Beach Road Magazine - April 2018

Caffeinated kick-start Rota hosts first coffee marathon

United in sportsmanship Football club builds character

Love Shack

Eatery welcomes all

APRIL 2018

Rota Coffee Marathon 2018 Cruise Control See page 7.

See page 9.

Caffeinated kick-start Rota hosts first coffee marathon

United in sportsmanship Football club builds character

Love Shack

Eatery welcomes all

3 Calendar

ABOUT THE COVER Staff members at The Shack are known for welcoming customers as if into their own home. The Shack is celebrating five years of operation this year.

April events

4-5 Restaurant The Shack

Photo by Chelu Photos

7 Event Rota Coffee Marathon 2018

9 Health IBS Awareness Month

12-13 Artist Perpetuating emotion through photography

15 Recipe Spring Onion Frittata

17 Cruise Control Joseph Ocampo's "Fireblade"

22-23 Sports MP United U18 Football Club

24-25 On The Road Event photos and special messages

27 Coupons Special offers and discounts

We’re Online! www.brmsaipan.com

Glimpses Publications include Guam Business Magazine, Marianas Business Journal, MBJ Life, Beach Road Magazine and Buenas

PUBLISHER Maureen N. Maratita BUSINESS EDITOR Meghan Hickey LIFESTYLE EDITOR Lara O. Neuman REPORTERS John I. Borja Wayne Chargualaf CREATIVE DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR Vikki Fong DESIGN & PRODUCTION Conrad Calma Jr. Keisha Marie Gozum Josiah Almosara Louisa Joy Castro GENERAL SALES MANAGER Ken Duenas MANAGING DIRECTOR Marcos W. Fong Beach Road Magazine, April 2018. Entire contents copyrighted 2018 by Glimpses of Saipan, Inc. Beach Road Magazine is published monthly by Glimpses of Saipan, Inc. P.O. Box 502080, Saipan, MP 96950 • 2/F Transpac Business Center Gualo Rai, Saipan • Tel: (670) 235-7645 • Fax: (670) 234-1801 • E-mail: saipan@ glimpsesofguam.com. All rights reserved. No material may be printed in part or in whole without written permission from the publisher.

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Glimpses of Guam Inc. Mission Statement: To connect people with information.

APRIL EVENTS April 14 American Red Cross NMI Chapter 32nd Annual Walkathon Time: 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Donation: $20 for entry, which includes an event t-shirt, prizes and refreshments from Coca-Cola, Subway and Foremost.

This year’s walkathon will take place on Saipan, Rota and Tinian and will feature 10K, 5K and Headstart 2K courses for younger children.

April 14 Saipan Chamber 2018 Golf Tournament Show time: 6 a.m.

Location: Lao Lao Bay Golf Course Registration: $130 per person, $120 for chamber members. Registration forms are available for download at saipanchamber.com.

The funds raised by the tournament and raffle will support scholarship programs, training seminars and other community-based projects.

For more information visit the facebook page at @saipanchamber or contact Mercilynn Kaneshi Palec at 234-7150 or administrator@ saipanchamber.com.

April 16 Rota Coffee Marathon Registration: $60 for the 42.195K, $50 for the 21K and $40 for the 10K. The entry fee includes a t-shirt and awards party.

The race is jointly organized by the Marianas Visitors Authority, KFC Triathlon Club Japan, the Rota Mayor’s Office and the 16th Rota

Municipal Council. Applications are downloadable from the MVA website. For more information, contact MVA Community Projects Specialist Ed Diaz at 664-3200 or ediaz@mymarianas.com.

April 28 KONQER Saipan Time: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Location: Kilili Beach Park Registration: $100 for single admission of Enduro, Sprint or Completion divisions and $40 for students. $1,000 for business teams of 10 members in the Completion division or the Timed division. Fees include official KONQER bib, event t-shirt, finisher souvenir, one free sponsored beer or beverage and access to Brigade Beer Garden with discount coupons and merchandise. For more information visit KONQERSports.com. The event is presented by Marianas Visitors Authority and sponsored by Bank of Guam, Fiesta Resort and Spa Saipan, Marianas Variety, Go Pro, Saipan Brewing Co. and DR Construction.

April 20–23 Flame Tree Arts Festival Location: Civic Center Susupe Admission: Free The 37th annual festival is the largest and one of the oldest cultural arts festivals in the NMI. The four-day event will feature nearly 100 booths with local artists, food and drink vendors, craft makers, nightly entertainment and more.

COVER FEATURE

Photos by Chelu Photos

By Lara O. Neuman

C

elebrating five years of operation this year, The Shack Saipan attracts around 95% repeat customers. Coowner Glen Hunter has created a space for the café that feels like customers are walking into someone’s house that the regular patrons seem to love.

The Shack loves all of its customers as well, and “we love you” is even on its signage.

“It’s not the food, it’s the feeling,” Hunter says. “One of the reasons I started the café is because growing up, my mom had an open-door policy.” Guests would come in and out of their house, and Hunter’s mother welcomed all. He aimed to recreate the vibe at his small café.

“We love our customers and it’s become our trademark. It happened organically through the five years and anybody that comes to The Shack can feel the effect,” Hunter says. Hunter, a native of Saipan, returned from Hawaii 12 years ago for personal reasons.

“I always had an intent to open an eatery where I grew up,” he says. Initially Hunter looked to purchase an existing café or restaurant on Saipan and considered various options. However, purchasing plans fell through and he decided to open his own café.

“I had already taken the property that I had with the intent of doing something with it at the time,” Hunter says. He had purchased an old building between the beach and the road in Oleai, which was almost an eyesore

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APRIL 2018

at the time.

Hunter’s initial plan was to partner with Anthony Pellegrino, who was raising Marianas sweet shrimp locally through Saipan Aquaculture Co. Inc. Coming from Hawaii, Hunter envisioned starting Saipan’s first shrimp shack.

“I was going back and forth between Guam and Saipan and I was dragging. Someone else opened up a shrimp shack in Garapan,” Hunter says. So he revisited his business plan and decided to create a shack without the shrimp. Hunter focused instead on healthy menu options.

“We do home-cooking style clean eating,” he says, with options like quinoa, brown rice and salads to replace white rice. The Shack does not serve any fried foods or foods with many additives. Vegetarian and vegan options are also available as well as dishes that may appeal to a wide range of customers.

“We try not to be preachy about eating healthy.

We let them decide what they want. We try and do everything clean. We prepare everything without frying and with no MSG, minimize sugars and salts added. We always offer alternatives like honey, agave, palm sugar, stuff like that,” Hunter says.

The Shack is known for its variety of crepes, both sweet and savory.

“When I was in college in Hawaii, I had a roommate from France. He used to do dinner events and make a lot

of crepes. Everyone enjoyed it and it was my first time I had eaten crepes as a meal,” Hunter says. Not a lot of Saipan residents were familiar with crepes eaten as a meal, he says, but since opening The Shack, Hunter and his team have developed a variety of options.

One unique local creation by a staff member was the chicken kelaguen crepe, which initially Hunter was wary of. However, the customers loved the new creation, including approval from the manåmko’.

The Shack proudly serves whole fruit smoothies made from many local and import fruits and coffee from Verve Coffee Roasters in Santa Cruz, Calif. Acai bowls are popular as well, with a unique twist. Since Saipan is warm, The Shack freezes its acai puree before adding to the bowl with fruit and granola.

“Our prices have not changed through the years,” Hunter says, even though costs have been creeping up.

With limited hours, limited staff and trying to source produce locally, Hunter says The Shack has been able to keep prices affordable.

“My goal here is to provide an eatery that anyone on the island can come to. The community has really blessed us,” he says.

The small café seats 30 inside and an additional 22 outside on the wooden deck, built by Hunter and interns

from the Northern Marianas Trade Institute.

The Shack likes to open up its space to community groups in the evenings when the café is closed. The Saipan Young Professionals, college and high schoolsponsored open mic nights and other community groups regularly hold meetings and events. The Shack even hosts weddings and small parties.

Not only does The Shack care about the community, it cares about the earth and takes measures to minimize waste. “We compost all our food waste and give to pigs or local farmers for use,” Hunter says. “We’ve always reused grocery bags as our to-go bags.” The takeout containers have also been switched recently to ones made from sugar cane and bamboo fiber.

“We also try and support the local farmers as much as we can,” Hunter says.

Co-owner Henry Worswick joined the team six months ago, after spending 26 years at the Pacific Islands Club Saipan in various food and beverage management.

Worswick has plans to expand the business, to perhaps include dinner hours, as the café is currently open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Expansion with additional locations may also be a possibility, Hunter says, either with another location on Saipan or branching out to Guam or Hawaii.

APRIL 2018

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EVENT

Triathlon photos courtesy of KFC Triathlon Club Japan

FIRST COFFEE MARATHON TO BE HELD ON ROTA

By Lara O. Neuman

T

he discovery of old coffee plantations on Rota last year has led to the launch of the first Rota Coffee Marathon to be held on April 14.

“No one knows there is coffee on Rota,” says Kiyokazu Onishi, president of Kiyokazu Fitness Club Triathlon Club Japan. “The people of Rota need to resurrect the nature of coffee.”

Coffee plantations from the Japanese administrative era of the Northern Mariana Islands in the first half of the 20th century will be featured alongside the race. Working together with the mayor’s office, the Rota Coffee Project has been moving forward restoring some of the coffee trees to be able to produce local coffee in a couple of years.

Around 15 participants will join Onishi from Japan for the race, stopping in Guam on the way.

“I want to first start it, even if it’s small,” Onishi says.

He wants the event to gain traction through participants taking photos and uploading videos on mediums such as YouTube. “It would be great if people saw that and came to Rota.”

Rota is like how Guam was 50 years ago, Onishi says.

“There’s triathlon, marathon, diving, beautiful oceans.”

However, there are not as many tourists that travel to

Rota, compared to Guam or Saipan, and the economy is slow, Onishi says.

“If there is coffee, tourists will go and there will be more business,” he says. “Coffee is good for business.

Unlike fruits or produce, it can be shipped dry and can be sold with more value.”

Onishi believes the coffee business could really boost the economy in Rota. He has also helped launch the annual Rota Blue Triathlon and other sporting events in the Northern Mariana Islands.

“Rota is renowned for its picturesque views and unmatched island hospitality and adding to the Rota Blue Triathlon held each November, the Rota Coffee Marathon will provide another opportunity for athletes to visit the island,” says Marianas Visitors Authority Managing Director Christopher A. Concepcion.

The race, jointly organized by MVA, KFC Triathlon Club Japan, the Rota Mayor’s Office and the 16th Rota Municipal Council will feature three distances: 42.195K, 21K and 10K. Registration is $60 for the 42.195K, $50 for $21K and $40 for 10K. The entry fee includes a t-shirt and awards party. Prizes will be awarded for the top three men and women finishers and for age categories.

Applications are downloadable under the events calendar at www.mymarianas.com. For more information, contact MVA community projects specialist Ed Diaz at 664-3200 or ediaz@mymarianas.com.

APRIL 2018

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IBS AWARENESS MONTH

HOW’S YOUR TUMMY? April is IBS Awareness Month

By Lara O. Neuman

I

rritable Bowel Syndrome is quite common, with prevalence estimated at 10% to 15%, according to the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. However, many people remain undiagnosed and unaware that their symptoms are caused by a medically recognized disorder and continue to suffer.

IFFGD designated April as IBS Awareness Month in 1977 and has since focused its attention on important health messages about IBS diagnosis, treatment and quality of life issues.

If you think you may have IBS, be sure to talk to your doctor as the most important step in treating it is a diagnosis of the condition. Your primary care physician can generally make the diagnosis of IBS based on its symptoms along with a history, physical exam and some tests.

The main symptom of IBS is chronic abdominal pain or discomfort, typically experienced along with a change in stool frequency and/or form, such as diarrhea and/ or constipation. Many people have both, and the pain is often relieved by having a bowel movement and can at times be worsened after eating.

Symptoms can flare up unexpectedly and can change

over time or from day to day. Other symptoms may also occur, such as bloating, gas or urgency. The symptoms and its uncertainty and fluctuation can significantly impair quality of life for those that are affected.

“A health provider who understands IBS will work with patients to address individual needs,” says Nancy J. Norton, president of IFFGD in a release. “That means not only reducing individual symptoms, but also arming patients with education and self-management tools that will improve their daily living.”

Although there is no cure for IBS, once diagnosed, there are treatment options to reduce symptoms.

Working closely with physicians can help patients learn as much as possible about IBS, find out what triggers their symptoms and what may work to alleviate them.

Lifestyle changes, relaxation techniques, gut-directed hypnosis, cognitive behavioral therapy and medications are some examples of treatment or management choices that could be used in combination, depending on the severity of symptoms and the impact on quality of life.

If you think you may have IBS, see your doctor to get an accurate diagnosis to get started on a treatment plan that best fits your needs. Visit IFFGD’s website at www. iffgd.org for more information on IBS.

APRIL 2018

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ARTIST

Photos courtesy of Lauren Benson Photography

Perpetuating emotion through photography

By John I. Borja

T

he bride makes her way down the aisle, moments away from a monumental point in her life, and Lauren I. Benson waits patiently — camera in hand.

On the surface, the bride is already picture-ready, with her beautiful white wedding dress and ethereal

12 APRIL 2018

veil barely concealing the glow of her face. But this photographer is looking for something beyond appearance; the picture-perfect moment has yet to come.

The lady in white stops next to her mother, whose joy radiates through her tears as she gazes at her daughter.

It’s a brief moment, so Benson moves quickly. She readies her camera and starts snapping, making sure to capture this powerful mother-daughter emotional connection before vows are made.

“Being able to document and freeze a moment is powerful. It’s almost like a time machine,” Benson says.

“You can look back at photographs and each one tells a different story in a way that we can connect with.”

The Tennessee native moved to Saipan nearly four years ago with her Marine husband, Matthew. Since then, she’s been in love with the lifestyle, atmosphere and people of the island. Saipan’s strong family values resonate with the kinds of photos she takes for her business, Lauren Benson Photography.

Benson says photographing people is easier when she can connect with her clients, primarily at weddings and with families and newborn babies. Paired with her favorite 35mm lens — which she considers an intimate lens — she converses with her clients while shooting so she knows what they want.

“Emotion is my focus,” Benson says. “When I can look at a photo and feel the emotion it conveys, that’s when I know I have the right shot.”

Her talent in narrating stories through photography bloomed as a little girl in the outskirts of Nashville. When she exhausted the local library’s inventory, she started making her own stories from her family photos.

“When my sister discovered what I was doing, we’d take her camera out and photograph everything we could, so I could constantly be connecting my story with others. It was then that I knew that photography was my passion, and it only grew from there.”

Fast-forward to today, the 26-year-old still is growing as a photographer. There will always be something new to learn, she says, and her goal to become a capable photographer is to be persistent and consistent. It’s how she was able to make her passion her business.

For anyone who happens to be in front of Benson’s camera, it is not about being perfect. You can have the perfect outfit, makeup or style, but that’s not really what you will remember, she says.

“The main focus should not be on what you look like at this period in time, but it should be how you feel.”

After all, she says, your emotion in that moment is what you’ll remember for the rest of your life.

ARTIST

Mother cries with daughter as they are about to walk down the aisle.

A bridal party celebrates the bride- and groom-to-be.

An engaged couple share an intimate moment while enjoying their favorite activity of stand-up paddle boarding.

Love and joy captured in the expressions of a happy family.

A family silhouette during sunset at Gov. Eloy S. Inos Peace Park.

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RECIPE

SPRING ONION FRITTATA Recipe adapted from Love & Lemons

U

sing spring onions, this frittata could make a light vegetarian meal or side dish, perfect for bringing to your spring gatherings. It’s also easy to make without using too many equipment for a fast clean up.

Ingredients: • 6 eggs • ¼ cup water or milk • Coconut oil or another oil, for the pan • 3–4 thin spring onions, chopped small, plus slice a few thin vertical strips • ½ cup chopped asparagus tips • 1 garlic clove, minced • ½ cup frozen peas, thawed • ¼ cup fresh mozzarella pieces • ¼ cup crumbled feta • ¼ cup chopped tarragon • Salt and pepper to taste • A few pinches of red pepper flakes

Instructions: 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 2. In a medium (8-inch) cast iron or oven-safe non-stick skillet, lightly sauté the chopped onions and asparagus pieces in some oil, salt and pepper. Remove from the pan after a few minutes. It does not need to be completely cooked through.

3. Blend the eggs, garlic, water or milk, salt and pepper in a blender until combined and lightly foamy. Using a blender is key to a lighter, fluffier frittata.

4. Wipe out the skillet used previously and coat it with more oil. Pour in the eggs, half of the vegetables and half of the cheeses. Put the skillet in the oven and bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the frittata begins to set but is still uncooked on top.

5. Carefully add the rest of the vegetables and cheeses and continue to bake for another 10–15 minutes or until the edges of the frittata are golden brown and the eggs are set.

6. Top with chopped tarragon, a grind of pepper and a few red pepper flakes. Cool before slicing to serve.

Submit your recipes with photos to lifestyleeditor@glimpsesofguam.com.

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CRUISE CONTROL

Sponsored by

2003 Honda CBR 954 Race Ready

“Fireblade” Owner: Joseph Ocampo Engine: Inline four stroke engine, 954cc allows from 0 to 60 miles per hour in five seconds.

Modifications: Front sprocket from standard 15-teeth to a 16-teeth sprocket; dropped the bike height by four inches; plans for more performance parts.

Shout-outs: “Steve Llagas from the Matua Riders in Saipan for the general maintenance, Dennis Quinones from Cycles Plus in Guam for helping me order all genuine parts for my CBR and the biggest shout out to my wife Lynn Ocampo who supported me in my love of riding.”

“Once I get on my bike and strap on my helmet, all my worries and stress go away — it’s just me and wherever the road takes me.”

APRIL 2018 17

SPORTS

MP United U18 Football Club:

Growing skills and character

By Wayne Chargualaf “With MP United, when you’re in, you’re basically family,” MP United Coach and Technical Director Norman Del Rosario says. “You’re a brother or sister. We even have a support group for players who are struggling in school.”

MP United is a football team — football as in the game known as soccer in the United States — established in 2008. MP is derived from the Northern Mariana Islands postal code and is short for Marianas Pacific. Sponsored

by IT&E, Triple J Motors and I Love Saipan, MP United has established an impressive record, consistently winning championships to include an undefeated run in 2009 through 2012 for its U15 team — which is for players under 15 years of age — and back to back championships for the U18 team — which is for players under 18 years of age — in 2013 and 2014. MP United also produced 22 APRIL 2018

the first NMI-born and trained player to play National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II soccer in Enrico Del Rosario, son of Norman.

“I started coaching because I work for IT&E and my son wanted to play,” says Norman Del Rosario, who has been with the club since 2008. He admits he had little experience with soccer until then.

“I was actually a volleyball player,” he says.

Fortunately for him, he was able to begin coaching at the U9 level after attending the Fédération Internationale de Football Association Grassroots coaching program. As the players he was coaching grew and developed their skills, Del Rosario did as well, attending several other coaching clinics through the years.

In spite of MP United’s record, Del Rosario says that victory isn’t the thing he emphasizes most as a coach.

SPORTS

“As a coach, it’s really fun when the players share good stories about getting good grades, going to college, things like that,” he says. “That’s more important to me than winning games because those are things they’ll remember and will be important for the rest of their lives, not whether they beat this or that team.”

Del Rosario says it’s especially important to emphasize character for the U18 players.

“I always try to make sure I’m not only teaching them how to play or what they should be doing on the football field, but off the field as well,” he says. “I think the difference between U18 and other age groups is these players are in high school and are now starting to get into real-world situations. At this age level, 50% of coaching is teaching them how to behave outside the pitch.”

Del Rosario believes the team’s emphasis on character isn’t just an added benefit of being an MP United player, but that it translates directly to performance on the field.

As far as Del Rosario is concerned, emphasis on character and a championship record is no coincidence.

“People are asking, ‘What would we rather have, a team full of talent with poor attitudes, or a team with low talent and great attitudes?’” he wrote in an article in the team newsletter celebrating their 10 year anniversary.

“For some this may be a difficult choice, but for MP United FC the choice is easy. We’ll take the team of great attitudes over talent. In the end, talent will only take you so far, but a positive attitude will open many doors.”

“Talent can win you games, but character and attitude wins championships.”

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Saipan Marathon Saipan Marathon 2018 held on March 10 was the largest to date, with 931 registrants and 811 finishers.

Photos courtesy of Marianas Visitors Authority 24 APRIL 2018

ON THE ROAD

USS Okane The Saipan Chamber of Commerce welcomed military service members from the USS O’Kane on Jan. 23 at Godfather’s Beach House Bar. Photos courtesy of Saipan Chamber of Commerce

MINA Micronesia Islands Nature Alliance held a Mardi Gras mixer on Feb. 10 at Godfather’s Beach House Bar at the Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan.

Photos by Corey Shadow

For more On The Road photos, visit BRM’s Facebook page. Submit your photos, with a caption, to lifestyleeditor@glimpsesofguam.com.

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