Beautify CNMI Award Nominations Deadline

The committee chairs of Beautify CNMI are seeking nominations for their annual Beautify CNMI Steward and Beautify CNMI Champion awards. The two awards will be given out at the annual Beautify CNMI anniversary dinner to take place on March 27.

The awards are given out to recognize the individuals or groups who have been environmental leaders during the past 12 months.

There are two award categories: the Environmental Steward and the Environmental Champion.

The Steward award recognizes a person or group that leads the community in activities that help protect the environment in a variety of ways. This individual or group has demonstrated the need to take pride in the islands and to take care of the place we all call home. They serve as an example for others, especially the next generation, to follow.

The Champion award recognizes a person or group that exemplifies the Beautify CNMI spirit. Those qualities include volunteerism, cooperation, innovation, creativity and the ability to infect others with the Beauty Virus. The Environmental Champion is a role model for others to follow. They bring environmental issues to the forefront of public consciousness. They make things happen and effect change.

Last year's Environmental Champion winners were PSS teacher Bree Reynolds, MINA board member Kathy Yuknavage, and local activist Captain Carl Brachear. The winners of the Environmental Steward award were elementary school student Adam Sablan and volunteer group Friends of the Mariana Islands.

To nominate an individual or group, submit a written nomination explaining why that person or group deserves recognition. You can make as many nominations as you like, but individuals and groups can only be nominated for one award category. Nominations must include the award category the nominee is being considered for, a well written argument detailing the reasons why this nominee should be considered, and contact information for the nominee and for the person making the nomination.

Send nominations to Angelo Villagomez at angelovillagomez@gmail.com or mail them to PO BOX 505149; Saipan, MP 96950 or call the PTI sponsored Beautify CNMI volunteer line at 285-6462 for more information. The deadline for nominations is this Friday, March 7 2008.

Inaugural Governor's Beautify CNMI Environmental Steward and Champion Awards

During our one year anniversary banquet on Friday night, the committee chairs gave out Governor's Beautify CNMI awards in two categories, the Environmental Champion Award and the Environmental Steward Award.

The Environmental Champion award recognizes a person or group that exemplifies the Beautify CNMI spirit. Those qualities include volunteerism, cooperation, innovation, creativity and the ability to infect others with the Beauty Virus. The Environmental Champion is a role model for others to follow. They bring environmental issues to the forefront of public consciousness. They make things happen and effect change.

Environmental Champions (left to right): Rep. Waki, Ken Kramer, Kathy Yuknavage (Champion!), Carl Brachear (Champion!), Bree Reynolds (Champion!), Steve Hiney, Katie Busenkell, Rep. Cinta Kaipat, Ray Mafnas, and Angelo Villagomez (that's me!)

This year's winners were Bree Reynolds, Kathy Yuknavage, and Captain Carl Brachear.

The Environmental Steward award recognizes a person or group that leads the community in activities that help protect our environment in a variety of ways. This individual or group has demonstrated the need to take pride in our islands and to take care of the place we all call home. They serve as an example for others, especially the next generation, to follow.

Environmental Stewards (left to right): FMI President Marites Castillo (Steward!), Ike Cabrera, Ken Kramer, Rep. Waki, Steve Hiney, Katie Busenkell, Adam Sablan (Steward!), Rep. Cinta Kaipat, Ray Mafnas, and Angelo Villagomez (that's me again!)

This year's winners were Adam Sablan and Friends of the Mariana Islands (FMI). We also presented FMI with the 2006 USDA Earth Team Group Award.

Exxon-Mobil Donation

Today Exxon-Mobil donated $2500 to Friends of the Mariana Islands to support their environmental projects. Pictured above (from left to right) are EJ Lee, Rina Manabat, Angelo Villagomez, Cecile Suda, Marites Castillo, Jun Palad, and Rene Vergara.

This is a good week for Beautify CNMI! We won an EPA Award, received this donation, and tomorrow we have our one year anniversary banquet. Bank of Guam also called me today to let me know that they are going to donate $500 to Beautify CNMI to pay for a trash trailer.

What can I say but, Woot!

Beautify CNMI in the News

We are featured in two articles in the Saipan Tribune today. First they wrote about our one year anniversary:

Saipan Tribune's 2006 Person of the Year Beautify CNMI! turns one year old this month and is hosting a dinner event this Friday to celebrate this milestone.

The fundraising event will be held at the Aqua Resort Club's Raraina Restaurant from 7:30pm to 9:30pm, according to Angelo Villagomez, Beautify CNMI! Restoration Committee chairman and Marianas Resource Conservation & Development Council public involvement coordinator.(snip)

“We wouldn’t have done as much as we have done if literally thousands of people hadn’t pitched in over the last year. In 12 months we have created the We Love Saipan Network, a network of over 50 local writers and bloggers publishing stories about life in the CNMI; organized 1020 on 10/20, where 3,000 plus CNMI residents came out to volunteer on a single day; MOVER won a National USDA Earth Team Award volunteering with Beautify CNMI, and you guys named us Person of the Year,” Villagomez said.

Then they wrote about the EPA Environmental Award we won this week:

Environment advocate Beautify CNMI! was named an environmental hero during the recently concluded Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 Environmental Awards.

Beautify CNMI! was awarded the honor during the agency's 9th Annual Environmental Awards Ceremony in San Francisco yesterday, joining 13 other environmental heroes in Region 9 that includes California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands.

“These organizations have applied creativity, teamwork, and leadership in addressing many of the Pacific's most sensitive and complex environmental challenges,” said U.S. EPA Regional Administrator Wayne Nastri. “Thanks to their efforts, our air, water and land will be cleaner and safer for generations to come. The winners set an example for all of us to follow.”

EPA Environmental Awards

It was announced today (although in San Francisco it was still yesterday, weird huh?) that Beautify CNMI is the recipient of an EPA Annual Environmental Award.

Pretty sweet to find out about this during the week of our one year anniversary. Speaking of which, have you made your reservation yet?

Beautify CNMI Environmental Awards Ad hoc Committee

The Beautify CNMI Environmental Awards Ad hoc Committee met this evening to discuss the awarding of the 2007 Governor's Beautify CNMI Environmental Champion and Environmental Steward awards.

The members of this committee shall remain anonymous. Come to the One Year Anniversary Banquet this Friday to find out the winners!

One Year Anniversary Fundraiser

Hafa Adai Beautify CNMI!

It's April and that means that Earth Day is right around the corner.

Every year on Earth Day you hear people say, "Let's make Every Day Earth Day." Well, I am proud to be able to report that in the last year, the people of the CNMI did just that. Whether it was planting trees, picking up litter, cleaning up illegal dump sites, reading to school children about proper pet care, working on projects related to the Micronesia Challenge, promoting recycling, getting rid of junk cars, or even just reading about all of the various Beautify CNMI activities on the Internet, environmental stewardship and volunteerism was front and center all year.

This Earth Day, let us look back on all that we have accomplished in the last 12 months. I have been going through our events from the last year, adding up the trees planted, the pounds of trash removed, and the number of volunteers that helped to Beautify the CNMI. The numbers are staggering. Over 100 different community groups, schools, government agencies, and businesses have contributed to the success of Beautify CNMI! Our volunteers number in the thousands...not quite ten thousand, but pretty close.

Usually Earth Day is a day where people make empty promises to recycle more or to join a beach cleanup sometime in the future. Not this year. This Earth Day the CNMI will be able to look back and be proud of our weekly beach cleanups, our many tree plantings, the litter control officer trainings, the tree care workshop, and our crowning event, 1020 on 10/20, where over 3000 people came out to improve Saipan on a single day.

This is reason for all of us to celebrate. I would like to extend an invitation to you to do just that at the Beautify CNMI First Anniversary banquet on Friday, April, 20 at Aqua Resort (see attachment). The day after Earth Day we'll get back to another year of great work, but until then, let's bask in all we have accomplished. Congrats everyone!

Angelo

P.S. If you have any questions, please contact me at 483-1078

One Year Anniversary Fundraiser

We're pink for Easter!

It is April and do you know what that means? The Beautify CNMI! movement is almost one year old! To commemorate this milestone, we are planning a Beautify CNMI! one year anniversary fundraiser on Friday, April 20th. Please mark your calendars!

The fundraiser will be at the Aqua Resort on April 20th at 7:30 PM. The price is $25 for adults and $12.50 for children (very affordable!). Admission includes the Seafood Night Buffet with draft beer and champagne, a raffle ticket, and other surprises. There will also be a presentation of several Beautify CNMI Environmental Stewardship awards and a presentation of all the work we have accomplished (and the fun we had) together in the last year.

I will have information on where to buy tickets soon. Please RSVP with me via email so that we have an idea of how many people to expect.

Please plan on coming! If you are reading this, you are invited.

Here is a taste of the amazing extravaganza you will be treated to:



Come see the rest of the video at the fundraiser!