Star Monthly Review January 2021 by STAR Publishing

$2.75 www.stluciastar.com

MONTHLY REVIEW

MP: Kid is NOT My Son!

PERSON OF THE YEAR

2020

BUSINESS : ADAPT OR DIE! ARE WE BACK TO 1979? 2020 : HOW BAD WAS IT? NIGHT OF BROKEN GLASS! OUR FIRST LANDLORDS WALCOTT, LEWIS REMEMBERED

JANUARY 23, 2021

George Odlum, Kenny Anthony, Hugo Chavez: What do they have in common with Donald Trump?

n a ceremony held on January 8 2021, Peter and Company Distribution (PCD), honoured long-serving employees for their faithful service to the company. In accordance with Covid-19 protocols, in-person numbers were limited with other team members joining virtually on Zoom. In these extraordinary times, it was indeed a blessing and a privilege to be able to gather together both in person and virtually to present these well-deserved awards to our colleagues. Our sincere thanks to the Human Resource Team for championing this event! A total of 22 employees who completed 10, 20, 25, 30 and 35 years of continuous service received monetary awards for their dedication and loyalty. Collectively, these employees have contributed an astounding 330 years of service to the company. A truly remarkable achievement elevating Peter and Company Distribution to that rarified realm occupied by a select few titans of business excellence in St. Lucia as the company commences its 130th year of operations as a sales and distribution leader. Over the years, the company has built a distinguished portfolio of premium brands with exclusive representation for some of St. Lucian’s favourite consumer, personal care, pharmaceutical, tobacco and wines and spirits brands.

10 Year Awardees LEFT TO RIGHT: Grant Jean, Shern Curtis Felix, Kim Edward, Abigail Eugene, Vanessa Fletcher, Vernon Arlain, Stanley Antoine, Kenya Fontenelle, Stephen Butcher

Addressing the awardees, Michele Kalloo, Chief Executive Officer declared: “We are celebrating today true role models who have a wealth of knowledge and understanding about our industry and our organisation, which really is invaluable to us. Many of you have chosen to give most, if not all, of your careers to Peter and Company Distribution contributing so much to our customers, partners and shareholders over the years. We are very proud to have such passionate people representing our organization and we cherish your hard work, knowhow and incomparable experience. Our people are our greatest asset. Your abilities and contributions are of paramount importance for our continued success 25 Year Awardee and so I must thank you for your dedication and commitLEFT TO RIGHT: Tara George - Human Resources & Development Manager, ment!”

Vishal Hemchand - Sales Manager - FHPC, Lucinda Sammy - Assistant Warehouse & Distribution Manager, Chelan Boxill - Chief Financial Officer, Gaulbert Charles (centre), Karen Fowell - Sales Manager – Downtrade, Michele Kalloo - Chief Executive Officer, Leon Cenac-Senior Supervisor - Retail Business

30 Year Awardee LEFT TO RIGHT: Vishal Hemchand - Sales Manager - FHPC, Tara George - Human Resources & Development Manager, Chelan Boxill - Chief Financial Officer, Juliana Constantine-Lewis (centre) Michele Kalloo - Chief Exective Officer, Karen Fowell - Sales Manager, Downtrade, Leon Cenac - Senior Supervior - Retail Business.

JANUARY 23, 2021

THE STAR

10 Year Awardee Lucinda Sammy- Assistant Warehouse & Distribution Manager awarding Stanis Eugene

20 Year Awardees LEFT TO RIGHT: John Baptiste Wilkinson, Cora Marius, Claudia Louis-Francois, Eyan Desir

30 35 Year Awardee LEFT TO RIGHT: Vishal Hemchand - Sales Manager - FHPC, Tara George - Human Resources & Development Manager, Chelan Boxill - Chief Financial Officer, Cheryl Price (centre), Michele Kalloo-Chief Executive Officer, Karen Fowell - Sales Manager – Downtrade, Leon Cenac - Senior Supervisor-Retail Business

PCD HUMAN RESOURCE TEAM

LEFT TO RIGHT: Tara George - Human Resources & Development Manager, Ghanza Eloise - Administrative Assistant, Mc Carson Bledman - Human Resource Officer

Guest Commentary by Gilroy Simeon

ditor, you appear not to be partial to publishing letters from readers. I don’t recall having seen any in your newspaper. However, I trust you will make a little space for a brief comment on the latest tempest in a teapot emanating from individuals who are desperately seeking to lead us. How now, brown cow? The big question is, of course: Lead us where? To our doom? Into the valley of death? To greater ignorance? To being permanently belligerent, incapable of settling our differences except by waging unspeakable violence against one another? Their idiosyncrasies certainly reek of all of that and more. Quite frankly, for some time now watching our local news has been, for me, the same as banging my head against a wall. The result: sleepresistant migraines and hours of nausea. Is there nothing better to report than the latest measure of how far we’ve come since we took responsibility for the proper management of our lives? It wouldn’t be so depressing if, in between the amplified ignorance and self-demeaning outpourings, viewers were treated to a little humour, the smallest sign that what they see on TV is not commonplace in the land so many of us claim ready “to die for.” Actually, the message that reaches viewers, that reaches me, I should say, is the precise opposite. And it is that, save for a miracle, we are doomed to destroy ourselves by our own hand. Could it be that our media, perhaps in the name of free speech with no restrictions at all, have given up whatever standards they once had? Have we ceased caring about the seeds we plant in our young and impressionable minds? Yes, so apropos the news of the day, comes my latest headache: it is indeed a sad day when those out there who mark themselves educated, and who may even have added to their name a handle they believe defines them as special, are among the worst headache mongers. They obviously see themselves as better than all the rest, never mind that they daily devalue the very thing they think lifts them way above the ordinary citizen. It’s no wonder so many among us tend not to rate PhDs as before, so convinced are they that such once highly rated qualifications are now available on the Internet, four for the price of one! And then, apropos of my latest headache: the current cause célèbre. During his latest conference to keep the nation updated on the pandemic, our Prime Minister made a statement appealing to one of the most fundamental branches of Philosophy: Logic. He asked in good faith: What is the point in saving lives while destroying livelihoods? Of course, the question was preceded by several statements that provided context. From my couch, I understood him to be saying it makes no sense attempting to rescue

people from possible death only to deny them what sustains life? Over and over he underscored the fact that we can limit the effects of COVID-19 by our strict adherence to widely publicized protocols. But the born to be mischief makers among us are selfishly attempting to supplant the prime minister’s message with their own salted-to-taste interpretation, which has nothing whatsoever to do with COVID and everything to do with their unending largely personal war with Allen Chastanet. I am myself heartened that in voicing his philosophical thought as a rhetorical question, whereby he juxtaposes A and B, showing their inevitable relationship, and further in framing that relationship as a negative correlation, he brings the point home even more strongly with his introductory interrogative. He asks: “What’s the point of . . .” Indeed, his argumentative statement, put as a rhetorical question, requires no answer; it answers itself — convincingly. To put a lid on it from a grammatical point of view as well, it is a valid and much used construction for advancing a question that answers itself with an expected affirmative response. What’s the point in doing a good thing (A), if you don’t at the same time do a complementary other good thing (B) to ensure that the desirable thing (A) happens, and happens efficiently and effectively? The speaker’s intention is patently clear to those with regular hearing. Do the soi-disant savants not know this? Can’t they see it? Or are they again pretending? Quite honestly, I would like to know just how intellectually bankrupt they truly are. Mock ethics cannot save us. Convenient parlance and situational standards can only deceive some among us, but possibly lead us all to our doom. Not that the self-convinced savants out there with their meaningless degrees would recognise true ethics if they fell over them! Ah, but thankfully I’ve noticed that the grossly misnamed “small man” who may not have been “schooled” is quite clear-eyed when it comes to these matters. They instinctively separate the wheat from the flavoured chaff. Without being certified philosophers or grammarians, they understand the life-threatening times that confront us, as well as the rest of the world, and that our survival may well depend on how citizens at home and out there, conduct our lives second by second. So there! Something new to engage our deluded grammar saboteurs: I’ve actually repeated our prime minister’s heartfelt exhortation! GET UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS ON OUR WEBSITE: www.stluciastar.com FOLLOW US Send us your news: news@stluciastar.com All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior consent of the publishers. Printed & Published by STAR Publishing Company Ltd.

JANUARY 23, 2021

THE STAR

St Lucia’s ‘Night by Rick Wayne

had only recently set up residence in New York, in the early 60s, when I eagerly accepted an invitation to lunch on a Saturday with my publishermentor Joe Weider, alas several years dearly departed. Joe had also offered me a postprandial ride to my Columbus Avenue apartment. We were approaching the traffic lights at a section of lower Manhattan known as the Bowery, when he raised the roof of his newly acquired blue Caddy convertible and then lowered its tinted windows. I soon discovered why. The lights had barely turned red when, seemingly out of nowhere, a dozen or so black-fanged, hirsute and filthy zombies descended upon us. With clenched fists they pounded the vehicle, most of them clutching in their free hand brown paper bags out of which poked dripping beer cans and bottles. “What the . . .” I shouted in panic as the lights changed to green. “What was that about, Joe? Who the hell were those crazies?” He chuckled. “Welcome to the land of the free, Rickeee!” he sing-songed. “And the home of the depraved . . .” I groaned. Joe smiled. “Remember Janis Joplin’s ‘freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose?’ I wanted to give you a glimpse of total freedom. Rockefeller, with his millions, is not nearly as free as those bums. They could’ve smashed my windshield or spat at us or tossed their bottles at us . . . what would we do? Get out and challenge them? Make a report to the cops? To what avail? What’s left when already you’ve lost your soul, whether to drugs, cheap booze and hookers?” Joe had this peculiar way of teaching me what he considered lessons to live by. If over the years I had forgotten a few, rest assured my long ago encounter with the worm at the heart of Mayor Lindsay’s polished Big Apple has stayed with me. And there it was once again, mocking me as I took in some of the activities to mark Saint Lucia’s 38th year as an independent nation. I couldn’t help measuring in my mind just how far we’d come since the Mother Country cut us free. Whatever else may have engaged us since February 1979, certainly we had retained in our psyches the tribalism that has always kept us at one another’s jugulars—with little time, energy or ambition to pursue 02

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THE STAR

the national goals that our leaders prated about anniversary after Independence anniversary. It’s as if we had decided the best thing about freedom is that it allowed us to choose between reaching for the stars and spending our lives wallowing in the mud of mediocrity and what might’ve been—reminiscent of the lost souls earlier cited, the Bowery bums for whom freedom obviously meant having “nothing left to lose!” How else to explain the widely publicized local efforts at inciting citizens to remove the government of Allen Chastanet? I was reminded of earlier times when a meeting of parliament came to an abrupt end, the House Speaker, fearing for his life, having fled the chamber to take refuge in a safer part of the building. Before his departure one MP had threatened to shoot a fellow parliamentarian “and make shit come out of your mouth.” In the Speaker’s absence, chairs were overturned, members on the government side abused by hooligans planted in the gallery. Meanwhile their calculating instigators took liberties with the Mace. The year was 1982. It may well be that Helen had already lost her cherished cherry on the night of July17, 1979—two weeks after Allen Louisy’s Saint Lucia Labour Party was elected in place of John Compton’s United Workers Party administration. The nightmarish details can usefully be revisited via my books ‘Foolish Virgins’ and ‘Lapses & Infelicities,’ both available from STAR Publishing or from Amazon. Following, a small serving: Even as the crowd ran for cover the rocks kept coming. Everywhere there were the sounds of exploding store windows. More missiles rained upon the SSU, imprisoning them in their notorious Cage—essentially a black-painted prison on wheels. Finally it was their turn to get out of Dodge. Then the looting started. With the air thick with smoke from police tear gas, TV sets walked out of busted store windows. Cameras floated away. Refrigerators too. And stereos. And madein-Taiwan plastic sandals, expensive leather shoes, ladies’ handbags, trays of earrings, men’s watches and other jewelry. Also guns and ammunition from Johnson’s Hardware. An over-enthusiastic pillager reached too carelessly into a shattered Bata’s shoe store showcase and paid with his hand. Fellow plunderers rushed him unconscious to Victoria Hospital. By the time the Castries Cathedral clock struck midnight there was not a single establishment in William Peter Boulevard that had not been broken into and relieved of merchandise. George Odlum arrived around 1 a.m. A short time later so did the SSU. Their leader ASP Martin Carasco was

A 1979 Voice front-page account of St. Lucia’s ‘Night of Broken Glass.’ Also known as Kristallnacht and as the November Progrom, this was the night in 1938 when Nazi forces and civilians went about the city of Danzig smashing the windows of Jewish homes while the German authorities looked on without intervening.

of Broken Glass!’ briefing the foreign affairs minister when the Cage came under yet another attack, this time at close quarters. Carasco pulled his arm away just in time to avoid a Rastaman’s blade. When more rocks started coming from all directions the SSU leader jumped back into his Cage and sped off in the direction of police headquarters several hundreds yards from the war zone. Kenny Anthony and Jon Odlum had disappeared some two hours earlier. Now the foreign affairs minister George Odlum was the only official in William Peter Boulevard. He had a flashback. He recalled a time a decade or so earlier, when he was a member of the ostensibly apolitical St. Lucia Forum and had come out in support of the government’s highly controversial education bill. He had confronted hundreds of angry, threatening protestors in Columbus Square and won them over. Although scared out of his wits he had nevertheless turned the tide with some wellchosen lines by the poet Thomas Gray. Oh, yes, since then, whenever the going got rough, George Odlum had relied on his gift of gab.

So now, in William Peter Boulevard, even though circled by an angry mob, Odlum again put his in trust in words. “Brothers and sisters,” he bawled into his bullhorn. “You are helping the destabilizers of your government. Go home. You must protect your revolution.” “Just give us de gons,” said a tall and lean Rastaman, eyes aflame with the weed of wisdom. He was by all appearances the leader of the pack. “Brother just give us de gons.” “Irie, irie,” went his brethren. “Just give us some gons and we’ll take care ah dem oppressahs.” The lead Rastaman said: “Yes-I. Scene, scene.” Odlum spoke again: “You’ve got to stop the looting.” His tone now suggested a pathetic appeal. “I want some volunteers.” “For what?” chorused a half dozen or so Rastas. Odlum explained that it would speak well for them if instead of making off with more refrigerators and stereos the brothers actually prevented more looting.

“But what about dem Babylon?” asked the group leader. “Dem fellas like to shoot first and question Rasta later.” “Yes-I” went the Rasta chorus. After a dozen or so had given Odlum their word that there would be no further looting, the foreign affairs minister gave them a clenched fist salute. Then he boarded his van. As he headed out of the boulevard, someone hollered: “What about da bread?” “It’s all right,” Odlum shouted back. “There’s something I have to do. We’ll talk later. Vive la revolucion!” The tall Rastaman said: “Irie. Da cool.” The prime minister arrived shortly before 3 a.m. He had driven to the city from his residence in Laborie and could hardly believe what he saw. He held his hand over his nose, hardly a defense against the combined unbearable stench of tear gas and human feces. “I came as soon as I heard,” he assured questioning reporters. “What

happened here, exactly?” As witnesses proffered their various accounts, the Cage roared into the boulevard, then stopped a mere five feet or so from the prime minister. Three SSU officers jumped out, all in riot gear, all brandishing frightening high velocity shotguns. Louisy calmly addressed their leader. “It’s all right, Mr. Carasco,” he said. “It’s all right. Seems the trouble has been contained.” No one was ever more wrong. Barely two years after the boulevard disaster, in consequence of a power struggle between a so-called George Odlum faction and other MPs supportive of the prime minister, the Louisy government bit the dust. Finally, there was the premature 1982 general election that returned John Compton to office. But that is understating the horror that some who evidently cannot remember the past may be doomed to repeat!

We join in sending best wishes to all as we celebrate our two Nobel Laureates, Sir Arthur Lewis and Hon. Derek Walcott

We are National. Join us today! Contact us: LABORIE BRANCH: Allan Louisy Street, Laborie. Tel: +1 (758) 459-6900 Fax: +1 (758) 455-9289 VIEUX FORT BRANCH: New Dock Road, Vieux Fort. Tel: +1 (758) 459-6925 Fax: +1 (758) 454-6069 Website: www.mylaboriecu.com • Email: info@mylaboriecu.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mylaboriecu/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mylaboriecu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/mylaboriecu

JANUARY 23, 2021

THE STAR

Celebrating Helen’s Nobel Laureates in the time of COVID-19

Sir Arthur Lewis and Sir Derek Walcott: Saint Lucians are encouraged to celebrate their achievements, and be inspired by the two giants.

Joshua St. Aimee

et’s say to the pandemic, take a rest, and let’s celebrate our Nobel Laureates!” So declared Dame

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THE STAR

Pearlette Louisy on January 6, at the launching of the 2021 Nobel Laureate Festival. While COVID-19 forced the cancellation of many marquee events in 2020—Carnival, Jounen Kwéyòl and Festival of Lights—organizers are determined not to let the pandemic put a damper on the annual laureates

celebration. The Internet will play a vital role in the festival held in honor of two of Saint Lucia’s most distinguished sons — Nobel Laureates Sir Arthur Lewis and Sir Derek Walcott. The main theme is “Celebrating Excellence,” while this year’s sub-theme is “Challenge, Uncertainty, Opportunity”—

inspired by the enormous challenge the country confronted last year. Chair of the Nobel Laureate Festival, Dame Pearlette further explained: “The sub-theme aptly describes the environment in which this year’s festival is being observed. More significantly, it embodies the very elements which drive the creative process that ends

in excellence.” She noted that a challenge can confront someone who seeks to expound the boundaries of his or her field, and that there will be a certain measure of uncertainty as they press on. “But the opportunity to make a contribution, big or small, cannot be missed. And this is the driving force behind the pursuit and achievement of excellence, and both of our Nobel Laureates would have been all too familiar with that process . . . We want you to confront the challenge, circumvent the uncertainty and by all means seize the opportunity!” The Governor General emeritus encouraged Saint Lucians to celebrate the two laureates by participating in the various events. Louisy said that for many years she has often wondered whether the enormity and rarity of this double achievement has really sunk into the consciousness of Saint Lucians. Another question that boggles her mind: What really lies beneath the generally lukewarm response that citizens have so far given to this achievement? “Is it that we were not taught or even encouraged to celebrate ourselves”’ she asked. “Or do we think that being awarded a Nobel Prize is a not unusual occurrence in a small island developing state, and therefore we have the attitude that it’s no big thing? I invite you to find out how many small island developing states have had

two of its nationals awarded this accolade within a space of thirteen years?” Some who obviously don’t appreciate the achievements of Sir Arthur and Sir Derek Nobel often bring up the fact that both had lived several years outside Saint Lucia. Louisy considered this a non-issue: “Does it really matter that both Sir Arthur and Sir Derek did not live all their lives within our borders but instead sought opportunity away from home? How unusual is that, if you come from a country resource-poor as ours? Does it not say a lot about their love of country that Sir Derek could have written these immortal words: ‘Mwen sè jean St. Lucie, sè la mwen sòrti, is there I born.’ [I am a Saint Lucian, that’s where I came from, is there I born.”] She says that we have matured as a people and we should therefore “shake off the shackles that seem to weigh us down when it comes to celebrating our achievements and ourselves.” She declared that celebrating the Nobel Laureates is a good way to demonstrate we are confident, we have what it takes to lead the world in our chosen spheres of endeavor. She made a final plea to Saint Lucians: “Let’s celebrate. As Sir Derek said, we in this region, we love grandeur, we love large gestures, we love spectacle and we love fete! So let us not disappoint him . . . Let’s make a festival, let’s say

to the pandemic, take a rest, and let’s celebrate our Nobel Laureates!” Organizers were forced to suspend the National Awards of Excellence and the schools’ music and drama festival, but many of the other events remain. On January 19 at 7:30 pm, Senator Adrian Augier will deliver the Sir Derek Walcott Memorial Lecture at the Finance Administrative Centre. At the same time and venue on January 21, Professor Aldrie Henry-Lee is slated to deliver the Sir

Arthur Lewis Memorial Lecture. A wreath laying ceremony to pay tribute to the laureates is scheduled for January 22 at 10:00 am at Sir Arthur Lewis Community College. From 7:30 pm on January 23, Saint Lucian performers will go head-to-head at the National Cultural Centre in Chanté Kwéyòl— a Kwéyòl song competition. To access the full schedule of events, visit the Nobel Laureate Festival’s Facebook page at facebook.com/ NobelLaureateWeekSaintLucia.

GET UP TO THE MINUTE NEWS ON OUR WEBSITE

www.stluciastar.com Send us your news: news@stluciastar.com

Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Wishes to extend Congratulations to the Government and People of Saint Lucia on the Celebration of your two distinguished Nobel Laureates Sir Arthur Lewis and Hon. Derek Walcott. Sir William Arthur Lewis

Honorable Derek Alton Walcott

Sir William Arthur Lewis (January 23, 1915 - June 15, 1991) was a Saint Lucian economist well known for his contributions in the field of economic development. In 1979 he won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics.

Honorable Derek Alton Walcott, OBE OCC (January 23, 1930 - March 17, 2017) was a Saint Lucian poet and playwright. In 1992 he received the Nobel Prize in Literature.

JANUARY 23, 2021

THE STAR

‘How can my daughter trust a police officer?’ Family Of Arnold Joseph Still Denied Justice

Joanna Joseph and her daughter Vanya pictured at Arnold’s funeral in 2019.

Joshua St. Aimee

rnold Joseph would have celebrated his nineteenth birthday on January 30, 2021. The teenager’s life was cut short on May 22, 2019, when, according to the police, they tried to stop a “suspicious vehicle” in Castries, with Joseph aboard. “During an attempt to apprehend the individuals,” the police claimed in a May 23, 2019 statement, “one individual was fatally shot, while a second was non-fatally injured. A third male was arrested without injury.” Nearly two years since the incident, the family of Arnold Joseph continues to plead for justice. In a recent interview with the STAR, Arnold’s mother Joanna Joseph disclosed her family’s last correspondence with the RSLPF was the first week of January 2021. Commissioner Severin Moncherry phoned Arnold’s father.

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THE STAR

“It was the same old story,” she lamented. The officer had called only to inform them that the weapon allegedly recovered at the death scene had been sent out for laboratory tests. Joseph revealed that it was especially difficult dealing in the festive season with what had happened to her son. As a DJ, she said, “he especially looked forward to Christmas and New Year’s.” As for Arnold’s younger sister Vanya, the family tries to keep her occupied and in the company of close relatives. Vanya does not say much about her brother, said Joseph, but there are times when she’ll say ‘today is Wednesday, my brother would have come and pick me up at the school, take me to buy pizza, and drop me on the bus stop.’ I guess she’s still mourning in her own way. All we can do is keep close watch over her.” As for what she thinks happened the night her son died, Joseph says: “There’s

nothing to be beating around the bush with and trying to cover up because all I see is a cover up and I’ve been saying it from day one. We cannot bring my son back. There’s nothing we can do to bring him back. All we have is pictures and memories, that’s all we have...but who’s going to be responsible for his death?” At the time of his death, Arnold was a Form 5 student at the Entrepot Secondary School. Described as “one of the sweetest students” by his home-room teacher, he was actively involved in theatre arts at the institution. Joanna noted that the circumstances of her son’s passing will not help the ongoing community policing initiative aimed at fostering a better relationship between officers and the public. “How can my daughter now trust a police officer?” said Joseph. “How can his friends and classmates trust a police officer? There are children

leaving school who may have wanted to become police officers but because of things that have happened to their family they’ll want nothing to do with the police.” Last November Deputy Commissioner of Police Milton Desir told reporters the Arnold Joseph matter was still under investigation and that officers were liaising with the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Initially the police claimed a 9mm firearm was recovered from the individuals aboard the “suspicious” vehicle but since then have at least once revised their story about the weapon. No was has been charged in relation to the firearm. While the Joseph family hopes charges will be laid, a civil case has also been filed. At the time of writing, a date for the commencement had not been set. Relatives and friends of the deceased plan to hold a vigil on January 30 at the spot where Arnold was fatally shot.

Rainforest Adventures Partners with Parliamentary Representative in Donating Playground

ainforest Adventures (RFA) is not only known for its unique aerial tram, ziplining, hiking trails and birdwatching eco-tour experiences, but the company also prides itself in serving and giving back significantly to the Babonneau community, where it has been operating for over 14 years. To ring in the New Year, Rainforest Adventures in collaboration with the Parliamentary Representative for Babonneau, Honourable Ezechiel Joseph, commissioned a playground at the Fond Assau Pre-School. The official handover ceremony was held on Wednesday January 13, 2021. General Manager, Daryl Raymond remarked that “Rainforest Adventures’ contribution towards the children’s playground is testament to our company’s continued commitment to the development of the Babonneau community.” He further added that this facility encourages outdoor physical activity and facilitates youth engagement, and that Rainforest Adventures is delighted to have partnered with the Parliamentary Representative on this project. Honourable Dr. Gale Rigobert cited the importance of play in building a child’s social skills and holistic development and applauded the efforts of this initiative. The Parliamentary Representative encouraged community members to truly appreciate and maintain the play facility and to utilize it in a safe manner. The uplifting and development of the Babonneau community is an ongoing endeavour and Honourable Ezechiel Joseph alluded to the fact that the La Guerre Pre-School will also be receiving a playground in the near future. The commissioning of the playground at the school was well received by all in attendance. The newly implemented playground is for use by students and the Babonneau community at large.

(Left to right) General Manager Daryl Raymond and MPs Dr. Gale Rigobert and Ezechiel Joseph.

JANUARY 23, 2021

THE STAR

2020. . . Was It Good

A Year of Curveballs

by Eliza Victor

here’s one meme I find hilarious: The question is asked: “What did you do in 2020?” Answer: “I washed my hands.” You could also add: I waited on long lines; added a new accessory to my wardrobe . . . and countless others. It would be the understatement to say 2020, like 9/11, needs no explanation; no long paragraphs. 2020 will long live in infamy as the year that just kept on serving deadly curveballs. Having given up New Year resolutions

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THE STAR

many suns ago, I started 2020 with one financial goal: deflating my bloated credit card. I’ll tell you now, I made a significant dent through much personal sacrifice, aided in no small measure by being homebound by COVID-19. (Lesson of 2020: Financial goals can be met, one less shopping trip at a time.) One day rolled into the next, except for those days when, tired of the monotony, I’d pack the girls up and head to our secret beach. By the time the Easter holidays came around I was ready to give our teachers almost anything they demanded for taking my heart and lungs off my

hands. I love my girls dearly. But honestly, I’d had enough home-schooling. I’m fine with the occasional homework, but prime numbers, factorization, long division, treasure hunts, science experiments, nonstop eating, whining bored children . . . aaarrrrgh! (Lesson of 2020: Teachers aren’t paid nearly enough.) It was indeed a pleasure having Mr. Victor around more than usual, him happily being stuck, as it were, in 759 for most of the year. Quality time with Dad and was certainly a highlight. (Lesson of 2020: Above all family counts for everything.) Of course 2020 also meant much looked

forward to abruptly cancelled, death blows to business, and tons of inconveniences. But for me it was also a year for discovery and rediscovery. With normal activities virtually at a standstill the beach was often our escape, which is how we began collecting rocks for painting. I soon decided it was time to try my hand at canvass-painting and took to the universal teaching tool: YouTube. With tutorials in one hand and brush in the other it turns out that I’m not halfbad. This new hobby certainly provided an outlet for unspent energy. And as I had nothing but time on my hands I turned to

For You? yet another unpursued since I was a little girl—planting. And just like that I started a new business. Ok, I exaggerate. It’s still only a hobby I have monetized and the future seems encouraging. Besides, I’m the daughter of an entrepreneur . . . (Lesson of 2020: The year was one big fat lemon tree, but it reminded me that with fresh lemons at our disposal we can make great lemonade, for ourselves and for others without even a lemon!

I think 2020 presented challenges in being a better husband and I think I did achieve that. I must say that I have not found any of the challenges of 2020 insurmountable as I generally interpret obstacles as being part of a learning process or contributing factors to my evolution.

There’s Much We Can Do Here But Don’t

Delia, small business owner: It was a very challenging year for me. My business relies on ordering products but I was not able to do so because of all the different protocols. Up to now I have not been back in business but I do little things to keep me afloat. I’m not going to just depend on government and on other people. My trust and my faith in God is what really got me through. Sometimes it was a little stressful, a little frustrating; sometimes you’re locked in your house, you don’t know what to do next. I learned to trust in God, I learned not to rely on the things of this world.

Moses, restaurateur: 2020 was a terrible year. Sometimes we plan for a year and expect things will turn out all right. Had I known that it was going to turn out that way, I would not have bought myself a new vehicle; or put myself into another loan by purchasing a property. But then again it’s already done so I had to work with it. 2020 was not easy, it was a challenge for me. You’ve got to plan . . . plan good, plan safe and always leave allowances for the downfall. Some of us we plan, but don’t make allowances for the shortfall. I think that was one of my mistakes. When America or Europe sneezes, we catch the cold. So we have to plan a lot better and rely on our local sources more. There’s lots we can do in Saint Lucia that we choose not to do.

I Learned To Better Appreciate Family

Tomorrow Not Promised

Frustrating, Stressful But I Have My Faith

Mary, Housewife: 2020 was both an eyeopener and a wake up call to the realities that can affect the world. I am shocked at the devastation COVID-19 has caused. It re-emphasized for me the importance of appreciating and being thankful for everything and to value time with family. I was reminded that as much as possible, we should look out for others. It has also caused me to be more prudent with my resources. I believe the world will never be the same again. Because of what the Scriptures teach, I do foresee a lot more turbulence coming to this world.

I Discovered How F ortunate I Am Boo Hinkson, musician: The year had its challenges but it was also a year of learning for me. I have certainly learned to do with far less and to appreciate how fortunate I am. It also challenged me to be more introspective and, equally important, to understand the need to care for the collective as simple things in my daily life became life and death issues —not just for me but for my loved ones. With so much free time it further confirmed how important it is to always have a good book to read that equips one with knowledge. But balancing between reading and communicating can be a challenge. Finally

Terrence, taxi driver: The year looked promising but by February/March everything turned upside down because of COVID-19 and then it was the worst year ever. I learned that you have to make ends meet with what you have and take nothing for granted anymore, because one day we might get up and the whole world might change again. We just have to take it one day at a time.

Mother Of All Nightmares Lenard, farmer: 2020 was the worst year for me! COVID-19 did not really affect my health. But I used to sell to the hotels and I lost that market. We used to sell bananas to Winfresh and they went into receivership; that was another blow for us so it was kind of rough. Fishing as well. All the restrictions: not going out to fish when you want to. All that talk about people coming through backdoor . . . they had curfew on fishing. It had its impact on fishing too. I hope that things get better and things run smoothly for fishermen and especially the banana farmers. I can tell you, right now it’s not easy on the farming industry; there are a lot of problems with farmers. We have a lot of fruit hanging there and we don’t have a market. I’m hoping things get better this year.

We join in wishing St. Lucia the very best as we celebrate our two Nobel Laureates Sir Arthur Lewis and Hn. Derek Walcott. from all our Members, and Friends at

ST. LUCIA TEACHERS’ CREDIT CO-OPERATIVE LTD.

29 Riverside Road, Castries Tel: 453-2538 / 451-9146 Website: www.sltccu.com

Vieux Fort branch: Suite 19 Vieux Fort Plaza Tel: 454-7802

JANUARY 23, 2021

THE STAR

STAR Person of the Year

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken twisted by knaves . . . by Rick Wayne

rom our launching in 1987 we acknowledged we were not reinventing the wheel, that our criteria for ‘Person of the Year’ coincided with those of the originator. Although Time magazine has always conducted a readers’ poll, the results continue to be inconsequential; unpublished. The final selection by the editors of Time is intended to represent “the person or persons who most affected the news and our lives, for good or for ill, and embodied what was important about the year, for better or for worse.” It turns out the tradition started as ‘Man of the Year’ in 1927, when the image of legendary aviator Charles Lindbergh covered Time’s December issue. The first ‘Person of the Year’ was chosen in 2006. To mark the occasion the magazine’s cover featured a gray patch representative of a mirror, over which was printed in black majuscule letters—“YOU.” Inside the special issue Time’s technology writer and book critic Lev Grossman elaborated: “For seizing the reins of the global media, for founding and framing the new digital democracy, for working for nothing and beating the pros at their own game, Time’s Person of the Year is You.” After examining some of the then world, leaders and their respective contributions, Grossman wrote: “Look at 2006 through a different lens and you’ll see another story, one that isn’t about great men. It’s a story about community and collaboration on a scale never seen before. It’s about the cosmic compendium of knowledge Wikipedia and the millionchannel people’s network YouTube and the online metropolis MySpace. It’s about the many wresting power from the few and helping one another for nothing and how that will not only change the world but also change the way the world changes. The tool that makes this possible is the World Wide Web. It’s a tool for bringing together the small contributions of millions of people and making them happen.” Fifteen years on, it’s easy to dismiss Grossman as starry-eyed and optimistic

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THE STAR

It remains conjectural whether this march was a super spreader. Nevertheless it is clear by the pictured placards what the marchers considered more important!

to a fault. Even in 2006 the writer caught more than his fair share of flack. However, at least one of the reviewers observed Grossman’s cover story had made careful note of the fact that “the mass participation we’re witnessing on a grand scale on the Internet cuts both ways.” “Sure,” Grossman had also admitted, “it’s a mistake to romanticize all this more than is strictly necessary. Web 2.0 harnesses the stupidity of crowds as well as its wisdom. Some of the comments on YouTube make you weep for the future of humanity just for the spelling alone, never mind the obscenity and the naked hatred.” The obscenity and the naked hatred! So much for the web being a tool for bringing millions of people together for positive purpose. Grossman’s 2006 observation brought to mind a Facebook image of two half-naked young boys—it turns out they are brothers—shackled together with iron collars around their necks. Standing tall between them is this island’s prime minister smiling broadly under his sun-resistant straw hat—the

mother of all nightmare images that could have proceeded only from a mind warped by congealed self-loathing, indicative of a propensity for unimaginable evil. When invited to comment on the devil’s digital handiwork, Allen Chastanet’s main concern was for the family whose offspring’s innocence had been brutally raped. It was at their excited mother’s request the prime minister had stopped so she might picture him with her sons at the inaugural 2019 National Day horse races. Who knew the happy result would somehow find its way to the devil’s workshop to be transmogrified into something beyond repugnant? COVID-19 has had no salutary impact on the insomnious incubuses of the Internet. At a time when the immediate future of our country depends on vital information reaching its citizens, some are busy targeting our less educated, more deprived and vulnerable for their repulsive and confusing messages, conceivably designed to contradict the chief medical officer’s potentially life-saving daily

bulletins. And that’s not the half of it. Despite her efforts are widely appreciated Dr. Sharon Belmar-George has been described online as politically ambitious, an easy on the eye janissary manipulated by the government, by the prime minister in particular, despite that the CMO has repeatedly reassured the nation that his COVID-related pronouncements are based on her suggestions. It’s election time after all, and for some politics must take priority over all else, even the nation’s health. Consider that widely publicized March meeting convened at the prime minister’s behest days after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. We need not go into the disheartening efforts at disinforming, depressing and destabilizing citizens— despite that representatives of the more vital departments of government, health and security included, had attended and contributed their thoughts at the conference table. Evidently, there are among us

saboteurs who imagine this the best time to engage in surreptitious undermining of trust in the island’s leadership, no matter their propaganda often has turned on itself. While a leading participant at the remembered meeting pronounced the government’s strategies for combating the coronavirus “world class,” at a different venue his colleague declared Saint Lucia “the worst prepared.” Others chose the moment to accelerate their campaigns, however transparent, sometimes without proper authority—never mind the incessant public warnings from the health departments and from the police about the dangers associated with mass gatherings and the flouting of established protocols. It was as if the devil’s generals had determined this was the most opportune time to unleash their bombs, when the always over-stretched authorities were pre-occupied with an unprecedented killer virus. Almost every measure adopted by the government to limit its spread was roundly criticized, made to appear unconstitutional, unnecessarily harsh, authoritarian, another policy decision calculated to make life more difficult for the nation’s less fortunate. Not all the criticisms were meritless. The fear was real that welcoming visitors from the so-called “epicenter of the virus,” the United States—also the heart of our tourism-based economy—could have apocalyptic impact. But already the authorities had given the Sisyphean scenario much consideration and decided on ways at least to reduce the risks. Meanwhile other detractors were priming their perceived doomsday weapon: Facebook. At the core of their heartless propaganda was that the nation’s prime minister was calculatedly denying citizens the lifebelts randomly dished out in the UK, Europe and the United States. Of course the regular overseas news outlets presented far less idyllic reports. Undeniable were the hellish images, the complaints about pleas gone unanswered, the fall-out from overwhelmed hospitals. It was difficult not to acknowledge that the nation’s minders, in their own straitened circumstances, were managing missions impossible, performing miracles dimensionally close to that of the loaves and the fishes. The prime minister’s political opposites, echoing other opposition voices worldwide, accused him of having his priorities back to front, placing lives at risk in his pursuit of tourist dollars. Their siren song: shut down our borders; gradually reopen as the situation in the United States and the U.K. improves; redirect to COVID the millions borrowed for specific employment-generating projects. In support of their repeated hints and allegations that he was racist, the prime minister was painted a new shade of white. Black lives mattered as never before. Pointless pretending Allen Chastanet did not leave himself wide open to potentially crippling blows. Remember when he suggested that terrible as was colonization at least the colonials had a conscience!

Prime Minister Allen Chastanet and CMO Sharon Belmar-George have been at the center of every local news report on COVID-19, and in as many press releases from the opposition party!

His more vociferous critics cared not a bit for the fact that unlike the freed slaves who never received the “40 acres and a mule” promised them by Special Field Order No. 15 of 1865, our own former masters had bequeathed to us some of our more important institutions: among them parliament, our political system, schools, not to say laws that remain largely unchanged since their enactment centuries ago. The undeniable truth is that the government continues daily to acknowledge it cannot by itself protect the nation against COVID; that the best it can do is everything in its power to keep the invisible beast at bay. Moreover, that even this it cannot accomplish without the full cooperation of all Saint Lucians, regardless of political affiliations. Predictably, the prime minister’s programmed detractors have countered with “why only now!” One opposition MP actually described as “sinister” the prime minister’s plea for unity. The opposition also alleges only supporters of the prime minister’s party have received relief, while others have been left to do the best they can regardless of how dire their circumstances. Actually, the record suggests support for casualties of COVID—inclusive of citizens previously unemployed or unemployable—totaling at time of writing over $70 million. I am at this juncture reminded of a surprising confession by Allen Chastanet’s immediate predecessor. During a 2020 House debate, in tones reminiscent of a man whose worst nightmare he’d recently experienced, a finger wagging Kenny Anthony directly addressed the prime minister: “I want to warn you not to place much faith in the future of the Citizens Investment Program.” Although by his own admission his government had launched it at a hush-hush Hollywood-style launching in Monaco, now Anthony informed his parliamentary colleagues that he “always had anxieties about the CIP . . .”

Leaving to one side what may have caused him such distress—and who or what had persuaded him to proceed regardless—there are these cautionary words by one of my favorite contrarians, alas deceased. “When you gamble, you choose freely,” wrote Christopher Hitchens for Vanity Fair. “If you don’t want the rest of your life to be a gamble, for yourself or your dependents, then get insurance.” It remains conjectural how Kenny Anthony insured Saint Lucia against the envisaged inevitable fall-out from the CIP that in his own mournful telling had caused him major anxieties. Like other leaders at their wits end how to resist COVID and still hold on to their jobs, Allen Chastanet knows well he is gambling when he invites tourists to our particularly vulnerable shores. He cites often our rock and a harder place predicament—even as his administration issues daily reminders to our fete-addicted populace that our survival depends on a Spartan level of self-discipline. It needs be said that the politician in our prime minister—with imminent general elections in mind—has on occasion bowed to opposition pressure and relaxed some of his restrictions on public freedom. Conceivably conscious of the opposition flack that had greeted earlier lock-downs, a declared state of emergency and curfews, the prime minister has sometimes trusted the people to police themselves, with hardly surprising consequences. Ironically some of his measures that were in certain local quarters criticized as “authoritarian and racist” are now being adopted by other governments under duress. As I write Bajans are excoriating on Facebook and elsewhere their prime minister Mia Mottley, often cited here as worthy of emulation by her Saint Lucian counterpart. The way Barbadians tell it, their prime minister “is treating us as if we were children . . . she expects us to do whatever she says . . . we have rights

. . . she treats visitors better than she does Bajans . . .” Business representatives have also pounced on the Barbados prime minister. In a joint statement the Entertainment Association of Barbados and the Barbados Association of Event Professionals complained: “While we understand the need to stimulate our economy through facilitating the ability of our tourism sector to generate revenue during the winter season, it is evident that with the increased number of visitors came the breakdown of the systems instituted by government which protected the island for several months. The longer we as a nation fail to control the impact of the virus locally, the longer we as an industry will suffer the curtailment of our business through government enforcement as a measure to control the spread of the virus.” All of that in retaliation against government restrictions imposed in consequence of a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases recorded in Barbados following a Boxing Day “bus crawl.” As I write our own government is being pulled in all directions over its decision to reopen the island’s schools, nearly all of the comments for and against laced with election-time politics! Rudyard Kipling offers a lesson most appropriate at this time: “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you; if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you but make allowance for their doubting you too; if you can wait and not be tired of waiting or being lied about . . . you’ll be a Man, my son.” As Lev Grossman might’ve put it: For thinking outside the box and staying on course despite the distracting noise, for gambling with your political future in the best interests of the nation, for being wary but never afraid of the dark, the STAR Person of the Year is YOU—Allen Chastanet!

JANUARY 23, 2021

THE STAR

COURTS SHOWCASES LOCAL FURNITURE DEALERS

JANUARY 23, 2021

THE STAR

JANUARY 23, 2021

THE STAR

What do the late George Odlum and Hugo Chavez have in common with Donald Trump?

(Left to right) The late George Odlum, Donald Trump, Hugo Chavez and Kenny Anthony.

by Rick Wayne

n uncommonly sunny late Sunday afternoon in early October 1982. George Odlum is delivering at the Castries Comprehensive School the keynote address at the Progressive Labour Party’s first National Congress. Sepulchural was the mood. Costumed in his customary carnivalesque mèlange of a uniform—U.S. Army camouflage jacket, Castro cap, loose-fitting faded blue denims, beat-up heavy-duty black leather boots—Odlum is his own judge, jury and executioner. “I’m sure you’ll remember the dramatic moments in the House,” he says, “when your party

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THE STAR

representatives Mikey Pilgrim, Jon Odlum and I ripped through the flimsy fabric of the government, culminating in the final collapse of the regime in January.” He had always been famous for his convenient recollections and three-piled hyperboles. The unvarnished truth was that the concomitant damage from a mutinous power struggle with his prime minister that started soon after the 1979 Labour Party’s 12-5 victory at the polls had resulted in a group decision by prominent representatives of the island’s more revered institutions— among them a monsignor, a Chamber of Commerce president, the leader of the House opposition and at least two trade union leaders—to set up an interim government whose prime purpose was to take the country into elections within six months. With other Labour Party deserters, Odlum had fought the historic 1982 elections as leader of the People’s Progressive Labour Party, and barely retained his deposit! Eyes ablaze with the fires of selfdelusion, he seemed to exult in the chaos he had wrought while “the PLP led the fight

in parliament and in the streets,” finally to establish that “no state can resist the cumulative decision of the people that a discredited regime must stand down from office.” He neglected to say that much of the government’s troubles had resulted from his own hare-brained traitorous under the table dealing with key members of the Compton-led opposition United Workers Party that, ultimately, would use him to their own advantage then discard him like used toilet tissue. He was left no other choice but to paddle uncharted waters in his leaky canoe. On the remembered Sunday afternoon at the Castries Comprehensive he referenced the former attorney general Winston Cenac, who had replaced Allen Louisy following his resignation as prime minister, his budget having been rejected by key members of his government as well the entire opposition. This was how the van Gogh of whitewashing painted the unprecedented treachery for the benefit of his audience at his party’s first National Congress: “When it was clear that was the general wish of

the people, Winston Cenac stepped down in defiance of opportunistic members of his own party who were determined to hang on to the trappings of office.” Until the recalled historic volte-face, Odlum had habitually referred to Winston Cenac as “Count Snackular.” The sobriquet was as much inspired by the attorney general’s tobacco-stained fangs as by his name that some carelessly mispronounced so that it rhymed with snake. Now Odlum saw in his fellow-deserter’s decision only “courage, honor and nobility.” As for the party that had taken him at his word and set out with him for the promised land: “We have come through the traumatic experience of a super power using its full armory of funds and technology to manipulate elections in our country. The stunning results left large sections of our community numb with shock. Even the United Workers Party had difficulty believing Mikey Pilgrim and I, with sound bases in our constituencies, could’ve fallen victim to any swing toward the UWP.” Although his younger sibling Jon had

retained his Castries South seat, Odlum pointed out, “still the erosion of his majority was too sizeable to reflect the constituency’s voting realities.” Countless post-election interviews with voters had further convinced him that the 1982 polls, as in 1974 when he “fell victim to electoral trickery,” were plagued by “elaborate, extensive and organized fraud.” Odlum revealed that an unidentified key member of the party that only weeks earlier had reneged on its promise to embrace him before the general elections and instead had dumped him in the garbage can of local politics, as well as “one of the election commissioners,” had confided in someone who later confided in him that “the popular expectation was that the UWP would’ve won fourteen of the contested seventeen parliamentary seats and that my brother would be the only Progressive Labour Party survivor.” Still another unidentified parrot from the electoral office had informed the PLP leader that an official had taken “a bunch of ballot papers with him to Jamaica, for reasons unknown.” From other strategically embedded moles, Odlum had received “verbatim accounts of suspicious behavior on the part of representatives of the Jamaica government who came to Saint Lucia to assist at election time.” Odlum blamed himself for failing to act on his worst suspicions—but it was a shared blame. “We failed as a party to interpret several strange events and indicators,” he said. “We did not attribute to them the deserved level of attention.” Still the news

was not all bad: he and others unidentified had embarked on a campaign to get “the signatures of thousands of people who had placed their votes next to a red-heart symbol.” At one public meeting, Odlum reported, he had “spontaneously called on persons to come forward who had put their mark near a red heart.” The result was “most impressive.” His purpose was “to give the lie to the electoral authorities who denied red-heart symbols were used in the elections—and continue to insist the only symbols on the ballot papers were black.” If he and his “cadres of investigators” including his electoral office plants were unable to produce the smallest proof of Odlum’s assertions, not even one sample ballot with a red heart; if they could not offer a plausible explanation for Jon Odlum’s success at the polls, or for that matter the election of Labour Party candidates Neville Cenac and Cecil Lay, still George Odlum had been able to acquire from unnamed sources “sufficient scientific data synonymous with electoral fraud.” The PLP leader broke it down for the benefit of possibly kerfuffled party brethren and other Doubting Thomases among his audience. “In simple language,” he explained, “ballots cast for the red heart evaporated seconds after they were placed in a designated box. In some instances, the ballots in favor of the red heart had “moved over to the United Workers Party’s torch symbol.” As to whether the SLP was similarly affected by the trickery, when I interviewed him a short time after his meeting at the

Castries Comprehensive, Odlum said it was not at the time prudent to offer details of the “highly technical process.” But he assured me “a lot of work is on-going at home and abroad toward understanding precisely how it worked.” He rewarded my persistence with a nugget: “I can tell you it involves the use of special inks and ultra-violet light.” He had felt vindicated, he said, when he learned “the CIA was forced to admit similar interference with elections in El Salvador.” Odlum stayed true to his story despite the wall-to-wall rum-shop heckling and jibing that nearly always greeted his attempts to broach “the mystery of the red hearts.” Alas, he took his vindicating secrets to his grave in September 2003. Seventeen years after his passing, there may now be good reason to reconsider George Odlum’s claims. Sidney Powell, described by the American press as “a Trump campaign attorney,” and by CNN as a major conspiracy theorist, recently claimed “an algorithm manipulated by the Democrats” contributed to Donald Trump’s loss to Joe Biden. When the mechanism broke down, Powell declared without evidence, Democrats were forced to depend on mail-in ballots slipped in during the night. She further claimed the software that had directed electronic voting systems to convert millions of Trump votes into votes for Biden was created at the direction of (wait for it!) Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela who went to his maker in 2013, ten years after George Odlum—both felled by abdominal cancer.

It is hardly a secret that Chavez and our own former prime minister Kenny Anthony were close allies, which may leave many wondering why the famously generous president of oil-rich Venezuela and founder (with Cuba) of Alianza Bolivariana de las Americas permitted Anthony’s ALBA-allied St. Lucia Labour Party to choke on the dirt at a moribund John Compton’s feet in 2006. Still another twist: As I write the New York Times that had reported the Trump campaign’s disavowal of Sidney Powell after she made wild accusations that Republican officials had been involved in a pay-off scheme to manipulate voting machines, now claims Powell is back in the fold, busily engaged in Trump’s campaign to keep Joe Biden away from the White House. Dominion, the company allegedly involved in the electronic ballots manipulation, has received several public apologies from accusers, including Trump’s current favorite conservative news channel. Said news anchor John Tobacco recently: “Newsmax would like to clarify its news coverage and note it has not reported as true certain claims made about these companies . . . No evidence has been offered that Dominion or Smartmatic used software, or reprogrammed software that manipulated votes in the 2020 election.” As for the departed Venezuelan president’s role, well, it remains true that dead men tell no tales—even in their own defense. So, was George Odlum on to something back in 1982? As I write, the CIA has not yet been accused of election rigging, but then it’s still early days!

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1/11/21 10:36 AM

JANUARY 23, 2021

THE STAR

obituary

The ‘Raining King’ Is Dead

Left to right: Prime Minister John Compton, tourism minister Romanus Lansiquot (both deceased), ‘raining king’ Butch Stewart, Dr. Vaughan Lewis and then St. Lucia Tourist Board chairman Stephen McNamara.

first met him after he’d purchased Cunard hotel at La Toc and reinvented it as Sandals La Toc. I recall the Sunday morning in 1992 when the not nearly ready for prime time resort was launched. Among those gathered on the unsheltered ground floor were Sandals-Jamaica hotshots, local tourism standard bearers, government officials and eager-beaver press representatives. While some kept on their toes the hotel’s bar personnel and the strategically attired sashaying servers of free champagne and rum and Coke, others including your ever humble reporter sat uncomfortably on metal chairs that may have been borrowed from the Castries City Council. Chances are no one actually expected the event to kick off as per schedule. This was the Caribbean after all. And typically Caribbean is the tendency to believe our own publicity. If we expected potential

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visitors to believe the local temperature is always comfortably warm, thanks to our ever-present cool breezes, well, first we had to be self-convinced the seductively enhanced pen portraits in our brochures were nothing but the truth. As for coming and going on schedule, we’d even named a regional airline for the “better late than never” principle. Then again reality has a nasty habit of kicking fantasy where the sun don’t shine. On the remembered Sunday the scheduled early afternoon activity was more than an hour late getting started. Even the sun had decided enough was enough and taken refuge behind some suspiciously dark clouds. Suddenly the island’s prime minister was at the mic, sweaty-faced but clearly unfazed by the drizzle. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, “I’m happy to tell you our host is here. I give you the raining king.” Blame it on the rum and Cokes if you wish, still chances are few in Compton’s

audience caught his little double entendre. In all events before long there’d be no disputing Butch Stewart was indeed the reigning king of Caribbean hoteliers—with three resorts in Saint Lucia alone! Depending on who you ask, he was generous, a dedicated promoter of all things Caribbean, a manipulator of the region’s ever handicapped politicians. Or he was the hardest of taskmasters, paid top salaries but always expected value for money. He was regularly in the headlines, more often than not for his gone-bad relationships with the region’s leaders. It’s no secret that a political love affair had delivered to Stewart “the hotel formerly known as Hyatt,” or that he was blamed for Kenny Anthony’s election loss in 2006. His relationship with Allen Chastanet, which predates the latter’s entry into politics, is cited with often contradictory speculations. The hotel king’s reign ended earlier this month when he passed away at a

hospital in COVID-ridden Texas, on the brink of 80. His family has not revealed the cause of death. I will miss Butch Stewart, despite that we had our quarrels, usually rooted in my decision to oppose or not to oppose local policy makers. However, there never was a time when I could not access him for an insider’s perspective of something tourism-related. He was a big fan of the STAR from inception, and permitted me free use of articles featured in his own newspaper the Jamaica Observer. In particular, I will remember Butch Stewart for something he told me not long after Sandals La Toc opened for business: “Unless your country provides most of the food and drink your tourists consume you’re not yet in the business of tourism.” He made certain I caught his emphasis on the word business ! ---Rick Wayne

Alva Reacts To Baby Daddy Rumors!

or several days now the local geniuses of social media have been doing what they do best: feeding the gullible thirsty. This week they turned their special attention to the MP for Laborie, Alva Baptiste. They’ve delivered to the notoriously loquacious, nearly always affable parliamentarian, a baby he claims he never planned or planted. On Tuesday, he issued via his Facebook page a related statement: “I want to congratulate the Jacob family on the arrival of its newborn baby boy/girl. A child is truly a blessing from God. In this regard I wish to condemn, with my God-given might, those who utilize such an important blessing to engage in mischief by congratulating me on my newborn. “I state categorically that not even the flimsiest of circumstantial evidence can associate me with any newborn child at this time. It is not highly improbable; it is impossible. We are not in the era of immaculate conception and/or its close relatives. Those who utilize Facebook to spread lies will face the wrath of God. Your life will be pregnant with problems, which shall give birth to your just reward. “Instead of spreading your propaganda—with massive spread of Covid-19 virus—why don’t you spread the following message from the Ministry of Health?: Frequently was hands with flowing water and soap; wear a mask when in public places and ensure it covers the mouth, nose and chin.” Conceivably, the MP has not lately had much use for “lubricants for intercourse,” social or diplomatic!

Parliamentary representative for Laborie and former deputy chairman of the St. Lucia Labour Party, Mr. Alva Baptiste.

---STAR Reporter

JANUARY 23, 2021

THE STAR

MY FATHER IS NO LONGER THERE Review by John Robert Lee

mong several works published by Saint Lucian writers in 2019— poetry, novels, history, biographies, memoirs—one of the most unique and moving was My Father Is No Longer There by Anderson Reynolds. Reynolds has published two novels: Death by Fire (2001), The Stall Keeper (2017) and one work of non-fiction, The Struggle for Survival (2005.) He co-edited the short-lived literary magazine The Jako, manages Jako Productions and has published his books and those of a number of Vieux Fort-based writers under his imprint Jako Books. An economist by training, he also manages musical groups out of Vieux Fort. My Father Is No Longer There is a multi-layered text consisting of biography, autobiography, social history (covering farming, education, religion of rural Saint Lucia), memoir and confessional essay. The 215-page volume is occasioned by the accidental death of his father. “On the wet morning of June 6, 2002, a car driven by a 24-year-old spun out of control, ricocheted off another vehicle and plunged into my 78-year-old dad, who was on his regular morning walk alongside St. Jude’s Highway, on the outskirts of Vieux Fort, a town at the southern-most tip of St. Lucia.” The book and frank exposition which follow are rooted firmly in that opening sentence. The absurd accident, the Kafkaesque response of the insurance company, the coroner’s inquest, reaction of the family of the young driver, the writer’s bewilderment, lead into a searching examination of the meaning of his father’s life, his family experiences, their background in rural Saint Lucia, and Reynolds becoming a writer. The prose style, in particular the sections about his father, are excellent. A simple unadorned voice in which the strength of the first-person narrative, its emotional power (tempered by an objective searching out of what his family have experienced), provide a driving movement throughout the book that holds the reader’s interest. The parallel narration of family life, school and education, church and Seventh-Day Adventism, rural agriculture, are structured along and around the meditation on his father’s life and seeming senseless death. Yet, at the end, having

JANUARY 23, 2021

THE STAR

set out in great detail the biography of his father, he can still ask, from a deep, uncomprehending, questioning place, “But who was my father?” A profound, existential question that applies, beyond the dead St. Brice Reynolds, to us all. This is an absorbing interweaving of biography and autobiography against the background of a social history of the southern communities of Vieux Fort. There may be others but I can’t think now of a book that covers this area of Saint Lucian life as Reynolds does. He credits Toni Morrison and Derek Walcott for inspiration as he entered the writing life. I think I discerned the influence also of Jamaica Kincaid, especially when he read, very well, at his Castries book launch. Reynolds has given an incredibly detailed, closely observed account of his father’s life and the life of his family, including his own. Descriptions of farming (with a fascinating description of bee-keeping), school, religion provide a valuable record of the community he grew up in. In a chapter titled “A Rendezvous With Death,” he also probes, with a frank, confessional style, his reaction to his father’s sudden passing, the old man now reduced to “a useless paper doll with dirt in his eyes, nose, and mouth.” His drive from Castries to Vieux Fort after he receives news of the accident provides an opportunity to reflect on the island’s history, the immediate effect of sudden death of a parent and the way other people bring their own feelings to bear on the death of others. An illustrative addition adds poignancy to the memoir: a grey-scale photograph of his father is placed at the beginning of each chapter, and becomes clearer with each placing until at the end, the photo is the clearest. An interesting symbolic support which still leaves the urgent question “Who was my father?” open, and possibly, unanswerable. How much can memoir or biography really reveal about a life study? This may well be the best literary work of Anderson Reynolds. It adds to the rich literary heritage of Saint Lucia, and indeed the Caribbean, with our shared cultures and histories. Given our shutin situation these days of COVID-19, I recommend we add this book to the Saint

Lucian literature we are catching up on. Being the entrepreneur that he is, I am sure Anderson Reynolds will find a way to deliver requested copies. He can be reached at jakoproductions@ gmail.com.

Anderson Reynolds

John Robert Lee is a Saint Lucian writer and editor. His latest collection of poetry, “Pierrot” is published by Peepal Tree Press, 2020.

FICTION by John Robert Lee

The King

e had never seen him. By the time he stirred, the boy was gone, and since he was in his room by 5.30, he never saw him return.You plunged down between a tyre-repair shop and a grocery, into the yard. Under a breadfruit tree, people lounged. Occasionally police appeared, asking for someone and looking under the house for weed, crack, guns. They each rented a back room. He knew the boy was in, when the tape-player came on. Soul music or reggae. Always. Nothing else. He began to think of the youth as “Kinky.” One night, his radio batteries dead, he heard the boy come with friends. He smelt weed, heard laughter, and then—a guitar. He listened as someone plucked strings and tried chords. It had to be the boy fingering awkwardly. He sat up and scooped water from the bucket. Those sounds pushed his memory and he sighed. The tape came on, the guitar tried the rhythm, the boys started to sing, a little shakily, laughing, and coughing from the weed. He lay down, and when he opened his eyes it was to the sound of rain and the light under his door. That night marked a new beginning for his neighbour. When he got home, the guitar plucked up, sometimes with a tape. Through the plywood, he heard the boy following the singer, fingers searching chords. The old man listened over his radio, marking that the playing was improving. Sometimes, the friends would come with Kinky, and they would smoke, laugh and sing more confidently. He would listen for the boy’s high-pitched voice, laughing, arguing, sometimes swearing, always singing. He couldn’t say the boy never brought a girl, the guitar probing the quiet of the night, but

that didn’t seem to happen too often. One afternoon, he came early from his bench at the back of the tyre shop where he did odd jobs. He woke when Kinky’s door slammed. He couldn’t remember him home in the day. It was quiet for a while and he was dropping off again, when the guitar began to pluck clear notes, a melody. The boy wasn’t bad. Then the boy’s voice, rough-edged, moving into wailing. This came into the man’s guts, it seemed. He reached for his enamel cup. Before he could dip into the bucket, the boy’s voice had held the harmony with a sweetness, sharper, more high-edged, not going flat, and he was riding his melody, the guitar singing under Kinky’s voice, and the old man straightened, aching, and he waited for the voice to break, but it went higher and truer, wailing more, and then suddenly, at its height, everything collapsed, and the boy began sobbing, it had to be, it was, sobbing, crying, wailing, and the guitar gone silent, and the boy drowning, and then, through a gurgling, the melody again, plucking, broken-voiced, sweetening but broken, broken sobbing, keening, and then going slowly to silence. And the old man, upright, eyes wide, staring through the partition, cup empty. There was another time, after the boy left— he didn’t hear the guitar again soon after that afternoon, and a fat woman with a crippled boy had moved into the room—he was listening to his radio one late night, and there, there on his broken little box, was that melody, the same one of that afternoon, and that gruff-sweet, high voice, wailing, and somebody on the radio, excited, and running the track again, and going on about “the king.”

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JANUARY 23, 2021

THE STAR

The Maurice Bishop Murder (Part 2) by Godfrey Smith

he tension and paranoia at the centre of the NJM went mostly undetected in Grenada. Lyden noted that when he recommended Angela as Grenada’s tourism representative in Toronto, Maurice seemed panicky and asked him to hold back on that. He was concerned that it might be viewed as nepotism. Lynden had no clue that the party was becoming unglued. Naz had been a member of the delegation in Eastern Europe. On his return Tessa Stroude told him it looked like the revolution was mashin’ up and it was Maurice’s fault. Chalkie expressed the same sentiment. He wrote a letter to the prime minister on his Ministry of Trade letterhead expressing concern about the deep feeling of disturbance he had sensed in the party. He mentioned that in the meeting held with party members in Hungary, George had said he and Uni had still not accepted the idea of a joint leadership and that Maurice himself had not accepted it. He said he had picked up since his return that people held Louison mainly responsible for the leader’s volte face. Some are even saying, he wrote, that Cde Louison is manipulating you. There is great tension among party members. I witnessed it myself between you and Sello when he came to meet you upon your return from Eastern Europe. I noticed there was not the regular warmth and openness which have characterized returns between you and comrades over the years. Central Committee members have been keeping their distance from each other and have become very scarce at night. This is a very serious development that threatens the very existence of the party. He ended by requesting an urgent meeting to discuss the situation along with a few other comrades, including Chester Humphrey. He had the letter delivered to the prime minister’s residence and awaited a reply. Vince Noel arrived at Maurice’s house sometime around 10:00 that evening. They chatted briefly about the visit to Eastern Europe, Vince broached the subject that had been troubling him. Bish, he said, I’ve picked up from various comrades that you not accepting the decision of the party on joint leadership. I have no problem with the principle of joint leadership, Maurice replied. You know that from way back, from the beginning of this movement, I’ve had no problem with the principle of joint coordinating members of the party. But I told them I had reservations. I have serious concerns about the precise operationalization of

JANUARY 23, 2021

THE STAR

Saint Lucia’s Foreign Affairs Minister George Odlum inspecting a guard of honor in Grenada shortly after the revolution.

joint leadership. I know of no historical precedent for it. But Bish, operationalization is simply a detail to be worked out. The Grenadian revo is a dynamic process and we can’t dogmatically follow any historical precedent. Details are important, Maurice replied. A tiny detail like a fuse could cause a car or a plane to stall or take off. But of greater concern has been the attitude of comrades to me since my return. Only Sello came to meet me at the airport, and his greeting was cold. No other comrade, except H.A. has checked me. Neither Owusu nor Ache (Layne) has given any briefings. Maybe comrades were not informed of your arrival or maybe they were simply pressed with work. When I was a member of the Political Bureau I rarely went to the project to meet you. Have you tried to contact anyone? No. Bish, it is your duty as chairman of the CC to establish contact, not wait for them to contact you. Yeah, I know. I was planning to raise

that and all my other concerns at the PB meeting tomorrow. I don’t think you should raise the matter of how many CC members met you at the airport. That will come across as petty bourgeois concern and members of the Bureau will treat it as such. No, if it was a singular incident I would agree with you but this has to be seen within the wider context of all the other things that have been happening. What could be happening that is not reflected in the minutes or hasn’t been mentioned to me by members who attended the general meeting? What I do know is that several party comrades are accusing you of holding up the work of the party by holding out on joint leadership. Some of them are actually saying you are unable to go beyond social democracy and onto the path to socialism. Maurice was visibly affected and went silent for what seemed like minutes. What he said next shook Vince to his core. Vince, this thing has gone way beyond whether I have petit bourgeois qualities. Some a dem men talkin’ bout an

Afghanistan solution. I picked this up as coming from Ram Folkes through one of his personal security comrades. Afghanistan solution: A few years earlier in Afghanistan, a bloody power struggle ensued between the country’s two top leaders—Noor Mohammad Taraki and Hafizullah Amin—who had previously enjoyed a close relationship. Amin won control of the army, marched on the presidential palace, captured Taraki and assassinated him to the surprise and shock of the Soviet Union. Mention of the Afghanistan solution stunned Vince into silence. When eventually he spoke his entire demeanor had changed. He told Maurice that when he was in Eastern Europe, Anslem De Bourg had mentioned to him that Chalkie Ventour had said that if the chief fucked around on the question of joint leadership thee would be a solution like in Afghanistan. Vince said that at the time he had dismissed the comment from Chalkie as jus a load of nonsense, but be was now deeply troubled. If things had descended to where the personal security men are taking sides and talking about an Afghanistan solution then we are only a fraction away from bloodshed and complete disaster. He assured Maurice that his support for joint leadership was purely one of principle based on his understanding of the issues. It had nothing to do with personality. Maurice briefly traced the breakdown of his relations with Bernard. He explained that relations with Bernard had been strained since his resignation the previous year. He had done his best to get him to withdraw it but Bernard had refused and had gone off to Carriacou in a funk. Maurice had been so concerned that he might contemplate suicide that he had called in one of his men, Keith Roberts, and instructed him to follow Bernard to Carriacou to ensure his safety. Vince, I can work with Bernard if he is chosen outright as leader, but I am becoming increasingly convinced that there are behind-the-scene manoeuvres— unprincipled manoeuvres—to remove me. Well then you must formally appeal the joint leadership decision and raise all your other concerns frankly and openly at the Bureau meeting tomorrow morning. You must. Things are grave and will only get worse if you don’t act immediately. Don’t worry, comrade, Maurice said with a big, reassuring smile. I will deal with it. It was midnight when Vince left Mount Wheldale, his head leaden with doubt and foreboding. The preceding is taken from The Assassination of Maurice Bishop by Godfrey Smith, available at Amazon. com

Who Were St. Lucia’s First Landowners?

SAINT LUCIA BUREAU OF STANDARDS Bisee Industrial Estate, P. O. Box GP 5412 Castries - St. Lucia Tel: (758) 453 0049 / 456 0546 Fax: (758) 452 3561 Email: slbs@candw.lc

by Pat Brown

Public Comments on Draft Saint Lucia National Standards

his article is a synopsis of the social architecture that keeps us divided. It is not intended to indict any person, institution or family. It is an historical fact that after the abolition of slavery, slave owners—not the freed slaves—were compensated for their loss of slave labor. The former slaves were never compensated for their years in brutal bondage. Crown grants for all of the twenty-seven large estates below listed were awarded slave owners. To compound that, unjust laws were enacted to exclude ex-slaves from owning lands. They ended at the mercy of their former owners for whom they had to work for next to no wages. In effect, actual slavery was transformed into low-wage slavery. Among the early maps of St Lucia is the La Fort De Latoor, which identified estates by their owners’ names. Upon departure to their own countries, slave owners passed their estates on to their descendants who employed ex-slaves or blacks as expendable beasts of burden. They became subservient to half-white or mulatto land owners whom they were forced to address as “Massa,” giving rise to the master and servant syndrome. Hence, to male ex-slaves, slavery was preferable to hired labor. Female ex-slaves continued to enjoy their customary living condition as maids and nannies, and provided for the entire family. The pimp, the male ex-slave who still conditions or brainwashes women into becoming prostitutes to maintain him in comfort, is a product of slavery. Male ex-slaves who could not withstand subsistence farming turned instead to preaching the gospel. This accounts for the countless black ministers of religion or reverends in the United States. In Saint Lucia there were 27 large estates namely: Marquis in the north was owned by a Mr. Purchase, a white Englishman who drove only Mercedes Benz. He finally took his own life. Cap Estate was owned by Floissac of French descent. He subsequently sold the estate to Colonel Harrison a horse breeder. Choc Estate was formerly owned by an English family, the Bascombes, who sold to JQ Charles, a former employee. Corinth Estate’s owner was Balboa Edwards, a Saint Lucian.

The public is invited to comment on the following draft standards being proposed for adoption as Saint Lucia National Standards:

The late Pat Brown was a prolific contributor to this newspaper.

Goodlands, Cul de Sac and Roseau estates were owned by Deveaux, of a French family. They still do business here as merchants, insurance providers, airline and maritime agents. Du Boulay, of French descent, formerly owned most of Soufriere and environs, including Anse Chastanet. Jalousie and Beau estates were owned by Johnson of Johnson’s Hardware, an Englishman. Fondu and Chateaubelair estates, were owned by Delieu, of French descent. In Saltibus we have Morne Lizard Estate, owned by George Barnard, an Englishman. Londonderry Estate, was owned by Longley, an Englishman, and Parque Estate, was owned by a Mr. Branch, an Englishman. Balambouche East was owned by David Barnard, an Englishman. Balambouche West was owned by Floissac of French descent. Saphire Estate in Laborie was owned by Algan Louisy, a Saint Lucian. Blackbay Estate, Laborie, extending to Cocodan in Vieux Fort, was owned by Englishman, George Barnard. Fond Estate was owned by Dennehy, an Englishman. Mahaut Estate was owned by Ellwyn Augustin, a Saint Lucian, and Patience Estate by Grace Augustin another St Lucian. Praslin and Mamicoud estates was owned by Shingleton-Smith of English

Royalty. Troumassee Estate was owned by Frenchman Moffat, while Hilltop Dennery to La Caye Estate was owned by Dennis Barnard, an Englishman. Bousquedor Estate was owned by Royer, an Englishman who, together with his son, were cutlassed to death in Dennery. Fourteen sugar cane estates were granted to English slave owners and nine to the French. Four were acquired by St Lucians. Authority on some estates was passed on from Massa to the leggings and corkhat “colum,” to house niggers, to footmen. Side by side with a ruthless colonial system were the Founding Fathers. The former maximized production of raw sugar for export to England, to be refined and reexported to the colonies. Meanwhile the slaves were indoctrinated, turned into a god-fearing mass. Especially during the administration of “last rites,” the dying would be coerced into bequeathing vast prime holdings in the towns and villages to the Catholic Church, the price to be paid for a place in heaven. With the exception of four Anglican and one Methodist school, all others were controlled by Roman Catholic priests.

• DNS/ISO 18788:2015 Management system for private security operations — Requirements with guidance for use • DNS/ISO 28000:2007 Specification for security management systems for the supply chain • DNS/ISO 28001:2007 Security management systems for the supply chain — Best practices for implementing supply chain security, assessments and plans – Requirements and guidance • DNS/ISO 28002:2011 Security management systems for the supply chain — Development of resilience in the supply chain — Requirements with guidance for use • DNS/ISO 28003:2007 Security management systems for the supply chain — Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of supply chain security managment systems • DNS/ISO 28004-1:2007 Security management systems for the supply chain — Guidelines for the implementation of ISO 28000 — Part 1: General principles • DNS/ISO 37101:2016 Sustainable development in communities — Management system for sustainable development — Requirements with guidance for use • DNS/ISO 37120:2018 Sustainable cities and communities — Indicators for city services and quality of life • DNS/ISO 55000:2014 Asset management — Overview, principles and terminology • DNS/ISO 55001:2014 Asset management — Management systems — Requirements • DNS/ISO 55002:2018 Asset management — Management systems — Guidelines for the application of ISO 55001 • DNS/ISO 39001:2012 Road traffic safety (RTS) management systems — Requirements with guidance for use • DNS/ISO 16000-40:2019 Indoor air – Part 40: Indoor air quality management system • DNS/ISO 16000-30:2014 Indoor air – Part 30: Sensory testing of indoor air DNS 1-7 Labelling of commodities: Part 7 — Cosmetics — Packaging and labelling requirements • DNS/ISO 17480: 2015 Packaging — Accessible design — Ease of opening (ISO 17480: 2015, IDT) • DNS/ISO 11156: 2011 Packaging — Accessible design — General requirements (ISO 11156: 2011, IDT) • DNS/ISO 11683: 1997 Packaging — Tactile warnings of danger — Requirements (ISO 11683: 1997, IDT) • DNS/ISO 19809: 2017 Packaging — Accessible design — Information and marking (ISO 19809: 2017, IDT) • DNS/ISO 20410: 2017 Tourism and related services — Bare boat charter—Minimum service and equipment requirements (ISO 20410: 2017, IDT) • DNS 22 — 5 Tourism accommodation: Part 5 — Home accommodation — Requirements The deadline for comments is TUESDAY 2ND MARCH 2021. For information on how to comment visit the SLBS website www.slbs.org or visit us on facebook – facebook.com/slbsslu or call 453-0049/456-0102 or for quick access scan the QR Code below.

---First published exclusively in the STAR in 2003

JANUARY 23, 2021

THE STAR

BUSINESS

Yet Again Survival Will Depend On Adaptability

by Celeste Boyd-Franklin

hese are the best of times, and the worst of times. This, it seems, has always been life in Saint Lucia. Which way is up or down depends on whether you’re afflicted with jaundice or conjunctivitis. Notwithstanding the evident absurdities that dominate social media discussions, there is much wisdom and sagacity within the population—if only we seek it out. Given all that has transpired in the year just ended, we should reclaim our 20/20 vision and engage in clear-eyed discussions on our future prospects, which we hope to initiate through a series of articles. This is all the more urgent and critical as general elections are constitutionally due within the next ten months, and politicians and their surrogates will make pitches, some pathetically obtuse, some deliberately aimed at colouring or obfuscating the issues/discussions. The series makes no pretensions about having the answers to all existing afflictions. It hopes to engage and challenge some received wisdom and put within the public domain some matters reserved for select watering holes. Thus it is hoped that the discussions or understanding of the challenges that lie ahead, and the available options, are broadened. In this first edition, an overview shall be provided. In subsequent editions, we’ll explore in greater depth the sectoral issues and outlooks. To appreciate the challenges ahead, it is important that we understand where we are and where we’ve been—which is not to suggest a return to the Middle Passage neither the period when colonization or the colonialist may or may not have had consciences; not because such foundational periods are without explanatory relevance. Weary of attention deficit or selective amnesia, we shall attempt to confine ourselves to this millennia. In the immediate here and now, Covid-19 is having a most profound impact on us. It has and continues to expose many of the social and economic vulnerabilities that many have tried to ignore, mask or plaster over. It is also testing our ingenuity and capacity for adaptation and survival,

JANUARY 23, 2021

THE STAR

whether it be at the individual or societal level, or at the level of the firm or economy. Economic historians are reporting that over the past century, only the two World Wars and the Great Depression caused a global recession deeper than that caused by COVID-19. For perspective, this means that COVID-19 is having a bigger impact than the global financial crisis of 2008, which by some accounts only ended in 2017. Thus business as usual is unlikely for the foreseeable future. However, in the case of Saint Lucia, business as usual was/is an affliction that must be cured. So we may yet say thanks for COVID-19. No doubt some have already done. It is no secret that Saint Lucia is an open economy that it participates in international trade but its ability to influence world prices, incomes and interest rates is limited by its size. The majority of businesses operating in Saint Lucia are comparatively small in terms of earnings; they operate in different sectors and are few in number. Similarly, there are serious differences in their processes and quality of operations, and thus of their likely performance and prospects. The economist Joseph Schumpeter claimed that one essential fact about capitalism is its need for creative destruction, wherein the incessant product and process innovation replaces outdated ones. Though we don’t know the balance sheets of many companies, COVID-19 no doubt exposed their frailties, some of which had long been suspected. COVID-19

has initiated some creative destruction, and some businesses shall be denatured or forced out of existence while creating opportunities for those able to survive, either because there are fewer competitors or because they have been able to lower their operating costs. We may even see some business consolidation if some are to survive and remain vibrant. Indeed we can expect all businesses in Saint Lucia to revisit their business plans, presuming they ever had them. Even prior to the emergence of C-19, a Fourth Industrial Revolution was already on the way before we in Saint Lucia had been fully immersed into the Third. The Third Industrial Revolution used electronics and information technology to automate production, while the Fourth is building on the Third by fusing technologies that are blurring the lines between the physical, digital and biological spheres. Consequently, the businesses with the best chance of surviving are those that have accelerated their digitalization and innovation. Some segments of the economy, retailers in particular, have been experiencing the impact of the explosion of online commerce. Though the government has been promoting this mode of trade for a while, some businesses were slow to adapt. Notwithstanding, there will be a need for a review of government action and engagement in the area. For those who believe that we have a weak private sector their solution

may necessitate greater government intervention. Herein lies the rub: the government may not have the fiscal space to intervene as desired. Given the already referenced structural weaknesses in the society and its economy, the C-19 may create lasting damage to potential growth as it has undermined investment and human capital. With a small internal market, demand for locally produced goods and services may be insufficient. This is compounded or reinforced by the vicious cycle of high unemployment and a small tax base, which limits the government’s fiscal space to maneuver and help small businesses. To improve our future prospects, immediate policy priorities should be on limiting the spread of the virus and providing relief for vulnerable populations. When the spread of the virus abates, policymakers would then need to balance the risks from large and growing debt loads with those from slowing the economy through premature fiscal tightening. This will no doubt require that we have stronger institutions. Our impediments to growth is not a function of the ignorance of politicians and policymakers, but the incentives and constraints they face from social, economic and political institutions. Clear-eyed public engagement is vital to robust policymaking, an essential ingredient for growth. Let’s start something.

opinion

A fresh start for Republicans can come only if they abandon authoritarian populism by Michael Gerson

new beginning is not a chance to wipe the slate clean. That would leave us impervious to learning. A new beginning is appropriately a time for reflection and rededication. And this requires a recognition of previous misjudgment. Mine was to regard American political institutions as solid, objectively existing things — like the granite blocks of the Capitol, or the marble floors of the Old Executive Office Building. I had worked in both the Senate and the White House. Unconsciously, I viewed the constitutional order as a vast machine, impervious to the faults and failures of individuals. Or as an ocean liner, moving on the momentum of more than two centuries, only shifted this way or that by the smallest increments. But the Trump era has demonstrated the shocking fragility of democracy and the finely balanced contingency of history. The shift of tens of thousands of votes in key states could have reelected a president impatient with constitutional limits and learning to manipulate the levers of despotic control. For years, President Trump had been testing the weak spots in the balance of powers and grooming his mob as a tool of political intimidation. As long as elected Republicans were lowering taxes and racking up judicial confirmations, they offered almost no resistance to his creeping authoritarianism. It is an alarmingly open question whether the American political system would have survived a second Trump term. Or consider if the 2020 election had been far closer — more on the order of the 2000 election. What if Republican state election officials had repeated the lie of a stolen election rather than refuted it? What if Republican state legislatures — under threat by an empowered MAGA mob — had sent alternative slates to the electoral college? The chaos would have seeped deeply into our system. On the evidence of the past several months, the appropriate metaphor for democracy may be a bright flame that depends, moment by moment, on new fuel of legitimacy and public purpose. In his book “Orthodoxy,” G.K. Chesterton made the point that you can’t paint a fence post white once and think the job is done. “If you particularly want it to be white you must be always painting it again.” No great human institution can simply endure. It must be continually re-founded through the reassertion of its core ideals. And why is this? Because, Chesterton argued, human beings are

“naturally backsliders” and human virtue, if left alone, will “rust or rot.” In the United States, our core political commitment is to a system of self-government based on the rule of law and the protection of the rights of political minorities. This is a different view of politics than many Americans now hold. They think the main purpose of politics is to vanquish some grave evil or defeat ruthless enemies. This is a temptation on left and right, but it has metastasized on the right. Many rightwing populists believe that they are fighting conspiratorial globalists, or child molesters, or oppressive secularists, or “woke” elitists, or the “deep state.” If this is their defining purpose, then constitutional processes are actually obstacles to effective action. A strongman would be more efficient. This conception of politics is badly and dangerously mistaken. The primary purpose of the American form of government is not to defeat evil; it is to allow people of diverse views and backgrounds to live in peace with one another and find common purpose. That practical arrangement is also a moral commitment. We have a patriotic passion for constitutional procedure — to honor the principle of equal rights and to prevent the exercise of abusive power. Too many political leaders — most notably in the Republican Party — have allowed these ideals to rust and rot. They have accommodated illiberalism out of selfish interest or abject fear. And this failure has associated people and causes they care about with some of the worst human beings in America. The refusal to defend procedural democracy has put economic conservatives in the same political movement as neo-Confederate thugs. It has placed pro-life Catholics and evangelicals under the same political banner as QAnon and the Proud Boys. Can traditional conservatives not see the massive reputational damage to their deepest beliefs? For the sake of their party, their ideology and their country, it is essential for elected Republicans to publicly and dramatically distance themselves from authoritarian populism. This means repudiating the lie of a stolen election. This means supporting the Senate conviction of a justly impeached president and ensuring he can never run for office again. This means giving our new president room to govern in the midst of a deadly health crisis. For Republicans, a fresh start is made possible only by a renewed commitment to democratic ideals.

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wishes to inform the general Public that the employment of

MR. CHRISTOPHER ANTHONY THAKUR in the capacity as Systems Administrator

was terminated effective 15th December, 2020. Therefore, Mr. Thakur should not transact, pose as a

representative of or conduct any business on behalf of Water and Sewerage Company Inc. (WASCO). By Order of Management

JANUARY 23, 2021

THE STAR

No Pussy Prisoners For Da Lady!

Something from the STAR archives: Before he was ‘Mr. Chairman,’ Dave Samuel (with glass and once again fashionable beard) was the host of radio shows, at one time with his own production company. He is pictured here at a fun outing with George Odlum (center) and hotelier Bill Stewart, both deceased.

he prime minister’s irresistibly bottled dispenser of warmest regards was dishing it out again on Thursday evening, only this time around her heat threatened TV tubes north, south, east and west. Her call to Calabash TV’s ‘The Chairman’ was predictable. You don’t mauvais langue her boss—period! If you bite her boss it’s his press secretary that most feels the pain. And for that you will pay—with a capital P! Who knows where the nation’s favorite split pearly whites would be today if not for the immeasurable generosity of the second most important man in her life? His most reliable first responder is nothing if not loyal. Her gratitude is close to palpable. More than might be said of the wannabe floor crossers, and other creatures whose natural habitat is under a certain Castries bridge where the water is especially slimy, maybe because this is where so many slimy turncoats with no convictions go to wash their sins away. Oh, but you say that’s tautology. I’ll just say: When I speak of politicians without convictions I do not refer to the kind handed down by judges of the court. But having stated all of the above, I 24

JANUARY 23, 2021

THE STAR

need also add—for the possible edification of the willfully self-deluded—that the prime minister’s press sec knows best precisely what her employer needs. Her reminders that she’s a political appointee with boundaries couldn’t be more delusional. This lady knows only too well it is her boss alone who determines her limits. No one else is qualified to direct her often castrating reach. Better than anyone else, whether in yellow shirt or skirt, she knows the provider of the butter that butters her buns. Ti Chas should’ve anticipated her call as he sat on the remembered evening with ‘The Chairman.’ By all the evidence he was taken off guard, in consequence daring to question the press sec’s terms of reference. Surely he should’ve known how far she goes depends on her destination. She’s like Humpty Dumpty, for whom words meant only what he wanted them to, nothing more or less. This lady knows whence she cometh—and for whom. She also knows which balls to jump on which to ignore. Consider the way she opened her most recent barrage. Channeling the black Marilyn Monroe in her soul, she gave Mr.

Chairman her stage-whispered assurance that she had absolutely no intention to take over his show. His years of TV experience notwithstanding, Mr. Chairman was no match for her smarm. With a smile that lazily stretched from ear to there, the always genial host pointedly replied: “No sweat, I won’t allow anyone take over this show!” Yeah, right. For what seemed an eternity she proceeded dexterously to tongue Mr. Chairman’s guest, bringing to mind the legendary Muhammad Ali-Floyd Patterson 1965 grudge match. Who cared that she may have dealt Chas several scratches where nails should never go? What the referee didn’t see just never happened, babeee. We’re talking Caribbean politics. It is what it is! Which is not to say Chas was too much the gentleman to let any lady be a tramp at his expense. You bet he fought back, like never before. At any rate, as best he could without coming across like some bully Goliath versus delicate Delilah. Doubtless viewers with their sensibilities still intact must’ve been taken aback by what he said about the millions allegedly handed Dominica by certain

foreigners, and how that island’s prime minister may or may not have spent easy-come-easy-go ALBA handouts. There was also Chas’ take on the local Pee Em’s pronouncements before a gathering of Red Zoners, about this country’s immediate and long-term economic future, PetroCaribe, STEP, and the sitting government’s resounding silence on the deadly unrest in Venezuela. But all of that was before the caller insinuated herself between ‘The Chairman’ and his guest—not without her hottest, er, I mean, warmest regards that would set off countless Red Zone bombs, smart and not so smart. In any event, their aim was to keep Ti Chas off balance and off their own leader’s back. Did the Red Zone strategy succeed? You decide. I understand Calabash TV will be repeating Thursday’s ‘The Chairman’ tomorrow evening. I dare to say it’s worth another look—if only because it probably marked the end of Ti Chas as anybody’s pussy! ---RW The preceding has been published before exclusively in the STAR

Adam Stewart named Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts International

andals Resorts International has announced Adam Stewart’s appointment as the resort company’s Executive Chairman. Stewart becomes just the second Chairman in the company’s 40year history. He is preceded by his late Father and Chairman, the Hon. Gordon “Butch” Stewart, a pioneer in Caribbean tourism who broke the ceiling of all-inclusive luxury after founding the organization in 1981 and played a pivotal role in bolstering the region’s popularity. Executive Chairman Adam Stewart CD, assumes the role after working alongside his father for more than two decades, serving as Chief Executive Officer and most recently Deputy Chairman. He has helped oversee the continued rapid expansion of Sandals Resorts International throughout the Caribbean, including the recent announcement of two new island resort destinations, the future Sandals Curaco and Beaches Resorts in St. Vincent. “Some people are dreamers, and some are doers; my dad was the magical combination of both. He was fiercely passionate about offering a product that would exceed expectations, and we are incredibly honored to continue his pursuit of innovation, raising the bar, and creating landmark moments for our valued guests,” stated Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts International. Countless organizations have recognized Adam Stewart for his leadership in the travel industry and his substantial contributions to the destinations where Sandals Resorts International operates. As part of this commitment, in 2009, Adam Stewart launched the Sandals Foundation with a mission to lift communities through education, healthcare, and environmental protection. The foundation and its activities have helped millions across the region through various impact-focused programs, where he will continue to serve as President. Stewart is also a strong proponent of the direct investment and development of team members. His work through the Sandals Corporate University brings continued learning, mentorship and invaluable skills training to thousands of employees throughout the Caribbean. In 2016, Stewart was also bestowed the national honor of the Order of Distinction, Commander Class by the Government of Jamaica for outstanding contribution to tourism. He added, “We could never have imagined the monumental impact

Ourmembers Matter most On the observance of Nobel Laureate week, we join the celebration of our two Nobel Laureate icons: Sir Arthur Lewis and Hon. Derek Walcott. that our resorts have had around the world. It has been a remarkable journey to have built brands that play a part in so many of our customers’ happiest moments. Our team is the best in the world, and I am incredibly proud of the work they do every day of life to put our customers first, as we carry forward.” Stewart has also played an integral role in managing the company’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including launching its creation of the respected Sandals Platinum Protocols of Cleanliness to ensure guests’ and team members’ safety, and consulting with industry groups, government entities, health organizations and international associations alike. His work guaranteed Sandals® Resorts and Beaches® Resorts are at the forefront of providing a safe and enjoyable destination for international travelers during this time and is keeping thousands of team members across all its Caribbean destinations employed. Earlier this month, the Hon. Gordon “Butch” Stewart’s passing was marked by a global outpouring of support from Sandals team members, guests and industry partners around the world, sharing thousands of memories. As an

industry pioneer, he helped to establish the tourism sector across the Caribbean through building first of its kind luxury resorts, chartering flights to bring international visitors when no major airline service was offered and a relentless commitment to backing the Travel Agent community. Over the years, the brands have become respected for its Luxury Included® model that changed the face of the all-inclusive segment and built a loyal following; affording it the highest return guest rate of any hospitality brand in the western hemisphere. Mr. Adam Stewart also assumes Executive Chairmanship of the Jamaica-based ATL Group, one of the largest private sector groups in the Caribbean. “My Father’s shoes are impossible to fill, but we will follow in his ground-breaking footsteps to continue the important work we all set out to do together. As a company and as a team, we are poised for the future. We are already leading the industry in recovering from the greatest setback in the history of travel. We will continue to lead not just by saying, but by doing. And at the heart of it all, we are solely focused on what we do best: delighting our guests,” Stewart concluded.

Elks City of Castries Cooperative Credit Union Ltd Chisel Street • Castries Tel# 452-6820 • Fax# 452-2884 Email: elks@candw.lc www.elkscreditunion.com

JANUARY 23, 2021

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A message from the Office of the Prime Minister

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