Island Snapshots – June 2021
- MARCHING TO KASTIYU PLATEAU-U.S. Marines march up to the historic Kastiyu Plateau on Tinian to participate in the Memorial Day rites last Monday, May 31, 2021. In the process of capturing Tinian, which lasted from July 31 to Aug. 1, 1944, 389 U.S. Marine Corps officers and men were killed and 1,816 were wounded; over 5,000 Japanese soldiers were killed. (GUNNY SERGEANT DAVID STILLWELL)
- JUNE IS OCEAN MONTH-Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios join the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality and environmentalists on island in the call for cleaner oceans at the CNMI Ocean Month proclamation yesterday at Minachom Atdao in Susupe. (IVA MAURIN)
- BIBA PRIDE MONTH, MARIANAS!-Participants of yesterday’s CNMI Pride Month proclamation signing at the Koblerville Gymnasium gather for a photo after the event. Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, first lady Diann Torres, Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, and Fr. Michael Linden of the Society of Jesus were the event’s guests. (JOSHUA SANTOS)
- DONATION TO CPA-The Maglona family headed by Maria Manglona donate a portrait of her late husband, Benjamin Taisacan Manglona, who was a former Rota mayor and CNMI lieutenant governor, to the Commonwealth Ports Authority last Friday. The portrait was accepted by CPA board chair Kimberly King-Hinds and the rest of the board members. Manglona’s portrait will be displayed at the Rota airport, the Benjamin Taisacan Manglona International Airport. (BEA CABRERA)
- DA’OK PAVILION TAKES PRIDE-Pride Marianas Youth members and volunteers gather to paint the Da’Ok pavilion across Marianas High School last Saturday as part of the CNMI’s celebration of Pride Month this June. (JOSHUA SANTOS)
- TSUNAMI EXERCISE Oleai Elementary School line-leaders hold up “all clear” signs during the school’s tsunami drill last week. A total of 272 people from OES walked from the school and up As Terlaje Hill to gather at a designated tsunami safe-zone at NMC’s campus. (Joshua Santos)
- ARPA PLAN PRESENTATION Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, Finance Secretary David DLG Atalig, and Chief Justice Alexandro C. Castro pose for a group photo after the presentation of the government’s American Rescue Plan Act spending plan last Friday at the Hibiscus Hall of the Crowne Plaza (former Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan). (Ferdie De La Torre)
- ARPA PLAN PRESENTATION Gov. Ralph DLG Torres speaks during the presentation of details of the CNMI government’s spending plan for $512,076,165 in American Rescue Plan funding last Friday before officials and members of the Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary branches, mayors, and members of the private sector and some community leaders at the Hibiscus Hall of the Crowne Plaza (formerly Saipan Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan). (Ferdie De La Torre)
- PAVILION MAKEOVER T-Project founder Tyra Sablan, left, and MHS Pride Club president Zen Ichiro Tomokane help paint the Da’Ok Pavilion across Marianas High School last Saturday as part of the CNMI’s celebration of Pride Month. (Joshua Santos)
- MARPI CLEANUP Volunteers of Japan Saipan Travel Association clean the Korea Peace Memorial during the tourism industry cleanup on May 29, 2021. The cleanup included scenic and historic sites in Marpi. (MVA)
- MARPI CLEANUP Representatives of the Marianas Visitors Authority, Japan Saipan Travel Association, Korea Tourism Association, Chinese Association and Japanese Society School of Saipan prepare to plant trees during the tourism industry cleanup on May 29, 2021, in Marpi. (MVA)
- From left, Japan Saipan Travel Association president Masaru Sunaga, Japanese Society of the Northern Mariana Islands president Hideaki Sawada, JSTA vice president Masanori Takahashi, and his wife Kaoru clean the Japanese Peace Memorial during the tourism industry cleanup on May 29, 2021, in Marpi. (MVA)
- PROJECT LIFFANG Photo shows some of the vendors at the launch of the United Carolinians Association’s Project Liffang last Saturday near the Carolinian Utt in Garapan. Thirteen vendors selling food, arts & crafts, plants, clothing, and more were present at the event, with two even selling out. (Joshua Santos)
- SPEED BUMP VISIBILITY The crew of Precinct 1 lawmakers were in San Antonio yesterday conducting a speed bump visibility project in Precinct 1. The project is a collaboration by the offices of Rep. Angel Demapan, Rep. Lee Pan Guerrero, Rep. Joseph Flores, and Rep. Roy Ada. Photo taken from the Facebook page of Demapan. (Contributed Photo)
- PH INDEPENDENCE DAY-Members of the Filipino community on Saipan had a motorcade last Saturday afternoon as part of celebrations of the 123rd Philippine Independence Day. The motorcade began near Dandan Middle School and ended at the Garapan Fishing Base. Earlier in the day, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres signed the CNMI-Republic of the Philippines Friendship proclamation at Marianas High School. (JOSHUA SANTOS)
- GETTING READY-More than 25 international flags, including the official Pacific Mini Games 2022 flag and the CNMI flag, are installed at the Oleai Sports Complex in time for today’s official launch ceremony that will begin the one-year countdown for the Pacific Mini Games 2022. which will draw up over 1,000 athletes from across the Pacific. (JUSTINE NAUTA)
- PRIDE AT THE PARK-Members of the community celebrate love and acceptance with songs, dances, exhibits, and even magic at “Pride at the Park,” organized by Pride Marianas Youth with partners last Friday, at the NMI Museum of History and Culture in Garapan.(IVA MAURIN)
- TINIAN HARBOR REPAIR-Marines assigned to 7th Engineering Support Battalion and Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4 finish mooring bollard surfaces using 2×4 planks as part of the Tinian Harbor repair project. (U.S. NAVY/CM2 WENHAN FAN)