UNIVERSITY OF. HAWAII Lll:H~N\~ arianas %riet.r;,:~ Micronesia's Leading Newspaper Since 1972 ~ f:VVS US expert coming to help Villagomez insists: track PCB-related diseases By Jojo Dass 'Nothing to hide Variety News Staff RESIDENT Representative Juan N. Babauta has asked the U.S. Department of the Interior to defray the travel expenses of on pow-er plant' a medical expert who will be coming over to help doctors in screening islanders for possible By Haidee V. Eugenio the CNMI to rrieet our needs and exposure to cancer-causing Variety News Staff to encourage investment. But we polychlorinated biphenyl COMMONWEALTH Utilities must not make the mistake of (PCB). Corporation (CUC) Executive going into more debt than we need, Babauta had earlier sought Director Timothy P. Villagomez because that will lead to higher assistance to address concerns Juan N. Babauta yesterday faced the media to re­ utility rates and or an additional about PCB contamination in fute allegations CUC is deliber­ burden on the government," Tanapag from the Agency for those with PCB-related illnesses. ately attempting to delay the Villagomez told reporters. Toxic Substance and Disease Babauta explained that PCB awarding of contract for the con­ The procurement of the project, Registry, which in turn identi­ contamination levels among troversial $120 million power which remains to be the most ex­ fied a specialist that can estab­ Tanapag villagers has never been plant project. pensive one ever proposed in the He also sought to allay concerns lish human contamination. assessed despite lOyears of gov­ "'ti CNMI, has been going on for three Problem though is that ernment awareness of the prob­ about project, saying he will wel­ years now. ATSDR has no funds to pay for lem. come a planned legislative over­ Timothy P. Villagomez "No one on the CUC Board or the specialist's travel expenses "ATSDR regional represen­ sight investigation to once and for administration has the intent, or to Saipan. tative Gwendolyn Eng has been all erase doubts over the integrity concerned on ensuring financial even the ability, to manipulate the The development, neverthe­ most helpful in finding a doctor of the bid process. capability to undertake the project award of the new power plant," less is the first concrete move to who can come out to the CNMI "We are not trying to delay or so as not to give the government Villagomez said in a letter to contain PCB contamination and help us," said Babauta in a steer the project to any one com­ and consumers additional burden House Speaker Diego T. among residents and identify Continued on page 46 pany," said Villagomez, in a 20- in the long run. Benavente (R-Saipan) and Sen­ minute press conference. "While "The goal of CUC, the Board, ate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes the utilities agency is trying to. management and myself is to de­ (R-Saipan) dated Dec. 9. protect its integrity, it is more velop a new power resource for Continued on page 46 Fund earns $15M 1 1 in I-month period , .. : • ·:.,·.~··. •,,.':".':\•:\.,~,,::'or··, ... ,-~·,,:• .\\•":,\,\\;::,;::_'·". ."'.'''''."'"''.:H "·:'· · ·.::.."·:7:-:··;: .. :;•.,, '."•.'··.'.•·,\·'· .,,.,. '," . \ ~ .,·.· :.;.{:::,···· By Haldee V. Eugenio million each, reported their finan­ Variety News Staff cial condition for the first time. WITH A total of nine money man­ The results were favorable to the agers taking care of business, the CNMI pensioners' invested NMI Retirement Fund's off-is­ money. land investments reported earn­ First Hawaiian Bank, which ings of close to $15 million in a handles large-cap securities, one-month period. posted a 3.8 percent gain, while ment Council yesterday at,tbe · initiativeta)«mbytlieprl\.'atesec-· . l ..ightingproject,which.kicked Under the Fund's investment Gabelli Asset Management Co. Hyatt Regency Hotel &aipan. tor,'.' said Gov:; Pete P; Tenorio in offlast week: the GarapanStreet report, the stock market invest­ (small-cap securities) posted a 1.3 The mission of the private a press release. ·· · · Market, \\'hich formally opened ments for the first month of fiscal percent gain. sectorcouncil,composedofkey·· Henotedthatthebusinesscom~ last hight and others. · · year 2000 ending Oct. 31 posted a The earnings were also fuelled executives from local ·and re- munity has been very helpful in Continued on page 46 4.5 percent gain net of fees and in part by a rebound in the equity expenses. markets in October after posting Two new money managers, negative returns for the third quar- whose initial funding was $10 Continued on page 46 PSS mulls trade school to I ,; fl :teach students work skills 'i By Marian A. Maraya question is, how do we sell this ri Variety News Staff idea to parents? Kids today are :] · "ARE parents ready to accept after managerial positions," '.J . their children as "non-college" Pellegrino told his fellow board [; ; material?" members. \j ~ Board of Education (BOE) Board Chair Esther Fleming i: :/ ': member Tony Pellegrino raised said that if students are assured [i ij this question to other BOE mem­ of jobs after completing the trade ;\ 'I :: bers yesterday, in light of a pro­ program in high school, the idea (J :: posal for the Public School Sys­ has every chance of being real- 1 '.! tern (PSS) to develop a compre­ ized. (i '( fj hensive Trade School-Industrial "If we provide guarantees and ~ I I. i1 Education program for students. work with the business sector in Iii [; Pellegrino is concerned that providing them jobs, and if we ·i /1 such an idea may not sit well ask for help from the Division of . lj with parents, as they generally Labor in placing locals in certain , want their kids to have white- jobs, then we might be able to collar jobs. pull this off. "This is a good idea but the Continued on page 46 Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio (right) purchases a mug from a local vendor at last night's official opening of the Garapan Street Market. Photo by Marian Maraya ~ ·' :'. ~...... :" : ... , '. •, .·, ·' 2-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-FRIDAY- DECEMBER 10, 1999 WORLD/NATION FRIDAY, DECEMBER l 0, 1999 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-3 · · News. Briefs · Report: China building 2nd Taiwan ready to talk about Judge frees policema11 restoring air links with RP By Ferdie de la Torre the police and reported about bur­ Police later seized some alleged TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) - Taiwan formally agreed yesterday to Variety News Staff glary and theft at Rudolpho's. stolen items like stainless steel restart negotiations with the Philippines about restoring air links THE SUPERIOR Court yester­ The caller claimed that among pots and pans at the residence of missile base near Taiwan day allowed the release of a po­ the missing items were two IBM the Corrections officer's nephew. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A dent Lien Chan on Wednesday reported. between the two sides that were cut two months ago over a dispute lice officer who was arrested for U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency said the island must develop long­ The Defense Intelligence about passenger quotas. computers, keyboard and print­ During interview with investi­ allegedly stealing items, includ­ report said China is building a range surface-to-surface missiles Agency in a report in November The talks can begin because Manila has agreed to honor the original ers, three window-type air-condi­ gators, the nephew allegedly ad­ ing plastic chairs and tables, at the second short-range missile base capable of surviving an attack by to Pentagon officials said the two air pact that it scrapped after discussions broke down in late Septem­ tion, stainless steel pots, and sev­ mitted that Aguon invited him to nearTaiwan that ;;.ould allow it to communist China. Chinese missile bases were being ber, Foreign Ministry spokesman Henry Chen told reporters. former Rudolpho' sin Sadog Tasi. eral green and white plastic chairs go with him towards Rudolpho' s. target the island's main military "1nere' s been a lot of build-up of readied for hundreds of advanced Taiwan has complained that by unilaterally canceling the previous Associate Judge Timothy H. and tables. When they came at the estab­ bases, the Washington Times re­ tension on both sides that I think is Chinese missiles known as the agreement, the Philippines ignored international procedures that call Bellas agreed to free Officer Capt. Delbert Sablan later con­ lishment, the nephew said five ported on ~ednesday. unnecessary and counterproductive," CS S-7 Mod 2, the newspaper said. for a one-year warning before an air pact is terminated. Edwin Santos Aguon on a $5,000 ducted a thorough investigation people were already inside re­ The latest Chinese missile site Clinton said at a news conference. The report concluded the new cash unsecured bond after find­ after he received information that moving some items into a. ve­ discovered by U.S. intelligence "If you look at the Taiwanese missile bases would allow China Gates, Turner commit ing the defendant is not a flight Aguon and a nephew of a Correc­ hicle. was at Xianyou, about 135 miles investment in China, it's obvious "to target all of Taiwan's major risk. Timothy H. Bellas Masood Karimipour tions officer were involved in the Aguon allegedly stated that the from Taiwan, and is nearly ready that eventually they're going to military bases," an unnamed Pen­ $78M to ending polio Bellas initially seta$5,000cash case. government allowed to get the ·• bail for Aguon's temporary re­ case. crime scene technician also ar­ Sablan and a detective· passed items because the establishment to house a force of short-range get this worked out because tagon official who had seen the ATLANTA (AP) - Billionaires Ted Turner and Bill Gates are lease_ Chief Public Defender Arraignment was set for Dec.