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Geralds Airport Start Delayed Once Again

By Merrick Andrews

Aerial view of Geralds, dark mark shows likely airport alignment

Minister of Communications and Works Dr. Lowell Lewis said the starting date for the construction of the airport at Geralds has been extended again to facilitate a redesign of the increase in runway length.
Construction of the airport, he said, is expected to start sometime between October and yearend. Construction was initially announced to begin in August.
“The tender documents are being prepared for both the buildings and the airport project. We expect contracts to be awarded for the construction of the buildings in October, so, the airport itself by the end of the year,” said Dr. Lewis, adding that determining what lands are to be acquired and arrangments for the re-housing of the first batch of Gerald’s residents have been completed.
He added: “What has happened is that the time it has taken to carry out the preliminary works, such as the evaluation of lands and the design work for the airport and buildings, is just taking longer than originally anticipated.”
Arising from consultations by the Governor, British and local Government reps with the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DCA) in Antigua, a revised proposal of a total paved platform length of 600 metres was agreed to be constructed. This represents an increase in runway length of 40 metres over the original proposal of 500 metres.
Airport critics believe that the airport project might halt or not commence by yearend as the British Government, despite publicly supporting the Government’s view, are really reevaluating the safety concerns of the project behind closed doors.
The Committee for the Redevelopment of Montserrat (CRM) has vowed to push for a “safe airport” for Montserrat. The non-political organisation argues that the runway needs to be at least 700 metres to accommodate an emergency stop of the 19-seater Twin Otter aircraft, and that the precipices at both ends of the airport are also dangerous.
Head of the Overseas Territories Department Clive Warren said in the August 2 issue of The Montserrat Reporter: “In London we’ve taken seriously the issues they (CRM) have put on the table and we have consulted our advisors very closely indeed on the points and the arguments they put forward.”
However, Dr. Lewis believes that the airport project is smoothly on its way to reality. “At the present time I see no reason why it should stop,” he said.
“The Government are proceeding with the only affordable option we have, which is an airport and an airstrip which actually meets the requirements for the DCA for Twin Otter operations." He added that additional lengthening may come later when the Government can afford it.

In a related issue, Dr. Lewis dismissed rumors that the St. John’s hospital will be moved to facilitate the airport construction. “The airport (construction) will not affect the hospital in any way. “There’s no need for it to be removed,” said the minister, adding that a new terminal will be built but the present one is going to be utilized as offices for the new airport staff.

European-funded Multimo Is Here to Discuss Volcanoes

A European-funded volcano project called Multimo is planning a meeting of its partners on September 8-15 at the Vue Pointe Hotel.
The purpose of the meeting is to exchange scientific ideas and apply them to various sources. Soufriere Hills is the target volcano to which the scientists will apply their new methods of monitoring, modeling and forecasting.
The meeting will include three days of formal meetings and four days for field excursions and breakout groups.
Multimo meetings are held every six months and Montserrat is hosting their third meeting. The first meetings were held in Naples, Italy and Cambridge, UK.
The coordinator of the scientific meeting is Prof. Jurgen ‘Locko’ Neuberg (pictured left), from the School of Earth Sciences, University of Leeds, UK.
Prof. Neuberg is also chairman of the Working Group (WG) of the European Seismological Commission, who will be conducting a seismology workshop at the same venue from September 16-21, immediately following Multimo meeting.
The administrators said: “At the Cambridge meeting we decided to plan a longer meeting that gives us the opportunity to work actually together while we are in Montserrat rather than merely report on the research we are doing back home.”
“The setting should be ideal for such an approach. For Multimo it will be 'half time' and this is an excellent opportunity to exchange results, do one further step towards joint projects between partners, plan Multimo’s future, and look beyond.”
Among the main goals of Multimo are to design improved multi-parameter volcano monitoring techniques, obtain a better understanding of volcanic processes by integrating these multi-parameter data sets with modelling procedures, and employ the resulting new insights in risk forecasting and hazard mitigation.

Geralds People Uneasy But Resigned to Airport

By Merrick Andrews

Construction of the airport at Geralds Park is scheduled to begin soon and 57-year-old Delphina Bramble doesn’t feel comfortable.
“Me don’t feel comfortable – me a tell you the truth. But if they want to build it they build it,” Miss Bramble said as she puffed away at a cigarette in her humble wooden shelter on an overcast day recently.
Miss Bramble is one of several Geralds Park residents who voiced their views on airport construction to The Montserrat Reporter.
“If they build an airport, the first time a plane land, the plane going to crash,” she said in a husky tone, jumping off the bed and drawing strongly on the cigarette.
Her neighbour John Greer shared the same sentiments as he sat on her doorstep. “Level the place and widen the place for an international cricket ground,” he said, gesturing.
“It no makes no sense. It too dangerous because the runway too short. It going to be plenty wuk too. You can’t build an airport next to a hospital. That’s nonsense, man. They better make sure the airstrip safe or there is going to be problem.”
By this time it began to drizzle but he seemed unperturbed by the ‘little rain’ as he remained on the step and shared his views with those of Miss Bramble.
Miss Bramble said the airport is dangerous for construction because of the mountainous terrain surrounding the airport site. “Mountain over there you know – a whole lot of mountains. It’s going to crash right in a Montserrat yah. I don’t understand how they are going to build an airport…. Look what we come to,” she said.

Abraham Corbett, Icilma and Sarah Hyman

James O'Garro

Stewing controversy
Controversy has been stewing over the airport issue ever since Geralds Park was confirmed as its location. Critics say a 600-metre runway is too short to accommodate an emergency stop of a 19-seater Twin Otter aircraft, and that it is also dangerous to build an airport runway, which has precipices at both ends.
After several public and consultative meetings, the Montserrat and British Governments have declared the construction of the airport as safe and are planning to go ahead with construction, which was initially set to begin last month.
Both Governments are sticking to the view that everybody shares – that an airport is needed “quickly” to hopefully boost an economy, which critics say might be in danger of crumbling due to the drastic reduction of British subsidy as the island recovers from the volcanic crisis.
People like Catherine Daley, owner of the Cockpit bar at Geralds, have a similar view.  “They say it is not the best place,” she said. “Others have been saying it’s the best, but in order to get tourists on islands we need to upgrade the (transportation) service (in and out of the island).”
Ms. Daley is sitting on a promise by airport project officials that she will obtain a place to sell at the airport, which is expected to be completed by 2003 and commence full operations in early 2004.
“I don’t know if things might change, because politics could change things,” said Ms. Daley, who ran a bar at the now abandoned W.H. Bramble Airport. “I am still hoping that they will keep their promises. I am hoping for the best. Business is slow. I hope it will pick up when the airport opens.”
While Ms. Daley sits on promises others are ignorant of the issues at hand.
“Me don’t feel any way because it is not my place. Me just a stay put – as long as me a get house me alright. They can’t level it (Geralds land) because here is a silly place. When rain fall the place flooding,” said Abraham Corbett.
Miss Sarah Hyman, 56, and her daughter Miss Icilma Hyman, 30, believe Geralds Park is safe to build an airport.
“Down here good to build an airport – but we don’t have a choice,” said Miss Hyman.
“I think it’s OK too, but they have to deal with the fears of the people,” replied the daughter.

EDITORIAL

"Until It Becomes Seriously Self-reliant, Montserrat Will Not be Self-sufficient"

If the circumstances were fair on both sides; if all the players had the common goal, good, bad, or indifferent, but particularly one that desired to have a Montserrat with Montserratians, expatriates, CARICOM nationals and Britishers -- as it used to be -- the threat of indigenous extinction that now faces the island would have been averted at least two years ago.

It may begin to feel monotonous and boring when the topics of airport and now seaport are mentioned. It is obvious that those Montserratians who elected to remain in Montserrat when they were offered more security in England are being punished in many forms. The slave mentality, selfishness, sometimes even the attitudes of our largest block of managers and employees, have contributed significantly to the sorry state we are now in.

From this corner there is no surprise that the commencement of the airport at Geralds is suffering another delay. We may never see one there. Albeit, however, that the delay is for the better, we can wait, not forever or too long, just so long so that at the end of the day, the facility will be licensed and there will be a well-structured scheduled airline service in and out of Montserrat; one that will appear on itineraries anywhere in the world.

That will be most important. An airport that an agent anywhere in the world cannot see as a traveler’s final destination would be worse than none at all. It would be the ultimate insult and blow to any future chance of tourism development, the final nail in the coffin of extinction.

Of course there is still first the question of safety. Perhaps as a result of the latest delay, the Committee for the Redevelopment of Montserrat (CRM) may well be appeased, even if they do not succeed in getting a larger airport and somewhere other than Geralds. Having represented the interests of the rest of us, the people, on the safety issue, CRM  may be satisfied that every effort was made for the acceptance of a satisfactory compromise at Geralds.

As we have touted here before, that elephant at Geralds will be too heavy for the island (Montserratians) to bear and the island will be trampled to certain death.

Sadly our political problems date back 30 years and there needs to be a fix. Members of this generation have been offered opportunities to do this time and again. That has been a big part of the problem. It will have to be fixed or at least seem to be on its way to being fixed. The people will have their usual role to play, one that the politicians, or some of them, fail to recognise in the potential power they have overlooked or ignored. We need that kind of understanding among them.

For all those who are ready to say that we have received nearly £250 million which is about EC$1,000,000,000 -- in words, one billion dollars -- it is just as easy to say that it is not in sight in Montserrat. If any of it is in the pockets of any Montserratian, bet that it is very British-related and owned.

What our political leaders who are in dialogue with the ‘masters’ must do, is to remind them that the honourable lady Clare Short, when she made her famous ‘golden elephant’ comment, had also said “no one in Montserrat” was to get rich out of the crisis. The result, of course, was to put the management of every penny in the hands of her civil servants at home. That, of course, has had a grave and disastrous effect on Montserrat. If some of that money had indeed made some Montserratians rich, we all would have been much better off. Instead it has made some British firms, companies and individuals rich or richer.

So now here is Montserrat, without the benefits of the money allocated to it, but still because of the lack of will and savvy and continued incompetence, refusing to take or seek the necessary steps to break the shackles.

A few days ago Premier Vance Amory of Nevis said to his people: “One last caution to our people, I want us to generally look at the service that we give in our different areas of work,” said the Premier, in reference to the services his administration was delivering to nation. “I want us to look at the long term benefits which could accrue to us as people in Nevis.”

The premier was encouraging his people to: “to look into the issue of sovereignty for the island of Nevis.” 

SCRIPTURE VERSE THIS WEEK

"Because I Love Jesus" 

Read Matthew 5:1-16

Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father in heaven

Matthew 5:16 

A few years ago I was teaching English as a second language.  Two evenings a week a Korean woman came to my home She knew I was a volunteer through the literacy council.  After I had worked with her for about eight months, one evening she surprised me by asking, "Why you do this"

Caught off guard, I paused trying to think about how to phase my words so that she could understand.  I finally replied simply, "Because I love Jesus, and the church teaches that he wants us to help other people."

Her surprising reply was, in halting English, "When English … better, I want …go…you church."

I believe that actions had spoken to her more loudly than any words could have said.  What a humbling lesson for me - and all of us. What do others see in our actions?  Am I doing what Jesus would do and "glorifying my Father in heaven,"or am I acting in ways contrary to what I profess to believe?

John wrote:"This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did "

(1 John 2:5-6)

Prayer: Gracious God, help us to live each day reflecting your love to others through our actions. Help us to ask ourselves, "What would Jesus do?" and then to follow his example.  In Jesus name we pray. Amen 

Through for the day

What am I doing today to glorify God?

 Patricia T. Goben (Virginia)

Prayer Focus : PERSONS NEW TO MY COUNTRY

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Animal Shootings Author Explains the 'Controversy'

Dear Editor:

In your editorial of last week's Reporter, you made some comments about my article, "Animal Shootings in Montserrat." I am very pleased with what you wrote. As you said, there have been some unexpected reactions to my article.

The postings of Ms. Dewar came to my attention and I cannot leave them without an answer. In her first posting, Ms. Dewar had implied that I had made up the whole incident of the dog shooting on Queens Jubilee celebration day. In her second letter she admits that a dog was shot but she maintained that I had lied about the circumstances.

The following letter I had sent to Ms. Dewar before I saw her second posting. It answers to both of them anyway. Actually, it is quite irrelevant what the particular circumstances had been that led to the golf course shooting. The sad fact remains that the Department of Agriculture is using this cruel method of animal control.

The reason for my action has been, that two letters my wife and I had written to the Department of Agriculture in June remained without an answer. In these letters we had requested an investigation of the Golf Course shooting, and we had offered our help in designing more effective methods of animal control.

After even our telephone calls could not move the Department into action, the only recourse I saw was to go public to start a dialogue of the very serious problem of animal control in Montserrat.

Yours sincerely,
Wolf Krebs

Dear Ms. Dewar:

I have seen the posting that you sent to the Electronic Evergreen. I am very sorry that you interpreted my previous posting in such a negative way. I did not want to attack your Department. I know that the Department of Agriculture has dedicated officers. I appreciate that there have been many fruitful initiatives that have advanced Montserrat. However, the way the loose livestock and wandering dog problem is being handled is not successful at all. For decades free roaming animals have been shot in Montserrat. Yet, the loose livestock problem is as pressing as ever, and sheep and goats are still being killed by dogs.  A professional, less cruel and more civilized approach will yield better results.

You said that the contents of my postings are completely inaccurate and fabricated. Well, they are not. The dog was shot on the golf course by an officer of your Department. The officer was seen. A concerned citizen called him a couple of days later to inquire why he had shot the dog, and the officer explained that his actions were in agreement with the rules and regulations of his Department.
I requested information on this case in a letter sent to your Minister on 12 June, 2002. I still have not received a reply. However, a friend, who sent a similar request, received an answer from you in which you wrote the following:
“ .... Just to give one example, in the course of investigating a recent complaint about the shooting of a dog, we have learned that quite often, some dogs are taken from their homes to be walked on the Golf Course/Old Road beach area, but are simply left there unsupervised.  ........   These dogs have strayed up to the Happy Hill area to attack livestock tethered there. That the dogs are often left unsupervised has been confirmed by the person responsible for 'walking' the dogs. In a recent incident, three of these dogs attacked and injured a number of goats. This was, apparently, at least the third time that these dogs had attacked the same set of livestock. The livestock owner, who caught the dogs in action, was distraught, and called the Forest Ranger....”  The dog owners have never been contacted.

I took the above-cited passage of your letter as a template for the part of my article in which I described the “detective efforts.” Well, I made a mistake: I called the ranger an animal warden. I apologize.

You said, that you are unable to understand the motive for my actions. Here it is: Livestock farmers and pet owners are my customers. They have made it possible for my wife and me to survive very challenging times in Montserrat. I owe it to them to contribute to improving the environment in which they raise their animals. A big step in this direction will be if the Government of Montserrat would discontinue the shooting of livestock and dogs and instead adopt modern and just methods of animal control. You may be interested to learn that the British laws condemn shooting of domestic animals as cruelty.

In addition, if we ever want to be successful as a tourist destination we cannot afford to be seen as being cruel towards animals and inconsiderate to their owners. Many of the “residential tourists” bring their pets.

I will be happy if I could further discuss this matter with you as you had offered in your posting.

Yours very sincerely,

Another Plea for the Return of the On-line Guestbook

Dear Editor

I know that there are individuals who use the guest book for their own personal gain but I'm pleading to you to reopen the guest book even until the end of January. It is our 40th anniversary this year and it will be great if Montserratians can communicate with each other discussing events and even to log ideas for the season.

Promising Opportunity Needs to be Monitored

Dear Editor,

The article on The Montserrat Reporter Online, dated 30 August, entitled GoM
to Grant Licences To Two Medical Schools, sounds very exciting. As a Montserratian living in England, I am aware of the need for economic development on our island.  However, I hope the editor, as he normally does, will use this medium as a way of making sure that these new developments benefit our people.  Concessions given to these companies should not put our people in a position of disadvantage; they should not become second-class citizens in their own country.

Beresford 'Tower' Tuitt

LOCAL and REGIONAL NEWS

Jim Allen Lecture Series Starts Next Wednesday

The annual Jim Allen Lecture Series is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 11, at the Brades Pentecostal Church.
The guest speaker will, for the first time, be a Montserratian – Colin Riley.
Mr. Riley, who is a former Montserrat Secondary School teacher, scholar and cricket enthusiast, will speak on the topic: “Images of Jim Allen: The Ongoing Search for Brilliance Among Montserratians”.
Staged by the Chief Minister’s Office in association with the University of Centre, the Series, which began in August 1999, is the brainchild of Salas Hamilton, former Chief of Staff in the David Brandt administration.
Apart from honouring the life and achievements of  Jim Allen, the Series was initiated to revitalize local cricket.
Mr. Allen, who was originally from Harris’ Village, played from 1969 to 1985 for Montserrat, amassing 2,654 runs from 51 innings, six not outs at an average of 64.25
A Member of the British Empire (MBE), he also scored five centuries at First Class cricket, having made his debut in 1971, and played Lancashire League Cricket, chalking up a total of 1,142 runs, including seven centuries.

Veteran regional cricket journalist Tony Cozier said, at the first lecture series, that because of the superb batting line-up of the West Indies team, Mr. Allen never got picked to represent the region because “it was a very difficult side to get into” but “nowadays, Jim Allen would walk into a West Indies side.”

District Visitor Finds Rotaract Alive, Well

The Rotaract Club of Montserrat is still alive and well on Montserrat in spite of a ‘lack of commitment’ by some members. This was the observation of Miss Dianna Browne, District Rotaract Representative who hails from neighboring Antigua.

Miss Browne told The Montserrat Reporter on Tuesday that although she would be meeting with the Rotaractors that evening at their weekly Tuesday night gathering, she had held talks with local Rotaract officials who had given her the honest impression.

Miss Atisha Lewis, president, and Germaine Wade public relations officer for the club, introduced the District Representative to their parent body Rotary Club president Bennett Roach during a courtesy call. They held long discussions about plans for the rejuvenation of the club, which, along with the parent body, has weathered obvious difficulties as the volcanic crisis created a steady loss of members to evacuation and migration.

Miss Browne, herself a past president of Rotaract in Antigua, said this was her fourth visit to Montserrat, the third since the crisis began in 1995, but her first in the new capacity as District Representative. She said she found Montserrat to be moving along steadily, a nice place to visit and has undertaken to encourage Rotarians and Rotaractors in Antigua to join the local clubs on December 26 for the Christmas Feste to be held at Salem Park.

The Christmas Feste is one of the Montserrat Rotary and Rotaract clubs major joint events, when they raise funds to assist in carrying out their projects, while promoting their motto of "Service Above Self." At the Christmas Feste, the Rotaractors said, they will put on their postponed "Car Show."

During her meeting with the Rotary president Miss Browne announced that Antigua will be hosts to the Rotaractors District Conference next year. This will make it possible for more Rotaractors from Montserrat to attend the conference that otherwise would not be the case. President Lewis agreed and promised that Montserrat will seek to play its part in helping to make the Conference a success. 

MVO Board meeting starts following Risk Assessment

View of the volcano from Salem on 3rd Sept. 2002

The Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) Board of Directors will have their sixth meeting today, Friday, September 6.

 Co-chairmen of the Board are the Governor and the Chief Minister.

The chief minister will have a wide-ranging agenda including proposals for a new management contract and a progress report on the MVO building at Flemings.

Prior to the Board meeting the scientific experts of the Risk Assessment Panel will get together to examine and report on the latest threats posed by the volcano.

This will be the Panel’s 10^th meeting since the volcanic eruptions began. 

HMS Grafton To Visit Montserrat Saturday

The Royal Navy’s frigate, HMS Grafton, will pay a routine visit to Montserrat on Saturday, September 7 as part of the Royal Navy’s regular programme of patrols in the region.
During the visit, Commanding Officer Richard Thomas, MBE, who is originally from Liverpool, will meet with the Governor, members of the Government and Defence Force.
He will also meet with Emergency Department and Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) officials to, as usual, be briefed on the status of the volcano and the vessel’s potential role in assisting with serious emergencies.
A number of the ship’s company will tour the island and a representative team will engage local footballers in a friendly match at Blakes, carded to start at 4:00 p.m.
HMS Grafton, which has a crew of 165, is currently crossing the Atlantic to take up her duties as the Atlantic Patrol Vessel, formerly known as the West Indies Guard Ship.
HMS Grafton is the second ship to visit Montserrat since the start of the year.
On March 27, the five-year-old HMS Sutherland arrived on the shores of Montserrat for a one-day visit.
The HMS Sutherland was responsible for the arrest of a Merchant ship heading for the English Channel in December with suspected al-Qaida terrorist support.

St. Kitts SDA Youth Choir Continues Montserrat Plans

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – Pre-ordered lunch was sold on August 30, by members of the Basseterre Seventh-Day Adventist Youth Choir, in an effort to raise funds to offset some of the expenses to be incurred during their September concert in Montserrat.

Some of the members preparing lunch on Friday

On August 18, the choir which includes two teenage Montserratians Randelle Riley and Aisha Tuitt, earlier held a fund-raiser car wash to help offset expenses for the trip.

The popular choir of the Basseterre Seventh-Day Adventist Church, referred to as BYC, is two weeks away from making its historic trip to Montserrat at the request of some authorities there, to stage a version of the successful 2001 concert held in St. Kitts in November last year at the Basseterre High School Auditorium.

The choir is scheduled to depart St. Kitts on Friday, September 13, and will stage the concert at Mongo Hill, Montserrat, on September 14. It will return to the Federation on September 16, National Heroes Day.

Director of the choir Clyde Richardson expressed gratitude to those who helped to put the plans on track: Caribbean Star Airlines, the official carrier of the choir on the trip; the Immigration Department in Antigua, Best Buy Supermarket (for allowing the use of its facilities for the car washes), and also to the parents of the choir members and members of the public who have supported the event in various ways.

Meanwhile, the group was hosted by WINN FM’s "Breakfast With Toni," which helped to publicise the group’s plans and details for the Montserrat trip.
Cut-line: Some of the members putting the Friday lunch together. 

Overall CXC Results Are Sharply Improved

The overall performance of candidates in CXC Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) improved in 2002, while the number of Units for CXC CAPE increased by over 100 percent compared to last year.
In the CXC CSEC, this was reflected in the higher percentage of Grades 1 to 111 that candidates achieved this year.
Sixty-six percent of the subject entries presented for General and Technical Proficiency examinations achieved Grades 1 to 111 compared with 57 percent in 2001.
In the Basic Proficiency examinations, approximately 37 percent of the subject entries for both last year and this year achieved Grades 1 to 111.
Meanwhile, in this year’s CXC CAPE exams, 15,650 Unit entries were received, compared with 6,562 entries last year, representing an increase of 138 percent.  
There was also a substantial increase in the number of candidates registering for the examinations. A total of 5,741 candidates, comprising 31 percent males and 69 percent females from 12 countries registered for the exams.  This compared with 3387 candidates in 2001 from 11 countries.
In an effort to address the need for additional materials for teachers and candidates, CXC, in a joint project with the Commonwealth of Learning, is in the process of developing flexible learning materials to support teaching and learning in a number of subjects.
CAPE was first offered in five 1-Unit courses in 1998. The CAPE offerings are intended to provide candidates with an opportunity to obtain certification for employment as well as for entry to tertiary institutions. 
The range of CAPE subjects, therefore, includes core courses in Caribbean Studies, Communications Studies, Statistical Analysis, Information Technology, Functional French and Functional Spanish as well as offerings in the Humanities, Languages, Mathematics, Science and Technical/Vocational areas. 

Caribbean Tourism Gets Media Boost to Recovery

Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, Deputy Chairman of the new Caribbean Hotel Association Charitable Trust (CHACT), said the fall season is typically slow for the Caribbean, but with 30-second television spots airing on television stations across North America, the region’s number one industry should “breathe a lot easier” than others.

Mr. Vanderpool-Wallace, Director-General of Bahamas’ Ministry of Tourism and The Trust’s public sector representative, said he is encouraged by the increasing confidence of tourists to take to the Caribbean’s skies, something that the region must continue to promote. “People are escaping to the Caribbean because it’s easy, safe and the experiences are many and varied,” he said. “We must capitalize on this.”

The tourism director urged nations who haven’t joined the regional initiative to get on board since “our economies do not work until travel returns. You have to be visible if you are taking the business of tourism seriously.”

The destinations to have joined are Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos and U.S. Virgin Islands.

CHACT is a Public/ Private Sector conglomeration of major hotel chains, airlines and credit card companies who have joined forces through the Caribbean Tourism Organisation – with both CARICOM and non-CARICOM nations – in order to market and promote the Caribbean as a single destination. A regional fund has enabled the launch of a television campaign with a related call-to-action. The overall intent of the campaign is to brand the region and therefore compete with other regions of the world that have been taking an ever increasing Caribbean market share of the U.S. outbound traveler for nine consecutive years. 

Overseas Territories CMs Prepare for UK Meeting

Montserrat’s Chief Minister John Osborne, accompanied by Financial Secretary John Skerritt, last week joined chief ministers from the Caribbean Overseas Territories in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, to discuss issues of mutual interest to their Territories. 

This was the second meeting of this nature, the first having been held in the British Virgin Islands in 2001.  The next meeting will be held in the Cayman Islands in 2003. 

Chief Minister Osborne reported in a release, “This Conference was timely as it precedes the EU Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) Conference in Bonaire, the Commonwealth Ministers of Finance Meeting and the COT’s Consultative Council Meeting, both of which will be held in the United Kingdom.”

In his opening remarks Chief Minister Derek Taylor of the Turks and Caicos, said that the Chief Ministers meetings provide the heads of all Government, along with their key officials, a great opportunity to share ideas, learn from shared experiences and formulate policies on matters of mutual interest.  From this they will present a united position to the British Government when both sides meet this month..

Mr. Taylor said that the past three years have not been kind to many Caribbean States.  “The decision by the World Trade Organization and European Union to remove protection on agricultural products, the backbone of many small economies, has affected the livelihood of many of our regional neighbors.”  He added that what is important to the Overseas Territories is a progressive reduction of customs tariff by 2005.  “For many of us Customs receipts account for up to 50 percent of Government revenue.  We need greater certainty concerning the implications of the required changes for our economies.” 

The Chief Ministers held discussions on a variety of issues that affect the Overseas Territories.  These include illegal Immigration, European Union/OCT Cooperation, EU Tax Initiative, IMF Country Assessments and Sustainable Development – TCI Experience.

The Heads also discussed the draft letter outlining the proposed issues /topics to be discussed at the Consultative Council Meeting by Baroness Amos of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.  These include Constitutional reform/ Governance, Economic Development, Financial Management/ Services and Serial and Human Rights Issues.

Hon. Ralph T. O’Neil, Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands, told the Heads, “We must be very careful that we don’t get divided.”  He said that too often Overseas Territoriess looked to the European Union for financial aid or grants, reminding that such aid is expensive.

He also said he looked forward to the day when there would be a lessening of the powers given to the Governors of the Overseas Territories. 

Governor Mervyn Jones of the Turks and Caicos, who opened the meeting, told the delegates that by being senior elected representatives of their territories; it is they who must know what policies and decisions are in the best interest of those they serve. 

Of note at the meeting was the presentation of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories for discussion.  The Memorandum of Understanding captures the Overseas Territories recognition of the similarities, mutual interest and diseconomies due to size, and their commitment to cooperate and support each other in sustaining and protecting their fragile national economies.  It is hoped that this document would be ready for signing when the Chief Ministers meet in London. 

Aruba Provides Technical Assistance to St. Maarten

GREAT BAY, St. Maarten (GIS) – Head of Aruba’s Department of Legislation Harriet Nassy, has been appointed by Aruba’s Council of Ministers to serve as liaison between the Government of Aruba and St. Maarten.
Nassy arrived on the island Monday on an orientation visit and will be introduced to Leader of Government Commissioner of Constitutional Affairs Sarah Wescott-Williams on Tuesday.
Harriet Nassy’s role will be to assist with the planning process of having legislation adapted for the country St. Maarten. 
Leader of Government Commissioner of Constitutional Affairs Sarah Wescott-Williams, told the Government Information Service (GIS) that the technical assistance being provided by Aruba was formalized during a meeting between the Commissioner head of her delegation, and Aruban Prime Minister Nel Oduber and the Aruban Council of Ministers last July.   
Nassy will also meet with the Work Group for Constitutional Affairs (WGC) headed by Eugene Holiday, Head of the Bureau for

Constitutional Affairs (BCA) Gracita Arrindell and the Sub Group for Constitutional Affairs.
Wescott-Williams added that Prime Minister Oduber during the meeting stated that his government respects and supports the wish of the people of St. Maarten to become a country within the Kingdom. 
“He is of the opinion that Aruba cannot do otherwise in view of the support and role that St. Maarten played in helping Aruba achieve its own separate status back in 1986,” Wescott-Williams said on Monday.

Aruba is also prepared to make additional expertise available to assist St. Maarten in preparing for the status of country, and to share its experience with St. Maarten on the division of assets and liabilities. 

Ministry of Education assigns Cuban Professors to enhancement education system

Grenada: The Ministry of Education has assigned 16 Cuban professors to provide assistance with the enhancement of Grenada’s educational system.

The professors will be placed in several learning institutions and will teach both technical and vocational subjects.
The T.A Marryshow Community College will be the beneficiary of 11 lecturers in the areas of Building Technology, Plumbing, Welding, Machine Shop, Technical Drawing, Spanish, Carpentry, Masonry, Horticulture and Auto Mechanics. Three secondary schools will also receive Spanish teachers.
The Ministry of Education will host a special orientation session and this ministry will also be responsible for providing accommodation and remuneration for the lecturers.
Highlighted among the 16 lecturers are a speech therapist and a horticulturist. This is the first time that professors in those areas have come to the Spice Isle to address particular areas of concern.
This is the third year this venture is being undertaken by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Government of Cuba and based on previous results it is expected to be a success. 

Dredging Works Begins On BVI Airport Project

By Joseph Daley

ROAD TOWN, Tortola -- The Belgian company Jan de Nul NV on Tuesday began dredging work amid Phase 1B of the airport development project at T.B Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island.
Yves van Aken of Jan de Nul promised the local Government that his company will deliver.
“I think we can get the dredging work finished by mid September so everything will be clear by then,” he said.
Chief Minister Ralph T. O’Neal and Minister for Communication and Works/Deputy Chief Minister Julian Fraser signed the contract last month. It is valued at 1,988,395 Euros.
Chief Minister O’Neal said he is relieved by the contract signing and has asked the contractors to guarantee that the dredging works will be completed.
Referring to previous negotiations with Westminster Dredging Company Mr. O’Neal noted, “This is the second attempt and we hope that everything will go smoothly.”
He added that it is his desire to see an end to the dredging and the airport project chapters, so he can move on to other things.  

Kittitian Sharon Michael Joins Geisinger Medical Group

ST. KITTS - Kittitian Sharon Michael, M.D. (pictured left), specializing in family practice, has joined Geisinger Medical Group-Lycoming.
Dr. Michael earned her medical degree from Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA. She completed her residency in family practice at Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, PA, in June 2002, where she received the Resident Teacher Award from the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine.
Dr. Michael joins Sandra Beall, MD; Dilip Elangbam, MD; Jai Naidu, MD; George Rohrer, MD; and Vincent Walsh, DO at Geisinger Medical Group.
Sharon Michael is the first daughter of Annette Walwyn Michael of Greenlands, St. Kitts and Reginald Michael of Ottos, St. John's, Antigua.
She looks forward to being able to return to St. Kitts at some point in the future, to make a contribution to the health-care sector here.

PAHO, St. Maarten Near New Health Care Accord

GREAT BAY, St. Maarten (GIS) – A Technical Assistance Program is to be signed shortly between the Netherlands Antilles and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) about improving public health care functions.
Sector Health Care Affairs (SHCA) Director Jorien Lucas-Wuite told the Government Information Service (GIS) that PAHO has taken the initial step of launching a Hemispheric Initiative, known as “Public Health in the Americas,” aimed at defining and measuring the performance of Essential Public Health Functions (EPHF) as the basis for improving public health practice and strengthening the leadership of the health authority at all levels.
The SHCA director said that St. Maarten has submitted several specific areas to be included in the work plan for the period 2002–2003.
These areas are food safety, a mandatory training program for food handlers and management of establishments; a follow-up to health studies entailing the implementation of the public health policy plan, “Building a Healthy Island,” a plan for health promotion activities; strengthening the role and functioning of SHCA; medical relief and public health in disasters and a healthy school project.
“The relationships between PAHO and  the Island and Federal Governments, have been strengthened in the interest of improving public health," Mr. Lucas-Wuite said.
“PAHO is interested in working with the islands.  It is a very good effort in having a direct working relationship with the islands.  The content of the work plan was agreed upon, but it still has to be submitted to PAHO’s Washington Office. The Federal Government is playing a major role as coordinator in the process.”  

September 11 Ceremony To Recite Names of Lost

The names of all 2,800 people killed in the terrorist attacks of September 11 last year will be read out during a ceremony in New York City to mark the year anniversary.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and State Governor George Pataki announced details of the ceremony recently, saying 4,500 people had made ''remarkable and thoughtful'' contributions on a public hotline.

The ceremony will begin at 08:46 at Ground Zero, exactly one year since the north World Trade Center tower was hit by American Airlines Flight 11.

The names of the dead will then be read aloud, some by the former mayor of New York, Rudolph Giuliani, and others by relatives of the victims.

Family members will be allowed onto the World Trade Center site for the first time. Many of them regard it as a burial ground.

Each of the families will put a rose in a vase for an arrangement that will later form part of the permanent memorial.

The ceremony is set to last for 102 minutes, the exact length of time between the impact of the first plane and the collapse of the second tower.

The day will start with a bagpipe procession from each of the five boroughs that will honour the rescue workers killed.

Sombre and highly symbolic, the Ground Zero ceremony will also include readings from the Declaration of Independence and the Gettysburg Address, the founding texts of American democracy.

Places of worship will be encouraged to toll their bells and to open their doors to people who need them.

President George W. Bush will visit New York later in the day and visiting heads of state will observe the lighting of an eternal flame.

But as Mr. Bloomberg announced, it will be a working day for schools and businesses, a sign that the city has triumphed even as it is thinking of those it has lost.  

New Nevis Air Terminal To be Dedicated Sept. 19

CHARLESTOWN, Nevis -- The Nevis Island Administration’s Cabinet has announced that the new passenger terminal building at Newcastle Airport will be officially opened on Independence Day, Thursday, September 19.

A dedication ceremony for the recently completed island Main Road will also be held on the same day.

 “I take this opportunity on behalf of the Nevis Island Administration to extend an invitation to all the people of Nevis,” said Michael Perkins, Minister for Planning, Infrastructural Development, Environment and Natural Resources. “The basic plan is that we would first have a ceremony in the area of Five Turnings, Cotton Ground, to officially open and bless the new roads that we are now enjoying.”

Mr. Perkins observed that immediately following the road-opening ceremony, those present would travel to Newcastle for the formal opening ceremony for the terminal building. He said the new facility is a state of the art building with security features of an international standard. Venezuelan company Grupo Deyca Internacional constructed the terminal building at a cost of nearly EC$15 million. The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development extended a loan of EC$10.2 million to the Nevis Island Administration.

Meanwhile, Premier Vance Amory, in a televised address on Tuesday, assured Nevisians that there was no cause for alarm following the Chapter 11 claim made by U.S. Airways in respect of its operations. U.S. Airways has a code share arrangement with Nevis Express, where the local carrier transfers . Airways’ passengers from Puerto Rico to Nevis and St. Kitts.

While it has been reported that American Airlines was downsizing, Premier Amory remained confident that its affiliate, American Eagle, would still commence flights into Newcastle Airport from Puerto Rico as earlier planned. “We are still very hopeful that this will happen even with the difficulties that American Airlines is having.”

Looking at the overall development of airlift into Nevis following government’s upgrading of the Newcastle Airport, Premier Amory spoke of the introduction of LIAT Dash 8 five days a week Antigua-Nevis-Puerto Rico service and the daily Antigua-Nevis-Anguilla-Antigua service, and commented that “those of you who have been following those new flights into Nevis would recognise that it has made a significant difference to the access to air travel for the people of Nevis.” 

Belize to Reduce Duty  For Small Enterprises

BELMOPAN, Belize  - Cabinet has given Investment Minister Ralph Fonseca the go-ahead to introduce legislation in the House of Representatives to establish a procedure for Government to grant duty exemptions to small and medium enterprises.

This will be achieved through an amendment to the Fiscal Incentives Act, to simplify and expedite procedures for applications for incentives to small and medium enterprises.

The application form will be shorter than the current one used by BELTRAIDE and the fees will be much less.  There will be a flat fee of $100 for the investment of up to $100,000; $200 for investments between $100,000 and $200,000, and $500 for investments between $200,000 and $300,000.

Those who will benefit from this new programme are small and medium enterprises which attract foreign exchange earnings in activities related to agriculture, forestry and fisheries, arts and culture activities, information technology, health care, tourism related businesses, and manufacturing, particularly handicraft, woodcarving and jewelry making.

In another development on the investment front, Cabinet approved a development concession to Universal Health Services to expand their medical facility in Belize City with the construction of a 200-bed private hospital. Universal Health Services propose to invest $16.5 million to expand its Medical Arts Facility, which already offers clinics with several specialists, operating room, recovery room, delivery room, intensive care unit, pediatric ward and general ward. 

SPORTS

Barbados Whip Jamaica To Win Red Stripe Bowl

By www.windiescricket.com

DISCOVERY BAY, Jamaica – Barbados captured the Red Stripe Bowl for the first time with a 33-run victory over hosts Jamaica in an absorbing final at the Kaiser Sports Club on Sunday.
It was also their first regional limited-overs title since 1988, when they won the Geddes Grant/Harrison Line Cup under the captaincy of Malcolm Marshall.
Their success was built on another solid effort from their batsmen and a sterling effort in defending a total of 241 for eight from their 50 overs.
Jamaica, pegged back at the start of their innings to the extent that they scored only 39 runs in the first 20 overs, were kept in the match by a century from Wavell Hinds before they were dismissed for 208 in 46.2 overs.
After they were sent in, Barbados was lifted by half-centuries from Floyd Reifer and Kurt Wilkinson and aided by four dropped catches.
The left-hander blossomed after a sluggish start to hit 86 off 98 balls, while opener Wilkinson anchored the innings to make a solid 62 off 113 balls.
The dismissal of Wilkinson in the 33rd over left Barbados 121 for three and it represented a fight-back by Jamaica after the visitors had raced to 31 from the first five overs.
But, Jamaica missed a series of chances and allowed Barbados to increase the tempo in the last 15 overs that produced 115 runs.

Local Football League To Kick Off Sept. 15

Local football fever will start on September 15 with the staging of the 2002 Montserrat Football Association (MFA) Inc. League at the new football complex at Blakes.
Defending champions Police, Montserrat Secondary School (MSS), Ideal Printers and Tremors are the four teams scheduled to participate in the league.
James White Jr., MFA Inc. public relations officer, said the number of teams was trimmed from six to four due to organisational problems last season.
An over-35 team will be invited to play exhibition matches during the season.
The organisers are still planning the format of the competition.
Like last year, teams will vie for a championship trophy; individual trophies will be given out, such as for Most Improved Team, Most Improved Player, Most Disciplined Team and Most Valuable Player.
Players have already begun to sharpen their skills for the season. Several warm-up matches between a North and South side were played over the past three weeks at Blakes.
To kick off the competition, the organisers are planning to have an invitational Antigua police side tackle the local Police team.
Mr. White said the purpose of the match would be a “goodwill gesture” to the Antigua police squad, who assisted Montserrat’s national team with fitness and match training during the World Cup qualifiers.
“In case they don’t come over we are planning to push one of the local scheduled matches up to that date (September 15),” said Mr. White.
The organisers are also planning to stage junior and senior leagues later this season. “We are still working on these but the League is a priority,” he said. 

Salem Remains Unbeaten In Softball Cricket Tourney

Salem maintained their unbeaten record in the 2002 Softball Cricket tournament with a mammoth 101-run victory over Fire at Little Bay on Sunday, September 1.

Salem chalked up their third victory in the competition, and now holds six points at the top.

They were the ones who took first strike on Sunday and made 183 runs for nine wickets off 30 overs.

Captain Philip Chambers (75) and Sylvester Greenaway (37) were the top run-getters for the Salem team, who put on a creditable show against L. Weekes’ three for 38 off six overs.
In reply, Fire was bowled out for 82 in 17.5 overs.

Some fiery bowling from Gary Barzey (three for five off 2.5) and Greenaway (three for 22 off six) damaged Fire’s weak batting line-up.

In the other match on Sunday, St. John’s Renegades defeated Lookout by eight wickets.
Lookout batted first and was skittled out for 47 from 25.4 overs; Owen Johnson made 14 and Darren Sweeney made 13.

Leon Greenaway bowled three for three runs off 4.4 overs.

St. John’s in reply made 48 runs for two wickets off 12.5 overs.

David Lane (22 not out) and Zhuan Sweeney (14) were their top batsmen.

Both teams enter this weekend of matches with four points each.

Rain prevented Saturday’s matches from being played. The matches – Salem vs. Female Cricketers and Police vs. Cudjoe Head – will be rescheduled.

This week’s matches

Saturday, Sept. 7: Police vs. Fire at Salem

Sunday, Sept. 8: Cudjoe Head vs. St. John’s at Salem; Lookout vs. Female Cricketers at Little Bay.

RIDE ON BAJANS

By Peter Adrien

<---Floyd Reifer, MVP of 2002 Bowl

Well done, Barbados! It was no upset. It was simply a champion performance. Barbados defeated tournament favourites Jamaica because her cricketers played superior cricket in the final game. Nobody billed the Barbadians favourites in the Bowl finals. I noted that they could upset things but preferred to opt for Guyana and Jamaica. Well the Bajans defeated Guyana clinically, reducing them to 162 runs in the semi-final match, and outplayed Jamaica, beating them by 33 runs.

But who would have billed the Bajans favorites coming against a Jamaican team that had seven test players; six team batsmen - six devastating stroke-players, if not destroyers? Who would have made the Bajans front-runners against a Jamaican team that had won every game in the tournament convincingly? Who in their right mind would have put their money on the Bajans when the Reggae Boyz had just cut-down the Trinis (with the inclusion of the World-record-holder, Brian Lara) in the semi-final match for a paltry 147, having battered the same Bajan bowlers previously for 307? What most of us forgot was that the Bajans did amass 287 in their allotted 47 overs in that fateful match (having being penalized for slow over rate). And we also forgot that they are a true champion team made up of a mix of experienced “have-beens” and talented youths.   

Well, if our expectations were not met in semi-final matches, the value-added was very high in the final game on Sunday September 1, 2002. The two teams – Barbados and Jamaica - played cricket the West Indies Way at the Kaiser Sport Ground at Discovery Bay, Jamaica.  The large Jamaican crowd might have gone home disappointed, having come expecting a Jamaican victory, but many would have returned satisfied that they had witnessed an epic contest, one reminiscent of the “Challenge Matches” that were played in the colonial times between competing villages and competing teams.

Yes, the fateful day belonged to the Barbadians, who played like they were fighting for their lives. They played like gladiators; batted like sentinels; bowled like they were employed by the old King Midas; they fielded like tigers; ran between the wickets like squirrels; and moved in the field like panthers. The result was a worthy victory by 33 runs and the first hold on the Red Stripe Bowl (their first regional limited-overs title) since winning the Geddes Grant/Harrison Line Cup under the captaincy of the late legendary fast bowler, Malcolm Marshall, in 1988.

Captain Courtney Browne marshalled his team like a purposeful leader; managed his bowlers like a general; and took the offensive to the Jamaican bowlers when he batted, like Alexander the Great. His team (particularly Wallace, Reifer and Hinds) sacrificed their lives on the field of play; the youngsters gave over and beyond the call of duty; young Kurt Wilkinson batted as if he were saving the nation of Barbados; Vasbert Drakes bowled with the economy and discipline that we have not seen since Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner and Courtney Walsh (even if he was severely handicapped by a groin injury).

Drakes’ exceptional performance signaled the timeliness of WICB’s decision to lift the offensive eligibility restriction that has kept away the best cricketers. The WICB has reversed the eligibility rule that demanded that overseas players participate in all the games in the domestic tournaments, preferring to make players eligible once they represent their country in a tournament preceding the selection for an international game. The floodgates are now opened and Vasbert Drakes and Vincentian Nixon McLean are eligible for selection to the tour of India starting on October 9, the tour of Bangladesh starting on November 29 and the World Cup starting in February 2003.

The Final of the 2002 Red Stripe Bowl had all the ingredients of a championship; it produced all that is expected of a Grande Finale between two heavyweights. The Barbados team, sent in by a confident Jamaican team, launched the assault from the very first ball, amassing some 21 runs in the first three overs; the Jamaican spinners (Gareth Breese and Chris Gayle) counter-attacked and succeeded in curbing their aggression; but the middle-order batsmen (Floyd Reifer and Kurt Wilkinson) consolidated, re-established control, and set the platform for the final assault orchestrated by Courtney Browne (40) and the Finals MVP, Floyd Reifer, who accumulated 86 from a mix of solid West Indian power-hitting and improvisation. They amassed 241 runs from 50 overs.  

When the Jamaican replied, the experienced Bajans, led by the clinical former West Indian all-rounder, Vasbert Drakes (assisted by young seamer, Ian Bradshaw), strangled the young stroke-makers, limiting them to just 37 runs in 20 overs, thus ensuring that the Jamaicans were completely incapable of taking advantage of the fielding restrictions in the first 15 overs.

With 241 on the board, the finals were almost determined at that point. But the Reggae Boyz, as expected, broke free as soon as the two tormentors had finished their torture. Captain Robert Samuel (who made 29 from 21 balls) and Wavell Hinds, launched an assault on the other bowlers and almost succeeded. But when it was reduced to a contest between Wavell Hind and Barbados, the demands were too high, and even 103 runs from 140 balls could not prevent the southern gladiators from lifting the Red Stripe Bowl and the US$10,000 prize money.

Well, this is not a contest for the weak, the untried, the softy, and the immature.  In the Barbados innings, the West Indies newfound speedster, Jamaican Daren Powell, who had destroyed the Trinidadians in the semifinals, taking five wickets for 23 runs from his allotted 10 overs, was literally destroyed by the Goliath Philo Wallace. The much-touted Barbadian off-spinner, Sulieman Benn, was so severely punished by Samuels and Hinds, that Courtney Browne had to hide him after only two overs, which cost him 21 runs.

Congratulations are in order. Ride on Bajans! Ride on!

Peter Adrien is a central banker, an author, a syndicated sports  analyst and freelance photographer. He can be contacted viawww.adriensenterprises.com or E-mail: Adriens@caribsurf.com

PHOTO CAPTION: Floyd Reifer, MVP of 2002 Bowl (Photo: Peter Adrien)

New WICB selection rule in place

The West Indies Cricket Board's selection eligibility rule for the senior West Indies cricket team has been changed.
This decision was taken following a recent WICB directors meeting that reviewed the selection eligibility rule.
"The new rule that becomes effectively immediately states that a player will be eligible for selection to the senior West Indies team when he makes himself available for selection to his national team in a competition immediately preceding the selection of a senior West Indies team," remarked Gregory Shillingford, chief executive of the WICB.
He added: "In the end, they have decided to adopt a policy that they hope will lead to the creation of better opportunities all around and ensure that our cricket once more returns to a position of strength."
Shillingford noted the WICB's directors considered a number of factors that would impact upon the eligibility rule, and thought long and hard about how best they could satisfy all stakeholders.
"First, the directors had to ensure that its valued sponsors obtained a fair return for their investment in the game," said Shillingford.
"But they also had to consider that a cricketer's career and livelihood is generally enhanced by their ability to ply their trade in a professional environment, and we the directors accepted that we do not have such a professional setup in the West Indies at present nor are we able to support a retainer system.

Best possible plan

"They also felt that the best possible talent from the region should be available for selection to the West Indies selectors."
In prior years, selection to senior West Indies teams depended on players being available for all matches in the regional first-class and limited-overs competition, but the directors voted by a majority of 13-1 to change the rule.
Rev. Wes Hall, president of the WICB noted, "This should demonstrate how agreeable many of the directors find the new ruling. We noted and appreciated the views of the director that voted against the rule.
"But we feel this change represents a first step to addressing the new competitive requirements of the rigorous 10-year tour programme of the International Cricket Council that involves teams playing at least 15 Tests and 25 limited-overs internationals annually."
Shillingford concluded that the WICB now had to focus on acquiring the resources that will allow it to be in a position to offer the players retainer contracts and set up a professional league at the club and/or regional level.
"This means we will also have to look at the way we schedule and structure our competitions so they provide our players with the kind of environment that will lead to outstanding performances," he stated.

FEATURES

A Year Later, Children of Sept. 11 Still Ponder the Incomprehensible

By Allison Salerno

After my husband narrowly survived the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center I now worry if my sons will ever again feel safe in the world.
My husband, Greg, works for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in public affairs. He escaped from his office on the 68th floor of Tower One 11 minutes before the tower collapsed.
When we finally connected by phone about 2 p.m. that day, we both were anxious about our boys – then not quite 5 and 2. We particularly wondered about Gabriel, whose 5th birthday was the next day. As much as we wished to shield him, we knew we had to tell him what had happened; otherwise he would find out from his fellow kindergartners. Greg and I agreed his party would go on, even though Greg could not take the day off as planned. We didn't want to take Gabriel's special day away from him.
I told Gabriel that bad people had hit Daddy's building with an airplane but that daddy was OK. He laughed. "Gee, that would be hard," he said. Relieved, I thought he saw what happened as something out of a "Power Rangers" episode.
It soon became clear he understood much more – despite not being allowed to watch TV images of the attacks.
During Gabriel's birthday party, which he had planned with me in great detail, he sat on the floor of our family room, fiddling with his new pirate ship, while his friends enjoyed the games and snacks on our backyard patio. He ventured outside only to blow out his candles.
Greg was gone from home 18 hours a day; the boys were sleeping when he left in the morning and when he returned close to midnight each night. The phone rang constantly – neighbors, family members, longtime friends and members of the media, all wanting to know about Greg, some not quite knowing how to ask.
"People are calling because they think Daddy is dead," Gabriel said. I tried to reassure him. "No, people are worried and are so happy to hear daddy is alive."
At bedtime he would ask me, "How is Captain Kathy?" referring to Port Authority Police Captain Kathy Mazza, a friend of Greg's, who we later learned had died rescuing people from Tower One. "We don't know yet," was my answer. I didn't want to lie and lose his trust. But too much truth didn't feel right either.
Greg had begun working at the Port Authority when Gabriel was 2. Gabriel often put toys in Daddy's briefcase. Over the next couple of years, Greg had assembled on a shelf in his office quite a collection of Matchbox cars, Tinkertoys and action figures. The boys loved to play with those toys when we visited Greg at work, which we did less than a month before Sept. 11.
For months after the attacks, Gabriel would ask if rescuers had found those toys. He would scan the New York Times' photographs of Ground Zero, hoping to see them. "The bad guys broke a promise," he told me. "Daddy promised me I could have those toys in my office when I grow up and now I can't. It's not fair."
Some nights, Greg would lie in bed with Gabriel, answering his questions about jet fuel, the war in Afghanistan and the nature of evil. It seemed to comfort them both.
Often, my own words felt inadequate. I said we could be thankful that Daddy was OK because God protected him. "But God didn't protect all the people who died, did He?" came Gabriel's response.
All year Gabriel crayoned images of fiery planes hitting the Twin Towers. I came home one day to find he had convinced a babysitter to make a book out of construction paper called "How the Twin Towers Fell."
When his kindergarten teacher asked the children to write their New Year's resolutions, Gabriel drew mostly in black – the sun, the Twin Towers, a crashing plane and an army tank ramming into Tower One. And then he drew his resolution: NO WAR. LOTS AND LOTS OF FUN.

It felt as if we all were making progress.
For a Mother's Day poem, Gabriel drew the Twin Towers again. This time, I was standing in front of them, crying. Written beneath was his message: "T is for the Tears you shed to save me." When Gabriel explained to me, "You protected me from all the sadness of that day." I felt a measure of success.
At the time of the attacks, Lucas couldn't talk yet, so I assumed he didn't understand what had happened. A few weeks ago, however, he asked why an airplane hit Daddy on the head at work and why an airplane didn't hit his nursery school.
Gabriel asks us: "Why couldn't the bad guys have picked some other buildings to hit?" He has come up with all sorts of scenarios about how the plane could have been diverted from the tower – there could have been invisible guns on the roof or a magic shield around the building.
Greg has begun to collect new toys, family photographs and artwork in his new office, on the 19th floor of a nondescript building that we tell our boys no bad guys can find. On the bulletin board above his desk is a drawing by Gabriel: the Twin Towers, tiny, and a giant Jedi looming over them. He holds a light saber, forever protecting the towers.
This year, Gabriel has traded his fascination with pirates with an enthusiasm for "Star Wars" and is planning a suitable birthday party for Sept. 12. He loves to tell us how in "Star Wars," the Jedis always defeat the evil forces. He's inviting just a few boys to our home because "that way we will all stay together and people won't go off into little groups and start fighting."
And when he turns 6, Daddy will be there.

Allison Salerno, a former newspaper reporter and editor in Massachusetts, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, now teaches writing at Rutgers University in New Jersey. She may be reached at absalerno@hotmail.com

TOWARDS A VIABLE POPULATION

Eligibility for Returning Montserratian Status

Who is eligible to apply for returning Montserratian status?  We are suggesting that an applicant should be:

• A citizen of Montserrat by birth, of 18 years and above, returning to Montserrat to settle permanently after a minimum of seven (7) years abroad, or throughout the period of the relocation.
• A citizen of Montserrat by descent who is 18 years and above, who is coming to Montserrat to settle permanently after a minimum of seven (7) years abroad.
• An alien spouse of a citizen of Montserrat who is arriving to settle, after a minimum of seven (7) years abroad.
• Montserratians who gave up their citizenship but now wish to return home, and can provide proof of their previous status.
• Students who are studying abroad for more than one year and less than seven (7) years.

These can qualify for concessions in respect of their tools of trade, household effects, and some normally dutiable items, which may be used.

We are also suggesting that in order to establish eligibility, a returning Montserratian should, on arrival, attend a brief interview with the Customs & Immigration Departments, and submit to them the following: 

• A current and previous passport, where the current passport was issued for less than four (4) years.
• Such documentary evidence as may substantiate their residence outside of Montserrat for seven (7) years and more. Short visits to Montserrat for vacation, etc, should not affect eligibility.

While it is true that our community is small and we know each other well, it is advisable to ask students to provide a letter from their university, college or educational institution confirming the duration of their course of study or time spent at that institution.

To qualify for exemption a returning Montserratian should have been resident overseas for not less than five (5) years. An applicant who during the five-year period immediately preceding his or her return to Montserrat as a returning Montserratian, visited Montserrat and stayed for a continuous period of more than six months, or more than on two occasions, should not qualify for the proposed exemption.

A returning Montserratian who is accorded an exemption and who during the three-year period immediately following his/her return to Montserrat returns abroad and resides outside of Montserrat for a continuous period exceeding 3 months, should lose all privileges granted, and should be made to pay back in full all duties that were waived on his/her behalf.

No person should benefit from the exemption on more than one occasion.

(Next week we’ll look at the types of concessions that could be granted)

Tourism Highlights

KEEPING A HEALTHY MARINE ENVIRONMENT

Plastics can result in the death of turtles; they can also kill corals, which provide food for fishes etc.

Garbage in the marine environment kills coral reefs, and these corals are vital to a healthy fish stock.

A dying reef will in no way attract tourists to our island and will also lead to a reduction in the quantity of fish that would be available for local consumption.

Some garbage e.g., plastics, Styrofoam etc., are not materials that will rot or disintegrate over a short period, hence destruction of marine life is a certainty.

LET US ALL STRIVE TO PROTECT THE MARINE ENVIRONEMENT BY PUTTING GARBAGE IN ITS PROPER PLACE – THE BIN.

Basil Chambers Enlivens Radio at Mornings

By Claude Gerald

There is morning dreariness these days. A lifelessness that pierces. The air is charged with nothingness and in basketball terms, we are up and throwing all "air balls."

The connection on reflection, you wonder? Well it is the twin dynamisms of radio and that of Montserrat’s acclaimed master of early morning inspiration. A morning dynamo with a huge fan club is holidaying and is taking that needed break from poppy showing himself on the airwaves and, by extension, a populace that hangs on to his every utterance.

Basil Chambers and the electronic media are conjoined twins, sharing one heart, with the radio component dominant.  So when there is separation for whatever reason, the organism malfunctions in unpleasant ways to the detriment of a consumer, dietarily inclined to that unified morning staple: a mixture of witty remarks and wholesome musical treats.

Basil is a morning man with variety and difference His interface with an audience is simply natural. Each day he places a different menu on his listeners’ plate. He knows everyone in each village and jests as if in his backyard, making pertinent individual remarks that tickle with exploding laughter. Light heartening serious issues that bring enjoyment to the soul and at the same time demonstrating the required sensitivity takes practice and skill and a good knowledge of the social dynamisms that circumscribe the setting.

His defining quality, however, is the ability to bring the most robust dialect to the table as he pokes fun at listeners irrespective of class or creed. He does this with a respectful class even for those tending to be uptight by nature.  Talking Monglish should be encouraged more widely since experience in other parts of the world shows that a people’s brogue and manner of speech could wither, as cultures integrate or disintegrate. Radio is the best way to keep it alive and Basil’s style promises to ensure that the single most defining aspect of our culture remains for posterity.

This underscores the importance of a morning man on radio. Our lives are inexorably intertwined with radio, and the menu on offer on any given day can telegraph the making of the day. Basil Chambers in this context becomes the proverbial John the Baptist of biblical fame as he point guards listeners at that fairly vulnerable period when dawn breaks.

The touching personality of Basil Chambers could not have reached an audience as wide without the facility of radio. Life will be barren without radio as everyone has access; this is the age of ready information. But the growth of radio spreads over 104 years, experiencing major setbacks over time. Credit must be given to a nineteenth century physicists, Guglielmo Marconi of Bologna, Italy, who pioneered the growth and development of the wireless so that the aged, blind, disabled and indigent, who form a rich portion of Basil’s listeners at home and abroad, can be reached with ease.

Make no mistake about it. A morning man is a specialist in his trade and therefore any body and every body cannot pretend to play the role. This is not to slight any substitute but the morning man must be a gifted specialist with the thoughtful ability to touch all interests in society. Planning and dedication are part of the requirements that translate into discipline and purposefulness. Typically, nightlife is rare, since much sleep and uninterrupted rest make for the demanding stint from 5 a.m. to 10.a.m. Basil therefore must sacrifice many other callings, for example partaking in hosting cricket talk shows, a passion of his, or the beating of the domino table, in the interest of the success of his morning stints.

But the morning man is often underpaid, even though his ratings are high. In more advanced societies, he dictates the terms of his employment. Radio stations that compete on a tight market for audience attention seek to outdo each other and the prime linchpin in the process is the man who slowly gets you out of bed, skillfully pummeling the eardrums with tender musical vibes and intermittent voice inflections.  His program structure should stir the listener into attention that commands a bringing to back to life, out of a trance and into the things of the world once more. Emphatically the individual chores that are a must at that time must be made easier through the imaginatory prowess of radio’s early morning stimulant.

Bathing, shaving, cooking, exercising, breakfasting, even praying and a multitude of others come under the spell of the morning man.  Evidence suggests that householders are positively influenced by brisk music that propels and energizes the body to summon up the work ethic, an important foundation to the quality of the day.

Though gifted and flexible in most areas of communication, whenever timetabling brings him into other times, it does detract from his function as a Morning Man, which should be exclusive. A specialist Morning Man is just that and because so much is required, he ought to be managed to allow for further research, creativity and the fine-tuning of his skills for the occasion.  Special times require special people with special attributes. Departure from that paradigm can tinker adversely.

We must bring more recognition to the function of the Morning Man of radio, and likewise to a good one with the flair of Basil ‘poppy show’ Chambers.

Claude Gerald is an agricultural economist with an interest in the socio/economic/political matters of Montserrat. Ceegee15@hotmail.com    

VOLCANO LIMERICKS

Broadcast News 101

Professional journalists teach

That some things remain beyond reach.

To detail on the air

Private acts of despair

Ranks high as an ethical breach.

Rent-a-Science

Our risk re-assessors are here

To do what they do twice a year;

True to HMG's cue

Their subsidized view

Will find the risk still quite severe.  

JUS WONDERIN

Jus wonderin if all a we a go back go cook pan wood fire or kerosene when tax done kill a we.

Jus wonderin why tax money a feed them wicked ones in a jail.

Jus wonderin if this year’s R C fete was a success.

Jus wonderin why non-nationals have to pay for their own work permit and cannot use for different employments.

Jus wonderin if they don't know that some people have to pay as much as $500.00 for de work permit.

Jus wonderin how many times and if some have to pay more than $500.00 for their work permit.

Jus wonderin why she did not pay attention to the lady when the traffic was coming toward her and he was on the lines.

Jus wonderin if the force is effectively enforcing the pedestrians crossing .

Jus wonderin if it because things are so expensive or is so few people in Montserrat why people do not buy local much.

Jus wonderin how come some people only bite up their pencil in school and have big position in government.

Jus wonderin where some dem officer jus be if a in a house when dem suppose to a work.

Jus wonderin how long dem string be wey dem jus pull anyway.

Jus wonderin if the festival managers will be honest with all the prize that they promise the participants.

Jus wonderin if those two medical schools will become a reality.

Jus wonderin if they will give in to consider AUC.

Jus wonderin if is true that AUC still wants more than reasonable concessions why they not yet in the running for licence.

Jus wonderin if people on Montserrat will follow, get up and move forward on their like Dollars for Montserrat.

Jus wonderin why and if we really  have to depend on the British for everything.

Jus wonderin if we can’t get some of dem grants that other islands get from the rest of the world.

Jus wonderin if it cause some of dem gat plenty money dem no really care.

Jus wonderin if its true dey say dey tired and not interested, then why they don’t give way and go back to England.

Jus wonderin who will win the softball cricket.

Jus  wonderin if Salem can maintain the good win record.

Jus wonderin if animals on Montserrat don't have rights too.

Jus wonderin if people in authority really care about our animals.

Jus wonderin how would a man feel if he was tied up in the sun from days to years with little food and water.

Jus wonderin if its only once a year they remember Jim Allen

Jus wonderin why the brain child of the series always on the go and where the old COS will be this time round.

Jus wonderin if it true some non-national officer jus commit domestic violence on his wife so.

Jus wonderin if that will not be bad example and make the efforts wasted.

Jus wonderin if it is true that the domestic violence is common in the communications field like in some other regimented places.

Jus wonderin why anyone abuse a woman they bed with.

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