.

Confusion following the first sitting of the Legislative Council in 2000 seems to be setting the stage for the next election campaign, with general elections constitutionally due here in Montserrat after October 2001.

As government moves on in trying to improve conditions that have been seriously overlooked, a Bill introduced to the Legislative Council in October last year has run into severe criticism by the opposition members in the house. It involves the Acquisition of Property Act and its differences from the Land Acquisition Ordinance.

In a paid political statement, which was aired as recently as this morning on ZJB (Radio Montserrat), Central parliamentarian Reuben Meade had this to say about the Bill: "Suppose, for example, that the first nominated member and myself were absent for some reason; a communist law would have been passed in our Legislative Council -- Compulsory Acquisition of your Movable Property -- anything that is movable they could have taken."

There has always been the Land Acquisition Act, which dealt with lands that, of course, are immovable. But as government thought it necessary to acquire petrol tanks in Plymouth, these being movable, a law became necessary. Something seems to have gone wrong, however, as the Honourable Reuben Meade continued in his radio statement: "The Bill for Compulsory Acquisition of Movable Property could not be for the Texaco tanks, it must have been for other reasons . . . . If we did not forcibly oppose the passing of the bill, the Government could have taken up any truck, any car, any boat, any piece of equipment without even giving the owner notice."

Responding to the charge, the Chief Minister David Brandt said in a ZJB interview with news editor and program director Herman Sergeant that the opposition and first nominated member did not understand the background of the Bill. He said, "It was a simplistic view that the opposition and the first nomination member took of the Bill… I don't think they clearly understood the background…. they were not aware of the constitutional position…. that worries me!"

However, this was only one of the things the member for Central had concerns about. He began his broadcast by saying that he would like to highlight some things the government "was doing or not doing."

He was critical of the soft mortgage scheme as he asked the public, "Would you prefer to pay something in the order of $500 per month in terms of mortgage, or would you prefer if they gave you $40,000 free and your loan repayment was more than $900 per month. Clearly you are better off paying the $500 per month and giving up the gift of $40,000."

He questioned the real purpose of the airport tower at Geralds, suggesting that things were about to happen that government was not telling the public about: "Are we expecting that all this expenditure will be for the helicopter which carries a maximum of 18 passengers per day onto the Island. Will we soon see a grass strip for a fixed wing air craft later, like building a grass strip airport?"

Last year a consultation was held with the public which discussed the building of a grass strip for fixed wing aircraft at Geralds, along with the sporting complex planned for the area.

Mr. Meade questioned that "through private arrangements…Why should Little Bay lands be given out by the CM and not the Ministry of Lands, as happens with all Government lands."

A ZJB news item on the subject said that there were official papers of Executive Council which showed that it was then Minister of Agriculture and Lands Mr. P Austin Bramble who had brought the matter of a lease of the lands to an entrepreneur to Executive Council, which approved it. The item pointed out, like Meade himself did in his statement, that Executive Council consists of the four ministers, the Governor, Attorney General and the Financial Secretary.

Mr. Meade mentioned other matters, such as the appointment of an industrialisation advisor, now a minister, but no industries; the petrol crisis and suggested that the government will not have spent the £75 million given by Britain by March 31, 2001.

Another Bill receiving first time attention in the first Legislative Council meeting last week is the Elections Ordinance Amendment Act, which seeks to introduce a new method of election for the upcoming general elections constitutionally due towards the end of 2001.

Last week the Governor announced that the report of the Elections Commission, chaired by Dr. Howard Fergus CBE, which had been tasked with advising on the conduct of the next general election and interim by-elections, contained 12 recommendations, which minor amendments have now been accepted by Her Majesty's Government and the Government of Montserrat.

The amendments concern:

Recommendation 1.12, where it was agreed that agents of candidates should be excluded from the polling booth but incapacitated voters should be accompanied by the Presiding Officer and one other official appointed by the Electoral Registration Office;

Recommendation 1.4, where the Government of Montserrat has proposed that a short period of residence should be added to the criteria for Montserratians overseas to be able to cast a vote. The length of this period of residence will be left open until after the Electoral Registration Office has been established and members of the Elections Commission have been consulted on whether or not the proposals put forward are workable. A minor amendment to the proposed declaration form for overseas voters was also agreed.

The Governor further released: "After careful deliberation it has been accepted that it would be extremely difficult to put in place a workable and verifiable arrangement to establish such a period of residence. The Government of Montserrat has therefore decided not to accept Recommendation 1.4 of the Elections Commission's report. "However, under existing legislation Montserratians presently overseas who return to the island to reside by a certain date, to be determined by the Electoral Registration Office, will be entitled to register to vote in the next election. These arrangements will be retained in any legislation introduced to give effect to the changes recommended by the Elections Commission."

It is expected that the public will be informed of these electoral changes, what they mean and how they will be implemented. This week ZJB, through commission chairman Dr. Fergus, hosted a call-in program on the matter. There were several calls and especially concerns surrounding mainly the decision not to allow overseas Montserratians to participate in the affairs of running Montserrat.

But one important supposed error has surfaced in the Bill, which allowed a person only one vote, when it was intended that each voter would be able to vote for nine candidates.

Legislature officials have stated that these are expected to be corrected in due course and that by the time the Bill receives its third and final reading, everything would be in order. (see 'Beware Elections 2000…on page 7)

In our front page story last week we tried to feature an update of the status of the Soufriere Hills volcano and how it would impact the areas around it and the island generally if the new dome growth continues.

At the beginning of this week the CANA reporter out of Antigua filed a report titled, "Soufriere Hills in eruptive stage again:"
The report said: "Scientists monitoring Montserrat's Soufriere Hills volcano said at the weekend that it was again in an eruptive stage but residents of the British dependent territory were facing no immediate threats.
"Chief Scientist at the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) Dr. Simon Young told state radio that assessment was a partial reversal of statements in recent months that the volcano was going back to sleep.
"The decline has stopped...the dying down that we were seeing at the end of last year really stopped in November, when we started to see the signs of new magma rising up in the volcano and by the end of November, we had seen the new lava dome growing...Once we have got a lava dome growing then we are in a slowly increasing eruption situation," he said on state radio."

It is believed that this story sparked off a series of rumours that said the volcano was due to erupt on Thursday. The rumours supposedly forced visitors to the island to flee the island and once again had relatives in England and elsewhere overseas crying to the relatives here in Montserrat to leave the island.

The report further stated: "The renewed dome growth has prompted certain re-appraisals of what is in place, but there are no thoughts of evacuation of any inhabited areas at the moment."

Concerned residents, in discussing the item, said they feel that the information is misleading and could be misconstrued.

Chelston Lee, information officer at the Montserrat Volcano Observatory told the Reporter this morning: "I have contacted CANA on the matter advising them that Dr. Young was misquoted. The volcano is not in an "eruptive stage."

Mr. Lee further stated that Dr. Young did not make any of the statements attributed to him and that he will be trying to do some damage control from the article by doing an interview with CANA and ABS radio in Antigua.

It is fascinating even to ponder the person who will from time to time shamelessly explain, "I do not read the newspaper." Equally surprising are those least expected who would say, "we do not miss an issue."

It almost doesn't matter what the reasons are in either of these cases, but it is certain that in the one case, there is the expression of a type of ignorance, a lack of motivation and/or downright willfulness with what seems to be increasingly seen as a Montserrat curse.

Many of these people really want to be able to practice "freedom of speech," but for someone else it should be denied. They are the ones who will stifle the free press theory in many subtle ways and deny people the opportunity to have as many media outlets as possible through which to transmit and share ideas, opinions and information. This is what a newspaper offers.

There are some core principles under which we operate in spite of the serious constraints we face. It does bother some people to think that the public has a right to accurate and truthful information; that the information should be provided with honesty and integrity. (Unfortunately these are words that have varying degrees of meanings for many.) One current government Minister challenged the newspaper on one of the principles it strives so hard for, balance and fair play, but couldn't support the challenge.

There is the inability to discern the difference between the separation of news and facts from comment or opinion and the separation of advertising from editorial content.

These persons who, for whatever reason are shameless in their comments, will never understand the need for the public's right to reply and make corrections, but become sore when their own selfish desires and motives have not been met in one instance or another.

It will, of course, be shocking to some people to believe that there are newspaper owners who strive for sensitivity and care, transcending narrow commercial considerations. But this could be so easily misunderstood when other motives and considerations, such as outright discrimination, are presumed to be acceptable for those considered lower class but wrong for the elite.

None of this should be taken lightly or for granted, but seriously and thoughtfully. For example, when one speaks of privacy and human dignity, and of the responsibility for content and consequences, there are those who might react with what they consider justified scorn. But this comes with other underlying responsibilities, as so ably put by Dr. Hopeton S. Dunn, senior lecturer at the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication: "the over-riding requirement to act and report in the 'public interest.' "

The press will always try to represent the whole public, unlike the politician who might feel his responsibility is only to his constituents, a small portion of the public, but when called upon will pretend otherwise. And it is not just the politicians who might be brought to realise their bias and discrimination when it is drawn to their attention. The motive of the press must always be the same if it is to keep its integrity and honesty alive.

Unfortunately, in our little space, not many of us understand or even accept our rights to practice the freedoms that are ours. Very often it becomes all the more evident, driving the vulnerable further underground.

Two recent situations bring this home. Criticisms from some quarters over the January article titled "Festival," which asked questions concerning monies raised for the benefit of Montserrat, were such that it prompted a victim in another situation not to make public a situation that should be aired.

In the first instance the Chief Minister was moved to respond and did so quite craftily. The second instance is a situation where reportedly threats were made by a wealthy "expat" homeowner to cripple a local business because he questioned the actions of a relative.

Should anyone be afraid to send the message that Montserrat cannot welcome such behaviour under any circumstance? And should the persons involved discontinue their benevolence to the country they choose to be home for whatever period of time, because their actions were questioned? Should that happen, such persons' actions should then be viewed suspiciously, and discouraged.

Ken and I are looking forward to the familiar and also the new when we return to Montserrat on April 4. We can't wait to see the sunrise and sunset, to greet our Cavalla Hill Church family, friends and neighbors in Lime Kiln, and friends in Old Town, Olveston, St. Peters, St. John, Salem. We will live in our house in Lime Kiln for the first time and get to see all the good work done by so many under the conscientious and skilled direction of Pickett Johnson. Thank goodness for the Internet, which has allowed us to see pictures of our house and the island and read stories that are unfolding as we read them.

We will look at the changing volcano again and remain secure in our conviction to be in Montserrat more and more as the years go by.

Reports of Ivan Hixon's determination to bring back a golf course -- one hole at a time -- is the real story. Each person's effort to dig out one day at a time under his/her own power, determination and sheer will to do what needs to be done -- without the dictate of the bureaucracy -- is the spirit that will succeed.

Once it becomes clear that this volcano will do what God wills and that life must go on with realistic, small steps, Montserrat will again return to the full status of "Paradise on earth." Things will never be the same as they were (not in our lifetimes) but perhaps that is for the good. Perhaps there is a greater Design. Who are we to question what the "Designer" has in mind for Montserrat?

Each day I can feel, see and smell Paradise. There is nothing like it, especially when your husband is standing on a roof 20-30 feet in the air, shoveling four feet of snow in temperatures reading -20 degrees Fahrenheit. Nature plays games with us everywhere. And even here in the great Northeast, there is pleasure during the winter in returning to the warmth of the house -- a fire in the parlor fireplace, a cup of hot cocoa, and a good book.

Life is good! See you soon.

Norma Walter

Treadwell, NY, USA

Most Montserratians know that saying like the back of their hand and to make sure we do not forget it Arrow put it in a song some years ago. But I wonder what that saying really means. Does it mean that every Tarm, Dick and Harry is welcome in our paradise despite what the volcano has done to our island?

Well it is my view that half of our population is made up of persons from other Caribbean counties or the UK.

However, some of those persons, especially the ones from the Caribbean Islands, are not treated like Montserrat is a stranger's paradise. We for some reason never forget to let them know that they bang water come ya . Maybe we do not tell them so directly but the way we treat them surely let them know dat dem no barn ya.

Surprisingly, we Montserratians seem to forget that more than half our population are foreigners in other countries, and I am only speaking about those who left because of the volcano crisis. I was also in another Caribbean country for over two years before I returned home, and don’t even know if I am going to stay in Montserrat, so should I be treated in the same way that we treat strangers? As Caribbean people living in one small village, we must treat our brothers and sisters much better than that. For those of us who do not know our history well enough, Montserratians have migrated to many of the islands long before their people started coming here.

As I understand it, our forefathers and grandparents went to work on the Panama Canal, to the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Dominica to cut sugar cane, the USA, UK, US Virgin Island to find work, just to name a few.

If we want to treat foreigners in the usual manner, 'jus wonderin' how Montserratians outside Montserrat should be treated.

Cecil C.

While in my library I came across this quote concerning the seventh Beatitude: "What Jesus is saying here is that those who have a natural disposition to be passive and peaceable are fortunate people indeed; they are greatly blessed of God." What nonsense. The qualities of which our Lord speaks here are not natural dispositions at all; they are spiritual characteristics which are built into us when we are in a close relationship with him.

Many are mistaken not only in their interpretation of the Beatitudes, but of the whole of Christ's Sermon on the Mount. They think that if you live the way Christ outlines in His sermon, you will become a Christian. But Jesus is not saying, "Live like this and you will become a Christian "; rather, "Become a Christian and you will live like this,"

Another false idea concerning the word "peacemaker" is to see it as descriptive of someone who seeks peace at any price. Jesus was the perfect Peacemaker but He did not advocate peace at any price. He would confront issues and bring matters to a head, but He did it, as we see from the passage before us, in a loving way. We know from the other Gospels that prior to the moment when Jesus washed His disciples' feet, some of them had been arguing about who would be greatest in the kingdom of God. Jesus brought the issue out into the open by taking the place of a servant and doing the washing. He stood up for what is right, but He did it by getting down on His knees. Peacemakers confront issues and seek to reconcile not by looking down on people but by looking up at them. In other words -- they do it from a position of humility

Oh Father, help me see that if I am to be a reconciler I must be willing to get down on my knees. People cannot respond to me when I am proud, however spiritual I may seem to be. Amen.

Claude Hogan writes from London for those planning to be in England for St. Patrick's Day:

"If you are not planning to be in Montserrat for St Patrick's Day 2000 you don't have to miss out."

Claude says that The Montserrat Community Support Trust (MCST) is bringing together Montserratians from across the UK for a grande event at the Ladywood Arts and Leisure Centre in Birmingham on Saturday 18 March from 7:30pm.

The programme is expected to feature the Alliouagana Singers and Bernadette Irish supported by a showcase of Montserratian talent (music, drama, dance & song).

He concludes: "Transportation and Concert vouchers from cities throughout England are availabe at £5 adults and £2 children and don't ask about food! The Montserratians and Friends Organization of Birmingham is catering for the occasion."

Statement by Chelston Lee, Information & Press Officer:
There have recently been some reports with misleading headlines and inaccurate quotes from scientists about the situation at the Soufriere Hills Volcano in Montserrat. Regional media reports have stated that the volcano "is in an explosive state and have implied that it is just about to have a major eruption."
However, that information is totally false. We have not predicted any imminent major explosion. We have indeed had the growth of a new lava dome since mid-November 1999. However, the only physical signs that are currently affiliated with this dome growth are dome collapses leading to rock falls, pyroclastic flows and ash falls. The rock falls and pyroclastic flows are likely to affect only the Tar River valley on the east side of the volcano and nearby areas until the dome is substantially larger or until other changes occur at the volcano. Although ash falls can affect the whole island and parts of neighbouring islands, it is most likely that ash will dominantly blow over the uninhabited capital area.
The MVO maintains that an eruption large enough to significantly affect the northern part of the island is highly unlikely, and there is no immediate threat to lives on the island. We must still keep in mind that there still remains a chance that the dome will stop growing and the volcano can again re-enter a state of repose.
Let me re-iterate that the Montserrat Volcano Observatory continues to be the only official source of information pertaining to volcanic activity on Montserrat. Unless there is an escalation in volcanic activity, the MVO will continue to issue a weekly report to local, regional and international media. If there were a significant volcanic event which warrants alerting the public, regional and international media, the Observatory's Information & Press Officer will do so without delay. Currently, the mode of operation at the MVO remains unchanged and its staff continue to remain vigilant in its efforts to provide early warning of potentially damaging volcanic events and to provide timely, accurate and complete information to the public and authorities alike.

A sports and social organization called the Pelican Club was organized last month for all Montserrat residents, temporary and permanent, nationals and expats, as well as other visitors. There is no fee to join.

The club, which meets every Wednesday from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Vue Pointe Hotel, embraces fun games and a wide range of social activities to help all prospective members enjoy their leisure time in Montserrat and to benefit charitable causes.

The Pelican Club also hopes to team up with Rotary and the National Trust for regular Buffet Dinners or Barbecues.

Anyone wishing to join or to organize any new activity should contact Barbara Russell at 491-5421.

The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank will begin discussions in St. Kitts Monday with up to eight regional firms on participating in the Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange (ECSE).

The Bank has identified these firms as potential issuers to list shares and to raise capital on the ECSE after the Exchange becomes operational on March 10, 2000. The dialogue will take the form of two Seminars,

The first Issuers Seminar, dubbed "Unleashing the power of the Eastern Caribbean Securities Market- Opportunities and Benefits for Caribbean Businesses," will be held in St. Kitts from February 21 to 23 for representatives from the Leeward Islands. The seminar will be repeated in St. Lucia from March 1-3 for companies in the Windward Islands.

Among the main topics that will be discussed in the three-day seminars are raising capital in the OECS region, exploiting new opportunities offered by the securities market, and the economic benefits for companies of Initial Public Offerings.The Seminars, part of the Education and Awareness programme of the proposed ECSE, are being conducted by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank in conjunction with the Intrados Group Limited.

The Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange is designed to facilitate the buying and selling of financial products, including stocks and bonds and government securities. It offers a new opportunity for investing in and profiting from the growth and development of the economy of the Eastern Caribbean. The ECSE also provides investors with a way to participate in the expansion of local enterprises and make money on their investments at the same time.

Montserrat Performing Artists Assoc. Formed
Following the copyright workshop held at McChesney's on 31st January by Many Happy Returns organiser Peter Filleul, a group of Montserratian performers came together as a steering committee looking into forming a
Montserratian performers association.
Provisionally named Montserrat Performing Artists Association, the group will be for all performers - musicians, singers, dancers, actors, Masqueraders and DJs ­ and in addition to establishing a broad individual membership, it intends to seek affiliations with other local institutions such as the Rotary Club, Emerald Community Singers, Voices and the Masquerade troops.
One of the issues addressed at the copyright workshop was the prospect of sharing artist and music publishing royalties that may be generated after release of the recording of the Many Happy Returns concert in March 1999. All the contributing performers have undertaken to waive their individual royalties in favour of using the income in a collective way and for the benefit of all Montserratian performers.
The Montserrat Music Fund was the vehicle set up by Peter Filleul, Chris Runciman and local residents Doug Darby and Mike Emmanuel to administer the income and expenditure from the MHR shows. It was their desire as 'trustees' to hand over the assets of the fund together with responsibility for running future shows to the local performer community that triggered the enthusiasm for creating a Montserratian performers group.
The Steering Committee met for the first time at the Tourist Board offices last week Wednesday and set out some broadly based ideas regarding what an association might achieve and how it might be set up. Justin Cassell, Randi Greenaway, Herman Francis, Vernon Buffong and Doug Darby, supported by Peter Filleul, have begun a process that they all believe will help Montserratian performers make the best possible contribution to Montserratian entertainment, culture and tourism, providing a united voice for all talented Montserratians.
In addition to the possible royalties from the MHR album, the MPAA will benefit from the solid foundation established by the MHR team. As well as becoming custodians of the equipment collected under the Montserrat Equipment Quest, developing the proposed Montserrat Music Education Trust -- an initiative started to raise funds to support a peripatetic music teacher -- is likely to become one of MPAA's primary ambitions.
The discussions also touched on the prospect of assisting artists with problems such as copyright protection and especially the establishment of a new relationship with the PRS (Performing Rights Society) in the UK so that local writers can receive payment for the use of their works. Another useful contribution could be to help the Tourism industry by agreeing guidelines for the use of Montserratian artists in cultural and entertainment shows as tourism develops.
Although in its early days, the Montserrat Performing Artists' Association shows all the signs of becoming a thriving island institution. Performers in Montserrat or in one of the evacuee Montserratian communities who want to find out more, contact one of the steering committee members or follow the Reporter for details!

Good luck to the MPAA!!
END

Pic Caption: Montserrat Performers attending the Copyright Workshop
Left to right - Vernon Buffong, MBE, Cecile 'CEPEKE' Lake, Herman 'CUPID'
Francis, Earl 'HUSTLER' Browne, 'Randi 'ZUNKY' Greenaway and Justin 'HERO'
Cassell.

The Greater New York Chapter of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) donated a supply of toys and books to the children of Montserrat last December in an ongoing program of annual charitable donations to needy persons in CTO member countries.

The Chapter holds monthly programs during the year to educate and update travel agents on the Caribbean and its tourism product. At holiday time, Chapter members (about 300 in number) return some of the prosperity that comes through the sale of travel to the countries that are, in fact, their product. In the past eight years, charities in 20 destinations have benefited from the organization's generosity. These include orphanages, schools, hospitals, homes and correctional facilities, as well as civic groups to which the Chapter lends a hand in sponsoring Christmas programs for local youth. Contributions run the gamut from clothing and toys to kitchen equipment, books and school supplies, tools and sewing machines, etc.

According to Barbara Raskin, co-chair of the Charities Project, "Where there is a need, we try to assist -- at the holidays and throughout the year. Knowing the challenges Montserrat faced recently, it was our special privilege to make Christmas a little brighter for the children on the island".

The shipment was transported at no cost from New York to Antigua by BWIA West Indies Airways and was presented to Ernestine Cassell, Director of Tourism in Montserrat, by Ronald Allen of CTO New York. Tom Scarlett, BWIA Area Manager Sales, N.E. USA, and co-chairs of Chapter Charities, Barbara Raskin and Barbara Furey, are to be especially thanked for their effort on this project.

The Caribbean Tourism Organization is a regional tourism development agency which comprises membership of 33 Caribbean countries and a broad range of private sector companies with interests in the region's vital tourism industry. With headquarters in Barbados, CTO has marketing offices in New York, London and Toronto. CTO's mission is to provide to and through its members the services and information necessary for the development of sustainable tourism for the economic and social benefit of the Caribbean people. Visit CTO at www.caribtourism.com.

After an absence of three years due to the volcanic activity, the Montserrat Play Readers are back on the scene, with the staging of an American comedy, "Squabbles," at the Pelican Room of the Vue Pointe Hotel.
The light-hearted play, written by Marshall Karp in the 1980's, deals with an extreme case of "in-law" problems. Jerry and Alice (played by Steve Macnamara and Tracy Burke), suffer the consequences when Jerry's father Abe and Alice's mother Mildred (played by Richard Hermany and Yolanda Foley) move in with them.
Abe and Mildred can't stand the sight of each other, and with the two parents-in-law constantly squabbling, the pregnant Alice and her husband are at their wits' end. However, when Alice and Jerry finally go to the hospital for the birth of their baby, the parents-in-law call a truce, and their relationship changes with hilarious results.
Outstanding performances were given by experienced performers Richard Hermany and Yolanda Foley, and also by Tracy Burke, a complete newcomer to the stage. They were ably backed up by Steve Macnamara and supporting actors Henry Munsey, Bob Dunsmore and Charmaine Daley.
Dorothy Burbank did a great job directing the play, helped by her efficient stage crew Adele Reid and Vivien Munsey. Lighting by Bob Chadwick and Bob Burbank was effectively used, and timing was good. Special mention must be made of the rocking horse created specially for the play by Bob and Beryl Chadwick.
The main thing that distinguishes a play reading from a regular play is that the actors are allowed to read their lines - it is, after, all a reading. This allows the play to be staged with less preparation than would otherwise be possible, and the actors and audience to enjoy a play with less rehearsal time. Nevertheless, much time and trouble obviously went into planning, rehearsing and attention to detail, to make sure the production went smoothly.
The Play Reading Group goes back as far as the 1960's, when plays used to be read at a different member's home each month, with the host/hostess choosing the cast, directing the play and serving refreshments. The Play Readers have come a long way since then, and the plays have evolved into stage performances.
As the group enlarged, for a few years the plays were staged at the Golf Club. Then came the evacuation of Salem and Old Towne in 1997, followed later by the inundation of the golf course by mudflows. Many of the winter residents who formed the backbone of the Play Readers, and whose homes fell temporarily into the evacuated zone, stayed away for a year or two; but now they're back.
It's good to see this group revived, and the Pelican Room put to such good use with this and the many other performances and activities that have been held there since it reopened late last year. Although many of the members (and audience) of the Play Readers are winter residents, others live here year round, so let's hope this impetus can be maintained.

St. Kitts, CANA -- As the campaign for the March 6 general election in St. Kitts and Nevis heats up, the business community has issued a Code of Conduct calling on the government-run radio and television stations to provide fair and balanced coverage, state radio reported Thursday.
In a re-issue of a section of the 1995 election Code of Conduct, the St. Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Commerce called on the media to report the campaign honestly and fairly.
It challenged media workers to ensure that news stories are accurate and that independent candidates and political parties be given equal time on the National Broadcasting Service (NBS).
The Chamber reminded the public that less than one month ago, its representative on the board of the NBS resigned his post, identifying the need for a "marked improvement" in NBS's "practice of international
journalistic ethics, especially in the areas of equitable access and time for opposing social, political and economic commentary."
"It should be noted that the Chamber is concerned about equal time for all political parties and independent candidates on the National Broadcasting Service," the Chamber was quoted as saying.
St Kitts and Nevis has one television station, two AM radio stations, one of which is private, and two newspapers.
In the section of the Code that has been re-issued, the Chamber urged the Electoral Commission to guarantee the transparency and impartiality of the election process, and to make every effort to ensure that all eligible voters can cast their ballots.
The 1995 Code of Conduct was signed by the Peoples Action Movement (PAM), the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM), the St Kitts Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) and the Nevis Reformation Party (NRP).
Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas announced the general election last weekend four months before the poll is constitutionally due. Nomination day is on February 25.
The election is a straight fight between the incumbent SKNLP, which won the election in 1995, and PAM, which is headed by former prime minister Dr. Kennedy Simmonds.

ROSEAU, Dominica -- CANA -- One of the candidates who represented the Dominica Labour Party (DLP) in last month's general election has filed a petition in the High Court challenging the results in the Castle Bruce constituency, a lawyer has said.
And the United Workers Party (UWP), which was removed from office after just one term, has served notice of its intention to challenge the results in at least two constituencies.
Petitioner Jacqueline Theodore contended that there were irregularities in at least five polling stations in the Castle Bruce constituency, which was won by UWP candidate Loreen Bannis-Roberts, Ms. Theodore's lawyer Don Christopher told CANA on Wednesday.
He spoke of alleged irregularities including the failure of the presiding officer to initial the ballots, and not detaching the counterfoil carrying the identity of the voter, saying "it was no longer a secret ballot."
Christopher said the 93 rejected ballots were the highest among the 21 constituencies.
He said the petition is seeking a declaration that the election was invalid, a consequence of which would be the issuing of a writ for a by-election in that constituency.
The petition is also requesting that the successful candidate in Castle Bruce be barred from taking her seat in the House of Assembly, until the matter is decided by the courts.
Ms. Bannis-Roberts got 696 votes, 79 more than the 617 votes which went to Ms. Theodore. Johnson Drigo of the Dominica Freedom Party (DFP) captured 74 votes.
UWP executive Julius Timothy dismissed as "ridiculous" the petition filed by Theodore, saying his party was itself considering filing petitions in two constituencies.
He said that even if the ballots being challenged were awarded to Theodore and Bannis-Roberts accordingly, it would make no difference to the election results.
"We honestly don't understand the basis for the petition. But of course if the candidate wants to file that is the candidate's democratic rights," he said.
Timothy, the former finance minister, said the UWP was contemplating filing petitions with regard to the Roseau Central and Vielle Case constituencies.

"We didn't do anything because we didn't want it to look like a sour grapes kind of thing. But if they are filing, we (will) file," he said.
"We are going to file a petition on the Roseau Central seat, because the Electoral Office did come out publicly and state that the Labour Party candidate Mr. (David) Bruney had withdrawn.
Candidates have up to 21 days after the elections to file complaints.
The Electoral Office told CANA Wednesday that so far only Theodore had challenged the elections results.
The DLP won 10 of the 21 parliamentary seats, the UWP of former Prime Minister Edison James won nine, and the DFP two seats.
The DLP and DFP formed a coalition government to oust the UWP from power.

Senior Cable & Wireless officials from the Caribbean and Atlantic Islands (CAI) region are meeting in Grenada to plan the way forward for the company.

For the first time, the company's Chief Executive for the (CAI) region, Odie Donald, company directors, General Managers and Heads of Department have come together in one location to discuss Cable & Wireless' role in the Caribbean in 2000 and beyond.

Mr. Donald told delegates that while Cable & Wireless has done things well in the past, there is a need to move forward with the process of change.

"Times are changing. The expectations of our customers and stakeholders are becoming ever more sophisticated. We must become more responsive to thee changes in our marketplace," he told the opening session of the two-day meeting at the Grand Beach Resort in St.George's.

The company is developing new approaches to the way it does business in the Caribbean, with specific emphasis on further improvements to its customer service. This will be achieved by harmonising its business processes to enhance efficiency internally and provide greater customer satisfaction externally.

This is the first of two meetings that are being held in Grenada.

The second will focus on a new and improved customer charter and will begin on Wednesday at the Rex Grenadian hotel. The New Charter will be launched on April 2, 2000, across the region.

If St. Vincent and the Grenadines' Prime Minister Sir James Mitchell succeeds in getting his colleagues in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to agree on a common position with regard to salaries and perks paid to their heads of government and other parliamentarians, he would have pulled off a coup.
For the gaps in the monthly earnings of the eight Prime Ministers and Chief Ministers in the sub-region are wide, running to EC$11,000 (US$4,070) in one case.
The Dominica Prime Minister is at the bottom of the line, with a monthly salary and traveling allowance of EC$6,375 (US$2,358).
This compares to the total package of the Prime Minister of Antigua/Barbuda, the highest paid PM in the sub-region, which amounts to EC$17,500 (US$6,475). This package includes duty, traveling and constituency allowances.
Next in line is the Chief Minister of Montserrat, one of two British dependencies in the grouping, who earns a total of EC$13,810 (US$5,109) a month. That package constitutes a salary of EC$6,860, (US$2,538) duty allowance of EC$3,000 (US$1,110), travel allowance amounting to EC$1,000 (US$370) and a EC$412 (US$152) dollar telephone allowance.
St. Vincent's Prime Minister comes in a not-too-distant third, with a total monthly package of EC$13,782 that breaks down into a monthly salary of EC$7,482 (US$2,768), an EC$2,000 (US$740) duty allowance and a similar figure for his constituency, a travel allowance amounting to EC$1,200 (US$444) and EC$1,100 for telephone.
The breakdown is contained in the report of the commission set up by government in 1998 to make recommendations on the salaries, allowances, pension benefits and other conditions of service of parliamentarians which was laid in Parliament February 1.
Sir James says that he has asked the OECS director-general to include this issue as an agenda item for the next meeting of OECS Heads of Government that may take place next week Friday or early next month.
The committee has pointed out, though, that there may be some distortion in the figures when taken at face value because of the different tax regimes that exist in the various territories.
Workers in Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts and Nevis and, to some extent, Grenada do not pay personal income tax.
In Anguilla, the Chief Minister gets a monthly salary of EC$9,900 (US$3,663) and only an EC$750 (US$277) travel allowance.
The Grenada Prime Minister gets no housing, constituency or duty allowance in his monthly pay package of EC$7,012 (US$2,594) while the St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister gets travel, telephone, constituency and housing allowances in his monthly package of EC$11,520 (US$4,262).
And the Prime Minister of St Lucia gets everything else but a housing allowance in his package, which amounts to EC$11,160 (US$4,129).
The Vincentian Prime Minister, who is provided with a home by the state, collects no housing allowance but gets everything else.
The commission, which was headed by Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Dwight Venner, addressed the issue of good governance and the cost of governance, placing this in a global framework and outlined the role and function of the individual in the governmental process.
It carried out its work over a period of months, receiving contributions in person or in writing.
"What was somewhat disquieting was the apparent public apathy towards such an important issue of public policy and governance (which was) manifested by the appearance of only three private persons...," the committee stated.

St. Croix, USVI -- CANA -- The St. Croix-based oil refinery Hovensa will spend US$600 million to construct a new coker plant, senior company official announced at the weekend.
Vice President of Human Resources Alex Moorehead said that at least 200 new jobs would be created initially as a result of the construction, which will start in April.
The plant, to be constructed by Bechtel Corporation, will be used to convert pitch, the least valuable portion of crude oil, into higher value products.
The Bank of America will finance the project.
Moorehead said the financing will pay for the construction of a US$8,000 barrel-per-day coking unit and related facilities at the refinery and repay existing bank debts.
Hovensa's parent company, the New York-based Amerada Hess, sold 50 per cent of Hovic, its Hess Oil Virgin Islands subsidiary, to Petroleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa) for $625 million.
Under the agreement with the former Hovic, which the Virgin Islands Senate approved in May 1998, the Venezuelan Oil company agreed to a long-term contract to supply heavy crude oil at competitive prices.
Hovensa is the largest employer in the Virgin Islands.

USVI Task Force To Probe Corruption
ST.THOMAS, USVI, CANA -- In a move to stamp out corruption, especially in high office, a Public Corruption Task Force has been set up in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
In announcing the establishment of the unit on Tuesday, Attorney-General Iver Stridiron and Inspector-General Steven Van Beverhoudt said it came after more than a year of discussions between officials of the Department of Justice and the Inspector-General's office.
Stridiron reported that the charges laid against former Governor Roy Schneider and three senior members of his administration were the first set of high-level corruption allegations the unit would investigate.
He said that he had a stack of files which he was reviewing for possible prosecution, and he was astonished to see the large number of cases that were brought before him.
The Attorney-General and the Inspector-General said they were mounting a public relations campaign to encourage government employees who see fraudulent activities to report them, and to train department managers in how to detect criminal activities.
Schneider, Alvin Battiste, former Director of Budget of the Governor's Office, Maureen Bryan, former executive assistant in the Governor's office, and Dean Wallace, a computer specialist who was acting Finance Commissioner, are facing a 14-count complaint of conspiracy, embezzlement and fraud. They are accused of conspiring together to pay a US$29,000 hotel bill for someone who was not a guest of the hotel.
The Inspector General said that the four will not be arrested, but would be summoned to appear in the Territorial Court. No date has been fixed for their court appearance.
Meanwhile,Governor Charles Turnbull has issued a statement, saying that he will not comment on the charges brought against his predecessor and will "let justice take its course".

Guyana, CANA - The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) wants the transfer of some 30 Customs and Excise Department officers to other government agencies reviewed, General Secretary Joseph Brandt said at the weekend.
This is to correct demotions, settle salary and conditions of work issues, and find suitable posts for which they are trained, he said.

"From our research we have discovered that they have been transferred to ministries to perform tasks... that are not in keeping with their training, their experience and their certification," Brandt said.
The officers were shifted after a High Court ruling by Justice Carl Singh last month paved the way for the establishment of the controversial Revenue Authority.
Customs and the Inland Revenue Department are now absorbed in the new agency, which is headed by former tax boss Edgar Heyligar.
Comptroller Clarence Chue, his deputies Harold Bahadur and Laurice Bancroft, were compulsorily retired, and 10 junior staff members were dismissed based on allegations of corruption by the government.
Most of the officers will lose their status under the new posts, Brandt said.
"The positions...are in many cases below the levels at which they operated within the Customs and Excise Department," Brandt said.
Additionally, senior and junior officers now have the same rank in many government offices. The GPSU has written the governing Public Service Commission (PSC) to correct these matters, Brandt said.
He said the PSC letters of appointment are vague, omitting commencement dates, salary, conditions of service and other critical matters.
Brandt said, too, that some officers are upset because, in effect, many of them will lose 10 years of service if they accept the new positions in the public service.
A paid advertisement in Sunday's Stabroek News said there were no promotions at Customs in a decade, and although many officers acted "two grades up," they were never paid for those additional responsibilities.
With the transfers, they will revert to their 1990 substantive positions, losing both status and increased salary.
The GPSU is prepared to take legal action to defend the Customs officers, Brandt said.
"The union has the capability (and) competence to make representation where necessary... and ensure that from that particular angle their situation is given some attention," Brandt said.

St. Kitts-Nevis Calls Early General Election

BASSETERRE, CANA -- St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas has called an early general election -- on March 6.
The election, following Nomination Day February 25, was announced during a rally that Douglas' St. Kitts and Nevis Labour Party held Sunday night.
Douglas said that after reviewing the performance of his administration he has advised Governor General Sir Cuthbert Sebastian to dissolve Parliament from Monday to pave the way for the poll.
The election, some four months ahead of schedule, will be a straight fight between the Labour Party and former Prime Minister Dr. Kennedy Simmonds' People's Action Movement (PAM).
The Labour Party has held power since July 1995, when it captured seven of the 11 St Kitts and Nevis parliamentary seats.
PAM held three consecutive terms until the last election, at which Simmonds lost his own Central Basseterre constituency to current Tourism and Environment Minister Dwyer Astaphan, who will again be his challenger.
"The Labour Party is ready. The people of this country are all ready," a confident Douglas told the rally, adding that the Labour Party would demolish the opposition in the election.
At the rally, he said his party faced the poll against a backdrop of "a proud record of achievement," appealing for a peaceful and orderly campaign, and telling citizens of the two islands to "conduct yourself henceforth with pride, with maturity and with dignity."
He admitted, though, that the onset of floods associated with hurricanes in the past two years had retarded some of the additional work that government had planned to execute.
Government ministers have been holding public meetings in their constituencies and appearing on regular radio call-in programmes, using the Labour Party's slogans, "One good term deserves another" and "Moving in the right direction."
The Labour Party boasts of achievements in the areas of housing, water, electricity, the lowering of telecommunications costs and a relatively peaceful labour climate.
It also boasts of cutting public sector graft, revitalising and diversifying agriculture away from sugar, improving physical infrastructural development and grappling with the severe effects of hurricanes.

St Croix, CANA - The U.S, Virgin Islands is forced to look to the United States mainland for teachers because those here are resigning in large numbers.
A Department of Education spokesperson, Alacess Lewis-Brown, said in a statement Wednesday that states like Wyoming and Colorado and territories like Puerto Rico and Guam are targeted.
During the past two years, a large number of teachers left the territory to take up appointments in the United States, since the salaries in most states are much more than in the Virgin Islands.
Ms. Lewis-Brown ruled out New York, New Jersey and Connecticut as areas of recruitment because those states pay teachers high salaries.
"We are looking for people who really want to make a difference in our community," she said.
She explained that the territory's financial constraints will not allow the Virgin Islands to offer substantial salaries.

BUSTA POINTS A FINGER!
By Peter Adrien
Author and Sports Commentator

Busta has pointed a finger! Busta has pointed a finger at the West Indies senior players, and in the direction of a rising star. He has exposed our senior batsmen, confirmed the class of our two old journeymen, and has pointed us to the East "from whence cometh our help." The question is "are the selectors listening, taking heed and willing to make the right
decision?"
Busta has not disappointed us in 2000! No, Busta has given us only what we deserve and what we can manage. While it is true that we prayed for much, and Busta desired to give us much, we lack the capacity for great gifts.
We prayed for quality or pedigree batsmen like we used to know them; batsmen who would "make runs like rain"; batsmen who were fearless (like the wounded but determined young Guyanese Nicholas deGroot, who withstood the angry Ambrose - who was having a second bite of the cherry - in the final session of the match with an impaired hand to ensure his country's victory); naturally talented but disciplined, temperamentally strong and driven by their sense of nationality (the West Indian nationality).
And Busta would have given us all that and more if our present crop of batters or highly paid professionals were only willing and obedient. The carelessness, if not recklessness, that passes (in most cases) for competitive cricket is certainly not the basis for the making of quality batsmen and internationally competitive teams. In this circumstance, we certainly do not expect Busta to produce apples from fig trees or transform goats into sheep, or cause talents to flourish where the recipients are not prepared to nurture and develop their natural talent or even obey the science of the game, which is the first rule for success.
Busta has shown clearly that many of our batsmen -- including Dave Joseph, Roland Holder (who could have been considered for West Indian captaincy), Jimmy Adams, Sherwin Campbell -- really do not have the juice. Our seasoned but relatively unproductive or inconsistent batsmen lack the mental, intellectual and world views that constrain the naturally talented to excel.
Many limited but naturally talented batsmen have progressed from mediocre or marginal players to quality players by bringing themselves under the subjection of the science and psychology of the game. A few names come to mind - Nasser Hussain of England, Russell Arnold and Marvin Attapatu of Sri Lanka, Rahul Dravid and S. Ganguly of India, Ricky Pointing and Michael Slater of Australia.

These batsmen progressed from the marginal to the centre through determination, ambition, pride, discipline and respect for the laws of success. Busta is telling us that he is having difficulties finding these qualities in many of our players.
Busta does not like the reality but he must point to the truth. What are the facts? The two old horses -- Ambrose and Walsh -- are still incomparable and immovable. That may pose a difficulty for the selectors, but unless the decision makers are willing to invest boldly in the young brigade -- McLean, Collymore, King, Rose and Dillon -- the two veterans have proven their points and Busta has confirmed the same.
Ambrose produced the goods against Barbados in the semi-finals, after the Leeward Islands were bundled out for 190. The veteran West Indies fast bowler bowled his team to a vital 42-run first innings lead over Barbados on the second day at the Kensington Oval. The 36-year-old Ambrose, who has bowled with unerring accuracy all season, captured five for 39 off 23.1 overs to rout Barbados for a modest 148.
Perhaps, the great pace bowler wanted to prove a point, inasmuch as he was expected to appear with the chief of selectors, Mike Findlay on the popular weekly television cricket programme "Beyond the Boundary," which was to feature the chairman of the West Indies selection panel, Mike Findlay, and West Indies champion fast bowler Curtly Ambrose.
The half-hour interview, conducted by former Guyana and West Indies fast bowler Colin Croft for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), discussed the state of West Indies cricket, coaching programmes, and the WICB's plans to correct the faults in the present system.

Ambrose spoke about his bowling; his performance in this year's Busta Cup and his future in international cricket.

The sweetest news is that Busta has pointed to a rising star -- Nevisian, Runako Morton -- as an answer to the perennial problem of the West Indies middle order. The stylish and aggressive Nevisian batsman further confirmed eligibility for the big game, exhibiting his matriculation for the higher service at the most crucial time in the most important match. He came to the wicket when the Islanders were in serious trouble -- when they needed a "man" and not a "boy" -- and he proved his manhood.
The Leeward Islands were unable to put together any real partnerships of substance as Runako Morton (60) and Warrington Phillip (34) top scored for the visitors as they accumulated a total of 190. Morton once again mixed aggression with some sensible strokeplay as he again announced to selectors that he should be seriously considered for the upcoming Cable and Wireless Test Series. Phillip, on the other hand, played a cameo innings that seriously aided his team's cause.
The Barbadian press described his exhibition thus: "The Leewards owed their initial fight back to Runako Morton and Warrington Phillip, the pair ensuring that the last two wickets produced 61 runs. Fresh from a maiden first-class hundred in the last match against Jamaica, the 21-year-old Morton completed his third half-century against Barbados this season. His 60 off 121 balls in 2-1/2 hours was an innings of measured self-restraint and selective aggression and was even better than his knocks of 54 and 70 not out in the second-round preliminary match at the same venue a month ago. By the time he was ninth out, bowled trying to force Bryan through the offside, there were some who were nominating him as a middle-order candidate for the West Indies team to face Zimbabwe next month."

They have already selected him to the senior team. Bravo!
Morton has batted with resolve, maturity, skill and class. And his efforts have transcended the arithmetic of his performance. His average of 39.44 in five matches -- (higher than that of all the older and younger batters except Chris Gayle, another of Busta's favourites, and the veteran Roy Marshall of the Windward Islands) -- does not reflect the quality of his contribution to the team, his long occupation of the crease and his ability to counter the arrays of missiles that were hurled at him in hostile conditions and on unfriendly pitches.
Thank you Busta! High Five for Morton! Until then, Morton, keep a level eye in the finals.

In 1834, An Act for The Emancipation of Slaves on the Island of Montserrat was passed. It was written by English men to satisfy the motives of the English landowners and slaveholders who were about to lose their "property."
Its supposed intent was to free the enslaved Africans on the island.
No African slave was involved in the writing of the document, and no African slave had access to the document to see if its content satisfied the intent of its title: Emancipation.

At that time, supposedly, we did not have the capacity to understand the written word. At that time we did not have the right to question the implications of the Emancipation Act, or the effects it would have on the population that it was supposedly intended to free.
On the day designated, August 1, 1834, African slaves on the island of Montserrat celebrated their Emancipation. For the next 119 years the majority remained tied to the same plantations and estates from which the
Emancipation Act supposedly freed them.
Today, any of their descendants on Montserrat who can read the Emancipation Act will very easily conclude that nothing in the contents of the document satisfied the stated intent to free our Ancestors. The Act compensated the
plantation and estate owners for the loss of their "property," and still allowed them to maintain and control that "property."
On February 11, 2000, the first draft of The Elections Amendment Act 2000 was read. Its intent is to replace or amend the existing electoral system. Today, some insignificant elements in the process are different, but the overall controlling elements in the administrative structure remain in British control, and the intent appears to be the same: to satisfy some motive, policy, or priority that does not appear to be in the best interest of the population, and apparently, it is assumed, even though we can now read, that we still do not have the capacity to perceive.

Some external British interests, no longer landholders, recognize that the present electoral system will allow an aware electorate, politicians and voters to take the colony of Montserrat out of their control. In effect, they are once again in a position to lose their "property."
For the Act to become law it must be signed by the governor, an Englishman.
The Legislative Council members, who will approve the Electoral Amendment Act, are all descendants of the formerly enslaved Africans. The majority-population on which the Act will have its impact, are all descendants of the formerly enslaved Africans.
The words associated with amendment -- act, adjustment, alteration, change, modification, reform, revision, correcting, correction, improvement, rectification -- imply fixing something to make it better.
Upon reading this Act, and examining its implications to our electoral process, the question that needs to be asked is, how does this Amendment improve and increase the voting public's capacity to elect a Government that will have the political mandate to implement national policy?
A constitutional amendment is supposed to increase our capacity to express ourselves democratically. An electoral amendment is supposed to increase the options available to us and allow us greater flexibility to choose our representatives as the times dictate.
The 1989 Constitution Order shows us, in no uncertain terms, that the officials we elect do not have the constitutional authority to administrate the Colony of Montserrat. The implications of this electoral draft further reduces, rather than increases, our democratic rights and options and, in effect, brings the electoral process more in line with the intent and content of the 1989 Montserrat Constitution Order.

If we allow this system to be put in place as written, the system of Party-oriented politics becomes non-existent.
Without Party politics, there is no manifesto that suggests to the voters a national agenda. With no majority to put in office to implement a national agenda, what is the national purpose of the Legislative Council?
Under this system, it's every person for his/her self, and at the end of the process the nine persons with the most votes represent the country. No group can come together and present themselves to the voters because, when
the voting begins, you can only vote for one person in the group, no matter how well you like the group or the policies that the group is asking for the mandate to implement.

Nine different persons with nine different agendas and no unified concept of how to move the Colony forward becomes the most probable result. Is this democratic constitutional progress?
Who will these nine persons represent? What national policy will they have the mandate to implement? What majority of the electorate gives them the mandate to implement any policy? As written, if this system is put in
place, it reduces the options available to the voting public and decreases the few democratic gains that we have made since 1952, when this experiment began.
So, why are we even electing a Legislative Council? Whose agenda will they be satisfying? What laws will they be passing that will serve the best interest of the population? What policies will they be implementing that satisfy a national agenda? The present system allowed the British colonies in Africa to free themselves. The present system allowed all but the remaining colonies in the Caribbean to free themselves and still leaves those same options available to the remaining Colonies.
If this new system is put in place as written, it will make the Right to Become a Self-Determined People even more difficult if not impossible to accomplish. It will eliminate the ability of the politicians and the voters to come together and free themselves through a political mandate.
This new system will, in effect, insure that we are once again tied to the plantation for another 119 years because it will remove to the smallest possibility our ability to free ourselves from British colonialism and will insure to the greatest possibility that we remain a British colony far into the future.
These are but a few of the realities implied by the first draft of the Electoral Amendment Act.
On a program aired Feb. 15th, on Radio Montserrat, one of the members of the comission, Dr. Howard Fergus, laid out a scenario to the listening public that stated explicitly, each voter in Montserrat will have the right to vote for up to nine of the candidates who present themselves to the electorate, to represent them. When asked by me to reiterate this fact, he did.

The draft legislation, as it is currently written, establishes a process that says just the opposite. It states explicitly that we will have one vote and one vote only, for one candidate.
Today, a much larger percentage of us have the capacity to read, question, query and explore the impact of this Act upon our society. If enough of us understand the implications of this Act, we can take the steps to insure that it is not passed in its present form. If we don't, then we can rest assured, that another 119 years of Slavery will result from its passing.

By Justin "Hero" Cassell

Agricultural Development Officer

(Week ending 18^th February, 2000)

"Eat from the Land not from the Can"

The response by farmers and households to the above captioned scheme, according to Forest Ranger John Martin, has been good. This Grant Scheme is to encourage the use of trees in agriculture (i.e. Agro-forestry). This scheme is funded through the DFID Watershed and Forestry Management Project.

Recognising the long-term nature of the investments in tree planting, the scheme offers direct financial assistance to farmers to help offset the initial cost of planting and tending tree crops. The Scheme has two components, one to support orchard fruit production and the other to assist the establishment of fodder banks linked with livestock production.

The Department of Agriculture is reminding livestock farmers of the workshop on Thursday 24^th February 2000 at the NDF building, commencing at 9:00 am. We are also reminding livestock farmers who wish to participate in the field trip to Antigua to submit their names immediately.

The Forestry Unit has accelerated their tree crop propagation program with the view to having several thousands of seedlings available for distribution on "Tree Planting Day 2000."

The Forestry Unit will be accepting contributions from the general public of tree crop seeds and seedlings that may be useful in the propagation program.

The Veterinary Unit will be holding field clinics on the following days: -

Mondays - 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. in the vicinity of the old Salem Library.

Wednesdays - between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. clinics will be held in the Northern districts

For further information please contact Dr. Clifford Daniels on telephone numbers

491-2546/2075.

Montserrat Alive Magazine

by Lowell Lewis

19^th February 2000

The inevitable collapse of the new dome, which will bring further major ashing on to Salem, Olveston and Woodlands later this year, is an issue that requires attention. MAM is not a vehicle of pessimistic doom, as Keep Montserrat Alive Magazine (KMAM) was once described, but a proponent of common sense, vision and fair play, qualities sometimes regarded as naïve stupidity and no match for cunning.

For example, in KMAM of 23rdAugust, 1996, I wrote " When I read the MVO report of August 10, I drew two pencil lines on my map of Montserrat, one down Farm's ghaut and the other down from Farrels to Belham Valley. I then shaded in an area on both sides of the lines of about ½ to 1 mile in width to allow for the zones ii and iii of a pyroclastic flow, as recently described by Wadge. The shaded areas took in the airport, Air Studios, some of Corkhill, the Monlec electricity generators and Old Road Bay." ‘’

We are a little better prepared now. Tropical Mansion Suites is available for residents of Olveston and Old Town who may once again require temporary relocation, but it is a pity the owners of the Good Life did not build a 100 room hotel on top of their restaurant and dance floor.

Today was a beautiful day in Salem, and I enjoyed talking to patients in my newly opened ‘Happy Hill Medical Centre’ under the shadow of the mountain, within reach of any hot surge that will accompany any pyroclastic flow that may come down the Belham Valley. Not much sense for a medical centre to be in this location, but it is a deserving use of abandoned family property. My original intention was to open it as a Gallery, dedicated to the memory of my late great grand mother Agusta Ryan and her two daughters Sarah Ryan and Jane Perkins, for exhibition of photographs and distribution of local video productions.

However, the need for a medical service in that area became so apparent that I changed the word Gallery to Medical Centre. Nevertheless, during the time that I am overseas, visitors will be invited to view a photographic exhibition, either before or after a visit to the Frith’s Bird’s Eye View of the Volcano. In any case, the centre can be moved completely within six hours.

MONEY CANNOT BY LOVE? How could I describe this is a myth (See previous MAM article ‘ BOT New Jewels of the Empire.) This MAM valentine edition is late, but it is still worth sharing the thoughts contained.

The issue hinges on the definition of "Love". We all know what the oldest profession is, and even though the epidemic of AIDS seemed to threaten its position as the number one vice, above gambling, in some societies, thanks to the proper use of condoms, it still serves to meet the carnal needs of obsessive ram goats, who should really give their hearts to Jesus.

But this is not LOVE. It is carnal need, which by coincidence is an important part of the expression of love. Just like when we say "We love you" "We love you", it is just that, A SAYING, which sometimes actually means "We Need You" "We Need You"

One of my obsessions is ice cream, and I have started to eat smaller volumes because I am likely to develop Diabetes Milletus like my late grand mother and late Uncle Morgan. But I have assured my good friend John that my warnings about diabetes have no chance of closing his business down. His ice cream is just too nice. My warning couldn’t close his business down, and neither could anyone wishing to give away ice cream.

Miss Henny of Trials could have given him a run for his ice cream. I visited her in her comfortable apartment in Leicester, England, and noted that on benefits, she could save more than she could ever earn in Montserrat. It is a pity that apartment could not have been one of the one thousand (1000) houses that Governor Savage wanted to build in St John’s. Then she wouldn’t have to be wrapped in six layers of clothing when she go shopping, and I could have got one of her Xs.

Money cannot buy love, but it certainly can by gratitude, support, more money, better health care and sometimes an X. Money can buy hate. If you give away food, you close down the grocers, you provide free services by highly paid overseas consultants and professionals, you make it impossible for self employed to make a living. Provide subsidised ferry and helicopter services and it is impossible for any on to embark on a project that could break the stranglehold that restricts travel to and from Montserrat.

Money cannot buy love, but it can buy a future, hope, fulfillment and happiness, but this depends on who has the privilege and authority to spend it. The recently announced social welfare programme is a slap in the face of all over sixty year olds who were not established employees and therefore without pension.

In the United Kingdom, the limit for savings to qualify is ten thousand pounds ($40,000.00), and since when has the value of assets been a factor? God help the little old lady who has no money for food, electricity, water and cable television, who has a small piece of land in Drummonds where there is no road water or electricity. She now has to sell it for $3999.00 to qualify. Money cannot buy love, but it can change a community's destiny.

Reuben says Brandt gave away

The nightclub spot at Little Bay,

But no, we're told,

ExCo was polled

And stamped the leasing plan 'OK'.

Pay Scales

Some leaders' pay is not so hot,

Dominica's has the bottom spot;

On top, we've heard,

Is Lester Bird,

And next to that ranks Montserrat.

Jus wonderin if any of the ten ladies' brother, sister, father, boyfriend have any job overseas belongers to that country could do.

Just Wonderin if there's a Brandy and Marijuana hut in Look-out in one of the last set of houses that was build.

Just Wonderin what happened to the inter-island school exchange.

Just Wonderin if the women's co-operative will ever be revived again in Montserrat

Just Wonderin why those in charge of jobs are so hard on people without O'levels and when they went there they didn't have anything.

Just Wonderin why the government stopped the businessman from putting up the supermarket at lookout.

Just Wonderin when just wonderin will fill a whole page.

Just Wonderin if the BREEZER driver is in love with the Big Mouth-ed woman at the Bar

Just wonderin why some people are killing out themselves with election just around the corner and there is no hope that they are going to be back in High Ranks

Just wonderin what will become of Montserrat when we have so many immature people around the place.

Just Wonderin if the Road going to the forsaken airport is the new Lovers Lane.

Jus wonderin why the queen is off her throne and the king of the world stands alone.

Jus wonderin if the nurses don’t have a dress code.

Jus wonderin how many wives stayed home while their other half and valentines went out.

Jus wonderin if the social welfare will start sending the elderly people out of their minds.

Jus wonderin if it’s true that more Montserratians are now thinking of saving their money overseas.

Jus wonderin if the banks have any right by law to give out information to anyone just for (300.00).

Jus wonderin if why the same benefits are not sought or allowed to we Montserratians who stayed back here to rebuild this country like those in London and Antigua.

Jus wonderin why some get all and some get nothing.

Jus wonderin if the next CHIEF MINISTER will really be a retired white man.

Jus wonderin if the traffic rules and regulations should not be adhered by the English chief.

Jus wonderin if a job as a fire or ambulance driver will not be a better choice of career.

Jus wonderin if Salem is going to be moved soon.

Jus wonderin how we could expect the West Indies cricket team to perform any better when the guys cannot even perform in regional Buster cup matches.

Jus wonderin who is really under investigation.

Jus wonderin why so many hundred thousand $$$ are spent on repairing the road from St. Johns to Bramble airport when the road from Salem to Fogarty Hill is still so bad.

Jus wonderin when some kind of compensation will be paid to relatives of the persons who were killed during the volcano activities on June 25, 1997.

Jus wonderin if those who complain foreign boy friend has a job in Montserrat.

Jus wonderin what gave so many persons upset stomachs the day after valentine.

Jus wonderin if the new introduced Social Welfare System should not be similar to the one in the UK.

Jus wonderin how many more villas this Observatory person will be allowed to trash while on HM payroll.