THE VINCENTIAN PDF - 07-07-23

3. Members of the Hennessy Starlift Steel Orchretra in celebration after the announcement that they had won the 2023 Junior Panorama competition.

4. Devine Walters of the Sandy Bay Government School, successfully defended her Junior Calypso Monarch Tittle.

5. De-Andre Simons, a theatre Arts student of the St. Martin’s Secondary School took the 2023 Junior Soca Monarch title.

6. Omani Cupid, a student of the Emmanuel High School and a finalist in the 2023 National Calypso Monarch Competition, took the Secondary School Calypso Monarch crown.

1. Alanze Niles, Junior Queen of the Bands – ‘Love Bird’, from Blondie Bird and Friends’ ‘Birds of a Feather’.

2. Joel Baston - Junior King of the Year - ‘King Cobo’, from Blondie Bird and Friends’ ‘Birds of a Feather’.

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI)

TO LEASE OR MANAGE A HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS HOTEL AT DIAMOND, ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES

The Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (GOSVG) is seeking expressions of interest (EOI) from reputable and professional hotel managers and or experienced owners to lease or manage a new Holiday Inn Express hotel, located at Diamond in the state of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. GOSVG invites firms that have interest in providing effective management of the asset and investing in the promotion, marketing, commercialization and elevation of the hotel within the hospitality sector.

The hotel is currently under construction and is scheduled to be completed by November 2023. The hotel, which has 93 guest rooms of various sizes, meeting facilities and swimming pool, is owned by the GOSVG. It is located on the Diamond Industrial Estate, on the south eastern side of the island, and is approximately 3 miles from the Argyle International Airport and 7 miles from the Capital, Kingstown. The hotel is expected to service a mix of business and leisure visitors.

The GOSVG hereby invites local and foreign companies with demonstrated financial capability and experience in managing and operating hotels to submit written Expression of Interest (EOI) for the lease or management of the hotel.

Applicants must have the following experience and capacity:

Hotel Management Experience: The Applicant shall have proven experience operating and maintaining at least one 3-star and above category hotelwith a least twenty-five (25) rooms for a minimum period of five (5) years.

Financial Capability: The Applicant must provide appropriate evidence of access to credit facilities from at least one reputable financial institution.

Commitment fee: The successful firm will be required to pay a non-refundable commitment fee of USD5,000.00, at the time of execution of the Lease/Management Agreement. It must also submit a letter from a reputable financial institution stating that it has capacity to secure the funds required for this commitment fee.

1. Company Profile: Name, Country and date of incorporation, and address of the corporate headquarters and branch office(s).

2. Hotel business experience: Details of its hotel brand(s), years of operation, operating performance metrics, and profiles of key management staff.

3. Financial profile: Annual Audited Financial statements for the three (3) most recent financial years, and in any case no later than 2017, 2018 and 2019, and at least one reference letter from a reputable financial institution on the credit worthiness of the applicant.

4. Litigation history: Details of litigation history for the last ten (10) years, including pending litigation, and sworn affidavit disclosing that the Applicant does not have Directors who were convicted in any Country of any criminal offense relating to fraud or financial impropriety or criminal misrepresentation or falsification of facts relating to any matter.

5. Lease or Management Contract: The applicant must indicate its preference for a lease or management contract and must provide a sample contract for either lease or management, including the proposed terms and conditions.

6. Contact details: Details of individual(s) authorised to engage with GOSVG on behalf of the applicant. These details must include: name, designation, address, power of attorney from the Applicant, telephone number, and email address.

Applicants’ submissions to this request for EOI will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

1. Experience in successful management and operation of hotel(s) of at least 25 rooms; and

2. Financial condition of the applicant.

Applicants may contact the Hotel Project Implementation Unit (HPIU), Ministry of Finance and Planning, to request information on this opportunity and to schedule a site visit to gather information to better understand this business opportunity.

Requests for information or requests to schedule site visit must be sent to the HPIU no later than 1500 hours on Friday, 21st July 2023, via email: hpiu.svg@gmail.com

Correspondences should be addressed to:

Rudolph Matthias

Project Consultant

Hotel Project Implementation Unit

Ministry of Finance and Planning

Diamond

St. Vincent

Expression of Interest must be submitted to reach GOSVG on or before 1500 hours on Friday, 4th August 2023. Any submissions received after this deadline will not be considered.

All costs incurred as a result of submission to this request for EOI and any subsequent request for Information shall be borne by the Applicant. The GOSVG is not bound to accept any EOI and reserves the right to cancel this Invitation at any time without incurring any liability to Applicants.

The EOI must be submitted in hard copy, with 1 original and 3 copies, in sealed packaging marked “Confidential - Expression of Interest for Holiday Inn Hotel Management/ Lease” and addressed to:

Director General of Finance and Planning

Ministry of Finance and Planning

Financial Complex

Kingstown

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Police busy: Three more homicides

THE SEASON OF CARNIVAL

– June/July – in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a period of heightened economic activity and given the nature of the festival, a period of revelry.

And while it has been that way for most of the years since the annual carnival was changed from a pre-Lenten festival to a June/July one, this year has seen indications of new, emerging characteristics. It has been to say the least, a busy one (season) for the Royal SVG Police Force.

Between last Saturday and Monday, they have had to deal with three homicides.

Greiggs man shot

They first had to mount an investigation into the death of a 42year-old Greiggs resident - Osborne Jerry Haywood - whom they reported as having been shot and killed at about 10:05pm

Saturday 01st July 2023, in Greiggs.

Preliminary information, according to the police, ‘revealed that at about 10:10pm on the date in question, the police at the Biabou Police Station received a report from a caller by telephone, stating that gunshots were being fired in the vicinity of the Greiggs Hardcourt and an unknown man was on the ground’.

When a police detail headed by Divisional Commander/Superintend ent of Police Mr. Trevor Bailey arrived on the scene, they met a man lying motionless on the ground with what appeared to be an injury to the left side of his face.

He was identified as Osborne Jerry Haywood and was pronounced dead, on the scene, by

the District Medical Officer.

Conductor stabbed /Stubbs man shot

Still fresh into the Haywood investigation, the police were called upon to address the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Darius Williams and Michael Miller, both incidents occurring on Monday 3rd July.

Williams, a 23-yearold mini bus conductor from Glen, died as a result of a stab wound.

A police release said that Williams was working as a conductor on a mini bus that stopped at the Peace Memorial Hall Bus Stop around 5:50pm, last Monday, when he was attacked by an assailant and stabbed with a knife. He was transported to Milton Cato Memorial

Greiggs man killed: Revenge suspected

hardcourt with a gunshot wound to his face.

And while some residents remain puzzled by the incident, others claimed that the writing was on the wall. “There was a killing that had happen couple years ago in Grieggs and they wanted to blame him. So it’s revenge,” a resident told THE VINCENTIAN.

The resident described the deceased as a humble man who would drink his rum and relax.

something,” said Johnson, adding that reports are that Haywood was walking with a female companion just before he was killed.

Johnson said that ever since a man was killed about four years ago, people have been blaming Haywood for the death and he had received numerous threats.

“I feel real sad. The last thing he told me is that he going away and if I going anywhere close the back door,” said Johnson.

Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

A source told THE VINCENTIAN that the assailant is known to suffer from a mental illness and that the knife used in the crime was left on the scene.

Later that evening, police were called to a shooting incident in Georgetown.

Their preliminary investigation revealed that Michael Miller, a 46year-old resident of Stubbs, had succumbed to what appeared to be multiple gunshot wounds

about his body. The incident was said to have occurred in the Bay Road area of Georgetown.

Postmortem examinations are expected to be carried out on the deceased men to ascertain the exact cause(s) of death.

As of Wednesday, no arrests had been made in relation to any of the incidents reported here.

And as for the year so far, there are now twenty-three (23) homicides committed by civilians and three (3) shooting deaths attributed to police actions. Last year was a record year for homicides in SVG with a count of 42.

Cuban doctor stabbed

THE VINCENTIAN understands that a mother and her two sons are assisting a police investigation into an attack on a Cuban doctor on Friday evening.

A MAN WHO WAS ACCUSED by some villagers of being involved in a murder some four years ago in Greiggs was killed in what is being described as a ‘revenge killing’.

On Saturday 1st July, sometime after 10pm, the sound of two gunshots disturbed the tranquility Greiggs. When the noise ceased, Osborne Haywood was left dead on the Greiggs

Lesha Johnson, a cousin of the deceased, in an interview with THE VINCENTIAN on Sunday, said that she and Haywood shared a dwelling house.

As far as she could determine, Haywood was heading home when he was shot and killed. “Is like somebody pull him on the hardcourt and killed him. Because the way the hardcourt set up there is a little gate and everybody have to pass the gate to go home and he dead inside the hard court. So is either they pull him in or they call him in dey or

“He was a person who like to make jokes and he and most people in the area was good. He always has to make a little joke once he pass yo and meet yo. He use to drink his little rum and drunk yes, but once he drunk a home he use to catch for. Once little day work dey, he would go and catch the day work. But from that he wasn’t a troublemaker,” the cousin said.

A police investigation into the circumstance surrounding Haywood’s death is ongoing. (KH)

The doctor, Alfredo Baptista Salgado, a 53year-old Cuban Medical Doctor attached to the Levi Latham Health Centre, Marriaqua, was attacked and stabbed while walking along White Chapel Road, in the vicinity of His Majesty’s Prison, Kingstown, according to a police report.

He was said to have been on his way home after attending the Calypso Monarch semifinals at Victoria Park that Friday night.

A report indicated that the doctor sustained a wound to the abdomen which left his intestines exposed.

Emergency surgery had to be performed and up to mid-week, he was hospitalized at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital.

In a statement on the incident, Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves said, inter alia, that the incident was of ‘great concern’.

Some residents of Greiggs speculate that Osborne Haywood’s death was a ‘revenge killing’.

Dr. Alfredo Baptista Salgado had to undergo emergency surgery after being stabbed in the abdomen.

POLICE ACTION

LABOURER CHARGED FOR UNLICENSED FIREARM

ON SUNDAY, July 2, 2023, Jesse Ashton, a 20year-old Labourer from Mesopotamia, was arrested and charged with having in his possession a .32 Revolver make and serial number unknown without a license issued under the Firearm Act, at Heritage Square, Kingstown.

Ashton will appear at the Kingstown Magistrate Court to answer the charge.

DUO ON DRUG CHARGE

On 02.07.23, Romaul Benn, 45 years Carpenter of Green Hill, and Martin Alonso Velez Velasquez, 39 years Telecommunication Technician of Colombia/Green Hill were arrested and jointly charged with having in their possession 31,099 grammes of cannabis with intent to supply it to another at Green Hill at about 7:00 am on 01.07.23.

The accused men will appear at the Serious Offences Court to answer the charge.

LABOURER CHARGED WITH WOUNDING

On June 17, 2023, Elomon Phillips, a 23-yearold Labourer from Villa, was arrested and charged with Wounding.

Phillips is charged with unlawfully and maliciously injuring a 30-year-old Painter of Glen by stabbing him on his right hand with an unknown object”, at Arnos Vale about 5:30 am on 02.07.23.

Phillips will appear at the Serious Offence Court to answer the charge.

LABOURER CHARGED WITH THEFT

On 30.6.23, Police arrested and charged Michael George, 42 years Labourer of Arnos Vale with entering the business place of a 32-year-old Businesswoman of Prospect as a trespasser and stealing one (1) white iPhone 12 Cellular phone valued at $1,800.00ECC, five (5) pack of acrylic nails valued at $150.00ECC and $280.00ECC in cash, total value $ 2,230.00ECC. The items were stolen at Arnos Vale between 7:00 pm on 28.06.23 and 10:00 am on 29.06.23.

George will appear at the Kingstown Magistrate Court to answer the charge.

MAN CHARGED WITH WOUNDING

Antonio Patterson, a 23-year-old Labourer of Langley Park on 30.06.23, was arrested and charged with unlawfully and maliciously wounding a 22-year-old Labourer of Georgetown by stabbing him on his head with a pair of scissors at Georgetown at about midnight on 22.06.23.

The accused man will appear at the Serious Offences Court to answer the charge.

Youth Jailed for homemade gun

Stories: HAYDN HUGGINS

SHEMAR ADAMSis on his fifth day of a prison sentence for firearm and ammunition possession.

The 20-year-old Peniston resident was, on Monday, sentenced to one year and four months for possession of a homemade shotgun, and fined $300 forthwith or one month in prison for possession of one round of 12-gauge ammunition, without licenses.

The sentences are to run concurrently.

Adams pleaded guilty to the charges when he appeared before Magistrate John Ballah at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on June 28, but he was remanded, and the matter transferred to the

Serious Offences Court.

Adams maintained his guilty plea when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne at the Serious Offences Court on Monday. He was unrepresented.

The youngster was arrested on July 27, when Corporal 615 LaFleur Williams headed a party of officers from the Rapid Response Unit (RRU), Vermont Police Station, to execute a search warrant in respect of firearms and ammunition, at the Peniston home of Adams and his girlfriend.

The couple was met at home, and during a search of a bedroom in which Adams appeared to be sleeping when the police entered, Corporal Williams went through

some clothing contained in a tub and found the ammunition. A multicoloured bad was also found in the tub among the clothing which, when

opened, revealed the gun.

When cautioned, Adams admitted that the gun and ammunition belonged to him.

ÂMitchÊ on trial for wifeÊs murder

UP TO PRESStime Thursday, twelve (12) witnesses had testified in the trial involving former civil servant Mitchel ‘Mitch’ Israel who is charged with the murder of his wifeArianna Taylor-Israel.

Quick police action nails gunman

THE VIGILANCEand quick action of Police Constables 1033 Nigel Hadaway and 114 Jamarie Roberts may have averted another homicide, or serious injury last Saturday.

The drama that unfolded led to a .32 revolver being taken off the streets, and 20-year-old Jesse Ashton of Mesopotamia being sentenced to three years and six months in prison on Monday. He pleaded guilty to possession of the gun, without license.

Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne handed down the penalty.

The facts as presented at the Serious Offences Court on Monday showed that around 4:55 p.m. last Saturday, PC Hadaway and PC Roberts were on duty in Kingstown. They decided to make a foot patrol in the Heritage Square area.

While there, the officers observed a group of young men standing on the sidewalk with what appeared to be marijuana in a transparent plastic bag. The officers approaching the group identified themselves as police officers, told the youngsters of their

observation and requested a search of their persons.

Among the witnesses who testified so far are crime scene investigator, Corporal Raycon John, attached to the Criminal Records Office (CRO) at the Central Police Station; Station Sergeant Julian Caine of the Rapid Response Unit (RRU), who apprehended Israel and handed him over to investigators at the CPS; and a student of the St. Martin Secondary School.

When PC Hadaway was about to search one of the men (Ashton), he attempted to run. PC Roberts quickly held onto him, a tussle ensued during which both of them fell to the ground. Hadaway went to Roberts’ assistance and held onto Ashton. Hadaway observed that Ashton was carrying a black Nike cross bag which felt heavy when Hadaway held onto it.

The officer opened the bag in front of Ashton, as well as PC Roberts, and saw the gun. He immediately cautioned Ashton who replied, “Officer, I find that up Subway, but you find it on me, so I go do the time for it.”

No ammunition was found.

Ashton was taken into custody. Checks made by ballistic expert Station Sergeant Julian Caine revealed that it was a .32 revolver, make and serial number unknown.

Ashton had no previous convictions.

Attorney Dr. Linton Lewis is representing Israel while attorney Richie Maitland, attached to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), is leading the case for the Crown.

The trial started on Monday before Justice Rickie Burnett at High Court 2 and is being heard by a 12-member mixed jury.

Taylor-Israel, who was a 44-year-old Cuban national employed as a nurse here, was reportedly gunned down on the compound of the St. Martin’s Secondary School shortly after 3 p.m. on January 30, 2020.

Columbian, Vincentian remanded on ganja charge

COLUMBIANnational, Martin Alonso Velez Valasquez, and Green Hill resident, will return to Court on Wednesday, July 12 on a marijuana charge.

The two were denied bail when they appeared at the Serious Offences Court on Monday and pleaded not guilty to possession of 31,099 grams of marijuana with intent to supply. They were unrepresented.

Prosecutor Renrick Cato did not object to bail for Benn but requested suitable conditions and surety, including the surrendering of his travel documents, reporting conditions, and stop notices. But Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne concluded that she was not considering bail for either man, and remanded them until July 12.

The charge against them stemmed from a police action at Green Hill on July 1.

Mitchel Israel –murder accused.

(L-R): Romaul Benn and Martin Alonso Velez Valasquez.

Vincymas V

Devine retains Primary School Calypso title

ONE YOUNGVincentian student is intent on seeing this country grow. Her name is Devine Walters and she attends the Sandy Bay Government School. She is carving out something of a train of royalty for herself.

Last Tuesday, July 4, at Victoria

Park, and in front of a cadre of loyal supporters from Sandy Bay, she retained her title as Junior Primary School Calypso Monarch, rendering a number entitled ‘Nation Building’, in which she paid tribute to a number of this country’s builders including Junior Sutherland, leader of the band Vykinz which accompanied the performers at the Junior Calypso/Soca competitions.

Dressed in her version of the national outfit, Devine secured the nod over Divyne Hackshaw from Argyle Roman Catholic Primary, who placed second with her song, ‘Love the children more’. Third place went to Deannice Davis from Calder Government School who showed ‘Gratitude.’

The other participants in the competition were: Clifano Phillips from Langley Park Primary School who did, ‘Crime after Crime’; Xavi Haynes - Evesham Methodist School‘Parental Control’; Arginine CaesarC. W. Prescod Primary School, ‘Lovely

Cupid shatters the judges’ hearts

Culture’.

Bradleya Sutherland from Sandy Bay Secondary with ‘Mama oh’, Lizah Griffith of Central Leeward Secondary School with ‘Black Man Moon, Gabriella Veira, Bethel High School with ‘Covid 19’ and Quincyya Robertson of the Troumaca Ontario Secondary School, ‘Working obeah’, completed the cast. (WKA)

OMANI CUPID delivered the number ‘My time’ in the Secondary School category of the Junior Calypso Competition held at Victoria Park last Tuesday, and it served as a rehearsal for this Sunday’s Dimanche Gras finale.

Omani, representing the Emmanuel High School Mesopotamis, was the last of the eight competitors in this category. When he was through it was a matter of the results being a mere formality, which came deep into twilight.

There were no qualms about Omani’s elevation.

For him it was settling the score with Kristian Christopher, of the St. Vincent Grammar School, who was the defending champion but had to settle for second position after doing, .’Build the Rocket Fast Elon’.

Third place threw up a tie involving Shenea Stephens from Girls’ High School with her ‘Age Limit’ and Zion Lewis from St. Joseph Convent Kingstown with ‘Change the Van

Calypso’; Shanda Jackson- Lowmans Windward Primary School - ‘Wake-up Call’; and Nyla Nero - Greiggs Primary School with ‘Teenage Pregnancy’.

Devine Walters stamped her mark on the Primary School category of the Junior Calypso Monarch competition with a repeat victory in 2023.

Divyne Hackshaw was not far off the top position, placing second.

Deannice Davis represented the Calder Government School well and took third place.

Omani Cupid, riding on his selection to the finals of the National Calypso Monarch competition, delivered with confidence and consistency.

Kristian Christopher could not be faulted for putting on a ‘manly’ defence of his title.

Shenea Stephens held firm and grabbed a third position.

Zion Lewis, tied for third, choose to sing about the ‘van culture’ and may have aroused mixed feeling.

Republic Bank launches Youth Link initiative

ON WEDNESDAY, June 28, 2023, Republic Bank (EC) Limited announced a groundbreaking initiative targeting progressive young people in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Two successful young ladies, Jamiah Johnson and Julie Richards, are among the first to benefit from the prestigious experience called the Republic Bank Youth Link Program.

The launch of this program represents a significant step forward in providing these individuals with the tools and resources they need to achieve their own goals, whatever they may be. Whether they are looking to advance their career within this company should the opportunity arise, or forge their own path, this program is designed to help them get there, and by creating a supportive environment that encourages curiosity, collaboration, and innovation, we can help bridge the gap between education and meaningful employment.

In addressing the youth linkers, Michele PalmerManaging Director for Republic Bank EC emphasized the bank’s focus and commitment to the program, “We recognize the value of creating a positive and inclusive environment that nurtures these young minds, allowing them to explore their full potential. We also understand that it is our responsibility to invest in and develop the next generation of leaders. Ladies and gentlemen, this program has had an undeniable impact on many of the individuals who have participated in it, and I am proud to say that some of them have gone on to become successful managers within this company”.

Being a youth linker herself and now a Regional ManagerCommercial and Retail Banking for Republic Bank Trinidad North, Geeta Harricharan delivered the keynote speech and words of commendation to

the young ladies as she reminisced on her own experience.

She described Republic Bank as a place of opportunities, making the connection between the recipients being the youth and the bank being the link to the world of work, and that they are definitely in the right place. She also encouraged the recipients to not get distracted but if they do, to get right back on track and stay focused on their goals. The importance of teamwork and being part of a diverse team was also firmly emphasized.

Over the next twelve weeks, these young ladies will be exposed to core banking operations together with leadership and personal development, and small business training, to harness their skills and become assets

for the bank and other corporate entities as opportunities become available.

Republic Bank remains committed to working closely

with all stakeholders in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to bring about positive change within the communities.

(Source: Republic Bank)

(Left to Right): Dawnette Constance: Manager, Personal Banking, Jamiah Johnson – Youth Linker, Danna Hamlet: Manager, Service & Support, Julie Richards - Youth Linker, Syran Clarke – Corporate & Commercial Team Lead. (Photo Source: Republic Bank)

Deano Nero –small in stature –packed a punch well above his weight class that landed him in second place.

Junior Soca Monarch: De-Andre edges Nero

EXPRESSIONSof excitement and joy illuminated the faces of patrons who attended the Junior Calypso and Soca Monarch competitions last Tuesday at Victoria Park.

As the future of St. Vincent and the Grenadines premier cultural event comes into question and the reluctance by established soca artistes to partake in the soca monarch competition, the young and upcoming artistes who were on display on Tuesday might just have helped to help put minds at ease.

And though there might have been some ‘doubting Thomases’, the consensus was that the patrons were well entertained.

As for the actual Junior Soca Monarch Competition, De-Andre Simmons of the St. Martin’s

Secondary School, with a spirited performance of a song titled ‘Stadium’, got the judges’ nod and was crowned 2023 Junior Soca Monarch.

Simmons beat Deano Nero of Sandy Bay Secondary School into second. Nero was unquestionably the ‘crowd favourite’ with his ‘Leh Me Go’.

The diminutive Nero had the crowd in frenzy and at one point in his performance was taken from the stage, placed on the shoulder of a man before being serenaded in the crowd. His chant of “Woof, Woof, Woof” was well received by the audience who responded in kind.

Kristian Christopher of the St. Vincent Grammar School, had to settle for third place with his song ‘Carnival is’. (KH)

De-Andre Simmons was full of energy that helped to propel his song to another level.

Kristian Christopher could well be considered a ‘seasoned campaigner’ and as expected was not outside of the top tier of finishers.

The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Managing Director: Desiree Richards

Editor: Cyprian Neehall

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

Website: www.thevincentian.com

Email: thevincentianpublishing@gmail.com

Mailing Address: The Vincentian Publishing Co. Ltd.,

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

Editorial

CARICOM is 50

REGIONAL LEADERS met in Trinidad and Tobago this week in the 45th regular conference of CARICOM heads of government.

It was also an occasion to mark the 50th anniversary of the regional body which was established by the Treaty of Chaguaramas, signed by Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago, and which came into effect on August 1, 1973.

The Treaty was later revised in 2002 to allow for the eventual establishment of a single market and a single economy.

CARICOM groups twenty countries: fifteen Member States and five Associate Members, stretching from The Bahamas in the north to Suriname and Guyana in South America, including Belize on the Central American mainland, and accounting for a population of approximately sixteen million citizens.

Fifty years is a long time — it is moreso a long time for an integration entity — call it what you want.

It would be unkind not to recognize the persistence, commitment and dedication of regional leaders, past and present, who would have weathered many a storm of disagreement if not dispute along the way, not least among these being the period when they had to face head on the experiment in a nontraditional form of governance that we came to know as the Grenadian Revolution - 1979

to 1983

That time has passed and many of those who would have sat on the periphery of formal government at that time have themselves become today’s leaders. For that we should be richer but, are we?

The story of CARICOM is in itself contradictory. The world looks with a degree of envy at this effort at cultural, political and economic integration of a number of island states of varying sizes and resources and a few large South American countries.

And while it might be that we feel ourselves culturally and to a lesser degree economically on the same page, there are many agenda items that remain distant from any sense of closure.

We have to acknowledge the many areas of functional co-operation that exist within the jurisdiction — e.g. Common Market, The UWI, however, there is still a sense that there is much that is wrong and seem to work against a genuine integration movement.

Twenty-eight countries of the European Union have done away with visa requirements and travel regulations encouraging and making movement of people easier. CARICOM members seem to reserve the right to frame their

own measures governing travel and as a result, inter-CARICOM travel is far from what it should be at best, because the cost remains way beyond the reach of the majority of the 60 million people within the jurisdiction.

Further, while some would want to point to the effective functioning of the East Caribbean Central Bank and the East Caribbean Finance Authority as examples for the world to follow, this is but a bloc within CARICOM, operating outside of the rest of CARICOM. Contradiction?

The European Union has bolstered its intra-trade by adopting, very early in the life of the European Union, a common currency. As it is, there are at least nine different currencies operating in the region. Some argue that a common currency would eliminate things like currency conversion costs and risks, and would reduce transactions costs on products and services that are shared across the region.

Not only that, the experience of Vincentian ‘traffickers’ speak to the value and practicality of a common currency.

And what about the fact that CARICOM has not yet accepted a common final appeal court of legal jurisprudence. What is it that prevents this glaring non-acceptance of ‘our’, yes our Caribbean Court of Appeal (CCJ)?

Is it that our leaders influence us into accepting the learning and capacity of British judges over our own legal minds?

Is it that we see the legal system of the UK as representing a judicial integrity and quality higher than our Justices in the CCJ? Is it because there is some psychological numbness that abounds among our leaders?

The issue of integrity and quality of the British judges, as one regional commentators advances, can be ‘judged’ by the “numerous rulings in the British system against Julian Assange…(which) should convince anyone that British judges are not immune from political interference.”

Oh how we contradict ourselves! How can we hold our heads high when as we support the CCJ - financial and otherwise - but Trinidad, where the Court sits, that country’s government still prefers British judges to their own CARICOM nationals?

Are we not guilty of continuing to be Mimic Men’ of whom V.S Naipaul wrote and for which we are wont to otstracise him?

In this the 50th year of existence of our ‘beloved’ CARICOM, any leader who holds fast to the view that the British Privy Council can be trusted over our CCJ, should, ‘wheel and come again!’

Organic farming for who?

ALONG WITH DISCUSSING FOOD security,it’s time to extend the conversation to include organic farming. Are we ever going to advocate for a transition to organic agriculture in SVG? Some people presented the idea after the last volcanic eruption. This was a great opportunity following the cleansing of the land, for a fresh start. It was common to hear folks say, “One good thing to come out of this eruption is the rejuvenation of our soil.” The indication being we would or should use fewer chemical fertilizers.

At the risk of angering some folks, I call the rejuvenation conversion “bologna” because all my fruit trees and vegetable garden struggled for two years after the eruption. All the farms I have visited seem to have the same issue, so I don’t feel too bad as a “townman farmer.” Without proper analysis, plowing the ashes into the topsoil appears to be the default action by the farmers.

I still believe that the government should ask the University of the West Indies to do some chemical analysis of the ash (soil) and advise us on how best to incorporate it into our daily operations. After all, we are paying the customers an extra 1% on imported goods to cover the cost of our annual contribution to the university. This might be too late with all the rain we have experienced over the last two years. We must, however, consider alternatives with the increased costs of chemical fertilizers and the ongoing shortage. I was under the impression that this would be the time for us as a nation to transition to organic farming. So much so that I fully expected this to be another initiative coming out of the Ministry of Agriculture. Maybe it will be in next year’s budget. There is still time for that, but before we go there, Mr. Minister, please expend some resources on rejuvenating the natural soil and developing a productive, sustainable organic farming system. I know how we think, so let me say it now: In my opinion, this cannot be done in conjunction with the initiative to cut food import costs by 25% by 2025.

Organically grown agriculture crops must be established as a separate initiative. This niche (market) must be carefully groomed and nurtured. At the risk of insulting some people, organic farming is much more than putting cows or other animal manure on the farm. This could reduce our trade deficit

for the few fiscal hawks among us. It will begin rebuilding a healthy community free from chemical and genetically modified food. It could also improve our fishing industry (less chemical runoff). It will also reduce our carbon footprint, and lastly, we will increase GDP.

Transitioning to some targeted organic production level to capitalize on the export market option requires meeting specific standards dictated by those regulatory agencies. If we take on this challenge, we must learn from other people’s experiences. Sri Lanka recently undertook the most aggressive attempt to migrate to organic farming and is struggling. According to some reports, the attempted switch to organic agriculture and the effects of climate change are reaping havoc on their economy’s agriculture sector–the production of some of the seasonal crops dropped by an average of 35%. The government approved a $349 million bailout package for small farmers. Some may say this was the beginning of the end of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government.

So, what are some of the lessons we can learn from a distance about this experiment:

1. Organic agriculture may have lower yields and need more land to produce the same food. The “rest period” for land previously used in conventional chemical-enhanced farming back to the organic state is three years.

2. Low yields and this long wait period could lead to deforestation to make more land available for farming, thus eliminating the environmental benefits of chemical-free farming. Some critics have said that organic farms need more land to produce the same yields as conventional farms. The Danish Environmental Protection Agency’s research seemed to support this finding.

3. Organic farms tend to cost more to operate mainly because of labour.

4. Organic farming requires a buffer zone with conventional farms to avoid contamination and cross-pollination.

From my limited knowledge of this subject, genetically altered seedlings do not produce at their maximum potential without the support of chemicals.

Despite the drawbacks, organic farming has great potential for small island agriculture like SVG. Horatio.

Resuscitating W.I. Cricket

SO, WE HAVEbecome, if anyone didn’t notice before, the laughing stock of the cricketing world. This, after failing to make the finals of the 2023 World Cup in India.

To get to this stage we changed captains like we change baby diapers; we replaced players every Monday morning; we change coaches moving being foreign ones and local ones; we introduced all kinds of new coaching programmes, and programmes for young cricketers; we change boards and regional directors like it was something that we were required to do; and we contracted all kinds of leading intellectuals to write report after report and make

recommendations.

As for those reports, like the P.J. Patterson one, I wonder how much of what was recommended was ever taken on board by our administrators.

And our recent performance in the World Cup Qualifiers comes on the heels of the election of a new Board — headed by our own Dr. Kishore Shallow. When you look at the persons who make up the Board of Cricket West Indies, it looks like the same old bunch of fellows who have overseen our recent slump into second class, if not third-class cricketing countries.

What we need are administrators

Community Award 2023

THIS ISthe time of year when many young persons are graduating from various institutions. I would like to congratulate them all for not only their academic achievements but also for their extra-curricular activities. In this vein, I would like to congratulate Anna Warrican for being the 2023 recipient of the Cheryl Phills King Community Award at the Girls’ High School, my distinguished Alma Mater.

Over the years, the recipients of this award have been: 2004-Rachael Oliver; 2005—Tamisha Browne; 2006—Amber Glasgow; 2007—Lizanna Pollard; 2008, Jai—Len Williams; 2009, Rose-Anne Richardson; 2010—Lusha Lorraine; 2011—River Providence; 2012—Breanna Antoine; 2013—Nikelene McLean; 2014—Kelsie Haynes; 2015-Justine Farrel; 2016-Shantel Williams; 2017-Maya John; 2018—Rhobyn Grant; 2019-Ashantae Williams; 2020-Paige Cadogan; 2021-Davisha Sayers; 2022-Oslyan Ollivierre; 2023, Anna Warrican.

Thanks to the parents, teachers, community and all who enable the success of our young people.

We love and appreciate these wellrounded individuals and I know that they value the award.

This is the gist of many comments made over the years:

From the mother of one of the recipients:

“[Recipient] said thanks for the award and congrats. It was her aim over the past 5 years to be an all-round student, and your award made her realise she achieved that.”

From a Grandmother: “Thanks.. I should also let you know that [recipient] is our granddaughter — we were really very pleased with her performance — not only in her subjects but in extra-curricular.”

From another mother: “Thanks. This award means so much.”

We wish them well as they strive to make the world a better place.

Cheryl Phills King.

PEOPLE ARE ASKING:

* Did a certain comment on STAR Radio in anyway influence the omission of Man Sick from the Calypso Monarch Finals?

* Why are so many of the soca songs so vulgar? Where are the writers?

* Government vehicles are still stopping, some even parking anywhere they feel like. Do they have immunity from the Traffic Laws? Or is it that

with new, different and even radical ideas for resuscitating West Indies cricket.

And here is where I might get some stick for being ‘crazy’. I suggest that those persons who would want to put themselves up for positions on the Board of Cricket West indies, that they make themselves, their plans and ideas, known to the public in the region.

That they make known their plans to not only ordinary citizens but that they also try out their plans in open discussions that involve past West Indies players, coaches, and other persons involved in organizing and

running cricket in the various islands. And to make my further two cents, something has to be done about regional cricket. It’s just not up to standard. Gone are the days when the Shell Shield/Red Stripe regional cricket competition was of the highest standard to be found anywhere in the cricketing world.

We have got to be the best we can, playing against ourselves before we can think of matching up to the rest of the cricketing world that has leapfrogged over us a long time ago.

Enough from this crazy but loyal West Indies cricket fan.

Charles, Edinboro.

Food Insecurity Project

THE Ministry of Agriculture presented a Food Insecurity Project to food and meat/fish farmers at the Georgetown Secondary School last mid-week. They presented a leaflet and an application form. On the front of the leaflet and the application form is: “UBEC-CERC St. Vincent and the Grenadines Food Insecurity Project”.

About the Project — “….. As a response to these (climate change, tropical storms, drought, COVID-19, Russia — Ukraine war, and volcanic eruption) negative impacts, the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is concentrating a significant percentage of capital expenditure on recovery in the agricultural and fisheries sectors. Through USD$10 million in funding from the World Bank (IDA), the government is implementing the UBECCERC 2023 Food Insecurity Project”.

Project objectives: 1 — To increase food production and availability to residents and a growing visitor population. 2 — To improve vulnerable

groups’ economic and physical access to food. 3 — To improve the SVG production system’s productivity, resilience, and sustainability through climate-smart technologies and the infusion of youth into the sectors. 4 — To improve the quality and competitiveness of fish, fruits, and vegetables through targeted food safety investments.

Who will benefit from this project?

Any active Vincentian including: 1 — Businessoriented small farmers and fishers. 2 — Home gardeners. 3 — Farm service providers. 4 — Vulnerable groups like the elderly, youth, single mothers, and persons with disabilities. 5 — Consumers.

Project cost and duration: US$10,000.000. Where to seek help and submit complete appreciation — SVG Food Insecurity Project Implementation Unit, c/o Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishers, Richmond Hill, Kingstown.

The Minister of Agriculture was disrespectful to the hardworking farmers and fishers. He should have had a consultation with us before he allowed his staff to embarrass

the police can’t do anything about it because they are guilty of the same things?

* Could those soca artistes be a more considerate about what ‘instructions’ they give their audiences, including children?

* Whose idea was it to have the Miss Teen and Miss SVG contestants parade at the Junior Panorama? Did the persons responsible for the contestants believe that they gained anything from this exercise in which they had very little space in which to manoeuvre and steelpans to navigate?

him. If the Minister of ‘Food Insecurity’, Saboto Caesar, used to have regular staff meetings with his Ministry workers he would have received proper guidance. He refused to work and if you don’t work, well no pay.

We are calling on the NDP to wake up and defend the farmers and fishers against the minister. The minister admitted that $200 million in food importation for food that we can produce here on our volcanic soil, went out of our country, money that would have made our farmers and fishers wealthy and healthy. This draining of our economy has to stop. Call it what you may, we need a farmers’ revolution. This is US$10,000,000? We need a national consultation on food safety - not insecurity. Stop the dictatorship now. We not forgetting

consultation with all Medical Cannabis Cooperatives and stake holders. If we don’t stop this backwardness. The great I AM will vex us for what will happen to the next generation. We have the finance at hand to make a better living for all of us and visitors. Saboto must be fired. He is working for and with us, citizens of the highest order of the land. Higher than the PM.

Christian Democrat.

Have a safe and enjoyable Carnival

Introduction

VINCY MAS2023 is in full swing after being absent in 2021 because of the Covid-19 Pandemic and the eruptions of the La Soufriere volcano, with the 2022 version not featuring competition in some components.

This year however, the full carnival experience is available and from all indications, it is shaping up to be a massive carnival celebration. The anticipation has been high with many who were unable to be a part of our nation’s premiere cultural festival are making sure that they do not miss what is on offer this year. Already those sights and sounds that signal the presence of carnival are already on display; street bars are up in Heritage Square and Lower Bay Street, the consistent sound of calypso and soca music on radio stations, and the increased numbers of visitors on the streets on Kingstown. Already our country is abuzz with activities that let us know Carnival is in the air and we ready ourselves for 10 days of mas, pan and calypso.

Let’s welcome our citizens and visitors

Already, it is very evident that this year’s carnival festival, will benefit from the participation of Vincentians who reside outside of SVG as well as visitors from other countries who have been arriving in record numbers. The ease of travel to SVG, specifically from international destinations in North America and Europe, must be a welcome feature for those making the journey, and is undoubtedly contributing to what is turning out to be a good year for arrivals. It would be impossible to discuss the numbers of persons arriving without considering the impact of the construction of the Argyle International Airport and how it has improved direct air access to SVG. The very prophetic words of Comrade Ralph “build it and they would come”, when he laid out his plan to construct an international airport are being fulfilled before our very eyes. Because of the AIA, Virgin Atlantic brings travelers from Europe to SVG twice per week and now also operates regional flights between Barbados, Grenada and SVG. American Airlines that previously operated twice-weekly flights between Miami and SVG, has increased those flights, where they now operate a flight to SVG daily. These flights, especially the AA flights have had a tremendous impact on the ease of access for travelers from the USA who are happy to transit through Miami from various destinations within that source market. A visit to AIA on any day to witness the arrival of any of the international direct flights will reveal full flights, with excited passengers, some of whom have not visited SVG in decades, reveling in the joy of touching down on Vincentian soil.

Additionally, the influx of visitors has created a welcome challenge of room scarcity across SVG, many of these bookings made more than a year in advance. Vincentians who provide accommodation, whether hotels, guesthouses, or Air B&Bs, were encouraged to make the necessary investments in expanding their room stock to prepare for increase in

arrivals that would result from the operationalization of the AIA. Today, those who took the advice and made the investments are happy with their decision as their investments are reaping benefits with Carnival, Christmas and Easter offering great opportunities to fill the rooms. The continued growth of our tourism sector, with more flights added by Air Canada, and with negotiations ongoing with other carriers, things will only improve year-round for hotels and guesthouses. Whether the travelers are residents coming home and would stay in family residences, or are visitors who will occupy hotels and guesthouses, let us make them feel welcome and ensure that they have the best time taking in the sights, sounds and activities that are there to be enjoyed.

Let’s keep the Carnival violence free

It is important for continued growth and sustainability of our premier national festival that it is conducted in a safe environment and that residents and visitors alike are made to feel safe as they go about their business during the season. Our country is relatively safe, but recently a minority that is allowing their inclination towards a life of crime to get the better of them, is by their actions disturbing the peace that our country is known for. The negative impacts of the actions of that minority on the social and economic stability of SVG, by their criminal actions cannot be over emphasized. Each of us must play our role if we are to effectively address the challenges our country face in dealing with acts of violence that threaten the safety of all. During this time of celebration, we strongly encourage our young men especially, to leave the guns and the knives at home, or more preferred, get rid of your illegal firearms. It is likely that once you’re in possession of a weapon, it will become the first resort in settling disputes that may arise on the road or at an event, but if you don’t have a weapon, you won’t be able to use a weapon. The reckless actions of those who resort to violence do not only impact the individual committing the act, but also on the victim, his/her family, their home community and our country. The safer individuals feel leaving or returning to their homes at night, attending events, being on the beach or just walking through their neighborhoods, the greater will be their participation in the various events. Violence is never the answer, and any benefits from crime will be short-lived, even if perpetrators may escape initial capture and punishment, the consequences have a way of catching up on them.

It is in the best interest of all of us to ensure that Vincy Mas 2023 is safe and enjoyable for all, and we are encouraged to keep it crime and violence free. Cooperate with the authorities by reporting suspicious activities, but also individuals need to take all precautions to safeguard their person and property from possible violation by anyone who sees crime and violence as the way out. Let’s make Vincy Mas 2023 a festival to remember.

Carnival and Culture - Essential to the new economy

THE NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY (NDP) welcomes all returning nationals and visitors to Vincy Mas 2023. We wish everyone an enjoyable and safe Carnival. As Wetty Beatz says in song, “Ting Go Nice Again.” When the NDP gets into office, definitely Carnival will be nice again.

We have heard the complaints of the components of carnival. It took the Carnival Development Corporation (CDC) and the government six months to finally pay the winners of Vincy Mas 2022. The big artistes in the soca arena have boycotted this year’s Soca Monarch because of the disrespect that is shown to them. The mas men are still pleading for a home. Some traditional mas bands are unable to produce King and Queen Costumes this year because of the lack of space in their tents. The attendance to calypso shows continue to decline considerably. The biggest show for Vincy Mas ‘H2O’ has been cancelled because permission to use the regular venue was denied. This year we have had a slow build up to the ‘Hottest Carnival’.

The Unity Labour Party government has not delivered on its promise to develop carnival and culture in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The government does not have a strategic plan to develop carnival and culture. The ULP has promised in its 2001 manifesto that it would have provided the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) with the financial, administrative and technical support necessary to make it function as the leader in the cultural field. After twenty-two (22) years in power, the ULP government has failed to deliver on its promise. Yes, an Act was passed under the NDP administration to establish the NCF.

The way forward

The development of carnival will be part of our overall program in culture, which includes the retooling of the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) as an umbrella body under which the cultural and creative industries can develop and flourish. The NDP will create links between culture, trade and tourism.

The NDP is cognizant of the importance of carnival and culture to the economy. This creative industry is a component of what we call the New Economy. St. Vincent and the Grenadines has a wonderful and thriving musical and cultural art form. But, more can be done to develop this pillar of the economy. The government is tired. It is out of touch and has stopped caring about the issues that affect ordinary Vincentians. It has failed to recognize the potential of so many in our country. The failure to develop this sector is another missed opportunity. The NDP will make the artistic and cultural sector a key part of our future economic growth.

The NDP is committed to creating an economy where everyone has the opportunity to make a decent wage, which will help to build a better life for them and their families. The NDP believes that we have to build an economy where everyone has the opportunity to contribute. The NDP will build an economy that values those who get up early, work hard and make a living. A central pillar of such

an economy is rooted in developing the arts and cultural services for both domestic and foreign consumer.

By investing in and developing these cultural services, we can bring the Vincentian economy into the 21st century, able to compete on a wider scale, both regionally and further afield. This sector has the potential to create many higher paying jobs, to give young people a real outlet to develop their talents and to help make St. Vincent and the Grenadines one of the best places in the world for artistic and cultural events.

Dr. Friday’s NDP is committed to building St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ new economy, driven by new technologies and innovations to give people the opportunities to make a decent living.

Violence out of control

The shooting death of a Greiggs man and the ruthless stabbing of a doctor in Kingstown on Friday night, 30th June 2023, followed by two homicides on Monday 3rd July, show that the violent crime situation is out of control, and that the Gonsalves ULP Government has failed to curb the high crime rate in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

On Friday 30th June 2023, a Cuban doctor, Alfredo Batista Salgado, was severely stabbed on his way home from the Calypso SemiFinals. Many Cuban health care professionals work here. Like the rest of society, they are entitled to feel safe to go about their lives in SVG.

Less than a month ago, the body of another visiting worker, Mr. Gregory Linton, a Dominican and CARDI representative to St. Vincent and the Grenadines was found in his vehicle in Kingstown. He had been shot to death.

On Saturday 1st July 2023, Orandie Haywood died after being shot in Greiggs. Then, on Monday night, there were two more violent killings when a minivan conductor was stabbed to death in Kingstown and a man was shot and killed in Langley Park. These deaths have brought the homicide count to twentysix (26) thus far this year. SVG is on pace to break its grim homicide record of 42 set last year.

Violent crime in St. Vincent and the Grenadines has hit a crisis point under the Gonsalves Government. In our country, people no longer feel safe walking on the street or going about their normal lives. This is unacceptable.

The New Democratic Party is once again calling for the Unity Labour Party administration to bring the situation under control. The government must collaborate with the Opposition and with other social partners in a broad-based approach to develop and implement strategies to address the crime epidemic in our country.

We pray for the full recovery of Dr. Alfredo Batista Salgado and we offer our sympathy to the families affected by gun-related and other violent crimes in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Anyone with information that might assist the police with their investigations should contact the police immediately.

Mental prisons

“Your mind can be either your prison or your palace. What you make it is yours to decide.” – Bernard Kelvin Clive – Ghanaian author, lecturer, speaker, and corporate trainer.

THE THOUGHTS THAT WE ENTERTAIN can propel us to unbelievable heights of success or pull us down to the deepest depts of despair. So much depends on our focus. Whatever the situation, we determine the extent of the impact it will have on our wellbeing. Our minds, what we focus on, can determine whether we make the situation a prison or a palace.

Anthony Robbins (born 1960), the American motivational speaker, coach, and philanthropist, shares a useful insight about controlling the thoughts that we entertain when he noted that, “My teacher Jim Rohn taught me a simple principle: every day, stand guard at the door of your mind, and you alone decide what thoughts and beliefs you let into your life. For they will shape whether you feel rich or poor, cursed or blessed.”

It is not signs of weakness when we programme our thoughts to focus on kindness, gentleness, goodness, and the like. Unfortunately, too many individuals succumb to the temptations to wallow in thoughts of envy, jealousy, lust, greed, unforgiveness, resentment, and regret. Such thoughts become like prison bars; locking the individual in a mental prison when they could otherwise experience the freedom, peace, and joy if these were absent. We determine the thoughts that we entertain. We are especially cautioned to be guardians of our thoughts early in the day and late at nights. Martin Luther (1483-1546), the German friar, Catholic priest, and professor of theology, provided a useful recommendation when he noted that, “It is a good thing to let prayer be the first business in the morning and the last in the evening. Guard yourself against such false and deceitful thoughts that keep whispering, ‘Wait a while. In an hour or so I will pray. I must first finish this or that.’ Thinking such thoughts, we get away from prayer into other things that will hold us and involve us till the prayer of the day comes to naught.” Some individuals may scoff at such a recommendation. However, many can testify of the significant benefits derived from carving out time for meditation, bible reading, and prayer. These assist in focusing thoughts aright.

Many have been released from the mental prisons of doubt and fear by reading precious biblical passages. For example, many of the letters that the apostle Paul wrote to the early church provide invaluable guidance for us today. Paul, writing to the saints at Philippi (Philippians 4:8-9) noted that, “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things… and the God of peace shall be with you.” Such pure thoughts release us from the mental prisons that would otherwise seem to depress and derail us. Even amidst the deepest pain, sorrow, and disappointment, it is possible to find peace and joy from the freedom that such thoughts provide.

In an attempt to avoid the mental prisons created by life’s disappointments some have unwisely turned to alcohol, drugs, and a host of other unhealthy “solutions”. However, in so many instances they realize that such harmful practices do not provide long term benefits or solutions. Too often they discover that the situations may become more complicated and traumatic. Some may even succumb to depression, suicidal thoughts, and a variety of mental illnesses. But this need not be the case. It is possible to find and retain healthy, socially and spiritually acceptable solutions to whatever complexities that life may bring. So much depends on the thoughts we entertain. Our focus invariably influences the outcome. We determine whether we reside in a mental prison or a mental palace.

The bars of the mental prison may seem intimidating for those individuals who tell themselves that they cannot accomplish a particular task (when indeed they can). The can-do attitude is critical in liberating such individuals from the plight of under-achievement. We are encouraged by those individuals who, faced by great odds, plodded on to obtain outstanding academic success while doubters and nay-sayers were convinced that this was beyond them. Innovators and inventors frequently dismantle mental and societal prisons as they pursue excellence in various fields. The will to win, to accomplish great things, unlocks the mental prisons that would otherwise diffuse noble dreams and great accomplishments.

Self-pity, feeling sorry for oneself, can sometimes seem to be like a mental prison. Individuals burdened by guilt and remorse know what it is like to feel trapped and tortured for relatively long periods until they get to the point where they feel forgiven … forgiving self for infractions and/or accepting the forgiveness of those who may have wronged them. The ability to forgive self and others unlock the prison doors that trap so many. True peace and contentment can be found outside the self-created mental prisons described here. On the other hand, feeling loved and expressing love and appreciation to others, have the ability to liberate those who would otherwise appear to be trapped … afraid of the vulnerability that expressing and receiving words of care can bring. So much of our happiness (or lack thereof) depends on the thoughts that we entertain. Depressing negative thoughts can seem to imprison us while pleasant (uplifting) thoughts can seem to liberate us … even as we go through troubles, disappointments, and heartbreak. We generate the thoughts and emotions that determine whether we remain in mental prisons or break free to enrich our lives and the lives of those around us. We determine whether our minds will create prisons or palaces. We decide. We choose. May we therefore consistently choose to avoid mental prisons.

CARICOM turns 50

‘We cannot agree to act together in particular ways and remain free to act as we please or as every passing advantage induces us. . . CARICOM must command our collective loyalty. Unless it does, all the machinery that we devise will not suffice to make it work optimally.’~Time for Action: The Report of the West Indian Commission, 1992

ON JULY 3,1973, the independent Caribbean countries of Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago signed the treaty of Chagaramas in Trinidad, launching the Caribbean Community and Common Market (Caricom).  At the time of the signing, our country and the remaining islands comprising the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) were still colonies.

Last Monday, CARICOM celebrated 50 years of existence. The Caribbean was built on the federation project of 1958 that envisioned a unity of the islands. In 1962, the federation project collapsed after former TnT prime minister Dr Eric Williams’ disdainful utterance that one from 10 equals zero. At that time, Trinidad and Tobago was awash with oil. Things were so good in the twin island republic that Dr Williams boasted that ‘in Trinidad and Tobago money was not the problem, the problem was money.’

In Jamaica, there was rumbling and grumbling. Alexander Bustamante, who led the country to independence on August 6, 1962, attacked the federation as a ‘federation of paupers.’ He felt Jamaica could move forward independently without the baggage of the smaller, less resourced islands.

By 1965 they began to recognise the folly of the ‘go it alone’ thinking which led to the collapse of the West Indian Federation. In 1965, the Caribbean Free Trade Area (CARIFTA) was formed to make amends. Carifta lasted from 1965 to 1972, and CARICOM was established in its place one year later.

That small island nation thought they could exist and thrive as viable independent countries defy comprehension. Even today, 50 years after the CARICOM experiment began, there is still talk of small island exceptionalism. Sections of the political elite in the Bahamas and Jamaica occasionally ring the go-it-alone bell. The Bahamas refused to sign on to CSME when the idea was floated in 2006.

All honest political observers conclude that the British did not prepare its former Caribbean colonies for independence. Also, a body of thought makes the forcefully persuasive argument that the British offered a better pre-independence deal (The Colombo Plan) to its former colonies in Asia than it did to the Caribbean dependencies.

Whatever the case, it will be agreed that 50 years after the formation of CARICOM, the Caribbean is buried under a mountain of debt. Much of the borrowing was to correct the centuries of underdevelopment, which resulted in a nonexistent infrastructure, poor economies, high rates of unemployed and illiteracy and a political class which VS Naipaul portrayed as ‘mimic men’ and Lloyd Best scorned as ‘Afro-Saxons.’ The core inefficiencies and dependencies which proliferate across the region today are a consequence of our colonial past and the reluctance or failure of a generation of leaders to make a sharp turn from what has not worked.

Conceptually, neither individual Caribbean leaders nor its institutional

construct, CARICOM, have a theoretical or practical understanding of development. They all see development as large buildings and legacy projects that rarely touch and concern the lives of the majority of citizens. The sad state of regional travel and West Indies cricket are damning exhibits.

Even as the Covid plandemic exposed the hollowness and unsustainability of tourism as the central economic driver of our economies, all of CARICOM, with the possible exception of Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, cling to mass tourism as the basis for economic survival and transformation. Big companies play them off against each other. They cannot agree to a single head tax for tourists who come ashore. Each in the race to the bottom undercut the other.

There is no clear division of goals or priorities. There is no understanding that a given island can be the industrial, commercial or service hub. All have or want a beer or flour factory. All give generous tax holidays and concessions to foreign businesses. All allow for gross exploitation, racist exclusion and ‘sexploitation’ of citizens. All allow for anti-union, anti-labour practices. They all claim to have a tripartite government, business and labour contract. However, workers are singularly and continuously asked to make sacrifices.

CARICOM is notorious for studies. In 1992, a comprehensive study titled Time for Action was done by Dr Shridath Ramphal’s commission. It spanned over 600 pages and looked at all areas of Caribbean life. He would be unhappy with the slow pace of integration.

Take the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME), launched with much fanfare in 2006. Initiated to better position member states to grow by having access to and using the region’s resources as a whole rather than relying only on the resources of the particular member state, there remains a lack of political for regional economic integration.

Owen Arthur, a former PM of Barbados with responsibility for the CSME, was mocked and scorned in 2011 when he critiqued and campaigned against David Thompson’s wife, Mara, contesting for the seat her husband held. The spurious ground was that Mara was St Lucian by birth.

Exactly ten years ago, CARICOM heads proclaimed their intention to demand reparations from former enslavers for the genocide of our indigenous people and enslavement of African ancestors. A Prime Ministerial committee comprising Mia Mottley and PM Gonsalves was formed in 2013 to lead the CARICOM effort. In 10 years, the committee has met only twice. Reparations rhetoric aside, Gonsalves has steadfastly refused to provide a budget so the local reparations committee can carry out its work. The political class is selfish and deceitful. The regional elite has retarded the forward march of our people.

On March 8, 2021, Camillo Gonsalves announced that the Idea of CARICOM: Solidarity, Sovereignty, and Strength: All for one and one for all, died in 2020. We struggle on, but there are no bright prospects.

WE ARE GATHERED in this historic building today to say farewell to one of our precious citizens.

Good friends could probably be likened to those trustworthy stones that the villagers have for years, trusted to cross the stream. When one such stone is lost to a flood, the impact on the village will be felt for some time.

Peggy Ince-Hull has been my good friend for most of my life from when I came to Kingstown from my village of Troumaca to attend secondary school. That warm friendship continued up to the very end of her days when her face was no longer able to show the warm smile which had been a prominent feature of her persona, and her inner spirit had come to rely on the slight squeeze of the hand to indicate its presence.

Peggy to me was more than just a very special friend. She was a champion who has been a prominent member of that cadre of sports personalities, who had for decades boosted the

psyche of this nation on the strength of their exploits on the fields of sport. Peggy’s sport was netball and she began to show her class at a very early age. She no doubt was one of the best players in the world!

It would certainly be a good thing if, in the near future, we were able to produce a cadre of sportpeople of the quality of Peggy and her peers.

I must remind us however that when we were doing well at sports, we were doing commendably well in agriculture, producing healthy foods for our people. We were then even exporting carrots and citrus. In our capital, Kingstown there were four ‘beaches’ where our seins operated landing fresh fish almost every day.

We have been painfully seeing in recent months that quite a number of our sportsmen and sportswomen have succumbed to illnesses and there is the “sneaking suspicion” that more could have been done for those individuals in their hours of need. Most of them had not benefitted economically from their sporting endeavours over the years.

On the other hand, our politicians seem to be able to dash off speedily to have their medical needs addressed overseas at the taxpayers’ expense. A dispassionate examination of our societal circumstances seems to suggest that

where our sportsmen and sportswomen had by their exploits lifted us up as a nation, the politicians have by theirs X’s, Y’s, Z’s brought us down pretty low.

Let us as Vincentians now endeavour to set the platform conducive to the development of more individuals of the quality of Peggy Ince-Hull.

In extending my condolences to her sister Shirley, her children, and the rest of her

family, I say she has made a useful contribution to her country. They can take comfort in that fact.

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves in his last Christmas message to the nation drew our attention to the fact that many of our citizens were enduring hardship, the agony of which was reflected on their faces and he called on all citizens to actively

participate in what he called “the RESPAIR”. It is not quite clear how we are progressing in that direction!

I am using this opportunity to appeal in Peggy’s honour, that we Vincentians endeavour to use our influence and resources and assert ourselves, to ensure that our sportsmen and sportswomen who had used themselves and their resources in the

days when they were strong, lift our psyche and national spirit, that their interests and wellbeing at the end of their years should be addressed to the best of our society’s ability. May our precious sister Peggy Ince-Hull now rest in peace. Elle etait “une fleur precieuse de la patrie” (She was a precious flower of our land).

LeRoy Providence

Peggy Ince-Hull has gone Compliance

by ANTHONY G. STEWART, PhD

THE MAINTENANCEof Law and Order is based on the premise that only a small portion of the population will exhibit deviant behavior. This makes it manageable for the compliance officers to deal with them. Most people have a sense of what is right and wrong and this expectation causes most people to stay in line. Criminals behave like children in the sense that if they get away with small crimes, they will commit progressively more serious crimes until the authorities are forced to deal with them. The value of budgeting and living within one’s means need to be emphasized. Many want to live a lifestyle way beyond their means and when the opportunity arises, they seize it to support their expensive taste.

Better communication and transparency will deter crime. Criminals moving into a new area are less likely to commit crimes there if they are greeted by those whom they encounter as they make surveillance visits. Knowing people will deter crime. It is known that if deviant students are visited at home by their teachers, their behavior improves. Punishment is effective if it is certain and administered expeditiously. Additionally, those robbed of resources must be assured that it will be reimbursed by the robbers even if it means garnishing their social security, future wages or property. Appropriate laws should be enacted to codify this.

Knowledge is power and those who are

responsible for enforcing the law must arm themselves by dwelling among the people they are required to protect. They have community knowledge. They know where people live and preferably live among them. They attend the churches, send their children to the neighbourhood schools, attend community events, have knowledge of social media, and read the weekly newspapers.

It is almost impossible to have effective policing in any community without a cadre of permanent police who live in the community. If this proves difficult, recruitment should include a minimum number who would live and work in the community. This is true for other workers also. Constituency Development Fund, Island Development Fund, and Local Government should add some stability to communities and translate to better compliance with the law.

Ignorance should find no safe haven among compliance officers. They should be among the most knowledgeable among us. They are not only street wise but have the highest possible training in their field. While there is room for a few thugs and roughnecks, law enforcement should be based on advanced training and practice. Forensic psychology, forensic science, to include fingerprinting, and DNA analyses must form part of ordinary investigative tools.

Compliance officers are needed in every workplace and organization. The rules should be few but well established. We should not allow lawyers to confuse us. Just as a steel band arranger can take a complicated piece of music and adjust it to the ability of the player, the role of lawyers should be to help the ordinary citizen to translate ancient law jargon to simple behavior.

In an age where corporal punishment is no longer fashionable, social workers and counselors should play a more prominent role. Every town and island should have a resident social worker. Every school should have a counselor or access to one as needed.

The world has crimes against humanity. Locally we note crimes against the country. We list a few here:

1. 15 years as the age of consent. Ignoring human trafficking

2. Animals on the loose destroying lives and livelihoods

3. Inadequate water supply in the Grenadines

4. Graduation without a skill and the capacity to be self-employed

5. Budget without audited financial report for the previous year

6. Promotion without meritocracy

7. Fostering a culture of Begging, Handouts, and Idleness

8. Prohibiting a Motion of No Confidence in our parliament

9. Delaying Justice. Refusal to enforce court judgements

10. Hiding information that can be used for improvement

To do all that needs to be done, every citizen must speak up and speak out and perhaps consider the commissioning of a chief compliance Commissioner.

Peggy Ince-Hull

Starlift are 2023 Junior Pan champs

HENNESSY STARLIFT

STEEL ORCHESTRA

retained its grip on the ‘Junior Panorama’ for an additional year, when they disposed of five other contenders in the 2023 VINLEC Junior Panorama competition, held on Sunday 2nd July, at Victoria Park.

The 2023 Junior Panorama featured a single competition for the first time since 2008. Since 2009 it had featured separate competitions for Community and Schoolbased steel orchestras. Starlift came into the 2023 Panorama as reigning Community Bands champs, having won in 2019 when the Junior Panorama was last held.

The Montrose-based steel orchestra amassed a winning total of 245 points. Second placed Sion Hill Euphonium totalled 236 points and

third placed Symphonix, 232.

With 35 players, Starlift entertained the appreciative crowd at the Victoria Park with an interpretation of Hance John’s ‘All I Need’. Sion Hill went with the ‘Field Marshall’ classic, ‘Cocaine Jumbie’ and Symphonix rendered Winston Soso’s ‘Hand in the Air’.

Bishop’s College Kingstown, 223 points, placed fourth with its rendition of ‘Blaksand’s’ ‘Afro Caribbean. They were followed by Leaf Elite Steel Orchestra who earned 174 points with a performance of ‘Kentucky’ by Alston BECKET Cyrus.

Debutant Sandy Bay Secondary School finished in sixth position with 116 points after a rendition of ‘To the Sky’, a composition of Mitch Lewis.

Starlift makes bold decision

“Winning is good,” Roddy Dowers — Starlift’s Leader told THE VINCENTIAN after the results were announced.

He disclosed that band turned to a new arranger this year — Mitch Israel - a first-time arranger, and according to Dowers, he is the youngest arranger ever to have done the job for the Starlift Steel Orchestra.

Dowers had no hesitation in saying that all credit must go to the 19-year-old Israel for this year’s winning performance.

“… We gave him the job and he grabbed it with both hands, and we are really happy for him,” Dowers said.

“I am so happy that we used a young arranger, and I can’t help but feel so happy for

him,” he said. A lot of work went into preparing for the competition, and there was the usual problem with students, particularly those writing external examinations.

According to Dowers, that has been a problem over the years but the team at Starlift had already figured out how to overcome it. After all, they are among the more experienced pan sides in the country, celebrating 55 years in the business this year, Dowers said.

And over that 55-year span, they have won over 20 senior and junior panoramas combined, he added.

And as for their arch rivals Sion Hill Euphonium, Dowers congratulated Sion Hill which he said was a very good band with very good players.

“They had a good performance, but we are

happy to win,” he told THE VINCENTIAN as he journeyed off to join in

another celebration with his members and supporters. (DD)

Hennessy Starlift Steel Orchestra has further stamped its dominance of Junior Pan in SVG, with another Junior Panorama title.

The Sion Hill Euphonium Steel orchestra was in no way disgraced by their second place.

The Symphonix Steel Orchestra rendered another pleasing interpretation of a very popular song.

The Bishop’s College Kingstown were pushed into a top four position by the experience and skill of their arranger, Kingsley ‘Hero’ Roberts.

Leaf Elite Steel Orchestra a brave rendition of BECKET’S ‘Kentucky’.

The young people who comprised the Sandy Bay Secondary School have broken the ice and can only improve from hereon in.

Junior Mas: Blondie Bird & Friends serve notice

JUNIOR CARNIVALis considered an indicator of what to expect come the grand finale for masquerade bands, Mardi Gras.

So, if one follows on that tradition, Blondie Bird and Friends has served early notice of their intention to return to dominating Mas Band competitions for Vincy Mas, as they did during the first decade and more of the 21st century.

With a parade of scaled down mas bands last year, it was no surprise that last Saturday’s (July 01) parade of junior masqueraders made every effort to reignite the spellbinding impact of mas bands, and the enthusiasm that characterizes the healthy competition among mas men and women.

When the day’s parade of band across the stage at Carnival City, Victoria Park, was done and dusted, Blondie Bird and Friends, with a presentation entitled ‘Birds of a Feather’, took four of the six categories of judging, and for good measure, jumped away with the top prize in the Uptown Competition for Mas Bands.

SVG Players International Mas Band’s ‘Players’ Love’ took the remaining two categories of competition at Victoria Park - Best Junior Section (Fun and Frolic) and the top 5-9 years Individual.

Blondie Bird and friends, in addition to the Uptown prize, made an early intrusion of their trophy cabinet with wins in: Best Junior Band of the Year; Junior King of Carnival — Joel Baston — ‘King Cobo’; Junior Queen of Carnival — Alazne Niles —‘Love Bird’; and top 10-15 years Individual.

And, as if to register that their four wins were no fluke, they took second place in the two categories in which SVG Players International Mas band took top honours.

Nelson Bloc with portrayals from their band ‘Papillon’ ran second to Blondie Bird and Friends in both the Junior King and Queen categories.

The Junior mas bands also enjoyed, after a break of three years, a jump-up along Back Street. This, after the judging

in Victoria Park was over. Ten mas bands presented at this year’s Junior Carnival. In addition to the (three) bands already referenced, the others were: Beautex (‘Natural Remedies’; Leeward International (‘Africa is We’); (Melbourne Artisans (‘Climate Change — The

Vision’); Mirage Productions (‘The Deep’); My Imagination (‘Tell it like it is’); Tribes Mas Band (De Market Place’); Verlene Ralph and the Professionals (They Dancing — A tribute to Dr. Alson Becket Cyrus’) and new mas entity Energy (‘Watch Out for Dis) which made a guest (nonjudged) appearance.

Come Mardi Gras (Tuesday 11th June) the fore-mentioned bands will be joined by: Ahdrenalin XO (‘Celebration 23’) and Oxygen (‘The Good Life’).

Alazne Niles, Junior Queen of the Bands – ‘Love Bird’, from Blondie Bird and Friends’ ‘Birds of a Feather’.

Joel Baston - Junior King of the Year - ‘King Cobo’, from Blondie Bird and Friends’ ‘Birds of a Feather’.

Junior Section of the Bands – ‘Fun and Frolic’ from SVG Players’ International’s ‘Players Love 2023’.

‘Love Bird’ – a section from the Junior Band of the year- ‘Birds of a Feather’, presented by Blondie Bird and friends.

Second in the Junior Queen of the bands - ‘Eye seeing Butterfly’ from Nelson Bloc’s ‘Papillon’.

Second in the Junior King of the Bands – ‘Butterfly Catcher’ from Nelson Bloc’s ‘Papillon.’

Bascombe: New CWI Director of Cricket

Campuses and Colleges. He is a graduate of the University of the West Indies with both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, and is a certified coach.

Bascombe was also a CWI Men’s Selector between 2019 and 2021, and served under the chairmanship of Roger Harper.

For the last two years, he has been the Technical Director at the Windward Islands Cricket Board, during which he is credited with having directed a significant turnaround of fortunes for both male and female cricket across different levels, including an unbeaten firstclass season in 2023.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS of Cricket West Indies, meeting on Friday 30 June 2023 at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua, confirmed the appointment of Miles Bascombe, a Vincentian, as the new CWI Director of Cricket, on a three-year contract.

Bascombe, who is expected to take up his new role on August 01, 2023, will take over from Jimmy Adams, who had been in the role for the past six years.

CWI High Performance Manager, Graeme West will act as the Director of Cricket in the interim.

Bascombe, 37, played one T20 International for the West Indies in 2011 and played first-class cricket between 2007 and 2017, for both the Windward Islands and the Combined

On his new appointment Bascombe commented: “West Indies Cricket is at a critical stage with an urgent need to improve performances. We have made significant progress with establishing a central High-Performance system that now needs to be rolled out across all of our Territories. I am looking forward to working as a member of the CWI senior leadership team and closely with the Territorial Boards to bring about the necessary improvements that I am confident will lead to more success by implementing a robust system based on achieving world-class standards and by driving a winning culture.”

THE VINCENTIAN congratulates Bascombe on his appointment as CWI Director of Cricket. We wish him all the best as he assumes a pivotal role at a time when the West Indies have slumped appreciably in ranking among cricketing nations. (Source: windiescricket.com)

SVGTCCU takes bold step

VINCENTIANS

NEEDING BOOKSto complete the list for the new school year have a new way of getting their supplies: Connect with the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers Cooperative Credit Union (SVGTCCU), order supplies online, and have them delivered to you.

Board Member and Treasurer Gilbert Frederick is “thrilled” by the new provision and considers it a “bold step into the future.”

He cites it as the first of its kind on these shores and notes that “technology has revolutionized the way we live, work and connect with one another.”

As far as Frederick is concerned, “this new platform will open doors to endless possibilities,” including benefits for customers and the Bookstore, and looks at the service as not only a convenience but also an

advantage.

“This flexibility will enhance the overall shopping experience of our customers,” Frederick notes.

He welcomes the chance of sharing the “wonders of literature with a wider audience.”

There is the added value of personalized recommendations and a tailor shopping experience,” Frederick declares.

He is urging patrons to latch on to the new outlet so as to “create a vibrant literary community that transcends physical barriers and fosters a love for reading and learning.”

Rohan Murray, IT Manager at the SVGTCCU, outlined the features of the new platform which he said was “easy to navigate.”

Before the unveiling staged at the SVGTCCU Headquarters last Wednesday, persons had been exposed to the

facility. Some benefited from their transactions and received coupons as a mark of solidarity.

Ezekiel Richards, Manager of the bookstore, looks at the online facility as an extension of services. For him, it is “a wonderful experience, and a move in the right direction.”

(WKA)

Gilbert Frederick, Board Member/Treasurer SVGTCCU, cites the new platform as opening even more possibilities.

Miles Bascombe is currently the Manager of the National Sports Council of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. (Source: SportsMax)

Gov’t to repair, replace homes

GOVERNMENTwill repair or relocate those homes which were affected by the passage of Tropical Storm Bret on June 23.

The green light so to do, was given by Cabinet.

Montgomery Daniel, Minister of Transport, Works, Housing, etc. said on NBC Radio on July 5 that high waves damaged three houses on the coastline in Owia and two boats were damaged.

He said that in addition, some houses were damaged because of the winds associated with the storm.

To those persons who lost their homes or whose homes were damaged, the Minister assured them that the government will repair their homes or if appropriate, relocate them.

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves in a June 28 report said that the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) had given him a report which indicated that they had received 113 reports of damage to houses, following the passage of TS Bret.

Gonsalves added that 61 of those houses were assessed by Transport and Works officials and indicated that 36 suffered level 1 damage, 14 had

An initial assessment reported that up to 161 houses had suffered some degree of damage during the passage of TS Bret.

level 2 damage, four had level 3 damage and six at level 4 which was the most severe damage.

Those houses on level 3 will be repaired, but according to the prime minister those on level 4 will have to be relocated or replaced.

The preliminary cost of repair and relocation could reach EC$2 million, Gonsalves said. (DD)

TGS welcomes Cub Scouts Pack

THETROUMACA

GOVERNMENT

SCHOOL (TGS), last Tuesday, July 4, formally installed its first ever Cub Scouts Pack.

An Investiture Ceremony, held at the school’s compound on that day, marked the historic occasion.

Twenty-four of the twenty -eight members of the pack received their emblems, pledged their allegiance to the movement and became Cub Scouts.

Principal of the Troumaca Government School, Bobzie Joyette, in welcoming the introduction of the Cub Scouts to the institution, noted that the grouping will help immensely with the overall discipline and nurturing of the young boys and girls enrolled.

Parliamentary Representative for North Leeward- Carlos James, also embraced the initiative, which he believes will assist in the students’ personal development

James underscored the role such organisations do in the overall

maintenance of social cohesion.

“When the ill discipline among our youths is not contained in the family circle, not contained within the community…, it takes groupings, institutions and organisations like Scouts, the Girl Guides, the Police Youth Clubs to work on ironing out a number of the behavioural challenges, and also preempt some of the potential challenges which they may face,” the Parliamentary Representative highlighted.

Chief Commissioner of the local Scout movement- Mrs Sherron Morgan-Peters, said that the newly installed Cub Scouts join the 50 million strong movement worldwide.

The newest pack here in St Vincent and the Grenadines is divided into groupings: Blue Six, Green Six, Browne Six, Yellow Six, Red Six, and Orange Six.

The Troumaca Government School Cub Scouts Pack is headed by Tiffanie Ferdinand, with Davida Oliver as the Assistant Cub Leader.

SVG’s newest Cub Scouts Pack – The Troumaca Government School.

Lyttle Feet: Reaching children in need of shoes

LYTTLE FEET, a pioneering non-profit organisation dedicated to purchasing and distributing shoes to children in need, was officially launched on Monday 3rd July, 2023.

The organization is the brainchild of KJ Lyttle, son of international soca artiste — Kevin Lyttle, and aims to make a lasting impact in the lives of children all around the world, starting with St. Vincent and the Grenadines, by ensuring that students from vulnerable communities in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the world

have shoes for school.

“My happiness is to see other children like myself be able to go to school, and carry out other activities with proper shoes that protect their legs from injury while they have fun,” said KJ Lyttle.

“Lyttle Feet is not just about providing shoes for children in St. Vincent and Grenadines, it’s all about caring for others and enhancing the world….. . By meeting this basic need, we are giving children the opportunity to study, grow, and achieve their goals

JCI hosts Health fair

THE JUNIOR CHAMBER

INTERNATIONAL ST VINCENT

(referred to as JCI or Jaycees) convened a one-day Jaycee’s Health Fair on Friday June 30th, 2023.

The Fair, which took place in the Ministerial Parking Lot on Halifax Street, Kingstown, was held under the theme — “Empowering your Health”.

It involved he conducting of (free) high blood sugar and blood pressure testing, weight testing, birth control and condoms demonstration, HIV/AIDS and Syphilis testing, free seedlings samples and more.

Representatives from the Ministry of Health were on site to deliver pertinent information on nutrition and weight. Also, the All Smiles Dental Clinic assisted by supplying informational booklets and other materials on proper dental hygiene.

Patrons also had the opportunity to receive vision referrals compliments Courts Optical, and exposure to information on safe sexual practices and condom usage by the St Vincent Planned Parenthood Association. Thanks to the Push Fitness Studio, patrons even had the opportunity to exercise on exhibited bikes.

JCI St Vincent is a nongovernmental, voluntary organization with the main objective of developing and empowering young people, while contributing to community growth through active involvement.

The organization wishes to thank all participating institutions for their support and contributions. Through this collaborative effort, a large crosssection of the population benefited free health services, which may be otherwise unaffordable. (Source: JCI)

with pride,” Lyttle added.

Lyttle Feet plans to collaborate with local communities, businesses, and partner organizations so as to establish a system that would allow donations online through an authorized website.

Donations go towards the purchase of shoes which will be branded and then distributed to children, who have been approved as beneficiaries.

In addition to collecting and distributing shoes, Lyttle Feet will prioritize educational initiatives to raise awareness about the importance of proper footwear and foot health.

Towards the end of fulfilling its mission, Lyttle Feet invites individuals, corporations, and community organizations to join them in their quest by donating shoes or supporting their cause through volunteering or financial contributions.

Together, we can make a difference

in the lives of those children and provide them with the steppingstones they need to thrive, Lyttle Feet proffers.

For more information about Lyttle Feet and how you can contribute, visit www.lyttlefeet.org or contact +1 (727) 777-7248. (Source: Lyttle Feet)

KJ Lyttle, the visionary behind the Lyttle Feet organization. (Photo Source: Facebook)

The blood sugar and blood testing booth was kept busy throughout the day.

Signs of infidelity

Dear George,

MY GIRLFRIENDof 25 years visited with me. I had not seen her for some time. My husband was meeting her for the first time and I could see they hit it off.  He rarely likes my friends.

We had reservations for dinner one evening. Unfortunately, I came down with a cold and not to disappoint my friend, I insisted that she and my husband should still go. They got back to the house well after 2:00 am. They were both a bit intoxicated and claimed they went to a karaoke after, and were not in any rush to get home. My husband was smelling of her perfume and I saw marks of her lipstick on his shirt and neck. There were even marks on his cheek as well. I do not know if I should be assuming this, but I suspect they probably got intimate somewhere along the way. The problem is, I am afraid to ask. Do you think I should bring it up? Suspicious.

Dear Suspicious,

This all boils down to trust. You trusted your husband to go out alone with your friend yet you do not trust him to remain faithful to you while he’s out with her.

The marks of make up on his person does not automatically add up to sexual contact. You did say they were intoxicated, and that could account for the smell of her perfume on him and the marks of make-up. Suppose he had to support her while walking, etc.?

This is not the time to create an issue where there might be none. Put the insecurity aside and trust your husband to do the right thing.

George.

Get back in-line

Dear George, I’MSEEING this guy secretly. I never intended for it to start but when it did, I fell deeper and deeper into it.

This guy I knew casually during his visits to SVG. On an occasion when I was out with my husband at a restaurant and he was there, he slipped me a note that read, “Sleep with me for 15 minutes and walk away with $5,000”. I fell for the temptation, moreso the money — and sure enough he came through. But what I found more

satisfying was the sex; it was out of this world. Now, I even travel to his country to be with him. Understand, George, that the relationship is purely sexual. I thought it would have just been just one 15-minute session but here I am completely and helplessly hooked. And while I do not wish to be unhooked, I do not want this to destroy my marriage. I know that once my husband finds out it’s all over.

All Mixed Up.

Dear All Mixed Up,

I believe you are aware that you are playing with fire and could burn your marriage to cinders. The more attention you give this guy is the more likely it will result in you having less interest in your husband. This two-timing game you are playing can have dire consequences for both your marriage and your health. The sooner you bring it to a halt the better for you if your intention is to remain happily married. Do some refocusing and get things back in-line.

George.

What a life of deceit

Dear George,

MY CLASSteacher approached me to have a relationship with him. He told me the person he was with was cheating on him. He said he would make me his main partner if I can get with him. I did.

Now, he showers me with money and expensive gifts. We would have unprotected sex each time, many times a week.

However, word is out that his previous partner is HIV positive. When I asked him about it, he told me that he had stopped sleeping with her for a very long time so he has nothing to fear and told me not to worry.

What’s more worrying for me is two of the guys I continued to mess around with admitted they were HIV positive. I have not told him about this. The girlfriends of these two guys are my sworn enemies and there is no way I’m saying anything to them.

Right now, I see my life as useless and I am thinking of just continuing having fun, messing up the lives of

these cheating men in SVG. This is a warning to all of them that I am very much around.

Hurt and Angry.

Dear Hurt and Angry

You need to see a counselor immediately so that you can talk about the hurt you feel and also learn not to misdirect the anger or rage that is taking you over.

What happened has happened and there is no turning back but there are alternatives which you should explore.

At some point you would have to take responsibility for your actions. It was/is your responsibility to protect yourself at all times — and not let your guard down — especially when involved with multiple partners.

Thankfully, there is life after HIV and you can still lead a successful and vibrant life. I hope things will be better for you going forward.

George.

ARIES (Mar. 21- April 20)

Problems with peers is apparent. You can make money if you pursue your own business. Get the red tape and the unwanted paperwork out of the way. You could experience unusual circumstances and meet eccentric individuals.

TAURUS (Apr. 21- May 21)

You may be confused regarding your love life. This is a great day to get out and enjoy an entertaining evening with friends or lovers. You must strive to get the most important projects completed properly, rather than doling everything in a half-baked way.

GEMINI (May 22-June 21)

Business trips might prove unproductive. Loss or theft may occur if you are careless with your belongings. Your flair for dramatic appeal will unleash itself at social functions. You need to keep busy doing things that you both enjoy.

CANCER (June 22-July 22)

You might be a tad overindulgent this week. Real estate investments could be to your advantage. Your ability to charm others will bring added popularity. Your fickle nature may cause jealousy.

LEO (July 23-Aug 22)

You'll communicate easily and develop new friendships. You can sort out any differences you have in an amiable manner. You may find that purchases or entertainment could be expensive. An older loved one may be having problems.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23)

You have to know what your boss wants if you expect to do your job correctly. Your ability to work with detail will bring recognition. Family may not want to get involved but an entrepreneur will. You may find a rare antique this week.

LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23)

Don't go hog wild when it comes to entertainment or you could find yourself short of funds at the end of the month. Your ability to come up with good solutions for problems related to work will no doubt help you in getting a promotion.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22)

You should get into some of those creative hobbies that you always said you wanted to do. You may be confused emotionally. Take a short business trip if possible. You are best to move quickly and to get in good with the boss.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21)

Take time to reevaluate your motives regarding friendships. You can meet new friends who will let you know just how valuable you are. You mustn't take on other people's responsibilities or you may find yourself irritable and exhausted.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22.- Jan. 20)

Minor accidents may occur if you don't concentrate on what you're doing. You will be best suited to doing things around the house or inviting friends over for a visit. You would be wise to consider attending lectures that will broaden your awareness concerning your professional direction.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21.- Feb. 19)

Your persuasive nature will win the heart of someone you've had your eye on. Relatives will be happy that you dropped by. You will learn a great deal about yourself if you go somewhere secluded. You should catch up on correspondence.

PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20)

You may want to have a heart-to-heart talk with a close and trusted friend. Read between the lines when signing contracts. Arguments could prevail. Get involved in a competitive sport that will bring the challenges you thrive on.

1.

1.

2.

3.

4.

6. Romantic card?

7. Dynamic start

8. ___Mawr, Pa.

9. Half of D

10. Leave of absence for a sailor

11. Kind of type

12. Egyptian cross

13. Rejections

18. Watson of “Harry Potter” films

21. Took pits out of 25. Would contraction 26. Details 27. Very funny 28.

LAST WEEK’s SOLUTION

Kishon Bishop lands coaching job

adopted home of North Carolina also includes being the coach for Walkerton Middle School boys’ team since 2016.

Additionally, he has been a Physical Education teacher at that institution for the past nine years.

A former student of the St. Vincent Grammar School, Bishop attended the Piedmont International University from 2004 to 2008, as from 2012 to 2014.

ROUND-UP: CWI Rising Stars U19 50 Overs

THE WINDWARD ISLANDSserved early notice of their intention to take home advantage work in their favour, when they defeated the Leeward Islands by 42 runs in one of the three opening matches in the 2023 Cricket West Indies CWI Rising Stars U19 50 Overs Tournament, which got going here on Tuesday.

VINCENTIAN, Kishon Bishop has landed a Basketball coaching job with the Atkins Academic and Technology High School, located in North Carolina, USA.

As such, Bishop will be the Head Coach of the Boys’ team. Looking forward to his new accomplishment, Bishop told THE VINCENTIAN last Saturday, July 1, one day after the formal announcement, that he is ready for the task ahead.

“I am just going to stay prayed up and hope that I will be able to change this programme and build this community,” Bishop

projected.

Set out to make a difference and use his social skills and spiritual formation to good effect, Bishop noted: “It is God’s timing…It is a perfect fit in every aspect, to be honest.”

Bishop’s previous stint as a head coach at a high school, was at Caldwell 2014- 2015.

Prior to that stint, he was an under-study to Howard West at Forsyth County Day from 2012 to 2014 and would return to serve as Assistant Coach at the same institution from 2015 to 2018.

His mark on the sport in his

He graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Student Ministries and Magma Laude with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Health and Physical Education from Piedmont University.

In addition, Bishop gained a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in Health and Physical Education from High Point University.

The owner and founder of BlueChip Academy and Hope & Hope Inc., which has been functioning since 2012 and has bases in the USA as well as here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Bishop returns to St. Vincent and the Grenadines regularly to conduct coaching clinics for young basketballers.

Terrique Edwards was outstanding for the Windwards with 32 and 3-23.

Playing at Arnos Vale 1, the Windwards batted first and put up 200 for 8 in their allotted 50 overs. Tarrique Edwards, 35; and Akeem Auguste, 32; were the main contributors and Kimani Nisbett took 3 for 27 for the Leewards, who replied with 158 from 45 overs. Michael Palmer and Jewel Andrews, 31 each, led the scoring. Edwards crowned his day with a top all-round performance, taking 3 for 23. Jamaica proved too much for Guyana, beating them by 8 wickets in a match reduced to 30 overs a side due to a late start, played at the Cumberland Playing Field. Guyana were dismal in taking first strike, being all out in 14 overs for 78. Reon Edwards took 3 for 18, Michael Clarke 3 for 13. Deshawn James and Tamarie Redwood also took a pair of wickets each. Jamaica eased to 79 for 2 in 14.5 overs, Jordan Johnson leading with 28 not out.

In the other opening match played at Sion Hill, defending champions Barbados defeated Trinidad and Tobago by 37 runs, in a match reduced to 39 overs due to a late start. Barbados made 152 from 39 overs. Nathan Sealy top scored with 35, Isaiah Folkes hit 25 and Joshua Dorne, 24. Andrew Rambaran took 3-20 from his eight overs for T&T while Jacen Agard took 3-41 from seven.

Trinidad and Tobago were then restricted to 115 from 34 overs. Rajeev Ramnath top scored with 35. Raneico Smith picked up 4 for 24 and Dre Springer 3 for 36 for Barbados.

I.B.A. ALLEN

Roban takes CAC gold, Maloney bronze

HANDAL ROBANgained gold in Men’s 800m and Shaffiqua Maloney a bronze in the Women’s 800m last Wednesday night, July 5, at the Central American and Caribbean Games at the Jorge El Magico Gonzales Stadium, El Salvador.

Roban who entered the final with the fastest time, improved on his clocking with 1:45.93. In the process, he reset the St Vincent and the Grenadines record of 1:45.95.

But crossing the finish

line before him was Jose Maitia of Venezuela whose timing 1:45.39. However. a protest resulted in Roban being elevated to the top spot.

Completing the revised podium finishes were Ryan Sanchez of Puerto Rico in 1:46.86 and Ferdy Agramonte of the Dominican Republic- 1:47.46.

Meanwhile, Maloney timed 2.04.98, trailing the Cuban duo of Rose Almanza - 2:01.75 and Sahily Diago’s 2:02.81.

St Vincent and the Grenadines’ other representative to the Games- Desroy Jordan failed to get past the preliminary of the Men’s 400m.

Apart from Athletics, St Vincent and the Grenadines had representation in Beach Volleyball, Swimming, Netball and Cycling.

Shaffiqua Maloney shows that she can compete successfully at the hemispheric level.

Kishon Bishop (left) at a Basketball clinic last year July at the Girls’ High School hard court.

Handel Roban continues to improve on his own national records.

John: The journey to excellence

“THE REALITYis that your futures are bright, you must accept that challenge, grasp it and make the most of it. In all that you say, do or think, always be geared toward achieving elevated standards.”

These encouraging words were expressed by Akin John, Barrister at Law and manager of Hope International FC, as he addressed the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College’s Annual Sports Award ceremony, 2023, held at the Hospitality and Maritime Training Institute at Diamond, on June 25.

John, taking off from the theme of the ceremony — ‘Maintaining An Elevated Standard’ - sought to simplify the journey towards attaining he elevated standards.

IT-DAT Camp ready to go

THEIT-DAT

Academy Annual Summer Camp is scheduled to begin the week after carnival (circa July 10) and will run until the end of summer — August.

Michael Ollivierre, Founder/ Director/head coach of IT-DAT and Coordinator of the Camp said, “I am looking forward to an exciting summer programme. I expect close to 100 athletes.”

He disclosed that this year “will be a bit different.” He hopes to be “a bit more stringent as I need more performances, so once you come to the camp and you don’t look like you are serious, you have to go back home.”

“There is multidimensional requirement to perform at an elite level in any discipline,” John said. “These dimensions are not cast in stone but for purposes of exploring this vision I identify them as: talent of the individual’ when that individual embraces that talent by being focused, (and) display commitment to push themselves to become elite; and the existence of an environment of system which is able to identify it, support it and develop it.”

John cautioned, though, that all the elements must work in tandem with each other in order to actualize true athletic performance and create a culture which aspires to and sustains elevated standards.

He cited that becoming a top-level performer calls for tremendous and consistent application and to emphasize his point, John said, “In many instances success is not immediate. There will be setbacks, underwhelming performances but that is all part of the course.”

As for the support systems for those aspiring for

excellence, John said that notwithstanding the effort by the sporting organization, he feels they can do more to effectively execute their mandate.

“The national stadium is a welcomed initiative for our athletes but in order to attain the high standard one must go beyond bricks. Every sports administrator that I speak to is in unison that what we require is a collaborative national sports policy, designed to provide a frame work within which the government, private sector, national sports associations, work together to facilitate the creation of strategies and systems which promote the development of sports in SVG.” he elaborated.

And while he underscored the need for a policy, he shared that a key component of any policy will be the development of playing fields and hard courts, but warned that “this must be strategically connected to a mission to make sure that all Vincentians have equal access to physical education, recreational sports both within the education system and other aspects of social life.”

Special Olympians lauded

THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS

athletes came in for high praise by their administrators upon their return from the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin, Germany.

Terrance Davis, Training Director for SVG Special Olympics and Athlete’s Representative for the Region, who was part of the Vincentian delegation to the Games, admitted that the team accepted from the get go, that Germany was going to be different.

“However, despite all the odds that we faced, we came home victorious …. I would definitely say the athletes put forward their best and that is all anybody could have asked,” Davis told THE VINCENTIAN.

Michael Ollivierre, Director of IT-DAT Academy has promised that participants will be monitored for their attitude to the Camp’s activities.

As was the focus in previous camps, the programme will give focus to the jumps, throws and the hurdles.

Ollivierre confirmed that the camp will have the assistance of a level 5 coach in Jamaica - Kanhai Senior, who is specialized in the jumps and hurdles.

And as for what keeps him going, Ollivierre shared, “We have had approximately 16 athletes who have gone in the army (UK) and another 14 on scholarship between the United States and Jamaica, so people are moving and that’s an indication that the programme is a fruitful one.”

He noted that the Academy is high on discipline of the athletes.

“I had some promising athletes who developed poor attitude and they have to be out of my programme. If you look at them now, I don’t think they are progressing, so it’s a holistic development we are focusing on which will benefit the athletes in the future as we strive to prepare them for the outside world,” Ollivierre related.

In addition to guidance through their respective disciplines on the track and field, participants will be involved in motivational and personal development sessions.

Speaking to THE VINCENTIAN upon their return, at the Argyle International Airport, Sezevra Joseph, Director of Special Olympics SVG, echoed Davis’ sentiments saying on the team’s return, “Special Olympic athletes always make St. Vincent and the Grenadines proud when they go out there. I was really proud of them, they went out and

did their best, they delivered and that was all we ask for.”

As far as what lies ahead, Joseph declared, “We need more people to come forward with sponsorship because the athletes always delivered so you don’t have to worry about your sponsorship money, they deliver every time. So, I want to encourage more people to say yes when we ask for assistance for our Special Olympic athletes.”

For his part, Davis looks forward to “developing our programmes in terms of the sports that we offer and getting more information out there on Special Olympics, on what we do, who could become involved and the benefits of getting involved.”

When the Games were all over, SVG came away with two silver

medals in tennis, two bronze medals in swimming and one bronze in track and field. (See story on page 24 in THE VINCENTIAN of Friday 30th June, 2023.)

Terrance Davis, Training Director, said you had to be pleased with the effort put in by the athletes.

Special Olympians are driven by the mantra: “Let me win but if I cannot, let me be brave in the attempt”.

Stories: I.B.A. ALLEN

Akin John had a defined message for sports persons in SVG.

The SVG delegation (athletes and officials) at the AIA on their return from the 2023 Special Olympics World Games, Germany.

Sezevra Joseph, Director of Special Olympics SVG, needs no convincing that Special Olympics athletes made SVG proud.

Nothing strange

WEST INDIESdid not qualify for the 2023 World Cup set for India in October. That should have been cause for an uproar. But in the context of modern occurrences, that’s nothing strange.

One can resort to a barrage of criticisms, rendered in the most explicit languages. Everyone will come for ridicule. I am not making excuses for anyone, neither am I casting blame.

Cricket is what it is, like life itself. James Browne, the American born soul singer reflected in one of his songs about the uncertainties of life: You could be riding high in April, shot down in May.

Netherlands joined Sri Lanka on the India route, emerging as the qualifiers. After the West Indies game against Oman, a man came up to me and said: Yo see is only woman they have strength for.

Anytime they against men from any land, is licks they getting. Watch Scotland, Netherland, beat them. So that tell you they don’t stand a chance against Ireland, England, New Zealand or other land. Whether is in land, Africa land, or America land.

Talking ‘bout America, I am wondering if the issue has been settled about the staging of the ICC T/20 World Cup in 2024. The West Indies and USA are scheduled to host.

But there appears that efforts have been afoot to pull the rug from this hemispheric episode.

The West Indies Board may also be guilty of contributing to the uncertainty. There has been a sense of lethargy to the preparations.

Perhaps the Board was taken up with the qualifications. With that out of the way, readiness for the event ought to take priority. I believe president Kishore Shallow will do his best to ensure the event is a success.

Arnos Vale has been a happy hunting ground for the West Indies over the years. The skeptics will say those were the days when cricket was cricket.

For many, the expression is that cricket has gone to the dogs, as far as West Indies are concerned.

I am not a dog lover in the first place, as much as I accept their role as loyal. I prefer to extend by faith to a human being, without causing any offences to the animal lovers.

Perhaps the reason why the West Indies Board has not been so busy with the World Cup preparation is that they were taken up with the qualification exercise. With that out of the way, there ought to be some clarity as to the 2024 scenario. After all, our pride is at stake. That includes the academic encounter with Sri Lanka which takes place today.

West Indies can restore some pride in their game against Sri Lankan. With their departure tickets already approved, it will be ideal preparation for the Indian tour. In any case, life goes on and we have a duty to rebound, and conquer every obstacle we encounter.

Local CARICOM Road races staged

AS PARTof the activities to mark the 50th Anniversary of CARICOM, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs staged a local version of the CARICOM 5k and 10k events, last Sunday, July 2, 2023. The 5km run began in the vicinity of the Sol Gas Station, Arnos Vale and finished at the intersection of Halifax Street and South River Road. The 10k took off from Prospect to the same finish line.

Katriel Bailey took first place in the Women’s Division of the 5k. She was followed by Samantha

Lynch in second place.

In the Men’s segment of the 5k, Deroon Williams led a trio with second placed Tru Matthias and third- Taj Henry.

The Women’s 10k threw up the day’s closest finish with Shameisha Richardson just nipping Kiana Bailey at the finish line. Joanna Jack rounded up the top three in that segment.

And, in the Men’s 10k, first to cross the end line was Malakyle Nero, followed by Sobato Mc Dowall and Jquan Stephens in that order.

Over 30 athletes were part of the Sunday’s activity.

The regional version of the races took place on the said day in Trinidad and Tobago where the CARICOM Heads of Government

were meeting in their 45th regular conference.

GSB Catalans retains TBPO title

GIB CATALANSmade

it three in a row when they defeated Dream FC 4-1 on penalty kicks, to register a third consecutive claim of the Champions title in the 2023 Carib TBPO Football Competition.

The Champions were put to the test last Sunday at the Dauphine Playing Field, and there was no surprise when at the end of regulation time, the score was tied at 2 apiece, necessitating penalty kicks to determine a winner.

Hillside Rollers finished third while Experience had to settle for fourth place.

As for individual awards, Steven Pierre of

Catalans was the MVP of the Competition and of the Finals. Keshawn Durham, also from Catalans, scored the most goals in the Competition. Awards were also made to the MVP of each of the sixteen participating teams. A closing ceremony heard addresses from Chairman of the organizing Committee - Ashford Wood; President of the SVG Football FederationMr. Carl Dickson; Managing Director of Coreas Distribution Ltd.- Jimmy Forde and Parliamentary Representative for the area- Curtis King.

Shameisha Richardson

Derron Williams

Katriel Bailey Malakye Nero

GIB Catalans retained their TBPO Football Competition champion’s title.

Steven Pierre, of Catalans, MVP of the Competition and Finals.

Keshawn Durham, of Catalans, scored the most goals in the Competition.

Classifieds V

Eleven to battle Calypso Monarch

From Backpage.

to her Junior Calypso days. She is asking, ‘Who to Blame?’ in search of another national title.

Interestingly, Shaunelle is joined in the finals by her father, Gosnel ‘GC’ Cupid with his number ‘Crisis’, and her brother- Omani Cupid who will compete as 2023 Junior Secondary School Calypso Monarch against his seniors, with a song entitled ‘My Time’.

While Shaunelle and Fya Empress carry royalty at the national level, three other women will see this as their chance to break into the domain. Phylicia ‘Nubian Empress’ Alexander hopes to do so with a number ‘Reckless Driving’; Cleopatra Hendrickson joins her with ‘Gun Violence’; Sheena Collis is threatening to ‘Beat yo bad with Calypso’ as she aims for the top.

Veterans Robert

‘Patches’ Knights and Bernard ‘Reality’ White complete the warriors. ‘Patches’ appeals to those who matter to ‘Do the right thing’ and ‘Reality’, around since 1974 and one who knows the art form inside out, declares, ‘I am Calypso’. Those who were denied final berths:

Grantley ‘Ipa’ Constance, Elvis ‘Abijah’ Abbey, Marvo Morgan, Kirk ‘Ninja’ Knights, Derek ‘Man Sick’ Alexander, Ramon ‘Jose Juan’ Diaz, Kingsley ‘Hero’ Roberts, Kristian Christopher, Delahanty Isles, Cecile ‘Lil Bit’ Murray and Denise ‘Lady D’ Stephens.

Defending monarch Maxwell ‘Tajoe’ Francis used the opportunity of a guest at the semi-finals to ‘rehearse’ his title defense number.

The Royal SVG Police

Force band will provide musical accompaniment for the Calypso Monarch finals at which each calypsonian will be required to render one song.

NIGEL GREAVES

25th March, 1959 to 17th July, 2022

A very dear person who cannot be replaced or forgotten. When someone you love becomes a memory, that memory becomes a treasure. Forever in our hearts.

DWIGHT VAUGHN OLIVER a.k.a Peron

Saturday, 1st July, 2023 St Paul Anglican Church Calliaqua

Viewing: 9:00 a.m. Service: 10:00 a.m.

Interment: Golden Vale Cemetery

MONA ISOLA LAVIA

Saturday,1st July, 2023

Holy Name Anglican Church

Sandy Bay

Viewing: 1:00 p.m.

Service: 2:00 p.m.

Internment: London Cemetery

DOUGLAS AUGUSTINE BAPTISTE

Sunday, 25th June, 2023

S.D.A Church Fountain

Viewing: 1:00 p.m. Service: 2:00 p.m.

Interment: Belair Cemetery

VERENE PRUDENCE LYNCH SAM

Sunday, 2nd July, 2023

S.D.A Church

Layou

Viewing: 1:00 p.m. Service: 2:00 p.m.

Interment: Layou Cemetery

ELEVEN TO BATTLE CALYPSO MONARCH

Twenty

THE AIR GETSrare as the battle for the 2023 Calypso Monarch title unfolds.

The issue will be settled this Sunday at Victoria Park when eleven finalists and the defending monarch do battle.

The eleven booked their spaces from last week Friday’s semifinals.

Carlos ‘Rejector’ Providence progressed with his number ‘Use the anthem more’. Glenroy ‘Sulle’ Caesar would be looking to return to royalty with his ‘We outside’. Lornette ‘Fya Empress’ Nedd, a former national monarch, cannot be overlooked with her selection ‘Price of neglect’, and she is bolstered by being reigning Queen of Calypso. Shaunelle Mckenzie and royalty are nearly synonymous, dating back

Maxwell ‘Tajoe’ Francis Defending Monarch

Glenroy ‘Sulle’ Caesar

Lornette ‘Fya Empress’ Nedd

Omani Cupid Cleo ‘Cleopatra’ Hendrickson

Carlos ‘Rejector’ Providence

Bernard ‘Reality’ White

Robert ‘Patches’ King

Phylicia ‘Nubian Empress’ Alexander Shaunelle McKenzie

Gosnel ‘GC’ Cupid Shena Collis

by WILLIAM ‘KOJAH’ ANTHONY