Miscommunication shutters PTC stall at ‘Taste’ opening

The 17th Annual Taste of the Marianas and Beer Garden got off to rousing start last Saturday, but it did so minus one vendor as Pacific Trading Co. was prevented from peddling its wares last Saturday at the American Memorial Park.

PTC general manager Charles V. Cepeda told Saipan Tribune that at 5pm Saturday, a park ranger told the company not to sell products at the Taste of Marianas due to the late submission of their documents.

Cepeda said the park ranger told PTC that he needed more time to review if the company had business and other licenses needed. PTC submitted all documents to MVA and was told by MVA that they are set to go last Saturday.

“MVA is putting the blame on American Memorial Park and specifically the new ranger for having new guidelines and rules on an event that we’ve been doing for years. It seems that every time we get a new ranger we have new challenges at American Memorial Park,” Cepeda said.

He said the PTC staff was on standby last Saturday after setting up the booth earlier in the afternoon.

Saipan Tribune witnessed PTC staff taking down the booth just as the food festival was starting.

In a statement yesterday, MVA managing director Perry Tenorio said that MVA submitted on behalf of PTC the application and supporting documents (business licenses) to American Memorial Park on April 27, 2015, which was stamped and received by the National Park Service.

“We only learned of their possible deficiency through Chief Ranger Jason Beatty’s communication to the MVA on May 1, advising that they had not received the copy of PTC’s business license,” Tenorio said.

“In this regard, we regret that we did not get the business licenses stamped received as only the cover page was stamped received by his office. We resubmitted these document again today [Monday] with the hope that they will be approved for operation and in time for this weekend’s event,” he added.

Tenoro said MVA regrets that PTC was not able to participate in the opening of Taste of Marianas since it has been a great partner since the inception of the event.

Cepeda said yesterday that what MVA should have done was notify PTC that there was a notice from American Memorial Park of possibly not being allowed to participate.

Saipan Tribune made repeated attempts to obtain comments from Beatty but was not able to get a response as of press time.