National Weekly November 12, 2020

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THURSDAY NOVEMBER 12, 2020

Election's Validity Intact

TOP STORIES NY Immigration Group Urges Biden to Roll Back Trump’s Immigration Policies States Ramp up for Biggest Vaccination Effort in U.S. History

Despite Trump claims

UK And US Concerned About Level of Crime and Police Brutality in Jamaica

By Nomaan Merchant

The U.S. presidential election was not tainted by widespread voter fraud or irregularities in how ballots were counted, despite a huge effort by President Donald Trump to prove otherwise.

In refusing to concede the election, Trump claims that he would have won were it not for “illegal” votes counted in several states that he lost or where he is currently trailing. But Trump and his allies haven't offered any proof, and their legal challenges have largely been rejected by the courts.

Nonpartisan investigations of previous elections have found that voter fraud is exceedingly rare.

State officials from both parties, as well as international observers, have also stated that the 2020 election went well.

A look at the election and the allegations Trump has made:

How many people voted this year?

More than 150 million people voted in the presidential election. As of Wednesday, Presidentelect Joe Biden had received over 5 million more votes than Trump.

Biden has 290 votes in the Electoral College to Trump’s 217. Trump added three votes when he won Alaska on Wednesday. The Associated Press has not yet determined the winner in Georgia or North Carolina. continues on B4 – Validity Intact

Mark Golding The New Leader of Jamaica's People's National Party

By Sheri-Kae McLeod Opposition Minister of Finance and St. Andrew Southern Member of Parliament (MP) Mark Golding has been elected as the new leader of Jamaica's People's National Party (PNP).

Golding, an attorney-at-law, defeated his high-profile opponent, South East St. Ann MP Lisa Hanna, in the PNP presidential election on Saturday, November 7.

Golding was declared the winner by PNP's General Secretary Julian Robinson after receiving 1,740 votes to Lisa Hanna's 1,444. More than 3,300 delegates were eligible to vote in Saturday's election. Robinson said the voter turnout was 96 percent, the same percentage reported in the 2019

Barbados’ Rico Walcott Wins Century Mile Jockeys’ Title

Gov. DeSantis Pushes “Anti-mob” Proposal in Response to Protests

continues on B4 – Golding Sworn In

WHAT’S INSIDE KAMAL HARRIS: VICEPRESIDENT ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES A3

Jamaican Government Looks to Retrieve Artefacts from British Museum

SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT

TOURISM

BAJAN RICO WALCOTT WINS CENTURY MILE JOCKEY’S TITLE C3

BUJU BANTON GIFTS COMPUTERS TO CHILDRENS’ HOMES C1

BARTLETT HAILS LIFTING OF CRUISE SHIP BAN BY CDC B3

A2 – NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, NOV 12 – NOV 18, 2020 | CNWNETWORK.COM

PAGE 2 NO PARKING: The parking lot of the Swap Shop Flea Market in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is seen flooded, Monday, Nov. 9, 2020.

Heavy rain from Tropical Storm Eta caused dangerous flooding Monday across Florida's most densely populated urban areas, stranding cars and swamping en re neighborhoods with fastrising water that had no place to drain. - AP

TUG BOAT: Lemay Acosta pulls his daughter Layla, 2, and dog Buster on a boat as they tour his flooded neighborhood in Planta on, Fla., on Monday, Nov. 9, 2020, a day a er Tropical Storm Eta made landfall in the Florida Keys and flooded parts of South Florida. - AP

KNEE DEEP: Residents walk a flooded street to reach their homes, Monday, Nov. 9, 2020 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Tropical Storm Eta caused severe flooding in South Florida in areas already saturated from previous downpours. - AP

PROUD VETERAN: Lauderhill’s Veterans Day Ceremony at West Wing Park Commissioner Denise D. Grant, Honoree & former Marine, Eric Reid and wife, Mrs. Reid. – Contributed

IN SERVICE: A marker commemora ng the service of Sgt. William Carney, a former slave who served in the 54th Massachuse s Colored Infantry Regiment and became the first African American Medal of Honor recipient, is displayed outside the new Na onal Museum of the United States Army on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020, in Fort Belvoir, Va. The museum opened Wednesday, Nov. 11 a er more than a decade of planning and fundraising. – AP

GIVING HONOR: President-elect Joe Biden and Jill Biden, a end a service at the Philadelphia Korean War Memorial at Penn's Landing on Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020, in Philadelphia. - AP

LET IT FLY: A man waves a flag as he stands in the back of a military vehicle during a Veterans Day parade, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020 in New York. The 100-vehicle parade, with no spectators, was held during the coronavirus pandemic to maintain the 101year tradi on of veterans marching on Fi h Avenue. - AP

ABOVE GROUND: Rance Ford watches a passing vehicle on his flooded street in Melrose Manors in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Monday, Nov. 9, 2020. Tropical Storm Eta dumped rain as it passed over South Florida streets flooded. - AP

NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, NOV 12 – NOV 18, 2020 | CNWNETWORK.COM –

Kamala Harris

Vice President-elect of the United States

S

ince noon Saturday, November 7, Jamaicans living in the United States and across the rest of the diaspora have been in a celebratory mood, following the official announcement that Joe Biden is the Presidentelect of the United States.

The election win for the former vice president means that his running mate, Jamaican American Kamala Harris will also be in the White House, serving as vice president.

Harris has made history by becoming the first Black woman elected as vice president of the United States. The 56-year-old California senator is also the first person of South Asian descent elected to the vice presidency, representing the multiculturalism of America that has largely been absent from the White House in recent years.

Since Harris' presidential campaign launch, there has been much discussion and fascination about her heritage. She has often talked about her late Indian mother, Shyamala Gopalan, whom she considers the most important influence in her life. However, left out of much of the conversations, to the disappointment of some Jamaicans at home and in the diaspora, is

her Jamaican father, Donald Harris, a native of Brown's Town, St. Ann and a distinguished U.S. economics professor. While some Jamaicans feel slighted that Donald Harris has only been seen as a footnote in his daughter's historic achievements, Kamala has always claimed her Jamaican identity, especially while appealing to immigrants across the country in the 2020 presidential campaign.

Vice President-elect Harris was born in 1964 to parents active in the U.S. civil rights movement. Her parents met at the University of California, Berkeley, then a hotbed of 1960s activism. They married quickly but divorced in 1971, when Kamala and her sister, Maya, were seven and four years old, respectively. Both girls were raised by their mother in Oakland, California.

During her childhood, Harris kept close to both sides of her heritage; regularly visiting her father's family in Jamaica as well as her mother's family in Madras (now Chennai) in India.

After high school, Harris attended Howard University, one of the nation's historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU), and pledged

In 2003, Harris won her first election when she became San Francisco's first Black district attorney. In that post, she created a re-entry program for low-level drug offenders and cracked down on student truancy. She was elected California's attorney general in 2010—the first woman and Black person to hold the job

A3

Alpha Kappa Alpha—the nation's first sorority created by and for Black women. She campaigned regularly at HBCUs and tried to address the concerns of young Black men and women eager for strong efforts to dismantle systemic racism. She graduated in 1986 with a degree in political science and economics.

Harris then returned to California to attend law school at the University of California (UC).

While there, she served as president of its chapter of the Black Law Students Association.

She graduated with a Juris Doctor in 1989 and was admitted to the California Bar in June 1990.

After graduating, Harris immediately began working as a prosecutor in the District Attorney's office in Alameda County, California.

In 2003, Harris won her first election when she became San Francisco's first Black district attorney. In that post, she created a re-entry program for low-level drug offenders and cracked down on student truancy.

She was elected California's attorney general in 2010—the first woman and Black person to hold the job—and focused on issues including the foreclosure crisis. She declined to defend the state's Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage and was later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

After being elected to the Senate in 2016, she quickly gained attention for her assertive questioning of Trump administration officials during congressional hearings.

Harris launched her presidential campaign in January 2019 with the slogan “Kamala Harris For the People,” a reference to her courtroom work. She was one of the highest-profile contenders in a crowded Democratic primary and attracted 20,000 people to her first campaign rally in Oakland.

However, after facing fundraising problems, she abruptly withdrew from the race in December 2019, two months before the first votes of the primary were cast.

In August 2020, the Democratic nominee for U.S. president and her former opponent, Joe Biden, announced that he had chosen Harris to be his running mate, the first African American and the third woman ever to be picked as the vice-presidential nominee for a major party ticket. In her election victory speech, which came three months later, Harris commended Biden for his “audacity” to choose a Black woman to fill the position that has always been held by white men in the history of America.

A4 – NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, NOV 12 – NOV 18, 2020 | CNWNETWORK.COM

CARICOM Welcomes Biden-Harris Victory The 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) grouping Monday said it is looking forward to working with the new administration in the United States recalling that president-elect, Joe Biden “has been a friend to CARICOM”.

CARICOM Chairman and St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, in the congratulatory message on behalf of the grouping, said the “historic nature of this victory is exemplified by the election of Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris, a person of Caribbean and South Asian descent, as the first woman to achieve that position.

“Mr. Biden will assume office during one of the most challenging periods of recent history and his vast experience will be of great value to the global community at this time,” Gonsalves noted.

But he said that Biden, who served as vice president to President Barack Obama for eight years, “has been a friend to CARICOM and the Community looks forward to working with the new administration of the United States, in pursuing our common goal of advancing the wellbeing of our people.

“It is a country with which the Community is inextricably linked through geography, shared values, familial ties, and economic and security relations. The Community wishes President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris every success in their tenure,” said Gonsalves, who himself, was sworn into office last weekend after becoming the first prime minister in the modern history of the Caribbean to win five consecutive general elections.

Last weekend, multiple outlets projected that Biden and Harris overwhelmingly swept New York State and secured enough votes in the critical swing states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania to win 279 Electoral College votes and the White House.

But President Donald Trump is yet to concede defeat and instead has launched a series of lawsuits challenging the results.

ST. VINCENT & THE GRENADINES

Gonsalves Sworn In Secures Fifth Consecutive Term

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves was sworn into office for a fifth consecutive term on November 7, extending a hand of friendship to all in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, but remaining adamant that his administration will not be involved in the sale of passports to finance socio-economic developments.

Gonsalves, 74, led his ruling Unity Labor Party (ULP) to a 9-6 seat victory over the main opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) in the November 5 general election, reversing the results of the past two general elections, when the party won a slender one-seat majority in the 15-member Parliament.

Gonsalves acknowledged there have been “bruised sentiments” on both sides of the political divide but said, after being sworn in by Governor-General Susan Dougan, that the time for division was over.

“What is important for us to recognize is that we all belong to St. Vincent and the Grenadines and we are part of this magnificent Caribbean region. We are too small … to sustain prolonged animosities. We have to love our neighbors,” Gonsalves said, noting that the population must do away with the concept of having gone to Church and then on returning home “we start to fight one another.

“I have always sought to put my hand out to people in friendship and to include the opposition at all times,” he said, noting however that there has to be a recognition “that the reason why we are in government is because we won more seats.”

Gonsalves hinted at the possibility of having a Ministry of National Reconciliation, saying it had been an issue discussed in the past.

“If you put your hand of friendship out and instead of somebody raise their hand to meet you they have cutlass and chop it off … so you have to do it with good sense and sensibility,” he said.

Gonsalves has long maintained that under his administration, St. Vincent and the Grenadines would not join other Caribbean countries in providing citizenship to foreign investors under the much controversial Citizenship by Investment Program (CBI) in return for making a substantial financial investment in the socio-economic development of the island.

Gonsalves also urged legislators to set aside “at least one day in the week” to go out into their constituencies to meet and hear the concerns of their constituents, saying “when you signed on for this, you sign on for this kind of thing also.

“If you know you don't have the stomach for it get another job. It's as simple as that,” he said.

Gonsalves said that his achievement in winning five general elections “is equivalent to scaling the political Mount Everest” adding “very few human beings try and most who try don't get there. - (CMC) JAMAICA

Gov’t Hopes to Clear Banking Roadblocks For Medical Marijuana The Jamaica government is working to resolve banking issues that have been impacting the island's medical cannabis industry.

The Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce said many major banks are reluctant to fund the growth of medical cannabis out of fear of breaching federal laws in the U.S. As a result, businesses are unable to attract financing, without which they cannot be licensed.

Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Dr. Norman Dunn, said discussions are taking place “at various levels … because we believe we need to solve this issue.” continues on B4 – Roadblocks

FREIGHT CONSOLIDATORS

WEEKEND SPECIAL

NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, NOV 12 – NOV 18, 2020 | CNWNETWORK.COM –

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Talk UP Will President-elect Joe Biden Do A Better Job at Managing COVID-19 Than the Trump Administration?

Just two days after being declared victors in the U.S. election, President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris announced a COVID-19 advisory board composed of researchers and health advisers who will help them to craft their COVID-19 recovery plan as they transition into office.

Biden urged Americans to wear a mask, saying that it is not a political statement, but a good way to start pulling the country together. The speedy responses alongside an updated COVID-19 plan has given some hope that the country could get the virus under control even while progress is being made to ready a vaccine.

We asked some residents of South Florida if they believe that Joe Biden and his administration will do a better job at managing and mitigating COVID-19?

Shanice Hawthrone - “I do believe that the Biden administration will do a better job at managing the coronavirus, simply because they were trying to find a relief for us for so long and the Republicans and Trump kept trying to block it.”

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Elaine Sinclair - “With regards to getting the virus under control, honestly, I am not convinced. And even prior to Biden getting elected, I just thought to myself that as soon as Trump was out of office, they're gonna automatically find a vaccine. Once Trump is out, they're gonna put the vaccine on the market and corona is gonna go down and all that. In my mind, those are the fallacies that we are living with.”

Kacia Badel - “I do believe the BidenHarris taskforce is going to be much more effective on the coronavirus. I say that because they've already put together their infectious disease taskforce and they've laid out a plan in regards to choosing people for his team that will be beneficial in helping the country to deal with the coronavirus.”

Danielle Rodney – “I don’t believe there will be a peaceful transition between Biden and Trump in the next two months because of the current actions of what Trump has been showing and his refusal to concede and pass over information to Biden its a clear warning sign of what’s to come. Gear up America!”

Milton Segree - “Right now, anything is better than the haphazard approach the Trump administration had towards the virus. I believe that Biden will do his best to put policies in place to help. The question is whether people will still believe the virus is a hoax and do whatever they want to anyway.”

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A6 – NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, NOV 12 – NOV 18, 2020 | CNWNETWORK.COM

EDITORIAL

Democratic Party Has Work To Do The Democrats may have won the presidential election but did not fare well in the general election.

With Republicans still holding on to the U.S. Senate, depending on the outcome of two senate run-off elections in Georgia on January 5, and gaining seats in the U.S. Congress, it seemed many Republicans disgusted with the presidency of Donald Trump, voted for the Biden-Harris ticket, but voted for Republican candidates down-ballot.

The Democratic Party failed in stimulating a 'blue wave' and with a slimmer majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, and possibly not securing a majority in the U.S. Senate, the job of incoming President Joe Biden could be overwhelmingly frustrating.

The outcome of the general election ought to give the Democratic Party reason for self-introspection and rebuilding.

The Democratic Party over the past several years has tended to take its supporters for granted. This is definitely so with its support from Black voters, despite the fact that Biden-Harris's win was largely due to the Black vote. But analysis of the 2020 election results showed Republicans making inroads with Black voters. More Black voters voted for Trump than any other Republican presidential candidate.

One of the glaring examples of the detriment of taking the Black vote for granted is that some 20 percent of Black voters in Miami-Dade County either didn't vote in the election or voted for Trump.

Evidence of this downturn of the Black vote in Miami-Dade became apparent as mail-in ballots

were returned. Urgings to the Biden campaign to send in ground troops to rectify the situation apparently came too late.

When this newspaper contacted some Black voters in Miami-Dade to ascertain why there was this reluctance to vote, they said neither the Democratic nor Republican Party have done anything tangible to alleviate their social and economic challenges. They also said each election cycle Democrats woo their votes with “luscious” promises but after the election, even if Democrats are elected, nothing is done for them.

Nonetheless, Black voters soundly rejected Trump. Now, it's incumbent on the incoming BidenHarris administration to collaborate with the nation's Black leaders to develop and implement policies to assist the Black community in realistically emerging from its social and economic malaise. If this isn't done as a matter of priority, there's a very real risk the Democratic Party could lose its Black voting base in ensuing years.

The Democratic Party is also guilty of ignoring America's reaction to socialism—whether this is real or fake. It's clear the majority of Americans will not, at least not now or in the immediate future, accept a socialist platform.

If they did, Bernie Sanders would likely have been the Democratic presidential candidate.

Although to outside observers America may seem prime for socialism—because of the vast imbalance in the standard of living with 90 percent of the population living from pay-check to paycheck—the mere word “socialism” conjures

something that's plainly unacceptable to Americans.

The Democratic Party has the challenge to retain the more progressive members within the party, seek to bridge the social and economic gaps in the country, without using an ideological label. The party is losing its potential Hispanic support in MiamiDade, particularly Cubans, Venezuelans, and Hispanics from Central America, to this unfounded branding of socialism. The Republican Party took full advantage of this socialist boogeyman to brand the Democratic party and several candidates, notably Congresswoman Donna Shalala in Miami-Dade as socialist, to win several seats not only in Congress but state legislatures.

The Hispanic community is growing and will continue to grow. Many people in this community have similar experiences to the Black community. It's also incumbent on the Democratic Party to secure the Hispanic voting bloc solidly in its corner.

Since the late 1930s, the Democratic Party has built a reputation as the party that addresses the cause of marginalized voters. But the leadership of the Democratic National Party, and also several state Democratic Parties, need to be more effective. The party needs astute visionary leadership at national and state levels to assure the needs of the various blocs of voters are recognized and addressed— especially when there's a Democratic administration in the White House, and also to gauge the party's platform in future elections.

As the party seeks to improve its impact with voters, it may need to look closely at the valiant role Stacey Abrams played in Georgia in turning that state from red to blue. She found a way to make the Democratic Party more relevant and appealing to the key Black voting bloc. Although some people are calling for a prominent role for her in Biden's Cabinet, perhaps her most effective role will be taking over leadership of the Democratic National Party.

This is vital because the Party must renew its relevance to American voters.

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NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, NOV 12 – NOV 18, 2020 | CNWNETWORK.COM –

A7

LA SECTION HAITIENNE

Police Say Three People Confess to Student’s Murder Haitian police say three men, including the 'alleged” boyfriend” of a 22-year-old student, whose body was found in a landfill earlier this month, have confessed to her murder.

Inspector Gary Desrosiers, the deputy spokesman of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) said that the three men had been questioned at the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police (DCPJ), as part of the investigation into the kidnapping and murder of Evelyne Sincère.

The men, identified as Obed Joseph, aka “Kiki” the “alleged boyfriend” of the victim, 27year-old Evald Domerçant, and his 22-year-old brother Michel Jerry Domerchant were paraded before the media on Monday and said they had developed the plan for the sole purpose of making

Sincère money.

Desrosiers told reporters that on October 29, three days after a first meeting, the student met Joseph in Delmas, who told him that her father was in charge of a church and owned an auto parts business. He said that the three men decided to kidnap the young woman in exchange for a

ransom after meeting her on a second occasion.

Joseph claimed he did not want to participate in the kidnapping but admitted that it was he who lured Sincère into the trap. She was held for three days in a house and after her parents refused to pay the ransom, they decided to kill her.

They said after killing her, she was placed in a metal drum and disposed of in a garbage dump.

But they deny raping her.

President Jovenel Moise had condemned the murder saying that 'as the father of a family, I am deeply shocked by the kidnapping followed by the murder.

“Such atrocities are unacceptable. Police and judicial authorities have only one choice: to put the bandits out of harm's way,” Moise had said in a brief statement.

The kidnappers had demanded a ransom of US$100,000. Media reports said that the family had been able to raise only US$15,000. – CMC

The Diaspora Urged To Return Home For Christmas President Jovenel Moïse is appealing to nationals in the diaspora to return home for the Christmas holidays promising also their safety in the country.

“I ask the diaspora to return to the country for the end of year celebrations. Come see your family. Come see your friends. The country is on the road to the change we all want,” Moïse said in a message on his Twitter account.

He said on the issue of security, the police and the judicial authorities have been given specific instructions to ensure the safety of

“I ask the diaspora to return to the country for the end of year celebrations. Come see your family. Come see your friends. The country is on the road to the change we all want,” – Jovenel Moise

citizens and visitors alike.

“The police and the judiciary have been ordered to fight armed gangs throughout the country,” Moïse said, adding “peace and security must return to the neighborhoods.

“The civilian population must support the police by denouncing bandits and gangs in the neighborhoods. The police cannot be effective if they do not have the support of the population,” he added.

The United States and other western countries have in recent months issued warnings to its nationals to be extremely careful when visiting Haiti, making reference to the various street demonstrations organized by opposition political parties demanding Moïse's removal from office.

continues on B4 – Return Home

Moïse Condemns Murder of Kidnapped Student The Haitian government has denounced the murder of a 22-yearold student, whose naked body was found in a landfill on Sunday after her parents told the kidnappers they were unable to meet the US$100,000 ransom.

“As the father of a family, I am deeply shocked by the kidnapping followed by the murder of the young schoolgirl Evelyne Sincère. Such atrocities are unacceptable. Police and judicial authorities have only one choice: to put the bandits out of harm’s way,” President Jovenel Moïse said in a brief statement.

Justice Minister, Rockefeller Vincent said he was “revolted by the assassination of the student Evelyne Sincère.

“This criminal act affects the nation in its sacred values. I demand from the Prosecutor’s Office of Portau-Prince and the police to get concrete and quick results for this odious and fundamentally revolting crime.”

The student, who was pursuing her degree was kidnapped last Thursday and the kidnappers demanded a ransom of US$100,000.

Media reports said that the family had been able to raise only US$15,000. However, the kidnappers called the family to say that the body of the student had been dumped in a landfill in Delmas 24.

The Deputy Justice of the Peace of Delmas, Jean Flaury Raymond, said the body bore numerous traces of beatings, torture and rape.

A8 – NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, NOV 12 – NOV 18, 2020 | CNWNETWORK.COM

Caribbean Americans Won Big in South Florida’s General Elections

Tropical Storm Eta Floods South Florida

The Caribbean-American community in South Florida showed up in historic numbers to vote in the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election.

A deluge of rain from Tropical Storm Eta caused flooding Monday across South Florida's most densely populated urban areas, stranding cars, flooding businesses, and swamping entire neighborhoods with fast-rising water that had no place to drain.

Not only was the community instrumental in the tri-county area of Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade remaining blue counties for Democratic nominee Joe Biden, the community also elected a number of Caribbean Americans for political offices in the region.

Here are the Caribbean-American winners from South Florida:

Jamaican Americans Ann Marie Sorrell was elected to Group 2 of Palm Beach County's Soil and Water Conservation Board.

Karlene Maxwell-Williams was elected to Commission Seat 4 in the City of Lauderdale Lakes.

Dale Holness, currently Broward County's mayor, was re-elected to the Broward County Commission, District 9.

Melissa Dunn won as City Commissioner in Lauderhill in Seat 2.

Hazelle Rogers was re-elected to her post as Mayor of Lauderdale Lakes. continues on B1 – Caribbean Americans

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The system made landfall in the Florida Keys and posed a serious threat across South Florida, which was already drenched from more than 14 inches (35 centimeters) of rain last month.

“Never seen this, never, not this deep,” said Anthony Lyas, who has lived in his nowwaterlogged Fort Lauderdale neighborhood since 1996. He described hearing water and debris slamming against his shuttered home overnight.

After striking Nicaragua as a Category 4 hurricane and killing nearly 70 people from Mexico to Panama, the storm moved into the Gulf of Mexico early Monday near where the Everglades meet the sea, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph).

“It was far worse than we could've ever imagined, and we were prepared,” said Arbie Walker, a 27-year-old student whose Fort Lauderdale apartment was filled with 5 or 6 inches (13 to 15 centimeters) of water.

“It took us 20 minutes to navigate out of our neighborhood due to the heavy flooding in our area,” Walker added. Floodwaters also submerged half of his sister's car.

Eta hit land late Sunday as it blew over the Florida Keys, but the heavily populated areas of Miami-Dade and Broward Counties bore the brunt of the fury.

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis

called the floods resulting from Eta a 100-year rain event.

“Once the ground becomes saturated, there's really no place for the water to go,” Trantalis said. “It's not like a major hurricane.

It's more of a rain event, and we're just doing our best to ensure that the people in our community are being protected.”

City officials dispatched some 24 tanker trucks with giant vacuums to soak up water from the past few weeks. Some older neighborhoods simply do not have any drainage. The city also passed out 6,000 sandbags to worried residents over the weekend, but water seeped into homes and stranded cars in parking lots and along roadways.

A tractor-trailer was left dangling off the elevated Palmetto Expressway in Miami, the Florida Highway Patrol reported. The driver

lost control on the wet, slick road and suffered minor injuries, CBS 4 in Miami reported.

Firefighters pulled a person from a car that had driven into a canal Sunday night in Lauderhill, north of Miami. The patient was hospitalized in critical condition, according to a statement from Lauderhill Fire.

In the Keys, the mayor ordered mandatory evacuations for mobile home and RV parks, campgrounds, and other low-lying areas. School districts closed, saying the roads were already too flooded and the winds could be too gusty for buses to transport students.

But the islands were spared any major damage, and officials expected shelters to close and schools to reopen by Tuesday.

Aside from a banyan tree that fell on a home and injured people inside, Key Largo was largely unscathed, Fire Chief Don Bock said.

NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, NOV 12 – NOV 18, 2020 | CNWNETWORK.COM –

Caribbean Americans

VACATION SURPRISE

Haitian Americans

JWOF's Fundraiser Helps Jamaican Home for Girls living there."

Melody House, a nonprofit organization, is located on the outskirts of Montego Bay, in Jamaica. Since its establishment in 1979, it has provided housing to abandoned and abused girls. The home receives some funding from Jamaica's government; however, it is mostly supported by charitable donations.

By attending this year's Run-A-Boat Fundraiser, your registration ticket and other donations will help provide necessities for the young ladies at Melody House. In the age of COVID, JWOF has designed a virtual experience showcasing cooking demonstrations from three-time FoodNetwork Chopped Champion Chef Andre Fowles and celebrity private chef to the stars Alexcia Smith. Hosted by Jamaican Consul General Oliver Mair, the event not

from A8

Jennifer Andreu won the race for the City of Plantation Council, Group 3.

Anika Omphroy was re-elected to the Florida House District 95.

Attorney Joan Anthony was elected as the Circuit Court Judge in Broward's 7th Judicial Circuit.

Joy B. Smith won the race for the City of West Park Commissioner, Seat 3.

Mark Douglas was re-elected to serve for the City of Sunrise Commission, Seat A. Incumbent and Vice Mayor Marlon Bolton won in Tamarac as City Commissioner for District 1.

MIAMI — Over a dozen Miami nurses and front line health care workers are finally getting a well-deserved break.

The group was scheduled for an upcoming mandatory, aka boring, 48-hour training, but were instead surprised with an Island vacation to the Florida Keys.

Jackson Health System supervisors were asked to choose staff that went above and beyond during the pandemic. Many of the staff, including respiratory therapists and lab techs, have not been able to take any time off during the pandemic to relax or spend time with their loved ones and have been working tirelessly during the pandemic treating COVID patients, the hospital said.

The 50 workers were told they had to attend a mandatory two-day, training, but when they gathered at the hospital Tuesday they were handed gift boxes with gift certificates.

Hawks Cay Resort in the Florida Keys donated twonight stays to their island on Duck Key, surrounded by sparkling waters and swaying palm trees as part of its Heroes Salute program. – (AP)

Jamaican Women of Florida (JWOF) will host a virtual fundraiser dubbed Run-ABoat, to raise money for Melody House to ensure young girls continue to have a safe place to call home.

The virtual event, scheduled for Saturday, November 14, from 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (EST), promises an afternoon of food, fun, and partying! However, this year's event has a different twist due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We invite you to bring your friends and family to our 2020 Run-A-Boat. Help us support the girls of Melody House in their quest for knowledge and education", said Arlene Lewis-Marr, JWOF president. She added, "JWOF has adopted the Melody House Girls Home and has pledged financial support for the organization in their efforts to support the young women

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only offers a great virtual funding party, but it also features a Kids' Corner with Sophia Nicholson and her Children's Cultural Storytime Series as well as attorney Georgia Robinson reading a story from her children's book collection.

Funds raised at the 2020 Run-A-Boat will purchase laptops for all the girls at Melody House, supplement food and operational costs. Additionally, JWOF has partnered with Food trucks whose offerings include JWOF Run-A-Boat specialty meals valued at $10 and under, which can be picked up from the location nearest to you at the time of purchase. This is a labor of love for the organization, and they hope attendees will contribute with a full and giving heart.

Learn more about JWOF and donate at https://jamaicanwomenofflorida.com

Marie Woodson will join the Florida House after winning the open HD 101 seat.

Phoebee Francois won the race for Broward County Court Judge Group 27.

City Commissioners Mckenzie Fleurimond (Group 5) and Michael Joseph (Group 7) won in North Miami Beach.

Nancy Metayer won the seat for Coral Springs City Commission, District 3.

Regina Martin won the seat for North Lauderdale Commissioner, District C. Dotie Joseph will join the Florida House after winning the open HD 108 seat in the August primaries.

Linda Julien won the race for the City of Miami Gardens Council, Seat 5.

Daniela Jean won the race for North Miami City Commission, Seat 3.

Other Caribbean-American Winners Broward County will get a new public defender; Barbadian American Gordon Weekes was elected to office.

Three Bahamian Americans have scored victories in the 2020 elections for the state of Florida: State Senator Shevrin Jones secured a win in Senate District 35, Shannan Ighodaro won the race for Miami Gardens Council Member, Seat 3; and Lawrence “Jabbow” Martin won the race for Lauderhill City Commissioner Seat 1.

B2 – NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, NOV 12 – NOV 18, 2020 | CNWNETWORK.COM A D V E R T I S E M E N T

NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, NOV 12 – NOV 18, 2020 | CNWNETWORK.COM –

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TOURISM

Bartlett Hails Lifting of Cruise Ship Ban by CDC Jamaica has welcomed the decision by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to lift its no-sail order for cruise ships in U.S. ports as a step in the right direction.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett in an interview with the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) News, said while it will take some time for full normality to return to the cruise industry, the move by the CDC is a win for Jamaica and other Caribbean cruise-dependent nations.

He said that countries can now fast-track their preparations to meet all the expected protocols that will be required.

“This is a win for the cruise industry, which has been basically paralyzed since operations ceased back in March amid COVID-19 outbreaks at sea,” Bartlett noted.

“There are, however, strict conditions … that both the cruise lines and their island partners, including Jamaica, will have to follow. Just like how the hotels have had to put in their set of protocols, the cruise sector will have to meet certain requirements to protect passengers and staff and also their destination of travel,” he added.

The Tourism Minister said the CDC has put the onus on cruise companies to prove their COVID protocols are working, with specific testing requirements and trial runs before passengers can return.

“We are going to have to now enter into a new way of thinking so as to accommodate their re-entry. As I said, it will take some time before we have it all together, but the main thing is hope … and that's what the CDC has given us in removing its no-sail order for the ships.”

– Edmund Bartlett In addition, operators will have to enter into written agreements with land-side medical facilities to treat any affected passengers.

Bartlett said cruise shipping is an integral part of the local economy, noting that attractions, craft traders, bus drivers, duty-free merchants, and souvenir shop owners were among some of the hardest hit by the lockdown.

“We are going to have to now enter into a new way of thinking so as to accommodate their re-entry. As I said, it will take some time before we have it all together, but the main thing is hope … and that's what the CDC has given us in removing its no-sail order for the ships.”

The executive director of the Royal Shop chain of duty-free stores, Ravi Daswani, said the news that the ban on cruising has been lifted is one “that reverberates positively throughout the entire sector.

“We all have been waiting for the sign that this day would come. It has been a long road of pain and suffering. Hopefully, this will materialize soon so we can all start to earn again,” he told JIS News.

Last Friday, the CDC, in addition to lifting its no-sail order, which expired on October 31, also released a list of detailed requirements that could put ships back in operation in the coming months.

The agency's 40-page directive requires a phased approach to restarting cruises. Companies must first demonstrate that they can successfully protect crew members from COVID-19, then conduct simulated cruises with volunteer passengers, and obtain a “Conditional Sailing Certificate” from the CDC. Companies with ships in US waters will have to adhere to crew management plans approved by the CDC earlier this year that require them to provide individual cabins for all crew members.

Most cruise companies—Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, MSC Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, and Virgin Voyages—have canceled all cruises leaving from U.S. ports until at least December 1.

Caribbean Awaits Caribbean Tourism Organization Launches Social Media Campaign The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) has announced a social media campaign dubbed, #TheCaribbeanAwaits, in observance of Caribbean Tourism Month this month. The campaign, which is being run in conjunction with member countries, aims to maintain the Caribbean's prominence as a place of solace as COVID-19 continues to impact the global travel and tourism industry.

“This theme complements the region's success in generally containing the spread of COVID-19, which has taken a major toll on tourism along with other sectors of our economies. Caribbean countries have taken the required steps to protect our citizens and residents, conducted the required training to prepare our tourism and related frontline workers for the return of visitors, and put the health protocols in place to reassure our potential visitors and residents that we take their health seriously. This has been the groundwork, and now we seek to rebuild the sector,” said Neil Walters, the CTO's acting secretary-general in a message to mark the start of the month.

“The resilience of the Caribbean is shown by the progress we have made towards the resumption of tourism activity. Currently, about 25 Caribbean countries have reopened their borders to commercial travel, either fully or partially, and others are putting the necessary measures in place to welcome visitors. This year's theme further complements the reopening of our borders, as the clarion call 'We welcome you' speaks to the fact that the Caribbean is the perfect place for those who have begun to travel or are thinking of traveling soon, to find solace in a place that is an oasis of health at this time,” Walters added.

During the course of the month, the public will be encouraged to share on social media, the things they “can't wait to experience” in the Caribbean, using the hashtag #TheCaribbeanAwaits and tagging the CTO and the particular country.

The CTO, with support from the membership, will also execute a photo and video campaign reflecting them, as well as a series of short celebratorythemed “live” demonstrations on

Facebook, including cuisine and cocktails, to promote excitement about the Caribbean.

Introduced in 2011, Caribbean Tourism Month has as its primary objectives the creation of opportunities to raise awareness among the people of the Caribbean as to the importance of tourism to the development of the region, the generation of media coverage of the Caribbean tourism product and each destination's local tourism product, and the celebration of the diversity of the Caribbean tourism product.

This year's observance holds special significance due to the impact of COVID-19 on the industry.

B4 – NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, NOV 12 – NOV 18, 2020 | CNWNETWORK.COM

Golding Sworn In internal polls between Peter Phillips and Peter Bunting.

In a speech to supporters of his campaign and party members, Golding thanked Hanna for an intense campaign and assured PNP members that inclusivity would be a forefront feature of his leadership. “I am ready to sit with Comrade Hanna to share my vision and hear her own vision so we all can work together as a party to rebuild and refocus our efforts as a stronger PNP,” said the new PNP leader. “We are ready to bridge the gaps of disunity and discord; I'm inviting all comrades to come under this big tent for a stronger movement,” he continued.

Throughout his 'Go With Golding' campaign, Golding promised to rebuild the PNP and bring back unity—the lack of which was highlighted as one of the main reasons for their 49-14 crushing defeat in the September general election.

In keeping with the spirit of unity, Hanna issued a statement after the internal election, saying that she is ready to work with Golding to rebuild the fractious opposition party.

“I have loved every moment of the journey.

Walking with you and talking with you. I've called Comrade Mark Golding and

Validity Intact

from A1

Newly elected President of the People’s National Party (PNP) Mark Golding being sworn in as the leader of the opposition. Golding was presented with the Instrument of Appointment by Governor General Sir Patrick Allen at King’s House, Jamaica – Joseph Wellington photo.

congratulated him on his victory. I committed my continued service and support to the party, and to him as our new leader. We have much work to do, and must come together in love,

and choose unity,” Hanna said.

“To my indefatigable campaign team—and Comrades in arms that worked tirelessly to bring us together and make this campaign

Roadblocks

from A1

Of the states Trump has most targeted as allegedly tainted by fraud, Biden holds small but significant leads in all of them. The Democrat leads in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

How did the election go?

Several states successfully enacted voting measures during the coronavirus pandemic. The Democratic stronghold of California improved its mail-in balloting system, for example, and delivered as expected for Biden. But Trump easily won reliably Republican Nebraska, North Dakota, and Montana—all states that also significantly expanded voting by mail this year.

Two decades after it was at the center of a disputed recount, Florida has adopted early voting and allowed voters to cast absentee ballots without having an excuse. The AP called Florida for Trump at 12:35 a.m. last Wednesday.

Vote counting was slow in three Midwestern states that went for Trump four years ago and flipped to Biden this time: the "blue wall” of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. That's because of an increase in mail-in ballots, which the Biden campaign pushed its supporters to use as a safety measure because of the pandemic. Trump baselessly argued that mail-in ballots were subject to fraud and encouraged his supporters to show up to vote in person on Election Day. As a result, Trump led all three states in Election Day voting, but those leads were erased as mail-in ballots were counted.

All three states largely ignored advice from nonpartisan observers to expand the window for counting mail-in ballots before Election Day. Michigan gave election officials one day, and Pennsylvania and Wisconsin did not allow counting beforehand. All three states have Republican legislatures.

What is Trump Challenging?

The Trump campaign has filed more than a dozen lawsuits in at least five states. Late Tuesday, the campaign said it filed a new one in Michigan alleging, in part, that their poll watchers were harassed or turned away; the suit asked the secretary of state not to certify the election results. Included in the suit were affidavits from poll watchers who alleged they were kept too far away or that they were targets of intimidation.

Poll watchers have no role in counting votes.

The campaign has challenged a ruling by Pennsylvania's Supreme Court allowing election officials to accept mail-in ballots up to three days after the election as long as those ballots were postmarked

by Election Day. And it has challenged the secretary of state over instructing counties that voters whose absentee ballots were rejected could cast a provisional ballot.

Trump has won one victory so far: A state court ruled his campaign observers had to be allowed closer to the actual vote counting. That ruling had no impact on the outcome of the race.

Four other campaign suits have been dismissed.

Others are pending.

On Monday, his campaign sued to force Pennsylvania not to certify the results of the election altogether. The 85-page lawsuit itself contained no evidence of voter fraud, other than a smattering of allegations such as an election worker in Chester County altering “over-voted” ballots by changing votes that had been marked for Trump to another candidate.

Democratic leaders in the state accused Trump of trying to disenfranchise voters and overturn an election he lost.

What are Trump’s allies saying?

Trump's lawyers and campaign staff say that the election is not over and that they are investigating claims in several states, though they continue to lack any evidence of widespread fraud that affected the outcome of the race. Top Republicans have supported the president’s efforts to fight the election results in court.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Trump was “100% within his rights to look into allegations of irregularities and weigh his legal options.” Attorney General William Barr authorized the Justice Department to investigate “clear and apparently-credible allegations of irregularities.”

What happens next?

All disputes over the counts in each state must be complete by Dec. 8. Members of the Electoral College vote on Dec. 14. The House and Senate hold a joint session on Jan. 6, 2021, to count the electoral votes in each state.

AP writers Christina A. Cassidy in Atlanta and Ed White in Detroit contributed to this report.

FREE

possible across the length and breadth of Jamaica—thank you for everything you have done. To my family, with their love and support, I have walked through countless fires with you. To my wonderful husband Richard [Lake], and my son Alex [Panton], thank you for standing by my side every step of the way,” she added.

Under his tenure as leader of the party, Golding has pledged to provide support through an endowment fund for party workers, to provide inclusivity in decision making, to strengthen the organizational structures through a robust political education program, to provide mentorship for the youth organization, technical support for groups and affiliates, and charting a path to stability for the party's finances.

He was officially sworn in as leader of the opposition on Tuesday, taking over from Peter Phillips, who had been the leader of the party since 2017.

Golding is the sixth president of the 82year-old party. The preceding presidents were Norman Manley, his son Michael Manley, Percival James (PJ) Patterson, Portia SimpsonMiller, and Phillips.

from A4

He said local banks were invited to participate in a virtual meeting on the matter last week.

“We had a meeting with a major stakeholder in the industry and we have been having meetings with persons who are making the various different proposals on how we deal with this correspondent banking issue. It is a real issue; it is a real concern.

“The Ministry is working assiduously to ensure that we have a solution, that we can encourage this new industry to grow and develop and thrive,” he added.

Dunn was speaking on November 5 at the opening of EXIM Bank's virtual webinar entitled 'E-commerce: The new Export Frontier for Small and Mediumsized Businesses.'

EXIM Bank, under its Business Advisory Services Unit (BAS), is seeking to provide small and medium-sized enterprises with information to unlock existing and new opportunities presented by the coronavirus (COVID-19). Dunn said that it will prepare entities to meet the new challenges and take advantage of opportunities.

He praised EXIM for continuing “to chart new avenues and opportunities and to create new pathways for us to see that the world is there and we need to rise to the occasion to play that meaningful part in this new world that is emerging”.

EXIM Bank managing director, Lisa Bell, said the financial institution's primary goal is to assist small and medium-sized businesses, particularly those operating in the “very important export value chain,” to realize their product promise.

“Our mandate is to improve access to finance [including] loans and other fitfor-purpose financing solutions,” she said, adding that EXIM has been working assiduously to identify existing and emerging opportunities “which will allow our clients and potential clients to not only survive this crisis but to, indeed, actually thrive.”

Return Home

from A7

Earlier this month, Moïse announced plans for a national debate on a new constitution ahead of a referendum on the new document early next year.

Moïse, who had late last month, had sworn in the members of the Independent Advisory Committee for the development of the draft of the new Constitution, said that the “draft constitution will be debated.

“All citizens will have to read the text. The debates will last a month or a month and a half. After the debates, there will be a referendum on the final text between February and March 2021,” he added.

The Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary-General Luis Almagro has told Haiti it is “essential for institutional continuity that elections take place no later than January 2021.

Moïse has been ruling by decree since January when Parliament became dysfunctional because of overdue elections. In September, he appointed nine members to a Provisional Electoral Council and tasked them with preparing a constitutional referendum and organizing local, municipal, legislative and presidential elections.

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NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, NOV 12 – NOV 18, 2020 | CNWNETWORK.COM –

St. Croix's Takes Crucian Christmas Festival Virtual

Buju Gifts Computers to Children's Homes Veteran dancehall artist Buju Banton has gifted Jamaican students at two children's homes on the island with computer devices needed for online classes.

Banton, through his Buju Banton Foundation, made donations of laptops for each of the 40 boys at the Sunbeam Children's Home in St Catherine. The Gargamel also donated desktop computers and chairs to the Mount Olivet Boys Home in Manchester.

Earlier this year, he had also donated his 3-million dollar cash prize from Jamaica's Festival Song Competition to the Sunbeam Boys Home.

The Buju Banton Foundation said that American Rapper Kanye West pitched in to help Banton's donation of computer devices to boys at the homes.

In September, the rapper had visited Buju Banton at his Gargamel studio in Kingston. West tweeted a photo with the caption, “GREATNESS IN THE MAKING,” indicating a possible collaboration between the rap superstar and the reggae icon.

Look out for a Nyabinghi Christmas Combining the riveting sounds of nyabinghi music and beloved Christmas carols, legendary Jamaican saxophonist Dean Fraser is delivering “Nyabinghi Christmas,” his latest musical work. He aims to treat music lovers in different parts of the world to these amazing sounds over the coming Christmas season.

The album is scheduled to be officially released digitally and on physical CD on November 20, with Fraser teaming up with Tad Dawkins Jr. of TADS RECORDS to deliver 16 Christmas songs, driven by traditional Rastafarian rhythms.

“Nyabinghi is Jamaican music, an' I

want to bring a new instrumentation to these songs. Wi keep it musical but with a different vibe,” Dean Fraser said during a recent interview with the Jamaica Observer.

The story of reggae music will be incomplete without the mention of Dean Fraser. Known for his mastery of the saxophone, the Kingston-born multitalented Fraser has contributed to tons of reggae recordings since the midseventies. He is looking to continue in the trend in his latest project as he delivers true Rastafarian music to reggae lovers across the globe.

The new album offers lovers of good music an amazing end to the seemingly

tumultuous 2020. Some songs on the album that have received the 'binghi' treatment include “When a Child is Born,” “Christmas A Cum (Mi Waa Mi Llama),” “Long Time Ago,” “Santa Ketch Up Inna Mango Tree,” “Merry Christmas,” and “Felice Navidad.” Other songs on the album are ”Little Donkey,” “Virgin Mary,” “The First Noel,” “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “What Child Is This,” “I See Joyful Silence,” “We Three Kings,” and ”Drumma Boy.” “I wouldn't say Christmas is my favorite time of di year; only thing I love about Christmas is di songs … they are well-written and worth listening to,” Fraser said.

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With the persistent COVID-19 pandemic, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands is taking its Crucian Christmas Festival online this year.

Given the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands' moratorium on large crowds, and to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19, the popular annual event will take place virtually from December 11, 2020, to January 6, 2021, with a robust lineup of music, entertainment and online group events.

Ian Turnbull, director of the USVI's Department of Tourism's Division of Festivals, said, “2020 has been a year full of surprises … But we have to adapt. We know how much joy the Crucian Christmas Festival brings to Virgin Islanders and our visitors, so even though we can't dance and revel in person this year, we can still enjoy the festival virtually and be together in spirit.”

The month-long celebration, organized by the Division of Festivals in collaboration with the Crucian Cultural Group, will showcase St. Croix's culture and heritage with events such as a dialogue about the history of masquerade and mocko jumbies (Virgin Islands stilt-walkers) presented by renowned stiltdancer Willard John, and Chalana Brown, Director of the Division of Virgin Islands Cultural Education, on December 18.

On December 29, a virtual Crucian Culinary Showcase will bring a taste of St. Croix to online viewers.

Music is also an integral part of the Crucian Christmas Festival, and this year is no exception. Highlights include performances by the island's legendary quelbe band Stanley and the Ten Sleepless Knights on December 23 and 24, and READ MORE @ CNWnetwork.com

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C2 – NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, NOV 12 – NOV 18, 2020 | CNWNETWORK.COM

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NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, NOV 12 – NOV 18, 2020 | CNWNETWORK.COM –

Barbados' Rico Walcott Wins Century Mile Jockey’s Title Venezuela—but he was second on the total earnings table with CAN $465,100.

He is a contender for the title of Canada's leading jockey for the year, having bagged 117 wins for 2020.

Whitehall is, however, expected to be overtaken by Justin Stein and Rafael Hernandez, two jockeys based at Woodbine, Canada's primary racetrack.

It is not clear if Whitehall will ride at any other tracks in Canada for the remainder of the year, but the Century Mile season has now ended.

Woodbine, on the other hand, races four days a week, and their meet ends on December 13.

Whitehall was able to ride at two racetracks this year. He was able to achieve this because Assiniboia Downs in the central Canadian city of Winnipeg raced on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays before its season closed in September, and Century Mile raced on Fridays and Sundays.

Barbadian jockeys Rico Walcott and Antonio Whitehall ended in two of the top three places in the standings at the Century Mile racetrack.

To the disappointment of many, the final race day of the season on Sunday was abandoned because of unsafe track conditions after heavy snowfall.

The 29-year-old Walcott, the leading reinsman in western Canada over the last decade, led the jockeys' standings with 68 wins for a winning percentage of 33.33 and led the total earnings table with CAN $616,229.

Walcott was a multiple champion jockey at the now-defunct Northlands Park, and this is his first title at the racing oval located next door to the Edmonton International Airport.

The 26-year-old Whitehall finished third with 43 wins—three behind Rigo Sarmiento of

Walcott

Windies Prepared for New Zealand Pace Attack Jamaican batsman Jermaine Blackwood said West Indies were braced for the onslaught from New Zealand's speedsters during the upcoming two-Tests series but was confident the Caribbean side's batting lineup had the ability to deal with the challenge.

West Indies are expected to encounter the likes of seamers Trent Boult, Tim Southee, and Neil Wagner—all of whom proved a handful on the touring's side last Test series in New Zealand three years ago.

In fact, Wagner snatched 14 wickets and Boult, 10, on that 2017 tour, propelling the hosts to a comprehensive sweep of the two-Test series as both matches finished inside four days.

“New Zealand have a very good [bowling] attack—they have experienced fast bowlers,” Blackwood told the Jamaica Observer newspaper.

“Once we can go out there and conquer those bowlers we'll come from the tour victorious.

“We know Wagner is going to come and give us a lot of short balls, so we have to be prepared for that and be prepared for anything.”

Blackwood missed the ill-fated tour after being dropped a couple of months earlier after a poor run which saw him manage just 15 runs from five innings.

However, he returned to the side this year following a three-year break, impressing with two

half-centuries on the tour of England where he emerged as the Caribbean side's leading batsman and the only one with over 200 runs.

West Indies' batting struggled badly on the England tour but Blackwood said the return of left-handed stroke-makers Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer would be a filip for the department.

“I have confidence in the top order to now get the job done,” said Blackwood, who averages 30 from 31 Tests.

“Our top order didn't really get the runs that we wanted in England, but I have all confidence in the top order because Darren Bravo is back in the team and Shimron Hetmyer.”

Both Bravo and Hetmyer opted out of England due to concerns over the ongoing

COVID-19 pandemic.

West Indies open their Test series on December 3 at Seddon Park in Hamilton before traveling to Wellington for the second Test bowling off eight days later at the historic Basin Reserve.

Three Twenty20 Internationals will precede the Tests, with matches in Auckland and Mount Maunganui from November 27-30.

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Wales, USA Friendly Ends in Goalless Draw Wales were held to a goalless draw in the absence of manager Ryan Giggs as the United States shared the honours in a Swansea friendly.

There was plenty of youthful vigour on show and no little intensity, but neither side carried a cutting edge to break the deadlock.

The USA - ranked two places below Wales at 22 in the FIFA world rankings - had not played since February and named a team with seven players aged 23 and under.

The USA started in positive fashion with the gloved Giovanni Reyna prominent, but Kieffer Moore's aerial ability was a distinct threat for Wales and the Cardiff striker held up the ball impressively.

Rabbi Matondo's pace also provided Wales with an attacking outlet and it took two American defenders to stop a rapid home break.

Neither goalkeeper was troubled in the opening half-hour before the contest suddenly opened up.

Danny Ward gathered Sergino Dest's low cross-shot in his sixyard box and then launched a counter-attack which saw Moore set up Tom Lawrence to force a save from Steffen.

Lletget, the only Americabased player in the USA squad, forced a stop from Ward at the start of the second half after Newport midfielder Josh Sheehan had replaced Matthew Smith to win his first Wales cap.

Brennan Johnson was also sent on for his debut and almost scored with his first touch after fellow substitute Daniel James had intercepted a USA pass, the Lincoln forward denied by a fine Zack Steffen save.

But it was the last meaningful moment of action as Wales protected their two-year unbeaten home record before Nations League ties against the Republic of Ireland and Finland in Cardiff.

C4 – NATIONAL WEEKLY | THURSDAY, NOV 12 – NOV 18, 2020 | CNWNETWORK.COM A D V E R T I S E M E N T