Cooperative Research Extension and Education Service has secured a $72,000 grant to fund a project that will demonstrate a new botanical insect control agent in the CNMI.
The demonstration of botanical pesticides project, whose grant request was authored by CREES pesticide safety and education program coordinator Arnold Route, will be funded by the United States Department of Agriculture-Natural Resource Conservation Service. It aims to introduce neem — also known as nim, nima, or its scientific name Azadirachta indica — to combat pests and minimize their harm.
Neem is a fast growing, non-invasive tree. Leaves for insecticide production can be harvested already three months after a seedling has been planted. Neem also improves soil quality, reduces wind erosion, and helps in greening of wastelands. Its most important feature, however, is that it offers a safe, effective, and economic strategy for pest control in harmony with nature and within reach of farmers with limited resources. The plant is said to control more than 125 pest species with little to no harm to beneficial insects.
Trials will start in October this year when the first seedlings will be planted on NMC-CREES experiment station in As Perdido. Farmers who are interested in participating in the neem experiment can do so by contacting the CREES office.
According to Route, there will be 500 or more seedlings available for island-wide propagation.
“The advantage of Neem is that farmers can produce the leaf extract themselves,” Route said. “All they need is a blender.”
The timeline of this project is split into two phases.
Phase one will start in October and consists of propagation and monitoring with crop trials in March next year.
In the second phase from June 2009 to Aug. 2010, NMC-CREES will concentrate on community outreach through the use and dissemination of brochures, video presentations, and workshops.
The benefits of botanical pest control are multifaceted. Neem extract presents no danger to CNMI’s aquifers. Residues on fruits, fodder crops and vegetables are not harmful to humans or animals.
“This project is part of CREES’s efforts to diminish the CNMI’s use of insect control chemicals that have harmful environmental and health consequences,” said Felicitas “Tee” Abraham, dean for community programs and services.
Arnold Route holds a B.S. in agriculture from the University of Guam. He possesses years of experience at the University of Guam Experiment Station working on entomological issues. Route started his career with NMC-CREES in 1999 on Tinian and moved to the Entomology Lab on Saipan in 2003.
To learn more about this project the interested public can contact Route at NMC-CREES 234-5498 ext. 1432.
Lee Francia now president of JL Finance
LEE R. Francia has been appointed president of JL Finance Co., Inc., a new Saipan-based firm primarily engaged in real estate and consumer finance business, a media release stated.
Francia has more than 20 years of solid experience in the banking business. She had held key positions during her stint at Home Federal Bank, Bank of Hawaii and Bank of Saipan.
Prior to her appointment at JL Finance, Francia was Bank of Saipan’s assistant vice president and manager for the credit and collections department, a position she held for seven years.
JL Finance’s real estate services include buying, selling and leasing land, buildings and homes. Its financial services focus on small and medium sized businesses.
“We also offer real estate management services with your best interest in mind. We have investors ready and able to purchase property within a short escrow period in case of emergency like off-island medical referrals or relocation to the U.S. or other countries,” said Francia.
JL Finance purchases trust deeds and land lease mortgages. It has investors from the U.S, Japan, Korea and the Philippines.
“We will have more services to offer in the future. In the meantime, we are focusing on real estate and finance services,” said Francia, who has also been appointed chief financial officer of the University of Loyola at CNMI.
For more information, contact Lee R. Francia at 234-8005 or e-mail [email protected].
Wanted: Summer interns
(NMC-CREES) — Northern Marianas College’s Cooperative Research Extension and Education Service is seeking to fill 18 paid internship positions in its agriculture and family consumer science divisions.
The internships are open to incoming high school juniors and seniors for school year 2008-2009. Interested applicants must also have an interest in the fields of agriculture and family consumer science, a GPA of 2.5 or higher, and must submit a two-page application form.
For more information, call 234-5498 ext. 1705.
Doromal on island to meet with workers
HUMAN rights activist Wendy Doromal is inviting all foreign workers to meet with her at the Garapan Central Park on Saturday, July 26, at 6 p.m.
She will interview migrant workers with special concerns during the gathering organized by the Human Dignity Movement, the Bangladeshi community and the Coalition of United Workers (NMI).
For more information or concerns, contact Human Dignity Movement president Jerry Custodio at 285-5137 or Saipan Taxi Association president Rabby Syed at 285-3306.
Marine monument proponents collecting signatures
THE Friends of the Marianas Trench Marine Monument will be at the Sabalu Market starting at 9 a.m. and at Price Costco starting at 10 a.m., Saturday, July 26 to provide information on the proposed Marianas Trench monument, and to collect signatures in its support.
Live fire training advisory
(EMO) — The U.S. military will conduct live fire training on Farallon De Mendenilla from July 28 to 31 and on Aug. 01, 2008 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Due to the danger imposed by this activity, Gov. Benigno R. Fitial is advising the general public, especially fishermen, commercial pilots and marine tour operators, to stay away from this area during the time and dates indicated.
Should you have any questions, contact the Emergency Management Office at 322-9528 or 322-9529, VHF marine channel 16, or through HF single side band radio on 5.205.0.
Red flag raised at 5 Saipan sites; green flag on Tinian
(DEQ) — The Division of Environmental Quality says water samples collected from the Central repair shop, DPW channel bridge, south Puerto Rico Dump, American Memorial Park, Hafa-Adai Drainage, and Sugar Dock contained excessive concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria — enterococci — that exceeded the CNMI’s marine water quality standards.
These bacteria can indicate the presence of human and animal waste in the water.
To adequately address public health concerns, DEQ has given these locations a red flag and advises the public not to fish or swim within 300 feet of these locations for the next 48 hours or until otherwise notified.
DEQ also collected water samples collected from Tinian’s recreational beaches this week as part of the regularly scheduled sampling.
None of the samples collected contained excessive concentration of fecal indicator bacteria nor did they exceed the CNMI’s marine water quality standards.
DEQ assigns all of these sampled beach sites a green flag.
FLAME Tree TV, parent company of Local Channel KSPN2 and Visitor’s Channel 3 is launching a second Visitor’s Channel in the Korean Language on Friday, August 1, its media release said.
Visitor’s Channel 2 will run alongside the traditional Visitor’s Channel 3, which will remain focused on the Japanese market, in more than 4,000 hotel rooms in the CNMI.
“We are excited to offer a new level of service to the growing Korean tourist market and the companies that service them,” said Flame Tree TV president Chris Nelson.
Nearly 165,000 Koreans are expected to visit Saipan, Tinian and Rota in the coming year.
Visitor’s Channel 2 will include information about where to go, what to see, and what to do.
The channel will also have cultural, shopping, safety information, and eventually even news and weather for Korean tourists.
Local News anchor Janet Ahn is the host of the new program, and with an on site full production studio and Korean staff, Flame Tree TV’s Korean Visitor’s Channel will always be up to date with the latest news and information on CNMI’s restaurants, hotels and attractions.
Korean Visitor’s Channel 2 will air 18.5 hours daily on Channel 2. The hours from 6 to 10:30 p.m. will remain focused on local prime-time programming anchored by the KSPN 2 News.
The Flame Tree TV and Production Company manages and operates the local channel KSPN2, The Visitor’s Channel 2 and The Visitors Channel 3.
KSPN2 News is the #1 watched show in the CNMI, live at 6 p.m.
Visitor’s Channel 2 & 3 feature where to go, what to do, and what to see. Its programming has restaurants, spas, hotels, shopping, tours, diving, history, and culture. It’s Tourist TV at its best, adding new content each month.
Fitial releases $3M in initial tax refunds
(Office of the Governor) — Gov. Benigno R. Fitial has directed the release of some $3 million in 2007 tax refunds. The distribution represents the first batch of tax refund payments to be mailed this week.
According to Secretary of Finance Eloy Inos, the government is in the final stage of processing the first batch of refund checks, which should be mailed out Friday morning.
Eligible CNMI taxpayers should begin receiving their checks as early as Saturday morning and throughout next week.
Eligible taxpayers are those with tax withholding that exceeded their tax liability for Tax Year 2007.
2007 tax rebate checks will be mailed out in about two weeks.
The CNMI tax refund payments will follow the release federal tax stimulus checks, which are about 85 percent complete, according to the Department of Finance.
Although 15 percent of eligible taxpayers may not have received their federal stimulus checks because of tax filing errors or complications, Inos is confident that 100 percent of stimulus check payments will be made after all of the tax filing requirements are met.
Fitial has earmarked more than $32 million in federal cover over funds toward the timely payment of CNMI tax refunds and rebates.
The Fitial administration secured $32 million in federal cover funds after abandoning a lawsuit initiated against the federal government by the previous — Babauta-Benavente — administration.
Fitial began the release of long over due tax rebate checks last Christmas.
“I have directed the secretary of Finance to expedite the release of these tax refunds and rebates to help our struggling taxpayers and consumers cope with our economic downturn and our increasingly higher cost of living,” said Fitial.
He also expects the tax refund and rebate releases to have a positive effect on struggling small businesses.
Red Cross responds to multiple fires
(ARC) — The NMI chapter of the American Red Cross has been extremely busy during the past two weeks.
On July 7, a major fire started on the second floor of a building in Garapan that destroyed everything. There were 24 adults and children who lost all their belongings.
“Many left the building without even a shirt on their back” reported Claudine Atalig, senior Red Cross caseworker.
The chapter provided temporary housing, food, clothing and baby formula to many of the victims.
Assistance also included providing one months rent at a new place to live. “It was difficult to see such total loss, especially when small children are involved,” said JD Tenorio, Red Cross emergency services director.
On July 9, a huge fire completely destroyed the MGM garment factory and adjacent barracks in Chalan Piao.
239 individuals were affected by the fire and 88 lost everything as the fire quickly spread around the compound.
The Red Cross arrived on the scene as fire fighters tried to control the blaze.
Drinks and food were provided to the first responders, as it took more than six hours to put out the fire.
“The chapter’s first obligation is to the fire victims, but we’re also here to support our partners in response which include firefighters, police, EMO and others,” said Jerry Facey, disaster services committee member.
Victims received shoes, clothes, bedding, hygiene kits, and storage containers.
On July 19, fire swept through a home in Koblerville.
The entire house was destroyed along with a vehicle.
“Fortunately no one was injured, but the loss of all ones personal belonging is devastating,” said John Hirsh executive director of the NMI chapter.
The Red Cross provided emergency shelter as well as other assistance including clothing, bedding and food.
All Red Cross disaster relief is provide for free through the generous support of individuals and businesses in the CNMI.
For more information about the Red Cross and its humanitarian work or how to donate or volunteer your time, contact the NMI chapter at 234-3459 or visit online at www.nmi.redcross.org.
