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As Terlaje wall gets a new mural
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Posted on Jul 20 2020
The retaining wall of the Northern Marianas College that faces the eastbound shoulder lane of the Chalan Monsignor Guerrero highway now sports a freshly painted mural depicting CNMI scenes.
Precinct 1 Rep. Luis John Castro (R-Saipan) together with his staff, other members of the Legislature, and community volunteers teamed up over the weekend to clean and paint the mural.
“The project site was part of development that took place back in the mid-’90s,” said Castro, whose district encompasses that part of As Terlaje where the wall is located. It was built when the road was expanded to accommodate a four-lane traffic system.
“After the wall was built, and the road expansion was completed, the wall was left bare and for the last two decades, it stayed that way and accumulated dirt over the years,” Castro said. The freshman representative reached out to the owner of the property for permission to beautify the structure. The wall sits on a private property.
With collaboration from Rep. Joel Camacho’s (R-Saipan) office, Castro, his staff, and community volunteers sketched out designs that are present on the mural. “We tried to place emphasis on symbols that represented the unique culture and history of the Marianas, along with community input from residents who live within the vicinity and constituents from the district.”
Camacho also helped with painting a mural in the Kagman school district. Through this project, he hopes inspire other to do other such projects elsewhere. “When our tourists come back, this mural allows them to see a vibrant landmark when they first arrive on island and to remember Saipan and the Marians when they leave it,” Camacho said. The mural is by the highway that leads to the Saipan airport.
