ROBBERY BOTCHED BY SKILLED POLICING
by HAYDN HUGGINS
SKILLED POLICE WORK, in conjunction with the assistance of villagers, may have prevented a heinous crime, or blood bath in South Rivers on Tuesday.
Up to press time yesterday (Thursday), six persons including two women were assisting the police with investigations, and charges are expected to be laid by today (Friday) in connection with that incident during which bandits stormed the building of the South Rivers branch of the General Employees Corporate Credit Union (GECCU), but were only able to take off with a purse, containing only documents, due to the combined and pro-active work of the police.
THE VINCENTIAN was reliably informed that based on police intelligence, the original target was not South Rivers, but because of the combined efforts of the police stations from the Eastern Division led by superintendent Hesran Ballantyne, and included the Georgetown, Colonaire, Owia, and Sandy Bay Police Stations, police officers were placed at all the institutions in that division, which deals with money transactions.
However, shortly after 3 p.m., the intelligence revealed a change in target, but because of the proactive measures taken, the police were already on the scene in South Rivers and saw the car that
dropped off the bandits who had entered the GECCU building, as if they were going to do normal business.
The lawmen heard someone scream “robbery” from inside the
The South Rivers branch of GECCU one of five branches, was opened in May, 2017.
building, and the police fired a shot at the car but it was able to speed off. The assailants, who were already in the building, ran back outside and opened fire on the
Ballantyne led the police operation
robbery at the
branch of GECCU.
police.
The police returned fire, and the bandits ran in the direction of the community centre. The police, assisted by villagers, were able to apprehend three of them, and later that evening another one was taken into custody. Investigations continued, and the others were subsequently picked up with the assistance of other units of the Police Force.
Continued on Page 3.
Friday blasts government
PRESIDENT OF THE OPPOSITIONNew
Democratic Party (NDP), Dr Godwin Friday has blasted the ruling Unity Labour Party regime for overlooking opposition parliamentarians in the rebuilding exercise, following the destructive passage of Hurricane beryl, July o1, 2024.
“We are one people. We must come together and support those badly affected,” the NDP leader declared during a press conference hosted by the NDP, last Wednesday at the party’s headquarters, Murray’s Road, Kingstown.
The Opposition Leader took issue with the government for what he referred to as an absence of planning in the build up to the passage of hurricane Beryl.
“We shouldn’t be scrambling every time in the wake of a hurricane,” Friday observed.
Going forward, Dr. Friday wanted that period to be characterised by unity .. a moment to “set aside differences and work together for the common good. And promised, “We are doing whatever is
necessary to be constructive in the process.
In that light, he spoke of his party plans to help children from the Southern Grenadines on their return to school. The NDP expects to raise $100,000 which will take care of the venture.
But he optimistic that the appeal will raise as much as $200,000.
At present, the party’s headquarters is being used as a hub for collection and distribution of supplies and Dr. Friday promised proper management and distribution of relief supplies, assuring “that supplies get to the people in a speedy and transparent manner.”
Monies raised will also be used to help affected households with supplies and to rebuild their homes.
“Government assistance is not always done to the extent needed and in a timely manner,” he observed, but regardless the priority “.. is to get
Terrence Ollivierre, MP for the Southern Grenadines, sould prefer that the students of Union island be schooled in their accustomed environment.
TERRENCE OLLIVIERRE, Parliamentary Representative for the Southern Grenadines, (Union Island, Canouan, Mayreau) has registered his disagreement with government’s decision to provide temporary schooling facilities on mainland St. Vincent, for students from Union Island.
While each of the island suffered what one observer described as “unimaginable destruction,” Union Island suffered the most with 98% of the building stock experiencing close to if not
people back to their homes,” and for businesses to reopen, Dr. Friday emphasised.
The Opposition Leader pledged to “continue to visit persons affected in the communities,” and “to continue to advocate on your behalf.”
On a wider national concern, the Opposition leader urged the government to have measures in place for “strong economic growth nationally.”
Friday was flanked by his opposition parliamentary colleague , Terrence Ollivierre (Southern Grenadines) and Daniel Cummings: West Kingstown.
Ollivierre was a picture of sadness and hurt but he said he was heartened by the kindness and resilience the residents showed.
“We have to rebuild these islands,” Ollivierre stated.
The Shadow Minister in the Education
Ministry, he wanted the schooling of primary and secondary school students to continue on the islands where the students belonged.
He doesn’t accept the idea of building temporary structures on mainland St. Vincent to accommodate the Grenadines students.
‘Put us in a place where our lives could be as normal as possible,” Ollivierre quips. (See accompanying story.)
Daniel Cummings
Ollivierre: No to temporary schooling on mainland
total destruction, the wrath of Hurricane Beryl which left a trail of destruction and death on that Grenadine island.
Ollivierre, during a press briefing by the Opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) on July 17, said that he was concerned about students being able to return to school especially since schools on Union Island and Canouan had lost its roofs.
But in expressing this concern, Ollivierre said that he did not think that the situation was that dire to warrant the students from Union Island being located to attend school on the mainland.
“Whatever temporary you want to build, build it on the islands so that the people would be able to be in a place that is familiar to them and get their lives back together,” Ollivierre said.
Prime Minister Dr Ralph
Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves explained the rationale behind the relocation of students to the mainland.
Gonsalves, in updating the nation on relief efforts on July 14, reported that it was expected that the roof for the school on Canouan would be back on and ready in time for the beginning of the new school year in September.
He disclosed explained that a resident on the island had pledged US$15 million towards the clean-up and rebuilding effort on Canouan, and that he was expected to bring in a team whose task will be to put back on the roof of the school on that Grenadine Island.
The primary school in Mayreau was expected to be attended to under the same project, Dr. Gonsalves said. However, it was a different scenario on Union Island.
According to the prime minister, the number of primary school students on
Union Island amounted to 250 and there were about 202 students enrolled at the Union Island Secondary School.
“It is unlikely that we will get those schools back because of the other things which are necessary in the community including housing,” Gonsalves admitted.
That being the case, Dr. Gonsalves informed that government made the decision to set aside some of the money provided under a Supplementary Estimates and Supplementary Appropriation Bill (debated on July 18) to “to fix up and extend the old teacher’s college and have the primary schools on one side and the secondary on the other.
The teachers will also have to be brought up, and at least one of the parents for each student.
cancelled other activities to assess the situation in West Kingstown. His take was, “a government that cares will deal with this (recovery) in a nonpartisan way.
“To have political operatives being part of the team is simply not acceptable,” the West Kingstown representative lamented.
“People are refusing to go to the centres because of the behavior of those political operatives,” Cummings added. (WKA)
So, what has been done according to Gonsalves is that seeing that Carnival was now over, he had requested the Ministry of Tourism to book sufficient space in guest houses for the next 10 months.
“Because if you have to bring 450 students and at least one parent, that’s 900 and the teachers, another 100 — you have to find space for about 1,000 people and you have to provide supports for them,” he said.
Towards addressing this need, the Ministry of Tourism has been directed to book sufficient space in guest houses for the next 10 months. (DD)
(L-R): MP Daniel Cummings, Opposition Leader Dr. Godwin Friday and MP Terrence Ollivierre at last Wednesday press conference.
V News 3
Frederick Stephenson – new Foreign Affairs Minister - has been relieved of what observers said was an “overloaded” Ministry.
THE PORTFOLIOSof members of Cabinet have been reshaped to perform the tasks at hand.
So said Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves while speaking on radio on July 17, a day after he announced some changes in portfolios for some members of his Cabinet.
Cabinet reshuffled Supplementary $$$ Bill for Parliament
Senator Keisal Peters is now charged with responsibility for National Mobilisation and Social Development, both of which will have particular focus in the aftermath of the recent disaster caused by Hurricane Beryl.
As for the reshuffle, to which Dr. Gonsalves said he alluded to long before the passage of Hurricane Beryl, Dr Orando Brewster retained the portfolio of Housing and Informal Settlement and assumed the portfolios of Youth and Sports, but was relived of responsibility for National Mobilisation and Social development.
These portfolios, described by the prime minister as the “heart and soul of the government,” were reassigned
PARLIAMENTARIANS
DEBATEDa Supplementary Estimates and Supplementary Appropriation Bill on July 18 which is facilitate access funding, over and above what was approved in the 2024 Appropriation Bill (Budget), to finance the rebuilding effort in the wake of the passage of Hurricane Beryl.
Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves announced on radio on July 14 that the Finance Standing Committee of the House of Assembly was expected to meet on July 17 to consider the Supplementary Estimates and Appropriation Bill, before going to Parliament the day after.
“This is the first set of Supplementary Estimates and Appropriation Bill
Dr. Orando Brewster has had his load lightened though he now has to focus on matters related to Sport and Youth.
to Senator, Senator Keisal Peters, and he referred to her as having “her work cut out for her,” given the added strain and anxiety of men and women as a result of the recent disaster,
Dr. Gonsalves has added the responsibility of overseeing
the Public Service and in acknowledging that he had taken a big chunk of Frederick Stephenson’s portfolio dealing with the Public Service, he said he has always worked in that area and that other persons attached to his office have also worked in that area for some time.
for this stage of addressing the disaster and the consequence of Hurricane Beryl,” Gonsalves made clear.
There was a lot of focus on relief and cleaning up, he added, and gave early indication that, “We will have to go back to the House for additional appropriations,” and cited that the current situation was similar to that of 2020
during the COVID pandemic and 2021 following the volcanic eruptions.
The amount appropriated in 2021 was EC$117 million, but this time the number was expected to rise to EC$140 million.
Dr. Gonsalves noted that while money was allocated to housing in the 2024 Budget, the bulk of the appropriated funds will have to be directed to homes that were damaged by both the volcano and Hurricane Beryl.
By way of procedure, the other avenue opened to government to access additional funds to finance the rebuilding programme post-Beryl, is the route of Special Warrants.
VINLEC urges support
Editor’s note: The following is a press release, verbatim, from St. Vincent Electricity Service (VINLEC) issued on July 15, 2024.
ST. VINCENT ELECTRICITY SERVICES LIMITED (VINLEC) is urging all persons to exercise caution and avoid damaging any of the Company’s assets on the Grenadines islands of Canouan, Mayreau and Union Island, as clean-up efforts continue following the passage of Hurricane Beryl.
VINLEC has been actively assessing the damage across all islands and teams will be deployed
shortly to clear pathways and properties of fallen poles and power lines. However, actions such as cutting distribution lines, cutting poles, or destroying transformers will significantly delay restoration efforts on these islands.
We understand the challenges faced by our customers during this time and appreciate the support shown throughout the restoration process thus far. Your cooperation and understanding are important, and our teams will be working diligently to restore power to all affected areas as quickly and safely as possible.
This could prove cumbersome and protracted. The route of a Supplementary Estimates and Supplementary Appropriation Bill legally circumvents the challenges inherent in the Special Warrant route. It is a supply bill or spending bill that authorizes the expenditure of government funds for specific spending. (DD)
That said, he introduced Stephenson as the new Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, who will also oversee the REGIONAL Integration and Diaspora Unit. Stephenson had good knowledge on issues relating to distributive trades, commerce, consumer affairs, the PM assured. (DD)
Continued from Frontpage.
The car allegedly involved was abandoned at Mt. Grenan. It is alleged that a false registration number plate was used.
Police also retrieved a purse with all its documents, no cash, as well as the firearm allegedly used in the process.
The foiled attempt to rob the GECCU South Rives branch, followed on a May 10 daylight robbery of the Barrouallie branch of the Teachers Co-operative Credit Union.
The report at the time was that gunmen stormed the office and got away with an undisclosed sum of money. No arrests have been made in relation to the Barrouallie robbery.
And despite the failure of the attempted robbery, GECCU issued a statement on Wednesday in which it advised that as a result of the attempted robbery which took place at its South Rivers Office on Tuesday 16th July 2024, the office will remain closed until further notice.
“We deeply regret the negative effect which the incident has had on our employees, members, the community of South Rivers and the general public. We are reviewing our security protocols and measures will be put in place to enhance security at all offices of the credit union. We remain committed to the safety and security of all stakeholders,” the statement read.
Robbery botched by skilled policing
(L-R): Deputy Commissioner of
Stories: HAYDN HUGGINS
DESPITEa slight reduction in the overall crime rate, and the removal of several illegal firearms and ammunition off the streets, the situation continues to be of grave concern to the Police High Command.
From January to June this year, police recovered 34 firearms and 3,025 rounds of ammunition.
This is according to Deputy Commissioner of Police Frankie Joseph while speaking at a news conference held by the RSVGPF High Command on Wednesday.
Joseph said that some persons were prosecuted,
others were not (prosecuted) because of the nature of those seizures.
The catch included the 18 firearms and 327 rounds of ammunition surrendered during the 92 days National Firearms Amnesty which concluded May 1, and the 16 firearms and 2,700 rounds of ammunition taken off the streets, outside the Amnesty. These were seized during stopand-search exercises and other operations.
The firearms and ammunition surrendered during the amnesty, as well as those seized during police operations, were displayed in the police conference room
Slight reduction in crime rate: Still a concern
during the news conference.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), in charge of crime, Trevor Bailey said he was extremely pleased with the police for getting these firearms off the street. He opined that if they were to be added to those currently on the streets, in addition to what is recorded regarding homicides, the police would have a much more serious with which to deal.
Bailey said that, so far in 2024, 2,022 crimes were reported overall, compared to 2,212 reported over the same period last year, a reduction of about 190, representing 8.4 percent.
Bailey said that though the
figures were showing a slight decrease, the situation is still of concern to the police, and cited other criminal activity such as praedial larceny. He
Some of the guns that were handed in during the amnesty and those seized in police.
South Rivers community lauded
THE SOUTH RIVERS community has been lauded for their tremendous assistance to the police in foiling a brazen daylight robbery attempt at the South Rivers branch of the General Employees Corporate Credit Union (GECCU), on Tuesday.
The praises came from Assistant Commissioner of Police, in charge of crime, Trevor Bailey, during a news conference held by the Police High Command on Wednesday.
Bailey told journalists that shortly after 3 p.m. on Tuesday persons who were armed with firearms opened fire on police in the immediate vicinity of the Credit Union.
The lawmen returned fire, and with the assistance of the community six persons — four men and two women were apprehended, who were up to press time yesterday (Thursday) assisting the police with the investigations.
According to Bailey, no police officer received injuries, but some persons were injured and were treated at medical facilities. He said the persons taken into custody in connection with the foiled robbery are from the Central Kingstown, South Leeward, and Central Leeward districts, ages ranging from 22 to 28.
On behalf of the Police Force, Bailey expressed gratitude to the people of
South Rivers.
“I cannot overemphasize the tremendous support that the community working alongside Law Enforcement would have done yesterday in preventing persons who were so brazen, during high daytime, from getting away with and moving away with properties that do not belong to them”, Bailey said.
“It only goes to show that when the community works with law enforcement, with their friends, the police, and we are the friends of the community, by coming together, we can achieve a lot of things”, the Crime Chief added.
He urged other
communities who are aware of criminal activities to, “continue to embrace law enforcement, continue to embrace the local police, share the information with your police. If you share the information, then we have a duty to act on that information. We will act, and will achieve together a lot of things”.
Meanwhile, Commissioner of Police(Ag) Enville Williams has assured that the police will do everything they can to protect the person/s giving the information, and that information will be given the confidentiality it deserves.
Assistant Commissioner of Police, in charge of crime, Trevor Bailey lauded the South Rivers community for the assistance rendered to the police, and called on other communities to do likewise.
TeenÊs murder P.I on the way
THE MURDERPreliminary Inquiry (P.I) involving teenager Cole Oliver has finally got on the way, following several adjournments.
The matter which has been before the Serious Offenses Court since July, 2023 commenced on Monday and will continue next Tuesday.
Cole Oliver was 18 years old when he was alleged to have committed the offence.
So far, the Court has heard evidence from two witnesses, including the key witness, who gave evidence in camera, and by video link, under the Witness (Special Measures) Act 2013.
Evidence was also taken from Justice of Peace (JP) Marcellous Woodley.
THE VINCENTIAN understands that the Prosecution intends to call about five more witnesses.
Oliver, a resident of Golden Vale, has been charged with the murder of Golden Vale resident Kemon Orlando Roberts, 28, who reportedly shot several times in the head shortly after 8 a.m. on July 20, 2023.
Oliver was 18 at the time. The youngster is represented by attorney Grant Connell while Prosecutor Renrick Cato is leading the case for the Prosecution.
added that of 28 homicides so far for the year, 26 are classified as murders with 17 of them being gun-related.
Police Frankie Joseph, Commissioner of Police (Ag) Enville Williams and Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), in charge of crime, Trevor Bailey at last Wednesday press conference.
V
Sandals Earth Guardians’ host beach clean-up
RECENTLY, team members at the Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines resort organized a beach clean-up event at Buccament Bay, drawing participation and support from several community members as they did their part in keeping the environment clean.
This collaborative effort resulted in the collection and disposal of approximately 200 pounds of garbage, with additional waste materials being buried in two deep holes dug by local residents. The Central Water and Sewerage Authority (CWSA) played a crucial role in facilitating the removal of the garbage and debris.
The initiative was spearheaded by
the Sandals Earth Guardians, an internal group dedicated to sustainability efforts. The Earth Guardians, consisting of 40 volunteer team members at the resort, are part of a larger network present at every Sandals and Beaches resort throughout the Caribbean. This group actively engages in initiatives that support the luxury resort chain’s sustainability goals, both on their respective resorts and within neighboring communities.
“We are incredibly proud of our team members and the community for coming together to make a tangible impact on our environment,” said Taskia Daniel, environmental health
and safety manager at the resort.
“The success of this beach clean-up event is a testament to our ongoing commitment to sustainability and community engagement. We look forward to being able to execute many more activities such as this and deepen our connection with neighbouring communities.”
Public Relations Manager Jamila Soso-Vincent also expressed satisfaction at the outcome of the event, noting that across the operations of Sandals Resorts International, an important underlying theme is that of sustainability.
“Whether it involves corporate entities or citizens, we all have a responsibility to protect our
environment and keep it in as pristine condition as we possibly can,” explained Soso-Vincent.
“When our environment is neglected, the negative impacts are felt across all sectors — health, tourism, agriculture & fisheries and entertainment, among others. Partnering with local communities in these types of efforts is vital to ensuring that generations to come will benefit from and continue to enjoy a healthy environment.”
The Earth Guardians will continue to plan and participate in events that promote environmental stewardship and sustainability, ensuring that both the resorts and the surrounding communities benefit from their efforts.
(Contributed by Sandals)
The effort removed enough garbage to overflow this ‘waste skip’.
The combined team of Sandals Earth Guardians and members of the Buccament community that undertook the clean-up exercise.
Views V
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
Politics during this time of need
FORGIVE US IF WE DIVERT from all the excitement that now camouflages our grief occasioned by one Ms. Beryl, and remind citizens that the country, as battered as it is, enters another election cycle.
And if the truth be told, amidst all the expressions of sympathy with and for those who have suffered loss of property, means of livelihood, even loved ones, there are those who will want to or already have begun to capitalise on the ‘situation of dire need’, to advance themselves as (potential) candidates in the next general election. In a style reflective of our Vincentian idiosyncrasies, the campaigning is in swing — dare we say full swing?
Yes, the big event, the general election, might well be more than a year away but that does not lessen the extent of the tussle between the incumbent Unity Labor Party (ULP) and the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP), the two enjoying the ring to themselves since there is no third choice at present or anywhere on the horizon.
However, the issues on which both the incumbent and the opposition predicate their campaigns have changed considerably with the passage of Ms. Beryl; so too must their strategies.
The question, moreso for the opposition, is: How can it remain relevant and attractive to the electorate in a situation in which thousands of displaced citizens across the political divide, are now directly reliant on the state machinery to respond to their real needs?
The government, obviously, will be the one to lead and provide the response to satisfy the requirements of those who have now to restore their lives to some level of normalcy, both in terms of their physical needs and their psychological stability.
In the real situation, the opposition will have no shots to call, not even in Parliament where they would commit political suicide at this time by voting against a ‘supplementary budget’ as the proper means to respond officially to the rebuilding process.
And unless invited to become a genuine part of the national response machinery under supervision of the government, the opposition will have no access to the state resources, albeit bolstered by donations and
Let’s talk Climate Initiative (Pt.1)
concessionary loans, to be availed to the large numbers of displaced citizens.
There is a national situation of need, not want, that beckons a response - a national, unprejudiced, response which when all is taken into consideration, sets the incumbent in an advantageous position. The issues of, for example, pot hole ‘infested’ roads, poor health services, a spiraling violent crime reality, become mooted at a time when citizens across the state cry out for assistance in rebuilding their lives as productive citizens of the state and the restoring of the baic need for housing.
This is a period of tests. Firstly, a test for the incumbent as it battles with being fair in rolling out the national assistance programme, and to ensure that it marshals a fair and unbiased distribution of assistance to displaced people, who are likely to become impatient and contemptuous if they perceive the national rebuilding process to be rolling out with preference to some, or if the assistance is not forthcoming in a timely manner.
Secondly, a test for the opposition’s resilience that will fortify it in its effort to devise strategies, so that it can remain relevant without seeming to be a stumbling block in the way of the re-building process. For certain, it must guard the national rebuilding programme against biasness and highlight its shortcoming when and if they arise. But it is challenged with keeping on the straight and narrow that would allow it to be a watchdog with a loud bark but no bite that will thwart its acceptance as a bona fide replacement for the incumbent.
The last thing the opposition would want to create is a situation that distracts voters and traps the nation into a cycle of politically motivated complaints, protests and responses that hamper genuine redevelopment.
Both incumbent and opposition must also accept that the delivery of goods and services to citizens in a time of national crisis, is not an occasion or a time for picong and bacchanal that usually dominate platform politics in this country.
We cannot remove the politics from our reality but we can curb its distasteful tendencies.
IT WAS NO SURPRISEto me to hear the extended conversation on Climate Change. Since Hurricane Beryl, just about every Prime Minister (PM) in the region had something to say in this regard.
PM Gonsalves said: “...For the major emitters of greenhouse gases, those who contribute most to global warming, you are getting a lot of talking, but you are not seeing a lot of action – as in making money available to small-island developing states and other vulnerable countries.” If you have noticed, we are now referring to ourselves as ‘Small Island Developing States’ (SIDS).
PM Mitchell of Grenada stressed the need for more Capital Investment, and reminded the world that additional debt is not feasible for his country. He said grant aid is what is needed.
PM Mottley of Barbados restated her ‘Bridgetown Initiative’. This initiative reiterated the financing problem small island developing states face when borrowing funds to mitigate and recover from the climate crisis. The Bridgetown Initiative sets a framework to discuss global economic and financial governance in the context of the climate emergency. It is an acknowledgment that significant systemic changes are required for countries impacted by natural disasters related to climate change as they confront the rebuilding effort. For example, it calls for an automatic debt payment suspension clause to be included in new loans in case of a climate change or natural disaster. It also suggests that this clause should be added to all past loans as well.
By the way, no one has ever officially adopted this initiative. However, it serves as a jumping-off point for governments worldwide to discuss the troubling issue of building a sustainable world in light of the global economic crisis, caused by climate change. This document was hailed in 2022 as one of the most profound and thoughtprovoking documents presented by a Small Island Developing State leader in recent memory.
And like most progress documents that try to hold the developed countries accountable, it has been substantially watered down since its first appearance.
The original Bridgetown Initiative, published in 2022, proposed to increase emergency liquidity by an additional $1 trillion in Multilateral Development Banks and private lending and/or Special Drawing Rights. It also called for at least another $650 billion to be administered by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Resilience and
Sustainability Trust.
For the purposes of this article, it is essential to note that the structure of the aid package has been shifted to the private sector with no restrictions on reinvesting in climate change initiatives. Loan forgiveness and interest suspension during disasters have been dropped, along with the replenishment, emissions, corporate taxes, and surcharge for industrial nations. In short, the initiative, once hailed by some as the first significant step in righting the wrong and laying the responsibility for fixing the ills caused by climate change where it belongs, is now lost in the bowels of capitalism and imperial power.
I say this to remind our leaders that we are alone in our recovery efforts after every disaster. For example, we should not expect the USA, a significant polluter, to provide more than some token amount of discretionary aid after an event like Hurricane Beryl. Do you remember the damage done to Louisiana, USA, in 2005? It took them eight to ten years to rebuild the infrastructure in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The estimated cost of that recovery was about $125 billion. So, they know what the economic impact of a climate change related event could have on our nations. Today, these nations are choosing to spend their money on wars. Our only hope for reasonable assistance after any natural disaster is to aggressively advocate for the enhancements of the ‘Bridgetown Initiative’. I think this initiative should double the amount of funding available for infrastructure replacement to $2 trillion. The scheduled loan repayments should be waived for ten years after a disaster, not suspended through loan extensions. The funds to repay these loans should come from a Global Special Revenue Fund collected as a carbon tax. To offer some assurance to the international community, all countries eligible for climate change redevelopment funds will categorize loans into capital infrastructure and economic expansion and growth. Only funds for capital repair after a natural disaster would be subject to loan forgiveness and interest rate reductions. Horatio.
Amending our National Anthem
SINCE WEgot our National Anthem almost sixty years ago, I have referred to it as a “mainland anthem”. I say this and ask: If you are living in the Grenadines, how does the last verse make sense?
The first verse of the Anthem mentions St. Vincent. The second verse mentions Hairoun. Is it two different islands we are referring to?
When the flag was changed, the Anthem should have either been changed or amended.
I suggest these changes to the lyrics, with no change to the tune:
*The first line of verse one should be “SVG a land so beautiful…”
*The second verse should begin, “We cherish this our blessed isle…”
*The last verse should be eliminated.
Concerned Citizen
A non-resident national speaks
EVEN THOUGHI am moved to register my concern about how I feel after visiting my homeland for carnival, let me say up front that St. Vincent and the Grenadines will always be my home. As they say, I am Vincy to the bone!!
I know that my homeland is going through a trying period after Hurricane Beryl left damage like I never knew before. I am in full support of the government. They have a big and costly job on
their hands to even start the reconstruction. Based on what I saw of what happened in Union Island, it is going to be a long time before the people there and in Canouan and Mayreau, return to the standard of life they were accustomed to.
But all that said, I am moved to say that as I learned about what was happening as far as crime is concerned, I got the feeling that hardworking people of SVG
Around the world
AS I LOOK around the world….. Russia/ Ukraine, Israel/Hamas with Palestine trapped in the centre on the brink of World War 3, the devastation of our chain of islands by Hurricane Beryl, my mind revolves around food production and the Minister of Food “Insecurity”. Food production educated this man, but under him we are struggling for food. We CYD Garifuna People say “Ralf” and Saboto can’t run the government.
We should be processing dasheen into by-products. The Garifuna Multiple Purpose Co-operative Society Ltd. will do it. The government gave Saboto a dasheen processing plant
in Lauders to drive, the man wreck it. The man sold out all Bishop Roban milking cows to (think who) Grenada. They slathered, packed, and labelled ‘Organic Beef’. We are embarking on animal husbandry and our people with produce for local market consumption…. hotels, restaurants, supermarkets with a delivery system even at your workplace and homes — and even for export. Without Saboto, the cannabis industry will enable zero hunger in the allotted time.
Our Finance Minister is now heading to sub-region finances. The only thing those finance ministers are good for is taking the cocoa
out of the milk.
Well, the working class government is in authority in England. I voted three winning times in England. With Jerome Cobym in the corner the working class is in charging spirit. What of the working class at home? Now many of us were banished from employment –policies, teachers, nurses, etc.
So the letter… the contents of it… that was sent to Putin by our PM needs to be known to the citizens of our nation.
We have to organize peace, sports and medicine to heal the Venezuela/Guyana ills. How we do this healing will be revealed in my next writing. You can eat from any dish on this table as
were not feeling safe and secure. With all those murders, a thing we hardly experienced when I was growing up in St. Vincent, I can understand how people, especially older people are feeling.
It seems, based on what I was told, that we no longer know how to settle our differences though dialogue, but for any little thing we are ready to resort to violence. And it seems there is something happening among our youth that is causing this violence. By the way, why are there so many guns around?
we continue to journey towards zero hunger in the time set.
Christian Democrat
what the judges and magistrates have to follow, but many people whom I spoke with, complained that criminals were getting away with very light sentences. One of my friends even wondered whether they had done away with “hard labour”. Long ago, she said, we used to hear about a sentence of so many years and hard labour. Now, she said, prisoners are treated like they live in a hotel.
Somebody must know how these deadly weapons are entering SVG?
I have also heard many people complain about the system, especially as it relates to sentencing people who are found guilty, even for murder. Now, I am not going to question the system and
The way I see it, it is high time that citizens get up, unite and demand action against the rising crime in the country. The government and the police must be made to come up with a plan to deal with the pocket of criminals that we have here. This is a small place. If the ordinary folk know what’s happening on the ground, how come the police don’t?
Each and every citizen has the right to a safe and secure life and it is the responsibility of the government to ensure this happens.
Thanks Mr. Editor for allowing my ramblings.
Gloria A. USA Resident.
PEOPLE ARE ASKING:
*Why did nature shift the hurricane from the ‘mainland’ to St. Vincent’s Grenadines and Grenada Grenadines?
*Was it so that they could be devastated to the point that residents would have to be relocated and allow investors to lease or buy the islands, with no ‘natives’ to hinder and protest their activities?
*When would the Editors of the newspapers that give each of the political parties a weekly column, advise the ULP, that government activities are different from party activities? An example is the ULP column of July 12, 2024.
*Is Government House no longer the home of our Governor General? Is it just for swearing in ceremonies?
*There were only four steelbands in this year’s Senior panorama. What has happened to all those community/senior steelbands? Is the Pan Movement just concerned with Junior bands and the so-called “Pan Against Crime programme?
*Why are we still using steelband arrangers from Trinidad and Tobago? Don’t we have competent arrangers here?
Laser focus on Relief, Recovery and Reconstruction
by Dr. The Hon. Ralph E. Gonsalves Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines
NOTE: This article is essentially the substance of what I addressed at the Gospel Concert at Victoria Park on Sunday, July 14,
2024
SOLIDATY AT HOME AND ABROAD
In the wake of Hurricane Beryl’s devastation, destruction, damage and loss, anguish and mourning, our focused goal is on relief, recovery, reconstruction [the three Rs] in the interest of our people. The core foundation upon which to achieve our goal is lodged in the unity and solidarity of, and between, our people at home and in the diaspora, and the cooperative, supportive solidarity between our nation and the regional and global communities. Our quest, summarily, is to turn this terrible setback for our people into a sustainable advance. Our focus on the Three Rs is to be pursued in tandem with our ongoing programme for sustainable development in every material particular.
BIND US TOGETHER IN LOVE
It is usual when nations are facing severe challenges such as those in which we are currently enveloped, they correctly go to the fundamentals of their beings which inform reflection and decisions relating to their lives, living, and livelihoods.
In our case, it is absolutely necessary and desirable that we reaffirm the inspiring and uplifting opening lines of the Preamble to our nation’s Constitution: “Our nation is founded on the belief in the supremacy of God and the freedom and dignity of man and woman.” This foundational belief, conjoined with people’s solidarity, finds an apt expression in the chorus of the great hymn: Bind us Together Lord: “Bind us together Bind us together With cords that cannot be broken Bind us together, Lord Bind us together Bind us together with Love.”
At this time, more than ever, we must exemplify love for each other, not in the abstract or an impersonal generality but in the particular, in real time, in daily practice. In this existential human way we can experience the joy, and pain, of love. In the aggregation of this individual, personalized love, the general whole becomes, through an inestimable spirit, more than a summation of the personalised loves. The society, as a whole, thus becomes purer, certainly less devilish, and better than before. Still, always remember that it begins with you and me, individually.
The Pauline praise of Love is instructive and worthy of our embrace:
“If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels,
But do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal,–-
And if I have faith, so as to remove all mountains,
But do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body
So that I may boast,
But do not have love, I gain nothing –––-it [love] does not insist on its own way: it is not irritable or resentful. –-it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
As Shakespeare insists: “Love is an ever-fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken.”
So, we must never allow the tempest, the hurricane known as Beryl, to shake our love for each other. In this love and solidarity, and this binding together under God’s supremacy, we have the foundations
for our relief, recovery, and reconstruction.
FAITH AND FRESH HOPE
The joinder of love, faith, and fresh hope will drive, inexorably, our relief, recovery, and reconstruction. To be sure, material and technical resources are required, but without the foundational drivers of love, faith, and fresh hope, very little is achievable; certainly, without them our efforts will be sub-optimal; without them we will not achieve our best.
The Book of Hebrews advises that:
“Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.”
Faith has always to be made manifest in works; without works, faith dies. That is the teaching, from time immemorial, of the ancient prophets, disciples, and apostles. Works are personal and collective; it is through unity and solidarity that collective works are best accomplished. Individually, we must push ourselves to our body’s edge in our endeavours; and together in solidarity, with creative imagination, we must perform our works in accord with unbounded possibilities, despite limitations.
SLENDER RESOURCES
We are grateful for the contributions of humanitarian relief from various governments, inter-governmental organisations regionally and globally, nongovernmental groupings at home and abroad, private sector entities, and caring individuals of all walks of life, here and overseas. The truth is that these contributions do not even get close to the cost of the requirements of immediate relief. The government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in accord with its responsibilities, has, overwhelmingly, to foot the bill, in part from the Contingencies Fund.
The cost of the recovery and reconstruction will be many, many, times higher than the relief: St. Vincent and the Grenadines does not, of itself, possess the requisite resources. So, our government has already embarked, yet again, on a campaign for a massive mobilization of resources in grants and soft loans largely from friendly governments, and regional and international financial institutions; this is a hugely challenging exercise in the current global environment. But we are making some headway.
Inevitably, there will be an increase in our public debt as occasioned at the time of COVID and the volcanic eruptions. That increase in the public debt has to be paid for from government resources arising from economic growth in the phases of recovery and reconstruction, and beyond.
There is no easy way forward, but we must ensure always that the sacrifices to be borne are placed largely on the shoulders of those most able to carry them. The poor, the marginalized, the adversely affected, and those in need cannot be expected to bear the sacrifices of recovery and reconstruction. Indeed, in equity, they must be the principal beneficiaries of the recovery and reconstruction processes. But we all require a patience and a calm, sun brightens stone even as the greener leaves explode, and all the rivers burn. And, we will get to our satisfactory destination dayby-day Sweet Jesus!
What do I expect from each able-bodied Vincentian in the workforce? I expect simply, and reasonably: Maximum effort, selflessly, from each according to his or her ability and condition. And from their employers, I expect: Reasonable rewards for a person’s labour! From all, our best productive efforts, unflinchingly.
We will support the Recovery Effort
(Excerpts of President of the NDP, Honourable Dr. Godwin Friday’s presentation at a Press Conference held on July 17th 2024)
ON MONDAY JULY 1ST, our country was struck by Hurricane Beryl. A category 4 hurricane, with sustained winds of 130 miles per hour and higher gusts. After the winds subsided on Monday afternoon, and in the days following, my colleagues and I visited communities and surveyed the damage. We spoke with people about their situation. We saw first-hand the damage.
Though his own house roof was destroyed, the Hon Terrance Ollivierre did the same. He was at the center of it and will tell you more about his ordeal and the terrible experience of the Southern Grenadines communities he represents.
My colleagues and I visited the Southern Grenadines in the days following the hurricane, three times. We spoke with many people. Having listened to harrowing personal accounts of survival, I thank God for his mercy for sparing lives and protecting so many people from serious injury.
It was terrifying and traumatic for those who felt the full force of the hurricane. Several lives were lost. And it could have been much worse. We sympathize with the families of those who died. The Canouan-based vessel MV Guidance II and its five crew members are still missing. Our hearts and prayers continue to be with them and their families.
Thanks to those Who Helped Right Away
I want to recognize and say thanks for the work done by our emergency services, Vinlec, Bragsa, police, the ferry services, and others. I also want to thank the government and people of France for aid from Martinique, and our Caricom neighbors for their quick response with personnel and necessary supplies. I would also thank all the NGOs that have stepped up to help, including Red Cross, Rotary, Lions Club and others as well as private individuals such as Mr. Jeremie Tronet, who quickly mobilized aid from Martinique.
The men and women on the ground are working tirelessly in responding to this disaster. People are suffering. Many people have lost everything. They are tired and afraid for the future. We are one people and so we must come together and support those badly affected by this disaster.
In responding, we must do the following:
1.We need to do everything we can to support the recovery effort- too many people are still struggling for basic provisions. We in the NDP/Opposition will continue to support the recovery efforts.
2.The government must begin setting out a plan for strong economic growth to drive recovery in our country. We need a vision and a plan to ensure that we get people back into their homes and back to work, get businesses back on their feet and ultimately, we must build back better.
The government has thus far failed to set out and communicate a plan to deliver and manage the recovery efforts.
By any measure, Hurricane Beryl is a disaster. In many parts of the country homes and other buildings were damaged. The Southern
Grenadines felt the brunt of the hurricane. Union Island, Mayreau and Canouan were devastated. The resort islands of Palm Island and PSV were also badly damaged.
Preparation and Inclusiveness
Natural disasters sometimes come without warning; as in an earthquake. Our Soufriere volcano gives us signs and warnings but we still can’t predict the day or hour it will erupt. With hurricanes, however, technology now allows us to plot its course with increasing accuracy and to know its strength and destructive potential. This should enable us to plan better for a hurricane.
Proper planning and good training of first responders can reduce confusion and problems for affected people to tolerable levels. And the aim must be to reduce them as much as humanly possible. In this, while we are grateful for the efforts so far, we see that we have a long way to go before we can saw we respond effectively and as quick as we should. Everyone should do what they can to make the response as effective as possible and speed up the recovery process. This is a time when we set aside differences and work together for the common good. The more inclusive the response, the more effective the response. It is that simple. Unfortunately, experience has taught us that this is easier said than done.
For example, there was no effort from any member of the government or any government agency such as NEMO to reach out to the elected representatives of the constituencies worst hit by Hurricane Beryl, to provide or seek information. That is not good enough. But we rise above that for the benefit of the people and will work to help them to cope with and recover from this natural disaster.
Our Priority
Our priority must be the immediate welfare of the people directly affected. We have seen that in the span of a few hours, lives have been turned upside down. There is psychological trauma and physical dislocation. Meeting daily needs should not add to their problems.
The families of those persons who died in the hurricane or are unaccounted for need our prayers and support. Lives cannot be returned, but our care and attention might ease the pain of the loss.
Many homes were severely damaged or destroyed, people must be provided with secure shelter immediately. And continue as long as needed. In the immediate aftermath of the hurricane, some people have moved in with family or friends. I know of people in that position. They also need help. They must not be forgotten because they are getting lodging from friends.
Many are in public shelters and may be there for a long time, because their homes were badly damaged or destroyed. They need regular access to food, clothing and other basic supplies. And, attention must be paid to meeting the special needs of the elderly and sick and children.
When the Tail wags the Dog
“Sometimes the tail wags the dog, and sometimes the dog wags the tail. It’s hard to know which is which.” - Clifford Geertz (1926-2006) – American anthropologist.
THE PHRASE“when the tail wags the dog” is often attributed to a situation where someone junior, minor, or secondary has a disproportionate influence or control over someone, or something considered to be major or primary. For example, a government minister may be considered responsible for an individual’s recruitment in a particular government department and the junior employee, infected by a sense of entitlement, incorrectly concludes that standards, rules, and regulations do not necessarily apply to them. The junior staff, perceived to be in a privileged position, may even venture to take on roles designated for more senior staff and issue instructions or directives to more senior staff members. Similar examples may also emerge within the private sector when a staff member concludes that they have a close relationship with a manager or supervisor and concludes that they can “bend the rules” or disregard them altogether.
While the foregoing examples may appear to be “outrageous” and “unacceptable” it may be surprising to discover that such situations exist within the public sector and the private sector in many of our developing countries. However, these challenges are not confined to emerging economies; they also exist in developed countries to remind us that such situations can emerge wherever people congregate. Leaders and managers who are unaware or such situations or do not take decisive actions to eradicate them from their respective enterprises readily discover that they morph to plague relationships and retard productivity levels.
Politicians are not exempted from this phenomenon (where the tail can be perceived to be wagging the dog). Politicians are elected to represent the broader interests of their constituents irrespective of whether or not these individuals supported their electoral campaigns. However, it is known that several politicians cater more to the demands of their supporters, vocal minorities, and powerful lobbying groups (often from within their political party). There are too many instances where nepotism is allowed to reign undeterred and the individuals who are perceived to have obtained “privileged positions” wield power that is beyond the scope of their responsibility, authority, or expertise. This phenomenon can influence decisions away from what is perceived to be in the best interest of the constituency or nation … as the tail wags the dog. Business entities can also succumb to such regressive thinking and behaviours as is the case when a shareholder influences the enterprise to prioritize immediate shareholder returns as opposed to engaging in activities that are more focused on long-term profitability and being more focused on investments, in employee welfare, improved health and safety considerations, innovation, more advanced technology, and/or sustainable practices.
Evidence of the tail wagging the dog can also be observed in some homes where some junior family members (e.g., children and young adults) can exert
pressures on relationships that enable them to avoid engaging in the performance of household chores such as making their beds, washing their clothes, cleaning their bedrooms, etc. This may be especially prevalent where step-parents are involved and there are pronouncements that they (the younger) are not required to adhere to the rules and regulations of the older. Such imbalances can lead to misunderstandings and to the emergence and sustaining of strained and caustic relationships.
Allan Alpress, an accomplished Australian businessman, provides valuable insights when he notes that, “The standard you walk past is the standard you set.” This becomes a timely reminder to those in leadership and/or managerial positions in our homes, workplaces, government departments, and the wider community to insist on retaining standards and procedures that maintain the social and economic fabric of society. Such fiduciary responsibilities are critical if equity, fairness, accountability, and transparency are to be evident. To abdicate or abandon such critical societal moorings (for whatever reason) can result in individuals, groups, and society at large experiencing anarchy and regression.
Whether in personal decision-making, politics, business, government, or “general relationships”, it is important to understand and appreciate that the phrase “when the tail wags the dog” provides an instructive reminder about the importance of retaining an accurate and objective assessment of the given situation ensuring that critical decisions and actions are guided by time-tested principles and long-term goals rather than being improperly influenced by lesser factors or immediate pressures. Being so guided, individuals, teams, and organizations can avoid the pitfalls and chasms of allowing minor players or circumstances to dictate the course of action needed to be pursued on a personal or communal level.
Homes, workplaces, church assemblies, and the wider community require order and structures if there are to be harmonious relationships, maximum efficiencies, and effectiveness. This is as true in democratic societies as it is in socialist regimes. Rules and regulations exist to provide a framework for maintaining order and stability. In this regard, they help to prevent chaos while simultaneously promoting a sense of security, predictability, accountability, and responsibility.
Leaders in business, government, the church, and society must therefore outline the benefits described above and insist on compliance. The consequences of non-compliance must be outlined, and the penalties implemented. In so doing, individuals will be encouraged to act with integrity and respect for others and harmful behaviours will be discouraged. The tail must never be allowed to wag the dog.
An attack on knowledge and Intelligence
(A Guest column by Patrick Lawrence)
‘NOT IN MY LIFETIME,’ I used to think when contemplating America’s decline and fall—a decline and fall I eagerly anticipate as a prelude to remaking our crumbly republic such that it stands for the ideals it professes to uphold but unreservedly ignores. Blind justice, disinterested leaders and institutions, tolerance of others, freedom of thought and speech, respect for reason and knowledge.
Decline and fall. It is not pleasant to live in such a time as ours, but it is, interesting. Let us not, as we accept our fate, lose sight of the optimism within the apparent pessimism.
Last month, the House passed a bill that, broadly speaking, defines as ‘antisemitic’ any criticism of Israel, or–heaven forbid!–disapproval of Israel as a ‘Jewish state.’ Soon after, as if to second the House’s intent, President Biden announced at an event marking the Holocaust Memorial Museum’s annual remembrance day, a series of new legal and administrative measures to counter the nonexistent crisis of antisemitism that now overtakes the U.S. the way a Communist takeover did in the 1950s.
This is an assault on reason, language, law–and even that highest of American ‘values’–common sense.
And then this, a letter 12 Republican senators signed and sent to the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, in response to the ICC’s plans to serve various Israeli officials, among them Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with arrest warrants charging them with war crimes in Gaza. You have to read this to believe it, ‘Target Israel and we will target you,’ the letter reads. ‘If you move forward with the measures indicated in the report, we will move to end all American support for the ICC, sanction your employees and associates, and bar you and your families from the United States.’ And then the muchremarked punchline: ‘You have been warned.’
This missive is an outright rejection of international law. There are only 12 signatories, Mitch McConnell, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio among them. The sentiments amount to, ‘thuggery befitting the Mafia.’
Those purporting to lead this nation are very little interested in what the rest of the world thinks of America–or even what Americans think of America. Power is all the late-phase imperium has left to rely upon. And power alone in any of its three principal forms–military power, coercion, and bribery–is not fated to define the era that is hard upon us.
The most startling events of the past few months concern what is now a prevalent effort to destroy America’s colleges and universities as independent institutions of higher learning. It is true that the confrontations on American campuses, and may they continue, are not to be taken as the main event. The main event remains the Israeli—U.S. genocide prompting students across the country–and the Western world at this point–to pitch tents and demonstrate in support of the Palestinian cause.
But with these developments bitterly in mind, we should recognize the meaning and gravity of the vicious responses–state and private–to the honorable displays of principle, integrity, and clear thinking we witness on American university campuses. In any imperium’s late phase, all
institutions are required to serve the state and the reigning ideology. We have already witnessed this coerced enlistment in the cases of corporate media, previously independent courts, nongovernmental organizations, and all manner of cultural institutions–book publishers, libraries, museums, and Hollywood studios. Now, it is the turn of the colleges and universities.
In this late phase of decline, no one or no entity is permitted to stand beyond the fence posts in the name of independent thought or free speech. The special gravity of this when tertiary education is the target cannot be overstated. Destroy colleges and universities as sanctuaries of uncircumscribed, purposefully exploratory thought and speech, and you are a good way along to destroy the nation’s intellectual dynamism and so the nation’s future.
What struck me last fall, and keeps on striking me now, are the intrusions of very wealthy donors into questions of academic freedom. This started among University of Pennsylvania graduates, when numerous of them either threatened to withhold donations, or did so because Penn administrators defended academic freedom instead of agreeing to suppress those at the university–students and faculty–who stood against a genocide and in favor of the Palestinian cause.
Wealthy donors declared they will stop supporting their alma mater, if the school’s administrators negotiate with student leaders on the question of divesting endowment funds from companies profiting from Israel’s various atrocities.
We now have money people dictating how institutions of higher learning run themselves: what they teach, how it is taught, what can be said or thought and what cannot. It is beyond unconscionable.
Michael Massing, the writer and journalist, published ‘How to cover the one percent,’ a brilliant piece on the fraud of ‘disinterested philanthropy, in The New York Review of Books back in 2016. There is no such thing as disinterested giving, he argued with plenty of evidence. Leaving private wealth to support institutions in the public sphere–universities, museums, public broadcasting, what have you–is, at bottom, a way of controlling public discourse–and so a method of political, social and ideological control.
A few commentators remarked, as Israel—U.S. genocide proceeded that Israel would prove the downfall of the West. The principles by which it, the West, purported to live, its old, old claim to global superiority: backing the hideous apartheid state would leave all this a shambles. And now it is plain. Law, language, free thought, knowledge: In all such spheres, Israel is taking down what is called the liberal order. One cannot be altogether surprised: The state of Israel was an unworkable fallacy, founded on cruelty and intolerance from the start.
‘But the utility of intelligence is admitted only theoretically, not practically,’ Bertrand Russell wrote 102 years ago in ‘Free Thought and Official Propaganda.’ ‘It is not desired that ordinary people should think for themselves because it is felt that people who think for themselves are awkward to manage and cause administrative problems’.”
Send comments, criticisms & suggestions to jomosanga@gmail.com
Opinion V The Onus
IN THIS TIME when people have descended to a dogeat-dog mentality, the onus lies on each of us to bear our own cross and burden, and the heavy load that feels like tons of steel and bricks.
I have seen the crowded road of a rat race of individualism, self- centredness and reckless behaviour. This road that we walk on leads to a downward spiral of death and destruction, chaos and warmongering. The time is tense, critical and crucial; it is rippling with tension and nervousness.
Never before have I seen such disarray in my country as it advances in building humongous concrete structures. At the same time, it has declined in morality, integrity and empathy as it moves from the core values that the founding fathers have set, when they battled to survive amidst the adversities of colonialism, and the wicked lashes of imperialism.
A False Perception
The concept and ideals of community has left us in the shadow of a doomsday and with a surge of melancholy for tomorrow. The majority black population of this country has been sidetracked; they neglect the purpose and benefits of unity and self-reliance, and instead rely on some foreign entity to provide goods and services for them, never asking, what can we do for ourselves?
The reptilian-like leaders have given us the
false perception that we are advancing, while we continue to experience extreme squalor and degeneracy around us. They make it look as if we are going upward, while we are going downward; it is a false hope and a diversion if not an illusion.
Even though the youth has achieved academic success, many of them are sucking salt, wandering in a daze the consequence of drinking “strong rum”. Oh, I pity the youth who have no knowledge of their history, i.e. from whence they came. Hence, they believe in the facades presented to them by misleading, diabolical leaders because they lack a strong mind and spirit, and have little aspirations as they look for an easy way out.
Madness
As we celebrate carnival, we can see the inherent madness. Our culture has lost its true essence and what it is supposed to represent.
We can see the debauchery and vulgarity in carnival. Yes, someone is profiting off the ignorance of the people.
The soca artiste has sung it numerous times, “that this is madness!” Even the van drivers and their conductors are examples of this madness as they hustle to compete with each other … to see who can out-do the other.
And Kingstown is in a frenzy. While the mini bus operators hustle to make a dollar, the traffic police try to keep things in order. But they too hustle to make a dollar for the fledging State by issuing traffic violation tickets for the mini bus operators. Cries can be heard from the commuters, telling the police officers to give the man a chance. Yes, the woes and cries of the grimacing faces are unavoidable… they are all around.
Carden Michael zeelion44@gmail.com
BerylÊs doing: Some rather interesting sights
Some things were simply toothpicks in Beryl’s
Maybe tomorrow
path.
A welcome sign (left) for a thirsty man and hundreds more.
Beryl might have considered this emergency equipment to be her enemy. She took it apart.
Cows ruminating over the loss of their pasture. “Leggo Season” came early.
I’ll turn it back on its wheels and be on my way. Thanks Beryl.
Nature never fails to amaze – no leave but the tree stands erect.
Lower Bay, Bequia, just after Beryl made her exit.
‘This is how we do it... J’Ouvert style’ – the 2024 presentations of J’Ouvert fanatics.
Queen of J’Ouvert 2024 - ‘Me knee cock ha real balls’ came out on top after fierce competition from a number of other females.
Below: Veteran J’Ouvert competitor Aubrey ‘Ras Boo’ Burgin gave his take on the recent Police Walkabouts.
Top Individual of J’Ouvert 2024 – ‘Ah cute reef-fur-al horse-pee-tail coming’ was a favourite with the small crowd of patrons.
FOR OUR READERS who felt cheated by our exclusion of coverage last week of the Traditional J’Ouvert component of Vincymas 2024, we are pleased to offer this feature, albeit pictorial, of that event.
Sadly, we must report that this year the Traditional J’Ouvert component, which has been showing signs of diminishing participation over the recent past, involved only one band from which all individual
‘D Bad John getting arrested’ was another crowd favourite as it played on the exploits of controversial calypsonianZion I.
contestants were presented. That band was J’Ouvert Fanatics, a fixture on the J’Ouvert agenda for well over two decades and led by Cecil ‘Ced’ Mc Kie, a former
‘Cricket Lovely Cricket’ –walked away with the top prize for the Couples category.
It will take a catastrophe of immense proportions to keep Cecil ‘Ces’ Mc Kie out of a Traditional J’Ouvert competition.
‘Wife-E and Mate-T’ was an overwhelmingly popular presentation on a recent revelation, and copped title in the Groups category.
Minister of Culture. They must be commended for their dedication to preserving and advancing this unique expression of our ‘Vincentianess’.
In effect, J’Ouvert Fanatics competed against itself this year and in the process captured all the top places in the various categories of competition.
ÂMadzartÊ does it all
RAEON ‘MADZART’ PRIMUS
dethroned defending monarch Lornette ‘Fya Empress’ Nedd to capture the 2024 National Calypso Monarch title on Sunday, July 7, at Victoria Park.
Known moreso for his exploits in the ragga and power soca genres, ‘Madzart’ was appearing in his first National Calpyso Monarch final.
He had his debut campaign in the calypso arena in 2009 but having failed to make it into that year’s final, he retreated to his comfort zone, soca, though he said sometime later, he was not going to be “locked into any one genre.”
In an interview with THE VINCENTIAN following his victory, ‘Madzart’ revealed that the idea for his winning song, ‘Contours’, came while he was in his garden.
“I was in my garden and paying attention to the
topography of the land and the impression of the furrows that farmers use to plant their produce many years ago. The farmers refer to the furrows as contours,” he explained.
“The inspiration of the song comes from an agricultural perspective but the song was executed from a geographical perspective,” said the versatile artiste.
He admitted that he felt he stood a good chance of winning the competition with his song that was produced by Joshua Lewis and Andrez Bascombe.
“I knew the song had all the elements of calypso and many of the calypsonians who I trust on judging calypso were giving me encouragement. ‘Abijah’ is my favorite calypsonian (and) when he heard the song, he was very motivating and that encouraged me,” the newly crowned king shared.
Ironically, he pushed ‘Abijah’ into second place in
the competition.
When the results were announced he said that he was happy since he had always wanted to add to his previous crowns.
“I felt contented because calypso is very hard. You have to sing like nobody heard your song before and it’s harder than soca. I also put pressure on myself because every time I performed the song I added new verses or made changes to the old ones,” the King said.
He did not forget to highlight the support and input of Carlton CP Hall, three times calypso monarch. “He was my coach,” added the new calypso king. By winning the Calypso Monarch title, Raeon ‘Madzart’ Primus created history by becoming the first artiste to win each of the major competitions for calypso/soca — Ragga Soca, Power Soca, Road March and Calypso Monarch. (KH)
Raeon ‘Madzart’ Primus is all smiles as he is crowned Calypso Monarch 2024 by CDC Chairman Ricardo Adams.
Grammar School – a symbol of pride and scholarship for nearing 116 years.
IF THE MEMBERS OF THE ‘BROTHERS’ CLUB OF 70 needed any nudging as to who they owe their life to, Hadyn Marshall gave a reminded at the Kingstown Gospel Hall last week Friday morning.
Marshall is Commended Worker within the Gospel Hall Ministry and
ÂItÊs about pleasing God,Ê Marshall
organized a Thanksgiving Service as part of a celebration for students who entered the St. Vincent Grammar School in 1965. That put them presently into the 70-year0old group.
Marshall pointed to the importance of giving thanks. “When you are thankful, you give to God the glory,” Marshall indicated.
He admitted that “simply for being alive, God has kept us,” and “that amounts to blessings we can count.
Marshall noted that humans “take credit for achievements,” and “blame God for our failures.,” and urged “We need to recognize God and thank Him,” for “without God, you can do nothing.”
In that light, “We thank God he has gifted us… allowing us to excel,”
Sam rallying Grammar School ÂOld BoysÊ
us.”
Keen on maintaining the legacy, he beckoned, “We have to do it.”
A prayer from Joel Jack, testimonies from Cleve Lewis and Maxwell Charles, reflected the impact the school has had. Ken De Lecia and Garth Williams read scriptures, and everyone joined in the singing. All those named are ‘Old Boys’.
That spirit of Thanksgiving continued at the Sunset Shores later that evening.
By the time the celebrations reached Mt. Wynne, the number of Old Boys included: Wain Iton, Will Iton, Michael Ollivierre, Francis Williams, Cleve Lewis, Bernard Marksman and Francis Etienne.
There is no uniformity about its membership; some have passed 70, others are fast approaching that benchmark.
Marshall reasoned and encouraged the gathering and people generally “to avoid being boastful.”
“It is not about pleasing people. It is about pleasing God. If you are thankful, you are going forward.”
COLIN SAM, HEADMASTERof the St. Vincent Grammar School is encouraging past students — ‘Old Boys’ - to reflect on the School song, and make diligence a hall mark of the foundation. Sam sees the school song, ‘Per Aspera ad Astra’, (through rough ways to the stars) as encompassing a lifelong lesson.
Sam called on the ‘Old Boys’ to bring their experience to bear on the institution.
He made the appeal at a Thanksgiving Service on Friday July 12, arranged by Brothers Club of 70.
Sam projected towards the 116th anniversary of the School’s existence marked for September 23and expressed the hope that ‘Old Boys’ can see what ways they can “give back to
Other members include: Ken Browne, Milton Browne, Garfield Palmer, Patrick Sutherland, John Anderson, Adrian Saunders, Ian Hypolite, Hadyn Marshall, Cornel Ferris, Bernard DaSilva, , Ronnie Child, Douglas Slater, Wesley Millington, Keith Boyea and William Anthony. Sebastian ‘Bassy’ Alexander secured membership by virtue of experience, and he and pianist Brenton Bailey added to spirit of the re-union.
The spirit of togetherness is so profound that members are hopeful that the bond leads to genuine spill over at their alma mater.
Stories by: (WKA)
Marshall, regarded as the baby in that Class of 1965, confessed about his shyness and height, and attributes his meeting Jesus as the turning point in his life.
His advice is to show discipline, courage and confidence.
With the emphasis on 70, a pivotal part of human life, Marshall urged listeners to “Go with an attitude of gratitude: and Let the rest of me, be the best of me.”
SPECIFIC PROCUREMENT NOTICE Request for Bids (Goods)
SVGCARTCP-G-RFB-3: Goods (IT equipment) for Implementation of the Customs Single Window
Country: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Name of Project: Caribbean Digital Transformation Project
Credit No.: IDA-66910
1. The Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Caribbean Digital Transformation Project and intends to apply part of the proceeds toward payments under the contract for Goods (IT equipment) for Implementation of the Customs Single Window.
2. The Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Information Technology now invites Bids from eligible Bidders for the supply, installation and commissioning of electronic equipment including server racks, desktop computers, printers and scanners for various government agencies.
3. Bidding will be conducted through international competitive procurement using a Request for Bids (RFB) as specified in the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers”, dated September 2023 (“Procurement Regulations”) and is open to all eligible Bidders as defined in the Procurement Regulations.
4. Interested eligible Bidders may obtain further information from the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Information Technology, by sending their request to the email addresses: wgeorge@gov.vc ssutherland@svgcpd.com ctoby@svgcpd.com msheen@gov.vc office.finance@gov.vc
5. The bidding document in English language may be requested by interested Bidders upon the submission of a written application to the email addresses in paragraph 4 above. The document will be sent via email.
6. Bids must be delivered to the address provided below in paragraph 9, on or before 26th August, 2024 at 10:00 am. Electronic Bidding will be permitted. Late Bids will be rejected. Bids will be publicly opened in the presence of the Bidders’ designated representatives and anyone who chooses to attend at the address below on 26th August, 2024 at 10:30 am.
7. All Bids must be accompanied by a Bid Security of XCD 37,360 OR USD 14,000.00.
8. Attention is drawn to the Procurement Regulations requiring the Borrower to disclose information on the successful bidder’s beneficial ownership, as part of the Contract Award Notice, using the Beneficial Ownership Disclosure Form as included in the bidding document.
9. The address referred to above is: Postal Address
Attention: Mr. Edmond A. Jackson Director
General,
Finance and Planning Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Information Technology Bay Street 2nd Floor, Administrative Building Kingstown St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Colin Sam, headmaster of the St. Vincent Grammar school, is hopeful that the class of the 1965 entrants would give back to the institution.
The crest of the St. Vincent
Antigua News: Independent MP sworn in as Minister
ONE DAYafter addressing the Antigua and Barbuda parliament to explain why he was leaving the opposition United
Progressive Party (UPP) and declaring himself an independent member of parliament, Anthony Smith was sworn in
as that country’s Minister for Agriculture, Land, Fisheries and the Blue Economy, in the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party led government.
On July 17, Smith was allowed by the Speaker of the House to address parliament to give his reason(s) for resigning as a member of the opposition UPP. As he was about to begin his address, the Opposition members walked out of the parliament, returning only when Smith had finished his address. The opposition had earlier objected to the Speaker granting Smith the opportunity to address the Parliament.
Despite the opposition’s absence, Smith proceeded with his statement. He said, “When someone has a different political view than you, it does not mean that that person is your enemy. And to the good members of the United Progressive Party, when persons support the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party, it does not mean that that person is your enemy.”
Smith added, “the United Progressive Party that I joined four years ago, it is not the same United Progressive Party today.”
Addressing his constituents, Smith apologized to those hurt by his decision but emphasized, “I had to take what was the best decision in the best interest of the people of All Saints West and the people of Antigua and Barbuda.”
He also asserted that “their [the UPP’s] wicked plans to end my political career have failed miserably.”
The Opposition MP’s returned immediately after Smith’s speech which was met with a standing ovation from the ruling party’s representatives.
Smith, a newcomer to politics, had submitted his resignation letter to the UPP’s General Secretary on July 15, citing “a misalignment of values that cannot be reconciled.”
The young businessman turned politician had caused questions to resurface about the leadership of the UPP after he sharply criticised party leaders for their handling of the leadership race early this year. He stated that he felt he was marked for challenging current UPP Chairperson D Gisele Isaac and supporting Richard
Lewis, as highlighted in a leaked endorsement letter signed by all UPP MPs.
With this recent development, Antigua and Barbuda’s political landscape has seen a significant change as former opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Anthony Smith, became the first Independent MP to join the executive.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne expressed his confidence in Smith’s capabilities during the swearing-in ceremony.
Smith stated that he was totally committed to making a significant contribution towards the advancement of his constituents and the people of Antigua and Barbuda in general.
Browne also suggested that Smith’s previous political environment was detrimental to his growth, describing it as “toxic” and hindering his development. He commended Smith for seeking greener pastures to better serve his constituents.
Addressing his decision, Smith emphasized the importance of national development, acknowledging that while some people may be hurt by his choice, he was elected to serve and lead the people of All Saints West and Antigua and Barbuda as a whole.
This unexpected political shift poses questions about the changing dynamics within Antigua and Barbuda’s political landscape and the potential implications for both the government and opposition moving forward. (Source: LOOP News, DNO)
Anthony Smith taking his oath office as he is sworn in as a Minister of Government. (Photo source: Dominica News Online)
New independent MP Anthony Smith (5th from right) with wife Tiffini MillerSmith (to his right), and members of the ABLP Cabinet. (Photo Source: Antigua Observer)
Give her a chance
Dear George,
MY GIRLFRIENDtook me home to meet her family for the first time and it was clear that they didn’t take to me. On introducing me, I extended my hand to both of them but neither of them shook my hand. It was obvious they were not expecting me.
Her mother took her to a nearby room and I could her when she told her to go back and drop me where she picked me up from. Her father did not initiate any conversation with me but just sat there pretending to be cleaning his glasses.
I was angry more than I was embarrassed. I asked her father to excuse me and I left the house.
My girlfriend tried to convince me to ignore her parents, reminding me that I was not marrying them but her. However, I do not feel comfortable with this whole thing and I chose to let myself out from the relationship. Is she right to be saying I’m marrying her and not her parents
which is why I should stay?
Burning With Anger
Dear Burning With anger,
It appears that your girlfriend did not prepare her parents for a meeting with you. This could account for their cold reception. But nothing could excuse their rather rude and uncouth response to you.
Yes, you are not marrying them but it is still very important to have both sets of parents on board with the relationship.
Give her time to try to win her parents over. Let them get to know you, and you may be surprised how this could all work out in the end.
A case of strings attached
Dear George,
I WAS PLANNING to buy a car for my wife for her 39th birthday, and our 11th anniversary, but I got the shock of my life one week before anything could happen. My wife came home in a brand new car saying she wanted to surprise me on our anniversary. She explained that her boss had lent her the money as a gift for our anniversary, allowing her to repay in manageable installments. This is the same boss about whom she complained was
making passes at her.
I asked her gently to return the car explaining that the car was meant for her not us; that there were strings attached to the ‘favour’.
She refused, with the rebuff that I was too controlling and if she returned the car that was the end of our marriage.
George, please tell me if you can figure out what is going here. Am I the only one who is thinking the obvious?
State of Disbelief
Dear State of Disbelief,
Your wife cannot be that naive to think her boss would be that accommodating without attaching strings, especially after expressing interest in her.
She should listen to you on this one. You may have to spoil the surprise you are planning and let her in on your little car secret. There needs to be a conversation on this. Make use of the services of a relationship counsellor if you have to.
George
Count your losses
Dear George,
I AM IN Asituation where I may have to call out my co-worker for stealing but do not know how to do it.
I got to the office about five minutes after her. We were the only ones there for just under one hour. I left my bag on my desk and went to the bathroom. When I got back my money, $200.00, was missing from the bag.
I know she was going to say she had nothing to do with the missing money which was why I didn’t say anything to her then. But, it is bothering me and I know I’m not going to feel better until I talk to her
about it. I do not want this to cause tension at the office between us but at the same time, I cannot pretend none of this ever happened.
To Do or Not to Do
Dear To Do or Not to Do,
It APPEARSthat you are absolutely sure about the money being in your bag and the most likely person to have interfered with it. You should have
talked about it there and then and even considered a search. Given what transpired instead, I see no point in making a stink about it now.
You may have to suck up this one, but commit to be more careful in the future, now that you know your work environment is not what you may have thought it was.
George
George
Leisure
ARIES (Mar. 21- April 20)
It’s doubtful anyone will try to stand in your way or cut you off at the pass this week. Expect to have problems with the ones you love. New romantic partners will evolve through group endeavors; however, the association may not be likely to last. You can make rewarding connections through the organized groups you associate with.
TAURUS (Apr. 21- May 21)
Your ideas are right on the mark and your work commendable. Your honesty will not only win you points but also respect. You need to concentrate on your business ventures more than on your relationship this week. 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)
Channel your energy into passionate interludes with your lover. Ideas may sound good, but be careful if people are just looking for handouts. Don’t let your health suffer because of abuse. You can make drastic changes in your professional direction this week.
CANCER (June 22-July 22)
Use discrimination and play hard to get. You can get your point across and make valuable connections. Don’t hesitate to sign up for creative courses or physical fitness programs. You will be too quick to point your finger at your mate.
LEO (July 23-Aug 22)
You may want to put your creative thinking cap on. Don’t confide in any relatives whom you know have a tendency to meddle in other people’s affairs. Make changes that will enhance your appearance and entice potential partners. Generosity will put you in the poorhouse.
VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23)
You might not be as reserved on an emotional level as you’d like. You are in a high energy, get it all done, mood and you’ll have little patience with those who are slacking off. You could easily lose your temper at work. Don’t
push your opinions or ideas on others. Don’t forget to let your mate know how much you care.
LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23)
Partnerships may be strained if one of you has been erratic and hard to deal with. Don’t start a dispute unless you’re prepared to accept irreversible results. Be careful not to come on too strongly. New projects may lead you into a dead end.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22)
You will be best suited to doing things around the house or inviting friends over for a visit. Go out with friends. Do something constructive outside. Camping, swimming, and biking expeditions should all be considered.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21)
Don’t jump into investments too quickly. You’ll be surprised how much you can accomplish. Take time to do something nice for yourself. You will back yourself into a corner if you are baited and your stubbornness will only make matters worse.
CAPRICORN (Dec 22.- Jan. 20)
You will easily blow situations out of proportion. Stomach problems could prevail if you haven’t been watching your diet. Your ideas may be a little ahead of their time; don’t push them, instead just continue working on development. Take time to do some writing, whether it’s correspondence, poetry, or keeping a journal.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 21.- Feb. 19)
Family talks may get a little combative. Do a little extra work at home. You can make new friends who could turn into intimate connections if you join clubs or take creative courses. Be prudent and don’t be led down the garden path.
PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20)
Insincere gestures of friendliness are likely to occur. Refrain from using the highway as a racetrack. Try to take care of the needs of those you love. Be cautious handling tools, machinery, or dangerous objects.
5. Standoffish 10. Vicinities 12. Sweetie-pie 14. Postage item 15. Novice doctors 17. __ Tac (mint) 18. Marsh grasses
20. One Gabor 21. Until now 22. Gambler’s notes 23. Produced eggs
24. Peaks (abbr.)
25. Crux
26. Sautés
28. Hoaxes
29. Permits 30. Guide 31. “Easy __, easy go”
32. Like milled wood
33. Lunch counter letters
36. Duo count
37. Acrobatic trick
38. Asia’s neighbour (abbr.)
39. Dieter
41. Ahead of time 43. Surface a road again
44. Deli pickles 45. Tag 46. “__ we forget”
1.Rash 2. Musician Shaw
Respond
Scottish topper 5. Parisian farewells 6. Advances
7. Granola ingredients
8. Miner’s paydirt
9. Rifle, for one 11. Pixies
13. Is jealous of 16. Unhappy 19. Vast ages 23. Cargo 24. Small part 25. Intoned 26. Tulip, e.g. 27. Do a room over
28. Stitched 30. __ wreath (crown)
31. Middle (abbr.)
32. Actor McQueen
33. Comic Milton
Calms
Rendezvous
Skinned-knee sight
SVG confirms Paris Olympics team
ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES will be represented at the 2024 Paris Olympics by two track athletes and two swimmers.
The track athletes are Handal Roban and Shafiqua Maloney; the swimmers are Alexander Joachim and Kennice Greene.
Roban is the St. Vincent and the Grenadines all time Men’s 800m record holder, as well as the national indoor 600, 800 and 1000m record holder.
While he will make his Olympic debut in Paris, the 21-year-old Roban’s resume includes participation in the 2021 World Athletics Championships in Nairobi, Kenya; the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England and the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
Unlike Roban, this is Maloney’s second Olympics;
she was part of the 2020 edition, held in Tokyo, Japan in 2021. She also contested the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregona, USA.
Maloney, 25, is a multiple record holder for St. Vincent and the Grenadines. She holds in her grasp the Women’s 400m, 800m and 1500m outdoor records, and is part of the national 4 x 400m quartet that also holds the national record in that event.
In addition, Maloney is the national indoor 800m record holder.
Like Roban, this is the first Olympics for Joachim and Greene.
The 21-year-old Joachim has multiple national records. These include the 50 and 100m Freestyle, the 50 and 100m Butterfly, the 50m Breaststroke, and the 200m Individual Medley. Greene, 17, holds both St.
(L-R): Kennice Greene and Alexander Joachim will join in an Olympic pool for the first time.
Vincent and the Grenadines as well as OECS records, in a several events, among these being: the national 100m freestyle and 50m butterfly and the OECS (13-14 years) 5om freestyle.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, that officially opens July 26, Roban and Maloney will compete in
Two swimmers at World Youth Championships
Scarlett Hadley and Isaiah Blackett will compete against the best in the world. (Photo Source: SVGSA)
SAILORS
SCARLETT HADLEY
and Isaiah Blackett began their participation at the Youth World Championships last Monday, July 15. They were expected to compete in nine races over five days and unlike other sports where the competitors have heats, Hadley and Blackette will be pitted in every race against the best in the World.
A press release from the St.
the 800m in their respective genders. Joachim and Greene swim in the 50m events, in the men and women’s categories, respectively.
Maloney resets national 400m records
The Calliaqua Bay served up ideal conditions for the Regional Race Clinic. (Photo Source: SVGSA)
Vincent and the Grenadines Sailing Association (SVGSA) said that the two left for Italy last weekend. The Championships are set for Lake Garda in that Western European country.
As far as their preparation was concerned, it included an intensive 7-day Race Clinic in St. Vincent, funded by the SVG Olympic Committee.
They were coached by Olympic Coach Rob Holden, sailing out of Coconut Grove Beach Club, the perfect headquarters for the
training. This groundbreaking race clinic, the first of its kind in the region, brought together young sailors from Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada.
This collaboration underscores SVG Sailing Association’s commitment to promoting sailing excellence and supporting young sailors in their quest for international success, we are stronger together, the press release said.
Persons desirous of following the races live can do so by downloading the free ‘Trac Trac’ app. (Source: SVGSA)
AHEAD OF HER SOJOURNto the Paris Olympics next month, Vincentian Shafiqua Maloney prepped for her global challenge, when she set a new meet record and broke her St. Vincent and the Grenadines record in the 400m. Her record-breaking performance came last Sunday, July 14, 2024, at the 35th International staging of the ‘Sport Solidarieta’ held at the G. Teghill Stadium in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy.
Maloney’s 50.53s beat Jamaica’s Stephenie-Ann Mc Pherson into second place. Mc Pherson’s time was 51.51s, with Ama Pipi of Britain clocking 52.17s, to complete the podium finishers.
The meet record of 50.80s was set by Barbadian — Sada Williams in 2023. In addition, Maloney erased the St. Vincent and the Grenadines mark of 50.75s, which she set earlier this year.
Maloney, who qualified for the 400m and 800m at the Paris Olympics, chose to compete in the 800m at the global event.
Maloney is set to compete on August 2, the first round one of the Women’s 800m, at the Stade de France.
The Paris Olympics runs from July 26 to August 11, 2024.
Handal Roban – Olympics debutant.
Shafiqua Maloney competes in her second Olympics.
Windwards School Games cancelled
THE TOP MALEand female school sportspersons will have to wait for another year to showcase their talent on a regional circuit, as this year’s CBN/WINLOTT Windward Islands School Games have been cancelled.
The Games were scheduled to be held in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and scheduled to run from July 27 — August 3, 2024, with competition in Track and Field and Volleyball - Male and Female; Basketball and Football - Male; and Netball, female.
A release from Cabinet stated that due to the current conditions in the country, and resources being used in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, Cabinet has taken the decision to cancel the hosting of the 2024 School Games.
Khalil Cato, Admin Officer 2, responsible for PR and Media in the Sports Division which shares the responsibility of co-ordinating the Games, in giving his Division’s response to the cancellation said inter alia, “…we now have to go back to our usual
summer plan which is to run our usual summer training programme in different communities around the country. This will give opportunities to not just the secondary schools athletes but primary schools as well, to get involved in some kind of sporting activities, especially the athletes who were to have been on the Windward Islands team.”
Cato took the opportunity to appeal to the school athletes to get into their training regimens “because September is right around the corner and for the first term in schools, we have the inter-schools primary and secondary football, netball and table tennis. They don’t have to wait until school starts to do their training or some kind of work to start preparing for these different games.”
Those who stick to their training regimen will be ahead when competition time comes around, Cato declared.
Walvaroo FC: New TBPO football champion
WALVAROOFC are the champions of the 2024 CARIB Top Belair Progressive Organisation (TBPO) Ni ne-A-SIDE Football.
They became the new champions, defending Champion Grove City
Catalans having been relegated to playing for third place, when they trounced Experience One of Bum Bum, Cane Hall, 6-2 in the final played last Sunday in front of a large crowd at the Dauphine Playing Field.
Chad Haynes netted four goals for the new champions, and captain Dorian Dallaway converted the other two.
Jahvin Sutherland and Raeon Bradshaw converted a goal each for Experience One.
Walvaroo City received a trophy and $2000.00 for copping the title, 2nd placed Experience One collected a trophy and $1000.00 and third placed Catalans a trophy and $750.00.
Kahlil Cato Admin Officer 2/Sports Division, pointed to his Division resorting to their traditional summer plan to fill the void occasioned by the cancellation.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines finished in the last position in the 2023 Games which was the first edition following a hiatus of three years because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
I.B.A. ALLEN
Fourth placed Dream FC was denied their prize monies after they failed to turn up for their 3rd place Play-Off match against Catalans.
Hill Top Ballers won a Trophy for being the Most Disciplined Team in Championship.
I.B.A. ALLEN
Mc Donald gains regional
Karate medal
ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES’ lone competitor at the 2024 World Karate Federation Caribbean Karate Federation Championships in Curacao, Aaron Mc Donald, ensured that the country’s historic outing was a success.
This, as Mc Donald finished on the podium, taking bronze in the Male 14-15 Kata.
Held at the Sentro Deportivo Korsou, a multipurpose stadium in Willemstad, July 8 to 14, Mc Donald, who is the St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Under-15 Kata champion, was joint third with Jamaica’s Valentino Evans.
Taking the gold was Peso Polanco of Puerto Rico, with Trinidadian - Landon Batson, silver.
It was the first time the Hairouna Karate Federation (HKF), the governing body for karate in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, was sending a participant to the prestigious championships.
Mc Donald, after his Curacao outing, joined his fellow Vincentian karatekas in Guyana, for participation in the Karate Daigaku World Cup, July 15 to 21.
He was accompanied to Curacao by Adrian Shallow, Coach/Manager.
Aaron Mc Donald medaled on his debut at the 2024 World Karate Federation Caribbean Karate Federation Championships.
Experience One were outclassed in the final but should feel satisfied with their second place.
Walvaroo FC – proud and overwhelming champions of TBPO Nine-A-Side football.
Sports V
Youngsters on parade
VINCENTIANS, cricket lovers wherever you are from, once you are in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, you can see what the future of West Indies Cricket is like. The first three rounds were completed yesterday Thursday leaving way for the Group deciders marked for Saturday July 20 and Sunday 21. Matches are scheduled for Arnos Vale, Sion Hill and Park Hill.
That clears the way for the 50 over version Tuesday July 23. That features Jamaica and Guyana at Arnos Vale with Windward and Jamaica locked in battle at Park Hill, and Leeward Islands and Trinidad and Tobago squaring off at Sion Hill. Wednesday July 24, persons in the North Leeward district will get a chance to see their home town hero in action for the Windward Islands against Jamaica at Cumberland. Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados will battle each other at Arnos Vale, while Leeward and Jamaica fight it out at Park Hill. Friday 26 sees Windwards and Leewards in the small island clash at Arnos vale. That same day, Barbados plays Jamaica at Park Hill, while Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana will light up the Cumberland facility. Saturday 28 sees Windwards in a showdown with Trinidad and Tobago at Sion Hill, while Guyana and Barbados meet at Arnos Vale and Leewards playing Jamaica at Park Hill.
The competition rounds off July 30 with Guyana against Windwards at Park Hill, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago at Arnos vale and Leewards and Barbados at Cumberland.
The passage of Hurricane Beryl forced changes in the schedule. But everyone remains thankful that there has not been any significant disruption to the tournament.
There is no doubt that sporting faculties nationwide were affected. The recovery process has begun, with need for attention to matters of priority. Road cleaning and ensuring some measures of sustainability form the major pillars of attention.
A matter of reconstruction and resettlement come as natural occurrences, so the population has served as a moment of truth that the region has come face to face with.
This is a time of critical concern. The extent of the impact of the hurricane is still to be assed. And measures and methods of coping with the situation will require depth of character and resolve.
Hurricane Beryl paved the way for the staging of a reunion of some boys who began their secondary education around 1965. With many of them around age 11 at that time, it is interesting to see the level of their comradery 59 years later.
Those boys retain the eagerness of the near teenage vigor they exhibited on entering secondary school. They have progressed over different phases of life. Many of them retain that appetite for sports. They ventured to display that passion when they gathered for the open affair on the Mt Wynne Beach. Many complained of sore muscle after. But they will be pleased to enjoy the pain. There is no gain without pain. And if a sporting exercise makes you just that squeaky, you should do it more often.
CWI U19 Round 2: Leewards lead
FORMERchampions - Leeward Islands, were in the top position after round two of the CWI Rising Stars Under-19 Two-day Cricket Championships, which is being played here.
After the round two matches that ended earlier this week, Leeward Islands were out front with 24.8 points, including 9 bowling points and 2 batting points. Windward Islands were second on 23 with 11 bowling points and 1 batting point. Trinidad and Tobago were in third position on 21, having benefitted from 6 bowling and 3 batting points. Defending champions Jamaica slipped to fourth with 20 points - 7 bowling points and 1 batting point. Barbados occupied the fifth position on 19.4, with Guyana at the bottom on 11.2 points.
All three matches in round two ended in draws, with Leeward Islands, Trinidad and Tobago and the Windward Islands taking first innings honors in their respective matches.
At the Arnos Vale Playing
Field, Leeward Islands had the better of Barbados. The Leewards had scores of 90 and 222 for 9 declared in the respective innings. Tyanick Honore, 81 and Michael Plamer, 64, recorded half centuries in the Leewards’ second innings and Barbados’ Nathan Sealey had a match haul of 7/50.
Barbados had scores of 81 and 223 for 4 with Kyle Jordon scoring 61 in their second innings. Leewards’ Micah McKenzie impressed with a match haul of 8/81.
Windwards took first innings from Guyana at Sion Hill. Windward Islands had scores of 172 and 25 for 3, with Guyana matching with 142 and 111. In a match in which bowlers seem to dominate, Guyana’s Golcharran Chulai had 4/54 in Windwards’ first innings and Windwards’ Kirtsen Murray 4/25 in Guyana’s first innings.
At Park Hill, Trinidad and Tobago got first innings points from Jamaica. Trinidad and
Tobago scored 250 for 9 in their only innings with Andrew Rambaran dominating with 109. Jamaica had scores of 169 for 9 and 97 for 2, Adrian Weir 56 in the second innings. Kirtsen Murray returned figures of 4/25 for the Windwards in Jamaica’s first innings.
I.B.A. ALLEN
No champion declared in Marriaqua T/10
THE INCLEMENCY of the weather on July 7, 2024 meant that not a ball was bowled at the Cane End Playing Field, in the final of the inaugural Hairoun/C- Unique Painters Marriaqua T/10 Softball Cricket Competition.
As such, therefore, the organisers declared no champion of the competition but in a re-scheduled prize-giving ceremony, awarded each finalistFairbaine and Cane End — a cash prize of $1,250,00.
Prior to the downpour, Glenside beat Downstreet by seven wickets, to take the third place.
Scores: Downstreet- 90/1 from their 10 overs; Glenside — 93/3 from 9 overs.
Glenside got the third place trophy and $500.
Downstreet’s Sunil Ambris scored the most runs265, with Lee Neil of Glenside, taking the most wickets- 10.
Meanwhile, Delia Diamond of Glenside was the Female Player of the Competition, with Ne-Ja Shallow, the Under-17 Player of the Competition, and Roderick John of Glenside, the Police Officer of the Competition.
Apart from their trophy awards, they each received a $50 cash prize.
And, Fairbaine’s Glendon James, who scored 212 runs and collected 7 wickets, was named MVP of the Competition. James got a trophy and $100.
Throughout the competition, the MVP of each match was rewarded with tokens from the St. Vincent Brewery.
Ten teams participated in the competition.
Andrew Rambaran – his 109 for Trinidad and Tobago ensured his team earned first innings points over Jamaica.
MVP - Glendon James (left) receives his award from Gledson Guy.
Top Female Player - Delia Diamond (left) gets her prize from Gledson Guy.
Vendor, student shot dead
From Backpage.
way was interwoven into the fabric of our school. During this difficult time, we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and all those who mourn his untimely passing. As a school community, our thoughts and prayers are with them as we all navigate this immense loss,” the statement read.
The homicide count for 2024 now stands at 28.
AI REAL ESTATE
VENDOR, STUDENT SHOT DEAD
by KENVILLE HORNE
TWO MEN were shot and killed on Saturday 13th, in the community of Pole Yard, Arnos Vale, while another man was taken to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH), where he was treated and discharged.
The deceased were identified as Jomarl John, a 30-year-old vendor, and 17-year-old Jason St. Rose, a student of the St. Vincent Grammar School. both residents of Pole Yard.
Sixty-three-year-old Sylvanus Matthias sustained gunshot injuries to the leg.
In its first release in relation to this incident, the Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) said it was investigating the double homicide.
“Preliminary investigations have revealed that on July 13, 2024, Jomarl
John and a 63-year-old retiree (former security guard) were at a business place in Pole Yard when an unknown mask gunman entered and opened fire.
Both John and the retiree were shot and John was pronounced dead at the scene. The retiree was taken to the Kingstown Hospital, where he was treated and discharged,” said the police press release.
The release further noted that the 17-year-old student was shot at a location a short distance from the business place and was also pronounced dead at the scene.
One resident in the community told THE VINCENTIAN that two hooded gunmen took advantage of the darkness of the community that is without electricity, to carry out their murderous act.
The elderly male resident who requested anonymity for fear of a reprisal attack said that in all his life he never expected the country to be in such a sad state.
“The criminals are running the country red and it’s like the country do not have police or a minister for security. I have two children and it is a good thing they don’t live in this country anymore,” said the resident.
Jomarl John’s girlfriend, Curtisha Simmons, said Jomarl was her boyfriend of six years and she was devastated by his death. She said that she was inside the house where they shared while he was in a shop adjoining the house. She said that she heard the sounds of gunshots and feared the worst.
Simmons said that Jason was found face down at the back of the shop and he appeared to have been shot in his
shoulder, in his ear and temple, while her boyfriend was shot multiple times in his head and throat.
As far as she was aware, Jomarl was not in any dispute with anyone and she was puzzled as to why he was killed.
The bereaved girlfriend said that both Jomarl and Jason were very good friends and it was Jomarl who looked out for Jason in his time of needs.
Meanwhile the St. Vincent Grammar School paid tribute to Jason on the school’s Facebook page.
“There are simply no words that can appropriately express the shock and sadness in the St. Vincent Grammar School Community when one of our own, Jason St. Rose, has been taken
away from us so violently. This is a tragedy that impacts each and everyone of us as Jason in his own
Continued on Page 23.
Jason St. Rose
Person looks in on the place in Pole Yard where Jomarl John was shot.
Jomarl John