Beach Road Magazine - September

Healthy and happy Health fair for parents and babies

Budding business leaders Young professionals

VaprSpot

An alternative lifestyle

September 2015

ABOUT THE COVER Shown in photo are young professionals (from left) Janice E. Castro, Jomari Lazatin Pico, and Michelle C. Villacrusis. Shot on location at Mango Six Cafe in Dandan, Saipan.

Photo by Corwin Shadow wayangphotography@gmail.com

4 Cover feature The young professionals of Saipan

9 Events Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies (and daddies!) returns

10 Community Saipan residents come together in typhoon aftermath

14 Business VaprSpot sets up shop

15 Health One-pot recipes

16 On the Road Faces and events

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, September 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

Saipan’s young professionals are finding success and sharing it with the community. For some, their work is a journey of personal development and for others a stepping stone to greater things.

Eco-conscious

Photo by Corey Shadow

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SEPTEMBER 2015

Janice Anne E. Castro is forging a new path for herself, while still holding fast to her ideals. As executive assistant with Alter City Group Inc., it is her first time working in the real estate and property development industry. Prior to her new career, Castro worked as a grant writer for the Office of Grants Management in the Office of the Governor.

“So far, it has been an exhilarating ride, filled with surprises and hard work,” she says. One of things she enjoys about her job is meeting new people and learning new things.

Castro is a 2005 graduate of Saipan Southern High School. She graduated from Northern Marianas College later the same year with an associate’s degree. She graduated from Seattle University in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in environmen-

tal studies with a minor in philosophy.

It has always been her goal to help protect the environment and safeguard the island’s natural resources, preserving both for future generations. She says it is important to her to work with companies that are in line with these personal goals.

“The project that my company [Alter City Group] is working on draws its design influence straight from its surrounding environment and plans to protect the beautiful landscape, not only for aesthetics, but to allow nature to continue taking care of itself,” Castro says.

When not in the office, Castro enjoys the simple joys of spending time with friends and family. She is a mother and loves spending time with her son, Bentley, eating ice cream at the beach.

The voice

Photo by BRM

He came to Saipan in 2003 to help support his family. After working in the hospitality and food and beverage industries for a while, friends encouraged him to apply at KWAW. He hasn’t left since.

“What inspires me about my industry is my endless service to the people. My favorite things about my job are public service and whenever I make someone smile and laugh,” Caberos says.

Keeping his audience up to date on and off the air is important to Caberos. “My job gives me the opportunity to reach out to everyone who is listening, and my social media account is accessible to anyone who needs information about what’s going on the island,” he says.

Frequent flyer

Slovenia, as well as Guam and the United States.

However, Concepcion still has a few more places on his tosee list, which includes Greece, Egypt, Turkey, Brazil, Mexico, Cuba, Peru, Vietnam, Malaysia, Russia, United Kingdom, Australia, Indonesia, China, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Portugal, Palestine and the United Arab Emirates.

Despite his jet-setting lifestyle, Concepcion wants to help his hometown of Saipan. He serves on the Saipan Chamber of Commerce board of directors, the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. board of and the Marianas Tourism Education Council.

He is part of the 2014 inaugural class of the Pacific Century Fellows – Marianas Chapter program; a Saipan Young Professionals Committee member; a member of the Marianas Young Professionals group; and a member of the Marianas March Against Cancer Organizing Committee.

“It’s highly important to me that I am actively involved in different orga-

Photo courtesy of Chris Concepcion

Christopher A. Concepcion balances his career, travel and civic duty.

He is sales account executive for Delta Air Lines and has been with the company for eight years. Concepcion started with the company after a stint teaching at his alma mater, Kagman High School.

In his senior year at the University of Idaho, he participated in a study abroad program and studied in Prague, Czech Republic, for a semester.

“That was it. It lit a fire in me. On most weekends my roommates and I would hop on a train or get on a flight, and we visited many cities in Europe. I discovered my passion in life was to travel and experience different cultures and cuisines,” he says.

While he originally studied political science and later envisioned joining the Foreign Service and working at a U.S. Embassy in Europe, Asia or Latin America, he says he wouldn’t trade his time with Delta for anything in the world.

He has traveled to Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, Palau, Canada, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy, Vatican City, Germany, Poland, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and

Despite an interruption in aspirations to be on the air, Rovel Tolentino Caberos, known in the business as DJ RV, has had a long career as the program director of KWAW FM. Caberos has held the position for nearly a decade.

Caberos began his career in radio in college with the Woman Touch Radio of Gabriela under the Philippine Information Agency. The program was nominated for the KBP Golden Dove Awards. He took an internship with GMA Network and DZBB after the program ended and learned how to write and gather news and conduct interviews. He graduated from the College of Communications at Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Manila with a bachelor’s in journalism.

nizations because a lot of these organizations are key players in our community, and they play a crucial role in helping the CNMI prosper and progress. In order for us to make our lives better, we need to actively participate in these types of organizations,” Concepcion says.

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COVER FEATURE

Always better “I appreciate the opportunity to interact with so many people from different places and being able to provide an experience that they will always remember wherever they go,” he says.

He is also a member of the Saipan Chamber of Commerce and the Saipan Young Professionals. “It gives me an opportunity to be able to give back to the community in which I am very passionate about,” Pico says.

Other than his dedication to his job and community, Pico hopes to see the world one step at a time.

So far, he has traveled to the United States, the Philippines, Japan, France and Switzerland.

“Experiencing different cultures has opened my eyes to many possibilities we have available today,” he says.

Happy helper

Photo by Corey Shadow

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SEPTEMBER 2015

Michelle C. Villacrusis, owner of MPire Photobooth and administrative assistant at Marianas Pacific Distributors Inc., is in the business of sharing in people’s happiness.

“In both professions, I get many chances to witness this from events, may it be birthday celebrations, weddings or corporate events, such as the Brewmaster, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Fair and many others,” Villacrusis says.

Villacrusis opened her photo booth business in May. While in the Philippines attending Assumption College for her bachelor’s degree, she saw how people loved taking photos and came across a photo booth at a friend’s wedding. “Then I thought, ‘This would be perfect for Saipan ­­— capturing significant memories and getting them at the

Photo by Corey Shadow

Through constant self-improvement, Jomari Zion Lazatin Pico has made the most of his career and enjoys his occupation.

“My aspiration is to always be better than who I was yesterday; it is still the same and always will be,” Pico says.

Pico is product sales manager (beauty) at T Galleria. A graduate of the University of Guam, he started with the company in 2006 and has worked for a variety of departments, including the food and gifts, fashion watches and luxury watches departments. He was a part of the Sales Associate to Team Leader Program and was a team leader for the luxury watches department before attaining his current position.

His job is challenging, but resolving these challenges gives him a sense of accomplishment and is rewarding, Pico says.

palm of your hands,” she says.

For Villacrusis, her childhood aspirations of owning a business and traveling have somewhat come true.

“To some extent they are different now, and I am blessed and happy to be able to establish MPire Photobooth, travel, have a career that I enjoy and have a chance to work with wonderful individuals,” she says.

However, she is still holding on to her dream to be a flight attendant.

She loves to travel and has hopes to continue to do so.

She is a member of Saipan Young Professionals and Marianas Young Professionals. “I believe it is important to be part of organizations such as these because it allows a bond and unity with other young professionals to create positive changes in the community,” she says.

Tinian Ridge to REEF

ENVIRONMENT

COVER FEATURE 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.

AUGUST 2015

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SEPTEMBER 2015

Of realty and family

to be on my toes and to think ahead and foresee changes in the future,” she says.

Ayuyu also works to give back to the community. This year, she was elected as vice president for the Saipan Chamber of Commerce and chairwoman of the Saipan Young Professionals committee and is a board member for the Northern Marianas College Foundation and Mount Carmel School. She also serves as a board member for nonprofit organizations including Karidat Social Services and the Saipan Enrichment Foundation.

“It is important for me to be a part of civic and community organizations because it provides me with the opportunity to grow, to build relationships, to serve a greater purpose and to make a positive difference in my community,” she says.

In the realty industry, she has met families that have moved to Saipan for employment, to escape the busy citylife or to try something new. “It’s amazing to learn about their background and even more interesting to learn what

Photo courtesy of Mable Ayuyu

While she is very much involved in the family business, Mable E. Ayuyu has pursued her own interest in the real estate industry. Ayuyu is the office manager of RE/MAX Paradise Realty and executive assistant to the president for McDonald’s of Saipan.

Since she was 3 years old, McDonald’s was a big part of her life. The restaurant was opened by her father and is currently operated by both of her parents. She also worked in the restaurant during the summer breaks after she turned 16 years old.

“Real estate was a new field for me,” Ayuyu says. She learned more about the industry after graduating college. She learned from one of the top real estate agents at the RE/MAX Diamond Realty office on Guam and received training from the regional manager for RE/MAX Micronesia. After the RE/MAX Saipan office opened, she traveled to a RE/MAX convention.

“What inspires me about my industry is its ever-changing state. The real estate industry tells you a lot about changes in the economy and how it affects things like the housing/commercial rental market. The real estate industry reminds me

brings them to a tiny island in the Marianas,” she says.

Ayuyu is a graduate of Mount Carmel School and obtained a bachelor’s in business administration from Chaminade University of Honolulu.

SPECIAL COMMUNITY FEATURE

Fair returns to serve mothers, fathers and children free health screenings and free product sampling. In addition, raffle drawings will be on-going during the fair. Any purchase of Huggies and Enfamil products at participating stores will give participants a chance to win the grand prizes of a three-month supply of Huggies diapers and wipes or a threemonth supply of Enfamil. Four winners will be announced for each contest and participants must be present to win.

Villacrusis says the fair’s signature event will be returning. “We will also have our annual Huggies Baby Costume Beauty Pageant, where parents can showcase their baby in his or her custom-made diaper outfit and get a chance to win a stroller and other prizes. The most creative costume wins. Babies must still be in diapers to qualify. Slots are limited to 10 contestants.”

If any community organizations are interested to join and register, contact Michelle Villacrusis at 234-7113 or email mvillacrusis@marpacspn.com.

Contributed photo

Mothers, fathers and children are welcome to a day of free events to help keep their families healthy and happy.

Then Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Fair (and daddies too) will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 24 at the Multi-Purpose Center.

“The overall concept of the fair is promoting healthy living to our CNMI families and also giving back to the consumers that continue to support our products through the years,” says Michelle Villacrusis, administrative assistant and event coordinator from Marpac.

Government and private agencies and non-profit organizations will be actively promoting healthy living and awareness.

Participants include Commonwealth Cancer Association, the Department of Public Health-Immunization Program, Child Development Assistance Center, Motheread Fatheread literacy program, H.O.M.E. Visiting Program and the Marianas Eye Institute.

Activities include entertainment, games,

2014 Huggies Baby Pageant Winner

SEPTEMBER 2015

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COMMUNITY FEATURE

Looking up Saipan residents work together in recovery efforts

By Joy White

Saipan was hit hard by Typhoon Soudelor in August. But what wasn’t damaged in the storm was the people’s dedication to each other.

Following the aftermath of the storm, volunteers stepped up to bring Saipan back to its natural glory. A few of them are mentioned here.

The Road to Recovery mission by the Lady Diann Torres Foundation, established by Lady Diann Torres, wife of Lt. Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, has helped raised funds and has conducted outreaches to those impacted by the storm. The foundation was originally established to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities, to fund programs focused on promoting literacy and establish other initiatives that would directly benefit the general project.

The foundation has been supported by members of the community, including the Raise the Roof event organized by the Saipan Chamber of Commerce and a benefit concert performed by Shaggy on Sept. 15 in Guam organized by Steve Brownstein Entertainment.

DFS has set up an online fundraising website and committed to match all employee donations. DFS set aside an initial donation of $50,000 to NMI Chapter of the American Red 10

SEPTEMBER 2015

Cross to support immediate recovery efforts on the island.

Marpac Inc. and Ambros Inc. (Guam) donated $10,000 to the NMI Chapter of the American Red Cross.

McDonald’s of Saipan provided each employee with a monetary donation to help alleviate the recovery costs as a result of Typhoon Soudelor, including repair of their homes, food and water.

The Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands donated $20,000 in relief food to Karidat on Aug. 14 to aid needy families recovering from Typhoon Soudelor. The donation included 332 cases of soba, 205 cases of luncheon meat, 166 cases of canned fruit and 124 cases of canned vegetables.

Marianas Visitors Authority staff and volunteers from several organizations, including the Korea Tour Association of Saipan and the Northern Marianas Diving Operators Association, cleared debris in popular tourist sites to ensure the economy would continue to run as the island recovered.

Delta Air Lines established a micro site through the American Red Cross for Delta employees worldwide to make monetary donations for the relief effort. Delta also delivered relief products to Saipan on its flights. Internally, Delta pro-

COMMUNITY FEATURE

vided support to direct employees and contract employees who have been affected by the storm.

The Commonwealth Utilities Corporation worked tirelessly to restore electricity to the island, along with help from the Guam Power Authority. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and Homeland Security and Emergency Management offices were in action since day one, assessing the damage to the island, setting up water stations and assisting with recovery efforts overall. Countless non-profit and charity organizations sheltered, clothed, fed and provided other much-needed services to the victims of the typhoon, including the Tan Siu Lin Foundation, Karidat, the Joeten Foundation, the American Red Cross and others.

Private individuals and businesses extended helping hands to the community as well. The media and radio stations such as KKMP and KZMI, are also to be commended for keeping residents informed despite experiencing much of the same hardships of no electricity or running water.The Salvation Army was kept busy providing hot meals to victims of the typhoon from day one. Countless members of the business community assisted with donations, including Triple J Enterprises Inc. and Jones & Guerrero, which both donated food supplies for a daily mass feeding site run by Southern Baptist Disaster Relief and Kagman Community Church in conjunction with the Salvation Army.

The Saipan Young Professionals Committee of the Chamber of Commerce teamed with the NMI Salvation Army, by volunteering at the weekly soup kitchen.

SEPTEMBER 2015

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Clockwise: Combined staff from Saipan Mayor’s Office and Best Sunshine cleaning debris along San Jose, Beach Road.

Photo by BRM; U.S. Marines give away purified water at Garapan Fishing Base.

Photo by Itos Feliciano; People worked together to clean up the rubble in the community. Contributed photo; Uprooted tree around the island including this one in front of Kanoa Resort; Rubble and tin roofs on Beach Road, Oleai area; Broken glass in an establishment on Chalan Kanoa; A 500,000 gallon water tank in San Antonio area split in half; Broken power poles and pole mounted transformers in front of Lollipops in Garapan. All photos by BRM.

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SEPTEMBER 2015

“This volunteer effort allows us to provide direct assistance to families in need.

Our first experience was truly humbling that we decided to commit to volunteering each Saturday for the month of August,” says Mable Ayuyu, chairwoman of the Saipan Young Professionals committee.

On Aug. 8, just several days after the typhoon hit, 21 members of the committee served a total of 558 meals, and on Aug. 15, and approximately 1,731 meals were served at the soup kitchen with the assistance of 15 members from the Saipan Young Professionals committee.

On a personal level, many of Saipan’s residents loaned their time and energy to help those most affected by the storm.

Ayuyu, Christopher Concepcion, and Jomari Pico were among the members of the Saipan Young Professionals who volunteered at Salvation Army’s soup kitchen.

“I’m filled with pride and tremendous

hope to see how a lot of people are helping each other out and doing their small acts of kindness. I’m also grateful that I’m able to give my time in helping others.

Seeing how a lot of people went through tremendous loss not only made me appreciate what I have but also motivated me to do whatever good I can for the community,” Pico says.

“I’ve done volunteer work many times in the past both here and abroad so this is not new to me,” Concepcion says. “… cted, but we are a resilient people, and from all this chaos and destruction a better CNMI will rise again. I have no doubts.”

Concepcion also volunteered with the Empty Vessel Ministry Foundation, collecting and distributing clothing to victims living in typhoon shelters.

Countless other government, private and non-profit entities, through partnerships and individually, have stepped in to assist and continue to assist the island.

Photo by BRM

SEPTEMBER 2015

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BUSINESS

VaprSpot

By Shaina Marie Santos

offers nicotine-free lifestyle

Photo by BRM

Louis J. Rodgers, owner of Va p r S p o t , has set up shop in Saipan and intends to stay. A former assessor and trainer for combat readiness aboard U.S. Navy ships, Rodgers began business in 2013, when e-cigarettes and “vaping” began gaining popularity.

Rodgers, who began smoking at 17, started using e-cigarettes in 2008, when he was stationed in Yokosuka, Japan.

“On the ship, there are certain times you can’t smoke because of whatever might be happening at the time, like taking on fuel [and] landing helicopters,” he explains. “I was at a 7-Eleven and I saw this little electronic cigarette thing. I just got one to kind of have on the side, just to have an alternative to a regular cigarette.

You could use this thing in your office because it wasn’t hazardous and it had a little bit of vapor to it. It was convenient.”

In the beginning, Rodgers says he used the e-cigarette in tandem with regular cigarettes. The e-cigarettes at the time were extremely different, Rodgers explains.

“It looked like a cigarette,” he says.

“They didn’t last long. The cartridge spit liquid in your mouth.”

It wasn’t until a trip to the U.S. in 2012 that he was finally converted by Volcano, a company boasting high-quality vaporizers. He quit smoking the day he tried it.

“Over time, devices became much more complex and more improved,” he says. “I tried it and I was just instantly hooked. It was the bait, I was the shark and I was caught.”

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SEPTEMBER 2015

When he returned to Japan, access to vaporizing equipment and liquids was limited. Rodgers got in touch with a distributor and began selling products out of his desk, earning customers through word of mouth.

Today, Rodgers sells vaporizers and liquids worldwide through his website, vapejp.com. Rodgers retired from the Navy and moved to Saipan in April, where he has plans to set up an official location. The 500-square-foot location in Dandan, he describes, will function as a warehouse, where he can meet customers to complete transactions on island.

“I’m really excited to be able to have that here,” he says. “There is some attention. I have a few local customers and that continues just about every week.”

With delays due to Typhoon Soudelor, Rodgers hopes to begin doing business from his warehouse between September and October. At the location he will sell some of his products as well as offer mentoring services for those looking to switch from cigarettes to vaporizers and even for those looking to quit entirely. Rodgers himself has quit smoking.

“I tried patches, just going cold turkey,” he says. “Patches just didn’t work. For many people those methods are not successful. What I want is a satisfied customer. I have a responsibility to set them up with what’s going to work.”

Rodgers says he takes his passion for the prod-

uct seriously. He ensures his customers are aware of safety aspects of using vaporizers and get the results they want.

“I do my best to put them on the right track,” he says. “There are all kinds of reasons why people use. There’s definitely a hobbyist side. I have actually had people buy from me because they didn’t want to eat candy all day. I’ve had many customers successfully quit [both cigarettes and vaporizers.]”

HEALTH

One-pot

wonders

By Joy White

As the island gets back into the swing of things, such as going back to school, easy meals can help simplify things. These three dishes require the use of only one pot, lessening the amount of dishes and the amount of stress.

Vegetarian chili

This recipe combines canned goods with some fresh vegetables — a diverse range of ingredients to fit what might be in your kitchen.

Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • • •

1 tablespoon olive oil 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup) 1 small green bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup) 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 cup water 2 teaspoons finely chopped chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 2 15-ounce cans unsalted black beans, drained 1 15-ounce can unsalted pinto beans, drained 1 14.5-ounce can unsalted petite diced tomatoes, undrained

Preparation

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat.

2. Add garlic, onion and bell pepper; sauté four minutes.

3. Stir in one cup water and remaining ingredients.

4. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer five minutes.

5. Remove one cup bean mixture from pan with a slotted spoon; place in a bowl.

Mash beans with a fork.

6. Stir mashed beans into chili. Simmer five minutes.

If vegetarian food is not your thing, add ground turkey or ground beef for a meaty version, cooked with the veggies. Other ways to change it up are to use any other type of bean, such as kidney beans, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), or red beans; or swap in one can of hominy or one cup frozen corn in place of one can of beans.

Rotini and cheese

This dish is a distant cousin of macaroni and cheese and will please anyone with an appreciation of twisted noodles.

Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Preparation

2 bacon slices 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1 cup 1% low-fat milk 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 5 cups hot cooked rotini (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta) 3/4 cup frozen green peas, thawed

1. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp.

Remove bacon from pan; crumble.

2. Increase heat to medium-high. Add butter and oil to drippings in pan; swirl to coat.

4. Add onion; sauté for five minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Add garlic; sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

6. Add flour, and sauté one minute, stirring frequently. Stir in mustard.

7. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk, and bring to a boil. Cook for three minutes or until slightly thickened.

8. Remove from heat. Let stand for five minutes.

9. Add cheese, salt and pepper, stirring with a whisk until smooth.

10. Place pan over low heat. Stir in bacon, pasta and peas; cook for one minute or until thoroughly heated, tossing to coat.

Beef ramen stir fry Ramen in a stir fry is unconventional, but this dish is a must if you feel like experimenting.

Ingredients • • • • •

½ pound beef, cut into strips ½ cup red bell pepper, cut into strips ½ cup green bell pepper, cut into strip 2 packages of ramen noodles (1 beef, 1 oriental flavor) ½ cup snow peas

• • • • •

½ cup broccoli 1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce 1 tablespoon vegetable oil ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon ginger powder

Preparation

1. Fill a large saucepan 2/3 full of water.

2. Bring to a boil.

4. When water boils, add ramen noodles and cook three minutes.

5. Drain.

6. Meanwhile, in a wok or large frying pan, heat oil on high heat.

7. Add beef, vegetables, teriyaki sauce, garlic, ginger and seasoning packets from ramen noodles.

8. Stir fry until beef is cooked through.

9. Add noodles and toss to combine.

SEPTEMBER 2015

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ON THE ROAD

Photo by BRM

Kiki Chen of Skywalker Communications Group poses with this year’s Liberation youth volunteers.

Contributed photo

Members of Rhythm & Harmony receive their prize from the Liberation Committee headed by Mayor David M. Apatang, Louis Rodgers and Hu Bo. R&H aced the Acappella singing competition.

Contributed photo

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SEPTEMBER 2015

Ambros and MarPac donate to the American Red Cross for typhoon relief operations. Third from left is Red Cross executive director John Hirsh and to his left is Guy Pudney, resident manager of MarPac.

The Launching of Lady Diann Torres Foundation on Aug. 28, at Chambre Bar, Fiesta Resort & Spa. Photos by BRM

Lt. Governor Ralph DLG Torres and Lady Diann Torres with Alter City Group executives, Ken Lin and Edvon Sze.

Lt. Governor Ralph DLG Torres singing happy birthday to his wife, Lady Diann.

(From left) Sophia Alvarez of Best Sunshine; Hu Bo and Kiki Chen of Skywalker Communications Marketing Group.

SEPTEMBER 2015

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ON THE ROAD

Erica Faye Tubera won first prize in the 11-20 year old singing competition during the 2015 Talent Show at the Garapan Fishing Base from July to August.

Photo by BRM

Contributed photo

Welcome to Saipan, Rene Gaviola Jr. Enjoy your stay!

Love from Mom, Dad and Sean.

Kudos to John Lewis, the coolest lifeguard at Saipan World Resort. Keep up the good job!

Shaggy, a Jamaican-American reggae fusion singer and deejay, performed a benefit concert on Sept. 5 in Guam with 100% of proceeds going to the Lady Diann Torres Foundation to assist in Saipan typhoon recovery efforts. An exclusive meet-and-greet with the artist was held on Sept. 4 at the Sea Grill Restaurant.

Photos by BRM 18

SEPTEMBER 2015

ON THE ROAD

The Brewmaster Benefit Dinner, sponsored by MarPac Giovanni’s and Hyatt Regency Saipan was held on Sept. 15 as a fundraiser for Typhoon Soudelor recovery efforts.

Hyatt’s Giovanni Chef and assistants prepare food at the Brewmaster Benefit Dinner.

Hyatt staff gather with Brewmaster George Reisch.

Shown in photo are (second from left) James Lee, beverage manager, and (third from left) Michelle Villacrusis, adminstrative assistant, along with other Marpac employees.

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SEPTEMBER 2015

Jim Arenovski wins a limited edition Budweiser Guitar at the Brewmaster Benefit Dinner’s silent auction.

(From left) James Lee, MarPac beverage manager; Casey Truong, Ambros marketing manager; John Hirsh, executive director American Red Cross-NMI Chapter; Brewmaster George Reisch; Guy Pudney, MarPac resident manager; Jay Santos, Triple J general manager; Melvin Tenorio, Shimbros resident Manager; and Neil Metran from the Hyatt.