Photo Contest Winners

On Friday night we announced the 10 finalists and the Grand Prize winner of the Photo Contest to raise awareness for the Micronesia Challenge. Here are a few of the top 10:

Leslie Ware won the Grand Prize with his photo of a Fairy Tern flying in front of some Flame Trees. He won a one night stay at Aqua Resort and lunch for two at Grand Hotel.

He also had two other photos chosen as top 10 finalists:

These next two photos were taken by Takahiro Noguchi. If I had been a judge, I would have chosen the picture of the fish as the Grand Prize winner (Sorry, Les).

Laura Williams from Division of Fish & Wildlife submitted this photo of Bikkia tetrandra:

I'm not sure if the judges have a sense of humor or if this is just a coincidence, but Harry Blalock's photo of a hermit crab was chosen as a finalist:

This photo of Yoshimi Yanagasawa and her Mom was also chosen:

Aya Matsumoto had two photos in the top 10:

Here are two of the winning photographers accepting their Beautify CNMI prize packs:

Each Beautify CNMI giftpack includes one of our turtle bags, two t-shirts, several bumper stickers, and a limited edition Beautify CNMI mug.

They are limited edition because I dropped the bag they were in and about 1/4 of them broke.

Oops.

The top 10 finalists and 10 Honorable Mentions were on display at our event at the Grand Hotel on Friday.

After the announcement of the winners we had a public forum hosted by Marianas Resource Conservation & Development Council (that's me). Over 30 people participated, including several public school teachers. Dr. Peter Houk, Biologist from Division of Environmental Quality, and Greg Moretti, Marine Protected Area Specialist from NOAA, presented on some of the work they are doing concerning the Micronesia Challenge.

Afterwards we had a long question & answer session.

The event was a success.

Thank you, Aqua Resort, Grand Hotel,and Marianas RC&D for providing prizes!

Thank you, Grand Hotel for hosting the event!

Thank you, Marianas RC&D for paying!

Another generous donation!

Thank you Grand Hotel and Fiesta Resort: Grand Hotel Food & Beverage Manager Lance Razon hands over a donation check to Beautify CNMI Restoration Chair Angelo Villagomez.

Everytime you ate at Grand Hotel or Fiesta Resort between March 15 and April 15, a $1 donation went towards Beautify CNMI! Last Sunday, the two hotels presented Beautify CNMI with a check for $573.

Thank you Grand Hotel and thank you Fiesta Resort!

Club V Party Time!!!

Did you know that everytime you ate at Grand Hotel or Fiesta Resort from March 15 - April 15 you made a $1 donation to Beautify CNMI?

They are going to present the money they collected at a ceremony at Club V on Friday night. Come watch the presentation and then party with us!!!

Give me a B! Give me a C!

Saipan Tribune, Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Environmental cheering and dance contest on
By Marconi Calindas
Reporter

The Saipan Grand Hotel will be hosting an Environmental Cheering and Dance Showdown that will highlight not just the talent of contestants but will also promote environmental awareness and beautification projects in the CNMI.

Events manager and “eventologist” Oscar Yema presented his newest undertaking to Beautify CNMI! during the group's general meeting last Thursday at the Division of Environmental Quality Conference Room.

Yema told the Beautify CNMI! members and officers that the contest is open to all primary and secondary schools in the CNMI, as well as to tertiary, non-government organizations, private schools, and out of school youth in the Commonwealth.

He said the contest aims to give students and others the opportunity to showcase their talent in composing cheers and choreographing dance routines that would express the message, “Everyone has a part to play in keeping CNMI clean and beautiful.”

The competition also hopes to make the participants learn to appreciate and care for the environment through fun and creative activities, he added.

It will also promote Beautify CNMI! and the Micronesian Challenge, which seeks to conserve 30 percent of near shore resources and 20 percent of forest resources among Pacific Islands.

Since the competition will also involve community members voting for their favorite contestants through texting, co-sponsor Pacific Telecom Inc. has promised to donate 1 cent of every text vote that the contestants will receive. This comes in the wake of the recent success of the text voting during the Saipan Singing Superstar competition that garnered over 3 million text votes.

Schools and other organizations have already been invited, said Yema. The registration for the contest was opened last Saturday. Elimination rounds will be held this coming Saturday while the grand finals will be on Feb. 3.

Beautify CNMI! gave Yema the nod to proceed with his planned activities and thanked the hotel for making the group its beneficiary.

Entry forms can be downloaded online through web address: www.saipan-grandhotel.com or at the Saipan Grand Hotel front desk. For further information, contact Yema at 234-6601 local 651 or through mobile phone at 483-6489.