Columnists

THE next leg of our journey took us down the west coast of Malaita in a small, motor-driven canoe past villages that have stood for hundreds of years, each a motley collection of straw huts, corrugated tin, and whatever building materials came along.  Several families made their homes in derelict f…

IN the summer of 1984, the CNMI Senate was broke. A year before it was…bankrupt. Variety reported in July 1983 that “if no new money is appropriated or reprogrammed from other sources, the Legislature’s Upper House may have to close its doors and lay off staff within two weeks, according to governm…

EVERYONE’S excited about the upcoming Flame Tree Arts Festival — the longest running arts and culture festival in Micronesia — and there’s no better time than now to start a conversation about what draws visitors to our beautiful Marianas. Welcome to “Making Tourism Our Business,” a periodic series…

THE passing of Dr. Joyner has sent shock-waves throughout our community, as he touched the lives of so many in one way or another. His abilities are well known as an educator but it was his ability to “inspire” people that truly made him special, as I’m sure he was a mentor for many, seif-included.…

AUKI, a small town on Malaita, Solomon Islands.  This morning’s ferry ride across Iron Bottom Sound was rough.  The sea was choppy and huge waves rhythmically crashed over the deck, soaking the islanders who chose to stay topside.  There were enough seats inside, but some islanders are not comforta…

IN July 1984, Variety reported that the CNMI Senate was “out of money.” The Senate “will be broke…next week and the July 20 paycheck for the Senate’s approximately 90 employees will be their last of the fiscal year,” according to the director of the Department of Finance. He said “he saw no solutio…

HONIARA, a city on Guadalcanal, the capital of the Solomon Islands.  A boy in front of me finishes his cola and casually throws the bottle on the sidewalk.  It lands in a heap of 20 more bottles against a fence.  Across the street a man urinates against a building, then another and another until I …

THE truth of the matter is Ralph Torres has made victims of us All in the CNMI in how he misused OUR money and now I’m (Ambrose M. Bennett) a clear targeted victim of Ralph & Sixto who conspired with the Legislature to make sure I could not be part of the Cannabis Industry. I made the mistake o…

1997 was a banner year for the CNMI economy. Tourist arrivals totaled 726,690 — the highest in Commonwealth history — and the government’s proposed budget amounted to an amazing $257 million, which is equivalent to $480.9 million today. (The projected revenue for FY 2024? $172.5 million.) Back then…

FIJI airlines operates one flight out of Honolulu per day, at midnight or whenever they feel like it, and my hotel pushed me out at 11 a.m.  Since the ticket counter will not open for another nine hours, I have nested at the local IHOP to eat and people watch.  Besides me on my laptop, every custom…