Journal 4/3/1987
P1 Swept out of office
Half of the Kiribati parliament t was sweet out of office in elections two weeks ago, while Ieremia Tabai won reelection easily. President elections will be in May. When parliament convenes, it will see 19 new faces in its 39-seat chamber.
P1 Prison shape up
The Majuro jail is a mess. That is the conclusion of Ministry of Justice officials who visited the police station/prison recently and have agreed to push for immediate improvement of the facilities.
P5 RMI to issue passports soon
The Marshall Islands will soon be issuing its first passports, according to ForeignMinister Charles Domnick. The Immigration Department has been expecting arrival of the first shipment of passports earlier this month, but unexpected delays in their printing by a US east coast firm has set the issuance date back to early April. The Marshall Islands no longer relies the Trust Territory to produce passports from its Saipan headquarters.
P16 Report: US aid promoting dependence
Two decades of US financial aid to island government of the Pacific and the Caribbean have failed to foster self-reliant economies, says a congressional report. The Office of Technology Assessment report said “generous aid packages” that pumped money into social programs “may have reduced local incentives” to pursue economic goals. All too frequently, the report said, the US has moved island governments away from their natural diversity toward reliance on a single commodity. This practice made islanders more vulnerable to limited markets, low prices and dependence on imported technologies.
Journal 4/2/1999
P5 Bwiji wins again (yawn)
Ho, hum, Bwiji Aliven won another fishing tournament. He’s still 900+ points in the lead in the President’s Cup competition. The big news from last weekend’s Marshalls Billfish Club’s biggest qualifying fish tournament was a yellowfin tuna caught by Lazarus Andrike tied with a marlin caught by Ben Reimers for the second largest fish of the day: both weighed in at 106 pounds. While that’s a baby size for a marlin, 106 pounds is one XXL tuna. President’s Cup points: Bwiji Aliven 1872, Ben Reimers 953, Ronnie Reimers 706, Alex Bing 606 and Rudy Aliven 495.
P13 Majuro tuna plant moving
The new $5.2 million fish processing plant for Majuro got underway last week, as surveyors began marking the boundaries for the facility that will be built in what has been the Public Works yard in Delap. PM&O’s regional manager Keith Fawcett said that 300 workers will be needed to staff the plant, and hiring is expected to begin in August or September.
P14 Take him the mat
Local wrestlers are working out nightly at the ECC gym in Delap in preparation for the South Pacific Games in Guam. The SPG opens on May 29 and will include competition from all of the South Pacific islands in addition to Micronesia.
P15 We’re the best
The Rough Riders proved that they’re the top softball team around by winning Majuro’s championship series. Players on the team: Jibli Roper, Monita Jorkan, Lynn Milne, Brenda Alik, Loma Isiaki, Jennifer Hawley, Yeller Bnzmn, Jeannie Gaainug, Joanne Elimas, Tanga Lanwi, Camilla Lanki, Laban Konelios and Lisa Muller.
Journal 4/2/2010
P1 Sisters leave after 60 years
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Maryknoll Sisters’ presence in the Marshall Islands. It also marks the 60th anniversary of the arrival of Sr. Rose Patrick St. Aubin, MM, at Like as Maryknoll’s pioneering sister. And finally 2010, specifically April 12, brings to a conclusion the long tenure of the Maryknoll Sisters in the Marshall Islands. The Maryknoll Sisters have been recognized for their groundbreaking work in outer islands schools since Sr. Rose Patrick first set foot at Likiep in 1950.