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Friday, March 20, 2009

Phone:
(692) 625-8143
(692) 625-8146
Fax:
(692) 625-3136
Mail:
PO Box 14 Majuro, MH 96960 Marshall Islands
In Person:
On the ocean road behind Formosa in Uliga, Majuro
Call for landowners, alabs to attend ICC
Tourism Awareness Week will kick off next week Monday with an opening program at the ICC. It is open to all people involved in tourism activities. Immediately following this opening, MIVA will start two-and-a-half-day training for RMI landowners.A “Bartending and Restaurant Service” training will be held several times next week, sponsored by MIVA, RMI Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Micronesia Chapter, and Continental Airlines.
WASC: CMI is on track
The official verdict will not be known until early July. But the “exit report” issued by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges nine-member team after a five-day review of the College of the Marshall Islands earlier this month was upbeat and congratulatory. “I’ve been on the commission for five years,” said WASC team leader Mike Rota. “I’ve seen remarkable changes taking place at CMI (during that time). “I’ve seen the decline and the rebirth of CMI. It’s the only way to describe it.”
Bwiji, Ladie catch big fish, win MBC tourney
On Saturday March 17, the Marshalls Billfish Club held a ‘Total Qualifying Points’ tournament with nine boats. MEC’s Jakie Jacob Memorial Tournament held in February also carried over to this tourney giving the competitors two options of winning: catch the biggest billfish or have the most points. Both options were conquered as total points was won by Celinda’s captain Bwiji Aliven and the biggest billfish was caught on Nini by Captain Ladie Jack.
Chutaro to head tourism association's board
“I give you the highest congratulations in what you have done in one year in cleaning up and keeping your islands clean,” Japan’s Charge d’Affaires Kazayuki Ohdaira told the Marshall Islands Tourism Association’s annual general meeting. This statement was a highlight for the MITA board and members at the Friday meeting, which was held at Mon Boknake in the grounds of Robert Reimers Enterprises Hotel. As with all annual general meetings, a focus was to elect a new board: The new president is Ben Chutaro, vice president is Matt Holly, secretary is Lani Kramer, treasurer is Moses Alik, and the board’s ‘at large’ member is outgoing president Ben Graham.
Focus on reducing teen pregnancy
Youth to Youth in Health and KIJLE recently held a workshop on adolescent sexual and reproductive health as part of Youth to Youth in Health’s project focusing on adolescent health and development. KIJLE stands for Kora In Jiban Lolorjake Ejmour (“Women assisting to promote good health”). After the workshop, YTYIH and KIJLE signed a letter of agreement committing efforts to reduce unplanned teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections by implementing the KIJLE “Baamle Mokta” (family first) home education program.
Delap Elementary students hope their results in this week’s Marshall Islands Standard Achievement Test (MISAT) will continue the school’s increasingly strong academic performance of recent years. These grade 3B students were obviously pleased that the 2009 MISAT was finished Tuesday.
Bed boost
DOI gives green light to a new hospital
By GIFF JOHNSON
Majuro’s new hospital will go out for bid this summer, with groundbreaking to start construction now set for November.
The estimated $20-30 million US-funded project will greatly expand the Ministry of Health’s physical presence in Delap, taking over the open space between the existing hospital and the capital, as well as demolishing and rebuilding new facilities where administrative, 177 and DOE programs are located now.
A revised architectural concept for the new facility was presented to Ministry of Health and US Department of Interior officials recently, receiving approval.
Health Secretary Justina Langidrik
In the final, approved plan the wards,
administration and other facilities will be built in the open area between the current hospital and the capital building. “We’ll start with the patient wards,” Langidrik said. “Once they are built, we can move the patients so there will be no interruption in services. Then we’ll move onto other sections.”
She expects the hospital to take two years to complete, with another year of work to build the apartment complex for expatriate staff.
Langidrik indicated the government is looking at creative ways to finance the construction work — including bank loans — since the plan calls for $5 million per year to be available from Compact infrastructure money, while the facility is estimated to cost between $20 and $30 million.
Even with the new hospital project moving into gear, Langidrik said this doesn’t change the Ministry’s focus on preventive health.
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$3m payment lets MEC order fuel
The Marshalls Energy Company and the RMI government have paid off $3 million overdue to SK Networks of S. Korea for the last shipment of diesel, and are now gearing to order the next shipment, Chief Secretary and MEC board member Casten Nemra (pictured) told the Journal Wednesday.
Support from Japan also helped solve MEC’s and RMI’s fuel cash crunch.
The government chipped in more than half of that amount, MEC the balance, Nemra said. Despite it being nearly 60-days past the due date for payment when MEC cleared the bill, SK Networks did not hit the RMI with additional fees or interest, Nemra said.
Nemra expressed appreciation to SK Networks for working with the RMI and MEC, and not hitting MEC with additional charges for being late.
MEC officials indicated that an order is being placed for about 2.2 million gallons of diesel to
be shipped mid-April. They report MEC still has two months worth of fuel for the power plant as well as sales to fishing vessels.
Little Raphael David, four, pats Ladie Jack’s winning beast of the deep as dad Richard, who works at Assumption High School, and brother Joshua, two, look on.
SK Networks' fuel tanker at the Delap Dock. SK has been MEC's fuel supplier since 2005.
Journal 3/14/1972 P6 Letter The article by Derson Ramon entitled “American Doctor Insults Ponapean” is a typical example of its author’s weekly attempts to find something to bitch about, even where there is no justification to do so. Here we have a qualified physician who has given a few simple instructions to a patient only to learn 10 days later the man instead took it upon himself to get his “treatments” from a “local massaging man.” It certainly is not surprising that the physician refused to sign the alleged sick leave! But why didn’t that poor patient ask the witch doctor to sign his slip? —Jim Kirby, Saipan
P12 The Rev. Eleanor Wilson, skipper of the missionary ships Morning Star VI and VII in the far-flung Pacific, teacher in Kusaie, Truk, Ponape, and in the Marshalls, died Sunday. Miss Wilson, 80, served as a missionary of the American Board and the United Church Board for World Ministries.
P1 Ujelang leadership has returned to Majuro in preparation for meetings with the Trust Territory and US governments concerning the future of Enewetak. In December they met with Deputy High Commissioner Peter T. Coleman and informed him of their desire to return (to Enewetak).
P1 On Monday March 6 the Lagoon Aviation plane made an emergency medevac flight to Lae. A fisherman there had boated a fish, which took a large bite out of the man’s right calf. By the time he managed to get back to land he had lost much blood, and the case became serious when nobody could stop further bleeding. The airline flew him to Kwajalein and he came to Majuro the next day. He is doing well in Majuro hospital. Later in the week another medical emergency ended less successfully. A young girl on Maloelap was hit on the head by a falling coconut. Apparently nobody worried about her condition until it had dangerously deteriorated. Frantic radio calls to request assistance followed. But the communications did not go well. After several
misleading messages sent to the pilot at various island stops, he called Majuro. The final message: ignore all previous communications — the girl was dead.

Journal 3/19/1976

Journal 3/20/1992
P1 “Agriculture will play a major role in the development of Micronesia,” said United Nations FAO agriculture-economist Arulpragsam Jandra who is now performing a study in Micronesia. He said, however, that before progress can be made, “political decisions” must be made by the Congress of Micronesia. “Tough, determined, political decisions” must be made before Micronesia can move from its present subsistence economy to a market economy, he said. The real problem does not lie in agriculture but in the present system of “free” imports, the high cost of labor in Micronesia, the lack of knowledge concerning actual resources, capabilities, and knowledge of what can be grown, he said. The present system of “free” or unrestricted imports, he said, is responsible for the present four-to-one imbalance in imports and exports. According to Arulpgragsam, who has worked for the UN for 14 years, the best solution is a simple one: restrict imports.
P3 As a result of numerous blunders on the part of Trust Territory government employees who had responsibility for administering huge capital improvement project contracts, the Washington-based Office of the Director of Territories has decided that in future all CIP operations will be handled by the US Navy. Official Washington sources say this is the best way of assuring that we get the most for our money. Local contractors, who feel uneasy about the replacement of the TT as the contracting entity, are understandably upset, for now they have to make bids with an agency they feel will not be as easy to manipulate as
P3 The Marshall Islands has signed a letter of intent to purchase a desalination plant from Israel to supply Majuro with fresh water. President Amata Kabua told visiting American businessmen last week that the government was negotiating with the government of Israel “for the construction of a desalination plant to generate a sufficient quantity of fresh water for our needs now and in the future.” The government is planning to purchase the desalination facility from IDE Technologies, the Israeli company that built Ebeye’s water processing unit that opened in 1987.
P14 The Marshalls has taken its biggest step to date for establishing a tuna cannery in Majuro by signing a letter of intent with Guam tuna magnate Lawrence Zuanich of Z Fishing Company. The letter was signed by Marshall Islands Development Authority Manager Howard Zeder and Zuanich last week during the tuna boat owner’s visit to Majuro. Both sides agree the major holdup to a cannery operation is Majuro’s current water shortage. But if a deal can be negotiated, a cannery could mean more than 800 jobs. Water availability and other development issues, such as labor and financial requirements, are to be addressed in a feasibility study.
the former TT honchos. To allay these fears, Washington promises that where possible, local contractors will be used and local hiring will take place.
P6 You know all this stuff you been reading about the planned Micro Olympics II to be held in Ponape this summer? Well, cross it out “X” it over, and erase. No money for the event was appropriated during the recently concluded Congress session. So hold on. Maybe next year.
P7 A crackdown has been instituted by administration on illegal use of government vehicles. Several TT vehicles have been impounded after being discovered in the area of local bars by police, and new regulations on who has the OK to use government vehicles after normal working hours have taken effect. In some cases, former government free-riders have taken to using personal bicycles as a public display of contrition and repudiation of former capitalist-roader tendencies. While the immediate trend is hopeful, we must guard against the possibility of back-sliding into decadent practices.
P17 Marshall Islands High School is a great place to be for the students during school hours to learn and be friends. And also a great place for the teachers during lunch. MIHS has set up a small restaurant inside the campus as part of the vocational training program. It consists of students from various classes with Darleen Zicafoose as their instructor. The restaurant is operated by the students. They serve food such as chicken dinner, chicken ramen, chef’s salad, BBQ burger, hamburger, chicken burger, hot dog, baked potato, club sandwich, colas and even a special spaghetti dinner. So far the program has sent students to some restaurants around Majuro. The Deli, Quik Stop and Food Services have already received students from this program, said MIHS Principal Troy Barker.