P1 Ocheral vs Later An old custom in Palau is making a major contribution to the district housing program. The old custom’s name is “ocheral” and it works like this: a family borrows money from the Palau Housing Authority to build its house. When the house is completed, the borrower asks for contributions from the extended family which is often sufficient to pay back the loan in a short time. This old custom is in direct conflict with a newly established modern custom existent throughout the Trust Territory generally. The new custom is called Later (pronounced “lay-ter”). The way this custom works is that a political big whig makes a loan from the government to do business. Then when the government collector comes around about five years later, the borrower says, “Later.” The advantages of this type of loan to the borrower can not be beaten, according to most observers. Of the two customs, the new one of Later is definitely more popular.
P8 Silk bombasts US During the closing minutes of the January 17 session of the Congress of Micronesia, Rep Ekpap Silk of he Marshalls district delivered a verb last at the US charging it intentionally deceived the people of Micronesia, kicks the Congress around…to achieve its own ends” and consequently “Micronesians no longer have the Trust while the United States has the Territory.”
Journal 1/17/2016
P2: Nine new Nitijela members take office Senator Nidel Lorak, Senator Alik Alik, Senator Alvin Jacklick, Senator Rellong Lemari, Senator Jorelik Tibon, Senator Jurelang Zedkaia, Senator Kejjo Bien, Senator Patrick Langmoir and Senator Kaiboke Kabua all took the oath of office earlier this month.
P12 Typhoon Axel hits Majuro Businesses around Majuro took the warning of Typhoon Axel seriously. Grant Labaun supervised the boarding up of his Midtown Shop, while RRE employees worked into the night to put up a rock barricade in front of their property. Meanwhile, Weather Station Chief Paul Peter and staff Atran Lakabung and Lee Jacklick were busy answering calls before and during the story. MEC crews battled high winds and downed lines to restore electric power. After the storm, firemen, policemen and transportation workers used high pressure hoses to clean off every pebble from the airport runway. The airport was piled with rocks, coral, seaweed, sand and garbage necessitating a massive government employee effort to clean it so the airport could reopen a week after the storm hit.
P20 Majuro’s first babies of the New Year Ann Jeban and Anjen Kelen were the happy mothers of baby boys that were born the day after New Year’s in Majuro. Ann’s boy was 8.3 pounds, Anjen’s was 7.1.
P22 V7AB manager explains switch The Marshall Islands radio station has changed its call sign from previous WSZO to the new V7AB. According to Manager Sam Jordan, the International Telecommunications Union, which assigns frequency for all radio stations in the world, gave the new call sign to Radio Marshalls.
Journal 1/24/2003
P2 Negotiators settle on $2 billion for Kwajalein through 2086 US and Marshall Islands negotiators signed a pact Friday that could extend American use of the Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein for more than 80 years. US negotiator Albert Short and RMI Foreign Minister Gerald Zackios after meetings in Honolulu initialed a deal worth at least $2 billion in direct land payments, community development assistance and environmental protection. The Kwajalein Negotiation Commission called into question the enforceability of the new US-RMI memorandum of intent signed last week in Honolulu without their participation. The KNC said it does not support the recent agreement for use of Kwajalein beyond 2016.
P3 Tuning in to talented twins Marshallese twin sisters Emma and Julia Churchill were featured earlier this month on local cable television performing violin and chelo recitals. The twins were born on Ailinlaplap to Sandy and Donald Johnny and were adopted in 1996 by Mark and Marylou Churchill, both of whom are professional musicians. The twins began playing violin at the age of two, and by six they were performing recitals.