Journal 7/31/1987
P1 New Japan policy
A meeting of Pacific Island representatives in Nauru last week agreed to move ahead with a regional approach to fishing licenses with Japan. Members of the Forum Fisheries Agency sent a communique to Japan stating their plan to begin negotiations as a block, rather than continuing to negotiate fishing licenses on an individual island basis.
P1 Special guests
The California Jake Jobol Eo Club gave a crowd of over 2,000 a Tate of Marshallese music and dance. They received a standing ovation for the performance at the Pllynesian Dance Competition. The club’s band was comprised of Lang Karjin,Bue Garstaing, Wilson Langerik, Ricky Gram, Morry Milne, Pierra Patrick, Neibaj Silk and Josephine Wase.
P1 Phone help on the way
Good news in the form of telephone relies is around the over, said Kessai Note, Minister of Transportation and Communications. T&C has contracted with a Texas firm to prove an additional 800 phone lines. The system now in use is an old PBX system from Enewetak that is obsolete.
Journal 7/30/1999
P1 Pay up!
More than $2.6 million is owed by Majuro and Ebeye business to the Social Security Administration, which has launched an aggressive collection campaign to being solving the huge debt.
P1 George shuts down bingo
The on-again, off-again Instant Scratch Bingo is now off, less than two months after getting started in Majuro. Police Commissioner George Lanwi on Saturday notified the Marshall Islands Sports Council and local businesses selling the $1 tickets that the program is illegal and must halt immediately. Lani’s action followed continuing efforts by some churches, spearheaded by the Catholic Church, to get the government to take action to halt the bingo sales.
Journal 8/6/2010
P1 Big day for Bikini
Bikini Atoll claimed another first for the Marshall Islands when it was named to the prestigious World Heritage listing. But Bikini Mayor Alson Kelen said the entire country shares in the recognition, not just Bikini. “I want to make sure everybody understand that when I sat in the meeting (in Brazil), the sign before me said ‘Marshall Islands,’ not Bikini Atoll,” Kelen told the Journal. “The site is ‘Bikini Atoll Nuclear Test.’ This site puts the Marshall Islands on World Heritage status, so this is also beneficial for the whole country. Bikini is the first site in the Marshall Islands, and one of only a handful in the Pacific that have gained World Heritage recognition.
P5 Marshalls urged to complete Taiwan-funded projects
Taiwan Ambassador Bruce Linghu said it diplomatically, but in urging the RMI government to complete Taiwan-funded projects he is joining other donors who are concerned about slow implementation of development projects. At last week’s check hand-over ceremony of $2.75 million — Taiwan’s quarterly grant support to the RMI — Ambassador Linghu emphasized the “importance of a timely and full implementation of all related projects in order that the contribution of the 2010 annual grant to the development of social and economic welfare of the RMI people being duly realized.” His point: the RMI is slow to implement projects and should speed up the process to get the benefits to the public. His comments follow US government efforts to get Marshall Islands ministries to spend US grant funds. In particular, earlier this year, deadlines for obligating and fully spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in Supplemental Education Grant (SEG) funding were set to complete the process of spending. In contrast to Compact grants, SEG funds must be used by the deadline or they are returned to the US. Since the new Compact came into effect in 2004, the RMI has in some years had over a million dollars left at the end of the fiscal year in Compact grants.