UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII LrnRA"RY arianas %riety;~ Micronesia's Leading Newspaper Since 1972 '&1 evvs Agreement on Koblerville tragedy public purpose By Ferdie de la Torre The Variety gathered that the boarded th.e truck to buy some- The family then transported expenditures Variety News Staff grandmother was not arrested thing from a store. the girl to CHC where the girl TRAGEDY struck in but police placed the case under While backing up the truck later died. By Jojo Dass Koblerville when a pickup truck further investigation. from th~ house, the grandmother The Variety learned that the Variety News Staff driven by a woman ran over her Initial investigation showed reportedly stopped as she girl's father was killed earlier AN AGREEMENT has. been two-year-old granddaughter Fri­ that prior to the accident, Borja thought she ran over a dog. She this year while reportedly hav- reached between the adminis­ day morning as the vehicle and her grandparents had break­ was shocked when she saw it ing a vacation in the Philippines. tration and key government of­ backed out of their home. fast in the house while her was her granddaughter. Ten years ago, the ficials on the need to enact leg­ Ayanna Eusavia Castro Borja mother took shower at about 8 After learning of the incident, grandmother's I 0-year-old son islation amending the law on died six hours later at the Com­ a.m. the mother went out from the died at the same house when he the use of taxpayers' money for monwealth Center due to head After a few minutes, the house and clutched her blood- fell down while playing on a public purpose, the Variety injuries. grandmother went outside and ied daughter. monkey bar. learned. !(•"-=--===-~ .~-=~-===:.-•·T~· ii According to a memorandum sent by acting Attorney Gen­ Palacios confirms meeting eral Maya B. Kara to House Ii Staff told to observe ! legal counsel Steve McKenzie, with US Congress staffers Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio, along [: DPH's betel nut ban ~ with Senate President Paul A. By Jojo Dass I-' q Manglona (R-Rota), House • By Haidee V. Eugenio i· Variety News Staff I: J .Speaker Diego T. Benavente TINIAN Rep.-elect Norman S. ·· Variety News Staff. , (R-Saipan), Finance Secretary Palacios yesterday said he is now WHILE public health staff are Lucy DLG. Nielsen and Kara ' supporting Rep.-elect Benigno expected to know better when it herself, have agreed that the R. Fitial (R-Saipan) for House . comes to health and hygiene, Legislature "will entertain a bill speaker because ofFitial' s "con­ ' the Department of Public Health to amend Public Law I 1-84. •· nections" in Congress, which, (DPH) is having a hard time The bill wiH seek to "ratify ensuring its employees adhere he added, could help boost eco­ i, and authorize ·the payment of nomic growth on T'inian and i to its own policy that bans smok­ expenditures made and submit­ / ing and chewing betel nut within Rota. I ·.ted prior to the effective date of Palacios, in a phone interview, 1 its premises. amendment, with an exception said Rep.-elect Stanley T. Torres Benigno R. Fitial I'. In a memorandum issued on for certain obviously improper is another factor that made him [' Thursday, Public Health Deputy Ned Arriola 1: expenses." reconsider his earlier decision were at least two U.S. congres­ . Secretary Ned Arriola urged all f, The bill would also ''further to endorse Rep. Heinz S. sional aides who were on Tinian I: staff to "adhere strictly" to ba- Public Health were found with fi clarify the intention of the Leg­ Hofschneider (R-Saipan). and Rota to ''look for projects" \; sic hygiene and cleanliness at betel nut stains and other traces .\ islature as to permissible ex­ Torres has been ·'trying to kill" that may be implemented there. j their respective working sites. of unsanitary practices. f] penses." i Arriola said a report submit- "I am very concerned and fl Tinian and Rota, Palacios said, He did not name them, but added t Kara, in that memorandum, apparently referring to the law­ that their presence ''indicated" i ted to Health Secretary Joseph annoyed when our Secretary of r offered draft language for the Kevin Villagomezand_rrepared ~ealth reminded me in address- \ suit challenging the number of Fitial 's influence in Congress. ~ 1 ratification portion of the pro­ Senate seats currently allocated He said the visit "helped in 1; by DPH housekeepmg staff ing this menacing and unsani- t! posed amendment in which she to the islands. making me change my mind." r: documented that majority of the tary practice especially when, 1; stated that any amendment offices within the Division of Continued on page 26 (! Palacios also confirmed there Continued on page ts :! Continued on page 26 Li_-:..:·:-:--·.:::_:::::...:..:...-::=--=-.::.:.-:::=:~ .. -::::· __-:··· .:,:•. :.-:. -··-=::: --= .:·.~- =--====--==:· .. :::-: -~ --~:::...7~:.~ -~...::::::::-.:.:: .:....:.:.... --:.,:-0:.:.....:-..:::::-~~::::.::.:i NMI arrivals Earthquake increase by 5% rattles Guam By Haidee V. Eugenio By Eric F. Say Variety News Staff Variety News Staff TOURIST arrivals went up by HAGAT'."JA -- :\n c:arthquakc 5.54 percent to 41 .480 in Novem­ measuring 6.1 on the Richter scak ber as a result of the continuous rocked the island yesterday al economic recovery in the CNMI' s around IO a.m. two prime markets. Japan and .. .:.:.,.,•;,: The· National Earthquake Cen­ South Korea, preliminary figures r}, ',. "··,, ter in Colorado classified the from the Marianas Visitors Au­ quake as a major event. thority (MY A) showed. No major damage or injuries The Japanese yen's strength were reported but merchandise in ··~ versus the dollar. which resulted 11,;,, grocery stores and items on in greater Japanese consumer con­ shelves in households came crash­ fidence. and additional charter • ;"11· ing down. i.' flights fuelled the growth for the One woman in Latte Heights :/1 second month of fiscal year 2000. '1 said she was standing in her November's arrival figure is ' kitchen when she felt a sudden . also much better than the previ­ jolt and crystal drinking glasses ous month's 40,941 visitors. were thrown from her cupboard. For the second consecutive ·. { ..} .' ... ,' . According to Guam Civil De­ ·-' .. ·..·.·.,·.· .· ·.'\;··...•.: month, Japan posted an increase ··: ~,\1 ' • fense spokesman Charles Ada, the .., '· ~ ·. in arrival figures. From 29,499 in National Earthquake Center November 1998, the figure ·.: placed the epicenter 35 miles ~ f climbed to 31,698 last month, (~ south/southwest of Hagatfia at a marking a seven percent increase. Schoo/kids from Mt. Carmel School garbed in Christmas costumes perform the finale number during the depth of 40 miles. Continued on page 2-6 school's annual Christmas program Friday at the American Memorial Park's Amphitheater. Continuecfon page 26 P1\C N[vV$PAPER STACKS MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1999 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-3 2-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-MONDAY- DECEMBER 20, 1999 Accused o_f violating Vienna Convention Report: Children in Japan to stop use of i MOX for reactors I !J AGO defends police1nan SYDNEY (Pacnews) -· Envi­ men ts condemning the shipment, f !1 back seat dangerous ronmental group Greenpeace including Fiji, Solomon Islands, r. Ferdie de la Torre fails because Article 36 of the Liban, was arrested and ques­ charges and that any statements in which the PDO, counsel for a Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea. r Variety News Staff Friday welcomed the Japanese ; Vienna Convention applies only tioned by a police officer last Feb. she made could be used against defendant, argued that a DPS LOS ANGELES (AP) - Chil­ of the danger for three decades, last December that its 32-year-old Industry Ministry's (MIT!) de­ Greenpeace also protested at its THE A TIORNEY General's Of­ when a foreign "national...is ar­ 3 over a theft case on Tinian. her in court. officer's failure to advise a de­ dren riding in the back seat of a but have not reached a decision requirementforseat strength, called cision to postpone fuelling of departure from Sellafield and I fice has denied that a police of­ rested or committed to prison or Hartig argued thatLiban 'sstate­ The defendant Lynch said, was tained suspect of his rights under car risk severe in jury and death on what to do, the report said. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stan­ nuclear reactors with MOX arrival in Japan. ficer violated the Vienna Con­ to custody pending trial or is de­ ments made during the interview also advised she has "right stop Article 36 of the Vienna Conven­ from front seats that may snap American car companies have dard 207, is not adequate to prevent (mixed uranium and plutonium "The plutonium MOX foe.I 'I vention in questioning a Filipina tained in any other manner." with the officer should be sup­ talking or answer." tion should result in suppression backward in rear-end collisions, been sued hundreds of times by seat back collapse. oxide) that was transported business is a last ditch attempt f. without calling the Philippine Liban was not arrested or held pressed on the ground that she AsetofLiban 's fingerprints was of his incriminatin!! statements. : I the Los Angeles Times reported families of victims who were The standard requires that the through the South Pacific earlier by the nuclear industry to cover­ Consulate. in custody last Feb. 3, said Lynch was not informed of her right to taken from her on a standard DPS In that case, Lyn~h said, Supe­ yesterday. killed or injured in accidents in­ upper part of the seat back resist a this year. up the folly of nuclear repro­ Chief Prosecutor Kevin Lynch as he asked the Superior Court to contact the Consulate as required booking and property record, ac­ rior Court Associate Judge Juan The danger is documented in volving collapsing seat backs.