THE KWAJALEIN HOURGLASS Volume 40, Number 66 Friday, August 18, 2000 U.S

Kwajalein Hourglass THE KWAJALEIN HOURGLASS Volume 40, Number 66 Friday, August 18, 2000 U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands 2000 Back to School 2001 New teachers hit Kwaj en masse KW Hillis Feature Writer It took more than two vans to transport the new off-island teachers, their families and two pets from the airport to their new homes on Kwajalein last week. Impressions of the island were as varied as the backgrounds of the nine off-island hires. There were 15 of us and the air- plane was full ... [People] had talked about how small the community was. There were 150 people crammed into that little terminal, said C.J. Sorensen, (Photo by Jim Bennett) Third-grade teacher Gwen Kelly sets up decorations in the hallway outside of her Jr./Sr. High room at the elementary school in preparation for the first day of school. School English teacher. Then there wasnt Curriculum focuses on writing anybody. The streets were Asian studies, English The class offerings at the high empty. course added to classes school will change, led by the dele- tion of study halls, according to C.J. Sorensen Sorensen and KW Hillis Stephen Howell, high school princi- his new wife, Feature Writer Rebecca, who will teach at Kwajalein pal. Child Development Center, were mar- Class size at Kwajalein Junior/ It frees up teachers to be able to ried July 29. Senior High School and the elemen- teach, Howell said. The time will be Sorensen, who holds a degree from tary school will be smaller this year. used for additional classes and will the University of Wisconsin, found School Superintendent Karen also cut down on existing class size. out about Kwajalein through the Ammann said that the school sys- Some of the additional classes will International Teachers Job Fair in tem has 48 teachers, up from 46 last include an advanced woodshop, a new Iowa. He said he was very excited year, and about 200 high school English course and Asian Studies. about the workshop approach that students and 270 elementary stu- The new English class, Practical dents, which is a decrease of 29 English, is being offered for 11th and Kwajalein has. th Were surprised how big [Kwaja- students. The numbers lead to 12 graders who are not going onto lein] is ... I was expecting a small smaller classes, which is a big ben- college, according to Howell. College speck of land, said Brandi Brewster, efit for the students and teachers prep material is replaced with more one half of another couple that will alike, Ammann said. practical material, such as how to join the school system this year. The theme for the school system write resumés and letters of applica- Brandi and Brian Brewster, who this year is, Writing Across the Cur- tion. hail from Colorado Springs, were riculum, which will increase writ- Howell is particularly pleased with able to spend their Aug. 3 wedding ing skills in all classes, whether math, the addition of an Asian Studies anniversary in Hawaii on their way art or English, Ammann said. class, which will have a section on out to Kwaj. We are looking forward to great Micronesian history. results from this increased empha- Computer keyboarding has been (See TEACHERS, page 4) sis on writing, Ammann added. (See ASIAN, page 5) www.smdc.army.mil/KWAJ/Hourglass/hourglass.html Friday Page 2 Kwajalein Hourglass August 18, 2000 Not the kind of trash young people talk, like, Let’s talk trash: “whuz up?” but dirty, stinking, rotten trash I admit that, before my recent move We can drive the costs of waste to Kwajalein, I didnt think about management down by increasing our where trash actually goes. I do now. Mission first recycling. The only secret up- Now, Im seriously aware that the People always front segregation. Separate your own trash on Kwajalein and Roi-Namur trash. I know I will. It keeps me on does not just fade away, evaporate or the toes of my combat boots to real- Col. Curtis L. Wrenn Jr. disappear to three states away. Ocean USAKA/KMR commander ize that someone another person dumping and open-pit burning ended has to physically open my trash long ago. bags to make sure I didnt put some- In this small, three-mile world we the industrial guys on the island thing in there that should be re- live in, our actions have an immedi- have been known to cheat some- cycled or would cause damage to our ate impact on this island. We gener- times. Solid Waste Management waste disposal equipment. Thats a ate almost 50,000 pounds of resi- workers have found motor parts in motivator to me it motivates me to dential, commercial and industrial garbage bags. The damage that would separate my own trash before I leave waste every day. cause to the island incinerators it out on my curb for pick-up. My staff tells me that Raytheons would be the same as if I put a metal Its a lot easier for me to empty and Solid Waste Management people have fork down a food disposal, or a can of break down five or six cardboard taken some innovative actions over metal chips in the gas tank of my car boxes than it is for the SWM guys to the past year, and with your sup- if I had a car. (See TALKIN’, page 3) port, our recycling rates have increased about 35 percent for aluminum cans and 25 percent for glass. How to help stop wasting time in trash collection I would like to enlist your help to see Its bad for Solid Waste Manage- but workers have to pick up dozens a 50 percent increase. Why? Be- ment workers morale when they have of these large branches every day cause recycling is a cost-effective to do for everyone what would be and put them in trucks. (This doesnt option with many benefits, both en- simple actions for individual resi- apply to palm fronds, which fall natu- vironmental and operational. dents. rally and are hard to cut.) Wed like your help with: Bag wastes Most of our progress is attributed Segregate wastes to industrial recycling on Kwajalein Whether garbage or leaves from Metal, wood, vegetation, cardboard, your yard, everything (besides your and Roi-Namur. And, although the all batteries except alkaline, white recycling bin) should be put in bags residential sides of the islands are office paper, aluminum cans and tin and then TIED. Blowing wastes from lagging behind, Im told that even cans (theyre separate recyclables), open bags contribute a great deal to The Kwajalein Hourglass glass, and brown paper (packing and the litter problem as they are hauled Commanding Officer...Col. Curtis L. Wrenn Jr. grocery bags) are all items that can be to waste management facilities. Public Affairs Officer..............Preston Lockridge recycled at USAKA. Learn collection schedules Editor..........................................Jim Bennett If these items are left in the trash, Please see the enclosed flyer for Associate Editor...............................Peter Rejcek we lose recycling potential and over- collection schedules. Recyclables like Feature Writers.........................Barbara Johnson burden the incinerator plants. Metal aluminum cans, glass, tin cans, Bob Fore KW Hillis mixed in with wood or garbage fre- brown bags and cardboard are picked Graphics Designer ...........................Dan Adler quently causes breakdowns in shred- up on Tuesdays and Fridays. Bulkier Circulation Manager.................Bobby Lamug Sr. ders and grinders that we use to items, like wood and metal objects, prepare the wastes for incineration are picked up on Wednesdays and The Hourglass is named for the insignia or composting, making the whole Saturdays. Hard housing residents of the U.S. Army 7th Infantry Division, which process more difficult and expensive. place all items for collection by liberated the island from the forces of Impe- Empty and flatten cardboard boxes your curb where you put your gar- rial Japan on Feb 4, 1944. Remove all packing materials and bage. Trailer residents place col- The Kwajalein Hourglass is an authorized place in trash bags, then flatten card- lection items by the common area publication for military personnel, federal em- board boxes and stack them for black containers. ployees, contractor workers and their families pickup. Its easier for individuals to We ask that, although your bins assigned to USAKA/KMR. Contents of the deal with a few boxes than for solid sit out all the time, please wait to put Hourglass are not necessarily official views waste management workers to deal recyclables out on scheduled pick- of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, De- with hundreds daily. up day. This helps all areas look partment of Defense, Department of the Army Cut tree limbs neater and well-kept. or USAKA/KMR. It is published Tuesdays Please cut them to smaller (less (Editors Note: Information pro- and Fridays using a network printer by than four feet) pieces with the same vided by the Solid Waste Manage- Raytheon Range Systems Engineering edito- pruning shear or saw you used to ment office. Contact them at 51165, rial staff, P.O. Box 23, APO AP 96555. cut them off the tree. Youre able to 51760 or 53309 if you need sched- Phone: Autovon 254-3539; local 53539. drag heavy branches out to the curb, ules or have other questions.) Printed circulation: 2,300 Friday August 18, 2000 Kwajalein Hourglass Page 3 Kom ruwainene Talkin’ trash ... Kom ruwainene is the Marshallese way New Books (From page 2) to say, Welcome. at deal with hundreds of them a day. Back from Ft. Rucker, Ala., for Grace Sherwood Library And Im pretty sure I can remember their second tour are Steve and to separate tin cans from aluminum MaryJon Moore and Marshall, 9, cans from glass bottles.

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