Brenson on postal $ hike

Journal 11/16/2982

P1 Water cut back again Water hours have been reduced to 6:30-8:30am and 4:30-7:30pm, according to the Department of Public Works. There are only 5.5 million gallons of water in the reservoir.

Journal 11/18/1994

P3 Religious review team An interdenominational group is working to revise the Marshallese language versions of the Old and New Testaments. The group met in Majuro at the Marshalls Theological College last week to continue the review begun in 1992. Involved in the review are Keta Lokboj, Coordinator Alice Buck, Kaki Binejal, Mej Letal, Henry Moses, Alfred Capelle and Palukne Johnny.

P3 Teachers to be accountable for student learning Local businesses interviewing job applicants grumble about the inability of Marshallese to read a ruler or write a paragraph in English; the College of the Marshall Islands must hire additional instructors and expand its remedial programs to bring entering freshmen up to a level so they can manage entry level college courses; and Marshallese in depressing numbers drop out of flunk out of off-island colleges in large part because they don’t have the skill level to compete successfully. The Ministry of Education believes the generally low standard of graduating high school seniors is traceable directly to the elementary school level. “We have put the emphasis at the primary level to make a difference,” said Education Secretary Hilda Heine.

P14 Booze sparks suicides among boys, girls Suicide appears to be slightly on the increase in 1994. “Suicide is still a problem in the Marshall Islands,” said Glorina Harris, director of the Division of Human Services at the Ministry of Health. In 1994, there have been 11 completed suicides, primarily among young people aged 16-30, said Wilfred Allen, who directs the Mental Health program. This is an increase over the 10 in 1993 and the seven the year before. “Ninety percent of the suicide cases involve alcohol use,” he said.

P18 Lore dies on Kili An elder Bikini Islander who was an influential force in the Bikinians’ campaign to gain US compensation and clean up funding died on Kili over the weekend. Lore Kessibuki, 76, was burin red on the Bikinians’ second home earlier this week. He was one of the original 167 people moved from Bikini in 1946 to make way for the American nuclear weapons tests. He became one of the leading spokesmen for the Bikini community and was a well known composer. In 1946, when the Bikinians were languishing on Rongerik Atoll suffering from starvation, Kessibuki wrote what would later become the Bikini anthem. While angered that the US government lied to the Bikinians, he held no anger or bitterness toward individual Americans, according to Jack Niedenthal, who worked with him over the last 10 yard. “He said the larger picture,” said Niedenthal. “Lore and Kilon Bauno were the most influential people in the drive of the Bikinians to get the clean up fund.” 

Journal 11/11/2005

P2 No shows at Nitijela talks Only nine of 33 senators turned out Tuesday for the opening day of a “good governance” workshop being held this week at the Nitijela for all members. The workshop was requited by President Kessai Note as a flow up to a similar workshop held in August with the of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.

P3 Brenson objects to USPS rate hike The RMI government has called on the US Postal Service not to change the Marshall Islands to an international mailing zone beginning in January. Finance Minister Brenson Wase said the change from domestic to international will hurt the private sector, reduce possibilities for foreign investment from American companies, and undermine the free association relationship.” The agreement allowing the USPS to change the RMI from a domestic to an international designation is include in the Compact of Free Association that was approved by the RMI and US governments in 2003.

P8 Frightening fat facts If you work for the national or local governments you’re much likelier to be fatter or have higher blood pressure than people working in the private sector, a Ministry of Health survey reports. As part of its diabetes prevention program, the ministry conducted obesity screening. The results: 80 percent of the 622 adults tested were either overweight or obese. The survey showed that people working in government offices tended on average to be fatter than those working in businesses.