DR. Seuss, the author of “The Lorax,” an anti-greed screed, also wrote “Thidwick, the Big-Hearted Moose.” In a recent American Institute for Economic Research article, economics teacher Bruce Rottman said Thidwich is about the politics of niceness and its perils. This, in turn, reminded me o…
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SAIPAN is a true treasure trove of natural beauty and historical significance in the Northern Mariana Islands. The island's breathtaking scenery, crystal-clear waters, and gently swaying palm trees are a stunning backdrop for its annual Flame Tree Arts Festival. This lively and vibrant celeb…
AS far as training programs go, the Work Experience Training and On-the-Job Training programs through the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation under the governor’s office are about as straightforward as they come. The only mystery for me is why more eligible persons with disabilities and empl…
A FEW years ago we ran a series of columns on human trafficking, which included a list of warning signs to help identify a trafficking situation. Recent events have proved that modern slavery is thriving in the Pacific so we thought we would revisit the subject. What follows is a portion o…
THE TRUTH of the matter is mankind is still on an evolutionary path that disproves the indoctrination of the past to an era of education & science to become healthier and smarter. We have improved our thinking skills, as mankind has gone from sorcery in healing to medical science breakth…
IN a breathless report posted online on Tuesday, CNN declared that if Mawar “strikes [Guam] with higher sustained winds, it would be the strongest since Super Typhoon Karen, widely regarded as the worst storm to ever hit the island, struck in 1962 with sustained winds of 172 mph.”
The following is the text of a speech delivered during NMC’s graduation ceremony on May 19, 2023 at the MHS gym.
SYLVIA Earle is one of the best friends the Pacific ever had. She has done more to promote the health and sustainability of the world’s oceans than nearly anyone else. Having made it her life’s work, she has spent decades improving knowledge and respect for our seas and has claimed a few w…
THE TRUTH of the matter is the CNMI is moving forward one step at a time recovering from Covid and the Awful-7year.-Mess made by Ralph. Our Governor is truly doing his best to put the RIGHT People in place which is the first step to fixing the various Departments and Agencies of the Governm…
IF you’ve been paying attention to local news for the past, say 50 years, you may have noticed that the following catchphrases are uttered, every now and then, by government officials and/or politicians — and they usually say them like it’s the first time they’re being said:
JOURNALIST Emma Bryce has done some good work in her article “The Invisible Pollutants Harming the Ocean — and Us.” I wanted you to benefit from what she has to say, so I have condensed her considerable article down to a manageable read. I hope you will be inspired to digest her full work.…
GOVERNOR Palacios has appointed his former high school classmate, Simon A. Sanchez II of Guam, to serve as CUC board member. A former Guam senator, Mr. Sanchez is also a businessman and, since 2003, a member of the island’s Consolidated Commission on Utilities, an autonomous body with five …
AS I sat down to scribble a message this Mother's Day, memories of my mother came flooding back. The loss of my mother six years ago left a gaping hole in my heart that will never fully heal. But even in her demise, her love continues to be a powerful force in my life. Through her passion, s…
LAST week, around 100 frontline conservation advocates met in Washington, D.C. for meetings organized by the America the Beautiful for All Coalition. Participants came from across the U.S. — Maine to the Marianas, Alaska to Puerto Rico, and everywhere in between.
THE Pacific is a busy place these days, which is a good or bad thing depending on your point of view. In the interest of leaving you on a positive note, let’s take them in the order of bad news/good news.
ON July 6, 2022, the House utilities committee met with CUC officials to discuss an “emergency”: the ever increasing Fuel Adjustment Charge (a.k.a., FAC!) and how lawmakers seeking reelection could placate irate voters.
ASAN, Guam — On Thursday April 27, we witnessed democracy in action when the Guam Legislature voted to override the Governor’s veto of Bill 12-37. The introduction of this new legislation effectively stopped a potential lease of federal land for a new civilian hospital and medical complex. …
CAMOUFLAGE is found everywhere in nature. Walking sticks are bugs that resemble twigs, fish take on the color of the sand under them and so on. But have you heard of the curious case of the ship that looked like an island? Here is what happened.
THE TRUTH of the matter is the CNMI create the Cannabis Tourism Industry but we tied our hands failing miserably in growing the industry. How can there be a Cannabis Tourism Industry and there is NOWHERE for tourists to smoke — it’s beyond ridiculous and bordering on being brain-dead from th…
IT was in 1986 when the Reagan administration expressed concern over “the tremendous growth in alien labor” in the CNMI which the White House found “extremely disturbing.” We’re talking about a few thousand of legal foreign workers in a remote U.S. territory with a small population — at a t…
FROM the book “Sea Quest” by Charles Borden comes this gem:
IN June 1987, Variety reported that one of the island’s leading shopping centers lost $70,000 (about $186,000 today) worth of Rolex watches and jewelry “to a still unknown number of thieves.” There were two security guards on duty at the time of the incident. According to Variety, the thie…
THIS year marks the 53rd anniversary of Earth Day, a global event celebrated annually to promote environmental awareness and encourage action toward protecting our planet.
ALAIN Gerbault was the world tennis champion a hundred years ago. Having survived the horrors of the First World War, in which nearly everyone important to him died, he turned to professional sports and excelled. But the life of a superstar rang hollow for him. The money, media attention,…
“BUSINESS Reference & Investment Guide to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands” was published in 1988 and re-printed in 1990 and 1992. According to its author, the late cartographer and economist William “Bill” H. Stewart, the 232-page book is a compilation of historical, eco…
EDUCATION is one of our most essential expenditures for our future. But with the ever-evolving teaching and learning landscape, educators must keep up with the latest developments to ensure that they provide the best education for their students. Pedagogy and heutagogy are two approaches to …
JUST like today, piracy was a major problem in the western Pacific 100 years ago. Mention pirates to most people, and they conjure images of Captain Jack Sparrow or Long John Silver, all pegleg and eye patch. In fact, thanks to movies and television, pirates have enjoyed a reputation of bein…
“Auschwitz was the largest of the German Nazi concentration camps and extermination centers. Over 1.1 million men, women and children lost their lives here.” — auschwitz.org/en/
MANGILAO, Guam — The University of Guam serves as that steward of place to deliver equitable and inclusive public value through its academic programs, research findings, and extension and outreach services. Every part of our community has benefited in some way through our interns, graduates,…
EVEN if your grade school textbooks showed you pictures of the men — all men — who were busy plotting and scheming to create what was to be the United States of America, you might find it hard to conceive of the stress under which these now venerated founders operated.
OLD Nate Parsons lived a quiet life alone in the backwoods of California. Gold fever took him there, chasing his dream soon after the great strike at Sutter’s Mill and the Gold Rush of 1848.
THE TRUTH of the matter is OUR Military is OUR Friend & Protector, so why promote anything that contributes to creating conflict between the People and their Friend & Protector. It seems just the mentioning of “the military” causes biasness and alarms to go-off in the minds of some p…
POLITICS says “this is what we should do” while economics says “this is why you can’t.”
“THE Speed of Trust” by Stephen M.R. Covey is a compelling and thought-provoking book that emphasizes the importance of trust in our personal and professional lives. Covey argues that trust is the foundation upon which all relationships are built and is essential for creating strong teams, s…
APRIL is Autism Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about autism spectrum disorder or ASD and to continue to advocate for the rights of people with disabilities. Autism affects millions of people worldwide, and yet many individuals with ASD continue to face stigma and discrimination. …
READING has taken a backseat in today's fast-paced and technology-driven world. With so many distractions challenging our attention, like social media, it can be easy to overlook the benefits of reading books. From captivating stories to informative non-fiction, reading can broaden our minds…
IN an increasingly chaotic world in which many people suffer under repressive governments, miserable living conditions, and grinding poverty, it is no wonder that illegal immigrants and stowaways plague the world’s oceans. It seems everyone would rather be somewhere else and will use whatev…
THE TRUTH of the matter is the Board of Education has self-corrected without the need to change the law like some people, House Members and even lawyers seemed to have thought was necessary. This was not the first time the BOE has run into a brick-wall but it was the first time for the stale…
“Construction of Airbase on Tinian Island In Case Guam Gets Knocked Out Has Begun” — headline of a news story posted on The War Zone, June 15, 2022
RECENTLY, the BBC featured an article by a security expert which argued that war in the Pacific is not imminent because it would not be in anyone’s interest. After the announcement that Australia was tightening its defensive alliance with the United States and Great Britain by purchasing nu…
JUST to be clear, I’m seeking answers not sympathy. Then somewhere down the line, a solution.
THE TRUTH of the matter is WE the People are witnessing a “power haunting struggle by 3 BOE members & Herman-pan to protect & serve the Commissioner,” as that is the real source of all the fuss. Readers need to know that the COE, Alfred Ada, is with Herman-pan. God knows I don’t tak…
IN April 2019, six months after Super Typhoon Yutu thrashed Saipan and Tinian, the then-Torres-Palacios administration announced the release of a federally funded, 204-page updated “CNMI Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy” or CEDS. It was described as a “comprehensive economic plann…
THE TRUTH of the matter is WE the People are now seeing what happens when an old-dog can’t learn new tricks, as Herman Guerrero is figuratively up to his OLD-Tricks. I’m not taking sides but I do know that Mr. Orsini is an honorable man, as he has always answered my calls and even attended a…
THIS is a great day for the oceans and all that reside in them. Not since 1982 has the world taken such decisive action to protect our most precious resource. In that year, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea went into effect. Last week, the United Nations signed the High Seas Treaty.…
IN his very informative presentation at a recent Saipan Chamber of Commerce forum, local economist Matthew O. Deleon Guerrero shared several graphs and other data that should provide level-headed guidance to the new administration and Legislature.
THE TRUTH of the matter is WE the People are now seeing and learning about the “True HORRIFIC FRAUD” that was played on voters living on the mainland and in the CNMI. The TRUTH is finally coming to the LIGHT, as we say, about FOX that shouldn’t even be considered a real news network given th…
TO Sen. Celina R. Babauta, chairwoman, Senate Committee on Executive Appointment and Government Investigations:
SYDNEY — Japanese authorities are preparing to release treated radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, nearly 12 years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster. This will relieve pressure on more than 1,000 storage tanks, creating much-needed space for other vital remediation works. But t…
