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FRIDAY, APRIL 01, 2016 VOLUME 110, No.14 www.thevincentian.com EC$1.50

The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

ONE SHOT, TWO ON THE RUN

by HAYDN HUGGINS

UP TO PRESS TIMEWednesday, 54-year-oldGodwin Sam of Sion Hill,and another person werestill on the run.

Sam, a labourer, iswanted in connectionwith a series ofburglaries, and isbelieved to be armed anddangerous.

Police have been onthe hunt for the two,

following an incident atLayou last Sunday,March 27, in whichgunshots were fired,after which one man wasdiscovered with bulletwounds.

Commissioner ofPolice Michael Charlestold THE VINCENTIANon Wednesday, it wasreported, that around3:45 a.m. last Sunday,the officer on duty at theLayou residence of

DeputyPrime Minsiter Sir LouisStraker, spotted threemasked men carrying avault. The officer,according to Charles,approached the men andidentified himself as apolice officer.

An incident followedin which gunshots werefired, and the men fled,

leaving the vault.Nyron Morgan of New

Prospect wassubsequently discoveredin a boat on the Layoubeach, with whatappeared to be bulletwounds about his upperbody.

The boat was said tobe about 200 yards fromwhere the men were seenwith the vault.

Morgan wastransported to the MiltonCato Memorial Hospital.

Up to press time, hewas warded at thatinstitution and wasassisting the police withtheir investigations.

The Commissionersaid the vault was lateridentified as one missingfrom ‘Triples’Supermarket at Layoufollowing a burglarythere. Its contents wereintact, and nothing elsewas reported missingfrom the supermarket.

Sam, (see PoliceWanted Notice on thispage) and the otherwanted person are saidto be of interest to thepolice in connection withthe incident.

The CriminalInvestigationDepartment (CID) isadvising persons not toapproach Sam if seen, ashe is believed to bearmed and dangerous.

The lawmen are

urging them to informthe police if Sam isspotted or if they knowhis whereabouts.

Persons could relay

the information withouthaving to disclose theiridentity.

Continued on Page 3.

Triples Supermarket in Layou from which a vaultwas removed.

Inset: Commissioner of Police Michael Charleshad special commendation for the officer whotook action against three suspects.

DIGICEL CONTINUES to expand its support of theregion’s talented young athletes with the launch of its2016 Kickstart grassroots football programme.

The launch, which took place at the Liberty Parkin Kingston, Jamaica, will see coaches from topBarclays Premier League team, Manchester City FC(MCFC), hosting the Clinics and the Academy forthe first time.

For the past eight years, the Kickstartprogramme has helped thousands of players acrossthe Caribbean and Central America to benefit fromworld class training by coaches from top footballorganisations, and take their game to the next level

The partnership with Manchester City FC, whichsees coaches from the City Football Schoolsprogramme traveling to the region to deliver theseintensive training courses as part of the DigicelKickstart Clinics.

Digicel Jamaica Sponsorship and Development

Manager, Kamal Powell, who spoke at the launch,said; “We are excited to be partnering withManchester City FC, one of the best clubs in theworld, for the 2016 Digicel Kickstart Clinicprogramme. This has certainly raised the profileand impact of Kickstart, as we see our aspiringyoung athletes who take part in the programme

become better players and better individuals.”He urged the participants to, “Make the most of

the opportunity, do your best, be proud of yourselvesand what you will have accomplished by being apart of the programme, but most importantly, havefun.”

Alan Dixon, one of the visiting coaches, alsospoke at the event on behalf of Manchester City FC,said; “We are delighted to be in Kingston for thelaunch of this year’s Kickstart Academy. We believethat this partnership between Digicel andManchester City provides a great opportunity foryoung aspiring footballers to gain an insight intowhat it really feels like to train as a ManchesterCity player does.”

This year’s programme will be conducted inAnguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados,Dominica, El Salvador, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St.Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Suriname, St. Vincentand the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and theTurks and Caicos Islands.

The best three participants from each session willgo on to attend the Digicel Academy.

2. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016. THE VINCENTIAN

NewsV

The 14th edition of DigicelSVG Gospel Fest will open thisSunday, April 3, at VictoriaPark at 6:00 p.m.

The night’s programme,dubbed ‘Declaring SVG forJesus’, will feature an eveningof glorious praise and specialprayers for the nation.

Scheduled to appear will bean array of talented, localgospel artistes including: NigelMorgan, the festival songcompetition winner; StaceyLittle, Chad Durrant, AzariahGibson, Triumph CovenantDancers, Eldon Morris, TishornEdwards and GTT Dancers.

The ministry of the word willbe done by Rev. Adolph Davisof the Kingstown MethodistChurch.

Addresses will come from:new Minister of EcclesiasticalAffairs the Hon. Jimmy Prince;chairman of the Gospel Festcommittee Fidel Taylor; arepresentative of sponsor Digicel.

Minister of Culture Hon.Cecil McKie willofficially declare the festival open.

Guest artistes for the show will be EvangelistWendy Mitchell of the USA, Pastor ShirleySimpson of Canada, and Blessed Messenger ofTrinidad.

Digicel SVG Gospel Fest is a month-longfestival of zonal and national gospel showcasesacross St. Vincent and the Grenadines, withperformances in music, song, dance and dramathat culminate with the National GospelShowcase on May 1st at the Victoria Park.

The 2016 Festival is being held under thetheme: “Blessed is the Nation whose God is theLord”.

Digicel SVG Gospel Festopens this weekend

Stacey Little,fresh off herrecent debutrecording, willbe one of thefeatured acts atSunday’sopening ofGospel Fest2016.

The 2016 Digicel Kickstart programme waslaunched in Jamaica which hosted the Clinic bycoaches from Manchester City FC.

Digicel Kickstart clinic 2016 launched

SENIOR COUNSEL AnthonyAstaphan has condemned thecontent of a televised and radiopresentation made last weekTuesday, by the Leader of theOpposition, Arnhim Eustace.

Astaphan, during atelephone interview onTuesday morning on the‘Morning Scoop’ radioprogramme on ‘Star Radio’,described the presentationmade by Eustace as “dishonestand disgraceful.”

Astaphan argued that, “MrEustace has waited until thejudge has resumed hisjudgment on the question onthe security provided by hiscandidates. We have been

waiting for the judgment forover seven days; if he(Eustace) had any genuineconcern about any matter ofthese, [he] had ampleopportunity to do so before thecase was filed, which he neverdid.”

Eustace, by way of thetelevised and radiopresentation referenced, hadstated that the NewDemocratic Party (NDP) knewwithout a doubt thatsomething went wrong duringthe December 9 GeneralElections, and that he came to“arm” the people with theinformation.

He went on to state that

evidence had come to handindicating that the ballotswere not printed properly,making them defective bydesign.

Eustace further stated thatin at least two of the pollingstations in Central Leeward, atotal of 321 ballots ought notto have been counted, becausethe presiding officers hadfailed to stamp or initial thoseballot papers.

The Leader of theOpposition made reference tothe counteraction to strike outthe petitions filed in December2015. put forward, as filed bythe legal team representingthe Electoral Department, a

Government Department. But according to Astaphan,

it may be that Eustace wasadvised by his legal team thatthere may be a chance thatthe judge may rule that thepetitions be thrown out.

“And if in fact the judgerules (thus), that is the end ofthe petitions. So what MrEustace is now doing, at theeleventh hour, is to createmayhem and put manure tothe fuel in order to create theimpression that the ULP(Unity Labour Party) stole theelection from them,” Astaphansaid.

According to the SeniorCounsel, what Eustace wasnot saying was that whetheror not there was a similar

issue in the otherconstituencies,including in EastKingstown wherehe (Eustace won).

And if it is thatEustace is sayingthat the ballotpapers were badlyprinted, then, inAstaphan’s view, heand the othermembers ought tothen take the moralobligation to resign,

“and to step aside and put themoral football in the hands ofthe prime minister.

“You cannot cherry pick twoseats where you lost by asignificant margin, complainthat it affected the wholeelection, and at the same timetry to prejudice the minds ofthe people against the judgeby giving the impression thatthe judge will make a ruling togive an objection to aninjustice, that is unfairbehaviour by the leader of theopposition,” Astaphan added.

Lastly, Astaphan scoldedthe local Bar Association fornot coming out. (See Page 28)

He said that he wasinformed that individuals on acertain radio station weremaligning Justice BrianCottle, and no one had spokenout against the behaviour.

The Bar Association oughtto object to such a behaviour,Astaphan said, and defendedCottle in saying that he haddone nothing wrong. (DDD)

V News 3THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016. 3.

One shot, two on the runContinued from Frontpage.

Commissioner Charles said that with theexception of this incident, the Easter season wasrelatively calm. He commended all the officers whowere on duty over the period, for a job well done,singling out the officer who was on duty at theresidence of the Deputy Prime Minister for specialmention.

He also recognized those who were on duty at theLayou Police Station and the Rapid Response Unit(RRU) at Layou.

Senior CounselcondemnsEustaceÊsbehaviour

DWIGHT ‘BING’JOSEPH, co-host of themorning OMGProgramme on BOOM106.9 FM, may just havefound himself at the‘wrong’ end of a libelsuit.

Reports are thatlawyer Israel Bruce,acting on behalf of BenExeter, New DemocraticParty (NDP) candidatefor Central Leeward inthe Decemebr 9, 2015general election, haswritten to Joseph,demanding an apologyand compensation to thetune of EC$250,000, forstatements he, Joseph,is alleged to have madeduring the February 1,2016 airing of the OMGprogramme.

The statements aresaid to have been madein relation to Exeter’sarrest on Tuesday 29thDecember, 2015, the daythe new (10th)Parliament was swornin.

Reports are that in aletter dated March 29,2016, and addressed toJoseph, Bruce said, interalia, that his client “wasdeeply hurt by thedownright falseinformation” to wit:“What I have sincelearned is that BenExeter had 50 rounds ofammunition on him’,which the lawyerclaimed Joseph utteredon air.

Bruce’s letterdemands from Joseph an

apology to be made in 14days of the date of theletter, and the paymentof the sum referred in 21

days.Efforts to contact the

parties involved provedfutile up to press time.

Ben takes on Bing. OMG!!!

Dwight ‘Bing Josephhas attracted the ire ofthe NDP’s Ben Exeter.

Ben Exeter may be outto teach ‘Bing’ Joseph alesson.

Anthony Astaphan,S.C., and a memberof the legal teamrepresenting theElectoral Office inthe matter ofElection petition,has chastised NDPleader and leader ofthe OppostionArnhim Eustace forcreating mayhem.

Arnhim Eustace had raisedthe issue of improperlyprinted ballot papers withapparent reference to theCentral Leewardconstituency.

AS PART OF ITS efforts to makethe roads safe, the TrafficDepartment of the Royal St.Vincent and the Grenadines PoliceForce (RSVGPF) will be holding a‘Road Safety Drive’, on a date to beannounced.

The event, which will include theparticipation of the public, is aimedat sensitizing persons on thecritical issue of road safety.

“We want to make our roadssafe. We want to get rid of allrecklessness on the roads. We aredoing all within our powers, inkeeping within the laws of St.Vincent and the Grenadines, toachieve this, and we want the

public’s cooperation,” Head of theTraffic Department SuperintendentKenneth John told THEVINCENTIAN on Tuesday.

Plans for the public awarenessinitiative are already in train, andearlier this month, the RSVG PoliceForce wrote to the Chief EducationOfficer requesting that a slogancompetition be held among thesecondary schools and colleges,from which an appropriate sloganwill be selected, to be used in the‘Road Safety Drive’.

“We suggested the secondaryschools and colleges for submissionsbecause a lot of drivers are youngpeople”, the traffic chief explained.

The letter, dated March 4, 2015and signed by Commissioner ofPolice Michael Charles, stated, “Iwish to inform you that, in light ofthe number of road fatalities thathave been occurring, the Trafficand Transport Section of the RoyalSt. Vincent and the GrenadinesPolice Force will soon be embarkingon a ‘Road Safety Drive’ to remindroad users of their roles andresponsibilities.”

The letter goes on to proposethat a competition be held amongthe secondary schools and colleges,in which students are required tocome up with a slogan of between 5to 7 words, which must include thewords ‘road safety’.

“We would like to get studentsthroughout St. Vincent and theGrenadines involved in coining aslogan to be used in the ‘RoadSafety Drive’ and throughout theyear,” the letter stated.

A proposal was made, in theletter, for a winner to be selectedfrom each secondary school andcollege, decided so by a committeecomprised of the principal andteachers from each institution.

The urgency of the exercise wasimpressed, with the letterrequesting submission of theslogans to the Ministry ofEducation, by March 28, 2016.

Supt. John revealed that theMinistry has responded

favourably, and thatsubmissions have alreadybeen made.

A committee made upof one representative eachfrom the Ministry ofEducation and the Trafficand Transport Section,and a civilian, is expectedto decide on the eventualwinner, who will receive acash prize of EC$500.00,with his/her schoolreceiving a trophy.

The ‘Road Safety Drive’exercise will includeaddresses fromCommissioner of PoliceMichael Charles, Head ofthe Traffic DepartmentSupt. Kenneth John,other senior police officersand members of thepublic

4. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016. THE VINCENTIAN

LawVStories by HAYDN HUGGINS

A RILLAN HILL MAN who told the policethat he was trying to “hustle off” 106pounds of marijuana to take care of hisson, is into his third day of a two-yearprison sentence for possession of thedrug, with intent to supply.

James Lewis, a 29-year-oldlabourer, received the penalty onTuesday at the Serious OffencesCourt, after pleading guilty to having106 pounds of marijuana with intentto supply at Rillan Hill, on March 10this year.

Senior Prosecutor AdolphusDelpleche told the court that around5:20 a.m. on the date in question,

Sergeant Dwayne Bailey of the RapidResponse Unit (RRU) headed a partyof RRU personnel to Lewis’ home.

Lewis was met at home andconsented to a search. A search underthe bed in a bedroom in the upperfloor of the premises, turned up ablack bag, a nylon sack, a blackknapsack and two brown tapedpackages. Each item was checked andfound to contain marijuana whichtogether weighed 106 pounds.

When cautioned, Lewis told thepolice, “That is my weed; I am tryingto hustle if off so I can take care of myson.”

Lewis, who was not represented bya lawyer, begged the court to impose a

fine and allow him time tomake the payment.

He told the court he wasa father of three and hadno previous convictions.

However, taking intoconsideration the sizableamount of marijuanainvolved, Chief MagistrateRechanne Browne told thedefendant, “I am notminded to consider a fineat all,” and imposed theprison sentence.

Lewis had pleaded notguilty when he initially appeared incourt, but decided to change his pleaon returning to court on Tuesday.

STEPPED UP action bythe Traffic Department ofthe Royal St. Vincent andthe Grenadines PoliceForce (RSVGPF) to ensurethe public’s safety, hasbeen a success.

So says head of theTraffic DepartmentSuperintendent KennethJohn.

And the Traffic Chiefhas lauded motorists whohave been actingresponsibly in using theroad, and urged them tocontinue along that paththroughout the year andbeyond.

On the other hand, Johnwarned those motoristswho are still reckless, todesist, or they would feelthe weight of the law.

Statistics from theTraffic Department show there were five motorvehicle accidents reported over the Easter weekend.One of these resulted in two persons receivinginjuries. There was no fatality.

Statistics over the same period last year showthere were six reported vehicular accidents, threeresulting in injuries, and one fatal.

“Our aim this Easter was to ensure that therewere no serious incidents on the road.

“Although there were five accidents, most ofthem involved minor damage such as dents,” Johntold THE VINCENTIAN.

He said that stepped up patrols by Traffic Policeover the Easter weekend to ensure safety on theroads resulted in 15 arrests being made for drivingwithout licences, and 14 uninsured vehicles beingtaken off the road and kept in police custody.

Charges were laid against the drivers of theuninsured vehicles and those arrested for drivingwithout licences. Owners who were not driverswere summoned to appear in Court.

The Traffic Chief noted that on Tuesday, some ofthese persons turned up at the Traffic Departmentwith insurance certificates, and their vehicles werereturned to them.

The vehicles included jeeps, cars and pick-ups.John assured that the Department will continue

its diligence throughout the year and beyond, toensure that the roads in St. Vincent and theGrenadines are safe.

Ganja lands ÂhustlerÊ in jail

This is what 100 lbs. of marijuana(ganja) could look like. TheMagistrate’s decision was made withthis in mind.

Look out for ‘Road Safety Drive’ Clamp downreaps success

Supt. Kenneth John,head of the RSVGPFTraffic and TransportSection, describedthe Easter weekendaction by the TrafficDepartment as asuccess.

THE POLICE are investigating the shooting death of 80 year oldIshmael Browne, resident of Fairhall.

According to Police, the incident occurred at the deceased man’shome around 2:30 Thursday morning.

He received two gunshot wounds, one to his abdomen and theother to his chest, Police sources told THE VINCENTIAN.

Browne died on arrival at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital. Thursday morning’s shooting follows on another incident that

occurred in the Layou area last Sunday, when one man was shotfollowing a shootout with Police.

A Police release stated that Police saw three masked men, one ofthem reportedly put his hands to his side and shots were fired.

They fled leaving behind a vault and Niron Morgan was laterdiscovered on the Layou beach with a gunshot wound to his chest.

Elderly man shot

THE REOPENING of diplomatic and partial commercialrelations between the USA and Cuba, continue totranslate into benefits for that Caribbean island, eventhough it, Cuba, continues to endure the moreoverwhelming trade embargo enforced by the USgovernment.

The latest development that is set to bringincreased benefits to Cuba is the news that Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest

leisure travel company, has been granted approvalby Cuba for the company to begin travel to theisland starting on May 1, 2016. This follows on theUS authorization granted in July 2015.

Carnival is now cleared to operate the 704-passenger MV Adonia to Cuba through its newestbrand Fathom. This marks the first time in over 50years a cruise ship is approved to sail from theUnited States to Cuba.

“This is a historic opportunity, and we knowthere is pent-up demand amongst Americans whowant to experience Cuba. We believe there is nobetter way to experience so much of Cuba in sevendays. Everyone who sails with us with Fathom toCuba will have a very special, rewarding andenriching experience with our Fathom brand,” aspokesperson for Carnival Corporation said.

This development follows closely on the heels ofnews that Starwood Hotels and Resorts, in whomMarriot signed three new hotel deals in Cuba,making it the US-based hotel consortium to enterthe Cuba market in 60 years.

Under the agreement, the long-time Havana icon,Hotel Inglatera, Hotel Quinta and Hotel SantaIsabel will be incorporated into the Starwood brandand undergo massive upgrades.

Interesting, in November 2015, MarriottInternational, the mega-hotel interest chain, put in

a bid of US$12.2 billion for Starwood Hotels andresorts.

Kenneth Siegel, Starwood’s chief administrativeofficer and general counsel, added: “We areconfident Starwood is the right partner to help writethe next chapter of relations between Cuba andAmerican business, and we moved quickly andenthusiastically to pursue opportunities followingrecent government actions.”

Cuba received a record 3.52 million visitors lastyear, up 17.4 percent from 2014, with Americanvisits rising by some 77 percent to 161,000, notcounting hundreds of thousands of Cuban-Americans.

This surge is expected to continue well into 2016.(Source: prenza.latin.cu, The Guardian/UK)

REPORTS from Jamaica saythat following the People’sNational Party’s (PNP) one-seat defeat (32-31) in therecent Jamaica GeneralElection, President/Leader ofthat party, Portia Simpson-Miller, is set to face achallenge to hold on to herposition.

But observers don’t expectthat Simpson-Miller will godown without a fight.

History shows that she hasnot had an easy rise to nortenure as the PNP leader.

In fact, when she succeededPJ Patterson as leader of thePNP in 2006, she did so onlyafter a bruising battle againsta triad of Doctors: Dr PeterPhillips, Dr Omar Davies andDr Enoch Karl Blythe.

She had previously failed ina 1992 bid to succeed a then ailing Michael Manley,losing out to the more favoured PJ Patterson.

Simpson Miller again triumphed in 2008 whenPhillips challenged her for the leadership.

Indications are that whilePhillips is not willing to faceoff with her in anotherleadership contest, youngerparty officials see this as anopportunity to rid the party ofwhat they say is a leader whohas been responsible formaking the party “stale” since,as they put it, “little or noprogress has been made underSimpson Miller’s leadership.”

The Sunday Observerreported another unnamedleading elder member of theparty as saying, “Now is thetime to take on Portia. TheJLP is in its first year of a five-year Administration, and so itis best to get the leadershipchallenge out of the way sothat there can be healing bythe party long before the nextGeneral Election comesaround.”

Criticism has also beenleveled against Simpson-Miller for her lack ofunderstanding of “how an economy ought to be run.”

And passions are apparently running high, withanother senior member declaring, according to theSunday Observer, “That is not the party thatNorman Manley, his son Michael, and PJ Pattersonworked so hard to remain relevant. I am just sodisappointed by all that has happened to the PNP inthe last few years. This is not the party that some ofus envisioned.”

While there is yet to be any public declaration bypersons willing to challenge the 70-year-oldSimpson-Miller, ‘street talk’ in Kingston point topersons like Lisa Hanna, MP for St Ann South Eastand former youth and culture minister; and PeterBunting, MP for Manchester Central and

former minister of national security. (Source:Sunday Observer)

RegionalV THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016. 5.

PRESIDENT Barack Obama’shistoric visit to Cuba may justhave hogged the news and pushedhis other concerns into thebackground.

One of those concerns was hisand the USA’s continuingoccupation with Venezuela.

On March 3, two weeks or sobefore his visit to Cuba, PresidentObama signed an executive orderrenewing sanctions againstVenezuela.

In that order, he referred tothat South American state as “anational emergency with respectto the unusual and extraordinarythreat to the national securityand foreign policy of the UnitedStates posed by the situation inVenezuela.”

But that executive order didnot go unnoticed.

The Group of 77 and Chinapounced on it and reiterated their“rejection to the latest decision ofthe government of the UnitedStates of America to renew itsunilateral sanctions against thegovernment of the BolivarianRepublic of Venezuela.”

The G77 might not sitstrategically on the US radar, butit is the largest intergovernmentalorganization of developingcountries in the United Nations.

The group, according to its

website, is said toprovide “the meansfor the countries ofthe South toarticulate andpromote theircollective economicinterests and enhancetheir joint negotiatingcapacity on all majorinternationaleconomic issueswithin the UnitedNations system, andpromote South-Southcooperation fordevelopment.”

The grouprepresents the globalSouth, and featuresmany Latin Americancountries such asCuba, Ecuador,Venezuela, Brazil andBolivia. Other regionsare represented bymembers, includingthe Middle East, Asiaand Africa.

The statement goeson to say that the“G77 and Chinaunderlines thepositive contributionof Venezuela to the strengtheningof South-South cooperation,solidarity and friendship among

all peoples andnations, with a view topromoting peace anddevelopment,conveying solidarity.”

It also demands theU.S. government“evaluate andimplementalternatives for adialogue” withVenezuela, “under theprinciple of respect tosovereignty and self-determination of thepeoples. Therefore, it

urges to repeal theaforementioned executive order.”(Source: Caribbean News Now)

Portia under attack

Portia Simpson-Miller has notescaped sharpcriticism over andblame for thePNP’s recentdefeat. (Credit:Jamaica Star)

PJ Patterson wasa hard act forPortia Simpson-Miller to follow,according toobservers.(Credit:thinkingafrica.blogspot.com

Venezuelan PresidentNicolas Maduro hasaccused PresidentObama of promotingongoing protests inthe country, and ofbacking members ofthe opposition allegedto be behind violence.(Credit: Reuters)

The executive ordersuspends the entryand blocks assets inUS territory ofseven Venezuelanmilitary officials.The White Housesaid this executiveorder has a greaterreach thansanctions imposedby Obama inDecember (Credit:nypost.com)

US executiveorder denounced

Cuba signs newtourism deals

Hotel Inglatera, set to beincluded in the Starwood brand,is Cuba’s oldest hotel and hasbeen visited by many importantfigures throughout its life.(Credit: www.lahabana.com)

Carnival will sail its 704-passenger MV Adonia ontrips from Miami to the island nation, marking thefirst time in 50 years that cruise passengers willtravel from the United States to Cuba. (Credit:apartment2events.com)

6. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016. THE VINCENTIAN

DiasporaVVETERAN Vincentian-born journalist Nelson A. King wasamong four honorees at a surprise honour ceremonylast Saturday, organized by the Brooklyn (New York)Transition Lions Club.

King, THE VINCENTIAN’s United StatesCorrespondent and Chateaubelair native, receivedthe award at the club’s inaugural Fashion ShowLuncheon at St. Gabriel’s Golden Hall, HawthorneStreet, Brooklyn.

The other honorees, all Guyanese natives, werethe club’s “resident DJ”, Leslie ‘DJ Leslie’Brooks;Sharon Anne Trotman; and Patrick Verwayne.

King told THE VINCENTIAN that he, like theother honorees, had no knowledge whatsoever thathe would be honoured for his work in the Caribbeancommunity in the US.

He said he and his wife, Dofflyn, a registerednurse, were invited to the event by his wife’s formerco-worker, Guyanese Desiree Blake, also aregistered nurse, and executive member of theBrooklyn Transition Lions Club; so he decided tocover the event.

“Suddenly, I heard the MC saying, ‘I wonder whois going to take the pictures for the next honoree’”,King said. “Even then, I didn’t fully grasp that hewas hinting it would be me, until the presentercalled my name and began reading my bio.

“This was, indeed, a big surprise for me,” addedKing, a national, regional and internationaljournalist for almost four decades. “I do what I dofrom the bottom of my heart, and with the grace ofGod, not expecting to be honoured. Needless to say,I am very humbled by the gesture; and I willcontinue to do what I love doing best for God andcountry.”

King said his wife told him afterwards that shehad secretly furnished his biography to the group,since members wanted the honour to be a surprise.

The conferring of the honour on King by theBrooklyn Transition Lions Club adds to the alreadyvery lengthy list of civilian and military honoursand awards he has received over the years.

Besides the Brooklyn Transition Lions Club’shonor, King’s civilian awards comprise: CommunityService Award by the St. Vincent and theGrenadines Nurses Association of New York, Inc.;Leader in Excellence, Journalism Award, conferredon him by the Brooklyn-based APC CommunityServices, Inc.; Proclamation of the United StatesCongress by Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke;Proclamations of the Council of the City of NewYork by Councilmen Mathieu Eugene and Dr.Kendall Stewart; Proclamation by the New YorkState Assembly by Assemblyman Nick Perry; andthe St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ New YorkConsulate General Award, under former ConsulGeneral Cosmus Cozier.

Other civilian awards are: The ChateaubelairDevelopment Organization Award; The Council ofSt. Vincent and the Grenadines Organizations,U.S.A., Inc. (COSAGO) Independence and AdvisoryCommittee awards; Dee Vee International, Inc.Award; the Grenada-New York IndependenceAward; the L & D Community Service Award;Carnival Players International Award; New YorkRed Stripe Cup 1994 Sports Writer Award; CentralBrooklyn Lions Community Leadership Award; BB(Bridget Blucher) Ministries Award; and VincyCaresAward.

King’s military awards include: The US ArmyCommendation Medal, the US Army AchievementMedal, the US Army Overseas Ribbon, the Non-Commissioned Officer Award; the US Army GoodConduct Medal; and the “Iron Man” Award for beingthe “strongest man” in his battalion while attendingaircraft technician school at Fort Gordon, Augusta,Georgia.

King, a former elementary, secondary and post-secondary school teacher in his native land,launched his journalism career in the mid-1970s —soon after graduating from the St. Vincent and theGrenadines Grammar School — when he was ateenage school teacher at the ChateaubelairMethodist School. He worked, sometimes pro bono,for a number of news and sports programs, radiostations, newspapers, and other media houses

locally, regionally and internationally.These included the British Broadcasting

Corporation (BBC) Black London; theBarbados-based, former Caribbean NewsAgency (CANA); the defunct, popular RadioAntilles in Montserrat; CaribbeanBroadcasting Corporation (CBC) RadioBarbados; Radio St. Lucia; and Radio FreeGrenada (during the revolution).

Others were: Caribbean Contact newspaper;WLIB Radio in New York; “Vibes Caribbean”,WNJR Radio, New Jersey; “The Heart Beat ofthe Caribbean,” WNWK Radio, New York;Roots, a defunct North Leeward, St. Vincentand the Grenadines, community newspaper;the former 705 AM National BroadcastingCorporation (NBC) Radio in St. Vincent andthe Grenadines (sports); and The Searchlight,The Star, The West Indian, Cross Country andThe VINCENTIAN newspapers, also in St.Vincent and the Grenadines.

Besides THE VINCENTIAN, King currentlyserves as the US Correspondent for the Barbados-based Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC), and hasbeen a senior writer, for over 25 years, forCaribbean Life, the largest Caribbean-themednewspaper in the US, based in Brooklyn.

The hard-working King mixes his journalismcareer with other disciplines. He has over 20 yearsof public health experience, serving in severaladministrative and managerial capacities. He’scurrently a Health Service Manager with New York

City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.Additionally, for almost nine years, he has been

an Adjunct Professor at Brooklyn’s predominantlyBlack Medgar Evers College, City University of NewYork. There, he teaches American History, AfricanAmerican History, World Civilization and PoliticalScience.

King, also a certified United Methodist ChurchLay Speaker and former Methodist Lay Preacher athome, possesses undergraduate and graduatedegrees in Liberal Arts, Political Science,Journalism, Public Administration and Law.

by NELSON A. KINGnaking@verizon.net;kingnaking210@yahoo.comUS CORRESPONDENT

A NEW YORK ASSEMBLYMANhas proposed an amendment toNew York State Education Law toinclude the history of the Garifunapeople.

Assemblyman Luis R.Sepúlveda, who represents theBronx, announced his plan duringthe 6th Annual Abrazo Garifuna inNew York and in the New YorkState Assembly, according to theBronx-based Garifuna group, TheGarifuna Coalition U.S.A., Inc.

The Coalition said the Bill states that, “in orderto promote a spirit of patriotic and civic serviceand obligation and to foster in the children of thestate moral and intellectual qualities,which are essential in preparing to meet theobligations of citizenship in peace or in war, theregents of The University of the State of NewYork shall prescribe courses of instruction inpatriotism, citizenship, and human rights issues,with particular attention to the study of theinhumanity of genocide, slavery, including… thehistory of the Garifuna People…to be maintainedand followed in all the schools of the state.”

The Coalition said the proclamation of Mar.11- Apr. 12, 2016, declaring Garifuna-AmericanHeritage Month in the State of New York, is inobservance of the 219th Anniversary of the“forcible deportation by the British of the GarifunaPeople from St. Vincent and The Grenadines onMarch 11, 1797, and their settlement in CentralAmerica on April 12, 1797.”

According to the study guide for The GarifunaJourney video, “the study of the Garifuna providesinsight into a people whose history has been one ofstruggle and determination to survive at a timewhen very few people, or nations, were able toresist the onslaught of colonialism and slavery.

“Despite exile and subsequent Diaspora, theirtraditional culture survives today,” the guide says.

“It is a little known story thatdeserves its place in the annalsof the African Diaspora.”

“We are grateful toAssemblyman Luis R.Sepúlveda for this initiative toamend the New York StateEducation Law to include thehistory of the Garifuna people,”said Jose Francisco Avila,chairman of the Board of the Garifuna CoalitionU.S.A., Inc.

“It is the culmination of the Garifuna CoalitionU.S.A., Inc. and its community partners who in2009 decided that the community developmentinitiative will be based on creating awareness andappreciation of the Garifuna culture, and itscontribution to the culture and society of New YorkCity,” he added.

Avila urged the Garifuna Community of NewYork to “remain vigilant as the Bill enters thecommittee and calendar stages by communicatingyour views on a particular issue to your Senator.

“You have another opportunity at this point toparticipate in the lawmaking process,” he said. “Anexpression of opinion on a proposed bill can be sentdirectly to the committee chairman, or it can besent to your local Senator for relay to thecommittee members.”

Journalist Nelson A. King receives award from GloriaRennie-Murray, the Grenadian-born president of theBrooklyn Transition Lions Club.

Brooklyn Lions Club honours veteran journalist

Proposed amendment to law to include history of Garifuna

Garifuna delegation at the New York StateAssembly, witnessing and receiving theproclamation of March 11 – April 12 as GarifunaHeritage Month in New York.

NYCAssemblymanLuis R.Sepúlveda.

IT IS ALREADYANTICIPATED that theopening of theinternational airport atArgyle will attractdirect foreigninvestment.

The team ofMichael and BarbaraEardley would bethinking the samething.

The couplerealised a dream lastSaturday, March 24,when they oversawthe opening atDiamond of a localfranchise of one ofthe World’s renownedReal Estatecompanies, Re/Max.

Barbara bringsover 30 years of realestate experience,previously owningRe/Max franchises inToronto, Canada andthe Dallas/ForthWorth Metroplex inTexas in the UnitedStates.

But it is more thanjust another real estate,Barbara Eardleycautioned.

“When we put aproperty on the market,it is translated into 38different languages. Sowhen you list withRe/Max, you’re not justlisting with Re/Maxrealty, you are listingwith a wholeorganisation,” she said.

Their target market ispersons outside of StVincent and theGrenadines who arelooking for investment

opportunities. And Barbara boasted

that there were alreadyinquiries coming in, “sowith the airport coming,that will be an extraboost.”

Husband Michaelexplained the journeyleading up to lastSaturday’s opening,saying that the couplewas looking for a place toretire, and their searchbrought them to SVG.

He disclosed that hiswife contacted localarchitect MoultonMayers, who the couplesaid was instrumental inproviding sufficientinformation about the

country, and broachingto them the idea ofopening a Re/Maxfranchise here.

“He (Mayers) plantedthe seed, we went backand put water and wegot this,” he said.

Addressing theopening ceremony,Minister of NationalMobilisation, SocialDevelopment, etc.,Frederick Stephenson,also pointed to thepotential benefits of theopening of theinternational airport.

He said that hebelieved that thecompany, Re/Max will bean important stakeholder

in the furtherdevelopment of thecountry.

“And I assure youthat, once everythingworks well, that yourbusiness will develop andgrow,” he said.

Re/MAX sells itself as

a service with a ‘globalreach — with a local feel’.Its franchises can befound in nearly 100countries, and isconsidered the mostvisible real estatenetwork in the world.(DDD)

NewsV THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016. 7.

Re/Max St. Vincent headquarters at Diamond.

Left: Franchise holders (from left) Michael andBarbara Eardley and Minister of Social DevelopmentFrederick Stephenson cut the ribbon to officiallydeclare the local Re/Max operations open.

Local Re/Maxoffice opens

Moulton Mayers, localarchitect, is creditedwith having convincedthe Earleys to make theinvestment in SVG.

FROM ALL REPORTS, many of myreaders are aghast that I have not as yetjumped in the middle of the currentpolitical imbroglio, but appear to be onlyskirting the issues and waiting for whatHeaven only knows.

I have been around for nearly fiftyyears and realise that nothing happens,probably worsens, when the people sitback and merely nibble at the problem.They cannot forever leave it up for theleadership which cannot really lead in theabsence of an alert and willing following.

I have espied signs indicating that ourpeople are at last waking up from theirmid-night slumber, and are beginning tounderstand that the so-called leaderscannot function effectively without ameasure of control from the ground or atleast some active support.

Beginning next week, I will, despite myailments, make my contribution to thestruggles. I cannot, like the RomanEmperor Nero, play the fiddle andcarouse, while Rome burns! In the mean-while, I simply finish off what I had begunlast week.

I made reverend mention of YvonneFrancis Gibson’s thankless contribution,without realising she was about to enterher 85th birthday on Saturday March26th, with me not participating in thejoyful event.

On the other hand, I received word ofthe passing of Baha Lawrence at 103years old. Incidentally, I forgot to mentionthat Viola once stayed at his house atRose Place where she gave me musiclessons. Understandably, I omitted someworthy persons such as centurion Mrs.Herman Young of Layou, at the very timethat her granddaughter Donna Young20years old who inherited from her anatural beauty and charm wasremembered on the thirtieth anniversaryof her tragic loss, a beauty Queen.

I must have tried too hard toremember, and end up forgetting tomention Ralph’s mother who has enteredher nineties, I will twin this with thesilence on Major Leacock’s Old Queen alsoin her 90s. And I will not forgive myselffor letting my one-time sea-bathingpartner, Vivian Child 97 years, slip out ofmy consciousness.

Burns tried to get in the acts byreporting that his mother Elaine CatoBonadie was the oldest GHS survivor andnot Olive Pollard. I believe that one is 98and the other 97.

I heard several Good Friday churchservices by way of radio in the peace of myhome. The Presentation of the SevenWords on the Cross by Streams of Power

engulfed me, generally, but the YoungPriestess who elaborated on “It isfinished,” fairly swept me away. It was allso gently, sometimes jocularly, breath-taking and powerful!

The towering presence of our AnglicanBishop preached like a gentle giant,coaxing our fellowmen to become reallyactive in the promotion of Christianity;while Monty Maule had himself risen tonew heights from the Methodist pulpit.

I am sure that all the churches rose tothe occasion; we are gifted talkers.

We love “words” as part of our culture.The church as an institution cannot befaulted on its preachment. But somehowthe message is often lost, and we do not“Take up our beds, and walk”.

I promise that this column will focus onthe political crisis as from next week.

I didn’t anticipate the deepening of thecrisis on account of our too conservativejudiciary which generally plays safe by notrocking the boat. But the genie is out ofthe bottle. There would be no quick-fix ingetting him back in. A real revolution isabout to take place. Like good scouts, WEMUST BE PREPARED.

On the other hand, it is just possiblethat a wiser course is advised with thesuccess of the petitions, and the orderingof two by-elections in Central Leewardand North Windward, both of which theNDP would win comfortably and form anew Government say, at year’s end, underthe leadership of Arnhim Eustace who willhand-over to a successor in mid-stream.

But if -Heaven forbid- we were to playtrue to form, reject the petitions, andconfirm a ULP Government, then wewould for a year or two exist in turbulenceunder siege, with a government underGonsalves using its nailed fist to control adetermined opposition led by Leacock andCummings.

There is a third way out which I canbarely conceive but not retail. CARICOMmay enter the fray seeking a peaceful wayout.

If I could exercise choice in thesituation, I would pray for a solution thatsoon installs an NDP Government whichhad a long haul in the Opposition, and inparticular allows a fighting chance toEustace to undo the mischiefs which theULP had committed over the years,including much victimisation.

Such a scenery could form thebackground of the second tier of leadersvying for ascendancy in both groups: theNDP, Leacock, Friday, Cummings andFerdinand; the ULP, Camillo, LukeBrowne, and Saboto Caesar.

KARL MARX, Adam Smith, whosoeverand whatsoever the case, all wouldagree that the major driving force inmankind’s quest for ‘Utopia’ iseconomics.

Mind you, the debate continues andwe are free to agree or disagree.

But one wonders, given the failure,some say part failure, of one trend ofpolitical economic organization, giventhe fact that more and moreeconomies are moving towards anopen concept, albeit some stilldescribing themselves as mixed, thereis little doubt that the world isengulfed in one big battle for economicadvancement, aimed at creatingmeaningful standards of living to allits people.

That may be idealistic, butunquestionably, it is what drives anygood intention of those who espouseone philosophy over another, andthose who are desirous of becomingguardians of our development.

Put Cuba into this milieu, and thestory becomes an interesting one.

This publication, long before someother more ‘luminous’ columnists,pointed to Cuba being the biggest‘threat’ to our economic survival,especially given CARICOM’s (general)over-reliance on tourism, i.e. a fightfor the dollars of those whose openeconomies afford them enoughdisposal income, so that they can setaside some for the leisure of travel todistant and exotic places.

Back to Cuba!In this hemisphere, the USA and

Cuba conjure up a picture of starkdifference in terms of politicalsystems.

But since the re-opening ofdiplomatic relations and the partialeasing of commercial regulations, theresults of President Obama skillfullycircumventing the still entrenchedtrade embargo against Cuba, thecommon interests of both countrieshave come to the fore, as though wedidn’t know it before.

Unfolding before us are theheightened economic interests of theUSA and Cuba, that make a mockeryof the stark difference in theirpolitical systems.

The essence of economics fills theair with a familiar aroma: money paysthe bills; people’s needs are met; wecan be foes, but we can also set asideour differences in the interest ofmutuality of economic interests.

That in itself is a huge lesson forus.

That lesson speaks to differences onhuman rights issues, free electionsissues, as being secondary to themutual benefits of open trade.

American private sector interestsand Cuban government interests have

been sitting on the fence for yearswaiting, hoping, for something tobreak, that would, on the one hand,keep American private sectorinvestment closer home, and on theother, bring a level of a new sense ofproductivity to the Cuba’s controlledsociety.

One writer describes the situation,to paraphrase, as ‘the US privatesector salivating at the prospect ofdoing business with Cuba and inCuba’.

And Cuba, for its part, has beensalivating at the hope of an influx ofprivate sector investment, whether itbe from China or the USA, to bringsome balance to its mixed economy,which is desperately in need of foreignexchange to inject movement in itsdrive to modernize its technology andappease a new, young and ambitiousgeneration of the revolution.

So where does all of this, in brief,put the rest of the region, especiallythe smaller territories grappling withthe challenge of balancing theirbudgets, maintaining theirinfrastructure, physical andotherwise, and catering to an equallyyoung generation that nationalleaders have excited with limitlesshorizons?

The truth is that, even as we speakof attracting foreign exchange, anddevise one strategy after the other, weare but planktons in a sea investedwith much bigger fish, who have muchmore ‘flesh’ to offer the ‘fishers’ ofmore developed countries.

This is not to say that we cannotsurvive, that we cannot progress. Thechallenge is, should we invest ininfrastructure which we will struggleto maintain, and a mode ofdevelopment which we cannotsustain?

Ours is an open economy. As muchas it might appear otherwise,government is a facilitator and not thebeginning and end in our pursuit offoreign exchange and economicadvancement.

The private sector and privatesector organizations have to be asproactive as agencies like INVESTSVG, if we are to attract meaningfulcollaborations, that could set us on apath of sharing the burden and risk ofdevelopment — tourism not excluded.

No government must stand in theway of a serious effort by the privatesector. No private sector, like thepeople, ought to be afraid of agovernment. In fact, the philosophersof old will tell us that it is governmentthat must fear the people.

Time that we shake off this renteconomy, and start putting our moneywhere our mouth is.

8. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016. THE VINCENTIAN

ViewsV

Editorial

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.

The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Different systems,same dreams Are the parties now

to draw swords?

I AM A HOUSE ownerin Lower Bay, Bequia, forsome six years now. I ama true ambassador for thisIsland and this country. Irent out the house andbring many people to theregion.

However, it isimpossible to recommendanyone coming here forEaster. I have myselfavoided coming here atthis time, which is oneout of three periods Iwould prefer cominghere. The reason for thisis the change ofambiance on the Island -from friendly and nice toextreme loud and more,unpredictable. Thepermit the authorities

give to play extreme loudin residential areas, isunheard of inthe civilized world. Whohas the rightto intrude in otherpeople’s homes, andmake sleep impossible?

The Easter party is acertain way to scareaway sailors, thebackboneof Bequia tourism.Friends of mine in thecharter business avoidAdmiralty Bay overEaster and even so othertimes of the year, whenthe sea surface of the bayis polluted with very loudmusic that disturbseveryone, except thoseplaying it and their

friends.The quality of

Bequia is the safety ofthe Island. It does nothave the reputation ofTrinidad or Jamaica.Sadly, this is so easilydestroyed. I saw somereally tough fistfightsat Lower Bay. Therewas even a shooting atJack’s during thedrinking frenzy, andmore guns were seen,and there were tougharrests. Have TheTelegraph write aboutthat, and you do nothave to worryabout Chickengunya anymore, no one will come.

We cannot rent outthe House because of the

extreme loudness andhostilities that one canexperience here overEaster.

How can anyone givethe Reef in Lower Bay alicense to play extremelyloud music to 7 o’clock inthe morning, a la lastNew Year? This isresidential area. Thisgoes also for PortElisabeth - last EasterMusic went on to 4:ooam.

I know for a fact thatAdmiralty Bay has lost alot of its attractivenessbecause the extremelyloud music keeps theboat tourists awake.And this is not onlyduring Easter.

The Easter Regatta,

one of the oldest in theCaribbean, has lost itsattractiveness because ofthe wild parties on theIsland. For yougentlemen (TourismAuthorities), it isimportant to clarify theGrenadines’ uniqueselling points; one cannotbe everything foreveryone, one has tochoose.

The ‘illegal bars’ thatopen over Easter hurtthe businessmen inLower Bay who pay VATon their income.

And the very heavylittering around theareas is left for the houseowners to pick up.

I am not on the Islandthis Easter, neither canwe have friends orrentals during thisperiod. For me, it is sad,for the country losesrevenue due to lesserspending, dealing aheavy blow to the Bequiabrand name.

I truly love the islandand I do hope for abright future with theairport coming; but you

who are responsible mustsee the flaws. Youngpeople need to steam off,but not via violence,disturbing of order inresidential areas or druguse.

Peder Johnson

Editor’s Note: This letterwas directed to tourismauthorities in Kingstownand in Bequia.

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016. 9.

LettersVCry of a house owner in Bequia

I MAKE NO bones when I say,and neither do I make anyapologies for saying, that THEVINCENTIAN is my favouritehomeland newspaper. THEVINCENTIAN continues to leadthe way in highlighting the lesssensational news that comes outof SVG, though, from time totime, it has joined in with the restto give us its fair share aboutmurders, politics and so forth. Idare say, though, it has stayedaway from what I would call thecommess news.

Now, you take last week’spapers for example. (I have accessto two of them and I usually,when I need to get an update onthe other, call my family andfriend). ONLY THEVINCENTIAN saw it fit to givefull coverage to an undertaking bysome of our indigenous people.An undertaking that could teachall of us, especially the youngerones, a thing or two about our

history.The Editor must be

congratulated for giving thisspecial coverage to the landing ofthat Callinago Warrior Canoe.Mind you, given how I rememberthe editor, and I have no reason tothink that he has changed, hewould have had a special ‘feeling’for that canoe undertaking.

If I remember well, it was THEVINCENTIAN that firsthighlighted the plan by AgustineSutherland; the others followed.

The question I have, though, ishow much of the satus quo — thosehistorians, intellectuals, politicaland community leaders, all thosewho spout their love for ourculture, history and heritage —paid any regard to thisundertaking?

I didn’t get the impression fromTHE VINCENTIAN that therewere any persons of ‘consequence’at Rose Place. I could be wrongabout this.

Maybe THE VINCENTIANcould enlighten us further in thisregard.

In the meantime, I raise myhand in recognition of thoseCallinago warriors who undertookthe journey — from cutting thetree in the forest to launching thecanoe and bringing it toKingstown. And I say a heartythank you to THE VINCENTIANfor this enlightenment.

Garnet N.Y.

Editor’s Note: Thanks, Garnet, foryour kind sentiments. Withrespect to the ‘who’s who’ oflocal history and whether theywere present at last week’s(Monday) ‘Canoe enactment, ourreporter indicated that Mr. CurtisKing, historian, was seen. Heensured that his school’s (SVGS)Heritage Club members werepresent.

IS THE NIS, all of a sudden, living up to itsoriginal name, the National Insurance Scheme?

As of late, vital information to consumers is notbeing transmitted, yet they (NIS) expect you toknow and carry out certain procedures. Failing tocomply, results in your payment withheld.

It is amusing, very amusing, when NIS workerslook you in the face and ask if you filled out a lifecertificate. Can a dead person write?

After you have complied with the life certificate,you feel assured that you will receive yourpayment the following fortnight. On arriving atyour bank the following fortnight, you are told thatthere is no money.

Then, the whole ‘rigmarole’ will start afreshwhen you visit them (NIS).

Management needs to investigate, for this ‘runaround’ is becoming a small scale universalproblem. There are few who fail to treat people’sbusiness with the expediency it deserves. Ifconsumers cannot rely on what is rightfully there,something is definitely wrong.

If a worker does not attach importance to thetask he is paid to do, he/she is saying, in nouncertain terms, that he/she doesn’t need the job.

Often times you hear, “Everything will be paidnext time,” but it’s the same old story.

It is tiresome and annoying to pay bus fare andhave to buy lunch, only to hear the same thing in aparrot-like fashion time and time again, withouteven an apology.

People need to be assured that their monies areaccessible at times and places when and wherethey should be.

This ongoing problem is causing people to befrustrated, annoyed and disgruntled.

It is in the nature of some people not tocomplain. But when the same problems occur timeand time again, there is more than cause for acomplaint.

To this end, I am calling on persons in authorityto do something to ensure that this problem —payment to pensioners — does not raise its uglyhead anymore. Enough is enough.

Annoyed

The NIS: A pensioner’s ordeal

Hail that canoe landing

ECTEL announced over three weeks ago, thatnegotiations with Columbus Communications andCable and Wireless Communications had collapsed,since “existing legislation does not give ECTELsufficient standing to stop or impose remedies oncompanies partaking in mergers and acquisitions inthe telecommunications sector.” Last week, ECTELannounced it was “fine-tuning a draft of newlegislation” that might allow it greater authority. Doall five countries in ECTEL have to agree? Do allfive have to then introduce and pass enablinglegislation to make this effective? And that wouldtake how long?

Liberty Global bought Cable and Wireless inNovember of last year. Not much publicity aboutthat. Flow has an internet business, Lime has aninternet business, both formerly Cable and Wireless,and now Liberty Global has it all. What doesECTEL or any local telecommunications authority(HELLO CAMILLO!) have to say about that? Whoreally is billing us, where does the money go, whocan have any say in how much we are billed and bywhom? Is it all up in the air, and money just flowsfrom this multinational corporate entity to thatnominally supervising telecommunications agency,and the bills go up and rates increase and everyonejust shrugs their shoulders?

I met John Malone (John C. Malone, if you wantto google him) many years ago in Colorado; he’s ayear younger than me, but considerably bettersituated. He struck me as an honest, very sharp,

very bright fellow who deserves every penny he’searned, including building Liberty Global into whatit is today. I begrudge him nothing.

I was told to bring in my old set top box (KaribCable, Columbus Communications, whoever) andget a new one. I did, and now pay EC$30.00 permonth more for virtually the same channels I hadbefore. Whoops, correction, the newspapers justannounced an additional $20 increase, so I will bepaying $50 more, hey lucky me!

I seemed to have read in the newspapers, at thetime of the Cable and Wireless acquisition ofColumbus Communications, that the Government ofSt. Vincent has no legislation that addressesacquisitions or monopolistic practices. So then justwhat can it “regulate”? It can hire and pay croniesto staff an agency that has no power. Legislation isbeing discussed to deal with this. Whoopee! Maybeby the time my grandchildren are paying $1,000.00a month, for ten channels, there may be regulationsin place that can ameliorate this rip-off. Gonsalvesand Family Forever! You put them in office, it wasyour choice.

Hugo

Editor’s Note: The FLOW-C&W merger has notescaped coverage by THE VINCENTIAN. In fact, weboast that we have been at the forefront ofcoverage of this issue, not only in terms of ongoingdevelopments, but also in our Editorial column.

FLOW, C&W, ECTEL, what a mess!!!

(A) TOWARDS ZERO HUNGER

MR. SPEAKER, the facts and figuresregarding poverty, indigence (“dirt poor”poverty), and under-nourishment in St.Vincent and the Grenadines are well-known. In 1996, the Kairi Consultantsof Trinidad and Tobago found thatgeneral poverty in St. Vincent and theGrenadines stood at 37.5 percent of thepopulation and indigence was at 25.7percent of the population. By 2008-2009, the same group of Consultantsassessed that general poverty had fallento 30.0 percent of the population andindigence had dropped sharply to 2.9poverty of the population.

Similarly in 1995, the Food andAgricultural Organisation (FAO) ofthe United Nations assessed that 22percent of the population wereundernourished; by 2012, the FAO’sassessment was thatundernourishment had decreasedmarkedly to 3.5 percent of thepopulation.

Indeed, on two occasions, in 2013and 2015, at their headquarters inRome, the FAO formally recognisedSt. Vincent and the Grenadines asbeing one of a very select group ofcountries globally that had met therelevant targets of the MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDGs) and theFAO’s World Food Summit Goals ofmore than halving both thepercentage of the population living inextreme poverty (“indigence”) and theabsolute number of persons who wereunder-nourished. These outstandingaccolades by a reputable internationalbody are undoubtedly a tribute to thegovernment and people of St. Vincentand the Grenadines.

In September 2015, at the UnitedNations, St. Vincent and theGrenadines, and all other nationsglobally, signed on to the achieving of17 Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) by 2030; the SDGs replace theMDGs of the earlier fifteen-yearperiod, 2000 to 2015.

In October 2015, the HonourableMinister of Agriculture, Fisheries,Forestry, and Rural Transformation,introduced a motion in thisHonourable House to establish, inaccordance with a FAO proposal, a bi-partisan Parliamentary Front AgainstHunger. This motion wasunanimously accepted by this House.

The ULP incorporated the SDGs,inclusive of the goal to end Hunger, ascentral to its policies and programmesin its Manifesto for the 2015 GeneralElections. Further, the ULP pledgedto get to Zero Hunger in St. Vincentand the Grenadines by the veryambitious date of 2020, not 2030, asprescribed in the SDGs; the ULPpromised that its aim was to ensurethat by 2020 “no man, no woman, nochild would go to bed hungry atnights”.

Immediately upon returning tooffice after the general elections of2015, the ULP government set abouton its quest to achieve Zero Hunger.Swiftly, it established an Inter-Ministerial Committee under theJoint Chairmanship of the PrimeMinister and the Minister ofEconomic Planning and SustainableDevelopment; the Secretariat of thisInter-Ministerial Committee residesin the Office of the Director ofPlanning. Swiftly, the officials of theMinistry of Social Developmentprovided from its data base thenames, addresses, and other relevantparticulars of each of theapproximately 3,000 persons whom itconsiders to be in indigence andhunger. Through the diligent work ofthe relevant officials across theMinistries, a draft Plan to AchieveZero Hunger has been produced, inaccordance with a written PolicyDeclaration (including programmaticelements) on the subject by the Prime

Minister.Central to the draft National Zero

Hunger Action Plan is theestablishment of the Zero HungerTrust Fund (ZHTF). The ZHTF willsupport the multi-faceted effortsneeded to eliminate hunger in St.Vincent and the Grenadines, andestablish a model approach that canbe replicated across the Caribbean.The ZHTF is designed to achieve thefollowing major objectives:

* Ascertain the precise extent ofhunger in St. Vincent and theGrenadines;

* Ensure that the specificcircumstances or condition of eachperson afflicted by indigence orhunger is addressed appropriately andsuccessfully;

* Establish action-orientedprogrammes in education andtraining; health and wellness;housing; employment and productivework; and the strengthening of socialsafety nets; and

* Make sure that the targetedbeneficiaries are transformed intoself-sufficient and self-sustaininghuman beings.

The ZHTF will be established bystatute law. Its Trustees will bedrawn from public servants,professionals, other esteemedpersonalities at home or abroad, andpersons drawn from civil societyorganisations, inclusive of charitableentities. The ZHTF will not have anypolitician or political activist amongits Trustees. Its Secretariat will belocated in the Ministry of SustainableDevelopment. It will support existingrelevant “Zero Hunger” initiatives bythe government and will itselfspearhead others.

The funding of the ZHTF will besourced from the Consolidated Fund,a special levy on telecommunications,grants from local, regional, andinternational organisations, donationsfrom individuals, and grants fromfriendly governments globally. I havealready been in discussion on thismatter personally with the DirectorGeneral of FAO, the state authoritiesin Dubai, and an important charitableorganisation based on Mustique. Ihave received pledges of support.

A five-year Zero Hunger ActionPlan is being fully elaborated, withparticular components of the Planbeing of a shorter time-span. Theestimated cost of the overall Plan isput at $10 million per year. Ourgovernment intends to begin work onthe ZHTF immediately with whateverresources are at hand.

I intend to impose a levy of twopercent on mobile telephone calls andon international calls to be paiddirectly into the ZHTF in accordancewith a specific statute law. This levyis estimated to raise $2.7millionannually.

I am personally pledging for each ofthe five years (2016 — 2020), onemonth of my net basic salary, to theZHTF. In effect, I will be taking an8.3 percent cut in my net annualsalary for each of these five years tosupport the push towards ZeroHunger. In order to encouragecontributors, especially businesses, todonate to the ZHTF I intend to amendthe Income Tax Act to enablecontributors to treat the contributionas a tax deductible expense for theassessment of taxes to be paid. I willnot myself take advantage of thisamendment in respect of mycontribution.

THE NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTYContinues to highlight the vast numberof irregularities that occurred at PollingStations on Election Day, 9th December,2015.

The following is the final section ofthe Central Leeward Petition:

Preliminary Count at PollingStation CLA1

(28) The First Respondent failed toensure that the election wasconducted in accordance with theElections Rules given the followingparticulars:

(a) The Presiding Officer for PollingStation CLA1, the 2nd Respondentherein did not commence thePreliminary Count of the votes afterthe close of polls in breach of Rule 39.

((b) After the close of polls, thePresiding Officer had two sets ofcounterfoils, and she proceeded to gothrough the list and markedcounterfoils with the voter’sregistration numbers. The exercisetook in excess of two (2) hours.

(c) For about two hoursimmediately before the procedure forthe preliminary count could begin atpolling station CLA situated at theBarrouallie Resource Centre,downstairs, the second Respondent asPresiding Officer had two transparentplastic containers; one on the left andone on the right table. The one on herleft had more counterfoils in it, aboutthree times as many as the one on theright, which also containedcounterfoils. The Presiding Officerwould now and then take one fromthe right and put it in the one on theleft. She was saying, she may havemissed it during the rush. Thecontainer on the right appeared to beall blank counterfoils with no IDnumbers.

(d) Thereafter, the PresidingOfficer, in the presence of the ElectionClerk of the 1st Respondent purportedto count the ballots and engaged inrecounting same and returned apreliminary result after 11 pm, somesix (6) hours after the close of polls at5 pm, of 186 votes for the petitionerand 173 for the 3rd Respondent.

(e) The Petitioner visited thispolling station about 10 pm andnoticed that contrary to Rule 41 (7)the Election Clerk of the 1stRespondent had in his possession on atable in front of him all form 16statements for the Barrouallie PollingStations none of which was enclosedin a special envelope and sealed in themanner prescribed under the Rules.

(29) Contrary to Rule 41 (10) (b)none of the Presiding Officerstransmitted to the 1st Respondentenvelopes containing keys for theballot boxes in such manner as the4th Respondent ought to havedirected.

Form 16 Statements of Poll(30) Contrary to the provision of

Rule 41 (7) of the Rules no form 16statements of the Poll was presentedin the Final Count for Polling StationCLII and in the case of others theForm 16 Statement of Poll presented,manifested various errors andinconsistencies including thefollowing:

(a) Based on the informationcontained in the Form 16 Statement,in particular the total number ofballots cast and the number of nameson the voters’ list, there appeared tohave been 100% voter turnout inpolling stations CLA1, CLE,CLF1 andCLH; and

(b) in polling station CLD1 where485 ballots is stated to have been used

by the 480 names stated to be on theofficial list of electors used at the poll.There had been 101% voter turnout.

(31) The Petitioner requested arecount of CLD1 pursuant of Rule 42(6) in light of the statisticallyimpossible turnout and of CLA1 inwhich no data is entered for thenumber of ballots received by the 1stRespondent from the 4th Respondentand of CLE but contrary to Rule 47the 1st Respondent denied his requesteven before the Petitioner waspermitted to state his reasons.

(32) There was no form 16statement produced in respect of theballot which was labeled CLII andwhen the petitioner inquired of the1st Respondent about same the latterstated dismissively that there wasnone. The Petitioner objected to thecount proceeding as there was noForm 16 Statement on which to basethe final count but the 1st Respondentdenied his objections.

Counterfoils(33) At the final count, the

Petitioner and hisrepresentatives/agents were deniedthe opportunity to inspect thecounterfoils for one Polling Divisiononly after the representatives of the3rd Respondent questioned the 1stRespondent’s production of thecounterfoils to the Petitioner’srepresentatives.

(34) Repeated requests which weremade by the Petitioner and by hisrepresentatives/agents on his behalfto the 1st Respondent while the finalcount was being conducted, to bepermitted to examine the counterfoilsof the defective ballots and otherelectoral documents in respect of allthe fifteen polling stations and inparticular having regard to thematters set out at paragraphs (31)and (32) above, Polling StationsCLD1, CLA1, CLF and CLE, whichrequests were denied by the 1stRespondent.

(35) The number of ballots whichwere declared at the end of thepurported final count conducted bythe 1st Respondent which was twothousand four hundred and ninetyseven (2497) to the second Respondentand two thousand one hundred andeighty four (2184) to the Petitioner,making a difference between them ofthree hundred and thirteen (313).

(36) Section 57 of theRepresentative of the People Act Cap6 of the 2009 Revised Laws of St.Vincent and the Grenadines providesthat a Petition complaining of anundue return or undue election of amember of the House of Assembly bepresented within twenty one (21) daysafter the return of the Writ is madeby the Returning Officer.

(37) Based on the aboveirregularities that was undue returnof the polls in the constituency ofCentral Leeward as a result of thebreaches of the applicable lawsincluding the Election Rules and theeffect of those breaches was that theelection was conducted so badly thatit was not substantially in compliancewith the law as to elections and/orthat they materially affected theresult of the election.

(1st Respondent-Winston Gaymes,Returning Officer and 4thRespondent- Sylvia Findlay - Scrubb)

10. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016. THE VINCENTIAN

ViewsVCentral Leeward - Part 2Excerpts from the Budget Address delivered by

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves Part Five

CUBA HAS ALWAYS BEEN a great place tovisit and live. But Cuba is an especiallywondrous place now. Ever since November2014 when Presidents Castro and Obamaannounced that they were ‘burying thepolitical hatchets’ and establishingdiplomatic relations, the people of theworld, and moreso the people of Cuba,have been in a state of high anticipation.

President Obama’s historic visit camea few days before I arrived. As I said inmy column last week, if there is apolitical leadership in the world thatcan manage this transition, it is Cuba’s.I distinctly remember when the SovietUnion collapsed in 1990. Then USpresident, Bush the first, established atransition committee in Florida. For theAmerican power elite, the time wasnear for America to regain its prizedand coveted Cuba.

It must be remembered that afterCuban patriots, led my Jose Marti,defeated the Spanish to gainindependence, America invaded andstole the people’s victory.

It is now 26 years since socialismvanished in the Soviet Union. All of theinternationalist aid that helped Cuba tosurvive the American blockage wastaken away, but the Cuban revolutionlives on. In reading a speech by Fidel, Iwas moved when he said, ‘…during thedifficult period when things were veryvery hard, we never closed a school orhospital. We shared the little we hadwith everyone. No one was madehomeless and none was left hungry.There was no mass demonstrationsagainst the government. Most of all, wenever stopped or curtailed ourassistance to our friends around theworld.’

It took the valiant effort of Fidel andRaul and the other revolutionaries tooust the Americans from Cuban shoresand launch Cuba’s second period ofindependence. So Cuba and the UShave been in a world class power play.Who can out-manoeuvre whom?

I had been heartened before I lefthome for Cuba. In a meeting with theambassador to SVG, among other thingsshe said, was that Cuba agreed to mostof what Obama asked for as aprecondition for his visit. He was free togo wherever he wanted. He made a livebroadcast on Cuba’s TV. ‘Simply, we arenot afraid.’ There are not a lot of worldleaders who will say this when Mrimperialism comes to town.

I had been invited to Havana tospeak on the topic “Conquest,settlement, slavery, colonialism and thefight for reparation.’ It was wellreceived, and while speaking onWednesday morning, the seeds of theCuban confidence became manifest.They are an exposed people. They are apolitically educated people. Theirs is anorganized and conscious nation.

Cuba is an amazing place because itis so much different from many of theother places in the world. Cuba isdifferent because it is not penetrated, atleast not yet. And I hope it is neverscared by the rampant and unhealthyface of capitalism. There are no McDonald’s or KFC franchises here. I hopethey are never allowed to come. Cubansare excellent cooks. Havana has some ofthe best restaurants anywhere. Thehigh sugar drinks of Coco Cola andPepsi and all the others we know sowell are still off limits.

Can you see why the Americanpolitical and business leaders dream?Do you understand why PresidentObama came here to bury the ColdWar? The landscape is not littered withadvertising. The television is not filledwith the blindingly oppressive anddisruptive views of businesses hawkingtheir wares. Cuba is virgin territory and

any capitalist’s dream. There are lots ofmoney to make in Cuba. The Cubanleadership must therefore fashion theirsociety in a manner that allow stheCuban people to benefit from the fruitsof their labour.

The gains made by ordinary people inCuba are enormous. In health andeducational advancements, Cubaremains the envy of the developingworld. When the revolution triumphed,3000 of the country’s 6,000 doctors left.Today, there are 8,000 doctors. As Raultold Obama, rights are universal.Health, education and gender equalityamong the people are fundamentalrights for which all societies muststrive. In these most important indicesof life, Cuba leads even the powerfulUnited states.

None of what’s said here is to givewhat would be a false impression thatCuba is heavenly paradise on earth.What is certain, however, is that Cubahas to avoid the errors made in Russiaand the Eastern European bloc, whereCapitalism got a free rein and thesocieties became very inhumane. Thepeople’s safety net was removed, while afew became billionaires. Life expectancyfell and the people died in recordnumbers because of inadequate care bythe state.

The Cuban leadership must strike apeople- centred compromise as theywork to further develop their country.In meeting with officials, they speak asleaders with an understanding of thetask ahead. They proclaim theircommitment to meet and beat thechallenges.

Jorge Arias, the deputy head of theForeign Relations Department of theCommunist Party Central Committeesaid, ‘We are going to change everythingthat needs to be changed, because thesystem we are trying to build is toensure social equality for everybody.’ Heinvoked the words of Raul whoreportedly said, ‘The centre of theideological battle is the economic battle.’

Further in the dialogue, Jorge Ariasnoted ‘the problem is not the challenge,it is how we prepare to meet thechallenge. We acknowledge that thechallenges are enormous. The key isthat we know the challenges andunderstand that we cannot overcomethem with work based on schemes anddogma. So we are very confident inwhat we are doing.’

In Cuba, whether speaking with topleaders of the party or ordinary citizens,one sentiment becomes clear. Theyunderstand what president Obama’svisit means. The US government wasprepared to change its policy of blockageand aggression, but not its attention,which has always been to overthrow theCuban revolution.

Jorge Arias noted that the Cubanrevolution was fortunate to haveoutstanding leaders, but acknowledgedthat Cuba is going through a period oftransition. He offered this reassuringassessment as the current generation ofleaders prepare to take their exit: ‘Weknow if we don’t train our leaders,someone else will train them, and wecannot afford for that to happen.’

We can only say straight ahead tothis level of confidence, and wish theCuban revolutionary process muchsuccess.

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

“In order for small island states to fully

adopt STEM (Science, Technology,

Engineering and Mathematics) as a key

driver for economic growth and the

improvement to the overall standard of

living, science and its related areas

must be seen by all stakeholders as

beneficial to the future development of

the Region.”— Cave Hill Campus of the

University of the West Indies, Annual

Report 2014/2015, p. 135

DR. COLIN DEPRADINE is the Dean of theFaculty of Science and Technology at theCave Hill Campus of the University of theWest Indies. The faculty is comprised ofthe Department of Biological & ChemicalSciences, headed by Professor SeanMcDowell; the Department of ComputerSciences, Mathematics, & Physics,headed by Professor Upindranath; and theCentre for Resource Management &Environmental Studies (CERMES), headedby Professor Adrian Cashman. Dr.Depradine is ably assisted by Dr. TheaScantlebury-Manning, Deputy Dean, andDr. Jeanese Badenock, Deputy Dean(Outreach and Research). Together, theyhave designed and implemented curriculathat seek to convince the variousstakeholders that science does not belongto a specific section of society – it iscentral to every aspect of Caribbeansociety and should be used to advancehumankind. This overarching philosophy,and the passion that these professionalsbring to the institution, continue to pushthe boundaries of science and technologywithin the Caribbean region.

Based on the foregoing, it is notsurprising to observe that several of thedepartment’s initiatives have focused onvarious aspects of wealth creationthroughout the region, and how best topreserve and maximize the region’snatural resources while doing so.Marine science is understandably one ofthe areas that the department considersto be priority. The department hasfocused on solving many of the problemsin fisheries and marine science. Thishas involved, but not limited to,research related to the preservation ofmany of the endangered coral areas inthe region. This is not surprising, sincethe health of the regional coral reefswill have a direct bearing on the marinespecies (fish, turtles, etc.) that frequentthe area. There is wisdom in engagingand empowering the fisherfolk in theenhancement and preservation projects.After all, their livelihood depends on thesustainability of the marine ecosystems.In addition, their frequent visits to themarine sites make them ideal disciplesand monitors for the enhancementprojects. Over the years, the UWI hasengaged in programmes to empower theregional fisherfolk organizations. Thefisherfolk organizations in Barbadosand Dominica have been especiallyprivileged to benefit from trainingprogrammes that were specificallydesigned for their fishing communities.Such initiatives have been useful intaking knowledge beyond the walls ofthe university. They provide evidencethat the members of staff and thefacilities of this institution of higherlearning are being used for thebetterment of the region; protecting andenhancing the marine environmentwhile simultaneously creatingopportunities for stimulate and sustaineconomic activities in this sector. Thisis especially appreciated when we

consider the vast amount of ocean thatsurrounds our Caribbean nations.

The UWI continues to be at theforefront of research in the area ofwater resource management, climatechange, and renewable energy. TheFaculty of Sciences and Technologycontinues to forge links with public andprivate sector entities throughout theregion, as it seeks to minimize thenegative impact of climate change. Inaddition, it has formed strategicalliances with governments andinternational organisations to enhancepublic awareness in relation to howscience and technology can fuel andsustain economic growth.

Since the early 1990s, the Cave HillCampus of the University of the WestIndies has focused on advancingresearch in solar energy. Back then,Professor Oliver Headley constantlyreminded the governments and peoplesof the region of the need to invest inrenewable energy. He noted that, “Thesun will still shine when the oil runsout.” The department continues tofocus on designing solar devices thatwould aid national development. Weare encouraged by the initiatives thatthe members of staff and studentsengage in to encourage the use ofenergy-saving devices throughout andbeyond the campus.

Regional education planners andadministrators continue to encourageour young citizens to consider pursuingcareers in science, technology, andmathematics. It is heartening toobserve the number of nationals whohave pursued careers in thesedisciplines and now stand out as iconsin these areas. The first part of thisseries of articles identified severaloutstanding Caribbean nationals whohave made us proud — establishing aname for themselves and reminding usthat we do have the capacity to excel inin the field of science, technology, andmathematics. There is no doubt thatthe UWI continues to play a major rolein influencing the mindset of our peopleto this reality.

Many departments at UWI nowarrange to have “open days”, whenstudents from secondary schools canvisit their facilities and “get a taste” ofthe developments that are taking placewithin the walls of this nobleinstitution. Among other things, suchan approach allows the young visitors tobetter understand and appreciate theimportance of pursuing studies at thislevel. We wait with bated breath as weanticipate that many of them willemerge to join the noble band ofscientists and mathematicians that theuniversity continues to equip to have apositive influence on their communities,the region, and the world. Theywill carry the torch that will light theway into the future as the UWIcontinues to be a beacon of hope for theregion.

Send comments, criticisms &

suggestions to

julesferdinand@gmail.com

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016. 11.

ViewsVMr Imperialism comes to townThe University of the West Indies: A

Beacon of Hope for the Region – Pt 3

Science and Technology

AFTER 15 years in office in SVG, theincompetent ULP government is forcedto introduce a Zero Hunger Thrust Fund,to save the lives of thousands ofVincentians trapped in deep poverty andlacking enough food.

In 2001, there was no Zero Hungerprogramme in SVG. The introductionof the Zero Hunger Thrust Fund is aclear admission of failure by the ULPregime over the past 15 years. Itshows that they have managed theeconomy poorly, and failed to createthe jobs our people need to be able tofeed their families adequately.

The ULP’s economic policies havecaused many businesses to close downand many jobs to be lost. SVG is onthe verge of being a United Nationsfood aid state.

The ULP regime’s economicphilosophy is to run the country ontourism. After doing that for 15 years,the need for the introduction of theZero Hunger Thrust Fund shows that,not only does tourism fail to boost oureconomy, but the focus on tourismactually pulls down our economy.

The introduction of the Zero HungerThrust Fund shows the craziness ofthe ULP regime and their lack ofjoined-up thinking. In the 2016Budget, Gonsalves increased taxes onmany food items, including salt, sugarand other very essential nutritionalfoods items. These tax increases werean attack on the food security of thepoor, and will cause thousands morepeople to go hungry.

Now, the introduction of the ZeroHunger Thrust Fund has been set upto help the people whom the ULPregime has pushed into hunger. Onehand does not know what the other isdoing in the ULP regime.

There has been a massive increasein imported food under the ULPregime. This has made food far moreexpensive for our people, and pushedmany families into hunger. The failureto create systems to have more foodgrown locally, distributed locally andconsumed locally, is a major reason forincreased hunger in SVG. Until this ischanged, the Zero Hunger ThrustFund will be useless.

We must grow what we eat, and eatwhat we grow, to reduce hunger inSVG. This is the sustainableagriculture programme beingpromoted by the United NationsSecretary-General, Ban Ki-moon.However, the ULP regime is doingexactly the opposite by increasing foodimports.

A ‘Zero Hunger’ campaign wasintroduced in Venezuela too, and thatled to food rationing, which meanspeople can only buy two of each item,grocery thieves snatching people’sshopping bags, and chaos in thecountry’s food system. There is panicon shopping days, and a massiveshortage of food in shops in Venezuela.

Monday is one of only two dayspeople can buy groceries. If you don’tshop on Monday, you have to wait fourmore days to buy food. Many children

are kept out of school onshopping days, as theirmothers have no time totake them to school orcollect them, as theyspend all day standing inline at grocery stores.

Under Venezuela’s Zero Hungercampaign, government supermarketssell price-controlled food, making themfar cheaper than private stores.However, there is rising anger overfood shortages, and the strict rulesabout when and where people can buythings. Grocery shopping in Venezuelais a nightmare.

Can Vincentians expect foodrationing soon in SVG?

It is an insult to the people of SVG,for the ULP regime to have wasted onebillion dollars on the Argyle airportover the last 9 years, and then now,

allocate a few thousand dollarstowards ending hunger in SVG. Hasthe ULP regime only just realised thatpeople in SVG are going hungry?

After 36 years of independence, theintroduction of the Zero HungerThrust Fund shows that SVG hasfallen to a low depth. The lack of a fairtax system is a major cause of theperpetuation of poverty. The MustiqueAct and Canouan Act must beabolished.

SVG Green Partywww.svggreenparty.orgFind us on Facebook and Twitter

12. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016. THE VINCENTIAN

ViewsVGonsalvesÊ Zero Hunger ThrustFund – Is food rationing next?

by GODSON CAIN

EVERYONE will relish cheaperenergy anytime. Mr Eustace is onrecord of not supporting thegeothermal project, principallybecause our share of the ownership ofthe facility is not enough. He firmlybelieves that EMIRA is after VINLECsince they will have 80% of theinvestment in the project. Thestructure of the ownership should notmatter too much, because, left to us todo on our own, it will not be done. So,why can’t we be like the remora fishand attach ourselves to the jawbone ofthis shark, EMIRA? Obviously, whileit is grazing, we will be feeding too.We are wooing foreign investors. MrEustace’s argument is tantamount toscare-mongering: EMIRA has gobbledup Light and Power in Barbados, andis VINLEC next. Be that as it may, weneed the development of the energysource to power the nation. Let us givethem a chance. He advocates theremoval of VAT on all electricityconsumers, to give a boost to users.Sounds good. He claims that,according to his sources, SVG owessome $900 million to PetroCaribe.

This amounts to a contingent liabilityon our Treasury; becomes payable, if,by default, VINLEC is unable to pay.If this huge liability is overhangingyou, and one of the means available torecover the money is VAT, will youremove VAT off electricity? If yoususpect the shark, EMIRA, will gobbleyou up when it corners you, will younot take precautionary measures? Onesuch measure could be to use some ofthe VAT proceeds over the years, andset it aside to purchase increasingchunks of EMIRA. Mr Eustace seesthe emergence of EMIRA as akin toselling off the family’s silver. However,I find it quite inconsistent that theydo not want a foreign entity to haveany sort of dominance in our sphere;yet almost all of the capital projectsthey promise in their alternative,involve some unnamed internationalor global entities. Will this not begiving away the family’s silver?

Lastly, Mr Eustace contends thatthe Estimates do not give much hopefor growth and increased employment.Growth in 2015 amounted to 1.4%and is projected to be 2.2% in 2016.Ideally, a 5% growth target is adesirable one and can be reachablewhen the infrastructural servicesderivable from “go-for-growth” projectsget built into the production functionsof an increasing number ofenterprises. This will dispel the doomand gloom of Mr Eustace and theNDP. It will surely cast aside thenotion that nothing good is happeningin SVG. If you want a layman’sperspective on economic performancein SVG that is more reflective of whatgoes on in SVG, do or have done, anEconomic Performance Index (EPI),with four macro subcomponents:inflation rate, unemployment rate,budget deficit to GDP ratio andchange in real GDP. Go for it.

Budgetary Response:Reality Checks Final Part

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016. 13.

ArtsVBro. Ebony: The„Double‰ ManHE HAS DONE it again!!

Brother Ebony (FitzroyJoseph), affectionatelyreferred to here in hisnative SVG as ‘TheNothing At All Man’, haswon the 2016 NationalHumorous CalypsoMonarch Competition inTrinidad and Tobago forthe second year running.

He successfullydefended his 2015 title onSaturday March 19, at theGrand Stand, Queen’sPark Savannah, Port-of-Spain.

The Trinidad Guardianreported that BrotherEbony, appearing inposition 6 among afinalists complement of 9,earned “the loudest andlongest applause frompatrons for a delightfullyfunny selection, titled‘Still the Champion’.

And, the report said, hecontinued in this vein inthe second round with theside-bending ‘StupidPeople’.

Brother Ebony becameonly the secondcalypsonian to accomplishthe feat of winning back toback titles in theHumorous CalypsoMonarch Competition, theother being The IncredibleMyron B (Myron Bruce), ahat trick winner (2012 —2014), but who was notamong the finalists thisyear.

Second place and a$30,000 prize went to DrRhythm (Shawn McIntyre). He did‘Something about theTablet’ and ‘Eff’.

Calypso fans were morethan pleased to welcomeback 72-year old TheLoveable Lunatic, Crazy(Edwin Ayoung), to the

competition, and he didnot fail to impress fansand judges alike. Heclaimed the third positionand a prize of $20,000.,doing ‘Four Calls’ and ‘TheElectrician’.

Of course, calypsoenthusiasts will recogniseThe Electrician that datesback to 1972, the yearCrazy debuted inSparrow’s Original YoungBrigade (OYB) tent.

Readers will be pleasedto know that thecompetition allows for theuse of ‘a calypso of ahumorous nature thatcould have been performedprior to Ash Wednesday ofthe previous year’,

Winning fourth positionand a prize of $14,000 wasSpicey (Tammico Moore)for her offerings DChampion and Man inDat. She was one of twofemales in the finals, theother being Sexy Suzie(Natasha Nurse), who didThe Results Are In andHow To Keep Yuh Man.

Other finalists: MrNature (Michael John -Old Age and DumbWitness; • BrotherMudada (Alan Fortune) -Dog and Fries and DemJudges; Kid Kalaloo(Julien Hunte) - VictoriaSecret and Ah Cyah See;and Kaiso Knobby (CarlBarrington) - MarriageAdvice and Not Me.

Each of the finalistsbelow fourth positionreceived $8,000 for his/herefforts.

The annual NationalHumorous CalypsoMonarch Competition isorganised by the TrinbagoUnified CalypsoniansOrganisation (TUCO).

When the news of

Brother Ebony’s repeatvictory was relayed to aleading calypso enthusiasthere (name withheld onrequest), he remarked:“When are we going tohear some of Ebony’shumorous calypsoes here?Where has the humour inour calypso gone? Look,Ebony has to return toTrinidad to display hisskill. He could never do sohere, not with themessage certain peopleare sending out aboutwhat calypso is.”

Brother Ebonycontinues to ply his craft

in both Trinidad andTobago and his native St.Vincent and theGrenadines.

He is a member of theUpsatge Calypso Tenthere in SVG, and singswith the Klassic RusoTent while in Trinidad,where he is also involved,as a resource persons, inCalypso Workshopsorganised by the NorthZone of TUCO.

THE VINCENTIANextends congratulations toBrother Ebony on his mostrecent accomplishment.

Brother Ebony (Fitzroy Joseph) acknowledges theapplause from the audience after being crownedT&T’s 2016 National Humorous Calypso Monarch.(Photo Credit: Trinidad Guardian)

Vincentian wins VirginGorda Calypso titleVINCENTIAN Roland ‘Chico-B’ Veira is the newCalypso Monarch in Virgin Gordam British VirginIslands.

It was ‘Chico B’s’ first time in the competitionwhich was held on March 27 as part of the BVIAnnual Easter Festival, at the Festival Village, VirginGorda, named this year after honoree Ms. FrankaPickering.

Reports from Virgin Gorda said that thenewcomer, competing against four other finalists,captured the awards for best stage performance, bestmusical arrangement, best humorous performanceand best lyrics, with his songs ‘Thanks BVI’ and ‘RumPipe’.

The Monarch took home a prize purse of $4,000.First runner-up King Henry pocketed $3,000, secondrunner-up Falco $2,000, and third runner-up MightyLey-Ley $1,500. The other participant was MightyReddo.

The 2015 CalypsoMonarch, King Paido wasunable to defend his title,reports indicating that hewas still recuperating frominjuries sustained in a recentaccident.

Speaking with VirginIsland Platinum news afterthe results were announced,‘Chico B’ said, “I feel great.Hard work paid off. It’s agood feeling. I love VG and Ilove the BVI. I will competeagain and again…The songthat I loved most was“Thanks BVI”…This is myfirst time, and the truth isthat I love culture, I love tosing…I want to be part ofculture, that is why I enteredthe competition.”

Virgin Gorda’s EasterFestival was celebratedunder the theme,‘Celebrating 2016 with Class:A Festival of Pure Mas!’ (KH)

New Virgin Gorda Calypso Monarch, Roland ‘ChicoB’ Veira, told VI News Online 6, that putting thesongs together was not hard because he waswriting from his heart.

BY OVERWHELMINGLYpopular demand,especially in the face ofsimilar attempts thathave paled in comparison,the Singing With TheStars (SWTS) Island wideKaraoke programmereturns to SVG.

The sixth season,dubbed The CountryEdition, of the live andpost-televised karaokeprogramme, willcommence today, Friday1st April, at the CasaBlanca 2, located oppositethe Mt. Bentick Distilleryin Georgetown.

In addition to thosewho will make theirkaraoke debuts, patrons

to tonight’s opening canlook forward to seeing theHairoun Girls andinvolving themselves in aBeer DrinkingCompetition.Appearances by pastSWTS winners are alsoslated.

“The requests to bringback the programme havebeen fast and furious. Ihad to give in,” saidGeorgietha Nanton,founder, co-ordinator andhost of SWTS.

And Nanton has puttogether, as usual, a fullslate of preliminarysessions, leading up tothe usual grand finale, ona date still to be

announced.From Casa Blanca 2,

the SWTS cavalcade willmove to John’s Hideout inBiabou on April 9.

Thereafter, karaokeenthusiasts can lookforward to sessions at:River View Bar,Overland, on April 15; theTunnel View Bar inByrea on April 22; andMillers Bar, Sandy Bayon April 30.

The preliminary roundof this Country Editionseason will climax onMay 1, at FlashersGrocery and Bar inGeorgetown.

Among the prizes upfor grabs is a first prize of

$3,000.“Our aim remains one

of bringing out the greattalent within karaokelovers, especially thosewho never got the chanceto expose themselves. Weare expecting a night offun on Friday after such along wait,” Nanton toldTHE VINCENTIAN.

Winners of the SWTSKaroake through theyears have been: RohanMorgan — Season One;Marvo Morgan — SeasonTwo; Noveecha Toney —Season Three; JosetteJoseph — Season Four;Lenny Warren — SeasonFive — Special ChristmasEdition.

Singing with the stars returns tonight

Georgietha Nanton,founder, co-ordinatorand host of SWTS,said that she wasmoved by how muchpersons here missedthe karaokeprogramme.

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016. 15.14. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016. THE VINCENTIAN

16. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016. THE VINCENTIAN

NewsV THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016. 17.

AGAINST the backdrop of one confirmedcase of the Zika virus disease in St.Vincent and the Grenadines, healthauthorities have stepped up efforts tocontain and eventually eliminate theincidence of breeding of the aedesaegypti mosquito, carrier of the Zika virus.

In addition, a public awarenesscampaign has been mounted, andTrinity School of Medicine has joined inthat effort.

On Saturday 19th March, the Schoolengaged members of the RathoMill/Prospect Community Organizationin a sensitization session, at the school

campus.According to presenter Dr. Conrad

Nedd, the main objective of the exercisewas to provide information that woulddrive persons to take action.

Information imparted

Dr. Nedd’s presentation traced thedisease from its first appearance in theZika Forest in Uganda in 1947, throughto the spread of the virus worldwide,highlighting in the process the disease’ssymptoms, testing, initial assessmentand treatment, and preventive

measures.Emphasising the

incidence and attackrates of the disease, Dr.Nedd commented, “It isthought that in a wholepopulation, if there is anoutbreak, 73% of personswill become infected.”He, however, went on toexplain that, “There havebeen no reported deathsassociated with Zikavirus. Hospitalizationsare rare, and only in caseswhere patients haveanother severe illness like kidneydisease, for example.”

He outlined symptoms as: fever,conjunctivitis, headache and edema.The clinical illness, he said, is usuallymild, with symptoms lasting betweenseveral days and one week.

Dr. Nedd advised persons to employpreventive measures, since there are novaccines nor specialized medications fortreatment. Everyone should endeavorto reduce mosquito exposure byensuring that their breeding places areeliminated, he advised, and pointed tothe protection of infested persons fromfurther mosquito exposure during thefirst week of illness would serve toprevent further transmission. He alsowarned that pregnant women shouldconsider postponing travel to affectedareas.

An interactive discussion ensued, towhich Mr. Todd Lewis, SeniorEnvironmental Health Officer and

Supervisor of Vector Control Unitwithin the Ministry of Health and theEnvironment, and Mrs. NeekaAnderson-Isaacs, CommunicationsOfficer in that Ministry contributed.

When the presentation concluded,many listeners testified that theirimpression of the disease had changedso significantly that they were eagerlyready to take action.

Also addressing the gathering wasMr. Cecil Ryan, Chairperson of theorganization. He said that theenvironment has been an area of focusfor the organization.

“We have done many clean-upactivities,” he explained, “and we havenoticed that some persons don’t keepthe community as clean as it could be.We wanted to address these issues, andthe school has facilitated this request.”

According to Ryan, a widespreadclean-up activity is listed as the nextagenda item for his organization.

The Centre for EnterpriseDevelopment Inc. (CED), inconjunction with theBarbados Institute ofManagement &Productivity (BIMAP), willnext month host a two-dayseminar on EventsPlanning & Management.

The seminar is designedto develop and maximizethe full potential ofparticipants, and isscheduled to take place onApril 20 and 21 at the NISTraining Room.

According to CED’sTraining Coordinator,Keisha Phillips, theseminar will cover a widerange of event-specific andinter-related topics that willequip participants with theknowledge and skills tothink critically in the fast-paced event environment.

“This seminarwill examine a range oftheoretical perspectivesthat can be applied toimprove practice and enableparticipants to be more effectivepractitioners in Events Planning,Organization and Implementationwithin both their own organizationsand St. Vincent and the Grenadines ingeneral. It will also explore anddevelop critical employability skillsand industry knowledge in theorganization and planning of specialevents.”

Miss Phillips says, with more peoplebeing assigned the responsibility toplan and execute activities and eventswithin their respective organizations,

there is need for training.“Since CED and BIMAP

first collaborated in 2009 tooffer the Event Planningseminar here, we have seenone hundred and eighteen(118) persons benefitting fromour seminars, and we areconfident that this seminarwill help participants to bemore efficient in planningtheir organization’s events,and help set some persons ona promising career path inEvent Planning.”

Upon completing thistraining, participants areexpected to be able to identifyand co-ordinate the logisticalcomponents of eventcoordination, including butnot limited to food andbeverage management,human resourcemanagement, financialmanagement, etc; discuss theemergence of the eventindustry in the Caribbean,citing examples from acrossthe St. Vincent; demonstrate

an understanding of the importance of,and techniques used in eventevaluation; and identify thecomponents of a risk managementplan, and understand the purpose andimportance of contracts, permits,licenses, insurance and contingencyplans.

The seminar will be facilitated byBIMAP’s Kim Bascombe (BSc, MSc). Itwill run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.daily. Interested persons have untilTuesday, April 12th to register. Formore information contact CED’s officeat 451-2235/6 for more information.

L-R: Dr. Conrad Nedd, chief presenter, and CecilRyan, Chairman of the Ratho Mill/ProspectCommunity Organization, at the sensitisationsession hosted by Trinity School of Medicine.

Trinity joins Zika awareness drive

Events Planning/ManagementSeminar coming in April

Keisha Phillips,CED TrainingCoordinator,says the seminaris aimed at,among otherthings, helpingparticipants tobe more efficientin planning theirorganization’sevents.

18. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016. THE VINCENTIAN

EASTER MONDAY, March 28th, was aspecial day for at least two leadingpolitical figures here: Dr. RalphGonsalves, still in active service; andGirlyn Miguel, now retired from the dailychallenges of that endeavour.

The occasion was the 13th AnnualLove Fest of Faith Word Ministries,held at the Georgetown Government

School.The annual event, usually

characterised by a spirit of sharing,this year took on an added dimensionwhen Dr. Gonsalves, Prime Minister ofSt. Vincent and the Grenadines, andformer Minister of Education, Mrs.Girlyn Miguel, were recognised fortheir service to the people of SVG.

Dr. Ian Beache of Faith WordMinistries described the day as “agreat day,” having had an opportunityto “honour” two deserving nationals.

“It was indeed a good day spent inthe presence of persons worshipingand giving thanks,” Dr. Beache added.

In addition to the honouringsegment, the event also saw thedonation of food items, clothing andbooks and other school supplies to theGeorgetown Government School, theGeorgetown Health Clinic and the St.Benedict’s Day Nursery and Children’sHome.

Mrs. Paula Blake-Toney, Principalof the Georgetown Government School,accepted the donations on behalf of theinstitutions, and thanked Faith WordMinistries for their continuinggoodwill, in fulfilling their mission of‘sharing love throughout SVG’.

It was a special occasion for bothDr. Gonsalves and Mrs Miguel, bothrecognising the sincerity of thosebestowing the honours on them.

NewsV THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016. 19.

STUDENTS AT THELodge Village PrimarySchool and the Bishop’sCollege Kingstown arethe latest recipients ofassistance from the Ceciland Naomi BrowneMemorial Foundation.

Last month, March,Peronia Browne, onbehalf of the Foundation,made presentations ofreading material to thetwo schools.

The library at theLodge Village Primarybenefited from aquantity of books,including thesauruses,and the kindergartenclass received toys.

A number of non-fiction books were alsopresented to the libraryof the Bishop’s CollegeKingstown.

Representatives fromboth schools thanked theFoundation for thegestures, and guaranteedthat the books would beput to good use.

On making thepresentations, Browneindicated that theFoundation was happy tomake the contribution tothe schools’ reading

programmes, sinceher grandparents, inwhose memory theFoundation wasnamed andestablished, believedthat education wasthe foundation for astrong family andnation, and thatreading was the firststep in that direction.

She cited thedonations as inkeeping with theFoun-dation’s commi-tment to upliftingliteracy in St Vincentand the Grenadines, andanticipated that theFoundation will make

similar contributions toother institutions in thenear future.

Cecil and NaomiBrowne both passedaway in March 2014.

by SHINNEL FERARYSVGAM BursaryRecipient

On Sunday, March20, 2016, over 250people attended theSaint Vincent andthe GrenadinesAssociation ofMontreal Inc.’s(“SVGAM”) annualVincy Brunch, heldat Le Manoir inNotre-Dame-de-Grâce.

At the Brunch, four students werepresented with bursaries by theSVGAM. The recipients were:Shinnel Ferary - Kane & FetterlyBursary Award; Nathan Mills - Dr.Phyllis Conliffe Bursary Award;Vanessa John - Alfie Roberts BursaryAward; and Jamie Tamara Delpeche -Noel King Bursary Award.

The patrons spent the afternoonsampling delicious Vincy cuisine andbeverages, including callaloo andcowfoot, a bountiful buffet, sorrel,mauby, ginger beer, sugar cakes, cakeand ice cream.

For entertainment, artistes, who aremembers and friends of the SVGAM,performed singing and musicalrenditions of pop and soca music, all

receiving standing ovations.Door prizes were given throughout

the event. Funds raised will bedonated to the SVGAM’s bursary andgeneral fund.

The SVGAM’s Annual Brunch is awonderful opportunity to enjoy foodand entertainment alongside fellowVincentians and other members ofMontreal’s Caribbean communities.Despite our cold weather, we canalways feel the warmth of St. Vincentand the Grenadines when we celebratetogether.

Editor’s Note: The SVG Associationof Montreal is one of the oldestorganizations that group Vincentiansin the diaspora. In fact, it celebratedits 50th Anniversay in 2015.

Dr. Ralph Gonsalves accepts aphotographic impression thatcaptures what was described ascapturing a sense of his visionaryleadership.

Mrs. Girlyn Miguel (left)received a plaque ofrecognition for hercontribution to education asboth teacher and policymaker.

Faith Word Ministries honours two

Schools get donations

Ms. Peronia Browne (2nd from left) presentingbooks to Librarian at the Bishop’s College, in thecompany of students.

The presentation at theLodge Village PrimarySchool.

SVGAM awards annual bursaries

(From left): Bursary recipients Nathan Mills, JamieDelpeche, Vanessa John and Shinnel Ferary withMaurice Conliffe, Chairman of the Bursary Committee,and Alfred Dear, President- SVGAM.

Dear George,

MY GIRLFRIEND insults me infront of her friends, and treats melike a dog whenever we arearound her relatives. She has norespect for me, and whenever Italk to her about i, she repeatsthat she will never be able torespect me because of an incidentthat happened a long time ago.

I admit that on that occasion, I

was cruel to her; but that was twoyears ago, and I have since beggedher forgiveness. Further, I havemade every effort to make thingsup to her. Since that time, George,I have treated this woman like aQueen!

Sadly, none of this seems tomatter to her, and she continuesto insult me and make me feelless than a man.

Emotionally Crushed

Dear Emotionally Crushed,

There comes a time when youhave to let bygones be bygones.

If as a couple or a as a unit,you cannot let go of the past, thenit makes no sense making plansfor the future together.Unresolved (past) issues willsurely taint your future.

Her refusing to let go of thepast will only take yourrelationship into aperpetual circle.

If you are satisfiedthat you have doneeverything, includingseeing a professionalcounsellor, to correct thesituation, and sheinsists on takingpleasure in humiliatingyou in public, then youneed to move out andmove on.

An individual whohas difficulties forgivingand moving forward willnot be a good candidatefor marriage or the kindof life partner youdeserve to have.

George

20. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016. THE VINCENTIAN

AdviceVDear George,

MY HUSBAND has been acting verystrange as though he has somethingto hide. He was never like this, andhis behaviour is making me verysuspicious of him. I asked him aboutit, and he claims he is acting no waydifferent than before. I tried to showhim how far his explanation is fromthe truth, but he insisted that he isnot acting in any way strange.

Here are some things that havedeveloped. I am not allowed towash his clothes without hisconsent, so that he could emptyhis pockets before his clothesreach. He goes to bed with his

cell phone under his pillow, andwalks with it everywhere he goes,even to the bathroom and shower,and refuses to let me use it.

I know something is not right,and it is making me veryuncomfortable.

Unsettled

Dear Unsettled,

It can be a beautiful thingwhen a couple can be totally openwith each other and to each other.

Based on your description ofyour husband’s behaviour, it doesnot speak to him being very open.

As a matter of fact, as yousuggest, his behaviour gives theimpression that he has somethingto hide. Let him know that, evenif that is not the case, it certainlyappears that way. Perception,they say, is much greater than thetruth.

Having said that, it is also foryou to understand that hisstrange behaviour does notnecessarily have to translate intoany violation of the matrimonialrules on his part. In workingthrough this period, proceedcautiously.

George

Strange behaviour

Dear George,

MY WIFE is hell benton using contraceptivesalthough she knows Ihad a vasectomy someyears ago. I got avasectomy because shewas adamant that shedoes not want any morechildren, and to provemy love andcommitment to her.

But my wife insistson taking the pill, givingthe reason that shewants to be 100% sureshe cannot conceive,even though our doctortold her that it is notlikely that she wouldget pregnant anytimesoon by me.

A friend of herspinched me and told methat she is foolingaround with this guy.When I confronted her,she denied it. I believethat she is on the pill soas not to get pregnantby this guy.

The friend told methat she would give meevidence. As soon as Iget that evidence, I will

confront her again.How can I trust my

wife from here onward?

Let Down

Dear Let Down,

To suspect that yourwife is fooling around isdefinitely not acomfortable thought tobe carrying around.

I agree that it isbetter to await thisevidence (from herfriend) before youconfront her again, sinceyou do not want to rushto judgement and accuseyour wife of somethingof which she is innocent.

Perhaps you shouldconsider using acondom. This doubledefence (condom plusvasectomy) should helpher deal with herparanoia. This of courseis a measure you shouldemploy until you get tothe bottom of things.

In the meantime, getyourself tested forSTDs.

George

No needfor the pill

Going round in a circle

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016. 21.

LeisureVACROSS

1.Featheryneckpieces

5. Actress Theda9. Part of an

Encyclopedia set (abbr.)

12. Individual13. Functions14. Boise’s state

(abbr.)15. Household

helpers17. British bath-

room18. Groove19. They come in

last21. Honor –

thieves24. Drake25. Swab26. Car rental

company28. Wedding

vows (2 wds.)

32. “We kiss __Shadow” (2 wds.)

33. Metal fastener for

Rosie35. Pie __ mode

(2 wds.)36. Jonas or Lee38. Dough39. Sopping40. Heights

(abbr.)42. Kitchen

appliance44. Hang

around47. Elongated

fish48.Officeholders49. Glinda, e.g.

(2 wds.)54. Narc’s org.55. Cement56. Digruntled57. NNE’s oppo-

site58. Knitting

wool59. Requests to

Santa

DOWN

1.Future flower2. Lennon’s

widowYoko

3. Focus4. Severe5. Cigarette’s

remainder6. “__ Lay

Dying” (2 wds.)

7. Loners8. The “A” in

NBA (abbr.)9. Mean10. Skunk’s

secretweapon

ARIES (Mar. 21- April 20)Your anger may be impossible tocontain if you get into debates withfamily members. Anger could lead toproblems. You've been hurt before andcould be again if you don't play hard toget. You're likely to encounter newpartners if you take short trips.

TAURUS (Apr. 21- May 21)Take care that arrangements to spendquality time together are made inadvance. Make sure that you have allthe pertinent information before anyreprisals or making any moves. You willhave a great deal of insight whendealing with others. Travel will enhanceromance and adventure.

GEMINI (May 22-June 21)Go out with friends. You have beengoing through a period of change thatno doubt caused problems with yourloved ones. Don't turn down offers thatinclude sports activities or children. Godirectly to the source if you want toknow exactly what's been going on.

CANCER (June 22-July 22)Try to accommodate them withoutinfringing on your own responsibilities.You should get into programs that willenhance your appearance and help youto be the best that you can. Throwyourself into your work. You will be inthe mood to socialize.

LEO (July 23-Aug 22)Talk to an older, established individualabout your present situation. Makechanges regarding your friendships. Youwill have a problem holding on to yourcash this week. Self-deception is likely.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23)Insincere gestures of friendliness arelikely to occur. Secret affairs may onlycause complications in your life. Youwon't get the reaction you want fromyour mate this week. Children orfriends may try to talk you into lendingthem money.

LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23)Residential moves will be hectic andmay be unsatisfactory. You will be full ofgood ideas, and your choice of activitiesmay bring you enrichment far beyondyour expectations. You should look intoa healthier diet. Make changes regardingyour status in society.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22)Help elders in your family. Don't turndown an invitation or a challenge thatcould enhance your chances of meetingsomeone special. Your personal life willbe under the gun and you may want toavoid the questions your lover is goingto want to ask you. Stop telling othersabout your problems.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21)You could have trouble persuadingothers to accept your ideas andopinions. You may have a problemkeeping secrets. Concentrate on gettingahead financially and let your personallife settle down for a while. Yourdetermination and stamina will makeyour work look flaw less and effortless.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22.- Jan. 20)Your boss may be pushy. You may findthat purchases or entertainment couldbe expensive. Don't evade importantissues; you may find yourself backedinto a corner. You would be wise toconsider attending lectures that willbroaden your awareness concerningyour professional direction.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21.- Feb. 19)Think twice before you speak. Deceptionwill play an important factor inrelationships. Get on with business.Assist a relative or good friend bysetting of a budget for them.

PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20)Travel will promote romanticconnections. You need to spend sometime getting to know this person all overagain. Don't confide in anyone for thetime being. Outings with relatives orgood friends will provide you withstimulating conversation.

11. Cambodia’sneighbor

16. __ and spice

20. Go downhill21. Fifi’s friends22. “__ Lisa”23. October gem24. Female

opera stars27. Early record

player29. Morning’s

beginning 30. Fashion

designerCassini

31. Glut34. Tossed37. Kit __ Club

(“Cabaret”)41. Like Betty

Grable43. “He’s making

__...” (2 wds.)44. Kettle covers45. Smallest bills46. “I came, __, I

conquered” (2 wds.)

47. First garden50. Possessive

pronoun51. Extremely52. Wail53. “__ a Rebel”

LA

ST

WE

EK

’sS

OL

UT

ION

22. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016. THE VINCENTIAN

V THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016. 23.

FAST BOWLER KemronStrough will lead thenational Under 15 cricketteam, which will participatein the 2016 WindwardIslands Under 15tournament, scheduled forDominica from April 1 – 8.

Strough, of the St.Vincent Grammar School,believes the team, whichretains a number ofplayers who representedSVG in last year’stournament, will do well.

“I think the batsmenwill do good, after lookingat them batting in thenets, while the bowlersjust have to work up on

their bowling with morecontrol.”

Strough, recognizinghis dual responsibilityadded, “As captain andthe opening bowler, I willbe looking to take earlywickets and put theopposition underpressure.”

The young man pointsto Dominica as being thetoughest opposition, basedon last year’s performance,but assured that his teamwill not be taking any ofthe other teams lightly.

Head coach DeightonButler feels thepreparation also went

well. “We got a lot ofaccess to the nets, whichis vital, and we did a lotof batting and bowling.Apart from the specialistbatsmen, I believe the all-rounders will give a lot ofdepth to the unit.”

He highlighted that hehas been focusing onreinforcing the importanceof the basics at this leveland posited, “Once theplayers stick to the basics,I believe we will see someimprovement in theplayers and theirperformances.”

SVG has performedpoorly at the Windwards

Under 15 level over therecent past, and Butlerexpects an improvedperformance this year,given the retention ofmany players from lastyear, and the experiencethey will bring.

Strough will haveHandel Roban as hisdeputy. The other playersare O’Jay Matthews,Jahiel Walters, RomandoMars-Browne, DevornPeters, Desroy Hooper,Camarlo Cain, JerdonJacobs, Javid Baptiste,Zevron Bobb, DavianMatthews and DanielGonsalves.

Five reserves have alsobeen named in LukeWilson, Newton Browne,Dwayne Henry, AzarWilliams and CobyDaBreo.

Samuel Holder, who

managed the successfulWindward Islands U17last year, will travel withthe team as manager.

I.B.A.ALLEN

Kemron Strough,captain of SVG Under15 team for theWindward Islandstournament.

Left: Deighton Butlerunder 15 coach.

THE GEORGETOWNSECONDARY SCHOOL (GSS)stamped its dominance onsecondary schools volleyballhere when they retained titlesin the male and female divisionsof that championship.

Playing on familiar setting atthe GSS auditorium, lastThursday’s, title deciders werecarbon copies of what took placein 2015, and the results werethe same.

In a repeat of the female titledecider, GSS aced the Girls’High School 3-0 (25-16, 25-12,25-22).

The win by the GSS femalesmarked a hat trick of wins, thefirst female outfit to do so.

The St Joseph’s ConventKingstown won the first twocompetitions in 2012 and 2013.

In the male showdown, theGSS overcame arch rivals andformer winners, the GeorgeStephens Senior Secondary

(GSSS), also in straight sets,25 -10, 25-13, 25-8.

It was the fifth straight yearthat the two institutions werefacing off in the male finals.The GSSS had had hat trick oftitles from 2012 to 2014.

In getting to the finals, theGSS females as well as themales had beaten the West StGeorge Secondary in theirsemi-finals match ups, whilethe George Stephens Seniordefeated the Petit BordelSecondary in the male semi-finals, and the Girls’ HighSchool outlasted the ThomasSaunders Secondary.

The West St GeorgeSecondary gained the thirdspots in both categories.

The other competing teamsin the female division were theBishop’s College Kingstown, theIntermediate High School andthe George Stephens SeniorSecondary.

And, in the male segment,there were also the Dr JPEustace Memorial, CentralLeeward, the Intermediate HighSchool, Bishop’s CollegeKingstown and the Petit Bordel

Secondary. Presentation of

awards takes place on a date yetto be announced, thoughindications from President ofthe St Vincent and the

Grenadines VolleyballAssociation Alana Mc Masterare that this has been set forthe first week of the upcomingschool term.

OPENING BATSMENDevon Smith and LiamSebastien (captain) werethe top batsman andbowler respectively forWindwards Volcanoes, inthe just concluded WICBPCL four-day tournament.

Smith stroked 719 from8 matches this season. Hisefforts included 2centuries and 6 halfcenturies from 15 innings,with his highest being 127against Trinidad andTobago. He finished withan average of 47.93.

The Grenadian alsofinished with the secondhighest run aggregate inthe tournament, second to

Leon Johnson, the GuyanaJaguar’s captain, whomade 807.

Including his debutmatch in 1999 when herepresented theWindwards againstBarbados in the RegionalFour-Day Tournament,Smith, who last played forthe West Indies in April2015 against England inhis hometown St.George’s,

has played 175 firstclass matches andamassed 11,414 runs,including 27 centuries, 52fifties. His highestindividual score is 212made against Guyana in

2009, at Queen’s park,Grenada.

Liam Sebastien toppedthe bowlers with a haul of37 wickets from his 10matches. He finished 6thover all in thetournament, havingbowled 366 overs of off-spin for an average of26.40, and an economyrate of 2.66. In the processhe picked up 3 five wicketshaul, with a best of 7 for58 against Jamaica.

Following Smith in thebatting was his openingpartner Dominican TyroneTheophile who recorded atotal of 453, including 3fifties, from 10 matches.

His top score of 83 he leftfor the final game againstTrinidad that helped theVolcanoes to a 7 wicketswin. He averaged 26.64.

Sebastein’s fellowDominican, off spinnerShane Shillingford, wasthe second highest wickettaker with 34 from 7matches. He had 3 five-wicket hauls and one 10-wicket haul. He averaged25.58 with an economyrate of 2.82.

The Volcanoes finished5th in the six-team tablewith 64 points. Guyanaretained their title.

I.B.A.ALLEN

Devon Smith hit themost runs, 719, with 2centuries and 6 halfcenturies.

Smith, Sebastien: Top Volcanoes performers

Strough leads SVGUnder 15 Team

Liam Sebastien took themost wickets, 37.

Georgetown Secondary retain schools’ volleyball titles

Male champions of schools’ volleyball –Georgetown Secondary.

Three in a row for the GeorgetownSecondary in the female division of theschools’ volleyball competition.

by GLORIAH…

ST. VINCENT AND THEGRENADINES Customs andExcise Association, host of the41st Caribbean CustomsTournament 2016, were wellrewarded when they walkedaway with the majority oftrophies up for grabs.

A packed auditorium of theWest St. George SecondarySchool, where the ClosingCeremony was convened,captured the essence of thetournament’s theme,

‘Togetherness through Sports,Culture and Caribbean Unity’,as Customs Officers andsupporters from across theregion joined in camaraderiewith their host.

The visiting teams hadjourneyed to SVG, ‘Land of theBlessed’, to enjoy a rollickingweekend of brotherly rivalry,and partake in some of whatSt. Vincent and theGrenadines has to offer.

Teams participated in anumber of competitions firstlyat the Victoria Park, and

secondly at the Arnos ValePlaying Field for follow-upsand finals, all in anatmosphere of fun andfostering true friendshipsamong regional counterparts.

These games includedcricket, football, netball,basketball, and dominoes.There was also competition inthe walking race, march past,and at Karaoke.

Awards at the ClosingCeremony

SVG’s eight trophiesincluded first prize awards forcricket, football, netball anddominoes, and third prizes forbasketball and the walkingrace.

Barbados took top honoursin basketball, while Antiguaand Barbuda walked awaywinners in the walking race aswell as the march past.

In Karaoke, DebbieVillafana of Trinidad andTobago sang away to victory inthe Karaoke competition,followed by Ian Sealey ofBarbados and Ronnie Harrisof St. Lucia in that order.

On the strength of theirtrophy haul, St. Vincent andthe Grenadines wasannounced Champions of the2016 Caribbean CustomsTournament.

President of the localCustoms and ExciseAssociation, Mrs. Sandra Noel,told THE VINCENTIAN thatshe credited the greatperformances of the local teamto the fact that the gameswere staged at home, and allhands were on deck. “Beingthe host country,” she gushed,“we had the full participation

of many of our customs officersat home, unlike previous yearswhen many could not traveldue to financial constraints.”

She admitted that, whilehost countries are mostdisposed to becomingchampions, their resolve wasto “keep everything at home”,so they strategized to have fullparticipation in the majorsports.

With Guyana hosting thetournament next year,President Noel handed overthe tournament Flag to GavinLow, Head of the Guyaneseteam.

Low expressed his delight,saying, “We have hosted thetournament twice and havedone a splendid job. We havededicated staff and will ensurethat challenges areeliminated.”

He added: “We have tohave togetherness in theCaribbean, and thetournament is all about fun,sports, camaraderie. We wantto have the Caribbean peopleknow and communicate witheach other both attournaments and for thefuture.”

24. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016. THE VINCENTIAN

SportsV

Presentation of the trophy for theDominoes competition.

The Cricket trophy appropriatelypresented to SVG by Vincentiancricket umpire (retired) GolanGreaves (right).

The winner’s trophy for footballcollected by a SVG participant fromMr. Golan Greaves.

Time for the presentation of theNetball Competition First Placetrophy.

SVG Customstakes treasuretrove of trophies

Mrs. Sandra Noel hands over Tournament flag to Mr. GavinLow of Guyana.

A Section of the regional participants.

More CARIFTAMedals for SVG swimmersTHE BROTHER/SISTER combination Alex and ShnéJoachim created history when they copped medals at2016 CARIFTA Swimming Championships held inMartinique March 22nd to 26th.

They wrote themselves into the history book byensuring that for the first time, this countryproduced two athletes who captured medals at aCARIFTA Swimming level.

Alex Joachim, younger brother of CARIFTArecord holder Shné, swimming in his final year ofthe 11 to 12 age group, produced the mostoutstanding performance of a Vincentian swimmerat the CARIFTA level, when he copped silvermedals in the 50 and 100 meter breaststrokeevents. He is the first Vincentian to capture twomedals in any age group.

He finished a very close fourth in the 200 meterbreaststroke and the 200 Meter Butterfly events,and altogether, he swam personal best times in 6 ofhis 7 races, and broke two SVG national records.

Shné Joachim, swimming in the first year of the15 to 17 age group, captured a bronze medal in the50 meter Breaststroke.

She qualified for three finals, and in addition toher bronze medal, had two fourth place finishes. Inthe process, Shné set personal best times in allthree breaststroke events. This is the fourthconsecutive year that Shné has medalled atCARIFTA.

Shane Cadogan, swimming in the final year ofthe 13 to 14 age group, qualified for three finals,and was a close fourth position in both the 50 and100 Breaststroke events. Shane also had personalbest times in six of his seven races.

Nikolas Sylvester, swimming in the first year ofthe boys 15 to 17 years old age group, qualified forthe 100 meter breaststroke final and finishedseventh. Nikolas did five personal best times.

Aaron Defrietas and Cruz Halbich alsorepresented SVG in the pool events, and the latterteamed up with Tyrell Raggette to compete in the5K Open Water ocean race.

In a post games comment, President of the SVGSwimming Federation Stephen Joachim, observed“The CARIFTA Swimming Championships are oneof the pinnacles of Caribbean swimming, and thetop swimmers at this event can compete with topswimmers across the world in their age groups. It’sa very tough competition”.

The President also expressed disappointmentwith the refusal of the Government and theNational Lottery to lend any support to the SVG2016 CARIFTA swimming team.

The SVG 2016 CARIFTA swim team was led byCoach Kyle Dougan, SVG Coach of the Year in2013 and 2014,

The next national team event for Team SVG isthe Caribbean Islands Swimming Championships(CISC) to be held in the Bahamas, in late June2016.

The 26th annual OECS SwimmingChampionships have been awarded to SVG, and allthings being even, would be hosted at the newlyrenovated and expanded Shrewsbury AquaticCentre.

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016. 25.

SportsV

The SVG 2016 CARIFTA SWIM TEAM which, according to the SwimmingAssociation President, received no support from the State.

Double silver medalistAlex Joachim.

26. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016. THE VINCENTIAN

ClassifiedsV

REGINALD J. GIBSON

Dorsetshire Hill Evangelical ChurchSunday 27th March,

2016Service at 3:00 p.m.

CECILY YVONNE HAGLEY

Kingstown Methodist Church Wednesday 30th

March, 20163:00 p.m.

MISS NOLA SIMMONS

Pilgrim ChurchSion Hill

Wednesday 30th March, 2016

2:30 p.m.

RUPERT L. PHILLIPS

Mt. Caramel Spiritual Baptist

ChurchSunday 27th March, 2016

Service at 2:00 p.m.

ANITA ELLISKnown as

Catherine Bulze

St. Patrick Anglican Church

BarrouallieTuesday 29th March, 2016

3:00 p.m.

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016. 27.

FRIDAY, APRIL 01, 2016 VOLUME 110, No.14 www.thevincentian.com EC$1.50

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by DAYLE DA SILVA

GENERAL ELECTIONS arecoming soon.

This was thesentiment expressed bythe Leader of theOpposition, ArnhimEustace, last Monday ashe addressed supportersof the New DemocraticParty (NDP) at theparty’s annual beachpicnic at Sion Hill Bay.

“I come three and a

half months after theelection of December 9, Icome here not simply fora beach splash, but Icome here because I havesomething to say and Ichoose to say it here,”Eustace said.

He told supportersthat he will be givingdetailed informationwithin the coming weekson the plan of the NDPas it pertains to protest

action. Eustace added that he

and the members of theNDP were expecting aruling on the move tohave Elections Petitionsbefore the courtdisallowed, to come sometime this week.

He remained confidentthat the rulingwould go in theNDP’s favour, andas a result, thatPrime Minister DrRalph Gonsalveswill announce adate for the nextGeneral Electionsvery soon.

“What I amsaying to you thepeople of StVincent and theGrenadines, don’tassume thatelections will comemonths from now, it willcome in a short period oftime – petition or nopetition,” Eustace toldthose gathered at SionHill Bay.

“Our system dependson justice, and withoutjustice, you are not goingto have any peace,” hecontinued.

The NDP would not bebacking down, he said.

And he was adamantof that, and that theNDP did not want thecurrent Supervisor ofElections, Sylvia Findlay,or any of the otherindividuals involved inthe December 2015elections, to run the nextone.

According to Eustace,Findlay withdrew

statements she initiallygave in court (so) “wedon’t want her tosupervise any electionsanymore,’ adding,“Elections must be freeand fair, people must befree to make theirchoice,”

Eustace reiteratedthat, “The election wasstolen and we are notgoing to rest until thematter is settled in ourinterest.”

The opposition leaderand Political Leader ofthe NDP also paidhomage to those who hesaid have beencommitted to the cause,and have been turningup for the past weeks toshow their support to thecause of the NDP.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is aPress release from the executive ofthe St. Vincent and the GrenadinesBar Association, and is carriedverbatim.

The Executive of the SaintVincent and the Grenadines BarAssociation wishes to publiclydenounce the attacks made onthe judiciary in the wake of theDecember 9th, 2015 generalelections.

While respect must beaccorded to freedom of speech,and one is free to express one’sopinion on politics, thestatements and allegations whichhave been made against ourjudiciary leave much to bedesired.

The imputations go to the veryroot of the Rule of Law, and theSeparation of Powers, the veryindependence which the judiciaryhas always enjoyed as a facet ofour democratic and sovereignnation.

The system is such that,resident in its very structure, aremechanisms for the challenge ofa decision of the judiciary with

reaches as far as the PrivyCouncil. The Saint Vincentand the Grenadines BarAssociation urges all who areaggrieved, especially officersof the court, to employ thosechannels for the ventilationof any grievance, be it actualor perceived.

The public attack on thejudiciary, the manner andthe associated invective arenot only unbecoming, butseek to call our time-honoured system ofgovernance into disrepute.Our system of justice is bolsteredby public confidence, the attacksserve to undermine that publicconfidence in the judiciary. Wemust resist those efforts at allcosts; the alternative is topromote and engender a lawlesssociety where dissatisfaction witha decision leads to chaos andanarchy. We are to be guided andgoverned not only by legislationand rules, but also by acceptablecodes of conduct.

The executive of the St.Vincent and the Grenadines Bar

Association stands firm that themembers of the bench who areappointed by the Judicial andLegal Services Commission underthe aegis and auspices of theChief Justice, serve withintegrity, and without fear orfavour.

The SVGBA asks that thejudiciary be accorded due respectfor their decisions sansvilification.

Secretary SVGBAOn behalf of the ExecutiveVilification

‘ELECTIONS SOON,’SAYS EUSTACE

Bar Association condemnsattacks on the judiciary

Arnhim Eustace, Leader of theNDP, has predicted thatelections will be called heresoon, regardless of theoutcome of Election Petitionsbefore the court.

The NDP has refused toaccept the results of the Dec9, 2015 general electionswhich showed a 8-7 victoryin favour of the ULP.