Philip J Pierre on Grynberg: No Probe Under Me!

SATURDAY, JUNE 01, 2019

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Philip J. Pierre on Grynberg

No probe Under Me! Opposition leader Philip J. Pierre (pictured) served several years as Prime Minister Kenny Anthony's deputy and never challenged him to come clean on the contract he signed with Jack Grynberg's oil company. With the nation facing a related US$500 million lawsuit will Pierre now discover the courage to take a stand on the side of the people?

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june 01, 2019 THE STAR

REFLECTIONS

Young Entrepreneurs (An over-my-shoulder roll out Pilot Phase of look at life) e-wallet in Saint Lucia The World at our Feet A S

By Michael Walker

o there we were! We’d had our muchanticipated mystery meeting with the American publishing house and had been informed that ‘we had a deal’ without really knowing what the deal was or what work was involved. But the world was at our feet and that was all that mattered, really.

The ‘deal’, it turned out after a very short time together, was not at all the same as the arrangement we had first anticipated.

But let me give you a spot of background briefing before I go any further. The American Publisher, hereinafter named Adiwes, our pet name for it, was a sprawling publishing venture, perhaps the biggest and most successful in its field. It was represented in all parts of the world either through partnerships with others or, more often, through its own subsidiaries that were, to all intents and purposes, local publishing houses. In the States, Adiwes had two main headquarters, one just north of Boston and the other in Menlo Park, California. A couple of years prior to our meeting, Adiwes had decided, after some serious lobbying by all its international sales force, that its catalogue desperately needed to include ESL, English as a Second Language, which was then, and to some extent still is now, one of the hottest, most lucrative areas in international publishing. Bob, whom I mentioned in a previous piece, had worked his whole life for Adiwes, starting as a schools’ sales rep, travelling from the Gulf of Mexico. north to the Canadian border each year before he climbed the corporate ladder to a senior position. He had been given the task of researching the market to find a suitable partner to provide content for the newly created World Language Division (WLD), which he was to lead. We, as it so happened, were the suitable partners.

Adiwes bought the world rights to our signature series, This Way, which meant that we were no longer allowed to sell the series to any other countries than those who had already signed on, which was fine by us. However, we had fondly imagined that Adiwes would take care of any required adaptations of the books for new markets.

We were wrong. Adiwes had bought US. We became their resident authorship team for all WLD products. The first series, given the unlikely title New Horizons in English (NHE), was supposedly based on This Way, but the final product bore no resemblance whatsoever to the original series. Despite this, for contractual reasons we had to share our royalty, which was a meagre 6%, with our original publisher: 2% for them, 2% for Lars and 2% for me. But again, the series was an instant success wherever it was introduced

in the world so the income from royalties was still quite significant. Within two years, Adiwes was clamouring for new versions of NHE for specific markets; the original generic series needed to be tailor-made to fit different school systems and linguistic backgrounds. From this point onwards, our original publisher was cut out of the arrangement and we were able to share the royalties between the two of us: 3% and 3%.

Languages have always been my passion and so I became the one, rather than Lars (who was a bit of a stick-in-the-mud when it came to other languages) who researched the various linguistic backgrounds for each new market. I came up with a checklist of predictable problems for speakers of other languages who wanted to learn English, which we had to address differently as we moved around the globe. It turned out that this checklist became the key to our successes.

Our aim was to make the business of teaching and learning English as a second language as easy and enjoyable as possible. We coined two catchwords: learnable and teachable.

Before we came along no one had really been concerned about the happiness of the teacher. We made sure that both teacher and pupil approached each new lesson with the confidence that they would succeed.

NHE was being used by millions worldwide and Adiwes was begging for new product. We discovered that no-one was publishing for the very young so we came up with the idea of YES, English for Children, which the sales force at first strenuously rejected because nobody else was publishing for this age group, which was exactly why we wanted to do it. Time and time again we created new markets where previously no markets had existed. YES became as great a success as NHE. Strangely enough, we had produced this new series without a contract, which gave rise to an interesting situation.

We were in Amsterdam working with the European sales force. Bob was with us and he had clearly received instructions to sign a new contract to cover the new product, but his mission was impossible. With our history of success behind us, we held all the cards.

Basically the conversation went like this: “Bob, I think we should receive a larger royalty now that NHE is selling so well and you must have recouped your investment several times over. So we want 10% instead of 6%.” He agreed a little too quickly, so I added, “Retroactively, from the beginning.” I remember his grin. Bob: “OK, but it feels like a knife in the back, but OK, retroactively.” Me: “And we’ll take the same 10% on anything new from now on, until, at least, sales justify another increase.” All in all, that was a memorably profitable afternoon.

s of June 1, 2019, Saint Lucians will be able to complete transactions with ease on their mobile phones and tablets thanks to Squeeze Cash Limited, a Saint Lucian start-up company.

Squeeze Cash this week rolls out the pilot phase of its mobile payment solution.

Two young developers, Ashley Mc Lean, a UX/UI user interface designer and Sunal Fontinelle, a self-taught developer, created the Squeeze Cash mobile application.

Squeeze Cash allows merchants and consumers to conduct payments and enables merchants to pay other suppliers, plus individuals can exchange money using a mobile device.

“After nine months of spending our evenings, nights and weekends building this app, we’re thrilled to finally share our product with the public and to offer Saint Lucians the opportunity to participate in this beta launch of Squeeze Cash. The feedback from the pilot phase will play a part in helping us ready the app for its full public launch and eventual

regional expansion, allowing Peer to Peer (P2P), Business to Customer (B2C) and Business to Business (B2B) payment transactions,” said Squeeze cofounder and CEO Ashley Mc Lean.

“We expect merchants to begin enabling Squeeze Cash as a payment option. Early adopters who join us now will be among the first ever to shop and pay with Squeeze Cash as we progressively roll out,” he added.

Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Sunal Fontinelle stated, “Throughout the beta, participants will get to experience the functionality of Squeeze Cash. Beta users’ feedback provided via email (support@squeeze.cash) and in-app chat will help optimize operations for a smooth public launch in the coming weeks.”

Kenrick Quashie, Chief Operations Officer of Squeeze Cash, expressed his confidence: “It is ready for the market.” He indicated that the company is prepared to start small and scale up quickly.

During the pilot stage, which will last for a month,

individual users will have the certain restrictions. While Squeeze Cash payments can only be done in Saint Lucia at this time, it allows users outside Saint Lucia to send money to users in Saint Lucia as a money transfer option. Users may use the money on their virtual wallet to conduct transactions or they may withdraw to their bank account if they so desire.

Squeeze Cash boasts being a very safe app as its security is managed by Google-owned Database. The app is extremely user friendly and palatable to the eyes. Any merchant, regardless of the size of the company, can sign up and use the app.

Merchants and consumers can now go to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store to download Squeeze Cash on their smart phone. They may also visit the company's website www.squeeze.cash/ to learn more about Squeeze and its features and limitations during this pilot period.

The company will soon begin to accelerate its drive to sign up new merchants and consumers.

St Lucian Vocalists Called to the Mic

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rab the Mic is a singing talent competition that is the brainchild of songstress Sally Elwin.

Noting the lack of avenue for hidden talent, Sally designed the competition to seek and highlight talented Saint Lucians. Grab the Mic will be hosting auditions across the island and is set to begin on June 2, 2019 at the Gros Islet Secondary School. The auditions will be held weekly, every Sunday in a different community, and selected persons from each audition

will move on to the preliminary round.

The dates and venues are: June 2nd – Gros Islet Secondary School June 9th – Babonneau Secondary School June 16th – Dennery Secondary School June 23rd – Micoud Secondary School June 30th - Beanefield Secondary School July 7th – Soufriere Primary School July 14 – TBA July 21st – TBA

Application forms can be collected in advance at Anthony's Jewellery. When coming to the auditions please walk with the filled application forms to register for a slot to perform in your district. Persons who do not get forms in advance should arrive early with a passportsized photo and be ready to fill in the form on the day.

Registration at all locations is from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and auditions begin promptly from noon. Audition rules are on the form.

THE STAR

www.stluciastar.com

JUNE 01, 2019

Chastanet reminds Andre Paul: Impregnating the under-aged is also rape!

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hen Prime Minister Allen Chastanet broached three weeks ago the effects of broken families on crime rates in Saint Lucia, the subsequent uproar from certain corners of our society perfectly encapsulated the finger-pointing culture that continues to plague this country.

As was heard over the airwaves at the time, many attacked Chastanet’s comments, not on its merits, but on the basis of his skin tone. Others declared the prime minister sexist, even that his statement was an attack on single mothers.

“I never spoke about single moms,” Chastanet informed Andre Paul, during an interview this week. “I was talking about crime in this country. When we visited Bordelais, and spoke to the people responsible for the young men in particular, we heard a recurring theme: many of the inmates come from broken homes.”

This echoed his initial May 6 comments on the issue, which had sparked the furore in the first place. Asked Chastanet at his pre-Cabinet press briefing: “What’s the root cause of crime? One of the main ones is the number of young girls who are having children under the age of 18 and having children with different men, following the pattern of their mothers and their grandmothers.”

The statistics back him up. The May 8, 2019 Bordelais Correctional Facility report

PM Allen Chastanet appealed to Saint Lucians to face the grim reality when it comes to the impact of broken homes and under-aged pregnancies on crime in the country.

states: “The majority of incarcerated persons (47%) grew up in single parent households whilst 24% grew up with both parents.” This majority figure does not even take into account inmates who come from homes where neither parent is present, further bolstering Chastanet’s “broken homes” point.

The PM, in his initial comments on the matter, stressed that under-age sex is not only a social ill, but is in fact also a crime, one that is continually swept under the carpet.

“A 13- or 14-year-old having a child is what?” he asked the host of What Makes You Mad? “It’s rape. It’s rape!

What are we doing? Plus, there’s no system in place to help these young people. And as I said before, it’s not totally their fault. It’s also our fault! We’re

not enforcing the law in the first place and we don’t have enough social workers. I’m saying to the general public as well, it’s also your fault.

“You pass by those households, you know exactly what’s going on, and none of us are reaching out to help. We cannot say we’re serious about solving the crime problem in this country if there’s not going to be empathy at that level. We’ve got to ask ourselves: how do we stop the rapes from happening in the first place? How do you stop that woman from being abused?”

The prime minister closed by pointedly addressing possible Doubting Thomases and Janes in his audience: “I have the greatest admiration for the women of this country. The greatest admiration.”

---Dean Nestor

No charges in police shooting which left student dead

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etails surrounding the controversial death of 17-yearold Arnold Joseph remain sketchy. The Entrepot Secondary School student was killed during a police operation in the capital last week. Unofficial sources claim Joseph was on his way home from a DJ gig, in the company of an ESS teacher and his brother. A former teacher of Joseph for three years described him as “a good student, a friendly guy who always wanted a hug”.

In a press release the RSLPF said that while on patrol, Special Services Unit officers received information about a “suspicious motor vehicle”. The officers attempted in vain to stop the vehicle. “During an attempt to apprehend the individuals, one was fatally shot. A second was non-fatally injured. A third male was arrested without injury.” The police also claim a 9mm firearm was recovered by officers.

This week ACP Wayne Charlery told the STAR that the two surviving individuals had been released without charge, even though the confiscated firearm was unlicensed.

He denied rumours than an officer associated with the incident had been suspended. Meanwhile, said Charlery, “investigations are ongoing”.

---JSA

Seventeen-year-old Arnold Joseph was killed during a police chase last week.

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Damn-Ass-Cuss Anyone?

Peter Josie

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former prime minister of Saint Lucia undertook construction of offices at the Castries waterfront in Conway to accommodate the expanding public service. At the time it was also announced that the new offices would help reduce the huge monthly rentals paid by the government.

By the look of things, these huge monthly payouts from the national treasury seem to have returned with a vengeance to bite us where it hurts most.

It is passing strange that no parliamentarian or opposition party hack has seen fit to raise his or her voice in question or protest. Why have the media likewise been silent?

Why no finger pointing? Is anyone concerned about the opportunity cost of these huge governmental monthly rentals?

It would be newsworthy to discover the exact monthly

payout by government for office space, especially since the police have now been moved from their head office at Upper Bridge Street to rental premises in the heart of the city. It would also be useful to discuss in layman terms, to what other worthy projects of national development these monthly payments might be applied.

It is difficult to disentangle the increasing rent debacle from the ever-increasing complaints about fungi in public offices—what the average person refers to as mould. The common wisdom is that these “new” government offices were not built to be enclosed and air-conditioned, hence the infestations. If that is the case, then what can be done toward a permanent solution? Do the builders have an obligation to correct the problem?

In any event, are we to understand that there is no one in Saint Lucia or in the Caribbean who can design (and build) offices of four or five storeys, which can be air-

Why doesn’t anyone bother to find out how much these government buildings cost?

conditioned and mould-free at the same time? Or perhaps we ought to observe more closely those from whom successive governments rent office space, and investigate how those who own these buildings go about their construction. Surely our Middle Eastern friends are not the only ones who can build such structures; or, is there

something more that the naked eye can’t see? As we reflect on the recent relocation of a section of the police force, can you, dear reader, recall the obstacles that were thrown in the path of the government in its effort to dismantle the old derelict prison on Upper Bridge Street for a brand new police headquarters and courthouse?

Does anyone care about what has become of that

plan? Or are some deliberately frustrating the government’s efforts while they await another friend from Damn-Ass-Cuss to construct another building in Castries so some smart aleck working in government can complain of mould all over again, and pocket his cut as he veers government toward more office rentals? When will this excessive monthly rental stop?

Who will stop it?

If this is how the future looks, with unelected people deciding how our tax dollars are spent, why don’t our parliamentarians get together and agree on a resolution to rename Castries Damn-AssCuss, and let the brethren run things. You know how we love red-nigger, even when we repeat “d white man nonsense” spread by those labar-hacks with their secret hatred of their own black skin. If we continue to bury our heads in the sand, or deliberately turn our gaze elsewhere, we may wake up one day and discover ourselves being led by the blind, while the dumb speak on our behalf in the places that matter most.

Life in the new capital of Saint Lucia may be fun and some may like the idea of being called Damn-Ass-Cussisans. Those of a contrary opinion may have great difficulty returning sanity to sweet Helen or building new government offices themselves once the genie has been let out of the bottle. I rest my case and turn you over, dear reader, to Rick Wayne and Sam Flood for further commentary.

KPMG Poised for Growth in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean

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PMG in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean (BEC) is pleased to announce that Baldwin Alcindor has been appointed as an Audit Partner, effective June 1, 2019. He is located in the KPMG office in Saint Lucia, and will be responsible for the operations there, assisting the leadership team in developing the practice across the Eastern Caribbean.

Baldwin attained his BSc. in Accounting/ Management (double major) from the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Jamaica, and subsequently completed his professional accounting designation with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

He joins the firm as an experienced partner, having more than 17 years’ experience in the profession. Baldwin has extensive experience across many sectors, namely financial services; banking and capital markets; asset management-SEC/non-SEC registered hedge funds, mutual funds in New York, the Cayman Islands, the Bahamas, and Bermuda; telecommunications; hospitality; public corporations; utility companies; and social services. Baldwin also has regional experience having worked in the Cayman Islands, Barbados, Trinidad, and Jamaica, in addition to his home country of Saint Lucia.

Commenting on his appointment, Managing Partner Lisa Taylor said, “We are very pleased to welcome Baldwin to the KPMG team. We are part of a global network, connected by our shared values,

Baldwin Alcindor, Partner, Audit in the KPMG office in Saint Lucia.

and our people. Baldwin joins us at a time when KPMG is poised to be the leader in new trends, including data and analytics; robotics and process automation; and Artificial Intelligence.

KPMG BEC continues to be the clear choice for our clients, employees, and the communities in which we operate.”

THE STAR

JUNE 01, 2019

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Small business owners from across the island gathered at the Courts Marisule Complex to showcase their products and services at the first annual Microloans by Courts Ready Cash Small Business Expo on Thursday May 23rd. The Expo accommodated over forty entrepreneurs from varying industries proudly showcasing their jewelry, clothing and craft to patrons and media alike.

The inaugural St Lucia Small Business Expo conceived by Microloans by Courts Ready Cash cements the brand’s promise of helping to drive the economic turnaround in St Lucia by reducing youth unemployment and empowering women.

Microloans by Courts Ready provides not just financial and business development support to entrepreneurs in St. Lucia but also o offers training, networking and support through coaching and mentoring. Our Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative, Broadening Horizons offers support through classroom style training with certified industry leaders. Our online learning and development platform Unicomer University strengthens our training capabilities and provides courses that can be adapted to our local training needs.

Mrs. Alexandra Duboulay, Chain Manager for Courts Ready Cash (OECS) stated that ‘the expo is geared at giving well needed exposure to small business from across the island.’ She went on to note that “our local entrepreneurs are so talented and it is amazing to see what they have created from everyday items. Our Microloans provides the well needed financial resources to help them go further and also the training needed to take them to the next level. Through our added focus on the female entrepreneur we encourage more females to use their talent to build their wealth at concessionary rates.” finan The Expo was welcomed by the local entrepreneurs who indicated that that the two main challenges faced by their business is getting financial assistance and marketing their businesses. They stated that the expo not only provided an avenue for them to learn about financial assistance available to them but also provided a well needed opportunity to sell their product and gain new customers. Noticeably, the Microloans Expo enabled on the spot discussion with the Unicomer team and gave entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch suitable items to the retail giant to be added to our repertoire.

The expo was funded by Microloans by Courts Ready Cash and was supported by The Small Enterprise Development Unit, Blue Waters, CPJ, Peter and Company Distribution and Food Center Limited.

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Philip J. Pierre: ‘There’ll Be No Grynberg Inquiry Under My Administration!’

Dean Nestor

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onsidering Labour Party leader Philip J. Pierre’s repeated demands for disciplinary action against a member of Allen Chastanet’s cabinet, on the basis of a letter retrieved from the Internet, his attitude at his party press briefing on Thursday strongly contradicted the “what’s good for the goose is good for the gander” fairplay principle— especially where the Grynberg issue is concerned.

Pierre had ridden to exhaustion his party’s latest hobby horse, ‘PAJOAH’, when this reporter brought up the recently resurrected, once more topical issue of Grynberg.

Ever since the ICSID’s ad hoc committee conditionally restored to Jack Grynberg his right to have his US$500 million breach of contract lawsuit judged on its merits, the

19-year-old secret arrangement between the Colorado oilman and former PM Kenny Anthony has dominated public attention.

Of special public concern is the possibility, however remote, that Gryberg could win his case. Even before his charges have been considered, local taxpayers have already forked out some six million dollars for the services of lawyers. When I asked Mr. Pierre what he would do about Grynberg should he replace Allen Chastanet following the next general elections, he said: “A Philip J. Pierre administration will not conduct an inquiry into a matter that it doesn’t think deserves an inquiry. That includes Grynberg and many other things.” He left reporters at his press conference to speculate about what he could possibly mean by “other things”.

Earlier, Pierre had sought to underscore the difference between Prime Minister Kenny Anthony’s 2016 “comfort letter” to British entrepreneur Robert

Ainsworth, and the ‘secret’ Grynberg arrangement and ‘PAJOAH’.

Said Pierre: “Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony has never said he did not sign the Grynberg arrangement.

He’s never said so. He’s never said he did not sign the Robert Ainsworth letter. He’s never said so. He’s taken full responsibility for signing.” Of course, only some of that is true. The former prime minister has stubbornly refused to address the story of Grynberg that began in 1999, shortly after Earl Huntley, then external affairs permanent secretary, privately imported Jack Grynberg to confirm his “hunch” that there was oil in the sea at Dauphin.

Added Pierre: “The Grynberg issue is being spoken of and it’s in the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes. Right now it is in arbitration. It’s being worked on. There’s nothing secret about Grynberg. The documents were put in public.

Many consider Philip J. Pierre (left) to be Kenny Anthony’s (right) most loyal soldier, in and out of office. The question remains: How appreciated is Pierre’s loyalty?

Rochamel went to the highest court in the region, in the land.

That’s completely different. The responsibility for signatures was never in doubt. Let’s be real.”

“The United Workers Party have threatened Grynberg for a long time,” Pierre observed.

“They just talk about it. They are in power so I can’t tell you what they should do. They should do what they deem fit and proper

to do under any circumstance.

They threaten so that they can intimidate people. That’s what they do. If the government thinks they can have an inquiry, they can go ahead.”

It should be noted that during his successful 2016 election campaign, and in more recent times, Prime Minister Allen Chastanet promised to investigate “the smoke

around Grynberg”. The last time Chastanet mentioned the investigation, several months ago in parliament, an angry Kenny Anthony threatened that if the prime minister proved true to his promise, his immediate predecessor would “personally make sure you reap the whirlwind of your actions”.

Obviously his words were not lost on Philip J. Pierre!

NYC PREPARES FOR THE POLLS

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he Saint Lucia National Youth Council wishes to notify the general public that nominations are officially open for positions on its Executive Board for the period 2019-2021.

The Saint Lucia National Youth Council (NYC) is a democratic and independent non-governmental organisation made up of youth and student organisations. The executive board comprises seven positions namely: President, 1st vice President, 2nd Vice President, General Secretary, Assistant General Secretary, Treasurer and Public Relations Officer.

All youth organisations are therefore invited to nominate competent young persons to fill in the various positions on or before the deadline of June 28, 2019. Once candidates are confirmed, a public press conference will be held to showcase the individuals

contesting each position and one round of televised presidential debates will take place.

The date for the NYC General Assembly and elections is slated for Saturday, August 3, 2019.

Nomination forms are available at the NYC office, the District Youth and Sports Councils and online via the Saint Lucia National Youth Council’s Facebook page.

Interested persons are invited to note the following eligibility criteria for being nominated: The nominee for any position on the NYC Executive must be: 1. Between the ages of 18 and 35 2. A registered member of a youth organisation registered under a District Youth and Sports Council, in accordance with the NYC Constitution (Article 3: Membership) or, 3. A member of a recognized

youth-led organisation registered with the Saint Lucia National Youth Council or the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports.

The election process is managed by an independent Electoral Committee. The Committee seeks to improve the overall process of elections for the organisation by presenting a truly nationwide opportunity for young people to participate in the affairs of its main representative organisation. Amid calls for revamping the organisation, reviewing its structure and constitution, it is recognized that the quality of leadership of the organisation is key to its proper function. And the role of the Electoral Committee, therefore, shall be to ensure a fair, transparent, participatory but highly professional approach to electing the next crop of leaders for the organisation.

THE STAR

www.stluciastar.com

JUNE 01, 2019

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Temporary relocation of vendors underway T he former location of the St. Lucia Fire Service headquarters on Jeremie Street was abuzz with activity on Monday morning as the relocation of vendors from Castries Market took effect.

The area, which had remained vacant since the demolition of the headquarters in 2015, has been retro-fitted with bathroom stalls and a storage facility and now features numerous brightly painted trays filled with an assortment of local produce.

The relocation was necessary in order to facilitate phase one of the Castries Market Redevelopment Project, and is expected to last three months. Vendors received a stipend of $500 from the Castries Constituency Council to assist them in the move.

Bustling vendors seemed very optimistic.

“The first day will not be as good as other days because a lot of your customers don’t know where you are,” said a vendor. “But we just have to be patient. We needed change.

We need our market to be attractive, so we have to abide

Vendors are hopeful that their temporary stay on Jeremie Street will prove fruitful.

with the move. However, I’m looking forward to going back very soon.”

Another vendor: “The first day has been very encouraging.

I never expected such sales on our first day. People are responding to the change, people are buying, everybody’s happy. The place is so beautiful.

Looking at the way we are organised, I wish it will be so when we go back to the

market.”

“It has not been bad,” was the view of still another vendor.

“We’re still organising the place, getting things ready, but we’ll get there. I’m happy with the way we are set up. It looks good, and I just want us to keep it up.”

Castries Mayor Peterson Francis was on the scene, mingling with the vendors.

He said they have generally

CCC workers cleaning up debris at Castries market following the relocation.

reacted positively, and he wants the public to embrace the change. “I just heard some vendors saying we should just leave them where they are now.

They’re feeling so good; people are interacting with them and they’re doing good business, even at this time of morning.

I’m very happy to see how

pleased they are.”

Commenting on the future, the mayor said: “I’ve told them we’re not going back to what we had before. We’re looking at a three-month period here.

If everything goes well, they’ll be back at the improved market site in that time.”

The move was not without

some resistance by vendors who normally operate on the sidewalk near the entrance to Castries Market. On Wednesday, they protested the move to the new grounds, but the quick intervention of city police officers kept things under control.

---Joshua St. Aimee

ECTEL Rolls Out Mobile Number Portability

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ore benefits are coming to mobile telephone customers in the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) has announced that starting Monday, June 3, 2019, Mobile Number Portability (MNP) will be launched in all five ECTEL member states.

MNP enables consumers to keep their current mobile telephone number when switching from one mobile telephone operator to another.

This service removes the inconvenience of phone users having to inform their contacts, family and friends of a new number after changing their mobile service provider.

The formal announcement was made on May 23 at the 39th ECTEL Council of Ministers meeting at Harbor Club in Saint Lucia. ECTEL Council member and Saint Lucia’s Minister of Economic Development, Housing, Urban Renewal, Transportation and Civil Aviation, Guy Joseph, complimented the directorate and staff of ECTEL for seeing the MNP project through, despite pushback from telecommunications providers.

“Quite a bit of work went into it over the years leading up to this point. We have had resistance in certain quarters.

We have had some of the providers who have raised their own concerns about bearing the burden of the cost of the equipment and what is required. And that it would also have implications for their projections because at any point in time somebody can choose to switch a provider,” said Joseph.

However, the minister said the intention of liberalisation is to attract more than one provider and to take the OECS to the point where “this system is fully open in the way that it can be utilised by the customers”.

The MNP project began in 2015 with a decision by the ECTEL Council of Ministers to implement local number portability for both fixed and mobile phones. The introduction of MNP means that consumers can now switch their attention to other telecommunications issues, such as service quality, service offerings and price.

An important benefit of MNP, according to Joseph, is that it will allow easier entry of another provider into the telecommunications sector.

“So while I may not expect a wholesome move of persons switching providers, MNP would

be creating an avenue where other players can enter into the market and capitalise on the goodwill of the market, as a new entrant would be able to help us see better liberalisation, not just in Saint Lucia but across the ECTEL member states. And that is what I’m really looking forward to. So the work being done by ECTEL is not just for consumers in one area but to fully realise what was done when we went for liberalisation of the telecoms sector to get it fully liberalised by having providers who can compete and bring the best quality at the best price to the customers across this region,” Joseph said.

MNP will be available to post-paid and pre-paid mobile consumers of all service providers within the ECTEL region, as long as the customer’s number has not been barred, restricted, suspended, or handsets reported stolen or lost to the current provider. There will be no charges for number porting. All porting or switching charges will be met by the service provider. However, the current provider may charge for the new SIM card and unlocking the customer’s handset, before the number is ported.

Information on Mobile Number Portability is available at www.ectel.int/mnp.

THE STAR

www.stluciastar.com

JUNE 01, 2019

Miss Understood

By Allana Maximin

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ast week’s touchy subject of infertility sets the stage for this week’s topic, which is linked to infertility. This subject is the loss of an unborn child or “miscarriage”. It might hit a spot in many women who have experienced this, and it isn't something people are generally comfortable speaking openly about. As someone who has been down that road one too many times, I feel the need to be an advocate for those who are voiceless on the topic. Let us delve into this subject thoroughly but cautiously.

A miscarriage takes place when a baby/foetus dies in the womb before 20 weeks of pregnancy. It is a common thing to experience but that doesn’t make it any less devastating.

According to plannedparenthood. org, some 20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage and 8/10 of these happen within the first three months.

There can be many confusing terms and moments that accompany a miscarriage.

There are different types of miscarriage, different treatments for each, different causes and different statistics for what your chances are of having one.

There are a number of reasons why such a sad situation might happen but it is often difficult to identify the cause.

Commonly in miscarriage, there is an abnormal number of chromosomes, or hormonal problems, infections or maternal health problems. But this article’s focus will be on dealing with

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REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST SAINT LUCIA DISASTER VULNERABILITY REDUCTION PROJECT Grant Agreement SLU EDF Grant TF0A3651 Assignment Title: Detailed Designs and Supervision for Reconstruction of the Vanard (Venus) – Anse La Raye Link Road Reference No. : SLU-DVRP-AF-QCBS-DSAVR-02-17

To feel grief and guilt after a miscarriage is normal.

the aftermath of miscarriages.

Our loved ones, though they may be sad about the loss, might not fully understand the emotional and physical pain of the once expectant mother. In my experience, you are told that the physical pain might only last a few days. However, what isn’t said is that emotional pain subconsciously causes physical pain to be prolonged. At a time like this it is easy to feel alone, unwanted, tainted and guilty, even if there’s no fault in the matter.

This is when loved ones need to give the most support and approach with caution. What I mean is miscarriages often lead to depression, anxiety and emotional instability. I experienced irritability and at the same time craved comfort, which was confusing to me and those around me.

My advice to anyone who has recently suffered the loss of a child is to seek the necessary help that you need. We are often left with unanswered questions regarding physical recovery, emotional recovery and trying to conceive again. There’s no one way that all people feel after having a miscarriage. You may

feel a mix of emotions, including disappointment, despair, shock, guilt, grief and relief, sometimes all at the same time, which is all normal. It is very important that women try to keep the lines of communication open with family, friends and health care providers during this time.

It’s OK to take time to grieve after a miscarriage. Take care of yourself physically and emotionally, and give yourself permission to grieve your loss if you need to. Grief and sadness are normal responses to miscarriage. Try to surround yourself with supportive and loving people who will let you grieve and comfort you. If you have a partner, they may be grieving the loss and dealing with a range of emotions, too.

Talking about your feelings and supporting each other can help you both cope.

Certain things like hearing names you were thinking of for your baby or seeing other babies can be painful reminders of your loss. You may need help learning how to deal with these situations and the feelings they create. Tell your healthcare provider if you need help to deal with your grief.

National Cancer Survivors Day, June 2

his year’s unique celebration will mark the 32nd annual National Cancer Survivors Day, and the fourth year that Saint Lucia has joined in the celebration. Thousands of people in hundreds of communities across the globe will hold celebrations on this day to honour cancer survivors and to raise awareness of the challenges of cancer survivorship.

Faces of Cancer Saint Lucia is hosting a Gros Piton climb, followed by a beach picnic at the Hummingbird Beach Park, on Sunday June 2, to commemorate National Cancer Survivors Day, and the public is invited.

“Come see how life after cancer is more than just surviving. It’s about living well. You will see the strength, endurance, courage and determination of cancer survivors as we aspire to reach the top of Gros Piton and release our cancer symbol. And that’s something to

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celebrate,” says Dorothy Phillip, NCSD coordinator and President for Faces of Cancer Saint Lucia.

“You will find our Saint Lucian National Cancer Survivors Day celebration filled with joy, hope, camaraderie, and compassion as we acknowledge our cancer survivors. We will also recognize the contributions of their families, friends, and healthcare providers and raise awareness of the ongoing challenges faced by cancer survivors today.”

This local event is part of a worldwide celebration coordinated by the National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation and will be featured in Coping with Cancer magazine.

Anyone living with a history of cancer—from the moment of diagnosis through the remainder of life—is a cancer survivor, according to the National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation. In Saint Lucia it is believed that we have over 300 people living with a history of cancer.

Major advances in cancer awareness, prevention, early detection, and treatment have resulted in longer survival.

However, a cancer diagnosis can leave a host of problems in its wake. Physical, financial, and emotional hardships often persist for years after diagnosis and treatment. Survivors must contend with rapidly rising drug costs, inadequate insurance coverage, difficulty finding or keeping employment, and a lack of understanding from family and friends. In light of these difficulties, Saint Lucians need to stand with these survivors and make a commitment to addressing the challenges of cancer survival.

“Despite the numerous obstacles they face, cancer survivors live full, active lives and are an inspiration to all of us,” says Dorothy Phillip.

For more information call Faces of Cancer Saint Lucia on (758) 384-2637.

Saint Lucia has received financing from the European Union channelled through the World Bank towards the cost of the Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project (DVRP) and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services for the detailed designs and supervision for reconstruction of the Vanard (Venus) Anse La Raye Link Road.

The consulting services (“the Services”) include preparation of detailed designs (technical information, specifications, work requirements, drawings and detailed bill of quantities) for the rehabilitation/ reconstruction of the Vanard (Venus) to Anse La Raye Link Road in accordance with international standards approved for climatic conditions similar to that of Saint Lucia including seismic conditions and carry out supervision services of then proposed work. Detailed design services include carrying out an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, engineering surveys including traffic surveys, preliminary and final designs. The assignment will be for the duration of twenty-one months (Phase #1 – design services will require 16-man months over seven (7) calendar months and Phase 2 - Supervision Services - will require full time supervision over the construction period not to exceed twelve (12) months. The Terms of reference may be obtained on the website of the Government of Saint Lucia (www. govt.lc/consultancy) or at the address below.

The Department of Economic Development, Transport and Civil Aviation now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services; (brochures, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among staff, (please note that the individual experts’ bio data is not required.)

The shortlisting criteria are: The minimum required qualifications and experience of the consulting firm are: 1. Legally established; 2.

Must demonstrate at least ten (10) years’ experience in successfully undertaking designs of similar magnitude or complexities (The Consultancy entails the designs for rehabilitation/reconstruction of approximately 8.75 kilometres of flexible and rigid pavement systems, highways and roadway, designs of associated infrastructure for highways inclusive of; Drains, Culverts, Bridges, Retaining walls and stabilization of slopes inclusive of bioengineering methods);

3. Provision of consulting services (designs and supervision) within the past ten (10) years for two

similar assignments (value of works designed and supervised greater than US$4million) 4. Must demonstrate at least ten (10) years’ experience in successfully undertaking supervision of

construction projects of a similar magnitude.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 1.9 of the World Bank’s Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants by World Bank Borrowers 2011 revised July 2014 (“Consultant Guidelines”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

Consultants may associate with other firms in the form of a joint venture or a subconsultancy to enhance their qualifications. The associations should clearly indicate the form of the association (Joint-venture or sub-consultancy; member in charge; other member/s and or sub-consultants). Joint ventures shall submit letters of intent indicating their intent to form a joint venture if awarded the contract and shall provide the above mentioned information for each member of the joint venture.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Selection under a Fixed Budget (FBS) method set out in the World Bank’s Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants by World Bank Borrowers 2011, revised July 2014 (“Consultant Guidelines”).

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 8:00 a.m-4:00 p.m. (0800 to 1600 hours).

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail, or by e-mail) by June 5, 2019

Project Coordination Unit Department of Economic Development, Transport and Civil Aviation Attn: Project Coordinator Second Floor, Finance Administrative Centre Trou Garnier, Pointe Seraphine Castries Saint Lucia Tel: 758-468-2413 E-mail: slupcu@gosl.gov.lc

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No Escape for Banana Farmers

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he hurricane season is always filled with talk about the main ingredient of our national dish, which ripens into a yellow delight for European supermarket shelves, mostly because the banana tree is one of the flimsiest crops, and at the same time its fruit is possibly our largest export product. I suppose most readers already know the problem. The hurricane season is, for any Caribbean banana farmer, simply an inevitability!

Last year’s tropical storm Kirk brought wind that some described as far scarier than the damaging rainfall of recent storms. Kirk inflicted damage on up to 80% of the island’s banana and plantain crops, according to the Ministry of Agriculture’s rapid assessment. The crops were uprooted, snapped and toppled by the wind. It’s something all the banana farmers should be used to, but it’s no easy thing handling increasing zero-income spells of about six to nine months each.

Although he loves being selfemployed and enjoys the beauty of working with nature, John (not his real name) is always far from prepared for what he describes as “the sadness” that comes after storms and hurricanes. “For the six months it takes to replant and grow banana trees, I still have to pay my workers. I also have to wait another three months before I can harvest and make an income,” he said, “but you cannot protect the trees from wind.

There’s no way to defend nature from itself.” The latter, spoken usually in creole, is a line I heard countless times over the past weekend.

John and 266 core farmers out of 327 total members sell to the National Fair Trade Organisation an average of sixty boxes of bananas per five acres of farming land. A box of fruit for international export is worth US$9.20 but with nothing to sell for the time in between a storm and a farmer’s next harvest day, the farm essentially operates at a loss. Of course, the Ministry of Agriculture provides fertilizers, assists with drainage and, in dark times like the hurricane season, governments promise other subsidies. But according to John, sometimes the promises go unfulfilled.

“Last year they said they would give fertilizer and help us replant,” he said. “They never did it and another hurricane season is here. It’s the only way the government can really help.

In the past they’d give a cycle of fertilizer and oil and send people to help with the work to lessen the cost while we were not making money. It helped a little.

But if it has to be worth anything I think they should give three

cycles of fertilizer and oil and help to chop the trees and replant.”

Meanwhile, John awaits word from the government or the Taiwanese-funded Banana Productivity Improvement Project.

Farmers also have the option of acquiring crop insurance.

However, despite that the damage was worse than in some previous hurricane seasons, some farmers still cannot make insurance claims. “They said the wind speed was too low,” John lamented, “They give it for 70 mph and Kirk was 50 mph, they say.”

And as for a farmers’ pension scheme, John says: “So many years government after government talk about it but no one has ever done it. We need one now more than ever.”

For members of the NFTO, harvest days must coincide with the days the vessel is set to leave for the United Kingdom.

Unfortunately for some angry farmers, Thursday and Friday are the designated days, so they missed their final full paycheck for 2018 by a few hours. John argued: “I have 100 boxes in my shed and they could have let us harvest early on Thursday.”

However, NFTO said otherwise: “Usually on harvest days farmers come to sell from about 4 p.m. and the receiving staff would knock off around midnight to one o’clock in the morning when the storm was at its worst. We also had to consider

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Some banana farmers believe their lives are changing for the worse, but what do you do when the enemy is Mother Nature?

that the bananas had to be refrigerated and, if there was no electricity, the fruit would spoil while in the container.”

A disconsolate John responded: “Well, now we have nothing to sell!”

There seems to be no way to escape the temporary

bankruptcy. For farmers like John, they cannot use the fallen crop, even if it looks fine. There are specifications for the time period the fruit should be picked and they must be green and blemishfree. Any farmer attempting to sell fallen fruit or defy any of the fifty other specifications would

be suspended. Neither would they be allowed to sell to the less strict regional market; nor to the banana-saturated local market.

Everyone wants to sell his last batch of fruit.

Banana farmers who had younger, shorter trees hope and pray that they would weather any

storm. But many, like John, were not so lucky.

And we still have the whole hurricane season ahead of us.

Said a desperate John, “It’s like the storms are getting worse.

I don’t even know if I should do this anymore. I’m getting too old for it.”

Taiwan Technical Mission brings new prospect to Saint Lucia Agriculture

he new co-operative project, “Enhancing the efficiency of production-distribution supply chains in fruit and vegetable in Saint Lucia”, aims to decrease the net import budgets in seven crops: cabbage, lettuce, watermelon, cantaloupe, bell pepper, pineapple and tomato.

The reasons these seven crops were selected are not only because not all local farmers can grow them correctly, but also due to the high import bills on these crops. Thus, to improve the grade of local vegetables and fruits, farmers’ income and local consumption, it is essential that the focus should not only be on the production side, but also the marketing side.

Similar with other agricultural projects done by the Taiwan Technical Mission before, which focused on improving crop productions, this project has two parts: market side and production side.

On the marketing side, it is

crucial to understand and predict the preference of market to increase farmers’ income. On the other hand, local farmers could have enough market information to have their planting plans meet consumer demand through a well-designed agricultural extension system.

The priority at this stage is to understand market needs.

Thus, the Taiwan Technical Mission’s chief Mario Cheng; specialist, Ai-Lin Chen and the project coordinator Adline Eudovic from the Ministry of Agriculture had initial meetings both with the Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association and the local produce manager for Massy Stores. They discussed future cooperation and the quantities and quality of market demand.

On the production side, Chen and Eudovic are working together to design questionnaires for a farm baseline survey to understand the real-time information of the field on the selected crops in Saint Lucia.

The Taiwan Technical Mission will collect islandwide statistics on seven crops for market research.

This nationwide survey was implemented in the middle of May and is expected to finish in early June. The TaiwanTechnical

Mission and Ministry of agricultural also held two training sessions for conducting the survey to receive the most

accurate real-time field planting information, such as expected yield and expected harvest date of the seven crops.

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Using ganja doesn’t kill, says De Caires . . . possession does!

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he chairman of the Cannabis Movement, Mr. Andre De Caires, has described as “unfortunate” a police drug interception believed to have led to the death of a man at sea. On Wednesday, local police addressed the incident: during a routine patrol on May 24 the marine unit intercepted a canoe near Mathurin Point in Vieux Fort. Sixty-three pounds of "what appeared to be cannabis" was discovered aboard and confiscated. Vieux Fort resident Martinez Fontenelle was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled drug, then granted bail.

The police said another occupant on board the vessel had jumped into the water and escaped arrest.

They reported "a body of a male, believed to be the second occupant" was later found at a beach along Mathurin Point.

De Caires had no quarrel with Fontenelle being charged, since marijuana possession remains illegal.

But the incident highlights the bigger issue of our current laws, he said. "It's very unfortunate that ganja does not kill users, but illegal possession of it does.

Many people’s lives have been destroyed and people have died because of the illegality of cannabis. It's a victimless, non-violent crime, and here we have a

DOG DAY AFTERNOON – FUN FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY

he St. Lucia Kennel Club (SLKC), originally established in 2002, has now been reestablished since late 2018, after a long period of dormancy, under the leadership of an Interim Executive led by Lokesh Singh as Chairman, Kareem Neptune as Vice Chairman, Daryl Raymond as Secretary and Cletus St Marie as Treasurer and an active registered membership of over fifty persons.

The SLKC focuses on promoting and maintaining a register of pure-bred dogs in Saint Lucia. Additionally, SLKC advocates and supports responsible breeding and ownership of dogs. In this regard, the club has forged strong relationships with the veterinary division within the Ministry of Agriculture, as well as all private veterinarians.

The SLKC wishes to invite the general public to come out today, Saturday, June 1, 2019, when it will be hosting a dog exhibition and family fun day called “Dog Day Afternoon”. The venue is the Rodney Heights Grounds (adjacent to the Rodney Heights Aquatic Centre) and proceedings start at 3.00pm. This event is being planned as a family oriented activity, with special features for children such as face painting, a bouncy castle, a cup cake station and popular Ferrands ice cream products. There will also be a full dog exhibition service bar.

The day’s programme will include a display of the various dog breeds on the island and demonstrations of dogs trained in obedience and security handling which will be facilitated by professional dog trainers.

It also allows the general public to get a first-hand view of the various types of dogs and an interface with the dogs and their owners, should they wish to become a dog owner in the near future or members of the St. Lucia Kennel Club.

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man losing his life over some bags of grass."

The chairman says his group is in dialogue with Commerce Minister Bradley Felix, the government's point man on cannabis.

A key part of the Movement's plans is to embark on a national educational programme to educate the public on cannabisrelated matters. De Caires says Minister Felix has requested a budget for the initiative, which they intend to submit by this week.

---JSA

The RSLPF says that 63lbs of cannabis was recovered during the operation.

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Why did Kenny Disc his Libel Lawsuit A Richard Frederi S

everal weeks ago I was at once flattered and shocked to hear a not usually generous show presenter lauding my contributions to local journalism, with special emphasis on my “indisputable credibility through the years.”

The euphoria I felt soon evaporated when he added: “I have just one complaint. And it has to do with the time Rick has devoted to this matter of Grynberg. Dat dead. Dah eh goin’ nowhere!” Evidently he had never considered the time it took Woodward and Bernstein, with all the resources at their disposal, to bring to light the dirt of Watergate. Or what it took to get the Pentagon Papers to readers of the New York Times.

Or that the hunt for perpetrators of the Holocaust continues almost eighty years later. Need I mention the countless untold local stories of abuse, details of which remain locked away in the vaults of convenience, despite the victims’ cries for justice?

That the show presenter was none other than the singular former parliamentarian and lawmaker Richard Frederick is significant. I had good reason to know what he endured during his time in the dragon’s den.

How could he have forgotten so quickly that the power vested in members of parliament can be used for purposes other than the common good? He had personally suffered—and

I dare to say continues to suffer—the consequences of lengthy campaigns designed to prove him “the most frightening prospect confronting this nation.”

Jack Grynberg’s relationship with Saint Lucia started in 1999, two years after the Kenny Anthony administration took office.

A career public servant, Earl Huntley had that year discovered “something black like tar on my foot” while cavorting in the sea at Dauphin with a favorite female. As for the Denver, Colorado oilman Jack Grynberg, his Internet history reminds of Count Dracula, the only difference being that Grynberg’s reputation as an international bloodsucker is strictly metaphorical. What really keeps him jacked up through the night is Texas tea.

Bubblin’ crude. Oil!

At the time Huntley soiled his foot in the crystal clear Dauphin waters, Grynberg was having a whale of a time at the expense of the people of Grenada over an oil deal that went awry just two weeks after it was inked by the island’s government and the CEO of RSM Production Company.

Suffice it to say it cost the taxpayers of Grenada millions of dollars before their seabed was rescued by the International Center for Settlement of International Disputes.

Huntley alone knows Jack Grynberg’s special attraction.

budget debate: “Mde Speaker, this government has discovered that the previous administration signed an agreement with RSM and a representative named Grynberg for oil exploration in Saint Lucia. RSM is a company duly organized under law of the State of Texas.”

He read from the document: “By this agreement Accommodated by overseasthe company is exclusively based fellow Saint Lucian authorized to carry out public servants, the two explorations in the agreement men hit it off from their first area during the exploration connection. The American soon period, and if a commercially confirmed Huntley’s admitted exploitable petroleum reservoir “hunch”: the gooey stuff that is discovered during the period serendipitously had clung to the company is exclusively his foot while swimming at authorized to conduct Dauphin was by Grynberg’s development operations. Under measure indisputable proof of Article 3 of the agreement the the presence of vast reservoirs government . . . hear this well, of oil—not just leakage from Mde Speaker. Hear this well some long forgotten shipwreck. . . . the government grants

But back to Richard the company an exploration Frederick: even as he was license covering its interest in recommending I quit the agreement area for an initial attempting to resurrect the period of four years from the dead, the ad hoc committee effective date, subject however of the World Bank’s ICSID was to force majeure [believing the pronouncing Grynberg’s US$500 MP had slipped into kwéyòl, the million breach of contract diarist translated and recorded lawsuit against our government force majeure in Hansard as very much alive. Earlier ‘force food’] provisions of Article the unheard suit had been 24, upon application made by dismissed with prejudice by the company the expiration the tribunal, after the notorious license shall be renewed for oilman refused to guarantee two further periods of two years possible costs. It’s now up to each.”

Grynberg to continue to pursue Frederick turned several his case or drop it. Shortly pages before moving on: before his matter came before “It goes on to say each the ICSID’s ad hoc committee, development license referred to he made some reconciliatory in Article 8 shall be granted for proposals to the government. an additional period of 30 years.

In all events, Frederick and Upon application to be made by fellow Cabinet members the company each license shall were certainly in a mood for be renewed for a further period war when back in 2009 they of 20 years. In other words, Mde first learned of the oilman’s Speaker, the last Minister for secret relationship with Kenny Finance tied down sweet Saint Anthony.

Lucia, the waters of sweet Saint

The following is from Lucia, for 58 years. Yes, Mde Frederick’s contribution in Speaker, 58 years!” parliament to the 27 April, 2009 He came to page 29 of the

The prime minister Kenny Anthony (left) reluctantly presses the fle elections. Said the PM to the newcomer: “I’ll shake your han

agreement: “It was signed, Mde Speaker. It was signed. The signature is very familiar. Now you know what, Mde Speaker?

Dr. Kenny Anthony, the then Minister for Finance. No, I am referring to an official capacity now, not as a Member.”

The MP Richard Frederick related in blood-curdling detail how deep was Earl Huntley’s involvement in the Grynberg deal, including the oilman’s references to the public servant as “my trusted associate.”

Also that Kenny Anthony had entered into the contractual arrangement contrary to his attorney general’s advice.

Not long after the recalled budget debate Kenny Anthony publicly commented for the

first and last time on the Grynberg matter. Actually, what he said had less to do with his arrangements with the American oilman than with the government parliamentarians Rufus Bousquet, Guy Joseph and of course his long-time bête noir Richard Frederick, largely responsible for the Labour Party’s election defeat in 2006. In the process Frederick had destroyed whatever long-term political ambitions Victor La Corbiniere and Vaughan Lewis may have harbored.

In his televised statement the former prime minister claimed the above-named MPs had made false allegations against his “character, honesty and integrity.” He said the allegations were “not only untrue but also calculated to deceive and defame my good name when they know and knew otherwise.”

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scontinue Against erick?

ses the flesh with Richard Frederick days before the 2006 general e your hand but I’ll never forget that you said I was corrupt!”

Moreover: “This pretended and feigned ignorance by these individuals, one a lawyer, will be exposed in this statement . . . These three men well knew their allegations were and are false. Like the political cowards they are, they relied on the privileges of the House of Assembly to publish these deliberately fabricated lies to the world. All three chose to publish these defamatory allegations in the House during the budget debate, after I had made my budget reply, in the certain knowledge that I could not and would not be allowed to contest their baseless allegations since I didn’t have the right to reply to them. They dare not repeat them outside the precincts of the House. Their supporters who repeat those allegations are not similarly protected.”

Truth be told, nothing in the

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Standing Orders prevents an MP from standing up at any time on a point of clarification.

To be forced to sit in silence while another MP misleads the House would be tantamount to complicity. In all events, the MP Kenny Anthony had left the chamber soon after Frederick started his assault.

In his televised statement Kenny Anthony said Earl Huntley had countered the MP's allegations soon after the 2009 budget debate. In an article published by the Voice, Anthony asserted, Huntley had “exposed Richard Frederick’s calculated effort to deceive the public and injure my reputation.” He also referenced his former attorney general, the Commonwealth

Secretariat in London, and other matters that have since been made clear by the torch of time.

Finally: “The government of St. Vincent has continued its relationship with Grynberg Petroleum and some time in 2007 renewed their contract to continue exploration in the waters of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. If Grynberg was a con artist why was his company’s license renewed in St. Vincent?”

Keeping in mind all there is to read on the Internet about Jack Grynberg’s operations, including details of his troubles with Grenada, the same question might fairly be put to Kenny Anthony. Not long after he added his signature to a contract with Jack Grynberg’s RSM, the oilman requested additional time to his 4-year contract, as well as more acreage. Grynberg also notified Kenny Anthony that border disputes prevented him from holding up his end of the arrangement. The prime minister delivered without one question about the alleged border disputes.

I almost forgot: Not long after his recalled televised Statement to the Nation Kenny Anthony filed a lawsuit against Richard Frederick. He threatened others whom he claimed were supporters of the MP. The matter never came to court. Some five or six years after filing, the former prime minister instructed his lawyers to discontinue the action. Who knows whether his decision was based on an undertaking never again to mention in the same breath the names Jack Grynberg and Kenny Anthony— and to discourage journalists from investigating the darker dimensions of the devilish relationship!

KAROLIN TROUBETZKOY AWARDED GERMANY'S HIGHEST HONOUR K arolin Troubetzkoy of Saint Lucia has been awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, the highest tribute the republic can pay to individuals for services to the nation.

Instituted in 1951 by President Theodor Heuss, the President of the Federal Republic of Germany bestows the Order of Merit on people for achievements in the political, economic, social or intellectual realm, and for rendering outstanding services to the nation in the field of social, charitable or philanthropic work. Mrs. Troubetzkoy, who arrived in Saint Lucia from Germany in 1984, accepted the honour at a ceremony in Castries on Friday attended

by Saint Lucian leaders and diplomatic officials, including Saint Lucia's Prime Minister Allen Chastanet; Saint Lucia's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Guy Mayers; and Dr. Didacus Jules, Director General of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States.

The honour was conferred upon Mrs. Troubetzkoy by outgoing German diplomat, His Excellency Holger Michael, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Caribbean.

In her acceptance speech, Mrs. Troubetzkoy said she was surprised to receive the recognition "because in my voluntary work, I never focused on my own person but simply on what I could do for others".

Reflecting on 2008 when she was appointed the Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany in Saint Lucia, Troubetzkoy, who is Executive Director of the Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain resorts, mused: "I feel it should be me thanking and bestowing recognition on Germany and the German President for opening my eyes to what was happening outside my personal comfort bubble . . . [which was] my life in Soufrière . . . [and] my work at our resorts."

"It would have been very easy to just keep focused

Saint Lucian hospitality industry pioneer, Karolin Troubetzkoy (right) receiving the Order of Merit.

on family, on marketing and operating our resorts, and to continue bringing benefits to the surrounding community of Soufrière," said Troubetzkoy.

Instead, she opted to volunteer for wider reaching charitable, conservation and community benefit activities in addition to heading the Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA), the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), the CHTA Education Foundation, and setting up initiatives such as SLHTA's Tourism Enhancement Fund.

As the Honorary Consul, she reconnected with her native homeland and was proud to see the work Germany and its affiliated organisations were undertaking in the region. "It also gave me a much broader understanding of the social, economic and environmental challenges which we face here in Saint Lucia and in the Caribbean region. The more I learned, the more I wanted to

play my part to ensure that our future generations here in Saint Lucia and the Caribbean had a bright and prosperous future."

Troubetzkoy, who serves as Envoy of the Caribbean Challenge Initiative, has also been promoting the strengthening of the Caribbean's resilience to climate change and its efforts to recover from natural disasters, while helping the region protect natural resources and commit to the principles of sustainable development.

She paid special tribute to her husband, the visionary Nick Troubetzkoy, owner/architect of Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain, "for allowing me so much time away from our business and family to fulfill these voluntary roles which mean a lot to me".

In closing, Troubetzkoy thanked Ambassador Holger Michael and his wife for their support, presenting them with a farewell gift.

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Taiwan’s generosity almost beyond belief but the Caribbean knows its real!

Claudia Eleibox Mc Dowell

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ith approximately 23 million people, the Taiwanese consider their country a small island. Yet, it holds some of the top positions in the global economy, international trade and technology. In 2017 Taiwan ranked as the world’s 16th largest merchandise exporter and, as of December 2017, the country’s foreign exchange reserves were valued at US$ 451.5 billion.

The Republic of China (Taiwan) and its ambassadors to our island maintain nearly monthly headlines as Taiwan expresses unmatched generosity to Saint Lucia. Presently, Taiwan is slated to fund major developmental projects here, including what might be the current administration’s defining undertaking: the St Jude Hospital Redevelopment Project. Additionally, Taiwan’s Eximbank is the loaning enterprise for the government’s airport redevelopment, road reconstruction and school rehabilitation projects.

The East Asian country has also lent a helpful hand in banana productivity and other farming and agricultural activities, focusing heavily on educating Saint Lucians to make the best use of grants and funding for many years. Meanwhile there are scores of Saint Lucians benefitting from Taiwan’s fully-funded scholarship opportunities.

But why exactly does Taiwan invest so much in Saint Lucia?

Anyone who has interacted with one of the Taiwanese Embassy’s employees might think that it’s just because they are simply an extraordinarily generous people.

Taiwanese cashiers pass on your shopping receipt with both hands, sealed with a bow. And, despite the language barrier, Taiwanese people go out of their way to assist confused tourists. The cynical visitor might well imagine there’s more to the Taiwanese attitude, considering the country’s reliance on local support at global forums such as the United Nations and the World Health Assembly. The more informed would know the demonstrated good manners is merely Taiwanese culture.

The Taiwanese government’s willingness to assist Small Island Developing States in their

Journalists from Taiwan’s Caribbean and Pacific diplomatic allies holding their respective flags at the National Taiwan University during this year’s press tour.

growth, in any case, is more than welcome.

It might surprise Saint Lucians and other Caribbean islanders that Taiwan’s main industry was once agriculture.

For most of the year, Taiwan has climatic conditions similar to ours and produces similar agricultural products: papayas, mangoes, bananas, wax apples, coconuts and pineapples, among them.

The Taiwanese experience seasonal typhoons and frequent seismic activity. Taiwan was also once a regular recipient of international aid and funding for its infrastructure and development.

With so many similarities with SIDS, information on how Taiwan came to be in a position to offer so much assistance should be a major resource for its diplomatic allies in the Caribbean. Post 1950s the Taiwan Miracle began to unravel, making the country's thriving economy what it is today. A series of Taiwan’s farsighted development strategies was accompanied by the country’s united effort to change its main industries to suit the world’s shifting demands from tea to fibres, consumer electronics, semiconductor manufacturing and technology.

Its government supported private sector investments and policies to facilitate international trade.

Currently Taiwan faces challenges of overcoming air pollution, and in 2019’s first quarter its economy stumbles through the US-China trade wars and a decreasing global demand for electronics. The latter

is nothing new to the country; it weathered through the 2009 financial crisis and similar demand fluctuations in 2015.

But on a note more personal to us, Taiwan wishes to share its knowledge by offering green energy solutions, education opportunities, health-care strategies, best farming practices and investment expertise. On at least three occasions during Taiwan’s

Ministry of Foreign Affairs International Cooperation and Development press tour this year, while referencing Taiwan’s relationship with countries like Saint Lucia, the phrase, “It’s better to teach a man how to fish than to just give him fish,” was emphasized.

The annual press tour this year ran from Sunday May 19 to Friday May 24. Invitations were extended to journalists

from ten Caribbean and Pacific countries, enabling them to visit Taiwan’s major universities, innovative hospitals, agricultural department and technology and communications solutions companies.

Taiwan’s International Cooperation and Development Fund is focusing on five of the UN’s fifteen Sustainable Development Goals: zero hunger, good health and well-being,

quality education, decent work and economic growth, partnership for the goals. How we use their assistance is up to us.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Find out more about this reporter’s recent visit to Taiwan as part of its International Development and Cooperation Press tour in next week’s STAR.

Financial Action Task Force

Recommendation 19: Higher Risk Countries By the Attorney General’s Chambers and the National Anti-Money Laundering Oversight Committee (NAMLOC)

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country can be deemed to be high risk through the following means: (i) a credible source such as a mutual evaluation identifies a weak AML/CFT system, (ii) the country is subjected to embargos or sanctions, (iii) through credible sources the country is identified as having high levels of corruption, (iv) the country has been identified as providing funding or support for terrorist activities.

Recommendation 19 requires that financial intuitions and Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs), referred to in Saint Lucian legislation as “other

business activities”, apply enhanced customer due diligence measures to business relationships and transactions from these higher risk countries.

In using the risk-based approach, the enhanced due diligence techniques applied should be proportionate to the risks identified.

Financial Institutions and DNFBPs can employ enhanced customer due diligence techniques such as obtaining additional information on the customer, updating identification data on a frequent basis, getting additional information on the nature of the business that the client intends to pursue and obtaining information on the source of funds and wealth.

Approval should also be sought from senior management before commencing or continuing a business relationship.

Countries should be in a position to apply countermeasures to mitigate exposure to higher risk jurisdictions when called upon to do so by the Financial Action Task Force. However, countermeasures can also be instituted independently by countries. These measures may include refusing the establishment of subsidiaries or branches from higher risk countries, prohibiting financial institutions and DNFBPs from starting branches and subsidiaries in the country with the inadequate AML/CFT regime, and requiring financial institutions to review, amend or terminate correspondent banking relationships with financial institutions in the country concerned.

Section 16(1)(h) of the Money Laundering (Prevention)

Act of the Revised Laws of Saint Lucia mandates financial institutions and persons engaged in other business activities, to “develop and apply policies and procedures to address specific risks associated with non-faceto-face business relationships or countries that do not apply the Financial Action Task Force Recommendations”.

The merits of this Recommendation will be tested during the on-site visit by the assessors from the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) from September 16-27, 2019. They will seek to ascertain whether the laws of the country are sufficient in prohibiting business relationship with higher risk countries.

More detailed information on Recommendation 19 can be sourced from the CFATF website at www.cfatf-gafic.org.

THE STAR

By Tony Deyal

J

ustice might be blind but it should by now clearly see that Judgment Day is here, and it is not just a bad Hollywood movie but a series of events that even, with all due respect, makes me wonder about judges and whether we are courting disaster or merely marking time.

In Guyana the majority of people are waiting on a judgment by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) for what constitutes a majority and wonder whether we can deem it a majority decision.

In England the Privy Council ruled that a political activist had an arguable case for accessing documents relating to a decision by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago (TNT) to withdraw a multimillion dollar lawsuit because it “may have been influenced by political factors.” On the other hand, a few years ago the Daily Mail headlined an article, “Secret. Smug. Sinister: They've covered up torture, led us into an illegal war and are now placing the Press under state control.

It's time to kill off the shadowy establishment mafia that is the Privy Council.” The irony is that even though the CCJ is in TNT, the government chose not to recognise this court as its final solution but, as many predict, might soon reverse its decision in light of its latest humiliating defeat when not only the contents but the entire Privy hit the Trinidad Government fans.

Last month a former employee of India’s Supreme Court accused the country’s chief justice of sexual harassment. In Trinidad a Senior Counsel wants

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15

JUDGMENT DAY the prime minister to announce in parliament whether there is need or justification to trigger a Section 137 tribunal to investigate allegations of misconduct against Chief Justice Ivor Archie. The fumbling, bumbling and rumbling, twists and turns, seem to justify Mr. Bumble’s outburst in Oliver Twist that “The law is an ass” and, in fact, might be a morass or its plural.

Fortunately, as a humourist I have a vast body of wit that I can use as refuge and recourse. I take refuge, especially, in the many skirmishes between judges and F.E. Smith, a brilliant lawyer and orator who later became Lord Chancellor and the First Earl of Birkenhead (12 July, 1872– 30 September, 1930). On one occasion, as a young man, Smith represented a tramway company in a lawsuit brought by a boy who had been blinded. The judge directed that the boy should be lifted and put in a chair so that the jury could see him properly.

Thinking this made an undue emotional impact on the jury’s sympathy, Smith protested, “Your honour, why not pass the boy around the jury box?” The judge rebuked Smith for his improper remark. “Prompted,” Smith said sharply, “by an equally improper suggestion.” The judge did not pursue Smith’s remark but tried to quote Francis Bacon at him.

“Youth and discretion,” he chided, “are ill-wedded companions.”

Smith was immediately ready with a counter-quotation. “My lord, the same Bacon also said that a much-talking judge was like an ill-tuned cymbal.” The judge got upset and said sharply, “Now you are being offensive, Mr. Smith.”

There have been several cases of "judgitis" in the Caribbean, but nothing compared to some lawyers' responses.

“We both are,” agreed Smith. “The difference is that I am trying to be, and you can’t help it.”

Were I a lawyer, I would never try anything like that with any Caribbean judge. They all seem to suffer severely from what a Canadian lawyer, Marcel Strigberger, in an article “Judging the judges: With all due respect, of course” calls “judgitis” or, fundamentally, a God complex.

He says “judgitis” can get to the judges’ heads and they can get nasty. He recounts, “There was one who insisted that male lawyers appearing before him wore either black or grey pants.

If some unsuspecting lawyer appeared in brown pants, Justice X would immediately interrupt him saying, ‘I can’t hear you.’”

Onward Soldier! Cottrell ready to take charge in World Cup bid ast bowler Sheldon Cottrell said there was a definite buzz in the West Indies camp as the team geared up for the ICC Cricket World Cup in England and Wales.

“It has been a gradual build-up to the first game (of the World Cup). I’m ready . . . can’t wait for Friday to come . . . the entire team is ready.

The chemistry in the team is something I’ve never seen before; everyone is bouncing around and enjoying every moment of it,” Cottrell said.

“I got no hand-outs . . . I had to work really hard to get here.

I’ve done well and I have been rewarded. It wasn’t an easy road, but I put in the hard work and

COMMENT

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JUNE 01, 2019

now I’m excited and ready to face the challenge of playing in the Cricket World Cup.”

He was speaking on Monday as they prepared for the second warm-up match against New Zealand, which was played at the County Ground in Bristol.

Cottrell has had a good run in the West Indies colours since his return to ODI format in March against England in the Caribbean.

He was also effective with the new ball in the recent Tri-Nation Series in Ireland, and said he was hoping to use the match against the Black Caps to put the finishing touches on his preparation.

West Indies have been labelled underdogs for the May 30 to July 14 showpiece. The Jason

Holder-led side will, however, be hoping to revisit the imperious form they displayed during the five-match home series against England earlier this year. In that five-match rubber they matched the visitors in every department and held them to a 2-2 draw with one match being rained off.

During that series Cottrell took a career-best 5-46 in Barbados which bowled the home team to victory.

The ICC Cricket World Cup got underway Thursday at the Kensington Oval with the host country going up against South Africa. The West Indies played their first match on Friday against Pakistan at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.

In Trinidad a legal official who was not even a judge, Chief Magistrate Sherwin Mc Nicolls, decreed that Attorney Israel Khan should not wear a Nehru suit in his court and ejected another lawyer, Fyard Hosein, for wearing a bow tie. This is when I take

pleasure in F.E. Smith’s clashes with "judgitis".

Smith was conducting a long and very complicated case before a judge for whom he had scant regard, considering him slow and pedantic. As the case drew to a close, the judge intimated that some of the issues involved were still unclear to him. This prompted Smith to give the judge a short but cogent account of all the issues and their implications.

As Smith sat down, the judge thanked him courteously, but added, “I’m sorry, Mr. Smith, but I regret that I am none the wiser.”

Smith rose wearily to his feet again and commented, “Possibly, my lord, but you are now much better informed.”

On another occasion Smith continued to argue for so long that the judge become impatient and exclaimed, “Whatever do you think I’m on the bench for?” To which Smith, quite unperturbed, replied, “It is not for me, m’lud, to attempt to fathom the inscrutable workings of Providence.”

In another famous incident Smith described someone as being “as drunk as a judge”.

The judge corrected him: “The expression, as I have always

understood it, is ‘as sober as a judge'. Perhaps you mean 'as drunk as a lord’?”

Smith said quietly, “Yes, my lord.”

Fortunately, Smith was not the only lawyer to treat judges with disdain. One barrister was arguing at great length in a wearied court and the judge was plainly impatient. Finally, he broke in with, “What you are now saying is going in at one ear and coming out at the other.” The barrister was not deterred. “Indeed, my lord,” he replied, “is there nothing there to stop it?”

Tony Deyal was last seen telling the story of the judge who, questioning the competence of a pathologist, asked him, “How many autopsies have you performed on dead people?”

Tony Deyal is from Trinidad.

He now runs a column in the Jamaica Gleaner, NationNews Barbados and the St Lucia Star, and runs a free literary magazine on mytrinidad.net.

Tony can be contacted at tdeyal@yahoo.co.uk or on1-868-351-1000.

NAGICO ST. LUCIA LTD is a dynamic, financially strong and innovative insurance provider and is currently seeking applications from suitably qualified and experienced individual to fill the post of

Accounts Receivables Clerk.

SUMMARY: The Accounts Receivable clerk primary responsibilities is to assist with the administration of accounts receivables including and ensuring the integrity of the accounts receivables database.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 1. Liaise with intermediaries to ensure collection measures are in place and are being executed in accor dance with company policy including but not limited to timely follow ups, submission of monthly accounts receivables statements, preparation of reconciliation of AR to ACCPAC. 2. Routinely, liaise with intermediaries and colleagues with customer account queries, adjustments and reconciliation of clients’ accounts, ensuring all refunds and reimbursements of overpayment checks are properly recorded in system.

3. Preparation of various audit, monthly and year end reports.

4. Provides support to the department in various areas deemed necessary and assists as directed by management, in other activities within the organization.

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS & EXPERIENCE 1. Associate Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting or Finance or related discipline.

2. Knowledge of ACCPAC would be an asset.

3. Must have intermediate knowledge/skills in Microsoft Office Suite.

4. At least 2 years’ experience in a similar position.

5. Minimum 2 years’ experience in insurance industry is an asset.

6. Must show good planning and organizing skills; good communication skills; good interpersonal skills; good customer service orientation; good analytical and decision-making skills; results focused orientation; keen attention to detail; excellent time management skills; and willingness to be an excellent team player with a positive work attitude.

7. Must exhibit trustworthiness and discretion when handling confidential information.

8. Ability to work consistently to achieve targets, without constant supervision.

COMPENSATION Remuneration will be commensurate with qualifications, experience and competence.

Application Procedure: If you are interested in this position, please submit your application along with a detailed resume, two work references and certified copies of qualifications addressed to: Application for the position of Accounts Receivables Clerk NAGICO St. Lucia Limited NAGICO Building P.O. Box RB2766 Rodney Bay LC01-401, Gros Islet Email: info.stlucia@nagico.com Deadline for application is Wednesday June 5th 2019.

Please note that only suitable candidates will be contacted.

16 local

JUNE 01, 2019 THE STAR

www.stluciastar.com

ECCB Governor: No plans to replace Queen Elizabeth II on EC banknotes

EC banknotes are receiving a facelift, with an image of a youthful-looking Head of State immortalised on each one.

Joshua St. Aimee

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s previously reported in the STAR, the EC dollar is set to undergo a major facelift.

Starting this month, the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank will begin rolling out new $50 polymer banknotes, to be followed by the $10, $20 and $100 bills in August and September, and the $5 note next year. The new notes are touted to be more durable, difficult to counterfeit and will include a tactile feature to make it easy for the blind and visually impaired to use them. The $50 note will now feature a portrait of former ECCB governor Sir Dwight Venner on the back.

Speaking at the regional launch on Wednesday, ECCB governor Timothy Antoine asked: “Why are we moving from paper to polymer?” Simply put, he said, “It is to enhance security and usability of our EC notes”.

To arrive at the decision of switching from paper to polymer notes, governor Antoine said the ECCB considered four options.

Sticking with the cotton notes; switching to a cotton-polymer combination; using an endurance high quality paper; or using polymer. He says that although the polymer notes are more expensive to produce up-front, they are more cost-effective.

He explained that because the notes have an extended life span, they will be replaced less often. Additionally, there will be a reduction in transportation and handling costs, reducing the overall cost of cash for the ECCB, commercial banks, and credit unions.

“Today is indeed a happy occasion for our currency union,” said Antoine. "Fellow citizens and residents of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union, your

new notes are considerably better, hence the tagline for our public education campaign: Cleaner, Safer, Stronger. Moreover, they look good! They are aesthetically pleasing. Above all, they are a symbol of regional accomplishment. And when we touch them and use them everyday, we must never forget that.”

As for the future of the Queen’s image on the notes, Antoine said: “There are no plans to have Her Majesty replaced on our banknotes. Until such time as we decide otherwise, that is part of our notes. As a legal matter, if we have to change the image of Her Majesty, we have to seek her permission. And obviously that’s a process and that takes time.”

He went on: “Perhaps

equally important at this stage is that within our currency union we do have two members that are British Overseas Territories: Anguilla and Montserrat. So the notion of removing Her Majesty really is a very involved conversation that will be required across the currency union and, to be quite honest, we did not feel at this particular time we wanted to invest energy in that regard. There are far more important things in our strategic plan.”

Governor Antoine highlighted that Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state in most of the countries in our currency union (with the exception of the Commonwealth of Dominica).

She's also the head of state of Barbados and Jamaica, yet not depicted on any of their banknotes.

Jessica Alexander Speaks on Caribbean Startup Summit

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ntrepreneurs from all over the region converged on Barbados last week to participate in Habitat’s flagship annual event, the Caribbean Startup Summit. Jessica Alexander and Vernesa St. Marie represented Saint Lucia in the May 24-25 event. Alexander spoke to the STAR about her experience.

“It was more than worthwhile,” Alexander declared.

“It’s amazing that in the region, when it comes to business prospects or possibilities, we think on a very small scale and so it was eye-opening to hear the positive feedback from those international bigwigs. We were told that our products are of international quality and there’s potential for our businesses to grow beyond the shores that we inhabit. I took much heart from that.”

This year’s Caribbean

Startup Summit brought together a worldwide team of startup experts and founders to help startups in the region.

Among those experts were representatives from Facebook, Netflix and Amazon, who provided feedback on the various pitch presentations last weekend.

“A funny thing happened.

There was a mix-up and so the two of us weren’t able to participate in the pitch portion of the event,” Alexander recalled.

“But I took the initiative, explained the situation, and they allowed me a little time to pitch before the official competition started.

That impressed the experts and thankfully my pitch got some amazing feedback. I now have the chance to network with experienced international entrepreneurs and hopefully I can use that to help grow and improve upon my business.”

---DN

THE STAR JUNE 01, 2019

www.stluciastar.com

COMMENT

17

Social Nudity In Naked Places and Open Spaces

By Melissa Martin

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lothing-optional” is another phrase for nudity beaches, nudity retreats, and nudity resorts. Naturalists’ destinations around the world offer naked fun in the sun.

“Naturist” is another word for naked—diving, dining, and dancing in your birthday suit.

Social nudity refers to naked people being naked together.

Peruse the 15 best nude beaches on planet Earth.

“Although still taboo in many places, casting aside your clothes at the shore has become a customary practice around the world in recent times. From rocky coastlines to talcum powder-fine sands, and big city bays to secluded shores, there are now hundreds of beaches where it’s perfectly legal (or at least de facto legal) to sunbathe, swim and otherwise frolic beside the sea in nothing more than your birthday suit,” according to a CNN article. www.cnn.com.

There is an American Association for Nude Recreation and National Nude Weekend is in July. Who knew? You can stay in the USA and bare your soul—I mean your body.

TripSavvy lists the best clothing-optional resorts and nude beaches in the USA: www.tripsavvy.com. Hmmm.

Suitcases would be lighter on airplanes.

However, as a golden oldie, a public nudity scene is not on my bucket list for a relaxing get-away trip. Viewing wrinkly old gals and hairy geezers is not my idea of a vacation paradise. Old folks, put some clothes on and cover up those shiny heinies. But there is no such place as a nude beach for senior citizens—or is there?

Surf the internet and read about clothing-optional lifestyles for oldsters. That’s fancy talk for aging bums in the buff and topless tanning on a towel.

Blind Creek Beach is a nudity place in Ft. Pierce, Florida. Old geezers would certainly go blind if they get a

gander at my saggy female parts. And I do not want to see male body parts waving in the wind either.

The old ladies I know don’t have a desire to take their aging bodies back in public places. We can celebrate ourselves by being fully clothed—and drinking margaritas at an outdoor tiki bar. But what if you decide to vacation at a nude place?

The TravelSmart website says, “Once you’re on a nudist beach, don’t stare, gawk, point, or giggle.” And slather sunscreen on exposed areas.

Put a towel under your bare bottom when you lounge on chairs.

Beware of naked fishing—a rogue hook could hurt. The etiquette of eating at a buffet may be different while in the buff. Be careful when dining naked or you’ll yell “Ouch!” around spilled hot coffee. Beware of creepers when nude sunbathing. That’s my advice.

Add alcohol to a bunch of bare human beings and

what may happen? Well, what happens when alcohol is added to parties where people are wearing clothes? Hmmm.

Senior citizens, if you travel to a nude beach—make sure it’s a nude beach. Public nudity is a crime and it would be embarrassing if your adult kids had to bail grandpa and grandma out of jail. That would not be a holiday photo for sharing.

I’m trying not to judge or poke fun at social nakedness by choice with strangers in the wilderness (well, maybe I am). Yes, I’m aware that wild animals do not wear clothing.

How paradoxical that people go outside to be naked, but bring pets inside and put clothes on them.

But stripping down beyond your skivvies in a crowd seems weird. I would rather be focused on sun, sand, and surf—not naked Ned or naked Nelly.

But what about skinnydipping for charity? It happened in Ireland in 2018. “They came by the thousands, women of all

shapes and sizes, to a secluded beach 31 miles south of Dublin.

Their mission: to smash a world skinny-dipping record and raise funds for a children’s cancer charity. The Guinness World Records official who adjudicated the naked swim, Lucia Sinigagliesi, said that 2,505 women had spent at least five minutes in the sea to set a world record.” www.aanr.com. Now, that’s an unusual way to raise funds!

And why would people skydive in the buff? I think free-fall jiggling would tend to be uncomfortable. What’s the purpose of nude golfing?

Putt and strut. Watch out for the person behind you in the downward dog pose during naked yoga.

Yes, humans are born without clothes, but clothing serves multiple purposes.

Clothing helps to regulate body temperature; protects from weather and the elements; and traps odour. Clothes can protect skin against the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, preventing skin cancer.

And clothing provides psychological boundaries. It’s about modesty, not morality.

The human body is an exquisite creation.

Humans are sexual creatures and can become aroused in naked crowds. And why do so many more men than women seem to enjoy social nudity?

And where do nudists put cell phones, keys and mints, without pockets? Do they use fanny packs (pun intended)?

And how do they keep sand out of their nether regions?

Call me prudish, but if I want naked fun in the sun, I’ll find a secluded beach to bare my derriere. I’ll let my caboose loose in private.

In summary, let the old and young nudists hang free, but on their side of naked places and open spaces.

Melissa Martin, Ph.D, is an author, columnist, educator, and therapist.

She lives in the US.

18 HURRICANE SEASON

Launch of the Canada Caribbean Resilience Facility

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aribbean small island states are vulnerable to extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change. Lessons learned from the devastating 2017 Atlantic hurricane season revealed a need to strengthen country governments’ long-term resilience and ability to build back better following natural disasters. In response, Canada pledged $100 million (CAD) to support reconstruction and climate resilience efforts in the Caribbean region over the next five years during the UNCARICOM High-Level Pledging Conference in November 2017.

Now, the Government of Canada is pleased to launch a $20 million (CAD) Canada Caribbean Resilience Facility initiative to help Caribbean countries better prepare for, and respond to, natural disasters.

“This initiative is being undertaken with Canada’s Caribbean support as a direct response to the lessons learned following the devastating hurricanes in the Caribbean

in 2017 that have impacted our neighbouring countries so severely,” said Marie Legault, High Commissioner of Canada to Barbados and the OECS.

The facility, in partnership with the World Bank and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), will help countries to strengthen response, recovery and financial management systems so that governments can be better prepared to respond to, and rebuild after, disasters, and effectively use emergency funding for postdisaster recovery activities.

This initiative will support capacity building to accelerate project implementation and develop public financial management systems to respond in case of disasters, with a focus on developing plans and training programmes that incorporate gender considerations.

“The facility will address an implementation deficit mainly caused by a capacity gap in Saint Lucia and across

JUNE 01, 2019 THE STAR

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the Caribbean. To achieve the resilience we aim in the Caribbean, it is critical to expedite the implementation of recovery, reconstruction and resilience building projects,” said Permanent Secretary Cointha Thomas, Ministry of Finance, Saint Lucia.

The Caribbean Resilience Facility will benefit nine eligible Official Development Assistance (ODA) countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, and Suriname.

“In the face of the growing severity and frequency of extreme weather events, building resilience is the highest priority for the Caribbean nations,” said Tahseen Sayed, World Bank Director for the Caribbean.

“With support from the Canada-financed facility, the World Bank will work with the country authorities in this collective effort to strengthen preparedness and country capacities to build back better.”

How to Prepare your House for a Hurricane you should reinforce with strong hinges and latches.

3. Use hurricane clips to make the roof more windresistant.

4. Reinforce the garage door and you can use the garage to store the stuff you gathered from outside.

Houses can weather through hurricanes, but only when owners take the right precautions.

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here are a couple of things that never make it on the hurricane preparedness checklist: the house and surroundings. Some storms are so strong that they flatten everything in their way. Still, if you prepare your house the proper way, you might get away with minimal damage. Here’s a list with a few basic steps you should follow as soon as you hear that a hurricane might be coming your way: 1. Gather and store in a safe place any item that could be

picked up by the wind (tables, patio furniture, swings, and so on). This way you make sure that you’ll still have them after the storm and they won’t end up hurting someone else. In powerful wind, even a simple piece of patio furniture can be a fatal projectile.

2. Board up big windows and doors that you are not going to use. This way you don’t allow the powerful wind to find weak spots in the house structure.

Those that you can’t board up,

5. Unplug any appliances before leaving and make sure that the gas, water, heat and anything else are turned off.

6. Don’t leave windows uncovered. This can be an open invitation to anyone trying to rob houses that are not supervised.

7. Clean rain gutters so the water can be evacuated properly.

8. Put any valuables that remain behind in clean, plastic bags and move them to the highest level of the house. This way they’ll be safe in case of flooding.

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JUNE 01, 2019

“Working Together In Preparation for Hurricane Season”

19

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST SAINT LUCIA SAINT LUCIA HEALTH SYSTEM STRENGTHENING PROJECT Credit No.: IDA Credit # 63160-LC Assignment Title: Communications Specialist Reference No. 010/CS/HSSP/19

Op-Ed by Linda Taglialatela, U.S. Ambassador to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean and the OECS

The Government of Saint Lucia (GOSL) has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Health System Strengthening Project, and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services.

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s we begin hurricane season, all of us in the Eastern Caribbean must work together to prepare our families and fellow citizens for the potential destruction these storms can unleash.

The devastation of Hurricanes Irma and Maria are constant reminders that these storms are the biggest threats to the region. One category four or five hurricane can severely damage an island’s economy, security, and social stability.

The United States is part of the Caribbean, and as a neighbor and partner we share common values, mutual security interests, and similar weather.

The devastation of the 2017 hurricane season also adversely impacted Texas and Puerto Rico.

To mitigate the destruction of a hurricane or other natural disaster, the United States has worked closely with governments, regional entities, and non-government leaders at the policy, regional, and country levels over the past two years to make sure the Caribbean is ready for natural disasters.

Over the past few months, Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan met with Caribbean leaders to strengthen our partnership on hurricane preparedness and other natural disasters that affect the region.

The first meeting was held in September 2018 during the United Nations General Assembly to discuss our plans on disaster preparedness.

The second was the April 12 U.S.-Caribbean Resilience Partnership meeting hosted

by U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). This conference brought together ministers and senior government officials from 15 Caribbean countries, along with representatives from the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the Regional Security System and U.S. experts, to reaffirm U.S. commitment to help with disaster preparedness, response and resilience, and to share experiences and information on innovative tools and solutions for disaster management.

At the regional level, Tradewinds, a SOUTHCOMsponsored annual exercise

HURRICANE SEASON

The consulting services (“the Services”) include • Developing a communication strategy specific to the project and as much as possible

integrating existing Communication Plans already in existence.

USAID and Dart Team offloading relief supplies with Department of Defense (DOD) and locals during the U.S. Embassy Bridgetown Press Tour in Dominica, 2017.

designed to help the United States and the Caribbean better prepare for natural disasters, land and maritime threats, will bring together international defense, law enforcement, and security institutions in the Dominican Republic and St. Vincent and the Grenadines in June to conduct joint exercises in advance of hurricane season.

In September 2018, I announced SOUTHCOM’s plan to purchase medical equipment and supplies to support the Barbados Defense Force’s initiative to develop a World Health Organization-certified field hospital that can be deployed to support regional partners for disaster response. This $1.6 million donation is scheduled to be delivered to Barbados this summer.

The United States also supports Eastern Caribbean governments and nongovernmental organizations that work in the same field. One of the lessons learned from 2017 was that there existed a severe lack of reliable communications for governments to provide assessment of hurricane impact and to request assistance in a timely manner. In response to these concerns, the United States is making available satellite phones to Eastern Caribbean governments, their national emergency management agencies, CDEMA, and other islands.

The U.S. government has provided the Inter-American Foundation with $650,000 in grants to non-governmental organizations to build resiliency and improve disaster mitigation in Eastern Caribbean countries.

Over the years, the Embassy has trained many of the local experts that will be needed in an emergency via professional and academic exchanges.

Upon returning to their home countries, they have organized grants programs that prioritize helping the most vulnerable people in the region. A project in Barbados worked with secondary school students and teachers from different schools to create individual disaster plans and provide first aid training. A project in Dominica organized a disaster preparedness workshop at our American Corner in Roseau with help from USAID.

USAID continues to provide training to national disaster management entities throughout the Eastern Caribbean in key content areas, including capacity building on initial damage assessment, shelter management, and search and rescue operations.

USAID has pre-positioned plastic sheeting and other emergency equipment in highrisk countries. This is the first year these supplies have been pre-positioned in the region.

In Dominica, there is enough sheeting to cover 600 houses in the event of a hurricane or tropical storm.

While we were fortunate to experience a mild hurricane season in 2018, the lessons of 2017 are that we cannot take anything for granted. The United States has learned these lessons and has increased our efforts to help the Eastern Caribbean prepare for this year’s hurricane season. I know our Eastern Caribbean neighbors are doing the same.

In doing so, you will find the United States is a willing and reliable partner for this upcoming hurricane season and beyond because your safety and security are intrinsically linked to our own. As the old saying goes, pray for the best, but prepare for the worst.

•

Design and implementation of a communication strategy to inform personnel within the health sector (internal stakeholders), users of the Primary Health Care facilities and the wider public (external stakeholders) of the project activities

•

Prepare an outreach strategy to the community to raise awareness of the existing client feedback and Grievance Redress Mechanisms (GRMs) available through the project through which beneficiaries can share feedback,

•

Develop within the framework of the project an internal and external communications and information strategy and carry out communications activities to promote and share information about the PHC project.

The consultancy is full-time and is expected to commence the assignment in July 2019 for a period of one year in the first instance, renewable annually subject to satisfactory performance. The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be found at the following website; www.govt.lc/consultancies or www.finance.gov.lc or can be obtained at the address given below.

The Department of Health and Wellness now invites eligible Individual Consultants (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services; (Curriculum Vitae, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, clients’ references etc.).

The shortlisting criteria are: QUALIFICATION Minimum required education and experience • Degree (Masters or Bachelors) in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism or equivalent • At least 5 years work experience in the field of public information, media and communication • Demonstrated experience in effective oral and written communication including the development of communication products • Sound policy understanding of the Saint Lucia Health Sector and policies and programmes is an asset.

• Knowledge and experience of ICT-based Office applications and tools (word processing, spreadsheets, and data processing, PowerPoint) • Have good understanding of project planning, coordination and implementation and good analytical capacity • Excellent command of communication in English and Kweyol • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and positive attitude The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” July 2016, revised November 2017 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Individual Consultants Selection method set out in the Procurement Regulations.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

(0800 to 1630 hours).

Expressions of Interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail, or by e-mail) by June 14, 2019.

Project Coordination Unit Department of Economic Development, Transport and Civil Aviation Attn: Project Coordinator 2nd Floor, Finance Administrative Centre Pointe Seraphine, Castries, Saint Lucia Tel: 1-758-468-2413 E-mail: slupcu@gosl.gov.lc

20 SPORTS & HEALTH

JUNE 01, 2019 THE STAR

www.stluciastar.com

Get Pumped up to Jump Up! W

ell it’s that time of the year again already.

Caarrnnivaalll! Last Saturday was the official launch of Carnival and everyone is getting ready to partee. But before the action begins, it may be wise to prepare. Each year Carnival gets more elaborate, promises brighter (smaller?) costumes and more fun than the year before. Being next door to Trinidad & Tobago, the cradle of Caribbean Carnival, we have a lot to prove and a lot to do if we want to take the crown from ‘dem Trinis.’

With just six weeks to go before the masses will be jumping up at Mas, here are some preparation tips. For the next six weeks you need to focus on your health and fitness. If you are only just starting your countdown to your get-fit campaign, you are cutting it fine. So, forget about the zero carb diets and killer workouts or any other insane weight loss/get fit gimmicks.

Focus instead on your diet and a sensible exercise plan.

• Eat healthily – Start now by adopting a healthy eating plan. Base your calorie intake on your daily needs and activity levels. Try to balance your carbohydrate, protein and sugar intake and remember the old saying: breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper. By balancing the size of your meals this way, you are more likely to burn off rather than store excess calories. Eating a big meal at night can affect your digestion and absorption.

• Workout – 7 day plan.

Be sensible and do not over train; build up your routine gradually.

Day 1 – Aim for 30 minutes of cardio: either cycling, running, skipping or jumping jacks, or anything that raises your heart rate. If you cannot manage 30 minutes without breaking into a mad sweat and panting like somebody stole all of your air, try one minute of cardio, followed by one minute of marching on the spot (or walking, if out on the road).

Gradually increase the time spent on your chosen cardio activity until you no longer rely on your one- minute cardio breaks.

Day 2 - Upper body workout. Using hand weights, resistance bands or water bottles filled with sand or stones, perform two sets of 30 reps of biceps curls, triceps

kick backs, overhead press and push-ups. If you are unable to perform 30 reps with weights, do not give up; just continue without weights, gradually building up until you reach your goal.

Day 3 – Work those core muscles of the back and abs.

Repeat three sets of 20 reps of back extensions, crunches and bridging with leg lifts. For increased intensity, add planks and side planks to your routine, holding for up to five minutes.

Day 4 – Time now to focus on the lower body. Repeat three sets of 20 reps of squats, forward lunges, side lunges and calf raises. For increased intensity use hand weights.

Day 5 – Repeat your cardio routine.

Days 6 and 7 – Go for a nice, long, brisk walk. Your feet need practice too.

Always remember to drink lots of water during the day. Get at least seven hours of sleep every night. This is also the time to address any aches, pains

or little niggles. Contact your physiotherapist and arrange an appointment today. Your physiotherapist will give you a thorough assessment and then design a rehabilitation programme, depending on your needs.

So now that your body is ready for jumping up and wining down, what else can you do on the day to make sure you have a fun- and troublefree Carnival? Well, the most important things to avoid now are sore feet, dehydration and sunburn.

Sensible footwear: You have your costume all ready to shine on the day but pay attention to what you wear on your feet. It’s so tempting to finish off your costume with a pair of fancy shoes but remember, you will be walking (more likely dancing!) your way along the route. Choose shoes that will provide comfort and support and not leave you with sore and blistered feet. Do not leave those shoes sitting in the

cupboard; wear them so your feet adjust.

Hydration: It’s party time and the streets will be lined with beers and spirits but it’s important to keep hydrated.

Swap alcohol and sweet drinks for plenty of water.

Sunburn: It’s not only fair-skinned people who can get sub-fried.

Follow these simple suggestions for a safe and injury-free Carnival and remember to start your fitness campaign early for the best results.

Importantly, do not ignore any injuries or health problems.

If you currently have an injury or any health problems, seek advice from your healthcare provider or physiotherapist before undertaking an exercise programme or investing in your Carnival costume. Planning is everything, when it comes `to ensuring you have a happy and colourful Carnival. Be prepared. Get pumped up to jump up!

Getting fit for Carnival is not only about looking good; you need the stamina to enjoy the day!

Kim Jackson is a UK-trained physiotherapist with over 20 years’ experience. She specialises in musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction including back pain and sciatica, stroke and other neuro conditions plus sports physiotherapy, having worked with local, regional and international athletes and teams treating injuries and analysing biomechanics to improve function and performance. She is registered with the Allied Health Council and is a member of PASL. She currently works at Bayside Therapy Services in Rodney Bay, tel. 458 4409 or 284 5443; www.baysidetherapyservices.com

WHAT YOGA CAN DO FOR US ALL

By Jill Hagar Director of Yoga St Lucia

S

ince 2015, June 21 has been designated as the United Nations’ International Day of Yoga.

It is an art, science and philosophy which originated in India and is thousands of years old. According to the UN, over 2 billion people around the world practice yoga today and that number is growing daily because of its bountiful benefits.

The purpose of yoga is to calm the fluctuating mind from tense continual thought patterns. These thoughts can create stress, depression, poor health mentally and physically, and anxiety, all of which are just a few health manifestations. Yoga promotes optimum health and wellbeing by calming emotional and mental fluctuations and unifying the body and mind into a peaceful state. It cultivates self-awareness and higher consciousness for those who practice the art.

The many benefits of yoga are muscle strength,

toning, improved flexibility, enhanced respiration, energy and vitality, weight reduction, cardio and circulatory health, clarity of mind and improved performance and stamina.

Studies have shown that yoga prevents conditions such as metabolic syndrome and osteoporosis. Metabolic syndrome is a group of five risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing heart disease, diabetes and stroke.

These are: increased blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, excess fat around the waist, high triglyceride levels, and low levels of good cholesterol. The journal, “Diabetology and Metabolic Syndrome” showed that a regular yoga practice for one year lowered the blood pressure and belly fat of the participants who had metabolic syndrome.

Osteoporosis, which means porous bones, is a disease in which the density and quality of bone is reduced.

Many people are experiencing this disease today. Studies have shown that practicing yoga twice a week can reduce the effects of osteoporosis.

Yoga for the elderly is helpful to create strength, flexibility, alertness and balance. I have a 90-year-old in one of my classes. She has been coming twice a week for over one year. When she began she could not sit down on the floor by herself and she could not get up on her own, either.

She now needs no help. She can also stand on one leg and balance. Yoga gives the elderly a renewed sense of well-being.

Another one of my students who first came to me with a very painful hip was taking medication to help ease the pain. Because of her yoga classes twice a week over two years, she was able to make a decision to stop her pain pills.

She says that yoga helps to relieve her pain.

Corporations have found that yoga in the workplace has proven to be successful in improving productivity and reducing the number of sick days, as well as improving memory and clarity of mind.

Children who practice yoga do better in school and sports.

They are more focused in their daily lives and are healthier in general.

Jill Hagar (pictured teaching a class at Pigeon Island) is living proof of the benefits of yoga.

Yoga is a way of life, which improves everything that we do, brings a more positive outlook and awakens us to know ourselves.

Join me, and the Indian Cultural Foundation & Yoga Organisation in St. Lucia, on

Sunday, June 23 from 8 a.m. to noon at Gros Islet Secondary School to celebrate International Day of Yoga.

For more information contact Jill on (758) 718 1297 (phone/Whatsapp) or email: Yogastlucia@gmail.com

THE STAR

www.stluciastar.com

JUNE 01, 2019

H

aving lived in the Great North (Canada) most of my life, I am cheering like crazy for the Toronto Raptors who made it to their first ever NBA final after being in the league for about 20 years. Play in the NBA finals got underway Thursday evening. I really don’t expect Toronto to win but if this

best of seven final series goes six games, I will be happy.

Speaking about underdogs—that’s exactly what the Senior Men’s West Indies Cricket Team are, in this year’s ICC Cricket World Cup, which got underway in England on Thursday. West Indies played their first match on Friday

against Pakistan and it would be nice to see them get off to a good start.

It’s Carnival time once again and that means the Sab Playing Facility is off limits to sportsmen and women, and you and me. The Under-11 and Under-13 St Lucia Football Association Inc final was scheduled to take place there last Saturday but, with the field being occupied by tents, stage, etc, the match was relocated to the Corinth playing field. They should rename the Sab Sporting Facility, Carnival City Field.

---David R. Pascal

Fortieth Anniversary celebrated with Independence Sports Fun Day

By David R Pascal

I

t was certainly a blast from the past when players who excelled on the basketball, volleyball and netball courts in years gone by, participated in Sunday’s Independence Sports Fun Day at the outdoor multi-purpose court adjacent to the Philip Marcellin Grounds in Vieux Fort.

The event, organised by the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports in collaboration with the 40th Anniversary Independence Committee, formed part of the activities for the celebration of the island’s 40th anniversary of Independence.

The sporting activities on the day were volleyball, basketball and netball featuring players aged 40 and over.

Several former national players from the mentioned disciplines and popular local personalities turned out for the event.

Following prayers by the President of Netball St Lucia, Rufina Paul, the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports, Liota CharlemagneMason welcomed everyone.

“On behalf of the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports, I would like to thank you for coming out this morning,” she said. “I hope you will have an incident-free game. I am asking everyone to have fun.

It is not a competition and we are all already ‘over the hill’, if I may say so. So we shall just have some fun today. We hope that we will see a lot of skill exhibited here today and we

Netball was a big attraction.

hope that the young people will look at the games and see how skillful we use to be, something we are not seeing much anymore, so we are asking the young people to do what we did in the 70s, 80s and maybe early 90s.”

Looking at the various teams, Charlemagne acknowledged Paula Calderon who, like herself, is a former president of Netball St Lucia.

Among the special guests was President of the Senate and Chairperson of the Independence Committee, Jeannine Giraudy-McIntyre.

During an interview she said: “Today is our Independence Sports Activity for the year. It is an occasion where veterans are the players and the referees are the junior people.

We have three activities going on: basketball, volleyball and netball. It is supposed to be a family fun day and the turnout is quite good. The veterans seem to be having a very

good time. Everybody is well decked out, as you can see, in Independence colours with their Independence T-shirts. There’s food, fun, music and, for kids, there’s the bouncing tents.”

When asked if the Committee will stage this event again at its present location she replied: “That is something that the whole Committee will consider, but we do want to spread it out and do things in various communities so Vieux Fort was the choice this time around.”

On this day McIntyre was clearly an observer and not a participant. Too old or too young? Without revealing her age (a lady never does), she just smiled and told this inquisitive reporter: “I am clearly too young to take part and so I was denied but look for me next year.”

Following the conclusion of the competition, winning teams and participants were rewarded with medals and trophies.

sports & health

21

Yacht Club Commodore invites support for Youth Sailing

T

he Saint Lucia Yacht Club has been a national institution for more than half a century, standing yards from the Caribbean Sea on the island’s signature Reduit Beach.

For the past 20-odd years it’s been home to Saint Lucia’s National Youth Sailing Program, witnessing the earliest successes of current national coach and champion J24 skipper Fredric Sweeney and, later, his younger brother Marcus; 2016 Olympian Stephanie Devaux-Lovell and 2020 Olympics hopeful Luc Chevrier, among the hundreds that have learnt to sail “in front of the Yacht Club”.

As the older sailors get into the workforce or travel abroad for education while representing Saint Lucia in competitions across the world, there are fewer juniors in the program at home these days, but the talent is undeniable.

Saint Lucia’s youngest sailing competitors have been busy so far this year. In February a team of three participated in the 25th Semaine Nautique Internationale de Schoelcher held in Martinique—the region’s most challenging annual junior regatta, which brings together some of the most experienced competitive sailors in the Caribbean region.

For national youth sailors Jake Johnson (13), Tino Nelson (14) and Simon Charles (15), the experience in Schoelcher was invaluable. They performed admirably against fierce competition in the Laser class.

According to Coach Sweeney, despite finishing around midway in the fleet, the LCA sailors all had moments of brilliance and came home with a new zeal for training.

In April Johnson and Nelson participated in a fun regatta in Bequia during the annual Easter Regatta, and the pair travelled in May to two more competitions, to help prepare them for the 2019 Saint Lucia National Youth Dinghy Championships on June 8 and 9.

Charles resides in France where he trains hard in order to compete when he is at home on the island. All three teenagers balance sailing with a busy secondary school schedule.

Training continues for the local event and includes a new group of Opti sailors aged nine to 14 from Gros Islet, who have been trying out their skills on

National youth sailor Tino Nelson.

the water since early this year.

It’s hoped that participants from Martinique, Bequia and other islands will provide much needed competition for the Saint Lucia team as they prepare for the highlight of the 2019 international youth sailing calendar—the Optimist World Championships in Antigua this July.

With more than two hundred junior Opti sailors participating in the annual Worlds, it’s an amazing opportunity which will take a monumental campaign of training and fundraising, but there’s plenty of confidence around the Yacht Club.

Commodore Peter Lang

said: “Although we have a smaller program at the moment, we’re proud and confident that our young sailors are up to the challenge. They need our support to get to the Optimist World Championships.

“We want to get the word out and invite all Saint Lucians and visitors to check out the St Lucia Yacht Club’s facilities and activities on Reduit Beach.

Although sailing is our passion, everyone’s welcome at the SLYC. We’re a non-profit club so proceeds from all our activities go towards the youth program.”

For more information about the Saint Lucia National Youth Dinghy Championships, contact slycnews@gmail.com.

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22

sports & health

JUNE 01, 2019 THE STAR

www.stluciastar.com

Back to back football titles for Northern United FC

By David Pascal and Michael Pierre

I

t is all well and good to win one title in a day but two in less than three hours is something extraordinary.

Unlikely as it may seem, that’s exactly what happened Saturday afternoon on the Corinth playing field when Northern United FC won both the Under-11 and Under-13 St Lucia Football Association Inc titles.

The grand finale of the Under-11s was played by Valley Soccer and Northern United and it lived up to all expectations.

Spectators were treated to a high level of attacking football, with both teams enjoying scoring opportunities.

However, stubborn defending by both teams resulted in a goal-less first half. The second half was no different to the first but Northern looked the more dominant side as they kept

pressuring their opponents.

The assault paid dividends as Northern were able to score two unanswered goals to successfully defend their title.

In the preceding third place play-off, Lancers made light work of Monchy to triumph with 7-0. The goals were scored by Torres Harris in the 3rd minute, Keenan Joseph in the 10th and 13th minutes, Mickel St Claire in the 15th, Kwan St Luce in the 20th, Krishonne Amedee in the 25th, and Klein Maurice in the 28th minute.

The following awards were presented at the end of the Under-11 competition: Best Forward, Traylon Henry of Northern; Best Midfielder, Levi Steide of Valley Soccer; Best Defender, Justice Germaine of Northern; Best Goalkeeper, Tyrelle Chicot of Northern; Most Valuable Player, Devonte Herman of Northern.

The finals of the Under-13 between Lancers and Northern did not disappoint as both teams gave a fine account of

Valley Soccer placed second in the Under-11 competition.

themselves. In the end the determination of Northern prevailed as they ran away 2–0 to be crowned champions.

The winning side got their goals from Samuel Loisien via the penalty spot in the 35th minute and Lindo Alcindor in the 65th minute.

Big Players were the third place winners with a 3–0 victory over VSADC. They owed their win to an own goal

Good showing by karatekas in Guadeloupe

O

n Saturday May 25, Cobra Karate and Self Defense Dojo, St Lucia Shotokan Karate Association and Budoki Karate, participated as a unified team in the eighth edition of the Golden Kimono Open International Karate Championship in Guadeloupe.

The Saint Lucian team received a warm welcome from the organisers for its decision to participate and make the six hour journey to Guadeloupe via boat. Other countries in attendance were Puerto Rico, Martinique and France.

The team brought home seven medals, six bronze and one silver, more than doubling its medal count from the March competition in Martinique earlier this year.

Following are the medal recipients: Kaylean Griffith, third, girls kata; Terry Charlemagne, third, boys kata; Klay Dorius, third, boys junior kumite; Jameele Leonce, third, male intermediate kata and kumite; Karim Sifflet, third, male senior kumite; Cianna Dalson, second, female junior kumite .

Though this was the first competition for some of the Saint Lucian competitors at this high level tournament,

by Aziah Thomas, and Keane Christopher’s brace in the 2nd and 11th minute.

The following awards were presented: Best Striker, Samuel Louisien; Best Midfielder, Jadee Alexander; Best Defender, Taye Petee; Best Goalkeeper, De Andre Tisson; MVP, Samuel Lousien; Coach of the Tournament, Francis MacDonald; Fair Play Award, Lancers FC.

Under-11 football champs Northern United FC.

Action from Saturday’s Under-13 final between Northern United FC (green) and Lancers FC.

Jetsetters Vaval Pre-Sweat Jump Up

T St Lucia’s contingent at the Open International Karate Championship in Guadeloupe.

they valued the experience, vowing to return next year to be more competitive against the seasoned regional competitors.

The Saint Lucian contingent comprised 20 athletes, 4 coaches and 10 parents. They all expressed their excitement to have been part of this trip.

The participants found the experience very rewarding and, if sustained, will lead to the development of karate in Saint Lucia.

Sensei Glen Simon and Anthony Leonce of Cobra Karate and Self Defense Dojo

believe that karate is about developing the whole person and not simply about kicking and punching. Thus their annual programme of activities includes not just tournaments and grading exercises, but lectures and presentations on various topics, visits to other karate dojos, and outdoor excursions with 100 per cent parental involvement.

The hope is that through efforts such as these, karate will be further developed and proliferated on-island for a more disciplined, healthier and productive Saint Lucia.

he Jetsetters Volleyball Club will be hosting its first ever Vaval Pre-Sweat Jump Up today, Saturday, at Vigie Multi-Purpose Sports Complex from 8:00am to 11am.

This event is part of a fundraising initiative to purchase volleyball equipment for the club, to include uniforms, volleyballs, nets, etc.

Jetsetters Volleyball Club consists of vibrant national volleyball athletes. The club is also the number one volleyball club on-island, having won both the male and female championship at the national league level.

The event will be led by dance/fitness instructor Darrion Roberts of Djr Diversity dance studio alongside Meggz, who will be delivering a rendition of local and international Soca and Dennery Segment music, and a live performance by Dennery Segment artist Big Sea.

An onsite masseuse will

Jetsetters male volleyball team.

be available at an additional cost. Drinks and light snacks will be on sale.

The event will be split into two sessions. The first will run from 8:30am to 9:30am and the second from 10:00am to 11:00am.

The entry fee to be paid at the gate is $20.00 per adult

while children 12 years and under pay $10.00.

The club is seeking to target persons of all ages in keeping a clean and healthy but fun-filled carnival season presweat jump up.

Event sponsors are Digicel and St Lucia Social Development Fund.

THE STAR

23

www.stluciastar.com

june 01, 2019

VACANCY STAR PUBLISHING is looking for an account manager for our Printed Materials, to coordinate jobs through production.

Maintain positive customer relations through active engagement of the customer through all stages of the manufacturing process from initial contact through final delivery of the customer’s product.

Responsibilities • Ensure job instructions are entered and verified in the various manufacturing systems and queued in to the production schedule.

Notice The public is advised that

Nicholas Charles of Chase Gardens, Castries and

Jolene St Clair

are not authorized to conduct business on behalf of Star Publishing Company.

•

Confer with customers throughout production to keep them informed of the status of jobs, solicit additional information needed for current jobs and coordinate changes to jobs. May forward/review proofs with customer, obtain approval of materials, such as artwork, color, or ink and paper samples.

•

Coordinate the resolution of customer or manufacturing issues with customer jobs. Engage appropriate departments to verify the issue and determine the root cause. May make recommendations to management on appropriate response to issues that are in the best interest of the customer and the company. Communicate with customers regarding the resolution of issues.

• May provide pre-sales support with customers and discuss the manufacturing capabilities and requirements needed to produce a successful job.

• May assist sales in supplying estimates and determining how to efficiently process a complete job.

• Performs other related duties and participates in special projects as assigned.

Required Skills • Administrative/operational support in manufacturing operations or office environment directly related to the duties of the job.

• Able to consistently apply applicable policies, procedures, regulations, and program objectives when carrying out the duties of the job.

•

Must have advanced knowledge of technology to include computers and software programs such as MS Office or MAC word processing, spreadsheets or other programs specific to the job in order to complete job duties successfully. Experience with Graphic software.

• Must have excellent oral and written communication skills to communicate effectively across departments when completing assignments.

• Must have strong organizational skills with ability to manage deadlines and prioritize workload and make adjustment to meet business needs.

SUBMIT CV & References by email: hr@stluciastar.com

By June 7th 2019

SATURDAY, JUNE 01, 2019

www.stluciastar.com

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Printed and published by STAR Publishing Co. (1987) Ltd., Rodney Bay Industrial Estate, Massade, Gros Islet, P.O. Box 1146, Castries, St. Lucia, W.I., Tel: (758) 450-7827 Fax: (758) 450-8690, Email: info@stluciastar.com Website: www.stluciastar.com