BOE, PSS break ground for SVES Cafetorium

The Board of Education and the Public School System led the groundbreaking ceremony for San Vicente Elementary School’s Cafetorium Friday.

SVES students will soon be able to eat while holding programs and special events with the start of construction for the unique facility.

SVES principal Janet Villagomez welcomed the guests of the groundbreaking, which included, aside from officials from the PSS and BOE, contractors and architects of the building.

Commissioner of Education Rita H. Inos said the project entails building a 5,600-square-foot cafeteria and auditorium within the SVES compound. A cafeteria and auditorium in one, the Cafetorium project was awarded to AIC Marianas last month.

Inos said the federally funded project was awarded to the PSS in November 2004. The project cost will be a little over $935,000. Official construction will start on Jan. 3, said Inos.

She earlier said that the new cafeteria, which would also serve as a multi-purpose building that could host large meetings of up to 500 persons, would use the Kagman Elementary School Cafeteria/Multi-Purpose Building design, which would be site-adapted to San Vicente. Inos said that using an existing design is not only cost-effective but would fast-track the completion of the project.

The new SVES cafeteria will have central airconditioning, an elevated stage, a dining area of 3,500 square feet, a scullery, food preparation and warming area, office, bathrooms, electrical room, and lots of storage areas. The commissioner also noted that this would most probably be the very last construction project at SVES as there is no other space for buildings unless the baseball field is sacrificed for future classroom expansion.

BOE chair Roman C. Benavente also provided brief remarks during the event. The board chair recalled in 1997 when he used to be part of the vision of the Cafetorium. He congratulated the people who made the project a reality.

PSS associate commissioner for administrative services David M. Borja, Federal Programs advisor Tim Thornburgh, Finance director Richard Waldo, acting associate commissioner for instruction Frank Rabauliman, NMPASI’s Greg Borja, BOE board members Herman T. Guerrero, Lucy Blanco, teacher representative Ambrose Bennett, SVES Stuco president Jeremy Taitano, Parents Teachers Association members and Saipan Mayor Juan B. Tudela, among others, also participated in the groundbreaking ceremony.