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Friday, June 12, 2009
Taiwan's MIR?
By GIFF JOHNSON
The sale of the Marshall Islands Resort moved a step forward with a Taiwan
RC and PII bids up for RMI review
company’s bid the highest on the table at last Thursday’s bid opening ceremony at the Chief Secretary’s office. Only two bids were on the table for the government-owned hotel. PII Chief Executive Officer Jerry Kramer, who submitted one of the two bids, said the Taiwan company’s “bid is excellent.” No details were available on the amounts of the two bids submitted. Deputy Chief Secretary Jorelik Tibon told the Journal that the two
Beautify the islands... Keep trash off the streets & beaches.
bids are now under review by a technical subcommittee involving Public Works. He said he expected to have the review with recom-
mendations back from the Ministry of Public Works by mid-week, and then the
was for the Marshall Islands Resort to be the cornerstone of the tourism industry in RMI,” Kramer said. “With a professional company that has the wherewithall to build the tourism industry, Amata’s dream could come true.”
full bid committee will review it. The Taiwan company is RC International. RC International’s experience and ability to build the tourism industry is why Kramer said he supports the competing bid. “Amata Kabua’s original intention
This Week's
Inside Stories
RMI-DOE
meeting next week
The annual RMI-Department of Energy meeting will happen in Majuro next week. Originally scheduled to be held in Texas, the headquarters of Christus-Spohn, the new company running the medical program for Rongelap and Utrik, the meeting was recently rescheduled to Majuro. It will be held June 17 and 18.
Tons of fish puts Pan Pacific back in action
Majuro’s Pan Pacific Foods tuna loining plant is moving into a new production phase this week, with the arrival of hundreds of tons of fish late last week. That’s good news for Majuro residents — about 150 workers are needed to re-launch production, and the number will go up — and for local businesses and government agencies, which netted more than $900,000 in spending and taxes from the plant last year. Despite significant financial losses in 2008 and 2009 as PPF focused on training local employees and getting its equipment in operating order, PPF is not giving up, according to PPF Manager Don Xu.
Cabinet gives
MEC vital $2m
Approval by Cabinet Tuesday this week of more than $2 million to fund an MEC fuel deficit has ended worry about the next shipment of diesel from SK Networks. A delivery of diesel to the Marshalls Energy Company is expected to be loaded on a tanker later this week in S. Korea.
Majuro getting thirsty
Majuro’s rainfall is 30 percent off its normal level for 2009, and June so far is turning into a very dry month, with just 1.26 inches of rain through Tuesday this week, according to Majuro Weather Station.An MWSC official said that the water company will monitor water levels through this week, with water remaining on this Friday as usual. But if there is no further rain, water hours could be cut back to Monday mornings and evenings only starting from next week.
Jobs guaranteed
for graduates
Students who pass the University of the South Pacific’s upcoming Tourism and Hospitality course are being guaranteed a job at a US hotel by Manpower boss Russell Langrine. “I am asked for about 10 to 20 new workers a month by the agency I work for in Dallas, Texas, called Practical Employee Solutions,” Langrine told the Journal Monday. “I have about 50 people on my books right now, but the people who do this new certificate course and graduate will be guaranteed a placement,” he said.
Likiep's Internet express
Likiep Atoll Mayor James Capelle.
For the first time in the history of the Marshall Islands, Likiep Atoll as of Wednesday this week has Internet and long distance
Outer island goes online
telephone service. Confirming this historic development for the northern atoll, Likiep Mayor James Capelle and T&C official Carthney Laukon sent emails to RMI and other officials Wednesday
morning. “Yokwe aolep ri-Majol belak in lal in, elaptata ri-Likiep!,” said Capelle. “I’m sending this message to inform you that Likiep project is accomplished. Currently, Likiep is using Internet and telephone. We did our testing and everything is working fine at the moment.” The project, funded through the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the Australian government’s development assistance organization AusAID, has installed a small “calling center” in Likiep’s community building, which has several laptop computers for Internet access and phones for overseas calls. The Ministry of T&C is overseeing the project. Bruce Best from the University of Guam flew out to Likiep earlier this week with Laukon and other T&C staff to do the final installation, after experimenting with the system late last week in Majuro to ensure everything was in order. The ITU is funding equipment and two years of satellite costs for the Likiep project, which is one of dozens around the Pacific bringing the 21st century to small islands. “This is the first to go into a remote island,” Best said. Other identical satellite systems have gone into main islands in other countries, but Likiep represents a milestone for the ITU project, he said. It will shortly be followed by other remote islands around the region. Next on Laukon’s outer islands “hit list” is Buoj, Ailinglaplap, which will receive a similar calling center/Internet and phone hookup later this year. “To make this a sustainable project, we’re partnering with the Ministries of Health and Education so that after (AusAID funding for satellite charges runs out in) two years, we will be able to pay for the cost,” Laukon said. Each ministry, including T&C, will chip in to cover the costs, since all benefit from the new Internet/phone link to these isolated islands, he said. Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s Ian Thomson, who is supervising this project in 13 island countries (along with the one laptop per child program) said there are limitations to service, “but what we are doing is affordable. Our model is, ‘good enough, is okay.’”
It's a wheelie gweat thing!
Jenrok Town is looking super clean and tidy these days following the use of Majuro Atoll Waste Corporation’s 96-gallon wheelie bins, as this happy snap by Suzanne Chutaro proves. Keep it up Jenrok ... Life’s a mess, clean it up!

Journal 6/13/1970

Journal 6/10/1974
P1 The Rehabilitation workers from Kili Island who have been working in three month shifts on Bikini Atoll since last October are presently engaged in a refusal to work, triggered by a meatless morning meal served on May 1 of this year. According to one of the men involved in the meeting with Distad Representative Louis P1 Election Day June 4, 1974 selection of candidates for the upcoming Constitutional Convention of all the six districts of Micronesia. In most districts it was an election day like any other, with a fair representation of voters taking place. In the Marshalls, however, where thequestion of voting or not voting was the issue at hand, a very poor turnout was reported.
Glenn, Sorry Lancit of Kili said the men wanted meat with their meal. Lancit says Glenn told them the food was no worse than what they ate on Kili. “We replied that because the food was poor on Kili did mean that we had to eat poorly on Bikini,” said Lancit.
P1 Formal signing of the leases for the proposed airport on Long Island has been accomplished, according to Mike Allen, Marshalls Land Management Officials. The Long Island negotiations will result in payment of $4,000 per acre to the landowners.
P3 Atlan Anien, Speaker of the Nitijela, and Kenji Jack, District Treasurer, returned June 8 to Majuro after spending five days in Hawaii studying potential problems for Marshallese students there. According to Anien, problems in housing, financing and counseling were investigated
P8 Honor students from Marshall Islands High School were tapped today for membership into the US leading high school honorary, the Society of Outstanding American High School Students, announced William C. Nelson, principal of MIHS. Twenty three were named: Helen Heltera, Kira Jally, Marilyn Jacklick, Anella Billy, Henry Patrick, Juan Lokot, Meria Lemari, Zion Thomas, Clement Capelle, Kanchi Hosia, Bernice Joash, Freddy Capelle, Queenie deBrum, Lydia Riklon, Jackeo Relang, Anderson Takiah, Tom Thomas, Juliet Jelke, Piera Subillie, Carlden Jormeah, Emeram Adiniwin and Kathleen Paul.
P11 Two former residents of Rongelap underwent surgery to remove small tumors in their thyroid glands Tuesday, according to Guam’s Daily News. Jabora Kasva and Amon Anjain, both of whom had been exposed to radioactive fallout from a US hydrogen bomb test 20 years ago, are patients at Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital. Mike Riklon, 20, was also admitted to the same hospital for similar treatment. The three bring to 28 the number of former Rongelap residents who have had surgery.

Journal 6/12/1992
P1 Minister of Finance Ruben Zackhras believes that the Asian Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank can assist the Marshall Islands to break out of a “damaging dependency” that has taken root during the last 40 years. The most damaging is the “sad situation of the dependency of the mind — the feeling that we cannot do things for ourselves and that someone else has to do things for us — which has taken root,” he said.
P3 The Federal Emergency Management Agency is aiming to wind up its typhoon relief program by mid-July. FEMA provided $375,000 to 676 families on Majuro for temporary housing needs, said FEMA representative Roger Free. The individual and family grant program, processed 813 checks for $425,000.
P10 Bishop Martin Neylon traveled from his base in the Federated States of Micronesia to Likiep to bless the Catholic church. The church, which took six years to complete, was built on the site of the old Catholic church that went up in 1950. After blessing the church, Bishop Neylon confirmed Likiep residents in the Catholic church: Neko deBrum, Teje Kijiner, Maka Koniske, Main John, Melen Koniske, Newin Capelle and Jimmy Capelle.
P17 Malnutrition remains a serious problem in both the urban centers and the outer islands, said Dr. Ludmilla Pingol. There are many factors involved, she said. Diet change as a result of modernization is one cause, as are faulty feeding habits of parents. “This was the first place I had been where I saw one year old babies who knew how to chew gun,” Pingol said.
P20 Dr. Neal Palafox did not mince his words. “The Marshall Islands is heading for bad times in health,” he told a youth seminar Monday. “The problems are getting away from us.”
P21 The extended drought damaged local fruit and vegetable gardens in Majuro and many outer islands, said the director of Social Services’ Family Food and Nutrition Project. “The drought really affected a great deal of plants on the island as well as several outer islands,” said Stephen Lepton, FFNP director. His program is helping Majuro and outer island residents build their gardens.
P24 A 25 year old man from Papua New Guinea is the new Marshall Islands assistant public defender. Filimon Manoni was born on a small island off the coast of PNG north of the Solomons. Manoni went to the University of PNG.