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Resort helps clear tall grass at DPS compound in Marpi
DPS sets grand opening of new compound in mid-January
Mariana Resort and Spa cleared large tall grass or sakati at the Department of Public Safety’s newest facility in Marpi. In response, DPS held a small lunch and gave certificates of appreciation to Mariana Resort staff. From left to right: DPS officer Jack Camacho, Mariana Resort maintenance staff Santiago Mettao, Mariana Resort general manager Gloria Cavanagh, DPS Commissioner James Deleon Guerrero, Mariana Resort operations manager Lito Parulan, and DPS acting director Pete Leon Guerrero. (Jayson Camacho)
According to Mariana Resort general manager Gloria Cavanagh, one of their maintenance staff, Santiago Mettao, cleared the tall grasses using Mariana Resort’s tractor.
“Santiago did it for two days, first on Monday and he finished on Tuesday. This happened this week,” Cavanagh said.
DPS Commissioner James Deleon Guerrero said they are grateful to Marianas Resort for providing the equipment and service.
“This is part of the preliminary step in trying to bring this place in order. We hope to be able to do an actual grand opening. We are grateful that Mariana Resort had provided the manpower and services,” he said.
As a show of its appreciation, DPS presented Mariana Resort with certificates of appreciation.
Cavanagh said they aren’t finished yet and that they will be returning next week to clear the area of more grass.
“There are still more grasses that are squashed under the piles of other large grasses, so our staff will be returning next week to stage it all out and clear the grasses better,” Cavanagh said.
The new DPS compound is located at the Far East Compound in Marpi, where there are seven residential units and three main buildings. DPS will be using all nine buildings in the near future and eyes a grand opening in mid-January.
“Right now we’re kind of in the transition phase since the handover from the Department of Public Lands to DPS and we are in the process of moving people here as we go along and hope to have everyone up here by mid-January,” Deleon Guerrero said.
DPS acting director Pete Leon Guerrero said they would be using the compound as their tactical, intelligence, crime, and emergency headquarters. This is because they want to combine all law enforcement entities in “one house,” he added.
Deleon Guerrero said it would also be a temporary emergency operations center.
“The primary focus of this facility is to establish a CNMI law enforcement and training center,” he said.
