By B.B
For Horizon

The report carried by the Palau Horizon last Friday (January 19), which said that the US Army Corps of Engineers and Daewoo E & C Company have indicated that the work on the Babeldaob Compact Road might be completed at the end of March this year, depending on weather conditions, was a very important and encouraging development for all Palauans.
Numerous Palauan public leaders-- traditional; elected, and appointed-- longed for the day when the big island of Babeldaob would be joined with Koror by an asphalt-paved road that would enable them to traverse the length and breadth of their country in comfort and safety in the shortest possible time. Unfortunately, many of these important national leaders did not live to see that day, and it is for us the living to give them due recognition following the official completion and opening of the Babeldaob Compact Road by perhaps naming certain points and sections of the COMPACT ROAD in their honor.
Many people have their own lists of names that they would like to present for consideration in the selection process, so let’s leave that to the organization that would be responsible for that matter. I, myself, have five names, which I would like to have attached to some parts of the Babeldaob Compact Road. They are: (1) Roman Tmetuchl, the man whose vision was to make Palau a separate, independent nation, (2) Lazarus Salii, the scholar who saw the Compact road in a jungle of different issues, (3) Speaker Itelbang Luii, the OEK leader whose Osengel a laiib (ground pigeon’s vision) never faltered from the Compact course, (4) Ronald Sakuma, a construction man and Legislator, who once said he "felt in his bones heavy equipment rumbling in the Jungles of Babeldaob" before they actually got there, and, (5) Yosteru Sungino, an old time pigeon hunter from Ngkeklau whose jungle trails were later turned into the Compact Road. I hope these individuals would be recognized and honored for their immense contributions to the Republic when the Babeldaob Compact Road is officially completed and turned over to the Government of Palau.
Before departing the Compact Road subject, I would like to remind the powers that be in our Government that it is time to begin thinking of establishing a public transportation system to serve the connected communities of Babeldaob and Koror. With the prices of fossil fuels (Gasoline and diesel) the way they are today, and probably will remain the same if not higher in the coming decades, it is possible that some portions of the Compact Road might be underutilized because of exorbitant transportation costs. We cannot allow this to happen. One or two public bus companies serving Babeldaob and Koror on regular schedules will do the trick.
Bravo Senator Allen Seid, you did the right thing!
It is not every day that you see examples of moral courage displayed by public figures, so when it happens we are justified in clapping our hands with satisfaction. The incident at a Malakal restaurant was very commonplace. We have seen similar incidents countless times before. A statement was made that might have sounded offensive to someone in the room, resulting in a push here and a smack there. In this case, however, a legal complaint was made, so the Senator did the right thing in court. He said MEA CULPA and paid the fine.