Journal 2/22/1985
P1 Rongelap poised for evacuation The people of Rongelap Atoll are preparing to evacuate their home island, fearing high levels of residual radiation from nuclear tests of the 1950s. Rongelap Senator Jeton Anjain is currently on Rongelap discussing resettlement plans with the 250 people residing there. The Rongelapese want to move to Ebadon or an adjacent island in Kwajalein Atoll and have been meeting with Kwajalein landowners during the past several months to gain approval for the resettlement.
P2 Journal’s Ebeye popularity explained Although there appears to still be a large supply on hand, toilet paper prices have risen sky high, forcing consumers to dig deep into their pockets to purchase this expensive item. At more than $4 for four rolls, toilet paper is — ounce for ounce — one of the worst buys on Ebeye. The continuing high cost of toilet paper could be a contributing factor to why it is difficult to find a newspaper on the island.
Journal 2/21/1997
P1 Imata to Bill: Help Kili US President Bill Clinton has been asked to provide Federal Emergency Management Agency aid to wave-damaged Kili Island. President Imata Kabua wrote Clinton Friday asking him to authorize “a damage assessment of Kili.” High waves washed over Kili on January 25, “seriously damaging the protective wall and damaging or destroying 22 homes.”
P3 Beer tastes good in bottles Majuro Brewery was officially opened Friday. Brewery officials Peter Haupenthal and Warren Pawsey were at the opening to showcase the new Taka Beer, available in bottles. The brewery is located behind Pacific Pure Water.
P5 Hmmm Now here’s a problem. Recently, the Nitijela ordained the office of the Attorney General as the agency in charge of prosecuting people who don’t pay their phone bills. Trying to get through to the AG’s office this week was a little difficult because we kept getting NTA’s, “I’m sorry, this number has been disconnected” message. So then, we wonder, will the AG sue the AG for unpaid bills.
P11 RMI report: Urban life is tough A joint UNICEF/Marshall Islands government report identifies the stresses of urbanization and rapid disintegration of social norms as leading causes of problems affecting women and children. The report, A Situation Analysis of Children and Women in the Marshall Islands, was released last week. “In the 1970s and 1980s, a new phenomenon was the development of urban malnutrition although there was no shortage of food,” the report said. As outer islanders moved to Majuro and Ebeye, they shifted from a diet based on local foods to “a diet dependent on readily accessible but nutritionally deficient store-bought processed foods.”
Journal 2/22/2008
P4 Loeak focuses on results Minister in Assistance Christopher Loeak has a problem. He wants to see quality services delivered by government to the public. But he sees a huge attitude problem among the majority of RMI workers that is a roadblock to delivering on the new government’s motto, “people first.” “The problem is that we focus only on the money going into programs, not on the results coming out,” he said. “I don’t want ‘people first’ to be only words.”
P8 700 apply for jobs About 700 people have already applied for jobs at the new Pan Pacific Foods loining plant in Majuro. The plant is aiming to process its first fish toward the end of April.
P36 Are you aware THAT a Coop teacher asked her class to use “defeat,” “defense,” and “detail” in one sentence and one lad came up with, “The rabbit cut across the field and defeat went over defense before detail”?