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Brandt Supports Inquest Findings, However Clare Short Feels About It

By Bennette Roach

The Government of Montserrat (GOM) has come out and publicly supported the jury in its findings from the inquest into the deaths of 19 people from pyroclastic flows emanating from the Soufriere Hills furious volcano.

A British parliamentary Select Committee earlier tore into its government and published a damning report on the handling of the volcano crisis on Montserrat, describing conditions in during the crisis as "degrading," and even to this day their officials are still describing situations as "appalling."

Back in November 1997, the committee said: "We are appalled that vulnerable persons should be found in such poor and degrading conditions over two years after volcanic activity began.

"We recommend that there be provision by HMG (the British government) of resources which can be immediately used to upgrade the standard of the temporary hospital’s care and environment."

Last week the Coroner, Mr. Rhys Burriss and his jury issued a report which again blamed both governments, this time for the deaths of most of the 19 people who perished on June 25, 1997.

The British Government (BG) somewhat surprisingly immediately condemned the ruling of the Coroner’s jury in the matter. George Foulkes, Undersecretary for the Rt. Hon. Miss Clare Short’s ministry, visiting Montserrat for a second time, reportedly expressed grave dissatisfaction to Mr. Rhys Burriss, the Coroner, in person.

Mr. Burriss who had planned his vacation at the end of his one-year contract as Magistrate/Coroner, left island the following day after meeting with Mr. Foulkes, amidst rumours that he had been sacked.

On the rumours the honourable Attorney General Mr. Charles Ekins confirmed that Mr. Burris travelled on leave due him at the end of his contract, but confirmed also that post had been advertised since local government was bent on filling the post with regional personel.

Yesterday, Mr. Brandt, confirming the Attorney General’s information, reacted to questions about the BG’s reaction and the jury’s findings, which cited the GOM as partly responsible.

Mr. Brandt said his government respects the Coroner’s and the jury’s findings. "At this point I cannot see any reason to oppose the findings of the Coroner and the Jury. Personally, when I was in opposition, I warned that these things would probably happen if prompt action was not taken to find alternative housing and farmlands for the people," he said.

He continued: "It is a lesson from which we should learn that the housing situation must be dealt with quickly and appropriately."

Apparently not too many people attended the Inquest at which about 52 persons gave testimony. These included former Governor Savage

Meanwhile the Chief Minister would not confirm that he received information reaching us that Secretary of State Clare Short has expressed anger at his statement during the signing of the Country (CPP) last week Wednesday morning. He had said: "The Government of Montserrat does not accept that the £75 million is adequate to meet the reasonable needs of Montserrat over the next three years."

Mr. Brandt had gone on to quote from the Coroner’s Inquest report on the housing problem which showed that for up to six years the majority of Montserratians "will not be able to have access to homes."

"I find this indefensible," he continued, urging Mr. Foulkes to convince his colleagues "that £25 million additional be ‘ring fenced’ for the housing and resettlement" of Montserratians in Montserrat.

However, without admitting to hearing about the right honourable lady’s anger and suggestions that he should change his position, Mr. Brandt said that whether that was so or not, it would not change his position, which he knows is very well and widely supported by Montserratians. "I cannot go against the obvious and the way the people feel." Many have supported the views but felt that the position should have been stressed earlier.

It is further believed that it was this position that prompted the honourable Minister of Housing, Mr. P. Austin Bramble to answer questions in a program of ZJB Radio where he attempted to explain the housing situation on Montserrat in crisis.

The inquest, at which Senior Magistrate Rhys Burriss presided as Coroner, spanned nearly two months. It began Nov. 4, 1998, and ended with the issuance of the jurors’ conclusions on Dec. 31.

The five jurors found that all 19 died shortly after 1 p.m. on that day from "neurogenic shock resulting from total body burns" suffered "in the sudden surge / eruption of pyroclastic flow from which (they) could not escape."

All were in the Exclusion Zone, the jurors acknowledged, "despite the widespread knowledge that it was unsafe." Their conclusions did not end there, however. In the case of the farmers, the jurors observed that their presence was "against the background that farmers were informally designated as ‘essential workers’ and allowed into the Exclusion Zone from time to time."

The jury pointed to a number of contributory causes and issued a separate critical statement of riders on Public Shelters and Mass Information. (See Jury’s Riders and Coroner’s Statement)

In the case of the farmers and farm workers, the jury said, that contributory cause "was the failure of the authorities, both local and British, to provide alternative lands in the safe area for farmers displaced from the Exclusion Zone."

The jury said of one farmer who had returned to live in the Exclusion Zone, "The conditions in the public shelters were so deplorable that (he) refused to return to them after his initial experience."

In the deaths of the mother and her infant son, the jury concluded, "The evidence satisfies us that there was no physical barrier between the airport road and the road leading to Farms to discourage entry into the Farms area."

Richie Robertson: "I mean I think we prefer to have the gas because we know we have magma down there still."

The Soufriere Hills volcano is very often referred to as being "in repose," but scientists continue to warn and remind that the volcano is still active.

Head scientist Richie Robertson accompanied me on a long-overdue helicopter fly-over to view the volcano and its resulting ravages in the south of the island. As we approached the dome, he pointed at the volcano where the main venting and explosions have been occurring over the past few days, having explained earlier:

"The last time it did it was last year sometime, and the ratio of sulfur dioxide to the other gasses was sort of suggesting that you were kind of getting into the scenario that you have at other volcanoes, when there is not much happening. For the last two or three days we haven’t had any sulfur dioxide measurement; we actually did measurements but we weren’t getting any gas."

He further explained that the fact that there seems to be no gas coming out of the vents "could be worrying and it could be good."

The scientist referred to an instrument soon to be re-installed which measures the combination of gasses other than sulfur dioxide, gauging the ratio of gasses in the volcano, which is good because it shows us about the gasses. "What might be happening, is that the gas is holding to the ground," Mr. Robertson said, pointing out that measurements were done from the helicopter and sometimes from the police boat, which unfortunately now cannot be done, because the police launch is unavailable.

"We have not been able to sample it, but if you noticed again, in terms of activity we had some activity last week, there were these explosions."

Mr. Robertson explained, as he tried to simplify the observation, "There is sort of a white spectrum from the ash venting, things that you could probably call full-fledged explosions. They were closer to the end of what you would call an explosion, in the sense that they had a definite start, a definite bang to the initiation," then adding to my question, "but they weren’t rockfalls."

No signs of venting could mean that the volcano has subsided in activity all together, the good news; or that it is underneath, searching for a way to escape, the bad news, because that can cause serious explosions.

As we flew closer to the dome, we saw clearly much venting of steam coming out from the valley, which, Richardson said, was created since last year.

I saw how the ghauts, Tuitts, Mosquito, etc. were being excavated again by the water that flows down from the dome,making gouges in the ghauts once again as the loose material is washed down to the sea through Farms, Bethel, Tuitts, Trants and across the runway at W.H. Bramble Airport

Flying over the western coastline, we looked at Plymouth, slowly as relatively it is being buried in mud. What the ash did not bury is now being buried as much more material from higher up is brought down by the rain. Add to that more ash when these ‘so-called explosions’ take place.

View of Plymouth on 21/01/99

St. Patrick’s must no doubt look like a desert when it is dry. With barely any sign of buildings and only the age-old sugar-mills standing, there is absolutely no sign of any shruberry or greenery whatever from the southern tip of the island all the way into Kinsale.

All around the volcano, areas not impacted by its fury, look as green as the emerald Montserrat can ever look. With the volcano is less active, the entire area seems to be waiting, innocently and serenely, as though inviting re-occupation.

It is Much Too Late for HMG’s Plea, ‘We Could do Nothing’

It is very difficult to understand why Her Majesty’s Government (HMG) would show any resentment to findings that they should share blame and responsibility for anything that has gone wrong in our volcanic crisis, which began on July 18, 1995.

Last week, during his visit to Montserrat to sign the Country Policy Plan (CPP) laying out how and for what the £75 million allocated will be spent over the next three years, the honourable George Foulkes still referred to the shelters as appalling. He found, however, that things had improved, but could not say yet that they were satisfactory as far as housing and shelters were concerned. He also absolved both his government and ours from responsibility, saying that the problems were beyond their control and that the money has been allocated to alleviate the housing problems.

Chief Minister David Brandt replied by protesting that the money was insufficient and asked for a special amount of £25 million additional to ensure that the problem is resolved.

His housing minister, Mr. Austin Bramble, went on Radio Montserrat to explain the problems, continually pointing to the British for not meeting head-on with them the problems of acquiring the houses and, in particular, the purchasing of lands.

It was not surprising to hear very ordinary people telling the minister that they are prepared to pay for their own house, some at one time and others by installments, rather than endure the shacks and traps being provided with British funds. What was it that kept HMG from approving the soft mortgage scheme before the newfound excuse of the lack of audited statements? It was George Foulkes who took back the proposal to Britain after his first visit for this scheme. Even before that it was made clear that those who could would be willing to have their own homes.

It is this very land and housing problem for which the Coroner and jury faulted HMG at the end of the Inquest into the June 25, 1997 deaths in the South-East. One cannot help wondering what a difference it would have made if HMG (first the Conservative and then the present government) had responded sooner to the requests for the money to purchase lands to provide proper shelters and housing. Undoubtedly the lands would then have been cheaper.

The majority of Montserratians had believed the scientists who said the north would be safe, but when the crunch came and they told the people of Salem to leave, there was no housing and most left for that reason.

Mr. Bertrand Osborne, in his testimony before the Inquest, conceded that he couldn’t understand why the British did not respond to the housing problems sooner and why, when they did, it was only on a crawl. He admitted, on the question of acquiring lands during his time as Chief Minister, that it did not occur to him to do that.

Governor Savage said in his testimony at the Inquest and , that his government’s response was "a little, too late."

Then there was the letter from the scientists to the crisis managers, headed by the Governor, which said that as scientific advisors to the civilian authorities, they are not content to contribute to any radio or media discussion of the issues relating to the exposure of Bramble Airport and its environs without the involvement of an appropriate representative of the government.

The truth of the matter is that the evidence before this jury was overwhelming.

The British Parliament All Party Select Committee looking into the Montserrat Crisis blasted HMG for its lethargic approach in dealing with the crisis and specifically on the housing and shelter matter. It referred to: "…the mismanagement and confusion which have been evident throughout the crisis."

No fuss was made but the same committee observed that a less than friendly relationship, evidenced by the testimony before them, existed between both HMG and GOM.

The local politicians had their own comments. Opposition politician the Hon. Brunel Meade said that the housing problem has been the greatest "fiasco" since the present volcanic crisis. "There has been too much frustration, confusion, red tape and lack of transparency surrounding the government housing program," Meade remarked.

Every single parliamentarian, dignitary, visitor or official -- whether British, Caribbean or otherwise -- has expressed pity and shock at the conditions of the housing and shelter situation in Montserrat, even now.

It may well be said that for a long time our own government never capitalised on the fact that "a country in crisis, what ever it does, must act responsibly, but it must take extraordinary action to be effective."

In one of first statements to The Reporter, immediately after he arrived in Montserrat, Governor Abbott said that it would require "extraordinary action to get Montserrat moving forward again."

In six months it will be four years since this crisis began. Who would not believe that we are not asking for shelter and housing for not even 1,500 persons, but 1.5 million?

How then could the British object, particularly now, to any accusations of sloppiness in their handling of this crisis?

Now Even Shelters Differ In the Hope for Housing

Dear Mr Editor,

It is not often that I agree with the comments of Mr.Bramble, Labour Speaks, but this morning I had to agree almost totally with the comments made by him.

I am a displaced person whose home has been totally, 100 percent destroyed. I come from an area that was one of the first to be evacuated. I did not relocate immediately I was told to because I did not have a place to go to other than into the shelters. I am now living in a private shelter of one room with a leaking roof. Because I chose to seek a better shelter than that which was provided by our government, I feel that I am being victimised. Because I do not live in a shelter I have to wait and wait for a house. Even though our honourable Chief Minister publicly broadcast that those that were relocated first would be housed first. Not so! It would seem that it would be very helpful to know the right people to get a house.

I have been in constant contact with the Minister of Housing and his subordinates. No one can tell me if and when I can expect to be rehoused.

No one can tell me how long I have to be looking into boxes and bags to find my belongings. No one is saying why the 'immediate' housing program is now just another housing development. Why do we still not have an emergency situation with regards to housing? Will the Montserratians that are going to be paid to return have homes to go to or will they go on the housing list as well? When will the "soft loan" scheme actually happen?

Why will some people get free houses and others will have to pay?

It is true that those who left Montserrat for reasons of their own have fared better financially, physically and maybe even mentally, than those that stayed and worked to keep Montserrat alive. The latest response to me from the Minister of Housing's office was to direct me to rent a house for EC$2,000 a month! What are they thinking of! How many people can afford to rent a house for that much money and pay utilities and put food on the table?

DfID and the Government of Montserrat are totally to blame for the mess we area in.

A one-time homeowner

A Viable Population Needs More Aid for More Housing

By Kenneth A Cassell

Housing is the single most critical factor influencing the recovery effort in Montserrat. Every effort must be made, and made now, to facilitate the urgent construction of housing to accommodate the vast majority of the population who have either lost their homes or are unable to re-occupy their houses.

One most recognise the existing programmes designed to alleviate the problem -- the direct-built houses at Davy Hill and Look Out, the self-built houses by individuals who own or who have access to land, and the soon-to-materialise soft mortgage scheme on which so many are anxiously waiting.

Everyone concerned seems to have appreciated the fact that the housing needs are critical and urgent. People need to come out of the shelters. People need to relieve friends and neighbours of the inconvenience caused by doubling up in their homes. Evacuees need to be encouraged back to assist and participate in the development effort. Evacuees in the United Kingdom and the Caribbean who wish to come back home for whatever reasons, need housing, since the lack of it was the reason in many cases for their leaving.

So what are the reasons why adequate accommodation is not now available for those who need it? One major reason is that the Montserrat Government (GOM) does not have the resources it needs to implement the programme it considers necessary to satisfy the housing needs. The Government is almost totally dependent on the British Government (BG) to supply the funds. Government is also dependent on the BG to provide funds for the purchase of land and the installation of the services on the lands purchased.

All our development needs are articulated in the Country Policy Plan, at least those needs which are being addressed in the next three years. The fact is that the £75 million is not adequate to satisfy the perceived needs.

The fact that the money provided by the BG is not enough is well known to all. The Government knows it, the Governor knows it, the BG knows it and the people of Montserrat know it. Presumably this was recognised at the recent signing of the Country Policy Plan (CPP) by Chief Minister Brandt and British Minister George Foulkes. The following excerpt from the just signed CPP speaks to that point:

"HMG will assist the Government of Montserrat seek and obtain additional funding from multinational donors for further development activity in key areas, e.g. housing."

So what now is the position and what action is required by whom? The GOM needs to formalise all project applications for housing and serviced lots immediately and seek urgent approval from the funds available. The Bank of Montserrat needs to get its audited statements from its accountants in St. Kitts or sack them and appoint other auditors as a matter of urgency. This will enable the soft mortgage scheme on which so many are waiting to begin.

The GOM, the Governor, the Chamber of Commerce and all other concerned parties and individuals must now work together to articulate and disseminate the housing needs of Montserrat with a view to accessing additional funding from the BG and other aid donors.

Montserrat’s future is largely dependent on our having a viable population. A viable population is only possible in there is housing to accommodate them. An adequate level of housing is directly correlated to having access to sufficient funds.

For sufficient funds to be available, the understanding and co-operation of BG officials is necessary. They must be willing to commit funds from their sources and to assist the GoM to access funds from other donor and agencies. But the thrust must come from Montserrat.

Both the Government and the Governor are key players in this effort and must present a forceful, focused and determined posture in this critical issue. They must articulate our needs and together strive tirelessly to achieve our objectives.

Friendship with God

Friends reasonably have expectations of one another. Haven’t you experienced this in your own friendships? Don’t you expect your friends to be faithful to the relationships you have built together? And your friends would expect the same from you. Without mutual responsibilities grounded in love, there would be no fertile soil in which friendships could grow and bloom. And so it is with our relationship with God.

Jesus tells us throughout the Gospel that divine fidelity always touches our lives. God gives us our very breath, but his life-giving fidelity calls for a response. When we respond following Jesus in our daily lives, we can say that we have done no more than what was right for us to do. And in doing what God expects of us, we come to know the peace of Christ.

May God thank you for the gift of peace that grows from doing your will. 

Salvation Army Team To Visit Island Again

A group of twenty (20) members of the Salvation Army of Antigua, under the leadership of Captain Violet Doliber, will be on island for several hours on Saturday, January 23rd.

They will be guests of the Montserrat Red Cross First Aiders, according to Mrs. Camilla A Watts , Red Cross director.

The group, which made a similar visit last year, should arrive on the morning ferry and return to Antigua on the afternoon ferry.

They plan to visit the Homes of Golden Years, Hill View and Margetson and the Shelters, and have Devotional Service and give out gift bags and chat with residents. They also hope to view some of the areas damaged by the volcano.

Myron Riley on Senior Squad Of Britain’s Peugeot Bullets

Myron Riley, 6’5"-21yr-old son of Daphne and Clifton Riley of St. Patrick’s, is one of three who was promoted to senior squad player for the Bullets late last year, stepping up from the league-winning A-team to the Senior team.

He completed his GNVQ in media studies last June at North Birmingham College, then took the position of Program assistant providing support to his playing hero Tony Simms.

A Montserratian, he lived in Canada before moving to England. Myron will not let success go to his head, he still holds his junior coach Dave Lycett as the biggest influence in his basketball career.

Myron who was featured in the Evening Mail special publication in September last year said "if I wasn’t a basketball player, I’d like to be… the owner of a basketball team or an engineer like my Dad!"

A Montserrat Daughter Teaches, Performs Abroad

Montserrat’s own Yvonne Weekes, who is now in Barbados, is actively pursuing her career as a performing artist and educator. The latest project that she has become involved in is the stage production, "Stella and the Devil’s Kiss," a musical comedy/drama about drug use and the influence teachers have on their students.

Ms. Weekes, who has a master’s degree, has such other accomplishments as a performance with poet Mutabaruka and publication of poems along with Alice Walker. During the 1980’s she did a one-woman show called "Reflections," which was sponsored by the Greater London Arts Council, and acted in the play "Amazulu."

As reported in the Sun Shine newspaper of Barbados, after leaving Montserrat during the current volcanic crisis Ms. Weekes has been a theater arts lecturer at Barbados Community College. Ms. Weekes feels that she is a teacher first but loves her role as a performer. She said she feels that it is fantastic when one of her students becomes a better performer than she is. She also taught drama at a secondary school in London for six years.

As quoted in the Sun Shine, she tells her students, "I think it is important to continually search to embrace criticisms. Above all you need to have a sense of humility. You need to have the ability to look at your work . . . and know when it is good, and admit when it is not up to scratch."

She told the Sun Shine that her best theatrical performances are those which she created herself. "That’s the kind of theatre I prefer," she said. "My best work has been that which I wrote, shaped and structured myself."

Also in Barbados, she directed the BBC production "A Hero’s Welcome," and at a CXC 25^th anniversary show she performed the poem "She Self," which spoke of the volcano. She also conducted two workshops for the National Cultural Foundation

Ms. Weekes has dreams of starting her own production company and feels the Caribbean needs more creative people and fewer critical ones.

Montserrat Man Runs In New York Marathon

Peter Ryan of Montserrat, who now lives in Bedford Hills, New York, was the only Montserration in the recent New York City Marathon on November 1, 1998, a race that had 30,000 participants. He has represented Montserrat in many races throughout the Caribbean.

Mr. Ryan entered the race with two of his colleagues from Bedford Stone & Masonry Supply Inc. The race proved to be very challenging. Half way through the 26-mile race, his speed was slowed by muscle cramps. His goal had been to finish the race in 2 ½ hours, but he finished it in 3:45:12, which is still very respectable in a race where just finishing is a feat.

He swore he would never forget the experience. The participation of the crowds watching the race impressed him, as he told The Rockford Review: "The kids would reach out and ask you to touch their arm. It was so much fun. I’ve never experienced anything like that."

Ryan plans to run in next year’s Marathon, and maybe the Boston Marathon as well.

Many Happy Returns II A St. Patrick’s Day Entry

The long-anticipated Many Happy Returns Concert II is scheduled for Friday, March 19, on the Gerald's Park stage, a highlight of the week-long St. Patrick's Day festivities sponsored by the Montserrat Tourist Board.

Though the full program lineup is not yet established, already committed to participate are ARROW – with his full Multi-Force Band if travel plans work out -- the London Community Gospel Choir, 15 to 20 strong, plus CRISIS, SILICOSIS, MUSCOVADA, Cepeke, Cupid and Hero.

An Irish Dance troupe is expected to appear, and other possibilities include an Antiguan band, a return of the Golden Elephants, and perhaps Eloise Lynch. These and other possibilities will be confirmed as commitments are assured.
The concert will be a scaled down version of what was anticipated last September. A smaller number of key travel journalists will be attending than was anticipated then, but they will stay on island longer.

Housing accommodations must be found for the journalists and at least 30 musicians and support personnel. Anyone capable and willing to offer such housing is asked to get in touch with the Tourist Board.
Plans to move the heliport require that the stage be moved about 50 yards south, which will preserve the amphitheater setting in an area slightly closer to the hospital.
In addition to the Montserrat event, a show is planned for Antigua, either on March 20 or 21.
This show, like that planned for September, will be supported by Virgin Atlantic Airways and other international sponsors, including Guinness. Local sponsors include Brown and Root, Force 10, Cable and Wireless, MONLEC, and NAGICO, as well as Government of Montserrat, the Montserrat Tourist Board, and His Excellency, Governor Anthony Abbott.

Gibson Musical Instruments also is expected to renew their commitment for support through a donation of musical instruments for the schools and initiation of a music education trust.

Salem Shelteree Protests Housing Allotment Switch

A woman called The Montserrat Reporter from the Salem shelter campus with her reaction to the information she heard on Tuesday night’s call in program about housing on Radio Montserrat.

She complained that what she had heard of the Honourable Minister P. Austin Bramble’s responses were disheartening. She understood Mr. Bramble to have intended that the new homes being built at Look Out would be given to people who were from Eastern and Southern villages.

Her feeling was that if people from those areas had been given the government offered package of $10,000 to relocate, and then returned, that they should not be given housing priority over those who have remained in shelters since the beginning of the crisis. She felt that basing people’s housing priority needs based on where they were from was unfair.

Furthermore, she reports that at a meeting with the Governor, the people at the Salem shelter campus were promised housing in the Look Out homes. She told us that the Governor told them they would be moved from the shelters by the end of last year; then at a later meeting, April of this year was targeted as the new goal. It was her feeling that whenever goals were not met or pushed back, it caused people to lose hope that they would ever reach a better situation.

It protested that it is difficult to live somewhere that allows you have no privacy and constantly subjects you to the lifestyles of those around you, especially when you find them objectionable.

Regional Officials Consult DFID on Aiding Evacuees

Representatives from non-government regional organizations were on island this week to speak with the Department for International Development (DFID).

The officials, from several Eastern Caribbean Countries, discussed the Targeted Assistance for Montserratian Evacuees in the Caribbean (TAMEC) program. TAMEC is funded by DFID and executed by the Caribbean Conference of Churches.

The acting General Secretary for the CCC, Gerard Grenado, says TAMEC is designed to assist Montserratians who have evacuated to the Caribbean islands and are in need.

Woodlands Area Water Improvements Approved

Mrs. Margaret Dyer-Howe has asserted that the go ahead has been given for the start of the construction of a new pumping station and water tank in the Woodlands area by the Northern Rehabilitation Project.

Mrs. Dyer Howe says the tank will have the capacity to store 200,000 gallons of water.

This is phase one of the project. Phase two, which includes improvements to springs and distribution, has yet to be approved.

Completion of the Northern Water Rehabilitation Project is expected to ensure a more reliable water supply to the north. It will replace the small pipes, which are now in use, with six-inch pipes. There are also plans to build more water tanks.

Brunel Meade Addresses Vulnerability of Small States

Parliamentary Representative for Plymouth Brunel Meade has written a paper on the Vulnerability of Small Island States.

Using Montserrat as a case study, the paper was prepared for the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER’s) 35th Anniversary Conference on Eastern Caribbean Regionalism into the 21st Century.

In identifying the environment framework, the paper highlights the regional and international issues such as environmental issues facing the OECS, and in particular, the Montserrat volcano-ravaged economy.

The paper outlines strategies that would improve the regional competitiveness and reduce its vulnerability. A case reference of the Montserrat small state model and destructive impact of the volcanic crisis since 1995 were also presented.

Mr. Meade, who attended the ISER conference in Barbados, explored the Montserrat redevelopment strategy within the context of an integrative approach to strategic crisis management.

He also pointed out that the challenges of recovery and development planning of a viable Montserrat society must be built on a wealth creation approach and model of best practices.

The paper concluded by looking at the sustainable development strategy of Montserrat within the family of OECS regional co-operation.

Mr. Meade said the case study of Montserrat’s volcanic crisis has exposed the severity of the vulnerability of small island states.

He says, however, the OECS can take a positive posture by assisting Montserrat’s recovery and development. 

REGIONAL NEWS

Grenada’s PM Mitchell Sweeps Party to Victory

Grenada (AP) -- Promising a "more understanding" second term and facing the task of choosing a new Cabinet, Grenada's Prime Minister Keith Mitchell took the oath of office again Wednesday.

Mitchell is only the second prime minister in Grenada's history to be re-elected, and his New National Party's 15-0 sweep in Monday's parliamentary elections is a first for the Caribbean country.

During a brief ceremony in St. George's, he said the overwhelming win meant more responsibility for his government.

"I realize that the more power you have, the more understanding you have to display," he said. "Otherwise you can have power and in six months the same people who voted for you and were jumping in the streets may indeed be ready to remove us from office."

During his last term, some of Mitchell's own ministers called him authoritarian and criticized him for downplaying complaints about improper bid procedures and alleged corruption in public works projects. Clashes within the Cabinet triggered the collapse of his government in November.

Mitchell's was congratulated Wednesday by George Brizan, a leader in the opposition National Democratic Congress, and by rival Francis Alexis, a former attorney general.

National Democratic Congress chief Joan Purcell withheld congratulations and blamed her party's loss on outspending by the ruling party.

"The electoral process has changed in this country forever," she said. "It must be based on big money."

The prime minister now faces the tricky task of choosing a Cabinet from his party's winners. He has already warned supporters that their district's lawmakers may not be included.

Grenadian law also allows him to give a few seats to the opposition, but Mitchell has given no hints that he may do so.

Mitchell was forced to call elections because of defections within his party, and New National Party insiders say he wants to discourage dissent during the next term.

Barbados Ruling Party Wins Landslide Victory

Barbados, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur was returned to office in one of the biggest landslides in the history of the prosperous eastern Caribbean island nation, election officials said on Thursday.

Riding five years of economic growth, Arthur's Barbados Labour Party (BLP) captured 26 of 28 seats in the country's parliament in voting on Wednesday.

Arthur, a 49-year-old economist whose party held 19 seats in the last parliament to eight for the rival Democratic Labour Party, said the victory was an "awesome" responsibility for his government.

"To whom much is given much is expected," he said in a report by the Caribbean News Agency.

Former Finance Minister David Thompson, a 37-year-old lawyer who leads the DLP, said his party was not "politically dead," in spite of the defeat.

The United States Embassy in Barbados issued a press release on Tuesday from the United States Government urging all U.S. citizens travelling or residing abroad to review their security practices, and exercise much greater caution than usual.

This comes as a result of mounting tension in the Gulf because of U.S air strikes against Iraq.

Americans visiting or living abroad should maintain a high level of vigilance and take steps to insure personal security.

It is advised that American citizens should keep a low profile. Varying their daily routines, i.e. routes and times of comings and goings, is recommended. Also any mail from an unknown or unfamiliar source should be considered suspicious.

There are, at present time, a few Americans residing on Montserrat, and most of them feel secure in their safety here.

ECCB GOVERNOR MAKES CASE FOR SMALL STATES

Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Mr K Dwight Venner is appealingto the international community to set up a new international goverance system to prevent major crises and to develop viable strategies to address problems of the disadvantaged states of this world.

Governor Venner was speaking at he opening ceremony for the ECCB/IMF seminar on General Data Dissemination Standards (GDDS) at the Ocean Terrace Inn, Basseterre today (January 18, 1999). He pointed out that the removal of the ideological competition of the cold war era has given rise to intense economic competition between regions, countries and firms for market share. Today, what exists the concept of the level playing field in which all countries, irrespective of size or availability of resources, compete on equal terms. By comparing the United States of America with St.Kitts and Nevis the problem is highlighted, one being large and well endowed and the other small in size and population.

"By no stretch of the imagination would the average person or the knowledgeable economist, for that matter, presume that these entities could compete on equal terms.

However, given a new and different ideological stance which extols uncritically the virtues of market capitalism, common sense is being set aside for a new talisman, the beneficent market." he added.

West Indies’ Rout Spurs Shouts for Lara’s Head

LONDON, (Reuters) – Harshly critical articles in the press among seem to point to the same thing -- it is time for Brian Lara to go!!!

Lara, captain of the first West Indies side to lose a Test series 5-0, endured an early wave of criticism yesterday after his team's tame capitulation to South Africa.

West Indies, undefeated in a series between 1980 and 1995, lost the final Test by 351 runs on Monday to a more disciplined South African team.

Former South African all-rounder Eddie Barlow called on Lara to quit before the daunting home series against Australia starting in March.

"The player who believes he should be captain invariably fails," Barlow wrote in a newspaper column.

"I put Lara in this category. His performances since grabbing the captaincy have been poor ... my advice to Lara would be to relinquish the captaincy and return to being the world's best batsman."

A scathing editorial in the Barbados Advocate traced the tour's unhappy fate to a players' strike at a hotel near London's Heathrow Airport which delayed the historic first visit by a West Indies team to the republic.

The editorial accused the West Indies of having "washed their dirty linen across the Atlantic Ocean" and holding the West Indies Cricket Board to ransom.

"They have now put their value to current and potential sponsors at risk. This, contrary to some of the idealistic utterances circulating among the innocent, is critical to the board's ability to meet even the most basic payroll obligations.

"Lara's chief collaborator in confrontation with the board is Carl Hooper, a player so stingy in demonstrating his widely acknowledged talent that it would not be unreasonable to demand a refund of some portion of his match fees.

"For all his enormous gifts as a batsman, Lara has been spoiled rotten by an adoring public and by compatriots who precipitately conferred on him honorary royal status (prince, they call him) with bounty to suit."

Lara said he had no intention of resigning.

"I'm a learning captain," he said. "It is not a case of wanting to captain the West Indies, it is a duty and an honour."

Lara conceded on Monday that rumours of rifts in the side were true.

"The unity needs to be much better," Lara said.

"As a team I would prefer to have the guys tight together off the field and things would then work much better on it.

"You have got to remember that we are all from different islands and we all have slightly different backgrounds."

Lara openly lobbied for the job of West Indies' skipper and, after succeeding Jamaican fast bowler Courtney Walsh, made a promising enough start with a series win over England last year.

South Africa at home were a different matter.

"The figures suggested that the West Indies had two dangerous bowlers in Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh," said South African captain Hansie Cronje. "So it was important that they didn't cause too much damage to our batting."

Ambrose and Walsh, now in the twilight of their careers, performed heroically, but the back-up bowling was thin and the batting woeful, with Lara himself reduced to playing cameos which briefly dazzled but had no lasting effect.

One player who did enhance his reputation was Ridley Jacobs, who seized his chance by keeping wicket efficiently and batting defiantly down the order.

"We seemed to have at last found a wicket-keeper who has a level head, can bat and keep wicket well enough to merit a place on the team," said Windward Islands Cricket Board chairman Lennox John.

"But the others have not really come out smelling like roses."

A Safe Bramble We’d Use, But We Need an Airport!

By Man from Baker Hill

If the international airlines authority can guarantee that Bramble Airport is safe for planes to land there, I will have no problems with its re-use.

And if recognised airlines such as LIAT are willing to fly in and out of Bramble Airport, because they consider it safe to do so, I will gladly use their services. But in the meantime I would like to have access to an airstrip that will accommodate airplanes to take passengers in and out of Montserrat safely.

These were the sentiments of a very intelligent Montserratian on the airport issue. He expressed them in my presence sometime in December 1998. I myself share those sentiments on the matter of an airport for Montserrat. And I believe that most Montserratians will agree that this approach is most sensible.

However, if it is recognised that Bramble airport is not safe, then we should pursue another site. And in that case, it would not be the end of Montserrat if we have to displace 200 persons from that site to build a viable airport so that some of the 6,000 displaced Montserratians can return to live on an economically sound and peaceful Montserrat.

Yet in spite of our situation and our sentimental expectations, Thatch Valley airport is not a priority -- or an option to be considered. Matter which should be given greater priority at this time are the availability of lands, cost of land, the glaring non-use of wasteland, and whether private ownership of lands is essential to the future development of Montserrat.

In the same breath, it may be worthwhile also to consider the wild "spread out" of small single units, when multi-unit buildings allow for much more efficient use of scarce lands. In fact, the way we tackle these issues should help us to resolve the housing and shelter problems within the next five years, because, if we continue to skirt the problem of land, people will be in shelters for the next 20 years.

It will be useful for Montserratians to reflect on the waste of good lands at Brades. There was the most suitable location for a commercial and industrial centre. It was ideal for the combination of Government, Commercial and Industrial Business. The Government should have purchased all the lands in that area, when they decided to put the Government Headquarters there. Had they done so, it would have allowed them to control how the area develops, and to control the cost of the land. Instead, opportunistic people have been allowed to buy and sell the lands around the Government Headquarters at prices beyond the means of Montserratians. As a consequence, we lost the opportunity to develop an organised, modern commercial centre.

I hope that we will learn from the bungled experience at Brades. Because, if in the future we are to lock at Thatch Valley for an airport, the Government will know that it must purchase all the lands at Silver Hills, Drummonds, etc. In this way the placement of an airport at Thatch Valley would not cause the land to become beyond the means of Montserratians -- more importantly, the Government will be able to control the development to benefit the economy.

Still on the subject of priority, although private ownership of land has frustrated our efforts to combat and recover from the volcano, our politicians will not consider the matter, even for discussion. But, they will continue to stumble and rumble in the dark, dying stage of our electoral system, trying to win the next election, preaching a "house plot" for everybody in spite of scarce land.

But of course, I begin to bore you. You are correct, this article is not about land use or house plots or commercial centre. It is not about elections either. It is about - Airports - Airplanes and safe use. So I will conclude by admitting that my interest in an airport does not extend beyond getting in and out of Montserrat safely.

If Bramble Airport could be made safe. I will use it. How about you? 

Biotechnology’s Cloning And What it Could Mean

When the world of science first announced that it had found a way of cloning a mammal, it opened a floodgate of controversy. The instant ramifications were enough to send the most seasoned ethics professor into fits.

While many rejoiced at the possibility of cloning hardier and more productive livestock to help combat starvation, many others cringed at the idea of humans being cloned so that organs and tissue could be harvested for medical emergencies. It can seem like something out of a science fiction movie at times.

And who among us would have thought 10 years ago that we would live to see the day when cloning would become a reality? As it stands now we are not prepared to deal with the moral issues surrounding cloning. Many governments around the world have already banned the cloning of human beings. In spite of these efforts there are still some in the field of Biotech who vow to continue their research until they have cloned a human.

Many other research experiments are going on in the field of Biotechnology. As reported by Rita Rousseau in The Rotarian, "Researchers are injecting human genes into the DNA of corn and tobacco plants . . . to produce drugs to fight cancer, osteoporosis, and other diseases. Researchers are also experimenting with genetically engineered pigs to transplant organs into humans . . . . Laboratory studies show that when human bone marrow is injected into pig fetuses, their developing immune system may recognize the human cells as their own."

Obviously it is too soon to make any predictions, but more than likely it will be many years before the world will sort out all the moral issues surrounding the field of Biotechnology.

Don’t Dismay Over Y2K

The Millenium Bug is being touted as the scariest thing this side of a 1950s creature feature. But most small businesses still haven’t done anything to prepare for the predicted catacliysm. While we don’t know what’s going to happen, we can tell you how to prepare yourself. - Kevin Hogan – SMALL BUSINESS COMPUTING

Let the panic begin. There are now ' fewer than 365 days before the moth er of all computer-code errors, also known as the Millennium Bug or Y2K problem, will either: a)cause the end of the world as we know it, b)fizzle into silly, ancient, 20th century lore, or c) create a scenario that falls somewhere between the ex-tremes of a and b.

Most small business owners still don't buy it. An April 1998 survey, forded by Wells Fargo Bank, found that only 23 percent of small businesses had taken any preventative action, even though 82 percent are at risk forY2K-related problems. Nearly 50 percent of those surveyed had no plans to do anything before the turn of the century. William Dennis, chief research fellow for the National Federation of Independent Businesses NFIB) Education Foundation, which conducted the survey, says most people are skeptical of the sky-is-falling predictions. "Most small businesses regardY2Kas little more than a blip, a minor glitch with modest or no consequences for their operations," says Dennis.

Prognosticating on whether this notorious glitch will attack your business or not is a waste of precious time. But while stocking up on beef jerky and ammunition might be a bit rash at this point, you should be concerned about more genteel factors, such as whether the staffs' computers will boot up; whether suppliers and distributors will be accessible by phone; and whether or not clients and customers will sue.

There is no one-size-fits-all Y2K solution, no magic switch you can flip. But there are ways to fend off the

dreaded unknown. Software vendors and hardware manufacturers have detailed instructions and code at the

ready to bring your technology up to specification. Consultants by the thousands are clamoring for a chance to make your systems compliant-be careful, though, since many are nothing more than snake oil salesmen. Private organizations and government agencies like the Small Business Administration can also offer assistance on many aspects ofY2K. Remember, it's better to prepare for the worst than just hope for the best and do nothing.

Taking stock

The effects ofY2K can hit a business on so many levels that trying to catalog, test, and fix all the problems may seem overwhelming-if not downright impossible. Testing the internal clock of a single PC might take

only a few minutes, but what about testing the network's operating system? What about testing network hardware like routers, hubs, and switches that might have embedded date information? What about testing your software?

Those in the know say the first thing to do is to identify and list all computer-based systems (a.k.a. networks), all off-the-shelf software, all computers and associated hardware, all service providers, and all hardware that contains microchips that support your business. Detail whether each listed component is hardware, software, or a service, and take special note of which components support your telephone and data-communication networks. Write down each vendor's contact information, as well as any version or serial numbers.

"Every software developer or hardware manufacturer should by now have some sort of answer about how their products will react or how it can be fixed," says Corrine Gregory of Data Dimensions, a Bellevue-Wash.-basedY2K consultancy. "If they don't, drop them and find some-one who does. You want to know where these companies are if or when the lights go out."

The Nitty-Gritty

Once you've inventoried what is at risk, there are three possible plans for defense: repair or upgrade the existing hardware and software, or scrap it and replace everything. Depending on how long your list is, you might need some outside help to decide how to proceed. Whether you hire a consultant or not, you'll need to understand the basic technological problems caused by the Millennium Bug. Then you can decide how much time and money to throw at the problem. If you have enough savvy to deal with the following duties on your own, there are several applications and services that can help. [see below].

The most intricateY2K gremlin resides it1 the Basic Input/Output System of PCs, servers, and other pieces of hardware. The BIOS is the core software that controls fundamental operations like turning machines on and off. The internal date-stamp that all older BIOS recognize uses only the last two digits to identify the year-69 indicates the year 1969, this year is represented as 99. Next January everything will roll over to 2000, and many computers will recognize the double zeroes not as 2000, but as 1900 or even, in some cases, some other year.

Read the next sentence carefully: Nothing that has a BIOS will operate correctly after January 1, 2000 unless it is Y2K compliant. Now read it again. The BIOS of every system, no matter how old, should be inspected to be certain that it isY2K compliant.

Next, check your operating systems' software. Most major OSS support four-digit years; the ones that don't can be fixed fairly easily. Just make sure the BIOS is fixed first.

While Windows NT 4.0 keeps a date-stamp and corrects any erroneous dates it receives from the BIOS, most major operating systems don't have this ability. MS-DOS will interpret 1900 as an invalid date and store I-I-1980 as the system date, since this is the earliest date it can recognize.

Novell Netware 3.12, IntraNetware 4. I I, and Microsoft Windows 3. I and Windows 95 will behave similarly.

Now take a look at time-sensitive applications like Quicken, 3licrosofi Works, and ACT. Contact your VAR or the software vendor to find out if your versions are compliant.

If these applications aren't ready for the next millennium, do they have patches or upgrades? Does the vendor's definition of compliance jibe with that of the OS and BIOS?

Check your list for any custom-developed applications that were designed it1 languages like dBASE, Clipper, FoxPro, Visual Basic, Power Builder, or C++. This is where things can get really complicated. The accounting department may use a custom asset-management system written in C++, while the marketing department may hold a custom contact-management system written it1VB. Either may contain incorrect code, and both may need to be fixed.

If you do have applications that require up-dating, determine how important each of these applications is to your business.

Say a particular software program prints an invalid date on an internally distributed report. This is probably not that big of a problem. But if that same application loses track of inventory or screws up payment fields in your invoicing program, it should be fixed. Pay close attention to any forecasting or projection applica-tions and those that that perform calculations or retrieve and sort records based on dates.

Once all problems have been identified and rectified, you should run your system through its paces as if it were 2000. Process a form as if it were August 2, 2002. If your system does end-of-week, end-of-month, end-of-quarter, or end-of-year processing, these features should be tested. Don't confine testing efforts solely to computer programs. Other systems (including network operating systems, building infrastructure systems, PCs, and components with embedded microchips) should be tested to ensure that they won't fail when the century changes.

One of the biggest potential problems, which most people overlook, is their phone system. Miriam Rautiainen, marketing manger for Mitel'sYear 2000 program, says this glitch can affect any number of areas. "Even if there is no worse case scenario, and you still have general phone service, there are several things that can lead to lost productivity-things like call records, time stamps on voice mail, interactive voice response, and automatic call distribution," she advises. "It's essential to find out what your manufacturer plans to do to combat these possibilities."

And keep in mind that the same BIOS problem that affects your computer systems will more than likely also affect the security, fire alarm, and elevator systems. Other date-sensitive hardware include the light-ing infrastructure, manufacturing control systems, and any scanners that read ID badges or credit/debit cards.

The Big Picture

Even if you believe all the systems operating within your company have been tested and are battle-ready, that still doesn't mean business won't come to a grinding halt. Remember that other 50 percent, who don't plan to do anything until after the turn of the century? It's time to make another list. Write down all the businesses with whom you exchange data of any kind: customers, suppliers, utilities, delivery and messenger services, the landlord, and so on. Tell them what your plans are and ask them what they are doing.

If you use service bureaus for jobs like data processing, off-site storage, or printing or distribution duties, discuss how they plan to get Y2K-ready. Contact them in writing about each service and request a written response that outlines their plans (see sidebar). If they claim to be ready, ask for test results demonstrating it. If possible, test the service for yourself.

Finally, set up contingency plans. Now is the time to prepare for the unexpected. Any small business who remembers the UPS strike knows this lesson well. If outside organizations that affect your business don't seem to be preparing, figure out how to work around them.

If all of this seems daunting, that's because it is. In truth, there might not be enough time left for you to completely secure your business completely. But you should still do everything you can in the time you have remaining. This might not be the best news you read all year, but it could be the most important. Don't say we didn't warn you.

Books and Journals

The Year 2000 Journal 214-340-2147; www.y2kjournal.com

The Millennium Countdown A practical guide to preparing your business for the year 2000, by Lynn Craig and Mike Husmirak, published by Kogan Page, 603.749-9171

A Business Guide to the Year 2000 (and its companion Year 2000 Survival Pack), published by Cambridge Publishers Ltd. +44(0)1 223-31 2909

In partnership with Wells Fargo Bank, the N FIB is offering a free booklet, Countdown to Year 2000, which can be obtained by visiting N FIB Online at www.nfibonline.com/y2klindex.html.

Sorry to Bug You, But…

When checking on what your business partners, suppliers, lenders, and others are doing about their own Y2K -problems, use the following template to get the letter started. Send the letter to your bank and other financial institutions with whom you have dealings (e.g. investment companies, mortgage companies, credit card companies, or brokers). Address the tenor to the president or CEO and request a return receipt. Call to find out the correct name and mailing address. .

"As a customer of [name of organization], I am very concerned about the upcoming Year 2000 (century rollover) computer problem and its possible effect on client records and accounts. I would like to know what steps your company is undertaking to ensure that your computer software and hardware is Year

2000 compliant and that customer-related information will not be at risk?

- adapted from the Small Business Advisor Web site

Cartoon picture

Biotechnology’s Cloning And What it Could Mean

When the world of science first announced that it had found a way of cloning a mammal, it opened a floodgate of controversy. The instant ramifications were enough to send the most seasoned ethics professor into fits.

While many rejoiced at the possibility of cloning hardier and more productive livestock to help combat starvation, many others cringed at the idea of humans being cloned so that organs and tissue could be harvested for medical emergencies. It can seem like something out of a science fiction movie at times.

And who among us would have thought 10 years ago that we would live to see the day when cloning would become a reality? As it stands now we are not prepared to deal with the moral issues surrounding cloning. Many governments around the world have already banned the cloning of human beings. In spite of these efforts there are still some in the field of Biotech who vow to continue their research until they have cloned a human.

Many other research experiments are going on in the field of Biotechnology. As reported by Rita Rousseau in The Rotarian, "Researchers are injecting human genes into the DNA of corn and tobacco plants . . . to produce drugs to fight cancer, osteoporosis, and other diseases. Researchers are also experimenting with genetically engineered pigs to transplant organs into humans . . . . Laboratory studies show that when human bone marrow is injected into pig fetuses, their developing immune system may recognize the human cells as their own."

Obviously it is too soon to make any predictions, but more than likely it will be many years before the world will sort out all the moral issues surrounding the field of Biotechnology.

A View From the Outside

More from the Executive Service Corps

By Ken Walter

#1 - Three (3) cheers, to everyone who worked to make the holiday festivities so enjoyable. My extra compliments to those individuals who worked with the young people, helping them to learn and appreciate their culture and heritage.

#2 - I have said it before and will say it again. As Montserrat continues to emerge from the volcano in 1999, this island’s #1 priority must be the rejuvenation of your tourism industry. Unless someone can come up with a use for volcanic ash that makes export of this commodity a very profitable enterprise, then tourism, like it or not, clearly is your economic destiny. The fact that Montserrat is importing almost all its food, clothing and building materials, not to mention all the additional "niceties of life," -- appliances, cars, cooking gas, etc. -- means this is an economy that must be creating an ever increasingly large balance of trade deficit; an absolute "No, No" in our global economy. While Montserrat had, still has, and will continue to have, viable cottage industry business, none will ever have the income generation potential of tourism.

This, of course, then begs the question, "How do we get these tourists to Montserrat?" Ideally with a combination of fixed-wing aircraft and a ferry service. Let’s concentrate on the problem of fixed-wing aircraft this week. Please note that I do not see helicopter service as an option, as any such service must be self-supporting. I believe the cost to operate a helicopter large enough to accommodate the needs of government and all others who would expect to make confirmed reservation, would simply be too costly.

There has been a great deal of discussion lately regarding the ideal location of your new airport. The reality is that the island’s topography does not offer such a site without the requirement of a huge earth-moving project. The further reality is that there is no venture capital to underwrite such an undertaking (for those that have already done so, please do not equate what was done in Hong Kong -- a world financial center -- to Montserrat).

The final reality is the current existence of a landing field -- the remains of Bramble Airport. While not ideal, resuming scheduled flights in and out is viable. If the volcano is going back into a dormant phase, then the risk of pyroclastic flows to the runway area would be minimal. The amount of effort = $, to remove the ash in the center and at the end of the runway would be minimal.

Opening the road and establishing an arrival/departure area -- complete with Immigration and Customs Facilities -- at a safe distance up the road, possibly in the area where the quarry equipment is currently stored, is also a project that can be done quickly and at a very affordable cost.

By using a shuttle bus to move departing passengers from the "Safe Area" to the tarmac immediately after a plane has landed, and then the arriving passengers immediately back to the "Safe Area," would absolutely minimize personal risk.

Keeping reality in mind here, we are NOT talking DC-10s or 747s, we are talking Dash 8-size planeloads of passengers, luggage and freight. Clearly I have simplified this undertaking and have no idea how the recent Coroner’s Inquest could impact the decision-making process, but again the reality is that this project, compared to construction of a new airport, re. time and expense, is a "no contest" situation that requires no further argument.

The greatest advantage to this scheme -- aside from the aforementioned savings in time and capital -- is that it could be accomplished in months, not years! This means regularly scheduled fixed-wing aircraft service for the 1999-2000 tourist season. There is so very much to gain and so little that would be put at risk.

This scheme will not satisfy everyone (and the fact of the matter is, NONE will), but for those proactive and open-minded people who have the vision to see and understand the realities of what can be accomplished, when weighed against pipe dreams that are at best years away, hopefully there will be a concentrated movement to give this proposal its due.

These "Views From the Outside" are presented as motivational food for thought. As an entrepreneur and business veteran with over 35 years of hands-on management experience, I feel I can speak with some authority. My goal is to hopefully generate some of the sparks that kindle the desire to move proactively - now, not reactively after these opportunities are lost.

Health and Happiness

It's a Question of Sex

Fear of Flunking

We all get that from time to time. That little worry, in the back of our minds, that we won't. But for some men, that worry moves to the front of the mind, takes over, and leads directly to failure. In these cases performance anxiety isn't just a small voice, it's a significant mental problem that can shut down a sex life.

Sex researchers William H. Masters, M.D., and Virginia E. Johnson, of the former Masters and Johnson Institute in St. Louis, coined a phrase to describe exactly what a man does when performance anxiety takes over. They called it the spectator role. In essence, you become a spectator to your own sexual event, evaluating and observing yourself rather than losing yourself in the experience. Fearful thoughts about your sexual performance literally crowd out the sensual pleasures of the moment, and without any sense of sexual pleasure getting through, you wilt. Which makes you even more fearful the next time and, well, you can see how it could beget a vicious cycle.

But listen. For one thing, just about every man experiences small bouts of performance anxiety throughout his life, without it becoming a big problem. And virtually every man over age 40 has experienced at least one no-go episode.

Masters and Johnson taught a form of therapy called sensate focus, which you can try with your partner as a first step. You should touch, explore, give, and receive pleasure-but under no circumstances are either of you allowed to touch the pelvic area of the other. It is forbidden-until you gradually recapture the capacity for sexual pleasure and lose the habitual panic over whether or not you can "do it."

Fear of Flying

For a woman, sexual desire-and good sex-happens only when she feels safe, secure, and sure of herself and her partner. If sex makes her anxious, she'll want it about as much as you want an IRS audit. And of course you're not about to call up the nearest office and volunteer that you cheated on your tax forms last year, now are you?

We're not saying that for all women sex is like signing off on the consent line and then holding your breath till they catch you. But women who have suffered through hurtful relationships are often fearful that their women are partners will simply repeat history, and naturally they're afraid to trust. Some are self-conscious about their bodies.

Other women are afraid of letting themselves be swept away by their own passion. Still others fret that they're not doing it right, as if each sexual encounter were a pop quiz that counted toward a final grade. Sex becomes an exercise in technique, with the big O--orgasm-as the passing grade. Many women are also afraid to discuss their sexual needs with their partners because they don't want to be turned down, humiliated, or ignored.

Your best bet to get past this stumbling block? Our experts advise talking it out. Tell your partner what you've been thinking, and then practice listening to what she needs-both in bed and out. Also, sometimes it starts with the little things, like her receiving love notes-before she'll think about reciprocating the gesture in the bedroom.

More Memories of PARADISE

By Norma Walter

I live to mop! We have experienced a number of eruptions that left us buried in ash, and so we mop, sweep and wash. We could be home in New York State, sliding on the ice, shoveling 12 inches of snow at a time, and freezing to death. What price Paradise?

It is worth the ash of a volcano going to sleep. Believe me! My mop has become my third arm. Frightening for me at first on November 12 (our first experience with an eruption), I now have the routine "down pat," as we say in the USA. When we hear the first crack of thunder, I close all windows; cover computer, TV, tape recorder, etc. with sheets; move lawn furniture under cover; and generally take stock of everything that needs protection. Ken, on the other hand, grabs the camera. In any case, when all is in readiness for the ash, we stand and marvel at the sight. It takes your breath away each time. We then begin the little prayers that say, "Please let the wind blow it west and out to sea."

On to other activities:

Christmas on Montserrat is the most stress-free, happy time I can remember. We went to church for the first time on Christmas morning -- 5 a.m. in Salem. Rev. Meade handed me a scripture to read and I wasn’t even fully awake. It was a wonderful spiritual experience. In our village we don’t have church service on Christmas Day, unless it happens to fall on a Sunday. It was a wonderful way to begin this joyous occasion.

The Masqueraders were of particular interest to us since this was our first Christmas on Montserrat. We followed the little ones around and even helped transport some of them. Watching these children participate in one of their national traditions was heart warming. The adults who work with the children were of special interest to us, too. How patient they were and how devoted to keeping the tradition alive. Keep up the great work!

Hiking over Rendezvous was a very interesting walk. We got to the top of the hill and couldn’t figure out how to get down to the beach. Every path we took appeared to be a goat path. When two young Montserratian gentlemen appeared on the hill, we asked if they could show us the right path. They were amused that we had been following goat paths all over the hillside and said they would take us right down to the beach if we would like to follow.

They were very patient with us, waiting at all the difficult spots until we were safely with them. Of course, Ken and I were sure we were still on a goat path. We found it hard to believe that humans use this path, until we did it ourselves with the help of our young guides. The reward of the beautiful beach is certainly worth this climb, and we will do it again before we leave, probably when our son, Kevin, comes.

More adventures await us, we’re sure. 

Coroner’s Case

Rhys Burriss spent part of his year

Inquesting volcano deaths here.

Casting blame, with the jury,

Earned him HMG’s fury;

Pray don’t hope that he’ll reappear.

Bramble’s Scramble

Our transparent housing assignment

Now requires a slight realignment.

Homes will not be allotted

To shelters as plotted,

So Salem, forget your consignment.

JUS' WONDERIN'

Jus wonderin what is in the mysterious black bag left at the heliport.

Jus wonderin which one of the ministers is competing in the car rental business.

Jus wonderin if the minister is then using his/her office to secure rentals

Jus wonderin if a deal can be worked out with the volcano to organise the burial of the white/green elephants and relieve the civil servants eye pain.

Jus wonderin why Salem is being called ‘foreign city.’

Jus wonderin if the sticky hands of those youngsters for musical instruments is an indication of an abundance of musical talent.

Jus wonderin if the West Indies Cricket Board really expected professional behaviour, unity and respect from their cricketers after their debacle over the Lara affair. 

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