Beach Road Magazine - February 2020

Runnin' down a dream

2020 Saipan marathon in the Marianas

Beauty from pain

A local photographer's journey

American heart month Hidden risks of disease

FEBRUARY 2020

Pika Fest kicks off Feb. 16. See on page 12.

ABOUT THE COVER Denton Pangelinan, owner of D&R Visuals.

Photo by D&R Visuals

4 Calendar

February events

6-8 Artist

Beauty from pain

10 Health

Hidden risks of heart disease

12 Featured Event

2020 Tinian Hot Pepper Festival

16 Sports

Saipan marathon

20 Beauty

Nail trends

23 Recipe Romantic dessert for Valentine's Day

26 On the Road

Event photos and special messages

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Glimpses Media include: Marianas Business Journal, MBJ Life, Guam Business Magazine, Real Estate Journal, Buenas, Beach Road Magazine, Drive Guam, Pocket Deals

PUBLISHER Maureen N. Maratita MANAGING EDITOR Steve Graff EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Morgan Legel REPORTERS Wayne Chargualaf Rianne Peredo CREATIVE CONTENT MANAGER Vikki Fong DESIGN & PRODUCTION Conrad Calma Jr. Luisa Joy Castro Sean Davis Vandrick Veloria MEDIA SALES Marlon Regaton MEDIA SALES MANAGER Mike Mafnas DIRECTOR Ken Duenas MANAGING DIRECTOR Marcos W. Fong Beach Road Magazine, February 2020. Entire contents copyrighted 2020 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.

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

FEBRUARY EVENTS FEB. 7, 14, 21, AND 28

FEB. 15

Saipan Morning Run Time: 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

International Roller Skates Grand Opening

Location: Grandvrio Resort Saipan

Time: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Fee: Free

Location: San Antonio

Beginning and ending at Grandvrio Resort Saipan in Garapan, this 7.6K event is organized by Marianas

Come one, come all to the grand opening of

Visitors Authority and Pacific Development Inc. and

International Roller Skates. Grand opening festivities

open to visitors and residents. This run was scheduled

will include a performance from K-Pop performers.

to end in January, but is planned to be held at least

International Roller Skates will have snacks and arcade

every Friday of February as well.

games to include trampolines, basketball and hockey.

Contact: Email info@mymarianas.com

Contact: 235-3313

FEB. 15 AND 16

FEB. 29

Tinian Hot Pepper Festival

Wahoo in the Marianas

Time: 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Time: 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunday

Location: Smiling Cove Marina

Location: Fiesta grounds, San Jose

Fee: $100 per boat, which includes one captain and

Fee: Free

angler, additional anglers $25 each

The 16th Annual Tinian Hot Pepper Festival includes

Get ready for the first ever Wahoo in the Marianas

a 65K bike race, live entertainment, a variety of local

fishing tournament. Participants must register Feb. 28

dishes for sale, indigenous craft sales and games.

between 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Teams of two or more

There will be a ferry transporting festivalgoers from Saipan to Tinian. The ferry will be free for race

4

Fee: Free

compete to see which is the better fishermen.

The winning teams can earn up to $2,000 for first

participants and for others a round-trip will be $25 for

place, $1,500 for second and $1,000 for third. As well as

ages three to 11 and $35 for ages 12 and older. For one

these winnings, the tournament is offering a $500 prize

way, the cost is $10 for ages three to 11 and $18 for

for total wahoo weight of top three not in in winning

ages 12 and older. Children under two are free for both.

status. Awards will be given at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 29,

Tickets must be purchased in advance at the Tinian or

after the tournament concludes.

Saipan MVA office.

Contact: Gene Weaver, 483-4363 or

Contact: Email info@mymarianas.com

Wayne Pangelinan, 788-8057

FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 2020

COVER FEATURE/ARTIST

6

FEBRUARY 2020

COVER FEATURE/ARTIST

Photo by D&R Visuals

BEAUTY FROM PAIN

BY WAYNE CHARGUALAF They say pain can create great art. In photographer Denton Pangelinan’s case, his journey to overcome pain has not only led him to create art, but also to the job of his dreams.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a job, because I enjoy it too much to say it’s a job,” he says. “It’s a passion.”

Pangelinan’s love of photography began as a teenager, when he quickly became the go-to guy for anyone who needed pictures and video for a school project or organization.

“I kind of had a knack for it ever since high school,” the Saipan Southern High School graduate says. “I would be the one to take the pictures. For JROTC, for example, I would do video slideshows.”

After high school, Pangelinan joined the Army and became a cavalry scout, serving for eight years. From 2010 to 2018, his career carried him to assignments in Texas, Hawaii and Washington state.

It was during this time that he says the dark cloud of depression began to settle over him, culminating in a

“After my suicide attempt, I turned to photography,” he says. “I started hiking and taking photos, and it really helped me. It became my safe haven. Photography has always made me happy.”

Towards of the end of his military career, Pangelinan started to ponder the next step in his life, a step he knew would involve photography.

“For two years I had been coming back to Saipan for Christmas break,” he says. “During that time, I was studying the market.”

Pangelinan had been stationed in Washington at the time, and would go hiking with Rita Indalecio, a high school friend who also happened to be living in Washington.

Knowing Indalecio has a passion for videography, Pangelinan approached her with the idea of moving back to Saipan and starting a visual media business together.

After being mentored by experienced professional photographer Sylvan Tudela, owner of Chelu Photos, Pangelinan and Indalecio opened for business as D&R Visuals

suicide attempt.

in January 2018.

FEBRUARY 2020

7

COVER FEATURE/ARTIST D&R Visuals — D&R stands for “Denton and Rita” — provides photos, videos, event coverage and commercial broadcasting for private and commercial clients. They have shot everything from wedding portraits to photo ads and television commercials for businesses and organizations such as Tribe Marianas, Triple J Enterprises, the Department of Public Safety, Glimpses Media — which publishes Beach Road Magazine — and the Garrett Lee Smith Suicide Prevention Program.

“Business has been great,” Pangelinan says. “We started after Typhoon Yutu, and we grew pretty fast. It really skyrocketed faster than I expected.”

Blessed with good fortune as the result of hard work, Pangelinan has sought to give back to the community through the means that helped save him during his darkest days, by writing and acting in the film “Remember Me,” a story about veterans who return home to Saipan and struggle with posttraumatic stress disorder.

“The idea came from my experience in the military,” Pangelinan says. “I could see that it wasn’t just me who had mental health problems, but a lot of my friends were going through it as well. I came back to Saipan and realized there isn’t really a lot of help for veterans, and we need to take it seriously because we have a ton of locals that join the military. So I wanted to spread awareness.”

The film won the Best of Festival Award at the 2019 Guam International Film Festival and can be seen on the D&R Visuals channel on YouTube.

D&R Visuals is continuing to put out short film content on its YouTube Channel and there are plans to shoot a sequel to Remember Me Soon.

“Remember Me was truly a passion project, and I'm just thankful to the local community, because when we’d shoot some scenes at a bar or a restaurant, they were willing to open up for us to do the shoot.”

With no signs of slowing down, Pangelinan says he wants to be an example to those who are struggling with mental illness or just struggling to find the courage to pursue their dreams.

“If you have a dream, just go out and do it,” he says. “Don't let people talk you into not doing it. For me, I just ended up getting out of the military — which is pretty safe financially, you know, you get all these benefits — but I took that leap, and said, ‘Let’s do it,’ and now I’m enjoying my life. I'm doing something that I absolutely love.”

Photos by D&R Visuals

8

FEBRUARY 2020

HEALTH

Hidden risks of heart disease

BY STEVE GRAFF It’s American Heart Month, so don’t forget to spread

significant

consequences

for

some love to the beating organ in your chest. The best

your heart. A person wakes up,

way to do that is to get a checkup and learn about risk

gasping for air, which disrupts

factors — including the hidden ones. Many people know

sleep and causes a person’s

being obese or diabetic, and having high blood pressure

blood pressure to rise. That can

increases a person’s chances of having heart problems. But

lead to heart failure and heart

there are lesser known issues to keep an eye on.

disease, as well as strokes. A

Yes,

smoking

increases

a

study in Respiratory Critical

person’s risk of heart disease, but

Care Medicine found that sleep apnea increases the risk of

so does chewing betel nut. A study

heart failure by 140% and heart disease by 30%.

in the Global Journal of Health

People with gum disease are

Science found that betel nut users

also at risk. In fact, they’re two to

are eight times more likely to have

three times more likely to have

coronary

heart problems because of the

heart

disease.

That’s

a meaningful stat for this part of the world considering

chronic

how popular the pastime is for Pacific Islanders. Dr.

have shown. A Harvard University

inflammation,

studies

William Moss, an otolaryngologist or “ENT” specialist

study also found that people who

with Commonwealth Health Center in Garapan, recently

lost their teeth when they were

reported in the American Journal of Otolaryngology 43%

younger were at higher risk for heart disease later in the

of adults living in the NMI reported using betel nut.

life — which are both tied to poor diet and smoking. This

When people snore, they stop breathing for moments

also hits close to home: According to the Commonwealth

at a time. Experiencing that repeatedly throughout

Health Care Corp.’s Oral Health Program, nearly 70% of

the night, a condition known as sleep apnea, can have

students seen in the NMI have tooth decay or cavities.

10 FEBRUARY 2020

Erectile

dysfunction

could

be a sign of many problems, too — including heart disease.

It’s

because

they’re

both

related to circulatory problems and share many of the same risk factors, like obesity and diabetes. It’s the buildup of fatty deposits in arteries throughout the body that cause ED and heart disease. One study in the journal Circulation noted, “a diagnosis of erectile dysfunction is associated with a two-fold increase in heart attacks.” So, if you’ve noticed something is, eh, different, it’s worth discussing with a doctor.

Did you know?

The number one cause of death in the Northern Mariana Islands is heart disease, responsible for more than 57% of deaths every year.

Source: Healthdata.org

FEATURED EVENT

12 FEBRUARY 2020

FEATURED EVENT

Hot, hot, hot: Pika Fest on Tinian

BY RIANNE PEREDO

The 16th annual Tinian Hot Pepper Festival, also known as Pika Fest, will be held on Feb. 15 from 2 p.m to 11 p.m. and Feb. 16 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. at the fiesta grounds in San Jose village. There will also be a 65K Pika Bike Race on Feb. 15 at 6 a.m.; the race is scheduled to be at Kammer Beach.

The festival has many contests and activities to observe and participate in, which include the hot pepper eating contest, umang (hermit crab) race, estofao (stewed chicken) cooking contest, burger eating contest and donni (hot pepper) costume contest.

“The event highlights the unique Tinian hot pepper, called donni sali, prepared with different kinds of concoctions and varied spiciness displayed at the competing booths,” says Priscilla Iakopo, managing director of the Marianas Visitors Authority.

Iakopo says the Pika Fest is the most attended festival in the region. “Visitors from the neighboring islands flock to this island — not only to enjoy the fun-filled festival — but visit the famous historical and cultural attractions.

Attractions include the World War II relics and the

legendary House of Taga, which has the biggest latte stones in the whole Marianas.”

Festivalgoers can utilize the special ferry service to attend the event, which is provided by the Marianas Visitors Authority in collaboration with Super Emerald. The first ferry will depart on Feb. 14, specifically for participants in the race; the ferry departs from Commonwealth Ports Authority dock in Saipan.

Nieves Reyes, a longtime participant of the festival, says her booth has offered food, drinks, hot pepper paste and the hot pepper plants. She says her hot pepper paste — Bings’ Specialty — only has vinegar, garlic and salt as additional ingredients.

Reyes won’t be able to join the festival as a vendor this year, but that likely won’t slow down her business.

“People still call me for orders of hot peppers and paste,” says Reyes.

Her favorite part of the festival is the hot pepper eating contest. “That’s the exciting part; it’s so fun to watch them with their mouths full of hot peppers,” Reyes says.

Photo by D&R Visuals

FEBRUARY 2020 13

SPORTS

Runnin’ down a dream

BY MORGAN LEGEL It’s the beginning of the month of love, couples abound. While some are trying to lockdown a Valentine’s Day date, others are spending their time soothing their “soles” by training to run a marathon.

The 2020 Saipan Marathon in the Marianas, sponsored and planned by the Marianas Visitors Authority, is set to be held on Mar. 14, 2020, at the American Memorial Park in Garapan. The marathon will include courses for a full marathon (26.2 miles), half marathon (13.1 miles), 10K and 5K. The marathon is open to residents of the Northern Mariana Islands and the United States, as well as international participants.

MVA’s Edward Diaz, community projects specialist, says MVA brought in the 5K course this year to entice new participants.

“It was recommended by a lot of people and so we implemented it in this year,” he says. “We also believe that this will attract more families as well as new or nonrunners to join.”

Diaz estimates 100 participants for the full marathon, 230 for the half, 250 for the 10K and 200 for the 5K. The first three estimations would be less than competed last year for each event.

With a full marathon clocking in at over 26 miles of running, preparing should come long before race day.

Dan D. Chase, director of fitness and training for Latte Built 24hr Fitness & Nutrition LLC, says that training for most participants should begin six to eight months in advance of an event like the Saipan Marathon. He says that people who live “sedentary, office lifestyles” or lifestyles where they do not actively work out every day should begin eight months prior to the event, while recreational sport enthusiasts can wait for the six-month mark. Those who have done competitive training for other events can wait upwards of three months to begin their training, but it’s never too early.

Kaylee Heath, a stay at home mom in Saipan, earning her master’s degree online, ran the 2019 marathon.

Heath finished seventeenth overall in the full marathon, second for her gender and was the first of the U.S. participants to cross the finish line. Her final

2019 SAIPAN MARATHON FACTS: • 2019 participants: - 139 participants in the full marathon - 289 participants in the half marathon - 428 participants in the 10K

• 2019 fastest times: - 2 hours, 38 minutes and 32 seconds for the full marathon - 1 hour, 16 minutes and 34 seconds for the half marathon - 37 minutes and 58 seconds for the 10K

• 2020 is the first year a 5K will be added to the marathon’s menu

• The first full Saipan Marathon in the Marianas was held on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2006

• Previous to the inaugural full marathon, the MVA held 24 half marathons & 19 10K fun runs in conjunction

• There is still time to register for any course

16 FEBRUARY 2020

SPORTS

time for the race was three hours, 32 minutes and 39 seconds, just four minutes behind the first woman and nine minutes ahead of the next.

With Heath being an already active person, she only had to begin training a few months before the race.

“I’ve competed on and off since high school,” she says. “I’ve ran a couple marathons, and a few fun runs.

Running is mostly a hobby for me. I’m a very active person. I run three to four times a week; high intensity interval workouts mostly.”

She began training about three months before the 2019 race. Her regimen was to do three runs a week — a short one, between three and five miles, a medium one, ranging from eight to 10 miles, and a long one.

The long run begins at 10 miles but goes up by two miles every week, Heath says. “Don’t train on a run longer than 20 miles,” she adds. “This should happen two to three weeks before the marathon, then begin to taper off.”

Heath also says that running and training for a marathon is hard, especially in Saipan. To potential runners, she says, “Be so proud that you can do something like run a marathon, half marathon, 10K, whatever you’re running. Running on Saipan is especially hard because it’s so hot. It’s really admirable for every person that signed up. I hope they enjoy the process and finishing.”

Heath says that the Saipan marathon was different than some others that she has run. “It was totally different,” she says. “For me, I would rate myself as a pretty good runner — not outstanding. I do have skill, but if I were to run a marathon in the states at the time that I ran, I would not have placed, the leading times are not comparable (to U.S. mainland races.)” She also says, “I don’t like to lose. I hated losing. That’s just my personality. I really like competing and I did my best, genuinely.”

Heath will not be running this year’s marathon because she is moving to the mainland to continue her education, but offers this last piece of advice to those who will be (hopefully) crossing the finish line in March: “You can’t overhydrate here. The more water you drink, the better prepared you will be. If you don’t drink enough, you will tank the marathon.”

2020 MARATHON DETAILS: The 2020 Saipan Marathon in the Marianas is set to be held on Mar. 14 at the American Memorial Park in Garapan. The marathon will include courses for a full and half marathon, 10K and 5K. The race begins at 4:30 a.m. for the full marathon, 5:30 a.m. for the half marathon, 5:45 a.m. for the 10K and 6 a.m. for the 5K. For international participants who register by Feb. 14, the fee for the full marathon is $90, while the half marathon, 10K, and 5K are $60. Registrations between Feb. 15 and 27, will be $100 for the full marathon and $70 for the others. The last day to register for international participants is Feb. 27 at 5 p.m..

For NMI and U.S. residents, it will be $55 for the full marathon and $45 for the others if registered before Feb. 14; and for those who register after, it will be $10 additional to those prices.

The last day to register for local residents in Mar. 6 at 5 p.m.

Contact: Email info@mymarianas.com

FEBRUARY 2020 17

BEAUTY

Polished to Perfection

BY RIANNE PEREDO

Nail polish was originally a status symbol in ancient Babylonian and Chinese societies. In Babylonia, warriors would get kohl (black powder made of antimony sulfide or lead sulfide) manicures before going to battle. They would also tint their lips to match their nails.

However, it wasn’t until 1925 that nail polish was created and popularized by Cutex, a nail care products brand.

In the Northern Mariana Islands, residents go to nail salons to get their nails done to look their best.

Merle Hudkins, owner of Natural Nail Spa, says having one’s ring fingernail painted with a glitter-based nail polish or a different color than the other nails have been recurring trends. “I believe it started around the beginning of the decade and it is still going strong.”

Hudkins also says that popular nail colors depend on the season. In December, blue and white were the go-to colors for customers. On a daily basis, customers opt for other colors. “We usually do a lot of nude colors — burgundy, plain white, or pink — with glossy and/or matte topcoat finish,” she says.

20 FEBRUARY 2020

BEAUTY

Additionally, different nail shapes are trendier than others. “Usually for short nails, the most common shape is square or squoval (square-oval) and the most common for long nails is coffinshaped,” says Hudkins.

Mulan Ta, manager of Serenity Salon and Spa, says the two popular nail services they offer are gel nail polish and poly-gel nail extensions.

“I really do think gels and poly-gels will be in [style] for a long time. They’re better than acrylic [nail extensions],” says Ta. “Poly-gel is a combination of acrylics and gels. I see a lot of people going the poly-gel route versus acrylics because it is healthier for your nails.”

Ta says popular colors for customers depend on their age. “Older people would get more red or nude [shades]. The younger generation would get brighter colors. We don’t do much nail art; more so glitter [nail polish].”

She has also noticed that having gel nails has become more popular in Saipan.

“Gels normally last for about two weeks,” says Ta. “A lot of people normally get gels because it is cured by [an] ultraviolet lamp.

Both adults and younger kids get gels; for poly-gels, it’s for younger kids because they like nail extensions. That’s the trend these days — longer nails.”

Photos courtesy of Natural Nail Spa and Serenity Salon and Spa

FEBRUARY 2020 21

RECIPE

Romantic dessert for two Maybe a night out on the town is in the cards. Maybe a low-key pizza and movie night is desired. Or maybe a fancy homemade steak dinner sounds best. No matter the meal, some would say it’s not complete until the last bit of sweet dessert hits the taste buds. This simple and easy chocolate fondue recipe is easy to prepare and enjoy together (or alone for that matter) as a tasty end to Valentine’s Day.

INGREDIENTS • 7 to 10 oz. choice of chocolate (white, milk or dark) (chips or bark) • 1/2 cup half & half • Dipping choices (See tips)

3. Add heated half & half to serving container holding chocolate. Let sit for 30 seconds to a minute, and then start stirring. Stir until mixture has no lumps and is creamy, which may take about two to three minutes.

4. Serve fondue with dipping choices.

TIP Dipping choices can be anything from fresh fruit, like

INSTRUCTIONS:

strawberries and bananas to cookies, marshmallows, pretzels,

1. Begin by measuring chocolate, chopping it into smaller

bacon, rice treats, potato chips and angel food cake. Fruit

pieces of bark, and place into serving container of choice.

2. Heat the half & half until boiling, either on the stove or in

can be cut and prepared up to a day beforehand and stored in an airtight container.

the microwave. If using the microwave, keep an eye on the liquid so it does not boil over.

FEBRUARY 2020 23

Photos by Marlon Regaton

On Jan. 11, Joeten held its 70th Anniversary Nissan grand prize raffle drawing at Joeten Susupe Parking Grounds.

Photo by Marlon Regaton

Hyatt presented checks to five community organizations on Dec. 30. The checks went to the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation Volunteers Association, Micronesia Islands Nature Alliance, Northern Marianas Sports Association, Autism Society of the CNMI and the Salvation Army.

26 FEBRUARY 2020

ON THE ROAD

Photos by Marlon Regaton

The Saipan Rotary Club held its membership meeting Jan. 14 at the Hyatt Regency Saipan. During the meeting, two new Rotarians were presented. Bishop Ryan Jimenez and Agnes McPheters received donations for San Jose Church and Northern Marianas Technical Institute, respectively.

Photos by Marlon Regaton

On Jan. 2, MARPAC donated a one-month supply for the first baby born of 2020, Alei’a Pangelinan. The supplies included baby wipes, sanitary napkins, air freshener, newborn baby formula, diapers, tissues and other items.

Photos by Marlon Regaton

McDonald’s held its employee appreciation party on Dec. 23 in Hibiscus Hall of the Fiesta Resort & Spa.

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

FEBRUARY 2020 27

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