Journal 1/9/1981
P1 Second Nitijela session opened By Akio Heine The second Constitutional Nitijela session reconvened January 5. After Speaker Atlan Anien called for the opening of the 1981 session, Rev. Jude Samson of Uliga Protestant Memorial Church gave the invocation. Everybody then stood up and sang a hymn, “O Master Let Me Walk With Thee.” Then President Amata Kabua gave a short speech. Kabua noted that some progress has been made since the new constitutional government came into being. He asked Nitijela members to come up with new ideas during this session — ideas that will work for the islands. He said, “Let’s dream of better things for our islands.”
P2 Special disco A surprise Christmas season party organized by Tony deBrum, Victor Milne and their wives for friends of their children resulted in a heart-rending rendition of Silent Night from nearly 200 of the youngsters at the close of the special disco. The children, ranging in age from one to 13, spent the night of December 29 dancing in what can only be described as the most sophisticated of modern dance steps. Even the finest tots, barely able to walk, shunted rhythmically to the adult m usic. Some of the attending chaperons expressed a little concern at the apparently Americanized the younger generation was becoming. But their concern was baseless, for at the conclusion of the dancing, the children, with no prompting, gathered themselves into a uniform mass on the dance floor and began with pure young voices to sing the song of a Christmas night in appreciation for the party. It was such a spontaneous, Marshallese thing to do that all thoughts that a foreign generation was on the rise vanished. It was quite a Christmas gift in its own right.
P3 New members installed The House of Iroij have six new members for the second Constitutional Nitijela regular session. They are: Lerak Leban (Mili), Joanes Peter (Enewetak), Wame Tokalur (Mejit), David Calemen and Bolur Jetnil (Arno), and Owner Bella deBrum (Likiep). The other six serve on a continuing basis. Michael Kabua and Anjua Loeak were re-elected chairman and vice-chairman, respectively.
P4 Wish? Satellite in 1981 Last week, the Journal carried a story about Dwight Heine’s retirement. Some people have asked how it is that Lazarus Salii received a commendation from the High Commissioner but Dwight did not. We can report that he DID receive a commendation but the Micronesian News Service story just arrived and it was extremely garbled. We requested a re-transmission, but it has not arrived. One of the Journal’s wishes for the new year would be satellite communication so that all messages can get in and out easily.
P7 Carter aide tours islands One of President Jimmy Carter’s domestic policy advisors, Al Stern, went on a flight to Mili January 7. Escorting him on the charter were President Amata Kabua, Finance Minister Atjang Paul, Resources and Development Minister Kessai Note, consultant Mike McEvoy, Iroij Bwijtak and Iroij Lerok. The previous day, Stern visited the northern islands on the AMI flight.
Journal 1/8/1993
P1 Peace Corps-Marshalls pact Marshalls Peace Corps Director Keekee Minor joined Interior Minister Brenson Wase and Education Minister Phillip Muller in signing a five-year teacher training agreement in Majuro last week.
P3 Nitijela opens first 1993 session The Nitijela opened for its first regular session of 1993 on Monday with Acting President Tom Kijiner delivering extended remarks on behalf of President Kabua, who is off-island. The Acting President said President Kabua is currently in California and will be opening the Marshalls new consulate in Costa Mesa.
Journal 1/9/2004
P1 Top US official heads to Majuro US Secretary of Interior Gale Norton is expected to visit the Marshall Islands briefly next week as part of a large US Congressional delegation that is on a Pacific tour.