All set for islandwide 10/20 event

Saipan Tribune, Thursday, October 19, 2006
By Marconi Calindas
Reporter

Rep. Cinta Kaipat, Rep. Absalon Waki, DEQ's Tina Sablan, Angelo Villagomez and other Beautify CNMI! volunteers pose for a group photo during yesterday's informal media briefing at the Beach Road pathway. The CNMI-wide destination enhancement day is all set on Oct. 20. Volunteers are to adopt a spot on the island, pick up trash, plant trees, paint over graffiti, and generally beautify the islands. (Jacqueline Hernandez) Beautify CNMI! and other agencies are all set for tomorrow's islandwide “1020 on 10/20” cleanup, the first ever CNMI-wide anti-litter campaign.

During the event, volunteer groups will be adopting a beach, road or park, planting trees, painting over abandoned or graffiti-plagued buildings, or just beautifying a residential or commercial area.

In an informal news briefing yesterday morning, Beautify CNMI! officers, led by Rep. Cinta Kaipat, Angelo Villagomez, Tina Sablan, and Steve Hiney, met with Greg M. Camacho, representing the Kagman area, and Russ Quinn, Marianas Eye Institute chief executive officer. Both Camacho and Quinn formalized their support for “1020 on 10/20”.

Camacho is leading the mobilization of some 2,000 Kagman residents and students to participate in the cleanup event. An officer of the Laolao Bay Golf Resort, Camacho said he also represents the Kagman Kumunidat Association. He has been coordinating the event with three of Kagman schools: Kagman Elementary School, Kagman High School, and Cha Cha Oceanview Junior High School to help maintain the cleanliness and beauty of Kagman.

“So far there are 1,100 kids that are sure to show up,” he said, adding that the Laolao Bay Golf Resort would be providing refreshments for the cleanup participants. He said they would be convening at the Laolao Bay Golf Resort as early as 7am.

Quinn said the entire MEI staff would be pitching in their help in cleaning up Beach Road. “This is our island. We can all get here, go out and keep our beautiful beach,” he added. MEI will be adopting the same area with the Division of Environmental Quality team.

Kaipat and the other Beautify CNMI! officers expressed excitement at the interest being generated by the event and the support it is garnering from private firms.

“I am incredibly excited and proud of Kagman, in particular, in exceeding our expectations,” Kaipat said.

She added that Kagman and MEI are excellent examples to other communities.

Kaipat stressed that participants should take “before and after” photos of their adopted areas. She said the photos could be uploaded to the website www.beautifycnmi.com.

Rep. Absalon Waki, USDA's Ken Kramer, and other private and government representatives showed up during the media briefing at the 13th Fisherman Utt along the Beach Road.

There are now 475 volunteers who have officially signed up for the “1020 on 10/20” event. Villagomez said that thousands more have pledged to participate tomorrow.