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Island Snapshots – December 2019
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Posted on Dec 03 2019
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- TOYS FOR TOTS Members of the U.S. Marine Corps in Guam attend Kanoa Resort’s Christmas lighting ceremony last Saturday to highlight the hotel’s participation in the Toys for Tots program, where toys are donated by the community for distribution this holiday season. At right is the MHS glee club, Rhythm ‘N’ Harmony, singing Christmas carols at the tree lighting ceremony. (Mark Rabago)
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- ‘HAFA ADAI’ AND WELCOME! Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang and other government and Skymark officials greet the passengers of Skymark’s inaugural regular daily flight at the tarmac of the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport Friday afternoon. (Ferdie De La Torre)
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- CHRISTMAS IN THE MARIANAS-TSL Foundation’s Mel Naputi was one of the judges of the Christmas trees lining the Paseo de Marianas last Saturday, Nov. 30, the first day of the five-week Christmas in the Marianas celebration. Other judges include RNV Construction business development manager Michelle Villaraza-Rueda, T Galleria president Marian Aldan Pierce, Bureau of Environment and Coastal Quality administrator Eli Cabrera, Japanese consul Kazuhiko Ono, Flame Tree TV & Production Co. president Chris Nelson, and Office of Planning & Development director Chris Concepcion. The trees were decorated with Christmas décor that used recycled materials. The winners will be named at the final Saturday of Christmas in the Marianas. (IVA MAURIN)
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- CHRISTMAS VILLAGE The Northern Marianas College and Commonwealth Utilities Corp. have paired up to bring their joy-themed booth to life for the 2019 Christmas Village display at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center. The lighting ceremony for the Christmas Village will take place on Dec. 6 at 6:30pm. Judging and voting of the booths happen on opening night only. (Contributed Photo)
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- OPERATION CHRISTMAS DROP Ambassador Robert Riley, U.S. Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia, Col. Matthew Nicholson, 36th Wing vice commander, Col. Otis Jones, 374th Airlift Wing commander, and others make the ceremonial “push” of the first pallet to kick off Operation Christmas Drop. Nearly seven decades of valuable training for aircrews and the resulting delivery of more than one million pounds of charitable goods later, the 2019 missions are set to carry on this tradition of international goodwill. (U.S. AIR FORCE/SENIOR AIRMAN RYAN BROOKS)
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- OPERATION CHRISTMAS DROP Members of the 36th Wing base honor guard present the colors at the Operation Christmas Drop “Push” Ceremony at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam on Dec. 9, 2019. Operation Christmas Drop is an annual U.S. Air Force tradition of packaging and delivering food, tools and clothing to more than 56 remote islands in the South-Eastern Pacific, including the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau. (U.S. AIR FORCE/SENIOR AIRMAN RYAN BROOKS)
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- SEAFLOOR MAPPING Next year, a team of 60 scientists and crew from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will come to the Mariana Islands aboard NOAA ship Rainier to conduct coral reef research and high-resolution depth measurements for the mapping of the Marianas ocean floor. (JAMES MORIOKA)
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- CHRISTMAS VILLAGE-Miss Marianas 2019 Shannon Sasamoto, right, and Miss Earth Northern Marianas 2019 Leisha Deleon Guerrero, left, flank some of the children who attended the lighting ceremony for the 2019 Christmas Village last Saturday at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe. (IVA MAURIN)
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- TOP WINNER IN 4-H INITIATIVE 4-H Marianas, in partnership with the Northern Marianas College-Cooperative Research, Extension, and Education Services-Family, Community and Youth Development Program, recently received $20,000 for placing first in the National 4-H Council’s “Raise Your Hand” Initiative. This funding helps more children in their communities benefit from the hands-on learning programs 4-H offers, helping children serve their community and build critical life skills needed to thrive. (Contributed Photo)
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- WINNING FLOAT-Koblerville Elementary School’s float, which is patterned after a native hut, waits for the start of the Christmas in the Marianas’ Parade of Lights last Saturday at the Garapan Fishing Base. Koblerville won the float competition. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)
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- FIGHTING HOMELESSNESS MARK RABAGO CNMI Homeless Prevention Coalition chair Christy Sakaziro, third from left, presides over the non-profit’s meeting last Friday at the Division of Youth Services office in Chalan Piao. The CNMI Homeless Prevention Coalition is preparing for its 2020 Point-In-Time survey on Jan. 25, 2020, from 7am to 4pm and the coalition is looking for between 100 to 150 volunteers to count the number of homeless households or those living in substandard homes in the CNMI. At its last survey, 500 households took part in the census. The total number of homeless people in the CNMI was 1,018, while people living in substandard homes totaled 769. (Mark Rabago)
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- LIFTOFF!-A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket takes off from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida last Dec. 16 in a dazzling display of light and smoke. A satellite that is intended to provide broadband service to underserved communities in the Pacific was atop the rocket. It was placed into its target geostationary transfer orbit 33 minutes following initial ignition. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
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- HAPPY HOLIDAYS! The Northern Marianas College was able to collect over 100 toys for the 3rd Annual Toys for Tots donation drive organized by Saipan Young Professionals and the Saipan Chamber of Commerce. This is the college’s second year as a sponsor of the program.
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- SKYMARK NIGHT-Emcee Marciano Gordon, rightmost, announces the top three winners in the Marianas Visitors Authority’s Skymark model plane contest as the participants, along with MVA managing director Priscilla M. Iakopo, second from right, and MVA’s Japan market in-country manager Takashi Ichikura listen during the Skymark Night at Christmas in the Marianas held at the Paseo de Marianas last Saturday. (MVA)
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- ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSE-Yesterday’s partial annular solar eclipse, when the moon passed between the sun and Earth and partially blocked the sun’s light from reaching Earth, is seen in this photo taken on Beach Road at about 5pm, with the sun setting in the Saipan Lagoon behind a World War II tank. Another annular solar eclipse will take place over the Marianas on June 21, 2020; however, next year’s eclipse will cover a smaller percentage of the sun than yesterday’s eclipse. (BILL BEZZANT)
