Journal 6/19/1987
P5 RepMar eyes ties with neighbors
The Marshalls plans to soon establish diplomatic ties with four of its closest neighbors as a result of discussions held during last month’s South Pacific Forum in Western Samoa. Foreign Secretary Jiba Kabua said official contact was made with Kiribati, Tuvalu, Nauru and Western Samoa.
P15 Forum meeting a first for Marshalls
The Marshall Islands participated in its first South Pacific Forum meeting as a full member last month. President Amata Kabua led the RepMar delegation to the meeting of heads of state of independent Pacific nations held in Apia, Western Samoa. Both the Marshalls and Federated States of Micronesia were accepted as full members. They are the first north Pacific nations to become members.
Journal 6/18/1999
P1 World class sprinter
Roman Cress won a silver medal in the 200 meter dash at the South Pacific Games in Guam. He didn’t medal in the 100, but in a preliminary heat ran the 100 in 10.6 seconds, a time better than the runner who ultimately won the gold medal in the race.
P2 Sad end
The venerable Micro Palm is no more. The 25-year-old field trip vessel was given a sailor’s funeral, of sorts, when it was towed about 10 miles out of Majuro’s pass, the bilges were opened, and blub-blub it headed on down to Davey Jones’ locker. Unfortunately it’s a sad commentary on the state of government management/maintenance that the Palm has been sunk and the Micro Chief should be. We hear from friends in the FSM that some of the same vintage Micro vessels are still hauling copra around the Micronesian islands.
P4 They wait for one man
Time may not wait for anyone, but everyone in the Marshall Islands waits for V7AB. The local radio station’s justifiably famous DJ Waston Attari was a few minutes late for the opening of the RMI national census workshop Monday morning and the people gathered simply waited for him to arrive with his radio gear. This development prompted Minister Tony deBrum to quip that when the Americans storm the beaches in Europe, every media camera and microphone is trained on the event. But in the Marshall Islands, “the news waits for the media.” He’s right. Whether its V7AB or the Journal, until it’s been on the air or in print, it ain’t news.
P18 RMI hitters bomb Saipan for bronze
After losing a 13-4 game to dominating Guam fast pitching team, the RMI had to regroup to beat an always-tough Saipan nine in order to gain a medal. The RMI won 13-7.
P24 Marshall Islands “first”
Three Marshallese — Charles Paul, Jeiar Sam and Alfonso Ching — became the first local students to graduate from Kwajalein’s Jr./Sr. High School when they graduated earlier this month.
Journal 6/18/2010
P7 Cell phone banking at BOMI
On the heels of the April launch of the high-speed submarine fiber optic cable linking Marshall Islands to Guam and the world, Bank of Marshall Islands is rolling out the first cell phone banking services for the country next week Wednesday. With about 15,000 cell phones in use, the bank sees the business opportunity of using technology to create thousands of “mobile ATMs.”
P11 Smaller contractors get larger slice of building pie
Pacific International Inc. has won more than half of the total $34.8 million in US Compact-funded construction and maintenance contracts bid out between 2004 and 2009, according to the Interior Department’s draft five year Compact review for the US Congress. Of 62 construction, renovation and maintenance contracts with a total value of $34.8 million, PII won 24 contracts for a total value of $19.6 million. Anil Construction was in second place with seven jobs worth $6.2 million. Next was IBC, which won two valued at just under $5 million.