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Cops in brutality suit By Ferdie de la Torre Variety News Staff

A MAN has filed a $1 million lawsuit before the federal court against five police officers and the Department of Public Safety for alleged police brutality.

Raymond Aldan Ayuyu in a prose complaint sought damages against defendants Police Officer Hillary Tagabuel, four Doe policemen, and DPS.

Ayuyu said the p9lice officers forced him to confess in a thef.t case by beating and pointing a gun at him at the DPS Office. ·

The Variety repeatedly con-

tacted yesterday afternoon Tagabuel and DPS legal counsel Barry Hirshbein, but they were unavailable for comment.

The complaint said that as a result of forced confession, A yuyu was wrongfully arrested, incarcerated and charged with theft. The SuperiorCourteventually dismissed with prejudice the case last April 7 for lack of evidence to prosecute.

According to the complaint, on Nov. 26, 1997, Tagabuel appeared at Ayuyu's home in Koblerville without a search or arrest warrant.

BPL okays about 2,000 homestead applications

By Rene P. Acosta Variety News Staff

WORKING double time to eliminate the backlog on homestead requests, the three-member Board of Public Lands on Saturday approved the permit applications of about 2,000 individuals, a memberof the board said yesterday.

Anne Demapan-Castro, who represents Saipan in the government's public land regu-· latory body, said the applications were approved during a meeting with fellow board members Pedro Atalig of Rota and Chair Manny Villagomez ofTinian.

cording to Castro. The board initially designated

three homestead sites for the newly approved applications while continuously looking for more sites to accommodate more applicants.

The sites were the homestead projects in Dandan, I-denni, and Capitol Hill. Castro said they were hoping to cover about 200 approved applicants in these three projects.

For the remaining 1,800, the board will be looking for other available sites.

Castro said some of the applications which she and fellow board members ha.d approved dates as far back as 1982.

Meanwhile, the demand for homestead projects has re-

The complaint said Tagabuel ordered Ayuyu to step out of his house and further ordered other members of the family to leave the area and go back into their house.

Tagabuel then interrogated the plaintiff outside of the house regarding the theft of a wallet, which allegedly occurred at the Winchell's Donut Shop in Susupe.

The plaintiff denied any" involvement or knowledge of the theft, but after several minutes of interrogation, Tagabuel reportedly ordered him to get inside the police vehicle to go to DPS Office

in Susupe. Ayuyu said he did not want to

go with Tagabuel, but the officer then forcibly caused him to get inside of the police vehicle by pulling his arm.

When they arrived at DPS, Ayuyu said he requested medical attention because he was experiencing an asthma attack which was induced by the trauma associated with his forced trip to DPS.

Tagabuel denied such request, the complaint said.

Inside an office at DPS, the complaint stated that Tagabuel forced, through threat, coercion

and intimidation, Ayuyu to execute a waiver of his Constitutional rights.

The complaint said plaintiff again denied any involvement in the theft incident. The four Doe policemen were also present inside the interrogation room.

The complaint said Tagabuel and two Does, then each physically assaulted Ayuyu in an effort to force him to confess to the crime.

The defendants slapped the plaintiff several times and otherwise terrorized him, the complaint

Continued on page 26

The approval only shows that the board is sensitive and is moving to act upon the requests and concerns of the people, ac- Continued on page 26 Lt. Gov. Jesus R. Sablan (left) and Health Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez (right) pose for a photo with

the DPH medical team during the HIV/AIDS awareness walkathon Saturday. Photo by Marian A. Maraya

Taisacan contests

poll result By Ferdie de la Torre Variety News Staff

WRITE-IN candidate Juanita M. Taisacan yesterday filed a Iawsuitchallenging the Board ofElections' final results for the Board of Education (BOE) Rota representative race in the last elections.

Taisacan, through counsel Joseph A. Arriola, said the Board in tabulating the votes made errors sufficient to change the results of the elections as to who has been declared elected for the BOE seat representing Rota.


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ii the majority in Senate' I !I intimidated by the prospect of 1 II , H serving as a minority senator. Ii 1, Citing the over 4,500 votes he

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garnered in the last midterm ; elections, Guerrero yesterday (i said he actually has the biggest [j numberofvotes than any of his •

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would-be colleagues had in past · elections. .•

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know I am a minority. It does not bother me. While I maybe the minority, I am actually the

1, Ramon S. Guerrero

majority because I have 4,450 By Jojo Dass votes and I am voted from the Variety News Staff island of Saipan.

SENATOR-elect Ramon S. "Even if you take the Senate

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For the holidays

Continental mulls additional flights

By Haldee V. Eugenio Variety News Staff

CONTINENTAL Micronesia yesterday said it is contemplating additional flights to Micronesia from other parts of the world in time for the Christmas and New Year celebrations, vis-a-vis current market demand.

At the same time, Continental Vice President Walter Dias said the airline has not "abandoned" tile Saipan-Manila route but has only "redirected" the flights. Instead. of having direct flights to Manila, the flights from th~ Con.tlnued ·on page 26

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2-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-TUESDAY - NOVEMBER 30, 1999

70 Kt1rds killed ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) -Turkish troops killed 70 Kurdish rebels over the past five days in northern Iraq, the Turkish daily Cumhuriyet reported Sunday.

Kurdistan Workers Party officials in Europe confirmed that Turkish soldiers had crossed into Iraq a week ago, and were carrying out 15 operations. There were no reports of casualties, a Kurdish official said.

Turkey's military would not comment on the report.

Some 20,000 Turkish troops, backed by helicopters, were pursuing rebels fleeing Turkey and were trying to destroy the group's winter hideouts in northern Iraq,

Cumhuriyet said. Some 2,000 Iraqi Kurdish fighters allied to the Turkish government were taking part in the operation, it said.

Turkish troops frequently cross into northern Iraq to pursue guerrillas in the region, which has been out of Baghdad's control since the end of the Gulf War in 1991.

In September, Turkey sent 5,000 troops to attack rebel bases there.

The rebels, heeding a call by · their imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan, announced a cease-fire and withdrawal from Turkey in August. They accuse Turkey of attacking them during their re-

treat. Ocalan 's death sentence for

treason and separatism was upheld by Turkey's national appeals court Thursday. After the verdict, the rebels warned that their patience was running out.

Ocalan' s sentence must be approved by parliament and President Suleyman Demirel before it can be .carried out. Ocalan 's lawyers said they would appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.

Turkish troops also killed a rebel commander who bro~e away from the Kurdistan Workers Party because of Ocalan 's concessions to Turkey, Cumhuriyet said.

CIVIL RIGHTS HEROINE. Rosa Parks smiles while meeting Vice President Al Gore prior to a benefit tribute concert where Gore presented her with the Congressional Gold Meda/in Detroit, Sunday. On Dec. 1, 1955, Parks, tired after a day's work in Montgomery, Alabama, refused to give up her seat to a white man on a segregated city bus. Her arrest set off a lengthy bus boycott by thousands of blacks that lasted until about a year later when the Supreme Court declared Montgomery's bus segregation Jaw unconstitutional. AP

Nude swordsman attacks

churchgoers LONDON (AP) - A naked sword-wielding man burst into a south London church during Mass on Sunday, slashing and stabbing members of the congregation. Ten people were injured, three seriously.

Six of the injured suffered stab wounds, including a man who lost part of a hand. The others were hurt in a stampede to get out of St. Andrew's Roman Catholic Church in Thornton Heath, a London suburb.

Several men in the 400-membercongregation, including an offduty police officer who ripped out an organ pipe, wrestled the man to the ground as he lashed out with the 3-foot gold and silver sword, witnesses said.

Tom Tracey, the off-duty police officer who helped subdue the attacker, described people's faces as showing "pure fear" as they rushed past him.

'There was surprisingly little noise at first, the screaming came later. People were stunned, "he said.

Police raced to the church and arrested a 35-year-old man suspected in the attack. He came from the area, but was not known in St. Andrew's parish.

In Uruguay·

Batlle wins presidency MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay(AP) - Uruguay's ruling party candidate for president thwarted a historic challenge Sunday by a maverick socialist in a runoff election.

With I 00 percent of the votes counted late Sunday, the Interior Ministry said Jorge Batlle, 72, won 52 percent or 1, 138,067 votes to 44 percentor972, I 97 votes forTabare Vazquez, 59, who had hoped to become Uruguay's first socialist president. The remainderofthe 2.2 million votes counted were annulled or blank.

"It falls to us to congratulate all Uruguayans," said Batlle, the Colorado Party candidate who had run for president four previous times. He proclaimed victory before the first official results were reported.

Batlle appealed forunity and signaled his desire to work with a bicameral congress in which no party will have an outright majority.

"This government will have to count on the active participation of all the citizenry," said

Tens of thousands of Batlle supporters celebrated wildly after exit polls showed him winning. A huge street fiesta filled the capital of this small South American country of 3.2 million people after his victory

Jorge Batlle

speech. "We feel it! We feel it! Batlle is

our president!" Batlle supporters chanted. Hom-honking cars and trucks jammed downtown Montevideo, their occupants euphorically waving the red Colorado Party flag.

Vazquez, candidate of the leftist Broad Front, conceded defeat in a speech to cheering supporters from a hotel balcony in the capital.

"We respect the will of the people," V azquezsaid, adding that he had conveyed his congratulations to Batlle. But he insisted his leftist political coalition had become a transforming force in a country long dominated by only two parties.

WORLD/NATION

· News Briefs · . .

Macheezmo· chairman crashes plane

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)-A float plane piloted by the head of a Mexican health food restaurant chain carrying his three sons crashed into the Columbia River, killing all aboard:"

William S. "Tiger" Warren, the 48-year-old chairman of Portlandbased Macheezmo Mouse, was flying to the family's summer home in Washington with sons Jack, 14; Will, 13; and Rob, 9, after a Thanksgiving gathering, family members said.

The plane went down about 3 p.m. Saturday near the Washington side of the river, about 45 miles east of Portland, shortly after it left the water and began climbing into the sky, said Dave Cox, spokesman for the Skamania County sheriff's office.

Status quo vs change in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - With civil stability, a rebounding economy and racial harmony, the status quo in Malaysia may seem appealing to many voters yesterday in the country's first general election in five years.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is banking on some 9.7 million Malaysians voting with their heads. The opposition, meanwhile, is going after their hearts, with calls for democracy, freedom of speech and an end to government corruption and cronyism.

Two other key ingredients are making this the hottest election since this Southeast Asian nation gained independence from Britain in 1957: former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim and Islamic fundamentalists.

Clinton begins busy week WASIDNGTON (AP) - Returning from Thanksgiving break, President Clinton begins a busy week of fund raising, bill signing, and haggling over global trade.

Aides say that with Congress out of town, much of the president's activity will be aimed at nudging lawmakers to address unfinished business when they return to Capitol Hill next year.

The president planned a Rose Garden ceremony Monday afternoon to sign the spending package passed by Congress in its final hours. The legislation includes funds for more teachers and police -two administration priorities.

American family sues Moscow mayor

PHOENIX (AP)-Relatives of an American business~an gunned down in Moscow in 1996 have filed a lawsuit accusing Moscow's mayor of protecting the killers and blocking the investigation, the family's attorney said Sunday.

The slaying of Paul Tatum, who was managing the prominent Radisson Slavyanskaya hotel in central Moscow, shocked the foreign business community.

The city's mayor, Yuri Luzhkov, is one of Russia's most influential politicians. Business and foreign investment have boomed in Moscow under his stewardship, and the city of Moscow was a partner in the hotel venture.

FBI may probe '96 Mississippi slaying

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - U.S. Attorney Brad Pigott said Sunday he has asked the FBI to open a federal investigation into the 1966 slaying of a black man in western Mississippi.

The case is the latest in a series of reexaminations of Mississippi's turbulent civil rights era and the pursuit by Mississippi prosecutors to revisit unsolved crimes from the 1960s and 1970s.

Pigott, attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, said the order was the result of an investigation by the ABC news program "20/20" that examined the killing of Ben Chester White, 65, allegedly by three white men near Natchez.

The n~":s pro~ram said one of the "'.'hite men confessed to police ~a~ V01te s slaying wa~ orchestrated m the hopes that it would bring c1v1l nghts leader Martin Luther King Jr. to the area so he could be assassinated.

Gusmao says Jakarta planned Tim.or carnage

JAKARTA (Reuters)-EastTimorresistance hero Xanana Gusmao y~sterday accuse~ Indonesia's special forces of systematically planning and overseeing a wave of bloodshed which left hundreds dead and his homeland in ruins.

Gusmao also said he regarded former military chief General Wiranto as responsible for the violence, which fo!lowed an overwhelming vote for independence from Indonesia.

In his first visit to Jakarta since September when he was freed from jail and spirited away amid death threats, Gusmao added that Indonesia's Kopassus special forces were still backing anti-independence militias across the border in Indonesia's West Timor.

I 1.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1999 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-3 ------------

TCGCC sues Pa] By Ferdie de la Torre Variety News Staff

THE TINIAN Casino Gaming Control Commission has sued former TCGCC executive director Paul A. Palmer for allegedly stealing office machines, equipment and training funds.

TCGCC, through counsel Robert C. Naraja, sought to recover from Palmer $6,405 representing the unpaid training course fee at the Australia-based Aristocrat Leisure International.

TCGCC also demanded payment from Palmer in the amount of $9,607 representing the lap computer, a printer, and other office machines and equipment plus

Paul A. Palmer

$16,072 interest. The Commission appointed and

hired Palmer in 1994 to hold the position as TCGCC executive di-

rector. Accordingtothecomplaintfiled

in Superior Court Friday, the Commission assigned defendant with a lap computer, a printer and other office. machines and equipment for his official use in connection with his duties and responsibilities.

NarajasaidthatinJune I 997Palmer and eight other co-employees of the TCGCC attended casino training course in Manila and another casino training ccurse at Aristocrat Leisure IntemationalinRosebury,NewSouth Wales, Australia

The casino training fee with Aristocrat was $6,405, including $909 forrelated ground transpor-

Large contingent to JATA conference needed for tourism effort- Speaker

By Jojo Dass Variety News Staff

A LARGE contingent of ranking government officials needs to go toJ apan forthe scheduled conference of tour agencies because their presence will boost efforts to promote the Northern Marianas Islands there, said House Speaker Diego T. Benavente (R-Saipan).

"I actually was asked to be on this trip by the members of the (Marianas Visitors Authority) Board because they felt the government leadership needs to be there to help in the promotion," said Benavente.

"This is the largest tourism promotional event. (And) especially in Japan ... government leaders' (presence on such events) have an impact on promotional activities. I have never been interested in going to places that are cold. But

if this is one way in which I can participate in helping our tourism promotional efforts, (then) I accept to go," said Benavente, noting that Japan is currently having its winter.

Aside from Benavente, Rep. Bernadita T. Seman (R-Saipan), Senate President Paul A. Manglona (R-Saipan) and Senate Floor leader Pete P. Reyes (RSaipan) are also going to the conference of the Japan Association of Tour Agencies.

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio and his wife, Sophia will likewise be there.

Benavente said Seman is going because she is "very familiar with the tourism industry."

It is estimated that government may be spending more than $20,000 to send the 1 I-man delegation to the conference.

Cing complains about MCV service on Tinian

WHEN the rain pours, expect poor cable reception on Tinian, Sen. David M. Cing (D-Tinian) said yesterday.

Cing said he has raised the issue with Marianas Cable Vision (MCV), and is expecting "immediate action" on the problem.

"This is a continuing problem that the people of Tinian are experiencing whenever poor weather condition occurs there," he told the Variety.

·'Why does the problem exists? What will MCV do about it? 1

'

As MCV subscribers, he said, Tinian residents are also entitled to good service.

He said MCV is "doing injustice to the people ofTinian when it deprives them of the good service provided to subscribers on Saipan and Rota."

At the same time, in his letter to MCV general manager Joe Butters, Cing said there is still no cable service in Carolina Heights.

"There are more than 30 families living in that area who have their own TV sets but no cable service. What seems to be the problem? They are willing to subscribe to [MCV] but you don't have the means to provide them with what they need,'' his letter said.

Cing said most of the people in the CNMI ··gather information through television."

Though most of the programs are delayed for a week, he added, "we still count on your programs for entertainment, news and other educational information."

However, the senator said, "we constantly receive poor reception [on Tinian]-can you imagine how enjoyment can turn into dissatisfaction and boredom?"

He added, "The holidays are here and don't you think we all deserve a good one?"

Butters was unavailable for comment. zv

The MVA, according to its Marketing Specialist, Norman Berg, has budgeted $20,000 to cover fares, per diem allowance, and conference fees for the governor; three MVA Board members including Board Chairman David M. Sablan, and three MV A staff led by Managing Director Perry Tenorio, the governor's son.

The MVA, Berg added, will also shoulder conference fees for Manglona, Reyes, Sen. Juan P. Tenorio (R-Saipan), Seman and a representative from the Rota Mayor's Office who, still according to Berg, m,.y all be going for the trip.

Transportation fares of the lawmakers and the Rota representative will not be paid for by MV A.

The event starts today and ends on Dec.3.

Mendiola· indictment

. \ .

unsealed··.· ...

By Ferdie de la Torre Variety News Staff

THE FEDERAL court unsealed yesterday the indictment against former Tinian congressman and mayor James M. Mendiola and three other persons for alleged cattle rustling.

Mendiola was indicted with conspiracy to conceal stolen property within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the U.S., conspiracy to dispose of stolen livestock which is part of interstate or foreign commerce, and disposing of such stolen livestock.

According to Frederick A. Black, U.S. Attorney for Guam and the NMI, Mendiola surrendered to the Federal Bureau of Investigation last Nov. 19 and was immediately arraigned in federal court.

Mendiola, 50, pleaded innocent to the charges. He was released on bond pending his trial which was set for Jan. 24, 2000.

Continuecf on page 2'3

tation cost. Beforedepartingfor Manila, Nara ja

said, Palmer requested the Conunission for disbursement of funds to pay the tuition fee and ground costs in connection with the training program in Aristocrat

Upon approval, Narajasaid, the plaintiff instructed that check in the amount of$7,314 be issued to TCGCC co-employee John E. Untalan who was accompanying him to Australia.

Before departing Tinian for Manila, the lawyer said, the executive director directed Untalan to encash the $7,314 check with the Bank of Guam, TinianBranch.

While on board the Continental

THE BOARD of Public Lands has approved aJease of public land to Trendex Corporation to bottle Rota.naturalspring water.

Meeting• .Sat\lrday· on Rota, Board of Public Land Chairman Manuel P. Villagomez, Vicechaif Pedro M. Atalig, and Board Member Anna D. Castro signed theJeasefor a hectare bfpublic land.at Rota's Ka'an.

''This is a vety positive step for Rota," said Mayor Benjamin T.·Manglona in a news release. ''There will be substantial benefits for our people and for all theCNML'.'

'10Jlrleaders have been talking about bottling water for over

Airline flight to Philippines, Naraja said Palmer instructed Untalan to hand-over him the $7,314cash saying that he will be in charge over funds and will take full responsibility in remitting the same to Aristocrat.

Naraja said that on Jan. 16, 1998 Palmer resigned and left TCGCC wi thoutretumingthe office machines and equipment assigned to him.

Aristocrat then notified TCGCC that the $6,405 training cost was not paid and is due.

FBI agents are still hunting down Palmer for multiple fraud charges that were allegedly committed when .the defendant was the TCGCC executive director.

twenty.years. I'm happy that we made it a reality, today. My philosophy is to stop too much talking. Instead, let's take action."

Trendex, a CNMI corporation, will build a $2.5 million facility on Rota to bottle water for regional and worldwide distribu, tion.

The company has also pledged water securityfor the people of Rota.

"Trendex has agreed not to bottleat those times when to do sowouldcause hardshiporshortagesforwaterusers," said Mayor Manglona. "This is a real protection for our people."

''Trendex will .provide free water to our Ma'namko, the schools, and the hospital. Thanks to Tretidex for these concessions," said the mayor.

Saying Rota will practically be partners with the water bottler, Manglona stressed: "We got two cents for every gallon of water Trendex purchases from CUC."

He said the money will be used to improve keyisland infrastrucrurelike medical and educational facilities and allow . for better


Drug, alcohol users seen rising By Haidee V. Eugenio Variety News Staff

FOR EVERY individual in the CNMI who undergoes counselling for drug and alcohol abuse, there are about IO others who also need the same service, and the number of drug and alcohol users have increased in the last IO years, the Division of Mental Health and Social Services (DMHSS) disclosed yesterday.

Moreover, for every CNMI person who comes forward to admit gambling or poker machine addiction, there are at least five people out there who also suffer from the same vice.

Gloria Cabrera, DMHSS addiction services manager, said the number of individuals who come forward to undergo counselling and treatment for their drug, alcohol or gambling problems does not reflect the actual number of people who need the division's services.

• • 'L ~ •• 0 ~\'

"Just because we see ,u1ywhcrc between 150 to 250 patients a month, that doesn't necessarily mean that's (only) the people that need our services," said Cabrera during yesterday's signing of the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Awareness Month proclamation at the Governor's Office.

The DMHSS official also pointed out the number of people under counselling and treatment has climbed up in the last IO years also because oftl1e availability of more services that address dmg and alcohol abuse, as well as gambling addiction.

"Alcohol abuse and (drug) addiction are very rampant here in the C'NMl The numbers we are seein~ (for) treatment are not at all reflective of the public's need for social services in tl1e area of counselling and prevention education," said Cabrera.

Contmuea on page23

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4-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-TUESDAY- NOVEMBER30 1999

FE By Haldee V. Eugenio Variety News Staff

A FOUR-MEMBER Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) team will train today key CNMI government personnel on proper information collection and reporting system for Pres. Bill Clinton's Y2K Information Coordination Center (ICC) in Washington DC.

ICC has been put up to monitor all Y2K-related system failures or problems at the turn of the century, with FEMA as the lead agency responsible for carrying out this function.

Anthony Calvo, EMO planner, yesterday said four representatives from FEMA Region IX

to assist based in Honolulu, Hawaii will provide training to members of the CNMIY2K Task Force which include personnel from EMO, Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, Department of Public Safety, Department of Public Health, Commonwealth Ports Authority and Department of Finance.

The same FEMA team led by TerrieZuiderhoekandKenBrown will also be proceeding to Guam to conduct the same training. · Under ICC rules, all states and

territories including the CNMI need to submit its Y2K-related report to Washington on a periodic basis during the critical roll over period, from Dec. 30, 1999

to Jan. I, 2000. Every FEMA regional office is

responsible for coordinating with their state emergency management agencies. FEMA 's regional operation center is going to be activated on Dec. 28 to start monitoring and reporting Y2K-related problems.

Calvo said two FEMA representatives will also be in the CNMI to assist local officials in case potential Y2K-related problems arise during the roll over period.

"Given the fact that we are the first to experience a roll over period, they 're interested in dealing with us," said CalvQ.

Meanwhile, Calvo said EMO is confident the CNMI will not be

Schools get drug-free program grants By Marian A. Maraya Variety News Staff

PRIVATE and public schools will be receiving a total of $392,572 in federal funds for the Federal Safe and Drug-Free program for fiscal year 2000, Public School System (PSS) Federal Programs Officer Bill Matson revealed.

The program which is said to be successful in pinpointing major social concerns among students inside school campuses will be shared by 32 of CNMI's public and private schools.

Some $323,928 has been divided for all public schools, 30 percent of which is set to be di-

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rected to secondary "high-risk" schools which PSS has identified as Hopwood Junior High School, Marianas High School,RotaHigh School, and Tinian High School.

The seventeen private schools on island will be allocated a total of $68,642, according to Matson.

The program proposals which are supposedly due this month still have to be turned in by schools, Matson said.

"Not all schools have submitted their applications. But we are working with schools and reminding them," said Matson.

If schools are still unable to submit proposals by the middle part of the fiscal year, PSS can take

the money away, Matson warned. "PSS would be forced to real

locate the money and appropriate it to other schools," he said.

The money allocated for each school depends on the student population, Matson said in an earlier interview.

'This is a new funding cycle for this dollars, that all the funds have to be spend according to the several principles of effectiveness having to do with needs analysis and using national programs and evaluations," said Matson.

Each school has an option to adopt a specific program, either local or national.

Saipan seaport sees a busy month ahead

By Marian A. Maraya Variety News Staff

1HE COMMONWEALTII Ports Authority (CPA) is anticipating a busy'month ahead, with the holiday season just around the corner, CPA Seaport Manager Tony Cabrera said.

Cabrera said December is the seaport's busiest month compared to other months in the year.

More activities going on at the Saipan harbor would mean revenues for the port.~ authority, according to Cabrera.

"I don't have the exact figures but because of the Asian economic crisis, revenues gained this year compared to the last few years have not been the same," said Cabrera

But Cabrera reiterated that rev-

enue gains during the holidays are the highest for the ports authority.

Meanwhile, to accommodate more seaport traffic, CPA is still pushing for the expansion of the Saipan harbor.

The added space would encourage more port-related activities, CPA Executive Director Carlos Salas said in an earlier interview.

The ports authority is requesting the Bureau of Public Lands' (BPL)to grant the 39 acres of land at the Tanapag Harbor.

111e piece of land would mean more area for cargo storage or housing for freight forwarders, according to CPA.

Currently, the 39-acre land just being used as a storage area for shipment containers.

IonY2K facing major system or service disruptions as a result of the turn of the century, but added thatcontingency plans are in place.

"We cannot give assurance nothing will fail, but we think that there won't be major disruptions. If there's any Y2K problem, it would be sporadic or minor problems here and there. We don't anticip!ite any thing major to happen," sai,:' Calvo.

The EMO official also said most of the service systems like power and water in the CNMI are manually-operated and therefore will not be affected by the Y2K bug.

"A lot of what might be affected will be our ·computers, information technology systems.

That's not too critical because we can temporarily operate without them. Wecartdoitmanuallyuntil we get the systems fixed," he added.·

The critical hours are placed from 10 pm of Dec. 31, 1999 to 6" am of Jan. I, 2000.

The Millennium bug or Y2K bug threatens systems run by old computer programs which will interpret the Year 2000 as 1900, which has the same last two digits.

As a result, any program with a . date such as billing, payroll, inventory, and ,bank accounts, among others, could crash or give misleading answers starting January I, 2000.

Guam urged to replace aging cranes at the port

Variety News Staff A MANAGEMENT audit of the Port Authority of Guam (PAG) released yesterday during the PAG's board meeting is recommending that the port replace its two aging gantry cranes to increase productivity and the port's capacity to handle bigger cargo volumes.

The audit, conducted by Ernst and Young and consultants with the Singapore Port Authority, specifically recommended that the port get rid of Gantry No. I and Gantry No. 2 and replace them with cranes equal to the newer Gantry No. 3.

According to PAG spokesman Mike Henderson, the port's first two gantries are now more than two decades old and.they are too small and too slow to handle bigger loads.

Henderson said business at the port is slowly but surely picking up, with the port authority expecting an increase in container shipments, especially transshipment from the neighboring islands.

"Because of this, the P AG board has authorized P AG management to look at specifications to possibly purchase anew gantry crane," Henderson said.

The port was originally looking at a post-Panamax crane but the audit recommended thatPAG buy two smaller Panamax cranes instead because these are just right for the type of ships that come to Guam.

"They said the post-Panamax cranes being bigger, would slow port operations," Henderson said.

The port needs new cranes to handle projected bigger cargo volumes. Photo courtesy of PAG.

In addition, the positioning of a post-Panamax crane on PAG's docks would be limited to the newlyopenedF-5sectionbecause the design of the older sections of the docks would not be able to sustain a large crane of the postPanamax design.

Aside from getting more modern equipment, another advantage of buying new cranes is that an older crane being leased by P AG from Sea-Land and Matson Navigation would automatically become the property of PAG because of a contract PAG signed with the carriers.

The carriers included this provision in the contract to serve as an incentive for the port authority to buy a new crane. Both shipping companies wanted the new crane to service the larger Matson and Sea-Land vessels calling on Guam.

Melissa Joan Hart eomoov

THE 13TH WAA.l'JOR. ~ RP Consulate advises residents of travel tax exemption 4:30 , 7:30 • 10:00 R

Antonia Bandaris Action Drama

Blue Streak ~ 7:30 PG·13

Martin Lawrence Comedy

Bll/8 AKO SA 'YO 4:45 • 10:15

~ NR

Robin Padifla,Joyce Jimenez 24 HRS SHOWTIME INFO :234-9000


PHILIPPINE nationals whose immigration papers categorize them as NMI residents no longer have to pay travel tax to the RP government when going home for a visit.

This was disclosed in an order recently issued by the Philippine Tourism Authority, which also stated that the exemption covers all Filipino nationals who are now permanent residents abroad.

Ordinarily, these foreign residentshave to pay both the travel tax and the Philippine airport's terminal fee with a combined sum of around$50.

With the order out, they will just have to pay some $20 for the airport terminal fee in Manila.

Both taxes are also waived for returning overseas contract workers.

In order to be exempted from the travel tax, visiting overseas residents should present proof of their

permanent residency in a country where they have stayed. This includes an official document issued by the government of their point of origin stating that they have been granted residency status, or a Certificate of Residence issued by the Philippine Embassy or Consular Office in countries that have restrictive immigration policies.

They should also present a copy of their passports bearing the identification pages and the latest ar-

rival or visits in the Philippines, and their Philippine Income Tax Return for the preceding year.

The presentation of ITR, however, only covers those between 18 to 60 year old.

TheITR may be an information return for those who did not earn in the Philippines, and the prescribed ITR form set by the Philippines' Bureau of Internal Revenue for those who derived income in the Philippines.

i . .J

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1999 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-5

Cepeda cites 'problem' at DPS

'Ingram cause of low morale' ByJoJoDass Variety News Staff

TIIE MORALE problem among the ranks of the Department of Public Safety is caused by Charles W. Ingram Jr. 's assumption of post as commissioner, according to the chair of the House Committee on Judicial Governmental Operations.

In an interview yesterday, Rep. Frank G. Cepeda (R-Saipan) said DPS officers who have been with the department for some time and were "looking for an opportunity for them to be promoted," were "very disappointed to find out that a person from outside the CNMI and who does not really know the Frank G. Cepeda

CNMI was brought in" to take the position.

'That is what sparked the morale problems. And I still believe it is a leadership problem," said Cepeda, who was defeated at the recentlyheld midterm elections.

"Unfortunately,"headded, "lam on my way out"

Cepeda said he has still been receiving calls from DPS staff airing their "dissatisfaction" over Ingram's leadership.

'They are very dissatisfied with the organization. There are still dissatisfaction among the DPS rank and file," he said.

Cepeda expressed hopes the next

Third public hearing about high school site tomorrow

By Marian A. Maraya Variety News Staff

1HE CNMI State Board of Education (BOE) is again giving parents and individuals another chance to air concerns regarding the site for the planned second high school on Saipan through a public hearing to be held tomorrow at the Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe.

Everyone is encouraged to come at the 6 p:m. hearing and help the board decide on the muchstalled issue, BOE Chair Esther Fleming invited.

This would be the third site selection public hearing to date, according to Fleming.

"I am encouraging everybody to come, not just parents of high school students but everyone to come and help us make a decision. We have to fast track on this because we 're expecting a higher enrollment for MHS next school year," Fleming said.

Fleming admitted she is not certain if PSS can finish the build-

ing the school facility on time even if it is started any time soon.

"We are not even sure ifwe can meet the target date for it to be finished by the time school year 2000 starts.

"But at least when the site is selected, we can go ahead with the A/E which takes a long time," she said.

With no more time to waste, the board chair is optimistic that more people will show up this time around.

"We have placed ads in the newspaper and also circulated memos to all parents," she said.

Retired public school principal Gonzalo Q. Santos is also inviting parents and concerned individuals to take part in this very crucial decision-making.

"I want people especially in the northern areas like As Matuis, San Roque, Tanapag, Capitol Hill and Kagman to come down and attend the meeting," Santos said.

Santos is not too keen on the idea of building the school at the

southern part of the island. "Kids living in the north get

up 6:30 in the morning to catch the bus, and they don't come home until 5 p.m. They spend most of their daylight times in their schools. By the time they reach home, they're tired, they have to do their homework, and they cannot do anything at home.

"By virtue of that, they have no time to receive counseling from their parents and that's when they start deviating from values at home, cultural values on other growth and development needs," he said.

"If the child spends so much time in the school, then PSS will eventually tum around and blame parents that we don't provide counseling for our children," he added.

But Fleming said the Board is working with the Department of Public Lands to identify a site in the north, since the location seems to be favored by the majority.

Rep. Dino M. Jones takes part in the udedication of flowers" ceremony as part of the Shikou Gakuen Mission Memorial Service in Banzai Cliff last Saturday. Photo by Haldee v. Eugenio

Charles W. Ingram Jr.

JOO chair will address mounting problems besetting DPS.

Cepeda's committee held an oversight investigation on DPS a few months back during which was established the sorry state the department is currently in.

Ingram, in that hearing, suggested that more funding be given to DPS for it to function better.

Cepeda had however countered the supposed lack of funding is a not a good reason to explain the DPS personnel's low morale.

Variety tried to reach Ingram for comments but was told by a DPS staff that he was on a two-week leave starting yesterday.

Tenorio says he .would welcome Greenpeace

By Jojo Dass Variety News Staff

GOVERNORPedroP. Tenorio yesterday welcomed efforts by Greenpeace International to assist the local government in addressing problems posed by toxic chemicals abandoned by the U.S. military on the islands.

Inaninterview, Tenorio however said he has yet to receive formal communication from Greenpeace;

He nonetheless said any assistance rendered to resolve problems and concerns on the contamination of some parts of Saipan by polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and Agent Orange is a welcomed development.

"We have not received anything official (yet from Greenpeace). The people are concerned with their health, so whatever or anything that will assist them is good," said the governor.

Greenpeace, in a I etter sent to Variety, said the anti-nuclear group is specifically interested in coordinating with Tanapag residents and House Minority Floor leader Dino M. Jones (DSaipan) in pressing a class action suit against concerned federal government agencies including the U.S. Anny Corps of Engineers for alleged failure to clean up the coastal village of

Pedro P. Tenorio

the cancer-causing PCB. Maureen Penjuel of the

Greenpeace Pacific, .also expressed interest on the PCB contamination, saying she has been conducting a study on the matter for over a year already.

Public Health Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez has earlier disclosed efforts are underway to establish disease and death patterns that may be attributed to exposure to PCB.

He said though that the effort may be headed for an uphill climb as it is a laborious one and PCB-related illnesses are "very non-specific."

Villagomez has also revealed that at least four physicians are now being trained to screen PCB-caused illnesses, a move enabling government to finally put up an on-site clinic in Tanapag.

Feds eye funds for PCB problem By Rene P. Acosta Variety News Staff

THE UNITED States Army Corps of Engineers said it may have to juggle funds if needed to immediately address concerns about polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) in Tanapag and show its sincerity on the matter.

According to the Corps' Helene Takemoto the CNMI is not only their scope of coverage.

Nevertheless she said the Commonwealth project got the priority listing because the PCBs are still in Tanapag.

She said the office has a whole

bunch of project to accommodate Tanapag. The Corps exercise jurisdiction all over the Pacific and other US-held islands and territories.

The Corps is also dealing with more than I ,000 ordnance and alleged contaminated sites aside from Tanapag.

Although, money is only being allocated according to the projects that were being identified and prioritized, Takemoto said they were going to juggle funds and face the cemetery problem once and for all.

She said they were looking at completing the clean up at the cemetery next year.

JACK ANDERSON and JAN MOLLER

WASHINGTON MERRY·GO·ROUND

One punishment doesn't fit all

WASHINGTON -The Rev. Jesse Jackson's arrest in a showdown over the expulsion of six students from a local high school in Decatur, Ill.. was a made-for-television performance. Even Jackson's supporters thought he had gone too far in turning a serious issue into a potentially dangerous siruation. Yet Jackson's tactics, about which people of goodwill can differ, have forced the issue of zero tolerance discipline policies onto the front pages and into the nation's consciousness.

These policies have been around for some 20 years, but in the wake of the Columbine High School shooting and other incidents of school violence, they are being enforced with renewed vigor, and in some cases, without common sense.

Nobody who saw the videotape of the Decarur youths rampaging through the stands at a football game would argue they should go unpunished. But the school board's original remedy, a two-year expulsion. was extreme for an incident in which no one was seriously hurt, no weapons were used, and there was no evidence of drugs or alcohol. The local sheriff told the Associated Press that it was a tougher sentence than anything the young men would have received in a court of Jaw, "an academic death penalty," in the words of The Chicago Tribune.

The minute Jackson got involved, so did Republican Gov. George Ryan, who correctly sen,ed this was a situation that could get out of control. Ryan got the school board to back down and offer a compromise plan by which the students could attend an alternative school set up specifically for disruptive students. Feeling the heat of Jackson's unwanted publicity. the school board agreed to let them return to their regular classes next September.

Jackson could have claimed victory then, but instead chose to continue his civil protest. Again, even his supp011ers question his judgmem in prolonging the confrontation. But he makes valid points when he questions why six students (a seventh dropped out of school altogether). are subjected to the same punishment when they have vastly different academic and behavioral records. At one end are students who have been truant and are repeating grades. At the other is a senior on the honor roll, the captain of the basketball team, who only needs a few more credit hours to graduate.

The public schools need an outlet to suspend or expel troublesome students so that others can learn, but attending an alternative school carries a stigma. Some probably do an excellent job in turning around young Jives that have gone astray. but students assigned to them often feel just the opposite - that society has given up on them.

Jackson has taken on an unpopular issue in championing kids that society sees as young toughs. Polls show that school discipline is a top concern of parents. "Jesse is barking up a very tall tree, and this was true before all the shootings," says Ed Kilgore, political director of the Democratic Leadership Council. "The public has made up its mind on this one. They don't want disruptive kids in the classroom.··

Many troublemakers in school systems everywhere, maybe a majority. are what we call "special ed'' kids who suffer from learning disabilities we didn't even know existed a generation ago. Putting them in alternative schools that stress discipline without offering the academic help they need isn't much better than warehousing them until they're old enough to drop out.

Without knowing the special circumstances of the six youths in Decatur, it is foolhardy to prescribe a single punishment. Jackson's grandstanding may make television viewers wince, but he's made his point. Zero tolerance in the schools shouldn 'tmean zero common sense.

Rafael H. Arroyo Zaldy Dandan

P.O. Box 231, Saipan MP 96950--0231 Tel. (670) 234-6341/7578/9797/9272 Fax: (670) 234-9271

© 1999, Marianas Variety All Rights Reserved

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• Brewed

Freedom of speech REPRESENTATIVE Manuel A Tenorio (R-Saipan) was \oisibly irked during Friday's House session complaining how he was unfairly treated by Variety which, on the same day, ran an editorial criticizing lameduck lawmakers going on trips abroad for supposed official business.

Tenorio, who was defeated at the midterm elections, had just gone back from Manila where he attended an aviation task force function meant to finalize arrangements for the reopening of a ManilaPalau-Saipan route.

"It's embarrassing sometimes," said the lawmaker from precinct one, ··when people make a big thing out of this (trip)."

'They (media) should throw their money where their mouth is or shut up.''

During a break, the congressman went to me explaining why he went to Manila and noting that I "probably" was not the one who wrote the opinion column, anyway.

I pressed on to ask if he would care to comment anyway.

I did not exactly get what I asked for, except for the impression that the guy is not at all a good sport.

Funny thing about it is that we have been blabbing for so long about how good it is to be living in a democratic society where everyone can express opinion, yet we have a lawmaker assailing a newspaper for making it appear that the Legislature is "taking advantage of joy rides or a junket trip" that, he maintained "is not true."

Come on. Why did it need to take at least two lameduck

congressmen - defeated Rep. Herman T. Palacios (R-Saipan) being the other one -and some officials of the Commonwealth Ports Authority /CPA; 1,, determine that the much-ballyhooed flight route will not be reopened in the immediate futurc ,,s pla11m:rl because Air Nauru still needs to forge an ilgrct:rrn.:rit

with Philippine Airlines before it could start the service?

It's between Air Nauru and PAL after all. And the matter should have been address,~d earlier to make the event more meaningful and cost-effective.

Freedom of speech, anyone?

* * * * * And still on junkets. Some 11 officials, including Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio,

Senate President Paul A. Manglona (R-Rota), Senate Floorleadcr Pete P. Reyes (R-Saipan) and House Speaker Diego T. Benavente (R-Saipan) are leaving for Japan to attend a four-day conference of the Japan Association of Tour Agents (JATA).

The speaker said the high-level delegation is needed because, as the Marianas Visitors Authority (MV A) has told him, the presence of the officials will have a good impact and impression on the Japanese community and on the local government's efforts to boost tourism here and so on.

Uh-huh. So they say.

***** Greenpeace is interested on the polychlorinated

biphenyl and other hazardous waste left behind by the U.S. military in the islands.

With the international cause-oriented group entering the picture, observers here are saying the matter could get bigger media coverage -and, perhaps, mileage too for House Minority Leader Dino M. Jones (D-Saipan) whose announcement of a planned class action suit against concerned federal agencies has caught (jn.:cnpcacc 's attention.

Jrir1.:s has just hcen assured of another two-year lcrrri f(,Jl1Jwing the results of the recent midterm 1:J<:1:IJr,II';.

'i 1 ,rr1•:l11,dy tell me he is not sta11ing his campaign tr:itl f,,, ti,,, 2<!<!1 eleelions this early.

I

You'll always be better off as your own search engine

By Bob Greene

TWO SEEMINGLY unrelated newspaper stories in recent days touched on the different ways in which we may or may not carry out our daily lives in the next century.

The first story - a business-page article - was about how on-line shopping seems to be the future of the music business. If someone wants a certain CD, there's no need to go to a store - just click a button and it will be delivered to you. You can even custom-build your own CDs, featuring your favorite songs.

The second story was a brief item in the Tribune's Inc. column. It was a birthday item: Bob Koester had turned 67 years old.

When I first came to Chicago, Bob Koester was one of my planned destinations. Not the man - he didn't know me and I didn't know him. But his store - the Jazz Record Mart- was famous all over the country. It wasn't widely advertised or smoothly promoted, but the word spread among people who loved music: If you ever get to Chicago, you have to go to the Jazz Record Mart. Even the directions were told from one person to the next, like a secret code (at least it seemed like secret code if you lived in a small town far from Chicago): Get off the subway at State and Grand, climb up the stairs, and you 're there. I followed the directions - and there it was.

The Jazz Record Mart (it was at 7. W. Grand then, moved later to 11 W. Grand, and is now at 444 N. Wabash) was the definition of ramshackle - but what a place for music. You didn't go in there with any specific purchase in mind - you just went in to immerse yourself in the store. Koester was usually there (he seemed like a legendary·old music man full of the wisdom of the ages the day I first walked in; the way I figure it now, he was all of 33), and he would answer your questions and give you suggestions. He knew everything - he was the founder of the Del mark record label, he produced music as well as sold it, and you could stay for hours in that store, just taking it all in.

Which brings us to today. On-line shopping is without question convenient - log on,

point, click, and the UPS driver will bring you what you wanted. But what if you didn't know what you wanted? What if you thought you wanted a particular record - but would have been made happier by a record you didn't even know existed?

That's the difference between a computer screen and a place like the Jazz Record Mart. A screen in your home will never make you feel like a store with textures and idiosyncrasies of its own - and on your screen you are much less likely to find something better than what you thought you desired.

This is true not just in shopping. You can see it in the new, heavily advertised on-line version of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, which finally seems to be up and running after initial demand overloaded its circuits. I've tried it - and I'm underwhelmed. You type the subject in which you're interested, and the on-line Britannica puts the information on your screen. It's free, supported by advertising- Britannica had to go this route because there was no longer much of a market for big, expensive, multivolume encyclopedias.

But the hardcover encyclopedias that filled long bookshelves - the ones that allegedly are anachronisms now - were very much like the Jazz Record Mart: What made them so enriching was not just that they had what you were looking for, but that they had what you weren't looking for. You could open up the "L" volume of the encyclopedia, looking for, say, information about the Louvre, and end up fascinated by something else you happened upon while on your way to the Louvre's page.

It was the journey through the encyclopedia that could be so great, not the final destination. The parallels here are not exact - you can, of course, find unexpected delights on your computer screen, too. But in the computer age, everything is designed to be search-engine-driven - type what you desire into the search engine, hit the button, and have just what you want delivered in an instant or two.

What makes life the most fun, though, is when you are your own search engine - when you wander through the world in search of pleasures you don't even know are there. Whether they are in Bob Koester's record store or in a dusty volume on a bookshelf, those pleasures encountered almost by mistake are often the ones that change your life for the better.

(Chicago Tribune)

David T. Hughes For the Variety Web page: www.neec1701.net

• Info-Tech Corner

Tools haven't changed that much over the years

MY WIFE and I were expecting a house-full of her family during the Thanksgiving holiday and she was in what I call her "Filipina Cleaning Frenzy." She even made me clean the garage!

All this cleaning got me to thinking about my web site. I have been very lax over the past few months and years as it relates to what tools someone needs to navigate around the Internet effectively. I had not checked the "toolkit" I put together several years ago and I figured that what I advised way back then would no longer be appropriate.

Surprisingly, only a few of the suggested tools I suggested were anachronistic - and those dated programs really weren't so bad. At that time I recommended Eudora as the e-mail program of choice. I now happily use Microsoft's Outlook 2000 or alternately, Outlook Express that ships as a part of Windows 98.

Tools have changed in a big way. Nowadays, browsers such a Internet Explorer 4

and 5, as well as Netscape whateverversionit is now, have very good e-mail programs and Usenet new readers integrated within them.

Streaming audio is huge on the Internet, but pioneer Real Audio has upgraded its software many times since they began. Now, Microsoft's "Liquid Audio" is starting to encroach on the top spot for reproducing music, Internet-based radio and the like.

However, MP3 is fast becoming the darling of the musically inclined on the Internet with near-CD quality audio files being sent all over the world in the blink of an eye. I like Real Audio's Real Jukebox program but there are so many others out there that will do the same job- most free - that it's really hard to recommend "the best" MP3 software.

Other tools have remained pretty much the same

By Dean Yates HANOI (Reuters) - Chinese Premier Zhu Rong.ii this week visits socialist neighbor Vietnam where he will likely face a barrage of questions over Beijing's recent WTO agreement with the United States.

Vietnam has been debating the merits of signing its own trade pact with former enemy Washington, and has hesitated because conservative elements within the ruling Communist Party fear the loss of control such a deal would bring.

But China's pledge to econo~ic reform under its deal, which paves the way for Beijing to join the World Trade Organization, will force Hanoi to realize how unappe.iiing Vietnam's protected economy looks to businessmen, analysts said.

Vietnam also competes with China on many export items.

That cold reality, along with sori1e encouraging words from Zhu about the importance of trading with the world, might help convince skeptics that Vietnam has no choice but to open its economy under the terms of its landmark deal with Washington.

Zhu might also sign an agreement with Hanoi aimed at resolving land border disputes during his December 1-4 trip. diplomats said. But the key issues would be economic.

"China's WTO deal sent a clear signal to Vietnam that they are either on the bus or off it," said one senior diplomat.

While animosity between Vietnam and China goes back 2,000 years, and troops from both sides fought a border war as recently as 1979, Hanoi has closely watched China's economic reforms and will have plenty of questions for Zhu.

Vietnam's leaders will want to know how the Chinese Communist Party weighed the risks to oneparty rnle from the WTO deal, and how it was sold

- just higher version numbers (grin). Things like WinZip have never fallen out of style even if other pretenders to the throne haven't been trying.

FTP clients are still needed to send web page data back and forth and to also connect with online directories to use as storage.

Such goodies as buddy chat programs and International Relay Chat were and still on the list of "need to have 's" for the seriou1, Internet user. Again, the program version numbers have escalated, but their basic functionality has remained the same and improved.

Web-based tools and goodies have supplanted programs that once resided on hard drives. New toys like www.dialpad.com allow users to make free phone calls, other web sites offer free e-mail and faxes while others are offering to pay users to troll the Internet. Accumulated knowledge flows like water online throuf!h free sites like www .britannica.com - and Microsoft's www .encarta.com.

Real-time information about what's happening from second-to-second has so many sites it's impossible to keep up. I have found www.northernlieht.com's new service of tracking web searches a boon. Let's say you search for ··sai= ellite TV" on their site. If more entries come up later they will send e-mail telling you about it.

That's a lot like keeping a search engine going all the time, 24-hours a day. Look for other sites to do this in 2000.

Need a map to find your way in a strange city or around the corner? Web sites like www .mapquest.com are the new tools we all use. But, if you search almost any on line phone book you can get a map to wherever at the same time.

to the Chinese people. "Zhu may not say anything public, but he will be

quizzed in private. China's WTO deal puts more economic pressure on Vietnam than anything in a Jong time," said one party source.

Some financial sources say that even though Hanoi said recently it wanted more talks with Washington on their trade pact, what officials had really sought was clarification on some points. A deal could be a couple of months off, they added.

Carl Thayer. a Vietnam expert at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Hawaii. s:iid it was likely Zhu and his hosts would agree on a program of further exchanges to learn from each other about how to ensure ;ommunist rule was not undermined by opening up to the world economy.

Vietnam competes with China on a range of export items from shoes to textiles, and local businessmen have been aghast at the prospect of facing such a competitive giant to the north once China's WTO reform commitments kick in.

Diplomats said Hanoi might also raise concerns with Zhu that Chinese goods, which arc already widely sold in Vietnam, ,.;:;ight flood in once China's economy steps up a gear.

Regarding land border issues between Vietnam and China, the two sides had set a year-end deadline to resolve the matter. Zhu might sign a framework deal acknowledging some progress if full agreement could not be reached. diplomats said.

Both sides have said an agreement on resolving maritime territorial issues in the Tonkin Gulf. which lies off northern Vietnam and southern China, should be reached next year.

The two also have competing claims in two South China Sea archipelagoes - the Spratly and Paracel island chains.

i ,,

COMMUNITY 8-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-TUESDAY- NOVEMBER 30, 1999

Christmas Chorale Palau recognized ;;;;~~,1~~e~;:~=~~;;:~~: as top destination is sponsoring two holiday con- certs promise to be full of cheer certs featuring the community's and great family entertainment. local talent. And best of all, admission is

The brand new element in this free. Bring out the whole fam-year's performances will be se- ily," the release said. lections by the Saipan Children's The two scheduled performances Choir, the Pacific Winds brass willbeheldfirstatKristoRaiChurc:h and woodwind ensemble and old in Garapan on Saturday evening, favorite. the Saipan Chorale. December 11 at 7 p.m. and then at

To make the holidays even the SDA Center in Chalan Laulau more special, there will be some (next door to the SDA clinic) on SU11Jrise performers, the Friends Sundayevening,Decemberl2,also said in a press release. at 7 p.m.

Special meeting at Kobler TIIERE will be a special meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 6 p.m. at the Koblerville Elementary School cafeteria for all parents and community memberstodiscuss the progress made atKobleIVilleE!ementary School over

thepastthreeyears,andanactionplan for 2C00-2003.

There will be a raffle, a rummage sale and refreshments. Copies of the draft report are available in the school office.

Jh - Northern Mariana Islands Museum ~ OF HISTORY&CULTURE

PUBLIC NOTICE PURSUANT TO PUBLIC LAW 8-41, GOVERNOR PEDRO P. TENORIO AND LT. GOVERNOR, JESUS R. SABLAN, THROUGH THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE COMMONWEALTH MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND CULTURE, ARE HEREBY GIVING NOTICE OF A BOARD MEETING TO BE HELD ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1999AT 9:00 A.M. AT THE COMMONWEALTH MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND CULTURE IN GARAPAN. INTERESTED PER· SONS ARE WELCOME TOATIEND. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE MUSEUM ATTEL NO. 664-2160 OR FAA NO. 664-2170.

AGENDA I. Call lo Older II. Ascertain Quorum Ill. Approval of Previous Min~es Meetirg ol 22 June 1999 IV. Election of Officers and Awointment of Chaw-persons V. Reports

Comm~ .. Reports Executive Comm~ee - 22 Oclober 1999 Meeting Colk,ctions C.omm~ee Chairs Report ExecutiYe Director's Report Curator's RElXJrl

VI. Ol:I Business Oulstanclng Board Diredives Group Rale Friends of the Arts· Sunday Music Salons 501 (c)(3) Stalus for Museum Chamorros ot Yap Exhibrt Re1iew · /,;/,x Corpora\bn

VII. New Bu.siness Conlrads Kallingal Building Lease Expiraoon Museum Security and Buiklrlg Maintenance Contracts Ko:Jaka Shell Coll«fon Archaeology Slorage and Cura!orial Fees CAP Gran I Appfcafi:m NMC Technology Granl Friends of the Museum German Centennial Exhl>t Review Treasures ol the Con=<>n • Purchase ol Ati:lrtional Books

VIII. Administrali'le Matters • Holi:lay Obsefvances Annu~ Report

IX. Miscellaneous Business Xiao Pir,.a Chen's -Girl and latte Stones· Paintir'9

X. Announcements XI. Mpummen:

ls/HERMAN T. GUERRERO Cha:r, Board ot Governors

REFUSE COLLECTORS' ASSOCIATION (RCA), INC. A NON-PROFIT CORPORATION

RCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS SPECIAL MEETING

RCA IS HEREBY GIVING NOTICE THAr A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION SUBMITTED TO THE COMMONWEALTH REGISTRAR WILL BE HELD ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1999, 5:30PM AT THE 2ND FLOOR, ICC BLDG. ''A", MIDDLE ROAD. GU ALO RAJ, SAIPAN.

I. I I. Jll.

JV.

V.

VI. VII. VIII.

CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL

AGENDA

READING AND ADOPTION OF OCTOBER 25, 1999 MEETING OLD BUSINESS: A. LEITER OF INVITATION B. BUSINESS LICENSE REQUIREMENTS C. POSITION PAPER AND DATA

COMPILATION REPORTS D. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEMBERSIIIP NEW BUSINESS: A. PROPOSED LEGISLATION SUBMITTED TO

THE COMMONWEAl:J'I-J REGISTRAR MISCELLANEOUS NEXT MEETING ADJOURNMENT

IS/GEORGE A. SABLAN CHAIRMAN

KOROR - The Republic of Palau has been recognized as one of the best destinations in the world by two major North American media.

A & E Top 10, a weekly magazine style television series, ranked Palau as the No. 4 exotic destination in the world on the October 24th show. Palau has long been known as a spectacular dive destination, but is now gaining recogntition for its other growing activities such as kayaking and hiking.

In addition, the October 1999 issue of National Geographic Traveler included

Palau in the cover story, "50 Places of a Lifetime - The World's Greatest Destina-tions."

This piece has been in the works for eighteen months and began with hundreds of nominations from the National Geographic Society's correspondents, travel writers and travel authorities. The results represent choices by a group with more than 1,500 years of combined travel experience.

Mary Ann Delemel, managing director of the Palau Visitors Authority, said, "We are very pleased to have achieved

···auatrt1f~~ill$I~~d for.····World•••·.A.J.i~···•••l~Y••··• By Theresa R. Gutierrez Variety News Staff ..

HAGATNA-"-The Coral Life Foundation (CLF),a c9rom~llity based non.-profitorganization that provides educa.tion to aid jtl the preventionofHIV/ AIDS, wj!Ihost the World AIDS Day ceremony on Dec, lat the open area on East Sunset Boulevard in Tiyan.

The area is rlgh( acrpss the Guam FireDepartrnent'ssearch and rescue office. The event is scheduled to begin at 5 :30 in the evening.

The theme of this year's World AIDS Dayis''Listen,Learn,Uve World AIDS Campaign with Children and Young l?eople/'

The theme was chosen to reflect several key iss.ues:

• Listen to children and young people, to whaftheyfeel is important and engage 'f{ith.themin conve;rsa.tioll ~Qciud~s~esofconcem to them,inclu.dirtg oot not limited tosex, sexuality and HIV/ AIDS; . •Le.an1from each other, be it

among peers, child to adu.14 adult to p~ild, with arid frpm pe?ple

Iivins ~it~ 11N1A.I0!i, .about communication, ~~pees participation; support.protection from HIV/AIDS; and{

• Live in a w8rld where fewer . ·people···.bt:co~ej~fected· .. ~vi.th

IIIV and . ..vhfre. cpildrer an~ ycmng people Vt'ith. J-!!YIAIQ$, li.ve free from stigma>.arid dis, cri1ni~~ti9f10 > • ............... .

There will be a brief candle lighting ctiefu()llj' at. the. ~vent: Inunediately follQVving the i:ere,n10t1y, the candlelight pr:ocei,sion will begin from t11e open area tO . the Cbfal Life Foundations house ()n10712~~tjf1.Tiyan;

AttheCLFhouse, therewill be a tab,e set {or t.q~ candles ...

·While this is taking place there willbeawreathlayirigceremony.

CL:F will pe :ajpplyirlg slllall votive .• ·glass candles/However, Cor~I/Life • ~fl~ourages {Qajlllti~ nity llleIJJbei~ t? µriug their own small ¢andle:. or•a single flower.

These items willsymbolize the importance of World AIDS Day and give praise to loyed ones who b~ve passed away or -~ inft!9tet:1With H.J:y/AIDS.

this new level of awareness as one of the top destinations in the world. Palau is now becoming known by non-divers as well as divers with such publicity that features our beaches, beauty and culture."

Palau is an island nation located in the Micronesian Islands, 800 miles southwest of Guam and 700 miles east of the Philippines.

For more information on Palau v1s1t www.v1s1tpalau.com. To book travel to Palau, call ·Continental Airline vacations at 800-634-5555 (ext. 5), or visit www.coolvacations.com.

BPL set to .· administer ~xaminations

THE Board of Professional Licensing informs the general public that it would be giving the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) Principles and Practice of Engineering Examination (PE) (Civil Structural Electrical and Mechanical) and professional land surveying examination on April 14, 2000 and the fundamentals of engineering (FE) and fundamentals of land surveying examination on April 15.

Applications to take the examinations must be submitted to the board no later than J anuary I, 2000.

For additional information, please contact the board at 234-5897, or fax us at 234-6040 or come by our offi ::e located on the 2nd floor of the Island Commercial Center (above advance marketing) Middle Road, Gualo Rai, Saipan.

The Marianas Association of Filipino Engineers and Architects (MAFEA) donates a computer set to the Phil. Overseas Labor Office (POLO) to be used in one of the skills upgrade courses being offered by POLO to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), free of charge. , . Photo by Marian A. Maraya

COMMUNITY TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1999-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-9

SGMA complains of smear drive vs NMI


ANONYMOUS staffers of the United States Senate are reportedly using the internet to orchestrate a smear campaign against the CNMI, the Saipan Garment Manufacturers Association has alleged.

According to SOMA Executive Director Richard Pierce, someone by the name "noone used an official Senate e-mail address to post portions of U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka's (D-Hawaii) testimony, and a description of a recent federal case on Saipan.

Richard Pierce

The case cited was that of a company whose owners were convicted of luring women from China and then forcing them to work later as prostitutes.

labor conditions, said Pierce. On the other hand, the

sender also quoted Akaka as saying during his Washington testimony that the "'CNMI system of indentured immigrant labor violates basic democratic principles.··

Akaka was also quoted as saying that ·'it is time for Congress to enact CNMI immigration reform."

Pierce said that the SGMA is hoping that Akaka and Senator Frank Murkowski, the 'chairman of the Senate energy and resources committee would put an immediate end to the questionable use of paid Senate staff and public faci Ii ties.

Dancers from Japan were a big hit at last Saturday's Guam-Japan Harvest Festival at the Gov. Joseph Flores beach park.

Pierce said the dirty' tricks were a reminiscent of the Interior Department's recent campaign against the Commonwealth.

Under the title "Slavery in an American Territory," which was posted on the internet's deja.com site presented the case as typical of the CNMI

He said the CNMI has already suffered ··enough" damage from the cowardly and anonymous attacks.

Hundreds attend Guam dance fest

By Theresa R. Gutierrez Variety News Staff

HAGATNA-Hundreds of local residents as well as tourists came out to see the dance groups that performed during the Japan/Guam Dance Festival held Sunday in Tumon.

The festival was just one of the many upcoming events sponsored by Pleasure Island.

Opening for the festivity was the Chinese Dragon Dance Group, which quieted the crowd by the use of drums that exploded through the speakers as the dragon took center stage.

The dragon sported multiple colors and danced across the floqr, eventually weaving in and out through the crowd.

After capturing the bait-a head oflettuce-the dragon proceeded to spray the crowd with shards of lettuce as onlookers cheered for more.

Following the Jragon dance, the Jap:rnese dance group, Suzurne, filtered onto the court.

They wore brightly colored costumes and held lime green fans.

Also performing was the Chamorro dance troupe Para Isu. They captured the audience's attention with their traditional dress costumes and their local demeanor.

Three young men fled toward the front and sounded the conch shell, alerting everyone that the dance was to begin.

The audience stood in awe as the dancers chanted local phrases and fluttered around the court waving their hands.

Miki, a first time visitor from South Korea described the performances as "very nice, very good and interesting."

Tourists weren't the only ones having a good time.

Dededo resident Joseph "Butch" Abad said "it's a pretty good mix of cultural dances.

Photo by Eduardo C. Siguenza

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Office of Vocational Rehabilitation

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation counselor will be making a monthly visitation to the island of Tinian on:

Date:

Day:

Time:

Place:

Contact Person:

December 03, 1999

Friday

8:30 am to 4:30 am

Tinian Health Center

Lorenda Cruz 433-9333

If you or anyone you know have a disability and wants to know more about our program and services we provide, such as rehabilitation for employment, transition, supported employment and independent living services, you may contact us at these numbers:

* Toll Free: 433-2010 (call will ring at the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation in Saipan)

*TDD: 322-6449

* Fax: 322-6536

Or you may contact the respective person listed above.

t

{ '·

• I

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10-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-TUESDAY- NOVEMBER 30, 1999 "•"''•' ,,_, ··r,-J1PAL:.AU

Chiefjustice says complaint has no merit

Cot1rt jt1nks raps vs official By Mar-Vic Cagurangan For the Variety

KOROR (Palau Horizon) -Supreme Court Chief Justice Arthur Ngiraklsong on Monday dismissed the disciplinary complaint filed by presidential Chief of Staff Temmy Shmull against Special Prosecutor Michael Rosenthal in connection with the Waterfront VillJ controversy.

Shmull had accused Ro,enthal of abusing the power of his office by allegedly threatening his l:111dlords th:Jt he would subpoena them ro produce the lease contracr for an apanment unit to which he was supposed to move.

.. Assuming that the complaint is true," Ngraklsong said. "threatening another with the use of the legal system is not an actionable matter. ..

Ngiraklsong decided that Shmull 's complaint was "without rneri t."

The dismissal of the complaint. however. did not bring rhe controversy to rest.

President Nakamura and Koror Senator Joshua Koshiba joined the fray, trading scathing remarks.

On Monday, Koshiba took up the cudgels for Rosenthal asking Nakamura to take his hands off rhe Office of the Special Prosecutor's affairs. saying the agency should be kept free from political intervention.

Koshiba wrote to Nakamura in the wake of the President's directive to Attorney General Jennifer Young ordering a probe into allegations of"misconduct" and ''abuse of power made against Rosenthal by Arnold and

Jemima Etpison Fennigan. owners of the Waterfront Villa apartments.

Rosenthal explained that the subpoena issue stemmed from his attempt to sue the Fennigans for breach of contract.

He said the couple violated their lease agreement wirh rhc government when they allowed another tenant to move into an apartmem unit which was covered by the 1998 lease contract.

What started as a simple landlord-tenant dispute has risen to a high level political bickering.

In a strongly worded letter, Koshiba accused Nakamura of scheming to ''force the special prosecutor out of office."

Koshiba alleged that Nakamura was throwing retribution at Rosenthal who ear-

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM

lier filed legal actions against officials of his administration, including Shmull who is facing pros~cution for misconduct in public office. misuse of government vehicle, drunk i;Jri~ing, and reckless driving. among others.

Shrr';°ull had countered these charges by filing a civil complaint against Rosenthal for alleged unlawful spending of public funds allocated to OSP.

Koshiba alleged that Nakamura was behind the lawsuit, which was later dismissed by the court.

"It is inappropriate for you to have your chief of staff bring frivolous actions and ethical complaints against the special prosecutor to avoid the appearance that you are involved in attempting to force Mr. Rosenthal out of office," Koshiba wrote. "The people are not so stupid to think that

SIXTH CNMI STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION Notice of Public Hearing

This is to inform the general public that the State Board of Education will conduct a

public hearing to discuss the site for the new high school. The hearing will be conducted

at the Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe on Wednesday, December 1, 1999 at 6:00 p.m.

Nutisia Para Huntan Pupbleku

Este na nutisia put para u ma enfotma i pupbleku na para U ma kondukta huntan

pupbleku ni Board of Education put para u ma ekkungok i minalago' i pupbleku siha gi

ayu na asuntu i manu ni para u mahatsa i nuebo na high school. Para u ma kondukta

este na hunta guato gi Multi-Purpose Center giya Susupe gi Huebes na ha' ane Disembre

diha 1, 1999 gi oran alas sais (6:00) gi pupuenge.

Arongorong Towlap

Yaasch State Board of Education emwuschel orongaar tow lap me aramas iye emwuschel

ebwe issiissilong mangemang reel igha rebwe ayuuwta imwal High School iye. Ebwe

yoor yeelagh me Multi-Purpose Center me Susupe wool Metkolis, December 1, 1999 atol

6:00 p.m.

you were u~aware of the underhanded tactics being employed by your chief of staff."

Aside from. Shmull's case, Koshiba also mentioned. Rosenthal's filing of charges against Kuniyushi Fishing Company (KFC), allegedly owned by the president's sister.

KFC had been charged for operating ves·sels within Palau's territorial waters without a valid fishing agreement. Also named defendant in this case was Resources and Development Minister Marcelino Melairei.

"Are you afraid that the members of your administration who have been charged with violating the law will implicate you in their wrongdoing?' Koshiba asked the presiderit.

Koshiba reminded the president that OSP was created as an independent agency to prosecute erring government officials "without political interference from the President."

He also reminded the President that the special prosecutor has a five-year term and "can only be terminated for cause with the concurrence of the presiding officers of the Olbiil Era Kelalau."

Koshiba said Nakamuni's interference in the W aterf~ont Villa affair confirmed his participation in a ploy "to get rid of the special prosecutor."

Nakamura denied such allegation.

"There is absolutely no bas.is in fact for suggestion that my request was motivated by anything other than the need to be able to reassure our citizens that the rule of law and this administration will not permit their victimization by the arbitrary exercise of executive powers," Nakamura wrote in response to Koshiba's letter.

Describing Koshiba's allegations as "nonsensical tirades," Nakamura lashed back at the senator. accusinl! him of riding on the contro\ersy for his own political motive.

"Apparently we are coming into the election season again. I can tell by the amount and the tone of the political fiction you send my way: the amount always increases and the lone always becomes more shrill as elections approach and you are forced to create the appearance of actively representing your constituents," Nakamura said.

''In this matter, I have come to rely on you more than my calendar," the President quipped.

Capping his letter, Nakamura urged Koshiba to "cease wasting time and start using your office to attend to the business for which you were elected."

i:

: : ,4.~AelFIC ISLANDS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1999-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-11

Unified climate change stand in Palau sought

By Eileen 0. Tabaranza For the Variety

KOROR (Palau Horizon)Citing the sensitiveness of the issue both regional and international and its great impact to Palau, Senator Roman Yano has urged President Nakamura to coordinate all of his efforts and take a unified stand in addressing the climate change issue.

Yano, who chairs the Senate Committee on Resources and Development, commented that Palau has been represented by several government officials in both regional and international conferences on climate change.

"The question I am asking is the country statements made in these various conventions were coordinated. Do they represent the unified stance of Palau?," he pointed out.

He cited that he represented Palau in a conference in Honolulu, Hawaii last year on climate change and Kyoto Protocol issues, Del. Surangel Whipps who recently attended the United Nations Climate Change Convention in Bonn, Germany, Vice President Tommy Remengesau, Jr. also presented a paper before the United Nations in Washington D.C., and Health Minis-

ter Masao Ueda in the recent Kyoto, Japan convention.

Palau Ambassador Hersey Kyota, however, will lead a delegation in the upcoming International Workshop on the Development of Climate Change Action Plans in Manila on Dec. 7-10. Yano is also heading to Manila on his personal expenses to attend the workshop.

"We need to coordinate our efforts so what we 're saying in these conferences represents the interest of the republic," Yano told Palau Horizon.

He stressed the urgent need to check Palau's position on the climate change issue because its effects would depend on whether the country that is to be affected is developed or a developing nation.

"Palau needs to develop a position on this matter. I know for a fact that with respect to climate change, there is a difference between developing, and developed nations," Yano said.

It is a world ball game. Palau, which is very dependent on marine resources, must take a position as a developing nation on the emissions of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change, the senator said.

He added that Palau cannot

combat the effects of climate change alone, thus the need to take a unified position on the matter and be it known to the regional and international community.

It is important that a position be made as Palau embarks on the important task of formulating or developing its national plans and national communications on climate change.

Of the six primary objectives of the workshop slated in Manila, Yano said he would seriously look into how to link climate change actions plans to sustainable development objectives.

Other objectives include sharing experiences on processes countries have used to develop national action plans, identifying and discussing mitigation and adaptation measures, examining the use of action plans in the preparation of national communications; assessing future needs for technical assistance, and identifying opportunities for linkages with other climate programs.

Yano said he has a hands on knowledge in the development of a master plan for Palau with regards to climate change since it is Resources and Development Committee's "baby."

'No one is above the law,' says Palau's Rosenthal

For the Variety KOROR (Palau Horizon) -The government enforces Palau's tax laws without discrimination and anyone found evading tax obligations will' have to deal with the law, Special Prosecutor Michael Rosenthal warned.

Rosenthal made the statement 1n response to a businessman's al legation that among "a thousand businesses" evading tax duties, the Office of the Special Prosecutor has singled out K&G Shipping Company.

Taylor Recheyungel , who is engaged in importation and retail business, urged the government to look into the tax records of some members of the government's Comprehensive Tax Reform Committee. (See letter to the editor)

Rosenthal said that over the past year, his office has brought to court three tax

cases, including the recently filed against K&G Shipping Company.

Rosenthal, however, said his · office has limited powers over tax matters. OSP handles only tax cases involving government employees, specifically those "in which the Office of the Attorney General has a

conflict of interest, or other ethical considerations," he said.

Enforcement of tax matters, Rosenthal added, is mainly a responsibility of the Bureau of Revenue, Customs & Taxation.

Rosenthal said the bureau's legal counsel, Ken Barden, has advised him that the tax agency "aggressively pursues tax matters" and that the bureau releases notices for payment of taxes on a regular basis.

"In those instances in which businesses have failed to com-

ply, business licenses have been revoked or other appropriate action taken," Rosenthal said. "Information regarding these matters is not published in the newspaper based on the statutory prohibition relating to the disclosure of tax documents."

Rosenthal said the tax bureau welcomes tips from anyone who has "specific knowledge of individuals or businesses who are not complying with the tax laws."

''The tax sys tern in the Republic of Palau relies on the good faith of business owners to accurately account for their earnings and prepare and file such documents as required by law,'' Rosenthal stated in a letter to Recheyungel.

"Those that do not pay their fair share of taxes are not only cheating the system, but also the people of the Republic of Palau," he added. MC

J Read with your child everyday. j

Nakamura disapproves immigration, labor bill

Kuniwo Nakamura

By Eileen 0. Tabaranza For the Variety

KOROR (Palau Horizon) -President Kuniwo Nakamura has vetoed the draft legislation amending the existing immigration and labor codes due to the potential significant abuse and subversion that the bill carries.

"Regrettably, it has come to my attention that the bill carries with it the potential for significant abuse by unethical citizens seeking ways to import workers without complying with our immigration and labor laws," the president said in his transmittal letter to Senate President Seit Andres.

Specifically, he cited that any citizen could adopt and bring into the country any number of individuals under the age of 18 because of the extremely liberal adoption laws that the republic enjoys and by virtue of the proposed legislation.

Nakamura added that none

of the permit and fee requirements, or other disincentives for employment of non-resident workers would apply, yet neither would the minimum wage laws of the republic.

He pointed out that the intent of the labor laws to encourage and favor the employment of Palau ans could be nullified by unscrupulous citizens through use of these amendments in conjunction with the adoption laws.

The legislation, which was passed by the Olbiil Era Kelulau and transmitted to the President on Nov. 5, would have eliminated certain preferential treatment for citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

At the same time, it would have extended certain preferences and benefits to nonPalauan spouses and nonPalauan adopted children of the citizens of Palau.

"I encourage you to work with my administration to find a way to address the critical flaw noted herein (in the legislation) and submit anew these very substantial and important amendments to the existing immigration and labor laws," Nakamura urged legislators.

The president nonetheless praised members of the OEK for the efforts represented by the said legislation

[Pala.1.1 gets $3-M in lJS ed.1.1~.a.tion grants By Eileen o. Tabaranza For the Variety

KOROR (Palau Horizon) -The Ministry of. Educa.tion (I\.10E)received a total of$2.996 million worth of federal grants for the school year 1999-2000.

In a federal program status report, the MOE has availed of 12 different types of grants. the newest of which is a two-year Program Enhancement Grants.

According to MOE Bureau.of Curriculum & Instruction Director Masa-Aki Emesiochl, the program, which has a total funding of$149,698, will help improve the learning process of students through active participation of their parents.

"The funds will be used to conduct training for parents on how to help their students in their take home assignments, learning process, among others. We want to increase and strengthen parents' participation in the education of their children," Emesioc.tJI .s1!id.

He added that itls the fust time that MOE receiv.ed :m.chkind of grant for that parti<;ular purpose.

Of the 12 .differtnt grants, MOE received th~piggest grant for its five~y~ai; Special Edu ca-

tion Program amounting to $993,629.

The second largest grarit is the Freely-Associated State Grant at $800,000. The said amount will be used to establish the so-called "Information Collection System,'' a databank which compiles all records and profiie of students, principal mid teachers, student popuhition and mobility, among others in a computer system.

MOE Minister Billy Kuartei said in an interview the latest technology would provide researchers an instant info1mation through accessing the said MOE system.

The five-year Palau High School Improvement Grant, which is on its second year, amounted to $195,250.

Other federal programs include: Title VII Stale Bilingual Prokct with $100,000; Adult Education Program, $90,000; Vocational Education Program, $120,Cioo; LSTA State Library Program, $40,000; HIV-AIDS Program, $54,912; Christa McAuliffoFels lowshipProgram, $ I 0,279;Byrds. Honors Scholarship Program, $60,000; and School-TocWPrk Program, $381,992, .•

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'

12-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-TUESDAY- NOVEMBER 30, 1999 SOUTH PAClfrlC. •

.Relief effort following Vanuatu quake starts PORT VILA (Pacnews) - The Vanuatu Government this morning sent the first consignment of relief supplies to Pentecost Island which was hit by an earthquake and resulting tsunami early Saturday morning.

things like transport to fly these relief supplies to Pentecost," he said.

Clark will be New Zealand's new. PM

CJ;airman o-f the National Disaster Management Council. John Sese told PACNEWS the relief supplies contained sheltering material, food. water and medicine for the 1.000 or so people who losteverything in the disaster.

The supplies, which were sourced locally, were flown on a domestic carrier.

Sese said the Council of Ministers at a special meeting this morning agreed to officially request assistance from Australia, France and New Zealand. He said the Government would ask for relief funds as well as emergency supplies.

.. We are also looking for logistical support from our development partners to carry out relief operations. We are talking about

Sese also confirmed that three Government Ministers, led by Deputy Prime Minister Stanley Reginald, have been touring the island to assess damage and what is needed by families who have been affected.

The Minister for Internal Affairs, who is also responsible for Disaster Management, Banabas Tabi, was expected to travel to the island today.

Sese confirmed the damage to infrastructure, mostly roads, in the central and southern parts of Pentecost Island. He said. water catchments in the affected areas have been totally destroyed and water containers would be shipped to the island.

Sese said all these measures are immediate requirements to help those who have been affected. but added the Disaster Council will also begin assessing the medium and long-term rehabilitation of the island.

WELLINGTON (Pacnews) - Voters in New Zealand have thrown out the National Party after nine years in government.

And Helen Clark's Labour Party will form a slim majority in Parliament, with the support of the left-wing Alliance Party.

After her win, Clark. 49 said she will ··Jeave behind the mistakes of the l 990's and make New Zealand a fairer society."

"Because I don't think the best values have guided us in New Zealand in the 90's and I want to change that."

The outgoing Prime Minister, Jenny Shipley was gracious in defeat, in what was a civilised election campaign between the two female leaders.

"It appears New Zealand has decided it's time for a change." Shipley said.

Vanuatu gov't assess.es damage New Zealand's Prime Min

ister-elect, Helen Clark is confident of forming a government within two weeks. PORT VILA (Pacnews)-Di

saster officials in Vanuatu say they have yet to fullyassess the extent of the damage caused by the earthquake and tsunami, which hit Pentecost Island early on Saturday, Nov 27.

Eight people are confirmed dead, another two are missing, and some thousands remain homeless following the disaster,

Officials canied out two reconnaissance flights at the week-

.

end.but Vanuatu police spokesman, Major ArthurCou!ton,said it's difficultto say how many of the 12 .thousand population has been affected: ·

"Thewholeoftbeislandisbadly damaged; We've seen landslides and flooding from rivers and there were reports that the underground wells were damaged and the people on the island willneedalot of water and shelter at the moment," Major Coulton said.

She has met the leader of the Alliance Party, Jim Anderton to set a timetable for a transition to government.

The two parties are expected to hold a six-seat majority in Parliament.

Clark said her first priorities in the new Parliament would be to increase taxes and superannuation and

Rotary Club of Saipan presents ... •

TNE COMMtlNITY IIVJNI TREE

The CommL1nify Ciivin9 T>'ee is a Ch,..istmas T,•ee set

"'I:, at Ca,·men's Baby News, 3oe1en Susupe, P>'ice

Costco, cu,d Town +-louse stol'es. Ccwds o>'e hw,9 on

the frees with fi>'st na,Y\e, gender, 09e1 and the wish

lists of less fo...+1.<nate children within ov.r island crnn,Y\1A

vdty. The 9eV1e>'o\ p1.<blic is invited to shore some Ch.rist

•Y\aS Spirit by ch.oosiV19 a ca>'d oV\d fv.lfil1iV19 ONE of

the wish.es for th.at child.

Please dop by at a participating store listed above and look for ''The Community Giving Tree" sign for complete details on how to participate.

Gift must be returned to store by December 16, 1999

Thank you from

FOR CARING ABOUT OUR ISLANDS CHILDREN

Prime Minister-elect Helen Clark salutes her Labor Party supporters in Auckland, New Zealand after election results showed-the government and Prime Minister Jenny Shipley had been voted out. AP

abandon the Employment Contracts.

Meanwhile, one of the first to congratulate Clark was Fiji's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Doctor Tupeni Baba.

"The victory of the Labour Party in New Zealand's over the weekend will boost the relationship between NZ and Fiji because both countries have the same party in power.

"Members of our Government know many of the members of the victorious Labour Party personally, so relations between our two governments are likely to become much closer.

"I wouldp 't say that our relations will be closer than with

New Zealand's previous government because it is not good to make comparisons like that, but obviously it is easy to work with those you know on a personal level," Dr Baba said.

He said the Fiji Government had sent a congratulatory mess/lge to the new NZ Government and commiserations to the outgoing Prime Minister, Jenny Shipley, and her government..

"The new Government in New Zealand seems to be,!Qcused on the platforms of welfare arid social issues. People are the same everywhere, their needs are the same, all they need is good governance," said Dr Baba.

Group: White collar crime rising in PNG PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) -Anti-corruption group-Transparency International - says whitecollar crime by professional Papua New Guineans is on the rise and unsuspecting people around the country are being "ripped off'.

Transparency International (Tl) in a statement said white-collar professionals such as greedy lawyers and accountants who are born in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and claim to be nationalists at heart, are in fact bleeding the nation dry at the expense of the people.

Chairman of TI, Sir Anthony Siaguru said white-collarcormption needs to be addressed quickly and called on the Ombudsman

Commission to look into these professional abuses.

The Transparency International reported that white-collar professionals are ripping off sections of oui·unsuspecting population with what it described as "their padded paychequcs, inflated expense accounts and questionable commissions".

Sir Anthony said some greedy lawyers and accountants bring dishonour and shame to their professions. "Moreover, they are undermining the aspirations of the nation, which looks to its educated young people to provide the services that will deliver the people from poverty''.

Millennium celebrations still on . .

SUV A (Pacnews)-Fiji's millennium celebrations on the garden island of Taveuni will still go ahead despite the trJditionaJ restri;tions following the recent death of the Tui Cakau and paramount chief of Cakaudrove, Ratu Glanville Lalahalavu. Tavcuni is where the International Dateline crosses Fiji.

The Chief Executive of the Fiji

Victors Bureau. Steve Yaqona said he's been assured by the organisers of the celebrations on Taveuni that the programme will go ahead as planned.

"The celebrations of songs and dances and a music festival consisting of five hands from Australia and the United States are still on schedule." Yaqona said.

"1~· .. -:,~, t' , •• · ....... ·t·". A;:,tA' I\. 'I' .. ··, ,• ~ ' ~}. ~,-! TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1999 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-13

andthe • ,·····.···,· .. : I

Philippine President Joseph Estrada (third from left) shares a laugh with leaders of the 10-member ASEAN and three Dialogue Part'!ers, from left, Presi1ent K(m Dae-jung (South Korea), Premier Zhu Rongji (China), Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi (Japan) Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong (Singapore), and Prime Minister Chuan Leekpa, (Thar/and). AP

E. Asia takes 'giant step' MANILA, Philippines (Reuters) - Thirteen Asian nations promised Sunday to strengthen economic and political ties to bring peace, stability and prosperity to twofifths of the world's population.

In an unprecedented joint declaration, Japan, China, South Korea and the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) vowed to link arms to make a "tangible impact on the quality of life" and stability of east Asia in the next century.

The host of the summit, Philippine President Joseph Estrada, said the cooperation might one day lead to "an east Asian common market, one east Asian currency, one east Asian community."

"We and our East Asian neighbors, in our maiden meeting, took a giant step toward greater East Asian economic cooperation," Estrada told a news conference after the summit.

·'The key to consolidating our economic gains is to sustain close financial and economic cooperation," he said.

The east Asian markets encompass about two billion people and $7.75 trillion in economic output and the grouping would rival Europe and the United States ifit were ever united.

ASEAN is keen to see economic integration and most members would like much closer links on political and security issues.

China, South Korea and Ja-

13 nations vow to ensure peace. stability in region during World War Two. Another group of activists

chanted . slogans against abuses in Aceh and East Timor while left-wing demonstrators waved banners saying Asian leaders were ignoring the needs of the· poor.

pan are much more skeptical, seeing no chance of a common currency soon and a slow alignment of economic and financial markets as the most likely scenari~.

Analysts say the region's immense differences, with economic powerhouses Ii ke Singapore at one end and impoverished agrarian societies like Laos at the other, provide almost impossible obstacles to any form of an East Asian "common market" soon.

But the region, recovering from over two years of financial crises and political turmoil which challenged old assumptions, is agreed the future will see more cooperation than in the past.

·'Let's face it, our future is intertwined with that of greater East Asia," Estrada said as he welcomed ASEAN leaders, who held a summit before meeting their north Asian neighbors.

ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Laos. Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Sunday's joint statement is the first ever issued by ASEAN and its three dialogue partners.

Most of the emphasis was on economic cooperation.

'·If we don't get our act together, they are going to walk all over us economically," said one ASEAN official.

He did not say who "they" were, but the region's resur-

gence after the 1997/98 financial crisis has led to a new undercurrent of confidence with respect to relations with the West.

Japan has lobbied other participants to support its former vice finance minister, Eisuke Sakakibara, as the next managi.Jg director of the International Monetary Fund - by convention a preserve of Europe. Support was substantial, officials said.

The northern powerhouses - China, Japan and South Korea - met for the first time while ASEAN held its summit.

Security issues, which di-

vide the three, were conspicuously avoided, but there was a lot of common ground on economic issues.

Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and South Korean President Kim Dae-jung welcomed this month's SinoU.S. agreement paving the way for Beijing to join the World Trade Organization.

Security at the summit, on Manila's bayside, was watertight.

There were a few small protests - one by a group of elderly Filipinas who said they were used as "comfort women" during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines

The joint communique said the leaders noted the "bright prospects" for closer links in east Asia and recognized the fact that this growing interaction has helped increase opportunities for cooperation and collaboration with each other.

Politically, the leaders agreed to extend dialogue and coordination ·'to increase mutuai understanding and trust toward forging lasting peace and stability in East Asia ...

Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid (right) receives a gift from former Philippine President Corazon Aquino during her call at the Manila Hotel Monday. AP

' \.

14-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-TUESDAY- NOVEMBER 30, 1999 ASIA

Japan OKs $.5B for SE Asia

Japanese Prime Minsiter Keizo Obuchi, dressed in Philippine's formal shirt Barong and accompanied by his wife, Chizuko, waves at photographers upon his arrival at the informal dinner of the 3rd A SEAN summit plus China, Japan and South Korea Saturday at the Mafacanang Palace in Manila. AP

Ki1n Dae-jung outlines vision for East Asian cooperation MANILA, Philippines (AP) - South Korean President Kim Dae-jung called Sunday for greater economic cooperation in East Asia and the strengthening of monitori11g systems to .. restrain'" speculative capital from causing another financial crisis in the region.

'"Given the fact that a foreign currency crisis that be-, gan in one country in the region had global repercussions and a grave effect on the neighboring countries of East Asia, there is an urgent need for closer cooperation among countric, ... Kirn tolu a gathering of k:,dns from South Korea. China. J Jpan anu the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Kim suggested the region form an "East Asia Economic Cooperation System." He provided no specifics, but other Asian officials here said such a system might include some kind of regional fund to ensure financial stability, a common Asian negotiating position on global trade issues, steps to lower trade barriers within the region, and even measures to link regional currencies more closely.

Kim Dae-jung

alliance. He said private financial in

stitutions should take the lead in restructuring corporate Jnd public lo:,ns and providing rescue funds.

He also calleu for a stronger economic monitoring system in East Asia that could "restrain hedge funds and speculative capital from causing damage"'.

··Turning our attention to the issue of reforming the international financial architecture, to my knowledge, there is a general consensus that the current system must be restructured for global financial stability,'" he said.

poor countries closer to the richer ones.

He proposed establishing private-sector consultative groups for IO or so critical industries to facilitate cooperation, working together to ease socio-economic disparities among the region's countries that are likely to continue widening and setting up a system of emergency relief to provide prompt aid to countries hit by

natural disasters.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi announced Sunday a new $500 million aid package for Southeast Asia focusing on training and development of human resources.

The package of grants, dubbed the "Obuchi Plan," was formulated after a highlevel Japanese mission visited Southeast Asia in September and concluded that the key to sustained economic growth in the region is the development of human resources.

Obuchi also announced that Japan would contribute money to the World Bank and Asian Development Bank to tackle poverty, Japanese officials said. The amount of the fund, which is still awaiting budgetary approval, was not disclosed.

With Asian economies now on a recovery track, Japan's focus has shifted to helping build the foundation for medium- to Jong-term stability in the region, officials said.

"Obuchi is looking at establishing a more stable footing for the countries in the fu. ture," deputy press secretary Akitaka Saiki said.

The package also includes assistance aimed at narrowing the gap between recently admitted ASEAN members Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia and more advanced countries through dispatch of legal and administrative experts.

Other key projects in the package include:

• The dispatch of financial experts, including bankers and auditors, for technical support to Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.

• Support for establishing institutions to promote higher

education in economic development, engineering and research.

• Dispatch of manufacturing experts as senior volunteers.

• Cooperation in setting up a network of non-government organizations aimed at helping poverty-stricken children.

• Acceptance of more exchange students from the region into Japanese universities.

Japan already has pledged dlrs 82 billion in Joans to Asian countries hit by the regional finandal crisis that began two years ago. Of that, dlrs 30 billion came under the so-called Miyazawa Fund, originally planned for two years to help Asian countries hit by the regional currency crisis.

ASEAN countries have asked Japan to make the Miyazawa Fund a permanent facility, and Japanese officials said they would consider the possibility.

ASEAN officials also have urged Japan to concentrate on its own economic recovery so it can regain enough strength to serve as an "engine" for the rest of Asia by importing more of the region's products.

Also Sunday, Obuchi proposed a regional meeting of maritime security officials to seek ways to tackle piracy.

A Japanese freighter, the Alondra Rainbow, was hijacked last month in the Straits of Malacca by a 25-member armed group, prompting Obuchi to make the proposal. The ship's 17 crew members were rescued by a Thai fishing boat.

According to an international maritime survey, more than half of all piracy takes place in Southeast Asia.

Kim said private sector participation, particularly among

financial institutions, would be key to such an economic

Kim, saying East Asia "is expected to be the place for the most active growth in the new century," outlined him vision for the future, including how to pull up the region's

Philippines President Joseph Estrada (right) welcomes Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah at the start of the 3rd A SEAN Informal Summit in Manila Sunday. . AP

NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1999 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-15 ..

.HoW"ard visits E. Timor DILi, East Timor (Reuters) - Prime Minister Jolin Howard on Sunday pledged Australia would maintain a military commitment to East Timar, as he became the first foreign leader to visit since U.N. intervention to halt a wave of killings.

But Howard, who pushed hard for the U.N.-backed operation, said Canberra expected to substantially scale down the numbers of its troops when a U.N. peacekeeping force took over from the current multinational force it leads.

Speaking to reporters in Dili on Sunday, Howard said that Australia would contribute only 1,500 to 2,000 troops as part of their 9,000-strong U.N peacekeeping operation.

"It will be significant ... it will be in the area of l ,500 to 2,000," Howard said.

Australian currently has around 4,500 troops in the territory as part of the multinational force called INTERFET which arrived on September 20.

The first foreign leader to visit the territory since the August 30 vote for independence, Howard did not give a date for the peacekeeping force's arrival, although it is widely expected to be January 15.

INTERFET has said it had a final deadline of February 28, for its withdrawal. Its head Major General Peter Cosgrove told Reuters on Sunday the Australian government would confirm the size of its contingent some time next week.

"At the moment, the plan is to provide staff officers for

the headquarters, a ready reaction force of battalion size and one or two other specialist components but all up it would be about 2,000," Cosgrove said.

The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved the peacekeeping force of 8,950 "B.lue Helmet" troops, 250 military observers and l ,640 international police.

Which country will lead the peacekeeping operation remains undecided.

Following a brief drive from the capital, Howard said the level of devastation was pretty much what he had expected.

"Obviously there is an enormous amount of devastation, we have all seen a lot of it but there's nothing quite like actually witnessing it first hand.

"But the progress that's been made in terms of restoring peace and stability has been quite remarkable."

Asked if Indonesia would have any reason to be offended by his visit to the territory, Howard said he was there to thank the Australian troops.

"This territory is of course no longer part of Indonesia and I come here to do what any prime minister of Australia would do and that is to personally express the gratitude of the Australian people to the men and women of the Australian Defense Force ... I make absolutely no apology to anyone in doing that."

Australia was the only western country to recognize Indonesia's annexation of East Timar after its 1975 invasion.

Head of the U.N administration which is due shortly to

21;oo?·····dnines.~ .... re~o~eclly·•·•die.a•.·in Japan germ warfa.:re.·experiments·· BEIJING (AP)-'-More than 270;000 Chinese died from germ warfare conducted by Japanese troops during World War II, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported Sunday, citing new research by Chinese and J apanese scholars.

Piecemeal evidence of germ warfare atrocities by the Japanese Imperial Army in China has been available for years. But scholars from the two countries have spent sev.eral years combing archives of internationaltribunals and interviewing Chinese survivorsand Japanese soldiers for

. a more comprehensive view, Xinhuasaid.

J11panese germ warfare• units unleashed typhoid, cholera, anthrax, lockjaw, gangrene and other diseases inexperiments and attacks in 20 Chinese provinces between 1933 and 1945, Xinhua said.

One document tufI!ed up by the researchers about a meet-

· ing of Japanese officers in 1943 said that five "bacteriological experimentation units" in China produced 75 kilograms ( 165 pounds) .of germ warfare agents a month, Xinhua reported.

Japanese scholars in~ valved in the research h3ve eslimated that 300,000 Chinese died in the attacks and experiments, more than the 270;000 given by the Chinese researchers; Xinhua sa.id. The report did not na.me theJapanese researchersnor say where thescho]~ ars' findings have bee:n. pub-lished;

Japan's brutal 14-year oc. cupation of China, which ended inl945, permanently scarred relations between the Chinese and Japanese gov-ernments. China has loudly opposed Japan's recent armed forces buildup and research into an anti-missile defense shield, repeatedly urgi.ng Tokyo not to forget the lessons of the past.

take over the running of East Timar, Sergio Vieira de Mello, also met Howard er,,dy Sunday.

De Mello said he asked for

Australia's help in establishing a custom and immigration service which would help raise money to administer the emerging nation.

Howard met with several Australian troops at INTERFET's headquarters and sign.ed a map of the territpry and soldiers barracks.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard (right) bows his head to receive a traditional East Timorese scarf from an East Timorese woman during a brief welcome ceremony at the Komoro airport in Dili, the capital of East Timar Sunday. AP

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16-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-TUESDAY- NOVEMBER 30, 1999

According to expert:

Beijing sought US military ties after embassy bombing HONG KONG (AP) Beijing's decision to allow a U.S. surveillance plane to participate in a joint search-andrescue exercise shows a willingness to normalize military ties afterthe NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, a defense expert said Sunday.

Five U.S. military aircraft, including the P3C Orion, will join the Nov. 30-Dec. 3 maneuvers

Branson to start third domestic airline for Australia SYDNEY, Australia (AP)Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson on Sunday announced plans for a new domestic airline in Australia, modeled on the successful, low-cost carrier the company operates in Europe.

The new airline would offer one-way flights between capital cities for less than 100 Australian dollars ($63) in a bid to break into the Australian market, he said.

Australia currently has two national carriers, Ansett Airlines and Qantas Airways.

Virgin would invest $30 million in a fleet of five 143-seat 737 planes, which would fly to all Australian cities with a' population greater than 50,000 within three years, Branson said.

The airline would employ 300 staff and offer travelers a low cost, no frills service. he said.

"Today, I'm delighted to say that Virgin Australia is born. We're going to be launching later this year," Branson told a news conference in Sydney.

Branson said he would meet Prime Minister John Howard on Monday to discuss his plans and Australia competition

laws. He said Virgin hoped to have

the airline running before the Sydney WOO Olympic Garnes in September of next year and that a competition would be held to name the airline.

Spokesmen for both Qantas and Ansett would not comment on Branson's announce

ment.

with China and Hong Kong next week in the Sou th China Sea off the coast of Hong Kong, officials have said.

Equipped with advanced radar and sonar detectors for oversea surveillance, the P3C Orion is normally used for antisubmarine operations.

Beijing has been rejecting U.S. proposals to let the P3C Orion make routine stopovers in Hong Kong ever since the

NATO bombing in May, which Washington insists was accidental.

But China's decision Saturday to include the Orion in exercises shows its stance may be softening, said Robert Karniol, the Asia-Pacific editor for military journal Jane's Defense Weekly.

"They're generally moving towards normalizing the relations again. The approval is

part of that process," Karniol said.

About 90 members of the U.S. Coast Guard will join soldiers from China's People's Liberation Army and about 300 Hong Kong aviation officials.

China joined the annual exercise for the first time last year, while the United States has been a regular participant since the early 1980s.

Chen Guiying laughs with classmates at a primary school in Qizhuang village in China. Chen, 48, decided to begin her education by enrolling in school. AP

Chinese regulators step in to end price battle over mobile phones BEIJING (AP)- Government regulators plan to set prices for telecommunications services following a war over mobile phone customers between China's dominant telephone carrier and an upstart rival, the official China Daily reported Sunday.

China's State Development Planning Commission and the Ministry of Information Industry, the primary telecommunications regulator, will issue the new rules in three phases over the next three months to cover everything from mobile phone to Internet services, the newspaper said in its Business Weekly edition.

Cutthroat competition between China Telecom, still a virtual government monopoly, and rival China Unicom in the southwestern city of Chengdu provoked the government intervention, the newspaper said.

Seizing upon a landmark Chinese-U.S. agreement on Chinese entry to the World Trade Orga-

nization as a marketing ploy, China Unicom lowered access rates for mobile phone service in Chengdu by 500 yuan ($60) starting Nov. 19, the newspaper said.

China Telecom quickly retaliated, cutting its mobile network charges from 800 yuan ($100) to a nominal 10 yuan ($1.25), the newspaper said.

Within four days the two rivals signed up 10,000 mobile phone subscribers, but the government brought the competition to an end Wednesday, ordering the companies to stop offering the cut-rate services, the newspaper said.

"We can understand their motivation -an attempt to expand market share - but we can hardly accept these kinds of price cuts," the newspaper quoted Yi Difei, an official with the ministry's telecom administration bureau, as saying.

Yi argued that service rates need to be kept at a "certain level" so that the heavy invest-

ment in telecommunications infrastructure can be recouped.

The decision to intervene follows months of concerted efforts by the communist government to hold off deflation and reinvigorate the economy. Deficit spending and interest rate cuts have only recently shown faint signs to lifting economic growth.

Four months ago, the government set minimum prices on over two dozen industrial commodities and goods, hoping to end ruinous price wars state enterprises engaged in to clear overstocked warehouses.

Telecommunications has been a bright spot in the generally grim economic outlook, with customers flocking to sign up for mobile phone and Internet services despite generally higher prices. The government has introduced more competition to the sector to try to improve service and innovation and reduce costs.

ASIA

S. Korea's output up 30.6 percent SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -South Korea's industrial output surged 30.6 percent in October, rebounding from a 9.3 percent contraction a year earlier, the National Statistical Office said Sunday.

The figure was yet another sign that South Korea was bouncing back rapidly from last year's severe recession. Some experts began worrying that the economy was growing faster than expected and may spawn inflationary jitters.

Industrial outputs grew 18.3 percent in September.

The economy, measured by shifts in the gross domestic product, grew 12.3 percent in the third quruter, the fastest pace in more than a decade.

Officials expect the economy to grow 9 percent forthe whole of this year in a sharp turnaround from last year's 5.8 percent contraction.

Rising domestic demand and strong exports were seen as driving the economic expansion.

The government also noted that October this year had three more production days than October 1998.

South Korea's production in semiconductors, office accounting machinery and automobiles surged 45.1 percent, 140.7 percent and 36.1 percent in October, respectively.

Wholesale and retail sales rose 15.7 percent in October, boosted by brisk sales of cars.

Townsfolk strip for charity BRISBANE, Australia (AP) -More than two hundred people ran naked through the streets of the tiny Australian outback town of Weipa early Sunday to raise money for charity.

The annual run, known locally as the "running of the bulls," raised about 3,000 Australian dollars ($1,900) which will go to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, said Christine Gould, who acts as treasurer for the event.

At about 2 a.m. Sunday local time (1500 GMT Saturday), some 200 men and a few women stripped down to their shoes and ran through the main streets of Weipa, a bauxite mining town in Queensland state, about 1,600 kilometers (990 miles) northwest of the capital, Brisbane.

The run began eight years ago as a spontaneous celebration of the first rainfall of the tropical wet season, following months of dry heat in northern Australia.

In total, the event has raised about 20,000 Australian dollars ($12,600) for the doctor service, a not-for-profit organization that provides medical services to the Australian Outback.

. '~ ., TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1999 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-17

Unions rap SEATTLE (AP) -The World Trade Organization, getting ready to stage the largest trade event ever in the United States, was attacked Sunday by the Teamsters union president for putting "corporate greed" ahead of human rights.

With much riding on the outcome of the talks, the Clinton administration defended its decision to invite trade ministers from around the world to the Pacific Northwest in hopes of launching a new round of global trade talks.

Commerce Secretary William Daley said the administration's embrace of the global marketplace and lower trade barriers has contributed to booming U.S. exports and the country's longest peacetime economic expansion.

"This economy is strong ... and it will remain strong because of the sort of outward view we've had about trade, not an inward view," Daley told Reform Party presidential hopeful Pat Buchanan in a joint appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press."

WTO Director General Michael Moore, the former New Zealand prime minister who has made a point of reaching out to critics, told a union-sponsored conference Sunday that opponents were trying to create a false debate between labor and the WTO.

"Trade is the ally of working people, not their enemy," said Moore, who received a polite, but lukewarm response.

Critics such as Teamsters head James P. Hoffa and Buchanan contend the WTO is sacrificing worker rights, environmental_ protection and human rights in order to please multinational corporations that want trade barriers erased.

Hoffa, whose union is among the labor groups organizing protests in Seattle, said on "Fox ' News Sunday" the demonstrators simply want a "seat at the table" to ensure the WTO stops putting "corporate greed, corporate profits, above human rights."

William Daley

Buchanan denounced the administration for agreeing to support China's entry into the WTO in return for reduced Chinese trade barriers. U.S. farmers and manufacturers long have complained that those barriers are costing them billions of dollars in lost sales each year.

"This was a complete and total giveaway," Buchanan said. "We got nothing in the way of human rights improvement, nothing in the way of a builddown of the missiles aimed at Taiwan, nothing in the way of reduced belligerence for this country."

The formal four days ofWTO discussions are aimed at starting what some are calling the Millennium Round of trade negotiations, a follow-up to the Uruguay Round of trade talks completed in 1993.

The discussions do not get under way until Tuesday. But already thousands of officials from the 135 WTO member countries and 30 more observer nations were filling the hotel rooms and holding informal meetings in an effort to win converts for their negotiating positions.

The city was planning to spend $6 million on security for the event, which could attract more than 50,000 demonstrators who see the Geneva-based WTO as the embodiment of everything that is .wrong with globalization.

The protesters have adopted as their rallying cry, "Stop Global Piracy with Global Solidarity, The Battle in Seattle - In-

ternational Days of Action." In a warm-up for Tuesday's

big march, several hundred demons tr a tors paraded through Seattle's trendy Capital Hill district on Sunday. Some dressed as Monarch butterflies to protest the harm they contend is done by genetically modified crops.

Members of the Direct Action Network said protesters on Tuesday plan to lie down in the street and engage in other acts of civil disobedience. Their goal: prevent WTO delegates from entering the downtown convention center for the start of the talks.

President Clinton, who will address the WTO on Wednesday, has sought to deal with the concerns of critics by pushing for the WTO to consider labor standards and environme~tal protections when they negotiate new trade agreements.

But the U.S. effort is being resisted strongly by developing countries. They see the introduction of these issues as a veiled attempt by rich nations to take away the advantages poor countries enjoy with lower wages and less stringent environmental rules.

Also, the 15-nation European Union is resisting demands from the United States for a full-scale assault agriculture trade barriers, insisting it has the right to protect it thousands of small family farms.

U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky is insisting that the United States will not give in to demands by Japan and many developing nations. They want new rules that would restrict the United States from using its Jaws to penalize imports judged to be entering the United States at unfairly iow prices.

After months of closed-door talks in Geneva, trade negotiators last week gave up on efforts to hammer out the document needed to establish the format for the talks. They left it up to their bosses, the trade ministers. to resolve the disputes in Seattle.

A vendor dishes out lunch to migrant workers on a construction site in Beijing Sunday. Experts believe more migrants will flock to Chinese cities after China joins the World Trade Organisation (WTO), because farmers will not be able to compete with higher quality agricultural imports. AP

iteHouse

A man burns a pair of GAP pants while protesting the upcoming World Trade Organization conference in downtown Seattle Sunday. Protesters claim the GAP exploits laborers in the third world. The WTO conference is scheduled to run from Tuesday through Wednesday. AP

Labor protests on vs WTO SEATTLE (AP) - International labor leaders began its protest campaign Sunday against the World Trade Organization in hopes of forcing delegates to address workers' rights during this week's trade talks.

The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions organized a conference for labor unions. Other demonstrators - with interests ranging from protecting the environment to ending farm subsidies - began to gather in Seattle.

The labor activists are among as many as 50,000demonstrators expected before the start of the four-day trade negotiations on Tuesday.

Trade ministers from 135 nations will be greeted by banners, marches and street theater against what activists say is WTO's sweeping powers to enforce international trade agreements.

Direct Action Network led a procession of several hundred protesters in the trendy Capitol Hill district Sunday. Organizers said that demonstrators on Tuesday intend to lie down in streets, lock themselves to fence posts or each other. Their goal: preventing delegates from gaining access to downtown convention center for the start of the talks ..

ICFTU general secretary Bill Jordan told the labor conference that the WTO must address labor concerns if it expects to get any public sup-.

port. "If the trade ministers fail to

act ... they could set in train the beginning of the end of WTO," Jordan said to applause.

Roughly 300 representatives of trade unions from more than I 00 countries attended the conference. They applauded politely when the WTO's general director, Mike Moore, defended global free trade and warned against what he called a "false debate" between working people and the WTO.

"Trade is the ally of working people, not their enemy," Moore said. "As living standards improve, so too does education, health, the environment and labor standards."

At the Capitol Hill protest, the activists included dancing stilt-walkers wearing monarch butterfly costumes because of claims butterflies are being killed by genetically engineered corn. Giant puppets of corporate executives also joined in.

"The WTO as it is now is really unreformabk." said Dan Taylor, a 21-year-old organizer. "It needs to be torn down. We need to look at our trade relationships with other countries and rethink the way it's been set up.""

The Geneva-based organization has challenged or overturned local laws that were adopted in response to concerns about health, human rights or the environment.

. ' '18-MARIANAS V ARIETI NEWS 'AN[) VIEWS-TUESDAY: NOVEMBER. 30, 1999 NATION

6 die in train-taxi collision COMPTON, Calif. (AP) -A taxicab carrying six people swerved around lowering railroad gates and was struck by a commuter train. The cab was split in two and all six people were killed.

The vehicle had been traveling parallel to the train when it suddenly swerved around lowering railroad gates Saturday night, across the tracks and in the path of a southbound Blue Line train traveling 55 mph.

"The cab purportedly was trying to make the tracks, or beat the train, after the railings had actually come down," said Frank Wheaton, a spokesman for the City of Compton. "It was a very horrific scene."

Gabriel Castro, 29, had stopped to let the train pass.

·'He was coming pretty fast. I think his intent was to beat the train," Castro said.

Investigators tried on Sunday to piece together events

leading to the fiery collision. Los Angeles County

Coroner's officials removed the bodies of the four men and two women Sunday morning. Officials had no further information about the cab driver or the victims, but firefighters said they appeared to be in their late 20s to early 30s.

The operator was the only person aboard the Metro Blue Line train and received minor injuries, said Metropolitan Transit Authority spokesman Ed Scannell.

"She's pretty shaken up," he said.

The accident is the worst ever on the Blue Line, which started the agency's commuter rail service in I 990.

"It is absolutely the most graphic illustration of the risk somebody takes in crossing railroad tracks when a train is oncoming," Metropolitan Transit Authority spokesman Ed Scannell said.

Teamsters will not endorse Buchanan WASHINGTON (AP) - The Teamsters will not endorse Pat Buchanan for president even though the union agrees with the potential Reform Party presidential nominee on trade issues, Teamsters leader James P. Hoffa said Sunday.

''We're looking at him, but I think because ofother ideas, we 're probably not going to endorse him," Hoffa said on "Fox News Sunday."

He did not elaborate on where they differ and the union did not immediately return a telephone message Sunday. Buchanan's campaign office said no one was immediately available Sunday.

But organized labor and Buchanan do differ on some imp011ant domestic issues. Unions want to increase the minimum wage. which Buchanan opposes, and favors universal health care. Buchanan wants to allow workers to invest money they would otherwise put into Medicare, so

they can provide for their ownhealth care in retirement.

Hoffa said Buchanan, a vocal opponent of trade agreements with such countries as China and Mexico that he says take away jobs in America, "is right on trade." Buchanan "is the only candidate who unders\ands the problem of trade and I know that he's speaking out and I encourage him to do so."'

The Teamsters and the United Auto Workers last month refused to JOin the AFL-CIO in endorsing Vice President Al Gore for next year's presidential election. Gore, his Democratic rival Bill Bradley and Republican front-runner Texas Gov. George W. Bush all advocate free trade.

Hoffa's name had come up as a possible running mate for Buchanan if the Reform Party picks Buchanan as its nominee. But Hoffa has made clear that he is not interested in becoming a candidate.

Reform Party presidential hopeful Pat Buchanan answers questions about his position on foreign policy at the CA TO Institute in Washington. AP

Investigators survey the scene of a collision between a Metro Blue Line train and a taxicab where all 6 people in the taxi were killed in Compton, Calif., Saturday night. Investigators believe the taxi tried to beat the train at the crossing. /\P

Trade chiefs hope to narrow differences SEATTLE (Reuters) -Trade ministers from 135 nations, meeting here this week, hope to narrow their differences over farm subsidies, labor standards and other thorny issues Fand launch a new round of global trade negotiations.

Under pressure from farmers and other groups who see freer trade as a threat, World Trade Organization (WTO) members have been hardpres~ed to agree on an agenda for the new round, which aims to reduce tariffs and other trade barriers in industries ranging from agriculture and construction to entertainment and telecommunications.

But organizers of the WTO meeting, being held in Seattle from Nov. 30 to Dec. 3, were confident that trade ministers would launch the round, however narrow its agenda may be.

"In the end, there will be a successful launch of this round," White House economic adviser Gene Sperling said. "The differences that exist now will get ironed out in the late-hour negotiations."

But reaching a consensus could prove a monumental task.

The European Union is pushing for a comprehensive round of trade negotiations, including agriculture, services, tariffs on industrial goods, environmental issues, investment and competition

policy. But it has met heavy resistance from other WTO members.

The major sticking point is agriculture. The United States and major agricultural produce-exporting nations want the European Union to scrap farm export subsidies, which account for 85 percent of the world total.

But the EU, backed by Japan, South Korea, Switzerland and Norway, has thus far refused to give ground, infuriating U.S. farm groups and their allies in Congress.

Many developing nations including India and Mexico are resisting proposals by the United States and the EU to get minimum labor standards and environmental protection added to the WTO agenda. Developing states say these initiatives amount to protectionism by wealthier nations.

Another group of nations led by Japan has demanded that the United States agree to renegotiate anti-dumping rules, which allow the U.S. government to take action against imports they deem to be sold at less than production costs.

Tokyo argues that Washington has abused the ru !es to protect U.S. steelmakers and other industries, hard-hit by foreign competition.

Meanwhile, developing countries in Asia and Africa, particularly the poorest, are reluctant to make new commitments at all unless they are given more time to put into effect the market openings

they accepted in the 1986-1993 Uruguay Round.

But the EU, the United States and other nations may have little room to maneuv.;r on these an.d other thorny trade issues, fearing a backlash from domestic industries and workers worried that freer trade will cost the!Il protected markets and jobs.

EU leaders could face revolt from farm groups if they agreed to dismantle a subsidy system which provides $7 billion in export support to just 2 percent of the population.

Any backsliding on antidumping or labor could put President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore, who hopes to be Clinton's successor, on a collision course with organized labor ahead of next year's election.

"We want a place at the table," said Teamsters leader James Hoffa. To put pressure on U.S. negotiators, labor activists will clog the streets of Seattle on Tuesday to protest the new round.

Clinton must also satisfy a skeptical U.S. Congress.

Sen. Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican, warned that lawmakers may balk at other WTO agreements in the new round of trade talks if U.S. farm concerns were not addressed.

"Unless Europe changes its mind on agriculture, there won't be much accomplished in Seattle,' Grassley told Reuters.

> I I • ! f I

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1999-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-19

Holiday shopping surges NEW YORK (AP) - It didn't matter where stores opened shop this weekend-whether it was at the mall or on the Internet -shoppers came and spent, giving the nation's retailers a promising start to the critical holiday season.

Among the popular buys: anything Pokemon, DVD players and digital cameras. pashminashawls and video games. And shoppers seemed hooked on discounts, grabbing up anything with a sale sign.

"So far the holiday season has shaped up for many retailers brilliantly," said Kurt Barnard, president of the consulting firm Barnard's Retail Trend Report. 'In many cases, this weekend was well beyond their forecasts."

Retailers are optimistic about this holiday season, their expectations lifted by high levels of consumer confidence, low unemployment rates and sharp gains on Wall Street.

They are counting on shoppers like L.T. Owen, a 61-year-old accountant living outside of Atlanta, who thinks the economy looks "rosy." And Chicago resident Thomas Avant, who makes more working at an Arby's Restaurant so he feels he can spend more.

'Tm spending more because we did well in the stock market," said Kay Abrams, who was shopping at Chicago's State Street.

But many merchants are still going to great lengths to lure shoppers and get them buying early in the season, rather than waiting until the days right before and after Christmas, when stores typically slash prices to clear out inventories.

Online stores, in particular, an,

hoping for most purchases to come in the next two weeks, which would give them ample time to deliver goods as well reorder outof-stock merchandise.

To drive people to their stores and inspire them to spend, online and traditional retailers are using deep discounts - some offering as much as 50 percent off - and aggressive advertising, blanketing television, the Internet and newspapers with promotions.

The tactics apparently worked this weekend. TeleCheck Services Inc., a check approval service, said the amount of sales paid for by check on Friday rose by an unexpectedly strong 6.4 percent from the same day a year ago. No figures were available for the other days.

While Friday was undoubtedly the busiest day, retailers reported that sales continued at a steady pace through Sunday.

Crowds packed stores such as Wal-Mart, Target and Best Buy, with shoppers grabbing up everything from $5 Barbie dolls to $99 televisions. Checkout lines at some stores ran 20 people deep.

"If you want the bargains you know you have to spend a little bit more time in line," said Patty Tappen, who was shopping at the Inland Center Mall in San Bernardino, Calif. "It's worth the hassle."

Sales were also brisk online. Amazon.com reported orders this weekend were up 150 percent from a year ago. Yahoo! had its biggest day ever on Friday, as did rival Lycos, and sales remained strong through the weekend. Both portals have hundreds of merchants selling goods through their Web sites.

According to the Nielsen/

Millie Buckley of Iowa City, Iowa sits in a chair that she brought along while waiting in line for the Best Buy store at Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville, Iowa to open Friday. Buckley was waiting to buy a scanner for a missionary friend. AP

What was supposed to be an organized distribution of $99 television sets on sale, turned into a pushing and shoving free-for-al/ as anxious holiday shoppers literally beat down the doors of the stock room inside WalMart in Bossier City, La., Friday. AP

NetRatings Holiday E-Commerce Index, there was an 18 percent growth in online traffic from Wednesday through the weekend. The winners included those selling toys, with an 80percent surge in visitors to those sites, and electronics, which saw a 40 percent gain.

Demand was so overwhelming at some Internet stores, such as Toysrus.com and KBKids.com, that their Web sites were inaccessible sporadically throughout the weekend.

Not only did many shoppers use the Web to buy, butmanyalso relied on it to help them craft their gifts lists. Many consumers were spotted carrying printouts from the Internet as they walked through the mall.

"I got all the information (online) so I can go in and -boom! I know the pricing, I know about the product," said Larry Lynn, who was shopping at the Gwinnett Place Mall outside of Atlanta.

Despite the strong start to the season, retailers remained cautious Sunday, because in recent years the Thanksgiving weekend has accounted for less than I 0 percent of all sales tallied during the Christmas season.

In addition, merchants know that any stock market volatility or unusual weather in the coming weeks could keep shoppers home.

"I am cautiously optimistic about what is ahead," said Bloomingdale' s chairman Michael Gould.

Especially strong this weekend were discount stores, which lured value-oriented consumers who like the wide selection of merchandise that's available under one roof.

Electronics and computer retailers also fared well. Shoppers wentfordigitalcamerasandDVD players, both of which have dropped considerably in price from a year ago. Video games -including the popular new Sega Dreamcast system - were also

selling well. Toy stores, too, had a strong

weekend, led by huge demand of products based on the Japanese cartoon Pokemon - from trading cards to slippers to plush dolls. Also selling well were toys tied to the new movie ''Toy Story 2."

While toy stores were crowded, many didn't see as big a turnout as they have in years past. While toys tied to Pokemon are popular, there isn't any one toy in short supply - like the Furby last year and Tickle Me Elmo in 1996 -that shoppers are scrambling to get.

Most department stores saw some sales gains this weekend. Shoppers scooped up pashmina shawls, cashmere sweater sets and millennium merchandise, including Waterford goblets. Some stores, however, were hurt by the warmer-than-normal weather in parts of the country, which dampened demand for winter clothing and coats.

E-shopping could boost Nasdaq NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock market investors will focus this week on whether holiday shoppers flocked to the malls or sat at their computers to buy their holiday gifts.

Strong sales numbers could provide the fuel to keep the Nasdaq 's record-setting streak on fire, analysts said.

Two economic reports, one on manufacturing activity and another on monthly jobs and wage data, will also be studied for signs of inflation.

"They are going to be watching the retail sales numbers like hawks," said Jeffrey Davis, chief investment strategist at State Street Global Advisors in Boston.

The fledgling industry has no "tried-and-true," immediate benchmarks of electronic commerce activity. So analysts will focus on Thursday's monthly sales data from chain stores and any company announcements to

weigh how much business was cornered by the dot-corns instead of traditional retailers.

For big-name stores, such :.is J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (JCP.N) and WalMartStores Inc. (WMT.N), analysts will be look for how many cyberdollars they earned and whether the gains cut into overall margins.

"It is my belief that when the 1999 shopping season is over, and we start to get some feedback from J.C. Penney's and WalMart's, the conventional retailers, their hits will have increased and that will be a trend," said George Rodriguez, senior vice president at Guzman & Co. in Jersey City, N.J.

Expectations are high, especially after a report on Friday that U.S. personal spending rose 0.6 percent, double Wall Street forecasts. Since the mood for technology stocks has been so bullish, signs of strength could spark a buying frenzy and undergird new

market records, analysts say. On Friday. the Nasdaq closed at

yet another record high after three weeks of landing at new highs almost daily. The index closed at 3447.81, up 27.31.

The broader Standard & Poor's Index closed a hair lower at 1416.62, just shy of its Nov. 16 high of 1420.03.

The Dow Jones industrial average slipped slightly to close at 10,988.91. The benchmirrk sits just 2.3 percent from its Aug. 25 closing high of 11326.04.

'·I would think that some of this momentum will cany along into next week," said Bernie Hom, president andportfoliomanagerofPolarisCapital Management in Boston. "I don't see there being any big surprises in those (NAPM) numbers."

On Wednesday, the National Association of Purchasing Management (NAPM) reports on November business activity and prices for November.

20-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-TUESDAY- NOVEMBER 30, 1999 NATION

Bradley back in Iowa DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -Shunning the Thanksgiving leftovers, former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley was back stumping in Iowa this weekend, dining on home-cooked chili and sampling caramel popcorn during a three-day swing through the state.

Bradley was the first presidential candidate to return to

Iowa during the holiday weekend, touting his health care plan and pushing for more oversight of concentration in agribusiness.

"I think people who vote for a president want to have something to vote for, not against," Bradley said at a chili supper in Audubon. ··That's why I've spent all my time laying out my record, what I want to do."

get through Christmas and it's three weeks 'ti! the caucus."

In Audubon, Bradley spend the day after Thanksgiving talking to 175 supporters -the largest gathering for a presidential candidate since Gary Hart's visit in 1984, according to the town's mayor - before polishing off a bowl of chili.

Bradley was scheduled to meet Sunday afternoon with supporters in Emmetsburg at Chuck McNally's Bake Shop, a luncheonette famous for good coffee and political chatter.

Preparing in his kitchen Sunday morning, McNally wasn't sure if the crowd would overflow his seating capacity of 75.

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''There's no time to lose so we came back," said Bradley spokesman Jim Farrell. "With this compressed schedule you

"I'm not usually open on Sundays but we're making caramel com and butterspritz Christmas cookies," McNally said. "I was just asking my wife, how much do you think we need?"

This is a Web page from the Bill Bradley for President internet Web site. The presidential candidates have seized on the Internet to cheaply generate grassroots support, raise money and introduce themselves to the ~~ . ~

Trump calls Yeltsin 'a disaster' in interview WASHINGTON (AP) -Donald Trump said Sunday he would not rule out a U.S. military first strike to stem North Korea's missile production.

The potential Reform Party presidential candidate also called Russian President Boris Yeltsin "a disaster" and "one tough hombre" who suffers from "a major alcohol problem."

In a wide-ranging interview that touched on Trump's views about U.S. foreign policy and his own prospects for the presidency, he said on CNN's "Late Edition" that he will decide by February whether to run for president.

Trump said his Reform Party colleague, Patrick Buchanan, has "no hope" of winning the presidency, and he predicted

that Buchanan's campaign would attract enough Republicans to let Democrats win office. His own campaign would not, Trump said.

Trump said he supports amending the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and negotiating with North Korea because the United States needs a missile-defense shield.

"We're a bunch of saps," Trump said. "There's no question that North Korea is developing missiles. We give them nuclear power plants. We give them tremendous aid be

·cause we thought we could bribe them into stop developing. Well, they're developing, so much so that South Korea is now developing their own missile systems in order to protect. And I'm really not

sure I can blame them." Trump continued: "Would

you rather have a very, very serious chat with them now? And if necessary you might have to do something fairly drastic? Or would you rather have to go after them in five years when they have more nuclear warheads and missiles than we do?"

Asked whether Trump would rule out a military strike against North Korea, such as Israel's attack against in 1981 to halt the completion of the Osira~nuclear reactor in Iraq, Trump said, "You can never rule it out."

"What Israel did was fantastic," Trump said. "And you know what, if you ruled it out, you couldn't talk to them. Why would they - he only thing

Texas Gov. George W. Bush (second from left) and his wife Laura (left) join Bush's parents, former President and first lady Geor[le and Barbara Bush (right) at a candlelight vigil at the site of the Texas A&M bonfire collapse Thursday m College Station, Texas. AP

Donald Trump

they're afraid of is exactly what you just said. That's what they're afraid of. That's what they're concerned with."

Trump also complained that Russia was "out of control" with a leader who is "a disaster." As president, Trump said U.S. aid "would probably stop if it were me, until they straightened out their act." He contends Russia is using the aid ··on developing more nuclear" weapons.

He said Yeltsin suffers a "major alcohol problem," and called him "one tough hombre, but certainly he can't be there very much longer."

On the domestic front, Trump described:

• Bill Clinton as someone who '·could have gone down as a very good and almost great president, primarily because of the economy. And he'll go down as something Jess than that because of the scandal and that's unfortunate."

• Al Gore as "very, very underrated. If his campaign doesn't get into gear, I'll have to take that apart and take that away. But I think he's starting to get it together."

• Bill Bradley as "a terrible senator," and the I 986 tax law

Boris Yeltsin

Bradley championed as ."a disaster." A Bradley presidency "would be very, very bad .... He's almost Marxist in his leanings."

• Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft Corp., as having "a vision that's amazing. I hate to see them ripping his company apart."

Trump, famously opposed to shaking hands for health reasons, called it ··a very, very terrible custom." And he said much of his mail from potential constituents agrees with him on that point.

"'I mean look, the concept of - the other day a man comes up, he's walking at me - he sneezes," Trump said. '"He grabs his nose. He sneezes. And he sees, he grabs, · Mr. Trump how are you?' Now, I'm supposed to shake his hand and be happy with it? The guy's got a terrible cold."

Trump also said he never took drugs, drank alcohol or coffee or smoke cigarettes.

"I do Jove women, but I'm single and I'm allowed to do that, I guess," Trump said. "But I respect women. I admire women. And if that's supposed to be bad, then I'm guilty."

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. LATIN AMERICA TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1999-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-21

Farmers protest NAFTA MEXICO CITY (AP)-Hundreds of Mexican nationalists from the dusty northern plains rode their horses into Mexico City on Sunday in a protest of farm policies, agricultural imports and the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Repeating Pancho Vi Ila's famous feat - almost 85 years to the day after the rebel leader rode into the capital in December 1914 during the Mexican

Revolution - the group, El Barzon, rode 52 days over 1,000 miles from the border city of Ciudad Juarez to Mexico City.

The 200 riders, accompanied by thousands of supporters, passed out fliers protesting the poverty and undercapitalization of the nation's farms, and accusing the government of allowing in cheap foreign imports of grain and fruit.

"Did you know that even af-

ter the Mexican Revolution, 30 million people Jive in poverty on Mexican farms?" read one banner carried in the march down the city's main boulevard.

Oscar Chacon, a Ciudad Juarez native wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat and sitting astride a bay mare, said the trade pact between the United States, Canada and Mexico was largely responsible for the farmers' problems.

'-'We've got boxes of apples

piled up unsold in Chihuahua. Why are they letting in apples from the United States?" said Chacon.

El Barzon-which stages militant protests on behalf of farmers, and debtors forced into insolvency by high interest rates - is demanding a renegotiation of NAFT A to provide greater protection for Mexican farmers, and more government farm aid.

The protesters said free trade

hasn't really benefitted them; the procession included dozens ofused U.S. cars and trucks that the Mexican government has not allowed to be legally imported, despite the fact that U.S. ·vehicles are much cheaper than any available in Mexico.

The protesters demanded per-. manent legal status, rather than the customary seizure, of the vehicles, saying they needed them for farm work.

UN human rights chief ends landmark visit to Mexico MEXICO CITY (Reuters)-The United Nations' rightschiefended a landmark visit to Mexico on Sunday saying many human rights violators were not punished despite government commitments to ensure guarantees.

Mexico broke with along tradition of saying rights were a strictly internal issue it could cope with alone by inviting U.N. High Commissionerfor Human Rights Mary Robinson, whose visit began on Tuesday.

Robinson's invitation came after she expressed alarm last year at the rights situation in Mexico's southern Chiapas state, where violence has simmered since a guerrilla uprising in 1994.

Her itinerary included a visit to the dirt-poor state that borders Guatemala and a meeting with survivors of a Dec. 22, 1997, massacre of 45 indigenous villagers at the mountain hamlet of Acteal by a paramilitary gang with close links to the security forces.

She heard testimony of rights abuses from indigenous people who often felt the intense military presence in Chiapas was oppressive, and that their complaints foundered in military courts.

"I also heard the complaints

about armed groups and about impunity and the lack of due process in the administration of justice," she said.

She also said she was struck by the gulf between the rights situation as seen by victims who complained of abuses and by government officials who spoke of development programs for indigenous populations.

"If I can bring those realities closer together, that will be one result of this visit," she said.

Robinson said the problem in Mexico was one of "human rights violations at the grass roots level where it matters."

"There has been definite progress in adhering to international commitments," she added. "But I think it is a serious situation and one that I have to speak out about."

In addition to visiting Chiapas, Robinson also went to Tijuana, at the northern end of the country, that borders San Diego, California. In Tijuana she fooked into human rights issues affecting the millions of Mexicans who annually flee poverty to seek work across the U.S. border.

Local rights groups say 456

~·j~~~19r~,~~@td~acf by gunmen.in Colombia. BOGOTA, Colombia (AP)Two journal isl~ covering a local election ina war-tom northeastern. region of Colombia were shot in the head and killed Sun" day a police spokesman said.

The bodies of cameraman Luis Alberto Rincon and reporter Alberto Sanchez, were left lying ina road near the town {)r El Playo~, 200 miles northeast ofBogota_

The···•two.-joumalists,•_who worked for local television stations, were · covering elections to replace the mayor of El Play on, who was killed by gunmen in September along with his secretary and a bodyguard.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, butpolice say that various leftist rebel factions and right-wing paramilitary militias operate in the region.

Sunday's double-murder is the third fatal attack on small-town Colombian journalists in as many months.

lrVithfourjoumalists killed on . dutylast year and 47 deaths since

1989, Colombia is one of the world's most dangerous places to practice the profession, the New· York-based Committee lo Prptectfournalists reported, . . Many have been threatened or killed while investigatingpoliti> qil corruption and the narcotics trade, butrecently journalists have also been sucked into the country's 35-year civil conflict.

· Earlier this month rebels of the National Liberation Army released an international news photographer after holding him captive for a week in punishment for publishing a photograph showing a guerrilla commander's face.

people have died this year crossing the border near Tijuana, mostly from extreme heat or cold in desert areas or from drowning in the Rio Grande, known as the Rio Bravo in Mexico, which borders the two countries.

Robinson said she heard reports that recent U.S. policy had sealed off traditional clandestine crossings and forced would-be migrants to more dangerous areas.

"I saw the white crosses on the fences and the sense of deflecting people at risk to their lives when they chose to seek to migrate,'' said Robinson, adding that she intended to take up the issue with U.S. authorities.

Aware that human rig,;1ts was a political minefield in Mexico, Robinson said she hoped her visit would bring about a greater consensus by depoliticizing the issue.

"When I say difficult things about the level of violations of human rights, I am in good faith reporting what I have to take on board as High Commissioner," she added.

Aifter leaving Mexico on Sunday, Robinson was due to travel to Quito, in Ecuador.

Police officers in Bogota escort Venezuelan Fernando Jose Florez to a U.S. Drug Enforcement plane that will take him to the U.S. to face charges for drug trafficking. Florez is the second alleged trafficker to be extradited to the States in a week. AP

In Loving Memory of

Maria-nee Basa Santos Sutherland

was called to her eternal rest on November 12th at the age 52.

Parents: Ramon Agulto Santos and Magdalena Basa Conception Santos, Brother: Ramon (deceased),

She is survived by her husband, Kenneth Sutherland; sons, Melvin and Jason; daugh.ter, Maggie; daughte.r-in-law, Jamie; brother, Nicolas Santos; sisters, Evelyn Benavente and Francisca Santos; brother-in-law, Ignacio Benavente and sisters-in-law Hilaria Santos and Bernie

Santos, along with many other family members.

Her remains will arrive from Florida on December 3rd. Final respects before Funeral Mass and Christian Burial will be at St. Jude's Church al 9:30 am on December 4, 1999.

Your thoughts & prayers is greatly appreciated

FROM fflE FAMILY

22-MARlANAS V ARlETY NEWS AND VIEWS-TUESDAY- NOVEMBER 30, 1999

Tudjman gravely ill ZAGREB (Reuters) - The health of Croatian President Franjo Tudjman remained "very grave" on Sunday, the state news agency Hina reported.

"(Tudjman's) health condition is still very grave, requiring continued intensive treatment," said the routine medical bulletin, repeating the formulation used on Saturday.

But the fact that the report was filed for the second day in a row -they usually come out every two days unless there is a change in the situation -suggested that his condition had taken a turn for the worse.

The Croatian public and the media have learnt about the

president's health only through cryptic reports of the medical team, which makes public statements on a consensual basis.

Individual doctors treating Tudjman are not allowed to discuss his condition publicly, and top state officials normally decline comment, referring journalists to the bulletins.

But the Sunday issue of the independent daily Jutarnji List said Tudjman was in critical condition, quoting a close aide as saying: "Unfortunately, the president's vital functions are failing."

Tudjman has been in hospital since November I, when he was admitted for what was described as a ruptured intestine. He has

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak (left) gestures at the beginning of his meeting Sunday in Jerusalem with visiting Li Peng, Chairman of the Chinese National Peoples Congress, who is on a six-day visit to the region. AP

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Franjo Tudjman

undergone abdominal surgery twice since then and his condition was complicated by peritonitis, internal bleeding and the malfunction of some internal organs.

The Croatian Constitutional Court declared him temporarily unfit to rule on Friday, allowing parliament speaker Vlatko Pavletic to take over as acting president for an initial 60-day period.

Pavletic called parliamentary elections for January 3, the date preferred by Tudjman's Croatian Democratic Union party. The move drew sharp protests from the opposition, who said citizens would be deprived of a chance of free and fair elections.

Tudjman, 77, an authoritarian nationalist, steered Croatia to independence from federal Yugoslavia in 1991.

2 bodies lifted from Norway ferry wreck OSLO (Reuters) - A robot submarine Ii fted two bodies from the wreck of a Norwegian high speed ferry on Sunday, two days after the ship sank in the North Sea killing up to 19 people.

Some of the 70 survivors criticized the crew of the Sleipner for failing to evacuate passengers more quickly after the threemonth-old catamaran ran onto a rock in rough seas offHaugesund on Norway's west coast.

In some towns, mourners lit candles in the streets, partly as a symbolic call for more lighthouses along the rugged coast.

A unmanned mini-submarine found and lifted two bodies to the surface after locating the wreck of the Sleipner in chill water almost I 00 meters (yards) deep near the rock where it ran aground on Friday night.

"There are two unmanned submarines trying to search the wreckage," police spokesman Ole-Ame Linga told Reuters. "The work will continue through the night."

The submarines, with searchlights and video cameras, are guided from a ship above.

Sunday's finds raised the num-

berofbodies recovered to 13, with between three and six people still missing. Many among the 70 of the 86-89 aboard who survived were plucked from heaving seas by helicopter or rescue vessels.

All· the identified dead were apparently Norwegian citizens except for one man, a Kurd who was seeking a residence permit in Norway after leaving Turkey. The dead were aged between 17 and 78. Many were oil workers returning home.

About 350 volunteers scoured the shoreline in the area on Sunday but found little more than a few bright orange lifejackets.

Rescuers called off the search for survivors on Saturday.

The boat's owners, meanwhile, admitted the captain and crew may have waited too long before evacuating passengers from the Sleipner, which was travelling between the ports of Stavanger and Bergen.

"It appears as if the crew judged the situation as much less serious than it apparently was," Ame Dvergsdal, managing director of Hardanger Sunnhordlandske Dampskipsselskap, told Norway's NTB news agency.

EUROPE/ MIDDLE EAST

Anti-Arafat petition leads to arrests NABLUS, West Bank (AP) -Palestinian police arrested four Palestinians on Sunday after their names appeared on a petition calling Yasser Arafat's government "corrupt, unjust and manipulative."

Abdel Sattar Qassem, a political science professor atAn-Najah University in Nablus and a strong critic of the Palestinian leader, was arrested at dawn, police said. His computer and some papers were confiscated. Police also arrested Abedel Rahim Kittaneh and Y asser Abu Safiyeh. Both are also from Nablus.

Economist Adel Samara was arrested Sunday afternoon at his wife's beauty shop in Ramallah, police said.

Two other signers were placed under house arrest: Bassam Shaka, a former mayor of Nablus who lost both legs in a car bomb planted by a Jewish extremist group in 1981 and Wahid Hamdallah, mayorofthelnebta village 7 miles east of Tulkarem.

The petition, signed by 20 Palestinian intellectuals, political leaders and lawmakers, called on their people to "ring the bells of danger against the corrupt, unjust and manipulative policies of the Palestinian Authority."

It also criticized the peace process, saying that after six years, it has brought only more Jewish settlements, more land confiscation and more imprisoned Palestinians.

"The homeland is being sold," the petition read. "We must stand together to stop this corruption."

Shaka said the petition was not an attempt to overthrow the government, but an eye-opener for the people.

'"When we signed the petition the goal was to get the ordinary person to think," Shaka said.

He said the group often gets together to evaluate the situation in the Palestinian areas, and denied that they are an emerging opposition group.

Eight lawmakers signed the petition, some belonging to Arafat's Fatah group, which holds a majority in the Palestinian legislature.

Gulf .Arabs agree on tariffs

LUISA. TENORIO(l.u~B.B.) NATIVIDAD DLC, TENORIO (10th Anniversary) (4th Anniversary)

Would like to invite all our relatives and friends to join us in the Anniversary of our beloved parents and Grandparents.

Nightly rosary will be held at the residence of Mr. & Mrs. Gilbert A and Mary Ann T. Ada in Kagman II, beginning on Wednesday,

December 01, 1999 at 7:30 p.m.

On the final day Thursday, December 09, 1999, Anniversary Mass will be offered at 5:30 p.m. at Santa Soledad Church in Kagman followed by dinner at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert A.

Ada's residence in Kagman II.

Kindly Join Us Si Yu'us Ma'ase

.R.fYADH, Sa11di Arabi:1 tariffs while basic commodities (Reuters):..,-Oil-richGulfA.rab would have a 5.5percent tariff

· states reached a deal Sunday to and other goods would carry a 7.5 unify their customs tariffs in. percentduty. March 2005;resolving a last- ''Duringthisperiod(untjjMarch minute disputethat tlm:atened 2005) other measures will be fl-their 18-year ambition to create nalizedsuch as single entry points, a regional tradin,g bl<>e: re-exports,thedistributionofrev--

"The higher C?unciFhas ap- enues and the role of customs proved the. customs tariffs .. ,}]ie points,". he said, implementation of the. customs The deal was reached after.tor-union will be in l\.tarch 2(X)5," tUous, closed0doorde!Jate to re-Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister solve disagreements, mainly be-Prince S.aud aI~Faisal said in tweenSaudiArabiamdtheUnited Riyadh,wry~reGulfArablead~rs ArahEtriirates, over the percent-opened their summit SatUrday. ages of the unified tariffs and the

Prince Saud told a news con- start date for implementation, of-fererice the agreement outlined ficials told Reuters. three categories of goods. He A common tariff has been a said some were excluded from goal of the GCC since it was

~:.;;..:::~~::.;.:..:..:....;.~·-:--· ~-.'7.17:'H:::"".E~:--:-::: .. ~~~--. . -. -.. -_ ""'-.-'-. -"""--. =-.-... "'"' ... "'"' ... -'-.. '-'_ ...... ___________ .... ······ ..•.. __ . _______________ . _ . __ _ ~ .................................. - . -

fonned iil 1981 •. Diplomattsay such a deal is needed to create a regionaLtrade bloc arid atrading zone with the European Union.

Gulf officials said earlier Sunday that Saudi Arabia, which has some.of the highest tariffs in the

. six,natiqn Gulf. Coopera.tfon Council (GCC), hadreseryatioqs about a co Ill promise proposal of five.to sevenpercent.

foadersfromBiibrain,Kuwait, .· Oman; Qatarand Saudi Arabia

and senior UAE officials. were meeting •. in,. the-· Sai.Jdj capitM Riyadh for their annu.al summit which ends Monday. Since Saturday's opening ceremony, officials have been holding bilateral talks.

. . ·- --.- - - - - - - - ... - -

''ii'' :·.(

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'··

·~'. ·1·'

1

Drug ... Continued from page 3

While being able to address the current needs of the people who show up for counselling, Cabrera said DMHSS wants to ensure the sustainability of its programs. She also said DMHSS currently lacks funding and staff to be able to provide more services that the community need, particularly on drug and alcohol abuse issues.

"We need additional funding and

Rota ... Continued from page 3

storm drains and improved water systems for the villages.

"We call upon Trendex to get started as soon as possible on construction," said Manglona, who said he expects at least 30 local jobs will be generated at the Federal minimum wage.

"Since the inception of our administration, we have been able to place about one hundred and fifty employees in the private sector. Our administration's program is really working for us."

"Shipping costs should also drop for Rota," said the mayor. "With bottled water we will have something to put on the boats that leave Rota. This will lower freight rates and greatly assist our

FOR_ RENT/SALE RESTAURANT· PHOTO STUDIO ·

B,B.Q. . . SAN ANTONIO SAN JOSE . ·. (CAR!\IIIHA110RitlITTER)

· 235..:.3445

FOR RENT 2 bedrooms furnished

apartment Garapan close to Beach Road

Call 233-0510 or 234-7119

APARTMENT FOR RENT , 2-Bdrm near Coral Ocean Pomt and

Koblerville.Elementary School • Fenced location, aircon in each t:xlrm,

refrigerator, stove, water heater • Water, trash collection and sewer paid • Electricity not included. 235-4341 after 5:30 .m.

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN

MARIANA ISLANDS

Kl~. MAENG KEUN, ct al .. Plaimiff, vs. ROIi. OYUNG MOON aml CJJUNG, JJYE SOOK. Defomlant~. Civil Action No. 99-4041\

Sli~IMONS BY PUBLICATION

TO DEFENDANTS ROH, llYUNG MOON and CHUNG, HYE SOOK:

YOU ARE flEREBY SUMMONED and notified tn file any answer you wish to make to the plaintiff's complainC a copy of which was sc1;cd on. and mav he ob1amcd from, 1he Auomey (1c11-

eral pursua;t 1117 CMC §I_ 104(a), within 1hiny (25) days after 1hc tounh pubhca11on ofth1s Summon,. and to deliver or mj)il a ropy of your answer 10 REYNALDO 0. YANA, the plaintiff's anomcy, whose address is Post Office Jlo.1 500052 CK. Snip,n, MP 96950-0052, as sum, os pmcticablc after tiling your am;wcr or si:ndmg II to the Clerk of Court for rilinc.

Your answer sT10ukl be in writing and filed wilh the Clerk of this Court at Susupc. Saipan. It may be prepared and signed r:ir your by your coumcl and sent to the Clerk oftlus Coun by messenger or mail. It is not necessary for you lo appear pcrsonaily unlil funhcr no1icc. . .

If you fail to answa in acrnrdancc w11h 1Jus Summons, judgment by default may be. 1a.k,~ against you for the relief demanded Ill the plam111T, complaint.

By order uf the abo\'e ((Jun:

NDcpuly Clerk ofCoun Sup,.:rior Coun

-O•ted-this 261h day of N11,c1nh<:r .. t999 ...

resources. Oftentimes we have to look towards U.S. to get people that are well-trained in this area and so what we need to start concentrating on at this point in time is how to develop sustainabilitywithinourcommunity," said Cabrera.

She said DMHSS will be working with the Northern Marianas College for the development of a local program that focuses on drug and alcohol addiction education and prevention.

Meanwhile, government officials including Gov. Pedro P.

economy. Rota will soon see a reduction in the cost of food commodities."

"Merchants on our Island must now reciprocate to reduce food · costs to make it affordable to our customers," said Mayor Manglona.

'Tm glad to learn that shipping costs recently have dropped over 50%. This is a step in the right direction. Otherwise, as I promised, I will resort to outside help to lower the excessive shipping cost to and from Rota."

He said having succeeded with water bottling, Rota's next investment step will be easier.

"We now call for all those interested in a retirement community to contact us. We want to build a

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, I 999 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-23

Tenorio and Health Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez are looking forward to the establishment of the Transitional Living Center right across the DMHSS office at Navy Hill to further improve the delivery of service among patients with mental disabilities.

Villagomez said DMHSS continues to provide the best care service possible for people with mental problems d~spite the limited resources.

In proclaiming December as Mental Health and Substance

major retirement complex." "I will send my economic in

centive package to the Governor and the Commonwealth Legislature to provide incentives for this kind of business. I look forward to working with them," said Manglona.

"We will be traveling soon to Japan to talk to retirement investors and also to look into a development bank for this community."

"Rota's number one priority is developing its economy. Thanks to the fine people at Trendex, we're off to a flying starting," said Mayor Manglona.

"The publicity from this water bottling plant and its fine product will put Rota on the map," said the mayor.

Abuse Awareness month, Tenorio said the reality of mental health and substance abuse problems - their symptoms, prevalence, costs, and associated stigma - commands immediate social, political and government attention.

Mendiola ... Mendiola' s co-defendants were

identified as Herman Palacios Aldan, 31; Alexander San Nicolas Borja, 30; and Franklin Borja Mundo;32.

FBI agents arrested Aldan and Borja last Nov. 19 and apprehended Mundo last Nov. 29. The trio were released on bond.

Aldan and Mundo were charged in the indictment with conspiracy to conceal stolen property within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the U.S., conspiracy to dispose of stolen livestock which is part of interstate or foreign commerce, disposing of stolen livestock, and felon in possession of a firearm.

Borja was indicted with same charges, except felon in possession of a firearm.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Wood said the case invqlves alleged conspiracy of the d~fendants and others to operate a

"I ask every member. of our community to stand with me in supporting those individuals with mental

· health and substance abuse problems and their families for their tireless efforts in caring for their loved ones," the chief executive said.

Continued from page 3

scheme to steal and butcher cattle · owned by the Micronesian Development Corporation (MDC) which operates a large ranch on Tinian.

Wood said the conspirators allegedly perpetrated the scheme since late 1998 wherein on a weekly basis they would sneak

. into MDC pastures and shoot two to three head of a cattle.

Wood said investigation indicates that the beef was butchered in the field, hauled out in pieces, and then transported and sold to various people of Saipan.

During the course of this alleged conspiracy, Wocid in a press release said, MDC lost in excess of 120 heads of cattle or about $134,000 worth of beef.

The FBI conducted the probe in coordination with the FBI-CNMI Organized Crime Task Force and the Tinian Department of Public Safety.

DEATH ~ FUNERAL ANNOUNCEMENT

PRE-DECEASED BY; Wife: Son: Grandson: Parents: Parents-in-law: Brothers and Sisters: Brothers/Sisters-in-law:

SURVIVED BY HIS Children:

•

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BETIERKNOWNAS ·04· 'H·' I 11 'llJ "GORUP9P/GABY" ~ll-'., i : lltllll

Bom:Apnl9, 1933 ''"··- , ........ · , .......... : ........ . Died: November 27, 1999

~ Victoria Manibusan Sablan Thomas C. Sablan Antonio S. Sablan (Jun Jun) 'Ibmas Palacios Sablan; Rita Santos and Isabel Cabrera Sablan Jose , Antonia and Ana Benavente Manibusan Vicente S. Sablan, Soledad S. Basa, Rita S. Mettao and Joaquin C. Sablan Francisco C. Basa, Fernando M. Benavente, Francisca Vicenta M. Sablan, Nicolasa M. Cepeda, Rita M. Santos, Rufina and Pedro Tudela, Jeronimo and Candelaria Manibusan, Sylvia and Antonio Cabrera, Vicente and Maria Manibusan, Josepha and Santiago Camacho

Rita S. and Juan Diego Celis Edward and Lucy S. Sablan Raymond and Lucy I. Sablan Antonio and Mahana Sablan Antonia S. and Serafin Tudela Donald and Maria Sablan

Gregorio Jr. and Vicky Sablan Roy and Esther Sablan Rita Ann S. Magofna Gerald, Richard and Marvin Sablan Sharlene, Shelly and George Sablan

Grandchildren, Great Grandchildren, Uncles, Aunties, Cousins, Nephews and Nieces Brothers, Sisters & In-law: Maria M. Sablan Margarita and Jose T. Castro

Faustina S. Benavente Bernadita and Isidro T. Cabrera Ana S. and Henry T. Indalecio Grace C. Sablan Jesus S. and Rita G. Sablan Vicente I. Cepeda Juana S. and Daniel T. Muna Juan and Daisy Santos Natividad C. Sablan Abraham and Bernadita Manibusan Matilde S. and Martian M. Taisacan Luis and Violeta Manibusan Manuel and Consolacion C. Sablan Casiano and Elsie Matsunaga Raphael M. Mettao Francisco and Nelda Manibusan Maria and Juan L. Ada Maria and Moses Sebatang Maria and Alfredo (i{Jnzales Inocencia and Francisco Palacios Thomas C. Sablan Dolores Manibusan Isabel and Melchor U. Maratita Lydia and Sen. Paul Manglona Pedro and Ignacia M. Sablan

Nightly rosary is being said at San Antonio Church at 7:00 p.m. The body will leave CHC at 8:00 a.m., Saturday December 4, 1999 for viewing at San Antonio Church.

Mass will be said at 2:00 p.m. followed by Christian burial at Chalan Kanoa Cemetery. S;, 'l/u'uJ. Ma'aae q~ j IJ/.cundia

. .

Classif.ied Ads ·s·ection Employment Wanted ...... · .. '.Job Vacancy . Announcement

PUBLIC NOTICE All Interested resident workers are

urged to register at the Dept. of ~abor & Immigration,

Division of Employment Services for the job/s being advertised In which

you are qualified and available. For further assistance,

please call Alfred A. Pangelinan at Tel. 664-2078.

01 COMMERCIAL CLEANER-Salary: $3.05 per hour 01 HOUSEKEEPING SUPERVISORSalary: $3.40 per hour 04 CLEANER, HOUSEKEEPING-Salary: $3.05 per hour 02 TAILOR-Salary: $3.05-3.60 per hour 01 CARPENTER-Salary: $3.15-3.20 per hour 01 ELECTRICIAN-Salary: $3.60 per hour Contact: KAN PACIFIC SAIPAN, LTD. Tel. 322-0770(11/30)T81659

01 ADMINISTRATIVEASSJSTANT-Salary: $3.05-3.25 per hour 01 BUILDING MAINTENANCE & REPAIRER-Salary: $3.05-3.25 per hour Contact: ANNABELLE LE S. MAGSAYSAY dba Mican Group Intl./ Aquabest Tel. 235-2782(11/30)T33504

01 MANAGER-Salary: $1,200.00 per month 02 MASSEUR/MASSEUS-SALARY: $3.05 per hour Contact:MIRAGECORPORATIONTel. 233-4317(11/30)T33495

02 BEAUTICIAN-Salary: $3.05 per hour Contact: REMEDIO S. BUNIAG dba Jihan Corporation Tel. 322-0414(11/ 30)T33490

01 COOK-Salary: S3.05 per hour Contact: DANIEL S./REMEDIO S. BUNIAG dba Marfran Enterprises Tel. 322-0414(11/30)T33491

02 HEAVY EQUIPMENT MECHANIC: Salary: $3.65 per hour Contact: SHINTANI MANGLONA CORPORATION Tel. 532-0316(11/ 30)T33489

01 MUSICIAN-Salary: $3.05-03.50 per hour Contact: COMMONWEALTH MARINE' LEISURE CORP. dba Marine Sports & Leisure Tel. 234-9157(11/30)T33488

01 PAINTER-Salary: $3.10 per hour 02 MASON-Salary: $3.05-3.10 pe rhour 02 CARPENTER-Salary: $3.05-3.20 per hour 01 DRAFTER,ARCHITECTURAL-Salary: S750.00 per month 01 ACCOUNTANT-Salary: $800.00 per month 01 ELECTRICIAN-Salary: $3.05 per hour 01 STEELWORKER-Salary: S3.05 per hour Contact: NORTH PACIFIC BUILDERS, INC. Tel. 235-7171(11/30)T81654

01 MAINTENANCE, REPAIRER BLD.G -Salary: $3.25-3.75 per hour 02 H.E. OPERATOR-Salary: $3.75 per hour 01 MECHANIC/MAINTENANCE-Salary: $3.75 per hour 05 MAINTENANCE WORKER, MUNICIPAL-Salary: $3.25-3.75 per hour Contact: JACINTO C. CRUZ dba Cruz Sanitation Services Tel. 234-0456(11/

· 30)133500

01 WAITRESS (RESTAURANT)-Salary: $3.05 per hour 02 COOK-Salary: $3.05 per hour Contact: JNM KJNTOL INC. dba Auntie Mag's Diner Tel. 288-0375(12/ 6JM33579

Classified Ads FIRST

01 CARPENTER-Salary: $3.05 per hour Contact: BLOOMING J. CORP. Tel. 235-7878(11/30)T33494

01 ICE MAKER-Salary: $3.05 per hour Contact: GLOBAL ENTERPRISES INC. dba Diamond Ice & Water Tel. 234-5922(11/30)T33493

07 CUTIER-Salary: $3.05 per hour 02 BUTIONHOLE MACHINE OPERATOR-Salary: $3.05 per hour 02 MARKER-Salary: $3.05 pe rhour 07 PRESSER (MACHINE)-Salary: $3.05 per hour 04 QUALITY CONTROL CHECKERSalary: $3.05 per hour 03 (ASST.) PRODUCTION MANAGERSalary: $3.05-10.00 per hour 51 SEWING MACHINE OPERATORSalary: 3.05 per hour 02 TRIMM ER-Salary: $3.05 per hour Contact: EXPRESS MANUFACTURING, INC. Tel. 322-6743(11/23)T33389

01 ACCOUNTANT-Salary: 850.00 per month Contact: BLANCO VENDE, LTD. dba Kiosk & Coral Reef Logo Shop Tel. 322-3313( 11/23)T33392

01 ELECTRICIAN (SUPERVISOR)Salary: $800-1,200.00 per month 01 PROJECT MANAGER-Salary: $800-1,800.00 per month Contact: HBR INTERNATIONAL, INC. Tel. 322-2406(11/23)133394

02 MAINTENANCE REPAIRER-Salary: $3.50-6.50 per hour plus $425.00 per month housing allowance High school graduate; 3 Years experience required Contact: DFS Saipan Limited Tel. 234-6615(12ll)T817900

01 GRAPHIC ARTIST-Salary: $3.50 per hour Contact: YOUNIS ART STUDIO, INC. dba Marianas Variety News & Views Tel. 234-6341 (12ll)T81803

01 SUPERVISOR-Salary: $ 3.05 per hour Contact: AMERICAN FUCHENG CORPORATION Tel. 233-9668(12/7)T33588

03 COMMERCIAL CLEANER-Salary: $3.05 per hour 03 JANITOR-Salary: $3.05 per hour Contact: DINO/LETTY A. JONES dba D/L Personnel Service Supply Tel. 322-5389(12/7)T33589

01 WAREHOUSE WORKER-Salary: $4.55 per hour 01 CIVIL ENGINEER-Salary: $700.00-800.00 per month 01 PLUMBER-Salary: $3.05 per hour Contact: JG Sablan Realty & Construction Co., Inc. Tel. 234-3221(12/ 7)T33590

02 DELIVERY ROUTE-Salary: $3.05 per hour Contact: JG SABLAN WATER & ICE INC. Tel. 234-3219(12/7)T33591

01 MECHANIC, MARINE ENGINE-Salary: $600.00 -1,500.00 per month Contact: BIG BOY MARINE SPORTS INC., dba Big Boyz II Marine Tel. 234-3358(12/7)T33592

01 MAINTENANCE REPAIRER, BLDG. -Salary: $4.00-4.50 per hour Contact: SEAFJX INCORPORATED Tel. 322-0997(12/7)T33593

01 GENERAL MANAGER-Salary: $800.00 per month 01 CUSTOM TAILOR-Salary: $3.05 per hour Contact: PACIFIC ENGINEERING & CONST., INC. dba Tessie's Corner Tel. 234-5224( 12/7)T33600

01 CARPENTER-SALARY: $3.05 per hour 01 PLUMBER-Salary: $3.15 per hour 01 MASON-Salary: $3.05 per hour Contact: VARGAS CORPORATION Tel. 235-0297 ( 12,7) T33602

01 ELECTRICIAN-Salary:$3.05 per hour 01 BUILDING MAINTENANCE REPAIRER-Salary:$3.05 per hour Contact: JOSE B.AVJLAdba Allied Ent. Tel. 288-1086(12/14)T33671

02 WASHING MACHINE OPERATORSalary: $3.05 per hour 01 WELDER-Salary: $3.05 per hour Contact: HIP SHING (SAIPAN) Tel. 322-8989

02 BEAUTICIAN-Salary:$3.35-3.60 per hour Contact: STANLEY C. & JUANNET G. TORRES dba Juanny's Beauty Salon Tel. 288-7686 33604

01 (JET SKI) INSTRUCTOR-Salary: $3.50 per hour Contact: MR. DAVIDE. PANGELINAN dba Island Marine Sports Tel. 235-7110(11/30)T33503

02 BUILDING MAINTENANCE REPAIRER-Salary: $3.10-3.380 per hour Contact: FUJI PACIFIC, INC. Tel. 234-0583(11/30)133499

04 FISHERMEN-Salary:$3.05 per hour Contact: RAY FALCON dba D&C Fish Market Tel. 235-1535(12/14)T33675

01 ELECTRICIAN-Salary:$3.50 per hour Contact: MARIANAS PARAMOUNT CORP. Tel. 233-4030(12/14)T33664

01 ELECTRICIAN BUILDING-Salary:$3.05-3.50 per hour 01 ELECTRICIAN BUILDING-Salary:$3.05-3.50 per hour Contact: NIIZEKI INTERNATIONAL SAIPAN CO., LTD. Tel. 234-5050(12/ 14)T81907

01 ACCOUNTANT-Salary:$4.00 per hour Plus $100.00 housing allowance. Contact: BLT AMUSEMENT INC. dba Fun Zone Tel. 322-45n(12/14)T33669

01 SINGER-Salary:$4.50 per hour Contact: FELIPE Q. MAHINAY dba Mahinay Production & Promotion Tel. 235-9517(12/14)T33670

01 CAMERAOPERATOR-Salary:$3.50 per hour Contact: MARIANA SPORT CLUB, INC. dba M.S.C. Tel. 233-0670(12/ 14)T33663

01 ADMINISTRATIVEASSISTANT-Salary:$3.50 per hour Contact: MICRONESIAN INVESTMENT INT'L. dba Marianas Postal Services Tel. 234-8491 (12/14)T33665

01 COOK-Salary:$3.20 per hour Plus $50.00 housing allowance. Contact: ROWENA L. O'CONNOR dba K's Dimsum & Noodle House Tel. 234-3307(12/14)TB 1895

01 ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGERSalary: $1, 100.00-2,300.00 per month Duties includes analyzing and organizing office operations and procedures or devises new forms to improve efficiency of work flow. Supervise company's general accounting and other administrative related duties. Coordinates activities of clerical personnel in the organization. Due to the nature of the business, Japanese reading, writing and speaking is preferred. Contact: HBR INTERNATIONAL, INC. Tel. 322-5115(11/30)AC33514

DIESEL ENGINE I GENERATOR MECHANIC _ .....-LOCAL HIRE·ONLY

Must have a minimum of 5 Years proven Experience maintaining & Repairing Diesel Engines and Generators. You will be tested. Engines and Generators. You will be tested. Caterpillar experience preferred. Must have a Complete set of tools & a VoJUFrequency Meter Salary Range $6.00 to $12.00 per hour, depending on experience. Pick up application i person at Pacific Machinery in As Ltto. Phone# 288-6900

Wood Working Business FOR SALE Established Cabinet Shop, Excellent

Reputation, Same Location Since 1986. All equipment & inventory $45,000/oHer

Phone/Fax 322-3221

DEADLINE:_ 12:00 noon the day prior to pul:>Ucatlon

. . . NOTE: 1f some reason your advertisement Is Incorrect. call us Immediately to make the necessary corrections. lhe Marianas Variety News ond Views Is responsble only for one incorrect insertion. We reserve tile right to edit, refuse. reject or cancel any ad at any time.

!\PARTMENT FOR RENT Quiet Two (2) Bedrooms • Three (3) Bedrooms• Swimming Pool Tennis Court

KANNAT GARDENS ·\I \l{\IIIUllll{\\i\HJ\\\,<Pl.l!I.J,

235-.5686 (8:30 AM to 5:JO-PM Wedcda ) 2J5.'16lo, l34-S8'49 (6:00 PM.lo 9:00 P.11, E,eryday including Sat. & Son.J

APARTMENT /HOUSE FOR RENT I I

2-3 & 4 BEDROOM HOUSE 1 & 2 BEDROOM APARTMENT

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: TEL # 322-3366/5558 FAX: 322-3888

.SPECTACULAR VIEWS House Lots for Lease • 1,500 sq. m. lots • Mt. Tapuchao • View Managaha Islands •

Road Access • Electricity • Water • Payment Accepted • 54.95 year lease

Please call Lisa at Tel. 234-5684

BIG SALE

KIMUHI (1) 33LBS/Drum/$30.00 (2) 16.7 LBS/Drurn/$17.00

Hailan Market Free delivery over two drums

Middle Road Chalan Laulau Tel. 234-5958, 234-2978

APARTMENT 2 Bedroom, 2 T&B, 24 Hrs. Water Spacious Living & Kitchen Area

Locat'ron: Susupe across Grand Hotel

2 Bedroom, 24 Hrs. Water Location: Back of Mobil San Jose

COMMERCIAL omcE SPACE Susupe along Beach Road across Grand Hotel Area: 2500 sq. It.

2nd Fir. of Modern Slationery Building in San Jose with ample Parking Space

Area: 1000 sq. ft.

NITE CLUB & KARAOKE SPACE Susupe along Beach Road across

Grand Holel Area: 2200 Sq. Ft. and 5000 Sq. Ft.

For more information Please call Bong or Edgar

at 234-8585/235-6163

FIVE (5) BEDROOMS, TWO BATHROOMS WITH

GARAGEAND FOUR (4) BEDROOMS,

TWO BATHROOMS wmr GARAGE, LARGE YARD CLOSE

TO THE OCEAN AT LOWER ASTEO ARE AVAILABLE FOR RENT.

PLEASE LEAVE YOUR NAME AND TELEPHONE NUMBER AT TELEPHONE NO. 235-1839

. HOUSE FOR RENT 2 Bedroom, Kitchen, Living Room, Water Heater, A/C living Room Rain Water Tank, Chain Link Fence, Refrigerator, Slovc, Asking: $50~. per month. If interested please call Ben ot 234-3901 niter 5:00 or leave message

Name: JIN LIAN HUA Nationality: IJHINESE

D.0.8.: May 19, ln62 If found, please contact Toi. 235-1838

Name: CHEN YAN ZHEN Nationality: IJHINESE

D.O.B.: March 161 1960 U found, please contar.t Tel. 287-8161

Name: YUAN HONG JUN Nationality: CHINESE

D.O.B.: January 5, 1962 II found, pll!llsE contact Tel. 235·1418

LOST PASSPORT

Name: Jin Zhongcheng National: Chinese

DOB: August 4, 1962 Contact #: 288 - 5550

i I I

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EEK & MEEK® by Howie Schneider tt:)U K.IAS Ya.JR. DA1E wm-1 ws MoTIVATIO\lAL SPtA~?

(OJ.iSIDER/1..i::, HIS EO-WCKY DIDN'T W 100 W£LL

n ~ 10-.21-0 ~~:::::::::..:::=:::::..--:===~

PEANUTS® by Charles M. Schulz '{ES. '(OUR HONOR •• Tl-115 YOUNG LAD'{ 15 M'( CLIENT ..

Born today, you are not one of those individuals who enjoys heeding a single calling. On the contrary' it is likely that you will be pulled in so many different directions throughout your lifetime that what you call a "career" is likely to be, in fact, a combination of several different and diverse careers in one. Driven by a desire to succeed at everything you attempt, you will enjoy putting all your skills and talents to the test at every opportunity. Even when you're enjoying success in one area, you are able to look around you and enjoy all your other options.

Like all true go-getters, you are constantly trying to keep insecurity and self-doubt at bay. When you do, the world. is your oyster, and- when you do not, you are best to stick to yourself and avoid the company of others. You can be quite gloomy and unpleasant when you're not feeling on top of the world.

Also born on this date arc: Hillary Rodham Clinton, U.S. first lady; Jaclyn Smith, actress and model; Pat Sajak, TV game-show host; Bob Hoskins, actor; Francois Mitterand, French president.

To see what is in store for you tomorrow, find your birth-

day and read the corresponding paragraph. Let your birthday star be your daily guide.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)- With the help of someone "in the know," you can put yourself in a position to · receive a great many rare and invaluable benefits today.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)- You may be under more pressure today as a result of a recently-formed alliance which may be attracting a great deal of scrutiny.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) - "Better S?.fe than sorry" is an adagt: best left to the timid and squeamish today. You are feeling daring, bold and eager to experiment at this time.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) - Security and dependability are not to be taken lightly today. You can provide both, but are you in a situation that can provide them?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) - You are being too sensitive these days, and right now any kind of over-reaction could threaten your personal progress.

ARIES (March 21-April 19)- You must maintain tight control over all of your own

WE NEED TO MAKE A LITTLE fXTRA MONEY. I'M THINKING OF SELLING A FEW SMALL Tl-l!NGS I 1VE GOT AROUND -~ THE HOUSE ...

o f.lE WANT5 TO KNOW ! WHY YOU'RE WEARIN6 ~ THAT STUPID LOOKING x RED RIDING HOOD IN

THE COURTROOM ..

affairs today. Once you begin to let down even a little, others will try to take over.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) - You'll be the leader of the pack today, but you won't want to ignore the advice of those who are following in your footsteps. Be democratic!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) - You' II realize tocay that you are in a position to enjoy the best of both worlds. That which is most important to you will be very clear.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) - You're sensing the presence of a threat where there is none today, and such unnecessary worry may actually sap your strength and prevent progress.

LJ:O (July 23-Aug. 22) -Once your pride is wounded today, you may have trouble recovering - so no matter what you do, protect yourself! You can't afford a setback.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -Someone else has what you most want, but you must take care and play your cards right if you expect to take possession before the day is out.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-0ct. 22) - The day, and the week, is likely to begin on a surprising note. This will lead you to believe, mistakenly, that difficulty lies ahead.

TURN LITTLE THINGS INTO BIG MONEY WITH A CLASSIFIED AD! I tft't··_)',·,.•1,.'f"J'I','·." •----··-·-----···············-·--·-·! l. - - - - - -- -- -----------· -·--- -·'

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40 Susskind ID 41 Talking horse

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warmer 46 Piano keys

(slang) 48 Violation of

law 51 - sequitur 52 Noisy

disturbance 54 Egyptian

goddess 55 Sue-

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1 Madre's hermana

2 "Loneliest" number

3 Rapture 4-the ·

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5 Daphne-Maurier

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2-19 © 1998 United Feature Syndicate

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11 "No ifs, - or buts·

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26-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-TUESDAY- NOVEMBER 30 1999

1999-20QO Island-Wide Men's Basketball League . . · · Games Schedule .

CODE TEAM NAME SPONSOR 1 Brothers Asian Pacific EnlerpriSes 2 Lile Pacific Trading Co. 3 or Aces Ben Filial 4 Saipan Stars Rep. Ana Teregeyo & Rep. Kart Reyes 5 • Mari< Shark Marpac/Jul CriSlener Enl. 6 GTE Pacifica GTE Pacifica/MTG 7 Diamond Auto Gare Rep. Diego Benavente & Rep. Oscar Babauta 8 Sunrisers Rep. Ana T eregeyo & Rep. Manuel Tenorio 9 Lens Lens Bar & Grill 10 Gel eo,ered Rep. Diego Benavente & Rep. Oscar Babauta

Mondays Wednesdays - Fridays Nov. 29 December 1 · December3 9-10 7-J B-4 HJ 2-9 5-10 December 6 December 8 December 10 3-2 no games 4-5 6-7 holiday 9-8 December 13 December 15 December 17 10-2 9-1 no games 5-J 4-7 Xmas 1oumamen1 December 20 December 22 lo 31 8"i no games - holday week 10-1 January 3 January 5 4-1 10-7 5-9 8-3 January 10 January 12 No games 1-3 Holiday 5-<l January 17 January 19 1·5 2-6 6-9 10-J January 24 January 26 3-9 6-10 8-1 2-4 January 31 February 2 2-5 8-10 9-4 make-up games

Marianas ... Continued from page 28

year's hopefuls. According to Aguon the organizers want the players to take their education

Continental. Continued from page 1

"We are planning to have extra section, depending on the market demand. But it's possible and we did that in the past years," said Dias in a telephone interview.

The airline official said there may not even have connecting flights to Guam once these "extra section" plan materializes. He, however, said there has been no final decision yet on the said additional flights. ·

Other airlines and travel agents servicing the CNMI have scheduled multiple direct, charter flights to Saipan from various cities in Japan. Japan Airlines have a total

Guerrero . .. Continued from page 1

President's votes of 702 and (Tinian) Sen. David M. Cing's 500. l still have the majority (votes)," said Guerrero, who was at the Legislature paying a visit to Rep. Frank G. Cepeda (R-Saipan).

Guerrero said he is not eyeing any particular committee at the Upper House, adding that he "think(s)" he is "qualified for whatever" body the leadership may deem fit for him.

Taisacan. • • Continued from page 1

Taisacan asked the Superior Court to order defendant Board for the recounting and tallying of all votes in the Nov. 6 polls for the representative to the BOE First Senatorial District (Rota).

Sources earlier told the Variety that Taisacan believes that she could have won by 120 votes or

January 7 6-2 7-9 January 14 4-10 7-2 January 21 6-4 7.5 January 28 1-7 3-6

Playotts slart February 7, 2000

more seriously. "The players must maintain (at

least) a 2.0 grade point average to be eligible for the team," said Aguon.

The mainstays of the tournament are teams from Rota, Tinian,

of25 charter flights from October 1999 to end March 2000, while the Japan Travel Bureau have IO scheduled charter flights for the holiday season.

Meanwhile, Dias pointed out that Continental has terminated all direct flights to Saipan beginning on Oct. I this year. All its flights now have to be re-rerouted through Guam.

"We continue to service the area and we have never abandoned it," said Dias, adding that while CNMI government officials are looking at increasing flight services, it has never looked at filling up those airline seats that will be made available.

He said Continental has about 40 percent load factor for the said

"They (Senate leaders) got themselves organized. The only committee I am interested is serving the public. If they feel that I am good for the Public Utilities Transportation and Communications (committee, so be it). I am good for whatever committee. I think I am qualified," said Guerrero.

Senate President Paul A. Manglona (R-Rota) has said the upper house is "ready to work" with Guerrero, adding that the leadership "does not have anything against anyone."

by landslide against Marja Lee C. Taitano had the Board not strike off some votes in her favor.

The Board's final tally showed Taisacan was able to muster 328 votes as against Taitano's 349.

Elections Executive Director Gregorio C. Sablan earlier told reporters that they had to void some votes in favor of Taisacan after a review of the ballots revealed that poll watchers had counted "different names."

THE Saipan Boxing Club invites interested boxers together with their parents to meet with trainers and boa.rd members today, Nov. 30 at 6 p.m. at the Ada Gym Conference Room, Beach Road in Susupe.

The club's activities and future programs will be discussed in an open forum. A $IO fee and physical is required for membership to the club (ages 15 to 25 years of age, no prior experience needed), the Club said in a press release.

Training for new boxers is now in session every Saturday at 9 a.m. starting at the 4-HWrestling Federation Building (next to the Veterans Memorial at Kilili Beach, Susupe).

Any questions please contact Al Taitano at 234-1734 or Mark Merline at 322-5100.

Saipan and Guam. Teams from Palau and the FSM have been increasingly showing interest in the competition.

A meeting for coaches is scheduled 6 p.m. Tuesday at Paseo Youth Center.

Saipan-Guam-Manila route. "Based on our historical

records, there are 26 people everyday from Saipan to Manila. It's interesting to see how they can fill up 120 to 150 seats using 737 aircraft," said Dias.

Continental has issued the statement in line with the current negotiations between officials of Air Nauru, Palau, CNMI and the Philippines to reactivate the SaipanPalau-Manila route abandoned two years ago.

The Air Nauru flights are eyed to begin early next year, as opposed to earlier expectations of having these flights before the year ends. The airline is being eyed to fly at least twice a week using Boeing 737 aircraft.

For his part, Senate Vice President Thomas P. Villagomez (RSaipan) has also said that he "feels" Guerrero, who used to be a Republican, still has the party's "mentality."

Reform party chair and former governor Froilan C. Tenorio is upbeat about the turnout of the recent elections saying the party won the jackpot when Guerrero was voted for a seat at the Senate.

He had earlier said he's plans to run for the 2001 gubernatorial elections may depend on the outcome of the midterm polls.

Sablan said the Board re-examined the ballots following Taitano's request.

Taisacan in her complaint requested the court to order the Board to certify her as the duly elected representative for the BOE Rota seat.

The plaintiff also asked the court to set the hearing of the case on Rota considering that the write-in votes cast and tabulation arose on the island.

IVYBL ... 15th Annual .. Continued from page 28

Continued from page 28

In line with the upcoming league, the organizers, through the office of the Division of Parks and Grounds, of the Department of Lands and Natural Resources, is informing the general public that the outdoor courts are reserved, as scheduled, during this period for this purpose.

Playerutilizing the courts particularly, are asked to kindly vacate the court(s) at least 45 minutes before game time to allow the kids enough time to warm-up.

Contact either parks and grounds at 234-7 405, or the Division of Sports and Recreation at 234-1001/2, for inquiries.

SSA ... Continued from page 28

due no later than 7 p.m., Thursday,December2,attheAdaGymnasium conference room.

Teams desiring to submit their completed waiver forms and fees earlier than the deadline may contact the individuals listed below.

For more infonnation, you may contact SSA President Robert A. Guerrero at 235-1580 or the SSA League Director, Liz Palacios at 235-9980.

Hane

Yi~ I'm Open (M) Mamy Sitchon 40-49 (M) Calos Feger 14 Ullder (M) Junior Kaneko 14 Ullder (M) Juialo Matsutro 18111der (M) Alm Dehaas 40-49 (M) Marloo Cairera 18111der (M) Masood Karinipuor Open (M) Raidy Meadoza l8111der (M) Bry.ri llenjanin Open (M) Raynor R~ Open (M) Carolile Pierce 40-49 (F) Ben Sartos Open (M) Cllis Sartos 40-49 (F) KalfrJn Simo Open (F) Fi Dellarns Open (M) Wllff Mojica Opea (M) Ken Kremer 0pea (M) Stan Good 40-49 (M) Ced Yoslimoto Open (F) Chase Sartos 14 under (M) Ridml Pierce 50+ (M) Am W"lllkfield 18111der (F) Jeai WIifred Open (M) Greg Kresge!Zack/D)1an Open (M) Tracy Feger 18111der (F) Bl Sakoricll 50+ (M) Ry.ri Mendoza 18 111der (M) Ed Camacho Open (M) Je.m Rayphand 50+ {F) Helene Lizana Open (F) Cherf:tn Cabrera Open (F) Auliey Snith 50+ (F) Iii Pierce l8 111der (F) Meissa Coleman 14 under (F) Xenavee Pangelilal 18 lllder (F) Louisa Tliho Open (F) Jemifer Pierce 18111der (F) Dolores ~em 18 111der (F)

BPL. • • Continued from page 1

Tune

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mained quite high as gleaned from the existing requests for pennits pending before the Division of Public Lands.

According to Castro, for Saipan alone, there are 3,535 applications that are still pending. The number, she said was based on a report by the division as of November this year.

Right now, both the division and the members of the board are working hand in hand to address these applications and other concerns that were being raised, according to Castro.

She said one of the reasons the applications have accumulated to such a number was because sometimes there were lots wildlife officials have to "protect" allegedly due to the presence of endangered birds.

Cops . .. Continued from page 1

said. The complaint added that Doe one pulled out his gun and pointed it

at Ayuyu 's head and threatened to shoot the plaintiff if he did not confess to the theft.

Under duress and in fear of his life, Ayuyu finally signed the confession.

As a direct and proximate result of the conduct of the defendants, the complaint said, Ayuyu experienced great physical and mental anguish.

The complaint said the defendants' conduct deprived Ayuyu of his right to be secured in his person and effects against unreasonable search and seizure under the 4th and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

The plaintiff said he was deprived to have legal counsel present and his right to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation against him secured to him under the 6th and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. · The plaintiff added that he was deprived of the right not to be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law, and the right to the equal protection of the laws, secured by the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

lD • • • • • • • • •

~appy Jordan "JP" Birthday

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~ta Janelle From Mommy & Daddy

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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Sa11ipras beats HANOVER, Germany (AP)No longer No. I, Pete Sampras still has the heart and the game of a champion.

He stopped Andre Agassi 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 Sunday to win the ATP Tour World Championship, beating the man who supplanted him at the top of the rankings.

"I was humiliated a few days ago and I wanted to prove that I still have it. I was very pumped up, ready to go," he said.

"Today was a big match and I've always believed in myself, that I can rise to the occasion," Sampras added. "I really saved the best for last."

Earlier in this$3.6 million tournament - a season-ending event for the world's top eight players -Agassi defeated Sampras 6-2, 6-2.

But Sampras, coming off a 'three-month layoff because of hip and back injuries, was at his best Sunday in a final pitting the player of the year against the player of the decade.

U.S. tennis player Andre Agassi (left) and his compatriot Pete Sampras talks after the finals match at the ATP tennis world championships in Hanover, northern Germany Sunday. Sampras won, 6-1, 7-5 and 6-4. AP

"I can still play this game, which I never questioned," he sai·d. "But you don't really expect to play at the level I did today."

In 10 consecutive appearances at this tournament, Sampras has won the title five times to equal the mark set by Ivan Lend!.

Sampras defeated Agassi four of the five times they played this

year, and )le leads their lifetime series 17-11. This was the fifth title of the year for Sampras, and the fire was clearly there.

"I was on top of him early," he said. "He always brings out the best in me."

He made a strong start by breaking Agassi in the second game. He broke again for a 5-1 lead, and

after trailing early in the second set seized control.

"It was a bad day to be flat," Agassi said. "I was really unhappy with the way I played."

Agassi, enjoying the best year of his career, won the French Open and U.S. Open and lost the Wimbledon fi.1al to Sampras. He will end the year

with the top ranking for the first time.

"He had an incredible year and deserves to be No. I," Sampras said.

Sampras had finished No. I for a record six years. His run ended this year and he will finish 1999 at No. 3, two spots higher than at the start of this

Couples wins $635,000 at Skins

Fred Couples hoist the winners' trophy after capturing the Skins Game championship Sunday at the Landmark Golf Club in Indio, Calif. AP

INDIO, Calif. (AP) - Fred Couples earned a huge payday and a new nickname.

"Freddy is 'Mr. Skins,' or even better, Fred 'Skins' Couples," Mark O'Meara said, laughing.

Couples, already the leading money-winner in the history of theSkinsGame,added$635,000 to his earnings this weekend. His haul included a one-hole record$410,000forwinningthe final hole.

He joined O'Meara, David Duval and Sergio Garcia in the four-player field as a replacementfor Payne Stewart. Couples pledged 30 percent of his earnings to the Payne Stewart Memorial Fund, honoring his friend

who died in an Oct. 25 plane crash. 0 'Meara won$245,000, Garcia

$120,000 and Duval zero. Couples again proved ideally

suited for this fonnat in which horrible play on some holes can be offset by good shots and big putts at the right time.

Couples did just thi:t on No. 18. He pulled his drive to the left and the ball wedged into a shrub, 6 inches off the ground. But a recovery shot to the fairway, a fine 4-iron within 15 feet of the pin and a birdie putt left Couples with riches for the hole and his third Skins Game title.

''There's a Jotofluck involved," he said. "Going down to that last hole, I hit it into the shrub, and I

still wind up winning the biggest skin. That's luck."

Couples made nine birdies over the two days and won 11 skins, both records in the event that began ifl 1983. He ran his total earnings to $1,975,000 in seven appearances, the equivalent of seven rounds of golf.

O'Meara,the 1998SkinsGame champion with $430,000, finished second this year with five skins.

Garcia, the 19-year-old Spaniard and youngest player ever in the Skins Game, had two skins. He missed a l 0-foot birdie try on No. 18 that would have sent the tournament into extra holes and kept $620,000 on the table for the players to shoot for.

Garcia called his first Skins Game a "great experience," adding, "I was disappointed I didn't make a few more putts."

O'Meara added: "We are, too, especially on 18."

David Duval, playing his second Skins Game, was blanked for the second time.

"Nobody helped me out," said Duval, whose game was inconsistent and whose birdie putts did nothing more than tie holes. "I wish I'd won some skins, but that's just the nature of it. I don't worry about it."

Couples, who won two holes for five skins and $125,000 Saturday, began the second day by adding $100,000 with a 2-foot birdie putt at No. 10.

O'Meara won $170,000with a curling, 40-foot birdie putt at No. 13. Garcia collected $70,000with a 2-foot putt birdie atNo.14,thenthepotbuiltuntil Couples struck it rich on the final hole.

AfterCouples hit into the bush on No. 18, O'Meara hit his second shot into a fairway bunker. Duval ruined his chance by hitting his 3-wood at the par-5, 563-yard hole into the water.

With the other three in trouble, Garcia appeared in great shape to win the rich hole and the championship. But he hit his second shot into the shallow trap off the right side of the green, leaving him pin-high about 40 feet from the flag.

However, his shot out of the sand tailed off to the left and he missed the putt, with Couples making his to end it.

In the Skins Game format, prize money at stake on each hole. A player wins the money if he wins the hole (the "skin") outright. But if two or more players tie a hole, all are considered tied and the money is carried over to the next hole, with the money building until one player wins a hole.

The first six holes of the Skins Game were worth$25,000each, the next six worth $50,000each, and Nos. 13-17 worth $70,000 each, leading to a $200,000"super skin" at No. 18.

.tournament. "The ranking isn't quite as

significant," Sampras said. "It's nice, but beating Andre, who's had a phenomenal year, is what I am most pleased about."

Agassi won this championship in 1990 when it was first held in Germany. The event switches to Lisbon, Portugal, next year.

Sampras won $1.4 million for his victory and Agassi earned $685,000.

Sampras hit winners from all over the court, his leaping overhead smashes delighting the crowd of 13,500. He finished with 47 winners to 14 for Agassi.

Sampras fell behind 3-0 in the second set. Agassi hit a forehand long to lose serve in the seventh game. Sampras went up 6-5 up when Agassi netted a backhand, and he served out the set the next game.

"I was frustrated with the rhythm of the match," Agassi said. "He was changing pace."

The third set began with another break for Sampras, and he won the match with his 15th ace.

"After the U.S. Open, I kind of accepted the fact that I wasn't going to be No. I," Sampras said. "I've done it longer than anyone. Beating Andre, who's had a phenomenal year, is what I'm most pleased about."

Knicks, Rangers

top teams NEW YORK (AP) -The New York Knicks and Rangers are the most valuable NBA and NHL teams, Forbes reports.

The magazine, in this week's issue, values the Knicks at $334 million. The Chicago Bulls are next at $307 million, followed by the Los Angeles Lakers at $282 million and the Portland Trail Blazers at $257 million.

The least valuable NBA franchise is the Los Angeles Clippers at$ I 03 million, with the Milwaukee Bucks at $111 million.

The Rangers are valued at $236 million by Forbes, followed by the Philadelphia Flyers at $211 million, the Boston Bruins at$ l 97 million and the Detroit Red Wings at $194 million.

Carolina was the least valuable at$70million, with the Edmonton Oilers at $72 million.

The Knicks led the NBA in revenue last season at $93 million, followed by the Bulls at $67 million. But while the Knicks had an operating profit of $4 million, the Bulls had an operating profit of $20.4 million.

The Clippers had the least revenue, $23 million. The Miami Heat ($20.7 million) and Indiana Pacers ($19.4 million) had the largest los3es.

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28-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-TUESDAY- NOVEMBER 30, 1999

TS Korean pro baseball team to train here ONE OF South Korea's top professional baseball teams, the Samsung Lions, will be training on Saipan from December 1 to 19 at the Francisco M. Palacios Ballfiel.

This according to the team's operations manager Jay Kim, who visited Saipan last week with his player agent Rhu.

According to a press release, this will be the first visit by a Korean professional team, as Saipan is already home for the Kintetsu Buffaloes spring training camp from Japan. Every year, a few individual players from other Japanese teams also spend some time on Saipan warming· up for the next baseball season.

In the past year, Saipan also hosted numerous Korean and Japanese high school and col-

15th Annual Mt. Tapochau· Turkey Trot

Kame Category TIRI!

Stuart Snith 40-49 36.37 Christopher flYUI Open (M) 38.02 Susa! Butr Open (F) 38.24 Tom Qbson Open (M) 4l.14 Steve Pixley 40-49 (M) 4143 Peter Barias Opeo (M) 4236 rag Brindley 50+ (M) 4316 Tyce Mister Open (M) 4356 Nicole Forei Open (F) 4419 Jack llabiriel Open (M) 4428 Jason Dries-Daffner Open (M) 44.34 Ernesto Apostal Open (M) 4536 Doug Hartig 40-49 (M) 4552 Bob Griler Open (M) 4628 Dan Bowen 40-49 (M) 47 l Dione Peralta Open (M) 4719 Peter Sildai Open (M) 47.23 Pliip Pedernal Open (M) 47.45 Josh Berger 40-49 (M) 48.01 Dino Maming Open (M) 48.42 WiHie Olarte Open (M) 48.56 Glenn Robles Open (M) 49.08 Susan Zehr Open (F) 4919

Iege teams. Later this year, a few days around Christmas, a top Japanese high school team, Taesei HS will spend three days on Saipan.

The Samsung Lions, established in 1982 in Taegu, plan to bring about 30 players to training camp which will span four days on and one day off throughout.

Their training schedule will be from 8 a.m. to about 4 p.m. and will not interfere with the evening schedules of the local baseball teams.

The Korean pro teams are each allowed two foreign players on their roster.

The Samsung Lions have been at or near the top in all but three years of their 17 years of existence, having only three losing seasonsfo 1989, 1994and 1996.

Out of seven Korean Series Championship finishes, the Liohs won three.

In 1986, Samsung completed an exclusive·training facility for its team, and in 1996 completed aindoor training facility.

In March of 1996, the Samsung Lions Ballpark, Asia's largest baseball complex was opened, and annually the club sponsors a baseball tournament for primary, middle and high school students.

Last year, the players conducted a winter training camp in Brisbane, Australia, and thanks to the Kintetsu Buffaloes, were convinced to try Saipan for their winter camp.

The team's spring camp will be held in Arizona, the same time the Buffaloes are on Saipan.

IVYBL to host cage tourney for holidays WITH the holidays just around the comer, the organizers of the Islandwide Village Youth Basketball League (IVYBL) has announced they will be hosting a Christmas/New Year's basketball tournament for youths ages 14 and under.

The league will start December 13, Monday and will end January 13 of next year, right before the schools resume, the IYYBL said in a press release.

A total of ten teams have registered for the upcoming league and just to fit the games into the one month period, the teams will be competing in a divisional format where the 10 teams are split into two divisions, play a round robin

in their respective divisions. The top two teams from each division will then be facing each other for the title.

Games will be played on the outdoor courts in the evenings from Monday through Friday, and Saturday's at 9 a.m. The championship game will be held in the Gym.

The 10 teams playing in the Ieaaue are defending champions Tanapag, runner-up Chalan Kanoa District 1 Hoosiers, Kagman Cougars, San Antonio Sixers, San Vicente Suns, Gualo Rai Panthers, Capitol Hill Starzz, DARE 1, DARE 2, and Dandan Wolves.

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FILATA Night Classic ,, I' ,! !j

Yvette Murphy Open (F) 49.37 Daniel Calvo 4049 (M) S0.12 THE Filipino American Ten- able at Las Vegas Gold & Ten-Heatber Kemedy Female 5018 [i nis Association (FILATA) is nis, American Memorial Park :

1

·i Vanessa Ince Open (F} S0.55 ,I inviting all tennis enthusiast to Tennis court, Coral Ocean Point

11 Edgardo Bacanawa Open (M) 51.04 :1•_J join the 3rd FILA TA Doubles Tennis pro shop or they can call il Celislllyant 40-49 51.31

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1 Tennis Night Classic this De- Manny Jaraplasan at 236-3375 ti Jad1Sherl>o SO+(M) 51.56

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Joillll Kin Open (F} 52.49 11 Elimination round is sched- tors hsted m the forms for any 1;

Amaia Balcita Open (F} 53.36 :: uled on December 3, 4 & 5, questions they may have. (I

Saints' Jr. Pee Wee division Jack Celis powered his way for two touchdowns against the Raiders in Sunday's GYFL Outback Steakhouse Bowl at Tiyan Field. Celis's winning TD came in third OT, for the Saints' championship title. Photo by Tony Cells

Marianas Basketball to kick off Dec. 16 on Guam

By Tony Cells Variety News Staff

MARIANAS Invitational Basketball Tournament (MIBT) action is set to kick off on Dec. 16 and organizers are closer to dumping the status quo and adopting an all-star pick format, according to Parks and Rec., Recreational Leader-I, Duck Aguon.

Citing disciplinary problems in last year's tournament-held in Tinian-a big factor for the changes being looked into, Aguon comes straight to the point.

"LastyeartheGuam team was involved in a fight or something ... and they were chased out (from Tinian)."

"There was some complaint from players that the coach couldn't maintain control of his players. With the all-star pick

format, we hope to have a more disciplined team."

Not wanting to repeat last year's embarrassment, organizers are busy trying to·come up with solutions. One of those is doing away with sending the first place team to the tournament and going to an all-star selection process.

In past years, the first place team from the regular season automatically made the MIBT rounds.

The goodwill tournament is set up for those up and coming players to gain experience in off-island competition.

Players must be 17-years-old or younger. However, an 18-year-old may play if he is actively enrolled in school.

Making the grade is another eligibility factor facing this


'ss~ meeting tomo--row ' .

JennaBreeToleshqJ 14111der(F) 5356 I while final rounds is set on the The registration fee is set for · THE SAIPAN Softball Associa- cember 3 through Sunday, De-JeremyW"mklield 14111der(M) 54.02 .l: IO, 11 & 12. $10forFilatamembers&only ! tioninformsallcoaches,manag- cember5. Justilfierce 18under(M) 54.03

1, Event categories are open to $12fornon-i:nemberspereve~t. if ers and team representatives that All interested individuals

TmnyW"llllield 40-49 (F) 54.12 i men's 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.9 or The deadlme for the subm1s- n there will be a meeting tomorrow, should attend this impo1tantmeet-::: ::9(M(~ : !: openc?tegory, while women's sion of entries is on December f] December 1 at 6 p.m. at the Gil- ing, SSA said in a notice. laldo Olais Opell (M) 55.44

1;_· event 1s open to 3.0 and 4.0 1, at 5 p.m. and draw date is set l·j bert C. Ada Gymnasium confer- The entrance fee for this tour-

fi level. . on the 1st of December at 7 j ence room regarding the 1999 nament is $200. Entrance fees and Ernie Ga'Cia Open (M)

56:29 ij Entry forms are now avaII- p.m. . Annual Thanksgiving Day Tour- completed team waiver forms are Continued on page 26 [1-,===z,=_,~--. .LVJ~~-=-=----r::::c"'."-J"'.:C.=--=~~=:::,:--==c.::::c:::·:::=="'·1 nament to be held on Friday, De- Continued on page 26

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• Fax: (670) 234-9271 vri. J '&,~ Tamun1~ ila;,.a,cG~9t,~~ .J ') Q \IO\/ 3 Q ') (,• E-mail: [email protected] Micronesia's Leading Newspaper Since 1972 • Tel. (671_ ,6· ~618 :_ 649-r .. s:,J' ... r .. ·:. T '• "(.., Q /:,; I]

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