Government
Plans to Add 200m to Geralds Runway
By Merrick Andrews
An aerial view of Geralds Bottom where the debated airport is to be constructed - present helipad is at mid right end of the photo
As safety concerns here and overseas grow about
building an airport at Geralds, the government is trying to appease fears.
Acting Chief Minister Lowell Lewis (pictured
right) said the government is designing the airport
at Geralds in a way that the initially planned 500-metre runway can be extended
to at least an additional 200 metres – also in an effort to meet international
regulations.
He said: “The government of Montserrat is in
the process of completing the designs for a 500-metre strip, but it is designed
in such a way that we can extend it, hopefully as soon as possible, to a
750-metre strip.”
Mr. Lewis, who is actually the Minister of Communications and Works, first made
the disclosure in an interview with Antigua’s Observer Radio earlier this
week.
He said he was responding to comments made by the Hon. Chedmond Browne, recently
expelled member of the ruling New People’s Liberation Movement, who criticized
the development of an airport at Geralds.
“The radio station (Observer) had carried an
interview with Mr. Browne in which he raised concerns about the length of the
proposed airport and I felt it was important for us to present government
side,” Mr. Lewis told The Montserrat Reporter on Wednesday.
However, Mr. Browne said he still doesn’t see the necessity of finding an
additional 200 metres for an unfit site. “He’s trying to justify an initial
mistake by an additional mistake,” Mr. Browne said. “The mistake is that the
site is wrong to start with. The initial design for the site was a temporary
grass landing strip for emergency evacuation. Any attempts to turn it into a
semi-permanent site are ridiculous. It’s uneconomical.”
He said the government has identified the additional land needed to lengthen the
runway, which will cost about EC$700,000.
Mr. Lewis said at least 40 houses in Look Out would be cleared to accommodate
the extended airport and its
runway. This, along with extensive land excavation and valley fill, will cost
about EC$20 million, he said.
He said the government is also exploring ways to achieve the extra 200 metres
for less money.
The budget for the Geralds airport construction is EC$41.6 million, split into
$18 million from the European Union and $23 million from the British Government.
He said about EC$80 million will be needed for the 750-metre runway, or an
additional EC$38 million.
“I mentioned that government is looking at ways in which we could raise
additional money to allow us to extend the 500-metre strip to one which is a
little bit longer,” said Mr. Lewis.
He said the government could garner the additional $38 million from loan
financing, which is still a painstaking task considering repayment when the
British government has reduced its financial budget to Montserrat. “Once you
can demonstrate what you are going to spend the money on, it’s going to allow
you to generate the money to repay the loan, and right now that is a difficult
thing for Montserrat,” Mr. Lewis said.
But there is hope, “that some benevolent person or group might take an
interest in Montserrat, and again there is also the hope that if we make our
case strong enough that DFID (Department for International Development) and the
British Government will reconsider whether or not they have a responsibility to
provide additional funds to build an airport that’s long enough to land a Twin
Otter in Montserrat.”
He dismissed as hearsay reports that the additional money will be garnered from
raising taxes on the island. “$20 million is a lot to be raised by taxes on an
island with only 4,000 people,” he noted.
But Mr. Lewis pointed out: “If you are going to be spending $80 million on a
700-metre strip at Geralds, it would be much better to spend it in an area where
you could extend it to 1200 metres.”
He said the Blake’s Estate, which tests showed to be suitable for more runway,
“is no longer available because other developments will be taking place there.
And the other areas of Old Quaw and Thatch Valley are considered too expensive
because of the obstacles created by the mountains in that area.”
He added: “The reason Gerald’s was chosen is because it was the only site on
which you could build a 500-metre strip for the budget available.”
There’s been debate about the most suitable area to build an airport as safety
concerns were expressed at public meetings.
The debate is that the proposed 500-metre runway is not long enough to take a
19-seater de Havilland DHC6 Twin Otter aircraft that would contribute to any
meaningful long-term development for the island..
A draft independent study was presented at a press conference on April 23, which
concluded that Geralds is unsuitable for airport development. The study was done
by the United Kingdom-based Leading Edge Aviation Planning Professionals and
commissioned by the Committee for the Redevelopment of Montserrat (CRM), a
non-governmental, non-political organisation established in 1999.
Chairman of CRM, Mr. Jim Bass had said: “The Twin Otter aircraft on a
500-metre strip without more allowance for emergency stop is dangerous.”
The CRM’s presentation came less than a week after the British consultant firm
Halcrow and government officials told a public meeting that preliminary studies
for the construction of an airport at Geralds are satisfactory.
Halcrow had said that all studies conducted on Geralds, including wind and
geo-technical assessments, were found to be favourable, which allows them to
proceed to the design stage and construction of a 500-metre runway.
Cassell Is New President Of Chamber of Commerce
By
Bennette roach
Kenny
Cassell was unanimously elected president of the Montserrat Chamber of Commerce
and Industry (MCCI) Monday at its annual general meeting (AGM) at the Vue Pointe
Hotel.
He succeeds Bruce Farara, Chamber president for the past six years, who declined to run again.
Re-elected to the Board were previous Vice President Carol Osborne and Secretary-Treasurer Roselyn Cassell-Sealy.
Other directors of the board elected at the AGM were Bruce Farara and DRV (Frank) Edwards, both re-elected, along with newcomers John E. Ryan and Miss Rachel Collis, making up a full board of seven.
During the meeting, Mrs. Sally Simpson was introduced to the membership; she is the new executive secretary who will manage the Chamber’s office in the Vue Pointe Hotel until its new office is relocated in the new NDF building, which is expected to be completed within the next year.
In his acceptance speech, Mr. Cassell a leading proprietor and owner of Montserrat Stationery Centre and Tots & Teens with his business place just west of the Government Headquarters, said that the Chamber will seek to establish the right environment for economic development and expansion, contending that government and the private sector must collaborate to design and implement a policy to accomplish this without delay. He said he envisions a fresh direction for the Chamber, one that will expand to incorporate offshore businesses, production for export, and services in the areas of e-commerce and infomatics.
The new president called for cooperation and said: “Let’s get together and make a difference with the decisions that are made in this country. We are not partisans; we are not political. We are going to be critical, but our criticisms will have to be constructive criticisms…to work for the benefit of Montserrat.
The immediate past president, who remains on the board, said there were difficult times during his tenure as president but one of his key aims was to bring some respectability to the financial stability of the Chamber.
The Montserrat government has offered support to the continuity of the Chamber in a new thrust of support to private sector development to be jointly funded with DFID.
The MCCI meets at the Vue Pointe Hotel on the
last Tuesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. It welcomes new members and urges all
members to be active participants.
"Chamber
Vows Constructive Criticism, Which Requires Eager Official 'Partners'"
The appeal is out that it is time for everyone to work together and “do something as a private sector to change the adverse trend. The time has come to do something or do nothing; to do nothing is fatal.”
Those are the words of the new president of the Montserrat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Mr. Kenneth A Cassell. He reminded his fellow members present at their 2002 annual general meeting that the Chief Minister said recently “the country is heading to bankruptcy.” Mr. Cassell pleaded that most of us are here because we like it here and want to live here, but we won't be able to if the economy continues the way it is going.
This is probably the first time that this sadly unfortunate but true sentiment has been expressed from the people charged with somehow stimulating economical activity that will be meaningful to the existence of the country.
Back in 1998, even while Her Majesty’s Government tried to depopulate the country, based on their timid belief that the entire island was or might be unsafe for living, they were giving lip service to "sustainable development" of the country. The Montserrat government signed on to the deception, promising the country that they would be the "catalyst for the economic development" of Montserrat against the complete destruction of the economy.
True, large sums of money (dubious as to adequacy) were allocated to be spent "on Montserrat." But why this government, in spite of its "lying down and rolling over" attitude to their friends in high and authoritative places, does not attempt to show that the monies did not find their way meaningfully into Montserrat, particularly its economy, is quite befuddling.
The MCCI, by responding to government and DFID's eventual coming to their senses -- still only a promise -- should make clearly understood the increased difficulty it continues to face because much is yet to be put in place, the result of ineffective handling and spending of funds. It should be noted that this is acknowledged locally, but the benefactors need to know and acknowledge this. It ought to make a difference.
The Chamber must take its share of the blame for not having been like watchdogs, not being aggressive enough, not fully participating, not dissecting the Sustainable Development Plan (SDP), not perusing the Country Policy Plans (CPP), but rather waiting to see how they developed or failed to develop. With some freshness, it is now expected that MCCI will take active roles in the development of any or all of them. It is foolhardy not to be involved, and still expect to be efficient and progressive in establishing the base for any type of economic recovery, to the benefit of all players, including the benefactors.
The time has finally come (hopefully) when the concerns of not just a handful or less, but all of the private sector (big and small, relative though it may be) must be taken on as one. They must investigate and support those departments, individuals, ministers and public servants who show even the least understanding, however rare, of what is required to stimulate the base for economic activity.
This medium argued long ago, and governors and British officials agreed, that business in Montserrat could not be AS USUAL. But did business continue as usual? Why is the information not reaching the proper authorities that some business concerns in and out of Montserrat have been set up by some of the top British officials who worked here, for their personal benefit, from funds that should be benefiting Montserrat?
The Chamber may want to look deep into these matters, because it is also affecting who benefits, and how, from some of the bigger businesses conducted in this little country. The Chamber must take on board the positions and statements being made regarding the airport, seaport and a cemetery. They must ensure that tax arrears, new 15 or more tax measures, and new government revenue measures do not add greater burdens to the already dying. They must put the necessary machinery in place to smell out the deceptive promises and needlessly widened and new roads, all of which create divisions. They must challenge a Chief Minister and Minister of Finance who says the island is heading to bankruptcy, but says nothing about how it will be checked. They must smell out these pronouncements as the forerunner for odious revenue or tax measures that are impossible and do nothing but hasten the death of the already dying, the shut down of the country.
And they must see to it that Mr. Cassell's pledge that their criticisms will be constructive and not political or partisan are believed and understood and lived.
Except for the editorial, opinion
articles expressed in these pages are not necessarily those of the Montserrat
Reporter editors, employees or advisers. Readers
are encouraged to submit commentary articles.
All viewpoints, unless libelous, in poor taste, or anonymous, are
welcome. Send your contributions to
The Editor, P.O. Box 306, Olveston, Montserrat, W. I., e-mail: editor@montserratreporter.org
or monrep@candw.ag. Manuscripts
will not be returned unless accompanied by a return stamped envelope.
The Montserrat Reporter is a privately owned independent newspaper.
Jus
Wonderin items may be called in at telephone 491-4715 or Fax 491-2430
LOVE LISTENS
Read:
Psalm 119:145-152
Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness.
-Psalm 119:149
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Numbers 31-33
When we love others, we listen to them. Sure, it takes time and effort to focus on them and hear what they are saying. But when we do, it shows genuine concern and respect.
Author Wayne Alderson tells of a young minister who spent a lot of time listening to the problems of his church members. One day he came home and said to his wife, "How did your day go?" For a half-hour she told him about a problem with the car, their son's earache, and the difficulties she had getting an appliance repaired. The pastor immediately began to problem-solve, citing a list of things she should do.
But she just looked at him and sighed. "I have already done all of that," she said. "I don't need you to solve my problems. I just need you to be interested in what I've been through."
When David pleaded, "Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness" (Psalm 119:149), he was expressing the truth that the God who loves us also listens to us. Listening is a part of loving.
Listening to a wife, a husband, a fellow worker, or a Christian friend may be just what that person needs to be encouraged or to see a problem more clearly. Go ahead and listen. God Himself shows that love listens. -DCE
My burden is now so much lighter,
I've glimpsed things I needed to see.
I have a fresh hope for tomorrow-
Because someone listened to me. -Egner
LISTENING MAY BE
THE MOST LOVING THING YOU DO TODAY.
Reader from
Ireland Wold Like to Visit
Dear Editor,
Thank you for the opportunity to read your
wonderful paper. I am from Ireland and I work with Joe and Norris, who are both
from Montserrat (St. Patricks and St John's). I love hearing about the island,
and they love to talk about "home." I find the history fascinating and
would love to visit some day. In the mean time I have two wonderful
"ambassadors" from your country to keep me educated and entertained
until the day comes when I can personally visit.
Thank you and keep up the good work.
Caroline
kitchens@ddaggers.fsnet.co.uk
An Open Letter
Addressed To Director of Agriculture
Dear Mr. Director,
The radio call in program on ZJB Radio on
Saturday morning, May 25, discussed some very interesting things that your
department should implement.
I personally think that your department should
use a Rock Rake Blade on a Bulldozer and clear specific areas of the sloped land
at the North, utilizing the rocks that have been cleared to make borders and
terrace the land. On those areas that don't have sufficient rocks, use sweet
grass borders, then fill in the level of the land with sifted pyroclastic
dirt/ash, mixed 50/50 with regular soil.
Plant Neem trees within the rock borders, to
shelter the trade winds and hold the soil. The Neem tree leaves, and berry's can
be soaked in water to make a natural pesticide; also the goats don't eat it that
much!
I know that there is a problem with water!
However, above the area that is terraced can be cleared, and a mixture of dirt
with cement used to form a watertight base as a
form of rainwater catchments to irrigate the crops below.
To help retain the top soil of Silver hills,
borders of Neem trees can be planted. Have a tree- planting day for this
purpose, say on a holiday, involve the many cultural/social/church clubs,
Scouts, Cadets, etc. to get involved!.. make it a fun day!..
The pyroclastic ASH/SOIL, is virgin soil full of
minerals that the plants need! The
soils of today have been depleted of their minerals; that is why we now need to
put fertilizers on our crops, which also contain harmful ingredients and are
very expensive!.
The MVO helicopter fly's over the mountains
several times per week. What is the possibility, of collecting mahogany seeds
from the Woodlands mahogany trees, which are a very fast growing hybrid of the
local mahogany tree, drying the seeds, and drop/broadcasting the seeds from the
helicopter on some of these flights, during the rainy season?
Our future generations could be able to harvest a valuable hardwood! (A
vision of the late Kingsley Howes -- see the mahogany trees at Woodlands,
planted in 1963).
This can also be done for White/Red Cedar trees.
It is surprising, we don't need world aid or
consultants to tell us that we have many Natural Resources here, especially the
pyroclastic soil; just that it is so rich it needs to be mixed with soil of a
lesser quality, otherwise it will burn the crops. Just like if you throw pure
fertilizer on a crop, it will burn/kill that plant, but if it is mixed with soil
it is the best, safest product, given by God to us, FREE, FREE, FREE..
These are just some thoughts that I would like to
openly share/pass on to you, and anyone that would like to utilize this
information!
A Very Concerned Montserratian
John F. Howes
Exhibition at MNT Opens Jubilee Here
Governor and guests view exibits
Queen Elizabeth II’s Jubilee celebrations in Montserrat kicked off on Wednesday morning at the formal opening of The Montserrat Jubilee Exhibition at the Natural History Centre, Oriole Complex of the Montserrat National Trust.
A small gathering of school children (the opening prayer was read by a MSS student), senior civil servants, the public and the local media were on hand to hear Governor Anthony Longrigg and Dr. Lowell Lewis, acting Chief Minister, give the main addresses of the opening.
Students and other guests MSS Student Antoinette Silcott
The Governor recalled that the Queen’s coronation in 1952 on June 2 coincided with the last time Montserrat won the Leeward Island’s cricket championship. (Montserrat will play St. Kitts this weekend, offering the opportunity to create more history for these jubilee celebrations.)
Governor Longrigg read again the Queen’s jubilee message of February to the British Overseas Territories (B0Ts) when she acknowledged the support “received from the people of the overseas territories since I came to the throne in 1952…value the long standing ties between Britain and the OTs and we look forward to a continuing partnership.”
Governor Longrigg and Acting Chief Minister Dr Lowell Lewis
His Excellency called on Montserrat to remember that jubilee is a time of looking back, the exhibition being a very worthwhile one for all to see, as the Queen said in one of her messages, “We have much to look forward to with confidence and hope as we do to look back on with pride.”
That, he said, “is worth thinking about in the context of Montserrat…if we one the island are going to complete a successful recovery from the disaster from which it has suffered, one of the key things is avoiding defeatism.”
He said Montserrat is going forward also to the things necessary, referring to what every one agrees to as one of the key priorities, tourism: “In my view you still have a wonderful island, spectacularly beautiful scenery, glorious fauna, rich cultural traditions and now one of the most spectacular volcanoes in the world.”
“This is an enormous asset," he said, "if one looks on the positive side rather than the negative side…people come and are fantastically impressed by the tourist product and potential of this island and there are thousands more like them if only they knew about it. Therefore, I think we should think more about promoting the island as it is, not sitting back and saying how terrible it is and all what we can’t have.”
He referred to the airport, cruise liner seaport, massive hotels, which “we don’t need at the moment anyway.”
Senior Civil Servants
“There are lots and lots of people who like what Montserrat now has to offer…everybody must get together now to promote Montserrat.”
Dr. Lewis in his role as acting chief minister was introduced as “not a typical politician” but as someone who has been very involved in the environmentalism of the island. In a brief address he congratulated the National Trust for “continuing to show us glimpses of our past…snapshots of where we come from.”
Missing, he said, were photographs of children when they used to march of May 24 singing "Rule Britannia" after “being rewarded with soft drinks, lemonade and buns.”
“The week’s celebrations are another expression of how an island community has quietly taken its place in the empire and become devoted and loyal to a figurehead.”
He said he hopes this week’s activities will teach us the need for an appreciation of our own history and our own figureheads. “The government,” he said, “will direct a new cultural officer, when appointed, to collaborate with the National Trust to create and maintain a list of heritage features.”
The event was chaired by the National Trust Executive Director Steve McNamara.
Steve McNamara and Richard Aspin
The week’s celebrations are being put on by the non-government Montserrat Jubilee Committee chaired by Richard Aspin. He gave a vote of thanks during which he announced that next month there will be a Golden Jubilee Youth Summit at which Montserrat will be represented by two youths in Mr. Jevan West and Miss Julie Chalmers.
Miss Julie Chalmers and Jevan West
The exhibition was then declared officially open with the cutting of the ribbon by Mrs. Longrigg.
Mrs. Longrigg cuts the ribbon
Other celebration activities for the coming week which will see holidays on Monday and Tuesday next, include the annual Queen’s birthday parade tomorrow which takes place at Salem Park. The Antigua police band will be in attendance for the parade and are already on island practicing with the various uniform bodies.
There will be a beach party for senior citizens at the Good Life restaurant, a cocktail party at Government House and a cultural evening at the Pelican Room, Vue Pointe Hotel.
3 Helicopter Flights Prevented by Faults
The Montserrat Aviation Services (MAS) has
confirmed that the passenger helicopter recently developed mechanical problems
and did not carry out three flights.
The helicopter did not fly last Saturday afternoon, Sunday and Monday mornings,
said Acting Manager of MAS, Ms. Shirley Ryner.
“The helicopter had a transmission problem. It has never been out of service
for such long intervals,” said Ms. Ryner. “When you have anything
mechanical, you always have to expect those things.”
She said that only on one occasion did the helicopter have to disembark
passengers. On Saturday and Sunday, the observations of a fault were made
beforehand.
Passengers who did not rebook their flight or take the ferry were given refunds.
The helicopter is an AS365 11-seater, but currently carries nine passengers.
The aircraft, owned by Bajan Helicopters in Barbados, renewed their contract
with Montserrat in April of this year.
Offshore Banks Show Presence in Montserrat
South Bank and Trust Company Ltd. from Guatemala is the third offshore bank to have established a physical presence on the island since the start of the year, said Miss Cynthia Farrell, assistant commissioner of the Financial Services Commission (FSC).
Miss Sibila Gonsalves, a representative of South Bank, came here last week to establish operations.
Lafise Bank Ltd. from Costa Rica and Oxford Bank
and Trust Company Ltd. from Brazil are the other banks. South Bank was
registered here December 29, 1988, while Lafise has been here from April 19,
1992. Lawyer David Brandt is the agent for both banks.
Montserrat currently has 13 offshore banks, two of which are undergoing
voluntary liquidation.
The presence of the banks here is in line with
requirements under the United States Patriot Act, which came into effect on
December 25 last year, said Miss Farrell.
The Act prohibits U.S. banks from doing business with foreign shell banks –
banks without a physical presence in any country. Lafise, Oxford and South Bank
previously fell into that category.
The U.S. law, which was created for heightened security as a result of the
terrorist attacks, requires banks to establish and maintain a place of business
at a fixed address rather than an electronic address.
These banks are also required to employ at least one individual on a full-time
basis and maintain operating records relating to their banking activities.
In related news, Dr. Robertine Chaderton, a former university lecture, was
appointed last Friday at a Board meeting, bringing the FSC Board to its full
compliment of four.
She was a former director of banking operations
at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) and is currently a financial
consultant with the Caribbean Consulting Group. The other members of the board
are Commissioner of the FSC Mr. John Lawrence, Mr. Kenneth Allen Q.C. and Mr.
C.T. John O.B.E.
The main activity of the Commission, formerly undertaken by the Financial
Services Centre within the Ministry of Finance, will be the licensing and
supervision of all financial services, with the exception of domestic banks
which are supervises by the ECCB.
Badge of Honor
Cites 'Unselfish' Carol King
Governor Anthony Longrigg has announced that the
Montserrat Certificate and Badge of Honour has been awarded to Carol King,
coordinator of the Leicester Montserrat Association (LMA) in the United Kingdom.
A Government House press release said Mrs. King, who has lived in the UK for
many years, “unselfishly took on the task of assisting those persons from
Montserrat who relocated to Leicester because of the volcanic crisis, ensuring
that they were quickly and comfortably settled”.
Last November, Mrs. King received the Heritage Award from the European
Federation of Black Woman Business Owners at LMA’s Annual Conference and
Awards Dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel in London.
The Heritage Award recognizes the outstanding work she has contributed “to
raising the profile of the Black and Asian community by opening doors and making
access easier for those who came after her”.
Mrs. King has held several posts in Leicester Mental Health service including
assistant director of nursing service.
In additional to her voluntary work for the LMA, she is also Chairperson of the
Leicester Organisation for Sickle Cell Anaemia Research (OSCAR) and in 1999
received a community award for the pioneering work in the ethnic community.
Mrs. King (Edwards) was born in Antigua and educated on Montserrat. She went to
the UK in 1962 and began her training at the local Psychiatric Hospital in
Leicester.
In related news, Buckingham Palace has announced that Her Majesty The Queen’s
Birthday Honours will be announced on June 15, the Queen’s Official birthday
and not on the Jubilee weekend.
Currently nominations for awards are being accepted for Her Majesty The
Queen’s New Year’s Honours 2003. Members of the public can nominate
individuals for awards and forms for this purpose are available at the
Governor’s Office, the press release said.
Local Special Olympics Unit Forms Executive Committee
By Merrick Andrews
Montserrat’s Special Olympics programme formed
a new executive committee at a meeting on Tuesday, May 21, at the Brades Special
Needs Unit.
The executive committee consists of Mrs. Heather Daley, president; Tammy Foote,
secretary/treasurer; Wilston Scotland, sports director; and Kurt Foote, who is
in charge of fund raising. Trustees and ordinary members were also named.
According to Mrs. Daley, the Special Olympics programme is currently being set
up as a charitable, non-profit organisation. Lawyer Jean Kelsick is serving as a
voluntary legal adviser.
Proceeds from a fundraiser on Saturday, June 8, will go towards the programme.
The fundraiser will be a paid-for walk and run activity, which will start from
Lookout and end near Jack Boy Hill. The event is the concept of the local Ash
Harrier, a recreational group that stages similar events at least once per
month.
“We are hoping to do more fundraising and get
the members on a level of fitness and also get them used to working with each
other,” said Mrs. Daley, who is also a speech and language therapist.
Having just begun redeveloping the sport programme, Montserrat will not
participate in the World Special Olympics Championships in Ireland next year.
However, Mrs. Daley doesn’t see this as a major disappointment. “Hopefully
towards the end of the year we can invite people to come from overseas and
participate in a friendly game of any sport,” she said.
The Special Olympics programme was first implemented in Montserrat on March 1,
1995. Four months later, athletes Angela Irish and Adrian Lindsey won medals at
an international event in New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
On a world scale, the Special Olympics was established in 1968 with a mission to
provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of
Olympic-type sports. It is designed for persons of eight years and older with
moderate to severe learning difficulties, giving them opportunities to develop
physical fitness.
Health
Officials Urge Public to Fight Dengue
By Merrick Andrews
Local environment health
officials said they are concerned that people on Montserrat are not doing enough
to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes.
According to Vector Control Supervisor Kranston Aymer, property-to-property
mosquito cycle inspections have shown that breeding places for mosquitoes have
increased in the communities of Salem and St. John’s.
The number of breeding places means that the mosquito population has increased.
He said poor water storage and defective septic lines have contributed to the
breeding places of mosquitoes in the two communities.
“First of all people in the community need to get rid of unwanted
containers,” said Mr. Aymer. “If we get the mosquito population to a minimum
we are alright.”
Mr. Aymer pointed out that littering and improper disposal of garbage are
increasing problems, which contribute to the breeding of mosquitoes as the
environment health department tries to prevent any outbreaks of dengue or dengue
haemorrhagic fever, transmitted by the bite of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito.
Mosquito cycle inspections are carried out on a daily basis in Salem, St.
John’s Woodlands, St. Peter’s Cudjoe Head and Lookout.
The health environment department is planning to
start an education drive to sensitize the public about diseases transmitted by
mosquitoes.
Environment Health Officer Joseph Lynch said people in the Caribbean need to
take a more active role in the prevention of mosquito-transmitted diseases such
as dengue.
He said: “The whole concept of dengue prevention in the Caribbean is taking on
a new trend, in that over the years we have depended heavily on the use of
chemicals which have actually failed; and it is now time for people take a more
active role in the prevention of dengue.”
Dengue, like the Aedes Aegypti mosquito that carries it, is found throughout
tropical regions of the world. It is reported from over 100 countries, with
approximately two billion people at risk.
Annually there are millions of infections and at times tens of thousands of
deaths. Dengue has now become the most important mosquito-borne virus disease in
the world. It affects everyone, especially those living in densely crowded urban
areas throughout the tropics.
Dengue occurs in two forms: dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever.
Dengue fever is a severe, flu-like illness that affects older children and
adults but rarely causes death; while dengue haemorrhagic fever is a second more
severe form, in which bleeding and occasionally shock occur, leading to death.
It is more serious in children.
In related news, Mr. Aymer and
Senior Environment Health Officer Gerard Fergus participated in the workshop
"Report on Roll Back Malaria," held in Barbados from May 9-10.
Delegates for the meeting came from Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas,
Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe,
Martinique, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The objective of the meeting was to introduce the Roll Back Malaria initiative
in Caribbean countries and agree on a common control strategy for the region.
Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Year Is a Bittersweet One
Compiled from Despatches
In
a year that has been described as a ‘bittersweet year for the Queen,” 2002
carries a mixture of sadness and celebration for Queen Elizabeth II, who marks
50 years on Britain's throne. It's not only the anniversary of the death of her
father, King George VI, but this year has seen the deaths of her sister,
Princess Margaret, and the Queen Mother. Still, the Golden Jubilee continues,
following a royal tour of the kingdom and a festive weekend in June.
Since her coronation 50 years ago, Queen Elizabeth II has proved a more than capable monarch, yet although born a princess, she was not in direct line to the throne. Had Edward VIII not abdicated in order to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson in 1936, his younger brother George – Elizabeth’s father – would not have been crowned King, thus making the young princess heir presumptive.
The British monarch
maintains close contact with the Prime Minister, with whom she has a weekly
audience when she is in London, and acts as host to visiting heads of state. In
the course of her reign she has visited nearly every county in the realm.
The first child of the Duke and Duchess Of York, Elizabeth was born on April 21,
1926, and christened Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor in the chapel at
Buckingham Palace. Educated at home with her younger sister Princess Margaret,
she later went on to serve during World War II as a subaltern in the Auxiliary
Territorial Service, where she reached the rank of Junior Commander.
In 1947, she married a handsome young naval officer, Lieutenant Philip
Mountbatten, a distant cousin she met when she was just 13 and the son of Prince
Andrew of Greece and a great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria. Their first
child, Prince Charles, was born in 1948 and his sister Anne came along two years
later.
When her father’s illness forced him to abandon a proposed visit to Australia
and New Zealand in 1952, the Princess, accompanied by Prince Philip, undertook
the journey in his place. On February 6, while in Kenya on the first stage of
her trip, she received the news of King George VI’s death and her own
accession to the throne.
The coronation took place in Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953, and was
broadcast on radio around the world and - at the young Queen’s request - on
television, bringing the splendour of the event to hundreds of thousands of
people in a way never before thought possible. When the Queen’s youngest sons,
Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, were born in 1960 and 1964 respectively, they
were the first children to be born to a reigning monarch since Queen Victoria.
The Queen has experienced the marriage break-ups of three of her four offspring, and the demise of Charles and Andrew’s relationships, combined with a major fire at Windsor Castle, led her to describe 1992 as an annus horribilis in her Christmas speech for that year. Recent years may have been turbulent ones for the royal family, but there is no doubt that its titular head has helped uphold the traditional image of the monarchy while contributing significantly to the creation of a modern role for it.
Amidst suggestions that she should step back from the grandeur and officialdom of the monarchy Queen Elizabeth II declared her resolve to continue serving the UK during an historic address to both Houses of Parliament at the start of her Golden Jubilee celebrations.
"Change has become a constant; managing it has become an expanding discipline. The way we embrace it defines our future,” she said.
In one of her Jubilee speeches she said, "Since 1952 I have witnessed the transformation of the international landscape through which this country must chart its course, the emergence of the Commonwealth, the growth of the European Union, the end of the Cold War, and now the dark threat of international terrorism.”
Caption photo: 2002 marks Queen Elizabeth II's 50th year on
the throne.
Immigrants to Pay More To Prolong Staying Here
Effective tomorrow, immigrants will have to pay
more to stay on Montserrat.
The fee for extension of immigrant’s stay on Montserrat will be increased from
EC$20 to EC$50, according to a press release from the Royal Montserrat Police
Force.
The increase was in accordance with the provisions of amendment to regulation
No. 26 of the Immigration and Passport (Amendment) Regulations 199, the press
release said.
Karen Allen Case Delayed to June 10
By Merrick Andrews
The court case involving Karen Allen, the
outreach officer of the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) who was charged
with the possession of cannabis, was adjourned in the magistrate court on May
23.
She is scheduled to return to court on June 10.
Her case was adjourned, as the prosecutors were not ready with their evidence,
the cannabis, which is said to be undergoing tests in another Caribbean island
to fully confirm the type of substance.
Ms. Allen, 31, was arrested and charged with the possession of cannabis after
police said they searched her home and allegedly found 0.9 grams of the illegal
drug in her bedroom, in the early morning hours of Saturday, April 20
Ms. Allen, who has been a Rastafarian for the past three years, denied
possessing cannabis and added that the quantity that the police claim to have
found is a “fabrication.”
Ms. Allen pleaded not guilty when she appeared in
court on Monday, April 22. She also claimed that the police were inept in
searching her house.
Following her arrest, she was also suspended by the MVO on half-pay until the
final results of her case in court.
Ms. Allen, who has been working at the MVO since October 2001, complained in the
April 26 of The Montserrat Reporter that Rastafarians are discriminated against
by the local police force.
She was born in Montserrat on September 8, 1970, and taken to St. Thomas, U.S.
Virgin Islands, at three months old. At the age of 18, she joined the U.S. Army,
in which she served until 1998. She later took up a job as a legal secretary at
Morrison and Foerster LLP, an international law firm in Washington DC.
Ms. Allen said she returned to Montserrat on
April 25, 2000, “to bring her resources to benefit the country and to help.”
BA Jet Gets Stuck on Runway In Antigua, Briefly Halts Flights
British Airways aircraft at VC Bird International airport
ST.
JOHN'S, Antigua -- Air traffic into Antigua and Barbuda halted abruptly
Wednesday afternoon when the landing gear of a British Airways 777 jetliner
became embedded in the asphalt runway at V.C. Bird International Airport and
remained stuck for several hours.
Airport officials said that the aircraft, Flight number 2157, taxied to the end of the runway and was making a U-Turn to line-up for takeoff when the wheels of the right main landing gear became stuck in the asphalt of the turning circle.
BA aircraft front wheels stuck on the runway
Emergency
personnel responded with tow trucks and backhoes in a vain effort to free the
plane. After almost seven hours, and with permission from British Airways
officials in England, the aircraft was towed to the terminal building where it
spent the night.
Officials
said that at no time were passengers or crew in any danger.
The
incident stranded 140 passengers on their way to England by way of St. Lucia,
along with approximately 418 flight and crew from Virgin Atlantic, which was
preparing to take off. The passengers were housed in hotels around the island.
Robin Yearwood, Minister of Aviation and Utilities, promised a full investigation.
V.C. Bird International Airport was closed Wednesday evening, leaving several thousand passengers stranded and some incoming flights diverted to other airports in the Caribbean. A BWIA flight on it way to Antigua was directed to Piarco International Airport in Trinidad. However, smaller aircraft, such as LIAT and Caribbean Star, including twin-engine and Dash-8 aircraft, were permitted to take off and land. The airport was re-opened to all traffic Thursday morning.
A
government press officer, Maurice Merchant, said, “Workmen of the Public Works
Department on Tuesday May 28 carried out minor work on the turning circle of the
runway as was required. During the
course of Wednesday a number of wide-bodied aircraft including American
Airlines, Continental, BWIA and a U.S. Air Force aircraft C5A (Galaxy) took off
from the V.C. Bird International Airport.
A
team from Carib Financial Services of New Jersey in the U.S. will be in Antigua
on June 12 to discuss with the government plans to upgrade the airport, which
include the replacing of the asphalt turning circle with concrete.
Prime
Minister Bird To Sign Press Freedom Declaration
ST. JOHN'S, Antigua -- Antigua and Barbuda's Prime Minister Lester Bird has invited the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) to send a delegation to St. John's to witness his signing of the Declaration of Chapultepec which sets out 10 principles governing a free press.
Mr. Bird said in a statement, "The press in Antigua and Barbuda is not subject to prior censorship or restrictions on the circulation of the media or dissemination of their reports. We also apply no tariff and exchange policies or licences for the importation of newsprint. In fact, the press in Antigua and Barbuda is as free as any in the hemisphere and freer than most."
"Freedom of expression and freedom of the
press are principles for which the Antigua Labour Party has fought from its
inception. We continue to uphold these freedoms despite their abuse by
certain sections of the media in the certain knowledge that the people are well
aware when these abuses occur," Mr. Bird said.
Securities
Exchange Licenses Two Banks
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts -- Antigua Commercial Bank
(ACB) and the St Kitts Nevis Anguilla National Bank (SKNANB) have been licensed
by the Eastern Caribbean Securities Regulatory Commission
to operate as full service broker-dealers in the Eastern Caribbean
Securities Market.
As full service broker-dealers, both banks can
now trade on behalf of investors on the Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange,
and offer advice on the purchase and sale of
securities, as well as on financial planning and the issue of new stocks.
The licensing of these two broker-dealers brings
to six the number of intermediaries operating on the Eastern Caribbean
Securities Market. The other four intermediaries, licensed since the start of
the ECSM in October 2001, are Antigua Barbuda Investment Bank, Bank of Nevis,
Bank of St Lucia and National Commercial Bank, St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Meanwhile, the ECSRC Issues Advisory advised all
firms and individuals involved in securities business in the Eastern Caribbean
Currency Union that all persons engaging in any securities related business,
without a licence from the Commission, may be brought before a Magistrate’s
Court, where they will be liable, on conviction, to a fine of up to $100,000, a
term of imprisonment, or both.
Companies convicted of similar offences may be
fined up to $200,000, and both companies and individuals may be charged an
additional penalty of $1,000 for each day that the offence continues after the
conviction.
License application forms may be obtained from
the office of the Eastern Caribbean Securities Regulatory Commission at the ECCB
Financial Complex, Bird Rock, St. Kitts.
Electoral
Commissioners In First Antigua Meeting
ST. JOHN'S, Antigua -- The newly constituted five-member Electoral Commission held its first meeting last week, under the chairmanship of Mc Clin S. Matthias, with all commissioners in attendance.
Procedural matters led the agenda, among them permanent office facilities, an appropriate structure, and staffing to satisfactorily manage the electoral process in Antigua and Barbuda.
The Commissioners decided to consult Electoral Commissions that are already functioning, especially in Caribbean jurisdictions like Barbados and St. Kitts, and to establish contact and maintain relations with organisations like the Commonwealth Secretariat and the OAS Secretariat, which provide support and technical assistance for elections management bodies in various jurisdictions.
The Commissioners acknowledged intense public interest in its work, and pledged to operate in a fair, transparent and accountable manner, and to disseminate accurate information on its activities and progress in reforming the electoral process in Antigua and Barbuda
Senegal Stun titleholders France 1-0 In WC Opener
Compiled from news dispatches
Defending champions France succumbed to an upsetting 1-0 loss to African
debutantes Senegal as the curtain came up Friday on the World Cup finals in
Seoul, South Korea.
France suffered a similar fate as titleholders Argentina who lost 1-0 to the
African nation of Cameroon in Italy in 1990.
"We
take comfort from the fact that nothing's finished," said France coach
Roger Lemerre. "There are two more matches to win. If we can win, we'll
have six points and we'll be through."
Each
team plays three games in the first round, and Senegal, a former French colony,
next plays Denmark. The top two teams advance.
Papa
Bouba Diop got Senegal’s winning goal in the 30th minute as France,
trying to become the first team in 40 years to defend the title, played without
world hero, injured midfielder Zinedine Zidane.
Diop
scored on a play set up by teammate El Hadji Diouf, who beat French defender
Frank Leboeuf racing down the left flank.
Diouf
centered the ball with French defender Emmanuel Petit deflecting the pass into
French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez, who was unable to control the ball as Diop
slid in and knocked it home.
"It
made me very happy. I've always dreamed of this," said Diop.
Referee for the match was Ali Bujsaim from the United Arab Emirates.
As the action begins 32 teams will compete for the biggest prize in football.
All the usual favorites are there - with the notable exception of Holland, who
were knocked out at the qualifying stage by the Republic of Ireland.
Despite losing to Senegal, 1998 champions France are still the favourites.
But a strong-looking Argentina are equal favorites, with Italy not far behind.
Four-time winners Brazil have had a turbulent build-up, but could yet spark into
life and restore some of the pride lost in the 1998 final defeat to France.
Whether perennial under-achievers Spain can rid themselves of that reputation
remains to be seen, but in Raul they have one of the world's finest strikers.
Hot on the heels of the fancied five are Portugal, England, Sweden, Nigeria,
Cameroon.
Three of those fancied teams - England, Sweden and Nigeria - are teamed in the
first stage with Argentina in what has been dubbed the "group of
death". And as 1998 proved, home advantage could help otherwise unfancied
Japan and South Korea progress further than the first round.
The co-hosts will go far if their football reaches anything like the standards
of the beautiful stadia. They will be graced by a rich selection of the world's
greatest players.
David Beckham, Luis Figo, Francesco Totti, Raul, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Juan
Sebastian Veron, Michael Owen and Hernan Crespo are just some of the players
that will grace the Far East over the next month.
Security will be tight in the wake of the 11 September terrorist attacks in the
United States.
No-fly zones have been declared over the stadia and the teams are protected by
phalanxes of security guards.
Group fixture
Group A: France, Senegal, Uruguay and Denmark.
Group B: Spain, Slovenia, Paraguay and South Africa.
Group C: Brazil, Turkey, China and Costa Rica.
Group D: South Korea, Poland, USA and Portugal.
Group E: Germany, Saudi Arabia, Rep. Of Ireland and Cameroon.
Group F: Argentina, Nigeria, England and Sweden.
Group G: Italy, Ecuador, Croatia and Mexico.
Group H: Japan, Belgium, Russia and Tunisia.
Festooned
in a red garland and autographing World Cup balls, FIFA president Sepp Blatter
promised to restore harmony in the fractious soccer family.
And to take revenge on a friend turned enemy.
"Today the victory goes to football and the man who was trusted by
139football associations here," Blatter declared, basking in the glory of
his easy 139-56 win Wednesday over African soccer head Issa Hayatou of Cameroon.
He embraced daughter Corinne and 15-month-old granddaughter Serena, then urged
delegates in the chamber to hold hands in a sign of unity after a bitter
election campaign.
But the steely side of his character also showed when asked about the future of
general-secretary Michel Zen-Ruffinen, who earlier this month circulated
a30-page document accusing Blatter of corruption, mismanagement and
dictatorship.
"He is in trouble," the 66-year-old Swiss former army colonel said
ofZen-Ruffinen. "He is in big trouble."
Blatter Reportedly Will Fire FIFA General Secretary
Newly re-elected FIFA president Sepp Blatter reportedly plans to fire his friend
turned enemy, general secretary Michel Zen-Ruffinen, without waiting for the
World Cup kickoff.
In an interview Thursday with the mass circulation Swiss daily Blick, Blatter
said FIFA's ruling executive committee would be asked to fire the official at a
meeting Friday. The opening match of the tournament, between France and Senegal,
will be played across town Friday evening.
"The executive committee is going to take care of our 'Mr. Clean,'"
Blatter was quoted as saying. "Now it's over."
Blatter said the "last straw" had been comments Zen-Ruffinen made
during the FIFA congress Wednesday. The No. 2 official in world soccer repeated
corruption and mismanagement allegations against Blatter.
But FIFA officials denied Zen-Ruffinen was certain to be fired.
"Mr. Blatter might have made the statement in a personal, one-on-one
interview following his re-election last night, but he hasn't made any formal
communique today," said a spokesman at FIFA's World Cup headquarters here,
speaking on condition of anonymity. "There is an executive board meeting in
the morning. I can't say what will come of that."
Montserrat’s Cricket Coach Aims At Nothing Less Than 350
By Merrick Andrews
Coach of Montserrat’s national cricket team Fitzroy Buffonge said anything
below 350 runs is insufficient as Montserrat hosts St. Kitts in the Leeward
Islands cricket competition this long holiday weekend.
The three-day match started this morning at 10:00 a.m. at Salem Park, while the one-day match begins on Monday, at the same time and venue.
“Anything below 350 will not be good enough for me. I think we need to get that straight up – 350 and a above we are looking for anytime we bat,” Buffonge said.
He added: “Montserrat is not traditionally held as a victorious team. We are under a little pressure playing the first game home, and it is important that you win, but at the same time you have to learn how to relax and if you can’t relax things are going to happen,” he added.
St. Kitts hosted Montserrat last year and won the three-day match. But Montserrat rebounded by winning the one-day match by six wickets.
Montserrat last won in the tournament in 1953.
Buffonge said the batsmen are his main concern
and the mental focus of the team as they play in front of their home crowd.
“They are technically prepared as far as I am concerned; the mental side, we
have to be working on it constantly, constantly,” he said.
Captain Davon Williams, vice captain Zhuan Sweeney, Mark Stephanie and McPherson
Meade head Montserrat’s batting line-up. Lionel Baker, Tyrone Greenaway and
Kenville Fenton will spearhead the bowling attack.
Fast bowlers Darren Sweeney and Adrian Carty were
dropped from the squad due to injuries, but Buffonge said this would not dent
Montserrat’s hopes of winning.
“The team has the depth to pull through,” he said.
Vice president of the Montserrat Cricket Association (MCA) Roy Greaves expects the team to perform well. “I expect them to perform to their full potential. If they perform to their full potential they will come out on top.”
He added: “Generally, over the years Montserrat’s main problem has been its catching, but based on the work the coach has done, the management tells me there has been an improvement in that area.”
Team member and batsman Gregory Willock said, “We are confident that we are going to beat St. Kitts. The guys are positive and if they stay positive they will come out on top,” he said.
Schedule of matches for Montserrat
(host team
named first):
The squad: Davon Williams (captain), Zhuan Sweeney (vice captain), McPherson Meade, Mark Stephanie, Dexter Stephanie, Trevor Semper, Tyrone Greenaway, Jeff Lane, Dereck Levi, Sylvester Wade, Sylvester Greenaway, Lionel Baker, Gregory Willock, Jeron Harris and Kenville Fenton.
Cedric Shiell is team manager, while Kenton
Weekes Jr. is the physiotherapist.
Basketball Playoffs Start This Evening
By Merrick Andrews
The Montserrat Amateur
Basketball Association (MABA) League continues this evening with the
best-of-three playoffs at the Brades Court, and fever-pitched duels are expected
between four confident teams.
The first set of matches will see Taz Westsiders facing Knock Out champions Fire
and defending champs Pitbulls taking on Rebels.
Taz Westsiders, the weakest of the four teams, based on match results, are
strong in all areas in preparation for the playoffs, said coach and player Bevon
Greenaway. “We are mentally, technically and physically prepared. We are
technically prepared in that we are working on strategies, [while] we will try
to control our game mentally. We would like some more players to play. But
there’s a lack of interest. Players want to sign up for the team for
nothing.”
Westsiders had the shakiest start in the first round: losing all four matches.
But they stormed back into the second round with vigor, defeating two teams –
Fire (76-70) and Rebels (63-47), and are now making another stage.
They were clipped 73-72 by Pitbulls on May 18 in a match they were expected to
win. But they stormed back last Friday and demolished MSS Warriors 94-50.
Not too far from Westsiders in terms of rank are Rebels, who tied at the top in
the first round with four victories and one loss, but lapsed in the second round
due to injuries, according to manager and captain George Green.
They’ve won only one match out of four in the second round – 69-47 against
MSS Warriors on May 10.
But the team is still plagued by injuries.
Two of the team’s top players, forward David Silcott and guard Devon Harris,
are suffering from knee injuries. Both
players are determined to play this weekend, according to coach Gregory Willock.
He said: “The team is alright. We are still competitive as ever. We had poor
performances coming out of the last matches but this time basically we are
ready.”
On the other side of the coin, all eyes are on Fire and Pitbulls to meet in next
week's final.
Both teams have recorded six victories from eight matches.
However, the two matches that Pitbulls lost were to Fire -- 37-29 on April 13
and 86-80 last Friday. Coach and player of Pitbulls, Randolph Lewis, is
optimistic: "We expect to come out and play our best and win the series.
Based on how the League is going every team is dangerous. It all depends on
which team plays better basketball."
Meanwhile, the Fire team will bank on last year’s MVP Nichon Weekes to net the
bulk of the goals.
The 23-year-old scored a game-high 37 points in Fire’s 110-58 demolition of
MSS Warriors on Friday, May 17. He also netted an incredible 45 in his team’s
84-48 thrashing of Rebels the following day.
Vice captain Vachel Murraine said: “We are 90 percent ready. It’s just that
we need a little more practice. The guys are ready to eat people.”
In related news, Montserrat will participate in the Leeward Islands Basketball
Tournament, which begins from July 17 to 22 in Antigua.
The tournament was originally set to begin in the British Virgin Islands (BVI),
but was postponed because of financial problems.
From the local League, MABA will select a trial squad of 24 players – half of
which will be selected for the final team for the Leeward tournament. Four
officials will accompany the squad.
Montserrat finished second behind BVI when they hosted the tournament in 1991.
Last weekend results
Friday, May 24
Taz Westsiders def. MSS Warriors 94-50.
Top scorers: Taz Westsiders – N. Kelly 26, H. Bobb 25, G. Williams 17, T.
White 14, B. Greenaway 8; MSS Warriors – D. O’garro 13, Z. Sweeney 10, J.
Harris 10, J. Skerritt 8, T. Tuitt 7.
Fire def. Pitbulls 86-80.
Top scorers: Fire – N. Weekes 38, V. Murraine 19, E. Aaron 19, A. West 10;
Pitbulls – K. Ryan 24, R. Lewis 18, R. Lee 17, R. Murraine 10, J. John 8.
By
Peter Adrien
Could
it be that (as was expressed by Mordecia to) just like Queen Esther, Sir Vivian
Richards came into his decision-making position for a time just like this? What
is the time? It is a time when despite all its failings, the West Indies team is
beginning to believe in itself and is beginning to perform. The Jewish nation
believed that Queen Esther came into her social position in the Medean-Persian
kingdom for the salvation of the Jewish exile. And the young Jewess did prevent,
by her Godly fear and intervention, an anti-Semitic blood-bath.
We hope that “King” Richards came into the position of Chief Selector in West Indies cricket for the building of the World Cup Team in particular and for the building of a winning team at a time when the team needs administrative and technical support.
But we must register our praises to the black integrationist. Congratulations are in order for Sir Vivian Richards of Antigua and the OECS states who was appointed chairmanship of the West Indies senior selection panel by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) on May 26, 2002, at its Annual General Meeting. The former West Indies captain will work with the former West Indies opening batsman, Barbadian Gordon Greenidge, and the former West Indies opening batsman, Trinidadian Michael "Joey" Carew.
Sir Vivian is seriously challenged to do the right thing and take the right decision. He and his team could develop tremendous goodwill if they would show the cricketing public and the Caribbean people that they have the political will, the maturity and the regional interest to take the bold but developmental step in fielding a team for the second ODI against the Indians which reflects their intelligent thinking with respect to the making of a winning World Cup team.
Richards' selection was widely welcome in the Caribbean as a cross-section of the population thought that former Chairman Michael Findlay was influenced by nationalistic and parochial interests and that his panel lacked a consistent policy of development. The commentators included your humble servant and were oftentimes critical of the panel tendency to vacillate and deviate.
From 2000 I have been calling on Michael Findlay
to be consistent with our young cricketers. On one occasion I even allowed my
emotions to slip when I bellowed, “Don’t mess with the young peoples’
career.”
In
2001 I noted, “Confused! The selectors have done it again! They have confused
us with their mixed up policies. The selection policy for the summer tour
reflects a one-step-forward-and-one-step-backward policy.
While the WICB and the selectors are deserving of commendations on the
one hand, they have opened themselves to public criticism on the other.”
The
selectors had deviated from the functional policy of selecting two separate
teams – one for test and one for one-day internationals to selection teams
influenced by budget constraint. And since then we have suffered severely in
both versions of the game.
I called for change of selection policy but noted that was only possible by changing the selectors. My advice was, “Change the selectors! Change the selection policy! Developments since 1995 when we formally lost our international supremacy (with the home loss to Steve Waugh’s Australians), strongly suggest that the selection process for the senior tournaments is seriously flawed. The evidence confirms (a) an absence of a requisite intellectual capital stock on the selection panel and, (b) a lack of a coherent selection policy.
The selectors had always committed many sins of omissions, which cost the team many matches and cost us our national pride and our international competitiveness as a Caribbean region. For example, they contributed to the destruction of our spin bowling and our slow bowling craft. They perpetuated the foolish and flawed notion that the current West Indies team could dominate international cricket with its four-prong pace attack. We all know that notion is mere fantasy and the reflection of a dysfunctional nostalgia.
As I have written elsewhere and argued consistently in several fora, “There is a strong case for the administrators and selectors to divorce one-day cricket selection from test cricket selection, and one-day cricketers from test cricketers, as most cricketing nations (particularly Australia) have done so successfully. As I have argued elsewhere, the evidence suggests that some West Indian players are not suited to the big game, and some are not materials for the orthodox or classical version (test cricket).”
What is the prescription for development the West Indies test and one-day team? What is the approach to development of the batting and bowling stock to ensure competitive teams in both versions of the game?
First, the selectors, as they did so successfully against England during the 1998 home series, must give players their rightful place in the rebuilding process.
It has been reinforced over and over again that some players are not suited to all contests, that is, for all versions of the game. Some players can fight the war better on specific terrain. In fact, when these cricketers play true to form, these calypso or fete-match cricketers (at least some of them are) could out-perform even pedigree cricketers at their game.
Next week we discuss the approach for developing and nurturing a one-day team for the upcoming World Cup. And since Sir Vivian Richards would have fond memories of what the victories of 1975 and 1979 did for the Caribbean society and economy, we suspect that he would have a functional approach to sifting the wheat from the tares.
A section of the Caribbean was angered when the former WICB rejected the application of Richards for the position of coach and opted for Guyanese Roger Harper. But could the “Master Blaster,” the batsman who terrorized the bowlers all over the world, serve his people adequately in his role of identifying and nurturing the talents that are so badly needed to transform the West Indies team into a winning team again?
Could Richards have come to the position for such a time as this?
Peter
Adrien is a Central Banker, an author, a syndicated sports commentator, and a
freelance photographer. He may be contacted Peter at e-mail: Adriens@caribsurf.com
or visit his website www.adriensenterprises.com
PHOTO
CAPTION: Sir Vivian Richards – Chief of Selectors (Photo: Peter Adrien)
MONTSERRAT
REPRESENTED AT CTO’S CARIBBEAN WEEK IN NEW YORK
Director of Tourism, Miss Ernestine Cassell and The Montserrat Tourist Board’s Public Relations Representative in New York, Bob Heim, attended the third annual Media Marketplace, a Caribbean-specific trade show organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO).
The trade show took place at the Roosevelt Hotel, New York on Wednesday 29 May, 2002. A select group of press was invited to the Montserrat ‘booth’ where they were given an update on Montserrat in addition to specific and general information about the island. While in New York the Director will also attend other meetings including Directors of Tourism Meetings, which are also organized by CTO.
CTO’s 29th Annual Governments of the Caribbean State Ball, is scheduled to take place on Friday, May 31 at the Waldorf –Astoria, New York. The Hon. Chief Minister and Minister of Tourism, Mr John Osborne and Permanent Secretary, Mrs Sarita Francis will attend this occasion. One of the highlights of the Ball will be a special commemorative ceremony where CTO will be honoring 50 individuals for their contributions to Caribbean tourism.
Mrs Carol Ann Osborne of the Vue Pointe Hotel is Montserrat’s nominee who will receive this prestigious award.
By
Howard A. Fergus, UWI
On 30 May, 2002, the tiny British colony of
Anguilla celebrated the thirty-fifth anniversary of what it justifiably deems
the 1967 revolution. Annexed by St.
Kitts in 1825, Anguilla became part of the three-island colony of St.
Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla. In the
Anguilla view, their island suffered from over 140 years of neglect, relative
isolation and pauperisation to become the backwater of that larger colony.
Effectively, Anguilla was a colony of a colony, and based on their
experience, the Anguillans figured it was less oppressive to be a colony of the
United Kingdom than of St. Kitts.
When in 1967 St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla was granted statehood in association with Britain, Anguillans saw red. They did not wish to be yoked to St. Kitts forever. Through demonstration, resistance and arms, they threw off the overlordship of Bradshaw’s St. Kitts, and stoutly resisted the imposition of statehood by the British government. The high points of the revolution were 30 May when the state police, the last bastion of the Kittitian regime, was driven out, and 10 June 1967 when armed Anguillans landed in St. Kitts in an effort to dethrone the Bradshaw government and replace it with one that was sympathetic to the Anguillan cause. The St. Kitts coup did not succeed but it registered Anguillan seriousness about defending the revolution.
The Anguilla story is unique in modern British Caribbean history. It has given a band of heroes to the country and provided it with a sense of identity and a rallying point in times of crisis. The Anguillans used their new liberation to revolutionise their economy and to develop a sense of self-worth and pride; and today, although they are suffering from the backwash of September 11, their country is one of the most prosperous and forward- looking in the Caribbean. Although I do not uphold the idea, they are reportedly demanding entry visas from some Caribbean peoples.
Anguilla illustrates what a small, poor people
can do if they unite in the national cause.
Montserrat has had no revolution but it has stories of courage, and can
take a page from the Anguillan book. We
need to pool ideas and exploit all genuine forward-looking movements for what
they are worth. With vision, mental
agility and sinew we can yet escape the backwater of volcanic degradation.
Even within party politics, Montserrat progress can be driven by a sense
of national co-operation.
Natural
Alternative to Ease the Pain Caused By Arthritis Found in Chicken Cartilage
May
2002 (Newstream) -- Imagine finding a natural alternative to pharmaceuticals to
ease and possibly cure the pain of arthritis? Some patients say they've found
their answer in a natural nutraceutical: a dietary supplement called undenatured
Type II Collagen. Harvard Medical Research backs up claims that undenatured Type
II Collagen, found in chicken cartilage, can treat and even prevent the
debilitating, painful symptoms related to rheumatoid and other forms of
arthritis affecting some 43 million Americans.
The
human drama behind this discovery is also compelling. A research scientist,
saddened and frustrated by his daughter's rheumatoid arthritis, turned his
kitchen into a lab. After reading that collagen from chickens could help treat,
even prevent rheumatoid and other forms of arthritis, Eugene Moore took it a
step further. He began developing his own collagen preparations from the sternum
cartilage of store-bought chickens. The key to his breakthrough discovery was
his recipe. He prepared collagen in a way that kept it undenatured, effective,
and safe. He discovered that if the collagen was cooked, it became ineffective.
After
trying everything else, undenatured Type II Collagen was the only thing that
worked for his daughter, Ann Marie. She calls her transformation a miracle.
Plus, there were no side effects, which she suffered from taking conventional
medicines. Once unable to walk or function without extreme pain, Ann Marie says
her life has changed dramatically after taking undenatured Type II Collagen.
Now,
available as a dietary ingredient manufactured by InterHealth Nutraceuticals,
undenatured Type II Collagen is identified by this logo: UC-II, which helps
consumers identify products that contain undenatured Type 2 Collagen and
products that don't.
Call the Montserrat Reporter’s Office, Tel. # (1664) 491-4715 or send an email monrep@candw.ag and tell us when or where it is suggested you should not Say the words appearing below.
If your answer is correct, give your name and telephone number and you will become eligible to win a prize from Johnnie Mecca Fashions, shown here.
When Should You NOT Say
These Things?
"But
everybody looks funny naked!"
"Did I mention the video camera?"
"Do you smell something burning?"
"You woke me up for that?"
"And to think, I was really trying to pick up your friend!"
"Hope you're as good looking when I'm sober."
"Maybe we should call Dr. Ruth."
"Sweetheart, did you lock the back door?"
"Smile, you're on Candid Camera!"
On May 31st,
1962, World War Two Gestapo official
Adolf Eichmann was hanged in Israel for his role in the Nazi Holocaust.
On this date:
In 1819,
poet Walt Whitman was born in West Hill, New York.
In 1889,
more than two-thousand people perished when a dam break sent water rushing
through Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
In 1910,
the Union of South Africa was founded.
In 1913,
the 17th amendment to the Constitution, providing for the popular election of US
senators, was declared in effect.
In 1961,
South Africa became an independent republic.
In 1970,
tens of thousands of people died in an earthquake in Peru.
In 1977,
the trans-Alaska oil pipeline, three years in the making, was completed.
In 1989,
House Speaker Jim Wright, dogged by questions about his ethics, announced he
would resign. (Thomas Foley later succeeded him.)
In 1991,
leaders of Angola's two warring factions signed a peace treaty, ending a
16-year-old civil war.
In 1994,
the United States announced it was no longer aiming long-range nuclear missiles
at targets in the former Soviet Union.
Ten years ago:
An estimated 50-thousand people demonstrated in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, against
Communist-organized elections. Crazy for You was named Broadway's best
musical at the Tony Awards; Dancing at Lughnasa was named best play.
Five years
ago: Pope John Paul the Second began
an eleven-day tour of his native Poland, his seventh visit since assuming the
papacy.
One year ago:
Veteran FBI agent Robert Hanssen pleaded innocent to charges of spying for
Moscow. (He later changed his plea to guilty and was sentenced to life in
prison.) Moderate PLO leader Faisal Husseini died at age 60. Actress and TV
personality Arlene Francis died in San Francisco at age 93.
Thought for
Today: "Every ambitious man is a
captive and every covetous one a pauper." -- Arab proverb
On the Right Course
If tourists should bring in the goods
T'would aid Montserrat neighborhoods;
And good golfing terrain
Might allow it to train
A Caribbean Tiger Woods.
Livestock Report
H.E. is now back in authority
With no need to please the majority.
You can whistle 'au revoir'
To a proper abattoir;
As before, 'It's not a priority!'
Jus wonderin if that ex-cop farmer is a now a ‘secret’ Agent.
Jus wonderin if he know that his story might already reveal his secret.
Jus wonderin if the Government will recognise the trying farming population more.
Jus wonderin it is not a pity that the CM was not here to get lessons from the Conflict Resolution workshop.
Jus wonderin all who still livin in the dark ages.
Jus wonderin which police officer believe that it is all right to continue using their girlfriend as a ball.
Jus wonderin if domestic violence will simmer if the examplers are doing the same thing.
Jus wonderin which boss don’t support minimum wages.
Jus wonderin if Montserratian bosses so tight in the pockets or is money they not making.
Jus wonderin which of dem ministers in the last administration never implement minimum wage legislation.
Jus wonderin if the present administration will
even make an attempt.
Jus wonderin who they are afraid of and what else they waiting on.
Jus wonderin if they all think the newspaper business is a bakery business.
Jus wonderin if they don’t know that the newspaper business is more than trying to get information.
Jus wonderin if people don’t know that journalists are human beings to and they share a mutual relationship with the public.
Jus wonderin who don’t know that journalists and the media are for their service.
Jus wonderin if they wouldn’t like to think that Government would skim dem dry if there were no journalists around.
Jus wonderin if black people dey still think that every think a white man say is truth and good and right.
Jus wonderin who de MP trying to fool about lobbying around for FIFA President and if he did that it really made him win the election
Jus wonderin why most government minister are so quite don't they have anything to say.
Jus wonderin if Montserrat will win de cricket match this week-end.
Jus wonderin how come so much Volunteer come for de cricket.
Jus wonderin a free pass dem a look.
Jus wonderin if de Montserratians dem a go really support de event.
Jus wonderin why de MP footballer official did not announce his association obvious support for Blatter before they left MNI instead of games to second and boast after he saw the amount of support.
Jus wonderin if he don’t know that plenty people have access to the international news and that we know that we tied up with Blatter who cause us to be there in the first place.
Jus wonderin why dat Jamaican woman like to borrow and don’t like to repay.
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