.

Winkowski said a working group, to be led by Aevermann, is being formed to ensure a smooth transition to federal immigration control.

Besides Winkowski and Aevermann, seven other CBP officials from Washington, D.C. and Guam are visiting the CNMI.

They include CBP Assistant Commissioner for Information Technology Charles Armstrong; David Morrell, executive director of the Office of Field Operations' Mission Support; Cheryl Peters, program manager of the Office of Field Operations; Richard Vigna, director of Field Operations in San Francisco; Bruce Murley, area port director in Honolulu, Hawaii; Rocky Miner, port director in Guam; and Fraim Leon Guerrero of CBP Guam.

The team visited Guam before coming to Saipan Wednesday night. The officials leave Saipan today.

Rep. Rosemond Santos (R-Saipan) and other lawmakers wanted assurance from the federal officials that the current CNMI immigration personnel will be absorbed by CBP.

Winkowski said consideration is being given, but said qualification requirements will still need to be followed. He added that CBP will issue other job announcements for needed positions.

Immigration inspection

In answering questions from Rep. Ray N. Yumul (R-Saipan), the visiting federal officials said by Nov. 28, those who have already undergone immigration screening on Guam will not be screened again when they enter Saipan and vice versa.

However, those boarding on Saipan or Guam to other destinations will still undergo screening when they fly to Hawaii and other U.S. states and territories.

The CBP officials also said that travels between Saipan, Tinian and Rota will not need immigration screening.

Rep. Justo Quitugua (D-Saipan) and Rep. Diego Benavente (R-Saipan) asked whether nonresident workers can freely exit and enter the CNMI throughout the transition period starting on Nov. 28 without having to secure a U.S. visa.

CBP officials said this is still being worked on by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

CBP and the USCIS are among the component units of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which is the lead agency implementing Public Law 110-229 (the Consolidated Natural Resources Act) in the CNMI. DHS is required to staff and equip six ports of entry in the CNMI by Nov. 28.

Winkowski said it's only a happenstance that they're in the CNMI when Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced she will be exercising her parole authority to allow Chinese and Russian tourists to enter the CNMI without a U.S. visa even when federalization begins Nov. 28. (See main story)

Rep. Tina Sablan (Ind-Saipan) asked CBP to conduct public outreach on the agency's activities and policies, to which Winkowski said this is also being worked on.

Winkwoski, when asked about human trafficking and drug smuggling concerns, said there will be investigators that work for DHS to address these issues.

The CBP officials met not only with Fitial yesterday, but also with officials of the Commonwealth Ports Authority, the Office of the Attorney General, the CNMI Division of Customs, the CNMI Division of Immigration, and the Department of Labor.

Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (D-MP), in a statement, said he has “been assured that all the necessary equipment to do the pre-screening and monitor visitor exits will be in place by Nov. 28.”

“I have been very concerned about the department's operational readiness, but I'm beginning to see some forward motion. I also think that we have to be sure that this capacity is also present for the Rota and Tinian tourist markets. This isn't just about Saipan,” said Sablan.

Casino buildup planned for Pacific

Casino buildup planned for Pacific

(AP) – 11 hours ago

SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands — Casino investors are buying up hotel properties on Rota, the second-largest island of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, in hopes of attracting military gamblers once the U.S. increases its presence in nearby Guam.

Japanese and Korean investors separately bought two Rota hotels this month in anticipation of turning them into the island's first casinos.

Many of their customers would be 8,000 Marines and their 9,000 dependents who will be moved from Okinawa, Japan to Guam, located just 35 miles to the south of Rota.

The new casinos could take business from the Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino, located on the island of Tinian to the north of Rota.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

109 Candidates Certified for CNMI Elections

109 candidates certified
Friday, 14 August 2009 00:00 By Gemma Q. Casas
Marianas Variety News Staff

THE Commonwealth Election Commission certified on Wednesday 109 of the 111 individuals who filed their candidacies for different public positions, with independents comprising more than half of those seeking office in the Nov. 7 general polls.

The ruling Covenant Party has 26 candidates but no mayoral hopeful on Rota.

Independent and non-partisan candidates totaled 57.

The Democratic Party has four candidates — environmentalist Angelo O. Villagomez for Saipan mayor, Rep. Justo S. Quitugua for senator, and Willie Brundidge and Jesse J. Torres for Precinct 5’s two seats in the House of Representatives.

The CNMI Republican Party has 27 candidates but, like the Covenant Party, no Rota mayoral hopeful.

The commission certified the candidates during a meeting late Wednesday at the governor’s office with Chairwoman Frances Sablan presiding.

With all the candidates now officially certified, the commission can start printing the ballot.

There are no retention questions this year for any of the judges or justices.

But voters will have to decide on two initiatives.

The popular initiative, a proposed law, will apply the Open Government Act to the Legislature, while the legislative initiative, a proposed constitutional amendent, will align CNMI elections with the U.S. congressional election held in even-numbered years.

The popular initiative must be approved by two-thirds of the voters, while the legislative initiative needs only a majority of the votes cast.

Robert Guerrero, the commission’s executive director, said they will hold an educational campaign about these initiatives.

He said the commission is also ready to take on the challenge of holding a runoff in case none of the four gubernatorial teams get the majority of the votes cast.