from the islands press

From the Cook Islands News, Rarotonga THIRTEEN youths involved in a spate of graffiti vandalism on Rarotonga in November are faced with a May deadline to pay for the “wilful damage” they caused.

Chief Justice Sir Graham Speight gave the youths two and a half months to come up with the cost of the paint, about $5OO, used to cover up the graffiti.

Each of the youths will pay an amount equivalent to the number of offences they committed, ranging from $4 for one youth to $7O for another.

From the Cook Islands News, Rarotonga UP to Sunday afternoon (Feb. 17) police had absolutely nothing to report.

A spokesman said there hadn’t been any accidents, or assaults or even minor disturbances.

Patrolling policemen were reportedly pleasantly surprised through both Friday and Saturday by the quiet nature of the night club crowds and later night motorists.

Yesterday, with the Avarua office also in a lull, another patrol had been sent out just in case. But, otherwise, “it’s quite boring” commented the spokesman.

From The Fiji Times, Suva ABOUT 9000 vehicles running on Fiji roads are unlicensed and unregistered, according to a Department of Road Transport officer.

This meant a loss of $1,400,000 in Government revenue, the department’s enforcement officer, Mr Farouk Khan, told a Parliamentary Select Committee yesterday.

There are about 60,000 vehicles in Fiji.

From The Tonga Chronicle, Nuku’alofa MR MICHAEL DOSSOR, general manager of Fruit Distributors Ltd., said during a visit last week that the Tongan banana industry is clearly in the best shape in its history.

However, he emphasised that growers should not misunder stand his comments.

“The majority of the plantations are in good shape. There are others not as good, but exactly the reverse was true two or three years ago. There are also a couple of plantations that are as good as any in the world,” Dossor said. (From a letter signed by “Bee Gee” of Lae in the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier I DO not wish to criticise the Speaker of National Parliament, Mr Timothy Bonga, but I do see the need to speak out on his activities as a singer and band member of his rock group, the In Bongs. The past few weeks have been excitement, singing and dancing around Lae restaurants for Mr Bonga. One has every right to socialise and enjoy oneself, but not to the extent where the nation’s interest and dignity is being demoralised and misrepresented by a person, or persons, abusing their leadership privileges in the way Mr Bonga is.

Mr Bonga is obviously very interested in music, but the nation’s pride and dignity is degraded when the Speaker is trying to live in a bubble of childish fantasy while in high office.

From Scene n’ Heard in Tohi Tala Niue, Alofi NIUE’S only post office has had its fair share of break-ins.

Following the Christmas job, where parcels were ripped apart and contents taken, the latest was last week when nearly $5OOO of stamps were taken and some left or thrown on to the Post Office roof, probably when the culprits found out that you would look stupid trying to buy a couple of beers with mint stamps.

From the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, Port Moresby NOMINATIONS in the Unggai-Bena by-election have opened.

But some villagers say they want KlOOO before they will vote for any of the candidates.

Electoral officers drawing up the common rolls in the villages were told that people did not want to give their names.

They had already voted for Mr Okuk and he should go straight back to Parliament. They should be paid KlOOO before they would vote again.

Officials reported that the villagers could tell that to the candidates and went on with the roll.

From Marianas Variety, Saipan NEARLY half of the junior and senior high school students surveyed in Saipan drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes and marijuana.

These are just a few of the startling facts revealed by results of the first Mental Health and Substance Abuse Survey conducted by the Division of Mental Health at Dr Torres Hospital in co-operation with Planning, Research and Information Centre, Department of Education, and the principals and counsellors at Hopwood Junior High and Marinas High School.

From the Marshall Islands Journal, Majuro TOILET paper and drinking water are Ebeye’s “gold”.

With water hours limited to 30 minutes a day and the Army charging the Marshall Islands Government thousands of dollars for water shipments, water is in short supply.

Although there appears to still be a large supply on hand, toilet paper prices have risen sky high in recent months, forcing consumers to dig deep into their pockets to purchase this expensive item . . .

The continuing high cost of toilet paper could be a contributing factor to why it is difficult to find a newspaper on the island.

A letter over the signature of Anna Ahia, Boroko, in the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, Port Moresby MEN must realise their behavior has always been aggressive and brutal, irrespective of the way girls wear their clothes.

I see men walking about the street and at the beach in the briefest of shorts without shirts, but I have never heard of one being raped.

Is it because we girls have more self-control?

From a report in The Norfolk Islander on the visit to the island of Ben and Irma Christian and their son Dennis from Pitcairn Island WHILE with the Christians at the bank, they came out with the news that there were only 6 people left on Pitcairn!!! A gasp of amazement from all present brought forth the explanation that the other 45 residents had taken the island’s two launches and gone to Oeno Island (75 miles away) for a fortnight’s holiday!!

From the Cook Islands News, Rarotonga THE Animal Amendment Bill, quickly dubbed “The Monkey Bill” outside Parliament, was swung through its second and final readings on Monday.

The immediate purpose of the bill was to have allowed the importation of monkeys to Muri’s Marine Zoo . . .

Agriculture Minister Dr Terepai Macate explained the reasons for the amendment, adding that the monkeys would be an education for local children.

A caption in Bislama in the Vanuatu Weekly under a photograph of persons exercising Oli strejem baksaed