determine whether he is safe enough to be released into society. If he is not fit to be released then, he would be brought back every two years until the Court is satisfied that he can be released.
However, in sentencing Cambridge, Justice Burnett stressed that there is nothing in the sentencing guidelines to assist the Court in cases where persons plead guilty to manslaughter by virtue of diminished responsibility.
ABOUT THREE MONTHS after Justice Brian Cottle pointed out, during a High Court sitting, that there was nothing in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court sentencing guidelines that dealt specifically with manslaughter, by virtue of diminished responsibility, another High Court Judge has reiterated the observation.
Justice Rickie Burnett made the observation while delivering sentencing remarks on Friday, August 4, in the case of 26-year-old Clinton Cambridge of Old Montrose, who had pleaded guilty to manslaughter by virtue of diminished responsibility earlier in the Criminal Assizes.
Cambridge who was diagnosed with bipolar 1 disorder in May 2022, stabbed his father, Clint Boucher, to death during a visit to Boucher’s home in Sion Hill on July 14, 2019.
Cambridge’s sentence is that he be detained at the Court’s pleasure. He is to be brought back to Court in the next five years to
Justice Cottle had made a similar remark when he handed down a similar sentence on former youth cricketer Jurani Baptiste of Sandy Bay, who had also pleaded guilty to manslaughter by virtue of diminished responsibility on March 9, 2023.
Baptiste was originally charged with murder, in connection with the death of retired nurse, Pamela Williams, 57, of Kingstown Park in November 2016.
Baptiste was also detained at the Court’s pleasure and would be brought back to Court periodically until the Court is satisfied that he is rehabilitated enough to be released.
Speaking with THE VINCENTIAN, following Justice Cottle’s remark, Baptiste’s lawyer Kay Bacchus-Baptiste issued a call for the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court to have guidelines for Judges to follow when sentencing mentally ill persons.
“I trust they will come to that soon, but I am urging them to come to it sooner than later”, Bacchus-Baptiste said.
by WILLIAM ‘KOJAH’ ANTHONY
MICHAEL ODU, age given as 29, came to St. Vincent and the Grenadines as a visiting student at the American University of St. Vincent School of Medicine.
From what THE VINCENTIAN has been able to gather, he was in his final rotation of his medical studies but, unfortunately, did not live to fulfill his dream.
Odu, police confirmed, drowned August 1 in the area between Young Island and Fort Duvernette, commonly referred to as Rock Fort.
IF FOR ANY REASON contributors felt otherwise, Stewart Haynes, Director of the National Insurance Services (NIS) has given the assurance that the NIS at this time is financially
and actuarially sound.
On that basis, he said, the NIS is able to meet obligations in full and on time for the next twelve years.
Mr. Haynes made the statements with respect
to the current and short term status of the NIS while speaking on last Sunday’s edition of Issue at Hand aired on WE FM.
To further his point, the Director disclosed
Stewart Haynes, Director NIS, might have allayed ‘some fear for some time but not all the fear for all the time’.
that the NIS reserves, based on the half-year report, stood at $476 million. For the same period, some $35.5 million was collected as income (contributions) and $44.4 million paid out in benefits.
touted then by the Finance Minister were:
—
YRM - is using every available opportunity to ensure that local radio operators are in a state of readiness for the 2023 hurricane season, and are in a position to deploy emergency equipment from remote locations in less than ideal conditions.
Two such events were staged recently, the first on August 01 from the Owia recreational park and the other from Layou beach on August 06.
Just before the start of the storm season, the YRM received a gift of HF transceivers and rapid deployment field antennas from Barrett Communications AU. These have been entrusted to members in different parts of the island, and the ongoing tests serve the purpose of ensuring that domestic communications can be established and maintained from all locations of our multi-island state.
During both events, the general public was invited to observe the operations and were given information about amateur radio and its importance in times of national emergencies. The response from the public was very encouraging, with some of the youngsters in Layou wanting to enroll as volunteers who can assist in times of disaster response, relief and recovery.
The YRM will continue conducting similar activities in the following
months, with the next field exercise carded for the Southern Grenadines later in August.
The Director of the YRM wishes to thank the Owia Park Manager for allowing the YRM team, at very short notice, to use a gazebo for its activity and to the villagers who brought us coconut and spring water.
A special thanks also goes out to all radio amateurs local and regional who always participate in these activities, which gives them an opportunity to ensure that their equipment is functioning optimally.
During every outing, the field team uses battery power and solar panels to recharge the batteries. On average, it takes about 25 minutes to get a station operational but with a team of four persons just 10 minutes.
Individuals and agencies willing to support the work of the YRM can view photos of its work on the Rainbow-Radio League and Youlou Radio Movement FB pages.
Contributed by: Donald De Riggs, Director RRL/YRM
But while Haynes sought to establish that the NIS is currently financially and actuarially sound and could commit to honouring its obligations over the next twelve years, he advised that changes had to be made if this was to be maintained beyond 2034.
In this light, listeners might have recalled that Minister of Finance, Camillo Gonsalves, had told a July 18 sitting of the House of Assembly, that reform of the NIS was no longer a mere consideration but a necessity, if it was to avoid a situation of not being able to meet its commitments beyond 2034.
Among the ‘reforms’
* an increase in the contribution rate to at least 15 per cent –up from 10 per cent –progressively over the next 10 years;
* making NIS registration and payment contributions mandatory for all self-employed and informal sector workers;
* reducing long-term old age pension costs, including consideration of continuing the increase of the pensionable age until age 67 by the year 2032;
* reducing the maximum old age pension replacement rate from 60 per cent to 55 per cent, meaning that rather than receiving 60 per cent of their salary, pensioners would receive 55 per cent;
* discouraging the
take up of early retirement pensions through adjusted benefit calculations or making the pension formula more progressive, i.e. instituting a slightly lower pension rate for those at higher income. These measures are expected to extend the projected date for the depletion of the NIS reserves from 2034 to 2051, Gonsalves said then, adding that it was government’s intention to implement NIS and pension reform provisions beginning in Budget year 2024.
According to a police report, Odu and a group of his colleagues went to Fort Duvenette for a picnic. He reportedly crossed over to Young Island, navigating the narrow strip of rock-filled water that separates Young Island and Fort Duvernette, but while attempting to return to Fort Duvernette, he encountered problems.
Odu was unconscious when he was pulled from the sea and attempts to resuscitate him failed.
He was taken by water taxi to Young Island Dock and then to Milton
Cato Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead by the District Medical Officer.
A post mortem revealed he died from drowning, and the office of Public Relations and Complaints at the RSVG Police Force ruled out foul play.
Persons close to the Nigerian family disclosed that Odu’s body will be returned to his homeland for burial in the traditional native fashion.
THE VINCENTIAN was not able to confirm whether Fort Duvernette was reopened to the public since a public notice of closure was published in 2022.
SHEBA CHARLES, a 27-year-old woman who took the life of an 83-year-old man close to three years ago, will serve the next three years, 11 months, and 23 days behind bars for manslaughter.
Justice Rickie Burnett handed down the final sentence at High Court No. 2, Friday, August 4, after weighing the aggravating and mitigating factors, doing the mathematical calculations, and deducting the time Charles spent on remand. She had spent 2 years, 8 months, and 7 days on remand.
Attorney Jomo Thomas represented Charles, while Crown Counsel Rose Ann Richardson led the case for the crown.
The 27-year-old woman of Ashton, Union Island was initially charged with the murder of Ulric Hutchinson, also of Ashton, who was strangled, according to an autopsy. Charles had pleaded not guilty to murder, but on May 12, 2023, following consultation with her lawyer Jomo Thomas, after about four days of trial, she pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. The Crown accepted the plea. This twist came after Charles learned that a manslaughter plea was open to her.
The facts showed that Charles, 23, at the time of the incident, knew Hutchinson for about seven to eight years. He assisted her with meals and met some of her financial needs. About a week prior to Hutchinson’s death on November 26, 2020, Charles sought
accommodation assistance from Hutchinson and in return volunteered to cook and wash for him. He agreed to assist the woman and opened his home to her for a few days. However, when Hutchinson’s son Kenvil Adams learned that Charles was staying at his father’s home, he expressed displeasure about it to his father, as he believed that she was a drug addict, and not of good character.
In another conversation with his father, during a visit to his home, Hutchinson complained to him that Charles had stolen $100 and a bottle of strong rum from his home, and he no longer wanted her there. Adams confronted Charles about the allegations and demanded that she leave. But Charles implored Hutchinson to allow her to remain until November 25, 2020, and he did. However, between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. on November 26, 2020, Adams, who was downstairs of his tailor shop, heard his wife screaming upstairs and saying that Charles had killed Hutchinson. They hastily left their home along with their daughter and headed towards Hutchinson’s home. On their journey, they saw Charles walking in the opposite direction leading to the police station.
When Adams arrived at Hutchinson’s home, he met his father on his knees with his upper body slumped over on a ‘love couch’ in the living room. Adams placed Hutchinson in a lying position and shouted to his daughter, who remained in the yard, to call the police. Hutchinson was later pronounced dead by a doctor.
Meanwhile, Charles had made a report to the police saying that she was staying with Hutchinson, whom she referred to as ‘uncle’. He tried to sexually assault her, they got into a fight, and when she was about to leave
A 21-YEAR-OLD,Paul’s Avenue man who three years ago, took home his rape victim’s underwear, after leaving her to walk naked in public, was on Friday, August 4, handed sentences for five related offenses.
Bahari Dopwell, who was 18 at the time of the crimes, was sentenced to 16 years, 8 months, and 20 days on each of two counts of rape; 12 years, 8 months, and 20 days on one count of rape; one year, 2 months, and 20 days on one count of abduction; and one year, 8 months and 20 days on one count of assault, causing bodily harm.
All the sentences will run concurrently, which means that Dopwell will serve the highest sentence of 16 years, 8 months, and 20 days.
Justice Rickie Burnett handed down the sentences at High Court No. 2 after weighing the aggravating and mitigating factors, doing the mathematical calculations, and deducting time spent on remand.
A 9-member Jury had found Dopwell guilty at the conclusion of a full trial, earlier in the Criminal Assizes, but sentencing was adjourned pending a Social Inquiry report on Dopwell.
Dopwell was also charged with
buggery but the Jury found him not guilty on that charge.
All the charges stemmed from the same incident which occurred in the Wilson Hill area on December 2019.
The facts showed that sometime after 11 p.m. a male and female couple stopped for a while at the bottom of Wilson Hill, Kingstown while returning home after visiting a private bar in Kingstown.
While at the bottom of Wilson Hill, a masked man, later identified as Bahari Dopwell, approached the couple, and brandished an item wrapped in something black, which the couple thought was a gun, and demanded that they hand over their possessions.
The man handed over his cellular phone and wallet while the woman refused to comply. As a result, the assailant grabbed her phone from her waistband. Her male companion used that opportunity to run away, with the intention of seeking the assistance of the police upon which Dopwell proceeded to sexually assaulted the woman and dragged her to the top of Wilson Hill, then down to the nearby Bishop’s College old panyard.
The masked man ripped off the woman’s clothes and raped her. He
the house, she heard him saying he can’t breathe.
The police observed injuries on her upper lip, and right ear, and she was issued injury forms to take to the doctor.
But, in an electronic interview conducted by the police, Charles said that she arrived at Hutchinson’s home on the morning of November 26, 2020, having slept out the night, and while she was in the shower Hutchinson began fondling her breast and vagina.
She said Hutchinson told her he got the ‘pills’, but she told him that she had to go to Court and when she returns, she would have sex with him. But according to the woman, Hutchinson persisted and pursued her into the bedroom. She went into the kitchen and as she was leaving the kitchen, he held her by her shoulder. She turned around, squeezed his neck and pushed him. He took up a small aluminum pot and struck her in the head, across her ear, and on her lips, causing her to bleed. Hutchinson apologized to the woman but continued to touch her, and she turned around, held him by his neck and pushed him hard. He fell, dropping on his knees, and complained that he could not breathe. She called and touched him but he was unresponsive, and she made a report to the police.
A Social Inquiry report ordered by the Court showed that Charles was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and was a substance abuser. Persons in the communities where she had lived described her as cool, easygoing, and helpful, but she was also described as being vulgar and one who liked to fight, and that her behavior was influenced by friends.
Justice Burnett placed the offense in level C, in terms of seriousness, and within a range of six to 16 years, he started at ten years. In highlighting
repeatedly threatened to kill her and attempted to push his penis in her mouth. She struggled with him but he overpowered her and slammed her head against a wall, causing bodily harm.
She, however, managed to get hold of the man’s testicles and squeezed them resulting in the bandit releasing his hold on her. She then got up and ran toward the public road in her nude state.
While running she saw her male companion walking towards the old panyard area. She went to a nearby house and called for help, but no one responded. She went to another house and called for help, and the occupant of that house telephoned the police and gave her a garbage bag to wrap herself.
During this time, her male companion approached the assailant and told the culprit that he had recognized him, and would have him arrested. He also asked the robber to return the phones and wallet. The perpetrator returned one of the phones and threw the other on the ground.
He verbally abused the victim, and threw a stone at him, striking him on the hand. He then left the scene and went in the direction of what was believed to be his home at Paul’s Avenue.
The police later visited the scene of
the aggravating factors of the offense, he stressed that the victim was 83, and was vulnerable. As mitigating, he noted the lack of pre-meditation. He concluded that the mitigating factors outweighed the aggravating, in relation to the offense, and reduced the sentence by one year, bringing it down to nine years. He found no aggravating factors for the offender, but in relation to the mitigating, he highlighted Charles’ young age, her corporation with the authorities, and her level of remorse, and reduced the sentence by another year.
The Judge also gave Charles the full one-third discount on her sentence, even though she had not pleaded guilty at the first available opportunity. He noted that Charles had indicated to the Court at the trial, that she was not aware that the Crown had communicated to her thenlawyer Michael Wyllie that a plea to manslaughter was open to the defense. Wyllie apparently had not relayed this information to Charles, as Charles had told the Court, when the Crown raised the issue at the trial on April 29, that she was not aware that a manslaughter plea was open to her.
But Wyllie subsequently told THE VINCENTIAN that he told Charles that the Crown had offered the defense a plea to manslaughter, but he added, “I told her not to plead guilty to manslaughter, but she insisted that she wanted to plead guilty to manslaughter, and I told her that if she was going to plead guilty to manslaughter I was not going to continue to represent her”.
Wyllie told THE VINCENTIAN it was a clear case of self-defense, and he was convinced that the jury would have found Charles not guilty of both murder and manslaughter, had the trial been completed.
the rape and found a torn top belonging to the female victim, while her torn tights was found in a drain in Paul’s Avenue. A search warrant was also executed at Dopwell’s home at Paul’s Avenue. A search of his bedroom uncovered the underwear worn by the victim at the time of the rape.
Dopwell was arrested and interviewed, but while he admitted that he was the man who approached the couple that night, he denied that he committed the offenses.
Dopwell had no previous convictions but committed the offenses while on bail on charges of robbery.
He was a former student of Bishop’s College Kingstown but dropped out in Form 3.
According to the Social Inquiry report, he had a heart problem and would complain of chest pains from time to time. Life had gotten harder for him after his father died, as he had worked in his father’s business.
Rape and robbery each carry maximum penalties of life imprisonment, while abduction and assault, causing bodily harm, carry maximum penalties of 5 years.
Attorney Grant Connell represented Dopwell, while Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Karim Nelson, led the case for the Crown.
CARICOM has a new source of investment.
After much heralding of the importance of establishing tangible relations between the Caribbean and Africa, that is no longer a pipe dream.
Now, Africa and the Caribbean have been brought closer with the African Export—Import Bank, also referred to as Afreximbank, with the
opening (last week) of the Bank’s CARICOM Office in Barbados.
And with the opening of its office comes the establishment of the Partnership Agreement, which sees Afreximbank providing US$1.5 billion in credit limit to support eligible CARICOM States, with a commitment to increase this to US$3 billion.
The credit line is expected to support economic sectors identified as core to boosting the region’s prosperity, particularly the development of trade-enabling infrastructure, as well as boosting trade and investments between Africa and the CARICOM Member States while providing
Sultan bin
Abdulrahman Al-Marshad and Prime Minister
Dr. Ralph Gonsalves would have held discussion in Saudi Arabia and recently in SVG.
SULTANbin
Abdulrahman
Al-Marshad, Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), is looking forward to the unfolding of certain SFD-funded projects here.
These includes Cultural Centres at Belle Vue on the North Central Windward constituency and Petit Bordel in North Leeward, as well as a Care Centre at South Rivers.
The Sultan’s remarks came during a brief visiting to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, August 01, 2023.
“It is a pleasure to be here, two months after the signing of two loans agreements to support the nation’s health care and social infrastructure,” Al-Marshad stated.
The Saudi Fund for Development “is committed to working closely with the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to make sure we remain on track to deliver these important developmental projects,” Al Marshad continued.
“We hope they will support the country’s developmental journey and
bring about future prosperity for all its people,” he outlined.
The loans were signed in May this year. Vincentian Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves looks at the relationship between the two nations as part of an “international cooperation and solidarity,” in advancing sustainable development in particular in Small Islands Developing Sates.
The Cultural Centre for which $10m has been earmarked will be “an artistic hub and market for craft and agricultural products in Belle Vue,” Gonsalves said, adding that it will make an important contribution to tourism and the economy.
This thrust in the North Central Windward constituency, whose parliamentary representative is Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, comes on the heels announcement by the government to build two other cultural hubs in the north Leeward districts of Petit Bordel and Troumaca. (WKA)
support to Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s).
Ten CARICOM member states signed
Already ten out of the 15 CARICOM Member States have signed the Agreement.
Professor Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, who along with former Nigerian President Chief Olusegun Abasanjo were in Barbados for the opening of the office and on Friday visited St. Vincent and the Grenadines, declared, “I am delighted to announce this important milestone as we forge closer ties with our brothers and sisters in the Caribbean. There are enormous opportunities to scale the trade and investment flows between the African continent and the broader African diaspora. Investment flows between Africa and the Caribbean are currently almost non-existent. This strategic partnership will
open the door for enhanced trade and investment between Africa and the Caribbean.”
And following a meeting with Former Nigerian President Chief Olusegun Abasanjo and Professor Benedict Oramah on August 5, Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves said Afreximbank’s presence was “an indication of the growth of relations between Africa and the Caribbean,” and “…. an important strategic development for the region and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”
Former President Chief Olusegun Abasanjo noted that Dr. Gonsalves has been an advocate of Pan Africanism and described the discussions as fruitful. He was pleased to recognize that a number of initiatives he tried to implement during his time as President, are actually coming to fruition now.
All being equal, this country could well become a major logistics hub for Afreximbank as it relates to rolling out
investments in certain areas not least being development of ports.
ABOUT
AFREXIMBANK: As per Wikipedia, ‘African Export—Import Bank, also referred to as Afreximbank or Banq ue Africaine d’ImportExport, is a pan-African supranational multilateral financial institution created in 1993 under the auspices of the African Development Bank. It was officially launched at the first general meeting of the shareholders in Abuja, Nigeria, in October 1993. ‘It is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.
‘Afreximbank is a financial provider to African governments and private businesses in support of African trade…. and its mandate is to finance and promote intra- and extra-African trade using three broad services: Credit (Trade finance and Project finance); Risk-bearing (Guarantees and Credit Insurance); Trade Information and Advisory Services’.
Managing Director: Desiree Richards
Editor: Cyprian Neehall
Telephone: 784-456-1123 Fax: 784-451-2129
Website: www.thevincentian.com
Email: thevincentianpublishing@gmail.com
Mailing
“WHO STOLEthe cookie from the cookie jar?
Number One stole the cookie from the cookie jar.
Who me? Not me. Number two stole the cookie from the cookie jar?
Who me? Not me. Number three stole the cookie from the cookie jar………”
And so the game went on and on, perhaps into infinity and no one admitted to the crime of stealing the cookie from the cookie jar. Who would in the circumstances?
For certain there will be those who will jump quickly to say that this is the wrong interpretation of an ageless and never ending poem that teaches children how to count. That may be so but there is no denying that the wrongdoing we know as stealing cannot be extracted from the lessons therein.
And so down the ages, men and women, of all social, economic and political standings have had cause to admit, figuratively speaking, they ‘did not steal the cookie from the cookie jar’, and will almost in the same breath, point to another party who was more likely to have committed the wrongdoing.
So, that action, the dual action of denial and blame, is nothing new to us and plays out in almost every endeavor of life.
But the area of life’s endeavours that causes the dual act to seems so much more pronounced, so much more farreaching is politics; especially among those who have been “gifted” with the responsibilities of being parliamentary representatives, forming government and practicing best practices of governance.
There are a myriad of instances in the two-decade tenure of the Unity Labour Party government that speaks to the cookie jar analogy. This is not to say that the ULP is singular in this practice, but one would have to admit that given its style of operating as though it is entitled to leadership and therefore above question, it has oftentimes backed itself into a corner from which, admittedly, it has always seemed to come out fighting but tarnished.
But the dual act of denial and blame does not go away.
The current challenges thrown up by its neglect of the National Insurance Services (NIS) is but one example. One would not be castigated if one was to go as far as to say, the seeming misuse of the resources/solvency of the NIS has created a situation that does not augur well for its sustainability.
While it has not apportioned blame with any direct reference for the turbulence in the pension system, it has not accepted responsibility for the
setbacks or for the fear that abounds among contributors.
What it has done is to sidestep its own role in what has caused the NIS to be brought into focus regarding its sustainability, and now has to resort to “draconian” measures to ensure the future of the NIS as a viable entity; necessary action given the state of the NIS, but one is left to wonder if some of what the NIS was made to accept did not contribute significantly to its current situation.
Then, there is the more ‘down to earth issue’ of the demolition of privately constructed recreational facilities and aids at the popular Brighton Salt Pond beach.
Some say that the truth of the matter has since been exposed and it speaks to a multitude of players, set aside the institutions/agents of government, all having a hand in deciding to and supposedly involved in the actual demoliton.
But when it came down to ‘deciding’ on who has jurisdiction over the facility and the actions taken upon it, no one of standing admitted to having prior knowledge of the plan and actual demolition.
No minister of government, and from what we understand there could well have been three ministries vying for jurisdiction but who, when the cookie crumbled after it was removed from the jar, moved quickly to exonerate themselves. Worse, contrary to what we have grown to accept as his modus operandi, even the Prime Minister denied prior knowledge of the actual demolition.
The twist to all of this was that the persons at the centre of this “disagreement’ is a person who allegedly is a supporter of the ULP, and a close associate of the ULP representative for the area.
All of this speaks to some level of intrigue and if not so, a case of not knowing what your associates are doing — no ministerial openness and straight forward communication.
To cut to the chase… if no one with authority, if no minister of government, no administrative authority in any ministry, no National Commissions or what have you, gave the instruction to demolish the Huffles site on that day, is this not nearing dangerously on being an act of vandalism?
Are there other ‘mysteries’ in the running of the affairs of this country into which we have to mount investigations?
In the meantime, the issue of ‘who stole the cookie from the cookie jar’, continues to roll along merrily.
MOVE JUNIOR PANORAMA to the Easter weekend. This period is considered Mid-year for the students, thus giving them enough time to prepare for final exams in June/July. This in no way prohibits them from being involved in the carnival, but it would remove the pressure of competition and intense practice during the pre-festival months and school exams. Think about the number of performing opportunities the top winners would have throughout the carnival season. I can think of a few benefits: (a) more youth exposure; (b) the general public will develop a more indicative application for pan music; (c) some of your poorly attended shows will have a greater attendance as parents tend to accompany their children at afterhours events.
Before you get too excited about this suggestion, do you remember when we used to have two queen shows during the carnival - Miss SVG and Miss Carival?
Another thing we must do is an official Economic Impact Study of Carnival. Until we complete such a study, the Carnival Development Community (CDC) will continue to be at the mercy of the business community for sponsorship and handouts.
Based on an economic study I saw from Barbados a few years ago on the Crop Over Festival, I am estimating the economic impact of our carnival is between 6-8 million dollars. Of course, this is pure speculation since I could not find the details of the study and the assumptions they used in that study. For those of us who do not understand the discipline, we would think there is a lot of money available to the CDC to pay for prizes and other things.
Say it isn’t so CDC. But before you do, I encourage you to clearly define a study scope and purpose and pay for the information; it will serve you well.
We must understand what we are trying to achieve. From my vantage point, this study can be
used to attract more significant sponsorship from those businesses directly benefiting from the activity or to show how vital the carnival is to the overall economy of our nation.
Anyway, back to possible changes to consider. Why do we continue the Tuesday mas bands parade at the Park? Could we do the judging on the Street? How much money do we collect from people attending the show on Tuesday in the Park? Can we set up seating areas along the Back Street and charge for people to sit in those areas to see the bands parade along the streets? The main judging area could be at Market Square. This could also be the location of some premium-priced seating.
I looked at the stage presentation for a while on TV, and I couldn’t help but think that the MC did a great job of moving masqueraders across the stage; however, if I had paid “all that money” for the costume, I would be disappointed at being rushed off the stage that quickly. The band was judged by the three minutes section appearance on the stage. Now knowing what I know, I know that’s not the case, but we do not need to go to the Park to decide on the band of the year.
Another thing we still have a problem with is being on time. Maybe we should get away from the idea of judging the band altogether. We should pay them all an appearance/performance fee. Let the title of the band of the year be a people-choose award. If a mas band is managed effectively, it should break even or make a little money for the organizers.
We need to start the Mardi Gras early, maybe at 4 am. That way, we could finish the formal presentation by noon on Tuesday. Then we can return to the afternoon to the people. Does anyone remember when the “second lap” was to allow friends and family to join in the fun? Of course, that means we must reimagine the Monday evening Tshirt band event and maybe J’Ouvert.
Horatio.
MR. EDITOR,my friend, this Caribbean we call home never ceases to amaze me. I mean, we have our own strange things happening here, like no one taking responsibility for a certain demolition at a popular beach, and Emancipation Day now being a day when we fork out $$$ for non-Vincentian artiste to entertain us while teachers and civil servants still waiting on their salaries that the Court instructed should be paid.
But the thing that really caught my fancy and I had to laugh out loud was when I read that the ‘great’ Austin ‘Jack’ Warner was back on the political trail in Trinidad and Tobago, and back with his old party, which means his party has ’gone through’.
Warner is nothing short of one of those crooks who must have been a Robin Hood in disguise. This man has caused
so many people in T&T and the rest of the Caribbean to make a way for themselves, that the man can lie low and know that when he calls in those ‘favours’, all man Jack must stand to attention.
It’s almost like how our leader has made it so easy for some underserving men to retain their seats in parliament. But, like you would say, that is another
story. I am ready to be convinced that the Caribbean is not home to the most comedians in the world. But as I see it, whether it be from our politicians, sports administrators, our trade unionists, our lawyers, we can always count on something laughable coming out of our region.
Charles, EdinboroFROM WHATI gather, international prices of certain commodities are on the decrease. If my deduction is incorrect then I have misinterpreted the Price Index of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.
TWO HUNDREDand
eighty-nine years after slavery was abolished in 1834, descendants of slaves living in the Grenadines are still hewers of wood and drawers of water. While water from wells, ponds, and water holes are used for general purposes, residents must harvest rain water for drinking and cooking. Many thought that after 22 years of a new government, that has now grown old, public water supply would have been made available to the people of the Grenadines. Apparently, this is not even in the pipelines. Consequently, they often have to resort to bathing in the sea to keep their bodies clean.
This is what they did on August 1st, 2023, when many gathered at Emancipation Park, Campbell, Union Island. This freedom to bathe at this park is apparently being threatened by descendants of slave masters. They used to bathe on the nearby portion of the beach where a stalled hotel was being developed. They do not mind sharing the park with any visitor, but resent its confiscation. The park, like much of the land in Union Island, was part of lands distributed to descendants of slaves on concessionary terms. Lands were distributed, and were paid for over a
period of time. The title deeds were only issued from the crown upon the final payment. No interest was charged. Some people died before the final payment was made. The relatives were usually called upon to complete the payments. This is perhaps the only documented form of reparations from slavery in the country and is part of our national heritage and patrimony that are worthy of preserving.
Other cultural practices worthy of preserving include: the Maroon or Rain Dance, the Traditional wedding, Big Drum, Land conservation, and Women Police. The appointment of our first community social worker
with that kind of interest will be useful. One function will be to encourage the reestablishment of the Women’s League that ran the “Women’s Police” every Emancipation Day as a fundraiser. In this activity the women borrow police clothes, set up a mock justice system, arrest, try and convict everyone, charge and discharge them to raise funds. A resident agricultural officer could oversee preservation of the wells, ponds, watershed, agriculture, parks, and beaches. A people with a distinct cultural heritage would add value to our tourism product and are worthy of liberation.
Anthony G. Stewart, PhD* Wouldn’t it be a ‘nice thing’ if government could tell the nation how much was spent on that One Family (CARICOM) Concert?
* Isn’t it better to know the truth that to have people speculate?
* Are the expenses to send representatives to regional pageants included in the CDC budget? If not the CDC, who foots the bills?
* Are we saying a final goodbye to a National Youth Council (NYC) with the government plans to establish a Prime Ministerial Advisory Council to link between the Prime Minister’s Office and the youth?
* Have those former and present Ministers of the ULP government all but forgotten about what the NYC meant to them and the youth of this country?
The thing is, though, while prices on many of the goods we import are going down, we, the consumers, have not benefitted from any adjustments downwards, in the prices for goods at the supermarkets, groceries and shops.
In fact, we might be tempted to say that the pricing practices by some retailers is not far away from extortion.
But there is hope if only we realise and accept that we, consumers, have the power to effect change in the cost of goods. First, we can boycott certain items or reduce how much we spend on those items. And yes, we have a right to choose. If we begin to apply that action, I am certain the retailers will feel a pinch at the cash register.
It’s a straight case: if we don’t buy an item, or cut back considerably on how much of that item we buy, suppliers/retailers will have to rethink their pricing practices. If that doesn’t work, there is the power of publicity. Starting a campaigning and sustaining it against certain suppliers/retailers will certainly cause them to take note.
KFC in Trinidad had to withdraw a charge for ketchup, etc. when Trinidadians decided to boycott and picket KFC outlets across the country.
It is high time that as consumers, we realise that we can’t wait on government to do something about the rising prices for food and other basic items in this country. Government is not likely to support price controls, for example.
So, is either we sit back and wait on government or we exercise our rights and power. Are we ready?
J. JohnI JUST WANTto ask a few questions and make a few comments. Were Caribbean governments and the people they represent involved in the planning and implementation of the so-called 50th CARICOM anniversary that took place in SVG on August 1st? If yes, how many turned up? If no and none, is that disrespect to Caribbean governments and people?
What was the cost and where did the money come from? If Ralph was a revolutionary that was the appropriate day to give a Caribbean historical lecture…. from primitive communalism to where we are and a projection as to where we are going. Yes, a lecture on the noble Caribbean Civilization. Big failure. I wonder if Caribbean leaders and people could take the SVG PM or government to the CCJ for any damages done to CARICOM?
When will the SVG government acquire Balliceaux and establish the Garifuna language in our curriculum? When will we get statistical documental information on the dimensional plight of our NIS?
The adviser to the PM once told the nation agriculture is a thing of the
past. If so, when is the Minister of Agriculture Saboto Caesar going to stop receiving a salary for a job that is nonfunctioning.
After so many years of Vincent Beach’s proclamation, when will integrity legislation be enacted in our law book?
Is this government concerned with cannabis growers? Where are the 1.3 million dollars the PM mouthed so many years in parliament for the ganja growers?
What is the cause of crime? You have been paid for that job. What is the solution to the alarming crime rate in SVG? If the PM and his administration cannot solve the many crimes, then civil society will have to come together and do it.
Is Ralph Gonsalves aware of the disrespect he is handing down to AfroCaribbean people? How long would we be asking questions and getting no answers? When will the PM realize that he is employed by the citizens of our country?
Many more questions and answers and solutions to come.
Christian Democrat.
(Excerpts of the Leader of the Opposition, Honourable Dr. Godwin Friday’s, Press Statement)
“CRIME AND VIOLENCE are out of hand in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. If there were any doubt, the terrible carnage in Kingstown on Wednesday (night) 20th July 2023, got rid of that. We are just past the middle of the year and have recorded thirty-five (35) killings in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Most have been by gunshot.
As this rate, St. Vincent and the Grenadines will break the record for killings in one year i.e., forty-two (42) that was set last year and will have at this rate over 50 homicides this year. That is simply unacceptable. The people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines are suffering because of crime and violence. They are frightened and have retreated into their homes. People need to believe that they can change things. They need to feel empowered. This can only come from being together and working together.
Several weeks ago, the Prime Minister said the government was working on a plan. But still none as yet. As Leader of the Opposition, I am calling on our people to come together for a time of prayer for our nation. A national vigil. We need this very badly. We need each other very badly.
I am calling on the churches, civil society leaders including the trade union leaders, business leaders, men and women of decency and courage to come together. I invite the government including the Prime Minister/Minister of National Security to join us in the rally. I invite the police, including the Commissioner of Police to be part of the rally. Let us all come and pray together for Peace and Healing in our land. The churches and religious leaders should take the lead.
This is not a time for division and rancour; it is a time for healing and hope. It is a time to appeal to our better natures, even in those committing the crimes. And I speak here not only of murders and other violent crimes, but also of the widespread stealing from farmers their crops and animals; of home break-ins, of yacht break-ins; of sexual assaults; of domestic violence. All are way out of bounds in this country.
This is a time for creating security and peace, so that we can build a prosperous country by the grace of God, where all of us have a place in that country and a share in that prosperity. This requires all of us working together on realistic plans and practical solutions to this serious problem of violent crime in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
It is time for there to be a separate Minister of National Security, not the Prime Minister to be charged with focusing on the problem. Also, the present commissioner of police has overseen a time of increasing gun violence and killings in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. He may have done his best to address the problem but that has not been good enough to improve the situation. So, the time has come to have a new commissioner of police, who is better suited to meet the challenge at hand. This move would signal a new seriousness to tackle the problem and give hope to our people that relief is on the way. More of the same cannot
accomplish that.”
Dr. Godwin Friday outlined the following: We must focus on Crime Prevention. Remember, an ounce of prevention is still better than a pound of cure. We should therefore invest heavily upfront, on crime prevention. In this regard, the programmes outlined in the NDP’s Spiritual and Social Redemption Charter should be implemented. The Charter promotes positive community-oriented programs that would steer vulnerable young people away from crime towards socially positive behaviour.
We must restore trust and confidence in the police and the criminal justice system. Trust in the system now is shaken and broken. Political connections should not shield anyone involved in a shooting, theft, domestic violence or other crimes from proper investigation and prosecution. Justice must be equal for all. This will help everyone and will help the police in their work and their lives. They and their families are members of society and like the rest of us are equally vulnerable to crime and violence.
The police cannot solve crimes by themselves. They need the community to provide information during investigations and to be witnesses in criminal cases. We can promote this by implementing and pursuing community policing. With specific training in community policing, the police would engage in trust-building activities in communities. For example, regular meetings between the police and community members should be introduced so that they would work together to prevent and solve crimes. The police must see their mission as serving and protecting people and be keen to embrace the community in so doing. We must also increase the presence and visibility of police in our streets and communities, not in a hostile manner but to assure people that they are there to protect them.
We need a well-resourced and wellequipped criminal justice system. Which will involve reviewing our criminal laws and revising them to provide greater sentencing options for magistrates and judges; introducing measures that would improve access to justice; increasing the number of magistrates; expanding the High Court and improving its facilities; and upgrading forensic laboratory services to expedite investigation and prosecution of offences and thereby eliminate the backlog of criminal cases.
We must promote rehabilitation of offenders. Fighting crime is not only about punishing offenders; it must also involve rehabilitation. Offenders should be provided with programs that would help to keep them from reoffending and becoming a perpetual menace to society. In this regard, we should establish a Young Persons Rehabilitation Centre for non-violent young offenders. This will prevent many young offenders from becoming hardened criminals, lost to a life of crime. We can effectively reduce crime and make our communities safe again.
“The goal is to restore hope — to help the world heal from destructive conflicts and, in turn, to help us achieve lasting change for ourselves.” -
R. Gordon R. McInally – President of Rotary International 2023-2024PAUL HARRIS (1868-1947), an American attorney-at-law, established the first Rotary Club in Chicago on 23rd February, 1905. It attracted professionals with diverse backgrounds and encouraged the exchange of ideas while simultaneously encouraging the creation and nurturing of valuable, lifelong friendships. From its inception, fellowship and camaraderie were perceived to be foundational even as efforts were being made to engage in valuable community efforts.
The first five years of its activities were limited to the Chicago area. However, its activities then spread to other neighbouring cities by 1910. In August of that year, the National Association of Rotary Clubs (now Rotary International) held its first meeting and unanimously elected Paul Harris as its president. Rotary Clubs soon extended beyond the United States of America. This universally recognized non-political and nonreligious service club now boasts a membership of 1.4 million; spread throughout 46,000 clubs around the world.
As can be expected, an organisation of this magnitude requires structures and procedures that will support its humanitarian efforts. Rotary International (RI) is comprised of 529 districts. These districts are further divided into 34 zones. The Rotary Clubs, Districts, and Zones are managed by competent administrators who possess a wealth of experience in business and society. Mr. Brian Glasgow, an accomplished accountant, auditor and Past President of the Rotary Club of St. Vincent, is the District Governor for the Southern Caribbean’s District 7030. His term commenced on 1st July 2023 and will culminate on 30th June 2024. During this period, he will have oversight of 75 Rotary Clubs in 17 countries and territories from St. Kitts & Nevis in the north to Guyana and Aruba in the south. These clubs boast a total of 3,200 Rotarians in a geographic space that is quite diverse in terms of culture and languages; French, Dutch, and English.
Rotary has a long track record of addressing numerous challenges around the world. It is well known for its efforts aimed at eradicating polio. However, its vision has revolved around seven broad areas: fighting disease, providing clean water, promoting peace, saving mothers and children through accessible health care and other services, supporting basic education and literacy, growing local economies, and protecting the environment.
The quotation that was used to introduce this essay provides insights in relation to this Rotary year’s focus: “Create Hope in the World”. Each of the seven areas identified in preceding paragraph will come into focus. However, as it related to “health”, the specific focus will target mental health issues even as efforts will continue to be made to alleviate the plight of persons and communities that need access to potable water, various medical supplies, and so on.
Many individuals and populations exhibit trepidation when contemplating the future. Facing the unknown can be
intimidating and scary. However, it is important to stay grounded in optimism and to not lose heart. Rotary, in its own special way, provides a variety of opportunities for persons to engage in activities that give them something to hope for. RI President R. Gordon R. McInally rallies the Rotary family to create hope in the world by working for peace and mental wellbeing. The RI President urges Rotarians to proactively advocate for improvements in these areas throughout and beyond the Rotary year. The intention is to restore hope to help the world heal from destructive conflicts and to assist in achieving lasting change around the world. He continues to emphasize the need to champion the cause for peace within and beyond communities. This includes, but is not limited to, the empowerment of women and the focus on diversity, equity and inclusion even as efforts continue to be intensified in relation to the eradication of polio.
Unfortunately, there is still a “residue of stigma” attached to individuals who have had the unfortunate experience of having succumbed to some aspect of mental illness. This may be manifested through such debilitating symptoms as depression and anxiety. Research has also shown that poor mental health can also affect physical health, as individuals might react by neglecting their physical health through poor hygiene, inconsistent eating habits, and general melancholy.
However, within recent times, there is greater enlightenment in relation to such occurrences. This has resulted in greater acceptance of individuals who have received or are engaged in treatment for the disease. The resumption of “normal” activities now appears to be less traumatic than it would have been a decade or two ago. However, there is still room for improvement in some pockets of society as efforts are made to enhance the transition to normalcy following bouts of mental illness.
The thoughts appearing here must not be construed that all mental illnesses have a common cause and/or require a generic response; “one size does not fit all”. The views generated are intended to remind readers to seek to be more embracing of individuals who appear to be succumbing to mental ill-health. We are also reminded to show empathy in relation to those who would have ceded to mental illness, obtained treatment, and/or are seeking to be re-established in their homes, neighbourhoods, and workplaces.
The World Health Organisation in 2004 asserted that, “When individuals are mentally healthy, they are able to realize their own abilities, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively, and make positive contributions to their community.”
Mental health must therefore be considered as an integral component of maintaining good overall health. Embracing this reality is considered critical as we seek to create and enhance hope in the world for those challenged by mental ill-health.
A VIDEO HIGHLIGHTING police brutality is making the rounds on social media. It clearly proves why the police force is so hopelessly alienated from the Vincentian population. It also shows that police highhandedness hinders crime fighting and negatively impacts the peace and security of our nation.
The police officer in the circulating video makes a mockery of his pledge to protect and serve citizens. Station Sergeant Dwayne McKenzie is pictured manhandling 15-year-old Damali Phillips of Spring Village. The police high command claims to be investigating the assault. They have not contacted or apologised to Damali’s family. When the family tried to take their troubles to Commissioner Colin John, they were instructed to file their complaint with the police public relations and civilian complaint office.
The incident highlighted in the video occurred on July 31 in the sister isle of St Lucia. Hundreds of young Vincentian young men who are organised into police boys’ clubs were on the final day of the trip, when the police beat down of the 15-year-old Spring Village youth occurred.
Boys will be boys. They play pranks on each other. One of the boys in the camp where young Damali Phillips was staying mischievously took his bottle of cream. He poured some of the cream onto the face of another boy. Evidently, the boy was not amused and complained to Station Sargeant Mc Kenzie, one of the coordinators of the youth camp. The bottle of cream was left next to the boy, who was smeared with the cream. It was quickly identified as belonging to Damili Phillips.
Station Sargeant Mc Kenzie confronted Damili Phillips, who denied pouring the cream on the other boy. Mc Kenzie pressed his charges, and Phillips maintained his denial. The police officer, disgusted by Damili’s denial, fired a tube of toothpaste at the boy who had walked away from him. McKenzie pursued the young man and proceeded to pour cream on him. The boy resisted. The Station Sergeant slapped the 15-year-old boy, who attempted to scuffle the police officer. The officer manhandled the boy, punched him in the head and then pelted him with the bottle of cream, hitting him in the head. Mc Kenzie’s assault on the boy left him with a bruised and swollen face.
Any serious and responsible police organisation would immediately try to pacify the family with an apology. Not Colin John and the band of ruffians whom the national security minister described as ‘angels.’ Rather than suspend McKenzie pending the conclusion of the investigation, the officer, business as usual, goes to work every day. He proudly wears his uniform and is still connected to and works as a coordinator of the police boys’ clubs.
The pattern is clear. Rogue cops are welcomed and encouraged. The convicted officers who beat Jemark Jackson into a coma remain on the force; Officer Lavia, who shot Okeno Fergus in his leg and told him ‘tek that in stupid MC’ is an elite officer in the rapid response unit. It matters not that a civil court judge ruled that officers like him do not deserve to be in the ranks of those committed to protect and serve.
When this level of abuse of civilians becomes an everyday occurrence, it’s unsurprising that police officers are
feared rather than respected, despised rather than seen as partners in the fight against crime.
On the strength of the video, Station Sergeant Mc Kenzie should be suspended from the force and charged with assault, grievous bodily harm and wounding. An example ought to be made of him and others like him. Then and only then will the police gain some respect, which will help them instil confidence and build collaboration with citizens.
Jamaican criminologist Dr Anthony Harriott told a Voices radio audience last Monday night that after studying the crime situations in South Africa, Colombia and Jamaica, he is concerned that our homeland’s crime problem is heading into a new orbit. He said we don’t have to reinvent the wheel. We must draw on the lessons of other countries that have travelled a similar path to chronic violence and homicide.
Dr Harriott said there is a level of extraordinariness about violence and hopes that our chronic violence and homicides don’t get there. He said social exclusion and inequality are key drivers of crime.
He noted that the misery index is not always a key indicator of violence because while relative deprivation could predict aggression and violence, one can be impoverished and not be mobilised or disgruntled. However, he said that escalation is a significant danger whenever groups or gangs become involved.
Dr Harriott said that the shooting death of five persons on July 19 might be a dangerous turning point, a severe escalation, because the mass killing may trigger retaliatory killings. He said that while violence is elevated, it’s not yet chronic.
He urged the authorities to look for and study the proximate rather than the root causes of homicide and violence. He said this level of violence has to be nipped in the bud. Impunity cannot be allowed.
Dr Harriott said that the authorities have to avoid the mistake of thinking that these are criminals killing criminals, so we need not bother. He said this societal attitude is dangerous because criminals may believe they can kill with impunity. In addition, he noted that all efforts must be made to detect, arrest and bring the criminal to justice. If this does not happen, criminals may become even more brazen and start shootings and killings during daylight hours.
The retired university professor said the authorities need to reorder the relationship between the police and society. There is a need for community policing and engagement.
Dr Harriott also called on the government to inform its security policies with expert opinion, knowledge and experience. He cautioned that the authorities must be clear on what they want the experts to do. When the experts leave, he says there must be a knowledge transfer.
“IN RECENTyears, the production sector of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has been vulnerable to the effects of climate change, tropical storms, droughts and the COVID-19 pandemic, the RussiaUkraine war and most recently a volcanic eruption.”
The above quote is part of the reason given by the Administration for borrowing USD$10million funding from the World Bank to implement the UBEC-CERC Food Insecurity Projectany project that is based on wrong theses, invariably fails.
Performance in the productive sector has been on the decline for quite some time. The only recent occurrence among those cited above, is the Russia-Ukraine war; but how can a war between two sets of people way up north, affect us? We’ve never received grain (rice) from Ukraine and neither do we receive oil or gas from Russia; neither directly nor tangentially.
As for the others, from ever since, St. Vincent and the Grenadines has had rainy season and dry seasons. Once every seven or eight years, a severe dry season is experienced and there are the oft heavy rains which causes severe floods and landslides. Two landslides of great memory were one in the Marriaqua Valley and the other in the back of Spring Village.
Very often there were small landslides causing roadblocks.
In my lifetime, we have had hurricane Janet, Flora, Evelyn and Thomas. There is nothing recent about those. The most recent was Bret.
With respect to volcanic eruptions, there have been about three in the last fifty (50) years or thereabout. The production sector has been vulnerable to the policies of the Government.
Some time ago, after one of the severe storms, banana crops were severely damaged, it was ruled by the Administration that no public officer would be receiving public assistance for his / her damaged crop of banana. That was a bad decision indeed.
During my early days in the banana business, first as an officer in the Department of Agriculture, then a fulltime farmer, public officers were foremost in keeping this country up with their participation in farming. They greatly assisted in the dissemination of proper agricultural practices; but since they could not double-dip, many suffered monetarily. Unfortunate and many of them withdrew from working lands.
Then, a senior Government Minister stated that “farming is a thing of the past”. None of his colleagues admonished him. Policies were subsequently put in place to make it very difficult for those of us wishing to stay in it.
To further emphasize the objective of the Government officer, another Minister publicly stated that “no one with CXC subjects should be working in lands”. So, we now have the police force employing many more people than needed in a normal society and many security firms having many persons working in private stores. Those that chose not to be employed, are provided with ‘income support’ / ‘poor relief’, enough to enjoy their alcohol.
To enforce the difficulties, many of the roads in the farming community remain a perpetual state of disrepair. Apparently, the Argyle Airport is still in the construction stage.
However, in more recent times, there seem to be a change of Government’s policy with respect to farming. Much fertilizers are being asked of foreign governments. Both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Agriculture have been on the campaign to draw Vincentians to farming. NPK and vegetable seeds have been distributed free of cost. Some farmers have been assisted with the cultivation of specific crops and Extension Officers have been assigned to the Dasheen Project.
Now IICA, CARDI and other agencies are being asked to assist. This World Bank Project - is the latest. It is unknown who conceptualized it but one farmer in the recent
consultation asked whether or not farmers should be consulted before proceeding. I know in one developed country, the UK, there are public officers whose job is to think and develop projects. These projects are subject to critical analysis before reaching the decision-makers.
Some time ago, I wrote in the newspapers that for us in St. Vincent, the policy-makers think-up projects, design projects and if possible, execute projects. Very often, such projects fail and fail miserably.
Failed projects that come to mind are: -
(1) The Cocoa Project
(2) The Marijuana Project
(3) The Richmond Vale Quarry Project.
There is every indication that this World Bank Project is well on its way.
Long, long ago, there was the Coconut Water Bottling Project, the Farine Project, the Poultry Project, the Butternut Squash Project and the Dasheen Packaging Project - is VincyFresh still functioning? All have come to an ignoble end.
The last one, is the Special Dasheen Project. For this one, farmers are provided with slips, their lands are being developed, the crops are being attended to, fertilizers are being provided, extension officers are being assigned to see the crops through. Maybe when the crop is ready for harvesting, labour will also be provided.
Agriculture / farming is really in a tail-spin.
Hugh Stewart
Brooklyn, to pay their last respects to Elliot ‘Morey’ Millington, who skippered and coached the St. Vincent and the Grenadines national football (soccer) team, and led the nation to second place in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) championship in 1979.
Millington died in New York on Jul. 17, 2023. He was 68.
Millington’s older of two sons, Reinaldo Millington, confirmed that his father died at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan, New York, and that he had had kidney transplantation last September.
Mourners — included St. Vincent and the Grenadines Consul General to the United States Rondy ‘Luta’ McIntosh, and the President and General Secretary of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation (SVGFF) Carl Dickson and Devron Poyer, respectively — who had trekked from SVG to be pay tribute.
Storyand photos
by NELSON A. KING US CORRESPONDENTnaking@verizon.net
HUNDREDS OF VINCENTIANSon Saturday, Aug. 05, converged in and outside Faith Deliverance Church of God on Flatlands Avenue in the Canarsie section of
“Indeed, Millington was one of the brick layers who would have helped lay the foundation, hence paved the way for us as current administrators to build, support and enhance,” he added. “This, as he was integral among the much-revered grouping of the late 1970s that made the Caribbean stop and look at St Vincent and the Grenadines as a potent force in football.
“An exemplary leader of men, Millington as captain of the St, Vincent and the Grenadines team, helped engender national pride, hope and aspiration, that we can achieve a lot, through hard work, commitment and dedication,” Dickson continued.
He said. “Millington’s tenacity, human touch, love for the sport and love for human beings are well documented, and are modules that provide life-long lessons… .”
Dickson committed the SVGFF to ensure that Millington’s legacy is “noted and highlighted for generations to know of his exploits.”
Millington’s mother, Janet Millington, who will be 99 on Oct. 27, journeyed with her daughter Silma from Mississauga, Canada.
Millington’s wife, Felicia, and their children and Millington’s other siblings sat nearby to his mother.
Tributes during the three-hour-long funeral service — in words, songs and poems — described Millington, inter alia, as a national hero, treasure, stalwart, icon and general.
“Whenever the history of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Football is written or rewritten, an entire volume has to be dedicated to the Elliot Millington, whom we have come to know as ‘Morey’, ‘Skip’ or the ‘General’,” said Dickson.
Speaking between tears, Collin Bramble, a member of the Brooklynbased Friends of Sion Hill, a group that had bestowed its Lifetime Achievement Award on Millington in 2016, said that the former soccer captain and coach molded, inspired and encouraged him.
“He was a husband, an icon, my mentor and my hero,” he said. “He had a commanding presence. He was very articulate. He was a colossal of a man. He changed perceptions for the betterment of Sion Hill.”
In 1974, Millington became the vice-captain of the first Under 20 team selected to participate in the inaugural Cable & Wireless Caribbean Football Youth tournament in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
His captain then was Alexander ‘Pete’ Morris.
After making his senior national football team debut in 1976, Millington was elevated to captain in 1977 until 1988.
Subsequently, Millington’s family
settled in the Corona section of Queens, New York.
Sports Ambassador Stanley Morris told mourners that the sobriquet ‘Skip’ was coined by former national
striker Raltie Lowe. He said Millington, who was “very competitive” on the soccer field, took St. Vincent and the
Continued on Page 16.
level at which it is presently.
“So, it is something that I toyed around with and when I retired and received my gratuity, I then said that I am going home with my gratuity and pension, but if I had to live off the gratuity of $1 per day, then I would not be able to eat after 100 days,” Cain related.
He added that even though he resided in an agricultural community, it would have been quite a challenge for him, given that this was a completely different era in agriculture involvement.
by DAYLE DA SILVA
GODSON CAIN HAS INVESTEDa large portion of his retirement benefits in starting up his own business.
He converted a section of his Richland Park home into what he refers to as a garment factory - ‘Cain’s Garments’ - where he manufactures an assortment of items including school uniforms and blazers, school bags, and engages in his most recent projectrepairing damaged vehicle upholstery.
Cain takes his finished products into Kingstown — end of week days, for display and sale. He also journeys to neighbouring communities for the same purpose.
But as he discovered, this is a lot more difficult than it sounds.
“I have made some sales so far, but I want it to pick up,” Cain told THE VINCENTIAN.
And the reaction is the same: “They (the public) ask me if I make this, and I say yes,” he said.
‘Cain’s Garments’ got started some four years ago soon after he retired, according to the former educator and trained economist.
He confessed that he never thought his retirement plan would become a reality, and especially at the
So, he decided to set up something at home, from where he could work and produce. He recognized even as he ventured into the new undertaking, the challenge of selling what he produced.
“And this is what I am trying to do, now. I would like to sell what I produce,” he told THE VINCENTIAN. Getting it going
Cain may not be a full-fledged tailor, but his older brother was. It was only after his retirement, he started sewing in earnest.
First, he hired tailors, but came to realise that most had their own peculiarities.
“They work with you, and they believe they are making you rather than making themselves. They prefer their little ‘cubby hole’ at home, one machine and now and then somebody bring work to them,” he explained.
“But I ask the question, how often do you get work? So, it is better you work with me, even if it is $70, $80 per day, it is better than waiting on somebody to come,” Cain continued.
But he manages, explaining that as of late, he has several patterns including for pants, uniforms etc. He boasts of even having patterns to produce scrubs (sanitary clothing worn by physicians, etc.)
“I am fairly scientific. People may think that I own a tailor shop, but it is not a tailor shop — I tell them this is a factory,” he said.
Cain’s intention is to generate enough income from sales in order that he can expand his business and employ up to six persons.
“That’s why I’m trying to appeal to the public… support me, buy what I have so that I can not only create wealth for me, but that I can create employment for others,” he said.
“This is the economics of it because we can produce much more than we practically have,” Cain added.
His philosophy is, why import when the same items can be produced here?
Items such as the school bags that he manufactures, according to him, they are on par (quality, style) with imported ones.
At present, ‘Cain’s Garments’ is a team of three and he acknowledges that he cannot be fully efficient.
“You do not get to carry the division of labour to where it should go so that you going to see a falloff in your cost,” he explained, adding that this was because you are not getting the
productivity that you ought to get if you had more people working.
He has the full complement of machinery, having invested over EC$200,000 into the business, but he needs to be in a position where he can employ more workers.
“This is what I am hoping to ultimately do and given the fact that once you can sell it, I can reach there,” he said.
Currently, he said that he can produce up to five or six pants in a day, compared to 20 or more if he was able to get more staff.
Nevertheless, he said that he has no intention of closing the business into which he has invested so much.
Godson Cain, another Vincentian entrepreneur braving the competition but determined to establish a place for himself.
“So, I have to hang in there and hope and pray that things will change, and I believe things will change,” he said. (DD)
by GLORIAH...
THE YOULOU ARTS FOUNDATION (YAF) has provided yet another opportunity for local artists – male and female - to display their work.
The exhibition, which opened on Thursday 3rd August at the Youlou Arts Centre at Indian Bay, and will run into February 2024, features a myriad of works that captures the activities just before, during and after the volcanic eruption of the La Soufrière volcano. It is aptly titled “The Power of the Volcano”.
The walls of the Arts Centre, therefore, were tastefully adorned with artistic impressions of varying titles, using different media, and providing different perspectives.
The talent and creativity of the exhibitors were clear and the spectacle provided exciting takes on the subject matter causing many patrons to pause for long moments at a number of pieces.
The following artists exhibited their work:
Christine Browne — ‘Displace’ and ‘La Soufrière’; Alana Hudson — ‘Protector of The Storm’ and ‘Aftermath’; Maxanne Rock — ‘Port View’ and ‘See’; Peter Providence — ‘Explosive Beauty’; Summer Joseph — ‘Beauty Before Destruction’ and ‘Beauty of the Ash’; Racquel
Samuel — ‘Portrait of Rosehall Farmer’, ‘Water Colour on paper’ and ‘Shelter’; Kingsley Roberts — ‘Farmer Returning From Rabacca’ and ‘From The Ash We Shall Rise’; Tony Nero — ‘Ruptured Surface’; Camille Musser — ‘Ms. La Soufrière, ‘Erupting Volcano’ and ‘Feeling The Energy of the Volcano’; Maurel Reynolds — ‘Before The Ashes’, ‘Consume the Hills’ and ‘Vending Spiral’; Vanessa Francis — ‘Pent Up Emotions’; Marc Erdrich — ‘Standing Tall’.
According to Mrs. Camille Musser, Founder and Director of the YAF, the Foundation’s main aim is to “have a place for them [artists] to show their work.”
She told THE VINCENTIAN that in 2017, having switched to year-round classes instead of a summer programme, attempts at an arts community had begun.
“The YAF is
trying to form an arts community and our first initiative was to have art classes for children. Some of these children have now grown and have become artists in their own right,” she said.
She referred to a number of persons who would have passed through the Foundation, including but not restricted to Summer Joseph of the St. Joseph’s Convent Marriaqua; Sean Roache, currently studying in Taiwan; Shanique Stewart, “..who does all those murals around town who came as a young child”.
This is what, she was adamant, the Foundation desires to dig deeper into. “What we would like to have, is for us to own a space, but we need money. We would like people to invest with us. Today, the main objective is to showcase the work of the
SOME20 students from the School for Children with Special Needs (SCDN), who engaged in the recently closed Summer Programme, are cherishing the memories.
With seven teachers and two teaching assistants guiding them, the youngsters engaged in numerous activities from July 24th - 28th 2023, under the theme, “Building Relationships and Confidence”.
The five-day adventure included on Day 1 a session on Information Technology, where the students learned to exposed to programme such as MS Word.
Day 1 also featured a class on Home Economics on topics such as how to make a grocery list. This was followed up with a shopping trip to Massy Stores to learn how to purchase grocery items.
Day 2 involved an exciting visit to Fort Charlotte and later a movie afternoon, while Day 3 included another Home Economics session which focused on table setting.
Day 3 concluded with a “Listen and Draw” activity followed by a story reading on shopping and a Physical Education exercises in the afternoon.
The students kicked off Day 4 with another Home Economics lesson in which they baked pastries using ingredients bought from the supermarket.
The next session was an Information Technology devoted to the proper use of the internet. The after was given over to a fun scavenger hunt.
The programme concluded — Day 5 - with a field trip to Vermont Nature Trail. (SG)
‘Inky’ Williams. He was one of a group of students who were senior to me when I attended the Grammar School, so many decades ago. On the strength of their personae, they 16. FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2023. THE VINCENTIAN Tribute V
quietly commanded the respect of those junior students. That might be unstable, considering that in that era, showing respect was elemental to the Vincentian societal construct. That cadre of
senior students went on to play leading roles in the society.
Clifford ‘Inky’ Williams has left us
As everybody knows ‘Inky’ made his strong contribution in the field of surveying in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Over the last several decades he had shown a very keen interest in farming on the lands he owned in the Vermont valley.
Considering the quality of the man ‘Inky’ Williams and the potential he showed, had our administrators over the last three decades been more mature and more sensitive to the potential that agriculture offered for our socio-economic development, men like ‘Inky’ Williams could
have played a useful role, in the improvement of the living standards of the people of this, beautiful land.
Even as we say farewell to ‘Inky’ Williams and join his family in mourning their loss, let us endeavour to do what we can to construct a platform on which the next generations can hopefully build.
Remembering that it is on their shoulders we are leaving the heavy debts to repay.
We will all pass on, just as our fathers before us have done. Let us therefore be about the addressing of matters so as to ensure a reasonable chance of
success, for the next generations. One man by himself may not be able to dam the River. But several men working diligently together can effectively change the course of any stream. Any stream! May our brother Clifford ‘Inky’ Williams now rest in Peace.
LeRoy Providence.
Hundreds bid farewell to Elliot ‘Morey’ Millingtonimpression on us. Indeed, Morey has earned legendary status.”
“It’s very hard,” Morris said about Millington’s death. “Morey, you served St. Vincent and the Grenadines very well. You were a very good friend to me. The angels rejoice with me.”
From the family
In eulogizing his brother, Oswald, between sobs, said it was “hard for me to talk about my brother’s death,” stating that Millington was “generous, loving, dedicated to his family.
“Morey’s contribution to St. Vincent and the Grenadines…both on and off the field, he did an excellent job,” said Oswald before pausing, then adding: “I promised him not to choke up.
“Morey — the same love he gave to his brothers and sisters is the same love he gave to everyone,” he continued. “Every time I called him, he’ll say, ‘Come on, talk to me’. It’s painful.”
Sion Hill Sports Club
“Sion Hill has been richer because of the contribution of Morey,” he said, disclosing that Millington had introduced him to coaching. “He never held anyone back. To the Sion Hill Club, he was the chief architect; the embodiment of Sion Hill.
“He encouraged me,” Thomas added. “…. Skip has left an indelible
He urged the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to rename the Sion Hill Playing Field with two names — ‘Morey and Manager’.”
Mark Smith, Millington’s brotherin-law, even went further.
“Not only we need the field name; we want back control of that field,” he said in his tribute.
“He was an ultimate renaissance man when it comes to the success in St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” Smith added. “His influence extended beyond the realm of sports. He commanded the respect of civil servants. Excellence and leadership were natural to him.”
More than football
“He was a man of peace; a man of uprightness,” she preached. “Thank God for the legacy of football, but he had another legacy. I know, without a shadow of doubt that he’s gone to be with the Lord.”
Consul General McIntosh said: “Today, we laid a national treasure,” and he urged the Sion Hill community to “rise to the occasion and do not let Morey’s legacy go to waste.”
Besides his mother, his wife Felcia, sons Reinaldo and Shorne, daughters Nichola and Tenisha, Millington is survived by brothers Irvin, Bancroft, Everton, Kenwyn, Osborne, Bernard and Garfield, and sisters Silma and Marva.
Millington’s body was interred on Sunday at the Cypress Hill Cemetery at the Brooklyn-Queens corridor.
Dear George,
AYOUNGlady came to me in tears and begged me to help her with her rent. My heart went out to her. I gave the money$200.00 even though she asked for a loan. Now, I have found out that she gave the money to her boyfriend who needed to pay some bills.
If I had known she planned to give it to her boyfriend, I would have kept my money. After I talked about it with a few people, I learned that there are women in this country who are begging on behalf of their boyfriends. This is a new trend now.
Do I have a right to ask her back for my money seeing that she got it from me under false pretence? I’m so mad right now!
Feeling Deceived.
Dear Feeling Deceived,
You made the decision to give the money and it was then left up to her to decide how the money is used. Yes, it can be argued that the reason she gave was what got through to you, but I would advise you to chalk this one up as a good deed since it was given from your heart. You did reach out to someone in need and that’s what counts.
George.
Dear George,
I HAVE been dating this young lady for three years and all through those years she has struck me as someone who is materialistic. She would demand the most expensive gifts on birthdays, etc., even when she knows I’m not in a financial position to deliver. For her last birthday, she made me take out a loan to buy her an iPhone.
She has told me a couple of times that if I know I cannot afford her, I should just leave her to a man who can. Yet, she has been hinting marriage but I have ignored the subject.
I need to know from you if you think I should marry a woman like this? I do love her and she has told me she loves me. Everyone is telling me I have hit the jackpot, meaning
Dear George,
IT HAS BEEN14
months since I’m dating this young lady from the Kingstown area. She told she would like us to take things slowly before we get physical, but her idea of slow is much too slow for me. It took her almost seven months to let me kiss her and to this very day we have not gone further than that one kiss.
I think she is trying to make a fool out of me. She has no problem accepting money and other gifts from me but knows how to remind me to “slow down” when she thinks I’m moving too fast.
I am ready to pull the plug on the relationship but need to know when is the best time to do
I’ve found a good looking and classy woman but they do not know what I know. Yes, she looks fine physically but I have lots of creeping doubts.
Very Concerned.
Dear Very concerned,
Your gut feeling has been shouting at you and you need to listen and follow it.
You know she is not the wife material you are looking for despite her physical appearance. You need a partner who is able to understand and appreciate where you are at financially and give you the support that you need. You need someone who is ready to build with you, not to be extracting what isn’t there. George.
that. I did not sign up for this one bit.
Impatient.
Dear Impatient,
One kiss in 14 months is as slow as it gets. The conversation needs to be clear about the ‘dos and don’ts’ of the relationship. The two of you should be able to talk about your expectations. If what you are
getting now is not what you want and it seems more than likely that you won’t be getting what you want anytime soon, then you should probably politely move on.
It is better to part ways rather than remain together and becoming increasingly miserable. It could be time to kiss this one goodbye.
George.
ARIES (MAR. 21 - APRIL 20)
Romantic opportunities may not be as they appear. Try to curb your tongue and let others at least get a word in. You may jump from the frying pan into the fire if you make a move this week.
TAURUS (APR. 21 - MAY 21)
You can make money if you concentrate on producing services that will make domestic chores easier. Don’t count on your friends to be loyal when it comes to doing things.
GEMINI (MAY 22 - JUNE 21)
Tell them to get out of the mess they are in and then you’ll consider getting together with them. Problems with your mate will develop if you don’t let them have their way.
CANCER (JUNE 22 - JULY 22)
Take care of your own responsibilities before you help others. Make sure to arrange in advance to spend quality time together. Concentrate on spending quality time with children and friends.
LEO (JULY 23 - AUG 22)
You need to lie back and enjoy a little rest. You will have extra energy; put it to good use. Losses are likely if you get involved with uncertain individuals. Keep calm.
VIRGO (AUG. 23 - SEPT. 23)
Don’t hesitate to look for alternatives that will enable you to raise the kind of donations you need to do the job right. Your ability to talk circles around your colleagues will help you.
LIBRA (SEPT. 24 - OCT. 23)
Avoid getting trapped in internal disputes. Look into events that you might find interesting, and compromise by doing a few things that you both like to do.
SCORPIO (OCT. 24 - NOV. 22)
You may find your mate somewhat perturbed. Don’t be too quick to let friends and relatives know what you’re up to. Maybe it’s time to look into ways you can improve your health.
SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 23 -DEC. 21)
You need to get out and have some fun to reduce tension. You will find it easy to learn and excel. Your communication skills will bring you popularity and increased self-esteem.
CAPRICORN (DEC 22 - JAN. 20)
Your best results will come through business trips. You can make headway if you share your intentions with someone you care about. Arguments could prevail. Don’t put limitations on yourself.
AQUARIUS (JAN. 21 - FEB. 19)
Business or pleasure trips will be knowledgeable as well as highly successful. You can make money if you work on personal investments. Raise your self-esteem and your confidence.
PISCES (FEB. 20 - MAR. 20)
You will get great satisfaction from your efforts. Don’t gamble unless you can afford to lose. Tempers could boil if someone you work with has not been pulling their weight. Pleasure trips will be a form of healing for your mind.
HOT ON THE HEELS OF ITS SPONSORSHIP of the recently concluded Romario Spencer Invitational Table Tennis Tournament, My Smart Toilet Seat, has once again demonstrated its tangible support for the sport (table tennis) in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
On Friday 4th August at its headquarters opposite the old Anglican School on Higginson Street, My Smart Toilet Seat inked a one-year $10,000.00 endorsement contract with Damion Dublin, National Men’s Table Tennis Champion and winner of the Romario Spencer Invitational Table Tennis Tournament.
Addressing the contractsigning ceremony, Curtis Bascombe, manager of My Smart Toilet SeatCurtin Bascombe, Manager of the My Toilet Seat, said his company’s aim is to bring about cultural change and just as with their product (Smart Toilet), they see sports as a pathway to effecting cultural change.
“We have adopted table tennis as a sport to bring about such a change. So, we endorsed Dublin, the National Men’s Table Tennis Champion and champion of the Spencer Invitational Table Tennis Tournament, where he will be given a one-year endorsement contract, and we hope this will be an inspiration to other
players in SVG.”
Dublin will act as a representative for the My Smart Toilet Seat and towards inspiring young players especially and encouraging people to the sport, he will be expected to organize and conduct table tennis programnmes at the grassroot level.
On accepting the endorsement, Dublin said, “I am very excited about this opportunity because it has been my dream to play table tennis and be rewarded monetarily. I am excited to spearhead this endorsement and will do my best not to disappoint and to keep my standard throughout the year and more years to come. I urge everyone who is thinking about playing table tennis to become a part of this effort.”
Bascombe returned to tell the gathering, “… We understand that there is a serious challenge players face
in accessing affordable equipment locally. To demonstrate our continued support for table tennis, we will be setting up a retail outlet to provide tennis equipment, within the next two-three months. And in addition, My Smart Toilet Seat will be sponsoring quarterly table tennis miniseries.”
Table Tennis can offer a career path and My Smart Toilet Seat is ready to help guide the sport in that direction, Bascombe assured.
Stories by I.B.A. ALLENDRAVID NEEHALLand
Kathryn Cumberbatch emerged as the male and female MVPs respectively, of the 2023 Summer Basketball Camp hosted by the Playaz Youth Academy.
In other individual awards in the male category, the best shooter was Shay Martin, best ball handler award went to
Zarden Byron, Esper Assi was the best passer, and the best rebounder was Myles Dallon.
Among the females, IMVP Cumberbatch was the best shooter, Aviles James the best ball handler, Nataly Abu-Eid the best passer, and Summer Clarke the best rebounder.
The most disciplined players were Cody Benn, Ajah Jones, and Kymoni Roberts.
Orlando Ferguson, Founder,
Director and Head Coach of the Academy was pleased that they were able to complete another camp.
“The camp was well attended; it went really well; we had some good talent.
“We also worked along with members of the Vermont Police Youth Club, boys from Liberty Lodge Training Centre, young people from schools in Sandy Bay, Fancy,
Owia, Tourama and the St. Benedict Home in Georgetown,” Ferguson related.
And the participants will have the opportunity to continue with their skills development with the Academy’s Saturday basketball sessions and after school programmes.
Ferguson is grateful for the sponsorship his Academy has been able to receive, especially those benefactors who have
been with the programme from its inception.
He was also moved by the number of parents at the closing, noting, “… it’s a real positive thing and this is the area we need to strengthen so as to give their kids that support.”
Daniel of Greiggs and Miles Abraham of Chapmans have been suspended from the remainder of the Village tournament of the 2023 Hairoun North East Football League. Their suspension
stemmed from a fracas that marred the opening match of the tournament, on Sunday, July 30, at the Chili Playing Field. Additionally, both Greiggs and Chapmans have been placed on probationary warning, meaning that should
they be involved in any future event of a similar nature, each team would attract a five-year ban from all North East Football League (NEFL) activities.
INTERNATIONALTennis has returned to St. Vincent and the Grenadines with back-to-back tournaments.
The first of two tournaments in the National Lottery Authoritiessponsored ITF Junior tennis Championship got underway last weekend at the Villa Tennis Centre.
A second tournament will commence tomorrow, Saturday 12th August and conclude on the Saturday 19th.
Eighteen countries (18) represented by over 400 players are involved in the Championship. The countries include: Barbados, Brazil, The Bahamas, Canada, France, Guatemala, Guyana, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Great Britain, Martinique, Moldova, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Trinidad and Tobago, USA, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
These were the decisions taken by the Disciplinary Committee and Executive Committee of the NEFL at a meeting held on August 7, in which reports were heard from the relevant parties and analysis of video recordings of the incident.
The incident in question took
place in the 58th minute of the match when some players from both teams got into a physical confrontation. Daniel and Abraham were considered to be the primary culprits.
According to a release from the NEFL, the two “conducted themselves in an unsportsmanlike and ill-disciplined manner, bringing disrepute to the game and the image of the league”.
President of the NEFL - Otashie Spring told THE VINCENTIAN that his organisation is perturbed by the incident, and would not want a repeat.
“We have a zero tolerance in violence of any kind, among players, officials and the fans who come to our competitions and functions,” Spring underscored.
Spring noted that whilst the incident was captured on cell phone video, and has made the rounds on social media, it was a win-win situation, as it was used to administer the appropriate punishment.
Apart from the Village Tournament, the Chili Playing is also among the host venues for the All Windward Competition.
Spring, President of the NEFL, says his executive will not look kindly on any act that brings football, and more so football in the North East League, into disrepute.
Tournament Director, himself a former national player and President of the Tennis Association, welcomes back the Championship with much hope for the young, local players.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines is represented by Afi Lucas, Jaiden Bowens, Joshua Veira, Che Connell, and Angello Morgan.
The Championship returned after a break of three years occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic and the eruption of La Soufrière (volcano).
This country, in fact, has been hosting the Championship for some 13 years and Tournament Director, Anthony Boyea, has welcomed the return as an opportunity that will benefit local players.
“It means a lot because our players will be exposed to a higher level of tennis. We have some promising juniors’ players coming through and this should help to motivate them further,” Boyea said.
He also alluded to the likelihood of some players picking up scholarships as scouts will be keeping an eye on the Championship.
Since the coming on stream of the Villa Tennis Centre, up to 40 young Vincentian players have been awarded scholarships, Boyea shared.
His hope is that “more players can get scholarships.”
FOOTBALLreturned to Stubbs after a threeyear absence when the South East Development Inc. organized 2023 football league kicked off last Sunday at the Stubbs Playing Field.
Jerome Dick, Chairperson of the Sports Committee of the South East Development Inc. when asked what the return means to Stubbs community said, “It means a lot to us in Stubbs, because we eat, sleep, read sports. We haven’t had any sporting activities for the people in the
community for a few years, so this is providing some sort of comfort.”
Dick proceeded to remind this reporter that, “Stubbs has been like a beacon for sports and that’s why lots of people gravitate to Stubbs. It has also been an area that has produced some top national footballers over the years, so I am hoping this tournament for the players especially the youth, to express themselves in the sports they love.”
In Sunday’s opening match, Nature Boys defeated defending
champions KCCU Village Ballers 3 goals to 2. Nicoli Williams 1, and Bishon Richards 2, were the goal scorers for Nature Boys.
KCCU Village Ballers’ two goals came from Strackey Warren.
The teams competing in the tournament are:
Group A - Village Ballers, Awesome FC, Nature Boyz, Groove Street Ballers, Glen United, Experience FC; Group BStubborn Youths, Sion Hill, Ball Rollers, Biabou Top Strikers, and Police.
THERE will be a new Woman’s World Cup Football champion. The United States, winners in 2015 and 2019, crashed out of the tournament and for the first time they will be placed lower than third.
The news of the USA’s exit was greeted with glee in some segments. They accuse the Americans of being arrogant, talking about the finals, even before the preliminaries were complete.
The impact of the USA failure to advance aroused different reaction worldwide. For many pundits, even neutral observers, this was never on the charts.
For others it is a welcome dose of reality as far as world sports are concerned. The media tends to overhype everything that USA is involved in. People see it at the Olympics when cameras are focused on the Stars and stripes, even when athletes from other countries are heading for the finish line.
It comes over as a shock when the US fails to deliver the goods. No thought or analysis is given to the current trends.
It is a symbol of the American tendency to dismiss everything else in the world, for as they believe once it is not American there is no value.
Known as the land of the brave and the free, action over the world has presented the image that the USA is the standard bearer of the world’ philosophy.
It is revealing however that given the morals that the US seems anxious to promote and project, it was just a matter of time that things will fall apart. Their support of people, places and things that contribute to natural and national disasters are apparent.
It was just a matter of time for the chickens to come home to roost. The Americans are not learning. Their military escapades are perhaps the motivating factor for their cocky attitude. They believe that might be right, and being the most equipped nation on the earth, that belief in the gun system gives them a false sense of security.
Unlike military warfare where the scores are settled on the battle field, there are issues of moral suasion that money or ammunition cannot take care of.
The example of the US fall from grace in Women’s soccer is something that may have a momentary effect on the Americans. For most of them, it will be business as usual. It is hard to break the American psyche.
Until the US looks at itself as a nation where equal opportunity abounds, they will endure more and similar scars. A serious drama is unfolding in that country and there seems to be an intent on establishing a world order on which US impact is dominant and prevalent. The lesson of the Women’s world is another indication.
So it boils down to one of eight being crowned the new soccer queens. Quarter finals winds on Saturday. Those up to that stage will not be so certain as to be talking about the finals even before the combatants are decided.
Spain plays Netherlands, Japan takes on Sweden, Australia plays France, and England pulls sword with Colombia. Given the unpredictability of sports, it is premature to make predictions.
Nevertheless, it seems that some teams fare better when the odds are against them. For example, by the actions of the Jamaica Football Federation, that team was just supposed to have complied with the fixture.
The Reggae Girlz performed beyond expectations and embarrassed their administrators to some extent. That is perhaps an episode that Caribbean nations are used to. That is a topic for another discussion.
THE ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINESWomen’s outdoor 800m record has been lowered to 1:59.94.
Responsible for the new time was the record holder herself, Shafiqua Maloney. The previous record stood at 2:01.58.
Maloney’s personal best and new national mark were set last Friday, August 4, at the Ed
Murphey Classic held at Rhodes College, Memphis, Tennessee.
Maloney’s clocking placed her second in the event won by Addy Wiley of the USA, in 1:59.00.
Apart from being the national outdoor record holder, Maloney also holds the 800m indoor record of 2:01.22.
Additionally, Maloney
is a part of a quartet that also includes Zita Vincent, Annecia Richards and Tamara Woodley, that broke the St. Vincent and the Grenadines 4 x400m national and Under-20 record.
The four established that feat of 3:48.24 in 2018 at the Junior Carifta Games held in the Bahamas.
THE IAN ALLENCoaching Clinic
Cricket Summer Camp, which caters to young people 7 — 15 years old, got going earlier this week at the Arnos Vale Playing Field. It will run for two weeks.
Ian Allen, former West Indies fast bowler and certified coach, outlined the reason behind the camp.
“The idea behind it is based on what we coaches have seen in national preparation, especially at the under-15 level. We felt that the more opportunities these players have to be exposed to the fundamentals of the sport from a young age, the better players they will turn out to be,” Allen explained.
He described the camp as a “feeder” which will help in identifying and advising on potential under-15 players for the national programme.
The camp will also include sessions on life skills since, as Allen said, “We also believe in helping them develop as rounded individuals, as well as encouraging them to take their academics seriously, as both can work together.”
The other coaches in the program are national under-15 coach Bertrum Stapleton, William Edward
and Nyasha Williams.
I.B.A. ALLENTHE SECONDphase of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sailing Association’s Development for a National Sporting Structure (DNSS) is being implemented.
A month-long process, with World Sailing Coach- Rob Holden, in the coxswain’s seat, will ensure that the programme steers its course.
Explaining the process, Holden said, “The second phase of the DNSS is taking place now, we are actually putting the plans into action…We are teaching the coaches to teach effectively.”
Holden noted that part of the second phase is visiting the islands, Bequia, Canouan and Mayreau, as well as the mainland.
“It is all now about implementation… It is all about the practical side, where coaches’ abilities will be scrutinized where we will be looking closely at
getting it right, if not perfect,” Holden highlighted.
Reflecting on previous work done on the DNSS, Holden related, “The first phase we did an assessment of all the centers… We went around to the different islands and looked at what they were doing, … what they had going for them and what was needed.”
In 2014, Ballantyne spearheaded the establishment of an Interim Committee that provided the platform for the establishment of what is today, the
PERSONSgoing about their usual business in Kingstown on Monday
afternoon just might have thought there was another serious crime in the ‘Upstreet’ area, when a pickup with several armed members of the Rapid Response Unit (RRU), commonly called ‘Black Squad’, was seen heading in that direction.
But it turned out that what had appeared to be a serious police operation instead involved the mere uprooting and removal of what appeared to be a marijuana tree growing in a public place in the Sharpe Street area of Upper Kingstown.
Attorney Grant Connell, a staunch and outspoken advocate for the decriminalization of marijuana, who was on the scene taking a photograph alongside the plant, before the police arrived, was amazed.
“You send six heavily armed RRU officers in transport to deal with what appeared to be a cannabis tree, but when you call some police stations to respond to a report, they never have transport,” Connell told THE
VINCENTIAN.
The lawyer noted that the police stations at Mesopotamia, Owia, and Sandy Bay have no transports assigned to them, resulting in reports to those stations not getting prompt responses from the officers there.
Connell said he understands that the tree, those heavily armed police officers were sent for, had been in that area in excess of two months.
“It’s a lovely plant, a beautiful tourist attraction, and it was there for months. I guess marijuana is still illegal, so I guess the police were doing their work. Most likely it was planted by a bird dropping a seed, and destroyed by human,” Connell mused.
It seems like marijuana raids continue to be a priority of the police, as the removal of that tree in
Kingstown by RRU officers, came about two weeks after the home of a 77-year-old seriously ill man of Colonaire was raided for marijuana, during a combined action by officers from the Narcotics Unit, Special Services Unit (SSU), and Rapid Response Unit (RRU).
That operation came about four days after five men, including a 13year-old, were shot dead at Upper Kingstown, commonly called ‘Upstreet’. An investigation into that matter is ongoing.
IF PRIME MINISTERDr. Ralph Gonsalves can convince his Cabinet, and a betting man would say he can, two days will be designated as days for sports and culture throughout the state of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
And if the Prime Minister has his way, these days would be close to the anniversary of
Independence, Oct. 27, preferably Oct. 21 and 22. The proposal came during the Prime Minister’s address at the One Family Concert, held on August 01 at Victoria Park, to mark the 50th Anniversary of CARICOM.
From what could be gathered, the designation of the two days was one way of emphasizing how much sports and music contribute to the development of the nation, of its people.
The Prime Minister envisioned, “In every village in this country, on October the 21st and October the 22nd, Saturday and Sunday this year, and as close to that every year, our churches with our gospel music, the elderly with the string band, the music in the villages, the sounds, the sports, that bind us together with love and unity and give no space whatsoever for the gunman.”
And buoyed by the overflowing of talent on display at the One Family
Concert, the Prime Minister urged Vincentians “to harness the inherent talent of our populace in the realms of music and sports,” thus the proposal of the two days of sports and culture as a reminder how much Vincentian possess as a people.
