Beautify CNMI September 2009 Meeting
DEQ Conference Room
Thursday, September 3, 2009
3:30 PM
I. Attendees: Angelo Villagomez, Laurie Peterka, Ian Catlett, Lisa Eller, Tyler Yoshimoto, Harrison Smith, Christina Smith, Tony Reyes, Carter Smith, Joe Kaipat, Sonia Siwa
II. Agenda Adopted
III. August Minutes Adopted
IV. Committee Reports
a. Restoration
i. Laolao Tree Planting – had a very successful event. We had over 100 volunteers and support from CRM, DEQ, Forestry, and others. Very successful event, with over 500 trees planted. Photos are on Facebook.
ii. Flame Trees – boy scouts might be able to help plant them. Laurie recommended putting something out in a community brief to see if any community groups need Flame Trees. Angelo volunteered to write a press release.
1. Angelo said he was waiting for someone to volunteer to plant all the trees – the boyscouts volunteered!
2. Koblerville was identified as a place to plant trees.
3. Boy scout meeting on Wednesday – will get back to me.
4. Tony recommended Uncle Dave help.
5. Laurie recommended we ask Rotary Club to participate
b. Junk Cars – nothing to report
c. Solid Waste
i. International Coastal Cleanup – This is the Ocean Conservancy 24th annual coastal cleanup day. People around the world are going to do cleanups all on the same day. About 10 groups have signed up on Saipan so far and several hundred volunteers. Will pick up their supplies in the week before the cleanup. The transfer station is ready to accept the trash and DEQ has 7 drivers that are going to pick up the trash around the entire island. DPW is going to leave a dumpster at fishing base to make trash hauling easier.
1. DEQ is printing 100/200 shirts
2. ITE is donating $500 for shirts.
3. Angelo asked about buying an ad in the paper. Laurie recommended we get a quote before we make the decision.
4. Laurie asked if Ocean Conservancy has any incentives for participating in the cleanup
5. First time for Tinian and Saipan. Bill Pendergrass is doing it on Rota. He is collected all the data and sending to the Ocean Conservancy.
6. Waiting on Tinian and Rota to organize a cleanup there.
7. Janet King said she was interested in participating. Laurie recommended we contact Deb Fleming.
ii. Tony Reyes recommended we put in some NO LITTERING signs. He’s worried that we leave a bad impression for tourists.
d. Parks & Trails – nothing to report
e. Graffiti
i. Graffiti has had two community meetings since the August meeting. Contact Laurie Peterka or visit the Beautify CNMI website for the minutes. The committee is meeting every two weeks. The next meeting is on the 14th of September at Whispering Palms School on Navy Hill at 5:30 PM.
ii. Going to make a photojournal of graffiti on the island
iii. Laurie is creating a list of stakeholders to participate and give feedback
iv. Zoning Board asked committee to participate in community meetings. Had a meeting in Kagman and Beach Rd
1. Kagman didn’t feel like there was a big problem with graffiti
2. The beach road side felt that there were a lot of problems. Biggest concern was how it looks for tourists.
v. Frank Camacho came to the last meeting and wants to be liason in the Dandan area because it ties into the work he’s doing with the neighborhood watch. Eric Atalig is the village captain for Susupe and is being invited to the next meeting.
vi. HANMI is being invited to participate. Working with Catherine Anderson to do a survey of the hotels to see what their concerns are and how they can participate
vii. Looking for Crime Stoppers to participate. Might be able to be a part of their commercials in the fall.
viii. John Gonzales invited committee to be on his show, wants to discuss a format.
ix. Tony Reyes recommended that we ask the paint companies for donations.
x. Laurie shared an idea where we would provide volunteers if businesses would provide supplies.
xi. Public defenders office is going to look into having painting be a form of community service.
xii. Angelo gave tshirts to Tyler. He will use them as an incentive for people to participate in the photojournal.
V. Miscellaneous
a. Bumper Stickers – Angelo will put together a press release after the Coastal Cleanup. $150 in prize money.
i. Christina recommended working in a radio promotion with the bumper stickers.
b. PIC Fundraiser – PIC donated $2500. Final number has not been confirmed yet. Photos from the event are on Facebook.
c. ITE donation – making us shirts for the coastal cleanup
VI. Other Business
a. Tony Reyes is disappointed that the wires at Susupe Beach were stolen.
VII. Adjournment
Since the Commonwealth lies 10 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, our day starts hours before your does. That means that the 600 or so volunteers participating in this year's International Coastal Cleanup on the islands of Saipan and Tinian were some of the first participants on the planet. Go us!
As the Director of Community Service for the Rotary Club of Saipan I adopted and organized a cleanup of Tank Beach in Kagman. Tank Beach is a north facing beach and on Saipan that means that trash from the ocean washes up on it constantly; We mostly found rope, discarded fishing gear, small bits of plastic, and hundreds of water bottles. Unlike the beaches on the western shore of Saipan, we weren't finding plates, plastic forks, or dumped household garbage.
We spent about two hours scouring the beach for bits of plastic. When we were done we had amassed quite the pile of trash. I'm always amazed at how much trash you get from a seemingly clean beach when you pick it all up and put it in one place.
We'll know by Monday what the combined efforts of all 600 people are. Many hands make light work and with over 600 volunteers I expect that the amount of trash we picked off our beaches this morning to be in the thousands of pounds.
