AUGUST 20, 2010
Phillip, Jiba fast track climate grant action
“We cannot wait” is the reason that United Nations Ambassador Phillip Muller (pictured below), his staff, and Japan Ambassador Jiba Kabua are leading a fast track effort to get international funding for climate change-related projects. Since Monday, dozens of RMI government and non-government organization leaders have been ensconced at the ICC in talks aimed at producing a “roadmap” for the RMI to begin accessing funding pledged by international donors. Muller told the Journal Tuesday that as a result of the global meeting on climate change in Copenhagen last December, countries of the world have pledged $30 billion for work to combat climate change and sea level rise. Japan has another $15 billion initiative and the United Arab Emirates has offered $100 million over 10 years for the Pacific islands to address sea level rise. But very little of this money has actually flowed to the Marshall Islands and other developing nations that need it, Muller said.
Fred: Beef up auditor's office
The RMI government needs more performance audits conducted, said Ujae Senator Frederick ‘Kano’ Muller, chairman of the Public Accounts Committee.
Speaking to the Journal Friday after wrapping up three weeks of public hearings focusing on accountability at every government Ministry and agency, Muller said the key is get a permanent Auditor General hired and to beef up the level of staffing in this important government office
Nitijela opening
Nitijela opened its second session of 2010 on Monday with President Jurelang Zedkaia delivering his state of the nation address.
Zedkaia made repeated references to difficult economic times that have resulted since the 2008 global economic downturn. Speaker Alvin Jacklick provided each member with a copy of the Nitijela's new corporate plan. The plan follows on the Nitijela strengthening project led by previous Speakers Litokwa Tomeing and Zedkaia with the support of the United Nations Development Program, Jacklick said.
RALGov to showcase pearls
Rongelap Atoll is in the midst of its first pearl harvest. Mayor James Matayoshi told the Journal this week that a pearl seeding and harvesting technician from Tahiti is at Rongelap this week working with Rongelap Atoll Local Government staff to harvest an estimated 1,500 pearls. “Our aim is to do a ‘showcase’ and sale of the pearls just like RRE has done in the past,” Matayoshi said of the pearl harvest.
Emson Makroro
Men play bingo while Emson
is murdered
GIFF JOHNSON
While a group of men played bingo outside a Rita house, inside Emson Makroro was brutally murdered Saturday night after an extended argument with her husband.
Morton Makroro, 54, was charged with second-degree murder on Tuesday and at a hearing the same day High Court Judge James Plasman denied bail, ordering him held in jail pending the outcome of the criminal case.
A police affidavit and hospital report described the atrocity in detail. Makroro’s wife, Emson, 50, was stabbed multiple times with a kitchen knife that was found embedded in her ribs by her heart. She was dead on arrival at the hospital. Police searched for Makroro, “who had left the scene,” and arrested him later Saturday night. Police detective Captain Vincent Tani reported the police received a call from off-duty police officer Steve Abwe at 8pm Saturday reporting a fight between Makroro and Emson. Four men — Abwe, Aine Aine, Chris Lakien and Wilson Milne — were sitting in the vicinity of the house and reported Makroro was drunk before the argument broke out. They reported hearing shouting and swear words coming from the house. At one point, Abwe told Tani, Emson opened the window and called out to the group, “you guys come and see this guy here, this woman basher.” (continued below)
Morton Makroro is escorted by National Police Corrections Officer Rafferty Capelle from the High Court Tuesday afternoon after Judge James Plasman denied bail. Makroro is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Emson Makroro.
Photo: Suzanne Chutaro.
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Emson's cry for help from men
laceration wounds to her arms, legs, torso and head. Assistant Attorney General Rosania Alfred filed the charges late Tuesday. Makroro is represented by Chief Public Defender Russell Kun. Judge Plasman determined that there was “sufficient probable cause” to believe the crime was committed and was committed by Makroro. He ordered him held without bail, and set a preliminary hearing for Tuesday August 24 at 10am. If good cause is found to proceed at next week’s hearing, Makroro can enter a plea, Plasman said in his order. In explaining the order to hold Makroro without bail, Plasman said “no other means are available to provide reasonable assurance the defendant will not flee or gravely endanger public safety.”
(Continued from above) Aine signaled Abwe to call the police, which he did. A few minutes after this initial call, the fight subsided, so Abwe made his second call to the National Police station, saying the fight had stopped, which called off a possible police intervention.
Meanwhile, Aine and two others were playing bingo on pallets just outside the house where the Makroros lived when the fight resumed, the police said.
Aine began heading over to where Abwe, Lakien and Milne were sitting nearby to ask them for help in stopping the fight, when one of the men playing bingo heard his four-year-old daughter — who had entered the house looking
for a playmate — scream to him, “Baba, botoktok” (“Dad, blood”). He called to Aine, “go check the lady in the house.” When Abwe opened the door, he said he found Makroro standing just inside with no shirt on and covered in blood. Abwe reported Makroro was wiping blood from his arms, chest and stomach with a T-shirt, and responded to Abwe’s questioning, “go take a look, Emson is dead. I hit her on the head.”
Abwe opened the door to the couple’s room to find her face down and motionless, with “blood everywhere.” Abwe immediately made his third call to police and another to the hospital. The hospital medical report showed Emson was the victim of multiple hacking, stabbing and
Ading: ADB okays $14m loan
The Asian Development Bank on Tuesday approved a $14.5 million loan that will help stabilize the precarious financial situation of the Marshalls Energy Company (MEC) and support RMI government reform efforts.
The $14.5 million is two loans, the first of $9.5 million for MEC, and the second related to ongoing government reforms of its state owned enterprises as well as spending and tax practices. “The new loan will not increase the RMI’s loan burden but actually reduce it by switching a higher interest commercial loan to the ADB’s concessional loan,” Kiyoshi Nakamitsu, ADB’s RMI desk officer, told the Journal. “The immediate RMI saving is $1.1 million with another $1.5 million saving of MEC’s cash flow.”
The ADB loan will be used by MEC to pay off its existing high-interest Bank of 		Guam loan. ADB is giving MEC a seven-year holiday on loan repayments, and then providing a one percent rate of interest. MEC General Manager David Paul said because of the ADB loan, MEC will save millions of dollars, money that can be used to fix equipment and put aside to establish a fund for future loan repayments — one of the key loan requirements.
The ADB loan is based on RMI actions demonstrating a series of reform efforts to reduce spending, invest more money into the government trust fund, and adopt a new tax structure — following recommendations of two advisory panels on a Comprehensive Adjustment Program and tax changes. Finance Minister Jack Ading has been the RMI's point man on this big loan, the first ADB has provided to RMI in a decade.
Minister Jack Ading (right) with ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda.
MEC can pay off Bank of Guam
Assumption Alumni Association's first anniversary
The Assumption Alumni group is aiming for next August to highlight anniversaries for:
• 1961: Golden Anniversary (50 years) of the First Assumption Elementary School graduates. Among the 19 graduates are Tony deBrum, Neimat Nakamura (Reimers), and Philip Kabua.
• 1976: Jade Anniversary (35 years) of the First Assumption High School graduates. Among the 27 graduates are Ramona Lanitulok (Levy-Strauss), John Silk and John Yamamura.
• 1986: Silver Anniversary (25 years) of the Assumption High School graduates. Among the 11 graduates are Garry Elaisha, Jacinta Lojkar and Johnny Philippo.
• 1986: Silver Anniversary of the Assumption Elementary School graduates. Among the 39 graduates are Bruce Bilimon, Jack Chong Gum and Merina Dolores deBrum.
First of MEC's 500 pre-paid meters installed
MEC General Manager David Paul had the new pre-paid electric meter installed at his house this week to encourage others to follow. “We’re not targeting low-income or ‘bad’ customers,” he said. “Eventually all residential customers will be on pre-paid meters.” MEC is looking for volunteers for the first 500 meters that will be installed over the next few
weeks, with 1,000 more expected later this year.

Journal 8/21/1971
P1 Mounting conscious concern by the Japanese for the future of the Trust Territory is what Congress of Micronesia Representative Ataji Balos noted during his recent trip to Japan. Balos went to Japan to attend a symposium on atomic and nuclear bomb testing as a representative of the people of Utrik and Rongelap. The Marshalls Congressman said a group of concerned doctors and scientists from Japan are planning to visit the Trust Territory in November in order to have a chance to observe first-hand the condition of Rongelap fallout victims. “The Japanese say they have tried to obtain information on the fallout victims from the United States, but that the Americans are unwilling to give them the data,” he said.
P7 Starfish infestation of the coral reefs of the Marshall Islands does not appear to be a serious problem, according to Ben Sablan, master diver for local starfish control program. “So far, we have completed a complete survey of the lagoonside and oceanside reefs of Majuro and Namdrik Atolls, as well as the southwestern reef of
Arno and parts of the reefs at Aur and Maloelap. For the most part the number of starfish in these areas does not exceed normal populations and that in some cases, coral had regenerated which was earlier reported dead by the University of Hawaii starfish survey,” he said.

Journal 8/23/1985

Journal 8/20/1993
P13 Thousands
turned out for the
dedication of the
new capitol complex
last Thursday and
Friday, feasting on food, dances and music from
all over the Pacific. After accepting the keys to the building, President Amata
P1 The Marshall Islands government is “out to lunch, in conference or cannot be disturbed” as far as the people of Kwajalein are concerned, said an unhappy Mayor Alvin Jacklick in Majuro this week. Every time Kwajalein officials try to get a response from the Marshall Islands government they are told by secretaries “may I have him return your call,” but the return calls never come, said Jacklick who listed a minimum of six projects that have been awaiting RMI action for weeks or months. Kwajalein leaders feel that RMI inaction is intentionally penalizing their constituents on Kwajalein.
P3 What do religion, traditions and customs have to do with family health? Everything, say Justina Langidrik and Janice Alfred who were
Kabua told an overflow audience sitting in the
capitol rotunda that the complex is a “shining
symbol of the democracy which we have built unto ourselves, a democracy that will endure to affirm and
uphold the principles of fundamental human rights and freedom.” Jerry Kramer, owner of Pacific International
Inc., which built the complex in joint venture with
McConnell Dowell of New Zealand, said that some 200
Marshal Islanders worked on the project and comprised
70 percent of the workforce.
the prime organizers of last week’s two-day workshop on “Health, Tradition and Religion in the Marshall Islands.” The meeting brought together 25 health educators from different government departments and the College of Micronesia, and religious, traditional and community leaders to take a first crack at identifying family health problems and what the community can do about them. It was one of the first times that community leaders with no health background were involved in discussions with health educators, said Langidrik, who added that all them. It was one of the first times that community leaders with no
health background were involved in discussions with health educators, said Langidrik, who added that all the panelists were enthusiastic about participating.
P11 Copra trivia: Now it takes twice as much copra to make less money than it did in January…Andrew Bing’s boat, the Kabonrikrik, made 10 voyages so far this year and brought in 718 tons of copra to led all local boats bringing in copra. Chutaro Bros. small boat, the Limalok, has made 18 voyages and logs in at 150 tons. The government-run ships have Capt. Moses leading with the Micro Chief at 114 tons. The Muller bum-bum has made 33 voyages to Arno and brought back 97 tons of copra so far.