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Arson Suspected in Delvins Blaze But No Arrest Yet

Investigators are still probing the cause of last Friday's fire that gutted a house in Devin’s are working on the theory of arson but no one has been arrested, Deputy Police Commissioner Simon Morson said Monday.

"We suspect arson because some circumstances tend to point towards arson," he told the Montserrat Reporter, explaining that there were footprints around sections of the yard.

No flammable substances were detected and no one has been detained for questioning, the Deputy Police Commissioner said.

As far as the records show, Morson said, there was no known dispute surrounding the unoccupied concrete structure owned by Harriet John who left the island as a result of the volcanic crisis.

Police, he said, were appealing to the public for help to contact Ms. John who has relocated to the United States, but unofficial sources confirm that Ms. John has received news of the disaster.

The Deputy Police Commissioner asked that whatever articles were in the house were also destroyed but he could not estimate the value of the articles and the building.

The speculations that people are occupying homes in the Cork Hill area at nights could not be confirmed by the police, while insurance companies report that only on a rare case-by-case basis that coverage is given to homeowners south of Belham.

The house is located at Delvins in a section of southern Montserrat that has been designated a Daytime Entry Zone (DEZ) for those who wish to enter to do maintenance to their properties.

The British construction firm, Brown and Root, is preparing to leave the island by mid-November, but their top official is cautioning that any unauthorized alterations to the Phase 3 - Force 10 houses, could reduce their stability and hurricane resistance.

"There are a number of walls in a number of combinations and you would need to get the engineers' advice because they (houses) are meant to be permanent," Mr. Charles Scott, Project Manager of Brown and Root, said in an interview with the Montserrat Reporter.

The houses have been built to withstand sustained hurricanes winds of 160 miles per hour, he said.

Mr. Scott, who insisted on a pen and pad interview rather than tape-recording, noted that some of the walls of the Force 10 houses are "not structured" so "you will have to check the sheer resistance."

He advised that any alterations should be done with the approval of the local Force 10 agent "in the first instance" or "a competent professional" in building construction.

That advice came against the background of the local office of Britain's Department for International Development (DFID) recently blaming the Montserrat government for reducing the hurricane resistance of the Government Headquarters (GHQ) by shifting walls and cutting spaces to insert doors.

Although Brown and Root was contracted to erect the structures that house the temporary GHQ, in that regard, Mr. Scott referred all related questions to DFID, refusing to answer any questions relating to the buildings.

In a bid to quell fears about the safety of the Force 10 houses to the extreme north of Lookout, which are erected partly on steel stilts standing in concrete column footings, the Brown and Root Project Manager assured Force 10, an Australian firm, would pay keen attention to the performance of those houses.

"They have made a commitment to carry out any inspection of the flooring structures for the next 10 years," Mr. Scott said.

Force 10, he added, was preparing individual building guarantees for each house.

While the block-work houses "certainly comply" with the Montserrat Building Code, the official said that the Force 10 houses did not cater for that type of construction.

Mr. Scott said that when Brown and Root pulls out around mid-November, "I intend leaving with a reasonably satisfied customer," which is DFID and ultimately the government and people of Montserrat.

Upon his arrival in May of this year, Mr. Scott said he was tasked with ensuring that Brown and Root pursued "all our business amicably with the highest possible integrity."

He identified as one of the major challenges the transition of moving on from the industrial relations climate, which had gone sour as contractors walked off the job for at least five weeks before Government and DFID drew up an acceptable solution. One of his other objectives, he said, was completion of remaining contracted works to be effected as "quickly and as cost effectively as possible, recognising that there had been some difficulties in the past."

The firm, which is a subsidiary of the British firm Halliburton, hopes that by the time it leaves the island it will have settled all supplier accounts, closed all contracts, and scaled down operations at its locations.

According to Mr. Scott, Halliburton registers a US$16-billion turnover each year and the United Kingdom (UK) is that firm's fifth largest customer.

When and how we will get anything right, and what it really takes to get some things right, should not be left for anybody's guess. It should be charted out like the plans set forth for approval by the proper authorities before we begin construction.

We got the housing requirement as our #1 priority right, but we are still struggling with it, and last week we hurrahed over it. There is hope.

We planned, or it was planned for us, in the Sustainable Development Plan (SDP) and the Country Policy Plan (CPP), then we discovered that even after agreeing we now must get the projects rolling to access the funds to carry out those plans.

But was it deliberate or just an oversight that these plans included no serious consideration of the return to areas south of Belham (SOB), not even the Isles Bay area? (SOB, when used in other ways, is not a pleasant one and perhaps they should stop referring to it thus.)

Governor Anthony Abbott some months ago expressed privately his disappointment that more people did not rush back to Salem when the green light was given for occupancy. Does this have anything to do with the SOB situation? It had been suggested that much would depend on the Baxter "Ash" Report, which has been anticipated for some time now but not yet published in full.

Now the people who wish to reoccupy their properties south of Belham are becoming much more vocal and annoyed at the inaction about anything positive to make this possible. One lady writes: "Our only home in the world is in Isles Bay. We visited it in April and it pained us to see what four years of abandonment and neglect could do. If we're willing to take the same chance all the other property owners took when they cleaned up places just across the arbitrary boundary line, why should we be prevented from doing so? The air doesn't stop flowing one way or the other at Belham Valley."

Most of this is true for each and every homeowner. When one hears of the house that was lost to fire in Delvins, it is bound to drive their concerns seriously higher.

It is well over a year now since we began hearing of signs that the volcano was ceasing to be the major threat. That was confirmed six months ago in that meeting at which the scientists concluded that the volcano was over as far as growth was concerned. But what does anyone know about the future or their properties SOB spared by the volcano? Absolutely nothing! There is no public commitment assuring them that anything specific will be funded or done to restore infrastructure and clean up.

There is no plan to insure that even if people have to wait longer because of "Baxterization" to come that the powers that be will do everything they can NOW to fund restoration in anticipation of future reoccupation.

Yet one member of the SOB committee says: "In all fairness, the CM and the GoM have been supportive of the efforts, quite vocally... Yet it has been like pulling teeth to find out what needs to be done in order to follow appropriate procedure AND to follow up to discover whether or not those things have actually been done...."

No one is oblivious that it's not as cut and dried a decision, since theoretically the funding to do these things must come out of the £75 million and those funds have been theoretically earmarked for already identified projects. So the CM does have to make some choices. There are always political pluses and minuses to be weighed, ASSUMING the £75 million will all be spent within the allotted pledged time.

But whose stated opinion is it that the GoM, at its present pace of applications for proposals, will NEVER spend the pledged £75 million within the allotted time? Where does that leave the people SOB, most of whom must be overseas and living in limbo?

But, is it really policy that NOTHING WILL BE DONE until Dr. Baxter completes his report on air quality? There are people who routinely go their premises SOB to prepare them for "the day when," and now they are ready to stop asking "when?". What a situation it must be for those living on island who have been asked to decide between their property there or a house in Lookout?

Some suggest that the authorities -- the Governor even mentioned it -- are waiting to find out the numbers of people interested in returning SOB. That must just be an excuse, since no one will expect a decision on something that is not even a promise, much less a commitment. For sure, the British Government is not going to take any initiative on this score. It therefore means that the GoM and the people will have to make some decisions and stop the pretense of an ash report.

Some one offered 10 reasons for the non-appearance of the Baxter's report and they included:

• Either DFID or the Montserrat government believe the income from returning residents south of Belham would not cover the cost of restoring services to the area.
• Bureaucratic delays in UK and Montserrat governments.
• The UK government are totally unreceptive to additional DFID funding until after the volcano has shut down completely.
• The longer the delay, the less chance of residents wanting to return.

Some others dealt with concerns for health hazards and pyroclastic flows.

Whatever the reasons, it is high time that action be taken and the lip service cease.

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.

Mr. Editor,

In all my life, this is the third time I have ever written to a newspaper. This is an indication of how strongly I feel about this matter. It just seems that I cannot let this matter rest. I apologize to your readers and to you if I seem to be belaboring the point.

Explicit in the name is the function of the organization: The Royal Montserrat Defence Force. Its primary task, from the day it was set up almost 100 years ago, has always been to defend Montserrat against all who would usurp the authority of the government by force of arms until Her Majesty’s forces can arrive to assume this responsibility. Over the years the force has assumed the responsibility for maintaining law and order when the Royal Montserrat Police Force needs that help. (Remember the Redpole Riots?). The force has also served in a civil capacity giving help in manpower or technical expertise around the community whenever it was asked to.

These responsibilities have formed the basis of our training over the years. We have practiced dealing with gunmen who may have taken over the old government administration building in Plymouth; we have done battle drills around Plymouth; we have done battle drills all around Montserrat; we have done riot drills; some of the members have done drills with the Regional Security Force. In short, Mr. Editor, we have prepared ourselves to deal with all situations which may threaten our way of life and our government.

Now the government has undone all of this glibly, casually and with the simple stroke of a pen. I cannot understand the rationale for doing this. How can a responsible government, rather than punish a few, choose to disband the entire organization? What justification can be made for squashing a national institution rather than punishing a few members? How can a responsible government so easily throw out the baby with the bath water? It is just beyond justification, in my opinion anyway.

Now the arms that were commissioned for the defense of Montserrat and its democracy are sitting in a storeroom in a foreign country. The Barbados Defence Force now take care of or use the tools which were intended for the defense of Montserrat, for the defense of their country. How can any Montserratian stomach this humiliation? How can any former member of the Montserrat Defence Force live with this humiliation? I for one am having difficulty living with this.

Mr. Editor, I remember my rifle from the days of being a soldier in the RMDF. It had the number 13 painted on the butt. It irks me that it is now in the hands of a foreign army. I spent hours and hours learning about that weapon, cleaning it, firing it and sleeping with it. Please tell whoever is responsible for sending it to Barbados to go and bring it back home where it belongs. I call on the authorities to set my heart at rest and first purge, and then restore the RMDF to its original glory days. I call on the authorities to remove this blot on the history of the RMDF as soon as possible. I call on the authorities to remove this humiliation from this land we love.

(Editor’s Note: This is a copy of a letter sent to the Chief Minister by owners of property South of Belham.)

Dear Chief Minister Brandt,

We believe that nothing you can do to restore economic activity on the island would have as great an impact as restoring services to the area South of Belham. Such a move will unleash capital spending by people who have previously demonstrated a willingness to spend money on their properties with huge benefits to the Montserrat economy. Our own experience following purchases of a condo in Shamrock Villas in 1994 that had not been renovated after Hugo might be informative. We spent U.S. $25,000 in the local economy for the following:

• Electrical supplies from Tuitt
• Paint and materials from Osborne and Romeo
• Tiles for upstairs and downstairs from Jackson’s on Lover’s Lane
• Plumbing supplies and bathroom fixtures from Lett’s, Osborne and Romeo
• Lumber and structural materials from Osborne
• Furniture slip covers and draperies from Mrs. Greaves
• Kitchen utensils, mattresses, porch furniture etc. were all purchased from local businesses

In addition, a battery of local tradesmen were hired and performed admirably:

• Alford Dyett designed a new bathroom and oversaw renovations
• Mr. Felix made beds and furniture
• Ivan Dubery painted entire interior
• Irwin Johnson installed tile upstairs and down and did exterior masonry work
• Vendall Moore did all plumbing
• Mr. Tuitt did extensive electrical work
• Stedford Daway did all carpentry
• Montserrat Enterprises managed the condo when we were absent.

Much of that work will have to be done again, just as it will in all dwellings in the area South of Belham . We believe, and experience everywhere bears this out, that of such stuff economic recoveries are made, far more so that than any dole secured from such unlikely sources as the Irish government.

Sincerely,

Dear Editor,

The MVO has continued to keep access to St. George's Hill closed due to safety reasons and yet they feel that it's perfectly safe to send men into the Unsafe Zone to clear away trees and debris for easier access by the big helicopter. They have stated these workers are at no risk whatsoever because while the work is being done, the workers would be monitored and in touch via radio.

The key reason for access to St. George's Hill at this time is as a tourist attraction, whereby prospective tourists would be driven by Montserratian taxi-drivers to a spectacular overlook to view Plymouth and the effects of the volcano. There is no substitute site available that offers the same drama and effect that St. George’s Hill provides. Rather than forego the potential to promote this attraction and generate otherwise lost tourist revenues, why couldn't a similar monitoring system be set up for limited, once-a-day visitation to St. George's Hill?

Since necessary access could be limited in time, the situation does not differ from that of men working in the Unsafe Zone. A single time could be set up daily whereby the

opportunity to visit St. George's Hill would be allowed. Actual access would only be allowed UPON SPECIFIC REQUEST AND CLEARANCE BY THE MVO. Since

all visitors would access the area at the same time, access could be done in supervised groups and someone could be assigned leadership duties and given the ability to be in direct radio contact with the MVO. Visiting time would be absolutely limited.

If the risks for workers into the Unsafe Zone can be fully mitigated by direct monitoring and radio contact with the MVO, then why should Montserrat be denied the opportunity to generate potential tourist revenues or the ability to promote this site for its tourism potential under strictly controlled and supervised circumstances?

Is St. George's Hill more dangerous than the Unsafe Zone itself?

The Editor,

Please allow me through your newspaper to inform cricket fans throughout the region that West Indies and Jamaican fast bowler Courtney Walsh has been named by the Republic Day Award committee of Citizens for a Better Trinidad and Tobago (CBTT) to receive T&T’s 1999 Republic Day Award for his personal integrity, exemplary efficiency and outstanding service to West Indies cricket for the past 15 years.

Mr.Walsh, who made his Test debut against Australia at Perth in the 1984-85 series, becomes the first West Indian outside of Trinidad and Tobago to be named for this prestigious award, which is in keeping with the country’s status as a Republic.

The great West Indies fast bowler is admired by people wherever he has played cricket. All West Indians should be proud of this outstanding personality whose tireless effort on the cricket field has been unequalled in the history of West Indies cricket.

Mr. Walsh is unquestionably one of the world’s best exemplars for young sportsmen and sportswomen, and we call on other famous sport’s personalities to emulate his humility and personal integrity so that they would impact positively on our young people, and so make the world a better place in which to live.

All West Indians have a right to be proud of Mr. Walsh because he is a passionate cricketer and has brought great glory to the region. I wish to point out that there has been a great outpouring of support from West Indians both at home and abroad for the Republic Day Award committee’s decision to name Mr.Walsh as the 1999 recipient of the award.

CBTT, which embraces people of every creed, race and religion, is a non-governmental organisation committed to regional unity. The very purpose for our existence is to stop drug abuse, violence, rape, incest, child abuse, racism and victimisation. We specialise in attacking issues that hurt people. We identify problems, implement solutions, and teach people how to overcome obstacles in their daily lives.

We bring about positive changes to the lives of individuals by spotlighting attention on the issues threatening their safety and unity. Along with teaching problem techniques, we teach self-love, community pride and respect for others.

CBTT believes that all persons take one common path to the grave. Rich and poor, great and small, young and old have a final appointment to keep with death. Until that final appointment, it is incumbent on us to do what we can to make the world a better place in which to live. And in order to do this, we must develop ourselves to the greatest extent possible so we can make the contribution which life expects of us, and for which we were created.

Finally, I take the opportunity to congratulate Mr. Walsh on his selection for this year’s Republic Day Award and to wish your readers God’s richest blessings.

President

Citizens for a Better Trinidad and Tobago(CBTT).

My husband and I have kept our account there open because it is the only bank on the island with an ATM. This is specially useful when we go to Antigua and can access our M'rat account via the ATM over in Antigua.

Years back, the Royal Bank had a campaign for kids to start saving via the "Leo" accounts. Great idea. Sadly the kids are now losing EC$5 per month instead of earning real interest. How can this explained to them?

What of those persons who left the island but maintained a minimum balance on their accounts? The monthly charge will drop the balance to below minimum. What then? Must the account holder forfeit his/her monies? Mind you - the bank has informed its clients solely by putting a written notice up at the bank. Account holders overseas have not been informed that the bucket has a hole.

I think the Government should do everything its power to keep this international bank on Montserrat. Their reputation world-wide is good. Barclays Bank has already closed its operations here. As good as the Bank of Montserrat is, that is all it is - a Bank of Montserrat. We MUST do all in our power to step forward, not backward in time. Hopefully the EC$5 charge can be resolved soon.

SS

In our small city, there is a cinder walking track on the campus of our community college. It measures a quarter mile. Walking there is good exercise and gives me a chance to meditate and pray.

On occasion, I have looked at the footprints left on the track. There are many different patterns. I wanted to find my own footprints, but the thread on the shoe was too shallow to make a clear impression. I walked to the edge of the track and planted my foot firmly. As I made my way several times around the track, I found satisfaction in seeing my footprint.

This caused me to reflect on my actions in general. For days and weeks, I may walk the same paths without making a difference in the lives of other people. But if I step outside my daily routine and do something thoughtful for another person, I make an imprint in their lives. When I do, I find satisfaction that is unmatched by anything else during the day. I have not only broken the routine of my life, I have also contributed some small happiness to another person.

PRAYER: God, help us to be aware of the needs of others and to make a difference in their lives with acts of kindness. Amen.

Deputy Police Commissioner Simon Morson has warned that there is still a plan to capture goats posing a traffic hazard at Fogarthy Hill if there is a lapse in current efforts by the owner to keep them off the busy thoroughfare.

"It seems as if the owner has taken some steps to solve the problem and the police still have a plan to fall back on," Mr. Morson told the Montserrat Reporter.

The law empowers any person as an individual, the police or the Department of Agriculture to capture and impound any stray animal.

If found guilty, the owner could pay a fine of EC$1,000 and pound fees for the duration of each animal’s captivity.

Many motorists have been expressing concern about near-miss traffic accidents with vehicles coming in the opposite direction around the blind Fogarthy Hill as they swerve to avoid hitting any of the goats.

Goats at Fogarty Hill

Since this newspaper’s item last week on the traffic hazard being posed by the goats at Fogarthy Hill, and the likelihood that they would be impounded, eyewitnesses and police have recalled seeing a man, believed to be the husband of a government minister responsible for some social services, around the area ensuring that they are off the road.

The senior police officer observed that the owner has apparently "taken some step to solve the problem" but was unaware what such efforts were.

Mr. Morson noted that for the past week no report has been received that the goats were posing a problem.

"The goats are not there and certainly not in the numbers that they were," the Deputy Police Commissioner said. Police and Agriculture Ministry officials have dismissed suggestions that they were decidedly reluctant to impound the goats because they were the property of the husband of the government minister.

Both Mr. Morson and Director of Agriculture Claude Gerald have confirmed that they have been in regular contact about dealing with the goat menace.

Mr. Gerald warned that "we are watching it" while assuring that "we are not here to foment trouble" but instead "transparently deal with all offenders."

"We are here to work with people in the community who are prepared to abide by the laws of the country with regards to loose livestock and also to positively assist when the approach originates with the farmer, and in keeping with the general approach," he added.

A popular announcer at Radio Montserrat has suggested on one of his morning programmes that in view of the hazard then posed by the goats, Fogarthy Hill should be renamed "Goat Hill."

Montserrat's Draft Building Code is to be tabled in the Legislative Council and eventually become law, according to a senior official of the Physical Planning Unit (PPU).

Even though the Building Code is only in its draft stage, residents and those in the construction industry have been abiding by its provisions to ensure that buildings are hurricane and more recently earthquake resistant.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Draft Code is about to pass through Executive Council after consultations with the local construction community of contractors, architects and civil engineers.

Assistance was also received from, among others, the Caribbean Disaster Response Agency (CDERA), British Executive Services Organisation (BESO), the University of the West Indies (UWI) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

A Building Code became necessary after the devastation the island suffered as a result of Hurricane Hugo, the official explained.

The PPU official assured that the Draft Code has already withstood the rigours of earthquake resistance based on tremors prior to the beginning of the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano in 1995.

"We've gone through a series prior to the volcanic crisis and our construction held up. Prior to the onset of the volcano in 1995, we had a series of serious continuous tremors and the buildings have stood up, a testament that the code has been working," the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Montserrat Reporter.

Nearly one month ago, two separate regional earthquakes were registered off Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands (BVI) but according to Chief Scientist at the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) Dr Simon Young the probability of Montserrat suffering from such destructive earthquakes was low.

"Montserrat isn't a tectonically active area in terms of having a lot of low earthquakes but there is always the potential to get them and indeed to get a bigger one which could be destructive," Young told the Montserrat Reporter.

Just three weeks ago, at least 14,000 persons were killed, thousands injured and thousands more unaccounted for as a result of a massive earthquake in Turkey.

Building contractors there have been blamed for shoddy work that in the end saw numerous structures collapsing under the intensity of the tremors.

The PPU official said that here on Montserrat, architectural drawings, building sites and completed buildings are inspected to ensure that construction has been done according to specifications and in compliance with the Draft Building Code.

Donkeys in a coral overlooking the Caribbean sea
Ridding Montserrat of stray donkeys has bumped into another hitch, this time getting a boat to ferry the first batch of animals to the St. Kitts-based Ross University Offshore Medical School in time for the new academic year, a top Agriculture Ministry official said Thursday.

"The donkeys have not gone yet because there are problems with the availability of a boat and the St. Kitts authorities at the school are trying to organize that with great difficulty," Director of Agriculture Claude Gerald told the Montserrat Reporter.

A number of boat owners around the region have been consulted, he said, but so far little progress has been made to get the first batch of 15 donkeys off island, which had been scheduled for last month’s end.

Once the transportation snag has been ironed out, it is expected that two further shipments of 40 donkeys each would be made by yearend to the school, where they would be the subject of clinical studies.
Previous efforts to ferry about 40 of the animals to Grenada failed after the government and the animal rights organisation there denied involvement in importing donkeys from Montserrat.

The longer the already captured 40 donkeys are held, the greater a financial burden it would be on the already cash-strapped economy has had to turn to grant aid from the Department for International Development (DfID).

"Keeping the donkeys longer is going to be a huge cost on the Government of Montserrat," Mr. Gerald said, adding that EC$10,000 has already been spent on food and additional expenses could run into EC$5,000 per month.
Agriculture Ministry officials in late news said there were in fact 47 donkeys already coraled. They ascribed the destruction of gardens and the damaging of buildings by stray donkeys at the newly established village of Lookout to "competition among organisms for space."
"We (humans) have invaded the space that is normally occupied by donkeys and they are not leaving us alone," he added.

While the world’s attention has fixed on 31 December 1999 and into 1 January 2000 for "millennium bug" problems, a little known date has crept up on the rails.

September 9 could be the first real test of whether businesses are "millennium ready." At the end of that day antiquated software still used by some companies and "embedded" in domestic appliances may shut down, unable to recognise dates beyond 9.9.99.

The September bug, a largely unheralded extra millennial nightmare for businesses and homes, sits in systems that run on geriatric software. In the main this problem is confined to customised applications written in decades old computer languages such as COBOL and FORTRAN. The bug was created years ago when software engineers wrote into programmes that the digits "99" signalled the time when the file might be deleted. In a worst-case scenario, four nines in a date field could spark problems not unlike the Millennium Bug which threatens to fail to distinguish the Year 2000 from 1900.

Some ill-prepared companies worrying about the millennium bug may have trouble on 9 September.

Clifton Riley, Millennium Programme Manager with Cable & Wireless, Montserrat, said: "We have long been aware of the potential problems posed by the 9.9.99 date, and have included it in all our testing of systems and equipment. 9 September 1999 is just one of several so called special meaning or high risk dates associated with the millennium".

Mr. Riley went on to state, "Cable & Wireless will be using 9 September as a dry-run for its Millennium Status Reporting System (MSRS). This system has been developed to inform other Cable & Wireless companies as well as our parent company of any millennium-related failures. The MSRS will track status as the date shadow progresses around the world from east to west."

In spite of the difficulties under which they studied, UWI students of the local University Centre performed creditably in the academic year 1998-99. Thirty-three students wrote among them 60 subjects, passing 40, a success of 66.6 per cent. In fact the students did even better in Semester 2, with a percentage pass of over 70.

The quality of the passes is also worthy of commendation. There are 3As, 10B+s and 11Bs, which means that 60 per cent of the passes were above grade C. The students with As were Cynthia Dyett in Cost and Management Accounting, Steve Foster in Elements of Microeconomics and Kenneth Scotland in Mathematics for Management Studies. Students Veda Duberry and George Skerritt have now fully qualified for the UWI Certificate in Business Administration.

This creditable success comes against a background of difficult circumstances - the lack of a library, imperfect teleconference facility and the continuing vicissitudes of living and studying during a volcanic crisis. The commitment of the students and the local tutors, and improvement in the distance education delivery system account for the good performance. The current local tutors are Mrs Lindorna Brade, Mrs. Geraldine Cabey, Mr. Philip Chambers, Miss Florence Daley, Miss Florence Lee, and Mrs. Rachael Ryan in Semester I.

Students are taught by a mixture of teleconferencing originating from the three UWI campuses as well as local tutorials. Study materials are also provided. The University is very appreciative of Cable and Wireless for allowing UWI students to use its conference room as a teleconference room. Efforts are being made currently to construct a teleconference and a computer room to better facilitate the study of students. These now number a record 40 plus. The courses that are being currently pursued through distance education are the Certificate in Public Administration, the Certificate in Business Administration, the Diploma in Youth Work, a Bachelor of Science in Management and Bachelor of Science in Finance.

Scientists monitoring the Soufriere Hills volcano here predicted Friday that the dome could be fairly stable in at least another nine months.
Chief Scientist and Director at the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) Dr. Simon Young said the prediction was based on measurements of 77 million cubic metres of material up to January and an estimated rate of degradation at 15 million cubic metres over a six-month period.
Even though actual latest scientific measurements would not be completed until another month, he estimated that to date 63 million cubic metres of material was still waiting to collapse.
"I think we need to get down to about 40 million to get to a stable situation so that would mean six to nine months at the current rate," Dr.Young told the Montserrat Reporter.

Pyroclastic flows and ash-eruptions, which pose little threat to the estimated 4,550 residents here, occur when unstable sections of the dome collapse.
Dr.Young described the rate of degradation as slow due to the fact that the lava dome was no longer growing, the gaseous pressure of the volcano was steadily but "sporadically" decreasing and few rock-falls and pyroclastic flows were occurring.
"The dome isn’t getting more and more unstable. In fact, it is getting more and more stable," he added.

With dome-growth ceasing in March 1998, the Montserrat Volcano Observatory has concluded that the Soufriere Hills volcano, which killed 19 persons two years ago, was simmering down and that once visitors remained within the boundaries of the designated Exclusion Zone, there was no risk of death or injury.

Occasionally, ash is dumped on residents in the safe north of Montserrat or drifts across to neighbouring St. Kitts and Nevis, and Antigua.
Many times, the ash-eruptions are not visible by residents in the safe-zone, where the construction of hotels, housing schemes and a new town have begun in an effort to revitalize the island.

Simon Young Says Ash Bars Opening of South of Belham

Director of the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) Dr. Simon Young has singled out the health risk posed by already fallen ash as the single most important barrier to overcome before the reoccupation of areas South of Belham on a 24-hour basis.

"The thing isn’t about how much ash is going to fall in the area. The real point is how much ash is on the ground in that area," he told the Montserrat Reporter.

Those areas are Isles Bay, Foxes Bay, Cork Hill and Richmond Hill.

Existing studies over the last two years, he said, have shown that ash already on the ground was stirred up persons driving and walking "which causes a lot of ash to be in the air.

"It’s not really to do with how much ash is falling from the volcano. It has to do with how much ash is on the ground and how well that could be cleared up, which is going to impact the most on whether it’s safe to have it inhabited from a health point of view," said Dr. Young, who is also the MVO’s Chief Scientist.

The deadly lung disease, silicosis, could be caused by long-term exposure to volcanic ash and dust because it contains tiny particles of the mineral cristobalite silica.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Gordon Avery, has said most of those persons most vulnerable to respiratory problems such as asthma and bronchitis have left the island but Dr. Young noted that the objective was to reduce the exposure of persons to ash.

Should the green light be given in the future for unrestricted access to the South of Belham area, he noted, a "fairly significant clean-up operation would be required" and water and electricity services would have to be reactivated.

The MVO and Health authorities, Dr.Young said, would be in a better position to determine when areas South of Belham could be reopened after the end of the rainy season.

Another important factor, he said, was the fact that those areas were vulnerable to the collapse of a highly unstable Gages section of the volcano’s dome.

"There is an unstable mass there and it is big enough to produce a very large pyroclastic flow if it decides to fall off in one go and that could produce a big ash-cloud over some of the Daytime Entry Zone," Dr. Young said.

The Chief Scientist assured that the ash cloud would not be dangerous but could pose some health-risks and result in panic during the night. "It also means that we can get people out more quickly during the daytime."

As government prepares to launch a Soft-Mortgage Scheme before year-end, Governor Anthony Abbott has called for even greater transparency in the allocation of houses to families rendered homeless by the Soufriere Hills volcanic crisis.

In brief remarks at the handing over of 51 houses at Lookout to the government by the British contracting firm, Brown and Root, the Governor recommended that the names of all those receiving houses should be published.

"With housing in such short supply," the Governor said, "it's imperative that the houses we see being handed over here today do indeed go to the right families. I would like to see the process go one step further and let's publish the names of the people and the families receiving their homes so that the entire process is transparent."

He expressed satisfaction, nevertheless, that the Housing Unit has publicized the conditions that applicants must satisfy before getting a house "so that Montserratians have confidence in the process and no one feels cheated or left out."

Mr. Abbott's call for transparency in the housing process was supported by the locally elected government headed by Chief Minister David Brandt.

"What we want you do is to use transparent criteria. We cannot give everybody a house at the same time and we have to make our citizens understand that," Mr. Brandt said.

While declining to go into details of the Soft-Mortgage Scheme, the Chief Minister announced that persons would be allowed to borrow up to EC$150,000, but a part of that amount would not have to be a grant and so would not have to be repaid.

"The government feels that it would not be right for some people to get an outright grant and because you go to borrow money under the scheme that you are not treated on an equitable basis," he explained.

The scheme, favourably viewed by the British government, is expected to be accessed before year-end, he said.

Housing Minister P. Austin Bramble, meanwhile, has expressed confidence that the remainder of the British-funded houses and the 15 houses being funded and built by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) group of nations will soon be completed.

Montserratian teachers have proposed that Caribbean educators tackle violence among youths by strengthening the self-esteem of children at the nursery and day-care levels, a top local teachers union official has said.
Mrs. Hyacinth Bramble-Browne, Vice President of the Montserrat Union of Teachers (MUT), said the recommendation tabled at the 29^th Biennial Conference of the Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) held in Barbados from August 6 to 15 would have to be adopted and implemented over the next two years.
"We need to find some way to help our parents to strengthen the self-esteem of our students and we need to start at the day-care centres and the pre-school," she told the Montserrat Reporter.
The MUT official, who is also a secondary school teacher here, noted that bullying during early childhood could eventually escalate into violent reactions during later years involving the use of knives, guns and other weapons.
Child psychologists believe that the minds of children are moulded by 3 years old and, according to the union official, if the self-esteem of children could be enhanced, "no matter what people say to you, you don’t have to be violent."
The union official identified churches, the community and families as having a role to play in building the self-esteem of young children.
Within recent years, several schools across the Caribbean have been reporting an increase in the number of violent confrontations among students and between them and teachers.

West Indies Guard Ship To Visit

The West Indies Guard Ship, HMS Northumberland and RFA Gold Rover will pay a Courtesy call to Montserrat on 3/4 September 1999.

HMS Northumberland is captained by Cdr. Mike Pearey and has a crew of 17 officers, 52 senior ratings and l10 junior ratings. The Royal Fleet Auxiliary Gold Rover is captained by Chris Knapp and has a crew of 57.

The two ships will arrive in Little Bay in the early hours of Friday 3,September and will anchor in the bay. During their visit officers' will make courtesy calls on HE The Governor and the Hon. Chief Minister and will attend briefing sessions at the Emergency Department, the MVO and at the hospital.

When H.E. The Governor boards HMS Northumberland at Noon, he will receive a 17-gun salute.

Crew members have volunteered their time to assist the Montserrat Red Cross in a community projects and in addition will play two sporting fixtures at Salem Park. The first is a 35 overs a side cricket match against the National Youth Team starting at 1.30 p.m. and this will be followed by 7 a side football against a Montserrat Representative Team.

Crewmembers will also be given tours of the island and in addition, many are expected ashore during the day for rest and recreational activities.

HE The Governor, Mr Tony Abbott will host a cocktail party in honour of the visit on Friday evening. The ships will leave early on Saturday morning.

Families of the victims of the August 23, 1998 Cardinal Airlines Crash, have been told to expect compensation before yearend, the Chronicle, a Dominican newspaper has reported.
This assurance has come from a representative of Cardinal Airlines, who visited relatives of the victims earlier this week. The airline representative also reported that the final report into the investigations of the fatal crash had been received.

Communications, Works and Housing Minister Earl Williams has revealed that the final report had been received, and assured relatives of the victims that Government was working towards securing compensation for them Since the crash in the heights of Marigot, relatives of the victims sought but failed to obtain compensation from either Cardinal Airlines or Air Anguilla which was chartered by Cardinal for the flight from St. Maarten to Dominica.

It took several months before Government revealed it had received a preliminary report from the Directorate of Civil Aviation into the cause or causes of the crash.

While they waited for compensation, a number of relatives of the victims filed writs against the airline companies. The Chronicle Company and others concerned had launched fund-raising drives to help distressed relatives. The contributions collected were paid out by the Dominica Red Cross, which also assisted the distressed families.

A number of questions have been raised in connection with the crash.

There is also a concern about who will help defray the cost of burial of the victims.

Killed in the disaster were Jasmine Francois, Nyana Francois, Jonathan Lake, Marcus Allyne, Anne-Marie Guye, Valda Simon, Kelly John, Latoya James, Marlon Royer, Louis Glenville, all Dominicans, and Nigerian pilot Kris Elumba.

Bridgetown, Barbados, CANA - More Barbadians were charged during the first seven months of 1999 for the illegal possession of firearms. The Advocate newspaper yesterday quoted a police official as saying that 23 charges were made between January and July last year, compared to 41 for the same period this year. "This shows that the police are assertive and are making efforts to crack down on this illegal activity," the official said.

Jamaica’s national football technical director, Rene Simoes, had to be taken to hospital earlier this week in Toronto, Canada, after falling ill in his hotel room, the Jamaica Gleaner newspaper has reported.

Simoes, who is currently on tour with the Reggae Boyz for a game against the Canadian national team, was found in an unconscious state in his hotel room by a hotel employee who raised an alarm.

The Brazilian was rushed to hospital by ambulance and immediately placed in intensive care. He was accompanied to hospital by president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Horace Burrell, and the doctor on tour, Glenton Smith.

---One dead, two others missing

The body of Eucliffe Allen, the captain of the ill-fated boat which capsized in the Pomeroon River on Wednesday, was recovered yesterday afternoon but two others are still missing, the privately-owned Stabroek News newspaper reported Friday

Allen was one of three persons who were reported missing on Wednesday when the speed boat they were travelling in capsized after its propellers became entangled in a discarded polythene fertilizer bag.
Relatives, friends and public-spirited citizens, including two divers were up to late Thursday afternoon still combing the river bottom in the vicinity of Aberdeen for 20-year-old Veona Indarpaul and 45-year-old Region Two paymaster Doodnauth Singh also known as 'Lloyd'.

The search party was using hooks fastened to the end of long pieces of rope, which they dragged along the river bed, from within a mile from the accident.

Allen's body floated up at 1330 hrs yesterday about a mile from where he went down. According to a member of the search party, a wound on 54-year-old Allen's head suggested that he may have come into contact with the boat's propellers.

Allen, Indarpaul, Singh, Stanley Simon and his sister, who is also Indarpaul's mother Veronica, and Constable Jacobus were all travelling in the boat which belongs to the Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam) administration. Jacobus is attached to the Anna Regina Police Station and was escorting the payroll.

According to reports, the regional administration is in possession of life-jackets, but there was none on the boat.

Veronica, her brother and Jacobus owe their lives to the bravery of 19-year-old Camille Marcus of Aberdeen who was alone in her small paddle boat when the mishap occurred.

SPORTS

THANK YOU SEVILLE
By Peter Adrien
Author and Sports Commentator

They went for the prizes and were richly rewarded! The international athletes performed like gladiators, and the seventh World Championships ended with a blaze of noise and colour. The lights, deafening fireworks and dramatic music reflected the historic performances exhibited in Seville.
The King of Spain, Juan Carlos, officially declared the championships closed and the president of the International Amateur Athletics Federation, Primo Nebiolo, said there had been an extraordinary success for Seville, for the province of Andalusia and for all of Spain. And may I add the Caribbean and the world.
The organisers can rejoice that there were no high-profile positive drug tests coming out of the IOC accredited laboratory in Madrid. Two more athletes were disqualified from the World Athletics championships after testing positive for banned substances. Nigerian sprinter Davidson Ezinwa was found to have traces of HCG, a banned hormone which helps produce testosterone. He was disqualified from seventh place in the semi-finals of the 100-metre and now faces a two-year ban, as the IAAF regards use of the drug as a serious offence.
The other offender was Somali 1,500-metre runner Mohamed Ibrahim Aden
of Somali, who tested positive for the stimulant ephedrine. He was disqualified from sixth place in his semi-final for use of the banned substance, but will receive only a warning, not a ban, as his offence was regarded as minor.
Notwithstanding, Seville made history. On the track and on the field, there was a wealth of exceptional performances to savour. Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco wound up the pace by imperceptible degrees to take the gold in the 1,500-metres.
Qualifying races are often regarded as inconsequential for the stars, but to see Michael Johnson slow up to a walk in his 400-metres semi-final was awe-inspiring - a phrase too often used, but in this case perfectly apt.
He ambled to a time below 44 seconds - only a handful of runners have broken that barrier, and it was too fast for lesser mortals. His disdainful look at the clock said it all.
In the final Johnson's world record run of 43.18 was a privilege to watch. It was something special, as he smashed the eleven-year record.
Johnson, now holder of the 200- and 400-metre world records, the Olympic double and now the World Championships double, is undoubtedly the athlete of the 1990s. The 31-year-old American clocked 43.18 seconds to carve 0.11 seconds off the record set by his fellow countryman, Butch Reynolds, in Zurich 11 years ago.
Johnson powered ahead in the second half of the race, leaving the other competitors trailing in his wake. His winning margin was over one second. The win makes him the first man ever to hold both the 200-metre and 400-metre world records. It also ties him with Carl Lewis for the most career gold medals at the world championships. Both men have eight apiece.

Johnson received a $100,000 bonus for breaking the record along with the $60,000 for the gold medal.
For the British team it was the youngsters who saved the day. Most pundits had pencilled in four titles - only Colin Jackson turned lead into Spanish gold with a sharp performance, which underlined his class over the sprint hurdles. Dean Macey, 21, showed he's a worthy successor to Daley Thompson in the decathlon. No one can ask more than a personal best points tally at a major championship at such an age to take a silver medal home to Essex.
The other huge potential talent on display was another 21-year-old, Dwain Chambers. He gave 100-metres world record holder Maurice Green a fright in the final, finally winning the bronze in under 10 seconds, and repeated the dose on the anchor leg of the 4x100-metres final.
Maurice Greene became one of the first men to win gold in both the 100-metres and 200-metres in the same World Championships. It is also the first time a sprinter has completed the double at a major meet since Carl Lewis in the 1984 Olympics.Greene exploded from the blocks to set a season's best 19.80 seconds.

Claudinei Da Silva of Brazil took the silver in 20 seconds, while Nigeria's Francis Obikwelu claimed bronze in 20.11 seconds.

"I went out to win it for Ato," said an emotional Greene, referring to previous champion Ato Boldon, who missed the worlds through injury.
Caribbean athletes did not perform exceptionally. Cuba placed sixth with four medals (two golds); Bahamas placed 18th with one medal (one gold); Jamaica placed 24th with six medals (one silver and five bronze); and no other participating Caribbean country medalled.
Jamaica picked up no gold in Seville at the 7th World Athletics Championship. The relay team was obviously hurt by the absence of Merlene Ottey, and they finished in fifth place. But after years of perseverance, the Bahamian quartet of Sevatheda Fynes, Chandra Sturrup, Pauline Davis-Thompson and Debbie Ferguson picked up their first medal of the meet, as they took gold in winning the women's sprint relay in a world- leading time of 41.92 seconds.
But we can take comfort in the fact that both Bahamas and Jamaica placed before 18 other nations - countries that are more developed, boast more resources and more developed infrastructure. These include Japan, Nigeria, Ecuador, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, South Africa, Mexico, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland - heavyweights floored by vulnerable and underdeveloped Caribbean lightweights. What an achievement!
There is hope for Caribbean athletics and for sports development.
Thank you Seville.

The Emergency Department is mobilizing for its critical role as an Emergency Operations Centre for the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season.

Permanent Secretary Franklyn Michael says the department has completed a number of general EOC and management procedures to deal with hurricane-related emergencies.

These include the revised, updated and printed version of the Emergency Department Plan.

Briefings have also taken place with staff and volunteer personnel dealing with the plotting of storms and hurricanes, and the management of communications within the EOC.

The Department has also produced and distributed office and residents guide for the 1999 hurricane season and printed hurricane tracking maps.

The emergency supply system and radio communication systems at the department have been improved,using local expertise.

Department officials have been meeting with district chairpersons and other agencies to establish a management structure which would deal with hurricane shelters.

Mr. Michael says each Management team will include a police officer, first-aider and a representative from the district committees.

All Emergency Department Personnel, District chairpersons and volunteers have been issued with ID cards. However, Mr. Michael says one area of concern which still remains is the refurbishing of some shelters.

This is still behind schedule, although there are some shelters which can be used if the need arises.

The Permanent Secretary in the Emergency Department says the intention is to improve the toilet facilities and water storage and communication capability.

The Emergency Department head says he’s hoping the necessary funds can be accessed to carry out these improvements.

The Government of Montserrat has published its decisions on duty waiver on household goods and tools of trade which are replacing items lost during volcanic eruptions.

In the case of household goods, Government agreed that imported items be allowed free of duty, consumption tax and customs service tax, subject to certain conditions.

Firstly, among several conditions, it is noted that the concept applies only to Plymouth and all areas South and east of Plymouth.

Additionally, householders who have contents insurance, and who have received cash payments after settling outstanding balances, if any, would not be included.

Meanwhile, Government has agreed to similar concessions on tools of trade and equipment, provided that the approved items are for the creation and /or repair and maintenance of goods and facilities.

Also, the successful applicant must prove that he/she was engaged in business using those items prior to June 1997, specifying the particular loss suffered, including the number, quality and value of items lost.

The cost-of-items ceiling for goods imported is EC$7,500 per household and any revenue generated by the Departure Tax that is above and beyond what is required to offset the "business/tools of trade" exemption will be used to help finance the "household" exemptions.

In both cases, the importation of household items and tools of trade and equipment, a committee comprising the Comptroller of Customs, a Representative from the Department of Community Services and a member of the Montserrat Christian Council will vet applications and make recommendations.

His Excellency Governor Anthony Abbott concurs and will direct accordingly.

The former Logistics Officer at the Emergency Department took up his post as Assistant Secretary Logistics and Operations at the Department on Wednesday, September 1.

Lieutenant Horatio Tuitt has just returned home from a working stint in the United Kingdom, where he was attached to the Emergency and Logistics Management Team, Crown Agents.

This team, which is contracted by DFID to respond to disasters worldwide, includes two emergency experts, John Odlum and Allan Mathews, both of whom worked in Montserrat at the start of the volcanic crisis.

While attached to the team, Lieutenant Tuitt worked in Kosovo for one month under a DFID-funded emergency project.

Lieutenant Tuitt worked with the UN emergency special representative of the Secretary General, Sergio Viero Demelo.

He was responsible for setting up satellite communications for the United Nations to allow it to be in contact with agencies outside Kosovo.

Based on the success of that project, Lieutenant Tuitt was sent to Turkey to set up two satellite communication centres for the UN.

He also worked in Sierra Leone, where he was project manager for some emergency camps set up to help prepare ex-combatants in the civil war there to return to civilian life.

Lieutenant Tuitt brings a lot of experience to his new post.

Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Health, Community Services and Labour, Alric Taylor, (pictured on right) took up the post of Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry on Wednesday, September 1^st.

This follows the departure of the substantive holder of the post, John Skerritt, who is scheduled to go on a one-year study leave later this month.

Another acting appointment has also been announced for the post of Education Officer.

This post is expected to be held for the next year by Mrs, Eudora Fergus, who brings to the position tremendous experience after serving as Vice Principal of the Montserrat Secondary School.

Secondary school students here continue to perform outstandingly in their overseas examinations.

Twenty-eight students wrote the 1998 CXC examinations with a total of 146 entries and success was obtained in 78 of these entries, giving a percentage pass of 53.4 per cent.

Carla Fergus and Darell Herbert, both of whom passed eight subjects, were among the outstanding students.

Merelin Osborne passed six subjects, while Sheldon Allen-Tuitt, Javon Daley, Lyandra Hobson, Natasha Browne and Danelda Henry each passed five subjects.

Five students from the Pre-Vocational Programme wrote one subject each, and of the five Vericia Allen received a grade III in Clothing and Textiles and Deverson Semper and Jaetan Henry each got grade II in Electricity/Electronics.

There were 100-percent passes in History, Visual Arts, Food and Nutrition and Principals of Business.

High-percentage passes were also recorded in Clothing and Textiles, Electricity/Electronics, Social Studies and Integrated Science.

An eight-member Barbados delegation was expected to pay a one-day visit to Montserrat Friday September 3^rd, 1999.

The delegation, which was scheduled to arrive at the Gerald’s Heliport at 9:45 Friday morning, included the Acting Permanent Secretary in the Barbados Ministry of Housing, Mrs. Bernice King, CDERA’s Andria Livingston and Captain David Binks of the Barbados Defence Force.

While on island, the eight-member delegation was expected to pay courtesy calls on the Honourable Chief Minister David Brandt and his other Cabinet colleagues.

They were scheduled also to visit the Caricom Housing Project at Lookout, where members of the Barbados Defence Force are presently working, as well as the Physical Planning Unit, the Housing Unit, the Land Development Authority and the Development Unit.

A special tour was been organized so that the delegation could get a first-hand view, from the safe zone, of the devastation caused by Volcanic activity.

The team was scheduled to leave the island at 2:15 Friday afternoon.

Plans are being finalized on island to have a team of eye specialists in Antigua assist Montserratians with treatable eye problems later this month.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Gordon Avery says an eye specialist from Canada and an ophthalmologist from Antigua will examine 20 to 30 patients from Montserrat during the week of September 10.

The patients who will be seen in Antigua are those with advanced cataract, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.

Dr. Avery says the eye specialist team is expected to visit Montserrat for one day between September 10^th and 12^th to see those patients who cannot travel to Antigua for the eye operation, and those with less serious eye problems.

The patients who will be treated in Antigua will get assistance from Government with their travel.

The overall treatment programme will also be assisted with funding by the Caribbean Council for the Blind (CCB), based in Antigua.

Those patients earmarked for assistance will soon be informed by local health officials.

The government-commissioned Task Force, set up to exploit Ireland initiatives, held its second meeting on August 31^st, 1999.

The meeting was convened primarily to finalize a draft programme of activities for St. Patrick’s Day/Week celebrations March 12^th to 18^th in the year 2000.

Chairman of the Task Force, Businessman Kenneth Cassell, (pictured on left) said while a Chief Minister Brandt-led delegation was in Ireland, they mentioned to the Irish that Montserrat has this celebration of St. Patrick’s Day which is also observed in Ireland, and that an Irish contingent would be welcomed to visit Montserrat.

Tentatively, the St. Patrick’s Day/Week of activities will include a church service, panel discussion, Freedom Run, and Cultural entertainment, among other events.

Mr. Cassell says the onus is now on the Task Force, at this juncture, to exploit the contacts made on tour of Ireland in the supposed areas of cultural and historical links.

He says it is believed that there is much potential for tourism emanating from that aspect of the tour.

Mr. Cassell also says that on tour he made contact with the President of the Chamber of Commerce of Ireland and they had very fruitful discussions.

The local businessman says it is his hope that Montserrat will be able to develop a relationship with the Irish Chamber.

He envisages that the Irish Chamber can be of use to Montserrat by way of technical assistance, and also sees the prospect of direct investment and joint ventures with business people on island.

Mr. Cassell stresses that these are the aspects of the Ireland tour that the Task Force is expected to maximize the benefits to be derived for Montserrat in the short and medium term.

The Task Force comprises the chairman, the Chief of Staff in the Office of the Chief Minister, Salas Hamilton, Industrial Adviser Brunel Meade, Executive Director of the St. Patrick’s Cooperative Credit Union/National Development Foundation Roslyn Cassell-Sealy, and Director of Tourism Ernestine Cassell.

Depositors at the Bank of Montserrat started getting a half percent more on interest on their Savings as of Wednesday, September 1.

Interest rate on savings has now gone up to 4.5 percent.

Assistant Manager Operations, Edmund Allicock, says the Bank of Montserrat is encouraged by the turnaround in the local economy.

He says the Bank is reflecting this confidence by paying a little more than the minimum interest rate on savings.

Mr. Allicock says with the increase of .5 percent, it is hoped this would encourage more people to save with the Bank of Montserrat.

Meantime, the Government has seen the step taken by Bank of Montserrat as one which provides hope for the people who have suffered so much as a result of the volcano.

The Government is adamant that not only residents here, but Montserratians abroad who have not already started to do business with the Bank of Montserrat, will make haste in the not too distant future.

Why we love who we do ‘Spark’ may be imbedded in the subconscious

By Ed Susman, MSNBC

BOSTON, Aug. 23 — Science can explain a lot about why and how we fall in love, but there are still critical parts of the love equation that remain puzzling, an expert says. Dr. Ayala Pines, an Israeli clinical psychologist and author of several books on love and its consequences, said there are many conscious ways people can enhance their chances of finding love, but that the "spark" that seals the deal is imbedded in the subconscious.

Absence makes man's heart fonder

‘Major changes in life — divorces, deaths, accidents — make people sitting duck for love.’

— DR. AYALA PINES clinical psychologist PINES, IN A presentation here at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association, said the keys to finding love are proximity and arousal.

"The chance of love being enhances when people meet and see each other regularly," she said. Researchers have shown that if you see a person periodically, you have a better feeling toward the person, and the person seems more attractive.

The best chance of finding love, she said, is seeing someone regularly in the same building in which you live or work. Chances of finding love are even better if you meet in the same block than in the neighborhood; in the neighborhood than in the city; in the city than across the country, she said.

Then you need arousal. "Adrenaline is the elixir of love," Pines said. She related a study in which a woman stood in the middle of a rickety, high, bridge over a deep gorge. When pedestrians reached the middle she engaged them in conversation and gave out her phone number. She then repeated the experiment on a highly-trafficked city bridge. When on the rickety bridge — a scenario guaranteed to get adrenaline going — the woman got eight times as many calls as when on the city bridge.

During the Gulf War, when Israeli families had to stay at home during bombing attacks, many couple found the danger restarted dormant or dying relationships, Pines said.

"Major changes in life — divorces, deaths, accidents — make people sitting duck for love," she said.

Among other factors that Pines said can enhance love:

Similarity. "Finding someone of similar attractiveness makes love more likely," she said. Look for people of similar beauty, height, age and interests.

Reciprocity. "Letting the other person know that you find him attractive is a very powerful force," she said. But one mustn’t overdo it. A poem expressing one’s feelings will go straight to her heart, but repeated poems at every occasion can have negative results, Pines cautioned.

Satisfying needs. Love will grow if people are able to fill important needs that the other person has, she said. Some people want to be loved, others want to be listened to, while still others require a person to be the one and only. Being able to fulfill your partner’s desire will enhance a relationship.

WHERE’S THE SPARK?

But all these factors may still not create the spark that cements the relationship, Pines said.

Various researchers have theorized what that spark is or how it is achieved in relationships. Pines suggested that the irrationality of love surrounds a person’s romantic image — an image that can be formed in early childhood.

Romantic image may be the reason why people who fail in relationships continue to select the same type of partner — they are seeking a certain type of person, even if that person may be wrong for a relationship.

It is difficult, but possible, to change one’s romantic image and find love, Pines said. "You do have a choice," she said. "You have to work on the relationship."

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has imposed a ban on blood donations from anyone who has spent more than six months in Britain from 1980 to 1997 because of the possible risk of transmitting the human form of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, known as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD).

The exclusion dates coincide with the time when exposure to CJD was considered to be at its peak in the United Kingdom. The American Red Cross estimates that the ban will cut US blood donations by 2.2%at a time when experts are already predicting severe nationwide blood shortages.

Variant CJD has affected about 40 people in the world, including 39 in Britain. It has never been transmitted through the blood except during experiments in which it was injected into the brains of mice. But the FDA said that it was concerned that scientists have not fully ascertained how the disease is spread.

People who made limited visits to Britain will not be affected by the ban. But people who visited repeatedly between 1980 and 1997 will have to add up their trips to see if they are under the six month limit. The ban also applies to people of other nationalities who may have lived in Britain during the time in question. The FDA estimates that up to 250000 donors could be affected by the new regulations.

Canadians who have spent at least six months in the United Kingdom between 1980 and 1996 have also been banned from donating blood. The Canadian authorities have given the Canadian Blood Service, and its Quebec counterpart, until February 2000 to start screening donors. Quebec's blood agency, Hama-Quebec, has stepped up the ban to affect anyone who has spent just one month in the United Kingdom since 1980.

The Japanese health ministry issued a statement that said it was considering imposing a similar ban. According to the ministry, a committee has been discussing the issue for several months but has yet to reach a decision.

EAT from the LAND not from the CAN

An area adjacent to the existing roll on roll off ramp at Little Bay has been selected as the site for the construction of a ramp to facilitate the launching and retrieving of fishing boats.

It is the easiest crop to grow. In 1995 farmers were able to produce all the lettuce needed for local consumption.

Several hundred heads of lettuce are now imported weekly by merchants and individuals who travel to Antigua on weekends to shop. As Agricultural Development Officer, I am having discussions with my colleagues at the Department of Agriculture, aimed at implementing a lettuce production program to achieve self sufficiency in this crop.

Mr Lloyd Martin returns to Trinidad this coming Sunday to continue a two year Forestry Diploma course at the Eastern Caribbean Institution for Agriculture and Forestry.

Mr Martin has completed one year so far and has picked up valuable experience by undertaking a three week field training program with the local Forestry Unit during his summer break.

Two other students, Mr Selwyn Maloney and Mr Rudolph Lee have been undergoing similar training with the Department of Agriculture during their summer break. Both of these gentlemen are pursuing courses in Animal health at REPAHA in Guyana.

Montserrat Christian Council is assisting in bringing to the island Mr Vincent Haynes, the Executive Director of the Barbados 4H Foundation.

4H provides services to youths through activities where they are encouraged to use their:

• Heart 
• Hand
• Head
• Health

Seedlings available are:

• Cabbage
• Tomato
• Eggplant
• Sweet Pepper

Price is $10.00 per tray. There are approximately 100 seedlings in each tray.

Agricultural Extension Officer, Mr Anthony Breedy, will like interested persons wishing to grow the following crops: Dasheen, Banana, Plantain and Yams to note that plots for the cultivation of these crops are available for allocation.

Persons are asked to contact Mr Breedy at Telephone #491-2546.

The third in a three part training for farmers in Integrated Pest Management will be held on Monday and Tuesday, September 6^th and 7^th, 1999.

The training, jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) is designed to assist farmers in adopting an integrated approach to Pest Management in crop production.

The approach seeks to integrate a number of disciplines in the control of pests and diseases.

The first and second workshops were held in March and June of this year.

Citrus Rootstocks are ready for distribution. Persons are asked to first have holes prepared 2 feet deep by 3 feet wide and also to have some pen manure available to use at planting.

The capture of wild donkeys at Lookout continues; to date forty-seven animals have been captured.

Feed, water and shade are provided for these donkeys.

In addition to local distribution, the Department of Agriculture continues to aggressively pursue shipment overseas.

Persons interested in adopting a donkey are asked to register immediately at the Department of Agriculture, Brades. Registration begins on September 3^rd and closes September 12^th. To receive a donkey you must register in person at the Department of Agriculture.

The following locally grown produce are available:

• String Beans
• Butternut Squash
• Cucumbers
• Melons
• Cauliflower
• Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Okra
• Seasoning Peppers
• Sweet Peppers

PART 1

Falls occur with increasing frequency in the elderly as they suffer from conditions associated with instability, immobility, intellectual impairment, visual impairment and other reasons, such as drowsiness caused by medications.

Falls and accidents have major consequences for the physical and mental health of older persons and are associated not only with morbidity (illness) and mortality (death) but also with major lifestyle changes.

Preventing falls and accidents is possible because many of the factors contributing to their occurrences are changeable.

Known causes of falls are related to medical and environmental factors. Medical causes include strokes, fitting (seizures), confusion, low blood pressure due to medication taken, low blood count (anaemia), low blood sugar, dehydration, arthritis, and muscle weakness.

Other medical causes include certain medications such as anti-hypertensive or pressure tablets, sleeping tablets and diuretics commonly referred to as water tablets.

Environmental causes for falling include slippery floors, bathtubs and showers, poor lighting, high steps, lack of hand rails when climbing stairs, high beds, excessive glare from lighting, high shelves and chairs without arm rests.

Persons who fall and sustain injury should be assessed and treated by health care personnel, because they may sustain injuries such as fractures. They may also suffer psychologically, that is to say, they become fearful, lose confidence and become dependent.

TO BE CONTINUED

Mrs. Verne T. Meade

Nurse Meade began her Nursing career in 1990 when she enrolled in the Nursing Assistant Programme, which she successfully completed in 1992.

She worked in all areas of Nursing, not only at Hospital but also in the Community, where she was assigned to the Molyneaux Clinic for some time.

Nurse Meade is not one to be complacent and her ambition is to advance to the next stage of Nursing, that is, the Registered Nurse level.

She maintains her personal and professional development by participating in continuing education programmes both at the University Centre and Hospital. Recently she attended a two-week workshop on Geriatric Nursing in Barbados, which she claimed was very informative and timely. Nurse Meade plans to share the knowledge gained with her colleagues and also use it to enhance the care given to the elderly.

VOLCANO LIMERICKS

Dueling Arrows

Those new arrow signs are abused

As stupid by those not amused:

They ask, ‘Will drivers know

The correct way to go,

Or just steer between them, confused?’

Billy Goat Gruff

Because of some terrified skidding

The police at last are forbidding

Those jay-walking goats

On which only one dotes.

Let’s hope that both groups are not kidding.

Jus’ wonderin if because the animal owner owns the land around Fogarthy Hill that they own the road too.

Jus’ wonderin if the new signs on Fogarthy Hill road are for the goats or motorists.

New signs on Fogarthy Hill

Jus’ wonderin if it 's because the ministers' salary so high now why they seem so laid back.

Jus’ wonderin if the new road signs are to show the goats how to get onto the road (and hopefully over the cliff)!

Jus wonderin how many road projects could have been completed with the money spent on the ARROWS pointing in both directions and off the hill on Fogarthy.

Jus wonderin about the value of training for a "poorly constituted seed’ in the Money Department, to the people of Montserrat.

Jus wonderin why spread "academic terrorism" among lowly paid civil servants when you have one O’ level in Scripture that is 36 years old.

Jus wonderin why there is talk of stopping the paltry $120.00 per month subsistence and raising the salaries of the already grossly overpaid bosses.

Jus wonderin how our government could find it fit to create a post of "Chief of Staff and then on the other hand is phasing out an important position as 'P S Emergency'.

Jus wonderin why the man of measurement took up the metal posts off the Salem Park.

Jus wonderin if he knew people saw him.

Jus wonderin if the sand at Salem Park is free for all.

Jus wonderin if the signs on Forarthy Hill are to show the goats how to get onto the road (and hopefully over the cliff), since we have been negotiating that cardiac arrest hill for eons and have never needed signs.