NMC offers computer literacy courses
(NMC) — Northern Marianas College, through the Division of Community Programs and Services’ Community Development Institute, is offering short-term classes to interested individuals who wish to improve their computer application skills.
The courses are offered as part of the college’s mission to provide customized, continuing educational and professional development opportunities in response to community needs.
Additionally, the classes, which are designed to improve individual knowledge and specific skills, are geared around actual workforce needs and experiences based on course surveys, community needs assessments, and interviews with employers.
The schedule and course fees are listed below.
For a more detailed description of each course, contact CDI at 234-5498 ext. 1005 or log on to www.nmcnet.edu.
• How to Properly Use a Keyboard (Keyboarding)
March 13, 16-18
Schedule: 5-8 p.m. (Fri., Mon.) 5-7pm (Tue., Wed.)
Room: W-4
Fee: $70
• Understanding Personal Computers and How They Work
March 19-20 (5-8 p.m.)
Room: W-4
Fee: $35
• E-mail: The Best Way to Communicate
March 23 & 25, 2009 (5-7 p.m.)
Room: W-4
Fee: $25
How to Use Word
Processing Applications
March 26-7 & 30-31, 2009 (5-8 p.m.)
April 1, 2009 (5-8 p.m.)
Room: W-4
Fee: $90
• Creating Digital Presentations
April 2-3 & 6-8, 2009 (5-8 p.m.)
Room: W-4
Fee: $90
• How to Use Spreadsheet Applications
April 13-17, 2009 (5-8 p.m.)
Room: W-4
Fee: $90
CDI will also offer customer service and administrative training courses in April running into May. For a schedule of these classes, log on to www.nmcnet.edu.
All interested individuals should register at least seven days before the first day of class.
Certificates of attendance and competence will be awarded to registered students who complete all course requirements.
Full payment is required for admission to a class.
To register or for information about these classes, visit the CDI office in Building P on the NMC campus in As Terlaje or call Les Ogumoro 234-5498 extension 1010 or e-mail [email protected].
Local students to compete in Mathcounts state competition
A MEETING to discuss the San Isidro Fiesta will be held today, Friday, 6:30 p.m., at the San Isidro Youth Learning Center
A commemoration booklet for the 60 years of San Isidro in Laly 4 is being put together for this event.
If you have photos of past fiestas that you would like to contribute, please notify the following people:
• Ding Limes: 235-1659
• Kodep Ogumoro-Uludong: [email protected]
• Carol Peter-Hosono: [email protected]
• Rayme Kapileo: 235-2386
For additional information, contact the Friends of San Isidro Fiesta 2009 Committee: Gordon Marciano, Fiesta 2009 chairman; Carol P. Hosono, media; John M. Hosono, fundraising; and Roger Igisomar, vice president, Friends of San Isidro.
Isa Drive cleanup
THIS weekend Beautify CNMI! will conduct its monthly cleanup of Isa Drive.
Volunteers will meet in the parking lot of Java Joes at 8 a.m. on Sunday, March 8.
Beautify CNMI! will provide bags and gloves.
THE Autism Society of the CNMI will be holding its monthly meeting on Thursday, March 12, at 5:30 p.m. in the NMPASI conference room.
Information regarding the group and future meetings will be available at this meeting.
All families and friends of individuals with autism and autism related spectrum disorders are invited to attend. For additional information, call John at 234-8803/4 or Larrisa at 322-3761 or email [email protected].
NMC alumni meeting
ALL NMC alumni are invited to attend the meeting at the Hard Rock Cafe on March 12, Thursday, at 6:30 p.m.
The agenda includes the presentation of the alumni logo, picture taking for alumni membership cards, explanation of benefits of alumni membership cards, alumni reunion event selection, and other important topics.
Come and get re-acquainted with friends from NMC.
NMC says soil and water conservation workshop a big success
(NMC) — Northern Marianas College’s Cooperative Research, Extension and Education Services workshop on soil and water conservation through innovative farming techniques held earlier this week at the NMC-CREES Experimental Farm in As Perdido drew a crowd of 66 participants, as well as 82 students from William S. Reyes Elementary School.
The workshop, funded by a grant from U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Resources Conservation Services, was aimed at introducing farmers to new methods of raising production and profitability while conserving natural resources.
NMC-CREES had been working on developing and refining these methods over the last three years, and the workshop provided the outlet to present many of the findings.
“We chose to present the workshop at our experimental farm to give the farmers a hands-on experience with our methods,” said program leader Lee Bowen, who is contracted by NMC-CREES as an agricultural consultant. “Farmers seemingly enjoyed the informal setting.”
The farming techniques the participants learned about were contour farming with vetiver hedge rows, micro irrigation, no-till farming, mulching, alley farming, and tree/shrub intercropping.
All of these techniques have the goal of not only conserving water and soil in the CNMI, but also of helping the farmer save money on fertilizer and labor.
Arnold Route, NMC-CREES pesticide safety education coordinator, introduced the farmers to his botanical pesticide project and gave out neem trees with which the pesticide is made.
The highlight of the program was the sweet potato taste testing, which gave the farmers a taste of sweet potato varieties NMC-CREES is attempting to introduce to the CNMI.
According to Dr. Dilip Nandwani, NMC-CREES plant pathologist, the taste sessions are important to collect data on which sweet potato variety would be the ideal one in regard to marketability and taste.
“The public has to decide which ones they like most,” Nandwani said.
In her welcoming speech, NMC Community Programs and Services Dean Felicitas Abraham praised NMC-CREES for their ongoing efforts to host workshops that help our farmers maximize profits and, at the same, conserve the scarce resources for the enrichment of the CNMI.
NMC-CREES officials were also pleased with the interest the workshop sparked in William S. Reyes Elementary students.
Eighty-two students walked to the workshop and were treated to their own special tour around the farm.
After two hours, they left with new knowledge on farming and bellies full of popcorn.
Additionally, the students were given two neem trees, which they plan to plant at their school’s own farm plot.
Bowens hoped that the students’ visit “sparked the interest to become farmers or scientists in some of the students.”
Anyone not able to participate in the workshop is invited to call the NMC-CREES main office at 234-5498, ext. 1707 to make an appointment for a guided tour around the experimental farm.
(DPS) — Crime Stoppers is seeking the community’s assistance for information on any of the persons responsible for the recent armed robbery that occurred outside the New Fresh Market in Chalan Laulau and the aggravated assault and battery that took place in front of the Leo Poker in San Jose.
The armed robbery incident took place on Tuesday, March 3, and was reported at 2:24 a.m.
Police learned that the victim, a female Korean, was attacked with a 2×2 wood by a masked male individual in the parking area of New Fresh Market.
The suspect was last seen running in the north direction and disappearing into the grassy area across the road.
The victim suffered multiple complex lacerations to the back of her head, contusions and abrasions to her face and parts of her body.
The aggravated assault and battery incident occurred in front of the Leo Poker in San Jose on Friday, Feb. 27, and was reported to the Department of Public Safety at 3:22 a.m.
When police arrived at the scene, they found an unresponsive male lying on his back on the main road.
He was immediately taken to the hospital.
According to a witness, he overhead screaming coming from outside his home and discovered the man lying on the roadway unresponsive.
The witness also observed two unidentified male individuals running in the north direction toward San Jose Mart.
The victim suffered major injuries and has been in a coma since the time of the incident.
Both cases are under further investigation.
DPS investigators are requesting the assistance of community members.
Anyone having information about these crimes is requested to call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 234-7272.
Crime Stoppers pays cash rewards up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest.
Caller ID is not used and all calls remain anonymous.
iConnect offers free phones, low-cost plans
ICONNECT is offering free phones and three unlimited plans to help customers lower their monthly communications spend without having to drastically alter their calling habits, its media release stated.
iConnect has also shortened the term of these subscriptions from 24 down to 12 months.
“We have the opportunity to offer more value at less cost to our customers and we are executing on those opportunities,” iConnect vice president of sales and business development Matthew Giger said.
The first plan is $59.99 per month, which offers 3,000 cellular minutes and is a great deal for heavy local cell users and this gives customers unlimited push-2-talk, 600 free local SMS messages per month and a free Motorola i335 – a phone value of $162 .
The second plan is $28.88 per-month with unlimited push-2-talk, 120 local cellular minutes including unlimited nights and weekends, 600 free local SMS messages, rollover minutes, nationwide minutes and a free i425 phone.
The third plan is $24.88 per month with unlimited push-2-talk, 30 local cellular minutes including unlimited nights and weekends, 60 free local SMS messages, rollover minutes, nationwide minutes and a free i425 phone.
iConnect’s “rollover minutes” is unique and not offered elsewhere in the region.
“iConnect is offering free phones with these 3 plans starting at an industry-low $24.88 per month. Now that’s great value!” Giger said.
Additionally, customers may want to sign up for the “Group Talk” feature which allows them to talk one-2-one or one-2-many at the push of a button.
iConnect also offers a comprehensive range of PTT and family sharing plans to bring the freedom of wireless mobility to its customers.
Customers can learn more by visiting any iConnect location, going to www.iconnectsaipan.com or calling 888-8888.
