.

Two Tiers Would Make Increased Fares ‘Illegal’

Government has deemed as "illegal" a plan by Britain's aid agency to recommend a two-tier fare structure for Caribbean Community (CARICOM) citizens and other nationals using the helicopter and ferry services. "Under international law, it is impossible to differentiate fares, so it is not only that we say so but by law it is not possible. . . The United Kingdom (UK) government, which deals with our international affairs, is bound by international convention so we are so bound," Chief Minister David Brand said at the just concluded review of the £75-million three-year Country Policy Plan (CPP).

In a bid to cut its US$200,000-a-month subsidy for the helicopter and ferry services, the Department for International Development (DFID) has proposed an overall hike in fares from early next year when the new heliport is expected to be completed and gain international aviation certification That certification would allow authorities here to run a commercial air service rather than one listed for emergency operations associated with the volcano.  The aid agency has suggested that Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Montserratian citizens would not pay as much as other nationals for the journey between Montserrat and Antigua.  

Mr. Brandt also denied that government approved any increase in fares for helicopter services that are the only means of international transportation since the Soufriere Hills volcano put the W.H. Bramble Airport out of commission just over two years ago.  "The government of Montserrat never made any decision in that regard, and if any suggestion like that was made to any official, they dismissed out of hand and did not bring it forward to the politicians, so any statement to the contrary is not true," the Chief Minister said.

Describing the present ferry and helicopter fares as "only administrative charges," Mr. Doug Houston , Head of DFID’s local office, had said that upon completion of the heliport next year and its international certification for commercial flights, the fares would increase for both services.

Other well-placed senior officials had said that the ferry fare for locals and CARICOM citizens were expected to increase from EC$75, one-way, to EC$110.It was envisaged that non-CARICOM citizens travelling on the ferry would possibly pay between EC$250 and EC$300.And , the official said Montserratians and CARICOM citizens travelling on the helicopter would most likely pay about EC$100 or EC$110 one-way, up from EC$89 one-way.

As police await the results of DNA tracing to help them close in on one of three male suspects linked to the alleged raping of an North American-born woman almost two weeks ago, they are appealing for any information that could help them solve that crime.

DNA -- deoxyribonucleic acid -- testing is a modern scientific crime detection technique, known worldwide for using the coded information that gives everyone distinct biological identity.

Police Commissioner Chris Burgess promised that the police would keep "in strictest confidence" any information provided by members of the public.

"What we want most is information. . . . We’ve got a certain amount of information. . . . We need evidence which will back up the primary evidence of a suspect and which will actually eliminate any if there is a wrong suspect," Mr. Burgess said.

The Police Commissioner said there was need for "lots of further investigations" because probing such incidents is usually "very, very thorough and painstaking."
Samples of blood from the trio and secretions from the woman, who is a naturalized Montserratian, have been dispatched to a Barbados-based laboratory for DNA tracing, he added.
Regulations here bar the public disclosure of the identity of rape victims and the police are mum on the circumstances surrounding the incident, saying such information could prejudice the case during prosecution.
The commissioner said the three were "quite happy" to have samples of their blood taken, adding that if they had refused the police would have applied for a Court Order to get the samples by force.
Mr. Burgess was optimistic that authorities would get the results of the tests in "a matter of weeks," depending on the work-load of the laboratory.
"The Caribbean, like everywhere else, is slowly building up a DNA data base," said Mr. Burgess, who is on secondment from the British Police Force.

EDITORIAL

Montserrat, according to its renowned 'soca king', the Mighty Arrow, "is still nice, nice, nice," This from one of his albums loved by many. It brings to mind a little sadness, but looks at the positives of the disaster created during the height of the volcanic crisis, leaving the listener with the hope that life is real here in Montserrat.

Arrow wasn't the only one who believed this. One third of the island’s 11,000 people believed this, including a few expatriates, some of whom had only just come to Montserrat to live.

But this Montserrat has gone through a lot of changes within the last half of this century. Just around the time when our political stalwarts -- remembered in more recent times in Bob Griffith and William H. Bramble -- were beginning to see us out of the worst strangleholds of colonialism, our people were duped into going to the mother country to look for a better life.

If we need to understand the problems of our young people today, a little thought and honesty would take us back there and then forward to today. It is no secret that while these sojourned mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, uncles and aunts worked hard, creating what became known as a remittance economy back home, many of them returned to Montserrat, some able to believe that they have done well and it was worth the while. But others, in varying degrees, were mentally altered. It was from them that our attitudes and ambitions became spoiled.

But come the 70's, and despite the world economic crisis which developed by the middle of the decade, Montserrat was becoming the envy, if not of the East Caribbean, at least of the Leeward Islands. The place was nicer than ever. The Willems and the Schloshbergs began turning the forgotten lime and cotton estates into residential areas, luring those with the vision and the belief that they were coming to live in paradise.

Much went wrong, and even while other politicians came on the scene, it is still debatable whether those good times were in fact good. For as we approached the 90's, whatever was left of the good had began to rot.

Hurricane Hugo came and went, but as we got into the middle of the 90's, it seemed the island was ready to take off. Then the real stuff came along.

However, there are those of us who believe that somehow we were not getting it right after Hugo and that this is a real opportune time to get it right, since we look at a brand new beginning.

But the problem is, there are also those who remember the real "good times" and what Montserratians had come to enjoy. There was no doubt as to what kept this island ticking year after year. Just about any single person would be able to tell the kind of economy that was generated by the money people brought from the U.S., Canada, England and Europe to maintain themselves and their properties here in Montserrat,.

These people didn't come just to wait to die, they came to enjoy the freshness, beauty, love of the people and the things they can do as they slowly unwind and truly enjoy life like they could not any place else. Being human beings, however, they will seek elsewhere those things no longer present here.

When Governor Abbott began suggesting that his government had come to do what they have never done before, talk of encouraging investors to come to Montserrat to help us beef up the nonexistent economy, he is obviously quite unaware of the investment that is already here, waiting for the right things to be done to swing it back into action.

One of those things would be to get Isle's Bay, Foxes Bay, Old Towne and particularly the golf course useable. Ironically, while his government's economists and advisers were saying no to the usefulness or the urgency in resurrecting the golf course, (which by the way did not have to suffer ruin), four golfers were representing Montserrat in St. Croix, standing in honour of the British national anthem, "God Save the Gracious Queen". These four had not seen a golf course in months, but were still able to come away with the low net team championship division. Their participation was thankfully made possible by assistance from local government and the East Caribbean Golf Association (ECGA), who waived dues and entrance fees to the tournament.

Yet that is only a small part of what a golf course could mean and used to mean to this island. There is much that needs to be put in place to adequately woo investors into Montserrat. Maybe Governor Abbott doesn't know that, but HMG technocrats know that, our politicians know that, and we know that. The hypocrisy needs to end and the things need to be done that would be meaningful to begin the beginning.

The funds being provided by HMG to help small businesses get going will be useless if the base is not made firm very soon.

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.

I work at a day-care center caring for toddlers. Some children in this age group experience severe separation anxiety when their parents leave them at the center. One little girl has been coming for almost a year, yet separation from her mother is still a traumatic experience for her.

As the mother of a teenager, I will be going through separation from my son in a few short years. How ironic that two-year-olds experience separation anxiety from their parents, and parents experience separation anxiety from their adult children! On a human level, we are inevitably separated from the people we love.

Yet, we need not fear separation from God. We have the promise that nothing "will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Prayer: Dear Lord, strengthen us as we face separation from loved ones. Help us to remember that nothing can separate us from you. Amen.

About 200 kilogrammes of ash from the Soufriere Hills volcano are about to be distributed to Geography students in the United Kingdom (UK), an ash-collector for the project has said.

Justin Cassell said student contributions for the ash, to be packed in small sachets, would go towards the upgrading of Montserrat’s lone public free library.

Geography students in London are being mainly targeted in the venture, which does not have a financial target. "They are shooting for as much as they can," Mr. Cassell said.

The project is the brainchild of UK-based South African Mrs. Roselyn Rathorne, who has a part-time residential property in Isles Bay.

The ash, flown to the UK free of charge, has been already packed into sachets.

As the volcanic crisis on the island slowly abates, Montserrat teachers are demanding better working conditions from government.

Delivering his report to the opening session of the 18th Annual Convention of the Montserrat Union of Teachers (MUT), President Gregory Julius bemoaned the conditions facing educators.

"Teachers have reached the stage where they feel that some of these working conditions must be upgraded in order to improve the teaching-learning process and the status of the teacher," he told the gathering that included Education Minister Adelina Tuitt and other top government officials.

One of the constraints he pointed to was government's argument that the British government has control over the grant-aid budgetary expenditure now that the economy is on a volcano-induced decline.

"The union is somewhat handicapped in negotiating with the local government, bearing in mind that the country is dependent on British aid," Mr. Julius said.

The MUT and the Civil Service Association (CSA), he recalled, negotiated jointly for a 30-percent salary increase over the crisis period, but "the government's team is now finding it difficult to act upon this agreement."

Instead, a 5-percent increase was paid at the end of July this year as hardship allowance.

With reduction in schools' population, government was forced to lay off a number of teachers who were given a redundancy package calculated according to the pension act.

Another major problem confronting the 46 teachers remaining who are eligible to pay union dues is the housing crisis, even though government embarked on a low-income housing project in 1997.

"Although there are other housing projects on stream," Mr. Julius said, "some teachers are still without homes and frequently complain about the escalating prices in house-rentals and other uncomfortable living conditions."

Grants to the tune of EC$30,000 were given to relocated Montserratians to purchase building materials backed up by a US$8,000 grant by Education International (E.I.) to mount a labour costing scheme for MUT members who participated in the self-help building project.

Twelve teachers have so far benefited from assistant given by the local government and E.I., but "unavailability of land restricted the number of teachers who actually came forward," Mr. Julius said.

He noted that during this year another five teachers were awarded homes at Lookout, the union having selected the teachers based on family size, structure and date of relocation.

Currently government is working on a programme to integrate the Social Security with Civil Service Pensions because present economic trends indicate that it would be "extremely difficult" for the government to pay its pensioners in the future.

"In relation to this matter, I attended a on-day workshop in June 1999, Mr. Julius said.

"Several options were discussed but the team has reached no agreement."

As part of efforts to improve the operations of the union, the MUT President said that an EC$20,000 grant from Education International would be used to fund the purchasing of a computer, photocopier and fax machine to improve the operations of the union and aid in the production of the newsletter.

"The union is undergoing tremendous difficulty in operating efficiently because of the unavailability of adequate equipment and facilities," he said.

Education Minister Tuitt, in her address to declare the convention open, said that she was aware of the challenges of the teaching profession but expressed confidence that "the corporate resourcefulness and the potential of the fraternity of teachers, once harnessed, will allow the challenges to be effectively dealt with."

In keeping with the theme of the convention "Educators moving prepared into the 21st Century," she recommended that teachers must constantly retrain and improve themselves rather than being unwilling to accept change.

"No longer can one clutch slavishly to the thought "this is how we used to do it," she said. "Education is dynamic and the teacher must be willing to consider more effective and efficient methods of operating.

"Change is not easy to accept and many people resist it for it threatens one’s security comfort-level. It pushes one to the brink of not knowing a situation that makes people uneasy."

The provision of a safe environment, the Minister said, was a key ingredient in the creation of a proper teaching and learning environment.

Caribbean countries are this week being urged to heighten surveillance for carriers of the West Nile-like virus that killed at least four persons and infected at least 17 others in the United States, according to the latest disease alert by the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC).

"The potential for spread of this West Nile-like virus from North America to the Caribbean and South America via migrating infected birds is a real possibility. While birds migrating southwards to over-winter may fly along many different routes or flyways, two routes are important for the Caribbean," the Trinidad-based organisation said in its alert.

Those routes are the Mississippi flyway, which is a flight-path over Florida, West Cuba, the Bahamas and Jamaica into Central America, while the Atlantic flyway is a path along the Caribbean chain of islands into South America.

Experts say the disease is spread from infected birds to man by the Culex mosquito species.

After five to 15 days of incubation, symptoms of the disease could include fever, headache, and body aches, often with skin rash and swollen lymph glands while more severe infection is marked by headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, occasional convulsions, paralysis and, rarely, death.

In an effort to intercept and restrict the spread of the virus across the region, CAREC has called on all National Health Authorities to "broaden surveillance" of patients with pyrexias of unknown origin and acute flaccid paralysis.

Health care providers should be sensitized, CAREC said, to ascertain whether the patient lives in an area where dead birds have been sighted "as an indicator to focus their surveillance initiatives in relation to hospitalised cases of non-bacterial meningitis or encephalitis." CAREC has also recommended that health authorities work closely with Wildlife Officers or relevant agencies or ministries regarding the surveillance of birds including migratory patterns and bird "die offs."

While current efforts focus on control of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, the regional disease testing and monitoring agency has urged that special attention be paid to breeding grounds of the Culex species.

The United States government-run Center for Disease Control advised that control of the disease, which might have been carried to the U.S. by international travel of infected persons or the importation of infected birds, could include measures such as staying indoors at dawn, dusk and early evening, wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors and spraying insect repellents

Chief Medical Officer Says; Threat is Taken Seriously, Doctors and nurses have begun taking seriously a region-wide alert for the bird and mosquito-borne West Nile-like virus, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Gordon Avery said Thursday.

Montserrat’s response came just one day after the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC) warned that with the onset of the winter-season in the United States, "the potential for spread of this West Nile-like virus from North America to the Caribbean and South America via migrating infected birds is a real possibility."

"All we are doing is alerting them to look out for anybody who may have signs of this virus," Dr. Avery told the Montserrat Reporter.

The Chief Medical Officer said that health authorities here would become worried if more than three persons complain of fever, paralysis and respiratory problems, but the blood samples would have to be flown to the Trinidad-based CAREC for confirmation.

"The lab here can test for most things but it doesn’t test for everything," the health official said.

CAREC has noted that the Caribbean islands chain and Central and South America were in the flyway paths of the migrating birds, and, according to Dr. Avery, health and agriculture authorities have been urged to step up their campaign and vigilance for mosquitoes and dead birds

While the Environmental Health Department assured it was prepared to fight the Culex mosquito, top Agriculture Ministry officials up to Thursday were unprepared to say how they could deal with birds that might be carrying the West Nile-like virus.
Director of Agriculture Claude Gerald, when contacted by telephone, said he received no information from CAREC and only learnt of the likely impact via a radio report.

"It is a newly breaking story and we need to digest it properly," he told the Montserrat Reporter.
Agriculture Minister P. Austin Bramble promised to contact this newspaper because "I need to contact the Agriculture Department to get advice on that," adding that he had a busy schedule over the next two days.

Senior Environmental Health Officer Gerard Fergus, whose department is responsible for mosquito control, acknowledged that he was aware of the West Nile-like virus advisory from CAREC and said the matter would be discussed at a meeting next Monday.

Even though the Aedes Aegypti mosquito species is more prevalent here, but under control, he said the overall successful mosquito vector control programme was geared to fight the small population of Culex species that could transmit the virus from birds to man.

"It wouldn’t be much different from the campaign we are leading against the Aedes Aegypti. . . . We have been very effective in keeping down the population of mosquitoes," he told The Montserrat Reporter.

Mr. Fergus complimented the public for responding fairly good well to the mosquito eradication programme by ensuring that empty receptacles that could become breeding grounds for mosquitoes are disposed of properly.

We have been hearing on the radio, and on the grapevine that many changes are coming in Montserrat as we move forward from the crisis into the new millennium. In this article we listen in on two folks discussing some of the changes which face our community:

Food Welfare was always intended for relocated persons in the short term. It has to stop soon because it doesn’t help all the right people. Some people who get it don’t need it and some people who need help don’t get it.

It depends on your circumstances!

You are only off the list if you’ve got money – income, pension or savings. If you’ve got no money, we’ll ask you to fill in a form and will tell you what there is for you. Soon, there will be more help with employment, training, setting up business and becoming more self-sufficient.

I’ve already told you there will be money for you if you need it, especially if you are sick or disabled! Pride is also what’s in it for all of us. We’ve got to get back on our feet. Persons here worry about our young people becoming dependent and how long are we going to rely on foreign money. Would you be proud relying on the welfare if you don’t need it and taking money away from those who do?

This is all about getting Montserrat on its feet, being proud and about using the money to help those who need it. We must encourage our people to look after their families and to support their communities – like before the crisis. The volcano has created many difficulties, so we’ve got to help persons who have been left with nothing and who are too old or too ill to help themselves.

If you think you need assistance, you will be asked to fill in the form – don’t worry there will be someone to help. You will be asked about your finances, the money coming in and the savings you have and any special expenses. If you qualify, you will get money and it will be paid just like the Food Welfare every month.

The Food Welfare will stop at the end of the year. Before December, all persons who receive Food Welfare are going to be offered the new form. In January there will be money for those who qualify but Food Welfare is going to stop for those who do not. We must start 2000 looking forward!

For the time being, everyone should listen to Radio Montserrat, read the Montserrat Reporter and the Montserrat Newsletter, as all information on the new system will be carried in the media.

Authorities at the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) were unsure Tuesday whether the now two-week-old extremely low activity at the Soufriere Hills volcano could be an indication of renewed ash-eruptions in the making.
"You can't say either way really. There may be that there is no gas buildup so that you don't see any activity, or it may be that it's so quiet that you are building up the gas," Acting Chief Scientist Dr. Gill Norton told the Montserrat Reporter by telephone.
"Our measurements indicate that there is no major buildup of gas, but what we see in the past suggests that you get these little pockets of gas which then can lead to small explosions."

In recent months, the trend has been a period of silence during which time the gas is accumulated at a depth of about five kilometres from the crater, but the MVO has repeatedly said that activity was normal as the volcano returned to dormancy.
Gas explosions normally lead to collapse of unstable sections of the dome that ceased growing just over a year ago, producing pyroclastic flows in the uninhabited danger zone and sometimes huge ash clouds that blow across populated sections of Montserrat and neighbouring islands.
Volcano-watchers are uncertain how long it will take for the dome to be stable but noted that since it stopped growing during the past year, about one-third of the estimated 120 million cubic metres of material has fallen off.
Dr. Norton assured that there was no need for worry among the remaining 4,550 residents that the volcano, which claimed 17 lives two years ago, was about to enter a dangerous phase again.
Buoyed by repeated scientific assessments that the volcano is "going back to sleep," new businesses and housing schemes are springing up in northern Montserrat and roads, electricity and water services are being improved in anticipation of the return of tourists and investors.

The CARIFORUM Agribusiness Research and Training Fund (CARTF) has been launched, according to the latest edition of Trade Watch newsletter.
The fund will promote the use of commercial Research and Training in agribusiness in the hope that it will help to better prepare the region for the growing trend towards free trade and the elimination of preferential access.
Small and medium-sized agribusinesses can apply for grants ranging from US$5,000 to US$50,000. Eligible applicants must be privately owned and controlled, small to medium sized companies, associations, co-operatives and partnerships based in CARIFORUM countries, with less than 50 employees, annual sales not greater than US$750,000 and equipment valued at no more than US$200,000.
Beneficiaries must contribute an initial minimum of 25 percent of the cost of their
projects. The Fund can provide grants of up to 75 percent to finance the balance.

Governor Anthony Abbott is now on one month’s overseas leave, according to a statement from Government House.

He is expected back at his desk during the first week of November.

Dr. Howard Fergus, Speaker of the Legislative Council, was sworn in as Acting Governor on September 30.
First nominated member of the Legislative Council D.R.V. (Frank) Edwards would, therefore, act as Speaker of the Assembly, the Montserrat Reporter has been informed by an official of the Clerk-of-Council’s office.

The Golden Years Home for the Elderly is now equipped with a computer through the assistance of two community groups, Mrs. Millicent Bass, manager of the institution, said in a statement.
"We need it in our office to keep our records and accounts," she told the Montserrat Reporter. The previous computer, she said, was malfunctioning.
Even though the leaders and some members of the now disbanded Town Hill Action Group and the St. George’s Action Group are in the United Kingdom as a result of the volcanic crisis, they pooled a total of EC$1,500 to assist with buying the computer.

Britain and Montserrat are fine-tuning negotiations for an initial EC$11 million soft mortgage scheme to alleviate the housing crisis caused by volcanic activity during the past four years, according to the Honourable Chief Minister David Brandt.

"Some of the matters that have to be worked out with the British government are procedural matters," he told reporters. "I, myself, don't see the reason for it but it is a procedural matter which we have to follow.

"The Bank of Montserrat is quite a competent bank. They have operated mortgage schemes for CDB (Caribbean Development Bank) already so they have been down that path. The British Government Treasury would want to know what kind of mortgage documents you have, what arrangements you have for re-possession and things like that," said the Chief Minister, who is also Finance Minister.

He said that under the soft mortgage scheme, the rate of interest would be 9 percent, lower than the commercial bank rate, and every person eligible would not have to repay 27 percent of the amount of money borrowed.

Those eligible under the new scheme could be lent up to EC$150,000.
Mr. Brandt said the Bank of Montserrat would soon pool at least an initial EC$8 million from the Social Security and the Savings Bank for lending at a rate of a7½ percent to, among others, Montserratians who had voluntarily evacuated to the Caribbean, United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US).

So far, the British government has spent over £17.2 million for the construction of a total of 600 houses in the safe north of the island for many of the remaining 4,550 residents whose houses were destroyed or could not be occupied in the medium to long term.

Those houses included ones built by government and allocated to persons and the provision of a materials-grant for persons to receive building materials free of cost and build their own houses on lands provided.

One of the provisions for occupants of houses at Lookout village is that they would be afforded the opportunity to own the houses after three years but the Chief Minister said there were question marks about their "real cost."

Mr. Brandt said the "problem" was that the real cost of the houses had not been determined by government, Britain's Department for International Development (DFID) and the British construction firm, Brown & Root.

"Brown & Root are calling a certain price and we are saying that it's too much. That matter is going to have to be decided. That is one of the reasons why we say that they cannot operate in Montserrat," he said.
An audit to determine the "real price" of the houses, he said, would be conducted very soon.

Inspector Foster Excels In Distance Education

Inspector Steve Foster of the Royal Montserrat Police Force has demonstrated what can be achieved by diligent study, utilising the limited opportunities available locally for tertiary education, Dr Howard Fergus, Resident Tutor of the University of the West Indies (UWI) said in a statement.

Mr Foster is the latest in a list of persons who have completed Year One of a University Degree by studying at the local School of Continuing Studies.

As a result, he has been awarded a scholarship by the Department for International Development (DFID) to complete his degree in two years at the Cave Hill Campus of the UWI.

Before embarking on studies for a Bachelor’s Degree in Management Studies, Mr Foster had studied for and achieved the UWI Certificate in Public Administration - again at the local School of Continuing Studies. In his most recent course, the BSc, he gained the following results: 3 As, 2 B+s, 3 Bs and 2 Cs.

"This record is impressive for someone in part-time study and Mr. Foster is expected to graduate with honours," Dr Fergus said.

"He will thus be in a position to play a leading role in his chosen profession."

SPORTS

WHERE ARE GOING?
By Peter Adrien
Author and Sports Commentator

Where is West Indies Cricket heading? And at what pace is it heading there? What progress have we made since the advent of Captain Brian Lara?
No one argues that the West Indies team is not changing. But we are all divided as to whether it is being developed. Let us try to separate the passion and look inward - let us put the team under the microscope without fear and favour.
This is the first of a two-part evaluation of the performance of the West Indies cricket team since the advent of Brian Charles Lara. In this article we examine the captain as a contributor, tactician and motivator.
In the second part we will discuss the team's composition and performance since Australia's visit.
Lara, like Sobers is a contradiction. Brian has been heavily criticised for his tactics on the field abut has been credited for using many unorthodox but functional strategies. His field placement is often criticised and often commended. But the critical issue is whether he is a
developer.
His use, shuffling and placement of the batsmen have been very questionable and the exposure given to the young and inexperienced batters have been a cause for concern among many cricket fans. For example, one cannot understand why a Test captain would opt to bat a batter who is more or less a pinch hitter at number three against, arguably one of the best speed line-ups in international cricket.
What argument would Lara have for batting Ricardo Powell at number three in the DMC Trophy One-day International against bowlers of the calibre of Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram? After all Powell is still to learn that he cannot hit every ball at the international level. One would hope that Lara is not out to destroy young Ricardo Powell by engineering his failure. Let us accept that decision as a failed experiment.
Is Lara capable of nurturing a young cricketer? Has he the know-how (intellectual, emotional and social skills) to identify a raw talent; nurture that talent; and assist that talent to bring out the best? I am not willing to put my neck on the block for it but I have always cherished the thought that Lara contributed to the slow growth of Darren Ganga by
putting the young inexperienced soldier in the front line of a traumatic battle in South Africa, and that he contributed to the demise of Rawl Lewis, by encouraging the leggie to bowl negatively - bowling his leg breaks outside the leg stump as a tactical ploy to check the run rate.
The captaincy, according to Lara's critics is either affecting his ability in the crease or his poor performance as a captain is affecting his performance as a batter. Some pedigree cricketers have established a positive relation with the captaincy role and the substantive role of the cricketer.

The performance of the batting captain is oftentimes affected when he performs poorly in his leadership job. The bowling captain is not easily affected, as the cases of Wasim Akram and Courtney Walsh have proven.
Many commentators have argued that Brian should be given "the Tendulkar experience," as he needs to concentrate on his batting for the greater good of the team. At a press conference, I put the vexing issue to Brian, and he responded very irritably.
Why is the gifted player so endeared to the captaincy? Well, apart from the fact that the cricketing legends in the region, commentators and the cricketing public cherished the thought that he was the heir apparent, Brian Lara's self actualisation is to captain the West Indies team.
Brian craved the leadership and fought for the captaincy - the highest political position in the region - and, as some critics would have us believe, he wrestled it from Richie Richardson and Courtney Walsh, utilising a mixture of "necessary means."
But since his advent, he humbled the relatively weak British team in the home series with a somewhat mediocre team almost in the fashion of Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards; immediately after he tarnished our reputation and brought us to the lowest cricketing, political and cultural levels in a one-act performance against the racist South Africans, he redeemed himself somewhat and received his popular mandate during the home series, when he almost single-handedly drew the series against the mighty Australians; but he reclined into his armchair of lack of application and discipline. His batting has been lack-lustre. He has won one one-day series; lost one and been humiliated in another.
Yes, Lara enjoys the power that "being in charge" confers on the occupier of the position; the respect that the holder of the position holds in the eyes of those that are led; the loyalty of the those who are subordinate; and the reward that goes with the super-ordinate position.
In his autobiography, Beating the Field (published in 1995), he thinks aloud about the captaincy: "Given the job of leading whichever cricket team I was a member of meant a lot to me. From a very young age at school I found myself assuming the role of captaincy. My first real opportunity to prove to myself and to others that I could become a future captain came in 1987."
Concerning the captaincy of the West Indies Cricket team, he noted:
"In the absence of Richie Richardson and Desmond Haynes, in 1994-5, I held my position as vice-captain. I would be lying if I said that captaining the West Indies test team one day is not one of my goals. Since my schooldays I've dreamt about that moment and if ever it comes I'd grasp it with both hands and do the best job that I can."

I welcome this opportunity to make some brief remarks on the theme "Moving Prepared into the 21^st Century," chosen by our teachers to mark World Teachers’ Day. As minister with responsibility for education, I recognize the significant contribution teachers make to the development of the human resource base of this country. I wish also to salute all teachers on this day.

I am aware of the challenges of the profession, but I am confident that the corporate resourcefulness and potential of the fraternity of teachers -- once harnessed -- will allow the challenges to be effectively dealt with. Additionally, the teachers will march full strength and with a sense of mission into the 21^st century. Indeed, it is the teacher who, in collaboration with other crucial players, will serve to engineer society.

Moving prepared implies that teachers are already engaged in shared planning and strategizing – in fact taking all the necessary actions for the advancement of the profession and ultimately for the sustainable development of the country. The theme further suggests that all teachers are marching on together. In theory, this might be possible, but in reality difficulties are likely to abound. Why? One subset of teachers will be characterized by being always prepared, and ready to execute the roles/responsibilities of the profession with the highest level of will, interest and enthusiasm. These are the teachers who are effective, whose classes are interesting and lively, who use time effectively, where instruction is targeted and where students are motivated to learn.

There is another type of teacher who can be described as partially prepared, but who somehow manage to continue.

A third type of teacher represents those who are seldom prepared and there is no need to elaborate further because this subset of teachers, however small, is known – parents know them, for the children who are subjected to unpreparedness tell their stories.

Moving prepared rings heavy with the notion that all teachers stand ready to commit/recommit themselves to a new vision -- a new mission. Teachers must have a belief system, a shared culture to guide professional behaviour in the classroom. A teacher who realizes that he has a mission to enable each child to develop maximally organizes the environment and the teaching/learning process to stimulate and enrich lives. One of the areas which are receiving much attention is the use of the computer as a tool for improve teaching/learning.

Moving prepared calls for the strengthening of partnerships and cooperation between the crucial players in the education process. Included are teachers, students, parents, ministry and counselors.

Moving prepared requires that teachers are constantly upgrading their skills and knowledge base in order to provide high quality education services to all children.
Teachers must be good at what they do, and in order to do this, they must constantly retrain and improve themselves.

Moving prepared suggests that teachers must be willing to accept change. No longer can one clutch slavishly to the thought "this is how we used to do it." Education is dynamic and the teacher must be willing to consider more effective and efficient methods of operating. Change is not easy to accept - and many people resist it for it threatens one’s security comfort level. It pushes one to the brink of not knowing, a situation that makes people uneasy.

As a profession which seeks to develop the resource base of the country, change is endemic, and teachers need to develop strategies for coping. Further they need to assist children by helping them to cope with change. We need to be open, however, for change -- meaningful change -- has the potential to lead to the positive growth of the individual and the organization. It should therefore be encouraged.

One of the major challenges is how to continue to provide a safe school environment, and this will become increasingly more important into the 21^st century, I think. A safe environment encourages learning and every effort must be made to ensure that our schools remain as havens of safety where teachers can do a good job of teaching and students can learn.

Recognizing that I was only asked to make some brief remarks, I would like to thank you for affording me the opportunity to share some of my thoughts with you. As you continue to celebrate World Teachers’ Day, I trust that you will reaffirm your commitment to the profession and work as a teacher.

I now take great pleasure in declaring this convention open.

God’s blessings.

Opportunities Abound for Women in Football

Director of Tourism Ernestine Cassell believes there are plenty of opportunities in football for women.

Ms. Cassell is spearheading a programme in the schools to attract girls to the game, sponsored by the world football governing body (FIFA).

This ties in with plans to develop sports tourism on the island.

Ms. Cassell says there are opportunities for women to become not only players but also managers, referees and coaches.

She says there are other positive advantages, such as girls’ developing a healthy lifestyle and building good characters.

Umpire Basil Morgan is among umpires from the Leeward Islands invited to attend a Seminar in Antigua next week.

The October 9^th and 10^th seminar will be chaired by ECB Training Umpire Nigel Plews, who will once again be assisted by the National Grid International Panel Umpires Steve Bucknor and Eddie Nicholas.

The topics to be discussed include The Duckworth Lewis Target Scoring System, an update on the Laws of Cricket, and the interpretation of playing conditions.

Government Positioning Island for Foreign Investment

The Government is putting the necessary plans in place to attract foreign investment, according to the Honourable Chief Minister David Brandt, who says among the most important initiatives are the reopening of the W. H. Bramble Airport and the building of a proper seaport.

He says the government is also building factory space to encourage local, regional and also international investors to the island.

Specifically he says the United Kingdom is expected to grant approval for a factory building for the rice mill.

He expects that once this comes on stream, jobs will be created and revenue will be generated for the government.

Chief Minister Brandt says another big project is the possible re-opening of the American University of the Caribbean medical school on the island.

A representative of the founder and president Dr. Paul Tien was on island this week to identify land for the new campus.

Mr. Brandt says once on stream this project will generate more jobs and boost the economy.

Carla Fergus and Darrell Herbert, two former students of the Montserrat Secondary School, have been selected as students to be recognized under the Sunshine Awards Student Recognition Programme.

Carla and Darrell, who graduated from fifth form this year, are expected to travel to New York for the 11^th Annual Sunshine Awards on October 16^th.

This year Darrell obtained eight passes at CXC O’Level, including four at Grade I, three at Grade II and one at Grade III. Carla graduated with four general passes at Grade I, and four at Grade II.

To be selected for the Sunshine Awards Student Recognition Program the student selected must be the top academic performer in the island.

The two will receive as reward their trip to the United States to be the presenters of one of the Sunshine Awards categories.

While in New York tours will be arranged for the students to visit New York City, the United Nations, universities and museums.

These visits will be fun and educational in nature.

The students are expected to report on their trip, upon their return, to the principal, teachers and fellow students by staging an exhibition with the information and items they collected.

MCA One-day Cricket Results Out

The Montserrat Youth team got off to a winning start in the first round of the Montserrat Cricket Association one-day competition at Salem Park.

In a closely fought game the Youth Team scored 120 and then restricted the combined XI to 110 to win by 14 runs with five overs to spare.

V. Weekes and W. Fenton grabbed four wickets apiece, while Tyrone Greenaway and Calville Greenaway took one wicket each.

For the Combined team Hartford Bramble topscored with a patient innings of 20. Basil Chambers and Simon Riley each made 16 runs.

J. Harris scored 36 to topscore for the Youth Team. V. Weekes chipped in with 28 towards the end of the innings.

Basil Chambers and Lewis were the most successful bowlers for the Combined XI with two wickets apiece.

Scores again: Montserrat Youth team 120, Combined XI 110.

The next game is between Salem and Cudjoe Head next Sunday.

Meanwhile, talented allrounder Tyrone Greenaway enjoyed a successful season for Pembrokeshire County in the Welsh league.

Playing in the West Welsh League, Welsh Cup, Jubilee Cup, and the Duggie Morris Cup, Greenaway scored a total of 670 runs at an average of 35.

His best score was 73 not out.

Proving his allround skill Greenaway bowled more than 240 overs, claiming 46 wickets at an average of 16.80. His strike rate was an impressive 30.21.

Greenaway also played one game for Glamorgan Second XI, scoring 42 runs from just 49 balls.

He was also given the Man of the Match award in the Biggest Bowl Cup in West Wales, after he scored 73 runs and took three wickets.

Montserrat to be certified Amblyoma Tick-free

Agriculture officials will soon get verification that Montserrat is free from the dangerous Amblyoma Tick.

An official from the Caribbean Amblyoma Programme is due to visit Montserrat shortly to see if the parasite, which lives off animals, has been eradicated.

The tick has threatened the agriculture industry in some countries in the region but has not been seen on Montserrat for more than five years.

However Veterinary Officer Tom Piper, who attended a meeting in St. Kitts to discuss the elimination of the parasite, says this needs to be officially verified.

He says Montserrat was able to eliminate the tick through careful management, but the country still has to be vigilant.

Agriculture Ministry Salvaging Stocks from Plymouth

The Department of Agriculture has been able to salvage equipment and supplies from Plymouth.

New Veterinary Officer Dr. Clifford Daniels headed a team that was able to salvage important veterinary equipment and drugs from the clinic at the Groves, which has been devastated by volcanic ash.

Dr. Daniels says the equipment and drugs will allow the department to provide immediate services to the livestock producers in a number of areas.

Another team is expected to visit the Groves Compound shortly to salvage furniture and equipment from the abattoir.

Top Lawyer Calls for Night Classes

Montserrat’s leading lawyer, Kenneth Allen QC, is advocating night and weekend classes and a larger technical and vocational element in the island’s education system.

He made the call at the 18^th annual teachers’ convention at Brades on Tuesday.

Speaking to teachers, past and present, Mr. Allen said the new education system must depend on how the island is envisaged early in the next century.

The Queen’s Counsel said a system must be found which includes all forms of education that makes people more useful and dignified.

Fergus Thinks Teachers Over-criticized
Acting Governor Doctor Howard Fergus believes the role of teachers in effecting social change has often been exaggerated.

In a speech marking World Teachers Day the island’s leading educator said teachers have been taking the brunt of criticism for every perceived social failure.

Doctor Fergus explained that teachers are expected to teach every social and emotional skill and survival strategy, and still produce excellent results in a purely academic field.

However he points out that the teacher is only one player in an entire cast that influences social change.

The Montserrat Aid Committee (MAC 89) is leading an effort for a new mobile library for Montserrat.

As part of fund-raising moves, the London-based group has written to 5,000 secondary school principals in the United Kingdom requesting assistance.

Each letter also contains a sachet of ash, which symbolizes the devastation wrought by the volcano on Montserrat.

MAC 89 is asking for donations from each school.

Schools returning donations will be entered into an educational draw.

Three prizes will be offered, consisting of a return flight to Montserrat for a child studying GCSE from each of the first three schools drawn.

The new Library in Plymouth, built just before the volcanic crisis began, was never used.

Changing Montserrat’s Image

More resources will be put into changing Montserrat’s image, battered by four years of volcanic crisis.

Head of the British Overseas Territories Unit Mike Wood says the United Kingdom will work with the Government of Montserrat to construct an appropriate marketing strategy.

Seeing the need for vigorous promotion of the island’s industrial development potential, Mr. Wood announced that discussions have been held with the World Bank about offering advice in the area of foreign direct investment.

He notes, however, that Montserrat is not a member of the World Bank and ordinarily would not qualify for assistance.

However an exception might be created because of Montserrat’s status as a member of CARICOM.

Mr. Wood states that Montserrat has been through an enormous crisis, which has resulted in a drop in confidence of foreign investors.

He says steps taken to improve the image of Montserrat should include identifying a public relations specialist to work out how best to sell the island.

Mr. Wood says Her Majesty’s Government will also help with a tourism development project, recognizing the importance that tourism has to the future economic prospect of the island.

MEN - LEARNING TO BEHAVE BADLY?

By Everton Ryan

I've always wondered how Montserratians take things. The Man from Baker Hill is in the paper almost every week on all sorts of issues, yet you see almost nothing written in agreement or disagreement with his views.

This matter of "taking things" has had me for the past few weeks since ZJB announced the OECS Education Reform Unit's findings of its study into Student Attitude throughout the Region's Secondary Schools and the implication for us in Montserrat.

As a male I was struck at the first five 1ines of paragraph 5.4. I do not question the methods or findings but sought to find out why men were underachieving.

My view is that the education system is failing the males of our society and I will borrow from other writers to support the view, along with my own, as far fetched as it may be.

Quoting from Ralph Jemmott, writing in the Barbados Nation Newspaper October 20, 1991, on the failings of co-education: "To some degree co-education is at fault, because it places boys in competition with girls to the disadvantage of the boys.

"Firstly a boy of 13 is far less mature physically and mentally than a girl of 13. Many 13-year-old boys feel overawed by girls of the same age and they tend -to back off in the face of female assertiveness at that stage.

"Secondly, boys are allowed freer reign in society and are therefore more susceptible to the distractions that detract from achievement. My own feelings on tile matter are that boys in our schools are more caught up in the negative influences that pervade our society. It may be better therefore to allow boys to compete among themselves.

"Thirdly, there is a general belief that in co-educated classrooms both male and female teachers tend to favour the girls, particularly when there are incidents of sexual conflict."

In the next paragraph he goes on to say; "The numerical superiority of female teachers in the system may be having an adverse effect on the boys, many of whom may lack a positive role model in the house, in the school, and in the wider community."

What has Mr. Jemmott told us in these four paragraphs? Basically that if you have a girl who is intellectually two years ahead of a boy who is her numerical age, she will outperform him in about every intellectual sphere. So how do we expect boys to compete academically?

But let us ask ourselves, what does this do to that 13-year-old? What are his options? He soon starts to develop an inferiority complex, for he cannot compete intellectually and may become the butt of classroom jokes. He is also starting to feel the stirrings of manhood and cannot impress the objects of his desire, nor is he able to reconcile himself to doting on teacher as well as Mom at home.

He cannot empathise with Maam as he would with Sir, for it is another bit of Mom's boy instead of Dad's Son receiving insights from Dad into problems they both understand as males.

Is it a wonder that boys soon find themselves with discipline problems as they find other methods to compete or show that they count for something, anything?

In the face of such female dominance, it is no wonder that "the boys adopt the attitude, if they (the girls) want to male things, then let them, and so they opt out" according to Mr. Jemmott.

In Part 2 of the article, "The Ills of Co-education," Dr. Victor H. Eastmond in the Nation September 11, 1991, referred to his 1989 article posing the question: "Could co-education be the cause of much of the deviant behaviour now being displayed by the males in our society?"

He continued to state, "Our environment is the major source responsible for our development. If we deal with the school environment, it is known that at the pre- and post-pubertal stages females are more mature, and males do not show the same sense of responsibility until around 15 to 16 years of age.

"Why then do we subject our males to an environment at 11 which will make them feel weaker than the opposite sex? Why, in our co-ed system are girls taking the majority of scholastic prizes? Why are they now outdoing the boys even in the cadet corps?

"Have we devised a system to produce frustrated males who are now rebelling in the form of finding solace with other males of similar experience in the form of gangs or homosexuals?"

He goes on to ask, "Why are our boys exposed to more corporal punishment than girls in the co-ed system? One headmaster said it is easier to administer this punishment to boys, but he has never done so to girls. How does this treatment appear to a schoolboy? Is favouritism therefore not displayed to the females?

"All this must make them feel unfairness and exposes them to their unequalness during that 11-15 age stage. Do all these factors lead to a psychologically stable upbringing of the macho Bajan male? Does it make him feel less than a female?"

We can apply the questions equally to us here in Montserrat or any other West Indian Society. But what are the answers?

The OERU report at paragraph 5.4 states, "It was felt by some that boys' orientation to school was less strong in part because they have readier economic opportunities in trades and unskilled labour, and in part because they have more family conflicts."

But why should boys stay in school when faced with the disadvantages as outlined by the writers quoted and the OERU? The alternatives are much more attractive.

Besides the economic benefits as mentioned, that is, as a man you begin earning your living and learn a trade now in demand by your academic betters, there is the added benefit of being in the "company of other males".

The Caribbean construction site is one on which the male predominates.

Here he is valued for his intellectual abilities as needed on site and physical prowess. The trades are yet male dominated and the intense physical labour is performed by persons doing a job known to all to be hard, tough and demanding. He has opted out of school to be in a man's world. Men need to be strong or so we were taught.

On-site skills and abilities are recognised; banter and ole talk, with its rough and ready humour, is the order of the day. It eases the mind of dangers and physical exertion. As the job progresses, an office block factory or house takes shape, giving a sense of accomplishment which French, Biology, or History, never provided. You are now worth something. You can boast of having worked on so many structures denoting progress.

Is it a wonder, then, that with all the inequalities and conflicts at school, boys opt out and gravitate to areas which provide economic survival and psychological stability they did not get at school?

Mr. Jemmott went on to state, "Any society must be recovered about the state of its male population because males have a vital role to play in family life. A dysfunctional male means a dysfunctional family and a dysfunctional family means a dysfunctional nation. The question is whether co-education has caused the problem or is causing the problem of male dysfunction."

Can we therefore trace dysfunctional behaviour back to the backing off of 13-year-old boys unable to cope with their more intellectually advanced and assertive female counterparts? Is this the reason why so many of our males walk out of relationships, because they are again talked down to, not being treated as an equal?

In discussing these concepts with a local academic, she asked if I was proposing separate schools for boys and girls. She also went on to point out that even when attending separate schools, girls outperformed boys.

If it has to come to separate schools, then so be it. Males should be placed in the sort of environment most conducive to learning. It has been generalised that children need the most conducive learning environment. However, somewhere along, the critical stage for boys got lost when the concept was implemented.

To continue exposing further generations of males to an education system stacked against them, which places them at a psychological disadvantage, does not bode well for the future, particularly if males are to play a more fulfilling role other than fertilising eggs.

November 3^rd is Tree Planting Day and once again the Forestry Unit will be distributing trees to households, as they have done for the past several years.

Each household will receive three plants, two ornamentals and one fruit tree. Forestry staff will be on hand at the Nursery in Brades (opposite Angelos) from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. to issue the plants.

Interested persons are advised to start preparing their holes now. Holes should be dug at least 18 in. by 18 in. Pen manure should be incorporated with the soil at planting.

Chief Agricultural Extension Officer Easton Farrell is in Guyana to monitor the collection and shipment of suckers from that country to Montserrat. The suckers are due to arrive in Montserrat in a refrigerated container during the latter part of October.

A meeting was held with a number of farmers this week to finalize details of their involvement in the pineapple bulking program

Exhibition Budget Presented

Agriculture Minister P. Austin Bramble was presented with a Budget for the 1999 National Agricultural Exhibition.

Executive members of the Exhibition Committee, Mr. Anthony Maloney, Mr. Justin Cassell and Ms. Ernestine Cassell, suggested that any adjustment to the proposed budget, especially prizes, could seriously compromise the integrity of the show. It is hoped that Private Sector sponsorship, in addition to Government’s support, will result in a high caliber exhibition.

The Agriculture Department views the exhibition as a motivation for farmers and a precursor to the planned Christmas activities.

As an integral part of the import substitution program, the Department continues to source planting material of specific crops from overseas

Quantities of plantain suckers and yam tubers have been ordered from St. Vincent for distribution to farmers. Director of Agriculture Claude Gerald says that the planting material should be available to farmers by early November.

The Department of Agriculture is in the process of upgrading the local breed of goat by introducing a new bloodline. This is a South African breed of goat called Boer. Boer is a good meat producer and has performed well in neighboring Antigua. The ram goat will be on island later this month.

Director of Agriculture Claude Gerald says that a program to make the ram goat accessible to all goat producers is being put in place.

The following vegetable seedlings are available at the Brades Nursery: -

• Sweet Pepper
• Egg Plant
• Cabbage
• Tomato

There is also a wide variety of ornamental plants to choose from.

What is Family Planning? It is the means of planning pregnancies that are wanted, spaced according to choice and timed to fit in with life decisions. It is an important part of mother and child health. There are various methods available but the choice of which method you use is affected by a number of factors, namely medical, social and religious to name a few. I would now like to share some information with you on one method: The Progesterone Injectable, Noristerat . This injection is available at all District Clinics at a cost of $15 per injection.

It changes the cervical mucus, which is the secretion found around the neck of the womb. The injection makes this secretion very thick, so sperms are unable to get up into the womb.

Secondly, it prevents the eggs that are produced monthly by the ovaries from maturing.

Then thirdly it makes the endometrium, or lining of the womb, unsuitable for the fertilized egg to grow.

1. It is suitable for women who do not remember to take pills or are unable to do so for a medical or other reason.

2. Women who are breastfeeding but wish to use a contraceptive.

3. Women who wish to have children at a later date.
4. Women with medical conditions such as Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, Migraines and Heart Conditions.

Before starting the injection, you should have a thorough medical examination; your blood pressure, weight, urine and feet should be checked. A gynaecological examination should be done and Pap smear taken; you will also need a breast examination to check for breast lumps. After starting on the injection you will need a medical examination and a gynaecological check at six-month intervals and a breast self-examination at the end of each period. These examinations will reveal any changes in your state of health.

The injection could be given in the arm or the buttocks. If you are taking the injection for the first time, the first three injections will be given eight weeks apart. The fourth and subsequent injection will be given at 12-week intervals. The postnatal woman could receive her first injection at six weeks after she delivers. If she is breast feeding her baby completely she need not wait for her period to return before she starts the injection.

Kindly tell your Nurse or Doctor if you are taking any medications – antibiotics -- since some drugs affect the action of Noristerat injections.

1. A significant rise in the blood pressure at three consecutive clinic visits.
2. Pain and or tightness in the chest during breathing or coughing.
3. Pain and swelling in the legs.
4. Problems with hearing or seeing.

1. Women who are pregnant.
2. Women who suffer from phlebitis. This is complication of varicose veins. The veins in the legs become swollen, painful and the skin of the leg looks red and feels hot.
3. Women with thromboembolic disease. In this condition a blood clot forms in one part of the circulation, later this clot becomes dislodged and is carried by the circulation to another part of the body and circulation to that part of the body is obstructed.
4. Women with liver disease.
5. Women who have cancer of the womb or breast.

These are few; some of the commonly reported ones are:

1. Heavy bleeding during the period.
2. Spotting between the period and
3. No period at all.

None of these side effects are dangerous to the user’s health. Some other side effects are weight gain, short-lasting headaches, mood changes and dizziness.

Careful counseling of the new acceptor will result in making the best choice and help you to understand any changes that may occur in your body as a result of taking Noristerat injection.

There are benefits to using Noristerat injection:

1. Noristerat is 99.9 percent safe and effective.

1. A woman of any age can use it.
2. It’s private. No one else has to know you are using it.

Visit your District Clinic today, speak with your nurse. Let us help you to make the wise decision – a contraceptive choice today!

Clinic schedules are:-

Cudjoe Head Friday 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

St Johns Wednesday

St Peters Friday

Salem Monday

If for some reason you are unable to meet these schedules, still feel free to come in. We are waiting to see you.

Mrs. Monette Spencer began her training in 1985 at the New Amsterdam School of Nursing in Guyana and graduated in 1989 as a State Registered Nurse (SRN).

After graduation she worked at the Public Hospital in New Amsterdam, the West Demerara Regional Hospital and the Public Hospital in Georgetown.

From May 1991-1992, she pursued and successfully completed the midwifery programme. Subsequent to this training she gained further nursing experience on the obstetric, gynaecological and paediatric wards.

In 1994 she was transferred to North West Region as Nurse in charge of a 75-bed District Hospital and gained valuable experience.

Always eager to enhance her personal and professional growth, she successfully completed a management course for nurses which was sponsored by the Adult and Continuing Education Association in collaboration with the University of Guyana.

Mrs. Spencer ventured into a different field of health in 1996, when she joined the Guyana Parenthood Association, an organization concerned with Family Planning and Sexual and Reproductive Health. This assignment gave her the opportunity to interact with adults and youths on issues of sexuality and reproductive health.

She migrated to Montserrat in 1997 and joined the Ministry of Health as a Staff/District Nurse and is assigned to the Cudjoe Head Clinic.

You still have not heard what I said,

And none of you should be misled.

You must know that I can’t

Seek to steer David Brandt;

I’m just HMG’s figurehead.

The Governor claims it’s not he,

Nor even his boss, HMG.

If CM’s in control,

Then what’s DFID’s role,

And when was the island set free?

Jus wonderin when the Tourist Board and the Ministry of Communications and Works would solve the crisis at Woodlands Beach road leading to the only beach with reasonable facilities on the island.

Jus wonderin why the Kingdom sent two Woods of different species to beat us into taking their recipe for aid.

Jus wonderin if someone has to fall into the six-foot watery grave behind the theatre in Sweeney’s

Jus wonderin if the donkeys were removed from Lookout and allocated to the residents at Woodlands.

Jus wonderin why a new resident at Lookout is shouting in her sleep for Cudjoe Head after moving into her new home.

Jus wonderin when the Environmental Health Department will tell the garbage collecting company that they have to get enclosed vehicles to prevent things from blowing out.

Jus wonderin if Molyneaux’s mountain will get "a high" from the plants that were growing here.

Jus wonderin why someone has walked away and left their seat.

Jus wonderin why government officials only appear on radio programmes after critical thoughts are expressed in previous programmes they did not participate in.

Jus wonderin why government has to ‘import’ jokers for a one-night show when both sides have them.

Jus wonderin if government will next finance the creation of our own 'Oliver' type characters.
Jus Wonderin if charging overseas visitors three times the ferry or air fare is plain racial discrimination.

Jus wonderin how a British taxpayer would feel at being asked to pay such a price in addition to his or her slice of the £75m.

Jus wonderin why that renowned supermarket is requiring people who receive food voucher checks to spend at least half before they would give back change.

Jus wonderin when we will not have to witness the school bus crammed with children.