MONLEC Loses Power, Patience With TV Crew
By Merrick Andrews
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Montserrat was plunged
into an island-wide eight-hour electricity power outage after a truck hit a
power control system at Montserrat Electricity Services Limited (MONLEC) Power
Station in Brades yesterday.
MONLEC authorities called the power outage, which occurred at around 2:00 p.m.,
the worst in recent times.
It began when a
contractor’s tow truck and trailer loaded with utility poles hit a wall, part
of which collapsed on MONLEC’s switchgear that controls four generators and
three 11,000-volt overhead supply lines. “As a result, one panel that provides
the internal supplies to the Power Station was damaged and others were
overturned,” a MONLEC press release said today.
The release added: “The nature of the damage to the equipment and the need for
careful examination made it very difficult for the company to provide customers
with a precise estimate of the time for restoring supplies.”
Meanwhile, two journalists working
for the independent Peoples Television (PTV) station said they were harassed and
threatened by MONLEC’s Managing Director Hilton Howson, while photographing
men repairing the damaged system.
he PTV crew of reporter Claude Brown, and manager/producer Denzil Edgecombe were
the first media team to arrive on the scene as MONLEC technicians worked to
repair and reposition the switchgear at the Power Station. PTV started
“permanent operations” in September of last year.
Mr. Edgecombe, who was photographing, said Managing Director Howson threatened
to take his equipment or have him arrested. “We were quite a distance from the
scene; we never tried to get too close. I was particularly approached by the
manager of MONLEC, Mr. Howson, and asked to leave the premises. He said cameras
were not permitted there and he would either seize and destroy my equipment or
have me arrested,” said Mr. Edgecombe, 55.
The police officer later arrived at the scene and ordered the PTV team “to
leave peacefully” Mr. Edgecombe said.
“The police asked us to leave and we said we were just doing our job and not
getting into anybody’s way. They just thought we should apply to his wish to
leave, and we figured that it was our constitutional right and the
responsibility to our public to report the story and not in anyway making a
nuisance.”
A police officer, who asked that his name not be used, said the PTV crew was
“acting stubborn” and that “if they were to be removed from the scene, it
would have to be by force”.
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MONLEC’S managing
director said the PTV crew did not ask permission to film the proceedings. He
said filming at an emergency scene might distract the men at work.
“When emergency work is going on it’s best not to have people in the way to
distract the workers,” said Mr. Howson, adding the other media houses,
including the government-owned ZJB radio station, “were welcomed because they
stuck to the guidelines.”
Mr. Edgecombe, however,
said the manager’s behaviour “was very aggressive, he ordered us and
actually made threats against us from the very beginning, and against me
personally because I was the photographer.”
Eyewitness Levons Watts called the behaviour of MONLEC’s top boss “abrupt
and hostile”.
“He tried to obstruct them by putting his hands on the camera. That was very
outrageous and ridiculously out of place,” said Mr. Watts.
About other persons at the scene, he added: “They were astounded, as we were,
at the actions of the manager (of MONLEC).”
Mr. Edgecombe said he has not decided whether to take legal action against the
power company, but said he will be consulting with his lawyers.
Power was restored to
the island shortly after 10 p.m. No one was injured in the incident.
Opposition Leader Suggests AIDS Linked to Prostitution
By Merrick Andrews
Leader of the
opposition National Progressive Party (NPP) Reuben Meade has linked prostitution
to the number of reported sexually transmitted infections in Montserrat.
Mr. Meade said at the Budget Debate in Parliament on Monday, “we don’t know
how many (HIV/AIDS cases) we have in Montserrat” with “prostitution taking
place in Montserrat by imported prostitutes.”
“It’s like a rat
population Mr. Speaker, when you see one rat; you know that there might be 10
others,” he said.
Two weeks ago, The Montserrat Reporter revealed that 19 cases of hepatitis B and
two cases of HIV/AIDS were reported last year. The newspaper also revealed that
the two reported cases of HIV last year were the first such cases since the
volcano crisis began in 1995. Eight cases of the disease had been reported
before that time, according medical records.
Mr. Meade, who was Chief Minister from 1991-1996, called on the government to
take more serious action.
“We should not be reading about it in the newspaper. We should be hearing what
government policies are, to safeguarding the people of Montserrat,” he said.
Despite, the widespread news of prostitution and child pornography in the
island, the Montserrat police maintain that it is difficult to establish
evidence needed for successful prosecutions.
Allegations are also circulating of possible police involvement.
Public sector sources are questioning whether the imported prostitutes are ‘working’ here on work permits as “the government (through their immigration officials) persists to harass innocent immigrants who come to help develop Montserrat, even though the country is not in a volcano crisis.”
Support for this
position came Tuesday evening at a presentation from the Chamber of Commerce to
the Government. In that presentation, Mr. Kenneth Cassell told the Chief
Minister, the director of the Development Unit and other ministers,
“Government needs to totally relax the still stringent regulations regarding
work permits and the regular trek by Caribbean people to immigration for
extension of their stay in Montserrat. We
must remove the bureaucratic red tape which plagues those who have been here for
years but need to renew their work permit.”
“I see whereby immigrants are treated unfairly – like criminals – during
their time here in Montserrat, yet prostitutes can be given such privilege to be
here and not be harassed for doing something illegally,” said an employee in
the public sector, who called The Montserrat Reporter but wished to remain
anonymous.
Mr. Meade called the number of 21 sexually transmitted infections cases in
Montserrat a “significant percentage” and said if the problem is not
rectified quickly, the population of about 4,000 “will be wiped out”.
“If we are to follow another document which we see floating around out here
– the number of AIDS cases in Montserrat – and this is based on
documentation, has been reported to be much higher than the two the newspaper
reported,” he said.
“We are talking about teens in Montserrat, not teenage children," he
said. "But we all feel happy, things going good, you can come to Salem and
buy a pack of condoms and you do whatever you want to do.”
Mr. Meade also called for heavy penalties to punish persons responsible for
child rape/abuse, child pornography and prostitution.
Government Reverse Plan For Shelter Resident 'Rent'
By Merrick Andrews
Persons living in
shelters will not be charged for rent as was announced without authorization two
weeks ago by the director of housing, the Montserrat government said today.
Minister of Housing and Land Margaret Dyer-Howe said the announcement made by
Director of Housing Rachael Ryan has been reversed and that the situation would
be dealt with “internally” before any more decisions are made.
At Monday's sitting of parliament, Mrs. Dyer-Howe denied that the government had
any involvement in the decision to charge people living in shelters. “The
government would like to disassociate itself from the announcement,” she told
Parliament.
“Persons in authority
must be careful of what they say and of what they do, and I add there is some
degree of hostility in this issue and this development. I cannot understand how
a senior officer would take such a decision without even discussing (it) with
her minister,” she said.
Mrs. Dyer-Howe made her comments in Parliament minutes after a critical speech
by Reuben Meade, leader of the
opposition National Progressive Party (NPP), who said that the shelters are not
worth $175, because they offer residents no privacy, among other things.
“It is shameful,” he said. “All of us must pray for you (the government)
because you can’t do this to poor people, especially people who support you
– and you talk about plenty love and money.”
He added: “Don’t change the name from shelters to dormitories, because they
are still shelters. Individuals who live in those don’t live there because
they want to live there, it’s because they can’t do better.”
Mrs. Dyer-Howe refused to say if any disciplinary action will be taken against
the director of housing, who is still on duty. “I want to put it to rest,”
she responded. “The issue is about the shelters.” The minister said any
decision about the shelter program would be made at an “appropriate time”.
The director of housing had announced that the money obtained from the rent
charge would be used to help pay for food, utilities and maintenance costs,
which total about $300,000 annually.
Currently 131 people are living in one-room shelters or dormitory units set up
by the government.
The international news wire service Associated Press (AP) quoted state press
officer Lionel Nanton on Tuesday as saying that, while there were some plans to
begin charging people who were working, rent prices would be decided on a
case-by-case basis. “The poor and elderly will not have to pay,” Mr. Nanton
was quoted as saying.
Mrs. Dyer-Howe said an agreement had been made with the director of housing to
oversee implementation of the shelter program, but that no decision had been
authorised to charge $175. Nor was there any agreement to hold meetings with the
sheltered residents, informing them about the charge, said Mrs Dyer-Howe.
“It was agreed
sometime that the shelter program would have been implemented at a later
date,” the minister told parliament. “Mr. Speaker, when I heard the
announcement on the radio…I called her (the director of housing) to give me
the content and explanation of the purpose of her meetings with the shelter
residents, and she refused.”
Ms. Ryan declined to comment on the situation when contacted by telephone on
Tuesday.
Some shelter residents were angry when they were informed of the new charges.
“That money is too much,” said James Barzey, 54, an unemployed shelter
resident in the village of Brades.
The director of housing had announced, however, that persons who showed they
could not pay would have qualified for the Rent Assistant Scheme.
The Budget Debate in Parliament Revealed Less About the Budget than About NPLM 'Solidarity'
Perhaps it is the leadership style that should be credited or blamed for the breakdown on the one hand and near stardom on the other that appeared in Legislative Council on Monday when last Friday’s budget presentation was debated.
It was the Honourable Chedmond Brown who stole the spotlight. At the end he may well be considered an opposition member of the house, despite being one of three backbenchers of government. The honorable John Wilson performed as deputy speaker and found himself being challenged to debate at one point. The other backbencher, Claude Hogan, who probably sees himself as a minister of government in his role as project manager of the Geralds airport construction project, gets the award as the "I-Man," who tried to give the impression that he is doing the people of Montserrat a favor by serving as a legislator instead of earning his millions elsewhere.
Ministers of government were full of praise and compliments for CM John Osborne’s “practical” budget, while Minister Lowell Lewis, who received accolades from his fellow elected members across the floor, presented what most Montserratians are more interested in - ideas that could generate income to the island.
During that debate some very questionable statements were made about the John Osborne government’s achievements in their 10 months in office surpassing those of previous governments. The people will ask for an explanation for harder times, higher utilities cost and near hopelessness. The statement that would do them more damage than the truth, especially since it came behind opposition member Reuben Meade’s declaration that the budget statements should all begin with, “we thank David Brandt, former Chief Minister….”
They call this politics. NPLM needs to know Montserrat is beyond politics. And what about Minister Margaret Dyer-Howe's castigating her public officer and director of housing, denying her ministry's responsibility for the director’s actions? Mr. Meade’s accusations of shame for charging rent for shelters must have hit the mark because her response trying to disassociate herself on earth and in outer space merely suggests she has no control of her ministry.
How can they accuse Cheddy of talking nonsense when he says that the civil servants run things, showing loyalty, as they must legally, to the governor?
Throughout this whole crisis we have tried to show that HMG has been spending only pocket change on Montserrat, more perhaps to their annoyance, but only enough that they will not hurt, since it is still their contention that it is good money spent after bad, should the volcano prove them right and drive every one away from Montserrat.
The Chief Minister is defending his most popular but out of context phrase, “He who pays the piper calls the tune,” finally confirming our theory that HMG still consider us to a large extent a nuisance set of people who will not bow to their better wishes.
Mr. Osborne told us the reason we cannot and will not get a better airport than the cheapest (hopefully safe) at Geralds, is because they (and I suspect he also) fear the possible development and doubt the eventual end of the Soufriere Hills volcano. So why even bother to look now at other options, permanent or better than Geralds, and which are definitely more expensive – as better always is. That also explains the difficulty of getting approved projects off the ground.
In the Chief Minister HMG has found a partner, but that tells us at last that the money being spent on the Geralds airport has nothing to do with Montserrat's development but with a policy not to dig in their pockets, just in case the volcano proves even their scientists wrong - the valid question therefore is "What are the scientists telling them that is different from what they are telling us?”
We are very much part of the problem here and it was Chedmond Browne, who, according to him ‘reluctantly’, said some things during the debate on Wednesday, that no one else wants to say. Sure we boast more autonomy, but no money or much less money to spend, following DFID’s spending spree mostly on themselves (just so no one here gets rich as ordained by the lady Clare Short). Off to greener money spree pastures in Afghanistan, Bosnia etc.
Annoyingly, the budget sounded rich, lots of money to be spent, but much of it to be found from us and by our paying the price for not yielding to HMG’s wishes.
Finally, Cheddy was dead right. The ministers of government did not rise to support the Chief Minister in support of the motion to approve, because they did not know what was or was not in the speech until it was read. They deviated from the norm where each would speak to those matters concerning their own ministries, and the weekend was not enough for them to study the speech, leaving them no better off than the opposition and the backbenchers.
We can hope that this style of "let us do what we can, they (us) don’t have to know till it is done," cannot work. But let us also hope that the new partnership being forged by government with the private sector through the Chamber of Commerce and the National Development Foundation, the financial institutions and the rest of the private sector will bear fruit. If it does we can probably turn around and confound those who, unlike the rest of us, don’t believe that north is safe from the volcano. With true cooperative effort we will make it.
Except for the editorial, opinion articles expressed in these pages are
not necessarily those of the Montserrat Reporter editors, employees or advisers.
Readers are encouraged to submit commentary articles.
All viewpoints, unless libelous, in poor taste, or anonymous, are
welcome. Send your contributions to
The Editor, P.O. Box 306, Olveston, Montserrat, W. I., e-mail: editor@montserratreporter.org
or monrep@candw.ag. Manuscripts
will not be returned unless accompanied by a return stamped envelope.
The Montserrat Reporter is a privately owned independent newspaper.
Jus
Wonderin items may be called in at telephone 491-4715 or Fax 491-2430
GOD
HELP ME!
Jeremiah 2:26-37
Where are your gods that you have made for yourselves? Let them arise, if they can save you in the time of your trouble. Jeremiah 2:28
Ever notice how people react to tragedy? Even the monreligious try to get the attention of God, whom they have previously ignored. Accounts of plane crashes, floods, tornadoes, or hurricanes often tell of someone who calls on the Lord for help.
It would be nice to think that the heavenly Father is just waiting for such times of panic so He can send all the emergency equipment of heaven to the rescue. But the Bible indicates otherwise. Through Jeremiah, the Lord challenged His people who were in trouble to get help in the hour of death from the idols they had worshiped. He wanted them to see the futility of trusting false gods.
The Lord may ask the same question of us. In an hour of distress, He may say, "Why do you cry for Me now? Where are your sports heroes and movie stars? Why not seek help from the TV, appeal to your paycheck, take comfort in your possessions, or rely on your credit cards? Let these gods whom you've served so faithfully now serve you!"
God doesn't want us to think we can go on trusting false gods and still expect Him to protect us from trouble. He graciously grants forgiveness to us if we are truly repentant.
And He offers hope and help to those who have learned to depend on Him all the time. -MRD 11
The gods of this world are empty and vain,
They cannot give peace to one's heart:
The Living and True One deserves all our love
From Him may we never depart. -D. DeHaan
THOSE WHO WALK WITH GOD
ALWAYS FIND HIM CLOSE
AT HAND.
Report
of Prostitution Draws Reader Warning
Dear Editor,
Prostitution in
Montserrat has made front page news. What a disgrace. Prostitution is illegal
and immoral no matter where it takes place. This young man is quoted as saying
it is variety. "Variety" means STD, HIV and AIDS. These young men
should realize that sleeping with prostitutes means that they are sleeping with
every Tom, Dick, and JoJo. Then the wives or the girlfriends are subjected to
sleeping with various individuals indirectly. These innocent ladies are
subjected to STD's and worst of all AIDS or the HIV virus for which there is no
cure.
I think that these men
need to visit the hospice where the people that are infected with the HIV virus
or dying from AIDS, then maybe they will think twice. I am not judging anyone's
behaviour, or want to pass judgement on anyone, but this kind of behaviour
should not be tolerated in our beautiful homeland.
In many places in the
USA the names of Johns (the men who pay for sex) and the prostitutes are
published in the local newspaper or on Local access TV. These men are
embarrassed because now everyone knows who is picking up prostitutes. They also
have to perform community service in the area where they were picked up. Paying
$400 of their salary to a prostitute is appalling.
Carol O'Garro
USA
Pacesetters
General Meeting Prods Them Forward
The Pacesetters Sports and Cultural Club held its general meeting on Wednesday, when a committee was set up, according to a press release from the club.
The committee will take responsibility for the management of the Club’s affairs. The committees are Social & Entertainment Committee; Community Projects Committee;
Health & Wellness Committee; Sports Committee: and the Cultural Committee.
All members are being assigned to a committee according to their areas of competence, the release said.
The Social and Entertainment Committee has already organized its first activity. This will be a Moonlight Picnic at Little Bay on Tuesday, March 26, starting at 7 pm. Friends of the Pacesetters are invited to join members at the beach. Activities for the evening will include games, story-telling, and late-night swimming.
The next meeting will take place on Thursday, April 11.
MVO Volcano Assessment Finds Dangers Undiminished
Hazard levels close to
the volcano have increased slightly as the Soufriere Hills volcano continues its
second phase of sustained dome growth, which began in November 1999,
according to the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO).
It said in its
preliminary statement on the recent assessment of the scientific and hazards of
the volcano that since September 2001, the dome has grown at an average rate of
about 2 cubic metres per second or 400,000 tonnes per day. The summit region of
the dome has now reached an altitude of about 990 metres.
The MVO statement said the dome has mainly grown towards the east and that risk
levels will fluctuate as the configuration of the dome changes. The main
hazards, the statement said, are pyroclastic flows, explosions, falls of ash and
small stones and volcanic mudflows.
The MVO statement said there is no sign of the volcanic activity diminishing and
it is most likely that the eruption will continue for a number of years.
Montserrat and
Gibraltar Sign MOU Promising New Aid Here
By Merrick Andrews
The governments of Montserrat and Gibraltar have agreed on an assistance package to Montserrat.
Chief Minister John Osborne signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on
behalf of the government of Montserrat at a press briefing on Tuesday at the
Government Training Centre, Brades. At the same occasion, Cable TV of Montserrat
donated a video camera to the Government Information Services.
Gibraltar, also a British overseas territory, is offering assistance in tourism,
information technology, training, housing administration maintenance,
legislation/administration models and technical assistance and capital projects.
Chief Minister Osborne said: “Last week I presented the 2002 budget. There
were several areas where we would have liked to allocate additional resources
but could not; therefore we are pleased when our friends and well-wishers offer
their assistance. The government of Gibraltar, concerned with our plight, has
offered both technical and financial support, which we hope will enhance our
economic and social development.”
He also lauded former Chief Minister David Brandt for initiating discussions
with the Gibraltar government. Mrs. Sarita V. Francis, Permanent Secretary in
the Office of the Chief Minister, who explained how Montserrat would benefit
from the alliance with Gibraltar, said: “The government of Montserrat
appreciates the offer of assistance from the government and the people of
Gibraltar. We hope that the relevant stakeholders will grasp the opportunity to
derive the benefits from this agreement. We will be returning a signed copy of
the MOU to the government of Gibraltar this week and hope that we will be able
to contact the relevant authorities for the implementation of this agreement.”
In regards to tourism, Mrs. Francis said the Gibraltar government will host a
Technical visit by a Montserrat Tourist Board official with the objective of
assisting with packaging and marketing of Montserrat’s tourism product.
She said Montserrat
government will assist Montserrat to establish key contacts in the cruise ship
industry.
Mrs. Francis said the government will be able to benefit from information
relating to the technical, administrative, allocation, and maintenance of public
housing stock, in addition to take advantage of any advice, documentation in
respect to private/public co-ownership housing schemes.
Gibraltar will also consider funding an educational, sporting or any other
capital project in Montserrat, the permanent secretary also announced.
Gibraltar, with a
population of nearly 28,000, benefits from an extensive shipping trade, offshore
banking, and its position as an international conference centre. The island,
located off the southern coast of Spain was ceded to Great Britain by Spain in
the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the British garrison was formally declared a colony
in 1830.
In a 1967 referendum, Gibraltar nationals ignored Spanish pressure and voted
overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency.
Cable TV Manager Miss Petronella Frith presents Chief Minister
John Osborne with a camera donated by Cable TV of Montserrat at Government
Training Centre on Tuesday, where a press briefing also was held to announce the
signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Montserrat and Gibraltar.
Meals
on Wheels Donation Celebrates Rotaract Week
The Montserrat Rotaract
Club gave a donation of $1,200 to Meals on Wheels, a non-profit organisation
catering to less fortunate people, in one of its many activities to celebrate
Rotaract Week, which began on Sunday.
Rotaract Week ends tomorrow with a cookout at Little Bay, and the distribution
of HIV/AIDS pamphlets.
Meals and Wheels, was presented a cheque from Miss Eveline Chambers,
Rotaract’s Public Relations Officer, on behalf of the club. The organization
received a similar donation from Delta Petroleum on Thursday.
Despite the island-wide power outage, the Rotaract Club still held a HIV/AIDS
open forum on Thursday, which featured two HIV/AIDS victims from Antigua. They
shared their experience with the deadly disease to a “full-house” audience
at the Tropical Mansions Suite, according to Miss Chambers,.
Meanwhile, chairman of Meals on Wheels Kenneth Scotland said all contributions,
whether cash or in kind, are welcomed no matter how small. “Everything
helps,” he said. Every contribution is welcomed.”
He
said he is looking for more sponsorship to help feed 38 less fortunate persons,
the majority of whom are elderly. Meals on Wheels began in June last year. It is
a non-governmental operation, but sometimes obtains help from the government.
UWI
Centre Hosts First Teleconference Lecture
Professor Michael Kelly
of Zambia was the featured lecturer at the first region-wide public lecture
hosted recently by the University of the West Indies (UWI) in St. Kitts and
Nevis.
Via the UWI teleconferencing network, Professor Kelly addressed the topic,
"The HIV/AIDS Epidemic: How should the Caribbean’s Education Sector
respond?" UWI Non-Campus Countries and other regional universities aired
the lecture.
Professor Kelly said that in addition to health implications, HIV/AIDS continues
to have a devastating impact on the social, economic and demographic foundations
of society. He said that the common feature of HIV/AIDS and education is that
they both focus on the young.
He revealed that more than half of the new HIV/AIDS infections occur among young
people aged 15 to 25 and that the disease has orphaned millions of children.
Professor Kelly
proposed two responses by society.
He said that HIV/AIDS should not be allowed to overwhelm the education sector
and that the capacity of the education sector should be developed to respond in
a dynamic, visionary and creative way.
He further suggested that the education sector must not only react to the
epidemic but also circumvent the disease and its impact.
Resident Tutor and Head of the University Centre, Mrs. Olivia Edgecombe-Howell, said that the lecture was of a very high standard and was well received by the 70 people who attended at the centres on the UWI Cave Hill Campus. The program had participants from remote areas in Jamaica and as far a field, regionally, as Tobago.
Unsafe
Zone Arrests Stir A Legal Dispute
By Helena Durand
There is controversy as to whether arrests made in the Unsafe Zone on Montserrat are legal.
The Unsafe Zone, or Exclusion Zone as it is more commonly called, is a part of Montserrat which begins from the south of Belham to just below Jack Boy Hill; an area which extends to and covers the south of the Island including its city Plymouth and surrounding communities.
That area was completely evacuated in 1997 at the height of the volcanic crisis on the island.
Attorney-at-Law Warren Cassell said in a ZJB Radio programme earlier this month that the "Police cannot arrest people in the Unsafe Zone.” He said that doing so "is illegal."
The lawyer based that position on the fact that "a proclamation was made by the Governor causing an Act to bring closure to the State of Emergency on Montserrat."
He quoted a proclamation dated the 10th day of January 1996, bringing an end to the State of Emergency declared on the 1st day of December, 1995, in Montserrat, in which the then Governor Francis Joseph Savage proclaimed "...That the state of public emergency so declared no longer exists."
Contrary to Mr. Cassell's statements however, Superintendent of Police John Douglas has said, "The State of Emergency proclaimed by the Governor has not been lifted. It was proclaimed so because of the continuous activity of the volcano; and the volcano is still active."
The superintendent said that persons found in the Unsafe Zone can be arrested "under the Emergency Powers Regulations 1996 made by the Governor under Section 3 of the Leeward Islands Order in Council 1959."
That Regulation he said "Gives the Police or any authorised person power to arrest without warrant, any person found in the Unsafe Zone."
He explained that any person found without proper authorisation in "any evacuated area declared unsafe by the Governor is committing an offense and has to be arrested."
The Office of the Attorney General has confirmed that the island is indeed still in a state of Emergency and cited a "proclamation dated 3rd of April 1996 declaring the existence of a State of Emergency on Montserrat, SR&O 27, 1996."
The Office also stated that under Designation and Evacuation of unsafe areas Regulation 5 (2), "Any person without proper authorisation being in the Unsafe Zone and failing to leave is liable to fine of $2000.00 but not less than $200.00 and/or six months imprisonment."
Another legal source said, "The state of emergency should actually be repealed. We have a Disaster Preparedness & Response Act. They should amend legislation under the Act to prohibit people from entering the Unsafe Zone, rather than keeping the island in a perpetual state of emergency."
UK
Visa Idea Discounted As Solution to Drug Traffic
KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Dr. Peter Phillips, Jamaica's National Security Minister, said last week in London that imposition of visa regulations on Jamaicans travelling to the United Kingdom would not address the root problems of the illegal drug trade.
“I
don’t think measures relating to visa will address the real root problem which
is cocaine and the traffickers of cocaine," Dr. Phillips said. ”The
traders are very adaptable and many of the people involved are British nationals
who have rights of passage. What you have to do is to attack the problem and not
the outward appearance of the problem,”
Some sections of the British media and government have been suggesting that visa requirements on Jamaicans could be used to tackle the problem of illegal drug couriers.
Dr. Phillips noted that cocaine coming
through Jamaica and couriers from Jamaica represented less than 10 percent of
the drug entering the United Kingdom. In addition, he said there were measures
that could be put in place to deal with drug couriers and that
technology-assisted screening processes to identify and weed out couriers would
be implemented.
He said it was important to focus on efforts to root out the drug dealers and not give the impression of targeting the wider community.
Dr. Phillips, who was in London for a series of meetings with UK Government officials, said he was pleased with the results of these discussions.
Caribbean Seminar Aim Is to Re-invent Tourism
Rosetta
West, communications officer of the Montserrat Tourist board (MTB), participated
in a seminar aimed at re-inventing Caribbean Tourism, held in Jamaica from
February 28 to March 1, according to the MTB.
The government of Spain in collaboration with the Caribbean Tourism Organisation
(CTO), CARICOM and the ministry of tourism put on the seminar.
Ms. West said the seminar was held “to
bring together Planners from Ministries of Tourism from around the CARICOM
region to exchange views on strategies for the development, effective packaging,
and marketing of the Caribbean product in the changing competitive market and to
discuss issues relating to the management of tourism”.
Among issues discussed
were: The slow growth of CARICOM tourism as compared to international tourism;
trends and changing demands in the industry; the need for innovative marketing
approaches; bureaucracy in national tourism structures, and research and
information needs of the tourism planner
Out of these issues, planners highlighted the importance of diversifying the
Caribbean product beyond the sun, sea, and sand aspect, as this is what people
perceive the Caribbean to be only, the MTB release stated.
It was noted that the
confidence in the Internet has improved over the years and planners therefore
spoke of the use of the Internet to its capacity, as it is recognised as an
inexpensive and comprehensive marketing tool.
Montserrat Collegian Wins UK Dental Award
Miss Vera Fenton, a
dental therapist from Montserrat, received the Dentsply Student of the Year
Award at Matthew Boulton College in the United Kingdom recently.
The presentation was made by Matt Turner, a prosthetic product specialist, on
behalf of Dentsply. He paid tribute to the "consistently excellent
standard" of Miss Fenton's work on the BTEC National Dental Technology
course during 2000-2001, which earned her the award.
Miss Fenton, who left
Montserrat in the wake of the volcanic eruption, said of the award: "I have
a Dental Therapist's Certificate from back home, which meant that I could do
some fillings, extractions and polishing. I enjoyed it immensely, and there is
definitely a market for dental technology skills back in Montserrat."
The dental course covered a three-year period.
CM
Osborne Joins Trip To Berlin Tourism Show
Chief Minister John
Osborne is part of Montserrat’s delegation to the International Tourism
Exchange, ITB Berlin, which starts tomorrow.
Other members of the delegation include Montserrat Tourist Board Chairman Eddie
Edgecombe, Administrative Officer Elveta Chalmers and Communications and Public
Relations officer, Rosetta West. Mrs.
Angela Greenaway, director of development, will also make an appearance at the
Show on her way to another seminar in Brussels.
This is the 36th year for the International Tourism Exchange, ITB
Berlin, which continues to serve international tourism as a forum for
communication and marketing. Last year the Show attracted over 10,000 exhibitors
from over 180 countries.
A Montserrat booth will be set up where the Delegation will have a chance to
showcase Montserrat’s product, answer questions and provide information on
Montserrat. The Chief Minister will
take part in various press conferences. The United Nations has declared this
year as ‘the year of eco-tourism and mountains’.
A press release on "ecotourism and wellness," prepared ahead of the
show, will be used to highlight Montserrat’s nature-based activities.
A Tourist Board press release said continued maintenance in the market place and the securing of new contacts for further business and interest in Montserrat have been the key reasons for the island's participation in Trade Shows.
Teachers
Awed by Island Begin U.S. Student Trips to Montserrat
Four American schoolboys from a private school in New England enjoyed an adventurous four-day visit to Montserrat early this month, thanks to one of their teachers who came to the island two years ago to satisfy his curiosity about the volcano.
The idea was born with the visit of Chris Loftus, director of athletics and earth science teacher at Eaglebrook School in Deerfield, Mass. It became a certainty with the later visit of a fellow teacher, Chris Lowe. Together they planned the students' recent excursion.
The four students, both teachers and a parent arrived Monday morning, March 4, and plunged straight into four full days of hiking, volcano studies and fun time in which to enjoy Montserrat.
Hikes included a round trip walk between Isles Bay and beach and the top of Garibaldi Hill, a loop of the Silver Hills, and a round trip to Rendezvous Bay, where they reported "awesome snorkeling." Other visits included the Montserrat Volcano Observatory, Jack Boy Hill and beach time at Isles Bay and Old Road Bay.
The group stayed at the Lea Guest House in St. Peters and David Lea planned many of their activities.
The students and adults also enjoyed a pool party and cookout at the Isles Bay home of Lee and Pat Betz, whose son Nathan is an alumnus of Eaglebrook. The Betzes were assisted by Tom and Kelly Stanyon of Old Towne.
Thursday afternoon, while having sodas with "Moose" Meade as they waited to leave on the ferry, Chris Lofton said, "See you next year with an even larger group."
Eaglebrook is a private school instructing grades 6 through 9 and draws students from across the United States and more than a dozen foreign nations.
Financial Magazine Gives Grenada Top Credit Rank
Grenada
has been ranked by the Institutional Investor Magazine as being number one in
the world for improved creditworthiness, during the period March 2001 to March
2002.
The
March issue of the magazine reports that Grenada’s creditworthiness improved
by 6.1 points, to lead the world in improved creditworthiness. Russia was listed
in second place with an increase of 5.2 points, while El Salvador and Hungary
ranked third, both with 4.8 point
In
its Country Credit report, the magazine indicates that the semi-annual rating of
global creditworthiness dropped 1.1 points a year ago and 0.8 points last fall.
However, this time the semi-annual rating dropped just 0.4 points, suggesting
the beginning of a recovery to the global economy.
During
the period March 2001 to September 2001, Grenada had been ranked among the top
three countries in the world for improved creditworthiness, with an increase of
2.2 points.
The
Institutional Investor is a monthly publication geared towards the international
investment community and has offices in New York, London and Hong Kong.
THE
LBA MOVES AHEAD WITH HARBOUR DEVELOPMENT
MEGA SHIPS EXPRESSING DESIRE TO DOCK AT NEW
FACILITY
The Lester Bird Administraton (LBA) is
pushing full speed ahead with plans for the continued development of the St.
John's Harbour and the surrounding areas.
According to a government spokesman,
preparatory work has already began at the bottom section of Nevis
Street known as Fibrey where a brand new pier will be constructed. Upon
completion, the new facility will be able to accommodate four mega cruise ships at
once and this move is expected to greatly enhance cruise ship arrivals in the
country.
Speaking on the Saturday Night Edition of the
ABS Television News, Project Engineer, Roland McKenzie said, some sixteen piles
will be driven into the ocean-bed as construction of the new pier moves into
high gear.
The further development of the St. John's
Harbour and its surrounding areas is a crucial factor if Antigua and Barbuda is
to hold its own in the fierce competition from other islands in the cruise
business, so said the managing director of Key Properties, Mr. Cameron Frazier.
He noted that several megga cruise lines have been knocking on Antigua and
Barbuda's door, seeking information.
"We have had cruise lines who are aware
of what we've done and have sent us the drawings of their new ships asking us to
access whether their ships can dock on these facilities......," Frazier
said.
GIS OnLine News understands that a boardwalk
with retail stores and restaurants will also be part of the new facility.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister, Lester Bird says,
he is pleased with the development that is taking place in the area, adding
that, this will all calculate into employment for the people of Antigua and
Barbuda.
Photo: This site has been cleared for the
construction of retail stores, restaurants and a dispatch
center right next to the new pier
Digital photo by Norman "Gus" Thomas
Photo: 1. A front view of the new Court House building.
2. A rear and side view.
Digital photos by Norman "Gus" Thomas
Modern Courthouse Rising For Antigua and Barbuda
ST. JOHN'S, Antigua -- An ultra modern building to house the Courthouse is nearing completion at the top of Parliament Drive in St. John's
The state-of-the-art structure forms part of a massive government complex to house a number of ministries, including the Office of the Prime Minister, which opened its doors to the public last month. Government is expecting to save some $4 million in rent by occupying the complex.
With the assistance of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), court workers have already been sent on workshops and courses in St. Lucia as well as Trinidad and Tobago to prepare them for the enhanced role they are expected to play in the new Courthouse.
The new office will also bring an improved administrative structure that will see a great improvement in the time it takes for cases to be tried. Several lawyers have complained about the time it takes for cases to be heard, thus creating a massive backlog.
Brades Primary Tops Nemwil Sports Meet
By Merrick Andrews
It was a ding-dong
affair from the start between Brades and St. Augustine Primary.
New kids on the block, Lookout Primary, didn’t stand a competitive chance, as
many of their athletes didn’t compete in the more senior events.
So, the battle for supremacy was virtually left to Brades and St. Augustine, who
traded the lead several times during the meet.
However, St. Augustine began to fall behind after the resumption of the
intermission. And they never recovered as Brades won the Nemwil-sponsored
Inter-Primary School Sports Meet at Salem Park on Wednesday, March 13.
It was still a narrow victory, however. Brades won by 19 points with 105 points,
ahead of St. Augustine's 86, and newcomer Lookout's 34.
Jemel Fenton of St. Augustine won the Victor Ludorum title with 13 points. He
also won the Class 2 champion boy title. Lookout’s Oneika Riley was the
Victrix Ludorum with 16 points, and also the Class 2 champion girl.
Kemo Woodley of Lookout Primary emerged Class 1 champion boy, with Brades’
TiVonne Howe getting Class 1 champion girl.
Jahman St. Hill of St. Augustine took the Class 3 champion boy title, while
Carol Ann Lee and Laurell Allen, both of Brades, tied for Class 3 champion girl.
Governor Anthony Longrigg took the March Pass, which was won by St. Augustine.
Selected
results of the Nemwil-sponsored Inter-Primary School Sports Meet:
Final Scores -- 1. Brades Primary,
105 points, 2. St. Augustine Primary, 86, 3. Lookout Primary, 34
800 metres Open boys --1. Jahmal St.
Hill (St. Aug.), 2. Andel Grant (Brades) 3. Delroy Allen (Brades)
800m Open girls -- 1. Laurell Allen (Brades),
2. Teisha St. Juste (Brades), 3. Johnique Fenton (St. Aug.)
Needle & Thread Class 3 girls --1.
Brades, 2. St. Aug., 3. Brades
Shuttle Race Class 2 girls --1.
Shaqueilla Samuel (Brades), 2. Onieka Riley (Lookout),3. Orlette Brown (St.
Aug.)
Shuttle Race Class 2 boys --1. Jemel
Fenton (St. Aug.). 2. Jahmal Jean (Lookout), 3. Starling Gerald (St. Aug.)
Wheelbarrow Class 3 boys --1. Kenneth
Lee (Brades), 2. Julius Fergus (Brades), 3. Jahmal St. Hill (St. Aug.)
40m Frog Jump Class 1 boys --1. Kemo
Woodley (St. Aug.), 2. David McPherson (Lookout), 3. Jaleel Syers (St. Aug.)
60m Skipping Class 2 girls --1. Joyanne Greaves (Brades), 2. Oneika
Riley (Lookout),3. Sonica Weekes (St. Aug.)
Egg & Spoon Class 3 girls --1.
Sarah Sweeney (St. Aug.), 2. Teisha St. Juste (Brades),3. Josan Cassell (St.
Aug.)
200m Class 2 boys --1. Julius Fergus
(Brades), 2. Jemel Fenton (St. Aug.), 3. Jahmal Jean (Lookout)
200m Class 2 girls --1. Oneika Riley
(Lookout), 2. Shaqueilla Samuel (Brades), 3. Brenda Allen (Brades)
400m Class 3 girls --1. Robekah
Lindsey (St. Aug.), 2. Laurell Allen (Brades), 3. Donnaree Daway
(Brades)
400m Class 3 boys --1. Omarie Allen (Brades),
2. Jahmal St. Hill (St. Aug.), 3. Roscoe Sinclair (Brades)
80m Class 3 girls --1. Cara Anne Lee
(Brades), 2. Robekah Lindsey (St. Aug.), 3. Jussonyeh White (Brades)
80m Class 3 boys --1. Arlen Skerritt
(St. Aug.), 2. Omarie Allen (Brades), 3. Roscoe Sinclair (Brades)
Where
is the Spirit of Domination?
By Peter Adrien
Apprehension has replaced arrogance. Self-pity has replaced self-assertiveness. Powerlessness has replaced dominance. The behavioural traits that catalyzed the old generation cricketers have almost disappeared from the new generation cricketers. There is seemingly a reversal of cricketing behaviour.
The new approach to the game reflects a generation gap – a gap that is created by the loss of a cultural identity. This new dysfunctional approach to the game, that is, the instinct to duck rather than to hook, the tendency to play in the crease, the predisposition to pad up or to pay the ball will the pad, the practice of patting or caressing the ball instead of stroking or bursting the leather with the willow – reflects a severing of kinship tie (cricketing tie) between the old and the new generation cricketers.
As we celebrate Sir Vivian Richards’ 50th birthday, we think of his dominance, control and imposing personality. We think of that “cricketing total package” as an ideal typical part of a cadre of players who were gladiators in the fullest sense of the word. Vivian Richards was part of a lethal army which was devastating on the battlefield, notwithstanding the nature of the terrain, the weather conditions or the social context. The flashing blade was the scourging whip for the proud, the fearless and the reckless, the disciplining or punitive missile of torture for the arrogant, the ambitious and the brave.
But today we lament the powerlessness of our new generation cricketers. Our batters are easily unsettled, intimidated and humiliated by speed, seam, swing and spin. Our bowlers are easily mistreated, malhandled and intimidated by even the daring novice.
None of our youngsters have shown the determination, the fight and the competitive spirit of Sir Vivian Richards when he started in the 1970’s. Jamaican Ricardo Powell, who was destroyed through a mixture of selection blunders, coaching flaws and technical limitation, initially appeared to be developing a reputation as a devastating new generation batsman but faded away from the scene. He is capable of producing an array of shots, which suggest that he is not merely a slogger but could develop into a stroke-maker of note. His only one-day 100 (against India), included a six lifted effortlessly over mid off and a series of cover drives off the front and back foot. Some commentators who witnessed that exceptional exhibition of West Indian batsmanship touted that a star was born. Others guardedly referred to him as the reincarnation of Sir Vivian Richards. Despite Powell’s flashes of brilliance, no one has passed through the sieve to perpetuate the culture of domination.
What accounts so this psycho-social development? Caribbean sociologists contend that the present generation is not socialized under the conditions that produce the character traits that were evidence in the old generation cricketers. Many young athletes are brought up in households that lack a paternal head, and tend to crumble under pressure. The present fast track social life is antithetical to the high-class athleticism and prolonged dedication that are critical for maintaining peak shape, fitness and high performance.
But just as the leisure and recreation has followed the fluctuating fortunes of the global economy, the fortune of the present struggling West Indian team will change. Moreover, black people, deprived of the opportunity to excel (notwithstanding their intelligence), have always sought new avenues to express themselves and to alter their fortunes. Whenever the contests have taken place on a level playing field, they have oftentimes stamped their authority on the proceedings. And that is exactly what they have done in the area of arts and leisure. Having been denied the opportunity to excel in industry and commerce, they have dominated practically all contact sports. The West Indies team dominated in the 1980’s and it will rise again, if not dominate again.
But our present social life produces youngsters who take a prolonged period to make the transition from apprentices to skilled workers. Even those who have earned degrees are not able to do simple problem solving. When will they become men? These are questions that are being asked by hundreds of cricket lovers across the Caribbean, who (like me) argue that Test cricket is for men and not for boys. The cricketing public is almost fed up with the not-so-young cricketers who have failed, after a prolonged gestation, to mature into men; they are impatient with the young and promising batsmen and bowlers who have failed to graduate from boys to men after several seasons.
On the 50th birthday of the great man, we are not asking for a creation of another Vivian Richards. We are asking for a rebirth of our aggressive, bold, and fearless batting and bowling that made us what we are and that typify the West Indian cricket product.
It is the absence of fear and the presence of aggression that are the drivers of production in the West Indian cricket industry.
And the youngsters who exhibit these traits must not be overlooked.
Peter
Adrien is a Central Banker, an author, a syndicated sports commentator, and a
freelance photographer. He may be contacted Peter at e-mail: info@adriensenterprises.com
or visit his website www.adriensenterprises.com
PHOTO CAPTION: The vintage Richards (Photo: Supplied)
To
Understand Why 'Dependent' Territory Became 'Overseas,' Just Look at Montserrat
By J. Donald Brandt
The great Sir Winston Churchill once declared the action of Russia, "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." That masterly phrase serves just as aptly today to describe the professedly benign policy of the British Government and its surrogate Department for International Development toward volcano-stricken Montserrat.
Her Majesty's Government has been unquestionably generous to Montserrat since the beginning of the volcanic crisis in 1995. But why should it not have been? From its status as a colony through its rank as a dependent territory to its current status as an overseas territory, the Emerald Isle has been part of the British family. It deserves the nurture and care enjoyed by all.
When Montserrat became an unexpected drain on the British Exchequer after 1995, it was not because it had squandered, like the prodigal son, its share of the family treasure. It was being devastated by an ongoing natural disaster probably more disruptive than any event affecting the British family since the war over the Falkland Islands.
At that point, Montserrat became in official British eyes what the poet of imperial Britain, Rudyard Kipling, chose to call "the white man's burden." A slight difference, however, made this for Clare Short and DFID the white woman's burden. Oh, she has borne it, resentfully at first, until that resentment was scrutinized in Parliament, and since then grudgingly.
Even that lack of enthusiasm was hard for Montserratians to understand. After all, members of the Select Committee had concluded after thorough consideration of the critical plight of Montserrat that DFID was inappropriate as the source of funds for the island's relief,. Both Clare Short and her superiors at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office conceded the point but insisted it was the best arrangement they could devise. They promised the MPs that they would iron out the difficulties and pledged their firm commitment to the well being of Montserrat.
Subsequently, Clare Short and DFID have been reasonably patient throughout, although they were more indulgently patient with snail-paced deliveries of contracted services and disastrously costly "temporary" measures than they were with desperate Montserratians clamoring for more help more quickly.
HMG has now made it obvious nearly seven years in that whatever patience DFID has left is considerably deeper than the pockets into which it reaches to provide the promised aid.
Those who live on Montserrat, and those abroad hoping someday to live here once again, are left to wonder what has turned the island from a deserving dependent into an ungrateful beggar. Do birds deny fledglings the safety of the nest before they are ready to fly?
What is the key to this frustrating conundrum?
Does HMG want Montserrat to recover its viability as a community and culture? Of course, but at a measured pace.
Does HMG want Montserrat to be less dependent on Britain? Certainly, if it is reduced financial dependency.
Does HMG want Montserrat's economy to be restored to something reasonably resembling its pre-volcano vitality? Absolutely, so long as the island can pay for what DFID decides it can no longer "afford."
Does HMG want Montserrat to become newly attractive to tourists and investors? Indeed, if it is willing to spell DFID and assume responsibility for increasing ferry and helicopter fares.
Does HMG want Montserrat to be as accessible by air as other dependent territories? No question, if it will accept a postage-stamp airport on the DFID-knows-best premise that if it weren't absolutely safe, Britain wouldn't permit it to be built.
DFID's defenders respond to those who protest this sudden hint of penury by declaring that British funding is not inexhaustible. No one on Montserrat expects that it is or should be.
This lovely dependent territory, however, suddenly despised for its unwitting dependency, will not recover as a viable community until more of the diaspora is not simply allowed but encouraged to return to the homeland. It will not be able to sustain itself with significantly less help from Britain until that return is well underway. And its economy cannot be restored until a majority of those displaced Montserratians are again becoming productive residents reinvigorating the local government with their taxes.
Given that reality, Britain's determination to spend even less on the island leaves HMG no alternative but to maintain the fiction that evacuated residential areas South of Belham, which currently comprise the Day Time Entry Zone, remain far too dangerous even to allow the thought of their reoccupation. We have just had another periodic "scientific" assessment to provide HMG and its local minions with the "probabilities" they need to maintain that climate of fear.
In nearly five years of mandatory vacancy, the only major physical damage apparent on most of those surviving properties is the result of policy-enforced neglect. Quite bluntly, and belaboring the obvious, the real danger posed by reoccupying South of Belham is not to lives and property, but to the British purse. HMG and DFID are simply unwilling to countenance the minimum costs necessary to restore the infrastructure that would make that area totally habitable.
It is of little concern to them that residents restored to more than 800 homes in that area, particularly working Montserratians of Cork Hill, Weekes and Delvins, could provide through tax payments a great deal of the money HMG now insists the Government of Montserrat must raise itself.
There is the key to the riddle, or the
mystery, or the enigma. One can only conclude that Britain considers totally
insupportable the prospect of increasing and sustaining local revenues so vital
to the Government of Montserrat if doing so poses even a temporary further drain
on the generosity of Her Majesty's Government.
By
Marlon A. Cabey
Let
me preface by saying to The Montserrat Reporter that I appreciate your
acceptance of my writing, as from this moment on I will be seeking your
editorial judgement in granting me the opportunity to address those who are
within the influence of your publication. This will be on issues that one can
find to be of great concern to Montserratians--at home or abroad.
The
aim of my writing is not to exercise poetic justice nor for poetic content.
Rather it will mainly be to engage debate, or open discussions across the entire
population -- to inject and revitalize the differing views of Montserratians on
varied topics.
They
will be nationalistic in content and of course will generate objections and
favor, all in the good nature of civility and the right to disagree. I strongly
hope also by these writings to increase the participation and awareness of the
populace in their civic duties and the forward progressive direction of our
country.
I
hope also to generate responses to my writings via this medium or any other
chosen by those who do read. My
Issues will be headlined "What Say You The People." Yes, you the
construction worker, the banker, the nurse, the driver, the store owner, store
worker, the lawyer, the hair dresser, the doctor, the elderly, the young, the
student, and also you who
do
not care -- all Montserratians.
With
that said, let me indulge in one of the many issues facing the nation. That is
the Constitution Review. I have no objections to it, but mainly the perceived
manner in which it is done. I take a position, which I believe is the position
of the majority population, that a Constitutional Review is a process affecting
the livelihood of Montserratians hence should be managed by the government
elected by the people. Members chosen to head the delegation should either be
delegated by those elected by the people or chosen during the same process of
the national election -- their names included on the ballot, not for them to
campaign for the positions, but rather placed there via a nomination process and
selected democratically.
A
constitutional review is not a partisan issue; it's a national civic duty.
Therefore, why are we politicizing it? We can play partisan if and only if we
are the ones who have the last say, but we don't; as a matter of fact we might
not have any say. Our fight for implementation of our natural God given rights
then is not between us, but between the power of
indirect
rule--the British. So why are we
trampling on each other's ideas--is it the theory of divide and rule? Well I
object to it, and begged for us to stop and revise our position if possible. All
possible ideas should be sent directly to them and fought for by the elected
commission. If it's too late for this round, why not include it as one of our
given rights.
What
say you the people?
By Justin ‘Hero’
Cassell
(Agricultural Development Officer)
“EAT
FROM THE LAND, NOT FROM THE CAN”
Delivery and Removal
of Exhibits
All Non Perishable Exhibits must be brought
to the Exhibition grounds on Tuesday 2nd April 2002 between the hours
of 9:00 am and 6:00 pm.
Other
Perishable exhibits must be brought to the grounds between 6:00 am and 9:30 am
on Wednesday 3rd April .
No Exhibitor will be allowed to exhibit more
than two items per class.
No person shall remove any exhibit before the
close of the show Thursday 4th April.
Persons who have registered for the Livestock
and Backyard Competition Component of National Agricultural Exhibition are asked
to note the following Judging dates.
For the Livestock Competition, judging will
take place from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon and from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm:
Friday
March 15th
Monday
March 18th
Tuesday March 19th
St. Johns
Barzey's
St. Peters
Davy Hill
Brades
Salem
Carr's Bay
Cudjoe Head
Olveston
New Windward
Banks
Woodlands
Baker Hill
Manjack
For the Back Yard Garden Competition Judging
commences on the 19th of March and ends on the 25th.
Judging will be between the hours of 4:30 pm and 6:30 pm in the following
areas:
Tuesday 19th March
Wednesday 20th March
Thursday 21st March
Friths
Olveston
Woodlands
Flemmings
Old Town
Palm Loop
Hope
Cheap End
Salem Centre
Zion Hill
Glebe
Mars Hill
Jones Hill
St. Peters
Virgin Islands
Friday 22nd March
Monday 25th March
Baker Hill,
Davy Hill
Salt Springs
Look Out
Manjack
Judy Piece
Brades
Barzeys
Banks
'Hardship Posting'
For DFID, to work here is cruel,
Each British employee a fool,
Yet before their tours end
Many write to a friend,
'I just bought a house with a pool."
Shelter Rent? No Howe!
That was quite a budget debate,
The Minister very irate;
What ignited her ferment
Was an uncivil servant
Allegedly subordinate.
Jus wonderin what is going to happen next to awe Montserratians.
Jus wonderin about de people dem in a Brades Shelter , wha dem a go do about de rent
Jus wonderin what it is dat mek de under age, dem so sexually active.
Jus wonderin if no one cares about de Hiv\AIDSs dat is going around awha, a care we no care
Jus wonderin if one out of fifty have got it, wha about de other fourty nine and whey dem be.
Jus wonderin about all of us, dat de Aids is a killer and it no kay who it killed.
Jus wonderin if anger can make you a man, what do you get from happiness.
Jus wonderin what it will cost if you cross a mad Mother hen and a Pitbull, (Ge me an answer =).
Jus wonderin why I de fan can't get plenty joke and laughter no more and why dem young chick no go play wid dem kind.
Jus wonderin, one love to all de staff, especially all de Females, De fan big up all of you, One love. De Fan!
Jus wonderin if Monlec Manager hit a negative with de power outage Thursday.
Jus wonderin what is there to be afraid of the visible media.
Jus wonderin if some police understand their roles and duties and if any lesson was learnt in being cautious.
Jus wonderin if it is true that some police officers are the major violators of domestic violence.
Jus wonderin if it is true that people didn’t even have have to look out to see the abuse and beating.
Jus wonderin why some police officers are so vocally upset with the promotions.
Jus wonderin who was the real opposition in parliament Monday.
Jus wonderin if some of the backbenchers MP should not be given portfolio in Government.
Jus wonderin if the minister of agriculture telling everything straight.
Jus wonderin if e a use de Director as excuse.
Jus wonderin if dem really deserve to be hang out like that.
Jus wonderin if other ministers cover up similar behaviour.
Jus wonderin if it was so that the director did such a thing would they did not discipline her.
Jus wonderin all who understand the nice document as Cheddy call it.
Jus wonder if this will end up as a episode of hot smoke blowing.
Jus wonderin that now the CM and his two deputies are in the UK, who is the acting CM.
Jus wonderin if is true and what the CM is so upset about
Jus wonderin what the opposition try to do to the young MP that got him so upset.
Jus wonderin when the Salem village going get a clean bill.
Jus wonderin who's going to police themselves if they involved.
Jus wonderin if the budget presentation truly represented the islands financial position.
Jus wonderin in now we admit that the British don’t trust the volcano if our approach will be different.
Jus wonderin if de civil servants dem prepared to serve the private sector to ease the economic burden.
Jus wonderin if the ministers will honestly list fu arwe what they did different or new since they took office and boasting on other people wuk.
Jus wonderin if all the food-handlers qualified to be in the business.
Jus wonderin which of them supermarket have worms and moths in their spaghetti packaged soup.
Jus wonderin about wey mek women dat na wuk at de bottom of look out a get money from to pay for they house rent.
Jus wonderin if sex cost so much, how much does true love cost.
Jus wonderin what will come from ZJB and media review.
Jus wonderin why some dem woman like rum so.
Jus wonderin who say the Com. & work minister don't own anything on Montserrat.
Jus wonderin who is slaving the slaves.
Jus wonderin why they do not ban the Santo's if they do not have a decent reason.
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