issue May 11

The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2012 VOLUME 106, No. 19 www.thevincentian.com EC$1.50

by HAYDNHUGGINS

PROSECUTORINSPECTORAdolphusDelpleche mayhave saved theacademiccareer of andensured afuture for a 16-year-oldsecondaryschool student,when hewithdrew twocriminalchargesagainst him onMonday, May 7.

Thestudent, whoattends aruralsecondaryschool,appeared atthe SeriousOffencesCourt chargedwithpossession offive grams ofmarijuanaand having anoffensiveweapon, towit, a pair ofscissors.

The chargeswere read tothe student,but before theyoungstercould enter aplea, the

prosecutor

informed Chief MagistrateSonya Young that theprosecution was withdrawingboth charges.

Inspector Delpleche did notgive the court a reason for hisdecision.

However, when contactedlater, Delpleche told THEVINCENTIAN that the

youngster “is a student and,should the prosecution proceedwith the matter, there is astrong chance of him beingconvicted, based on theevidence.”

The Prosecutor explained,“My issue is, had he beenconvicted, he would have hadto end school, and that would

have been the end of hisacademic career.

“He might not have beenable to get a job or learn atrade, because it is difficult toobtain jobs with criminalconvictions.”

Continued on Page 3.

by KENVILLE HORNE

MONTY JOHN, whois nursing a woundto his neck,allegedly inflicted by2010 Green Partycandidate Joseph‘Bongo Shines’Caine, is dispellingrumours that heinterfered withCaine.

According toJohn, he was at hisresidence inCalliaqua on themorning ofThursday 3rd whena friend, by thename of ‘Cheater’,came and called.

“When me comeoutside, me hear aloud noise from achain saw.”

On investigation,John said he saw‘Shines’ using thechain saw, “so I say,‘Shines,’ and, e say,’Wat?’”.

At that point his

friend advised himto leave Cainealone. He said,however, that hisfriend attempted tospeak to Caineconcerning the noise“so early in themorning,” but Caineresponded with an

outburst ofobscenities.

John recalledthat he and friend,‘Cheater’, thendeparted hisresidence andheaded in thedirection of themain road. When

they were nearingthe area whereCaine was cutting,his friend indicatedthat he wanted tohave a word withCaine.

Continued on Page 3.

Monty John warded at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital,welcomes the opportunity to dispel certain rumours.

Prosecutor Inspector Adolphus Delplechesaid that it was not in the public interest tocontinue with the case.

Wounded man refutes rumours

STUDENT GETSSECOND CHANCE

2. FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN

by KENVILLE HORNE

ACCORDING TO MINISTEROF AGRICULTURE SabotoCaesar, Operation Cutbackhas been a success. Hemade the assessmentduring a press conferenceheld on Tuesday, May 8, atthe Ministry of AgricultureConference Room.

The Operation, whichset in as a response tothe Black Sigatokadisease which severelyaffected bananacultivation in thiscountry, has seen cuttingback operations of 332acres, on 150 farms.

In addition, some 1197acres on 450 fields havebeen sprayed.

The next phase,labeled Operation PlantBack, is expected tobegin in June.

Operation Plant Back

In preparation forOperation Plant Back,

some 18,000 tissueculture (plants) havebeen made available fordistribution, from theTissue Culture Lab atOrange Hill.

While Caesar admitsthat the initial uptake ofthe tissues has beenslow, he is confident thatthere would be anincrease from June 1stwhen Operation PlantBack is officiallylaunched.

He disclosed that hisMinistry is anticipatingthat a total of 78farmers, representing aholding acreage of 120.7acres of land, will beengaged in sowing 93,600plants during the firstand second phases of thereplanting period,between June 1st andAugust 1st .

Minister Caesarassured thatconsultations willcontinue with farmers,and took time out to

respond to the statementthat the banana industrymust be returned to thefarmers.

“In St. Vincent andthe Grenadines, thebanana industry isowned by the farmers ofthe country,” Caesaradvanced.

To date, figures showthat some 361 farmershave attended theconsultations heldaround the country inApril .

Quality scores andCredit

Meanwhile, SylvesterVanloo, Head of theBanana Unit/Ministry ofAgriculture, has reportedthat the quality of thefirst shipment to the UK,Sunday 13 April, 2012,was not as good asexpected. In fact, poorscores were received..

He urged farmers touse the result as a

steppingstone toimproving the quality oftheir fruit, and alludedto an understandingbecause it was the firstshipment after aprotracted break, thatfarmers may not havebeen as prepared as theyshould have been.

And as the Ministry ofAgriculture continues itseffort to revitalize thebanana Industry, it wasreported that theAgricultural InputWarehouse had writtenoff a debt of $116,000incurred by WINFARM,exporters of Vincentainbananas.

Discussions ensuewith respect toestablishing a $100,000credit to WINFARM anda $1.5 million creditfacility for farmers.

Already though, theFairTrade Association

has extended a creditline of $300,000 to assistfarmers.

With those offerings inthe making, MinisterCaesar made anotherappeal to farmers “to

produce the highestgrade of bananas, if wewant to maintain ourstakes on the UK marketand the regionalmarket.”

V News 3THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2012. 3.

WE’RE BACK, ANDWHILE we apologise forthe two-week lapse, we

must also thank thosewho called to registerhow much they missed

the column. And just for you loyal

reads and all the new

readers, we are backwith a bang!!

Here’s a photograph ofcapital Kingstown takenaround 1935, or so wehave been reliablyinformed.

We hope that it willprovide an opportunityfor the young to sit withthe elderly and have agrand time taking a triparound Kingstown as itwas then.

Not many of thebuildings in thephotograph stand today,but there is at least onewhich we will encouragethose who want to makethe trip, to use as astarting point.

The building at thevery centre of the bottomof the picture is theKingstown Seventh-DayAdventist Church.

Have an enjoyabletime finding your wayaround this Kingstown.

Agricultureministry continuesbanana revival Minister of

Agriculture SabotoCaesar (right) andSylvester Vanloo atlast Tuesday’spress conference.

Wounded manrefutes rumoursContinued from Page 1.

John said that he advised against this, saying“Yo na see he is a bad man.”

It was at this point that he received the chop tohis neck, from Caine.

He noted that he had never had any bad historywith Caine. “If me do he something and he hareason to do me that, ah woulda understand, but echop me fo nothing at all,” an obviously distraughtJohn told THE VINCENTIAN.”

John then vehemently denied that he and Cainewere engaged in an argument over politics, sayingthat they never engaged in any political discussion.

Caine was arrested and appeared at theKingstown Magistrate’s Court last week, where hepleaded not guilty to unlawfully and maliciouslywounding Monty John.

Continued from Page 1.

Discretion applied

Inspector Delplechepointed out that inapplying the publicinterest test of the Codefor Prosecutors to thematter, it was concludedthat it was not in thepublic interest to convicta 16-year-old student forfive grams of cannabis.

“As a prosecutor, onehas to be practical andvisionary. You are notjust there to ensure thatyou get a conviction, butyou also have to considerwhat could happen to theconvicted person, and a16-year-old could berehabilitated; so theprosecution has adiscretion to give aperson a second chance;but you have to beproportionate inexercising yourdiscretion,” theProsecutor explained.

He made it clear, “I donot want the public orthe youths to get the

impression that they cango about using drugs andexpect to be given asecond chance everytime. My advice to themis to stay away fromcrime and drugs.”

Inspector Delplechenoted, however, that thestudent’s name will berecorded in the courtrecords, should he comeback on a second charge.

After the Prosecutorhad withdrawn thecharges, the ChiefMagistrate summonedthe student’s mother,who was in court, to thewitness stand.

The Magistratewarned the woman totake control of her sonand keep him on thestraight and narrow.

Magistrate Young alsogave the student a sternwarning to stay awayfrom drugs and crime.She told him that heshould thank theprosecutor, and that thenext time he would notbe so lucky.

Student gets second chance

ONE REDEMPTIONSHARPES youth willspend the next 10 yearsbehind bars, whileanother will serve threeyears in prison forrobbery and firearmpossession.

Jeremy La Borde, 26at the time, and KimronNeverson, who was 15,were charged jointly

with robbing TroyEustace of RedemptionSharpes, of a blackberrycurve 8320 cellularphone valued at EC$750,one black azio cellularphone valued at EC$109,one black leather walletvalued at EC$35, onenational ID card, oneCorea’s reward card, oneNCB debit card, oneNCB ATM card and $2in cash. The youngsterswere also charged withpossession of a firearmor imitation firearm.

La Borde wassentenced to 10 years inprison on each charge,while Neverson wasjailed for three years oneach charge. Thesentences, handed downby Justice FrederickBruce-Lyle on Monday,will run concurrently, inrespect of both men.

The youths hadpleaded guilty to bothcharges uponarraignment on April 24,2012, but sentencing was

postponed.In presenting the

facts, Crown CounselCarl Williams told thecourt that around 7:30a.m. January 7, 2011,Eustace was leavingHollywood, RedemptionSharpes, when twomasked men ran towardshim. One pointed a gunto his mouth anddemanded, “Give meeverything.”

Eustace handed overcellular phones, and thebandits took his wallet,containing theaforementioned items,from his hands. Theythen fled.

La Borde has a stringof convictions foroffences of a similarnature, while there wasno record of Neversonhaving previousconvictions.

Both men werewithout legalrepresentation.


CourtV

Stories by HAYDN HUGGINS

AS INVESTIGATIONS continue intothe disappearance and death ofDwayne Stephon Miller, a 12-year-old first form student of theBarrouallie Secondary School,McCarthy ‘DJ’ Patterson, said to bethe subject of those investigations,has been committed to stand trialin the High Court on anothercharge.

Patterson, 28, from the CentralLeeward town of Layou, was onMonday committed to stand trialfor the attempted murder ofMiller’s cousin Joemarro Phillips,19, of Layou. At the conclusion ofa Preliminary Inquiry (PI) whichhad commenced at the SeriousOffences Court on May 4, 2012,Chief Magistrate Sonya Youngruled that a prima facie case wasmade out.

The indictment allegedlystemmed from a choking incidentat Happy Hill, Layou onNovember 3, 2011, hours beforeMiller’s decomposed body wasdiscovered in the Hunt Holemountains in that community.

Phillips had allegedly managedto escape, following which he

made a report to the police.Police had discovered Miller’s

body November 4, 2011, fiveweeks after he had gone missing.Relatives had identified the bodyto be Miller’s.

Nine witnesses testified for theprosecution in the attemptedmurder P.I, including the virtualcomplainant and Corporal WilmaBlack of the Major Crime Unit(MCU).

Patterson was not representedby a lawyer.

THE VINCENTIANunderstands that up to press timeWednesday, the police were stillawaiting the results of forensictesting done abroad, in relation tothe investigations into Miller’sdeath.

Patterson has been remandedat Her Majesty’s Prisons since heinitially appeared at the SeriousOffences Court, November 8, onthe attempted murder charge.

In objecting to bail thenprosecutor Inspector AdolphusDelpleche stated that Phillips hadfeared for his life, and Miller’sdisappearance and death, inwhich Patterson is a suspect, wasunder investigations.

The prosecutor’s grounds stillhold.

A 27-year-old mute of Rose Hall was remanded toHer Majestry’s Prisons last week Thursday, May 3on a murder charge.

Kenroy Jack, a labourer, had appeared at theSerious Offences Court charged with the murder of47-year-old Celeon King of Byera.

King died at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospitalafter being stabbed in the heart during an incidentin the Bay Street area, Kingstown, around 5:30p.m on Monday, April 30.

Jack was not required to plea when he appearedbefore Chief Magistrate Sonya Young.

A date is yet to be set for a Preliminary Inquiry(PI).

Jack was not represented by a lawyer.

Kenroy Jackson is charged with murder.

Mute remandedon murder charge

ChildÊs death stillbeing investigated

Stephon Miller – his body wasfound five weeks after he wasreported missing.

A BEQUIA MAN, who isaccused of attempting tokill his former lover, willhave his day in the HighCourt.

Deron Hazell, 37, ofPaget Farm, wasrecently committed tostand trial before ajudge and jury for theattempted murder ofGivvon Bynoe, 23, of thesame address.

He is accused ofattempting to kill Bynoeon December 5, 2010.

Following aPreliminary Inquiry(PI), which hadcommenced at theSerious Offences Court,April 30, ChiefMagistrate Sonya Youngruled that a prima faciecase was made out.

Eight witnessestestified for theprosecution, includingBynoe, Dr. ZavierDanny of Bequia andinvestigator SergeantLionel Lewis.

Lovers’matterfor HighCourt

Redemption Sharpesyouths jailed

IT IS A COMMON PHRASE indisaster management (DM)circles that ‘failure to plan,is to plan for failure’.

Towards ensuring thatthere ‘is no plan to fail’,the Rainbow Radio LeagueInc (RRL), spent twoconsecutive weekends inthe field, training itsmembers to enable themto be better prepared forthe upcoming hurricaneseason which officiallybegins on June 1st.

Operation X adds First Aidtraining

The field exercise,called ‘Operation X (OPX)’, is designed to trainradio operators asemergencycommunications (Emcoms)first responders (EFR’s).The field exercise givesEFRs in training ampleopportunity to set up anddismantle HF/SSB radioequipment in quick time,from several designatedemergency shelters.Contact from theseshelters is maintainedwith local and regionalradio operators, who, in areal situation, will relayinformation to agencies

and EOCs where trainedpersons will respond byproviding the mostappropriate means ofassisting the affectedcommunity(ies), amongother things.

The RRL directorate infulfilling its objective ofensuring that all personsinvolved with DM must beequipped with life savingskills, twinned ‘OP X’ thisyear with training in CPRand First Aid.

Phase 1 of Op X 2012(April 28) saw EFRs intraining visiting selectedshelters on the easternside of the island, endingat Fancy where First Aidtraining leading up to acertificate was provided byRed Cross trainer Mrs.Vulon Layne/Peterson —J88NEL, who is also aDirector of the RRL andan active ham radiooperator.

One week later, theEFRs in trainingconducted a similarexercise, this time alongthe western side of theisland, establishing andmaintaining contact withseveral local and regionalstations, as well as amongthe mobile HF/SSB

stations. A field basecamp was set up atRichmond where radiooperators campedovernight. Earlier thatday, all EFRs receivedtraining in CPR at theRed Cross HQ inKingstown before takingto the road to field testtheir high frequency,single side band radios(HF/SSB). These radiosare capable of reliablycommunicating from areasnot accessible by VHF orUHF radios.

Further needs and thanks

During the final debriefheld at the RichmondCampsite, Coordinator ofOp X 2012, Donald DeRiggs, thanked all EFR’sfor their participation,having sacrificed twoweekends to absorb thisimportant training,including communicationskills which will bebeneficial not only to SVG,but to the wider region ifand when called upon.The RRL Director alsomade an appeal tocorporate society to assistthe RRL in delivering aneven more reliable service

in the area of transport. According to De Riggs,

there is need for twoproperly fitted land SARmobiles, and at least threeproperly equipped ‘go-fast’boats for maritime SAR,as the Coast Guard servicealone cannot adequatelyhandle mass casualtyevents at sea.

He also addressed theimportance of having anaeronautical responsecapability if this country isto deliver island wideservice in our multi-islandstate, especially whenroad and sea access is notpossible. This will alsoposition this country torespond to disasters inneighbouring territories.

An appeal was made forthe provision of uniformsfor RL members as well asmore radio equipment tobe placed in othervulnerable communities.Agencies or personswilling to assist cancontact the RRL [email protected] .

Thanks was conveyedto all individuals whoassisted in the training,including Mrs. ElnaMichael who provided ameal for the EFR’s duringPhase 1 of Op X 2012,andMr. Ezron Thompson ofBeachfront Restaurantwho part-sponsored mealsfor Phase 2 of Op X.

In recent times, theRRL has provided

communications servicesfor road races (automobileand athletics), the recentlyheld NBC radio fitnesswalk .

The RRL Inc. is a non-profit, community serviceorganisation with a specialemphasis on emergencycommunications, and wasfounded in 1995 by AlbertBrowne — J88CT andDonald De Riggs — J88CD.

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2012. 5.

Disaster Management V

Operating HF/SSB radio from Clare Valley

Rainbow Radio Leaguestages field exercise

Op X members involved in training in CPR.

Op X team and curious villagers at Spring Village.

Op X team with Ezron Thompson (4th from left, back row).

THIS TIME last year, Kingstown wouldhave been recovering from the massivemarch, dubbed ‘Blue and White Affair’,and celebrations of the Girls’ HighSchool alumnae and friends to celebratetheir 100th anniversary.

Having passed the 100 yearmilestone, the Girl’s High Schoolcelebrated their 101st anniversary onMay 8th, 2012. On Monday May 7th,the school was given an early birthdaypresent at their weekly assembly. Notonly did two past Miss SVG winnerspay the school a visit, but thosecurrent Ms. SVG contestants who areGHS alumnae, also passed by.

To top this off, the school received adonation of twelve fire extinguishersfrom St. Vincent Electricity ServicesLimited (VINLEC).

Athletes who participated in theMustique Company National SportsChampionships over the weekend werealso on hand to display their medals.

Vinlec’s donation

On Friday 27th January, at the

Launchingof the GirlsHigh SchoolRBTTYoungLeadersprogramme 2011 - 2012, VINLEC wasannounced as the group’s sponsor.

At the May 8 assembly, VINLECCommunications Officer Tamara Job-Sprott expressed her happiness,especially as an alumna of the school,to be donating the fire extinguishers tothe School through the Young Leaders.Young Leaders vice president PaigeVeira took the time out to thankVINLEC for their support thus far, astheir project is coming to a close.

Royalty stops by

Past Queens LaFerne Fraser, Ms.SVG and Ms. Carival of 2002, as wellas Ms. Javorne Williams, Ms. SVG2004, were present for the assembly.

Speaking to the student body whichconsists of over 800 girls, both queensencouraged the students to take hold

of every opportunity that is put beforethem as students of the school.

Fraser encouraged that “by beinghere, you are in the perfect position tobe excellent.”

The 3 Miss SVG 2012 contestantswho visited the school were ShaniqueBrowne - Ms. Lotto, Carice Glasgow -Ms. LIME and Aziza Williams - Ms.Jergens.

Coincidentally, all three girls werepast students of Grimble House, andencouraged the students to enjoy theiryears at school and to take the timeout to focus on their school work. Theywere warmly welcomed, and Principal

Andrea Bowman described the visit as“a wonderful pre-birthday present forour school.”

The Anniversary Celebrationscontinue

The 100th Anniversary celebrationswill come full circle with a final lecturein the lecture series on Thursday May10th at the Frenches House. Therewill be a special 100 page collection ofphotographs from the anniversarycelebrations on sale to commemoratethis memorable event.


NewsV

GHS Young Leaders accept fire extinguisher from Tamara Job-Sprott of VINLEC.

GHS celebrates 101st Anniversary

Athletes show off their medals won in the National Sports Championship.

by GLORIAH…

SEVEN LOCAL TOURGUIDES, who have beenplying their trade for anumber of years withCoreas CaribbeanAdventures, a departmentof Coreas Hazells Inc,were given special honourlast Tuesday, 8th May,when they were awardedthe commendation of ‘TopTour Guides in St. Vincentand the Grenadines for2008 – 2009’.

Tour guides

These awards, whichwere received in citationfrom Ms. Lisa Jensen,Manager of ShoreOperations of PrincessCruise lines, went to:Ms. Gloria Williams, Ms.Cheri Sergeant and Ms.Keisha Kirby for the‘Best of St. VincentTour’; Mr. GlenroyGaymes and Mr. JasonVillaroel for the ‘Gardensof St. Vincent Tour’; Mr.Lywn ‘Owen’ Daniels forthe ‘Darkview Waterfalland Coastal Cruise’; andMrs. Ramona Gibson forthe ‘Gardens of St.Vincent and the Best ofSt. Vincent Tours’.

The list of awardeeswas the result of exitsurveys filled out bypassengers at the end oftheir tours, and onlinesurveys filled out bythose who did notcomplete the exitsurveys.

At a short awardsceremony held at CoreasHazells Inc., Mr. JoelProvidence, ManagingDirector Coreas-HazellsInc., reminded theaudience that, “Tourguides make thedifference between amoderate and anexcellent tour.”

The moment of truthon these tours, he wenton to say, is when aPrincess passengercomes into contact withthe tour guide andrealizes that theparticular tour was theright choice.

Other awards

As a tour operator

itself, Coreas CaribbeanAdventures received twoawards for tours ofexcellent quality interms of what the toursoffered and the“exemplary service”given by the guides.

The award of ‘BestCruise Low VolumeShore Excursion of theSeason, 2008-2009’ wentto the St. VincentGardens Tour; while theDarkview Waterfall andCoastal Cruise receivedthe ‘Tour of the Season,2010-2011’ award. Thesetours, Shore OperationsManager Jensen said“directly impacted thepassengers’ overallimpression of their cruisevacation. They providedpositive and memorableexperience that haseffectively showcased thedestination.”

Prospects

Mr. Garth Williams,Manager of CoreasShipping and Tours,explained to thegathering that when thePrincess Cruise Linespulled out of SVG, hiscompany sought todiscern the reason(s) forthat action.Investigations, he said,revealed that it wasneither the tours nor thequality of service thatCoreas CaribbeanAdventures renders thatwould have contributedto the decision.

Managing DirectorProvidence explainedthat his company investsin the training of TourGuides yearly for thedelivery of a qualityservice. Many of thesecontinue as tour guides,but a percentage of themmove on, many gainingemployment on cruiseships. He explained thatfor the next cruiseseason, the RoyalCaribbean Cruise Lines— Vision of the Seas-willbegin to make visits toSVG. This line, he said,employs approximately14,000 Vincentians andwith their currentemployment thrusttowards the Asianmarket, guides aspiring

to be employed there willneed to step up andmaintain an excellentlevel of expertise.


PeopleVTour guidesrecognised

(Front L-R): KeishaKirby, Glenroy Gaymes,Ramona Gibson, Lywn ‘Owen’Daniels and Gloria Williams.,(Standing L-R): Mr. Vaughn ofMontreal Gardens, MicheleForsythe, Noll Patterson and

Garth Williams.


ViewsV

(THE FOLLOWING ARTICLEwas ready for the press when Iheard about F.O’s death).

I applaud Patmos Richardsfor his article in praise of F.OMason, a shrewd skipper anddevastating pace bowler of StVincent cricket teams in the1950s to early 1960s .

In fact the great game to which Patmosalluded was played at Victoria Park in 1962,was Mason’s last, at the end of a sixteen-yearcareer.

Dominica, having to make just over 100 forvictory, was skittled out for far less, skipperMason having taken 9 wickets for 11 runs.What a way to go- into retirement!

In Dominica’s first innings school-boy IrvinShillingford, the “Little Master,” had blazed animperious century. He went on later to play forthe West Indies, chalking up a century, I thinkin the second match that he played.

It is not the first time that Patmos has comeup to highlight Mason’s feat which saw himcalled up for observation with a view to playingfor the West Indies, but was unsuccessful.Bringing the article back on the 50thanniversary of the event, when F.O is nearing86 years old and racked with pain, I believe itwas perfect timing for some honour for F.O. Icertainly will second the motion! For perhapsthe third time.

Incidentally, the oldest national cricketer is95 years old Matthew John of Ratho Mill whofirst played in 1938, the year that I was born.

In reading the article, I noticed that I standuncorrected on two matters. First, the Christianname of opening batsman Bramble is Eldon, notElliot, and Garnet Brisbane is a right-handedbatsman, not a left-hander. We have to showrespect to our future readers! The confusionarose because Garnet bowled with his left hand.He was the better bowler and Jackson thebetter batsman.

I played with or against 12 of the 13 playerswhich formed the team in question — MartiClark I don’t even remember. With the mostelastic definition of “heroes,” only five ofPatmos’ “legendary” 13 qualify in my ownadmittedly subjective opinion: Mason, Jackson,Niles, Brisbane, and (with a shove) Bramble.

Interestingly, Garnet Brisbane, Joseph(Speedy) Anthony, Celestine Veira, AyrtonClouden all played for the Hairoun team as Idid. I left for U.W.I Jamaica 1960. Brisbanewent on to Canada around 1963 where heskippered the national team in a World CupSeries played in England.

Mason had founded his Malverns Team inthe mid-50s from a nucleus of his ex-Grammarschool players, much as Mike Findlay waslater to do with the formation of “Saints” in theearly 1960s. Both of them skippered theWindwards and Combined Islandssubsequently.

The Original Malverns contained, inter alia:F.O, his lanky brother Leon, Elliot Cambridge,Vinsgath Douglas, Vin Cuffy, Hudson Soso,Hutson Martindale, Ardon “Panna” Daisley,Clifford and Maxie Daisy and Ashford Lewis.Caspar Quammie and fellow Ear-Nose-andThroat specialist (body parts threatened bytheir rising deliveries) Ralph Walker.

At the period, Malverns had in effect joined athree-team loop- with K.C.C and Hairoun thatfairly dominated the local cricket scene.

On the other hand, I had suggested the1953 squad as the greatest ever put out byS.V.G. They were in batting order: EldonBramble, Ardon Antrobus, Cayley Bonadie,Ardon Daisley, Alfie Roberts, Ian Neverson,Frankie Thomas, Sylvester Noel, Frank Mason,and John DaSilva. Only Ardon Antrobus and

Sylvester Noel, were notout of the top drawer.

Incidentally, Patmosrightly suggested GarnetNiles as the best wicket-keeper ever, even betterthan Mike Findlay. Thereare two other contenders,

Hudson Soso whom I saw for myself bring off apiece of stumping off Mason, and Bose Lewiswho I am told stood up to the wicket takingwith aplomb the tearaway speed of Mc. Cree,Spooner, Hadley and company in the late ‘30’s.

The best outfielder and hard-hittingbatsman was said to be Cruickshank byPatmos. I met one better- Garvey Bailey of theMount Bentick side 53/ 54. He loved to coverdistances for the ball which he despatched withpin-point accuracy into the gloves of thekeepers. He made a double century in a day’splay at Victoria Park vs the strongest team,K.C.C.

What about naming the largest stand in theArnos Vale Sporting Complex after Mason, AlfieRoberts and Winston Davis. I agree with thosepersons who see little point in honouring deadheroes, when better could be done.

Clem King is also dead. He was a man of bigwords, correctly used always. In early days, helived a life on the fringe of the “Bridge Boys”.

My condolences go out to all the bereavedrelatives, especially F.O’s wife KIP who hadbeen his hand, foot and chauffeur for the pastseveral years.

Leadership Positions

In their desperate fight to retain power, theU.L.P points accusing fingers at the N.D.P forlacking depth, without even bothering to lookand examine themselves.

After Gonsalves who? Is it a case of Apres`moi la deluge, there is Camillo, Saboto Caesar,Luke Browne and Michelle Fife, totally lackingexperience in the broad conduct of publicaffairs.

Apparently, Ralph may be the victim of hisown success. To pave the way for Camillo, hehad all mature people moved from the Partymainstream by hook or crook: Straker, Rene`Baptiste, Girlyn Miguel. Men of someexperience and learning of the ropes, likeElsworth John and Bernard Morgan werepulled back from the electoral races.

And it is well-known that the other twinevil is unelectable and could only be thebestman of the team but not the groom.

The N.D.P, on the other hand, has a settledleadership in Arnhim, followed not necessarilyin order by Godwin Friday, Daniel Cummings,Linton Lewis, Major St Clair Leacock andLennox Daisley, leaving room for the emergenceof Louise Mitchell or Maia Eustace, dependingon which way the winds blow.

The U.L.P cannot get away with theirillogical reasoning for much longer.

For instance, Eustace should go because helost three elections, even though he personallywon his seat three times. But nothing is said ofRalph who could not win his seat on threesuccessive occasions, and only did so whenVincent Beache transferred to South Windward,leaving Ralph a clear field after the formationof the U.L.P. Calling Arnhim weak because hetook about three days to make public thedismissal Anesia from a Senate which is largelyoverlooked by a U.L.P Speaker. And worse,because Arnhim chose to ignore the AnesiaAffair and concentrated on development issuesin a subsequent press conference. Arnhimknew, like all N.D.Pites, that the Anesia Affairwas being blown up as a red-herring, a decoy todistract from serious national business.

Editorial

Managing Editor: Desiree Richards

Editor: Cyprian Neehall

Telephone: 784-456-1123 Fax: 784-451-2129

Website: www.thevincentian.com

Email: [email protected]

Mailing Address: The Vincentian Publishing Co. Ltd.,

P.O. Box 592, Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

International Day of theFamilyMAY 15 IS CELEBRATED as the International Day of the Family. It is aday when the importance of families is supposed to be highlighted.

If the truth be told, these are not easy times for families. Manyprofessionals, commentators, even religious men and womenlament the fact that the ‘social fabric of society is disintegrating,because sound families and traditional family structures are fastdisappearing’.

In these times, there’s never an ‘easy’ time to be a parent, andmodern day families are facing a host of unique challenges.However, parents and parenting remain basic to the fostering ofsound family structures and sound family dynamics.

It is time we admit that today’s parenting styles may just be afundamental cause of the fragmentation in families and family lifethat so many quiver about.

Modern parents, whether influenced by the mass media or ‘theiradvanced learning’, have adopted a permissive parenting style. Ina deliberate effort to discard what they perceive as anauthoritarian style by their parents, modern parents go to theother extreme and purport to raise their children differently thanthey were raised.

However, mixed signals often set in, especially in times ofstress, in moments in the modern child’s life when a modernparent is forced to admit that after all, the child’s action isunbecoming, and resort to the old (authoritarian) style, and foregotheir everyday permissive parenting style. What does this do tothe impressionable mind of the child?

Modern parents are working longer hours, and the distinctionbetween work and home has become blurred. Where does workstop and the home begin? How many modern parents make andadhere to this distinction?

Given what appears to be the hectic pace at which societaldemands move, parents are prone to ‘helicoptering’ over theirchildren so that they cannot make their own choices.

Further mixed signals are sent, and children left in a furtherquandary, possible leading to uninformed choices/decisions, whentoday’s parents try to promote cooperation by buying ‘things’ fortheir children. ‘Please them and they will bend’, may be therationale behind the dependence on things material.

Alternatively, but still a resulting measure of sending mixedsignals, is when the modern parent resorts once more, and in mid-stream so to speak, to that authoritative style, in an effort toreclaim control over the family dynamic. Parents become rigid,inflexible, even harsh in their interaction with their children.

There may be structure and consistency in an authoritarianhousehold, but somewhere down the road, the child is wont toreact in defiance — as that child seeks to establish his/her space.

Then again, the permissive style may well lead to the childsensing that there is room for maneuvering, if not manipulation,and quietly exert a hold over the parent.

So how does one deal with this quagmire in which parent andchild find themselves, and which eventually impacts negatively onthe broader society?

First and foremost, parents must submit to an honest self-appraising of their parenting style. They must work towardsensuring consistency, structure, follow-through and support, notsugar-coating the issue with more gifts and benefits, in a foolishbelief that the issue will simply disappear.

Important, perhaps of paramount importance to fostering soundfamilies and family structures is that both parents, where thispresents itself, work together to achieve the same goals.

There can and should not be any mixed signals. Children mustbe presented with the environment in which they will know whatto expect, thus avoiding creating unnecessary stress in the family.

Admittedly finding the correct balance between warmth andfirmness is no easy task. But it is not impossible, and this is onesure way of making children feel cared for and safe, and leads toharmony, understanding and ease of sharing opinions in a home,in a family.

The quality of attachment a child feels for his/her family, willdetermine how that child, especially a teenager, functions in theworld — a world that looms large with vices and virtues in constantbattle for supremacy.

Children need to feel connected to a family system; it will helpin building their resistance to otherwise unbecoming tendenciesthat will impinge on the value of sound families.

So as we mark International Family Day come next Tuesday, letus reflect on how parenting styles affect that basic web of society,the family.

F. O. Mason remembered: A graphic note on political leadershipChallenges Facing the

Modern Family

I WANT to congratulatethe Minister of Agriculture.If, like you like to say Mr.Editor, the truth is told,agriculture in this countryis in dire need of anoverhaul. There is nodoubt that agriculture,which once was themainstay of this economy,is struggling to make anyreal impact. Farmers’earnings are down, andthere is no question to thefact that we earn far lessfrom bananas than weused to.

In the midst of all ofthis, the reports indicatethat our new Minister ofAgriculture, Mr. Saboto

Caesar, is tying his bestto inject a new hope inthe agriculture industry.He is doing all he can toencourage farmers and towin their confidence.

This is the first step torecovery, and theMinister must becommended for realizingthat this step is vital.Unlike his predecessor,he is not talking down tothe farmers; he gives

them their due andemphasizes howimportant they are to thedevelopment of thiscountry.

This is no easy task,for I am certain that theyoung minister knowsthat old habits die hard,and it is no easyundertaking trying toconvince farmers thatthey have to change theirapproach, not only to

what and how theycultivate, but how theyapproach their businessgenerally.

We have to cultivate anew attitude among ourfarmers, and encouragemore young people tofarm, so that we have asector of people whoaccept that they areimportant to ourdevelopment.

This is the challenge

facing Mr. SabotoCaesar; but he seems tohave got off on the rightfoot. He needs all thesupport he can get fromhis staff, and moresofrom the Prime Minister,who is also the Ministerof Finance.

Let us support Mr.Caesar in his effort.

Clifford

DID THE Hon. ArnhimEustace provoke one ofhis political children toanger, according toColossians 3:21? Or wasit a demonic attack onthe NDP which found theleader spiritually weak?

This, to us, who arespiritually strong andknow that we are notfighting against peoplemade of flesh and blood,but against the evilrulers and authorities ofthe unseen world,against wicked spirits inhigh places, have to puton every piece of God’sarmory (Eph. 6:12-12).

The matter withShefflorn Ballantyne,Anesia Baptiste and theleadership of the NDP

should have been thrownunder the table if theleadership of the partyhad a spiritual vision forour country.

Shefflorn and Anesiaare politically immatureyouths, and as fathers ofyouths, you have to avoidthe wrath of the youthby not provoking them toanger.

The leader of theNDP, it appears, did notget the truth as to whatthe youths were accusedof. He also, it isreported, did not readnor listen to therecording of whatBallantyne said.Members of his partyapparently told him thatBallantyne called the

Roman Catholic Churcha cult. Anesia Baptistetried to convince themthat it was not so.Leadership believedotherwise, andjudgement was passed.

The differencebetween Eustace andGonsalves in makingjudgement is thatEustace listens to hisfriends and concludes,and Gonsalves listens tohimself and concludes.That leadership is intheir last days. The newleadership will be thecollective wisdom of thewise and spiritual.

A Christian Democrat

I MET Shanika Small onone of my trips to StVincent a few years ago.After tiring travel, Iencountered her graciouswarmth at the front deskof Grenadine House,where she was employedas a front deskattendant. GrenadineHouse is by no meansthe Ritz, but of the manyhotels I have stayed at,the experience there wasmemorable. This was inlarge measure as a resultof the wonderful staff atthe hotel. I recallShanika to be courteous,conscientious andengaging.

She was charming too,and spared no effort inensuring that my staywas comfortable andindeed enjoyable. Everynight before she leftwork, she enquired of mycolleagues and mewhether we werecomfortable, and ensuredthat she provided uswith all necessaryinformation in the eventwe needed anything. Thehospitality and patienceof the staff, andespecially Shanika, hasremained with me since.

It should come as nosurprise therefore, that Iwas today deeply

saddened to have learntof Shanika’sdisappearance lastOctober. Several monthshave passed since herdisappearance, and whatappears to be herpassing, but to me it israther fresh.

I recall my colleaguesand I chatting withShanika, and she spokeof her ambitions tofurther her studiesoverseas and pursue asuccessful career.Shanika spoke ofwanting to studyoverseas, but wasinsistent that her planswere to return to St

Vincent to live and work.She impressed me as a

focussed and determinedyoung lady. That her lifehas been cut short inwhat was reported to bemost barbaric and brutalcircumstances has beenrightfully condemnedwidely. I too, add mycondemnation. I trustthat her family will haveclosure as every effortwould be made to ensurethe DNA test results aremade available.

I pray too that thecoward(s) who murderedher is/are brought tojustice.

Shanika did not

deserve to die in suchinhumanecircumstances. Hers wasa warm and affable soul.In her own small way,she was a most graciousand excellentambassador for hercountry. Her murderer(s)has/have robbed StVincent of a shining star.May her soul rest inpeace.

Imran Khan

IN THE HOLY SCRIPTURES,the name of Jesus Christ is givenprominence, and rightly so, sincehe is God’s means of salvation tohumankind (Acts 4:12). However,many people tend to forget thename of Jesus’ Father, the onewhose name should be hallowed,as Jesus himself said at Matthew6:9. The word hallowed means to‘sanctify, treat as holy; regardwith great respect or reverence’.Therefore, “Hallowed be thyname” i.e. the Father’s name, asmentioned at Matthew 6:9, meansthat we must treat God’s Namewith the utmost respect or

reverence. This includes usingGod’s name, making it known toothers as Jesus Christ himselfdid, according to John 17:6, 26.

Most people may know by nowthat the Father’s name isJehovah. Exodus 6:3; Isaiah 12:2.Hence, Jesus made God’s name,Jehovah, known, showing thedeepest respect or reverence for it.Will we be like Jesus Christ,highly regarding the name ofJesus’ Father? Jesus put theFather above himself, accordingto John 5:19; John 6:38 and John7:16. Jesus loves his Father verymuch and will remain subject to

his Father for all eternity (1Corinthians 15:28).

He prayed that his Father’sname be glorified (John 12:28). Sowe should imitate Jesus andmake the Father’s name,Jehovah, known. Give God’s namethe rightful prominence that itdeserves, for He is the Most High,the Almighty, our Creator(Psalms 83:18). Will we imitateJesus Christ in making God’sName, Jehovah, known and usingit respectfully?

Simeon James


ViewsVSupport for Mr. Caesar

IT IS TIME that we gethonest with ourselvesand admit that MayDay no longer has anysignificance for workersin this country. MayDay in St. Vincent andthe Grenadines is justanother holiday forfrolic and what haveyou.

Gone are the dayswhen workers took tothe streets in solidaritywith one another, andin a message to theemployers of thiscountry that they arethe ones who make thewheels turn.

These days, LabourUnions seem to haveaccepted that all is niceand dandy, and there isnothing around whichto bring out theirmembers. How sad. Indoing that, they missthe whole point of theDay — a Day whenworkers celebrate theirgains and remind thoseconcerned that theydemand only thatwhich is fair and willfight for that.

A Worker

MayDaygonethrough

Will we imitate Jesus Christ?

The leaders in the last days

THE BETHEL HighSchool, first located inthe Victoria Park area,now located at CampdenPark, was once a verydangerous place for bothstudents and teachers.

Daily, studentsroamed the corridorsduring school sessions;fights, brawls, muggingsand stabbings were thenorm. Trouble was thehallmark of theInstitution. Femalestudents were simplyafraid to visit thebathrooms in less thangroups of six.

Every afternoon therewere gang fights at theend of the school day.The place was more likea hospital than a school.

There has been adramatic turn aroundsince the advent ofWendell Edwards.Every aspect of theschool has improvedmeteorically. Disciplinehas been restored, andthe daily fights are non-existent. Children nowtake pride in thesurroundings.

A Heritage Club hasbeen formed, and lastyear, 2011, the schoolwon an EnvironmentProgramme that wassponsored by a businessplace. In the area ofsports, the school isdominant in netball,track and field, footballand cricket.

Wendell Edwardsdeserves all of thegratitudes for makingBethel High School abeacon in an otherwiseturbulent world.

P. Stewart

Bethelback toschool

Remembering Shanika

* Has work on thatbridge in Vermontstopped?

* What has becomeof MontagueProducts? Didn’t afarmers’ organizationtake it over?

* Is the CricketAssociation going totake action againstthose two cricketerswho had a fight onthe field of play?

* Who is thebusiest Minister ofGovernment, i.e.after Dr. RalphGonsalves?

* Every year, theCDC organizes thetwo biggest twomarathons in SVG.Is it the newNational AthleticsOrganization orwhat?


ViewsVThe issue

Vincentians will remember the incidenton March 28th, 2012, when the country’sAmbassador to the United Nations,Camilo Gonsalves, was accosted by aNYPD officer and briefly arrested. The fullreport of that incident has been in thepublic domain, and the details are wellknown to all.

Following that incident, the ULPadministration embarked on a series ofdiplomatic activities, seeking sanctionsagainst the NYPD officer, and toconfirm the respect for St.Vincent andthe Grenadines, its citizens and itsdiplomats.

While this strategy was evolving, thebackward elements within the NDPembarked on a critical analysis of theincident, and had nothing butdisparaging remarks to make aboutAmbassador Camillo Gonsalves. Theyclaimed that he was arrogant, and thathe should have responded differently tothe NYPD officer. Some NDPspokespersons even claimed that theaccount of the incident as provided byAmbassador Gonsalves, was flawed.Such was the venom that flowed fromthe Nasty Desperate Party.

Widespread International support

The ULP administration would liketo place on record, its appreciation andthanks to all those persons, includingDiplomats, High Commissioners,Ambassadors, and generally to allVincentians at home and abroad, andfriends of St.Vincent and theGrenadines, as well as supporters ofthe Geneva Convention, for theirsupport.

The Deputy Chief of Mission at theUS Embassy in Barbados, ChristopherSandrolini, telephoned Prime MinisterDr. Ralph Gonsalves to offer his regretand that of his mission, in relation tothe incident.

But the most important responsecame from the Secretary of State,Hillary Rodham Clinton. In a lettersent to Prime Minister Dr. RalphGonsalves on April 26th 2012, theSecretary of State advised the PrimeMinister about the proposed wayforward, to ensure that incidents likethese do not happen again. Let usquote from her letter.

“I regret that this incident occurred,and would like to take this opportunityto reassure you, that the United Statestakes its responsibilities as hostcountry to the United Nations veryseriously. US Ambassador to theUnited Nations Susan Rice, met withAmbassador Gonsalves on April 10th,to discuss the way forward. The Headof the New York City Commission forthe United Nations, Consular Corps,and Protocol has informed the UnitedStates Mission to the United Nations,that it is conducting an internal reviewof the matter. Based on the results oftheir review, we will examine ways toprevent such incidents from occuring inthe future”.

The letter is very instructive. Itexpresses regret, acknowledges thatthere is a problem, and outlines theaction to be taken to ensure that theseactions do not occur again. Unlike there-action of the NDP, the United Statesrecognizes that there is a relationshipbetween that country and St. Vincentand the Grenadines, based on trust,mutual respect and an understandingthat we are not better than the UnitedStates, and they are not better than us.

The vindication

Of interest to most Vincentians is aletter that appeared in the April 27thissue of the Searchlight newspaper,written by Lennox Daniel, a formerDeputy Ambassador to the UnitedNations, during the time of the NDP.That letter has embarrassed thespokespersons for the NDP, and hasvindicated the account of AmbassadorCamillo Gonsalves, as he described hisencounter with the NYPD officer.

Daniel says in his letter that“regularly a number of persons whoconduct business in the building exittheir cars at the police booth in front ofthe building rather than having to takethe longer walk from the intersectionsat East 43rd street or at 42nd street toenter the building. This has been themodus operandi for accessing thebuilding by the ambassador’spredecessor, other diplomats and othertenants of the building. On manyoccasions, I have done the samewithout receiving as much as a cursoryglance from the police officer on guardin the booth”.

This puts to rest the lie thatspokespersons in the NDP have beenspreading on radio and face book, thatAmbassador Gonsalves removed one ormore of the barriers around thebuilding, to gain access. It alsoconfirms what the Ambassador hassaid, in that this is the method ofaccess used by him, other diplomats,and in fact his predecessors, to accessthe building.

The incident affecting AmbassadorCamillo Gonsalves will fade away asissues are resolved in New York, toensure that this does not happen again.But the NDP has clearly demonstratedagain to the people of St. Vincent andthe Grenadines, that as a party hopingto take government in the future, it isnot interested in protecting thesovereignty of St. Vincent and theGrenadines as well as its citizens.

The country is crying out for apositive opposition that is interested inparticipating in the national debate onsocio-economic development issues. Thedemocracy of the country requires thatthe NDP lift its game and presentalternatives for discussion. But thecountry, and by extension thesupporters of the New DemocraticParty, are cheated when that partydegenerates to the lowest commondenominator. All that they areinterested in, is negativity, lies, half-truths and slanderous statements.

Welcome back, Prime Minister

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalvesreturned to the state on May 2nd, afterreceiving medical attention inBarbados, having curtailed his visit toQatar. We welcome him back to hisloving country, and we thank thepeople of Barbados, including themedical experts, for the care andattention they provided.

And so we are comforted by theresolution made by the ComradeLeader, that he will pay more attentionto his health, seek more rest andreduce his work load accordingly, evenwhile he continues to look out for thewelfare of all Vincentians.

Long live the ULP and ComradeRalph.

GOVERNMENT’S first responsibility is toprotect its citizens by building a strong,safe community. However, under this ULPGovernment, violence and other criminalactivities threaten to turn our beautifulcountry into a hostile and lawless state, inwhich our citizens, residents and visitorsfear for their safety and security. Thisslide into decadence must be stopped asa matter of urgency.

The restoration of safety, nationalsecurity, peace, tranquility, respect forlaw and order, and the building of adrug free society require a renewedsense of personal responsibility and anappropriate package of economic, socialand anti-crime policies.

An NDP Government will take a firmlead on these matters to address themin a most efficacious manner.

In order to do this, the NDP, incollaboration with stakeholders and theentire nation, would seek to: implementthe Spiritual, Social RedemptionCharter as the prime mechanism todeal with issues pertaining to ouremphasis on the prevention of crime;increase Police manpower to focus onbeat and other patrols; establish avisible police presence in communities,especially those with high crime rates;reduce police response times; establisha Crime Prevention Department withinthe Ministry of National Security;introduce the Crime StoppersProgramme; introduce toughersentences for sexual offenders; providethe Coast Guard with the requisitemanpower and technical resources toensure the safety of our territorialwaters; supply chase and pursue vesselsto empower the Coast Guard to do itsjob efficiently; create an IndependentFire Service with substations island-wide, inclusive of the Campden ParkIndustrial Estate; improve officertraining; establish a specific PoliceWomen’s Department; support Randomdrug testing in our prisons; provideadequate training for Prison Officers;strengthen our Forensic Lab; establishan Intelligence and Counter IntelligenceUnit with special focus on our Airportsand Seaports to counteract terrorismand drug trafficking; create a firstresponse department with emphasis onresponding and handling reports ofDomestic Violence and Violence againstWomen.

Creating real employment

The ULP Government has failed tocreate meaningful employment for ourpeople. They have used and abused thepoor for political purposes, and hasfailed to lift them out of poverty.Towards creating long termemployment for Vincentians, the NDPhas set out major Development Projects,which include: a major internationalconstruction group partnering with theNDP to finally get the Argyle Airportinto a state of readiness; a majorinternational development groupbuilding a 1000-unit integratedresidential and hotel resort complex onSt. Vincent; an important internationalbanking group using SVG as its base toestablish a new chain of retail banksthroughout the Caribbean; a majorinternational construction group,specializing in infrastructure projects,establishing a regional head office inSVG; a global player in the trust andcorporate services sector overhaulingour financial services; a global player inprivate aircraft services setting up astate-of-the-art aircraft registry;working with some of the world’s mostexperienced international tax specialiststo establish tax treaties that generatefurther investments into our country;working towards each household inSVG having a minimum of one personwith meaningful employment.

Rescue mission for agriculture

The mission of the NDP is torevitalize the agricultural sector, tomake it efficient, technologicallyprepared and internationally

competitive, so that the sector can:regain its place of prominence as amajor contributor to the nationaleconomy; guarantee the food andnutrition security of our people; provideemployment, income, and sustainablelivelihood, while preserving theenvironment for present and futuregenerations.

This can be realized by collaboratingwith stakeholders to developingappropriate activities which: includeour marine resources, rivers and pondsas part of the agricultural sectorresource base; encourage/motivate thewidest cross-section of Vincentians,especially the youth, to become involvedin agriculture; support the production,handling and marketing of safe, healthyfoods; ensure the safety of foodsupplies; develop sound businesssystems for agricultural production,processing and marketing; ensureefficiency and internationalcompetitiveness of the sector; establishlinkages between/among agricultureand the other sectors; promotesustainable rural development and thesustainable use of natural resources forpresent and future generations;transform the role, structure andfunctions of the Ministry of Agricultureto confront the new realities ofglobalization and modernization of thesector; endorse agricultural educationprogrammes that will produceentrepreneurs of farmers, processors,traders, technicians and others involvedwith the sector; incorporate flexibilitywithin the sector to adapt quickly tochanging external Global situations.

An NDP administration will facilitateand support the private sector to tacklethese objectives by instituting relevantaction through the Ministry ofAgriculture (Food production, Forestry,Fisheries and Rural Development). Assuch, the Ministry will be repositionedto meet the challenges of the 21stCentury, and promote a vision of foodand nutrition security, rural prosperityand improvement in the quality of lifeand livelihood of all Vincentians.

The vision will be shared, oradvanced, through strategic planningmeetings, seminars, workshops andfield visits, in order to encouragepartnership, cooperation andparticipation with key stakeholders inthe private sector, NGOs and civilsociety.

Such contact will inform nationalpriorities and development plans, anddetermine specific programmes andactions. This approach will accordinglymotivate farmers, fishermen,processors, marketers, agribusinessentrepreneurs and technicians, to bemore productive and gain confidence inthe Ministry as a tool, or facilitatingmechanism, to aid their businessoperations.

The NDP will: introduce anAgricultural Development Bank;establish a special regime of incentivesfor new farms; establish a Consumerand Prices Advisory Board, with amandate to address prices foragricultural supplies as well as matterspertaining to prices and consumerism;establish farmers markets in otherareas of St. Vincent and the Grenadinesincluding Sion Hill, Calliaqua,Georgetown, Barrouallie and CampdenPark; continue to make agriculturallands available to farmers through theLand Reform Programme; designateareas for small ruminants (goat, sheepand pigs) production and some for rootcrops to generate national food security;re-introduce agriculture in primaryschool and a youth appreciation inagriculture (YAPA) as a programme foryoung farmers. NDP AGAIN.

Ambassador CamilloGonsalves vindicated

New Times means new government


ViewsV“What we need to fosterthroughout the educationsystem is a passion forenquiry, forecasting theactions of others, makingdecisions in the face of theunknown, finding alternativeroutes around or over amountain of issues and challenges.”Joel Providence, Chief ExecutiveOfficer, Coreas Hazells Inc., St. Vincent

IT IS SOMETIMES AMAZING to listen tothe conversations of those youngpersons who have not yet beenreprogrammed to think that it is futile topursue their dreams; individuals whosevivid imagination encourage them tothink outside the box and to dream ofpossibilities not yet pursued; personswho possess and display a passion forenquiry.

Over the years, many regionalresearchers have explored the varioussub-cultures in the Caribbean, andprovided explanations for why severalsegments of our Caribbean peopletend to have a general aversion tostarting and/or sustaining newbusinesses. Professor Selwyn Ryanand Dr. Taimoon Stewart, forexample, examined the various ethnicgroups in the Caribbean and providedempirical evidence of the attitudes,systems and structures that eitherenable or retard business processes.Their 1994 publication“Entrepreneurship in the Caribbean:culture, structure, conjuncture,”makes good reading for thoseindividuals who may wish to furtherexplore their findings. In addition,the Journal of East CaribbeanStudies, from time to time featuresresearch work from many of our moreaccomplished regional andinternational researchers who look atthe challenges that we face, andhighlight the need for our people todevelop and sustain a passion forenquiry.

Children have a natural tendencyto enquire and explore.Unfortunately, it appears as thoughso many adults, who have an aversionfor taking risks, seek to re-programme these fertile minds and,over time, dampen their naturaltendency for adventure. We can wellimagine the number of discoveriesthat we could make in the field ofscience and the arts if we assist themin challenging themselves to discovernew formulae or products. Forexample, is it possible for ourstudents in agricultural science toformulate an organic fertilizer thatuses a combination of rabbit manure,goat dung, donkey dung, andseaweed? Or consider thepossibilities of developing an “organicinsect repellent” by encouragingchildren to consider a mixture ofNeem leaves (plant species of theAzadirachta Indica) and “pepperbush” (the leaves of the hot pepperplant). Or imagine the possiblecommercial value of extracting a waxfrom the leaves of the dasheen plantthat can then be used as a polish forautomobiles. While these may seemto be “far-fetched” ideas, we pause toreflect on the fact that manydiscoveries started their journey to

popularity and economic success,having passed through gates of doubtand scepticism. Let us encourage ourchildren to try. Let us encourage ourchildren to revisit some of the “old-time treatments” that were handeddown by our ancestors, and see if wecannot discover modern medicines,pesticides ... new discoveries from oldideas. Reflect on the fact that this ishow many of our modernpharmaceuticals were created;individuals examining the remedies ofindigenous peoples in “distant forests”that now save the lives or relievepains of persons all over the world.Yes, It is possible for one of ourchildren to discover a new productthat will add value to theircommunity and, by extension, theworld. But it becomes more probablewhen we, you and I, encourage themto develop a passion for enquiry. It ispossible that, as we encourage themto develop and sustain a passion forprobing and analysis, they will comeup with new ideas in relation tovarious aspects of renewable energy.Such discoveries are not the purviewof persons who were born indeveloped countries; world-changingdiscoveries can emerge from personswho were born or grew up indeveloping countries like ours. Oneoutstanding example that readilyjumps out at me is Winston “Spree”Simon’s invention of the steel pan inthe late 1940s; he grew up in animpoverished part of Trinidad, buthad a passion for percussioninstruments and ... invented amusical instrument that mesmerizeslisteners all over the world. It ispossible to invent great things if weharness the passion for enquiry.

We need to encourage the spirit ofenquiry in our homes, schools andcommunities at large. We have thecapacity for invention. We have theability to innovate. We can generateand develop ideas. We are “wired” forthese ... but we need to go that extrastep and move in the direction ofimplementation — taking calculatedrisks as we pursue these new ideas,dreams, and visions. What newinventions are lurking in the minds ofour children just awaiting ourencouragement for them to beunearthed? What ideas do we, youand I, have that we shelved in therecesses of our minds that now beg tobe pursued? What differences canthese make to the world as we knowit? Let us accept the challenge todevelop and sustain a passion forenquiry, fostering the actions ofothers and venturing beyond thehorizons of our minds, to discover newlands (so to speak) in science,agriculture, music, informationtechnology, and the arts ... as wekindle a passion for enquiry.

Send comments, criticisms &suggestions to

[email protected]

DEATH DANCING at the top,It must be like waking up in thewrong life every day. So many ofour brightest and best, led up thepath to power, only to discoverthe numbing powerlessness upthere where the air was expected to be sodelightfully rare.

The political class is not the onlyone so afflicted. Right across theleadership class of this country, fromcorporation to co-operative, thephenomenon of impotence cuts a broadswath, reducing leadership to either thefine art of buck-passing or crassauthoritarianism. Either way, when youlook into it, you see the face ofimpotence, recognisable by the eyesthat don’t listen.

In the corridors of power, the onlysignificant difference between thepublic and private sectors is that one isopen to continuous public scrutinywhile the other is exercised behindclosed doors. Outside, amid the heap ofyouthful dreams abandoned at the door,are the wayward children of a culturesuffocated by its inability to find itsconfidence: arbitrary decision-making;mass alienation and lack ofaccountability.

In the absence of research into thepractices and culture of the Caribbeanleadership class, we have Commissionsof Enquiry to give us a premium view oflife at the top. And what a spectacle ofcontradictions they provide!Certification without knowledge; powerwithout responsibility; policy withoutpurpose; impotence in action.

Dismissed as old talk and a waste ofmoney, Commissions of Enquiry, withtheir power, flexibility, and freedomfrom the mandate to punish, offer arare but safe space for truth to dareshow its face, and a valuable showcasefor putting the leadership class onpublic view. Invariably, what is onparade is of such comprehensivecomplicity, whether by commission oromission, that we are minded to eitherlock up everybody or let off everybody.

Among the spectating masses, thisview reinforces the long-held suspicionthat our leaders are lost, that at the topof the society, hope is dying and deathis dancing, and that the investmentmade in equipping our own to take thereins of power in every sphere of theland, is yielding precious little return.

Once upon a time, we walked behindthem with the confidence of certaintyabout the future. In Joshua, Cato,Mitchell, Gonsalves and other leaders oftheir generation, we believed that allthat was required was the brain topower ourselves to a new dawn. In two-twos, the innocence of that confidencewas smashed as we came up against thelimitations of mere men and theirbrains. The eruption of Black Power in1970 is significant as the marker of thatbreakdown of confidence between thepeople and the Independenceleadership.

Today, caught in the chasm betweenthe broken past and the unformedfuture, the society struggles in theformlessness of the present where theonly certainty is uncertainty. Oursearch for leadership out of this limboland is coming up empty everywhere. Inpolitics, in business, in academia, in thechurch, the media, the law, the unions,the arts, the professions–we fear wesee no leaders to guide the way, no oneto trust and nothing to rely on.

Unprotected and exposed, weconclude that in this No Man’s Land, itwill have to be every man and woman

for themselves. Quickly, we make theadjustment and lower our expectations,abandoning our cherished dream ofreleasing our awesome power to rockour world and catapult us into thatbright new dawn. Instead, we lower ourgaze and make do with the power of thelesser gods of money, title andconnections.

This culture of cynicism pervadespublic life, as one generation afteranother abandons hope and settles forthe things that money can buy. Nowfull-blown and at the height of itspowers, the cynical generation is largeand in charge, its ethos walking thecorridors of power across the land,destroying the spirit and wounding thehearts of those still able to dream.

This has been the real disaster ofour politics where our failure to weld asociety out of the fragments of history,has succeeded only in deepening thehistorical culture of impotence. Thetragedy is that so much of it may havebegun with the purest of motives andthe best of intentions, only to be trippedup by their unwillingness to confrontthe culture, opting instead to sleep withthe devil as a strategy for change.

The political leaders that we so railagainst, from one administration toanother, are indeed the truerepresentatives of this culture whichstand for the lowest expressions ofsuccess. But no child is born cynical,which is why hope is always eternaland why the youth are always on thefrontline of every revolution.

The restlessness permeating currentpublic discourse is an indicator of limitsbeing reached. In response, thegovernment has embarked on a strategyof pacification, with the entire operationbeing thrown into survival mode. Everalert to the examples of the ole labourand the NDP administrations, withinthe {Gonsalves} government, everythingis negotiable in protecting the one non-negotiable item on the agenda: survival.

This, ultimately, is the source of thegovernment’s weakness: Its rivals knowits price. Whether it is made to paytoday, or tomorrow, it is a threat thatwill hang over its head until it eithershakes it off, collapses or negotiates alasting peace. Given the prevailingclimate of distrust, all three options arelikely to be in play at once, adding tothe general confusion in public life. Themain casualty will continue to be theintegrity of information in a countrywhere the information pool has been sopolluted by every interest that it is nowa poisoned chalice from which none issafe.

Meanwhile, in places where peoplestill dream, another life goes on,insulated from the pain of the presentby an obsession with a more distantfuture. In those places in communitiesthroughout {our land}, they are plantingseeds of hope, building self-knowledge,deepening self-confidence and releasinghuman potential, and this is the mostrevolutionary act of all.

This profoundly moving column waswritten by Sunity Maharaj andpublished in the May 5, 2012 issue ofthe Trinidad Express. All references toTrinidad and Tobago were replacedwith local ones.

Send comments, criticisms &suggestions to [email protected]

Death dancing atthe top

A passion for enquiry

The SVG economy can only grow by educating ourpeople and implementing an export strategy ofmanufacture and agro-processed goods. It is a grosseconomic delusion for the incompetent Gonsalvesregime to believe that tourism can provide growth inSVG. We need a university, factories and a vibrantagriculture industry as the engine of the SVG economy,not tourism.

Taiwan and Venezuela are the major promotersof gross economic delusion in St. Vincent and theGrenadines (SVG). Taiwan and Venezuela’spresence in SVG is not the catalyst that somepurport it to be. This can become a social time-bomb in SVG, because money is scarce and food isexpensive. Policy makers should be mindful of thisserious situation, in which SVG’s economy istumbling into disrepair and hopelessness by theday.

Taiwan is creaming off hundreds of millions ofdollars annually on SVG’s international deep seafish licence. Taiwan has been in SVG for over 30

years and is a world leader in manufacturing.However, they have not bothered to build onefactory in SVG. If Taiwan was a true friend ofSVG, Taiwan would have built a fish canning plantand factories for our country. Taiwan is justsucking the blood out of our country.

Venezuela’s Petro-Caribe agreement with SVG isdestroying our children’s future. Under thisagreement, Gonsalves is buying oil now and leavingthe bill to be paid in 20 years’ time. This is foolishand speaks to inefficiency and ‘dotishness’ inGonsalves’ regime. Gonsalves is not takingresponsibility for his financial and economicexpenditure.

Taiwan and Venezuela are serious obstacles tosustainable development in our country. They arewrongfully and continually propping-up the highlyincompetent Gonsalves regime. There is nothing tocelebrate with our links with Taiwan or Venezuela.

One needs only look around the county to see howbad the economy is doing, and how poverty in SVG

is becoming more widespread. Many poorhouseholds are struggling to provide for theirfamilies, many poor children are missing out onschooling, and in rural areas the economy is dead.

We need a serious change in SVG to bringprosperity to the people. Under a GreenGovernment, priority will be to cut tieswith Taiwan and Venezuela, to stop the bloodsucking. The economy needs to go Green to allowsustainable development, create thousands of newjobs and revenue for the SVG treasury.

SVG Green Party is seriously concerned aboutthe high unemployment rate, some say over 30 percent, and the substantial under achieving ineducation by males. If not rectified, this willthreaten the stability of SVG. The relianceupon Taiwan and Venezuela is backward thinkingby the Gonsalves regime.

To overcome this very serious problem, SVGGreen Party calls for rapid investment and growthin human resource development and technologytraining to educate our children, so that thehundreds of youths leaving school each year cangain prosperity and be usefully occupied inmeaningful employment.

We do not need the presenceof Taiwan or Venezuela for this new strategy.

SVG Green Partywww.svggreenparty.org


ViewsV

THE UNITED NATIONShas designated May 15thas the International Dayof the Family. It is anoccasion to focus on theresponsibilities andchallenges facing today’sfamily. This year’s themeis, ‘Ensuring Work andFamily Balance’.

It is true to say thatthere are multiple familystructures, not only thenuclear family of mother,father and children, buthouseholds headed bysingle mothers andfathers, grandparents,aunts, uncles, oldersiblings and sometimesneighbors who ‘take in” achild.

The changes in familystructure are due in partto migration incresses, indivorce rates and deathfrom natural causes ordiseases such as cancer,high blood pressure and

HIV and AIDS.In searching for the

root cause for theincrease in crime andviolence, much of theblame is laid on theshoulders of women whohave joined the workforce beyond the home,and families where bothparents work outside thehome.

However, there arealso poor family relationsand violence in thehouseholds where themother only workswithin the home, and thefather’s income issufficient to maintain thefamily. The search forroot causes of violencemust continue into anexamination of social,economic, political andgender values, andtherefore, violencecannot be solved by lawenforcement measures

only.Recent events at home

and abroad point to thisneed, and raise thefollowing questions,among others: Why hasthe home become such ahostile and unsafeenvironment, wheremany crimes arecommitted either byintimate partners or byrelatives? Why will aman abuse his wife infront of her son, andplace him in the hands ofthe police when he triesto defend his mother?Further, why will themother refuse to testifyagainst her abuser,thereby leading her sonto feel obligated tointervene, and end up onthe wrong side of thelaw? What familysupport was lacking thatperson(s) not onlythought of suicide as the

only way out of theirtroubles, but fulfilledthat thought? Whatsupports are lacking forthe parents and relativesof victims andperpetrators of violence?Is Mother’s Day orFather’s Day happyoccasions for them withmissing family members?

On this InternationalDay of the Family, theJochebed ResourceCenter for Men and Boysencourages familymembers everywhere totake a closer look at theirwork place and workresponsibilities. Asworkers, are they part oftrade unions to negotiateworking conditions inrelation to familyresponsibilities?

Families are alsoencouraged to take acloser walk with eachother affirming, love,

respect, solidarity andcommitting to face thejoys and challenges inlife as a strong unit.

Nelcia Robinson-HazellDirector Jochebed ResourceCenter for Men and Boys

Editor’s Note: TheJochebed ResourceCenter for Men and Boysis the brainchild ofNelcia Robinson-Hazell,Community Educator.

It is both a response tothe crisis of crime andviolence in the societyaffecting men and boys,women and girls, and tothe Commonwealth Plan

of Action for GenderEquality, where it isrecognized that Men andBoys are key partners inachieving genderequality. With emerginggaps affecting men, it iscritical to engage activelywith institutions andparties that work withmen and young people onthe gender equalityissues.

‘Jochebed, the motherof Moses, saw that hewas a goodly child andhid him from the wrathof Pharaoh, who hadmade a decree that allthe male babies of theHebrew families shouldbe put to death.’

Reliance on Taiwanand Venezuela isdestroying SVG

Jochebed Resource Center for men and boysInternational Day of the Family: ‘Ensuring work and family balance’

ON SUNDAY, May 6, 67-year-old EphraimThompson, known in thecalypso/soca arena as‘Tommy T’, succumbed tocancer of the throat.

He hailed from theWindward village ofCedars and emigrated tothe New York during theearly 1970s, after servingin the police force.

It seemed almostimpossible for Tommy T’sfriends to just reflect onhis life withoutpondering on thecamaraderie that existedamong them during the1980s and 90s. Thesevivid memories are evenmore amazing,considering that Tommy

T had changed his lifewhen he became a born-again Christian sometime ago.

The sentiments ofFerrand ‘Randy D’Dopwell, Gary Palmer,Lennox ‘Ziggy’ John andOscar James describe thenature of Tommy T: “Hehad a warm personality… he was approachable… a very decent guy ….humorous … he wasamicable and a funperson to be with. ”

His sense of loyalty tothose close to him wasalso expressed by OscarJames, “If you have afriend in Tommy T, youknow you have a friendin your corner.”

These thoughts arealso reflective of thecloseness there wasbetween him and WalterPorter and whicheveryone talks about.Walter perished in the1988 bombing of the PanAm plane over Lockerbie,Scotland (Fortuitously,Tommy T who had goneto England with him toperform, stayed behindfor a few more days).His mother GertrudeThompson expresseseternal gratitude whenshe said, “Is he who putme in this shelter here,and every day I say,“Thank you Jesus forEphraim Thompson.”

A comrade in the cause

The magnitude of thefriendship that existedamong those soca/calypsoicons when Tommy Twas involved was bestarticulated by Randy Don his FB page: “Got acall from Oscar James afew hours ago to informme of the passing ofTommy T....WalterPorter...DanSimon...DarwinDavid...and AnniceCarew all came to mind...It’s like they wereconstruction workerswho died whileconstructing thisbuilding called Carnival..Before Soca Monarch,

the All StarsShow featuredthe foreignbasedVincentianArtistes.... Allthe namesabove andmore, whowere also apart of anorganisationthatrepresentedthem..SVGEGNA.. RI P...Tommy.”

Randy D was referringto the Saint Vincent andthe GrenadinesEntertainers Guild ofNorth America(SVGEGNA). Thisorganization, which waswidely known as EGNA,was the brainchild ofWalter Porter. Thepurpose was to raise theprofile of Vincentianentertainers and toprotect them fromexploitation.

The link betweenthese entertainers andSVG was channeledthrough the ‘All StarsShow’ which wasorganized by recordproducer and promoterGranville Straker

Tommy T was also anactive EGNA memberand will be rememberedfor his rendition‘Tabanka’ which was hisbiggest hit. As a resulthe became known acrossthe Caribbean regionand its Diaspora.

The ‘Do Gooder’ and thechange

Despite Tommy T’sfriendly disposition andcelebrity status, therewere various aspects ofhis life that were not sowell known. Forexample, one of his closefriends, Curtis ‘Willie D’Williams, recollected:“You had to know toknow that Tommy Tused to cook pots of foodto feed the poor at theBowery, EastManhattan. He neverspoke about this; I onlyknew because I used tolive near him and myaunt would help himwith the pots.”

Tommy T has left tomourn his mother, 5siblings and his threedaughters. Yearsbefore his passing, he

had given up his life as acalypsonian to become acommitted born-againChristian. Heworshipped as aSpiritual Baptist andhad “switched toproducing Gospel music”(Incidentally, his friendWalter Porter was aknown Spiritual Baptist).He was a retired hospitalsecurity staff andmoonlighted as a cabdriver. Duringretirement, he worked asa gas station managerand was a real propertyinvestor.

How prophetic TommyT’s passing should bringabout a discussion aboutthe “constructionworkers” of the Vincycarnival on the night ofits 2012 launch? As wereflect on the life ofTommy T and thecultural foundation hehelped build in SaintVincent and theGrenadines and itsDiaspora, mention mustbe made also of thetransitioning of anothertwo outstandingmusicians: Affetuososfounding bass playerRalph ‘Nassan’ Brownand Gerald ‘Rasum’Shallow. Less wellknown in the circuit wasMichael ‘Ice man’Baisden.

Ephraim ‘Tommy T’Thompson will be laid torest in New York onSaturday 12, 2012 afterviewing and funeralservice at Freedom HallPentecostal Church.

May his memoriesinspire anothergeneration of committed“construction workers” inthe cultural industry ofSaint Vincent and theGrenadines.

Luzette KingProducer and Host,Global Highlights globalhighlights@gmail.

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, MAY 11 , 2012. 13.

DiasporaVTommy T goes tothe Yonder World

The St Vincent and the Grenadines Red Cross Society isholding a month of activities to observe the 63rdanniversary of the organization.

The activities commenced last Sunday, May 6thwith a church service at the Faith Temple Churchat New Montrose. On Tuesday 8th May, the localSociety joined Red Cross Societies around the worldin celebrating World Red Cross Day — the birthdayof the founding father, Jean Henri Dunant.

The local Society, in conjunction with the

Ministry of Health,celebrated the day withan exhibition at theheadquarters and adisplay booth under theMinisterial Building.

The exhibition involved demonstrations of CPR,display of emergency kits and supplies, educationalmaterials such as disaster preparedness manuals,AIDS awareness t-shirts, an international booth

displaying Red Crossprojects around theworld, and a registrationbooth for new volunteers.

Working in thecommunity

At a media briefinglast week Monday,president of the local RedCross, Bernard Morgansaid that May 10th, 11th,23rd and 24th werescheduled for first aidand CPR trainingprogrammes. He said thatthe training programmeswill target firms andother establishmentswhere there areoccupational risks..

May 14th and 21st willbe given over to holding adisaster preparednessseminar to include thedisaster managementcommittee and Red Crossmanagement. The seminar will look at, among otherareas, shelter management and damage assessment.

Morgan said that there are Community DisasterResponse Teams which are being trained in disastermanagement, and NEMO no longer has to go intocommunities to train persons. He said the CDRTsare responsible for identifying hazards incommunities, and that each community will have adisaster plan, and will be provided with CDRT binswhich will have chain saws, shovels and other toolsand supplies. The CDRT work in accordance withthe government’s national disaster plan.

“We are not operating outside the nationaldisaster plan”, he said.

Always ready

Director General of the local Red Cross andDIPECHO 8 Project Coordinator, BernardMarksman, noted that the activities are takingplace just before the official start of the June 1sthurricane season, and will form part of thehurricane preparedness sensitization programme.

Marksman assured that locally there are pre-positioned stocks which can be used to assist 200families (approximately 1,000 persons) for one week,in the event of a disaster. These are considered asfirst response supplies, as back-up supplies wouldbe flown in if there is a major disaster. Items instock are plastics, blankets, tarpaulins, hygiene kits,water cans and 2 large water tanks which can bemounted on trucks for distribution to communities.

The month of activities will climax with anexhibition competition on May 31st and whistlestops to sensitize communities about disaster and toget feedback from the communities.

Meanwhile, exhibitions are being held at schoolsto expose the youth to the Red Cross Society and toattract membership. Over 110 persons were enrolledin communities last year and 60 at the AnglicanSchool. On May 10th, some 40 volunteers wereexpected to be enrolled at the West St GeorgeSecondary School, and later 140 persons will beenrolled in Mesopotamia.

Membership of the local Red Cross Society isgiven as 2,500 persons, some more active thanothers.

CommunityV 18. FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN

Red Cross Volunteer atone of the Exhibitionbooths.

Red Cross observes anniversary

Bernard Morgan – president (centre), Bernard Marksman – Director Generaland DIPECHO 8 Project Coordinator (right); Leroy Jack – Youth Officer (2ndfrom left); Nazina Mc Lean – World Red Cross Day Deputy Coordinator (2ndfrom right); Mikey Irish – volunteer (left). Missing from the photo is JuliaSimmons – Finance Administrator.

by SHERON GARRAWAY

AT THE LAUNCHING OF HER EXHIBITIONon Monday 7 May, 2012 at the AllianceFrancaise, artist Cecile Comblendescribed her pieces as “fresh bread fromthe oven.”

Comblen said her exhibition featureswork that has recently come out of herstudio and the pieces depict inspirationsfrom her life and relationships.

She noted that the work spoke not inan intellectual manner but withintimacy.

The European born, who also residedin Canada where she studied Fine Artsat the University of Ottawa, said thatthe atmosphere and colours on theisland of St Vincent and theGrenadines, where she now resides, tellher of personal memories.

Comblen said that she used thisimagery because “art was what the soulof humans feed on when theyexperience life and its emotions.”

She expounded, “We don’t just wantto be happy to live with the basics andthe everyday life but we need somethingthat pushes us higher. When you sharewith people, even personal things fromyour life, you give them something andthey see a mirror and they might startto recognize themselves. So in a way itis something to help yougrow…something that nourishes andfeeds you.”

She emphasied that it was importantfor people to express themselves, sincethey have been doing so since thebeginning of time with hands andanimal prints in caves.

At the cheese and wine affair thatadded to the ambiance of the occasion,

Comblen reinforced that having thepassion and natural ability for artshould be backed with some formaltraining, and she encouraged artists todevelop themselves so that they canbecome more enriching.

Meanwhile, Head ofFrench AllianceFrancaise, Vanessa Demircivan,expressed thanks to Comblen forsharing her artistic talents, and urgedpersons to view the exhibition whichwould be on display well into themonth. until later this month.

Demircivan also noted that theAlliance Francaise was where artistscould display their work free of cost,and encouraged others to share theircreativity.


NewsV

Left: Cecile Comblen standing next to oneof her pieces called ‘Fragments of Life’.

Cecile: ÂFreshbread fromthe ovenÊ

Visitors to the exhibition take in the formalities of a brief opening ceremony.

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2012. 21.20. FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN

by WILLIAM ‘KOJAH’ ANTHONY

THE LYNX MAS BAND MADE ITS DEBUT IN VINCY MASIN 2005, with a presentation entitled, ‘The Books WeLove’Since then, with the exception of a hiatus in 2011, theband has presented full costumed band presentationsand competed in all the major mas competitions ofVincy Mas.

Lynx returns in 2012, emboldened by theinjections of some experienced mas makers, notleast among these being Adonis ‘Goat’ Hector andBernard ‘Yank’ Browne, noted for their winningways during a long association with the Nelson BlocMas Band. ‘Yank’ actually boasts an involvement inmas that dates back to 1977, with ‘Goat’ an even

longer involvement.With designs by Oswald ‘Ossie’ Constance, Lynx’s

2012 presentation, ‘Aztec Civilization’, will offer afinal choice from among eight sections, namely:Young Warrior, Maiden, Hunter, Sun Worshipper,Eagle Warrior, Musician, Caretaker andMontezuma.

Bernard ‘Yank’ Bowne, who will serve as theband’s deputy leader, anticipates “the regular highstandard from Lynx.”

He assured those who would have played withLynx in previous years that the same level of careand detail, “perhaps even more,” will be paid to thebuilding and decoration of the costumes.

Masqueraders, whether they are returning to thefold or first timers, “are guaranteed a competitive

presentation and lots of enjoyment,” said Browne,who urged potential masqueraders to register asearly as possible. He promised that a regular workforce will be available at the mas tent “to take careof all matters.”

The Lynx mas band headquarters (mas tent) islocated at Lower Back Street, next to the DragonsCultural Organization.

Costumes are priced at a maximum of $280.00 foradults and $130.00 for children.

And if getting to the tent proves difficult, personscan contact ‘Yank’ at 491-1951, Cornelius ‘Pete’Thomas at 495-0004 or Simeon Cambridge at 432-0904.

22. FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2012. THE VINCENTIANVLYNX mas band returns

EagleWarrior

Hunter

YoungWarrior

AN ADDITIONAL seven per-sons from the AnglicanParish of St. James, Layouand St. Mary, Buccament,have followed in the foot-steps of six women andtwo men from St. Paul,Calliaqua, and are nowbetter equipped with par-enting skills.

The seven recentlygraduated at a ceremonyheld at the St. MaryAnglican Church,Buccament on SundayApril 30th at 9:00 am,

with chief celebrant andpreacher at the HolyEucharist, The VeryRev’d Ulric Smith.

To date, a total of fivesuch programmes havebeen completed theinitial training, and overthe next few weeks,there will be othergraduation exercises bytwo parenting groupsfrom Kingstown andSandy Bay.

Persons have beenequipped through

participatory learning todevelop their parentingskills, build relationshipsand contribute to thestability of family life insociety. This mirrors theobjects or core valueswhich are at the heart ofthe Mothers’ Union,namely to: upholdChrist’s’ teaching on thenature of marriage, andto promote its widerunderstanding;encourage parents tobring up their children inthe faith and life of the

Church; maintain aworldwide fellowship ofChristians united inprayer, worship andservice; promoteconditions in societyfavourable to stablefamily life and theprotection of children;and help those whosefamily life has met withadversity.

Mothers’ Unionparenting groups providean opportunity forgrandparents, parentsand caregivers alike tomeet in a supportiveenvironment, shareissues and challenges,and benefit fromparticipatory learning.

The objectives of theprogramme are to:establish communitysupport networks ofteams to encourageparents in their role;empower parents torespond to the process ofgrowth and developmentof their children; supportfamilies andcommunities to respondpositively to the socialchallenges of parenting.

Participants continueto express the positiveimpact of the ParentingProgramme on their livesand relationships withchildren, relatives andothers. Throughnetworking, participants

have also benefited fromtangible support.

The second leg of theprogramme is due tobegin in late May, andpersons are encouragedto be part of theprogramme or invitepersons in theircommunities to do so.Application forms will beavailable from thefacilitators.

The programme isopen to all parents,grandparents and care-givers in St. Vincent andthe Grenadines. Personsseeking additionalinformation cantelephone 495-7827 or457-1942. (Contributed)

Training V

THE Barrouallie-Taiwan LearningResource Centre, in the town ofBarrouallie, was the venue onThursday 3rd May, for a Men’sConference, organized by Zone 7 ofthe Adult and Continuing EducationDivision (ACED).

The Conference focused on ‘Dealingwith the way of the evolutionaryman,’ and involved men fromBuccament, Layou, Barrouallie andKeartons, the communities thatcomprise Zone 7.

Participants heard presentationsfrom Zonal Co-ordinator Mrs.Rosmond Layne—Lorraine and featurepresenter, Mr. Monty Maule.

Mr. Maule challenged the men tobe recruiters of more males as goodrole models, positive thinkers,leaders, good parents, responsibleindividuals, ambitious in nature,

knowledgeable of self and theirenvirons, and above all, followers ofthe teaching of Christ.

Participants themselves wereinvolved in exercises related to theroles they play and should play insociety.

The Men’s Conference is inresponse to the need to highlight therole of men in society, which isbecoming a diminishing feature, somesay non-existent, in Vincentain life.

Support for the Conference camefrom the Buccament Bay Resort,Oasis and Randy’s Supermarket.

Upcoming training programmesand workshops for men in Zone 7include arc welding, seamanship,composting, furniture construction,computer repairs and InformationTechnology.

Graduates of the St. Mary Buccament Parenting Programme with Programme Cordinator- Mrs. LoisFriday (right).

Seven graduatefrom parentingtraining

Some of the participants at the Men’s Conference.

ACED holds Men’s Conference


FOLLOWING the recentinsensitive actions of ouropposition politiciansagainst their own col-league, I am moved toreflect on whetherour politicians, govern-ment side and opposition,see themselves as beingaccountable to the people.

Are our politicianshonest enough to askthemselves whether theyare our masters, orservants?

It is one thing for thegovernment politicians tobe arrogant; butdownright foolhardy,selfish and, in the end,

politically detrimentalfor the oppositionpoliticians to follow suit.The struggle for people’sright to “change” andtheir own electabilitymust be their focus.

Hypocrisy

Interestingly enough, Iour politicians talkingabout good governance,rule of law, integrity andaccountability, zerotolerance of corruptionand dictatorship, andputting an end tovictimization etc. Yet,some of them are accused

of all sorts of politicalatrocities against thepeople they are supposedto serve.

Quite frankly, I callthis hypocrisy; I find itvery disgusting andcreepy when I hear ouropposition andgovernment politicianstalking as if they areour servants. In myestimation, only a fewpoliticians sincerely careabout the people; toomany of them come intopolitics to make wealthover night, to encouragenepotism and bully theirpeople.

I can also see clearlynow that mostpoliticians, when inopposition, “sing the tuneof a saint”, but whenthey are propelled by thepeople, there is a suddenmetamorphosis. Nowonder so many of themtalk the “hypocriticallanguage” of being ourservants. I would notwant to believe that mostof our politicians thinkwe are all stupid. Is itthat their rhetoric anddaily political maneuversare enough to convincethem that they are doingthe people a favour, i.e.serving the people? Let’shave a national debateon whether they areour masters orour servants.

‘People-as-masters’concept

People are supposed tobe masters of theircountries and bosses oftheir governments. Thisconcept is respected inany modern state. Whenanti-colonialism andnationalism swept acrossthe world, the intentionwas to reinforce thestatus of people asmasters, not to havethem remain as slaves tobe lauded over by foreignneo- conquerors and/ordomestic tyrants.

It is sad to say it, butnot even independencehas served to reinforcethe ‘people-are-masters’concept. What fill ourears, instead, aremisconceptions, asexemplified by remarkssuch as: “people have tobe grateful to theirpolitical leaders”; “no one

should tell the politicalleaders how to run theparty”; “party supportersshould not wash theirdirty linen in public”.These utterances notonly mirror arrogance onthe part of thepoliticians; they alsoorchestrate politicaldivision so as to subduethe masses. And, theseattitudes are the rootcause to the manyproblems in our countrytoday: people’s dailychallenges to sustaintheir livelihood gounattended; communitiesare deprived of basicdevelopmental needs;focus on pressingnational issues is shiftedthrough deliberate use ofpolitical gimmicks,rhetoric and self-praisingpolitical side-shows.

People must makedemands

Fools don’t beget wisemen. People must cometo an awareness of whatis going on around them(both locally andglobally), and what theyreally want. People mustthink for themselvesbefore they demandprogress.

I call on all theconscious-minded peopleto insist on their rightsand dignity. We must allwork together to keepthe politiciansaccountable, regardlessof party affiliation. Themessage that democracymeans of the people, by(for) the people, has to becommunicated, in loudand clear language, to allthe political parties andpoliticians.

To the naivepoliticians: Be warned!The status quo mustchange. The electorate,in particular our youthsand their use of thesocial media, arebecoming“unpredictable”, so I urgeyou all to wise-up!

THE PEOPLEDEMAND RESPECTANDACCOUNTABILITY,NOT POLITICALSERVITUDE! ThePEOPLE are the trueMASTERS!

A concerned citizen

by PATMOS RICHARDS

LAST TUESDAY, May 1st, wasinternationally observed asLabour Day. It was an occasionwhere workers the world over,came together as a collective toshare their experience, strugglesand triumphs and, of course,their determination in thepursuit of one common cause —solidarity and brotherhood.

The National Labour Congresshere, which speaks for the tradeunion movement as a whole, hasan important role in bringingtrade union points of view to bearon government decisions. Thereis a prevailing school of thought,however, being expressed by asection of our population, that thetrade union movement has beensubmerged recently into thepolitical directorate.

This writer takes issue withthat view, and regards it as amyopic one. In my humbleopinion, the trade unions in St.Vincent and the Grenadines areautonomous bodies, and they areindeed proving that they havecomplete freedom to act in theirown interests.

The role of the Trade Union

Unfortunately, some narrowlydefine the role of the trade unionmovement as primarily one thatconnotes anti-establishmenttendencies. They advocateconsistent, industrial dispute,and glorify confrontation ofwhatever nature, with thepolitical status quo.

As most of us in intelligentcircles would know, trade unionshave essential functions toperform, the first of which is tobargain on behalf of its membersfor better pay and workingconditions, and secondly, topersuade the government of theday, to pass legislation in favourof the working class.

It is a requirement of any

progressive labour movement toprovide critical support to agovernment’s policies, adopt a co-operative approach instead of amilitant one, and craft out plansthat would redound to the socialand economic benefits of workers.

In light of a cross section of thepublic’s negative perception of thetrade union movement here, it isan imperative that the latterassume the responsibility ofredefining its authentic roles bybringing relevant information andeducation to the citizenry.

The Labour Congress

The National Labour Congress,in this instance, is a civicorganization whom many regardas continuing to play itsresponsible role in thedevelopmental process of thisnation, relative to the socio-economic advancement ofVincentian workers.

For the National LabourCongress to impact on thenational landscape, it mustembrace the obligation to providemeaningful education to thegeneral public. It can do sothrough the education system,through its monographs in themedia and the delivery of lecturesin the community.

Last week, Tuesday 1st MayDay ‘Fitness Walk’ organized bythe NLC should have beencomplemented by a march andrally to provide an historicalbackground of the trade unionmovement in SVG. Many areoblivious of the fact that GeorgeAugustus Mc Intosh andEbenezer Theodore Joshua wereamongst the founding fathers oftrade unionism in the lastcentury. They were comfortablythe tribunes of ordinaryVincentian folks.

Other notable trade unionactivists emerged during thelatter part of the last century,

consolidating on the foundationslaid by their predecessors. Someof these vanguards andchampions of the Vincentianworking class included CyrilRoberts, Joseph ‘Burns’ Bonadie,Lloyd Small, Tyrone Smith, AliceMandeville, Cynthia Matthewsfrom the Commercial Technicaland Allied Workers Movement;,Brinsley Nickie and Duff James,both of whom organized labourunions; Mike Browne, JoyBrowne, Yvonne Francis-Gibson,Cecil ‘Pa’ Jack, Cecil ‘Blazer’Williams from the St. Vincentand the Grenadines TeachersUnion; and other prominentunion leaders and stalwartsincluding Caspar London, SonnyBoyce and Noel Jackson.

Only Noel Jackson, a tribunein his own right, is stillrelentlessly carrying a voice oftrade unionism through hisWednesday nights presentationson NBC radio.

Those presentations are veryinformative and educational,providing historical insights andbackground information on therecord of his union, the NationalWorkers Movement.

Stable industrial climate

In conclusion, the trade unionmovement here, needs to broadenits influence in a positive way,which undoubtedly will bringefficacious benefits to workers,not necessarily in terms of breadand butter matters butinformation and education onnew trends in the world of tradeunionism.

A note of consolation here forthe trade union movement and allVincentians: in spite of somefinancial hiccups affecting all ofus from time to time, we are stillliving fairly comfortably, unlikeour sister nations across theglobe, in a stable industrialclimate.

Opinion VAre politicians our servants or our masters?

We need more trade union education in SVG



PeopleV

by COLIN KING

THE WORLD of Vincentianchildren and serious musichas a first.

The recentlyadjudicated AssociatedBoard of Royal Schools ofMusic (ABRSM) examsresults are in, and St.Vincent has its firstdistinction for violin

playing ever, in Grade 3. The outstanding

player is 9-year-oldTamar-Shalal Parris.Her brother, Ivan, hashis own ‘distinction’, hisbeing the first ever passwith merit- in thatgrade- on the sameinstrument.

Their accomplishmentis that much more

noteworthy in that bothalso attained merits inPiano: grade 3 forTamara and grade 5 forIvan.

This developmentbodes well for aSymphony Orchestra inSVG, which is one of thefew countries in theCaribbean andworldwide which does

not have a symphonyorchestra.

THE VINCENTIANheard some of theviolinists play inensemble at the musicstudio on McKies Hill,and the results areindeed very promising.They demonstrated animprovement in unisonand expression over lastyear’s High Scorersperformance.

Father and very proudmusic teacher, and localrepresentative of ABRSMin SVG, Floyd Parris toldTHE VINCENTIAN “Iam so excited, veryexcited…,” and herevealed that though thechildren love music andare doing well, Tamarwants to be aveterinarian, while Ivanwants to be a missionary.

Piano meanwhile, asthe popular instrumentof choice for many youngclassical musicians,

boasts no less than 4distinctions: 12-year-oldAl-Zidani Clarke inGrade 1; and DelvonClarke, Andress Scott,and She-liese Stewart inGrade 3.

The results are amarked improvementover last year (with justone distinction), with 104students taking theprestigious exam thisyear. There were 5distinctions overall, 25merits and 63 overallpasses.

For the first time also,elusive in recent andpast years, is theappearance of Grade 6piano merit passes,accomplished by CaranGordon, and Phil

Bowman, two secondaryschoolers.

Thanks are extendedto his Excellency YoelPerez Marcano,Anbassador of theBolivarian Republic ofVenezuela, for providingthe location for theadjudication of theexams.

One wonders whyserious music is notincluded in the ‘regular’school’s curriculum,along with matriculationfor ABRSM, since studieshave shown that itencourages and enhancessuccess in otheracademic areas, as wellas offsetting negativetrends evidencedworldwide in culturalchoices our youth make.

by WILLIAM ‘KOJAH’ANTHONY

AMAZA LewistinaFarrell is soaking upher 100th birthday. Shemarked the occasion atthe Thompson’s Homelast Friday, May 4.

Originally from theSouth Windwarddistrict of Calder,Amaza moved toFountain. But herjourney has taken herto other parts of theglobe.

Her husband,Conrad, died at age 84in 1993. A son, Grafton, died at age59. Her only other child, IsolaGreaves, was part of the celebrations,during which Amaza sat quietly andobserved the proceedings whichincluded Governor General SirFrederick Ballantyne conveyedcongratulations from Her MajestyQueen Elizabeth.

Amaza’s landmark was alsorecognized by United States’ presidentBarrack Obama. She received a cardsigned by the US president and hiswife Michelle.

Amaza spent 20 years in Curacaobefore returning to her homeland. Shesubsequently migrated to the USwhere she worked as a Home Helper,and became a citizen of that country.

A staunch Anglican Church

member, Amaza was known for hergenerosity.

Her daughter Isola noted her Mom’sappetite for natural foods. She is“proud” that her mother achieved themilestone, even as she, Isola disclosed,encountered problems relating todiabetes and hypertension.

According to Isola, Amaza wasindifferent to her condition, and got onwith life.

One granddaughter, IndritchGreaves, who resides in Houston,Texas, witnessed the celebration. Shedeemed it a happy moment andsighed: “I still have my grandmother.

“One hundred is quite an expansivetime,” she remarked.

Other citizens joined staff andmembers of the Thompson Home incommemorating the event.

Tamar-Shalal Parrisattained passes inGrade 3 in violin andGrade 3 in piano.

Ivan Parris attainedpasses in Grade 3 inviolin and Grade 5 inpiano.

Young musicians create a first for SVG

Amazing Amaza turns 100

Centurion Amaza Farrell (centre) with family at thecelebration to mark her milestone.


LeisureV

Morning

6:00 CNN News9:00 Shepherd’s

Chapel10:00 Caribbean

Newsline

10:30 House Of Payne

11:00 EntertainmentBy Design

11:30 We Cooking

Afternoon

12:00 Headline News

1:00 Challenge

1:30 3D2:00 Burn Notice3:00 Pink Panther4:00 Chowder5:00 Jewel In The

Palace

Evening6:00 New Life

Baptist Church

7:00 SVGTV News

7:55 A.P.I Presents8:55 3D9:00 Tele-

Classifieds9:10 SVGTV

Obituaries9:15 Book Review 9:25 Bold &

Beautiful 10:00 Movie Com

‘R’“Gun Shy”

11:45 Movie Hor ‘R’“Hellraiser: Inferno”

1:30 Movie Dra ‘Pg’“Farewell

My Lovely”3:10 Movie Dra ‘R’

“Roger Dodger”

5:00 CNN News

FRIDAY SUNDAY TUESDAY

THURSDAY

SATURDAY WEDNESDAYMONDAY

THIS WEEK ON

Morning

6:00 CNN9:00 Shepherd’s


Newsline10:30 Vincy Carnival

Rewind11:30 Live Up

Afternoon

12:00 Headline News1:00 Still1:30 3D2:00 Las Vegas3:00 Youn4:00 Cat In The Hat4:30 Jelly Jam5:00 My Little Pony5:30 Martha Speaks

Evening

6:00 The Right Of The People

6:30 Yes There Is Hope

7:00 SVGTV News7:50 Caribbean

Passport 8:25 To Be

Announced8:50 3D/Lotto Draws9:00 Tele-Classifieds9:10 SVGTV

Obituaries9:15 Bold & Beautiful9:55 Super 6 Draw10:00 Movie Com

‘Pg’“A League Of Their Own”

1:00 Movie Hor ‘R’“Bordello Of Blood“

3:00 Movie Hor ‘R“Tales From The Darkside”

5:00 CNN News

Morning

6:00 CNN7:00 Your Destiny 8:00 Trinity In Touch8:30 Mik9:00 Bible Speaks9:30 Faith & Truth10:00 Movie Adv ‘Pg’

“Adventures Of A Teenage Dragon-slayer”

Afternoon

12:00 Paula12:30 Turning Point 1:00 Direction2:00 Movie Dra ‘R’

“Holiday Heart”

4:00 Movie Dra ‘Pg’“The Lorreta Claiborne Story”

Evening

6:00 Health Talk 6:30 Flash Back7:00 Children On

The Move7:30 Live Up8:00 My Child & I9:00 Movie Act ‘R’

“Columbia-na”

10:50 Movie Com ‘Pg-13’“Midnight In Paris”

12:30 Movie Com ‘R’“Confess-ions Dangerous”

2:30 Magic City3:25 Movie Dra

‘Pg-13’“Step Up 3”

5:15 CNN News

Morning

6:00 CNN News

9:00 Shepherd’s

Chapel

10:00 Untamed &

Uncut

11:00 CSI: Miami

Afternoon

12:00 Headline News

1:00 Las Vegas

1:30 3D

2:00 The Doctors

3:00 Kick Buttowski

3:30 Fish Hooks

4:00 Phineas & Ferb

4:30 Suite Life On

Deck

5:00 Caribbean

Power Outreach

5:30 Girl Friend

Evening

6:00 Paula

6:30 In Touch

7:00 SVGTV News

7:55 Encounter

8:25 The Law & You

8:55 3D

9:00 Tele –

Classifieds

9:10 SVGTV

Obituaries

9:15 WWE Monday

Night Raw

11:05 Common Law

12:30 CSI

1:35 Movie Act ‘R’

“Running

Scared”

4:00 Law & Order CI

5:00 CNN News

Morning



Newsline10:30 My Child & I11:30 Meet The

Brownes

Afternoon

12:00 Headline News1:00 Law & Order1:30 3D2:00 CSI3:00 Planet Earth4:00 The Cat In The

Hat4:30 Jelly Jam5:00 Jewel In The

Palace

Evening

6:00 To Be Announced

6:30 We Cooking 7:00 SVGTV News 7:55 A.P.I Presents 8:55 3D/Lotto Draws9:00 Tele-Classified9:10 SVGTV

Obituaries 9:15 Bold & Beautiful 9:35 Caribbean

Newsline 10:00 Movie Act ‘R’

“Death Wish II”

12:00 Movie Act ‘R’“War Games”

2:30 Movie Act /Com ‘Pg-13’“Kinder-garten Cop”

5:00 CNN News

Morning



Newsline10:30 House Of

Payne11:00 Meet The

Brownes11:30 Caribbean

Passport

Afternoon

12:35 Headline News

1:00 House1:30 3D2:00 Modern History3:00 Youn4:00 Fish4:30 Deck5:00 Basia

Evening

6:00 Paula6:30 Serving The

People 7:00 SVGTV News7:50 Chronicles8:00 North Leeward

In Focus 8:35 Book Review 8:55 3D9:00 Tele-Classifieds9:05 SVGTV

Obituaries9:10 Bold &

Beautiful9:30 Caribbean

Newsline10:00 Movie Act ‘”R”

“Death Wish3”

12:00 Movie Com “R”“Tin Cup”

3:00 Movie Com “R”“Caddy-shack”

5:00 CNN News

May 11th, 2012 May 13th, 2012 May 14th, 2012 May 15th, 2012 May 16th, 2012

May 17th, 2012

Morning

6:00 CNN7:30 Wannabes8:00 Overruled 8:30 Movie Com ‘Pg’

“Prom”10:00 Movie Ani ‘G’

“Care Bears”11:25 Movie Com ‘G’

“Pinocchio”

Afternoon

1:30 3D1:35 To Be

Announced2:00 SVGTV Sports3:00 To Be

Announced3:30 Meet The

Brownes4:00 Basia (Baja)5:00 Inside Story

Evening

6:00 Ran6:30 Living Water

Ministries7:00 SVGTV News7:25 Sportweek7:55 Voice Of

Freedom8:25 F H Videos8:55 3D9:00 Guinness Rush

Hour10:00 Movie Com

‘Pg-13’“Yes Man”

11:35 Movie Hor ‘R’“The Reef”

12:00 Movie Com ‘Pg-13’“Fun With Dick & Jane”

2:30 Movie Dra ‘Pg-13’“Kicking

And Screaming”

4:15 Married With Children

5:00 CNN

May 12th, 2012

ARIES (Mar. 21- April 20)Renovations or purchases madefor your home will payoff. Hideyour cards and learn to say no.Sign up for courses that will helpyou understand yourself better.You need to pamper yourself for achange.

TAURUS (Apr. 21- May 21)You may find acquaintances beingdeceptive. You can make newfriends by taking part in socialevents involving colleagues. Realestate investments could be toyour ad vantage. Get propermedical attention and confrontyour situation decisively.

GEMINI (May 22-June 21)You will do best to entertain thoseyou wish to close deals with. Youmay find that your anger stemsfrom lending or borrowing money.Don't let your personal dilemmasinterfere with your goals. Olderfamily members may try to makedemands that are impossible foryou to handle.

CANCER (June 22-July 22)You can look into new jobs butdon't count on getting help fromsomeone who may have promisedyou assistance. Hobbies will begood for your emotional wellbeing. Risks will not be profitable.Be willing to listen, but don't befooled.

LEO (July 23-Aug 22)You must make sure that all yourpersonal documents are in order.Watch for empty promises thatmay give you false hope. Enjoythe company of relatives thisweek. Catch up oncorrespondence.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23)Good friends will give you honestanswers. Get help setting up areasonable budget. Look into waysof making extra cash. Lossescould occur if you haven't beencareful when dealing with jointfinancial ventures. Don't believeeverything you hear.

LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23)You will communicate easily andshould be able to accomplish allthat you set out to do. Rememberthat no one can walk through yourdoor if there's someone standingin the doorway. Enlist coworkers inorder to get the job done on time.Your partner could make youangry if they steal your thunder orembarrass you in front of others.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22)Secret affairs may be tempting.Recognition will be yours if youmeet your deadline. Y Shoppingcould cost more than youbargained for. You are likely toreveal information unintentionally.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21)Get together with friends for somecompetitive physical activities.Romance could be exciting if youare spontaneous. You need time toput your house in order and sortout what you are going to doabout your personal direction.Deceit with coworkers is apparent.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22.- Jan. 20)Your partner could make youangry if they steal your thunder orembarrass you in front of others.Delve a little deeper if you reallywant to know the score. Do notlend money or belongings tofriends. You can find outinteresting information if you get achance to talk to people yourespect.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 -Feb. 19)Don't get intimately involved with acoworker. Acceptance will benecessary. You must watch yourtendency to spend whatever youmake. You'll be pleased with theresults if you take the time todecorate your home.

PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20)Don't let your mate bully you intothinking that you owe them yourtime and your life. Those you livewith may be experiencingproblems. Try not to push yourphilosophies on others. You canmake major decisions regardingyour professional direction.

ACROSS

1. Neither’s partner

4. “Without atrace” org.

7. Astronauts’gp.

11. Cagers’ org.12. A Guthrie14. Wielder15. Powdered

headwear16. Soft mineral17. Pinball error18. __ -frutti20. Mexican

specialty22. Kercheval of

“Dallas”23. Had a bite24. Cast mem-

ber27. “Star” to

“tars”31. Churchill’s

sign

32. Igloo materi-al

33. Male sibling,slangily

34. Pastaspecifica-

tion(2 wds.)

37. Very strange39. Quebec

article40. West of

Hollywood41. Card game44. Readied the

presses47. “At __!”48. Granted use

of50. Funniness52. Nightsbefore

holidays53. Unshackled54. Australian

bird55. Yard units

56. Pregrownlawn

57. Critic Reed

DOWN

1. Opp. of SSE2. Sad news

item, forshort

3. Prego’scompetition

4. Plumper5. Scarecrow’s

desire6. “__ Cry

instead”7. Eggnog spice8. Tibet’s

continent9. Retail10. Johnson of

“Laugh-In”13. Gasoline

classifica-tion

19. Boxing abbr.

21. __ moment’s notice (2wds.)

24. Ex of Artieand Mickey

25. Animationcollectible

26. Actor Danson

27. High card28. Diamond

stat29. Timetable

abbr.30. In vogue32. Reflexive

pronoun35. Senior36. Not positive

(abbr.)37. Desired38. Mouse-

spotter’s cry

40. Sal of “Rebelwithout a cause”

LA

ST

WE

EK

’sS

OL

UT

ION

* Programme guidesubject to change.

41. “Where’s the__?”

42. Rant’spartner

43. Psychic’sphrase (2wds.)

45. Large pitcher46. Ten cents49. Pausers’

sounds51. Prom suit, for

short

Dear George,

I HAVE BEEN with myboyfriend for just over ayear now and we have hadsome good timestogether. I just asked ofhim one thing and that isnever to lie to me. I foundout 2 months ago that hehas in fact lied to me. Iwas not the only womanhe was involved with.

We argued over it, andI decided to leave himout. I tried to date other

men in an effort to forgetabout him. I went backto him soon after myattempts to date othermen because I realized Ido love him very much. Itold him that I tried toforget about him bydating other men, but itwas not enough to get ridof him from my mind.He understood that andsaid he would try to dobetter.

I just discovered thatI am pregnant and it was

not supposed to happen.All precautions weretaken before I slept withthe other guy, only tosee if I could stop myselffrom thinking about myboyfriend. I do not knowhow to tell him I’mpregnant. I can say tohim that the child is his,but I’m just wonderingmy options.

I do not want to losethis guy, but I am afraidit might just happen nowthat I’m pregnant for

another man.

Worried

Dear Worried,

I suppose by now youknow that you wentabout this the wrongway. The best way isalways to be clear-cutand decisive in yourdealings. It is either youare IN or OUT.

Sleeping with anotherman is not the way to try

to ‘forget’ about yourboyfriend.

There is only one wayto find out how he trulyfeels about you, and thatis to be truthful. If heremains with you then

you know that yourrelationship is on solidground. Only then canyou begin to rebuild.

George


AdviceVNot my boyfriendÊs baby

Dear George,

THERE IS this woman who is a friendof mine, or I should say, was a friendof mine because I am beginning toquestion her friendship. She is awoman who loves other women. Ihave no problem with that, but shehas started to hit on my two sisters. Itold her that I did not appreciate that,and she promised not to continue; butpeople are meeting me and telling methat my sisters are dealing with her.

George, this woman has quite a fewmarried and unmarried women in thisplace completely locked down. I haveno dealings with her in that way, but Ijust do not like the way she is goingabout her business. I want her toleave my sisters alone. Both of themhave their husbands, and this couldget very nasty very quickly, if any ofthose men get to find out what she is

doing.

Concerned

Dear Concerned,

I understand you want to look outfor your sisters, but you should takethe discussion to your sisters as well.They are old enough to make theirown decisions. They should know it isnever a good idea to invite anotherperson into the relationship - womanor man.

If they choose to jeopardize theirmarriage by allowing another personto get between them and theirpartners, then it is entirely theirdecision. Speak with them again, andafter that, leave them to take care oftheir own business.

George

Dear George,

MY WIFE is now out of the countryfor over 4 months. Since then, Iheard from her only once, and thatwas when she arrived in New Yorkand called to say she “reach.”

The number she had for me toreach her at is not in service. I calledher sister, who is also in New York,and she promised to ask her to callme; but nothing up to today.

I am hearing all sorts of rumoursthat my wife is there with anotherman, but I cannot reach my wife toconfirm that. I know her sister knowswhere she is, but I get the feeling shedoes not want to tell me.

We have had our ups and downs,but nothing to cause her to do whatshe did. One week before she left, wehad a fight, and I managed to hit herby mistake, and I am thinking she istaking that too seriously. George, Ijust want her to come home!

XXJ

Dear XXJ,

I am thinking that your wifeprobably said to herself that it was amistake for you to hit her and she hashad enough of your aggression. Youcannot attribute your violence againsther to a ‘mistake’. Furthermore, shecan choose whether to remain in asituation in which she does not feelsafe, or move away to a place whereshe feels safer.

Yes, you may want her to comehome; but you need to ask yourselfwhether she is comfortable at homewith you. Home is where your heartis, and if her heart is not there, thenyour home may not be her homeanymore.

Having said all of that, it wouldhelp if she can be clear and say whather intentions are in terms of hermarriage to you.

George

Woman’s eyes on my sisters

I want her back

MISS DARIAN LAVIA WILLWEAR THE SASH ANDENSIGNIA OF KARIBCABLE when shecompetes in the 2012Miss Owia PrincessPageant.The cable televisionservice provider hasextended sponsorship toMiss Lavia for the pageant

scheduled for May 25, , atthe Owia Big River.

The Miss OwiaPrincess pageant is oneof the activities forcarnival in Owia, thatwill be organized by theOwia Sports andCultural organization(OSCO), and Sheena

Child of thatorganization expressedgratitude to Karib Cablefor its support.

“The Owia Sport andCultural Organization isthankful for themonetary supportdonated by Karib Cablefor our rural carnivalactivities,” said Child,

adding, “We are a neworganization that hasrecently taken up thetask of organizing ruralcarnival activities for thevillage of Owia.”

Other activitiesexpected to form part ofthe Owia carnivalactivities include a

J’Ouvert celebration, a T-shirt street party and afoam fete and river lime.

“We are askingeveryone from thesurrounding areas tocome out and give yoursupport to theseactivities,” appealedChild.

Vance Garraway,Marketing Executive ofKarib Cable, said thathis company was thrilledto provide support forand endorsement of therural carnival activitiesput on by the OwiaSports and CulturalOrganization.

30. FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2012. THE VINCENTIANVNIS launches new programby KARISSA CLARKE

THE OPERATIONS OFTHE NATIONALINSURANCE SERVICES(N.I.S) ARE BEINGMODERNIZED, with theintroduction of servicessuch as the E-Submit Plus Programme.The E-SubmitPlus Programme wasofficially launched lastweek Friday, May 4th2012, and is intended toassist employers insubmitting informationelectronically.

Speaking at lastweek’s launch,Assistant I.T. Managerwith the NIS, Dayne

Nicholls, said the N.I.S. will be rollingout other E- Service programmes inthe near future, in keeping with itsintention to significantly reduce theamount of paper used in its dailyoperations.

After a survey to determine theneeds of self-employed persons in St.Vincent and the Grenadines, the NISLaunched version 1 of esubmit plusprogramme two years ago.

Reginald Thomas, ExecutiveDirector of the NIS, in a brief address,reiterated the NIS mission, “to providesocial security and to promote socialand economic development in St.incent and the Grenadines,” took thetime out to express his thanks andsincerest appreciation to the staff, forall the hard work which would havebeen put in to get the latest

programme completed.Lennox Bowman, Chairman of the

NIS Board of Directors, emphasizedthe importance of efficient andeffective processing of data and howthe E-Submit Plus Programme assistsin this regard.

Bowman also pointed to theintroduction of the programme ashelping “the NIS to achieve legislativecompliance of employers andemployees.”

Felix Bowman, one of the leadprogrammers, facilitated thedemonstration of the programme, andencouraged those present to alwaysshare their suggestions and needs withthe NIS as this “helps us to improve.”

The NIS plans to unveil a numberof other projects in the near future.

Karib Cable supports Owia carnival

Sheena Childof OSCO(left) acceptsdonationfrom NatakieFranklyn ofKarib Cable.

Participants take in the NIS session on that servicesnew E-Submit Plus programme.

MAY 16th, 2012 will seethe hosting of apromotional seminar bythe nation’s investmentpromotions agency, InvestSVG, in the twin-islandrepublic of Trinidad andTobago.

The seminar, whichcoincides with theopening of the annual

Trade and InvestmentConference (TIC) beingheld in that country, willbe in an effort to promoteSVG’s InternationalFinancial Services (IFS)sector.

The event is expectedto see approximately 50participants from thebusiness community in

Trinidad & Tobago. The four-member

delegation, inclusive ofCleo Huggins (ExecutiveDirector - Invest SVG),Jeanne Martin(Marketing Officer -IFS -Invest SVG), AdrianBaron (CEO — LoyalBank Ltd) and GisellePeters (International

Financial ServicesAuthority — IFSA), willleave the state onTuesday, May 15.

Invest SVG will alsoparticipate in the annualTrade and InvestmentConference (TIC) 2012.

The TIC is theCaribbean’s largestbusiness-to-business

event. A multi-sectortradeshow, it bringstogether regional andinternationalmanufacturers, serviceproviders, exporters,buyers, distributors,wholesalers, andinvestors.

The agency isanticipating several

business transactions totake place by the end ofthe event between local-based businesses andregional andinternational buyers.

Invitations wereextended to localbusinesses registeredwith Invest SVG topartake in theconference. As a result,Vincy Fresh will beaccompanying InvestSVG to the conference todisplay their selection ofproducts. In addition toVincy Fresh, productsfrom other localbusinesses will bepromoted through InvestSVG’s booth at the event.

The conference willtake place from the 16th— 19th May 2012.


Business VInvest SVG leads promotion to Trinidad

LIME, this country’sfull service telecom-munications provider,launched BUSINESSSELECTIONS to itsCorporate customerslast Thursday at theHalifax StreetCorporateheadquarters.

The main objective ofBUSINESSSELECTIONS is toprovide an avenue toexpose businesscustomers and potentialcustomers to LIME’sbusiness preposition.

In this first event,customers were giveninsight into the benefitsof the company’sbusiness prepositionssuch as InternationalDirect Dialling (IDD),CPE - Mitel 1000,Mobile Plans and GSMGateway (bolt on formobile calls via PABX).

Head of CorporateSales and Services,Cicyln Joseph, waspleased with the turnout, thanked thecustomers for theircommitment to LIME,and reassured theaudience of LIME’scontinued pledge tooffer services that areenablers of businessgrowth anddevelopment.

In particular, MsJoseph indicated thatthe preposition offeredat BUSINESSSelections will certainlyaid businesses to reducetheir operating cost,improve efficiency, andfacilitated a bettercustomer/clientexperience.

LIME presentsbusinessselections


Paul’s Avenue, P.O. Box 592, KingstownTel: 456-1821 Fax: 457-2821E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.metrocintsvg.com

V 34. FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN

by KENVILLE HORNE

A LARGE CROWD turned out at the Victoria Park lastSunday, May 6, to witness the finals of the CommunityFootball Inter-League Championship.

Glory on the day went to the footballers fromCentral Leeward.

Layou would have entered the finals of theSenior category of the Championship with anadvantage and an air of confidence, having disposedof their Central Leeward opponents, Barrouallie, inthe preliminary round.

And this confidence shone early into the matchwhen national striker, Shandel Samuel, in the 15thminute, converted for Layou after Wendell Cuffy’sshot had rebounded off the Barrouallie goalkeeper.

Layou continued to dominate the play andseemed likely to score again. But that was not tobe, and the match turned into the close encounterthe large number of spectators anticipated, when ,in the 30th minute, Oalex Anderson eluded twoLayou defenders, cut inside to cross a ball, whichShavel Cunningham guided past the Layou keeper,

for Barroullie’s first goal.It was not long after, in the 32nd minute, when

Layou fans were silenced. Jomo Topping cheekilychipped the ball over the Layou keeper, to giveBarrouallie a 2-1 lead.

No rain could stop the …

The second half got going in an atmosphere ofmanful competition, but 23 minutes to the finalwhistle the clouds burst and the rain forced thegame to be halted.

The resulting water-logged field caused somespectators to leave, believing the match would haveto be abandoned.

However, much to the delight of those who hadremained, the match was resumed. Earlier into theresumption, Shandel Samuel received a ball fromthe mid-field, raced down the right wing, beat twodefenders and sent a fierce shot that raced acrossthe front of the Barroullie goal.

However, Barrouallie were unlucky not to score athird time. A Shavel Cunningham shot beat thekeeper but the water logged field slowed the pace ofthe ball, giving a Layou defender enough time toclear the danger.

The match closed as it did at the end of the firsthalf, 2 to 1 in Barrouallie’s favour.

Other competitions

Layou were not without their accolades. Theytook home the Under-13 category of theChampionship, beating Central Kingstown 2 goalsto nil, in the final. Joel Quashie scored both goalsfor Layou.

The Under-17 finals was a preview of the seniorfinal, with the same communities, Layou andBarrouallie featuring.

The writing was on the wall, perhaps, whenBarrouallie established an early hold on the match.

A timely and accurate cross in front the goal by aBarrouallie defender, found the head of KyleEdwards for Barrouallie’s first goal in the 21stminute. Ten minutes later, the second goal cameafter a Layou defender failed to make a clearance,resulting in striker Delano John unleashing a leftfoot drive into the back of the Layou goal, givingBarrouallie a deserving 2-0 win.

Sunday’s attendance did not escape the commentof many spectators who advanced the view that itwas the largest at a local competition for a longtime.

AMBER GLASGOW, JamesBentick, Telbert Samuel, ColinAlexander and Jules Snaggemerged Champions in lastweekend’s 2012 National SeniorSquash Tournament, played atthe National Squash Centre,Paul’s Avenue, Kingstown.

Glasgow won the Women’sOpen Title, beating Greta Primus11-3, 11-8, 11-13, 13-11. TessaShallow-King took third placeafter defeating Deidre Myers 11-6, 11-6, 11-8.

National Coach James Bentickshot past Colin Alexander, 11-8,11-8, 11-6, to win the Men’s Over-40 Title, with Telbert Samuelcopping third after defeatingPerry De Freitas 11-5, 11-3, 12-14, 11-8.

Telbert Samuel bettered hisearlier third position in the Over-40, when he beat Leroy Lewis, 7-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-6, 11-4, to win

the Men’s Over-50Title. Keith Boyeatook the third spotafter beating theevergreen JohnHorne 11-8, 11-9,15-17, 11-9.

Collin Alexanderdefeated last year’schampion RaffiqueBrown, 11-8, 11-8,5-11, 11-9, to clinchthe Men’s B Title,while Steve ‘CAP’Ollivierre took thirdplace, beatingBradley Glasgow 12-10, 11-7, 11-4.

In the Men’s ‘A championship,Jules Snagg claimed first place bydefeating his main rival KevinHannaway 6-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-5in the final. Third was KevinBailey who beat Shane Slater in

straight sets 11-6, 11-6, 12-10.The Vincentian Seniors will

participate later this month in theOECS Championship, scheduledfor the British Virgin Islands.

I.B.A.ALLEN

Action in the National Squash Championship.

National Squash Championship concludes

The champion Barrouallie senior team.The victorious Under-17 Barrouallie team.

Barrouallie dominateCommunity Football League

Holding trophy are Delano John (left) and KyleEdwards (right) scorers in Barrouallie Under-17team’s win.


SportsV

by PAUL JAMES

IN THE FIRST OF TWO MATCHESplayed last weekend in theMustique T/20 Tournament,Alumbrera Sweepers scored arelatively easy victory over PinkHouse Tags.

Pink House Tags batting first,recovered from a shaky start toscore 109 all out, losing their lastwicket on the last ball of theirallotted 20 overs. A no nonsenseinnings from all-rounder LyndonGarrick, who scored 22, andJulian Sutherland with 20ensured that Pink House Tagswent past 100 runs. All-rounderMarcus Castello took 3 wickets for9 runs from his 4 overs, bowlingfor Alumbrera.

Alumbrera Sweepers scored110 for 6 from 18.5 overs. They

secured their total from a solidstart from Cedrick Grant andOsborne Williams, both withinnings of 19, and a captain’sinnings of 34 not out from MarcusCastello. Terrance Baptiste,bowling for Pink House Tags,made his presence felt in themiddle of the AlumbreraSweepers innings with aspectacular 4 overs, 1 maiden, 14runs, 4 wickets spell, and in theprocess took the first hattrick forthe season.

Marcus Castello was adjudgedthe Man of the Match for his all-round performance.

Last year’s champions, TomaHawks Sweetie Pie, had a veryunforgiving entry into this year’stournament against MilsomConstruction, when they put in a

performance that seemed to lackany real preparation.

Toma Hawks, batting first, hadtheir top 3 batsmen back in thestands with just 3 runs in thebooks. They enjoyed a late surgeto score 114 all out in 19.2 overs,after a fight-back led by AnthonyBute, who scored 32. MilsomConstruction’s Harris Robertsbagged 3 for 22.

Milsom Construction cruised to115 for 5 in 18.3 overs to secure avictory. A resilient innings of 26from Rohan Blake and a massive28 extras aided in Toma Hawks’demise. Michael Charles, 2 for 33,was Toma Hawks’ best bowler.

Rohan Blake was judged Manof the Match.

Matches are scheduled tocontinue this weekend.

POLICE TWO TOOK FIRST INNINGS honoursover their counterparts Police One in a drawngame in the National Premier Division CricketCompetition, on the weekend.

In a match played at the Arnos Vale TwoPlaying Field, Police Two batted first and posted222, led by Danny Allen, 33 and Gerald Gould 29.Malcolm Alexander, Parnel Browne and SylvanSpencer had 2 wickets a piece. Police One repliedwith 133, Peter Morris top scoring with 36.Mohammed Lavia took 4 for 26 and KenroyMartin 3 for 28. Batting a second time, PoliceTwo reached 133 for 2 declared. Salvan Browneled the batting with 84, while Elron Lewis wasunbeaten on 30. Set to make 222 runs for victory,Police One were 28 without loss when rainstopped play.

The News Spartans secured first innings overnational T/20 champions Victors One at theStubbs Playing Field in a low scoring game.Victors One posted 103 in their 1st innings,Atticus Browne topscoring with 28 Basil Andrewstook 4 for 18 and Kentish Bascombe 4 for 21. Inreply, News Spartans made 124. RemandoCoombs, former youth player, led with 60. KeironCottoy took 5 for 26 and Donwell Hector 4 for 29.Victors One in their 2nd innings declared at 208for 8. Ray Jordan topscored with 44, AtticusBrowne hit 39 and Miles Bascombe 32. TironSimon took 3 for 65. Set to make 185 runs forvictory, The News Spartans reached 101 for 4when rain stopped play. Gidron Pope led with 66.Ray Jordan had 3 for 20.

At Buccament, Belmont United won on firstinnings from Bryden’s Frutee Youth United inthe First Division. Belmont United posted 143 intheir 1st innings. Javed Cordice hit 30 and TroyHarry 26. Joel O’Garro grabbed 3 for 38 andDaryl Lyttle 3 for 40. In reply, Bryden’s FruteeYouth United reached 114. Keroy Roberts made23. Javed Cordice took 4 for 16 and McLarenDelpesche 3 for 14. Belmont United in their 2ndinnings were 34 for 4 when rain stopped play.Joel O’Garro took 4 for 14.

This weekend, GLA Boutique Radcliffe willplay ASCO at Arnos Vale Two, Saints will opposeTeam Rivals at Arnos Vale One in the PremierDivision. In the First Division, Bryden FruteeYouth United face Log Masters at Buccament,Radcliffe Too oppose Smashers at North Union,and Unique Warriors clash with Belmont Unitedat Stubbs.

I.B.A.ALLEN

Lavia on fire in 2012 Bequia T/20KURTLAN LAVIAcaptured the limelight inmatches played lastweekend in the BequiaTwenty/20 CricketChampionship, at theClive Tannis PlayingField in Port Elizabeth.

Lavia slammed anaggressive 170, his firstcentury of the seasonand the highestindividual score to datein the Championship, asPrize Warriors Canouanromped to a convincing187 runs victory overMANI-COU.

He helped Canouanpile up 292 for 3 fromtheir 20 overs. He waswell supported byDwayne Charles who

stroked 92. In reply,MANI-COU weredismissed for 106 in 20overs. Kurt Lavia made21.

Prize WarriorsCanouan, though, hadnot fared so well in anearlier weekendencounter against RBTTCarib Stars. They wentunder to the Stars by 39runs.

Batting first, CaribStars posted 150 all outfrom 18.3-overs. JunusKing made 63, whileVenkurt Baptiste got 44.Darren John grabbed 4for 21 for Canouan. .

Prize WarriorsCanouan, in reply, weredismissed for 122 off

16.1overs, with KurtlanLavia warming up with36 and Kazim Nero 28.Desron Lavia capturedfive for 24 for CaribWarriors.

Three more matcheswill be played thisweekend at the CliveTannis Playing Field. OnSaturday, reigningchampion KnightsTrading Aussies will playSouth Side United from 2pm. Then on Sunday,JSM Saloon RoyalChallengers will faceMANI-COU in the firstof a doubleheader fromten in the morning.Later, last year’s finalistAdmiralty TransportYouth Combine and

RBTT Carib Stars willmeet from 2pm.

I.B.A.ALLEN

Alumbrera, MilsonConstruction winin Mustique

Kurtlan Lavia top scoredfor Prize WarriorsCanouan in their twomatches played lastweekend.

Police 2, Spartanstake first inningshonours

Lyndon Garrick plays one through the off side in his inningsfor Pink House Tags.

Marcus Castello, captain of Alumbrera Sweepers,readies himself to crash one to the boundary.


SportsV

THE FINAL of the Community FootballCompetition ended at Victoria Park following adelay caused by heavy showers, which left pools ofwater on the playing surface. Barrouallie achieveda 2:1 win, to the delight of their supporters, manyof whom had journeyed over the 15 mile distancefrom the Central Leeward town to see the clash.Their rivals were Layou, a squad which boasted anumber of national players.

Barrouallie also had some national players, butnot as many as their neighbours to the south.

That the finalists came from that constituencyspeaks volumes for the caliber of football withinthat zone. And the trend seems likely to continue,for Layou took the Under-13 title at the expense oftheir Kingstown challengers, whilst Barroualliemade it a double, having taken care of theirUnder-17 opponents also from Layou.

The echo from the activity at Victoria Parkformed the parting atmosphere for Frank O.Mason whose passing was announced the followingday.

Mason had roots in Barrouallie, and finalmoments must have been spent egging oncompatriots, for, like he managed in 1962, Victoriacame as sacred ground for another generation ofBarrouallie descendants.

It was on that very ground at Victoria Park thatMason etched his name in the nation’s sportinghistory with figures of 9 for 13 against Dominica inhis farewell escapade 50 years ago. That feat hasbecome a centerpiece of Vincentian folklore. Manythought he ought to have been selected to the WestIndies squad.

But that debate still rages, and the vagaries ofregional cricket policy are yet to be overcome.

Mason remains the symbol of this country’smost reputable sporting figure. He must have beenblessed for his exploits. He maintained thatstrength of character up to the very last, areminder of the awesome physical attributes whichmade him the destructive fast bowler he was.Mason enhanced other aspects of life, such as inagriculture and security.

He was a god fearing man, as evidenced by hisdedication to the Methodist Church and especiallyhis role in the choir.

He was something of a national pride, forpersons were only too keen to brag on hisaccomplishments on the field of play.

His value was enhanced at the Windward andLeeward levels, and such was his prowess that hewas entrusted to the leadership of the CombinedWindward and Leeward outfit without anyquestions asked. Every Vincentian citizen cameto learn to appreciate and respect the depth of hiscontribution.

Through it all, he cherished hisaccomplishments, but he was a humble man andseemed to accept life in a humourous but humanemanner.

It is perhaps ironic that the new prison wasopened at Belle Isle hill, within distance of thetown of Barrouallie, within days of Mason’spassing.

Mason was an all-round sportsman. When hisplaying days were over, he turned his attention toofficiating. His command of the proceedings duringa football match was reflective of his strictdiscipline, and his presence helped to maintainsome level of decorum and decency.

His contribution as Cricket umpire is alsosymbolic, and he kept his interest in the sport tothe end.

F.O. ,as he was affectionately known, willcontinue as one of this nation’s greatestpersonalities. How will that legacy beimmortalized will be a reflection of our homage toour heroes.

Sacred ground

Stories by WILLIAM ‘KOJAH’ ANTHONY

RODRIGO KENTON JOHNSON rounds up today, Friday11th May, a week of facilitating a training programmefor football coaches at the Media Centre at the ArnosVale Playing Field.

Kenton Johnson is Costa Rican, butacknowledges his Jamaican roots. He representedCosta Rica at the highest level before he turned tocoaching.

He ist he first native to take Costa Rica to theUnder-23 Olympics, a feat achieved in 2004.

Johnson was assistant coach to Bora Milutinovicwhen Costa Rica advanced to the second round ofthe 1990 World Cup in Italy. The partnership wasagain in operation for Nigeria in the 1998 WorldCup.

His knack and tenacity did not go unnoticed, andhe was drafted into Fifa’s Technical Study Groupfor the 2006 World Cup.

Expectations high

“I am here to share my knowledge,” Johnson toldan audience at last Monday’s opening ceremony.

“You have the potential. You have to organize,”was his assessment of the proceedings there.

He urged participants to take advantage of thetraining and ask questions.

Johnson anticipates that the training will bearfruit and expressed the hope that “we can make a

strong and heavy step.” SVG Football Federation

president, Venold Coombs,pointed to the previousnight’s events at VictoriaPark, when the CommunityFootball tournament ended,as an example of hisexecutive’s drive atdeveloping football here.Johnson was present to geta firsthand view ofVincentian footballers inaction.

Coombs cited thecoaching assignment asanother measure aimed atensuring that footballreaches its pinnacle.

It was also disclosed thatFriendly matches for thesenior national team will bearranged to prepare them for the Digicel Cup.Arrangements have also been made forengagements for the Under-20 team in that team’sbuild-up to a World Cup qualification roundscheduled to be held here in July.

Senator Elvis Charles, Junior Minister in theSports Ministry, declared the session open. NelsonHillocks, Director of Sports and Physical Educationhere, also addressed the opening.

IT MIGHT appear as anatural phenomenonthat the CentralLeeward town of Layouchurns out players forthe national footballsquads, year after year.

Perhaps it has becomesomething of a legacy,continuing on thefoundation of the Morrisbrothers, to MarcusYoung, EzraHendrickson.

Whatever, one thing iscertain: One man in thecommunity is taking iton himself to groom acrop the youngsters.

Chester Hendricksonis the coach of the LayouUnder-13 team whichcame out unbeaten inthe recent nationaltournament. The Layousquad played unbeatenin that tournament.

Such a tournamentplayed right upHendrickson’s street.

“I was looking forwardto this competition forthe longest while,”Hendrickson said. Heoutlined that he had agroup in training for thepast six years. He tookthem under control fromage six. He recalledplaying matchesthroughout the state.

When theDevelopment Programmeundertaken by theFootball Federation someyears ago took root,Hendrickson found someencouragement for hisactivity. The staging ofthe Under-13championship fuelled hisenthusiasm.

Chester is working onthe total development of

his players. He iscatering for the spiritual,educational and othersocial needs of theyoungsters.

“I feeding the seniorteam,” Chester outlined.

He was pointing to hishometown Layou in thefirst instance.

His preference is toremain with the six- yearolds, and he has aspecial connection withthe current Under-13Layou team, with his 12-year-old son, CheslonHendrickson, being amember.

Chester has beenupgrading his coachingskills by attendingcourses whereverpossible.

He is a cousin offormer national defenderEzra Hendrickson. Ezra

was part of a formidabledefence line up whichkept many a lethal frontline at bay.

Local coaches with training facilitator, Football officials and Government personnel.

Rodrigo KentonJohnson conducedthe trainingprogramme for localcoaches.

Football coachesenhance their skills

Chester Hendricksonsees his mission asensuring the future ofLayou football.

Laying the foundation for Layou

EFFORTS TO COMBAT THETHREAT OF THE LIONFISH inthe waters under thejurisdiction of the TobagoCays Marine Park (TCMP)recently received a muchneeded boost.

On May 3rd, Mr. AllanSilverstein, President of

Canouan Dive Centre,handed over to therangers of TCMP four setsof lionfish spears and afirst aid kit , representinga total value ofUSD$1,000.00(EC$2700.00).

In making the

presentation, Mr.Silverstein expressed thehope that the spears “willbe used for the demise ofthe lionfish.”

He sees his donation asthe beginning of a fruitfulpartnership between theTCMP and Canouan Dive,in pursuance of thepreservation of the TobagoCays, which he considers“the most beautiful place

on earth.”Mr. Hyron Joseph,

Chief Ranger of theTCMP, extended gratitudeto Mr. Silverstien.

According to Joseph,“The TCMP has beenlonging for persons likeMr. Silverstien to comeforward and assist withthe protection of the park’sresources.”

He appealed to other

persons/stakeholders tofollow in Mr. Silverstien’sfootsteps and becomeguardians of the TCMP.

There was also acommitment from Mr.Silverstein for four (4) setsof scuba gear which will

be presented to the ParkRangers later this month.

An invasive species ofthe lionfish was firstdiscovered late last year inSVG. It poses a seriousthreat to marine life inthis country.

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2012. 37.VGearing up againstthe lionfish

Biabou Group donatesto Children’s Home THE SALVATION ARMY Children’s Home Project,the McArthur House for Children, received adeserving donation recently.

The donation, an amount of $1000.00, was made bythe Biabou Fitness Group. It comprised $500.00 raisedby the Group through a sponsored walk to celebrate its3rd anniversary, and a matching $500.00 by Pastor Dr.Walford Thompson.

Pastor Thompson’s gesture was in honour of hismother and wife who were Salvationists.

The EC$1,000 donation was presented to MajorJean Pierre Antoine of the Salvation Army, onThursday May 3rd.

According to Mrs. Yvonne Browne, President of theGroup, “We have seen the evidence of the work thatthe Salvation Army has done over the years, and thinkthat this project is a good one for us to make acontribution to.”

The Biabou Fitness Group was established by theHealth Promotion Unit of the Ministry of Health andthe Environment, and they meet every Thursday at theBiabou Resource Centre for their fitness routines andgeneral socialisation.

“Working with the Biabou Fitness Groupdemonstrates a realistic and positive image of activeageing,” said Ms Patsy Wyllie, Chief Health Educator,“and it shows that our senior citizens can fullyparticipate in community life. They are truly bridging(the) age youth gap.”

Diego is pictured here with his mother Charmine(left), sister Krystle (right) and friend Jessica at hisgraduation, May 1st, 2012, at the Florida InternationalUniversity,from whichhegraduatedwith aBachelor’sDegree inCivilEngineering.Diego is theson ofBrandleyandCharmineFrancis.

Mr. Hyron Joseph, Chief Ranger of the TCMP(right), accepts donation from Mr. Allan Silverstein,President of Canouan Dive Centre.

Major Jean Pierre Antoine (left) receives chequefrom Ms Catherine Allen of the Biabou FitnessGroup.

Congratulations to Diego Francis


Tribute V

IT IS VIRTUALLY animpossible task tocondense 90 plus years intoa 9-minute eulogy … but fora mother, anything ispossible.

Mildred Elaine ElvinaDe Riggs nee Garcia wasborn in Trinidad, duringthe tumultuous aftermathof WW1. It is for thatreason that no notice ofher birth was recorded atthe registry in Trinidad,until it became necessaryfor her to travel and getmarried many years after;but the official record fromher passport has her dateof birth as being July 15,1919, putting her atapproaching 93 at thepoint of her passing.

The economicdepression that followedWW1 caused people fromall over the Caribbean tomigrate to other countries,in search of a better wayof life. So my motherjoined her mother inCuracao where she metmy father who, undersimilar conditions, had leftthe teaching profession fora better way of life. Theymet in Curacao, and therest is now history - aunion that produced 8children, 7 of whom arehere today, thank God.

SVG here we come

My father almost diedin a vehicle accident andretired prematurely fromthe SHELL company as aresult of his injuries, so hereturned to his native landSt. Vincent & theGrenadines, where all buttwo of the childrenreturned. The eldest two,Gwen and Jan, stayed inCuracao, then Gwenjoined us in St. Vincent fora while. We were fedwith daily spiritualvitamins, so both morningand evening devotionswere regular events inour home.

Besides being describedas the best cook in theworld by my father,‘Maya’, as she waslovingly called, did notsettle for being a full timehousewife. She soonbegan taking musiclessons, passing all levelsand qualifying her tobecome a music teacherlater in life. Only onedaughter, Marijke,benefitted from hertraining, but all the otherchildren were/are greatsingers. She played thepiano and to a lesserextent the organ at theKingstown EvangelicalChurch, paving the wayfor some of her studentsalso to become well knownmusicians for several

churches in St. Vincent.She also mastered theaccordion which sheplayed during open aircrusades, and for theregular Friday Bibleclasses where children inthe neighborhood weretaught Christian values.

‘Maya’ never failed to‘spare the rod’ during ourupbringing, and everychild ‘tasted’ the hand ofour mother. You had tolive straight, or you wouldbe straightened by the beltor whip. I know it had tobe frustrating for a motherwith so many activechildren to contend with,each having his or herunique needs. Early inthe game, she taughteveryone to cook, washand iron, skills that eachone would benefit from inlater years.

Globe-trotting‘Maya’ loved to travel,

so when the children grewup and were gainfullyemployed, she saw a lot ofthe world as opportunityavailed itself. Shetravelled from down underin Australia (withfrequent flier free miles)to Holland and UK, closeto the North Pole. Shevisited most Caribbeanislands and toured the USand Canada by Greyhound

bus alone. Sheused theseopportunitiesto visitrelatives andfriends whohad migrated,turning up atthese friends or relativessometimes un-announced,but was never turnedback. She however, neveroverstayed her welocme.

With age, we all tend toslow down, whether wewish it or not, and heractive globe-trottinglifestyle was restricted;travel was only limited tothe Caribbean to witnessweddings of her childrenand grand children.

Then in later years,closer to her quiet passing,she spent her years in St.Maarten (SXM), firstliving with Marijke andfollowing that at the St.Maarten’s home. Asincere Thanks to all thestaff at the St. Maarten’shome who lovingly caredfor our mother in hertwilight years. MissGladys and Miss Rebecca,her table companions formany years, thanks foryour friendship. While atthe St. Maarten’s Home,my sisters were moreoften than not present totake care of any additionalneeds Mom may have had,

combing her hair andtaking care of her nails.Realizing that Maya

could no longer travelwithout restriction, thechildren decided to hostseveral family reunions inSXM, where we couldcelebrate with her inperson. Just about amonth ago, we were herefor what turned out to beour last family reunionwith Maya.

I remember wheneverwe brought her toEbeneezer to meet andsocialize with the rest of

the family, she wouldalways hesitate to return;she felt so at home withall the children. Shewould say, ‘I am not readyto go yet,’ and would setthe time for her departure,which we always granted.Events like that touchedme. Who wants to beseparated from loved ones… and that is the feelingmost of us will experiencehere today, for we shallnever meet her in theflesh again …. a realitywe must all accept.

Mildred ‘Maya’ De Riggs (extreme left) at a gathering of familyand friends in her honour.

Mildred E.E. De RiggsJuly 15, 1919 - April 02, 2012

Eulogy for the late

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On Monday, April 30,2012, Charge d’Affaires ofthe U.S. EmbassyChristopher Sandrolini andRegional SecurityCoordinator GrantleyWatson signed anamended letter ofagreement between theUnited States and theRegional Security System(RSS) providing theEastern Caribbean withUS$286,000 in newfunding for the RSStraining and vettingmissions.

The United Statescommitted US$186,000to support the RSStraining mission toupgrade the skills andcapabilities of lawenforcement and defensepersonnel of RSSmember nations. Thisnew funding is part ofthe United States’ on-going commitment tosupport the RSS trainingmission.

The United States isalso providing

US$100,000 in fundingfor a new initiative toassist the RSS regionalvetting programme.This programme seeks toinsure the integrity ofmember nation lawenforcement and defensepersonnel, to promotethe free flow ofinformation amongmember states incombating transnationalcrime.

To date, the UnitedStates has providedmore than US$100,000in funding for contractpolygraph examiners tovet member nation lawenforcement and defensepersonnel with access tosensitive and classifiedinformation.

In this exciting newinitiative, the UnitedStates will provide fullfunding for up to fourmembers of the RSSstaff to become trainedto internationally-accepted standards aspolygraph examiners.

One of the four staffmembers will have theopportunity to undertakeadvanced training toachieve certification as amaster trainer ofpolygraph examiners. Inthis way, the membernations of the RSS willhave their ownindigenous vettingcapability and the meansto sustain that capabilityby training futureexaminers right here inthe Eastern Caribbean.

With this additionalUS$ 286,000 in newfunding, the UnitedStates has committedwell over US$ 23 millionin support of the RSSsince 1999.

This new funding ismade possible byPresident Obama’sCaribbean BasinSecurity Initiative(CBSI), which hasprovided more thanUS$143 million to theCaribbean since 2009.

CBSI is a partnership

between the UnitedStates and the countriesof the Caribbean underwhich they have agreedto share theresponsibility forimplementing thecommon vision for asafer, more prosperousCaribbean region.Under CBSI the UnitedStates and theCaribbean territoriesconcerned have pledgedto seek durable securitysolutions throughsustainable programmesover which theCaribbean countries takeeventual ownership.

President BarackObama’s CBSI hasprovided millions inassistance for regionalsecurity training andequipment.

US funding for RSSTraining and Vetting

FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2012 VOLUME 106, No. 19 www.thevincentian.com EC$1.50

Published by The VINCENTIAN Publishing Co. Ltd, St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Printed by the SVG Publishers Inc., Campden Park.

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The water level in this river rose, covering the bridgeand making access difficult.

HEAVY RAINSPOUND NORTHWINDWARD

Debris settled along public pathways.

Road surfaces suffered much damage.

Damage to this embankment couldcause the retaining wall to collapse.

by KENVILLE HORNE

WHILE MOST communities in the south of mainland St. Vincent weretreated to light showers and generally fair weather, heavy rains poundedthe North Windward constituency on Tuesday 8th May.

The downpour and its resulting flash floods forced vehicles andcommuters heading for the city to curtail their trips.

The rain and flash floods destroyed infrastructure and farms inSandy Bay, and left large deposits of dirt and other sediments inother communities.

When THE VINCENTIAN caught up with residents in Sandy Bay,many expressed concern about the destruction and dislocation therain had caused.

“Schools bin have to close, landslide come down, road wash way,fo de whole week rain a come like it na want fo stop, it real bad,” oneresident commented.

Persons were seen well into the evening of Tuesday clearing roads,cleaning public walkways and entrances to public buildings andprivate residences.

THE VINCENTIAN was told that many farmers had left, during abreak in the rains, to visit their farms to assess the damage. Nocontact was made with any of these farmers before THEVINCENTIAN left the area.

Minister of Agriculture, Saboto Caesar, also visited the area to geta first hand view of the damage.

issue May 11

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Transcript of issue May 11