Oil found inside monument during cleanup

Japanese volunteers discovered an unexpected content inside decades-old monument at the Suicide Cliff Japanese Peace Memorial during their voluntary cleanup Friday afternoon.

Pacific Eagle Enterprise, Inc.’s husband-and-wife tandem of Willie and Aya Matsumoto led the cleanup and found out that one of the monuments contained oil inside it. Aya Matsumoto said they were cleaning up the monuments and when they peered into a hole in one of the monument to scoop out rainwater inside it, they noticed a different viscosity of the liquid inside it. Then they realized that it was oil.

Matsumoto said they immediately called the attention of the Division of Environmental Quality, which sent representatives immediately after the call. She said the volunteers couldn’t touch the oil as standard procedures. DEQ, she added, would be analyzing the content inside the monument.

Matsumoto expressed their disappointment for the vandalism being committed to historic sites in the CNMI.

Over 25 people showed up during the cleanup up at the tourist attraction in Marpi and at least 13 Japanese presently residing in the CNMI volunteered for the cleanup. Matsumoto earlier said the cleanup was a voluntary endeavor from Japanese residents to help preserve the beauty of the monument and the park in Marpi.
[B] Burglary[/B]

However, despite the number of volunteers, one of the volunteers was not spared from being attacked by burglars. Matsumoto said he was disappointed and shocked that although there were people during that time still thieves struck one of them.

The unidentified volunteer lost her purse and a digital camera from her car. Matsumoto said the police responded immediately and found a trail where suspected thieves could have exited.

Matsumoto said in spite of the incidents she and her husband were very thankful for the support they received from fellow Japanese residents in the CNMI. She also commended the support shown by Marianas Visitors Authority, Historic Preservation Office, Parks and Recreation agency and the Beautify CNMI!

She said she had a fruitful discussion with Beautify CNMI! Restoration Committee chair Angelo Villagomez on how the Japanese group in the CNMI could help in maintaining the beauty of the island.

The group chose to start at Suicide Cliff so that tourists would continue to be impressed by the historic site and its spectacular view of the Philippine Sea.

Both Aya and Willie have been living in the CNMI for the past 20 years. She said they have fallen in love with the island and they want to retain its beauty for its people and visitors.

She said due to the decline of tourist visits to the Commonwealth, “the community should maintain the cleanliness of the island so that they will come back again.”