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FRIDAY, December 18, 2009
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The Chamber
of Commerce's annual parade was a huge hit.
This Week's
Inside Stories
Cable vessel arrives Majuro
A high-tech ship is to arrive Majuro Thursday this week to link Majuro to a new fiber optic communications cable.
The arrival of the vessel, Tyco Durable, in Marshall Islands waters earlier this week heralds the launch of the RMI connection to a cable that will extend to Guam, linking Majuro, Ebeye, Kwajalein and Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia to global communications networks.
Boot Camp
wraps up
The before and after statistics tell a story of accomplishment from the College of the Marshall Islands “Academic Boot Camp” that wrapped up with a graduation last Friday in Majuro.
But beyond the physical and mental life-changes the 48 young people went through, the next most important aspect of the 10-week crash course is that virtually all of the 48 students have a plan for their next step in life.
At the graduation, it was emphasized that graduates were going to work for Anil Construction and PII, heading to Guam, going to Job Corps for further training, enrolling at CMI next month or being hired by CMI to be mentors for the January ABC program.
Court sees big rise in 2009 'baby' cases
International adoptions have taken a sudden spike upward in 2009 after five years that averaged fewer than 10 per year. Through the end of November, 22 international adoption cases had been filed in the High Court nearly double the total for all of 2008 and more than double the five-year average for 2004-2008. Still, the adoption rate remains modest in contrast to the late 1990s when the Marshall Islands suddenly became a high-profile adoption market for Americans.
EPA finds 10 spots polluted in lagoon
Ten of 12 downtown lagoon areas are too polluted for swimming or fishing, according to an RMI Environmental Protection Authority report for November. The coastal water quality report showed that a number of sites that were found to be “OK” in September were not in November, including Alwal, RES, MIHS, and Jenrok lagoon areas.
RMI seeks nuclear money
The chairman of the Senate Energy Committee will introduce legislation to fund nuclear testing-related health care and other benefits for Marshall Islands but not compensation, according to a key Senate staff member. “Senator Bingaman has agreed to reintroduce, at the request of President Zedkaia, the text of S. 1756 as it was introduced last Congress,” Senate Energy Committee majority staff member Allen Stayman (pictured) told the Journal Friday. The plan follows a November 13 letter Zedkaia sent to Bingaman and other members of the US Congress, and a visit to Washington by Foreign Minister John Silk that followed in mid-November. The original Senate bill 1756 was introduced during the summer of 2007. Its primary feature was $2 million annually for the 177 Health Program through the end of the Compact in 2023. Since
the end of the first Compact in 2003, funding for this program has been cut to slightly under $1 million and is on a year-to-year appropriation schedule, reducing the program’s stability. Stayman said he expects it will be more difficult to gain passage of the bill because of the fiscal problems facing the US government. “The Senate is about to begin its Winter recess,” he said. “I expect that the bill will be reintroduced in late January after the Congress reconvenes.” In addition to $2 million a year for health care, the original bill also called for periodic reviews of the Runit Dome at Enewetak Atoll and would make about 75 Marshall Islanders who worked at nuclear testing sites and contracted health disorders as a result eligible for a US compensation program known as the “Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program.” Stayman said “the text to be introduced will be the same as in the previous Congress, so it will include the same supplemental nuclear compensation that was in S. 1756, as introduced.” The original Senate bill 1756 did not include any provisions for personal injury or land damage compensation. “It will be a challenge to pass such a bill because there are new political officials in the departments (Interior, Energy, Labor and Office of Management and Budget) who need to be engaged and need to develop their agencies’ positions,” Stayman said. “Also, the US government’s financial position is not as good as when the bill was last considered. In short, the process is back near the starting point.” As to how the proposed legislation links to the Marshall Islands Changed Circumstances Petition requesting the US Congress provide additional nuclear test compensation, Stayman said it was unclear at this time. “I can’t say at this time how the Senate or Congress would view this bill in relation to the CCP,” he said.
Japan $6m for solar package
Japan gives solar grant
Japan Charge Kazuyuki Ohdaira signed off on a $5.9 million solar project for RMI with Acting Foreign Minister Amenta Matthew as Foreign Ministry’s Annette Note and Kino Kabua watch. Photo: Douglas Henry.
Two agreements — an Exchange of Notes and Grant Agreement between the governments of Japan and the Marshall Islands for ¥530 million yen (approximately US$5.9 million) for implementing a Clean Energy by Solar Electricity Generation System — were signed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Wednesday. As part of efforts to address energy needs of the nation, the RMI government has engaged with the government of Japan on renewable energy projects, Foreign Affairs said in a release. Japan, through its Cool Earth Partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote clean energy, is funding installation of a grid-connected solar electricity generation system at Majuro Hospital. The solar project will
feed power into the Marshalls Energy Company power grid for Majuro Atoll. The solar-to-grid project compliments the RMI national energy policy that calls for provision of 20 percent of energy by local renewable resources by 2020. The project will contribute to reducing fuel consumption and to supply stable energy in Majuro. The exchange of notes was signed by the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Amenta Matthew and Dr. Kazuyuki Ohdaira, Charge d’Affaires of the Japan Embassy. The signing of the grant agreement was done by Acting Minister of Resources and Development Maynard Alfred and Kazuo Senga, Resident Representative for the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
New bank is soon to open
The First Micronesia Bank, Inc. held a “soft opening” on Monday, with Acting President Brenson Wase, Banking Commissioner Ann Marie Muller and other government officials in attendance. The meaning of “soft” is that the bank is not actually open for business. Bank spokesman Sardha Rasaputra indicated the bank intends to open in March, and in addition to normal banking services will look to operating a micro loan program and supporting various development programs for the benefit of the Marshall Islands.
First Micronesia Bank held its soft opening Monday with a number of government VIPs attending, including Acting President Brenson Wase (center) and Finance men Itibo Tofinga and Jefferson Barton.

Journal 12/19/1970

Journal 12/17/1976
P1 Marshalls Congressman to the Congress of Micronesia Ataji Balos has been invited to Kwajalein to take part in the discussion between the United States Safeguard System Command and the Trust Territory Government relating to the Mid-Corridor area in Kwajalein Atoll. Last April, Kwajalein was the scene of a confrontation between island owners, Army representatives and TT Government officials. The Mid-Corridor people returned to the missile range island causing a cessation of tests until the Army agreed to increase the subsistence payment of the claims by $140,000 a year (the original 148 relocated residents were receiving $40 per month).
P5 Micronitor, first with the news, gives you first the winner of the DUD Municipal election for Magistrate. Mr. Birash Joash has won reelection as Magistrate for DUD.
P1 A bomb was thrown into the middle of Micronesian/US Status Negotiations this past week with the disclosure that the US Central Intelligence Agency has been regularly spying on the colony status negotiating team. Washington Post newspaper reporter Bob Woodward of Watergate fame exposed the spying which he says went on for at least four years.
P1 Acting High Commissioner Peter T. Coleman announced the formation of a high-level policy committee on Ebeye to assist in identifying what needs to be done to upgrade the over-populated and congested
island.In a letter to Director of Territorial Affairs Fred M. Zeder, Coleman said Ebeye needs upgrading of its “deteriorated public and private facilities to cope with its high population density.” He said the most “prominent” problems are on Ebeye Island because of “international implications…These are problems caused by programs conducted in the interest of the national security of the United States and perhaps the free world.”
P12 A pilot of a small plane ferrying from Honolulu landed by mistake at Majuro’s old airport after knocking down several electric wires on December 17. No damage.
P12 Ad: About to deliver a speech? If so, send your copy to Micronitor, Majuro and have it typed in clear, easy-to-read type. Your speech is typed overnight and mailed back to you next day. If you want us to make spelling and grammar corrections, tell us. No extra charge. Our rate is $3 per page. Try us!
P8 Naked women were what Toke Sawej saw in his first trip to the States. Seems that while driving through San Francisco with Albatross Trading Company Manager Dan Neblett the two businessmen came upon three young ladies in their birthday finest. Sounds like the way people from the mainland used to talk about the people in the islands. Says Toke, “I was surprised.”
P10 Majuro’s newest-to-be movie theater, the Lagoon View Theater, is scheduled to open for business by Christmas Day this year. According to Rhine Brain, owner of the new movie house, the building will be finished by December 25 and all that will be needed are the films, which are expected on the next plane.

Journal 12/18/1992
P1 War claims payments for the people of Mili Atoll are still several months away. Before the $1.1 million World War II money can be released there will be a
process to involve public comment so no mistakes are made in the distribution of the money.
P1 The village of Tuarabu at Abaiang (Kiribati) goes by the nickname “Australia.” People named it Australia because of the immense consumption of alcohol by its people, plus the fact that most of Kiribati’s imported alcohol comes from Australia. Fermented sour toddy “kaokioki” derived from coconut trees is their drink of choice. Visitors to Abaiang want to immediately go to “Australia” to get drunk and enjoy themselves. Recently the Catholic Alcohol Awareness Team targeted Tuarabu village as its first location. Surprisingly enough, there was a big response from the people. Hundreds joined the campaign, and their participation had an adverse result on the “kaokiki” industry. Those who still maintain their businesses have to drink their own product for lack of customers.
P6 The new president of the Majuro Chamber of Commerce says he wants to foster a cooperative and productive relationship between the public and private sector on Majuro. Peter Gigante, Majuro division manager for RRE, is the new president. He’s been in the Marshalls for about two years.
P8 The downtown area in front of RRE was the site of a melee between youth gangs from Jenrok and Uliga that had to be broken up by police Tuesday night. Teenagers reportedly from the Uliga “Rajet Mej” (One Eye) gang and a Demon Town gang challenged one another in a free-for-all about 10pm. “It was just like in the movies,” said a bystander.
P8 There is widespread sentiment throughout the Majuro community of satisfaction and congratulations on the commencement of the new FM radio station, V7SW. It has been quite a while since a new business set up here in the nation’s capital, and it was getting to the point that we were accepting the premise that maybe we had grown as big as we were ever going to get. The station launched by Steve Whitehead is a definite asset to the community and joins its two “sister” stations in giving all of us here a little more variety, a little more laughter, and a little more to get out of bed for in the morning.