Columnists

THE InterContinental Hotels Group or IHG along with key Crowne Plaza Resort management and Tan Holdings Corporation had the pleasure of hosting the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan’s ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 31. After 19 months of renovations, the newest Crown Plaza Resort opened its doors in the …

OUR democracy will showcase its strength and resilience this week as early voting opens and we all count down to Election Day on November 8, 2022. The people of this great Commonwealth are presented with many candidates who wish to serve this community and I am thankful to all those who have put th…

THIS November, voters have critical decisions to make about the leadership and future of our commonwealth. Under the current administration, we have all suffered from wasted resources, inexcusable delays in public services and projects, and abuses of trust by the highest officials in the land. The …

THE Taiwan government must find a way to deter and derail the existential threat posed by the People’s Republic of China. To achieve these outcomes, Taipei will need to maintain a strong and enduring partnership with the United States. At present, this strategic bond is reinforced by a number of sh…

THE Saipan Chamber of Commerce recently asked the candidates for lieutenant governor and other positions to comment on the very broad subject of “business legislation and community benefits.” Although the Chamber unfortunately canceled its public forum with the candidates to discuss this topic, I w…

ALTHOUGH you may suspect he is a boxer or wrestler, Hector is actually a storm.  Meteorologists give names to large weather systems like hurricanes and typhoons, and although Hector is not as large as those, it is remarkable in its own way.  Hector is one of the most regular, predictable, and consi…

THE recent events in the Senate were to be expected as there has been a long-standing practice of the Senate to “cut-people-off” if they are saying something the Senate does not like. Shutting people up is one of the worse practices that can take place in the Senate, especially when it’s the People…

THE Joeten-Kiyu Public Library is the Marianas’ information hub, preserving its cultural heritage and connecting people, libraries, and the government to the resources and tools they need to succeed. JKPL has been building a strong community since 1991 and continues to create programs, services, an…

MOST House or Senate bills are as “effective” as the usual legislative resolution which is merely an official expression of a widely held sentiment — or hope. But lawmakers, through all these years, continue to pass bills to do this and that or to prevent this and that. As for voters, not many of t…

THE Cook Islands is a small country in the South Pacific comprising 15 small islands, and where the majority live on the island of Rarotonga. It’s a country that many people describe as a paradise. But it is not without its problems. Tiny, isolated economies have unique challenges, for which they ne…