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FRIDAY, August 14, 2009
A little yellow dot of energy landed at Amata Kabua International Airport Tuesday morning. On board were a couple of South Africans who believe that when they return home they will have flown the smallest ever plane around the world. The flight from Maui, Hawaii, to Majuro “was really fine,” Mike Blyth told the Journal Wednesday morning. “We had a couple of small storms and turbulence, but otherwise the flight went well.” This was an improvement on their flight over Arizona, when their only engine cut out. “One of our tanks ran dry,” Pitman said. “That was the first time we’ve forgotten to change tanks. We’ve always thought that in that situation the engine would splutter a bit, giving us time to swap tanks, but it just suddenly stopped dead. The prop keeps spinning though, and we were on to it like lynxes. It probably took us less than three seconds to switch tanks and another five for the engine to restart.”
The next stop for the aviators, who own an operation called the Airplane Factory in Johannesburg, will be Chuuk, FSM. They left South Africa on July 18 and hope to arrive home on August 22.
Death sentence for
This Week's
Inside Stories
Ship crowd causes delay
Lack of port control forced cancellation of Tuesday’s Langdrik field trip service to the northern Ratak islands. Shipping Corporations’ General Manager Wally Milne told the Journal that for the past two years repeated requests to the Ports Authority for its security to only allow passengers with tickets to enter the dock area have gone unanswered causing repeated problems with field trip services. “The ship was not over booked,” said Milne. “People without tickets were allowed on the dock and they were jumping in the front and back of the boat to get on.”
UES stuck at Assumption
Uliga Elementary School will remain at Assumption indefinitely. RMI Chief Secretary Casten Nemra confirmed this week that the estimated 300 students of Uliga Elementary School will continue their 2009-2010 school year at Assumption. “The short-term plan is to improve on the current space we are using at Assumption,” said Nemra. As for the long-term goal he says that the government is still discussing it.
RMI tipped to sign MOU on bulk fuel
The Marshall Islands has indicated it will sign a government-to-government memorandum of understanding (MOU) on a ‘Bulk Procurement of Petroleum’ initiative, which has already been signed by governments of the Cook Islands, Nauru, Tuvalu, and Niue.
The fuel initiative was raised again at last week’s Pacific Islands Forum, with leaders noting that since their last meeting in 2008 in Niue, “significant progress has been made in the implementation of the initiative,” according to the Forum’s communique. As well as the Marshalls, the communique stated that Tonga and the Solomons have also said they will sign the MOU.
Micronesians
The State of Hawaii announced last week that it will end dialysis and cancer treatments for Marshall Islanders and citizens of other freely associated states on September 1, saying it cannot continue to pay for these services. At issue is the gap between what the State of Hawaii says these services for FAS citizens cost — estimated at $90 millionannually — and the reimbursement Hawaii receives from the US government yearly — about $11 million. These cutbacks have sent shock waves through Marshallese, Micronesian and Palauan communities in Hawaii. If they go through as announced, it will be a death sentence for the dozens of islanders who receive the life-extending three-times-a-week dialysis treatment at Hawaii hospitals, as well as chemotherapy treatment for cancer. According to a report in Friday’s Honolulu Advertiser, Marshall Islanders, Micronesians and Palauans along with Hawaii supporters are opposing the cuts, asking the state to continue to provide the services. The Honolulu Advertiser reports that nearly 100 members of the Micronesian community and its supporters held a rally at the state Capitol to demand that the state and federal governments come up with sufficient funds to continue health care benefits for Micronesians living in Hawai’i. Organized by Micronesians United, the rally drew dozens of migrants from Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau who receive health care coverage through the state’s QUEST Medicaid program. Several elected officials and representatives from social services organizations also joined the rally. Critics of the new program say the plan will not pay for treatment of serious illnesses, such as cancer and kidney diseases. Manuel Sound, a former lieutenant governor of Chuuk State, moved to Hawai’i seven years ago because he could not receive dialysis treatments in his native Chuuk. If the state puts him on the basic health plan, he said, he will no longer be able to afford the treatments. “I’m worried,” the 69-year-old father of seven told the Honolulu Advertiser. “I will get poisoned, then I’ll start digging a grave here or wait until I die and then they’ll send me home in a box if I stop dialysis.” Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie last week successfully included an amendment to a bill that would give the state matching funds for Medicaid to Compact migrants, or about $15 million annually. Sisan Suda, an officer with Micronesian United, said he appreciated Abercrombie’s effort and hoped that it will be enough to care for the people in need. “This is a federal obligation,” said Suda, 69. “The state is an extension of the federal government and Micronesians are asking the United States through the state of Hawai’i to meet its obligation.”
Beautify the islands... Keep trash off the streets & beaches.
End of the Hess era
The Board of Regent’s Jack Niedenthal has been selected to chair the committee charged with finding a replacement for current president of the College of the Marshall Islands, Wilson Hess (pictured). Hess officially announced his retirement Monday, telling the Journal that he will continue with CMI as President Emeritus “so that I can continue to help advance the College’s mission even after my retirement.” His retirement is effective December.
Eggert the new man at Kwaj
The Reagan Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll has a new commander following the departure of Lt. Col. Harold Buhl, Jr., who is being replaced Lt. Col. John Eggert (pictured) in the position of Director. Foreign Affairs Minister John Silk and the US Embassy’s Charge d’Affaires Bob MacCallum both attended the change of command ceremony held July 24.
Man! He's strong!
Jesse Roland wowed the crowds last Saturday as he pumped and flexed his way to become Majuro’s strongest man in the Do It Best Strongman competition. The event, held at the Delap field (former Weather Station), pulled in hundreds of spectators and seven contestants vying to be Majuro’s strongest man.
Land rights
OLD WOMAN: The reason why that land is mine is that your father borrowed my iron pot and he brought it back with also a piece of land for me! Burn man!
MAN THINKING: Man, woman from long ago are such uglies.

Journal 8/22/1970

Journal 8/10/1974
P1 Story titled “Burned Again”: The people of Utrik Island will be receiving in the near future an “inconvenience payment” promised since 1970 from the Atomic Energy Commission for the exposure and removal of the Utrikese in 1954. According to Senator Olympio Borja, chairman of the Congress of Micronesia’s Special Joint Committee concerning
P1 A new Army Civic Action Team arrived here Thursday to replace the present team which has been working in the Marshalls for the past five and one-half months.
P8 Briefs: When Marshalls Distad deBrum returned from his latest trip to Saipan, he carried with him $7,400 to be distributed to the Kili Islanders. This sum, nearly double the usual semi-annual payment from the Kili Trust Fund, reflects a higher interest bearing reinvestment of the
original Kili money, says the Distad…Chances are the new district Educational Administrator will be Kijna Andrike. There is paperwork now being processed for an American to work with Andrike in an advisory capacity…And last but not least is the word carried in the New York Times recently that Johnston Island has been chosen as a site to store nerve gas.
P9 Kili Petition to High Commissioner Edward Johnston from Kili Magistrate Lorek: We the People of Bikini ask that the US government pay us the sum of $100 million for the following: The use of Bikini Atoll. We were never given legal help or the opportunity to obtain counsel by the Trust Territory before signing…The paper was signed 10 years ago after the government took Bikini and we had no actual bargaining power; Payment for the suffering inflicted on the Bikini people; Payment for damages to Bikini Atoll; Payment for moving us from out atoll without proper investigation of a suitable place to live.”
P11 Ad: Robert Reimers Enterprises “Boat Pool Warehouse Clearance Sale!” Fruit cocktail, 15 oz 25¢; Del Monte peach halves 1 lb 35¢; pink salmon 7 3/4 oz 40¢.
P12 Movie at MIECO theater, Saturday: I Love You Alice B. Toklas.
Rongelap and Utrik, $18,212 has been received by the Trust Territory Department of Finance for distribution to the people of Utrik. Borja said individual checks amounting to $116 each for the 157 people originally exposed and removed from Utrik because of the fallout from the March 1, 1954 “Bravo” H-bomb blast at Bikini will be sent to the Marshall Islands District for distribution sometime this month.
P1 A letter of petition signed by more than 100 “businessmen, traditional chiefs, teachers and various government employees” was read into the Journal of the Congress of Micronesia House of Representatives Friday by Marshall Islands Congressman John Heine. He said the letter was written by several Marshallese “who do not agree with recent moves taken by people who claim to represent the people of the Marshalls.” The four-page letter says there is today in the Marshalls “a powerful movement organized through the Nitijela to separate our islands from the Trust Territory.”
P1 Marshall Islands Senator Amata Kabua said this week that the political status commission in his district, which he heads, is not advocating any particular form of future status for the Marshalls. The former Senate President said members of the commission are now in the process of traveling throughout the district to talk with the people and get their views. Kabua said it is his feeling that many Marshallese are not aware of the various status alternatives.

Journal 8/14/1990
P1 A 33 percent take hike passed by Majuro Atoll Local Government goes into effect August 17, according to MALGov city manager
Jim Alloway. The new law increases the retail sales tax from three to four percent. This ordinance was recently reviewed by the Ministry of Internal and Outer Islands Affairs, which approved implementation of the new law, but outlines considerations the Ministry thought ought to be kept in mind by the local government. IOIA Minister Brenson Wase in a letter to MALGov said “discussion indicated the need for MALGov to explore direct and alternative means of enforcing collection of taxes, both currently due and delinquent taxes…If the solution to the delinquent tax problem generates sufficient revenues to balance the MALGov budget, I would expect the sales tax rate to be reduced to three percent.”
P4 “Too much whitebread”: You just can’t please everbody all the time. Last week we got blaseted by local attorney Scott Stege for putting out a lousy newspaper, and this week we get attacked by that swarthy businessman who runs Cruisin’ Taxi, Mr. Kimbar Peter. Kimbar’s complaint was that our editorial about the Clinton and Bush options was lopsided and only gave the options considered by white Americans. “How come you didn’t talk about ‘our boy?’” he demanded. “So who’s ‘your boy?’” we asked. “Jesse, man, Jesse Jackson. The Rainbow Coalition. That’s us,” came the reply. Just goes to show you how far out of touch some of these local businessmen are.
P4 “A major reshuffle”: Wow, how’s this for a massive resignation at one time: the comptroller and General Manager of Tobolar, the comptroller for PII, the comptroller for PII/McConnell Dowell Joint Venture, the comptroller for Pacific Wheels, the comptroller for Marshalls Insurance and the comptroller for Pacific Unique Travel have all resigned their positions and the resignations have been accepted. Sounds like a lot until you realize that it all boils down to just one guy: Kevin Ake. According to Kevin he is still on board, but training Mike Slinger (formerly of Deloitte and Touche and operator of the Yacht Club) to take over.
P18 Photo of four guys, standing shoulder-to-shoulder, backs to camera, looking down into six foot long hole in ground, backs arched back slightly in a certain pose associated with male type activity, each with one arm strategically positioned just south of their waistline, with caption reading: “RRE employees have a moment of silence to honor Pope.”