WAM revives ancient art

Front pages from 1987, 1999 and 2010.

Journal5/8/1987

P18 Wally’s ‘grander’ tops Jackpot Fishing Derby
Sports fishermen often use the term “grander” to describe a fish weighing 1,000 pounds or more. In Saturday’s Jackpot Fishing Derby, though,Wally Milne and the Lanai team pulled in a “grander” of a slightly different type. Wally’s 485 pound Pacific Blue Marlin was the highlight of the derby and earned the first place prize of $1,000.

P20 Nationals beat all-stars
The older generation proved Saturday that experience can keep you a step ahead of youth when the Marshalls national team outshot and out-hustled then high school/Youth Options all-stars, 70-53. Behind the balanced scoring of Vincent Tani, Hackney Wase and Jimmy Kemem, the nationals won. Leading the all-stars was Walton Jack.

Journal 5/7/1999

P1 Grossly inadequate
The Marshall Islands is taking itsnucleawr test claims two Washington, DC next week for a Congressional hearing that island leaders hope will pave the way for US Congressional consideration of expanded medical treatment and compensation payments to nuclear test victims. A key provision in the Compactknown as “changed circumstances” allows the Marshalls to petition the US Congress for additional compensation and medical care if islanders can prove that the compensation already provided is “manifestly inadequate.”

P4 Birthday blast from the past
55 years after his last landing on the deck of the USS Saratoga, Captain Bob Gohr wanted to do it again. The retired naval captain celebrated his 75th birthday last month by going diving in Bikini and visiting the carrier on which he used to land his aircraft in World War II. Gohr spent 31 years in the navy and landed on the USS Saratoga 10 times.

Journal 5/7/2010

P3 Canoe voyage revives ancient art of navigation
While Majuro residents were busy participating in Constitution Day activities from Thursday through the weekend, a little noticed event brought the Marshall Islands headlines around the globe. A Marshall Islands outrigger canoe completed an historic voyage Friday, traveling 90 miles between Majuro and Aur atolls without the aid of modern navigational equipment. The voyage of the 30-foot “Jitdam Kapeel” is said to be the first time since World War II that a voyaging canoe has attempted sail between atolls relying only on the art of traditional navigation, according to Alson Kelen, who runs a canoe building and training program to pass these skills onto young people. “It was more challenging coming back,” Kelen said. “The canoe was constantly underwater.” Despite that, Kelen described it as “a great trip.”

P10 US ‘trickery’ should be corrected
Judge Christine O.C. Miller of the US Court of Federal Claims wrote in January 2009 that she had no choice but to reject the (Bikini/Enewetak) case, despite her “sense of justice,” which she added also “recognizes that this court cannot act without jurisdiction.” Thus, she wrote: “In sum, this court cannot hear, let alone remedy, a wrong that is not within its power to adjudicate.” The US Supreme Court reached the same decision in rejecting the appeal without comment. The case illustrates the way the government “may evade the constitutional guarantee of just compensation … by stripping the courts of jurisdiction over any claim that it has not provided just compensation for the taking,” wrote Washington lawyer Paul Wolfson, representing the island residents. This is not a court victory that the US government should feel good about. After the economy improves, the US should accept that it was achieved through trickery and make full amends to people who were driven from their islands. —Excerpted from an editorial in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.

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