(2/07/04)

What's the old saying made famous by Frank Sinatra?

"If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere? It's up to you New York, New York ..."

Guess Dale and Kedel saw it differently.

If asked, they may just sing a different tune from Jorge. In fact they may break out a tune from my good friend Jesse Bias.

"Guam, you bring back memory of friends and family and the good times that we shared ..."

At any rate, and for whatever reason, Jorge is in New York and Dale is not. This of course means that Dale will not be taking advantage of the 'so-called' helping hand that was supposedly mutually agreed upon at the time of his supposed 'retirement'.

Many are speculating ... but as far as I know, none of what I've heard are either true or confirmed. So let's dispel the rumors now.

R: Dale will be the principal of Saipan International School.

A: Nothing has been signed. Nothing is confirmed. True, he did visit the school and according to all accounts, had a great interview, but nothing formal has been confirmed.

R: Jorge is out in New York recruiting for a new upperschool principal as well as teachers.

A: Probably is all that I can say. Who's to know?! With rumors of 9-10 teachers already resigning, Jorge better do a great job recruiting ... maybe he'll hire a bunch of teachers he knows from his days in Bali and Venezuela. As for the principal position, some speculate that several local names are on the ballot. Former educator J. Denight has been rumored to be seen 'well-dressed' and waiting his turn to meet with the SJS BOT. We'll just have to see. One thing is clear though, SJS will see a radically new faculty next school year.

So there you have it ... our beloved friend Dr. Jenkins and his wife Kedel may have an opportunity to work for a great school in Saipan International School ... and some of you out there may be rejoicing for the Jenkins'. But just remember, as great as Saipan is, it's still a plane ride out of here ... and so the basic premise remains ... this current administration not only succeeded in removing Dale and Kedel out of campus, they drove them out of town.

My hope is that Dale and Kedel are given the opportunity to work at Saipan International School ... because they can bring a lot to the table. Visiting their website (SIS), the school seems really cool. It reminds me of a retro-SJS when times were more pleasant. Already I've heard from many who currently donate to the school, that they will support SIS (should the Jenkins go there), with their dollars instead of SJS. Is the valuable Morita scholarship in danger? Who can say? All this guy knows is this — my friends in Palau aren't too happy right now.

Good luck in recruiting in New York, Jorge. You'll need it. Finding teachers to teach on Guam (for a long term) will be challenging. And if we are faced with new teachers every two years, you can bet the ALUMNI support will fade over the years, as will the existence of 'lifer's'.

You once gleefully said to me that you are helping to get Dale 'off this rock', during one of our conversations, and although I agree with you that Guam is a small, and sometimes limiting place — it is home to many of us, don't forget that. We are not like you, and you are not like us.

Guam is not somewhere we'd like to visit, it somewhere we still like to live.