AS the world gradually recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic, Tinian Mayor Edwin P. Aldan has great plans for the island, including a “Beer Beef Band” festival to be held later this month, showcasing the island’s cattle industry.
Mayor Aldan said he hopes the festival will attract crowds of people, resembling major festivals, such as the annual Tinian Hot Pepper Festival and the Taste of the Marianas.
He said Beer Beef Band would allow local vendors the opportunity to showcase their best dishes not just for general consumption but also for a cooking competition.
This economic downturn in light of the global Covid-19 pandemic provides Tinian with the perfect time to assess other revenue streams, the mayor said.
“We’re lucky that we have federal funds coming our way, but sooner or later those federal funds will dry [up], so where do we go from here? I think this is the perfect time to really look at what economic stimulants that we can get out of our islands,” the mayor added.
He noted that the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently inspected the island’s slaughterhouse, adding that there are still some minor details that need to be worked out before the beef industry on Tinian can be revived.
The mayor said the House of Taga may also be reconstructed sometime soon to serve as a reception area filled with indigenous artwork depicting the island’s history.
This project would include digging up limestone, the material that latte stones are made of.
Mayor Aldan wants the project to last beyond his tenure, hopefully funded through a portion of the $200,000 grant recently awarded to the island.
The grant would also help fund other tourist attractions on Tinian, the mayor said.
“It could cost in the millions of dollars, but [the funds] slowly could be used to start the design concept of what we want to do… It’s got to be here. It has to start from here because this is where the biggest standing latte stones are,” he said.
Moreover, Aldan said the island’s renovations would include a peace monument on the North Field.
The memorial, he said, could serve as a way to fortify relationships with New Mexico and Japan, which share World War II ties with the island.
New Mexico is where the United States’ first nuclear weapon tests took place while Tinian served as the base of operations for an atomic attack against Japan.
Aldan wants New Mexico, Japan, and Tinian to sign a peace declaration.
“[We] want to put it out to the world and showcase [Tinian] as a peace island. Never again will we ever use that weapon,” he said, referring to nuclear bombs.
Edwin Aldan
