Journal 7/18/1986
P3 Peace Corps promoting healthy islands The 20th anniversary of the Peace Corps in Micronesia is rolling around, and with it are coming some big changes in the program in the Marshalls. Since the day a new group of nine Peace Corps Volunteers stepped off an Air Mike flight last week, they have been immersed in a health education course taught by Justina Langidrik, Rebecca Lorennij, Monono Tawej, Jan Alfred and Dr. Tod Gulick. After the three month training, they will be assigned to various outer islands and will be active in promoting primary health care. Nang and Cathy Nang are directing the language course.
P3 Killer Snake gang busted Police Chief Jose Moisa busted more than a dozen Long Island youth last weekend in a nighttime raid which resulted in multiple arrests. Killer Snake, a gang of Long Island young men, has been instrumental in a series of break-ins and burglaries in the Long Island and Jable housing area for months. Chief Moisa used a stakeout last weekend after repeatedly having to investigate break-ins in the area. He and his officers caught a couple of gang members red handed in a Jable home. Interrogation produced a list of over 12 gang members, who were systematically rounded up. Loot was recovered from many of the gang members’ homes.
P5 Specialized care needed for radiation survivors Seven years ago, Susan Lambert, a medical doctor with an interest in radiation, began providing services to American “Atomic Veterans” who had been exposed to radiation during Bikini, Enewetak and Nevada nuclear tests. One thing she noticed was that each of the men had very similar histories. “The men complained of a tremendous lack of vigor, of tiredness, and aching in their muscles,” Lambert said. These men are mostly in their late 40s and 50s. Yet their complains were those to be expected in a 70-year-old, she said. Lambert is in the Marshalls to join a delegation of veterans and Bikinians who will be traveling to Bikini on July 20 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Operation Crossroads.
Journal 7/17/1998
P2 Ready to ‘be all you can be’ US Ambassador Joan Plaisted was on hand to congratulate eight Marshallese after they were sworn into the US Army last Friday. The new inductees are: Percy Bilimon, Francis Bing, Taann Kabua, Ringston Kunst, Valdez Lakien, Clayton Lemari, Christopher Mesa and Rosemary Valentino.
P3 Hoop stars The Costa Mesa Mustangs, a girls basketball team with four Marshallese players, won the California state title in their age group and headed to Florida this week for the national championships. Coached by Costa Mesa resident Steve Wilson, the girls team won the YBOA western regional title. The Marshallese players are Georgina John, Trisha Wase, Crystal Mino and Susana Halspar.
P10 Tribunal asked for help The Nuclear Claims Tribunal has been asked to conduct a study that would establish a standard for acceptable levels of radiation in the Marshall Islands. The request has come as a result of skepticism expressed by Marshall Islanders from Enewetak, Bikini, Rongelap and Utrok over recently released findings by Dr. William Robison of Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, said Foreign Minister Phillip Muller. “It’s hard for Marshallese who’ve been evacuated (because of high radiation levels) to trust recommendations (coming from US scientists),” Muller said. US scientists are encouraging northern Marshall Islanders to use potassium fertilizer to reduce radiation levels, said Muller. “The US keeps say it’s the cheapest way to clean up the islands,” he said. “We want to find the best way, not the cheapest.” He indicated that having a study done “by our side would be more acceptable to the people.”
Journal 7/17/2009
P4 Hundreds of jobs Pan Pacific Foods Inc. is back in action providing hundreds of jobs for locals and reducing RMI’s unemployment rate as of last week. Plant Manager Don Xu said the Delap loining plant went into full-scale operations last Wednesday and he is encouraging more Marshallese two apply for jobs as the plant will continue to expand now that fish production is underway.