facebook.com/beautifycnmi

Follow Beautify CNMI on Facebook

Draft Meeting Minutes for May 13, 2010

MEETING MINUTES
Thursday, May 13, 2010 – 6:00PM
CIC Conference Room - JP Bldg, Beach Road, Garapan

SPECIAL THANK YOU TO CENTURY INSURANCE (TAN HOLDINGS) FOR HOSTING THIS MONTH'S MEETING!

Sign In – please make sure you get your name on the sign in sheet
I. Introductions – around the table (3-mins)
1) Cinta Kaipat – founder, volunteer
2) Noriko Watanabe – representing Hard Rock Café
3) Marites Castillo – representing FMI
4) Lina Dimaano– representing iServeiGive (Tan Holdings)
5) Steve Woodruff - volunteer
6) Laurie Peterka – volunteer PR Coordinator
7) N. Horiguchi – volunteer
8) Kathy Yuknavage – Marine Debris PM, MINA
II. Adopt agenda and last meeting’s minutes (2-mins)
1) Cinta motioned to adopt agenda – none opposed
2) Kathy motioned to adopt minutes – none opposed
III. Committee reports (20-mins or 2-3 mins each)
1) DEQ – tabled; Joe is off island
2) PDM Promoters – Laurie reported based on website submission
i. May 8th Clean up reported on website
ii. 780 lbs of trash collected
iii. 15 volunteers
3) TSL - iServe-iGive back - Lina
i. In April - 6 groups participated in IWC
ii. Total 235 people
iii. Booth at Environmental Expo – shared what the company is focused on for projects; the 3-Rs for the kids
4) Neighborhood Watch – tabled; Frank/Eric didn’t make it
5) Mariana Islands Nature Alliance (MINA) – Kathy
i. Marine Debris project is moving smoothly
ii. As school comes to a close, things will slow down a little
iii. Kagman high school is looking for a corporate partner to help with marine debris project ….maybe Hard Rock Café?
iv. Additional funding is available to do more bins
1. PauPau
2. Aquarius Beach
3. Chalan Pio (behind CKBC)
4. Marine Beach
5. Schools are a possibility
6. Bins don’t have to be “on the beach” – all of the island qualifies
v. Need to invite Karen Cabrera – ckalena@gmail.com or Fran Castro to represent MINA at regular meetings
6) Friends of the Marianas Islands (FMI) - Marites
i. Monthly clean ups at LauLau Beach South to Picnic area
ii. $2,000 Mobil donation for equipment to cut the grass away from the road (5th year)
7) Graffiti – Cinta, Laurie, Marites
i. $2,500 NMC grant is available
ii. Project is ready to go to next steps, but needs a project leader
iii. Cinta/FMI going to take over lead of the committee
8) Junk Cars – Laurie reported update per news
i. Zoning announced last month that it would begin tagging cars
ii. Zoning reported that they will be working with mayor’s office
iii. Cinta mentioned that Zoning would like a BCNMI volunteers to inform them via a survey or report of some kind to help identify junk cars for removal
9) Hard Rock Café is interested in forming a group or finding a way to be involved with some type of environmental projects
IV. Coalition Initiatives (15 mins)
1) Signature Events
i. Laurie suggested that coalition partners share their calendar for the remainder of the year
ii. Laurie observed that several groups all have their cleanup on the first Saturday of the month –
iii. Discussion about possibly encouraging groups to spread out their regularly monthly cleanup plans so that something is going on every weekend
2) Identify a “calendar” person
i. Laurie suggested that each coalition member/partner should make the effort to join the BCNMI calendar and add their events
ii. Laurie suggested that someone could take responsibility for sending out weekly reminders on calendar items with an invitation to the public to join
V. Announcements (2-mins) - none
VI. Next monthly meeting - 2nd Thursday of the Month (2-mins)
1) June 10th - Time: 5:30pm
2) Location: CIC Conference Room (or other if volunteered)
3) Discussion and decision to keep the CIC Conference as the regular meeting place for the remainder of this year
i. Everyone agreed that consistency could help attendance
ii. Lina indicated that keeping the meetings at CIC is acceptable

REMINDER: Regular Monthly Meeting May 13th

Please be reminded that the monthly meeting is scheduled for this Thursday,

When: May 13th, Thursday
Time: 6:00pm
Location: Century Insurance Conference Room

JP Bldg, Beach Road

JP Center is the building where Saipan Tribune, Century Insurance (CIC), Century Travel are holding office. The CIC conference room is at the Ground floor. For directions, call at 234-0609 Ext 101 (Lina) or Ext 115 (Eli)

Corporate participation is available in many, many ways. For example, donating a meeting space for any of our committee meetings or our reular monthly meetings. Coalition members appreciate having quiet place to get together to work on projects.

A VERY BIG THANK YOU to Century Insurance for donating the conference for two Beautify CNMI! meetings this week!

Have a question or need more info - contact Laurie Peterka at 483-7499.

Everyone is welcome --- please feel free

to join us if you can.

PDM Promoters - taking care of Garapan

15 volunteers from PDM Promoters, Inc & Kinpachi Restaurant spent a couple of hours on Saturday morning bush-cutting the grassy areas along Coral Tree avenue and collected 780 lbs of trash.

A BIG THANK YOU to all those who participated! We are so very fortunate to have people like you, who take a couple of hours out of your month to help keep our CNMI beautiful! May everyone you come in contact with, catch your beauty virus!!!

Dept of Public Health on last month's Islandwide Cleanup

CHC-DPH Island wide clean-up 2010

Dept. of Public Health Team during the island wide clean up last month

Photo contributed by:
Trina Sablan
Community Health Specialist
CNMI Division of Public Health
Department of Public Health

DEQ Monthly Cleanup Brigade

Due to the Annual Environmental Awareness Month (EAM) Island Wide Cleanup in April 23, 2010, the Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ) cleanup brigade will again be deviating from its regular 1st Saturday of each month cleanup and instead encourages volunteers to join the Koblerville Neighborhood Watch Old Runway Cleanup scheduled for May 15, 2010 at 8:00 am Saturday.

If you would like to volunteer your time to clean and beautify our island, please meet at the old runway beside the Tototville and “Pick it Up!” Volunteers will start cleaning for about 2 hours or when finished.

This is a cleanup that should not be missed, so join DEQ’s Cleanup Brigade and the Neighborhood Watch and “Pick It Up!” Let us work together for the health of our coral reefs and cleanliness of our beaches and village communities for everyone to enjoy.

For more information about volunteering, please contact the DEQ office at 664-8500.

Frank Camacho continues his work as a Champion

See the story at Marianas Variety: Campaign against illegal dumping launched

Pictures that follow are of Frank B. Camacho receiving his Environmental Champion 2010 award at the Flametree Festival on Saturday, April 24, 2010. The awards presentation also marked the beginning of the 5th year for the Beautify CNMI! coalition.







THANK YOU FRANK - FOR ALL THAT YOU DO AND FOR BEING A ROLE MODEL, AN INSPIRATION!

Clean Up Reminder!

PDM Promoters, Inc. volunteers will be doing the clean up of Garapan & Paseo de Marianas on Saturday May 8th.

Please contact Sonia at Kinpachi Restaurant if you would like to participate!

URGENT - Black Cats In Need of Homes

Reposted at the request of PAWS (Pet Assistance and Welfare Services)

Dear Animal Lovers,

A very responsible and compassionate individual took in four kittens a few months ago. She has fed these three little guys and one gal, taken them to the vet for their shots/deworming, and loved them - all while trying to trying to find a good home.

We didn't have any takers.

The foster family is moving to the mainland next week, and we absolutely must find someone to either foster or adopt these kittens.

Unfortunately, if we cannot find a home they will either be turned out to fend for themselves or put to sleep.

Please, if you someone you know would like to adopt one or more of these great kittens, contact Rebecca at 483-3541 or 235-7025.

Details:

3 males and 1 female
Vaccinated
Dewormed
House trained
Friendly
Loving
Beautiful coats (forget what you heard about black cats - they are gorgeous and loving)


You may also call PAWS at 285-PAWS.


Spread the word!!

Thank you!!!

Congrats & Thank you to all the Islandwide Cleanup Volunteers

Rotary Club of Saipan

Northern Marianas Housing Corporation

Pacific Eagle of Saipan

Congratulations and our heartfelt thanks and gratitude go out to all the over 2,000 participants in this year's very successful DEQ-led Island-wide Clean-up. We proved once again that the successful collaboration between coalition partners in the government sector, private sector, and community is an unbeatable combination!

The two-day clean-up coincided with the Flame Tree Arts Festival which drew hundreds of participants and visitors from off island to the CNMI and to Saipan in particular to celebrate our arts and cultures. Our thanks to the Arts Council Officials and Secretary of DCCA Melvin Faisao for supporting and partnering with Beautify CNMI!

As we embark on our fifth year as coalition partners of Beautify CNMI!, I wish to thank all of those who helped us succeed these past four years. Thank you for helping to foster pride in ourselves and in our communities and in making the CNMI a paradise to live and visit. Of course, this coalition would not be anywhere without the untiring work and dedication of all the past and present subcommittee chairs and their respective members who run the Beautify CNMI! coalition. I also thank the wonderful non-profit groups who gave and continue to give so much of their volunteer time to improving the health and aesthetics of our land and sea environment. Your efforts and contributions are very much appreciated. The private sector has been amazing coalition partners and leaders in our community. We are truly grateful for your monetary and in-kind donations and look forward to continuing our coalition partnership for the future. Last, but not least, our thanks to the third member of this coalition partnership -- the government. While we do know that government simply can't do everything, together with our private-sector and community volunteers, we can accomplish a lot more.

Next year, when we celebrate our fifth-year anniversary, we will, once again, be recognizing Environmental Champions and Stewards in our communities, including Rota and Tinian. Might that Champion and Steward be you? Might that be the volunteer right next to you? Might this person be off island but whose presence is known and felt in the CNMI? Keep an eye out for the next nominee or nominees. Each Award goes to an individual and a group of volunteers. Yes, the volunteer work must come from the heart! So go out there and continue spreading the famous Beautify CNMI "beauty virus"!

Finally, my personal and heartfelt thanks to Laurie Peterka and Joe Kaipat for all their sacrifices, commitment and dedication in helping me ensure that the Beautify CNMI! coalition continues to move forward.

Thank you, Si Yu'us Ma'ase and Olomwaay!

Warmest Regards,
Cinta M. Kaipat
Founder, Beautify CNMI!

POI Aviation

Century Insurance, Saipan Tribune, L&T, Century Tour & Travel, Century Finance & Tan Holdings

Saipan Grand Hotel & Century Hotel

D & Q and Cosmos Distributing

CTSI Logistics

More pictures and final numbers to follow as data collection is finalized!