East Hagta mural completed

"Retaining the Spirit of Guam, U.S.A." has been an ongoing project for many years but was finally completed yesterday.

"It has been a long journey with a lot of work," said James Terbio, project manager with the Island Beautification Task Force.

A long-time vision of Lt. Gov. Ray Tenorio came to pass yesterday with the ribbon cutting of the East Hagta wall. The wall, first painted in 2003, features a combination of the American and Guam flags flying together in unison with a yellow ribbon in the center. Because the wall had to be repainted several times throughout the years, Tenorio wanted to create something longer lasting.

Rather than continuing to repaint the wall throughout the years, Tenorio and the Island Beautification Task Force decided to use mosaic tiles.

The wall features 385,920 one-inch tiles, and it took approximately 2,100 working hours to complete.

Gov. Eddie Calvo said the wall represents what Guam's people have experienced throughout the years.

"It symbolizes a great people of Guam and all the things they've gone through but also the intimate relationship with the United States, the greatest democracy in the world," Calvo said.

The center of the wall, as Tenorio described it, is a representation of the military men and women who "kept tyranny off this island."

"This is our home, and we take pride in it," Tenorio said.

Several military men and women joined the governor and lieutenant governor in the ribbon-cutting process. Tenorio said he believed it was important to have the service members in attendance yesterday.

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East Hagta mural completed