THE VINCENTIAN PDF - 08-03-24

www.thevincentian.com

Priest cleared of charges Page 4

New LIAT in two months Page 10

Minumum Wage Bill Pages 15-30

Commissioner for a day Page 36

Grenadians set home Page 44

CARICOM TO REMOVE SIX-MONTH STAY:

ANTIGUA DISSENTS

PRIME MINISTER OF BARBADOS, Mia Mottley, during the closing news conference of the 46th regular meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government, held in Guyana from February 25–28, 2024, announced that the leaders had made the decision on Wednesday that they were on track to implement this action by March 31, 2024.

This decision follows on a deadline that was established to conclude the process of enabling the free movement of CARICOM nationals, at the July 2023 Heads of Government Meeting convened in Trinidad and Tobago.

Prime Minister Mottley elaborated: “There was just two policy issues referred to heads for us to settle and they will meet on the seventh of

Right: Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, took the lead in presenting the CARICOM heads decision at the at the closing press conference on Wednesday 27th February, 2024.

(Source: Guyana Times)

March, the legal affairs committee will sign off on the draft [on the] 8th of March; and the heads of government will meet on the 15th of

March with the hope that we can sign off in time for the deadline given in Trinidad of the 31st of March for the free movement of people.”

CARICOM nationals have the privilege to freely travel within

NO FATALITY IN PERUVIAN VALE ACCIDENT

by KENVILLE HORNE

A LARGO HEIGHT MANnarrowly escaped death after the vehicle he was driving went over an embankment in Peruvian Vale. According to information from the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Kevin Lewis, a 40-yearold carpenter, was driving a Toyota Vitz RA-347 about 7 a.m. on Monday, 4th March, along the

Lewis was the only occupant of the vehicle and when police arrived, he was found lying on his back.

“He complained of pain in the neck and lower body. He was

participating nations for engaging in lucrative commercial endeavours under the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), which is

Continued on Page 3.

Peruvian Vale public road in the direction of Argyle, when he lost control of the vehicle, which went over the embankment and into the sea.

Kevin Lewis could count himself lucky.

Left: Dr. Clarence Henry, Antigua and Barbuda Ambassador to the Caribbean Community, helped to justify the position of his government.

St. Vincent Brewery installs a robot

(Editor’s Note: The following is a release from the St. Vincent Brewery. It is carried verbatim.)

OVEREC$2

million has been invested in cementing St. Vincent Brewery Ltd as an industry leader in technology advancement in the manufacturing sector. A few weeks ago, the company installed a Robotic Arm referred to as the Packer Unpacker. The Robotic Arm was installed on the production packing line to remove or unpack empty bottles from crates and pack bottles filled with beverage into empty crates. With the installation of the

industrial robotic arm, the St. Vincent Brewery Limited is expected to reach new levels of safety and productivity through enhanced speed, efficiency and reliability. The production operation of the business was closed for almost 2 weeks to facilitate the installation and the company believes it is worth it.

Plant Manager at the St. Vincent Brewery Limited, Mr. Colin Huskinson expressed that “With the installation of this robot, St. Vincent Brewery continues to be an industry leader in technology advancement in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. I am excited about the opportunities this presents for us as a company. Not only can we expect improvements in productivity and efficiency; there are new opportunities for learning and development for our team in the areas of robotics and automation”.

The Country Manager, Mrs. Shafia London is extremely excited about the installation of the robotic arm at the St. Vincent Brewery Limited.

Mrs. London stated that “the installation of the Industrial Robotic Arm at the St. Vincent Brewery Limited, a company that prides itself on its safety culture will provide improved safety to employees. Most of

the employees have been shifted to work in other areas and the robotic arm will help keep workers safe by executing those tasks that present high risk of injury.”

Mrs. London affirmed that with the addition of the Robot arm at the St. Vincent Brewery Limited, the public can also expect increased efficiency in the production of the preferred brands Vincentians and visitors have grown to love and enjoy.

Industrial robotic arms are one of the most common types of robots in use today. They help businesses boost their competitive advantage and keep costs low by enabling automation of key processes that contribute to enhanced safety for workers, accelerated production, and improved productivity. Robot arms are used in factories to automate the execution of repetitive tasks; they are fast, reliable, accurate and can be programmed to do many tasks in a variety of environments.

The installation of the Robotic Arm presents several benefits to the St. Vincent Brewery Limited including improved efficiency, productivity and enhanced precision. Robotic arms can operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week without fatiguing, allowing the

brewery to keep production, inspections, or other tasks going continuously to increase output. They also perform more consistently and accurately than humans for tasks that require extreme precision or consistency.

The industrial Robot Arm installed at the Brewery is expected to aid in ensuring new safety and productivity levels.

Colin Huskinson, Plant Manager at the St. Vincent Brewery Limited, cites the installation of the robot as the beginning of a new era of learning and development for his team.

No fatality in Peruvian Vale accident

Continued from Frontpage.

transported by ambulance to the Levi Latham Health Centre and then to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital where he is being treated and is reported to be in a stable condition,” police statement said.

A source said that Lewis was involved in an accident last month in which he crashed a taxi in the vicinity of Massy Super Market at Stoney Ground.

“Is a blue Honda van he bin driving for a man and he crash it up Massy. I surprised to hear he in a accident again,” said the source who also hails from Largo Height.

Video clippings of the accident shared on social media showed a number of persons coming together to help in removing Lewis from the wrecked vehicle.

“It is a miracle he survived after falling from so high,” one person commented.

CARICOM to remove six-month stay: Antigua dissents

Continued from Frontpage. governed by the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.

Currently, nationals enjoy the freedom to relocate within the region for a period of six months without any interrogation.

“People have the right to move now for six months without questions. What we are talking about now is removing that

The car went over an embankment and ended up just about where the waves meet the shore in Peruvian Vale ‘beach’.

six-month constraint,” PM Mottley explained.

A dissenting voice

However, there was one dissenting voice.

Antigua and Barbuda did not give its consent to the full free movement of all CARICOM nationals, as is being contemplated by other Member States of CARICOM come March 31st 2024.

In a statement following Prime Minister Mottley’s announcement, the Antigua and Barbuda

Government said, “While Antigua and Barbuda remains committed to the regional integration movement, it continues to balance its limited resources through a process of managed migration which the current CSME skills regime facilitates.”

Ambassador to the Caribbean Community, Dr. Clarence Henry offered some justification for the position saying, “the policy is pragmatic and realistic to avoid dislocation of the indigenous population, protecting jobs, and avoiding exacerbation of our economic/fiscal challenges.”

The Antigua and Barbuda government noted, however, that it will signal its readiness to move towards full free movement of all CARICOM Nationals, “once it is better equipped to adequately accommodate the possible additional inflow of CARICOM Nationals who may intend to reside and work in the country.” (See Editorial for more on this issue.) (Sources: Demerara Waves, Antigua News Room)

The Caribbean Community had long agreed on paper to allow free movement of people across borders, but there were and are still hurdles to overcome.

Tasheca Bacchus, escaped any fine and was instead bonded.

Online con artist bonded

Stories: HAYDN HUGGINS

Tasheca Bacchus, a 26-yearold Arnos Vale woman who created the Facebook page ‘Kidz World’ to receive monies through several dishonest transactions, was bonded and ordered to pay compensation on Monday to those she deceived.

Appearing at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court, Bacchus pleaded guilty to three charges of dishonestly obtaining (by deception), the sums of EC$100, EC$200, and EC$75 from Yasmique Charles of Spring Village, Clyde Gurley of Calder, and Erica Williams of Leeward, respectively, with the intention of permanently depriving them of it.

The offenses were committed against Charles on January 18, against Curly on January 11 and against Williams on January 11.

The facts, presented by Prosecutor Corlene Samuel, showed that on January 4, one Vickie Haywood of Buccament was browsing Facebook when she came across the name ‘Kidz World’. The page had an advertisement seeking persons to help out with deliveries.

Haywood reached out to the page via Facebook Messenger (text message), and stated that she was interested in the job.

The defendant, Tasheca Bacchus responded to Haywood, impersonating as ‘Janice Timm’, whom she claimed was the owner of the business, and employed Haywood.

The defendant solicited the business in the name of the page, as mentioned, and amassed a total of 13 clients. The proposed arrangement was for persons

“He just shoot me,” Grenadian claims

RON MITCHEL, one of three Grenadians suspected of murder, who were ordered by the Court on Monday to be removed from the state, denied wrestling with local police, causing them to shoot him in the foot on January 21.

When Prosecutor Corlene Samuel was presenting the facts on Monday in relation to four immigration charges involving the Grenadians, she told the Court that while the police were trying to place handcuffs on Mitchell in order to apprehend him at Petit Bordel on February 21, Mitchel wrestled with the officers causing them to use force to subdue him.

The Prosecutor did not give details as to the nature of the force used, but Mitchel, in response, told the Court that, “I never wrestle with no officer… he just shoot me in my foot.”

Mitchel, 30, Trevon Robertson, 25, and Atiba Stanislaus, 23, all of Paradise, St. Andrews, Grenada, suspected in the killing of U.S. citizen Ralph Hendry and his common-law-wife Kathy Brandel, were ordered to be removed from the state and sent back to Grenada, after pleading guilty to four charges related to entering the state illegally. (See related story on back page.)

to make a down payment of 50 to 75 percent and pay the remainder when they received the items in three weeks.

The defendant arranged with Haywood to meet with all clients in Kingstown to collect payments on her behalf. This was done on several occasions where Haywood collected monies, and issued receipts to each client. Three of those clients were Clyde Gurley who made a down payment of EC$200 for two children’s sneakers and slippers at a cost of EC$250, Erica Williams who made a down payment of EC$75 for two pairs of children’s slippers, and one pair of slippers, at a cost of EC$140 and Yasmique Charles, who made a down payment of EC$100 for two pair of children sneakers at a cost of ec$200.

The defendant made arrangements with Haywood, purporting to be the owner, and she told Haywood that someone would collect the money from her. This was done on three occasions, at various places in Kingstown.

On receiving the money from Haywood, the defendant gave the false name ‘Rhea’.

After several weeks passed clients began complaining about the non-receipt of items. Haywood got suspicious and reached out to the page. a message came back saying there was a delay and that clients will b so informed.

Another week passed during which Haywood continued to receive complaints from clients.

The page agreed to refund everyone, sent Haywood several pictures of more shoes ordered by different clients, and told her that she should collect money from these people in order to refund the previous clients.

Haywood became suspicious, reported the matter to the police, and investigations were carried out.

Haywood made arrangements with the page and indicated to them that she received payments, and

they must come to collect. The page responded and arrangement were made to meet at a location in Kingstown on March 1 around 9 a.m.

The person who arrived to collect the payments, around 1:50 p.m., was the defendant who had collected all three previous payments.

The police were notified, went to the location, arrested the defendant, and took her into custody. She was cautioned and interviewed on two occasions by the investigator, PC105 Eririco Castello, in the presence of Justices of the Peace Kenneth John and Errol Hazel.

On the first occasion, she volunteered a written statement, but in the second interview, which she requested, she indicated that the first was a lie and volunteered another written statement admitting that as the administrator of the page ‘Kids World’, and two other pages, ‘A more Beauty Collections’ and ‘Shop and Smile’ she used the pages to solicit money from clients and used Haywood to collect the money and hand it over to her.

Bacchus told the Court she had intended to refund the persons on March 1, but she was arrested on that day before she could do so. She assured that she would repay all the money in two weeks or at the end of the month.

While Senior Magistrate Colin John acknowledged the seriousness of the offense, he also considered Bacchus’ guilty plea, that she had no previous convictions, and her explanation to the Court.

The Magistrate ordered that she repay Charles, Gurley and Williams in the sums of what they were deprived of, and ordered her to compensate Gurley by May 18, or three months, and Charles by March 18, or three months. She was also allowed time to repay Williams or three months.

Bacchus was also bonded for three months in the sum of $500 or six months.

Private sentencing requested for child abuser

THE PROSECUTIONand defense have come to an agreement that the sentencing of a 26-year-old Vermont woman, charged with physically abusing her two-year-old daughter, be done in-camera, i.e. in the absence of the public and media.

On January 27, the defendant, Candace John, pleaded guilty to, that on January 20, 2024 at Vermont, having the charge or care of a juvenile, willfully ill-treated that juvenile in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering, contrary to Section 8(1) (b) of the Juvenile Act, Chapter 231 of the Laws of SVG 2009.

The charge was brought following police investigations into the circulation of a video on social media showing a child being physically abused including attempts to suffocate the child by someone who sounded like an adult female.

John’s sentencing was adjourned to Monday, March 4, pending a Social Inquiry Report.

However, when the matter was called, John’s attorney Grant Connell told the Court that based on the nature of the case, and possible ramifications, he was making an application for the sentencing to

be done in-camera.

When Senior Magistrate

Colin John asked Prosecutor Corlene Samuel for her position in relation to an incamera hearing of the sentencing, Samuel said that an in-camera hearing had been her position from the beginning, and Connell finally agreed with her. She said she had no problem with Connell’s application.

Connell also indicated that he was yet to receive a copy of the Social Inquiry Report which had already been prepared.

He requested and was granted an adjournment to March 25. John is on station bail.

Meanwhile, the Court is yet to make a formal ruling on Connell’s application for an in-camera hearing of John’s sentencing.

Priest cleared of sex charges

NIGERIANRoman Catholic Priest Kizito Igwebudul was discharged from the Family Court yesterday (Thursday) on charges of rape and indecent assault, after the case failed to make it pass the Preliminary Inquiry (P.I.) stage.

Family Court President Coleen McDonald upheld a no-case submission by Igwebudul’s attorney Ronald Marks that

there was no evidence, thus far, to support the charges of rape and indecent assault.

Marks made the no case submission yesterday after the Prosecution rested its case, following the testimonies of several witnesses.

Igwebudul was charged with two counts of rape and two counts of indecent assault allegedly committed against a

teenage girl in the latter part of 2023.

The Preliminary Inquiry had commenced at the Family Court in February this year.

Ron Mitchell denied ‘fighting up’ with the police.

Candace John could well escape the eyes of the public and the media when sentencing is handed down by the Magistrate.

CELAC meets – Adopts Declaration

THE 8TH SUMMIT OF CELAC concluded at the Sandals Resort, St. Vincent and the Grenadines on the evening of Friday 1st March, 2024.

In additions to the Heads of State and Government and delegations of the 33 member countries of CELAC, an invitation to the Summit was extended by host St. Vincent and the Grenadines to a number of regional, hemispheric and international organizations, to the UN SecretaryGeneral António Guterres, and a representative of the government of the Peoples Republic of China.

The conclusion of the Summit was marked by the adoption of the “Kingstown Declaration”, a document that maps out the pathway for CELAC going forward.

Toward that end, the document addresses issues of peace, South-South cooperation, reparations, climate change, crime and security, poverty alleviation, food security, migration, and the Cuban blockade, among others.

Dr. Gonsalves addresses Summit

Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of host country St. Vincent and the Grenadines, addressed the gathering.

In his address, he called for establishing a permanent secretariat for CELAC.

“There are functions to be performed by CELAC that cannot adequately be performed with the current structure. I am calling for us to give serious and urgent consideration to a permanent and nimble secretariat for CELAC to carry out his requisite functions,” Dr. Gonsalves stated.

Dr. Gonsalves said CELAC has a roadmap for confronting meaningfully the challenges and encumbrances, burdens, weaknesses and limitations, and from our inherited and existing conditions

“Our draft Declaration of Kingstown, of nearly 100 paragraphs, which I expect to be adopted unanimously today, contains the necessary and desirable pathway in the 12 headings,” Dr. Gonsalves stated.

He highlighted significant projects that were carried out during this country tenure as CELAC pro tempore president. These included: elaboration of the health sufficiency plan; proposal for the establishment of the Latin American and Caribbean centre for the development of science; the platform for food security; the push for enhanced air and sea transport, technology, and innovation; the joint promotion of an environment for open, secure, stable, accessible, and peaceful information and communications technologies.

UN Secretary-General calls for peace

In his address to the Summit, Secretary-General António Guterres called for solidarity for peace and security.

Latin America and the Caribbean, he said, “have shown how uniting for peace is possible — and makes a difference. We have just witnessed it today. The peace process in Colombia has made significant strides, with invaluable contributions from CELAC countries.”

He also referenced the Argyle Declaration for dialogue and peace between Guyana and Venezuela, as another example of the region’s commitment to seek peaceful solutions.

He commended the members of CELAC for their efforts in this regard.

Honduras becomes CELAC pro tempore president. President Xiomara Castro de Zelaya of Honduras said she was honoured to lead CELAC until 2025.

Heads of State and Governments and invited delegations at the 8th Summit of CELAC.

NDP launches National Athlete Programme

(Editor’s Note: The following is a press

Dr. Godwin Friday, Leader of the NDP, described the programme as being akin to the National scholarship programme.

release From the new democratic party. It is carried verbatim)

ON SATURDAY2nd March 2024, the New

Democratic Party (NDP) launched the National Athlete Program, designed to support local athletes to achieve their potential. The launch took place at a Sports Day in West Kingstown. The programme launched by the NDP is designed to offer athletes financial support on an ongoing basis. The NDP has contrasted this with the ULP government’s piecemeal approach to support athletes. This new approach will deliver for

A psychiatristÊs service being discussed

AMIDSTthe challenges

by the state to attract the services of a psychiatrist, an offer has arisen.

Speaking on radio on March 3, Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves said that lawyer Ronald Marks has proposed a candidate for the position.

“And I have sent it to the professionals,” Gonsalves said.

According to the Prime Minister, he was informed that the individual is a Vincentian who was working overseas but was disposed to doing some work here long distance.

However, the efficacy of the arrangement warranted the decision of the professionals, Dr. Gonsalves noted.

The country continues to be without the services of a psychiatrist prompting the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Sejilla McDowall to raise the issue during the closing of the session of the High Court in December last year.

McDowall said that she continued to struggle to deal adequately and expeditiously with cases that involved defendants who demonstrated psychiatric problems, and would have been ordered to undergo psychiatric evaluations before proceeding through the courts.

It was noted during the sitting of the Assizes then that there were as many as 40 mentally ill

people in the prison system, some of whom were awaiting trial.

Admitting that the state had found it difficult to recruit psychiatrists in the past, Dr. Gonsalves confessed that he was saddened when Dr Neha. Singla opted to leave the service.

He added that Singla was not in the service that long when she decided to leave, to take up an offer as lecturer at the Trinity School of Medicine.

She did indicate that she would assist, but Dr. Gonsalves said that he understood that having a full-time job elsewhere would limit the extent to which she would be able to assist.

In the meantime, a number of males especially linger in abeyance on remand, as

Webster Woodley has been awaiting a psychiatric evaluation since he was ordered on remand in 2005, indicating the void in the system.

they await psychiatric evaluations that will determine, in the case of those found guilty, the sentences they would receive, and in the case of others, how their matters would proceed. (DD)

the whole country. The new programme will provide financial support for athletes.

President of the NDP, Honourable Dr. Godwin Friday said, “We are proud to launch our National Athlete Programme today. This programme will create a national programme, similar to the national scholarship program to support local athlete to reach their potential. The ULP has continually neglected to develop our country’s sporting talent. As recent news stories have shown, support to our athletes is unreliable and inadequate. One-off sponsorship of particular athletes is simply not good enough and a new approach is required.”

Fitz Bramble said, “The NDP will deliver that new approach. Our

national athlete programme will ensure promising and outstanding athletes have the ongoing financial support to reach their goals. We want athletes to be able to train, compete and win safe in the knowledge that they have the support needed to achieve their goals. This programme is part of our ongoing commitment to young people, to give them a future, to ensure they can build a life here in SVG.”

Dr. Friday announced that he asked Dwight Fitz Bramble to continue to lead the party’s efforts to develop this policy. Over the coming week there will be a series of meetings with major sports organisations and other groups and people

with interest. The party will develop the policy proposal in more detail and announce later in the year.

Fitz Bramble, MP for East Kingstown, spoke of the programme guaranteeing financial support for Vincentian athletes.

Focus on the Visual Arts

Zen Punnett - A journey of art excellence

brought her to this stage in her development.

by GLORIAH...

ZEN PUNNETT,a visual artist who has become quite adept at mixing her representation between the worlds of realism and abstraction, was featured at the art exhibition hosted by the Youlou Art Foundation on Saturday, 2nd March at the Foundation’s home in Villa.

The artist, who from the very tender age of about three years old was exposed to the production of art pieces through a family member who afforded her the opportunity to dabble in the subject matter, has morphed into a prolific producer of art pieces with a total of about fifteen pieces at last week’s display.

THE VINCENTIAN chatted with the quiet, friendly and deeply rooted young lady about her craft and what

She explained a process that saw her sketching and painting in primary school. She confessed that at that stage she had quietly become an income earner, with persons purchasing her work. “That encouraged me to go along that line with my art. Now, I’ve matured and I think that my passion was created from that childhood experience.”

Zen’s elaboration on the strides she made between her early beginnings and today, highlighted a serious determination to study and understand the practice and productions of well-known artists. Among these she named Gustav Klimut, the Austrian symbolist painter known for his paintings, murals and sketches; Claude Monet, French painter and founder of impressionistic painting who insisted on

painting nature as he saw it; and Freda Kahlo, known for her self-portraits, portraits, artefacts and objects in nature.

These, she was clear, “... profoundly impacted my artistic approach and practice of the arts; and from my meditations, depending on my mood from my experience at that time, I would go and create an abstract, which was a lot more therapeutic for me than doing something that looks like something realistic that you can recognize.”

She was certain that watching these great masters and studying their work inspired her to mix the realism with the abstract. That was how she found her style!

Most of her work is the result of meditation. Depending on her mood, she would visualise ideas based on her personal experiences, sketch them and follow through with abstract creations.

And through time her mantra has become, “Be here, be now.” She explained that, “I want my pieces to capture you in the now; keep you in the moment, like you’re not studying anything. It’s just like you’re enveloped in the art, it captures you there, you lose yourself for that moment, in that now.”

And, her advice to upcoming artists? “Don’t be afraid. Keep creating, keep finding your style. It’d all fall into place when you believe in yourself, when you believe in your art. Be consistent, keep showing up, whether someone will buy your work or not, it’s just that

you’re passionate about it, you love it. It’s freeing to create so keep doing it. Don’t stop!”

She also encourages artists to use social media, to get in touch with local galleries and shops, and just push themselves out there to get known.

Zen Punnett stands amidst two of her abstract paintings – ‘Divine Guidance’ (left) and ‘In Bloom’.

Zen Punnett’s ‘To Market’

‘Sisters’ by Zen Punnett

‘In Full Bloom Without the Moon’

‘In the Garden”

Zen Punnett would say that this is she ‘Landscaping at Night’.

Right: ‘Sunflower Baby’

ECCO Chairman appeals to members: ‘Attend to the affairs of the organization’

percent; Saint Kitts and Nevis 7.7 percent; Commonwealth of Dominica 4.9 percent; Grenada, Cariacou and Petite Martinique 4.7 percent; Antigua and Barbuda 4.6 percent.

In accordance with the protocol of the organization, the current listing of directors of ECCO is detailed as follows:

particularly the consumers of music in the region, to apprise themselves of the work of ECCO, which they do by accessing the ECCO website.

The SVG Situation

speed on their commitments as they related to their adherence to the existing copyright protocols.

ST. LUCIAN DAVID JORDAN,

Chairman, of the Eastern Caribbean Collective Rights Organisation for Musical Rights (ECCO), whose tenure of office ends this year, is appealing to the membership to attend to the affairs of the organization, at the 13th Annual General Meeting (AGM).

The AGM is scheduled for Saturday, March 23rd, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. at the Burke King Conference Room, Sans Souci, Castries, St. Lucia, and via the Zoom platform

In a statement made available to THE VINCENTIAN by Jordan, it describes ECCO as a not-for-profit organization, which represents music writers and publishers as its members, in the Eastern Caribbean. ECCO is headquartered in St. Lucia.

According to the statement, ECCO, as of December 2023, has a registered membership of 917, spread over the Eastern Caribbean. The membership comprises 734 songwriters, of which 153 are female songwriters.

The songwriters in the organization constitute 96.7 percent while the publishers reflect 3.3 percent.

Sixty-six (66) percent of the registered members are from Saint Lucia and the other territories are stratified accordingly: St. Vincent and the Grenadines 9.7

Messrs. Ezra St. Juste, Earl Valmont, and Crispin d’Auvergne (St. Lucia) were appointed in 2023 and are currently in the first year of their first term. They are not due for re-election at the next AGM.

Messrs. Kendell

Eugene, Nigel Nicholas, Bruno Leonce, and David Jordan (St. Lucia) were appointed in December 2021 and are now in the second year of their first term. They are eligible for re-election at the next AGM.

Vaughan Skerritt of Antigua and Barbuda, re-appointed in 2023, is now in the first year of his second term. He is not due for re-election at the next AGM.

Melissa Moses (St. Lucia) and Lancelot Chapman (St. Vincent and the Grenadines), appointed in 2019, are now in the second year of their second term. They are eligible for re-election at the next AGM.

Vernalderine Francis (St. Kitts and Nevis), appointed in 2016, is now in the second year of her third consecutive term. She is not eligible for reelection at the next AGM and must spend one term out before being eligible for election to the Board of Directors.

Currently, vacancies for directors exist in the geographic areas of the Commonwealth of Dominica and the triisland state of Grenada, Cariacou and Petite Martinique.

And in a broader appeal, Jordan urged members of the general public in the Eastern Caribbean and beyond,

In a recent conversation with Lancelot Chapman, this country’s representative on the Board of Directors of ECCO, who confirmed that he will stand for office again, expressed concern that there were lingering challenges in getting major entities in the entertainment and music landscape up to

In real terms, according to Chapman, there were still problems being encountered in getting radio station and promoters to provide logs of their playlists, information that is basic to computing what ‘royalties they should be paying into the ECCO and by extension, what could and should be paid to those who own the rights to the compositions.

Notwithstanding those challenges, Chapman

admitted that the creators and performers of music compositions in particular, including calypsonians, need to pay more attention to the business of the music.

“Until the creators of the music understand the business of their music, they will be disadvantaged in terms of being rewarded for their work,” Chapman said.

In reiterating the appeal of the ECCO Chairman, Chapman called on local members to be part of the upcoming AGM., They can, he reminded, use their phones to log on to and participate in the meeting via zoom.

LIAT 2020 in two months

IF ALL GOES ACCORDING TO PLAN,

LIAT 2020 is expected to start servicing routes in the Caribbean within the next two months.

This optimism was expressed by Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda and the driving force behind the new entity, which is being heralded as a replacement for the defunct regional airline LIAT (1974) Ltd., whose major shareholders were the governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Browne shared his optimism during the 46th regular meeting of CARICOM leaders in Guyana.

LIAT 2020 is being formed in partnership with Air Peace, a private Nigerian airline founded in 2013.

Browne announced that “significant progress” has been made towards the launch of the airline, as the other shareholding governments had agreed to allow Antigua and Barbuda to

purchase three aircraft, part of the LIAT (1974) Ltd. fleet.

Indications are that Antigua and Barbuda will buy three LIAT 1974 Limited aircraft through the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) for $12.1 million. Antigua and Barbuda will deposit $4.1 million to buy the first aircraft soon.

However, as it stands, there has been no confirmation from the CDB about this sale.

CDB took possession of the aircraft after LIAT (1974) Ltd had reneged on a CDB loan made available for the purchase of the aircraft in the first place.

But Browne is unmoved as he made known that his government will be investing around US$25 million in the initiative, and Air Peace will be putting in close to US$65 million.

Together, the total investment in the project will range from US$80 million to US$90 million, Browne estimated.

Notwithstanding what makes for an appreciative investment, the new entity will also have to be granted an operating certificate before it can take to the skies. This is anticipated to be forthcoming within the next two weeks.

In anticipation of all outstanding matters being successfully addressed, Air Peace is said to be making arrangements to send three Embraer 145 charter jets, which should arrive in Antigua and Barbuda within the next two weeks.

If the demand is such that there is a requirement for additional aircraft, Air Peace has already indicated a willingness to send more to the Caribbean.

According to Browne, “From all indications, Air Peace will be a great private sector partner and will bring significant expertise in terms of management of LIAT 2020 and to ensure that we can operate an airline, LIAT 2020, that will be sustainable, profitable.”

This new development, originating and to be headquartered in Antigua and Barbuda, unfolds in the face of the dismissed works of LIAT (1974) Ltd. in that country, still locked in a bitter battle with government for payment of their severance and other entitlements. (Source: CMC, DOL)

Lancelot Chapman, SVG representative on the ECCO Board of Directors.

Air Peace, it is assumed, will make three Embraer 145 charter jets (pictured) available for use by LIAT 2020. (Source: evoJets)

David Jordan, Chairman of Eastern Caribbean Collective Rights Organisation for Musical Rights (ECCO).

If Prime Minister Gaston Browne has his way, LIAT 2020 would take to the skies in two months. (Source: Loop News)

The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Managing Director: Desiree Richards

Editor: Cyprian Neehall

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

Website: www.thevincentian.com

Email: thevincentianpublishing@gmail.com

Mailing Address: The Vincentian Publishing Co. Ltd., P.O. Box 592, Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Editorial

Freedom of movement

IT WAS TRULYan historical decision.

On 4 July 2023, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of CARICOM, the Heads of State of the Caribbean Community announced a bold step towards regional integration. That bold step was a decision to extend freedom of movement to all CARICOM nationals.

This we understood to mean that citizens of the Caribbean community would be able to move freely in the Caribbean Community.

The Heads at the 2023 Meeting demonstrated their commitment to this ‘noble deed’ when they courageously took the decision that they would sign a no-turning-back agreement by March 30, 2024.

And so they did when they met in Guyana for their 46th Regular Meeting, agreeing, first and foremost, to remove the sixty-day limit on a stay of a CARICOM national in another CARICOM territory.

While there is yet to be confirmation, it is assumed that this agreement will pave the way for CARICOM citizens to seek work or family reunification opportunities in other CARICOM countries. Currently, under the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), a few skills are recognized, and a complex process is required to receive and verify a skills certificate, towards finding legitimate employment in a country not of your native birth.

And as for the right to work, it would not be facetious to say that the rather complex process that currently obtains across the region, must be adjusted to reflect the spirit of the protocol and convention that is implicit in a freedom of movement policy decision.

But given what was shared during the closing press conference of the recently concluded Heads 46th Regular Meeting, there are certain policy issues that have to be addressed before a binding agreement can be signed and effected by March 31, 2024.

Pity the government lawyers and the multitude of stakeholders who will be pressed into producing in record time, given the rigidity of time between now and the March 31 deadline, an ironing out of the encumbrances and issues of contention in the current regimes, and to come up with plausible changes to those regimes and recommendations for new regimes altogether.

One of those issues that will have to be addressed, and we understand that CARICOM is doing so, is devising and executing a regional migration policy.

Freedom of movement can be put to good use in accelerating sustainable development and even transforming economies.

But to do so, we must expect that there will be legal pathways to which those who wish to use the facility of freedom of movement, to migrate in search of employment and investment, must adhere.

Then there are the growing concerns around criminal activities and the role of transnational criminal networks involved in the smuggling of weapons, drugs and the smuggling of migrants and trafficking of persons.

It is important to ensure that the tools and knowledge to detect illintended individuals, and to recognize and give protection to victims of trafficking, are available. There must be unanimous agreement on efforts to strengthen border management and protect the individuals who may fall victim to criminal networks.

And while we recognize the historical significance of this decision, let us see it for what it is: the beginning of a process.

The Prime Minister of The Bahamas has reminded citizens that The Bahamas is not a part of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) and therefore the free movement of people does not apply to The Bahamas.

In addition, the CARICOM member states must understand that the ratification, integration in national legislation and the implementation in each country, are where the decision will be truly translated into action and have a positive impact on their citizens.

Adequate resources will need to be mobilized to support an effort aimed at raising the awareness on the promise of free movement within CARICOM and the tools and expertise required to make it work.

The decision to move toward full freedom of movement is a bold step on the road to full regional integration.

With strong collaboration, strategies founded on the historical and cultural context of the Caribbean, well managed intra-regional migration, i.e. the free movement of people, has the potential to be a major contributor to accelerating the mission of achieving sustainable development in the CARICOM region.

We do not need agressive policing

UNLIKE MOST OF THE VINCENTIANS

I spoke to over the last two weeks, I was disappointed to hear of the physical abuse inflicted on the three Grenadians arrested for entering the country illegally on a stolen yacht, among other things.

It, however, was not surprising to me. What was surprising was how comfortable the police seemed to be exercising the option of beating these guys. As the news evolved, the stolen yacht was reported to have blood stains; the owners were missing and presumed dead. Make no mistake about it, these guys should have been arrested and investigated; however, they should not have been beaten and abused. International policing protocols will determine which jurisdiction will persecute them for their alleged crimes in Grenada, SVG, or International waters.

The default actions by our police (physically abusing suspects) do not surprise me in the least. In fact, I think I warned about this becoming the default reaction by the police as the number of unsolved murders and other crimes increases. These new and aggressive policing tactics began after our first “mass shooting” event last year. It started with randomly stopping cars in the name of “for our own good.” The call for removing dark-tinted glasses on our vehicles was another unusual and seemingly unenforceable measure. One year after this initiative was announced, I still see as many heavily tinted cars on the street today as ever, and I cannot find anyone who was forced to remove any tint from their vehicle. When this “crackdown” was announced, I also asked for kind consideration to add to this initiative the removal of the illegal aftermarket lights added to some vehicles. These lights make driving at night hazardous at best. They are even more popular now than ever.

This week, we were treated to the most poorly organized and promoted rollout of a gun and ammunition amnesty I have ever seen. How many guns do you genuinely expect to receive by simply going on the radio and the newspaper and asking for all those with unregistered firearms to put them in a brown paper bag and drop them off at the police stations near you? If the only reason to turn in an unlicensed gun is to avoid a revised and more aggressive penal system, good luck with that. Think

about it, Acting Commissioner, as of this month, the only thing that has changed is how long someone would be incarcerated or fined for unauthorized possession of a weapon. That is like saying bring back the death penalty, and we will stop the killings.

If we are serious about getting a few guns off the streets, we must do better than tell the people who have in their possession an unrestricted weapon to turn it in. Or Else. I have a simple suggestion, how about you buy them? Let us know what you will do with the guns you purchase with our (the public) money. If you have any doubt as to what you should do, you must also publicly destroy them. You know, the way the police used to show us when you had a burn day for marijuana seized on behalf of the US government back in the 1980s.

We must give a detailed report on how many firearms were collected, when, where, and how they were destroyed. Oh yeah, we must commit not to check any of the guys to the many unsolved crimes. If we ever hope to convince anyone to take a chance with you. The recent increase in penalties (fines and jail time) for possessing illegal firearms will not help you in this effort. So stop hoping.

Another thing I am concerned about is some of the changes to the Firearms Act. I am apprehensive about the section that allows, “A police officer authorized by the Commissioner may, without a warrant, enter any premises on which he has reasonable cause to believe that firearms or ammunition are concealed, made or sold without a license and may search the premises and every person found therein....”

You see, as much as I want to catch the bad guys, I cannot afford to give up the right to my privacy without protest. And allowing anyone to stop and search me simply because they “suspect” I may have done something wrong, is a slippery slope. I will not trust the police to navigate safely on my behalf.

So, you see my friends, please do not allow the police failure to do their job within their current level of authority to lull us into compliance and, by default, enable them to erode our rights.

“… For, for 30 pieces of Silver …”

AS IT ISthe Lenten season, and because the topic of this piece also occurred at the climax of this season, I want to share some insights on how for 30 pieces of Silver, life and conditions can change for everyone accepting the 30 pieces.

The betrayal of Jesus Christ came through a person who had witnessed first-hand several miracles that were performed by the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

Yes, Judas Iscariot was one of the 12 disciples who kept the finances of the traveling group and was aware of all the miraculous deeds, performed before his very own eyes. Scripture says; … ‘for the LOVE of money is the root of all evil’, and for his own personal benefit Judas accepted 30 pieces of Silver to identify the Son of God. In Matthew 26:48 Judas said, “… Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he, hold him fast”.

But the story with Judas didn’t end there. Following the betrayal of Jesus, the scales of greed immediately fell off from his eyes and he realized what great error he had committed, so he tried to

give back the 30 pieces, but the harm was already done. Those who bribed Judas said it was ‘blood money’ and refused to take back the silver, and overcome by the devil, death, Judas committed suicide. What an awful ending for Judas, being so close to Jesus during his earthly ministry, now separated FOREVER! So it will be for all modern day Judases.

The following poem epitomizes/summarizes today’s headline:

You ate and drank with me,

Daily you saw and helped me, Distribute wine at a wedding,

Helped pick up twelve baskets of good left overs,

Seen devils flee into herds of swine,

Witnessed Lazarus raised from the dead, Watched Peter and myself walk on water,

Was amazed when rough seas were calmed instantly,

With just three words,

“Peace be still!”

And still you betrayed Me

… For a mere 30 pieces of silver?

Woe unto all, who sell out Their souls for 30 pieces of silver,

“For what does it profit a man

If he gains the world

And loses his own soul”

… For a mere 30 pieces of silver.

Peter denied me thrice

But thereafter repented in bitter tears

And so today

The betrayal continues unabated,

With gold selling out to crimson

And crimson selling out to gold

Wife betraying husband and Husband selling out wife

Et tu, Brutus?

And for what???

… For a mere 30 pieces of silver.

So in conclusion, … ‘For, for a mere 30 pieces of silver, a man or woman can lose their soul forever!’

Have a blessed Easter season to ALL.

Donald De Riggs

Balliceaux museum

WE ARE EXCITED to hear the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines deliver the keynote address at the 11th Garifuna Conference to be held on Tuesday, March 12, 2024 at the UWI Global Campus Conference Room.

His expected topic:

“Balliceaux — Representation of Reparatory Justice for Indigenous People in the Caribbean”. What is important is that his address will be complemented with a panel discussion on the topic, “The Significance of Balliceaux to Garinagu in the Diaspora”.

Against that backdrop, we are moved to ask questions such as:

When is Balliceaux going to become state-owned?

When (after over ten years of asking), is the Garifuna language going to be established in our local education curriculum? What plan do we as a nation have in place for Reparatory Justice should we receive a few billion dollars from Europe and England in particular?

There are important artefacts in the British Museum that belong to us, could we ask the British government to establish a Museum on Balliceaux so that we

can house those Artefacts? We await the Conference to hear many more questions and answers on the matter ahead of us.

On the other hand, Julian Francis (the advisor for PM Gonsalves) and Gonsalves himself seem bent on selling us to outsiders. They sold our national food basket, the Marketing Board that used to send out trucks on the Windward and Leeward sides of our nation to buy farmers’ produce, and did local, regional, and international marketing. Many of our farmers have become vendors. In the mindset of Julian Francis, agriculture is a thing of the past so he advised the PM to shift our food basket into the hands of outsiders. Our fishing industry is now in the hands of outsiders.

A Fishing Cooperative with a gas station was established in Calliaqua under Louis Jones and the NDP. That has been replaced by RainForest, outsiders. Our diplomatic relationship with Taiwan is a total sellout. Tell us if we change such a relationship to mainland China, we have to pay Taiwan big money. This looks like modern-day slavery.

Our government

leaders are not showing the nation that they have strong moral principles. Where is the integrity legislation that was proposed by this ULP administration? Our plight warranted a no-confidence motion against this administration. So, we await the Conference and the no-confidence motion.

Christian Democrat

An anti-alcohol campaign, please

THERE IS NOend of warning about how we should avoid fast food and especially those sugary aerated beverages (Coke, Busta, Ju-C, etc.). The warning is made especially in light of the amount of diabetes that is prevalent in our country and is a good one, and it should be pumped up to target the consumption of these drinks by our school children.

As a matter of fact, we need to continue with these warnings since the overuse of these foods and drinks can lead to diabetes and we know how deadly diabetes can be.

But what I don’t hear with any real frequency from our medical/health people is any warning or reference to the consumption of alcohol.

There is no doubt that the percentage of our population who is involved in drinking alcohol is higher now than it ever was. Just look at what happens at those functions that cater to our young people/teenagers? The young people consume not just beer but the strongest alcohol you could think about.

Someone told me recently that Hennessy is replacing Strong Rum as the drink of choice among our young people. And these dinks, Mr. Editor, are not cheap.

I hate saying it but alcohol addiction contributes to fatal accidents, domestic violence, youth-on-youth violence and worst, cirrhosis of the liver.

But, instead of a national campaign to warn about the dangers of alcohol, we brand rum drinking as something cultural and jump to the songs that glorify this vice.

And our advertisements and even our politicians encourage this bad habit by projecting rum as the ‘spirit’ of both Christmas and Carnival. What a contradiction. We certainly have our wires crossed.

Let us begin now a national campaign against the alcohol as we did and continue to do against cigarettes.

Charles, Edinboro

Governance by Remote Control

THE ABSENCEof local government in the Grenadines is taking a toll on the people resident there. There seems to be a general lack of understanding of what it takes to meet the needs of the people of the Grenadines. Attempting to control what happens in the Grenadines from mainland St. Vincent is an impossible task and is an exercise in futility.

Many do not realize that a simple invitation to attend a meeting or function in St. Vincent can cost upwards of $300.00. Accessing simple things like a birth certificate and other government services place an unreasonable burden on the people who live here.

There is great deficiency in every area. One example is the absence of a public water system. The value of water cannot be overstated. The rainwater that is harvested must be rationed by

householders so that sufficient will be available during the dry season. Often the water runs out and water must be bought at 20 cents per gallon. The wells, ponds and waterholes take on greater importance, but they are not well maintained. Lack of proper management of the watershed areas directing the water away from the ponds and to the ocean has resulted in many ponds drying up. Lack of land conservation through not contouring, terracing and deforestation result in less water recharging the water table. Thus, many take refuge in the surrounding seas to take a bath. Beach access is a very important hygiene necessity.

Security is compromised because of the frequent turnover of the police. The two buildings that housed senior police officers now serve as homeless shelters. The old clinic at Clifton and the

Teacher’s house at Badeau are other abandoned public buildings.

The port facilities cannot meet the current demands of the vessels that use them. The road network is in disrepair. The schools have regressed in terms of providing students with practical skills training. No one on the islands seems to be responsible for changing the way things are. Roaming animals feeding from the garbage dump tells the true picture that no one is in charge.

Perhaps things would have been different if the representative had access to a Constituency Development Fund or if the District Officer’s authority was restored to what it used to be. Additionally, local officials are not encouraged to take the initiative to get things done.

Anthony G. Stewart, PhD.

Believe what you see- Pt II

National Athlete Program - creating more opportunities for young people

“BELIEVE WHAT YOU SEE — PART I” highlighted some of the progress of SVG under the ULP government since March 2001. In summary form, we outlined the accomplishments of real significance which are before our very eyes in the following areas: Houses, Electricity, Water, Telephones, Appliances; Garbage Collection and Disposal; Motor Vehicles; Roads, Bridges, River and Sea Defences; Airports and Seaport; Hospital Facilities, Polyclinics, and Clinics; Jobs, Salaries, and Wages; and Government Finances.

In this article, we identify other areas of phenomenal progress. As always, it is wiser to believe what you see than what you hear.

THE BROAD EDUCATION STORY

Everyone knows that there has been, ongoing, a path-breaking Education Revolution in SVG since 2001 under the ULP government. The quantitative and qualitative achievements are visible, and are impactful in a hugely positive manner on individuals, families, the communities, the economy, society, and political system. So, let us summarise the then (before 2001) and the now (after 2001) situation:

In 2001 the dismal story was as follows: Only 15 percent of the 3-5 year olds were in early childhood education; only four out of every ten 12-year olds were at secondary schools; only 500 students were at the various divisions of what is now the SVG Community College (SVGCC); only a handful of students were at cramped and illequipped facilities for technical and vocational education; only four teachers in the primary school system were university graduates; special education was in a ramshackle condition; library services were next to non-existent with no proper public library; some onequarter of the population were functionally illiterate – they could not read or write properly or at all, or able to fill out a simple form.

Since 2001, all this has been reversed and enormous progress made: Some 90 percent of the 3-5 year olds are in early childhood education; about 70 percent of all primary school teachers are university graduates and some 90 percent are teacher-trained; over 2,600 students (over 5 times the 2001 numbers) at SVGCC; over 2,000 students are pursuing university education, almost all of whom are supported by the government; a Modern National Public Library and a Documentation and Archives Centre have been built; illiteracy in SVG today is minimal – the ULP government carried out a comprehensive national literacy campaign and established the Department of Adult and Continuing Education; special education is advancing, including a modern facility built at Georgetown; in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET), there has been massive strides including the construction of a modern TVET institute in Kingstown, one at Petit Bordel, huge expansion of TVET facilities at SVGCC, significant developments at other TVET centres and their evolution as Technical Institutes, and the explosion of TVET initiatives (YATE, SKYE, ON-SITE).

SCHOOLS AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Since 2001, the following schools and

educational institutions have been built, rehabilitated, and expanded:

1. Construction of 17 state-owned Early Childhood Centres all over SVG.

2. Construction of primary schools at Sandy Bay, Byera, Colonarie, Port Elizabeth, Union Island; rehabilitation/reconstruction of several primary schools, including at Kingstown Government, Westwood, Barrouallie, Park Hill, South Rivers, Diamond, Stubbs, Calliaqua, Gomea, and FitzHughes.

3. Construction/relocation/ rehabilitation/expansion of several secondary schools including: Sandy Bay, George Stephens (Colonarie), North Union Secondary, Adelphi, West St. George, Thomas Saunders, Intermediate High, J.P. Eustace, Grammar Schol, Girls’ High School, Central Leeward, Bequia Community High School, Union Island Secondary, Emmanuel High and St. Clair Dacon.

4. Expanded considerably SVGCC as follows: Rebuilt the Villa Campus and added over 80,000 square feet of floor space at a cost of some $35 million; expanded/rehabilitated the TVET Division at Arnos Vale; expanded/rebuilt the School of Nursing.

5. Built 13 Learning Resource Centres across SVG.

6. Guaranteed, and now pays, the $16.2 million loan of UWI from the Caribbean Development Bank to construct the Open/Global Campus in SVG.

7. Built School for Children with Special Needs in Georgetown.

8. Built Technical Institutes as listed earlier.

FOUR MEDICAL SCHOOLS

In the wake of the withdrawal of the Kingstown Medical College (itinerant with no more than 200 students from St. George’s University in Grenada), the ULP government attracted four “offshore” medical schools with over 1,000 students in the aggregate: Trinity School of Medicine; Richmond Gabriel (formerly All Saints SVG); St. James School of Medicine; and All Saints SVG (formerly American University of SVG). The attending students are mainly from overseas, but many are from SVG.

LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK

The Education Revolution has necessitated important legislative and institutional changes, principally the following:

(i) The Education Act, No. 34 of 2006: Modernises the educational system.

(ii) Further and Higher Education (Accreditation) Act, No. 35 of 2006: Establishes the independent Accreditation Board and the relevant processes for accreditation.

(iii) The SVG Community College Act, No. 28 of 2005: Establishes, and provides for, the integrated Community College.

(iv) The Sector Skills Development Agency Act, No. 19 of 2010: Establishes, and provides for, the SSDA. This body certifies persons with Caribbean Vocational Qualifications (CVQs) and National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs). This is a vital agency for certification of persons with technical and vocational skills. Holders of CVQs have freedom of movement (no work permit requirement) in CARICOM.

ON SATURDAY 2ND MARCH 2024,the New Democratic Party (NDP) launched its National Athlete Program, designed to support local athletes to achieve their full potential.

The launch took place at a Sports Day in West Kingstown. The program is designed to offer athletes financial support on an ongoing basis. The NDP has contrasted this with the Unity Labour Party (ULP) government’s piecemeal approach to support athletes. This new approach will deliver for the whole country. The new programme will provide financial support for athletes.

The President of the NDP, Honourable Dr Godwin Friday, made the following comments: “We are proud to launch our National Athlete Program. This program will create a national program, similar to the National Scholarship Program to support local athletes to reach their potential. The ULP has continually neglected to develop our country’s sporting talent. As recent news stories have shown, support to our athletes is unreliable and inadequate. One-off sponsorship of particular athletes is simply not good enough and a new approach is required.

This program will ensure that elite athletes, established and emerging have financial support to reach their goals, with the knowledge that they are able to train, compete and have their best chances to win. These hardworking sportsmen and sportswomen deserve our support to achieve their goals brining joy to us all and glory for our country.

The National Athlete Development Program is a part of our ongoing commitment to young people, and builds on the Youth Guarantee Pledge we made last year. The pledge affirms that by the end of our first term in office, every young person (under the age of 25) will have the opportunity of a job or further training or internship to help lead to a job.

Programs such as these will help unlock a brighter future for young Vincentians who for too long have been neglected by the ULP government. The ULP government has promised and promised that something would be done, that some program would be put in place, but have failed to deliver.

We acknowledge that in order to excel, athletes need to make sacrifice with limited resources to be able to represent our country and make the nation proud. As we have seen in recent news reports, the present ad hoc approach has failed our sportsmen and sportswomen, proving that a new approach is needed to develop our country’s sporting talent. The National Athlete Program will do just that. Other countries, OECS countries are using these types of programs to bring success to their country. Under the NDP, St Vincent and the Grenadines will do the same.

Too many young Vincentians are forced to move abroad in search of work because of a lack of opportunities here in St Vincent and the Grenadines and those that do have work are under-paid for the work they do. We believe that sports should play a key role in building our economy and can do so through opportunities for employment and also sports tourism.

By developing sporting talent, we can build interest in sports in our

country, which can be used to grow our sports tourism and wider tourism industry. From that, we will see an increase in demand for hotel accommodation, transportation services, food and beverage, entertainment, television and media coverage, advertising and health and medical services. This all forms part of the new economy, one of the four pillars of economic growth, which will provide prosperity to every part of the country.

Member of Parliament for East Kingstown, Honourable Dwight Fitz Bramble, as the Shadow Minister for Sports will lead the party’s efforts to develop this policy. Over the coming weeks, there will be a series of meetings with major sports organisations and other groups and people with interest. The party will develop the policy proposal in more detail and announce later in the year. The New Democratic Party is committed to ensuring all young people have the opportunity to excel.”

Developing Sporting Facilities

The NDP will also pay special attention to the development of sport facilities. We will implement a framework for upgrading and management of sports facilities at constituency and community level. An NDP government will implement a Service, Opportunity and Support framework, which will ensure that sporting facilities are upgraded to accommodate their respective sporting disciplines. Community Sport Councils will be developed and sustained eagerly taking ownership of the maintenance of the established facilities and supporting the programs for physical activity and sport in their respective communities. We will also develop at least one playing field in each constituency to the extent that it can accommodate regionally organized sports. These facilities will be fully lit and will have stands and changing facilities. And, develop projects to convert the surfaces of playing fields into artificial surfaces, particularly in areas where grass does not grow properly.

Further, the sport of swimming should be at a much higher level at the competitive arena. As a result, the NDP will construct a National Aquatic Centre to attract national, regional and international competitions and to grow the sport locally. Other areas of development that the NDP will focus on include the construction of a national indoor sports complex, floored with special sport flooring materials, to accommodate sports such as basketball, volleyball, netball, tennis and squash.

It is obvious that the failed policies of the ULP government has impeded the development of sports in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Therefore, hindering emerging and established athletes from reaching their full potential. The NDP is committed to the development of sports in the country. And, we will work assiduously to ensure that sport has a prominence on the development agenda.

Views V Winning and Losing

“True sportsmanship is excellence in motion; it’s the ability to win with humility and lose with grace.”Unknown

HAVING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE engage in competitive games can teach many valuable life lessons. Playing marbles, chess, dominoes, spinning tops, various card games, engaging in team sports, and athletic competitions all provide priceless teaching and learning opportunities. Life lessons about honesty and integrity readily emerge when such activities are performed. Sometimes it is through such events that we see personality traits and character strengths and defects.

Sports and games enable young persons (and older ones too) to appreciate that winning and losing are very important aspects of the human experience. They shape our outlooks, motivations, and hardiness. Winning often evokes feelings of jubilation, fulfilment, triumph, and a sense of accomplishment. It evokes a feeling of success, achievement, and the endorsement of one’s efforts. Such sensations of elation can often be observed following the overcoming of a challenge, winning a competition, or attaining a personal goal. For example, an individual who is determined to lose weight may engage in strenuous exercise or exert the necessary discipline to curb the temptation to eat high-calory foods may discover that, on achieving their desired goals, there is a strong feeling of ecstasy. This, in turn, motivates them towards further endeavours; inspiring them to dream bigger dreams and to pursue their goals and objectives with gusto.

Winning is not only defined by external conquests; it also embraces and ignites inner victories. Having conquered the mole hill, it invites the victor to consider the trek to the mountain top. Winning lures the champion to face various adversities with confidence and to endeavour to better their best efforts.

In sports competition, as in life, as surely as there will be winners there will also be losers. Losing can be traumatic. It is often accompanied by feelings of disappointment. However, competitors who have lost should consider that once they have exerted their best efforts, they should not consider themselves as failures.

Defeats often offer valuable insights, prospects, and lessons for growth. Losses teach us humility and the importance of determination and resilience. In addition, experiencing loss enables the expansion of empathy and compassion for those who may encounter similar defeats and setbacks in life.

There is value in understanding and appreciating that winning and losing are two sides of the same coin.

Appreciating this reality is considered critical for our development on a personal and collective level. Parents, teachers, and coaches play a major role in assisting our wards to understand this life reality. There is nothing wrong with encouraging our wards to win and to do all that is necessary to accomplish such feats. However, they should also be encouraged to win fairly and with humility. In addition, when they experience losses, they should do so with grace and decorum. The practice of lawn tennis players greeting each other following the completion of a tournament is considered useful in

enabling the victor and the vanquished to display mutual respect and to leave on “good terms”.

Rasheed Ogunlaru, a leading life and leadership coach, motivational speaker, and author, reminds us that, “Champions realize that defeat - and learning from it even more than from winning - is part of the path to mastery.” This is an invaluable life lesson for students, athletes, politicians, and people in general to imbibe. There are valuable lessons taught when experiencing the valley or wilderness sojourns that accompany defeats. This is especially so when a tremendous amount of effort has been exerted and sacrifices made to provide the best possible effort.

There are some members of society who believe and advocate that victory should be achieved at all cost — even if it requires cheating. Such ill-gotten victories are dishonourable. Frank Sonnenberg, the award-winning author and well-known advocate for moral character, personal values, and personal responsibility reminds us that, “Winning without honour is worse than a loss.” This holds true for athletes who use banned performance-enhancing drugs as it is for a tertiary level student who recruits a professional to write their assignment. Politicians who encourage “irregular voting practices” should also bear this in mind. In all aspects of life, it is important to seek to win fairly.

Apolo Ohno (born 1982), the American retired short track speed skating competitor and an eight-time medallist (two gold, two silver, and four bronze) in the Winter Olympics, encourages us when he notes that, “If I have given my all and still do not win, I haven’t lost. Others might remember winning or losing; I remember the journey.” Ohno’s words are pregnant with wisdom. His philosophy and his commitment to honesty and integrity resulted in his being the most decorated American at the Winter Olympics. He was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2017 and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 2019. Honesty and integrity have their rewards. Having a right attitude towards winning and losing can make a world of difference in relation to how we participate in the game of life.

Regardless of the tasks that we are required to perform and the life competitions that we engage in, there is wisdom in reflecting on the insights of Vince Lombardi (1913-1970), the American football coach and executive, who reminds us that, “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.”

It is a mark of maturity when we demonstrate mastery of the art of winning with humility and losing with grace. Individuals who display such reactions enrich the society as they portray empathy, resilience, and respect. Society is blessed to have such winners and losers.

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The loss of Community and its consequences

BY COMMUNITY,we mean a group of people who live closely together and look out for each other’s interests because of a cultural, social, economic, or other bond. In a community, there is an emphasis on common interest, which generally triumphs over personal or individualistic desires. In the African tradition, the adage ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ best reflects what is meant by community.

Over the last 30 to 40 years, we have witnessed a steady erosion of what is best described as the community spirit. The social guardrails that hold our society together show increasing signs of wear and tear. Schools, teachers, religion, churches, and social and cultural organisations have lost sway. Respect for elders is now at an all-time low.

The erosion of social mores, norms, and values did not occur by sudden flight. There has been a calculated, deliberate, and sustained assault on our way of life. Community spirit has given way to individualistic intentions and actions. The assault took many forms but was popularly characterised as Generation X, I, Me, and Z. All emphasised the individual over the community. Young people were encouraged to follow their dreams instead of the needs and demands of their family, community or nation.

Margaret Thatcher, the former British Prime Minister, best captured the antisocial, radical individualistic mantra when she declared that ‘there is no such thing as community. Each of us must take responsibility for ourselves.’ On its face, there’s some appeal to this notion, except that on deeper study, it is an ideology intended to play a trick on society. Society is not structured or organised to achieve equality of outcome. The society is organised to affect, impact and retard the progress and advancement of most of its members. Some people spend their entire lives preparing to live. And this reality has nothing to do with the absence of individual drive and commitment to personal advancement.

Wall Street, the mind-bending Hollywood movie, fed us the new mantra, “Greed is good. Greed is right. Greed works.’ Such a rotten expression of excess and selfishness was elevated to a virtue. As this mental assault revved into high gear, lust, gluttony, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride, the perennial ‘sins’ of humanity won societal acceptance. These portend destruction, but who cares? On the other hand, the wholesome and healthy merits implicit in humility, kindness, patience, charity, diligence, temperance and morality are now frowned on by rich and poor, educated and illiterate, men and women alike.

Small wonder then that our country is unravelling before our eyes; our institutions are ramshackle and have fallen into a state of disrepair. Too many of our youth lack guidance and veer towards anger, crime, violence and risky hyper-sexual behaviour. Excessive alcohol and drug consumption forms part of the emerging culture. We crave cheap, junky, salty, oily foods and sugary drinks that, over time, savage our health. These unwelcomed, uncontrolled developments are reflected in the overweight, obese bodies parading our streets. The alarming incidents of diabetes (sugar) and hypertension (pressure), kidney and heart failure, as well as lung disease are clear signs of a public health emergency.

We no longer rely on traditional remedies for ailments honed through centuries of practice, trial and error by our beloved elders and ancestors. Modern ‘healers’ uncritically imbibe Western pro-capitalist profit-seeking

notions of health care.

They love to cut and remove body parts or prescribe drugs that must be taken for the rest of our natural lives. Although few persons can point to an herbal medicine that killed or harmed us, we are asked to stay clear because we don’t know the proper dosage. The drugs pushed now are created with supposedly scientific methods, yet the side effects do great harm and often kill us.

Clearly, we cannot continue on this road to personal and societal death. We must inculcate a sharp and decisive turn away from negative energy and practices among our citizens. Emphasis must be placed on the young people because our salvation and our future lie among them.

When our African ancestors said it takes a village to raise a child, they knew from history and practical experience that selfishness was the highway to spiritual and physical death. As a community, we must return to the watch wards ‘all for one and one for all.’ Our very future depends on our efforts of reeducation and return.

Henry goes, and Thom returns

Plain Talk pays homage to Justice Esco L. Henry for her service to the legal profession, the cause of justice, and the rule of law in our native land. Justice Henry was elevated to the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal, and her tenure began on March 1, 2024. As we bid farewell, we wish her good health and a long life in her new role as an appellate judge.

Coming as she did when Justice Gertel Thom was promoted to the Appellate Court, Justice Henry, like Justice Thom before her, stood steadfastly in defence of the Constitution and the rule of law. She was fair, fearless, courageous and erudite. Considered a taskmaster by many lawyers, she was disciplined, and her decisions were detailed, grounded in law and profound.

Undoubtedly, Gonsalves and his clansmen delight in her departure. She was the metaphorical judicial thorn in their side. For the last decade, she has stood as a single-handed barrier against Gonsalves’ executive excesses. She will long be remembered for ruling that the government’s draconian vaccine mandate policy was ‘illegal, ultra vires, unconstitutional and procedurally improper.’ In another matter, she demanded that the government follow the regulations that govern promotion in the civil service. And in yet another case, addressing the government’s right to transfer civil servants, she reminded the executive that an employee’s family life is a relevant consideration.

Her decisions are, for the most part, unimpeachable. Those public servants awaiting the appeal of her vaccine mandate decision can rest easy with the knowledge that the decision will be upheld. Gonsalves will be made to pay for the indignities he put them through.

Those of us who are saddened by the departure of Justice Henry were heartened when word drooped that her replacement is Justice Gertel Thom. Justice Thom’s famous ruling was that Otto Sam was unfairly and wrongfully dismissed. In the decision, she decided that Otto Sam was unreasonably and illegally dismissed.

Plain Talk welcomes her return. Vincentians can rest assured that the rule of law will be protected with Justice Thom on the bench.

Send comments, criticisms & suggestions to jomosanga@gmail.com

Stop fighting down Sandals

THE PEOPLE OF SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINEShave a choice: we can show the world that we are ready and capable to run with the big boys, that we can attract the big international investors, and that we are mature enough to manage the investment climate; or we can get caught up in small island thinking and ignore the big picture to our detriment.

Have no doubt that there are other investors out there, other big companies watching the Sandals project at Buccament. They are watching to see what sort of investment climate there is, how we respond as a people. Do we show them that we are unable to manage such a situation and that our first response is to try and kill the golden goose even before it hatches, or do we show them that we are ready for the future?

Let us stop for a moment and think. Why is it that we are now trying to throw dirt at a company that has done nothing other than try to prove time

and again that it is interested in the welfare of our citizens? I have been following this closely from the start, so if you forget let me remind you.

According to what has been reported in the press, the government has originally asked for a US$100 million-dollar investment. Instead, the company doubled its investment.

That is more value for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. US$200 million that is big money! You know how many islands jealous SVG right now?

Two years ago, before the hotel opened, and remember it did not have to do this, Sandals started hiring young men and women and sending them away for training and giving them a job to earn money. This was after the eruption of the volcano and we know how bad it was. Sandals stepped up when many others looked after their own business, including some of those now complaining. Many stories have been reported with some of those people talking about how that

experience has changed their lives. At that same time, hundreds of locals got hired to work on the construction site, and that meant money they would have had to buy goods and groceries and pay their bills. Ask all those shops and bars down in Buccament. Last year the same media, where you’re seeing all these negative stories, reported that Sandals had painted and upgraded the primary school in Buccament.

Recently, we saw the big job fair and the hundreds more who the resort has hired. According to the information coming out, there will be jobs for close to 900 people. Think about that figure, 900 people, the majority of whom will come from right here in Saint Vincent. Why don’t our reporters talk to some of those people as well as those complaining.

Remember the same negative stories about salaries? Well, I did talk to a couple of the young people who were hired by Sandals and they said

The Minimum Wage Bill

by MATTHEW THOMAS

THE MINIMUM WAGE BILL, gazette March 4, 2024, is a classic example of subservience and of plantation life.

For the period of slavery in the Caribbean and the Americans, the Black Man was never subservient to his captives and or perceived owners, hence the reason why he was guarded by weaponry twenty-four-seven.

The concept of a Minimum Wage came about as an extension of the abolition of slavery and serfdom to protect the vulnerable against the psychological effects of slavery. After so many years of Emancipation, people ought to be allowed to make a determination between: (1)

The Rendering of a Service; (2) The Value of that Service rendered; (3) The Affordability to pay for that Service.

A trained service provider, regardless of his/her level of training, ought not to be considered an ‘Employee’ nor the recipient of his/her service an ‘Employer’. Life is competitive. If to the service provider the price offered for his service is below his/her expectation, then it ought to be his/her right to reject it. Similarly, if the price offered is beyond that of the recipient, they too must have the right to reject it. There is always an alternative.

Mendicancy and low productivity

This Minimum Wage Bill

only serves as a catalyst for the mendicancy and low level of productivity we are experiencing in SVG.

As you travel around St. Vincent, you see the low level of productivity, especially in the agricultural sector. This is not due only to lack of market or praedial larceny but, to a large extent, the inability of land owners to pay for the cultivation and also the unavailability of a workforce, as too many of our Secondary School graduates, besides being ‘Glorified’ watchmen/women, see Mendicancy and Marijuana Smoking with the accompanied expletives throughout the Country, as an alternative means of employment.

The main objective

The main objective of the bill is to help falsify the statistics of the NIS, since each employer/employee will have to be registered and will be contributing to the Fund.

The Five Star General and World Boss

Since the 2015 General Elections, Ralph Gonsalves has prominently depicted himself on a billboard at the entrance into the Capital City Kingstown, with the slogan: FIVE STAR GENERAL/WORLD BOSS.

Since the abolition of Slavery, August 1, 1838, there has never been anything that could be more dehumanizing,

insulting and humiliating to Black people in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. St. Vincent is a country of almost 99% Black people and in the face of our history of Slavery, we have let our guards down to give a man of Portuguese

that not only will their basic salary be more than the minimum wage, they can even double the salary when the resort opens with gratuities. That means Sandals will make hundreds of people some of the highest paid hotel workers in the country. And what do you think they will do with the money they are now earning? Those hundreds of people will travel in taxis, buy fish, buy local produce, pay bills and so on. That is how investment works. They will buy from many of the same people now making a fuss, and I bet you many of them will not even be able to supply the locals far less the resort. It is easy to get caught up in negativity, it is more sensational. But let us take a moment and show that we are mature enough to look at this investment for the incredible opportunity it really is for Vincy, and let us not fight down, but come together and build up.

Proud Vincy

decent, a man whose mother and father are both direct descendants from Maderia in Portugal, the privilege to manage this Country in the capacity as Prime Minister, and this is all the thanks we get for it… an oligarch with no respect.

Ralph Gonsalves, be reminded, that in 2007, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

received a grant of US$250.000 to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the Abolition of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. To date there is not a single pole, billboard or placard in this country, depicting the use and history of that grant.

Could you say how it was spent? It is part of our Reparatory Justice.

Possible pause in Gaza fighting

Palestinians wait for humanitarian aid on a beachfront in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Essa)

IN WHAT his critics say is mere rhetoric, US President Joe Biden said he hoped a ceasefire in Gaza could start by the beginning of this week (Mar. 04), adding that Israel was ready to halt operations during the Muslim month of Ramadan as part of any deal.

Ramadan begins on March 11, 2024 (Monday), following the moon seeing in Mecca, and concludes on the evening of Tuesday, April 9.

The week has all but come and gone and the conflict is no nearer any halt far less a resolution.

Seeking a ‘ceasefire’

Egypt, Qatar, the United States, France and others have acted as go-betweens for Israel and Hamas, seeking a

halt to the fighting and the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

Asked during an election campaign trip to New York when such an agreement might start, Biden replied: “My national security advisor tells me that we’re close, we’re close, we’re not done yet. My hope is by next Monday (mar. 04) we’ll have a ceasefire.”

Biden, 81, gave more details of what a deal could look like when he spoke on the issue in an interview with late-night US television show host Seth Meyers.

Meanwhile, mediators have been hoping to get a deal in place before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

“Ramadan’s coming up and there’s been an agreement by the Israelis that they would not engage in activities during Ramadan as well, in order to give us time to get all the hostages out,” Biden said.

The US president said such a deal — temporary ceasefire, “gives us time to begin to move in directions that a lot of Arab countries are prepared to move” in terms of normalizing relations with Israel.

“I think that if we get that temporary ceasefire, we’re going to be able to move in a direction where we can change the dynamic,” he said.

Biden’ support

Biden has firmly supported Israel despite the soaring death toll in its offensive in Gaza following the deadly Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7.

His supports and staff say that he has been increasing pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to limit civilian casualties, particularly in Israel’s planned offensive in Rafah.

Israel had “made a commitment” to evacuate significant parts of Rafah before they “go and take out the remainder of Hamas,” Biden added.

But overall Biden warned that the “only way Israel ultimately survives” was to reach a deal that gives “peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians.”

Amid mounting tensions with Netanyahu, Biden said that if Israel continued with its “incredibly conservative government they have… they’re going to lose support from around the world.”

Biden’s comments come after his National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that representatives from several parties –although not Gaza’s rulers Hamas – met in Paris over the weekend and reached an understanding about the “basic contours” of a temporary ceasefire.

Israel’s military campaign has killed at least at least 30,534 Palestinians wounded 71,920 in attacks on Gaza since October 7.

Satellite data analysis first obtained by the BBC, suggests that between 144,000 and 175,000 buildings (between 50% and 61%) across the whole Gaza Strip have been damaged or destroyed.

(Credit: Danny KEMP AFP)

His critics says that President Biden is overly optimistic given that he has been unable to in the Israelis in their onslaught on the PalestinianS. (Photo: Britannica)

COMMITTEE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN (CDW)

THE BEIJING DECLARATION AND THE PLATFORM FOR ACTION, adopted in 1995 by 189 countries, is the most comprehensive and transformative global agenda for the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

The Beijing Platform for Action outlines twelve (12) areas of critical concern for the advancement of women, as follows:

o The persistent and increasing burden of poverty on women

o Inequalities and inadequacies in and unequal access to education and training

o Inequalities and inadequacies in

Message on the occasion of International WomenÊs Day

THEME: “Breaking down the structures that under-develop women”

and unequal access to health care and related services

o Violence against women

o The effects of armed or other kinds of conflict on women, including those living under foreign occupation

o Inequality in economic structures and policies, in all forms of productive activities and in access to resources

o Inequality between men and women in the sharing of power and decision-making at all levels

o Insufficient mechanisms at all levels to promote the advancement of women

o Lack of respect for and inadequate promotion and protection of the human rights of women

o Stereotyping of women and inequality in women’s access to and participation in all communication systems, especially in the media

o Gender inequalities in the management of natural resources and in the safeguarding of the environment

o Persistent discrimination against and violation of the rights of the girl child.

The fourth critical area of Concern is “Violence Against Women”. This vexed area has received much attention in terms of training and passage of legislation. These efforts have served to increase reporting, incidences of violence, but not as a deterrent. It seems that the perpetrators of sexual violence have widened their territory by invading the space of the girl child.

Although recent legislation has defined a child as a human being age 0 — 18 years, it is terrifying to learn that statistics show a girl child becoming a Mother at the pre-teen age of ten (10) years. I am sure that Fathers and Brothers shuddered in pain in unison with the Mothers and Daughters, at this gross act of violence.

This brings me to the twelfth

Critical area of Concern which is “The Girl Child”. It was the area most hard fought for, and I remember the long hours from daylight into night when we fought for its inclusion. We wanted critical action to break down the structures that under-develop women. There is a continuing focus on certain critical areas. However, all Twelve areas of concern need urgent attention as fulfilment of one is dependent on the others. The human rights issues will not be solved by leaving some behind.

On Friday 8th March, International Women’ Day, the Committee for the Development of Women (CDW} will launch a year-long Campaign to remind the population that “The Girl Child” is Central to the implementation of the other eleven Critical Areas of Concern.

Nelcia Robinson Coordinator - CDW

Nelcia Robinson, Co-ordinator – CDW

Vincy publishes books on ÂGrowing Up in VincyÊ

by NELSON A. KING US CORRESPONDENT naking@verizon.net

A DISTINGUISHED VINCENTIANBORN accountant in New York has published two books on “Growing Up in Vincy” and “Vincy Lifestyle”.

Dr. Nicholette Spring — a Valley Stream, Long Island, New York resident, who is the chief financial officer at an undisclosed private company

in Manhattan — told THE VINCENTIAN that “Growing Up in Vincy” was published in Chicago, Illinois. on Feb. 7, and that “A Collection of Poems — Vincy Lifestyle” was published on February 17 in North Haven, Connecticut.

“Growing up in Vincy”

Dr. Spring, who is also an online tutor and professor at the Princeton Review, New York, said that “Growing Up in Vincy” is “a narrative” of her life experiences as a child growing up in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the communities of Dickson, O’Brien’s Valley and Mangrove, along the western coast of mainland St. Vincent.

“It speaks of my experiences as a school child having games in school, playing moonlight games, going to the beach during the long August school vacation, stories about jumbie, customs back in the day,” said Dr. Spring, who is also chief executive officer of the Dr. Nicholette Spring Charitable Foundation, Inc., which sponsors educational activities for schools on the windward side of mainland St. Vincent.

The purpose of “Growing Up

in Vincy”, said Dr. Spring, is “to leave a trail of the life we lived as children growing up in the 70s, 80s and 90s in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

“While my experiences are specific to Dickson, Langley Park and Mangrove/Byera areas, the experiences are like those who grew up in other parts of the island,” she added. “Therefore, everyone can relate.”

In “Growing Up in Vincy”, Dr. Spring, a former Qualified Assistant Teacher in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, writes about, among other things, mountain, river, beach and roadside cooking; “liming” and drinking on the block; bathing of babies; bathing at the river’s mouth; and sea and waterfall “saps”.

“River cooking is the most popular,” she writes. “We take the animal and butcher it at the riverside to make a fresh boil. The head, feet and tripe are cooked in callaloo soup. Sometimes, the meat is curried and served with ground provisions. The food is served on banana leaves and is called the feast.”

While the origin of river cooking is not clear, Dr. Spring declares, “what is

certain is the constituency of North Central Windward (Park Hill, South Rivers and Byrea) has been an area that can take bragging rights,” and she list persons like Dennis “Das” Da Silva, Allison Balcombe and “Uncle Toad.” As having popularized the pastime. She laments that, while St. Vincent and the Grenadines has many traditions that may or may not be exclusively Vincentian — and were passed down from generation to generation — “slowly, they are dying.”

“I made it my business to take my children to St. Vincent (and the Grenadines) at six weeks old to be barked,” she added. “I also make it my business to get a good sea or river sap whenever I visit.

“Is it tradition, superstition or just because?” Dr. Spring asks. “I have no idea, but it surely makes the body feel good.”

“A Collection of Poems –Vincy Lifestyle”

Dr. Spring describes “A Collection of Poems — Vincy Lifestyle” as a book of random poems on the lifestyle of

Vincentians.

“The poems are based on all aspects of the Vincy lifestyle — from cookouts, school days, some villages to politics,” said Dr. Spring, disclosing that the poems are based on “random thoughts that came to my mind at different times of the day and night.

“Although the poems are based on St. Vincent and the Grenadines, others around the world can also relate,” she added.

In one poem, “St. Vincent and the Grenadines”, Dr. Spring writes in part: “Home to the city of arches/With majestic waterfalls, serene beaches/Lush valleys with mountains surround/St. Vincent & the Grenadines where love abounds/Farmers, fishermen, and men in suits/Mangoes, guavas, plums, passion fruits/Bananas, breadfruits, ground provisions/Are found in abundance all year round.”

The books are available on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and eight other platforms.

The books are also registered at the London Book Fair and the Los Angeles Book Fair.

Carapan resident to be RBC for a day

A CARAPAN RESIDENT will have the rare chance of functioning in the capacity of Resident British Commissioner (RBC) for a day.

On Monday 5, the British High Commission (BHC) announced that Alysha Cornwall, a secondyear student at the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College Division of Arts, Science and General Studies, had been chosen to be the Resident British Commissioner on International Women’s Day (March 8, 2024).

Cornwall, who hails from Carapan Village, Stubbs, was selected as the top entrants after she submitted a video detailing her thoughts about violence against women in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) and how she thought that the country can reduce the incidence of this crime.

In February, the British High Commission SVG in partnership with the DMV-SVG Mutual Aid

Relief launched the Resident British Commissioner for a Day initiative with the aimed of providing exposure to Vincentian Women desirous of gaining handson career experience in the field of diplomatic relations. To be successful, female candidates between the ages of 18 and 25 had to submit a two- or three-minute video explaining why they wanted to be the RBC for a day and to recommend one way of addressing gender-based violence against women, among other things.

The Carapan Village resident said that she was extremely happy and excited when she heard she had won the competition, and she would like to encourage others to participate in further competitions.

Cornwall said that she took grabbed the opportunity hoping to widen her horizons and forge greater connections for the future.

The RBC for the day will allow Cornwall to gain insight and a better understanding of the role of the Resident British High Commission. It will also provide an excellent opportunity for Cornwall to engage with the work

on a deeper level and enhance her professional work experience.

In an interview with THE VINCENTIAN newspaper, current Resident British High Commissioner in SVG, Geoff Patton said that Cornwall’s presentation was of very good quality.

“We had four questions you had to answer in the video and Alysha’s answers were really excellent, really top quality. All the videos that were submitted were of great quality but Alysha’s were standing out as the best one we saw and unfortunately it a competition that could only have one winner.

“ I wish I could make more people RBC for the day but we might have another competition further down the road,” said Patton, while promising a busy and exciting day.

“I am very excited about what we have planned for Alysha and looking forward to spending the day with her. It is my hope that Alysha will have an interesting day and that she gains valuable insight from the experience,” he further noted. (KH)

Dr. Nicolette Spring

Left: Alysha Cornwall can be found sitting in the chair of British High Commission (BHC) today (Mar. 08), International Women’s Day.

Tell her to back off

Dear George,

MY CO-WORKERhas been telling me for weeks now how sexy I look to which I respond, “Thank you.”

Last week she told me she wanted to talk to me. When I asked her about what, she just laughed and went her way.

She continued to comment on how I looked and on one occasion asked me if I was getting enough sex from my man. I told her I didn’t have a man. She smiled and invited me to have a drink with her, which I did.

After a few drinks she squeezed my hand and asked me to follow her to the bathroom. I went with her. As soon as we got there, she embraced and kissed me. I could not believe I had just been kissed by a woman and was surprised and mad at myself for allowing it to happen.

I’m feeling mixed up right now. She may be waiting for me to give feedback but I do not want her to get the wrong impression about me. That is where I’m at right now. How can I

fix this without making it messy?

Just Asking.

Dear Just Asking,

Sometimes we get ourselves into situations that we cannot explain logically how we got there. I cannot figure out how come you never saw this coming but be that as it may, what is important is addressing the issue now.

You have had time to process what has transpired. You need to tell your co-worker you are not ok with what had happened and that is not what you are about. You need to set clear boundaries and caution her not to cross the lines. State your point calmly but deliberately and hopefully that situation will not repeat itself.

George.

Dear George,

I BOUGHT a car for my girlfriend for her birthday. We have been together for eight years. George, it was not even four months after buying the car when my girlfriend broke up with me. To add insult to injury she started talking to another guy and has him driving up and down with her. I cannot believe she could be this wicked.

Seeing that we are no longer together, don’t you think she should at least sell the car as a sign of good faith that she has consideration for my feelings?

Left With the Bill.

Dear Left With the Bill,

Car problems Legion of concern

Dear George,

MY MARRIAGEis well into its tenth year and there has never been a problem when it comes to the bedroom. All of a sudden, my husband wants to wear condoms. I demanded to know why and got no answer.

George, on closer examination I observed he has some nasty looking legions on his penis. He is unable or unwilling to explain how they got there and I have put a complete stop to any sexual activity between us.

This is putting a strain on the marriage and I do not know how much longer I can hold

I do not know what world you are living in, but do you really expect your girlfriend to do away with this car to protect your feelings, and because she is no longer with you?

All of this is in the past and you need to suck it up and move on. The next time you decide to buy your lover a car, you may want to make sure she has the title of wife.

George.

this strain.

About to Break.

Dear About to Break, You definitely deserve answers and fast. My advice is to accompany him to a doctor to get a medical explanation.

He may have to give other explanations after the doctor visit and then and there you will know how to proceed. This is one time when total silence would not work for your husband and by extension the marriage.

George.

ARIES (Mar. 21- April 20)

You can get others to do things for you but be sure not to overpay them or lend them money. Do yourself a favor and leave your plastic at home. Work at home if at all possible. Anger might lead to carelessness and minor Injuries. You can write beautiful love letters this week.

TAURUS (Apr. 21- May 21)

Try to satisfy both of your needs. Put your energy into self-improvement programs that promise to make you into a better you. Accept the inevitable. Make sure that you have all the pertinent facts before taking action.

GEMINI (May 22-June 21)

Feeling under the weather may be a result of overindulgence. Uncertainties are still prevailing. Time spent with family, children, or good friends will be regenerating and positive. If you're already in a relationship, use this added energy passionately.

CANCER (June 22-July 22)

Don't gamble unless you can afford to lose. You will be ready to jump on anyone who gets in the way of your progress this week. Don't overspend on friends or children. Intellectual stimulation is what you are looking for.

LEO (July 23-Aug 22)

Don't make any unreasonable promises. Make love, not war, and all will be fine. Include the whole family or those you love. You will meet new romantic partners through the company you keep.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23)

Travel will turn out to be far more exciting than you imagined. Involvement in fitness clubs will be conducive to engaging roman tic connections. Lack of funds may add stress to your already uncertain situation. Your need to obtain additional details will lead you into strange topics of conversation.

LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23)

Move forward if you want to turn your life around. You may want to make drastic changes concerning your personal partner. Your talents are likely to be discovered. You need to be around friends and family.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22)

Realize that you don't have to do everything yourself. Make changes in your domestic scene. Either way, you're up for a passionate encounter with someone special. Your emotional attitude with respect to your status and direction in society may be unrealistic.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21)

You will be able to talk about emotional problems with your partner. Travel will also entice you. Deceit around you is evident. You can pick up information that will give you an edge.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22.- Jan. 20)

Comfort is a necessity. Check your motives. Don't promise to deliver the goods if you aren't positive that you can meet the deadline. Get involved in competitive sports. Friends will appreciate your attention and playful nature. Travel opportunities look positive, but be cautious while driving.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21.- Feb. 19)

Be sure to double-check the house on your way out. You will need to do a lot of research if you wish to get to the bottom of things. Interaction with colleagues will only be upsetting. Your own small business on the side sounds pretty lucrative.

PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20)

Others may want to steal your thunder when they realize your ideas are pretty solid. Family responsibilities are escalating. Don't let others know about your private affairs. Your uncanny insight will help you make the right choices.

ACROSS

1. All things considered

7. Plains tribe

12. Geometric figure

14. Savanna bounders

16. Flower part

17. Pink and lacy, perhaps

18. Royal reflexive pronoun

19. Newborn’s paraphernalia

20. Small ruckuses

22. Type of learning assessment

32. Fragrant plants

33. Dictionary example

34. Reluctantly, in terms of giving info

35. Extreme

36. Cyberspace mag

37. Embellishes

40. Withdrawn from service

42. “I do”, e.g.

43. Christmas star site

48. Buck toppers

55. Achieve, British style

56. Ashes, e.g.

57. Tempter

58. New Orleans confection

59. Agreements

60. Presented an address DOWN

1. With a bow, musically

2. Grand (slang)

3. Pressure unit

4. Medical insurance grps.

5. Skilful

6. Jethro ___ (Ian Anderson’s group)

7. Nashville landmark, familiarly

8. Like a maned lion

9. Got off a horse, say

10. “Now ___ thou thy Desire”: Shak.

11. Arthur of 1970s tennis

13. African jungle jaunt

14. Nome’s domes

15. Unhealthy atmosphere

21. Leader of the Dwarfs

22. Far-flung fad

23. Spock’s specialty

24. Essential type of acid

25. Witchery venue: 1692

26. Pork place

27. Common carrier?

28. Certain elephant

29. Health, in Le Havre

30. Incited (with “on”)

31. Bad marks

32. Scored perfectly

35. Faith, in Lourdes

37. It’s changed on the bottom

38. “C”____ la vie”

39. Minor key of the “Moonlight Sonata”

41. Archie and Jughead’s buddy

43. There’s only one card it can beat

44. Title hero of a Chateaubriand novel

45. Downs

LAST WEEK’s SOLUTION

46. Composer Siegmeister

47. Signs of nervousness

49. Notorious fiddler

50. Old Russian title

51. McCann of country music

52. Better writing?

53. Mysterious character

54. Rate, in tennis

PM wants support policy for sports people

themselves, the Athletics Association (Team Athletics SVG), the Football Federation, the Swimming Association and all the various entities that govern sports.”

excel in whatever skills at the sport they have and beyond that they will have meaningful lives.”

PRIME MINISTER OF ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES,Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, has cited the need for a national policy on support for sports men and women.

Gonsalves’ views and proposals on the matter were expressed on Jamaica-based SportsMax Zone Programme of Wednesday, February 28, 2024.

Relating directly to the policy’s formulation and execution, Dr. Gonsalves proffered, “We have to do it in a carefully structured way …There must be a clearly articulated policy and it has to be connected to also a kind of activism grounded in good governance within the organisations

And in highlighting that there are some inherent hurdles that must be cleared before any meaningful support structure can take root, he declared, “These sporting organisations rightly guard their own independence jealously but often that is used to have just a handful of bureaucrats assuming suzerainty in these organisations for a prolonged period of time …Coaches can be idiosyncratic, sometimes they don’t want anybody to encroach on their terrain or their turf and their athletes, they will make the arrangements, because the association is this, the association is that.”

Shying away from giving specifics on the policy and the possible framework approach, Dr. Gonsalves, however, projected, “I really will love to see whatever structures evolve that the Ministry of Sports can work in a more seamless manner concerned really with one thing only, principally with the development of these young people as finished personalities to

In that light, the Prime Minister reminded that persons who have excelled in sports have been given the right to be called Sporting Ambassadors, and the same thing in culture, with the privilege of carrying a diplomatic passport.

The Maloney debacle

The Prime Minister’s appearance on the SportsMax programme was as a lead response by his government towards assisting US-based Vincentian track athlete, Shafiqua Maloney, who has made the qualifying standards for the Women’s 800m to the 2024 Paris Olympics, when she clocked 1:58.69, Maloney, on February 10, 2024, at the Tyson Invitational at Randal Tyson Track Centre in Fayetteville, USA.

This made her the first Vincentian to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

Additionally, Maloney, who turned 25 in late February, made the mark for the World Athletics Indoor Championships that were held March 1 to 3, in Glasgow, Scotland. She was unable to attend because of visa issues.

Five days (February 5) after securing qualification for the Olympics, Maloney took to the same SportsMax programme, to air her plight regarding lack of financial support from sources in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Dr. Gonsalves, in his latest pronouncement, indicated that a joint public-private sector collaboration has

We were satisfactory- Jackson

HEAD COACH OF THE ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINESUnder-20

Male Football teamWayde Jackson, has assessed his charges’ performance in Group D of the Concacaf Qualifiers, as “satisfactory”.

Held at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Trinidad and Tobago, from February 23 to 27, 2024, St. Vincent and the Grenadines finished the group with a 1:2 win/loss ratio.

Jackson in his evaluation, told the VINCENTIAN, “We were satisfactory… The players were disciplined

against Trinidad and Tobago and to some extent Canada, although we lost both matches.”

St. Vincent and the Grenadines allowed Trinidad and Tobago to come from behind to lose 2-3 to the host. The Vincentians had gained a 2-0 lead within the first half hour of the match, as Kirtney Franklyn scored from the penalty spot, before Steven Pierre doubled the score-line.

In their next game, the SVG squad suffered a 4-0 defeat to eventual group winners- Canada. They rebounded to beat Dominica 3-2, with

Frankroy Cain, Franklyn and Pierre the goal scorers for the Vincentians.

Commenting on his team’s final standing, Jackson said, “We were beaten by Trinidad and Tobago and Canada, who have a host of professional players who have international experience. … We matched them in parts …. In the main we stuck to our game plan, but our inexperience at that level showed in the end, as well as fatigue especially against the Trinidad and Tobago, when we gave up a goal in seconds before injury time ended.”

Hayde admitted, “We lost the plot against Dominica, but I guess they were hungry for the win, so the players were not disciplined and organized as they ought to.”

Looking back on the experience, Jackson feels that some international warm up matches would have helped.

“St. Vincent and the Grenadines has not hosted its national championships for almost a year now, so that match sharpness was missing, as well as not having some international friendlies were evident,” Jackson

noted.

Shafiqua Maloney went public with her situation of dire need and prompted a quick response by the government of SVG.

been put in motion to assist Maloney financially.

“We have made advancements on two fronts, the governmental and the private sector in terms of support. … There are two companies here, one a regional company with a footprint in St. Vincent, and the Grenadines and one company originating in St. Vincent and the Grenadines with a regional footprint, both of them have responded quite well and they have made arrangements to provide support, in addition to support provided by the government,” Dr. Gonsalves stated. He also revealed that the Cabinet of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has approved a sum of money to be sent to Maloney, as well as another US-based Vincentian athlete, Handal Roban.

He, however, praised the players for their efforts.

“They were good on and off the field… It was a bunch of guys who wanted to represent their country… I am confident that they will form the core of future St. Vincent and the Grenadines senior team… It is how we harness that available talents and network forged with the players who came in from Canada and the USA especially,” Jackson

Wayde Jackson

stated.

Twenty-one players travelled to Trinidad and Tobago to represent St. Vincent and the Grenadines in Group D of the Concacaf Qualifiers.

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves was pleased to announce assistance for an overseas-based athlete even as he called for a support policy for sports people.

Glasgow cites unity as SVGSAÊs focus

AMBER GLASGOW, reelected President of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Squash Association, has cited unity among members as being the focus for her Executive for the 2024-2025 period.

Noting that is it imperative that there is oneness among those in the Squash fraternity, Glasgow expressed, “The sport of Squash here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is relatively small, therefore the onus is on us to be a unified body, stick to our goals and aspirations to build the sport.”

Glasgow, who has represented St. Vincent and the Grenadines at the Junior and Senior levels, was returned to the top post when the SVGSA held its Annual General Meeting, Monday, February 26, at the National Squash Center, Paul’s Avenue.

Having whetted her feet as leader of the organisation from 2023, Glasgow thinks that during her first tenure she had been able to impact, and strides were made.

“We have to build on the successes gained, grow the sport and make that conscious effort to foster a culture of respect,” she commented, and committed to leading the charge towards achieving the objectives of the SVGSA.

Accepting that she cannot do it alone, Glasgow has as her Vice President Kevin Hannaway. A former President, Hannaway returns to the fold of administration, after not seeking reelection in 2023.

Meanwhile, Dr. Sherian Slater retained the post of Treasurer. Slater is also a former president of the

Sans Souci crowns netball champ

STAR GIRLSof Barrouallie created history when they emerged champion of the inaugural Sans Souci Community Netball competition.

The curtain came down on that Competition last weekend at the Sans Souci Hard Court.

In front of a large crowd who tuned out for last Sunday’s final, Star Girls controlled the first two quarters (13-5 and 25-10) over Overland Ballers, before the match ended was brought to a pre-mature end due to consistent rain.

Star Girls were declared winners and they took home the championship

trophy and fifteen hundred dollars. Overland Ballers earned one thousand dollars for the second place, while Georgetown Shatters the third placed team, pocketed five hundred dollars.

Overland Ballers added the Best Dress team award to their take home package, with Fancy Hard Knock taking the award for the Most Disciplined Team.

SVGSA.

Also reelected was Claude Bascombe Jr. as the Secretary, with Mikal Quammie taking up the task of Public Relations Officer.

The two Committee Members are Cindy Walcott and Lynn Cevene.

The configuration of the Executive shows a reduction in the number of officers from previous years. This, as the SVGSA had to do away with the positions of Assistant Secretary Treasurer and Junior Representative,

to stay in line with the organisation’s constitution.

The AGM heard the Financial Statement and Executive Report for 2023.

The Glasgow led Executive will be in place for one year.

Arielle McDonald was adjudged the Best Defender and Manell Lavia the Best Mid-Court Player.

Rivals, Radcliffe lead T20 standings

FLOW RIVALSheads Group A

on 20 points with a net run rate of 2.88, while Flow Radcliffe sits comfortable on 24 points with a net run rate of 5.146, as the 2024 Neil Williams T20 Competition heads into its final stage.

Marking Flow Rivals in Group A is Police Two, also on 20 points but with a net run rate of 2.74. They are followed by Victors Ones and Smashers both on 16 points.

Asif Hooper had an outstanding all-round performance in last weekend round of T20 matches.

from 19 overs - Rohan Ash 46, Kesworth Lewis 44.

Sir Clive to receive Order of Caricom

SIR CLIVE LLOYDwill

become the fourth West Indies Cricket captain to receive the Order of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), the highest honour of the regional trading bloc.

The 80-year-old, affectionately known as “The Big Cat”, follows in the footsteps of Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Vivian Richards, and Brian Lara.

West Indies in three ICC Men’s Cricket World Cups, winning twice in 1975 and 1979, while losing the 1983 final. He captained West Indies between 1974 and 1985, and he masterminded their rise to become the most successful Test and One-day International sides of the 20th century.

Police One and Keegan’s Bequia X1 both have 16 points behind Radcliffe in Group B.

In matches played last weekend, GJ’s Auto Import Super Sixers beat North Windward Volcano by 6 wickets at Park Hill. Scores: Volcano 83 from 13 overs - Lawrence Ashton 4 for 30; Sixers 86 for 4 from 10 oversLawrence Ashton 46 not out.

At Buccament, Smashers beat Prime Consulting Marriaqua by 3 wickets. Scores: Marriaqua 149 for 9 from 20 overs - Kimon John 35, Javid Harry 3 for 21. Smashers 150 for 7

Flow Radcliffe defeated Guardian General Saints by 1 run at Park Hill. Scores: Radcliffe 172 for 8 from 20 overs — Asif Hooper 54. Deron Greaves 44, Kenroy Peters 3 for 27; Saints 171 for 9 from 20 overs - Ryan John 77, Asif Hooper 3 for 23, Othneil Lewis 3 for 12.

Flow Rivals beat Safe Home Construction Strike Eagles by 9 wickets at Park Hill. Scores: Strike Eagles 74 for 7 from 15 overs, Lindon James 4 for 4; Rivals 79 for 3 from 9 overs.

I.B.A. ALLEN

The announcement of the accolade was made during the 46th regular meeting of the conference of heads of government of Caricom, held in his native Guyana, and he will formally receive the honour when the heads of government meet again in July in Grenada.

Sir Clive is widely regarded as one of the greatest cricket captains of all time, having led

A mainstay in the batting line up for 19 years, Sir Clive presided over West Indies’ most successful era. He was captain for 74 of the 110 Tests he played, a higher number than any other West Indies captain, and his win percentage of 49% makes him one of the most successful leaders in Test cricket history.

On the field of play, he scored 7,515 runs at an average of 46.67 in

110 Tests, and 1 977 runs at 39.54 in 87 ODIs.

Sir Clive Lloyd was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009, and he was knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II four years ago for his contribution to the sport.

I.B.A.

Mary-Ann Frederick finished with the best shooting average and the MVP of the Competition was Shanique Deshong.

I.B.A. ALLEN

Star Girls won the first ever Sans Souci netball competition.

Sir Clive Lloyd - former West Indies Captain.

The newly elected Executive of the SVGSA: (Front row from left) Lynn Cevene, Dr. Sherian Slater, Cindy Walcott; (Back row from left)-Kevin Hannaway, Mikal Quammie, Claude Bascombe Jr.

Neil Williams T/20 rolling

ACTIONin the Neil Williams T/20 cricket championship is gathering steam. Last weekend saw five matches.

Lawrence “Ashton”-ishing

GJ Auto Import Super Sixers beat North Windward Volcano by six wickets last Saturday at Park Hill. The victory was due largely to the efforts of one Lawrence Ashton. He grabbed 4 for 30 which helped to restrict North Windward to 83 all out in 13.4 overs.

Drumo Toney 26 was the top scorer for North Windward. Ashton ensured his bowling effort was not wasted with a belligerent unbent 46 to steer his team to 86 for 4 off 10.3 overs.

Ash and Lewis method

Smashers pulled off a victory when Rohan Ash and Kesworth Lewis rescued them. Chasing 149 for 9 which Prime Consulting Marriaqua made in their 20 overs, Smashers were 47 for 6 at one stage. Rohan Ash and Kesworth Lewis swung into action with a seventh wicket 101 stand which almost completed the win. Lewis was run out for 44 made off 39 balls. He hit seven fours, while Ash remained undefeated with 46 scored of 47 deliveries. He hit three sixes and one four.

Radcliffe hangs out Saints

Radcliffe pulled off a one run win over Guardian general Saints at Park Hill last Sunday. Radcliffe scored 172 for 8 in their 20 overs.

Some heroics from Rayon John 77 off 39 balls threatened Radcliffe. He shared a 61 run seventh wicket stand with Jordan Samuel. And a further 31 for the ninth with Kenroy Peters. But Saints fell one run short of reaching the4 target.

Saints were pegged back Othneil Lewis 3 for 12 and Asif Hooper 3 for 23.

Radcliffe’s innings was solidified by a third wicket stand of 83 between Asif Hooper 54, and Deron Greaves 44. They separated at 93.

Kenroy Peters 3 for 27 was the best bowler for Saints.

Lindon ‘Versatile’ James

Flow Rivals beat Strike Eagles by seven wickets. It was like a Lindon James episode. He had figures of 4 for 4 from three overs. That wrecked the Eagles batting. They moved from 59 for 1 to be dismissed 74 off 15 overs.

That partnership was between Javid Wilson29, and Logan Roberts 23. Thereafter it was the James demolition.

Samuel Charles 23 and Dean Browne 19 both unbeaten erased any thoughts of a collapse taking the score from 45 for 3. Ranique Harry 2 for 13 was among the wickets.

Mickron doing well

Mickron McDowell pulled off a splendid allround performance to see his team North Windward Volcano to victory. He blasted 55 not out off 27 balls with seven fours and three sixes, while sharing a 98 run opening stand with Veno DaSouza 34 off 34 deliveries. They reached 117 for 1 in 10.2 overs.

That was in response to Sports Bar Victors

Two who scored 113 for 8 from 13 overs. Maxbert Welcome 51 from 28 balls with eight fours and two sixes led the batting for Victors Two. That innings was undermined by McDowell with figures of 3 for 17.

Women’s 50 overs opens in St. Kitts

JAMAICA, Windward Islands and Guyana were all in winner’s row when the CG United Women’s Super50 Cup opened in St. Kitts on Monday.

Jamaica were the most dominant on the day, securing a massive 200-run win over defending champions Barbados at Warner Park.

They registered a formidable 289 all out off 46.5 overs thanks to a top score of 97 (100 balls) from Captain Stafanie Taylor and a rapid 93 (69 balls) from all-rounder Chinelle Henry.

Buoyed by their strong showing with the bat, the Jamaicans then produced an excellent display of bowling to restrict the Bajans to just 89 in 37.4 overs, Taylor completing an excellent all-round performance with 2-16 from 6.4 overs and Vanessa Watts taking 2-24.

NaiJanni Cumberbatch top scored for Barbados with 22.

At Conaree Sports Club, the Windward Islands won a nailbiter against Trinidad & Tobago by two wickets.

Led by captain Afy Fletcher, 3-40, the Windwards held T&T to 185 all out off 48.2 overs after deciding to bat first.

Lee Ann Kirby led the way for the Trinidadians with 59 off 40 balls. including eight fours and a six

while Samara Ramnath and Captain Britney Cooper made 28, each.

The Windwards then recovered from being 53-5 after 14.3 overs to reach 186-8 off 49 overs and secure victory.

The bulk of the runs came from Jennilea Glasgow, Nerissa Crafton and Pearl Etienne who batted at six, seven and eight, respectively, with Glasgow top scoring with 62 off 114 balls and Crafton getting 45 off 77 balls.

Finally, Guyana secured a comfortable 56-run win over the Leeward Islands at St. Paul’s Sports Complex.

The Leewards won the toss and decided to bowl and proceeded to restrict Guyana for just 139 in 37 overs, Realeanna Grimmond leading for Guyana with 38.

Shawnisha Hector returned the impressive figures of 3-9 from seven overs. Guyana, who many felt was behind the black ball, produced an excellent reply with the ball to dismiss the Leewards for just 84 off 36.5 overs, Plaffiana Millington leading the way with 4-10 from her 9.5 overs.

Windwards looking to be consistent

KENROY PETERS, Head Coach of the Windwards Volcanoes, is looking for continuation of form and consistence of his team in the second phase of the CWI Regional Four-day Championship.

The Volcanoes finished at the top of the eightteam table with an unbeaten record in their three games, and coach Peters was obviously pleased.

“Over all I am very satisfied with the performance of the unit, I think it was a good all-round performance by the players… our bowlers were able to pick up sixty wickets and our batters, in each first innings, we scored over three hundred runs and reached our victory targets with a lot of wickets in hand,” Peters assessed.

He added, “I think largely, this performance is testament to the commitment of the players. Our preparation was geared around starting well in Jamaica. Traditionally everybody knows we are not a team that starts well, and the fact that we started better than we usually do, gives us an opportunity now to continue to build on the performances that we had put in so far.

Stories: I.B.A. ALLEN

Peters said it is also important that they build on their early success.

“Now that we are going back into competition, we want to build on what we started in Jamaica, so it is important that our preparation is geared around consistency and fitness preparation so that we can get the players pushing hard in four days. … We have really done ourselves proud, but we are not getting too far ahead of ourselves. … We know we still have a lot of work to do to maintain that lead; we need players to stay sharp mentally, physically and skillfully.”

The Volcanoes will face Trinidad and Tobago in Trinidad from March 13th.

Windwards Volcanoes have much to celebrate after three matches.

Kenroy Peters, Head Coach of Windward Volcanoes, cites consistency as the important factor if his team is to continue winning.

Stafanie Taylor hit 99 for Jamaica.

Chinelle Henry made 93 in Jamaica’s win.

Jennilea Glasgow hit a top score of 62 in for the Windward Islands.

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SUSPECTED KILLERS HANDED OVER TO GRENADA

by HAYDN HUGGINS

THE THREEGrenadians suspected of killing U.S. citizens Ralph Hendry and his commonlaw-wife Kathy Brandel are now in the hands of the authorities in Grenada.

THE VINCENTIAN was reliably informed on Wednesday that the local Coast Guard, this week, escorted Ron Mitchel, 30; Trevon Robertson, 25; and Atiba Stanislaus, 23; to their homeland, where they were handed over to the custody of authorities there. The suspects are all from Paradise, St. Andrews, Grenada.

Removal order

The suspects were removed from St. Vincent and the Grenadines after Senior Magistrate Colin John issued a removal order for the men at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on Monday, after hearing the facts related to four immigration charges.

The Magistrate reasoned that justice would best be served if the men were removed from the state, and sent back to Grenada, and ordered that they be sent back as soon as practicable.

The order was issued one week after the men pleaded guilty to four charges related to their illegal entry into St. Vincent and the Grenadines, following their escape from lawful custody, on February 18, while being held at the South St. George Police Station in Grenada on charges of rape, robbery and other serious offenses.

When the men initially appeared at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on February 26, five days after being recaptured here, they pleaded guilty to entering the state of SVG other than at a port of entry; entering by boat

and disembarking without the consent of an immigration officer; being a prohibited immigrant entered the state by boat without a passport; knowingly and willfully allowing themselves to land as prohibited immigrants.

The Grenadians, who were unrepresented, were remanded until Monday, March 4 for presentation of facts and sentencing.

The search for the men

The facts showed that on February 21 Corporal 615 Lafleur Williams of the Rapid Response Unit (RRU), acting on information, headed a party of RRU and Narcotics personnel on duty in the North Western Division.

On reaching Petit Bordel, in the vicinity of the beach, they saw a dingy, and a grey Yamaha outboard engine, about 20ft from the dingy.

While the RRU and Narcotics personnel were on the beach, the local Coast Guard arrived with Sergeant 6 Elmore Alexander of the Crime Scene Unit (CSU) and Sergeant 563 Alex Primus of the Major Crime Unit (MCU). They dealt with the scene and went in search of the men.

When they got to Spring Village, Corporal Williams received a phone call, and based on that, they turned back and headed to Petit Bordel.

On reaching a 2-storey dwelling house on the beach, they met a man, later identified as Ron Mitchel,

dressed in black short pants lying face down on the ground at the back of the house.

Corporal Williams and the other officers approached, identified themselves, and informed the man of their duty. However, as they attempted to place handcuffs on his hands, he leaped for Sergeant Smith’s firearm and was shot in the process. He was taken to the Chateaubelair Smart Hospital for treatment.

The search continued in the area, and the other two men were found hiding in the bushes.

When questioned as to how they got there, the men told the police they came to SVG on a yacht captained by Ron Mitchel, abandoned the yacht at Cumberland, then used a dingy from the yacht to go to Petit Bordel.

Criminal charges in Grenada

When asked if they cleared with the authorities, they said no. As a result, they were arrested, taken to the Central Police Station in Kingstown, and handed over to the Immigration authorities.

When cautioned and interviewed, Mitchel and Stanislaus gave statements while Robertson declined.

Prosecutor Corlene Samuel told the Court that Stanislaus and Mitchel had ten and nine convictions respectively in Grenada, for several offenses of house-breaking and theft, in addition to one for causing harm in relation to Stanislaus, and one for assault in relation to Mitchel. Robertson has none.

A local police report last week stated that investigations, thus far, into the disappearance and presumed death of the U.S. couple, indicated that the men hijacked the couple’s yacht

named ‘Simplicity’ which was moored at Grande Anse Beach in Grenada, and kidnapped the couple. While sailing from Grenada they committed several criminal acts, including bodily harm to the couple.

Up to press time Thursday, the bodies were not recovered, but the crime scene, when processed by the police, was found to be consistent with signs of violence.

A joint investigation involving local Law Enforcement and their Grenadian counterparts into the disappearance and presumed death of the U.S. couple is ongoing.

Atiba Stanislaus (left) and Trevon Robertson in the back (tray) of a police transport as they left the court on Monday.

Ron Mitchel was transported in the back seat of the same police transport. He was shot by local law enforcement officers.