LibDay festivities relocate to Fishing Base

The 2004 Liberation Day festival will not be held at the American Memorial Park this year, as it has for the past 10. Instead, it has been moved to the Fishing Base across from Kristo Rai church.

According to Vic Cepeda of the Saipan Mayor’s Office, the decision to move the festival was made by Mayor Juan B. Tudela during a conference not too long ago. Cepeda said the mayor’s decision was prompted after being informed that several vendors had complained about the restrictions placed on them by the U.S. Park Service.

“Every year, people request to move it; the people, the vendors want to move it because of the restrictions,” said Cepeda.

Though he did not elaborate as to what the restrictions might be, Cepeda did mention that the insurance coverage for the amusement rides was much higher on federal land as opposed to the rates available on that of the Municipal Public Lands Authority.

“Last year they couldn’t afford the rides because the coverage was too high,” he said.

Chuck Sayon, site manager of the American Memorial Park, said the rides offered last year were “greatly reduced” due to the inability of the organizers to comply with the insurance requirements needed to obtain a permit for them.

Sayon added that the organizers are welcome to hold the event at the park, as they have every year since he started working at the park (1996).

Construction is now underway on the concessionaire booths and improvement to the grounds for the amusement rides. In all, 32 booths are being constructed, and so far people are lining up to secure them in anticipation of a busy opening night.

Of the 32 booths, 20 are being set aside for vendors who will provide food and drink services, while the remaining 12 will be “for people to sell balloons and other sorts of things,” according to Cepeda.

Apparently, there has been no problem raising interest in the reservation of the food and beverage booths, with a waiting list over and above the preset limit of 20. On the other hand, Cepeda said that they have not received as many requests for the booths set aside for “the others”

There is also a possibility that gaming could be making a comeback to the festival after a two-year absence. An old building on the property that has fallen victim to vandals over the years will be spruced up for the occasion.

“We are going to be cleaning the place and possibly using it. We will repaint it to [remove] the graffiti,” said Cepeda. “Maybe it will be used for games and activities. So far, one person is interested, but there have been no official requests.”

In 2002, all gaming described as a “money for money exchange” was prohibited in the park, with only Bingo allowed as part of the Liberation Day festivities at the federal park.

Bingo was the lone form of gambling allowed on park grounds, said Sayon, because it was the only regulated gaming activity on the island that was operated as a franchise and held accountable to the CNMI.

Though many of the details are yet to be finalized, the festivities are scheduled to take place on Friday, June 4, and continue until Monday, July 5.