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KOROR (Palau Horizon, June 5) - Osmochel F. Orak, 18, a graduate of Palau High School Class 2005, was this year’s top award winner of the Charlie Corn Scholarship Award.

The Guam Post of the Society of American Military Engineers awards the scholarship to permanent residents of Guam, Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau who are currently pursuing or planning to pursue college studies in engineering or architecture.

Scholarship criteria include the applicant’s grade point average, involvement in activities supporting the local community, the applicant’s need for the grant, and the genuine desire to pursue an engineering or architecture education.

Prospective applicants must also have future plans to return to the Mariana Islands, Micronesia, or Palau after their studies.

Orak will be attending University of Guam this fall and plans on returning to Palau as a professional civil engineer.

June 6, 2005

Marianas Variety:...

HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Star, July 5) - Solomon Islands’ new deputy Commissioner of Police Graham Emery yesterday promised to serve the country with diligence.

Emery, a New Zealand police officer, took up his official duties yesterday, after he was sworn in.

Commissioner of Police Shane Castles said Emery would take up the role of Deputy Commissioner, Operations Support under the Solomons police force’s new management structure.

The New Zealand Government is funding Emery’s post as part of its assistance to strengthening the force.

Emery is not part of RAMSI [Regional Assistance Mission Solomon Islands].

Castles said the Solomons police would now have two Deputy Commissioners following Emery’s appointment.

"The other deputy commissioner position currently occupied by PPF Commander Sandi Peisley, is created under the provisions of the Facilitation of International Assistance Act 2003," Castles explained yesterday.

Emery has...

By Marconi Calindas

SAIPAN, CNMI (Saipan Tribune, July 6) – The University of Washington has sent Saipan's own Felix Cabrera Jr. to conduct a research study in the CNMI on the risks of tobacco and betel nut chewing among teenagers.

Cabrera disclosed the details of the planned study yesterday at the weekly Saipan Rotary Club meeting at the Hyatt Regency Saipan.

The 24-year-old, second-year student at the University of Washington School of Medicine said the university is funding his research, which will run from June 23 until Aug. 6.

Cabrera said he would select at least 40 respondents for the survey.

He took pains to make it clear that he is not attempting to eliminate betel nut chewing in the CNMI. "Rather, we are trying to understand the factors that contribute to the use of tobacco with betel nut, especially in minors."

The study would also try to find ways to reduce the harm tobacco and betel nut chewing brings, thus providing better...

Commentary

By Jon Fraenkel

SUVA, Fiji (Fiji Times, July 2) – One of the biggest issues during the current Fiji government has been the constitutional requirement to form a multi-party cabinet.

For the first four years of this government, Fiji’s highest courts were constantly addressing legal issues concerning the requirement that the Prime Minister invite all parties with over 10 percent of seats into his cabinet.

Was the Labour Party entitled to participate? How many ministerial positions should Labour hold? Did the Prime Minister have the right to choose which MPs took which positions?

Since November 2004, this issue has slipped off the political agenda (perhaps making this a good time for less hot-headed discussion). The Labour Party halted its efforts to resolve the matter through the courts in November 2004, accepting instead a position on the opposition benches.

Controversy over the proposed Reconciliation Bill have instead occupied...