(GCEA) — Community spirit was in full display last weekend as various individuals worked on a road median on island and conducted a village cleanup.
Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang and his office staff cleaned and painted the road median at the San Jose/Atkins Kroll Toyota intersection on Oct. 2 and teamed up with the Rotaract Club of Saipan to pick up litter in Chalan Kanoa.
Apatang said the proper maintenance of medians will help ensure the safety of motorists and pedestrians. It is also part of the island’s beautification efforts, he added.
Besides the mayor’s office, Shirley’s Coffee Shop/Shirley’s Football Club, Northern Marianas College, and Life in the Son Christian Fellowships have also adopted medians as part of the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisers Adopt-A-Median initiative.
Mayor Apatang is hoping that more community organizations and businesses will follow suit.
The Adopt-A-Median program was launched as part of GCEA’s Marianas Village Pride or MVP campaign on Oct. 4, 2021.
The campaign urges the community to take ownership and responsibility in transforming all the villages in the Marianas through fun beautification activities and contests.
The GCEA thanks Mayor Apatang and his team, Rotaract, and other partners for helping launch the MVP and Adopt-A-Median campaigns.
Schools, groups, families, and businesses can paint medians, sidewalks, or crosswalks in their villages.
Students will earn service hours for their participation. GCEA, for its part, will provide the paint and supplies, and the project can be completed in an afternoon or weekend.
Email gceacnmi@gmail.com or visit the MVP website for more information.
Village cleanup project
More than 50 individuals from Saipan Southern High School, Marianas High School, Saipan International School, Kagman High School Interact, NMC Future Army Officers Club, Northern Marianas College, and the Saipan Mayor’s Office Dog Control Program joined Rotaract’s pilot cleanup drive on Oct. 2. They cleaned up the roads surrounding William S. Reyes Elementary School, and the area from Lake Susupe to Sugar Dock.
The big turnout was unexpected, Rotaract president Richard Baleares said. “A major challenge that Rotaract anticipated was the number of volunteers who would show up. I was surprised and delighted at the turnout on the day of the cleanup. Leading up to the weekend, we had only a handful of people, and I thought we’d be lucky to get more than six on the day of the cleanup. With the strong turnout, we were able to cover a lot of ground, picked up more trash, and got the job done faster than expected,” Baleares added.
“Residents were also surprised to see a mass of volunteers cleaning in their villages,” said Joann Aquino, director of operations for the Saipan Mayor’s Office. “We didn’t expect such a large group of young volunteers from other organizations besides the Rotaract to take part in this cleanup. It was amazing to see them show up with passion and commitment to do something good to benefit the village of Chalan Kanoa regardless of whether they live there or not. Our youth are taking action today to preserve their environment for tomorrow, and what they are doing is very empowering!”
The group collected 1,040 lbs. of garbage during the cleanup. Volunteers expressed appreciation for the acknowledgment they received from residents who waved at them, honked their horns, and thanked them.
Rotaract and its partners are encouraging community members to also play an active role in taking care of all villages in the Marianas.
“We have been privileged to call these beautiful islands our home and we should not take it for granted,” Baleares said. “We all play a part in keeping our islands clean, and we must work together in doing so. It will benefit us all in the end. Even the smallest acts, such as not littering, removing stray trash, disposing of garbage properly, and keeping personal areas clean can go a long way toward a cleaner Marianas.”
Baleares said after the success of the Chalan Kanoa cleanup, Rotaract will conduct similar activities in other villages.
Mayor Apatang lauded the young volunteers. “We live in a unique time and are facing unique challenges — from a pandemic with devastating consequences to threats from climate change. For us to survive and thrive, we need to act together. A clean environment is essential for healthy living. We should all take ownership and responsibility for keeping our islands clean and beautiful. My office can only do so much, and we can all change the way we think and take pride in where we live. I humbly ask the entire community to come together and bring back their village pride.”
For more information about the Adopt-A-Median and Marianas Village Pride campaigns, visit the GCEA website at cnmieconomy.com or email gceacnmi@gmail.com
GCEA invites the community to engage, like, and share its MVP content on Facebook and Instagram (@cnmieconomy) and to tag MVP-related photos to be featured on GCEA’s platforms (#BeAnMVP, #MarianasVillagePride, and #TogetherWeCanMarianas).
About GCEA
The Governor’s Council of Economic Advisers aims to provide objective advice to Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios to ensure that future economic decisions and programs are aligned to improve the quality of life throughout the Marianas. GCEA’s Public Private Partnership initiative has drawn widespread support throughout the community. Volunteers and partners are welcome.
For more information, visit cnmieconomy.com or engage with GCEA on Facebook and Instagram (@cnmigov.economy) or email gceacnmi@gmail.com
Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang, left photo, talks to members and officials of Rotaract and their partners before the start of a village cleanup drive in Chalan Kanoa, right photo, on Saturday.
Left photo shows Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang and staff member Jack Villagomez at the Beach Road/Atkins Kroll intersection in San Jose where workers/volunteers apply paint on a road median as part of the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisers’ Adopt-A-Median initiative on Saturday.
