southcoastnews

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Men Who Cook was a great success

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April 19 - May 9, 2010

• A community newspaper serving the parishes of Manchester and St. Elizabeth

2008 Press Assn. of Jamaica Double Awardee

•southcoastnews@yahoo.com

Manchester taxi crisis A pparently farming is not the only activity of choice for former bauxite work-

ers.

The ranks of Manchester taxi operators have swelled significantly following the lay-off of hundreds workers from the Windalco Kirkvine and ALPART bauxite plants which ceased production a year ago. Since then, there has been a flood of new taxis on the roads of the parish as the newly unemployed bauxite workers invest their severance payments in a motor vehicle for public transportation.

The public transportation sector has long been considered a cash cow for persons looking to invest in some kind of business. A number of them purchased vehicles which they drove themselves or gave to a third party to drive on consignment. But with so many persons moving in that direction, this has led to overcapacity in the local transportation sector, resulting in lower earnings for players.

Some drivers are reporting up to a 50% cut in the number of trips they make daily because of the increased activity on their routes. Paul, an owner/operator who plies the Mandeville- Mile Gully route, complains that he is hard pressed to see and profit from operating his taxi after he has paid off his car loan and serviced his vehicle.

“Bway yuh waan see, no money naa mek again inna taxi business,” he stated. Paul said that because of the number of taxis on the route, he is not able to make as many rips as he used to.

“It tek long fi load and sometime you have to leave wid all two passenger because dem waan come out a di car because dem haffi a wait too long.”

“Shatta”, another driver who travels the Mandeville to

NCU/Knockpatrick route, is dreading the summer holidays when students of the various campuses along the route are on holidays.

“Bway, mi jus a go park the car 'til September, because what deh pan the road caan buy gas an tire,” he laments.

He sees the influx of new operators as the primary cause of the decline in the number of passengers he transports on a daily basis.

David, who plies the Dunrobin route, believes that the Transport Authority is only interested in the money they collect from issuing licenses and spares no thought for the capacity of the infrastructure to accommodate increased numbers of taxis.

“Yuh caan even find anywhere to park on the stand,” he argues. “Dem just waan yuh $30 grand, then nothing.”

Although agreeing that licenses are difficult to get on certain routes, he believes that once you have your “links” you can get through.

Dog eat dog With no orderly 'first in first out' system of dispatch in place, it becomes a 'dog eat dog' situation, with the ability of each taxi operator to load his vehicle often determining the number of trips he makes.

This has lead to an influx of 'loader men' into the Manchester public transportation system, a factor that the local security force should monitor carefully, considering the experiences of places like Downtown Kingston and Spanish Town, where these loaders brought increased levels of crime and violence.

For persons driving a taxi on consignment, the stakes are even greater. Not only do they have to earn enough to feed their families, they also have to meet their obliga-

Taxi drivers jostle for a passenger inside a Mandeville taxi stand. tions to the owner of the car.

Perceived harassment by the police and Transport Authority are factors that some operators feel are affecting their ability to earn a living.

“Every minute the 'bway' dem a stop you an waan gi yuh ticket or tek weh yuh car fi the least little ting,” stated one driver who asked that his name not be used.

Fair criticism or not, it is noteworthy that over 200 infractions by taxi operators were reported in the first month of operation of the Manchester CCTV system, far outstripping other types of crime witnessed.

The driver also decried the time it takes to renew his road license and have his vehicle certified fit, claiming several days of lost business in order to comply with regulations, due to the inefficiencies in the process.

The competitive nature of the business often results in some drivers operating in a dangerous manner on the roads as they seek to complete a trip within the shortest time frame. To counter this type of behaviour, the Manchester Chamber of Commerce recently launched its Ride With Pride programme, which seeks to influence the way taxi drivers operate.

Under the programme, bumper stickers are placed on route taxis highlighting a number that members of the public can call to report operators who not only do bad but also

those that operate in an exemplary manner. Prizes will be presented on a quarterly basis to those drivers who demonstrate good driving habits.

With traffic congestion in Mandeville at an all-time high, the increased number of taxis on the roadways is a significant part of the problem, especially when they block traffic while stopping haphazardly to pick up passengers.

Taxis also park in unauthorized areas including shopping plazas, gas stations and paid parking spots,

which in turn prevents motorists from being able to find convenient parking, while robbing the Parish Council of vital revenue to assist with road repairs. This the drivers say is not their fault due to the lack of adequate spaces in the taxi stands.

However, some taxi stands remain underutilised as drivers refuse to pay the small fee attached to their use and choose to park along the roads instead, which also results in a cat and mouse game between infracting taxi operators and the police.

Shereido Carter

Celebrating World Press Freedom Day W orld Press Freedom Day is celebrated across the globe every May 3rd, representing an opportunity to commemorate the fundamental principles of press freedom and to pay solemn tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

The theme of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May 2010 is Freedom of Information: The Right to Know. Recalling Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that the fundamental right of freedom of expression encompasses the freedom to “to seek, receive and

impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers,” UNESCO's celebration of World Press Freedom Day 2010 will highlight the importance of freedom of information as an integral part of freedom of expression and its contribution to democratic governance.

Look at the special online feature “Defending Press Freedom” at http://www.america.gov/journalism-siege.html. It includes interviews and profiles of worldwide defenders of press freedom, articles and links:

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MANCHESTER & SOUTH COAST NEWS

April 19 - May 9, 2010

South Coast faces brunt B of oil exploration plans

ased on documents made public by the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ), most of the activities to search for oil off the Jamaican coastline will be centered off the country's South Coast.

The PCJ has invited formal bids from oil exploration companies to prospect in 19 offshore blocks and 4 onshore blocks as detailed on an accompanying map. This map revealed that these additional blocks are all located off the south-east coast of the island. Other blocks off the south coast have already been allocated to a number companies operating out of Canada, Australia and Hong Kong.

Environmentalists, tourism interests and residents are carefully watching developments as concerns mount over the effect that oil exploration could have on the natural resources of the coastline. Plans to explore for oil are taking place even as efforts are being made to increase the renewable energy generation of the area with the ongoing implementation of additional wind turbines in Manchester and St. Elizabeth.

The period for submitting bid documents closes March 1, 2011.

Editorial While we applaud government's initiative to make the registration of mobile phone SIM cards mandatory, we continue to query what progress is being made in relation to plans for a national ID card that was announced nearly two years ago by the Prime Minister.

With crime and murder figures continuing to grow rapidly, the enactment of a national ID system would go a far way in identifying the perpetrators of crime and could in effect result in as much as a 50% reduction in crimes; murders in particular.

Current technology makes it possible to create an interactive identification card with a magnetic strip similar to a credit card that can be used by police with a mobile terminal to quickly check the criminal status or lack thereof of the cardholder. Proper support services would allow a person's legal status to be updated in real time, so as to ensure that the information on the system is always current.

This card should be mandated for every Jamaican over the age of sixteen and should be required to be carried at all times. After a requisite grace period, any person who is stopped by the police and do not have their ID card in their possession, should be detained (I don't mean in a lock-up) until their card is presented or taken by the police to where the card has been left so it can be recovered and their identity confirmed.

With over $2 billion in outstanding fines for traffic

Commission of enquiry for Sugar Industry

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abinet has approved the terms of reference for the Conduct of the Sugar Industry Commission of Enquiry in the sum of $13.5 million.

The disclosure was made on April 21 during the Post Cabinet Press Briefing at Jamaica House by Minister with responsibility for Information, Daryl Vaz. The Commission is to be chaired by Professor Alvin Wint.

The Commission will review the industry's regulatory, institutional, cane pricing and marketing arrangements and will be instructive for the continued divestment of public sector sugar assets.

To date, two of five estates have been divested. The remaining are being restructured. The most recent review of the industry was in 1987, twenty eight years ago.

violations on the books, the police through this ID card, would be able to easily identify the offending persons and take steps to recover that substantial revenue for the national coffers. Persons who perpetuate social crimes like littering could also be brought to book, as many currently escape because the police is unable to confirm their identity or residence.

Persons should be required to always register their current address, which would also allow for effectively tracking the movements of criminals who often move around to hide from law enforcement. The movement and criminal activities of deportees could also be easily monitored.

This national ID should not be considered by government as another source of squeezing more blood out of already over-taxed citizens. No one should be able to claim financial constraints as the reason for not having an ID. Funding could instead be requested from one of the international agencies that have been assisting the country.

The argument will always be made that this kind of system would prove intrusive in people's lives and that government would have too much power. However, with no other plan seemingly able to stop the scourge of crime, I personally as a law-abiding citizen, am willing to suffer some small inconvenience for Jamaica to return to the wonderful place that my grandparents keep telling me about.

Quick action on this project as well as the long stalled DNA Bill, will make a dramatic difference in battling crime.

SOUTH COAST NEWS Unit 2- 10 Ward Ave. Mandeville, Manchester Tel: 305-0435 (Claro) 381-3564 (Digicel) 531-4785 (LIME) southcoastnews@yahoo.com

Editor Clive Williams Writers Howard Hendriks Shereido Carter Photographers Clive Williams Phillip Lemonte Carl Levy Jessica Williams Special thanks to the Jamaica Information Service

MANCHESTER & SOUTH COAST NEWS

April 19 - May 9, 2010

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Matalon urges lower tax rates T

he Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), in an on-going drive to disseminate information on its Economic Policy framework, hosted a breakfast forum in Mandeville, Manchester on April 20 at the Golf View Hotel.

The forum allowed members of the Manchester business community to hear first hand from the President of the organization, Mr. Joseph M. Matalon, his thinking as to what was the way forward for the country given the various local and international conditions that were affecting the business environment.

While addressing the various policies of government that affect the business climate and investment, Mr. Matalon made special reference to government's taxation policy, calling for the country's leadership to consider drastic cuts in the rates charged to businesses.

While admitting that the Jamaican government was initiating some level of tax reform, he lamented that this was being done in a "piece-meal basis". This Mr. Matalon explained, did not encourage investment as the present tax measures lacked "consistency, cohesion and balance". He suggest instead, that the country should move towards a tax system with as low a rate as possible, but with a wider base that brings more of the business community into compliance.

He also called for the removal of concessions and waivers, which would not be necessary if taxation rates were lower. This system of waivers and concessions he said, was highly inefficient and open to abuse. This, coupled with the complex regulations and bureaucracy involved in doing business in Jamaica, created a deterrent to new investors being attracted here.

The PSOJ President's Forum was sponsored by cable provider Flow in association with the Manchester Chamber of Commerce.

Persons in attendance at the Forum listen attentively as PSOJ President Joseph M. Matalon gaves his vision of the way forward for the Jamaican economy.

Keith Smith, newly elected President of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, welcomes Flow’s Denise Williams and Carl Bright of Scotiabank to the PSOJ President’s Forum.

(l-r) Mandeville Mayor Brenda Ransay, Flow’s Managing Director Michele English and Mandeville Councillor Sally Porteous in conversation at the breakfast meeting.

New benefits for N.H.T mortgagors

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peaking on April 29 during his contribution to the 2010/2011 Budget debate at Gordon House in Kingston, Prime Minister Bruce Golding announced a number of new and improved benefits for National Housing Trust (NHT) mortgagors.

The new benefits, he said, come against the background of the prevailing harsh economic climate facing Jamaica, and become effective on May 1 and July 1, 2010. Here's the overview: • Mortgage rates for all homeowners will be reduced by one per cent for persons earning from under $7,500 to over $20,000 weekly. That is, interest rates will move to seven, five, three and one per cent respectively.

• The new loan ceiling has increased by $1 million to $4.5 million for scheme units, open market purchases and build-on-own-land developments. For serviced lots, the amount has moved from $1.2 million to $1.5 million; construction loans have increased by $700,000 to $3 million; and home improvement loans from $1.2 million to $1.5 million.

• Mortgagors aged 55 and over, who are first-time applicants, will now benefit from a two per cent reduction in their interest rates. They must, however, have been NHT contributors for a minimum of 10 years.

• There will be a new subsidy programme, that will see the NHT allocate 40 per cent of its pre-tax surplus at the end of each quarter to provide subsidies to selected mortgage applicants who earn less than $10,000 per week, and who have contributed to the trust for at least 10 years.

• The requirement that applicants for scheme units must pay a minimum five per cent deposit, has been

discontinued. However, they are required to pay the legal and professional fees associated with the transaction.

• The interest rate charged on interim construction loans, has been reduced from eight to three per cent.

This has been done in order to spur growth in the construction sector. However, it only applies to twobedroom units that are built at a cost not exceeding $5.5 million, and studio units costing a maximum $3 million. These loans are for a maximum three years.

• There is to be a new deferred mortgage system for NHT contributors whose salaries make it impossible for them to buy a house. The applicant will be able to qualify for a mortgage equivalent to 60 per cent of the price of the house. The remaining 40 per cent will be converted into a deferred mortgage, which is to be repaid or refinanced at scheduled stages in the life of the first mortgage. This is a limited benefit and will apply only to 10 per cent of the units in any scheme, and will apply to scheme units only.

Property tax deadline extended

T

he deadline for the payment of property taxes for the 2010/11 period has been pushed back to June 30, to allow persons more time to make payments.

The Inland Revenue Department had originally set the deadline for April 30.

Director of Public Relations at the Tax Administration Services Department, Meris Haughton, is advising persons to take advantage of the extended period, to avoid penalties for late submission.

“Our computerised system will automatically apply a 10% penalty for all payments that come in after June 30, so we’re encouraging persons to take advantage of the additional two months to make their property tax payments.”

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MANCHESTER & SOUTH COAST NEWS

April 19 - May 9, 2010

MANCHESTER & SOUTH COAST NEWS

April 19 - May 9, 2010

Local TV content in demand on Flow S

o far, 2010 is shaping up to be a great year for local cable channels according to Flow, Jamaica's broadband provider of digital cable, digital landline and blazing speed Internet.

Sharon Roper, Director of Marketing at Flow revealed that audience research indicates that viewership of some local Jamaican channels is quite high. “Some are ranked in the top 40, in terms of viewership, on our network of over 250 channels”, she stated.

Unfortunately, other channels are simply not doing as well, Roper lamented.

“TEMPO, a regional channel that features Caribbean music and lifestyle, is actually ranked in the bottom 250 in our line up of channels”.

According to Roper, in addition to TEMPO's low ranking the Caribbean cable station has recently proposed a rate increase in its subscription fees. What this means is that Flow customers will have to pay more for their basic packages as TEMPO is offered as a part of the basic channel line up on Flow.

“This is really unfair to our viewers”, said Roper, “the majority of whom simply do not watch TEMPO. As such we have been forced to make a very difficult decision of removing this channel from our line up”.

Due to poor viewership and increased rates, Flow will no longer offer TEMPO on its network, effective April 1, 2010.

Flow continues to offer a wide range of local and international music and lifestyle programming.

Of the 22 local Jamaican and Caribbean channels offered on the Flow network, Hype, RETV, Negril TV and MDTV all rank in the top half of the most watched channels.

Flow is also proud of its local partnerships, Shaggy TV being one such example.

Flow will continue to look for interesting and innovative programmes that our viewers want to see.

“We have recently added two faith-based youth channels, Smile as a Child and JCTV to give our viewers more options. In the coming months we will also add additional channels so Flow viewers can look forward to more diverse and exciting content.”

Youngsters enjoying the view from the Black River bridge

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MANCHESTER & SOUTH COAST NEWS

April 19 - May 9, 2010

Jamaica submits bid for Carifesta 2012 M

inister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Hon. Olivia Grange, says Jamaica will bid to host Carifesta in 2012, which could be one of the highlights of the country's 50th Independence anniversary celebrations.

Speaking at a dinner/reception given by the Jamaica Trade Council of Greater Philadelphia, honouring outgoing Jamaican Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Anthony Johnson and Mrs. Johnson, Miss Grange said that Jamaica was "pulling out all stops" to ensure a successful bid.

"This will be a great way to highlight our 50th year of independence," the Minister told the audience at the function held at the Mid Atlantic Restaurant in downtown Philadelphia on Saturday, April 24.

She noted that a 50th Anniversary Secretariat has been established to begin planning for the event. The secretariat will have a committee which will focus on working with the Diaspora to plan a grand homecoming for Jamaicans.

She also extended an invitation to Jamaicans all over the world to start planning to be in Jamaica for this "grand once in a lifetime celebration" of the country's half century milestone.

The Caribbean Festival of Creative Arts (CARIFESTA) was conceived out of an appeal from a regional gathering of artists who were at the

time participating in a Writers and Artists Convention in Georgetown, Guyana in 1970 and which coincided with Guyana's move to Republican Status.

The three main considerations with regard to the staging of CARIFESTA are: * the Festival should be inspirational and should provide artists with the opportunity to discuss among themselves techniques and motivations * it should be educational in that the people of the Caribbean would be exposed to the values emerging from the various art forms * it should relate to people and be entertaining on a scale and in a fashion that would commend itself to the Caribbean people The first CARIFESTA was held in Georgetown, Guyana in 1972 and attracted creative artistes from over 30 Caribbean and Latin American countries.

CARIFESTA 2010 should have been held in the Bahamas but due to financial constraints the country's government decided to pull out of the festival. As a result the regional directors of culture took a decision to reschedule the event to June 2011 and invite interested member states to submit bids to host the festival.

So far no other country has offered to sponsor the festival.

The second CARIFESTA was held in Jamaica in 1976.

Splish splashing Kids cooling off at Pon Di River near Porus, Manchester

MANCHESTER & SOUTH COAST NEWS

April 19 - May 9, 2010

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Gov’t investing billions in water sector

Minister of Water and Housing, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang (left), making a presentation to 42-year employee of Hood-Daniel Well Company Limited, Clarence Morgan, for long and faithful service. Occasion was the company's 50th anniversary awards ceremony held on April 12 at the Golf View Hotel in Mandeville.

A

ccording to Minister of Water and Housing, Dr. Horace Chang, the Government has committed billions of dollars to the water sector as it looks to develop the island's water resources and improve on existing infrastructure.

Dr. Chang, who was speaking at Hood-Daniel Well Company Limited's 50th anniversary awards ceremony on April 12 at the Golf View Hotel in Mandeville, informed that an investment framework has been put in place to ensure that the country does not go back to a situation where the water infrastructure is underdeveloped and deteriorated.

Dr. Chang said that Jamaica has sufficient water to serve the population but needs investment to develop the water resources for distribution.

He pointed out that there was enough water on the north coast to supply the rest of the country, while on the south coast, the water there could supply all of St. Elizabeth and Manchester and much more of Jamaica. “What we have to do over the next few years, is to put in the funding that is required to develop the water resources," he stated.

$500M for Mandeville water "We have committed nearly $30 billion to be invested in water, which is a major chunk of money.

We intend to restore the urban areas, which include Mandeville, with adequate supply of water, and to increase access to rural Jamaica from under 50 per cent to about 65 per cent in a 36-month period," he said.

In that respect, a $500-million programme scheduled to start in the final quarter of 2010 should effec-

water into Mandeville and surrounding communities.

He further revealed that plans are underway to increase the number of wells in sections of the island.

"We have focused on wells because there has been no sign of any fall in the aquifers as far as water is concerned," he stated.

An aquifer is an underground bed or layer of permeable rock, sediment, or soil that yields water for wells and springs.

In the meantime, the Minister noted the importance of access to potable water for the development of communities. "Access to potable water is a good indicator of the quality of life in a country, and maybe the most essential element in the development process," he stated.

"If you put water in a rural district, you will find that returned residents will go back there to build their homes and what they bring with them lifts the quality of life in a community."

The Water Minister commended Hood-Daniel Well Company for 50

Mr. Morris accepting an award on behalf of St. Thomas Sugar Company

Robert Lewis receiving a long service award for 19 Years of Services

years in the well-drilling business, and supplying tractors and waterrelated accessories.

"The well drillers play a critical role," Dr. Chang said. "They are highly skilled individuals and they should have our respect. The company has provided a critical service, one that we need more of. It is good to see how you have stuck together, and have developed your skills," he added.

Delroy Stockhausen receiving a Long Service Award for 15 Years of Service

Awardees at the Hood-Daniel Well Company.s 50th Anniversary celebrations

tively correct Mandeville's long standing water problems and provide adequate supplies for the development of the parish's business and housing development over the next several years.

This would include the opening of two additional wells at Pepper in St Elizabeth which provides supplies to Mandeville along with what obtains from Porus in the parish.

Improvements to distribution systems, including the replacement of pipes and pumps are also on the cards. This should bring an additional six million gallons of potable

Got News? email us at: Hon. Horace Chang talking with Hood-Daniel's Managing Director

southcoastnews@yahoo.com

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MANCHESTER & SOUTH COAST NEWS

April 19 - May 9, 2010

Windalco workers wonder when

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ith news coming that sister plant in Ewarton, St. Catherine will reopen in June, recently laid off workers of the Windalco plant at Kirkvine, Manchester are keeping fingers crossed that world economic conditions will allow the timely resumption of operations at their former employer.

Russian conglomerate UC Rusal which owns both plants, has announced plans to reopen its Ewarton plant in June - six months ahead of schedule - on a partial level of production.

Windalco made 762 permanent employees redundant on March 3, a year after suspending operations at the Kirkvine, Manchester and Ewarton, St Catherine refineries due to a fall in demand for aluminum on the world market.

Jamaica's Bauxite/alumina industry was the sector most hard-hit by

the global recession. Three of the five plants operating in Jamaica ceased operations in 2009 removing 42% of the capacity within the industry. Total bauxite exports (incl. bauxite equivalent alumina) declined by 45%. However, while the re-opening of Windalco Ewarton augers well for the local mining industry, earnings from alumina will likely stay down for 2010. The plant will increase Jamaica's alumina capacity for 2010 by 23 per cent.

Windalco Ewarton is expected to produce 321,000 tonnes of alumina production in the second half of 2010 from its 650,000-tonne capacity.

With a great deal of idle capacity across the world, and Jamaican plants being numbered among the least efficient, the Kirkvine and ALPART (St. Elizabeth) plants could be among the last to be reactivated.

On the positive side, there is talk of plans to adapt Kirkvine - the oldest and the least efficient of Jamaica's bauxite plants, to produce chemical grade alumina instead of the more energy-consuming metal grade product.

Also, the government is reportedly close to selecting a contractor to supply Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) to the bauxite plants, which would have the effect of cutting the energy costs for producing bauxite/alumina in Jamaica by two-thirds. These steps are promising and could help revive and make Jamaica's bauxite/alumina more efficient in the medium term.

In the short term, the former workers of Kirkvine can only hope that world aluminum demand and prices increase to a point where operating that facility would become profitable and lead to its speedy reopening.

UK Diaspora prepares for Jamaican conference T

he Jamaican Diaspora UK is preparing for the Biennial Jamaican Diaspora fourth Conference, which will be held in Ocho Rios from June 14 to 17 this year.

A special pre conference meeting was held by the group last weekend in Birmingham, to discuss a range of topics and issues that will form part of the UK group's input on the agenda.

Diaspora Advisory Board member, Mrs. Celia Grandison Markey, told JIS News that the meeting, which included a number of specialist workshops, was held to ensure that Jamaicans in the United Kingdom (UK) had an input into the Jamaican convention.

"The general idea is to ensure that Jamaicans in the UK have an input into the convention and to identify more readily with the Diaspora movement, with the conference and to see that they too can have a say in shaping the future (of the movement) and future conferences," Mrs. Grandison Markey said.

The one-day meeting also reviewed the conference agenda, and discussed the nomination process for the Advisory Board members. The workshops focused on youth involvement, the accountability of Regional Coordinators and looked at recommendations for ensuring

the financial stability of the UK group.

Mrs. Grandison Markey said one topic on which more time should be devoted was encouraging entrepreneurship among the younger members of the Jamaican Diaspora.

She said there were many aspiring young businessmen and women within the Diaspora and that the conference should engage them and highlight their work, encourage and offer assistance to them.

Acting Jamaican High Commissioner, Ms. Joan Thomas Edwards, said this year's conference, which for the first time is being held outside of Kingston, is taking place at a time when Jamaica is seeking to find a response to the global financial crisis.

Ms. Edwards said that the Government has put plans in place to steer the country out of this crisis, and that "partnership with our nationals overseas is critical to the process."

She said the UK Diaspora must continue its efforts to establish an effective lobby group to influence issues of concern to Jamaica and Jamaicans in the UK. The Acting High Commissioner also urged Jamaicans in the UK to participate in the upcoming British national elections.

MANCHESTER & SOUTH COAST NEWS

April 19 - May 9, 2010

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The Americas moving forward on clean energy nership. ECPA is a voluntary mechanism through which all Western Hemisphere governments may lead multi-country energy initiatives.

Five countries in the region Brazil, Canada, the United States, Mexico and Venezuela - are among the 20 largest producers of world reserves of fossil fuels. Yet, OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza said in an address to attendees, 40 million people there still have no access to electricity.

This, he said, “translates into inefficient sanitation, weak education systems and the inability to develop productive, income-generating activities.” He warned that problems caused by climate change would exacerbate the challenges.

Wind turbines in rural South Manchester.

The 40th Anniversary Earth Day was celebrated on Thursday April 22, 2010 The Energy and Climate ductive discussions,” Chu said April

By Cheryl Pellerin

M

ore than 30 energy ministers and delegates from 32 Western Hemisphere countries spent two days in Washington DC discussing collaborative approaches to a lowcarbon future and new partnerships that will help address clean energy and energy security concerns in the region.

Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) meeting was co-hosted April 15-16 by the U.S. departments of State and the Inter-American Energy, Development Bank and the Organization of American States (OAS). U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu convened the meeting.

“We've had two days of very pro-

16 as the meeting ended. “There's widespread agreement that we need to move forward with a clean energy agenda for the Western Hemisphere.

Together we reaffirmed the need to promote clean energy development and deployment, enhance energy security, and fight energy poverty through individual and collective actions among governments, the private sector and civil society.”

The meeting is the latest in a series of gatherings that began in April 2009 at the Fifth Summit of the Americas, held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. There, President Obama invited all countries of the Western Hemisphere to join in an energy and climate part-

Growing co-operation On April 15, Chu announced new projects that include efforts to advance electricity interconnections in the Caribbean, support biomass development in Colombia, promote earthquake-resistant energy infrastructure, and create an Energy Innovation Center at the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) to expand project development and financing.

“Dozens of countries from across the Americas have come together today to promote clean energy future for our hemisphere,” Secretary Chu said. “By expanding our cooperation and collaboration on key energy and climate issues, we will lay a foundation for broadbased economic growth while helping to protect our environment.”

The initiatives include: • Caribbean Electrical Grid Interconnection: The Department of Energy will provide technical sup-

port, including hosting a workshop, to begin exploring the potential for a Caribbean-wide transmission system that would give the region access to electricity from renewable energy sources.

• Innovation Center: DOE and IDB will coordinate resources for regional projects and activities in the center. It is the latest in a series of Regional Clean Energy Centers throughout the hemisphere, including a Costa Rican Energy Efficiency Training Center, a Wind Center in Mexico, an Energy Efficiency Center in Peru, and a Renewable Energy Center in Chile.

• Biomass Resources in Colombia: Under its Low Carbon Communities of the Americas initiative, DOE announced a project to develop a technological plan for power generation through heating sugarcane and palm residues at very high temperatures.

• Earthquake Preparedness: In response to recent earthquakes in Haiti, Chile and Mexico that highlighted vulnerabilities to energy infrastructure, DOE will host an earthquake preparedness workshop, bringing together leaders in the region to hear from experts, including U.S. national laboratories.

• DOE and Argentina's Ministry for Federal Planning, Public Investment and Services signed a memorandum of understanding that promotes cooperation between DOE and the Argentine Energy Secretariat on clean-energy technologies.

(This is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://www.america.gov)

Concession stand now available to applicants at U.S. Embassy

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n keeping with its mandate to better serve its customers, the U.S. Embassy in Kingston is pleased to announce that Caribbean Vibes has been selected as concessionaire for the Consular Section.

Visitors to the Section, whether for U.S. Passports, visas or other consular services, now have a new option for quenching their thirst and satisfying their appetite.

The concession stand, is located in the embassy's courtyard, just outside

the consular waiting room and provides light snacks including banana chips, granola bars, freshly made muffins, and a variety of juices.

Commenting on the new concession stand, David Stone, Consul General at the U.S. Embassy said, “We are always looking for ways to make the visa application process as convenient for the applicants as possible. We are very happy that we are able to provide this service for our customers. We will continue to find ways to make the consular process at

the American embassy as transparent as possible so that applicants are as well prepared as possible and know what to expect when they visit us.”

The concession stand is being operated by Kingston-based Caribbean Vibes. Managing Director Bevon Morrison expressed her delight over the new project, saying, “This provides an outstanding opportunity to serve the Jamaican people with good, old-fashioned American and Jamaican hospitality.”

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MANCHESTER & SOUTH COAST NEWS

April 19 - May 9, 2010

A black day in Black River

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s you take a relaxing ride up the Black River on one of those popular river safari tours, spare a thought for those who lost their lives two hundred years ago in an incident that has gone down in infamy.

The British ship Zong, out of Liverpool, sailed from Africa en route to Jamaica on September 6, 1781.

A slaver, it had taken on more captive Africans than it could safely transport. Three months into

a journey that was plagued by bad weather and inept navigation, this overcrowding together with malnutrition and disease, led to the death of seven of the crew and approximately sixty captives.

When he realized the dire situation he faced, the captain of the ship one Mr. Luke Collingwood, decided to lighten the load. Back in those days, Africans captured into slavery were considered to be property, rather than human beings and the captain found himself with a large number of dying 'cargo' on his hands. If he delivered them and they died onshore, the Liverpool ship-owners would have no compensation, but if they died at sea they were covered by the ship's insurance.

In the law of the times, as cargo, slaves were covered by the "jettison clause", which covered the loss of this human cargo at £30 a head. In what became known as the Zong Massacre, Collingwood called his officers and proposed that the sick slaves should be thrown overboard.

Although the First Mate James Kelsall initially voiced his opposition, the plan was eventually agreed, and so, over three days in the mid Atlantic Ocean, 122 sick human beings were thrown over the side: 54 on November 29, 42 on November 30 and 26 on December 1. Another ten, in a display of defiance at the inhumanity of the slavers, threw themselves overboard and, in the words of a contemporary account, "leaping into the sea, felt a momentary triumph in the embrace of death."

When the ship arrived in port at Black River, St. Elizabeth, it was claimed that the slaves had been jettisoned because it was required "for the safety of the ship" as the ship did not have enough water to keep them alive for the rest of the voyage. This claim was later disproved as the

ship had 420 gallons of water left when it arrived in Jamaica on December 22.

The ship's owners filed an insurance claim, but the insurers disputed it, backed by the evidence of the First Mate. In the court case, even with the First Mate's testimony that the ship had plenty of water and Jamaica was near, the court sided with Collingwood and the owners. The insurers appealed.

The Solicitor General for England and Wales,

A storyboard about the Zong Massacre was unveiled in 2007 by Black River Mayor, Jeremy Palmer (left)

John Lee notoriously declared that "the case was the same as if horses had been thrown overboard" but Chief Justice Lord Mansfield ruled that the ship-owners could not claim insurance on the slaves because the lack of sufficient water demonstrated that the cargo had been badly managed.

No officer or crew were charged or prosecuted for the deliberate killing of those 133 persons.

Indeed, John Lee, declared that a master could drown slaves without "a surmise of impropriety".

He stated, “What is this claim that human people have been thrown overboard? This is a case of chattels or goods. Blacks are goods and property; it is madness to accuse these well-serving honourable men of murder. They acted out of necessity and in the most appropriate manner for the cause. The late Captain Collingwood acted in the interest of his ship to protect the safety of his crew. To question the judgement of an experienced well-travelled captain held in the highest regard is one of folly, especially when talking of slaves. The case is the same as if wood had been thrown overboard.”

Wow.

MANCHESTER & SOUTH COAST NEWS

April 19 - May 9, 2010

11

PM briefs new J’can ambassador to the US

N

Prime Minister Bruce Golding in discussions with Jamaica's Ambassador Designate to the United States of America, businesswoman Audrey Marks during her courtesy call on him at Jamaica House on April 22. PM Golding has urged her to help identify more investment opportunities between Jamaica and the US.

ew areas for investments between Jamaica and the USA, will be one of the major assignments for Ambassador-designate to that country, Audrey Marks.

Prime Minister Golding has mandated Ambassador Marks to identify ways of improving the network with both the Jamaican and US business entities across the US. He has also urged her to encourage US citizens of Jamaican extraction to assert their political power by becoming more involved in what is taking place around them and to make their votes count.

“This is something I have been encouraging Jamaicans to do, in much

the same way that Jamaicans in the UK have done”, Mr. Golding said.

Ambassador-designate Marks paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Bruce Golding at Jamaica House on April 22, during which several priority areas of co-operation between both countries were discussed.

Mr. Golding said far more needs to be done to encourage investments between Jamaica and the US because that country is still the place to look to for the bulk of investments.

Ambassador-designate Marks is expected to leave to take up her assignment early next month.

Labour Day 2010 to focus National Contracts Commission gets new Chairman on children M T he Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, the Honourable Olivia Grange, MP has said that the Government's decision to select the nation's children as the focus of this year's Labour Day provided “an opportunity for the country to re-affirm our commitment to our children and to demonstrate to them how much they mean to us.”

Minister Grange was speaking at the launch ceremony for Workers' Week and Labour Day on April 29 at the Half Way Tree Transport Centre, where she provided an overview of the Government's plan for this year's observance under the theme, “Our Children... Show Them We Care.”

Minister Grange said that the Labour Day Planning Committee had increased collaboration with the Parish Councils, the KSAC and the Portmore Municipality and that there would be 14 projects for national focus this year with strong support of the municipal authorities.

“As part of our commitment to increasing participation of citizens, especially at the community level, this year we take a different approach with the National Projects. We will have 14 projects for national attention, twelve (12) parishes and one for each Municipal body - KSAC and Portmore.”

“The National Planning Committee has been and, will continue, working closely with Government Agencies as well as those working with children, Parish Councils, Parish Committees and Members of Parliament in each parish, to decide on the project of national focus in the parish and to see to its success.”

This year, Labour Day will be observed on Monday, May 24, 2010.

People can register their Labour Day projects at their Parish Council, the Social Development Commission, the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, and the National Labour Day Secretariat at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture.

r. Raymond Anthony St. Elmo McIntyre has been appointed by His Excellency, the Governor General, Sir Patrick Allen as the new Chair of the National Contracts Commission (NCC).

He replaces the Hon. Shirley Tyndall, OJ, who resigned from the position effective February 1, 2010.

The appointment took effect on April 16, 2010.

Mr. McIntyre, who will serve as the Chair of the NCC until May 16, 2013, is a Registered Architect, a Fellow of the Jamaican Institute of Architects, Chairman of the Architects Registration Board and Managing Director of APEC Consultants Ltd., a major project planning, design and management firm.

A graduate of Jamaica College, he holds the B.Arch. and M.A. degrees from the University of Sheffield.

Mr. McIntyre, who has previously served as a NCC Commissioner between 1999 and 2006, has also rendered several years service as a public official in the Ministry of Works in the respective capacities of Architect, Executive Architect, Senior Executive Architect and Chief Architect.

In keeping with the provisions which are contained in Section 1 (a) (i) of the Third Schedule to the Contractor General Act, Mr. McIntyre was appointed by the Governor General from a panel of three (3) candidates who were selected by the Contractor General.

The NCC, which is a statutory commission, is composed of a panel of eight (8) members, all of whom are appointed by the Governor General.

The NCC's principal objectives are the promotion of efficiency in the process of the award and implementation of government contracts and ensuring transparency and equity in the awarding of contracts. It is primarily responsible for reviewing, evaluating and endorsing, all recommendations for the award of Government contracts which are over $10 Million in value which emanate from the country's more than 190 Procuring Public Bodies.

The NCC is also responsible for registering contractors who are desirous of bidding on Government contract and tendering opportunities which are over $275,000 in value.

The body was established in 1999 via an amendment to the Contractor General Act.

Gov't ponders flat tax rate South East St. Elizabeth for MSME sector

M

inister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Audley Shaw, has said that Cabinet will meet soon to consider the proposal to introduce a flat tax for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

The Minister, who was closing the 2010/11 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on April 21, said that the move aims to address concerns regarding the ease of paying taxes and tax compliance among small business operators.

"The Government believes that supporting MSMEs and investing in our entrepreneurs is the way to grow

the economy. It is against this background that Government has concentrated heavily on creating an enabling environment for MSMEs to flourish and unlock their potential," he stated.

The measure is expected to complement the increased loan facilities announced by Prime Minister, Hon. Bruce Golding for the sector, which would be made available through the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ).

The DBJ will now have an additional $2 billion to lend to small business operators.

communities get electricity R esidents of six communities in South East St. Elizabeth have much to rejoice about as electricity service came to their communities on Friday April 16.

The electrification of the six communities: Bull Savannah, Top Hill (Down Country), Rose Hall (Wood Hall), Neif Mountain, Mount Pleasant and Ivor Cottage, was undertaken by the Rural Electrification Programme (REP) through $11.2 million in funding

from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

Member of Parliament for the constituency, Mr. Franklyn Witter, speaking at the official lighting ceremony in Ivor Cottage, said that there are plans in place to switch bring service to other areas.

"I have other projects like these in the constituency; those lights will be turned on in another two weeks or so," he said.

He told the residents that the electrification of their communities will

New Boards approved by Cabinet

C

abinet endorsed several board appointments in April to continue to give oversight to public sector organizations and committees.

The following appointments were announced by Minister with responsibility for Information, Daryl Vaz at the Post Cabinet Press Briefing on April 21.

• The Chase Fund, Chairman, Mr. Phillip Henriques; • Kingston Freezone Limited, Chairman, Mr. Neil Seaton; • Montego Bay Freezone, Mr. Neil Seaton; • The Fair Trading Commission, Mr. Derrick McKoy; • Jamaica National Accreditation Agency, Mr. Simon Roberts; • Standards Council - Bureau of Standards Jamaica, Chairman, Dr. Artnel Henry; • National Environment and Planning Agency; Ms. Shirley Williams • Natural Resources Conservation Authority; Ms. Shirley Williams • Town and Country Planning Authority, Ms. Shirley Williams.

Have interesting news about your community?

Email us at: southcoastnews@yahoo.com enhance economic activities as well as increase the value of their properties.

"It is going to make your life better not only in relation to the service that you will get from the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) but in terms of the economic development that will flow as a result of having electricity in your community," he noted.

A total of 17 communities across St. Elizabeth have received electricity in recent times.

12

MANCHESTER & SOUTH COAST NEWS

April 19 - May 9, 2010

COK Credit Union H.E.L.P.S Manchester T

Mrs. Jacqueline Mighty, CEO, of COK Sodality Co-op Credit Union. welcoming members to the H.E.L.P.S seminar

COK Sodality members receiving their Recession Help Kits from

he COK Sodality Credit Union is hosting a series of seminars at their branches islandwide.

Entitled Helping through Empowerment, Learning & Practical Steps (H.E.L.P.S), the seminars are geared towards empowering members of the Credit Union to manage effective through recession conditions.

The local leg of H.E.L.P.S was held at the Mandeville branch of COK Sodality on April 28. Presenters provided insightful information on a number of factors affecting economic and spiritual well-being.

Mr. Kirkland Anderson, Assistant Professor of Managerial Economics at Northern Caribbean University (NCU), explained the workings of the financial market and the way it affects the everyday life of

Jamaicans. He spoke of ways in ious investment and financing which persons could use the chang- options offered by the credit union. ing economic conditions to their ben- The seminar was opened by COK Sodality CEO, Mrs. Jacqueline efit.

In a very thought-provoking pres- Mighty. entation, Rev. Wayan Wellington of the Bethel Bible College in Mandeville, made a strong connection between spiritual well-being and financial security. He revealed through biblical reference, the fact that poverty was not a requirement of being religious.

For his part, Mr. Samuel Ashley of the Consumer Affairs Commission, charged members of the credit union to always be aware of their rights as consumers and to not be afraid to seek redress when these rights are abused.

Representatives of COK Sodality also provided information on the var- Mr. Samuel Ashley represented the Consumer Affairs Commission

Rev. Wayan Wellington caught during his animated presentation

A section of the attentive audience which attended the seminar

Assistant Professor of Managerial Economics at NCU, Mr. Kirkland Anderson

COK Member Relations Manager Audia Hoo (right), fielding questions from persons who attended the H.E.L.P.S seminar

MANCHESTER & SOUTH COAST NEWS

April 5 - 18, 2010

13

The Auto Zone

14

MANCHESTER & SOUTH COAST NEWS

April 19 - May 9, 2010

Mile Gully High gets new science lab

Mr. Llewelyn Bailey, Programmes Manager, Mutual Building Societies Foundation expressing his delight to be participating in the opening ceremony for the Mile Gully Hich School Science Laboratory.

S

cience students at the Mile Gully High School now have a laboratory and equipment to adequately complete the required SchoolBased Assessments and other tasks set out in the Caribbean Examination Council syllabus and school curriculum.

The Integrated Science laboratory was officially opened on Thursday April 22.

Acting Principal of the school, John Clarke, says the new lab, built with the assistance of the Mutual Building Societies Foundation (MBSF) and Food for the Poor, which contributed some science equipment, will go a far way in strengthening the school's performance in science subjects.

“We have been seeing improvements in the sciences although the grades are not where we want them to be. But we expect that their performance will improve now that we These Grade 11 students areamong those who will find the have a laboratory,” a new science lab extremely benificial in preparing their thankful Mr. Clarke Science SBA’s

said, noting that for the first time this year the school entered students for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations in Physics.

Mile Gully High is one of six upgraded high schools benefiting from the Centres of Excellence programme established by the MBSF. As one of its main areas of focus, the programme seeks to boost performance in the sciences by ensuring, among other things, that all six schools have functioning Integrated Science labs.

“The labs may not be as modern as we would like, but we intend to make them functional and reduce the degree of disadvantage that the students in these schools face,” comments Llewelyn Bailey, Programme Manager of the MBSF. “This requires partnership and we thank Food for the Poor for their assistance and invite other corporate entities to partner with us to improve the delivery of education in our schools,” Mr. Bailey adds.

Nationally, student performance in the sciences continues to lag behind other subject areas although there was a slight improvement in passes last year. The average pass rate in the sciences was 62.1% in 2009, three percentage points better than the preceding year.

The pass rates seem to be even lower among upgraded high schools. Due, in part, to the lack of laboratory resources, all six upgraded high schools under the Centres of Excellence programme have shown weaknesses in the sciences, with very few entries and even fewer passes in Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Integrated Science and Mathematics.

Describing the lab as good stakeholder collaboration, Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Ms. Nordia Birthwright-Hill, said "this is an excellent example of the profound impact of collaboration with the school community, the private sector and the Ministry of Education. This lab will enhance the learning of science here at Mile

Gully High, and science must apply to the student's everyday life, the passing of examinations, and gaining a profession in science," she emphasised.

Science student at Mile Gully High, Rashada White stated that, "we can learn much better, we won't only see the experiment in our text books, but now we can prove things for ourselves.”

"I feel excited about it. it will allow students to enhance their learning capacity. Teachers won't have to do a lot of writing on the boards, they can now use the technology to achieve results," said another student, Kimai Williams.

Mile Gully joins McGrath High in Linstead, St. Catherine,

Mrs. N. Birthwright-Hill, Education Officer with the Ministry of Education, cuts the ribbon to officially open the Mile Gully High School Science Lab.

A student makes use of one of several electronic microscopes in the new Mile Gully High science lab.

Mark Clarke, (centre), Head of the Science department at Mile Gully High, assists two students of the school in demonstrating the concept of refraction to Llewelyn Bailey, Programmes Manager, Mutual Building Societies Foundation and Doreen Alexander, Manager, JNBS Mandeville Branch, inside the new science lab.

which recently received assistance from the MBSF to purchase equipment for its laboratory. Other schools under the programmeSeaforth, Green Pond, Porus and Godfrey Stewart High Schools- are to benefit from similar capacity building projects later this year.

The MBSF is a joint initiative of the Jamaica National Building Society and The Victoria Mutual Building Society. The Centres of Excellence programme, which is being funded by a $100 million facility, is poised to achieve its goal by 2012.

MANCHESTER & SOUTH COAST NEWS

Lobster police gets training T

he Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is to embark on a new phase in the drive to safeguard Jamaica's lobster population, to ensure its long term sustainability.

Chief Technical Director in the Ministry, Dr. Marc Panton, has explained that the thrust is underpinned by revisions to the Fisheries Act, with regard to the fishing for lobster, particularly where this occurs outside the season, which runs July to March.

Speaking at the closing ceremony for the Improving Jamaica's Agricultural Productivity Project (IJAPP) fisheries extension training course, held at the Fisheries Division on Marcus Garvey Drive in Kingston, recently, Dr. Panton pointed out that the new thrust entailed among other things, the hiring of a Praedial Larceny Prevention Co-ordinator.

Part of his role, initially, has to do with the lobster season in terms of ensuring that no harvesting of lobster occurs outside of the season.

"He is putting together, in collaboration with the Ministry of National Security, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), the Coast Guard/Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), a programme to go out and start to check and make sure that our restaurants and other areas that utilise lobster, are in compliance with the Fisheries Act (and) we are going to be enforcing that very aggressively," Dr. Panton said.

Currently, inspectors are often treated with scant regard when they attempt to carry out their duties, often being made to wait for hours before being allowed to inspect some facilities, particularly north coast hotels.

"We will be out there with inspectors and… under the Fisheries Act, all JCF members, Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF) and the Jamaica Constabulary Force are officially, fisheries inspectors. And so, they have a right to go in and inspect and be able to determine whether or not illegal activities are taking place," he added.

The five-week training course formed part of the capacity building activities being implemented under IJAPP's sustainable marine fisheries management component. Just over

30 persons, inclusive of instructors and officers, participated in the course. They will serve as extension officers to the over 40,000 fishermen and women islandwide.

The IJAPP is a three-year project, being funded at a cost of just over C$5 million by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Inter-American Institute for Co-operation in Agriculture (IICA) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. In addition to the sustainable marine fisheries management component, the project will also focus on expanding green house production.

M

inister of Water and Housing, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, on Friday April 16 commissioned the Parottee well in St. Elizabeth into service.

This new water supply will serve some 2, 500 persons in the parish.

The well, which was out of service for some time, was rehabilitated at a cost of about $53 million, and will provide potable water to residents in Parottee, Hopewell, Pondside, Hill Top, Stonefield, Cherry Gardens, Spice Aelington, Thatchfield, Grove, Fullerswood, Vineyard, Cataboo, and parts of Watchwell, Barbary Hall and Fort Charles.

In addition, through funding from the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), more than 3.3 kilometres of pipelines was laid to also connect the nearby community of Greenfield to the system.

This well will greatly assist residents, especially during the current period of drought, which is significantly affecting the parish. Currently, many residents have to be purchasing water from independent truckers at great cost.

Dr. Chang informed the residents at the commissioning ceremony that there will be an ongoing project to remove old pipelines, and to identify areas in the system where leaks exist.

He also said that Government was committed to investing in water resources in the parish, as St. Elizabeth contributes significantly to the national economy.

"This Government is committed to spending the kind of money required to ensure that the people of St. Elizabeth have adequate water supply.

Improvement in water supply will provide opportunity for economic development, farmers will farm more, people will return to live in St. Elizabeth, more houses will come, and people will set up businesses in the area," he said.

The water pump which is currently run by a generator, will operate initially for eight hours daily, but would be up to full capacity within four weeks when the Jamaica Public Service Company power lines are connected.

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, and Member of Parliament for South West St. Elizabeth, Hon. Dr. Christopher Tufton, in his remarks during the ceremony, stated that the commissioning of the Parottee well "is a milestone for the community, and after today, many of you will have the opportunity to get potable water."

According to Councillor for the Mountainside division, Derrick Sangster, the system would be used to fill a reservoir at Hill Top, which will then gravity-feed water into the communities below.

15

Water systems: Earth's vital networks Around the world, water ecosystems face

By Steven Solomon environmental degradation

H

Parottee well now operational

April 19 - May 9, 2010

uman well-being and sustainable economic prosperity depend upon our good stewardship of the Earth's vital ecosystems.

Water ecosystems serve many functions essential for human society: They provide food resources, biodiversity, habitats for wildlife, high water quality, regulation of water flows, and natural storage that helps us absorb shocks like floods and droughts.

An inherent tension exists between man's short-term demand for water resources to fuel economic growth and the long-term necessity of sustaining the vitality of host ecosystems. For most of history, man's capacity to alter basic ecosystem balances has been limited; when one local resource was degraded from overuse, we moved onto the next.

Nature, over time, restored the one that had been depleted.

But from the mid-20th century, mankind's industrial prowess, sheer population size, and voracious demand for resources reached a capacity capable of altering and disrupting fundamental ecosystem equilibriums on a planetary scale.

Unprecedented degradation Over the last half-century, mankind has degraded Earth's life-giving water ecosystems to an extent unprecedented in human history. In 2005 the first comprehensive environmental audit of the planet, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, reported alarmingly that 15 of Earth's 24 major ecosystems were being used unsustainably.

Freshwater ecosystems and capture fisheries in particular were singled out as “now well beyond levels that can be sustained even at current demands, much less future ones.”

So much water today is withdrawn from 70 major rivers, including the Colorado, Yellow, Nile, Indus, and Euphrates, that on many days of the year they no longer reach the sea. At these reduced volumes, river deltas once rich in marsh wildlife and agriculture instead dry up and, even many tens of miles inland, succumb to destructive saltwater intrusions from their sea mouths.

The large dams built on nearly all the world's major waterways often impede the passage of spawning fish and fertilizing

silt for cropland. Lakes, rivers, and groundwater are increasingly choked with toxic synthetic chemicals that mutate natural processes and enter the human food chain.

Polluted rivers, oceans Up to half the world's wetlands, including such treasures as Florida's Everglades, vanished or were severely damaged in the 20th-century drive to obtain more arable land and freshwater for agriculture.

Wetlands are nature's sponges, protectively absorbing and gradually releasing floodwaters, replenishing underground aquifers, filtering out pollutants and excess nutrients, and helping moderate regional climates.

Overfishing depletes the world's oceans, which are turning more acidic from the absorption of carbon dioxide, and becoming more filled with rubbish. Oceans provide one quarter of mankind's food. Yet one-third of the planet's ocean fisheries have disappeared; on current trajectories, a total collapse is forecast by 2050.

Excess fertilizer runoff from farmland and other synthetic chemicals produce huge algae blooms that deplete oxygen offshore where rivers meet the seas. One lifeless “dead zone” the size of the state of Massachusetts where no fish can survive exists in the Gulf of Mexico near the mouth of the Mississippi River. A floating island of fingernail-sized plastic and other debris twice the size of France has formed in the center of the Pacific Ocean, where pieces are eaten by fish, which are later consumed by humans.

Most ocean life is concentrated along the continental coasts, often feeding off our beautiful coral reefs. These ocean “rain forests” teem with varieties of animal and plant life. Yet little by little these vital marine ecosystems have been polluted, overfished, and degraded of their splendid diversity.

For the first time in human history, civilization's wellbeing and survival depends upon understanding the natural processes and limits of Earth's ecosystems, and learning to live in balance and harmony with the planet's total environment.

Steven Solomon is author of WATER: The Epic Struggle for Wealth, Power, and Civilization

16

MANCHESTER & SOUTH COAST NEWS

April 19 - May 9, 2010

Men who cook serve up delectable delights I

n one of its most successful hostings in recent memory, the 11th annual Men Who Cook food fair was an overwhelming success.

Thousand packed the Alpart Farm on Spur Tree Hill on April 25 to sample the varied and delicious fare prepared by local businessmen and celebrities. Hosted annually as a major fund-raising project by the Lions Club of Mandeville, for a $1,000 ticket, patrons had the choice of four proteins from the numerous food stalls, a task which proved extremely difficult because of the overwhelming choice that was available.

Although it is hard to single out specific chefs due to the overall high quality of the offerings, crowd favourites included the roast chicken and shrimp offered by Barita Investment's Ian McNaughton, Paul Simpson's lamb, John O Minott's curried goat, Karl Bright's shrimp and artist Mark

Cameron's vegetarian dish.

As usual, there was a long line of patrons impatiently waiting on Newton Coote's suckling pig. In promoting the upcoming World Skills Competition, HEART Trust/NTA showed off the culinary skills of their trainees with an excellent BBQ pork dish. And while we could go on and on, suffice to say, no one went home at the end of the day without licking their fingers at least once.

The afternoon was made complete by activities for the kids and an entertainment package featuring the Alpha Boys Band and Lloyd Lovindeer. Some of the ladies in attendance took advantage of the Soft Sheen booth and had their hair styled, while other persons sought and received information from a number of sponsor companies that had representatives at the event.

John O Minott of Baronhall Farm and his curried goat proved popular with the ladies

Super Plus boss Wayne Chen did curried chicken the old fashioned way.

Paul Simpson, now with new investment house Proven, ‘proved’ to be just as popular as he was last year

Lloyd Sinclair (in background) of All Seasons Jerk Centre seems delighted with the reaction to his Jerk pork and jerk chicken

The crowd just kept growing and growing throughout the day Barita Investment’s Ian McNaughton was an early ‘sell off’.

Probably going back for a second round

No time for any long talking There was plenty available for those with a sweet tooth

Kids working up an appetite

The Soft Sheen stylists were kept busy throughout the day

MANCHESTER & SOUTH COAST NEWS

New design US$100 note unveiled

US Embassy Press Attaché Nancy Pettit addresses a room full of guests at the unveiling of the redesigned $100 note in Kiev, Ukraine on April 21, 2010. Speaking at the event are US Embassy Counselor for Public Affairs Christopher Fitzgerald, US Ambassador John Tefft, and National Bank of Ukraine Department Director for Cash Circulation Oleh Daschenko.

O

fficials from the U.S. of the Department Treasury, the Federal Reserve Board and the United States Secret Service recently unveiled the new design for the U.S. $100 note.

Complete with advanced technology to combat counterfeiting, the new design for the $100 note retains

the traditional look of U.S. currency.

“As with previous U.S. currency redesigns, this note incorporates the best technology available to ensure we're staying ahead of counterfeiters,” said Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner.

“When the new design $100 note is issued on February 10, 2011, the approximately 6.5 billion old design $100s

already in circulation will remain legal tender,” said Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board Ben S. Bernanke. “U.S. currency users should know they will not have to trade in their old design notes when the new notes begin circulating.”

The redesigned $100 note includes two new advanced counterfeit-deterrent security features, in addition to effective security features from the previous design. The features are easy for consumers and merchants to check when verifying authenticity.

The blue 3-D Security Ribbon on the front of the new $100 note contains images of bells and 100s that move and change from one to the other as you tilt the note. The Bell in the Inkwell on the front of the note is another new security feature. The image of the bell changes color from copper to green when the note is tilted, an effect that makes it seem to

April 5 - 18, 2010

featuring the rear, rather than the front, of the building. Both the vignette on the back of the note and the portrait on the front have been enlarged, and the oval that previously appeared around both images has been removed.

Although less than 1/100th of one percent of the value of all U.S. currency in circulation is reported counterfeit, the $100 note is the most widely circulated and most often counterfeited denomination outside the U.S. For a more detailed description of the redesigned $100 note and its features, visit www.newmoney.gov where you can download or order free training materials, which are available in 25 languages.

appear and disappear within the copper-colored inkwell.

The new design for the $100 note retains three effective security features from the previous design: the portrait watermark of Benjamin Franklin, the security thread, and the color-shifting numeral 100.

The new $100 note also displays American symbols of freedom, including phrases from the Declaration of Independence and the quill the Founding Fathers used to sign this historic document. Both are located to the right of the portrait on the front of the note.

The back of the note has a new (Left to Right) US Embassy Economic Counselor Gregory vignette of Phillips and US Embassy Information Officer James unveil the new $100 note design in Lima, Peru on Independence Hall Fennell April 21, 2010.

Mandeville motor show Some of the cars on display at the Mandeville Motor Show

That’s the one for me, this policeman seems to be saying.

T

he Jamaica Motor Show was held at the Manchester Shopping Centre in Mandeville on Saturday March 27.

Cars suitable for a variety of budgets and tastes were on display as auto dealers attempted to rev up business during the current slow market for automobiles.

A number of persons turned out to consider purchasing a vehicle or to just dream. Banks, finance companies,

insurance agencies and other businesses offering support services to the automotive industry were on hand to assist persons who were on hand to splurge on a new vehicle.

According to Ian Lyn, President of the Used Car Dealers Association, the show was one in a series being held across the island encourage business. At the show, purchasers benefited from discounted prices on some models as well as other incentives.

Members of the COK Credit Union were on hand to assist persons who needed vehicle financing

This Suzuki SRX model drew a lot of attention

17

18

MANCHESTER & SOUTH COAST NEWS

April 19 - May 9, 2010

IT crucial to boosting productivity Company Ltd., the e-Learning programme is geared towards training teachers to utilise information technology-based communication tools in the classroom to deliver a more exciting and interactive approach to learning.

The e-learning programme is financed in part by the Universal Access Fund (UAF), part of which is earned from a levy on incoming international telephone calls To date, approximately $7 billion has been collected through the Universal Access Fund.

Participating schools and graduates of the course were: Bellefield High School - 62 graduates Bishop Gibson High School - 20 graduates Christiana High School - 103 graduates Cross Keys High School - 50 graduates deCarteret College - 63 graduates Holmwood Tech. High School - 32 graduates Manchester High School - 53 graduates May Day High School - 51 graduates Mile Gully High School - 53 graduates Porus High School - 54 graduates The Woodlawn School of IT students at Porus High School

M

inister of Finance and the Public Service Audley Shaw has described the use of information technology in schools as essential to improving Jamaica's current productivity-per-person rate, which he says is declining every year.

"One of the problems we are having here in Jamaica today is low productivity.

Collectively, when you measure our productivity-per-capita, our productivity levels for the last 15 years have been declining every year," Shaw said at a graduation exercise in Mandeville recently.

"Information technology can become an important tool in the process of enhancing reading and comprehension and these are fundamental building blocks to a literary and productive society," he added.

According to Minister Shaw, Jamaica's productivity-per-person should be on par with

"our sister nations" Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados which have seen "significant increases in productivity-per-person over the past 15 years".

"In that same period our per capita income has moved from $US2,500 to under $US4,000 per person. Barbados and Trinidad on the other hand, have seen their per capita income move from the $US3,000-$US4,000 range to as high as $US15,000 per person," he revealed.

The finance minister's comments came during his address at the 11th graduation ceremony for teachers who participated in an eLearning Jamaica Project at Manchester High School.

Six hundred and twenty-three teachers from 12 schools in Manchester and one in Trelawny were certified in the area of basic information and communication technology skills.

According to Avril Crawford - CEO and Project Manager, e-Learning Jamaica

3M sponsors national netball development

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inister of Youth Sports and Culture, Olivia “Babsy” Grange, has commended The 3M Company for its sponsorship of the Jamaica Netball Association's Development Squad.

Speaking at a recent press conference at Netball House in St. Andrew where the 10-million dollar 3M sponsorship was announced, Minister Grange said that Government was heartened to see the response from the private sector regarding the sponsorship of sports. Netball, she said, was a most deserving sport to be selected as 3M made its entry into sports sponsorship.

“It is also great that the sponsorship will focus on the Development Squad since it forms the pool from which future Sunshine Girls are drawn to main-

tain netball's status as Jamaica's most successful team sport,” she stated.

The Sports Minister praised JNA President Marva Bernard and her team for their effort on behalf of Jamaica's netball.

Miss Grange also commended GC Foster College of Physical Education for the role it has been playing in the development of sports in Jamaica.

“I have big plans for GC Foster which includes the establishment of a centre of excellence at the College.”

3M's Sales and Marketing Manager, Ms. Shana Davis said that the $10M sponsorship will begin in 2010 and last for four years.

“We are also happy to announce that most of the funds will be utilized to establish the 3M Netball

Academy. This entity will be responsible for recruiting, training and honing the skills of our future Sunshine Girls,” she stated.

“The survival and continued success of the senior squad rests squarely on the JNA's ability to continue to mine and develop young talent. ” Ms. Davis lauded netball as a sport that had the enviable reputation of being competitive and exciting without the negatives of drugs and indiscipline.

Before the start of the press conference, Minister Grange was on hand to see off Jamaica's Under-16 netball squad which departed this afternoon for the 10th staging of the Jean Pierre Youth Netball Championship in Barbados.

- Minister Shaw

Special Education - 16 graduates Troy High School (Trelawny) - 33 graduates Winston Jones High School - 33 graduates

Celebrating World Book Day Message from Ms. Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, on the occasion of World Book and Copyright Day 23 April 2010

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his year, the fifteenth Book and World Copyright Day is being celebrated in the context of the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures (2010).

The opportunity will be provided today to review the role of books in our constantly evolving world.

Policy decision-makers, publishers, educators and civil society as a whole will need to consider once again the most effective ways of promoting that irreplaceable tool for knowledge: the book. Books improve our knowledge of others and of their philosophies, and therefore enhance our understanding of the world. They also provide development opportunities, for all ages and, in particular, for young people.

Books cannot be celebrated without sparing a thought for the 759 million people who can neither read nor write, two-thirds of whom are women. Freedom to read, to receive an education, to access remote cultures and research findings is nonetheless a fundamental human

right. Everyone must be able to enjoy the right to education.

Freedom of circulation is also an essential requirement for everyone to have access to books.

Translation of course plays a significant role in the transmission of knowledge derived from books.

Innovative publishing policies that meet the needs and aspirations of every human being are, however, also required.

In the light of the emergence of new forms of books, of changes in the design, production and access to contents of books, it is urgent to recall that there can be no book development without respect for copyright. This is particularly the case at a time when digitization further exposes books to risks of illicit use.

To make the fifteenth celebration of World Book and Copyright Day, I invite all partners, communities and UNESCO networks to join forces to promote respect for copyright and ensure that books take their rightful place in the social, educational and cultural spheres.

Books are works of art and science, and vehicles for ideas. They magnificently materialize creative diversity, generate universal knowledge and contribute to intercultural dialogue. They are instruments for peace.

Today (23 April 2010), let us celebrate every aspect of books across the world.

Make reading a habit says GG

G

overnor-General the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen has urged students across Jamaica to make reading a life-long habit.

He was speaking at King's House on Monday April 26 at the reading

of a Proclamation to declare May 4 as Read Across Jamaica Day. The Governor-General observed that reading was a catalyst for the academic success of students, and was also a significant tool in their preparation for Jamaica's future job market and global competitiveness. “Investment in education is crucial to the country's well-being and the long term quality of life of its people. The nation is urged to focus on the importance of reading and the need to motivate children to read and master other basic skills in the education process,� the Governor-General said.

Meantime, President of the Jamaica Teachers' Association, Michael Stewart, who accepted the Proclamation on behalf of the JTA, reiterated the commitment of the

teaching fraternity to the education of students. He said education will drive the country's post-recession recovery and the JTA remains committed to that process.

Read Across Jamaica Day seeks to foster interest in reading by bringing together the entire community to participate in the promotion of literacy.

It forms part of activities to mark Education Week, which will be observed from May 2 to 6.

MANCHESTER & SOUTH COAST NEWS

April 19 - May 9, 2010

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MANCHESTER & SOUTH COAST NEWS April 19 - May 9, 2010

LPGA Mojo 6 golf tournament a major boost to Jamaican sports tourism P

rime Minister Bruce Golding has welcomed the return of the Ladies Pro Golf Association (LPGA) to Jamaica as a boost to the country's image as a sports destination.

Mr. Golding was speaking at the Jamaica launch of the LPGA-sanctioned Mojo 6 Raceway Golf tournament held recently at the Caymanas Country Clubhouse in St Catherine.

Called the “sprint of golf”, the raceway-style tournament with a purse of US$1 million is scheduled for May 1 and 2 at Cinnamon Hill golf course in Rose Hall, St James.

“What this tournament is going to do for us is quite significant…the kind of publicity that it is going to give us is far beyond the value of the prizes…the interest it can show of Jamaica as a tourist destination but also as a country that has demonstrated its excellence in sport is invaluable and it is something that we must seek to exploit and maximize the benefits of in every probable way,” Mr Golding said.

The Prime Minister praised the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Olivia “Babsy” Grange, for bringing the LPGA event to Jamaica and said that the achievement was

“reflective of the creativity that she brings to the difficult task that she has been given”.

The Prime Minister noted that government's overarching vision for sports is a strategic one, and that the Trelawny stadium was an integral part of it.

“We have been criticised for not allowing the Trelawny stadium to become a university campus. We have held back on that because the Minister is pursuing a strategic plan to expand tourism to include sports tourism as an important element of that package…It still represents a significant asset that can help us in promoting Jamaica as a premier sporting destination.”

Tournament a first for LPGA The Cinnamon Hill tournament is highly anticipated by golfing enthusiasts as it will be the first time that the LPGA will participate in Raceway Golf. The LPGA top six golfers are already signed on to play.

The event is expected to be viewed by about 100 million persons on the CBS network in the USA. Jamaican golfer Jody Munn will also participate along with at least one teen from the Jamaica Golf Association Junior Golf Programme.

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ENTRY: $4500 TWO DAYS - $3000 ONE DAY SAT: JUNE 26: LADY ELKIN SHIELD & MCGREGOR CUP- ENTRY: $3000 SUN: JUNE 27: SHOTGUN 2 BALL SCRAMBLE- ENTRY: $2500 PP TUESDAY JUNE 29: PAR AGAINST BOGEY WEDNESDAY JUNE 30: STABLEFORD THURSDAY JULY 1 PAR THREE CHAMPS MIDWEEK EVENTS: ENTRY $1000 JUNIORS PAY 50% FOR ALL EVENTS PRESENTATION SUNDAY JULY 4, AT 4:PM ENTRY INCLUDE BREAKFAST 7:30-10 & LUNCH 12-2 ON WEEKEND DAYS FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO ENTER CALL 962-2403 EMAIL:Manchester_club@hotmail.com

SPONSORS: MARJO BLOCKS SUPERCLUBS

Sponsors of the LPGA Mojo 6 tournament and participants field questions at the launch ceremony

Mr Golding, who noted that golf will be returning to the Olympics in 2016, also said that the tournament would be a good inspiration for local golfers to improve the game at

home.

Golf has been played in Jamaica since 1865 with the country is said to have the first course outside of Europe, which is at the Manchester

Club located in Mandeville.

The Mojo 6 tournament was conceived by Mojo Marketing and Media.

Goule, Campbell continue their winning ways

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anchester's top male and female junior middle distance runners recently celebrated major milestones in their careers.

Manchester High's Natoya Goule ended her high school “Champs' unbeaten, earning 15 gold medals over 6 years of competition. Since she began competing in class three, she has triumphed in several middle-distance events including the 800 metres, 1500 metres and 3000 metres, setting several records over the years.

Her international career has also been distinguished. In this her final year competing at the Carifta Games, she added another three gold medals to her tally, bringing her haul to 12 individual and four relay gold medals over six years of competition. She leaves behind records in the 800 and 1500 events.

Natoya now heads to junior college in the USA where she is expected to continue her outstanding performance.

Bellefield High's Kemoy Campbell created history when he competed at the recent Penn Relays, held in

Philadelphia in the US. Leading from the get go, Campbell ran a personal best 8:20.14 to become the first Jamaican to win at that distance at the event, which is usually dominated by Jamaican sprinters.

HE also registered another win at the Carifta Games in fine style when he obliterating his previous record in the 3000m by an amazing 6 seconds to add to the 1500M gold he had won earlier at the meet.

Campbell's junior career also ends this year and he is expected to go out with a bang at the Junior CAC games in July where he will compete along with Goule.

Kemoy Campbell

Natoya Goule