What's your New Year's wish for the CNMI?

What's your New Year's Resolution?
Just click on comments below and share your resolution with us!!!!

(FYI, photo shows Hapi the Clown harrassing Jim)

Games resume on Jan. 3

Badminton addicts, NMBF president Jonathan Perez apologized for being invisible or out of touch. He was busy pirouetting and dancing in his tutus for their company Christmas Party.

Well, you can once again play badminton on your usual morning schedule and weekends, starting January 3.

Happy playing!!!!

XMAS Party

Thanks for attending the NMBF Christmas Party!

Once again, you as a member or non-member yet, have made the evening memorable again. Please let us know what you think about it and we hope to hear your suggestions for the group and so on.

Bon Voyage to Ate Malou and Kuya Lito Mendoza!
Welcome back to Ate Shirley Kim and Kuya Jo, a single man until the 20th....

MERRY XMAS EVERYBODY!!!

From 'cocks' to "bowls'

NMBF members try their hands on bowling. As the Saipan Tribune editor quipped "NMBF members fed up of shuttle-COCKS now they're trying the Bowls--So from Cock to Bowls....get it?"

The members as guided by professional bowlers and NMBF members Gigi Zapanta and Roger Valles have joined the tournament that started last Thursday. Team members are: Hapi, Marconi, Gigi, Malou, Lito, Diane, Edwin, Rosel, Emil and Jinky.

Traders Ins. is the official sponsor for the group...Yeeha!

Watch and support whenever you have the time, every Thursday now!!!

NMBF Christmas Party 2006

O Christmas Party na!

Dec. 15, 2006
Club V, Saipan Grand Hotel
5pm to 10pm
$10 per member, $12 per non-member
$6 per child....

$10 minimum X-change Gift (optional)
Christmas attire is highly encouraged!!!!

With games and presentations such as dance, song et. al.

Join Ka Na!

Never a Dull Moment

October 2006
Saipan, CNMI, MP96950


Badminton regulars turned hosts Happy Gabriel, Macoi Aguda, and Marconi Calindas brought the house down with their comic antics during the awards banquet for the Inaugural Northern Marianas Badminton Federation Tournament held last Saturday night at Club V of Saipan Grand Hotel.

The awarding of winners for the fledgling organization's first formal competition, which took place on Oct. 9-14 at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium, took a backseat as the trio put on an impromptu comedy show spiced up by special numbers from songbird Ingrid Sanchez and impersonator extraordinaire Noel Wong.

The event, however, started on a somber note as club president Jonathan Perez requested a moment of silence in honor of the late Jojo Aglipay, one of the pioneers of NMBF who died only a few months after the organization was formed.


NMBF adviser Lito Mendoza then swore in Perez, vice president Edwin Montoya, assistant secretary Diane Dar Juan, treasurer Jinky De Belen, and public relation officer Mark Rabago in a simple induction ceremony.

Gabriel, Calindas, and Aguda-the latter whenever he could escape from his emceeing duties at a wedding ceremony next door-then started the comedic ball rolling by good-naturedly poking fun on almost everyone who came up the stage from Perez, who remained on stage to help with the raffle drawing, to the raffle winners, to the tournament victors.


At one point, Calindas referred to Mendoza as a member of the Hong Kong triad, while Gabriel commented on Perez's choice of shoes and belt.

The two also did a number on Montoya and Rabago, clarifying to the audience that they are not Richard and Raymond Gutierrez from the Nestle Twin commercial of years back.


Even the normally serious awards ceremony was raucous, as exemplified when the tournament's most winningest competitor, Janice Bungalos, received her award.


Bungalos, who is two months pregnant and won the mixed doubles (with Aguda), women's doubles (with Gigi Zapanta), and was runner-up in the women's singles, was “forced” to publicly thank her husband, Neil, for her now delicate disposition.


Gabriel and Calindas also playfully claimed Priyawathan Wijay and Ryan Achas' trophies for themselves, after the men's doubles champions failed to make an appearance during the awards banquet, and gamely posed for photos as if they were the true winners of the division.


Aside from Bungalos, Wijay, and Achas, other winners of the first-ever NMBF tourney were women's singles champion and women's doubles runner-up (with Merle Savellano) Dar Juan, mixed doubles champion (with Bungalos), men's singles runner-up, and men's doubles third place (with Calindas) Aguda, men's doubles runner-up (with Erick Pena), and mixed doubles third place (with Elma Labuson) Raj Jayalal, women's singles third place Cleofe Santos, women's doubles third place Cristy Villaflor and Shirley Kim, and mixed doubles runner-up Montoya and Villaflor.


The Inaugural NMBF Tournament was sponsored by Coca-Cola Beverage Co. Inc., Aqua Resort Club, Fiesta Resort & Spa, Pacific Amusement, Pacific Islands Club, YCO Corp.-Jollibee, Pacific Telecom, Inc. Micronesian Brokers Inc., Jhem's Restaurant, Shirley's Coffee Shop, and Danielle's Massage and Beauty Salon. (PR)