Beautify CNMI in the Philippines

I received this email from Beautify CNMI volunteer Captain Carl today:

Angelo,

Another "Beautify CNMI" across borders, a Liang Liang tree
planted on the Farm At San Benito, Batangas, PI. The tree is used in
natural healing. I am wondering if it goes here on Saipan. Will
check later this week. Have a good evening.

Carl

Thanks, Carl!

Quoted by Bruce Bateman

From the Saipan Tribune:

Revitalization

While eating something-on-a-stick at the Thursday Street Market, I ran into Angelo Villagomez. As we sat and discussed how to save the world, the conversation came around to oldtown Garapan revitalization. Angelo espoused a couple of ideas that made a lot of sense to me and I will pass them on to you for your edification. (Notice how I deftly laid it off on Angelo in case you think the idea is wacky).

He believes that to make the place better, jobs, like government agencies, and other office type private job generating businesses need to move into the Garapan downtown area. Tourists would like to participate in a “real” local experience, not just a tourist sham experience put up for their benefit. Tourists want to meld into an already existing unique cultural enclave a la San Francisco.cable cars, rice-a-roni, wharf, Nob Hill, China Town etc. Tourists come to see the local ambiance in a location, not to create it.

Also needed are people to move their residences into this area, real working folks, living there full time. Angelo has already moved in there for whatever nefarious reasons (kidding) and would like to see others do the same. Real residents walking the streets (no, not street walkers), using the business facilities and adding foot traffic to a sometimes barren area will make it a pleasant and comfortable feeling place to go.

He has a good point on both counts, if you ask me. So MVA, find yourselves a new or now empty building somewhere in Garapan and move on in.

Adopt a Flame Tree Update

In 2007 Beautify CNMI planted about 200 Flame Trees (I think) as part of our Adopt-a-Flame Tree Program. 6 of those trees were planted in American Memorial Park last June during our Micronesia Challenge Summer Camp and they were adopted by Barney Ono, a Japanese citizen living in Japan who has kept track of Beautify CNMI via the Internet.

I had the chance to visit those six Flame Trees earlier this morning and I am happy to report that they are all doing very well. This picture was taken next to the largest of the six.

Barney, the next time you visit Saipan, make sure you look for your six healthy Flame Trees growing in our local National Park.

LOST DOG - BRUNO

Hey Beautify CNMI! and Members of the Community:

You know the routine - when an animal goes missing - we as a community do our best to look out for one another and find that animal!

PAWS received an email today about Bruno, a chocolate lab that went missing yesterday. There is a chance that he decided to take a walk on his own and that he will return, but just in case - please keep your eyes open for Bruno! His family is horribly sick over his disappearance. For more information, please visit the PAWS blog at www.paws-saipan.blogspot.com.

If you have any information on Bruno, please contact Willie at 483-9459 or Louisa at 483-8946. Alternatively, you may contact me at 286-0970.

Thank you for being the eyes, ears, and heart of Saipan.

Marines, Garapan Elementary Students and Others Beautify Garapan Tourist District

We were scheduled to have a session last Friday, so I couldn't join the Beautify CNMI event that the Saipan Chamber of Commerce and Angelo Villagomez set up. They managed to pair 100 visiting marines with students from Garapan Elementary School. Thanks to Principal Boni Gomez for her usual 100% support of Beautify CNMI events!
I checked in on the crew on my way up to the Hill and arrived just in time to see Principal Boni lead her charge to the American Memorial Park parking lot.Here we are prepping the kids before the marines arrived. She said a few words.... . .and then I said a few words......and then I thanked them and wished them a great day and went on to the session. Again, thanks to the Marines, Principal Gomez and the students and faculty of GES who participated in the cleanup, and all the participants for the awesome job they did cleaning up the Garapan Tourist District. Thanks, Angelo, for anchoring the event!

Rep. Cinta Kaipat
www.cnmiblog.com