From Nov. 2009 to Aug. 17, 2010 there were a total of 77 arrests of DUI offenders.
• Aug. 27-28
The first two Sobriety checkpoints will be conducted on Chalan Pale Arnold in Gualo Rai. One will be on the outer southbound lane in front of the Coastal Resources Management building and the other on the northbound outer lane in front of the Safety 1st Systems building.
Both checkpoints will start at 9 p.m. and end at 10:15 p.m.
The other two checkpoints will be conducted on Beach Road Susupe. One on the outer southbound lane in front of Ada’s Gymnasium and the other on the northbound outer lane in front of the multi-purpose building.
Both checkpoints will start at 1:30 a.m. and end at 2:45 a.m.
• Aug. 28-29
The first two checkpoints will be conducted on Beach Road Chalan Laulau in front of the late Dr. Kaipat’s residence. One will be on the outer southbound lane and the other on the northbound outer lane.
Both checkpoints will start at 10 p.m. and end at 11:15 p.m.
The other two checkpoints will be conducted on Chalan Pale Arnold, Garapan. One will be on the outer southbound lane in front of the CNMI Museum and the other on the northbound outer lane in front of the Han’s Tire Shop.
Both checkpoints will start at 1:15 a.m. and will end at 2:30 a.m.
• Aug. 29
The first two checkpoints will be conducted on Beach Road Garapan. One will be on the outer southbound lane in front of the Fishing Base and the other on the northbound outer lane in front of Bank Pacific.
Both checkpoints will start at 3 p.m. and end at 4:15 p.m.
The other two checkpoints will be conducted on Chalan Monsignor Guerrero road in front of the CUC Waterloo along the west bound lane. The other checkpoint will be on Beach Road San Jose in front of the Morgen’s building on the southbound outer lane.
Both checkpoints will start at 5:30 p.m. and end at 6:45 p.m.
Last day for voter registration
(CEC) — The Commonwealth Election Commission says the last day for voter registration for the 2010 election is Friday, Sept. 3.
Bring a copy of your birth certificate, current United States passport, or naturalization documents if you have not provided us with a copy. This is necessary to determine your citizenship and your eligibility to vote in the Northern Marianas.
Hours of operation, Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., 1 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The CEC is closed during weekends and government holidays.
Any person qualified to vote may register at the commission’s office in Susupe, the former U.S. passport office.
Eligible voters residing on Rota may register with Lelanie I. Manglona or Josepha A. Barcinas. Tinian residents may register with Jose P. Kiyoshi or Donald M. Hofschneider. Residents of the islands north of Saipan may contact the commission via government radios maintained at the Emergency Management Office.
Eligible voters who are outside the commonwealth may go to www.votecnmi.gov.mp to download the required registration forms. Eligible voters who are homebound and require assistance registering to vote may contact the commission for further information.
A person is eligible to vote who, on Nov. 2, 2010, is 18 years of age or older, is domiciled in the commonwealth, has resided in the CNMI for 120 days prior to the day of the election, is not serving a sentence for a felony conviction, has not been declared by a court to be judicially insane, and is either a citizen or national of the United States as defined in the Northern Mariana Islands Constitution.
Anyone requiring voter registration information may call the commission’s office at 664-VOTE (8683) or e-mail info@votecnmi.gov.mp or executivedirector@votecnmi.gov.mp.
Volunteers plant at Laolao Bay to reduce soil loss
(DEQ) — Fifteen volunteers from three local groups, along with staff from the Division of Environmental Quality and Coastal Resources Management Office, spent Saturday morning planting 90 plants within the Laolao Revegetation Project site.
The Volunteer Planting Day was part of a continuing restoration effort, started in 2005, to help reduce soil erosion, which causes sediment (small soil particles) to wash into Laolao Bay and damage the coral reefs.
The Laolao Revegetation Project aims to plant over 1,000 saplings and 2,500 linear feet of Vetiver grass throughout the upland revegetation planting area.
This volunteer tree planting was a way to show the community how important these projects are for Saipan.
Nick Swaim, DEQ field coordinator, demonstrated proper planting techniques and fertilizer placements.
Six native plant species were used: Daok, Banalo, Nonak, Nanasu, Kafu and Pago.
These plants were propagated by Department of Lands and Natural Resources-Forestry at its nursery in Kagman.
Volunteers from the community were made up of members from Teen Talk, Northern Marianas College’s Phi
Theta Kappa and Environmental Natural Resources Organization.
All volunteers were involved in carrying plants and tools as they hiked up to the planting site.
Along the way they passed rows of Vetiver grass propagated at Cooperative Research Extension and Education Service, or CREES, Agriculture, and planted by Tropical Gardens Landscapers.
The planting was spread across two of the 16 sites in the project area.
Fortunately, the volunteers were able to plant in the sites that boast the best view of the bay.
Volunteer Lorremel Hocog said, “It was a fun exercise, and I’m doing it for a good cause. So it’s worth every effort, and the view is amazing.”
Audition notice
THESPIANS of the Western Pacific Islands is preparing to stage the musical comedy “Zombie Prom” by Dempsey and Rowe around Halloween weekend. This will be an all-student production, open to CNMI public and private school students in grades 6 through 12.
Auditions for the student director and assistant directors will be Thursday, Sept. 9, from 4 to 6 p.m.
Auditions for the cast will be Tuesday and Thursday, Sept. 14 and 16, from 4 to 6 p.m.
Sign-up for technical assistants (lighting, set design and construction, costumes, make-up, props, tech crew) and marketing (program, posters, tickets) will also be Tuesday and Thursday, Sept. 14 and 16, from 4 to 6 p.m.
All auditions and sign-ups are at MHS D101.
Pacific Winds new season starts Monday
THE rehearsals for the 17th season of music-making in the CNMI start on Monday, Aug. 30.
All new and existing members are encouraged to be present to discuss plans for the season. New music will be distributed, too.
Rehearsals will continue to be held in the Saipan Southern High School band room (G101) in Koblerville.
Rehearsals start promptly at 6 p.m. and will conclude at 8:15 p.m.
You may contact Will DeWitt at 235-1087 or e-mail willdewitt@aol.com for more information.
Christine Nierras co-conducts the band with DeWitt.
Special thanks to Saipan Southern High School for providing a practice facility for the group.
Guidebook for young students struggling to read
CHRISTIANSTED, U.S. Virgin Islands (MMD Newswire) — “Vowels First: A Handbook for Students Who are Having Trouble Learning How to Read” by Suzanne Kork Holton offers a blueprint for reading instruction based on the author’s method of sounding out vowels to understand words.
Holton developed a new method called “Vowels First” for decoding words and understanding unfamiliar letter combinations.
With this approach, students search for vowel sounds in the word before considering consonants or whole words. The book is available online at Amazon.com.
Red flag at 15 Saipan and 2 Tinian sites
(DEQ) — The Division of Environmental Quality says water samples collected from Saipan’s Tanapag Meeting Hall, DPW Channel Bridge, S. Puerto Rico Dump, Smiling Cove Marina, American Memorial Park, Hafa-Adai Hotel, Hafa-Adai Drainage, Garapan Fishing Dock, Garapan Beach, Garapan Beach Drainage, San Jose Beach, Diamond Hotel, Grand Hotel, Community School Beach, CK Dist #2 Drainage, and Tinian’s Unai Masalok Beach and Leprosarium Beach contained excessive concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria that exceeded the CNMI’s marine water quality standards.
DEQ has given these locations a red flag and advises the public not to fish or swim within 300 feet of the locations for the next 48 hours or until otherwise notified.
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