By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff

COMMUNITY leaders and volunteers will team up today to clean up Fort Soledad and present a mock-up of the park’s new sign.
The Legislature’s parks subcommittee, co-chaired by Sen. James Espaldon and Sen. Antonio R. Unpingco, R-Santa Rita, along with the Guam Preservation Trust, the Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division, the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Umatac Mayor’s Office, Life Teen Guam South and other preservation partners, will come together to continue the Fort Senora Nuestra de la Soledad Park preservation and beautification project.
The project kicked off in August with the preservation of the fort’s ruins and cannon replicas. In October, the community team beautified the park by planting a variety of trees and shrubs.
Within the last couple of months, a new sign for the park was erected and the bathrooms were upgraded.
Two new interpretive signs for the historic fort and the village of Umatac will be developed. A mock-up of the interpretive sign will be displayed today.
The various organizations will also be working on removing vegetation from the historic structures. The park is intended to serve as a pilot project and model park in an ongoing island-wide park beautification project.
Much of the funding for the project, besides coming from donated time and services of different partners from the University of Guam, the Department of Agriculture, civic organizations and other volunteers, has come from the Guam Preservation Trust and the Guam Visitors Bureau.
Joe Quinata, chief program officer of the Guam Preservation Trust, said he’s especially excited about the role of Life Teen Guam South, a youth group from Umatac and Merizo.
He said the partnership is a great blend of the energy of teens with the historical knowledge of the other groups in the project.
“They’re helping us maintain and take ownership of the park and we’re helping them understand the history of Umatac,” he said.
The vegetation removal project is scheduled to start at 8 a.m. tomorrow. The committee welcomes any individuals or organizations willing to join in the park restoration effort.