Transcript | Annotation | Source: 89-4286-C-3-A-2(21-26) (PDF) | Month Index
At breakfast talked to Bea Orsot, who is the secretary of school. She passed high school records to me, including receiving individual weekly activities list from teachers. She was absent yesterday. Bea is also retired and we discussed difficulty of working along younger people who expect you to do as much as they do.
Got papaya from kitchen. Medical Office did not have any. Drank quantities of water and in afternoon finally had a BM.
I didn’t observe classes. Instead, I started to retype Phyllis’ paper on Jonestown medical services. Much humidity in the air and I had trouble with the paper. I couldn’t find my correction fluid, so I borrowed some from “Penny” working next door in Karen Layton’s cottage.
Went to lunch.
Had drafted a statement on my proposed adult education class. I showed it to Tom and Dick.
Returned to cottage to work on Phyllis Chaikin’s paper. Diane Lundquist was chairing a meeting of toddler’ supervisors. Johnny Jones Brown present. They were discussing problems with children and confronted individual workers with their faults. I worked on the other side of room. I finished Phyllis’ paper and typed up my adult education statement with changes discussed with Dick and Tom.
Dinner.
Read Radicalism in America while waiting for rally to start at 7.45.
Jim Bogue was chairman for the agricultural reports.
Pressure was put on Danny Kutulas to complete work on the insecticide drainage so that children would not be endangered.
Successful surgery on the pregnant dog was reported. Dale Parks had given mouth-to-mouth resuscitation when she ceased to breathe and saved her life
Jim came in at 8.30. He said among the relatives giving us trouble is Neva Sly who is threatening Ujara. Mark Sly told her off.
Considerable discussion on alternate feed, for stock: banana leaves, stalks and fruit, cassava; for people: cutlass beans, sugar cane and cassava leaves.
Tommy Keaton and some of the seniors tried pipping the chicks [pipping refers to break out of the shell; but seems to be used to refer to cutting beaks slightly to prevent pecking each other], which will enable them to eat and put on weight, earlier.
Selling chickens in Port Kaituma was discussed and plans made. Anthony and ______ and Charlie Touchette were involved. Those coming on now will be sold. The next batch for eating here will be ready in 7-1/2 weeks. Jim went into the cost of providing pork for Jonestown food. “We’re talking about $2000 a meal.” It is being planned to bring 6000 lbs of fish on the boat and disposal of it was discussed as was freezer space and power. Freezers will be moved to the warehouse from the cassava mill. Much discussion took place on methods of freezing and the possibility of smoking the fish. Sister _____ Dawkins proposed an oil fish system. Some experiments will be tried. The fish that cannot be preserved will be sold.
Jim on the radio had apparently been discussing bringing all the 250 members still to come by means other than flying, as least part of the way. He said they wanted to fly from California, which Jim said was silly. The CIA would blow up flights on which the passengers are all our people.
Another operation was being done on a female dog. Jim reported that it too was successful.
The tie-up on the Temple crates being released from customs involves the duties charged, which Jim is fighting, so as not to set a precedent. “All bureaucrats are alike and you don’t want to get stuck.” He has got the charges down from $18,000 to $3,000. Many strange decisions had been made in San Francisco about what to send and the method of crating. It is hard to get out specific items needed.
Scuba gear had been sent on account of expertise of Jenny Cheek’s son, David Dupont; Jim said he had gone.
Some walk-in coolers we have are urgently needed. It was proposed that we use the wood coming in on the boat to finish them and put off construction of the toddler’s nursery. Jim said for health reasons it is essential to get the children out of the dirt. Tom Grubbs advocated completing half the building and let the space for his research center wait.
A film by Felix Greene on raising hogs in China, where they provide separate space for living, eating and eliminating, was brought up. Jim wants this arrangement experimented with.
The planting of coffee trees was discussed. The types of coffee are Robusta, Arabica and Liberica. The latter is valued the lowest. Jim directed that this market value of the different types be ascertained.
A number of children on the Learning Crew are still behaving badly: Marquess Rhodes, Nora Blair, Ricardo Arterberry, Tobiana Stone. “Running” was carried out as punishment. Jim directed that an isolation system be developed as a substitute.
Reports on behavior and evaluations of work prepared by Penny Kerns and Karen Layton were presented. Jim was dismayed by the volume.
Marthea Hicks was on the floor. She was accused of arrogance and elitism, numerous instances given. Jim said Penny was afraid of her. Gave both of them one week on the Learning Crew. Laura Johnston volunteered for the same punishment for not reporting what she had observed.
A long report on the Medical Crew was submitted by Phyllis Chaikin.
Newhuanda Darnes was the first person on the floor. She was cited for neglecting seniors and writing numbers of letters to people not in the cause. Lela Murphy has a serious kidney condition owing to falling while in hospital care. Writing outsiders costs 37¢ and shows you are attracted to life in the US.
Next was Joyce Rozynko, now Lund, who was charged with being unfriendly, of complaining constantly, being hard to get along with, of ruining equipment. Her two sons joined many others in expatiating on her faults. Jim reminded her of the bad nature of her husband from whom he had saved her. Joyce was said to have a nasty disposition. She was put on the Learning Crew.
Phyllis Chaikin said she wanted to change her name. She thinks she has been too dependent on Gene. Gene agreed with her.
Vernetta Christian who keeps records for the Medical Department was criticized for putting some time down for medical which she did not use for them. It was stated that she doesn’t take criticisms well. Jim said she is elitist. She admitted she liked to be by herself.
Annie Moore was called too defensive of his daughter, Agnes. Jim said she is disorganized. We don’t know where she is. Of the whole dept, he said the supplies were allowed to run down too much. Lynetta could have lived longer with proper care.
The department was revealed as cliquish. There is an alliance between Reeney Jackson, Judy Ijames and Anita Kelley. Barbara Farrell (Perry) and Leon Perry are too immersed in each other. Sharon Cobb is too passive. Sylvia Grubbs is a hypochondriac.
Mark Wagner was on the floor for “goofing off.” He is 16 and is interested in a young woman of 21; Jim found nothing wrong with this but the relationship does not seem to have improved him. Jim said his father was giving trouble and is “the most dangerous of all.” It was only a miracle by which Jim was able to get Mark to Jonestown. (I had thought Inez came with Mark, but she is not here. She may be in LA.)
After a final song, the meeting was dismissed about 3.30. Jim gave us until 9.00 to sleep tomorrow. Only breakfast and dinner will be served.