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A one-day Tourism Forum held on Thursday, January 26^th, 2000, was hosted by the Montserrat Tourist Board (MTB) at the Pelican Conference Room of the Vue Pointe Hotel. It was part of a week of activities put on by the Board to heighten and improve the sector in Montserrat.

The opening ceremony featured brief addresses from the Governor, the Chief Minister and the chairman of the board.

The Chief Minister reportedly spoke briefly on the need for such activities that would encourage the expatriate community, who are key to economic activity on the island, to return to live on the island. He spoke of the need for a golf course The forum followed, with participants including ministers of government, representatives of non-governmental organizations and the private sector, as well as key personnel of the public sector and tourism oriented-stakeholders.

Miss Ernestine Cassell, tourism director, said participants were all invited to share there views on what they see as Montserrat’s tourism product and to put forward recommendations which would assist in charting the way forward for the tourism industry.

The week included several exercises aimed at improving the service delivery in the hospitality sector. High quality service is one of the areas that the Montserrat Tourist Board is focusing on as part of its strategy to redevelop tourism on the island.

Earlier in the week, just over 20 taxi drivers attended a graduation ceremony after completing a one-week course on topics such as history, geography, communications, the tourism product, tour delivery, deportment and personal hygiene. The training program was jointly sponsored by the Montserrat Tourist Board and the University of the West Indies’ School of Continuing Education.

Following closely were 25 other participants who completed a one-week training program in Customer Relations for Front-line Personnel. This workshop was funded by the Caribbean Tourism Organization, the European Union and the Montserrat Tourist Board, and was facilitated by Miss Desiree Edwards from a training consulting firm in Antigua.

At a closing ceremony of the Customer Relations for Frontline Personnel workshop, a small group of invitees witnessed the participants all receiving certificates for having participated. Education officer Mrs. Eudora Fergus passed out the certificates following brief remarks by the director of tourism and the facilitator Miss Edwards.

Mrs. Angella Greenaway director of the Development Unit and representing the MTB, delivered a feature address in which she highlighted the latest tourism theme which Justin 'Hero' Cassell has put in caplypso rhythm: "Tourism is my business, it is your business, it is everybody's business."

Mrs Greenaway said she welcomed the workshop, "since it highlights the fact that the provision of quality service in all sectors of the economy is a necessary prerequisite to success…"

Making some very poignant and serious observations, she said: "We can no longer claim to be in 'emergency mode.' We all have to recognize that living with an active volcano is now, and will be a fact of life for those of us who have chosen to remain on this island. It therefore means that we have to concentrate all our efforts on medium- to long-term development strategies that will see Montserrat attaining sustainable economic growth and development in the not too distant future."

She pointed out that "we can afford to be very positive in our outlook because despite all the odds against us, we have survived."

The development director said she recognised the national importance of tourism: "It is no secret that tourism along with construction was the mainstay of the Montserrat economy over the past two decades prior to the volcanic crisis."

Mrs Greenaway personalised as she incorporated the theme: "It is therefore my business to ensure that the projects are written up properly and in such a way that would attract the financing we need to put these attractions in place."

Speaking privately later she hinted that even though there may be no significant increase in the tourism subvention, support for the sector will come in the form of fulfillment of tourism projects.

Representing the participants, Derick Lee, a customs officer, expressed thanks to the organisers of the workshop. He said that they now recognise why they are often invited to participate in tourism-oriented functions such as this.

Mrs Elveta Greenaway of the MTB office then gave a vote of thanks.

Briefing on the outcome of the forum, Miss Cassell said that the government sees this as timely. It wants greater participation and involvement by the private sector on tourism matters, she said. Covered were such topics as marketing and promotions, product identification and development, receptive services and hospitality, transportation and strategy and financing.

She said: "This exercise is the first in a series of many aimed at developing a comprehensive tourism strategy which would benefit the people of Montserrat."

She was both surprised and impressed at a decision coming from the graduating participants to work closely with the tourist board in forming an "Ambassadors for Montserrat" group to help foster the tourist trade in Montserrat.

Three representatives of Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. visited Montserrat last Saturday., during which time they were interviewed by The Montserrat Reporter.

They are Miss Ann Edwards, sales manager, Miss Jacqui Earlington, ticketing and sales agent, and Miss Nicole Rogers, who held discussions here with Carib World's local office manager, Miss Shauna Harley, having previously met with Runaway Travel.

Miss Edwards, who is the Sales Manager at the airline's regional head office in Barbados, said their visit to Montserrat was to speak with travel agents and to further advertise the airline's service which, she said, "is used by quite an appreciable number of Montserratians travelling to and from England."

She pointed out that the airline had put on specials in the summer last year and will do the same again this year, along with special fares for the West Indies cricket series in England.

The airline, which makes stops at Barbados, which hosts their head office in the Caribbean, St. Lucia and Antigua. The Antigua stops are twice a week, on Wednesday and Friday. It will change to Wednesday and Saturday during the summer via St. Lucia.

Virgin Atlantic boasts that it is now Britain's flag carrier, having doubled in size since 1994, and claims to have carried more than three million passengers at the end of 1999 to 17 worldwide destinations on 27 aircraft.

Richard Branson, the airline's chairman, is a well-known name in Montserrat. But for hurricane Georges, his airline was scheduled to transport freely over 100 journalist to visit Montserrat for the Many Happy Returns concert. This would have coincided with their inaugural flight to Antigua. All they could do at the time was a hurricane relief flight at the time, bringing items out to Antigua, which was severely hit by the hurricane.

L to R Miss Ann Edwards, Miss Jacqui Earlington, Miss Nicole Rogers, Miss Shauna Harley

Visiting with the two representatives was Miss Nicole Rogers, who is in charge of the airline's promotional activities in their Antigua office. She expressed concern at recent LIAT labor problems, which posed a difficulty for Virgin's passengers who had onward connections from Antigua to other island destinations.

Asked about the decrease from 9 percent to 6 percent in commissions being paid to travel agents by American Airlines and others, the representatives were pleased to note that Virgin Atlantic will not be decreasing its commissions but plans instead to increase the commissions to 10 percent later.

This week the Montserrat Tourist Board hosted a one-day forum incorporating varying sectors, government and non-government, and completed two one-week workshops for taxi drivers and in customer relations for frontline personnel.

The workshops were co-sponsored by the Caribbean Tourism Organization, the European Union and the Montserrat Tourist Board. They were held at Tropical Mansion Suites, and as mentioned in the vote of thanks at the last workshop during the closing ceremony, these were the first of their kind held at the new hotel.

The effort is undoubtedly pointing in the right direction from the local front, and there were some very powerful expressions from various speakers and at the various functions over the past week. The reaction of participants was exciting as they left the workshop scenes ready to plunge into carrying the mantle of development for at least one area of our economic being.

There were some very puissant statements and suggestions made at various times during the week of activities, particularly at the one-day forum and the closing ceremony on the final day, Friday.

It was heartening to hear some government official say such things as: "We still have to concentrate on housing; there are still important steps to take in terms of infrastructural development…"These words came from the Director of Development, Mrs. Angella Greenaway.

She had some other important things to say: "We are now at a crossroads in terms of outlook in Montserrat. We can no longer claim to be in 'emergency mode'."

She was delivering the feature address at a customer relations workshop and after reminding all present that "tourism along with construction was the mainstay of the Montserrat economy," she gave her opinion on the forum which took place the day before.

She said that stakeholders in tourism came together to discuss and recommend strategies which would seek to once again reestablish our tourism sector as one of the main sectors of the economy, "It was a useful Forum," she commented, "where we were able to have meaningful discussions on a future strategy for tourism development in Montserrat… The final output will be a realistic, workable Tourism Master Plan."

The Chief Minister, it was reported, spoke of the need for a golf course and road maintenance to woo tourists and the expat community back to the island to occupy their villas. Mere words, some say, but the hard fact is that between November and May each year, Montserrat boomed; ask the supermarket owners or any business owner; husband or wife, or indeed anyone who had connections in the sector. It was that foreign currency that was brought into the island. It compared almost a hundred-fold to that, which is coming-in in one hand and taken out in the other.

The problem we face, however, is that even though these things are spoken about, are we in a position to do anything about them? Are our government leaders or would-be leaders up to the task of ensuring that we are allowed to determine our priorities out of the parallel priorities that are thrown in our face at every "negotiation."

Watch Miss Clare Short refusing the sport complex, which perhaps one or more ministers do not see as an absolute necessity to the development of this island. She says it must be a community project, but the real truth is that there cannot be a sport complex when the site is now needed, not just for an emergency landing strip, but a full strip to serve as our airport. Remember their NO to Thatch Valley and our NO to Blakes and Geralds!

This negotiation theory is baffling. What is it that Montserrat takes to the negotiating table? Supposedly we have been offered £75 million to assist us in our new beginning (except that our benefactors have yet to look at it that way). We are two-thirds of the way into the three years and so far £15.77 million has been allowed for budgetary assistance, with another £6 million expected this year.

The government complained that the £75 million was not enough and asked for an additional amount to be allocated for housing. That was never granted. At the time there was a move not to sign the Country Policy Plan, but it was too late. Instead, an additional paragraph was agreed to which promised that the British would work along with us to find additional funds when needed.

Although it sounds like a lot, for an island with the removal and loss of resources it suffered, an island that is not only just re-building but being born anew, it can never be enough. Yet we were challenged to spend the rest of the available money on projects, then told that we have too many parallel priorities and must therefore pull out the priorities from within. On top of this, we are not allowed to use these handouts to the best of our ability. It is obvious that we are confused and the truth is that, with the genius that the British are known for, we may just be left with money which can do nothing because it cannot do that which we must do.

Unfortunately, we do precious little about this. We need, of course, to recognise the dilemma and look elsewhere for the money that we need to complete the job. But did our leaders take up the British masters on their agreement to help us find additional funds? Maybe we haven't come up with the plans yet! Or is it just a continuation the status quo?

We complicate matters even more by having a coalition government, which some ministers agree has not been working well. What then do we look for with a new electoral system. Do we even agree that there is a problem here? If we didn't before but realise it now, what are we doing about it? The matter needs to be studied, since we may find out that there should be no problem, but that some minds are just not up to the requirements.

Except for the editorial, opinion articles expressed in these pages are not necessarily those of the Montserrat Reporter editors, employees or advisers. Readers are encouraged to submit commentary articles. All viewpoints, unless libelous, in poor taste, or anonymous, are welcome. Send your contributions to The Editor, P.O. Box 306, Olveston, Montserrat, W. I., e-mail: editor@montserratreporter.org. Manuscripts will not be returned unless accompanied by a return stamped envelope. The Montserrat Reporter is a privately owned independent newspaper.

God Provides

Once I embroidered an elaborate table cloth that required many hours of delicate work. After I finished it and placed it over the table, I discovered that it was too small. Although I was disappointed, I decided to store the tablecloth in case I could use it in the future.

For more than ten years I stored the tablecloth. Then a time came when my children and I faced serious financial difficulties. One day a co-worker stopped by our house to visit. We started to talk about my fondness for embroidery, and I showed her the tablecloth I had made many years earlier. My friend had a neighbor who was also fond of fine embroidery, and she offered to sell my tablecloth to her. I was uncertain of how much to ask for my work. I needed $60 in order to pay for food and gas. The next day I received $100 for my tablecloth! The Lord not only provided for our needs but did so abundantly. It is clear to me now that God anticipates our needs and sometimes prepares to meet them far in advance.

Prayer: Thank you, for your diligence in providing for our needs. Amen.

God is aware of our needs and works to meet them

Evi Flor Lugo

Prayer Focus: Single Parents struggling Financially 

Beginning on Sunday, 6^th February, 2000, the Montserrat Christian Council (MCC) will begin a week's programme called Family Focus Week. The services will be held at the Brades Pentecostal church. The opening session will begin at 6.00 p.m. Sunday, the others at 7.00 p.m. each evening.

The sessions will be run by Reverend Alvin Nicholson and his wife Lena of Agape Ministries,which is based in Canada. Together they have conducted several Family Life Conferences and Retreats for the past 20 years, both in the Caribbean and in North America.

Reverend Nicholson, who is from the Caribbean, is a lecturer, Bible Teacher and Conference Speaker and an ordained minister of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada.

The programme is expected to touch on all aspects of family life and expects participation from a very wide section of the community. It is seen as being very timely and a needed week of activities for Montserrat.

On Wednesday this week the honourable Minister of Education, Health and Welfare Mrs. Adelina Tuitt delivered a few toys and games to representatives of the Lookout Action Group.

The items were given to the minister December 29, 1999, during the handing over ceremony of completed houses at the Caricom Village in Lookout. Mr. Edwin Carrington secretary-general of the CARICOM Secretariat, made the presentation from the children of the secretariat community.

The minister expressed gratitude to the CARICOM community, which had done the same thing two years ago. In passing on the gifts, Mrs. Tuitt said that she agreed it a good idea to give the toys to a community group, who would be more able to make good use in distributing the toys and incorporating the games to the benefit of the community.

Receiving the gifts were Mr. Kenneth Lee and Miss Bernadine Collins, president and public relations officer of the Action Group. Mr. Lee expressed his thanks on behalf of the Lookout Action Group. He said they will distribute and use the gifts to the best of their ability, "to enhance a closer connection between both groups, young and old, in Lookout as we socialise one with the other."

The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) has been around for 18 years -- assisting its Member Countries to deliver the goods and services that our populations need for their economic and social survival; and doing a rather good job of what it does; at least as good a job as its resources permit.

We who serve the Organisation are aware that there still appears to be a disconcerting lack of familiarity on the part of the public with the work that we do; the achievements of the OECS and the contribution it makes to the development of our countries and our peoples.

We hope through this weekly column to do something about this. We hope to involve all of our staff in providing information on the work that they do and on the workings of our Secretariat and Organisation; and we are grateful to the newspapers that have given us this opportunity.

In the rest of this article I will attempt to relate the work that we do to the lives and livelihoods of our people. It is a link that those of us who work in the area sometimes take for granted -- until it becomes very clear that the public has to be assisted to make the link.

The business of the OECS Secretariat is the management of cooperation. The nine member countries of the OECS are all very small countries with limited human, technological and financial resources. They are all countries busily engaged in overcoming their disadvantages and meeting the challenge of economic and social development in ways that can redound to the benefit of their peoples. This is a very challenging task indeed. It becomes critically important therefore for our governments wherever possible to pool their limited resources in joint or coordinated activity. There are some things that our countries need to do, which it makes sense to do together; where it makes sense to coordinate their activities in the interest of cost-effectiveness and getting 'more bang for the buck'.

This is so both in the OECS and CARICOM. In fact this is the justification for every regional Organisation, whether it is the OECS, the Commonwealth or the United Nations. We are all in the business of managing cooperation among countries.

Examples of areas where the OECS Governments have decided that cooperation makes sense are education reform, procurement of pharmaceuticals, environmental management, waste management, sports and telecommunications reform. There is also a considerable amount of cooperation and joint activity in economic affairs, external economic relations and legal reform. In all these areas our work is intended to affect people's lives.

In education reform our work involves assisting our countries to modernize and improve the quality of the education that our sons and daughters receive. As the world changes around us very rapidly, our staff are working to ensure that the education that our children receive continues to be relevant to today's needs. They are working to ensure that our children will be employable, by others or by themselves, and be empowered to take their places as confident and capable citizens of the world.

The OECS Pharmaceuticals Procurement Service (PPS) purchases a number of pharmaceuticals through a joint procurement system and supplies the hospitals and health centers of the countries. It makes sense to do this because by aggregating the requirements of our countries and buying them in bulk, we can get them at a lower price than might have been possible if each country did its own purchasing. The effect of this is to reduce the costs of these drugs to the public.

We also work in environmental management through our Natural Resources Management Unit (NRMU). Most of our work in this area takes place directly within our respective countries. All of our member countries have benefited from our work in this area, whether in watershed management, environmental planning or management of our countries' fragile coastal resources. We all have an interest in environmental management -- it is important to our people who need to enjoy the natural environment of their countries which need to be preserved for the enjoyment of current and future generations. It is also important in an economic sense because environmental degradation affects our countries' economic prosperity and the fortunes and opportunities of our populations.

In the next column I will present other examples of ways in which the work of the OECS affects the lives and livelihoods of people; of why our work redounds to the benefit of the people; and why the people should take a strong interest in all that we do. Future articles will provide more detailed information on everything that our staff are involved in. Through this column members of the public will learn about our work in economic affairs, about how we are helping our countries to cope with the changing global economic environment, including the World Trade Organisation; about our serious work in telecommunications reform. We invite readers to send in comments, questions, and suggestions as to issues you would like explored in our column.

Contact us by fax: (758) 452 2537 Ext. 2128, or by e-mail: kmorgan@oecs.org.  

Roseau, Dominica, CANA - Four days before Dominicans vote in a general election, the possibility of a coalition administration remains a major discussion point. Opposition parties, the Dominica Labour Party and the Dominica Freedom Party were indicating a willingness to undertake some form of alliance or coalition should there be no clear winner in the January 31 poll. But the ruling United Workers Party has dismissed the idea outright.

Meanwhile Two of Dominica's weekly newspapers believe it will be a close race between the ruling United Workers Party (UWP) and the main Opposition Dominica Labour Party (DLP) in general elections. The Sun and Chronicle newspapers have suggested it is possible that none of the parties may emerge with the minimum 11 seats required to form the next government. Dominicans go to the poll Monday.

On Thursday this week CANA reported that all of LIAT's staff are back on the job. The pilots, the last to threaten to strike Tuesday agreed to return to work after hearing that all staff will be paid on time for January. Various small strikes and strike threats hit the cash-strapped airline in the past few weeks after management announced a deferral of January pay, leaving passengers uncertain of flights and sometimes stranded. Melanie Henry, the public relations officer, however said last night that all flights were back to normal.

Antigua opposition plans march

St John's, Antigua, CANA - Antigua and Barbuda's Opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) plans a march Thursday highlighting concerns about a rise in violent crimes. The UPP said Tuesday that many residents had expressed fears in the aftermath of a number of violent crimes, including the murder of a young medical student. It invited religious groups and a number of organisations to join the march.

Meanwhile The West Indies Oil Company is adding twenty thousand dollars (20,000)to the reward for the capture of the perpetrators of the crimes involving Jermaine Simon and Ayanna Christian.

This brings the total reward to Forty thousand dollars. Ayanna's parents and the Government of Antigua and Barbuda have each offered ten thousand dollars.

Jermaine's body was found at Jabberwock beach on December 27 last year. However, his companion Ayanna Christian is still missing.

The authorities are asking the public to come forward if they have any information on the death of Jermaine and the disappearance of Ayanna Christian.

A long queue extended from within APUA's City Office on Long Street, St. John's, Tuesday morning as the utility company launched its new PCS digital cellular service.

Customers began arriving early to receive their access numbers and to get their phones.

Purchases of new phones were also made.

APUA yesterday released its new rates for the digital service, which puts them in competition with Cable and Wireless and Airtel, the island's two other cellular phone companies.

The company is boasting the cheapest rates on the island and the best quality service.

Cable & Wireless this week announced a reduction in its local trunk call rates for Dominica and St. Lucia. The company has eliminated the per unit charge for calls, and is instead introducing a flat rate per call. There will be three time-bands, which correspond to those that exist for International Direct Dialed calls.

In addition, the number of zones in St. Lucia has been reduced from eight to three, while those in Dominica have been reduced from five to two.

Effective February 1, 2000, customers in Dominica will pay 84 cents per call across zones on weekdays, 70 cents per call in the evening and 56 cents per call on weekends. Calls within the same zone will cost 28 cents.

In St. Lucia, calls made during the day will cost 75 cents, the charge for calls made during the evening will be 60 cents, and the new rate per call on weekends is 45 cents. Calls within the same zone will cost 27 cents.

This latest reduction in these rates follows closely on the reduction of International Direct Dialed rates across the Caribbean by an average of 27 percent in October 1999.

In making the announcement in St. Lucia this morning, Trevor Clarke, Regional Director for Barbados and the Windward Islands for Cable & Wireless, Caribbean and Atlantic islands, said that this latest reduction in rates is a part of the company's commitment to deliver good value for money to its customers across the region.

He noted that as the company enters an increasingly competitive era, its focus is changing to bring new products and services to the market more efficiently; and to respond more rapidly to the needs of its customers through vastly improved customer service.

Mr. Clarke said: "We at Cable & Wireless are working to ensure that we institute a world-class service culture across our company. We are not only listening to our customers; we are also making the changes that they recommend to us. Continuous improvement for our company will be a journey that will never end."

Carib Aviation expects to introduce increased fares to Barbuda by February 15.The company said in a release that it is now reviewing all its tariffs and has been meeting with members of the Barbuda council.

The release noted that fares to Barbuda have remained the same since the company took over the route two years ago.

Carib says its decision took into account the increase in the cost of jet fuel over the last six months and direct operating costs.

The company has advised the council that the increase is unavoidable if it is to continue its operations to the island.

Government has initiated moves to sell a portion of it's fleet of vehicles.

A Ministry of Finance spokesman says it's in keeping with government's policy to decrease its spending on the acquisition and operation of vehicles.

A fleet of at least 50 vehicles will be auctioned off during the first week of February.

The vehicles range from buses to sedans and are currently located east of the Police Recreation Grounds on Factory Road.

The Ministry of Finance is now accepting sealed bids before the sale, which is expected to take place on February 5.

This is the first in a set of auctions which will help the government to get rid of unwanted vehicles.

Montserrat cricket took a further step forward on the weekend of 8-9 January with the visit of Lashings Cricket Club led by former West Indies captain Richie Richardson. This was the first visit by an overseas team to Montserrat since the start of the volcanic crisis in 1995.

The Lashings team was made up of players from Antigua and England, the latter having flown out especially for the matches. Two one-day matches were played, the first won by Montserrat by 17 runs and the second by Lashings by 16 runs.

Richie Richardson was particularly impressed by Montserrat Under 15 captain Lionel Baker, who produced an extremely valuable 12 runs in the first game, batting at number 11, and bowled with pace and accuracy in both matches. The whole party also remarked upon the warm welcome they received from the Montserrat public and they look forward to making regular visits, probably twice a year.

The Montserrat Cricket Association would welcome visits from other overseas teams whether at senior, Under 19, Under 17 or Under 15 age levels. Anyone interested should contact :

Expressions of gratitude are in order! We prayed to Busta at the start of the domestic competition for his intervention in our sad state of cricketing affairs - begged for an answer to our batting crisis and mediocre seam bowling.

Now midway into the intercession, we must give thanks even for the small mercies, and indeed we should, following the collapse of major proportions of our senior team (again under the leadership of captain Brian Lara) in New Zealand and the disappointment of our resilient and business-like youth team in not making it into the semi finals in the World

Under 19 tournament in Sri Lanka. But Ryan Hinds and his children did us proud in Colombo.

What started as a lacklustre second division village competition sponsored by "Boysie and the Boys" has since picked up steam, and is beginning to bring hope to the people, drawing the attention of the weary and frustrated cricketing public, unleashing the gladiatorial spirits of the competing nations and pumping the adrenaline of the nationalists and the parochialists.

As the competing teams approach the elimination stage, many are indeed showing their mettle, determined to fight to the end, to share the last drop of blood, to participate in the grand finale, and more importantly, to cash in on Busta's fat piggy bank.

Busta has begun to point us in the right direction; strengthening the weak; making a case for the opening of "our regional eyes" to the available talents; confirming and re-confirming our choices; and challenging our preconceived notions.

The major revelation from Busta thus far concerns the whipping boys - the Windward Islands. We always accepted that the "Windward Islands" is the nursery for West Indian fast bowling, but their batting stock had not been able to complement what is the best bowling combination in the domestic competition. They looked Y2K compliant. The year 2000 seemed to have transformed them from a marginal team to a winning team. And they have deservingly earned their 20 points.

The Windward Islands featured in the best contest of the Busta thus far - what was really a "West Indian cricket match" between the Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands at the ARG, Antigua, January 21-24, 2000.

This match reminded us of the mettle of the old Shell Shield tournament, when West Indies cricket was at its best. Thank you Busta!

The former regional champions (combined Islands) played each other, as we were accustomed to seeing them do battle, after they were separated.

The Windward Islands spearheaded by arguably, the fastest quickie in the domestic competition, Nixon Mclean, destroyed the most formidable batting lineup in the regional competition on a friendly wicket for a paltry 85 on the opening day of their third round Busta Cup cricket match at the Antigua Recreation Ground.

The Leeward Islands, boasting three test-discarded batsmen in Stuart Williams, Keith Arthurton, Dave Joseph, one current test batsman, Ridley Jacobs, one One-day International all rounder, Carl Tuckett, and two test hopefuls in Sylvester Joseph and Ranako Morton, were literally cut off by the aggression, hostility and fire of "the Stubbs Express" (our only Shoaib Akhtar, as I have often argued) and his hostile medium pacer, McNeil Morgan. The Leeward Islands scored 85 with Ridley. Jacobs 14 and Ranako Morton 10. Nixon Mclean bagged 5 wickets for 37 runs; and McNeil Morgan grabbed 4 wickets for 27r uns.

Stubborn lower-order batting by the Windward Islanders was mainly responsible for their first innings total of 230 after they had resumed at the start of day on 124 for six. The last four wickets added 106 runs, reflecting a coming to maturity of the young batting stock.

The Windward Islands were in a position to push home their advantage against the Leeward Islands after establishing a creditable first innings lead of 145 on the second day of the four-day Busta Cup match at the Antigua Recreation Ground Wednesday. The Leeward Islanders batted as we know that they are capable of, and resisted, fought and punished the Windward islanders to post a season-high 398 for 8 declared, thanks to the resolve of veteran Keith Arthurton (78) and Ridley Jacobs 117 not out. Keith Arthurton demonstrated the resilience and experience gained from his long years of first class cricket, and steered the Leeward Islands to safety when they were 84 for two, needing a further 61 runs to avoid an innings defeat.

Set 254 runs to win and two sessions in order to get an outright victory, the veteran Roy Marshall sought to challenge the opponents but the handwriting was on the wall. The task was beyond the batting capability of the Windward Islanders. The most competitive contest of the Busta Cup ended in a draw, eight points to the southerners and four points to the northerners.

This battle reminded great players like Livingstone Sargeant of "the competitive days of Shell Shield cricket." Busta had treated us to an exceptional cricketing performance.

The performance of the Windward Islands was special as they were forced to do battle without the most informed batsman for the tournament, former batsman/wicket-keeper, Junior Murray, whose place behind the wicket was taken by the heir-apparent to the West Indies senior team wicket-keeping position, Wayne Phillip.

The southerners proved that their expectation of a win against Trinidad in the second round was not far fetched. Rain ruined their chances of victory when overnight and morning showers prevented any play on the fourth and final day of the second round Busta Cup cricket game against Trinidad and Tobago at the Mindoo Phillip Park, St Lucia.

On the third day, only 15 minutes of play was possible, also because of rain. The Windward Islands took first innings lead and gained eight points, while the Trinidadians collected four points from the drawn match. Thank you Busta for the resurgence. Moreover, it is not by chance that the Windward Islands' seamers destroyed both Trinidad and Leeward Islands for less than 100 runs in the first innings.

Busta has also pointed to the youthful talents that must be tapped and nurtured in the rebuilding process. One notable young batting warrior is Jamaican Chris Gayle. In addition to his well-crafted 69 against Guyana in the third round, 20-year-old opener Chris Gayle hit an accomplished unbeaten maiden first class century to help Jamaica salvage a draw on the fourth and final day of their second round Busta Cup cricket game against Guyana at Sabina Park in the second round.

A tall lefthander with a wide array of strokes, Gayle hit 121 off 229 balls in 295 minutes with 15 fours as Jamaica, given 300 to win in a minimum 80 overs, reached 236 for six when play was called off with two overs remaining.

Thanks Busta for your other blessings: Ramnaresh Sarwan's patience and crafty 79; Franklyn Rose's 6-74 including a hat trick involving Sherwin Campbell, Adrian Griffith and Philo Wallace; McNeil Morgan, who is swinging, cutting and moving the cherry in the air and off the pitch reminiscent of the great Wasim Arkram.

Now what has Busta pointed to? He has pointed to other permutations and combinations in the making of the West Indies batting line-up.

First, Chris Gayle has been a capable opening batsman for the senior team, and he could partner Adrian Griffith if the selectors can all agree to give Campbell sometime to work on his batting techniques, footworks and confidence.

Second, if they are fully fit, Nixon Mclean, and Frank Rose, notwithstanding his poor performance in New Zealand, could replace Walsh and Ambrose with immediate effect. Third, since we do not now have batting stars, Ramnaresh Sarwan can be considered a candidate for the middle order.

He will be a better investment than James Adams. Busta is impressed but is obviously not yet altogether pleased with Sylvester Joseph for not having given us at least a half century in these trial matches. While we are all impressed with his growth and development, he needs to send a convincing message to the selectors. Fourth, Busta has pointed to McNeil Morgan as a viable West Indian all-rounder, a tremendous mover of the ball, quick off the wicket and solid with the bat.

Thank you Busta and send some more blessings before we come up against Zimbabwe and Pakistan.

PS PHOTO CAPTION: Nixon McLean, "the Stubbs Express" should spearhead the West Indies seam attack.

(Photo: Carlton Pickering

(Government Information Services (G.I.S.) is an information service produced and prepared in the office of the Chief Minister and published as a paid for service.)

By David Lea
I drove all over town today, Plymouth I mean. After passing the checkpoint on Lovers Lane road, we turned down the road that takes you through the Groves. When I reached the main road again at the gate to the Groves, I turned left and headed down past the technical college. Even though I have walked this way quite a few times over the last few years, it was still painful to see nothing but a skeleton of the college.

The road that has been cut by Public Works then takes a slight turn right through the schoolyard of the secondary school. We used to come in this way to go to programs there. The last time that I remember was a wonderful dinner party with lots of music and singers and such.
As I looked to the right I could see the Anglican Church and the newly restored rectory, surrounded by mudflows maybe 5 feet deep. Somehow I ended up coming back onto the main road by the dry cleaners and Pauline's flowers. The windows to the cable TV offices are smashed in but Pauline's building looked pretty good. There on the wall outside was the sign that I had made for our Christian bookstore that we called "His Place." Those days seem like so long ago.
As I drove on down the street towards the Texaco station, I was surprised to see a car that I believe belonged to Percy Arthurton, sitting there on the very edge of the water course that runs just north of the gas station. I remember videoing it when it was almost completely buried in ash, with just the roof showing and now, here it is, sitting there completely uncovered again.
Driving on down past Government headquarters and Papa's, I noticed the deterioration that is taking place to many of the buildings that have only been covered in ash and not really damaged by what's gone on around them.
Rusty galvanize and sagging roofs are everywhere and it takes a bit of imagination to conceive of these fringe areas being used again in my lifetime. As I got to the Evergreen tree, the road that has been cut then swings to the left towards Lee's Pharmacy. The
Evergreen tree itself is still sending up big green shoots, continuing to fight for its life in the midst of a wasteland.

The cream coloured roof tops of O R Kelsick Ltd. and the distinctive War Memorial in the distance.

Caption deliberately omitted. 

Write to the Webmaster and point out at least four (4) of the buildings by name or general description

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The mudflows cover the windows and doors of CaribWorld Travel and the farther you drive south, the deeper they get. The new BBC is covered to the roof and all you see of Lee's Pharmacy is the sign that is on the very top of the building. From there on everything disappears. No more signs of Dyers Store or any part of upper George Street. Looking to the east the spires of the Catholic Church still rise above the massive flows of mud and boulders.
The next landmark is Mercers' home, whose weathered blue paint still stands out starkly against the acres of gray landscape. We passed to the east of it and the next thing I knew we were back on the asphalt surface of Wall Street and heading up towards Bethany Pentecostal Church, which probably looks better than any of the other structures around. We took a left and headed up towards Parsons, which means you're heading straight towards the volcano. It was clear and with no trees or bush to block the view, it looked like you could reach out and touch it. Steam rises from the remains of the old dome and you can smell the sulfur in the air as it settles down over the entire area.
We stopped at a friend's house and walked through the memories that were left there. Furniture, china, pictures on the wall of family, all making the moment surreal. We managed to salvage a few folding doors and some dishes and glassware, but everything else is rusted or rotted out. We drove up towards the Boys Home and back down to AUC, meeting other folks with their trucks piled high with whatever they could find to take back to the safety of the north. As we talked with others, most said that "this was part of life and you just have to pick up the pieces and move on."
As we came back down you could look out across all that we had known as "town." What an incredible site to see -- generations of toil, creating, building and rebuilding, all now just memories for those of us who were fortunate enough to have walked the streets of what was Plymouth.
I say a silent thanks to those who arranged for this week of convoys into all these areas, some as far as Harris's. It may be a shock for those who made the journeys, but I think that in the long run, it was needed. Many, many tons of belongings have been recovered and saved from wasting away to nothing.

Just being able to walk through your home again and remember the blessings of those happy days has to be healthy for the soul and bring some closure to the incredible experiences of the last few years.

Pictures by Bennette Roach

Except for the two church pics, which were taken by Peter Filleul

You can view more recent pics on Bill Innanen's I website at: http://mni.ms/photos/094/

A selection of responses from the guestbook was printed in the paper version.

On-line readers can view and sign the guestbook 

It is with interest that I read the last issue of the Montserrat Alive Magazine and the comments passed by the author regarding the published Elections Commission Report;

comments which, I must say, are quite justified and reasonable.

The past century has witnessed immense turnabouts in the political situation of Montserrat, none more so than with the introduction of universal suffrage to the island’s people. Notable mention must be given to those great men of vision such as W.H. Bramble and Mr. Bob Griffith, who have pioneered the political, economic and social programmes that have aided our development. Also, the efforts of those individuals who have further steered us to where we are currently cannot be forfeited. Montserrat has, undoubtedly, enjoyed a high level of success when compared to other islands in the region and on a wider expanse, the Third World.

The volcanic crisis has, however, done untold damage to our reputation and so, too, our economic, social and political standing. Despite all the advances made in the last century, our present situation dictates that there be major changes in the handling of our affairs moving into this, the 21^st century. We cannot afford to exercise complacency and hold on to wasteful images of what was once. That aspect of our development has for some time now been reclined to the pages of history, memories, of which, I am sure, will be recanted to generations to come.

The advancement of the global community in the 21^st century will be fundamentally reliant on the spread of information and knowledge. The case of Montserrat can be no different despite all the diplomatic warfare that has engrossed our progress out of the volcanic crisis. The lack of comment by individuals on the recommendations of the Elections Commission is a primary example of the change that needs to come about for our people.

For too long the knowledge of politics and the workings of government has been confined to only a select few and to those who may choose to take the time to inform themselves of such matters. The Elections Commission Report speaks of issues such as the "first-past-the-post" (FPP) electoral system and also the "voting at large" (VAL) mode. It makes me wonder realistically how many individuals out there are versed on what exactly these terms are referring to? How, then, can everyday people, the very same individuals who succumb to the fruitless bantering of politicians, comment on issues they have limited or no knowledge about?

It is not only the Elections Commission Report that should come under scrutiny, for there are other aspects of Government & Politics that the electorate, and particularly the young people, are clueless about. We have given much to talk about with the way we were prior to this crisis, but the "politics of the people," as I choose to call it, needs to be examined and elevated to another level. It would be highly unfair and biased to the electorate, heading towards a general election, for them to be voting ignorant of the issues being presented to them on the political platform. Some skeptics will cite that people are most interested in where their next dollar will be coming from.

While that may be true to an extent, let them think about the youths who are going to be products of the new Montserrat, the ones who will eventually assume positions of leadership within the dynamics of the island’s governance. The 21^st century for them should be about progress from all angles, not maintaining barriers and seeking to enforce old policies of bourgeoisie-ism and the status quo.

It goes without saying that all young people do not get a chance or some cannot afford to go to University or other such halls of learning to expand their knowledge on such issues. Large majorities of the electorate are working class individuals, who should not be disadvantaged from gathering such vital knowledge because of their social standing. The focus now is, and as it should be, to create a new Montserrat, nurturing individuals with vision and invention to guide us through this new age.

Ideas highlighting principles of government should be explored as meaningful subjects to be implemented by the island’s media. Talk shows, discussion programmes and the like should be key areas of focus as we seek to inform and educate the masses. Local publications should look towards including information briefs that cover such issues as the aforementioned. Yes, it is good practice to broadcast or print debates and the like that are held in the Legislative Council. But furthermore, the processes by which these bills are debated and passed should be made aware in the psyche of individuals. At least the charge can never be made that nothing was done to educate the electorate and the youths about the workings of government.

The idea is not to force individuals to grasp new concepts but it should be a gradual process to make information available for people to utilise as they see fit. The new Montserrat that is being created demands changes. Educate the youths, inform the wider community and let the electoral process not be a personality battle but let the future electorate vote rather on the issues being presented.

The Reporter in its editorial of December 4, 1999, intimated that the subject of taxation should be a priority for politicians during the year 2000 and thereafter until the next elections.

I agree with the Editor, but I will also state that the entire population of Montserrat must seek to understand taxation, its role in Government finance and its use as a political tool. Put another way, the population must understand the relationship among taxation, Government and politics.

In my opinion every person seeking political office should be willing and able to explain the uses of taxation and the different forms of taxation that can be used by their Government to ensure economic stability and continuity for Montserrat. That person ought to be aware of and thoroughly understand the operation and management of the complete tax system of Montserrat. He or she must thoroughly understand the purposes of Government and must be aware of the uses of taxation to fulfill the functions of Government.

He or she must appreciate the responsibility of each resident to contribute to the upkeep of Montserrat according to their consumption and their ability to pay.

At present, the management of our tax laws allows for unfair burdens on some sectors of the population and unfair benefits to other sectors.

How else could one describe a tax system that exempts fishermen, farmers, Preachers and Pensioners from paying income taxes? What special privileges should be endowed on those people that they should get the benefits of the society without paying taxes on their income.

For a moment, just imagine that in a couple of years our C.M. will receive a pension income of over $100,000 -- he will not have to pay taxes on that income, along with other ministers for perhaps lesser amounts.

And consider that a significant faction of our income earners pay no taxes on their income; Plus there are many persons who owe significant arrears of income tax.

This is a sorry state of Montserrat tax affairs. It is therefore imperative that the issues of non-payment of tax on income and tax arrears be addressed; but they can only be properly addressed if the political players understand the relationship between Governments revenue and the population.

That is, to know and understand who pays taxes on consumption, who pays taxes on earned income and wealth or who buys goods and services that Government provides.

This is just a mouthful to chew on.

In future issues of the Reporter I intend to present more sophisticated articles on taxation.

In the meantime however, consider the following:

Should Government abolish taxes on income?

Should Government abolish taxes (Customs duty) on consumption?

Should Government increase the cost of its goods and services?

And lastly should we have a forgiveness or amnesty for those owing tax arrears?

No marriage is perfect or without conflict. And most marriages go through similar phases — each with the potential to push you apart or pull you closer together.

Here are four common stages along with their pitfalls and opportunities, as well as techniques to survive them.

Even for couples who lived together before exchanging their vows, most marriages begin with a period of excitement. Negative feelings are swept aside by the optimism of both partners as they begin to share a future.

"Nature takes over in ways that encourage mating to occur ... love is blinder than it will ever be again," says Maggie Scarf, author of Intimate Partners: Patterns in Love and Marriage.

These positive feelings help a couple face the often daunting issues of the first year. Money — who handles it and how it's allocated — is a key issue for many couples. Time apart vs. time together, division of household responsibilities, even who controls the television remote, are among the issues couples must begin to hammer out.

This is complicated by the fact that almost everyone enters marriage with pre-set ideas of what a marriage relationship should be, and often unconsciously tries to recreate his or her parents' marriage.

Danger: Ideas of what a marriage should be get in the way of true intimacy, forcing you to re-enact roles instead of relating honestly to each other.

Opportunity: Acknowledge and let go of your learned ideas of what a marriage should be. Face down your preconceived notions of marriage and you can decide what really works for you.

The early years of marriage can put both parties to the test. What simultaneously ambushes us and gives us opportunities to reach a new level of commitment is when we have expectations we're not even aware of.

"We believe our partner is going to heal all the losses and disappointments of the past," says Elizabeth Flynn Campbell, a New York psychotherapist. When that doesn't happen — because it can't happen, the past is past — we may feel let down.

"The struggle to get him to conform to that desperately cherished fantasy may be initiated at this point — and lead to a battle without ending, for he wants to be accepted as the person he is," says Scarf. Letting go of that ideal and accepting the person you married is essential to a healthy marriage.

Danger: Locking into a bickering, critical relationship; holding your partner responsible for your needs.

Opportunity: By taking responsibility for your own needs and desires and trying to realize them through your own efforts instead of projecting them onto your spouse, you'll have more chance of getting what you want and avoiding the resentment that goes with unrealistic demands.

"To go from being a person to being a mother is the major psychological shift for a woman," says psychologist Judith Sills. "And to go from being a couple to being a family is also big." With the arrival of a child, the possibilities for conflict increase. "Your needs zoom, so the chances for disappointment are great," she notes.

The changes and adjustments that come with a baby can be overwhelming. In addition to the time-consuming demands of changing diapers and feeding, questions of who should shoulder which responsibilities, parenting styles, not to mention the issue of making room in the relationship for this seemingly all-consuming new priority, can all become battlegrounds.

Becoming parents triggers new sets of unconscious expectations, both about child-rearing and about yourselves. Unless both partners try consciously to create their own parenting style, there is a tendency to re-enact the same roles as their parents. Most men don't have fathers who cared for them when they were babies, and it's often easier to fall into the role of "workaholic" while the mother assumes the "nurturing" role.

The child may also become an unwitting partner in an emotional triangle as resentments and unresolved problems slink out in strange forms. "Our son is constantly getting into trouble; I'm sure that's because it's the only time his father really pays attention to him."

Danger: Pre-programmed ideas of parenting roles interfere with forging a marriage and family style that works.

Opportunity: Create a family that encourages all members to grow as individuals in a supportive setting. Agree on family rules and consider having a weekly family meeting to discuss problems.

Children heading off to college, a woman's return to the workforce, retirement ... even happy changes can shake up the equilibrium of a marriage.

Probably the toughest changes to assimilate in traditional marriages (male as breadwinner; woman as homemaker), are when the roles shift. When a woman goes back to work after being a homemaker (especially if she becomes very successful), or a husband loses his job or retires, the couple has to readjust their expectations of each other.

"Zack's heart attack meant it was time for him to retire. With our kids out of the house, I had decided to return to work, which provides us with affordable health insurance," says Ellie. "I'm loving it ... I've been promoted twice and am feeling great about myself ... Zack had a really hard time at first, and he keeps joking that he's a kept man. I think he's starting to understand that I still need him, even if I don't need his earnings!"

It's not always so easy to accept shifts in the status quo. "It can be a howl of outrage from one partner when the other changes the fundamental agreement," notes psychologist Judith Sills. This is especially true if the change is voluntary.

Caroline and Ernie both had jobs that paid well. "Based on our two incomes, we'd formed this shared idea about ... the future," says Caroline. "But since my daughter was born, I've had a change of heart. I don't want to return to my job after my maternity leave; I want ... work that will allow me to spend more time being a mother." Her husband balked at making that financial sacrifice, and they are struggling to find a solution that suits them both. "Working through this conflict will take them to a new place," says psychotherapist Elizabeth Flynn Campbell. "How she feels about her marriage will evolve out of that process."

At the other end of the life cycle are couples whose children are leaving the nest. "This can be a most rewarding phase for spouses if they have mastered the developmental tasks posed at previous stages of their relationship," says author Scarf. "But without the distraction of the children, they may be forced to confront themselves and their own relationship."

Danger: Faced with stress and change, couples often withdraw from one another or blame each other for their own dissatisfaction.

Opportunity: Change can stir a relationship into a new phase of intimacy as well as free each individual to develop in new ways: A traditional breadwinner who retires may be able to be closer to the grandchildren; a homemaker who returns to the workforce may enjoy achieving in a new arena.

Jus wonderin who the german operator is answering long distance calls to Montserrat.

Jus wonderin who is in charge of this driving range down at the golf course ruins.

Jus wonderin why every body else could bring things out of the exclusion zone and government cannot.

Jus wonderin if they had gone in before and secretly brought things out.

Jus wonderin how the festival investigation got started.

Jus wonderin if the starter was trying to win the race for protection and preservation.

Jus wonderin if it is because some of thwarted the British plan to evacuate the whole of Montserrat why DFID want government to increase taxes on people.

Jus wonderin who the woman was from the USA who wanted to take government ministers to fly her up to the volcano so she could throw oil in it to stop it.

Jus wonderin who that self-proclaimed billionaire was who wanted us to give him land for a hotel so he could in turn build an airport.

Jus wonderin if there are any serious shortcomings with senior medical personnel at the Hospital that need attention.

Jus wonderin when the housing program going to start up again.

Jus wonderin why there was no send off party and ceremony for the last DFID boss .

Jus wonderin how much longer it will be before the convoys into Plymouth cease.

Jus wonderin how much difference it would have made if they had taken the advice and built storage in the north before mid 1997.

Jus wonderin who really sparked off the investigation.

The writer of the article entitled "Schools Unite in Arts and Culture" would like to apologize for incorrect information given regarding the poem, "On the Threshold of the New Millennium." The poem was in fact written in a joint effort by the Language and Cultural Heritage Group, who also performed it.