Journal11/22/1985
P3 KAC reclaims islands in payment protest A small group of Kwajalein landowners are not moving from their islands in the mid-corridor of the atoll, although November 14 was the date the Army planned to resume range operations after a six-week “down period.” Kwajalein Atoll Corporation attorney George Allen said in Honolulu that about 50 landowners on Handel Dribo’s islands were going to stay put until the payment dispute is resolved. KAC leader Senator Ataji Balos said he is rescinding his letter to Defense Secretary Casper Weinberger giving the US full use of the range. The KAC’s decision is based on a RepMar payment of 24 percent of the October rent from the US to non-KAC landowners, Balos said.
P9 MIHS Honor Roll 12th grade: Freddy Aaron, Mackbi Abwe, Arta Andrew, Roger August, Merita Carland, Dwight Heine, Brenda Mellan, Junior Riklon, Willa Ysawa, and Walkup Zachrais.
P18 Senate kills riders, passes Compact After months of delay, the US Senate voted last Thursday to approve the Compact of Free Association for the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia. The Senate version is still substantially different from the Compact bill passed by the House last July and thus negotiations between the House and Senate are expected to begin in early. December to reach a compromise bill acceptable to the US and the Marshalls.
P13 Conflicting results emerge from ‘battle of the giants’ “Honolulu court vindicates His Excellency The President” headlines The Bulletin, published by the Republic of Nauru. “Guam newspaper wins Nauru libel suit,” reports the Honolulu Advertiser. Could they be talking about the same trial? Yes, and both sides in the trial claimed victory for their position. Had Nauru President Hammer deRoburt’s case against Pacific Daily News been tried in a British court, he would have won with the jury’s ruling. The Honolulu jury said the PDN story regarding an alleged secret loan from Nauru to the Marshall Islands was false and defamatory to deRoburt, but that the paper was not “reckless” in publishing the story. Under American law, the plaintiff must prove this third point, or it will not win a libel case. So while deRoburt proved his point that the newspaper story was false, he did not come away with any compensation for his troubles. President Kabua is also suing the PDN for libel in connection with the same article. That trial is scheduled for March 3 in the Marshalls.
Journal 11/21/1997
P6 MIVA hires new staff, opens office The Marshall Islands Visitors Authority has reached full establishment this month with the hiring of its first full-time staff and the opening of a MIVA Secretariat and Visitors Information Center. MIVA has taken over the responsibilities formerly held by the Tourism Office under the Ministry of Works, Resources and Development.
P6 Second German sues RMI A second German coin collector has filed suit against the Marshall Islands government for its failure to redeem his coins. Alexander Gayek, through local attorney Carl Ingram, sued the government for damages of $39,444.14, which includes the value of the 830 $50 coins he was trying to redeem, as well as his travel costs in coming to Majuro. Another coin collector filed suit last month seeking more than $100,000 in damages from the government. Gayek said he bought the coins on the understanding from the RMI government’s coin sales company that they are “legal tender” and redeemable.
P8 Fundraising planned for Palau Games The Micronesian Games in Palau may be nine months away, but a good deal of preparation of Marshall Islands teams is already underway. National Olympic Committee chairman Danny Wase said that fundraising by the teams is going to be kicking off soon, with a big raffle and battle of the bands planned as the focus of fundraising efforts. On Ebeye, preparation and training of the men’s fast pitch softball team is already underway, Wase said. In Majuro, wrestlers, weightlifters and basketball players have been training for Palau.
P18 Ebeye SDA School System Honor Roll 12th grade: Charles Choban, Clanson Clanton, Yone Langidrik, Clayton Lemari, Allan Matsuda, Wilma Sison, and Zebty Zebty.
Journal 11/21/2008
P3 Mona is the new prez The national women’s organization WUTMI elected a new slate of officers at the end of last week’s conference, naming Ramona Levy-Strauss as the new president. Others elected include: First Vice President Kiorong Sam, Second Vice President Lucia Guavis, First Secretary Marilyn Lokebol, Annie Lucky and Herthy Nathan.