..YNIVfRSJTt___ofJ:lAWAIJ LIBRARY

arianas %riet~~ Micronesia's Leading Newspaper Since 1972 ~ evvs

Desalination issue rests largely on affordability:

ater subsidy eyed By Rick Alberto Variety News Staff

A SAIP AN Congressman said Thursday night the government might grant partial subsidy to help defray the cost of desalinated water the Commonwealth Utilies Corp.-proposes to sell to consum­ers at $6 per 1,000 gallons.

Rep. Heinz S. Hofschneider(R­Pct. 3) proposed that the subsidy be taken from the electrical bill the government pays to the CUC.

The government, he said, is being charged 20 cents per kilo­watt-hour, a rate he considers unfair since the commercial rate r .. ~r==c:~~::......~-.~T:~-.-:.-1

~ OPA asked to I l1 freeze $120M :~ tl1 power project ;] :1 ';i :~ By Mar-Vic C. Munar i'J

11 Variety News Staff ;1 j THE OFFICE of the Public J i Auditor was asked last week -~

f,'.j tofreezethe Commonwealth ij H Utilities Corp. 's $120-mil- j [·;I )ion power project and to in- \j V vest.igate the allegedly ! i i 1 "flawed" procurement pro- f.:: : : cess used by CUC to select i: bidders. i · The project, which in-

. valves an 80-Megawatt Power Plant to be built in Lower Base, is the subject of protests filed by at least five

. "disqualified" companies. Of 13 prospective bidders,

six were selected by CUC to participate in the yet-to-be scheduled bidding. The names of the participating "qualilied bidders" were not available as of press time.

The Variety contacted CUC spokesperson. Pamela

Continued on page ~8

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WEAT~ER -;I · Ou1look ·

Partly cloudy with J' Isolated showers I

PAC N8NSPft.PER STAC(<~

Heinz S. Hofschneider

is only 16 cents per kwh. "To make it fair, government

• should be paying also 16 cents as the commercial users and take the difference and apply to the water subsidy," Hofschneider told the Variety during the first public consultation that the CUC con­ducted on the desalination facil­ity last Thursday night.

According to CUC, it needs $5 million annually in subsidy to be able to proceed with the desalina­tion plant which \\'.ill provide po­table water on a 24-hour basis to central Saipan covering Gualo Rai, Garapan, Puerto Rico, Sadog

DOI suspends 60 classroom project

By Mar-Vic C. Munar Variety News Staff

TI-IE UNITED States Department of the Interior has suspended the $3 million emergency classrooms project for the Public School System and asked the CNMI's Department of Public Works to justify any changes being made·in the project, CIP federal coordina­tor Keith Aughenbaugh said Friday.

Board of Education Chair Marja Lee Taitano announced Friday the board's plan to scale down the project from 60classrooms to40 due to funding problems.

The government has already expended $500,000 with the original contractor, Demapan Construction and Engineering whose contract was terminated by the public works department because the project, which is partly funded by the federal government through the DOI's Office of Insular Affairs, wasn't moving.

Taitano's announcement about the new plan was made after Andrew Smith, director of DPW's Technical Services, said the

Continued on page 28

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Tasi, China Town, Navy Hill, and Capitol Hill.

But Hofschneider asked CUC how it came up with the $5-mil­lion figure.

"I have to sit down and look at where they (CUC) got the $5 mil­lion because it's not $5 million from our previous discussion," he said. "We.may be looking at $2

million annually to subsidize." The representative from

Sai pan's third district emphasized, "Let us find the money. We can find the money."

The public hearing Thursday night at the Joeten-Kiyu Public Library was attended by about I 00 customers in the affected ar-

Continued C":n page 28

: ,ij~yes :asks US Congress !..°t<ireview 01.Ns activities

':,'· .'.;,·,·

tor Allen Stayman whose ac~ tions, the. senator said, "may have been motivated by his ha-

.·.· · tred ofour former governor;'' .' ."We are conv.inced that Mr.

;Staymim has lost>sight of. the , role ~f the Departnienr of the . Interior as an advocate ofAmeii~

: ·. ·cai1 territories -pursuant to the 'dep~ent's'mandatito-allna- ·

. :. tive Americans.and minorities/'

. . Reyes,said in. 8Mat"c~ I2Jetter .

f'.;:'9i::;•.·::::r~~1;·~:..Re.re~ · ..... ',•.\','.,,'1.·1.·

. : By M~t-Vlc c: Mlinar · ·. · Variety News Staff SENA TE Majority Leader Pete P .Reyes is urging the U..S. Con-

. gress to "review the recent ac­tivities" of the Office of Insular Affairs, which he suspects are merely "aimed at smearing the name of the CNMI."

Reyes singled out OIA Di rec-

- tQS~~kerNeWt Gi11gtich:· <·.C-••• · : Reyes '. :was . smarting> frcm1 ··

: :Staymap's ·una6aie4· criticfi;ms .. . · against . the · CNMI, · which the

OIA official had. describe~ by manyacerbic labels such as ''one big scamt and "one big· orga­nized crime."

The local government's ini­tiatives to raid garment plants and correct irregularities at the factories leave Stayman unim-

Continued on page 28

Island beauties. The Northern Marianas Beauty Pageant Association presents to the pre_ss the candidates ~or Miss Nfo(TI Universe 1998, from left: Katrina Manninfl_, Amor Soruis, Verna Crisostimo, Leonel/a Morales, Sonya Pangelman and Helene Lizama durmg a news conference Saturday at the Pacific Gardenia. Photo by Ferdie Dela Torre

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2-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS MONDAY - MARCH 16, 1998

Nevv clashes in WestBa11k

By NASSER SHIYOUKHI HEBRON, West Bank (AP) -About 2.'i Palestinians who live nern· Jewish settle1, in this tense West B,mk city awoke Sunday to find their cai·windows sm,L,hcd.

Israel radio swd Jewish settle1, daimed n:sponsibil ity fonhe destrnc­tion.

·n1e v,mJalism follows two days of violent confrontations between Pal­estini:ms :md Jewish settle!, in this divided city. pan of widespread clashes since Tuesday's shooting de:1ths of1hrcc Pabtini:m i:Iborcr,.

··Af!er midni!!.ht 1w hemu ~lass breaking :md w; sall' 12 to I .'i~ set­tler,." said Moh:urnned Jd1is. a resi­dent whose car windows were sm:L,hed ... ll1is is tell"orism. tl1e set­tle1, :m: trying to provoke us:·

OnF1iday. settlers entered the Pal­estinian-conu-o\lcd pait of Hebron :mi.! stoned m1 Arab home. provoking violent clashes between Palestinim1s

:md Is1:1eli o·oops. Dozens of Pales­tini:ms rn1d eight joumalist, wen: in­jun~d by mbber bullets.

ll1e settlers said they were rewliat­ing for fire bombs thrown at their homes by Palestinians over the last few days.

"We went there in on.ler to protest this sh,m1c mid to signal to the rnrny ,md government that we rn-e not ready to be ... t:u·get practice," Moshe Ben Zimra. a resident of Hebron 'sJewish community, said Sunday.

Israel's West 13:mk commm1der. Biig. Gen. Yitzhak Eit,m.accused the settlers ofinci ting violence and police said some20scttlers would be brought in for questioning later Sunday. ~

Several Palestinians filed com­plaints against the settlers at the joint Isrnel-Palestiniancoordinationoffice.

Israeli :umy chief-of-staff Lt. Gen. Amnon Shahak orde1-ed a refi-esher course for soldiers on crowd control procedures after the journalists we1e

injured. Shahak toured Hebron on Sunday

:md was briefed on the rnmy ·s prepa­ration for more violence.

Mrnwan Krn1af:mi, a senior aide to Palestinirn1 leader Y asscr Arafat, said he didn't expect the clashes to stop until the tlu-ee soldiers who shot :md ki 1\ed tl1e Palestinirn1 laborers at a roadblock last Tuesday were brought to oial.

·111is is tl1e only way to stop tl1e :mgcr in tlie Palestinian sU-ecL,," he told ll1e Associated Press.

Me:mwhilc, Jsrael increased it, sc­CUiity at busswtions and public areas Sunday in the wake of two small bomb explosions over the weekend.

An Israeli m,m was instable condi­tion at a hospital in the northern town of Afula after a bomb hidden in a box exploded in his hands Saturday.

A day earlier, a small blast in an Arab neighborhood in Jerusalem in­jured four people.

South Korean high school students stage a rally opposing the showing of foreign movies in domestic theaters m front of one of the theaters m Seoul, Saturday. Banners read that importing foreign flims is draining precious dollars out of South Korea's ailing economy. AP

Malaysia plans more austerity measures KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP)-Malaysia 's government will announce fu11her au,terity measures next week so it can concentrate its spending on critical matters such as poveny eradication and public health. the deputy prime minister said Sunday.

Meanwhile, the government is considering borrowing from the World Bank-not for economic recovery but for development of rural areas. and welfare for the poor, said Anwar Ibrahim, who also is finance minister.

The economy is still good, he said, but "we have to acknowledge that it will be a bit difficult."

With government revenues declining, he added, "we need to take additional measures." He said he would introduce new austerity steps in Parliament next week.

So that the government can concentrate on critical projects such as eradicating poverty, projects that can be deferred will be postponed for six months to a year, but "not for too long," he said.

The World Bank had proposed a loan to reduce Malaysia's burden, the national news agency Bernama quoted him as. telling reporters in Tanjong Malim, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Kuala Lumpur.

Israeli soldiers arrest a Palestinian youth suspected of throwing stones during riots in the West Bank town of Hebron. Palestinian protests following the killing of three Palestinians at a roadblock Tuesday have continued. AP

Ramos: Oil deregulation needed for IMF credit MANILA, Philippines (AP) -President Fidel Ramos said Sunday an order he signed fully deregulating the Philippine oil industry was neces­saiy so the International Monetary Fund would approve a credit sought by Manila.

The IMF stand-by credit would be used to stabilize the Philippine peso in case its value falls steeply against the U.S. dollar in the future, Ramos said.

The oil deregulation law is also the last key reform urged by the IMF to allow the Philippines to exit from more than three decades of economic supervision.

"If we did not fully deregulate, the IMF may not even consider our re-

Fidel Ramos

quests and we would therefore be in a very weak position," Ramos told reponers in northern Baguio City, where he spoke at a graduation cer­emony of the Philippine Military Academy.

Ramos si6rned an executive order Saturday that fully de1-egulatcd the Philippine oil industry, cutting short thefivc-monthtnmsitionperiodcalled for by a new dere6'Ulation law.

Ramos said the move was pro111ptc<lbytl1cdccliningworldm1de oil prices:md the st;.1ble cxch:mgc r,1tc oftl1c Philippine peso.

Dcn;gulation of tl1e indusu-y will allow comp:mies to set their own piices and open tl1c indusu-y to new competitors.

R:unos said tl1c p1ice of cooking fuel. 1c6>1Ilm· g:L,olinc :md kerosene will be dete1111ined by the Energy Regulatory Bornu untilJuly. in keep­ing witl1 the deregulation Jaw he si~ne<l Feb. 19. ~

He said the indusu-y·s full dcn:gu­lation will atU,1ct foreign oil compa­nies to enter the local mrn-ket ,u1d eventually 1csult in lower oil prices.

"In preliminary discussions with the World Bank, we stressed that due to the depreciation of the ringgit following manipulation by foreign fund managers, social programs we have planned have been affected," he added.

Sgt. Maj. Gene McKinney, center, leaves the court in Fort Belvoir Va. Friday after his court-martial conviction on one count of obstructi~n of justice. McKinney had been charged with 19 offenses, including adultery and now faces a maximum of five years in prison. AP

ll1e Philippines is seeking st,md­by credit from the IMF, th~ Asi:m Development B:u1k :mu otl1cr inter­national lending agencies :1s a buffer fund against futur-c drops in tlie value of the peso, one of several Asi:u1 cun-cncies h:u·d hit by speculative attacks that bcg,m liL,t July.

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MONDAY, MARCH 16, 1998 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-3

Shenton t By Zaldy Dandan Variety News Staff

THE CLINTON administration's "federal takeover" proposal was uig­gercd by the existence of a large numberof alien workers in the CNMI m,<l not by the local grument industry, according to Gov. Pedro P. Tenoiio.

With or without garment industry, says Teno I-Jc added. however, that the· 'raids··

will also show t1iat his adminisu·ation isseriousaboutadd1-essinglaborabusc allegations.

Tenoiio, who was in Washington, D.C. recently, said he asked White House officials if shutting down gru·­ment manufacturing in tl1e CNMI would "cha11ge their mind" about the need forsoipping thecommonwealth of control over it, immigration ,md minimum wage.

"They (1cplied that) witli or with­out the (gannent industry) they still want to step in," the governor said in a media confe1ence Fiiday.

Apologist~ of tl1e local grnment indusl!-y claim tliat tl1e US grument lobby, "upset" over the competition from Saiprn1, is behind tlie White House's federal takeover proposal, which is conside1-ed fatal to local grument rn,mufactu1ers.

Pedro P. Tenorio

But Tenoiio said the federal offi­cials' main concern wa, that "there are too many people of other nation­alities he1e," referring to the CNMI's. 11101e tlian 30,000 alien workers, who now outnumber locals.

It should be recalled that tl1e US government agreed to exempt the

Senate OKs bill on hiring m.oratorum.

By Zaldy Dandan

Variety News Staff TI-IE SENA TE has passed, with amendments, a bill that would stop the hiring of alien workers in the CNMI.

HouseBilll 1-31 nowheadsback to the House of Representatives, which is expected to accept the Senate amendments in its session tomorrow.

The bill will then go to Gov. PedroP. Tenorio, whoha~expressed support for such legislation.

IntrcducedbyReps.MariaT.Peter (Ind.-Prec. 3, Saipan) and Heinz S. Hofschneider (R-Prec. 3, Saipan), H.B.11-31 seekstoprohibittherew hire of alien workers partirularly in the gannent indusny.

Exempted from the proposed moratorium are alien workers who are already in theCNMiand whose contracts will be renewed.

Also exempted is the hiring of an alien worker to replace another alien in the same employment position.

The bill would grnnt the gover­nor the authoiity to grant other ex-

emptions, provided that he inforrru; the Legislature and that ·

• The prospective employer has invested at least $5 mill ion in either a "major new development" or the expansion of an existing develop­ment project

• 'The new project is considered "in the best interest of the common­wealth."

'The Senate accepted an amend­ment offered by Sen. F.clward U. Maratita (R-Rota) which would exemptinvestorsonRotaandTinian from the moratorium if they invest at least $250,(XX).

Also approved was Sen. Juan P. Tenorio's (R-Saipim) amendment that would close all possible loop­holes regarding "runaway" or "U­drive" alien workers.

Anernployercouldreplacea''run­away" alien worker only if the worker has left the CNM1

Further, an alien worker could only be transferred to another em­ployer if tlie worker is replacing someone who is no longer in the CNML

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By Jojo Dass Variety News Staff

UNANNOUNCED inspections of factories will resume this week witl1 employers other than those running gmmentfactories included in the "t:Ir­

get list," tlie Depmtrnent of Labor and Immigrntion.

"One thing all employers in the Commonwealth should be aware of is that don't think that for the next three weeks, or four weeks, or the next I Oyeru-s, it is justg:ument facto-1ies," wmncd acting DOU Secretary Mm-k Zacharcs.

"Eve1-y employer of nonresident workers on islm1d right now should

beon notice that tomorrow they could be getting a visit from tlie Immigra-. tion and Labor to ensure that they aie complying with the laws of the Com­monweal th," he said.

Four gannent factories, including two owned by business tycoon, Willie Tan, were inspected la~t week.

'Thedriveyieldedsome I ,200work­ers found without Alien Regi~m1tion Crnus, 11 overstayers, numerous vio­lations of federal health and safety regulations, "prescription dmgs," the names of which were wiitten in Chi­nese chm11cte1s, an unlicensed nUI~ imd a four-bed "first-aid station."

Continued on page 27

Northern Mrniana~ from federal im­migration law top1cvenl the influx of aliens. ·

The exemption, however, resulted in the free flow of low-paid alien workers who rue easy p1ey, accord­ing to the White House; to labor and human right~ abuses.

But Tenorio reiterated that his administration's tough stance against labor violations has nothing to do with the US Senate Energy and Natu­ral Resources Committee hearing on March 31.

'The committee, which has over-

sight jurisdiction over the common­wealtl1 and other insular areas, is con­sideiing the White House backed legislation tJiat would restrict CNMI immigration and incr&ase tJ1e local minimum wage rate to federal levels.

Tenoiio swd the ongoing unan­nounced inspections of garment fac­toiies and workers' barracks are to "c01rect the mistakes of the p,t,t."

''Myonlydisappoinnnent,"hesaid. "is that some of these problems have been happening as far back as 1993, but (no one among the violators has been) prosecuted?"

When told that the previous ad­ministrations also enacted n::fonns but laterdownsrnled oreven repealed them, Teno1iosaid''fnis administra­tion has no intention of repealing reforms."

The governor at the same time said the ongoing investigation conducted by the Department of Labor and Immigration (DOU) and the Attorney Genera\ 's Of­fice (AGO) covers the entire pri­vate sector and not only the gar­ment factories.

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MVB Board, HANMI and other officials look on as Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio signs a proclamation Friday declaring the year 1999 as "Visit the Marianas Year." Pho10 by zaldy Dandan

CDA gives needed approval for CPNs planned $54M bond issue

By Rick Alberto Variety News Staff

THE BOARD of the Common­wealthDevelopmentAuthorityon Friday gave the much-awaited go­ahead signal to /commonwealth Ports Authority to float a $54.6-million bond.

The CDA approval was given after Ports Authority Executive Director Carlos 1-1. Salas im­pressed on the board the urgency of floating the bond so it could pay the contractors of CPA's cur­rent projects.

At least two of the contractors have threatened to file a lawsuit to demand payments.

Of the four voting CDA board members, only one-Tinian rep­resentative Jose M. Dela Cruz­did not vote for the bond flotation because the Tinian airport expan­sion project was not included for funding.

Salas told the board meeting a separate bond would be floated specially for the Tinian air and sea po1t expansion and improve­ment projects.

"The amount of bond size that we have is really triggered by what we can afford, and CPA cannot shoulder a bigger size at this time until we have a good feel of what the industry can support

Carlos H. Salas

~~· v~,.-: ,·.·.ha

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and what kind of revenue we can generate," Salas told reporters during a meeting break.

The bond proceeds would go to fund projects on the three islands including the airport apron ex­pansion on Rota, the design work of the airport terminal bui!Jing and runway on Tinian. and the enclosure of the cmTidor exten­sion for Gates 5 and 6 at Saipan International Airport.

The bond would also fund the IO percent matching requirments for federally funded projects in­cluding the ongoing dredging at the Saipan seaport. which he said necus to be paid this month.

Part of the b9nd proceed would also be used to retire the previous

airport and seaport bonus. Moments before the CDA boaru

took action on the CPA 's request for approval of the bond flotation. Salas saiu he hoped the board "can empathize with CPA 's pre­dicament. ..

Altura. Nelson & Co., bascJ in San Francisco, will be the under­writer for the bond, Salas said.

He said the underwriter's fee is 1.5 percent of the bond ·s face val uc.

Ile al:;o said the transfn llf funds after the bond flotation will be in the: last week of this month.

"Very fast," Salas commentcu. Salas said the bond rate intcn:st

for the airport series is 6.30 per­cent and for the seaport series, 6.40 percent.

Commenting on the approval of the bond. Salas said, ""It's a bi!! relief for everybody. oursc)vc<. the contractors. The CD/\ I think is very happy 10 help us out on this deal and we 're going to move forward and take care of our fi­nancial problems in the CIP !Capi­tal Improvement Projects) pro­gram ...

"So we want to express our· full appreciation to the bo:1rd of directors of CDA." he added.

4-MARIANAS.YA:!HE'FYNEWS' A'NV VI'E'WScMONDA 1': MARCHi:1_1_I'6',!_,.'::..£r~99:'.o'8~··,_· ----------------- ----

DPL: Terminate By Ferdie de la Torre Variety News Staff

THE DIVISION of Public Lands of the Department of Lands and Natural Resources has sued a ho­tel developer for alleged breach ofco111rnc1 over a lease of public land.

DPL, through counsel Assis-

tant Atty. Gen. Thomas E. Clifford.asked the Superior Court to declare defendant MOM De­velopment Corp. in automatic default under the lease.

DPL is entitled t(') immediate possession of the.subject public land known as Japanese Fishing Base in Garapan containing a to-

tal area of 36,787 square meters, said Clifford in the complaint filed Thursday.

Clifford asked the court toter­minate the lease.

The complaint said in Oct. l 995, DPL and MOM entered into a lease of the Japanese Fi sh ing Base to constrnct 504-room first class

Assault charge filed against former Rota Mayor Manglona

By Ferdie de la Torre Variety News Staff

THE ATTORNEY General's Office has charged former Rota Mayor Prudencio T. Manglona for allegedly as­saulting an official of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.

Manglona was charged with assault and battery be­fore the Superior Court Fri­day.

Assistant Atty. Gen. Colin M. Thompson in the com­plaint stated that "on or about Feb. 26, 1998 on Rota, de­fendant Manglona "did un­lawfully, purposely, know-

ingly, or recklessly strike, beat, wound, or otherwise cause bodily harm to Antonio Reyes."

No other details were given in the complaint.

The Superior Court sum­moned the former mayor to appear in Rota trial court to answer the charges on April 3.

Initial information had it that Manglona physically at­tacked Reyes, CUC Rota resi­dent deputy director, at cue branch office on the island.

Information showed that the assault triggered during an ar­gument over a water well equipment which CUC alleg-

edly failed to provide. CUC Executive Director

· Timothy Villagomez had re­quested the AGOto conduct a probe into the assaultincF dent ·

Prudencio. T. · Manglona

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Mlease resort hotel and complex.

Clifford said the lease agree­ment requires constrnction of the hotel to commence within 15 months of the execution of the lease.

"It has now been nearly 29 months since the lease was ex­ecuted. The construction has not commenced," he pointed out.

Clifford said the lease requires the hdtel project to be completed within 45 months of the execu­tion of the lease, and only 16 months remain.

Pursuant to the lease, Clifford said, the rental during the con­struction period is $243,815 an­nually, which is payable quar­terly in advance of $60,953.75.

He said MDM is in rental ar­rears of $124,992 as of March 2, 1998.

Clifford explained that the total amount represents the failure to

pay the $60,953.75 payment due Nov. l, 1997 and the $60,953.75 payment due Feb. l, I 998, and the late charges due on the missed payments.

Clifford added that MDM has failed to submit annual reports, provide financing information, submit construction plans and specifications, and proof of insur­ance.

"Article 22A of the Lease pro­vides that the failure to pay rent within 90 days 9f the due date constitutes an au tom a tic defau it," he said.

Clifford said MD M's failure to commence construction pursuant to the terms of the lease is a breach of contract.

"MDM's failure to commence · construction for more than 90 days after the required commencement period constitutes abandonment and automatic default," he said.

The imposing figure of the Dulce de Maria Cathedral-Basilica belltower in Agana stands behind wood panels and steel bars as construction work continues for the church's renovation. Expected completion date is April with a grand rededication ceremony planned for April 22.

By Jojo Dass Variety News Staff

ll!E DEPARTMENT of Labor mid Immigration only staited putting upa He,~th and Safety Office (I-ISO) tL~t ye,U'. The office still lacks the ncces­smy equipment to conduct thorough inspections, it w,L~ lem11ed.

Ron Biggers, HSO Safety En­forcement Officer who w,L~ hired only late h~tyeartocomp1isc HSO's third staff.said plans me afoot to b1ino in two mrne personnel to make th~ office more efficient.

"fasenti,dly, we arc a new oflke, We've just really st:uted hen: since last year,'' said Bigge1,

Also, Bigge1,said government will be acquiiing ,m "air monitor" to cal-

Photo by Eduardo C. Siguenza (Reuters)

cu latcdcnsi ty of ai rbomc matc1ials in g:U111cnt finns.

111c lack of such instrnment w,L\ noticed during OOLI 's umumounced inspection of the Adv,mce Textiles Inc. in Navy Hill h~t week wherein media reprcsenivcs were allowed entry.

Witl1out thc equipment, tl1e inspec­tors had 110 way of cstablishinl! whctl1crthin, ,uid sometimes, aJmo::i invisible airborne fibers, have be­come so concentrated in tl1c work­place tl1at it could pose n:spiratrny hcaltl1 ha?;utls.

Wc,uing face mw,;k against tl1cs,; hcaltl1 lw:1.;u·ds, explaincJ Biggers. is optional.

Continued on page 7

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ii MONDAY, MARCH 16, 1998 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-5.

Atalig, Ingratn confinned

Pedro M. Ataug

By Zaldy Dandan Variety News Staff

DESPITE concerns over Pedro M. Atalig's pending land law suit and residency, the Senate confirmed Friday his appoint­ment as member of the Board of Public Lands as well as the nomination of Public Safety Commissioner Charles W. Ingram Jr.

The Senate also gave its con­sent to the following appoint­ments made by Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio:

• Roman Palacios, Common­wealth Ports Authority board member,

• Antonio M. Borja, Com­monwealth Development Au­thority board member.

•Juan 0. Barcinas, Marianas Visitors Bureau board mem-

bcr, It was Atalig's nomination

that was considered contro­versial due to the Board of Public Lands' (BPL) opposi­tion and his Saipan residency,

The former Supreme Court associate justice will serve on BPL as Rota's representative.

In a March 5 letter to the Senate Committee on Execu­tive Appointment and Govern­mental Investigation (EAGI), BPL's four members cited Atalig's pending land litiga­tion with BPL that is still be-· fore the Superior Court, de­scribing it as a "bad public image."

But EAGI Chair David M. Cing (D-Tinian) has said that the court ruling on Atalig's land grabbing case will de­cide whether he stays as a board member.

He said in a democrati.c so­ciety, people are not consid­ered guilty until the court says so.

In an interview yesterday, Cing cited Rota's support for Atalig and his qualifications as one of the main reasons for the Senate vote.

"It also appears that he's a registered voter on Saipan, but he says he holds dual resi-

Bond underwriter has best offer, insists CPA

By Aldwin R. Fajardo Variety News Staff

THE COMMONWEALTH Ports Authority is maintain­ing that bond underwriter Altura Nelson has the best of­fer in the interest of the North­ern Mariana Islands, it was disclosed.

Ports Authority executive director Carlos Salas said there is no legal problem with CPA's decision in choosing Altura as the underwriter for the agency's proposed $54.6 million bond.

Salas explained that the port authority's procurement regu­lation allows CPA to get pro­fessional aml technical ser­vices without prior approval i'rom other agencies.

The Comm-onwealth Devel­opment Authority earlier ques­tioned the legality of CPJ\'s move to choose Altura in the absence of request for pro­posal I RFP].

"As far as we are concerned, the sclction has been made based on the best interest of the CPA," he told Variety, adding that regulations make

exemption on CPA' s hiring of professiona.l and technical services.

He insisted that Altura, which served in the same ca­pacity when the CPA floated a bond several years ago, is "highly specialized in the field."

Late last year, the CPA aborted a bond deal with Yu Corporation because of dif­ferences hinging on the in­crease of bond interest from 6.5 percent to 6.7 percent.

The ports authority has downgraded its proposed bond flotation from $140 million to $54.6 million, but the CDA wants the amount raised to $80 million to accommodate the lengthening of the Tinian air­port runway.

But Salas said there is no possible way the CPA can in­crease the bond it is propos­ing to float to $80 million, considering the agency's pay­ing capabilities.

Salas reasoned out the agency's dee! ining air and sea ports rev­enues, which have been impacted by thc·Asian economic slump.

See Classified Ads Section

dency and has told us that he will now move back to Rota," Cing said.

Meanwhile, Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio has reappointed John

S. Borja as director of statis­tics of the Commerce Depart­ment.

Borja held the same posi­tion in the previous adminis-

!ration. The governor is expected to

announce today the names of three of five Cabinet appoin­tees.

3~year lim.it bill next priority By Zaldy Dandan Variety News Staff

WITH THE hiring moratorium bill expected to clear the Legis­lature tomorrow, key legisla­tors are now working on an­other "priority bill," one that would impose a limit on the stay of alien workers in the CNMI.

Sen, Juan P. Tenorio (R­Saipan), in an interview, said the Senate-House Joint Com­mittee on CNMI-Federal Af­fairs will recommend a three­year stay limit while allowing alien workers to return after leaving the commonwealth for at least a month. . Tenorio said any stay limit legislation should accommodate the employers' concerns over the dependability and loyalty of their workers,

"I know that everyone here in

Juan P. Tenorio

the Legislature do not want to unduly burden employers," he said, adding that any stay limit bill should not create additional costs for employers.

At the same time, such legisla­tion is also expected to "scale down" the CNMl's dependence on alien workers, Tenorio said.

He added that the bill is ex-

pected to ongmate from the House of Representatives.

Rep. AnaS. Teregeyo (R-Prec. I, Saipan) has reintroduced her four-year stay limit bill, RB. 11-19, which exempts profes­sionals, executives or senior management positions from the stay limit.

A similar bill was filed in the l 0th Legislature, but ended up in a Senate-House conference committee after both houses failed to agree on the number of years for the stay limit.

There were also disagreements on how long an alien worker should remain outside the CNMI before he or she could return.

The private sector, moreover, was unanimous in its opposition to a stay limit, saying that it will only lead to higher mark up costs for which consumers will end up paying.

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DPL: Terminate By Ferdie de la Torre Variety News Staff

THE DIVISION of Public Lands of the Department of Lands and Natural Resources has sued a ho­tel developer for alleged breach of con!rac! over n lease of public land.

DPL. through counsel Assis-

tant Atty. Gen. Thomas E. Clifford. asked the Superior Court to declare defendant MOM De­velopment Corp. in automatic default under the lease.

DPL is entitled t@ immediate possession of the.subject public land known as Japanese Fishing Base in Garapan containing a to-

tal area of 36,7'8.7 square meters, said Clifford in the complaint filed Thursday.

Clifford asked the cout1 to ter­minate the lease.

The complaint said in Oct. I 995, DPL and MDM entered into a lease of the Japanese Fishing Base to constmct 504-room first class

Assault charge filed against former Rota Mayor Manglona

By Ferdie de la Torre Variety News Staff

THE ATTORNEY General's Office has charged former Rota Mayor Prudencio T. Manglona for allegedly as­saulting an official of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.

Manglona was charged with assault and battery be­fore the Superior Court Fri­day.

Assistant Atty. Gen. Colin M. Thompson in the com­plaint stated that "on or about Feb. 26, 1998 on Rota, de­fendant Manglona "did un­lawfully, purposely, know-

ingly, or recklessly strike, beat, wound, or otherwise cause bodily harm to Antonio Reyes."

No other details were given in the complaint.

The Superior Court sum­moned the former mayor to appearin Rota trial court to answer the charges on April 3.

Initial information had it that Manglona physically at­tacked Reyes, CUC Rota resi­dent deputy director, at CUC branch office on the island.

Information showed that the assault triggered during an ar­gument over a water well equipment which CUC alleg-

edly failed to provide. CUC Executive Director

· Timothy Villagomez had re­quested the AGO to conduct a probe into the assault inci­dent;

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resort hotel and complex. Clifford said the lease agree­

ment requires construction of the hotel to commence within 15 months of the execution of the lease.

"It has now been nearly 29 months since the lease was ex­ecuted. The construction has not commenced," he pointed out.

Clifford said the lease requires the hotel project to be completed within 45 months of the execu­tion of the lease, and only 16 months remain.

Pursuant to the lease, Clifford said, the rental during the con­stmction period is $243,815 an­nually, which is payable quar­terly in advance of $60,953.75.

He said MDM is in rental ar­rears of $124,992 as of March 2, 1998.

Clifford explained that the total amount represents the failure to

pay the $60,953.75 payment due Nov. I, 1997 andthe$60,953.75 payment due Feb. I, 1998, and the late charges due on the missed payments.

Clifford added that MDM has failed to submit annual reports, provide financing information, submit construction plans and specifications, and proof of insur­ance.

"Article 22A of the Lease pro­vides that the failure to pay rent within 90 days 9f the due date constitutes an automatic defauit," he said.

Clifford said MD M's failure to commence construction pursuant to the terms of the lease is a breach of contract.

"MDM's failure to commence · construction for more than 90days after the required commencement period constitutes abandonment and automatic default," he said.

!he imposing figure o( the Dulce de Maria Cathedral-Basilica belltower m Agana stands behmd wood panels and steel bars as construction l;IOrk c_ont!nues for the church's renovation. Expected completion date 1s Apnl wtlh a grand rededication ceremony planned for April 22.

By Jojo Dass Variety News Staff

THE DEPARTMENT of Labor ,md Immigration only started putting upa Health and Safety Office (HSO) h,t year. TI1c office still lacks tl1e ncccs­saiy equipment to conduct thorouoh inspections, it wa, Je:uncd. "'

Ron Biggers. HSO Safety En­forcement Officer who w,L, hired only late la,t year to comprise HSO · s thirc.lstaff,sitid plansaic afoot to b1irl" . e 111 two more personnel to make the office more efficient.

"fascntially, we arc a new onice. We've just really strntcd here since hL,t yew·,'' s,tid Bigge1s

Also,Bigge1ssaid govcmment will be acquiring :in "air ~onitor" to cal-

Photo by Eduardo C. Siguenza (Reuters)

cu late density ofairbome materials in gm111ent films.

111c lack of such instrument was noticed during DOLi 's urnumounccd inspection of the Advm1ce Textiles Inc. in Navy Hill h,t week wherein media rep1cscnivcs were allowed entry.

Without tl1ecquipment, the inspec­tors had no way of establishing whetl1cr tl1in, mid sometimes, almo; invisible airlx,me fibers, have be­come so concentrated in the work­place tl1at it could pose rcspiratrny health haz;uus.

Werning face rn,L,k against tl1esc hcaltJ1 haz,U'l.ls, cxpl:tined Biggers, is optional. ""

Continued on page 7

-,1· ':I )

·'

!

' .~j,. :,.,~ ..

MONDA¥, MARCH 16, 1998 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VJEWS-5.

Atalig, Ingratn confirmed

Pedro M. Atallg

By Zaldy Dandan Variety News Staff

DESPITE concerns over Pedro M. Atalig's pending land law suit and residency, the Senate confirmed Friday his appoint­ment as member of the Board of Public Lane.ls as well as the nomination of Public Safety Commissioner Charles W. Ingram Jr.

The Senate also gave its con­sent to the following appoint­ments made by Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio:

• Roman Palacios, Common­wealth Ports Authority board member.

• Antonio M. Borja, Com­monwealth Development Au­thority board member.

• Juan 0. Barcinas, Marianas Visitors Bureau board mem-

bcr. It was Atalig's nomination

that was considered contro­versial due to the Board of Public Lands' (BPL) opposi­tion and his Saipan residency.

The former Supreme Court associate justice will serve on BPL as Rota's representative.

In a March 5 letter to the Senate Committee on Execu­tive Appointment and Govern­mental Investigation (EAGI), BPL's four members cited Atalig's pending land litiga­tion with BPL that is still be-· fore the Superior Court, de­scribing it as a "bad public image."

But EAGI Chair David M. Cing (D-Tinian) has said that the court ruling on Atalig's land grabbing case will de­cide whether he stays as a board member.

He said in a democratic so­ciety, people are not co~sid­ered guilty until the court says so.

In an interview yesterday, Cing cited Rota's support for At al ig and his qualifications as one of the main reasons for the Senate vote.

"It also appears that he's a registered voter on Saipan, but he says he holds dual resi-

Bond underwriter has best offer, insists CPA

By Aldwin A. Fajardu Variety News Staff

THE COMMONWEALTH Ports Authority is maintain­ing that bond underwriter Altura Nelson has the best of­fer in the interest of the North­ern Mariana Islands,- it was disclosed.

Ports Authority executive director Carlos Salas said there is no legal problem with CPA 's decision in choosing Altura as the underwriter for the agency's proposed $54.6 million bond.

Salas explained that the port authority's procurement regu­lation allows CPA to get pro­fessional and technical ser­vices without prior approval from other agencies.

The Commonwealth Devel­opment Authority earlier ques­tioned the legality of CPA's move to choose Altura in the absence of request for pro­posal I RFP J.

"As far as we arc concerned, the scletion has been made based on the best interest of the CPA," he told Variety, adding that regulations make

exemption on CPA 's hiring of professiona.l and technical services.

He insisted that Altura, which served in the same ca­pacity when the CPA floated a bond several years ago, is "highly specialized in the field."

Late last year, the CPA aborted a bond deal with Yu Corporation because of dif­ferences hinging on the in­crease of bond interest from 6.5 percent to 6. 7 percent.

The ports authority has downgraded its proposed bond flotation from $140 million to $54.6 million, but the CDA wants the amount raised to $80 million to accommodate the lengthening of the Tinian air­port runway.

But Salas said there is no possible way the CPA can io­crease the bond it is propos­ing to float to $80 million, considering the agency's pay­ing capabilities.

Salas reasoned out the agency's declining air and sea ports rev­enues, which have been impacted by the-Asian economic slump.

See Classified Ads Section

dency and has told us that he will now move back to Rota," Cing said.

Meanwhile, Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio has reappointed John

S. Borja as director of statis­tics of the Commerce Depart­ment.

Borja held the same posi­tion in the previous adminis-

tration. The governor is expected to

announce today the names of three of five Cabinet appoin­tees.

3-year lim.it bill next priority By Zaldy Oandan Variety News Stall

WITH THE hiring moratorium bill expected to clear the Legis­lature tomorrow, key legisla­tors are now working on an­other "priority bill," one that would impose a limit on the stay of alien workers in the CNMI.

Sen. Juan P. Tenorio (R­Saipan), in an interview, said the Senate-House Joint Com­mittee on CNMI-Federal Af­fairs will recommend a three­year stay limit while allowing alien workers to return after leaving the commonwealth for at least a month.

Tenorio said any stay limit legislation should accommodate the employers' concerns over the dependability and loyalty of their workers.

"I know that everyone here in

Juan P. Tenorio

the Legislature do nor want to unduly burden employers," he said, adding that any stay limit bill should not create additional costs for employers.

At the same time, such legisla­tion is also expected to "scale down" the CNMI's dependence on alien workers, Tenorio said.

He added that the bill is ex-

peeled to ongmate from the House of Representatives.

Rep. AnaS. Teregeyo(R-Prec. 1, Saipan) has reintroduced her four-year stay limit bill, H.B. 11-19, which exempts profes­sionals, executives or senior management positions from the stay limit.

A similar bill was filed in the I 0th Legislature, but ended up in a Senate-House conference committee after bo!h houses failed to agree on the number of years for the stay limit.

There -w:ere also disagreements on how Jong an alien worker should remain outside the CNMI before he or she could return.

The private sector, moreover, was unanimous in its opposition to a stay limit, saying that it will only lead to higher mark up costs for which consumers will end up paying.

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6-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-MONDAY- MARCH 16."1'998 · · ' ·

Zachares 'confused' on Stayman By Jojo Dass Variety News Staff

ACrING Labor and Immigration Secretary Mrn·k Zachrnes on F1iday. sniped back at Insular Affairs Director Allen S1ay111:m. calling tl1e federnl official "a bit irresponsible .. ,md "con­f usin~. ··

··1(1 were Mr. (Allen) Staym:m. I will ched·. my sources, .. saidZachares.

"Or pe1i1aps," he added, "if he wouldliketok11ow,hecancometous and find out what our procedures are ... even better. he can go to the anomeys (of the workers)."

Zachmt>s said he finds Staymm1 "confusing."

"I think it's a bit irresponsible of him to say what he said without check­ing the facts,'' he said.

Stayman. a staunch advocate of a CNMl federal takeover,hasexpresscd concerns over reports he has received about wrested "deportable" workers not being given due process.

Staym:m said he was info1med that "workers rue brought in without the opportuniy to be represented by legal counsel."

"We would like to assw-e Mr.

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Stayman that even though we are getting tough and we are doing our job, all the people who were detained were afforded bail hearings and ad­vised of their rights to cou;seL" said Zachan:s.

The l l workers am:sted dwing an unannounced inspection at Mmiru1as Fashion last week have been bailed out at $5,000 each and a heruing has been set this week, he added. One of the workers have been immediately released.

The 11 workers were represented by the company lawyer, Robert O'Connor, of the O'Connor, Dotes and Banes law firm.

"It is very disturbing to our depart­ment We want to ensure that all the rights are afforded not just to the employers, but to the affected people, the workers, as well," said Zachru-es.

An overstayer, once an-ested is detained pending a court hearing al­lowing him to show cause why he should not be deported.

After that heruing, the arrested overstayer is released on bail ruid

Allen Stayman

directed to attend another hearing where the court will issue a ruling on the case.

There we1-e instances, however, where an overstayer does not show up again, pt-eferring to go underground to avoid deportation. The courts, in these cases, rules indefaultand orders the concerned overstayer's immedi­ate deportation once found.

Continued on page 27

Wrong electrical wirings most common garment 'infraction'

By Jojo Dass Variety News Staff

WRONG installation of eletrical witings is the most common violation of federal health and safety standanls among garment finns, a government safety enforcement officer said.

In an interview, Ron Biggers, who is working with the Department of Labor and Immigration 'sSafety and Health Office, said the case is the same with US mainland gannent factories.

Biggers, who said he has been conduccing safety inspections over the last · 10 years, explained that most gannent factories were buildings that were builtlong before the federalgovernmentcame up with a thorough regulation on the installation of electrical wirings.

"Usually these are old buildings," he said. On Saipan, he said, most garment factories were actually buildings that

were converted for the purpose witl1out taking into account existing policies. At least two of the three garment firms thus far inspected by DOU have

electrical wirings found not in compliance with federal regulations. At least one, the Advance Textiles in Navy Hills, he ha~, said could face

up to $75,000 in fines for alleged failure to comply with the regulations. Marianas Fashion, a garment fiim in Chalan Piao, was also found with

about 23 health and safety violations mostly involving wron<> electrical . . ,:, Wll1!1gs.

It was not immediately known whether last Thursday's "unannounced inspection" on TmnsAsia Grument Fo1te, and Concorde Garment Manu­facturing lNc, also yielded similar violations.

Government has stepped up it, dii ve against erring garment manufactur­ers in light of continuing ciiticisms from the federal govemmentoveral leged trade fraud and human rights violatons being committed in the industry,

Business sector position on'takeover'outtoday

By Aldwin R. Fajardo Variety News Staff

THE BUSINESS sector in the Northem Mariana Islands is ex­pected to come out with a consoli­dated position on the federal take­over of CNMI's labor ,md immi­gration functions, it was learned over the weekend.

Saipan Chamber of Commerce president Joe C. Ayu yu said the business community is still con­federating information gathered during the organization's Cov­enant 902 forum Wednesday night.

Ayuyu said the Chamber wants to come up with a compilation of a really comprehensive view of the private sector's position on issues that will be brought up dur-

ing the US Senate hearing on fed­eral takeover legislation by end of the month in Washington.

"W care expecting to make pub-1 ic our solid position by Mon­day," he told Variety.

I-le said the 902 talks will ve a very tough discussion between representatives of federal and CNMI govcmments, adding that the federal govemment appears to be really bent on its immigra­tion and minimum wage takeover plans "regardless of whJt we say."

He said the business commu­nity is coming out with a position paper for the March 31 hearing, but disclosed that individual po­sition taken by Chamber mem­bers is still being consolidated

Continued on page 27

.i.r· . ' '

' 11

! !.

Tan clarifies on DO LI inspection TAN Holdings Corp. clarified yes-. terdaythattheso-called''highly-regu­lateddrugs" found inside the garment fact01y during last week's raid by government agents were "normally p1-escribed medicine."

''Itappearedsomeofthesubstances well;! brought, perhaps by employ­ees, in local stores without prescrip­tion," stated a press release from Tan Holdings.

"I will not tolerate these kinds of potentially harmful substances being found in my fact01y because they

. couldendangermyemployees,"said Willie Tan, president of Tan Hold­ings.

Tan also said the reported "clinic" found by the OOLI inspectors was not a clinic but an OSHA required first aid station for his employees.

He added that his company had an ongoing negotiation with Saipan Health Clinic to guarantee quick and safe professional remedies for the factory workers' health concerns.

"The arrangement," Tan added, "was something his company had been anticipating for several months,

Businessman told. to stop tree~cutting

By Rick Alberto Variety News Staff

A WOOD gatherer engaged in char­coal business has been told to stop his operation in Obyan area because it was disturbing the endangered night­ingale reedwarbler.

John F. Furey, the Coastal Re­sources Management acting director last week, gave a warning notice to Mr. Kwan Lee Doo of Lee Coco Corp. that ignoring the CRM order might "result in stiff penalties."

Lee was reportedly seen leaving the Naftan Peninsula on Feb. 28 with a truckload of freshly cut "tangan tangan" for his commercial charcoal production.

Furey said the US Geological Sur­vey was conducting an endangered species nightingale reedwarblernest­ing studies at the proposed Haase and Haynie resort in Obyan.

Lee was told that his operation might jeorpardize the studies.

Also, the CNMI Division of For­estry had reported] y advised the com­pany against operating in the Obyrui area

Labor • • • Continued from page 4

Biggers memitime said, HSO will be conducting a second inspection of its own on firms that have been checked to ensure compliruice.

. Willie Tan

but as a resultofThursday 's findings, negotiationswithSaipanHealthClinic management were expedited while CNMI Labor and lmmigration in­spectorswerestill on L&Tpremises."

"As for some reports attributed to 'witnesses' many workers were seen in handcuffs," the press release said, "only the first aid aid staff assistant was apprehended, which some have said may be a violation of her rights since she is properly documented employees of L&T."

r

MONDAY, MARCH 16 , 1998 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-7.

PSS specialaccount bill awaits Teno's signat11re

By Mar-Vic C. Munar Variety News Staff

THE billseekingtocreateaspecial Financing Account for the Public School System was unanimously approved by the Senatela~tFriday, and is now heading to the Governor's Office for signature.

Marja Lee Taitano, chairman of the Board of ~ucation, said if the bill is enacted, it would give the educationsectorassurancethatnew schools would be built

The PSS Special Account would be used by the education agency to pay its loans and other obligations arising from capital improvement projects.

Asidefromanewhighschoolon Saipan, TaitanodisclosedthatPSS would also build a one-{;Jassroom sch90l in the Northern Islands, and the fund for these projects would be taken from the Special Financ-ing Account ·

Under House Bill l l-77, the PSS account would be filled with $2 million each fiscal year-start-

Pedro P. Tenorio

ing 1998-and the fund transfer would continue for l O years. ·

Taitano said she is confident that Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio would take positive action on the bilL

"1be governor has always been supportive ofus, and I 'd like to thank members of the Legislature for their support," she added.

The bill was approved based on HousefointResolution 10-36 which allows PSS to borrow $16 million for the construction of a new Saipan

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High School, renovation of dilapi­dated classrooms and other capital improvement projects identified in PSS Seven Y earCIPPlanfor I 997-2003. The resolution allows the government to serve as guarantor for PSS.

The education board has se­cured a $8.5· million loan from the California Financial Services to cover the construction of a new high school to be built in Koblerville.

The creation of HSO is believed precipitated by continuous criticisms by federal authorities who have dragged the Commonwealth's gar­ment industry intoallegationsof n-,1dc fraud, humrui rights violations, un­safe working areas, an illegal abor­tion activities.

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- • ·;: • • • • • f • • • • • , , , , , , , • , 1 .,, ,, • 1 , , · · , .-, , , ~ , , ,.. 1 , "', , ,

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The Around the Islands section covers community stories, local events, and cultural activities. Should you have a story you would like to share, or an event that needs to

be covered, contact Lalla at 234-6341

Junior Achieven'!ent Winners. From left, Clarrisa Cruz, Vice-Principal Andie Dela Cruz, Michelle Hernandez, Vl(SR teacher Diana Fa1sao, Shenna Cruz, Ernest and You:ig Consultant Jim Whitt and Xyleen Palacios display the 1st place trophy the students won at the JA Nation. Challenge Competition recently.

Deaf Theater Expert performs today CELEBRATE Developmental Disabilities Month with well known <leaf actor Billy Seago who will hol<l a number of performances on Saipan start­ing today, March l 6 through March 21 as part of its cel­ebrations.

His first public performance will be today at the Susupe multi-purpose center from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. as part of the Book Fair.

His second public perfor­mance will beMarch20atthe Garapan Central Park Round-

house from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Numerous other perfor­

mances will be held al Public School System elementary schools and the Northern Marianas College.

"It's important to learn that it is possible to succeed as a professional in the hearing world just as Mr. Seago has," Abilities Center Director Jami Sefiane said.

Seago is an artist, scriptwriter, director, deaf culture specialist and drama instructor and has served as

the Director of the Deaf Youth Drama Program of Seattle's Childrens' Theatre since 1993.

His visit and performances are being sponsored by the Deaf Culture Club, Pacific Is­lands Community Conference, Saipan Rotary Club, Common­wealth Humanities Counce! Pacific Regional Educational Lab, Rep. Mal ua Peter, North­ern Marianas College, Public School System and Pacific Is­lands Club with assistance from other community groups and businesses. ·

RDSU t~ cover ~ota news for Variety A NEW media service firm entered tnto a special arrange- ROSI I .11 b .·

will be serving as an affiliate ment with Rota Development ne\VS ··tine., WI e o~venng V · · b S · . · w01 1y events on social po-anety news reporting ureau erv1ces Unlimited Inc l't' ·I · · 1· ' , · • 1 1c<1 , economic cu rural and out of Reta.. . (RD~U) as the Marianas Va- educational issue~ for the y. ·_

The YoLims Art Stud to has nety s correspondent for Rota. ety. · an

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Rota's San Isidro Fiesta draws crowds

By RSDU News Service

OV,ER the weekend, Ll1e celebratio11 of the patron saint San Isidro in Sinapalo, Rota w:L, not only success­ful but it also brnught people from the neighboringislandsofGu,m1,Saipm1 andTinian.

'Toe preparation took at le:L,t four days. It takes a let of work to stage this kind of an event. Initially, we had 10 r,eople who put up their time to help but more came out later," said Fiesta Committee Chair Francisco M. Atalig.

V ariousentertainment groups high­lighted the event and ente1tainers like the JEDS from Rota, Boyz-2-Mix and Girlz-2-Mix frnrq Saipan pro­vided an excitiQg evening.

The finest dancers from 5th and 6th graders of San Francisco Borja School took the stage with crowds cheering them on.

Fireworks displayed by David M. Calvo & Company roared the night sky.

According to Allilig, the commit­tee was able to raise $42,CXXJ through rnffle ticket sales.

The fundraising d1ive for the San Isidoro is directed toward building a church which they estimated will c;st at least $450,000.

Cmrently, with this year's fund d1ive, the church needs an additional of atleast$180,00:lnirne. Ataligsaid, "I mn encouraging our community to join our membership club so that we c:m build our church".

"WehavetheClub l000,Club500 and Club I 00. Those who join the

. '

clubs may pay partial payment for one year period. I I ike to thank all our people who helped in this year's fi­es1l! preparation," he said

Nrnman Palma, San Isidoro parish council advisor, said "We plan to generate at lc:L~t $200,000 mrne so we could finish our new church. I hope that our community slimed our Monsi6rnor's di-earn in finishing the church".

Meanwhile,EddieArtero,hismom Tan Rita Artero and his sister Del Artero-Ada, all from Guam, have made this fiesta an annual event since 1986. "It is our spiritual promise to visit Rota especially for the celebration of San Isidoro," said Tan Rita. ·

"Coming to Rota is our promesa," said Eddie Artero who is a former mayor of Yigo. "Rota is a beautiful and relaxing place to visit. The people are friendly."

George Ayuyu, a teacher by profession said, "religious lead­ers should work together for the benefit of its parishioners".

For his part, Monsignor Luis Antonelli said, "the people ofRota

· are wonderful. Their support for the new San Isidoro parish is blessed by the Almighty. It shows by the very fruits and vegetables provided to San Isidoro".

Meanwhile, Mayor Benjamin· T. Manglona, chairperson for the church building committee is call­ing on the people of Rota to ex­tend their community service and help build the church.

SAES cultural exchange a success By Laila C. Younis

Variety News Staff

!TWAS adayofcultural learning and fun and San Antonio Elemen­tary students had a Jot to share and learn from over 20 visiting J apa­nese students from Miyazawa Gakucn last Friday.

"It was great. The students enjoyed the~activitics ami it was a success," said SAES Principal Doris Thompson.

The Japanese students arrived on campus to start a day of fun­fil Jcd activities with the ckrncn-

tary students who shared how to make a mwar-mwar, how to make buttons and banana print t-shirts.

The Miyazawa students also demonstrated the art of "Kenda" and performed a special dance.

Before the Japanese students departed, school officials, SAES students, and Miyazawareprescn­tatives,planted a tree commemo­rating the first annual cultural ex­change event.

"We are definitely looking for­ward to next year. The students lovcu it," said Thompson.

SAES Principal Doris Thompson (back) looks ~n as a Miy?zawa representaive and a student plant a commemoratmg tree markmg the first annual cultural exchange between the schools.

Photo by Laila c. Younis

MONDAY, MARCH.16, 1998-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-9.

The Around the Islands section covers community stories, local events, and cultural activities. Should you have a story you woLild like to share, or an event that needs to

be covered, contact Laila at 234-6341

MHS Conununity Council supports 'single-track'·

By Laila C. Younis Variety News Slaff

Tiffi MARIANAS High School Community Council "stronglysup­ports"retumingtheschool to"single track" and will make ita priority for this school year, according to sec President Robert Florian.

''WehavewrittentotheBoardof Education to voice that support be­cause we know the quality of edu­cation has been seriously damaged by the multi-track system," said Rorian.

"Srudents who should be receiv­ing 180hoursofinstructionareoruy receiving I SO hours. Also, students on multi-track often miss classes

they would like to take that rue only offered on certain tracks," he said.

"It is a disadvantage to other stu­. dents and ithas turned MHS from one school to three different schools. Itis hurting student pride and staff mo­rale.

"Also, PTA membership has dwinilledbecauscparentsofoff-track students don't seem to. want to at­tend," he added.

FlorianexplainedthatMHS would need an additional 15 classrooms to accommodate student enrollment, especially . if the school returns to single-track.

''The multi-track was created due to the lack of cl~m space. We

need to start working on building therequiredadditionalclassrooms,'' said Rorian.

Also, electrical installment is needed for the new 118 air-condi­tioners that are ready to use but there is no power for them, he said.

Student and teacher parking spaces need to be expanded too he added.

The School Community Coun­cil, Florian also noted, consists of parents, teachers, students and school administrators who volun­teer their time to "get involved" andmakeadifferenceintheeduca­tional process.

Continued on page 27

Marianas High School students perform a lively Hawaiian number at the MHS Annual Cultural Day on Saturday. MHS students hosted over 500 Japanese students from Miyazawa Gakuen.

Photo by Laila C. Younis

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PORT VILA (Pacnews)­Vanuatu 's ombudsman, Marie­Noelle Ferrieux-Patterson, has is­sued a third report into the im­proper issue of diplomatic and official passports.

The report says 70 passports were unlawfully issued by sus­pended Director of Foreign Af­fairs Department Jean Sese and his office on the improper instruc­tions of the Prime Minister Serge Vohor, Foreign Minister Vidal Soksok, form-er Prime Minister Maxime Carlo! Korman. former Foreign Minister Willie Jimmy and former Finance Minister Barak Sope.

The ombudsman says the pass­ports were issued to honorary con­suls, trade commissioners, and

othcr"special'' Vanuatu represen­tatives.

She says the appointments were made to foreign nationals who have never done any work for Vanuatu and lived in countries and places where no Ni-Vanuatu resided and Vanuatu had not trade relations with.

The Ombudsman's report shows that out of the 70 passports issued only 6 have been issued with a letter of acceptance from the recei v­ing country.

It also shows that Vanuatu has 8 or 9 representatives in Taiwan, fourrep­resentatives in Singapore, two each in Nauru and the Philippines and ten with official passports for whom no-· one knows in which country they are representing Vanuatu.

Bougainville's ceasefire agreement almost ready CANBERRA (Pacnews)­Delegates to the Bougainville peace talks arc confident they will come up with a draft ceasefire agreement this week­end.

The draft agreement will be sent to leaders of the Bougainville factions for rati­fication before the ceasefire, which is due to take effect at midnight on April 30.

One delegate told PAC NEWS today that signi fi­cant progress had been made in the talks this week and he was very optimistic that the draft ceasefire agreement would be ready by Saturday.

The talks which are being

held at a tourist resort just outside Canberra, were due to end Thursday night but have been extended until Sunday at the latest.

Some 40 delegates from Papua New Guinea, the Bougainville Transitional Government, the Bougainville Interim Government and the Bougainville Revolutionary Army are attending the talks along with observers from Fiji, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands.

It's understood that a fur-. ther meeting to discuss "tech­nical" issues will be held at a venue to be decided before the leaders summit on Bougainville Island in June.

Vanuatu has also issued pass­ports to four "special advisors".

About 20 appointments were made by Korman, 19 by Jimmy, eightbyVohor,aboutninebySoksok and one appointment by Sope.

The Ombudsman has recom­mended that none of the former min­isters involved be reappointed as Ministers, the Public Prosecution in­vestigate the possibility of laying charges, Sese faces Public Service Disciplinary Board hearing and that all diplomatic corps and embassies be notified by Foreign Affairs De­partment that the passports are void and invalid. She also further recom­mended that parliament pass the Leadership Code.

Fiji's Transport Dep't accused as being corrupt

SUV A (Pacnews}-Concems have been raised about allegations of cor­rupt practices within Fiji's Road Transport Department's vehicle ex­amining and licencing sections.

Such conuption could be linked to the high level of road accidents in Fiji, Island Networks Corporation reports.

The Road Safety Council has been reportedly receiving numerous com­plaints from drivers who claim they hadtogivemoneytoexaminerstoget their vehicles passed.

Also that some of them know of individuals who have received their drivers licence by bribing officers with money.

Road Safety Council Director ChandraShekarsayshebelievesthese allegations are very serious and could result in lousy driving standards and defective vehicles on roads.

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American Samoa Senate kills bill on Samoa name PAGO PAGO (Pacnews)-The American Samoa senate has killed the bill which would have made it a law for the ten-itory not to recognise western Samoa as just Samoa.

Just two days after the bill was introduced the senate members voted lo reject it by majority vote during the bill's second reading.

The bill would have been kept alive had the motion to table it in the committee until a futl!re date had passed.

The motion, put forward by Senator Tuilef ano Vaelaa, was rejected and the senators voted instead to send the bill to its grave.

The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives last August, shortly after the territory hosted the South Pacific Mini

Games. The bill's main sponsor, Rep­

resentative Seumalo Seti Lapa, said he found it unsettling and improper to hear athletes from western Samoa being called just Samoans and the independent state being referred to as just Sa­moa.

Seumalo said the description made American Samoans seem less Samoan.

With the support of 10 other Representatives, Lopa introduced House Bill- 75 stating that Ameri­can Samoa will not recognise Samoa's new name.

The bill also allowed immigra­tion officials to refuse entry to travellers with pass ports that have the name Samoa instead of West­ern Samoa.

Co~vention majority wants· Kiribati constitution .changed

. . . TARAWA (Pacnews)-The highlights of Thursday's meeting at Kiribati's Constitutional Convention was citizenship.

Particular attention was given to a section covering foreigners marrying to !Kiribati and how th~y could be granted citiz~nship, Radio Kiribati reports. .

The majoiity of the people contributing to the discussions would like the present constitution. to be. amended. · ·. . · ' . They want the amendment to gJve eciual rights to both m~)< and

female foreigners to have the same conditions in becoming Kiribati · nationals. ·. · · .

The present constitution:favours female·foreigners.for getting their citizenship faster than:their male counterparts. ·.

¥o_st wolll.en delegates to the convention wanted to add a few clauses to the section, that will protect !Kiribati women's rights when their alien husbands misbehaved. .. . . Some of the ·~xamples voiced were making trouble in the family,

and living with another woman. The convention was also told that some foreigners married local

women because of their sincere love but others married for conve-. nience sake, such as for business ventures and other interests.

Solomons to improve its health services HONIARA (Pacnews)­Solomon Islands Ministry of Health and Medical Services is reviewing its current operations in view of improving its service to the public.

Under secretary for Health Care Dr. George Malefoasi says the chal­lenge for the Minist.Jy is to provide m1 acceptable service, despite the eco­nomic difficulties tl1c country is ex-

periencing, SIBC reports. He says information is being

computerised to enable the Min­istry plan how it will provide ser­vices to the public.

Dr. Malefoasi says the review should provide the information which will assist the Ministry al­locate funds where it will achieve maximum benefit and a better service.

PNG fiscal outlook rem.ains 'difficult' PORT MORESBY (Pacncws}-­Papua New Guinea's fiscal outlook for 1998 remains poor although the fiscal record fortl1e last three yem, up till 1997 was sound.

'Ole government's focus comes in the face of declining revenues from tl1c mining and pctroleum sector ,md reductions in Australian budget sup­port, NBC rcpo1t,.

Treaswy and Corpomte Affoirs Minister I.Jira Lasm·o says the ongo­ing effecl, of the drought has funher worsened the situation and in the short term, rising domestic intcn:st rates rue ,~so adding to fiscal pres­sures.

He says total n:vcnuc and grru1l, for I 998 are now pro jectcd to be mo1e tl1,m2,400millionkina($US 1,340m).

TI1is is about 169 million kina ($US94m) higher tl1an levels pro­jected in tl1c November supply bill.

L.a,mo says the mining sector is cxpcctedtopayncgligibletaxin 1998 which highlight, the nation's heavy exposwe to devclopmenL, in p:!t.J'O­lcum production and prices for 1998.

I-le says the government has come underconsidemble pressure from the foreslly industJy to 1evisc the log export tax system to ensu1e that PNG logs me exported with no taxes or resourcerentalsacCiuingtothepcople.

·,

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MONDAY, MARCH 16 , 1998-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VJEWS-11

Firm helps Marshalls drought By Gill Johnson For the Variety

MAJURO - A Japm1ese com­pany is donating a 1everse osmosis water making machine to help Majuro's drought-stricken popula­tion, it was announced Thursday by theJ apanese Embassy in the Marshall Islands. . After seeing the long lines of people waiting patiently to fill gallon bottles at the three Japanese govem­ment-providedreverse osmosis(RO) waterunits, thepresidentofthecom­panythatmanufactured the three units announced he will donate a fourth, much larger unit, to Majuro.

Kiyoto Chinzalca, president of Ace Water Treaonent Co. Ltd. in Tokyo, was in Majuro earlier this week to inspect the three smaller machines that the Japanese govern­ment purchased from his company and shipped to Majuro last month for drought relief.

Japan Embassy official Alfied Alfred, Jr. said that after seeing how long the lines were, Chinzaka 3de­cided to donate another unit from his company.2

The three in operation currently produce just 2,000 gallons in a 24 hour period, but are providing drink­ing quality water to hundreds of resi­dents who have no other a=ss to fresh water. The new machine he is donating will produce 16,<XXlgallons per day.

Alfred said that the embassy ex­pects the new watermakertoanive in the capital in about three weeks. The one that will be coming later this month is the same as one used in the Sheraton Resort in Fiji, Alfred added.

The Marshall Islands have re­ceived virtually no rain for more than three months. The El Nino-caused drought is expected to continue into June for the Marshalls, according to weather officials.

Since Majuro, home to close to 30,000 people, is 95 percent depen­dent on rain for drinking water, the shortage of water is a growing crisis in the capital city. 111e city rese1voir has barely two million gallons, little ·more thru1 a one day supply < and is depending now on the small amount of fresh water that is being pumped from a deep fresh water lens at one end of the atoll. Because of the water c1isis, city water has not been turned on for two weeks in effrnts to con­serve what little is

Fiji party vows :;to.·-topple .g()v;,t::.~ !~'}jJ~;}_-·~.,: .. ,,·.\"' :\, .~- .. ~\~:.:-1· 't-~-\~_:.~:r;,j

SUV A(Pacnews)-Fiji Prime Min­istcr Sitiveni Rabukasays he's aware that one of his senior ministers and a Soqosoqo Vakavulewa ni Taukci back bencher is actively involved in the new political party, Na Veitokani ni Lewe ni Vanua Vakruisito.

The pmty headed by former Meth­odist Church President Rev Mana&'\ Lasaro has vowed to topple the Rabuka govemmcnt in the next gen­er;tl election, lslm1d Networks Cor­poration reports.

Party spokesman T,miela Tabu says theirsupponers whom-e mainly from the Methodist congregation are not happy with the way the Rabuka ad­ministration has h,mdled affairs deal­ing with the church. . ..

Meanwhile, cabinet secretary J10J1 Kotobalavu says govemmcnt would notcommentonthepanyclaimsasiL~ a political issue.

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Ramos boasts economic miracle·· .,.

, .. . -· .,, . -·~ . Eight presidential candidates for the coming May 11 national elections, from left; former lottery chief Manoling Morato, former Manila mayor Alfredo Lim, former Defense Sec. Renato De Villa, former House Speaker Jose De Veneci&, former Sen. Raul Raco, former Presidential Economic Adviser Lita Osmena, businessman Santiago Dumlao and Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile pose for pictures as some of them flash their party sign after a forum Wednesday. AP

U.S. PROBATION OFFICE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

DISTRICTS OF GUAM AND

MANILA, Philippines (AP) - President Fidel Ramos said on Sunday that only demo­cratic reforms can ensure the return of Asia's economic miracle.

Although hurt by currency declines and stock market up­heavals, the Philippines has emerged among the healthiest economies in Southeast Asia, mainly due to reforms that were put in place before the crisis began last year.

"They used to say that we Filipinos, in resolutely opting for democracy, were on the wrong track," Ramos said.

"Today, everyone is unani­mous in saying that demo­cratic and open and transpar­ent government alone will en­sure the return of the Asian economic miracle."

The Philippine economy has remained strong amid the cri­sis and will likely be the first to fully recover, Ramos said in a speech at a graduation ceremony at the Philippine Military Academy in the

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Fidel Ramos

northern city of Baguio. Last week, economic experts

at a forum organized by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank in Manila said democracy has helped the Philippines ward off the dev­astating effects of Asia's fi­nancial storm.

The experts urged other Asian countries to hasten democratic reforms.

Vi.10d Thomas, director of the World Bank's economic development institute, told reporters after addressing the forum that the Philippines' investment in democracy "is paying off."

He said democratic coun­tries like the Philippines tend to have more transparent fi­nancial sectors and provide better access to information, reassuring investors by mak­ing it easier to detect prob­lems with the economy. ·

Chalongphob Sussangkarn, president of the Thailand De­velopment Research Institute Foundation, said democratic countries also have checks against official excesses and corruption that authoritarian governments such as Indonesia's lack.

"We Filipinos have proven that democracy and sustain­able development are compat­ible and indeed go together and that democracy is the way of Asia's future,"Ramos said.

After being elected in I 992, Ramos opened the Philippine economy to foreign competi­tion and dismantled many mo­nopolies, enabling Filipinos to taste economic progress after many years.

His single, six-year term ends on June 30.

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MONDAY, MARCH 16 , 1998 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-13

Hashi1noto, Suharto 1neet JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP)- d · l d h IMF +. Foreign Minister Keizo Obuchi Japan'sprimcministerbegantalks Japanese PM urges In onesian ea er to pus re~orm promisedla,tweckthatJ'.1pan's$ IS6 Sunday with Prcsid.cnt Suharto to 1 .. : ~,, , . • ... '!,;,.) .>'.'" ... milhon loan to. Indones1~ w~uld be urge the Indonesian leader to ·. ·:, " .. . ·· .. ·· .. ". delivercd,desp1tctJ1eIMFpostponc-. ~ . t- .;t.; implement International Mon- 1 1:.r,~ ment. etary Fund-mandated economic Ha.shimoto's visit follows uilks reforms. Friday between a senior Japrn1ese

Before a1Tiving Saturday night finance official and Suhmto's high-Ryutaro Hashimoto told report- est-ranking economic advisors. ers traveling with him that Japan Suh,u10, Asia's longest se1ving wanted to help Indonesia over- leader, ww; reappointed for m1other come its worst economic crisis in five-ycm· tern, by a l ,(XXl-member 30 years. People's Consultative Assembly on

"We hope Indonesia will stick Tuesday. with the IMF reform proposals," On Saturday, Suharto an-the Indonesian Kompas newspa- nounccd a new Cabinet lineup per quoted him as saying. infused with close associates, in-

As part of a bailout engineered eluding his eldest daughter. · I IMF · d [ An IMF team is also expccteJ m January, t 1e • promise n-donesia $ 43· billion to case its to arrive in Indonesia within the economic problems, including un­employment, innation and a 70 percent plunge in value of its cur­rency, the rupiah.

Last week, signs that Suharto may be backsliding on reform prompted the IMF to postpone a scheduled$ 3 billion loan install­ment until April.

Hashimoto's visit is a crucial test of whether Japan, as an Asian neighbor, can win a breakthrough in pushing for reforms in Indone­sia, after a series of U.S. efforts have failed, the national Asahi newspaper said in Tokyo.

·Howard vows to · privatize telecom carrier if reelected

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) -Australia's largest telecommunica­tions canier will become a fully pri­vately-owned company if the mling Liberal-National party wins the next election,PrimeMinister John Howard said Sunday.

Howard announced plans to sell the government's remaining two­thirds stake in Telstra Corp. if his government is re-elected in a national poll expected this year.

"We have made a /inn policy deci­sion that if re-elected we would pro­ceed to allow the people of Australia to buy the remaining two thirds of Telstra," Howard told the 1998 Lib­eral Party convention.

The government raised U.S. $ 943 million (Australian $ 14.3 billion) with the sale of 4.29 billion shar-es in the then fully-govcmment-owne<l Telstra when it noated 33.3 percent of the company in November, 1997. The sale cut the public debt interest bi II by about U.S.$ 600 (Australian$ 9(X) million) a year.

111e sale attracted many first-time sharebuycrstothestockmarket, with government guarantees ensuiing a significm1t propo1tion of shares went to small investor:; rather than big institutions.

1-lowmu said most of t11e money raised from t11c fu1thcr sale of Telstra will be devoted the 1etirement of gov­ernment debt.

He said the sale will not go ahead until after the election so people c:ui show thcii' approval or opposition to the pkm at the ballot box.

With a cunent sh:ue piice of Aus­tralian dollars 5.25, a valuation of t11e two-thi1u stake in Telstra makes it worth about U.S.$ 30 bi! lion (Austra­lian$ 45 billion).

next few days to gauge what progr.:ss Indonesia has made on its reform demands.

Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, left, chats with Indonesian Prime Minister Suharto at his Cendana residence in Jakarta Sunday. Hashimoto met with Suharto behind closed doors for over two hours to urge him to implement International Monetary Fund-mandated reforms. AP

U.S. Treasury Undersecretary for international affairs David Lipton will travel to Jakarta this week, to impress upon Indone­sian officials ·'the need for real reform," a Treasury spokesman said in Washin~ton, D.C.

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Suharto daughter gets Cabinet post

Siti "Tutut" Hardiyanti Rukmana, left, and her father Indonesian Presi­dent Suharto place their ballots into a box during general elections in Jakarta in this May 29, 1997 file photo. Suharto appointed his eldest daughter Tutu/ a cabinet position as Minister of Social Sewices. AP

By GEOFF SPENCER JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP)-Af-1en111ingr.heworld'sfourr.hmosr.popu­lous nation for· more thm1 three de­cades, President Suhmto ha~ critics wondering ifhe may be grooming his eldest daughter to take over one day.

Risking accusations of nepotism and cronyism, the 76-year-old patriarch this weekend appointed Siti Hardi yanti Rukmmia to a new 36-memberCabi­net, along with other loyalists.

Suhatto staited a seventh five-year term just days before. Many Indone­sians say it will be his last.

Hisdaughter,betterknownasTutut, is to be social affairs minister- a job that promises to become high-profile as the pain from the worst economic crisis in a generation starts r.o hit Indonesia's 202 million people.

Tutut will be part of a tight circle surrounding Suharto in a Cabinet line­up he nmned on Saturday. The Cabi­net will be sworn in Monday and will meet for the first time Tuesday.

His golfing buddy and business ad­visor Mohmnad "Bob" Hasan is the new trade minister. Suharto's former presidential aide, now armed forces commander - Gen. Wiranto - is defense minister.

NORTHERN MARIANAS HOUSING CORPORATION

AMENDED REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

The Board of Directors of the Northern Marianas Housing Corporation (NMHC), represented by Mr. Juan S. Tenorio, Chairman, and the Department of Public Works are soliciting sealed proposals for the Installation of Lighting of the Baseball Field in Tinian, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Proposals in duplicate, will be accepted at the NMHC Central Office in Garapan, Saipan until 2:00 p.m., local time, March 25, 1998, at which time and place all proposals will be opened and read aloud. Any proposals received after the above time will not be accepted under any circumstances.

A bond of 15% of the total bid price must accompany the proposal. This security may be Certified Check, Cashier's Check, or Bid Bond, made payable to the Northern Marianas Housing Corporation.

The proposer is required to submit with the proposal: 1) a copy of a current CNMl-issued business license; 2) updated financial statement; 3) /isling of exisling and past projects including completion dates; 4) certification of tax compliance from the Department of Revenue and Taxation; 5) written confirmation from a reputable bonding firm as to the company's capability to obtain bond insurance and performance and payment bond; 6) copy of Builder's Risk and Workmen's Compensation coverage; 7) listing of manpower with copies of CNMl-issued work permits; and 8) listing of equipments.

Plans and Specifications of the project are available from the Technical Services Division, Department of Public Works, Saipan, on or after February 25, 1998. A non-refundable payment of $150.00 is required for each set; payment made payable to the NMHC.

Mention is called to Section 3 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1968 which requires the provision of training and employment, and the awarding of contract for work on the project, to low income project area residents and business concerns. NMHC also notifies proposers that it will affirmatively ensure that, in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, minority and women's business enterprises will be accorded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this RFP.

Attention is further called to the Labor Standards Provision for Wage Rate Determination of tile Commonwealth, Classification and Salary Structure Plans, and payment of not less than the minimum salaries and wages as set forth in the Contract Document, must be paid on this project.

The Government reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive any imperfections in the said proposals, if in its sole opinion, to do so would be in the government's best interest. All proposals shall become the property of the Commonwealth Government.

/s/ JUAN S. TENORIO Chairman of the Board Northern Marianas Housing Corporation

JOHN B. CEPEDA Acting Secretary of Public Works

HERMAN SABLAN Acting Director, Procurement & Supply

February 13, 1998 Date

February 17, 1998

February 17, 1998

On Thursday one of Suharto's old­est friends Bach,U11ddin 1-Iabibie W,L~ elected vice president.

llabibie, 61, is next in line, accord­ing to the constitution, if Suh:uto leaves the top job before the end ofhis tem1 in 2003.

ButSuhartohassteadfastlyrefused to naine an heir, and the question of whom he wants to succeed him re­mains open.

Already a powerful legislator and seniorofficial within therulingGolkm· patty, Tutut denied la~t year that Suharto would eventually hmid the presidency to her.

"It is not true that there is a Suhmto dynasty," she said. Nevertheless, some analysts and critics speculate that her elevation to Cabinet smacks of just that.

"Thereisadynasty.Suhmtodcesn't want to step down until he can put 1 un.•• in a powerful position," said Mnchtar Bucliori, a former head of J1e \,:donesian Institute of Sciences.

Others say her promotion might fuel discontent as calls for mount for democr..itic reform.

"How can it ce possible that a father is president and his daughter is a Cabinet minister? It is a very clear symptom of nepotism," said Amien Rais, a government critic and leader of Muhammadiyah, a 28-million member Islainic organization.

'Therearethousandswhoaremore capable. Tututis just average. She can dream about being the inheritorofthe presidency during the next five years. But it is impossible. It will never happen."

Tututhasnotcommentedsofaron her appointment

At 49, she is the most politically active of Suharto's six millionaire children who have all built vast busi­ness empires under his patronage.

Although one of the country's rich­est women, Tutut has balanced her extensive financial interests with a portf olioof social and charitable work that has given her a major public profile.

Sheheadsthelndonesim1RedCmss andsupportsfoundationsforthepoor.

In deference to Islam, Indonesia's

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main religion, she is never seen in public witliout a head scaif.

She is regm-dcd as a dutiful, even doting, daughter mid llll~ become a famili:u·cscrnt of her father since the death of his wife two yem, ago.

Following a plunge of 70 percent in the value of tlic rnpiah, mass unem­ployment mid sowing inflation, she In~ become a strong public defender of her father's policies.

In recent weeks,.Suh:uto h,L~ been the t,u-gct of rising student pmtest~ at home mid aiticism from for\:ignlcnd­ers mlll government~.

She launched a national ·'I love the 111piah" campaign whcr\: rich busi­nessmen and celebii tics were encou r­aged to sell U.S. dollars or donate their gold jewelry to the ceno·al bm1k help bolster foreign reserves and the value of tlie battered cunency.

Last week she attacked the Interna­tional Monetary Fund after it and others questioned Suhmto' scommit­ment to carrying out refolTllS agreed to under a $ 43 billion economic bailout deal.

Some of U1e reforms me to abolish piivileges that have helped make the Suharto family rich. Other change will raise prices and hurt the poor.

"If the fund degrades and our nation' sdignity, we don 'twant them," the Jakarta Post reported her as say­ing.

The IMF and inlemational lenders might also be uncomfortable with the promotion ofHabibie and Hasan.

Habibie is a former reseat-ch and technology minister and longtime fiiend of Suharto with a taste for costly, high-tech projects.

He set up an aircraft-building in­dustry that has lost state funding un­der the IMF's reforms.

Ha~an. the new trade minister, over­sees a timber cartel to be broken up under the new reforms.

Last year, Hasan defended timber companies against charges they were responsible for wi Id fires that spread a choking haze across much of South­east Asia, endangering the health of millions.

Many blazes were deliberately set to cle,u· I,md for !':.urning or indusuy.

--~·-,.~.:::.:;;~·.' ~ ,,

Musl[m students shout_ slogans ~emanding government reform in the parking lot of an Islamic center m Jakarta Friday. About 100 students demanded that Suharto, who was re-elected this week to his seventh con~ecutive five-year-term as president, appoint honest and efficient ministers when he names a new Cabinet on Saturday. AP

ll

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MONDAY.MARCH 16 , 1998-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-15

China sees deficit drop BEIJING(AP)-DespitetheAsian· fin,mcial crisis and problems with tax collection, China expects to be able to whittle down its deficit by 2000, a state newspaperrepo1ted Sunday.

China will cut its deficit by I 0 billion yuan ($ 1.2 billion) this year, according to the government's fore­ca~t.

If rate is maintained, the deficit will fall to about 20 billion yuan ($ 2.4 billion) in 2000, with government revenues of 1 trillion yuan ($ 120 billion), Jia Kang, a government economist, was quoted as saying in the Business Weekly.

In 1998, revenues are targeted at 968.3 billion yu_an ($ 116.7 billion), up 12.1 percent from the previous year, and total spending is estimated at I.OJ oillion yuan($ 122.2 billion), up I 0.3 percent.

Thai PM on Calif. visit

By JEFF WONG LOS ANGELES (AP) - Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai arrived in Los Angeles a day after U.S. officials announced a$ 1.7 billion aid package for Thailand to help the country recover from its financial crisis.

Chuan briefly greeted Thai con­sulate officials after his plane landed Saturday at Los Angeles International Airport before he entered a limousine waiting on the tarmac and was whisked away.

Chuan was to meet with Los Angeles Times reporters and edi­tors before visiting other offici­ates at the home of the Thai con­su I general.

He was not scheduled to make any public appearances.

On Sunday, Chuan was to at­tend religious ceremonies at a Buddhist temple and visit the new J. Paul Getty Center.

While in Los Angeles, Chuan was also to try to persuade the large local Thai community to purchase Thailand bonds, which would strengthen that country's finances.

The value of the Thai currency collapsed last summer, forcing the country to accept an International Monetary Fund bailout.

On Friday, the Clinton admin­istration announced tile$ 1.7 bil­lion aid package, including an unusual arrangement in which the Pentagon will assume$ 250 mil­lion in payments foreightjet fight­ers Thailand ordered but no longer can afford.

"We want to do whatever we can to be a good friend and a good partner," President Bill Clinton said at the outset of a White House meeting held with Chuan.

Thailand is the oldest U.S. ally in Southeast Asia.

"Thailand is undergoing a pe­riod of financial and economic crisis," Chuan said Friday. "We, the Thai people, will do whatever we can to overcome our crisis, and we arc confident that we will be able to regain economic stabil­ity and be a force that can contrib­ute to world peace and progress."

The central government's in­creased capacity to expand fis­cal sources makes it possible to cut the deficit significantly, Jia told the newspaper.

But the central government's budget is still inadequate, de­spite reforms intended to trans­fer tax revenue more efficiently to central coffers, Jia said.

Chinese export companies are likely to pay less in taxes due to lower exports to Southeast Asian counnies hit hard by.the financial crisis. ·

Meanwhile, the government wi II have to spend more to pay stipends and provide re-training for work­ers laid off from debt-laden state­owned enterprises, the report said.

The newspaper reported in a sepa­rate article that tax evasion was a majorproblem for the central govern­ment

A survey of 85,<XXl companies showed 23 percent evaded taxes in 1997.

In addition, nearly one-third of state enterprises were evading taxes, the report said.

Chinese President Jiang Zemin, left, and Premier Li Peng chat during the closing ceremony of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference in Beijing Saturday. Li will step down as Premier and is expected to be named head of the national legislature in voting at the National Peoples Congress Tuesday. Jiang will continue as President. AP

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16-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-MONDAY- MARCH 16 1998

Gandhi widow to lead party f HOW TO TAKE THE TEETH OUT OF OSHA @J

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· (or at least put a muzzle on it)

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In the past live years OSHA has targeted Guam and the CNMI like no other municipality in the United States. In 1997, 63% of all OSHA fines were levied right here in the Mariana Islands. Their targets have included Hotels, Garment Factories, the Construction Industry and Employee Barracks.

In the last 10 days OSHA has had 4 applications for search warrants turned down. Learn why.

EVERY COMPANY WITH EMPLOYEES IS A POTENTIAL TARGET!

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Learn your rights and responsibilities as an Employer. Learn how to limit your company's liability. Learn how to lower those enormous fines.

The Law Offices of O'Connor Berman Dotts & Banes and

Construction Inspection Services (A CERTIFIED SAFETY PROFF.SSIONAL COMPANY)

Cordially invite you to attend a half-day seminar

WHEN: March 21, 1998 - 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM WHERE: Magellan Room, Annex, Pacific Islands Club

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FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT (FONSI) for Closing 9th Avenue and Providing Alternate Access to the Sanhilo Coastline, Tinian, CNMI.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, the U.S. Infonnation Agency's International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) gives notice that a Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA) has been prepared for the 1995 Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for the Voice of America Mariana Relay Statio11, Ti11ian, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is not required for closing 9th avenue and providing alternate access to the Puntan Lamanibot Sanhilo coastline on Tinian, CNMI.

The proposed action of the Final EA was to construct and operate a Mariana Relay Station on Tinian to improve broadcast coverage to listening areas in China, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and other areas of the Western Pacific. This SEA addresses the impacts of one component of the relay station project: closing public access to a portion of 9th Avenue in order to prevent health hazards from electromagnetic radiation. The proposed action of the SEA is to compensate for the closure of 9th Avenue by providing alternate access to the Puntan Lamanibot Sanhilo coastline, which is a popular subsistence fishing and recreation area on the west coast of Tinian. Other alternatives are no action and bulldozing a new road off 9th Avenue for access to the coastline.

No significant adverse environmental impacts that cannot be mitigated are expected as a result of the preferred alternative. The removal of a small percentage ofTinian monarch tangantangan habitat will not exceed the 65 acre limit addressed in the previous Biological Opinion issued by the USF\V_S to the U.S. Information Agency on June 30, 1995. Disturbance of archeological sites during vegetation clearing will be avoided by requiring a professional archeologist to be on site to monitor the road clearing. Worker safety hazards from potential presence of unexploded ordnance in the area will be avoided by arranging for bomb teams to handle unexploded ordnance as it is discovered.

Copies of the Final EA may be obtained by contacting Mr. Bob Koeberlein, !BB construction Manager, PPP 571 Box 10000, Saipan, MP 96950-9504; telephone (670) 233-1624; fax (670) 233-1614.

PREPARED FOR THE PROPONENT BY:

ls/Cheryl S. Vann Belt Collins Hawaii

APPROVED:

Isl MARK FILIPEK Project Manager International Broadcasting Bureau United States Infonnation Agency

February 6, 1998

February 24, 1998

Sonia Gandhi, the widow of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, presides over a Congress working committee meeting Saturday after she was unanimously voted new Congress party president in New Delhi. AP

By Hema Shukla NEWDELHI,India(AP)-Evok­ing its past glory in an effort at re­building, the Congress paity on Sat­urday picked the Italian-born widow of assassinated prime minister Rajiv Gandhi as its new president

ThoughSoniaGandhiha.,next-Io­no political experience and has not outlined any particulai· vision for the country, she is associated with the family that ruled India for 35 of it, 50 years of independence, and is thus immensely popular.

Party insiders have been pushing for her appointment as Congress presi­dent ever since her husband's 199 I assassination. Only recently has she ended her reclusiveness and agreed to enter politics.

Although her appointment comes in the aftennath of elections that have left the major parties scrambling for a parliamentary majority, it is not expected to change Congress' cur­rent standing. TI1e Hindu nationalist B h,m1tiya J anata Pait y won the most seals in the elections am! is likely to get the opportunity to form India's fir,t stable government in several years.

The man Gandhi is to replace, Sitarnm Kesri, criticized her appoint­ment, calling it illegal because the vote wa.s conducted in his absence. He refused to step down, but appem, powerless to block the shuffle.

While Kesri made no major wcti­cal eJTors during his tenure, the pruty h,Ls slumped under his auspices, and the time was seen as 1ight to nudge him aside.

Gandhi was elected by I 5 of 17 meml:ers of the Congress Working Committee, the core gmup of pmty leaders.

Following the announcement, about JOOelatedCongrcss memtcr, gathered in fmnt of Gandhi's home, playing songs pmising her, waving flags and setting off firecrackers in

celebration. "I will uy my test to live up to the

expectations of the paity,"pmtyofti­cials quoted her as saying during a closed-door meeting of the Working Committee Saturday evening.

Gm1dhi 'selection is expected to l:e ratified by the p,uty's supreme body, the 8,CXXJ-mcmtcr All India Con­gress Committee, on Ap1il 4.

Gu-lier Saturday, the Bhm·atiya J,mataP,uty'sbid tofonn the govem­ment was revived when a powe1ful regional politician grudgingly m1-nounced her suppo1t.

BJP p1esident L.K. Advm1i said that with the commitment from J. Jay al al itha 's /\ll-India/\rma Dravida Munnetra Kazhagan, he expected India's president would soon call on them to form a government.

But late Saturday, BJP spokcsm:.m Pramod Mahajan said the pmty wm seven pledges short and was waiting for crncial letters of support from ,JI ies in southern India.

·n1e national election left the three main playei, - B.IP, Congress ;u1d tl1e United Front-castingforcn"ough suppo1t m11ong smaller ,md indepen­dent pmties for a majoiity in the 545-memtcr lower house of prnfa1mcnt. President K.R. Naraym1,m must i.lc­cide which group is in the best posi­tion to provide the swble government that h,Ls eluded India for the p,Lsl two yc,u,.

'Il1is yeai·'s election minured the lastvote,in I 996, whichalsoresulted in a deadlocked pm·liament.

Politicians uied for two years to form a stable coalition or minority government, and when they failed, a new ballot was called three years ahead of schedule.

Congress :.md the United Front have been considering a possible pm1ne1·­ship to challenge the BJP, but party officials conceded Saturday the BJP would probably hcac.l the next gov­ernment.

',,·';,••JI

'j ___________________________________________________ _

MONDAY, MARCH 16 , 1998-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-17

NZ gears for business return By PETER JAMES SPIELMANN

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) - As more businesses plan to return Monday to the central city after 3 I /2 weeks of blackouts. the electric com­pany says it doesn't have enough power to handle them all on a hot day.

The last of four power cables serving 120 downtown blocks failed on Feb. 20, plunging 8,000 businesses and 5 ,ODO apartment dwellers into dark­ness .

Since then, the cen1ral city l1as endured power outages

and rationing. Last week, the downtown

limped by with only brief. blackouts, instead of the six­hour shutdowns on each side of the central city that the power company resorted to for the first two weeks of the cri­sis.

But that limited service was only possible because about half the downtown businesses were still exiled to the sub­urbs or to other cities with reliable electricity.

City electric utility Mercury Energy has given beepers to

C •

' [ __

Mercury power employee (on bucket truck) Anti! Patel attaches cables from cargo ship Union Rotorua to supply Auckland city with an addi­tional 12 megawatts of power. Auckland has been without power for about a month. AP

Auckland residents and business people march up Queen St. in downtown Auckland protesting the failures of Me(cury Energy, the local power supply company Friday. Protestors called for Mercury Energy to compensate business that are now struggling due to the power crisis. AP

the top managers of dozens of downtown companies so it can warn them this week if the power supply is being over­loaded.

Forty high-rise buildings housing 240 big businesses use 70 percent of the inner city's electricity, Mercury Energy spokesman Matthew Bolland said.

"We want to be in a situa­tion that if (power demand) is climbing in the afternoon, we can ask people to conserve, .. Mercury Energy's planning director Patrick Strange said.

"We are very concerned about the next two weeks be­cause all our evidence is that people are coming back to the city," he said.

"We definitely don't have enough supply to handle a nor­mal, hot day peak," Strange added.

Auckland was cool and rainy over the weekend, but the fore­cast is for a return to sunny, late summer weather this week.

To encourage conservation, Mercury has offered rebates Io business customers if they cut their electric use by at least 15 percent.

If the power usage can be cut by at least 30 percent, the utility says it can provide minimal power all day down­town.

But, even with many busi­nesses stil I shut down, power consumption downtown has so far been reduced only about 20 percent.

Meanwhile, the army has been called in to help out.

Every night army engineers are turning "night into day ... with two large lighting tow­ers, as contractors erect poles and an overhead electric cable that will suppl,y power to the city from late March or April.

Downtown is largely off the normal electric power grid, getting much of its electricity from portable generators rang­ing from suitcase-size to trac­tor-trailer models, and a ship docked in the harbor.

I

Two of the four faulty power cables feeding central Auckland have been partly restored, ani.l arc carrying 40 percent of their usual electric load until they arc tested fur­ther and proven reliable.

The first cable feeding into the commercial heart of New Zealand's biggest city failed on Jan. 22, the second on Feb. 9, and the last two on Feb. 19 and 20.

It is not known what caused the power cables to fail, ani.l a commission of experts says it may take six months to a year to find out.

The government has also set up its own investigation, due to re­port by the end of June.

Mercury Energy has suggested the cables broke down as a result of the heat, soi I sett! ing and huge power demand.

Many Aucklanders suspect that Mercury Energy skimped on maintenance and repairs as it laid off half its work force in the last few years to keep profits rising.

&: PAGING The Choice is Clear.

18-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-MONDAY- MARCH 16 , 1998

Troops mass in Thai border BANGKOK, Tiiailand - A1111ed raiders allied with Myanmru·'s mili­taiy government repo11edly concen­lrnted Sundav along the border with ·n,ai !mid in ~fo1t aid workers femcd was preparation to attack a Km-en refugee camp holding some 30,000 people.

Meanwhile, fighting was still be­lieved to be raging inside Mym1mm· between im estimated 1,0CO govern­ment troops and some 300 Karen National Union fighte1~ near KNU 7th Brigade headqua11ers at ·n,a Ko Sutha, no1th of the Thai border town of Mae Sot

Exiled Burmese students, holding a flag of Myanmar's opposition National League for Democracy, chant slogans against the human rights violations m their home land during a demonstration to mark the 10th anniversary of the Human Rights Day in Myanmar in front of the Myanmer embassy in Bangkok Friday. The group demand peaceful solution on their country's political unrest. AP

The Myanmarmmy and iL~ allies in a Km-en splinter group, the Demo-­cratic Kai-en BuddhistAmly ,m-e stag­ing late dry-season attacks against the KNU, which has fought for more autonomy for the Km-en minority for 50years.

The offensive has been accompa­nied by raids against camps inside Thailand sheltering some 100,000

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relugees, most! y Kru-ens. Some I 00 DKBA rnidcrs crossed

into Thailrn1d on Wednesday mid torched 1.he Huay Kolokecamp. TI11-ee people died and 9,(XXJ we1-e left with­out shelter.

KNU oflicials and aid worke1, repo1tthatDKBA :md MyaJ1mru·mrny troops have concentrnted across the border from Mae Illa, a camp with some 30,(XX) people tl1at was attacked by DKBA rnidcrs a yem· ago.

One DKBA raiding p,uty Fiiday night crossed into Timiland and wa~ ch"ased away by wruning shot~ fit-ed by Thai mtille1y, tl1e KNU said.

The retreating raide1, 11:po1tedly sowed land mines that injured two Thai soldiers and desuuyed a nuck.

Thai rnmy officer, have not con­filmed the 1eport.

La~t week's raid was condemned by several Western nations and hu­man-rights organizations, which urged Thailand to improve security for the 1-efugees.

Thai army troops in the area of Huay Koloke we1e said to have done nothing to deter the attack.

Amly commanders have vowed to beef up their troops along the rugged border, but visitors to the camps say they have seen little visible inc1ease between the concentrntions of refu­gees and the likely lines of attack.

Aid workers said the Thai rumy forced refugees who sought shelter outside the burned remains of the camp to return, threatening to depoI1 them to Myanmar, also known as Burma, if they did not.

Thai m-my and government offi­cials and aid agencies are looking for a safer site for the Huay Koloke refu­gees after discounting the initial idea of moving them lo Mae Hla.

lnrecentyears,Myanmar'sregime has settled longstmding etlmic 1-ebel­lions with a scoreof rebel armies, but talkswiththeKNU,thelargestgroup, have failed.

TI1e attacks on the refugee camps are intended to scm-e the refugees in 1-etuming back to Myanmar.

But most have fled a campaign by the mmy that human-rights groups imd refugees say systematic rape, killing imd torching of villages.

HK-steps up airport .check against Cholera .

HONG KONG(AP)-Thegov­cmment is more closely checking travckrs arriving from Thailand after 16 people were believed to have contracted cholera on tours to Bangkok's noating rn,ll"ket, health officials said Sunday.

"We have stepped up our su,veil-1,mce of all the incoming pit~scngcr.; from TI1ailm1d," said Health Secr'C­tary Katheiine Fok.

She said the government also will a1rnnge for~hcalth care offi­cials to board planes aiTiving from Thailand to explain to passengers about the infectious disease. Port health officials also wil I screen sick passengers.

Early investigations showed that 16 mcmbersoftwotourgroups had contracted cholera in Thailand, health officials said.

The government so far has con­filmed 18 cases of cholera infec­tion in Hong Kong, including sev­eral people who became ill after eating cockles imp011ed from Thai­land earlier this yem·.

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Cathay's net profit drops HONG KONG (AP) -Cathay Pacific on Sunday be­came the first air! ine from a non-communist territory in more than 50 years to fly through North Korean air­space.

The flight came one month after North Korea and the In­ternational Air Transport As­sociation agreed to open North Korean airspace for commer­cial overflights.

Such flights could give the cash­strapped country another source of hard currency, while saving outside airlines time and fuel costs.

A Boeing 747-400 cargo plane of Hong Kong-based Cathay Pa-

cific left Anchorage, Alaska, on Saturday and flew in a North Korean air corridor for20 min­u tcs before arriving in Hong Kong Sunday, the airline said in a statement.

The flight was "a big step closer to establishing regular operations along this route," said the jet's captain, Paul Horsting. U.S. carriers Delta and United Airlines, South Korea's Korean Air and· Singapore Airlines also were to try out the route later this week.

The flights will not go over North Korean land, but off the east coast of the reclusive communist state.

Newspaper folds, citing Asia's financial turmoil HONG KONG (AP) - A 34-year-old newspaper became the latest victim of Asia's prolonged financial crisis as it announced its closure Sunday.

Citing dwindling advertise­ment revenues and heavy losses, Express News, a Chi­nese-language daily, an­nounced on the front page of its Sunday edition that it will

. stop publishing on Monday. "The future remains un­

clear," because of "Asia's financial storm that started last year and the poor eco­nomic conditions in the re­gion," the newspaper said.

"After reviewing the circum­stances, we decided to stop pub­lishing on March 16," it said. Newspaper executives were not available for comment.

HongKong'seconomyhassuf­feredtremendouslysince last last

year, despite its strong cur­rency, whic;h is linked to the U.S. dollar.

Export sales and toudsm have plummeted, while in­terest rates have soared.

The economic downturn al­ready has claimed a series of department stores, fashion vendors, restaurants and in­vestment banks. Unemploy­ment is expected to rise as more companies fold or fire workers.

In January, a weekly news and entertainment tabloid also folded because of heavy losses.

The Express was among several newspapers that had closed in 1995 in an intense newspaper price ·war. It re­opened in late 1996, and cut its price by half last year to boost circulation.

City workers clear debris _from _a street a day after a bomb bla_st in Colombo, Sri Lanka earlier this month. The attack near a railway station, blamed on Tamil rebels, killed at least 36 and wounded hundreds of others. AP

MONDAY, MARCH 16 , 1998 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-19

Hong Kong police Chief Inspector Matthew Hemmings holds a fraud letter from Nigeria and some "security blackened money" at a press conference in Hong Kong Tuesday. Police have arrested nine people and seized about 13,500 fraud letters this year in connection with a Nigerian fraud ring. AP

Tam.il rebels resist renewed Sri Lanka Inilitary onslaught COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - Separatist Tamil Tiger rebels fiercely resisted a fresh military attack on their north­ern stronghold, a military of­ficial said Sunday Ca­sualties on both sides were ex­pected to be high.

On Saturday, the govern­ment soldiers began advanc­ing toward Mankulam, a town held by the rebels. But the guerrillas responded with mor­tar and artillery fire, the offi­cial said on condition of ano-

nymity. Further details of the fight­

ing 245 kilometers ( 155 miles) north of the Colombo, the Sri Lankan capital, were not im­mediately avai ]able.

Since May last year, gov­ernment soldiers have been trying to capture a vital road link through rebel-held terri­tory to the northern Jaffna peninsula, which is presently accessible only by sea and air.

The military has so far cap­tured two-thirds of the 70 ki-

lometer (45 mile) highway. The government controls the

peninsula but not the road link. The rebels are fighting for a

separate homeland for Tamils, who account for 18 percent of Sri Lanka's 18 million people.

They claim discrimination by the majority Sinhalese who control the government and military.

The war, which erupted af­ter anti-Tamil riots in 1983, has left more than 5 I ,000 people dead.

knDwn as C'atalinan Josen Finini ofGarapan was called to her eternal rc,t on Monday. March 9, 1998 at the age of 63 years.

She is predem1s1·d In· h1·r: llusbancl: JoSc Mas~a Cruz tFininil P:1rl'nts: Brothers:

Sisk·rs: Sistcr-in-1.:nl': Son: (irandson:

lloloTL'S Torres llakto & Rorn,·o ~brtina 13:deto I.con Torres Palario~. 1:ranri:--rn Torrl'S & Niro las forrc·s ll:dc1,, M~lfia lfak!O Norita & Fr:mcisr,1 Baklo :\guon R0,a Concepcion TclITcS lkrman Pangdin:111 (Bolisl John I krman Pangelinan

Children:

D:iu,h 1c r · i11- La 11:

Bro1hcr: Si,tm-in-t.:111. Brothcrs-in·l:i w: Gr:indc·hildren:

Lourdes 13:ilc!u Cru1 & ~l:l\ima B:1kw Cru1 {i'-.\)b,._•n :\d:i:1

Terr~ P. ;\ll1r::111 i)l,l')

.,\,·inw ·1c,rr,·s B:dc'IO :\n~r...·b Pal:Jcios. & Ju:rni!'.J Cruz B:1/r...'w Juan Qui1u~u:1 Nori!:1. & Santi:1~L1 :\~uon Jo,ephin,· I'. Satur. MdiN I'. ~kConnd. Catherin\.' l\mgl'linan. Trac~ Mal' Pangdinan.

Joseph Cruz. Judy Sablan. Jolaine Sablan. Rodney Sahlan. Kimberly Yu. Cind) Dckon GU1,,'ffCfO.

Addition:illy. she is surl'il'ed by numerous nieces. 1wphc11's. cousins. ~real gr:mdchilJr,·n. grcal great grandchi\d1cn and friends.

Rosary is b<.'ing saiJ nightly at 8:0<1 p.111. at the decease's residence in Garapan. Last respect will ht' on Tuesday. i,. • ~ March t 7. 1998. from 8:00 a.m. 10 3:00 pm al their residence. Mass for a Christian Burial will be offered on 4 ts' " -.. ~L ..... t~:~an:c_day.~1-~:00 p.m. al Kristo Rai Ch,urch Burial will fott~1:;.at,<;_~alan ~ano:~'e;:1c1:ry, ' ~ ~2'J3/fl'k.~£·1-~~1~t:·j . ..._.~-:.:::~;·~'.":.FJ.:;.~;~:~r:!~:.~~~:!fP:4Mlffr'i,f,~7/!SElk14;;.·~,p,,....~~/.:,.:·.~~ ... ~'~~5~. .. ~·

20-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-MONDAY- MARCH 16, 1998

Sharon for Lebanon pullout By JACK KATZENELL

JERUSALEM (AP) - As Israel's defense minister 16 years ago, Ariel Sharon launched an invasion of Lebanon in an effort IO crnsl1 the Palestine Liberation Or~anization based there.

ranks of those calling for an Is­raeli withdrawal from its self-pro­claimed security zone in southern Lebanon.

even without a security agree­ment with Lebanon - or with Syria, the real power there.

In the absence of such an agree­ment, however, Sharon implied thai Israel should threaten the Lebanese government with dras­tic reprisals should guerrillas at­tack Israel's northern border after

Now the hawkish Sharon. still a Cabinet minister. has joined the

Interviewed on Channel 2 tele­vision. Sharon said Saturday lie is not advocating unilateral with­drawal, yet he maintained that the pullout could be accomplished

m -,

·nnia11 Dynasl) tlt)tl'/ & Casino's sort-opening is April 1998. This is the: most pr_cstigious 5-srar resort complc.-.: in the C'tHllllltlTl\\ t·alth llf rht· Nonhl'm \-fariana /..;/anJ.s. \Ve arc currently seeking dynamic individuals for long term career

tk'vt'loprni:nl opportunitic.,; for the fol!O\ving positions:

J Eu,culi1r Sous Cher 12 .ll'Jr~ t'' f\'fll'llCL' rn J ~ (lf ~ ~I Jr htllt'i ,'nHronml'nl. lno\. k·Jg~ahk tn Contm~n!al anJ .~sia11 cui~in~·. :\n1~u,. mJt11,• .1nJ strong li.-JJmhir $I.ills .1.r.- r,'quir,·d J.:nmi.!t·dgt•ablt• in r,,/JIL'd lll·IJs and r,'~p,.·n~1Nl1tiL'J hdJ m fill' d1rnng cuism,·

I Chrfdc Cuisine - Carr« Shop !ti ~l·ar~ 1n a-l or~ s!Jr pw;-x·ri:.J $..1und ',1,0fllilf Lno11.k·dg,· in AsiJ isn,·r~d. fap.•ril·n,~·d in t\)th Coniinl'n!JI and :isian cu:im,.•. Suong J,,Jd,•r.,hip skrlls an· rtquirt·d. Kno.,.1.-dg~abk in rd:i1t·d C1t·IJ~ JnJ r,·~pom:~ilrlll'.I hdJ 1n find dming cuisin,·.

t Sou1Chef,Caon0Cafr ~ irns in l ~ o; ~ ~tlr qmlilr l'n\iron:111.:nt. lno11. kdgcJhk m Wrstan. Contincnlll and :\s1ll1 (lll~lnt'

l Sou:-. Chef· [mplo~ec Rcst:.iurant ~ )t·::r~ 1'\[\'!lt'n.'t \l.orlmg rn J. .! 0r ~ qa; p!0(\'n) ~noY.kJg,·ahli: 1r. :\s1an anJ w~~wrn ~u1,1n~ ~nu (~r,·T11·nc~·J 1n c:,,1rnn~ fL\T (1\b,'r btg~ hinqLli.'lS or 1;.1\um,' cl1,;nll'i,·

8 l°hl'f de l'arti1·, · Cu!fo: ~hop/Casino Cafe ti 1:;m ,'\f\'r!l·n\i: in J ~ rir" ~11r rr,1:-,.·rt) .. -\bk· 1,111,,1rk rn J ,.ml't~ n! ~·ct10n,; in lhL' Li1rhin ,·~11 r,,nm:nl. \\u~l ~.J, i· l' 11,·r1L'fl,\' ;:. . i ,1 J~. ~·1,r.:in:rdJI .-ui ~1:ie~ Jnd fint' Jrning.

2 L'hrf dt l\1r1ir\ · ButrhC'r.1 1, ~,·Jo, ,·1;x·r1rn:r m.:: ~ 11r 5 ,1.1r 1·n11111:1mn,11, rr~uirrJ. rh,· ~uccr~~ful c.-ind1dli.·~ mu~I h,•

rr,1tiL1,:nt 1n JI! xJi",i..iJ anJ :11a rt,TJ:Jt:.in for _1,.'/"ll(L'

2 ('htf d,· f'ar1icV-l /h:mi ChC'h. P.i,tr~ .\!u,1 hJ1,' J m1.111Ju:n .. 'f ti .lt'J'_, nr-·r11·n:1• JnJ .,cunJ l.no>1/cJgL· (lf >1Drlii1f in :i,ra. Thr., P,'f,11n 17!c•I k nr.·n,·1,-.·J :n m:linf .-ill t_, r.·~ (lf ~rc:J,. rJ5!n,·5. ch(\('ofak·:i Jnd hJ\t' :,,n Jrt1s11c nJ!f

6 Cht'f dr Parril·\. EmpJo,1t't' l-1l~l:Jurill11 l1) _, ~,~ l''(\'n•:n,:1' ·.n ',1 orl. in~ 1 n l !~·~,· ~,-l1.r rr.iJu(llr:i li1ch1'n. ~lu~1 ha1c n ixri~nc1· in Amn :mJ ~'~·:-it·.n:r,1~i Luh1n:.

; \)..:mi ChL>f~. Emplo!h' Ht·~t.!urant ~ ~t:Jrs nr,n~·ni"L' In >101l1:if in a brgc- 5d,· prvduct1on lnchcr. or ~lnqlJt'l oixration. ,\r11st1c Jnd crc:il!,c. The 5ucrci.1lJl ,:Jn.J1~J:,· >11!1 h:1',L' L'\f\'nrnCl' rn a sim1b1 L'n\ironmrn!

8 Commi~ Cheh 4 )l'3TS l'\(),'n,·ncv in t'1lhl'r hnk'I. n·s1aur:,,n1 h.Jnqut'! OT r,'la1cd field~ 1s n·qulll:~. Must~ lno"kdgfJN·: 1nAs1:n a:id ( o~tin,·ntal cu:s1n,·. A lruw, kdicof the ~JSKsof prOOuc\ioo cool mg 1s r~·qumd

I Ca\ino Cafe ~\:m~tr ~\u~1 h:t\~ ~I kas1 O~t':m t·,~·n,·m of mJnJging :-: r~si::.ur~mor coff,>r shop rn a~) s1ar hotel OT s1m1lJ1 ,n.,irnnm,nt

I Hroad..,J~ Rl·\\:.iurJnt \1anagtr \ m1n1mum ('ft. :,~·~1, ,·,;,,.·1rn.:~· 0f Rr,1Jur~r.t \bn~~,·rnl'!ll. :\hk \o mr,::gl'::. large nt:m:\:r of p.!LlL'II~ in J fin,· Ji nl~j rn·, i '.,s'nln,T,1 h•,:U~lf, f ,'il ( · l,~ltr;·[l\.J] :LJl\ln\°.

19 Drhrn !'.tf'r.'ir,'nc1·d Dml'f1 l:l',·n, •. :J t11lJm ur 1.: ,!(J rJ~.x·n;a~ m r1·qu1rl'd r:i dri\t' m horh TmiJnJnd .SJ1pJn . .Soml· ilf\'ninc"t' .:1{ 1 ;•h1,"h· ma1~!L'~anl1' JnJ J dcJn dr:11•r ·~ l:n·n.-t' 1s n:~uirl·J for this

('j\J\O

J Ortic~ .,1anc1gt:r ffrq~irl'sJn 1r.J111UuJI 11.1th J mrn11tum of,~ }WS of ~u;x'n isor~ ~·~r:rit'llC(. Also J gocd 11.oriing lnc11. kJ£,' of \\ind011.1 ( 1ffict· S\ ~'t'm'> fl'Chnolo!!\ injuJ1n!! E,cd and Puhhi;h.•r. OutsL1ndin~ rnmmu11;r;i1wn )~di~ 15 ~ mu~t. ~·rnnd ur 1hird l;~gu~g·.'! h,:lpful. ~ I Srheduling omm .\ks1 hair J woJ ·o<rdm2 lno>1 l,·d£1' of ·~oMorcl' rnJmr.,·mcnt H~ Jblt' lo mlintJm scht'duk·s :inJ .'.l!IL'nC.rn~c r\'rnd; .(no·~ IL·<l~/cf ~rh-:Jul1~g progra~s M1h manual and d,11a ha.x'd ht'lpf ul. ~,lui! tx· Jbk w ·,1,0rl 11.rll Ii nh J 1,m\.'t.1 of ~t:1:i rt'qu:rrrn,'nts ,\ Jbk 10 sµ:al t:Hkr JJp;in~'SI:, Ko~(Jn ur C~1~,'r...·. Sil(1rJ anJ 1h1r•J l,1n;u:ig;''> hdrful

\ (a.\in0 Op,.:ration\ ~b1tr~t·r \\:rnrum .'_II/\ :,,:~r' 1n ',k (~,1rr1 m.J~,,~·- ~'1u~1 \1;J1·: ~ :,rm d 'iU\\'f\ '.'-DT:, l ~p,:ril"nCt' as l ht \\1r::,!'..d r•! ~\-,,,·,: .\\'.'w l,1 . .,, , ·1\ ~',\ ,h1!1,

li!Srnior lr11 \\:rna1Jr, \1m1rnurn o[ {, ~,i;, r•\~:n:nct in tr,r ;Jn11n~ 1nJ~;\r~ 11.1\h ~ :<al'.\ nr,:n,·r,cL: JI rnJnlg1·nrnl bd. lh·: ~U.l\')~tul rn1J1JJk r.-.u)l \~1, .... ·\, J '<J"Jn.J ~nJ·~ll·dg~ oi all ma)'Jr ll'irno g~m1:s. hcAL·nt 11',J~~g:m:·~t :!.ncl lcim:nun·rntrm ,L1ih t'i fl''.jJlfl'd

20 l'il ,1anagm \lrn1mum o: 6 ),·ar1 n['l,"m·n~L· rn tk pmmg rnduslf). Sound lno·.1 lrdgi: of) or mort." m~1.11 r:!sino ga'TIL'S. Go..,d corr.muni~JMn; )lilh ~nd manJgrmL'nl rnn:iut,·1

J(I Pil Suptnisor~ .\1inimum of~ ~t·Jr, in 1hi.· iJming rndNr:, Sr,und ln!W, lt·d~,, of) or mmi• m3j..1r rnino pmcs PG1Sk'SS tDL1<l rnmmufll(Jl1<;fl Jfld hJ~K man~grm\'Til l'I ~Uf)I.T>I)()~ si.11ls Ab1l11~ ID 11,01L In J

k'Jm .1orl t'nrnonm,·n! .. ~1:isl b: rt·ad: 1011.orl all shifts

JO !Jealerslln.1p<<tors .~1immum or 2 !t'Jrs ~amrn~ l'l/\'n.:nn· and prof1mnr rn tht· .i mJ_p1 mmo ga.m('S. \\ill Ix 5chi:dukd to bo1h d,·JI and sup;.·r.1x·crnno gJm,·s. CJnd1dJlt' mus! OC abll' 1opror11i' suppon in J prokss1onJI mJnni?r 10 J,,Jlm undt:r Ihm surx.nisiDn

SODealm \\iJ<;t hJ\t' SlJm"\liull) complt'll'J J _i monlh prohJ:1on !):nod thJI in.::lud,•s !~' tr.lining and prm·duTl') uf dt'a!ing JI kN onr m~JJr mmo ~Jm•:.

I :\!1-\istanl Ell'ctrunk G.imin~ \lanagtr C:i'idahlL' mu,: ~.J1t ~, ka1l ~ !l'mt·,r,..·rll'OCt.' m lhl' dtc1ron1c g:imtng mdu\t~ Th1,ofk'nL"nc1· should 1r.clu!i- 2 )1.'JI\~\ ~ kchnimn or 4 ~1·m rkcromc glmrng ~:JIA'f\1sor,, and m~nagemrn1 t'lf'-'rtrnrr. Thr sum,,fu\ cJnJ1d.ll(' mu~l h: .:ihle to mJrnt.:.1n .1.ll rrcord~ cf rkctroruc gamrng a; n:qu1r~-d b) ~amm~ IJ11.s ~) .,.,.11 as S(hl·Julmg for tht> ik·pJrtffil'n\ nwd,

I f.lcrtronic Gaming Sup,nisors landidllt' will I\· n.-quir,·d 10 han• a llorking lno11,"kdgl' of ckctro:iic g:imingJ...-\·im \.\ith a minimum of 2 )'?:ITT in J managrri:il posi1ion. C:rndidJ~ mos1 IX' .tble to wall ii flr~ible scfk·dult" on any shift. A mcclunicaJ aptitude and high customer sen·ice focus a must.

2 Electronic Gaming Technicians Mu;t hl\'l' compli:led a tt·rtifo.'d electronic 21min2 1l'C~nicil11 rrainin! course with 5 \WS in drctronic gaming mainll'nJncr positioo arid ha''!!!~ compll'il'd manuf;ctum seminar$. Must hl,·c a workinglnowlcdgcof g1mingde\·iccand electronic gaming or-.·ratioos. Vrrn OC' lt'quirtd lo worl fle~ihlc.> schrdu!t's on all shifts.

; El<ctrooic Gaming Floor Attendants C:rndidJtr mus! h:m al lmt \ year elr-,."fl~ce in rlrctronic pming operations and ]XIS.:.L'SS sound wotling lno1,1,lcdgc of clwro~ic gaming equipment Candidate ml.1st bc 11,i\ling to llOfl 1 nl'i.ihk schedule and all n·\atcd shifls.

I Caie Shift Manager Can::lidatc must tu,t' a1 lmtR !t'arsr\~~ncc incasinoc.1geop.1ratiom. Must hm•acomplr1r lnoY.it'dgc of cJgc accm:n11ng ptocrdurcs and rrquircmrrits of tht' gaming commission. CJnd1da!L' musr have at Im! 4 years of cagr su~:r.·iso, Jnd m:iTiagcmc.>ntt'lp:'ri1'nCi'. and hm.• an ad·,ancl'd Lno11,lrdgl' of G,)11 banling and cJsh tran!.lction requin'mrnts.

1 C~e Suprnisors c~nd1dJk' must haH' 2 )1.'m t'\J).'ricnct' in casino cai~· cJshirr O!X'r.itions or ~'qui\·ak•ni t'\f',.'rit'nCl' ;ind rrainini. \fusr ~lH' at lrnl 2 yws of sup:.•r,·isor)· npcrit'nce. (Jndid)tc musl h· Jbk lo 11.orl a ne\1hk sckCu[(' and any 5hif1.

10 Cage Ca'ihkr.~ CJnJidltl' musl ha\(' r~p:n~·nct' is J mhier. Abk ro \lori: 311)' shifL Candidatt' must ha\(' go,:.J math s~ills and jXISsts~ a familiaril} Yrith fon•ign currrnci('s.

! S<rurity Shift Manager Musi ha,r 10 )tars np.:rirnC1.' in !he security fii:ld. Candidatt: must luve at \('a51 J ym~ surx-rv1S-OT)' c.1.~rience"'i1~ J proH·n tr:icl record in rmploycr man3gemcnl Cmiidate must ~aw a worling knowlrdgc of CI\MI Public Saicty Regubtions.firrcro' and laws gowming pnvale 5"curit)· officer5 in thl· CNMI. Candid.lie mu.st haH· a CPR training rertific.He and b,: "lli\ling 10 work 311 shif1s

4 Securit)" Supervisors Mu~ ha\·e, S yean C'X!X'ri!.'nCl.' in lire pri••alr sccuri1y industr)' er lawenforremenL Fieldc:andidatf must have the ability 10 SU():f\isc others. Ca11d1d:tte must have a worting knowledge of firt coo:'s and C\'J.CU3!lon proc!.'durts :llon!, v.i!h UY2 laws and rrgulalions governing p.iv3te SfCUrity olflcm 111 the CNMI. Candidate musl ha·,e a CPR Ira ming Q.'T1ificate and OC "llilling to work ,ll 1h1rts

!0Se<urit) guards '1 )l'JT \.O!li:ig t''JX'nrn.:c m the pn.a!l' securil) mdustr)' mihur,· or law enfo1cement is rn:kTTrd. CanddJh.' must hJ\t' a CPR training crniftcatc an ad\·anugr and~ willing to 1.i,ork ill'tiblc homs on any shift.

J Sumillanct Shift Managers .~l:isl hnc 2 )WS n~rit'nCt' in I~ fidd of \"idt'O surw1Uanre. Must ~s.e55 .;i complele ln~\l,kdgc of all lS/\'t!S of ·,i~·o suncilllnce including k'chnologirs and l('('hniqllt's. Musr hjli? 31 leas, 2 )t'.'.l.rs of sup.1 rvisor) e~~rienc.es and posSt·ss a 1rnrling knowledge or casino suncillJncc: orm1ions.

.J Suneillanct Supeni~s (JndidJte must h:i,,.e 6 )l'Jts e~~rience in tl"t SluwillJncc industf)' including at least 2 )'WS as an cix~:i1or. Must tx, ablr IO suirnise sum·illance OIX'ration and maintain accur.i.t(' logs and inwmorit•s consiSl~nl 1 .. ,i1h gammg rrgulalions. C;rndidJ.le musl ha~r a working koo\\oledge of m~mgemcnt tahniqut's ar.d principles. Candidate must OC abk 10 11,orl: flexible hours on ,11,hifll.

15 Suncilfanct Optrators Cand1iliw must {XJSSI.'!>~ ~ooJ \ i1iun and obs.-r.-·.11wn abilities. Cand1da1r musl ~ Jblc- to,,.ork fbihk hours and .1ni ~h1ft.

l YIP Scnices Shift ~tmaj!.er (arid1d.J.l:.' must hN· 8) ms l'\l\'Tll.'rln· in 1hi: ho1r:\ 1ou: ;1.11d 1m1:l industry. Cl!'.d1d.11e mu)t ha,,· :i. rrnwn tour :i.nd tm·:l 1ndus1r:,. Car.:lidJh: mu11 haw a pro,cn 1rack record or OCing :ihk to rnanagi: all a~~,,~ of gui:st scr,1m. Tht' succrnfu\ c.md1datc oct'd lob: able to ma111uin gut's\ r~cords and co01d,n1tt' arriuls and d·~prnurrs including air and iround 1ran~por1at1on. Ca.id1da1~ must hl\t' at kast 4 )·cm C\fl"ncncc as 1 sup:f\'i.sor. Second and third language!> 11,ill OC helpful. Must bi;> abk 10 \\Oil: all shifts

HIPSupmisors (Jndid.ltr must hJ;e 6 )l·Jr5 nr:nl'nce in I.ht.· holt'I ~Ul'SI 51.'r\·ices fo:ld. CJnd1dairs mus1 h:iw a! lea~12 ~t'J/'5 of SUf.:'f\JSOT) c-1~ricncc and lx· Jblr 10 maintain gocst rl'Cords as \locll :is

S(h1:dulc \'IP hosts .. \fust 0: abk to sr.·.:l r111l·r fapant'st', Kott·.:n or Chine!.('.

Ii \'IP Hosts Candid:ilt' mu.st po~,~~a d~·sm andabl11y 101,1,ork 11. ith lht' public. (andidalt' "'ill l\· rrqu1rrd lo i:-:rform a \'.1!1t'!)' of functions re fating to \'JPgu::sts scrnc.r. Candi~k' must OC \I.ii ling 10 a nt'ublr schtdulr on 111 sh1f1t .~us1 Ix> Joie 10 sp.•ak Jap.1neS<', Korean or Chinese.

15 Public Relations Officers Candiditr \ltll bt' rt'quirL'd 10 [\'rform fl'lk.'ral gu\'SI c.t.'f\lCt' duu~s. Candidate \lr11/ tk_, ~quin.'d to 11.ork a t1~?1blt schl'dull' on JR) shift

I lncune Control Officer lnt!1·.1d·J.11 :nus! b.· fom1l1Jr \lo1lh ga1."r.1I compu11."rop.:r.!110nanJ sprcadh'.,(\'t compu!crprogram. ~lu\l hJH' CJ.'>lno CJfe np,:nl'f.C\' "1th accoun11ng qualif1rn1ons

I Casino Acrour1ts Supmisar C1~mo cai~ etp.:riencc JS 1t·quir.:d \ollh an mounting qlllhficalion. Cll1d1d.1ti: mus1 haw l'l fl.:ri,·ncc 11, ith st.Jff Sllr>-'f'lismn and It· Jblc 1a r:c:rforr.t monthl1· 00.fanc.e shttr n:conriliation. Must k·. 2bit to \lOtk '.11th minimll su~rvision Jnd mus! ha"r h~d ex~tirncf in ngf SUj),'f'iiSIOrl.

Please submit full resume and a cover Letter of Application to: The Human Resources Department. P.O. Box 11 ]], Tinian, MP 96952. Fax: 670-328-1106, Tel. 670-328-22.B

any withdrawal. Sharon said Israel must "make

it absolutely clear that Lebanon is responsible for what happens on its territory.

'Tm talking about our facing the Lebanese with new conditions. This means that we say to them, · Listen, we don't want to remain in Lebanon,"' he said. "We are ready, in stages, monitoring the results, to carry out an evacuation in Lebanon."

Israeli media reports have said Sharon, the infrastructure minis­ter, would present a pullout plan to the Cabinet on Sunday.

Israel has controlled pans of southern Lebanon on its own or through proxy Lebanese mili­tias since 1978 in an effort to protect its northern towns from cross-border attacks from groups such as Hezbollah.

Since 1978, 900 Israeli troops and 400 allied militia­men have been killed, with the number of slain Palestin­ian and Lebanese guerrillas estimated at over 2, I 00. Deaths of civilians run into the thousands - by Lebanese estimate over 21,000.

As the death toll has mounted, Israel's government has been faced with a growing grassroots movement calling for tile unilateral withdrawal.

Israeli Prime Minister Ben­jamin Netanyahu for the first time said last month he was willing to put into effect a United Nations resolution calling for a withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

However, Netanyahu warned that a unilateral with­drawal would expose Israel's northern border to attacks.

He said the fighting would es-

ca late rapidly and that before long the army would have to return to Lebanon under much worse con­ditions.

The Israeli government's coor­dinator on Lebanon, Uri Lubrani, echoed those concerns.

"In my eyes, to the best of my judgment- and I am not alone in this - it is a clear recipe for the massive re-entry (oflsraeli troops) to Lebanon. Who needs it?" he said Saturday.

Lebanon has rejected negotia­tions with Israel an<l maintains that the Israeli army must leave unconditionally.

Syria, which has 40,000 troops in Lebanon, has prevented the Lebanese army from disarming Hezbollah, an<l allows Iran to de­liver supplies to the guetTi llas via Damascus airport.

Israeli opposition figures main­tain that Syria will never allow the Lebanese army to disarm Hezbollah until Israel returns the Golan Heights which it captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war.

Netanyahu is opposed to re­turning the heights, and the Israel-Syrian negotiations have been stalled for more than two years.

Two Cabinet ministers, Michael Eitan and Avigdor Kahalani, have already come out in favor of unilateral with­drawal, but Sharon is by far the most influential figure to do so.

Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai last month launched the initiative to try to obtain an agreement with Lebanon that would lead to an Israeli pullout, but he has said unilateral withdrawal should be out of the question.

Police demoli~ion experts aided by a sniffer dog search for additional explosive ~evtces i:ea~ the Afula central.bus station Saturday following ~hf! explosion. earjter m th~ day m which an Israeli man was badly m1ured. Israel, po/tee are still trying to determine if the explosive device was planted by Palestinian extremists. AP

.,

u By AFSHIN VALINEJAD

TEHRAN, Iran (AP)-A strong earthquake that shook southeast­ern Iran has killed at least five people and injured 15 others, the Natural Disaster Headquarters said here Sunday.

The quake of magnitude 6.4 had its epicenter at Golbaf, a car­pet-weaving town 950 kilome­ters (600 miles) southeast of Tehran, NDH Director Abbass Jazcri told The Associated Press.

The quake damaged 15 villages around Golbaf, Jazeri said. It struck Saturday at 11: 12 p.m. lo­cal Lime ( 1942 GMT). Rescue workers searched for victims through the early hours on Sun­day.

Jazcri said he expected more casualties to be found after dawn but thought the death toll would rise "not much higher."

A Red Crescent aid worker in Golbaf said many walls and roofs had collapsed in the town.

The worker spoke via radio to the Red Crescent office in Kerman, a city 100 kilometers (63 miles) northwest of Golbaf, because the quake had severed telephones lines to the town.

The Red Crescent has sent am­bulances, medicines, food and tents to Golbaf, a worker at its Kennan office told The AP on the telephone .

The province of Kerman, a city ofabout 250,000people, is largely desert with only a few towns and villages.

Yedollah Scfidgar, a reception­ist in the Kerman Tourism Inn,

Report sa.ys: ·. King.Fahd .. in. ·good health .. ' .. ' ;_ .

King Fahd

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - Saudi Arabia's King Fahd held talks Saturday with Britain's defense secretary in a surprise meeting apparently intended to dispel fears about the monarch's health.

The king's mceti ng with George Robertson was the first since Fahd was discharged from hospital Wednesday af­ter four days of treatment for a reported. gall bladder infec­tion.

State-run Saudi television showed the king, who is in his mid-70s, looking well as he spoke to Robcrt~on.

Fahd, who had a stroke in 1995, also suffers from dia­betes and arthritis.

told The AP that he was standing in the hotel's lobby when the quake struck.

"I felt the earth shaking. I saw the ceiling moving like a wave," he said.

The quake lasted about a minute, Sefidgar said in a tele­phone interview.

The guests rushed outside, but not one glass or window in the hotel was broken, he said.

Iran is notorious for severe earthquakes.

In May 1997, an earthquake of magnitude 7.1 struck the north­eastern province of Khorasan, killing about 1,500 people and injuring at least 6,000. It left about 60,000 people homeless.

In February 1997, aquakejolted about 100 villages in the north­western province of Ardabil.

Officials said it killed 965 people, but independent estimates put the death toll at about 3,000.

Thousands were left homeless in freezing winter conditions.

MONDAY, MARCH 16 , 1998-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-21

Irm1: ·5 dead

Iran's President Seyyed Mohamad Khatami, right, and Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko left exchange copies after signing a cooperation agreement in Tehran. AP '

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• } COMMONWEALTH DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

INVITATION FOR BID " IFB98-01

The Commonwealth Development Authority (CDA) through its Chainnan, Juan S. Tenorio is soliciting competitive sealed bids for an office space for the CDA branch in Tinian.

The building must be conductive for office use, a concrete structure with a minimum office space of 800 square feet ground floor, air-conditioned and ample parking. The building must be easily accessible to a public road and situated in San Jose Village, Tinian. The building should have adequate lighting, electrical outlets, indoor toilet, and meet the ADA requirements. Owner must maintain public liability insurance for not less than $100,000 per accident and not less than $300,000 total coverage for a one time aggregate claim. Owner must also provide coverage for typhoon, fire and extended coverage for the building. The tenr. of the lease is for one 91) year with the option to renew for additional periods by the Lessee (CDA). Interested Lessor should submit their written bid in a sealed envelope marked IFB98-01 no later than 3:00 p.m. Friday, March 20, 1998.

Attention bids and/or queries to:

Ms. Lydia M. Sablan Acting Executive Director

Commonwealth Development Authority P.O. Box 2149

Saipan, MP 96950

The Commonwealth Development Authority reserves the right to reject any proposal in the best of CDA.

is/LYDIA M. SABLAN Acting Executive Director

,,,. .... ~.,.,~ WORLDWIDE EXPRESS.

COURIERS DHL WORLDWIDE EXPRESS IS SEEKING CUSTOMER ORIENTED COURIERS FOR P/U & DELIVERY OF TIME SENSITIVE MATERIALS. MUST POSSESS A VALID DRIVER'S LICENSE AND CLEAN DRIVING RECORD. ABILITY TO LIFT UP TO 70 LBS & EXCELLENT COMMUNICATION SKILLS ESSENT\AL. MUST BE ABLE TO TYPE 35-45 WPM.

DHL OFFERS AN EXCELLENT BENEFIT PACKAGE INCLUD\NG: • HEALTH & VISION INSURANCE • DENTAL INSURANCE • LIFE INSURANCE • DISABILITY INSURANCE • PAID VACATION AFTER 6 MONTHS • INTERLINE TRAVEL BENEFITS • TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM • 401 K PLAN

APPLICATIONS MAY BE PICKED UP AT THE SAIPAN SERVICE CENTER LOCATION IN CHALAN LAULAU (WHITE TWO­STORY BUILDING AT THE NORTH OF MCDONALD'S RESTAURANT. NO PHONE CALLS, PLEASE.

LET us KEEP CNMI LITIER FREE. I

ROME (AP) - Italian prosecutm want to question two U.S. officials about a cable car accident that killed 20 people, despite America's refusal to surrender jurisdiction over the Marine ctew blamed in the deaths, news report, said Saturday.

RAI state TV and the Italian news agency ANSA said prosecutors want to question next week the two high­ranking officials from Aviano, the U.S. air base where the crew was based.

Prosecutor Francantonio Granero, already investigating the four-man crew and two base officials, did11ot confum the reports.

ANSA cited unidentified judicial sources, and the two officials were not named in the news reports .

;------

A Maiinc jet on a training tun Feb. 3 sliced the cable used by the gondola packed with skiers at an Alpine ski resort. sending the car crJShing into the slopes.

Probes by the Marines and the Italian air fon::e have concluded that the plane was flying too fast and low.

Under a NATO agreement, al­lies have the right to investigate and prosecute their own military perspnhel for possible miscon­duct during official operations.

The United States on Friday informed Italy that it will not surrender jurisdiction. The f<;JUr-man crew renimed home to the United States on Saturday to face possible manslaughter charges.

U.S assistant secreta,y of state for Near Eastern affairs Martin lndyk during his press conference in Algiers Saturday. lndyk urged Algeria to be more candid about the human rights situation in the North African country. Woman at right is unidentified. AP

A Marine investigation board al­ready has blamed the crew for the tragedy, saying they broke rules on how fastandhowlowtheycouldfly.

In written statements to the board, the crew denied they were "flat-hatting" - military slang for violating altitude restrictions.

Lt. Gen. Peter Pace, commander of U.S. Marine Forces Atlantic at Norfolk, Va., has said he will con­vene the military equivalent of a criminal grand jury to detennine if the men should be prosecuted.

The proceeding- known as an Article 32 hearing - has not been scheduled.

US official · · holds talks · 'in Algeria.·

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) -A top U.S. State Department official met with Algerian leaders Saturday, fo­cusing on the violence and terro1ism that has convulsed the country for several year.;.

"One of the topics in my discus­sions here was the violence that regrettably continues to plague Alge­ria," said Martin Indyk, the U.S. as­sistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs.

''Ireiteratedmy govemrnent'scon­demnation of terrorism," said Indyk, speaking to reporters at the end of a two-day visit to Algeria, part of a tour of the region.

Indyk held meetings with Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf and Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia

Indyk said he had discussed hu­man rights with Ouyahia and that the U.S. view was "that Algeria can only benefitbyrespondingopenlytoques­tions posed domestically and interna­tionally."

Morethan75,CXXlpeoplehavedied in the violence, which began in 1992 afterthemilitary-backedgovemment canceled parliamentary elections the Islamic Salvation Front was poised to win.

COMMONWEALTH UTILITIES CORPORATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

NOTICE Governor Pedro P. Tenorio and Lt. Governor Jesus R. Sablan hereby give Notice that pursuant to Public Law 8-41, Section 11, a Regular Meeting of the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation (CUC) Board of Directors will be held on Thursday, March 19, 1998, at 10:00 AM in the CUC Conference Room in Lower Base, Saipan. The Agenda is as follows:

I. PRELIMINARY MATfERS A. Call to Order B. Roll Call C. Adoption of Agenda D. Adoption of Minutes - February 12, 1998

II. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT III. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT

A. Financial Report B. Rota C. Tinian

IV. COMMITIEE REPORTS A. Cable TV & Telecommunications B. Personnel

V. OLD BUSINESS A. Saipan Water Desalination Facility

VI. NEW BUSINESS VII. PUBLIC COMMENTS VIII. CORRESPONDENCE IX. EXECUTIVE SESSION

Pursuant to PL 8-41, Section 13, Item (6), the Board may vote to meet in Executive Session. A. On-going Litigation Matters B. Saipan 80 Megawatt RFP Contract Discussions

X. ADJOURNMENT

/s/ BENJAMIN A. SABLAN, Chainnan

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Pentagon to probe • pp member of Tripp's family as wit­ness, victim, reporting party or suspect.

By Donna Abu-Nasr WASHINGTON (AP) -The Pentagon plans to look into allegations that Linda Tripp lied on her Pentagon security clearance form• by failing to disclose that she had been ar­rested on theft charges nearly three decades ago.

''I'm sure that it will be the subject of some inquiry," De­fense Secretary William Cohen said Saturday. "If it's true it's a very serious mat­ter.'.'

-"There is an item that's· to be checked - Have you ever

· been either charged or arrested for a crime? - and if the answer was no, then that's not simply a matter of fully dis­closing, it's a contradiction of the truth," Cohen said on CNN's "Late Edition.''

Cohen said he was sure the incide'nt "will be looked into," but added that "at this point it's still an allegation that we have no knowledge of. So at this point, it's not a matter of investigation."

Tripp's lawyer confirmed his client has been arrested but said the charge_s against her were dropped because she was innocent.

The New Yorker magazine reports in its edition on news­stands Monday that Tripp, the Pentagon staffer who re­-corded conversations with Monica Lewinsky about an alleged affair with President Clinton, was arrested on a grand larceny charge May 12, 1969, in Greenwood Lake, N. Y., and subsequently pleaded not guilty.

Tripp went by her maiden name Carotenuto at the time of the arrest, the magazine reported. It said Tripp filled out a 1987 Defense Depart­ment security clearance form without mentioning the arrest.

According to an arrest re-

port obtained Saturday by The Associated Press, Linda Carotenuto, 19, was detained by Greenwood Lake police on charges that she stole $263 and a wrist watch valued at·

$600 from the rooms of two men.

An accompanying statement from the Green.:Vood Lake police department s~io it "is not confirming that. this · ·per­son is indeed Linda Tripp."

Tripp's lawyer, James Moody, told The Washington Post his client had told him she was "set up" during the arrest.

He said Tripp and a group of friends were stopped by po­lice after a night of partying. "A bunch of kids were drink­ing," Moody told the paper. "They were at some bar or restaurant, and they let the kids spend the night there and go home in the morning."

He said police detained Tripp after finding the miss-_ ing money and watch in her purse.

Moody told the Post that after her arrest, Tripp ap­peared in courtfor an arraign­ment, but the eharg!!S were dropped because she was in­noceht.

"Linda wastold by the judge she was unconditionally dis­charged and this would never appear on her record," Moody told the paper.

Another Tripp lawyer, An­thony Zaccanini, told The New York Times: "Because Linda was set up and therefore in­nocent, the charges were dropped, even though she demanded a trial. The judge told her to treat this mistaken event as though it never hap­pened."

Lt. Cmdr. James Graybeal; a Pentagon spokesman, said he did not know how long an investigation would take.

Monica Lewinsky and her attorney William Ginsbur[! appear at Morton's restaurant for a book party for TV host Larry King Fnday night. Lewinsky has claimed on secretly recorded tapes that she had a sexual relation­ship with President Clinton beginning in late 1995 and that he urged her to lie about it to attorneys in the Paula Jones sexual harassment case against the president. AP

"It's a very detailed process, gaining a security clearance," Graybeal said. "I would as­sume going ahead and reveri­fying the information will take time . ... We owe it to Linda Tripp to give her due process and fully investigate it."

In its editions on newsstands

Monday, U.S. News & World Report reports police records show that Tripp asked the police to investigate petty misfortunes -a missing car phone antenna, a damaged screen door.

The magazine said police records include 38 incident re­ports since 1992 involving some

At least 11 cile Tripp's son, four her ex-husband, two her daughter and seven Tripp her­self. The rest list the address of either Tripp or her husband's house.

PUBLIC NOTIC.E Attn: The General Public

_Because of the current epidemic pro~ortions of tuberculosis in the CNMI, the Deportment of Public Health has issued an

emergency health regulation requiring health clearance exams for more than 40,000 CNMI individuals over the next 90 days.

In response to this medical emergency, and as part of the FHP Soipan Medical Group's ongoing effort of community service, effective immediately, our clinic will provide Health

Clearance Examinotions in compliance of these health regulations. This service is available to members

and non-members.

Please call the FHP Saipan Medical Group at 235-0994 for an appointment or additional information.

FMP SAIPAN MEDICAL GROUP SM

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NORTHERN MARIANAS ~ HOUSING CORPORATION l5I

SOLICITATION FOR LEGAL SERVICES EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

The Board of Directors of the Northern Marianas Housing Corporation {NMHC), represented by the undersigned, is seeking services from quali­fied firms or individuals licensed in the Commonwealth to serve as legal counsel for the NMHC, such services as providing advice and assistance pertaining to legal matters with respect to its operations. Terms and con­ditions shall be set forth in a contract to be executed upon selection of the legal counsel.

Qualified individuals or firms must submit a letter of interest, together with a proposed fee schedille and background qualifications of counsel or associates, to Ms. Marylou S. Ada, Corporate Director, P.O. Box 514, Saipan, MP 96950, or delivery of documents to NMHC's Central Office located in Garapan. Deadline for submission of documents is Friday, March 20, 1998 at 10:00 A.M.

NMHC reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive any imperfection in same in the interest of the Corporation.

/s/ JUAN S. TENORIO Chairman of the Board

•. ···~. "24-MARlANAS VARIETY.NEWS AN[) VIEWS-MONDAY~ MARCH 16. 1998 ... -

Troops trade fire in cmnp By DON PATHAN

MAE HLA, Thailand - A raiding party allied with Myanmar's mi Ii tary govern­ment fireJ more than IO mor­tar rounJs SunJay into :1 n:fu­gec camp in Thailand shelter­ing J0.000 people. a Thai gen­eral said.

Casualty figures were not immediately available.

Maj. Gen. Chamlong l'hotong, chief of staff of the 3rJ Arr;1y responsible for the rugged border area. saiJ tlwt Th-ai soldiers returned arti II cry rounds and drove off the at­tackers shelling the Mac Hla

refugee camp. The raiders belonged to the

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years. The DKBA attacked and

torched another refugee camp. Huay Koloke, on Wednesday Three people died and 9,000 were made homeless.

The border is strung with refugee camps filled with some I 00,000 people, mostly Karen, who have fled military offensives in Myanmar that survivors and human-rights groups say feature rape, mur­der and torching of vi II ages to terrorize the populace.

The Myanmar army and its allies are staging a late dry­season offensive against the Karen nationalists.

Refugee camps arc targeted to deny the KNU rear-base support and to frighten the refugees into returning to Myanmar. also known as Burma.

Tension has been high, es­pecially at Mae Hla, the larg­est camp with some 30,000 people.

It was attacked a year ago. Chamlong said that other camps were vulnerable to at­tack, especially Maw Ker, with some 6,000 people.

DKBA and Myanmar troops had concentrated for the past two days across the shallow Moei River that defines the border to atlack Mae Hla, aid workers said.

Many residents left the camp Saturday night to sleep across a highway in relative safety.

The Ministry of Interior warned aid agencies not to send a scheduled twice­monthly rice shipment into Mae Illa, saying the JO-truck convoy would present a tempt­ing target.

Aid workers said the refu­gees have sufficient rice for the time being.

Meanwhile. fighting was raging inside Myanmar be­tween an estimated 1,000 gov­ernment troops and some 300 KNU fighters near the KNU's 7th Brigade headquarters al Tha Ko Sutha. north of the Thai border town of Mac Sot.

KNU officials said the pro­Myanmar forces were believed to have infiltrated Thailand to open a new front against 7th Brigade. The KNU hus suf­fered several defeats in recent years and controls relatively little territory inside Myanmar.

The headquarters was tak­ing artillery and mortar fire rrom two sides, KNU officials said, but would be difficult to capture because it is ringed by mrnes.

The terror raids on the refu­gee camps have been con­demned by several Western nations and human-rights groups. and Thailand has been urged to improve security.

Thai army troops in the area of Huay Koloke were said to have done nothing to deter the attack.

Chamlong said both troop and artillery strength has been beefed up. More road check­points are visible, but visitors to the camps say they have seen little reinforcement be­tween refugees and the likely lines of attack.

Aid workers said the Thai army has forced refugees who sought shelteroutside the burned remains of Huay. Koloke to return to the camp, threatening to deport them to Myanmar if they did not.

Thai army and government of­ficials and aid agencies are look­ing for a safer site for the Huay Kolokc refugees after discount­ing the initial idea of moving them to Mac I-Ila.

A resident of Chato Grande, north of Lima, cry over the toss of their homes to floodmg caused by El Nino Saturday. Over 230 000 houses have been destroyed by El Nino in Peru since beginning' of the year.

AP

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''MONDAY, ~ARCH '16 ·: 1998 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND v·IEWS-25

Iraq calls on Washington:

'Consider normal relations' By EILEEN ALT POWELL

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - In a change from its usual anti­American rhetoric, Iraq urged the United States on Sunday to "courageously" change its policies and normalize rela­tions with Baghdad.

An editorial in the state-run Baghdad Observer said that such a move by President Bill Clinton and his ally, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, would be in their political and economic interests.

The two countries have been the main supporters of keep­ing U.N. trade sanctions on Iraq.

The sanctions. which ban the unlimited export of oil, were designed to punish Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein for his 1990 invasion of Kuwait, which set off the 1991 Gulf War.

The U .N. Security Counci 1 has said the sanctions won't be lifted until U.N. inspectors certify that Iraq has eliminated its weapons of mass destruc­tion.

The editorial called for "a daring step by reasonable and realistic politicians" to reas­sess American policy toward Baghdad and "eventually call for direct talks with the gov­ernment of Iraq so as to nor­malize relations."

It added: "Despite all hos­tile rhetoric and propaganda campaigns to demonize Iraq and its leadership, it is not impossible - nor is it unreal­istic - for the American gov­ernment to settle sharp differ­ences peacefully as it has done before with the former Soviet Union, China or, recently, with North Korea."

The editorial, which was signed by the Observer's edi­tor Naji al-Hadithi, charged that the White House and its allies in Britain had used the sanctions to try to undermine Iraq's leadership.

The editorial termed this a "futile. costly and unwar­ranted policy" and urged the United States to ·'coura­geously reshuffle it for a more realistic one that serves America's legitimate interests as well :is the cause of peace, security and stability in this region."

The appeal came amid what appears to be a change in Iraq's dealings with U.N. weapons inspectors following a Feb. 23 agreement negotiated by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Under the deal, Iraq agreed to open eight of Saddam's pal­ace compounds to U.N. in­spection and to improve co­operation with U.N. weapons teams.

Last week. for the first time. Iraq allowed a U.N. team into the Defense Ministry. And next weekend, the chicr U.N. arms inspector, Richard But-

lcr, is due in Baghdad to kick off the palace inspections.

The Americans and British had threatened military strikes to force Iraq to open the pal­ace compounds but relented after the Annan deal was signed.

Also Sunday, B:ibil news­paper, the daily published by Saddam's son Odai, said American administrations "don· t have any logical op­tions but to get the right les­sons from dealings with Iraq and understand that Iraq is not Panama, Haiti or any of the 'banana republics."

It added: "Dealing with Iraq must start with respecting its sovereignty and its indepen­dence, free decision-making and its legal right for safety and security."

This, it said, included "re­sponding to its legitimate de­mand" that sanctions be lifted.

President Saddam Hussein shakes hands with police officers of al-Touz town, salah al-Deen province 160 km north west of Baghdad during his visit to talk with villagers on Friday. AP

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26-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-MONDAY- MARCH 16 , 1998

Crack mom held for child neglect By Arlene Levinson

EASLEY, S.C. (AP)- Late in the aftemoon ofFeb. 5,1992, the {X)lice chief. a detective and two social work­ers entered the matemity ward of Easley Baptist Medical Center and took custody of 3-day-old Tevin Dasliuan \Vhitner.

Not finding cJ1e infant's mother. d1cy left a notice on her hospital bed.

l11e next morning, {X)lice c.une back, anested Cornelia Whitner and led her away handcuffed and weep­ing. She had smoked crack cocaine before going into labor and the drug was found in hernewbom' s mine. To authorities this was child neg\ecL

Six years later, dimple-~heeked Tevin is a healthy. lively kindergart­ner who loves his books and his bicycle.Hecallsagreat-aunt··Mama··

His real mother is se1ving an eight­year prison sentence in the only state that treats drng addiction during preg­nancy as child neglect and imprisons the new mothers.

Effrnts to do this in about 30 other states have been beaten back in the courts and in state legislatures.

Butina3-2mling last fall, the South Carolina Supreme Comt for a second time upheld Ms. Whitner'sconviction and said child abuse laws also apply to a viable fetus. It's the highest court anywhere to read the law -that way. ·

Ms. Whitner's lawyers plan this week to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to hear her case and those of two other women caught in the same snare.

The cases highlight a painful di­lemma: Are women who use illegal drugs during pregnancy addicts who

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Local Hire Only Call 235-4771

Pursuant to I CMG §9910, Governor Pedro P. Tenorio LI. Governor Jesus R. Sablan, and the Board of Public Lands, through the Division of Public Lands /DPU of the Department of Lands and Natural Resource~1 are hereby giving notice that a meeting o the Board al Public Lands will commence on Tuesday, March 17, 1998 at 2:00 P.M.

The meeting is scheduled lo continue from day to day until completed and as such, the meeting will be reconvened the tollowing day at the same fime and at the same place ii the board calls a recess ot this meeting. The meeting will be held at Pactlic Gardenia Hotel Banquet Hall Room No. 1 in Chalan Kanoa.

AGENDA 1. Roll Call 2. Adoption of Minutes· Odober 21, 1997 3. Commu11ications

\a) Letter from Mayor Jose C. Sablan, Saipan · Herald Broadcasting Syndicate, Inc. b) · Letters from Cflairman David L lgrtol, Saipan Municipal Council

i. Herald Broadcasting Syndicate, Inc. ii. Aquarius Arnnet Resort, Tan Holdings Col]lotation, Tasi Tours & Transportation,

Inc., and Juan C. Tenono & Associales iii. Northern Mariana lsl~nds Retirement Fund -Request to use public land in Capttol Hitt

(c) letter 1rom Mayor Benjamin T. Manglona, Rota · Agricuhural Homesteads at As-Nieves and Bird Sanctua!"j areas

(d) Letters from the Eleventh Tinian Joint Legislative Delegation i. CUC Tlnian Power Plant· fssuance of Deed ii. Mal]lo Heights · Request to subdivide and release for use as homesteads

(e) Letter from the Acting Secrelaiy of the Department ol Public Health· Request to renovale the Trnian Guest House on Sarpan

(0 House Resolution No. 11-9 'A House Resolution to request the Governor and the Board of of Public Lands to grant CUC public domain al lots 190 E 01 and TR. 22916, along wnh the adjoining 5,362 square meters of _public land in Lower Base

(Q) Marianas Seaside Developmenl Corporalion - Objection lo Saipan Scratchies' Request 4. A'eport ot lhe Director

(a) Public Law No. 10-90 -Amendment to Public Law No. 10-57 5. Report of the Legal Counsel 6. Unfinished Business

(a) Public Land Lease Request i. FPA Quarry - Permil .Status

(b) CNMI Government Public Land Request i. Rota M'Jnicrpat council -Reques\ to e);(ract sand !or Children's Park

7. New Business \a) Pending land Exchange Matters

i. Memorandum ot Agreement -Status on pending land exchange ii, Heii. o\ Jose S. Deleon Guenero (Rai) iir. Mana II. Guerrero iv. Jose T. Seman v. Luis T. Hocog

(b) CNMI Government Public Land Request i. Seventh Tinian Municipal Council - Request for the designation ol public lands lor

Recreation Centers/Fields ii. NMHC · Request to reserve Loi No. 012T 06 for future expansion ol Trnian's housing

stock iii. Northern Marianas College, Rota· Request to revert to Tatachog. original designated

srte iv. Rota Upward Bound Program -Request lo utilize Tetelo Beach site v. Public School system · Request for Grant of Public Domains

(c) Public Land Lease Request i. Bank of Guam· Request lo relocate leased area in Garapan

(d) Land Problem and Legal Matters i. Pedro Aguon v. MPLC

(e) Homestead Matters 1. Village Homestead

(f) DPL Rota Matters i. llgricultural Grazing Permit· Request to impose moratorium ii, Agricultural Homestead · Request for outside designated areas i11. As Chala · Proposed for agricultural hometead; request designation lor village

homestead. (g) DPL T!nian Matters

1. Jacob a II. Codero, Agricultural Homestead · Request for authorization to mortgage 01 quitclaim deed; Lot i'lo. 050 T 07

8. Miscellaneous 9 Ad1011rr,e1rot

need treatment or criminals who be­long in p1ison?

Nationwide, about 70,CXXl preg­nant women annually are cocaine users, according to a federal sUivey.

South Carolina estimates as many as 3,200 cocaine users give birth in their state eve!)' year.

South Carolina Attorney General Charlie Condon and the state's high court have "made up a new crime that the legislature never intended, and every 'medical group op{X)ses, and that these women could not have known," said Ms. Whitner's lead attorney, Lynn Paltrow of the New York-basedCenterforConstitutional Rights.

Ms.Whitner' s conviction alsochal­lenges the 25-year-old Roe vs. Wade

· mling that a woman's privacy in­cludes her actions during pregnancy. Abortion opponents, however, take small comfort from the case.

April Holley of the anti-abortion National Right to Life Committee in Washington said threatening preg­nant addicts wi tl1 prison could en­courage them to have abortions. "Our goal as a society," she said, "should be to help the mother and the child."

Those who see their job as helping mothers and children say what South Carolina is doing will hurt more than help. "'All of us want to do everything inour{X)werto salvage a fetus," said Dr. Nelson Weston, president of the South Carolina Medical Association, which opposes the state 'spolicy. "But if the mother is addicted to cocaine, she's the one who needs treatment ... not piison."

Attorney General Condon says eve1y viable fetus is "a fellow South Carolinian." As a former prosecutor in Charleston, he had pregnant and postpartum addicts arrested. "In our state, tl1e rights of the fetus do not come from the mother, they come from God," Condon said. In fact, he also advocates legal curbs on drink­ing and smoking during pregnancy.

Some c1itics protest that the state's policy targets poor black women.

Like Ms. Whitner, nearly all of the more than 40addictsprosecuted since I 989 under South Carolina's child abuse law, rue black. Ms. Whitner is not ready to blame bigotry for her predicament.

"It's a d11Jg problem. I just don't think I deserveprison," she said by telephone from Leath Conectional Institution in Greenwood, about 60 miles southeast of Easley.

As for the U.S. SupremeCourt,she said, "I just want them to understand this is a sickness."

In a series of phone calls - the prison bans face-to-face interviews -she spoke in a soft voice of want­ing to get a house and a job and finish raising the three sons she hardly knows.

When she was born 34 years ago with adiamond-shaped patch of white on her· hmwn forehead and hair, the family thought it might be a sign, "like she was going to be special, a giftfromGod,"heroldestsister, Pansy Hanis, said.

She was the last of six children bom to Margaiet Whitner, a cham­bermaid. Mrs. Whitner was sweet­natured but st.Iict, kept a Bible in the houseandrcinsonherchildren. After her husband left, there were other men, but she raised the children alone. Cornelia barely knew her father.

Asa girl, Cornelia Whitnerdreamed ofbecominga nurse. She likedtosing and run. Her playmates were cousins

in her warm, extended family. One morning, the children heard a

thump when their mother fell qut of bed. Cornelia ran next door to call an ambulance, but help came too late. Margaret Whitner was dead at 42 of a worn-out heart.

Cornelia was 14 years old. 'That was the worst thing that ever

happened to me. I felt like I had nobody," Ms. Whitner said. 'That's when I started smoking weed and drinking beer and stuff.Ain't nobody like your mom."

Withasisterandbrother,shemoved in with Miss Harris, whose sttingent mies could not stop Cornelia's slide. "All the preaching and all the talking and all the up keeping I ttied to put on herdidn 't help," said Miss Harris, 43.

By 16, Ms. Whitner was a mother. She quit school and moved out on her own, drifting aimlessly from town to city, living on the margins of the state's prospering and scenic north­western wedge. She was still smok­ing marijuana and drinking, and some­times, she snorted cocaine.

Terrell, her firstborn, remembers her with love.

"Whenever she wasn't smoking, or doing, like, the bad stuff, we like playedtogether,liketickleeachother,'' saidthelanky 17-year-oldwhoinher­ited his mother's patch of white in his ink-black hair. He attends Seneca High School, his mother's school until she left in 9th grade, the year he was born.

He also remembers hunger. "We went without food for, like, a few days," Terrell said. "I would find something to eat I can make a sand­wich with ketchup."

After Leroy, her second child, was bom in 1989, M,. Whitner moved them all to Easley, a growing town of 20,CXX) where the old South is giving way to traffic jams and glittering shopping centers. The Whitners settled into a neigborhood of tumbledown houses near the railroad tracks.

There, Ms. Whitner met crack co­caine and "my life just fell apart."

At a boyfriend's house she found a party going on. 'Tm a cuiious per­son, and they were smoking on this little pipe."

FonnerneighborMauriceG1issom recalled the woman in the small b1ick house, her white st.I-eak of hair and terrible craving. "She wa, a ve1y nice lady. She tried to get off that stuff," Giissom said. "She said she tried to get help for it, but nobody would help her.',

She stoic cigarettes and food and jewelry to sell for crack. She also sold her body. "I never did that too much," she said. Never stood on a comer, but went to men she knew, she said. "I tried to keep a little bit of pride about myself."

Welfai-e and a boyfriend kept her going for a time. She took stabs at legitimate work. Food service. Motel maid. A factrny job making pl.titic paid tl1e best, mrn-e than $7 an hour. "But I couldn't even keep d1at, be­cause of crack," she said.

Often she left her chikh-en with relatives and disappe:rred.

One night in April 1991, her Aunt MaryBrowncalled policeinCentral, about 13 miles from Easley. It wa, two days since M,. Whitner had left I 0-ye;.u·-oldTerrell with theaunt,and hertoddler, Leroy, not yet 2, with the aunt's elderly neighbor.

The state took her child1-en away, placed them with family members, and charged her with neglecting

Leroy. A week befo1-e Christmas 1991,

heavy with her third pregnancy, Ms. Whitner stood before Judge Eppes at the Pickens County Courthouse and pleaded guilty.

Eppeslikestogivepeopleachance. I-le sentenced Ms. Whitner to proba­tion, with conditions. She had to stay away from drngs and alcohol and stay out of trouble with the law. Vi0Iatingthesete1mswouldmean 10 years in prison.

Ms. Whitner says she would have likedhelpforherdrug problem. But in Pickens County where she lived, little help was available forpenniless, pregnant addicts. A single county program offered counseling at night but no transportation or child care. Somehelpwasalso availableoutside the county, but that could mean a waiting list.

Nevertheless, prosecutors in a few South Carolina counties; including Pickens, were getting tough with pregnant addicts. They started order­ing the anests of women whose new­borns tested positive fordrngs, charg­ing the mothers with neglect If they got help, charges would be dropped.

Joe Watson, then the prosecutor for Pickens and Greenville counties and now a circuit court judge, says his {X)licyamountedto''puttingtheheavy hammer over the mother's head"to force her to get help. "Our goal has never been to put any of these moth­ers in jail."

Cornelia Whitner knew nothing of goals. She was scared and so fearful of arrest she shied away from the county health clinic offering pre­natal care.

Her fears were about to come true. Tevin was born on Feb. 2, 1992

with the family blare of white on his head. His mother held him just once before a·nurse told her he had tested positive for cocaine.

She bolted. 'That look on her face told me that the police was coming right then," Ms. Whitner said. "I pan­icked."

Returning to the hospital the next day, she found police waiting.

Two months later she again faced Judge Eppes.

"Is this a crack baby?" he a,ked. "Yes, sir," she said.

"Why wouldn't you just take a pistol and put it in your moutl1 and blow your head off?" he said. "You wouldn't do that, would you?"

The public defender said Ms. Whitner wanted d11Jg treatment.

Eppes, a judge for four decades, was alaimed at the rising use of drugs by women who came before him. A previous ca<;e had prompted him to say, "I wa~ tired of having these bastmtl crack babies."

He told Ms. Whitner's law­yer, "I think I 'II just let her go to jail."

Ms. Whitner got help from C. Rauch Wisc, a G1-eemvood lawyer with the Ameiican Civil Libenics Union of South C;.uulina. Aftermo1e than 19 months in p1ison, she wa~ freed by a judge who said chi Id abuse could not apply to a fetus; she had pleaded guilty to a law that did not exist.

While out of prison, Ms. Whitner made a feeble attempt to reunite with herchildrcn,onlytoresumew1addict's life of theft m1d d111gs.

Mcai1while, Tra\;S Medlock, then suite attorney general, appealed to the South Cu-olina Su pre me Cou1t, st.alt­ing ;1 four-yc:u· c!Ton to !!Ct Ms. Whitner back in prison. ~

Zachares. • • Continued from page 6

For their part, "de!X)rtable" work­ers arethosefoundwithouttheCNMI­govemmentrequired Alien Registn1-tion Card (ARC).

These workers are not arrested but merely advised to secure ARC within the next 24 hours or face deportation.

Around 200 such workers were found when DOU operatives swooped down on the a garment firm in Chalan Piao last Monday.

MHS ... Continued from page 9

Florian also agreed that there are "numerous problems and tasks" the Council as well as the school admin­istration has to tackle, and because of that, the system has to change.

"We are seeking to have MHS principal Mr. Jim Denight, receive fulloversightauthorityforthecomple­tion of the needed classrooms," said Florian.

"It is consistent with the School­Community Based Education con­cept and I am sure he will see to it that these projects are completed. We are fed up with promises and we want to see things done," he said.

"It is absolutely critical that the high school returns to single track and we need to get the facilities in place. It will beourpriority andfocusforthis school year," he added.

Six . .. <::c_>ntinued from page 8

Hall on Apiil 19 from 6 to 9 p.m. 'The pageant's theme in this year

reflects the beauty of our candidates, the warmth of our islands and the cultural diversity that exists here, " said NMBPA president Becky P. CI1lz.

Crnz said entitled "Splashes of Tropical Beauties," the pageant night will be one to remember with a vari­ety of local pe1formers, an atmo­sphere of colorful decor, and an un­forgettable show.

Working behind the scenes to present this year's show are the NMBPA Board members. They ;.ue Becky Crnz, president; Edward Manglona, vice-president; Tammy Hunter, secretary; Bibine Forester. treasurer; Laila C. Younis, public telations office1~ Tanya B. Camacho, national di1-ector; and Jinny Reyes ,l~

member of the bo,m.l.

Inspections Contir.ued from page_~

Z1chai-es said more firms will be subjected to· simi!,u· "unannounced inspections" this week.

The stepped-up drive however, is being downplayed by ciitics who claimed the "knee-jerk" reaction to federal officials' allegations against the CNMI garment industry was be­ing done "to appease the Feds" in time for the March 31 US Senate hearing of Commonwealth takeover legislation.

· DO YOU RAVE $200 TO THROW AWAY? WHETHER YOU ARE WALKING, DRIVING, SAILING, OR FLYING.

LITIERING IS ILLEGAL IN THE CNMI.

MONDAY.MARCH 16, 1998 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND YIEWS-27 ·

Business • • • Continued from page 6

whether they are fororagainst the federal takeoverofCNMI's labor and immigration.

He said the strong position taken by the US Government is coming now "because in the past, we were not able to correct.our own labor problems."

Ayu yu also said there had been a reluctance in the implementation of thepro!X)sedminimumwageincrease during the previous years.

The US government believes that any new labor and immigration re­form implemented by the CNMI will again be repealed or eventu­ally scaled down.

But Ayuyu said the business community remains hopeful that the federal government will give the present CNMI administration the chance to correct the islands' labor and immigration problems in the next four years.

The business sector leader said he is predicting a dramatic change in the attitude of business manag­ers in the Northern Marianas on the way businesses are conducted.

Lt. Gov. Jesus Sablan said the CNMI panel may propose that labor and immigration reforms to be enacted by the CNMI govern­ment be included in the Covenant.

Sablan also said he still believes that the US and CNMI govern­ments could work together in ad­dressing federal concerns:

Patrons surf the website at a cybercafe in downtown Subang Jaya Friday. Cybercafes which are popularly frequented by youths and under-aged students pose a nightmare to the authorities with an unhindered access to the pornographic websites. AP

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • a • • • • e • o • • • Happy 3rd Birthday • • • • • • • • • • • •

IDAlRJRJEN IH\OCOG

• •

from Mommy Yna, Tita Beth, Tito

Norman, Tita Flor & Nico • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

@lU essa9e 06 ~ppreciation The Saipan Rugby Football Club would like to thank the following companies and persons, whose generous support and contributions helpe<l to make our Hot Lunch Fundraiser a success:

New K Store Margie Tudela Allied Insurance Midway Motors MarPac Fletcher Pacific Price Costco Jloy Fua

Kwek's Enterprises Motion Automotive Repair Shop Aon (Micro!) Beverage Company Coca Cola Beverage Company Pacific Trading Matt Brodie Dial Rent to Own

and A Special TiiANKS to all the RUGBY wives, girlfriends, and families for their help and support!

YOUR GENEROSllY HAS MADE ff POSSIBLE FOR OUR TEAM TO TRAVEL OFF ISLAND FOR INrERNATIONAL

TOURNAMENrS, WHERE WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO REPRESENT TiiE CNMI.

ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONilNUED SUPPORTI

PUBLIC NOTICE LET IT BE KNOWN THAT

TRIPLE J MOTORS WILL NOT SERVICE ANY NEW OR USED VEHICLES THAT DO

NOT COMPLY WITH U.S. SPECIFICATIONS.

TRIPLE J MOTORS CONSIDERS ALL NON-U.S. SPECIFICATION VEHICLES

UNSAFE AND A HAZARD TO THE DRIVING PUBLIC OF THE CNMI.

w M--_, . ./}-~

WAYNE N. HUNT General Manager

Authorized Distributor on Saipan for:

HYUNDAI• MITSUBISHI • ISUZU •SUBARU• SUZUKI

SAVE THE PLANET

111':J?''·~ -~ ,:; --i!I' ___ 1

f. . '\,, ' ' '/ -"q,.~~

LOVE ALL SERVE ALL

SAi PAN GENERAL MANAGER

Hard Rock Cafe is looking for the right qualified and energetic restaurant G_ENERAL MANAGER for its Saipan location. If you're an outgoing professional with great interpersonal skills, business savvy, high volume, full service, restaurant/retail operations experience, and can think on your feet, we may have a back stage pass with your name on it.

To be considered, applicants must posses 4-5 years Restaurant General M~nagement experience,.a proven track record, and great working knowledge of inventory control syslems, profit and loss statement and budgets.

So bring your individualism, we don1 fit the mold, so neither should you. We offer top pay, excellent benefits and an attractive bonus program.

Please respond through mail or facsimile by March 2Dth with your resume to:

Hard Rock Cafe Attn. Mike McGann

388 South Marine Drive, Suite 100-200, Tamuning, Guam 96911

Fax 671 647 0151

Note: Saipan resident applicants will be interviewed in Saipan

COMMONWEALTH DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL . rr:l.~~ The Commonwealth Development Authority

R-;i,. (GOA) through its Chairman Juan S. Tenorio is seek­ing assistance from a marketing/advertising/public relations firm or other company to prepare its 1997 annual report. Proposals for this project should be submitted to CDA no later than March 20, 1998.

Interested firms are requested to obtain a copy of the RFP package at the CDA office at Wakin's Bldg. in Gualo Rai. Inquiries may be directed to Ms. Lydia M. Sablan, Acting Executive Director at telephone no. 234-6245.

The Commonwealth Development Authority reserves the right to reject any proposal in the best interest of the CDA.

/s/ Lydia M. Sablan Acting Executive Director

~-·-·· J..S-~ -------- .-

28~MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-MONDAY- MARCH lo; 1998

PUBLIC NOTICE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS

COMMONWEAL TH DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, Plaintilf. vs. HERMAN C. SANTOS. MARIAC. CASTRO. RICARDO C. CASTRO and U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, Delendants.

CIVIL ACTION NOS. 97-0004

NOTICE OF SECOND SALE

Following an unsuccessful first auction sale in this matter. the United States Marshal Service, hereinalter reterred to as auctioneer. and the Development Corporation Division ol the Commonwealth Development Authority, hereinafter relerred lo as CDA. hereby give notice that all of lhe righl. l1lle, and interest of the defendants - Herman C. Sanlos, Maria C. Castro, and Ricardo C. Castro - in lhe following described, improved, real property situated in San Roque, Saipan, will be sold at an auction sale:

Lot No. 007 B 31, conlaining an area of 879 square meters, more or less, as more particularly described on Drawing/Cadaslral Plat No. 118177. ·

The aucl1on sale will be open lo the general public and will be held at the United Slates Marshal Service Olfice, Garapan, Saipan, at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 25, 1998, subject lo the following announced terms and conditions: 1. ~ The auction sale shall be held with reserve. 2. Rights and Duties ol Auctioneer Consisten1 w1lh the custom and usage and applicable law of lhe Commonwealth of the Norlhern Mariana Islands governing auction sales with reserve, auclioneer shall have lhe following rights and duties in conducting the auction sale:

a) To withdraw the property i1sled lor sale in 1h1s announcement before sale or before a bid for such property is accepted.

b) To adjourn the sale without nolice at any lime before any specific oroperty is slruck 011, without incurring any liability whalsoever !hereby; and

c) To re1ect, on behalf of the seller. any and all bids.

3. filll. Tentative bids may be submilted '.n advance !or any and all ot the property l1sled 1n !his notice. Such bids shall not be binding. except \hat the highest ol such bids will automatically be considered the opening bid for the ilem. Bids may be enlered in person, in writing, or by telephone to Joaquin 0. Dela Cruz, Loan Manager, Commonwealth Developmenl Aulhorily. P.O. Box 2149, Saipan, MP 96950, Ph:;ne: 23.;.71~5; F~.<: 234-7144; or lo Tree ii. Eyerly, Law Offices al Vicente T. Salas, P.O. Box 1309, Saipan, MP96950, Phone: 234-7455. Fax: 234-7256.

4. M1nmum 8:d. The minimum bid for any property listed in this notice shall be the lotal 3rTounl o! principal, interest. attorney's 1ees ar.d costs of sale due and owing CDA by the: del•;ndanls CH the 2.ppra1sed value o!

;.,r0perty - wh1cheve1 1s less.

...,_ Dr-oos1t: PaymPnl A deposit ol ten ~ercem ( 1 o-:.;:q o! t'ne purchase price must be paid on the day ol lhe auction sale. The rnmain1ng ba\ar1ce will be due within ten (18J days of lr,e auclion sale. Failure lo make paymenl of the remaining balance 111tr.,~ len (10) days will result ,n lorie1lure by the buyer of lhe len percent (10%) deposit, and any and all of the buyer's r,ghls, title and inleresl in any of the aloremenlioned property will revert to CDA.

6. Change ol Terms. Auctioneer and CDA reserve lhe r1ohl to change any of lhe terms ol conducl snd enforcemenl t f sale by announcement, wr:!!en or oral, made l efore the auction sale or at lhe commencei,1en1 thereof. an:J such change or changes, by v1nue ol this clause. shall be binding on any buyer by ccnslruc11ve notice

Daled 1h1s 17th day of February, 1998.

isl REX FULLMER, Deputy United Slales Marshal

APARTMENT. FOR RENT 'FULLY CONCRETEl!Y/0 (2) BEDROOMS ' FULLY FURNISHEDf.24 HOURS WATER ' LAUNDRY MAT AVAILABLE/FREE TRASH

COLLECTION ' REA,SONABLE PRICE

CALL TEL 322-3581 FOR MORE DETAILS!

LOT FOR SALE -- Snn Vicl'ntl'. 151':t sq.m. ---- Tuturan. 5851 .~l(.!ll. --

-- Capitol Hilt, :\420 sq.m. ---Contact: Frank Yuan

Tel: l-626-5SR-:l660 Fa,: I -626-5SS-:l655 E-m:iil: franJ..:@c-1111!.corn

.ca.r fo.r saJe Truck-1992 Ford XLT Pick-Up

• Exiended Cab • Fully enclosed back with Carntftr Top.N/indows • BodJe and interior in EXCELLE

condition• Un en:oated to prevent Rusi ON ISLAND EIGHT MONTHS

$9,000.00 or best olTer Call: 234-9419 Hazel/Kevin Fowler

HOUSE FOR RENT SAN VICENTE, ON THE WAY TO STANFORD Hora

CONC., TWO STORY HOUSE GROUND FLOOR UNSHARED

3 BO. ROOM, LMNG ROOM, KITCHEN, REST ROOM WITlf FRONT lAWN

WITH OR W/OUT FURNITURE CALL:322·6363 • 235-0235

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN

MARIANA ISLANDS

In Re: Estate ofConsolacion Julieta Fleming Power, alk/a Julieta Conso\acion Fleming Power fka Consolacion Julieta Aldan Flemmg, ' Deceased. By: Donald James Power, Pe1i1ioner. Civil Action No. 98-152B

NOTICE OF HEARING

Dale: 3/31/98 Time: 1:30 p.m. Judge: Dcmapan

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Donald James Power has filed a pclilion for lellers of.Administration upon the Estate of Conso\acion Julieta Fleming Power, also known as Ju\1c1a Consolac1on Fleming Power. formerly known as Conso\acion Ju\1cla Aldan Fleming, Deceased and that said Petition will be heard by 1hc Cnun on March l I. 1998, at the ho~r of I :30 p.m. Nol,cc is also gmn lo all heirs of and persons having clauns againsl 1hc Es1a1e of Consolaciun Juliela Fleming Power, Deceased. and to all pcrwns cbimmg an intcrcsl in said Estate, that lhey shall file such claims wtth 1hc Clerk of this Coon within 1ix1y \60) days from the firs_t pubhca11on of 1h11 Nolice. Copies of such cl~1ms should be provided to David G. Banes, 0 Connor Bcnnan Dolls & Banes, Second Fl9or, ~auru Building, t'.0. Box 1969, Sa1pan. MP 96950, attorneys for Pclitioncr All cb1111s 1101 so likd shall be forever barred. D;itcd lhJS 27th day cl February. 1998.

Clerk ol Court By: /s/B~rnad ita A. Sabbn

· AIDS Prev•nti~,t1 . easy as Aw a, c~f -" = Abstain •. _. B = Be faithful .- , ,;.;

' . : .. :~·~·

_ C ~ Condom ·t.ts~;,$f: .. Its your choice." ' ·: :)ff Call 234-51 oo (24 hrsf for free confldentiaf

. testing or info. f.:

Water . . . Continued from page 1 ---------- ------------ -----

eas. They group was polarized be­

tween those for the immediate construction of the facility and who are willing to pay the high cost of desalinated water, and those who think the government should shoulder the cos!.

Remi Sablan and others who are for desalination said they had suffered for so long from lack of water that they thought they should grab at this opportunity.

"For so many years, the people of Saipan had never enjoyed 24 hours clean tap water, and it is about time that a certain company has demonstrated its interest to support us with the most essential needs of our daily life, 24 hours clean water," Sablan said in a

DOI ... Continued from page 1

department is negotiating for a new contract with Marianas Pa­cific Inc., the second-placed bid­der for the original Request for Proposals.

But before Taitano made the announcement, Smith said there wouldn't be any changes in the project. He said that the depart­ment is now in the process of recovering the $500,000 "lost" to Demapan.

But Taitano said the education board has decided to cut down the project and make a new class­rooms-redistribution plan.

She said the board has opted to sacrifice the 15-classroom el­ementary school for Dandan.

"We are changing the class­rooms redistribution. The schools that need new classrooms the most would get priorities," Taitano said

Reyes ... Continued from page 1

-----

pressed. He even blew the whistle on the government agents' pos­sible violation of the rights of the workers they have arrested dur­ing the raids.

Reyes lashed back at Stayman for allegedly treating the Com­monwealth "as it it were a new ward of the United Nations and a new colony of the United States."

The Saipan senator added that the OJA chief "seems to have deve!tiped an animosity toward the CNMl and its people and has taken steps which I feel are aimed

OPA ... Continued frompage 1

Mathis yesterday but she was not able to comment.

The latest protest was brought lo OPA on March 9 by Pacific Cc:ntury. Inc. which alleged that cue had accepted offers from companies thatdon'tcomply with emission standards set by Title V of the Clean Air Act. Some of these companies have allegedly requested waivers of the Title V of the Clean Air Act.

James Chua, principal consult­ant for !he Pacific Century, told OPA that CUC had disqualified

prepared comment to CUC. Under the setup, a private firm

will build and operate the facility for IO years and sell three mi Ilion gallons of water every day to cue. which in tum, will resell the water to its customers.

CUC has the option of whether to renew the contract with the firm or buy the facility after 10 years.

According to CUC's computa­tion, a family of five may spend $108 worth of desalinated water every month, both for its drinking and household uses.

Bob Scmggs summed up the views of those opposed to the idea of paying more for water when he said the company which will sell the desalinated water "is going to start making profits on what I think the government should be providing anyway."

in an interview. She explained that putting up a

new school in Dandan may not be practical at the moment because the site has no available facilities such as water and electricity.

"'Instead of building a new school that would only idly sit there, we would give priorities to other schools," Taitano said.

Aughenbaugh, for his part, said the $750,000 federal matching fund may be eliminated as a re­sult of the loss of the local match­ing fund which was used up by Demapan.

Asked if any changes in the project's scope of work violated any regulations, Aughenbaugh replied, "if its okay with the CNMI's procurement regulations, then it's okay with us."

"We've suspended the project until the whole situation is ex­plained to us, and until the issues concerned are resolved," he added.

at smearing the name of the CNMI."

Reyes said the proposals made by President Clinton and some members of the Congress to fed­eralize the CNMI's immigration and minimum wage were trig­gered by Stayman 's "outright misrepresentation of the tmth."

Another proposal made by the Clinton Administration is to scrap the CNMI's duty-free privileges under Headnote 3A.

"It is my firm belief that such a takeover will result in total disin­tegration of our economic, social and political well-being as part of the United States," Reyes said.

some companies without giving them equal information that could have told them ofCUC's basis for selecting the qualified bidders.

Cima said "CUC had eliminated offerors, prior to providing all offerors the opportunity to review the air modelling data."

As a result, Chua said, the dis­qualified bidders were deprived of the opportunity "to offer their best and final price."

Chua said that when CUC in­vited proposals, it had advertised for a technology and a type of fuel that would produce air emissions that meet the standards set by Title V of the Clean Air Act, but that it seemed lo have preferred

"'Why should we make some company rich when the govern­ment should be solving this prob­lem with our tax money?" he asked in a prepared comment he read during the hearing.

Another man who was opposed to the costly desalination facility said during the hearing, "I don't want desalinated water to flush my toilet."

Businesswoman Linda Cabrera, of Capitol Hill, took the cudgels for those who can't afford to shell out more money fo1 expensive water.

Saying she was for government subsidy, Cabrera stressed, "The rich people can afford to pay for desalinated water, but how about the poor?"

She was echoed by someone who said, "The issue here is whether the people can afford."

Aughenbaugh said that if the public works department would make any changes in the project, it would have to submit a new project proposal to the DOI.

DOI first suspended the project last Dec. 17 after learning that the public works department was about to reinstate Demapan to undertake the project.

'"Several issues were at stake, including questionable payments made outside the te1ms of d1e con­tract and the level of allowable costs due the contractor," OIA' s fiscal pro­gram specialist Thomas Bussanich said in a letter to Stephen Lemieux, 7<J2 coordinator of the CNMJ.

DPW has decided not to reinstate Dernapan, and to award the project to MPI instead, apparently in response to the warning from Bussanich that OIA would not reimburse any addi­tional costs that theCNMI may incur.

Aughenbaugh said 001 wants to find out what the CNMI has accom­plished since the December letter.

"Unlike some of other insular territories of the United States who depended on federal hand­outs to operate their local govern­ments, the CNMI discarded that federal subsidy completely more than ten years ago," Reyes said.

He said that if the federal takeover takes place, the CNMI would revert to being totally dependent on federJ! h,mdouts.

He also 1eminded twoothcrc1itics of the CNMI, Reps. George Miller and Patsy Mink, tliat tl1ey we1e in­volved in the "'sacred approval and endorsement" of the Covenant be­tween the US and tl1e CNMI, which t!1ey now seek to ch,mge.

bidders offering facilities that don't meet such standards.

Chua said that although Pacific Cen1ury's price may be higher, it, nevertheless, offers gas turbine \echnology- using ;lean diesel fuel- that could meet the emis­sion standards.

'"If thccomplim1ceresuiction is not imposed, we would of course pro­pose the cheaper alternative ofbum­ing di11icr, rn1d less environmentally fiiendly residual fuel using diesel generators," Chua said.

'"13ut even after Pacific submitted tl1e offers, CUC decided dial they would accept proposers that need a waiver to tl1e Clean Air Act," he added.

M0NDAY, MARQH 16 ·, 1998.,MARIANAS VA-R:IETY NEWS AND VIEWS"29·

~t}Aarianas 9/arietr~ Class.if-ied Ads ·Sec.ti·on .. ·

Employment Wanted

01 HARDWARE MANAGER-Salary: $1 ,200.00-1,300.00 per month Contact: COMMERCIAL TRADING OF SAIPAN dba Saipan Hardware Tel. 234-6886(3/16)M25678

01 MECHANIC, (AUTO)-Salary: $3.25 per hour Contact: ASIAN TRADERS, iNC. dba Good Friend Aulo Repair Shop Tel. 288-6583(3/16)M70960

01 WAREHOUSE WORKER-Salary: $3.05-3.50 per hour Contact: TRANSAMERICA CORPORA· TION Tel. 234-1629(3/16)M71081

01 ASSISTANT F&B MANAGER-Sal­ary: $1,200.00-1,800.00 per month Contact: PACIFIC MICRONESIA COR­PORATION dba Dai-lchi H0tel Saipan Beach Tel. 234-6413(3/16)M71091

01 (ACCOUNTING) MANAGER-Salary: $1,700.00-2, 100.00 per month 01 ASST. ACCOUNTING MANAGER­Salary: $1,300.00-1,700.00 per month 01 JANITOR-Salary: $3.05 per hour Contact MICRO PACIFIC DEVELOP­MENT, INC. dba Saipan Grand Hotel/ Mr. Domingo Cruz Tel. 234-6601 Ext. 112(3/16)M71092

01 FISHING DECK(HAND)-Salary: $1,000-2,025 per month 01 OUT-BOARD MOTOR MECHANIC­Salary: $1,000.00-1, 125.00 per month Contact: SEA STAR, INC. Tel. 234-3533(3/16)M234-3533

01 SALES REPRESENTATIVE-Salary: S3.05 perhour 01 BARBER-Salary: $3.05 per hour 01 ACCOUNTANT-Salary: $700.00 per month Contact: R.J.A. INC. dba Dina's Hair Design Tel. 233-3462(3/16)M711 OD

01 HARDWARE MANAGER-Salary: $1 ,200.00-1,300.00 per month Contact: COMMERCIAL TRADING OF SAIPAN dba Saipan Hardware Tel. 234-6886(3/16)M25678

02 MASON-Salary: S3.05 per hour Contact: COMMERCIAL TRADING OF SAIPAN, INC. dba CTS Construction Tel. 235-6051 (3/16)M25679

01 MECHANIC-Salary: $800.00-900.00 per month Contact: COMMERCIAL TRADING OF SAIPAN dba CTS Services Tel. 234-6886(3/16)M25680

01 DIVING INSTRUCTOR-Salary: $900.00-1,600.00 per montt1 Contact: ADVANCE MARINE SAlPAN, INC. dba AMS Tel. 323-4987(3/ 16)M25G84

01 SUPl:RVISOR-Salary: S3.50 per l1our 01 MA!NTENANCE REPAIRER (BUILDING)-Salary: $3.05 per hour Contact: TRAP PLANNING INC. dba Use Us Rental Tel. 235-2060(3/ 16)M25686

01 ACCOUNTANT-Salary: SS.00-7.00 per mont/1 Contact: PACIFIC SECURITY ALARM, INC. Tel. 234-5626(3/16)M25687

01 COOK-Salary: S3.05 per hour Conlact: AMERICAN K & W CORP. dba Happiness Restaurant Tel. 235-9468(3/ 16)M25688

01 INSTRUCTOR (SCUBA DIVING) SPORT-Salary: S1, 100.00 per month Contact: COMMONWEALTH MARINE LEISURE CORPORATION dba Marine Sport & Leisure/Mr. Takeuchi Tel. 234-9157(3116)M25689

CLASSIFIED ADS FIRST

01 ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT-Sal­ary: S3.25 per hour Contact: ELIZABETH M. MENDIOLA dba FPJ Enterprises Tel. 234-7246(3/ 16)M25691

03 WAITRESS-Salary: $3.05 per hour Contact: DUK SOO DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (3/9)M25622

03 SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR (ANA­LYST)-Salary:S32, 100-48.100 per an­num Contact: MICRONESIAN TELECOM­MUNICATIONS CORPORATION dba Telecommunications (3110)25529

01 MAINTENANCE REPAIRER (BUILDING)-Salary:$3.05 per hour Contact: ELIZABETH M. MENDIOLA· dba FPJ Enterprises Tel. 234-7246(3/ 23)M25780

01 COOK HELPER-Salary:$3.05 per hour Contact: MICRO PACIFIC DEVELOP­MENT, INC. dba Saipan Grand Hole\ Tel. 234-6601(3/23)M71116

01 SUPERVISOR-Salary:S3.05 per hour Contact: DINGSON CORPORATION dba Beauty and Barber Shop Tel. 234-1588(3/23) M25769

01 INSURANCE MANAGER-Sal­ary:$1,200.00 per month Contact: SAIPAN INVESTMENT DEV'T. CO., INC. dba Hafa Adai Insurance Tel. 322-5595(3/23)M25771

02 MASON-Sa\ary:$3.05-3.25 per hour 01 CARPENTER-Salary:$3.05 per hour 01 ELECTRICIAN-Salary:$3.50 per hour Contact: NORTH PACIFIC ENTER· PRISES, INC. Tel. 233-3990(3/ 23)M25773

01 MASON-Salary:$3.05 per hour 01 COMMERCIAL CLEANER-Sal­ary:$3.05 per hour 01 CARPENTER-Salary:S3.05 per hour Contact: BERNARD OSBORNE dba Hosoya Enterprises Tel. 288-1241 (3/ 23)M25774

02 COOK-Salary:$3.05 per hour Contact: H & H ENTERPRISES dba Thai House Rest. Tel. 235-8424(3/ 23)M25775

01 PAINTER-Salary:S3.05 per hour Contact: G.C.G. & COMPANY, INC. Tel. 288-7166(3/23) M25776

01 TRAVEL SUPERV\SOR-Sal­ary:S2, 160.00 per month Contact: HIT TOURS SAIPAN INC. Tel. 234-t 814(3/23)M25777

01 ACCOUNTANT-Safary:S4.00-4.75 per hour Contact: ALLIED MARINE SURVEY­ORS, LTD. Tel. 234-9511 (3/23)M25778

02 CARPENTER-Salary:S3.05 per hour Conlact: JESSIE A. ARIZALA dba Sys­tems Services Co. Tel. 234-5334(3/ 23)M25781

01 SCUBA DIVING INSTRUCTOR-Sal­ary:S1 ,000.00-1,500.00 per rnonlh Conlact: PAN PACIFIC TOURS, INC. dba Saipan fnlernational Diving School Tel. 322-1277(3/23)M71105

01 COMPUTER OPERATOR-Sa\­ary:$3.05 per hour Contact: COMMONWEALTH MARINE LEISURE CORPORATION dba Marine Sport & Leisure (3/23)M25782

01 GENERAL MANAGER-Saf-ary:$1,500.00 per monlh Conlact: ORE, INC. dba Pleasure World/RNV ASIA Tel. 234-3207(3/ 23)M25785

01 OPERATION ASSISTANT (SHIP­PING CLERK)-Salary:$3.20-4.00 per hour Contact: SA\PAN SHIPPING COM­PANY, INC. Tel. 322-9706(3123)M25784

01 OPERATION ASSISTANT-Sal­ary:$3.20-4.00 per hour Contacl: SAi PAN SHIPPING COM­PANY, INC. Tel. 322-9706(3123)M25784

l __ ------------··· --------··-·'"·..I

03 ACCOUNTANT-Salary:S3.35 per hour 01 PURCHASING MANAGER-Sal­ary:$1,800.00 per month Conlact: TRANSAMERICA CORPORA­TION Tel. 234-1629 F701060

03 COOKS-Salary:S3.05-4:00 per hour Contact: MARIANAS FAST FOOD, INC. dba KFC F71059

01 SALES ENGINEER-Salary:S6.00 per hour 01 ACCOUNTANT-Salary:$1,350.00 per month Contact: JWS AIR CONDITIONING & REFRIGERATION Tel. 235-5572 F71062

03 FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, PILOT-Sa\­ary:Sl ,200.00-2,800.00 per month Contact: PACIFIC ISLAND AVIATION F71063

01 HEAVY EQUIPMENT MECHANIC­Salary:S5.95-6.25 per hour 01 HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR­Salary:SS.95-6.25 per hour 01 BUILDING MAINTENANCE (RE­PAIR)-Satary:$3.25-3.50 per hour 01 STEVEDORE 2-Salary:$3.05-3.25 per hour Contact: SAIPAN STEVEDORE COM­PANY, INC. Tel. 322-9240 F71069 ---------01 COMPUTER OPERATOR-Sal­ary:$4.00 per hour Contact: KANG CORPORATION dba Kang Auto Supply Tel. 288-9366(3/ 23)M25783

01 WAITRESS-Salary:$3.05-3. 75 per hour Contact NIIZEKI INTERNATIONAL SAi PAN CO., LTD. dba Discotheque Tel. 234-5050(3/23)M71124

01 INSTRUCTOR, DIVING-Sa\­ary:$1 ,200.00 per month Contact: BIANCA INTERNATIONAL INC. dba Bianca Hotel & Diving Tel. 235-4510(3/30)M25857

04 SALES CLERK-Salary:S3.05 per hour 01 SALES CLERK-Salary:$3.50 per hour Contact: EL MUNDO INC. dba Esprit Tel. 322-5636(3/30)M71274

02 COMMERCIAL CLEANERS-Sal­ary:$3.05 per hour Contact: SAIPAN HONEY CORPORA­TION Tel. 233-3361 (3/30)M25865

01 BEAUTICIAN-Salary:S3.05 per hour 01 ADMINISTRATIVEASSISTANT-Sal­ary:S3.05 per hour Contact: SAPPHIRE ENTERPRISES, INC. dba Salyn's Beauty Shop Tel. 234-9869(3/30)M25864

01 REFRIGERATION & AIRCONDITION TECHNICIAN-Sal­ary:S3.05-3.30 per hour Contact: MIN ENTERPRISES, INC. Tel. 234-3300(3/30)M25862

• 3 Bedroom Fully Furnished • • Security Fence •

• $1,000 per month• • Aircondition on all bedrooms

including Living & Dining •

Please Call: 235-6724 or 287-5555

I DEADLIN.E: 12:00 noon the day priarfo publication I

! NOTE: If some reason your adver1isement is incorrect. coll us

I

immediately. to make the necessary corrections. The Marianas Voriely News and Views is responsible only ror one incorrect inser1ion. We

·• reserve the right to edit. refuse. rejector cancel any ad ot any time.

WANTED

Please Call 233-88 I I

l'am looking for Temporary

House Worker If in_terested please contact: 234-7497

Asia Marianas International Resources is Recruiting Workers from Thailand

Please call: 234-5765 • 287-2842

DISPOSAL SALE SAN ANTONIO, NEAR BEACH AREA: 1004 SQM. Work Stopped Apartment Bldg. Cone. Structure Ground Floor 2 Room Flat 7 Unit Built 490 Sqm. Call: 322-6363, 235-0235

EMPLOYMENT · .ACCOUNTS . RECEIVABLE CLER-K . .

Computer Experience Helpful Local Hire Only Call 235-4771

COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR RENT

AT SAIPAN GOLD BEACH HOTEL FOR RESTAURANT, GIFf SHOP, AND

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL TO TERRY H. KIM

TEL. 235-5501-4 FAX: 235-5510

RKC DISTRIBUTORS-offering name-brand products for home and office.

• Experience DVD! The latest video technology starting at $499.95

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• Brother laser printer/copier $229.95

AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!!! CALL NOW TO ORDER (671) 632-3222.

5,000 S(pn (1,000 sqm. ca. available for homcsitc) San Vicente Hill Arca. Call: (Mr. Lee) 235-3207 Bccpcr:236-5168

APARTMEHT FOR RENT Stut.lio Type .\;350.00-$400.00 per month, utilities not inc lulled, quiet, single or couple only, immediate move-in, in Kobkrvillc Tel. 234-1288 (Day); 288-2222 (Evening)

FOR SALE ••RUSH·•• • 1994 C~evrolet (15 passengers, 32,000 miles .............. $9,000.00 • 1994 Asia Bus (5 units available) 45 passengers .......... $20,000.00 • 1995 Asia Bus (45 passengers) ..................................... $25 000 oo • 1990 Mitsubishi Rosa (25 passengers) ........................ $4,000.00 • 1992 As!a Bus (35 passengers) ..................................... $12,000.00 • 1993As1a Bus (45 passengers) ..................................... $15,000.00 • 1988 Chevrolet (15 passenger) ..................................... $3,500.00

Please contact: Park Dae Kyu at 234-2340

I • Ouiet Two (2) Bedrooms • Swimmin!=I Pool Tennis Court

KANNAT GARDENS (Neer Northerri Mcrloncs College), ,

235-5666 (8:30 AM lo 5:30 PM, Weekdays) 235-5849 (6:00 PM lo 9:00 PM, Everydoy)

"--·-· 1:....,...,,..-- . ~-r-------

30-t-.L:\RL\1'1.-\_S_2 ,:\~ll:_J):_ __ [".lE\\'S __ _1_\1',J[)y_)EWS-MONDA Y- MARCH 16. I 998

EEK & MEEK® by Howie Schneider ,W-{ F/1.JAf.X/N. S/TUAllOI.J IS ;::,;;:,_[SE/JTL '-< ~l£PUJDE,\JT 0/J M'r fQR£1GIJ (i.RREAXY R<,'05:L'v\S

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Garfield® by Jim Davis

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PEANUTS® by Charles M. Schulz IT 15 ANOTHER COLD DA'{ AT V-\LLE'{ FORGE .. I 'VE BAKED GENERAL WA5f-\lN6TON A

PIECE OF FIRECAKE ..

~E SA'<S TO ME, ''WHERE'S THE GRAPE JELLY?'' I TELL I-HM WE flAVU-1 1T HAD 6R1WE JELLY FOR 51)( WEEKS ..

TJ.lEN \.IE SA'1'5,"cAN 1T SOMEONE 60 OVER TO TJ-\E MALL.AND

IT WAS TOO ~ l-1ARD TO EXPLAIN ~~ GET SOME?'' [ __ Jf

t

.'JIU.LA \\Ill.DER

YOUR BIRTHDAY \10'.\D-\ Y, \larch 16, 1998

By Stl'lla \\ilder llOR\ t<lday. Y"U are :1,-reati,e :rncl dri, en i11di1 iclu,1\. hut you ne, ,· r J'l n , uur pn, 1·e,, i ona I need, :,h,· :,cl ,A :my i ,su,·, t h:1t :1 fkl·t you at h<1111,·. Yllur f:1111ih life i, the nw,1 irnpun:mt thing to you ,md to11 er, abo, e ,uch 1·01Kern, as c:1rccr oppor1u11it_1. social accep-1:Hll'C :111d person:rl gain. Indeed. 1hcrL· arc t1J11cs in which your fam­rl_1 is more important to you than

_1 ou rse I J': you a I so h;1 ve been kn,m 1110 sanr fice a great dc;il for uimpkiL' ,t1·:111gcr·s. working tirc­k"h 10 imprme the qu:dity or lik 1111· C\l'll<lnC.

Y,nr h:c,.: 11 \'1\·id ,c11,e of hu-111,1)1. hul :,(1u :1\-..0 knt)\\ h()\\ lli

LLkc 1hi11~:-- quilc ~crilltt,..,\y. You

\Lt\l' :1 \...n,l1..·k ftir hcin~ whLrc 111,pmtant thing, arc happening. ,·\en t hllUt_! h : Ill! may not he pl:iy­r ng a c·cntr:il role. You can learn mu,·ii through oh,cn atior1. ,ind you're ah1ay, willing to ,hare , 11ur opinions with others.

,\l,o born on this date are: lkrn:m.Jo Bcrtolucci. di ,·ector: Jerry I . .:wis. actor and comedian: Daniel Patrick .~loynihan. U.S. w11:1tor: Pal Nixo11. ll.S. fir.st lady.

Tei ,cc: wh:1l i, in ,tore: for yuu \lln1<,rT<l\\'. find your birthday and r c ;,d the: corn:,pondi ng paragr:1ph. I.ct your hinhday ,tar he Y"ur daily guide.

TLESDAY, \IARCII 17 PISCES (Fl'h. 19-\larch 201

--- Wh;,t i., forcr110st in your rnind tod,1.1 may rmt he the rno,1 impor-

t:mt issue to you at this time. You may h:1\'C to rcammgc priorities.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) - Control m11y prove a pivotal issue throughout the day. You arc :u.l\'iscd to take a more subtle ap­proach than usual when asserting vourscl f. - TAURUS (April 20-May 20) - You may discover that you can be more successful today doing things in a different order-even backwards' Experiment, but get the job done.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) - Your focus must remain on the things that demand attention from the outset. You cannot allow your­sc If to he distracted by something mmc ru11.

CA'.\CER (.lune 21-July 22) --- You may be waiting for a turn of cvl'.nts tmby that promises to change your attitude about thin!!S in some way. Be patient, ready to ,rd ju st.

LEO (July 23-Aug.22)- You can get a great deal done today with only the most basic of tools. Imagination and creativity can serve you well at all times.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Scpt. 22)­You arc going to have to use Gll'C

in organizing your time today -and ex lra can: in organizing som,~­onc else's. You cannot afford an Ll"l"1ll".

LIBRA (Sept. 23-0ct. 22) -Your mind is likely to be fired-up by an accident that actually takes on the form of something fortu­n:1tc and desired. You arc lucky

today I SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

- You may have trouble com­municating with other Scorpios todav. You can, however. trust a Can~er native to sort things out for you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) - You may discover today that you've been tricked more than once in the past by someone who doesn't know you've been so deeply affected.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) - You may not realize just how large a role chance is playing in your affairs right now. Never­theless. you must proceed as if you were in charge.

AQLARIUS (.lan.20-Fcb. 18) - You arc playing the waiting game today, but you may not know just what ym1 're waiting for, or why. Let your instincts dictate your next move. Copyright 1998, United Feature Syndicale, Inc.

END Your Birthday 03-16-98

CROSSWORD PUZZLER ACROSS 42 Hesitation

syllable 1 Bottle 43 Italian CITY Answer to Previous Puzzle 6 Dinner 45 Absorbed

course 46 Drunkard 11 Quarterback, 48 Chairs

lor one 50 Mauna -12 Type of stick 51 Mental 14 Article image 15 Give 53 Johnson and

someone- Ameche -for !heir 55 Math term money 56 Jilters

17 Dad 59 Corre-18 Here (Fr.) spondence 20 Willow 61 "Under-" 23 DC VIP 62 "Take it or -24 Shade of ii"

blue 26 Experiment DOWN 28 Diamond ID 29 Busybody 1 Type of 2-2 © 1998 Uni led Feature Syndicate

31 Disney World site

33 Devastate 35 "Lohengrin"

herolNE 36 Actor Yul -39 Positive

words

dance 2 0-T linkup 3 "Born in the

" -4 Mr. Saarinen 5 Conlide 6 Spielberg ID 7 Word of

disgust 8 Brim 9 Ms. Gardner,

et al. 10 Rely 11 "G.~owing

STUMPED? Call for Answers • Touch- cone 01 Rocari Phones , 95cperrnmule • 1-900-454-3535 ext. code 500

13 "Or. Quinn, Medicine Woman" star

16 Actor Robert De-

19 Elephant's tusk

21 Country of Europe

22 Revive 25 Juvenile 27-beam 30 Yearns 32 Pertaining to

the nose 34 Hawaiian

goose 36 Sink 37 - Scholar 38 "Hit the-,

Jack ... " 40 Poem 41 Step 44 Coral reel 4/ Actress

Hatcher 49 Dagger 52 "-Maria" 54 Depot (abbr.) 57 Actor--

Marshal: 58 Compass

point 60 "Mad-"

KidSp(!)C= by Dick Rogers

THE~

r CAN'T BEC:.R A BRAGGART. "TUIS PUZZLE SJ-/OULD A.1Ak'E n.tE PArN GO AWAY. fCCILL IN Tt-lE DEFINITIONS, 71-/EN WRITE 71-/E LETTERS IN 71-!E PUZZLE'S MATCHING NUM8ERED BLANKS.

-.--.Ann \ / ,-

A. STICK FOR 1-lliTINGr BALLS. __ _ 1 8 15

B. OPP051TE" OF OLD, __ -5 I& 7

c. CLOC.K.'5 SOUND. ____ , TOC.K. !O f 1 12 13

0. OPP05t TE OF ME:. ___ _ 3 4 2

E. OPPOSITE 01= NO, __ _ 9 14- 16

PEOPLE WHO GOON EGO TR:rJs SHOULD DO THIS ...

1. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1'2 1"3 14- 1S 16

Q 1'l'Jil U11lod fo;1lw•u Sy1d,c.ik, Ir-.: -i.fa

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ADVANCE TICKETS ON SALE! (DURING l;IOXOFFICE HOURS)

MONDAY, MARCH 16, i998 --MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEW·s.31

Hingis tops Davenport INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) -Asa 6-year--old, she broke a fingeron her right hand, so she played left­handed in a tournament against giiis tluee years older. And won.

Little wonder that 11 years later, Martina Hingis is top-ranked player in the world.

"She'sbyfarNo. l,"LindsayDav­enport said after Hingis beat her6-3, 6-4 Saturday to win the State Fann Evert Cup. "She just is so dominant, she really is. "As long as she is play­ing as well as she is right now, she's going to stay there for a while."

Davenport speaks with authrnity; she '-s ranked second in the world.

Afterrain delayed the stmtoftheir final for two hours, Hingis breezed through the No. I vs. No. 2 matchup.

On one point, Hingissprinted far to her left, switching the racket from her right hand to her left ru1d drilled the b;ll crosscourt to keep the rally go­ing.

"When I was around six, I won a toumament for 9s (year olds)," she said. "I had a broken finger and couldn't play with my right hand."

Bulls ... Continued from page 32

Rockets 89, Kings 86 In Houston, Mario Elie's 3-pointer

stmted Houston on a late 8-0 run and Chru·Ies Bm'kley hit three free throws in tl1e final 15 seconds for Houston.

With the Rockets trailing 84-79 witl13:58 left,Elie's3-pointerstarted the rnn that put Houston ahead by three points with tlm~e seconds left.

Hakeem Olajuwon led the Rock­ets with 23 points and 11 rebounds, while Mitch Richmond led tl1e Kings with 18 point~.

Nuggets 92, Trail Bla7.ers 82 In Denver, the Nuggets won con­

secutive gan1es for tl1e first time in more than a yem·, beating Portland behind Johnny Newman's 33 points.

TheDenverNuggets,whodefeatcd V ancouvert\vo nightsearlier foronly their sixth win of the season, made it two in a row for tl1e first time since Feb. 2 and 5, 1997 - a span of 98 grunes.

Despite the win, the Nugget~ (7-58) remained on pace to eclipse the

She did not win that final left­handed, however.

'That girl (the other finalist) W,L~

just very scared of playing me be­cause she was afraid I would beat her left-handed," Hingis explained. "So after two weeks I wa.i ready to play with my right hand: I beat her."

Asked what compelled her to play left-handed,Hingis said, "I wouldn't have been able to play. It was just so I could keep playing."

In the Newsweek Champions Cup running concurrently at the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort, Greg Rusedski, the "big bcx:>mer" on the men's tour, overwhelmed TI1omas Muster with 11 aces-one clocked at a record 14; mph - to win their semifinal 7-6 (7-5), 6-1.

After another t\vo-hour rain delay, Marcelo Rios ended the suiprisi~g run ofJan-Michael Gambill, playing in his first ATP Tour semifinal, 7-6 (6-3), 6-3. The rain began with the score tied 6-6 in the first set. When play resumed, Gambill won the first point in the tiebreaker, then Rios took charge bywinningsix straight points.

won;trecordinNBAhistory,the9-73 markset25 yearsagobythePhiladel­phia 76ers.

Denver's winning percentage o( . I 08isjustshyofPhiladelphia's. l lO.

76ers 93, Bucks 89 In Milwaukee, Joe Smith scored

27 points and Allen Iverson added 20 as Philadelphia beat injury-riddled Milwaukee.

Milwaukee, which has lost five straight games and eight of its last nine, was led by Ray Allen with 23 points and Elliot Perry with 21.

The Bucks, already without in­jured slaltero Terrell Brandon and GlennRobinson,lostforwardTyrone Hill in the first period and reserve center Andrew Lang in the second.

Hill, who was canied off the cou1t on a stretcher, fell to the court hard in a collision witl1 severnl players while defending as Iverson drove to the basket.

There was no report on his in jury but a club spokesman said Hill, taken to a hospital for an examination, had· feeling in his rums and legs.

Lang injured his left h.11ee and left the game.

Martina Hingis of Switzerland tosses her trophy in the air after winning her final match against Lindsey Davenport at the Evert Cup Saturday in Indian Wells, Calif. Hingis won the match 6-3, 5-4. AP

Green ... Continued from page 32

and hit some solid shots. And today I hit even more solid shots.''

Green laughed when asked what change he'd made on the practice range.

"You don 'twantto know ,"he said. "I have so many little differences in my swing that it is tough to explain. And it would just mess anyone else up."

Albus highlighted his round with an eagle at the par-5, 492-yard 15th hole.

"I hit a 3-wood about six feet past the hole at 15 and then made the putt," Albus said. "I feel good about the way I played, especially the way I putted."

The57-yearoldAlbuswaswinless in 1996 and 1997 with only six top­IO finishes over the two-year span. He fractured right ankle in May 1997, that slowed him down until he got his first win in more than two years, last month in the GTE Classic.

"Even when I felt good last year. I

didn't play well," Albus said. "I know my confidence suffered.

You hit enough bad shots for so long and you hurt physically ... you reallyquestionyourself. Fortunately, that is behind me."

Bob Mmphy, the defending cham­pion, carded a 72. His two-day total left him 14 shots behind the leader.

Butch Baird sank a 12-foot birdie putt at the 18th hole to capture the Mastercard Champi-

Mullings ... Continued from page 32

N.C., landed a solid right uppercut that snapped Ciarlante's head back early in the first round, setting the tone for what was to come.

By the second, Ciarlante had red welts on his cheek and forehead. By the fifth, he was bleeding from cut~ under his lefteye,hisrighteyeandhis forehead, in addition to the broken nose.

Yet when the fight was stopped, Ciarlante was leading 49-46ori judge BarlxrraPerez'sc:mland wa,tied4S-48 on thatofScrgioSilvi. Judge John Kem1chad it49-47 for Mullings. ·111c AP had it 50--45 for Mullings.

Hamilton. Continued from page 32°

Hamilton, 39, recently battled testicular cancer. He returned to the tour in late November and made his 50th appearance at the Garden on Saturday night.

"It's been kind of a real rough year for me," Hamilton said. "One goal I had is to do the entire tour and the show that means the most to me is this show.

"You've just turned it all around," added Hamilton, who had been considering, retire-

Gambill had reached the semifi­nals by upsetting Mark Philippoussis, Frnncisco Clavet, Jim Courier and Andre Agassi.

In the Evert Cup final, Hingisdic­tated play ,hamme1ing groundstrokes that sent Davenport scunying from sideline lo sideline.

HingiswontheAustralianOpen in January and ha.~ lost just twice this year, to Venus Williams in Sydney and Davenport in Japan.She avenged both those in the Evert defeating Williams in the semifinals.

Hingis, playing .in her foot Evert Cup, breezed through the tourna­ment without losing a set The title was the I 6th cm-eer championship for the 17-year-old Swissstar, who came within one title - the French Open-of winning the Grand Slam

. last year. The 6-foot-4 Rusedski, a left­

hander who was born in and lives in London, hit a serve clocked at I 46 mph in his quarterfinal victory over Thomas Enqvist. That had bettered his 143-mph mark set at the U.S. Open last year.

onship with a two-day 4--underpar total of 138.

Baird edged W alter7.embriski and Jimmy Powell by a single shot.

The Mastercard Championship is a tournament within the tour­nament limited to Senior PGA performers age 60 and older.

"I thought I left that 12-footer short," said Baird, 61. "Now I get to go home with some wonderful memories of Newport Beach CC."

"What's new? What's new?'" Mullings sneered when he heru·d thaL

"I went through hell to get here. TI1ey can't take my title from me," said Mullings, who earned $325,CXXJ in the title defense.

Mullings weighed 154 pounds, the class limit, to Ciarlante I 53 3/4.

In the co-feature, IBF junior wel­terweight champion Vince Phillips knocked out Alfonso "Poncho' Sanchez in tl1e first round of a sched­uled 12-munder.

Phillips (39-3), of Las Vegas, grazed Smichez witl1 a right mid then lm1ded a thudding left to his temple, dropping him at 2: 30 of the round. He c:uncd S265.0:Xl.

S,mcho., of San Pedro, Mexico, droprxd to I 8-2.

ment after this season. ··['m going to tour next year for sure.

He joined the likes of Muh:immad Ali,JesseOwens. Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jor­dan, Martina Navratilova and Billy Joel in the Walk of Fame.

Hamilton was given a plaque and, after sharing hugs with the rest of the cast - includ­ing Olympic championsKristi Yamaguchi, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean and Ekaterina Gordecva - he took a lap around the Garden ice, displaying the plaque to 11 cheering crowd.

Marcus Moss of Labelle, Fla., is thrown head-first off his horse during the saddle bronc riding competition Saturday in Arcadia, Fla., on the second day of the All Florida Rodeo Championships. The rodeo concludes Sunday afternoon. AP

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32-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-MONDAY- MARCH 16 1998

SPORTS

SAN ANTONIO (AP)- Michael Jordan scored 30 points, including seven in the last four minutes, as the Chicago Bulls defeated the San An­tonio Spurs 96-86 Saturday night.

ToniKukocadded21 pointsforthe Bulls, who rebounded nicely after a surp1ising ove1time loss to the lowly Dallas Mavericks on Timrsday.

The Bulls entered the final period leading 68-59 and held the Spurs in check despite nine points by David Robinson.

Jordan hit one of two free throws with 4:05 left, then followed up with six more points down the stretch to keep the Bulls in control.

Robinson led the Spurs with 35 points.

Nets 108, Mavericks 93 In Dallas, Kerry Kittles scored five

of his 20 points during a decisive I 0-0 foutth-quaiter mn ,md New Jersey snapped its season-high seven-game losing streak.

season. The Nets trailed 86-85 with 5:44 to

play when Kittles hit a 20-footer (6-metershot) to put New Jersey in front for good.

Kittles sank two free throws with 4:52 remaining, then Gatling added a three-point play with 4:26 remaining to boost the Nets' advantage to92-86.

Cavaliers 88, Knicks 85, OT In Cleveland, Shawn Kemp broke

out of a scoring slump with 22 points and Zydrunas Tigauska<; added 18 for Cleveland.

Brevin Knight made two free throws with I 4.9 seconds left in the extraperiodtoputtheCavaliersahead by three points.

Derek Anderson then stole an inbounds pass, was fouled and made one of two from the line for the Cavs.

Charles Oakley and Allan Hous­tonhad I 8pointsapiecefortheKnicks.

Wuards 83, Hornets 80

seconds left for the win. Webber finished with 22 points

and 11 rebounds and the Wizards overcame a nearly six-minute stretch without a field goal in the fomth quaiterto win for the third time in four games.

Chai-Jone's offense bogged down after Anthony Mason left with an ankle in jury late in the second quarter.

The Hornets shot 50 percent in the first half but 33 percent the rest of the way, losing for the first time in seven home games.

SuperSonics 114, Timberwolves 80

In Seattle, Sam Perkins scored 18 points as Seattle rolled to an easy win over Minnesota.

The Wolves, the second-highest scoring team in the league behind the Los Angeles Lakers, are 0-11 when held under 90 points.

Chris Gatling had 24 points and Sam Cassell added 17 points and I 0 assists as the Nets avoided their long­est losing streak since the 1991-92

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Shawn Kemp (4) tries to get past New York Knicks forward Charles Oakley (34) during the first quarter Saturday in Cleveland. AP

In Charlotte, N01th Carolina, the Washington Wizards halted Charlotte 'sclub-record I 0-gamewin­ning streak, getting a mnner in the lane from Chris Webber with 13

The Sonics forced the Wolves into 21 turnovers and converted them into 29 point<;. Gary Payton had 13 points, 14 assists and five steals for Seattle. ~-------~ Continued on page 31

-1' Green leads by one stroke ll at Toshiba Seniors Classic ,4 ) ffi NEWPORT BEAC~, C~lif. (AP)- Hubert Green -winless since 71

~i the 1985 PGA Champ1onsh1p-shota5-underpar 66 to take a one-stroke ;~

f

J lead Saturday after two rounds a~ the Toshiba Seni_o~ PGA Classic. il J Green stood 9-under at 133 with 18 holes remammg at the Newport ,j Jl Beach Country Club. 1 H Jim Albus, the leading candidate for the Senior Tour's Comeback fl b Player of the Year award, shot a 65 to move into second place. Mike Ej ii McCulloughhada70fora36-holetotalof\36andsolepossessionofthird f_.:_.'.·_.·

1,_

1

•

: 1 place. ( i i Eight players were tied at 5-under. r-·_·i'. 1· • "I haven't played golf like I want to since the 80's," said the 51-year-, .' old Green. ··Jtjust ha~n't been much fun. I've been working very hard -'

ii''. • . on my game, too." · Green had seven birdies to go with two bogeys. He chipped in from off · the green on the 14th m1d 15th holes for birdies, and finished his round with a 5-foot birdie putt on the 18th.

"Up until yesterday, I hadn't been hitting real solid shots," Green said. "But I made an adjustment on the practice range before yesterday's round

Continued on page 31

Hamilton inducted to Walk of Fame NEW YORK (AP) - Scott Hamilton became the first figure skater inducted into the Madison Square Garden Walk of Fame on Saturday night.

Hamilton, the 1984 Olym­pic gold medalist.and one of the most popular skaters ever, joined 45 inductees from the fields of sports and entertainment. He was hon-

ored at the end of the Dis­cover Stars On Ice perfor­mance, and was taken com­pletely by surprise.

"I am totally at a loss," Hamil.ton said. "This sheet of ice has given me so many incredible moments, and this is another. To see a show I started 12 years ago be filled to the rafters is the best."

Continued on page 31

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Mullings retains WBC title Marquez in September in a fight ma11y people thought he'd won.

By John Curran ATI,ANTIC CITY, NJ. (AP) -WBCsuperwelterweightcham­pion Keith Mullings, who shocked Terry Norris last December to win the title, retained it Saturday with a workmanlike five-round victory over unbeaten No. · 1 contender David Ciarlante.

Using a punishing left jab, Mullings(l 6-4-1 )broke Ciarlante 's

noseandopenedcutsall over his face, leaving it as red as his gloves. After the fifth of a scheduled 12 rounds, ringside physician Dr. Howard Tay­lor called a halt because of the broken nose.

"I knew I had to take him out. I don't know if I have an evil karma around me, but I cannot rely on scorecards," said Mullings, who lost a 12-round split decision to Raul

Ciarlante (23-1 ), of Palestrina, Italy, fought an active fight and was throwing more punches than Mullings in thelaterrounds. Itdidn 't matter. The ones that counted were all Mullings'.

Mullings, a Brooklyn, N.Y., na­tive who fights out of Fayetteville,

Continued on page 31

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Challenger Davide Ciarlante, left, from Italy and WBC super welterweight champion Keith Mullings, right, from Brook(yn, N. Y., e)!change_ PUf!Ches during tt,e first round of their championship fight at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort m Atlantic City, N.J., Saturday. AP

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