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FRIDAY, July 10, 2009
This Week's
Inside Stories
Tons of tuna,
mucho marlin
The Marshalls Billfish Club July 4 tournament was a huge success: Thirty-eight boats competed for the swag of prizes, the weather was relatively calm and sunny, and Uliga Dock’s viewing spots were full to bursting point with everyone eager to witness what Majuro’s fisherfolk had caught in the two-day competition. Marah captain Wally Milne brought the biggest oohs and aahs from the crowd with his 368-pound marlin, but it was Ben Reimers and the XXXX crew who hung the most total qualifying pounds on the MEC crane’s hook, with 841 pounds of fishy flesh.
Jacklick sees end
to LUA deadlock
Prominent Kwajalein landowner Alvin Jacklick told the Journal this week that he is optimistic the deadlock holding up completion of a new land use agreement (LUA) for Kwajalein can be resolved. “If the RMI government sits with the landowners to resolve the stalemate, there will be an LUA before the end of 2009,” Jacklick said.
Focus on family hierachy and land
Traditional leaders from throughout the Ralik Chain are in Kwajalein this week for what is described as the first gathering of its kind since before World War II. Called by Iroj Imata Kabua under the Mojen (domain) of late Iroij Bweo Jeimata Kabua, the two-week long meeting that started on Monday at South Loi (Loojeirok) on Kwajalein has brought together alab (clan heads) from about eight atolls, from Enewetak and Bikini in the north to Ebon and Namdrik in the south.
FFA to meet
in RMI's capital
Immediately following the Micronesian Chief Executives and Presidents’ Summit in Majuro next week, a major fisheries meeting is on the capital’s agenda. The Forum Fisheries Agency will be meeting in Majuro during the week July 20-24.
Hacker: Poverty a big issue
There is serious hardship in the Marshall Islands, particularly in urban communities, RMI chief planner Carl Hacker told a group reviewing RMI progress on meeting “Millennium Development Goals.” “In the field, you see how big an issue this is,” said Hacker, whose office has been conducting a series of surveys on Majuro, Ebeye and the outer islands.
Beautify the islands... Keep trash off the streets & beaches.
The Marshalls Energy Company will see its first change of command in more than 23 years, with the MEC board on Monday naming David Paul as its new General Manager.
MEC GM Billy Roberts is now in a 90-day transition period, with his last day on the job expected to be in early October. Roberts has managed MEC since early 1986. Paul is to be joined by an experienced Australian technical advisor who has experience in the power industry, including in the Pacific. The MEC board has established a new position for this second post. “Making these changes is a step to reorganizing the company,” said MEC board Chairman Public Works Minister Maynard Alfred. Paul will start July 20, beginning a transition with Roberts for management of the company that oversees Ebeye’s power company, Majuro Water and Sewer Company, Jaluit and Wotje power operations, and installation of solar equipment on the outer islands. Paul is in the process of resigning from
New MEC General Manager David Paul
'Making these changes is a step to reorganizing the company.'
– Maynard Alfred
engineer, was named GM of MEC in March 1986, when the MEC-IPSECO partnership dissolved with IPSECO’s bankruptcy. “This was not an easy undertaking for me as Chairman,” Alfred told the Journal of his giving notice to Roberts earlier this week.
“Billy is a talented chief executive who has worked since the company was established.”
Roberts tendered his resignation from MEC in mid-2006, and his final day was to have been October 2006.
But former President Kessai Note asked Roberts to stay on for an indefinite period to help MEC get through a crisis period that was developing.
his post as Mobil Oil Micronesia’s territory manager for the RMI and FSM markets, a position he’s held for four years. Prior to that, from 1998, he worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and with the Office of Compact Negotiations. “This is a great challenge and opportunity to be part of an organization that is vital to the economy and development of the Marshall Islands,” Paul said. Majuro’s power operation was launched in 1982 by a British company known as IPSECO. MEC was incorporated as a company two years later and managed as a joint venture with IPSECO. Roberts, who was brought to Majuro by IPSECO as a power plant
CMI gets top grade from WASC
The College of the Marshall Islands has received the stamp of approval from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, getting the maximum six-year term of accreditation. “As of this past weekend, CMI received official recognition that its accreditation has been affirmed through 2015,” CMI President Wilson Hess told the Journal. Long gone are the days of twice-yearly visits by high-powered WASC teams looking into every file drawer and office at CMI, with hefty reports due twice a year. “We will submit a routine follow-up report on some minor matters in 2010 and a mid-term report in 2012,” said Hess, adding that there will be no follow-up visit by WASC in 2012. After seven years of various sanctions from WASC, the Majuro-based college has proved to WASC’s satisfaction that it is successfully meeting all standards required to deliver quality education.
CMI President Wilson Hess

Journal 7/11/1970

Journal 7/8/1974
P1 On Wednesday at 4pm the BH-1 copra handling and storage barge successfully began operations in Majuro’s lagoon. The copra transfer operation culminates months of planning and work by Micronesian Interocean Lines Inc., which has committed nearly $150,000 for the project. “All small private ships coming in from the field can go right to the barge and off-load,” said P1 A complaint was filed Wednesday in the Trust Territory High Court asking that James Milne be reinstated as a Marshall Islands Magistrate. Milne, who has served as the magistrate from Ebon Atoll for the past three years, was reelected to the position in January, but was told that he could not serve because he is not a
TT citizen. The Marshalls District Legislative Liaison Officer, Shiro Riklon, ordered a new election after the results were sent to Majuro. Milne is represented by Assistant Public Defender Benjamin Abrams.
P1 The TT’s first treatment facility for kidney patients opened last week at Majuro Hospital in the Marshall Islands with two Marshallese women who have been on dialysis in Honolulu as its first patients. The Majuro center has three artificial kidneys for out-patients who are able to dialyze themselves with minimal nursing assistance. The life-saving treatments take five-and-half-hours, three times a week. Patients at the facility will be supervised by Hemiko Bingham, a registered nurse who completed a three-month training program at St. Francis Hospital in Honolulu.
P1 James Mangafel wants more babies. Mangafel, a member of Yap’s district legislature, introduced a resolution during its present session calling upon “all parents, boys and girls of child-bearing age in Yap…to do everything within their power and ability to increase the population of Yap.” He expressed concern over Yap’s small population of 8,000 in relation to the other five TT districts. “Our small population has rendered us somewhat political impotent and ineffectual in our relations with our sister districts, especially with respect to our lobbying efforts in the Congress of Micronesia,” the resolution said.
manager Dave Peres. “Because operations on the barge can continue in the rain we will save time. With present loading methods we can handle 350 tons per day. The barge will do 1,100 tons in 12 hours.”
P1 Charles M. Sicard has been named Trust Territory government’s Cooperatives and Credit Unions Advisor, Economic Development Division. He began his government career in 1965 as Truk District Cooperative Officer.
One strong negative reaction to the announcement that Charles Sicard was TT Credit Unions Advisor was voiced by Erhart Aten, District Community Development Officer. Speaking as a Trukese citizen, Aten declared: “This is the most ridiculous appointment news I ever heard. This guy was kicked out of Truk when he was there. He never did anything.”
P10 The power plant labor situation has returned to normal this week in the face of an agreement reached between plant workers and Public Works administration. Two additional trainees were added to the original workforce, making time available to all the workers to train for upgrading — a condition which satisfied Public Works administration. A change of work schedule was the reason for the confrontation between the workers and the Administration.

Journal 7/10/1992
P1 “Jamie” team members Alex Bing, Imang Chong Gum and James Bing show off the 323 pound marlin, which took top billfish honors during the 10th annual Marshalls Billfish Club tournament when it was brought in after a last second hookup before the evening weigh-in deadline. With them is Miss Billfish Ginger Julien. Baron Bigler capped a remarkable year of fishing in the two-day annual MBC tournament to win the prestigious President’s Cup award. “In the history of the Marshalls Billfish Club, there has never been a streak like it,” reported last month’s MBC newsletter of Bigler’s streak that began with the new year.
P6 Ever lock your keys in the car and then have to spend an hour trying to break in? That’s nothing compared to what happened recently to an elderly visitor to Las Vegas. Our friend, who speaks almost no English, ended up in the corridor outside his hotel room in the gambling capital of American recently. When the door to his room closed behind him he realized he did not have his key. Moreover,
he was shirtless and barefoot. And his roommate, at 5am, was out gambling somewhere. So how to get back into his room?
Spotting a security guard at the end of the long corridor, our friend went up to him and in Marshallese tried to ask for help. The security guard took one look at the barefoot, shirtless man and without ceremony tossed him out of the hotel. Figured he was some crazy guy who snuck into the hotel. So now he’s out on the strip in Vegas with no shoes, shirt or money — at 5am! He ended up wandering the streets for hours unable to find anyone to help. At one point, he says, a policeman threatened to arrest him for loitering. His friends began looking for him by late afternoon. He finally turned up 14 hours later with a street person who had been asked to keep a lookout for a shoeless, shirtless fellow. When he walked back into the hotel with his friends, dirty and still shoeless, security guards tried to toss him again. But this time they weren’t as lucky, and our friend has a good story to tell his grandchildren.
P8 “Editor’s Blues” This job is certainly an education, so I must assume that this is some sort of on-the-job training, but for what, I cannot imagine. During my very short tenure, I have already been insulted, cajoled, approached conspiratorially, snubbed and chastised. All of this in only two weeks. Boy, is this fun! No wonder the position was available. —Tim Seitz, during a short-term editing term.