JANUARY 2015

Chad DeSoto murder trial:Chad DeSoto is convicted in connection withthe 2013 killing of three Japanese tourists

Page 5

High number of road deaths:Guam reaches its highest rate of road deathssince 2008

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Unsolved homicides:The Guam Police Department’s list of un-solved homicides grows

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Problems for prosecution:High-profile trials unsuccessful for prosecution

Senators give themselves raises:Lawmakers pass bill giving appointed leadersand elected officials raises

Page 9

Church faces controversies:The island’s Catholic church and its leadershipcome under fire

Health care crisis at prison:The Department of Corrections’ issue with ac-cess to adequate health care for detainees andinmates still unresolved

Page 10

Tax refunds paid the same year:Gov. Eddie Calvo’s administration pays tax re-funds promptly, beating the federal court-or-dered deadline

Calvo, Tenorio team win secondterm:Republican Gov. Eddie Calvo and Lt. Gov RayTenorio win the election with a landslide

Page 11

Medical marijuana passes:Guam becomes the first U.S. territory to legal-ize medical marijuana

Notable Deaths:Remembering the island’s legends and othernewsmakers who died in 2014

Page 12

Capturing 2014:The most compelling photos of the year

Pages 13-18

Making a Difference:Residents give back

Page 19

Pika StylePages 21-22

Pika Year in Review 2014

A special issue of the entertainmentguide of the

Pacific Daily News Jan. 1, 2015Vol. 14 No. 2

Publisher Rindraty Celes Limtiaco

Managing Editor David V. Crisostomo

Custom Publishing CoordinatorAmanda Francel Blas

Visual Editor Cid Caser

Staff Designer Anthony Gumabon

Staff writersGaynor Dumat-ol Daleno

Maria HernandezCameron MiculkaMalorie Paine

Shawn RaymundoJerick Sablan

Photo EditorMasako Watanabe

Staff photographerRick Cruz

Advertising DirectorJae Fermin Medina

Digital DirectorCarmen Sanchez

Creative Services ManagerRena Santiago

ABOUT THE COVER

Photo collage ofdifferent events in

2014Illustration by

Cid Caser

INSIDEPika’s Year in Review: From the sto-ries that generated the most conver-sation to the top photos and thebiggest hits online. See what movedthe island in 2014!

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The biggest news story of theyear was the trial of murdersuspect Chad Ryan DeSoto,who was ultimately con-victed in connection with

the 2013 killing of three Japanese tourists.The man’s trial attracted not only local

attention but also international attention asthe case unfolded this past summer.On the night of Feb. 12, 2013, DeSoto

drove his car into a group of pedestriansoutside SandCastle and the Globe beforedriving along the sidewalk and slamminginto the front of the ABC Store near theOutrigger Guam Resort.He then leapt out of the vehicle wielding

a knife, and began stabbing members ofthe crowd gathered around the scene of theaccident.Security guards in the area ultimately

subdued DeSoto before police arrestedhim.About 12 people — most of them

tourists — were injured by the car or bythe knife.Rie Sugiyama, 29, and Kazuko Uehara,

81, died at Guam Memorial Hospital from stabwounds shortly after the attacks.Hitoshi Yokota, 51, died shortly afterward of

injuries he sustained from being struck by thevehicle.Sugiyama and Uehara were on island to at-

tend a wedding on Guam.They arrived on Guam the day the events

unfolded. Sugiyama is the mother of two chil-dren, who also were injured in the rampage.DeSoto pleaded not guilty by reason of

mental illness.The trial began on June 16, 2014.Over the next several weeks, prosecutors put

victims, doctors and other witnesses on thestand to paint a full picture of what happenedthat night.As the trial continued into July, the defense

presented its version of events.DeSoto’s attorneys argued that he suffered

from mental illness, exacerbated by the deathof a grandparent and departure of his girlfriend.To make their case, the defense put DeS-

oto’s girlfriend on the stand, where she spokeabout the last time she saw DeSoto before theattack.She said that during an 8-hour Skype con-

versation with DeSoto, the man heard voicesand “said that he was eternally damned.”Two psychiatrists during the trial testified to

DeSoto’s insanity.A third psychiatrist, however, testified that

DeSoto appeared competent when evaluated.The jury in the case took up deliberations

after the defense rested its case in mid-July.Finally, on Aug. 4, the jury came back with

its decision, finding DeSoto guilty of threecounts of aggravated murder and 11 counts ofattempted aggravated murder.They also found him guilty of 14 special al-

legations of the possession and use of a deadly weapon in thecommission of a felony.At his sentencing hearing, DeSoto received three life sen-

tences and additional time.

During his hearing, DeSoto spoke out andmaintained his innocence.“I want to help you all heal from what has hap-

pened so much but I refuse to do so by lettingeveryone continue to believe that an innocent

man is guilty,” he said.He also argued that it would be “unfair

and completely unjust” for the island andothers to judge a person by focusing ona single event in his life.Prosecutors responded that DeSoto

was “still unremorseful” after everythingthat had happened.The husband of one of the murder vic-

tims spoke at that hearing, saying DeS-oto’s crimes “would be a death sentence”in Japan.

Following the trial, DeS-oto’s mother, cousin andgirlfriend were allcharged with con-tempt of court foractions during thetrial.The three were

accused of speak-ing to DeSoto asthe trial was ongo-ing.

By Cameron MiculkaPika staff

cimulka@guampdn .com

Left: Public Defender Eric Miller, left,whispers to Chad DeSoto as they awaittrial to resume after a break at the Su-perior Court of Guam in Hagåtña onJune 18. DeSoto was on trial for thedeaths of three Japanese tourists andinjury of 11 others on a sidewalk in Tu-mon on Feb. 12, 2013. Pike file photos

Right: Convicted murdererChad DeSoto speaks dur-ing his sentencing hear-ing at the Superior Courtof Guam on Sept. 25. Hereceived three life sen-tences without the possibilityof parole for the February2013 Tumon attacks.

Above: Murder suspect Chad DeSoto, center,wearing a protective helmet and vest, is es-corted by court marshals and police officersduring a site visit for his trial in Tumon on June20. Jurors were brought to view the site firsthand at the request of the prosecutors. The groupwalked the crime scene — the sidewalk from the SandCastlearea to the ABC Store under the Outrigger Guam Resort -where witnesses say DeSoto drove and struck pedestrians,crashed his car, and stabbed bystanders on on Feb. 12, 2013.Three Japanese tourists were killed and 11 others were injuredin the incident.

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CHAD DESOTO MURDER TRIAL

Nineteen people died onGuam’s roads, the highest rateof road deaths since 2008, ac-

cording to Pacific Daily News files.Of the 19 deaths, 10 were pedestrians.Two crashes last year each resulted in

the deaths of several people.On April 13, four people died in a

two-car collision in Yigo.That day, Ruhney W. Hadley’s pickup

went off the road, then encroached on thenorthbound lane, colliding head-on witha Toyota Corolla with four people inside,according to police.The crash killed Hadley, the Toyota’s

driver, and 64-year-old Damiano J. Neth,as well as Neth’s 63-year-old wife and10-year-old granddaughter, Mya AnnNeth.Only Neth’s niece, Kervinia Hikuta

survived the crash.Seven months later, three teenagers

died after being struck by a vehicle onthe morning of Nov. 29. The vehicle fledthe scene.Passersby found the three teenagers lying

unconscious on Chalan Ramirez. Two of the victims were pronounced dead

at the hospital and the third died that night.Police said they have identified the sus-

pected driver in the case, but no arrests havebeen announced.Guam Police Department spokesman Paul

Tapao said the investigation in that case isbeing handled jointly by GPD Highway Pa-trol and detectives with the Criminal Investi-gations Division.He added that although there is a person

of interest, police are waiting until all other

parts of the investigation are finished.

TRAFFIC-RELATED DEATHSON GUAM:

2013 Total: 182014 Total: 19 (10 pedestrians)

DEATHS IN 2014:n Jan. 18: An unidentified man is killed

after being hit by a car on Route 16 in Har-mon.

n Feb. 14: JR Isack, a pedestrian, dies at

Guam Memorial Hospital after being hit bya southbound vehicle on Marine Corps Drive.

n April 10: An unidentified 75-year-oldwoman dies after being injured in a two-carcollision on Marine Corps Drive in Tamuningon April 5.

n April 13: Damiano Neth, 64; RuhneyHadley, 61; Markarita Neth, 63; and MyaAnn Neth, 10, are killed in a head-on colli-sion on Route 15 after a truck runs off theroad and encroaches into oncoming traffic.

nApril 16: Elias Auna, 35, a pedestrian, iskilled after being hit by a truck on Route 16,near the 7-Day Supermarket.

nApril 20: Daniel Santos, 47, dies after a

head-on collision on Route 8 in Barri-gada, near the former National OfficeSupply building.

nMay 6: Annabelle Sibal, 19, of Yigo,who was a backseat passenger, is killedwhen the car’s driver loses control of thevehicle and runs off Route 15 in Yigo.

n June 10: Jayleen Pastor, 23, is killedafter the car she was riding in veers offthe roadway and crashes into a buildingin Tamuning, near the Ypao Road inter-section.

n June 22: Michael Poirier, 47, apedestrian, is killed after being hit by acar on Ypao Road, near Days Inn, inTamuning.

n July 9: Turley Thomas, 28, a pedes-trian, is killed after being hit by a car onMarine Corps Drive near the Dededo fleamarket.

n July 30: Singky Likity, 61, a pedes-trian, is killed after being struck by a ve-hicle on Marine Corps Drive nearChamorro Village.

n Aug. 24: Nanaleen Masaichy, 22, apedestrian, is killed after being hit by apickup on Route 15 in Mangilao

n Sept. 9: Johnny Nauta, 45, died after acrash on Route 2 in Agat involving his mopedand a pickup.

nNov. 29: Cherrica Gallen, 19; Saly AnnaSantos, 16; and Julia George, 16, all pedes-trians, are killed after being struck by a vehi-cle on Chalan Ramirez Street in Yigo.

By Cameron MiculkaPika staff

cimulka@guampdn.com

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Left: The Guam Police Depart-ment Traffic Division officersconduct an investigation of afatal auto-pedestrian accidentthat occured on Marine CorpsDrive near the flea market inDededo on July 9. A womanwas killed after she was struckby a 21-year-old male driverwho fled the scene to hishome in Yigo, before he wasbrought back to the scene byhis mother, said police.Pika file photos

Below: Guam Police officersconduct an investigation of ahit-and-run on Chalan Ramirezin Yigo on Nov. 29. Three fe-male pedestrians found lyingon the side of the road weretransported to Guam MemorialHospital. Two were pro-nounced dead and the thirdvictim remains in critical condi-tion. Police is seeking the driv-er, possibly of a Nissan with adamaged front, to possibly in-clude the windshield. The vehi-cle may also be missing part ofthe plastic undercarriage coverand right fender cover, said po-lice spokesman, A.J. Balajadia.

HIGH NUMBER OF ROAD DEATHS

The Guam Police Department’slist of unsolved homicides grewlast year, including the slaying

of a salon owner, the discovery of awoman’s remains in Dededo and the re-covery of a man’s body in the Tanguissonarea.Salon owner Nick Tolentino’s body

was discovered July 27 inside his hairsalon, Hair Plus by Nick, at Tamuning’sHafa Adai Exchange.The 62-year-old victim suffered several

stab wounds, causing his death, said ChiefMedical Examiner Dr. Aurelio Espinola. Espinola said the man died sometime

before midnight the night before he wasfound.The last time anybody saw Tolentino

was the afternoon on July 26, between 3and 4 p.m.More than a month after Tolentino’s

death, police released a sketch of a manwanted for questioning in the case.The man is described as being between

5 feet 8 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall,weighing about 140 pounds to 150pounds.He has a skinny build and a dark com-

plexion, with short black hair and drivesa dark sedan, accord-ing to police.

Bodies foundTwo bodies were

discovered in earlyNovember and policecontinue to ask forthe public’s help inthe two cases. In the first case, a

woman’s skeletal re-mains were foundNov. 10, in the Fa-tima ponding basin inDededo.The island’s chief

medical examinerbelieves the womanwas “dumped” thereat least three monthsbefore she wasfound.The fenced-in ponding

basin is adjacent to a residen-tial neighborhood, and resi-dents told the Pacific DailyNews they hadn’t noticed anything unusual.Espinola said he didn’t find any signs of

trauma with the skeletal remains and esti-mated that the woman was in her early 20sor 30s. He also found that she had a lot ofdental work done to her teeth, including fill-ings.Espinola said he needed more informa-

tion from the police, including a list of miss-ing persons, to assist him in possiblyidentifying the woman.In the second case, a man’s body was

found uphill from Tanguisson Beach onNov. 14. The man has been identified as 29-year-

old Isak James.An autopsy determined he died of blunt-

force trauma.Guam Police Department spokesman Of-

ficer A.J. Balajadia said detectives are tryingto trace James’ activities and whereaboutsfrom Nov. 12 to Nov. 14.Balajadia said James was last seen Nov.

12 near Asan Beach.

He said that the victim wasalso known to spend time inHagåtña.James stood about 5 foot 7

inches tall and was wearing a black T-shirt,blue shorts and no shoes, police have said.Balajadia said that police continue to ask

anyone with information in the case to comeforward.U.S. Department of Agriculture employ-

ees were checking snake traps on a buried-cable access road up the hill fromTanguisson Beach when they found James’body, police have said.Authorities received a 911 call around

11:20 a.m. Nov. 14, and Espinola declaredhim dead at the scene about 12:40 p.m.The cases have not been declared “cold”

by the police department, which currentlyhas about 95 homicides in its cold case files.Anybody with information about the

cases or any unsolved murder is asked to callpolice at 475-8615/6/7 or Guam CrimeStoppers at 477-4357.

By Maria HernandezPika staff

mohernande@guampdn.com

UNSOLVED HOMICIDES

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Left: Guam Fire Depart-ment personnel transportthe body of Nick Tolentinofrom his salon, Hair Plus byNick, in Tamuning, on July27. Tenants and friends inthe Hafa Adai Exchangesaid he was found lying onthe floor with a broom ontop, and a table and chairwere flipped to the sidesnext to him. Pika file photos

Below: Guam FireDepartment person-nel prepare to trans-port the body of aman found along aburied cable accessroad, uphill from Tan-guisson Beach onNov. 14. A death in-vestigation is under-way after UnitedStates Department ofAgriculture staffchecking snake trapsfound the body, saidOfficer A.J. BalajadiaGuam Police Depart-ment spokesman.

Above: Guam Police Department officers work at the Fatima Roadponding basin area in Dededo, near the Micronesia Mall, on Nov. 10.An investigation was launched following a report of human remainsfound, received around 5 p.m. Nov. 10, according to GPD.

Less than a month after theNovember General Elec-tion, lawmakers passed a

bill that gave appointed leaders andelected officials, including them-selves, a considerable raise in theirrespective salaries.As the year drew to a close, some

lawmakers introduced bills to re-voke the raises. But as one billawaited a public hearing, lawmak-ers on Dec. 19 received paycheckscontaining retroactive pay for theirnew raises.Senators voted on the bill to in-

crease elected official pay during aspecial session that was called byLt. Gov. Ray Tenorio, who urgedthem to pass the bill so the gover-nor’s cabinet members could re-ceive a raise.Lawmakers earlier in the year

had frozen proposed pay raises forelected official, as contained in thegovernment’s revised pay plan.The bill was passed by a 10-1

vote with Sen. Mike Limtiaco, R-Tamuning, as the only senator whoopposed it. Sens. Mike San Nicolas,D-Dededo, Tom Ada, D-Tamuning,and Dennis Rodriguez, D-Dededowere absent from the session.

The only elected official who didnot receive a pay raise was the pub-lic auditor, whose salary was kept at

$100,000 instead of the $110,000recommended by the new pay scale.Senators now earn $85,000, plac-

ing their salariesamong the highest forstate legislators in thenation. Gov. Calvoand Tenorio’s annualsalaries increased to$130,000 and$110,000 respectively,while the attorneygeneral now makes$128,685 a year.In 2010, the con-

sulting firm HayGroup conducted acomprehensive com-pensation study on thesalaries of GovGuamemployees. In thestudy were recom-mended salaries forclassified and unclas-sified government em-ployees, based on

national averages.The implementation of the Hay

salaries was supposed to occur in2010, but newly elected Gov. EddieCalvo, after taking office in 2011,placed a freeze on the adjusted payscales until the island’s finances be-came more stable.Believing the island’s finances

were in better condition, Calvo un-froze the raises for some employeesat the beginning of 2014, orderingthe Department of Administration tosubmit the Competitive Wage Act of2014 to the Legislature for imple-mentation. The salaries recom-mended in the Wage Act wereamended from the Hay Group’soriginal study, adjusting somesalaries, including that of the Legis-lature, to a higher rate.Lawmakers deliberated over the

Wage Act salaries for more than amonth before passing legislationthat implemented the raises for mostGovGuam employees, includingmayors.In the bill, which lapsed into law

in March without Gov. Calvo’s sig-nature, the positions of the attorneygeneral, governor, lieutenant gover-nor, senators and Cabinet memberswere excluded from the Wage Actraises.

By Shawn RaymundoPika staff

sraymundo@guampdn.com

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Several high-profile trials inthe Superior Court ofGuam during 2014 ended

in acquittals and, in one case, a hungjury.In May, three men suspected of

robbing the Bank of Guam earlier inthe year were acquitted in the midstof their trial at the Superior Court ofGuam.The defendants, Vincent David

Santos, Ricky McIntosh and Anto-nio Quitugua, were all accused oftaking part in a robbery at the Bankof Guam’s Yigo branch.Surveillance footage showed one

man leaning over the bank’s counterand stuffing a backpack with cashwhile the other stayed toward theback.After a minute, the two men fled

from the security cameras’ views.Police said they escaped into the

jungle behind the bank with about$11,000 in cash.About a month later, on March 1,

police interviewed one man whowould eventually be a suspect in thecase, Jathan Tedtaotao, about therobbery.After Tedtaotao’s and the other

defendants’ arrests, Tedtaotaoagreed to plead guilty and tes-tify for prosecutors at a trial.But on May 14, the day Ted-

taotao was expected to testify,he refused to speak at the trial.Tedtaotao’s refusal forced

prosecutors to rest their case.Following that, a defense at-

torney moved for an acquittalon the grounds that “no reason-able trier of fact could sustainan objection.”In response, the judge hearing

that case granted the motion, clear-ing the defendants of all charges.In October, another trial began,

this time for a man accused ofkilling his mother.Allan Agababa faced an allega-

tion of aggravated murder in the2013 death of Shelly Bernstein.The Chief Medical Examiner of

Guam ruled the death a homicide,saying Bernstein died of a singleblunt-force trauma to the head.

But during trial, the defense ar-gued that Bernstein’s death was ac-cidental, caused by an overdose ofmedication and a possible fall.The jury in the case returned

three times, saying they couldn’t

reach a verdict, before SuperiorCourt Judge Maria T. Cenzon de-clared a mistrial.Another trial for Agababa is

scheduled for April 1, 2015, accord-ing to news files.In November, John J.T. Castro

went to trial on charges of aggra-vated murder, aggravated assaultand child abuse. He was accused ofinjuring a toddler so severely thatthe girl died from her injuries.The defense argued that the

child’s mother was responsible inthe girl’s death.Less than three weeks after the

trial began, however, the jury re-turned a verdict of “not guilty” andacquitted Castro of any involvementin the case.Following the verdict, prosecu-

tors said they won’t pursue a caseagainst the mother after determiningthere wasn’t enough evidence tomove forward with charges.

By Cameron MiculkaPika staff

cimiculka@guampdn.com

PROBLEMS FOR PROSECUTION

SENATORS GIVE THEMSELVES A RAISE

Vice Speaker Benjamin J. Cruz, left, speaks as he and Sen. Michael SanNicolas gather with concerned residents in the public hearing room of theGuam Legislature in Hagåtña on Dec. 18. The residents initially gatheredin response of a social media posting of a sit-in protest for the the recentbill passed by lawmakers, giving payraises to themselves and Cabinetmembers. Pika file photo

Defendant John J.T. Castrolooks toward the witnessstand during his trial in theJanuary death of 23-month-old Alzana Therese Lotino, atthe Superior Court of Guamon Nov. 12. The toddler'smother, Suzane Lotino, tookthe stand for the second dayin the murder trial. Pika file photo

Long-standing federal con-cerns about the conditionsat the Department of Cor-

rections started to wrap up this year,with a series of hearings in federalcourt about the last significant unre-solved issue — access to adequatehealth care for detainees and in-mates.Improvement plans submitted to

the court call for all issues to be re-solved sometime this year.There currently is an ongoing set-

tlement agreement between the De-partment of Corrections and thefederal government in which DOCis obligated to improve medical,dental and mental health care for in-mates. The agreement was reachedin 1991 and prompted by concernsthat the rights of inmates and de-tainees were being violated.Despite the federal government’s

efforts to bring the prison into com-pliance with the agreement, prob-lems continue to exist at the prison.The federal government in May

filed an update with the court. It

stated that despite efforts to bringthe prison into compliance with thestandards established under theagreement, GovGuam has donenothing to show it is implementingthe policies under the agreement.“It appears that the territory con-

tinues to operate in a reactive mode,perpetually responding to the latestcrisis rather than following any plancalculated to provide adequate ac-cess to care for DOC inmates,” fed-eral attorneys stated.Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-

Gatewood held a series of statushearings, in late May and earlyJune..During those hearings GovGuam

officials stated that the prison wasunaware of the standards it needs tomeet to improve conditions.Prison medical director Dr. Raja

Saad testified that there is crisis ofcare at the facility, but prison Direc-tor Jose San Agustin said he be-lieves the prison is making progresstoward providing adequate care.At the end of the hearings, Tyd-

ingco-Gatewood ordered GovGuamto submit a “detailed plan” for howit would maintain health care stan-dards. As the plan was beingdrafted, she required regular updatesfrom the prison on health care serv-

ices and its efforts to fill vacant po-sitions.In August, the Justice Depart-

ment and GovGuam submitted verydifferent timelines to fix the remain-ing issues.

The federal government wantedall issues resolved in nine months,but GovGuam’s plan was to keepworking on the issues until 2017.GovGuam’s plan changed in

early September, when Gov. EddieCalvo announced that the govern-ment will privatize the prison’s in-firmary — that is, hire a contractorto provide medical services — withexisting government medical staff tobe transferred elsewhere in Gov-Guam.“DOC inmates and detainees will

get better medical, dental and men-tal care from a private provider,”Calvo said in a written statement.“Taxpayers will get more value fortheir buck when we privatize theseservices. The current medical staffwill be able to work at Guam Me-morial Hospital and Guam Behav-ioral Health and Wellness Center.”

By Steve LimtiacoPika staff

slimtiaco@guampdn.com

The island’s Catholicchurch and its leadershipcame under fire from

within last year, with groups of thefaithful stepping forward publicly tocriticize church actions and to callfor more transparency in its fi-nances.After months of quietly prodding

for the archdiocese to disclose thestatus of its assets, including title tothe former Accion Hotel property,which hosts a seminary, a groupcalled Concerned Catholics ofGuam bought an advertisement inthe Pacific Daily News, calling forpublic disclosure. The church re-sponded several months later, pub-licly releasing summaries of itscollections and spending.That hint of division in the local

Catholic community was followedby several other publicly discussedcontroversies.Archbiship Anthony Apuron

fired Monsignor James Benaventeas head of the Dulce de MariaCathedral-Basilica, a position Be-navente held for two decades, citingalleged mismanagement of churchfinances.The archdiocese also shut down

a Benavente project, the Cathedral-Basilica’s museum, before it couldopen to the public despite the more

than $1.12 million cost to developit. A few hundred Catholics held a

prayer of protest at the steps of theCathedral-Basilica, calling for thereinstatement of the monsignor,whom the protesters called the“People’s Priest.”

Catholics sent numerous lettersto the Vatican in protest.The archdiocese rebutted with

statements that a host of financialmanagement problems occurredunder Benavente. However, a groupof financial experts, who were onceprivy to the local archdiocese’s fi-

nances up until theywere fired, called apress conference,saying the financialmanagement prob-lems predated Be-navente’s watch.In December,

some members of dif-ferent parishes onGuam formed a non-profit called Con-cerned Catholics ofGuam Inc., and an-nounced plans to in-vestigate themanagement of thelocal church, its fi-nancial books, andthe archdiocese’shandling of a sexualmolestation allegationagainst Apuron.

The alleged abuse allegedly oc-curred some 30 years ago, whenApuron was a priest, and allegedlyinvolved a high school seminarianwho hasn’t stepped forward. JohnToves, a relative and former co-sem-inarian of the alleged victim, madethe allegation, including in a letterto the Vatican.Apuron has called the allegation

a “horrible calumny,” but declinedto further respond, on the advice of

his attorney, because he’s planninga defamation lawsuit.A high-level Vatican official is

visiting Guam’s Catholic commu-nity in January, but whether the visitwill be friendly, or investigatory, isin dispute.Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai,

the secretary of the Congregationfor the Evangelization of Peoples,the Vatican office to whom some ofGuam’s Catholics sent letters overthe past several months, is expectedto visit Guam from Jan. 4 to 10. TheVatican’s delegate to the Pacific is-lands and another church officialwill accompany Hon.“The purpose of this pastoral visit

is to foster reconciliation and mutualunderstanding in the archdiocese,”according to the archdiocesan state-ment, signed by Father AdrianCristobal on Dec. 19.Tim Rohr, a Guam resident who

writes a blog on Catholic issues,called Jungle Watch, believes thenature of the Vatical official’s visitis investigatory.“The people who are coming —

the nature of their office is investi-gation,” Rohr said.

By Gaynor Dumat-ol DalenoPika staff

gdumat-ol@guam.gannett.com

CHURCH FACES CONTROVERSIES

HEALTH CARE CRISIS AT PRISON

Male pre-trial detainees march in line to the dining hall for their dinnermeal at the Department of Corrections in Mangilao on March 25.

Archbishop Anthony Apuron looks over hundreds of participants as theybegin the annual Santa Marian Kamalen procession from the DulceNombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica in Hagåtña on Dec. 8. Pika file photos

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The 2014 GeneralElection proved tobe a landslide win

for Republican Gov. EddieCalvo and Lt. Gov. RayTenorio over former Demo-cratic Gov. Carl Gutierrezand Gary Gumataotao.The 9,800-vote victory

margin was the largest since1970, when Guam firststarted electing its governor.The Democratic guberna-

torial team launched its cam-paign late in the electionseason — filing for candi-dacy on June 30.While Republicans won

the executive branch for an-other four years, Democratsagain won the legislativebranch, holding on to a 9-6

majority in the Legislature. Also during the General

Election, more than 56 per-cent of voters said “yes” to le-galizing medicinalmarijuana.The island also voted in a

new attorney general, formerjudge, senator and attorneygeneral Elizabeth Barrett-An-derson, who received morethan 22,000 votes, defeatingincumbent Leonardo Ra-padas.Del. Madeline Bordallo

was reelected as Guam’s Del-egate in Washington, D.C.,defeating Republican chal-lenger Margaret Metcalfe.

Legislative victoriesRepublican Mary Cama-

cho Torres and Democrat

Nerissa Underwood, both ofwhom are newcomers, wereelected to the Legislature.Former Republican Sens. JimEspaldon and Frank Blas Jr.were also reelected.

Two incumbent senators,Republicans Chris Duenasand Aline Yamashita, fell outof the top 15, though theyeach trailed the leaders byless than 400 votes.

AuditrequestedFollowing

its defeat, theG u t i e r r e zc a m p a i g nsent a six-page letter tothe GuamE l e c t i o nCommission,asking for amanual auditof the ballots,which hadbeen tabu-lated usingnewly pur-chased ma-chines.J o a q u i n

Perez, chair-man of theG u t i e r r e zelection com-

mittee, cited several manu-facturing issues with theElection Systems and Soft-ware machines used to tabu-late the votes. He also

questioned if the deviceswere monitored using sur-veillance cameras and if therewas an adequate police pres-ence securing the Universityof Guam Calvo Field Housethe night before the election.Perez asked for an audit

for at least 10 precincts,which would be selected ran-domly using a lotteryprocess. The commission au-dited three precincts andfound little variation in the re-sults.

Gutierrez concedesMore than two weeks after

the election, the Gutierrez -Guamataotao team released aconcession letter and con-gratulated Calvo-Tenorio onreelection.On Nov. 22, the election

results were certified.

By Malorie PainePika staff

mbpaine@guampdn.com

Election: Gov. Eddie Calvo, right, and Lt.Gov. Ray Tenorio take the stage at their cam-paign headquarters in Anigua to thank sup-porters as early results showed them victori-ous in their re-election bid on Nov. 5.

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Gov. Eddie Calvo’sadministrat ionduring 2014 con-

tinued to pay tax refundspromptly, and by late in theyear beat the federal court-or-dered deadline to pay allerror-free tax refunds.It was the first time in

decades tax refunds had beenpaid within the same year,and without having to borrowmoney to make it happen.About $120 million in re-funds were paid for tax year2012.Residents had regularly

been waiting for refunds,sometimes for years, becausethe cash-strapped govern-ment spent their money onother government operations. Former governors Joseph

Ada, Carl Gutierrez and Felix Ca-macho all borrowed bond moneyduring their terms to catch up withdelinquent tax refunds. Calvo alsoborrowed bond money to catch upwith refunds, but did not use bor-rowed money to pay last year’s re-funds.

Calvo, who won reelection inNovember 2014, said prompt pay-ment of refunds will continue this

year, and they likely will be paideven faster.Following a permanent injunc-

tion issued by U.S. DistrictJudge Consuelo Marshallin January of 2013, all taxrefunds for error-free re-turns were required to bepaid within six months ofthe filing date, news filesstate. If the deadline is not

met, a federal receivercould take over govern-ment of Guam finances, orleaders could be held incontempt, according tonews files. Marshall wrote in Dis-

trict Court of Guam docu-ments that, despite lawsand lawsuits, GovGuamhas been unable to pay re-funds on time, so the au-thority and oversight of thefederal court is necessary.

The Calvo administration said italready had been paying refundspromptly, beginning in 2012, evenwithout a court order.The court order also requires the

government provide the federalcourt with quarterly reports on taxrefund payments for the next five

years.The injunction is the final result

of a class-action lawsuit filed on be-half of Guam taxpayers in 2011. GovGuam had an Oct. 15 dead-

line to pay refund for error-free re-turns filed as of April 15.The administration paid all re-

funds filed during the month ofApril by Oct. 6, beating the courtdeadline by more than week.In November it announced that it

had paid refunds to those who filedreturns on Oct. 15, which was thedeadline for those who filed exten-sions.The Guam Memorial Hospital

received around $4.5 million infunds this year, garnished from taxrefunds of patients who have over-due hospital bills, Rev and Tax Di-rector John Camacho said. Camacho said the agency started

releasing the refund checks aboutfour to five weeks after the tax dead-line in April.

By Maria HernandezPika staff

mohernande@guampdn.com

Tax refunds: Department of Administration staff Alma Alcantara, left,and Lou Rivera place income tax refund checks in envelopes for mailingon Feb. 19 at the DOA treasury office at the ITC Building in Tamuning.Pika file photos

CALVO, TENORIOTEAM WIN

SECOND TERM

TAX REFUNDS PAID THE SAMEYEAR

Guam became the firstU.S. territory to legalizemedical marijuana after

voters made a majority decision inthe November General Election.Proposal 14A, Guam’s medicinal

marijuana initiative, was placed onthe ballot and needed only a simplemajority to pass. The proposal re-ceived 56 percent votes in favor ofthe measure. It was placed on the ballot by

lawmakers, using the untestedprocess called “legislative submis-sion.”Legal marijuana will be limited

to medicinal use only and will beregulated by the Department ofPublic Health and Social Services,the approved marijuana legislationstates.Public Health and Social Serv-

ices Director James Gillan said oneof the biggest issues will be findingthe funding to support the law, buthe is sure the funding will be iden-tified from somewhere.Gillan said he wants to get started

as soon as possible because there

are only nine months to get the planand regulations in place.Though the proposal will become

law 90 days after the election resultswere certified, DPHSS will have anadditional nine months before theregulations have to be in place.Gillan said he’s hoping that a planwill be in place in less than fivemonths.DPHSS will have to pull

$100,000 of the department’sHealthy Futures program budget tocover the cost of regulating medici-nal marijuana, but Gillan said he isunsure where the funds could bepulled from.Gillan said private dispensaries

could be granted licenses to growmarijuana, which could generaterevenue for the department.In addition to funding issues, the

law mandates that an advisory teambe made up of several specificboard-certified doctors. Gillan saidhe is unsure if Guam has the doctors

that will be required.According to the act, the advisory

board must consist of seven mem-bers, six of whom must be practi-tioners representing the fields ofneurology, pain management, med-ical oncology, psychiatry, infectiousdiseases and family medicine. The

seventh board member must be amember of the public at large.The practitioners must be chosen

for appointment from a list pro-posed by the Guam Board of Med-ical Examiners.Sen. Tina Muna-Barnes, D-

Mangilao, who wrote Proposal14A, said the panel must includerepresentatives from the Legislature,the Department of Agriculture,Guam Board of Medical Examinersand four physicians.Barnes said one item the advisory

panel would need to discuss is cul-tivation, because the law states me-dicinal marijuana has to be grownon island.After the health department es-

tablishes the rules and regulations,they will be sent to lawmakers, whowill deliberate, hold public hearingsand vote on the rules, Barnes said.

By Jerick SablanPika staff

jpsablan@guampdn.com

MEDICAL MARIJUANA PASSES

Vicente “Ben” BlazVicente “Ben” Blaz died on Jan. 9, 2014

at age 85, leavingbehind a legacythat will never beforgotten.A World War

II survivor, Blazwas the firstChamorro to be-come a generalofficer in any mil-itary branch andGuam’s seconddelegate to Con-gress. He also wasthe author of compact-impact funding pro-visions.Robert Underwood, former congres-

sional delegate and current University ofGuam president, has described Blaz as “aman who has served his island well, whohas served his country well.”

JamesCastroJames Castro

was the marketingdirector for MidPacific Distribu-tors Inc. andTropical Produc-tions. He died inOctober in awater-related inci-

dent near Asan Beach Park.Castro was best known for his hand in

some of the island’s biggest events includ-ing Pacific Xtreme Combat and the ElectricIsland Festival.E.J. Calvo, general manager of MID

PAC, has called Castro a “good friend” and“one of the most positive guys I’ve everbeen around.”

John SantosJohn Santos from Asan became well

known in the island community for walkinghis beloved pet carabao and dogs along Ma-rine Corps Drive.For many island residents, the sight of

Santos and his carabao Lucy walking alongthe road, with his dogs Morris and Lolaperched on the carabao’s back, put a smile

on their faces.Santos died on Oct. 13 at the age of 74.

Jesus “Jess” TorresFormer senator Jesus “Jess” Torres died

on Nov. 10 at theage of 72.Most recently,

Torres was vicechairman of theA.B. Won PatGuam Interna-tional Airport Au-thority board. Healso was chair-man of the Re-publican Party ofGuam.Guam Housing Cor-

poration President Martin Benavente hassaid he’s known Torres for many years andalso called him a “jolly person.”“He’s happy, and he shares that,” Be-

navente said.

Monte MafnasMonte Mafnas,

the director of theDepartment of LandManagement, diedin April after a fightwith cancer.Gov. Eddie Calvo

had said Mafnas washis most trusted ad-

viser on land issues.“He had a special way of inspiring all of

us with his never-ending optimism, senseof duty, and can-do attitude,” Calvo stated.“He worked all the time, even when he wasin the hospital waiting for treatment, recov-ering from surgery, and without any abilityto speak or walk.”

Vicente “Ben” PangelinanConsidered to be one of the longest-serv-

ing senators, Sen.Vicente “Ben”Pangelinan diedon July 8, 2013at age 58.Since first

being elected topublic office in1992, Pangeli-nan served atotal of 10 termsas senator andone as speakerin the 27th Leg-

islature.He was known as a fighter for the people

of Guam and a dedicated public servant.“Guam has lost probably the greatest

leader of this generation,” Vice SpeakerBenjamin Cruz said.

By Amanda Francel BlasPika staff

afblas@guampdn.com

Joaquin Concepcion, father of thelate KC "Savage K" Concepcion,visit's his son's grave in PigoCemetery on Nov. 5, one day aftervoters legalized medical marijuanause on Guam. KC became an ad-vocate for the compassionate useof medical marijuana when he wasdiagnosed with stage IV cancer in2011. Pika file photos

NOTABLE DEATHS

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FValentine's Day Fireworks lightup the Tumon Sky on Friday

Feb. 14. The fireworks display waspart of Guam Visitors Bureau's#GuamLove Campaign. The cam-paign aims to proclaim 2014 the"year of love” in Guam, accordingto GVB.

GTomasa Perez, 2, left, and herbrother, Talon Perez, 3, try to

blow soap bubbles while dressedas "Despicable Me" minions duringthe Friday Nights at the Park eventin Adelup on Feb. 14. Over 300people spent their Valentine'sevening with family and friendswatching the animated feature,"Despicable Me 2."

HKen Hasegawa, 11, kicks offfrom the starting block at the

start of his event during the Guam SwimFederation long course meet at theHagåtña Pool on Feb. 22.

IYona Redhawks' Frank Camacho (10)and Melvin Javier (21) miss a pop to cen-terfield during the Guam Budweiser Mas-ters Baseball League game against theMaimai Marlins at the Paseo Stadium inHagåtña on Feb. 15.

J PXC 42, Tyrone Jones vs. Josh Muna.Jones Takes Muna down and proceeds

to pummel him during their match at theUniversity of Guam Fieldhouse. Joneswent on to win by unanimous decision.

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AHundreds of friends andfamilies gathered at Tiyan

on Jan. 5 to welcome home 280members of the Guam ArmyNational Guard’s 1st Battalion,294th Infantry Regiment whoreturned on a chartered flightafter their deployment toAfghanistan.

BNasion Chamoru member,Rose Nolan Taitano, reach-

es up to make a Guam flagwave in the wind during aprotest on the access road tothe Guam National WildlifeRefuge Ritidian Unit on Jan. 11.Nasion members, Ritidian fami-lies and other residents held thedemonstration to proclaim thatthe land was unjustly taken bythe federal government and toinsist on the removal of a gatethat limits access to the shore-line properties.

CThe 2014 New Year baby,Amber Crisha Caponpon, is

held by her mother, Amor Laxa-mana, during a presentation ofgifts by local businesses atSagua Managu Birthing Centerin Tamuning on Jan 1.

DPepper brings in 2014 witha bang on New Years Eve

at The Beach Bar.

EFrom left, Lashawn Fernan-dez, 18, Dorianza Baza, 18,

Alyssa Roberto, 17 and DennisClemente, 18, jump into the air

for a photo at John F. KennedyHigh School on the first day ofschool after the holiday breakon Jan. 6.

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AHundreds of residentschecked out the products

and services offered by variouswedding-related vendors duringthe 14th annual Pacific DailyNews Weddings in ParadiseShow in the Sheraton Laguna

Guam Resort on March 22.

BLocal, federal and firefight-ers from the Common-

wealth on Northern Mariana Is-lands, battle each other in theirfire fighting skills during the

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Firefighter MusterCompetition on March15. The two-day con-test took place at theformer Guam Grey-hound Park inTamuning.

CFritz Weilbacherstrains sakau into

a coconut cup duringthe University ofGuam's 46th CharterDay in Mangilao onMarch 11.

DAndersen Elemen-tary School third-

grader, Ramon Padua

Jr., center, gets com-fortable in his seat dur-ing the 2014 ScrippSpelling Bee RegionalCompetition at theLeoPalace Resort inYona on March 8. Pad-ua finished in ninthplace in the competi-tion.

EKalina Sunga, 14,left, cries tears of

joy as she hugs her fa-ther, Staff Sgt. LouieSunga, after his arrivalat the A.B. Won Pat In-ternational Airport onMarch 17. A group of

16 Guam Air NationalGuard airmen returnedto the island after a de-ployment to Qatar. AGuam Army Nationalguardsmen, who wasrecieving medical treat-ment in Hawaii, also re-turned with the group.The flight was the firstof two, of returning air-men. The second flight,with nine more airmen,was expected to arrivelater in the evening onMarch 17.

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FCatholics carrying a wooden cross passone of the many Stations of the Cross

as they climb up Mt. Jumullong Manglo onGood Friday.

GCompetitors race through the bumpsand jumps in the second heat of the

motorcycle motocross during SmokinWheels 2014 at the Guam InternationalRaceway on April 12.

HMembers of Chuuck CluturalDance  perform during the 27th Guam

Micronesia Island fair on its last day, Sun-day April 27.

INimitz Hill resident Frank Wells uses agarden hose to wet the grass surrounding

his home as a grass fire rages on alongTurner Road on April 5.

JGuam Fire Department medics prepareto transport one of the victims in a two-

vehicle crash on Route 15 in Yigo on April13. Four people died and one person wassent to the hospital with serious injuries.

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ARichard Payne, front, and other cancer sur-vivors give it their all as they pull a United Boe-

ing 737-800 aircraft, weighing a total of 145,000pounds, 12 feet during the 9th Annual “Towing theLine to Save Lives” Plane Pull in Tiyan on May 10.Over 40 teams competed to benefit the AmericanCancer Society and Guam Cancer Care.

BRoyln Hollister, right, snaps a selfie of her andher mother, Erlinda Baldevia, 71, during the

American Cancer Society's Relay for Life event atthe George Washington High School track inMangilao on May 23. Baldevia won her battleagainst lung cancer eight years ago.

CJohn F. Kennedy High School incoming sen-iors wave in front of the Tamuning school on

May 28, in protest of redistricting plans for the up-coming school year. Students expressed dismaythat their tight-knit community will be torn apart bythe shifting of more than 100 JFK students to thenew high school in Tiyan.

DUS Navy Master Chief Johannes Gonzalez,left, and Capt. Mike Ward lay a wreath, in

memory of service members killed in the KoreanWar during the Memorial Day ceremony at Adelupon May 26.

EDancers Zyra Estebat, front, and Paolo Valdezcompete in the duo category during the 2014

iDANCE Competition Finale at the Micronesia Mall

on May 24. The couple's performance capturedthem third place honors.

FDancers Jason Zamora and Jeremy Zamoraperform during the 2014 iDANCE Competition

Finale at the Micronesia Mall on May 24. The duowent on to win first place in their category.

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GRobin Eclavea reacts after winningagainst Jeff Mesa at the PXC 44

Featherweight Division fight held atthe University of Fieldhouse on June27.

HGuam-born singer Pia Mia per-forms for a packed crowd during

the Guam Live International MusicFestival at the Paseo Stadium inHagåtña on June 7.

IA female passenger died and threeothers were sent to the hospital aftera Toyota Tercel crashed into a buildingoff of Marine Corps Drive in Tamuningearly in the morning on June 10.

JYusuke Yachi, in the red shorts,pins and pummels Ryan Mulvihill on

the mat during their Pacific X-TremeCombat 44 matchup at the University

of Guam Calvo Field House on June26. After going the distance of threerounds, Yachi was declared the winner.

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AA participantwaves to

spectators whiletraveling aboardthe Korean Asso-ciation of Guamtrolley waves tothe crowd duringthe LiberationDay Parade onJuly 21.

BVehicles drivealong the

flooded area atChalan Guaguain Dededo whileCondition ofReadiness 1 is ineffect due to theapproachingTropical StormHalong on July30.

CThe driver in-volved in a

fatal auto-pedes-trian accident inDededo is pho-tographed sitting on a curb as policeconduct an investigation on July 9.The 21-year-old man fled to his Yigohome after the accident and wasbrought back to the scene by hismother, according to the Guam Po-lice Department.

DReanne Acasio weeps whiletestifying in defense of Chad

DeSoto trial at the Superior Court ofGuam in Hagatna on July 1.

EPolice launched an investigationafter Nick Tolentino was found

dead at his salon, Hair Plus by Nick,in Tamuning on July 27.

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AUGUSTFDepartment of

Education Super-intendent Jon Fer-nandez recollectsthe problems theschool had and talksabout the improve-ments made.

GJason Frias (24)of Barrigada

Crusaders drives tothe hoop.

HA graduationceremony was

held at the Govern-ment House inAgana Heights onAug. 5, for nine newDepartment of Cor-rections officers whocompleted training.The group is the firstto complete a newofficer training pro-gram run by DOC inconjunction withGuam CommunityCollege.

IA Southern HighSchool senior cele-brates after he andothers turn their tas-sels during the Rain-bow Graduation Cer-emony held atSouthern HighSchool on Aug. 4.

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ARegine Lee, left, and her daughterMia Lee, 6, watch the family shorts

showcase during the Guam Internation-al Film Festival at the Agana ShoppingCenter on Sept. 27.

BConvicted murderer Chad DeSotospeaks during his sentencing hear-

ing at the Superior Court of Guam onSept. 25. He recieved three life sen-tences without the possibility of parolefor the February 2013 Tumon attacks.

C Antonio Palacios, right, gets a hugfrom his father, former police officer

and Department of Corrections DirectorJose Palacios, at the graduation cere-mony of the Guam Police Department's

Civilian Volunteer Police Reserves 17thCycle at the Father Duenas MemorialSchool's Phoenix Center on Sept. 27.

DCultural dance group, Rasan Acho'Latte performs with Miss Earth

Guam 2013 Katarina Mar-tinez during the 2014 MissEarth Guam pageant.

ECongresswomanMadeleine Bordallo

places the crown onChanel Cruz Jarrett, the2014 winner of the MissWorld Guam Pageant. atthe Sheraton Laguna Re-sort

FFrom left, Chita Blaise,CEO, American Red

Cross Guam Chapter; Lau-ra Dacanay, Chairwoman,14th American Red CrossBall; and Marcos Fong,

Chairman of the Board, American RedCross Guam Chapter, toast during the14th annual Red Ball on September 20.

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GParticipants warmup before thestart of Macy's Guam's 6th annual

High Heel-a-Thon at the MicronesiaMall in Dededo on Oct. 11. Male and fe-male participants dress in high heelshoes then race to benefit the Ameri-can Red Cross.

HTrick-or-treaters of all ages cameout to the annual Department of

Parks and Recreation Halloween Bashat the Paseo de Susana in Hagåtña onOct. 24.

IFourteen members of Guam PoliceDepartment's 5th Police Officer Train-ing Cycle graduated from their courseand were sworn in as officers at a cere-mony held at Government House inAgana Heights on Oct. 10. Family andfriends assisted with the pinning of theirbadges during the ceremony.

JThe U.S. Navy aircraft carrierGeorge Washington arrived at NavalBase Guam for a port visit on Oct. 2According to commanding offi-cer Capt. Greg Fenton, the ap-proximately 5,500 sailors willhave an opportunity to enjoyliberty and participate in com-munity relations projects afterparticipating in exercise ValiantShield 2014 recently.

KBodybuilders pose duringthe Michelob Ultra Guam

National Bodybuilding andBody Fitness Championshipsand International Invitationalheld at Leo Palace on October25.

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FHundred turned out tomourn the three teens killed

in a hit-and-run in a candlelightvigil held at a crash site in Yigoon Dec. 7. Cherrica Gallan, 19,

Julia George, 16, and SalySantos, 16, died after the crashon Chalan Ramirez in Yigo onNov. 29.

GUnited Airlines hostedUnited Fantasy Flight 2109

that flew children from BigBrother Big Sisters of Guamand Ironwood Communities to

the North Pole where they ex-perienced numerous activitiesheld at Guam International Air-port on Dec. 12.

HThe karosa with the SantaMarian Kamalen statue is

pulled through the streets ofHagåtña during the annual pro-cession to celebrate the Feastof the Immaculate Conceptionon Dec. 8.

IThe second annual PeaceFestival is ongoing at Govern-ment House in Agana Heights,with various displays to includevillage representations. At theDededo village display onopening night, residents posedfor photos with props. The festi-val will be open to the public

through Jan. 4, 2015.

JOffset Kings Guam 2014.Paulo Cusi and Kia Sablan

with their 1991 Mazda Miatawith Team Exile, their car club.The Auto Show took place atthe Guam Raceway Park.

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Benito onstage in front of acheering crowd of support-ers at their campaign head-quarters in Anigua on Nov.5.

BThe 35th Japan AutumnFestival was held at the

Gov. Joseph Flores BeachPark, at Ypao Beach, in Tu-mon on Nov. 22. During thefestival, visitors and resi-dents experience dance,music, food and other activi-ties celebrating Japaneseculture.

CAsura, a Dalmationbreed dog, is covered

with more than her regularblack spots as she posesfor a photo with Ben Schiffafter their participation inthe 9th annual Triple J Fami-

ly Fun/Run/Walk held on on Marine Corps Drive inTamuning on Nov. 15. “These Colors Run” was thetheme for this year's race and featured volunteerssplashing and coating participants with multiocoloredpowder at designated points along the event route.

DVeterans with the Military Order of the PurpleHeart approach the stage to be honored at the

Veterans Day ceremony at Adelup on Nov. 11.

ESuzane Lotino cries after being shown an autop-sy photograph of her daughter, Alzana Therese

Lotino, while testifying for the prosecution againstJohn J.T. Castro at the Superior Court of Guam onNov. 10.

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Below: Guam Moms Helping Moms and Families members and volunteers held their first homelessoutreach at the Chamorro Village in Hagåtña on Oct. 26, as part of Make A Difference Day. Guam

Momshanded outdonateditems suchas cannedgoods, hy-giene prod-ucts andclothing,and provid-ed pre-pared foodto home-less peopleand fami-lies inneed. Photocourtesy ofAshley Cruz

The Pacific Daily News hosted a seriesof paddling clinics throughout themonth of October as part of a commu-nity outreach project leading up to

Make a Difference Day.Make a Difference Day is an annual day of vol-

unteering on Oct. 25. The nationwide event waslaunched by USA WEEKEND, a company ownedby Gannett, Pacific Daily News’ parent company.

More than 80 kids attended the clinics and wereinvited to join in the exhibition race during the Mi-cronesia Cup, the biggest paddling outrigger canoerace event in Micronesia.

Other organizations and groups also participatedin Make a Difference Day, demonstrating civic ac-tion throughout the island community.

By Amanda Francel BlasPika

afblas@guampdn.com

Below: The Benavente Middle School science department and Eco Explorers Club hosted asidewalk cleanup on Santa Monica Street in Dededo as part of a Make a Difference Day proj-ect. Students, parents, faculty, and members from the community, including support from theDededo Mayor’s Office, gathered with various gardening equipment to clear a pathway topromote a safe biking route in Dededo. Photo courtesy of Tricia Caraig

Right: Ameri-Corps GuahanAcademy YouthProject donateditems to OasisRecovery Cen-ter on Oct. 25as part of Makea DifferenceDay project.Pictured is Oa-sis Empower-ment Centerrepresentative,Ms. Gina andAmeriCorpsGuahan Acade-my Youth Pro-gram, LisaJensen, Pro-gram Director

Above: Students from George Washington High School’s Marine Mania Clubwave at the ITC Intersection in Tamuning for their “Save Our Sharks” campaign onMake a Difference Day, Oct. 25.

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1Hiroko Walls and PeterWalls, owners of the new

Tumon bar Shamrocks Puband Eatery, pose for a photowith fellow bar owner JimmyDee of Jimmy Dee’s BeachBar during the ShamrocksVIP grand opening on Nov.26.

2Shamrocks Pub andEatery in Tumon held its

grand opening on Nov. 26.From left: Hiroko Walls, own-er; Peter Walls, owner; RyanCamacho, general manager;Rachele Riley, manager; andchef Paul Matthews.

3The new Tumon barShamrocks Pub & Eatery

held its VIP grand opening onNov. 26. Among those who at-tended were Vanessa Pereda,administrator assitant for Cam5 Real Estate; Jennifer Winn,residential officer for Bank ofHawaii; Germain Quitugua,board of director for IslandLiason; and Veronica Lujan,entrepreneur.

4Jonahan Romero and Ja-son Cunliffe, players for

the Guam national footballteam, attended the VIP grandopening of Shamrocks Puband Eatery in Tumon on Nov.26.

5Ladies of Shamrocks posefor a photo during the VIP

grand opening of the new barin Tumon on Nov. 26. Fromleft: Nora Cruz, Molly Behr,Melissa Coleman and IsaTroy.

6Alexandria Sanchez, salesmarketing manager for Un-

derWater World; Mitch Gar-diner; and Aurielle Gardiner,general manager for Interna-tional Sports Center; pose fora photo during the VIP grandopening of the new Tumonbar Shamrocks Pub andEatery on Nov. 26.

Photos by Ashley Brown/

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he Guam Medical Association held its fundraising gala atthe Hyatt Regency Guam on Dec. 15. During the event, thefalsetto voice of Frankie Valli was brought to life during "OHWHAT A NIGHT! A Musical Tribute to Frankie Valli and the

Four Seasons” with tribute performers singing chart-topper tunessuch as “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” Sherry Baby” and “Walk Like a Man.”

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Photos by Rick Cruz/Pika/rmcruz@guampdn.com