Pala Potu Group Inaugural Clean Up!

BIBA PALA POTU GROUP! Over 50 volunteers participated in the inaugural clean-up led by the Pala Potu Group Saturday morning. The Group's leader, Bernard Cabrera, deserves extra kudos for the fine job of organizing and leading this energetic and enthusiastic group. A few weeks ago, Bern came by my office and informed me that he was organizing two to three local families to adopt the Tun Kioshi Road from the airport all the way down to the As Lito Intersection. As some of you may know, it has been a goal of mine to incourage more of our local families to get "infected with the beauty virus" and join Beautify CNMI! Well, these folks sure started 2007 with a bang! Not only did they join Beautify CNMI!, but they took it a step further and adopted a road which they pledge to clean every last Saturday of the month! Way to Go, Pala Potu Group!

Joining this clean-up effort were members of the Filipino Nonprofit Group Friends of the Mariana Islands (FMI) (formerly MOVER), students from Saipan Community School, some CCD students from St. Jude Parish who were led by former Congressman Rosiky Camacho, DPS (Captain Pete Deleon Guerrero), my office, and several family members.

And while most Beautify CNMI! events begin at 8 a.m., by the time we got to our meeting point shortly before 8 a.m., it turned out that this enthusiastic bunch had actually begun the clean up as early as 7 a.m.! (Okay, some had extra incentive to start early because rumor had it that they had a softball game later that morning but, hey, that's okay, too!) As soon as we joined the group scattered along the road, my staff and I passed out gloves and trash bags and Beautify CNMI! Restoration Chair/MINA Executive Director/RCD Public Involvement Coordinator Angelo Villagomez soon showed up with the last of our yellow beautify CNMI! t-shirts.

The group picked up trash along the road, bushcut the weeds that surrounded the posts, and clearned out and painted the drainages. We later gathered at the Pala Potu Palapala for some sandwiches and refreshments and our group photo. All in all, it was a great day!

Thanks To Our Donors: Paint, paint brushes, rollers, pans, gloves and trash bags were donated by the Office of Rep. Cinta Kaipat; additional paint was donated by Sherwin Williams (thanks to Rep. Absalon Waki for arranging this!), and DPW for mowing the grass which made it easier for us to pick up the trash.

P.S. Happy 8th Birthday to one of our youngest Beautify CNMI! volunteers--Josiah K. Lizama (fella in front left wearing the red shirt)!