UNiVERcr~' o··"' ·-, · · ·· · .. ,, .,_. ' J? .. .... _, , .,-· ,; r -"'"- ? • ' . I 7· , ,-::...___--i,ML_.:..=......__ "lJ-~ ...,l,,,;;;.1,,J,J.,l" ' !.....:.-/~.,.___,i·:.n.._~---- ar1 an as %riet.r,:~ Micronesia's Leading Newspaper Since 1972 - ~~ ea By Ferdie de la Torre Coldeen had .been detained Variety News Staff Police looking into suicide angle since Dec. 13 when he was ar­ AN INMATE was found dead rested for creating disturbance at hanging inside his cell at the De­ showed that while Taitano, one of Public Safety Information Of­ <;:oldeen was alone in his cell. their house while reportedly parunent of Public Safety yester­ the detention officers, was con­ ficer Cathy Sheu said they could A reliable source said a shoe­ drunk. day morning. ducting a routine check up of the not release the cause of death lace was used. Although Coldeen was not for­ Police Officer Joseph Taitano detention facility he saw Coldeen pending an autopsy. DPS Commissioner Jose M. mally charged in connection with discovered the body of Alexander hanging. Sheu said investigators, who Castro neither confirmed nor de­ that incident, the Superior Court David Coldecn, 24, of Navy Hill, Emergency medical technicians are still looking into the case, did nied it. He said the case was still remanded him back to police cus­ at 7 a.m. transported Coldeen to the Com­ not disclose what instrument was under investigation. tody for violating the terms and Initial police investigations monwealth Health Center. used in hanging. Castro, however, pointed out conditions of his release in a pre­ that inmates are not allowed to vious criminal case. enter the cell if they wear shoes A $5,000 cash bail had been set Variety year-end report with shoelaces. for his release. Investigators are looking into a Coldeen was charged with pos­ suicide angle behind Coldeen's session of weapon without proper Tragedy, murders, politics death. Continued on page 8 add color to turbulent year By Rafael H. Arroyo and Vice Speaker Jesus P. Mafnas late, easily worth $400 mil­ Air search begins for Variety News Staff was without a doubt the year's . lion as per recent estimates. TRAGEDY. Political and his­ most earthshaking headline. The year marked the dawn toric upheavals. Murders. The .news about the ill-fated of organized labor in the missing vessel, crew These were the hallmarks of trip to Anatahan, which also took CNMI. Union elections held AN AIR search for a missing Joe Cabrera. the year that is about to end, a the life of pilot and long-time in three Sai pan hotels resulted boat was launched yesterday by It left the Diamond Hotel with turbulent one for the people of Saipan resident Bob Long, got_ intwovotinginfavorofunions personneh from the Emergency two crew members identified as the Commonwealth. the entire regional community -- Hafa Adai and Saipan Grand Management Office and the Boat­ Bret Nelson, a lifeguard of the The year 199 5 saw the pass­ stunned. Hotels. ing Safety Unit. hotel, and Swingly Aguon, an ing away of prominent com­ Mafnas was in his prime as one One restaurant, Keeraku, The white-and-blue-striped 21- employee of Saipan Jetski. munity leaders who helped of the CNMI 's most astute politi­ also voted to unionize. f oot passenger boat (with regis­ An initial investigation was shape the Commonwealth's cians. On the political scene, the tration number CM-377-PU) was started shortly after Cabrera re­ destiny and the rise of crimi­ Hillblom's death and his mys­ year 1995 marked a turning reportedly last seen at 4:30 p. m. ported to the EMO about the miss­ nality never before seen in the terious disappearance have for­ point. for Gov. Froilan C. the other day. ing boat at 9:25 a.m. annals of the islands' history. ever left a mystery that would Tenorio and possibly the rise The boat, fitted with a 175- A helicopter and a fixed wing The May 21st sea tragedy never be solved. Il also triggered of a shining star in the person horsepower outboard, was sup­ aircraft were later dispatched in that claimed the lives ofSaipan a Jong and dizzying legal battle of his able lieutenant, Jesus C. posedly on its way to the nearby the afternoon to begin an air search millionaire Larry L. Hillblom over the late businessman's cs- Continued on page 3 Managaha Island to pick up pas­ south and west of Saipan. sengers, according to its owner, The helicopter (rescue 2) Ii ftcd -·-·------------------ off from Marpi at 2: 15 while the fixed wing aircraft(rescuc 1) took off from the airport at 3:45. "From the airport. rescue I trav­ eled in a zigzag searching pattern 30 miles west ofTinian (and there was) no sighting whatsoever," EMO Public Information Officer Richard Relyea said. Relyea said rescue 2 flew Continued on page 8 rweather Outlook i ~,-(?>•· '"•'••. :.\~1. '•~; Mostly cloudy with Isolated showers. Rains are here again. Vehicles plow through a flooded area along Chalan Msgr. Guerrero after strong rains caused flooding in some low-lying areas around the island of Saipan yesterday. 1'C 1,;r-•Ji/:;) '.I. ::-,::i q'r'J! ,...i?~ Pr. ,l...li ~'""·., ,.,. l,, •• i..._.. '"'"· --· ....... .-.......... _ - FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1995 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AN.D VIEWS-3 2-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND. VIEWS-FRIDAY ~DECEMBER "ic), 1995 5th nuke test draws global outrage The year 1995 in retrospect By GEOFF SP~NCER . So~th Korea voiced "deep dis- over France will have ID rebuild its end ID nuclear testing. led by Greenpeace, that its test pr Continued from page 1 cies grappling for answers. SYD~Y, Au~tra~~ (AP)· ~slllll appomtment" while tiny island credentials in the region." French officials said the tests are ogram could shatter the atoll's Department of Public Safety and Pacific nauons JOined ~viron- s~tes . near France's ~ucl~ test The .blast Wednesday, beneath needed todevelop simulation tech- rock base and release radioactivity Borja. Tenorio's mind-boggling an­ statistics showed IO homicide menlll;I and peace groups m co~- site bllterly accused 1l of arro- the remote Mururoa coral atoll nology on computers to make fu. into the Pacific. casesonSaipanandTinian,seven demrnngFrance~ursdayov~n!S gance." about 1,200 meters (750 miles) turetestblastsunnecessary.France Greenpeace said it was "sad- nouncement in early December of which remain unsolved. fifth nuclear test m Polynesia m "France is its own worst enemy," southeast of Tahiti, was weaker had planned eight tests but has re- dened and angered" that blast had that he is quitting politics at the four mon~. said New Zealand Prime Minister thanpreviousblasts,scientistssaid. duced the number to six, to be come so close to Christmas when end of his term in 1997 is no doubt Olher highlights of the year: Austraba, Ne~ Zeal~ and Ja- Jim Bolger. "France has defied Australia's acting prime minis- completed by February. "families around the world are re- one of the most unexpected. Al­ pan_called for an immediate halt to world opinion through continued ter, Kim Beazley, nevertheless ac- France's ambassador to New fleeting on the year gone by and though he refused to divulge his JANUARY tes!IIlg and ~ded fo?1131 ~rotes~ testing. Cl!Sfd France of displaying "arro- Zealand, afterreceivingthe protest looking forward withhopetoanew reasons, people have quickly at­ (5th) Gov. Tenorio announced to French diplomats m thelf cap1- "Its reputation in the Pacific is at - gant disregard" for a recent U.N. there, repeated France's promise year." tributed his decision 10 the lop­ he was in favor of a wage rollback tals. an all-time low. When the tests are resolution calling for an immediate that the nuclear tests would be its Ignoring worldwide protests, sided defeat his Democratic Party from the then prevailing $2.75 last ever. President Jacques Chirac ended. per hour to $2.45 pursuant to a suffered in the year's congres­ \. 1 • , ... "No other nuclear power has France's3-year-0ldnucleartesting sional elections. compromise he had with the .- f/)isoover 9our dreams . .. given such a commitment" to end moratorium and proceeded with the · The November 4 elections had Mafnas coalition. testing, he said. blasts, which began Sept 5. · lhe Republican Pany scoring a The rollback measure, House France has also promised to sign The first test measured less than major landslide, giving up only a Bill 9-322, never made it to ll}e dt the Comprehensive Nuclear Test 20kilotons,or20,000tonsofTNT. measly two seats in lhe House of governor's desk as it was sh,ot and Ban Treaty, expected by the end of It was slightly larger than the bomb Representatives and one of three down by the Senate in April 31. 'J>iamon6s 1996, the South Pacific Nuclear- droppedonHiroshimainI945and Senate seats that were up for grabs (9th) US Sen. J. Bennet Free zone Treaty and the Nuclear caused the alDil's lagoon to foam in the midterm tussle. Johnston, one of the CNMI's /Re Oerfecl 8eflin9 Non-Proliferation Treaty. from the impact. The elections was made much staunches allies in US Congress Japanese Prime Minister A second, much more powerful more interesting by the inter-GOP announces his retirement after 22 Tomiichi Murayama described blast of about 110 kilotons was set bickering initiated by Senate years in the Senate. Washington France's test program as a "fruit - off 0c t. 2 beneath neighboring President Juan S. Demapan Rep. Juan N. Babauta said his less." Fangataufa Atoll. The third test was retirement for the CNMI was like The Third Con Con at work. Members of the Preconvention committee chaired by Herman T. Guerrero {right} against the Republican leadership.