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The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

FRIDAY,

DECEMBER 02, 2016

VOLUME 110, No.47

www.thevincentian.com

EC$1.50

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2. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2016. THE VINCENTIAN

Education

Harry and King are KCCU Quiz champs ACCORDING to teacher Rohan Thomas, the C. W. Precod Primary School duo of Zachary Harry and Daryl King, almost didn’t make it to the preliminaries of the annual Kingstown Cooperative Credit Union Quiz. But once they entered the final, it was plain sailing.

They breezed through the multiple Winners Daryl King (2nd from left) and Zachary Harry choice first round of the competition, with (3rd from left) with KCCU’s president - Phyllis Allen James (left) and teacher Rohan Thomas correct answers to their five questions.

Joshua Wills and Nequest John. They But so did the Biabou Methodist receive $200 each along with trophies School. The second round - closed and prizes. ended questions, saw the two leaders The other finalists received $150 locked on points, both having correctly each along with their certificates of answered three of those five questions. participation. They were: Ronica The third segment went on Duncan and Fennique Pitt from scoreless for the six finalists until the Kingstown Government School; fourth question, when C.W. Prescod Reynolly Hillocks and Breann Bacchus beat the others to the buzzer and of the Pamelus Burke Government answered the question correctly.

School; and Cody Bartley from Fitz For their success, Harry and King Hughes Government School. He pocketed $300 each. They also operated alone as his partner A’Jay received trophies for themselves, as Adams was struck with flu. well as gifts and tokens from the Eighteen schools took part in the KCCU. Their school will be afforded preliminary round held two weeks two thousands dollars towards a earlier. school project.

The finals were held at the Rueben Angelique Nichols and Dennis Jr John Development Centre on the Toussaint representing the Biabou ground floor of the Kingstown Methodist School took the second spot. Cooperative Credit Union They earned $250 each, trophies and headquarters on Granby Street, other tokens. Third prize was taken by Kingstown last Saturday, November the Calliaqua Anglican School pair of 26. (WKA)

Final year students of the Headstart Pre-School toured the Fire Unit at the E. T. Joshua Airport and interacted with the officers there.

Preschoolers are Fire Smart

FINAL YEAR students at Headstart Pre-School are better prepared to help themselves should they come into contact with fire. The four-year old students were engaged in a practical two-week long fire safety programme, which exposed them to different elements of fire safety and awareness.

The primary concepts covered were: items that can burn at home; what to do in case of a fire at home or school; the importance of exit points; the role of a fire detector and the use of a fire extinguisher; dialling 9-1-1; the purpose of a fire truck and the suit that fire fighters wear; and the Stop, Drop and Roll technique.

The programme culminated with a visit to the Arnos Fire Station located at the E.T. Airport, where the officers were instrumental in reinforcing the concepts to which the pre-schoolers were previously introduced.

The fire-fighters posed fire related questions to the students to test their knowledge, and they were impressed by the responses given by the little ones. A beaming principal, Mrs. Lavinia Francis, took the opportunity to stress the importance of adequately preparing the youngsters for any eventuality that may occur at school or at home, and added that one is never too young to learn.

V News 3 More rain, more damage

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2016. 3.

Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), the Barbados Meteorological Services, through the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Meteorological Services, extended the Flood Warning for until 8:00 a.m. Wednesday, 30th, November, 2016.

The raging flood waters were the result of the enormous quantity of rainfall unleashed on the country. The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Meteorological Office recorded an approximate 2.4 inches of rainfall at the E. T. Joshua Airport between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 29th, while figures coming out from the Central Water and Sewerage Authority (CWSA) tell an even more impacting story. From all indications, the CWSA said, between midnight and 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday 29th November, 2016, Convent in Spring Village received 5.6 inches of rain; Dalaway in Vermont received 4.2 inches;

THE EASTWARD MOVING TROUGH SYSTEM which impacted St. Vincent and the Grenadines between 28th and 29th November, left many Vincentians wondering if there was any remaining space on the land, to accommodate further showers.

This following the November 8, 2016 trough that wrought havoc on the state and accounted for one death and one still missing primary schoolage student.

This heavy and consistent rainfall occasioned by the trough, resulted in even more flooding, landslides and land slippages in a number of areas, but mainly in the north-east and north-west of mainland St. Vincent.

According to a report from the National

Jennings in Congo Valley, 8.7 inches; and South Rivers, 6.3 inches.

St. Vincent, in particular, was soaked.

Impact The impact of the downpour and associated flooding and damge saw an immediate closure of schools nationwide on Tuesday 29th and Wednesday 30th November;, and nonessential workers were advised to remain at home on Tuesday, 29th.

Reports coming out of NEMO at 6:00 am on Wednesday, 30th showed that no lives were lost neither were there any reports of seriously injured or missing persons.

However, by that time, damage to houses had caused some one hundred and seventy-seven persons to take refuge in shelters.

Figures revealed that fifteen houses were destroyed, twenty damaged and six flooded.

Reported landslides amounted to fifteen, damaged bridges reported at eight and damaged roads at eight. Clean-up operations and assessment by the Roads Bridges and General Services Authority (BRAGSA) had Perseverance System also begun. resulted in interruptions to Mt. Young, Georgetown, Water and Electricity Dickson, O’Briens Valley, Spring, Mt. Bentick, Water and electricity Langley Park, Chapmans systems did not go Village, Rabacca, Orange unaffected. The Central Hill, Field 18 and Water and Sewerage Tourama. Areas from Authority (CWSA) Coulls Hill to Richmond in reported that the Jennings the North Leeward also System was down, thereby experienced interruption affecting the water supply to the water supply. in Byera, Mannings The rainfall and Village, Colonaire, Park accompanying land Hill, South Rivers, Mt. slippage had caused Grenan, Diamonds damage and displacement Village, New Grounds, to electricity poles, Lowmans Wd, Hadley’s resulting in loss of Village, North Union, electricity supply in a South Union, Cedars, number of areas. The Biabou, Jeffrey, Spring, efforts of the St. Vincent Peruvian Vale, Argyle, Mt. Electricity Services Pleasant, Rawacou, (Vinlec), however, saw a Stubbs, Calder, Carapan restoration of electricity to and Diamond.

Hope; Perseverance; Damage to the Congo Valley and other

areas of Georgetown; and from Richmond to Cumberland. On the other hand, Richmond Vale Academy, and areas on the north such as Overland, Magum, London, Sandy Bay, Point, Owia and Fancy remain without electricity at 6:00 am Wednesday, 30th November.

With the extent of the damage the country has suffered, the question still remains: Is there any remaining space on the land to accommodate further showers?

The National Emergency Operations Centre remained partially activated on Wednesday.

It is expected to commence the housing and infrastructure damage assessment. (SR)

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4. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2016. THE VINCENTIAN

Regional

Fidel Castro dies aged 90

See pages 14&15 for more.

Revolution. Other rallies were held across the country.

On Wednesday, Castro’s ashes began travelling eastward across Cuba, following in reverse the route taken by his rebels from the Sierra Maestra mountains to the capital, Havana, in 1959 . The cortege was expected to take three days.

His ashes are to be interred Dec. 04, at Santa Ifigenia Cemetery, in Santiago de Cuba, Fidel Castro – the 32-year-old who led the 1959 where national hero, Fidel Castro – President of Cuba who overthrow of the American-supported dictator poet and leader of survived hundreds of attempts on his Fulgencio Batista Zaldívar (Credit: Business Cuba’s 19th century life. (Credit: presstv) Standard) fight for independence from Spain - Jose Marti tenures of ten presidents guerrilla force of several thousand is also buried. of the USA — from Dwight Eisenhower fighters who, along with urban rebel During the nine days of mourning, (1959) to Barrack Obama (2016) — and groups, defeated Batista’s military in alcohol sales were suspended, flags what Cuban officials records said were just over two years, and thus began flew at half-staff and shows, concerts 600 attempts on his life. the Cuban Socialist Revolution. and all sporting events (including Interestingly, Fidel Castro’s death (Sources: Reuters, thestar.com, BBC, baseball) were cancelled. on November 25, 2016 marked 60 Granma) years to the day when Castro – through thick and thin he and a band of 81 followers set sail from Born on Aug. 13, 1926, in Biran, the Mexican port of eastern Cuba, Fidel Castro was the Tuxpan, aboard an son of a Spanish immigrant who overloaded yacht called became a wealthy landowner.

‘Granma’, in a second A Jesuit-educated lawyer, Castro, attempt to overthrown then aged 32, led the revolution that the US-backed dictator ousted U.S-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista.

Batista on Jan. 1, 1959. He quickly Only 12, including, took control of Cuba and sought to Fidel, his brother Raul transform it into an egalitarian and Che Guevara, society.

His government improved the living escaped a government ambush when they conditions of the very poor, achieved landed in eastern Cuba. The Santa Ifigenia Cemetery, in Santiago de Cuba, Days of mourning health and literacy levels on a par Taking refuge in the where Fidel Castro’s ashes are to be interred. with rich countries, and rid Cuba of a rugged Sierra Maestra At press time Wednesday, Cuba was powerful Mafia presence.

Pictured is the mausoleum in which Jose Marti is into the fifth day of an officially interred. (Credit: uxurymediacuba.com) Notwithstanding the improvements, mountains, they built a declared nine-day period of mourning. hundreds of thousands of Cubans fled On Monday and Tuesday, thousands the island, this, according to western of Cubans paid homage to their media, because of Castro’s crackdown beloved leader at the Havana down on dissent, the jailing of his Memorial to National Hero Jose Marti opponents, seizure of private and the memorial in the Plaza of the businesses and homes, and a suppression of a free media.

Some of those who fled were recruited, trained and used in what was to become the ill-fated 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion, an attempt by a CIA-sponsored armed group, to overthrown the Castro regime.

Having failed in this direct attempt to oust Castro, the US government, in 1962, imposed a trade embargo on Cuba, pushing, analysts say, Cuba into the arms of the Soviet-bloc during the Cold War period.

But Cuba and Fidel Castro endured through the Fidel Castro – the retiree who kept a sharp eye on how the revolution was unfolding with challenges and Castro himself survived through the Mourners gather in Havana with images of Fidel Castro after his death. (San his brother at the helm. (Credit: Granma) Francisco Chronicle) FIDEL CASTRO, the Cuban revolutionary who built a socialist society on the doorstep of the United States, and for five decades defied U.S. efforts to topple him, died on Friday 25th November, 2016. He was 90.

A towering figure of the 20th century and Cold War icon, Castro stuck to his ideology beyond the collapse of Soviet communism, and remained widely respected in parts of the world that struggled against colonial rule.

Reports circulating for some time before his death, said that Fidel had been in poor health since coming down with an intestinal ailment in 2006.

He formally ceded power to his younger brother, Raul, two years later.

It was Raul, on state television, who announced the death of his brother, As expected, a mix of tributes and condemnation poured in from allies and foes around the world.

“History will record and judge the enormous impact of this singular figure on the people and world around him,” U.S. President Barack Obama said, extending “a hand of friendship” to Cuba.

President-elect Donald Trump was not at all compromising, calling Castro “a brutal dictator who oppressed his own people for nearly six decades,” and describing his legacy as one “of firing squads, theft, unimaginable suffering, poverty and the denial of fundamental human rights.”

Venezuela’s socialist president, Nicolas Maduro, urged revolutionaries to follow Castro’s legacy, while Chinese President Xi Jinping said “the Chinese people have lost a close comrade and a sincere friend.”

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2016. 5.

Royalty

The Prince does a special wave for the students who lined the Hibiscus Avenue at the Botanical Gardens.

Left: Prince Harry takes a special interest in members of the SVG Cadet Corps as he inspected the Military Parade at the Cruise Ship Terminal.

Prince Harry visits St. Vincent Vermont Nature Trail.

At the Trail, the Prince met a number of Forestry workers, along with the Manager of the Central Water and Sewerage Authority (CWSA). There he was given a short overview on water capture in SVG, and on conservation efforts mounted by local Forestry officials, before unveiling a plaque dedicating the Vermont Nature Trail to the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy.

Like members of the Royal Family before him, Villagers in Vermont Prince Harry planted a tree at the historic were overwhelmed when Botanical Gardens. the Prince visited Mr. Mattis’ shop where he PRINCE HARRY, fifth in Gardens, the oldest greeted and interacted line to the British throne, tropical gardens in the with them. visited St. Vincent and the Western world, which It was then back to his Grenadines last Saturday celebrated its 250th ship for lunch before 26th November, as part of anniversary in 2015, making his way to the an official visit to the where he was greeted by Windward side (east Caribbean, on behalf of Curator of the Gardens - coast) of the island.

Her Majesty the Queen.

Gordon Shallow and a His party stopped on a The Caribbean visit number of Forestry hill overlooking the began on November 20th officials. construction site of the and will conclude on the He walked up Argyle International 4th of December, during Hibiscus Avenue, which Airport. There he was which time the Prince was lined by scores of briefed by Dr Rudy would have visited school children who were Matthias , Chief Antigua & Barbuda, quite happy to greet the Executive Officer of the Grenada, Barbados, Prince, and then toured International Airport Guyana, St Kitts and the Nicholas Wildlife Development Company, Nevis, St Lucia and St Complex, where he had on progress as per the Vincent and the an interesting encounter construction of the Grenadines. with one of the national airport.

He arrived here on birds housed there.

The final stop on the November 26th on the At the Gardens, Prince Windward leg of the tour RFA Wave Knight which Harry and his entourage was at the Turtle berthed at the Kingstown were also entertained by Conservation Project in Cruiseship Terminal, Members of the Colonaire . In the where he was met by Kingstown Government company of Prime Governor General Sir School, the Starlift Steel Minister Dr. Gonsalves, Frederick Ballantyne , Orchestra and a number he was met by Chief Prime Minister Ralph of Maypole Dancers. He Fisheries Officer Jennifer Gonsalves , other seemed quite at ease as Howard and Louise government officials, and he sang along with the Mitchell -Joseph, Turtle took the salute at a children, and danced to Conservation Project military parade in his the steel band music.

Leader. honour.

The Prince then planted He participated in a From there he a Baobob tree before prize-giving ceremony for travelled to the Botanical moving on to the winners in a turtle

conservation competition, and was invited to make brief remarks by Mitchell Joseph, to which he willingly assented.

He concluded that visit by unveiling a monument designating the site as a turtle sanctuary.

The Prince and his entourage then made their way back to the Cruise Ship Terminal, Kingstown, for a reception hosted by the Governor General.

During the reception, the Prince presented Duke of Edinburg Awards to a number of recipients, met with young persons from various groups in SVG, including the Girls Guides and Rotary Clubs, along with the Queen’s Young Leaders from St. Vincent and the Grenadines , Kenville Horne and Dillion Ollivierre.

A portrait done by local artist Calvert Jones was presented to him .

The Prince in turn presented a framed, official photograph of Her Majesty the Queen and her husband Prince Phillips, Duke of Edinburg. The photo, according to the Governor General, will be hung at the Government House.

Following an opportunity for formal photographs, the Prince then departed for his vessel in preparation for

Interacting with residents of Vermont where he received a warm welcome.

Left: In addition to visiting the turtle conservation project at Colonaire, the Prince took time to trade exchanges with students from schools in the area. his departure to Grenada.

Unfortunately the vessel experienced some mechanical problems and could not depart as scheduled, resulting in The Prince made time during his the Prince visit to Colonaire, to give a thumbs having to up to this youngster, as though to spend the say how much he enjoyed his visit. night on an undisclosed The visit was Prince Grenadines island.

Harry’s second official A helicopter, reports visit to the Caribbean, said, was used to convey following his first tour to the Prince back to his the region in 2012 when vessel, during the early His Royal Highness hours of Sunday represented Her Majesty morning, for onward during the Diamond travel to Grenada.

Jubilee.

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6. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2016. THE VINCENTIAN

Foreign Affairs

Venezuela – SVG: Friends for life

Right: His Excellency Yuri THE RELATIONSHIP countries. The ceremony Pimentel, BETWEEN the Bolivarian was held last week Venezuela’s Republic of Venezuela and Thursday, November 24, Ambassador to SVG, St. Vincent and the at the Venezuelan highlighted the Grenadines will go on.

Embassy, Murray’s Road. broad areas in which That assurance was Sir Louis, who was his country was and given by Foreign Affairs also Acting Prime is pleased to assist Minister Sir Louis Minister during the SVG. Straker while addressing absence from the state of a ceremony to mark the PM Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, 35th Anniversary of the predicted regular flights and relations from establishing of between the two nations. November 2001, with the “great chemistry” diplomatic relations He noted the between the two deepening of the contact between Hugo Chavez and Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, and highlighted Venezuela’s contribution to the construction of the international airport, as a lasting symbol of that country’s assistance to this country.

Some US$50M in A fitting dance routine was performed by the La Gracia Dancers.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sir Louis Straker made no excuses for the deep and lasting relationship between Venezuela and SVG. exchange of delegations as areas of co-operation, and cited the Hugo Chavez Fuel Storage and Distribution Plant at assistance from Lowmans Bay as a Venezuela has already been used here on social highlight.

Pimentel praised the development projects as Vincentian people for well as building infrastructure, Sir Louis their stance in solidarity with his country, and put indicated. that down to a shared Sir Louis’ address vison and independence came after that of His of peoples and Excellency Yuri governments.

Pimentel, Venezuela’s The ceremony also Ambassador to SVG. heard from President of The Ambassador reminded that diplomatic the Venezuelan Friendship Association relations were established on November Mike Browne, and was entertained with cultural 3, 1981, and that the first Venezuelan Consul segments.

Those segments to SVG was appointed on included: a dance routine November 12, 1885. dubbed ‘Viva Venezuela’ Pimentel alluded to agricultural, medical, civil defence and student training, as well as

by La Gracia Dancers, coordinated by Maxine Browne; a musical recital

by Callistus Sandy on cuatro, accompanied by Geran Maule on Keyboard, demonstrating what he (Sandy) had learned at a Venezuelasponsored workshop; and renditions (parang and other Venezuela music forms) by a revived El Grupo Amistad, started some 20 years ago by the Venezuela Embassy here.

A sense of true camaraderie permeated the evening’s atmosphere, as those in attendance mingled and exchanged their own sentiments about the relationship between the two countries. (WKA)

Callistus Sandy on cuatro and Geran Maule on keyboard performed for an appreciative audience.

El Grupo Amistad – returned to show the degree to which they had mastered Venezuelan music forms.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2016. 7.

Law

Exeter wants firearm licence reinstated

by HAYDN HUGGINS HAVING BEEN CLEARED of four criminal charges on Monday, November 21, opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) Central Leeward candidate Benjamin ‘Ben’ Exeter is hoping that the authorities would see it fit to reinstate his firearm licence.

Exeter’s licensed firearm was seized after police arrested him at an NDP protest outside the House of Assembly on December 29, where the newly elected members of parliament were being sworn in following the December 9, 2015

general election. He was in possession of the firearm at the time.

The following day, he was handed a letter informing him that his firearm licence was revoked with immediate effect.

The letter was signed

by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security and chairperson of the Firearms Licensing Board - Godfred Pompey, then Commissioner of Police Michael Charles and the Attorney General.

High Court Judge Brian Cottle

subsequently refused Exeter’s application for leave to apply for Judicial review in relation to the revocation of his firearm licence and for an order to have the licence, firearm and 50 rounds of ammunition returned to him forthwith.

Exeter, who was slapped with four charges, including unlawful possession of the firearm at a public meeting outside the House of Assembly, stemming from incidents at the December 29 NDP protest, was cleared of all

charges at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court, November 21.

Shortly after the charges were dismissed, Exeter told THE VINCENTIAN that he hoped the authorities would revisit their decision to revoke his firearm licence.

Exeter said he felt very unsafe without his licensed firearm, in light of the escalating crime situation in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

His lawyer, Kay Bacchus-Baptiste, told THE VINCENTIAN, “I hope the authorities

Coast Guard Officers Recognized MEMBERS of the St.Vincent Commissioner Hadaway. and the Grenadines Coast Minister Gonsalves in his Guard must be commended address, admitted, “The for yeoman service to the Coast Guard has to do quite country’s national security a bit with few resources,” platform, said Commissioner yet its work had gotten more of Police (Acting) Renold challenging over the years.

Hadaway.

Besides providing a Commissioner Hadaway, service which caters for a delivering remarks at the burgeoning tourist industry, 36th Anniversary the Coast Guard has to Thanksgiving Service of the defend the country’s waters SVG Coast Guard Service at against dangerous people, its Calliaqua Base on who exploit the country’s Sunday, November 27th, location between the 2016, said besides responding supplier of drugs in the to incidents at sea when south and those who Commissioner of people’s lives become demand it in the north for Police (Acting) endangered, members of the transhipment purposes, Renold Hadaway Camillo Gonsalves, Coast Guard Service brave Gonslaves recognised. urged Minister Minister of the rough seas each day to Those two issues, he said, Gonsalves to Economic advocate on behalf of prevent illicit activities from along with the matter of Development, the Coast Guard’s taking place in Vincentian climate change, make the admitted that the need for waters. role of the Coast Guard SVG Coast Guard increased/improved The Commissioner more critical. does much with very resources. expressed the desire that Minister Gonsalves said little resources.

Minister Camillo while the Coast Guard Gonsalves, Area performs quietly in keeping St.Vincent and the Representative for East Grenadines safe, its service is sometimes thankless.

St.George, who attended The anniversary service was held under the the ceremony, advocate theme: ‘Integrity, Loyalty, Discipline, Team Work, for more resources for the Respect, Devotion to Duty’.

Coast Guard.

Following the remarks, a praise and worship “We must salute the session was held, and the programme concluded brave men and women of after a sermon by Pastor A POLICE report late the Coast Guard,” said Nolan James. into Wednesday afternoon, disclosed that police were called to the Colonaire beach around 3:00pm, where and when DURING the downpour of rain early Monday they discovered a badly morning, someone apparently seized the decomposed body. opportunity to fire approximately six bullets The body, yet to be through a closed front door of a house at McKie’s confirmed as being that Hill, Kingstown, occupied by Jamal Grant. of a male, was found in Information is that an unknown gunman offan area of the beach to the rear of the Seventhloaded the shots, then fled. It is not clear whether Day Adventist Church. he fled by foot or vehicle.

As news of the Reports are that Grant and his girlfriend Gayla discovery spread, Boyde were in the house at the time of the conjecture was wild that incident, but were unhurt. the body could have been Police went on the scene after receiving a report a body interred at the around 7 a.m.

Park Hill cemetery, Six 9 mm spent shells were recovered on the which was extensively premises. Bullet holes were markedly noticeable damaged by flood in the front door of the house. waters, November 2.

Up to press time Wednesday, investigations Police have mounted were ongoing. (HH) an investigation.

Body found on Colonarie beach

Bullets fired into house

would reinstate his firearm license because he did nothing wrong.

The evidence showed that it was the police who pulled the licensed gun out of the holster which was in Exeter’s waist. They (police) were the ones who assaulted him and brandished his firearm when they pulled it out of the holster at a public place,” BacchusBaptiste said.

In handing down his decision in the matter involving Exeter’s application for leave to apply for Judicial review, Cottle had stated that Exeter’s attorney, then Emery Robertson, was

Benjamin Exeter says he feels unsafe without his firearm. unable to explain to the court why the mere exercise of executive authority could only be corrected by judicial intervention.

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8. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2016. THE VINCENTIAN

Views The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Managing Editor: Desiree Richards Editor: Cyprian Neehall Telephone: 784-456-1123 Fax: 784-451-2129 Website: www.thevincentian.com Email: vinpub@thevincentian.com Mailing Address: The Vincentian Publishing Co. Ltd., P.O. Box 592, Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Editorial Dear Fidel YOU, MY DEAR COMRADE, embodied humanity’s struggle for a free, dignified life; a life free from exploitation, a life full of love.

Even in your death, you remain a driving force in the continuing human struggle against all forms of exploitation, bondage and indignity.

That place of pride you carved for yourself with your bold and unrelenting stand with and for all of humanity struggling around the world.

There were many who considered you their arch enemy, even a gangster. But those with whom you stood in their struggle for self-worth and dignity, consider you a hero.

For your stand, which favoured the oppressed and maginalised, you became an enemy of the enemies of humanity — the forces that thrive on keeping this world a hotbed of hostility. They hatched plot after plot against you, to their own futility, for, contrary to that which convention would want to dictate, history does not repeat itself, when, as you showed us, the struggle keeps going forward.

Dear Comrade, you personified the hopes and dreams of all humanity, with your resolute stand and struggle that transcended decades.

In fact, your struggle traversed centuries, from one century to the next, reflecting that once inequality and acts of inhumanity exist, the struggle for human dignity is ceaseless.

And even as we recognise the struggle you led, we know that it attracted the ongoing attention of those who work against the true fulfilment of humanity, because yours was unprecedented. Who could imagine that a small island-state could stand up to the longest ever economic blockade in world history — an embargo imposed by the strongest ever capitalist power. With you in the lead, Cuba confronted the blockade without losing an ounce of dignity, and will continue to do so with the same steadfastness.

Fidel, my friend, yours was the dignified approach - the approach of fraternity. Countries around the globe experienced this approach. You taught the struggling people of the world not to surrender; that people are to be mobilised and made aware.

Comrade, we have not forgotten the hard days ushered in by the collapse of the USSR. You and Cuba took a steadfast stand in those hostile and debilitating years that followed, fortified by your recall of your friend Ernest Hemmingway’s, ‘And man is born not for defeat. A man can be destroyed, but not defeated.’

We know, comrade, you stood for world peace, for a nuclear arms-free world.

Comrade, we have not forgotten your unflinching support to the peoples struggling in countries in Africa, in Latin America and the Caribbean archipelago - the medical missions Cuba sent to countries, across the globe; the educational opportunities opened to peoples of the under-developed and developing world.

This you could do because of Cuba’s successes in the areas of health care, medical research, education, ecological advancement and agriculture. From you, the world learned the possibilities in the struggle for a dignified life in the face of hostile forces.

Fidel, dear comrade, your life and struggle have dignified the entire human society, as you have never accepted indignity and dishonour; you never relinquished the struggle of the exploited, of the poor masses.

Human society shall never forget; you will remain with a bold presence in all our struggles.

Today, we face a world with intensified competition and contradictions in a capitalist dominated world. This makes the camp more arrogant, more reckless, bent on intervention and assassination.

‘Drone’ someone is their first thought as they come across any person they consider hostile to them. This situation makes your path, in life and in death, so much more relevant.

And Comrade, if all of that made you a Communist, as your western detractors labelled you, all the better for humanity for having been one.

Riding (out) the storm WE GREET READERS with news they all heard already: Arnhim Eustace has resigned his twin posts as President of the NDP and Leader of its Opposition in Parliament, but continues as an ordinary MP for East Kingstown, until such times as a suitable replacement has been found. (I recommend his daughter, Mia Eustace).

So after some fifteen years, the ULP has at long last got its wish, on seeing the back of Arnhim as Leader of the Opposition, despite losing four national elections in a row; of these 4, Arnhim’s NDP lost by only one seat on the last two occasions in 2010 and 2015 at which the NDP claimed fraud, actually taken the matter before court which somehow has dragged along for eleven months awaiting a hearing!

Incidentally, it must be noted that of all party political leaders who have graced the political table in SVG with their presence, only Arnhim stands out as never been personally beaten at the constituency level, unlike George Mc Intosh, Ebenezer Joshua, Milton Cato, James Mitchell and Ralph Gonsalves, as well as Vincent Beache for that matter.

From its top-draw, I will select as many as five candidates any one who could have made a wonderful replacement of Eustace: Leacock, Friday, Cummings, Lewis and Ferdinand!

Take a further note of the varying ways by which leaders conduct their business. In the ULP, Vincent gave notice of his impending resignation to Ralph who was able to jump-start the other rivals to clinch the Leadership of the ULP. Not so in the NDP, where Leacock and Friday both entered the race, neither an expressed favourite of Eustace. It so happens that, for whatever reason, Leacock withdrew, though I believe it was to preserve party unity, if both men persisted with their claims to the end. In any event, Leacock backed down on his own volition.

Again we take the case of selecting candidates in the ULP. Two good candidates were competing to run for the Central Leeward constituency in the 2015 elections. On the day of the final showdown, party Leader Dr. Gonsalves felt it not to be a good thing to entertain a close fight between two party faithful. So he took Straker out of a church service he had been attending, got him to agree with his (Gonsalves) ploy, went to the Party Assembly, ordered the two aspirants to concede and join in making Louis Straker the candidate, who official claimed victory at the poll, securing an eight seat for the ULP, and Government for the fourth successive term!

As noted above, to this columnist there was a case of an indifference curve between the two original NDP claimants. The two men both display a variety of strengths. St Clair I got to know since the 1970’s when he was an associate of the Educational Forum of the People and had been an active recruit of the UPM at whose, launching in Diamond Village he was present in 1979. We remained friends ever since! I made brief fitting remarks on his entry to formal politics as a senator of the NDP, about which I published in “This Week” on the 19 /10/2001 in an article called “Political Panorama”: ... “The NDP Opposition has certainly put a feather in its cap with the nomination of St Clair Leacock to replace Burns Bonadie who had been fired by Arnhim Eustace for playing political

games with Prime Minister Gonsalves.

At 50 years old, Leacock is equipped and ready for the fight for which he had long strained at the leash.

Scholastically, Leacock has shown brilliance with a BSc (Hons.) Management Studies and an M.B.A under his belt and an LLB Part One and the groundwork of a doctoral thesis very much on the way.

In items of all-round development, Leacock is in a class all by himself.

There is more than a spot of military training in him, gained as an avid member of the Cadet Corps which with Bernard John and B.T Marksman, he led with distinction during its formative days.

Work-wise, he got the National Development Foundation off the ground floor, did yeoman service at Vinlec in administration and Human Resource Development, apart from making a sterling contribution to secondary education in the social sciences, while still finding time to develop his own business and create badly needed employment .

Leacock is once again President of the local Football Association which, together with John Horne, he helped to lift to new heights in the glory days of 1979 to 1981.

St Clair Leacock cuts his political teeth in the EFP where he was much influenced by “Big Brothers” Eddie Griffith and Parnel Campbell.

His linear development saw him traverse the DFM and the UPM and on to the NDP of which he is currently PRO. Bright, articulate, knowledgeable and committed, the NDP has put its best foot forward with Leacock who is expected to use the “senate” as a stepping-stone to higher things”.

The foregoing spoke of yester year. Today, 15 years later, Leacock has grown by leaps and bounds. Among other things, his is now the safest NDP seat on the mainland.

Whatever his present position, Leacock will certainly be a force to reckon with when it comes to the social and economical development of SVG. As to Godwin Friday, he has all the makings of an excellent leader. No doubt, he and others have benefitted through their association with Arnhim. One has to admire that he took the baton from Arnhim running and developed quick speed in covering the island examined and investigating the devastation caused by the turbulent weather, giving advice and issuing statements.

It has been a political baptism by gushing torrents of water. The next time, soon to come, it promises to be blazing fire.

I wholeheartedly endorse Friday as Leader of the Party post facto. It has proved helpful when a man from offshore ‘dependency’ is the boss — Blaize of Carriacou; A.N.R Robinson of Tobago, Mitchell and hopefully Friday of Bequia.

The race question is not applicable. As far as I am concerned, Friday is a Black man in our own context I hold to Lord Kitchener’s view. “If you are not White, you are considered Black.”

More pointedly, Godwin is shadow minster of legal affairs. When he moves from being a shadowy figure, he might tackle more vigorously the Court Justice System and especially the DPP who may be singled out as the real villain of the peace in the current break-down of law and order.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2016. 9.

Letters

Teachers Union executive I MUST COMPLIMENT the present executive committee of the SVG Teachers Union (SVGTU) for utilizing the effects of mother nature as a reason to say to the fraternity, that because of the weather conditions during the week of its planned activities to mark Teachers Solidarity Month, the majority of the activities had to be cancelled.

In my humble opinion, the executive should be asked to step aside for lack of serious vision and proper planning. I can’t believe that we, as members, are making our contributions monthly to have persons sit in meetings every month to have a meal, criticize each other and do no proper planning or involve themselves in worthwhile decision-making.

Planning for the Week of Activities started late, and not a hard copy of correspondence was sent to schools, much-less persons out of the classroom. To make matters worse, none of the executive members had any information for the staff of the institution where he/she works information which should have been channeled through the school steward.

The same thing happened in August. Executive members, in particular, participated in Professional Development Week and failed to mobilise staff members of their school for the teacher’s day activity. Persons are all about themselves. Nothing strange anyway, as those who came before used the organization as a stepping stone as they purported to the members that they were genuine, and were labouring on behalf of members.

The Public Relations aspect of the union cannot be done only by Facebook; that (medium) is for friends and group chat. Get up off your rear ends and reach us through timely correspondence!

From the time I saw a copy of the planned activity for the week, I knew it was bound to fail, and the blame would have been placed on members not showing up to the activities. The president knows quite well that the plan and its promotion were weak, but he would go along because he is president, and he wants to look and sound good.

I am appealing to the present executive to pull yourself together as a team, and stop the charade.

The union was there before you and me, and we would like it to continue. Do not make us have to take the ultimate decision to close down such a noble organization under your watch. I hope that the general meeting was re-scheduled to January, so we could be brought up to date on the organization’s operation.

A Peeved Member

Fidel: A giant of a man THAT THE PASSING away of Fidel Castro is a personal loss for many of us living far away from Cuba, speaks volumes about the influence of the man.

Those of us who grew up in times when there was only one newspaper and one radio station here, that used to cover international happenings, still hold fond memories of giants

such as Nelson Mandela, Yasser Arafat, and Fidel Castro, even with the shortage of news we got through those two media as mentioned. Of course, our knowledge of what these men stood for was embellished by persons like Renwick Rose and Cyp Neehall who were teachers during the 1970s.

Men like those I listed above represented the

struggle of the oppressed and justice for all.

As a student then in the 1970s, I felt great pride in those times, especially that I could express my solidarity with the struggle, like the one Fidel led in Cuba, for selfdetermination.

I remember an uncle of mine giving me a cardsize photo of the Fidel Castro dressed in his

revolutionary attire. I am certain that if I searched through my things I left at home, if they are still there, I might find it. Viva Fidel!

Garnet, NY

The biased Adoption Board IT IS DIFFICULT for me to comprehend, far less accept, the basis for the composition of the recently launched Adoption Board, under the Ministry of National Mobilisation.

How could we have a balanced board with the widest possible representatives, when the Board comprises mainly senior staff members from the said Ministry? I am sure that the terms of reference of the Board do not specify that it should be a Ministry-biased one.

Some civil servants must have the ‘guts’ to refuse to sit on some of these Boards and Committees, and give way to institutions which truly represent the cause at hand - in this case, the issue of children and their well-being.

When you check the make-up of the Board as selected, one has to wonder if there is some financial benefit or prestige to be gained.

In my research, I discovered that the institutions which deal with the welfare, well-

Why Trump won

being and development of children in the state, were never contacted or consulted, with a view of having them represented on the Board. What ever happened to the Helping Hands Centre, Our Lady of Guadalupe Home for Girls, Vinsave, the PreSchool Services Committee, the Children Welfare Fund Committee, Marion House and SVG Planned Parenthood, along with the other institutions which receive external sponsorship for children?

Do these institutions not have persons capable of filling membership to the Board? Is it that Minister Stevenson is so short sighted that he only sees persons under his supervision? If so, it’s a bad sign, but not surprising, coming from the Minister and by extension the cabinet.

The Adoption Board is not supposed to be a board of ‘yes’ persons to a particular ministry, minister, like some other boards which are already packed with persons of a particular colour as reward or payback for

people didn’t vote in the American election. Most people are Democrats, Obama urged them to vote, but they had no choice.

I WANT PEOPLE to married to a Jamaican woman Now Trump, he is an understand the principles of the who can cook very good, but arrogant man. The whole world American election; it is logic, that she likes to smoke plenty but let us start this way. marijuana. (He even offered me heard about all his plans and intentions.

America is the greatest a spliff). He said that it was Now, what I am going to say nation on earth. America, it when he got in with this woman here, I mentioned in one of my says, is blessed by God. — his wife — that he started letters about three years ago. A America has lots of great men smoking marijuana. and women. The women have We switched conversation to lot of great Americans read more privileges than the men. the election. He said to me, he their bibles, and the bible indicated that no woman must Mrs. Clinton had the best didn’t want Donald Trump to usurp or preach in Church, chance to win the election. I win, because he would cause because the just woman caused was in Brooklyn in August and war with other nations, and September, and all the talk I make them come to America to the first man to sin. I hope you get it. heard was about Hillary kill us. I said to him, I don’t Any time a woman becomes a winning the presidential think the Americans people election. want a woman to rule this great president in America, that is when America is going to I was sitting in the park one nation. tumble. The American people mid-morning, when a man came I want readers to check this believe in keeping America the and sat next to me. He started out for yourself. It is the first greatest nation on earth. If a a conversation. He said he is time in history that so many

their role in party politics.

These things are killing our country’s productivity, as a number of nongovernmental organizations are being sidelined because of personalities involved in them. their task.

We have to come better than this.

NGO member Transparency has to be the order of the day or we would soon realize that every time the government gets funding for various exercises, especially under UNICEF and UNESCO, funds have to be There are some returned or the Who will not particular projects Taste death remain incomplete.

For their vision The institutions ejected mentioned above should Into heights not sit by and not share Not seen by their concern about the Ordinary minds. composition of this Light penetrated Adoption Board. Let And overcame the UNICEF and UNESCO Darkness know how you feel Those fortunate to whenever they visit to Fall in its beam get your views on various Began to revolutionize children issues in the Thought and state. After all, the same Saw that the so-called Board will be Impossible was coming to you for your possible opinions while executing To speak Your truth Fearlessly man did run instead of a To stand woman, Trump would not have Unbending the chance to become the For what President of America.

Is right Communities Alistair ‘Live Up’ Simon Came alive Governance took A new direction

Structures of intellect

There are some Who will not Taste death In millions Of hearts Structures Of Intellect Life-giving Multiplying Change Fidel lives on, VIVA FIDEL!!

Nelcia Robinson November 26, 2016

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10. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2016. THE VINCENTIAN

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The complaining industry

The issue THERE IS IN THE CARIBBEAN, including St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a politically-partisan complaining industry of monumental proportions. This industry is not to be confused with that of reasonable, justifiable and legitimate queries about the delivery of public and private goods and services to the population. The complaining industry is a structured apparatus of unproductivity.

It is based on politically-partisan talkshow radio hosts who are sponsored by or affiliated to opposition political parties. In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, its headquarters is NDP-FM, otherwise mistakenly called “NICE Radio”. The complaining industry has a veritable factory for the manufacture of complaints, mainly unconnected to truth or the real world; it thrives on the stylizing of facts, half-truths, untruths, innuendos, and specious falsehoods.

The complaining industry has paid producers of complaints. They are supported by an informal network of distributors. Indeed, some of them are own-account producers of a lesser order than those who reside at the Headquarters. The complaining industry is intimately connected to the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP). Indeed, this party’s leading members are among the principal contributors and overseers of the complaining industry.

Complaints and learned helplessness A hall-mark of the complainers is their sense of hopelessness and helplessness. They speak and write mountains of words but no developmental narrative emerges.

They sup at the fountain of learned helplessness. They follow their political leader, Arnhim Eustace, who never finds a single reason to do something, but many reasons never to do anything. They see only problems, not solutions. Idleness and a lack of success in achieving anything paralyse them from acting positively.

They encourage their supporters to deny any personal responsibility for any difficulties they may face. They blame it all on Ralph, Ralph, Ralph!

Anything which goes wrong in their lives, it is Ralph’s fault! This nonsense has become a central doctrine of the complainers.

Complaining and pull down

The partisan complaining industry sets about pulling-down persons who do not join them in their folly. So Trivia and the complaining industry they verbally abuse pastors and priests, union leaders (Noel Jackson, The complaining industry thrives on trivia. Unable to attack coherently Lloyd Small and Burns Bonadie); successful executives (Thornley or at all the philosophy, central tenets, and overall performance of the Myers, Lennox Bowman, Joel Providence and Garth Saunders); ULP government, the complainers high-ranking police officers (Keith focus on trivial matters in which the Miller, Pompey and Lockhart;, sports proverbial dance can’t pay for the administrators, Ministers of light. To be sure, we must “get the small things right”, as Comrade Ralph Government, the Governor General, and above-all the Prime Minister. has pleaded. But trivia and small Some have had to pay for their things are different. In any event, mouths in the Law Courts. Others there are always small things to be undoubtedly have their just desserts put right in the nature of life and production. At the same time, the big coming.

The complaining industry misses things must be accomplished for one central point: Our people are genuine development. The essentially good-natured and do not complainers shy away from the big like this pulling-down. They may ticket items of the ULP, in the same laugh at it, but they do not like it. manner that ‘jumbie avoids holy water’. The complainers tackle the Associates of complainers big issues on such a low road that The politically-partisan they demean themselves further in complainers seek out possible the process. associates in civil society organizers.

Here and there a few unsuspecting The complainers are failures ones join their bandwagon. A few The principal producers in the others with political axes to grind and complaining industry are almost all failures. And those who are not, have personal vanities/agendas to personal grievances against the ULP, accommodate, jump aboard this which they have sought to elevate into disreputable train of complainers.

These are classic petit-bourgeois public policy. They have entered opportunists who are liable to jump public life for entirely the wrong anywhere at anytime, and against reasons. whom a principled, progressive outfit When you listen to, or read, the like the ULP must be on the alert. following from the complaining industry, do you know: 1. That one is a failed businessman, Belittling achievements A core approach of the politicallymusic entrepreneur and a one-time partisan complaining industry is to occupant of a foreign jail? belittle the phenomenal achievements 2. That a daily propagandist is a convicted felon who subsequently has of the ULP government. So, they deny the existence of the Education, been adjudged by the High Court in Housing and Wellness Revolutions. civil and criminal cases to be a They deny and distort the splendid purveyor of falsehood?

3. That one of them, a pharmacist, economic record of the ULP government in creating more jobs, in the less said about him the better? reducing poverty; in consolidating and 4. That one, a self-proclaimed improving our fiscal condition, and in know-all, has never succeeded at taking care of the elderly. They treat anything including his treatment of the Canouan Jet Airport as no the English language? achievement, and they down-play the 5. That another has a height in massive significance of the inverse proportion to his intellect, unfit even for menial tasks at say, an International Airport being constructed at Argyle. insurance company or some such We say let the complainers corporate enterprise?

6. That one a columnist, and lawyer complain. The ULP will continue to deliver quality goods, services and by profession, has hardly even won a projects to the people of St. Vincent Court case, a total undisciplined and the Grenadines. Let them talk waste of an intellect? false words. We would demonstrate And so the list goes on! The point truth in action. is thus amply made.

Excerpts from Dr. the Honourable Godwin Friday’s speech upon his election as President of the New Democratic Party on Sunday, November 27, 2016 BROTHER AND SISTERS, fellow Vincentians, today is not the end of anything. Today, we continue to build on the years of struggle and prepare ourselves for a remarkable victory soon.

Today, the NDP has recommitted itself to unity and progress. Today is a good day for democracy, a good day for our party, and a good day for St Vincent and the Grenadines. We are ready for the final battle in this unstoppable march to bring accountability, transparency and decency to the politics of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

I want to thank all of you, the delegates, who came here to vote for me or for my friend and colleague Major Leacock. There are no losers today. Our party won!

I want to pay special tribute to our outgoing President. Arnhim Eustace, in my estimation and in the estimation of you the delegates and I believe most of the people of this country, is a giant of a man. And we do not intend to let him go anytime soon. He was our party’s President for over 16 years! He is now our President Emeritus. And when our new executive is in place in the New Year, I will recommend that we make this formal and appoint him President Emeritus. The title will be an honour but important, and the first of its kind in our party. This appointment will give him a unique position to counsel and guide us as we remain true to the principles with which he has endowed this party.

There is magic in the air today!

Can you feel it? All us must go forward, with one voice, singing from the same song sheet on which the lyrics for change are written.

While this is a period of transition for our party, it is also a period of the great opportunity. It is our chance to embrace as never before, not only friends and colleagues, but also old foes and adversaries who have come to see that St. Vincent and the Grenadines deserves better than the government we have now. Our outgoing President Arnhim Eustace spoke about it this past week, and we all agree. We must build a new coalition — a broader coalition. The patriots of this land, no matter their political history, no matter how many battles we fought against each other, must unite because we know now that we have one common enemy.

The common enemy is a government that has brought more poverty to this land. The common enemy is a government that has promised much and delivered so little.

A common enemy that has made corruption and graft the norm, and has taken so much and left the rest of us to scramble for the crumbs from their unholy table of deceit.

Whether we are from Mespo or Fitzhughes, from Diamond or Kingstown, from Union Island or Bequia, we face the scourge of rising crime, violence against women and the violation of our decency.

Our Vincy pride must stir in us the ability which has been dormant too long, to arise and take on the injustice in our land.

Brothers and sisters of our party, fellow Vincentians at home and abroad, there is a greater fight that we must win, a bigger battle that we must wage, and you can count on me to lead the charge. However, as a party, we have to prepare ourselves

better for battle. Going forward, we must concentrate on two things — organizing better our constituency branches, and engaging more people beyond our normal circles. Even while in opposition, we must show that we are serious about governance. And so, we must continue to build the party from the polling division up–from village to village, constituency to constituency.

I will embark soon on a 15constituency listening and greeting tour, where I will hear from the ordinary people, party supporters and non-supporters alike. We will engage in conversation with our people so that they too will help with solving our problems. I will directly engage caretakers and former candidates, and our constituency chairpersons, and will guide the General Secretary to develop a robust work plan for organizing and mobilization.

I will pay fresh and added attention to the youth arm and the women’s arm, and we will develop a programme to engage the students of this country. After all, as the truism goes, the future is theirs! So, we must show greater respect to our young people, and engage them more meaningfully in the political process.

We must broaden our capacity to raise funds and even to employ people full-time to do the political work that needs to be done to assure victory.

There is too much at stake for us to fall short or take our eyes off the ball.

Too many people in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are depending on us to usher in a new day for us to say no to them. We cannot fail them. We must continue the work we have started and redouble our efforts. For we are confident that not far from now, the sun shall rise again and a bright yellow moon shall glitter over this our beautiful land.

I don’t have to tell you about the failure of this government. You have felt it and you know it. You live it every day! And so, today I won’t talk in detail about the disappointment, disrespect, and disillusionment that we have all endured, example the cross-country road, the destruction of agriculture and tourism, the empty slogan called the education revolution, or even the Argyle Airport.

The politician-turned-magician that we have been burdened with for the last sixteen years–even though we won the last two elections–is a master of diversion, division, exploitation and oppression. He knows that our people are stronger together.

He knows that Vincentians have always been united, and so he has deliberately sown the seeds of division so that he can maintain his stranglehold. Look around and ask the elders, the ones who have survived this awful regime. Ask them and they will tell you that never in the history of this country have we been so divided, so deprived, so disillusioned. Never have we experienced this kind of crime and violence, this kind of hate.

Welcome to the land of the Pirates of the Caribbean where, sadly, every shadow walks with a gun.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2016. 11.

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Corrupted and compromised LIAT: Something got to give

“You would be surprised to know the level of endemic corruption which has become a way of life and, I dare say, an entitlement in some aspects and spheres of our society.” - Dr. Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago are also exposed to temptations to compromise principles in order to do THE INTRODUCTORY QUOTATION by Dr. so. Pressures to “climb the ladder” Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of Trinidad can evoke thoughts that generate a and Tobago (T&T), was specifically huge volume of impatience to follow related to his observations about the normal, moral channels. This may be perceived evolution of the T&T society. especially intense when individuals However, it is probably accurate to say view others who are getting ahead by that this statement can apply to most immoral or dishonest means.

Caribbean societies, including St. However, we need to regularly remind Vincent and the Grenadines. ourselves that it is never right to do There will always be temptations to wrong. We cannot rationalise seek to “get ahead” in society. dishonest and immoral actions However, we need to be so firmly because someone else has done it and anchored in honesty and moral appears to have gotten away. We, you behaviours, that we do not give in to and I, are not “other people”. We sing the lures of the dishonest and wicked from a different song sheet. We walk who lurk among us seeking to draw to a different drum beat. We have a the innocent and unsuspecting. We different aim. We refuse to be hear too many stories of persons who corrupted and compromised. Others are in positions of power in may laugh and mock, but we can still government, business, and the church hold our heads high, knowing that we who seek to use their places of have not bowed to pressures to “get influence and power to corrupt and ahead at all cost.” compromise the innocent and As I keyed in the words to conclude unsuspecting. We hear and read the the preceding paragraph, I recalled a accounts of individuals who prey on conversation that I recently had with the vulnerable at their periods of a middle aged, experienced business weakness, for a host of selfish colleague. Having shared an reasons. experience where I had declined a The period of adolescence is one of bribe while I managed a relatively those phases when our youth appear large business enterprise, he to be most exposed. This is a time proceeded to describe me as foolish. when their bodies are changing from He hastened to indicate how I could childhood to adulthood. New urges have rationalised and easily justified and curiosities emerge as the the transaction. I held my ground. I hormones bombard their fragile, continue to caution business vulnerable bodies. Their thought executives and potential leaders to patterns are also shifting gears, and avoid falling for the trap of seeking to they tend to believe themselves to be make wrong appear to be right; to get invulnerable; that risky behaviours ahead by taking the detour through may result in bad things happening to immoral and unethical practices. other persons, but not to them.

Such behaviours corrupt and Unfortunately, there are experienced compromise the participants who predators who are ever searching for engage in such practices. It weakens these morphing youths, and offer the moral fabric of society. It corrodes “trinkets” that dazzle them into the moral moorings, and will result in compromising principles and purity. society’s drift into decadence. These We hear stories of gifts of cell phones “lusts of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and regular top up money that lure and pride of life” are caustic and must the unsuspecting into a life of be avoided at all cost. “adventure” and eventual hurt. We All is not lost. Even after errors of hear the stories of minibus drivers judgement have occurred, it is still and their conductors who forego bus possible to recover and regroup. This fares for school age children on is as true on an individual basis as it condition that the “fares are provided is for society at large. However, it by other means”. They corrupt and takes strong will power and solid compromise our youth when they are support from caring individuals to most vulnerable. make the change; the one hundred The quest to be accepted, to feel and eighty degree turn. While the part of the group, can also lead many level of endemic corruption may have into the dark corridors of evil. It become a way of life or an entitlement often appears that some of our most in some spheres in our society, it is vulnerable youth venture into the not beyond us to influence a return to “dark side” of drug use, drug the moral and ethical moorings that trafficking, illicit sex, pornography, make societies strong. To do so, we stealing, etc. in an attempt to feel a (you and I) must not only commit and part of the “in crowd”. Some are recommit to not becoming entangled enticed by “so-called friends” who, in the webs of deception and having made errors in judgement, dishonesty that appear to abound in seek to pull others in with them. As some segments of our community; we the old people would say, “Misery also have to stand up and talk out likes company.” They, too, become when we see the tentacles of corrupted and compromised. It corruption and compromise becomes difficult for them to hold manoeuvring throughout society — their heads high and feel good about including the halls of power in themselves once they have sacrificed business, government, and the their purity and innocence at the church. Corruption and compromise altar of peer pressure and group must not become a way of life in our acceptance. new Caribbean civilization.

The teenage years are not the only life calendar moments when Send comments, criticisms & individuals can be vulnerable. Adults suggestions to who are seeking to get ahead in life, julesferdinand@gmail.com

‘I WILL SAY THERE are three holy grails in our region for which there can be no question. They are West Indies Cricket, University of the West Indies and LIAT’, PM Ralph Gonsalves.

‘At any given moment there is an orthodoxy, a body of ideas which it is assumed that all right thinking people will accept without question. It is not exactly forbidden to say this, that or the other, but it is not done to say it…Anyone who challenges the prevailing orthodoxy finds himself silenced with surprising effectiveness.

A genuinely unfashionable opinion is almost never given a fair hearing’, George Orwell, “Freedom of the Press.”

‘But the secret of intellectual excellence is the spirit of criticism.

And this leads to difficulties which must prove insurmountable for most power elites. The power elite will in general select those who obey, who believe, who respond to its influence.

But in doing so, the power elite is bound to select mediocrities. For it excludes those who revolt, who doubt, who dare to question or resist its edicts and influence. Never can the power elite admit that the intellectually courageous, i.e. those who dare to defy its authority, may be the most valuable type. Of course, the power elite will always remain convinced of its ability to detect initiative. But what they mean by this is only a quick grasp of their intentions, and they will remain for ever incapable of seeing the difference’, Karl Popper, “The Open Society and its Enemies.”

LIAT is in crisis and something has got to give. The unfortunate thing about holy grails is that they are deemed untouchable. Holy grails run counter to science and our very experience as human beings because this much is true: nothing is settled for all time. Our task is to keep everything, including our own beliefs and ideas, under constant review.

None of us wants history to remember us as ‘useful idiots,’ to quote Lenin.

Twice in the last five days, LIAT has let me down. On Thursday November 17, I was to leave home on the 10:20pm flight for Barbados, so as to catch a 7:35 AM flight to Miami. At 6:35pm, I was to depart Miami for Belize to attend the 214th anniversary of Garifuna Settlement Day. I was bubbling with excitement.

It was the first time I was going to the festivities in Dangriga, the Garifuna heartland in Belize.

All of my excitement and hopes were dashed by LIAT. The flight had been cancelled because there was no pilot. This was not an act of God. The cancellation was not on account of a flood or even industrial action.

Shockingly, I was also told that LIAT bore no responsibility for the cancellation nor my inability to catch the Friday morning 7:35 flight to Miami.

American Airlines informed me if I wanted to take their Friday 3:00pm flight, I would have to pay US$399. I decided to abandon my effort because that 3:00pm flight would have arrived in Miami 35 minute after my 6:00pm flight would have departed for Belize.

Last Tuesday, I was taking my 85year-old mother to her home in New York, leaving here on the LIAT 10:25am flight. This flight was also

cancelled, which meant that we would have missed our 3:00pm flight to NY. There was no explanation for the cancellation. We were simply told that arrangements will be made for us to fly out on the 6:25 flight the following morning. Fortunately, Mom and I joined with 4 other persons to charter a SVG Air aircraft that took us to Barbados, at an additional cost of US$350 each. We are privileged. Most Vincentian travellers would have been left in the lurch.

These inconveniences take an enormous toll. People going over to Barbados for embassy appointments are thrown into turmoil. Our traffickers need to get to key locations at crucial times; any delay can result in huge produce and economic loss.

Persons going back to work in North America and Europe are jammed. But that’s not all. It is also about cost.

When you miss your connecting flight, most often you have to buy a new ticket. If you think the problem here is bad, it is compounded in Barbados where travellers from many of these islands make their LIAT connections home. The crisis looms even larger as the Christmas holidays approach.

PM Gonsalves gave a detailed ministerial statement on LIAT at the last sitting of parliament. It was informative, but it did not offer any relief in the near future, even with the coming of an additional aircraft.

LIAT is important to our air travel. It is especially vital to our tourism as we await the opening of the Argyle airport. But Argyle will not solve the problem of inter-regional travel.

Unless the LIAT service improves dramatically, travellers’ complaints will continue to mount. This cannot be good for our economy. We are not here concerned with the economic viability of LIAT, because LIAT is the Caribbean equivalent of mass transit in the big cities which mostly loses money. Our interest is in making air travel/LIAT better and more efficient.

Caribbean Airways (formerly BWIA) has been around for as long as LIAT. Is there any real economic or operational reasons why both airlines cannot merge for the benefit of our region and people? LIAT is based in Antigua, and CAL, in the event of a merger, may want to shift operations to Trinidad. Such a move will result in the loss of many jobs to our Antiguan cousins. However, to save our economies, we may all have to endure some pain.

The people of Antigua, Barbados and St Vincent spend heavily on LIAT. We in SVG are certainly not getting the bang for our buck. The time has come for us to look long and hard at LIAT, and see whether a merger or other forms of arrangements can be agreed on which make the life of travellers better. We cannot abandon LIAT, but business as usual is not an option. Something has to give. The ‘holy grail’ called LIAT must be placed under the microscope.

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

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12. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2016. THE VINCENTIAN

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Abolish the ungodly Mustique Act No 48 of 200

THE ORIGINAL ‘sale’ of Mustique is highly dubious.

Apparently, some bloke died and left it in his will to his family. His family then ‘sold’ it to Colin Tennant, who then ‘sold’ it to Tennant Estates. Tennant Estates then ‘sold’ it to the Mustique Company. There was no deed of ‘sale’ to say the bloke who died actually owned Mustique in the first place.

The Mustique Act No. 48 of 2002 tries to legitimise this original ‘sale’ by saying ‘the company owns all parts of Mustique not owned by another legal entity’. If the original deed of sale was authentic, why would the Act need to say this?

The Mustique Act No 48 of 2002 gives tax and customs duty exemptions worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually to the rich house owners of Mustique. They live a life of paradise, while many Vincentians live in poverty and have to pay tax.

According to the Leader of SVG Green Party, Ivan O’Neal, who is a university graduate in Accounting and Finance from Oxford Brookes University, England, the ripple effect of this ungodly Act perpetuates poverty and weakens our economy.

Mustique now sends weekly truck-loads of rubbish/garbage on the Mustique Boat to St. Vincent, to be buried at the landfill in Diamond.

They pay no tax in SVG, but want to have the pleasure of using the services in SVG. Their behaviour is vulgar, immoral and unacceptable.

Our local fishermen were fishing in the sea

around Mustique for over one hundred years. Now, the ungodly Mustique Act No 48 of 2002 has taken away our local fishermen’s right to fish in the sea around Mustique. The Act grants the Mustique investors exclusive access to 1,000 yards of the sea radius around Mustique.

In the ungodly Act, the SVG police must inform the Mustique ‘authorities’ in advance, of the rank and number of police officers to be deployed in Mustique. Warrant Officer Ivan O’Neal, who has over 31 years of military operations experience, finds that this demand compromises our national security.

There is a tiny area on Mustique known as Lovell Village, the home of indigenous Vincentians living in Mustique. They cannot rent their home or part of their home to tourists to earn a dollar. Also, the indigenous people must seek permission from the Mustique authorities to bring visitors to Mustique.

The rules are straight out of the days of apartheid South Africa.

The Mustique Act No. 48 of 2002 is ungodly and wrong. It grants the super-rich of Mustique special rights and privileges, over and above the rights granted to ordinary Vincentians. One wonders whether the Act is in breach of the SVG 1979 Constitution, under which all Vincentians have equal rights.

Are Vincentians granted blanket tax and customs

Fidel CastroÊs Mark on the World

by R. T. Luke V. Browne MY FIRST PUBLIC undertaking as a young graduate of the University of the West Indies was a lecture series in 2008 that began with a presentation on Fidel Castro. By then, Fidel had already relinquished leadership in Cuba and was firmly established as the most iconic revolutionary leader of our age. During the course of the series, there was also a lecture on C. L. R. James, who in an appendix to his masterpiece the Black Jacobins had linked the Cuban Revolution with the earlier Haitian Revolution, and thereby established a concrete connection between the two greatest revolutionary episodes in the Americas.

For the lecture on Fidel, I tried to look the part — I grew my hair and beard and appeared on stage in military uniform, complete with the characteristic cap. The only thing I didn’t seem to have was Fidel’s trademark cigar from his early revolutionary days. Fidel Castro obviously made a mark on me. For that matter, he made a mark on the world.

On Friday, six years after our lecture series, and on the eve of a royal visit to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the world received the news of Fidel Castro’s death.

This provoked mixed reactions as one will imagine — the scenes of jubilation among CubanAmericans, as portrayed by American media houses, stood in sharp contrast to the sad and somber faces of Cubans in mourning with grieving hearts. In the flood of early reactions to the news of Castro’s death that poured in from all over the world, I thought former cricketer and Pakistani politician Imran Khan put it best when he said that

Fidel Castro liberated his nation from all vestiges of imperialism, withstood US aggression and became a global leader for anticolonial struggles.

Fidel came to power in Cuba by overthrowing a repressive and oppressive regime that was under the imperialist control of the United States. He fought for freedom, genuine Independence, equality, social justice and development in his homeland against powerful forces that spared no effort in seeking to bring about the Revolution’s downfall from the very beginning.

The fact that Fidel Castro survived 50 years of assassination plots against his life, numerous attempts to overthrow his government, and a US economic embargo, is nothing short of miraculous. That he could have created so fiercely egalitarian and progressive a society against the strong headwinds is a wonder of the world. What Fidel Castro did in Cuba over the course of his leadership was just phenomenal, and more importantly, it was fundamentally in the interest of the Cuban people, even though he did not function in the most propitious economic circumstances.

Castro developed a strong army that undergirded national security, and which also helped to break the back of Apartheid by an intervention on the African continent. When people talk about economic difficulties in Cuba, and there are difficulties, they should discuss the contribution of the cruel economic embargo or blockade to this reality. They should also point out that among Cuba’s revolutionary achievements are: the abolition of racism, the emancipation of women, the eradication of

illiteracy and a dramatic reduction in infant mortality rates. Let them say too that there is no hunger, homelessness, unemployment, begging on the streets, drug addiction, drug trafficking or high crime rates in Cuba. All this and a well ordered state, despite the most vigorous foreign attempts at subversion and destabilisation.

The education and healthcare systems in Cuba are universally acclaimed as exceptional achievements replicated nowhere else. They testify most eloquently of Fidel’s clear thinking on the subject of development, and stand as an enduring credit to this man that the world will soon lay to rest. Fidel admirably and most profoundly liberated his people from the bondage of ignorance and the scourge of diseases. Many Vincentian students have studied on scholarship at Cuban universities. Cuban medical teams have answered the call to humanitarian and other forms of duty in the aftermath of disasters (including hurricanes and earthquakes) and in other situations in even the most remote corners of the globe.

Say what you like about him, Fidel Castro was a visionary leader of extraordinary proportions. He knew what he wanted, and pursued his vision of society restlessly and relentlessly.

His passionate pursuits turned a small backward outpost of a country into a force to be reckoned with in the international arena, and in the process he established himself as the leading light of revolutionary struggle in our hemisphere. Fidel Castro is immortal.

duties exemption? No. Are Vincentians, whose properties border the coast, given exclusive access to 1,000 yards of the sea extending from their properties? No. The Mustique Act No 48 of 2002 is ungodly. The insulting handouts by the Mustique Charity do not validate the injustice that the Act does to the Vincentian people. The Act should be abolished.

SVG Green Party www.svggreenparty.org Find us on Facebook and Twitter

Cuban Graduates recognize the passing of a Great World Leader IT IS WITH profound sorrow and pain that we — the Cuban Graduates of St. Vincent and the Grenadines - learn of the passing of the Commander in Chief and indomitable leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz. We take this opportunity to extend our sincerest condolences to the Government and heroic people of Cuba in this time of grief and national mourning.

The grief we feel today is multiplied when we recognize the immense contribution that Fidel has made towards the advancement of the cause of the poor and lesser developed countries the world over. Arguably, for most of us, our dreams of academic and professional accomplishments would not have been realized or made possible if there was no Fidel and by extension a popular people’s Revolution in 1959. We owe much to the generosity and immense sacrifice of the Cuban people and its indefatigable leader Fidel.

We have absolutely no doubt that Fidel’s work and contribution will forever be remembered and will continue to inspire several generations to come. How history defines his legacy will never be determined by what his detractors cowardly propagate through the western media. His legacy will forever be etched in the minds and hearts of all those lives that were positively impacted by Cuba’s internationalist and humanitarian interventions. Among these will be the contribution of Cuba to the liberation of Southern Africa from the scourges of apartheid.

Being the brainchild of Fidel, Cuba opened its doors uninterruptedly for more than three decades to tens of thousands of young people from all parts of the world, offering them hope and the opportunity to obtain a tertiary education gratis that otherwise would not have been remotely possible for the vast majority. This profound gesture of human solidarity — forged in the context of a most pernicious economic blockade — must go down in history as one of the most significant acts of liberation and international solidarity.

The best tribute that we can pay to Fidel’s memory will be to utilize our academic talents and educational achievements in the service of humanity, especially the less fortunate. His work is a worthy example that we should all strive to emulate as he taught us that “to live is to give” from what little we have without expecting much in return. This legacy we must pass to our children and grand-children, and encourage them that when they grow up, to be like Fidel.

Long live the memories and ideas of Fidel!

Long Live the Cuban Revolution!

Our hearts go out to the Cuban People at this time of mourning!

Bernard Hamilton Representative of Cuban Graduates of SVG

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2016. 13.

News

Digicel launches #GetGifted Christmas fiesta Right: A table of gifts ready for distribution to excited Digicel customers and others.

by GLORIAH…

data and handset discounts of up to 25%. If JUST AFTER DIGICEL had the card instructs the user DeRoche went on to begun to ring in the to text its code to 1130, announce that the Christmas season with an then instant prizes can be campaign, which extends almost irresistible Black won. between November 25th Friday promotion that ran Subscribers will have and December 31st, 2016, between 12:00 midnight until January 6th, 2017 to affords all new, existing, and 3:00 am on Friday, 25th prepaid and post-paid redeem their scratch November, 2016, an Digicel customers a chance cards. extremely excited crowd of to win over EC$150,000 in shoppers and curious The Campaign: cash and prizes. individuals gathered at The Activities It boasts a series of Cell on Halifax Street during scratch card prizes. the midmorning session on Subscribers, including that same day, to witness online customers, receive a the launch of Digicel’s scratch card when they Christmas fiesta, under the top-up $15 or more. theme, “#GetGifted”.

Those who purchase a 7In the tightly packed Day data plan or higher space at The Cell, will also receive one invitingly decorated with scratch card and a card, is floor-to-ceiling Christmas also available to each tree, stringed Christmas person who activates 2-forlights and other wall 5 plan, though this applies hangings, an array of gifts only to ZTE R528. for distribution further A customer joining the heightened the network and signing up expectation of the crowd. for any Postpaid 4G Smart After welcome remarks Plan will receive three

by PR Executive Jamisha scratch cards. A bill Wright, Mobile payment in full and on Advertising Manager, time qualifies the Juno DeRoche gave an subscriber a total of five overview of the Christmas cards. campaign.

Scratch cards will be She entreated the either ‘Golden Tickets’, crowd, “This morning, our ‘Serial Tickets’ or ‘Instant Christmas theme is Win Tickets’. ‘#GetGifted’, and by ‘Golden Tickets’ are five getting gifted, Digicel is mega prizes totaling going to give you a gift $35,000, where winners and we hope we cause a could receive cash up to triple down effect, where $10,000, or vacation with you will gift someone who a friend, and a possibility is less fortunate than of up to $5,000 towards a yourself,” she entreated community project. the crowd.

‘Serial tickets’ are five She encouraged weekly large prizes which shoppers to “think about could include appliances, the kids, about the furniture, groceries, families not as fortunate shopping vouchers and as you to be here this small cash prizes. morning to purchase one ‘Instant Win Tickets’ of our services or are expected to be in the products.” thousands. These will include free credit, free

Cards

The Campaign: Scratch

Juno DeRoche, Digicel’s Mobile Advertising Manager, outlines details of the #GetGifted promotion.

Retail Sales Manager, Fanta Williams announced a number of activities to involve members of the public which will take place during the festive season. These activities include an in-store Christmas karaoke contest.

Additionally, in an effort to involve the

children, Digicel will host the viewing of Christmas movies with popcorn and cotton candy, and will have Santa on hand to facilitate customers in taking their ‘selfies’ with the Christmas icon.

With the ‘talk’ out of

the way, it was time for the distribution of gifts, which proceeded with consummate ease, a feather in the cap of this country’s leading mobile telecommunications services.

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2016. 15.

14. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2016. THE VINCENTIAN

O Our ur D Dear ear F Friend riend a nd C omrade, and Comrade, F idel, iiss d ead Fidel, dead

by DR. HON. RALPH E. GONSALVES Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines IT IS WITH A DEEP and heartfelt sadness that the Government and the People of St. Vincent and the Grenadines learnt of the news of the death, last night, November 25, 2016, of our dear friend and comrade, Commandante Fidel Castro Ruz, the former President of the Republic of Cuba.

Known to the people of Cuba and the world simply and affectionately as “Fidel”, this iconic revolutionary successfully led the political process to unshackle Cuba from a debilitating imperialism, and he strove to establish a just and inclusive society in his people’s interest, free of exploitation.

The Cuban people loved him; and, so, too, we in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the Caribbean, Latin America, and indeed the world over.

For over 50 years, Fidel led his people

and others globally in a full of a love for life and living. quest for a better world of We will miss him dearly. My justice, equality, and wife and I have lost a personal genuine freedom. Cuba’s friend. internationalism and Earlier today (Saturday, solidarity with the poor November 26, 2016), I conveyed and oppressed people orally the condolences of the world-wide were manifesGovernment and People of St. tations of his humanity Vincent and the Grenadines to the and nobility of spirit. We Government and People of Cuba in St. Vincent and the and to Comrade Raul and Fidel’s Grenadines have been family. beneficiaries of Fidel’s St. Vincent and the Grenadines generosity and solidarity. will honour Fidel appropriately In other countries, such as during this immediate period of in racist Southern Africa, mourning and thereafter. the Cubans under Fidel’s May Fidel’s soul rest in peace. extraordinary leadership His ideas and example live on. shed their blood, selflessly, Farewell our dear friend and to assist in the attainment comrade. of freedom and nationhood in Angola and South Africa especially.

Fidel was an extraordinary and towering political figure of immense historical and global

by RENWICK E.A. ROSE but also the birth of the significance. He stands alongside SVG/Cuba Friendship Society democratic Republic of South the 20th century titans in the Africa itself, out of the rubble struggle for people’s liberation of the racist apartheid such as V.I, Lenin, Mahatma THE ST VINCENT AND THE system, led by Nelson MandeGhandi, Mao Tse Tung, Ho Chi GRENADINES/CUBA la himself. The contribution Minh, and Nelson Mandela. He FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY joins of Cuba, under Fidel Castro’s was a magnificent son of Our with the rest of the internationleadership, to the socio-ecoAmerica, Our Latin American and al community in mourning the nomic development of develCaribbean civilisation. loss of the incomparable Comoping nations, did not stay Fidel was a warm and humor- mandante Fidel Castro Ruz, and there, for at great sacrifice to ous person, a finished personality, with progressive mankind in the meagre resources of his paying tribute to his tremencountry, Fidel insisted that dous contribution to the develCuba give practical assisopment of his country, Cuba, tance to these nations, the Caribbean, and countries particularly in the critical too numerous to mention in areas of education and Africa, Asia and Latin America. health. We too, in St Vincent We have collectively lost a and the Grenadines have true friend, a brother, father benefited in this regard. and teacher, a proven fighter on Fidel has also provided behalf of oppressed people the political leadership to developworld over. His courage in the ing countries, in the United face of adversity, fidelity to the Nations, in the Non-Aligned cause of uplifting the Movement, the Group of 77 and oppressed, and practical other such international bodies. solidarity, made Fidel Castro, His country has been in the along with the late Nelson forefront in fighting the ravages Mandela, one of the most of disease, for example ebola in outstanding giants of the 20th West Africa, and in providing century. assistance to countries struck by His role in weakening the natural disaster. We remember odious system of apartheid in for instance, Fidel’s offer of South Africa, enabled not only assistance to this country the emergence of independent following the Soufriere eruption states in Southern Africa, of 1979, even though the

FFidel idel C Castro asttro tro R Reminiscences eminiscences

by SIR JAMES MITCHELL Former Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

In tribute to Commandante Fidel Castro Ruiz

government of the day had initially been reluctant to accept such generosity. Finally, what greater manifestation of selfless internationalism can there be than the international airports at Pointe Salines in Grenada and Argyle, here in SVG, built with Cuban assistance under Fidel’s direction?

For these, and countless other deeds of solidarity, Fidel Castro Ruz will long be remembered, long after the world has forgotten those who have vilified him. It is instructive to note that he has survived more than

600 assassination attempts, state-sponsored terrorism by those who had the gall to declare Cuba, and Fidel, as sponsors of terrorism. Fortunately, the passage of time has removed this dreadful slur.

Fidel himself, in his defence when charged with treason in Cuba, more than six decades ago, had declared, that “History will absolve me”.

How prophetic are those words! Long live his memory and magnificent example!

Vincentians will treasure those memories of FIDEL!

THE LAST TIME I met President Fidel Castro was at the Japanese reception in New York during the Millennium Summit of the United Nations.

This was a memorable encounter, and in retrospect clothed in a historic dimension, Fidel came up to me with enthusiasm and said, “I’m so glad you are here. They don’t know which of us to shoot!”

In my early political life, my hair and beard all too easily bestowed a communist image, a la Castro, of me. My physical likeness to Castro when I was a wanderer in Europe during the Cold War Era of the Nineteen Sixties when I never visited a barber; my height, the flowing hair, and short beard attended only by affectionate friends, seem to give Europeans quite a Castro image, even though my travels in Europe had steered me away from any Socialist orientation.

The contrast in life between Yugoslavia and Italy had cured me of any Socialist orientation.

Hitchhiking in Spain along the Costa Blanca, where the fishing villages were being overtaken by high rise hotels, I frequently got rides on trucks carrying building materials. My Spanish was fair and I could converse with the truck drivers. On one occasion, when we stopped at a building site, the driver got out and shouted to the workers on the hillside: “I brought along Fidel Castro.” The workers dropped their tools and descended. “Donde estan los canones?”

Spain’s historic presence in the Caribbean, its literature, art, culture, bullfights and music had inspired my explorations. But I knew also about Franco’s jails and the thought of stretching my luck could not be entertained. Better to be smothered under the skirts of the delightful Castanet dancing girls.

I did not hesitate to explain that this was just a preliminary surveillance exercise and that I would return!

In a train station as I walked by a porter, he mumbled as he went by, “Fidel Castro bueno para L’Espana.” That was Spain in the Sixties.

Next, Hamburg, Germany.

Drifting into a bar with my Swedish friend, we ordered the cheapest Hungarian Goulash and some beers. We settled in the rowdy ambience. Immediately, one drunken patron attacked me, using a lot of anti Semitic rhetoric. Soon after, the other patrons at the bar came to my defense and offered to pay our bills. I was confused about their motives.

My Swedish friend translated. The guy thought I was Jewish, but the other people in the bar were annoyed with him. Saying that anti-Semitism is finished in Germany. They subsequently threw him out of the bar, but he soon returned, and came after me again.

Knowing that the majority was on my side, and being bigger that the assailant, I decided second time that I’d make a go at him. I was cheered on by the crowd. Then they wanted to know where I was from. “I’m not Jewish. I’m from the Caribbean”, I said. “Oh, Fidel Castro”, they shouted. Suddenly, like a flash of lightning, the Cold War descended on me. The Cuba/Russia bond anathema to Germans, not anti-Semitism, had me back in the street. When it was all over, and we going back to the hostel, my Swedish friend then concluded the evening’s proceedings, “I’m Jewish”, she said.

On my state visit to Cuba, my Delegation included representatives from our Chamber of Commerce.

I wanted a wide cross-section of our society to witness life in Cuba, and the opportunities emerging there. As such, I opened up our diplomatic relations. I also brought along my daughter Louise as a present for her Honours success in Law at Manchester University. Apart from being presented to meet President Castro, she had her own pleasure at a nightclub meeting Gabriel Garcia Marquez with whose writings she was familiar. An outing to Varadario Beach was most instructive. Here was the longest beach in the Caribbean, dwarfing all Caribbean beaches, which together with the music and dance in the famous Tropicana nightclub and the architecture of old Havana, set out for me a broader perspective of the tourism comparisons we would face in the future.

Fidel was fascinated with my personal family contact with Cuba. My father had vanished on his schooner in the Bermuda Triangle bringing lumber from Mobile Alabama to Cuba. I gave him a copy of an original port document. On telling him that my mother had told me her first visit to a hairdresser for a perm was in Havana sailing with my father.

He issued an invitation to bring her back to Cuba.

He gave me a pink Cuban marble dish as a memento for her.

My official gift to Cuba was a Mustique coffee table book. Fidel went through it and questioned how we succeeded in getting such varied architecture in the islands. My answer was simple: tax incentives.

Mt top priority in going to Cuba was to secure about 100 scholarships for young Vincentians. When I made this request to Fidel Castro, he simply replied that 300 were available.

Today, many professionals trained in Cuba are the beneficiaries of this initiative.

I am pleased that I served SVG in the Castro era. His Christmas cards are destined to our Bequia museum one fine day.

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16. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2016. THE VINCENTIAN

Government

Government looking for a psychiatrist PRIME MINISTER DR RALPH GONSALVES has admitted that the absence of a trained psychiatrist has proved problematic to this country’s judicial system.

He admitted on Monday during a press briefing, that there was no trained psychiatrist at the Mental Health Centre, and that it has been difficult trying to recruit someone.

He was responding to the claim made by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Colin Williams, who said in an interview with THE VINCENTIAN, that there were a number of cases being held up as a result of the absence of a qualified psychiatrist, to provide court-requests for a proper diagnosis on individuals incarcerated for psychiatric analyses of a number of persons on remand, some awaiting sentencing.

Gonsalves concurred, saying that the point raised by the DPP was accurate.

“There is the need for

the presence of a psychiatrist…from a legal standpoint, there are persons who come before the court who are required to get an assessment by a psychiatrist, so there is that absence and it needs to be filled,” the Prime Minister said.

He, however, noted that he had been told, in discussion with the Chief Medical Officer Dr Simone Keizer-Beache, that the Ministry of Health and Wellness Ministry was seeking to recruit a psychiatrist.

Gonsalves explained that they were looking to have an arrangement for a retired psychiatrist from abroad to come in on an organized, or itinerant basis, until the ministry can fill the position full time.

“The government is very concerned about mental health, and that is why we are to shortly re-open the mental health facility, but it needs to be staffed with, among other persons, a trained psychiatrist,”

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves agreed with the DPP’s disclosure, but assured that efforts were afoot to fill the position of psychiatrist, temporarily and eventually on a more permanent basis.

Gonsalves said.

“I keep my fingers crossed that the solution, at least the temporary one that the CMO is telling me, that it will come about because the resources are there for it,” Gonsalves said. (DD)

Overseas job opportunities opening QUALIFIED VINCENTIANS will have the opportunity to serve in the Royal Navy, this with the announcement that recruitment personnel will be visiting the island soon.

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves said during a press briefing on Monday, that personnel coming from the Royal Navy According to the Prime Minister prospects are looking are expected here to good for a reopening of opportunities for farm conduct preliminary recruitment exercises. workers to be recruited from St. Vincent.

He also explained farm workers’ visas. that the process previously required It was also disclosed that Saboto qualified applicants to journey to the Caesar, the Minister of Agriculture, United Kingdom to conduct tests and was currently in the western section of assessments, return home and then Canada looking for opportunities for journey back to complete the process.

This time, all the initial checks will farm workers in that country.

Gonsalves said that he had spoken be done here, which according to to Caesar, and he indicated that it was Gonsalves, cut down on the cost, probable that as many as 500 persons particularly for air travel for suitable can get on that programme. candidates.

Two Canadian provincial ministers Additionally, the Prime Minister announced that the Ministr of Foreign were expected to visit St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Affairs, under the leadership of Sir More details on this opportunity Louis Straker, was successful in having St Vincent and the Grenadines will be given on Minister Caesar’s added to the list for persons to receive return. (DD)

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2016. 17.

Tourism

Tourism Awards handed out STAKEHOLDERS in the tourism industry have been urged to maintain their commitment and discipline going forward.

This appeal was made by the Minister of Tourism, Sport and Culture, Cecil Mc Kie, on the occasion of the 2016 Tourism Awards Ceremony, last Saturday.

According to Mc Kie, it was important for individuals to be recognized for outstanding work within the sector, as it serves as an incentive for them to be better.

Minister Mc Kie recognized that it has been almost a decade since the global economic meltdown — which was responsible for the slump in the industry worldwide, but was heartened to say, “But we have combined our strengths and we have come through it”.

And while the industry had survived the “trials and tribulations,” he cautioned stakeholders, saying that they

had come to a point where they must commit themselves to making the industry better.

“For those who provide services, while they may have done well in 2016, they must now say to themselves, how can we do better for the year 2017, because as individuals and providers of service, we have to understand that we are the frontline of the industry and, therefore, ambassadors of the industry and the Vincy product,” McKie said.

Among the persons to be awarded were Shanna Halbich — Front Person of the Year; Michelle Peters — Supervisor of the Year; Roxan Jacobs — Waitress of the Year; Curtis Chase — Chef of the Year; Volando Harry — Bartender of the Year; Evadney Dick — Housekeeper of the Year; Ken Isaacs — Island Ambassador of the Year; Cassius Franklyn — Gardener of the Year; Yohan

Little — Boating Operator of the Year, and both Serenity Dive and Beachcombers Hotel were recognized for being the Dive Operator of the Year and for 25 years of continuous service.

Under the SVGTA Standards Awards: Most Outstanding Karen Lewis – Employee of the Tour Guide was Elvin Lindra Ollivierre – Employee of Jackson; Most the Year Year Training Sensitive Tourist site — Rawacou; Media Restaurant — Mac’s Accommodation — Rainbow Promotion — Searchlight; Pizzeria (Bequia) and Vee Castle Guesthouse Immigration Officer of the Jay’s; Most Outstanding Taxi (Grenadines) and Seasplash Year — Niasha De Freitas; Operator — Carlton Ollivierre (St Vincent).

Stakeholder of the Year — (Grenadines) and Zim And the Ministry’s Munro Peters (Daddy Tours); Codougan (St Vincent); Most awardees for 2016 were as and the Employees of the Year Compliant Short term rental — follows: Most Improved - Karen Lewis and Lindra Greg’s Auto Rental; Most Community Group — Ollivierre. (DD) Compliant Tour Operator — Blackpoint; Most Outstanding Bamboo Adventures, and Most Compliant

According to the Minister of Tourism, tourist arrival figures are up and with increased traffic from larger cruise ships, like the ‘Britannia’ pictured, these figures should increase.

Numbers encouraging, says Tourism Minister THIS COUNTRY’S Minister of Tourism - Cecil Mc Kie says that he is encouraged by the figures for 2015, which showed that this country registered a one percent increase in tourist arrivals.

He further stated that the figures for the first eight months of the year were also positive, as they showed that there was an overall 5.7 percent increase.

According to McKie, the increase by air up to August was 6.3 percent and sea, 5.4 percent.

And with the vessel ‘Britannia’, which made its first port call to St Vincent and Grenadines carrying 4,000 passengers and 1,000 crew two weeks ago, Mc Kie said that the overall figures for 2016 already looked promising, particularly with Britannia expected to make nine calls this season.

He added that both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected a 10 percent increase in visitor arrivals to this country with the completion and operationalization of the international airport at Argyle.

“So, as an industry, as a sector, we have to make sure that we are prepared for this reality,” McKie said.

The international airport would also attract sporting events, and McKie, in reflecting, said that 2016 was a good one for SVG in terms of it playing host to a number of regional sporting events.

And this would most likely increase, he said, with the opening of the international airport.

“We expect that there will be greater opportunities for export, and we have to be prepared right across all of the sectors,” he said. (DD)

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18. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2016. THE VINCENTIAN

Health

Health facilities to be retrofitted in SVG

by Nelson A. King naking@verizon.net;

kingnaking210@yahoo.com

US CORRESPONDENT THE WASHINGTON, D.C.based Pan American Health Organization

(PAHO) says eight priority health facilities, approved by the Ministry of Health, with PAHO and the United Kingdom Government’s collaboration, have been confirmed for retrofitting in St. Vincent and the

The Stubbs Polyclinic is one of eight health facilities here earmarked for retrofitting with PAHO and UK assistance.

Grenadines, as part of the SMART Health Care Facilities in the Caribbean Project.

PAHO said last week that this selection was made following 18 months of data collection

and analysis.

“We are pleased to have worked with the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment to finalize the list of priority facilities to include Barrouallie Health Centre, Georgetown Clinic, Stubbs Polyclinic, Clifton Hospital on the Grenadine Island of Union, Port Elizabeth Health Center on Bequia, Mayreau Clinic and Sandy Bay Clinic,” said Dr. Godfrey Xuereb, PAHO Representative for the Eastern Caribbean, in announcing the names of the health facilities earmarked for retrofitting. “The Chateaubelair Hospital will also be retrofitted and has been selected as the Showcase facility.”

Dr. Xuereb said the selection of the facilities and the retrofitting works are being guided by a team of regional experts “working diligently” under the supervision of Regional Advisor and Project Manager, Dr. Dana van Alphen.

On Oct. 21, Xuereb said members of the Chateaubelair community gathered at the Learning Resource Center for a town hall meeting to discuss the plans for the Hospital.

He said the works proposed for this health facility will include improvement of roof, replacement of windows and doors, installation of water and energy efficient fixtures and fittings, improvement of cooling systems, an overhaul of electrical and plumbing systems, upgrade on lighting and indoor air quality,

installation of backup power supply and renewable energy systems, increased water storage and improved drainage and security.

The project will also support the purchase of energy efficient equipment for the Chateaubelair Hospital, Xuereb said.

He said similar works proposed for the Chateaubeliar Hospital will take place in the other seven priority facilities.

“It is the intention of the project to retrofit these facilities to be able to function following the impact of hazards as well as to adapt to the changes in climate that is being experienced in this part of the region,” Dr. Xuereb said. “We will, therefore, ensure that the standards are consistent throughout all eight facilities proposed for retrofitting.”

PAHO said advertising for a construction team for the Chateaubelair Hospital and Clinic was expected to begin at the end of November, with retrofitting works commencing in early 2017.

In September 2013, retrofitting works for the Georgetown SMART Hospital was completed as part of Phase I, following extensive repairs and upgrades to make the facility safer and greener, that is smarter, PAHO said.

“Since the completion of these works, there has been significant savings in water and energy consumption, and the facility has been able to operate more efficiently allowing for increased

Dr. Godfrey Xuereb, PAHO Representative for the Eastern Caribbean, announced the names of the health facilities earmarked for retrofitting usage by residents within the surrounding communities.,” said PAHO, disclosing that the retrofitting works on this facility was US$345,926 [EC$924,000], and lasted a period of six months.

PAHO said Phase II of the SMART Health Care Facilities in the Caribbean Project began on Jun. 10, 2015, and is being implemented in Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, Jamaica, Guyana and Belize over a five-year period, ending June 2020.

At least 50 facilities are expected to be retrofitted in the seven countries, and 600 will be assessed for future interventions, PAHO said.

It said the SMART Health Care Facilities in the Caribbean Project is being supported by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (UKaid), to the tune of US$38.3 million, and implemented through PAHO’s Health Emergencies Department, in partnership with the Ministries of Health.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2016. 19.

Youth

Vincentian youth speaks at the UN Stories by GLORIAH… ROTARY INTERNATIONAL DAY, a day when the “critical humanitarian activities that Rotary and the United Nations (UN) lead around the world”, was celebrated at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, Saturday, 12th November, 2016.

The activity, organized by the Rotary Representatives to the UN in New York along with the UN, was attended by more than 1,500 Rotarians, Rotary Youth, UN officials, friends and guests.

Vincentian - Mr. Maxton Scotland, the Executive Chairman of the International Youth Decision Making Body, and the youth representative for Africa, gave two riveting presentations at the function.

The main objectives, inter alia, of the event were to: address ways that Rotary, in partnership with the business sector, nonprofits, and the international community, is promoting stable and peaceful societies through equitable economic development; give Interactors and Rotaractors an insight into the UN and Rotary’s shared relationship.

Maxton’s presentations were entitled, ‘The Sustainable Development Goal #2: Eradicating

Zero Hunger by 2020’; and ‘Spotlight Youth: Empowering the Next Generation’.

His profound thoughts notwithstanding, Maxton’s clarion call was: “I am calling upon the UN business leaders present to work proactively with millennials on an international level, as this will foster inclusion in the decision making process and the holistic success of the Sustainable Development Goal agenda!”

Maxton’s selection as a panelist came as a result of ongoing work with youth on a global level, through the International Youth Decision Making Body at Rotaract Global Model United Nations (MUN).

Maxton Scotland grew up in Glamorgan and Victoria Village, and tributes mindset to those communities.

He exhibited a passion for youth work from an early age, and besides being actively involved in the Pathfinders Club, he rose to become president of the South Windward ULP Youth Arm. All of this before he enlisted in the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom.

On the basis of his hard work, he became one of very few Commonwealth citizens selected Long Language Training, at the Defense

Digicel backs gospel music artiste CAYWAMA EDWARDS, teacher at the Campden Park Secondary School, is the latest local gospel artiste to launch a recording career.

Caywama launched two Christmas gospel songs - the self-written ‘Christ Child’ and ‘What You Bringing’, cowritten with her manager Glasley Cottle - at the Digicel #GetGifted Christmas Launch held at The Cell on Halifax Street, last Friday, 25th November, 2016.

To add to the excitement of her enterprise, a video shoot of the song ‘Christ Child’ was announced at The Cell.

Appropriate, since Digicel is making it possible, with a cash input, to complete the video shoot for ‘Christ Child’.

According to Digicel’s Public Relations Executive Jamisha Wright, “We found it rather interesting that at the start of this week, this young lady reached out to us. She sent us a short clip of the song she was going to make a video of, and sang to us. We also had the opportunity to listen to her on the gospel segment on Extreme Radio.”

Ms. Wright said that there was something about Caywama’s personality that peaked their interest.

This was coupled with her “undoubtedly amazing voice. Our response was an automatic yes, given the quality of music she was producing and the reasonableness of her request.”

Caywama has been singing since she was five years old. She has sung here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and in Barbados while studying there, sharing the stage with gospel artistes like Lieutenant Stitchie and Fred Hammond and other

Caywama Edwards (right), assisted by her sister, gives a preview, in song, of what her recording holds in store for gospel music enthusiasts in particular.

Barbadian gospel singers.

She also entered and won the 2016 ‘Sing it Like the Stars’.

For Caywama, this occasion has seen many firsts, namely: her first song production; her first video production; video shot by first-time project videographers; and Digicel’s first-time involvement in the production of a Christmas Gospel video.

And as far as the video is concerned, Caywama used the opportunity of last Friday’s launch to invite members of the public to the Kingstown Methodist Church, where the video shoot was scheduled to take place last Sunday, November 27.

A group of young men from the South Leeward area had been selected to do the shooting of the video, which is expected to be aired before year end.

School of Languages in Buckinghamshire.

There, he pursued training in Pashto, an IndoIranian language, Spanish and Arabic.

While studying, Maxton was diagnosed with a deadly brain tumour or (Glioblastomas).

He was given six months to live.

Numerous surgeries followed and he lost his speech, but he never gave up. He completed his language training Maxton Scotland (right) pictured with influential youth in eight months, and even provided ambassadors from Netherlands, Canada and the USA at remedial training the UN event to mark Rotary International Day. for others before taking up a post He believes that, “It doesn’t matter in the Career Management Cell, prior how difficult the road may seem now to his discharge from the Military. it is how you view your future, your Maxton has recently completed his passion to get where you want to, and MSc. in Security Studies from the the continuous hard work you put in.

London Metropolitan University, and We are not defined by our flaws.” is now enrolled on a PhD programme As for his work with the UN, the at the University of London. next Global Youth MUN Conference Currently he enjoys his time as an will be convened in Beirut. Lebanon in entrepreneur and being an advocate August 2017, and he is looking for young people. forward to being involved.

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20. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2016. THE VINCENTIAN

Advice

‘Ah honeymooning couple….’

Dear George, MY HONEYMOON was a total disaster! We went to Tobago for one week, and all my husband did was to watch TV into the wee hours of the morning, while I lay beside him completely naked most of the time. Try as I did, I could not get him to focus on me.

After three dreadful days of being ignored, I went to the beach alone, and there I met a young stud who showered me with flattering words, and boldly told me he can back his words up with action. He dared me to return with him to his hotel room. He was staying two rooms away from my husband and me. I took him up on his offer and spent the most unforgettable hours with him.

When I got back to our room, there was my husband, still watching TV. Our honeymoon was a disaster, but I am going to Tobago in a few weeks for a workshop. In case you are wondering, I harbour no guilty feelings. Men such as my husband are not ready for marriage.

Bitter-Sweet Dear Bitter-Sweet, I am getting the impression that this honeymoon did not have a clear plan.

Your husband`s lack of interest in you, and his obsession with the television should be cause for concern. Your response to him is also cause for concern, and both of you should consider getting some immediate counseling on some critical ‘do s and dont`s’ of marriage.

If you are desirous of saving your marriage, I strongly suggest you cancel that Tobago trip. Both of you need to decide whether you really want this marriage. As it appears right now, evidence is to the contrary.

George

False impression Dear George,

I HAD QUITE an experience at my girlfriend`s house two weeks ago, and it has me thinking about calling it a day with her.

She has always bragged about how good a cook she is, and literally begged me to come to her house for dinner so I could taste her cooking. She lives with her mother. We have been going out for three months. I got to her house and she seated me in the living room while she attended to the dinner in the kitchen, as I was led to believe.

I did not know her mother was going to be joining us at the table, but luckily, she did, and she let the cat out the bag. When I complimented my girlfriend on her splendid cooking, her mother asked what cooking. She went on to say she was the one who did the meal, and said I was lucky for that, because her daughter could not cook for a hungry dog. She had no intentions of embarrassing her daughter, I believed, but she certainly gave me something to chew on.

I finished the meal not saying much more. I was very disappointed, in that my girlfriend would go out of her way to misguide me. George, I know you might say this is simple, but to me it is a big deal. I don`t know what else she might do to falsely impress me.

Not impressed, Dear Not impressed, Your relationship is yet young, and you should not take this incident too seriously, knowing that your girlfriend just wanted to impress you. Let her know that she does not need to impress you, but rather to be herself, and that she feel

assured that you will not judge her on skills she might not have.

Once the love is there between you two, there is always time for both of you to explore the kitchen together. While you are at it, it won’t hurt to lovingly suggest to her to capitalize on getting as many tips as she can from her mother, while she is still at home. Bon appetite!

George

A marriage of secrets Dear George, IT HAS BEEN 11 months since I had a vasectomy. I just got up one morning and decided I should get it done. I did not tell my wife because I knew she would have her say on the matter, and I was not in the mood to listen to a sermon. I told myself I would let her know in my own time.

Sometime after, she broke the news that she was pregnant. All I said to her was, “Impossible”. On one of my visits overseas, I double checked to see whether there could have been a possibility of me getting her pregnant, and I was reassured I could not.

My wife, who has always maintained that ‘she is no cheat’, now has to explain how she was able to get pregnant by a man who has undergone a successful vasectomy procedure.

She and I now have a secret each - secrets - her secret lover and my vasectomy respectively.

Puzzled Dear Puzzled, You are not in a marriage by yourself, and deciding unilaterally to get a vasectomy is not something of which you should be proud. Your wife should have had a say in arriving at that decision.

That being said, it is still possible that you could be the father of the child. Before accusing her of stepping outside of the marriage, it is better to assume responsibility for the pregnancy until it can be proven otherwise.

George

Leisure

Aries (Mar. 21‐ April 20) Overindulgence could cause problems for you with your loved ones. Try to take some time to listen to their complaints, and in turn, do something to appease them. You can gain approval, get kudos, and ask for help if you put a little heart into your speech or request. You are likely to reveal information unintentionally.

Taurus (Apr. 21‐ May 21) Trips will be enjoyable, and communication with your lover will clear up any misconceptions. Refuse to let others make unrealistic demands of you.

You may find it difficult to discuss personal matters with family members.

You can make changes to your living quarters that should please family members.

Gemini (May 22‐June 21) You can discuss your intentions and ideas with your colleagues or friends this week. Be prepared to take advantage of your good fortune. Be careful when dealing with loved ones. Take time to help a friend who hasn't been feeling well.

Cancer (June 22‐July 22) You need a change and you need to earn more cash. Family outings or a quiet stroll through the park will lead to stimulating conversation and a closer bond. You might get behind if you spend too much time debating senseless issues. Any attractions toward clients will be one sided and must be put right out of your head.

Leo (July 23‐Aug 22) Get out and get active. Expect to have more people on your domestic scene.

Take the initiative and go after your goals. You will attract potential lovers, but be sure that they're unattached.

Virgo (Aug. 23 ‐Sept. 23) Satisfy your passionate mood. You need to make your lover feel wanted, not like a piece of the furniture. Be confident in

your endeavors and others will believe in your efforts. You will need a little competition this week. Gel involved in activities that will stretch your stamina.

Libra (Sept. 24 ‐Oct. 23) You may find that you can be the recipient of valuable information if you're willing to be a good listener. Don't let children hold you back from doing things you enjoy. Travel and family gatherings should be in order. You will be entertained and intrigued by the logic foreigners possess.

Scorpio (Oct. 24 ‐ Nov. 22) You will find it easy to learn and excel.

Concentrate on work. You could be quite erratic regarding your personal relationship. Be prepared to meet new lovers through colleagues.

Sagittarius (Nov. 23 ‐Dec. 21) Tell it like it is. Don't beat around the bush; state your case in plain and simple terms. Don't count on correspondence to clear up major problems. You are best not to retaliate if members of your household are trying to pick a fight.

Capricorn (Dec 22.‐ Jan. 20) Get out and have some fun. Don't ruffle the feathers of those you care about most. You may be overreacting to personal problems. A lot has changed and so have you.

Aquarius (Jan. 21.‐ Feb. 19) Uncertainties about your living arrangements may be unnerving. Social events held in your home will be successful and entertaining for all. Based on your excitement, serious‐minded individuals will be more than interested in backing your ideas. Take care of chores that have been hanging over your head.

Pisces (Feb. 20‐Mar. 20) Daydreaming will be your downfall. Travel will be enjoyable but could be expensive.

Stick to travel or do things in conjunction with groups. Avoid friends or acquaintances who drink too much.

ACROSS

42. Former coin of Italy 1.Breathe heavily 43. Hostile 5. Used a shovel incursion 8. One of the 45. Rigid spots on 48. Frat house dice letter 11. Declare 50. Big rig emphatically 52. Quote 12. Egyptian deity 54. Cereal grain 14. Roker and 55. Edible, Pacino tropical 15. Flat bean tuber 16. Passable 56. Transgresses (hyph.)

57. It is, 17. Snow runner poetically 18. Distrust 58. Fish flipper 20. Playwright 59. Looks at Moss 22. Motel DOWN employee 24. Actress 1.Companion Deborah 26. Friendly and 2. Keen 3. Lost Disney pleasant fish 29. Weather 4. Severe upset report 5. Purify 31. __ Rafael 32. Shoemaker’s 6. Hope performance helpers locale 35. NYC transit org.

7. Annabeth of 36. Joke response “Mystic (2 wds.)

Pizza” 38. Treat with 8. Deli offering reverence 9. Class 40. Breakfast, e.g. 10. Frat letter

13. Saturate 19. Slugger Ruth 21. Foul caller 23. Beelzebub 25. “Puttin’ on the __” 26. Fireplace fragment 27. Sir’s counterpart 28. Receives as a legacy 30. Comedienne Charlotte _‐ 33. Volume 34. Ticked off 37. Org. that helps

motorists 39. Spears 41. Catalog 44. Tone‐__ 46. Thorough‐ bred’s dad 47. To be (Fr.)

LAST WEEK’s SOLUTION

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2016. 21.

48. Kettle 49. “Bali __” 51. Modern diagnostic test (abbr.)

53. Curvy letter

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22. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2016. THE VINCENTIAN

News

VINLEC restoration work ongoing

EFFORTS TO RESTORE POWER to areas north of the Rabacca River that were impacted by the passage of a Trough system are continuing, but are being hampered by road conditions.

Following the passage of the most recent Trough system on Tuesday, St. Vincent Electricity Services (VINLEC) had reports of outages in a number of areas across the country. Among the areas

that were without power were Richmond to Cumberland, Hope, sections of Georgetown, Dorsetshire Hill, Walvaroo, Overland, Magum, London, Sandy Bay, Point, Owia and Fancy.

The heavy overnight rainfall also occasioned the washing out/away of a number of poles in the areas of Mt. Young, Perseverance, Sandy Bay and Overland. There were

also reports of damages to poles and lines in other areas.

By Tuesday evening, power was restored to most areas on the Leeward side of the island, with the exception of two customers. Work to restore that pocket is continuing (Wednesday afternoon).

The Dorsetshire Hill and Walvaroo areas were restored on early Wednesday morning.

Teams travelled north

mid-afternoon Tuesday to commence work, but were unable to pass the Lady Jane Bridge. On Wednesday morning, the Company mobolised five teams to the area and they are currently working to restore power to some sections of the North.

However, the road conditions in Sandy Bay are hampering the process as the workers are unable to go beyond that area using vehicles. The

Company’s Engineering Division is examining the best way forward and trying to determine what options are available to have the work successfully completed.

VINLEC wishes to reassure residents in those communities the Company remains committed to providing quality service and will work with the relevant authorities to have power in the area restored once it is safe. We Downed poles at Overland. wish to encourage the public to our Emergency/WhatsApp continue to report number 456-1540. emergencies and faults to (Submitted by VINLEC)

Courts opens Sleep Centre WHEN IT COMES to sleeping comfortably, Courts St. Vincent is the place to find the ideal bed. And you can test your bed before you take it home.

That was the message relayed at the Kingstown branch of Courts St. Vincent last Monday, during that company’s launch of its Sleep Centre.

Wahib Mohammed, representative of Advanced Foam, declared that a “perfect night’s sleep begins with a perfect mattress.”

Mohammed, from Trinidad and Tobago, was in St. Vincent and the Grenadines as part of the Courts promotion. He advised that all mattresses for a perfect sleep are available at Courts.

Mohammed boasted of a wide choice, and assured: “When you need a mattress, come to Courts,’ and encouraged persons on hand, and citizens of SVG, to lie on the mattress before you take it home.

He was supported in the campaign by fellow citizen Ruth Bachoo, and Courts OECS Commercial Manager - Sharon John.

John boasted, “We make your perfect sleep our priority.”

The Courts family is urging persons to change their mattress every eight years, in order to avoid back pain and/or loss of sleep.

The Sleep Centre provides the ultimate in sleep satisfaction and comfort. But you will have to visit Courts and see first-hand, or in this case feel, what suits you. (WKA)

\Would-be buyers at the Courts Sleep Centre are being encouraged to ‘lie on the mattress’ before taking it home.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2016. 23.

Outstanding local cricketers rewarded Ceremony and Gala Dinner, at the Media Centre of the Arnos Vale Playing Field.

Awards were presented to the teams and individuals who excelled in the 2016 local competitions, staged under the aegis of the Association.

NLA/Neil Williams 20/20 Deron Greaves of Carl Joseph Law Chambers ASCO was the highest run scorer in the National Lotteries Authority Neil Williams 20/20 competition, scoring 261 at a healthy average of 45.

Greaves’ team-mate Andre Hunte captured the most wickets-12.

Team Rivals’ Casmond Walters with 205 runs, with a highest score of 105, and 7 wickets, took the award of Best All Rounder.

Top pPremier Division Wicket taker for the fourth year in a row.

THE ST VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES Cricket Association Inc. last Saturday night staged its annual Awards

Right: Camille Garrick- Top Wicket- taker in the Female Division.

Premier Division – Top Performers Flow Radcliffe, who won the 20/20 competition, added the National Lotteries Authority Premier Division title to their silverware collection for 2016, ahead of Team Rivals and Victors One Again it was Deron Greaves who was the division’s top run-getter — a total of 446 from five matches (10 innings) including five half centuries, with a highest score of 85, at an average 45.

Right arm off spinner Dyke Cato made it four in a row, as the leading wicket taker in

the Premier Division.

He snared 36 wickets from five matches at a cost of 11.7 runs.

Cato checked in with five -five wicket hauls, a ten — wicket haul and one four wickets in an innings.

And, as he did in the shortest version, Casmond Walters was the best all rounder on show, scoring 188 runs — inclusive of one half century - and taking 23 wickets in five matches, with one tenwicket match haul and one five-wicket take in an innings.

First Division Awards

Javon Samuel won the award for the Leading Wicket taker in the First Division.

In the NLA First Division, championship winner Smashers and second place French Verandah SVG Community College copped the three individual awards which were at stake.

SVG Community College’s Jeremy Layne had the most runs — 293, with a highest score of 140 not out. Layne’s run tally came in the eight matches he played and finished with an average of 49.

He also captured the Best All Rounder Award, having added 11 wickets to his 293 run tally.

Smashers’ Javon Samuel bagged 23 scalps to be the highest wicket taker.

Top All rounder in the First Division - Jeremy Layne.

Women’s 40 Over competition In the Women’s 40 Over competition, Garifuna’s Juliana Nero scored the most runs- 167 compiled from two matches.

She posted a century- 124 not out.

The 2016 Champions United Survivors provided both the highest wicket-taker - Camille Garrick with 9 wickets — and the best all rounder Cordel Jack with 155 runs and 5 wickets.

Last Saturday’s ceremony was held under the theme: ‘Cricket — More than a Recreational Sport’.

Cricketers get first taste of new awards THE EXECUTIVE of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association Inc. (SVGCA) has again moved to alter the structure of the annual awards handed out to cricketers with exceptional performances.

Last year, there was a distinct change. Instead of presenting the five cricketers of the year and senior and junior cricketers of the year, awards were made to the top three Female Cricketers of the Year, the top three Male Cricketers of the Year and the Youth Cricketer of the Year.

When the 2016 awards were presented last Saturday at the Media Centre at the Arnos Vale Playing Field, there were some new named awards, but the youth cricketer of the year was kept intact.

Gidron Pope took the Clarence ‘Paddy’ Thomas

Youth Cricketer of the Year for his efforts that helped the West Indies lift the ICC Youth World Cup for the first time, last February in Bangladesh.

Pope scored 232 runs at an average of 38.66, and took seven wickets at the cost of 23.14 runs each.

Pope also took the Winston Davis Award, in recognition of being named International Cricketer of the Year.

Also taking two awards on the night was Juliana Nero. She walked away with the Phernel Charles award as local Female Cricketer of the Year, as well as the Cinda Bobb award as Regional Female Cricketer of the Year.

Nero scored the most runs in the local 40-over competition and went on to represent the Windwards team in the West Indies women’s tournament in Guyana.

Deron Greaves (left) receives the Lance John award from the man himself.

Juliana Nero (left) accepts the Phernel Charles award from Lyndoll Coombs.

Meanwhile, Deron Greaves of Carl Joseph Law Chambers ASCO, who scored the most runs in both the National Lotteries Authority Neil Williams 20/20 competition and the National Lotteries Authority Premier Division, collected the Lance John Local Male Cricketer of the Year award.

Ivan Eddie Williams gets his umpire’s award from Parnell Campbell QC.

Kesrick Williams won the Michael Findlay Regional Male Cricketer of the Year award.

Williams, with 17 wickets for the Jamaica Tallawahs in the 2016 Caribbean Premier League, helped his team to the championship title.

He was the Tallawahs’ leading wicket-taker and third on the overall list.

The North Leeward

T/20 Bangladesh Premier League.

President of the St Vincent and the native was also named in Grenadines Cricket the CPL XI and won the Association Inc. Kishore award for the best catch in Shallow said that the the competition. naming of the awards was Williams earned a place one way of recognising in the West Indies 20/20 those who have team that faced Pakistan contributed to the sport in the UAE over the years. last September, and was Two other awards were part of the West Indies A presented: Errol ODI team that played Hannibald - Groundsman against Sri Lanka A in of the Year’ and Ivan October, in Sri Lanka.

Eddie Williams - Umpire He crowned it off with a of the Year. contract to play in the

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24. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2016. THE VINCENTIAN

Sports

SVGCA President promises more CONFIDENT of being returned for a second full term as president of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association Inc. (SVGCA) – Kishore Shallow, has outlined his executive’s plans for the 2016 to 2018 period.

Shallow was looking ahead to this Saturday’s meeting at the Media Centre at the Arnos Vale Playing Field, when affiliates of the SVGCA will elect a new executive for the next two years.

The sitting president used his time at the Awards and gala dinner of the SVGCA last Saturday night at the same venue, to unveil his organisation’s intents.

“As promised in 2014, when we raised the prize monies the first time, after it was stagnant for years, we will continue to increase the prize monies to make hard ball cricket more attractive... From next year we are going to move the Premier Division $5000, (more than a sixty- percent increase),” Shalllow stated.

He announced as well that the First Division winners will receive $3000 and Female winners - $2200, an increase of 10 %.

Continuing his campaign, Shallow gave details of the proposed start of the cricket academy.

“We will continue to invest in our youth cricketers, male and female... One of the

major projects that we will have started in the first quarter in 2017 is a National Cricket Academy. That academy will host 20 players from the age of 9 to 19.” He projected, and also disclosed that when established, the academy will be named after long standing former President of the SVGCA and Windward Islands Cricket Board of Control - Lennox John.

Linked to the setting up of the cricket academy, Shallow disclosed that an indoor facility is also in the making.

“We are going to explore to have our own indoor facility... We have started to put some funds aside to erect batting cages around the country”, Shallow informed his audience.

In looking back at the 2014 to 2016 period, Shallow assessed that his executive had done well in keeping cricket as a mainstream sport.

He tapped his executive on the back for completing all local competitions for the past two years; winning the Windwards Under- 19 tournament back to back, after an eight- year drought; and returning to winning matches in the Windwards Under15.

And amidst all the challenges, there was more for Shallow to highlight for the period on review. These included: the hosting in

2016 of the Windwards and West Indies Under19 tournaments and the Women’s Play off between SVG and Grenada; the introduction of an Under15 Schools’ competition; and the staging of a successful car raffle.

Shallow was elected as interim president of the SVGCA on May 25, 2014, following a vote of no

confidence against then president- Julian Jack.

After serving for six months, the entire executive led by Shallow were elected unopposed to serve a full term, when the Association held its Annual General Meeting in December, 2014.

The rest of the outgoing SVGCA’s executive is: First Vice

President- Elson Cricket; Second Vice president — Denis Byam; Secretary Samuel Holder; Treasurer- Jenry Ollivierre; Assistant Secretary/Treasurer Cleton Burnett; and Committee Members Rommel Currency, Deighton Butler, Samantha Lynch and Miles Bascombe.

President of the SVGCA Inc. Kishore Shallow.

Arnos Vale Football League concludes THE 2016 COMSPORTS/ KPMG/ Hairoun Beer Arnos Vale Football League came to an end last Sunday at the Arnos Vale Two Playing Field, with joy for Primus Mini Mart Largo Height.

Facing Ruddy’s Electrical Strike Force in the final, Largo Height ran away with a comfortable 4-0 victory.

Nyron Bennett netted twice and there was one apiece from Emery Bailey and Nicholas Ollivierre, as Largo Height won comfortably.

Before reaching the final, Largo Height had defeated Hope International 2-1, while Strike Force had blasted Third World Richmond Hill United 4-0.

Richmond Hill went on take the third place, beating Hope Champions of the AFL First DivisionInternational 7-1.

Primus Mini Mart Largo Height.

The top goal scorer in that division was Richmond Hill’s Division Invitational Wilran Joseph who had 12 goals to his name. competition. Second Largo Height gained $1200 for their win, with was Avenues and Strike Force getting $1000 and Richmond Hill third- Sion Hill.

United $400.

Meanwhile, System Three won the Under-17 Division; second was Volcanoes and third was Under-17 top goal Pryor’s Fabricating & Welding Strike Force. scorer – Rahiem Rahiem Westfield was the division’s top goal Westfield (left) gets scorer with eight goals. his award from And, Hope International won the Premier Roy Marshall.

ÂReturn our hard court,Ê plea Bagga residents THERE IS A HUE and a cry among residents of Barrouallie for the return of the Keartons Hard Court to be restored to a level that would allow its use.

The court, which over the years has been a hub for sporting and cultural activities in the Barouallie-Keartons and immediate surrounding areas, has been under repair for more than a year now, denying residents its use.

This has resulted in the community being starved of a number of sporting

activities/events, including its once vibrant Netball competition, which was last held in 2014.

One resident of the community, who prefers anonymity complained, “We have not been able to have our netball competition, and that competition sought to give the young ladies in the district an outlet to show their netball skills; neither can the basketballers do their thing.”

The source said that as a consequence, the netball teams from the area and from North Leeward have to journey

A pile of dirt on the Keartons Hard Court.

out to places like Sion Hill to get some competitive action.

The source is also complaining of the potential health hazard as a result of a drain that separates the courts.

“The drain has been left there not cleaned, and there is a build- up of algae and is a breeding ground for mosquitoes..,” adding, “they (the contractors) have left the stuff there on the court and other material left to the elements”.

The Keartons hard court was included in the refurbishment exercise undertaken by the National Lotteries Authority last year, which saw nineteen facilities either constructed or upgraded.

These works were carried out The back boards used for basketball left idle and open to the natural elements.

by private contractors and contracting firms on behalf of the National Lotteries Authority.

Part of the enhancement of the Keartons facility was the erection of a covered pavilion, which is a welcomed addition.

But residents, though, are left in bewilderment as, although the construction work has ceased almost a year ago, the facility has not been handed back to the National Sports Council (NSC), and no one seems to be taking responsibility for the state of the facility.

The Keartons Hard Court, like the adjoining Keartons Playing Field, is overseen by a management committee set up by the NSC. “We need some answers soon, as we want our hard court back as soon as possible”, the source concluded.

The Keartons Hard Court in 2006 hosted matches in the ECCB/ OECS Under-23 Netball Tournament, including the opening and closing matches and ceremonies. The opening of the 2010 edition of that Tournament was also staged there.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2016. 25.

Sports

Home grown The VINLEC North Leeward Cricket title stays at home. Peto Stars are the 2016 champions. They swept to the title, with a 38- run win over Ajuba, at the Petit Bordel Playing Field last Sunday. It was a truly electrifying atmosphere.

The stage was ideal for the grand finale. Weather conditions were near perfect, unlike the preceding days.

Things started in Ajuba’s favour. For the early running, Ajuba appeared to have had a strangle hold of things. They kept the Petit Bordel batsmen on a leash, overs threatening to run out and wickets falling at regular intervals. At the fall of the third wicket, entered Ronique Laborde.

He hit his first delivery for six and set the tone for the rest of his innings. By the time he was dismissed, he had notched up eight sixes, and nine fours.

There were no huge partnerships. But such was Laborde’s dominance that all that was needed was someone to be at the other end.

When he departed, Peto found another alibi in the person of Allison Samuel, whose all-round abilities has been a worthy contributor to his team’s triumph.

The eventual total of 204 proved something of a challenge to the Ajuba strikers, who had, on previous occasions, made light work of many an opposition attack.

The Peto Stars bowlers and fielders were up to the task, egged on by a throng of passionate supporters desperate for a trophy in their backyard.

Ajuba started out in blistering fashion, and with the likes of Kenny Stapleton and Hyron Shallow among their ranks, it seemed like a game was on.

But Peto Stars were to have the final say. The pressure set in among the Ajuba batsmen, engineered by some match winning catches and consistent enough bowling, and the match petered out into something of a stalemate.

For the home fans, the writing was on the wall long before the final over. It was a systematic, orchestrated display by the Peto Stars players. They deserve compliments.

Attention shifts to the prize giving ceremony.

There will be few contenders for the Man of the Match award in the final, with Laborde’s heroics making him favourite.

Other rewards are on the cards. There might be few challenges to Desron Maloney for the most runs.

He plundered 145 in one innings, 97 in another and two totals in the seventies.

His closest rival might be his teammate Daren Greaves who hit two centuries - 134 not and 101 in the preliminary rounds.

Both he and Maloney may feature in the allrounders column by virtue of the runs they scored and their being genuine wicket takers.

The other centurion was Nigel Small whose appearance was for Rose Bank.

The Petit Bordel Playing Field is regarded as a small ground,so it is expected that batsmen to be in the avantage.

But two bowlers stand out for their consistency.

They met face to face in the final. Those bowlers are Kemrick Westfield, the Peto Stars left hander seam bowler, and Reginald Jeffrey, the veteran Ajuba right arm medium pacer.

Fielders will also be on the awards list.

The championship was an exciting one. It provided a window of opportunity for potential cricketers to showcase their talent.

Its enactment served as a recreational tool for the residents, and also afforded an outlet for business oriented individuals to engage in meaningful activities.

North Leeward has endured its share of neglect from ever and ever. The ‘hard area’ stigma attached to the area may be disappearing, but only gradually, for there is evidence to suggest that North Leeward is still to be accepted as being within the normal ambit of recognised areas.

There is still time to correct that imbalance.

Those with the authority have to endeavour to take the plunge.

Peto Stars bring joy MEMBERS of the North Leeward village of Petit Bordel are still savouring the victory of their team Peto Stars in last Sunday’s final of the VINLEC North Leeward T/20 Cricket competition.

Buoyed by an attacking innings from captain Ronique Laborde (89), Peto Stars rallied to 204 for 6 from their 20 overs, against Ajuba.

Laborde came to the crease with his team Peto Stars – 2016 VINLEC North Leeward T/20 Cricket tottering at 57 for 3. He stamped his authority with Champions (Photo Credit: Jules Anthony/Facebook) a six off his first delivery. It and finished with captain Kenny Stapleton and was rampage thereafter by the 2 for 47. right-handed batsman. He cleared Shallow going full blast, there Thirteen was a hush among the home the boundary eight times and teams took part supporters. However, three found the mark for nine fours, in in the dismissals in the space of four notching up his tally. runs dented Ajuba’s thrust. When competition Laborde was merciless, played in two they lost their fourth at 139, the especially on Windward Islands’ zones. Matches batsman Hyron Shallow. Shamon asking rate was getting outside the regular zone. Ajuba drifted to began August Hooper, 24, laid an early 166 for 7 off 20 overs, to unleash a 20 at the Petit platform. All-rounder Allison Samuel tightened the screws with spontaneous outburst of jubilation Bordel Playing Field. from an obvious partisan home an unbeaten 22 including three A crowd. sixes. Ronniel Jeffrey 2 for 32 Kemrick Westfield 3 for 35 was presentation and Leon Samuel 2 for 23 the architect of the Petro bowling. ceremony will returned the best figures for mark the Vidal Edwards, slammed for 32 Ajuba. from his first two overs, returned conclusion of Ajuba were off to a rollicking start, and at 70 without loss, with at a critical juncture in the game the 2016 season.

Ronique Laborde, captain of Peto Stars, plundered the Ajuba bowlers to set his team on a path to victory. (Photo Credit: Jules Anthony/ Facebook)

Rugby Festival this Saturday THE ARNOS VALE SPORTING COMPLEX will be abuzz with rugby activity this Saturday, December 3.

From 10:00am, young people from schools involved in the Rugby Grassroot Programme will be involved in a series of drills, exercises and friendly tag-rugby games.

This effort is a collaborative one between the SVG Olympic It promises to be an exciting day of ruby-related activities this Committee (SVG OC) and the Saturday at the Arnos Vale Sporting Complex.

Rugby Union.

From 2:00 p.m it will be the turn of the male adults, feature in the overs. Chadwick Carrington top St.Vincent Cooperative Bank Ptani Unions 7s League Cup Masters became the first team to scored with 27.

Final. The senior men’s P’tani Master’s finals opponent qualify for the finals of the SVG 7-a-side games will will either be defending champions Masters T20 Cricket Competition, involve teams from the when they defeated Mustique the Royal SVG Police Force or North clubs - Leeward Masters by 11 runs in the first semi- East. The two teams will square off Invaders, Town Sharks in the other semi-final expected this final, played last Saturday at Sion Hill.

Saturday from 1:30pm, at Sion Hill. and Country Pirates Police earned their semi-final P’tani Masters posted a less than battling it out for the formidable 118 in their 20 allotted berth in an earlier encounter against prestigious 2016 trophy. overs, losing 9 wickets in the process. Stanley Browne’s Stubbs Masters, The activity involving which they won by 8 wickets. Scores: Roy Baptiste was the pick of the the students is, Mustique bowlers with figures of 4 Stubbs Masters 123 for 9 off 20 overs according to ruby for 29 and Vibert Williams had 3 for - Dawnley Joseph led with 24, officials, in keeping with Frankie Joseph took 3 for 22; Police 19.overs, with leading scores for the Rugby Union’s P’tani being Cassius Welcome, 28, 124 for 2 - Jeffrey LaBorde 69 not ongoing effort to grow out. and Jerome Samuel, 27. the sport here.

The final of the 2016 Masters Mustique would have felt they had The Union is grateful all but sealed a place in the final, Competition is scheduled for this to the SVG OC for its believing that their inform batsmen — Sunday, December 04, at the Park support in this effort and among them Felix Greaves - could get Hill playing field. Starting time is them easily to the 119 victory target. 1.00 p.m, and a presentation its support thus far in ceremony follows immediately after That was not to be. And with developing rugby sevens the completion of the match.

Orlando Mofford, 4 for 22, Elvis throughout SVG. Woods, 2 for 15, and Michael Jack, 2 for 22, they were undone, folding for I.B.A.ALLEN I.B.A.ALLEN a disappointing 107 for 8 in their 20

Ptani Into Masters T20 Finals

V

26. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2016. THE VINCENTIAN

Sports

SOSVGÊs Kick It craving coachesÊ assistance

‘KICK-IT’, the unified football programme of Special Olympics SVG, is on the search for more volunteer coaches, as well as players.

To this end, the local organisation is calling on persons who have the time and commitment, to come forward and volunteer their services.

National Director of Special Olympics SVG- Sezevra Joseph, sent out that call recently, as those already on board met at the conference room of the Administrative Centre of the Arnos Vale Playing Field.

“We have to recruit coaches to retain sustainability...What we will like to do is to get into the communities where we go and play games, and recruit persons to become trainer of trainers as well,” Joseph proposed.

The National Director said that help with coaches is forthcoming from the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation’s (SVGFF) technical pool, but the Special Olympics SVG is cognizant that their availability cannot always be counted on, as they too have to suffice their programmes.

Joseph did confirm however, that former national coach- Roger Gurley is one of the persons who has offered his expertise to the ‘Kick

National Director of Special Olympics SVG- Sezevra Joseph made an impassioned plea for assistance. the local programme.

Other than the coaches, Joseph said that her organisation is also looking for players without disabilities to join Roger Gurley has come the progamme, so that they can mesh with those on board to help with the Buccament zone of players with disabilities.

“We will target some of the Kick It programme. the schools ... We will target some of the community clubs and seek out these players,” Joseph stated.

She noted that in so doing, some of the stigma associated with Special Olympians will be reduced, as they, the disabled, will have an opportunity to become part and parcel of the wider communities.

System Three Former national Academy, headed up by footballer and current Ian Sardine, has taken up senior SVG assistant the invitation to assist coach- Wesley Charles Special Olympics with its will lend his skills to programme. the programme.

The Kick It Programme was officially It’ programme. launched August 31 this Additionally, Joseph year, and is being funded disclosed that help is also to the sum of $60 000 forthcoming from partners from the Mustique in Florida, who will Charitable Trust. facilitate coach holding The programme which sessions via Skype with is set for one year, will the cohort of coaches take place in eight already signed sign up for identified communities.

TBPO enters Play-Off stage BOSVG All Stars beat Smart Strikers by 5 wickets, as the National Lotteries Authority TBPO Softball Cricket Competition continued on the weekend, at the Daphne Playing Field.

Smart Strikers batted first and made 120 for 5 in 15 overs. Britnol Scott made 47 and Athnel Ash 37. Kelly Harry took 2 for 11 for All Stars. In reply All Stars reached 122 for 5 in 14.3 overs - Earl Pope 40 and Asquith Mapp 30 not out which included 5 sixes. Kamara Peniston took 3 for 20.

EZ Wood Toppers defeated Dipcom Road Warriors by a whopping 78 runs.

Scores: Toppers 168 for 6 in 17 overs Marcus Hackshaw 75 and Joel Patterson 56; Warriors 90 for 7 in 17 overs Darren Henry took 2 for 20.

CGM Gallagher Novice trounced Georgie Valley Saints by 7 wicke-ts.

Georgie Valley Saints 74 for 6 in 15 overs; Novice 75 for 3 in 7.1 overs - Zane Edwards 25 and Roderick John 19 Young Stars defeated Dr. Thomas Injectors by 2 wickets: Injectors 87 all out in 12 overs - Wendell Corridon made 37, Wesley Bonadie 3 for 18; Young Stars 91 for 8 in 16.2 overs - Damion Allen took 4 for 12.

Richmond Hill United had the upper hand on Riley Snipers by 29 runs.

Scores: Richmond Hill United 136 for 8 in 20 overs - . Isaac Trimmingham 24 and Deptor Culzac 20; Snipers 107 for 9 in 18 overs - Keson Williams, 43 - Collin Lee 3 for 16.

I.B.A.ALLEN

V

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2016. 27.

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Faith Word Ministries Dauphine Sunday 27th November, 2016 1:00 p.m.

Kingstown Methodist Church Monday 28th November, 2016 2:00 p.m.

The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

F O R S A L E

FRIDAY,

DECEMBER 02, 2016

VOLUME 110, No.47

www.thevincentian.com

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LOVELACE’S APPEAL RAISES QUESTIONS be made to the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal; and whether the THE BOARD of the Privy Council’s Prat and Morgan Case Law can be Judicial Committee is awaiting answers applied in relation to the execution to certain questions, before making a of the death penalty here. decision on an appeal filed by lawyers When THE VINCENTIAN asked representing this country’s lone death Bacchus-Baptiste to respond to the row inmate - Patrick Lovelace. questions, she pointed out: there is Local attorney Kay Bacchusno minimum tariff for a life Baptiste, in conjunction with the sentence here; there is a Mercy British Law Firm Simons, Muirhead Committee and a Parole Act that and Burton, had appealed an Eastern provides for the establishment of a Caribbean Court of Appeal Order, parole board for persons serving life dated March 5, 2014, stating that it imprisonment; after ten years, an did not have the right to extend the application could be made to the time in which to appeal against board for parole, and if it is not sentence, in the case of a conviction successful, the applicant could keep involving a death sentence. applying every year.

In a judgment handed down March In relation to the third question 2012, the Eastern Caribbean Court of Bacchus-Baptiste said there is no Appeal had dismissed Lovelace’s way that a second application could appeal against conviction, but then be made for leave to appeal against UK-based lawyer Shiraz Aziz, who conviction or sentence to the had conducted the appeal, did not Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal, appeal sentence. unless the Mercy Committee refers Bacchus-Baptiste, who has been it (back) to that Court. fighting, pro bono, for Lovelace’s life She pointed out that the Prat and since then, told THE VINCENTIAN Morgan Case Law, which states on Wednesday that the appeal was that it is cruel and inhumane to heard in the Privy Council in keep someone on death row for over November, but following lengthy five years, is applicable to St. arguments between both sides, the Vincent and the Grenadines.

Judicial Committee’s Board reserved Bacchus-Baptiste also disclosed its decision, pending the answers to that the Board requested Kay Bacchus-Baptiste has taken on certain questions. information on Lovelace’s history, as Lovelace’s appeal battle pro bono.

The Board wants to know whether well as his medical and prison there is a minimum tariff for a life records. retrial. sentence in St. Vincent and the Lovelace, a former long distance Nanton’s nude body was found Grenadines;, whether there is any runner of Belmont, was sentenced to hanging from a mango tree in an area parole board or Mercy Committee that death February 26, 2010, for the July at Sion Hill called London Road on advises the Governor General on the 2002 murder of 12-year-old female the morning of July 2, 2002. An release of prisoners here; whether a pannist Lokeisha Nanton of Sion Hill. autopsy revealed she was strangled. second application for leave to appeal A 12-member jury had found him against conviction or sentence could guilty July 15, 2009, following a

by HAYDN HUGGINS

Patrick Lovelace is the only person on death row here.

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