SAVE THE DATE! for the Awadori Festival April 15th

Enjoy the festivities and cultural exchange at the Paseo de Marianas April 15th!

There are 25 members from the Tokyo Tensuiren group from Koenji Japan and the 50 children members of the Saipan Awaodori Team ages 6 to 16 years old.

Click on photo below to see the performance schedule.

Draft Meeting Minutes for April 8, 2010

MEETING MINUTES
Thursday, April 8, 2010 – 5:30PM
Fiesta Resort & Spa: Azucena I

SPECIAL THANK YOU TO FIESTA RESORT & SPA FOR HOSTING THIS MONTH'S MEETING!

I. Introductions – around the table
II. Adopt agenda and last meeting’s minutes
1) Agenda adopted “as is”
2) Minutes of 03/11/10 adopted “as is”
III. Special Initiatives
1) Identify and plan promotions for Signature Events
i. Island Wide Clean Up
1. Total impressions sent out 03/08/10 - 1,500+: Email sent to 300+ private list, www.beautifycnmi.org blog note posted, FaceBook Group page + blog note to 600+, FaceBook Event Invitation sent to 600+
2. Coalition members encouraged to publically announcement their participation to help move the media’s attention and the competition amongst volunteers
3. DEQ needs to contact last year’s participants to acknowledge them and invite them to join again this year
4. What are we doing about supplies? DEQ has stocks for now, but we will need to replenish for any events beyond this one
5. Why Friday? --- originally DEQ was targeting govt employees and first event was on an “austerity” Friday
6. After the event – post photos and volunteer counts
7. Joe will check with EAC chair to see if event can be extended to into Saturday to accommodate the private sector; once he knows, he will inform LP and we will do a media blitz to alert the public
ii. Environmental Expo – part of the EAC April calendar
1. Targeted for schools
2. Posted on blog and Google calendar
iii. PDM Promoters
1. April 15th Awadori Festival
2. Students from Japan coming here to perform with local students
3. Collaborating with DCCA
4. Three title sponsors: DFS, DoCoMo, and Fiesta Resort
iv. Other
1. We need to look all the way to the end of this year and identify our signature events
2. Signature events need to be promoted all throughout the year from the beginning so that we can establish continuity.
2) Identify and plan Environmental Champion Awards (should be April)
i. Categories & Nominations
1. Champion Award & Steward Award
2. Joe and Cinta will find the criteria used before and start list of nominees
3. Last year: Tan Holdings (Steward) and Laurie Peterka (Champion)
ii. History of these awards
1. Banquet dinner; slide show highlighting year’s events
2. Jake concert
3. PAWS Wars
iii. Publicity & Deadlines
1. Post blog asking for nominations – 4/12
2. Close nominations on – 4/16
3. Make a decision – by 4/19
4. Order plaques – 4/19 with a 4/23 delivery date
5. April 26th Beautify CNMI 4th anniversary
6. Cinta will check into making the presentation of the awards at the Flametree Festival (4/22-25)
3) Open Discussion: Public Information Campaign on BCNMI
i. Nominate committee chair - tabled
ii. Determine next steps – tabled
iii. Discussion on
1. PR Coordinator concerns with public perception and nature of inquiries being received
2. Founder Cinta’s concerns and historical information
3. Joe commented regarding accountability because of donations
4. We need a volunteer accountant to facilitate fiscal accountability problem
IV. Committee reports
1) Solid Waste
i. DEQ
1. Schools
a. SSHS – picked up at Coral Ocean Point beach
b. Kagman – picked up at Marine Beach
c. Cleanups produced less volume than previous cleanups which means programs are working
2. Congr Basa’s office reported clean ups in District 5
3. Saipan Fisherman’s Association reported a clean up
4. Shirley’s Restaurant did a cleanup at Sugar Dock
5. We need to get photos to put up on blog
2) PDM Promoters
i. Monthly clean up this Saturday
ii. Koblerville kids – 25 going to join
iii. Maybe send reminders to LP on Monday before to post on blog
iv. Sending info on Awadori for blog
3) Mariana Islands Nature Alliance (MINA) – not present
i. March 27th ribbon for recycling and mixed waste bins
ii. Event posted on the blog
iii. Seven sites adopted out of eight
4) Friends of the Marianas Islands (FMI) – not present
i. Family emergency
ii. No report
5) Tan Holdings - iServe-iGive back
i. Encouraging employees to be volunteers
ii. Adopt-A-Pavillion program launched – March 20th
iii. Adopted Susupe Park in 2008
iv. April 17th – clean up at pavilion across JP Center to 13-Fishermans
v. POI Aviation – monthly clean up launched March 26th
vi. Coalition members should send their info to be posted at blog before and after events
1. Identify event?
2. Indentify if it is re-occurring?
3. How many volunteers do you anticipate or did you have?
4. Where is/was it?
5. Which Tan Holdings entity is responsible?
6. If trash collection – how many pounds?
7. If other kind of cleaning what is/was the goal and what was accomplished?
8. PHOTOS, PHOTOS, PHOTOS!!!
6) Neighborhood Watch – not present
7) Graffiti – nothing new to report
8) Junk Cars – not present
9) New/Other - none
V. Coalition Housekeeping
1) Calendar of Events – LP is working with Angelo to fix the time zone issue
2) Making forms available for download from blog
i. Website – maybe we can use a Google site to be able to upload attachments and refer the link from the blog, but otherwise keep it dark?
ii. Need to investigate.
VI. Announcements
1) None
VII. Set day and location for regular monthly meeting
1) 2nd Thursday of the Month:
i. May 13th Confirm or Change to
ii. Time: 5:30pm
iii. Location: LP to ask SCC for an email forward – make a plea to SCC members to participate in hosting one meeting a year
VIII. Meeting adjourned at 7:50pm

Draft Meeting Minutes for March 11, 2010

MEETING MINUTES
Thursday, March 11, 2010 – 5:30PM
Tasi Tours Conference Room

I. Introductions – around the table
II. Adopt agenda and last meeting’s minutes
1) agenda adopted
2) no meeting minutes from last meeting - moved & approved to push adoption of minutes to next meeting: agreed!
III. Special Initiatives
1) Ogumoro-Uludong – SCS: Eco-Karnival
i. Saipan Community School is hosting
ii. Looking for community participation
iii. Mission to educate youth and community
iv. Booths from K-8: games, displays, Govt Agencies are going to be involved
v. Wants to invite Beautify CNMI
1. Thelma will follow up stickers
2. Try to prepare an info sheet that could distributed
2) Lisa Eller – DEQ: Garapan Stormwater Pollution Prevention Project
i. Water gets polluted by various human activities
ii. Goal is to teach community members that pollution is tied with coral reef health and tourism
iii. Businesses cooperate and get certified
1. Free training
2. Low cost remedies
3. Certified sticker for their window
iv. Some simple, affordable, beautifying ideas
1. Rain gardens
2. Rain catchment
3. Closing trash bins
4. Unclogging drain covers
v. Comments
1. Is the CNMI-wide plan being considered in this project?
2. Suggest splitting the businesses into two groups so that those who are already compliant are recognized
3. Others need to be shown how to fix the bigger problems
4. Blue Starfish is looking for business partners to help refine program and implementation
5. How can businesses open without being in compliance?
3) Aric Bickel – DEQ: Earth Hour a World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) project
i. A world-wide endeavor
ii. Everyone around the world turns their lights off for 1-hour as part of global-statement
iii. Mission is to speak out about climate change
iv. Why here?
1. We aren’t guilty of causing or contributing like other countries
2. We are effected by ocean acidification and rising sea levels
v. Brainstormed ideas on how to get the most participation in the CNMI
4) Open Discussion: Public Information Campaign on BCNMI
i. Beautify CNMI! Is a coalition of concerned citizens, private groups, and government entities united to enhance the CNMI’s natural beauty and foster community pride in its residents and visitors.
ii. The principle concept of this committee is to follow the Beautify CNMI established style of getting things done. We build a coalition, share resources where we can and support individual(s) and/or group(s) that have an action plan.
iii. The “Energy Star Program” – it’s a label and anyone can adopt to their own initiative…we are not a formal group, but a coalition of like-minded groups and individuals all contributing to the same focus
iv. Discussion
1. Background
2. Corporate functions are missing
a. Protection from liability
b. Implementation of accountability
3. Make sure that acknowledgment is given to the primary promoter
4. Is it a group or is it a campaign?
5. If it’s a group and should be a campaign there needs to be a transition
6. Cinta and Laurie are now council members for RC&D Marianas and part of the Saipan committee --- perhaps tuck BCNMI back under this non-profit where it was originally born --- it provides structure and allows there to be a group administering a campaign
7. Take discussion to subcommittee and report back to group at next meeting
IV. Committee reports
1) Solid Waste
i. DEQ: Clean Up Brigade 740lbs at CowTown; Kagman Marine Biology Club will clean up Marine Beach this weekend
ii. PDM Promoters: Garapan with Awadori and Tanapag families cleaned up in Garapan area (940lbs collected)
2) Mariana Islands Nature Alliance (MINA) – Marine Debris project update
i. Adopt-A-Bin launching March 27th
ii. Seven most popular beach sites – so far 4 beaches adopted
iii. www.minapacific.org for more information go to Projects & Goals from the home page to find the Adopt-A-Bin project
iv. Home recycling bins as incentive for volunteers who help spread awareness about bins
v. Tipping fees are waived for sponsor clean-ups
vi. Keep MINA informed of sponsor-organized clean-ups for promo assistance
vii. Tan Holdings adopted and CTSI cleans-up Susupe Park every last Saturday of the month --- maybe they need a bin?
3) Graffiti
i. No new meetings since the last monthly meeting
ii. Graffiti education - concept/vision remains the same
1. Celebrity “Graffiti Busters” (Neighborhood Watch, TrenchTech and Power99)
2. Graffiti Walls and contest (ISK8, Power99)
3. Car Show and ISK8 competition (ISK8, Power99)
4. Mayor’s office supports idea – try to set up judging and completion to coincide with Liberation Festival and Parade
5. Set up corporate relationships for village residences to help eliminate graffiti (Neighborhood Watch)
6. Need help with structuring plan so that it can move forward; we are in danger of losing time to make it all come together
iii. Navy Hill Lighthouse Restoration Project – no report
4) Junk Cars – not present
5) Friends of the Marianas Islands (FMI) – not present
6) New/Other – N/A
V. Coalition Housekeeping
1) Calendar of Events – asked AOV to correct “time zone” so that events will show up correctly on the link
2) Website
i. No further accomplishment to-date
ii. Please submit ideas for content so that we can make sure that its included; i.e. Projects, Key People, Coalition Partners, About Us
iii. Check with Tyler Yoshimoto to get started; Eli Arago also offered to help
3) Identify and plan promotions for Signature Events
i. Ran out of time
ii. Suggested/voted/approved trying to accomplish via email
4) Identify and plan Environmental Champion Awards (should be April)
i. Ran out of time
ii. Suggested/voted/approved trying to accomplish via email
VI. Announcements
1) Rotary Club Las Vegas Night looking for volunteers
2) Other - none
VII. Set day and location for regular monthly meeting
1) 2nd Thursday of the Month:
i. April 15th Confirm or Change to April 8th
ii. Time: 5:30pm
iii. Location: Fiesta Resort & Spa (tentative) --- Lina and Eli will confirm…

THANK YOU TASI TOURS for hosting this month's meeting! We look forward to our corporate partners continuing to help with donating their conference room just one night out of the year to help us keep Beautify CNMI! active.