Guampedia Newsletter, May 2020 | Page 7
May 26: • National Paper Airplane Day – This is a fun, creative, low-tech way to spend and afternoon with the kids (and reconnect with your own inner child, too)! :) Teach them how to build a basic paper plane, then let them come up with, build and test their own designs. Have a paper-plane contest! You can find dozens of tested designs here, or watch this video tutorial: “5 EASY Paper Airplanes that FLY FAR.” May 27: • National Sunscreen Day – We all need to protect our skin. But our reefs need protection, too! For a list of reef-safe sunscreens (that don’t contain the coral-harming chemicals petrolatum, titanium dioxide, oxybenzone or octinoxate), click here. May 29: • Learn About Composting Day – If you’ve been doing more work in the garden lately, now would be great time to learn how to compost your yard waste instead of burning it. Composting creates valuable soil for you. It also doesn’t pollute the air, and your and your neighbors’ lungs, with smoke. And it’s easier to do than lighting and tending to a fire. To learn how, go to Farm to Table Guam's tutorial, and also check out this fact sheet from the Guam Solid Waste Authority. And if you’re interested in taking a deeper dive into how our island aims to better manage its used materials, you can learn all about Guam’s Zero Waste Plan here and here.
May is also Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. – Learn about the people, history and culture of our Pacific Island neighbors at Guampedia’s Micronesia Portal.
Guampedia’s online gift shop is getting a revamp And you can help us make it better! When Guampedia became a nonprofit organization in 2009, with our visitor stats growing steadily up to 10,000 visits per month, we decided to include an online book store on the website. Using this as way to generate funds for programming, we also thought it would be a great way to make the growing collection of self-published books about Guam available beyond our shores. In 2014, we expanded as a gift shop to feature more local learning resources and art pieces. Since our Famalaoan Guahan T-shirt fundraising campaign in late 2018, we
To take our online survey, please click here also included CHamoru music CDs. We received an overwhelming response from the local community and abroad. We are now working to revamp our gift shop and expand our offerings of books, learning resources and products that reflect the rich cultural heritage of Micronesia. In addition to generating much needed programming funds, this will also be a great opportunity to showcase and support cultural producers throughout the region. We would greatly appreciate your helping us by taking our survey. Si Yu’os ma’åse!
This month in history On May 14, 1900, Naval Governor Richard P. Leary issued General Order No. 19 directing the gobernadorcillos (petty governors) to immediately remove all crucifixes and saint pictures from the public school rooms in their respective towns or districts and to direct the school teachers to discontinue instruction in the church catechism. Nine months earlier, Leary had outlawed public religious processions. General Order No. 4 stated: “Public celebrations of feast days of the patron saints of villages, etc.,
will not be permitted. The church and its members may celebrate their religious feast days within the walls of the church, chapel or private residence, in accordance with regulations for the maintenance of the public peace, and unless otherwise ordered, the only public holidays recognized will be Sundays and the holidays authorized by the United States statute laws, and by the proclamations of his excellency, the President of the United States.” This order was rescinded on Dec. 4, 1903 by Naval Governor W.E. Sewell.
