THE VINCENTIAN PDF- 08-08-25

by DONALD DE RIGGS

Jaden

on fire at the Grenadines Wharf on Thursday morning. (Photo Source: Donald De Riggs)

V News 3

Banks, Hairoun beers: Common ownership

BARBADOS-BASEDBanks Brewery

Ltd. and St. Vincent and the Grenadines-based St. Vincent Brewery Ltd. will now be united by a commoner owner.

KOSCAB Holdings Ltd (KOSCAB) announced on July 31, 2025, the acquisition of a majority interest in SLU Beverages, LTD (SLU) a company included in the Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV group of companies which holds controlling interests in several Caribbean breweries, including St. Vincent Brewery Limited (SVBL) and Dominica Brewery and Beverage Limited.

SLU holds a majority stake in Banks Holdings Limited in Barbados, which includes: Banks Brewery Limited — like SVBL, brewers and bottlers of both alcoholic (e.g. Banks Beer) and non-alcoholic beverages (sprite, coca cola); Pine Hill Dairy — producers of milk and a variety of juices; Delivery and Handling Services (DHS).

Dominica Brewery and beverages Ltd.

KOSCAB said it was committed to apply its extensive industry expertise to BHL and SVBL, building on their established reputations and service within the Caribbean market.

Currently, KOSCAB, itself a joint venture with the Coca-Cola Company and others, oversees the distribution of Coca-Cola brands in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Collectively, these entities are said to employ more than 3,000 individuals and generate annual sales exceeding $1 billion.

As KOSCAB sees it, this acquisition “represents a significant opportunity for KOSCAB to enhance its local and regional business footprint while supporting the growth and success of leading brands in the region such as Pine Hill, Banks, Hairoun, Wadadli, Kubuli and all Coca-Cola affiliated products.”

Wadadli, the beer of Antigua, was previously brewed by Antigua Brewery. It is now brewed by St. Vincent Brewery Ltd. Kubuki is the unofficial beer of Dominica, brewed by

‘Jaden

To this end, Mr. Carlos Diaz, CEO of KOSCAB, stated, as per a news release of July 31, “Several years ago, KOSCAB Holdings initiated a strategic plan to consolidate franchise bottling operations into larger, more efficient entities, while diversifying our beverage portfolio to meet evolving consumer preferences. The Caribbean market offers substantial opportunities to advance this strategy. We regard BHL and SVBL as valuable additions to our family of companies and value their role in our ongoing vision to become a comprehensive beverage company.”

Under the new structure, BHL and SVBL will operate as independent entities, but benefit from KOSCAB’s industry best practices in innovation, operations, and service. Key markets like Barbados and St. Vincent will be central to the company’s growth strategy in the Caribbean.

Shafia London has been appointed General Manager of the SLU group, including BHL and SVBL, and will lead daily operations under the new ownership.

London noted that ongoing

Sun’ on fire

Continued from Frontpage.

Speaking briefly with Captain Gooding when asked how the fire began, he said that he had no idea what could have caused the fire as he was not on board when it started. He preferred not to speculate.

Preliminary observations revealed that the fire started somewhere in the left rear section of the vessel, as that was the first part that showed intense damage.

Captain Gooding confirmed that there was no damage to the engine room and that the generators were actually running and had to be turned off after the fire started.

The officers attached to the Fire Department arrived on the scene in quick time and took over from the crew, who had tried in vain to control the fire with on board fire extinguishers. The response of the crew and the quick action of the fire department officers prevented the fire from destroying the

vessel.

The Coast Guard vessel Hugh Mulzac was also deployed just in case the fire got out of control and the vessel needed to be removed from the wharf.

Traffic in and out of the Kingstown port, the Grenadines wharf and uptown areas was disrupted for a while, to allow fire tenders access to the scene of the fire for the general safety of citizens.

An investigation will be mounted into the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage will be fully assessed.

investment in production facilities is expected to boost customer service, market performance, and regional development.

“We welcome this transaction and the sustained investment in our production facilities. By continuing to strengthen our production capabilities and commercial operations, we expect to deliver enhanced services to our customers, foster market growth, and provide a robust platform for BHL and SVBL to contribute to the KOSCAB family and the socio-economic advancement of communities in Barbados and St. Vincent,” London said.

Both KOSCAB and Anheuser-Busch InBev expressed confidence in a smooth transition, assuring stakeholders that service delivery will remain uninterrupted.

The SVBL: Changing hands

The St. Vincent Brewery was originally established in partnership with the German brewery Haase Brauerei and a number of local corporate and private individual investors/shareholders. This collaboration blended German brewing expertise with the unique characteristics of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, including its abundant spring water. The brewery began

Residents of and travelers to and from the Southern Grenadines in particular, and who rely on the service of the Jaden Sun will no doubt miss the quick turn around provided by the fast ferry.

In the immediate aftermath of hurricane Beryl last year, Jaden Sun was among the main carriers for

workers, residents and first responders to/from the Southern Grenadines, while the Gem Star and Southern Grenadines Express moved the heavier cargo and relief supplies.

bottling Hairoun beer in June 1985.

Haase Brauerei, which was later renamed Brauhaase International Management GmbH, maintained a strong presence providing full technical/managerial and commercial support, and under their tutelage the brewery grew and quickly established a reputation for technical excellence and good quality products.

In 2007 the Danish brewery Royal Unibrew acquired controlling interest in the St. Vincent Brewery Limited, and was in control until around 2009/2010 when it sold its shares to Cerveceria Nacional Dominicana (CND), the primary beer producer in the Dominican Republic.

By 2012 Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), a multinational and the world’s largest brewer and also owners of global favourites Budweiser and Corona beers, acquired a controlling stake in CND, meaning that as of that date, Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) became the principal shareholder and effective owner of the St. Vincent Brewery.

The musical chairs surrounding the ownership of the St. Vincent Brewery Ltd., a major contributor to the GDP of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, continues well into 2025 as is evident with the recent takeover by KOSCAB.

The Jaden Sun is a one hundred and five (105) foot long, jet propelled, twin hulled High-Speed Craft with a maximum speed of 34 knots and a capacity of 218 passengers.

Carlos Diaz, CEO of KOSCAB, sees BHL and SVBL as adding value to the overall company performance going forward.

Left: KOSCAB now takes ownership of Banks Holding Ltd., a Barbados company that offers a varied product and distribution line.

Captain Elvis Gooding takes a good, hard look at the area of the vessel where the fire is said to have originated. Right: The area that offers seating accommodation for passengers was severely damaged. (Photo Credit: Donald De Riggs)

Positive developments at HMP

Stories by HAYDN HUGGINS

ACTING SUPERINTENDENT of Prisons Dwayne Bailey is happy with recent developments at His Majesty’s Prisons.

Within the last four weeks, all the inmates with mental health issues have been examined and assessed by a trained psychiatrist, and treatment has begun for those requiring same.

In addition, those with matters before the Court are having reports as to their mental state and fitness for trial being prepared for forwarding to the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

The recent development was made possible with the collaboration of the outgoing DPP Sejilla Mc Dowall, soon to be acting High Court Judge in Dominica.

The prison boss, who has repeatedly complained about the challenges the prisons face in having to cater to mentally ill inmates, was happy to reveal this during the closing ceremony of the Criminal Assizes on Wednesday. “I want to commend the DPP

ASP Parnel Browne has issued a stern warning to businesses who think and act as though they have sole rights to certain public spaces in Kingstown especially.

HEAD OF THE TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT,Assistant Superintendent of Police

Parnel Browne, has issued a stern warning to businesses who place stools and other objects in public areas, to secure parking for their owners, staff and even customers.

ASP Browne’s warning

Right: Acting Superintendent of Prisons

Dwayne Bailey is pleased that actions have been taken to attend to the particular needs of inmates with mental health challenges.

for her proactive stance to have mental health inmates assessed. I think she went beyond her boundaries and I hope whoever succeeds her will continue,” Bailey said.

But he told THE VINCENTIAN on Tuesday that he was also pleased with the disposal of several matters within the last few months, for persons awaiting trial or on remand in relations to matters both before the Magistrate’s Court and the High Court.

Bailey added that 80 percent of the rehabilitation centre at the Belle Isle Correctional Facility has been completed. The building, he said, will include three classrooms, a computer room, a medical doctor’s office and an infirmary (small hospital), in addition to tailor, carpentry and welding shops.

Bailey is of the view that when this facility is completed, there would be a significant uplifting of

the rehabilitation process at the prisons.

The prison boss also disclosed to THE VINCENTIAN that drones (aerial surveillance cameras) are operational in the air space over the Belle Isle Correctional Facility, which significantly enhance the security there. He noted that 11 prison officers are already trained to operate the drones.

And the prison farm, he highlighted, continues to contribute to the prison diet, thus reducing the quantity of food purchased from outside.

Businesses don’t own Government road

came during an interview on an Agency for Public Information (API) programme, weeks after Senior Magistrate Tammika Mc Kenzie ordered Ronnie Williams, a 32-year-old store clerk of Rockies, to compensate retired adult educator Leroy Rock for damaging Rock’s car tyres by piercing them with an unknown object, because Rock had parked his vehicle in a public area, outside ‘Home Collection’ Store No. 2. Kingstown, his place of employment. ASP Browne in the interview, made it clear that “No business in St. Vincent and the Grenadines owns any parking on the Government road.”

He explained, however, “If there is an area designated for you to

offload or unload goods, and for the customer to come to pick up or to drop off goods to your business, that is as much as it goes. All the other parking is first come, first serve.”

That said, the ASP observed, “I am seeing that businesses are putting out stools, they are putting out all sorts of things to hold parking for their bosses and so on, and advised, “If a normal citizen wants to have a parking and there is a stool in the area, move the stool and park your vehicle.”

Rock commended ASP Browne for issuing the warning, but said that the police should have taken action a long time ago, and he suggested more policing in this regard.

“Government needs to

‘Mass exodus’ from DPP’s Office

THE

OFFICE

OF THE DIRECTOR OF

PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS (DPP) has lost yet another Prosecutor, coming on the heels of attorney Grant Connell’s remark at the closing ceremony of the Criminal Assizes on July 30, about a ‘mass exodus” taking place at the DPP’s office.

THE VINCENTIAN has been reliably informed that Senior Counsel Richie Maitland, the man who had successfully led the Prosecution in a number of high profile murder cases, including that of former civil servant Mitchell ‘Mitch’ Israel for the January 30, 2020 murder of his wife Arianna Taylor-Israel, resigned his position on July 29.

Up to press time Thursday, efforts to reach Maitland were unsuccessful, but THE VINCENTIAN understands that he is currently in his homeland, Grenada.

During the closing ceremony of the Assizes in which the legal fraternity also paid tribute to outgoing DPP Sejilla McDowall, who has been recently appointed to act as High Court judge in Dominica, Connell said, “There seems to be a mass exodus from the DPP’s office, and when that happens Justice pays the price. I don’t know if it’s because of salaries or pressure.”

He noted that former Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Karim Nelson and Rose Ann Richardson, two outstanding prosecutors, along with several others, have left, and others are soon to leave.

put parking meters in Kingstown for persons to pay for parking. It is time to remove parking in Kingstown. People must find parking lots to park their vehicles because there is not enough space in Kingstown for people to park. There should be no private parking in public spaces between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.,” Rock said. He pointed out that in his case, he saw a stool blocking a public area outside the business place. He removed the stool, parked his vehicle there, and went to a meeting. When he returned, he noticed that two of his car tyres were punctured. He reported the matter to the police, and Williams was subsequently arrested and charged for the offence of damage to property.

“I don’t see Counsel Maitland. He had a tremendous impact on the Prosecutions because he stood up in cases that other members for which the others did not,” Connell added.

Crown Counsel Renee Simmons is the most senior lawyer at the DPP”s office currently, and may be in charge. Up to press time Thursday, no DPP had been appointed.

Connell had first questioned the departure of outstanding lawyers from the DPP’s office during a sitting of the Serious Offences Court several weeks ago. He questioned then whether the DPP’s office was “undermanned.”

Maitland had also led the prosecution in the case involving the 2017 double murder of Police Constable Danroy Cozier, 26 and his 19-year-old brother Nicholas Cozier, securing convictions for all three men accused of the crime.

He was also involved, along with DPP Sejilla McDowall, and Crown Counsel Renee Simmons, in the case of former journalist Junior Jarvis, who was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment, for the February 14, 2017 murder of former banker Andy Lawrence at Arnos Vale.

Maitland has a fiery style of prosecution, and was admired by those who followed the hearing of the criminal assizes at the High Court.

Grenadian Richie Maitland, Senior Counsel in the DDP Office, has resigned after leaving his mark on some high profiled murder cases here.

PM takes aim at Friday

Dr. Ralph Gonsalves poked fun at Dr. Friday for what he, Gonsalves, felt was a flippant response from someone looking to lead the country.

“I ALWAYS TELL YOU,always tell everybody, government and politics are not about entertainment, you know. It’s serious business with serious people. And if you’re silly and you’re lazy and you’re weak, you can’t lead”.

Those were the words of the Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves as he took aim at the Leader of the Opposition Dr. Godwin Friday.

According to Dt. Gonsalves, “If

Stewart awaits the formality of having her nomination as the ULP Southern Grenadines candidate endorsed by her party’s executive.

you’re indecisive, you’re weak, you can’t lead. A man get up in parliament who wants to be prime minister of this country, and you know what he said on the bill with the citizenship for the 12 legends? He said, this is the most difficult decision he has had to make in his political life,” said.

Dr. Gonsalves’ utterances came while speaking on the Morning Scoop programme on NBC Radio on Wednesday.

“I sit down there. I said, but wait. This man just telling everybody in the country that he’s disqualified to lead.

Imagine that is your most difficult decision in your entire political career,” said the PM as he mocked Friday.

Dr. Friday’s position

The Opposition abstained from voting on the bill offering Vincentian citizenship to the surviving members of the West Indies cricket team that won the 1975 One Day International World Cup.

“As it is for now, I will have to withhold my vote either way on this matter,” said Dr. Friday in part response to the Bill when it was tabled in parliament last week Monday.

He said he hoped that the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), regardless of their politics, continue to hold the legends of 1975 in the same regard that they did 25 or 30 years

ago.

“I do not think, under the circumstances, I can embrace this bill the way it is coming forward. At the same time, … I cannot vote against the legends. I won’t sleep tonight, probably not for the rest of the week,” said Dr. Friday.

The Bill

The parliament of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) on Monday, July 28, passed a bill offering citizenship to the surviving members of the West Indies cricket team that won the inaugural 1975 One Day International (ODI) World Cup.

The legislation allows the 12 surviving members of that victorious team to apply for Vincentian citizenship without meeting the usual requirements, such as residency or economic contribution. Applicants need only submit a written request to the minister responsible for citizenship.

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves presented the bill, saying it aims to formally recognize the team’s significant contribution to cricket and Caribbean culture. He highlighted that citizenship by birth, marriage, residency, or economic contribution typically govern nationality laws in SVG, but this bill creates a special pathway for the cricket legends.

Gonsalves noted that citizenship under this bill does not automatically

Dr. Godwin Friday led the opposition bench in abstaining from voting on the bill since they were not in agreement with how the bill was framed.

confer citizenship but grants the right to apply for it. Those who become citizens can also apply for a Vincentian passport and may purchase land without needing an alien landholding license.

The bill passed despite opposition lawmakers abstaining from the vote, citing concerns about politicizing the region’s cricket heroes. (KH)

Dr. Friday: ULP playing politics

DR. GODWIN FRIDAYhas accused the government of “prioritizing people based on their political affiliation.”

The Opposition Leader’s fingerpointing came as he made a presentation at yesterday’s (Thursday 7th August) sitting of parliament.

To substantiate his ‘accusation’, and to hammer home what he said was a case of “playing politics,” Dr. Friday pointed to the situation in which the government removed the Senior Radiographer from the Ministry of Health, and transferred her to the “Department of Housing to be in charge of the distribution of windows and doors, lumber and galvanize in Canouan, Union and Mayreau.”

He asked rhetorically, “If that is not politics, what is?” And alluded to that person being a candidate in the next general election, highly anticipated by November this year.

Dr. Friday was, of course, referring to Chevonne Stewart, Senior Radiographer at Milton Cato Hospital, who has been selected by the Unity Labour Party’s Southern Grenadines Constituency Council, to be the candidate in that constituency in the upcoming general elections.

She, upon ratification ratification by the ULP’s central executive and national council, will replace Edwin Snagg who had been unsuccessful in removing the New Democratic Party’s Terrence Ollivierre in five attempts (2001, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020) at the polls. Snagg, in fact, had contest his first election as a candidate in that constituency in 1998.

Right: Terrence Ollivierre has been unshakeable in the Southern Grenadines since his successful debut in 12001.

Chevonne

New mill for ECGC

THE EAST CARIBBEAN GROUP OFCompanies, ECGC, on July 31, 2025, celebrated a landmark achievement with the official opening of its new state-of-the-art flour mill.

The grand opening, attended by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, marked a significant milestone for ECGC and the wider Eastern Caribbean region, underscoring a commitment to food security, regional development, and economic resilience.

The Prime Minister lauded the investment, highlighting its importance to the OECS region’s rising economic power.

The ribbon cutting ceremony was jointly performed by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and ECGC Chairman, P. Audrey Veira-DeFreitas.

The event brought together distinguished guests, including the Minister of Industry and Agriculture, Parliamentarians, esteemed diplomats, loyal customers and distributors from across the Caribbean, and dedicated ECGC team members.

“Today marks a moment of profound significance for ECGC and the region,” stated J. Robert Cato, CEO of ECGC. “This facility stands as far more than steel, concrete, and machinery. It is the embodiment of a journey nearly five decades long–one defined by resilience, adaptation, and excellence through teamwork.”

The new flour mill is a testament to the perseverance of the ECGC team and a symbol of what can be achieved when a team is united by purpose. ECGC expressed deep gratitude to its loyal customers, supportive suppliers, and dedicated distributors who play a crucial role in bringing ECGC products to every corner of the Eastern Caribbean. ECGC gains over 70% of its revenue from exports.

Special recognition was given to the ECGC project team for their tireless efforts in bringing the mill to life, as well as the broader ECGC family for their support during the transition. The ceremony also paid tribute to past leaders, acknowledging their foundational vision. Sir Phillip Veira was specifically honoured for his pioneering efforts in establishing the mill in 1977.

East Caribbean Group of Companies ECGC also

extended appreciation to its valued shareholders: Maple Leaf Canada, PH Veira Investments, and the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, for their continued belief and investment.

J. Robert Cato further added, “This flour mill signals more than operational advancement; it is a symbol of what’s possible when a team is united by purpose. It represents food security, regional development, and economic resilience. It is an investment in the rising power of the OECS region.”

ECGC reiterated that its true strength lies not just in infrastructure, but in the people and stakeholders who power the business.

About ECGC: Founded in 1977 and head quartered in Campden Park, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The East Caribbean Group of Companies (ECGC) is the OECS region’s leading manufacturer and distributor of highquality flour, animal feeds, rice and beverages in the Eastern Caribbean. With a legacy spanning nearly five decades, ECGC is committed to contributing to food security, regional development, and economic resilience in the region. (Source: ECGC)

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and ECGC Chairman, P. Audrey Veira-DeFreitas jointly performed the symbolic ribbon cutting. (Source: ECGC Facebook)

J. Robert Cato, CEO of ECGC, referenced the new mill as testament of the ‘perseverance of the ECGC team’. (Source: ECGC Facebook)

The new state-of-the-art mill at the ECGC plant at Campden Park.

Cuban tourism experts in SVG

THIS COUNTRY RECENTLY WELCOMED YETanother technical mission of Cuban experts all part of fulfilling the commitment to strengthen cooperation links between Cuba and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

The contingent, comprised of eight tourism specialists, on Thursday, August 07, 2025, began an intensive 3-week Train-the-Trainer programme in key tourism/hospitality disciplines, including front office operations, culinary arts, massage therapy, sommelier services, and housekeeping.

A release from the Cuban embassy here said the project is in keeping with the commitment of the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to advance the tourism sector as the key pillars for sustainable economic development in the country.

The implementation of this technical mission, the Embassy said, “represents a new step in strengthening the historic relations of solidarity and cooperation between the peoples and governments of Cuba and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines”.

Editor’s Note: “Cuba plays a significant role in St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ medical and health

Canouan Money Transfer Service expanded

THE VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES

Postal Corporation’s (SVGPC)

MoneyGram Money Transfer Service operation in Canouan has been expanded.

The expanded service, which became operational on July 31, 2025, is available at the Postal facility located in the Canouan

A trained and friendly staff is ready to serve the Canouan community with their money transfer needs.

Administrative Complex.

According to a release from the Postal Corporation, “…the new service will enhance the existing traditional products which are currently offered at the Postal facility, by facilitating interisland, regional and international money transfers to visitors and residents.”

The Corporation has also advised that the freight forwarding US Mail box service will also be available in Canouan.

According to Mrs. Jacqueline Adams Ollivierre, Director of Postal Services: “SVG Post continues to diversify to align with the changing demands of our customers. Many new products and services are offered at its head office in Kingstown and at the twenty-two district post offices, that complement the existing traditional letter mail and Parcel Post products”.

The Money/Gram Money Transfer service is now offered at the Postal Corporation’s outlets in Kingstown, Georgetown, Mesopotamia, Calliaqua, Layou, Barrouallie, Chateaubelair, Bequia, Canouan and Union Island.

In addition to this service the, Corporation also offers a US Mail Box freight forwarding service, and Utility Bill Payments, US and Canadian Visa application and Lotto sales services.

The hours of operations at the Kingstown office are 7.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. and at the district offices from 8.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. (Source: SVGPC)

services, particularly through the provision of doctors and medical specialists, as well as the operation of the Modern Medical Complex and Diagnostic Centre in Georgetown. This collaboration is a key part of the public health system, offering services like hemodialysis, surgeries, and various treatments.” (Source: Embassy of Cuba)

Cuban tourism experts, with Cuban Embassy officials, on their arrival in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Managing Director: Desiree Richards

Editor: Cyprian Neehall

Telephone: 784-456-1123 Fax: 784-451-2129

Website: www.thevincentian.com

Email: thevincentianpublishing@gmail.com

Mailing Address: The Vincentian Publishing Co. Ltd., P.O. Box 592, Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Editorial

Following on last week: beyond promises

IN POLITICS,manifestos are common, but what really makes them significant and meaningful to the advancement of any country is their execution. It is the execution that distinguishes real leaders from pretenders, and a committed party from one whose quest is simply to gain the seat of authority.

As St. Vincent and the Grenadines fast approaches another general election, we need to be reminded about what really matters, and that, among other considerations, is the mettle in the build-up to election day.

Let’s say from the outset that the mettle is not found in the campaign speeches; it’s about actual results and feasible promises.

Yes, we must be astute enough to recognize that the road to prosperity for all lies in a country of political stability and good governance. And we must also be astute enough to recognize hints and innuendos that could easily disturb the political equilibrium.

After all, investors don’t invest in promises, whether those are made by the incumbent or the opposition; they invest in actual performance and proven research and data.

We all know that even in our immature system of capitalism that the private sector is the driving force of economic growth. Once we accept that then we have to ensure that this sector is provided with a political environment that honours contracts, maintains stability, and carries out plans with the interest of the people and the state in mind, and not for political gain as projects left for implementation in the year before and in the election year are likely to be judged.

If it is an investment project whether in the tourism, agricultural or industrial sector, we must examine it to see how much it impacts the employment situation, the import bill, and in the long run how much it contributes to the GDP and at what cost by way of concessions and other rather latent advantages that might be accorded it by the government.

It follows therefore, that it is upon its record of delivery that the incumbent will be assessed as to its worthiness to be returned to government. And this does not simply mean whether or not a project is complete; it also involves an

A visit to North Leeward

assessment of that project’s cost, whether it was done within budget, who benefits from the project, how it affects connectivity of people and services.

When a government delivers on its promises rather than falling short, it gains credibility that helps attract both votes and investments. This is what an opposition is likely to come up against as it moves to convince the electorate and the private sector, that it is ready to assume the reins of governance.

Usually the private sector gives an early indication of the direction in which it is pointing. To say that the Unity Labour Party has not benefited from this gesture by the private sector would be to deny that which transpired in previous elections. Has the private sector already made its choice?

Both incumbent and opposition understand that the private sector’s ‘opinion’ is important because businesses, manufacturers, have a stake in the country. They cannot support ineffective governments that threaten their investments.

An opposition party wanting to regain power, i.e. to fulfil its politically designated objective, must devise ways and means, methods of propaganda, to show its ability to deliver results, not just make promises. Unless there is a mark against the incumbent that will stain it in the eyes of the electorate as not deserving of its trust, then the opposition has it work cut out for it in the face of a government who ‘enjoys’ pointing to infrastructural indications and chanting, ‘de country moving nice’, a la Calypsonian Luther, These infrastructural indications are often services to be provided as obligations of any government. The opposition has to ‘unsweeten de country moving nice’.

On one hand stands a party with what it says is a proven record of infrastructural expansion, economic growth and democratic renewal. On the other stands an opposition determined to show it is not about slogans and stalled ideas; it is ready to lead.

In the lead-up to the 2025 General Elections, voters will have a clear choice – take a chance with the new or continue with the old.

THOSE WHO FOLLOW ME on Facebook may have seen my recent picture of beautiful areas in North Leeward. I usually refrain from using Facebook for critical social commentary because more than half of my “friends” are international, and explaining the context of my criticisms would take too much time. Some things are better left unsaid if there isn’t enough time to provide proper context.

Holding to that general principle, I am compelled to share some thoughts on what I observed – and trust me, it’s a mix of beauty and concern. Today I will speak of three areas: Walliabou, the Cumberland Bypass Road, and Dark View Falls.

First is Walliabou. I can’t visit the area without stopping at this iconic site. No trip is complete without a swim in this beautiful black sand beach. Sorry, my friends from Troumaca, I think this one ‘got you beat’. I cannot move on without commenting on this area’s neglect over the years. First is the dilapidated condition of the movie set built for filming “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Aside from a sign on a local bar heading towards the beach and the iconic rock in the bay, there is little left to remind us of this once-famous attraction. Is asking for this site to be refurbished and maintained too much?

I can imagine an economic development project with some money from the La Soufrière rehabilitation fund. Wouldn’t it be incredible to see it refurbished and become a center of economic activity for the area?

And let’s not forget the beach. During my last few visits, I couldn’t help but notice that sand was mysteriously disappearing. What’s up with that?

We could completely revamp this area with just a few hundred thousand dollars. Picture the creation of a parking lot and designated vending spaces. Let’s make this a destination that shines for both local and international visitors. Not too long ago, this would have been viewed as a Community Development Project sponsored by a group or even a cooperative from the area.

It’s now time to address the Cumberland Bypass Road. How long will we have to wait for the Charles Village Road to be repaired? I recall

that as far back as 2020 when I traveled to the area, I noticed that this road urgently needed attention. I chose not to speak up then, hoping the responsible authority would take initiative and address the issue. After all, the political representative for this area belongs to the governing party.

So, when can we expect repairs to this major arterial road, which is a vital link to a significant economic zone on the island? A good friend from Rose Hall used to say, “Who has to die for us to be noticed?” I am, he spoke figuratively. I must emphasize that I’m also concerned about the poor condition of the bypass road. However, I do not want any significant improvements to this road to come at the cost of properly rebuilding the main road. Such an exchange could lead to the creation of a ghost town, and the residents of Charles Village deserve better.

If you need an example of what could happen to this area if the road is not rebuilt, look no further than the once-thriving community of Long Wall, in Kingstown, which suffered greatly after the closure of the Harbour Club in the 1970s.

One immediate benefit of rebuilding this road would be reopening a gas station in North Leeward. Imagine the reaction from the driving public if there were a gas station somewhere in the area.

Now let’s dive into the breathtaking Dark View Falls–a hidden gem. I can still vividly recall when this majestic spot was a secret waiting for the bold and adventurous souls brave enough to seek it out. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who played a role in opening it up to the public and keeping it pristine. This area is bursting with potential. I passionately urge the government to collaborate with the community to safeguard and preserve this incredible site from the looming threats posed by nearby stone quarry activities. And can we take a moment to appreciate the brilliant use of bamboo to create a stunning river bridge crossing? Simply commendable, let’s continue to maintain and improve on the design in the years to come.

Horatio

The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Windward Islands School Games 2025

AS I REFLECT on the recent Windward Island School Games and its many successes, I am reminded of a powerful truth: When we work together with genuine national pride and patriotism, there is so much we can achieve.

Unfortunately, amidst the spirit of unity and accomplishment, there were those consumed by bitterness and disdain...opponents of Ralph and the ULP… to the point where their utterances became sinister and divisive. Some, ironically, are retired individuals who left the Sports Department in arguably its worst state ever, yet they were the loudest voices of criticism, leading a ten-day chorus of disgust and pessimism. No smiles, no cheers, only a quiet hope

“It’s

for failure.

Yes, SVG placed fourth, some may say last, but for those who truly understand the essence of sport and its development, there were victories in every defeat.

The heart, the resilience, the promise of our athletes never went unnoticed. Sadly, the loudest critics often have little sporting merit of their own, never having ‘kicked a lime’ or shown any competence in the sports they now claim to judge. These are what we might call mugglesoutsiders to the world of sport.

The Windward Island School Games is no simple event. It is a complex undertaking, and like any major sporting event around the world, not everything will go perfectly. Yet, despite any

Not That Serious”

shortcomings, the spirit of the games remained

intact.

We may disagree on aspects of its execution, but we must never lose sight of the core purpose of the Games, i.e. youth development, regional

OUR RELATIONSHIP with West Indies cricket is like a relationship between two young people. There are times during the relationship when things are so good that the couple is the happiest couple in the world. Then there comes some disagreement and it’s heart-break all around. Cussing and fighting and threats to “finish with that”.

Then something happens and the two are back together because the boys might have asked forgiveness and bought her an expensive necklace. No sooner that they are once again “loveydovey” that something happens that causes another disagreement. They finish for good this time. “No way I going back with that girl!”

camaraderie, and the celebration of sport. That purpose was fulfilled and that is something worth standing behind.

Sean Stanley

like the couple. They good today, tomorrow they not so good but whatever happens between them, they not giving up one another.

The thing is that we hope that something would happen during the relationship that will rekindle a lasting love for our cricket like we would hope for the couple.

A Love-Hate Relationship Hotel/Restaurant workers’ children

THE FAMILY IS THE BASIC UNIT of the society and nurturing of the next generation of citizens is its full-time responsibility.

All in all, our relationship with West indies cricket is one big LOVE-HATE relationship.

Charles, Edinboro

But the next weekend they bounce up in town and its all smiles and kisses. They promise to give it another try.

The relationship between West Indies cricket and us fans is just

Hotels and restaurants usually require family members to be away from their families at crucial times when children need their attention. Consequently, adequate support services are needed. Traditionally these were

Time for action not talk

I WANT TO SAY from the outset that as far as West Indies cricket is concerned Dr. Kishore Shallow, President of Cricket West Indies, isn’t playing on the field so his resignation would not help to pull our cricket out of the dismal state in which it finds itself,

And while I hasten to take Dr. Shallow out of any direct blame for this, I hasten to add that the recent whitewashing by Australia in a T20 series, and the 2-1 loss to Pakistan, have much to do with the shake-up in captaincy of our T20 team; not to mention the fact that coach Darren Sammy has done nothing to improve our “fortunes”.

Just before the Australian whitewashing of our team we were ranked third among all countries. That, I must remind your readers, Mr. Editor, was when our team was captained by Rovman Powell. Powell was removed as captain, (Sammy must have had something to do with that) and we dropped to sixth position.

Shai Hope, and I like him a lot, is our best white ball batsman. That does not mean he is a great captain. And with the duties as best batsman, wicket-keeper and captain to shoulder, it’s asking him too much. He is too proud to

back down so we suffer the consequences.

I am convinced given what I have seen and can gather from other developments, that Sammy is micromanaging the team. As head coach and sole selector he must feel this is the best way to get the most out of the players. I wonder if this approach didn’t have something to do with Powell being removed as captain. Was he removed because Sammy couldn’t control him?

If we don’t reduce Sammy’s responsibilities, if we don’t sack him altogether then he needs to ease up, stop hovering over the team like some vulture even when they are on the field, and allow the team to breathe.

Paul, Jamaica

provided by grandparents and other extended family but nowadays, it may be necessary for the service industries to take an interest in afterschool programmes and homework centers.

Productive engagement of children while the parents are at work should make for a more productive workforce. To this end, hotel and restaurants should be willing to support community libraries and homework centres. Adequate transportation should also be provided and the practice of workers spending more than one week away in hotels in the Grenadines should be discouraged. We cannot undervalue the quality time that parents need to spend with their children and strive to maximise this.

Anthony G. Stewart, PhD

PEOPLE ARE ASKING:

* WILL GOVERNMENT DECLAREthe real cost of organising and hosting the Emancipation Cricket Festival?

* How much of that cost went to the Barbadians to facilitate TV coverage?

* Will all the ‘bad’ roads in the St. Vincent and the Grenadines be repaired before elections?

* Are government vehicles allowed to park in areas designated as no parking areas and in places where they obstruct the regular flow of traffic?

* Are people asking this because they have seen police ignoring these infractions?

* Have the civil servants who have declared themselves candidates in the upcoming general elections and are campaigning applied for leave or resigned their posts?

* Are any of these people still receiving their salaries and benefits?

* Were media persons made to wait some two hours or more for the scheduled time for the Emancipation Cricket Festival press launching to be convened?

SVG advances in human development

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX (HDI)

EACH YEAR, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) publishes its Human Development Index (HDI) of 193 nations globally, as an assessment of their human development. The index encompasses the data relevant to the health, education, income, and living conditions in a given country, so as to provide a measure of human development which is comparable between countries over time. The data for the 2025 Report are from the year 2023.

On the basis of this measure by the HDI, SVG is doing well and is making remarkable progress despite the natural disasters and the adverse knock-on effects of the global political economy which have befallen our Small Island Developing State (SIDS). SVG is at the top end of the “High Level of Human Development” on the HDI, on the cusp of the “Very High Level of Human Development”.

Countries world-wide are assessed in four categories of Human DevelopmentSVG advances : Very High (ranked by country in 2025, from 1 to 74) with a score of 80 percent or above on the composite indicators of the HDI; High (ranked from 75 to 124); Medium (ranked from 125 to 167); and Low (ranked from 168 to 193).

SVG is ranked “High” with a score of 79.8, at number 76 in the country pecking order, just below the “Very High”. Further, SVG has advanced upwards by 11 places in the country rankings since the 2024 Report; only Guyana has moved up faster, by 33 places, with a ranking globally of 89. All other CARICOM member-states have fallen in the country rankings but Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Bahamas, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago remain in the “Very High” category, and all the other member-states of CARICOM, except Haiti, retain their status at the “High” level; Haiti is at the much lower end of the “Medium” level.

THE HDI LIST OF CARICOM COUNTRIES (2002 – 2025)

In 2002, SVG was listed on the High Level of Human Development with a global ranking of 91. In 2002, only Guyana (103) and Haiti (146) of the 14 member states of CARICOM were below SVG. In 2025, SVG is above eight CARICOM member-states (Grenada; Guyana; Dominica; St. Lucia; Suriname; Belize; Jamaica; and Haiti) and below five CARICOM memberstates (Antigua and Barbuda; St. Kitts and Nevis; Bahamas; Barbados; and Trinidad and Tobago).

Thus, between the 2002 and 2025 HDI Reports, SVG has moved, in the rankings, ahead of Belize, Dominica, St. Lucia, Suriname, Grenada, and Jamaica. It is important to note the year-to-year variations in rankings are

not in themselves of significance. What is critical is the trend in the movement of the scores and the rankings. In the case of SVG, its scores (“the values)” and its rankings are trending upwards; they are both moving in the desirable direction.

This upward movement for SVG is not an accident. It is as a direct result of the paradigm shift in the economy and the trajectory of social development, driven by the policies and programmes of the Unity Labour Party (ULP) government, in communion with the people!

THE HDI LIST OF 2025 FOR CELAC MEMBER-STATES

In the 33 member-states of the Community of States of Latin America and the Caribbean (CELAC), that is to say, all of the western hemisphere except the USA and Canada, only the five above-named CARICOM memberstates plus Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Panama, and Costa Rica are ranked higher than SVG in the 2025 HDI rankings. In other words, SVG is ranked higher than 22 other memberstates of CELAC, including large countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, and the Caribbean islandstate of the Dominican Republic. Truly, this is remarkable in all the circumstances.

Incidentally, none of the 54 memberstates of the African Union with 1.4 billion ranks above SVG. Mainland China ranks below SVG, too, in global HDI rankings.

THE TOP COUNTRIES IN HDI REPORT 2025

Countries globally with a score of 90 percent (or HDI Value of 0.90) across the composite indicators, number 37. Ranked number one is Iceland with a score of 97.2 percent (value of 0.972); ranked number 37, is Saudi Arabia with a score of 90 percent (value 0.90). In the first 37 countries, are 27 from Europe (including Britain); the other ten in the top 37: Australia (ranked 7th); Hong Kong (ranked 8th); Singapore (ranked 12th); the United Arab Emirates (ranked 15th); Canada (ranked 16th); New Zealand and the USA (ranked 17th); South Korea (ranked 20th); Japan (ranked 23rd); and Israel (ranked 27th). All of these 37 countries are regarded as “First World” countries. Of course, some other countries in the “Very High Level of Human Development” are generally considered “First World”, but not all of them are so regarded.

The future of SVG lies with the New Democratic Party

(Excerpts of Dr. Godwin Friday’s Presentation at a recently held Public Meeting in Marriaqua)

THIS ELECTION is not about the next five years. It is about the future of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. That is why it is so important that we get it right and why we are working so hard to encourage every person who wants to bring change in this country, to go forward and take the responsibility and make that change happen.

I know in this constituency we have had a hard time electorally over the past years. A lot of people voted for the other side. A lot of people in the last election voted for Jimmy. But I would say, the future is with Philip and the New Democratic Party, not with Jimmy and the ULP. So, for those of you who may have had that relationship in the past, and you may have good feelings towards the gentleman, the point of the matter is, the choice that you have to make is so important that you can’t put those things ahead of the future of your children and the future of your country.

The future of the country lies with the New Democratic Party, with myself, Dr. Friday as leader, and this fantastic team that we have put together to deliver for the people in this country. I saw someone earlier in the crowd tonight, and she said to me, ‘Friday, I see a lot of people here who you would characterize as Labour people. They supported the other party.’ But there’s nobody who is a Labour person or any other person. We are all Vincentians, and we are looking for an opportunity to make life better for all of us. The New Democratic Party is offering that opportunity.

Ask yourself, have we done better over the past 10 or 15 years? You cannot honestly answer that question and say yes because the country has gone backwards. The present administration has held the country back so you have a choice to make. I want to ask our supporters, those of you who have held firm in this constituency of Marriaqua against the odds, you have stayed the course I want you to embrace your brothers and sisters who may have voted elsewhere and who are now saying, ‘I want to make a change’. Embrace them. Tell them, come, let us work together so we can build a brighter future in St. Vincent and the Grenadines for all of us.

When we are in government… we are a government for everybody. That is the way I am made up. That is my nature. I am not going to change that for politics. I am looking out for everybody. But there is something that we need to make everyone in this country understand. The fundamental difference between us in the New Democratic Party and what we have seen over the years in the ULP.

The fundamental difference is

this, and you have the record to judge them on, is that we in the New Democratic Party, we are looking out for your interest. We are looking out for the ordinary person. I want to help people to put bread on their table, to put shoes on their children’s feet. I want when exam time comes, they could pay for the subjects. When they’re preparing for school, they don’t have to go and line up to a politician’s door and beg them as though they are beneath them. I want to have people to be able to provide for themselves like we used to; to have not just the desire and the will, but the means to provide for their families. As I said sometime ago, if your roof is leaking, you want to be able to fix it. You don’t have to go beg Friday or Major for a sheet of galvanize.

That is what I am striving to bring, to empower our people. I believe in every single Vincentian. I don’t believe I’m smarter and better than anybody else. Somebody says, if you’re in a room and you think you’re the smartest person, you’re in the wrong room. What you should do is surround yourself with people as smart as you, smarter than you so you can learn from them. They can help you to achieve things. That is what I believe I have done in the New Democratic Party. We have people here in Philip Jackson. We have people sitting on this stage, people who are elsewhere but doing the work of the party, who are very capable that I know that once we form government, I can say this is your ministry, go and get the job done. You don’t have to wait on me. That is the way we’re to go forward. It doesn’t matter who you are. One man cannot run this country and certainly you can’t run it forever. For the farmers, I want to say to you, in the New Democratic Party you have a party who believes in you. You have hope on the horizon. We are going to make sure that the farmers in this country have what they need to succeed.

I was talking to a farmer earlier today. He told me he lost nine sheep and goats. Somebody came and stole them. So, you go to the police and you get no redress. I asked. Is this the first time? ‘No, this is not the first time.’ I asked him, over the years, how many you lose? Like 10, 15, 20? He said, more than that. Over five years, he lost over 30 animals and no redress. We have to do something about that. We will have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to thieving of people’s, animals and crops. And the upholder is as bad as the thief and all will be held accountable.

The Path to Reconciliation (Pt

“Reconciliation is about forging and maintaining respectful relationships. There are no shortcuts.” — Justice Murray Sinclair (1951-2024), Canadian politician and Chairman of Canada’s Indian Residential Schools and Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

THERE ARE MANY EXAMPLES of situations where members of the society have gone out of their way to be kind and gentle to others. We are encouraged by the report of the 9-year-old boy in Toronto, Canada, who used his birthday money to prepare care packages with sandwiches, water, and socks for homeless people and his mom committing to accompanying him on the weekend to distribute these to the needy. We are heartened by the 17-year-old student in rural Kenya, East Africa, who built a water-purifying system using scrap materials and local knowledge to help his drought-stricken community. His selfless efforts have resulted in 200 rural villages now having access to potable water. These examples remind us that there is still a lot of kindness, goodness and decency in the world.

However, there have been instances where some gross injustices and cruelty have been meted out to individuals and communities around the world. For example, the enslavement of Africans in the New World; the horrific and dehumanizing experiences of jews and the allied prisoners of war who had been severely tortured, maimed, and killed during the Holocaust; the Canadian atrocity related to the forceful removal of indigenous children from their homes; the dehumanizing experiences of blacks during the apatite regime in South Africa; the forceful removal of the Australian aboriginal children from their families; and the genocide in Rwanda, Africa, are but a few instances in our history that capture man’s inhumanity to their fellow man. However, although these atrocities have reaped havoc in their respective communities, healing can take place through reconciliation.

Reconciliation is often a painful, long, and complex journey that is rooted in the need for mutual respect, understanding, and healing. Foundational to this effort is the acknowledgement that injustices were done and that there is need for a collaborative effort to create and sustain equity. Because of the “emotional complexity” involved, it can be expected that peace and justice will often be punctuated by some degree of emotional trauma and outbursts between those who would have benefited from the gruesome injustice and those who were victims. Social activists in South Africa, Rwanda, Australia, the United States of America, and Canada have been at the forefront of seeking reconciliation between Indigenous peoples and settler communities for a number of years. Historic records confirm that centuries of colonization, forced adaptation, and cultural elimination have left deep social and emotional wounds. Reconciliation in these contexts must therefore not be perceived as cosmetic; it demands meaningful actions that recognize Indigenous sovereignty, the restoration of land and other rights, and policies and mechanisms the restore and support language and culture. In the case of language and culture, history chronicles that many of the colonial rulers sought to rid the oppressed of any cultural icons that reminded them of their homeland or fostered unity. It was strategic to rid them of familiar practices, destroy their dignity, and convince them that they were an inferior people.

While it is impossible to eradicate the past evils that were done to a people, acts of reconciliation, as painful as they may be, provide an opportunity for the

1 of 2)

victims and victimisers to forge the possibility of a more harmonious existence. In this case, truth-telling is a critical first step. In the case of the Canadian experiences related to the forceful removal of indigenous children from their homes, the Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) played a major role in facilitating the ventilation of years of suffering through the residential school system. The commission revealed that Canadian indigenous children were forcibly removed from their homes commencing in the 1830s and the practice intensified following the Indian Act of 1876. The focus had been to have government agents or the police remove these children from their families, language, and culture in an effort to have them assimilated into the Euro-Canadian society.

Similar situations emerged in Australia in the 1800s as successive federal governments passed and implemented laws to forcibly remove Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island children. The removals intensified in the early 1900s through to the 1960s. The government and church missions sought to justify their actions by claiming that assimilating these children into whitesociety, sometimes without parental consent, was in their best interest. These children are now known as the Stolen Generations. The Australian Bringing Them Home Report (1997) chronicled the many injustices and human rights violations that had been meted out to the Stolen Generations and in 2008 Prime Minister Kevin Rudd issued a formal apology to the indigenous people of Australia. He noted, “We apologize for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.” Such admissions go a long way to creating and sustaining the path to reconciliation — opening the door to authentic dialogue and healing.

The brutal South African apartheid regime lasted from 1948 to 1994.

Following the dismantling of this system of institutional racial segregation and oppression President Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu championed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Commencing in 1995, the TRC sought to uncover the truth about the human rights violations committed during that era, and to offer amnesty to perpetrators in exchange for full disclosure. This provided a platform for victims to tell their story, and to promote national unity and forgiveness rather than to seek retribution. The verdict is still out in relation to whether the TRC lived up to the societal expectations in relation to equity and reconciliation.

In a subsequent article, we will consider the attempts at reconciliation surrounding the holocaust (1941-1945) of the second world war and the wanton evils surrounding the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, East Africa.

Each of these examples shows that reconciliation requires truth-telling, cultural recognition, accountability, and systemic change in the quest for healing and justice.

Emancipation celebration across the region

‘Hide nothing from the people. Tell no lies. Expose lies whenever they are told. Mask no difficulties, mistakes or failures and most of all claim no easy victories.’ Amilcar Cabral, the revolutionary leader from Guennea Bissau assassinated by French agents in 1973.

IN AUGUST 1834 when the Emancipation proclamation was issued, there were an estimated 22,786 enslaved Africans in St Vincent. 757 compensation claims were made, and 759,300 pounds were paid to the colonial enslavers. Our ancestors whose toil created millions of pounds did not get a single cent. A clear reminder that freedom ain’t free. Because of the heroic resistance of our ancestors, St Vincent and the Grenadines experienced the shortest period of slavery (1997 to 1838) in the English speaking Caribbean.

Scholars have estimated that, in addition to the 20 million pounds in compensation to the slave holding class for the freedom granted to the enslaved, those four years of free labour, termed apprenticeship (1834 to 1838) generated another 27 million pounds across the region.

Our people must understand as well that the brutal enslavement of our forebears did not end with emancipation. The British continued their colonial conquest, domination and exploitation of our island for a further 141 years until independence in 1979.

During this sordid period, our people were taught to hate themselves, to reject their Africanness and to look up to Europeans for notions of ethics and morals, beauty and culture.

It is this history, this trail of torture and tears, this story of resilience and accomplishment against the odds that emancipation day celebrations are supposed to memorialise and commemorate. It is the moment we take stock of from whence we came and commit to remembering not to forget.

And so it has been for many years with marches and demonstrations, lectures and cultural events with drumming and dancing, poetry and conscious raising speeches. All of this is slowly receding now. Glitz and glamour, jive and laughter have taken centre stage. Reflection and remembrance have given way to power lust and wastage of scarce national resources.

The only meaningful Emancipation celebration in our country this year was the annual July 31 to August 1 Wake at Diamond, Daniel Cummings’ Emancipation day celebration on August 1 at Kingstown and another small event in Georgetown. All of these events featured lectures on slavery, history, emancipation and reparations.

Contrast those consciousness-raising emancipation events with Gonsalves’ back-of-the-envelope $750,000 cricket extravaganza. Remove the prop, moscat-like appearance of some of the heroes/champions of the 1975 Cricket World Cup - Lloyd, Greenidge, Kallicharran, Collis King, and Deryk Murray - away from the spectacle, and Gonsalves’ will be exposed for the political grifter he is. Notably absent from the four-day profligate folly at Arnos Vale was the iconic Vivian Richards, universally regarded as the best and most destructive batsman of his era.

We can hope only that Richards’ absence was much more than a scheduling conflict and was more fittingly in the same tradition in which he rejected the bland cheque offer from Ali Bacher, the Apartheid South African cricket administrator who tried to lure him to play in racist South Africa.

We know that Gonsalves has a silver tongue. Still, one cannot help but wonder why the legendary Clive Lloyd, Gordon Greenidge, et al jumped at Gonsalves’ short notice to honour them in a situation where Cricket West

Indies officials were conspicuously absent.

Kallicharran, we know, bit into the apartheid dollar bait and journeyed to South Africa as an ‘honorary white’, earning for himself a life ban from ever playing again for the West Indies team. But Lloyd! Greenidge! Ah well, clear signs that conscious fervour that drove us to dominate world cricket has evaporated. Contrast what happened here to events in the sister isles across the region. From Jamaica to Guyana, meaningful events were held to mark this significant date in world history.

Across Jamaica, the government lent its support and state resources to a multiplicity of events intended to remind, reflect and celebrate the Jamaican reality.

Among the events were: Emancipation Jubilee that featured performances that blend the influences of Taino, African, Spanish, and English cultures, showcasing music, dance, and art.

Cultural Exhibitions: The Independence Village, established at the National Stadium Complex, showcased Jamaican creativity through cuisine, art, and concerts from August 2 to 6.

Speeches and Reflections: National leaders delivered speeches emphasizing the importance of unity and the need to honor the legacy of those who fought for freedom.

In Antigua, with full government support, the Antigua and Barbuda Reparations Support Commission led the celebrations with:

Africa Dress Day: A national call to wear African-inspired attire on July 25, 2025.

Emancipation Sunday: A day of collective worship and reflection on July 27, 2025.

Uhuru Spiritual Awaken: A digital production showcasing spoken word, African fashion, music, and dance on July 28, 2025.

17th Annual Watchnight Gathering: A cultural and spiritual tradition at the Botanical Gardens on July 31, 2025, featuring music, libations, drumming, and performances.

During the Emancipation celebration in Trinidad and Tobago, PM Kamla Persad Bessesar unveiled her country’s reparations plan aimed at deepening cultural recognition, economic empowerment, and reparatory justice for the descendants of enslaved Africans.

PM Persad Bessesar pledged to reempower the National Reparations Committee noting that ‘This is a lawful debt, forged in centuries of unpaid labour and stolen futures. I commit every ounce of political capital to move reparations from aspiration to achievement–so the next generation inherits not just the memory of freedom but the means to flourish in its fullness.’

Persad-Bissessar called for collective mobilisation across village councils, civil society networks, Caricom, and the Commonwealth until ‘former empires pay their moral debt.’

While government and civil society leaders across the region were instilling cultural and raising African consciousness, at home, our government chose to turn the emancipation celebration into a divisive, expensive and political congame directed at an audacious black son of the soil.

All patriotic Vincentians should reject and condemn Gonsalves and his clansmen, and demand a complete and transparent accounting of every cent spent to hold his cricket festival, which had more to do with state capture than with emancipation.

„Doh Vote fo me‰ - Part 2

I’m expecting that this will be a most controversial piece, so I have donned both flak jacket and helmet to fend off the anticipated barrage of comments, both positive and negative. Yet, I welcome it, we welcome it.

Any new private or government housing project(s) will be totally off the national electricity grid. Private persons will be given duty free concessions to encourage them to invest in renewable energy devices. The cost of fuel is not going to fall, and with the availability of multiple sources of ‘free’ energy, fossil fuels will end up as the name suggests, things of the past, as we harness nuclear and other safe forms of ‘free energy’ like magnetic inductance. So don’t vote for me, OK.

In Education, I fully endorse and will continue to support teaching the Garifuna language, beginning at pre-school. It is part of our history/heritage that

was lost and almost erased had not our sisters and brothers in exile kept the flame of our language burning. For this we salute our Garinagu. Most Caribbean countries are bilingual. There is absolutely nothing wrong with us reconnecting with an essential part of our culture and history. We will retain English as the official language but like St. Lucia - English and Kwéyòl, Martinique - French and Kreyòl , Aruba and CuracaoDutch and Papiamento, we in Youlou/Yurumein will be English and Garifuna. And for this I will need your Vote! Check UNESCO website for more on the Garifuna language.

Creation day. We celebrate all forms of historical dates as Holy Days which have been changed to ‘holidays’ suggesting relaxation, a break from work and merriment. So we enjoy Christmas and the accompanying Nine Mornings, and party near-nude and have real bacchanal for Vincymas. After all, we have a reputation for not partying normal, for which I don’t have an issue, once you don’t violate another party goer under the pretext of having ‘one too much’. We strongly condemn extreme immodesty and violent behaviour. From my research I have not come across any country on this planet that has ‘Earth Day’ or “Creation Day” as a holiday, or in my/our opinion, a Holy Day.

Earth/Creation Day must be a day void of economic activity. A day: to reflect on the Goodness and Greatness of our Holy Creator of all things; give thanks in a pure and undefiled manner, naked as we were born, like Adam and Eve …. not adam and steve nor eve and evelyn ! A day when we purify our minds and forget about sexual activities just for one day. If the Almighty did not create us, we would not be in this reality, therefore, it is only fitting that we reverence

that day by keeping it Holy in a natural way.

During all the other holidays we revel, over indulging in everything from food to sex and everything else between, so why can’t we for one day, just free up ourselves, our minds, our bodies, our thoughts and enjoy and be part of nature. Hiking, bathing under waterfalls and in steams/rivers, swimming in our beaches on our 32 islands and cays … stone naked ! Yes. A day when we put a pause on lustful feelings and just enjoy the natural beauty, and reflect how it was when Adam beheld Eve for the very first time … a no CRIME day. But if anyone is guilty of any sexual crime or assault on that day, they will be put away indefinitely! Sounds like a crazy idea, but it isn’t, if everyone has control over their emotions … just for ONE day! The tourism potential for this Holy Day will obviously have to be controlled. So for this Holy Day … u votin fo me ?

When it comes to national awards, collectively we have failed to recognize some of our best daughters and sons, especially in the fields of education, health, commerce, sports, the cultural arts and agriculture. There’s nothing wrong in having a Chatoyer Awards for Music, Maritime Services, Academic Excellence, Agriculture, Legal Services, the list can go on. It is time we stop the talk, make these awards a reality and give ‘Scrapie’, ‘Nzimbu’ and ‘Blondie Bird’ the Chatoyer Award for Excellence in Indigenous Craftmanship and Culture. And I’m sure we will get everyone’s vote for this.

I have given enough food for thought as well as creating serious but hilarious discussions for these provocative suggestions and ideas, so with that I urge you to look forward to “Doh Vote fo Me” Part 3. Until then, enjoy the debate and peaceful discussion. Contributed by DONALD

WI Cricket Legends offer advice

five, they are gone, so you are digging a hole to fill a hole”, Lloyd continued.

Finding corrective measures – More Lloyd

Lloyd believes that structured ways must be employed to combat the steady decline.

“We have to find out why our players don’t want to play for the West Indies. It is difficult if your manager tells you that you can make $4 million in a year and you don’t have to play for your country. It is difficult being island people”, Lloyd advanced.

THE FLAGGING FORTUNES of West Indies Cricket continue to irk cricketers who have walked the pathway of success, but who now endure having to witness the denigration of the sport, that offered Caribbean people hope and joy.

The trio of Sir Andy Roberts, Sir Clive Lloyd and Deryck Murray, who are bestowed with legendary status, were part of a Round Table Talk, last Saturday, August 2, 2025, at the Beachcombers Hotel’s Conference Room.

It was an opportunity for the three to give varied but frank opinions of the current state of West Indies Cricket.

Learn to play the sport – Roberts

Roberts believe that players of today are not properly equipped to play the sport other than to chase after the

monetary gains that accrue from playing in the plethora of T/20 leagues across the world.

“First of all you must learn to play Cricket, but the youngsters today learn to check the bank before they learn to play Cricket, and the better players are the ones who will make the most money”, Roberts mused.

Roberts, once a feared fast bowler added, “Go and learn the art of batsmanship; learn the art of bowling

and then you can run behind the dollar. You can’t run behind the dollar if you can’t maintain a place in the team”.

Living with an exodusLloyd

In a similar vein, Lloyd, who captained the West Indies to back to back World Cup titles in 1975 and 1979, proffered that systems were not put in place that fostered continuity of the halcyon days of West Indies Cricket.

“We didn’t prepare for the future. We didn’t inject any of the senior players. We didn’t include our ex-players long enough in coaching. I think that’s what we needed”, Lloyd related.

He echoed Roberts’ view that players were now being lured by lucrative contracts, which was affecting the quality of the West Indies’ performance in the longest format, test Cricket.

“We now have the situation where our good young players are going elsewhere. If we groomed twenty players and we lose five, it then takes three years to groom (another five) into test Cricket. So if we lose

The 80-year-old Lloyd called for a conversation with the players.

“Somebody has to speak to these players to say that you can still earn a fair amount of money or we have to get an injection of cash somewhere to keep our players because what we are doing is exposing these young players to situations they are not accustomed to”, Lloyd contended.

Extending his argument, Lloyd joined with Roberts agreeing that in the main, West Indies players of today are not adequately prepared for international Cricket.

“We are asking them to do a lot and they don’t have the equipment, but they can be better if we get our senior players speaking to them, and (the players) asking how to go about things. The longer game helps the shorter game; people don’t realise that T/20 is an exhibition; Test Cricket is an examination”, Lloyd said.

Signing the death certificate –Murray

Meanwhile, Murray, a former wicketkeeper, looking back at the dominance of the West Indies in the 1980s to the mid-1990s, pointed to some institutional failures that have exacerbated the subsequent decline. There will be no upward mobility “Until we have the collective will at the highest level in our society to dismantle West Indies Cricket Incorporated, however that is, and replace it with what is best for West Indies Cricket”, Murray echoed forcefully.

Painting a glum state of Cricket in the region, Murray said that West Indies’ dismissal for 27 in the third Test in Jamaica versus Australia, July 14, 2025, did not come as any surprise to him.

“I have to confess that was always on the cards. Twenty-seven is not rock bottom; we will continue to decline until 2028 when we are supposed to celebrate one hundred years of triumph of West Indies Cricket. We may well be signing the death certificate”, Murray bemoaned. Roberts, Lloyd and Murray were among six players from the 1975 West Indies World Cup winning team who were here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, for a special recognition of their feat.

The others were Sir Gordon Greenidge, Alvin Kallicharan and Collis King.

From left: Sir Andy Roberts, Sir Clive Lloyd, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and Deryck Murray at the Round table Talk.

Right: This speaks to the attractions that have lured key West Indian players away from a sense of commitment to the West indies structure. (Source: Cricnation)

Diaspora V

ÂChangesÊ for NY Carnival

Story and photos by

NELSON A. KING

US CORRESPONDENT naking@verizon.net

THE VINCENTIAN-OWNED MAS BAND Mas Productions Unlimited is making ‘Changes’ for this year’s West IndianAmerican Day Carnival in New York,

saying that the production is based on several “changes that come with the seasonal changes, not just the changes in weather.”

Band leader Wesley Millington, a veteran Vincentian-mas producer in Brooklyn, New York, who hails from Sion Hill, told THE VINCENTIAN that ‘Changes’, a Junior Band,

comprises four sections: ‘Winter’, ‘Spring’, ‘Summer’ and ‘Fall’.

He said each section comprises 15 masqueraders, however, “We have no restrictions on the participants,” said Millington, who is also a designer of home-based mas band SVG Players International.

“We get members from various origins,” he added.

“As a former child masquerader, I know the importance of introducing children to the art form,” Millington shared.

“Kiddies Carnival is literally the future of all carnivals. Our primary focus is to make sure the kids have fun.

“All preparations are on course,” continued Millington, stating that masquerades will sway to the beats of DJ M1.

Trinidadian Gail Mathis, who, four years ago, began collaborating with the Brooklyn-based Mas Productions Unlimited, said, over the years, she has been bringing her grandchildren to play mas with the band.

“It’s nice to support,” the Bedford-

Stuyvesant, Brooklyn resident told THE VINCENTIAN. “I believe what they’re (Mas Productions Unlimited) doing is family tradition.

“I want them (grandchildren) to know where they came from, so they’ll know where they’re going,” added Mathis, disclosing that two of her grandkids — Aubrey Pinder-Mathis, 11, and John Mathis-McClarin, 10 — as well as their cousin, Aalayah Richardson, 14, will be playing with Mas Productions Unlimited this year.

Aubrey will be portraying ‘Winter’, John will play ‘Fall’, and Aalayah will portray ‘Spring’.

“It’s interesting to see what he (Wesley Millington) comes up with,” Mathis continued.

Last year, Millington recalled, Mas Productions Unlimited portrayed ‘Chromatic Kingdom’, also a foursection band, with 20-25 children masqueraders in each section.

Mas Productions Unlimited Millington mas band was founded in 1992 by a group of “expatriate Vincentians with the primary purpose of returning a Vincentian presence to the Labor Day Carnival,” Millington explained.

The band is currently funded by the contributions from members and supporters.

The mas camp is located at 1504 Remsen Ave. in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn.

Aubrey Pinder-Mathis portrays ‘Winter’

Aalayah Richardson portrays ‘Spring’ John Mathis-McClarin portrays ‘Fall

US denies interference in Guyana elections

THE UNITED STATEShas firmly denied accusations that it is attempting to influence the outcome of Guyana’s upcoming general and regional elections, scheduled for September 1. The clarification comes amid ongoing controversy surrounding the candidacy of billionaire businessman Azruddin Mohamed, leader of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party. -

Mohamed is one of four presidential contenders, alongside incumbent President Irfaan Ali of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Aubrey Norton of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), and Nigel Hughes of the Alliance for Change (AFC).

In June 2024, Mohamed was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for allegedly evading over US$50 million in taxes owed to the Guyanese government.

In response to criticisms that Washington is targeting Mohamed to influence the elections, U.S. Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot told reporters that the U.S. has “absolutely no interest in interfering” in the electoral process.

“I have no interest or intention of interfering in the government of Guyana’s elections. This is a sovereign country. You run your elections as you see fit,” Theriot said. “I was asked the question, I gave the facts, as I understand them as they are published on our Department of Treasury website.”

She added that her previous comments regarding the implications of electing an OFAC-sanctioned individual were factual, not political. “When you see an OFAC-sanctioned individual become an official within a government, it sends concerns through the private sector in the United States. They sometimes look to de-risk or to even cut ties with the country.”

Mohamed, for his part, has dismissed the sanctions as politically motivated and reiterated that his candidacy reflects the will of the Guyanese people.

Since entering politics, several commercial banks in Guyana have closed the accounts of individuals associated with Mohamed’s WIN party.

President Ali has acknowledged the issue, stating recently that

“more young people will receive letters of closures of their accounts from other banks,” but denied any government involvement.

Ambassador Theriot also distanced the U.S. from the actions taken by local banks. “The decision by the banks here was entirely independent. We were not consulted, we were not asked. The OFAC sanctions are for the U.S. They pertain solely to what happens in the United States and business being done in the United States.”

She noted that while local banks may have communicated with their U.S. correspondent institutions, “we have no opinion on the matter. Banks here make their own decisions.”

The U.S. Embassy confirmed that Washington has been assisting Guyana with election preparations at the request of the government, but stressed that this support does not equate to interference.

(CaribbeanNationalWeekly.com)

Right: Nicole Theriot, U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, told the media that the US has no interest in interfering in Guyana’s elections.

Left: Azruddin Mohamed, a Presidential candidate in Guyana’s election, has been sanctioned by the US government for tax evasion.

President Irfaan Ali has indicated that more persons, said to have connections to Azruddin Mohamed will have their bank accounts closed.

CED Workshop for MSMEÊs coming

In addition to the guidance the Workshop will offer, it is a good opportunity for networking.

THE CENTRE FOR ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT Inc. (CED) is inviting Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to participate in its Business Continuity Planning (BCP) for MSMEs Workshop scheduled for September.

The training aims to help thirty (30) MSMEs develop their own Business Continuity Plans (BCP), ensuring that they are well-prepared to respond effectively to unforeseen disruptions — whether it be natural disasters, economic challenges, or other crises. It is scheduled to take place 9-11 September,

at the UWI Global Campus, Kingstown, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The workshop will provide participants with the tools, knowledge, and practical steps needed to safeguard their operations and ensure business resilience in times of uncertainty. It is designed to help participants to equip their businesses with a robust plan to minimize disruptions and safeguard operations, strengthen their businesses’ ability to quickly recover and adapt to unforeseen challenges, and help them gain practical knowledge on risk management and business resilience that can be applied directly to your operations.

According to the CED, this BCP training is timely and necessary, especially after the experiences and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the La Soufriere volcanic eruptions in 2021, and Hurricane Beryl last year.

“If there is anything that we have learned over the

past five years, and now that we are into yet another active hurricane season, it is that it is critical for MSMEs to have a plan in place to manage their continuity in the event of any disruption,” says CED Training and Education Coordinator, Keisha Phillips. “However, Business Continuity Management or Planning is more than just “disaster recovery”; it is about preventing loss, and preparing for disruptive incidents that may cripple your operations for a period of time, or ruin your ability to function.”

Keisha Phillips, CED Training and Education Coordinator, says the CED is committed to impressing the importance of Business Continuity Planning on MSMEs).

“A Business Continuity Plan can help businesses when faced with such kind of disruptions, and the CED is offering this opportunity to empower MSME owners and their staff in getting in- depth understanding of the importance of Business Continuity Planning and the need to develop a plan for their businesses. We wish to urge businesses to take this training opportunity.”

Registration for this workshop closes on 20 August. Interested persons can register at: http://bit.ly/4m7v0vg. (Submitted by CED)

SVG advances in human development

Continued from Page 10.

FIRST WORLD STATUS

The term “First World Status” has come to connotate an industrialised or developed country. Such countries are characterised by high per capita incomes; low levels of poverty and indigence; low mortality rates; high level of longevity of persons; high rates of literacy and education; very high levels of the Human Development Index; accessible quality health care and housing; advanced applied science and technology; quality delivery of water, electricity, solid waste, and telecommunication services; excellent means of modern transportation; developed sporting and cultural facilities; good governance, including public safety and security; low levels of official corruption; participatory democracy; and the enjoyment of protected individual rights and freedoms.

Hitherto, in the midst of the Cold War, the nomenclature in relation to “first”, “second” and “third” worlds were loaded with ideological baggage.

FIRST WORLD STATUS FOR SVG

SVG already enjoys the political, good governance, liberty dimensions of a country with a “first world status”. It is to be noted that reputable international agencies rate SVG very high on good governance, civil and political liberties, and relatively low levels of official corruption. Freedom House and Transparency International have addressed these respective issues favourably for SVG! The World Bank, the Commonwealth, and the United Nations repeatedly commend SVG on these governance criteria. These are already lived realities in SVG.

At the same time, SVG, over the past 25 years or so, has laid the transformational foundation, and built up much of the sustainable structures and facilities for “first world status” in the areas of the economic;

technological; educational; health and wellness; housing; sports; public utilities (water, sanitation, electricity, telecoms); modern transformation; and generally a high level of human development including growing levels of average incomes, employment, social protection, and poverty reduction. However, in each of these areas, and other “first world” characterisations, more is needed to be done. But, a “first world status” is achievable for SVG within 20 years or so. That is the next goal of the ULP government: To build a “first world country” in the tropics, in a further advanced Caribbean civilisation, with inclusivity, equality, safety and security, a very high level of human development, and in prosperity. It is doable. This is a challenge for our young people to take up.

UNDENIABLE FACT OF HUGE PROGRESS IN SVG

It is an undeniable fact that there has been huge progress on all material fronts in SVG since 2001; such progress is ongoing and will continue under the ULP.

At first the NDP’s chorus was “nothing ah gwan in SVG”. The facts on the ground show the NDP’s chant to be a dangerous, vulgar lie. So, some of them have now twisted their lying tongue by asserting, falsely, that although there has been considerable infrastructure development, there has been no “human development”. Well, the UNDP has provided the evidence to show that there has been impressive human development in SVG. Moreover, the massive progress achieved is before our very eyes in Education, Health, Housing, Sports, Water, Electricity, Telecommunications, Social Protection, Salaries and Wages, Markedly Improved Living Conditions, Jobs, Conditions of Work, and the like, constitutes the pith and substance of human development.

Labour has been, and is, working for all! Next stage: First World Status for SVG!

Leisure

ARIES (Mar. 21- April 20)

Things will be emotional with your mate. Plan your day thoughtfully, but try not to rely on others. You can make some favorable changes to your looks. Don't fall for damaging rumors, and refuse to get involved in gossip.

TAURUS (Apr. 21- May 21)

Take your time; do not make any decisions in haste. Time to deal with institutional environments, government agencies, and matters of a private nature this week. Your outgoing nature might work against you this week. Good friends will give you honest answers.

GEMINI (May 22-June 21)

Use your inventiveness to find solutions. You can bet that you'll draw attention to yourself. Finish off old projects before starting something new. Don't put all your cash in one place.

CANCER (June 22-July 22)

Only bite off what you can chew. Any attractions toward clients will be one sided and must be put right out of your head. Younger relatives may seek your advice. this week will be rather hectic on the domestic scene.

LEO (July 23-Aug 22)

Take the time to help those less fortunate. Don't exaggerate. You need to get down to basics with regard to yourself. Think twice before you say something you might regret later.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23)

Concentrate on your job. You must try to lay your cards on the table. Talk to your mate and tell them how you feel. Exaggeration or deception coupled with overindulgence might be a problem. Don't let your partner start any arguments. Passion should be redirected positively.

LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23)

Listen, but don't make any rash

decisions. Be sure to spend time helping children with projects that are too difficult for them to accomplish alone. Be tactful if you see flaws in someone else's work. Your mate may be distressed if you refuse to make a commitment.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22)

You will be full of energy and you need to find something constructive to do. Your mate, however, may not be too pleased with you. Get down to business. Be careful when dealing with female members of your family. Delays are evident.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21)

Family responsibilities are mounting. You mustn't give too much to your children. Take time to catch up on overdue correspondence. Don't let your lover put demands on you.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22.- Jan. 20)

Your high energy will enable you to take the role of leader in group functions. Opportunities for financial gains through investments and games of chance are likely. Social get-together will bring you in contact with intelligent new friends. Trips will be more than adventurous.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21.- Feb. 19)

Real estate and joint financial ventures will be profitable. Get domestic chores out of the way early. You will find that you are able to clear up a number of small but important details. You need to concentrate on your business ventures more than on your relationship this week.

PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20)

Rethink your motives and make the necessary changes to yourself. A series of misunderstandings may be at fault. Payoff all your debts before you go out and celebrate. Your input into their activities will help bring you closer together.

ACROSS

1. Half (prefix)

5. Question’s opposite (abbr.)

8. Gave the signal

12. Asterick

13. Janitorial tool

14. Norway’s capital

15. Caesar’s wear

16. Timetable abbr.

17. Arrived

18. SSW’s opp. 20. Request (2 wds.)

22. Soldier’s address (abbr.)

24. Excellent

27. Reaction to an IM joke

28. Ostrich-like bird

29. Biblical mountain

33. 2002, to Brutus

35. Rainy mo.

37. Be declined

38. Reaches

40. Water chiller

42. Solidify

43. Country estates

45. Astonish

51. Milky Stone 52. Feathered scarf

55. _ colada (cocktail)

58. “_ Griffin’s Crosswords” 59. New York time (abbr.) 60. Daredevil Knievel

61. Writer Gardner

62. Summer zodiac sign 63. FDR’s New DOWN

1. FDR’s successor 2. DDE’s military arena

3. The _ State (Mississippi) 4. Teheran’s country

5. Doctors’ gp.

6. Likewise not 7. Lean eater Jack 8. Pilot’s “office” 9. Flying milit. branch 10. Ticklish

46. South _ (The Coyote State) 49. Drunkard

Muppet 11. Active one 19. Paris summer 21. Distress call 22. Charity 23. Brilliant display 25. “_ Loser” (2 wds.) 26. Scholar 30. Pessimistic 31. Over again 32. Like a loafer 34. Include 36. Magnavox rival 39. Preside 41. 19th letter 44. Can marker

46. Capitol feature 47. Copycat 48. Marx or Malden 50. Page for viewpoints

(hyph)

53. Romantic poem

54. From _ Z (2 wds.)

56. Teacher gp.

57. _ Saints’ Day

Get your priorities straight

Dear George,

I AM A 14 YEAR OLDsecondary school student, who looks older than my age and as a result a lot of men are attracted to me.  There is this one man, 38 years old who doesn’t look more that 20, in whom I’m interested. He has been nice to me… pays all my school fees and provides other things that I need.  My parents do not know about him and they still think I am a virgin.  I plan to get married to this man as soon as I’m old enough. He tells me I make him happy and I am everything he ever wanted in a woman. My question to you is when should I introduce him to my parents?

Deeply in Love

Dear Deeply in Love,

The question you should be asking is when you are going to put your education at the top of your list of priorities. You are just about to enter midstream in terms of your educational journey. Mixing this with ‘love’, sex and whatever else is not a good idea.

This man is just taking advantage of you and your inexperience. You are not ready for any of this and your education ought to be your one and only priority at this stage of your life. Wise up and get back in line before you self-destruct.

George

Wrong road ahead

Dear George,

MY DAUGHTERis dating this clean looking guy but I know he is dabbling in drugs. He works nowhere, owns a very nice car and house, and wears only brand name clothing. When I asked my daughter where he works, she said, “From home.” I have not told her what I know about him for fear she might tell him and as a result get on his wrong side. It is not my wish for my daughter to get mixed up with drug people but how do I get her to see

what is ahead for her?

My daughter has always been a good child who was taught right from wrong and I know she would not knowingly choose a drug dealer for a partner, but I also know how gullible and naive she is.

Wanting to do Right

Dear Wanting to do Right,

While you cannot force your daughter to choose her partner, you owe it to her to advise her responsibly in relationship matters. Sit her down and have that

talk. She needs to be reminded that if it walks, quacks and looks like a duck it is a duck. If after advising her she insists on remaining in the relationship that would be on her. Part of your job as a parent is to provide guidance and you would have done that. Hopefully, she would ask more questions of her partner and based on the answers, decide how to proceed. At the end of the day, once she is old enough to do so she has to make her own decisions.

George

Abortion not for me

Dear George,

I HAVE BEEN SEXUALLY INVOLVED with two men on a regular basis now I am at a point where I am pregnant and unsure of who is responsible. From the looks of things, it appears that neither of them is too keen on accepting responsibility for the pregnancy. I did not see that one coming. Each of them is asking that I abort the pregnancy so that things could return to how they were before the pregnancy, making it harder for me to make a choice between them.

In Deep

Dear In Deep,

If any of the two men in question truly loves you, he would not hesitate to accept his role as a father. As you say clearly, neither is prepared to do so. That said, stick to your conviction and

I know neither of them is ready for a child but I do not believe in abortion. I want to bring my child! I’m so messed up right now!

follow through with the pregnancy. Aborting the pregnancy for the convenience of another is not the way to go. Should you need support during this critical period, I suggest you contact The Marion House. Someone would be able to sit with you and discuss the way forward.

George

SVG last in WISG, AGAIN!!!

Cops 6 MVP Awards

FOR THE THIRD STRAIGHT convening of the Canadian Bank Note/ Winlott Inc. Windward Islands Schools’ Games (WISG), St. Vincent and the Grenadines finished last in the fourcountry multi-sport event. When the 2025 edition concluded last Saturday, August 2, host St. Vincent and the Grenadines finished with the least number of points- 19, thus replicating its 2019 and 2023 final positions.

The host’s tally was attained primarily from first places in Football and Netball, for otherwise they finished last in Male and Female

Volleyball, Male and Female Basketball and Track and Field.

Seven points were awarded for an overall first place for each discipline; five points for second, three points for third and one point for fourth or last place.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines played unbeaten in both Football and Netball.

The Football outfit defeated Dominica and St. Lucia by 2-1 margins and drew 0-0 with Grenada.

The St. Vincent and the Grenadines girls outdid Dominica 47-21, saw off Grenada 32-28 and whipped St. Lucia, 49-12.

In Male Volleyball, St. Vincent and the Grenadines was beaten by Dominica 3-0; Grenada 3-2 and St. Lucia, 2-1; and in the Female category lost to Dominica and Grenada by 3-0 margins and to St. Lucia, 2-3.

The Female Basketballers were trounced 77-26 by Dominica, 54-30 by Grenada and 69-30 by St. Lucia. It was a similar fate for the males, with the host going down 106-34 to Dominica, 93-44 to Grenada and 113-35 to St. Lucia.

In Track and Field, St. Vincent and the Grenadines totaled 207

points. Grenada led the standings on 317 points. St. Lucia was second on 220 points and Dominicathird on 215 points.

Overall and Other Results

Grenada champed the overall title with 39 points, with Dominica second on 29 points and St. Lucia- third with 23 points.

In addition to Track and Field, Grenada emerged champions in Female Volleyball and Male Basketball.

The Spice Isle placed second in Netball, Football and Female Basketball, and took third place in Male

Volleyball.

Grenada also copped Track and Field’s top performers in by Shaquan Toussaint and Annalisa Brown.

Second place Dominica took Female Basketball and Male Volleyball and third places in Netball, Football, Female Basketball and Track and Field.

St. Lucia was second in Male Basketball, Track and Field and Male Volleyball, and attained third places in Female Basketball and Female Volleyball and last places in Football and Netball.

St. Lucia was adjudged the Most Disciplined unit.

SVG’s Most Valuable Personnel

Despite trailing the other three countries, St. Vincent and the Grenadines produced some standouts, copping the MVP awards as follows: Lazaro Lynch — Football; Jueneka Quow — Netball; Damari Frederick - Male Volleyball; Maxianna Dublin - Female Volleyball; Jemari RossMale Basketball and Kesiann John - Female Basketball.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines last won the WISG in 2010. The 2026 edition of the WISG is set for St. Lucia.

Another chess accolade for Vedant

VEDANT SHETTY has done himself and this country proud.

The nine-year-old placed third in the Under-10 Absolute Rapid Tournament category at the recently concluded 35th Pan American Youth Chess Championship, held in Peru from July 27 to 3rd August 2025, claiming for St. Vincent and the Grenadines a first podium place ever at this prestigious Championship.

The youngster competed in a Championship that brought together top young chess talents from across the globe.

Vedant’s most recent accolade comes on the heels of victory, i.e. first place, in the XIX Central America and Caribbean Youth Chess Festival 2024 in the Under8 category.

In a release following Vedant’s recent accomplishment, the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Chess Federation (SVGCF), in congratulating Vedant, described his performance as showcasing “not only his strategic strength and dedication to the game, but also his ability to compete among the best young players. This

impressive finish highlights the rising talent within our youth chess community.”

The Federation said that it continues its drive to bring more children into active participation in the sport as part of a grassroots development programme, as per the hosting of if its first ever Youth Chess Summer Programme, presently ongoing at the St. Vincent Grammar School.

(See related story on Page 25.)

THE VINCENTIAN joins with the local chess fraternity and all well-wishers in congratulating Vedant Shetty on his recent outstanding achievement and wishes him continued

and success in the sport.

growth

Damari Frederick - MVP Male Volleyball

Jemari Ross – MVP Male Basketball

Jueneka Quow – MVP Netball

Lazaro Lynch – MVP Football

Kesiann John – MVP Female Basketball

Maxianna Dublin – MVP Female Volleyball

As overwhelming as the Pan American Youth Chess Championship is, Vedant Shetty remained undaunted and came out shining.

Vedant Shetty proudly displays the SVG flag as he takes his place on the podium.

St. Lucia takers WÊwards 50 Overs title

ST. LUCIA ARE THE NEW CHAMPIONSof 50 Overs cricket in the Windward Islands.

They took hold of the title when they tore apart the bowling attack, if you could call it that, of defending champions Dominica, at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground (DSCG) on Saturday, August 2, 2025, to win by the overwhelming margin of 180 runs.

The host, sent in to bat, amassed a record 427 for 9 in their 50 overs, powered by an Ackeem Auguste record feat and career best of 208 not out, blasted from 133 balls and including 12 fours and 14 sixes, compiled at a blazing strike rate of 156.4.

Noelle Leo was the next best batter with 70. Dominica’s best bowler was Gilon Tyson, 4 for 77.

In response, an already deflated Dominica were dismissed for 245 in 37 overs. Jerlani Robertson top scored with 75 and Jevin Glan Benjamin got 51. Saint Lucia’s bowlers delivered a collective effort; Tarrique Edward took 3 for 35 and Dornan Edward 3 for 63.

In the third-place clash at the Mindoo Phillip ground, St. Vincent

and the Grenadines eased to a 5wicket win over Grenada.

Early showers led to a loss of 25 overs per innings. Grenada, thanks to a breezy 89 not out in 47 ball by captain Ryan John, got to a decent score of 203 for 9 in their 25 overs.

Ethan Gibson was primarily responsible for their restriction, taking 4 for 32 in 5 overs.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines, led by Desron Maloney, 44; captain Asif Hooper, 40, and Gibson; 38, took their time to get to 204 for 5 in the 25th over, to claim the third spot in the Championship.

Windwards 50 Overs squad

Meanwhile, three Vincentians have been named in a 14-member squad to represent the Windward Islands Volcanoes in the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Super50 tournament schedule for early November 2025.

They are batsmen batter Sunil Ambris, wicket-keeper batter Dillions Douglas, and off spinner Kenneth Dember.

Ambris and Douglas are hot off centuries in the recently concluded 50

Overs Windward Islands Championship, both recording their feats against Dominica.

Dember, who did not take part in the recent Windwards Championship for personal reasons, has been a member of the Volcanoes for both the Super50 and four-day formats.

The full 50 Overs squad reads: Alick Athanze (Captain), Stephen Pascal, Kavem Hodge, Teddy Bishop, Sunil Ambris, Darren Nedd, Shadrack Descarte, Dillon Douglas, Darrel Cyrus, Kenneth Dember, Keon Gaston, Macaine Clarke, Keiston Murray and Daniel McDonald.

I.B.A. Allen

Chess Federation looking to increase numbers

Monday, August 4, 2025, at the St. Vincent Grammar School Assembly Hall, targeted primary school and secondary school students.

SVGBF wraps up two camps

Participants in the Kingstown and Georgetown Youth Summer Basketball camps, enthusiastically display Certificates of Participation.

THE ST. VINCENT AND THEGrenadines Basketball Federation (SVGBF) wrapped up two of three 2025 Youth Summer Basketball Camps, with a series of mini games and other related activities on Friday 25th July, at the New Montrose Hard Court.

The activities brought tougher participants from the Kingstown camp, held at the New Montrose Hard Court, and the Georgetown camp held at the Langley Park Hard Court.

As far as the two camps were concerned, they both commenced on July 21 and catered to both boys and girls from ages 7 to 16 years.

Participants were exposed to the fundamentals of the sport — passing, dribbling, shooting — and were also involved in sessions which zeroed on personal development issues, teamwork and discipline.

The basketball related sessions were conducted by qualified coaches attached to the SVGBF, while the non-basketball sessions were led by persons drawn from local businesses.

Basketball officials were particularly encouraged by the active involvement of the participants in all the sessions, as it strives to mould a new generation of competent, confident and enthusiastic players.

The third and final camp for the year is scheduled for Petit Bordel, from August 04 to 08, at the Petit Bordel Hard Court.

The camps were funded by the National Olympic Committee (NOC). (Source: SVGBF)

Giving light on the programme, President of the Federation- Israel Bruce related, “Objectively as a federation, we are seeking to increase the number of young Chess players across St. Vincent and the Grenadines which is major in order to populate the country with young Chess players.”

The programme is geared towards boys and girls who have never played the game before and beginners, those who have played the game but who want to use the occasion to improve on their skills, Bruce explained.

Among the areas covered in the programme were understanding the Chess board, identifying the Chess pieces by name and learning their designated/restrictive moves, as well as their respective values.

As for the game of Chess, Bruce described it as “all encompassing… as a tool for overall development,” adding, “Chess will help the students learn other skills such as time management, playing by the rules, and understanding that society is organized in such a way that if you step out of that organization framework, you will have difficulties.”

The programme is facilitated by Mr. Oris Robinson (Committee Member of the SVGCF) and coordinated by Mrs. Ronnia Durham-Balcombe (Vice President of the SVGCF).

A FIVE-DAY PROGRAMME GEAREDtowards broadening the pool of young Chess players here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines was undertaken by

the local governing body, the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Chess Federation.

The programme which got underway last

St. Lucia’s victorious 50 Overs team.

Ackeem Auguste recorded a career and championship best of 208 not out.

Attendees at the SVG’s Chess Federation beginners programme.

Camp.

Justice and equality

THE EMANCIPATION CRICKET FESTIVAL is setting the platform for an extravaganza in keeping with the region’s history.

The abolition of slavery is eight years short of its 200th anniversary, and attention returns to this act of human degradation.

One finds that the closing of the chapter of slavery coincides with another era as comparable to that period of piracy which marks the slave trade and indeed the growth of slavery.

The cry is about people smuggling and trafficking, not the type Vincentians might be familiar with. In many modern cities, the use of migrant labour to build and maintain those outlets has become a necessary and acceptable practice.

All the while, the talk about reparations for slavery and native genocide continues. What is revealing is an example of what has been established as the demoralization of the black man.

That reign of terror is apparently peaking at a time when the world is supposedly at the height of its enlightened and productive curve.

However, the progress and human development is coming on the premise that the black man has no place on the world stage except to serve s tools to entrench white supremacy. It is unfolding before us in (dead) colour, not only on television but on any and many forms available. Many are shocked by the widespread atrocity of the Gaza debacle. There must be praise for those who stand up against the onslaught. There is a shrill of disbelief that the episode marked by the erasure of the Palestinian people and their land is greeted with approval. Some justify that action as part of the Creator’s plan. The pattern of devastation has been going for years. The difference is that it is increasing with alarming extremity.

Israel surfaced on the basis of conflict and it persists on the axis of demolition. I recall not too long ago an attempt by the World Governing Football body to stage a competition in Israel. There was never any concern about the people suffering as a result of the Israeli occupation in the West Bank and in Palestine.

That position is reflective of the wider agenda that affects all sports. A look at those bodies mirrors their affection for the games as they relate to black people.

Attempts to narrow the space of those willing to resist occupation continues and indeed is surfacing as a viable option. No one seems concerned about the oppressed or dispossessed. I find it distressing that the world leans towards accommodating Israel and its supporters on the path of destruction. This is an issue that will occupy attention for as long as the chasm between injustice and equality continues to widen.

Legends, young players interact

APPROXIMATELY 95 YOUNG cricketers from across Saint Vincent and the Grenadines got an opportunity to interact with some of the greatest names in West Indies cricket history, during a special session organized under the banner of the Emancipation Cricket Festival, July 31st to August 3rd, 2025, and held at the Arnos Vale Cricket Stadium.

The young players, involved in a coaching exercise, were drawn from cricket nurseries, academies (Jules Anthony Cricket Club and Olandzo Jackson Cricket Academy), and national U-15 and U-19 players, under the guidance of seasoned coaches.

Subsequent to these sessions,

legendary West Indies cricketers - Sir Andy Roberts, Sir Clive Llyod, H.E Deryck Murray, Sir Gordon Greenidge, Alvin Kallicharran - and SVG’s own cricketing icon Michael Findlay engaged the young cricketers.

In the interaction, the legends spoke with the young cricketers about their journeys, the value of discipline, and the role of cricket in shaping character, resilience, and national pride.

Cricket Legends, led by Sir Clive Lloyd (foreground seated), engage young cricketers during a break in the cricketers training sessions.

commendable about the level of organisation and the enthusiasm of the youth. (Source: API)

The legends were highly

I.B.A. Allen

Campdonia- Chelsea wins U17 F’ball Title

CAMPDONIA CHELSEAchamped the Under-17 title of the 2024-2025 St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation (SVGFF) National Club Championships, when they won the final played last Saturday, August 2, at the Brighton

Playing Field.

But it took penalties to decide the encounter, with Campdonia- Chelsea holding its own to win 4-3. This, after both teams played to a 3-3 tie in regulation time.

Obama Barbour, 2, and Yonnick Mil, 1, netted for Campdonia—Chelsea, while Kade Gooding with a brace and an own goal conceded by CampdoniaChelsea accounted for Bequia United’s three-goal tally.

Campdonia-Chelsea got to the final, after blanking Hope International 3-0 in their semi-final match up.

On the other hand, Bequia United won 4-3 on penalties over Je Belle, after the two slugged it out 1-1 in regulation time.

Je Belle docked third with a 2-1 win over Hope International.

David fined for showing dissent

AUSTRALIA BATTER TIMDavid has been fined 10 per cent of his match fee for showing dissent during the fifth T20I against the West Indies in St. Kitts on July 28.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed that David had breached Article 2.8 of its Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “showing dissent at an Umpire’s decision during an International Match.”

The incident took place in the fifth over of Australia’s innings, when a delivery from Alzarri Joseph down the leg side was not called a wide. In response, David expressed his displeasure by stretching his arms out in protest and then walking towards the umpire with his arms still extended – an act deemed inappropriate under the Code of Conduct.

As this was David’s first offence

within a 24-month period, he was handed one demerit point in addition to the fine. He admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Reon King of the ICC International Panel, making a formal hearing unnecessary.

The charge was officially levelled by on-field umpires Zahid Bassarath and Leslie Reifer, along with third umpire Deighton Butler and fourth umpire Gregory Brathwaite.

According to ICC rules, Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and a maximum of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, along with one or two demerit points. If a player accumulates four or more demerit points within a 24-month period, they are converted into suspension points, leading to bans.

Two suspension points translate into a ban from one Test or two

Tim Davis approaches the standing umpire with a gesture of protest deemed in cricket to be an act of dissent. (Credit: TOI)

ODIs or T20Is, depending on which format comes first. Demerit points remain on a player’s record for two years before they are expunged.

David’s conduct was the only disciplinary incident reported during the match, and while the sanction was relatively minor, it serves as a reminder of the standards of behaviour expected at the international level. (Source: NDTV Sports)

Campdonia- Chelsea - the victorious national U17 football champs.

Stand renamed in Legends’ honour

Continued from Backpage

The unveiling of the new name was done by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves who in his accompanying remarks said, “The double-decker stand will officially be named “The Legends Pavilion” in honour of 1975.

“Sir Clive Lloyd was a tremendous leader … he changed the way the game was played and set a standard so high that the world looked on and admired his brilliance and his cricket wisdom.”

He continued, “This team brought glory to us as a people, and we must always celebrate their achievements and their accomplishments.

The six “legends’ who were on hand to witness the renaming of the stand in honour of the 1975 team (from left): Sir Andy Roberts, Deryck Murray, Sir Clive Lloyd, Alvin Kallicharan, Collis King and Sir Gordon Greenidge.

Caribbean sporting heritage and inspiring future generations.”

In addition to the renaming of the stand, the legends were granted the right to apply for citizenship if St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and their images, as well as local cricket icons

VACANCY

We

The new Legends Pavilion not only commemorates the 1975 champions’ achievements on the 50th anniversary of their triumph, but affirms the commitment of St Vincent and the Grenadines to preserving

Michael Findlay and Winston Davis, will appear on a limitededition of commemorative $50 stamps.

The renaming ceremony was a highlight of the final night of the Emancipation Cricket Festival, held here from July 31st to August 3rd. The Festival featured four team comprised of

players from St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the region.

AI REAL ESTATE

CRICKET FESTIVAL $750K AND COUNTING

THE INAUGURAL EMANCIPATION CRICKET FESTIVAL lit up the Arnos Vale Cricket Stadium (a relatively new designation) from July 31 to August, 3, 2025 with intermittent displays of good cricket delivered in an atmosphere of true Vincy party spirit.

That the Grenadines Whalers took home the first championship title is perhaps ironical, since in what was perceived as a Unity Labour Party government initiative in an election year, the title belt went to the team representing two seats currently in the hands of the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP). There was also a view that the Grenadines Whalers’ victory was an omen about the country “getting together in unity.”

While the real cost will hopefully be revealed in ‘the shortest course of time’, the estimated cost of staging the Festival was advanced as EC$750,000 by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, a cost to be borne solely by the state, i.e. taxpayers.

“I don’t have the definitive figure, but I estimate it to be in the vicinity of $750,000. That’s a rough calculation, based on figures presented to Cabinet last week by the committee.

Of course, some of that relates to in-kind contributions, which offset some expenses,” Dr. Gonsalves said on Boom FM 106.9 in the week leading up to the commencement of the Festival.

Expenses incurred by the Festival according to people in the know, will include: user fee for the venue unless waived; uniforms and other gear for six teams; in country transportation; television and radio facilities/equipment and personnel to provide live coverage, provided, THE VINCENTIAN understands, by a media entity from Barbados; payment or stipend for players, including overseas players; air travel and accommodation for overseas players and the West Indies Cricket Legends; special events to fete the Legends and others; awards to the Legends and more.

Given the considerable reduced entrance fee, $10.00 for adults and free admission for children, it can safely be concluded that gate receipts will not

come anywhere near the total estimated cost, and therefore funds will have to be drawn from government’s recurrent revenue to offset costs. There was no budgetary provision made for this event so government will either have to cover it from a related Budget Head, apply to Parliament for approval of a Special warrant or dig into the government’s overdraft to settle costs.

Whatever the financial fallout, one cannot dispute the support with which Vincentian cricket enthusiasts and party goers welcomed this new event for the Emancipation weekend.

STAND RENAMED IN LEGENDS’ HONOUR

The new signage that will ‘rechristen’ the Double Decker Stand.

THE DOUBLE DECKER STAND at the Arnos Vale Sporting Stadium has been renamed “The Legends Pavilion”.

The double-decker stand is the largest at the ground and is a favourite with the local fans.

The renaming is in honour of the team, led by Sir Clive Lloyd, that won the inaugural 1975 Cricket World Cup.

The renaming ceremony, held on Sunday 3rd August, commemorated the 50th anniversary of the 1975

World Cup triumph, and six of the surviving twelve who brought glory to the region, were on hand to share in the ceremony. Those in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, on the invitation of the government for the occasion, were Sir Clive Lloyd, Sir Gordon Greenidge, Sir Andy Roberts, Deryck Murray, Alvin Kallicharan and Collis King.

Continued on Page 27.

All taken, there was no question about the enthusiastic spectator support that the Festival attracted.

Grenadines Whalers inaugural Champions of the Emancipation Cricket Festival. See standing, captain Jomel Warrican (second from right) and hard-hitting batsman Andre Fletcher (extreme right).