Columnists

RECENTLY, the Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders or PICL was convened at the East West Center in Honolulu. The PICL members included the heads of government from independent Pacific Island Countries, Pacific Island Territories, and the State of Hawaii. It not only offered a platform for regional…

IN December 1994, Variety interviewed the then-president of the Saipan Chamber of Commerce who made what turned out to be farsighted remarks about the local economy and government. One of the main issues in the CNMI 28 years ago was the government’s humongous deficit — up to $42 million, according …

GEARING up for the Marianas School Pride or MSP launch this Monday, the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisers held a series of presentations to our public and private school leaders this past month. GCEA recently met with the newly installed MSP advisors and ambassadors, and I am thrilled by the …

THERE was a comment that “Tina was far from being an ideal candidate but compared to Ralph & Arnold she is the better pick,” which made me wonder “what qualifies one as being ideal (perfect).” Well, I think most of us know that NO ONE is without fault and that the perfect or ideal person may ne…

FOR some it’s to climb Mount Everest. For others, it’s to visit the Galapagos Islands. Still others wish to bungee jump, skydive or trek the Appalachian Trail. The potential “bucket list” of must-do, must-experience and must-see items varies by individual and runs the gamut.…

THERE once was a pie. Early last month… “Countries should finalize ambitious high seas treaty at next round of U.N. talks.  Groundbreaking agreement would safeguard global ocean health for future generations.” — Pew Charitable Trusts “The U.N. treaty that could be the oceans’ last great hope.  With…

THE Governor’s and Arnold’s “deflecting and gaslighting shows” are just “Talking-Points that are NOT Solutions.” The funny thing is the Governor wants to talk about “how did he lie” as he didn’t say “I didn’t lie” but wants to know HOW he was literally caught in a lie LOL! While Arnold is still sel…

AT the end of his first 100 days in office in April 1994, Democratic Gov. Froilan Cruz “Lang” Tenorio reported to the public that the CNMI government was facing a budget deficit of up to $42 million (worth about $83.9 million today). He said the “next step was figuring out what to do about it, and …

MURALS have a long history in American art, dating back to John Trumbull’s proposal for the Capitol in Washington, D.C. My first mural was created in the early 1990s. The Taro Sue mural on Middle Road was one of the first mural projects I spearheaded. Taro Sue had coordinated the project with…

IN the Marianas, like so many other communities around the nation, we are facing a serious mental health crisis. Think of the traumas and hardships that families and individuals have endured just in the last few years, from an ongoing pandemic and multiple typhoon disasters before that, to unemploy…