Community Spotlight

NOT EVERY HERO WEARS A CAPE

BY MORGAN LEGEL

As the COVID-19 virus continues on its course of infections, citizens of U.S. island territories are hunkering down to stay at home — whether that means being furloughed or laid-off, working from home or spending time as a new teacher to kids.

While Saipan was one of the last islands for the Cornavirus to reach, its residents are following suit in having residents stay home if possible. Some people, like Ric Cruz, guest relations manager at Kanoa Resort Saipan: Kanoa Resort Saipan, cannot shrug off their duties or continue them from home.

Kanoa is one of the hotels on the island that are being used for the 14-day quarantine of incoming people to the Northern Mariana Islands.

Martin Jambor, general manager of Kanoa, says that Cruz is a hero, especially during this pandemic.

“The reason why is not only how quickly he responded to COVID-19 situation at Kanoa Resort when we became the quarantine facility, but also for the reason that he has always been a front liner in any island crisis — whether it comes to storms, typhoons or any other local community support,” says Jambor

Cruz began his career with Kanoa in 2015, and has moved up from there. In 2019, he was appointed to a management position. Jambor says he finds Cruz to always be “consistently pleasant, tackling all assignments with dedication and a smile,” and that his interpersonal skills are “exemplary and appreciated by everyone who works with him.”

Cruz says since Kanoa was named a quarantine facility, his job has changed dramatically.

“We’re so used to having contact with customers and being able to gauge what they expect as guests of the hotel,” Cruz says. “Now, it’s all over the phone and it’s a lot more challenging now.

“We empathize with the

“I’m no hero; there are front-liners — doctors, nurses and other people out there — that are trying to help the community and people that are quarantined. Thank you to all the front-line workers for your sacrifice and dedication to help our community. I am asking everyone to please follow recommendations made by our medical professionals to help stop the spread of [this virus]. We are resilient people and we will get through this. Stay safe.”

-Ric Cruz

guests, they’re confused and afraid. We try to give them some comfort knowing that we are going to do the best that we can for them,” he says.

Cruz says while he continues his work schedule, so do the rest of the employees.

“The rest of the Kanoa team that’s still working — this was an option. It was not forced upon us, it wasn’t mandatory. Other people made the decision to stay and help too. I’m here helping out, I’m here doing my part. I wanted to give back to the community and help other people the best way that I could do it,” Cruz says.

“I’m so fortunate to be a part of the team here,” he says. “We have had some challenges come our way, and we were always able to bounce back. Not only that, but we step up, and that’s how it is here. We help each other, and we can get through anything together. It makes me so proud to be a part of.”

Working from home for beginners: tools and tips

BY WAYNE CHARGUALAF

Nowadays, more and more people are required to work from home. Some may imagine working from home as a paradise of comfy clothes and endless snacks; while some may be anxious at the thought of being away from the resources and coworkers they’ve come to depend on.

Fortunately for you, there are many people out there who are old hands at working from home and can provide plenty of great advice on how to do so.

One such person is Jackie Cahill, a project manager for Biddy Tarot, an Australian company with 20 employees who all work remotely and are spread across Australia, Asia, the U.S. and Europe.

Below you’ll find tips on successfully transitioning to working at home as well as some of her favorite tech tools that you can use to maximize productivity from the comfort of your own home.

Some of the biggest challenges making the transition from the office to working at home:

“There are a lot more distractions when working from home (chores, Netflix, social media, your bed...), and it's a lot easier to fall victim to those distractions without your boss hovering over your shoulder. It is really important to establish a solid work routine and create clear boundaries between work life and home life.

For me, having a set work space and schedule helps me stay focused. I keep the same hours every day, and as soon as I walk in my home office I mentally