Saipan Atlas now out

People in the CNMI have no reason now to get lost when on Saipan, with the release of a map of the island with street numbers and signs that will help them locate a specific address.

The island’s newest and most up-to-date road map publication, the 2006 Saipan Atlas, is now out in the market. The Saipan Mayor’s Office officially launched the first Saipan atlas yesterday afternoon at the Mayor’s Office.

Mayor Juan B. Tudela cited the atlas’ author, designer and publisher Will Maui, and the atlas itself as a “fine example of partnership between the Municipality of Saipan and the local private sector that will be a great help for local residents and visitors alike.”

The 82-page large format atlas is more comprehensive and detailed, according to Maui, who said that one could easily determine the location of a resident on Saipan. He said that if one is given a vague address, one could easily locate it through the atlas.

The atlas contains road maps that also indicate whether they are paved and non-paved. Maui said he coordinated with the Department of Public Works on this.

Tudela said the new publication is the most
comprehensive location resource ever produced on the island. “With its street index, anyone can easily find the location of every road, the location of offices, businesses, schools, churches, beaches, parks, monuments and historical site, docks, marinas, villages and more,” he said.

The mayor said that schools could greatly benefit from the new atlas, serving as a supplementary textbook at all grade levels. “Teachers can use it to teach students how to read and use maps as part of the school curriculum in history and geography,” Tudela said.

Maui first created an atlas for Saipan in 2000. The old publication, called Saipan Business Pages, catered to the business sector and consumers. Maui said he conceptualized the idea of making an atlas based on feedback he gathered from the community.
Maui, a native of Palau who has lived and taught in the CNMI for a long time now, said the only challenge he encountered during the works on this atlas were the nitty-gritty on street detailing and numbering.

Photos of Saipan sceneries and landmarks, taken by professional photographer Larry Lee, are also included in the atlas to provide color, said Maui, adding that it took him a year and a half to complete the project.

There are at least 6,000 copies of the atlas that were printed. At this time, only the American Memorial Park’s Visitor Center and Northern Marianas College Bookstore sell the atlas. The suggested retail price for each book is $17.