Primary Schools
Calypso
Junior King of the Bands
Josiah Baker
Master’
Secondary Schools
Calypso MonarchZion Lewis
Promoter killed in vehicular accident
POPULAR CANADA-BASED VINCENTIAN PROMOTERHyerasto ‘Hy’ Ellis died on the spot after his vehicle collided with a blue Toyota Vitz car, owned and driven by Christopher Richardson, a 23-year-old police recruit of Mesopotamia.
travelling north along the decommissioned runway.
The fatal accident occurred on southern end of the runway of the decommissioned E.T. Joshua airport on the night of Friday 27th June.
As news of the accident and Ellis’ death hit social media, many people rushed to the scene, while others took to those platforms to register d shock with many noting that the entertainment industry had experienced a great loss.
Ellis was the founder and CEO of Foreign Base Entertainment, a Promotion company, whose annual show, Summerfest, was renowned for featuring the region’s top acts.
Indications are that Foreign Base Promotion was expected to host Dancehall super star, Alkaline, in SVG for Summerfest next month.
His death took place just one night before one of his carnival promotions dubbed ‘Water World: Water Balloons’ was set to be staged a short distance from where he died.
According to a police report, Ellis’ vehicle, a white Mercedes-Benz AMG SUV, registration number P-222, flipped several times after the collision and landed on its roof.
“Preliminary investigation showed that about 7:15 p.m. on Friday, P-233, Ellis’ vehicle, was heading south (towards the sea). On reaching the vicinity of the Girls’ High School, Ellis’ car collided with the left side of the police recruit’s vehicle.
“Ellis died at the scene, while Richardson complained of severe pain in the head and was transported to the Milton
Body identified
A DECEASED MALEwho was discovered in Fair Hall on Tuesday 01st July 2025 has been identified. A release from the Royal SVG Police Force said that the body was “positively identified as Dominic Smith, 23 years old, from Rockies/Edinboro.” While the investigation remains active, a post mortem examination will be conducted to ascertain the cause of death.
An initial report had indicated that the body was discovered with feet bound and head covered. Persons have speculated that the body was dumped in Fair Hall.
Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH), in Kingstown, for treatment,” said an official police report on the matter.
The report urged “all motorists to drive with due care and attention and show courtesy to all road users.”
In a Facebook post following its founder’s death, Foreign Base Entertainment Promotion wrote: “It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Hyerasto Ellis, the visionary CEO and Founder of foreign base entertainment.
“Hy was more than a leader - he was a driving force in the regional entertainment scene, a champion of Caribbean culture, and a mentor to many. Under his leadership, Foreign Base Entertainment became a platform for creative expression, artiste development, and unforgettable
experiences that transcended borders.
“Hy’s passion, charisma, and unwavering commitment to excellence touched everyone he encountered. His loss leaves a void that can never be filled, but his legacy will continue to live on through the work of Foreign Base and the countless lives he impacted along the way. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, close friends, colleagues, and supporters across the globe.”
Ellis is the second road fatality victim in St. Vincent and the Grenadines over the last month or so. On May 29, about 5:20 p.m. on May 29, 2025, Somuro Richardson, a 23-year-old carpenter of Barrouallie, died in a collision involving two vehicles along the Fountain stretch of the Vigie Highway. (KH)
Below: Hyerasto ‘Hy’ Ellis was the second road fatality within the space of a month.
Two fathers killed by two sons
POLICE in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are investigating the death of two fathers who were allegedly killed by their sons.
In the latest killing, a Gibson Corner man has turned himself into the police after allegedly claiming that he had killed his father.
Police said the 22-year-old resident of Gibson Corner, West Kingstown, reportedly walked into the Central Police Station in Kingstown on Wednesday evening (2 July) and informed officers of his actions.
Police apprehended him and conducted a search of the area, where they discovered the body of a male inside a dwelling in Gibson Corner.
The body bore what appeared to be chop wounds, according to police.
Police have not yet revealed the identity of the deceased. Investigations are ongoing.
This incident follows a separate police inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of an elderly man in Yambou.
Alanzo Corridon, 28, a man of the same address is slated to return to court on August 4th, for a preliminary inquiry into a charge that he murdered his father in the Marriaqua community on June 27.
He appeared before the Serious Offences Court on Thursday, where he was charged that on June 27, at Yambou, he murdered his father, Don Jackson.
Corridon did not have a lawyer and was not required to plead to the indictable charge.
THE VINCENTIAN understands that a dispute ensued between two brothers when a father intervened to “part the fight’. In so doing he was hit in the temple by an object.
He was taken to the Mesopotamia Health Centre where he later died. (KH)
The deceased body discovered in Fair Hall was identified as that of Dominic Smith.
Ellis’ vehicle landed on its roof. Here it is just about to be removed from the scene of the accident.
Raeon Primus Reigning Calypso Monarch
Lornette Fya Empress Nedd Calypso Monarch - 2012 & 2023
Shaunelle McKenzie Calypso Monarch - 2019
Zamfir Zangie Adams Calypso Monarch - 20113-15 & 2018
Maxwell Tajoe Francis Calypso Monarch - 2011 &2022
1. Alvin Zion I Dennie
2. Bernard Reality I White
3. Dennis Bowman
4. Johnny Johnny Rebel Hall
5. Marvo Marvolous Marvo Morgan
6. Shena Collis
Diaspora
Yvonne Peters celebrates Transit retirement
Story and photos by NELSON A. KING US CORRESPONDENT naking@verizon.net
AFTER WORKINGfor New York City Transit Authority for 27 years, Yvonne Peters, the Vincentian-born founder and president of the Brooklyn, New York-based Caribbean American Cultural Group, Inc. (CACG) and the Miss New York Continental Cultural Pageant, has retired, throwing a lavish party on May 31 at Africa House in Flatbush, Brooklyn.
Peters’ son, Derone Kitwana “Kee” Woodley paying tribute to
The celebration, which also marked Peters’ birthday, attracted family members, and several of Peters’ friends, associates and community members.
“As I celebrate this milestone and reflect on my life’s journey, I realized that I have come this far by faith amidst my achievements and challenges — the hustle and the bustle on my journey and realistically raising my three children,” Peters, a Paul’s Avenue, Kingstown native, told THE VINCENTIAN.
Finding a niche
With 26
siblings — eight on her mother’s side — Peters said she was a secondary school drop-out but later graduated from St. Joseph Convent Commercial Institute in Kingstown.
As a teenage mother of two daughters, supported by her parents and family, Peters said she spent much of her teenage year in St. Vincent playing netball.
Later, she became a qualified netball umpire; a masquerader; a member of Abucalypse Steel Pan Orchestra; a founding member of Avenues United Netball teams; a dedicated member of Avenues United Sports and Cultural Club; and a founding member of Avenues United Village Youth Pageant — all in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
After migrating to New York in 1984, she said she was “determined to become a part of the American dream.
“I worked as a nanny for many years and never lost the vision of my purpose of new world, America,” she said.
Peters said she attended any available training or educational classes — whether it was swimming, adult education, computer training or exercise classes.
Her love for netball remained “a constant” in her life.
In Brooklyn, she said she was a member of and netball player for Hairoun Sports Club; president and a player of Islanders Netball Sports Club; a founder and president of Antillians Sports and Cultural Club; a member of Vincy Foreign-Based Club; vice president and treasurer of the Caribbean American Netball Association (CANA); and founder and president of CACG, which organizes the Brooklyn-based Miss New York Continental Cultural Pageant.
mother, Derone Kitwana “Kee” Woodley told celebrants: “Today, we celebrate a woman whose strength, grace and love helped shape the lives of everyone around her, especially my sisters and me.
“As her only son, I have had the unique privilege of witnessing firsthand the balance she’s always maintained: fierce, disciplined and rooted in tradition yet grounded in love,” he said. “Born and raised in beautiful St. Vincent (and the Grenadines), she brought with her a spirit of resilience and joy that carried us through every chapter.
“She worked tirelessly–not just in her career, but in raising us and our extended family without a second thought, guiding us with wisdom, laughter and unshakable support,” Woodley added. “She sacrificed so much to make sure we had what we needed, naturally becoming the glue that held us together.
Shannon Ramona Peters, Yvonne’s second daughter, said her mom is “absolutely phenomenal.”
“She’s the kind of person who lights up every room she walks into, with a heart so big it could fill an entire universe,” she said. “Her strength, wisdom and endless love make her the best mom ever. There’s truly no one like her.
“She always knows just what to say or do to make everything better, and her unwavering support has shaped me into who I am today….. I’m beyond lucky to have her in my life,” Shannon added.
Committed to community
Peters said, when her nanny job became parttime, she “found the courage and enrolled” at John Jay college for Criminal Justice, later resulting in internship at NYC Transit, where she was employed for 27 years.
“And today, I’m proud to be a retiree,” she said. “Today, I am grateful and thankful for the many blessings that have been bestowed upon me, the existence of my children and grandchildren.
A son and daughter’s tribute In paying tribute to his
In congratulating Peters on her retirement and birthday, Vincentian-born Adonna Lewis-Dudley, CACG director, said Peters “has now moved on from the everyday ‘9 to 5’ to the life of leisure to do what she wants, when she wants and that’s if she wants.
“However, what she has not retired from is her work for the community — being an inspiration for those in need, creating opportunities for the youth, creating workshops and spaces for them to express themselves and, more important, to pay it forward to help another,” Lewis-Dudley added. “Donating and supporting other organizations are also a big part of her life.”
She said CACG was founded over 15 years ago, with the vision to help the youth in the community “to be nurtured into leaders of tomorrow.”
CACG has been successful in providing scholarships, work experiences, travel opportunities, funding and much more to the youth.
“Yvonne Peters is definitely a pillar in the community, and she has and is always there to help others. ….. Know that, with retirement, she is even more committed to her organization…. Love and respect to you, Yvonne, for a job well done,” LewisDudley added.
Yvonne Peters in all her splendor.
Yvonne
his mom.
Divine Worshippers at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Brooklyn dance at Yvonne Peters’ retirement party.
Yvonne Peters left, and second daughter Shannon Ramona Peters.
Woman charged with issuing death threat
Stories: HAYDN HUGGINS
A WOMANwho told the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday that she resides and works in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) will return to court for trial on a threatening language charge on February 9, 2026.
Kawanna Wilkins, originally of Green Hill, has been charged with, in circumstances likely to cause a breach of the peace, making use of threatening language, to wit, “I will kill you and I will go to Fort and sit
down”, apparently referring to the once female prison at Fort Charlotte.
Wilkins reportedly made the threat at Largo Height on June 29, 2025. She pleaded not guilty when she appeared before Senior Magistrate Tammika McKenzie on Wednesday. She was unrepresented, and said she had no specific return flight date to BVI.
Wilkins was granted $1,500 bail with one surety on condition that she
had no contact with the virtual complainant.
Stop notices will be placed at all ports of entry and exit, and she is not to leave the state without the Court’s permission.
Wilkins will collect her court documents on July 23, 2025, and a case management hearing is set for September 3, prior to her trial on February 9, 2026.
A 48-YEAR-OLD New Montrose man was granted $2,000 bail with one surety when he appeared at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court this week on a wounding charge.
Ashley Williams has been charged with unlawfully and maliciously wounding Clyant Prescott, 56, of the same address by striking him on his right
foot with a metal object, resulting in a small puncture wound to the ankle.
The offence was reportedly committed at New Montrose on June 27, 2025.
Williams pleaded not guilty when he appeared before Senior Magistrate Tammika McKenzie at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. He was
Montrose man on wounding charge Man jailed for gun, ammo
A GIBSONCorner/Kingstown man who was remanded on Thursday, June 26, on firearm and ammunition possession charges, received his sentences on Monday.
Kyjuan Prince was sentenced to 26 months in prison for possession of a Glock 21 pistol, serial number WHR370, and six months for possession of eight rounds of .45 ammunition without a license.
unrepresented. As part of his bail conditions, he was ordered not to contact the virtual complainant, and report to the Central Police Station every Tuesday between 6 a.m and 6 p.m. He will return to Court on March 9, 2026, but the Magistrate ordered the disclosure of all relevant material to the case by September 9.
The sentences, handed down by Chief Magistrate Colin John at the Serious Offenses Court, will run concurrently.
Prince had pleaded guilty to the charges when he initially appeared before Chief Magistrate Colin John at the Serious Offenses Court on June 26, but was remanded for sentencing. Prince was arrested on February 14, 2025, at Rose Place, Battery Hill.
Police investigate shooting incident in Belair
POLICEin the South Central Division (SCD) are currently investigating a shooting incident in Belair that resulted in serious injuries to an adult male.
The incident occurred around 8:00 p.m. on June 30, 2025. Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim was sitting outside a liquor and provision shop when he heard gunshots ring out, which prompted him to flee for safety. During his escape, he sustained gunshot wounds to his leg and finger before managing to reach a nearby residence.
Police officers from the district were alerted and responded swiftly, secured the scene, and ensured that the victim was transported to Milton
Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH) for medical treatment.
The Police are actively seeking to identify and apprehend the perpetrator.
The RSVGPF urges anyone with information related to this incident to come forward and assist with the investigation. Members of the public may contact.
- Police Emergency: 999/911
- Police Control: (784) 457-1211
- Calliaqua Police Station: (784) 458-4200
- Criminal Investigations Department / Major Crimes Unit: (784) 456-1810
All information received would be held in strict confidence.
Police unveil Carnival security plan
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE (AG),Mr. Enville Williams, and other members of the Police High Command have outlined the RSVGPF’s proactive approach to crime prevention, public and road safety during the nation’s premier cultural festival – Vincymas 2025.
These initiatives were rolled out to the rankand-file members at a Carnival Briefing at the Old Montrose Police
Lecture Hall on Monday 23rd June 2025. With Vincymas 2025 officially commencing this Friday, June 27th, the Commissioner of Police and his team outlined the operational plans, which included maintaining law and order, addressing potential risks, and ensuring the smooth flow of all scheduled activities.
A key briefing highlight was the ongoing 2025 Carnival Edition of Crime Prevention Week, held under the theme, “Let’s Celebrate Our Culture Crime Free.”
Activities for this initiative, which began last week with visits to various schools across the island, are designed to raise public awareness and foster community
engagement in crime prevention efforts.
Activities, including whistle stops and public awareness sessions on radio stations, continued throughout the week, all leading up to an exhibition at the Central Police Station on Friday, 27th June 2025.
The “No Bottle Policy” for all carnival events and street bars was also highlighted.
The RSVGPF is urging
all citizens, residents, and visitors to cooperate with law enforcement officers and to exercise personal responsibility throughout the carnival season.
The RSVGPF remains dedicated to protecting lives and property and ensuring that Vincymas 2025 is a safe, secure, and memorable event for everyone. (Source: SVGRPF)
Commissioner of Police (Ag) Enville Williams led the rolling out of the security plan.
The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Managing Director: Desiree Richards
Editor: Cyprian Neehall
Telephone: 784-456-1123 Fax: 784-451-2129
Website: www.thevincentian.com
Email: thevincentianpublishing@gmail.com
Mailing Address: The Vincentian Publishing Co. Ltd., P.O. Box 592, Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Editorial
“Coming home for Carnival”
Thanks to Jude (Shepherd) for inspiring this week’s column.
“COMING HOME FOR CARNIVAL” whether it’s to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago or any other Caribbean country speaks to a return to one’s roots and culture for the annual festival that is the representation of, in our case, our purported premiere cultural festival.
In a real way, “Coming home for Carnival” should be more than returning to attend a celebration. In a more exacting way it should be a homecoming for nationals, their families, to reconnect with their heritage, and a chance, to forge a connection with their ancestral home as is the case with those who were born or grew up elsewhere. It is an opportunity to experience a vibrant culture, and strengthen their sense of belonging.
In that sense, “Coming home for Carnival’ should be a time of cultural immersion; a time to enjoy local food, music, and traditions, and celebrate the spirit of the island. But is it? Did last week’s editorial speaks otherwise.
Carnival should always be, if we are true to its origin and its expansive cultural reach and meaning, an opportunity to experience the unique cultural expressions of the island, including the music (soca, calypso), art and artistry (costumes), vibrations, and food.
It should always be a festival that fosters a sense of community even amidst the annual competitions that pit calypsonian against calypsonian, soca artiste against soca artiste, steelband against steelband, and masquerade band against masquerade band.
Friendly rivalry has since come to colour our competitions that were once fierce and extenuating to include physical confrontations. That rivalry has morphed into a sense of community that carnival ensures remains a major contributing factor to our very existence and identity.
And in case we are misled into believing otherwise, while carnival attracts tourists, an important import into our economy, “coming home” remains a specific reference to the experience of nationals returning to participate in the festival.
We owe it to returning nationals, those looking to re-connect, those
Food Security vs. Food Sovereignty
looking to forge a connection, to ensure that the festival remains representative of borrowed expressions that we seem so ready to make our own.
But the one component that has the strongest pull to the invitation to “Come Home” is the music of the festival. Yes, it has evolved from kaiso to calypso, to soca and derivatives that seem to jump out on a daily basis some of which we are still looking to define.
Notwithstanding the proliferation of derivatives, music is at the heart of the Carnival, and the festivities today revolve around two genres - calypso and soca.
And while Calypso once drove the music on the street and in clubs and bars, it has been relegated to an annual competition and a courtesy by the steelbands as their tunes of choice for their competitions. The storytelling, verbal wit, not to mention the musical variations have all but disappeared from calypso, many now taking on styles not far removed from sermons.
Like reggae, today’s calypso songs tend to be on the slower side, and outside of the referenced annual competition, the only other showcase to the world and those “Coming home for Carnival”, is the panorama, On the flip side, soca, more energetic, faster-paced with a bias towards the use of heavy drum rhythms, has been emphasised unapologetically as the sound and vibration of the festival.
It, not calypso, not steelband mastery, not the artistry of the mas designers and builders, is what supports the sale pitch that Vincymas is the “Hottest Carnival in the Caribbean”.
Hot means “sweat” … to be aggressive with movements to rhythms that are constricted.
There is no question, as Trinidadian Soca artiste Kes is on record as saying, that “music is the soundtrack of carnival. ….It dictates the energy and mood.”
The challenge for us is to decide the extent we prepared to go to represent ‘change’ without forfeiting the true characteristics of our carnival, that which we ought to be using as the basis of ensuring that our people will continue “Coming home for Carnival.”
GET READY FOR A DISCUSSION about food security in the upcoming election. Three years ago, the Minister of Agriculture made a bold proclamation, to wit, ‘by 2025, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines would be on track to achieve significant advancements in food security, aiming to slash food imports by a staggering 25%’. Was that an ambitious dream or a realistic goal? With 80% of his fiveyear term already in the books, many wonder if we’ve strayed far from that target. Sure, some valid reasons for the setbacks made it tough to launch a full-on critique. But as the election approaches, will we see a solid plan?
I am unsure if he thinks this goal is still achievable since this government does not have a habit of providing progress reports on its goals. But from my vantage point, we are no closer today than we were three years ago. Some time ago, the government reported that we have twenty-five thousand acres in Venezuela available for a farming joint venture. I am not sure how that will help. ECGC also reported the docking of the largest multi-grain ship in our port at Campden Park, which was another mystery to me.
Now, what is the standard definition of food security? According to the United Nations, food security “exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.”
Like the minimum wage question, I think focusing on food security is misguided. Food security is the availability and access to a sufficient food supply. At this point, I want to remind the minister that food security includes the economic resources needed to acquire food.
Ironically, focusing on food security and minimum wage, two divisions in his portfolio, will not get us to an actual state of independence. It’s like the old proverb says, “Give a man a fish. You feed him for a day, teach him to fish, and feed him for life.” Pay workers the minimum wage, and you will keep them working, but they will continue to depend on the government and others to fulfill the unmet need for an essential quality of life. Paying a living wage will allow a family to provide secure food, shelter, clothing, health care, transportation, and other necessities in modern society.
I want us to change the conversation from food security to food sovereignty; they are not interchangeable. Food sovereignty is different from food security in both approach and politics. It requires a greater level of commitment and community involvement. Food security does not care where the food comes from or, for that matter, how healthy it is as long as there is food. Emphasizing food security is more appropriate after a natural disaster. The donation by the Republic of China, Taiwan, of 10,000 sacks of rice following the devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl is an example of helping us maintain food security. National food security targets are often met by sourcing food produced without regard for the exploitative conditions under which the food is produced. In our effort to get food quickly to the table, governments often subsidize this journey, destroying local producers.
Food sovereignty is not a joint venture that requires us to migrate to another country to plant and grow food for ourselves. It does not mean importing more raw materials to be processed locally. Food sovereignty promotes investment in small farms and reintroduces traditional food production, distribution, and consumption processes. Eating madungo bakes, fried fish, roast breadfruit, and cassava bread must be elevated from festival food to a regular part of our diet. We are innovative enough and creative enough to develop various recipes to make them economical and nutritionally beneficial to our families. The concept of food “sovereignty” is relatively new, but it has been a part of traditions from the beginning of time. For decades, we ate and cultivated our food locally.
Imagine the possibilities of creating a vibrant Agrosystem that uplifts every single one of us and deepens our bond with the land. Together, we can restart a movement that celebrates our environment and fosters a flourishing community for all. Returning to the Land, let’s embark on this journey toward a sustainable future.
Horatio.
Where we really going?
A GUY WITH a foreign accent was on radio recently. Anybody understand anything the guy said?
All I heard was a wrong depiction of our culture and carnival.
Then the rest was Bajan, Trini, Grenada, St. Lucia…… deanery, jab, bashment soca, buyon, the fetes and the people outside of SVG. Apparently, he learned about jab in 2000 after Talpree. Guess he never heard Shadow with his “Jab Jab” and ‘Devil”.
The people who sit around the table (making decisions) have no clue of how to make carnival what it used to be.
The man on the radio said nothing about Calypso, mas, pan or the survival of our carnival and the empty city at nights.
What we have coming home now for carnival is a third generation who’s already been swayed by outside hip hop/dancehall cultures, who only seen table fetes and short pants 3 piece suits and ciroc. They do private events and sleep the rest of the day. We see them when carnival is over.
I say it is perhaps time that we banish calypso, pan and mas, and just reduce carnival down to a weekend and stop wasting time and money.
Fancy setup and decor mean nothing unless it’s private events of which our festival has become.
The long and short is, carnival is dead in the water with a seagull engine trying to take it forward, and all we hear, as usual, is: “How do we save and revive carnival?”
Blessed love.
Jude
Southern Grenadines still without homes
THE GOVERNMENThad no intention of getting the people of the Southern Grenadines back in their homes in as short a time as possible after the passage of Hurricane Beryl, July 01, 2024. Their agenda was to mix up and confuse things, so they will have an unfair political advantage in the upcoming general elections.
All along they were saying they couldn’t get tradesmen. Was that really true?
Some of our Caricom members, and our allies Cuba and Venezuela have armies. They have sections that deal with assisting after national disasters. They repair/construct bridges, repair/construct homes, roads, etc.
I am confident had the government solicited assistance of one kind or the other from these countries, all the people of the Southern Grenadines would have been back home before Independence 2024, three months after hurricane Beryl.
But, it’s not in the interest of the authorities to get the people back home before elections. Let them device ways to stay in power.
They should know nothing last forever. The harder they come the harder they fall. The higher you climb the impact of a fall can be devastating.
The Mighty Diamonds out of Jamaica has a song entitled, ‘When the right time comes’. I love that song very much. Concerned Vincentian
Godfathers in WI Cricket and more
HOW ON EARTHcan
anybody seriously justify the inclusion of a limited overs opening batsman in a test team and have him bat at No.5?
That, my people, could only happen in the West Indies and under a coach named Darren Sammy, who seemed to have pulled the wool over the other selectors eyes. Mind you, if the other selectors’ eyes ain’t open, I can’t blame Sammy for having his own way. How on earth can you ever include Brandon King to bat at No. 5, with no test experience
and you omit a test century-maker in Kavem Hodge?
Sammy could talk all he wants about studying this and studying that and applying all the science in the world to justify his stupid decisions, he just ain’t making sense.
Get Brandon King out the test team. Replace him with either Alick Athanaze or Kavem Hodge before we embarrass ourselves any further.
Talk about people having Godfathers in the right places. Brandon
King must have plenty. Ah wonder if Sammy is one?
And on another score, Mr. Editor, I know we got the short end of the stick from that television umpire but I wish lucky man Roston Chase could stop his crying and get down with his coach to see what we could do to stand up to that Australian bowling attack.
The Australians, as far as I am concerned, have the best bowling attack in cricket right now. Our batsman need to accept that and stop
We going down fast
I DON’T WANTto be the one to be preaching doom and gloom but, Mr. Editor my friend, you will excuse me and allow me some space to share how I feel about what is happening in the world today.
When I take in all the news of the world I see a world of lawlessness, selfishness and politics that divide people. We seem to be heading down a path from which we might find it difficult to recover.
Look at it. Crime, it seems, has become a way of life all over the world. And just look at our
situation. Not only are we killing one another for stupid reasons and because we want to control but this is all for the mighty dollar. One person said to me that if we don’t watch it, the crime situation will become so that the killers will be barging in on the funeral homes to make sure the person(s) they kill is really dead.
And while we have to deal with violent crime, we see lawlessness also on our roads. The roads in SVG have become a race track. I wonder if the traffic lights were not taken down by this
PEOPLE ARE ASKING:
* If J’Ouvert is the (Monday) morning before Mardi Gras (Tuesday) and there is only one Mardi Gras (parade of costumed bands) in Kingstown, how come we having so many J’Ouverts all over the country? We changing the tradition or what?
* Will a ULP government ever support this country’s bid for an international cricket match once Dr. Kishore Shallow is President of Cricket West Indies Inc.?
* What is the latest on the matter of taxes owed to the government by COURTS (St. Vincent) Ltd? Has this matter been settled behind our backs? If it has, what was the outcome?
* Has that bar under the CDC office in Victoria Park been closed?
administration whether they would have helped to curb this. I want to think so.
We voted for a government, and we will vote for another government soon because we want that government to look after our safety. We must make them do so.
thinking they are playing against some just-comelately bowlers. The result of the first test proves that we have some way to go in getting the better of that Australian attack. So, Mr. Chase and Mr. Sammy, stop all the crying and complaining and get down to dealing with our shortcomings.
Charles, Edinboro
But you know something Mr. Editor, in spite of all that is so wrong about what’s happening here, I am not going anywhere. This is where I was born and nobody is going to make me run.
Thank you, Mr. Editor.
Martin J.
Remembrance and continued Good News
ONE YEAR AFTER BERYL
ON JULY 1, 2024, a Category 4 Hurricane by the name of “Beryl” struck SVG. The immediate consequences were: Seven deaths; and damage and loss of approximately EC $1 billion or nearly one-third of our country’s annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) — the measurement for the aggregate value of all the goods and services produced in a country in a given year. One year later we still mourn the deaths of our loved ones; and we continue to rebuild magnificently, in solidarity. On every metric, the relief, recovery, and reconstruction have gone very well; but there is still much work to be in building back better, stronger, and more resilient.
CRITICAL AREAS OF DAMAGE AND LOSS
The worst hit areas by far were in the Southern Grenadines: Canouan, Mayreau, Union Island, and the resort islands of Palm Island, and Petit St. Vincent. In the area of housing (damage and loss in the whole of SVG estimated at EC $485 million – some 6,000 houses), immense progress has been made: In Canouan, some 95 percent of the houses were damaged or destroyed; almost all have been fixed or rebuilt; in Mayreau, only four of the houses remain to be addressed; in Union Island where almost every house was damaged or destroyed, over 80 percent of the roofs have fixed and, overall, over 65 percent of the houses have been rebuilt. On mainland St. Vincent and Bequia, similar progress has been made, but there are pockets here and there to be fully addressed; for example, at Chester Cottage, seven families (23 persons) are still in a shelter – their houses will be rebuilt on lands which are being purchased nearby for this purpose.
All the utilities (water, electricity, telecommunications) have been restored everywhere at enormous expense. For example, in the Southern Grenadines alone over EC $20 million has been spent by VINLEC on the restoration of electricity services. Almost every public building damaged or destroyed has been rebuilt; others are being addressed. In Canouan and Mayreau, beautiful Ferry Terminals and associated facilities have been constructed; and a huge one, inclusive of market facilities, is to be built on Union Island; the start-up date of construction for this is in five weeks or so; we hope to finish it for Independence Day 2025!
All told, the government has spent, thus far, hundreds of millions of dollars on relief, production and income support, recovery, and reconstruction. In the aggregate, over 20,000 persons or about one-fifth of the population have been beneficiaries, directly, of government’s spending on addressing the damaging consequences of Beryl. Never in the history of SVG or elsewhere has there been such a rapid and effective response to a major natural disaster. The world is marvelling. Even the hardened souls at the IMF, World
Bank, and the Caribbean Development Bank have been hugely impressed; and they have so stated publicly. They all speak of SVG’s “robust recovery” in every material particular.
REMEMBRANCE ALL OVER SVG
On July 1, 2025, there was remembrance all over SVG on the first anniversary of Beryl. Our Prime Minister, Comrade Ralph, led a ministerial team including Comrades Camillo, Orando, and Benarva plus other public servants to remembrance events at Canouan, Mayreau, and Union Island. They were accompanied, too, by the “Good Samaritans” Ian Wace and his lady Gioia. Wace, a wealthy home-owner in Canouan, was persuaded by Comrade Ralph to put in massive support of up to US $25 million. In each of his three speeches on each of the three islands in the Southern Grenadines, Ian Wace praised the leadership of Comrade Ralph in the relief, recovery, and reconstruction; he called it “unbelievable” and “exemplary”; Wace insisted that without Ralph he would not have been so engaged. Comrade Ralph, in his speeches, thanked all those who worked together in solidarity to bring us safely and well, thus far. At each stop, “thank-you” plaques were given to particularly outstanding individuals: 12 on Canouan; eight on Mayreau, including to three groups; and 19 on Union Island. Comrade Ralph expressed profound gratitude to those from overseas who helped us, including: Ian Wace and Gombolimbo group; the 20 Cubans who helped VINLEC; the 22 Romanians who came with Gombolimbo; and the fortymember team of the Guyana Defence Force. The latter were accorded a special farewell lunch, hosted by the Comrade yesterday, at “Sparrows” in Union Island.
The three events on the three islands in the Southern Grenadines were organised by a team led by the hugely-impressive Chevonne Stewart, a public servant on special assignment to Housing and NEMO in the Southern Grenadines; she is the ULP candidate for the constituency in the next general elections. Incredibly, this is the third “three-island-in-one-day” events organised in the last few months by Comrade-Sister Chevonne; previously she did this for Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day. Chevonne is an incredibly talented, and committed woman to the Southern Grenadines.
GOOD NEWS: CPEA
Meanwhile, the results for the CPEA students arrived to the public last week. They were impressive: 1,470 students or 87.34 percent of the 1,682 who took the final examinations, met the prescribed standards –roughly the same percentage as last year.
Continued on Page 19.
NDP continues to assist residents of the Southern Grenadines
AS WE APPROACH the final weekend of Vincy Mas 2025, we take a moment to reflect and commemorate the first anniversary of hurricane Beryl’s passage. One year ago, this powerful hurricane caused significant destruction to the Southern Grenadines and parts of mainland St. Vincent.
Since the passage of hurricane Beryl, the New Democratic Party (NDP) has been a vital force in the recovery efforts. The party has assisted hundreds of individuals by providing essential resources such as food, clothing, and financial aid, helping those affected to rebuild their lives.
To commemorate the anniversary of the passage of hurricane Beryl, the NDP continues to demonstrate its commitment to assist the people of the Southern Grenadines. On Monday June 30th 2025, President of the NDP, Honourable Dr. Godwin Friday, Member of Parliament for the Southern Grenadines Honourable Terrance Ollivierre, and other members of the party visited the Southern Grenadines. During their visit, they distributed school supplies to students, symbolizing the party’s commitment to the people of the affected constituency.
At a recent Press Conference, President of the NDP Honourable Dr. Godwin Friday, commented: “We had a very dark day here not so long ago when hurricane Beryl struck on the 1st of July last year. We are almost on the anniversary of that terrible event. Many people are still displaced, far too long for the government to get those people, especially those people from the Southern Grenadines, back in their homes. And we urge greater urgency on the part of the government. This is not a nine to five kind of exercise. It is not and it should not be treated in that way. It’s still very much a disaster area. People are still displaced from their homes, living in rented accommodations with no jobs and the government is not providing any support, material support for them to be able to maintain themselves here. And we demand that the government give greater urgency to getting the people back in their communities.
“We in the New Democratic Party at the outset, we have done a considerable amount based on what we have, the resources we have received from friends and donors across the region. We have given out school supplies especially in the Southern Grenadines and food supplies in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane. On the anniversary as it’s coming up, we had also made an appeal for persons to continue to contribute on a continuing basis to the relief effort and the rebuilding effort that is going on.”
There are residents from the Southern Grenadines who are on the mainland for a year, and we are in the hurricane season once again. These people are longing to go home, but some of them don’t have any house to go to. Some of them do not have any lands on which to rebuild because they were renting. And they are looking for accommodations for themselves and their families.
I showed a video showing that Union Island is still not fixed. Some people told me that comments were made that persons’ houses were already fixed. But I wish to assure the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines, if you go to Union Island, you would see those houses on Union Island that have not been fixed. There are some houses that were demolished by Beryl which have to be completely rebuilt.
That process for some people have started. Others have not. While talking to some people in the temporary accommodations on the mainland, they told me that some of them attended the consultation at the cruise ship berth and some went to Union Island to the consultation. And they were told that they need to get lands or ask members of their families who have lands, if they can provide them or help them out in order to put whatever they want to give them, whether it’s the prefab houses on these lands.
I took pains to point out that we had the Supplementary Estimates in parliament that made provision for $2.5 million to purchase lands for people who were displaced by hurricane Beryl. I know certain provisions were made for people in other parts of St Vincent and the Grenadines when it had flooding and people’s houses were destroyed, the government bought lands, built houses, and these houses were distributed to people. Why was the same consideration not made for people of the Southern Grenadines who were displaced by hurricane Beryl?
Several months ago, the government tried to occupy lands from private people in Union Island in order to give to develop. Why is it that they can’t acquire land in Union Island to build houses for people who are suffering and who are longing to go home?
Here you have $136 million in an Estimate which was put forward to help people who suffered from the effects of hurricane Beryl. And up to today, some people were asking me, where is the money? Where has it gone? Where was it spent? Do we have a breakdown of where the money went or how it was spent? Why are there so many people still suffering on this island?
Continued on Page 19.
Pain and Purpose: A Dual Pathway to Growth
“Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.”
— Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931) LebaneseAmerican writer and poet
AS BEST WE CAN,we seek to avoid pain in all of its forms – physical, emotional, and psychological. However, pain is an unavoidable part of the human experience. We encounter its discomfort throughout our journey from the cradle to the grave. Notwithstanding its unpleasant and often unexpected nature, pain plays a very important role in our lives; it alerts us that something is not right. For example, the pain generated by a sprained ankle warns us that a ligament, muscle, nerve, or joint needs to be attended to. Similarly, the pain that is generated by the distress of a broken or faltering relationship notifies us that attention needs to be given to resolving or disbanding the conflict that may have arisen. Pain has its purpose. Sometimes it is through pain that we discover our purpose and propensity for growth. It is often through disappointment and pain that we are propelled to engage in the introspection that is needed for self-improvement.
The examples shared in the previous paragraph confirm that physical pain plays a critical role in signalling that something is wrong and needs to be attended to. It plays a critical role in alarming us that there is danger and, more importantly, that corrective action is needed.
This also applies to emotional pain as the brain receives signals/notifications that there is some disruption to our inner selves, our goals, aspirations, or relationships. If left unattended, the trauma could have a very serious negative impact on our social, emotional, and/or spiritual wellbeing. Our reactions (on inactions) to these “warning signals” can influence our emotional and/or mental health and should therefore be given the attention that they need — taking the actions needed to resolve the challenges or to better cope with them. There is often folly in seeking to “sweep the challenges under the carpet” or pretending that they do not exist or will go away on their own. Action is often required as we seek to resolve such matters.
Viktor Frankl (1905-1997) the Austrian psychologist and neurologist, in his best-selling book “Man’s Search for Meaning”, notes that man’s search for life’s meaning is considered to be a central motivational force. Frankl, a Holocaust survivor, shared valuable insights in relation to the experiences in the German concentration camps during World War II. He stressed the importance of finding purpose and meaning of life in order to survive some of the most horrific treatments meted out in those death camps; seeking to come to grips with the cruelty that one human being can exact on another and the betrayal of individuals who were formerly friends and associates. He concluded that the ability to retain freedom of choice and being able to find meaning under any circumstance can be the determining factors in relation to surviving the most horrific conditions. This is considered especially critical in times of adversity. People who endure the pain and hardships of illness, failure, and physical or emotional loss can emerge with a greater sense of the more valuable aspects of life and living; a greater appreciation for what really matters; a greater sense of gratitude; appreciating
what they still have left rather than worrying about what they have lost.
Even the most intense physical, mental, or emotional pain can illuminate purpose in our lives and stimulate tremendous growth opportunities … depending on how we view the circumstances. For example, the entrepreneur who neglected to follow best business practices and subsequently observed his investments going belly-up can learn a very painful lesson about the need for embracing and pursuing best business practices with a subsequent business venture. Hopefully, the experience would not have resulted in a complete depletion of his financial resources and thereby prevent him from embarking on the pursuit of other wealth-generation activities. In such a case, pain could be the beginning of something greater and should therefore not be considered as the end of the journey … but just a bend in the road.
Coping with pain, whether physical or emotional, demands a certain amount of discipline. It takes discipline to extract the purpose that often lurks within the borders of painful experiences. With introspection, reflection, and resilience it is often possible to see the “blessings” that appear to be disguised in our painful encounters. The pain and embarrassment that may have erupted from a broken relationship could be the commencement of a much more rewarding and enlightening affiliation or the redirection of energies towards a humanitarian project or activity, providing new purpose and a greater sense of enlightenment. However, the search for purpose in pain is not automatic. It often calls for deep reflection and an objective approach to the pursuit of meaning. This is especially so in situations that may initially appear to be meaningless, overwhelming, or extremely traumatic. With the right focus, and the support of caring individuals, we may discover that the pain unearthed opportunities for a more refined character and the emergence or enhancement of empathy.
We can therefore perceive pain and purpose as “intertwined dicots”; inseparable in their own special way. Pain often reveals our limitations and vulnerabilities, while purpose uncovers the strength and skills that we possess to cope with them; new reasons for hope and/or the redirection of focus and efforts. Many can testify to the fact that some of life’s most meaningful and rewarding journeys were birthed from the depths of despair and discomfort. Often our coping mechanisms emerge from the discovery that, regardless of the circumstances, there is still reason to hope. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1849-1832), the German poet, philosopher, and novelist said it well when he noted that, “In all things it is better to hope than to despair.” Despite the pain and discomfort of life’s varied pains and their accompanying challenges and debilitations, it is possible to emerge with valuable life lessons that ignite courage and determination en route to the discovery of a more refined self and the discovery of purpose.
Carnival is more than a Fete
CARNIVALis not a fete. Carnival is a package of cultural entertainment experiences that should showcase high mas, classic calypso, soca, and sweet pan music.
Unless this fact dawns on those responsible for the carnival, our festivities will continue a slow, painful slide into a jump-and-wine activity devoid of all cultural content.
Carnival is not a fete. Carnival ain’t just about getting wet. Carnival is more than glow. Carnival must never be branded solely as insomnia and fire fete. All of these are nice additions to the festival, but they cannot be promoted at the expense of mas, cultural fun, sweet pan music or the uplifting voice of a people’s poet pointing to social ills with biting social commentary.
Maybe to save carnival, we should abandon the hype of ten days and return to the vigour of two days. With only two days, carnival officials, panmen, mas women, and calypso artists can spend more time creating and delivering a spectacle that is uniquely Vincentian and high in cultural content.
The slow death of carnival can be seen all around us. From the decision to impose a one-song policy for calypsonians to the misplaced emphasis placed on beauty pageants. The Carnival Development Corporation maintains that some shows are too long, boring and fail to attract crowds. But it offers no suggestions to make the shows lively or entertaining.
The steel Pan has been in intensive care for years. A few years ago, Fire Fete organisers attempted a rescue mission and teamed up with PAN. Within a year, the idea of melding fire and steel was dropped like hot bread. We thought fire liked pan. It stood alone last year. Its promoters ran out of energy and abandoned fire fete altogether. Last Wednesday, the CDC tried to revive the concept under the banner of 360 degrees. We await an appraisal of the heat intensity at Carnival City.
To improve the carnival, we should remove Miss SVG and Miss Carival from the carnival calendar. They do nothing for the culture of carnival. These shows skew perceptions of the festival. They are popular and make money, while pan, mas, and calypso struggle financially; however, carnival attracts regional visitors and nationals from the Diaspora. Few of them come to SVG to witness beauty shows.
Although they remain wildly popular among our women, beauty contests are a parade of brawn over brain. The young women fumble their way through their interviews, while some of us take cruel delight as some contestants engage in embarrassing babble.
Miss SVG attracts the largest single bundle of prizes in carnival, but does nothing to advance carnival or culture. The soca competition, like the pageants, generates revenue, but for how many more years will we be expected to jump, dance, raise our hands, and mash up everything?
Before this year’s carnival is declared the best, biggest and hottest in the Caribbean, we must reflect on the origins of carnival, where we are now, and ways to guarantee future carnivals that are much more than fete. Anything less than a complete review will ensure the continued slide away from carnival as cultural artistry to jumping, waving, wining and grinning.
It is too soon to proclaim that SVG is witnessing a resurgence in good, high-quality calypso. But the songs for this year should warm the hearts of all calypso lovers and the organisers of the calypso competition.
Historically, some calypsonians are notorious for being one-song wonders. So, the one-song format favours them. This year, we witnessed a virtual change of the guard. Veterans like Vibrating Scakes, I-Pa, Abijah, Patches, and Sony Banks failed to get the judges’ nod. Zion-I, Fya Empress, Man Sick, Shannell Mc Kensie, Tahoe, Zangie, I Reality, Shena Collis, Marvo, Dennis Bowman and Johnny Rebel get to do battle with Madzart for the crown. For the first time in living memory, two of the finalists made it to the big yard with songs favourable to the government.
Even with the general improvement in the calypsoes for this year, we must admit that the fine art of calypso writing needs to be cultivated. Many calypsonians had very good topics, but stayed with what first came to mind, rather than disciplining themselves and working just a little harder on their composition.
A negative trend is the celebration of rum. Carnival bigwigs, punch drunk on nonsense, dash away Fantastic Friday and market in its place rum and rhythm.. With the level of alcohol consumption and abuse rising rapidly, one longs for songs that promote clean, good fun.
As Carnival goes into high gear, we wish all revellers a healthy, funfilled, and peaceful celebration.
This piece, with some omissions and revisions, was first published on July 5, 2005.
Send comments, criticisms & suggestions
Farmers must now look out for themselves
IT IS THE UNFORTUNATEreality that in SVG today there is the perception that the weight of the law which is exerted on the law-breaker is determined by the lawbreaker’s connection to the political ‘cable of authority’, so that the unemployed young man charged for shoplifting or stealing items valued at less than two hundred dollars, can find himself securely behind bars for a few months, away from the very children for whom he stole to provide.
Farmers are being urged to get organized to protect their interests.
On the other hand, the relatively prospering lawyer is provided with an ‘illuminated tunnel’ to crawl out of and away from the consequences of his or her miscreancy, which had robbed the taxpayers of hundreds of thousands of dollars from the sacred precincts of the Registry.
Or you can have a prominent legal personage so play the cards so that insulation is effected for the spouse who has refused to repay the loan of millions of dollars to the bank of which he was the chairman.
Some days ago, I was alarmed to hear an individual who had been intimately involved in that financial ‘free-ride’ at this nation’s expense (i.e. the non-repayment of the loan) speak disparagingly of the persons who had had student loans from the government and had not yet repaid them. I must remind us all that the reason for the non-repayment of those student loans was that the students did not ‘land’ the jobs they had anticipated when they embarked on their university training. Much of the reason lies in the long-lived stagnation of the economy.
Mr. Hugh Stewart, who is today one of the prominent farmers in our land, was once the manager of the Land Settlement Estate at
Richmond Vale, a senior officer in the Ministry of Agriculture, a leading member of the St. Vincent Banana Growers Association.
In 2012 February 24th in an article in THE NEWS newspaper, there is an article by him captioned “Developing Agriculture in 2012”. Many of the thoughts expressed by Mr. Stewart in that article are still quite relevant to our situation in 2025.
In the penultimate paragraph of that article Mr. Stewart said, “Many lawyers, doctors, engineers and public officers are engaged in farming in one way or another. In fact, despite the ‘help-talk’ about education revolution, farming and banana farming in particular, have been responsible more than any activity for the education of most teachers, civil servants and other professionals in the Vincentian society. One particular village in St. Vincent has the highest number of professionals both local and overseas, compared to other villages. It should not be surprising that such education was financed by the parents who were farmers”.
And what is our position today almost twenty-five years after Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and his ULP team promised that they were going to revitalize the
Banana Industry and agriculture generally. There was to have been serious attention given to our feeder roads. Nothing was done! The farmers had given good support to the ULP in those elections of 2001, on the bases of those promises. The farmers well remember that the ULP had gone to the extent of bringing a gentleman here from the UK, to assure us that we would have no problems with the marketing of our bananas, once we had elected the ULP to government.
In the subsequent years Dr. Gonsalves and his men grew in confidence, because of the docility of the people and the unpatriotic indifference of those, whom over the years the people had considered to be of the mettle to defend the interests of the society. Sadly, too many of these intellectuals and scholars have turned out to be merely “pliable scrunters”, who harboured no qualms about throwing overboard the interests of the many, so that the enrichment of “the self” can prosper.
That WINFA may just have had a role in the dismantling of the St. Vincent banana Growers’ Association, is hauntingly painful. WINFA was supposed to be a farmers oriented organizations. It couldn’t be that they were party to the crippling of the biggest farmers organizations in our land?
In light of the fact that our economy is now crippled, and that Agriculture still represents the most dependable platform to lift us out of our misery, WINFA should feel duty bound, to agitate for meaningful support for the Agriculture sector.
The farmers however, must now commence the discussion towards the formulation of a dependable structure, to take care of their own welfare.
LeRoy Providence
Junior Mas 2025: Players return to the top
that it was a time for some celebration, Band members were said to be focused on getting themselves ready for the remainder of the season. This was no time to get complacent.
According to Duane Jack, a leading member of SVG Players International Mas Band, the SVG Players team remained focused on the task at hand, that is gearing up got the Sections of the Band competition scheduled for July 3, King and Queen of the Bands set for July 06 and the Band of the Year/Mardi Gras on July 8.
The band has the most ‘Sections of the Band’ titles, Jack said, and they were looking to continue with that trend, not to mention doing a similar thing in the Band of the Year competition.
Dominance – Junior Mas
SVG Players simply dominated the Junior Mas competition taking several of the top spots, including the coveted Junior Carnival Band of the Year and Junior King and Queen titles. (See separate Junior King/Queen story on next page)
designer who passed away in June 2024, and in the processing dethroned Nelson Bloc.
Players amassed 449 points to cop another title, “to add to the many the former bandleader and his team won in the past,” a band member said.
Blondie Bird and Friends came in second with 428 points, with their presentation ‘Tribute to Carnival Icons’.
Nelson Bloc, 433 points, slipped to third with the presentation ‘Mas Mus Play’, and Lynx Mas Band (412 points) rounded up the top four bands with its presentation ‘Riddles’.
And there was more to come for Players. They were adjudged winner and runner-up in the Junior Section of the Bands competition, with sections entitled ‘Africanized Bees’ and “Blue Skies’ respectively.
Blondie Bird and Friends’ “Quest in Paradise — tribute to Lennox Scully Hunte’, and Mirage’s ‘Kaleidoscope’ tied for 3rd place.
There was no room for defending title holders- Nelson Bloc , in the top four.
Putting it together
SVG PLAYERS
INTERNATIONAL, commonly referred to as Players, returned to the top spot in this year’s (2025) Junior Carnival held at Victoria Park, June 28. Notwithstanding
They took the Junior Band of the Year title with a presentation entitled ‘A tribute to David Julian ‘Pilling’ Pollard’, the band’s ace
According to Jack, the Players’ team felt overjoyed with the results.
Jack told THE VINCENTIAN that in putting the presentation together, the team chose some of Pollard’s most loved iconic sections.
“And we knew he liked certain colours, it was known certain colours would be coming every year.”
Pollard created designs for decades, and this year according to Jack, the team put them into their rotation and paid tribute to an outstanding artist and mas designer.
Players, however, had to settle for the second position in the ‘Mas on the Move Competition’, losing out to Nelson Bloc (first), Blondie Bird and Friends — third and Mirage Productions fourth with its 2025 presentation, ‘Melange
— The Art of Color’. (DD)
Blue Skies helped Players International to convincingly cop the Junior Band of the Year title.
Blondie Bird’s ‘Quest in Paradise – tribute to Lennox Scully Hunte’, contributed to the band’s second place.
Right: Nelson Bloc, with one of its sections entitled ‘Peace’ held its place among the top four with a third finish.
‘Playing Cards’ from Riddles help to keep Lynx in the top four Junior Bands.
Junior King/Queen: Players’ shine even brighter
NEVER MIND that they were outdone on the streets, SVG Players International, with their ‘Tribute to David Julian ‘Pilling’ Pollard, continued with their dominance on the Junior Mas stage, capturing both the Junior King and Queen titles, thereby switching places with 2024 winners Nelson Bloc.
In the Junior King category, ‘Kite Master’
portrayed by Josiah Baker did the job for Players.
The ‘Kite Master’ was followed by Blondie Bird’s ‘Quest in Paradise — Tribute to Lenox ‘Scully’ Hunte’, portrayed by Kyle Grant.
X-treme Fanatics placed third with ‘Joker in the Pack’ with masquerader Logan Grant, and Acalib John carried a costumed entitled ‘Heatwave’ that gave Nelson Bloc fourth place.
In the Junior Queen category, Players proved to be too much for the other bands, taking the 2025 Junior Queen of the Band title with ‘Calypso’ portrayed by Kamara Stapleton.
Lynx Mas Band’s Aja Brewster was second with ‘Clock’; My Imagination was third with the presentation ‘Mas in Town’ portrayed by Drayah Billingy; and Nelson Bloc finished fourth with their presentation ‘Peace’, carried by Taiesha Martin.
And it was SVG Players again in the spotlight in the Age Group, or Individual of the Bands competition.
Players and Nelson Bloc shared top honours in the age group 5 to 9, with Blondie Bird taking the third and fourth spots.
In the 10- to 15-yearold category, Blondie Bird edged out Players who had to settle for second. Blondie Bird did so ironically with a portrayal entitled ‘Master CraftsmanTribute to Pilling Pollard’.
Players’ ‘Messenger’ and ‘King’s Ball’ tied for second with Nelson Bloc finishing fourth with ‘Thermal Explosion’.
Interestingly,
competitions, save and except for Uptown competition. Their only
Nelson Bloc had won all the 2024 Junior Mas
victory in 2025 was in the Mas on the Move Competition, which replaced the Uptown competition. (DD)
Junior Queen of the bands – ‘Calypso’ portrayed by Kamara Stapleton from Players’ A tribute to David Julian ‘Pilling’ Pollard.’
The ‘Kite Master’- Junior King of the Bands portrayed by Kyle Gran from Players’ ‘A tribute to David Julian ‘Pilling’ Pollard.’
‘Clock’ – Aja Brewster second among the Queen of the Bands from Lynx’s Riddles.
Lexi takes Junior Soca Monarch
THE NAME LEXI RANG ALARM BELLSaround Victoria, when she was introduced as the granddaughter of legendary Trinidadian calypsonian “Sugar Aloes”, And while there was truth in this, the alarm bells and cheers had much more to do with the t the impact the young singer is already having this carnival season.
At the tender age of 12, she has already competed in the National Soca Monarch semi-final, and is now a reserve in the final of the premier soca competition.
Last Tuesday 2nd, July,
Alexcia ‘ Lexi’ Deshong dazzled in her outfit and performance, had the audience at her command on her way to winning the 2025 Junior Soca Monarch Competition at Victoria Park.
Representing the Sandy Bay Secondary School, though hailing from Georgetown, she defeated eight other competitors with her song
“Litty Litty”, having totalled 414 points on the judges’ tally.
She also placed third in the Secondary School Calypso Monarch segment.
In second position in the National Junior Soca Monarch was Kyron Adams also of the Sandy Bay Secondary School with “Van man”. He racked up 356 points.
Third position was taken by Jelani Sandy of the Dr. J.P Eustace Secondary with his song “Crown City”. He amassed 347 points.
The other finalists were Malique John of the Sandy Bay Secondary School with “Bad Temper”; Joel Mason of the Dr. J.P. Eustace Secondary with “When we reach”; Lylanie “Singing Lylie” Bascombe of the Greiggs Primary School with “Granny in de Party’; Shakira
Johnson of the Greiggs Primary School with “It’s not a normal fete’; Colin Jr. Small of the Sandy Bay Secondary School with “Water truck”; and Elza “Princess Ruff” Cruikshank of the South Rivers Methodist with “Soca Beast”. (KH)
Zion Lewis: Secondary Calypso Monarch
ZION LEWIS, a St. Joseph Convent Kingstown student is the 2025 Secondary School Calypso monarch. With her rendition ‘Don’t get
caught up,’ Lewis romped to the title with 399 points. Kericka McCaul McCaul, St. Joseph Convent Marriaqua, placed second with 388 points gained from her
composition: ‘One mother’s cry is all mother’s cry’. Third place went to ‘Princess Alexia’ Deshong of the Sandy Secondary School. She did a song called: ‘Tell me why,’ which earned 378 points. Former monarch
Stapleton: Primary School Calypso Monarch
ANIEK
STAPLETON made two appearances at Victoria Park last Tuesday evening, this as there were concerns about technical issues on her first run in her run-up to the 2025 Junior Calypso Primary School title.
An Evesham Methodist School student, Stapleton amassed 402 points. Her rendition: ‘Cyber Dream’ was endorsed by an eight-member dramatic cast, some with placards and others with appropriate relevance.
Stapleton dethroned last year’s winner Divyne ‘Skye’ Hackshaw of the Argyle Primary School who took the second spot with ‘No rush to grow’, having amassed 399. She was also a semifinalist in this year’s National Calypso Monarch contest.
Omani Cupid, a Reserve at last Sunday’s National Calypso semifinal, missed a top three spot. His number was ‘Omani for Prime Minister’. Other Junior Secondary School finalists were: Casnique WilliamsGeorgetown Secondary School whose number was ‘Treat me right’; Ameerah GlasgowSt. Joseph Convent Kingstown who sang: ‘Love is the key’; Jaiden BulzeSt. Vincent Grammar School: ‘Build back the family’; Jolicia ByronSandy Bay Secondary’: ‘Thank you Iron Man’. Musical accompaniment was provided by the band Viking. (WKA)
Third place went to Laylanie Bascombe from Greiggs Primary school. She notched up 375 points from her rendition: ‘My Mummy’.
The show, dubbed ‘Young voices, Big vibes’, saw nine in the Primary school version. Former title holder Divine Walters from the Sandy Bay Government School produced a number called ‘Under the pressure’, buy was unable to rekindle her previous top tier finish.
Kataleya Nero, a Barrouallie Anglican School student thrilled patrons with her rendition, ‘True champions’.
Akira Bronwe from the Evesham Methodist School exposed the cultural depth of that institution with her song: ‘Education Revolution: What happen to Bob?’
Valisha Johnson: Tourama Government School did a song called ‘Pride and joy,’ and ‘Princess Halley’ Small from South Rivers Methodist with: ‘Never me you can destroy,’ added to the
Before the competitors hit the stage, Blessing Compton, a Reserve, thrilled the auditorium with her composition: ‘Children today’.
intensity.
(WKA)
Below: Aniek Stapleton –Primary School Calypso Monarch 2025.
Divyne ‘Skye’ Hackshaw slipped one place down to second.
Kyron Adams, 1st runner-up, helped the Sandy Bay Secondary to a one-two in the Junior Soca competition.
Laylanie Bascombe turned in a commendable performance and placed third.
Jelani Sandy took third position in a keen contest.
Zion Lewis – 2025 Secondary Schools Calypso Monarch.
Alexcia ‘ Lexi’ Deshong took the Junior Scoa Monarch title in convincing fashion.
Kherie McCaul – second in the 2025 Secondary Schools Calypso Monarch.
‘Princess Alexia’ Deshong - Third place to add to her soca title.
Canadian Vincentian wins Commonwealth Prize
CANADIAN VINCENTIAN WRITER
CHANEL SUTHERLAND is the overall winner of the world’s most global literature prize… the 2025 Commonwealth Short Story Prize.
The 41-year-old, who was born in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and lives in Montreal, Canada, saw off 7,920 entrants worldwide to take the £5,000 prize with ‘Descend’, a story in which enslaved Africans share their life stories, as the ship transporting them sinks.
The story was selected as the overall winner by an international panel of judges, chaired by Dr Vilsoni Hereniko. The judges are: author, poet and scholar Nsah Mala from Cameroon (Africa); writer and 2019 Asia regional winner Saras Manickam from Malayasia (Asia); writer and journalist Dr Anita Sethi from the United Kingdom (Canada and Europe); writer, editor and comedian Lisa AllenAgostini from Trinidad and Tobago (Caribbean); and poet,
actor, musician and writer Apirana Taylor from Aotearoa/New Zealand (Pacific).
The Commonwealth Foundation announced her win at an online ceremony, presented by Rwandan performing artist and storyteller, Malaika Uwamahoro, in which Chanel and the other four regional winners spoke about their writing and read short extracts from their stories.
In ‘Descend’, as a slave ship sinks, one of the enslaved Africans starts telling a story of the wife he has left behind. In the darkness, others join in. Springing vividly to life, the men and women tell their own stories–of love, family and the worlds from which they had been brutally removed.
The chair of the judges, Dr Vilsoni Hereniko, said, ‘Told in the quiet voice of a seer, “Descend” is deep and profound. It tells the story of slaves packed like sardines in the hull of a sinking ship, an
allegory that affirms the unrivalled power of storytelling to set our spirits free and find hope where none exists. My deepest gratitude and congratulations to the judges and the Commonwealth Foundation for shining a light on this masterpiece.’
Dr Anne T. Gallagher AO, Director-General of the Commonwealth Foundation, the intergovernmental organisation that administers the prize, said ‘“Descend” is a superb piece of storytelling–bold in form, precise in detail, and unforgettable in its impact. Chanel Sutherland has taken a moment of extreme peril and fashioned a narrative that holds the reader from first line to last. She handles the weight of history with precision and imagination. This is exactly the level of craft and originality the Commonwealth Short Story Prize exists to celebrate. My congratulations to Chanel, to our outstanding regional winners, and to every
writer who entered this year’s record-breaking competition.’
Chanel Sutherland said, ‘I took a risk with “Descend”–its shape, its voices–because I believed every enslaved person deserves to have their story told with dignity. I can’t tell all the stories, or restore the lives that were stolen, but I’m humbled that this one resonates.’
‘My deepest gratitude to the Commonwealth Foundation, the judges and to my fellow regional winners Joshua, Faria, Kathleen and Subraj–your stories are extraordinary, and I’m honoured to be in your company. Here’s to the stories that move us, mend us, and remind us we’re not alone–may we keep telling them!’
(Source: Commonwealth Foundation)
Chanel Sutherland is a Canadian Vincentian writer of fiction and creative nonfiction. Her debut short story collection, Layaway Child, will be published by House of Anansi in 2026.
Martin A. James, CEO/ECCO called on all stakeholders to work in collaboration with ECCO to ensure creators are properly rewarded.
ECCO distributes over $1M in royalties
THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN COLLECTIVE ORGANISATION FOR MUSIC RIGHTS (ECCO) Inc. announced on June 30, 2025 that it was ready to complete its June 2025 distribution of a total of $1,044,083.85, in performance royalties to members and affiliated music rights societies around the world.
As of July 02, 2025, payments will begin reaching earning members’ bank accounts, a release from the ECCO Secretariat said.
The royalties reflect music performances that occurred during the 2023 period, with 44% going directly to ECCO members in the Eastern Caribbean and 56% allocated to foreign rights societies, on behalf of international creators whose works were used in the region.
This distribution was made possible through licensing and royalty collections from a range of sources including radio and TV broadcasts, live events, festivals, hotels, restaurants, bars, and other licensed establishments across ECCO’s six operating territories.
This milestone speaks not only to the cultural and commercial value of Caribbean music, but also to the importance of ingoing collaboration.
Even as it distributes another round of royalties to its current membership, ECCO has advised that to continue carrying out its mandate of protecting intellectual property rights, members must consistently register their works, and regulatory authorities must continue working alongside ECCO to support fair enforcement and licensing.
“We are pleased to be making this considerable payout amidst the many challenges we face within the region, like the lack of compliance and respect for the copyright laws. ECCO remains committed to supporting the creative industries and the broader Orange Economy within the OECS,” says Martin A. James, CEO. “We call on artistes, broadcasters, event organisers, businesses, and especially government agencies to work in unison with us to ensure creators are properly recognised and rewarded.”
More specific to the role of government, the CEO called on the governments in the six ECCO member states to look for it interests of its creatives who need government and institutional support to ensure they get fairly compensated for use of their creative output.
The ECCO CEO is calling on its members to be vigilant and to update ECCO regularly on their activities as writers, performers, producers and creatives, so more accurate payments can be made.
ECCO has served as the region’s link to the global music rights ecosystem since 2009, representing creators in six Eastern Caribbean countries- Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts & Nevis, and Saint Vincent & the Grenadines.
ECCO serves as the region’s link to the global music rights ecosystem and represents creators in six Eastern Caribbean countries.
Remembrance and continued Good News
Continued from Page 10.
Sugar Mill Academy had five places in the top-ten performers; the other five were spread over St. Mary’s; Kingstown Preparatory; Lowmans Leeward; Union Methodist; and Sion Hill Government.
Of especial note were the performances of students in 19 schools which obtained 100 percent passes, including the following which were among those especially tortured by Beryl: Canouan Government; Dickson Methodist; Fancy Government; Lowmans Leeward; Lower Bay Primary; Pamellus Burke (Byera); Park Hill Government; Rose Hall Government; and Stubbs Government.
A further 20 schools performed above an average of 85 percent, including some others particularly affected by Beryl: Bequia Anglican; Troumaca Government; Richland Park SDA; Argyle Primary; Georgetown Government; Cane End Government; Paget Farm Government; Dorsetshire Hill Government; Mary Hutchinson Primary; Kingstown Government; Diamond Government; Evesham Methodist; and Barrouallie Anglican.
GOOD NEWS: SVGCC
GRADUATION
Last week, too, the SVG Community College graduated in excess of 800 students. This is some one-half of the secondary school in-take for 2025. Professor Justin Robinson of SVG and UWI commented that he saw the Education Revolution before his very eyes. It was impressive beyond words!
GOOD NEWS: THE JANUARY – MAY FISCAL, 2025
The fiscal out-turn of the central government finances for the year 2025, thus far, January 1st to May 31st, 2025, shows a very good performance. Compared to the corresponding period January 1st-toMay 31st, 2024, some highlights for 2025, thus far, include:
Total Revenue and Grants up by 16.9 percent, at $373.4 million.
Current Revenue up by 11.2 percent, at $344.99 million.
Total Expenditure up by 25.6 percent, at $482.3 million.
Current Expenditure up by 11.7 percent, at $351.5 million.
Capital Expenditure up by 88.4 percent, at $130.8 million.
NDP continues to assist residents of the Southern Grenadines
Continued from Page 10.
I want to also add, when you look at the business places in Union Island, the business people are suffering to get operational again. Why is it that help has not gone to these people so that they can get their businesses up and running again, so that they can provide economic activities on the island that is needed to provide the employment and other things that are needed for the island to start to rebound. We know with economic activities and people returning to their homes, people are looking to earn a livelihood and we will get back to where we were.
Current Account Deficit of $6.5 million, an increase over the $4.3 million for the same
period last year.
GOOD NEWS LOOK-OUT
Look out for Good News with another record in Tuition Scholarships! Look out, too, for Good News for
Emancipation Day 2025!
Look out, also, for Good News on the actual start-up before Independence day 2025, of the construction of several projects financed through the Saudi Fund!
Leisure
ARIES (Mar. 21- April 20)
Be sure not to burn any bridges. Better still, take your mate and let them foot the bill. You can help other people with their financial problems by setting up a budget for them. Don't confront the situation if you don't feel you can keep your cool.
TAURUS (Apr. 21- May 21)
You can make major decisions regarding your professional direction. If you can put some work into home improvements, you should. You could have a tendency to spend too much on your home or entertainment. You'll communicate easily and develop new friendships.
GEMINI (May 22-June 21)
You are best not to confide in anyone right now. Unrealistic promises will only get you in trouble. Avoid extravagance or risky financial schemes. Take time to listen to the problems of family members.
CANCER (June 22-July 22)
Later in the week your boss will pat you on the back for a job well done. You will need to take a look at the renovations that are necessary and try to find the cheapest way to get things done. Don't be taken advantage of by any fast talking salesperson trying to part you from your cash. You may find acquaintances being deceptive.
LEO (July 23-Aug 22)
Don't be too quick to judge partners or those you work with. You are best to concentrate on work. Dealing with foreigners will be most enlightening. Don't be shy; show your abilities!
VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23)
Your ideas will be well received. Your personal life will still be experiencing difficulties and you are best to avoid the issues for the time being. You can make favorable real estate offers this week. You can get others to do
things for you but be sure not to overpay them or lend them money.
LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23)
You will have to help family members sort out unfortunate difficulties. Be creative in your pursuits. Your contributions will be valued and helpful. You will have the discipline to make changes you feel are necessary.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22)
Problems with relatives and friends could surface. Don't say things that could be damaging later on. Cut loose. Don't expect new acquaintances to be completely honest about themselves. This week is not the day to try to comer people by giving them ultimatums.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21)
You have more than enough on your plate already. Family responsibilities are mounting. You may want to pull out some of those unfinished project you've got tucked away. You may come down with minor infections if you have allowed yourself to get rundown.
CAPRICORN (Dec 22.- Jan. 20)
You will be appreciated for the competence you exhibit and for taking on responsibilities. Travel will also entice you. Don't be too pushy or demanding, or you may find yourself all alone. Unpredictable events will disrupt your routine.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 21.- Feb. 19)
You will find the perfect outfit if you shop this week. You will communicate with ease this week. Get busy doing all those things at home that you have been putting off for so long. Favors will be offered readily.
PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20)
ACROSS
1.Librarian’s admonition 4. Far down 8. Bible possessive
Impend 13. Beatles’ “Lovely__”
Fisherman’s need
Part of AKA
Employment offices
Arrange for a marriage
__ de cologne
Try a bite
Den, kitchen, etc. (abbr.) 25. Peruvian natives
Hem and –
Through 32. Opposite of sweeter
Wealthier
Vandalize 37. Min. part 39. Places for blotters 40 “__ a Rebel” 42. Garment tag 44. “Just __ suspected!” (2 wds.) 46. Choice steak
Store clerks 53. Less than twice
Military rank (abbr.)
Like Arizona’s climate 56. Beef __ 57. That thing’s 58. Succeeds 59. It preceded the CIA DOWN
Put your efforts into making changes to your domestic scene. Avoid letting family get involved in your personal life. Compromise will be necessary. You will have some wonderful ideas that should bring you extra money. 7. Glazier’s item 8. Victories 9. Clod breaker 10. Cloth measurements (abbr.)
1.Thick piece 2. Golfer’s goal 3. Party-giver 4. Annoyed one’s words 5. __ note (quaver)
Summer, in Paris
12. Building cement 17. Automobile 19. Desert rest stops 22. Attention 24. Search out 25. Suffix for a doctrine 26. Ark’s captain 27. Panaceas (hyph.)
Stringed instruments
__ point (2 wds.)
Wind dir.
Ties
“The Last Time __ Paris” 2 wds.)
In the know
29. Broacher 31. Monopoly’s four (abbr.) 33. Cousin or nephew (abbr.)
Breaking stories
Quick to learn
Modern diagnostic tool (abbr.)
Dear George,
My 31-year-old wife of three years has lost interest in having sex with me.
I questioned her about it and she said, “It’s not you, it’s me.” Without giving any further explanation.
Recently, a friend of hers came to the house and with a few items that included a dildo, a rose and a vibrator. When I asked why she giving those things to my wife, she told me to ask my wife.
I insisted that she take them back and to my surprise my wife insisted on keeping them. I don’t quite know what to make of this but what I do know is my wife has been spending a great deal of time with this friend.
Lots of Doubts.
Dear Lots of Doubts,
I’m assuming you and your wife never had any discussion regarding dildos and other sex toys. The conversation that ensued in the presence of your friend should not have happened. You and your wife need to have a conversation about the toys, in the context of the lack of bedroom activity between you two.
The air needs to be cleared, and I suggest you initiate a meeting with a marriage counsellor as a start.
Sex toys take over Facing hard times
Dear George,
NEITHERmy wife nor I am working. We have three small children. Our mortgage is way behind, and we juggle with which bills to pay. It is hard to watch our children go hungry and unable to explain to them why they were not given lunch. Some days we do skip lunch. If this situation continues, I do not know what I might be forced to do.
The hardest thing for me is dealing with friends to whom I reach out for help but who dismiss me instantly and
insist that I am making a mountain out of a mole hill.
On the Brink of Exploding.
Dear On the Brink of Exploding,
You can begin to address the issue by having frank discussions with your mortgage brokers and other establishments to which you are indebted.
I’m suggesting you get financial and also psychological counselling and from these you should be able to draft
up some sort of a plan as to the way forward. Toward this end, you can look at your own personal skills and abilities and how you can use these to your advantage.
Throwing in the towel is not an option. Keep looking for ways to get through this rough patch. The storm you are facing now may be shorter than you think. By the way, your situation has served to show you who your real friends are and for that you should be thankful.
George.
A marriage without sex
Dear George,
IS IT NORMALfor a couple to be married for five months and never engage in sexual activity?
For the life of me I cannot get my wife to open to me. She is not even giving me a reason for her refusal to engage sexually. I just want to know what I should do now. The frustration is killing me.
Flat Out Vex.
Dear Flat Out Vex,
To give a straight answer to your question, it’s a, “NO, it’s not normal!”
Your marriage has not been consummated and in itself presents grounds for annulment/divorce. I can think of no good reason for your bride’s reluctance to consummate the marriage.
A serious discussion must be had so that she can decide whether she’s in or out. Remember, “You can’t play mas and ‘fraid powder.”
George.
George wins 5th Junior CASA title
VINCENTIAN – JAYDEN GEORGE
confirmed his supremacy on the Junior Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) circuit, when he claimed his fifth successive title, last Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in the Cayman Islands.
Playing for the first time in the Under-17 age category, George took 21 minutes to ward off Charlie Makin of the Cayman Islands, 11-4, 11-9, 11-3 in the championship match at the South Sound Squash Club.
George had an impressive journey from start to finish, winning all his matches by a margin of 3-1.
In addition to the finals, he disposed of Bermuda’s Owen Rosorea 11-3, 11-1, 11-4 in the semi-finals, and in the quarter finals, took care of Ethan Miller of Jamaica 11-5, 11-9, 11-4.
After gaining a bye to the second round George displaced Rocco Adderley of Bermuda 11-1, 11-7, 11-2, taking just 12 minutes to do so.
George began his journey in 2019 when he won the Under-11, before claiming his second, the Under-13 in
2022. There were no championships in 2020 and 2021 because of the coronavirus.
Moving on to the Under-15s, George won back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024.
George is now one title away from equaling Guyanese Richard Chin’s feat of six straight. Chin won consecutive titles from 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986 and 1987.
Savante Padmore wins Under-11
George was not the lone title winner for St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the Cayman Islands, as Savante Padmore secured the Boys Under-11.
Welcome equals longstanding record
MIKIESHA WELCOME has equalled the St. Vincent and the Grenadines all time Female Long Jump record.
Competing at the University of Toronto Track Club Twilight 3, Varsity Stadium, Toronto, Canada on June 24, 2025, Welcome leapt to 6.21m.
That distance was the same as Marvette Collis’ effort in 1994, accomplished in San Diego, USA.
Welcome also holds the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Triple Jump record, 14.01m achieved in 2023. Additionally, she has in her grasp the National Indoor records for both the Long and Triple Jumps.
She established the national Long Jump record of 6.15m in 2020 and the Triple Jump best effort indoors, 14.21m in 2023.
Team Athletics SVG is yet to confirm Welcome’s participation in the Wendell Hercules National Championships carded for July 19 and 20, 2025 at the Diamond Track Facility.
World Athletics has made a stipulation that athletes will no longer be required to meet qualification standards but be ranked according to their performances over the season.
Hence, each country’s National Championships will carry the most
Like George, Padmore went into the championships as the Number One seed and lived up to his billing. First, he downed Rafael Brathwaite of Barbados 11-2, 11-3, 11-4, then outdid Trinidad and Tobago’s Evan Ghuran 11-2, 11-1, 11-5 in the semifinals.
Matched against Zion Hickerson of Guyana in the final, Padmore was the better on the court, trumping his opponent 11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5.
ranking points for those athletes wishing to compete at the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, in September of this year.
Third Places
St. Vincent and the Grenadines also took two third places, via Aiden De Freitas and Zavin Garrick. De Freitas took bronze in the Boys Under-15, with a hard fought 11-3, 10-12, 119, 11-6 win over Adriana Vera of the Cayman Islands. He faltered though, against eventual winner Barbadian- Ben Shepherd 11-5, 11-8, 11-5 in the semifinal.
Meanwhile, Zavin Garrick beat Ghuran 11-0, 11-7, 9-11, 11-3, to finish third in the Boys Under-11. Garrick failed to set up an all-Vincentian final, when he lost out to Hickerson in the semifinals: 5-11, 10-12, 4-11.
Other SVG Reps.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines was also represented by Ethan Webester and Deron Lewis at the championships.
In the Boys Under-13, Webster lost
to Coen Mack of Trinidad and Tobago 4-11, 4-11, 5-11. Webster though had an 811, 11-5, 11-6, 811, 11-8 win over Ylon Chambers of Cayman Islands in the play offs but was stopped 9-11, 11-8, 7-11, 12-10, 6-11 in the second round.
And Lewis, who played in the Boys Under-17, was beaten by Charlie Makin of Cayman Islands 10-12, 6-11, 2-11, in the second round, after receiving a bye. Lewis, in the play offs, got the better of David Hughes of Cayman Islands 11-4, 11-5, 11-6, before going under to Ethan Miller 4-11, 5-11, 7-11.
Mikiesha Welcome is the holder of four national records.
Jayden George is one away from a sixth CASA title.
Savante Padmore – topped the Under 11 category.
Zavin Garrick was third among the Under 11s.
Aiden De Freitas –a top-three finisher in the Under 15 category.
HKF positioning well
THE HAIROUNA KARATE FEDERATION (HKF) is focusing on building capacity and skill among its athletes.
A series of training exploits overseas and competitions provides the platform for anticipated growth for the sport.
Excited about the incremental progress to date is recently elected HKF Public Relations Officer- Alvin Seales.
“We have been engaged in local tournaments, regional competitions, and international training programmes designed to sharpen their (athletes) skills and elevate their competitive potential.
“Earlier this year (March) a team of athletes proudly represented St. Vincent and the Grenadines at the Centro Caribbean Karate Cup held in Panama. The nation secured three bronze medals, courtesy of standout performances by Liam Bollers, Amiyah Bascombe, and Rishawn Roache, marking a commendable achievement for the growing Federation”, Seales highlighted.
Outlining some other capacity-building undertakings, Seales added, “Building on that success, two of HKF’s promising athletes, Christian Joseph and J-don Matthews, participated in the PanAm Sports Karate Development Training Camp, June 16 to 25, a prestigious event designed to prepare young athletes ahead of the upcoming Junior Pan American Games in Asunción, Paraguay, this summer”.
On the heels of the outing in Paraguay, St. Vincent and the Grenadines was part of the 17th World Karate Federation’s Youth Camp in Porec, Croatia, with Liam Bollers being the athlete representing and Adrian John, the coach.
A delighted Seales commented, “His(Bollers) participation marks the first time a Vincentian athlete has attended this globally recognised annual event”.
Seales revealed that HKF is also preparing for another historic moment in August when St. Vincent and the Grenadines will participate for the first time in the Pan American Karate Federation Junior Championships, also scheduled for Asunción, Paraguay, following the Junior Pan American Games.
“Seize every opportunity,” SVGCC Director
DR. KAREN THOMAS,
Director of the SVG Community College, showered praises on the sporting personalities who have brought the institution to the path on which it is currently.
Thomas made these remarks during her address at the College’s fourth Annual Sports Ceremony awards which was held at the College’s Hospitality and Maritime Training Institute at Diamond, June 19, 2025, and during which students were recognized for their outstanding performances during the College’s sporting calendar.
Thomas said this year’s theme — ‘Prospective from the past, possibility for the future’ - which referenced a verse in the Bible, was fitting to the achievements of all who were recognized.
“I really like the theme which is reflective and
intentional as written in the book of Jeremiah 6:16, where the prophet tells the people, ‘Ask for the ancient past, the good ancient past and walk in them’, and turning to those outstanding sportsmen and women, the Director urged them to “…remember where you came from, remember those who led the way, remember the shoulders on which you now stand.”
She was not done. She went further and issued a challenge to the young men and women, saying, “… regardless of the path you are on in this journey through sports, whether you are from the ancient past to where you are currently, the ones who are trying to find your journey or those of you who have a future; your
Dr. Karen Thomas, Director of the SVGCC, urged those who have excelled to date, to aim for further excellence.
rhythm is important. Seize every opportunity that you have, that you can excel wherever you are.”
I.B.A. ALLEN
SVG prepares for U15 football
THE ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINESUnder 15 football team is seeded Number 2 in League C of the tournament matches for the CONCACAF Under-15 Championship.
The tournament’s matches will be held simultaneously in three countries: League A matches will be held in Costa Rica; League B in Aruba; and League C in Curaçao; from August 2nd to 10th.
Alfred Grant, head coach of the National under-15 football team, reflected on their last tournament when the team finished 2nd and felt they can go further.
Alfred Grant is working on having the team go one better as far as their position in the League is concerned.
At one of the team’s training sessions at the Brighton Playing Field earlier this week, Grant said. “We are building on what we did last time and looking to improve. …. We are working to top the group despite preparations starting late.”
According to Grant, “The squad comprises some of the guys from last Championship and they will bring a certain level of experience to the unit, so we are looking forward for them to play a big role.”
Grant, though, sited one challenge: “The games will be played on AstroTurf, the first for most of the guys, but hopefully we can adjust and adopt quickly to the different playing surface.”
He added, “Hopefully the team will engage in a few practice matches, but it would have been ideal to play on the same surface on which the championship will be played, but we will make use of the matches.”
A format-change this year will see the three leagues featuring a group stage followed by a single-elimination knockout round, with a champion crowned in each league.
I.B.A. ALLEN
Alvin Seales (center), along with Christian Joseph (left) and J-Don Matthews (right) at a training camp in Paraguay.
Time to show gains
THERE HASto be a change in the pattern so that some gains come through the West Indies cricket arena. The 159-run margin suffered by the West Indies in that first Test in Barbados last week carries some additional burdens.
The squad lost without a fight, and the normal thing is to find somebody to blame, as if we don’t know what is happening around us.
Umpiring decisions have been ascribed as the chief architect of the team’s downfall. Coach Darren Sammy has been fined 15 percent of his match fee for having aired his views.
Focus will be on umpire Adrian Hold stock whose duties will be transferred from the TV room to on-field duties in the second Test, which started in St. George’s, Grenada yesterday, Thursday, July 3.
There seems to be no end to the conflict. Reports are that the Barbados episode is over, with Sammy bearing no grades. He lamented having been “punished” for airing his dissatisfaction.
It is a pity that dubious decisions surfaced in the Barbados Test. Those who follow Test cricket have to learn to abide by the rules of the game. When the action starts, there is nothing one can do, whether player, coach, commentator, journalist, or critic.
How many times have we seen issues such as what happened in Barbados?
Further clouds hover over other matters. And they have nothing to do with the environment as it relates to the weather.
The question of payment may not be a worry for everyone, for the loss in revenue wasn’t widespread. The burden on the team is maintaining a balance.
It is no easy task playing a Test match with shadows lurking inside and around the dressing room.
There will be an uneasy sense of calm, and the uncertainty swirling over reports of players’ conduct hangs like a guillotine threatening. How the issues are played out will be known in the course of time. There is a danger of oversaturation of certain reports, and the potential of further disruption and or ridicule of the team.
Losing matches is bad, losing money because of outbursts, and then having no grudge against those who triggered the fine looks like wandering around a potentially explosive situation.
With the world in an unstable mode influenced by tendencies towards dehumanization, a feature of today’s menu, there is an urgent need for genuine methods of adjustment.
Things will continue whether they provide opportunities for advancing or will continue along the established pattern will determine how the impasse is settled.
There are lessons to be learnt from everything that is going on. How quickly we benefit from what’s taking place and how one comes out of the dilemma are other complications.
There is a long-standing claim that survival of the fittest marks part of the jungle order.
West Indies cricket has a lot to handle, and all resources available must be used if answers are to be found.
A lot hinges on the matter of match readiness for the team. Given the trend on the horizon, there may be a system of deliberate activity to ensure that moral decay and human degradation persist, however subtle they unfold.
Sammy fined for criticizing 3rd umpire
WEST INDIES CRICKET
team head coach Darren Sammy has been fined by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for breaching the Code of Conduct during the first Test against Australia, June 2529, played at Kensington Oval, Barbados.
According to an official ICC statement, Sammy was penalized 15% of his match fee for his comments made during a
Adrian Holdstock, TV umpire, at the centre of controversy in the first West Indies v Australia Test.
press conference on the second day of the first Test. One demerit point was also added to Sammy’s disciplinary record, his first offence in a 24-month period.
Sammy was angered by two decisions, in particular, that went against West Indies on the second day: Roston Chase’s lbw upheld by umpire Adrian Holdstock despite a suggestion of an inside edge; Shai Hope’s inside edge that was ruled to have held the catch cleanly by wicket-keeper Alex Carey.
In addition, there was clear discomfort when on the first day, Holdstock adjudged a similar low catch to wicket-keeper Hope off Travis Head as having not carried.
The former West Indies captain’s criticism was deemed a violation of Article 7.2 of the Players and Support Personnel Code of Conduct.
Darren Sammy admitted to the breach and accepted the sanction without contest,
avoiding the need for a formal hearing.
The ICC emphasized that such remarks, especially from coaching staff, undermine the spirit of the game and the authority of match officials.
Sammy’s acceptance of his mistake was acknowledged as a mitigating factor in the ruling.
The incidents came at a tense moment in the series, with both teams under pressure to perform.
Sammy’s comments drew attention not only for their directness but also for sparking debate on the consistency of umpiring decisions at the international level.
Captain Chase was
also critical of the decisions when he spoke after the match, but there has yet to be any mention of a sanction against him.
Holdstock is due to be an on-field umpire for the next two Tests in Grenada and Jamaica with the TV role split between Nitin Menon and Richard Kettleborough. (Sources: The Destination and ESPN)
Big cricket win for Bequia
JENRY OLLIVIERRE hit his first century in the National NLA First Division 50 Overs Cricket Championship when he blasted 101 to help Keagan’s Bequia X1 beat Prime Consulting Marriaqua by 121 runs.
In the match played at Arnos Vale Two on Sunday 22 June, 2025, Ollivierre found the boundary for 6 sixes and 8 fours in an innings that lasted 51 deliveries.
Ollivierre, together with Cosmus Hackshaw who contributed 42, and Delroy Compton, 33, propelled Bequia to a massive 258 from 22
overs, to which Marriaqua replied with 137 from 19.3 overs.
Earlier, Kevin Glasgow had taken 4 Bequia wickets for 61 runs.
In the second of three matches played on Sunday 22nd June, A&A Electronic North Windward Defeated Police One by 4 runs at the London Playing field.
Scores: North Windward 137 from 17 overs - Don Williams 35, Shane Roberts 28.
Kemron Strough 4 for 49, Elmore Alexander 3 for 25; Police One 133 from 15 overs - Selwick Caine 39. Kirton Lavia 4 for 28.
Jenry Ollivierre hit 101 in Bequia’s big win.
The match scheduled for that Sunday — Java Auto Imports Strike Eagles versus Smashers at the Stubbs Playing Field — was abandoned because of rain.
Smashers were dismissed for 149 in 30 overs, number 10 batsman Norlan Williams leading with 24 and Strike Eagles’ Romnique Harry taking 3 for 36.
Strike Eagles were 82 for 3 in 13 overs with Kenroy Roberts 39 not out when play was called.
ICC fined West Indies Coach Darren Sammy for Code of Conduct Breach.
ÂMelbourneÊ Constance deserves his due
From Backpage
Could it be ignorance of VINCI MAS HISTORY. Every captain must know his ship. I would have thought they would readily roll out the RED CARPET for MELBOURNE. 50 YEARS IS A HELL OF A MILESTONE. Instead we get a BLANK. No mention, no press conference, no word to or about MELBOURNE. Is this spite or ignorance?
SHAME SHAME SHAME.
We talk the talk about culture but it appears we don’t walk the walk. The entire MAS community knows of MELBOURNE’S achievement but the CDC does not. All the press conferences and promulgations can’t do a damn thing if those at the helm don’t know the substance. EMPTY TALK. We deserve better than this.
As a foot note I never spell VINCI with a Y. From the time I started VINCI MAS in Bklyn, NY for Labour day, I have spelled it VINCI. And when I created and promoted the VINCI EXPO for Club St Vincent in Bklyn, I spelled it VINCI You see I am not a question; I man know who I man is. I know my pedigree and my family history hence I am not a question… BIG UP MELBOURNE.!!!!!!.
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JUNIOR (Jnr Fatty)
When mas history and pedigree meet (from left) Gordon ‘Tarya’ Boucher, E. J. Paddy Corea and Junior ‘Melbourne’ Constance.
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‘MELBOURNE’ CONSTANCE DESERVES HIS DUE
Junior ‘Melbourne’ Constance produced his first full costume band fifty years ago but was involved in mas building long before that date.
CONSTANCE has done it. You know him by his nom de plume MELBOURNE
of MELBOURNE
ARTISANS MAS BAND fame.
Year after year for 50 years, band after band, King (of the Band) after King, MELBOURNE and his current sidekick Gordon (Tarya) Boucher, both of PAUL’S LOT, have done just that.
GORDON (Tarya) BOUCHER has seven King of the Bands titles to his credit.
CARNIVAL CRAFTS EXHIBITION NOT APPROVED
by HAYDN HUGGINS
MERLE GELLIZEAU, president of the local organization ‘Arts in Action’, has described as ‘a disappointment’, the cancellation of the proposed Cultural Village, including a craft exhibition and other cultural activities, scheduled to be held in the yard of the High Court building, as part of the Carnival celebrations.
Gelllizeau told THE VINCENTIAN yesterday (Thursday) that she was unaware as to why the activities would no longer be held, but she indicated that Arts in Action submitted, on behalf of the groups involved, a written request for the use of the area, and she understands that it was approved by the High Court registrar and the Attorney General (AG), but she had no knowledge as to what happened after.
Gellizeau said that the activities were supposed to have included
displays by Arts in Action, the Fashion Association, and other cultural organizations, in collaboration with the National Cultural Foundation, and would have allowed the local creative industry to showcase and sell their produce. She was disappointed that it could no longer be held.
At press time Thursday, efforts to reach the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Carnival Development Corporation (CDC), Rodney Small, and Minister of Tourism and Culture, Carlos James, were unsuccessful, and Attorney General Grenville Williams declined to comment when asked whether his office had approved the request to use the yard of the High Court building for the activities. However, a reliable source confirmed to THE VINCENTIAN that a letter was sent to the High Court Registrar and the Attorney General (AG) requesting the use of the facility,
My record as the youngest king of the bands still stands. I beat ALL the big guns, like Victor Liverpool, Sylvester ‘Scobie’ Taylor, Vernon Taylor, Frank Sardine, Vibert DeShong, Winston ‘Sammo’
Samuel, Leroy King, all of them. I kicked their axxxx. Tarya was born the year after MY FIRST WIN.
With all the hoopla and press conferences about the co-captaincy of the CDC (I wonder if
they understand what development means), I would have thought that a mighty milestone like this would not go unnoticed. IT HAS.
Continued on Page 27.
Just one of the winning Boucher-Constance collaborations combinations: ‘The Grinch who stole Christmas’ – King of the Bands 2014.
A number of crafts persons were apparently already mobilised and were making preparations to participate in the Exhibition.
and it was approved at that level, but subsequently turned down at a cabinet meeting. THE VINCENTIAN understands that Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves was not at that
meeting because he was unwell. CDC’s CEO, Rodney Small, had spoken about the cultural showcase and Arts Exhibition during a local radio programme about two weeks ago.