Journal 3/19/1976
P7 The littlest district While most people are aware of the fact that in January 1977 Kusaie Island is slated to become a district, not as many may be aware of developments which lead to the designation of yet another district, the “Trust Territory Capital District.” The Congress of Micronesia reported it had been agreed to call the present headquarters area in Saipan Trust Territory Capital District. The idea itself isn’t startling, but it does lead to speculation that it may be possible to set up an entire island elsewhere in the Trust Territory and call that island the capital district. This, at least on the surface, would appear to be one way of solving the touchy political problem of where to locate the future capital of the proposed Federated States of Micronesia. The capital, under such an arrangement, wouldn’t be located in any of the districts. Since the central government is not intended to be big, a small isolated island may serve the purpose: we are reported to have over 2,000 small islands in the territory.
Journal 3/22/1991
P1 US, RMI taxmen unite The government of the Marshall Islands and the United States of America signed the Tax Information Exchange Agreement today. It will provide free exchange of information between the American Internal Revenue Service and RMI tax officials, said Norman Olsen, Jr., deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy. The agreement was signed by Foreign Minister Tom Kijiner and US Ambassador Bill Bodde.
P8 Crank it up, Jack It’s not Jack, but Anja Andy, who was sending an electrical pulse down the line to check output at the other end. MEC was out by the water pump station by the airport checking the cable on March 5. They replaced the much-repaired originals with modern and more efficient cables. Keeping in touch with the other end by walkie talkie was Sablan Bani, while Benji Lated and Johnny Jenop helped out.
P11 US companies target waste for Pacific areas Seven Pacific island nations, including the Marshal Islands, have been targeted for hazardous waste exports from the United States as part of a massive global waste business that has attempted to export over 160 million tons of waste to dozens of countries, according to The International Trade in Wastes, a newly issued Greenpeace book. American Samoa, Solomon Islands, Western Samoa and Vanuatu have rejected a series of waste proposals, while the Marshalls, Tonga and Papua New Guinea continue to actively consider importing waste for cash.
P19 Crime analysis According to Police Blotter reports since January, 385 incidents have been reported, with 222 or 57.7 percent related to alcohol. The number of thefts was 47.
Journal 3/24/2000
P1 Jack ’n Jerry get board posts On the same day last week that Jack Niedenthal’s sharply critical article on Social Security appeared in the Journal — in which he said he’d fire everyone at Social Security because its accounts are in such disarray that it can’t be audited — he was appointed to the board of directors of the government agency. Meanwhile, local businessman Jerry Kramer has been named to the Air Marshall Islands board.
P1 RMI plays ball President Kessai Note, Speaker Litokwa Tomeing and Ministers Witten Philippo, Gerald Zackios, Brenson Wase and Nidel Lorak presented a $100,000 check for the Micronesian Basketball Tournament, which the Marshalls will host at the end of July (the money was appropriated in the RMI fiscal year 2000 budget). The tournament is the biggest international sporting event ever in the history of the Republic. The presentation was made Tuesday at a reception sponsored by the Micro Basketball Tournament Organization Committee at Nitijela.