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FRIDAY, August 7, 2009
This Week's
Inside Stories
Mayors
review options at annual conference
Mayors from the 24 jurisdictions throughout the Marshall Islands are convening in Majuro this week for the 17th Annual Conference of the Marshall Islands Mayors Association (MIMA). The four-day long conference opened with a mid-morning reception at the International Conference Center on Tuesday with President Litokwa Tomeing’s keynote address being delivered by Acting President David Kramer.
RMI gets $7.1m in Compact money
The Marshall Islands Government’s Ministry of Finance received just over $7.1 million in US Compact-funded payments last month.
According to a release from the US Embassy in Majuro, these payments are the fiscal year 2009 Compact Sector Grants for the month of July, Compact infrastructure projects for the month of July, the Enewetak Food & Agriculture Program, the fiscal year 2008 SEG, the 4th Quarter Kwajalein Landowner Payment, and the 4th Quarter Kwajalein Landowner Escrow Payment.
Court finds Johnny guilty
Johnny Johnson was found guilty July 28 of negligent driving and sentenced to a six-month jail sentence — all of which will be suspended in lieu of a six-month probation.
Johnson was originally charged in October of 2008 for an auto-pedestrian accident in July of 2008, which resulted in the death of a young girl.
Swine Flu hits 32 in Majuro
A total of 32 cases of the Influenza A/H1N1 virus (Swine Flu) have been confirmed in Majuro as of this week.
Majuro Hospital Administrator Dr. Marie Lanwi-Paul told the Journal Tuesday that screenings are ongoing with the hospital sending 26 suspected nasal swabs with recent Honolulu-bound flights.
Tuna tags introduced
In an attempt to reduce the amount of young tuna being caught, the Marshalls Billfish Club is this year introducing a tag-and-release tuna system, which will earn skippers 15 points a fish towards the annual President’s Cup competition.Following a recommendation by the Secretariat of Pacific Communities (SPC), the club introduced the new rule at its annual general meeting on Thursday, July 30, at the Boknake at RRE Hotel.
16 teams in Ralik Ratak Shootout
The Bank of Marshall Islands 10th Anniversary Ralik Ratak Shootout Basketball Tournament is scheduled for September 12-25 in Majuro. The flagship basketball competition expects to see 16 men’s and women’s teams compete representing their atolls or islands.
Komol tata PII!
By SUZANNE CHUTARO
Gas prices plummeted this week in Majuro with the introduction of a new player in the local gas market.
Despite an eight-month lag Pacific International Inc. (PII) delivered on its promise to start selling gas and as of Thursday last week it is now selling gas at the pump for $4.90 a gallon — a 50-cent difference from the current highest priced gas on island.
In January PII Operations manager Kenneth Kramer told the Journal the decision to sell gas arose from PII’s discontent with the four local gas stations that were not translating decreases in world fuel prices to the Majuro market. “Prices charged (at the pump) are ridiculously high,” Kramer said at the time.Until PII joined the market the price for gas at Riwut, SEPS, Aces One Stop and RRE Gas stations ranged from $5.15 to 5.40 per gallon. Riwut corner was the first to respond, dropping its price on Saturday to match PII’s. Both SEPS and Ace’s One Stop dropped to the $4.90 gallon rate on Monday, meanwhile RRE followed suit first thing Tuesday morning. The rapid price cuts by all the other fuel stations on Majuro in response to PII’s reduced price suggest that over the past year, the four stations were cooperating to maintain nearly similar prices at the pump — until last month when a 25-cent price spread opened up among the four. Mobil is currently the only supplier
“manage to just break even.
“We will have to make some drastic changes,” th operator said offering that there may be some employee lay offs as a result.
Meanwhile this same operator says they have also lost business on diesel sales because both PII and the Batkan Fuel Depot have been selling diesel for $3 a gallon, a pricing policy originated by the Batkan Fuel Depot. But Mobil’s dealer rate to the Majuro fuel stations has been slightly over $4 says the operator. Batkan Fuel Depot is buying its diesel from the Marshalls Energy Company, which sells diesel for under $2.50 a gallon.
“How is it that ALRO, which buys its diesel from our same supplier Mobil, can sell fuel to the outer islands cheaper than what we can buy here in Majuro?” asks the operator. “Mobil is really the one who is making all the money here,” said the operator.
of gas on Majuro, and Mobil has not reduced its selling price in recent weeks. Meanwhile, although Mobil is supplying fuel to Majuro stations at around $4 per gallon, gas in America is retailing at the pump at less than $2.40 per gallon, meaning the wholesale price is under $2. But one of the original four Majuro gas station operators, who asked to remain anonymous, denies price fixing by the four downtown stations, saying that PII can afford to sell at a loss because “it is a big company that can survive off its other operations.”
This operator claims “PII is only selling at a loss to penetrate the market. We’re only a small company and this new price has really eaten into our margins. It was already tough competing with the other three companies. Now it’s going to be double the hurt because the market share will be smaller.”
This operator says that at this $4.90 rate they will e
Beautify the islands... Keep trash off the streets & beaches.
Are we looking after our special children?
Under the United States’ Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Ministry of Education will receive $1,682,139 in US Federal Grants for special education needs throughout the republic, with the majority of this money being spent on teachers’ salaries.
According to the ‘Ministry of Education Portfolio’, which lists the budgets for 2009-2010, $1,276,801 is for salaries for teachers who look after the 700-plus special ed students enrolled in RMI schools. “We have 136-plus special education teachers,” the director of MOE’s special education program Ruthiran Lokeijak told the Journal Wednesday. These teachers service “over 90 percent of the schools in the republic,” he said.
“For example, Ailinglaplap has five schools and it has five special ed teachers. And all of Majuro’s schools have at least one special ed teacher.”
Other line items in the special ed budget include supplies and materials ($22,933), equipment ($20,000), international travel ($77,160), communications ($20,000), contracts ($181,900), rental of space, such as the MIR’s Melele Room for training ($18,000), printing ($6,000), repairs ($30,000), grants ($62,300), freight ($18,000), books ($20,000), and vehicles ($100,000). Lokeijak said that the ministry is conducting ongoing workshops and training for special ed teachers. “Twenty-plus teachers took part in a summer workshop at CMI (College of the Marshall Islands) and we have just finished a week-long special ed training for 100-plus at the ICC (International Conference Center) and many of those came from the outer islands.”
According to Lokeijak, the special education department also has plans to “find more children with special needs. We also have more than 10 teachers who can do sign language for deaf children and we’re planning to increase that number.”
Special education teachers earn the same amount as ‘regular’ teachers. “During the Trust Territory time, special ed teachers were paid more, but that is no longer,” Lokeijak said.
Lokeijak also addressed the issue of special parents’ complaint that until several years ago registration fees were not required of the parents. “Under current MOE rules fees for all students are the responsibility of parents,” he said.
Moms, Dads help each other
Many parents of children with special needs have long questioned the level of academic care being provided by the Ministry of Education. A number of these are members of the Marshall Islands Special Parents Association (MISPA), which has Katina Peter as its president and Carl Lanje as its vice president. “I got back from living in Arkansas last May,” Lanje said. “From the doctors over there, I already knew my boy was a little autistic. But I don’t feel that he’s getting the type of education he needs here.” A number of MISPA members said that one of their main issues is that they believed special ed classes should have extra teachers to help the students. “In my child’s class there’s supposed to be two teachers,” said one parent, “but this is often not the case and there’s only one teacher for the whole group because the other didn’t show up for work.” MISPA meets to discuss parents’ concerns about once a month, according to Peter, who has a granddaughter who has extreme hearing difficulties. “The organization has been going for over 10 years and we have up to 80 members.” To announce meetings, “we give letters to the children to take home or sometimes we put advertisements on the radio.”
Majuro Cooperative School's goal for kids
Majuro Cooperative School will have 22 special education students being academically cared for this year by ‘special ed’ expert Kristen Olson and her new colleague Deborah Nussbum. “We will be receiving about $30,000 in funding from the IDEA program in Washington through the Ministry of Education (MOE),” Coop principal Kathy Stratte told the Journal. IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, is a US federal law that governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education, and related services to children with disabilities. “We apply every year for this funding,” Stratte said.
“But first we have to have our children assessed to show that they fit into an IEP (Individualized Education Program). MOE then comes in to check our files and the children and based on that inspection they decide how much funding they should give us.
” The special ed children at Coop have problems including autism, cerebral palsy, cognitive delay, hearing problems, communication disorders, and learning disabilities.
While Coop has two classrooms for special ed, “we try to keep the students in the mainstream classes as much as possible,” Stratte said. “The goal of special education is to give the children the tools to be successful in a regular classroom.” Stratte emphasized that the earlier children with special needs are brought into a special education environment, the better. “If we get them going early, we can do more,” she said. There is no extra charge for teaching special ed children, “which is why we need the grant,” Stratte said. Elementary and high school tuition fees at Coop are $2,000 a year.
Kelly wins PNA logo prize
Assumption High School’s incoming senior, Kelly Schellhase was awarded at last week’s Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) workshop in Majuro for her winning logo design. Schellhase, fifth from right, received $2,500 from the PNA logo design competition, which was opened to residents of all PNA member countries.

Journal 8/5/1974

Journal 8/8/1980
P1 Since the Trust Territory government assumed the task of ridding itself of officials that have accepted money from “clients” in the execution of their duties, the public at large in the Marianas are wondering why the Office of the High Commissioner and the Attorney General have not gone further into examining more cases where
P1 Oscar deBrum has been appointed District Administrator of the Marshall Islands. DeBrum, 41, has been acting Disad for the Marshalls since April 18. He succeeded Robert Law, who is Trut Territory government liaison officer in Honolulu.
P1 Members of the Marshalls District Legislature met with High Commissioner Edward E. Johnston last Thursday to discuss a series of topics ranging from economic development to channel markers for
Majuro lagoon. The Nitijela delegation, led by Congress of Micronesia Senate President Amata Kabua and Marshalls Legislature Speaker Atlan Anien, began the dicussion by asking: “Last year the Congress of Micronesia declared the Marshalls to be an ‘educational disaster area’ — what steps are being taken to improve the situation?” The High Commissioner replied that it is strictly a budget question. “The Congress will set the priorities for the coming year’s budget,” he said. “But the Education Department is moving to send more money for school construction to the Marshalls District.”
P3 Majuro’s long-awaited generator will be arriving sometime in November. A new 750 KW generator will replace an older 350 KW generator, thus giving the district center a net gain of only 400 KW. Construction of the new 10,000-watt radio station will require the use of 100 of the new 400 watt gain for Majuro. “As a result,” said Public Works Acting Chief of Operations and Maintenance Bob Brown, “the time when everybody in Majuro can receive electricity is not in the immediate future.” Another 300 KW generator will be arriving in November for use in Laura village. At present, Majuro has four generators. Of these, three are ancient 300 KW generators inherited as US government surplus from the Bikini and Enewetak testing sites.
P6 What do you think would happen if you walked into any of the local restaurants here and asked for a coconut? But that’s not all. Seen any breadfruit on the menus? Had a nice fresh piece of pandanus or papaya? Like some taro to go with your fried chicken? Believe it or not all of these things are available just 30 miles down the road in a little place called Laura. Funny, isn’t it, that it appears easier to have potatoes and fresh vegetables shipped in from places thousands of miles away. Keep up the wonderful job you have been doing local restaurateurs. Nobody would want that lousy old Marshallese food anyway.
the violation of federal regulations have been committed — particularly obvious violations. “The St. Pierre case was a borderline case,” claims one local lawmaker, “and the government’s was to get him out, not enforce federal regulations. In fact, if this was their aim, half the people on Capitol Hill, including ‘high enough’ officials, if you understand what I mean, would be covering their tracks.” Asking that his identify be confidential, the legislator said many times in the past, TT government employees who clearly were federal officials had received, many, many dollars in the form of “gifts and fees” in the course of their official duties.
P1 Delegates to the Micronesian Constitutional Convention from the Marshalls have received their certification by the Office of the High Commissioner in Saipan. Their names and election districts: Majuro, John Heine; Arno and Mili, Langue Kalles; Aur, Maloelap, Wotje and Erikub, Isaac Lanwi; Ebon and Namdrik, Mary Lanwi; Kili and Jaluit, Carl Heine; Ailinglaplap, Namo and Jabot, Kinja Andrike; Kwajalein, Ujae, Lae and Lib, Tipne Philippo; Ujelang, Enewetak, Bikini, Rongelap, Ailinginae, Wotho,Ailuk, Taka, Bikar and Utrik, Hemos Jack; Mejit and Likiep, Tom Kijiner.
P11 The Republic of Nauru has ordered a Boeing 737-200C to be operated by its flag carrier Air Nauru. Air Nauru now operates scheduled service from Nauru to Melbourne, Australia via Honiara, Noumea and Brisbane, and to Kagoshima, Japan via Ponape, Guam and Okinawa. A new service from Nauru to Apia, Western Samoa, has just been inaugurated. Air Nauru also flies scheduled service to Majuro and Tarawa.

Journal 7/25/1970
P1 A large delegation from the People’s Republic of China representing the National People’s Congress, visited Majuro this week, touring the island and meeting with government officials. Delegation leader Peng Chong said the Marshalls “is one of the youngest nations in the Pacific and a new friend to China.”
P1 The likely culprit causing the 22-hour power outage over the weekend was a shifting rock on the sand bed where MEC’s saltwater pipe is laid six feet underground. MEC Manager Billy Roberts said a rock caused the crack in the cooling pipe. MEC crews worked through the night and day Saturday to repair the broken water intake pipe.
P5 Under the title “A little to the left, please,” is the following item: August got off to a not so auspicious start for Billy Roberts, what with the weekend power outage. But his trouble was confirmed Monday. Over at Chuji’s store to check on the fire, as he was pointing out the fire location to the fire fighters, an over-
anxious fireman on the second floor proceeded to douse Billy with a few gallons of water. A bar of soap and he’d have been set.
P15 Communications equipment that is cheap, easy to operate, ideal for the outer islands or longer distances, and suitable for confidential discussions. Too good to be true? Not according to Steve Whitehead, who has just gone into private business to sell and service a specially designed radio/computer package for local communications.