Planting Flame Trees With Kanagawa Truckers Association

Our friends from Isa CNMI, led by Aya-san Matsumoto and Horiguchi-san, led some members of the Kanagawa Truckers Association of Japan to this afternoon's flame tree planting at American Memorial Park. Beautify CNMI's Cinta Kaipat, Angelo Villagomez, Gus Kaipat, and the Kaipat boys (Marvin, AJ, Jun, and Dusty) along with my other nephew Peter Angui, joined the group. Brad Doerr of MINA was also there and brought the flame trees that were planted.

The flame trees that Herminia Fuscho donated, which had been growing under the Ylang Ylang tree at my Mom's house were loaded into the Beautify CNMI! trailer that Gus and the boys hauled to American Memorial Park. The rest of the flame trees will be planted as soon as the Park staff decide the most appropriate places to plant them. Ranger Nancy is off island, so we got to meet Ranger Rianna (I hope I spelled her name right). I was going to shake her hand when I introduced myself, until I saw how muddy her hand was (you'll see it in the slideshow), so...never mind. :) Anyway, thank you, good folks at American Memorial Park and Park Rangers Nancy and Rianna!

The Kanagawa Group makes a living driving trucks. It is remarkable and commendable that they came to Saipan to plant trees to do their part to help reduce the carbon footprint we humans have left on Earth. Thank you SO much! Arigato gozaimasu!

1st in a Ron & Nancy Kramis Eco-cise Series

It is people like Nancy Kramis and her husband Ron who help make Beautify CNMI! what it is today. Nancy travels to work in the CNMI periodically to help our people learn to better assist and serve those citizens in our community who are deaf and/or hard of hearing. Depending on the need, Nancy stays for weeks, and sometimes several months at a time, and her husband Ron has made some of these trips out here with her several times. Their invaluable contributions as Beautify CNMI! community volunteers deserve to be recognized, so here begins the first posting of the Ron & Nancy Kramis Eco-cise series right here. After some begging, Nancy was kind enough to give me permission to post these photos and accompanying eco-cise journal that she shared with Beautify CNMI's Kaipat family (that would be my family and her adopted Island family).

The series starts here....

A couple of pics of Ron's and my Sunday a.m. eco-exercise program for your collection. Sunday, March 9 we did a round trip from the Bird Island lookout past entry to Kalabera to the end of the road. About 3 hours and not too much junk. Looked fairly good.We then hiked down to the beach and noted that the ocean has left way too many "presents" for us at the high tide line. So we high tailed it outta there with plans to return another day with many big bags.Gettin' outta there!

STAY TUNED NEXT TIME FOR MORE.

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Nancy and Ron have contributed in so many other ways, from adopting a flame tree. . .L-R: Chuck Sayon of MINA; Nancy Kramis of Beautify CNMI Bellingham, Washington; Cinta Kaipat; and Doreen Jesus of Beautify CNMI Guam at the 2007 Flame Tree Arts Festival.

. . . to making a $500 donation at the 1st Anniversary Dinner for Beautify CNMI held at the Aqua Resort last year. They were there again this year at the Jake Shimabukuro Benefit Concert for Beautify CNMI and HANMI.

In addition to their own Eco-cise, they've also participated in numerous Beautify CNMI! activities, including the monthly clean-up of the Paseo de Marianas, which is the heart of the Garapan Tourist District, and they've attended some Beautify CNMI General and Committee meetings. Ron is a member of Beautify CNMI!'s Parks & Trails Committee headed by Ken Kramer of RCD.

Even when they're back in Bellingham, Washington, they still participate from afar in spreading the Beautify CNMI "beauty virus" in the mainland. Their dog, Molly Kramis, even planted a tree in honor of Arbor Day as we in the CNMI celebrated it here.

Thanks, Nancy and Ron! Congratulations again on being winners of the 2007 Beautify CNMI! Spirit Award. You are quite an inspiration to many of us.

Proud As A Peacock!

Did you see it?! Did you see it?! One of the very first flame trees that Beautify CNMI! planted along Beach Road over a year ago has bloomed.I'd remembered to stop and take a picture on our way home from the lighthouse cleanup yesterday and, Boy!, were we thrilled!!!
We were so happy, we almost danced around the tree! This is great considering the sad post earlier regarding the old flame trees being infected with a disease and dying.

Ken and Angelo, sorry you couldn't be with us for the photos, but give yourselves a pat on the back, too!

Good Bye Old Friend

Department of Public Works staff clean up the debris of a large flame tree that fell on the road due to a fungal disease Thursday afternoon in front of Paseo De Marianas Beach Road in Garapan. (Jacqueline Hernandez)

It always saddens me to see one of our beautiful flame trees (or any tree for that matter) fall prey to either man or disease. A friend of mine, Ed Pocaigue, a staff of Speaker Mark Forbes' office in Guam, sent me an e-mail this morning and expressed his appreciation for the work that Beautify CNMI! is doing to replace our flame trees. Thank you for noticing, Ed! I shall pass along your kind words to the Beautify CNMI! family!

I Miss This Guy!

Captain Carl Brachear flashing his winning smile as he watered one of the flame trees that we planted during one of Beautify CNMI!'s recent flame-tree planting outings.

Remember this fella? The last time I saw him was when we planted a series of flame trees and he was making plans to sail with Captain Ian from Australia to Chuuk and then on to Australia. I haven't heard from him or heard anything about him since that day we planted our flame trees. If Walt or any other blogger hears from him, please give him my regards and tell him to hurry up and high tail it back here! No more goofing off with his exciting high-seas adventures. We've got more planting to do on land! LOL! Just kidding.

HAPPY 7th BIRTHDAY KADIE!

Kadie and her posse.

Helping out in the flame tree planting at the Airport Football Field.

Kadie and Jun helping measure the distances between each hole to be dug for planting.

Kadie proudly displaying one of the newly marked flame trees planted at the Koblerville Substation.

Welcome Connor, Missy & Jim to the Beautify CNMI! Family

News Flash! Gerber Baby youngest Beautify CNMI! volunteer. Meet my new friends -- Missy, Connor, and Jim. They are the newest Beautify CNMI! volunteers who helped us plant flame trees at the substation in Koblerville. Oh, yeah -- they didn't just help us plant flame trees; they helped pick up trash, too. Missy and Connor going for that run-away paper plate while Jim helps plant some flame trees. Connor says, "Hey, wait a minute! I thought we were going out for a nice Sunday brunch?!" Jim contributing to the transformation of Koblerville Community. Ken (RC&D) gives Jim a hand. "Okay; you wise guys. I'm tired and hungry. Can we go home now?" Thanks, Connor. Thank you Missy and Jim. Please join us again when you find some free time.