U,\!JVERSITY OF HAWAII LIBRARY arianas %riet~~ Micronesia'• Leading Newspaper Since 1972 ~ ews 'Hofschneider has the votes for speakership' By Zaldy Dandan Variety Associate Editor J: REPRESENTATIVE-elect Stanley T. Torres yesterday said at least 10 members of the in­ coming Republican-dominated 1 12th House of Representatives I will support Heinz S. Hofschneider's bid for speaker. The Variety's "head count" showed that Hofschneider has the firm commitment of six members. Four have indicated that they will support him. There are 18 House mem­ bers. Benigno R. Fitial, was unavail­ "I believe Heinz will unani­ able for comment. mously be acclaimed speaker Torres said Hofschneider, by the House Republicans," who is the current chair of the Torres said. Saipan Legislative Delegation Hofschneider' s main rival for and House Committee on the post, former Speaker Continued on page 46 ; -....,:-.:=;rn3;,::J.....::.,, -t...!.. .. ..___._._.~7.:!;.-.....m·..-----~~--::::!'".:.T:~~--··~':..:a::::.:...:~ 1 f:1 Workers stUinble onto [j Ii ~ \ \1 'ancient' hUinan bones ~ r;• q•-3 Congress asked to ~ ~!ri~;;~:::~~:,~a iJ I 'fl CONSTRUCTION workers ~ !J digging a sewer line for Com- f[~.J monwealth Utilities Corp. in intervene on PCB ;'~ Garapan stumbled into possible >J ~ ancient human remains yester- [i By Jojo Dass were to occur elsewhere in the "Therefore, we can only appeal r1 day, it was learned. [j Variety News Staff United States, the senators and to you .. .in the hope that congres­ >:1 lj' THE CNMI's representative to representatives of that area would sional intervention will result in [ The skeleton, still intact and l,l ,j Washington, D.C. is asking U.S. have brought the Defense Depart­ determination of the extent of the 1 in perfect form, was observed ri ,1 h Congress to require the Army ment on the carpet and used the health hazard to the ,: ;• in the afternoon in the presence ti Corps of Engineers to expedite its power of Congress to get action. people ... resulting from former! y­ ;J of archaeologists from the Ha- [j '\ 1 clean-up of a polychlorinated bi­ We are the only people in our used defense sites, and of the ef­ i: waii-based PHRI company. '. I phenyl-contaminated village on country who are denied a voice in fectiveness of the clean-up pro­ The bones, whichone archae- i1 ologisi said are believed to be .; Saipan, and to determine the ex.­ federal government," said cess -or lack thereof- and will prod the Army Corps into more that of an ancient Chamorro, ,, tent such cancer-causing chemi­ Babauta in his Nov. 9 letters to professional and expeditious ac­ was borne in a 4-feet deep hole " cal has affected the residents' Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Young (R-Alaska). tion," Babauta said. that was being excavated for a health. Babauta noted that it has been sewer pipe near the back of the In letters to Sen. Frank H. Murkowski chairs the Senate 10 years since the Corps made a Horiguchi Building. Murkowski and Rep. Don Young, Committee on Energy and Natu­ Human remains were un­ ral Resources, while Young heads commitment to get to the bottom The archaeologist who re­ Juan N. Babauta expressed disap­ earthed four feet below the of the contamination problem. quested not to be identified said pointment at how the local gov­ the House Committee on Re­ ground yesterday by construc­ ernment seems to be given the sources. Today, however, the issue remains tion workers who were digging they are going to take the re­ unresolved. a sewer line in Garapan. mains to Guam for further ex- run-around on queries about the Both committees have jurisdic­ Photo by Rene P. Acosta Continued on page 46 contamination. tion over the CNMI and other Worse, Babauta said, results of "I believe that if the situation ... insular areas. Continued on page 46 Saipan set to be declared 'International Peace Island' By Marian A. Maraya (USA), to name few. education organization, have Variety News Staff This will designate Saipan as a worked on. a millennium peace A WORLD peace advocate leading nation in promoting glo­ · document outlining advocacy of from Australia is set to arrive bal peace, to generate a positive issues. this month to participate in a impact on the youth and all citi­ These include the protection ceremony declaring Saipan as zens of the CNMI, according to of forests, greenery, and the en­ an international "Peace Island," Grayer. vironment for all nations and along with 24 other cities all The initiative, Grayer contin­ people in the name of peace, over the world. ued, is not only aimed at achiev­ according to Grayer. Voices for the World Peace ing peace. within Saipan, Rota, ''The children have initiated Committee Chairman Chazz and Tinian but also projected to · ·· •. this, with assistance from the Grayer yesterday said Saipan strengthen peace efforts with other .... · Saipan Rbtary Club. They're will be joining such cities as nations and further promote · going to send this document to Cannes (France), Johannesburg CNMI to the outside wodd. ·· · ... world.leaders probably around (South Africa), Kobe and In the last six months, the youths . .. .· .. .. •. · December 1st, to sovereign na- /slands .. of Beauty youths· and the/r,adv1sors 10,n CNMI ·Museum ·.· ~. · dt · th ··te··dN. t· Hiroshima (Japan), Manila, of the CNMI Islands of Beauty 110 0 u Ex·e· cutive .Dire.ctor Pa.. uf()ben (midd.1e) foca photo ·during t.. he. p. eace .. ·, .. ·.. ·. ... ~s .. an.," . .. ·. e • m . ·.···a· .·~ms, Quezon City, and Zamboanga (IOB), a non-profit youth after­ documentbequeathatcere,nqnyat.the:Hous'eofMar1hpben,Ji(Sarf; ·.. ·· t? .:g~t ,their s1gnatu,res .• 1and · (Philippines), and Los Angeles school and anti-su.bstanc.e. abuse ...... , .. ' ' . .·' -· . ~ •I'·.:. .Anwnio•ye~erqar.>:;,~,,:;:/.•i<;~·~.:•;•·.,-.•·.·.:~u ... ·'.::Y<>·\'::;.;~,~w~~~··"~i.~~~J:::;•::···;::::\"':.c~otlnuec1,,o~.-.PaQ,A!··,, ' " . ~ 2-MARIANAS VARlETY NEWS AND VIEWS-FRIDAY- NOVEMBER 12, 1999 NATION/WORLD FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1999 -MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-3 · News Briefs On power plant proiect Welfare drug testing blocked Senators to fight utilities' efforts · DETROIT (AP) - A federal who don't go to state-ordered Medicaid, disability, emergency WASHINGTON(AP) - Lobbyists for Midwest and Southern judge has temporarily blocked treatment risk the gradual loss of or other state assistance programs. utilities have been working on Capitol Hill in search of an ally willing the state's new requirement that benefits. So far, 8 percent of welfare appli­ to help them get quick relief from potentially large fines being welfare applicants be tested for A group of welfare recipients cants in the pilot communities have threatened as part of a government lawsuit. E11ron cautions CUC drugs, saying it appears to be un­ and the American Civil Liberties tested positive for drugs, primarily In response, six senators from the Northeast issued a public By Haidee V. Eugenio lion or more. rent CUC peak production trans­ meeting, said if the results of a constitutional. Union ofMichiganhad asked U.S. marijuana; according to the Family warning that they intend to put up a united front against the utilities' Variety News Staff Aside from the increasing lates to about 45 MW of average new independent financial analy­ The drug testing, part of a pilot District Judge Victoria Roberts to IndependenceAgency, whichadmin­ effort to get special language attached to an unrelated bill that's THE TEXAS-based firm recently power consumption in the past demand. sis of CUC does not warrant the poised for final approval. program that began Oct. I in a issue the temporary restraining isters welfare in Michigan. evaluated as having the best and years, Enron said various major "One can make the case that the economic feasibility of the con­ handful of communities, requires order. "We 're doing this ... to assist Asking for relief in that manner, "without any congressional final offer for the $120 million commercial, public works and new plant size should be the sum troversial $120 million power most applicants to provide urine Ms. Roberts said that requiring families and remove barriers to hearing, debate or voting record, is utterly inappropriate," said Sen. power plant project has cautioned residential projects are estimated of expected peak load-or about plant project, then a new request "It samples for drug screening be­ the tests without suspicion "is employment," said agency Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn. undemi.ines the Democratic pro- the Commonwealth Utilities Cor­ to require about 80 MW of peak 175 MW. And this does not fac­ for proposal (RFP) may be issued spokeswoman Maureen Sorbet. cess." · fore they can even be considered likely unconstitutional." poration (CUC) about the pos­ power. These projects will re­ tor in the systems reserve, which thereby going back to square one. "Generally, we've had a favor­ for benefits. The ACLU had argued that the "Haven't these power plants done enough damage already?" said sible effect to consumers of low­ quire the new transmission line should be about 50 percent of the Frederick E. LaCroix, general No one who tests positive for requirement was an "unreason­ able reaction. Many (recipients) Sen. James Jeffords, R-Vt. "Isn't it enough that they have been ering down the capacity of the and substations to get access to peak load - or about 80 MW, manager of Enron Guam Piti Cor­ drugs will be denied food stamps able search" in violation of the have said it's about time and they allowed to pollute IO times more than our plants in the Northeast for plant from the originally planned CUC power. which is about the size of power poration, a subsidiary of Enron or assistance checks, and police Fourth Amendment. are willing to demonstrate they years and years?" 80 megawatts.