Two citizens of Montserrat were honoured by Her Majesty The Queen in this year's Birthday Honours List. They are:

Father Cordwell Victor Randall Peters, who receives the MBE for outstanding service to the community throughout the volcanic crisis; and Bishop Kenrick Decosta Harewood, who receives the MBE for many years service as a member, now Chairman, of the Salem District Disaster Committee.

Father Cordwell Victor Randall Peters, MBE and Bishop Kenrick Decosta Harewood, MBE

Also honoured in this year's Birthday Honours are Christopher Burgess, former Commissioner of the Royal Montserrat Police Force, who receives The Queen's Police Medal, and Robert Webb, Head of the Governor's Office, who receives the OBE.

Christopher Burgess, QPM and Robert Webb, OBE

The Montserrat government has decided to officially commemorate the deaths three years ago of the 19 people who were lost in the Soufriere Hills volcano's most disastrous activity.
On Sunday Montserratians at home and overseas will observe another anniversary for those who perished.
Activities to commemorate the June 25, 1997, event will include the erection of a monument at an appropriate site in memory of those who lost their lives, according to a release from the Chief Minister's office. The Montserrat Christian Council will arrange an annual Thanksgiving Service on June 25, as it has done in the past.

In Leicester, England, where a large community of evacuated Montserratians reside, a Memorial Service is planned for Sunday. Brother Roger Wade, who hosts the telephone program "Live from London" on ZJB radio, said that 19 wreaths will be laid during the service and 19 candles lit.

The Memorial Service is being coordinated by Mrs. Carol King Edwards of Salem, who resides in Leicester. Janice Panton, Government Public Relations Officer in the UK, is expected to be among the Montserratians from all over the UK who are planning to attend.

In a press conference yesterday, Chief Minister David S. Brandt explained that a tripartite meeting between the Government of Montserrat, DFID Montserrat and local architects and contractors overcame misunderstandings and brought about new conditions and agreements.

Kenneth Scotland, president of the Montserrat Association of Architects and Engineers, called them improvements and moves in the right direction. The terms follow:

1. Architectural Services for

(a) projects with a construction cost of $250,000 and under should be obtained through direct appointment by PWD.

(b) projects with a construction cost of over $250,000 should be obtained through the Central Tenders Board.

2. Where construction costs are $l million or less, tenders will be invited from local firms only.

3. Where construction costs are over $l million, tenders will be invited locally and regionally.

4. With respect to fees, local architects will be allowed 10 percent advantage over regional architects for projects up to $2 million and 7½ percent for projects over $2 million.

5. Projects with a construction cost of $50,000 or less may be authorized by works orders without the execution of a formal contract. Under no circumstances may two or more works orders be issued for the same work or services in order to evade the limit of $50,000 beyond which formal contracts are required.

6. Projects with a construction cost of over $50,000 and up to $250,000 may be awarded by departmental tender. [In effect the upper limit for departmental tenders is being raised from $l00,000 to $250,000].

7. Departmental tenders must not be considered without appropriate technical advice.

8. Projects over $250,000 must be considered by the Central Tenders Board.

9. Where construction costs are $5 million or less, tenders will be invited from local firms only.

10. Where construction costs are over $5 million, tenders will be invited locally and regionally.

I I. Local contractors will have a 10 percent advantage for all projects.

12. In keeping with the goal of rebuilding physically and economically, DFID will purchase all vehicles through local agents.

13. Public Works Department is to update the approved lists of contractors and architects.

14. In those cases where tenders are to be invited from local firms only, government reserves the right to test the regional market when government deems it necessary to do so.

15. In order for a firm to be classified as local, it must have 51 percent local shareholding.

16. All of the above decisions, taken by the three parties, are to be tried until 31 December 2000, During the month of December, they will be reviewed, agreed amendments made if any, and the amended decisions incorporated into the government's tender regulations.

17. Introduce a clause in your Invitation to Tender document advising, that all bidders are subject to Montserrat Tax, to be deducted prior to fee payment, referring them to Ministry of Finance for clarification if necessary.

Montserrat’s own Arrow, the Soca King of the world, will be featured on the Today show summer Concert Series on NBC TV on Saturday.

In a press release Arrow says he is not surprised at what he sees as an important development for Calypso and Soca music.

Arrow is the only soca act to be featured on the Today Show. He says that making good music is not enough. One also has to concentrate on the business aspect of the music, which is what he is doing.

According to the Soca King, a lot of exciting music is coming from the Caribbean but business wise it is in the doldrums. .Arrow says appearing on the Today Show can help change that.

According to him, he wants to make the world dance but he also wants to pave the way for other Soca Artists to share this great music with the rest of the world.

He will appear on the Today show between 8 and 9 a.m. Saturday. He has been in New York rehearsing for the Show.

Director of ECLAC's Caribbean headquarters, Dr. Len Ishmael, said here last week that part of a tourism strategy already developed by the Montserrat Tourist Board (MTB) would form the basis for the policy.
"The Board of Tourism has in fact already developed part of the strategy for revitalisation of Montserrat's tourism and we have agreed to undertake a review of that strategy out of which, in consultation with the board, will emanate a national policy on tourism," she said.
ECLAC has pledged, too, to help the island develop a tourism action plan and assist in the implementation of at least one of the components such as cruise ship tourism, if it is in the best interest of Montserrat.
Since the Soufriere Hills volcano tumulted back into action in 1995 tourism, an important sector of the economy, has plunged to an all time low.
With life slowly returning to normal for the remaining 5,000 residents in the safe north of the island, Montserrat is beginning to generate interest, though sparse, among cruise ship operators.
Although no figures were immediately available for years prior to 1995, latest statistics for 1998 and 1999 show an increase in the number of visitor arrivals.
During last year, the number of visitors from around the world by air and sea was 12,909, compared to 9,427 for 1998.
Government and a recently established civic-minded development group see the construction of a new airport, and yet another group, a golf course in the north as key ingredients for the tourism industry to take off again.
Britain's Department for International Development (DFID) has said, however, that those projects are too expensive to finance.
For well over three years, residents and visitors have had to depend on emergency helicopter and ferry services to get on and off the island via neighbouring Antigua.

Several weeks ago, someone was issuing a form to Montserratians, which was or is a tax survey form, but its issuance seemed to have seized, since only a few people have to date reported receiving it.

The form carried the heading - 'EASTERN CARIBBEAN CENTRAL BANK SURVEY ON PERSONAL INCOME TAX IN MONTSERRAT'.

The form gets only a cursory glance from its recipients, who see it as another form of minding their business and -- for more than obvious reasons in Montserrat -- just another exertion of pressure to gouge taxes from sources that don't exist.

Once one goes beyond the heading, however, one discovers that the information sought, while personal, does not require anyone's name. Each person answering the question must be a taxpayer and provide such information as his or her category of work, income level and whether paying taxes prevents them from saving money; and for evacuated Montserratians abroad, whether the current tax system prevents them from returning home. The form also seeks an opinion as to what tax system would be preferred by each person filling out the form.

But a useful exercise will produce very little result, if most people have not paid any attention to the survey. The reason for this is sheer lack of information and education relative to the existence of the survey.

The whole taxation issue can become quite unpleasant. As was said before, civil servants and good corporate citizens and individuals who file their tax returns and keep the PAYE payments up to date are the ones who will be the first to feel peeved at any tax waiver, pardon or concession. But anyone spending the time to read the Man from Baker Hill's opinions and discussions on the matter will find that the whole taxation question is not restricted to income and property taxes.

This almost ubiquitous silence on the issue -- we hear only two elected government official articulating on the matter -- is merely further evidence of the selfishness and the extreme lack of understanding that prevails among those Montserratians still living here.

In the very documentation and reports that are ordered, prepared and accepted by Her Majesty's Government and our government (GoM) lay all the reasons why the things sought by the honourables David Brandt and Reuben Meade should be latched unto and pursued.

It was discovered that the survey, initiated by the East Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), was the result of the Chief Minister's relentless efforts to obtain tax relief for an island that is in economic disarray, in spite of the supposed injection of £75 million plus the £50 plus million that had been spent before. The survey was apparently intended mostly for Montserratians living abroad. According to sources, the ECCB has concluded the survey and is satisfied that it has obtained sufficient information to guide its advice to the Chief Minister.

The problem is that while we can complain but little about the provision basic utilities and infrastructure, slow though it may be -- and necessary if only to serve the British employees who benefit -- the aim to reach sustainable development will never be achieved. There seems to be a strategy, deliberate or otherwise, to punish Montserratians and other residents for deciding to stay on the volcano-ravaged island.

This needs to be addressed before we witness a slow death whereby the burdens and pressures become so much that Montserratians and others slowly evaporate into other territories which offer, though never the same as at home, a kind of comfort that seems no longer to be forthcoming.

In a press conference this week the Chief Minister acknowledged the difficulties. He said that his government had just been in discussions with Mike Wood, head of Montserrat affairs in HMG, and his team, seeking ways to change the situations we face. He mentioned that the matter of taxation was raised with them again.

The problem we face is that every single person in Montserrat, no matter how comfortable he feels today, needs to become very aware of his existence and the problems we have experienced, are experiencing and are about to experience. Each person's threshold of tolerance is not the same, and it is not only those recognised to be "mentally challenged" because they have already crossed the edge who are in trouble.

In today’s Bible reading, the people of Israel whine about their circumstances. They refuse to see God’s daily care for them as a gift. Instead, they complain about what they perceive to be their misfortunes. They forget that they are to look to God. Instead, they become wrapped up in their daily routines.

God expected the chosen people to take an active role in their journey from bondage to freedom. Their deliverance was not just a matter of what God could do for them, but what they could do for themselves!

We are also required to take an active role in what God is doing in our lives; God expects it of us. We are not to sit back and whine about how bad things are. We are to look toward God to find the true life that only God can give. Passivity can lead to self-centeredness, selfishness, and feeling sorry for ourselves. Taking action leads to a closer and more joyful walk with God.

God’s answers to our prayers are often a nudge to do something practical. Instead of taking dramatic intervention in our lives, God asks us to take action.

Prayer: Holy God, help us to always look to you and to your guidance in our lives. Give us the courage to act according to your will. Amen.

Dear Editor,

Two weeks of repeated messages on ZJB promised interested Montserratians an exciting night of bingo at Festival Village, with major prizes being won under a bright full moon.

Unfortunately, contractual commitments made well in advance of the event were not met, and embarrassed members of the Rotary Club of Montserrat found themselves at Festival Village without the means to communicate with or entertain those who would come to play bingo.

The Rotary Club of Montserrat sincerely apologizes to those who were disappointed by its inability to deliver the evening it had promised. Not only was that a loss to those who hoped to attend but also to those community projects for which Rotary was hoping to raise funds.

Montserrat's Rotarians promise that there will be attractive and entertaining fund-raising programs to come, and they also promise that such a mutual disappointment will never happen again.

Donald Brandt

Secretary

Dear Editor,

I do think that people deserve to do some investigation before slamming the TPS.

There are a lot of individuals here in Boston who are satisfied with the program. They are working and making a good living. I do not know what was said in meetings in other states, but I think that the group in Boston got very good advice from organizers of the meeting and the Irish Immigration Center.

I was at meetings that were held at the Montserrat Aspirers Club in Boston when the issue of TPS for Montserratians were being considered. The people who attended the meetings understood that if they were granted TPS, it would be difficult to visit Montserrat.

When they were interviewed by INS officials the people from Montserrat told the interviewers that they could not go back home because of economic reasons, and also no place to live. They are not here because of political reasons, so any one is free to leave.

Individuals with the TPS know that if they wish to leave the USA to go any place they would need to notify INS to get permission. TPS is not a Resident Alien Card. It only allows people from Montserrat or any other countries under the agreement with the State Department, to work here legally.

There are still some individuals here who did want to apply for the TPS. Applying for TPS was a choice, no one was forced into it. I don't think anyone here is a hostage to American politics. I know individuals with the TPS who have been to London and other places with permission from INS.

I am from Montserrat, and would love for it to become what it once was. I think that it is unfair to be so harsh on a system that has helped undocumented Montserratians here. I know about the TPS and how it works, because I was one of the individuals here in Boston who helped some individuals apply for the TPS.

People have been allowed to leave and return to the USA with the TPS. They have to notify the Immigration Department and present a copy of a death certificate and they are given permission to leave. I have known people who have done that. Most recently a guy's grandmother died in England. He had a copy of the death certificate faxed to him, in turn he presented this to the immigration office and he was given permission to go for the funeral.

These individuals need to ask questions of the immigration office and they would get the facts. I find that people do not ask questions, for whatever reasons, of the right authorities, but listen to others who really do not know the system. I am a naturalized citizen, but I would still ask question the immigration system and try to help whomever I can.

I can understand that some people do not ask questions because they are afraid. But it is always good to ask questions from authorities rather than assume that this is the situation.
Keep up the good work Mr. Roach. This is my only connection to Montserrat. I am online early every Saturday, to catch the latest development in the land of my birth.
Respectfully
Carol J Ryan

Boston

Dear Editor,

Please make a little space in your Newspaper for the following matter which concerns me.

Chief Minister David Brandt is absolutely right. In order to build up our volcano ravaged country again, our architects, contractors and skilled workers must be given preference over companies which are not based here, provided they have the skills to do the job and their price is reasonable.

Our architectural and building skills are there for all to see, as we have some of the best houses in the Caribbean. There should be no earthly reason to give our building projects to foreign companies.

Many people board the ferry and go to Antigua to shop and bring back items which are available in our shops and supermarkets. Last Christmas and the year before they went to shop in Antigua, leaving the same items on supermarket shelves here in Montserrat. Even civil servants were given a holiday so they could travel to Antigua to spend the scarce money which should have been spent here.

Some of the banks and other companies on Montserrat order uniforms from outside Montserrat, when there are competent seamstresses and tailors here.

There should be no need to order uniforms from abroad. As a matter of fact, sewing and textile should be removed from the Secondary School timetable if people are going to continue to bring in uniforms from outside.

There are others who travel to Antigua ever so often to get their hair and nails done, while our local beauticians are not fully occupied; some of whom have to find wages each pay-day to pay their employees, whether they made enough or not.

Other Montserratians go to Antigua, St. Kilts or wherever to seek entertainment and do nothing to support local functions. This happens especially on holiday weekends.

Any money spent on Montserrat helps our flagging economy and in turn puts revenue into Government coffers. The revenues raised assist in providing education, health and other essential services for those of us who live here.

All those who engage in the above-mentioned practices are doing a disservice to our own country and to themselves.

I am therefore appealing to all Montserratians and Montserrat residents to use the substantial aid money we have received from Britain and other donors wisely. We have to make sure that the largest portion of our money is spent in Montserrat to assist in its development and to get our battered economy growing again.

Thanks, sir for the space.

Truly yours,

Frances Greer

Dear Editor:

The executive of the Montserrat Cricket Association has expressed its gratitude to all those who assisted in the preparation and staging of the Leewards Tournament matches against Antigua and St. Kitts at Salem Park.

The response of the community was essential in ensuring the matches were staged successfully and the MCA thanks everyone for their contribution. It received very positive feedback from the visitors and looks forward to future matches involving teams from overseas, in order to fulfill its goal to bring the highest possible standard of cricket to the Montserrat public.

Dr. Howard Fergus, speaker of the Legislative Council, has been conducting a series of education programmes on the voting-at-large system, which will be employed during the next general election, constitutionally due in 2001.

More residents of Montserrat got another opportunity this week to discuss the new electoral and voting system is an open dialogue with Dr. Fergus, when a small but highly interested group of persons turned up at the Beulah Wesleyan Holiness church in St Peters Tuesday night for the discussion on the new system.

Dr. Fergus said following the session that the questions were many and varied, some of which had not come up before.

So far Dr Fergus has hosted Radio call-in programmes and has met with members of the Methodist Church Fellowship Committee and the Nurses Association.

The registration of voters for the next general election began on June 1.The new system will replace the first past the post poll, which has been in place since 1952.

The new information economy is creating opportunities for Montserrat entrepreneurs to do business in completely new ways.

My Government is resolved to explore all avenues to ensure that Montserratians both at home and abroad can participate in the information economy and so contribute to the economic development of Montserrat. A recent Associated Press article indicates that Caribbean Governments are now focussing on ways to build their own economies using the internet.

Because our economy is smaller we are much more flexible and my Government is determined to move quickly so that Montserratians can become leaders in exploiting the new economy

Jamaica, for instance, is seeking to carve out a niche in the booming cyberspace world.
A new school -- believed the first of its kind in the Caribbean-- is training Jamaicans in the intricacies of computer software.
Aware that a shortage of software specialists in the United States helped create programming industries in places like India and Israel, the Caribbean Institute of Technology is trying to do the same for Jamaica.
"This is the future: not mining or farming, but computers," said Carlington Duncan, 21, who graduated with the school's first class, in December.
The institute is a joint project of Indusa, an Atlanta-based software services company, the Jamaican government, Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, a consortium of British schools and government agencies, and the University of the West Indies.
James Ram, founder of Indusa and the driving force behind the school, said Jamaica has several selling points that could help the island attract high tech businesses.
Wages are low and Jamaicans speak English, the language of computing, he noted. The island also shares a time zone with the eastern United States. And its resort infrastructure makes it an appealing place for a U.S. firm to send executives and trainers.
The government is seeking investment in the lower end of the information industry through the construction of two high-tech office parks to house international phone centers and data-processing operations.
The push comes at a time when globalization is costing Jamaica jobs by the thousands, as textile factories move to Mexico, where they can take advantage of its duty-free access to the U.S. market under the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Jobs also have been lost because the U.S. Congress in 1993 eliminated tax breaks designed to encourage American corporations to build factories in the region. U.S. President Bill Clinton signed a new trade bill in May restoring many of the Caribbean Basin Initiative inducements, but the effect has not yet been felt.
Jamaica and other Caribbean nations face many hurdles to becoming significant players in the computer industry. Steep telephone rates and high prices for home computers limit the ability of people to develop technological skills.

Graduates of Jamaica's school who work for Indusa earn $14,500 a year -- low by U.S. standards but high for Jamaica, where wages average about $8,900 a year.
The institute's second class, which started in January, is double the size of the first, and more than 300 people applied for the 105 slots. Students spend 10 months learning programming languages as well as Web-based software and systems applications.
If a student promises to stay in Jamaica for at least two years after graduation, the government picks up two-thirds of the $6,000 tuition and provides a low-interest loan for the rest.
"We are going to be replicating the CIT throughout the country," said
Paulwell, the industry minister. "This is going to move us beyond what we¹re
already best known for: tourism and reggae."
The school is attracting attention throughout the Caribbean.

A site has been chosen for the development of a Play Place for the island's children.

A team from McDonald’s Marketing Association visited the island over the weekend to see the possible sites and talk with local Government and Red Cross officials.

After looking at three sites, the officials decidied that the best was located in Davy Hill. The other sites viewed were in Brades and Shinnlands.

Cosmo Williams, owner of the three McDonald’s Restaurants in St Croix, was among the delegates from the Marketing Association visiting Montserrat on Friday. He expressed keenness to have a park developed here to serve the community and outlined how the funds will be raised for the local park.

"The first method will be through a paper replica of the park," he said, "which just says Montserrat Mac Park. We are asking our guests at our restaurants to make a donation of not less than a dollar and we will give them that paper replica. They can put their names on it and put it in their stores but it is our way of raising the consciousness of the need for this park in Montserrat.

"The second is a Mac Happy Day. This will be a day designated where each McDonald's operator invites celebrities, dignitaries, politicians, if they feel like, to their restaurants to work in the restaurants, and on that day each operator will donate 25¢ from the sale of every Big Mac Extra Value Meal we call the Combo towards this park in Montserrat. That is the chief fund raiser."

The Red Cross was the local non-government agency, which first approached the McDonald's group about the Park. McDonald's has donated funds to the Red Cross in the past.

President Mrs. Lystra Osborne, who was among those who visited the potential sites, said: "The Red Cross does not have any money; the way we get our money is we go out and we solicit funds. We write projects and we ask people to help us to help others. The Red Cross is all about helping people and this is why we see in the community the need and where we can full that need."

Honorable Minister of Education, Health and Community Development Mrs. Adelina Tuitt led the officials who held discussions with the team from the McDonald's Marketing Association. She said:

"It is not just a simple Mac Park. I would term as an Elaborate Mac Park, where we can accommodate children from ages 2 to 15, and then we won’t stop there. We would create things within this park, like seating accommodation.

"This park can also accommodate our senior citizens; they may wish to go there and sit and talk about their past and reminisce about the good times they have had. This is certainly the way to go. As Minister responsible for Community Affairs, the elderly, the young, I think this is absolutely the thing we are looking for."

Meanwhile members of the Rotary Club of Montserrat are disappointed, as the club had recently identified the same piece of property to erect a children's play park. According to officials from the club, this was a project for which they had been holding funds since the intended Plymouth site was made unsuitable when volcanic activity began.

In a recent letter to the Hon. Chief Minister David Brandt. UWI Pro-Vice Chancellor Woodville Marshall expressed sincere thanks for a DFID grant of over EC$250,000 towards the first phase of the rebuilding of the University's Distance Education and Computer accommodation in Montserrat.

At present some 40 students are enrolled in the distance education programme and at least another 10 have been offered entry for the academic year 2000-2001, with other decisions pending. So these will more than replace those 'graduating ' in June. The British grant is greatly beneficial to the educational development of the island.

In his letter, Professor Marshall paid glowing tribute to Chief Minister Brandt for his personal role in negotiating with DFID for the grant.  He told him that "the University is no better served in any contributing countries than it is being served by your Government in Montserrat." Mr. Brandt is himself a law graduate of the UWI.

In voicing his own appreciation for the grant, Resident Tutor Dr. Fergus said that without the intervention of the Chief Minister the grant might not have been realized.  He said he is nevertheless very grateful to DFID and particularly to former local DFID head. Mr Jeff Williams who gave sympathetic support to the proposal.  The grant was the result of a partnership approach to problem solving.  The Development Unit also deserves thanks for the important part it played in the project.

Stimulated by this assistance. The University has pledged to redouble its effort to raise funds to start the second phase of what will result in a mini University Centre.

In a related development, the University has taken the decision to offer free tuition to all of Montserrat's distance education students during process. This means in effect that for the next two semesters our local certificate and degree students will not be required to pay any tuition fees. This amounts to savings of about $3000 to each of them.

Further. The UWI has pledged technical assistance to Montserrat for the development of its technical/vocational programme. This is in addition to other assistance such as land surveying, which is coming from the St. Augustine Campus. The University is keen to assist the island in its rebuilding effort, by providing technical and professional resources where it can.

SCHOOL ANNIVERSARY

This year the St. Augustine School is celebrating its 125^th anniversary. The Roman Catholics did open a parish school in 1860 but it was not until 1875 that they actually erected a school building.

These anniversary celebrations can generate a sense of achievement and provide a fund of inspiration for future development. This time of rebuilding from a crisis is an opportune moment to tap the source of energy and enthusiasm which such celebrations yield. Hats off to the St. Augustine community.

It may appear that no other school exists with this kind of continuity and longevity but I wish to suggest otherwise. Brades School can claim logical succession to Cavalla Hill and Cavalla Hill was one of the earliest schools in Montserrat. It was built in 1838, the year of full emancipation, by missionary Jonathan Cadmon, and in 1840 it had 72 students. I believe that research will show that it has its own history of achievement and that many worthy citizens passed through its enlightening corridors. Perhaps the sons and daughters of Cavalla Hill have cause to celebrate. It is worth a thought Brades could be beneficiary.

This is the time of year when our young students return from universities in the region and elsewhere with degrees, representing the culmination of strenuous studies. Among those who have returned is Ms. Clarice Barnes who qualified recently at the University of Birmingham with a PhD in Psychology.

Dr. Barnes has undertaken considerable studies in the ‘psycho-social’ field. She holds a Master’s degree in psychology and special and education and is a Fellow in Family Therapy of the University of Illinois. Dr. Barnes also has considerable experience, having conducted several workshops in the region. A former employee of government, Dr. Barnes provided counselling in shelters on a voluntary basis during the volcanic crisis.

The UWI Centre wishes to congratulate Dr. Barnes who has added to the human resources available to the island and the region.

CANA - A section of Montserrat normally accessible during the day remains sealed off for the rest of the week following Tuesday's flow of hot gas and ash down the western flanks of the
Soufriere Hills volcano, a spokesman for the Montserrat Volcano Observatory said Wednesday.
"Over the weekend, we will look at it and make a decision on whether to advise that the day-time entry zone be re-opened," Chelston Lee told the Caribbean News Agency (CANA).
Tuesday's event consisted of small pyroclastic flows down the western side of the volcano for the first time since the new dome began growing last November.
According to Lee, none of the inhabited were affected.
The day-time entry zone is an area of the wider exclusion zone into which persons allowed entry during day-light hours to tend their animals and maintain their properties.
"We are seeing more long-period earthquakes and we are seeing an increase in rock-fall signals as well so we do anticipate (that) something bigger is going to happen over the next couple of weeks," Chief Scientist Dr Simon Young said on the government-controlled radio station.
Young maintained the scientists prediction that most of the activity would be confined to the Tar River area where the pyroclastic flows will go down into uninhabited areas.

Antigua, CANA - Five Caribbean countries are among 15 nations which were listed Thursday as non-cooperative jurisdictions in the fight against money laundering in the offshore financial sector.
Antigua and Barbuda, however, was among those given a clean bill of health by the France-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as a country having all the systems to counter money laundering through offshore banks.
Ronald Sanders, Antigua and Barbuda's High Commissioner said those listed as non-cooperative are the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The FATF has called on its 29 members, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and France "to request their financial institutions to give special attention to businesses and transactions with persons, including financial institutions and companies in the countries identified as being non-co-operative
Mr. Sanders said Antigua and Barbuda "passed the test" as one of the countries that is "fully co-operative against money laundering. This is a major achievement by Antigua and Barbuda, which has been tarred with an unhelpful image in the past," he said in a statement issued from his London-based office.

Grenada, CANA - A teacher sacked by the Venezuelan embassy in Grenada has called on the government here to investigate charges that Caracas' top diplomat on the island is ill-treating his staff.
Music teacher Allan Gaskin, one of six embassy workers reportedly fired, asked the Foreign Affairs Ministry to look into the matter.
Omar Calzadilla, who has declined requests to be interviewed, has been accused of physically and verbally abusing employees at the Embassy since taking up the post of Charge d'Affaires here a year ago.
The workers' complaints are contained in a series of written reports sent to local police and the Foreign Affairs Ministry in St. George's and Caracas since March.
Fired embassy staff and a secretary say they were led to believe their complaints against the Venezuelan diplomat were being looked into but a top Foreign Affairs Ministry official here suggested on Friday no communique had yet been sent to Caracas on the matter.

During a news conference at the end of a three-day meeting of CARICOM's Legal Affairs Committee, Senator Nicholson said that regional leaders were expected to sign the relevant document sometime later this year.
Pointing out that there was a "wide chasm" between signing and ratification, Senator Nicholson said the region's attorneys-general and law ministers did not believe that final ratification could take place in "under two years" after the signing. The delay he said was inevitable because of the many elements that still needed to be put in place, including public education and issues relating to the actual running of the Court, including financing. The Jamaica minister said the Legal Affairs Committee would recommend to regional Heads at next month's Summit that there be a special ceremony for the signing sometime later this year. All CARICOM member states would be asked to sign as a "symbolic gesture" of their intention to go forward with ratification of the Court, Senator Nicholson said. He stressed that the signing would not take place at next month's summit.

"We know that this Court is integral to the working of the Single Market and Economy. However we don't believe that between signing and ratification ... can take place in under two years.

The CARICOM Single Market and Economy is to come on stream by the end of next year 2001.

HAVANA, CANA-Reuters - Cuba's President Fidel Castro, at 73 the world's longest serving leader, said Thursday he saw no need to prepare a successor to carry on his country's 40-year-old socialist Revolution.

In a published interview, the veteran revolutionary-turned-statesman, who turns 74 in August after four decades in power, predicted that the one-party communist system he had established in Cuba would continue smoothly and unaltered after his death. "I know full well that man is mortal," Castro said in a series of written answers to questions sent to him by Federico Mayor, the former head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural organisation (UNESCO).

The four-page interview was published by Cuba's official daily Granma.
Mr. Castro, who reaffirmed his adherence to socialism and rejection of multi-party capitalism, said he saw no need for a special succession process to avoid a hypothetical "trauma of a chaotic transition" in Cuba after his death. "There won't be any trauma and no transition is necessary," he added.

Government officials generally shy away from public debate of the issue of who will succeed Mr. Castro, who has led the Caribbean island since he took power in the 1959 Cuban Revolution that toppled right-wing dictator Fulgencio Batista. Cuba's one-party system is enshrined in a 1976 constitution and Castro holds the triple top posts of head of state, head of government and First Secretary of the ruling Communist Party.
His deputy and apparently logical successor is his younger brother Raul, who heads the armed forces.
In a rebuttal of speculation by foreign analysts that his death could lead to a vacuum of power, Mr. Castro said the responsibilities of government were "very well distributed." In the interview, he described politics as "a priesthood" and repeated the familiar tenets of his political creed. "Our ideological preference is socialist," he said.

He dismissed internal and external opposition, whether from political dissidents in Cuba or anti-Castro Cuban exiles, as "instruments" of the U.S. government's long-running hostility against his communist rule. Both types of opposition were "proimperialist, antisocialist and annexationist" he said.
He also rejected foreign calls for political change. "Cuba does not negotiate or sell its Revolution ... Cuba will never accept political conditions from the European Union (EU) and much less from the United States. It would be better if people finally understood this," he added. In April, Cuba, citing "unacceptable" European criticism of its human rights record, spurned membership of a new trade and aid pact between the EU and developing countries.

Wayne Bridgewater, 28, was seized June 2 by U.S.forces in international waters off St. Kitts as he was allegedly intending to pick up payment for cocaine supplied to the American undercover agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

The boat carrying DEA agents and Bridgewater docked at a port of entry in Antigua, where they were met by local law enforcement officials. The suspect was then whisked to VC Bird International Airport, where a specially designated plane flew the party to Puerto Rico for arraignment.
"The government of Antigua and Barbuda and law enforcement authorities cooperated in good faith on the basis of information which was provided to us," Permanent Secretary of the Foreign Ministry Ambassador Colin Murdoch told the Caribbean News Agency (CANA). He said that cooperation fell under the umbrella of the Maritime Counter Narcotics Agreement, popularly called the Shiprider Agreement, signed by the two countries.
St. Kitts and Nevis, which has denounced the arrest as kidnapping and demanded an explanation, is also said to be a signatory country to that accord with the US.
Mr. Murdoch said a response from an inter-agency committee of police, army and foreign ministry officials was dispatched late last week to the St Kitts and Nevis.

He declined to say what information was provided to authorities here that led to Bridgewater's seizure. "This is sensitive law enforcement information and I would not be able to comment properly on it," Mr. Murdoch explained.
Prior to the explanation by the Antigua and Barbuda government, police authorities here and in St Kitts-Nevis had denied knowledge of the operation that led to the seizure. Bridgewater is a suspected associate of Charles 'Little Nut' Miller, who has been in the US since February to answer a series of cocaine-trafficking charges since after he agreed to voluntary extradition from St. Kitts-Nevis.

Pasadena, Calif. (AP) - La Nina, the pool of unusually cool water that dominated the tropical Pacific Ocean for more than two years and has affected the weather, seems to be fading away, NASA scientists said Monday.

Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory cautioned, however, that the influence of La Nina on the weather may persist, and that a year ago La Nina also seemed about to vanish but was reinvigorated by fall 1999.

"Let's not forget that the legacy of two years of La Nina will be with us this summer and into the fall," JPL oceanographer William Patzert said in a statement. " The reality is that the atmosphere is still acting as though La Nina remains."

The National Weather Service has predicted continuing drought for much of the Midwest and Southeast and an active hurricane season in the Atlantic.

Scientists monitor La Nina and the ocean-warming phenomenon El Nino by measuring sea surface height: warm water produces higher levels while cool waters are lower.

The latest data, gathered in a 10-day cycle that ended June 9, show the equatorial Pacific continuing to warm up toward normal levels, JPL said.

Just a few areas of cooler, lower sea levels remain in the tropics.

Sea levels and temperatures remain higher than normal in the far-western tropical Pacific.

JPL scientists said that it appears the global climate system is emerging from three years of dramatic swings from the big El Nino of 1997-98, which was followed by two unusually cool and persistent La Nina years.

 The Sixth Meeting of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Council of Ministers opened in Barbados on Monday to consider several issues critical to the future functioning and operation of the 15-nation regional trade grouping.
The two-day meeting, taking place at the Sherbourne Conference Centre, will discuss an agenda of 16 items, chief among them recommendations for a CARICOM passport for intra-regional travels, the recent elections in Haiti
and Suriname as well as the current border dispute between neighbours Guyana and Suriname.
St. Kitts and Nevis' Deputy Prime Minister, Sam Condor, who is chairing the meeting, said the talks were critical not only for strenghtening the institutional framework for the CARICOM Single Market & Economy (SME) but
for putting in effect the new visions for CARICOM.
He said delegates would examine the recommendations of a committee that was charged with designing a CARICOM passport before January 2001. That decision was taken by CARICOM Heads of Government at their Seventh Special Meeting in October 1999.
"Also within the realm of giving practical effect to the consensus of Chaguaramas is the issue of greater collaboration and consultation with Civil Society as the integration process deepens and the Community makes
changes in its operating structures which will affect the lives of every one of the region's citizens -- hopefully for the better," Condor told delegates at the opening ceremony.
He said delegates will consider, too, reports from the chiefs of observer missions on the recent elections in Haiti and Suriname.
Unofficial results showed the Lavalas Family, the party of former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, was headed for a landslide victory but international organisations monitoring the poll have questioned the accuracy of the tally.
Condor, who is also minister of CARICOM affairs, said the elections have marked a turning point for both the political future of the two countries and the development of CARICOM.
"Once the election process has been completed in Haiti, then that Government urged to probe charges against diplomat:

He was the first Labour Minister in that government, headed by former Prime Minister Sir Lynden Pindling.
It also reported that Sir Randol was instrumental in the establishment of the People's Penny Savings Bank "at a time when commercial banks were reluctant to advance loans to blacks."

Montserrat Cricket team at Salem park

The year 2000 signaled Montserrat’s return to cricket. After three years out of the Leeward Islands Championship, Montserratians must be happy with the performances of at least five players: Devon Williams with almost 500 runs, Tyrone Greenaway topped 300 runs and took the most wickets, wicket keeper David Lane’s two centuries, 15 catches and 4 stumpings, Mark Stephanie’s over 250 runs and Sylvester Wade's 14 wickets.

Captain Devon ‘Rackatang’ Williams and V.Capt. Tyrone Charlie Greenaway turned in their best ever performances in a season. Devon scored 492 runs (one century and three half centuries) averaging 49 runs an inning. Greenaway made 321 runs (three half centuries) averaging 32 and took 20 wickets at 26 runs each from 120 overs, topping the bowling averages.

Williams saved his best and most devastating innings of 150 for his home crowd. He plundered the Antiguan fast and spin bowlers to all parts of and beyond the Salem Park, leaving hundreds of ecstatic Montserratians and visitors seething with delight. Devon hooked, pulled and drove with a ferocity not seen since his father ‘Jim Allen’ humbled Colin Croft and Guyana with a dazzling 150 at Sturge Park in 1977. Williams hit 23 fours and five sixes on his stay at the crease.

St. Kitts suffered similarly from William’s bat. He stroked his way to 52 (nine fours and one six in the first innings and 10 fours and four sixes in the second before being dismissed for 99. Williams and Stephanie 82 (10 fours) put on 143 for the fourth wicket. T Greenaway 67; still Montserrat lost by an innings early in the season. Wicket-keeper David Lane scored an even Hundred against Anguilla and shared in a century stand with T. Greenaway 40, but Montserrat lost by an innings.

At 35 for 5 against the Combined Virgin Islands, D. Lane led the way again with a masterly 132 with 16 fours. Tyrone Greenaway and Gregory Willock chipped in with 41 and 42 respectively and Montserrat 284 all out. Skipper Williams scored 74 in the second innings but the man of the match was clearly Tyrone Greenaway.

The former West Indies youth player made 41 and 61, then took seven wickets for 78 and three wickets for four runs in the second innings. (102 runs and 10 wickets for 82 runs). Montserrat won comfortably. This is possibly the best ever all round performance by a Montseratian.

Meanwhile Sylvester ‘Pointer’ Wade spun his magic web around defending Champs Nevis at Grove Park. He took seven wickets for 71 runs in 22 overs, yet Nevis defeated Montserrat by an innings.

Points to Ponder

• Montserrat made a total of 1,866 runs in the five three-day matches
• They used 17 batsmen who played a total of 109 innings. Team average 17.1 runs per batsman.
• Of the 1,866 runs, four batsmen (D Williams 492, T Greenaway 321, D Lane 292 and M Stephanie 271) made 1,376 runs. An extra 168 = 1,544 runs.
• The other 13 batsmen made 322 runs between them for the season; out of this Gregory Willock made 128.
• Montserrat bowled 444 overs - Took 54 wickets.
• T Greenaway 120 overs – Took 20 wickets.
• S Wade 109 overs - Took 14 wickets.
• Montserrat lost 109 out of a possible 110.
• 1,756 runs were scored against Montserrat in five matches.
• Montserrat played five matches, lost four, won one. Better success next time.

However, we look forward to see D Williams, T Greenaway and D Lane in the Leewards team.

Montserrat’s lowest total for the season was 71 and highest 375, both against Antigua at Salem Park.

England felt the full weight of the new West Indies team! England was literally destroyed by the four horsemen of the new West Indian Apocalypse, whom the English press prefers to call the new fearsome foursome – Walsh, Ambrose, Rose and King. England did not find it "rosy" doing a "walshing" from the "ambrosia" of the "king." The new fearsome foursome cut England to size in 127 overs for a combined total of 304 runs, 93 short of the West Indies first innings total of 397 made in 136.5 overs.

What drove the assassins to this merciless onslaught? It was unlike the demolition of 1976, which was triggered by Tony Greig's infamous "grovel" statement that transformed the West Indians into gladiators that caused them to overwhelm England convincingly in the Test series then. In 2000 it was the fact that the English bookmakers wrote them off and Hussain and his army believed the predictions, and were confidently expecting to win the first Test and the series. By displaying that behaviour, they seemed to have provoked the horsemen to anger and worked them up to near-destructive level.  
And fuelled by the thought of their opportunity to say their last farewell to the English cricketing public in a marked and special way, the seniors of the quartet of fearsome fast bowlers, Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, set out to disprove the English gamblers, to disappoint the English players and frustrate the English fans. They dominated the first Test with an overwhelming three-day victory by an innings and 93 runs.

The platform for the demolition was laid on the second day, June 16. It was not a great day for the English. Jimmy Adams was the thorniest of their problems. At the end of the day, he was on 66 not out, the West Indies had 336-7 off an unentertaining 109 overs, and England first innings total of 179 looked so paltry.

Darren Gough was the pick of the bowlers. He got Sherwin Campbell on 59 and Brian Lara, "The Prince," reached a "royal" 50. Then Andrew Flintoff, the forgotten seamer, dispatched Chanderpaul on 73. But Adams, rapidly becoming a stubborn captain, was unstoppable.

His inspirational leadership encouraged the long West Indies tail to provide a real sting, with Curtly Ambrose (22) and Franklyn Rose (33 not out) adding painful runs while the Birmingham fans sat and reddened glumly in the sun. 
The conventional wisdom in the English press is: Will the English be impressed with captain Nasser Hussain’s persuasion that "We mustn't get too down about this, just as we shouldn't get too up about a win"? Or were they convinced by coach Duncan Fletcher’s report that everyone worked, stuck to their task, and will they rally behind Fletcher's hard-working, task-sticking countrymen?

Beaten on June 17 by an innings and 93 runs, England never looked like competing against a West Indies side whose stars are deep into their 30s. It was, emphatically, the Windies' first win in 10 Tests on tour.
But English administrative and technical staff can no longer dismiss humiliation like this on the basis that the West Indies are the best team in the world.  They are not. They are only a team in re-building, but a very confident and talented one.

In the 1980s when the West Indies blackwashed England, Walsh and Curtly Ambrose were in their prime, backed up by Joel Garners, Michael Holdings and Malcolm Marshalls. Now they are a side in transition, a side recovering under a recovering middle-order batsman and captain, Jimmy Adams. .
There seemed to be a very deep malaise in English cricket, notwithstanding the good performances in Test cricket in recent times. When they are up against good opponents, they cannot stand the pressure – they wither and die quickly as West Indies cricketers used to do under the leadership of Brian Lara.

The rationally thinking and mature English supporter knows that the news is not very good for English people. Nasser Hussain, whom the English press criticised for not coming out to talk to them on June 16, the day before the demolition, is reported to have said: "We shall have a not-too-pleasant meeting in the morning, discussing the last few days. If we play like that again, we'll lose. But I think we can play better than that. Everyone in our team will agree their bowlers got more out of the wicket and their batsmen were much more fluent on it. We have to see where we went wrong and use those 10 days to put it right. We are professionals. We've got to pick ourselves up."

Either the English captain had been overcome with fear or had become convinced by the reality and had seen the handwriting was on the wall.

On the contrary, his opposing number, Jimmy Adams, still looking worried after a stunning victory (on June 17), following 10 successive losses overseas, lamented: "We can bat, bowl and field better than we did over the last three days. We are still making mistakes we should not be making and in different circumstances we would be made to suffer for these mistakes."
What would be the concerns that Adams cherishes? He would definitely be pleased with the batting performance. He would be particularly glad that Lara is back in form, in nick and looking dangerous. He would, however, be concerned that the genius was cut down as a result of his arrogance – he still refuses to be dominated or intimidated by a bowler. No. Not so, sometimes even the best of batsmen must bow down.

The good news is that the West Indian batsmen contributed significantly – Sherwin Campbell (59), Brain Lara (50), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (73), Jimmy Adams, (98), Curtly Ambrose (22), Franklyn Rose (48) and Courtney Walsh remained not out.

Moreover the West Indian army understands its goal and every soldier his role. This was correctly reflected in Courtney Walsh’s statement when he said: "I'm probably the most experienced player in English conditions and I had to bowl well. The responsibility was on me to bowl for the team and help us achieve our goal. I had to get the ball in the right area because it was not the type of wicket where you could blast people out, you had to work them out."

And the players are definitely committed to end "the run of away losses," Adams reported. "That was something we identified before the tour and was something we wanted to correct."
Adams would be concerned about the form of Reon King, the fastest bowler showcased. King, known to be a very impeccable bowler – for his nagging line and length -- was found wanting for accuracy. He is definitely a match winner and Adams wants that trump card. Gough destroyed Chris Gayle because of his inexperience. The youngster was really a bundle of nerves and his performance did not reflect his true potential. The nurturing hand must get him mentally prepared.

The quality of the out cricket is still lacking. Wavell Hinds’ catching at short leg was excellent, but the slip catching must be improved. Jimmy would be particularly worried over Ridley Jacobs; our erstwhile most reliable batsman has been out of form for a long time. Batting at number seven, we need him to cement the middle and lower order.

The big question for England is: "How can Hussain persuade the English people to come back to Lord's in 10 days? Can he promise anything but another humiliating three-day Test? The second battle begins at Lord’s on June 29, 2000.

History on the colonial soil should hold encouragement for Hussain’s army and the English fans. They would remember that in 1994, after being demolished for 46 at the Queen’s park Oval, Trinidad, and after being written off by Geoffrey Boycott and the English press, they humbled the West Indians at Kensington and broke a longstanding record of West Indian victories in that venue.

Given the different geographical context, if there is no encouragement for the English nation, there would be much for the tourists. And they would be well guided accordingly.

Encouragingly, the West Indian players seemed mature in thought. Adams reminds us: "One game doesn't constitute a momentum but what we have achieved will motivate us more to make us improve."

Until then, let's prepare for Lord’s

PHOTO CAPTION: Franklyn Rose, one of the fearsome foursome

(Photo: Peter Adrien)

Last month, voters in California and Arizona approved legalizing marijuana for medical purposes, with a doctor's recommendation. But what is the medical basis for the new laws?

Small studies and anecdotal evidence have suggested that smoked or ingested marijuana can boost appetite in AIDS and cancer patients; relieve pain from cancer, migraines, and arthritis; reduce eye pressure in glaucoma; and treat the muscle spasticity of multiple sclerosis. Marinol, a pill made of synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana, is approved for nausea in chemotherapy patients and for AIDS wasting.

But lack of scientific evidence for smoked marijuana and the potential for abuse prompted some medical groups, including the California Medical Association and the American Medical Association, to say more research is needed on the medicinal use of marijuana before doctors feel comfortable recommending it.

Self-medication with marijuana is particularly dangerous because of variable strengths and potential interactions with pain medications, he says. And it is not good for people with coronary artery disease.

All users face potential side effects: slowed reactions, lowered testosterone, and lung disease.

PART 1

Preparation for surgery begins well before the day of the operation. A careful, clear explanation by the surgeon of the reason for the surgery and of the results to be expected is necessary. When the nursing team knows what information the physician has given, nurses are in a better position to help the patients understand any points that are not clear, or overcome any misconceptions they or their family may have.

Often patients are admitted to the hospital one or two days before surgery. All aspects of the patients’ needs are taken into consideration.

These include:

1. Spiritual needs - Patients’ religious beliefs are respected and the minister or pastor is allowed to visit the patient at any time to give spiritual upliftment and communion.
2. Emotional needs – Patients’ immediate family members are encouraged to visit and are allowed to express fears and concerns regarding surgery, and clarifications are made as much as possible. It is of utmost importance that patients and relatives know of the surgical procedure to be done and possible outcomes.

c) Physical – There are several very important points that I wish to stress here:

• Patients must be honest and give a clear and precise history of previous medical or surgical problems.
• A written consent must be given by signing a special form. Parents and guardians must sign on the behalf of minors, and those incapable like the elderly. Women having Tubal Ligation or tying of the tubes must have their spouses sign as well.
• Specified amounts of blood and blood donors must be acquired prior to admission. Blood test and x-rays are also done.
• Women for Gynaecological procedures for eg Hysterectomy are given Vaginal Douches the evening before surgery.
• Enemas are given for cleansing the bowels in most minor abdominal surgeries and in all major abdominal surgeries.
• Patients are encouraged to eat a light super the evening before surgery and are " starved" or given nothing by mouth after midnight.
• All important personal belongings should be sent home or given to a relative for safe keeping, e.g. jewellery and money. Finger and toe nail polish and facial makeup should be removed and the hair should be shampooed prior to admission. Hairpins and all clothing including underwear are removed before being transferred to the operating theatre.
• Medications may or may not be given the night before surgery to calm the nervous patient.
• When coming to the hospital do bring along all medications, personal clothing and toiletries, including sanitary napkins, toothpaste and soap.

Next week I will continue with preparations done on the day of surgery.

Mrs Ryan commenced nursing training at the Glendon Hospital in 1980 as a Nursing Assistant. She worked in all areas of the hospital.

In 1983 she was assigned to Community Nursing duties at the St Peter’s Clinic and a year later transferred to Molyneaux Clinic where she served for four years. During that time she substituted for the nurses at Harris’ and Bethel Health Centres. While there she participated in school and Environmental Health Screening Programmes in the areas.

In 1988 she returned to the hospital to join the professional nurse programme as a student nurse for three years. During the final year she benefited from an eight week clinical attachment at the U H W I. After graduating as a Registered Nurse, Nurse Ryan did not become complacent. She further enhanced her nursing in 1993 when she pursued midwifery training.

Although she worked in all areas of nursing her special interest was in Operating Theatre Nursing. In 1999 Mrs Ryan was able to achieve her goal when she was granted a scholarship to pursue a one-year course in Operating Theatre Techniques at the U W I Hospital.

Mrs Ryan rejoined the staff earlier this year after successfully completing her studies in Jamaica. In addition to her nurse training Mrs Ryan has also pursued other training locally and with UWIDITE. These include:

• Primary eye care training
• Care of the elderly
• Reproductive Health
• Programme Management
• Basic Nutrition

Currently, Mrs Gerald Ryan is the senior staff nurse assigned to the casualty and operating theatre. The department would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Mrs Ryan on her recent achievement and to wish her all the best for the future.

Jus wonderin if the puma got one of the passports why we ain't hear about it anymore.

Jus wonderin why the S.O. was so negative in his commentary.

Jus wonderin if when he was around and in charge it was a perfect team.

Jus wonderin if the commentators were not too severe in their commentary on the team.

Jus wonderin when will they send the dread announcer overseas to up grade his English skills

Jus wonderin how much the previous calypso king knows about Cricket.

Jus wonderin if Jus wonderin making people famous or what.

Jus wonderin what is keeping back the lady minister in delaying when the CM and other ministers and the legislature already agree that more people should get the Social Welfare money.

Jus wonderin why she cut out so many people from getting the social welfare money when the other ministers agree that they should get.

Jus wonderin how de EC4.3 million dollars fu de Materials Grant dun aready, and people still no gat no house.

Jus wonderin if de Government a mek sure dat de people dem dat get approval fu de Materials Grant a use de LPO dem.

Jus wonderin if one beautiful mural couldn’t go pan de Sargeant’s wall.

Jus wonderin if some confused people a go accept de nonsense from de consultants of the J.E. Project.

Jus wonderin if de PS of passport get suspended.

Jus wonderin if de passport matter has a deeper and more involved story than we heard about.

Jus wonderin if Montserrat gat contingent fu CARIFESTA.