Attention active duty
Reserve family members
THERE will be a Joint Family Support Assistance Program briefing at the Army Reserve Center on Friday evening, June 13, at 6 p.m. Three members of the JFSAP team from Hawaii will conduct the briefing to discuss many new services being offered to families and to answer questions about the various support programs.
For more information, contact the American Red Cross at 234-3459.
Storage tank public meeting
(DEQ) — The Division of Environmental Quality will hold a stakeholder meeting on Tuesday, June 24, at the multi-purpose center for all aboveground and/or underground storage tank owners and operators.
To access the existing underground and aboveground storage tank regulations, see the Web site at www.deq.gov.mp
Registration is recommended and can be made by e-mailing [email protected] or calling 664-8500 before Friday, June 20.
New coalition assembly
THE Coalition for the Recognition and Advancement of American Minorities in the CNMI is inviting the community to attend its first assembly on Saturday, June 14, at Garapan Central Park. The meeting will start at 4 p.m.
Green flag on Rota
(DEQ) — The Division of Environmental Quality has analyzed samples collected from Rota’s recreational beaches and storm water drainages as part of its regularly scheduled sampling.
None of the samples collected contained excessive concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria nor did they exceed the CNMI’s marine water quality standards.
DEQ assigns all of the sampled beach sites a green flag.
KagHS report cards
(KagHS) — Parents and guardians of Kagman High School students are reminded that the 4th quarter report card issuance is scheduled for Monday, June 16, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the school library.
Summer school classes for English and math will start on June 16, Monday, 8 a.m. to 12 noon.
PTI completes
undersea fiber project
(PTI) — PTI says its undersea fiber project has been completed and all telecommunication services are now back on the deep sea fiber optic cable.
PTI would like to thank its customers, businesses and other telecommunication carriers for their patience and understanding during this project. For more information, call 682-4PTI.
NMC instructor’s articles
published in regional publication
(NMC) — Culture-related articles authored by Northern Marianas College instructor Constantine “Dean” Papadopoulus, Ph.D., were recently published in the Pacific Educator Magazine, a publication distributed in Hawaii, American Samoa and throughout Micronesia.
The most recent article, “The Benefits of Culture,” was featured in the magazine’s recent Spring 2008 issue.
As its title expresses, the article highlights the many benefits of culture and also provides an example-filled explanation of people’s attachment to their culture in spite of the unintentional obligation and frustrations that it causes.
Among the benefits of culture, according to Papadopoulus, are its roles in organizing life with traditional, habitual customs that bind one to a group, providing people with face-to-face human interaction needed for development and survival, and endowing individuals with a sense of belonging to a larger collective.
In “The Major Components of Culture,” which figured in Pacific Educator’s Spring 2007 issue, Papadopoulus discusses how understanding the role of language, customs, and land — the key pillars of culture — can help educators become more effective when communicating with their students.
“Dr. Papadopoulus’s articles provide a refreshing perspective about how culture plays a fundamental role in the classroom,” said NMC President Dr. Carmen Fernandez. “We are proud that his work is shared regionally so that others may benefit from his academic commentaries.”
Papadopoulus is an instructor at the college’s language and humanities department.
The Pacific Educator Magazine is published by the Pacific Resources for Education and Learning, which serves children and educators in the CNMI, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Hawaii, the Marshall Islands, and Palau.
Archived copies of the articles can be found at PREL’s Web site, www.prel.org.
Huge increase
in demand predicted
for US passports
(Honolulu Passport Agency) —The U.S. Department of State expects to issue over 21 million passports in 2008 and 30 million in 2009.
This will greatly increase the amount of time required to obtain a passport, and the department’s Honolulu Passport Agency encourages all travelers hoping to travel abroad in 2009 or 2010 to apply now.
“If you have family or friends living, studying, or working abroad, or if you are keeping your eyes open for an airfare bargain, we strongly recommend that you maintain a valid U.S. passport,” said Nancy K. Finn, Regional director of the Honolulu Passport Agency.
Travelers who currently have passports are cautioned that their existing passport must have at least six months validity remaining before the end of their trip, because many airlines and foreign countries do not accept passports with less than six months remaining before expiration.
In addition to passport books, the department expects to begin issuing passport cards in June, and to be in full production in July.
The passport card will facilitate entry and expedite document processing at U.S. land and sea ports-of-entry when arriving from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean region and Bermuda. The card may not be used to travel by air.
Given the volume of applications to date, particularly from the southern border states, there is clearly demand for the card.
Most customers apply at the over 9,400 designated passport application acceptance facilities across the U.S. with routine processing, passports are received within 4-5 weeks. Those needing expedited service are charged an extra $60 per application and receive their passport within about 2 weeks.
For more information, visit the Web site at travel.state.gov or call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778.
OPA intern to complete
accounting degree in Arizona
(OPA) — Porsha Dale Dela Cruz recently completed her volunteer internship with the Office of the Public Auditor.
Dela Cruz served as an audit intern with OPA from May to June 2008.
She is studying accounting at Northern Marianas College and will soon continue her studies at the University of Phoenix, Arizona.
The internship was a “great introduction to real life accounting that allowed me to apply what I learned in school,” Dela Cruz said.
Public Auditor Michael Sablan stated that “Porsha was an exceptional intern; we wish she could stay with OPA longer. We wish her well as she continues her education in the states and we hope that she returns to the CNMI when she is done.”
Dela Cruz is the daughter of Dimis and Ann Marie Dela Cruz and a 2006 graduate of Kagman High School.
Human resource management
group to meet on June 19
(SHRM) — Jose C. Ayuyu, president and owner of JCA Inc., doing business as McDonalds of Saipan, will speak about the “simple truths of business success” and the importance of a company’s greatest assets — its human resources — during the Society for Human Resource Management’s meeting at the Hyatt Regency Saipan, Giovanni’s Restaurant, on Thursday, June 19.
Doors open at 11:15 a.m. for registration. Cost for members is $15 and $20 for non-members. Cost includes lunch. Government purchase orders are accepted. Reservations are requested.
For more information, call Denise Montenegro at 234-1234, e-mail Frannie T. Salas at [email protected] or Polly Deleon Guerrero at [email protected]
During the meeting, the society will be announcing the recipients of its 2008 CNMI chapter scholarship.
The society’s board of directors would like to thank all the members, individuals and businesses that continue to support the scholarship program and all efforts to promote the human resource field.
Members and guests are also asked to bring their business card to this meeting to qualify to enter the raffle drawing. The society will be raffling away some great prizes during the meeting.
