Opinion

Pohnpei’s new “government” website—a work in progress

“Welcome to the Official Website of Pohnpei State Government,” the home page of the website at www.pohnpeimet.fm says. The website was published to the international web community on July 5, 2010, according to Pohnpei State Public Affairs Officer Heinrick Stevenson. At the top of the screen, the words, “Peace, Unity, Transparency” and “Accountability” float by one at a time from left to right before they fade away, superimposed over the word,“Kaselehlie,” the beautiful and meaning filled greeting so often taken for granted by many of us who use it. Though the website has been published for the world to see, it’s obvious that it is a work still in progress. The home page of the new website, along with several others pages doesn’t quite fit horizontally on a computer screen. The drop-down headings don’t fit in their spaces. Neither do the menus below the headings. Additionally, the website isn’t, in the fullest interpretation of what the word “government” means in FSM, the official website of the “Pohnpei State Government” since only the Executive Branch is represented. “The website is designed primarily to inform and to share with the people of Pohnpei and the general public true and realistic information concerning what the government (executive branch) is doing, and at the same time to seek public input and guidance on how best we can improve delivery of public services to those that we serve,” says the message written by Pohnpei State’s Governor John Ehsa which dominates the home page. Under the heading of “Latest News” on the home page are the words, “Welcome Governor Ehsa from your trip from South Korea,” followed by the words writ in blue, “Contact us…” At least in its start up phase the website doesn’t have a great deal to offer yet and though “contact,” as Governor Ehsa said in his message, is the purpose for the site it is also a missing component. While every page has an alluring blue lettered, “Contact Us,” clickable link, the link doesn’t work. I clicked the blue letters, filled in the requested information boxes including my name and email address and wrote a fairly long comment in the box provided for that purpose and clicked submit. The next page that came up said, “The contact form you are testing needs to be setup.” Apparently, the Allwebco template hasn’t actually been finished by the designer of the website so no contact can yet be made by the website without sending an email by other means. I clicked the link that said This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it under the heading “email us” and the email address that popped up in my Outlook Express page showed the address This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Two days after writing to that email address there still has not been a response, which, I suppose is not too surprising given that there currently is little to no Internet access in the new Pohnpei State Government Complex. Indeed, the spreadsheet formatted page that represents the Executive Directory lists the names of some of the people working at the top levels of government but contained absolutely no information as to how to contact them. Though the spread sheet implies that there should be, there are no recorded fax numbers, no home, cell or office phone numbers and, not a single email address. News is currently scant on the new website. At press time one could find out which four bills were signed by Governor Ehsa last month but you can’t read the bills. Some websites carry disclaimers and the new Pohnpei State website is no exception, “Any person who intends to use the information is hereby advised to confirm its accuracy with Pohnpei State Office of the Governor or the party to which the information is related, before acting on that information.” I suppose that this means that whoever the webmaster is has carte blanche to post whatever he or she wants to post without having to worry too terribly much as to whether it’s accurate. It’s probably not what they meant but that was my immediate knee jerk interpretation. Under the heading “Pohnpei Met” are the following words: “Our objective is to provide a better life for our people, to live in a healthy environment and to live a long prosperous lives in Pohnpei.” There is a box devoted to “What's New in Pohnpei,” that takes up a good portion of the left side of the computer screen. The box below it says, “Click on the resources links in this website to find out more about opportunities, programs, projects and much more here in Pohnpei State.” Why not leave those boxes out and save the screen space? Having said all of these things, the Governor’s office is to be congratulated for making the effort to have a new website. It seems like a natural thing to do since so many Pohnpeians rely on the Internet to get news about goings on their homeland. With the arrival of high speed communications in the FSM more and more Pohnpeians who still live here are connecting to the Internet for information. I applaud the Governor’s office for making this effort and look forward to great improvements in the site in days to come. The website is miles better than the non-existent one that was available a few days ago. It’s been a long time since the Pohnpei Governor’s Office has had a website. Former Governor Johnny David had one that can still be found online at www.fm/PohnpeiGov. The date of the last press release on that site was 2006. The Pohnpei Legislature has a website (www.fm/PohnpeiLeg) as well but until today I had no idea that its use had been diverted for use by the now adjourned Second Pohnpei Constitutional Convention that began in 2009. Before that time the last update of the Pohnpei Legislature website had been in 2005 as far as I could see. The Kosrae Legislature has a website (http://www.kosraelegislature.org/) but I didn’t see any updates on that site more recent than 2008. I did see a notice on the site saying that due to staff shortages the Kosrae legislature was behind in its updates of bills and other information. “We expect to have everything back to normal shortly,” the webpage says. Apparently that function is the responsibility of John McKenzie, who as the Attorney for Kosrae’s Legislature must be up to his neck in paperwork and has very little if any support staff. I couldn’t find a website for the Kosrae Governor’s office. I also could find no governmental websites for Chuuk State. By far, the most up to date and best produced State website I found for the FSM was the Yap State Government page (www.yapstategov.org.) It takes a while to load up on a dial up line but the information in it is practically up to the minute. Every link in it works. I was able to sign up for a daily news update from Yap State Government. Immediately after signing up I checked my email and there was a welcome message for the service for which I’d just signed up. Larry Raigetal, who is in charge of Yap’s Department of Youth and Civic Affairs said that the website was started two years ago, using Compact Capacity Building Sector Grant money for the startup. Garrett Johnson serves as the webmaster for the site. Though the Yap webpage has a disclaimer similar to the one on Pohnpei’s website I was able to find out how to apply for a foreign investment permit something that isn’t on the Pohnpei State website. The only mention of Foreign Investment on Pohnpei’s site is an incomplete sentence. It would be petty to overly criticize a startup website because of typos or grammatical errors so I won’t do it. I did, however, find the description of Pohnpei’s economy to be quite informative even if I didn’t really quite understand what was being said despite having lived here for nearly 10 years. “Pohnpei has a typical mixed economy consisting mostly of government, households and businesses. The economy can best be described as a blend of subsistence and economic dependency.” Perhaps in time, the Pohnpei Governor’s site will be just as good as Yap’s. They might have waited to release the site until it was fully functional but they didn’t choose to do so. But then, there is a website and that’s a very good start.

 
Climate Change
20th Anniversary of China - FSM Relations PDF Print E-mail
Written by Embassy of China in the FSM   
Saturday, 03 October 2009

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Last Updated ( Friday, 13 November 2009 )
 
Election is near PDF Print E-mail
Written by Prens Andreas   
Saturday, 03 October 2009
Dear Editor,
Pohnpei is facing a very important day that will mark it a very remarkable event in their lives. That is the election of a very outgoing person that will take the place of one of the founders of our nation, later at- large senator Resio S. Moses. As good Pohnpeians we should elect a representative who cares about Pohnpei a lot and have concerns about the lives of the people.
What factors lie along with the life of the people that a representative should be caring about when he is seated to represent the people of his nation. We have to keep in mind that that person we are voting for this time is not only a representative for Pohnpei but he will be vowed as an at-large senator for the Federated States of Micronesia. One time the economy of the FSM had been considered as an upside down economy. This claim is still obvious today in the FSM. What will it take to take it back to where it belongs as a good economy for the FSM? It is believed that one way to solve this problem is to choose good people to represent us in congress. Many of us may think that a good congress is the one who always give his constituents everything they ask for. There is nothing wrong about that but a better representative will like to have more concern about enhancing the live of the government sector and the private sector. These are one of the main concerns of the people of the FSM.
The size of the government sector is too big causing the private sector a very hard work to provide financial needs to the large size of the government sector. Since we are facing these problems from the previous compact, it may not seem to be a problem for us during these times of the amended compact. We have to be more critical in electing our officials. We do not have to worry only about who will care more about the constituents but those who will be considering the whole Pohnpei Island as his own land in need. We are almost halfway through the term of the compact. Are we ready for the next term or so? Is it too late? We are not yet ready

Prens Andreas
Micronesian Studies Major
College of Micronesia - FSM
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 10 November 2009 )
 
Best Pohnpei Liberation Day Games in Years PDF Print E-mail
Written by Jim Tobin   
Saturday, 03 October 2009

For the past 8 weeks, young and old, women and men have been playing organized basketball, soccer, fast-pitch softball, tennis, wrestling, volleyball, Little League baseball, Junior League baseball, table tennis, spear fishing and track and field.  What can I say - it was the best organized Pohnpei Liberation Day games this decade.  The leagues and competitions for adults were municipality based with one team from each, if they chose to play.  The youth leagues and competitions were open and had local businesses, like NIHCO and Pohnpei Plumbing, sponsoring Little League baseball teams.  Published in this issue of KPress are the results of the games, with photos.

In the 1980s and early 90s, old timers will remember Pohnpei Liberation Day as a summer long sports program starting in June, with finals and championships held in September.  1000s of athletes and 100s of teams of all ages competed in the three core sports of  track and field, swimming and outrigger canoeing (using traditional Pohnpeian canoes), and later in baseball, basketball, softball, volleyball, tennis, power lifting, spear fishing, Micronesia All-Around and other traditional island sports.  The games ended on September 11th – Pohnpei Liberation Day - with the track and field finals.  Many spectators from the villages came into town to see who the fastest runners were, and who could jump and throw the farthest, or listened to the games back home on the radio. 

This year, the games were good – not great - but much better than in past years.  More sports were included, more athletes and teams competed and large crowds of spectators watched.  Congratulations to the organizers for all the volunteer time spent to officiate and manage the competitions.  But plainly stated, in the future our athletes may need to start training earlier and our teams need to practice more, maybe lose a few pounds (like most of us), cut out the chew and smoke, and maybe only drink sakau twice a week.  Still as a spectator, I felt all the games were fun to watch and well played.

Last April, the FSM National Olympic Committee (FSMNOC) held a national sport administration workshop on Pohnpei for the sport leaders from Chuuk, Kosrae, Yap and Pohnpei and FSM national sports federation leaders of track and field, swimming, baseball, basketball, volleyball, softball, table tennis, tennis, wrestling and weightlifting.  One of the main goals of the workshop was for the 4 FSM States to finalize plans to properly train and prepare athletes, teams and coaches for the upcoming 2010 Micronesia Games in Palau.  During the meetings, Pohnpei sport leaders, led by Lt. Governor Churchill Edward, Senator Aurelio Joab and Sport Director Mike Loyola, confirmed that Pohnpei would hold bigger and better Liberation Day games starting in July 2009 as a platform to identify and select the best athletes to send to Palau to represent Pohnpei.  

Kosrae sport leaders, led by Sterling Skilling, Aloaka Sigrah and Alik Isaac, stated Kosrae planned to host the 2nd Kosrae Games in October 2009 to assist in the selection process of quality athletes to compete in Palau and restart the sleeping Kosrae sports program.  After the workshop, both Pohnpei and Kosrae formed games organizing committees and selected competition directors for each sport to be played.  Yap and Chuuk decided to host leagues and competitions in their most organized local sports by late 2009 and early 2010.  The FSMNOC agreed to support these plans by applying for Olympic Solidarity grants from the International Olympic Committee to provide sports equipment and awards for the games, and bring in outside expert coaches and trainers to professionally prepare athletes, teams and coaches for Palau. 
Next year, our athletes and teams can beat Guam and Palau in the Micronesia Games and win many medals.  The Pohnpei athletes, teams and coaches need to be selected from the results of the Liberation Day games.  Organized training and practices must start immediately.  If we wait until after the holidays and finally get organized in February, as we have in the past, Pohnpei will win a few bronze medals and many 4th and 5th places.  Those who start now, are dedicated and train hard will win gold medals.

Congratulations to all of the Pohnpei athletes, teams and coaches that competed in the 2009 Pohnpei Liberation Day games.  Thank you to the strong support of the Pohnpei State Government, Leo Etscheit Foundation, Pohnpei State sports office, Municipal leaders, competition directors, sports officials, referees, umpires, volunteers, COM-FSM and FSMNOC staff.  We now know that next year’s Pohnpei Liberation Day games will be more organized, start earlier maybe in July, with cleaner and maintained sports facilities, better trained coaches and officials and most importantly more great athletes and teams.  Next year’s games organizing committee needs to ensure that outrigger canoeing, swimming, Micronesia All-Around and men’s baseball are included.

Good luck to Kosrae with hosting the 2nd Kosrae Games next month.  You never know, the 4th FSM Games could be held on Pohnpei in July 2011.  It seems a logical step in improving our local sport development.


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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 10 November 2009 )
 
Taro with Mangrove Crab and Vegetables PDF Print E-mail
Written by Merlain Abraham   
Saturday, 03 October 2009
nutritionrecipepic.jpgIngredients:
1 cup mangrove crab meat
1 local ginger leaf
½ cup chili leaves, cut thinly
1 cup spinach leaves, cut thinly
1 cup kangkong leaves and soft stems, cut thinly
1 cup chaya green leaves, cut thinly
½ cup carrot chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 chopped cucumber

Method:
1.    Mix all the ingredients together in a pot with 3 to 5 cups of water.
2.    Cook everything together until well cooked.
3.     Remove the ginger leaf after cooking.
4.    Season as desired with pepper.  For health reasons, it is best to not add salt.  The crab already contains salt and gives a good taste.
 
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 10 November 2009 )
 
Peace Corps Volunteers Learn about Local Foods and “GO LOCAL” PDF Print E-mail
Written by Kathay Larsen Island Food Community of Pohnpei   
Saturday, 03 October 2009
nutrition.jpgOn Thursday, September 17th, Island Food Community of Pohnpei presented to the new Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV) training in Madolenihmw.  This is the 76th Peace Corps Volunteer group to serve in Micronesia.  Over the years, many things have changed across the islands.  One thing remains the same: the PCVs sense of excitement about living in a new country, with new customs, language, and diet.  IFCP provided insight on local foods, and their important nutritional content. 

IFCP staff, Lymer Yamada and Areline Joakim explained the three IFCP posters.  The first poster depicts 15 Pohnpei bananas that are highest in provitamin A carotenoids, beta-carotene.  It was explained that some have much more than others and are therefore better from a nutrition standpoint.  The second poster compares  several provitamin A rich local foods, and their beta-carotene content, and shows that rice has NONE.  Some bananas displayed are Utin Iap, Karat, Utimwas, Ihpali, Mangat, Iemwahn, Kudud, and Akadahn Weitahta.  These are compared with Utin Menihle, which contains less provitamin A.  The posters also pictures varieties of breadfruit (Meikole, Meikalak), giant swamp taro (mwahng), and pandanus (kipar ), which is shown in detail on the third poster. 

The majority of these traditional foods were never previously seen, let alone eaten by these new volunteers.  The volunteers tried the foods and started developing a taste and appreciation for them.  They were told of the importance of talking to their families about the many benefits of local food (CHEEF – Culture, Health, Economy, Environment, and Food Security).  It is important that the message is spread that traditional local foods are nutrient-rich and that eating them, and sufficient physical activity, is key to fighting diseases that are becoming rampant here in Micronesia, such as diabetes and heart disease. 

Some of the important questions asked by the PCVs and answered by IFCP are as follows:

Q.  Does cooking the traditional food destroy the provitamin A, like cooking destroys Vitamin C?
A.  No.  In fact, cooking increases the amount of provitamin A that the body is able to absorb.

Q.  Are all cooking and preparation methods the same health-wise?
A.  No.  Baking and boiling are healthier methods.  When you fry food, or add sugar to it, you are taking away from the benefits that the local foods naturally provide by adding something unhealthy.  If you want to vary your local food, then mix with coconut cream, sweet banana, or sugarcane.

Q.  What local foods are high in calcium?
A.  Taro (mwahng) is very rich high in calcium, also breadfruit, and edible green leaves such as Kangkong, Chaya, Pele and Sweet Potato.  When your family purchases canned meat, encourage them to buy mackerel as it is very calcium-rich.  Mackerel is a much healthier choice than SPAM, or corned beef!

Island Food Community of Pohnpei would like to thank the U.S. Peace Corps for allowing us to share important information with the new PCVs, about the healthy local food choices in Micronesia.  The volunteers are encouraged to later contact the respective groups on their islands that promote local foods and work with them to educate their assigned community about growing and eating local foods.  Here in Pohnpei, IFCP can be contacted at 320-3259, or come by and visit us in the Botanical Garden.
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 10 November 2009 )
 
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