Fire in the City!

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SATURDAY, november 23, 2019

Fire in the city!

• Tel: (758) 450-0021 / 31 / 728 1000 • Fax: (758) 450-0092 • Email: info@bluewatersslu.com • Website: www.bluewatersslu.com

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STAR POWER

eacher: “You know anything about Charles Atlas?”

Pupil: “Sir, I never see it and if he lose it, Sir, it wasn’t me. I didn’t thief it.”

Teacher: “Son, you’re talking about Collins Atlas and I am asking you about Charles Atlas.”

Pupil: “Sir, I does use Google Maps, I don’t use Atlas.”

In my early days, both the Collins Atlas and Charles Atlas were well known. The Collins was mandatory for “Jogafee” (our pronunciation of “Geography”) and if you were a 97-pound weakling or were in any way physically challenged or bullied by the bigger boys, Charles Atlas was your go-to guy. I found out about Charles Atlas from my cousin who, at 20, was interested in building his body to attract women, and also from the many comic books I consumed, devoured really. Charles Atlas and his “Dynamic Tension” muscle-building method were everywhere. What sold me on his programme was a cartoon in every comic book of a very skinny, scaredy-cat of a young man, on the beach with a young female companion, who was roughed up by a big, burly bully.

In some of the comics, the bully kicks sand in the face of the young man; in others the poor “97-pound weakling” is dumped on the ground. Whatever the scenario, it always ends with the young lady poking fun at the pipsqueak while she heads out on the arm of the bully. The young man goes home angry and upset; he orders the free Charles Atlas book and then, with muscles bulging all over his finely sculptured body, he seeks out the bully and beats him up. Of course, he wins the admiration of everyone around and the girlfriend, eyes sparkling, returns. It was a Marvel (and also in the D.C. comics).

Unlike the 97-pound weakling, my only companion initially was myself in the mirror, using my cousin’s Charles Atlas book, and building my muscles by tensing them. Now the only dynamic tension I know is from my wife at home but in those days I soon gathered a group of muscle-minded friends and we went at it using the widely available Weider magazines featuring the top musclemen and the exercises they used to build arms, chests, deltoids, thighs, calves and most of the other body parts. Those

that they ignored, perhaps for legal and censorship issues, we found in other books and practised pumping-iron in secret. We were jeered a lot about “all youh giving iron ride” and “when you get big stones (hydrocele or what Guyanese call “godee”) you go have to put them in a wheelbarrow and push them with you”.

What kept our spirits up were not just the muscles we were slowly building but inspiration from the Italian-made, swordand-sandal Hercules movies, Hercules (1958) and Hercules Unchained (1959) featuring the greatest body-builder of his time, Steve Reeves, and shortly after, the successes of two Trinidad and Tobago world-class body-builders, Michael Hercules and the 1964 Mr. Universe, Christopher Forde.

What I did not know at the time was the extent to which Charles Atlas was influential in the lives of others in the region, especially a youngster named Learie Carasco from Saint Lucia.

The story is that when he saw the famous Charles Atlas ad of the bully kicking sand in a weakling's face, Learie was inspired. Despite not having access to gym equipment, Learie used an old axle and some home-made lead weights to build so much muscle that at 15, the only youngster in the competition, he came second in the Mr. St. Lucia contest. In the West Indies of those days, cricket was the only sport that had regional circulation so the only Learie we knew about was Learie Constantine the cricketer.

In the sixties, the undoubted star of the bodybuilding galaxy was a guy named Rick Wayne. It was a name I loved since it combined two of my favourite characters from Rio Bravo, the Western we considered the best we ever saw—Ricky Nelson and John Wayne. Rick Wayne lived up to his star billing and won every bodybuilding award around.

During the period 1964-1974 he was several times Mr. Universe and Mr. World and also swept the “Pro” versions of those contests. By that time, although I kept in shape, even having my own Gold’s Gym in Barbados, I had stopped following the sport. It is only in the 1990s, when I went to Saint Lucia as a PAHO advisor, that I heard Rick Wayne had returned to his home in Saint Lucia in 1986 and together with his wife, award-

winning body-builder, Mae Mollica Sabbagh, had started a newspaper called the St. Lucia Star.

“Home?” I asked. “He born here or he buy citizenship?”

Then I learnt the full-story. The young Learie Carasco emigrated to England in the 50s, spent two years in the army, then became a singer named Ricky Wayne (perhaps because “Bruce” was already taken). After he ended his career as a pro bodybuilder, Rick focused on writing about the sport but never at any time forgot his roots. His book, "Muscle Wars, An insider account of the Competitive World of Bodybuilding" starts, “My Catholic upbringing notwithstanding, I have long harbored the devilishly delicious notion that after he’d made Eve and let there be light for a delirious Adam, God wafted Himself away from snake-infested Eden to create an earthly heaven that he named The Caribbean.”

Last week Rick was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to sports, professional bodybuilding in particular, and journalism in Saint Lucia. He continues to write and his most recent book, “Foolish Virgins” (an oxymoron of a title, if ever there was one), is about Saint Lucian politics which he dabbled in until he was fired as a Senator by former Prime Minister, Kenny Anthony. Now, at 81, Rick runs the aptly named TALK, the toughest current affairs programme in the Caribbean, which is extremely popular because of Rick’s aggressive interviews and comments on national and regional issues.

Seeing his range of skills and talents, as well as his many different interests, I asked Rick how come he never became a movie star like Reeves, Schwarzenegger, or Ferrigno (Hulk). After all, in his time he was as big a Hulk as any of them. His response was that he was never really interested in the movies because the parts were silly and clichéd. In memory of Charles Atlas and his influence on both of us, as well as all the other 97-pound weaklings, I tactfully left it at that.

Tony Deyal was last seen asking, “Why did the bodybuilder flee London for New York?”

He was squatting.

november 23, 2019 THE STAR

St. Jude Hospital Prostate Cancer Screening S

t. Jude Hospital is embarking on a campaign to promote awareness of Men’s Prostate Healthcare.

From November 25 to December 20, 2019, Prostate Cancer Screening (PSA Test) will be available at St. Jude Hospital. Operation times for testing will be Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

It is required that patients be seen at the Out-Patient Clinic (OPC) by a general practitioner prior to getting the request for PSA Testing.

The OPC visit costs EC$15.00.

The PSA Test will be offered at a reduced price of EC$40.00. (The original price of the PSA Test is $80.00.)

Test results will determine if patients are to be referred to the Urology department for further testing, observation and treatment. The urology visit costs EC$35.00.

The PSA Test results will be given to patients on the same day as testing.

In order to be eligible for this promotion, individuals must be age 40 and above (40+).

The purpose of this campaign is to promote awareness and encourage men to get tested and consult with a physician, if necessary.

Patients with PSA Test

requests from other medical centres are also encouraged to take advantage of this promotion. We also would appreciate constructive feedback from the patients after the services have been provided to facilitate improvement for future promotions.

Please persuade your family members and friends to be part of this promotion.

St. Jude Hospital prides itself on being a healthcare provider of excellence and this initiative is an effort to achieve our mission, which is providing quality healthcare.

Temporary closure of affected Gov’t Departments due to recent fire

D

ue to the recent fire in the Voyager building, the Department of Finance informs the general public of the temporary closure of the following government offices: • The Treasury/ Accountant General’s Department in the Dyana Building on Jeremie Street • Inland Revenue offices, upstairs Digicel in William Peter Boulevard, Blue Coral

Mall and the Dyana Building on Jeremie Street • The General Post Office on Bridge Street • The Customs Department in the new Cheriki Building and upstairs at the Digicel Building in William Peter Boulevard.

Payment of customs duties will be facilitated at Shed 6 at the Castries Port.

The temporary closures are a precautionary health measure due to the strong

odour of smoke in the ventilation system of those departments.

Regular service to the general public is expected to resume on Monday, November 25, 2019.

The Department of Finance apologizes for any inconvenience caused due to these temporary closures.

For further information, please telephone 468 1580/5512.

THE STAR

NOVEMBER 23, 2019

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NOVEMBER 23, 2019 THE STAR

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Sandals Team Members Receive First Class HealthCare on the job

andals Grande Saint Lucian Spa and Beach Resort recently hosted a health fair for all team members, an ongoing initiative to help the staff maintain a proper level of health and wellbeing.

Managing Director Mr. Winston Anderson said Sandals was cognizant of the fact that it was sometimes difficult for team members to find time to do such check-ups, saying, “This is why we brought it to them, and I believe the health fair achieved its objective.

Team members were able to receive free healthcare at their workplace from some top local providers, and we must thank our partners for making this possible.”

Some of the partners included the Bureau of Health Education, various divisions from the Ministry of Health such as Infectious Diseases, the Renal, Substance Abuse and Dental Units, the Saint Lucia Diabetes and Hypertensive Association, the Saint Lucia Planned Parenthood

Association, Courts Optical, Kako Products, The Fountain of Life and Frances Rub. From head to toe, team members were able to source information about improving their health. By far the most popular area of focus came from the Community Nursing Service, giving blood sugar and blood pressure testing and counselling. A total of 185 team members took advantage of this, of which 66 were male and 119 female.

While 36 team members took the opportunity to visit the Courts Optical booth for eye examinations and to browse through the display of frames, 112 team members took tests from the Renal Unit, and benefitted from valuable information and referrals, as necessary.

Other popular booths included the Bureau of Health Education, which provided valuable information on cholesterol and diabetes.

Additionally, the Infectious Disease booth, where team members went for HIV/

Sandals team members seeking information during the health fair.

syphilis rapid testing, was well patronized. Over 63 team members went to obtain information.

The Kako team presented samples of their products to over 60 team members. Another 110 team members sampled

from the Fountain of Life Products that were on display.

Over 234 team members visited the other booths.

Managers and team members alike were very pleased that this event was organised at the workplace,

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which not only gave them free and convenient access to healthcare, but meant that they did not have to take a day off to do such check-ups; time they can now spend with their families or doing personal business.

Spa Manager Portia Thompson said, “I always look forward to this event that Sandals Grande hosts for us.

It allows me to stay on top of my job and I get really good advice and assistance from medical professionals. I only wish I had made time for my teeth. That one will have to wait.”

For the first time, the event was held in the staff lobby and restaurant area to allow for easy access, which Event Coordinator Nadiege Smith-Lambert, Acting Health Educator from the Bureau of Health Education, Ministry of Health & Wellness, said worked very well. “The new location met its objective which was to provide comprehensive health services to staff at a location convenient to them in order to facilitate their attendance.

This site was ideal for the services offered and staff took full advantage of the services.

We were very pleased at the number of participants visiting or accessing services and/or information from each unit.”

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NOVEMBER 23, 2019 THE STAR

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Acting PM Lauds Firefighters and others who Assisted in Controlling William Peter Boulevard Fire!

Joshua St. Aimee

B

y the smoking sea, where Christ walked, I asked, why Should a man wax tears, when his wooden world fails?” So asked Derek Walcott in “A City’s Death By Fire”, inspired by the 1948 Castries fire that abruptly left over 2,000 residents homeless, to say nothing of the government offices and private sector businesses reduced to ashes. While this historic event may have been the most devastating, the capital has a well documented association with fires, dating back to the 1700s. In 1927 most of the capital was brought down by flames of uncertain origin. Fires continue to plague Castries on a regular basis, albeit small.

On Thursday afternoon a fire broke out in the Adjodha building in William Peter Boulevard.

Scores of shocked citizens gathered around cordoned off sections of the city centre, many acutely aware they were witnessing the death by fire of yet another historic building. Long the home of the popular Voyager store, and other businesses, it had started life as the Gaiety Cinema and night club. Many popular singers started their careers there.

The acting chief fire officer George Victorin told reporters on Thursday that his department received the first call for assistance at 1:30 p.m.

On arrival at the scene of the fire the firemen were surprised by what confronted them: “It was

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While the flames devour his historic building, owner Gilland Adjodha (far right) watches helplessly from the sidelines!

very difficult for us. The fire was really deep inside the building and there was an issue with access. It occurred to the firefighters that they would have a difficult time preventing the fire from spreading to other nearby structures.”

Added Victorin: “Fortunately, the fire was confined to the Voyager’s block; no other adjoining buildings were affected.”

Victorin revealed that over fifty firefighters, six fire appliances and five or six ambulances were on the scene.

No injuries were reported.

The fire service had the situation under control within three hours.

Among the shocked witnesses at the scene was Mr. Guy Joseph, holding the fort while the prime minister attends to other business in Washington.

He was full of praise for all who worked together to put out the fire, including police officers who kept bystanders safely at bay.

He told this reporter: “That the firefighters were able to keep this fire under control, and kept it from spreading to nearby buildings, is most commendable. Usually, people are quick to criticize our police and our firefighters for the smallest things but I think they have proved today what they’re made of.”

He added: “And that includes how well they controlled traffic!”

The prime minister also extended congratulations and sympathy to the firefighters and to those who’ve been adversely affected by Thursday’s blaze!

International Men’s Day 2019 I

nternational Men’s Day (IMD) is celebrated annually in over 60 countries to focus on issues affecting men and boys. The theme for 2019 is ‘Making a difference for men and boys’. The celebration aims to highlight male role models and raise awareness of men’s issues like mental health, fatherhood, suicide and flunking out of society at large.

IMD seeks to encourage men to lead by example because boys need to see and experience positive role models, a species that is in short supply these days.

Incidentally, women and girls are also in search of positive male figures to make their lives and society complete. When men are inactive or absent, society begins to crumble and this hurts every stratum of the society.

Attempts need to be made to target and redress the educational challenges facing boys and men, as underachievement in this area is a glaring problem. Boys, and men to a certain extent, do not perform as efficiently in exams as they used to, and the result is a large number of drop-outs from educational facilities and programmes.

Girls outperform boys at almost every educational level, and the boys and men are being relegated to the bottom of every class.

Boys seem to be more motivated by extracurricular activities than by what takes place in the classroom, and this needs to be factored into our educational system.

Can this situation be reversed? Can it be that we are turning a blind eye to this obvious problem? Society is already feeling

the pinch from our inaction.

Many vital statistics for men around the world are not encouraging. For one, men have a shorter lifespan than women; and more males commit suicide than females. In most countries men outnumber women in prisons by at least five to one; and in sweet Saint Lucia, where our prison was built for 400 inmates, we have less than a dozen females at most times and the number of men is already way past 400. More men die as a result of workplace accidents than women; and violence claims the lives of many more men than women. Do you believe the people who say that man is an endangered species? Maybe they have a point.

On top of all of this, men also face issues like rape, sexual exploitation, human trafficking and domestic violence, with little support from official circles.

On the other side of the coin, society largely ignores the fact that there are good men and good fathers because we receive a barrage of negative portrayals of men in the media and other fora. Hardly any

mention is made of fatherhood problems, especially for single fathers who want to have good relations with their children, but are prevented from doing so by vindictive mothers who use loopholes in the law to stop fathers from seeing their children.

IMD promotes better gender relations by agitating for gender equality. The gender gap needs to be eliminated to ensure equality and equity worldwide.

This celebration, which was re-launched in 1999

by Trinidadian Dr. Jerome Teelucksingh, provides an opportunity for men to celebrate their achievements and contributions, especially in the areas of family life, marriage, child care and community development.

It also serves to highlight discrimination against men and boys in the areas of social attitudes and services, expectations and the law.

In keeping with its stated mission to strive for the elimination of all forms of abuse in the society, the St. Lucia Crisis Centre has broadened its focus from mainly offering

support for vulnerable women, to reach out to the entire family, inclusive of men and children. Its doors are always open to every member of the society as it seeks to make a difference for the entire family.

The St. Lucia Crisis Centre is proud of its efforts in helping to improve family relationships, by recognizing the crucial role that men play in the family and the society.

It encourages harmonious family relationships at home by offering assistance and encouragement to the males in our society.

Men are now utilizing the services of the St. Lucia Crisis Centre and are playing a more pro-active role in the lives of their children as they actively seek to deal with issues that threaten a cohesive, productive and healthy family life.

The St. Lucia Crisis Centre will continue to encourage these men and invites others to visit its offices as the organisation works towards curbing abuse in society by building healthy families.

THE STAR

www.stluciastar.com

november 23, 2019

Maher Chreiki OBE A True Saint Lucian At Heart

M

r. Maher Chreiki has been appointed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in appreciation of his years of real estate development in Saint Lucia.

This devoted and successful businessman has invested vast resources in the shaping of the economic development of Saint Lucia through creating employment and supporting the local construction industry.

Following years of vision, conceptualization and designs, and at the foothills of the global financial crisis, Mr. Chreiki demonstrated his confidence in the Saint Lucian economy and ventured into his boldest undertaking ever by constructing the US$80 million Baywalk Shopping Mall in Rodney Bay. Baywalk has since become the focal point of the Rodney Bay shopping district and has earned much acclaim, regionally and internationally.

With the successful completion of the mall, Mr. Chreiki then directed his attention to the capital of the island. He has succeeded in changing the face of Castries through the development of several multi-storey commercial buildings.

He has maintained a sterling relationship with successive governments in Saint Lucia, the business sector and the citizens of this, his adopted home. Sharing his time, energy and assisting others financially remains a crucial part of his life and he has pledged to continue to live and work, asking to be known not as “Mr. Chreiki” but simply “Maher”.

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Maher Chreiki (right) receiving his OBE from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace on November 7, 2019.

Please also note that applications received after November 25th, 2019 will not be acknowledged.

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NOVEMBER 23, 2019 THE STAR

Hilaire Claims ‘They’ Have Silenced Police!

Dean Nestor

C

itizens and political leaders seem at a loss what to do about crime in Saint Lucia. This week the Castries South opposition MP added to the confusion when he revealed at a town-hall meeting that crime “has gotten so bad that they, from what I am told, they are saying to people not to say how many homicides anymore.”

Perhaps the atypically faulty syntax is excusable.

Inexplicably, local politicians when they speak English from their platforms, customarily relegate good grammar to a back seat, ostensibly in the best interests of their audience.

But then Mr. Hilaire could’ve investigated what he claimed he had been told by an unidentified source in relation to local homicides.

He would have only himself to blame if he should find himself accused of seeking to profit by politicizing crime in the

season of elections. Mr Hilaire’s statement on Tuesday was not only uncharacteristically gossipy and irresponsible; it was also not factual. Indeed, it made the police commissioner into a puppet, a ventriloquist’s dummy that speaks only the words of an unidentified puppeteer.

The truth is that never mind their overwhelming problems, the police have been most forthcoming with crime details, certainly during the last three years or so. Making things worse for Hilaire is that only last week this newspaper and other news media reported what they had learned from the police on the matter of homicides, including that the latest figure at time of reporting was 41. It now stands at 42. It is also no secret the number of cold cases on the police files.

It should also be reported that in the middle of his delivery on Tuesday the opposition MP seemed suddenly to change direction.

Finally what he said in effect was that crime will continue

to rise unless there’s a bipartisan effort to stamp it out—a faultless observation on Mr. Hilaire’s part that flew in the face of his earlier uncorroborated statement.

Doubtless in the days ahead he will offer more than words and demonstrate his party’s willingness to assist the government’s efforts at ameliorating the crime situation, connected as it is to IMPACS.

It would also serve if Mr. Hilaire and the rest of his party spoke out publicly and in nonpartisan fashion against crime, at least as strongly as they did in 1998 and during the time of Operation Restore Peace!

But this hasn’t been the only talking point surrounding crime in Saint Lucia. A common theme that has emerged has been how unprecedented Saint Lucia’s 2019 criminal activity is.

Like Hilaire’s comments, there is nothing to substantiate this claim. Nevertheless, Acting ACP George Nicholas expressed this sentiment last week, saying: “Obviously the criminals have

Ernest Hilaire’s homicide blunder is emblematic of a nation—leaders and followers alike—that has altogether forgotten that the prolificacy with which crimes are committed on our shores did not start in 2019.

taken their game to a new level and it is up to law enforcement to up our game.”

His comments came after a law enforcement officer’s firearm was stolen by robbers at a local bar in the north of the island. Hardly the first time a law enforcement officer was the victim of a robbery. (See centre for more details.)

“We have to be more aggressive,” Nicholas continued.

“We have to be more forceful when we respond to these kinds of criminal activities and this notion that the criminals want to take on the police—it’s taking it to another level so we have to step up our game.”

Prime Minister Allen Chastanet this week, spoke along the same vein: “We have absolutely seen a spike in certain areas of crime: burglaries, robberies, as well as stolen cars.” He said on Monday.

“These have been the three that have really been problematic for us.”

He went on: “We’ve been doing a good job of monitoring certain areas and what we’ve seen is that crime has now moved to the outskirts of Saint Lucia. And I think the horrific part has been we’ve seen an increase of crimes that we didn’t normally see in the rural areas; and everybody’s very, very shocked, as we are.

And we’re also very shocked at the willingness of criminals to kill people for very little.

It’s a very worrisome issue in terms of how people are willing to just compromise with the criminals. But we’re seeing people shooting people for twenty dollars. And it’s a very

worrisome trend and I think this is what officer Nicholas was really talking about; the change in the attitude of some of our people.”

Of course, crimes have always happened all over the island, including in the ‘idyllic’ rural areas. As for civilians now getting killed for as little as twenty dollars, victims then and now have been killed for far less.

As to solutions to the problem, the PM at least went one better than Hilaire who offered none. Chastanet said: “Your government takes crime extremely seriously, and is putting in the resources to resolve this problem and I’m telling you that we will fix this problem. We can never make crime go away entirely but we don’t have scanners at the ports. The easiest way for people to bring guns into this country has still been through the containers. So we are moving very quickly with SLASPA. And the meeting I’m having is to develop a relationship with the port of Miami, to get new scanners in for the barrels, that we can start clamping down and reducing the number of guns coming into our country.”

Chastanet added: “We’ve had forty new officers come on board. And, as you know, I’ve been pushing very hard to get the border control system in place. There are another fifty officers that are currently acting as immigration officers and we want to get those officers back into the force as well.”

The PM’s tune on crime though, was not too dissimilar

to those of his predecessors.

Moreover, these grandiose solutions to crime from the mouths of politicians, which have had very little success up till now, are seemingly wearing thin on the ears of the local populace. Who hasn’t heard on radio or read on social media, the cries for the return of Operation Restore Confidence (ORC)?

And speaking of ORC, it is undeniable that the man who most embodies that infamous operation is former police commissioner Vernon Francois who, last week, appeared on various talk shows to promote his new book. Interestingly on Newsspin Francois pointed out:“We do not need another ORC. It was something that happened at a particular time for a particular period.”

Hardly anyone can argue that Francois, despite his controversial tenure in the police commissioner post, is undeniably one of the best qualified to speak on Saint Lucia’s crime problem. As one radio caller told Francois last week: “You are the best police commissioner Saint Lucia’s ever had,”—an opinion shared by a not insignificant portion of the country.

It is against this backdrop perhaps that we should take Francois’ word on the widely held opinion that crime is worse than it’s ever been. “To my mind, the crime situation was worse in 2010 and 2011 than it is now.”

He went further: “I don’t think we should panic and I think that’s what the police need to avoid. Saint Lucians, too, should not panic. We’ve dealt with spikes in crime before.”

Neither should we whitewash our well-documented history of crime—some of which is far more gruesome than what we’ve endured so far in 2019—in a vain hope that this will somehow trigger a response to the issues we’re currently facing. All it will accomplish is a doomed repetition of already failed solutions to sadly forgotten problems.

I’ll end by returning to the PM’s words on Monday: “Saying that crime is a priority and not providing law enforcement the resources to do their job is the greatest injustice, and the greatest level of hypocrisy.”

Let us hope he takes his own advice.

THE STAR

november 23, 2019

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november 23, 2019 THE STAR

WHY THE SLP WILL NOT WIN THE NEXT ELECTION! Alvin B St Clair

T

he dissonant muffled percussion of political disquiet could once again be heard and felt throughout the length and breadth of Fair Helen. The ductile audience are beginning to tap their feet, nod their heads and sway their hips ever so slightly to the insidious beat on cue—like rats under the spell of an enchanted flute. There are those who have not stopped dancing since June of 2016 but these private dancers move not because of the allure of the tune or a love of dancing. Rather, they dance in pursuance of G-strings stuffed with singles. For them, any old music will do.

As 2021 draws nearer and nearer this dissonant percussion will rise increasingly to a crescendo of deafening claims, promises, innuendos and misinformation which will undoubtedly whip the sycophants, blind ideologists and ignorant masses into a frenzy, stirring up soot that has for the most part laid dormant for the better part of five years. A full-blown carnival of chicken and rum-

fuelled jubilance predestined to leave the streets littered with disappointment and the gutters of our collective consciences clogged with regret. Families will be divided; friends estranged and purported principles abandoned.

When the dust settles, battle lines will be firmly drawn with many of you prostrated at altars of yellow or red. One side desperately trying to hold on to the levers of political power, the other equally desperate to retain it. In the end you, the voter, will have to choose.

Some have described their choice as the lesser of two evils.

An apt description, really, for few whose testicles don’t permanently reside in the designer purses or attaché cases of members of one side of the political class or the other will deny they have all been weighed, measured and found miserably wanting. Nonetheless the carousel of failed ideas, ineptitude and corrupt intent keeps on spinning. But we are where we are. And for those of you who have been living under a rock, it’s no longer simply without a paddle up shit creek.

Our tattered dinghy that has been adrift since being launched in February of ‘79 long sank, leaving us neck deep in it . . . and the shit is rising. So let’s get on with

Employment Opportunity A Civil Construction firm in St. Vincent invites interested persons to submit applications to fill the following positions.

Positions Minimum Qualification

Project Manager/Engineer Any of the following Degrees: 1) Civil or Structural Engineering Site Engineer Degree in Civil Engineering or Diploma in Construction Quantity Surveyor Degree or Diploma in Quantity Surveying Construction Supervisors Experienced in earthmoving,

asphalt road pavement, ready-mix concrete structures.

Surveyor Heavy Equipment Mechanic Experienced in Caterpillar heavy equipment

Applications should be addressed to: Human Resource Manager Dipcon Engineering Services Ltd. Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Email: dipstvincent@vincysurf.com Contact #: 784 457 8111

Is Philip J. Pierre (right) doomed to be just another version of Kenny Anthony (left)? And if so, is that what the electorate is looking forward to in the most challenging of times?

the regrettable but necessary business of weighing evils, shall we?

Members of the current administration have been, and are being, besieged by whispers of corruption and full-throated screams of impropriety and ineptitude. There have been a great many accusations of procedural pimples and ethical carbuncles. They are not alone in that regard. Successive administrations have been mired in controversies; accused of various forms and degrees of malfeasance, most often without a scintilla of corroboration. I dare to say that the comparative weighing of these controversies is, for the most part, how local political contests are decided.

I will attempt a more sober comparative assessment of the island’s two major political parties; one which is equitable and steers clear of rumours and innuendos for I don’t subscribe to the notion that smoke is confirmation of fire—no matter how acrid.

In the alternate universe called politics, alternative facts,

dissembling and all other sorts of subterfuge are the order of the day. However, beyond the half-truths and whole lies, there are areas of obvious grave concern. Our education system is antiquated and underfunded; our healthcare woefully inadequate and social services all but non-existent— among a slew of other social and economic issues. But these issues, too, are not points of distinction because they persisted irrespective of which party was in power. Various incarnations of both parties have proven gravely inept at solving them. For example, the issue of schools being closed on account of alleged governmental failings isn’t a recent phenomenon. Cases in point: following a sit-in protest by teachers at the Castries Comprehensive Secondary School shortly after the commencement of the new school year in 2015, the school had to be closed to facilitate major works.

The school’s principal, Marva Daniel, indicated the issues that precipitated the closure: leakages, floods, mildew and mould, electrical issues and cracks in

beams, had been brought to the attention of the Ministry of Education since 2007. Crime has been an issue from time immemorial. There were forty-six homicides in 2011 and forty-three in 2006, not to mention perennial issues of sexual assaults and robberies. According to Cruise Law News, Saint Lucia was number ten on the list of the world’s most dangerous cruise destinations in 2014. I quote: “This Island [Saint Lucia] is a good case study on what can go wrong during a cruise excursion.

69 cruise passengers were robbed at gun point on just two excursions.”

There is, however, one significant distinction between the current Allen Chastanet administration and Philip J. Pierre’s opposition which seeks to replace it. That distinction is a plan. Whether you believe in its efficacy or not; support the management style in which it is being implemented; or even view it as cohesive, there is no denying that the current administration has one. The opposition does not.

If they do, I have not heard it. By “plan” I do not mean promises of infrastructural improvements such as fixing roads, renovating airports and building footpaths and squares and/or the supplying of tools such as vehicles for the police force. I’m referring to the types of policy-driven paradigm shifts necessary to fundamentally change the aforementioned areas of major concern for the better.

How are they going to address the high import bill? In what way is our tourism product going to be modified to meet the challenge of increased competition and decreased inbound flights?

What do they propose to do about insolvent state-dependent institutions? How will our

education system be revamped to better fit our specific needs and so on?

The opposition regularly lambasts what’s being done as half-baked, ill-fated and corrupt.

They disagree with the plan to develop Vieux Fort. They are against the privatization of traditionally government-run institutions and functions. They consider the Soleil series of music festivals ill-conceived and ineffectual. And, who knows, their concerns may be well placed. However, those who aspire to lead should be more than skilled at identifying problems and experienced at shooting holes in the proffered ideas for solving them. They must present ideas of their own: solutions that address current issues and proactive measures which will safeguard against future challenges. The opposition is yet to do so. They are yet to offer an alternative to the current administration.

As useful as it is to make a case for why the current administration should not be reelected, it is vastly more important that the opposition— keeping in mind its leader has fifteen years of governing under his belt—clearly state why his team should be returned to office.

Sure, it’s important that those who seek to represent us share our values and empathize with our challenges and hardships. It’s more than welcomed and appreciated if they take the time to share a drink or meal—on them of course. It is comforting if they look like us.

However, having a workable plan is far and away the most important consideration. The watery grave of oblivion is all that’s promised to those who, in the face of undercurrents such as competition, sporadic market movements and natural disasters, are content to merely tread water.

Invest Saint Lucia CEO Shouts: “The South Shall Rise Again!”

M

r Roderick Cherry delivered the feature address at the Southern Business Association’s (SBA) inaugural annual general meeting on November 6, 2019. It was held under the theme 'Creating the Environment for Successful Business Growth in the South' as one of the slated activities for the 2019 annual Business Month.

Mr Cherry was invited as the Chief Executive Officer of the island’s premier agency responsible for stimulating, promoting and facilitating the development of business and investment activities, Invest Saint Lucia.

During the AGM’s open session, Mr Cherry started his remarks by assuring the SBA that Invest Saint Lucia will be a propelling factor in helping the south become a leader

economically and businesswise.

He said, “None of us were alive to see it, but Vieux Fort, which is the second most populated town on our island, used to be the capital of Saint Lucian economy and governance. This was the epicentre of the sugar industry and still has some of the most fertile agricultural land on its miles and miles of gently rolling hills.” Mr Cherry added, “The south shall rise again!”

The CEO continued by discussing the investment models used in Vieux Fort from the colonial era up until Saint Lucia’s independence and present day. “The linear, unsustainable, exploitative model of investment may have been what defined our history, but I am here to say, it will not define our future as a nation.”

According to Mr Cherry, Invest Saint Lucia has several

plans for the south and it is for members of the SBA to take full advantage of these opportunities.

In addition to land developments in Bois Jolie and Beauchamp spurring SME and MME enterprise in the communities, Mr Cherry brought to the SBA’s attention that OJO Labs is one of the best working environments in Saint Lucia today.

Mr Cherry proudly explained to the SBA that the Royal Saint Lucia Turf Club’s horseracing track, and the earmarked opportunity for Black Bay are not the shining stars in ISL’s plans for the south. “Perhaps the most ambitious project Invest Saint Lucia will be undertaking is Anse de Sable, a multi-faceted, hybrid real estate development on approximately 117 acres, inclusive of the Queen’s chain, of beautiful beachfront in the scenic

southern coastline of Vieux Fort,” he said. “No more driving up to Castries and Rodney Bay to see the latest blockbuster or to enjoy fine dining and shop for designer brands.

In fact, the kind of development Invest Saint Lucia has in mind will have the traffic flowing down here and, with it, prosperity and opportunity for our southern communities.”

To end, Mr Cherry left the SBA with this to ponder: “We want fellow Saint Lucians to remember that everything we offer to foreign investors is available to them! What is more, we have a mandate to ensure every Saint Lucian owns land and a home. The well-being of our people is at the very heart of our holistic development of our island. Are you ready for the south to rise again?”

THE STAR

NOVEMBER 23, 2019

www.stluciastar.com

11

12

NOVEMBER 23, 2019 THE STAR

www.stluciastar.com

Royal Bank of Canada - St. Lucia Branch Operations

Abandoned Property

as at 31 October, 2019

In accordance with the Banking Act #7 Sec 58(3), we publish hereunder the names of account holders of RBC Royal Bank with unclaimed balances for over 15 years.

Unclaimed amounts will be transferred to the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank if no claim is made within thirty (30) days of this notice. Interested parties may inquire at their local RBC Royal Bank Branch, if their name appears on the abandoned Property Listing.

ACCOUNT TYPE

TRANSIT

ACCOUNT NBR

NAME

ACCOUNT TYPE

TRANSIT

ACCOUNT NBR

NAME

Savings

09465

751-535-6

JACQUELINE JOAN EVERETT

Reg Sav Account

18000

1800011072155773

BERNADETTE VITALIS

Savings

09465

752-337-6

PATRICIA ANN LYNCH-PAUL

Reg Sav Account

18000

1800011072168239

MARIANA EDWARD

Savings

09465

752-393-9

FRANCOIS GUY ROBERT PARENT

Reg Sav Account

18000

1800011072543374

THOMAS DORVILLE

Savings

09465

790-001-2

KATHY BIRCH

Reg Sav Account

18000

1800011072577287

LINDA RANICIA MAXWELL

Savings

09465

790-010-3

MARGUERITE DORVILLE

Reg Sav Account

18000

1800011072605655

KELVIN MATTY

Savings

09465

790-180-4

AMY Z N FELECIAN

Reg Sav Account

18000

1800011072691373

MARK WATERS

Savings

09465

790-397-4

LINUS THEOPHILUS

Reg Sav Account

18000

1800011075113718

SEAN MATTHEW

Current A/c

09475

116-269-2

KENNETH R HALL OR PAULINE E HALL

Reg Sav Account

18000

1800011077023767

HERMINA H. MC LEAN

Savings

09475

704-382-1

SYMPHIA DANDAS

Reg Sav Account

18000

1800011077050724

MARY JANE HIPPOLYTE

Savings

09475

705-868-8

CLAUDE EUSTACE HIPPOLYTE

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078010874

THEOPHILUS STEPHEN

Savings

09475

706-546-9

MARIE J FOUCHER OR CHARLES WEEKES

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078019057

MERGINA GROSPAL

Savings

09475

707-740-7

EVESTA JN MARIE

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078021434

RUBIA ST MARIE

Savings

09475

708-203-5

PRISCILLIA OR ELIUS PAUL

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078021687

LIANE LOUIS

Savings

09475

710-000-1

EGBERT PATRICK JULES

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078024573

URSIA GIRARD

Savings

09475

712-192-4

GLEN AUGUSTIN

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078031251

CARLTON HENRY

Savings

09475

713-977-7

CECIL PARRIS OR MICHAEL B EDMUND

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078032401

NETHANIAH DORH

Savings

09475

715-874-4

FORTUNATA PRISCILLA DONELLY

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078060038

JERVIN TOUSSAINT

Savings

09475

717-403-0

ELMA VILNA OR ESTHER AUGUSTE

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078074155

KRISHNA ADOLPH

Savings

09475

717-856-9

AGATHA MARY ALCEE

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078076212

ALISTA THOMPSON

Savings

09475

722-181-5

SATURIN BENOIT GELANOR

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078084215

KIMBERLEEN HUBERT

Savings

09475

724-615-0

SMITH VICTOR OR FORTUNA PHILLIP

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078088016

CURLITHA PIERRE-LOUIS

Savings

09475

725-559-9

ZEPHYRIN JOHNNY OR MURIELLE CHASLAS

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078088199

JESSIE CHARLES

Savings

09475

729-099-2

NORMA ANA HENRY

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078096191

JOSIAN ESTEPHANE

Savings

09475

770-233-5

BARBARA JOSEPH

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078117148

NEOMI FONTENELLE

Savings

09475

770-468-7

PAULA MAUREEN JAMES-HAMILTON

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078117636

SHEVON LEWIS

Savings

09475

770-724-3

J FLORENVILLE

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078117717

BRYAN HUBAIN

Savings

09475

771-095-7

MARLIN JOSEPH

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078126139

YANIQUE THOMAS

Savings

09475

771-204-5

GRACE KEITH JN BAPTISTE

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078154008

KRYSTAL MAURICETTE

Savings

09475

771-936-2

SONIA GEORGE OR JUDEEN JOHNSON

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078163255

JOHNROSS ORAN ELLIOT

Savings

09475

771-945-3

TESSA SAINTE-ROSE OR ROSEMARIE LANSIQUOT

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078166068

SARAH-LEE LOUISON

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078172653

KED AUGUSTE

Savings

09475

772-163-2

DONALYN NICOLE BARTHELMY

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078177949

MICKEY MIGUEL HENRY

Savings

09475

772-180-6

FIRMIN VINCENT VALLACE

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078184047

CURLANN JOHN

Savings

09475

772-181-4

FIRMIN VINCENT VALLACE

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078185119

ARETHA FRANCIS

Savings

09475

772-828-0

SHERMINE CHARLES

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078197583

DANA ADRIAN

Savings

09475

772-919-7

SHERMINE CHARLES

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078199802

EVELYN FRANCOIS

Savings

09475

773-025-2

DENISE LEWIS FOR ANTHONY

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078210024

MARVIN EDGAR

Savings

09475

773-215-9

RUMELIA KING

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078216065

NICOLE CAZAUBON

Savings

09475

773-559-0

MARTINA CECILIA DUNCAN

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078245359

HANNAH GAILLARD

Savings

09475

773-661-4

ANIKA DETERVILLE C/O GENERAL POST OFFICE

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078257144

ALLINA CLIFFORD

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078276459

CHARTAL PRESCOTT

Savings

09475

773-778-6

UTILDA ALPHONSE

Savings

09475

775-474-0

JULIANA ROSERIE

Savings

09475

775-559-8

SHAUNA WILLIAM

Savings

09475

775-781-8

MARIUS OR JARNICKAE WILSON

Savings

09475

775-853-5

JOSEPH TOMEH

Savings

09475

776-037-4

SHARONA DUPIGNY

Savings

09475

776-641-3

GUADELENE TIMOTHY

Personal CA Reg

18000

1800010050105668

ROSALIND THOMAS

Reg Sav Account

18000

1800010071661768

GUY PIERROT

Reg Sav Account

18000

1800010072682386

TARFARI MACONON

Reg Sav Account

18000

1800010072700287

LORNA CENAC

Reg Sav Account

18000

1800010072701011

KRISTEN L GRISENTHWAITE

Reg Sav Account

18000

1800010077005293

CARL HAYNES

DDA Regular

18000

1800011020070378

GORDON NESTOR AUGUSTIN

DDA Regular

18000

1800011020097023

MARY MATHURIN-FELIX

Cash Management

18000

1800011020120866

BANKER'S INSURANCE LTD

Personal CA Reg

18000

1800011020202617

EDMUND R SEALEY

DDA Business

18000

1800011021330805

NATIONAL INSURANCE PROPERTY

DDA Business

18000

1800011030007758

CALA TELECOM SERVICES (SLU) LTD

DDA Business

18000

1800011030016827

GRAINS INT'L INC.

Personal CA Reg

18000

1800011050034395

PRISCA ERISTHEE

Personal CA Reg

18000

1800011050119781

ALEXANDER ROBERT GROUCHY

Reg Sav Account

18000

1800011070304976

CHERRYL STEPHEN

Reg Sav Account

18000

1800011070615599

REGINA JOAN FERDINAND

Reg Sav Account

18000

1800011070710613

MAGDELEN LEON

Reg Sav Account

18000

1800011071888246

RONLEY ARLINGTON PHILLIPS

Reg Sav Account

18000

1800011071978587

IGNATIUS MODESTE

Reg Sav Account

18000

1800011072008355

RANDAL AUGUSTIN

Reg Sav Account

18000

1800011072077985

CECELIA M ST.ANGE

Reg Sav Account

18000

1800011072129624

SHARIMA SUBHAN-SUKAL

1

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078276521

JERMAINE CHARLES

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078276602

MILINDA DRAKES

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078276866

CARINA ALTENOR

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078276947

RANDALL LUBIN

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078277102

KRYSTAL GLASGOW

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078277285

LEIZA DALPHINIS

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078277366

LANDY WALLACE

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078277692

ELISHA PAYNE

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078277854

DESMA AUGUSTIN

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078277935

DELON WALCOTT

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078278192

GORDON CAZAUBON

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078278273

TRISTAN FLETCHER

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078278354

MANDYSSA CHARLEMAGNE

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078278435

MICHELLE MC KETNEY

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078278508

ANNETTE SAMUEL

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078278688

KEEVE DENIS

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078278842

NADIA ABRAHAM

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078279008

MAURA FRANCIS

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078279188

CHRISELDA NORBAL

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078279261

MERLISSA FELIX

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078279423

MICHELLE VIDAL

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078279598

IARA BELIZAIRE

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078279679

ATHANAY MONROSE

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078279757

KISHA FEDEE

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078279911

MILAN CHARLES

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078280073

LUCY JN BAPTISTE

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078280154

NESHA MAURICE

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078280499

CHRISTIE GUSTAVE

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078280642

SASKIA JOSEPH

THE STAR

LOCAL

www.stluciastar.com

NOVEMBER 23, 2019

13

Caribbean Fisheries Management Experts visit Kingdom of Morocco on Technical Cooperation Mission

A

delegation comprising senior personnel from the fisheries departments of Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Jamaica visited the Kingdom of Morocco during the period November 4 to 14, 2019 to exchange strategies and best practices with Moroccan fisheries and aquaculture experts in an effort to strengthen Caribbean capacities in the critical areas of research and development (R&D), regulatory best practices, fish stock assessment and valuation, resource management, and international export marketability.

During their time in Morocco, the fisheries delegation visited several R&D facilities, processing facilities, and export hubs in major Moroccan cities including Tangier, Casablanca, Agadir and Dakhla.

At a debriefing held on Tuesday November 12, 2019 at the Embassies of Eastern Caribbean States based in the Moroccan capital of Rabat, members of the Caribbean

delegation commented on the value and expertise gained from their newfound familiarisation with the Moroccan experience in fisheries management and business development.

Some of the observations focused on the important topic of regulatory enforcement, noting that Morocco’s approach to regulations is different than that of many Caribbean nations: “Morocco puts their fishery management policies into law; this is something we [in the Caribbean] don’t do. Most of our regulations are only policies, but not law. This is an approach we should consider pursuing,” one member of the delegation commented.

Another member of the delegation noted: “In Morocco people derive value from every single part of the fish.

For example, we saw how the Moroccans sell the scales of the fish to cosmetic manufacturers who use them as ingredients in various beauty products, thereby increasing the value to fishers. We need to consider this.”

Encouraging the

the current challenges faced within the region akin to our fishing industry. I will therefore implore you to use the knowledge gained to ensure the sustainability of this vital industry and to be resilient.

"I also encourage continuous networking with your colleagues in a bid to be aware of best practices and new and emerging trends within the industry. Further, you should also endeavour to implement the necessary regulatory frameworks and make significant investments in research and development. This, in my view, is what is required if we are to remain relevant.”

In the spirit of South-South co-operation, the Kingdom of Morocco, with the assistance of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), will host several more technical missions both in Morocco and in the individual Member States of the OECS. Other ongoing areas of co-operation between Eastern Caribbean islands and Morocco include academic scholarship programmes, soilfertility mapping projects and

From back row, left to right: Charlie Prospere, Fisheries Biologist, St. Lucia; Emile Pemberton, Deputy Director, Ministry of Agriculture, St. Kitts & Nevis; Howard Bromfield, Chief Fisheries Instructor, Jamaica; Kate St. Mark, Fisheries Officer, St. Lucia; Christian Wayne, Second Secretary, ECS Embassies; Kurt Williams, First Secretary, ECS Embassies; Mark Archibald, Senior Fisheries Officer, Antigua & Barbuda; Eden Edwards, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Agriculture, St. Kitts & Nevis; His Excellency Ambassador-Designate Ian M. Queeley; Charlene Thomas, Senior Fisheries Instructor, Jamaica; Ava Ghirawoo, Administrative Assistant, ECS Embassies.

delegation to leverage this valuable capacity-building experience to the benefit of their respective fisheries in their home countries, His

Excellency Ian M. Queeley, Ambassador-Designate to the Kingdom of Morocco remarked: “This visit is not only important, but indeed very timely given

various cross-industry technical missions.

The Embassies of Eastern Caribbean States to the Kingdom of Morocco, on behalf of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, wishes to place on record its gratitude to His Majesty King Mohammed VI and the Agence Marocaine De Coopération Internationale (AMCI) for the successful hosting of this recently concluded technical cooperation mission.

About the Moroccan Fishing Industry: Morocco is the world’s 18th largest and Africa’s top seafood exporter with 524,959 tonnes exported in 2016, worth a total of US$1.8 billion. Morocco’s exports are comprised mainly of frozen and canned products which account for some 78% of export value (Office des Changes, 2016).

In 2015 the processing sector consisted of some 409 registered companies, 45% of which were in the freezing sub-sector, 12% were fresh producers and 11% were identified as canneries. In 2015 the European Union (EU) absorbed 41% of Morocco’s exports in volume terms and 61% by value (Office des Changes, 2016).

Royal Bank of Canada - St. Lucia Branch Operations

Abandoned Property

as at 31 October, 2019 (continued)

ACCOUNT TYPE

TRANSIT

ACCOUNT NBR

NAME

ACCOUNT TYPE

TRANSIT

ACCOUNT NBR

NAME

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078280723

DAWANA FORTUNE

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078287008

HERMIA SYLVAIN

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078281223

JASON FRANCIS

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078287183

ALENA MARSHALL

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078281304

KEVIN HIPPOLYTE

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078287752

LAURENTIA POLIUS

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078281557

DENICIA FANUS

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078288098

DELIA WALTER

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078281638

OSWALDO PROSPERE

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078288667

KAREN GEORGE

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078281711

RICKY OLIVIERE

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078288748

RAINER MATHURIN

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078281894

SARCHA JOUAVEL

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078288821

DANIA CORNIBERT

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078282211

SYLVIA PINDAR

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078288902

SHIRLA JOSEPH

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078282394

SONJA LARCHER

DDA Regular

18000

1800012020032912

LEONARD MALZAIRE

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078282882

GRACE MILLAN

Reg Sav Account

18000

1800012071989979

RUSSEL ALEXANDER

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078282963

DEEZA-MAE SMITH

Young Leaders

18000

1800012078002878

GLENSHIA MATHURIN

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078283048

SAFIYA SIMON

Young Leaders

18000

1800012078105348

PASCALINA NESTOR

Young Leaders

18000

1800011078283129

RENEATA DUSAUZAY

Young Leaders

18000

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JUWEN DUBOIS

Young Leaders

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1800011078283207

ORBETINE SERIEUX

Young Leaders

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ADLINA JN CHARLES

Young Leaders

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NATALIA MC LEAN

Young Leaders

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OLIVER JN BAPTISTE

Young Leaders

18000

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KARLA MARTYR

Young Leaders

18000

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DANIA THOMAS

Young Leaders

18000

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MYISHA CHARLES

Young Leaders

18000

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JULIA AIMABLE

Young Leaders

18000

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LAURENE BISCETTE

Young Leaders

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TASHA PIERRE

Young Leaders

18000

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STEPHANIE CLEMENT

Young Leaders

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SARAH LEE MAXIUS

Young Leaders

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AMANDA CANISIA MAGILTA DUJON

Young Leaders

18000

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ANDREA PETER

Young Leaders

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BRITA ST AIMEE

Young Leaders

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LEAH DIDIER

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KEBA FREDERICK

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JUNETTE JOSEPH

Young Leaders

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LANEAN ALEXANDER

Young Leaders

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NATOYA STANLEY

Young Leaders

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ANOUSHKA DETERVILLE

Young Leaders

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Young Leaders

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JUANE K ALEXANDER

Unclaimed Drafts DATE OF DRAFT

CURRENCY

24th March, 2004

XCD

NAME OF PAYEE FCIB

31st March, 2004

XCD

9372

ELLIS NICHOLAS

02nd April, 2004

XCD

9062

WINDWARD AND LEEWARD BREWERY

17th May, 2004

XCD

9982

RAINBOW HOTEL

27th May, 2004

XCD

7461

ACCOUNTANT GENERAL ST LUCIA AIR AND SEA PORT AUTHORITY SUPREME ENGINEERING SERVICES

NAME OF PURCHASER KENNETH JAMES SHAWN

K. C. TRUCKING

VERNELLE BROOKS

26th July, 2004

XCD

20872

17th August, 2004

XCD

24407

XCD

20944

GEORGE DANIEL

GEORGE DANIEL

XCD

24620

GEORGE DANIEL

GEORGE DANIEL TAMARA LAWRENCE RENNEE'S CONSTRUCTION

06th September, 2004 10th September, 2004

2

DRAFT NUMBER

04th November, 2004

XCD

25344

DEMERARA MUTUAL LIFE ASSOCIATION

09th November, 2004

XCD

34604

MINISTRY OF HEALTH

14

COMMENT

www.stluciastar.com

NOVEMBER 23, 2019 THE STAR

Must It Take Another Shit Storm Before Government Come A

s if the original declaration by a high ranking law enforcement officer were not sufficiently depressing, this week the prime minister grabbed his first opportunity to endorse what media personnel had been told a few days earlier: that the current crime situation is without precedent. The police statement was far from factual.

But even if it were valid, it would also be an unspoken admission that the officer in question, along with his fellow protectors of our lives and property—the prime minister too—had let the nation down in the worst way.

I can just imagine the drugged-up perpetrators of the “unprecedented” criminality in their smelly rat holes whooping and high-fiving one another as the officially endorsed words of officer Nicholas came over the various media outlets. Imagine the island-wide jubilation had the prime minister been able instead to truthfully announce at Monday’s pre-Cabinet that the number of violence-associated arrests and convictions in recent months was at an alltime high!

Reality check: Crime in our simply beautiful country has nearly always been off the charts. Fifty-something years ago we had one or two TV stations that broadcast to a handful of luxury-home owners whose concerns were unrelated to the rest of the population, and one newspaper of significance that blindly supported a government overly concerned with keeping our bad news to ourselves—in the best interests of tourism and “our precious overseas image.”

If a rum-soaked participant at

a cockfight stabbed a fellow loser in the chest and killed him, chances are it wouldn’t make the news. If it did the story would likely be reported in four or five blah lines buried somewhere near the back of the paper. The English ownerpresenter at the TV station, barely able to pronounce the name of the village where the incident occurred but acutely aware of the inherited colonial laws that governed the reporting of such matters, would provide little more than the dead man’s alias and his presumed age. Seldom was his killer mentioned. Press conferences were unheard of.

Fast forward to 1971 when I first returned home after countless years abroad to take up an offer by Sir Garnet Gordon of the Voice editor’s chair. I was at the time based in New York, at the peak of my career as a professional bodybuilder and editor of Joe Weider’s Muscle Builder magazine. Sir Garnet’s invitation amounted to an offer I could not refuse.

However, there was one small hitch. He wanted me to start work immediately when I had long committed to two stage appearances in Brussels and in London. We decided finally that I would come home then take time off to fulfill my overseas obligations. I had been with the paper three months or so when I boarded at Hewanorra a flight to London.

The morning following my appearance in Stratford, I flew to Geneva. I was off-island just four days. The moment I landed again at Vigie, all I heard were unbelievable accounts about an incident most horrific that had occurred in my absence. More reliable information awaited

at the Voice, courtesy a visibly shaken Sir Garnet: His Scottish friend and work colleague John Etherington, and his white Barbadian wife Majorie, had been murdered and their house burned down several hours before my arrival. Etherington had been the general manager of Geest Windward Islands Estates. Besides being the publisher of the Voice, Sir Garnet was chairman of Geest Industries, generally considered the company most responsible for the country’s banana-flavored economy.

The newspaper publisher and the murder victims were, so to speak, family—closely related!

But I must not digress too far. The shocking details of the Etherington story can be revisited in “It’ll Be Alright In the Morning,” first published in 1979 and now into its fifth printing. I’ve recalled the case as I have because I know only too well how little of it is known to Saint Lucians. Even older citizens seem to have forgotten the roles played by leading local politicians and their manipulative powerhouse allies in their determined efforts to bring to justice those responsible for the murders many came to believe was a threat to their livelihood far worse than black sigatoka!

In my earlier cited book I described the Etherington killings as the most grotesque in Saint Lucia’s criminal history.

Time has not changed my mind.

So much for the notion that the crimes committed today are not only more gruesome, but also unprecedented. Between 1987 and 1997 there have been unspeakable rapes of females barely six years old as well as centenarians, murders

What will it take before our leaders understand crime is no respecter of person DPP Daarsrean Greene an

of natives and visitors, the majority unresolved. In 1997 Kenny Anthony campaigned on the promise he would deal with crime more effectively than had John Compton and his successor for one year, Vaughan Lewis. In their time there were several unresolved bank robberies, murders involving tourist victims, daylight holdups in Castries and elsewhere.

I remember well the occasion when barrels of confiscated contraband were removed by individuals from a customs shed under guard. Certain prominent names were whispered in relation to the break-in but no one was ever arrested. Word was that at least one police officer was implicated. Busloads of tourists were often ambushed robbed at gunpoint.

The Saint Lucia that Kenny Anthony inherited in 1997 was so over-run by criminals that just one year after taking office the new prime minister endorsed the police initiative known as Operation Restore Peace. It was in that period that notorious Michael Gaboo Alexander was shot dead at lunchtime as he rode his exercise bike in Balata.

A drug dealer nicknamed Bonny was dispatched in similar fashion. Under Prime

Minister Stephenson King the unforgettable and still problematic Operation Restore Confidence was undertaken in another desperate effort “to take back our country from the criminals.” But according to follow-up prime minister Kenny Anthony the real criminals were in police uniforms, members of an untouchable gang that rubbed out the competition while pretending to be regular crime fighters. The consequences continue to multiply, even as new criminals replace the departed.

By Kenny Anthony’s telling, violent crime in Saint Lucia was, in the time of King, committed or facilitated by cops that planted weapons at the scenes of their own criminality, by crooked politicians and businessmen. To date no names have been revealed, and despite continuing pressure from the EU and the U.S. State Department there have been no prosecutions related to Operation Restore Confidence.

Meanwhile, the fall-outs continue to befuddle cops, the DPP’s office and the Allen Chastanet administration.

Recently, a Dennery man was discovered fatally shot and stabbed. A note reportedly

was found near his corpse: “When you owe you must pay”—or something to that effect, reminiscent of 16-year-old Giselle Georges, whose lifeless body was discovered in her parents’ home early one afternoon in 1998, gagged with her hands tied behind her. She had also been savagely raped. Her killer left on her chest a note that reportedly said: “You have too much style.”

Over the mounting dead bodies opposition supporters mock the current prime minister, now in the third year of his term: “You said Kenny couldn’t do it but you will.” The sick irony is inescapable: every campaigning political group in Saint Lucia has blamed the sitting government for the crime rate. In 1997 Kenny Anthony pledged to bring crime under control.

Among the tools he promised to use against the perpetrators was “an overwhelming police presence.” At the time “overwhelming” translated into “forty-something imported police officers to assist our regular force.” Alas, under pressure from a particular section of the media, Anthony chickened out.

He recruited instead from the UK an underwhelming eight deadbeat retired cops to do, as he put it, “administrative work.”

Conflict soon followed, with resident officers often challenging their authority for one reason or another including race-related. The unwelcome visiting policemen had absolutely no useful impact on local crime. A related joke concerns the theft of a TV set and

THE STAR

NOVEMBER 23, 2019

www.stluciastar.com

COMMENT 15

orm In William Peter Boulevard mes Down Hard On Crime?

of person, whether politician, cop or the incapacitated elderly? Pictured (left to right): Prime Minister Allen Chastanet, House opposition leader Philip J. Pierre, Greene and homicide victims 17-year-old Arnold Joseph, Kimberly De Leon and security guard Paul Bruce.

valuables from the rented beachside quarters of one of the imported cops while he sipped whiskey with local friends on his lawn. At least one of the UK cops wrote disparagingly of Kenny Anthony’s attitude to crimefighting after he returned home. So did U.S. Ambassador Kramer!

Our prime ministers, from Compton to the present, have demonstrated similar traits. At campaign time they have eyes that can see clearly into the future. At any rate better than they can what’s immediately in front of them. As for crime, you can always bet on their laying the blame at the feet of the sitting prime minister while at the same time advertising their own untried panaceas. Once they are at the levers of power, however, they seem to transmogrify into paranoid idiots with one thought only on their minds: reelection. And for that they will desert whatever ideals they may earlier have entertained.

From Compton to Chastanet, all recognized at one time or another the obvious need island-wide for round the clock policing. Allen Chastanet will point out at every opportunity that since taking office, and despite the seemingly insurmountable consequences of Kenny Anthony’s IMPACS fiasco, he has strengthened the DPP’s office, set up several CCTVs at key locations, and recruited approximately a hundred new recruits. By “new recruits” he means kids recently out of school and facing

long-term unemployment.

Predictably, within a few months these recruits discover they were never cut out for a police uniform and leave in pursuit of fantasies of one variety or another. In consequence one police officer has responsibility for the safety of some 200 copdespising citizens.

I dare to say this prime minister who is under constant attack either on account of his skin tone, the way he puts across his ideas or his determination to explore previously overlooked possibilities, how he pronounces words in kwéyòl, must discover the courage to give Saint Lucians—including his knee-jerk detractors—this choice: either learn to live with more crime or give him the green light to invest in a police force reinforced by 400 or so imported no-nonsense crime fighters, fully equipped to effectively carry out their assignments. With IMPACS still unresolved, will the EU be willing to assist? Will the United States?

The investment must also include a functioning crime lab, a special court open for day and night business, judges and so on. I go further to suggest well-policed curfews and

unannounced police raids on homes and on vehicles, as well as booze parlors that entertain drunks with vehicles waiting to be turned into weapons of mass destruction. Our laws must be enforced that proscribe selling alcohol to underage wannabe patrons.

Finally this: During the 2016 election campaigns open threats were made against particular individuals. Only last week one opposition hotshot was on TV not so subtly suggesting the possibility of an Arab Spring in Saint Lucia.

Meanwhile, the usual suspects have been citing “the courage of the Dominican people” and agitating via Facebook for the removal of the Saint Lucian prime minister ahead of elections. It would be foolhardy of this government to take these mindless manifestations lightly. More reason to declare all-out war on crime and on those who for their own selfish interests would repeat past disasters. Now’s the time for our ostensible protectors, elected and otherwise, to act together in our common interest. To further procrastinate would be to declare yourselves accomplices. And already we’ve had too many, at any rate by Kenny Anthony’s telling!

16 local

O

www.stluciastar.com

NATIONAL STUDENTS’ COUNCIL ELECTS NEW EXECUTIVE

n Monday, November 18, 2019 a new executive of the Saint Lucia National Students’ Council was elected during its Annual General Assembly at the Vladimir Lucien Human Resource and Development Centre, Gros Islet. The general conference was attended by ten students’ councils from schools around the island.

The programme commenced with remarks by Dr. Gale Rigobert, Minister for Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development. She expressed gratitude to the students present at the organisation’s highest decision-making forum and encouraged participants to appreciate the opportunity to exercise student rights.

The new executive of the National Students’ Council is as follows: President – Zannika Emilien (Sir Arthur Lewis Community College) Vice President (Districts 1-4) – Katelin Samuel (Sir Arthur Lewis Community College) Vice President (Districts 5-8) – Waylan Didier (Vieux Fort

NOVEMBER 23, 2019 THE STAR

SAINT LUCIAN NATIONAL CULINARY TEAM MEMBER COMPETES AT INTERNATIONAL MIXOLOGY CHALLENGE

T

he Saint Lucia Hospitality & Tourism Association (SLHTA) wishes to extend its warmest congratulations to Craig Andes on his participation in the recently concluded Caribbean regional finals of the Angostura® Global Cocktail Challenge (AGCC). The AGCC, a key and coveted event on the international mixology calendar, attracts over 250 participants, drawn from hundreds of The new executive of the National Students' entrants, from more than 30 Council (L-R): Waylan Didier, Danielle Charles, countries around the world.

Katelin Samuel, Zannika Emilien, Faith Ernest, Regional competitions are Marissa Paul and Jainashel Gabriel. held globally, with successful bartenders advancing to the of the Saint Lucia National A Level southern campus) final round held in Trinidad and General Secretary – Faith Ernest Youth Council. The election Tobago in February 2020. process was conducted by the (Sir Arthur Lewis Community The regional final, held Electoral Committee comprising College) this week in Barbados, saw Chairperson Mr. Ajani Lebourne; Assistant Secretary – Marissa some of the Caribbean’s most Paul (Leon Hess Comprehensive Second Vice President of NYC, talented bartenders, including Ms. Anya Edwin; First Vice Secondary School) Saint Lucia’s Craig Andes, President of the NYC, Youth Treasurer – Jainashel Gabriel vying for one spot in the final Officer employed with the (Sir Arthur Lewis Community global round. Drawn from a Ministry of Youth Development College) large number of entrants from and Sports, Mr. Nickson Barry; Public Relations Officer – across the Caribbean, the Programmes Officer of NYC, Mr. Danielle Charles (Sir Arthur one-day competition featured Rahym Augustin Joseph; and Lewis Community College). just six of the Caribbean’s best teacher at Corinth Secondary

The executive elections mixologists, making Craig’s School, Ms. Ronisha Alexander. were eagerly contested with a selection into the final a grand The elections were supervised total of 13 candidates vying for achievement on its own.

by Alymphia Lionel, Civic and positions.

Craig, a bartender at Voter Education Co-ordinator at

The executive was sworn Sandals Grande Saint Lucia the Electoral Department. in by Mr. Nyus Alfred, President

Saint Lucian bartender Craig Andes putting the finishing touches on a drink.

Spa and Beach Resort, is a formidable member of the Saint Lucia National Culinary Team.

In 2018 he won the coveted Bartender of the Year award at the annual SLHTA Culinary Competition and went on to represent Saint Lucia in the annual Taste of the Caribbean Competition in June 2019 where he won the Best Rum Drink in the Bartender Special Awards.

“Every opportunity which allows our tourism industry professionals to learn and develop is always a reason for celebration,” remarked SLHTA CEO, Noorani Azeez.

“Craig is a valued member of our National Culinary Team, as well as an outstanding team member at Sandals Resorts International. The fact that he

was able to secure a place in this prestigious regional final is a testament to his blossoming talents. Opportunities like these are critical to not only nurturing individual talents, but have a ripple effect in inspiring and being a catalyst for the growth of other young persons passionate about their role in our tourism industry”.

The competition, now in its tenth year, allows participants to be judged and receive feedback from some of the globe’s most renowned mixologists. They are also able to expand their knowledge of Angostura® and its bitters, rums and amaro, plus the wider categories of bitters, rums and amaro, as well as the world of cocktails and bartending.

National Principals’ Association Elects New Executive

O Invest Saint Lucia presents an opportunity to interview for a Lease Abstractor position at Grow Resources Inc. Grow Resources Inc., a division of US based lease management software and services pioneer, Property Works, is actively recruiting to staff its new headquarters in Gros Islet.

This highly specialized team of lease abstractors will be trained to interpret commercial real estate leases and input relevant data into a proprietary software management platform. All positions are full time and offer a competitive compensation package with top performers earning bonuses.

The ideal candidate will possess; - An Associate’s degree or higher - Paralegal training would be an asset but not required - The ability to learn quickly in a fast-paced environment - Exceptional attention to detail - Excellent writing proficiency - Aptitude in following established processes - Good problem-solving skills - Proficiency in Microsoft Office, and Microsoft Excel Submit your CV and a copy of your Police Record to growresources@investstlucia.com with the subject Grow Resources Vacancy.

Please note, only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews. *Certified copies of diplomas, other qualifications and originals of the Police Record must be provided at the time of the interview. *Deadline to receive both the Candidate Profile and CV is December 1st 2019

n Tuesday, November 12, 2019, during the termly meeting of the National Principals’ Association, Chairman of the Elections Committee, Mr. Julian Monrose, swore in the new executive of the association at the Arch Bishop Kelvin Felix Pastoral Centre in Marisule, Gros Islet.

The new executive members of NPA Saint Lucia hail from eight schools on the island and are as follows: President – Mrs. Valerie St. Helene-Henry, principal of Ave Maria Girls' Primary School Vice President – Ms. Beverley Dieudonne, principal of Camille Henry Memorial School Secretary – Mrs. Sonjane Marcelle-Etienne, principal of Richford Combined School Assistant Secretary – Mrs. Flora Emmanuel, principal of Micoud Secondary School Treasurer – Mr. Adey Paul, principal of Ciceron Secondary School PRO – Mrs. Tessa CharlesCalderon, principal of Dugard Combined School Floor reps – Mrs. Murina Julian-Joseph, principal of Boguis Combined School; and Mrs. Theresa Johnny, principal of La Guerre Primary

The new executive is sworn in.

School.

The new executive of NPA Saint Lucia, in keeping with the organisation’s vision, seeks to promote the professional development of all its members, thereby producing members who are effective managers and leaders.

The new executive also expresses gratitude to the immediate past executive for their dedicated service during their term. Indeed, they performed remarkably.

Moreover, at last week’s termly meeting the principals discussed a number of pertinent issues including mould infestation and mould remediation procedures in schools, communication with the Ministry of Education, study tour for principals and particular draft policies proposed by the

Ministry of Education.

The executive was charged with the task of convening a meeting with the Chief Education Officer and the Minister of Education to address the salient issues affecting the education of our children and the working environment at our schools.

Noteworthy was the welcoming of new principals to the membership of NPA Saint Lucia. Each new member was handed a copy of the organisation’s constitution and a membership pin.

In this regard, NPA Saint Lucia continues to strive in its mission to advocate for educational policies that support the professional development and commitment of principals, and in so doing create an environment where principals can uphold excellent educational standards and practices.

THE STAR

NOVEMBER 23, 2019

www.stluciastar.com

Correspondent Banking and De-risking discussed as Prime Minister meets with Chair of US Financial Services Committee

LOCAL

17

Department of Health and Wellness NATIONAL SURVEY ON RISKS FOR NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

C

hairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Honourable Allen Chastanet, on Tuesday attended a meeting in Washington hosted by representative Maxine Waters, Chair of the United States House of Representatives Financial Services Committee.

The purpose of the meeting was a discussion on financial services, and specifically correspondent banking, that featured senior executives from US financial institutions doing business in the Caribbean region.

Also in attendance from the Caribbean were Prime Minister Honourable Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda, Minister Dale Marshal from Barbados, Minister Stuart Young from Trinidad and Tobago, and Secretary General of CARICOM, Ambassador H.E. Irwin LaRoque.

On Monday at the preCabinet briefing, Prime Minister Chastanet explained that the issue of correspondent banking and de-risking does not just have implications for the Caribbean but will also affect the US.

“Congress is very interested in understanding how the correspondent banking and de-risking has impacted us in the region,” noted PM Chastanet. “I will highlight that while we all support the goals of de-risking, there have been

Caribbean leaders hold fruitful dialogue with the Chair of the US House of Representatives Financial Services Committee (above and below) in Washington DC.

substantial negative impacts on us in this region which also will affect the US.”

During his visit to Washington, Prime Minister Chastanet is pursuing followup meetings related to the US–Taiwan delegation which was recently in Saint Lucia to explore investment opportunities. The Prime Minister also visited Miami

yesterday for a meeting with Florida International University (FIU) on developing a relationship with educational institutions in Saint Lucia.

In the Prime Minister’s absence, Minister for Economic Development, Housing, Urban Renewal, Transport and Civil Aviation, Honourable Guy Joseph, serves as Acting Prime Minister.

S

aint Lucia, like other countries within the Caribbean region, is challenged by the demands placed on the health care system due to the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Increasingly these diseases are resulting in the loss of many years of productive life, premature death and high costs of care to individuals, families and the state. Currently in Saint Lucia, non-communicable diseases are among the ten leading causes of illness and death and these include diabetes mellitus, cancer, hypertension, and their complications. People living with NCDs form the majority of patients visiting community health clinics around the island. This situation has necessitated national health authorities to strengthen the measuring, monitoring and managing of the risk factors which drive this epidemic of chronic diseases.

During the period November 2019 to March 2020, the Department of Health and Wellness, with the support of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), will be undertaking its second national STEPS survey which focuses on risks for chronic illnesses amongst citizens of Saint Lucia. The data obtained at the end of this survey will assist in better understanding the specific behaviours across our population which place people at risk for non-communicable diseases and to predict the health interventions that these will necessitate.

With the information generated it will be possible to improve forecasting of the demands for health services, develop more responsive evidence-based programmes as well as better manage clients with complications as a result of NCDs. The STEPS survey will be conducted among over 6000 citizens within the age range of 18 to 64 years and shall be conducted at three levels of data collection. Within the first step, information will be obtained by administering a comprehensive questionnaire which will focus on actual health behaviours for chronic illnesses. Amongst these will be questions on patterns of alcohol consumption, tobacco use, physical activity and eating habits. The second step of the survey is focused on obtaining blood pressure, height, weight, and body mass index data. At the third stage, biochemical measures will be obtained from the interviewees which include fasting blood sugar and blood cholesterol levels. Anyone newly identified as living with diabetes or hypertension during the conduct of the STEPS survey will be referred to a health care practitioner for medical care.

The Department of Health and Wellness encourages all to support this survey as we seek to improve and protect the health and well being of our citizens.

18

www.stluciastar.com

NOVEMBER 23, 2019 THE STAR

THE STAR

november 23, 2019

LOCAL

www.stluciastar.com

19

Saint Lucian Singer makes waves in Taiwan!

K eril Victor’s long journey from Saint Lucia to Jungle Voice, a Taiwanese televised singing competition, began many years ago.

Victor told the STAR he always loved to sing and would frequently receive compliments and opportunities to perform solos in his choir. After graduating from Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, Victor intended to pursue a career in economics and politics. In 2013 he was awarded a Taiwan MOFA scholarship to pursue his Bachelors in Economics at the National Chengchi University.

He graduated last year but is now a professional artist. In May, Victor, who goes by the stage name Wei Zhe, was among the 80 chosen out of 3,000 hopefuls to compete on Jungle Voice.

STAR: When did you start

singing?

KV: My journey started from the age of nine when I joined my church’s youth choir at Lady of Fatima Parish. My enthusiasm led me to participate in school shows and concerts. And yes, I enjoyed that. I was never forced to join the choir. Mine was not a musical family, so there was no pressure from home. My love for music was just natural.

STAR: Did you perform before you were in Taiwan?

KV: My passion for music did not start in Taiwan. It was birthed long before, as my friends and colleagues can attest. I think my time in secondary school was the highlight of this transformation.

I took part in several musical theatre arts productions. I was a member of the National Youth Choir, and I formed a jazz music band named ASAP. I also

participated in song competitions in Martinique and Guadeloupe, and was the YouthFest Winner in 2012.

STAR: How did you begin performing in Taiwan?

KV: Actually the story is pretty ironic. I had gone to a party to celebrate my friend's birthday and that night there was a random singing contest that I participated in and won. I was then scouted by my current agent.

STAR: How did you land on TV? KV: It all happened really quickly.

I was invited to perform on a television show—to sing in Chinese. After that performance people started recognizing me and contacted my agency.

STAR: How does it feel to be more famous outside of home?

KV: It’s really something

ISL Entrepreneurship Meet-Up goes to Vieux Fort

I

nvest Saint Lucia’s business acceleration and incubation programme, set to be officially titled via a national logo and name competition, is also expected to launch in its virtual capacity in the first quarter of 2020. Leading up to the virtual launch, Invest Saint Lucia has orchestrated a series of networking and training opportunities to get small business owners involved in the project designed to benefit the business community.

Scheduled as one of the 2019 annual Business Month activities, Entrepreneurship MeetUp South Edition will be hosted on Wednesday November 27, 2019 at the National Skills Development Centre’s Vieux Fort branch. Invest Saint Lucia is working in tandem with the Southern Business Association in this endeavour to bring entrepreneurs together to network and showcase products and services.

The last Entrepreneurship Meet-Up was held in September and attracted some 150 businesspeople to a panel discussion on entrepreneurship culture and local experiences.

For the southern edition, attendees will gain insight on topics of franchising, partnerships, taking on investors, and tax obligations from a business law perspective.

Mr. Thomas Theobalds, a partner at Brickstone Law, will be the feature presenter and promises to use his profound experience in his delivery.

Theobalds’ main areas of practice

phenomenal. When I walk through the streets I’m always recognized. People ask for autographs and ask me to pose for pictures. Sometimes I think it’s a dream because it happened so quickly. But what is even more special about it is that people in a foreign country recognize you not for your skin colour but for your talent. That is something really amazing!

STAR: What is it like being one of the few black faces on Taiwanese TV? KV: It's a unique opportunity. I feel I am an ambassador, not only for my country but for my race.

And so the correct representation of black music and culture is for me important. I believe my face and my voice will change wrong stereotypes and will further promote a positive image of black excellence.

Talented and ambitious son of the soil Keril Victor makes a Taiwanese fan’s day.

STAR: Have you collaborated with native Taiwanese singers?

KV: Yes, and it’s been phenomenal. I have received only love and admiration and this will continue to fuel my inspiration to make music to touch more lives and to make the world a happier place.

STAR: Do you plan on staying in Taiwan?

KV: For now I will remain in Taiwan to build my brand but home will always be home. In fact I might be collaborating with some Saint Lucian artistes in the future. So you guys better stay tuned.

STAR: What else is in store?

KV: I have been working on a lot of original music and on collaborations. So there’s going to be a lot more content. I want to take my music to the world.

For now my eyes are set on the Asian market, which is vast with millions of people.

---JSA

Peace Corps Lead Literacy Workshop Facilitator Needed The latest edition of Entrepreneurship Meet-Up will focus specifically on business law.

are banking, real property, intellectual property, commercial and corporate law and civil litigation.

At the formal opening of Business Month, project co-ordinator for the business acceleration and incubation programme, Dave Headley, explained why it is a necessity in Saint Lucia’s business community. He said, “We are already known throughout the OECS for strongly promoting entrepreneurship. But we have reached a point in our journey where all key stakeholders that impact the lives of entrepreneurs need to create and sustain a pro-business environment that would allow for innovation and entrepreneurship to thrive . . .

It is now we must establish the framework and conducive environment that would not only propel potential entrepreneurs,

but existing businesses to flourishing stardom.”

During the Business Month opening, Minister for Commerce, Honourable Bradley Felix said, “I’m very excited about this particular initiative because I think it will work wonders for our young people with great ideas. Congratulations, and I look forward to the programme.”

The Entrepreneurship Meet-Up will also help sensitise businesspeople to the services they can expect from the business acceleration and incubation programme. More importantly, entrepreneurs will have an opportunity to showcase their products and services.

Interested entrepreneurs should note that attendance must be registered by RSVP only by contacting 729-1551 or 724-5757 or 454-8757.

Peace Corps intends to offer a firm-fixed price contract to a Lead Facilitator from St. Lucia to conduct a three-day Primary English Literacy Workshop for approximately seventy-six (76) first year Volunteers and their Counterpart teachers from Grenada, St Lucia, Dominica and St Vincent. The workshop will be hosted in St Lucia from Wednesday to Friday, March 18-20, 2020, respectively.

Application: If you wish to apply for this tender, please write lc-hr@peacecorps.gov for a copy of the bidding documents/ Request for Quotation (RFQ).

Interested vendors should submit a quote for services as described in the RFQ via email by 4:00 pm on December 6th, 2019 with the Subject Line: Peace Corps Primary English Literacy Workshop Lead Facilitator - St. Lucia: March 2020 to the following address: lc-hr@ peacecorps.gov Questions about this RFQ should be sent to Leonette Jn Pierre at ljnpierre@peacecorps.gov.

Offers received after the closing date will not be accepted.

20

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november 23, 2019 THE STAR

THE STAR NOVEMBER 23, 2019

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INTERNATIONAL 21

London ballroom hosts showcase event for ‘golden passports’

hree prime ministers took to a stage in the ballroom of a five-star London hotel this week offering the world’s wealthiest people “golden passports” and citizenship of their countries in return for hundreds of thousands of pounds of investment or flat “contributions”.

Allen Chastanet, the prime minister of the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia, told about 300 members of the super-rich elite and their advisers gathered at the Rosewood hotel for “global citizenship conference” that his country’s economic mission was “going after high net-worth individuals and giving them a comfortable place to live”.

He promised that in return for a $100,000 (£78,000) “contribution to the national economic fund” applicants would be granted Saint Lucian citizenship within three months.

With it comes a so-called “golden passport” giving visafree travel to 145 countries, including the UK, the European Union’s Schengen Area, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Also selling citizenships at the conference were the prime ministers of Albania and Montenegro, a Maltese minister, an ambassador from Antigua and Barbuda, and representatives from Cyprus.

Vra Jourová, the incoming European commission vicepresident, said: “The citizenship schemes raise a number of concerns. The granting of citizenship poses a serious security risk because it gives beneficiaries all the rights of EU citizens and allows them to move freely throughout the union. The EU must not become a safe haven for criminals, corruption and dirty money.

“While we cannot ban these schemes on the EU level due to lack of competence, we want more transparency on how nationality is granted and more co-operation between member states. There should be no weak link in the EU, where people could shop around for the most lenient scheme.”

She previously described the sale of passports as “dangerous”, “problematic” and “unfair”, adding: “Having a lot of money alone shouldn’t give you a free pass to benefit from the EU citizenship . . . if in one country a dangerous person gets citizenship, he gets

citizenship for the whole of Europe. Maybe we all have to renegotiate the whole system.”

The conference featured a keynote address by the former CIA director David Petraeus, and was compered by Nils Blythe, a former BBC business correspondent and ex-head of communications at the Bank of England.

The three-day event, which cost £1,500 a ticket, was organised by Henley & Partners, a London-based firm that acts as matchmaker between the super-rich and countries selling their citizenships. Henley has made tens of millions of dollars in commission from selling citizenship. The trade is legal, and Henley is not accused of any sort of wrongdoing.

Cyprus, which asks for an investment of at least $2m (£1.7m), gave citizenship to Jho Low, the fugitive Malaysian businessman at the centre of the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund scandal.

The island nation, which as a member of the EU thereby gives its new citizens access to the rest of the bloc, has said it will revoke Low’s citizenship and that of 25 other suspects to whom it has sold passports.

Cyprus has made about 6bn Euros issuing about 4,000 passports since the scheme was introduced in 2013.

Malta, which is also an EU member state, has sold citizenship to five people charged with criminal offences overseas. They include Anatoly Hurgin, an Israeli citizen charged by the US and Israeli authorities with fraud, smuggling and moneylaundering.

Hurgin’s cyber-intelligence firm, Ability Inc, has been accused of helping countries spy on and locate targets.

Hurgin, a former major in the Israeli Defence Force, boasted to Forbes that: “With just a few million dollars and a phone number, you can snoop on any call or text that phone makes – no matter where you are or where the device is located.”

Daphne Caruana Galizia, the Maltese investigative journalist murdered in 2017, had raised concerns about Hurgin when he first received Maltese citizenship in 2016.

While Saint Lucia is famed for its white sand beaches and azure seas, Chastanet said

Since the launch of Saint Lucia’s Citizenship by Investment Programme in 2015, over 600 people have been granted citizenship.

there was no requirement for the country’s rich new citizens to actually live on the island, as long as they paid the money to the Saint Lucia development fund and bought a home in the country.

“Saint Lucia is modernising itself, and going to be making itself competitive on a global basis,” he said. “And it’s looking for new citizens that want to take advantage of what Saint Lucia has to offer.”

Chastanet, who has served as prime minister of the former British colony since 2016, claimed many of the country’s new citizens were from the US. “When they’re travelling abroad, they don’t want to have a US passport,” he said.

Chastanet was joined on the ballroom stage in the Rosewood hotel, where rooms can cost more than £2,000 a night, by Edi Rama, the prime minister of Albania and Duško Markovi, the prime minister of Montenegro.

Rama launched Albania’s citizenship-by-investment programme at the conference promising a “10-year tax holiday”. He reminded delegates that Albania was an official candidate for accession to the European Union, which would give new Albanian citizens the right to live and work across the bloc.

“I know that there are controversies around this type of programme,” Rama said.

“At the same time I strongly believe this is the right way, and this is what we have to do . . .

There are, of course, risks but we cannot deny to our country

and our future the enormous potential of this programme.”

Markovi said he was offering 2,000 people Montenegrin citizenship in return for a $100,000 contribution to government coffers, and a property

investment of at least $250,000.

The Montenegro government said individuals would only be granted citizenship following very thorough security checks.

Ben Cowdock, a researcher at the anticorruption campaign group

Transparency International UK, said: “There is a growing body of evidence that corrupt elites use ‘Golden Visas’ to gain residency and citizenship across Europe. Selling a fast track to citizenship has dubious economic benefits, whilst providing an open door to those with deep pockets and a past to hide. There are serious questions whether pawning residency and citizenship should be allowed to continue.”

The governments of Saint Lucia and Albania did not respond to requests for comment.

Henley & Partners did not respond to requests for comment in time of publication.

However, it has consistently supported its role in worldwide investment migration, which it has previously said drives industry-diversifying foreign direct investment that creates sustainable growth for countries and opportunity for their people.

---The Guardian

22 LOCAL

Canadian Bank Note Company, Limited produces bank notes and payment systems, passports and passport issuing systems, lottery tickets and electronic lottery games, postage stamps, securities certificates, shareholder communications, and other high security documents and related issuing systems. The Company markets its products to government agencies and authorities, as well as to institutional and other customers in more than 40 countries.

The company manages and operates the St Lucia National Lottery, through its wholly owned subsidiary CBN St Lucia Inc.

STUDIO PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR Our company is seeking a Studio Production Supervisor who would be responsible for supervising production staff and creating and managing live and post-video productions together with in-house video content. A strong sense of selfmotivation, innovation, hands-on involvement and creativity are required skills. You must have strong attention to detail and the ability to execute specific procedures, be processoriented and extremely organized. Experience supervising a small studio and producing creative and timely content is mandatory, together with expert knowledge of video and audio editing and post-production tools.

The ideal candidate possesses a degree in Communications and three (3) years’ experience as a Production professional in a TV studio environment and two (2) years in a supervisory capacity OR four (4) years’ experience as a Production professional in a TV studio environment and two (2) years in a supervisory capacity. This position requires that the candidate have a valid driver’s license, a reliable working vehicle and the ability to work flexible hours including evenings and weekends.

To apply, please send a cover letter along with your curriculum vitae: Email: lottery@cbnsl.com We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Please also note that applications received after November 25th, 2019 will not be acknowledged.

november 23, 2019 THE STAR

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STEPS Survey Training Workshop T

he Department of Health & Wellness, in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organisation PAHO, recently hosted a training workshop on the application of the STEPS survey.

The workshop was aimed at preparing enumerators and nursing supervisors who will be undertaking the STEPS survey in Saint Lucia.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Merlene Fredericks-James says the STEPS survey is extremely important as it will assist with the monitoring of non-communicable diseases and their risk factors in Saint Lucia.

“The objective of the workshop is to really train the enumerators so that when we go out in the field, we can

ensure that we are collecting good quality data that we could use to estimate and get an idea of what the risk factors are for non-communicable diseases in Saint Lucia. But the survey itself is very important because it will assist us in estimating our non-communicable diseases burden in the country; it will assist us in getting more persons into care because we know if persons are picked up early or identified early and treated early, complications like heart disease, lung disease, kidney failure, etc would be prevented,” said Dr. FredericksJames.

PAHO Advisor for Chronic Diseases Dr. Patrice Lawrence says the STEPS survey is important to Saint Lucia as it will aid with the development of a plan to deal with the burden of

non-communicable diseases.

“The results of the study will lead us to look at factors that we need to focus on during our programme implementation for the people of Saint Lucia, allowing us to make smart decisions and to maximize our already limited resources. The study will be a sample representation of the entire population of Saint Lucia, so the study is about the people of Saint Lucia,” said Dr. Lawrence.

The STEPS survey is a household-based study which will entail a questionnaire and testing of cholesterol, urine, blood sugar and blood pressure.

The survey commences this month and runs for ten weeks.

This Christmas season the Wave 94.5 & 93.7fm and Travel Boutique are giving you the chance to have a family member Home for the Holidays!!!

For the season ONE lucky person residing in Trinidad will win a trip to St. Lucia from December 23rd to Jan 3rd!!

To register your loved one visit our website at www.thewavestlucia.com, and fill out the simple entry form by telling us why your family member should be the one chosen to be in St Lucia for the Christmas season.

Your family member or loved one MUST be 18 years or older with a valid passport and MUST reside in Trinidad but does not need to be a St Lucian national.

Deadline to register is Thursday 5th December 2019

Winner will be announced on Friday 6th December 2019

Home for the Holidays brought to you by Travel Boutique and The Wave 94.5 & 93.7fm

THE STAR

NOVEMBER 23, 2019

HEALTH

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23

KIM’S KORNER

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Physiotherapy in Everyday Life

s we go through our day to day tasks it is inevitable that we will feel the odd twinge as we grow older. This may happen with more frequency. We hope it goes away as quickly as it appeared, but sometimes it doesn’t. The next step is to head off to the doctor hoping for a miracle cure. After listening to our complaints and performing a thorough examination, maybe even sending us for an X-ray, the doctor will recommend the best course of action to get us back on our feet. But what happens if the pain and dysfunction persist or you find that you have a condition that has no cure and it is a case of managing daily chores around your bad days?

Physiotherapy is a healthcare profession that is concerned with pain and function. Practitioners use a range of skills and techniques to relieve pain and promote independence. They believe the key to recovery is to teach the client how to manage their pain and promote ways to improve their strength and flexibility through modalities such as: • Electrotherapy • Joint mobilisation • Massage • Strengthening and

stretching exercises • Balance and proprioception exercises • Posture re-education • Gait training

It would be impossible to discuss in this article the vast range of problems and conditions (I would need to hijack the whole paper over the next few years!) but this week I will give a summary of how we can help orthopaedic and musculoskeletal conditions and next week we will talk about physiotherapy and neurological conditions.

posture, protect our vital organs and help us move from one place to another and also manipulate objects within our environment. That is a huge undertaking and there are times when this puts a strain on our joints. A common problem to affect our joints is arthritis, either osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, where the cartilage protecting the ends of the bones breaks down; or rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disorder that results in warm, swollen and painful joints. Although there is no cure for these conditions, Muscle Problems physiotherapists can advise Our body has 650 muscles on pain management and which help support our frame strengthening and stretching so we can move from one place exercises—being able to to another and perform our daily manage symptoms can improve tasks. Most of the time these quality of life and function. work in harmony but whether through injury or over-use, Tendon and Ligament there are times when muscles Problems remind us of their presence.

It is not only athletes that suffer Spasms, sprains, strains and from tendon and ligament muscle tears can stop us in our injuries. Tennis elbow, golfer’s tracks. Physiotherapists are elbow and ACL tears are some experts in easing muscle pain of the common problems that and facilitating a speedy and can happen to anyone. Early efficient recovery, helping us to physiotherapy intervention for get back on our feet quicker. tendon and ligament injuries

can help speed up and enhance Joint Problems the rehabilitation experience.

Our skeletal system is made up Therapy would focus on of 206 bones and is designed range of movement, pain to provide us with an upright management, and co-ordination,

strength and flexibility exercises. Your physiotherapist will also address the issues that led to the injury in order to minimise the risk of further problems in the future.

Fractures Broken bones can happen to people of any age but are more of a risk to the elderly population who have weaker, more fragile bones and are susceptible to falls. Fractures can be managed conservatively or surgically depending on the type of fracture. After a period of immobilisation to improve the healing of the fracture, physiotherapy can assist with pain, decreased power, flexibility and function.

If regular falling is a problem, the programme will also include balance and co-ordination exercises to improve safety and minimise the risks. Being able to negotiate objects and turn quickly are all vital as we get older.

Chronic Conditions There are many conditions that cannot be cured so the plan is to manage day to day living and exacerbations. Chronic conditions can affect a person in many different ways: pain, weakness, shortness of breath and poor exercise tolerance.

The Yamas and Niyamas T

he yamas and niyamas are the first and second limbs of the eight limbs of the tree of yoga.

They are much like the Ten Commandments in the Christian religion.

The yamas, universal social practices, self restraint, are the great, mighty, universal vows unconditioned by place, time and class. They are the way that we deal with society. They should be followed unconditionally by everyone and by students of yoga in particular.

There are five yamas.

The first is ahimsa, nonviolence, the most important of the yamas. Ahimsa is

non-violence in the way that we think, alleviating all violent thoughts about anything or anybody, especially ourselves.

We must be non-violent in the words that we speak and the way we speak them. Words and thoughts are powerful! We must be aware of the food that we eat and the way that we eat it.

We can be violent to our bodies with the food that we consume because not only does it affect our physical health but it also affects our minds. Like the old saying, “You are what you eat.”

Satya, truthfulness, is the second of the yamas. It means being real, genuine, honest and virtuous. We must be truthful in the way that we think about

ourselves and others. The words that we speak must always be truthful, no matter what the circumstances are.

Asteya is the third of the yamas. It means not stealing or misappropriating another’s wealth or possessions; never taking anything that doesn’t belong to us.

Brahmacharya is the fourth of the yamas. It means continence, chastity. We must have control concerning overindulgence.

Aparaigrahah’ is the fifth of the yamas. It means absence of greed for possessions beyond one’s needs, possessing only what one needs, without being greedy.

The niyamas, the second limb of the eight limbs of the tree of yoga, are ethical observances evolved from individual practices necessary to build up the students’ own character; duties directed toward ourselves, inner observances.

Within the five niyamas the first, sauca, cleanliness, means not only cleanliness of the body but also cleanliness of the mind, spirit and surroundings. It incorporates cleanliness of the food that we eat, creating purity within. All of this helps direct us toward a pure and positive life.

Santosa, contentment, is the second niyama. It pertains to contentment with ourselves,

Sitting may have its positive aspects but it can result in pain in the lower back, the neck and other areas. How long the sitter spends at his tasks should also be seriously considered.

Physiotherapy can play a large role in the prevention, treatment and management of chronic conditions. Focusing on function and improving fitness with graduated exercise programmes can have a positive impact on health and confidence.

Education and Advice Another often-overlooked benefit of physiotherapy is prevention of problems. This is especially true if our daily routines are causing pain and dysfunction. Sitting at a desk all day can cause neck, shoulder and lower back pain.

It is not always sitting that causes problems but the length

of time spent sitting, and the tasks undertaken. Performing repetitive movements in a fixed position can cause fatigue of the muscles and put undue pressure on the joints. By analysing your office environment (ergonomics) physiotherapists can make suggestions on keeping you pain-free and productive.

So, the next time you reach for medication for yet another pain in the neck, consider visiting your physiotherapist who can not only help with pain management but can offer advice on how to maximise your potential by improving your function and minimising your risks.

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, O: 458 4409 or C: 284 5443; www.baysidetherapyservices.com

who we are, what we are, and whatever it is that we have become in life. There should be lasting contentment in one’s life.

Tapas, the third of the niyamas, refers to a personal endeavour of discipline, undertaken to achieve a goal.

It represents a burning desire, a high degree of self-discipline, solitude and periods of deep

meditation.

Svadhyaya, self-study, is the fourth of the niyamas. The yogic principal of studying the self, teaches us to look deeply within to our divine essence.

Isvara pranidhana, the last of the niyamas, is the practice of fully surrendering to the one great energy of the universe, the life force, the true self.

Jill Hagar is a certified instructor of Iyengar Yoga and a certified International Yoga Therapist. She holds regular Yoga classes at Harmony Suites in Rodney Bay.

For more information about classes please contact Jill by phone or WhatsApp on (758) 718 1297 or by email on yogastlucia@gmail.com

24 SPORTS

www.stluciastar.com

NOVEMBER 23, 2019 THE STAR

Victory and Defeat for St Lucia in Concacaf Nations League

By David R Pascal

T

he Saint Lucia defence was stout, limiting the opposition to one goal while hosting matches in Group B of League B in the 2019-20 Concacaf Nations League, against Dominican Republic and Montserrat at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground. Unfortunately the same could not be said when it came to the offence, which scored just one goal in the two games.

Saint Lucia shut out Dominican Republic 1-0 last Saturday, Antonio Joseph scoring the winning goal in the 38th minute. On Tuesday evening Saint Lucia failed to score against Montserrat and lost 1-0.

Had Saint Lucia taken advantage of their scoring opportunities in the game against Montserrat, the outcome would have been different. Jevick McFarlane

and Chaim Roserie had two wonderful opportunities in the first half. However, it was the visitors who found the back of the net in the 35th minute, the goal scored by Nathan Pond on a header.

It was a scoreless second half, despite Saint Lucia pouring on the pressure in the latter stages of the game, but time and time again they were stymied by the opposing goalkeeper Corrin Brooks.

The victory qualified Montserrat for the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup playoffs.

In a post-game interview Saint Lucian Coach Jamaal Shabazz did not shy away from any criticism levelled at his team and blamed himself for the loss. “I take full responsibility for the result,” he said. “I thought the guys gave 100 per cent. At times you could see the experience and immaturity of the opponent in how they tried to manage the game. We created some chances in the early stages but I think we started to put our

Kieran Monlouis (Saint Lucia) sidesteps a Montserrat defender.

foot on the ball too long and it killed our rhythm. You know, we were moving the ball and trying to gain penetration. We were a superior team for that aspect but the minute we started to hold the ball and slow it, and slow it . . . I thought they used their experience and they went ahead. We were playing catchup throughout the second half. I thought we threw everything at them; we just could not get the ball in the back of the net.”

Shabazz always finds something to hang his hat on in defeat, and Tuesday’s loss was no exception. After the game, while speaking to his team inside the changing room, he told them, “Blows that don’t break the back, strengthen it and you’re better for it.”

The Saint Lucia National Senior Football Team.

Saint Lucian goalkeeper Lamar Joseph (#16) in a mid-air collision with Julian McDonald of Montserrat.

Slammers Domino Club of St Lucia successfully defends EPS title

S

lammers Domino Club successfully defended its title in the EPS Goodwill Club Domino Tournament in Barbados. The other participating teams were Eagle Eye International Domino Club from Antigua and host Peace & Love Domino Club from Barbados.

A contingent of 13 players left Saint Lucia to compete, namely Andre Marquis as Team Manager/player, Tenissis Augustin as the Male Captain and Beverly Sonson as the Female Captain plus Alvin Faucher, Benoit Jn Baptiste, Dexter James, Marcus Toussaint, Thecla Goodman, Julianita Pierre, Junia Haynes, Ashline St Martin, Arnela Jn Baptiste and Ammarni St Martin.

The tournament slammed off on Wednesday, October 30, 2019 with an opening ceremony followed by a “domino-rama”.

Andre Marquis and Junia Haynes of Slammers were two of the three finalist in the “domino-rama”, which saw well over 150 participants.

In the opening mixedteam match of the tournament, Eagle Eye International on 77 points defeated Peace & Love on 71 points and Slammers on 66 points. Slammers would bounce back in the other two matches for the day to go on to

EPS Goodwill Club Domino Champions 2019, Slammers Domino Club.

take the lead.

In the male match, Slammers on 85 points defeated Eagle Eye International on 67 points and Peace & Love on 61 points.

In the female match the ladies, not to be outdone by their male counterparts, on 87 points defeated Peace & Love on 65 points and Eagle Eye International on 58 points.

Slammers’ male team won all their matches played in the tournament.

Slammers on 664 points won the tournament in convincing fashion. Peace

& Love placed second on 640 points and Eagle Eye International finished with 632 points.

Dexter James and Junia Haynes were the male and female MVP for Slammers.

Junia Haynes, playing in her first regional tournament, was named the Tournament MVP. The next tournament will be held in Antigua in 2020.

Slammers Domino Club thanks all the many sponsors and well-wishers who made it possible for the team to travel to Barbados and looks forward to their continued support.

THE STAR

NOVEMBER 23, 2019

sports

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25

Football News and Highlights

By Michael “Midget” Pierre

T

he 2019 Veterans In Sports Inc Football Tournament, under the theme ‘Strong to the Finish’, continues kicking for a cure this weekend at the Philip Marcellin Grounds in Vieux Fort.

A triple header will be played today, Saturday, November 23. Commencing the action at 4:00 pm will be Anse La Raye Veterans against VSADC, with both teams in search of their first points in the competition. This will be followed by Flow Lancers looking to extend their lead when they take on All Blacks of Dennery at 6:00 pm.

Bringing the curtains down on the evening will be Caricom Masters, seeking their first points of the season, against Vieux Fort North at 8:00 pm.

The action continues tomorrow, Sunday, November 24, with another triple header.

At 3:00 pm Micoud will be looking to get on the points table when they meet Canaries Veterans. Then at 5:00 pm Labowee Connexions will seek to maintain their unbeaten run to date as they take on Mon Repos Sharks. Gros Islet Veterans are hoping to cement

Gros Islet Veterans top their group in the Veterans in Sports Inc Football Tournament.

their position at the top of the group when they play Choiseul Veterans at 7:00 pm. Indeed it will be a packed weekend of nonstop action.

One match was played in the Blue Waters, Bank of Saint Lucia and Saint Lucia Football Association (SLFA) Inc Safe Space Peace League competition at Agard on Tuesday, November 19. In the lone encounter, Rose Hill

defeated Fire Service 5–0.

O’Neal Alexander scored a hat trick to take his tally to 15 goals in the tournament, while there was one each by Christopher St Catherine and Kirby Hippolyte.

On Wednesday the SLFA Inc officially commenced yet another Concacaf D License Coaching programme for its affiliates. This time around the course is being facilitated by

local Concacaf Training Coach Educators Emmanuel Bellas, Solomon Alexander and Nigel Francis. The course is being supervised by Concacaf Course Instructor Lenny Lake who assesses the local instructors with a view to them being fully certified by Concacaf.

In his address to the participants, Bellas emphasized the importance and seriousness of the course and

reminded participants of their commitment and obligation in further developing the sport.

He emphasised that it was not a scenario of them attending the course, and receiving certification with no follow-up and ongoing results. He said that an initial perusal of the group gave him some hope and confidence, as he had seen most of them going through their paces diligently. However, he warned that it cannot be business as usual.

In a hard-hitting address, President of the SLFA Inc. Lyndon Cooper informed everyone of the seriousness of the exercise being undertaken.

He pointed out that while the association is investing heavily in developing the sport, the returns must be comparable to, or surpass, that investment.

He took the opportunity to remind everybody that, come December 31, 2019, all clubs seeking to participate in, and benefit from, football competitions organised by the association must be D License compliant. Failure by clubs to comply means they will be left out in the wilderness.

In 2019 the association had national teams in training but Cooper said he was not convinced and satisfied that

Sandals wins annual Inter Commercial Swim Meet

T

his past weekend, the Saint Lucia Aquatics Federation hosted its second annual Inter Commercial Swim Meet, themed ‘Unleash’, at the Rodney Heights Aquatic Centre.

Team Lawyers, reigning champion of the first annual Inter Commercial Swim Championship, was up against four commercial houses, Soufriere Development Foundation, Team Sandals, Team Cross Fit 758 and Team Teachers, waging battle in the pool.

With a start time of 7:30 pm, the meet commenced with a march-past. Teams were clad in their company’s colours, with Sandals making a grand appearance and introduction of their mascot for the competition.

The Rodney Heights Aquatic Centre came alive with competitive swimming between the different team employees with, in some cases, assistance from select club swimmers.

Points were awarded for all events with additional prizes to Team Sandals for the Best Dressed Team, Team with the Most Supporters and Best Mascot. Team Teachers received the prize for the Loudest Cheering Team.

Sterling recognition of swimmers in the masters competition went to David Moyston and Jeannot Walters Senior, who both represented Team Lawyers. They each performed with enthusiasm and youthful resilience.

At the end of the evening the champion of the Inter Commercial Swim Meet was Team Sandals, led by Vanessa Eugene, with 183 points.

Team Teachers, led by Wayne Benti, took second place with 156 points, followed by Team Soufriere Foundation, led by Felicia Clauzelma and Shani Mesmain, with 101 points.

Fundraising Officer Diane Mauricette expressed her satisfaction of commitment from the commercial houses

Netball ‘Zahnerama’ next Saturday

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Team Sandals was victorious at the Inter Commercial Swim Meet.

and looks forward to greater participation in 2020.

The Federation continues to be humbled by the support from corporate Saint Lucia and is forever grateful whenever they come on board, either in an event such as the Inter Commercial Swim Meet or through supporting swimmers on their various journeys to

compete regionally and internationally.

The Federation also notes its gratitude to PA and Sound System 1 Audio Inc, Commercial Voice; Ezra (D’Fun Machine) Augustin; media houses Vybe Radio, The Wave, Radio Caribbean International and Blazin FM; and MC Shanro and Clivus Jules for their contribution and making the second annual Inter Commercial Swim Meet a memorable one.

their objective was realized.

However, he did highlight the achievements of the current under-15 boys’ team who, from 2014 as the under-14 side, continue to play unbeaten. In 2021 they will participate in the under-17 competition, which is a different kettle of fish altogether.

2020 will see less national teams in training as the plan now is to streamline and prioritize. While over a million dollars was spent preparing the Senior National Team for participation in the just concluded Concacaf Nations League B Group B, Saint Lucia finished bottom of the table.

Moving forward, the plan is to drastically rethink and enforce selection. No longer will domestic competitions be used to select national teams, for the wider footballing world will leave us behind. Emphasis will be on selecting the best players in the world available to Saint Lucia.

To date, over 125 local coaches have benefitted from training in the D License Coaching Programme, and the association is of the firm view that the time is more than opportune to approach Concacaf for application for the C License Coaching Course.

vengers Recreational Establishment, an established Netball Club for 25 years, will be hosting a “Netballorama”, known as “Zhanerama”, for netballers aged under 20 from schools within the northern area.

Tragedy struck the club with the unfortunate death of one of its beloved members, Zhane Bianca Williams, which has been very difficult for members to come to terms with. As the club marks the second anniversary of her death, and in her memory, “Zhanerama” will be held at the Vigie Sports Complex from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday, November 30, 2019.

Teams will comprise 10-member squads representing the number of letters in her name and, as a twist to the Rama, players will dip for playing positions.

The purpose of “Zhanerama” will be the selection of players for the under-13, under-16 and under-23 National Trial Squad by a panel of netball veterans.

The club will also be raising funds to assist with its members selected to represent Saint Lucia on the various national teams and with their local club training.

26

sports

www.stluciastar.com

NOVEMBER 23, 2019 THE STAR

Mango Bowl Regatta next weekend

By David R Pascal

After welcoming everyone, Lang gave a brief history of the St Lucia Yacht Club: “It was icturesque Reduit Beach will again be the setting for founded back in 1966 which is about 53 years ago. We are very the eighth annual Mango proud of our club; it is a small Bowl Regatta, being staged by non-profit club that has focused the St Lucia Yacht Club from on the youth of Saint Lucia.”

November 30 to December 1.

He spoke proudly of Details of this year’s two sailors from the St Lucia event were provided at a press Yacht Club, Luc Chevrier and conference on Wednesday Stephanie Lovell, who both evening at the St Lucia Yacht competed at the recent Pan Club. Commodore Peter Lang American Games in Lima, Peru and Regatta Director Lily Bergasse were among the Yacht and are trying to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games in Japan.

Club officials in attendance.

The Commodore thanked the Sponsors were invited but few St Lucia Olympic Committee Inc attended, due to heavy traffic for its continued support of their that evening.

P

programmes.

Lang mentioned that earlier this year the Yacht Club sent a small team to the Optimist World Championships in Antigua.

He recognized two of the participants, Celestino Nelson and Bryce Batrick, who were present at the press conference along with their coach Fredric Sweeney.

Turning his attention to the eighth annual Mango Bowl Regatta, Lang said: “This is a big thing for this club. It is where we invite all the people from the Caribbean and further afield to come and sail in Saint Lucia and have a good time. It is normally

Mederick qualifies for U16 Masters Final J orja Mederick, who is the current number one nationally ranked girls’ under-14 and under-16 player, is competing in the Masters Final of the SR4 U16 Transitional Series in Trinidad and Tobago, November 22-24, 2019. She is up against counterparts from Trinidad, Suriname, Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda.

Mederick is a form-four student of the Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School. She is coached

by Davis Cup icon Vernon Lewis. Her qualification into this tournament was secured by her participation and performance in the COTECC regional tournaments for this year.

She recently represented Saint Lucia at the Under-16 SR4 Team Championship where she partnered with Maxx William on the A team. This young tennis ace also competed in the Saint Lucia leg of the under-16 series, placing fourth overall in the tournament.

Earlier this year Mederick was a finalist at the annual National Independence Tennis Tournament, making her the youngest finalist at this level and age category.

This tournament is a great initiative taken by SR4 to assist our juniors’ transition from under-14s to under-18s, which is a big jump for the athletes. There are many incentives for the players who participate: ranking points, the opportunity to win passes to tennis academies and educational forums. The boy and girl with the most points accumulated as a result of their performance in their singles, doubles

Commodore Peter Lang (left) receiving a sponsorship cheque from Laura Bawler (centre) and Omar Defreits, courtesy BodyHoliday.

Commodore Peter Lang with Saint Lucia’s first-ever junior team to compete in the regatta.

Number one girls’ under-14 and under-16 player Jorja Mederick.

and mixed doubles events, will receive a one-week (non-live in) training scholarship to the Inspiration Academy located in Florida, USA. The St Lucia Tennis Association congratulates Mederick on making the Masters Final and wishes her every success at this tournament.

very well attended. We are talking about 20 boats plus.”

This year, for the first time ever, Saint Lucia has a junior team in the J24s. They were present at the press conference and, under orders from the Commodore, came up and took a bow.

Lang, in recognizing and thanking the various sponsors, said, “Without them, we would not able to put on this good show that we have.”

Silver sponsors are BodyHoliday and St Lucia Distillers. Bronze sponsors: Island Water World, Rodney Bay IGY Marina, Massy United Insurance, St Lucia Sailing

Association, Admac, Café Ole, Scribble Design Studio, Cariquisine, Natrapure, Greening the Caribbean.

Bergasse announced that, as of Wednesday evening, 18 boats had registered for the regatta and she is confident that on race day they will reach their target of over 20. So far there are 10 boats from neighbouring Martinique with other entries coming from Antigua, Grenada and Barbados plus, of course, the host country Saint Lucia.

She pointed out that Mango Bowl is one of the few regattas that has four different classes of racing. With the exception of the cruising class, all races

take place in the bay by Reduit Beach. The cruising class starts in the bay then goes around Pigeon Island to BodyHoliday.

Bergasse mentioned that Sweeney, who was the winning skipper last year in the J24 class on board Attitude, renamed the boat Scotty Boy, in memory of Scott Anthony who passed away a few months ago. She recalled that Anthony, originally from Des Barras, joined the yacht club when he was 13 years old and later made a career out of sailing.

Hopefully, Sweeney and crew will successfully defend their title, all in the name of 'Scotty Boy'.

THE STAR

november 23, 2019

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