The Housing Department is looking for borrowers who would like a subsidised mortgage. In about 10 days' time the first recipients of so-called "soft mortgages" may be receiving funds to buy property north of Belham, and perhaps to build themselves a house on their new land.

Montserrat’s Chief Minister David Brandt stops short of confirming that the mortgage scheme is in place and working. He said Thursday that he hopes to sign the final agreement to launch the service within 10 days.

"By next week I will be in a position to sign the documents for the soft mortgage scheme," he said, adding that once the agreement is signed: "people should be in a position to actually access the soft mortgage scheme."

The chief minister explained that although the Housing Department has begun advertising for mortgage applicants this week, and is ready to accept application forms, funds cannot be released to successful borrowers until the formal government agreement has been signed.

Government House was not quite as reluctant to assume the scheme’s long-awaited launch is at hand.

In a press release issued from the governor’s office Thursday, the government responded to an earlier press release issued by the Bank of Montserrat. Last week’s missive from the bank was in turn a rebuttal to Under Secretary George Foulkes, who had accused the bank of causing delays in launching the mortgage scheme.

"DFID acknowledge that the scheme has taken a long time to come to fruition…All parties have been responsible for delay at different stages while they considered their respective positions," this week’s release stated.

"Throughout the negotiations it has been the goal of all concerned to ensure an equitable and legally sound scheme be introduced as soon as possible."

Meanwhile, the release also states "DFID looks forward to implementation of the scheme as soon as possible."

There is little doubt the scheme seems to be up and running, however. The Reporter was able to confirm that applications are available at the Housing Department offices, located in the agricultural section in Brades.

The big question, of course, is: how do you qualify for a soft mortgage?

Some of the lending criteria for the loans include requirements that: all applicants be former residents of the area south of Belham; they should be residing on Montserrat and should have been previously domiciled within the island’s exclusion zone; preference is given to applicants who are living on Montserrat at time of application; gross household income should not exceed $6,500 monthly and applicants must have cash reserves below $50,000.

The subsidy works alongside the main loan rather than as part of it, meaning applicants must qualify for a mortgage at less than the market value of their proposed new home. The value of the loan they get, plus any subsidy they receive under this program, must not exceed $120,000.

For further details, contact the Housing Department in Brades.

Barry Kavanagh, chief officer of the Department For International Development (DFID) has spoken up to defend his agency in the row over the departure of chief scientist Dr. Simon Young from Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO).

Young left after his new employers, the British Geological Survey (BGS), refused to meet his contract renewal terms. In particular the BGS said it would not pay for special health coverage for Dr. Young’s infant daughter.

Kavanagh said Thursday that this is normal policy for the BGS and most other branches of the British government’s foreign services. He denied that Montserrat was singled out in this regard. Most British government employees working outside the British Isles receive only the medical coverage available at their site of employment.

In Dr. Young’s case, because there is no pediatrician on the island, and medical evacuations are difficult after nightfall, his infant would have required special coverage to have emergency access to a pediatric specialist.

Meanwhile, Montserrat’s Chamber of Commerce has taken the unusual step of openly expressing concern over Dr.Young’s imminent departure.

"We are requesting that the DFID regulation regarding children be removed," the chamber stated in a letter sent this week to Gov. Anthony Abbott.

Asked to clarify the chamber’s position further, a spokesperson told The Reporter this week that while its members have confidence in Dr. Young, and wish he could stay on as MVO chief, their main concern is not who the government places in Dr. Young’s post, but rather the discriminatory regulations that the DFID apparently applies against anyone coming to work on Montserrat.

They tell the governor in their letter: "The discriminatory regulations should be removed entirely."

Chamber members are concerned that if Dr. Young’s infant can be denied residence on the island, then the same could apply to hundreds or thousands of other people.

However, Richard Aspin, press secretary to Gov. Abbott, stated that the policy need not have prevented Dr. Young from bringing his child to Montserrat. Aspin said no one told Dr.Young that his infant could not come to Montserrat. The British government simply refused to pay for special medical coverage which Dr. Young had requested.

While the explanations from Kavanagh and Aspin seem to clarify the issue, it remains to be seen whether we have heard the last of this matter.

"It is very difficult to entice Montserratians back home when a department of the British Government does not allow their dependents under 12 years of age to reside on Montserrat," the business leaders complained.

This position supports Chief Minister Brandt's earlier angry stand against a Travel Advisory which appeared about the same time Chief Medical Officer Dr. Gordon Avery questioned "DFID's ruling that children (apparently of their employees here) must not be allowed in Montserrat because of hazardous ash."

The Chief Minister had referred to the Advisory along with the DFID's ash position as it relates to their employees children, as "detrimental to Montserrat, pointing out that it was in conflict with the scientific advice, the inclinations of HE Governor Abbott and also "virtually in conflict with DFID's own commitment to assist us with a comprehensive tourism programme."

The Chamber's letter went on to express further concern over the safety of children already living on the island. If Montserrat must have a pediatrician and helicopter landing lights to be a safe home for children, then the chamber members feel those items should be put into place for the benefit of everyone, and not just DFID employees.

"The question then arises as to the safety of Montserratian children," the letter pointed out. "Isn’t it quite obvious that landing lights at the heliport for night flights should have been a priority long ago?"

Solving the world’s problems in 30 column inches, it’s not such an onerous task really. Our’s is a sheet fed press, not one of those huge newsprint hurdy-gurdies that spew out mammoth birdcage liners like the Miami Herald or the Sunday Observer. A sheet fed press prints only four pages at a time, so if you’re the new guy, you can whine a little and maybe they’ll let you finish the job after deadline, while the printers produce other pages that were ready on time.

So the new guy retires to Old Town, in the shadow of the angry mountain. Out on the patio, with magical Montserratian smoke billowing overhead, and a nocturnal creature squealing in the tropical night, he ponders the empty page and wonders what he can say that is profound and worth a few minutes for someone to read.

It’s just impressions. The new guy has only been here for three days. On such short notice, he can hardly be expected to offer clever solutions to the complex problems of this scorched paradise. First impressions will have to do.

Let’s start with the journalist’s stock-in-trade: observations of government. There are two governments in Montserrat, related like man and wife, but opting for the aristocratic habit of maintaining separate bedrooms.

One government is indigenous and led by a jovial fellow called ‘the chief minister’. The chief minister seems a bit like an interpreter, locked in a struggle to create bridges of understanding between two groups that speak very different languages. One moment he is heard candidly voicing the concerns of his constituents, while the next he is in closed-door negotiations with the British, attempting to reach compromises that even his most ardent, homegrown critics can live with. It cannot be an easy task; a bit of a tightrope act. His salvation is obviously his sense of humour, for this man chooses to season much of his rhetoric with wry gags and double entendres.

The other government – or more correctly, the other half of the government – is captained by a British governor. He represents one of the oldest and wisest empires on Earth. He’s a career diplomat who has seen people at their worst, probably more times than he cares to remember. He’s a man who has had to roll up his sleeves and get his job done, regardless of angry crowds or even reckless gunfire. Montserrat deserves nothing less than the best the wise old empire can offer, and on first impressions at least, it seems to have delivered the goods.

No matter how much experience or talent a government can offer, it cannot function well if it is afraid or contemptuous of its people. So what of the people? Those who are left in the wake of disaster are the core of the Montserratian proletariat; the fully committed ones; the ones for whom these rocks and forests are truly home. This tiny populace exhibits everything it needs to exemplify humankind at its most courageous, enduring and industrious.

This core population of Montserratians cherishes what it sees as an unhurried, easy and civilised pace of life, yet the values of this little society press the people into constant, tireless service of their country. A population proudly rooted in well-tested religion; common sense schooling and the causes of a caring community: that’s what was left behind after the last overseas evacuees had left.

In its immediate past and future, this secret playground of the rich and famous is an unusual kind of paradise, fit only for those willing to toil selflessly for the rebirth of the island. Once again the challenge is being met. Only a fool could suggest that this core group of Montserratians might not be equal to the task.

And finally, the ages old grotesque monster that smoulders and changes shape like a morphotic character out of science fiction. The Soufriere squats like a smoking sentinel over the island. It can be wretched, fearsome and cruel, yet it hangs in the clouds as a fitting decoration for an island and a people that soldier on despite the fury the mountain unleashes. Undoubtedly there are those who wish the volcano did not exist, but with a respectful nod to those who lost property or loved ones in the crisis, the new guy in Old Towne chooses not to count himself among the volcano haters. Living in the shadow of this smoking rock is not so much a hardship as a privilege. It’s a lesson one learns almost immediately after arrival.

There, it’s all said: three days of first impressions, carefully worded to fit into 30 column inches. Edition number 24 of the Montserrat Reporter has its editorial, and the new guy didn’t have to solve even one of the world’s most pressing problems. That’s a wrap.

Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. – Isaiah 41:10

When I was a little boy growing up in a big city, my mother worked for a large department store. The store was a marvel of modern technology. It had an escalator, cash registers, and intercoms. The only way to get into the store was through another wonder, a revolving door, which frightened me.

When we approached the massive door, I saw people going into it but not coming out; and my fear grew. My mother told me that she would go through the door and wait for me on the other side. She went in, and I followed. When I stepped in, I began to push. As the door revolved, I push harder and faster; but I could not get out. Then my mother called out to me, "Slow down; and when you see me, step out from the door." I calmed down and began to watch for my mother. When I saw her, I stepped out into her arms. Fear had been defeated.

In situations that frighten us, we can picture God saying, "Slow down; look for me. And when you see me, step into my arms." God says to each of us: "Do not fear, for I am with you."

PRAYER: God, when we are afraid, slow us down, take away our fears, and gather us into your arms. Amen.

We can step out of the revolving door of fear by focusing on God’s presence and love for us.

D. Kent Deubner (Missouri)

Dear Mr. Editor

I am a firm believer in both the freedom of opinion and the freedom of expression. But when the opinion is tainted with ignorance and the expression smeared with fallacy, our communication becomes nothing less than "a deadly poison" (St James).

Indeed, there can be found no power so destructive of the spirit of community and so inimical to the health of a nation than the cancer of smear, accusation, and falsehood - however dressed up in benevolence or couched in patronage.

There is no question in my mind, Mr. Editor, that our land suffers under the effects of a scourge dispersed by the conveyers of discord and rivalry and mischief. So that, for all it’s groaning, for all it’s retching, it remains in the grip of a malady from which there seems to be no recovery.

I beg to refer, Mr. Editor, to the letter published in your July 3^rd edition of the Montserrat Reporter and originating with Dr Lowell Lewis; a letter in which, inter alia, reference is made to the Montserrat Community Support Trust.

I am seeking to defend the work of the Montserrat Community support Trust via this medium, but it would be a disservice to the members of the Board of Trustees who contribute of their time and skill, selflessly, if I failed to set the record straight.

That MOPPA and MAC’89 did a commendable job assisting Montserratian evacuees during the initial stages of the evacuation cannot be denied; and the Trust has not been negligent in acknowledging this. What I find somewhat incomprehensible, though is the apparent need to magnify these organizations at the expense of the Montserrat Community support Trust – and, by resorting to blatant untruths and an unwarranted misrepresentation of the facts; facts that could have been so easily ascertained.

The Montserrat community Support Trust is an independent charitable organization, duly constituted and registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Supra-regional in its reach, the Trust was awarded a grant of £400, 000 from the home Office to consolidate the programme of resettlement of Montserratian evacuees in the United Kingdom. That grant having been completely expended, the Home Office, under its 1999/2000 budget, allocated to the Trust another sum of £250, 000.

The Propriety and pertinence of Dr Lewis’s remarks in respect of the trust, therefore, completely evades me, so does the prudence of it. Not that I am alarmed, really, because ‘wisdom’, as the great king said, ‘dwells with prudence’ (Solomon). And never mind the parade of letters and learning, there really are ‘not many wise’ (St Paul).

Sadly, Mr. Editor, there are ‘not many noble’ either (St Paul).

Yours sincerely

Manager

Dear Editor:
Activity around Belham Valley will increase considerably as a result of availability of excellent water pressure, widened and repaired roads and reconnection to the electricity grid.
Tourists' trips to the top of Garibaldi, the return of Isles Bay residents and beach/golf course visits, not forgetting sand/rock collecting, animal husbandry and sand mining operations, will involve frequent use of the Belham Bridge and passage in and around the valley.
However, the wet season problem of sudden severe river or mud flows, with the potential for forced overnight stays on either side of the valley, together with the dry season hazard of raging ash storms blotting out the landscape, ruining sailboat anchorage and causing general environmental degradation, will severely restrict the growing potential for the Isles Bay area as a great income-producing asset for the island.
With continued mud flows for years to come and the inevitable continued detrimental effect on golf course vegetation, plus resulting relentless ash storms, the future of this once picturesque, highly sought-after corner of Montserrat appears to be somewhat bleak, unless the following single major stumbling block is removed.
A way must be found to contain the mud flows, particularly the most aggressive, in order to arrest the current spreading delta effect and associated problems. If successful, corrections to the remaining difficulties can then be undertaken with relative ease, even the rebuilding of the bridge and possible golf course restoration. What is needed is a top rate civil engineer with the relevant necessary experience to evaluate the problem and provide a
straightforward, unbiased, financially feasible solution. Would it then be too much to expect that prompt action could ensue?
Tony Simpson

MSS graduates for 2000 are: 

Sheree Jemmotte entered the Montserrat Secondary School in 1989. At age 14 she passed seven subjects at CXC, and at age 16, three subjects at A-level and General Paper at AO level. As a result she was awarded the Governor’s Cup for Academic Excellence.

After working as a teacher at the Montserrat Secondary School for one year, Miss Jemmotte gained a UWI Open Scholarship to study Law at the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies. She completed her studies, gaining an LL.B Second Class Honours Degree at age 20. Miss Jemmotte has been accepted to the Norman Manley Law School to study for the certificate of Legal Education commencing in September 2000.

Sheree is the second daughter of Mr. Roosevelt Jemmotte, Manager of the Montserrat Port Authority, and Mrs. Oeslyn Jemmotte, Director of Education. Their first daughter Nerissa graduated from the Florida A&M University with a B.Sc. cum laude in Architecture. She then did a fifth year and gained a Bachelor of Architecture Degree in May 2000.

Local officials involved with housing have been exposed to how public housing works in the United Kingdom (UK). A team recently went on a UK housing study tour to various parts of the United Kingdom.

Included in the team were Sarita Francis, Director of Housing, Sylvia White Gabriel, Manager of Land Development Authority, Claude Browne, Project Officer with the Montserrat Christian Council, and Mr. Charles Nick Ryan from the Housing Board. Housing Adviser Bob Lawence was also a part of the local Team.

Mrs. Francis says the 10-day tour allowed them to study how agencies in the UK provide housing for people. They also gained insights into how the housing stock is managed. Another objective of the study tour, Mrs. Francis says, was to allow the team to seek funding for a particular housing project which the Montserrat Christian Council wants to undertake.

There was a large turnout Saturday of residents for Lookout Day activities, which began with a Road Race in the morning and concluded with a variety of activities during the afternoon.

Governor Abbott congratulated the Community Group and asked them to continue to work to keep the village cohesive, vibrant and an ideal area in which to live.

Chief Minister Brandt said he is confident that although they come from different parts of the island, being resident at Lookout means they must work to develop a cohesive and united community. He expressed appreciation to the United Kingdom (UK) Government and CARICOM for providing the houses at Lookout, and gave details of additional support which will be provided.

Minister Meade said he is looking forward to a vision for the Lookout Community. He also said it is a challenge for government to develop other facilities for the area.

The University Centre is moving to assist some of the present Montserrat Secondary School (MSS) leavers to access tertiary education at the University of West Indies (UWI) in the absence of a Sixth Form because of the volcanic crisis.

After consulting with the Principal Miss Kathleen Greenaway, the local Resident Tutor Dr. Howard Fergus has approached the UWI campus authorities requesting that they reserve a number of distance education places for Montserratian school leavers pending the results of their CXC and GCE examinations. The request has already secured the endorsement of Professor Woodville Marshall, who is the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Non-Campus Countries and Distance Education.

The students will benefit depending on their career choices. Those interested in careers based on natural sciences should either attend sixth forms elsewhere or seek entrance to the UWI Preliminary Course in Natural Sciences (N1). They are being so advised.

The Resident Tutor has explained that this is one way in which the UWI distance education facilities can be of benefit to the island’s students, especially while Montserrat waits for the establishment of the Community College. In any case, the University hopes to be able to co-operate with the college in the delivery of education to young Montserratians. There are mutual interests and shared goals.

The University is presently building a new teleconference and computer accommodation with assistance from the Department for International Development (DFID). The school leavers of the year 2000 stand to benefit immediately from this co-operative venture.

A survey is being conducted to determine what the 5,000 residents of the island want to see in a new development plan for the country, according to Director of Development Angela Greenaway.
The survey, entitled Participatory Poverty Assessment (PPA), is being conducted alongside a review of all sectors of social and economic activity on the island.
"We really want to use what we call a 'bottom-up' approach. So we are going to everybody at the grass-roots level," Mrs. Greenaway told ZJB radio news on Monday.
Mrs. Greenaway said the PPA has been designed to ascertain what problems Montserratian face and what solutions could be built into the overall development of this island.

She said the survey represented a shift in focus from economic development alone, to a more balanced policy, combining social concerns with economic ones.

With the field research nearing completion, authorities should soon be announcing public consultations to further determine what would be included in the Sustainable Development Programme (SDP).
Half of this year's budget of EC$54.4 million (US$20.1 million) is being financed by Britain's Department for International Development (DFID).
In the last SDP, which runs from 1998 to 2002, the value of destroyed buildings used for agricultural purposes was estimated at EC$47,308, those for residential purposes EC$82,959,063, those for business, EC$33,039,441 and institutional buildings EC$9,168,712.

Major constraints faced by returning Montserratians are lack of appropriate jobs and insufficient housing, although three housings schemes have been launched. Another 100 acres of land have been earmarked for housing development.

Governor Anthony Abbott said Tuesday that he wants a thorough examination of the constitution proposed for Montserrat in 1989.

Speaking at ceremonies marking the graduation of more than 40 students from Montserrat Secondary School, Gov. Abbott suggested the island’s populace and its leaders have been concentrating too much on narrow issues such as civil rights. He sees a need to broaden the debate over Montserrat’s future into the more fundamental area of constitutional reform.

"We need confidence in our ability and a clear vision of what we see as the future of Montserrat," he stated.

"There’s no need to tell you," he remarked, "you have lived it." He added, however, that some of the social problems left over from the crisis cause him deep concern. He mentioned vandalism in the schools and an increasing use of profane language among young people, explaining that he worries these things may herald the erosion of magnanimous values.

He suggested there may be: "…more interest in self than community," and called on people to concentrate harder on decency, honesty and integrity, which are values he evidently feels are lacking among young Montserratians.

The governor admitted, however, that conditions in the nation’s schools since the crisis have been less than ideal. He said he hopes the reopening of the Salem campus will help to encourage better attitudes among students.

Stepping gingerly to the podium Tuesday evening in St. John’s Anglican Church, valedictorian, Ronnie Cooper Jr., proved himself as an ideal spokesman for the young adults of Montserrat Secondary School in particular, and for the people of the island in general. Though he peppered his oration with humour,

Grinning playfully at his fellow graduates, plus about 200 friends, family and invited dignitaries, the young Cooper generated laughter when he referred to Montserratian life after the volcanic disaster as: "Our special situation." Then he touched the heart of the entire redeveloping country when he paused more solemnly to thank God for the fact that Montserratians maintained a working government in the thick of the crisis, and through the intervening years into the new millennium.

In a speech that preceded both the Cooper and Abbott addresseses, MSS headmistress Kathleen Greenaway told the crowd that the biggest problem her staff and students face is a lack of professional help to deal with the mental and emotional scars inflicted by the volcanic crisis.

Before the disaster her school had the services of a school psychologist, but this professional help was lost when thousands fled the island, and it has never been put back in place. Mrs. Greenaway appealed to the government to find a qualified psychologist and guidance counsellors for her school.

"We have waited too long for these services," she declared.

She also said that staff members who worked through the crisis and continue at their high-stress teaching posts today need sabbaticals to rejuvenate themselves. In the absence of experts in psychology and guidance counselling, Mrs. Greenaway thanked Montserratian clergy, police constables and health workers, for helping to fill the gap.

The volcano-shrunk Rotary Club of Montserrat grew by more than a third this week as it installed incoming officers, named two honorary Rotarians and inducted five new active members.

The event was the club's annual Handing Over Ceremony, held in the Pelican Room of the Vue Pointe Hotel.

Officers for the coming year are President Charmaine Daley, Treasurer James Hixon -- both re-elected -- and Secretary Ernestine Castle.

His Excellency Gov. Anthony Abbott and the Honourable Chief Minister David Brandt were officially designated honorary Rotarians by virtue of the positions they hold.

In her keynote remarks, President Daley recalled that the volcano had reduced membership of the Rotary Club of Montserrat by 15, due to relocations and crisis-induced hardships. At its smallest, the club hung on with only 10 active members. In the past year it had grown to 13. "Today," she said happily, "we add five new members to become 18."

The new Rotarians are Edmund Allicock of Bank of Montserrat, Agatha Aspin of the National Development Foundation, Susan Edgecombe of Tradewinds Real Estate, Jadine Glitzenhirn of Tropical Mansion Suites and Kenneth Scotland of Social Security.

The president recounted some recent community projects that have encountered frustrating delays as a result of the volcanic crisis. She referred specifically to a hydroponics project for vegetable production, repeatedly postponed by the presence or threat of ash, and to a long-planned playground project that was sidetracked recently for the third time when an identified site was granted to other developers.

In acknowledging his honorary membership, Gov. Abbott recalled the many occasions on which he had encountered Rotary Clubs the world over since 1963. He expressed gratitude for the association with local Rotarians and pledged to help in any way the club might ask him to do so.

Chief Minister Brandt prompted some laughter when he expressed his surprise at being made an honorary member. First, he said, he thought it might have been because of Rotary's motto, "Service Above Self." Then it might have been the emphasis of Rotary's Four-Way Test on Truth. "You know how we politicians love to talk about truth," he said. Then, he said, he finally realized the reason when he heard President Daley's remarks. "You need land!" he said, chuckling along with his audience.

The chief minister seriously expressed his awareness of the helpful role the Rotary Club had played during the volcanic crisis, providing refrigerators and cooking units to some shelters and household goods to the new residents of Davy Hill.

At the request of President Daley, Mrs. Verna Brandt, wife of the chief minister, presented an engraved plaque to Donald Brandt for three years of service as club secretary.

Grenada, CANA - The Grenada government has reversed its decision to deduct from the June paychecks of the nation's primary and secondary school teachers.
Up to $800 dollars in some instances was taken out of teachers' June salary for the days in May when they stayed away from the classrooms to press their demands for a pay hike.
Education Minister Augustine John and Finance Minister Anthony Boatswain announced at a news conference Monday teachers would be reimbursed no later than July 14.
It was revealed that teachers who worked during the strike were not paid their full salaries because of errors in compiling information on teachers who took industrial action.
Education Minister Augustine John says officers in the Ministry of finance must take some of the blame for the error that resulted in an inaccurate picture of who boycotted classes and who did not.
A new industrial agreement reached in May called on government to pay teachers in cash and bonds a14-percent pay increase that covers six years.

St. Vincent, CANA - Prime Minister Owen Arthur of Barbados told the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) this week that it "has no choice" but to proceed speedily towards a Caribbean Single Market Economy (CSME).
Without setting any target, Mr.Arthur said he was optimistic that the required "legal framework" for the CSME would be completed by year-end in time for legislative and consultative processes to take place.
The Barbados Prime Minister told a media briefing that the current 21st Summit in Canouan had decided on a package of specific schedules for the inauguration of the CSME, which he hopes will be achieved by the end of 2001.
He said that even if "all aspects" were not in place, there could be no alternative to advancing the process towards a single market and economy, given the fact that regional events will be overtaken by wider, hemispheric developments such as the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) by 2005.

The CSME would give such "disadvantaged countries" special support of a transitional or temporary nature as a consequence of natural disasters, adverse impact of the operation of the CSME on their economies, or temporary low levels of economic development.

The workers' complaints were contained in a series of written reports sent to local police and the foreign affairs ministries in St. George's and Caracas since March.
The new Charge d'Affaires, Dr. Iris Ramirez, is already in the country

"I have heard that (charge) mooted in various quarters and I have no concrete evidence to confirm or to deny the allegation, and this is why I find it absolutely necessary to ensure that the police conduct a thorough investigation in respect of this matter," Dr. Cort told reporters Wednesday..

The escape was discovered Saturday night.

Superintendent of Prisons Henry James said he has gathered information from various officers who were on duty when the disappearance of the four convicts and one remanded prisoner was uncovered.
Assistant Police Commissioner Norris Airall said all out-stations across Antigua and Barbuda were on alert but none of the escapees had been recaptured.
On the run are Shyan Davis and Michael Henry, both convicted for robbery, Fitzroy Samuel, who was serving a jail term for rape, Kevin Henry, on remand pending a trial for robbery, and Atiba Chiddick, who had escaped on May 17 but was soon recaptured.
On May 17 five persons scaled the wall of the prison compound using a rope. Two are still at large, bringing the total number of prisoners on the run to seven.

LJUBLJANA, CANA-Reuters - Jamaican sprinter Merlene Ottey, who was cleared to run on Monday after failing a drugs test, has suffered "irreparable" damage to her career, her coach said on Tuesday.
"The damage is irreparable but she has been training constantly and is in solid shape," Ottey's Slovenian coach Srdjan Djordjevic said.

Ottey, the world 200-metre indoor record holder (21.87) and winner of 34 medals in major international championships including seven in the Olympics and a record 14 in world championships, was banned from running after testing positive for anabolic steroids last July.
She denied taking the drug and an International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) arbitration panel ruled on Monday that "there were not the grounds to maintain her suspension", ending it with immediate effect.
Ottey is now determined to compete in her final Olympics, in Sydney, at the age of 40.

"The first reward announced triggered almost 400 calls. We hope the larger reward will trigger more calls and perhaps loosen a tongue or two," he said.
Kirschhoch's parents and Sandals clashed last week at a news conference, with the resort being accused of withholding crucial information which could help in the search. Sandals dismissed the accusation.

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, CANA - Preparations for CARIFESTA VII -- the seventh Caribbean Festival of Arts -- are moving apace, a government minister said Tuesday.
Authorities are still awaiting word from Haiti and the Dominican Republic, two countries that have just had general elections, about whether they would participate in the regional cultural extravagana.
"We are not saying that they are not going to participate but both countries are in the process of working out some matters that I believe, once they are resolved, will decide what the size of the contingent will be," Culture Minister Jacinth Henry-Martin told the Caribbean News Agency (CANA).
Cuba, a previous host of CARIFESTA, Japan and Taiwan are expected to send participants to the August 17-26 festival.
Organisers said plans were progressing quite smoothly and several committees are working to make this CARIFESTA the best. The first festival was held in Guyana in 1976.
The St. Kitts and Nevis government has injected about EC$6 million into the staging of CARIFESTA, to be held under the theme "Caribbean Arts and Culture -- Reflecting, Consolidating, Moving On!
The minister said, "In terms of growth to local and regional artistes and in terms of infrastructural development which will stay on long after the festival would have passed ... we are going to get out of this regional festival much more than we would have put in, in terms of money."
The 10-day affair will include poetry-reading, story-telling, drama, carnival arts, photography, craft displays, children's theatre, culinary arts, and community festival arts.
Caribbean entertainers including Beenie Man, Mighty Sparrow, Shadow and Belize's Andy Palacio and the Punta Rebels are listed to give performances.
"There will be about six acts every night and this, we believe, is quite a fitting tribute to music-makers and singers of the Caribbean," the Culture Minister said.

Grenada, CANA - The Grenada government has reversed its decision to deduct from the June paychecks of the nation's primary and secondary school teachers.
Up to $800 dollars in some instances was taken out of teachers' June salary for the days in May when they stayed away from the classrooms to press their demands for a pay hike.
Education Minister Augustine John and Finance Minister Anthony Boatswain announced at a news conference Monday teachers would be reimbursed no later than July 14.
It was revealed that teachers who worked during the strike were not paid their full salaries because of errors in compiling information on teachers who took industrial action.
Education Minister Augustine John says officers in the Ministry of finance must take some of the blame for the error that resulted in an inaccurate picture of who boycotted classes and who did not.
A new industrial agreement reached in May called on government to pay teachers in cash and bonds a 14-percent pay increase that covers six years.

Sir James said that he was puzzled by the attitude of the OECD since the Caribbean countries have been doing "little different" from what obtained in the industrialised nations for which the OECD speaks and which are under its supervision.
Caribbean countries, he stressed, had collectively moved to tighten their laws to curb money laundering and narco-trafficking, both criminal offences. The region has signed a treaty with the USA on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters and, he said, "will be prepared to sign similar treaties with others (namely the OECD countries)".
"We need to bring our collective wisdom to bear on these matters as we have done in the past when faced with similar challenges, and I am confident that we can do so in a manner that satisfies international codes of conduct and our own self esteem as independent countries," he said.
In support of his proposal for a separate Financial Intelligence Unit, Sir James said that "our integrity will depend on the performance of such a regulatory body."
"It will have to be understood by all that we will not let our credibility be disrespected. There is room for all of us in this business (of competitive tax regimes) and we should not leave anyone to fall behind," he added.

Dominica, CANA - Dominica's Agriculture and Planning Minister, Atherton Martin, has tendered his resignation, a well-placed source said Tuesday.
The resignation of the prominent environmental campaigner was reported fewer than six months after he had accepted a cabinet position in the Rosie Douglas-led coalition government.
The source, who preferred anonymity, said that Martin presented his letter of resignation to the Dominica Labour Party president and Finance Minister, Ambrose George Tuesday morning.
Neither Martin nor George could be reached for confirmation of the report and Prime Minister Douglas was in the Grenadine island of Canouan for the CARICOM heads of government summit, but the source told CANARADIO Martin was angry over a vote by Dominica at the International Whaling Commission meeting taking place in Australia. Dominica's representative voted with Japan to prevent the establishment of a South Pacific whaling sanctuary.
The vote was reported to be contrary to a cabinet decision to abstain.
Martin was president of the Dominica Conservation Association before he joined the cabinet as the private sector representative.

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, CANA - The St. Kitts and Nevis government has begun a long, hard look at the future of the loss-making sugar industry, Agriculture Minister Cedric Liburd said Tuesday.

At stake is the future of some of the 1,400 permanent jobs with the state-run St. Kitts Sougar Manufacturing Corporation (SSMC) that has been dogged by a number of constraints. At least 500 workers are recruited from Guyana and the Dominican Republic annually to boost the work force of 600 local cane-cutters.
"We are hoping that the country would advise the government on the way forward, whether it is to scale it down, whether it is to maintain it as is or whether to finally close it down. Those are the discussions that are going into the hands of the people," Mr. Liburd told the Caribbean News Agency (CANA).
The St. Kitts-Nevis federal government is expected to make an announcement next week after the first round of month-long public consultations on the findings and recommendations of a World Bank-funded report on the sugar industry.

Problems include a fall in the value of the Euro, five hurricanes in four and a half years that resulted in an annual loss of 5,000 tonnes of sugar, and the loss of half the quota to the European Union (EU).
The SSMC projects the value of sales to fall by 6.6 per cent or EC$1.6 million (US$592,000).
Mr. Liburd recalled that the last time that the sugar industry recorded a "successful crop" was in 1997 when over 30,000 tonnes of sugar were produced.

The real thing is rediscovered; the Test match – the altruistic struggle for cricketing supremacy where the gladiators endure mutilation to salvage national pride – was rediscovered at Lord’s on June 30 to July 1, 2000. Could this be the long-awaited revival in international cricket that we have dreamt of?

But doesn’t the shortness of duration of our modern Test matches reflect a serious limitation of the craftsmanship? The cricket product has changed and the level of batsmanship is evidently lower, a reflection of our structural adjusted socio-economic lives. Perhaps, the duration of the Test match reflects the speed of our social and economic transactions in a globalised and liberalised environment.

Today, driven by technological developments (particularly computerisation and telecommunications), social and commercial contracts are negotiated with great intensity and are executed in very compressed time. The political economy developments are reflected in sports and leisure. This explains why fewer and fewer Test matches are drawn and finish in five days, as was the case in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1980s. The global trend suggests that we shall see more and more Test matches determined in shorter periods.

Many like Richie Benaud, the great former Australian cricketer, who were privileged to witness the battle between bat and ball described the contest as historic, perhaps the millennial performance. It was truly a class act; an epic battle and an historic meet. Yes, a memorable game, which produced a life threatening but memorable finish – the mentally strong said a sensational finish. But even capturing the developments on television so many miles away, to me, these adjectival phrases still come short of describing the keenly contested three-day Test match at Lord’s which marked the 100^th battle fought at the Mecca of cricket – Lord’s, the home of cricket.

I think, at Lord’s England won and West Indies lost but the real victor was cricket. It was a heartening victory for modern cricket. It is exciting that Lord’s should be the birthplace of a cricket renaissance in its centurion game. It was the culmination of a series of revivals of a game which is under threat by monopoly capital.

Yes, the significance of the contest goes beyond the statistics. The cricket statisticians will never abstract the value added of the match by statistical analysis or through empirical analysis. The historian who is primarily concerned with capturing the developments will fail to make the reader wiser. Only the historians who were able to chronicle the developments in the context of the influence of the global political economy and in the light of the psycho-social impact of the battle on the competitors and on the evolution of the game will appreciate the significance of the Lord’s Test match, and thereby add value to the reader.

I agree with John Ward when he said: "The hundredth Test match at Lord’s was one of nostalgia, as great players and great matches were frequently recalled. It was entirely fitting that this landmark match should go down in history among the most exciting."

"Great" is certainly not an exaggeration, even if, as is expected in a truly great match, there were not high quality in every department of the game. We saw a great exhibition of three days of high quality fast and seam bowling. Indeed, from the second day, we witnessed some remarkable cricket. First, England collapsed dramatically, and then the West Indies outdid them. The final day saw a desperately close finish. At first the odds were against England. England seemed heading to defeat. Then West Indies appeared to be sliding ignominiously towards defeat, before a thrilling ninth-wicket partnership between pacers and northerners Dominic Cork and Darren Gough pulled victory out of the jaws of defeat, with Ambrose and Walsh breathing fire and brimstone.

The climax: Cork, a bag of nerves, took his chances against Rose; Gough played straight and safe and spooned one to extra cover off Ambrose but fell short to the diving Jimmy Adams. They survived against Ambrose and Walsh, bowling their hearts out in tandem; they scrambled some suicidal singles, attempted two heart-stopping two leg-byes to level the scores; and finally Cork picked his gap in the off side and pushed the ball towards the boundary, to celebrate a well-earned victory and to mark the end of an epic battle.

But let’s go back to the drama. Even after scoring only half the West Indian total on first innings, England fought back remarkably to bowl out the somewhat cavalier and technically limited West Indian batsmen for their third lowest total in Test cricket – 54 runs.

We have about a month to prepare for the third battle at Old Trafford on August 3-7, 2000. Captain Adams understands the weakness of his team; he said in the post-match interview: "Both sides bowled well but it goes without saying that we could have batted better in the second innings. That shouldn't take anything away from the performance that the England bowlers put in."
We will now concentrate on the one-dayers, which has already bowled off at Bristol.

PHOTO CAPTION: Ambrose and Walsh, are they indispensable? (Photo: Peter Adrien)

Since 1997 after the evacuation of south of Belham I had an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach that the population was being manipulated, and persistently brainwashed by the reports from the MVO and with the help of radio ZJB.

I talked to anyone who would listen, I was asking if they didn't recognise the pattern of the information we were getting and the regularity; J was asking why was the radio reports were so regular, and where was the comfort and support that the Emergency Department was supposed to give the population.

It may seem from last week's events that the outgoing director of the MVO has suddenly gone political, but that is not the case. He was always political and so were a number of other scientists who tried to indoctrinate us to the terrors of a volcanic surge. Science and politics are never good bedfellows. Many scholars got their PHD's in the fifties and late forties by writing final papers showing that the pigmentation of a man's skin had to do with his intellect; these men are still called doctor. When someone handed me a copy of the so-called Wadge report, I realised that the British had taken the evacuation procedure in that report and adapted it to create operation Exodus

They might have succeeded, too, but for the fact that everything was happening to a timetable, and timetables and Montserrat soon part company. By this I mean the withdrawal of cover from the insurance companies, the removal of certain commercial banks at short notice, the pressure put on all the institutions to close their doors so that the population who was so accustomed to comfortable living would want to accept the package that just came along at the right time.

But in my opinion the MVO was useless. It provided information helpful only to DFID and to people who wanted to profit from other peoples' misfortune. DFID was always pulling the strings as far as the report from the MVO was concerned. We remember the saying, "We are taking sound scientific advice," and where was the scientific advice coming from? Yes our now dear departed. According to the press report he was forced out. What about all those Montserratians forced out with his reports?

South of Belham is still closed. A lady borrowed on her meager allowance and came all the way from England to visit her house in Cork Hill. When she got here Simon Young used his scientific advice to close the barrier, but some foreign visitor still had a look at the unsafe zone. The Montserratian lady never got to go to her house. After all, she is not a tourist. Only tourists have rights in the evacuated areas.

This week's radio call-in was, I hope, the final eye-opener. It should tell every Montserratian that if you don't get the British off the island they are going to get you off. When you hear Foulkes wailing about British taxpayers, remind him of the cost of the bombs dropped on Kosovo. You can think of the Vietnamese boat people and the Haitians, and when you go to church, thank God that the British did not succeed in their quest.

And the next time they tell you to go to Anguilla for the package tell them what to do with it, for they are not finished with us yet.

Somewhere in a little room in Whitehall someone is putting the final solution to the Montserrat problem; in England everything is a problem. Remember that England is an institutionally racist country, that is official, and the race they hate most is the African and Afro-Caribbean. The cities of the USA, Europe and Canada, not to mention the rest of the world, are clogged with drugs and drug addicts, and they all come to the Caribbean to burn a couple plants belonging to the rasta, pretending that such a miserable effort can solve their problem.

When their economy starts to fail they come down here looking for money laundering; the list goes on. When are we going to start saying no?. l am of the understanding that the British run this island with our consent -- a pity they did not tell DFID -- and their continued occupation on this island is contrary to United Nations policy on colonial rule for the 21st century.

The word is finally reaching the ordinary Montserratian that the men sent here by the British government and who inhabit the offices of DFID are not here to look after the welfare of the Montserrat people, they are here to further their careers, and to limit the progress of Montserrat and all its people. The sad catalogue of abuse since 1997 is a constant reminder that truth and honesty are not parts of their vocabulary.

One government information officer during the evacuation said that Monlec was going to turn off the electric in the Salem Area, and the water will be next, which was a deliberate lie to demoralize the women and children who thought the refugee Package was what it turned out to be in the end, a plan to turn the nation into refugees.

This man still walks among us, he carries out interviews in the Name of Montserrat, but takes his orders from the Governor's office. We have all heard these reports on the radio. The men who work for DFID had a good teacher -- say what you like as long as the damage is done. You are here to make H-M- Government look good.

Their brief seems to be -- Do whatever is necessary and expedient to accomplish the objective. The "objective" is to spend as little as necessary; delay as long as possible, and lay blame at the door of the victim.

In these peoples' world the victim is always responsible; nobody lies -- they mislead, for which they can easily apologise. The sorry incidents of finger pointing between local politicians seen in recent weeks, as to who said what to DFID, is a classic example of divide and rule.

There is never a simple "Yes" or "No" answer to anything. Why should we who have decided to make our stand here in Montserrat, despite repeated hardship, have to suffer the added indignity of hearing hours of endless discussions about various fruitless proposals, and constant speculation as to what the volcano may or may not do? The reality of the situation is this. Come 5 p.m., we are on our own, with no links to the outside world.

But we don't have to worry. If Montserrat was a dangerous place so many professional diplomats and British civil servants wouldn't be flocking to our shores; they would be gone during the night and we won't even know. There are those among us who live with British hypocrisy for most of our adult lives. We know about spin doctors, but spin doctors are only effective if you do not consider them all to be liars; we know that is not a word used in the British Parliament. That's why we have true lies.

But if this argument was only theory once, along comes George Foulkes to prove the point beyond any doubt that this is historical. As the British say, never let the water clear, if it starts to clear, make it muddy again, as his knife between the shoulder blades of our minister of education demonstrated. People are beginning to ask why he would do such a thing. Why not?

He sounds jovial and friendly, but he has an innate talent for destruction. Don't think that he would only do it to black people, he'll do it to anyone, but if you are black it 's easier, and a good story to tell when he writes his book later in life, so people learn there's only one second chance.

Dear Editor,

Please allow me to share some of my thoughts concerning a National Lottery for Montserrat, which many are convinced is already on the cards. There are many who are eminently more qualified to discuss the pros and cons on grounds of morality. I want to look at some practical issues which must form part of any future debate. There are, of course, many more pressing issues with which we need to come to grips, but the radio debate has brought this to the fore.

Very recently, the Chief Minister spoke of the financial hardships being experienced here. He was adamant that it would be unfair to expect Montserratians to pay higher water rates.

Dr. Avery also highlighted cases of malnutrition, which he blamed on the inability of some parents and guardians to adequately feed the children in their care. Not a day goes by in which we do not hear of our general financial distress. Where, then, will Montserratians find the money to feed the lottery, which will in turn feed our many and varied needs?

General wisdom accepts that those who are most in need will be the ones most attracted by the dream of winning big on the lottery. The temptation to gamble the bread and rent money will prove too strong for most, and the last case will be worse than the first.

We have not even begun to consider the cost of setting up and running a lottery. Where will funds come from? Who will pay the person or persons who will be given the job of day-to-day management of the lottery? And even if we could come up with satisfactory answers to the foregoing questions . . . is our population base broad enough to make the venture financially viable?

We have heard about the wonders wrought by the lottery in the United States and, nearer home, Antigua. How do the populations compare? Do we even come close? It is one thing to take an occasional boat trip to Antigua and have a little ‘flutter’ on the lottery; quite another thing to have the beast in our backyard, day in and day out at least six days a week. We need to think very seriously before we embark on a venture which could cost us much more than money.

Cudjoe Head ex Amersham

PATIENTS RESPONSES TO DIAGNOSTIC INVESTIGATIONS By Brenda Daley

Diagnostic investigations are carried out routinely. They are done to aid the doctors in making their diagnoses which will result in the appropriate management of the patient. They are also done to give clients an idea as to how their system is functioning.

There are numerous diagnostic investigations. Some of the more common ones are:

1. Blood tests for haemoglobin, bilirubin and blood sugar levels.
2. Urine tests for protein, urea and glucose level.
3. Electrocardiogram or ECG to detect how the heart is functioning
4. X-rays, ultrasounds and scans.

Some of these diagnostic investigations require a certain amount of preparation, which is carried out prior to the day of the tests. The most common preparation is to have the patient fasting from midnight. That is to say that after midnight the patient should not eat or drink anything, not even water. Although some preparation may cause a little discomfort to some patients it is absolutely accurate. It is very important therefore that patients follow the instructions given with regard to preparations for diagnostic tests.

Some of the tests mentioned earlier can be stressful during hospitalisation but even more so for those scheduled as outpatients. These tests may seem routine to a nurse but to a patient who is experiencing them for the first time they can evoke extreme emotional responses. It is often not the invasive or complexity of the test which affects strong emotional responses but the patient’s perception of what the test means.

Anxieties are usually due to what will occur, what will be found by the test and the pain incurred. An explanation should be given to the patient so that he/she will know what is expected of them and how it will feel.

It is known that for the majority of patients undergoing a test, however uncomfortable or stressful the test may vbe, forewarning is better than not knowing what to expect. It seems clear that explanation does reduce anxiety, therefore, nurses should be familiar with every test currently ordered for patients and should explain the purpose of these tests, the procedural details, and any possible discomfort incurred during or after the tests. This should be done in a non-technical manner. It is useful to ask the patient if they want to know about any aspect of the test. Some patients may say they really do not want to know too much about it but most are grateful for any information they are given.

Remember that nurses learn to understand the feelings of their patients by being with them, talking and listening to them. Therefore, if in doubt please do not hesitate to seek clarification from the nurses and remember also that it is quite alright to discuss any anxiety or fear that you may have about diagnostic tests with your nurse or doctor.

Certain sums of money were allocated for the maintenance and upgrading of two major agricultural roads; these are the Duck Pond and Upper Blakes road.

Works on these roads involve the following: -

Construction of: -

• Two culverts and Header wall
• Four Irish drains
• Grading and reshaping of the roads
• Installation of new drains
• Clearing of old drains
• Installation of soil conservation measures where necessary

Agriculture Development OfficerJustin Cassell the coordinator of the project, has informed that the project will be completed on time and within budget. The net result of these works would be the provision of all-weather access to these areas by farmers, eco-tourists and other nationals who traverse these roads.

The weather pattern forecasted seems to indicate that we might be approaching the end of the dry season.

The unusual rains during the lenten period were followed by a dry spell, which lasted over two months. Many farmers and backyard gardeners had their crops completely wiped out. The Department of Agriculture would like to sympathize with those farmers who suffered losses due to the adverse weather conditions.

Those farmers who have not yet indicated the amounts of Irish potato planting material needed for the upcoming growing season are asked to do so immediately. They should contact their Extension Officer or Mr. Claude Brown at the Montserrat Christian Council.

Jus wonderin if the Chief was campaigning at Look Out with the big barking voice and why he did not bark after Foulkes and try to bite him hard.

Jus wonderin how many candidates we have and still wonderin if some of them would only lose their money.

Jus wonderin if there will be a new candidate with the them rented ravs who have no respect and discipline really thinks that he would be any good role model for the country.

Jus wonderin what kind of Montserrat behaviour is that with the new would be candidate who likes to embarrass Guyanese like that, by telling them what clothes to wear in his vehicles.

Jus wonderin if our own people in Montserrat make times so hard that the man can’t buy a shot for $2.50 no more.

Jus wonderin what is the real meaning of the Montserrat Community Services.

Jus wonderin if the Government organisations of Montserrat save their monies here or in another country.

Jus wonderin if we have a coalition Government or a colliding Government.

Jus wonderin if who know the reason why the young and talented ex chief could be chief again.

Jus wonderin if the next lady minister would be as soft and sealy like the beds we sleep in and be comfortable.

Jus wonderin if there will be any difference between having a lottery now with one chief or a casino then with another chief.

Jus wonderin if the public will get a chance to pose their thoughts and opposition to ideas and plans come 2002 like they do now.

Jus wonderin if taking off a Godly family affairs program was not immorally wrong.

Jus wonderin why some of the£25million left to be spent by March 2001 cannot be spent on preparatory work for a strip at Thatch Valley and infra structure for two more petrol stations.

Jus wonderin where the phrase "Rain Don't Fall On One Man Roof Top" fit into today's revelations.

Jus wonderin if we still have narrow one-track minded politicians.

Jus wonderin if the alcohol problem isn't worth commenting on by some of the participants on the call-in programs.

Jus wonderin if George Foulkes know that we are willing to pay any price to get from the Bewitched Mother Country.

Jus wonderin how the money the HMG allocated to the UK Montserrat Project was spent.

Jus wonderin where the doc got his information about un-spent MCT funds.

Jus wonderin if colonialism and slavery will ever be forgiven.

Jus wonderin where in the holy book is gambling recorded as a sin.

Jus wonderin why we do not look at the lottery as being a stepping stone for Montserrat instead of being the biggest sin.

Jus wonderin what is wrong with a lottery in Montserrat when even religious ministers all over play.

Jus wonderin which would bring in more money alcohol drinking, cigarette smoking or a lottery.

Jus wondering why the policeman is allowed to tie his big dog so close to the main road.

Jus wonderin why British subjects cannot have their passports renewed in Montserrat now like before.

Jus wonderin if it is not time some of those would-be politicians put their backyards in order before digging up on their new compatriots.

Jus wonderin why Montserrat does not celebrate Caricom Day.

Jus wonderin if Montserrat will receive enough funds to actually participate in Carifesta VII.

Jus wonderin if the organisers have any priority of who should take part in case funding is not enough for everyone.

Jus wonderin if the masquerades, the string band and the actors will be given any priority over the others and the singers.

In commemoration of the 125 Anniversary of the St. Augustine School, all former students are invited to submit stories or poems retelling memories of their experiences at the school.

These should sent to the St. Augustine School, P.O. Box 192, Montserrat, West Indies on or before July 25^th, 2000.

Kindly include your name, address and year of graduation from the school.

A special prize will be awarded for an outstanding memory.