Garuda`s Ambon route expected to boost Maluku`s tourism

Themuch awaited reopening of national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia`s Ambon routein June is expected to have a significant effect on tourism in Maluku.

Starting June 1 this year, there will be regular flights from Jakarta to Ambon,Maluku province`s most prominent island with hilly terrain, covered in lushvegetation, has many idyllic spots and two crescent shaped bays, Baguala andAmbon bays.

"The planned reopening of Garuda Indonesia`s Jakarta-Ambon route with astopover in Makassar, South Sulawesi in the first week of June 2010 will have astrategic impact on the development of Maluku`s tourism," local cultureand tourism office spokesperson Florence Sahusilawane said in Ambon on Monday.

Sahusilawane expressed optimism that with the Garuda Indonesia`s new route tothe scenic eastern Indonesian city of Ambon, more foreign tourist in the run upto the international marine event of Sail Banda 2010 would come to Maluku.

Hendra Sumarno, the general manager of Garuda Indonesia`s Makassar branch, saidin Ambon over the weekend that the company was preparing the personnel neededto handle the reopened route.

In addition, an office of the national flag carrier would be opened next to theMutiara Hotel on Jalan Raya Pattimura in Ambon to give the best possibleservice to Garuda customers in Maluku.

Hendra Sumarno said Garuda flights to Ambon were scheduled to depart fromJakarta`s Soekarno-Hatta airport at 10 a.m. Western Indonesia Time (WIB) with astopover at Makassar`s Hassanudin airport before flying to Pattimura airport inAmbon, and return to Jakarta at 5 pm East Indonesia Time (WIT).

"We are to schedule Ambon-Jakarta flights in such a way that they willarrive in Jakarta a few hours before Garuda flights to Amsterdam take offbecause many foreign passengers from Ambon usually want to have connectingflights to the Netherlands," Sumarno said.

He said the Jakarta-Makassar-Ambon route would be served with aircraft having acapacity of 14 to 16 business-class seats and 120 economy-class seats.

Other airline companies flying to Ambon at present are Lion Air, Batavia Air,and Sriwijaya Air from Ambon-Makassar-Jakarta, Ambon-Surabaya-Jakarta, andAmbon-Jakarta.

Ambon Mayor welcomes Swiss Bel Hotel`s opening

AmbonMayor Jopi Papilaja has welcomed the operation of Swiss Bel Hotel in the city,saying it would lift the image of Maluku`s provincial capital.

"The presence of Swiss Bel managed by an interantional hotel network willboost the image of Ambon as a modern city worth visiting," he said at aceremony marking the official opening of the hotel dubbed "Pearl ofAmbon" here on Monday.

He admitted the investor had initially hesitated to build the hotel in the cityin 2005 but after being persuaded by the local government and promised specialfacilities, they finally agreed to carry out the project.

"I once even reminded them to finish it quickly so that it could belaunched before I complete my tenure," he said.

He said the presence for the first time of a five-star hotel increased thenumber of star-rated hotels in the region following the Aston Natsepa a yearago.

"Swiss Bel and Aston will improve the image of Ambon as a secure place andworth visiting by both domestic and foreign tourists," he said.

The presence of the hotels demonstrated the seriousness of investors to boostdevelopment of the city after being ravaged by social conflict in 1999.

Papilaja expressed appreciation to the management of the Swess Bel Hotel thathad helped promote Ambon and Maluku through the hotel`s network.

Foreign photographers take part in underwater photo competition

Atleast two foreign photographers were among some 50 colleagues from Indonesia inunderwater photo-taking competition in Banda islands from April 25-30, 2010.

"Christian Hinckley and Hendri Tjhang of Singapore are the foreignparticipants in the undersea photo-taking competition in Banda," SailBanda local committee spokesman Cak Saimima said here on Sunday.

He said the foreign photographers and their Indonesian colleagues left Ambonfor Banda Neira on Sunday morning by MV Siwalima.

Earlier on Friday they enjoyed the undersea panoramic view at Laha village inTeluk Ambon subdistrict, while some of them explored undersea cave off thecoast of Hukurila village at Leitimur Selatan sub-district in Ambon beforeleaving for Banda on Saturday.

"The two diving sites were introduced by former Pattimura MilitaryCommander Maj Gen M Noer Muis who is currently Bukit Barisan militarycommander," Saimima said.
Saimima added that Noer Muis was the initiators of underwater photo-takingcompetition in Banda islands and would also act with Christoffel Simanjuntakand Edy Purnomo as the juries.

"The former Pattimura Military commander has promised to promote underseanatural beauty of Maluku, found nowhere else in the world," Saimima said,adding that the underwater photo competition was part of Sail Banda which wasscheduled to last from June 17 to August 17, 2010.

Meanwhile, Noer Muis said the participants of the photo competition took theirleisure time to go diving at the two separate locations in Laha and Hukurila onFriday and Saturday before leaving for Banda.

"The best pictures in the undersea photo-taking competition in Banda willbe published in the book on "Exploring Banda Islands" which is beingarranged," Nore Muis said.

Drinking Water Safety

Know Your WaterSupply

• Whether for drinking, cooking, bathing, or doing laundry, a supply of clean water is important to a healthy home. Know where your water comes from.

Tips for AllWater Users

• Install devices to prevent garden hose water from flowing backwards into your drinking water.

• Consult your local building code office before making major repairs or changes to your plumbing system.

• Conserve water because clean water is precious. Don’t waste it, instead, use water-saving toilets, and showerheads. Repair plumbing leaks right away.

Water SupplyProblems

Bacteria andViruses

• The most common problem in private well water is bacteria. If bacteria are found, it means that human or animal wastes may be entering your water. Some bacteria can cause stomach upset or diarrhea.

Chemicals

• Harmful chemicals such as gasoline, solvents, and pesticides can get into drinking water. Natural chemicals like arsenic, manganese, iron, and radon can also get into your drinking water.

Water QualityTesting

• Public water supplies are tested for more than 100 chemicals. If you use public water you can call the water utility for information about your drinking water.

• All private wells and many public water supplies use groundwater. Groundwater is water held in underground soils and rock.  Several communities use water from nearby lakes, like Lake Winnebago, Lake Michigan, and Lake Superior.

Tips for Peoplewho use Public Water Supplies

• Find out where your water comes from. Contact your water utility if you have questions about your water supply.

• Protect your water supply. Follow any water-use warnings. Dispose of pesticides, motor oil, and other chemicals properly. Reduce your use of lawn and garden chemicals since these chemicals may seep into drinking water.

• Call your water utility if you have questions or if you notice a change in the taste, odor, smell or color of your water.

• If you own a private well, be sure your water supply is safe. Yearly testing and maintenance will help protect your water supply. Call your local Department of Natural Resources (DNR) office for more information.

Tips for Peoplewho use Private Wells

• Find out the age and depth of your well and the length of its casing (the pipe inside the drilled hole). Learn about the types of soil, bedrock and water supply problems in your area.

• Find out when your drinking water was last tested. Know what tests were run, and the results. Keep records of any tests or repairs that you make.

• Test at least once a year for bacteria. Several labs in Wisconsin can do these tests. Check the yellow pages in your phone book for a lab near you.

• Test for nitrate. This is especially important if there is a pregnant woman or infant in your home. Nitrates come from fertilizer use, barnyard runoff, and septic systems. A high nitrate level may mean that your water also has bacteria or farm chemicals.

• You may want to do other tests. Talk to a regional water supply expert at your local DNR office to find out if arsenic or radon are common in your area. If your well is near an old landfill, gas station, or buried fuel tank you might want to test for volatile organic chemicals (VOCs). If your well is near an orchard or farm field, a test for pesticides might be advised.

• Have your water tested if you notice a change in its taste, odor, or color. Some tests are expensive and may be hard to do. Contact your well driller, local DNR office, or your local health department for help.

• If your water contains bacteria or chemicals find out the source of the problem. Fix it and test the water again to be sure it is safe.

• Keep chemicals, septic tanks, and animal waste away from your well. Dispose of chemicals and motor oil properly. Don’t put waste chemicals in your septic system. Limit your use of lawn and garden chemicals. Keep the area around your well clean.

Basic Safety

Basic Safety

 

If a cylinder is damaged,in poor condition, leaking, or the contents are unknown, contact your cylindervendor. Have the vendor return the damaged cylinder to the manufacturer.

• Wear appropriate foot protection when engaged in moving or transporting cylinders.
• Sturdy shoes are a minimum.
• Steel toed shoes if required by your supervisor, instructor, or department.
• Proper personal protective clothing and equipment shall be worn.
• Always have an appropriate Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) available and be familiar with the health, flammability and reactivity hazards for the particular gas.

Cylinder Marking

• Cylinders must be properly labeled, including the gasidentity and appropriate hazards (e.g., health, flammability, reactivity).

• Cylinders have severalstamped markings. The top mark is either a DOT or an ICC marking indicatingpertinent regulations for that cylinder. The second mark is the serial number.Under the serial number is the symbol of the manufacturer, user, or purchaser.Of the remaining marks the numbers represent the date of manufacture, andretest date (month and year). A (+) sign indicates the cylinder may be 10%overcharged, and a star indicates a ten year test interval.

Cylinder Storage

• Cylinders should be stored in compatible groups

- Flammables from oxidizers
- Corrosives from flammables
- Full cylinders from empties
- All cylinders from corrosive vapors.

• Keep oxygen cylinders a minimum of twenty feet fromflammable gas cylinders or combustible materials. If this can not be done, separationby a non-combustible barrier at least 5 feet high having a fire-rating of atleast one-half hour is required.

• Secure empty and full cylinders to a fixed support byuse of chains, or other substantial restraining devices.

• Store cylinders in an upright position.

• Keep valve protective caps in place when the cylinderis not in use.

• Mark empty cylinders EMPTY or MT.

• Keep valves closed on empty cylinders.

• Cylinders must be kept away from sources of heat.

• Cylinders must be kept away from electrical wiringwhere the cylinder could become part of the circuit.

• Store cylinders in well-ventilated areas designatedand marked only for cylinders.

Hazardous Material

• Followthe instructions on the label and in the corresponding Material Safety DataSheet (MSDS) for each chemical product you will be using in your workplace

• Usepersonal protective clothing or equipment such as neoprene gloves, rubberboots, shoe covers, rubber aprons, and protective eyewear, when using chemicalslabeled "Flammable", "Corrosive", Caustic" or"Poisonous"

• Alwaysuse your chemical goggles and the face shield when handling chemicals labeled"Corrosive" or "Caustic"

• Do notuse protective clothing or equipment that has split seams, pin holes, cuts,tears, or other visible signs of damage

• Each timeyou use your gloves, wash them, before removing the gloves, using cold tapwater and normal hand washing motion; always wash your hands after removing thegloves.

• Onlydispense a liquid labeled "Flammable" from its bulk container locatedin areas posted "Flammable Liquid Storage"

• Beforepouring, dispensing or transferring any liquid from a bulk container labeled"Flammable", observe the following safety procedure:

1. Only use the redcolor-coded, plastic or metal containers for transferring the liquid.
2.  Electrically ground andbond the containers as follows:

• a) Attach the clip at oneend of the grounding wire to the rim of the dispensing container and thenattach the clip at the other end of the grounding wire to a ground source, suchas a ground driven steel stake.

• b) Attach the clip at oneend of the bonding wire to the rim of the dispensing container and then attachthe clip at the other end of the bonding wire to the rim of the receivingcontainer.

• c) You are now ready todispense the liquid from the bulk container into the opened receivingcontainer. Upon completion, replace the lid on the receiving container andremove the bonding wire.

• Beforeusing the chemical exhaust hood, flip the fan motor switch to the"On" position

• Do notuse chemicals from unlabeled containers or unmarked cylinders

• Do notperform "hot work", such as welding, metal grinding or other sparkproducing operations, within 50 feet of containers labeled"Flammable" or "Combustible"

• Do notdrag containers labeled "Flammable"

• Use therubber cradle when transporting unpackaged, glass bottles of chemicals

• Do notstore chemical containers labeled "Oxidizer" with containers labeled"Corrosive" or "Caustic"