ON EASTER ISLAND:

A STUDY OF THE OCEAN FLOOR off Easter island, using the Jason robotic explorer, is one of the new projects geologists are planning in order to obtain information on the activities of the Earth's ocean floor. Scientists hope to eventually build an actual seafloor observatory for continuous monitoring of submarine volcanoes and mineral deposit formation, among other things.

- Chemical and Engineering News, Vol. 75(9): 34-5, 1997

Of the 500 healthy little Toromiro plants that botanists in Bonn brought over to the island with great fanfare a few years ago, nearly all have expired. However, there is a project with the Universidad Austral which is equipping a botany lab on the island. They seem to be having more success. Also on the botanical front, 500 palm shoots arrived from Tahiti. This is the first part of a shipment of coconut palms that will eventually total 2000 of these plants. They are to be planted at various sites around the island.

The Englert Museum has a new staff member: an archaeologist by the name of Francisco Torre will be working with current director, Claudio Gomez

The paved ramp at Tongariki's reconstructed Ahu has been extended on the west end and one of its statues now sports a red scoria topknot

Chile has purchased a ship to replace the ill-fated Praga, It will be used, as was the Praga, to carry supplies to Rapa Nui. The last attempt was in September of last year when the Praga sunk off the coast of Valparaiso with the loss of three crew members and all cargo (RNJ 10(4):1 18). The newly purchased ship was built 26 years ago in Spain, and is 72.7 meters long. Upon arrival to Valparaiso, was renamed '`Arakl'', named for the family of the wife of Roberto Pena Lobos, the general manager of the company Transportes Maritimos Miramar. Her first voyage to Rapa Nui was in the first week of May, carrying about 1200 cubic meters of cargo. The Araki's premiere voyage to the island will lose money for the company as she sailed without full capacity. The decision to leave anyway was due to critical shortages on the island. The cargo included 2600 cylinders of propane, groceries, and construction materials.

- El Mercurio de Valparaiso, 9 May 1997

Repairs to the Sebastian Englert Museum on the island are finished. Work began in 1994 with the investment of US$ 156,000. Museum Director Claudio Gomez explained that the funds permitted the reconditioning of the storeroom, provided new office furniture, and the renovation of the museum roof. Also, a house for the director was constructed, an office for attending to the public was created, and repairs were made to the roofs of other offices. A structure was provided for a library specializing in island topics. Two grants from FONDART made possible the rescue and creation of a photographic archive on the history of Rapa Nui. An exposition of one of these is currently touring the country; the other is in the museum. - El Mercurio de Valparaiso 24 April 1997

Hetu'u Rapu, an eighteen year old, won the Miss Chile contest and was set to represent Chile in the Miss Universe pageant in Miami in May. She was chosen "for her naturalness and exoticness." However, it turned out that Miss Chile was ineligible for the Miss Universe contest as she was too young (by only 17 days). She was replaced by runner-up Claudia Delpin. Rapu stated earlier that she was confident of winning because she had the force of "mana." - El Mercurio de Valparaiso 3 May 1997

The newly-paved road that runs from Hangaroa to Anakena enables one to zip from one side of the island to the other in a scant 15 minutes (or less). In the wake of several bad accidents, the islanders are learning that 'speed kills'.

The Totora reed boat, Mata Rangi (Eyes of Paradise) received permission from the Chilean Armada to sail on the 27th of April, but the launching of the 70 ton craft was delayed by bad weather (see RNJ 11(1):43). Modern navigation instruments were put on board, as well as a radio, satellite telephone, radar and GPS, life vests and a rubber boat with a motor. The Armada helped to install the masts and ropes, and helped with the fabrication of the sails. The 11-man crew included one Hawaiian, two Tahitians, two Maori, 2 Aymaras, three Rapanui, and one Spaniard—Kitin Munoz, the leader of the project. The expedition planned to use bows and arrows and harpoons to fish. One fear was that the reeds had rotted after ten months of sitting on the beach. It took a great effort to drag it off the beach and into the water. Two boats and a crane were required to put it into the sea on 4 May after manual labor failed to budge it.

Mata Rangi was christened by Analola Tuki who opened a bottle of champagne for the event. On May 6th, the voyage began. The boat was scheduled to go first to Pitcairn, with the ultimate stop at Tahiti. On the 8th of May, two stowaways were found: Sergio Tuki Hito and Ricardo Hito had hidden themselves in the hold of the boat. They had applied for the trip but were turned down as they had been arrested earlier for robbery and rape. These two brought the number of persons on the boat up to 13, and some noted that it was an unlucky number. The wife of one of the crew members, Ana Maria Reyes, felt that the stowaways would affect the prestige of the expedition and she also stated that the crew were offered a salary for three months but were only paid US $578 (one month's salary). By the 12th of May, radio contact was lost. Four days later word came that Mata Rangi was 140 miles northwest of Rapa Nui. They had expected to have traveled 600 miles by that time, and thus declared that they would not stop at Pitcairn but head directly for Mangareva. On the 20th of May, newspapers in Chile erroneously reported that Mata Rangi had returned to Easter Island with a broken mast, a damaged prow and injured crewman. The following day it was reported that, according to a satellite telephone communication received from somewhere in French Polynesia, the boat was still on course, but with a broken mast. The Chilean training ship Esmeralda (which was some 220 miles north of Mata Rangi's position) was sent to offer help. They found her, Iying somewhat submerged and with water coming in the hole where the mast had been. The crew of the Esmeralda noted that some of the 13 men on board the Mata Rangi were "prisoners of fear." Then on May 24th the news came that Mata Rangi had split in two and the crew had taken to lifeboats tied to the sinking boat. They were rescued by the Stray Dog, a sailboat that had been visiting Rapa Nui but which left to join in the rescue effort. Mata Rangi was only 185 northwest of Rapa Nui; the boat had been in the water for a mere 20 days. The cost of the Mata Rangi expedition: nearly one million dollars.

Rapa Nui looks for financial autonomy. Island Mayor Edmunds Paoa stated that the municipality is not able to generate its own resources through the laws of exception and the dependence on the central government. The island, according to Special Law 16.441 from the year 1966, is exempt of paying taxes, IVA, licenses, and any other kind of tax. However, like any other community, it has the obligation of assuming functions in education, health and social development. "Not only me but other [former] mayors of Rapa Nui do not have the option of dancing the sau-sau with the current government in order to get funding," the Mayor said. He has discussed the problem numerous times with the sub-secretary of the government, Belisario Velasco, whom he called "the number one friend of the island." Edmunds has asked the government to form an ad hoc committee to study ways for local economic incentive. Other needs include paving the badly eroded coast road. The island needs a port but he noted that there are serious problems concerning the protection of the ambiance of the area. Alternative choices are Hana Hohonu, near Hanga Roa, or Hanga Piko. The mayor stated that the municipality has no outstanding debts. His "very tight budget" was for US$1.54 million and he will receive only US$ 92O,000. The sub-secretary said that a study was underway, and noted that there are other isolated communities, such as Tortel, that are even worse off. - El Mercurio de Santiago May 1997

New blue and turquoise telephone booths have appeared on street corners in Hangaroa village. These are a part of an upgrade by Entel to provide better communication with the continent and elsewhere. Despite this, it can still take weeks to get a fax to the island from the outside world. Some glitch has appeared in the system that causes it to not recognize the new area code (now 32 instead of 39). Entel is working on the problem.

THE FIRST CRIMINAL COURT OF VALPARAISO will consider a lawsuit concerning the island's "Tapati" festival. The lawsuit concerns the ex-personnel of the regional government, headed by ex-intendente Hardy Knittel who is accused of illegal spending of public funds. Other ex-functionaries are Rene Lues, ex-executive secretary of CORE (Regional Council); Jorge Negrete, ex-local manager of SERPLAC, Sergio Valenzuela, ex-chief of the Division of Analysis of Negotiations and Control of the Regional Government; and Mario Atan, ex-functionary of the Municipality of Easter Island. All are free on bail. The lawsuit was initiated when investigators detected irregularities related to the use of money from FONDART (the National Fund of Regional Development) in the amount of US $84,300 which was destined for two projects on the island. These dealt with the payment of US $57,600 for the construction of mobile scenery for the fiesta "Tapati Rapa Nui," and the payment of US $26,500 for travel expenses of a folklore group to the Aconcagua Fair in Mendoza. The Valpo court can resolve the matter either by confirming the Auoprocess, revoking or changing the resolutions dictated by the judge of the First Criminal Court. - El Mercurio de Valparaiso 14May 1997

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