AUGUST 2014

calendar of events • travel • tech • recreation • health & fitness • restaurants • culture & arts • special features • nightlife • coupons & much more

Guam International Raceway to expand

The storytellers: the keepers of culture, history and language

Much to see in Macau

Racing ahead

Essence of Guam

Monuments, entertainment, and more

TRAVEL SPOTLIGHT Macau ARTIST SPOTLIGHTAustin Domingo

CALENDARAugust events

ESSENCE OF GUAMThe storytellers of Guam’shistory and language

SPECIAL FEATURENational Office Supply

FOREMOST® RECIPE CLUBClassic French Toast

SPECIAL FEATURETemple Christian School

OUT & ABOUTReaders and events photos

ISLAND FOCUSShowing some school spirit

SPORTSGuam racing prepares to evolve again

On the Cover: (from left) Jeremy Cepeda, Fermina Sablan, and Leonard Iraiarte are active in the revitalization of Chamorro culture. Photo by Vikki Fong.

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R&R Pacific is a lifestyle magazine that features the people, culture, and activities that collectively make up Guam. We provide our readers a window into the different facets of Guam’s diverse community through vibrant photography and engaging articles.

The authentic gondola ride in the Venetian Macau is one of the many indoor delights found in the city’s entertainment center, the Cotai Strip. Gondoliers serenade passengers with Italian songs as they cruise along an indoor canal. Photo by Joy White.

Pick up your free copy at the following locations:• Andersen Airforce Base (Main Exchange and Commissary)• NEX (Main Exchange) • NEX (Commissary) • Talofofo Falls Resort Park� • Regal Cinema (GPO)• King’s Restaurants• National Office Supply• Century Plaza• Airport Car Rentals• Chamber of Commerce• USO (Royal Orchid)• Guam Visitors Bureau

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PUBLISHER

Maureen N. Maratita

MANAGING EDITOR

Jackie Hanson

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Joy White

REPORTER

Thomas Johnson

CONTRIBUTORS

Justin Guzman

PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR

Rosanna Dacanay

SENIOR DESIGNER

Vikki Fong

SALES MANAGER

Annie San Nicolas

ACCOUNT MANAGER

Clarissa Del Valle

ADMINISTRATION

Janice Castro, Jessica Leon Guerrero

Carmelita McClellan & Bernard (Mr. B) Leonen

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Marcos Fong

R&R Pacific/August

R&R Pacific • August 2014 • Entire contents copyrighted 2014 by Glimpses of Guam, Inc. R&R Pacific is published monthly by Glimpses of Guam, Inc., 161 US Army Juan C. Fejeran St., Barrigada Heights, GU 96913.Telephone: (671) 649-0883, Fax: (671) 649-8883, Email: assist_editor@glimpsesofguam.com • All rights reserved. No material may be printed in part or in whole without written permission from the publisher.

Glimpses Publications include:Marianas Business Journal • Guam Business Magazine • R&R Pacific • Beach Road Magazine

2014

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STORY AND PHOTOS BY Joy White

Built by Portuguese Jesuits, the ruins of St. Paul in Macau is a monument to the crossing of eastern and western histories and cultures. In 2005, they were officially enlisted as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Centre of Macau.

Feature///Travel Spotlight

Macau, a place of international delights

Macau is an Asian city, flavored with western influences. In this city, you will be exposed to a variety of experiences, from a submersion in world history to maybe the exhilaration of winning big bucks at a ca-sino. Just a day in Macau, and you will end up wondering why more cities are not as di-verse. Street signs are written in English, Por-tuguese, and traditional Chinese characters. The people, more often than not, speak more than one language. Foodies will also love this city because they will have access to fare from different cultures, including Chinese, Maca-nese, and Portuguese cuisine, to name a few.

Named after Ma, the goddess of seafar-ing, Macau was originally settled by fisher-man and farmers. The region has always been a center of seaborne business and trade. In the early 1550s Portugal established a city, at-

tracting missionaries from various Christian sects. Later, Macau also became a popular recreational retreat for European merchants doing business in China, staying in rented houses, such as the Casa Garden. Today, Ma-cau is a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.

As a result of its Asian roots and Euro-pean influences, the city has intriguing archi-tecture. The best way to admire the city’s ar-chitectural legacies is by a tour of the historic center of Macau. To prepare for a tour of the city, it is recommended to visit Museum of Macau. The museum is housed in the Mount Fortress, built by Portuguese Jesuits as their headquarters. The museum’s exhibits illus-trate the history of the city over the past four centuries. After the museum, visit the ruins of St. Paul’s, the stone façade of the Church of

Mater Dei, which is the only part that wasn’t destroyed in a fire in 1835. Famous as the icon of Macau, the ruins of St. Paul’s, func-tion symbollicaly as an altar to the city. The ruins overlook St. Paul’s College and Mount Fortress, Jesuit constructions that can be per-ceived as Macau’s “acropolis.”

From the ruins of St. Paul’s there are a va-riety of historic sites, museums, and squares within walking distance. There is St. Domi-nic’s Church, built by three Spanish Domini-can priests from Acapulco in 1587. St. Domi-nic’s is now the site of a small Museum of Sacred Art exhibiting a collection of close to 300 artifacts. Another site to see is St. Augus-tine’s Square, which connects St.Augustine’s Church, Dom Pedro V Theatre, St. Joseph’s Seminary, and Sir Robert Ho Tung Library. Eventually you’ll end up at Senado Square,

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which has been Macau’s urban center for centuries. A guidebook will come in handy to help you recognize these and other sites, such as the Moorish Barracks, the Cathedral, and the Holy House of Mercy, to name a few.

During your walk you will pass through various streets and pass by markets and shops, such as Souvenir Street where you can purchase interesting items. You will also pass many stands selling food, such as the popular and delicious egg tart. A prominent feature of Macau’s streetscape, you will notice, is its cobblestone streets. The streets are preserved as part of the city’s heritage. Some streets fea-ture multicolored cobblestones and pretty designs, as seen at Senado Square and St. Au-gustine’s Square.

Of course, you can’t visit Macau — or anywhere in China, really — without visiting one of the many ancient and revered temples. The oldest temple in Macau is the A-Ma Tem-ple, which is believed to have existed before the city came into being. The temple is a short

distance from the historic center and faces Macau’s inner harbor. This temple features three pavilions dedicated to the goddess of seafaring and contain statues of the goddess along with a model of a junk with cannons, brass vessels, and chapels to Buddhist and Taoist gods. The entrance of the temple is a large rock engraved with the image of a tradi-tional sailing junk. To this day, passing boats can be seen anchored in the harbor, facing the temple to pray for safe passage. Opposite the temple is the Maritime Museum dedicated to Maritime history of China and Portugal.

Other than its historical aspect, Macau has its modern attractions as well. Many choose to visit Cotai Strip on Taipa Island for these modern attractions and to stay in one of the many hotel complexes, each offer-ing its own unique attraction, such as an in-door gondola ride at The Venetian Macau or a chance to meet DreamWorks characters at the Holiday Inn Macau. Shopping and more shopping is another prominent attraction of

the Cotai Strip. Macau is also known for be-ing the largest gaming market in the world and the only location in China offering le-galized gaming. There are a number of casi-nos at which to try your luck, both on Taipa Island and the Macau Peninsula. Macau is also home to the Macau Grand Prix, which is bursting with activity during race weekends.

Last, but definitely not least, don’t forget to visit Macau Tower, the highest point of the city. From its observation deck at 223 meters high, beneath you and around you is the city-scape. Watch with bated breath as daredevils bungee jump from the top. There is literally a sign that warns of the people jumping from the height. Or if you’re up for it, you can bun-gee jump yourself. There is a lengthy list of things to see and do in Macau. Only a short flight away from Guam, it is an ideal getaway.

— R&R Pacific was hosted in Macau by United Airlines, Holiday Inn Macau, and the Macau Government Tourist office.

(Clockwise from left) Street signs written in English, Portuguese, and traditional Chinese characters can be seen throughout the city as an ode to the multi-cultural history; The Cotai Strip in Taipa, is home to many of the modern attractions of Macau, such as the hotel resorts, casinos and the Macau Grand Prix. Taipa is joined to Macau by a bridge; The artistic cobblestone streets of Macau can be admired at Senado Square, the city’s urban center.

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The piece, entitled “Ollie, Wiley, and Lou,” depicts three owls, staring sternly out at the world. Each owl bears its own unique symmetrical designs and colors. The designs represent the repeti-tion of basic forms and shapes and are based on Mandala symbols. “A lot of people are saying it’s my style, but I call it a phase,” says Domingo. The piece is of mixed media, including wood, acrylic and water colors and is displayed along with two other Mandala-style artworks, which are floral based.

This is the third consecutive year Domingo’s artwork is dis-played at the annual Guam Art Exhibit. The exhibit is a perfect way for Domingo to share his artwork with others. “Mainly, I do art for me, but it’s a different feeling when other people appreciate it too,” says Domingo, adding a certain kind of connection comes from admiring and finding joy in art.

His Mandala “phase” began after the Guam Art Exhibit VI last year. Domingo does the patterns free hand, starting with a basic shape then adding the patterns, drawing and erasing as he goes along. His inspiration mostly comes from nature, such as the patterns of leaves, feathers, or the grains of wood. He aims to draw his patterns as symmetrically as he can. He admits his works do have flaws and may not be as symmetric as they ap-pear. But he feels these flaws give each pattern a “birthmark.” “What I love about art is that we can accept it isn’t perfect, and can still appreciate its flaws,” says Domingo.

Domingo is a 2012 Fine Arts graduate of the University of Guam. He originally started his college career pursuing a de-gree in pharmacy and the other sciences, but eventually came to realize he should pursue something he had a passion for. With the blessing and support of his family, he switched majors and looks forward to developing his craft. “I knew I had this creative desire and I had to let it out,” says Domingo. Fine arts, whether it is painting, drawing or sketching fulfills his need to be crea-tive, he says.

Currently, Domingo purses his own personal art projects at his home. A recent trip to the Philippines with his family has giv-en him inspiration for other works of art. Modestly, Domingo says he does not consider himself at level where he can truly call him-self an “artist,” but hopes that one day he feel confident enough to say, “I am an artist from Guam.” For now, he focuses on what he calls the 3 “F’s,” Family, Fitness, and Fine Arts. Further down the road, he has big dreams. “My real goal is to become a muralist . . . to travel and share my art as massive as I can,” Domingo says. More of his work can be seen on his Instagram: @austimon and he can be contacted at austimon.art@gmail.com.

Feature///Artist Spotlight

The Phase of an arTisTStory and Photos By Joy White

Austin Domingo completed his first commissioned piece this year and is proud to have it on display at the Guam Art Exhibit VII – on loan, of course.

R&R is...aRt &

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“Mainly, i do art for Me, but it’s a different feeling when other people appreciate it too,”

~ AUSTIN DOMINGO

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AUGUSTevents

Aug. 2

Guam Helping Moms and Families island wide Family DayTime: 12 pm to 5 pmLocation: Ypao beach park

Aug. 2

Boonie Stomp: Libugon to Fonte Swim HoleLevel: mediumDuration: 3 hours Length: 2 milesTime: 9 am (meet at Chamorro Village)Price: $2 for adults over 12Bring: 2 quarts water, hiking boots, water shoes, gloves, swim suit, sun screen, sunglasses, insect repellent, lunch, and camera. Special conditions: Swordgrass, and steep slopes

Aug. 9 & 10

Otaku Recon 2014Location: Agana Shopping Center

Aug. 9

Boonie Stomp: Ylig to TagachangLevel: MediumDuration: 4 hoursLength: 2 milesBring: 2 quarts water, hiking boots, water shoes, swimsuit, gloves, insect repellent, sun screen, sun-glasses, lunch, and camera. Special conditions: Walking in water, a short stretch of rough rocks, and possible surf.

Aug. 9

Guam Cancer Care’s Pink Ball

Aug. 15 and 16

Comedian Jokoy live on GuamTime: 7 p.m.Location: Sheraton LagunaResort Guam

Aug. 16

Boonie Stomp: GuataliLevel: DifficultDuration: 5 hoursLength: 3.2 milesTime: 9 am (meet at Chamorro Village)Price: $2 for adults over 12Bring: 4 quarts water, hiking boots, water shoes, swimsuit, gloves, sun screen, sunglasses, insect repel-lent, lunch, and camera. Special conditions: Walking in water, climbing with a rope, and a long hike up and out.

Aug. 23

Boonie Stomp: HilaanLevel: MediumDuration: 3 hoursLength: 2.6 milesTime: 9 am (meet at Chamorro Village)Price: $2 for adults over 12Bring: 2 quarts water, hiking boots, swim suit, snorkel gear, gloves, sun screen, sunglasses, insect repel-lent, lunch, and camera. Special conditions: Hiking over some rough rocks and in the water.

Aug. 23

DanzJazz Annual Dance Concert 2014Location: University of Guam Fine Arts TheaterTime: first performance – 3 pm; second performance 7:30 pm

Aug. 25, 26, and 27

GATE Theater program auditions for the musical “Grease”Time: 4 pm to 6 pmLocation: Southern High SchoolOpen to all high school students

featured event

AUGUST 30

3rd Annual American Cancer Society Bark for Life of GuamThe Bark for Life is a noncompetitive walk event for dogs and their

owners to raise funds and awareness for the American Cancer

Society’s fight against cancer. This year the event includes a pet float

competition, pet costume contest, games, and vendors.

Dogs must be registerd to participate.

REGISTRATION: Dogs must be registered to participate. Download a registration form at www.relayforlife.org/bakguamgu.LOCATION: Plaza de Espana PRICE: $15 per dog, free for humans TIME: Opening Ceremony – 3:45 p.m.; Survivors Lap – 4 p.m.; Closing ceremony – 6 p.m.

R&R is...family

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AUGUST

SPONSORED BY:

MOVIES Sin City: A Dame to Kill ForIf I StayAre You HereWhen the Game Stands Tallpremiere at Regal Cinemas

MOVIES JessabelleThe November Manpremiere at Regal Cinemas

MOVIES The Expendables 3The GiverLet’s Be CopsRegal Cinemas

In 1980s, Coca-Cola saw a whopping eight slogans, including “Coke Is It” (1982), “Catch the Wave” (1987) and “We’ve Got a Taste for You” (1985).

In 1925, Coca-Cola launched its inaugural billboard, which featured Ritz Boy, a bellhop holding a tray with a single bottle of Coke.

• Guam Helping Moms and Families Island-wide Family Day• Boonie Stomp: Libugon to Fonte Swim Hole

• Guam Cancer Care’s Pink Ball• Boonie Stomp: Ylig to Tagachang• Otaku Recone 2014

• Boonie Stomp: Hilaan• DanzJazz Annual Dance Concert 2014

• Boonie Stomp: Mt. Finansanta and Geus River• Bark for Life of Guam

• GATE Theater program auditions for the musical “Grease”

• GATE Theater program auditions for the musical “Grease”

• GATE Theater program auditions for the musical “Grease”

• Bark for Life of Guam

• Boonie Stomp: Guatali• JoKoy Live on Guam

• JoKoy Live on Guam

• Boonie Stomp: Tarzan Swim Hole• Otaku Recone 2014

MOVIES Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesInto the StormStep Up: All Inpremieres at Regal Cinemas

MOVIES Guardians of the GalaxyWhat IfGet On Uppremiere at Regal Cinemas

*Event times and dates may change without notice“Coca-Cola” is a registered trademark of The Coca-Cola Company.

Coca-Cola World Headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia

The original World of Coca-Cola, housing more than 1,000 pieces of memorabilia from throughout the Coca-Cola Company’s history, opened on Aug. 3, 1990.

For showtimes:Call 649-1111 or visit

www.regmovies.com

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As the Chamorro people of Guam strive to preserve their culture and language, many are looking toward the past and toward language to achieve this goal. Many groups and individuals, historians, and others are using their passion and love for their culture to conduct research and to reach out to the community.

STORY BY Joy White PHOTOS BY Joy White and Vikki Fong

Michael Lujan Bevacqua, assistant professor of Chamorro Language, leads a scholarly tour of the Sindalu exhibit, for which he is the project scholar.

Cover Feature///Essence of Guam

The storytellers of Guam’shistory and language

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Leonard Iriarte and Jeremy Cepeda are members of the I Fanalalai’an Oral History Project. The organization collects and stud-ies historical literature and documents to find indigenous Chamorro words used before other cultures influenced the language to reintro-duce these words into the community. The organization consists of several components: a research working group, a performance group that performs traditionally styled Chamorro chant, and an instruction-al component. Iriarte, along with his wife, also operate a Chamorro language daycare called the Sagan Fina’naguen Fino’ Chamorro Day Care, which is another component of the project. The group acquires information, analyzes it, and puts it into a form that can be given back to the community. They use their research and findings to assist other organizations in similar projects. Iriarte and Cepeda assisted with the Fino’ Haya Project of Guam Community College and the translation of the Garrido manuscript at the University of Guam.

The organization also engages Chamorro-speaking elders to gain information, particularly those who have been and are continuously engaged in specialized activities, such as fishing, traditional medicine or farming. Participation in these specialized activities has the knowl-edge of certain words that families involved in another activity may not have. “In the way that other people collect cultural artifacts, we collect words and then we analyze them and we want to make them available to the community,” says Iriarte.

Eventually, the group plans to collect all these words and create an indigenous dictionary to be made available to the public. “The diction-ary is one of the ways we hope to collect and store all of that knowledge gained and give it to the public in hopes that that will help with the reintroduction of some of those old terms,” says Cepeda.

Much of their work is reflected in the chants they compose and per-form. “By creating lyrics that were only in indigenous language with no loan words, we wanted to assist our composers to find an indigenous rhythm and cadence. We looked at the cadence of language and how the word flowed and then that’s where the music came in. We wanted to use that to kind of stimulate the cultural performance art community to follow suit,” says Cepeda.

One of the organization’s countless discoveries was the indigenous word for “flower.” The group found the indigenous word, “chinalek” in the historical documents of a Capuchin missionary. The word is the same as the word for laughter, reflecting the ancient Chamorros’ view of the world – a flower in bloom was happy and therefore laugh-ing. “We find the old word and reintroduce it into the community to modern Chamorro speakers and they also learn another way to look at that word. It introduces the modern Chamorro speaker to nuances of meaning and ways of seeing with an indigenous manner,” says Iriarte.

Anthony J. Ramirez is the historian of the Department of Parks and Recreation. He describes himself as a folklore historian, collecting first-hand accounts. “It’s not so much reading a book and taking the sources out of a book and then translating it to the general audiences. But these are actually stories related to me by the elders, or contemporary if it’s a significant event, that’s the basis of my knowledge of Guam’s history, language, and culture.” Ramirez lectures and shares his knowledge with schools or organizations and also writes about his knowledge, howev-er most of his work is in relation to oral history, because much of the Chamorro culture is not a written history, but an oral tradition even until today, Ramirez says.

“You may read a lot of books on Guam history but it’s mostly cita-

(Left) Fermina Sablan, program specialist, at the Guam Community College, works with many community members and organizations to assist in the restoration and revitalization of the Chamorro language; (right) Anthony Ramirez, historian with the Department of Parks and Recreation, continues the practice of oral tradition on Guam.

tions from maybe other documents or cur-rent research, but mine is really totally based on the people – their knowledge, their recol-lection, and their interpretation of their own history,” says Ramirez. In collecting oral his-tories, it is important to evaluate the source, rather than just having people tell you what-ever story they may have. “The Chamorro community would identify certain people as the holder of that particular knowledge, whether it is history of World War II, early history, or it could be something traditional like Chamorro culture, Chamorro medicine, family histories and all that,” Ramirez says.

Ramirez attributes his passion for history to his parents, who he says had a wealth of knowledge in history, culture, language, and traditions. “They were very direct about that. They are the root, that planted the seeds of my passion for history,” Ramirez says. He says his family would always discuss the history of places, families, and people. Dis-cussions would also include the history and the politics of Guam, as well as the issues of Guam and the Chamorro people.

Michael Lujan Bevacqua is a historian and assistant professor of Chamorro culture studies at the University of Guam. He teaches

history, Chamorro language and culture. He recently served as the project scholar for the traveling exhibit, Sindalu-Chamorro Journeys in the U.S. military, sponsored by the Guam Humanities Council, which is on display at the Agana Shopping Center until the end of August. Bevacqua’s interest began with questions he had about the presence of military bases on Guam, and later his stud-ies in Guam histories sparked a curiosity into how World War II impacted Guam.

An ongoing project he is doing is to col-lect account of the last survivor of an event during World War II where several Chamor-ros rebelled against Japanese soldiers in Atate in Merizo. This project is important he says, because it can help to inspire and empower Chamorros by offering a different view of their role in World War II. “This is why I want to be a Guam historian - because I want to make sure that this story gets told. And that story which can really inspire and empower people,” he says. As the project scholar for the Sindalu exhibit, Bevacqua wanted people to leave real-izing the complexity stories and experiences of Chamorros. “The best stories are really com-plex. I want people to understand the Cham-orro experience is more complicated,” he says.

When he teaches, he uses stories to illus-trate the past for students. “History is like an infinite amount of stories. You take that in-finite amount of stories and you section off some of them and weave them together in or-der to make sense of what happened, what is happening and to give an idea what may hap-pen next,” says Bevacqua. Stories help pro-vide a connection to the past and the setting.

Mina Sablan, a Chamorro language advo-cate has worked on Chamorro language pro-jects and is currently writing a prayer book in the native language. There are many ways to support language restoration and writing is one of them. She says: “For a native lan-guage to be restored it has to be important to the people, it has to be spoken in many spaces beginning in the home, our communities, and our public spaces. As I enter a restaurant and hear Chamorro music being played, I consider that a space where the Chamorro language has been allocated. Allowing the sounds of the native Chamorro language in many spaces and hearing the speaking of the language supports viability, vitality, and sus-tainability for a living language. A language has to be heard in order to be alive,” she says.

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(From left) Leonard Iriarte and Jeremy Cepeda with I Finlalai’an Oral History Project are working to build a collection of indigenous words to reintroduce to the modern Chamorro speakers in one of its various projects.

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Special Feature///Advertorial

National Office Supply is the complete source for school and of-fice supplies, furniture, and equipment. Its mission is to supply the community’s offices and schools with their office and school supply needs. “We try to stock as much items on the island so we can to meet the customers’ office and school supplies needs, when they need it. We believe that our store’s success was built by the peo-ple of Guam over the years and we try to give back to the local community as much as we can. We believe that we would never have become what we are today without the help and support of the community in Guam. They are the one who build our store,” says Emilio Y. Uy, vice president of National Office Supply.

There are three locations ready to serve the island: Agana Shop-ping Center, Tamuning, and Harmon Manhattan Plaza. The Hagåtña location is the largest store and offers all of the basic school and office supplies, plus office furniture, home items, party favors, and much more. The store is a favorite for back-to-school shoppers, and also has many customers in the business and government sectors.

As the beginning of the school year draws near, National Office Supply offers 25% discount on school supplies. The more popular items during the back-to-school season are composition note-books, crayons, markers, correction fluid, binders, folders and back packs. Some of the new items the store features are Hello Kitty supplies and accessories including back packs. The store is also a source of teaching aids, such as educational posters, flashcards for studying, and grade books to name a few.

Anyone in need of folders will be sure to find them at National Office Supply, which has a selection of double pocket folders and three fastener pocket folders. However, these fly off the shelves quickly. National Office supply also carries electronics such as graphing and scientific calculators, ink cartridges, DVDs, USBs, SD cards, and lami-nators to name a few, and is well stocked on art supplies, to include paint, brushes, sketch books, paper. National is equipped with pens, pencils, accordion files, flags, pencil cases, hand sanitizer, antiseptic wipes, band aids, face tissue, sheet protectors, calendars, and planners.

National Office Supply has it all for everyone’s back-to-school needsSTORY & PHOTOS BY Joy White

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National Office Supply prepares for the school year before the old school year comes to a close, with shipments coming in as early as May, all to prepare for the back to school shoppers that visit the store as early as the first week of July. The peak of the back-to-school rush is August. By September, the rush slows down and the stores prepare for Halloween. Shoppers come in as the store’s doors open. At the end of the school day, students and parents come in droves.

The Hagåtña Location is the most complete of the locations and has a staff of six in the afternoon to help customers find exactly what they need. The Hagåtña location is open from 10 am to 8 pm; the Tamuning location is open from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm; and the Har-mon location is open from 9 am to 8 pm.

National Office Supply store first opened its doors in 1981 at East Agana then moved to Smith Co Bldg. in Tamuning in 1982.

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Special Feature///Advertorial

Temple Baptist Church & Christian School is nestled in Cha-lan Pago, in the heart of Guam, on five grassy acres. It is located on Kongga Road, just off of Dairy/Maimai Road. The area is quiet and peaceful — an ideal place for children to study and play. The church and school have been in existence since 1976.

The Christian School is a ministry of Temple Baptist Church. The mission of Temple Baptist Christian School is to develop young people to their fullest potential in all areas of life and in serving Jesus Christ. In addition to superb academics, TBCS promotes and teaches the highest tenets of Christian character while teaching Biblical principles, self-discipline, respect for those in authority, obedience to the law, and love for their island and nation.There are four classrooms/learn-ing centers and a lunch room on campus. There is a playground and basketball/volleyball court. TBCS offers year round open enrollment for kindergarten through 12th grade.

The school utilizes the Accelerated Christian Education curricu-lum. “There are many strengths of the A.C.E. curriculum,” says Joy Kelley, principal of the school. Students work in workbooks called PACEs, an acronym for Packets of Accelerated Christian Education. Each PACE is a similar to a unit in a textbook. The A.C.E. curricu-lum is based on mastery, not just barely passing a subject. Students must master the material in any PACE with a score of 80% or above before proceeding to the next PACE. In public schools, a student can pass with 60%. “The mastery policy is one of the curriculum’s main strengths,” Ms Kelley says. A total of 12 PACEs are required per

year, per subject. There are five core subjects, for a total of 60 PACEs per year. Another benefit of A.C.E. is that it is self-paced. However, students do have a minimum number of PACEs to complete in a school year. Accommodation is made for special needs students, and exceptional students are permitted to work above chronological grade level if they desire.

The A.C.E. curriculum incorporates character building by mod-eling and focusing on the character traits of Jesus Christ. Each PACE presents a different character trait. The learning centers are set up in a similar fashion to the old “one-room schoolhouse”, with all grade levels. In this environment, older students are encouraged to set an example for the younger ones. The A.C.E. curriculum also includes Scripture memorization. Each PACE has a memory verse the student is required to learn, along with a monthly scripture passage.

At TBCS, physical education is required at each grade level, and there are also electives students can take. The curriculum is ideal for students with special needs, such as those with autism and ADHD because it allows them to learn at their own pace.The setup of classrooms/learning centers minimizes distractions and helps keep students focused. Each student has a cubicle called an “office”, rather than a desk, where they do their PACE work.

This year, the school is implementing a new school schedule. Each quarter is followed by a two week break and the final quarter is followed by a six week break. Class time is from 8 am to 2:20pm. After school care and/or tutoring can be arranged with the individual supervisors.

Temple Baptist Christian School helps students succeed STORY BY Joy White

Photo by Joy White

Photos contributed by Pa’a Taotao Tano’

International chefs participating in the Guam BBQ Block Party were introduced at a press conference on July 3 at the Outrigger Guam Resort.

Pa’a Taotao Tano’ held its “11th Annual Dinanna Pa’a Taotao Tano’ Chamorro Dance Competition and Festival” on July 5 and 6 at the University of Guam Fieldhouse.

R&R is...DiVeRSity.

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Photos by Justin Guzman of Islandtech Photography

Photos by Justin Guzman of Islandtech Photography

The premier showing of the film “Talent Town,” directed by Don and Kel Muna, was held on the Guam Art Exhibit VII opening night on July 3 at the Plaza in Tumon.

The Guam BBQ Block Party was held on July 5 in Pleasure Island.

OUT&ABOUT

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Special Section///Real Estate

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Most school years will be starting in August, but teachers have been planning for weeks. Teachers have been busy preparing their lesson plans and their classrooms.

BY Joy White

Showing some school spirit

Feature///Island Focus

Fourth grade teacher Sarah Ovalles Lake at B. P. Carbuillido Elementary says her preparations for the school year include setting- up seating arrange-ments, putting up posters that are important for the year, and reviewing her class list and speaking to other teachers about her students’ needs. The first few days are typically for getting to know the students and reminding them of the classroom expectations, rules, and routines. Lake has been an elementary teacher for 14 years.

In addition to preparing to educate students, teachers are also preparing to help students be excited about school and taking pride in their learning insti-tution. School spirit and school pride is often promoted during Spirit Weeks where students are able to express themselves by participating in themed dress down days and activities. Many schools have a uniform policy and it’s refreshing for students.

Danielle Gangob, 12, is a student of Untalan Middle School and at her school, school pride is usually celebrated during spirit week. Gongob says her favorite part about spirit weeks is being able to dress down. “School spirit weeks are important for us to represent our school pride,” she says. Princess Denise Del Valle, 11, is transitioning from her elementary school to middle school at Agueda Johnston Middle School. “Towards the end of the month we have spirit week and sometimes they give us assignments [related to spirit week]” says Princess Denise Del Valle. Her favorite part is dressing up accord-ing to the theme.

Princess Diana Del Valle, 15, will be a sophomore this year at George Washington High School. At her school, she says, there are quarterly pep rallies held to promote schools spirit and to highlight the school’s clubs and sports teams, Princess Diana Del Valle says although she does not participate in all of the schools spirit activities, she is proud of her school’s band and the STEM program.

When it comes to school spirit, says Lake, “It’s very important because it determines how well they are going to succeed. I think if the kids are encour-aged and they’re nurtured in such a way where they’re learning they can become aware their learning is important and be able to see progress. It’s im-portant for childen to feel, like, ‘hey this is my school’ and have an ownership spirit because they can be going to school but they may not necessarily feel that they belong there or they’re a part of it.” Promoting school spirit helps students embrace their school, which may determine how much they will invest in their school.

School spirit is not just for the students. Teachers get in on the act too and dress according to the theme to encourage students. At her school in particu-lar, Lake says other activities are used to encourage students to participate in school, like various awards such as the Student of the Month and the Ko’ko Store where students can earn Ko’Ko Credits to redeem prizes.

(Above) Princess Diana Del Valle, Princess Denise Del Valle, and Danielle Gangob; (below) Sarah Ovalles Lake, fourth grade teacher at B.P. Carubuillido Elementary School

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Feature///Sports

Guam racing prepares to evolve againBy Thomas Johnson • Photos courtesy of Henry Simpson

Guam racing took its first steps in 1969, when a group of racers – including a young Henry Simpson — took to the brush lands of Apra Heights with their motorcycles, unaware that they were riding on private property. Fortunately for them, the land’s owners, Jose and Herminia Calvo, gladly gave the young riders leave to use the land for their races. The property became a haven for Guam racers for the next several decades.

Because of their generos-ity, what started off as a loosely organized series of dirt bike races has grown to become one of the fastest-growing rac-ing organizations in the Asia-Pacific region. And when the Guam International Raceway finally opened its gates in 2001, the Guam Racing Federation, headed by Simpson, dubbed the first phase of the park’s de-velopment the Jose and Her-minia Calvo Off-road Track, in loving tribute to the couple that kept Guam racing alive during its tentative early years.

Now, after 13 years of host-ing racers from around the world, the Guam International Raceway is preparing itself for the next echelon of racing, adding and upgrading compo-nents to position Guam as one of the premier racing locations in the Pacific. In addition to the newly-installed profession-al go-kart track — a crucial training tool for Guam’s young up-and-coming racers — the Guam Racing Federation will be installing a 1.2-mile race track so that the island’s auto racers can let their skills loose on a proper course. Of course, the 1.2-mile track is just an ap-petizer, and will be replaced by the main course in coming months: a 2.4-mile Formula Three track that Simpson feels will herald Guam’s potential involvement in the Asian pro-fessional racing circuit. Having

attended several F3 Grand Prix events himself, he’s already laid out plans to create observation decks and realign the park’s to-pography to turn the Yigo cliff line into a scenic backdrop for TV cameras as cars traverse the new track.

“The addition of the new F3 track would also likely mean visits from Asian pros in the winter months and off-sea-son, and a huge tourism draw as Guam gains popularity in the F3 circuit,” Simpson says. “Look at some of the triathlons and the Guam Ko’ko race, for example. They used to be small local races, but now people come from all over to partici-pate. That’s what we want to do with auto racing.”

The Guam Racing Fed-eration has been working with professional track designer Mi-chael McDonough to make the dream of Guam racing a reali-ty. The new track is expected to rate a Grade 2 license from the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, which will allow use of the track for anything up to, but not including, Formula One races and practices. Com-bined with the new go-kart track, the raceway just could be the perfect training ground and incubator for a new gen-eration of Guam pro racers.