Journal 8/6/1976
P7 Elected absentees Rumors of a planned early departure and a number of late arrivals by some members of the Congress of Micronesia at the Ponape Special Session caused Yap Representative Luke Tman to say he was “extremely concerned” that one Congress member did not arrive on Ponape at all. Another member had already departed Ponape “perhaps for urgent reasons,” said Tman. If rumors of continued early departures resulted in the lack of a quorum to conduct business, “not only would it damage the reputation and effectiveness of the Congress,” but “Congress will have wasted its time and money.”
Journal 8/9/1991
P1 Riordan tenders resignation Auditor General Brian Riordan has tendered his resignation. “I trust that over the past eight years I have been able to contribute towards the ongoing development of this fledgling nation,” he said in his letter to Speaker Kessai Note. Riordan explained to the Journal his decision was motivated by a desire to join his wife in Maryland “and grow some roses.”
P1 UN membership in the wings President Amata Kabua informed the Republic at the Nitijela opening that acceptance of the Marshall Islands’ application to full membership in the United Nations is expected and hoped for this coming September.
P3 Mormons: Established and growing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, known popularly as the Mormons, is a relatively new church in the Marshalls. Their newness, however, is not to be construed as an indication of insignificance, for in the 14 years since their official establishment here they have grown in influence and size. Established in 1977, the church now claims 1,100 adherents, with branches in Majuro, Ebeye and in the outer islands.
P5 Shimada and Taniko leaving Majuro Longtime Majuro residents Shimada and Taniko Kousei will be leaving the Marshalls to return permanently to Japan in September. Readers of the Journal and other publications know Shimada as the photographer who graced our publications with his excellent photographs over the past six years. And Taniko will be remembered for her tremendous sill as a landscapist, with the grounds of the RRE complex as perhaps her finest achievement.
P17 Is Billy Roberts crazy? By Arthur Hetherington “Billy Roberts, manager of MEC, is crazy.” At least that’s what I thought when I first saw one of his handouts called, “Low-Cost, No-Cost ways to save energy.” When Roberts, the manager of the company that generates for sale nearly all of Majuro’s generator juice, spends his money telling his customers how to buy less of his company’s product, what else could I think? However, when after a talk with Roberts it became clear that if the man was crazy, it was only in the sense that he was crazy like a fox is. Roberts wants to keep his paying customers. He does not want to cut them off because they are running up bills they cannot pay.
Journal 8/11/2000
P3 Palau, Guam take gold In a history-making win, Palau’s national men’s team upset Guam Monday night to win the gold medal in Outrigger’s Micronesian Basketball Tournament in Majuro, 67-60. It was the first time ever that a Guam men’s team has lost to a Micronesian team in international competition. RMI men won the bronze medal by beating Pohnpei 83-59, while the RMI’s first national women’s basketball team collected the bronze medal with a convincing 60-36 win over Chuuk. RMI standout Robert Pinho was named MVP of the tournament and to the tournament all star team, while 14-year-old point guard Trisha Wase from the RMI women’s team was named to the all star team.