Montserrat companies may not be paid thousands of dollars for architectural work already done on new Montserrat recovery projects. Architects Alford Dyett, Ken Cassell, David Hodd and Ivason Galloway could be stuck with huge expenses because the local Department for International Development (DFID), representative wanted the jobs to go to offshore architects.

The projects for which DFID is demanding a review are the Sheltered Housing at Lookout, the Day Care Centre at Lookout, the Office Block and the Fire Station.
According to local architects, DFID is expressing concern that their practices cannot actually afford to "supply the service implied by their offers," while finding all kinds of other "very flawed" methods to suggest that tenders from foreign architects are better value for money, which in most cases are much higher than those of the local architects.

Officials of the tender’s board have confirmed the architects' information, that "design consultancies have been awarded," and the architects say that they have begun work.

The Montserrat Reporter has learned that DFID’s technical advisor, Mr. Michael Luffingham, wanted some of these contracts to go to a company in St. Kitts called OMB. DFID is apparently angry because Luffinghham's recommendations were "not always followed".

There was no confirmation of a source which says that DFID is even threatening to withhold funds if their new requirements aren't met.

Comments reaching the Reporter suggest that DFID does not understand the role of the technical advisor and that has led to problems in the past and will lead to problems in the future. "The Tenders Board does not exist to rubber stamp the decisions of any technical advisor."
Many of the factors which go into awarding a contract are beyond the competence of a technical advisor and that is why a Tenders Board is at all necessary. A technical advisor should advise on the technical merits of different bids and should provide expert testimony on the technical aspects of the bids. He or she may even go as far as grading bids, but he is what his title says he is – a technical advisor.

His advice is important and may not be ignored, but he never is responsible for the final decision. The funds are expected to be spent where they could have the maximum impact on the Montserrat economy. This is not a consideration for a technical advisor, but it is very much a consideration for the Tenders board.

There are additional expenses for an outside contractor, which would be attached to the funds -- expenses like travel accommodation etc. These are relevant to a Tenders Board and may not concern a technical advisor.
"Montserrat architects are known to be among the best in the Caribbean," Chief Minister David Brandt told the Reporter. "Everyday Alford Dyett and others get offers for work from other islands. They have chosen to stay here for better or worse. The people of Montserrat have stood together and stood strong in the face of great adversity. They will not be rewarded by being passed over for contracts in their own country."

Mr. Brandt said his staff was researching the matter and he would make a fuller response.
Mr. Alford Dyett is at present working on projects in Antigua, Grenada, and Trinidad and Tobago. Mr. Ken Cassell also has a good reputation throughout the region. Yet DFID insisted that they go through a qualification process that was not required for OMB.
DFID has in the past awarded architectural and building contracts to overseas companies that proved to be less competent and experienced than Montserrat professionals.

One prominent person, upon hearing the issue, said, "Not only are they enemies of Montserrat, as the Chief Minister called those responsible for adverse Travel Advisories, but the responsible person or persons at DFID should be afforded travel on the next ferry out of Montserrat."

Observers are trying to figure DFID's motive, since it seems they are failing to carry out their responsibility and their government's promise of "strengthening the Montserrat Government's capacity… for and implementation of the Country Policy Plan" (CPP), and by extension the Sustainable Development Plan (SDP).

Permanent Secretary Eugene Skerritt in the Ministry of Communications and Works has reported that the Public Works Department (PWD) has moved to ease a build-up situation where personnel were unavailable to deal with the vetting of plans for structural soundness and other requirements necessary for building approvals.

This comes following complaints that on an island where economic activity was at an extremely low ebb, nearly 20 applications were being held up for planning approval to commence construction of one building or another. The initial complaint was that there was no one on island to approve permits to build anything on the island.

Mr. Skerritt confirmed that the process goes through seven stages, passing through several ministries and departments, after being first deposited with the Physical Planning Department in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land, Housing and the Environment. The process also takes the plans through the Ministry of Health, where they are also checked for sanitation compliance.

The P S said: "We suspect that with the housing grant scheme and the soft mortgage scheme coming on stream there could be a rush; I am hiring someone from outside the system, to be under supervision of PWD, to deal with the outstanding and other related matters," to do with signing off on the engineering aspects of the required approvals for construction.

He said that persons who carried the responsibility for this function had been seriously tied up with other projects requiring his attention within the Ministry.

A search by potential visitors to Montserrat will find that travel to Montserrat is currently being discouraged.

A few weeks before Prince Andrew's royal visit to Montserrat a new British Travel Advisory indirectly discouraged visitors to Montserrat. The advisory was met with severe criticisms, led by Chief Minister David Brandt, who said at one point that anyone who issues advisory like that is "not a friend of Montserrat".

It was later discovered that the advisory originated, though not necessarily in its final form, from the Governor's office here. Gov. Anthony Abbott defended the advisory, declaring, "Frankly we could not quite see what all the fuss is about" He insisted that the advisory did not discourage visits to the island.

Now comes the following from the 'Excite Travel Advisory' on the Internet on Sunday, May 14, 2000, and titled, "About Montserrat":

"Once known as the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean, Montserrat may have to find a new nickname: Most of the island is covered with a dull gray sheet of ash after the devastating eruptions of the Soufriere Hills volcano that took place beginning in late June 1997.

Actually, Montserrat will need many new things in the future, including a new capital city, new houses, new businesses and new hotels. If it is to return to its pre-1995 population of 11,000, it will need new residents, too. Only about 4,000 people were left on the island when we went to press, the rest having relocated. It’s believed that about 20 people lost their lives in the summer 1997 eruptions.

Volcanic activity continues, and the southern two-thirds of the British colony is considered too dangerous for human habitation. Several towns have been destroyed, including the capital of Plymouth, and the airport is closed. The population is now concentrated in northern Montserrat. While several guesthouses there are open, the area is said to be crowded and short of some resources. The only ways to reach the island are by a ferry that runs from Antigua to Little Bay and by limited helicopter service, also from Antigua.

When Montserrat will recover is unclear. The British government has pledged to help rebuild the island when volcanic activity diminishes, but geologists have been reluctant to predict when -- or if -- volcanic activity might cease. The chance of a catastrophic eruption that could damage even the northern part of the island is considered very small, though not impossible.

Travelers Advisory: At the present time, travel to Montserrat is not recommended. This view is shared by the foreign affairs departments of several nations, including Canada and the U.S. As we went to press, there were a few establishments offering accommodations in northern Montserrat, but limited resources and continued volcanic activity make the island a less than ideal destination.

For the latest advisories, call the Montserrat Tourist Board (664-491-7430), U.S. Department of State Overseas Citizens Services (202-647-5225), the Canadian Travel Advisory Line (800-267-6788), the British Travel Service (037-500-900) or the Australian Travel Advisory Line (06-261-2093).

The comments and editorials of the just concluded pilgrimage and other activities last month were interesting. The country was grateful for the gentle economic stirring and the opportunity of entertainment for a populace so long deprived of such activity. The pilgrimage is necessary and all efforts should be made to have others. However, an element has been overlooked in efforts to attract joint venture business investment and the movement of Montserratians back here which will reverse our brain drain and diminishing population – now under 11,000.

We can for now forget the teething problems of the pilgrimage organisers – the alleged fracas and altercations between committee members. We can also forget the rumored infighting in the local net ball association, for those elements can only be considered character building variables to mold better organisers for improved events. The issue is reversing the brain drain.

The task is tremendous because most Montserratians migrate to escape a cauldron (colonial crucible) that froths and bubbles, eroding initiative, originality and opposition, therefore leaving inertia, combined with the false sense of material advancement.

The pilgrimage tried to attract overseas Montserratians, especially the intelligentsia of our migrant community. I, however, assert that this community will not be able to survive here for the same reasons they left. We will attend David Edgecombe’s plays, but how many persons (local power brokers) would like to see him back here permanently? The government of the USVI had a special sitting of Parliament to honour Edgecombe for his contribution to Caribbean Theatre over the past 25 years. Which government of Montserrat sought to do so while he was here? Edgecombe’s thanks were the injunctions placed on his work. We stood at the University Centre and clapped when Chief Minister Reuben Meade awarded Edgecombe for his contribution to the region’s theatre. The award came too late and the presentation leaves a sour taste.

Let's look at Dr. George Irish, Professor of Latin American and Caribbean Studies at City University in New York. Again, would we like to see Irish back here permanently? His name rings with academic achievement and institution building. Dr. Irish has created more community groups and institutions between 1970 and 1973 than any government in Montserrat over a 10-year period.

When I spoke to Dr. Irish last week he said that the people of Montserrat made their choice when they refused him in the 1983 elections. I sensed a bitterness in Irish’s book, "Life in a Colonial Crucible," and advanced he wrote such a harsh indictment because of hurt and disappointment from his political loss. Irish says he cannot feel hurt since the electorate voted as they wished. He further contends he speaks the truth regarding local migration, "that it may well be a ready response to the threat of claustrophobia from the actual congestion that robs individuals of any privacy and secrecy in an enclave that allows no one any respite from constant popular scrutiny and vicious gossip-mongering." I sense this is true.

I can relieve Reporter Editor Dave Fenton of his weekly arduous task and fill this paper for the next ten years with the achievements of Dr. George Irish, Dr. Lowell Lewis, David Edgecombe, Sherman Weekes, Noel Gray and many more, all of whom had to take a sortie from the lines of battle in Montserrat. I do not know pilgrimage chairman Dr. Roy Lee well, but I envisage that he may soon be making a similar move.

In the 1970s to the early 1980s there was an upsurge in artistic creativity here. Now there is only a little sparkle offered by the likes of Yvonne Weeks and others. Why are our brains leaving? Why will it be so difficult to revert the brain drain? Today the behaviour of many Montserratians is the epitome of complacency, apathy and inertia. This is crowned by the few survivors who represent the inability to decide which side of the fence they sit (fencers). These (fencers), who are sometimes referred to as soup drinkers, never really have a point of view on anything, yet they influence decisions that crush original thinkers, the youth and opposition.

From now until the next pilgrimage I hope for a catharsis in Montserrat (Hugo should have done the job physically and metaphorically but he failed) resulting in an acceptance of what is ours. Let us cauterize the sore of petty differences, respect the achievements of Montserratians and honour our own before others do. Maybe these simple steps are nudges in the right direction to gain results from any Montserrat Pilgrimage. We also need to eradicate the ‘soup drinkers’ by asking Tinsmith John Harris of Harris’ Village to solder the bottom of the soup bowl. I will always give assistance to the people of Montserrat (the government) to attract ourselves here.

Read Ephesians 4:1-7

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling. –Ephesians 4:4

My friend Marjorie and I were volunteers to lend Christian support and assist with feeding centers for the needy children of the San Blas Islands. Life is very simple on the islands. Water is precious, and food is often scarce. Not wanting to be a burden for the residents, we took our own canned and dry foods. But we would have to use the water there.

The people go to Jungle Rivers for their water. After a few hot tropical days, we had used up all the rain water caught from the roof of the mission house and stored in a high holding tank. One dark, early morning, we heard much noise and chatter. Our Christian women friends were wrestling with a large garbage can full of fresh river water. They had taken to the ocean in their canoes, traveled up the jungle river, and brought back fresh water. With gratitude and appreciation I said, "You have all done so much work for us. We thank you. But why did you do it?"

The leader said to me, "We are all sisters, sisters in Jesus Christ."

We had come to help them. They had helped us. Together, we worked as one body in Christ.

Each of us has something to offer others within the Body of Christ.

It’s our game and we have a right to be emotional about it. Yes, the build-up was evident throughout the Caribbean. The Barbadian cricketing public, driven by the efforts of the media houses, rallied round the West Indies team once again. But the cricketing public response was mixed; the emotions were mixed and the excitements were mixed.

The developments of the week prior to the Test match triggered a mix of excitement and indifference on the one hand and involvement and apathy on the other hand. The team selection for the England summer tour, the Brian Lara second intrusion, the politics surrounding the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) elections and the performance of the West Indies "A" Team against the Pakistanis, all added new meaning to the crucial second Test match at the Kensington Oval, Barbados on May 18-22. And only time will tell how significant were the implications of these developments for West Indies cricket.

Two new faces were included in the tour party for England. The selectors kept faith in the two war horses, Ambrose and Walsh, and included a leg spinner for the long tour. The 16-man tour party includes eight batsmen (Jimmy Adams (captain), Sherwin Campbell, Adrian Griffith, Brian Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Wavell Hinds, Christopher Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan); six quickies (Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Franklyn Rose, Nixon McLean, Corey Collymore and Reon King); one wicket-keeper/batsman (Ridley Jacobs) and one leg spinner/batsman (Mahendra Nagamootoo).

With respect to geographical distribution, the team includes three Barbadians, four Guyanese, six Jamaicans, one Leeward islander, one Trinidadian and one Windward Islander. We will do a detail audit of the tour party in a subsequent column but will discuss the newcomers in this column.

The cricketing public, particularly the British cricket fans and financiers who have promoted the forthcoming tour around Brian Lara, the double-world record holder, was shocked to learn of his possible unavailability for the tour, because of the poor health of his mother. But in less than 24 hours, they learnt that he was available, fully committed, ready to tour England and do what he does best - bat. Chairman of selectors Mike Findlay reported in the press conference that the selectors had to alter their previous plans to include the number one batsman (in international cricket), the number one demanded cricketer in the world and the number one controversial cricketer in the West Indies, if not the world.

Then a section of the media extended the emotional developments with the news that Lara had been offered three times his existing contracted match fee (US$40,000) by the WICB in order to prevent a projected massive financial loss should the star batsman stay away from the summer games, an allegation which was firmly denied by the West Indies Board and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) which is responsible for negotiating the players' fees. And Brian Lara, who was reported taking his mother to Miami for treatment for cervical spondylosis or cervical osteoarthristis, declared: "It is completely false to state that I have been paid additional money as an inducement to tour England with the West Indies team."

And on top of these, as the May 12^th WICB meeting drew near, concerted efforts were being made by a sectional group of some absentee-cricket developers to unseat the WICB President. They intensified their efforts – a campaign to cut off and deliver the head of Pat Rousseau, the WICB chief, on a platter. During that period of time, it appeared that Rousseau and Lara were nearing theiend of their involvement in West Indies cricket.

The political faction was headed by Trinidadian Alloy Lequay and supported by Guyanese cricket chief Chetram Singh, former Guyanese Test cricketer (absentee cricket developer) Lance Gibbs, and Pro-vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, Professor Hillary Beckles, Barbadian historian, black activist and erstwhile lover of the WICB.

They argued that Rousseau’s failures were greater than his successes and that he had to make room for a more "significant another." But as is the case for Brian Lara, Rousseau’s usefulness became evident and his achievements, particularly with respect to the business aspect of the (cricket) industry, influenced the collective body and good sense prevailed. Lequay was defeated by nine votes to five by Rousseau and the matter was settled, at least for now.

Meanwhile the West Indies "A" team came back from the grave and embarrassed Pakistan with a stinging victory by 65 runs. A West Indies reserve, the West Indies "A" team, made up of one recycled player, two selectees, four marginal test players and some test hopefuls, gave the Pakistanis a lesson in Caribbean youth, enthusiasm, resilience and mental toughness at Bridgetown, Barbados, on the eve of the second contest at the same venue.

This development had a dual effect. First, it deepened the excitement for the crucial contest, billed as the "make-or-break battle." Second, it created a precedent for the senior West Indies team. Shot out for a meager 160 runs in 49.4 overs on a relatively good batting strip (after winning the toss and electing to bat), the young West Indians, it appeared almost buried in the abyss, as the somewhat limited Pakistan team capitalised on their sloppy outfielding and posted a commanding 346; Mohammad Wasim scoring a well put hundred (111) and Yousuf Youhana coming back-to-form with a classy 58.

The punishment for their poor out-cricket must have energised or angered the youngsters. The black and Indian youths showed the depth of their character and confirmed the selectors' faith in them. Led by Corey Collymore who, even if he collected no wicket for 74 runs off 16 overs, proved his fitness and his eligibility for a Test recall. He bowled with fire, accuracy most of the time, deviation and determination. In the second innings, he collected one wicket for 29 runs off eight overs.

Notwithstanding this flash of determination, we (the commentators) came to the Kensington Oval on the third day (Sunday May 14, 2000) preparing for the final rites, convinced that the youngsters would fold below the required 186 runs, and would be beaten by an innings.

But that was not to be, thanks to the high quality batting of Ramnaresh Sarwan, the classic exhibition of Ricardo Powell, the resilience of Dareen Ganga and the technical correctness of Nagamootoo. They did not simply drag the game into the fourth and final day but closed the third day on 364 runs for the loss of nine wickets, with Ganga on 50 not out and Nagamootoo on 42 not out.

I truly cherished the privilege of seeing the young man, Sarwan, at his best against high-quality bowlers like Waqar Younis and Saqlain Mushtaq. And congratulated him on the display but lamented his missing the ton. His innings of 75 was an exhibition of temperament, high-class quality batting when it most mattered. He showed grit, guts and mature application. Coming in at 70 runs for four wickets, with the "A" Team staring defeat in the face, the Indo-West Indian batsman, demonstrated the technical correctness that many have attributed to him.

He batted soundly against pace and spin and confirmed his movements from boyhood to manhood. He indeed proved to the small Sunday crowd at the Kensington Oval why he was rightly chosen in preference to Sylvester Joseph and Dareen Ganga, who showcased his ability with two half-centuries and, Ricardo Powell, who proved that he is really a "bundle of talent" but is indeed too confident. His second innings 43 runs off 22 balls was a demonstration in West Indian batsmanship but he gave up a much-needed ton. Sylvester Joseph, who I had the privilege to meet, had a poor match by his standard, scoring zero and 12. Sarwan batted for three hours; faced 130 balls and stroked 10 exquisite fours in compiling his half-century.

Ricardo Powell may be overconfident but there must definitely be a place for him in West Indies cricket. He is the best thing that has represented West Indies cricket since Vivian Richards. He didn’t hit any six but his 43 included nine fours, all caressed the carpet and forced the small spectators to get off their seats and hail the man. He never slogged or swiped but yet dealt very roughly with Waqar Younis and Mohammad Akram. This boy is indeed very natural. If only the West Indian coach can get this young man to temper his adrenaline flow and keep him away from one-day cricket, we will produce a very devastating West Indian batsman.

And when we thought that the Pakistanis had fought back to go for the kill, Mahendra Nagamootoo, the newfound bowling all-rounder, withstood them contemptuously. He held the lower order together by compiling a well-crafted half-century (59), scored in 163 minutes off 115 balls. He proved his ability to bat at the highest level and appeared as sound in technique and fortitude as any top order batsman. The Indian leggie will definitely be an asset to the Test and one-day teams in England this summer.

The youngsters piled up 396 runs from 96.4 overs, and the Pakistanis were demoralised. The teenagers had created a precedent for the adult team. They had set a standard for application, technique, batsmanship and output that the professionals would have to produce at the same venue. And in so doing, they raised the public expectations of the new West Indies team. By that time the cricketing public was demanding nothing short of the quality and quantity of output in the crucial Test match.

If some of the developments had somewhat dampened the high spirit, which was created by the anticlimax at Bourda Guyana, the convincing victory by the youngsters unleashed a new excitement. So did the massive turnout at the Cave Shepherd Bookshop for Courtney Walsh’s book signing, his autobiography, The Heart of the Lion. Man, woman and child entered the cave (over 500 Caribbean cricket fans, admirers and worshipers), and for hours enjoyed the presence of the most successful fast man (437 Test wickets) and most loved personality in international cricket. And I was glad to be part of history.

And it is that excitement which is evident at Kensington.

Author Polly Patullo

By W Salas Hamilton

After reading Ms. Patullo’s book, I felt obligated to give my stamp of approval and endorsement for a work that achieves its goal of allowing "…some local voices to be heard…"

I remember receiving an email from Ms. Patullo a year ago asking for my thoughts on the volcanic crisis in my capacity as a Montserratian who spent most my life on our little "colonial crucible." Maybe it is the author’s training as a journalist that allows her to meaningfully and succinctly represent the thoughts of many of us in her book published by Constable in London. She has provided the best read of Montserrat’s volcanic crisis and its mismanagement by writing in a style that achieves more than any other documented version of the events.

The first chapter is aptly called "The Day of Death" and gives a spine-tingling account of the 25 June, 1997, volcanic event which claimed at least 19 lives. Using the voices of the people, Ms. Patullo recreates the scene along our Eastern corridor, and the words of Leroy Slim Daley, Norman Cassell, Linda White and others all evoke memories of that fateful day. This is the book’s greatest asset. The views through the eyes of the locals interspersed with expatriates and scientists give a long overdue balance to the onslaught of material produced by the outside media using very little information from us. In reading the book, it gives a homely feeling because we can identify with the voice of Charles Farrell and others who still carry scars of their experience. Of course we all have the emotional scars which are less discernible.

The book treats us with respect. We are heard. That is what we want. I have seen too many videos of Montserrat’s volcanic challenge with voices of the Governor and certain selected expatriates representing our population of 95 percent African descendants. This certainly shows that the "colonial plantation" is alive and well, while our neighbouring islands have moved ahead making choices. This is one of the questions in the book – the issue of self -determination and British Colonial rule. In mapping the inquest into the deaths of 25 June, 1997, we are reminded of the arrogance associated with colonialism. After seeing 52 witnesses and spending seven weeks the coroner Rhys Burriss, a British lawyer, gave forthright remarks.

Mr. Burriss emphasised the "… pressing need for land in the north to be made available for housing…In describing the British Government’s response as unimaginative, grudging and tardy, he urged Prime Minister Tony Blair to take personal charge…" It is no surprise that Ms. Patullo reveals "…In a letter to Burriss, Blair described the coroner’s statement as surprising and inaccurate. Burriss’s comments were also dismissed by George Foulkes in the House of Commons…"

My one criticism of the book is that the author could have been more revealing of the inhumane treatment and arrogance meted out to us. Every Montserratian who experienced it knows that life in volcanic shelters was modern day slave barracks conditions, and the tardiness shown in providing proper housing was responsible for persons going back into the Exclusion Zone and leaving the island in most cases. Over the years our views have being quashed by the proverbial response that we possess chips on our shoulders. The book certainly does not show Prime Minister Blair or George Foulkes giving any credible reason for discarding the views of the Montserratian Jury and the Coroner. This certainly shows the present-day challenge Montserratians and their elected politicians face.

Apart from a fairly sound reflection of the crisis, the theme of self-determination in making choices even in life and death situations spins a thread throughout the book. Ms. Patullo reveals that local Ministers of Government in 1975 stated to the United Nation’s decolonisation committee that they were happy with their relationship with the British. The conservative argument was that it was more beneficial to remain a British Colony and so easier to attract outside investors and expatriates. However, she quotes Howard Fergus as writing "…A poor developing country must perforce, induce and placate outsiders, but national maturity and self-determination will always elude a people if critical decisions have to be based on what outsiders think…"

The quote from Fergus rings true since Ms. Pattullo highlights the triangular system of power/governance in Montserrat. There is the elected Government, the Governor and the British Government in Whitehall. The awkwardness of this combination is shown, in situations such as the Foreign Office phoning Governor Savage without any consultation with the Government of Montserrat, telling him to inform the Chief Minister of the relocation package. Gov. Savage told the Foreign Office that the package would bring down then Chief Minister Bertrand Osborne and it did. So without any input a Chief Minister was forced to accept the offerings of the UK, although he pleaded that the package was unacceptable.

There have been three Chief Ministers since the Volcanic crisis and the author states that they were all victims of the volcano as their power crumbled in the face of British intervention in the management of the crisis. She describes Reuben Meade as an energetic modernising technocrat, Bertrand Osborne as the reserved businessman and David Brandt with a more public style. Gov. Savage is quoted as saying that Brandt has ‘lot of mout’. However it is clear that real power in Montserrat in areas of key policy and resources remain in London. Therefore a Governor could also be just a pawn in the game played out in a colony needing quick resources to survive.

Polly Pattullo’s book shows the weaknesses of a system that still affects our lives. Read it. From the days of shelter living and the sharing of canned goods; the tents erected for us; standing in lines to bathe and visit the bathroom, sexual harassment…You can all remember. As Montserrat now rebuilds we cannot make the same mistakes; there is a clear challenge to the British Government to assist Montserrat to move towards self-determination as quickly as possibly. There are too many weaknesses in our power system. Who can be blamed but Whitehall for denying Gov. Savage’s request as early as September 1995 for the construction of permanent buildings to house 1,000 people? It's interesting to note that although the Governor is a big man on island he was not central to the delivery of development aid. According to Doug Houston of DFID, the Governor is only informed, but there is no formal relationship.

I recommend that this book be made part of our school’s reading list. Read it to remember and learn.

Montserrat Nurses Association

This year Nurses in Montserrat celebrate Nurses Week from May 07 to 13. Nurses all over the world take time to celebrate the birthday of Florence Nightingale on May 12^th each year. Nightingale was the founder of the first School of Nursing and a catalyst for modern Nursing as we know it today. We also remember Nurses who have contributed to Nursing in the region, such as: Mary Secole, Dane Nita Barrow, Mavis Harney and others.

The theme for our week of celebration is Nurses and Nursing: Agents of change in a changing world. As nurses we have recognized ourselves as agents of change for many years, and we have good reason for this. Today, Nurses are the largest group of professionals in health care, numbering over 5 million worldwide. Montserrat is no exception to this trend; nurses represent the largest number among the health team. Nurses must therefore rise to the challenge of changing roles.

Historically, Nursing existed since the beginning of human society. As Christianity developed, this act of charity was placed in a more organized basis with the development of military and religious orders, whose main function was to care for the sick and unfortunate. As time passed the orders declined and Nursing was taken over by two main orders during the dark period of 1500 – 1860s. They were the Sisters of Charity, established by St. Vincent de Paul in 1634, and the order of Deaconesses by Pastor Fliedner of St. Lutheran Church in 1836. These orders continued into modern times.

Modern Nursing separated from the church with strict requirements and preparation when Florence Nightingale established the first School of Nursing at St. Thomas Hospital, London in 1860.

Principles on which Nursing was based ushered in the modern era of Nursing. Nightingale believed among other things, that Nursing should be a career, not a religious vocation, and candidates should be carefully selected on the basis of character and aptitude. There should be a planned course of instruction, directed and supervised by qualified nurses. The Nightingale system spread rapidly, and was adopted by many countries, including Montserrat.

We have come a long way since Florence Nightingale. In Montserrat Nursing has changed in keeping with the times. Entry requirements into Nursing must fulfill the basic matriculation requirements for colleges and universities.

Nursing Education in Montserrat is formalized, thanks to the work of Florence Daley who established the School of Nursing in Montserrat, and was further developed by Sr. Valerie Lewis. Student Nurses recently trained in Montserrat sat regional examinations along with their counterparts from other Caribbean countries. This allows regional registration, mobilization and employment of Nurses in the region.

Nurses in Montserrat have moved from a position of glorified maids in the 1950s and 60s to a position of patient advocate. We no longer just follow orders but participate in active patient management for which we are accountable and responsible. We do not take this development for granted.

We are mindful of our sisters and colleagues in other parts of the world such as India and Asia where the status of women is not recognized and who therefore have little or no voice in their personal and professional lives. One of the many challenges we face in Montserrat is the perception that some persons have of Nurses and Nursing that places us in roles we had in the mid 20^th century. We challenge these persons to get over it and to update their knowledge on what is the profile of the nurse in Montserrat, the region and internationally.

Patients are now empowered to take responsibility for their health care needs. As a result, more patients are actively involved in taking care of themselves and their families.

Because of this empowerment of patients in doing things that Nurses did for them, and in shaping nursing care to meet patients’ needs, nursing has moved into advanced fields that were only practiced by other members of the health team. Areas such as: the Nurse Anaesthetist who puts patients to sleep for surgery and the FNP who examines and treats patients for some diseases. This gives the physician more time to dedicate to complicated and major illnesses.

Many of you listening to my voice can remember how prevalent things like diarrhoea, ulcers, TB, worms, crab louse, scabies, bed bugs were. There was a time when mothers were worried about illnesses like mumps, measles, tetanus, polio and other diseases. Mothers of this century in Montserrat only hear these names but have not gone through what our grandmothers and some of our mothers went through to cope with these illnesses. The immunization programme prevents these childhood diseases and in Montserrat has been fully managed and administered by nurses. Nurses are responsible for the majority of health education the public receives. In these areas and others, Nurses and Nursing have made positive changes in the health status of the population of Montserrat.

In a nutshell, Nursing in Montserrat has developed over the last few decades to a level where our knowledge and practice are accredited regionally with easy access to international accreditation. Therefore, we are mobile and employable in many countries of the world. Nursing has played a significant role within the health team in the elevation and maintenance of the health status of the population of Montserrat.

However, we must be mindful that updating knowledge, skills and practice and offering Nursing Care is not all there is to Nursing. A significant and essential aspect of nursing is to care. We must assert our right to care for patients, their families and the communities we serve. We must always remember to put the care into Nursing as we continue to be agents of change in a changing world.

As president of the MNA, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire Executive Body and members of the Association for their enthusiastic and consistent support during the year. We have accomplished some significant work together that has strengthened our Association and I am confident that we are on the right path towards growth and development.

Thanks to the people of Montserrat for your unselfish support. Your contribution has been overwhelming, especially in the area of fundraising.

I wish that all the nurses on Montserrat will participate in Nurses Week and encourage each nurse to reflect on her profession and assess the strengths and weaknesses of the services she offers with the aim of self-improvement and improved patient care.

Remember if we do not care, sometimes no one else does. We are 5 million strong, almost always in demand and are effective agents of change, Nurses draw on your strength. Happy Nurses Week.

Money can buy a house, but not a home.

Money can buy a bed, but not sleep.

Money can buy a clock, but not time.

Money can buy a book, but not knowledge.

Money can buy food, but not an appetite.

Money can buy position, but not respect.

Money can buy blood, but not life.

Money can buy medicine, but not health.

Money can buy sex, but not love.

Money can buy insurance, but not safety.

First, stop torturing yourself with "if onlys." That line of thinking focuses on the past, which none of us can change. Then accept the fact that we don't always learn our lesson the first time around.

We've all been stuck in traffic, and we've all been late because of it. Perhaps the consequences of your tardiness were never as extreme as this time. Let this incident be a turning point in your approach.

Are you always running late? Learn to prioritize. You can't be 10 places at once. If, however, your tardiness is more a result of disorganization than too much to do, accept your shortcomings (we all have them) and take precautions. For example, always set the alarm an hour earlier, the day of an important meeting.

Allow yourself the freedom to be upset with the situation, but be gentle with your ego. It's OK to be imperfect. Forgive yourself, and then move on.

Ask yourself:

• What do I have to do now to set this situation right? (Example: Call client, apologize.)

• What do I need to do to ensure this doesn't happen again? (Example: Buy a cell phone.)

• What specific phrase or mantra can I use to avert a repeat mistake? (Example: Leave an hour earlier and do routine tasks in the car.)

Bob Dylan sang, "There is no success like failure/And failure's no success at all." Regrettably, most people focus on the second half of the lyric. But success comes to those who learn as they go.

You see, money is not everything. Therefore, if you have too much, please give some to me :-)

When we were on island a year ago I was a great proponent for cleaning up the Bramble Airport runway and locating the control tower, the arrivals/departure building, Customs & Immigration, etc. all on Jack Boy Hill, and using a shuttle bus to move passengers, baggage and crews back and forth.

At that time the volcano was supposedly in "repose" and this plan seemed to make sense as most of the infrastructure was already in place, start-up costs would be minimal, the safety of all involved could be reasonably assured and it was a scheme that could be implemented relatively quickly.

Now a year later the volcano has a new "persistently active" status, thus eliminating Bramble Airport as an option, the British government has flatly refused to build any type of airport facility in Thatch Valley and the long-term prospects for a fixed wing airport seem bleak at best. Montserrat, I would suggest that this is a desperate situation in which any resolution is better than no resolution AND that action now is the better option than continuing to play a waiting game in the hope of attaining a perfect solution.

This article is prompted by what I considered to be a fairly wild idea, but the more I consider it the more I feel it has merit, at least as a short term and temporary resolution. Locate your airfield in the Kelsick paddock area - adjacent to the road from Salem to Plymouth, just before you reach the turn for the Foxes Bay Road. Remember necessity is the mother of invention, so HEAR ME OUT!

This area has never been subject to any pyroclastic flows, is not in the "Unsafe Zone," the access road already exists (although in need of repair), ash is minimal and the area is already level.

Power could be supplied with a large diesel generator, air traffic control could be in the form of a prefabricated modular unit and the runway surface would only need to be the minimum required for "Dash 8" or similar short take-off and landing type aircraft. The same "shuttle" system as mentioned above could be used, with the Salem Police Station as the base of operations. This only leaves the Belham River and bridge as obstacles, but this would seem a situation that has to be dealt with regardless.

I realize this is private property, but I would hope the current owner could be tempted to lease the property as a patriotic gesture and for a reasonable annual fee. Thus the time and costs involved to make this a reality become very attractive.

Clearly this solution to the airport problem is far from ideal, but it beats no airport and it seems to me that without a viable alternate plan, no airport is your current fate. We know the British supported the Bramble Airport concept prior to the new dome growth and, as this plan is very similar, they may support it as well.

Several Fishermen on Monday received fishing gear -- i.e. wire, rope and buoys -- as assistance for losses suffered as a direct result of Hurricane Lenny.

This assistance was made possible by funds provided by his Excellency the Governor and the Government of Montserrat. Most fishermen were grateful for the assistance, which provided 1/3 of losses suffered.

Meanwhile, those who lost their boats, engines and nets as a direct result of Hurricane Lenny will begin receiving their assistance early next week. The funds that will be used to assist the boat owners are from the Government of Montserrat's allocation to help fishermen to become self-reliant once again.

As the hurricane season draws nearer fishermen are advised to pay close attention to the weather forecasts and always think safety. To reduce your losses think of the hurricane season.

Farmers and Backyard Gardeners are informed that the following vegetable seedlings are available at the Brades Nursery: -

• Tomato
• Sweet Pepper
• Cabbage

The Forestry Unit is propagating a wide variety of tree crops and ornamentals for distribution on Tree Planting Day. Approximately 4,500 trees were distributed on Tree Planting Day 1999.

Planning has begun for the Agriculture Exhibition slated for March 2001. Livestock will be included in next year's exhibition. Information from the general public about new categories will be appreciated. Please telephone the Ministry of Agriculture on telephone numbers 491-2546 or 491-2075.

Several weeks without rain is affecting growth and development of crop plants in the Upper Blakes area. Farmers are encouraged to mulch in order to conserve moisture during these periods of adverse conditions.

Wanted!! Young energetic persons who love power, but who understand that the strength of a man is in the way he controls power.

Wanted!! Young understanding persons who are willing to identify the current needs of Montserrat and to prioritize those needs so as not to sacrifice the common good.

Wanted for Montserrat! A new breed of young aspirants who would prefer to use the cooperative style of negotiation instead of the confrontational style.

Wanted, young persons who are prepared to learn how to build and maintain a vibrant economy.

In short, wanted for Montserrat, politicians …preferably under 40 years of age, experience not necessary…will accept young trainee.

If the foregoing sounds urgent, it is!

The economic situation on Montserrat requires urgency. As a matter of fact, things are bad and could get worse. Soon there could be a layoff of workers.

So where do we go from here? Hopefully up! But wherever we go, it is essential that we have a confrontation with ourselves, and seek help!

There is no doubt in my mind that we boobed.

Each time we cry foul at the British, we boob.

Each time we sit together and cannot separate our survival and social needs from the need for prestige and personal identity, we boob.

Each time we confuse the common good for Montserratians with stubbornness, we boob.

And we will continue to boob until we seek help from others who can see Montserrat in a different perspective from the way we see it.

Yes, we always needed help, but in our stubborn confused state we have lost so many opportunities to get it right or to keep on track.

We lost the opportunity to keep the momentum of a housing development going. We can do it ourselves, we say – exit Brown & Root.

How are we losing the opportunity to have the Airport project come on stream? Why? Why have we been our worst enemy?

Could the solution to our economic plight be another housing project development, coupled with our acceptance of the Airport project at Geralds – even with the Blackburn option? Will these things resuscitate the economy?

What about the re-development of the commercial sector in one location? Is it a fact that all we need are a golf course and Eco tourist trails?

Tough questions, but whatever we do, or decide to do, we had better be prepared to change the way we are accustomed to doing things -- because the recovery for Montserrat will continue to be very complex; in fact, even more complex than we could imagine.

Again I stress, it must not be business as usual with the buying and selling of land anymore. Lands should be zoned, acquired and developed to satisfy the needs of Montserrat.

People should not have to buy land in order to obtain ownership of property. And it should not matter if the land is for private or commercial use, as long as the purpose is to reside or to do business in the designated areas. In other words, money must not be wasted on the purchase of land. It must be put directly into the construction phase, thereby spurring commercial activity for ourselves by ourselves.

We now have an opportunity to apply this principle with the Soft Mortgage Scheme and the 200 service plots. Yet as well-intentioned as the scheme could ever be, it will not do the trick for the economy, unless, of course, a developer can build concurrently 60 of the houses.

Because to use the mortgage scheme funds to build in the conventional way will not resuscitate the economy. For example, using $6 million to $10 million to build one house here and another house there is for an economy that is up and running, not for a country in dire economic straits.

In fact, building the conventional way, we will not have the guarantee that the recipients of the 200 plots would be able to start building simultaneously. Neither will there be a guarantee that the owners or contractors would use the local market to supply the building materials. Besides, our culture almost dictates that wage rates will be exorbitant and productivity will fall even lower; adding to the unfortunate reality that more than half of the houses will remain incomplete forever.

On the other hand, a project managed by a developer, who can concurrently construct at least 60 houses, will bring back the type of economic impetus that we had with Brown & Root at Lookout.

The availability of the Soft Mortgage Scheme will provide the guarantee that the houses would be sold as soon as they are built.

Oddly, I might be one of the few who believe that Montserrat’s future depends on changing the way we do things. But if we change and adapt, revival of our economy may not be far off.

Let us face it, in spite of the objections, the acceptance of the Airport project at Geralds would be the most important step in the economic revival of Montserrat. I need say no more on that topic… except to ask… How can the government deny its people commerce and economic revival?

How can our government scoff at British Aid money to build the Airport at Geralds and then ask Montserrat to donate diesel and money to investigate the possibility of a pipe dream at Thatch Valley?

Oh My God!

Wanted… Young Politicians who will not be afraid to negotiate in a cooperative manner, reaching out towards the future for Montserrat.

Wanted!! Young persons who are not too willing to sacrifice the common good of the people while stubbornly clinging to the old ways of doing things.

Wanted!! Young Montserratians who are not yet taken up with pseudo popularity, that is, a few loudmouths shouting their names.

Really wanted, young leaders, because Montserrat is in crisis, and we the older folks do not have a clue as to the needs of young people; we do not have the energy or the foresight necessary to make Montserrat right for the benefit of our children.

People who are highly anger-prone are nearly three times more likely to have a heart attack, a study found.

The connection between anger and heart attacks held true even after researchers took into account other major risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking and obesity.

''The implications of our study are that anger could potentially lead to heart attacks, especially among middle-aged men and women with normal blood pressure,'' said Janice Williams, an epidemiologist in Atlanta who led the study while at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The study adds to previous research showing a link between heart health and depression, hostility and other emotions.

Previous studies have shown that stress hormones constrict blood vessels and may trigger a blockage in the arteries.

The latest findings appear in the current issue of Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association.

As part of the study, nearly 13,000 adults were followed for six years. All were interviewed before they had a heart attack. That minimized the possibility that their anger was produced by their heart trouble.

Anger was measured with a 10-question survey asking people such things as whether they felt they were hotheaded, did they feel like hitting someone when they got angry or did they feel annoyed when they were not given recognition for doing good work.

The survey ranked people low, moderate or high in anger-proneness and found those in the high category were 2.69 times more likely than those in the low category to have a heart attack or die of heart disease.

Dr. Robert Federici, a cardiologist with Lovelace Health System in Albuquerque, N.M., said the findings prove that emotions like anger and stress have a great deal to do with a person's risk of heart disease.

''It goes along with other studies that show depression and other emotions are very clearly related to the disease process,'' he said.

The first cases of AIDS were reported in June 1981, but there was an apathy and relatively little concern and action by most organizations until Rock Hudson's death in 1985 and Magic Johnson's announcement in 1991 that he was HIV positive resulted in unprecedented coverage on HIV/AIDS by the press.

Unfortunately, it sometimes takes disease in well-known personalities to arouse public interest. This apparently is still the case in many countries, even in the Caribbean.

Earlier this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that HIV-related deaths have increased to such a degree, especially in the third world, that AIDS now ranks as the world's deadliest infectious disease. In fact, AIDS is going to have a huge impact on many very fragile health systems that can't even provide aspirin to many patients.

The scarcity of resources to cover the cost of the epidemic may present a challenge even greater than the relative paucity of scientific knowledge about this virus.

UNAIDS has estimated that in 1999 alone, there were 3 million deaths due to AIDS, the highest global total since the beginning of the epidemic, and there were 6 million newly infected individuals last year. In all, 34 million people worldwide are estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS. The majority of these are in Africa and South East Asia, with 5,500 dying each day in Africa. Asia accounts for 57 percent of the world's population while Africa, only 8 percent.

But whereas Africa is continually being highlighted, it is little appreciated that India is the country with the largest number of HIV infections. Two million people have already died. It is estimated that there are 8 million infected people there, and that the number could reach 10 million by the year 2010.

However, when calculating the adult prevalence rate, namely, the proportion of adults (15-49 years) per population living with HIV/AIDS, this rate is 8.0 percent in sub-Saharan Africa, 2.0 percent in the Caribbean, and 0.7 percent in South and Southeast Asia.

In short, the Caribbean has the second highest prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS in the world. This is where we are. About 360,000 are living with HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean and there were over 57,000 adults and children who were newly infected with the virus last year. It is also estimated that about 150 people are now dying from AIDS every month in the region. In spite of all this there is still an ongoing apathy about AIDS in many countries.

In 1999 alone, there were 8,000 requests for HIV tests in Trinidad and Tobago, and as many as l,100 were HIV antibody positive. We must also realise that about one third of those who are HIV positive worldwide are unaware of it. In short, there are many more who are positive in this island but are unaware of it and have not been tested. Is anybody listening?

But while, as I have often said, the HIV virus is the cause of the disease, it is not the cause of the worldwide pandemic. You cannot blame the virus. The virus has been around for centuries. It only spread rapidly and recently because of the five Ps of the 20th century - the permissive societies, which have commercialized pornography, which in turn has fueled wanton promiscuity, and it is the accompanying poverty, which is rife in so many countries in the world, which has fostered widespread prostitution.

AIDS is a disease of poverty in the sense that most people with HIV/AIDS are poor, but it is obviously not restricted to the poor. In Latin America and the Caribbean, there are 78.2 million such people living on less than US$1.00 a day. But although infection rates are declining in the developed world, they are stable or rising in most developing countries. In the industrialized world, new infections spread at the rate of 500 a day, and in contrast, about 16,000 people in the developing countries become infected with HIV each day. But, AIDS also deepens and spreads poverty, and is also likely to increase poverty further by the rise in the number of children who lose one or both parents.

It is difficult to draw universal conclusions about poverty and AIDS because HIV is also unique among infectious diseases in that it also strikes rich people in the same proportion or larger proportion than it strikes the poor. In Brazil, for example, the majority of the early cases were in people with secondary or university education, and in Africa, some countries with the highest levels of HIV infection have involved thousands of men and women who are most literate.

In fact, in today's world (it was not always so) poverty and gender inequality tend to make a society even more vulnerable to HIV. For example, poverty may make a man more prone to having multiple casual partners by preventing him from attracting or being able to support a wife, or by causing him to leave home in search of work. Uneducated and poor women are also at greater risk of sexual exploitation as they would find difficulty finding jobs and thus depend more on sexual relationships for economic survival.

But to understand the genesis of the pandemic all these must also be factored into an environment which is supersaturated with an overexposure of violence and sex in the media, on television and cyber space, on cable TV and in the Internet. This is what is dictating the asocial and aggressive behaviour of our people.

And so, we are living in an age when young people bypass their childhood years of innocence and prematurely become what we call in this country "force ripe" adults; a world where children are giving birth to children, and children are also killing children; where fathers are molesting their daughters, and domestic violence, murders and gang rapes are pre-eminently highlighted in our daily newspapers.

This then is the fertile background to the AIDS epidemic. It is the hedonistic environment in which we live and in which some of our young people were born and therefore know no other "norm."

It should therefore not surprise us that on February 27 this year, the Barbados Advocate, for example, reported that downtown commercial outlets, as well as school classrooms, have become the latest fad for quick sex among a number of Barbados's secondary school students. When randomly polled, more than a dozen students from a number of schools spread throughout the island estimated that more than 70 percent of today's secondary school population is sexually active, and a number of primary school students as young as 9 years are already sexually active. What's love got to do with it, stated one female student.

Mpule Kwelegobe, Miss Universe 1999, is now said to be Botswana's best known AIDS activist, and as Miss Universe she plans to continue her work to increase AIDS awareness. In Botswana one in four young men and women are positive for HIV, yet when asked as the final question in the Miss Universe contest whether it is alright for a Miss Universe to be unmarried and become pregnant during her reign and still remain Miss Universe, she replied most assertively in the affirmative. This is today's liberal thinking. The Botswana experience was obviously not instructive.

Indeed, no time in recent history has society departed so quickly and so radically from traditional norms, and at no time in history has such conduct been so life-threatening. But there seems to be a growing inability for us to control our sexual avarice in spite of the virus, and when at some point late in the 20th century we decided that we are going to leave God and religion out of the school curriculum, we had probably already forfeited the only real chance we had to spread the gospel of abstinence in a sex-obsessed world. In particular, we have allowed conduct traditionally deemed immoral to become widespread in our communities, and more particularly, we have tolerated it, even encouraged it.

That tolerance has directly contributed to the AIDS pandemic, and for this reason we must all bear a significant share of the blame.

However, from the scientific viewpoint, what is needed to turn the tide in the battle, especially in developing countries, is a safe, effective, and affordable preventive HIV vaccine. In addition to its humanitarian urgency, the development of an HIV vaccine is a matter of economic necessity. One of the basic tenets of public health is that prevention is more cost effective than treatment. And so, trials must be conducted internationally to ensure that a successful vaccine protects against all subtypes of HIV and all different types of genetic differences.

One day when we have an AIDS vaccine, even if it is not yet the most ideal one, we will be able to save many lives.

But while we await with hope a safe and successful vaccine, AIDS being the world's most deadly infectious disease, Caribbean governments will therefore urgently need to upgrade their sexually transmitted diseases (STD) clinics, not only infrastructure-wise, but with well-trained and, above all, sympathetic and non-discriminatory staff, who have expertise in various aspects of STDS and AIDS. It calls for an immediate review of these centers and the service they provide or are not providing. This is a political necessity for the 21st century.

Now, the coverage of AIDS in the press, including vaccine efforts, reflects the pressure editors are under to garner headlines that often are without substance. Unfortunately, many journalists may have little or no education in science and health, so they are frequently ill-equipped to report on the complex issues around HIV vaccines.

However, transparency with the local media is paramount, and extensive efforts in the education of journalists may therefore be the best immunization against sensational and misleading reporting.

Where are the critics of the sex-focused advertisements, whether they be for alcohol, cigarettes or automobiles? How is it possible to censor pornography in the media and in cyberspace? What will eradicate the drug problem in the world? Can the churches of all religions lure the flock back to them? In other words, how can we get out of the moral mess which we have all made of our world?

What I have said should not be regarded simply as "religious," but rather as being eminently practical and realistic. At this point in history chastity is not simply a virtue to be practiced by good people but it is now our number one social imperative. In fact, in many countries there are two businesses which are thriving -- the condom factories and the coffin-making business. But the solution is not the condom. The solution lies in the economic stability and moral revival of societies. Indeed, if we do not change our lifestyle, the world may also soon fall into two categories - the chaste and the dead!

We, the grandchildren of India and Africa, should therefore learn from the HIV epidemics there and hastily try to provide a healthier moral climate and social infrastructure for the children of today's Caribbean.

And so, I have diagnosed the causes of the pandemic for you, but the solution to the problem is not as easy. In fact, it seems to be such an insurmountable task that there are those who believe that only God can solve it.

I ask the Caribbean Rotary to ponder on these things. It is a question of apathy or action. It concerns not only peoples but governments.

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

Montserrat has been through several developmental changes since the onslaught of the Soufriere Hills volcano in the south of Montserrat. Two-thirds of the island was lost to mother nature. More than half of the population left Montserrat in late 1997 and now is back up to over 5,000.

At the peek of the volcanic crises voluntary evacuation was introduced by Her Majesty's Government to the United Kingdom, CARICOM islands, North America, Canada and other counties. However the Government have always contended that life on Montserrat could be maintained if proper infrastructural and housing development in the north of the island could be put in place.

In the five-year period of volcanic activity, three Chief Ministers have been in power and the present CM, the Honorable David Brandt, took up office in August 1997 when he replaced Mr. Bertrand Osborne as head of a coalition government. Several administrative and bureaucratic problems in relation to the approval of projects, along with the releasing of funds, held up many projects.

However, since August 1997, over $95million in completed, ongoing or approved projects have been processed under CM Brandt. The British Government approved £75 million for the redevelopment in Montserrat.

Gibb Airport Consultancy, Antigua Small Enterprise Development, Material Grant Programme #1, Family Units at Davy Hill, CARICOM Village – Phase 1, Emergency Generators – MONLEC, Drummonds Road, Pasture Piece Road, Dick Hill Road, Gerald’s Road, Purchase of School Bus, New Windward-Solid Waste Site Development, Ash Health Study, Remand Centre, Improvements to ZJB, Power-Transmission & Distribution and Safety Measures for Roads.

On going projects:

NDF Small Enterprises Development, Roads Improvement – Lookout Housing Development, Water Development Projects, Social Welfare Review, Fuel Storage Carr’s Bay, Renovation of Salem Campus, Salem Rehabilitation, GIS/LIS, Heliport relocation -- Geralds, Isles Bay Re-occupation, Davy Hill Waste Management, Material Grant Programme II, Tennis & Basketball Court – Lookout.

Already approved and soon to be implemented:

30 Units for the Elderly, Soft Mortgage Scheme, Little Bay Warehouse & Associated Facility, Nursery School – Lookout, Multipurpose Court – Davy Hill, Tennis and Basketball Court-Salem and Temporary Sheltered Housing.

Six teams took part in the Montserrat Amateur Basketball League's round one of the 2000 Playoffs on the weekend.

The six teams are Ghetto, Fire, Northern Swipers, Snipers, West Siders and Outlaws. Ghetto played against Fire on Friday, Northern Swipers took on Snipers on Saturday and the WestSiders played Outlaws on Sunday. The best of the three will go to the semi-finals in June. The matches will start at 8:00 o’clock nightly at the Brades Basketball Court.

Montserrat was represented at the 10^th Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA). Director of the Emergency Department Lieutenant Horatio Tuitt left here Saturday for the Meeting in the Bahamas. Lieutenant Horatio Tuitt joined other Directors from the region at this meeting. The Directors evaluated reports coming out of the 8^th CDERA Council Meeting, the CEDERA work programme, and a summary of country activities and projects to date. Other matters covered included human resource development and the 2000 Hurricane Season.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Simon Morson represented Montserrat at the Drugs Awareness Resistance Education (DARE) Summit in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, last week.

Delegates from 28 countries around world attended the meeting. According to Mr Morson, discussions focussed on the details of countries program and those included the general components of the program. He said the delegates reviewed ongoing activities, carried out an evaluation related to the development of programs particularly students, parents and teachers involvement. Deputy Commissioner Morson said he was able to secure training for 2 additional DARE officers and advanced training for those already trained. The DARE program was an ongoing activity before the start of the volcanic crisis in 1995. So far the program has been introduced into the Primary and Secondary schools on the island.

Montserrat Nurses joined the rest of the world on May 12 in observing the birthday of the Founder of Modern Nursing Florence Nightingale. The Nurses celebrated Nurses Day with their Annual Convention.

During the Opening Ceremony at the Conference Centre of the Vue Point Hotel, several Organisations from Montserrat and the rest of the Caribbean sent greetings to the local Nurses. Included were His Excellency Governor Anthony Abbott, Civil Service Association, MAWU and the Caribbean Nurses Organisation.

Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Health and Community Services Alrick Taylor read a message on behalf of the Minister of Education, who was attending a meeting in the United Kingdom. The Message focussed on the theme for Nurses Week, "Nurses and Nursing, agents of change in a changing world."

The Chief Medical Officer Dr. Gordon Avery said the nurses are an important influence in the health sector and must continue to play their role even during difficult times. President of the Montserrat Nurses Association Anjella Skerritt in her Report, encouraged nurses to do their best at all times in caring for their patients. Ms. Pearlie Esteen, the Principal Tutor at the School of Nursing at the University Hospital in Jamaica, reminded the nurses that they, too, are part of the process of change which is taking place. She also asked for public support and understanding of nurses.

Students at the Montserrat Secondary School have benefited from a vision-screening program. A team from Eye Land Optical in Antigua spent Tuesday here carrying out eye examinations on students from forms 1-5.

Optometrist Dr. Karen Roberts says the vision-screening program was a success. The exercise, which is sponsored by Diamond Services Limited, is geared towards detecting eye problems that may be affecting children, and their performance in School.

A similar exercise was carried out in the Brades and St. Augustine Primary Schools last month, in which some 90 children had their eyes examined.

The United Kingdom Government is giving students in Montserrat more opportunities to study in Britain. This was one of the issues agreed at the second UK/Caribbean Forum, which ended in London last Friday.

His Excellency Governor Anthony Abbott, the Honourable Minister of Education Adelina Tuitt, and Director of the Devilment Unit Angela Greenaway represented Montserrat at the conference, which also included representatives from other Caribbean Overseas Territories and CARICOM.

During the conference participants underlined the importance of increasing the level of scholarships available to Caribbean students to attend British educational institutions. The announcement that Britain will provide an additional £100 000 for Chevening Scholarships was made at the conference. Scores of Montserratians have taken advantage of the opportunity to study in the United Kingdom, under various scholarship programmes, including the emergency awards scheme.

Small businesses in Montserrat will get some exposure on the Internet.

United Kingdom Marketing consultant Rudi Page says he will be posting the addresses of all small businesses on the world wide Web. Mr. Page, who was a member of the UK Trade Mission here last week, said this would introduce Montserratian small businesses to consumers in the UK and Europe.