Front page news and a few more pictures

Yesterday's 1020 on 10/20 went better than I could have ever hoped. When we first floated the idea of recruiting 1020 volunteers to clean our island on one day it seemed like an insurmountable challenge. I never expected to meet our goal three times over. And oh yeah, we were on the front page of the Saipan Tribune.

It was a really exciting day. I drove around visiting as many of the cleanup sites as I could.

I started out at 7 AM. My first stop was with the Marianas Eye Institute volunteers picking up trash along Beach Road. They were led by their CEO Russ Quinn.

My next stop was Java Joe's for a hot cup of black coffee. Along the way I saw volunteers from DPL and I think NMC cleaning up the road

After that I drove to Kagman. Along the way I saw volunteers from MOVER cleaning up Isa Drive and the Lt. Governor's office and family cleaning up As Lito Road.

The Kagman Komunidat Association, along with the Lao Lao Bay Golf Resort, Kagman Highschool, Kagman Elementary School, and Cha Cha Oceanview Junior High School, were cleaning up the Kagman Peninsula.

Here are pictures of some of the participants:

After Kagman I drove to Koblerville to visit with Cinta Kaipat, her office, her family, and CNMI Forestry. They were continuing with the Beautify CNMI! project to build a public park at the old substation and abandoned airfield.

Here is a picture of Cinta with her sister Vi, nephew Kyle, and Ben Cepeda from CNMI Forestry:

After that I headed North, passing by the Mayor's Office working in San Antonio. Then I stopped to visit with the Aquarius Hotel, the Hunter family and DPH cleaning up the beach in Chalan Kanoa (where they planted over 40 coconuts), before heading to 13 Fisherment to visit with DEQ.

DEQ, in addition to cleaning up the beach and the road, planted 25 coconut trees and painted one of the pala palas with paint donated from Sherwin Williams.

After that, I visited with Hopwood Junior High School cleaning up their school and their adjacent beach and then PIC cleaning up the beach south of their hotel.

It was truly an amazing day! I didn't get pictures of everyone I saw, but I'm expecting all of the adopting groups to send me pictures along with reports of their cleanups. I'll post those stories and pictures on the Beautify CNMI! website when I get them.

The total right now for the number of participants stands at 3210, but that number should increase as other volunteer groups get back to me with their number of participants.

The 1020 on 10/20 cleanup was coordinated by Marianas RC&D, a proud partner of Beautify CNMI!

1020 on 10/20 Update

Click HERE to download the 1020 on 10/20 Signup Forms

Please participate in the island wide destination enhancement day TOMORROW!

The 1020 on 10/20 packet is online. Click on the above link to download it. Beautify CNMI has to keep track of several thousand individuals for this event, so please submit the "1020 on 10/20 Interest Sheet" ASAP.

3157 and CLIMBING!!!

Several community groups, businesses, and government agencies have already submitted their pledge to adopt spots for our islandwide destination enhancement day.

I have recieved paperwork from:

NEW! Lieutenant Governor Villagomez and Family - Chalan Monsignor Martinez from traffic light at gas station to traffic light at hardware company
Volunteers expected: 45
Time: 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM
Contact: Margaret Keene, 234-3751

The Lieutenant Governor and his family will pick up litter along the road and will paint the bus stops and plant trees. They have adopted this road for the entire year! This will be an ongoing project for the Villagomez family.

NEW! DPS Crime Prevention - Kilili Beach
Volunteers expected: 10
Time: 3:30 - 4:30 PM
Contact: Officer Tricia M. Seman, 664-9030

DPS and Leep will pick up trash on the beach and in the public park.

NEW! Hopwood Junior High School - Hopwood Junior High School Campus and Beach
Volunteers expected: 1200
Time: 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM, 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Contact: Bree Reynolds, 237-3477

All of the students at Hopwood Junior High School are participating in 1020. They are cleaning the beach from 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM and they are cleaning the campus from 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM.

NEW! McDonald's of Saipan - The road in front of both McDonald's
Volunteers expected: 10
Time: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Contact: Jose C. Ayuyu, 235-8761

McDonald's will pick up litter on the road in front of the McDonald's on Middle Road and the McDonald's on Beach Road. McDonald's donated several boxes of trash bags and rubber gloves for cleanups throughout the island of Saipan. Please contact Angelo Villagomez if you still need gloves and bags at 483-1078.

NEW! Northern Marianas Housing Corporation - Garapan Area
Volunteers expected: 20
Time: 7:00 AM - 8:30 AM
Contact: Joshua T. Sasamoto, 234-7670

NMHC will pick up litter along the road from the corner of Beach Road and American Memorial Park up to the NMHC office and then down to the intersection of Middle Road and Garapan Street.

NEW! Marianas Visitors Authority - Beach Road
Volunteers expected: 20
Time: 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Contact: Martin Duenas, 664-3200

MVA will adopt Beach Road from National Office Supply down to the MVA office. MVA is also adopting this stretch of road and Makaka Beach for one year.

NEW! Saipan Stevedore Company, Inc - Lower Base
Volunteers expected: 15
Time: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Contact: John S. Dela Cruz, 322-9240

Saipan Stevedore Company will clean the area between the SSC yard and American Memorial Park.

NEW! Saipan International School - As Lito
Volunteers expected: 200
Time: 1:55 PM - 2:30 PM
Contact: Amanda Armstrong, 288-9660

Saipan International School will clean up the area around their school.

NEW! Department of Public Works - Pao Pao Beach
Volunteers expected: 150
Time: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Contact: Steve Hiney, 322-2745

Public Works will clean up the beach and the public park.

NEW! Marianas Eye Institute - Beach Road - South Garapan
Volunteers expected: 13
Time: 7:00 AM - 8:30 AM
Contact: Russ Quinn, 235-9090

Marianas Eye Institute will clean up the road and the beach in front of their office.

NEW! Children's World Daycare & Preschool - Atmayas Street - Koblerville
Volunteers expected: 14
Time: 9:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Contact: Frannie/Vangie, 288-5162

The kids and adults will clean up Atmayas Street in Koblerville.

NEW! GTC Elementary School - San Roque Beach
Volunteers expected: 50
Time: 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Contact: Martin Dalsasom, 664-3400

The kids and adults will clean up San Roque Beach.

NEW! Kagman High School Freshman Class - Kagman High School Area
Volunteers expected: 45
Time: 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Contact: Mr. Ada, 234-5498 ext. 101

The KHS Freshman Class will clean up the school and the street near the school.

NEW! Kagman Elementary School - Kagman Elementary School Area
Volunteers expected: 700
Time: 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Contact: Ignacia T. Demapan, 237-3967

KES will clean up the school and the surrounding streets.

NEW! Cha Cha Ocean View Junior Highschool 6th Grade - CCJHS Area
Volunteers expected: 130
Time: 8:10 AM - 8:40 AM
Contact: Betty Ann P. Cabrera, 234-5498 ext. 1011

CCJHS will clean up the school and the surrounding streets.

Northern Marianas Academy - Obyan Beach
Volunteers expected: 20
Time: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Contact: Brooke Nevitt, 235-5597

NMA will clean up the beach.

MOVER - Isa Drive, San Vicente Elementary to Post Office
Volunteers expected: 20
Time: 7:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Contact: Marites Castillo, 234-9769

MOVER will pick up trash along the side of the road.

Office of Public Auditor - Marine Beach
Volunteers expected: 15
Time: 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Contact: Merced Ada, 322-3937

OPA will paint over the graffiti on the pala palas, plant trees on the beach, and pick up trash. They are having a bbq afterwards.

Department of Public Lands - Chalan Monsignor Guerrero from NMC Traffic Light to San Vicente School
Volunteers expected: 20
Time: 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Contact: Evelyn Techur, 234-3751

DPL will pick up trash along the side of the road.

Saipan Community School - Saipan Community School/Church Beach Area
Volunteers expected: 100
Time: 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM
Contact: Bobby Winkfield, 235-7007

Saipan Community School will pick up trash along the beach.

Aquarius Beach Tower Hotel & Public Health - Lally 4 Beach, from Sugardock to Pacific Gardenia Hotel
Volunteers expected: 30
Time: 7:30 AM - until they are finished
Contact: William Hunter, 235-6025

Aquarius Beach Tower Hotel has pledged to pick up litter along the beach and to plant coconuts along the beachfront.

Rep. Absalon Waki's Office & Tan Holdings - Paseo de Marianas and Garapan Tourist District
Volunteers expected: 40
Time: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Contact: Rep. Waki's Office, 664-8965

Rep. Waki's Office has pledged to pick up litter in the city block encompassing the tourist district and to plant trees and landscape along Coral Tree Road. They also have equipment and trash trailers to assist in the cleanup event. Please contact Rep. Waki for assistance.

Tan Holdings has donated 1000 T-shirts to Beautify CNMI!, but they will not be ready in time for 1020.

Rep. Cinta Kaipat's Office & Koblerville Community - Koblerville Substation
Volunteers expected: 30
Time: 8:00 AM - until they are finished
Contact: Rep. Kaipat's Office, 664-8974

Rep. Kaipat's Office has pledge to pick up litter in Koblerville around the substation, cut grass, and paint over graffiti. This project is part of the Beautify CNMI! plan to turn the old substation and airstrip into a public park. Rep. Kaipat is also donating water.

Kagman Kumunidat Association & Lao Lao Golf Resort - Kagman Main Road
Volunteers expected: 50
Time: 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Contact: Betty Ann P. Cabrera, 234-5498 ext 1011; Greg Camacho, 236-8888

Lao Lao Golf Resort and the Kagman Kumunidat Association have pledged to clean the road leading into Kagman from the top of the road near the gas station down to the schools. The are donating water and refreshments.

Hyatt Regency Saipan - Micro Beach
Volunteers expected: 20
Time: 7:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Contact: Lin Seman, 234-1234

Hyatt Regency Saipan will clean up litter along Micro Beach in Garapan. They are donating food.

Coastal Resource Management Office - Tank Beach
Volunteers expected: 10
Time: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Contact: Kathy Yuknavage, 664-8311

CRMO will be picking up litter and planting trees on Tank Beach.

Construction and Material Supply, Inc - Gualo Rai Intersection
Volunteers expected: 10
Time: 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Contact: Melvin J. Malvar, 234-6136

CMS will be cleaning up litter in Gualo Rai. They are donating a dump truck (5 cy. capacity) for collecting garbage in their adopted area and nearby cleanup areas. Please contact them for pickup.

Marianas Resource Conservation & Development Council - Beach Road between 13 Fishermen and Gold Beach Hotel
Volunteers expected: 10
Time: 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Contact: Angelo Villagomez, 483-1078

RC&D will pick up trash on the beach and along Beach Road.

Division of Environmental Quality - Beach Road, north of 13 Fishermen
Volunteers expected: 30
Time: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Contact: Tina Sablan, 664-8500

DEQ will cleanup the road, the pathway, and the beach. They are also going to plant trees and paint over graffiti.

Hotel Nikko Saipan - Pau Pau Beach, fronting Hotel Nikko
Volunteers: 35
Time: 7:30 AM - 8:00 AM
Contact: Ray de la Cruz, 237-5322

Hotel Nikko will clean litter from the beach.

A few groups wanted to do their cleanups on Saturday instead of Sunday. Saturday Cleanups:

MINA - Wing Beach
Volunteers expected: 30
Time: 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Contact: Kathy Yuknavage, 664-8311

NOTICE: THE MINA CLEANUP WILL TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 21, NOT FRIDAY OCTOBER 20.

MINA is cleaning up Wing Beach for the fourth consecutive third Saturday of each month. They will be picking up litter on the beach and cutting the grass along the access road. Cutting the grass should cut down on the amount of illegal dumping in the area.

MINA members, in addition to cleaning Wing Beach on Saturday, are taking a leading role in other 1020 on 10/20 cleanups with their respective families, businesses, and government agencies.

Herman's Modern Bakery, MITA Travel, and Juan T. Guerrero & Associates - Airport Football Field Area
Volunteers expected: 25
Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Contact: Kyle Calabrese, 234-1726

NOTICE: THE HERMAN'S BAKERY AND OTHERS CLEANUP WILL TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 21, NOT FRIDAY OCTOBER 20.

The cleanup will take place beginning at the north from the "Francisco C. Ada Airport" sign southerly along both sides of Tun Herman Pan Road and Flame Tree Road until the intersection of Tun Herman Pan Road and International Terminal Loop (the road to CTSI), including the football field area and the slightly wooded area just south of it. The companies will provide trash bags and gloves. They are going to have a bbq for the employees afterwards.

Arbor Day Poster Contest Winners

At the Arbor Day Proclamation signing this morning we announced the winners of the 2006 Arbor Day Poster Contest. There were two categories: high school and elementary school.

In the high school category, honorable mentions went to Earllon Granada, Francine Santos, Desiree Yamada, Jashlie Camacho, Joseph Cruz, Mark Reyes, Joseph Villela, Nancy Pecsan, Mia Aguon, and Kay Park of Marianas High School. First place and a $200 gift certificate to National Office Supply went to Jeff V. Serrano of Marianas High School.

In the elementary school category, honorable mentions went to Andrew Alfeche and Keena C. Leon Guerrero of Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary School (GTC), Keenah Guerrero and Cassandra M. of Koblerville Elementary School, Jennycka Bery, Clariza M. Magat, and Florentina Cordero of Oleai Elementary School, J. Roberto's 6th Grade Class of Tanapag Elementary School, and Jackyln Garote of San Vicente Elementary School. Third place and a $50 gift certificate to National Office Supply went to Lance Y. Garon of GTC, Second place and a $150 gift certificate to National Office Supply went to BingJane V. Serrano of Oleai Elementary School, and First place and a $200 gift certificate to National Office Supply were awarded to Michael Y. Garon of GTC.

Each of the winners and honorable mentions received a tree to take home, an Arbor Day button, and a Beautify CNMI! bumper sticker. Trees were donated by CNMI Foresty and the gift certificates were sponsored by DNLR Secretary Dr. Ike de la Cruz, Representative Cinta M. Kaipat, Representative Edwin P. Aldan, Marianas Resource Conservation & Development Council, and National Office Supply.

Landeran Tangke Trail

This past Sunday, Beautify CNMI! volunteers from MINA, MOVER, Marianas RC&D, DEQ, and Representative Cinta Kaipat's Office cleared and remarked the Landeran Tangke Trail in Marpi. This weekend's activity was lead by Laura Williams of Division of Fish & Wildlife (DFW).

The path was slightly overgrown, so volunteers remarked the trail with pink flagging tape and cut back some of trees that were growing over the trail. The volunteers also picked up all of the trash along the trail. The trail is completely pristine right now. If people stop littering up there, we'll be able to keep it like that.

The Landeran Tangke Trail was originally created by CNMI Forestry about 20 years and was improved just a few years ago by DFW. Recently DFW created and published a trail guide in four languages: English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. The trail guides can be picked up at the American Memorial Park museum.

The trail guide will take you through the different points of interest along the trail. The trail goes in a counter clockwise loop, so you finish your hike where you started. You can expect to see most of Saipan's forest bird species on your hike. You'll very likely hear a Marianas Fruit Dove, and if you get lucky, you might even get to see one. You might also run into a coconut crab or a monitor lizard. I didn't see any, but I did find this guy clinging to a tree, Gehyra oceanica, the "Big Daddy" gecko of the CNMI:

Throughout the trail you will see lots of sharp rocks. Although they are now atop one of the higest points in Saipan, these limestone rocks were formed during the days when Saipan was underwater.

During the pre-World War II days, Japanese soldiers used these rocks as hiding places and fox holes. There are several well camoflauged fox holes along the trail. They are over 60 years old now, but with a little imagination you can envision a Japanese soldier hiding inside.

As we were finishing up our trail clearing activity, a vanload of Japanese tourists pulled in to the parking area. The local company that takes the tourists here charges them $65 for a day long outing that includes a hike, some siteseeing, lunch, snorkling, and time at their spa (it costs $40 for just the hike). The trail is inside the Saipan Upland Mitigation Bank, so this is a perfect example of environmental protection providing economic benefit.

It is also a perfect example of how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful place. While tourists have to pay thousands of dollars to fly here, stay at a hotel and then for a guide to take them on a nature hike, the people living on Saipan get to visit the Landeran Tangke trail for free.

Lao Lao Reveg 2006

The GIS specialists at CRM finished the map of the Lao Lao Reveg for 2006. Looks great!

RC&D in the News

Marianas Variety, Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Cleanup yields toilet, sinks, washing machine
By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

THE cleanup drive carried out Sunday by volunteers and litter control officers resulted in the retrieval of a toilet, old sinks and even a washing machine from a drainage area in the Garapan tourist district.

The cleanup started at 8 a.m., and was part of Beautify CNMI!’s ongoing islandwide campaign.

Despite the rain, the group of Sunday Beach Baggers which was composed of recently appointed litter control officers and a growing number volunteers collected garbage along a stretch of beach between two hotels.

The Division of Environmental Quality’s Beach Brigade and representatives from the office of Rep. Absalom Waki, Covenant-Saipan, also took part in the cleanup drive.
They started the cleanup at American Memorial Park before proceeding to the beach.
They collected plastic, cigarette butts, candy wrappers and beach debris washed ashore during last week’s weather disturbance.

The group trimmed trees and distributed garbage bags to people at the beach. The beach baggers also informed them about the anti-litter campaign.

Angelo Villagomez of the Marianas Resource Conservation & Development Council is urging the public to join their cleanup efforts and adopt areas for a cleanup drive even for a single hour.

Bird Island Blogging

I took this picture this afternoon. Don't you wish you knew where this was? I'll give you a hint...it was underwater.

OK, it was the Bird Island Reserve...and sorry to have to tell you this, but you're not allowed to fish, hunt, or gather any species there.

That didn't stop someone from illegally harvesting and eating these trochus (locally these guys are called aliling):

The fine for taking any species from the Bird Island Reserve is $500 and up to one year in jail. That is one hefty fine for just a scooby snack. I recommend not fishing there; bring a sandwich.

I also want to share this photo of a small pandanus tree:

When we were planting pandanus up at the Lao Lao Revegetation site, the CNMI Forestry guys told us that coconut crabs like to hang out in these trees. I guess they were right. (Coconut crabs are the largest species of hermit crab; these guys may or may not be coconut crabs, we won't know until they are larger).

Stream Sampling

We have had a very dry rainy season, but it is finally raining. It has rained a couple of times in the last six weeks, but never on the days that we are allowed to bring water samples to the DEQ lab.

I finally got some samples today and hopefully the rest of the Stream Team will be able to get a few over the next few days. (Thank you to Scott and Bree, who both collected samples last week)

I chose to sample down at Lao Lao today. Man, was it raining hard.

In some places the water ran along the side of the road, but in many places the road was just completey covered in running water. About half of the road leading down to the beach was underwater and the entire stretch of road between stream 2 and stream 3 was a torrent of fast moving mocha colored water. Gross.

All of the streams, which are normally dry, had running water. The two photos above are of our sampling site for Stream 1. Notice how high the water reads.

This photo was taken about halfway between stream 1 and stream 2. We don't have this marked off as stream, but that didn't stop the water from running over the road here.

I took three short videos of the water running in Stream 1,2, and 3. Here is a video of Stream 1, which drains the road leading down to the beach:



Notice the beautiful milky mocha color of the stream water.

Here is a video of Stream 2:



Stream 2 was dumping out onto the road. Some of the water was going over the road and back into the stream, but about 80% of the water kept on flowing down the road. It ran along the road like this for about 300 meters.

Here is a video of Stream 3:



When we were mapping potential sampling sites a few months ago, we couldn't follow the path of the flow of water. Well, today I found it. It goes right over the road.

Hopefully it will continue raining Sunday-Tuesday over the next several months. We'll continue to gather data and I'll report on it as it comes in. In the meantime you can read our QAPP.

Click HERE to read our Quality Assurance Project Plan