by Bennette Roach
There are 37 shelters currently in use, that as of May 20, 1997, are housing about 775 persons. This information tallies with figures obtained from the Emergency Operations Centre.
These shelters include some of the newly constructed eight-bedroom shelter units, churches, schools and even the tent-like structures at Gerald's Park. Of these 15 are churches, with the fewest number of six people in any one.
After 22 months of continuous life- threatening volcanic activity at Soufriere Hills, two temporary evacuation and 13 months of full evacuation of the southern half of the island, which has caused many to become homeless, our government and people are still grappling with the "gigantic task" as described by Minister of Housing, to offer the barest minimum standards of comfortably housing those people who cannot afford to rent, or who must totally rely on housing assistance.
CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT
We have in the meantime changed our government in general elections six months ago, ending up with a coalition which has had changes within that time. The ministry most affected by the change has been that which deals with agriculture, lands, environment and housing, when the Central representative in the legislature serving as the minister was fired and replaced by nominated member Austin P. Bramble.
With government trying to place needy relocated persons in housing facilities, the problem was one for which our emergency operating facility was more than unprepared. Much preparation has been made for the onslaught of hurricanes, which even as bad as Hugo does not leave that many people homeless.
SHELTER FOR THE RELOCATED
Relocated were placed in shelters, no doubt with the hope that the volcanic activity would have long subsided, but when the reality of the long haul set in last year April, then housing had to be a priority. Since then there has been nothing good to date said about the shelters, whether it was Reuben Meade’s government in charge or that of the Bertrand Osborne’s coalition. This has been the case whether it was the press, visiting or otherwise; British or other officials.
But Minister Austin Bramble says that the task is a gigantic one even now, when several programs have been implemented. Bramble says, "the waste-disposal problem is a nightmare."
MOVE PEOPLE TO BETTER ACCOMMODATION
Reuben Meade has kept close to the housing situation, which he was in charge of before his government lost at the elections and since he was fired from the ministry responsible. He argues that some of the fully completed units at Drummonds should be used regardless of the septic problems being experienced. He says: "The situation there is no different as far as the septics are concerned. At the over-crowded and inconvenient accommodations at the churches, the septics are all over-flowing, but the sludge wagon is used to relieve the situation.
"Why not move the people already designated for these units to the much more comfortable units and use the sludge wagon until such time the problem can be solved.?"
There are 11 (8 double and 3 single) units at Drummonds, one of which has been unofficially occupied.
Bramble points out that the health officials have warned against moving people from one problem to a similar problem where it can be aggravated by more use, thereby increasing the chances of a health crisis. He says that units located in Hope and St. Peters, where there are no problems, will be ready in about two weeks.
Dr. Ronnie Cooper, acting Director of Health Services, confirms this position, saying: "It would be criminal to put people in facilities which house up to 100 people. The amount of waste that 100 people would generate could create a serious health crisis, where there are improper functioning waste disposal systems. In addition there is no proper access road to the units in Drummonds and the sludge trucks are already falling apart."
Cooper also says that there is a health crisis at almost every shelter. He confirms also that there are efforts to solve the waste disposal problem by the construction of ‘biological filter plants and that recommendations have been submitted to the government on the way forward with liquid waste management’.
These biological filters, one of which is already under construction at Drummonds, as Bill Thom government architect at Public Works department explains, is of standard technology being used all over the world. The system is a tank, built with as much steel and concrete as one would expect to see in a strong vault, which is packed with varying sizes and layers of rocks. It is a receptacle for the overflow from the non-soaking septics, through which it is filtered and runs to an area where it comes out as uncontaminated liquid.
Septics - with soaking problems
There are plans to build similar facilities at the hospital and other shelter compounds where the problem of waste is prevalent.
LAND PROBLEM
"Land is still a problem," Bramble says. "There is a housing assistance project before British officials in Barbados for $6.3 million," he also said, commenting on the long time it is taking for the project wheels to turn.
Bramble explains also that the funds for the basement program have dried up, as well as the program of assisting those persons willing to build units for themselves. He denies that he has no favor for the basement program, which he says is not cost effective and is riddled with difficulties.
OUT OF EMERGENCY MODE
Mr. Frank Black of the Aid Management Office from the Department for International Development, does not agree that projects are not receiving speedy attention. Both he and Mr. John Rooney of Emergency Aid Department (EMAD), say the situation has passed the emergency state and efforts are now being concentrated on developing the north of Montserrat.
There is still much criticism of the type of family structures, which are truly very basic. In the eight-bedroom units constructed from T111 boards (seen as ideal and suitable by British planners) and galvanize roofing (unsealed); there is a small kitchen with two sinks, a four-burner stove, a small refrigerator (a freezer when donated), a small living area, two bathrooms, with a concrete wall shower each, two toilets and two face basins. No part of the structure is painted.
The family units each have two bedrooms, one bath, kitchen/dining and living quarters. They come similarly furnished and are unpainted as well.
HURRICANE DANGER
The biggest question as the hurricane season approaches, is whether these units as well as the earlier shelters, can stand up to hurricane force winds, not even the likes of Hugo. It is generally felt that the tent-like units do not stand a chance.
As a visiting writer puts it in the Antigua Observer, "If this summer a hurricane does hit Montserrat, there will certainly be chaos on top of chaos."
The shelter situation is cause for much debate, as those who have already been moved from churches say that although they are more comfortable in the units, there is still much to be desired. They mention extreme situations of ventilation as a serious problem, the waste situation and there is a tendency for over-crowding in the already small rooms.
Some shelters with severe waste disposal problems still wait days to see the sludge truck, while it is our information that there is another such truck sitting idle.
by Bennette Roach
Mr. Frank Carroccia, vice president of operations, and manager of operations, Mr. Stratton Smith, both of Teradyne Corporation, were the guests of honor to W & W Electronics Ltd.at a luncheon yesterday.
L to R Frank Carroccia, Stratton Smith, Joel Webbe
Mr. Joel Webbe, managing director of W & W, welcomed the visitors in a brief address, when he told a few guests, who included His Excellency the acting Governor, Dr. Howard Fergus, and acting Chief Minister Mrs. Adelina Tuitt, of his association with Mr. Carroccia for over 20 years.
Webbe said that he was involved with Carroccia when he was at Texas Instruments, whom his company did business when W & W started operating in Montserrat. "Mr. Carroccia must have been impressed with our performance, for when he moved to Teradyne, the relationship continued."
The vice president himself also had a few words to say, expressing how happy he was to have come to Montserrat, after promising to do so for some time. He said he had never done so because of his confidence in Joel and not feeling the need to. He referred to the resilience which must exist among Montserratians to be able to continue to produce, making reference to W & W under the difficult and aggravating circumstances of a live and very active volcano. He spoke also of the relationship with W&W:
"When we added Joel as a sub-contractor to our Irish facility, just outside of Dublin, that extended our relationship and I think it also deepened the link between the two companies."
He further described briefly his company whose head office is based in Boston, and a company whose products will not be seen, but which may be used in equipment used even by our own Cable & Wireless, making reference to Motorola products.
"We produce systems for telecom producers. The company is profitable, is a conservatively run company," he said, revealing also that in the last 30 years there was only one year when the company didn’t grow.
The most important part of his short address was perhaps when he said: "We are facing some obstacles, brought on by the volcano, such as new facilities and headquarters for the factory operations and I am confident that everyone is addressing that in an aggressive way to ensure that it does not become an obstacle, because we are indeed planning to extend our activities here in the second part of this year."
Mr. Smith for his part said he was no stranger to Montserrat as he has been coming here for nearly five years. He finished his very brief remarks saying: "I look forward to continue working with you and keep up the hard work."
Deputy Governor Dr. Fergus, took the opportunity to thank the guests whom he said, "in the real sense are guests of the government and people of Montserrat, because the business they are in is critical to our economical survival in Montserrat at this time."
Dr. Fergus assured the Teradyne executives, that all of the key persons who have anything to do with the new facilities, "are working assiduously and enthusiastically to ensure that it comes about expeditiously," pointing to other invitees such as the Director of Development and of Public Works, saying that W&W features in many of their management discussions.
< Also making brief remarks were Mrs. Adelina Tuitt who gave words of welcome; and Mr. Brunel Meade who joined the others, also adding that the way forward is to go to ‘enclave’ industries which will provide employment.
The honored guests who were shortly due to leave the island after the one-day visit, did not leave the Vue Pointe dining room before their attention was drawn to the Soufriere Hills, where it showed off its beautiful looking ash clouds as it pyroclasted down Tar River sending a huge cloud of ash directly down over Plymouth.
(From our Sports Desk)
"Joyride or National Service"
One might ask why our National Sporting Teams on most occasions come back home as losers! Every year our National Cricket Team tries to the win the L.I Tournament but always seems to come up short. Our Football teams are always getting trampled in the L.I and O.E.C.S tournaments, and in Netball who can remember ever hearing of our girls winning any tournament?
"What is the problem?" you ask. Let us look at it very seriously. There are several areas of concern. First we can look at commitment and dedication. These two words can be applied in training, country winning and self. Let us search ourselves and see just how much we are dedicated and committed to the things above. When we lose, are we happy or do we say to ourselves that we are going to take revenge for our loss? Do we go back (like coyote does with roadrunner) to the old drawing board and design ways and work out strategies to beat our opponents?
The next area we could look at is national pride, does any of our players, coaches and managers understand the term as it is used in respect of a team serving their country?
Another point of interest is our mental approach towards playing these various sports. What is our frame of mind when we go to represent our country? Do we understand that we are ambassadors of our country and that we should have an image, one which we need to protect?
We could argue that our problem over the years has nothing to do with talent or ability to play any of the sports pointed out earlier. Then we ask "Why do we continue to perform so poorly?" Here is a fair suggestion. It is time we start believing that we can win no matter what or who we are playing (self confidence). Think about what the people back home will say when we lose (motivation to win). Always carry a positive image.
It is time for us to break out of this losing spell and be winners at whatever sport we play and at whatever the level. Let's just look at the Montserrat under 19 cricket team; we will see that we can be a force to reckon with and that we are winners.
A wise man once said winning is in the heart, and once there is belief, there is possibility. Let's break for now.
Dear Editor,
As one whose education was properly laced with reminders of the freedoms won for generations of U.S. citizens by the War for Independence, I would not suggest that Montserrat aspire to anything less than its own political independence. It is necessary for me to take issue, however, with Mr. Peter White's tract on self-determination in your May 23 issue.
At one point Mr. White asks, "Will we be pleased to see our children go hat in hand all the days of their lives to earn the bread on their table?" While the question may be a legitimate concern, it is unrelated to political Independence. A politically Independent Montserrat will see its children no longer forced to go hat in hand to earn the bread on their table only when it is an economically independent Montserrat as well.
Mr. White continued: "Are we satisfied to see Montserrat become the home of the rich and famous from someone e1se's community, while some of us toil in their community to afford them this privilege, and others of us serve them in order to gather the crumbs left on their table for our community?"
Those characterizations are as snidely offensive as the crudest ethnic stereotype. I am a resident expatriate, and not the only one, who is neither rich nor famous, but who chose to make his home here because Montserrat's government deliberately encouraged us to do so. That official policy was based on the idea that both expatriate residency and residential tourism would bolster the island's economy, as demonstrably they have done.
To find that now portrayed as some sort of miserly exploitation by "the rich and famous" makes one wonder what expatriates could expect from Mr. White's vision of an independent Montserrat. Expropriation of our hard-earned homes?
In any case, during a crisis situation in which island unemployment is reported to be as high as 50 percent, competitive wages and regular Social Security levies paid to the "others of us who serve them" would seem to merit something better than a demeaning dismissal as crumbs left on their table."
J. Donald Brandt
Foxes Bay
It is my understanding that the population as of June 1995 was estimated to be 11,000 people, give or take a few hundred. Since July of that year and the start of the volcanic activity claims have been made that our population has decreased to approximately 6,000.
I have some difficulty with the above. I cannot argue that the estimate of 11,000 was incorrect or that probably there are just 6,000 people physically on the island. My difficulty lies in being told that our island population was 11,000 then and is 6,000 now. I have special difficulty when I am told that based on our current population we are receiving more per capita aid then anybody else.
I keep hearing that the measure of the level of aid given and the ability to qualify for funds, either on loan or grants, are based on the money per head made available to Montserrat.
Now we are in the middle of a crisis which has caused people to be displaced. Are we saying that the displaced persons who have had to go off island have migrated permanently? Those who have gone to London on a two-year scheme are now called permanent emigrants? If they are not permanent emigrants, why are they not included in our population figures? Why are they not considered as recipients of aid to Montserrat?
Why is it that those who have gone to neighboring islands so that they can have a decent roof over their heads, until some are built here, are not considered eligible for aid? Why are they are they being classed emigrants?
As far as I am concerned, Montserrat's population has not changed, just simply shifted as a result of the displacement of the population in the "unsafe zone". Thus whatever per capita figure is calculated must be on the basis of the pre-crisis figures. I will agree that their physical absence from the island poses difficulty for businesses to operate and certain types of services maintained, but is this not the reason for emergency aid?
Perhaps we have gone beyond the emergency mode. Perhaps we are now in the development mode. If so, ought we not to cater for all of our displaced persons? If the answer is yes, how can we then say our population is only 6,000?
Obviously it is convenient to use the numbers in a manner which best suits our case, whichever case we choose to argue. But if the case is to assist in the development process and not simply to maintain a state of subsistence, the per capita measuring stick is not appropriate. It was not appropriate in normal times and it is certainly not appropriate in our present circumstances.
Is the policy to feed us fish or to make us fishermen? Do we want to be fed at subsistence level or do wish to feed ourselves? The population game is being played to keep us at the subsistence level, if we are kept at all. We need a rule change.
The Search and Rescue Unit, recently instituted , took the opportunity on Tuesday morning, May 27, to put some of their training into operation. The event was the rescue of a puppy that had slipped over a cliff at Old Towne and had been missing since Friday last week
Mr. Prakash Jethwani, who lives with relatives and others at Pelican Crest in Old Towne, reported his puppy missing since Friday. His neighbour, Al Dutcher, early Tuesday reported that he heard a puppy barking, indicating that the sounds were coming from down the cliff over the sea. After tracking the sound, Prakash saw the puppy lying about 25 feet down the sheer cliff on a ledge. He called the Search and Rescue Unit, who responded.
In a very short time, Clifford Farrell went down the cliff side, assisted by his colleagues with ropes, gathered up the puppy, placed it in a bag, whereupon it was lifted up to safety.
Following the successful effort, Farrell said: "I recognise that there is danger in carrying out a rescue, but I do not feel or think about it when we are in action."
Head of the Unit, Basil Walters, who directed the rescue, says that unit is made up of men and women from the Fire Service department, Royal Montserrat Police Force and the Royal Montserrat Defence Force.
It has been revealed that a Boston-based black American television station is planning a telethon to raise funds for Montserrat.
The Global African Independent Network (GAIN), is a new station and broadcasts on Channel 19 UHF in the Boston area. GAIN became interested in Montserrat after its chief executive, Abby Shobowale, met Minister of Communications the Honourable Rupert Weekes recently.
A crew plans to visit Montserrat shortly to shoot footage, which will be shown during the telethon.
Towards the end of last week, Radio Antilles, which survived a hurricane eight years ago, announced that it will close at the end of May due to problems caused by our active volcano.
Radio Antilles Manager, Keith 'Stone' Greaves
The decision to wind up the operations, at least for the time being, was taken at a meeting of the Antilles Radio Corporation board on Wednesday, May 21, 1997. Management was instructed to make the necessary arrangements to close down the operations, which includes the payment of redundancies to staff. Also included in those arrangements were to be the dismantling and plans for the relocation of the radio station's plant.
Financial problems are attributed to the closure, caused by the aggravated difficulties of operating since the volcano, which forced the station to relocate, leaving its main and powerful transmitters at O'Garros. The company saw its biggest profits 1n 1993, which declined slightly over the following years, but in 1996 saw a minus figure which was greater than the plus figure in 1995.
Although staff had managed to keep it operating in the months since the Soufriere Hills volcano roared to life in July 1995, having relocated from its base in the southern part of the island, the main transmitters became most threatened by the active volcano.
Plans were approved to move the buildings and transmitters to safety, but acting on the advice of scientists, who advised that the risk of being in the area was too great, there has been some hesitancy to act.
DT's Appeal to CDB For Policy Change
Montserrat and other dependent territories in the region have appealed to the Caribbean Development Bank to change its policies regarding the availability soft loans. In a joint presentation before the 27th annual meeting of the CDB Board of Governors, Montserrat, Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos and the Cayman Islands said they have been without success. Cayman Islands Chief Minister George McCarthy said despite their appeals for access to soft loans, the policies of the bank remain largely unchanged.
The St. Lucia Labour Party (SLP) trounced Prime Minister Vaughn Lewis' United Workers Party in general elections, taking all but one of 17 seats at stake, poll officials said on Saturday, last week.
Lewis lost the government and his own seat in the poll on Friday.
"The people of St. Lucia have spoken and they have spoken decisively. As the leader of the United Workers Party I accept fully the decision of the people of our country," Lewis said.
SLP leader Kenny Anthony, a 46-year-old legal expert, is forming the new government.
The UWP has ruled the 250 square mile (600 sq. km) St. Lucia of 143,000 people for all but three years since 1964, having gained full independence from Britain in 1979.
But the last few years have been marked by severe economic problems, due to drops in the tourist trade and difficulties in banana production, the mainstays of the economy.
During electoral campaigning the SLP promised to diversify the economy and find more jobs for the people, 29 percent of whom are unemployed.
Chief elections officer McClair Daniel said voting turn-out might have reached 70 percent, boosted by a wave of young and female voters.
Educating the public about independence is an important requirement before such a major step is taken by Montserratians. That's the view expressed at a recent conference on independence for the Dependent Territories.
Member for windward David Brandt and Parliamentary Counsel George Kirnon, participated in the three-day seminar in Antigua. The United Nations mandated all colonial powers including Britain to start a programme of education for people in Dependent Territories. Mr. Brandt says it was pointed out the conference that Britain has not yet undertaken such a programme. He says Montserrat is not in a financial position to do so on its own.
Mr. Brandt's has published his address to the meeting in Antigua. (See page 7.)
Chief Minister the Honourable Bertrand Osborne is back home following a trip to Canada. The Chief Minister attended the 27th annual general meeting of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and met with Montserratians living in Toronto and Montreal.
Mr. Osborne says the CDB meeting, his first since becoming the Chief Minister, was very informative. Among the issues dealt with was the admission of China to membership of CDB. He says concerns were also raised over the criteria used by the bank for loans to small members such as Montserrat. Under the present circumstances, Montserrat is not in a position to require loans from the Caribbean Development Bank. However Chief Minister Osborne says Montserrat will benefit over the coming months in several grants.
Ash Dangers Education for Children
An education programme on the danger of ash has been launched in the schools. This followed concerns raised by the Director of Health Services Dr. Ronnie Cooper, about children playing in the ash.
The programme is undertaken by the Department of Health, the MVO and the Government Information Services (GIS).
So far visits have been made to Cork Hill, Salem Primary Schools and the Seventh Day Adventist Community School. The team comprises Health Promotions officer Josephine Tuitt, Sue Locklin, from the MVO, and Information Officer Richard Aspin from GIS. They are expected to visit the St. Augustine and St. John's Primary Schools soon.
The Government has ordered special dust masks for children, which are expected on island shortly.
Mud Flows in Paradise and Farms
Scientists have reported, for the first time, mud-flows in Paradise and Farms Ghauts.
According to reports, the flows were about twenty inches thick. However, Dr. Angus Miller says this was anticipated because of recent ash-fall and heavy rains in the area.
A release from the Ministry of Health states "Health as a source of happiness in daily life is often taken for granted until illness or disability occurs.
This positive approach to health puts emphasis on social and personal resources as well as physical abilities. It clearly means that the promotion of the nation's health is not the exclusive domain of the health sector."
As efforts to continue the momentum to maintain and where possible improve the health of the Montserrat public, the Ministry of Health is collaborating with several agencies to create greater awareness of critical aspects of health.
The second National Health Exhibition is a major educational effort to create and continually re-enforce conditions that enable people to make wise health choices, and encourage them to live healthy lives.
Among the participants are the Montserrat Water Authority, Family Life Services, First Aiders, Partners of the Americas (DARE Programme) and the Rights of the Child Committee.
The Ministry of Health as co-ordinators will make presentations on dental care, eye care, sexually transmitted diseases, correct usage of drugs, nutrition and environmental health.
The two-day Health Exhibition will provide the public with free information on topics ranging from headaches to management of dietary control of diabetes and hypertension.
There will be computer demonstrations on the use of certain drugs, as well as live exhibits on environmental health issues.
W H Bramble Airport At Little Risk
While the hazard facing the W.H. Bramble Airport has increased the risk has not. That is the view of the Montserrat Volcano Observatory, which has faced many questions about the safety of the airport.
Deputy Head Scientists Angus Miller says the hazard to areas north of the volcano, including the airport, has increased since activity switched to the northern part of the dome. However he says, the risk faced by workers has not, since the airport is only occupied during the daytime.
Dr. Miller says the W.H. Bramble Airport has several things to its advantage, including excellent communications and available transportation. By contrast the people who sleep in Spanish Point, just a few kilometers from the volcano face a much higher risk.
Residents in Spanish Pointe are mostly expatriates and have reportedly told the authorities that they are prepared to take the responsibility to remain in the area and leave when it becomes absolutely necessary.
MOPPA Holds Party For Evacuee Kids
by Gabriel Parsons
On Saturday, 24th May (Empire Day), Montserrat Overseas Progressive People’s Alliance (MOPPA) organized a party for children evacuated from Montserrat because of the volcano crisis. MOPPA is a voluntary organization of Montserratians in the United Kingdom, based in London.
The event was held at the Welbourne Centre, a community centre in Tottenham, north London, and was attended by nearly a hundred children of school age. There were indoor games of various kinds, and everybody won a prize. The children received sandwiches, ice cream, cakes, and soft drinks. Music
was supplied by Big Daddy K of Samson's, who gave his services free of charge. The fun lasted from 2 to 7 p.m.
Many of the kids were interviewed by the MOPPA secretary, Mrs. Mary Brown, a school teacher, who asked them how they were settling in to their new life in Britain. Many told her excitedly of how they now have access to computers and other modern school equipment. But, given the choice, they would prefer to be back home in the West Indies.
Antigua - New Hospital Complex
Reports out of Antigua say that the Antigua and Barbuda government is constructing a 200 bed hospital complex on the outskirts of the capital.
The hospital is expected to cost in the region of 80 million EC dollars. Prime Minister Lester Bird and Health Minister Sam Aymer turned soil for the Mount St. John Medical Centre during a ground breaking ceremony earlier this week.
The new state of the art facility will offer a wide range of medical and surgical services, vascular surgery, radiology and urology.
When the Devon Williams-led Montserrat team takes the field in Antigua for the LIAT Leeward Islands one-day and three-day tournaments this weekend, several personnel changes would be quite evident. Not only will there be a new opening pair, but much of the middle order and part of the bowling attack will be different from the composition that played to a fourth place finish in the seven-team league last season.
Gone will be the reliable opening pair of Alexander Herbert and Gary Barzey. After almost a decade of posting some of the best opening partnerships for the island, Herbert and Barzey are no longer in the team they helped to rebuild, with their record number of century partnerships. Herbert has since left the island and Barzey was not included in the final team named by MCA selectors Sunday, May 26, even though he was called up for the just concluded trial matches. Their replacements will be Lawrence Daley who had a successful league season, and youth team opener McPherson Meade.
In the bowling department Aurrell Kirnon is still unavailable due to injury and will be sadly missed for the first game, but former West Indies Youth pacer, Tyrone Greenaway, appears to be up to the task of filling the void and could surprise opposing batsmen with his increased pace and lateral movement.
Lesroy Irish returns to the team following a successful introduction to first class cricket with the LI team (Irish claimed eight wicket in the three matches he played), and most likely will share the new ball with the ever reliable Sammy Kirnon.
Angelo Bass would be eager to prove he is still at his best with his leg spinners and if his googlies, top spinners and flippers are pitching, he could be a handful for the Antiguan batsmen.
Two batsmen from the Montserrat Under-19 team, Zhuan Sweeney and Olson Murain, are included in the senior squad and could play major roles in the reorganization of the middle order. They will receive support and guidance from captain Williams, Trevor Semper and the left handers Oakland Greaves and Earl Hyman.
David Lane will keep wicket, and in his twelfth season he is still the best wicket-keeper in the tournament. His batting at number seven or eight is always a bonus as he has scored a century at this level previously.
The full team is Devon Willaims (captain), David Lane, Lawrence Daley, McPherson Meade, Zhuan Sweeney, Olson Murrain, Trevor Semper, Oakland Greaves, Earl Hyman, Tyrone Greenaway, Lesroy Irish, Sammy Kirnon, and Angelo Bass. The team is coached by WICB qualified coach Fitzroy Buffonge and MCA Second Vice President, Colin Riley, is the manager. The matches will be covered on Radio Montserrat 880 KHz and ABS 620 KHz from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. each day.
At the start of the week activity at the Soufriere Hills Volcano was at a very high level, but by the end of the week the activity had dropped to just a few events. One thing certain though is that the area of activity has switched once again ,with the active part of the dome now on the north - northeast section One night midweek, scientists at the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) were reporting seeing incandescent rocks falling into the top of Tuitt's Ghaut close to Paradise Estate.
Many of the ghauts in the area are now at risk as the dome continues to grow and becomes too big for English's Crater. MVO scientists have named Mosquito Ghaut, White's Ghaut and Tuitt's Ghaut as being at particular risk to pyroclastic flows in the near future. Early in the week, at a special meeting, farmers who work close to Farrell's Wall were also warned of the dangers faced in this area. Motorists are also being advised not to drive through the central corridor.
The pattern of hybrid earthquake swarms followed by rock-falls and pyroclastic flows continued into the early part of the week, but as the week progressed the swarms became fewer and the number of rock-falls also decreased. With the winds blowing from the south-east most residents were hoping that there would be no pyroclastic flows producing ash clouds, as these winds would blow the ash into the safe zones. However, on Tuesday afternoon there was what was described as a moderate flow in the Tar River Valley. The ash-cloud reached a height of 9,000 feet and quickly blew northwest, causing large amounts of ash to fall in areas between Cork Hill and Woodlands. One school, the Seventh Day Adventist Community School had to close because of the high levels of ash in the vicinity. Scientists at the MVO, were amazed how quickly this flow reached the sea, it taking less than one minute from the first signal to the time it reached the sea.
COSPEC measurements were resumed this week following the return of the repaired equipment. Early runs showed sulphur dioxide levels in the atmosphere of over 900 tonnes per day but as the week progressed and activity lessened this dropped to around 600 tonnes per day, well within the World Health Organisation's recommended upper limit.
The dome was in cloud for most of the week, apart from a few minutes on Monday. Once again Montserratians had an opportunity to look at the impressive dome during this time and scientists took the opportunity to carry out a dome survey to estimate its size. The last estimate over a week ago showed 63 million cubic metres of material. The scientist hosted a radio call in programme on Thursday night and dome size was one of the topics discussed. Heavy rains during the week resulted in mud-flows in various ghauts and rivers throughout the island, these caused by volcanic ash mixing with the water. In Paradise River mud-flow depth was measured at over 20 inches.
The above picture shows the area at the Galways Soufriere which not long ago (two months) was deeply excavated, exhibiting the sulphur springs as boiled and puffed away.
Today it is completely filled up and is now one level from the roundabout on one side across to the other side.
Residents of St. Patrick's who frequented this area, when the time comes around, will welcome the ease with which they can now go from one side to the other.
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, ALSO called hypertension, is a risk factor for heart and kidney diseases and stroke. This means that having high blood pressure increases your chance. (or risk) of getting heart or kidney disease, or having a stroke. This is serious business: Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States, and stroke is the third most common cause of death.
High blood pressure is especially dangerous because it often gives no warning signs or symptoms. Fortunately, though, you can find out if you have high blood pressure by having your blood pressure checked regularly. If it is high, you can take steps to lower it. Just as important, if your blood pressure is normal, you can learn how to keep it from becoming high.
WHAT CAUSES HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE?
For most people, there is no single known cause of high blood pressure. This type of high blood pressure is called "primary" or "essential" hypertension. This type of blood pressure can't be cured, although in most cases it can be controlled. That's why it's so important for everyone to take steps to reduce their chances of developing high blood pressure.
In a few people, high blood pressure can be traced to a known cause like tumors of the adrenal gland, chronic kidney disease, hormone abnormalities, use of birth control pills, or pregnancy. This is called "secondary hypertension." Secondary hypertension is usually cured if its cause passes or is corrected.
WHAT IS BLOOD PRESSURE AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT IS HIGH?
Since blood is carried from the heart to all of your body tissues and organs in vessels called arteries, blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the walls of those arteries. In fact, each time the heart beats (about 60-70 times a minute at rest), it pumps out blood into the arteries. Your blood pressure is at its greatest when the heart contracts and is pumping the blood. This is called systolic pressure. When the heart is at rest, in between beats, your blood pressure falls. This is the diastolic pressure.
Blood pressure is always given as these two numbers, systolic and diastolic pressures. Both are important. Usually they are written on above or before the other such as 120/80 mm Hg, with the top number the systolic and the bottom the diastolic.
Different actions make your blood pressure go up or down. For example if you run for a bus, your blood pressure goes up. When you sleep at night, your blood pressure goes down. These changes in blood pressure are normal.
Some people have blood pressure that stays up all or most of the time. Their blood pushes against the walls of their arteries with higher-than-normal force. If untreated this can lead to serious medical problems like these:
Arteriosclerosis ("hardening of the arteries"). High blood pressure harms the arteries by making them thick and stiff. This speeds the build up of cholesterol and fats in the blood vessels like rust in a pipe , which prevents the blood from flowing through the body, and in time can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
Heart attack. Blood carries oxygen to the body. When the arteries that bring blood to the heart muscle are blocked, the heart cannot get enough oxygen. Reduced blood flow can cause chest pain (angina). Eventually, the flow may be stopped completely, causing a heart attack.
Enlarged heart. High blood pressure causes the heart to work harder. Overtime, this causes the heart to thicken and stretch. Eventually the heart fails to function normally, causing fluids to back up in the lungs. Controlling high blood pressure can prevent this from happening.
Kidney damage. The kidney acts as a filter to rid the body of wastes. Over a number of years, high blood pressure can narrow or thicken the blood vessels of the kidney. The kidney filters less fluid and wastes build up in the blood. The kidneys may fail altogether. When this happens, medical treatment (dialysis) or a kidney transplant may be needed.
Stroke. High blood pressure can harm the arteries, causing them to narrow faster. So, less blood can get to the brain. If a blood clot blocks one of the narrowed arteries, a stroke (thrombotic stroke) may occur. A stroke can also occur when very high pressure causes a break in a weakened blood vessel in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke).
WHO'S LIKEKLY TO DEVELOP HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE?
Anyone can develop high blood pressure, but some people are more likely to develop it than others For example, high blood pressure is more common-it develops earlier and is more severe-in African -Americans than in whites.
In the early and middle adult years, men have high blood pressure more often than women. But as men and women age, the reverse is true. More women after menopause have high blood pressure than men of the same age. And the number of both men and women with high blood pressure increases rapidly in older age groups. More than half of all Americans over age 65 have high blood pressure. And older African-American who live in the Southeast are more likely to have high blood pressure than those in other regions of the United States.
In fact, the Southeastern states have some of the highest rates of death from stroke. High blood pressure is the key risk factor for stroke. Other risk factors include cigarette smoking and overweight. These 11 states-Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia-have such high rates of stroke among persons of all races and in both sexes that they are called the "Stroke Belt States."
Finally heredity can make some families more likely than others to get high blood pressure. If your parents or grandparents had high blood pressure, you risk may be increased. While it is mainly a disease of adults, high blood pressure can occur in children as well. Even if everyone is healthy, be sure that you and your family get your blood pressure checked. Remember high blood pressure can have no signs or symptoms.
Following is the continuation and part of the discussion surrounding our airport and runway in Montserrat. This is a follow-up by one of the parties to the discussion.
As promised here are my thoughts on the Airport situation. Regrettably, I do not have any of the study data that were prepared to support the proposal when this was being discussed and voted on in the LECO.
Sorry that this is so lengthy, but to say less would not do justice to the subject.
Bill has kindly supplied the runway requirements for both the Dash and ATR.
The usable runway length at the Bramble Airport is 3,400 feet. This appears to just exclude a loaded ATR.
However, that is not the whole story, American and all other airlines establish their own Flight Manuals that ADD, a safety margin to those absolute minimums.
In addition, there are runway loading and width requirements that must be met. While the RAF regularly shoehorned a loaded Hercules onto the Bramble runway after Hugo, the 'Hercy' is a short, rough- field aircraft.
AA Eagle in fact, landed today for the first time at Bramble Airport with an ATR. However they only had a few passengers and left 7,000 lbs of much appreciated relief cargo here at Montserrat (MNI), to reduce their take off weight. To really establish a 'hard' number, I asked my daughter, who was an Aircraft Dispatcher at both Pan-Am and TWA for several years. She regularly dispatched both Dash 7s (4-engined STOL predecessor of the Dash 8) and ATRs. Her recollection is that that they could dispatch Dash 7s to the 4,900 ft STOL runway at Washington National Airport but NOT the ATRs which had a 5,000 ft runway requirement.
It has been quite a while since the New Runway was discussed in MNI, but as I recall there were two options one for a 1,300 meter (4,300ft) and the other 1500 meters (4900 ft). Naturally, Montserrat preferred the longer runway but was told effectively, "There's only Aid money for the short runway take it or leave it." Reluctantly it was agreed to take it with a mixture of Aid and Loan Financing. I remember at the time thinking, that it was a steep price to pay for another 1,000ft of runway.
I have to wonder how A. Eagle could have operated here with the 4,300ft runway based on the numbers used by Pan-Am and TWA...I think that there was a gross weight reduction either for passengers and or fuel to provide safe operation. Did American know that they would only get the short runway and have to fly with reduced load? Who knows?
Bill makes a very good point about the 'New' A. Eagle fleet.
Contacts with A Eagle at Dallas indicate that they have not committed to an aircraft type or a date for this phase-over. Even without knowing the details of their re-equipment program it seems that the modified Bramble Airport will be obsolete before it is even started, as virtually all Fan Jets, require at least 5,000+ feet of runway. I do not believe that any airport in the area that Am Eagle serves is less than 5000 ft, so there is no incentive for them to retain the ATRs in this area.
In retrospect, the volcano may have saved us from building a useless airport.
Tony suggests that LIAT could operate a Dash-8 service now from San Juan directly to MNI. Yes they could, but would you, if you were running LIAT, had an absolute monopoly on the route to MNI, could juggle the aircraft type to ensure maximum load factor and could dump passengers, yet not offer any compensation if the flight was over sold? I think not.
Tony also talked about several International Airports. I think he means Oceanic international airports (my term).. The definition of an international airport is any airport with Customs facilities, therefore the WH Bramble Airport is an international airport!
GIS's useful input on the LIAT flight to MNI without the Antigua 'shuffle' is worth considering. There are a couple of fly specs in that approach, in that many of us have excess baggage on LIAT and the cost may be greater from San Juan (SJU), Puerto Rico, than for the short hop from Antigua (ANU). In addition I assume that the baggage will have to be hauled to LIAT from AA. However, the ticket cost should be the same because LIAT has to compete on that route.
One footnote to this item I also learned while preparing this piece, that when flying from Toronto to Antigua, Air Canada will check the baggage directly from there to MNI.. This sounds as if they segregate the baggage and have contracted with LIAT to handle it in Antigua.
Rogers has made several contributions to this discussion and I find myself generally in disagreement with both him and Tony for the following reasons :
1. There will always be steady passenger traffic between ANU and Montserrat MNI. Many Montserratians have close personal and working ties in ANU. Plus the Oceanic/Caribbean carriers such as Air Canada, BA and BWIA feed into ANU, in addition to the "local" Caribbean service to Dominica, Martinique and other islands provided by LIAT. Clearly that is a passenger service that will grow slowly and will always be required.
2. I recall that the original Airport was an airstrip at Olveston but was abandoned because it became obsolete. I believe a new Airport is required because the Bramble facility is also obsolete as it lacks the ability to handle the smaller commercial jet aircraft.
P Rogers sites the success of small airports at St. Barts and Nevis. These are special cases in that they are both very close to other Islands that are well served with Oceanic Carriers (St. Maarten and St. Kitts). Hence a charter of a light aircraft is quite reasonable. Plus Nevis has a ferry to St. Kitts to provide competition with Charter operators and the terrain at St. Barts prevents the construction of a longer runway. I believe there is also a ferry from St. Maarten to St. Barts.
3. I question the rebirth of MAS for the following reasons. History tells us that Government operated Airlines have invariably been poor performers in the marketplace. The proposal to use the airport funds to reestablish the airline will not fly (pun intended) because aid money is only available for capital
infrastructure construction projects, not to fund business operations. It is difficult to get reservations on LIAT from the US through the Sabre system. MAS would suffer from the same problem, but more severely.
4. The major tourist flow to Montserrat is from the US. These days many Americans have never been on a propeller aircraft and are very apprehensive, some even frightened, about stepping off a DC-10 and boarding a small aircraft such as a Twin Otter or Islander. This trend will continue until in a few years a
propeller aircraft will seem quaint and antique to the uninitiated. My wife has said for years that the problem with MNI is "getting here".
After the Volcano we shall have to endure a long period to rebuild the shattered Tourist market. In addition we to compete much more effectively with our neighbours if this island is to prosper again. From the reports to this group, it appears that AUC has gone for ever, as they are building a lavish facility in St. Maarten and that is a severe long term loss to the economy.
There is a suggestion that hotels will be constructed and tourists will stream to the Island. Well, they didn't do either of those things even before Hugo, when the island seemed to be booming in the 80's. Remember that the J Osborne government struggled unsuccessfully for years, to promote a Little Bay Marina. Now it looks as if the nucleus for the Marina is there, thanks to the new jetty, the Volcano and the British government (BG).
I think it is the other way around. WHEN the infrastructure is in place, investors and serious entrepreneurs will be attracted to the Island. We have a good water supply and power system but lack a modern airport to make travel to the Island from the US a simple process. It may seem that I am obsessed with the US.
Not really, but in blunt terms, that is where the people and the money are.
5. Tony is concerned about the capriciousness of AA. Lets face it, their primary motivation is to make money. I suspect they left Charleston because the route was unprofitable.. Airlines often establish a service then drop it, if it is unprofitable. The fact remains that if there is NO Airport they will never have the opportunity to cancel service ! Like it or not, since the demise of Eastern and Pan-Am which coincided with the creation of the AA hub at SJU, AA has a stranglehold on the Caribbean and LIAT is just a bit part player. If AA is integrated into the Tourist loop, as I mentioned previously, they will offer package deals and promote the Island for free.
6. There is also the belief that AA can only operate directly from San Juan SJU to MNI. I do not accept that. Airlines frequently stop at airports from which they cannot pick up local traffic. For example Delta flies from NY to London to Frankfurt but cannot pick up passengers in London for Frankfurt. Similarly AA could fly a
loop from SJU to MNI then stop at St. Kitts on the return to SJU. Or substitute ANU for St. Kitts. They would not carry short haul passengers, between MNI and St. Kitts or ANU and MNI.
A northern site is the only real option for the 21st Century, especially as the noise pollution from Jet aircraft will be intolerable in the Spanish Point and Bethel, even if we eventually get a 5000ft+ runway.
Another informed source observed that cloud cover in the north is significantly less than at Bramble and the approach/departure from the runway would be into wind and a straight line over water. This would be a major improvement over Bramble with its awkward approach, frequent strong cross-wind and daylight only operation.
Further benefits would be the accessibility for cargo flights, business jets and the northern tip of the island by road to Rendezvous bay.
It is hard to see how Montserrat could still be operating from Bramble say in 2025, yet construction costs increase yearly, so the sooner the whole airport situation is re-evaluated, re-planned and funded the better. Even then, we are looking at a 4 to 5 year period before it will be complete.
Being the eternal optimist and considering the extraordinary circumstances, I would hope that sufficient grant aid could be obtained to provide a new northern airport. With the weak state of the economy, further debt load would seem to be out of the question. Considering that we are scrambling to obtain very much
smaller sums to build the desperately needed emergency housing, this will require a major effort to achieve.
Preston asked me how many managers do we need ? I think this is an example where a highly skilled dedicated manager is required to push, plead, cajole, yes even beg, for support to make this program a success, because that is what it will take to obtain funds from many sources and governments. I could name several Montserratians who I think could do that job very well.
This airport will provide a facility that is not subject to the constant whims of the Volcano (or LIAT), will be safer, less affected by weather and will allow Montserrat to compete effectively with the other Tourist venues in the Caribbean in the 21st century. We need it badly and it is very shortsighted to think otherwise. After it is built, everyone will wonder how we ever managed without it !
Something is on my mind. And I hope that by speaking out, I will echo the feelings of many Montserratians, who like me often feel embarrassed by the way we have managed or not managed the volcanic situation.
Honestly, I do not know if Montserratians understand that they have to survive this crisis; and to survive, we must manage it successfully.
I sometimes become confused whenever I realise that we do not select and train suitable Montserratians for important positions.
Worse still, I become very angry whenever I believe that we do not prepare our bright young people for positions that will become vacant in the very near future, and especially those positions on which the entire island depends.
But above everything else, survival management is our most important concern. At this point, the public is extremely impatient. We do not understand the priorities set for us. For example, where are we to focus our attention in order to survive this volcano crisis?
Is it on disaster management and recovery? Is it on development planning and project preparation for 1990? Or is it on physical planning for the year 2015?
It is amazing that although we have so many capable, bright Montserratians, we seem to have lost our way in the management of the crisis. Maybe we should create 'task force' and 'think tank' units; and use radio call-in programs to hear from one another, so that we can develop management strategies that suit us.
The truth hurts; yet the truth is the truth. Our management skills on a national level are extremely weak; and, so the Englishman says. We must accept these facts and take steps to correct the problem of weak management skills.
It is time to stop blaming Reuben Meade for placing ineffective and unsuitable people in vital positions. That may have been his style of management. He was able to excel with weak people around him. We no longer have Reuben Meade's government.
The public knows and understands, that each new government must make changes in personnel in order to carry out its plans. The public expects that the government will place effective people in vital positions to manage this disaster in such a way that we can see much more than 4-wheel drive vehicles. Our government must take bold steps to speed up the pace and keep in step with the expectations of the public; because the public will neither be patient with, nor have confidence in a government that does not roll heads.
The public knows that with every new government heads must roll. So let heads roll.
Whether it is development planning or the entire civil service let heads roll.
The public knows those who will never support this government. The public knows that real progress depends on the government having its own people in key positions.
The public cannot wait any longer on shoddy project preparation. They want action much more than temporary shelters and 4-wheel drive vehicles. We demand action without localized delay.
The public wants the government to get rid of the bottle-necks and people who, like the iguana, change their colour to blend safely into unsuitable political environs.
In addition to managing the crisis, within a very short time we will need to replace the aging managers of the Port Authority, the Water Authority, the Social Security and the Electricity Services. These are important institutions that create and maintain the employment of many Montserratians. We should also use them as vital training grounds for our future managers. But what plans are in place to select and train suitable Montserratians for those positions?
Let us continue to look further. Consider the positions of Speaker of the House, Nominated members of the Legislative Council, The Attorney General and the Financial Secretary. It is time that we begin to select and groom suitable young Montserratians for these positions.
In spite of the volcano, we must begin now to give ourselves the opportunity to survive.
And if we are to survive, we must follow the mood of the public and create a pool of vibrant young Montserratians from which to select our management trainees. We must encourage these young management trainees to sharpen one another, exchanging ideas, knowing that Montserrat is theirs. Where possible we must indoctrinate them, even to the point of becoming so prejudiced, that excellence, effective action and successful management will become their password for the survival of Montserrat.
David Brandt’s Presentation at Independence Meeting
PRESENTATION OF DAVID S. BRANDT TO THE REGIONAL SEMINAR WITH REGARD TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECLARATION ON THE GRANTING OF INDEPENDENCE TO COLONIAL COUNTRIES AND PEOPLES.
Mr. Chairman, distinguished delegates of the Special Committee on Decolonization, distinguished representatives of the non-self-governing territories and non-governmental organizations, other distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen.
I would firstly like to thank the Special Committee for inviting the Government of Montserrat to participate in this seminar. I also thank the Government of Antigua and Barbuda for its hospitality and the Honorable Prime Minister Mr. Lester Bird for his kind words in relation to the relationship between Antigua and Montserrat. Over the years Antigua and Montserrat have shared a very close relationship and it is our wish that this relationship should continue, whatever the constitutional status of Montserrat.
Mr. Chairman, constitutional prescriptions for Montserrat were originally contained in the Montserrat Letters Patent of 1959. It vested executive authority in an Executive Council comprised of elected and ex-officio members and presided over by a Governor. The Governor, apart from being the head of the Executive Council, was vested with executive responsibility for various subjects including External Affairs, Law and Order, Security and the Civil Service. Legislative Authority was vested in a Legislative Council comprised of elected and nominated members.
A new constitution, the Montserrat Constitution Order 1989, came into force in February, 1990. Its implementation in Montserrat was not preceded by any form of consultation with the people. It was largely a unilateral measure imposed by the British without regard for the wishes of the people of Montserrat.
The Constitution made no changes to the structure of Government, but in the context of the right to self determination it made two significant changes. The first change involved a transfer of responsibility for matters of international finance from the elected Chief Minister to the Governor.
The second change was the incorporation of a bill of rights which commences with a clause to the effect that "the right to self determination must be promoted and respected in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations".
Given this remarkable provision, one would have expected the British to have taken active steps to actively promote the right to self determination. But Britain has acted to the contrary. In fact the constitutional amendment of 1989 which transferred responsibility for international finance from the elected Chief Minister to the Governor was done unilaterally in the face of overwhelming local protest. Constitutionally the measure is clearly retrogressive since it took away responsibility for important financial matters from the political head of Government and vested it in a British- appointed Governor. Even if it was the view of the British that the particular Minister who at that time had responsibility for international finance was not discharging his functions in a satisfactory manner, there were other measures which could have been resorted to. But to unilaterally alter the Constitution in this manner to divest elected officials of important responsibilities is a clear and overt act of disrespect for the people's right to self determination.
It is perhaps worthy of note that prior to the constitutional amendment of 1989 the Governor was the only British official performing public functions in Montserrat. Since 1989, however, there has been a slow but steadily increasing British presence in the public service, a fact which could only serve to postpone the preparation of the people and to erode their confidence in their ability to manage their own affairs.
Although the economic circumstances in Montserrat (to which I will later allude) make it difficult for Montserrat to actively pursue self-determination at this time, it is still the Government's wish for the preparation process to continue. It is our view that where responsibility for local affairs is concentrated in the office of Governor rather than in elected ministers, the preparation process is being frustrated; and where more of the responsibility for local affairs lies with the elected ministers the greater is the preparation for self-determination.
This position explains the overwhelmingly negative local reaction to a British proposal earlier this year to further increase the executive powers of the Governor, and to confer on him certain legislative powers. The proposal, contained in a letter from the Secretary of State, and which was said to form a part of British policy for its dependent territories, is again inconsistent with the constitutional declaration of 1989 to promote the right to self-determination. Proposals of this sort are not welcomed by the Government or the people of Montserrat. Rather than seeking to increase their powers over local affairs, the British should be encouraging measures designed to put more domestic control into the hands of local officials.
Although there is in Montserrat no organised campaign to promote self-determination, there has been, over the past few years a noticeable increase in the receptiveness of the people to the idea of self-determination for Montserrat. The view that our constitutional arrangements are not conducive to our development needs is fast gaining ground. And while it is still unlikely that this increased receptiveness will in the immediate future manifest itself in any overt pursuit of self-determination, it has resulted in increased local resistance to any form of increased control over the affairs of the colony by Britain. An indication of this was seen earlier this year when the people overwhelming rejected British proposals to increase the legislative and executive powers of the Governor. And in November of 1996, in the middle of the volcanic crisis, the people resolved that general elections should be held as constitutionally provided, where to resolve otherwise may have led to a more direct form of control from Britain. However, notwithstanding local resistance to increased British control and the increased receptiveness to ideas of self-determination, the economic difficulty brought on by the on-going volcanic crisis has impacted negatively on the spirit and enthusiasm of the people and has in large measure increased their dependence.
The impact of the volcanic activity has made it difficult for the newly elected government to articulate a position on self determination. It is however the Government's desire that the right to self determination be promoted by the British by permitting the local officials of Government greater latitude in the exercise of responsibility for local affairs; for it is only when this is done that the populace can develop the level of confidence in governance necessary to make the exercise of self determination successful. The Government also takes a positive view of the increased receptiveness of the people to ideas of self-determination for Montserrat and recognises the need for an educational program to be put in place to further enhance the preparation of the people.
It is, however, the official view that although self-determination for Montserrat is desirable, and must one day become a reality, it must be preceded by economic stability. At present the situation is economically unhealthy, with little prospect for an early recovery. The poor performance of the economy beginning in the early l990's and the continuing slide brought on by volcanic activity have brought the country to its knees. Migration has severely depleted the population, which stood at approximately 10,000 before the crisis and which is now estimated at 7,000. The decline in population has resulted in a shrinking consumer base. Many small businesses have closed. Some have relocated to neighboring islands. Others carry on a skeleton operation. Ironically as migration continues to reduce the labour force unemployment continues to rise. Tourism, the island's main contributor to GNP, is on the decline as the island continues to suffer from negative volcano-related publicity. The directives issued by the United States, Britain and Germany to their nationals not to visit Montserrat have dealt a severe blow to the tourism sector. Agriculture has also been badly hit, since the most productive agricultural lands are located in the unsafe areas. Now, for the first time in decades the country is unable to balance its recurrent budget without a major contribution (47% of the recurrent budget) from British funds.
The 7,000 persons remaining on the island, while increasingly receptive to ideas of self-determination, are understandably more concerned about their day-to-day livelihood. The majority of the population reside in the northern half of the island which lacks commercial and industrial activity and which has severe constraints on land acquisition and allocation. Some 60 percent of the island's homes have been abandoned in the unsafe areas. On these homes the owners must continue to pay mortgages. For many, these abandoned homes are their only asset and represent a lifetime of work. Many are unemployed. Many are housed in shelters. And there is the additional anxiety brought on by the immoral declaration by insurance companies to discontinue the coverage of volcanic risk to homes located in the unsafe zone.
The British Government has allocated 25 million pounds of aid to Montserrat and we thank them for coming to our assistance in our time of need. The experience is that these sums are difficult to access. The rigorous approval procedures which obtain in normal times are being applied in time of emergency, so that funding for projects is slow in forthcoming. The funds are earmarked for basic infrastructure in connection with the emergency. They cannot be used to generate sustainable employment or in the development of industry generally. Thus, there is little development thrust outside of the few capital projects which are being approved from time to time. Although there are ideas for development, there is a shortage of capital to implement these ideas; and because of Montserrat's colonial status it is unable to directly approach other countries or donor agencies for assistance.
In sum, the position of the Government of Montserrat is that self-determination is desirable and should one day become a reality. But self-determination should rest on an independent economic foundation. The unhealthy state of the economy at this time and the island's reliance on British funds for its continued existence represent serious obstacles to the attainment of self determination.
Jus wonderin why civil servants were all smiles during this week.
Jus wonderin if the ranked policeman returned the English lady's money as yet.
Jus wonderin when will this wonderin ting end.
Jus wonderin which Legco member's false teeth fell out in public while on the campaign trail.
Jus wonderin if persons commit crimes and then pretend that they are born-again Christians so that the court may have pity on them.
Jus wonderin if some of the dogs that were catching goats in the South of the island were caught transporting them in fishing boats.
Jus wonderin if some of these fishing boats are involved in the illegal drug trade on island.
Jus wonderin who needed the rest in the one-day cricket match, Bass or Irish.
Jus wonderin if some-one sat down and came up with a plan of how to keep customers in the banks much longer than is really necessary.
And can't help wonderin, if a special desk should not be set up to deal with utility bills in the banks, so those who went to the bank to do banking business can be dealt with more promptly.
Jus wonderin when some politicians will stop spreading propaganda and innuendoes during their public meeting.
Jus wonderin who raised the price for female services in Cork Hill.
Jus wonderin when will this lady on the hill will go back to sleep.
Jus wonderin when a damage assessment will begin on the volcano damages.
Jus wonderin why some persons are returning home to the unsafe zone despite the dangerous treat of the volcano.
MV Freda W.
With all machinery including main engine 405 H. P.
Rebuilt new March 1996.
Class Bureau - Excellent condition.
3 generators, all Lister Blackstone engines.
Speed 10.5- 11 knots.
Port of Registry, London, England.
Gross tonnage 428.
Dead weight 600.
Crew quarters, kitchen and storage rebuilt new.
Includes: 15 ton telescopic crane Mac Gregor, hatch covers, 2 hatches - I hole.
Fax. 664 - 491 - 3010. Great Western Shipping Co. Ltd. PO Box 56, Plymouth Montserrat.Negotiable - asking price US $400.000
Present trading-Caribbean.
Applications are invited from suitably qualified citizens of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank member territories to fill the post of AUDIT OFFICER, Internal Audit Unit Of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank.
APPLlCANTS SHOULD HAVE:
DUTIES:
The selected candidate would be expected to audit:
SALARY:
An attractive remuneration package will be offered.
Applications stating qualifications and experience with the namc and addresses of two (2) referees, as well as certified copies of certificates should be forwarded to:-
The Bank Secretary Eastern Caribbean Central Bank P. O. Box 89 Bird Rock Basseterre St Kittsto reach no later than 15th June, 1997.
Applications which do not meet tbe minimum requirements indicated above will not be acknowledged.
Applications are invited from suitably qualified citizens of ECCB member countries to fill the post of ARCHIVIST, Secretariat at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank in St. Kitts.
APPLlCANTS SHOULD HAVE:
DUTIES:
The successful applicant will be responsible for:
TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
Applications stating qualifications and experience with the name and addresses of two (2) referees, as well as certified copies of certificates should be forwarded to:
The Bank Secretary Eastern Caribbean Central Bank P. O. Box 89 BASSETERRE St. Kittsto reach no later than 15th June, 1997
Applications which do not meet the minimum requirements indicated above will not be acknowledged.
Applications are invited from suitably qualified citizens of the ECCB member countries to fill the post of LEGAL SECRETARY, Legal Unit, Governor's Office at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank in St. Kitts.
APPLICANTS SHOULD HAVE:
DUTIES:
The successful applicant will be responsible for:
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Applications stating qualifications and experience with the name and addresses of two (2) referees, as well as certified copies of certificates should be forwarded to:
The Bank Secretary Eastern Caribbean Central Bank P. O. Box 89 BASSETERRE St. Kittsto reach no later than 13th June 1997.
Applications which do not meet the minimum requirements indicated above will not be acknowledged.
Montserrat Philatelic Bureau Manager Vacancy
Applications are invited from suitably qualified persons for the post of Manager of the Philatelic Bureau.
QUALIFICATIONS
Applicants should posses:
Experience in Philatelic management, as well as good communication, interpersonal and leadership skills will be assets.
DUTIES
The duties of the post will include:
REMUNERATION
Salary will be dependent on qualification and experience.
CLOSING DATE
Applications should be submitted to:
The Chairman Philatelic Bureau Ministry of Finance Olveston MontserratTo reach him not later than 30th June 1997.
Forward all Questions, Comments and Suggestions to: roachb@candw.ag
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