Attention community groups
(KKA) — The Kagman Komunidat is sponsoring a regular Street Market every other Friday and Saturday in front of the community center in Kagman III.
It is the group’s goal to have different ethnic communities spotlighted on a rotating basis — Filipino, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, FSM, Palauan, Samoan and others.
Interested groups are requested to e-mail [email protected].
DEQ to sample groundwater
(DEQ) — The Division of Environmental Quality will be collecting water samples from groundwater wells starting next week, Feb. 9.
The sampling event will continue through March.
The purpose of the sampling is to evaluate the condition of groundwater around potential areas for public water supply sources.
The impacted locations include Koberville, As Lito, San Antonio, Susupe, Gualo Rai, Lower Base and Kagman.
For additional information contact 664-8500 or e-mail [email protected]
Volunteers needed for solar restroom facility
(USDA Natural Resources Conservation) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, Marianas Resource Conservation and Development Council in partnership with the CNMI government seeks expert volunteer assistance to complete the Saipan Beach Pathway Solar Restroom Facility.
All that remains to open this facility is to install the hook up to the Beach Road sewer line.
The MRC&D Council seeks the Saipan community’s support with donated labor to finish this important project and open the facility.
For more information about how an individual, business or organization can volunteer, contact Ignacio Cabrera at 670 256-5648.
(Worldwide Marriage Encounter) — The CNMI chapter of the Worldwide Marriage Encounter Community is inviting all married couples in the CNMI for the World Marriage Day celebration this Saturday, Feb. 7, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the American Memorial Park Amphitheater.
The celebration is free and open to all married couples.
The CNMI chapter is also happy to announce the winner of the Longest Married Couple in the CNMI contest: Mr. & Mrs. Nicolas Muna.
Nicolas Quidachai Muna, 89, was born on Oct. 16, 1919 while Margarita Camacho Muna, 85, was born on June 5, 1923.
They’ve been married over 66 years and will celebrate their 67th wedding anniversary on Sept. 26, 2009.
They were married in 1942 at the Garapan Church during the Japanese era.
The Munas have a considerably large family with 14 children (7 girls, 7 boys, but 3 deceased), 47 grandchildren, 78 great grandchildren and 15 great, great grandchildren.
Mr. Muna said “we love to sit down and tell stories about the past.”
When asked about their secret to a long and happy marriage, the Munas replied that “having an understanding between each other with open and good communication, a lot of love, caring and helping each other with everything that needs to be done, such as raising our children together. This is what made us stay strong.”
They said they didn’t know that they would make it this far in their marriage — they didn’t know that both of them would still be alive to this day.
Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Muna who will be honored at the World Marriage Day Celebration on Saturday.
Education Commissioner Dr. Rita Sablan poses with Sina Palacios, teacher Rita Carreon, Stephen Barro, Paula Francisco, who won second place, Alannah Mae Sablan, who was awarded first place, and third placer Christian Espinosa during the recently held Islandwide Science Fair Expo. “Congratulations to all of you, from your Octopus Family!” Contributed Photo
Congratulations to Alannah Mae Carreon Sablan for winning first place in the K-1st division, Earth & Space Category. She is among the top four winners who will compete on Guam. “We are very proud of you and good luck — from your Octopus Family!” Contributed photo
UMDA demands hidden ‘trustees’ to come forward
(UMDA) — United Micronesia Development Association has asked Presiding Judge Robert C. Naraja of the Superior Court for the Northern Mariana Islands to compel two defendants to provide evidence and appear in court on Saipan in UMDA’s ongoing multi-million dollar lawsuit against Robert Pfaff, John Larson, and their associates, shell companies, and offshore trusts.
UMDA CEO and president Russ Snow said, “UMDA has been trying for months to get information and evidence on these mysterious off-shore entities and we are hopeful that the court will put an end to this run around.”
Snow continued, “We have settled with some of the defendants and we are anxious to get this matter resolved as soon as possible through a trial in Saipan. The hundreds of UMDA shareholders and the people of the CNMI have waited long enough to bring Mr. Pfaff and his associates to justice.”
On Feb. 3, UMDA attorneys filed a request for an evidentiary hearing on a preliminary injunction motion brought by defendants Rothschild Trust Guernsey Limited and Davina Limited.
According to the filing, “Given Rothschild’s and Davina’s dearth of evidence to date, the court can properly order them to submit to an evidentiary hearing and adduce evidence supporting both the alleged merits of their claims and any alleged irreparable harm. This would force Rothschild and Davina — two offshore entities which are apparently acting for undisclosed principals or beneficiaries — to disclose who they are fronting for (and who is behind defendant Concorde Trust, of which Rothschild is the trustee). UMDA believes they are fronting for Defendants Robert Pfaff, John Larson and/or David Amir Makov — but so far Rothschild and Davina (as well as other ‘trust’ defendants) have managed to conceal their principals and beneficiaries by wrongly refusing to produce any documents (which UMDA has been seeking for more than a year)”.
Pfaff, Larson and Mavkov were convicted of multiple counts of tax fraud and are scheduled to be sentenced in New York in March.
UMDA Chairman Jose Lifoifoi stated, “It’s no surprise to me that these offshore entities would want to hide the fact that they are fronting for convicted criminals like Pfaff, Larson and Makov. But they can’t have it both ways — if they want to try to stop us from completing a lawful settlement with other defendants, they need to be in court telling us why. The fact is that they know that they have no claim to over $1 million in settlement money that rightfully belongs to UMDA and that there is no evidence that any harm would be done to them by a payout. This preliminary injunction motion is just another transparent attempt by defendants to delay the proceeding and distract attention from their illegal action and damage to UMDA.”
Lifoifoi added, “At this point, we’re calling defendants’ bluff. Where is the evidence for this preliminary injunction? Who is behind the veil of these mysterious companies? I suppose that defendants’ lawyers might argue again that Mr. Pfaff and Mr. Larson have other commitments, but just because they have been convicted of felonies and are waiting sentencing in their criminal case in New York doesn’t mean that they couldn’t testify by phone here on Saipan. And just as importantly, the trustees of these offshore trusts should be made to appear in court and testify. It’s time for defendants to stop wasting the Court’s time and either come to Saipan and present the evidence or stop disrupting the settlement and let this case proceed to trial.”
Red flag raised at 3 sites on Saipan, 1 on Rota
(DEQ) — The Division of Environmental Quality has raised the red flag at 3 sites on Saipan and one site on Rota 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 DPW Channel Bridge, S. Puerto Rico Dump and Garapan Fishing Dock on Saipan and Coral Gardens on Rota 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. However, studies have shown that storm water runoff in tropical environments may also contain these bacteria from the natural environment, which may not be directly associated with public health concerns.
DEQ analyzes samples of marine recreational and storm drainage water from 50 locations on Saipan, 10 on Tinian, 12 on Rota and a total of 11 samples from the shore surrounding Managaha.
Marine Water Quality Reports are also provided at www.deq.gov.mp/section.aspx?secID=4 and http://www.cnmicoralreef.net/wq/beachcloseweeklyresults.htm .
The agency welcomes all inquiries as to the quality of the beach water.
The public is encouraged to contact DEQ at 664-8500 with any questions concerning this matter.
