Journal 9/13/1983
P1 Less than 40% left to count
As of early Monday morning, approval of the Compact was leading y 58 percent. So far 3,278 ballots were cast in favor of the Compact, while 2,389 ballots were cast against. Roughly 60 percent of the total vote has been counted.
P1 Coalition meets to discuss options
Coalition party leaders are going to meet September 13 to formulate their plans regarding the Compact of Free Association, according to Wotje Senator Litokwa Tomeing. He said the Coalition leaders, including Kwajalein leaders who are now on Majuro, will meet.
Journal 9/11/1992
P4 Pick me down
A sad note: The Chamber of Commerce member on the President’s special national nutrition council announced that he was no longer going to attend any future meetings of the nutrition council. Reason? “All that happens from meeting to meeting is a rehash of what went on in the previous meeting. The only positive thing the council has done so far is agree to get a pick up truck for itself.”
P5 Women’s champs
Majuro’s volleyball champions Lemjalulu are getting ready to meet the challenge from the team from Costa Mesa, California. Members of the team include team captain Angeline Balos, Karen Peter, Vhinnia Anos, Tarwitha Lamille, Nesla Lamille, Moreen Emil, Glena Peter, Sylvia Alik, Sally Pablo, Rosanne George, assistant coaches Daniel Kattil and Ernest Aaron, and head coach Rayner Peter.
P20 Need a responsible authority to oversee project
Despite what by any normal means of evaluation would be described as very successful, Shaul Eliat, the Israeli volunteer in charge of establishing the RMI Poultry Project as a viable economic entity is very worried that everything he has done so far may be swept away like a sand castle when the first wave of typical government bureaucracy sweeps over the project after he leaves. Over half a million eggs have been produced in the first nine months despite, rather than because of any support or assistance from the government. “There still exists no formal structure to ensure that what has been set up so far can continue,” he said.
Journal 9/14/2012
P2 Will report to UN open doors?
Will the newly released UN report on the Marshall Islands have any impact on the nuclear legacy in the Marshall Islands? This is a question Bikini Liaison Jack Niedenthal asked this week. He said the report raises the issues Marshall Islanders have been making for years. “This is exactly the case the nuclear victims have been trying to make to both the US Congress and the US courts,” Niedenthal said. “The US still has unfinished business in the Marshall Islands when it comes to the nuclear legacy.”
P14 Ugly and out of control
Spitting is an ugly habit. In Majuro, however, it’s become an obsession for many people to the point it is not only ugly, it is totally out of control. Just this past week, we watched as a worker in a local restaurant repeatedly opened the door to take one step out and spit; watched a guy walk out of a local hotel and close to the entrance, spit on the steps to the hotel; saw a person spit on the walkway directly in front of the door of a local business; and, over at NTA, we watched a customer get up twice from his chair in the air conditioned lobby, open the door and spit a blast out (he did NOT take a step outside, just spit from the door) — this latter one was so offensive we could not stand it and after the second spit blast, we asked him to stop. He seemed surprised that someone objected to it, but complied with our request. About 15 years ago, we were at a youth workshop held at the Nitijela Conference Room and Majuro hospital’s Dr. Kennar Briand was giving the boys a straight talk about various health and social issues. During his talk, he voiced concerns about spitting, high-lighting the fact that when people spit, they spread disease to other people. And then he described Majuro as “spit city.” That was 15 years ago.