Beach Road Magazine August issue

Celebrating liberation through volunteerism Back-to-school

Advice on shopping and a bully-free school year

Loving life, loving beauty

Sharmaine Casquero

August 2015

ABOUT THE COVER Organizers and volunteers of the 2015 CNMI Libeartion Festivities Photo by Minda Castro

4 Cover Feature Celebrating liberation through volunteerism

8 Community Achieve CNMI keeps kids healthy

12 Back to school look into bullying A Fashion with Girl Talk

18 Artist profile Sharmaine Casquero

22 On the Road Event photos

We’re Online!

www.brmsaipan.com beachroadmagazine

Glimpses Publications include Guam Business Magazine, Marianas Business Journal, Beach Road Magazine and R&R Pacific

PUBLISHER Maureen N. Maratita MANAGING EDITOR Jackie Hanson ASSISTANT EDITOR Joy White REPORTERS Thomas Johnson Shaina Marie Santos PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR Rosanna Dacanay SENIOR DESIGNER Vikki Fong DESIGN & PRODUCTION Michele Blas Conrad Calma Jr. SALES MANAGER Annie San Nicolas ACCOUNT MANAGER Minda Castro MANAGING DIRECTOR Marcos W. Fong Beach Road Magazine, August 2015. Entire contents copyrighted 2015

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.

COVER FEATURE

By Joy White

As the summer comes to a close, President of the Liberation Committee Louis Rodgers hopes the community will take advantage of the last few days of the season and enjoy the festivities, which were originally scheduled to end on Aug. 16 but might be extended to Aug. 30.

The festivities include live entertainment, food and game booths for children.

“The Liberation Day festivities are for everyone. This is not designed to singularly benefit anyone other than the community. On June 15, 1944, the liberation of Saipan was not to save one person, but to liberate an island people. These festivities serve to bring the community to celebrate that liberation. So I say lets party until we are tired of it,” Rodgers says.

He has big hopes for the island, and has plans to promote Saipan with a signature summer event. “In the next two to three years, I hope to bring Saipan center stage as a destination with a signature sum4

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mer feature. I won’t let the cat out of the bag on it yet, but I think it will definitely be something everyone will truly enjoy,” he says.

Rodgers, like many others on the Liberation Committee volunteered to coordinate the events. “This has been an amazing opportunity to learn more about the community and local culture, meet great leaders, share experiences and come together for a common theme. It has always been a part of me to do something that does not serve me but serves a community and being a part of this has certainly met that,” he says.

Lazy days and fun are two things that come to mind when thinking about summer vacation. But for some, like Rodgers, it’s a time to give back and learn about the community. Students of all ages volunteered at this year’s Liberation Day Carnival.

Their reasons are varied, but the experience is not one they will easily forget.

“My reason for volunteering is because I want to reach out to my community and make a difference even in small ways.

As a volunteer, I help with the promotions during the day and help at the booths at night. It has been a privilege to work with Skywalker and different students. I am def- Christine Aninzo, 17, initely enjoying myself. Marianas High School The best thing about being a volunteer is knowing that at the end of the day, I’m impacting the community and being a volunteer has helped me to become more open to the people of my island. I will definitely be a part of something like this again.”

COVER FEATURE

“The best thing about being a volunteer would be knowing that at the end of the day, I’m impacting the community and being a volunteer has helped me to become more open to the people of my island.”

“I’m volunteering because I thought it would be a good experience. I’m having fun as a volunteer because our supervisors make sure that we do our best every day. I love meeting new people and making more friends. And yes, I will do it again.”

— Christine Aninzo, 17, Marianas High School

Marcia Catherine Magofna Pialur, 15, Marianas High School

Gemmilie Anne M. Eugenio, 20, Northern Marianas College

“Volunteering is something good to add in a resume and a good chance to meet new people. As a volunteer, we post posters; walk around to make sure that no one is breaking the rules such as smoking and drinking. We also help out entertainers if needed.

It’s interesting and fun meeting new friends among the volunteers. You can also make new connections.”

Amelia Lifoifoi Pangelinan, 19, Northern Marianas College

“I enjoy helping others and meeting new people. As a volunteer, I do office work, answer phone calls, sorting and creating documents.

Volunteering is definitely a learning experience and it’s nice meeting and working with new people. I am having lots of fun.”

“A summer of giving back” continued on page 7

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SPECIAL FEATURE

FUNFUN

and more

AT SAIPAN WORLD RESORT

You step into an ordinary looking theater. The lights dim and you put on the plastic glasses provided. It’s much like seeing a 3D movie, like you’ve seen several times.

The scene before you moves through a pre-historic scene.

There are giant boulders whizzing past and winged animals flying overhead. You pass through a jungle thick with foliage. Then, you notice it – the scene is moving, but so are you. Was that something that scampered by your foot? If you reached out, would you feel the grainy texture of the boulders or the warmth of the passing animals? Suddenly, it’s more than a 3-D movie, it’s 4D. The 4D Rider at the Saipan

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World Resort is the first of its kind in Saipan. It features three dimensional computer-generated imagery and theater seats that vibrate to create a near-realistic experience. The experience will leave you breathless.

Saipan World Resort also introduced two attractions for fun in the water; the Aquaglide Revolution Teeter-Totter and the Aquaglide Platinum Supertramp Trampoline.

The Aquaglide attractions are inflatable water rafts with a twist.

Take a bunch of friends on the teeter-totter and test your balancing abilities, or your jumping skills on the trampoline. If you fall off, take a swim in the ocean to recuperate.

COVER FEATURE

“A summer of giving back” continued from page 5

Jade Mangubat, 20, Northern Marianas College

“I’m volunteering because I want to be productive with my time towards a bigger cause. I’m an assistant to Ms. Rose Hocog who handles non-profit organizations, and also help out with other activities when needed. It’s a new, fun and interesting experience.

For me, the best thing about volunteering is being able to interact with organizers of the Liberation Festival.”

Ladel Marian L. Callejo, 16, Marianas High School

“I am volunteering to gain experience and to help the community any way I can. I’m part of the Entertainment Committee and help out in the backstage and crowd control. I also help the Booth Committee at times. It’s great to engage with new people and helping out in the Liberation grounds. The best thing about volunteering is being able to better myself and meeting new friends.”

“This has been an amazing opportunity to learn more about the community and local culture, meet great leaders, share experiences and come together for a common theme. It has always been a part of me to do something that does not serve me but serves a community and being a part of this has certainly met that.”

— Louis Rodgers, President of the Liberation Committee

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COMMUNITY

Achieve CNMI, LLC helping children lead healthy lives

By Joy White

Achieve CNMI is a non-profit organization that has been in existence for the last three years. It is offered every summer to kids aged 9 to 13. The program aims to promote healthy lifestyle through involvement in physical activitiesoutdoor and participation in socialemotional learning activities indoor.

Augusto Evangelista, program director, coordinates the outdoor activities while Mrs. Rebecca Flores handles the SEL component of the program indoors.

Other instructors include Jude Loste, program coordinator; Rebecca Flores, program counselor; program specialists Herman Villagomez, Mark Dela Cruz, James, Dela Cruz, Jenny Dayrit, Ricardo Quichocho, Dominic Chong and Carldrine Santos; and volunteers Nicole Loste, Casey Huliganga and Roque Pulido.

Outdoor activities of the program 8

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include hiking, bicycle riding, walking, running, swimming, paddle boarding and more. Indoor activities include lessons about social-emotional learning, such as dealing with positive and negative emotions; team-building; peer mentoring and coaching other students; anger management; coping skills; making healthy choices.

Peer evaluation is also a component of the program, as is PeaceBuilder, a course that emphasizes values and prosocial behavior.

Evangelista says children show progress in just a few weeks. What was once a 40 to 50 minute bike ride to American Memorial Park was cut in half and children still have more energy afterwards.

“I believe that the summer camp is really important for students because it pulls them away from the sedentary lifestyle that they are accustomed to. It

gives them a chance to go outside, become physically active and have fun while doing it. If these students didn’t have a summer camp to attend they may become bored. Boredom may lead to students doing things that may hurt themselves, friends or even the community. Some examples are vandalism, drug use, theft and many more.” Evangelista says.

The number one priority of the program is safety. A large staff to student ratio is maintained to ensure student safety and the staff is trained in handling emergencies.

“Prevention is better than cure,” Evangelista says. “Children who have issues with health or obesity are more likely to develop health problems associated with obesity as adults. The earlier we start, the better prepared we are to deal with fitness and health issues.”

Tinian Ridge to REEF

ENVIRONMENT

Header

Summer Eco Camp!

The 2015 Tinian Ridge to Reef Eco Camp was held from June 23-26 this past week. 21 students and 7 high school volunteer counselors participated in a series of half day activities to learn more about watersheds and how our actions on land impact our oceans and reefs. Eco camp participants explored their watershed from ridge to reef through learning about agriculture and tree planting, hiking and exploring in a limestone forest, conducting a beach clean up at Long Beach to learn about the detrimental impacts of marine debris, and finally spent a morning learning about our coral reefs and snorkeling at Tachonga Beach.

NMC Crees’ breadfruit tree planting and banana tree give away. Photo by Avra Heller.

Background photo: Limestone Forest Trail hike and scavenger hunt. Photo by Avra Heller, CRI Project Coordinator.

This camp would not have been possible without the support of all of our partners. The CNMI Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality - Division of Coastal Resources Management staff along with co-coordinators from Tinian Project Brabu would like to thank and recognize the staff from NMC CREES who led “Agriculture” day - organizing presentations, a tree planting and a banana tree give away; Evgenia Dubman and Mr Roque Indalecios

from the Ecology of Bird Loss project, based at Rice University and supported by NSF and SERDP research grants, for facilitating a limestone forest hike and scavenger hunt; the Micronesia Islands Nature Alliance (MINA) who facilitated a cleanup at long beach and related marine debris programming, and BECQ’s own Marine Monitoring Team who facilitated a final day of coral reef education and a snorkeling event.

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BUSINESS

Best Sunshine looks forward to being a part of the community

By Thomas Johnson

Since the opening of its training facility, Best Sunshine Live, in T Galleria, Best Sunshine International has become a part of the Saipan community.

Tao Xing, who is in charge of corporate social responsibility, says the company plans to build an integrated resort in Saipan to be named the Grand Mariana; construction has begun on the facility in Garapan.

The company was initially attracted to Saipan for its natural beauty, friendly businesses environment and proximity to Asia.

The opening of Best Sunshine Live and the future opening of the Grand Mariana will benefit Saipan with additional jobs, revenue, appreciation of properties and a higher living standard, Xing says.

More than 600 new employees have been hired for the live training facility and more than 3000 are expected to be hired for the Garapan facility.

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In addition, the company will benefit other local businesses. “We need a large number of small businesses to realize our aspiration. They will include tourism, food and beverage, farming, fishing, hospitality, transportation and construction,” Xing says.

But most off all, the company is looking forward to building a relationship with the community.

“We firmly believe that in order to be successful, our business has to benefit the community. The community, to us, is like water to fish. We are actively working with the community on designing employment, education and sustainability programs,” Xing says.

Xing says that everyone is welcome to tour the new live training facility to get a feel for how the future integrated resort will look. The facility houses about 44 gaming tables and 100 slot machines.

BACK TO SCHOOL

Stop bullying in the NMI

By Joy White

While some students may be looking forward to seeing familiar faces at the start of the school year, some may actually be dreading seeing these faces.

Threats, rumors, physical and verbal attacks and excluding someone from a group are all forms of bullying. Bullying often also involves real or perceived power imbalance.

In addition, bullying behavior is repeated or has the potential to be repeated over time.

Bullying can have a very negative affect – on both the bullied and the bullies.

Rebecca Flores, student counselor at William S. Reyes Elementary School says that based on this definition provides some insights in how to identify bullying and how parents can help.

There are several ways parents can recognize if their child is being bullied, because a child may not admit it outright for fear of being revealed as a “tattle-tale” and receiving retaliation from bullies, Flores says.

Signs of bullying: • Child does not want to come to school and gives so many reasons for not coming to school. He or she might resort to skipping class.

• Losing personal items at school, such pencils, money and books.

• Unexplained bruises, cuts or ripped or disheveled clothing.

• He or she might be unusually quiet, seems to lose enthusiasm and looks withdrawn.

• Failing academic grades.

• Apparent anxiety or lack of concentration.

On the flip side, if a parent notices their child is displaying bullying behavior. It is important to seek out the root cause of the behavior, Flores says.

“Sometimes, bullies feel unloved and uncared for so they want to retaliate to others to get even, sometimes they are just trying to get attention, and others bully to look cool and become popular. Some bullies might be harboring angry feelings, some could have been bullied also and they just want to get even. So for parents, it is important to talk to children and assure them that 12

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they are there for them and the children can tell them anything they are experiencing and feeling,” Flores says.

An examination of the home situation is also important if bullying behavior is discovered in a child. It is important to remember that parents are a child’s first teacher, and parents should strive to be good role models when it comes to expressing emotions and dealing with conflict.

page, the incidence of bullying might be lessened,” Flores says.

WSR implements a plan to address problem behaviors and teach pro-social behaviors. This includes both prevention and intervention components. I go to the classroom for classroom guidance lessons to teach social emotional learning concepts and making healthy choices as part of their coping skills.

Questions for the parent of a child with bullying behavior include: • Does the bully see aggressive behavior, fighting or bullying at home?

• Does the child get enough love, care, and attention?

• Are there rules and consequences at home that are being followed consistently?

How to prevent bullying: • Draw strength from supportive friends to create positive peer pressure • Avoid hot spots where bullies might congregate • Act and feel confident - remember your strengths and skills

Parents and the school community can work together to provide a safe and accepting atmosphere for children.

“At school, it is important to build a community that respects individual differences and celebrate diversity. As teachers, we should promote positive behavior support in the classroom and incorporate character education in the daily lessons. We should have classroom rules and consequences and students should be clear about expectations. There should be reinforcements and incentives for good behavior and teachers should demonstrate empathy and caring attitude towards students. Discipline procedures should be in place and enforced consistently. When the school climate is positive and all the stakeholders are on the same

If faced with bullying: • Be assertive – stand your ground and say, “No,” to a bully • Ignore the bully • If all else fails, report a bully to a trusted adult

SPECIAL FEATURE

Start the school year

fashionably prepared with

By Joy White

According to the sales associates at Girl Talk, it is never too early to do back-to-school shopping. “It is always best to get an early start on your shopping just so you can beat the traffic and get things out of the way before the beginning of the school year starts,” the shop’s sales staff says. People tend to wait for the best deals, but the downside is that, because so many people shop at the very last minute, items are likely to be sold out.

Shopping early will also allow shoppers to participate in Girl Talk’s and Lollipops’ 30-day Lay Away plan, which allows families to spread the costs in a span of one or two months.

Some back-to-school essentials you should be sure to get your hands on before it’s too late are the fashionable clothing items available at Girl Talk, ranging from beautiful casual dresses, a variety of printed tees, character t-shirts and jackets, shorts, skirts, denim jeans and more.

“You can also expect to find merchandise that’ll help create a fashion statement, from sandals and hair accessories to Hello Kitty

rings, watches, necklaces, charm-it bracelets and, most especially, our Sanrio Hello Kitty purses, wallets, bags and food and drink containers. There is always new merchandise coming into our stores that we are constantly changing up our displays to give it a fresh look and to help your kids keep up with the trend,” the shop’s sale staff says.

In addition, Girl Talk has its customers’ backs when it comes to savings; the boutique provides useful information on deals and products via Facebook and on Fridays the boutique announces its sales.

Girl Talk and its sister shop, Lollipops, will be having 10-day back-to-school sales starting on Aug. 14.

Lollipops has a wide selection for girls, sizes 0 to 6x, and boys, sizes 0 to 14. Other merchandise found at Lollipops includes licensed backpacks and lunch kits for boys and girls featuring alltime favorite characters Batman, Ninja Turtles, Cars, Minions, Pokémon, Power Rangers, WWE, Avengers, Hello Kitty, Frozen, Princess Sophia, and Minnie Mouse.

For those wrapping up their summers, Lollipops offers an assortment of Speedo bathing suits, rash guards, jams, goggles and more.

Girl Talk sales staff advise customers to shop smart by determining a budget before hand; purchasing clothes a size bigger to allow children to wear for a longer period of time; and be savvy on discounted merchandise and deals.

Another reason to visit the shop this year is for the very first time, Girl Talk will be offering the Roxy summer line for back to school. Roxy is a very popular brand and known for excellent quality and durability.

For more information on upcoming sales, contact Girl Talk.

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Saipan talent

EVENTS

highlighted in festival Contributed by Gordon Marciano, co-Coordinator, 2015 CNMI Talent Fest

Yes, Saipan’s got talent and lots of it. At stake in the 2015 CNMI Talent Fest is $10,000 in cash prizes from Best Sunshine and Skywalker Group.

Various talented individuals have competed and will continue to compete as the contest continues through August. These will include solo artists, cultural dancers, hip hop and modern dancers, contemporary performing artists and many more. Each Friday will showcase a different category.

The talent fest started on Friday, July 17 with the solo singing competition. Participants ranged from ages 9 to 58 years old.

July 24 showcased participants doing hip hop, rap and a capella performances. The last Friday of July featured various dancers performing intermediate Polynesian, Marianas’ contemporary, ballet and ballroom dancers.

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Photos by BRM

On Aug. 7, the coordinators of the 2015 Liberation Day festivities will be taking a break from the talent competition and present a night of entertainment highlighted by a fabulous two hour performance from the Paper Dolls, always a crowd favorite during the annual Liberation festivities.

The final competition will be the Battle of the Bands on Friday, Aug. 14, after which coordinators will prepare for the championship night. On the grand championship night, Aug. 16, all the winners in their respective categories will finally be announced.

A total of $10,000 in cash prizes will be given away on that memorable night.

For more details and information, contact Gordon Marciano at gordon@pdisaipan.com or Kiki Chen of Skywalker group at 234-7942.

BUSINESS

e a w v h t e n i h g C atc

f r u s m o pri

By Joy White

Primo Surf has been in business for 20 years in Saipan. The shop offers a wide range of footwear, T-shirts and board shorts – all in keeping with the surfing lifestyle.

Some of the popular brands include RVCA and Quicksilver. The shop also carries many up-and-coming brands such as Vissla and Rukka. Vissla branches a bit away from the usual surfer lifestyle and plays more toward urban or street wear.

“They also really take into account the environment,” says Linda Yeoman, owner and founder of Primo Surf. The shorts are made from plastic bottles and the company tries to give back to the community. In order to sell some of the brands, a shop must be wellestablished in the community, so Primo Surf does have quite a few brands that are not available elsewhere.

The shop recently introduced stand up paddle boards to its offerings. The size of the paddleboard really depends on the weight of the user. Yeoman says she has also been trying to introduce kiteboarding, which is slowly growing in popularity.

“More and more people are getting into water sports,” she says. Saipan is especially a great place to get into water sports because it has a “nice playground” at Micro Beach, where the reef is farther out, she says.

A former professional wind-surfer in the U.S., Yeoman opened her shop in the islands over two decades ago when there were no other surf shops.

She worked with local surfers on Guam to develop the shop and even to name the shop. Yeoman is also well known for introducing outrigger canoeing as a sport to the region and starting the Micro Cup, which offers up a competitive venue for Guam, Saipan, Australia and Saipan.

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ARTIST

BEAUTY INSPIRES

CASQUERO

By Shaina Marie Santos

Noel “Sharmaine” P. Casquero is a professional hairstylist, choreographer and stage and event director.

Born in Amiroy, Mina, a province of Iloilo in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines, Casquero holds a bachelor’s of science degree in secondary education with a major in physical education and is a graduate of a two-year food technology course.

Though her educational pursuits are conservative in nature, Casquero’s passions are much more fantastic.

Her love for the stage arts began in high school, where Casquero was active with field demonstrations as a choreographer.

During this time, she directed various shows in different high schools in the Philippines.

While working on her bachelor’s, in 1993, Casquero also began working as a junior hair stylist at the James Cooper Beauty Salon in the Philippines. She made sure to keep up with the latest fashion trends from hair styles, to colors and clothing.

“I was very nervous [when] I did my first professional hair styling,” Casquero said.

“The first event I did as a choreographer challenged my self-confidence.”

Since then, Casquero has been involved in numerous pageants. On Saipan, she has served as event and stage director and choreographer for several shows, to most recently include Miss Earth Diva 2009, Marianas Next Top Model in 2011 and Environmental Top Model this year.

“I see myself being an ambassador of beauty queens with a purpose,” she said. “I would love to teach men and women to become beautiful ‘ramp’ or commercial models.”

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Casquero’s love of beauty is not limited to fashion, however. She has also had a hand in numerous environmental endeavors, to include the Mariana Islands Nature Alliance, which she endorsed with recycled bags made of t-shirts.

“I love to help our students in the NMI to protect and save our mother Earth by sharing with them the importance of the four R’s [to reduce, reuse, recycle, and respect mother Earth.],” she said. “Through our workshops and trash-in-fashion shows, we can raise awareness on how we can save [the] Earth.”

Casquero has received recognized for her volunteer work in the NMI. In 2011, the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality recognized her for her involvement in the Environmental Awareness Program through a trash-in-fashion show.

“I love being what I am now — an artist through my profession as a hair stylist and being a performer and event director,” Casquero said. “I love performing as long as I give the greatest performance of my life … each time.”

Oh stays fit with

badminton

By Shaina Marie Santos

SPORTS When In Bog Oh, owner and general manager of Road Auto Shop and Auto Parts; and Road Corporation Gil Rent A Car, arrived on Saipan in 1997, he weighed almost 200 pounds. Wanting to find an activity to help him shed the extra pounds, he found and cultivated a love for badminton.

Since he began playing badminton five years ago, Oh has lost a total of 50 pounds. He looks up to Lee Yong Dae, a top Korean badminton player, and has taken an active role in the local badminton arena.

Oh is the president of the Saipan Badminton Club under the Northern Marianas Badminton Association and a member of the Korean Badminton Association, which has approximately 30 members between the ages of 15 to 60.

Since Oh began to cultivate a more active lifestyle, he has taken on additional physical activities to keep him busy. Oh enjoys golf, bowling and scotch ball, and trains with exercise machines, weights and table tennis. He showed BRM a set of dumbbells inside his office.

Oh doesn’t cut corners; while he works hard on the court, he makes sure his body can keep up by being careful about his eat-

ing habits. To ensure weight loss, Oh makes sure to eat at least 30 minutes to an hour prior to a badminton game.

Badminton, according to Oh, is especially enjoyable for him not only for helping him accomplish his fitness goals, but also for building friendships with people from all backgrounds and nationalities.

The badminton groups he participates in have between four and five annual tournaments, usually one per quarter. In March, Oh’s group played in the Sun Palace Badminton Tournament and in May, they participated in the Saipan Times Open Badminton Team Tournament.

The next tournament, which is slated for August, will be for the IT&E Badminton Tournament, followed by the Shirley’s Restaurant Badminton Tournament in October and the Traders Insurance Badminton Tournament in December.

Though Oh’s reputation and strong presence in the local badminton scene goes without saying, he manages to remain humble.

“I think I’m a pretty good badminton player,” he says.

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SPORTS

By Thomas Johnson

For Erico Castro, cycling has always been more than a simple sport or a fun activity. It’s a way of life. The son of Ricky and Marissa Castro, he has been competing, placing, and winning divisions throughout the region since the young age of 12, racking up dozens of awards and accolades in nearly every bike race imaginable in the NMI. “When I was younger, I would follow my dad to go biking on the weekends,” he says, “and I liked it because it was really adventurous and I got to see a nice view of the island.” Since entering into competition, however, he’s grown a lot more serious about the sport.

Now 17, the teenage phenomenon finds himself pushing to add to his collection of first-, second-, and third-place medals, proving his mettle against riders in Guam, the Philippines, and California. Last year, sponsored by the NMI Racing Federation, he placed 10th in the 105km Tour of Guam race, competing against riders from all around the region. He was also due to take part in took on the Cobra Ironman 70.3 triathlon in Cebu, Philippines on Aug. 2, a race that he hopes his experience with the Tagaman races have prepared him for.

“Saipan’s Tagaman 70.3 has been the toughest race of my life so far, because that was my first time joining a half-Ironman,” he says. “I had the minimum training on the run and swim, and the race was really hot, but I managed to finish it in six and a half hours.”

Castro says he loves cycling because he can go wherever he wants whenever he wants, however quickly he wants. His training regimen includes daily sprint intervals on Navy Hill on weekdays, and long 60-km-plus rides on the weekends.

“In the future, I want to use this sport as my vehicle for college scholarship,” Castro says. “And, if permitted, I plan to join collegiate cycling and eventually become a professional cyclist or triathlete someday.” He was named Male Student Athlete of the Month last October by the Northern Marianas Amateur Sports Association.

AUGUST 2015

ON THE ROAD

Aqua Resort Club in Saipan held an opening of its Vino Spanish Bar on July 17.

Ana Gonzales, a top-billed flamenco dancer from Spain, was flown in to perform at the opening of the Vino Bar.

(Photos by Virginia Avendano-Woodruff)

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ON THE ROAD

The Saipan Agricultural Fair was held on June 27 at the 4-H Building in Susupe.

(Photos by BRM)

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ON THE ROAD

The 2015 Liberation Day parade was held on July 18.

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(Photos by BRM)