The Vincentian PDF-10-18-2018

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FRIDAY,

OCTOBER 19, 2018

VOLUME 112, No.36

www.thevincentian.com

EC$1.50

ONE DEAD,THREE INJURED IN

PAULÊS AVENUE SHOOTING

L-R: Errol Hector escaped with a bullet to his heel, and Farax Prescott was shot in his leg and hand.

twice in his right arm; headquarters, where, dead, and the three VINCENTIAN looking. After dem na and Len Stowe, reports say, they fled the others were treated and newspaper. He said he see who dem want, dem THREE UNMASKED originally from Bequia, scene in a vehicle which warded. They have since saw three gunmen and just pull out dem weapon GUNMEN on foot, opened shot about his body. was, from all indications, been released from the they began looking and start to burst shot fire on a group of men in When the shooting awaiting them. hospital. around as if they were in just so,” said Prescott.

Paul’s Avenue sometime ceased, the gunmen took The injured men were Prescott, originally search of someone in He said that when he around 12 am on Sunday leave of the area, fleeing taken to the Milton Cato from Vermont, recapped particular. saw the gunmen draw 14 October. Four persons on foot towards an area Memorial Hospital. the ordeal during an “Me see three man sustained gunshot wounds behind the VINLEC Stowe was confirmed interview with THE come down and dem Continued on Page 3. in the shooting rampage; one succumbed to his injuries.

Dead is 42-year-old Len ‘President’ Stowe, said to be a ‘cartman’.

Nursing injuries are Errol Hector,17, Farax Prescott, 40; and and Langley Park public road, TWO WEEKS after the Sinbino King, 48. swerved on impact and ran into residents of North Leeward Reports are that the a retaining wall. were plunged into a period of three gunmen entered Iron May - 17 years old of grief and mourning, occasioned the area — Paul’s Avenue Magum, Denisha Nero - 19 by a vehicular accident proper — by way of an (September 30 at Gordon Yard) years old of Owia, Adique alley located a short Ollivierre - 14 years old of which took the lives of two distance from VINLEC Overland, Jolano Dasouza - 25 persons, it was the turn of the headquarters. years old of Overland, and Odel people of North Windward to On reaching the area experience similar heartbreak. Bowens - 15 years old of where a few shops are Police here say that they are Magum, were treated and located, the gunmen discharged at the Georgetown investigating a fatal accident looked around before Medical Health Centre. which occurred along the opening fire.

Ivor Clarke, 14 years old of Langley Park public road on Those in the gunmen’s Sandy Bay and Beverly Nanton, Sunday 14th October, 2018. range rushed for cover, 19 years old of Magum were According to a police report, however, Hector, a transferred from the 15-year-old Clevique Huggins national junior footballer Georgetown Medical Health and 17-year-old Delroy and a student of the St. Centre to the Milton Cato Baptiste, both of Magum, died Vincent and the Memorial Hospital. on the spot when the vehicle Grenadines Community Dazzroy Brackin, 19-year-old (pick-up No. TK 697) in which College, was shot in his Delroy Baptiste celebrated driver of the pick-up, is said to they were travelling, struck a right heel; Prescott was his birthday on the previous Clevique Huggins in a typical vehicle (a purple Isuzu Truck shot in his left leg and happy mood.

Continued on Page 3. Friday.

No. TQ 533) parked along the right hand; King was hit

by KENVILLE HORNE

TWO MORE DEATHS ON THE ROAD

V Heavy rains affect SVG 2. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018. THE VINCENTIAN

Environment

Capital Kingstown was its usual mess – with its collection of debris – when the water that had flooded its streets subsided.

Vehicles crossing the airstrip at the decommissioned E.T. Joshua Airport reminded many that this was once an official route in and out of Kingstown.

A TROPICAL WAVE was forecast to bring unstable conditions with showers to St. Vincent and the Grenadines well into today, Friday 19th October.

The wave had already produced heavy rainfall and thunderstorms beginning last Tuesday and carried on into Wednesday and Thursday.

Reports are that many rivers — including the Vermont River — had overflown their banks, and there have been landslides, though not major, scattered across mainland St. Vincent.

As has been the case whenever the state experiences heavy and consistent rainfall, a number of roads, especially the main roadways, were flooded.

In the Arnos Vale area, vehicles travelling

The terminal building at the decommissioned E.J.Joshua Airport was, as usual, a target for the rushing waters.

from the Windward coast into capital Kingstown were diverted along a pathway across the airstrip at the decommissioned E. T. Joshua Airport.

In the midst of the threat of the flood, persons old enough to remember, reminisced with a sense of humour, about when the pathway across the airport strip was the main passageway to and from

the Windward side of the island.

National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) and Met officials meantime, have cautioned residents in mountainous areas, near rivers, streams and lowlying areas, that they Roads in Calliaqua became virtual rivers and streams. should be prepared, as rainfall accumulations Right: Those who saw this lonely vehicle trying to make over the next couple of its way along the Arnos Vale road, could not figure out days may trigger further whether it was on it wheels or sailing merrily along. flooding and land slippage.

Few motorists attempted to brave the rushing and raising water that had overtaken the main Arnos Vale roadway.

V News 3 ÂTreat us fair,Ê say PaulÊs Avenue residents

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018. 3.

RESIDENTS IN THE PAUL’S AVENUE area are appealing to the police to treat them fairly, when dealing with reports of incidents in the community.

They complain in particular about what they see as police lethargy in responding to notification of shooting and other incidents in the community.

Some even questioned whether the police are deliberating responding in a slow manner because of the stigma attached to the community.

A number of residents told THE VINCENTIAN that the police took about an hour to arrive at the scene of the shooting which occurred around midnight, Saturday 13th October.

This they describe as “ridiculous”, given the fact that the police headquarters is located within walking distance of Paul’s Avenue.

“The way how the police them operating when coming to Paul’s Avenue, it stinks because to see four

man get shot and the police had just pass five minutes before that. When the shooting took place. A woman call them and they took between 45 minutes to 1 hour to respond,” said one disgruntled resident.

“Is it that they don’t like Paul’s Lot people and giving us a rotten deal when coming to them kind a things?” the resident asked.

The resident recalled that one year ago when Jawanza Fraser was shot (in Paul’s Avenue), the police did no investigation until after Fraser was released.

“Then they want to know why people don’t show up in court,” the resident quipped, adding, “I have seen an incident when a man got killed and instead of the police looking for the killers, they went to search up the dead man place.”

Referring to the most recent incident, that resident confirmed that

the police took about an hour before they arrived on the scene.

“It seems that many of the times the police are frustrated because they can’t find evidence to convict Paul’s Lot (Avenue) man in thing. I would like them to respond quicker to incidents in The street in Paul’s Avenue where most of the Paul’s Lot just like them shooting have occurred. does do in other villages,” the resident further added.

Another resident said, “All I saying to the police is treat the people them in Paul’s Lot fair. We are being labeled as bad but I have seen many instances Continued from Front Page. where persons in Paul’s have escaped without serious injury.

Lot assist other people According to the police, the persons who died and who need help, especially those who received injuries, were all in the cargo when they come to buy bed of the pick-up when it made initial contact with books at Gaymes Book the parked truck.

Store.” (KH) The bed became detached from the front of the vehicle, causing the passengers to be dispersed in various directions. The front of the vehicle appeared to have suffered relatively minimal damage.

Indications are that the persons travelling in the pick-up were on their way home (Magum) after a ‘cook out’ in South Rivers.

The ‘cook out’ was organized to celebrate with Delroy Baptiste, who had turned 17 the previous Friday, October 12.

This incident brings the total number of road fatalities for 2018 so far to five (5).

Two more deaths on the road

One dead,three injured in Paul’s Avenue shooting

Sunday morning’s shooting took place one day shy of a their weapons, he ran year since gunmen pulled up towards an area where he in a car in the same area, and thought he would be safe, but fired shots at Jawanza ‘Sanga’ Frazer, hitting him he was hit before he got several times about his body. there.

He recalled that Dino King Frazer survived the bullet and Len Stowe were together wounds. On this occasion, it was one of his nephews before Len was killed.

Errol Hector who was shot Prescott confirmed that and survived. the police took him to the Meanwhile, police say they hospital but when they lifted are ‘hot on the case’ and, in him to go into the fact, have reliable leads on transportation, he fell out of the identity of the shooters. their hands.

In a turn of fate for one of He was treated at the hospital, then discharged but the victims, police arrested he is feeling a lot of pain. “Me Farax Prescott on Tuesday and charged him for a series don’t like what happen of offences, including theft because me don’t trouble and wounding, committed in The spot where Len Stowe took his last people,” said Prescott. breath.

September 2018.

Continued from Front Page.

The pick-up with its ‘missing’ cargo bed.

V

4. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018. THE VINCENTIAN

Court

“Fuh me children ashma”, fisherman claims JEREMY LABORDE’S statement to the police in which he said that he cultivates marijuana which he uses to treat his children’s asthma, may or may not be true, but it is certainly not an isolated explanation.

Long before there was any official move to decriminalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes, persons here were already using the herb for treating various ailments, including asthma. So much so, there are parents here who speak openly of their children being cured from severe asthmatic attacks, after using marijuana, usually in the basis of a beverage(tea).

Laborde, a 34-year-old fisherman of Redemption Sharpes, appeared before the Serious Offences Court on Monday and pleaded guilty to cultivating four marijuana plants, and possession of 464 grams of marijuana with intent to supply.

Constable 615 La Fleur Williams arrested him when police officers conducted a search, to which he consented, at his Redemption Sharpes premises around 1:35 pm last Sunday.

The 464 grams of the herb were found in the house, while the four mature plants were uprooted from the yard.

When cautioned, he admitted that the marijuana was his, adding, “A fuh me children asthma.”

Laborde told the Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne that he had recently completed a prison sentence, and begged her not to impose a custodial sentence.

Browne, however, informed him that it was not her intention to send him to prison.

For possession with intent to supply, Laborde was fined $650 by December 24 or three months in prison. In relation to the cultivation charge, he was ordered to pay the Court $100 forthwith or two weeks behind bars.

Sexual Offences Unit coming THE ROYAL St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) is expected, by the end of the year, to launch a Unit to deal specifically with sexual offences.

The assurance came from Acting Commissioner of Police Colin John while speaking to THE VINCENTIAN on Tuesday.

John said the initiative which has been in the pipeline for about two years, is among a number of measures being taken by the police hierarchy in the current restructuring of the organization, in an effort to make its crime fighting strategies more effective.

John noted that the police officers have already been identified for assignment to the Unit, and a place has been located for it to be housed.

The Sexual Offences Unit will deal primarily with rape and unlawfully sexual intercourse with girls under the age of 13.

The top cop pointed out that offences such as indecent assault and unlawful sexual intercourse with girls above the age of 13, but under the age of 15, will be investigated by female officers who are not necessarily attached to the Unit.

The Commissioner (Ag.) is of the view that the establishment of the Unit would make the communication process in the investigations much easier, as it would be housed in one geographical space.

“Persons would be able to pool their knowledge and bring new ideas to the table,” he opined.

John added that in August this year, some female officers underwent training in the investigation of sexual offences. This training will be ongoing.

Prison officer clears the web Stories by HAYDN HUGGINS CARLOS WILLIAMS, a prison officer who was charged with possession of a bullet which the investigator Sergeant 490 Shawn Chandler told the Court was found in a locker with cobweb, was cleared of that charge on Wednesday.

Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne found Williams not guilty of having one round of .380 ammunition, without licence. She had reserved her decision following the conclusion of a trial on Tuesday.

Speaking with THE VINCENTIAN minutes after the acquittal, Williams’ lawyer Grant Connell said, “If the learned Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Sejilla McDowall thought the case had merit, who am I to question why a case which was a manifestation of poor police investigation, and one which lacked elements to prove a case of possession, was even brought before the Court?”

Connell added, “Fortunately, the good prison officer still has his job. Who placed the bullet there, and formed part of the web to trap him, remains a mystery”.

Sergeant Chandler, attached to the Narcotics Unit, testified Tuesday that around 2:15 pm March 15 this year, acting on information, he went to Her Majesty’s Prison where he saw a black, short, stocky man who he later found out to be Carlos Williams. He carried out a search on his person, but nothing illegal was found.

Chandler said he then asked Williams to accompany him, along with Chief Prison Officer Saville Rodriguez, and other police officers, to the locker area. On reaching there, Williams pointed out his locker which, according to Chandler, was closed but not secured.

Chandler said Crown Counsel he conducted a Karim Nelson search of the failed to locker in the establish a presence of the nexus between Chief Prison the bullet and Officer and the the defendant. other police .

Among the several items found were handcuffs, batons, clothing and papers.

According to Chandler, at the bottom of those items was a bag containing documents and medication, bearing the name of the defendant. A search of that bag revealed one round of ammunition.

“I cautioned him. The defendant replied, ‘Me nah know nothing bout dat. The last time me use gun was on a training exercise, and I was sharing the locker with another man’,” Chandler recalled.

Asked by Connell, during crossexamination, “What did you do in your investigation to narrow it down to this man (Williams) putting it there?”

The investigator replied, “When I opened the locker, a spider web was there”, adding that he concluded from this that the ammunition was there for quite a while.

However, while Chandler said the bullet was found in a bag which was at the bottom of other items, the Chief Prison Officer Rodriguez told the Court that the locker was filled with items, and the bullet may have fallen from something, apparently a book, when the search was being conducted, but he was not sure from what or where it had fallen.

Rodriguez informed the court that the prison has an armory and prison officers are not allowed to store firearms or ammunition in their lockers. Williams, he noted, was not issued with any firearm

Grant Connell said the case against his client Carlos Williams, ‘was a manifestation of poor police investigation’.

or ammunition March 15.

Under cross-examination, Rodriguez said, “I cannot say that the records reflect or do not reflect that the ammunition is missing.”

The Chief Prison Officer also made it clear, “I don’t have the information to say if the locker was issued to him (Williams) or if it was owned by someone before.”

In his closing arguments, Crown Counsel Karim Nelson submitted there was sufficient nexus between the ammunition and the defendant.

“We submit that the Court can properly infer that the ammunition was there with knowledge from the defendant,” he argued. He noted that the bullet was found in a bag containing items bearing the defendant’s name, and there were several other items on top of that bag.

But Connell countered that the Prosecution had not proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.

“There is a possibility that someone could have put the ammunition in the locker. There were no checks made to see who he (Williams) was sharing the locker with. They (Prosecution) have to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt. Anything could have been put there by anyone,” Connell contended. He also noted that there were items in the bag which bore the name of another person.

Murder accused calls for speedy trial MURDER accused Mwata Henry said that he wants his case to go straight to the High Court to ensure a speedy trial.

The 25-year-old Redemption Sharpes man who is charged with the January 24, 2018 shooting death of Redemption Sharpes resident Jahbarry Charles, made the request at the Serious Offences Court on Monday, in the absence of his lawyer Israel Bruce.

When Henry returned to the Serious Offences Court on Monday, Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne said she had received correspondence from Bruce that he was representing Henry but asked for an adjournment as he was out of state.

She indicated that the

prosecution was ready to proceed, but she was granting the adjournment to have his lawyer present.

But Henry told the Court that he had written to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) over a month ago, in relation to the case, but to date had not received a response.

Crown Counsel Karim Nelson, who was in Court for another matter, indicated that he was not aware of any letter reaching the DPP Office.

“What is the letter about?” he asked Henry, who replied, “Me ain’t want no PI (Preliminary Inquiry), Me ain’t want no paper committal, me want my case to go straight to the High Court, Me want a speedy trial.”.

Nelson replied, “That could be

done, but papers have to be prepared,” even as he noted that the DPP’s Office was down from a complement of seven to three lawyers.

Browne Mwata Henry adjourned the – murder matter to accused – November 15, wants to and suggested waste no time that the Crown going work in tandem through a PI. with Bruce to get things in order.

Henry is also facing several charges of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit the offence of murder.

V

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19 , 2018. 5.

Regional

Medicinal ganja boosts Jamaica tourism

THE ANNUAL JAMAICAN PRODUCT EXCHANGE (JAPEX) was held this year at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, Sept 23 – 25.

Among the hundreds of delegates on the JAPEX trade floor was the Canna Culture Travel booth.

Tobi King of Canna Culture Travel described it as “a new type of company.

We are a local DMC (destination management company) and we specialise in legal cannabis experiences in Jamaica.”

She explained, though, saying, “People are under the impression that it (cannabis) is legal here and it is not, it is only legal for medical use at this point, getting the card is very simple.”

On April 15, 2015, amendments were made to the Dangerous Drugs Act Tobi King manning the booth for Canna Culture in Jamaica, and the amended Act now provides Travel at JAPEX 2018. (Credit:TT Guardian) an avenue for visitors to “When you arrive (at the Sangster Jamaica to apply for an exemption for medical marijuana. They may apply for International Airport in Montego Bay) you are greeted with a box that gives a permit to allow them to lawfully you everything you need for a 420 purchase and possess up to 2 ounces of vacation and then we take you to a ganja at a time, for medical or dispensary, it takes you 10 minutes to therapeutic purposes. get your license and then you can To obtain this permit, visitors will purchase,” King said. need to produce evidence that their use Included in the box are a lighter, of ganja has been recommended or ashtray and grinder. No marijuana is prescribed by a licensed medical provided inside the box. practitioner in the country where they In order to legally purchase live.

Canna Culture has therefore utilised marijuana, persons have to go to one of the three dispensaries currently this to promote a legal cannabis operating on the island, one such experience in Jamaica. The company dispensary being the Island Strains offers a 420 Airport Transfer.

Herb House, which opened on August 5.

On sale are various strains of marijuana, including pre-rolled ones, but before any transaction could be facilitated, a nurse has to ensure all customers can be recommended for medical marijuana.

“We recognise that people travel to fulfil their passions and our job is to build products around those passion points,” Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett is reported as saying during his address at the JAPEX media breakfast.

Bartlett said Jamaica has been reaping the benefits from tourism, and while he admitted it was too early to determine the increase attributable to medicinal marijuana use, he felt confident that a marijuana-infused experience will “…add value to what is already a very powerful array of Island Strains, one of three licensed dispensaries licensed to sell marijuana experiences in Jamaica.” (Source: for medical use. (Credit: TT Guardian) Caribbean 360)

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6. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018. THE VINCENTIAN

Diaspora

NDP appeals to US Diaspora Story and photos by NELSON A. KING naking@verizon.net; kingnaking210@yahoo.com US CORRESPONDENT

THE MAIN OPPOSITION New Democratic Party (NDP) is urging nationals resident in New York, to join hands with it in making the country a better place for all.

In a well-attended town hall meeting in Brooklyn, Sunday, Oct. 14, four leading NDP members and candidates for the next general elections — Opposition Leader and NDP President Dr. Godwin Friday, Vice President St. Clair “Major” Leacock, and Senator Kay Bacchus-Baptiste and Israel Bruce — appealed to their compatriots to join in their bid to replace the Government of Prime Minister Dr. Ralph E. Gonsalves.

They charged in speeches — punctuated with performances by Vincentian calypsonians, such as Bob MC, Patches Knight, I-Mad, Fabulous T and De Man Age — that the country has gone astray under the Gonsalves-led incumbent Unity Labour Party (ULP), accusing it of widespread corruption, lack of economic ideas, and being unable to address the spiraling crime wave, among other things.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Opposition Leader Dr. Godwin Friday addresses town hall meeting in Brooklyn Sunday night.

Section of the audience.

“We are joining hands together for our country, in common cause against crime, poverty and economic hardship, political division and social strife in our homeland, St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” said Friday in his address, speaking on the theme ‘One Nation, One

People, One SVG (St. Vincent and the Grenadines)’.

“We can only succeed as a people by believing together, and, even when we have differences, by genuinely working together,” continued Friday, parliamentary representative for the Northern Grenadines. “For too long, Vincentians at home and abroad have been pulled apart by the politics of pulldown and hate. The divide-and-conquer politics practised by those now in power in SVG can only lead to chaos and hardship.

“Today, to get ahead in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, it matters which party card you hold and the color of the shirt you wear — specifically that they are ULP and red. It should not be that way; it does not have to be that way.

Truly, that is not our way — not the Vincentian way.”

Friday, therefore, urged nationals to “embrace a better way.. to look out for one another.”

highest taxes and the lowest wages in the OECS (sub-regional Organization of Eastern Caribbean States).”

Agriculture, he said, was “in the worst state it has even been in St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” with no export of banana to the UK. Friday claimed that tourism was struggling, too. In 2006, he said, while there were 97,432 stayover visitors, by 2016, the number had declined to 75,395.

Even in 2018, after a year of operation of the new Argyle International Airport, Friday said the number of stayover visitors is down.

“Despite this poor performance, the ULP Government has imposed an $8/room per night tax on all hotels and guesthouses,” he said. “And hear this: the longer you stay, the more you pay!”

Crime

On top of what he described as the dire economic situation, Friday said crime and violence are rampant in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The Economy “It is a crisis in our country,” he said.

“Year after year, we break records for Regarding the general economic the number of homicides taking place in situation in St. Vincent and the our country — 37 in 2016 and 40 in 2017.

Grenadines, Friday pointed an “As at today in 2018, the number is International Monetary Fund (IMF) 25,” he added. “It could have been more, report last December that said that the as we consider the circumstances of the economic growth in the country has been latest shooting death.” stagnant since 2009 — at an annual Friday referred to a shoot-out in average of 0.2 percent up to 2016, “and Paul’s Avenue, Kingstown, Saturday the future does not look much brighter.” night, in which four people were He said, according to the IMF reportedly shot, with one being fatal. figures, that the overall unemployment “Weekends have become dangerous rate stands at 25 percent, worse than it times in St. Vincent and the was in 2001 (20.9 percent), with an Grenadines,” he said. “Ordinary people estimated rate of 46 percent among the are scared. The fear is real.”

15-24 age group.

According to Friday, “.. we accept that The national debt has “gotten much St. Vincent and the Grenadines cannot worse,” Friday declared, with a debtlead in the right areas,….that we will service ratio below the Eastern not measure up to our Caribbean Caribbean average, the highest in “the Windward Islands and the highest in our neighbors in economic growth. We lead in homicides, rape, economic decline. country’s history.”

“Let us turn that around, so that St. Friday charged that the “massive Vincent and the Grenadines can be a public spending by this government — without accountability — has imposed an shining light in the Caribbean and the world — an example not to be ridiculed oppressive debt burden on taxpayers, but to be emulated,” he urged. “I believe with little benefit to them.

“Our people are paying more taxes we can do it. I want you and the rest of every year to pay the growing our people to believe it, too; and, as I government debt and are getting less for said at the outset, to work together to their sacrifice,” he said. “We have the get it done.”

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19 , 2018. 7.

News

Japan to assist Blackfish Industry and more (L-R): Prime Minister of SVG Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and Ambassador of Japan to SVG H.E Mitsuhiko Okada, exchange signed copies of the an agreement between the two countries.

THE GOVERNMENTS of St Vincent and the Grenadines and Japan signed an agreement for a grant in the amount of US$3.5 million, which is expected to fund the Barrouallie Blackfish enhancement project, inclusive of a processing facility.

H.E Mitsuhiko Okada,

non-resident Ambassador of Japan to SVG, said at the signing ceremony held on October 11, that it was expected that this project will have a significant impact on the fishing industry and by extension the overall economy here.

The visit of the Japanese delegation and

the signing ceremony came as a result of discussions held in August this year in Japan, between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (Japan) and Dr. Ralph Gonsalves (SVG).

Those discussions centred on issues of cooperation relating to fisheries, disaster

FLOW on Kiosk-user drive TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY FLOW is one step ahead in the digital era and continues to educate its valued customers to be more technologically inclined to changes.

This comes as the company embarks on a Bill Payment Kiosk Awareness week to further sensitize its valued customers on the ease of conducting transactions in store, using the kiosk machines.

The kiosks which have been implemented since 2016, allow customers to make transactions easily, without the hassle of standing in long lines.

FLOW Consumer Sales Manager, Andrea Liverpool said that while the Kiosk has been in use for over two years, some customers have been reluctant to use them.

She stressed that it was important that customers come to realise that the kiosk is user friendly, and admitted that the company needs to ensure that customers understand how to use the machines and the options when conducting transactions.

Liverpool assured customers that there is no need for concern, that the transaction receipts are proof that

FLOW has embarked on a Kiosk Awareness drive to encourage the use of the machines. customers’ accounts are instantly updated, and urged them to avoid the long lines in store and use the kiosks more often.

FLOW currently has kiosk machines stationed at the Flow main store, Kingstown, and at the Bequia store. There are plans in the pipeline to increase the number of its kiosk machines deployed across the state.

management among other things.

H.E Ken Shimanouchi, Ambassador, Special Envoy for Japan/CARICOM Relations for UN Affairs and for UN Security Council Reform, described the discussions here as fruitful, saying that he was pleased to be a part of the process now that relations between both countries were at its best.

“The mission is to make the strong relations even stronger, and today we have had very good discussions with the Prime Minister (Gonsalves) and members of his team on

matters of importance on both sides,” H.E Shimanouchi said.

In addition to firming up the arrangements governing the Black Fish Project, the Japanese delegation discussed issues relating to people to people exchange and for the strengthening of investment here.

Gonsalves said in his comments that the contribution made by Japan toward the blackfish industry was indicative of the strong relations between both

countries, he wanted to see more investment by the Japanese in areas of tourism — investments in hotels and restaurants and continued assistance in the fishing industry.

And following on a preliminary exchange between Prime Ministers Abe and Gonsalves, the Japanese delegation visited the Windward bus terminal, commonly referred to as ‘Little Tokyo’.

Continued on Page 16.

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8. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018. 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 ‘Another one bites the dust’ IN ANOTHER TIME, someone would have declared that our Leader of the Opposition – Dr. Godwin Friday ‘ha goat mouth’.

For the ink had not yet begun to dry on his declaration to an audience in New York about the wave of crime and violence that now decorates the landscape here, when there was another fatal barrage of bullets in the heart of capital Kingstown.

Not for the first time, Paul’ s Avenue, a community with a proud legacy of indelible imprints on the social, cultural, political, economic and religious life of this country — was the scene of gunmen demonstrating clear intent.

Yes, the term gunman has become entrenched in the modern day lexicon of Vincentians. No longer are ‘bad johns’ the standouts in a community and persons to be feared. Gunmen are a dime a dozen and have become folk heroes, it appears. That is the extent to which our Vincentian psyche has been tarnished.

So, like a posse of the lawless ‘Old West’ of the USA, gunmen have on more than one occasion swooped down on the Paul’s Avenue community and opened fire, sometimes indiscriminately, as happened last Saturday night, but with more focus/aim on other occasions.

And not for the first time, another son of the soil bit the dust.

Len Stowe, known to many as a willing ‘staple’ figure of the community, perhaps his only unbecoming trait being a loud mouth, lay dead in the street.

Stowe became a number, something he would have never imagined; he became homicide number 25 for 2018.

Irrefutably, Paul’s Avenue has taken on an air of dread to many. It features more readily today as the location of a number of shootings, rather than home to a string of successful commercial enterprises and more.

Interestingly, these are not shootings among members of the community. Rather, they are the work of persons foreign to the area, but not necessarily unknown to residents at whom the guns are aimed and bullets targeted.

The disturbing thing about this is that, given the overriding perception of Paul’s Avenue, there will be no crying eyes and no usual calls for justice; no call or directive for the police to respond to the latest shooting, with the same interest and availability of skill and expertise as they treat and have treated other crimes which, for example, have led them in recent times to boast, and rightfully so, of solving a trail of crimes.

The thing is, an appreciable portion of the citizenry of this country is convinced that the Police, the Ministry of National Security, the Members of Parliament, the business community, all know what drives this kind of senseless shooting in Paul’s Avenue and what prevails in certain areas of the community, but have done nothing to effectively address the development, either as separate parties or in collaboration with one another.

The Prime Minister/Minister of National Security is on record as referring to something he calls “associational groupings” as opposed to gangs.

These “associational groupings”, which we are made to understand have no structure, no line of accountability, etc., are nevertheless comprised of that small number of miscreants who are bent on committing these acts of violence, sometime fatal acts, and generally disrupting the peace and quiet of society.

We have to stop fooling ourselves and giving whether it be ‘folkbased or otherwise sanctioned legitimacy to these ‘groupings’ who, if known to the ordinary citizenry, must also be known to the parliament, the government and its functionaries, the police and business.

This is too small a mass of land and a collection of people, to say it is beyond our capacity to rein in those who are bent on causing disturbance to our equilibrium.

What drives the ‘war’ is known. That the ‘war’ continues in the face of information in the hands of those who matter, is enough to conclude, hopefully mistakenly so, that the ‘war’ is sanctioned and the ‘warriors’ protected.

The riot as the gateway to Independence 26/10/1995 (Continued from Last Week) IN THE PREVAILING CLIMATE, there was a total black-out of news on the riot. It was not until 1967 that Oswald Peters and myself put the event in its proper light in an article in “Flambeau” entitled “1935 Revisited.” After that break-through publication, the matter gathered speed.

Thereafter, Ralph Gonsalves used the period as a launching pad for his MSc, thesis on the rise of the labour movement in St. Vincent, and Adrian Fraser has followed up with an itemized version in which the story and its positive message have been admirably broken down for popular consumption in his radio programme “From Whence We Came”.

Clearly, the RGA did not represent the masses in the Assembly. This group of White Planters and off-white, Afro-Saxon merchants had their own agenda which did not include the interest of the Black low orders. So the Governor only belaboured the obvious when he observed that “there is a section of the community which is not represented here”, (in the House).

The truth is that there was a strong dose of race coursing through the veins of the uprising and coloured members of the R.G.A. with one or two exceptions, ultimately took a stand behind the White banner.

Power and Whiteness coincided in colonial society, so that any redefinition of the situation involved race. The preaching of Grenada’s Marryshow and, especially, Marcus Garvey had given filip to the Black cause.

Above all, Ebenezer Duncan had devoted much of the “Investigator” which he published to the progress of the Italian — Abyssinian war. “Haile Selassie” became the name of a drink in St. Vincent, as well as the sobriquet of the lower class leader Sheriff Lewis who handled matters on the streets.

The African bond was regional. The colonial office reported that at the time in Grenada, a huge crowd had taken to the streets one day shouting “We Win. We Win.” The Governor’s staff thought that it was in celebration of a local football victory, only to learn that the cause of the jubilation was Abyssinia’s recapture of the lost city Aduwa!

Indeed, one colonial office correspondence made the wry observation that locally, the anti-white feeling, generated by the war, was such that if the Abyssinians (Ethiopians) won, “the repercussions might be more dangerous than they will be if Italy succeeds in annexing Abyssinia”!

In the circumstances, as soon as news of

the disturbances circulated, Mrs. Grimble, wife of the Administrator, organized canteen arrangement and accommodation to cater for children of European descent who had sought refuge in the Police Barracks.

Governor Grier reported officially that there is evidence that the main driving force of those who rioted was a bitter hatred of the whites.” He cited cases of racially inspired threats made to Whites, including the Administrator himself; to the arresting of Black police officers for “siding with the Whites”; and “the singling out for attack on shops and houses belonging to residents of European descent.”

But an attack on White amounted to a three-pronged onslaught on the political and economic citadel as well as on rancid values.

The plight of the Black under-dog was total and could only be redressed by radical action.

Three years before the outburst, a former Chief Justice of St. Vincent pontificated in the Port-of-Spain Gazette, “The negro will not work, as nature provides him with the necessaries of life so far as food is concerned.

Two flour bags will make a suit of clothes and it is always possible to beg a couple of kerosene tins to help in the construction of a palm-thatched hut.”

The Moyne Commission which investigated the disturbances, confirmed that the majority Blacks were consigned to a life of economic misery and political stagnation. That is “from whence we came”.

Sixty years ago, our forbears had to dramatize their lot by shaking up the system. As an old man Mc Kenzie used to preach to Sheriff “Haile Selassie” Lewis and others under an almond tree in the Market Square: “St. Vincent needs a riot.” A cleansing force!

After the riot, it was not plain sailing.

Some local persons wanted to turn back the hand of the clock. Fortunately, Colonial Office got the message and arranged a timetable of constitutional advance leading up to full responsible government.

In the process, we were overtaken by the new concepts of self-determination and decolonization popularized by the UN now celebrating its fiftieth year of existence independence came naturally, on a platter.

But the struggles of the 1930s were the benchmark which mapped out the present path.

During the current celebrations to mark our “sweet sixteen” birthday, perhaps we can reflect now and then on 1935 for spiritual and emotional sustenance.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018. 9.

Letters

Independence and National Honours ANOTHER anniversary of Independence, the 39th, is just around the corner. As usual, we will have a military parade, and the Prime Minister will give a ‘message to the nation’, in which, of late, he announces a package of goodies.

With the exception of the recent ‘package of goodies speech’ by the Prime Minister, it has been the same old khaki pants every anniversary of our Independence.

After 39 years, isn’t it time that we have our own system of National Honours, and use the anniversary of Independence to make the announcement of who has been granted Honours?

We now have National Heroes Day, so we will have to make any announcement about national heroes on that Day. I know there are many out there who would ‘cuss me out’, but I have to say it: If all the Anniversary of our Independence is a military parade and dressing up in national colours, I out of that!!! I am a Vincentian patriot 365 days a year, not just on one day, and I don’t need to wear national colours to show that.

Furthermore, the activities to mark the Anniversary of our Independence have become very political, and it seems that if you are not at Victoria Park dressed up in national colours, you are marked as unpatriotic and in opposition.

I hope, Mr. Editor, that I’m not going on and on, but while I am on the whole thing about national awards, I want to make an observation and then a suggestion.

I have observed that the majority of persons who have received national honours (which are still the Queen’s Honours) are from the upper and middle levels of society. I want to suggest that those responsible for making recommendations for national honours begin to look among working-class people who have given service in many ways to this country.

It is high time we recognise for national awards more people from the working-class group. And this is a Labour (Workers) Government!

Charles

2018 Congratulations In 2018, we have the opportunity to celebrate 39 years of independence of St. Vincent and the Grenadines on October 27th. In 2018, we also have the opportunity to celebrate 110 years of the St. Vincent Grammar School (SVGS), previously known as the Boys’ Grammar School (BGS), and the opportunity to celebrate 70 years of the existence of the University of the West Indies (UWI).

These milestones are outstanding and worthy of celebrating. All three have produced outstanding human beings who are great role models. Many of the nation builders of St. Vincent and the Grenadines attended both the Grammar School and the University of the West Indies.

These institutions must be thanked for the role that they have played and continue to play in terms of the leadership, development and setting a good example for other institutions of learning locally, regionally and internationally.

Both institutions have also been instrumental in shaping the lives of many families. Many have been so blessed to have spouses whose lives have been nurtured and influenced by these institutions.

We say thank you as we wish the nation a very happy 39th independence anniversary.

Congratulations !!!

Cheryl Phills King

Ganja growers must stand firm I READ WITH much interest your back page story of last week, the one captioned, ‘Ganja Grower Feels Put Out’. It seemed to me, to be an honest reaction.

It has been my quiet feeling that there are certain people in this country who are setting themselves up — being allowed to set themselves up — to be the ones to gain the most out of this move to cultivate marijuana for scientific research and use in the pharmaceutical industry.

You see, Mr, Editor, I

don’t think that we will ever see the setting up of an industry that includes the manufacture of marijuana-based medicine here. We will remain suppliers of the marijuana to a local cartel of buyers who will then sell it to large corporations overseas, at a higher price of course.

In the days of bananas, we had the Banana Growers Association which, regardless of what you say, looked after the interest of the growers — large and small. I have

not heard of a move to encourage the formation of a Ganja Grower Association.

This is no time for ganja growers here to fight among themselves with some willingly accepting whatever is offered to them. Each and every move made by government in this medical marijuana business must be carefully scrutinized before accepting anything, and this includes the legislation currently before a Select

Committee of Parliament.

Ganga growers deserve the best (price and other support), otherwise the illegal cultivation and sale of the herb will continue.

‘Country Man’

Foreign based parent Editor’s Note: This submission was edited for purposes of length and coherence.

MANY PEOPLE have left St. Vincent and the Grenadines in search of a better life for themselves and their children. Does this really work out?

Regularly, the family becomes broken children become otherwise broken pieces, as grandparents or other siblings struggle with bringing them up.

Many spouses leave for the USA, Canada, UK, or Barbados. They spend money and time trying to get their ‘papers’. Many do not succeed.

Because they are away from each other for so long, some take another partner. But they continue to send home money and barrels with food and used clothes, even brandname shoes, believing this would compensate for their absence.

Without proper role models, children become lawless and drop out of school, form gangs, drink, smoke and become sexually active before their time.

In addition, they are open to abuse by family members.

It is not uncommon that many of these children end up in prison, the Mental Health Centre or even on the streets.

It is the responsibility of parents to take care of

SVG: 39 years of Independence St. Vincent and the Grenadines is approaching its 39th year of political independence from Great Britain.

Her navel strings were cut on the 27th October, 1979.

SVG’s freedom from colonial domination was overwhelmingly supported by its citizenry.

Almost the entire citizenry waited with bated breath, glued to their radio or as spectators at the Victoria Park, the official venue, where the Independence celebrations were held, to hear and see the hurling down of the Union Jack, which held royal prominence for over two hundred years, to be replaced by the new national flag of the state of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

On the stroke of midnight, down came the Union Jack and up went the national flag.

Those who witnessed that historic occasion would remember the deafening applause and shouts of frenzy, in the ‘dignified’ presence of

our first state and government heads and other officials — including representatives of Queen Elizabeth.

Robert Milton Cato was installed as the first Prime Minister/Head of Government, and Sir Sydney Gun Munro became our first Governor General/Head of State — i.e. the popular representative of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.

Yes, our nation is still founded on a monarchial system though we are politically independent.

I am disappointed that as we approach our 39th birthday, we haven’t grown as a people. We are apparently still mutilated as a result of many years of enslavement. We do not have that national ethos of uplifting each other; instead we glorify negativity. A united nation is powerful buttress in ensuring that we achieve collectively as a people. We are still lagging behind.

Patmos Richards

their (own) children .. to teach them so that they will become good men and women. You cannot be in a foreign country and expect to guide your children.

The Bible makes it clear that a family must stick together.

Bishop Ezekiel Creese Faith Word Ministries

* Did the Minister of Education wake up on the wrong side of his bed last Wednesday morning? Did he check to see if this was the case before he made his ‘address’ about school on the day? * Why are people calling Man-AboutTown complaining about how the NDP saying the same thing over and over? * Anybody else ever notice that it seems when we talking about foreign investors, that is white people we taking about? * Who is going to head this Sexual Offences Unit? The Commissioner? * So we getting a hotel in Diamond, but what about a proper Hospital?

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10. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018. THE VINCENTIAN

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SVG is in a state of crisis Getting ready for the 39th Anniversary of Independence (Press Statement by the New Democratic Party)

Introduction IN ANOTHER week or so, the nation called St.Vincent and the Grenadines, and all Vincentians, will be involved in a number of activities to mark the 39th anniversary of our independence. We will display our national colours, and flags of all sizes to mark this event.

Some buildings in the State will be decorated in the national colours, in all sorts of imaginative arrangements. This is all a demonstration of the national pride which is on display at this time.

Many persons will attend the military parade at Victoria Park, to see our uniformed forces go through their paces and to hear the Independence Address by our beloved Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves.

He will have some special announcements to make, as is customary. Then the attention will shift to the activity at the Chatoyer Memorial Park in the north of the country, where some ninety plots of land will be handed over to persons who lost their lands due to natural disaster events.

The fact of the matter is that since March 2001, there has been an outpouring of national pride by Vincentians around this time. There is much to be proud of as Vincentians.

Our country has achieved much over the last seventeen years under the ULP administration, with Ralph Gonsalves as Prime Minister. In the Caribbean, and wider afield, we have attained a reputation as a progressive country that stands by its principles.

we must recognise, too, and lament, our individual and collective shortcomings and fall from grace, and be accordingly contrite, and recommit ourselves to do what is better and right. As always, change for the better has to come from, and start with, each of us.

Each adult able-bodied citizen of this blessed country is required to exert himself or herself in honest lawful labour, in accordance with his or her ability and circumstance, in return for just rewards. No progressive society has ever been built on leisure, pleasure, or nice time.

Instead, what is required is disciplined, smart and lawful productive labour. Laziness may appear to be hip and cool to a misguided small minority; but laziness is an absence of virtue, and leads to damnation for Jew and Gentile alike.

Our achievements

As a country, together we as Vincentians have achieved a great deal, considering the obstacles we face. We have managed to construct and to operationalise, a beautiful modern day international airport, the largest capital project every attempted in the history of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Year The last 38 years after year, we continue to put our young people through an educational Over the past 38 years, St. Vincent process, preparing them for the world and the Grenadines has made of work, and for them to contribute to significant socio-economic and the further development of their technological progress, despite its country. The success of the education small geographic and population size, revolution has been tremendous, and its relative scarcity of material has affected every household in the resources, its extremely challenging State, in a positive way. external economic and political The far-reaching policies of the environment, and the vulnerability to ULP administration have kept the natural disasters. Still, we must country stable, in the face of severe strongly urge that we renew our global financial and economic shocks, commitment to the on-going quest to and the effects of climate change. No lift St. Vincent and the Grenadines public servant has been laid off, and further and higher in the interest of salaries have been paid on time, all of our people. including those of the opposition NDP. Our nation’s progress, enhanced Internationally, we have achieved prosperity, peace, and socio-political much, particularly at the United stability have been achieved, largely Nations, where our Ambassador, through our own efforts at home, in Rhonda King, is now the president of concert with the considerable the all important ECOSOC committee assistance of our diaspora, friendly of the global body. In another few nations abroad, and supportive months, our country will ramp up its institutions and peoples regionally and globally, and through the abiding campaign to gain a non-permanent grace and beneficence of a loving God. seat on the Security Council.

This combination of a many-sided And now, let us keep our eyes on human effort and divine inspiration, the vital matters of unity, peace, ensures our continued upliftment justice and prosperity. We know the today and beyond. Morning by way, we have the vision, the ideas and morning, new mercies we see and the programmes. We must be aware of receive bountifully; and all that we the false prophets and the apostles of need, His divine hand has been gloom and doom, particularly those in providing. Great is His faithfulness, the NDP. for which we are truly thankful!

Above all, we must celebrate the It is right and proper that as we abundant blessings which the Lord acknowledge our nation’s socioAlmighty has bestowed on our Blessed economic and technological advances, country.

ONCE AGAIN, the Vincentian public woke up to the news of another shooting incident on the morning of Sunday 14 October in Paul’s Avenue, in which three persons received bullet wounds and a fourth was killed. This fatality brings our homicide toll to 25.

As more crimes are committed, and the resources and expertise of the police are stretched, it would appear that members of that organization are resorting to extrajudicial punishment to garner information from suspects.

We do hope, however, that this is not as a result of the Minister of National Security’s pronouncement that the police are not ‘to recite the beatitudes’ to suspects.

As the New Democratic Party (NDP) continues to call on the police to expedite investigations and the arrest of offenders, it would appear, given reports that assail the media of extrajudicial punishment by the police in general, that they (police) are now caught up in their own crisis, which, if not already so, can distract them from their mission.

We have had reports in the past of police beatings and general abuse to the point where accused were hospitalized, and where police officers were convicted in a court of law. In one such case, much to the public’s dismay, convicted officers were returned to duty as police officers.

Now, there are accusations being levelled at the Commissioner of Police, the very head of the Service, for personally beating an accused with a baton causing him severe injuries.

Extrajudicial punishment is against the law in St Vincent and the Grenadines, and the NDP condemns any and all such actions, unreservedly. The police cannot in their frustration over the increasing crime rate and their apparent inability to contain it, resort to beating and abusing the very public they are sworn to protect. This is a country of laws, and no one individual can be judge, jury and executioner.

As if the foregoing were not enough, the Commissioner of Police is now accused of sexual assault by a junior member of the very institution he heads. While the NDP holds that each person is innocent until proven guilty, we nonetheless question the fact that while the Commissioner is being investigated, he remains in office. It is the right thing to conduct an investigation into the accusation levelled. However, justice must not only be done, it must seem to be done, and while the Commissioner may undoubtedly be a man of integrity, it says little of him and the Ministry of National Security if he remains in office during this investigation.

What is also worrying is that the Speaker of the House, Mr. Jomo Thomas, in his weekly article in one of the country’s weekly publications, asserted to the possibility of extrajudicial killings. To date, the public is yet to know if Mr. Thomas was asked to produce the evidence to support this accusation, and further, if an investigation was launched to determine the veracity of that accusation. Contrary to established

standards, the Minister of National Security and the Commissioner of Police have not made a public statement with regard to such an egregious statement, one that has the potential to negatively impact this country’s international standing.

The reality today is that the Minister of National Security is yet to come to terms with the fact that his disrespectful dismissal of the Vincentian people’s fears only serves to worsen those fears and feed the crisis that already exist. He has failed to produce the promised war on crime and the causes of crime, just as he has failed to introduce integrity legislation, to say nothing of the creation of a consultative democracy.

Clearly, Dr. Gonsalves and the Unity Labour Party have lost touch with the reality of the Vincentian people’s lives, and cannot adequately provide the governance needed to take us out of this crisis.

As crime and violence continue to spiral out of control under the apparent indifference of the Minister of National Security, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, the New Democratic Party is proposing a “Smart on Crime” strategy; as we cannot police or incarcerate crime away. We have expressed our willingness to work with the government and other organizations to address the problem, and we submit that a “Smart on Crime” approach, which requires a collaborative and united national effort, can be the only way forward to effectively combat the national crisis of crime and violence in St. Vincent and Grenadines.

The present militaristic approach has failed, and it continues to alienate the police from the very citizens they have sworn to protect. Evidence suggests it has already created a climate in which some individuals and communities are as much afraid of the police as they are of the criminals.

“Smart on Crime” will see the police applying research and best practices in developing appropriate crime fighting and prevention strategies and leading a crime prevention coalition which will include all sectors of society; drawing on the resources of civil society, communities and the business sector as they become integrated into a national crime prevention and crime fighting partnership, to create a better St. Vincent Grenadines for all.

We again implore anyone with information that might assist the police in their investigations, to provide it to the police. We call on the police to redouble their efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice, and resolve other unsolved violent crimes in our country, and to respect and protect the rights of Vincentians as they do so.

We call on the Vincentian people to be strong and resolute in this time of crisis, hold fast to your foundational Christian beliefs, do not lose hope in humanity and yourselves as a people.

Remember there is always a calm after the storm.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018. 11.

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Defending the indefensible

A sense of duty

“We never fail when we try to do our duty, we always fail when we neglect to do it.” Robert Baden-Powell (18571941) British army officer, writer, and author of Scouting for Boys.

LIFE HAS A WAY OF REWARDING those individuals who acquire and develop a sense of duty. These are the individuals who are not distracted by what is not happening (or not happening) in the lives of others. They focus on what they are required to do in their homes, schools, neighbourhoods, and work places. These are the individuals who have grown to enjoy exerting effort and energy as they seek to be the best that they can be at all that they put their hands to.

Parents and teachers play a major role in encouraging the next generation to develop a sense of duty.

They have the responsibility and privilege of influencing these young minds to see the value of work, purity, integrity, and so on. They know the value of developing the discipline to keep their surroundings clean and tidy. Responsible parents encourage their children to make their beds, say a prayer, sweep the yards, wet the plants, take care of animals, and so on. Dedicated teachers encourage their pupils to keep the furniture clean and neatly arranged, to be pleasant and mannerly to those they interact with, to show empathy and respect. The discipline described here is instilled in an effort to prepare these young citizens to develop a sense of duty and to understand their civic responsibilities.

It may sometimes appear as though there are so many individuals who, instead of developing a sense of duty and responsibility, desire to “live off the work and efforts of others”.

These individuals seem to develop a sense of entitlement and expect to be served and/or be pampered. This sense of privilege may be due to ethnicity, nationality, political affiliation, family name, and so on.

However, none of these should ever lull us into believing that we are better than or deserve more privileges than others. Such individuals miss out on the blessings that are evident when aspiring to be self-sufficient and gainfully employed.

William Harry McRaven, a retired United States Navy admiral, while addressing the graduates at The University of Texas System in May 2014, shared some very useful insights about this sense of duty.

Among other things, he noted that, “If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter. If you can’t do the little things right, you will never do the big things right.”

The little things in life matter. The little tasks of having children make their beds, clean their rooms, pack

away their toys, wash and pack away kitchen wares and cutlery, etc. may appear to be mundane and insignificant. However, these young citizens should be required to perform these tasks even when/if they have home helpers. The discipline involved encourages humility and helps them to develop a sense of duty. These tasks encourage them to do the little things right and, in turn, encourage them to do the big things right. This early and continuing investment in our wards, will pay huge dividends long after they have migrated from our care. We would have instilled in them a strong sense of duty.

As we go through life, we will be distracted by individuals who appear to be taking advantage of others and/or of systems. This will sometimes take the form of dishonest or unethical behaviour. For example, students may observe fellow pupils cheating at assignments or on exams.

In the workplace, individuals may witness co-workers abusing privileges and/or getting away with insubordinate or dishonest activities.

In such instances, there may be a temptation to “join the crowd” and duplicate such behaviours. We may be tempted to tell ourselves that if they can get away with such infractions, then so can we. However, we remind ourselves that we sing from a different song sheet. We march to a different drum. We will forever seek to walk the narrow road upwards and forward with energy and excitement as we embrace the challenge to live honest, decent lives.

We have developed a sense of duty that demands greater integrity and responsibility. We have a responsibility and a duty to be kind, decent, and honest regardless of the circumstances that surround us.

We are forever grateful to those who accepted the challenge to socialize us so that we were able to develop that sense of duty. Many of these dear souls may no longer be with us, but we reflect on the love, patience, commitment, and discipline they demonstrated to ensure that we developed such responsible approaches to life. Today, we pass on the baton that they so kindly relayed to us. We encourage the next generation to consider providing selfless service to family, community, and nation. They can be encouraged by the words of America’s 35th President, John F. Kennedy, when he noted in his inauguration speech, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” It is that sense of duty (and selfless giving of our time, talent, and treasure) that will build strong character, strong families, strong communities, and strong nations.

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

‘When people start saying that we are subversive, we should say hell yes we are subversive and we shall remain subversive, until we have subverted this whole damn system of oppression.’ Angela Davis, American civil rights leader. for rights, due process and life in the United States following the collapse of ‘IF YOU ARE TRYING to live a life in the Twin Towers. President Bush accordance with the bible, the concept unleashed his security agencies on the and call to justice are inseparable. We world. People from different corners of do justice when we give all human the earth were kidnapped, taken from beings their due as creations of God. their country of origin to other Doing justice includes not only the countries where some of them were righting of wrongs, but generosity and beaten, tortured and even killed. social concern, especially towards the American leaders openly supported poor and vulnerable.’ Timothy Keller, torture of criminal suspects, and large New York Times columnist. sections of the population cheered on A spade can never be a fork or a these undemocratic and inhumane shovel. Therefore, we are called on to practices. Everybody wants to feel see things as we see them. To makes safe. Many Americans were prepared excuses, offer explanations and to give up rights and liberties. We rationalization for a particular set of must never allow such a sad and behavior, may win us temporary support among those we offer excuses dangerous state of affair to develop in our country. for, but in the end, we ought to Plain Talk maintains that no conclude that our life was hollow and matter how horrible the crime, no our conscience bare. matter how demonic the accused Social activists must know, and if person, a society based on laws and they don’t know, they will eventually find out that their chance of winning a not the whims and fancies of men, must maintain a system of due process popularity contest is virtually nil. that leads to justice for the virtual They must do their work, convinced complaint, society at large and the not in the certainty of success, but with the conviction that they perform defendant. Citizens must never be encouraged to employ vigilante justice. good service to the nation.

Take the case of police brutality. All No police officer must with impunity decide to beat, shoot or kill a criminal of us must have seen or heard of suspect because society may be well instances where police officers act inappropriately. If the person making pleased and give him a pass.

If we throw our hands in the air the allegation against the police is and begin to utilize tactics that run close to us, we tend to believe their afoul of the basic tenets of democratic story. The further away from us the rule, ‘crapaud’ smoke our pipe. Today alleged victim is, the more skeptical it’s my daughter; tomorrow it will be we tend to be.

For example, many Vincentians did your son. If they come for me in the morning, they will come for you at not believe that two African men night. languished in our prison for as much Recently, this reality played out in as 1500 days without charge, trial or the most graphic way. A police officer’s conviction because they made the son was beaten. The most telling part simple mistake of entering SVG of the 17-year-old’s story is that the without valid travel documents. In police officer who beat him in the 2009, many persons doubted Jemark presence of his principal, class teacher Jackson when he said police officers and students knew he was the son of a beat him so badly that he slipped into female police officer. The officer who unconsciousness and remained in a administered the beating told him that coma for 7 days. A few weeks ago, his mother should shoot him. many persons praised the police for The police officer slapped him, held beating suspects who were shown with him by the neck and feet then dropped swollen and busted lips and bloodshot him on the ground, repeatedly eyes. punched him in the face, neck and Recently, our law chambers other parts of his body, handcuffed successfully defended a young woman him, threw him into the police charged with assaulting a police transport, placed his feet to his neck officer. The woman was manhandled, and choked him. Taken to the police pushed to the ground and beaten by barracks, he was tossed into the cell officers including the most senior and made to stay there for 12 hours. officer in the division. Who brought What was the young man’s crime? the assault charge? The officer who He told the principal that he did not had mercilessly beaten her. The ask to be placed in the educational reason the young woman went to the institution and could be expelled if the police station was because another principal so chose. He is charged with police officer slapped, then arrested use of threatening language. her 16 year old brother. She was If this kind of treatment was meted out to a young man whom the police pushed out of the station (assaulted) knew was the son of a fellow officer, because officers claimed she was too strident with her demand to know why imagine what they do to someone whom they don’t know. her brother, of whom she is the In SVG we have arrived at the guardian, was a slapped and detained.

Police across the world protect their politicization of everything. There is no longer any agreement on what’s kith and kin behind a thick wall of right or wrong. If it happens under our silence. They often swear to the most party’s watch, it can never be wrong. untenable stories which are blown to bits under cross examination. But the The party colour guides our conscience. Meanwhile, we all know most alarming development is when this can never be right. But we the society at large, in a knee jerk response to escalating crime, supports swallow deeply and defend the indefensible. heavy-handed measures such as beatings, torture or even killings of Send comments, criticisms & accused persons. suggestions to jomosanga@gmail.com We saw this maddening disregard

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12. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018. THE VINCENTIAN

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PM of SVG & President of Taiwan should visit Singapore (1) ALL TAIWAN’S FISHING VESSELS that operate Under CAP 59 Fisheries Act – Subsidiary Legislation Section 6, subsection (2) (a) (i) (ii) using the SVG national flag are required by law to offload their fish catch in SVG and pay fish tax to The SVG Treasury.

Taiwan is using SVG’s flag as its flag state, but Taiwan is not paying fish tax for being listed as a local fishing vessel in the fishery waters under the SVG flag. Taiwan is offloading its fish catch from the Atlantic Ocean in Trinidad, not in

SVG and is not paying fish tax to the SVG Treasury.

(2) It is conservatively estimated that Taiwan owes SVG EC$51 billion in fish tax for the period of 2001 to 2017.

(3) A recent eye witness report from a Vincentian to Trinidad and Tobago confirmed that Taiwan is offloading its fish catch in Trinidad, and that Taiwan fish processing plant in Trinidad is very big.

Diligent research carried out by the Leader of SVG Green Party Warrant

Officer Ivan O’Neal, BSc (Hons), MSc, MBA, has revealed Taiwan fish tax avoidance is real and massive, and calls on Taiwan to pay SVG Treasury EC$51 billion without further delay.

In our opinion Taiwan is punching below the belt.

According to the Leader of SVG Green Party Retired British Royal Air Force Engineering Warrant Officer Ivan O’Neal, BSc (Hons), MSc, MBA, the Black Population in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) has been going hungry and making significant sacrifice, not by choice but because of corruption within the political system.

(4) Taiwan is not a sovereign state and as such Taiwan cannot fish Tuna in the Atlantic Ocean. St Vincent and the Grenadines has the legal right to Fish Tuna in the Atlantic Ocean.

(5) All Taiwan’s Fishing Vessels that operate under CAP 59 Fisheries Act-Subsidiary Legislation Section 6, subsection (2) (a) (i) (ii) using the SVG national flag are required by law to offload their fish catch in SVG and pay fish tax to the SVG Treasury. But Taiwan offloads its Atlantic Ocean fish catch in Trinidad and owes SVG EC$ 51 billion fish tax.

Taiwan’s response to not paying fish tax to SVG Treasury, the First Secretary issued a Press Release on November 14, 2014: “I would like to

kindly advise that, like those of other countries, the Taiwanese fishing vessels are registered lawfully in St Vincent and the Grenadines under the High Seas Fishing Act 2001. They abide by regulations and pay license fees and security bond or deposit.

Above all, they only operate on the high seas in accordance with the regulations of International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT)”.

(6) Taiwan is highly dishonest and disrespectful to the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines by not paying the EC$51 billion fish tax to SVG Treasury. It is no surprise that since 2001, exactly 14 countries have cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan and formed ties with China.

(7) Warrant Officer Ivan O’Neal, BSc (Hons), MSc, MBA, lived in Singapore with his wife and three children for two years, and very strongly recommends the PM of SVG & the President of Taiwan pay an early visit to Singapore and see why Singapore has the highest standard of living in the World.

SVG Green Party is making a very strong call on Taiwan’s Ambassador to St Vincent and the Grenadines to pack his bags.

SVG Green Party

Langley Park School initiates Peace March that their safe spaces THE LANGLEY are being threatened PARK Government by the prevalence of School is violence and crime. spearheading a Springer added, Peace March and “We want to show the Rally, set for next students, that they Wednesday 24th can help to foster a October. safe physical and The event is social environment at expected to be held school on the in collaboration with playground, in public other schools on the places and the Windward side. neighbourhood”.

The March begins The Principal at 9:30am on Church underlined that whilst Street, Georgetown, the event is aimed in the vicinity of the primarily at the Anglican Church, students, others are and will culminate at welcomed to be part of the Chilli Playing the proceedings.

Field, venue for the Rally.

“We also want the The Rally will adults as well to Langley Park Government feature a number of School’s Principal – Elva recognise that a addresses and a Springer. citizens of an programme of independent nation, cultural performances, all aimed at they have a responsibility to promote promoting peace. positive values and practise acceptable The purpose of the March and Rally conflict resolution skills,” Springer commented.

Principal of the Langley Park Springer said that the March and Government School- Mrs Elva Rally also ties in with the celebration Springer outlined that the March and of this country’s 39th Anniversary of Rally is intended to sensitise students Independence. of the rising levels of intolerance, The theme of next Wednesday’s crime and violence in the society; and March and Rally is “A Crime Free to raise awareness among students Community Begins With Me”.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19 , 2018. 13.

News

New Restaurant opens in Union Island FRIDAY, October 12, 2018, marked the grand opening of ‘The Famous King Fish Bar & Restaurant’ in Clifton, Union island.

Situated directly in front of the Clifton jetty at the same location where Nola and Tunj-I (now retired) operated their restaurant successfully for many years, the restaurant

welcomed their first patrons with a menu of mouth-watering local and foreign dishes.

The family business will be operated by Union Island natives Caroline and Aolani (pronounced O-Lani) Ashton, a mother and daughter combination.

Patrons will immediately recognize the style and décor that

The dining area offers that unique Caribbean ambience.

make expert use of ‘roseau’, to give the dining area that unique Caribbean look, which is pleasant to the eyes as well as providing a relaxed atmosphere to dine.

According to manager Caroline Ashton, the restaurant will be able to seat about 40 persons and will be open from 7 AM offering daily breakfast until the last customers leaves on Monday to Saturday, and after midday on Sundays unless special requests are made.

The menu will be loaded with creole dishes, roti, burgers, salads and a range of pasta dishes.

The upper floor of the building houses an ice cream parlour and wine shop, to complement the

‘The Famous King Fish Bar & Restaurant’ in Clifton, Union Island, pictured just a few days before its official opening. dining experience, or just to satisfy your ‘sweet tooth’.

“The Famous King Fish Bar & Restaurant” will also offer free wifi service so that among

other things, patrons can post photos of their wellpresented meals, before savoring the tasty cooking.

At the time of writing, just a few finishing

touches were left including the sign board.

For more information, check the restaurant out on Facebook or contact them through WhatsApp at 784 — 532 — 3317.

V 2018 National scholarships awarded 14. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018. THE VINCENTIAN

News

(15) awards have been granted to graduates of Associate Degree programmes. These THE GOVERNMENT of St objective point system (CAPE) and Associate include two (2) Vincent and the which has been Degree programmes Exhibition Scholarships, Grenadines has awarded a developed to address developed or franchised awarded to one (1) record number of National equivalency issues in an by the institution. graduate each of the Scholarships and other institution which has A total of thirty-two Division of Teacher awards for the 2017/2018 grown exponentially over (32) scholarships and Education and the academic year. the last few years, and bursaries were awarded Division of Technical and Forty-seven (47) delivers an array of to graduates of the Vocational Education; graduates of the St. subject offerings and Division of Arts, Sciences and twelve (12) Vincent and the specialisations. and General Studies, Bursaries to top Grenadines Community Consequently, based on their performers in Associate College have received consideration was given performance in the 2018 Degrees programmes National Scholarships, to graduates of all CAPE examinations. Of under all four (4) National Exhibitions, programmes offered this number, seventeen divisions of the and Bursaries, which will under the various (17) are National Community College, each fund their university divisions of the St. Scholarships which are of whom attained a studies in a wide range Vincent and the tenable for five (5) years; Grade Point Averages of academic disciplines.

Grenadines Community seven (7) are three-year (GPAs) with an The selection process College, that is, the Exhibition Awards, while appropriate equivalence was guided by the Caribbean Advanced eight (8) are Bursaries. to the CAPE qualifying application of an Proficiency Examinations In addition, fifteen standards.

One (1) graduate of the Division of Teacher Education has also been awarded a three-year Special Award in the field of Education for his

commendable performance in the Associate Degree in Teaching - Primary Education.

Awards under the National Scholarship Programme are tenable at the University of the West Indies. Exceptions are considered only for those programmes deemed to be national training priorities but which are not available at the aforementioned institution.

National Scholarships, Exhibition and Special Awards cover studyrelated costs, based on the estimates provided by the approved university. These include tuition fees, Economic Cost (applicable only to the University of the West Indies), books and incidentals, airfare at the commencement and

conclusion of studies, and a monthly stipend for living expenses, which comfortably covers board and lodging, and ground transportation.

Each Bursary carries an annual value of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000), over a maximum period of three (3) years, totaling sixty thousand dollars ($60,000). Additionally, the Economic Cost is also paid on behalf of Bursary recipients who pursue studies at the University of the West Indies.

This is the largest number of awards ever provided by any government on the basis of the results from the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College.

(Source: Office of the Prime Minister)

Another Government hotel coming THE GOVERNMENT of St Vincent and the proximity to the Argyle International Grenadines looks set to be active for the Airport. foreseeable future, in hotel “The idea is to have a construction.

Holiday Inn Express type Following an facility, and to add a announcement earlier this feature that will attract year that government had Vincentians who want to procured a loan from the spend weekend or holiday Republic of China with their families,” Dr. (Taiwan) for the Gonsalves explained. construction of a 250-room The Diamond Hotel is hotel at Mount Wynne, on expected to occupy some 6 the Leeward side of the — 7 acres of land.

St. Vincent, Prime While in the case of the Minister Dr. Ralph hotel for Mt. Wynne Gonsalves told a media where government briefing on Tuesday that indicated its intention to Government will construct “to engage a company a 90-room hotel in the with a global brand to Prime Minister Dr. vicinity of Kings Hill, market and manage,” Ralph Gonsalves Diamond. there was no such said funding for the Prime Minister reference made with hotel was already Gonsalves said the area secured, but did not respect to the proposed was chosen due its hotel for Diamond. give the source.

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19 , 2018. 15.

Arts

GHS Harvest: A difference entertainment.

The dance troupe, the most outstanding group at the recently held KCCU 13th Dance Festival, wowed their colleagues with a gold medal winning folk dance performance.

The school’s steel orchestra, reigning Champions among school-based steel orchestras, Fifth Formers keeping an eye on their range of culinary items provided clear prepared for the Cook Off’ competition. indication of their skill.

A humorous dialogue IF ONE WERE TO INVESTIGATE the activity falls close to World Food associated with agricultural occurrences of harvests in St. Day (WFD), and this year’s themes entitled, ‘Wuk de Lan’, Vincent and the Grenadines, it Harvest even adopted the 2018 was done by a group of Second would certainly be found that this WFD theme, ‘Our actions are Formers. activity is slowly becoming a thing our future; a zero hunger world The First Formers rendered of the past. by 2030 is possible’. the folk song, ‘Kingstown As a matter of fact, whenever Unlike most harvests, Market, Coconut Woman’, and a harvest is held today, it is though, the package was quite the Third Formers presented usually an activity of the varied, as it engaged the talents self-made hats, using natural church. and interests of the students, products in the “Hats On” Not so for the Girls’ High exposing them to leadership competition.

School, whose staff and through involvement in its students, on Friday, 12th organising and in altruistic Other interesting October, held their 35th Harvest endeavours. components and Thanksgiving activity on the compound of the school.

Entertainment For the first time, the harvest With harvests traditionally held a ‘Cook Off’ competition being a display of reaped The school did not have to among the Form Four students. produce, i.e. food, the school, look outside its walls to find Mrs. Donna Clarke, Head of the over time, has ensured that this persons to provide tasteful Co-curricular Department at the

The Form 1G Dacon display – winner among First Formers in the Harvest Boxes competition.

Left: Presentation of a donation to a member of the Craig family (centre)

by Mrs. Donna Clarke, Head of the Co-curricular Department (left) and Mrs. Andrea Bowman, retired Headmistress GHS. school, explained the rationale; “This is a new initiative within the Harvest. We figured it needed a little beefing up.” She explained that the competitors were all given ingredients and were expected to produce a dish.

Form 4B was the inaugural winner.

Additionally, in the existing Harvest Boxes competition, the First and Second Formers had designed their boxes then filled them with fresh food. The First Form winner was Form 1G Dacon with Form 2 McKie placing first among the Second forms.

Of equal importance was the presentation of a monetary donation to a needy cause. The donation, the accumulation of pledge/contributions made by

the students over a two-month period, was presented to the Craig family of Murray Village, whose home was recently destroyed by fire. A member of the Craig family is a student at the GHS. When questioned about how such an activity impacts the profile of the school, Mrs. Clarke admitted that, “It puts our name out there so that people are aware of the contribution of the school and what the girls can offer to persons who are in need. Also, we have many talented girls here, and although we are built on academics, it is necessary to always tap into those students who have something to show and to contribute.”

Fair highlights Vincentian Literature THE FIFTH ANNUAL Book Fair, a collaboration between the UWI Open Campus SVG and the Vincentian Association of Artists, Writers and Producers, was staged here from Monday 8th to Saturday 13th October.

Given that the UWI Open Campus building was under refurbishment, the venue shifted to the National Public Library. As such, therefore, this year’s Fair was a scaled-down version, since the venue did not allow for the usual segments of evening entertainment and weekend engagements with the children through reading and writing.

It was, however, a special event since it fitted snugly into the 70th Anniversary celebrations of the University of the West Indies.

Books on a wide of variety of subjects

The display mounted by the Embassy of Venezuela.

were exhibited through a number of agencies including the UWI Open Campus SVG, the National Public Library, the Venezuelan and Taiwanese Embassies, organisations, individuals and Dr. Edgar Adams, writer, historian, bookshops. folklorist, takes patrons on a ‘tour’ of his

National Public Library display of books by local writers.

Fair.

Towards Festival Rationale increasing an added vibrancy to the display and to According to Librarian of the UWI attract added interest, patrons were able Open Campus SVG, Ms. Patricia to view samples of: the creations of Baptiste, the rationale of the festival jeweler and engraver Scrapie Dopwell; a stems from the increasing unpopularity creative line of handbags and purses by of the reading of books, especially Christal Oliver; and paintings by Chris among youths. “We feel that literature Gill, Odinga Barnwell and Vaness is important, and the more people read, Francis. the more they get information,” she acknowledged.

Vincentian books “As you notice with the phones, tablets and so on, a lot is being taken As far as the major emphasis of the away from people who are supposed to Fair was concerned, there was a wide be reading. Additionally, much of the and varied collection of books on display. messaging is done in shortened form What was poignantly significant was and language skill is being lost. This the increased number of books written translates into poor writing skills.

by Vincentians, an indication not only Enough reading is not done,” she that Vincentians are writing, but that emphasized.

Vincentian authors are emerging and There was one new dimension to the

many publications.

evolving.

Works on display — from prose to poetry, fiction and non-fiction - included that of seasoned writers with seven, six, five books each, alongside work of new writers and some not so new.

They collectively journeyed into areas of culture, religion, politics, history, archaeology, architecture, law, societal issues and so many more.

Some writers included Cecil ‘Blazer’ Williams with several books including poetry that leaned heavily on aspects of Vincentian culture; Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves with commentaries on politics in SVG and within the Caribbean region; Dr. Edgar Adams with a variety of subjects including history and culture; and Nathalie Andrews, author of seven books on pertinent societal issues.

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16. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018. THE VINCENTIAN

News

Everything Vincy Expo returns WITH A MORE ELABORATE and inclusive line-up this year, Invest SVG’s Everything Vincy Expo franchise is scheduled to once again showcase St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ best products and services – as part of the nation’s Independence celebrations.

The Everything Vincy Plus Expo 2018 will run from October 23 — 28 (9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily) at the Geest Terminal (otherwise known as the Old Geest Shed) on Bay Street; and is designed to increase the visibility of Vincentian businesses and entrepreneurs within local, regional and international markets.

Invest SVG Executive Director Annette Mark said that she is “highly anticipating” this year’s offering, given that exhibitor capacity has been increased, regional and international buyers will be attending, and more activities have been introduced to enhance the attendees’ experience.

“This year, in collaboration with Caribbean Export Development Agency, Invest SVG will host 120 participants of mainly Vincentian entrepreneurs. However, in-keeping with the ‘plus’ in the name of the Expo, this year’s event will include some businesses from around the region, Taiwan and Brazil,” explained Mark.

She further noted that in the wake of the opening of the Argyle International Airport — which has increased SVG’s airlift for both passengers and cargo — our Government is taking a “robust approach” to developing our tourism and export sectors.

“In keeping with the Government’s vision, Invest SVG took the decision to concentrate its efforts mainly within tourism and export development over the next three years. The Everything Vincy Expo is one of the major examples of this new vision and direction.”

In addition to showcasing a wide variety of local businesses, the Everything Vincy Plus Expo 2018 will feature a daily Kids’ Corner (with

Annette Mark – Executive Director of Invest SVG activities such as rock climbing, facepainting and an assortment of games etc.), a variety of local food and drink, and themed night time entertainment.

The themed entertainment will run from 6 — 8 p.m., and includes Music & Art (Wednesday, Oct 24), Fashion & Food (Thursday, Oct 25), Comedy & Callaloo (Friday, Oct 26), Rum & Soca (Saturday, Oct 27), and culminates with ‘High Tea in Hairouna’ from 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct 28 — following which there will be a closing ceremony beginning at 6 p.m.

Invest SVG is the government’s primary agency for inwardly attracting foreign direct investments and outwardly developing our export market. Its mandated sectors are Tourism Development, Agroprocessing, Light Manufacturing, Creative Industries, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Renewable Energy and Financial Services. (Source: Invest SVG)

Japan to assist Blackfish Industry and more The visiting delegation confirmed that a technical team is expected to Little Tokyo was a Japanese-funded visit the state to work on the details of project executed by the Sir James the project which, according to Mitchell NDP government, but, as Dr. Gonsalves, will see a complete Gonsalves had pointed out to his overhaul of the existing structure.

Japanese counterpart, the facility has (DD) fallen into some disrepair.

Continued from Page 7.

V GECCU awards bursaries

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19 , 2018. 17.

Education

Ministry of Education; and Lennox Bowman GECCU’s Chief Executive Officer.

The following were the 2018 bursary recipients.

Ashanna Samuel-Jack

IN KEEPING with its policy on education and training, the General Employees Co-operative Credit Union Ltd. (GECCU) awarded university bursaries to five of its members, at a ceremony held on Wednesday 17th October at its Halifax Street office.

The ceremony heard brief addresses from: Mineva Glasgow Chairperson of the GECCU Scholarship Committee; Gary Matthias — President GECCU; Hannah Browne - Senior Education Officer

Ashanna Samuel-Jack is a faith-filled individual. And her faith in the Almighty paid dividends last Wednesday.

Samuel-Jack is a wife, mother, and teacher at the Girls’ High School.

But she is managing the tasks of completing her Bachelor’s in Math Education while going through her daily requirements.

Some measure of support has come her way. She was one of five recipients of this year’s General Employees Cooperative Credit Union (GECCU) University bursaries.

Gabriella Kydd Gabriella Kydd hails

from Biabou and teaches at the Biabou Methodist School. She is into a Social Work programme at the Open Campus of the University of the West Indies in Kingstown.

She is an ardent member of the Anglican Church in which she is a an altar server.

Another bursary recipient, she was “elated” with the help given by GECCU, which she considers “will go a long way.”

University of the West Indies.

Currently a teacher at the Lowmans Windward Anglican School, she is focused on becoming a “reading specialist.”

Alroy Harry

Alroy Harry is into the home stretch of a study progamme in Theatre Design and Production at the University of Trinidad and Tobago’s Academy of Performing Arts.

Alroy is from Stubbs Shamika Cambridge and is committed to using his talent for the Shamika Cambridge, a Lord.

Greiggs resident, was Harry was not on “speechless” when asked hand to receive his for a response on being portion of the GECCU awarded a 2018 GECCU bursary, but his father University bursary. was.

“I feel honoured and blessed to be one of the Suzette Lewis recipients,” Cambridge testified.

Suzette Lewis, a She is into her second Georgetown native, year of a three-year rounded off the quota of programme of study in five GECCU bursaries Literacy at the Open for 2018.

Campus of the She has recently been

assigned to the Financial Services Authority, given her training at the University of the West Indies and at Cass Business School.

With GECCU’s support, Lewis is further encouraged on a pathway to further advancement in the fields of Economics and Accounting. (WKA)

18. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018. THE VINCENTIAN

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19 , 2018. 19.

News

No Private Primary School for Canouan THERE WILL be no private school constructed in Canouan on lands which residents said is used as a play area.

Confirmation of this came from Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves earlier this week.

The Prime Minister said that the proposal to construct a private school did not meet with his approval.

However, there is agreement that the existing pre-school will remain where it is, but it will no longer be a private school. It will be free of cost to students.

The PM assured that any private school in Canouan will be “no more” by September 2019, and he referred again to plans to construct a modern school

campus.

This campus will be a joint venture between the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Canouan Resorts Development Holdings (CRDH) Limited.

According to the PM, the facility will house a public primary school and a secondary school, with attendant facilities like a library, computer lab and auditorium.

In the interim, he reiterated his invitation to those who had proposed the construction of a private primary school, to encourage those children for whom this was meant to cater, to attend the Canouan Government School.

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20. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018. THE VINCENTIAN

Advice

Ill and disadvantaged

Dear George, MY WIFE is taking advantage of my condition and I want to know what to do about it.

I have been ill for six years now and practically confined to bed.

During this time, my wife has emptied my bank account on the guise of withdrawing funds for medical attention. The account has never been replenished.

I learned that she has a sweet man who is spending my money. I confronted her about it, and her response was that he was there just to give her what I cannot give her. She would leave me at home at nights and go out for long hours with this man.

On a few occasions, she has even brought him to the house. This was after it all came out into the open.

As it stands, she just does not care, and I’m hurting in more ways than one. I have not told this to my relatives because they worship the dirt she walks on, and I don’t want to disappoint them. I wish to divorce her, but at the same time I need her around to take care of me. I’m between a rock and a hard place.

Angry Dear Angry, It cannot be said that your wife is taking care of you, if we really define the word care. The emotional and financial abuse that is meted out to you is regrettable.

This abusive response from her has to be coming from somewhere, and I would strongly suggest immediate counseling for you both. It’s important to revisit the commitment she made to you in marriage, to see where she is at.

In addition, I would advise that you reach out to those relatives and friends who care about your wellbeing, for support as well. You have to be prepared to make changes that will give you the opportunity to live out the rest of your life peaceably.

George

A matter of size! back to the way it was.

She claims she loves me but can no longer settle MY GIRLFRIEND cheated on me with this for what I have to offer, guy who was visiting the knowing “better” is out country. He is no longer there. What do I do now?

I can’t miraculously get here but he has left a bigger than I am. serious problem that may be unsolvable.

I asked her what is it Wishes & Horses about him that is Dear Wishes causing her to be do distant when she is You will never be able with me in bed, and she to have a fruitful and admitted that he has fulfilling relationship if what I will never have, your girlfriend does not and pointed to my accept your full package. private part.

Since her affair, it has Sexual gratification is not all there is to a never been the same between us, and I do not meaningful relationship.

If she is willing to make know if it will ever get

Dear George,

that trade, then there is nothing you can do but allow her to choose her own path.

Cheating has many side effects, and what’s happening in your relationship is one of them. Something tells me you deserve better.

Release her to explore her world, and use that time to find that special someone who brings more to the table than a mere yearning for unauthorized sexual pleasure.

George

Lacking personal hygiene Dear George,

Disappointed

MY BOYFRIEND smells, and I don’t know how to tell him, especially that we have been dating now for a mere three weeks.

He is always well dressed, but his armpit and mouth smell. I’ve noticed his teeth have food residue quite often, and have concluded he is not big on personal hygiene.

I do not want to be this guy’s mother to tell him when to bathe and brush his teeth, etc. He is a very nice chap but sadly lacking in hygienic skills.

Dear Disappointed, The best way to address this is to tell him straight out what your observations are and also your expectations. If he does not meet your expectations, then let him go and move on. You will be doing him a world of good by pointing out these shortcomings, but that does not mean you have to be around to supervise.

George

Leisure

ARIES (Mar. 21‐ April 20) Get the whole family involved in a worthwhile cause or cultural event. You will need to take a look at the renovations that are necessary and try to find the cheapest way to get things done. Problems with female members of your family may play on your emotions.

TAURUS (Apr. 21‐ May 21) Be diplomatic but stem when it comes to giving of yourself. Children may be on your mind. You will be subject to pushy individuals if you get involved in uncertain organizations. New hair, new outfit, new you.

GEMINI (May 22‐June 21) Dead end projects could plague you. Don't trust a deal that looks too good, or a lover who appears to have it all. Unfortunately, your personal life may suffer from a lack spare time. This is not the best day to visit relatives who get on your nerves.

CANCER (June 22‐July 22) It might be best to keep your ideas to yourself this week. Your partner may blame you for everything. Don't let domestic problems interfere with your objectives. Your attitude could be up and down like a yo‐yo.

LEO (July 23‐Aug 22) Be careful not to exaggerate when interacting with your lover. Plan your day thoughtfully, but try not to rely on others.

It may be a disappointing day emotionally.

Don't let the moods of those you live with get you down.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 ‐Sept. 23) Travel will promote new romantic connections. Don't overspend on children or on large purchases. You will meet some interesting people if you at tend promotional functions. You may be out of sorts If you have been extravagant or have let children or friends take advantage of

you financially.

LIBRA (Sept. 24 ‐Oct. 23) You need to reevaluate your situation. Be diplomatic and honest, and that person will only be made to look bad. You might find that delays will cause setbacks and upset.

You can expect changes in your financial situation as well as in your status.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24 ‐ Nov. 22) There'll be difficulties if you spend too much. Be aware that you don't get anything for nothing. Go out shopping this week.

Don't let your mate talk you into going somewhere you'd rather not go.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 ‐Dec. 21) Don't make mountains out of molehills if you want to avoid conflict. Don't be afraid to lay your cards on the table. Don't be angry, but be on your guard. Don't jump as quickly as you usually do.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22.‐ Jan. 20) Rest and relaxation may be required; minor health problems will prevail if you don't watch your diet. Camping, swimming, and biking expeditions should all be considered.

Try not to be so demonstrative. Pamper yourself; you deserve it.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21.‐ Feb. 19) Overindulgence could cause problems for you with your loved ones. Find a quiet spot where you can work diligently and stay out of the way. Trips should be your choice.

Your mind is on moneymaking ventures.

PISCES (Feb. 20‐Mar. 20) You will reach the most people if you speak out at an organizational function. Travel and communications will not run as smoothly as you had hoped. Situations could easily get blown out of proportion if you have made unreasonable promises.

You've been in a rut and you need to do something that will help you break the pattern you've fallen into.

ACROSS 1.Malarial fever 5. Steps descending to a river 9. Wood sorrel 12. Of the highest quality 13. Acting part 14. Curved bone 15. Yes 16. Consumes 17. Highest mountain in Crete 18. Holly 20. Progressive emaciation 22. Viscous 25. Soil with mire 26. Efface 27. African antelope 28. Spread out for drying 29. Color 30. Idiot 33. Bloodsucking insect 35. Seaport in the Crimea 37. Move with a bounding motion 40. Become sad 41. Loudly 42. Smallest component 43. Spanish hero 44. Fool 46. Large wading bird 50. Evening 51. 12th month of the Jewish calendar 52. Speed contest 53. Lair 54. Network of nerves 55. Paradise DOWN 1.To endure 2. Command to a horse 3. North American nation 4. Morals 5. Avarice 6. Hoodwink

7. High‐pitched 8. Tried out 9. Small antelope 10. Apple juice 11. Humiliate 19. Falsehood 21. Atomic mass unit 22. Veterinarian 23. Wrath 24. Sorrowful 25. Partially opened flower 27. New Zealand parrot 29. Corded cloth 30. Advance in years 31. Consumed 32. Devoted follower 33. Influenza 34. One who lives

in rented rooms 35. Legendary emperor of China 36. Regard with approval 37. Tied 38. Evergreen free 39. Water‐

LAST WEEK’s SOLUTION

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018. 21.

repellent cloth 40. Genre 42. Adjoin 45. Malt beverage 47. Not good 48. Frozen water 49. Monetary unit of Japan

22. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018. THE VINCENTIAN

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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018. 23.

SVG takes Nations League Qualifier Right: SVG’s starting XI

ST VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES collected their first three points in the CONCACAF Nations League Qualifiers, by defeating French Guiana 1-0, last Thursday night at the Dr Chevel Cunningham outruns French Guiana’s Gregory Edmard Lama Lescot in last Thursday’s match.

Stadium in Cayenne, off a rampaging French Guiana team, French Guiana.

A 60th minute penalty, converted by which used the flanks to good effect.

Kevan Henry in the St Vincent and Azhino Solomon, gave the Vincentians the Grenadines’ goal was his team’s their first win in the inaugural saving hands as he brought off some Nations League. heroics, including nullifying pointSolomon’s moment of glory came blank shots from the French Guiana’s after Chevel Cunningham had attacking force. correctly read a back pass from This was a welcome turn of fortune Gregory Lescot of French Guiana, and for SVG after their loss to Nicaragua with only Donavan Leon to beat, Leon in the opening match of the Qualifiers infringed on Cunningham as he here at the Arnos Vale Playing Field, headed to goal. on 8th September.

This left El Salvadorian refereeLast Thursday’s was also a birthday Alexander Comejo with no other choice gift for SVG’s team manager- Otnell but to point to the penalty spot.

Douglas, while it was a pre- birthday Solomon obliged with a left foot shot celebration for Azhino Solomon, as that bulged the net, and brought well as a pre- Wedding anniversary jubilation to his team mates and present for Head Coach — Cornelius management personnel.

Huggins.

His goal proved decisive with St Both Solomon and Huggins Vincent and the Grenadines warding celebrated their respective occasions

Vincy Heat goalkeeper praised SVG RECOVERED from their opening defeat to Nicaragua to record their first victory in the CONCACAF Nations League Qualifiers, when they defeated French Guiana, 1-0, last week Thursday in Cayenne, French Guiana.

Azido Soloman scored the lone goal from the penalty spot.

And while Head Coach Cornelius Huggins welcomed the win and commended his squad for their effort, it was Kevin Richardson the team’s goalkeeping coach who seemed to put his fingers on the real pulse that drove the team to victory.

Richardson gave credit to the team for a good win, but had special recognition and

last Friday.

Additionally, it was also cited as a gift to the nation on its 39th anniversary of political independence.

A joyous Huggins expressed relief at his team’s win on South American soil.

Huggins assessed that his charges play better when not faced with the pressure to do well by home support.

Putting a philosophical twist to the win, Huggins said, “There is a difference between a want a need…French Guiana wanted it…We need this, and tonight the players really showed that they needed this victory and gave it their (L-R): Azhino Solomon celebrates his all.” successful penalty kick with team Huggins, though, admitted that mates Nazir Mc Burnette, Diel Spring his team has a lot of technical and and Joseph Douglas. tactical work to do, as they look ahead to the two other qualifiers SVG’s Starting XI: Kevan Henry, versus Turks and Caicos Islands in the Jahvin Sutherland, Jaleen Miller, Turks and Caicos on 18th November, and host Bonaire on 22nd March 2019. Joseph Douglas, Jolanshoy Mc Dowall, Joel Quashie, Diel Spring, Nazir Mc Meanwhile, President of the St Burnette, Kemron Osment, Azhino Vincent and the Grenadines Football Solomon, Chevel Cunningham.

Federation - Marvin Fraser who was Substitutes- Zenroy Lee replaced on hand to witness the victory, told the Osment; Trivis Fraser replaced players to enjoy the moment, but cautioned them saying, “Enjoy the win, Osment and Kevin Francis replaced Douglas. savour the moment, but the aim Substitutes not used: Dennis should be to see St Vincent and the Grenadines’ football reach back to the Prescott, Wendell Cuffy, Lemus Christopher, Gidson Francis. top.”

Kevin Richardson (right) with goalkeeper Kevan Henry in a training session. praise for the team’s goalkeeper - Kevan Henry.

“In my opinion, he was the player of the match. He kept the team in the match after an important save in the first half, and continued to do so throughout the match. … His performance was an improvement over the friendly match against Barbados.”

Richardson attributed Harry’s improve performance to the hard work he put in, leading up to the match, and expressed the view that once “he maintains a good work ethic, he will continue to improve and have many more outstanding performances.”

I.B.A.ALLEN

A joyous SVG team leaving the field after gaining a 1-0 win over host French Guiana.

V

24. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018. THE VINCENTIAN

Sports

Zefal Bailey wins Under-23 Caribbean Cycling title VINCENTIAN ZEFAL BAILEY was the first Under-23 male cyclist to cross the finish line in the 108 Kilometres of the Ruta Elite Caribbean Cycling Championships, which took place in the Dominican Republic on the weekend.

Bailey placed 10th overall in the Sunday event won by Martinique’s Mickael Stanislas.

Second to Bailey in the Under23 category was Edwin Nubul of Martinique, and third was Junior Antonio Aguilera Marte of the Dominican Republic.

President of the SVG Cycling

Union- Trevor Bailey, expressed elation with his son’s achievement, stating that it was a result of hard work over the years, and marked the achievement of one of the goals set for 2018.

Prior to his participation in the Dominican Republic Championships, Zefal had a training stint in Martinique.

In addition, he had seen competition at the Commonwealth Games in Australia, the OECS Championships, the CAC Games in Colombia as well as regional races in Antigua and Barbuda and

Tobago.

St Vincent and the Grenadines was also represented by Samuel Lyttle at last weekend’s Caribbean Championships. He did not complete the course.

Reports are that Lyttle faded after holding his own for the first four laps.

Cyclists from Anguilla, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Cuba, Curacao, Jamaica, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago, also contested the championships, which included a Time Trial on Saturday.

Zefal Bailey receives the winner’s jersey from his father- Trevor Bailey, flanked by second place Edwin Nubul (left) and third place- Antonio Aguilera Marte.

SVGCA Inter Divisional Football kicks off FIFTEEN GOALS were scored when the 2018 SVG Community College (SVGCC)/French Verandah National Lotteries Inter Divisional Football Competition kicked off on Friday, at the Sion Hill Playing Field.

Year Two Arts, Sciences and General Studies humbled their Year Two counterparts from the Division of Technical and Vocational Education (DTVE) six goals to nil. A hattrick from J’Ron Smith and a goal each from Erel Hector, Hosni Chandler and Simeon Greene accounted for the tally.

The RSVG Police Youth Club were also in winner’s row when they defeated DTVE/Nursing Combined three goals to nil. First half goals from Nigel Small and Ronaldo Williams sent the Police unit on their way to

victory before Orlando Trimmingham sealed the issue.

The opening match of the day between the defending champions Year One Arts, Sciences and General Studies, and Year One DTVE, ended in a tantalizing three all draw.

A brace by Zadann Simmons gave Year One Technical a 2-nil advantage, twenty-three minutes into the first half. The defending champions however, hit back with goals from Jerry Cato, Chrisheur Harry and Joel Quashie to take the lead in the 49th minute. A Jerron Dopwell goal seven minutes before full time ensured the spoils were shared.

Year 1 Arts, Science and General Studies began the defence of the championship title with a draw.

I.B.A.ALLEN

Primary Schools Table Tennis titles decided THE LAYOU Government School took the overall Male Title and

the Lower Bay Primary School the female category, when the 2018 Primary Schools Table Tennis Tournament came to an end last Friday at the St Vincent Grammar School hall.

Apart from taking the Male Team title, Layou Government’s Kristian Christopher won the Male Singles, as he defeated Bradley Farrell of the Bequia Anglican 11/7, 11/5, 11/5.

In the semi-finals, Christopher, got past Pareez Cudjoe of the Lower Bay Primary, 12/10, 11/1, while Farrell beat Xontea Shortte, also of the Lower Bay Primary, 11/3, 11/8.

Christopher and Shawn Male Singles champion- Kristian Miller then teamed up to Christopher of the Layou Primary oust Farrell and Damien School.

Miller of the Bequia Anglican, 11/9, 11/7, in the Male Doubles final.

Taking the Female Singles title was Lower Bay’s Primary.

Toneequa King of Lower Bay ousted Zakayla Harry of the Belair Primary, 7/11, 11/2, 11/6, 11/4. King then combined with Nyema Bernard to whip another Lower Bay pair - Zenneka Mc Kree and Camella Harry - 11/9, 11/7 - to wrap up the overall Female crown.

Attention shifted last Monday in full to the Secondary Schools’ Tournament.

Winning Lower Bay Primary Unit: From left – Zenneka McKree, Camella Harry, Nyema Bernard, Toneequa King.

Year 1 Division of Technical and Vocational Education held the champions to a draw.

V

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018. 25.

Sports

Vincy heating up A SINGLE GOAL made the difference, and this country’s senior football team came home with a 1:0 win over French Guiana, in the second round of the Concacaf Nations League.

That will be a confidence booster for their third round fixture in the Turks and Caicos Islands, November 18.

Turks and Caicos have conceded 19 goals in two matches, and are second from the bottom in the 34-nation fixture.

The Vincentians are 21st.

November 16 sees British Virgin Islands at home to Bonaire. Grenada will look to get their trigger boots on when they meet Saint Martin.

Bermuda put themselves up the chart with 10: 0 thrashing over St. Marteen. They take on El Salvador who disposed of Barbados 3:0 to maintain their unbeaten record.

Focus will be on the Aruba/Montserrat encounter. Aruba pulled off a satisfactory 0/0 draw in Guadeloupe to move to four points. But with their 1: 0 victory over Belize in the second round, Montserrat will tell themselves they have overcome the bogey and are better equipped to handle the Arubans.

Belize and Puerto Rico complete Round Three’s Day One. Cuba and the Dominican Republic have won both their games and are yet to concede a goal.

Cuba stands in third position, while Dominican Republic is eighth. They meet November 17.

The Nicaragua/Haiti that same day will go a long way in determining who stays in the top ten.

Nicaragua beat Barbados 3: 0, and Haiti staved off St. Lucia at home for a 2: 1 win.

Jamaica will take on Suriname.

While the Vincentians are in Turks and Caicos, Canada will be in St Kitts. Canada is at 4 and St Kitts/Nevis on fifth spot. This result will be a boost for the winner. Canada beat Dominica 5 nil for a 13:0 score line, while St Kitts upped the ante with a 10- nil win over Sint Marten.

The Bahamas/Anguilla contest as well as the Barbados/USVI match will be of pride for the contenders.

Curacao emerged leaders with a 5:0 thrashing over USVI. Guadeloupe plays Curacao November 19.

Guadeloupe did not have it their way at home with Aruba and will have to adjust to the Curacao goal machinery.

Martinique notched two victories and also the ninth position: one over Puerto Rico and four over BVI. Martinique plays Antigua and Barbuda who got their points account going with a 6: 0 win over Bahamas.

The Third Round fixture winds up November 20 with Saint Marten at home to Dominica and French Guiana welcoming their English speaking neighbours Guyana.

The Guyanese jumped to an 8: 0 triumph over the hapless Turks and Caicos Islanders.

Since that miserable period at Arnos Vale, the Vincentians have gone three halves without giving up a goal. That is a signal that they are getting to know the roles. Having found their footing, the squad can continue to gel and be ready for the other challenge when called upon.

The Concacaf Nation’s League is an eye opener.

The opportunity is there for a small unknown outfit to outwit any of their more distinguished countries. That may be part of this league’s legacy.

Bob’s effort in vain AN UNBEATEN half century, 63, by national allrounder Alston Boob could not prevent his team, Kishore Shallow Coulls Hill Rangers, from going under to Kishore Shallow Coulls Hill Rangers, in a match last weekend, in the 2018 VINLEC North Leeward T20 Cricket Competition.

Future Legends, batting first, posted 154 for 7 off 20 overs. Rajiv Roberts

topscored with 43, Oswald Soleyn hit 30 and Christopher Howe 24. Peter Morris was the best bowler for Coulls Hill, picking up 4 for 24.

In reply, Kishore Shallow Coulls Hill Rangers were restricted to 135 for 7 off 20 overs. Alston Bobb singlehandedly led the run chase with his unbeaten 63, but did not find the support he needed to carry his team to

victory.

Coulls Hill’s Kevin Samuel finished with figures of 4 for 23.

The tournament is suspended for this weekend to make way for the International Masters Cricket tournament and will resume on October 28th, 2018.

I.B.A.ALLEN

Alston Bobb hit 63 not out for Coulls Hill.

LIAT renews commitment to SVGCC The SVG Community College Sports Department was on Sunday afternoon, the recipient of a quantity of items, compliments LIAT, The Caribbean Airline, as the airline renewed its commitment to assist with the development of the Physical Education and Sports programme at the College.

Shavar Maloney, Corporate Communications

Manager of LIAT, presented the items to Mr. Roxell John, Sports Coordinator and Physical Education Lecturer at the College, and explained that the items were meant to be used as prizes in the various events the College organizes for its students.

Maloney said: “The Physical Education and Sports programme combines two of the most important areas in our

Region - Education and Sports. As a regional airline, we see the future of the region in not only free movement but the development of future athletes and sports managers.”

He noted the airline was happy to support such a robust programme which was providing opportunities for students to develop their sporting skills and receive academic qualifications.

John thanked LIAT and Mr. Maloney for their “continued support and for enhancing the overall image of the sporting product offered by the college in these difficult financial times.”

This is the second consecutive year that LIAT has been part of the group of sponsors of the Inter Divisional Sporting Competitions at the College.

I.B.A.ALLEN

Masters cricket sailing along SIX MATCHES were completed on the weekend in the 2018 National Masters 20/20 Cricket Competition, resulting in victories for Mustique Company, Floyd Bullock’s Marriaqua, A. R & D Trucking P’tani, Davis Construction Bequia, Joseph DaSilva Sr. Memorial Funeral Home North Leeward and Computec Belfongo.

Mustique Masters defeated RSVG Police Masters by 1 run Scores: Mustique - 115 for 7 off 20 overs, Caswell Dorsette 32, Carlos Sampson 2 for 14; RSVG Police - 114 for 6 off 20 overs, Neil Baptiste 49.

Marriaqua Masters won Kirk DaSilva’s LaCroix Masters by 8 runs.

Scores: Marriaqua - 131 all out off 18.1 overs, Grantlet ‘Ipa’ Constance 31, Amos Richards 4 for 17; LaCroix - 123 for 7 off 20 overs, Sobers Thonas 33. ‘Ipa’ Constance 4 for 12.

P’tani Masters disposed of North Windward Masters by 7 wickets.

Scores: North Windward 120 all out off 19.5 overs, Alrick Lavia 24, Michael Jack 21, Adolphous Campbell 3 for 13; P’tani - 121 for 3 off 16.4 overs, Zenus James 52 not out, Jerome Samuel 34., Hasley Roberts 2 for 31.

Bequia Masters defeated Stanley Browne’s Stubbs Masters by 1 wicket. Scores Bequia Masters 118 for 8 off 17, Daniel Willaims 18, Dave Stapleton 5 for

29; Stubbs 68 all out off 14.2 overs, Dawnley Joseph 22, Daniel Williams 3 for 7.

North Leeward Masters had the upper hand on Ruddy’s Electrical Barrouallie Masters by 7 wickets.

Scores: Barrouallie Masters 107 all out off 19.3 overs, Bradley Brooker 20, Donovan Mason 3 for 15; North Leeward Masters 110 for 3 off 13.4 overs.

Nelson Williams 44 not out.

Belfongo Masters defeated Sion Hill Masters by 2 runs.

Scores: Belfongo - 116 all out off 20 overs, Bertram Stapleton 34, Elvis ‘Baga’ Browne 25, Colin Shoy 3 for 13; Sion Hill - 114 for 9 off 20 overs, Bill Edwards 45, ‘Baga; Browne 2 for 19.

I.B.A.ALLEN

26. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018. THE VINCENTIAN

V

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018. 27.

Classifieds

CECILE IOSYL DICK BILLY

KENNIE J. SHEARMAN

Church Of Christ Langley Park, Georgetown According to Church of Christ rites Sunday 21st October 2018 Service: 3:00 p.m.

At Calliaqua Methodist Church on Wednesday 17th October 2018 Service: 3:00 p.m.

Golden Vale Cemetery

ANTHONY JACOBS

ERMINE PIERRE

Paradise Seventh Day Adventist Church Vermont October 7th, 2018 Service: 2:00 pm Interment: Penniston Cemetery

Wesleyan Holiness Church Campden Park Monday, October 15, 2018 Viewing: 2:00 p.m.

Service: 3:00 p.m.

Interment: Lowmans Hill Cemetery

ELCA HORNE St Mathias Spiritual Baptist Church Dickson, Georgetown Sunday 7th October 2018 at Viewing: 1:00 p.m.

Service: 2:00 p.m.

PATRICIA JOY STAPLETON aka Queen of Campden Park Apostolic Faith Mission Church Campden Park Saturday 13th October, 2018 Viewing: 1:00 p.m.

Service: 2:00 p.m.

Interment: Chauncey Cemetery

39 39

ebr Cel atin g

years of independence

FRIDAY,

OCTOBER 19, 2018

VOLUME 112, No.36

F O R

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www.thevincentian.com

EC$1.50

NEW OWNERS FOR BUCCAMENT RESORT AFTER THE “dotting of some remaining I’s, the crossing of some T’s hanging about,” and attending to matters concerning state- and privately-owned lands adjacent to and on which the compound sits, the Buccament Bay Resort will have new owners.

At a news briefing hastily convened on Tuesday, after Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves announced that businessman Kelly Glass, along with Barry Ferdinand — a

Vincentian resident in the UK, and Scotsman Jonathan Mills, will become the principal investors in the Resort.

Dr. Gonsalves confirmed that a Memorandum of Understanding had been signed that very morning, Tuesday 16th October, between the new investors and Brian Glasgow, the trustee in bankruptcy for Harlequin, owners of the resort.

Another meeting was scheduled for today, Friday 19th October, during which, Gonsalves hoped, the parties could come to some definitive financial agreement.

As advanced by the Prime Minister, this new investment will make New Zealand-born, naturalized Vincentian Kelly Glass, the leading hotelier in SVG. The Buccament Bay Resort investment will

now be added to his two joint ventures with Mills in Bequia (Plantation House Hotel and a tourism/luxury villa development at Adams Bay) and ownership of the Blue Lagoon Hotel and Marina at Ratho Mill on mainland St. Vincent.

The Resort The Buccament Bay Resort was forced to close in December 2016, after, among other creditors, VINLEC, the state-owned power corporation, moved to collect on an outstanding debt, threatening the Resort with cutting its electricity supply.

Workers, even before this threat, had mounted protests demanded payment of wages and other agreed benefits.

In the midst of the turmoil, and with

Kelly Glass is set to become this country’s leading hotelier, with his investment in the Buccament Bay Resort.

charges of fraud and tax evasion laid against him by local authroities, David Ames, the principal of Harlequin Property SVG, operators of the Resort, fled the state by boat under the cover of night, leaving behind a conundrum for the government to work

through.

Ames who, like Glass, is a naturalized Vincentian, returned to England where he had been charged with three counts of fraud, following a four-year investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) with Essex Police.

He is currently on bail, with a UK court date expected in January 2019.

The Buccament Bay Resort will not reopen in 2018, and there was no projected date for reopening given by the Prime Minister.

No abuse of the ÂherbÊ anticipated

by KENVILLE HORNE

LEADING MEMBERS of the Cannabis Revival Committee, a marijuana grower’s organization committed to working for the decriminalization and legalization of cannabis, and who support its medicinal use, say they do not expect that persons coming to the Rastafarian tabernacle would be coming to abuse the use of the herb.

With the country on stream to pass legislation that will allow for the unencumbered use of marijuana for religious purposes, as per the ritual of the Rastafari faith, the members of the CRC said that they expect an increase in worshippers at Rastafarian tabernacles, but don’t expect that persons would be able to enter the tabernacle just to smoke marijuana.

President of the CRC - Junior ‘Spirit’ Cottle said that as he understands it, once persons come into the tabernacles where a religious ceremony is being held, and they are part of that ceremony, they could be invited to partake of the ‘herb’.

“If you come to the Rastafarian tabernacle and a religious ceremony is being held and you are part of that ceremony, you would be given the opportunity to participate in the actual smoking,” Cottle said.

Vice President of the CRC - Ajit Duncan, an adherent of the Rastafari

Published by The VINCENTIAN Publishing Co. Ltd, St. Vincent and the Grenadines;

Junior ‘Spirit’ Cottle, contrary to what some persons believe, does not anticipate any abuse of the use of marijuana under the guise of religious purposes. faith, reiterated, “You have to be a part of the worship.”

He also agreed that now that the use of marijuana is being regulated in this way, there could well be an attendance in the tabernacles. “The worship will be more grand, it will be bigger, and that is one of the things that we really appreciated. We would like to see a lot of people come and take part in our services,” said the Vice President.

Printed by the SVG Publishers Inc., Campden Park.