(DEQ) — The Division of Environmental Quality says water samples collected from Kokomo Beach Club and Mobile Storm Drainage 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.
(MVA) — In the early morning hours of Sept. 30, Shanghai Airlines landed its inaugural flight on Saipan. The Boeing B767-300 carried 222 passengers.
This maiden voyage marks the first arrivals of Shanghai Airlines to a U.S. port. It is also the first flight for Shanghai Airlines to Saipan.
Shanghai Airlines will fly to Saipan twice-weekly departing Shanghai Pudong airport at 7:45 p.m. every Monday and Friday and arrive in Saipan 2:15 a.m. every Tuesday and Saturday.
The return schedule is every Tuesday and Saturday 3:15 a.m. from Saipan international Airport to Shanghai Pudong Airport. Passengers along with flight crew and CAAC officials were greeted with shell leis and flower leis by cultural dancers, officials from MVA, CPA Century tours, Tinian Dynasty and POI.
“We welcome Shanghai Airlines to the CNMI,” said MVA Managing Director Perry Tenorio. “The China market is very important to our tourism economy and with our approved destination status it allows for easy entry into the CNMI. This charter flight has lots of potential for bringing more tourists from the strong outbound market of China.”
SSHS mid-progress report
(SSHS) — Saipan Southern High School students’ mid-progress report is scheduled to be picked up on Thursday, Oct. 9 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Teachers will be available in their classrooms for parents/legal guardian visit.
All students will be released at 1 p.m.
(BankPacific) — On the heels of last week’s launch of MyGreenHomeLoan, BankPacific has introduced its next new green product, MyGreenEstatement.
MyGreenEstatements are
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No more waiting for the mail.
MyGreenEstatements can be accessed online at bankpacific.com for existing MyOnlineBanking customers or at any office of BankPacific for new and existing customers.
Customers, existing and new, also receive $15 when they sign up for MyGreenEstatement.
BankPacific has been serving our region since 1954 with offices in Guam, Saipan and Palau. It is the recent recipient of BauerFinancial’s prestigious 5-star rating, the highest rating available.
Rota, KNT win prestigious award at tourism conference
(MVA) — The winners of the 15th Annual Tour of the Year 2008 award recipients were announced on Sept. 19 at the JATA World Trade Fair held in Tokyo.
The awards were presented by the Tour of the Year Executive Committee, which is chaired by Kaoru Kanetaka. An awards ceremony was held on a stage specifically prepared for the ceremony.
For the first time this year Grand Prix awards were handed out in four categories with the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation Awards being newly created awards. The product that has been uniquely planned and has excellent sales results was conferred a “Judge’s Special Award.”
Applications for the awards totaled 133. Applications of overseas packaged tour products increased to 86 from 78 of last year. Among them 10 products were recommended by the tourism authorities or embassies.
The prestigious “Judges Special Award” went to KNT for their Golden Week charters flown to the island of Rota.
With the focus being specifically on Rota rather than Guam or Saipan, KNT scheduled charter flights to carry tourists to the destination where infrastructure was improved through the cooperation of airlines and local organizations.
This included airport expansion, enhancement of boarding bridge and bus transportation, as well as tourism development.
This was all accomplished without causing damage to the natural environment that Rota is so well known for.
The judges described this as “a product created through a brave challenge of developing something new in Micronesia with great efforts.”
The product was praised as “one of model cases, including a buy-out system, of the tourism industry in the future.”
Mr. Murata of KNT accepted the award on behalf of the organization.
In a related story, KNT also had a Rota specific booth at the Japan Association of Travel Agents World Tourism Congress & World Trade Fair recently held at the Tokyo Big Sight in Japan.
The KNT Rota Booth was at the Travel Related Companies section and separate from the Pacific section where the CNMI/MVA booths were located.
KNT decided this year to have it own booth to promote the 40 charters it has scheduled from April 2008 to April 2009 from various cities in Japan to Rota.
“ MVA would like to extend its congratulation to Kinki Nippon Tourist for receiving the JATA — Judge’s Special Award for its Golden Week charters to the island of Rota,” said MVA Managing Director Perry Tenorio. “This prestigious award is a testament of KNT’s commitment to the CNMI travel industry and the emergence of Rota as a standalone tourism product.”
THANK YOU PREL. Commissioner of Education Rita A. Sablan along with Board of Education Chairwoman Lucia Blanco-Maratita and Vice Chairman Herman Guerrero present Saipan Southern High School principal Peter James Le’au and SSHS band instructor William DeWitt and class a check for $3,500 on behalf of the Pacific Regional Educational Laboratories for the purchase a new tuba instrument for the band. The school was host to the PREL board of director’s annual meeting earlier this year and its members were impressed with the accomplishments of the SSHS band. Several SSHS band members recently just returned from playing at the 2008 Olympics in Bejing, China, another first for the CNMI. From left, Sablan, Le’au, Guerrero, DeWitt, Blanco-Maratita and student Felevan Fitial. Contributed photo
Crime of the week: Copper wire theft
The buildings are located behind the former Rifu Garment barracks in San Antonio and the incident was reported to the police on Sept. 23 at 9:52 a.m.
According to an employee of Sablan Construction, the area was last secured on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 1:30 p.m.
Anyone with information about this crime is requested to call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 234-7272.
The Crime Stoppers program pays cash rewards up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest. Caller ID is not used and all calls remain anonymous.
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