The Beautify CNMI "Beauty Virus" Is Alive And Well

Thanks to Aya-san and Willy-san of Isa CNMI for keeping the Beautify CNMI "Beauty Virus" alive and well!

Gus and I got our niece and nephews together and headed up to the Last Command Post in Marpi, Saipan, this bright Sunday morning for a cleanup with Isa CNMI and 200 visitors from Japan. They are members of the Nenpoushinkyou group in Japan. They say they have 800,000 members. WOW!

I put together this slide show of the day's events. The first 100 or so pictures were taken of the cleanup.

The last pictures are of the first blooming flame tree of the group we planted on lower Dandan Road (the road leading up to Dandan from the Welcome/Adios Sign). We planted these trees last year, and now one of them is already blooming!

The last pictures are of the road sign on Tun Kiyoshi Road.

Thanks to everyone who pitched in to help. Isa CNMI's Aya-san and Willy-san Matsumoto led the effort with Beautify CNMI and her coalition partners MVA, PDI, Tasi Tours, RC&D, PEW, and community members. In addition to Gus and I and our niece Sheena Saures and nephews Peter Saures, Franklin, Josiah and Jun Lizama, other community members who were there included Juanita Fajardo and her niece Breana and nephew Vince.

Once, again, thanks to everyone for a fine job! Arigato-gozaimasu!

Thanks to our sponsors!

I have to give a huge thank you to the businesses that supported the Beautify CNMI Micronesia Challenge Summer Camp. Tasi Tours offered to drive the students around to our different field trips all week FREE OF CHARGE. PSS does not have money to pay for gas, so we were extremely lucky that they are so generous.

Thank you, Tasi Tours!

We also owe a huge thank you to Ed Salas and Tan Holdings. Mr. Salas heard us on the Harry Blalock Island Issues radio show this morning talking about how we are running the camp on a shoe string budget. On Monday we had P&J sandwiches for lunch, on Tuesday we had the dollar menu at McDonalds, on Wednesday we had baloney and mayo, and due to Tan Holdings generosity, we feasted on Shirley's today.

Tan Holdings gave us $100 worth of food!

Thank you, Tan Holdings! Go visit Shirley's at the Thursday Street Market and at the Liberation Day Carnival. Thank them for me!

Micronesia Challenge Camp

Beautify CNMI's Environmental Challenge Camp. It's an environmental camp with a purpose. Chalk full of field trips, service projects, and fun. For students entering 7th grade and up.

Where: Hopwood Room D4

When: Monday June 25-Sat. June 30

9:00-3:00 p.m.

Call Bree at 237-3477 or Angelo at 483-1078 for more information.

This camp is sponsored by Beautify CNMI, S.A.V.E., and MINA. Tasi Tours is providing transportation for the students.

Thanks, Tasi Tours!

More Mt. Tapotchao Pictures!

MOVER/FMI and other BC volunteers way up at the top.

Joe Itibus from Rep. Frank Dela Cruz's Office stopped by to bring us water. Thank you!!!

Our partners from Tasi Tours, MOVER/FMI/The Visitors Channel
Angelo Villagomez leading the next generation of environmental warriors

Jesse Sablan and other BC volunteers kicking up dust as they hunt down litter!

That's our good friend and visiting dignitary from American Samoa, Mr. Abe Malae, with Juanita Fajardo and Adam "Young Evironmental Warrior" Sablan. By the way, this is not Abe's first Beautify CNMI event. He was part of Leutenant Governor Tim Villagomez's team who participated in the mega-successful "1020 on 10/20" island-wide clean-up which took place in October of 2006. Thank you, Abe! And thank you, also, for being our second on-line donor!

Ah, yes...this is most of the crew. The smile of satisfaction for a job well done!

Some participants in this February 3, 2007, Mt. Tapotchao cleanup were MINA, Marianas RC&D, MOVER/FMI, Tasi Tours, Mike Tripp Productions, Visitors Channel, Rep. Cinta Kaipat & Family, Church of Latter Day Saints, and community members Jesse Sablan, Juanita Fajardo & Adam Sablan, and Mr. Abe Malae

Mount Tapachou Cleanup

We had our first cleanup of Mount Tapachou this morning! 29 volunteers helped us removed 460 lbs of trash. Most of the trash was on the side of the mountain, just below the lookout. For years people have been throwing paper cranes and beer cans over the side. There were so many beer cans on the side of the mountain that the volunteers couldn't take a SINGLE step without hearing the loud crunch of an aluminum can.

Some of participants this week were MINA, Marianas RC&D, MOVER, Tasi Tours, Mike Tripp Productions, Visitors Channel, Rep. Cinta Kaipat & Family, Church of Latter Day Saints, and Mr. Abe Malae.

It has been a while since somebody removed the cans littering the lookout. Isn't that beer can like 5 years old or older? Isn't that ice tea can from 1973 or something?