WeAreGuahan

DOD to hold Scoping Meetings

root — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 01:18:40 +0000

Proposed firing ranges at Fena

In response to the lawsuit filed by We Are Guahan, the Guam Preservation Trust and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, DoD will be preparing a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) about the potential site of 5 firing ranges. For the first time, DoD has announced its plans to potentially put the firing ranges at the Fena area, which is als known as “Naval Magazine.”

Scoping meetings will take place at the following:

March 17: University of Guam, 1:00pm – 5:00pm

March 19: Southern High School, 5:00pm – 9:00pm

March 20: Yigo Gymnasium, 5:00pm – 9:00pm

More information about DoD’s plans can be found here.

2011: Year in Review

root — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 00:29:31 +0000

This year was an eventful year for We Are Guahan. The organization helped organize over 11 hikes to historic sites on Guam, announced a high school scholarship program and enjoyed a historic legal victory against DOD in the lawsuit to save Pagat Village. We Are Guahan would like to extend a dangkulu na Si Yu’us Ma’ase for your continued support of our efforts. Special thanks to Dr. Miget Lujan Bevacqua for coordinating and assisting in the organizing of the Heritage Hikes, Alissa Eclavea for her efforts to raise funds for the GAPSS scholarship program, all of the artists who have volunteered their time and creativity for the Prutehi yan Difendi campaign and everyone else who supported us this year. We look forward to being involved in more things in the year to come. Below is a chronological summary of just some of the activities We Are Guahan was a part of in 2011:

February 2011

2/14: Sticker-up day to spread awareness about Pagat Lawsuit.
2/25: Release of Grey Paper on Traffic

March 2011

3/12: Hike to Tumon Bay (Part of “Un Nuena Na Inatan” Heritage Hike Series)
3/15: Presentation given to Rotary Club of Guam Sunrise
3/19: Hike to Pagat Village
3/26: Hike to Cetti Bay and Sella Bay

April 2011

4/13: Release of Grey Paper on Jungle

May 2011

Launch of “Prutehi yan Difendi” bus stop painting campaign. To date, volunteers have painted 4 bus stops in 3 villages and a mural in Piti

June 2011

6/12: Hike to Hila’an Village (Part of “I Kantan i Latte Siha” Heritage Hike Series)
6/18: Hike to Haputo Village
6/25: Hike to Pagat Village

July 2011

7/2: Hike to Almagosa Springs / Falls

August 2011

Launch of Guam Alumni of the Public School System (“GAPSS”) scholarship program

September 2011

9/22: Scoping meeting on MITT-EIS
9/28: Present at UOG forum hosted by Guam Coalition for Peace and Justice regarding Pagat Lawsuit

October 2011

10/13: Scoping meeting on “divert” facilities
10/22: Hike to Ague Cove (Part of “Na’i’ Tatte, Chule’ Tatte” Heritage Hike Series)
10/24: Provide comments on Public Access Plan to historic sites controlled by DOD
10/30: Hike to Hila’an Village

November 2011

11/1: Present to Rotary Club of Tumon Bay
11/5: Hike to Pagat Point
11/16: Village meeting to discuss Compatibility Sustainability Study
11/16: DOD files declaration agreeing to relief requested
11/18: Press conference to discuss Pagat Lawsuit

December 2011

12/6: Fundraiser celebrating 2 years of WAG
12/12: Hearing scheduled for Pagat Lawsuit
12/17: Hike to Haputo Village

Joint Press Conference For Pågat Lawsuit Update

root — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:29:13 +0000

We Are Guåhan, the Guam Preservation Trust and the National Trust for Historic Preservation will be holding a press conference on November 19, 2011 to discuss recent developments in the Pågat lawsuit. The press conference will be held at the Lujan House at 10am and streamed live at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/we-are-guahan.

You can view early news coverage at:

PNC: “We Won” Says Leevin Camacho of “We Are Guahan”

We Are Guåhan Announces 4th Heritage Hike Series: Nå’i Tåtte, Chule’ Tåtte

root — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 23:46:52 +0000

We Are Guåhan is pleased to announce its fourth series of Heritage Hikes: Na’ie Tatte, Chule Tatte. The upcoming Heritage Hikes will include 2 new sites, Ague Cove and Pågat Point, as well as a Sunday afternoon hike to Hila’an Village.

The hike schedule is as follows:

Saturday, October 22, 2011 – Ague Cove (Difficulty: Easy. Duration: 2 – 2.5 hours)
Meet at Former FAA property (near NCS Dededo)
Sunday, October 30, 2011 – Hila’an Village (Difficulty: Very Easy. Duration: 2 – 2.5hours)
Meet at Tanguisson Beach Park.
Saturday, November 5, 2011 – Pågat Point (Difficulty: Medium. Duration: 3 – 4 hours)
Meet at Pågat trailhead along The Back Road.

WHEN: The show-time for the Ague Cove and Pågat Point hikes is 8:45a.m. with a go-time 9:00 a.m. The show time for the Hila’an Village hike is 3:30pm.

WHAT TO BRING: All participants must bring LOTS OF WATER. Participants are encouraged to bring sun block, bug repellant and light snacks or lunches.

WHAT TO WEAR: All hikes will have areas with dense jungle, so if you are sensitive to mosquito bites, please wear long sleeved shirts, pants and a comfortable pair of shoes. Participants should wear tennis / hiking shoes, shorts and a comfortable shirt. Swimming is an option and encouraged at Ague Cove and Hila’an Village, so come prepared with appropriate clothes and towels if you’d like to swim.

HIKE DESCRIPTIONS:

The first hike is a new trek to Ague Cove. DoD is considering re-“acquiring” this area, and the surrounding area, to build brand new housing and administrative buildings for the proposed relocation. The hike ends at a scenic cove that is perfect for swimming.

On the second hike, Dr. Michael Lujan Bevacqua will explain the historical significance of Hila’an Village, an area that was recently returned to GovGuam. There are over 70 latte throughout the area, which will give hike participants an opportunity to imagine what the village would have looked like.

The third and final hike is also a first for We Are Guåhan. The hike is to an area where DoD is planning on building a firing complex: Pågat Point. This area is north of the more popular hiking trail to Pågat arch and cave. Dr. Bevacqua will discuss the cultural and historic significance of the area, as well as DoD’s proposed plans to build a firing range complex there.

If you have questions about the Heritage Hikes, please contact leevin@weareguahan.com

DoD Announces Another EIS

root — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 09:46:39 +0000

DoD has recently published notice of a new EIS to establish a “divert” runway. Scoping meetings will be held this week on Guam at the Barrigada Community Center and the Dededo Mayor’s Office on Thursday and Friday, from 5:30pm – 8:30pm.

More information about the EIS can be found at this website.

Request Access to DoD Sites

root — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 09:40:11 +0000

DoD is now accepting comments it will use to develop a “Public Access Plan” to cultural sites on DoD property. A few sites that DoD has previously identified: (1) Haputo, (2) Almagosa Springs / Falls, (3) Fena Village, (4) Sumay Village, (5) Spanish Steps, (6) Tweed’s Cave, (7) Orote Point.

You can submit comments here (link). Comments are due by midnight, October 24 (Chamorro Standard Time).

Upcoming Public Forum on Diego Garcia, Guam & Pagat Lawsuit

root — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 22:04:50 +0000

Community Events:

The Division of Social Work, in partnership with the Guahan Coalition for Peace and Justice will be sponsoring two public forums at the CLASS Lecture Hall in the Fall semester:

1) September 28th (5:30-8:30PM)- Public Forum titled, “Islands of Shame: Base Displacement from Diego Garcia to Guahan”. Speakers: Dr. David Vine, Department of Anthropology, American University and Attorney Leevin Camacho, We Are Guahan.

Scoping Meetings Announced for New EIS

root — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 06:30:35 +0000

The Department of Defense recently announced its “Notice of Intent” for the use of explosives and sonar in the Mariana Islands. ”Resource areas that will be addressed because of the potential effects from the Proposed Action include, but are not limited to, ocean and biological resources (including marine mammals and threatened and endangered species), terrestrial resources, air quality, noise, cultural resources, transportation, regional economy, recreation, and public health and safety.

Scoping meetings are scheduled on Guam for September 22 at the University of Guam and September 23 at Southern High School. Scoping meetings will last from 5:00pm – 8:00pm.

Miss Guam World Contestant Raises Over $2K for GAPSS Scholarship Program

root — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 04:26:05 +0000

We Are Guåhan would like to acknowledge and thank poet and Miss Guam World contestant Alissa Eclavea for kicking off our GAPSS Scholarship Program fundraising by raising OVER $2000 to help high school juniors cover pre-college expenses such as SAT testing and college applications which they otherwise might be unable to afford! You truly went above and beyond. Many thanks, Alissa. Good luck tonight!

We Are Guåhan Announces GAPSS Scholarship Program

root — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 20:08:00 +0000

This school year, hundreds of juniors and seniors are looking at what options they have after graduation. Many of these students come from families who cannot afford to pay for basic things such as registration fees for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (“SAT”) and college application fees. Most scholarships and financial aid are not available until after students have graduated.

The goal of the Guam Alumni of the Public School System (“GAPSS”) program is to offer scholarships to high school students at the beginning of the school year to pay for these expenses. We Are Guåhan’s goal this year is to raise $3,000 for the GAPSS program to award a total of sixty (60) scholarships to public school students every year starting in 2011. This money will pay for ten (10) SAT registration fees at each of the five (5) public high schools and an additional (10) scholarships island wide to students who apply. We hope to raise enough money in the long-term goal to extend the program to pay for one (1) college application for sixty (60) high school seniors.

Public education is one area where the Environmental Impact Statement (“EIS”) for the proposed military buildup predicts a significant impact. Specifically, the EIS says that Guam’s public schools will need to accommodate at least 3,800 more students. We Are Guåhan hopes that the GAPSS Scholarship Program for high school juniors will help those who would be most affected by the proposed buildup.

To donate to our GAPPS Scholarship Program, please use the following link and the code ’3000.’