AUGUST 6, 2010
Photos: Giff Johnson
The Ministry of Transportation and Fisheries and Nautical Training Center combined last week to run a safety training for boat operators in Majuro, training them in the use of life saving equipment, including inflatable liferafts.
The RMI's
golden boy
RMI wrestler Waylon Muller has done it again — he’s won two gold medals at the Micronesian Games in Palau for a record fifth consecutive Micronesian Games. Muller won his golds in the 85-kilogram (187 pound) weight division in Grecko Roman and freestyle. Kautoa Nawere won bronze in the 76-KG (167 pound) weight division in the Grecko competition.
MOH Buys former ferry from Japan
Encountering repeated difficulties in getting public health teams to and from the outer islands, as well as problems evacuating critically ill patients to Majuro and Ebeye hospital, the Ministry of Health is purchasing a vessel that will be run by the ministry. Acting Hospital Administrator Francis Silk said funding from two US public health-related programs is paying for the vessel that will be used for “better response and preventive care to outer islands.” Director of the Outer Islands Dispensary Service Arata Nathan said the vessel could be here as soon as next month, following recent payment by the Ministry for the vessel.
The vessel is being purchased from Japan, where it has been in use as a ferryboat for passenger traveling between Hokkaido and the Kuril Islands to the north, according to Nathan. The ministry is spending about $75,000 for the vessel, he said.
DCA closes runways
With Air Marshall Islands’ Dornier aircraft now periodically back in the air, several outer islands runways have been closed as a result of pilot reports to the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DCA). Ailuk Atoll’s runway has been closed for months and requires major work to bring it back to service. Based on pilot reports, airports at Aur, Utrik and Mejit have been closed by the DCA.
Hospital has people power for chamber
Seven Majuro Hospital nurses are now certified to operate the hyperbaric chamber for treating diabetic patients following a special training program run by Dr. Robert Maddison. These seven join eight other nurses trained in operating the chamber, giving Majuro Hospital a total of 15 nurses to operate the chamber and tend to six ongoing diabetic patients undergoing treatment.
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Nine students
off to ROC
Nine Marshallese students will head to Taiwan for university studies this year, a 50 percent increase over previous years. Five of the students chosen for ROC scholarships graduated from Marshall Islands High School: Tracy Oliver, Yukiko Muller, Marlynn Lakabung, Cassalis Jarom and Dolse Shoniber. Three are University of the South Pacific graduates: Eseta Cama, Neilan Kaminaga and Hilma Lemari. The nine is Freddy Capelle, who graduated from Xavier High School. In addition to these nine students, Kristofer Person was accepted for a Mandarin Chinese Language Scholarship this year.
GIFF JOHNSON
Bikini Atoll claimed another first for the Marshall Islands last weekend when it was named to the prestigious World Heritage listing. But Bikini Mayor Alson Kelen (pictured right) said the entire country shares in the recognition, not just Bikini. “I want to make sure everybody understand that when I sat in the meeting (in Brazil), the sign before of me said ‘Marshall Islands,’ not Bikini Atoll,” Kelen told the Journal. “The site is ‘Bikini Atoll Nuclear Test.’ This means all Marshallese should be very proud. This site put the Marshall Islands on World Heritage status, so this is also beneficial for the whole country.” Bikini is the first site in the Marshall Islands, and one of only a handful in the Pacific that have gained World Heritage recognition. It is among 911 sites worldwide and 21 that were approved at the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) meeting in Brazil.
“Bikini has been recognized by the rest of the world,” said Bikini Liaison Jack Niedenthal of the United Nations decision. It distinguishes the Marshall Islands. “We’ve done something on a		 world scale from this tiny dot in the Pacific,” he said. Rongelap Islander and former Senator Abacca Anjain-Maddison, who is currently in Japan, is seeing immediate results of the UNESCO decision. The inscription of Bikini to World Heritage site is big news in Hiroshima and the timing is very good because of the anniversary of the (World War II atomic) bombing here,” Anjain-Maddison told the Journal. “I have so many media interviewing me regarding the World Heritage site inscription because the atomic bomb dome in Hiroshima and Bikini World Heritage site (are a) very common ground and Japanese sees it more to promote a nuclear weapon free world and disarmament rather than tourism.” Kelen said as a result of World Heritage status, “the world will once again remember Bikinians’ difficult past, and be curious about the present and the future. The global community now can assist in projects to keep Bikini in the World Heritage status.” This means many opportunities for people here. Both Kelen and Niedenthal said this challenges the national government to improve air service so that people can once again get to Bikini reliably. For 13 years, Bikini ran an internationally recognized scuba dive operation, but shut down in 2008 largely because of problems with Air Marshall Islands service. With the new status, there will be more than divers wanting to go to Bikini Atoll, said Kelen. “We all know visitors to our country mean money to our economy, and not just to Bikinians,” he said. This emphasizes the need for reliable air service to Bikini and other outer islands. “The national government has to either step up (AMI service) or open the business to other companies that want to provide services,” Kelen said.
Niedenthal agreed. “Our challenge is how do we translate international interest in Bikini into getting people there,” he said. “The airline has to come around.” The new designation recognizes Bikini’s place in world history, Kelen said. “Inscription of Bikini Atoll Nuclear Test Site is an opportunity for the dramatic events that occurred to be remembered,” he said. “The experience of nuclear testing, the displacement of our people from our homeland and the devastating contamination of our country is a
story that has been repeated in many places around the world. As a World Heritage site, Bikini Atoll will forever tell the story of this period for human history.”
Consultant Nicole Baker, who worked on developing the Marshall Islands government nomination of Bikini for World Heritage status for five years, commented that, “Bikini Atoll stands as a monument and memorial to the dawn of the nuclear age.” Bikini looks like a tropical paradise, she said. “However, when we look closer, we see the scars of the craters and the bunkers and equipment,” Baker said.
Finance wants MIMRA, Ports money
Learning about leadership in Taiwan
Upward Bound students have fun at the College of the Marshall Islands with the eight Taiwanese Youth Ambassadors who are visiting from ROC’s National Dong Hua University.
GIFF JOHNSON
Facing cash flow shortages, the Ministry of Finance is asking Cabinet to approve legislation that will bring all money generated by the Marshall Islands Ports Authority and the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority (MIMRA) directly to the General Fund.Both Ports Authority and MIMRA are opposing the move, which has been proposed by Finance Minister Jack Ading. The proposal could come to Cabinet for a decision as early as Thursday this week. Both MIMRA and Ports Authority were established by government as statutory agencies with their own accounting systems, funds and employment authority. But the new move by Finance is to consolidate all authority for money now held by MIMRA and Ports with Finance. Finance officials say that
airports needs to be retained for the operation and maintenance of the airport, not transferred to the central government and used for other purposes,” Duncan said in a letter to President Jurelang Zedkaia last month. MIMRA Deputy Director Samuel Lanwi, Jr. said MIMRA was working on a letter opposing the move to be submitted this week to Cabinet. Both he and RMI Ports Authority Director Jack Chong Gum expressed concern that if Finance takes over control of the revenue these two agencies handle it will be difficult or impossible to access funds for their respective programs $2 million this year,” Lanwi said.
Among points against the move listed by Chong Gum in a 		memorandum to the Cabinet:
• It defeats the purpose of being an Authority. Ports Authority was created to avoid bottlenecks that would delay critical development and maintenance of the main infrastructure that support the government, such as the airport and seaport.
• Ports Authority is more responsive and flexible in addressing maintenance issues that adversely affect the safety and security of the airport and seaport facilities if it manages its own funds. This is not possible if the funds are deposited in the General Fund because they will be used for other purposes.
bringing big funds like these two back into the General Fund will improve the government’s cash flow situation. The government’s financial situation has been hit by problems beyond its control, including the high cost of fuel on the world market and the Army’s cutback of workers at the Kwajalein missile range, that has reduced tax revenue to RMI. Continental Micronesia President Charles Duncan has also weighed in supporting the status quo. “I strongly believe that the revenue generated at

Journal 8/9/1985

Journal 8/7/1971
P4 Marshalls District Chief of Police Tulenza MacWhaleng will be leaving Majuro August 12 to attend a Chief of Police conference to be held later this month in Palau. MacWhaleng should be gone from the district about one week.
P7 Majuro is in the midst of major physical change with the completion recently of a new water distribution system. According to Milt Scoutaris, project engineer for the Majuro Airport Project, the new water 		P1 A 45-35 win over Kiribati in Tarawa last Saturday was a good warm up for the Marshall Islands basketball team, which is in Fiji this week competing in the Oceania Games. In their first official tournament game in Suva, Hackney Wase was hot as kim-chee, dropping in 27 points and leading the Marshalls to a fast-paced 81-77 victory over the Northern Marianas team. Rounding out the scoring for the Marshalls was Rufino with 14 points, Kalani with 10, Danny with eight and Kejon, Jimmy and Wallace with six each. Ebin contributed two points with 10 seconds left in the game to preserve the win.
P4 We seem to be getting a lot of activity from large American tuna fishing boats this summer. There have been five or six of the big super seiners here in the last
couple weeks fueling up and getting provisions. They aren’t fishing around here but our fuel prices are so attractive they go way out of the way to come here for it. One of the big babies, the Carol Linda, got so excited about our great fuel prices that it ran right into the Micro Pilot in its rush to the old dock to fuel up. You remember the Carol Linda, it’s the super seiner that ran into Kiribati last year causing the international incident which ultimately led to Kiribati signing an agreement with Russia to fish in their waters. As it approached the dock in Majuro, the vessel’s brakes gave out (probably got wet) and they skidded right into the poor old Micro Pilot. Guestimated damage is $100,000.
lines are the last step in preparation for the paving of the entire road system of the district center. The paving is due to begin next week. “We have received Notice to Proceed orders for a new courthouse in the Uliga park and for a new high school building in front of the present school,” Scoutaris said. The first phase work on the new airport is 75 percent completed.
Besides the very visible face-lifting activities of the American International Constructors, another major piece of roadwork has recently been finished by the district Public Works Department.

Journal 8/6/1993
P1 The special by-election for Rongelap, to fill the seat left by Senator Jeton Anjain’s death, will be a three-way contest. George Anjain, James Matayoshi and Johnsay Riklon filed papers to run for the seat. The election is on August 24.
P2 The local longline fishing boat Samantha reeled in 8,978 pounds of tuna this week, the highest of three vessels that brought in yellowfin for export. Charlie’s Angel brought in 5,972 pounds and Mana Ola caught 5,113 pounds. To date, 533,421 pounds of tuna have been exported by Air Marshall Islands to Honolulu. The Captain Peter has brought in the most tuna this year — 61,250 pounds — and is averaging the 8,744 per trip.
P18 Housing in Majuro and Kwajalein is moving in what a builder describes as “a revolutionary new” direction with the construction of a demonstration house in Majuro this week. Made from Styrofoam and wire mesh, the monolithic — one component — buildings built by CCS&G, Ltd. will withstand 200 mile an hour winds and are bug resistant, according to company President Philip Cavana. The entire home will take fewer than 11 days to build, he said.