Marriage Encounter Weekend
(Worldwide Marriage Encounter) — The CNMI’s next Marriage Encounter Weekend will be held on Nov. 14-16, 2008 at the Saipan Grand Hotel.
If you are interested in joining, contact John and Vicky Mafnas at 285-8454 or e-mail [email protected].
The next planning meeting will be held on Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. at the residence of Charles and Cathy Cepeda in Fina Sisu. Bring a potluck dish and join in the planning fun.
Red flag raised at 2 sites
(DEQ) — The Division of Environmental Quality has raised the red flag on 12 sites on Saipan and advises the public not to fish or swim within 300 feet of these locations for the next 48 hours or until otherwise notified.
Samples collected from Bird Island Beach and Marine Beach contained excessive concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria — enterococci — that exceeded the CNMI’s marine water quality standards.
Tinian waters are assigned a green flag.
(DEQ) — The Division of Environmental Quality’s cleanup brigade will be at it again, this time picking up trash at Tank Beach in Kagman.
If you would like to volunteer your time to clean and beautify the island, be at the beach on Nov. 1 at 8 a.m.
Volunteers will clean until 10 am and break for drinks and then continue, if needed.
For more information, call 664-8500.
Lawyers for Lizama
(Lawyers for Lizama) — On Friday, Oct. 10, retired judge and congressional delegate candidate Juan T. Lizama addressed a reception of about 30 CNMI attorneys at Wild Bill’s Bar and Restaurant in Garapan.
After mingling with the attorneys for an hour or two, Lizama addressed the group to share his vision and aspirations to assist the commonwealth should he be elected.
Lizama recalled the financial difficulties of his childhood and how he decided at an early age that he wanted to become a person who could “make a difference” in the commonwealth.
He told the audience that while attending college and law school in the U.S., he resolved to be an outgoing person, stating he felt the best way to learn about people and life is by openly and genuinely engaging everyone he met.
He believed that the ability to communicate on a personal level with all people, regardless of their race, nationality, religion or economic status will help him build the relationships with congressmen and their staffers that he would need to accomplish his objectives for the people of the CNMI, if elected.
Questions asked of the candidate by his fellow attorneys were mostly about the power crisis in the CNMI.
Lizama said should he be elected as a delegate, he would seek immediate assistance from the federal government to repair and maintain the engines currently used by CUC.
But he said that in the long term, renewable, green sources of power must be acquired and installed to meet the CNMI’s power needs.
Lizama said he believes that the CNMI, with its relatively small power needs, would be the perfect site for federally-funded “green energy” pilot projects.
“We have trade winds, year-round sun and tides,” Lizama pointed out, as well as the potential for geothermal energy.
He cited the vast flat area on the northern half Tinian as a perfect spot for a massive wind farm.
Lizama also noted the strong and constant ocean current in the Tinian Channel could be harnessed to provide power.
Lizama concluded, “Both Senators Obama and McCain pledge to vigorously pursue green energy policies, and as your delegate I would work hard within the U.S. Congress to ensure that the CNMI is on the leading edge of the renewable energy pilot projects that our next president will undertake.”
