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 Antigua's Dredge Plan No Longer Worries CM

By Helena Durand

Dredging equipment at work in Antigua's deep water harbour

Chief Minister John Osborne said he is satisfied that the government of Antigua and Barbuda means Montserrat no harm in dumping dredged material from their St. John’s Harbor within miles of Montserrat.

“I am convinced that we will not probably have any problems,” Mr. Osborne said. He explained that his satisfaction with their reports stemmed from the fact that, “I trust the ministers and government of Antigua, as I’m sure everybody know.”

The Chief Minister said he was glad that the Antiguan delegation, which was scheduled to arrive on Montserrat last week, finally appeared this week, and had chosen, at his government’s request, to share information about the dredging operations.

The Hon. Margaret Dyer-Howe, Minister responsible for the Environment, however, saw the whole affair as “a major difficulty” because, “we learned of the operation by press and media, propaganda and otherwise, and that we did not hear anything formally from the government of Antigua.”  

CM expresses satisfaction to the Antiguan delegation

She said the key concerns for her Ministry were the sustained livelihood of the fishermen, and the impact that the dredging operation would have on their fishing grounds which are relatively close to Antigua.

She also expressed concern for the health and social welfare of Montserratians, as a consequence of contamination to the fish.

Even so, she said she too was “pleased to say that the information that we have received has assured us that all efforts were made to ensure that the dredging operation in Antigua would not have any harmful effect on Montserrat and the neighboring islands, and that risks, when analyzed, would have been less than 1 percent.”

That information was shared when the government and key stakeholders met with the delegation earlier on Tuesday. The delegation also informed Government that testing of the material has revealed that pollutants are below 1/10 of what is acceptable standard.

A press conference held to bring the Montserrat media up to date on the operations was brought to an abrupt halt by Chief Minister John Osborne, who announced that the delegation had to leave.

The media was able to determine, however, from the little information divulged, that Miss Diane Blacklane, Antigua’s Chief Environmental Officer, and Hon. Malwin Joseph, the Minister responsible for the Environment, have consulted scientific information and feel “that it is quite safe,” with no danger posed to either of the neighboring islands, and that sediments have been analyzed, guidelines followed, and the likelihood of, “bio-accumulation and poisoning from fish is remote.”

Miss Blacklane said, the dumping is being “vigorously monitored.” She said that if for some unforeseen reason the silt shows signs of drifting towards Montserrat, “We will suspend operations.”

“Montserrat has nothing to fear,” Miss Blacklane concluded.

America in Mourning Over Toll of Terrorists

Today, Friday September 14, 2001, is a day of national\international prayer in the United States of America, as millions of people of every faith observe moments of silence and prayer for loved ones who perished in terrorist attacks against the United States on Tuesday morning.
Two of four American planes hijacked by terrorists crashed into New York City's World Trade Center twin towers minutes apart, sparking devastating fires that quickly caused the collapse of both 110-story towers and the deaths of thousands. To date, 4,700 persons employed at the World Trade Center or engaged in subsequent rescue efforts are still unaccounted for.

A third hijacked aircraft was deliberately flown into the Pentagon, the massive headquarters of the U.S. Defense Department, killing an estimated 190 people, including those aboard the plane. The incident triggered the evacuation of the White House, residence and office complex of President George W. Bush, and all major federal offices.

Mr. Bush, who had been in Florida, boarded Air Force One to return to Washington, but what the government described as credible threats against the president forced his flight to be diverted to an Air Force Base in Louisiana and then to one in Omaha, Nebraska.

He returned to Washington late Tuesday.

A fourth hijacked jetliner crashed in Pennsylvania as passengers reportedly attempted to “re-take” control of the aircraft from the terrorists.

Consequently, international travel, including between the Caribbean and the United States, turned into a nightmare as all airlines were forced to cancel flights when U.S. authorities, in an unprecedented move, closed all airports, and tightened airport security in the aftermath of the dramatic and deadly attacks.

Eyewitnesses described and international media portrayed great clouds of smoke billowing skyward, as intense flames consumed higher floors above the crash sites. In New York, people desperately leaped from the flaming heights as falling debris and huge chunks of metal pelted the streets. Scattered office papers littered the ground for miles.

Hundreds of firefighters from around nearby states were called in on duty; many, along with the people they went, to save are still trapped under debris, as the building collapsed.

New York City counts more than 250 firefighters and nearly 100 police officers among the missing.

The U.S. Congress, which had been split harshly along partisan lines since Mr. Bush's election, promptly declared solidarity with the president in response to the crisis. 

President Bush, who declared the attacks an act of war, promised to bring the terrorists to justice, and won pledges of support from many nations, including Russia and China. The Congress, until this week fretting over the nation's dwindling economy, quickly pledged support for a $20-billion aid package to address the human and structural losses.

So far, numerous persons of Arabic descent have been arrested in connection with the attacks, including one with false documents presenting himself as a pilot.  

Both President Bush and Mayor Rudy Giuliani of New York appealed to Americans not to react to the terrorism by turning on their Arab-American neighbors, even as increasing reports of such responses were arising.

Although the searches continue for victims in both cities, reports indicate that hope is slowly fading as the days pass.

One Montserratian, Fire Officer Keithroy Maynard is still missing after answering the call to duty on Tuesday. Unconfirmed reports indicate that other Montserratians may be missing as well.  

EDITORIAL

"Montserrat, Like Much of the World, Watches in Horror and Shares the Pain"

Today thousands of people must still be grieving, as a national day of prayer is observed in, able only at this stage to hope and pray  for a miracle to find loved ones and friends unaccounted for somewhere in Washington and New York after the tragic events wrought by terrorists in and against the United States of America.

Millions world-over watched the incidents almost blow by blow only moments after the first jet aircraft pierced the formidable walls of the north tower of the World Trade Centre, disappearing into a huge ball of fire inside the building. There in one of the tallest buildings in the world, some witnessed first hand the tragic deaths of people in a plane crash, only themselves to perish almost immediately or soon thereafter.

Fifteen minutes after the first aircraft struck, watching CBS television one woman was describing to Brian Gumble by phone what she had seen when she screamed that the second building had been hit by an another aircraft. In disbelief, Gumble asked if she was not just seeing the effects on the second building from the first as he, like millions more, watched the other building explode in flames.

No one had to tell many people this had happened. They were seeing it live and it was difficult not to think one had just caught the middle of a movie. Within minutes, however, the headlines on the television screens were "America Under Attack" or something akin to that as similar incidents were unfolding in other parts of the United States.

People in Montserrat were reminded again it's September as they realized that this wasn't just a plane crashing somewhere in which a few hundred lives might be lost but the start of a series of most deplorable events affecting thousands, perhaps in every other country in the world.

For Montserratians, September is a month whose end lets them breathe easier, because they associate their own terror and subsequent losses with another date in September, the 17^th and others too.

Even this one directly affects them, because there are the names of Montserratians among the missing in New York, and like so many others in the U.S. and the world, many are affected in one way or another, however, simply.

The dust is still settling but it will probably have done so long before the minds and hearts receive the healing needed for lives of so many to be normal again. The United States has declared, and most of the world has agreed, that this was an act of war against it. And so, while they have not yet identified the masterminds and supporters of the terrorism that has brought us to this terrible point in history, they have vowed to bring them to justice and make them pay. They also intend over the long haul to wipe out terrorism itself.

This means that acts of war will be carried out for some time once the so far successful investigation leads to the right sources. This is creating debate. How far will or should the US and the rest of the world go? Even the question, should they retaliate at all? There will always be this debate even among the leaders of the world, those who support and those who do not. The reality is that what has been happening, and what has just happened, came at the hands of people who regard life as nothing as they die along with victims they murder for a cause of their own.

One Eastern leader in Jordan pointed out that this is almost the only life they know, as they experience terrorism regularly. He joined the rest of the world in expressing shock and disbelief, and the hope that the world can come together in the fight to wipe out terrorism.

Terrorism exists in many forms, and one of the worst ways it is experienced is when it is delivered slowly but ultimately destroying the lives of people.

America is demonstrating how politicians and people must come together when atrocious  in varying forms and degrees are committed against them. The American leaders are warning that even more lives may be lost in the war that they will now pursue. It is not certain in all cases of war, when a people come together, that lives must be lost; the mere act of coming together might do just the opposite preserve and save lives.

We have heard no public statements from our own leaders here, but many Caribbean leaders have sent their condolences and expressed their support to the United States government. Indeed they know that many of their own people are sharing the immediate effects of the tragedy and that the fallout will affect our very lands here.

Some of the messages and statements said the following: "...To allow something like this tragedy to disrupt the system just gives power to terrorism, and we will not allow this to happen," "…have far-reaching implications for defence and security within and across nations."

We too strongly condemn terrorism in all of its manifestations, as we have been and will be touched. We at The Montserrat Reporter, while some members of our staff feel the effects of this tragedy in the loss of loved ones, can do no less than join the many others in offering prayers, condolences and send wishes of comfort to all those who suffer from the horrifying events.  

Except for the editorial, opinion articles expressed in these pages are not necessarily those of the Montserrat Reporter editors, employees or advisers.  Readers are encouraged to submit commentary articles.  All viewpoints, unless libelous, in poor taste, or anonymous, are welcome.  Send your contributions to The Editor, P.O. Box 306, Olveston, Montserrat, W. I., e-mail: editor@montserratreporter.org.  Manuscripts will not be returned unless accompanied by a return stamped envelope.  The Montserrat Reporter is a privately owned independent newspaper.

Jus Wonderin items may be called in at telephone 491-4715 or Fax 491-2430  

SCRIPTURE VERSE THIS WEEK

Scripture

No Longer Strangers

You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. - Deuteronomy 10:19

Sunday morning worship was over, and I was waiting to enter the aisle that led to the door. A man I had never seen before made his way to the end of another pew, placed a bulky knapsack near the crowded center aisle, then reversed direction and moved away. I felt a surge of alarm. Not every knapsack-bearing stranger is a potential threat, of course, but indiscriminate acts of terrorism have given rise to indiscriminate suspicion as well.

Before I could react, a member of our congregation approached the newcomer, offering his hand in welcome. Genuine pleasure illuminated the man's face and, as the two chatted at length, my anxiety abated.

My neighbor's response not only affirmed for me the reality Jesus has removed the obstacles separating people from God and each other but demonstrated the healing potential of Christian hospitality as well. Such hospitality blesses all those it touches: those who extend it, those who accept it, and those who, like me, witness it!

Prayer: Loving God, teach us to walk in wisdom, courage, and love. Help us show the hospitality that welcomes others into your presence. Amen.

Though for the Day

Christian hospitality can break down walls of fear and suspicion.

William T. Haes (New Jersey)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Sir H. Fergus' Stand-in Carrying New Honour

Dear Editor,

I thought it might be useful to inform your readers that the 47th Meeting of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association is coming to a successful conclusion.

A number of new parliaments, mainly from Africa and India, were accepting into membership of this august body.

A major highlight for me at the conference was the honour to receive on behalf of Prof. Dr. the Hon. Sir Howard Fergus, KBE, MLC a gift of appreciation and citation for his contribution to the development and work of the CPA. He is on record as the Commonwealth's most senior Speaker and a champion for the cause of democratic governance. He was distinguished and lauded for his support to the democratic process in countries both in the Caribbean and as far afield as South Africa.

I am bringing the gift home with me for presentation to Sir Howard along with a letter endorsed by the entire Executive Committee of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).

Though jolted by the assault against humanity in New York, the conference concluded its deliberations, including the election of a new Secretary General, Mr. Denis Marshall of New Zealand. I have spoken to Mr Marshall at length and he anticipates paying a working visit to Montserrat perhaps within his first year in office beginning 1 January 2002.

With kindest regards.

Claude E.S.Hogan 

'Labour Speaks' -- in Print Only

By  Hylroy L. Bramble

Dear Sir:

Despite the constitutional guarantees of free expression in this country we are suffering from a severe suppression of this right in Montserrat.

Just over two months ago, the then Acting Chief Minister Annie Dyer-Howe, in her not so infinite wisdom barred the program Labour Speaks from the radio without any proper justification for doing so. This was a paid-for program that I hosted for four years and which embodied social commentary at its widest spectrum. Labour Speaks embraced everything from trade unionism to religion.  Yet, this program was pulled from the airwaves under the guise of a radio station review. 

It is my contention that this program was not a new program and, as I said, was four years old and as such should not have been barred from the airwaves. At the time when Labour Speaks was barred no other program was pulled from the airwaves. Is it because I contested the last election as an opponent of the ruling party that this stance was taken to marginalise Labour Speaks?

It is being said that since I stood as a candidate in the last elections, the powers that be have intimated that they do not know whether I am speaking as a trade unionist or a politician.  This is utter nonsense. I have stated time and again that the union had no political affiliation and this was highly evident in the last election. Every member of the union exercised his given constitutional right and aligned himself to whatever party or individual he or she desired. At no time was the union ever politicised.

Be that as it may, I decided to try and air the program that was not aired on June 5, 2001, as a paid for political statement. Again, I followed all procedures by submitting the script to the Acting Manager of the radio station; who in turn submitted it to the Attorney General for his scrutiny and comments. After several days I approached the Acting Manager to ascertain whether or not the script could be aired. The good gentleman explained to me that he was contacted by the Attorney General who told him that the radio station’s programming is under review by the Government of Montserrat and as such no programs or statements of this nature could be uttered on Radio Montserrat until the review is complete. This is the PEOPLE’S RADIO STATION and when the people are not given a chance to exercise their constitutional right, is this not total suppression of free expression?

There is nothing wrong with carrying out a station review. In fact, I believe it is a good and necessary thing. But did the government have to suppress Labour Speaks to carry out this review?  Look at the sham of a review committee; a radio station is under review and yet they do not see it fit to include the acting manager of the same station on that committee but placed others on this committee who haven’t a clue as to what broadcasting or journalism is about.

Then how is it that while Labour Speaks is suppressed, no other program on radio was suppressed?

How come one of the government’s parliamentary back benchers is allowed to be on radio preaching Garveyism while a program which is more beneficial to Montserrat is banned from the radio by the government of the day. In my opinion this is not only suppression of free expression but also discrimination and victimisation in one of its many forms by the government of the day.

The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19, is quite clear in its context where it states that everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media, and regardless of frontiers. This universal right is being suppressed by a government who have shown in old times and now in new times, total disregard and disrespect for free expression.

The principal medium by which a person can air his views in this country is ZJB radio.  I have said before that I had never expected everyone to agree every time with some of the issues I brought to the forefront on Labour Speaks.  However, it is an undisputable fact that Labour Speaks was an eye-opener not only to the ordinary man but to government as well. Its listening audience was wide,, spanning from Montserrat to Antigua, St, Kitts, Nevis, and even St. Barts.  I am certain that on Tuesdays and Thursdays since the suppression of Labour Speaks, Basil’s morning show’s overseas ratings have fallen on these two days.

Is Montserrat on its way to becoming a totalitarian state? History has shown that one of the ways by which this is done is to suppress or totally eliminate freedom of expression. Is Montserrat on its way to becoming another Libya, where differences of opinion are permitted in the legislature but such freedom is not extended to the media because of the iron control placed on this medium by the authorities?  This is the direction in which we are heading if the NPLM government does not reassess their policy of rule.  Freedom of expression in this country is not and must not be a privilege.  It is a constitutional right and the powers that be must ensure that it is kept this way.

I have noted with interest that especially over the past five or six years the governor have become more involved in the decision-making processes of this country. I therefore call upon him as chief executive officer of this country to have the radio station freed up for use by the people. Labour Speaks was at times a controversial program but it was reputable and provided a base for educating and informing the masses.  So I call upon him to give us back that freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas, an intrinsic right guaranteed to us by the Montserrat Constitution Order of 1989 and Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  

Heavy Traffic, Dirt, Noise? Come on, Grab Opportunity

Dear Editor,

Your article of 7^th September bothered a group of property owners in Isles Bay Plantation so much that we felt we had to reply.

The future prosperity of Montserrat depends on a number of issues, some we have control over, some we do not. Let us for a moment put those that we have no control over to one side. Surely it is an indisputable fact that to encourage investment and growth has to be the principal aim in the re-birth and growth of the Island of Montserrat.

The possibility of establishing a golf course in the Isles Bay area has to be seen as a huge opportunity. Sure, there will be noise, dust, inconvenience – islanders have suffered with this for over six years now. Here you have the chance for a project that will generate work for local people, providing the springboard for business, supporting a club house, providing a social centre, restaurant and bar, and most importantly, giving an ideal reason as to why visitors should come to Montserrat to stay and play golf. People who will need housing and feeding, people who will spend money - money that can be reinvested for the benefit of the people of Montserrat.

Instead of whingeing behind the anonymity of “Resident/ Owner,” why don’t those in and around the Isles Bay area work with the companies/people involved in this opportunity. Yes, there is bound to be disagreement but resolutions will be found. Yes, for a period of time there will be inconvenience, but ultimately, the birth of a short golf course with perhaps all of the holes named after Plymouth landmarks such as Evergreen, George, Parliament, Strand and Water Lane, could be the dawn of a new era on Montserrat.

Forget the people who back the “Not Invented Here syndrome”, the “Not In My Back Yard story”, the “we don’t want it to work brigade”. The "fools" are those whose ambition appears to be encouraging the demise of Montserrat.

The opportunity is there – grab it with everything you have got.

Make it work. You can do it.

Respectfully yours,

Dr. Derek and Susie Layton

Ted and Bobbie Councilor    

LOCAL and REGIONAL NEWS

Water Rates To Rise 18% In 3 Stages

By Helena Durand

Residents of Montserrat began bracing themselves for a graduated 18-percent increase in water rates announced this week by the Montserrat Water Authority (MWA) and scheduled to begin in January 2002.

The increase, designed to delete a huge deficit, will come in three stages: 8 percent in 2002, 5 percent in 2003, and another 5 percent in 2004.

Stephen Young, Civil Infrastructure Programme Engineer.at the Department for International Development (DFID), said funds from DFID for the continued development of the island’s water storage and distribution network are dependent on MWA's balancing its budget by the year 2005.

The engineer said that MWA’s money has been expended on running costs, distribution and supply, and that it has difficulties because “of a very large shortfall between what goes out and what comes in.”

The Government of Montserrat, he said, has submitted an EC$5-million project titled "Northern Montserrat Water Storage and Distribution Development," more commonly called "Water 3.," because there have been two such previous projects from former government. He said DFID has spent over EC$7million on MWA since the crisis.

This new project would replace water tanks, improve water storage, and repair and install new pipes for distribution. "For the project to be sustainable," Mr. Young said, "the Montserrat Water Authority has to improve its own financial position, it has to increase revenue.”

He expressed regret that that gaining the revenue had to be in the form of tariff increase, but said the MWA had given careful thought to it so that it would be sociably structured. No business can run successfully on a large deficit for a long time, he said.

In explaining the reason his government endorsed the increase, Chief Minister John Osborne said, “they [DFID] will only give Water 3 project [funds] only if we increase it. We have asked them to accept a rate. We suggested the lowest.”

Mr. Osborne did not disclose, however, what his government’s suggested rate was, adding that high rates are more than onerous on Montserratians at this time.

Former Chief Minister David Brandt who previously said when he was Chief Minister that he would not agree to utilities rate increases, expressed his discomfort with the situation as it is. He said it is not in the best interest of the people of Montserrat to be slapped with an increase in water rates at this time, or any time in the near future, until the economy get the life-giving injection of funds which it so desperately needs.

Just prior to elections this year, Mr. Brandt had been adamant that the people of Montserrat could not afford the increases in water rates, fuel, and electricity services which he said the British Government had been pressuring him to “inflict” on them; so “I refused” he said then.

A government source said DFID has threatened, “if they [Government] do not increase the rates, they will increase it themselves. Yet, DFID has the nerve to say, that is a matter for the government of Montserrat.”

Manager of the Montserrat Water Authority Brian Kennedy could not be reached for comment.

Cathy Buffonge Presents 4 Volcano Books to Library

Writer Cathy Buffonge presented her four books about the Montserrat volcao to the public library on Wednesday. The fourth in the series is hot off the press at Montserrat Printing and Publishing. 

She also presented two of the books to the Ministry of Education.

Chief Librarian Ruth Allen said Mrs. Buffonge makes it “her duty to donate of her books to the library. Every book she has written, she has here.”  She also said this donation would assist in enhancing the local authors section of the Public Library on Montserrat.

Mrs. Buffonge also made a presentation of a clock, cleverly carved in the shape of Montserrat, on behalf of Eddie’s Trucking, to the library, which was welcomed by Chief Librarian Allen.  

One Minute of Silence Honors Losses in U.S.

Staff members at the Governor’s Office and Civil Servants observed one minute of silence today in remembrance of all those who lost their lives in the tragedy of Tuesday morning in the United States of America.

It was observed at 8:30 a.m. and was done in collaboration with colleagues offering similar periods of silence throughout the United Kingdom.

The Montserrat national flag and the British flag were flown at half mast.  

Police and Fire Service Plan Community Week

A week of community-based activities is planned for Police and Fire Service Community Week, carded for October 28 to November 3.

Superintendent of Police John Douglas said, the highlights of the week will include demonstrating to the public the work of the police and Fire & Rescue Service; identifying the benefits of their work to the community; interacting with all sections of the community; providing training and development opportunities for all members of the Royal Montserrat Police Force and Fire and Rescue Service; creating an atmosphere of friendship through positive interaction, competition and sports; providing positive opportunities for young people to consider crime and safety issues in educational and leisure settings; illustrating the benefits of, and encouraging a career in the RMPF and the Fire Service; and raising money for the nominated charities.

The police and fire service he said, will do all in their power to “make it an educational and entertaining week.”

Earlier this year, the Royal Montserrat Police Force embarked on what it later reported was a successful Community Policing effort.

They held public meetings, and the general public was given an opportunity to comment on aspects of policing which they felt needed answers.

New MVO Building Seen Luring Tourists

Artist impression of the new volcano observatory

Ground has been broken for the official start of construction of the new Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) building in Flemings.  

His Excellency the Governor Anthony Longrigg said the project is seen “as a sign of the confidence of the British Government and the Montserrat Government in the long-term future of Montserrat.”

He said the new MVO should also be seen as a sign of how disasters can be turned into opportunities. “We will have in 13 to14 months time, when this building is finished, one of the greatest tourist attractions in the Caribbean,” he said.

Governor Longrigg said while Montserratians await other buildings to come on stream, such as the Cultural Centre, the people should begin attracting visitors to the island, as this “is really the only way I see that Montserrat is going to make a lot of money, and go back to living standards they enjoyed before the volcano.”  

Chief Minister John Osborne said the MVO will indeed help “to make the visitors feel safer when they are coming to the island.”

"This is part of the infrastructure needed to attract tourists to Montserrat,” he said,

because visitors will be able to “peep into the volcano…and carry back the good news and pictures from here.”

He said he was told in Antigua that if handled properly, a fortune is waiting to be made from this venture. 

Island Amnesty Offered For Arms, Ammunition

Residents of Montserrat in possession of unlicensed firearms and or ammunition are being offered the opportunity to voluntarily surrender them to the police during a Firearms Amnesty from now until 6 December, 2001.

A Government House release said the amnesty does not apply to firearms or ammunition discovered as a result of police enquiries or criminal investigations.

During the amnesty period, police will also accept other types of weapons, including flick knives, lock knives, and switchblades. Police will also accept licensed firearms and ammunitions that are no longer needed or justified.

All such weapons handed in to the police will be documented and subsequently destroyed.  The public is reminded that it is illegal to possess unlicensed firearms and ammunition and the Firearms Act 2000 imposes stiff penalties for violators.

MVO Scientists Conclude Volcano No Less Active

The Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) issued a preliminary statement this week following last week's bi-annual assessment at which scientists reviewed the July 29^th eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano.

The statement reports that the collapse “involved a volume of about 45 million cubic metres, making it the second largest volcanic event of the eruption,” and that, “vigorous dome growth resumed immediately after 29 July in the large depression produced by the collapse.”

Although the collapse has temporarily reduced the levels of risk in the populated areas of Montserrat, it says that “if the current rates of renewed growth are maintained, then the dome will fill the new collapse depression within a few months and a large dome with unconfined flanks would be re-established.”

The scientists predicted fluctuating risk as the configuration of the dome changes, and in the case of “a large unconfined dome, a switch of growth direction to the north or northwest might happen with little warning. This would result in high levels of risk in the populated areas close to Belham Valley.”

The statement concludes that there is still no sign of the overall levels of volcanic

activity diminishing, and that it will most likely continue in that fashion for a few years. 

Excerpts from British Press

"The two-week eruption (of Mount Etna) is proving unpredictable as it speeds up or slows down almost daily. Experts say it could go on for months.

"It has already closed several farms, a restaurant, stretches of road and a ski lift. Catania's airport was forced to close on Saturday because the dust was so thick."

                                                                            The Weekly Telegraph, 1/8-7/8/2001

"Guides announced on Saturday that they would resume conducted tours to the top of Sicily's Mount Etna on Monday, sure that the worst of its latest lava outpourings are over.

"An emergency team, set up to protect a tourist area on the mountainside, has been stood down with the receding danger."

                                                                            The Weekly Telegraph, 8/8-13/8/2001

Montserratian Man Missing in New York

One Montserratian, Fire Officer Keithroy Maynard, who is based in New York is missing  after Tuesday's terrorist attack..

He had responded to the disaster at the World Trade Center on Tuesday morning. He was among hundreds of firefighters who were trapped in the twin towers of the World Trade Center when the buildings collapsed less than an hour after they were struck by hijacked civilian airliners.

Mr. Maynard is the son of former Montserrat Fire Chief Reynold White.  

Bank Break-in Suspect Charged with Burglary

Alton Aaron of Lookout has been arrested by the Royal Montserrat Police Force and charged with burglary in the investigation of a break-in at the Bank of Montserrat on Monday, Sept. 3.  

Police said after questioning the suspect that he cleaned out the bank's refrigerator but that nothing else was stolen.

He has been remanded in custody.

Old Towne Resident Faces Firearms Charge

Brian Hollender of Old Towne was arrested by the Royal Montserrat Police Force and charged  with possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

Mr. Hollender was granted bail on Tuesday this week.  

Information Numbers For Disaster in U.S.

The foreign and Commonwealth Office in London issued emergency contact telephone numbers for persons from the UK Overseas Territories, including Montserrat, to get information about family members who might have been victims of Tuesday's terrorist attacks in the United States.

Montserratians with enquires should direct calls to any of two centres, one based in London, the other in New York.

The telephone contact number in London is 011-44207-0080000; in New York it is 212-745-0200.

Callers are warned to expect long delays as these numbers are extremely busy, but are urged to stay on line as the calls will be answered in the order they are made.  

New Montserrat Stamps Portray Rebuilding Effort

The Montserrat Philatelic Bureau has released a set of special stamps marking the island’s rebuilding efforts.

Ms. Sylvia White at the Bureau said “this set is very special and unique in that we are letting the outside world know that Montserrat still exists and that we are making progress in our rebuilding process.”

The stamps feature Tropical Mansion Suites, the island’s most recently built hotel, along with some other significant buildings.

These include an aerial view of the Lookout Community, which comprises houses built by the British Government and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) for the displaced; the St. John’s Hospital, which was originally a primary school, but was refurbished in 1998; the Golden Years Home, and the refurbished Montserrat Secondary School in Salem.

The entire set, available for just over $7, was released on August 15.  

Securities Market Nears Certification

Mr. Errol Allen, Deputy Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, said Monday that the skills acquired  in workshops on developing the eastern Caribbean Securities Market (ECSM) should serve the countries and people of the Easter Caribbean Currency Union in good stead as they prepare to launch themselves into the wider regional market.

He said the workshops showed the role of the central bank in filling existing gaps in the financial infrastructure of the region.

The Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange (ECSE) is expected to begin trading next month, when at least five of the eight member states should have enacted the Securities Legislation.  

Caribbean Hotel Group Sends Sympathy to U.S.

The Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) expressed sympathy this week in a press release over the loss of lives caused by Tuesday’s terrorist assault in the United States of America.

President of CHA Ralph Taylor said the CSA's thoughts were with the families and friends of those who died in the attacks, and that “this is a time for prayer and collaboration to rise above the tragedy.”

He noted that CHA has allied members in the United States and that there are large Caribbean communities in New York and Washington, D.C.

Regarding the impact of the event on the Caribbean hospitality industry he said, “Clearly a tremendous effect will be felt on world business in general, and particularly on world travel and tourism. From the Caribbean perspective, the industry can naturally expect a short-term fallout in tourism due to the halt of travel in the United States. It will take a while for airline service and airport operations to resume fully.”

Guyana Forms Task Force To Avert U.S. Visa Sanction

Guyana, CMC - In an effort to avert a United States ban on issuing visas to Guyanese, the Guyana government has established a task force to speedily confirm the nationality of 141 persons in American jails awaiting deportation to Guyana.

The inter-agency committee was established at Tuesday's cabinet meeting.
"The Office of the President's involvement in conjunction with the principal actors - the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - can indeed provide some new initiatives and perhaps some additional ways outside of the chartered course in dealing with these issues," Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon told a news conference.
The U.S. Department of Justice has instructed its Immigration and Naturalisation Service to cease granting American immigrant and non-immigrant visas to Guyanese if the deportee issue is not resolved by October 8.
Contrary to reports from Washington that the number of deportees was 244, the Guyana government said the U.S. Embassy here informed it that the number was 141.
Guyanese authorities have been even more vigilant in accepting deportees since the U.S. deported a Jamaican to Guyana because he claimed that he was a Guyanese.

Task of Hired Teachers Dismays Dr. George Irish

NEW YORK, CMC - As Caribbean teachers this week took to New York City classrooms for the first time, a leading Caribbean educator here says that the Board of Education's Caribbean Teacher Initiative (CTI) will not adequately address problems confronting Caribbean students.
Addressing the recent inaugural Caribbean American Leadership Conference at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Brooklyn, Dr. George Irish, Executive Director of the Caribbean Research Center (CRC) at Brooklyn's Medgar Evers College, said that Caribbean teachers face a most formidable task in trying to turn around the poor academic standards of students.
Dr. Irish, who is also chairperson of CRC's Educational Task Force, said that even in the Caribbean, renowned for high academic attainment, the standards have declined significantly, noting that the same holds true for students in New York City public schools.
"We have students in our schools, who are performing extremely well in Mathematics in the early grades," he said, "because they're dealing just with numbers, with figures. But those same children, who perform in the 99th percentile in Math, perform in the 15th to 20th percentile in Reading. Now that is a serious problem."
Dr. Irish, who accompanied Board of Education officials in May to recruit teachers in Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, said that he's been "crying on the mountain top," asking city, state and federal education officials for help in addressing the issue with little or no assistance.  

Eastern Caribbean Region Overhauls Cheques System

(Adapted from 'Commonwealth Currents of the Commonwealth Secretariat')
LONDON, CMC - The system for clearing and settling cheques in the Eastern Caribbean region is being overhauled in a project by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) and the Commonwealth Secretariat.
With only a very limited inter-island debit and credit system there was a great reliance on cheques to complete transactions, a statement from Malborough House says.
Of the 23 licensed banks in the area, operating in 44 locations, only five are present in more than one of the eight countries and territories in the Eastern Caribbean, namely Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis.
This means that transactions had to await the physical movement of cheques within and between islands to go through.
 Dr. Ranee Jayamaha, formerly special Adviser (Economic) at the Commonwealth Secretariat, who worked on the project from its inception in 1997, explains that the modernisation of the payment system became necessary because of the objectives of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to move towards a single financial market and to develop a regional securities market.
"All these delays were costly to everybody - customers and the ECCB," she said. Of the 44 bank branches in the islands, more than 30 are already linked into the new system, with others expected to come on board shortly.
The project, which was funded by the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation (CFTC), launched the Real Time Accounting Functions (RTAF) system using new computer software.
Now transactions can be processed far more quickly as each bank can be sure transactions have been effected and can know their balances at the ECCB.
The accounts of banks can now be debited or credited instantly and the accounts of customers can be debited and credited faster than before.
The result: reduced transaction time and cost to both customers and banks.

Guyanese Strike Halts Social Security System

Guyana, CMC - The operations of Guyana's state-run National Insurance Scheme (NIS) ground to a halt on Monday as more than 500 workers went on strike to protest the government's refusal to approve a negotiated 15-percent wage increase.
Responding to an advisory, pensioners of the social security scheme flocked to banks and post offices to cash their vouchers. The strike came as the NIS was preparing to collect deductions from employers and employees this week.
Under the eyes of several unarmed uniformed police, hundreds of mainly female workers peacefully demonstrated outside the two main NIS offices in Georgetown where police set up barricades.
The workers are angry that the Ministry of Finance has not approved a 15-percent pay increase agreed to last month between the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union (ATGWU), the management and board of NIS.
President of the ATGWU's senior branch, Don Johnson said the workers were rejecting the 5-percent increase now being offered by government. If the 15-percent agreed to was not paid, the union would call for arbitration and revert to its original demand of 35 percent, he added.
The lowest paid NIS worker gets about 26,000 Guyana dollars (US$139) a month, while the highest paid earns G$65,000 (US$347) dollars.

St. Lucia PM Scoffs At Libya Banana Bid

St. Lucia, CMC - Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony says St. Lucia has no interest in selling bananas to Libya.

The Prime Minister was reacting to claims that the North African state had made an offer to buy all the bananas produced in the Eastern Caribbean at above-market prices.
News of the offer came from Antiguan journalist Tim Hector, who accompanied the recent Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) mission to Tripoli.
But Dr. Anthony, who opted out of the trip, said on Wednesday that the problem was not selling bananas, but finding bananas to sell.
He explained: "We have a serious shortfall in production. If you want to sell bananas, you first have to produce bananas. Right now, the British market is shouting for Caribbean bananas and they cannot get it because of our significant drop in production over the last few months."

Regional Lawyers Urged To Defend Free Judiciary

Trinidad, CMC - Trinidad and Tobago's Chief Justice Michael de la Bastide says regional lawyers should stand against any attempt by governments or
parliaments to violate the independence of the judiciary.
Justice de la Bastide made the point in a statement to a special meeting of the Organisation of Commonwealth Bar Associations (OCCBA) on Saturday.
The Trinidad Chief Justice told the delegates that a regional organisation of lawyers in the Caribbean had an important role especially at this time "when hopefully we are on the brink of establishing our own final regional court of appeal."

The OCCBA, established in 1968, ended a week-long series of meetings here on Sunday under the theme "Retreat to Plan the future of OCCBA"
The chief justice referred to the fear among some Caribbean lawyers that they do not see themselves as "part of the pool from which judges will be drawn" for the proposed Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
" I do not accept that you cannot find lawyers in the Commonwealth Caribbean, both on and off the bench, who have the integrity and independence of spirit, as well as talent, to serve with distinction on the proposed court," he said.
"The challenge will be to ensure that the court as initially constituted comprises persons of quality. I have no doubt that on the bench, as in other spheres of life, quality attracts quality."

Vance Amory, CCM Retain Reins in Nevis

Nevis, CMC - In the aftermath of last week's Nevis Island Assembly (NIA) elections, a new administration was sworn in Monday to run the tiny island's affairs.
Vance Amory, leader of the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM), was sworn in as Premier Saturday and his three successful candidates -- Deputy Premier Malcolm Guishard, Michael Perkins and Jean Harris - took the oath of office Monday afternoon.

Mr. Perkins' victory was an election surprise, when he defeated Victor Jay Martin of the Nevis Reform Party (NRP) by 15 votes -- 506 to 491. Mr. Martin had held the contested St. Paul's constituency for the past 14 years.
Also sworn-in were two nominated Nevis Island Assembly members - J. Livingston Herbert and Laughton Brandy. The two are junior ministers who will assist the Premier and his deputy.
The CCM campaigned on what it called its record of achievement that includes a number of infrastructural projects - including a new terminal at the airport and expansion of the main Alexandra Hospital -- and job creation. The NRP contended that the projects were badly handled, leading to a waste of money.  

Regional Aid Centre Welcome in Barbados

Barbados, CMC - The establishment of the Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre (CARTAC) in Barbados next month comes at a crucial period in the economic development of the region, Prime Minister Owen Arthur said last week.
"There is a need for advice to help countries in the region to make the transition required by trade liberalisation, because one of them, for example, will be fiscal adjustments," Mr.Arthur said.
CARTAC, which is to be officially launched on October 10, is a joint initiative of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) among others.
Its primary objectives are to assist member-states of CARICOM and the Dominican Republic to improve current practices critical areas of economic and financial management, including budget and tax policy.
CARTAC's work plan will be administered by the Caribbean countries through a Steering Committee headed by the Central Bank of Barbados Governor, Dr Marion Williams.
The Canadian government has already contributed C$8 million (US$5.04 million).
Other multilateral institutions involved in the organisation of CARTAC are the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the European Union (EU), the World Bank, as well as the U.S. government through USAID and the British government.

U.S. Airborne Terrorism Disrupts All Air Travel

Barbados, CMC - Travel between the Caribbean and the United States turned into a nightmare early Tuesday as regional airlines were forced to cancel or divert flights in the aftermath of a dramatic and deadly attack on targets in the
United States.
Air Jamaica reported that a number of its planes had been grounded in the United States or in Jamaica after the U.S. authorities, in an unprecedented move, closed all airports.
Air Jamaica officials said a number of their planes that had been scheduled to fly from Jamaica to Miami, Atlanta, Chicago and Philadelphia had been grounded, awaiting instructions.
An airline official in Trinidad said that BWIA flights 427 and 425 successfully departed New York City Tuesday morning and were due at Piarco International Airport by midday
All of the BWIA's US-bound flights to Miami, New York and Washington, were being turned around and returned to the airline's Caribbean's bases.

It was also reported that Barbados' UN mission and consular offices located at 800 2nd Avenue in New York City were closed because of the explosions.

St. Lucia PM Challenges Former Ally on 'Rogues'

St. Lucia, CMC - The controversy between Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony and opposition National Alliance (NA) leader George Odlum over Libya could be heading for the St. Lucia law courts.
On Monday, Dr Anthony challenged Mr. Odlum, who resigned from the ruling St. Lucia Labour Party (SLP) Cabinet earlier in the year, to name the persons whom he called "rogues" from whom he said the prime minister had accepted money in the past.
Mr. Odlum, who has had close ties with Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, last week accused Dr. Anthony of double standards after the St. Lucian leader opted out of a recent Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) aid-seeking mission to Libya.
Mr. Odlum said he believed that St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, who led the OECS team to Tripoli, was holding "a token" sum out of the US$21 million package given by Libya to the islands, for St. Lucia.
Although Dr. Gonsalves denied having sourced Libyan funds for the St. Lucian leader, Mr. Odlum insisted that this was the case and said: "Dr. Anthony has taken funds from rogues before so he should have no qualms about taking from so called rogue nations now."
The Prime Minister said of Mr. Odlum, "I am giving him 10 days in which . . . to name these rogues, tell the people of St. Lucia who these rogues are," he said.
Dr. Anthony insisted that St. Lucia was not receiving any part of the US$21 million given to the OCES by Libya.  

SPORTS

THE MAKING OF GREAT ATHLETES

By Peter Adrien

Great! This was the ideal description of the decisive contests of the 2001 U.S. Open Tennis Championship. And, those who were privileged to witness the Serena/Davenport battle; the Sampras/Agassi duel; the Venus/Serena family-fight; and the Sampras/Hewitt clash, would share similar sentiments. I became so involved that I shouted, chanted and celebrated.

Those were not mere contests between tennis players. They were exceptional occasions of master craftsmen and craftswomen exhibiting the qualities that are akin to great or legendary athletes – ordinary men and women who do extraordinary things. 

On September 5, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi proved that they were true champions. The only difference between the two Americans was the result. Before a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd and beneath a near-full moon, Sampras and Agassi, the two greatest hard court players of the Open era, staged their most epic battle yet -- a four-set marathon that had four tie-breakers. Sampras, the 10th seed at this Grand Slam that he has won four times previously, defeated Agassi, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5), in a battle that lived up to the hype. Through 3 hours 33 minutes, neither broke the other's serve once. Not once. Sampras, who now has a string of 71 service games without being broken, hit 25 aces, his serve topping out at 128 mph. Agassi, despite a slower serve, had 18 aces. Both had 83 first-serve points.

As closely as Sampras and Agassi played one another, their styles were vastly different. Sampras, playing in his 500th hard-court match, preferred to serve and rush the net immediately, as evidenced by his 137 net approaches. Agassi, the all-time leader in hard-court matches with 562 (and victories, with 446), came to the net only 21 times during the match.

With both players serving so well, the crowd became most aroused during those few times when it seemed as if someone might actually break serve. Agassi had three opportunities, Sampras six, but both held their serve as if protecting a nest. Before the fourth-set tiebreak, the entire stadium crowd, few of whom had left even though it was after midnight, gave both players a standing ovation. This was indeed a historic match and one which will be played over and over again. It was really a Mohammad Ali/Joe Frazier fight.

But on September 9, the young Australian Lleyton Hewitt was the better man. The 20-year old demolished the legendary Pete Sampras 7-6(4), 6-1, 6-1 and won his first U.S. Open crown on his opponent’s home turf (USA). He outplayed his senior; out-thought his competitor; out-ran his father; out-manoeuvred his opponent; and out-classed his opposite.

Hewitt was the truly better player on that day. He consistently took Sampras' best shots and either cracked them at the American's feet, or whipped them past his outstretched foe. Sampras said, "He returned and passed as well as anyone I think I've ever played. He made me play. I was hitting low volleys. The harder I served, the more I put into it, the better he returned. He's got the best return in the game, the best wheels in the game. He now possesses a much better serve. He's a great player. You'll see him contending here for the next 10 years."

Sampras confessed that Hewitt is a better return of server than Agassi, even though Agassi is considered by many to be the best "returner" of all time. "He's quicker," Sampras said. "Maybe he doesn't have the power, but he doesn't miss. He's very tough to ace. He's got the hands and the feet. It's really impressive stuff." Hewitt received US$850,000 for his victory. Many would agree that the 20-year-old showed the psychological steeliness of a grizzled veteran.
The day before, September 8, the two Williams sisters proved their greatness by outplaying females in their group and choosing to oppose each other in the finals. That was a display of “family power.” Venus remarked, "This is our first Grand Slam final together and really that's the way we like it to be. Because then both of us win in a way." Their father and coach said that the events unfolded just as he had planned since the two girls were small. Venus Williams, the 21-year old, outplayed and out-foxed Serena Williams, the 19-year old. Venus shoved aside any speculation as to who is the better player in her family. She taught little sister Serena a lesson, beating her 6-2, 6-4 and successfully defended her U.S. Open title.

In front of a packed house of celebrities and tennis aficionados, Venus played a cool-headed, efficient match, patiently waiting for Serena to make errors and crack under the strain of trying to upset her beloved older sister in a Grand Slam final. Venus served with variety and power, struck her ground strokes deep and kept Serena off balance by consistently changing the depth and the pace of her ground strokes.

Venus beamed after the victory, but did not engage in a wild celebratory dance. Both sisters called it a victory for the family. And Serena, the 1999 U.S. Open champion, didn't break down in sorrowful tears after the loss. She said, "In the past I would have been disappointed, but I've grown as a competitor more than anything. I've realized to take them as they come. I didn't get the moment. So it's all for Venus now."

I suspect that we may never see another tennis championship of such quality for many years. After all, we are only blessed with these flashes in such compressed time once in a lifetime. Thank God I was fortunate to have witnessed what may very well come to be known as the clashes of the New Millennium.

All the qualities of true champions were on display in the championship. The mettle was tested and the gold was purified in the crucible of fire. Every athlete was severely tested for endurance, fitness, fight, guts and skill. Every athlete was stretched beyond the limit. And the stronger prevailed over the weaker.

Many of us, I am sure, might have entertained doubt as to whether gladiatorial spirit was still possible in our “press-button” society. Well, there is hope.

The new generation, after all, is not a lost generation. There is hope for the future. There is hope that we could craft a society that could survive; a society that could overcome the prevailing obstacle and be competitive. We can “do it” if we “do it” together.

Let us express faith in our young people; let us give every young man and woman a reason for hope; let us give every young man and woman the will to fight and to succeed.

Peter Adrien is an author, a syndicated sports  analyst and freelance photographer. He can be contacted via telephone (869) 465-4813  or E-mail: Adriens@caribsurf.com  

FEATURES/OPINION

Central Bank Appoints and Disappoints

Process needs to improve

By Claude Gerald

The ECCB as expected answered in the affirmative.

He has finally arrived, officially: the decade long prediction that was taboo to an extent, is on target. Mr. C.T. John, the multi-retired, long-serving god of the civil service now sits at the helm of the ECCB on Montserrat. Out goes one retiree, in comes another. If one were to script Mr. John’s biography in parts, it would read thus. "Starts September 1 2001. Length of stay---indefinite." And this would not ring a surprise bell, given what we know of the system that supports a "first among equals" philosophy.

His coming was proclaimed in a previous column of this paper. This reference created ripples and waves, some tidal, and it inevitably brought, in this season of hammerhead sharks, random attacks aimed at amputating the limbs and minds of those who are not afraid to swim and exclaim in all waters.

The emphasis here, though, is on the brazen forehead of that monetary institution, the ECCB. One must question the methods and tactics employed in making this latest aberration a reality. They seem in this case to lack transparency and therefore read not above board. Job hunters with potential are aghast, questioning how it all came into being and regretting their loss of opportunities.

The normal practice in attracting interested parties to a position is to advertise. That allows for fairness. Individuals are screened and a short listing effected. Interviews are conducted and the best person chosen. The ECCB, given the span of islands served, normally conducts this sensitization in the media. You see them everywhere, ranging from lofty positions to that of the office attendant. But no one can recall seeing an advertisement anywhere to fill a vacancy for the representation on Montserrat. Some may imagine this is unnecessary, since with volcanic ash replacing neurons in our brains we become stupefied without feeling! And the ECCB then proceeds to blind its financial eyes conveniently and ours too.

So the accusation of discrimination, of nepotism, of duplicity is apt, especially in these modern times. It seems very much a conspiracy that speaks to supporting friends of friends to the detriment of the wider good. Montserrat through its Finance Ministry worked at being in the good graces of the ECCB. Montserrat was unlike other territories, always in credit as its contributions to other regional bodies were paid in advance, mostly. This makes life so easy for the ECCB. "We are paid up -- us alone" was the boast at the end of an outing to Headquarters ostensibly to be demonstrative of the financial wizardry and generosity of the movers and shakers in the
Finance Ministry.  Keep them real happy, the apparent message was, so that the carrying out of narrow objectives will be easy. This as youthful entrants to the world of work writhe in frustration. 

When one popular and alert Montserratian quizzed the new appointee in transit to his "training" in St Kitts, he reportedly indicated that "Alfreda" asked him to help her out. Hers to give and theirs to share! No self-respecting society with responsible leaders could tolerate that at the expense of those who yearn to be given a deserving chance. Such total domination of public matters as though it were a private affair.

Notable and relevantly qualified Montserratians have placed applications on the ECCB’s desk in the past. They do so in anticipation of the job being available and to place their interest on the records. The wait is often eternal. The answer is always universal: "Not this time Siree and we do not know when either." Aspirants know that the ECCB local acts as the clearing house for all commercial banking institutions; collects data of an input/output nature from the various sectors of the economy; organizes meetings relevant to the central bank; assesses and evaluates economic performance; and engages in international transactions of a monetary nature among others.

Ideally, therefore, the position here requires training in the social and economic sciences with relevant practical exposure. Pointedly the ECCB continues to water down the requirements suitably. These retirees do not come close and are pretenders in essence, though Mr. John is singularly intelligent and adaptable and very convincing to those who are convincible. He would always make do even in a desert!

The ECCB is focusing more on decentralization since it seeks to boost the data quality from the islands for economic and financial analysis. Only quality personnel with sufficient know-how can match up. When the policy implementation does not apply to Montserrat we must raise a red flag in our island’s interest. Let us not underestimate the importance of good sound economic data to guide policy makers at the ECCB.

One recognizes that a Board of Governors comprised of Ministers of Finance or some such in the Territories governs the ECCB. The ECCB does not necessarily have a free hand, though it could be so if the Board divests itself of certain important responsibilities. Having key and committed persons with the character to stand for fairness, to espouse decent virtues and generally to stand up for measures that fit horses to courses will advance the fortunes of these emerging societies like nothing else in vogue at this time. It checks and balances. It is a given.

When we wake up to effectively manage the mobilization of our human resources we will have prepared the groundwork to reduce the social and other costs of having this generation face an enforced existence in a cold and hostile clime where an adopted passport guarantees next to nothing.

Let us each stand for each other—always.

Claude Gerald is an agricultural economist with an abiding interest in the social, economic and political development of Montserrat. E-mail ceegee15@hotmail.com

FARMERS’ CORNER

By Justin ‘Hero’ Cassell

(Agricultural Development Officer)

 “EAT FROM THE LAND, NOT FROM THE CAN”

Week ending Friday 14^th September 2001

Agriculture Minister Tours Farmlands

Minister of Agriculture the Honourable Margaret (Annie) Dyer-Howe toured the major farming areas last Wednesday.  The Minister was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Land, Housing and the Environment, Ms. Ann Marie Dewar, Director of Agriculture Gerard Gray, Government Press Officer Lionel Nanton, ZJB Manager Herman Sergant and Agricultural Development Officer Justin Cassell.

The aim of the tour was for the Minister and Permanent Secretary to gain on-site knowledge of the agricultural activities taking place on farms.

Stop No.1 -  Upper Blakes

The Minister expressed satisfaction with the quality of recent road maintenance and enhancement work carried out at Upper Blakes.  The Minister made available approximately $11,000 of the Remedial vote funds for this project.  The Minister offered words of encouragement to farmer Abraham White, who expressed concerns about the marketing of his produce.

Stop No. 2 – Lord Hailes Poultry Farm

Mildred and Beresford Loving were commended by the Minister for their dedicated efforts in producing eggs and broilers.  These two entrepreneurs are participants of the current Egg Promotion and Marketing Project, which makes available $18,000 for poultry production expansion.

Stop No. 3  - Olveston Mountain

The Minister was able to observe the progress made with Dam Excavation and soil conservation work at Olveston Mountain.  The Minister expressed concern about the irregular rainfall patterns experienced.  She was assured by the Director of Agriculture that irrigation water will be available within the near future.

Stop No. 4  - Ray Greer’s Poultry Unit

Ray Greer’s poultry farm at Hope was the tour party’s final stop.  Mr Greer is another participant of the Egg Promotion and Marketing Project.  The Minister was very impressed with his poultry operation, pledging continued government support for Poultry producers.

Interviews conducted on the Minister’s tour of the farms were aired on ZJB’s special edition of Farmers Corner on Thursday 13^th September.

What Diseases Can I Get From ...?

Receiving oral sex (having a partner stimulate your genitals with his or her mouth) is a relatively low-risk activity, but it is possible to contract an STD this way. Among the diseases that could be transferred this way are:

• Herpes:
  If your partner has herpes around his or her mouth, it could be transferred to your genitals -- even if sores aren't visible.
• Hepatitis B:
  If you haven't been vaccinated against Hepatitis B, an infected partner could transfer it to you during oral sex.
• Syphilis:
  Syphilis can be passed from the mouth to the genitals.
• Gonorrhea:
  If your partner has gonorrhea in his or her throat, there is a small chance you could contract it through oral sex.
• Chlamydia:
  If your partner has chlamydia in his or her throat, there is a small chance you could contract it through oral sex.
• HIV:
  If your partner is HIV-positive and has bleeding gums or blood in the mouth, there is a remote chance he or she could infect you, particularly if you have cuts or abrasions on your genitals.

If you are worried about getting an STD through this activity, you can cover your genitals with a dental dam or plastic wrap (putting some water-based or silicone lubricant on the side closest to you may improve the sensation) or wait until you and your partner are tested for STDs before engaging in this activity.

Remember that if you are immune compromised you may be more likely to contract an STD.

JUS WONDERIN

Jus wonderin if the terrorist attack on America will teach them that they cannot survive without God.

Jus wonderin if Congress can say prayers in a vigil but ban it schools and work places.

Jus wonderin why the CM continues to embarrass the country on the radio.

Jus wonderin if someone can organise a night of prayer for the families and people of America.

Jus wonderin if all the Montserratians were found in the tragedy.

Jus wonderin if such a thing could happen in Montserrat.

Jus wonderin if the mentally disturbed person who wanted to fly the chopper could cause something like this in Montserrat.

Jus wonderin why so many people are leaving Montserrat.

Jus wonderin if Montserratians in the UK are making things bad for persons who wish to move up there.

Jus wonderin if they are renting out their houses and apartments that they get from welfare and move in with other persons.

Jus wonderin when things will improve on Montserrat.

Jus wonderin if things were better under the last government although it was a coalition.  

Jus wonderin why they tryin so hard to make the former chief look like a hero when they still telling lies on him.

Jus wonderin why everyone including President Bush think that the terrorists are cowards.

Jus wonderin if persons who decide to kill themselves to make sure their goals are accomplished could be considered cowards.

Jus wonderin if that could not be considered as a very brave act.

Jus wonderin why you think that I support them.

Jus wonderin if prayers and forgiveness should be our attitude towards them.

Jus wonderin if some of us do not treat our fellow men in similar manner, but just in different scales.

Jus wonderin if some of us had the power and the means to do what the terrorist do to our fellow man if we wouldn't have done it.

Jus wonderin how many of our leaders go to church on Sundays.

Jus wonderin if any of them do not believe in God.

Jus wonderin how one certain contractor always get jobs from government.

Just wondering what they bring the  pentecostal church to.

Just wondering if the pastor wasting his time preaching about adulterers and what goes around comes around

Jus wonderin some of the immigration want to turn everything into confrontation and others are so pleasant and understanding.

Jus wonderin if some them funny rumours about them are true.

Jus wonderin who dem be in government does laugh with DFID when dem laugh at them and us.

Jus wonderin who don't know that sometimes you have to bite the hand to remind them that we need to eat.

Jus wonderin when and who will do the unpopular popular thing to save Montserrat from extinction.

Jus wonderin who don't see that we can't blame the volcano any more and that some of us worse than the volcano.

Jus wonderin if that pair that lead and deal fell into the volcano if it wouldn't throw them back out.

Jus wonderin what is the real story about the houses and who live in them in Salem.

Jus wonderin if the law by their men protect and benefit from their existence and well being.

Jus wonderin if the Syrian man from Plymouth pale when it comes to the income gleaned from the now so popular entertainment.

Jus wonderin who the patrons really are.

Jus wonderin what the fairer sex of Montserrat doing about these terrible reports which try to defile and belittle them.

Jus wonderin if the strain of living in Montserrat these days have anything to do with all this.  

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