Journal 2/20/1987
P1 Ebeye soaks but Majuro suffers
Water any time of the day on Ebeye? While Majuro is encountering strict water hours — despite heavy rains last week — Ebeye is getting water eight hours a day and will soon have water 24-hours a day. The opening February 9 of the new power and desalination plant has Ebeye over-flowing with fresh water. Since the early 1970s, residents have never had running water for more than 30 minutes a day. But those days are past, said a jubilant Mayor Alvin Jacklick.
Journal 2/19/1999
P1 World ranked registry
The Marshall Islands ship registry has grown to become the 10th largest in the world, said Archibald Stewart, who heads International Registries, Inc., the parent company of the Trust Company of the Marshall Islands, which operates the registry. In 1990, when IRI took over the registry, there were just 28 ships,” Stewart said in a speech at the dedication of the Trust Company’s new corporate headquarters in Ajeltake on Monday afternoon. As of January this year, “there were 236 ships representing 7.2 million gross tons.” President Imata Kabua and many government officials joined in the dedication ceremony.
P6 Who’s that?
Everyone is so used to seeing Ramsey Reimers and Victor ‘Bwera’ Milne wandering around town in their trademark shorts and t-shirts that they almost got lost during the trip to Taiwan last week, according to others on the visit. People were living up at one of the receptions and one was looking around asking, “where’s Ramsey?” Turns out he and Victor were standing right there. It’s just they were in such stylish suits and ties that they weren’t immediately recognizable.
P10 Majuro nips Kwaj in OT
A strong second half comeback using relentless defensive pressure led the RMI national team over a taller Kwajalein all-start basketball team Monday night before a large crowd at the ECC gym. It was an overtime 70-67 win for the RMI team that wasn’t decided until the final seconds of the overtime period. Kwajalein player/coach Dave Gray led his team with 18 followed by Floyd Corder, Jr. with 13, while RMI starters Rantly Kattil and Ken Heine led RMI with 17 each and Robert Pinho added 14.
Journal 2/19/2010
P4 Afraid to live on Rongelap
“In truth, I don’t want to return to Rongelap,” says Lemeyo Abon, a Rongelap survivor of the US nuclear testing era in the Mashall Islands who will turn 70 on July 5. “I am afraid,” she told the Journal on Tuesday in reaction to the US Congress’ push to have Rongelap resettled by 2011. “If we go back, it will be our death — is it the United States intention to eliminate us?” She sees resettlement of Rongelap Atoll as “impossible” because only a small part of the atoll has been cleaned up for Rongelap people to live on.
P7 Water access is big issue
A water survey of Majuro and Kwajalein shows that four of every 10 homes did not have “suitable” household water storage capacity. Water surveyors surveyed 4,652 households in the two centers, finding 1,963 without adequate catchments.
P8 No new jobs around town
Employment levels in the RMI have remained virtually unchanged over the past six years, according to a statistical report issued by the RMI’s Economic Policy, Planning and Statistics Office. Total employment went down slightly in 2009 compared to 2008. The number of workers has remained statistic at about 10,000 since 2003, going from a low of 9,707 in 2005 to a high of 10,338 in 2007.
P9 Micro Games mega effort
Preparations for the Micronesian Games in Palau later this year were launched by the basketball and volleyball federations last week, following on the wrestling federation’s early start in January. Basketball is gearing to send both men’s and women’s team to Palau, while volleyball will focus on a women’s team only the games in August. Tryouts at the ECC gym started February 1.
P14 Getting new sight, knees from surgery
Canvasback Missions docro0rs completed a four-week mission in Ebeye last week. The ophthalmology team performed 192 cataract surgeries. The next two weeks, an orthopedic team followed by providing total knee replacements and upper extremity surgeries. Canvasback also provided dental services and cardiology training. One patient, Alan Mohang, had his right knee replaced by the team in 2007. This year, Mohang had a triple blessing. He was given his eyesight back when the team performed cataract surgery in both his eyes and then replaced the left knee.
P15 Kwaj fund nears $27m
The Kwajalein escrow account continues to grow. As of February 6, the balance was $26.8 million, according to the Ministry of Finance. This money is the difference between rental levels provided under Compact I and agreed to in the existing land use agreement with Kwajalein leaders, and the level in Compact II. The money is being held in escrow awaiting a new land use agreement to implement the Compact II Kwajalein provisions.