A letter from a disappointed island lover

I write this letter from Japan to say thank you and good-bye to Saipan and the many friends I have made there. I am originally from Eastern Europe. I was born and raised in Hungary. I always had a dream to live in a place just like Saipan. With some luck my dream came true.

In 1999, I had to move to Washington State, then to Hawaii where I completed my flight training. When I had sufficient hours to get a job, I found one on Tinian. I was working for a little air charter company flying between Saipan and Tinian. Then I met Don Farrell. He looked like a character from an adventure movie. As I talked with him a bit longer I found out how much he cares about the Marianas, and the locals in general. He told me about a dream he have in his head. Since both of us like to work and fight for our dreams we spoke the same language. He told me about Pagan Island, the locals, who had to leave their homes because of the eruption, the volcano, and the pozzolan. He told me about an operation that he is planning with all kind of professionals. As it turned out he and his friend Kenneth Moore recruited a pretty good team to have the job done. I was able to talk to all of them. I had to realize, it is not an empty dream, but a very detailed work plan. I started to believe that this must work. He asked me if I would like to fly up there and transport cargo and people on a daily basis. I had to think about it for a while, how to make something like this, in this volume of work. It is not as simple as it sounds. I have to fly every day, landing on a volcano, fly north with no navigation aids and find other people who would be adventurous enough to do the same thing with me. Be able to get parts, fuel and maintenance locally.

I also had to keep in mind that I can’t hire contract workers. This is a main guideline of Azmar. Only U.S. citizens. So, I even began my application for citizenship. As it turned out, I didn’t need to look too far for partners in “Air Pagan.” I have found some very knowledgeable and dependable mechanics (both are Chamorros), a maintenance boss (also a very knowledgeable islander), a lady who used to live on Pagan as a little girl who would help us with parts and supplies. This would give work for four locals, not talking about other four possible positions with the flight department on Saipan and Pagan. I was also planning on building two hangars. A large one on Saipan and a smaller one on Pagan. I made plans to extend the runway and put landing lights around the Pagan airstrip. After the first year, I would go to schools here to recruit interested youngsters to learn how to fly or how to be an aircraft mechanic. They would get all this training from the company for free and earn money during the training, in return promising three years with us. (To get an appropriate pilot license may cost up to $50,000) I truly believe there are many good young people out there who needed this opportunity locally. And many of them are dependable, unlike what other people think. This air operation would also have provided some free service for the people who want to live on Pagan. As you see, we do have detailed plans. And this is just for the air operations—a small gear in the whole watch. There are several departments with their own point-by-point detailed plans. So, if the MPLA thinks it can do it alone, then go ahead, I suspect this will be another failure just like anything else here. As the previous candidates have proven by their failure, it takes way lots more than just going up there with a shovel.

I believe we have what it takes to make it a success. And our success would bring success for the people in the CNMI. Perhaps the MPLA realized this, so this is why they backed off. Or perhaps they have backed off because they have not received any under-the-table money from us for Christmas shopping.

All the people in Azmar, especially Mr. Moore, are very straightforward and honest people. I guess board member Manglona doesn’t have to go anywhere to get the Christmas shopping done, since she lives in Guam. I wonder how can she “represent” the people of Rota if she lives on Guam? She basically lives in an other country?! Any time the MPLA board had a meeting about Azmar she always talked about caring for the people of the CNMI through a speaker phone from Guam! It is quite strange for me. I thought if someone wants to represent a group of people he/she should at least live there to know what is going on there. I don’t think any U.S. government representative lives in Canada and does his/her business from there. The people who they represent probably would kick them out for that. Most of Azmar’s team lives and works in the CNMI. In fact, most of the employees will be locals. The reason all this work with Azmar attracted to me is because I have recognized the adventure in it. I like this place just like they do. When I was reading bad things about the people I know personally and about mining in Pagan as general, I just didn’t get it. In fact it made me angry, and I tried to find sense in the accusations, especially because none of the PaganWatch people had ever met with people from Azmar.

Perhaps there were many people before who came here to take what wasn’t theirs. Maybe this is one of the reason MPLA is being cautious. But after the MPLA’s Dec. 3 decision, I realized you can’t help someone who doesn’t want to take it. I am sadly watching how this place is going downhill. I can’t do too much about it since I’m just a visitor. I am hoping this letter might wake up some of those who own this place and try to save it. Unfortunately, I can’t wait to see if anybody will do anything since I have to go and find a new dream stateside. I wish you guys good luck and I hope the MPLA board will learn how to do business as it is normally done in more civilized parts of the world. If they do, please e-mail me. I will be there. All the best, Tinian and Saipan will always be a very special place in my heart.

Peter Szekeres
Kagman III