ON EASTER ISLAND:

The project to pave the coastal road of the island is expected to start early next summer. Most of the problems with monuments along the road were satisfactorily solved, with stone walls being erected in order to prevent vehicles from driving directly into the sites. What this means for tourists is that vehicles must now park a fair distance from some of the sites (including Vaihu, Akahanga and Te Pito Kura) forcing visitors to walk..

A very dry summer on the island was followed by torrential rains in July that caused severe damage to the sites at Orongo. A wall fell down after a heavy rain, and several others became destabilized. One is a long stone house with paintings inside, located to the north of Mata Ngarahu (the focus of Orongo and where the petroglyphs are concentrated), it is feared that most of it could fall down the cliff into the sea. Another house that was previously restored is near collapse, as is a section of a wall on the crater-side of the platform where visitors stand to see the petroglyphs. Officials are considering the closure of Mata Ngarahu. If this site is not stabilized, its life span will be a short one.

The project to build a new school for the island was approved. It will be constructed on land that was part of the old leper sanitarium, north of the village. Plans call for a cultural space with a museum and a gymnasium. It is said that the total cost will come to more than US$800,000. UNESCO has set aside funds for the project and will organize an international competition for the work. The design must take into consideration the climate, distances, customs and "architectural styles". One positive aspect is that few archaeological remains are in that area, five km from the village center. It is possible that the village now will begin to expand in that direction

- El Mercurio De Valparaiso, July 14, 1999

Plans are afoot to promote tourism on Easter Island. A US$240,000 project is underway to create a new tourist image for the island with the idea of improving the main economic activity of the island. The plan was elaborated by the Chamber of Commerce and Tourism and hotel owners. In charge of the project is Victor Hugo Aguilera of the Centro de Innovación Tecnologica Empresarial (CINDE) who commented that one of the basic needs is training courses. Also, market strategies are needed to determine weaknesses and to direct future plans. The islanders want to aim their product at a specialized tourist; most of those who come to the island do it mainly for the cultural aspects.

Because of an impending storm, the captain of the supply ship Hotu Matu'a moved from the bay in front of Hangaroa to anchor at La Perouse Bay, but once there scraped bottom. A quick check of the ship showed no leaks but a closer inspection was carried out, according to Maritime Governor Captain Bernel Badilla. Captain Jorge Olivares traveled to the island to evaluate the situation, partly by examining a video made by scuba divers of the outside of the hull. After the ship was unloaded of its 800 tons of food and machinery, an inspection revealed a small leak but it was sealed with epoxy and it was decided that the ship could make it back to Valparaiso. Badilla reported that after the accident, the ship was leaning 10 degrees, but stabilized at 5 degrees. The ship, formerly the Naval transport Piloto Pardo, was bought by Rapanui islander Orlando Paoa in 1998.
On July 13th, it was announced that the ship arrived safely at Valparaiso and the damages are being studied to determine what repair work will be needed.

Cutbacks in funding caused a crisis, according to Mayor Petero Edmunds, who threatened to 'quit being a gentleman' and take drastic action against the government. He claimed that after mid-July there would be no more municipal funds, due to cutbacks that the Common Municipal Fund suffered this year and that has drastically affected the Island municipality as well as others in the region.

Edmunds stated that the minimum amount to operate is US$68,000 a month; but that only US$36,000 will be available. Questioned about how the Mayor and others felt about the crisis, Edmunds replied: "We are quite worried because we already have a bad economy on the island due to fewer tourists" Asked what will happen with the civil servants for the rest of the year if they are not paid, Edmunds replied that he believed "... that it would be just if they were to seek court action, but i have nothing to pay them with. In my case and that of the Municipal Secretary, we cannot abandon ship because there is a law against that and we would be accused of abandonment of our duties."

In response to Edmunds, the Intendente of the Vth Region, Gabriel Aldoney, stated that it is an obligation that state institutions continue to function. He noted that Easter Island has exceptions that affect the income of the municipality in that there is neither a charge on vehicles nor on the collection of garbage.

In an interview, Mayor Edmunds noted that it was strange to have to accept work without a salary because "just a while ago, we were pounding our chest and saying that we were the jaguars of South America, and now we would not even pass for a wet cat." Edmunds added " What is happening is that we are so dependent; we are like a raft drifting in the ocean and have to take care with the revolutionaries. We are all part of the government and thus more or less tied together, but on the other hand, we are disillusioned because we do not understand what is going on."

Queried about whether he would really close down the municipalidad between August and December, Edmunds replied, "What other alternative is there? My relation with personnel is very good and I could ask them to work without pay, but it would pain me to do so, because I know their families and they depend upon their salary to feed and care for their children. It is a critical and grave situation.

Two days later, Subsecretary Marcello Schilling assured that the Municipalidad of Easter Island will get emergency funds to continue functioning until the end of the year. These funds will be forthcoming because Rapa Nui has no resources of its own. It only remains that Mayor Edmunds travel to the continent to attend a meeting about the matter, and that the discussion will also look into the island's budget. As for a long term solution, it is being proposed that Common Municipal Funds be distributed differently, with 2% being divided between municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants.

- El Mercurio De Valparaiso, June 26, 1999

The tense situation caused by the detention of Senator Augusto Pinochet in England has delayed the financing of a project of tele-medicine between the Vth Region and Easter Island. The project is supported by the European Union. The regional Minister of Health indicated that the project is being developed by a Chilean resident in Spain, Christian Barrio ( who runs a center of health information). "The financing has been accomplished but things are now complicated because it is a Spanish community (Galicia) that has supported it, and they tell us that the project is behind schedule because of the problems about Pinochet's detainment and possible extradition to Spain". The project costs US$20,000 and it will permit bringing health services and professionals to the island. This technology has been used in Spain for several years between the Canary Islands and the continent.

- El Mercurio De Valparaiso, June 26, 1999

New Option For A Pier

At the beginning of July a team of professionals from the Dirección de Obras Portuarias (DOP, or the Department of Port Works), traveled to Easter Island for an inspection of alternatives for the building of a new pier. This project will be presented to the regional government before the end of the year. Regional director of DOP, Mario Muñoz E., saw the initiative as providing a solution to one of the oldest problems on the island: the lack of a pier for ships carrying regular supplies to the island.

According to Muñoz, all previous alternatives will be considered and a totally new proposal will be made to the island and to regional authorities. Nevertheless, he noted that there are two options that have been considered and have little chance of success, one for the high cost, and the other for the opposition by the islanders.

In the first case, it was the project of a pier in Papa Haoa, a place near the village of Hanga Roa that has as an advantage in that there would be a minimum cost of land transport to the town, but to build here has a high cost, around US$50 million. This project was evaluated and had favorable perspectives in 1984, but the earthquake of 1985 absorbed all the assigned funds, and since then the project has not been reconsidered because of the expense. He indicated that the DOP team will evaluate the possibility of a pier in Punta Ana, Hanga Roa, Hanga Piko, and Mataveri Otai on the west coast; Vinapu, Vaihu and Hotu iti on the south coast; and Anakena, Ovahe and Taha Roa on the northeast side of the island.

- El Mercurio De Valparaiso, June 30, 1999

A project linking the Ministry of Education was recently extended to Easter Island with the incorporation of its school, Lorenzo Baeza Vega. The project (which functions for the whole country) creates a network between educational institutions equipped with new computers, networks, internet, multimedia and education software to be used by the students. For them, the Ministry has established central zones that correspond to academic entities responsible for the coordination of the programs and the abilities of the teachers who participate in the process.

In the case of Easter Island, the program depends on the Central Coast Zone of theCatholic University of Valparaiso (UCV). The program, directed by Eduardo Meyer, benefits 941 students in grammar, junior high and high school. It is grouped into 33 courses with all 55 teachers on the island participating. The project has two stages, the first for training of the teachers by the professors of UCV for 15 days. The second incorporates the students into the system, and is reinforced by workbooks for the students.

- El Mercurio De Valparaiso, July 6 1999

The air terminal upgrade is completed and the transferring of US$200,000 to the Municipalidad of Easter Island for the development of its infrastructure was anounced on July 12 by the Subsecretary of the Ministry of Public Works, Juan Carlos Latorre. Latorre traveled to the island to carry out various tasks, among them being the inauguration of the new air terminal upgrase at Aeropuerto Internacional de Mataveri, including new quarters for the Sevicio de Extinciõn (SEI) of the airport. The Mayor of Rap Nui, Petero Edmunds, made it clear that it is a necessity to develop a sanitation plan for the island, including sewers and sewage treatment. He also noted the need for studying the problem of water rights on the island. Latorre visited the pier at Hanga Piko as well as fishing harbors (caleta) to see how the infrastructure could be improved.

- El Mercurio De Valparaiso, July 13, 1999

The number of Rapanuis estimated at less than 4000, but rapidly increasing. Approximately 3000 residents are on the island, and some 300 live in French Polynesia. COntinental Chile has about 700 more, and around 50 live in the United States. A few are scattered throughout Europe and New Zealand, and one has surfaced in Israel where he has been a resident for over 25 years!
( Thanks to Fr Francisco Nahoe and Grant McCall who shared the figures with us).

A news item out of Australia, "International Effot to reforest Easter Island" by Radio Australia correspondent Michael Birt, reported that Australia will help in the Easter Island reforestation effort by supplying stock generated from seed that was propogated at Melbourne's Royal Botanical Garden. Birt is quoted as saying, "Easter Island was once covered with the tree Sophora Toromiro. The last example there died 38 years ago. Only about 20 are known to exist in botanical gardens around the world. Eight are in Melbourne's Botanic Gardens." The Melbourne trees exhibit three genetic lines, an important base for the species long term viability. Information concerning the Toromiro Management Group activities is available by email cpdu@rbgkew.org.uk or http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/conservation/cpdu/Toromiro/toro_t1.html.

As reported in the Wall Street Journal (27 July 1999), a strange chemical in a soil sample fromRapa Nui is nearing approval as one of the most promising new transplant drugs in more than a decade. Called Rapamune, it reduces the frequency of rejection in kidney transplants. Scientists are confident it will do the same for heart and other organ transplants. The soil sample was collected in 1964-65 during the Canadian Medical Expidition to Easter Island (METEI). This remarkable scientific expedition was written up in RNJ [Vol. 6(2), Vol. 6(3) and 6(4)]. METEI evolved from medical research undertaken in the early 1960's by Dr. Stanley Skoryna of McGill University, Montreal. The project was a scientific undertaking but, by chance, they found themselves in the middle of a revolt on the island ( a story that would make a great movie!)

- Rapa Nui Journal, Vol 13 (3) September 1999

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