July 20th 2012 Issue by TheVincentian Publishing

The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

FRIDAY,

JULY 20, 2012

VOLUME 106, No. 29

www.thevincentian.com

Former employees of Bottlers (St. Vincent) Ltd. at THE VINCENTIAN’S office last Monday.

EC$1.50

Ju-C became a household staple in SVG, especially the ‘red Ju-C’.

by KARISSA CLARKE

THE CLOSURE OF SOFT drink producers Bottlers (St. Vincent) Ltd. has left a plethora of unanswered questions in the minds of former employees. Not least among these questions: When are we getting our severance pay? Some 75 employees and pensioners of this once envied manufacturer of aerated drinks, inclusive of the immensely popular Ju-C and the

internationally acclaimed Pepsi Cola, received letters of retrenchment in March 2011. Since that date, there has been no indication, to the workers, with respect to the payment of severance pay to which they are entitled. When a contingent of displaced Bottlers workers visited with THE VINCENTIAN last Monday, July 16, it was to

make known their disgust and to empty their stories of hardship since their retrenchment. According to one member of the contingent, “Last year March, employees were given a letter instructing them to ‘go home until things improve’, with a promise that they would be called back when things get better. This call never came, and it’s more than a

year later.” Another confirmed this saying, “We have heard nothing since that letter. This is disrespect.” Another described their efforts to solicit the assistance of the Labour Department, and reported that that Department’s response was: “There is no company, no directors to talk to.”

Continued on page 3.

2. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN

V News 3 Ship-owners Association established

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. 3.

Members of the SVG Ship-owners Association, with Chairman Peter Ollivierre (4th from left) and Ambassador Ellsworth John (extreme right).

LOCAL OWNERS AND OPERATORS of shipping vessels have moved to establish a national Shipowners Association. The inaugural meeting of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ship-owners Association was held on January 26, 2012 to discuss the legal framework for the entity,

including a draft constitution. Nominations were also made for an executive ,with Peter Ollivierre, of Inland Wide Shipping, being elected Chairperson. The Association is expected to work: to improve operating efficiency and generate higher profits; better

satisfy the demands of shippers and other users of the services; and to be better equipped to modernize fleets and strengthen the industry and the economies in which they operate. Since then, the Association has met with H.E Ambassador Ellsworth John, Director

framed the importance of the Association becoming a strong and effective entity within the context of the OECS Economic Union and the CSME. He emphasized that an efficient small shippers’ network was essential to the operationalization of the OECS Economic Union, and to facilitate economic growth and development in the region. Meanwhile a news release says that the Secretary of Bottlers (St. the current state of the level which gave Association is “open to Vincent) Ltd. proved economy has been of indication that another new membership and futile up to the time of little help to the exlocally based company, going to press. employees of Bottlers (St. urges other ship owners the East Caribbean And in related news, Vincent) Ltd. in terms of and operators to join and Group of Companies, was participate as they move one worker did not leave finding new jobs to interested in taking a towards building a without highlighting that provide for themselves stake in the company, resilient entity, to assist in and their families. thereby providing capital another “big company, the development and LIME, was also laying They demand closure to re-start operations. competitiveness of the and their rightful He explained that this off workers. What this shipping industry the country coming to, eh?” Severance Pay. has not yet been (OECS) region and, by The plot thickens as finalized, since it would of the Regional Integration and Diaspora Unit (RIDU), and a representative from the Maritime Administration, July 13, 2012. The issues faced by ship-owners and the actions needed to go forward to find suitable solutions were discussed. Ambassador John

Bottlers Workers: ‘We want our Severance pay’ Continued from Page 1. The Union The workers who visited with THE VINCENTIAN represent cumulatively some 153 years of service with the Company, ranging from a single high of thirtyfive years to a low of three years. They reported on their efforts to have their union, the Commercial Technical & Allied Workers Union (CTAWU), intervene of their behalf, and expressed disappointment that, even that has not produced any real indication of when the matter of severance will be settled. According to one member of the contingent, “The Workers Union has proved to be of little help to us in this situation.” When THE VINCENTIAN contacted Mr. Joseph ‘Burns’ Bonadie of the CTAWU for a response to the workers’ concerns and a possible update on the situation, he assured that the Union had done all that it could do at this point. “The company simply does not have the money to pay,” he said. ‘Further,” he added, “the Company has not declared Bankruptcy, which would mean that under the law, the first settlement the liquidators have to see to would be severance and other payments to the workers.” Bonadie alluded to movements at another

be customary for any interested party or investor to do their own due diligence of the situation, before making a final decision. The workers have reacted to this with even greater concern. According to one worker, “Before that, the Prime Minister promised that operations was going to start back in August last year. That never happen; now we hearing about ECGC but nothing about our payment.” Another reminded that there was also talk about a Trinidadian company “coming to take over, but that like it fall through.”

Hardships Meanwhile, there was much emotion, maybe a few watery eyes, as workers described their ongoing plight. “How are we going to support our children?” “School opening soon, where is the money going to come from to support them?” “What of our mortages?”, were some of the concerns expressed. One worker said that she is thankful to her Credit Union, but did not know how long that hand of assistance would last. Efforts to contact the last known Corporate

SO MUCH HAS BEEN SAID about the state of agriculture in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, it has become a clichéd topic. Those who know lament the down turn in the sector and frown on what modern technocrats like to refer to as ‘a plan to diversify agriculture in St. Vincent’. Not so long ago, a Dominican who served here as an Agricultural Officer pre and immediately after World War 11, literally laughed at this Vincentian (writer) when he heard that a certain government had proposed ‘diversifying around bananas.’ “What diversification are they speaking of?” he asked with a chuckle. “Your country boasted the most diversified agricultural sector in the Englishspeaking Caribbean for some time.” Here is a glimpse of one of the many crops for which this country was known. See the workers in a sea island cotton field about ready to reap the

extension, CARICOM.” The Ship-owners Association comes as a direct result of a workshop held in Grenada, October 17 and 18, 2011, which brought small vessel owners, shippers, consignees, members of Chambers of Commerce, representatives of formal shipping lines, Customs and Port Authorities, from a total of ten Caribbean countries, to discuss ideas for the owners to form a high performance Cluster, or Shipping Pool. The Shipping Pools Workshop was held as part of a project dealing with: Competiveness Enhancement of the InterIsland Feeder Network of Small Vessels; Caribbean Region.

cotton. For decades, this country produced the most sought after cotton this side of the universe. It was hard work, field workers received very little for their labour, others may have reaped the benefits, but there was a pride that prevailed among the population. After all, ‘we had the best agriculture,’ and it was worth working to maintain that place of pride.

4. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN

Personality

Remembering Godfrey ÂBobbyÊ Fraser by KENVILLE HORNE GODFREY ‘BOBBY FRASER, one of this country’s foremost journalists, a playwrite, dramatist, short story writer, all round cultural enthusiast, passed awy on Sunday 15th July 2012. We at THE VINCENTIAN remember ‘Bobby’ as our publication’s first full time sports report (1960s), and feel an added loss by his passing; for he remained a contributor through the years, and was a telephone call away when an opinion and

guidance were needed. Others have joined us in remembering this stalwart of a Vincentian. We are pleased to present those sentiments.

St Clair ‘Jimmy’ Prince – Director of the Agency for Public Information “Fraser had a wealth of knowledge on the political, cultural and sports scene in SVG. “He was involved in calypso, mas, drama, anything that had to do with culture. He had a keen sense of politics, and he knew where to

find the news. After all, he was in charge of the news department for 10 years. He had advice for everyone. “What stood out most about Fraser is that he was very, very helpful . You had a problem, and Bobby would get on the phone immediately and call somebody to get help. The younger persons at the API benefitted significantly from his experience.”

David ‘Darkie’ Williams - Playwrite/Dramatist “I came to know Fraser while I was a

student and Bobby was a teacher at the Richmond Hill Government School. I remember Bobby, his brother Rodway and a good friend Errol ‘Crutches’ Lawrence were very involved in sports at the school. However, Bobby went to work with Radio St.Vincent, now the National Broadcasting Corporation. “Later, I had the privilege directing most of Bobby’s plays for radio. “Bobby had a great passion for sports and culture. He was a member of a drama group that existed in the late 1960s to early 1970s called St. Vincent Players. They set a very solid platform for performing arts in SVG. “It was that commonality, a passion for culture, that cemented our friendship. “I recall Bobby’s commitment to sport. He was the person you could depend on during cricket, to score. He and the late Hugh Drakes developed a score sheet with statistics that commentators still depend on; Drakes applied his mathematical skill, while Fraser applied his artistic skills. “Bobby was also personally involved in the formation of the Starlift Steel Orchestra and was a member of the Bridge Boys Mas Band. Several calypsonians in the 1970s would have benefitted from Bobby; he composed their songs. “SVG will miss someone like Fraser, and I hope there will be some kind of monument erected in his name.”

Godfrey ‘Bobby’ Fraser

Hill Government School. That move was influenced by former manager at the radio station, Jean Duncan. At that time he was the lone person working in the news department, before he was joined by current editor of the NEWS newspaper Shelly Clarke. “He was an all round broadcaster. ‘He co-authored and authored many plays and radio drama series including ‘Life with St Clair ‘Jimmy’ Prince Mabel’, ‘In the spirit of Nelly Eboo, ‘Leroy’, ‘The life and times of Chatoyer’. “He rose to become editor of the news before spending a short time as sales manager, and ended his tenure at the radio station in June of 1986, a month prior to the station changing its name to National Broadcasting Corporation ,NBC. “He was the station’s main scorer for local, regional and International cricket at David ‘Darkie’ Williams the Arnos Vale Playing Field. “He was a quiet yet outspoken person. “He served on the NBC Board of Directors for four years. “The younger news persons also benefited tremendously from Raphie King - Deputy Fraser’s knowledge. Manager at NBC I was shocked on hearing the news of “Fraser joined Radio Fraser’s death. The last St.Vincent, now National conversation we had , Broadcasting Bobby indicated that he Corporation on January was making plans to see 3rd 1972, ending his an eye doctor in career at the Richmond Raphie King September.”

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. 5.

Regional

LIAT dismissed pilot awaits settlement

Captain Michael Blackburn has accused LIAT of ‘dragging its feet’ in making settlement with him.

CAPTAIN MICHAEL BLACKBURN, former Chairman of the Leeward Islands Pilots Association (LIALPA) and former pilot with LIAT, is at LIAT’s jugular again. Blackburn’s latest claim is that the airline is taking “too long” to pay the more than EC$150,000 owed him. The claim is made, according to Blackburn, because he did not get the mandatory onemonth notice when he was dismissed, and that he was owed in lieu of six weeks vacation. LIAT, however, has refuted Blackburn’s claim of tardiness as far

as making the payment is concerned. A release from the company confirmed the debt to Blackburn and said that he could have been paid since December when he was terminated, if he had complied with instructions to return all company property that was, at that time, still in his possession. Blackburn has not responded to this counter by LIAT. A statement from Desmond Brown, the airline’s Corporate Communications Manager, addressed the situation further, saying,

“In January 2012 Captain Blackburn had not yet collected his payments and a reminder was sent by registered post to him. Thereafter, even though his cheques were still to be collected, Captain Blackburn wrote to the company indicating his calculation of his terminal payments. The company duly replied and clearly set out the calculation of his terminal pay and again offered it to him. To date there has been no response to the company’s letter.” Browne went on further in his statement to say that LIAT remains ready to pay Blackburn and emphasized that the company had not failed to act appropriately since Blackburn’s termination in December 2011. This is not the first time that LIAT has found itself having to make settlement with a dismissed worker. The records show that a number of former employees have received one sort of payment or the other in settlement with the regional airline. In the meantime, LIAT awaits the injection of some EC$8 million (US$2.96 million) from the government of Dominica. This comes on the heels of an earlier indication from Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, spokesperson on behalf of LIAT shareholder governments, that Dominica and St. Lucia were giving serious consideration about ‘buying into’ the cashstrapped airline.

Angostura to launch world’s most expensive rum TRINIDAD DISTILLERS LIMITED, producers of fine rum and the world famous Angostura Bitter, may just have made available for sale, the most expensive blend of rum. Word coming out of the twin-island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago says that the rum has been placed on the market to mark the celebration of that country’s independence from Britain. One bottle of the rum, labeled ‘Legacy of Angostura’, is expected to go on auction for charity on August 4 in Port of Spain. With a limited supply of 20 500ml ‘Legacy of Angostura’ in its bottles presented in specially crafted decanter. a specially designed decanter, one bottle is valued at 20,000 euros (TT$160,000), and once the 20 bottles are sold no more of ”this liquid will be available, so it’s a truly unique opportunity for a few select individuals.” According to a statement from the producers. The statement goes on to say that, “The project has taken six years of meticulous work with seven of the brand’s most rare and precious rums making the final recipe.” The youngest rum is said to be 17 years old “Not only is the rum of the highest standard in the world, the decanter, stopper and presentation box are also unique collectors’ items. Angostura has engaged Asprey of London, jeweller to the Prince of Wales, to develop the twenty limited edition decanters, which each took over 56 hours to complete using ten different master craftsmen,” Angostura said. The questions for Trinidadians: How many Trinidadians can afford to purchase one of these bottles? (Source: Trinidad Express)

6. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN

Arts and Culture

Dance garifuna returns to SVG

by GLORIAH… THE GARIFUNA CULTURAL Retrieval Workshop which was started here in 2011, will continue on Monday, July 23rd, 2012, at the Central Leeward Secondary School in Peter’s Hope. The facilitators will include Belizean born Garifuna Singer/Musician James Lovell, and accomplished Dancer/Choreographer Erica Zuniga from Los Angeles. About one hundred and fifty children are expected to attend these sessions which will continue for the next four

Trish St. Hill (extreme right) seen with 2011 Drumming Workshop participants. Left: Participants in the 2011 Workshop performing a dance at the Peace Memorial Hall as part of the closing ceremony for the Workshop.

weeks until 16th August. The Garifuna Retrieval Workshop was started last year by a group of concerned persons of Vincentian origin, resident in from New York and Belize. These included Trish St.Hill, James Cordice, Verna Arthur, Kyla Herbert, James Lovell and Eleanor

Bullock. According to this year’s workshop promoter Trish St.Hill, the workshop will continue to focus on the Garifuna language, drumming, poetry, singing and dancing. In addition, according to St. Hill, the workshop will introduce sessions on Garifuna food, as much of the current Vincentian diet has come out of our Garifuna heritage. Some foods, she said, that are heavily Garifuna, are either no longer being made in SVG, or have taken on “a different twist.” This will tie in the current foods in SVG with those eaten in Central America, where the Garifuna nation has been exiled. A showing of the 2011 workshop

video is slated to be a part of this round of proceedings. At the culmination of the workshop, participants “will also be vetted to receive several scholarships which would assist them in their education. There are many vetting criteria, one of which would be the recipient’s ability to speak basic Garifuna salutations,” organizer St. Hill said. St. Hill and her group are very grateful for work done on the ground by Mr. Anthony Theobalds of the Department of Culture, and former Minister of Culture, Ms. Rene Baptiste for invaluable support and advice. The general public is invited to make donations of food and t-shirts to the workshop.

Vincentian wins Caribbean Award by KENVILLE HORNE VINCENTIAN POET Dillon Ollivierre amassed a total of 370 votes to win the Creative Arts in the Entertainment category of the myKEEtv.comyour Caribbean Talent Network. The Bequia resident was nominated by Kendel Mark from Carriacou, and originally placed in the Entertainment/Culture category. His nomination was eventually was moved to the Creative Arts in Entertainment category. When voting began, Dillon vigorously promoted himself and his work among his Facebook friends, family and supporters. Voting was done by an online poll which closed on July

3rd. His 370 votes left him with a comfortable lead in his category. The awards were held at Larry’s Jamaican Restaurant 300 E. Florence Ave. Inglewood CA 90301 on Saturday July 14, 2012. Dillon told ‘What’s up Caribbean’ that he was informed of his achievement via a message on Facebook on Sunday evening. The Caribbean Talent Network Awards are aimed at honouring outstanding Caribbean nationals from the region and the Diaspora. Awards were given in the categories of: Community Service, Outstanding Caribbean Talent, Youth Scholastic Achievement, Excellence In Entertainment/ Culture (Performing

Dillon Ollivierre is basking in the recognition he has gained for his writing. Arts), The KEE Players In sports, Creative Arts and the Caribbean Person of the Year. Ollivierre expressed thanks to God, his family, friends, the media and all those who supported him, including the person who nominated him. It was the first time he has won an award.

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. 7.

8. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN

Views The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Managing Editor: Desiree Richards Editor: Cyprian Neehall Telephone: 784-456-1123 Fax: 784-451-2129 Website: www.thevincentian.com Email: vinpub@thevincentian.com Mailing Address: The Vincentian Publishing Co. Ltd., P.O. Box 592, Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Editorial The Bottlers saga A DELEGATION OF ‘FORMER’ WORKERS at Bottlers (St. Vincent) Ltd., known for the last fifty and more years simply as Ju-C, visited with THE VINCENTIAN last Monday, July 16. They had come to have their plight publicized. What was their plight? They had heard nothing concrete about severance pay, and other related payments due them, since they had received notification of their retrenchment in March of 2011. Some 75 workers and pensioners have been on the breadline for some 16 or so months. The Bottlers saga dragged on to a point when the Prime Minister, in direct reference to the case of and care for the workers, and by extension what it meant for the economy, gave indication of the re-opening of the manufacturing plant by August last year. That month passed by, without an inkling of a reopening. And then, earlier this year, the Prime Minister disclosed that the East Caribbean Group of Companies had expressed an interest in assuming shareholding status in the operation. Workers’ expectations were obviously heightened. But through it all, there was no definitive indication with respect to settlement with the workers. To say that the workers have not demanded of their Union (Commercial Technical and Allied Workers Union) representation in this matter would be absurd; in fact, workers have reported that they have heard nothing that would satisfy them from either Union or what remains of the directorship of Bottlers (St. Vincent) Ltd. This is not a treatise on what caused the demise of one of this country’s most successful manufacturing endeavours. Far from that! The Accountants and Finance experts will have answers to that question which should make for an instructive lesson for business students. This, however, examines how much, to what extent if any, the company has been clear and honest in its communications to these 75 or so workers. In this period of economic downturn, one of severe and frightening uncertainty, companies have been slashing costs, and one such measure is the laying off of workers. In this case, it was not a simple cost cutting exercise but a total closure. Regardless, the company failed to adhere to one of the fundamental requirements in situations of this nature: Communications. Is it not unfair that, after some 16 months the workers should still be in this situation of uncertainty, not to mention hardship? The question: Did the company communicate honestly, fully and regularly with its employees? Did it instead resort to a needto-know criterion that says basically, “Tell them as little as possible” so that information does not reach the ears of its adversaries, among whom the Company might have included its workers Was it a case of ‘sweet talking’ the workers so that they would remain docile and undemanding? To what extent was the Union involved in this method of misinformation? The rule of thumb is that a company in crisis would be honest and forthcoming in its communications with its work force. Workers whose jobs are in jeopardy are not necessarily adversaries; they have the right to be told everything they will find useful and that which is not clearly confidential. And they need to be told early, even when the need for downsizing or closure is an option. It is clear that workers at Bottlers were not told ‘everything they needed to know’, and not told early of anything of substance; it was a case of workers getting to know, drawing their own conclusions, along the way, which obviously festered even more animosity with their ‘former’ employer and union. It appears that the Directors of Bottlers (St. Vincent) Ltd. came down on the side of a common assumption in management, i.e. that it is important to ‘shield’ employees from information that can upset them. This may have appeared to the Directors to be ostensibly an attempt to be helpful; but this is in fact profoundly unhelpful. For, if Bottlers was genuinely interested in assisting its workers, would it not have supplied useful information, not tid bits and ‘half truths’, to use a common reference of our Prime Minister, as early as possible so that the workers could make important and informed decisions? The bottom line is that workers and pensioners affected by the closure of Bottlers (St. Vincent) Ltd. have been made the scapegoats of an obvious blunder not of their own making. The workers who have been affected are in the main, those of the lower and middle income brackets. They, like all workers, have their commitments to their children, mortages and what have you, to meet. They deserve some redress, sooner than soon. Workers, whether they be employees of private or public sector corporations, must not be made to suffer unduly for the mistakes of those who are more able to deal with the loss on an investment. These workers are directly and solely dependent on what they earn, can earn, as a direct result of their labour. The majority does not enjoy the luxury of cozy investments for the future or for rainy days. That is the reality of our system. Let those responsible for the plight of the 75 workers and pensioners, and those who profess to care for the poor and disadvantaged, do the honourable thing and move swiftly to make settlement with the displaced workers.

Might as well join up (Part II) AN INTRIGUING FOOTNOTE to the tournaments, including netball, is that in Grenada, the St Vincent team often stayed at Ma Lottie Phillips’ where they were most welcome. It turned out that she is St Lucian by birth, and closely related to St Aurin Seymour who had himself made his home in St Vincent where he became a legend among sports writers. Another St Lucian, Caryl Bristol, settled in Grenada and is most prominent in legal and sports circles. In a by- play in the 1952 school tournament in Grenada, Ma Lottie’s son, speedster Carl Drakes, floored controversial St Lucian diplomat, Barry Auguste, with a direct hit “on the box”. A similar fate befell the late Eddie Griffith, de facto Deputy to Prime Minister Mitchell in 1984, at the hands of Fingal of Dominica. Educationally, Grenada was a little ahead in the early days. It was to the Spice Island that the venerable George Mc Intosh went in the 1920s to learn pharmacology. Both the Prime Minister of Dominica, Eugenia Charles and Oppositionist, Michael Douglas, attended Roman Catholic Secondary schools there. Our own Vivien Hadley once taught at the G.B.S.S, but it was more usual for St Vincent to import teachers from Grenada. A good crop came in the 1950s: Antoine, Baptiste and De Gannes. Indeed, Winston Baptiste settled in St Vincent, skippering our national football team, distinguishing himself as a sports commentator, and becoming our first local headmaster of the St Vincent Boys Grammar School, as well as an early Chairman of the Carnival Development Committee. Long before Ken Boyea and E.C.G.C had begun to spread their wings to embrace the islands, the local company O.D Brisbane and Sons had sent its tentacles stretching from Trinidad to Antigua. Ben Davis held sway for a considerable time in Grenada, while Gideon Providence was based in St Lucia, and one of the entrepreneur’s sons Ivan, in Dominica. Baynes Brothers, a Vincentian company, also extended operations into Grenada in the early 1950s under Aubrey Baynes who, thirty years later, served in St Lucia as a very successful Chairman of Winera. To speak about the excursions which particularly united St Vincent and St Lucia would involve the writing of volumes. It is likely that Vincentian businessman Ricky Hillocks met his St Lucian bride, the recently deceased Kurl Edmunds, during one of those excursions. But Grenada impacted most on St Vincent. The first Governor General was Grenadian —born Dr. Sydney Gun-Munro. The first woman elected to the St Vincent Parliament, Ivy Joshua, hails from Grenada. Grenadian-born Alec Hughes, who married into a local Planter-mercantile family, was, during a generation a nominated member of the House, twice Speaker, Senator in the Federal House, and leading Solicitor for the country’s moneyed interest. He carried a lot of clout for a considerable time. There have been many ways other Windward islanders with relations to SVG in so many ways in the old colonial days. Mrs. Ira Young of “VALU” fame hailed from Grenada. Sons of St Lucia, who were early adopted by SVG, included Fitz James who became Government Printer in charge of the Government Printery, and Augustine James who for years had been our national goal-keeper. Later on, we inherited from Dominica two related Vincentian wives in Judy Leigertwood, Chief Personnel Officer, and Mrs. Laura Theo Browne, a Permanent Secretary, which brings us up to modern times, but the bonds and ties are clearly deep-rooted, as History declares. The opening formalities for the occasion will be televised under the watchful eyes of Paul Mc Leish. He is the son of a Grenadian, the late Dr. Richard Mc Leish who spotted Paul’s mother

when he came to attend the wedding of his friend Grenadian Judge Adrian Date to Paul’s maternal aunt. Another aunt, Nora Peacock, will be helping to provide press coverage of the event. So we are all tied up, not just at the level of the middle class for whom the records speak eloquently, but right down to the grass roots. Nowadays, the Rasta brethren in the four islands can teach a thing or two about unity. For my own part, I can barely save my stake. My credentials: my uncle’s daughter is married to Dominican Judge Ephraim Georges, younger brother of Mr. Justice Telford Georges who could well be presiding over the Assembly. Moreover, my wife was born in Grenada. But I don’t like how some of the politicians playing politics with our future and juggling the event like it were a Tanty-Merle cricket game staged in honour of Keane- Douglas. Passing Out Parade As I near the tape I naturally lose several of my contemporaries. The latest have been Ian Neverson, Bobby Fraser and Fuzzy Knights. Raymond “Fuzzy” Knights seemed to have lived a life pock-marked with problems. I recall his talents for sports —cricket, football and table tennis. He had been a member of the 1960 Grammar School teams that toured Grenada. .From that team we have lost cricket- captain Douggie Cambridge, Rodway Fraser, Carl Glasgow and, now, Fuzzy Knights, the latter three of whom had been foundation members of Mike Findlay’s “Saints” cricket team. Bobby Fraser died suddenly after a long bout with illness over the past dozen years or so. Though seriously curtailed in his movement, Bobby bore his maladies with Christian fortitude, never losing faith, which reflected a positive attitude and a characteristic cheerfulness. Bobby, in a sense, was so to speak a culture man- a poet, calypso composer, short story-teller, play-writer who teamed up with Chester Rogers to produce that beautiful radio play “Life With Mabel”. He had been a promoter and foundation member of the National Youth Council, sponsoring youthful ideas throughout his age-less life. He was, of course, a most efficient scorer in international cricket. Ian Neverson is not well-known to Vincentians for he starred up to 1956, 56 years ago. Together with Alfie Roberts, they were the most promising batsmen1952-56. They played for the Island 1953 against Guyana, in St Lucia, and against the MCC 1954 in Grenada where the opening batsman Neverson struck the first ball delivered by Freddie Trueman for six, and at the close of the innings was 90 not out. Neverson did polish off a century or two, one being in Dominica in 1954. But he failed miserably when the Windwards-Leewards took on Trinidad in Trinidad in 1955, when he was bowled by Bunny Butler in both innings for duck apiece! Invited to Trinidad on a Bermuda Cricket scholarship, he showed promise until his career was shattered in an industrial accident resulting in the partial loss of four fingers of one hand. Neverson had also been a safe and sound wicket- keeper and an efficient distributor of the football at the old centre-half position which he occupied.

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. 9.

Views

Teenage daughters TRADITIONALLY, the cases of teenage pregnancy and the quantity of teenagers who are Sexually Transmitted Infections victims were less than compared with the total of modern days on such cases. It has been of my obligation as a well disciplined individual to comment on such a controversial subject. We as Vincentians cannot only point our fingers at our teenage daughters who have travelled down the wrong path, but to the parents also. As an ‘all rounder’ in the island, I have witnessed this subject as being beyond the bounds of possibility. The proverb “Old dogs cannot learn new tricks” has been proven correctly on many occasions. That is why the training grounds for teenagers must start when they are babies. Too often, parents are being faced with heartbreak and betrayal because of the corruption, insolence, slyness and indecency of

their teenage sons and daughters, mostly daughters. Mothers need to be more responsible and scrutinize every situation with their teenage daughters. They should be able to decipher the positive emotions which they are seeking, instead of leading them on to seeking it from unscrupulous men. Frequently, I have heard and seen young ladies speak a lot of lies to their mothers without even the blink of an eye. Today, the majority of parents work diligently to care for their children, only to be faced, in the end, with deception and disloyalty. Parents, especially mothers, wake up and smell the coffee; do not sniff at it. I can tell you from experience that the majority of teenage daughters is very swift , sly and smart. I can challenge mothers that if you take your teenage daughters for virginity tests, you may be

shocked by the results. I am not oblivious to the fact that there is a law which allows teenagers at the age of fifteen years to have consensual sexual intercourse, but do we ask ourselves if there is a law to take care of those teenagers when they get pregnant? The hospital can barely support our aging population. Are they going to find proper equipment and attention for these careless young ladies who continue to pressure our social and economic system here in St Vincent? Therefore, parents should open their eyes, and for those whose eyes are open, open them wider. Young ladies, if you are in search of selfdefinition and confidence, God is the answer. He will never let you down. Get involved in church; become fully immersed in the church system . Lastly, fathers: one

hand cannot clap. Sometimes you may wonder why your teenage daughters turn out the way they do. They do so because they are in search of masculine love which you sometimes fail to make available to them. So fathers, get busy, your daughters need you. AJ

Stop the misuse of the library THE NATIONAL PUBLIC LIBRARY of St Vincent, was built with funds provided by the Republic of China (Taiwan) and opened on the 7th of December 2011. When Taiwanese Ambassador Wen Bin Shi addressed the opening ceremony, he urged the people of St Vincent to utilize the facilities of the library so that it would become the most important centre for learning in the country. Unfortunately, this seemed to have gone unnoticed by the nation’s youth. One cannot go to the library to study or read in silence and peace because of the

level of noise and incivility demonstrated by primary, secondary and tertiary students who frequent the library. Recently I witnessed the poor action taken by security officers at the library to deal with these situations. It appears to me that the majority of them have an enormous phobia when confronting these obstreperous students. These students also use the elevator as their main site for obscenity. The elevator was placed in the library specifically for use by disabled persons. It is currently ‘out of service’ , why? I think that the main factor

influencing the misuse of the library’s facilities is the poor level of security there. The library needs security officers who are prepared to stand firm and enforce proper penalties when rules are broken. It is also the responsibility of every student and parent to treasure the facilities of the library and encourage others to do so. The library is no place for idle, loud conversation. Let us work together to make the library a better place. E-mail contributor

ItÊs Vincy Music: LetÊs claim it now!!! AS VINCENTIANS, we just don’t know what we have, and so I enlighten us all. St. Vincent and the Grenadines is the birthplace of some of the region’s most popular genres of music, but let’s only deal with two - RAGGA SOCA and RING BANG. Ragga Soca started with one man in our blessed isle, the ABC of calypso, Alston Becket Cyrus. In 1978, Becket brought out an Album that had a song entitled “Dig Me Calypso”. Any music aficionado listening to the drums and bass line of that song will tell you that it was clear that a new beat was created. But sadly, neither Becket nor SVG packaged it, claimed it or sold it as their own. Becket, in 1983, did hint that the name of his beat was “Soca Rocker” when he produced a Song with the same name and beat, but he never truly put his stamp on it for all the world to recognize. Thereafter GAO, Godwin Augustas Oliver Billy, carried on the Becket creation with his own song entitled “Jook She”. St. Vincent and the Grenadines is home

to some of the most creative and talented musicians, but unlike others in our region, we do not proudly celebrate our own. Listen to groups like Gratitude, Affetuosos, X-A-DUS and Revolution of the past. Tell me if they were not special/unique in their creation of music? And then I must mention TOUCH. Our classic song “HICKEE’ was produced in Eddie Grant’s studio and was unique because we deliberately used four differently tuned and toned snares answering one another. That is why we called the production of that song - the birth of the snares. “Hickee” was an instant hit, but to our great surprise not 5 months later, Eddy Grant came up with a beat which, if one listens carefully, is actually a slight modification of the beat in “Hickee”, that he called ‘RING BANG”. There is one beat left in St. Vincent and the Grenadines that no other country has as yet claimed as their own, and for this reason I have sounded the clarion call on social media and over the airwaves because

Ban the ÂFreewindsÊ

IN VIEW OF CHARGES of child abuse by the church of Scientology (numerous references, including see ABC’s Lateline and New York’s ‘Village Voice’ for its ongoing series of articles about Scientology) aboard the cruise ship Freewinds, which was again harboured in St. Vincent, I urge the Government of St. Vincent to ban the ship from these shores. Scientology abuses small nations by feting the rich and powerful and preying on the poor in order to advance its partisan philosophy. I had a sister, now deceased, who had ties to Scientology for many years and I was witness to the tactics the organization uses to coerce its members. As an artist of some repute, she was wined and dined and made to feel special by the upper echelons of the organization, while those without special talents were treated miserably. As a result, she spent thousands and thousands of dollars on ‘life improvement’ classes whose purpose was specious at best. With help from family and friends, she escaped the clutches of the organization, yet today, more than a year after her death, she still receives daily posts at the home of her daughter urging her to return! The current leader of Scientology, David Miscavige, has been faced with press accounts alleging illegal and unethical practices, both personally and through his organizational management. A statement in Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, says these include reports of “forced separation of family members, coercive fundraising practices, harassment of journalists and church critics, and public humiliation of church staff members, including physical assaults by Miscavige. Miscavige and church spokespeople have consistently denied these charges, often raising counter-charges that attack the credibility of the journalists and sources responsible for the critical accounts.” I urge the Government of St. Vincent to avoid becoming a party to these charges by breaking any relationship with Scientology (as other nations have done) that appears to compromise its integrity and statehood.

A message to SVG This is a message to the nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines: The Master says that there will be an earthquake; both big and small will be lying on the face of the earth. Read Jeremiah 16. The master wants all Churches to come together to have a word of prayer for July 25th, 2012.

we must guard it, package it, name it and claim it as our Hazel Ashby own. That beat is the “ROSES CREW BEAT”. This beat was not created by the Roses Crew, but was brought to the airwaves by the Crew. The music is in the air in the North Leeward area, it is embedded in the minds of the people there; they live it, eat it, breathe it; it’s their way of life; its a Village beat present only in North Leeward. Listen to it in “Put up the wood under the pot”, “Ratta in yo corn field”, “Seed under leaf”, “Anaconda” etc. I make a plea to the Roses Crew first of all and the musical powers that be; let’s come up with a name for this beat and present it to the world. It is ours to be proud of, and we should not let anyone take it away from us as they have done before. Bryan Alexander

Marc Erdrich

* Whether that little ‘cookie jar’ incident at the Ministry of Agriculture is really true and if efforts are afoot to sweep it under the carpet? * Have we received any reimbursement from Venezuela for the amounts we have spent to upkeep the Cuba airport workers? * Is there, contrary to what some people think, a school fee enforced at secondary schools? * Are more workers here about to join the bread line like the Bottlers’ workers? * Did all those vendors on the streets of Kingstown for carnival, pay a fee to the Town Board?

10. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN

Views

Trying to stop the Ottley Hall ULP crumbling –NDP in waiting Inquiry: The failed attempts of James Mitchell and the NDP The issue THERE CAN BE no doubt that the failed Ottley Hall project, coupled with the Union Island Marina, represents the worst examples of good governance in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It was a case of the squandering of scarce financial resources by the NDP administration at a time when our education system was in a state of malaise, the level of poverty was high, the banana industry was in a state of decline, the country was experiencing a shortage of nurses, and we were on the black list of several international institutions. In the face of all this, and boasting of a “surplus”, the NDP under James Mitchell, and with Arnhim Eustace as his adviser, proceeded to squander in excess of EC$200 million. In the process, the NDP almost wrecked the National Commercial Bank, as it was called at the time. In fact, the NDP went to Parliament to pass a resolution, giving James Mitchell carte blanche control over all matters having to do with the Ottley Hall project, a most foolish and backward arrangement. There was no oversight by Cabinet, there was no planning approval, environmental concerns were brushed aside, proper financial procedures were ignored, and the NDP went on its merry way, climbing into the bosom of Aldo Rolla. James Mitchell and the NDP found themselves being duped beyond imagination, and Arnhim Eustace was in the thick of all this activity.

from giving testimony before the Commission. That whole process went all the way to the Privy Council and nothing came out of it. So Richard Joachim had to testify and, as the old people will say, “mouth open and story jump out”.

Enter James Mitchell

At some time, the former Prime Minister, James Mitchell, was expected to go before the Commission to give testimony, as to what transpired with the Ottley Hall fiasco. In fact, he was issued a Salmon Letter on the 20th August, 2007, to appear before the Commission. Naturally, the NDP attempted to prevent Mitchell from appearing, despite his public statement that he was not afraid, and that he had nothing to hide. So he took his matter to the High Court. His final attempt to avoid the Commission had to do with what he called procedural bias. By some means, James Mitchell and the NDP obtained a copy of the interim report, and they were scared out of their wits. According to the judgment by the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, that interim report “contained several findings that were adverse to Sir James”. He was not successful when his matter was heard before Justice The Ottley Hall Inquiry Gertel Thom. He then took his matter to the Supreme Court, where he was When the ULP administration again unsuccessful. came to power in March 2001, it The Supreme Court found that “a immediately announced that it was fair-minded and informed observer not going to repay the Ottley Hall debt, and that there will be an inquiry would not conclude that there was a real possibility that the Commissioner into the project. On March 10th 2003, the Governor was biased, or that there had been procedural unfairness”. The Supreme General, Sir Frederick Ballantyne, appointed Ephraim Georges to be sole Court also ended the order which prohibited the Commission of Inquiry commissioner, to inquiry into the from proceeding further. failed projects at Ottley Hall and Union Island. The Commissioner’s mandate was to inquire and establish Conclusion the bona fides and circumstances The NDP and James Mitchell are surrounding both projects, the main worried about this judgment by the reasons with the projects failed, to Supreme Court, and the contents of establish if due diligence was the Interim Report submitted to the conducted. The Commissioner was also tasked Governor General, by the with determining whether or not any Commissioner Ephraim Georges. The key leaders of the NDP, including criminal acts were committed, and whether there was dereliction of duty, Arnhim Eustace, who was around for the Ottley Hall Project, want violation of any law, conflicts of interest, or breach of trust on the part desperately to distance themselves from the Inquiry. of any government minister or civil Based on the judgment issued by servant. the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Further, the Commissioner was required to issue an interim report to Court, the NDP and James Mitchell will have to answer some serious the Governor General within six months of the date of the setting up of questions. They failed to protect the the inquiry, and a final report within patrimony of the people of St.Vincent twelve months of the conclusion of the and the Grenadines, squandering millions in the process. They failed to proceedings. In fact, the Interim Report was submitted to the Governor observe time tested procedures for the safety of the State’s resources, rode General on November 18th, 2005. Many persons did not take the ULP roughshod over the objections from the Civil Servants, and may have administration seriously, and the caused in some form or fashion, the feeling at the time was that nothing perpetuation of a massive fraud by was going to come of the inquiry. Aldo Rolla. That changed when the As the song goes, “there are more government opened up the inquiry to questions than answers”, and that is the media, and information began to why the NDP and James Mitchell surface about the circumstances want to put an end to the Ottley Hall surrounding the two projects, Inquiry. But they will fail, and the particularly Ottley Hall. people of St.Vincent and the First, there was the attempt to Grenadines will get their answers. prevent the late Richard Joachim

TALK WITH ANYONE on the road now…anyone, and they seem almost to be bursting with the despair of their daily life circumstances in this newly minted ULP version of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. In this new version of our country, norms and standards of decency and integrity are replaced by an overwhelming desire and modus operandi from the state to promote the ULP in place of and against all comers…be they domestic or foreign. In other words, the ULP has a mandate to exclude, close ranks and rally around the proliferation of the ULP as a political party regardless of whatever is happening to our country St. Vincent and the Grenadines. This newly minted St. Vincent saw its first publication in 2001, its renewal with renewed savagery in 2005 and barely; with its claws more pronounced, given the wounding of the 2010 election, it seems to be at its worst in these dying stages of the administration. What does this translate into?

Massive unemployment It almost doesn’t bear mentioning again, but unemployment continues to rise. The ULP has found ways to mask the figures, either by never publishing them, or by using the fact that displaced farmers have been added to NIS numbers which they want to say means there are more contributors…hoping that the public forgets that they have so decimated banana and agriculture on a whole, that they have forced formerly independent farmers to become noncontributory pensioners, receiving a little assistance from the state…don’t worry the people will not forget to make the distinction between the untruth you peddle, ULP, and the facts. The long and short of it is, they are opening no real new posts in the civil service, according to one source, simply moving people around, and there are no new jobs for new graduates anywhere…there is no job creation, and they never were partial to supporting the private sector, so no help there either.

Foreign policy friendships Gonsalves sought to increase his international presence by deploying what he termed an activist foreign policy…some might better call it the stupidest foreign policy plan ever executed. Why? Because it bet on the intangibles…this foreign policy hitched its wagon on Ralph’s bluster and beggin’ friends approach. He ingratiated himself to those who condemn the west…He genuflected to Fidel Castro and sucked up to Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, reached all the way to a tent in the desert to hug up Muammar Gadhaffi in Libya, sat and sipped tea with Ahmedinejad in Iran, and had his local Syrian friends take him to meet Assad in Syria. He came to us Vincentians and basically declared that these relationships and the money that came from them had everything to do with his personal friendships with these men, and nothing to do with anything else really. He named them among the coalition of the willing, who would finance the entire construction of the international airport. He signed up Vincentians to ALBA without our knowledge and complete understanding at a time when you could not even find a definition of ALBA anywhere on any website. He piloted our navigation as cohorts with these US and Democracy Haters accepting money and gas from them, and in exchange posed with them in ALBA Meetings, signed statements with them condemning the west, used them to promote his government locally, by bringing Chavez for a few hours to condemn the US from our own shores.

Failure manifests itself

It is true to say that Gonsalves’ foreign policy has failed him and failed us as Vincentians. Exactly how much money did we sell out our integrity for as a nation, allowing Gonsalves to befriend us personally to Ahmedinejad and Gadhaffi and Chavez? Venezuela owes us money for the payments we are making to the Cubans who are supposedly building the airport, more than 12 million up to a count this year, to be reimbursed by Venezuela. But, Gonsalves uttered words in Parliament that essentially mean that we must not be too hasty to look for that money from Venezuela. In light of Chavez’s cancer and the uncertainty of his regime as a result, where are we left? Probably having to write off millions of dollars paid out to the Cubans from local coffers and an economy that needed that money to be spent differently. Gonsalves’ personal relationship with Chavez seems to have fallen off the totem pole in priority. Result: St. Vincent suffers.

No money no motivation When a country is poor, when its people cannot make their ends meet, cannot feed their children, cannot clothe them, cannot send them to school; when the youth and their parents are unemployed, mired in the harsh reality of their circumstances, caught up in drugs, alcohol to disengage themselves, and can see no way out, crime increases. Without money, the government will NOT be able to make the economy grow. Without money, they can pump nothing into the economy at present; they can address none of the social issues; they can give no support to community organizations. St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a depressed, sick patient at the moment, and no motivation can come from the Prime Minister, the lone mouthpiece in the country.

The economy The NDP believes that, in order to develop the country, we must have a vibrant economy. An NDP Administration would undertake the following: establish a Ministry of Private Sector Development; provide adequate legislation and financial support to promote the entrepreneurial culture and spirit of our people; continue to encourage Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in the public and private sectors to achieve the goals of development; establish the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). When we approach National Development from a constituency point of view, then we are more likely to have better results; target the agro-sector to promote an agribusiness sector for export, thereby promoting local resource based industries; regionalize our export activity, especially in agriculture, by planning with our OECS partners annual agriculture production for export; make greater use of our joint venture company’s infrastructure in the UK to export new products.

A better life We advocate that there must be a better way to govern a country. More time must be spent in planning development strategies for the advancement of St Vincent and the Grenadines. We in the NDP promise, that when we come to office again, we will not pretend that we are working for you, and give you words and promises, but will put forward a vision for the country’s development and work towards its achievement.

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. 11.

Views

The best place for the next moment “Not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” Oprah Winfrey, US media mogul. THE LATE MRS. EDNITH PROVIDENCE was the lecturer in the Principles of Education at the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers’ College when I was a student there during the period 1972-1974. Ednith loved teaching and she loved people. She was a multitalented individual who blended her pursuit of teacher training with her interests in wood sculptures and water paints. She could have held her own in any of those fields. She was also a philosopher in her own way. She often paused to share little anecdotes and “saying from the greats” with us during assembly or when we had one-on-one conversations with her. This was not new to her. I vividly recalled her using a similar approach when she was my teacher at the Kingstown Preparatory School many years earlier. She regularly reminded us (students) to know where you are, know where you want to get to, and have a strategy to get there – plan for it; do not depend on wishes or “good luck”. She regularly challenged us to be prepared to work for what you wanted. Where are you now? Are you at the place where you wanted to be? There are many persons who paused to respond to those two linked questions and admitted to themselves that they are where they wanted to be. They are happily married (or happily single). They have obtained the profession of their choice (or they are well on the way to getting there). They are surrounded by friends and loved ones. And the list goes on and on. There are others, on the other hand, who see themselves “still in transit”. Others see themselves being in a “bad place”. This is certainly not where they intended to be at this stage of their lives. Having paused to do the reflection, they have discovered that they do not feel a sense of accomplishment academically, spiritually, socially, emotionally and so on. Some have made mistakes in judgement and are subsequently burdened with guilt and/or remorse. They are unhappy and miserable. There is one common factor in these scenarios — we are here. This is where we are in life. Now, right now, we are here. And while it is not possible to go back into the past and re-write those chapters, we have the future ahead of us. We can make the necessary positive changes. This is the best place for the next moment. Having completed Ednith’s first step, knowing where you are, let us proceed to step two. Let us answer that question, “Where do you want to go?” What are your dreams? What are your ambitions? Where do you want to take your life? What is your next station in the journey of life? Each of us must provide a personal response. There is wisdom in having a multi-dimensional approach to this question. Where do you want to be intellectually (or academically),

socially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually? Since we are not perfect, each of us can think of some aspect of our life that demands a resetting of our goals in at least one of those areas. If you are as imperfect as I am, you will find that the resetting needs to be done in all areas. It is important that we do so as we seek to embrace that concept of always seeking to better our best efforts; embracing an attitude of constantly seeking to improve our performance on all fronts. Let us set some goals. Let us generate some new plans. Let us broaden your horizons. Let us reach beyond who we are now to be who we can be — a better you; a better me. This then brings us to that final step that Ednith proposed; “How do you plan to get there?” As the old people remind us, “If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride.” So we abandon the possibility that we can get there by luck and chance; that we can make it on auto-pilot or by default; that we can get there by wishing. We have to exert some form of energy. We have to commit to trying — making an effort. And as I key in these words, another old saying comes to me, “It is better to try and fail than to have never tried at all.” So we will try. As best we can, we will seek to make these noble dreams real. We will pursue these splendid ideas that we have allowed to resurface. No more will we embrace the self-doubt or entertain the negative persons around us who say that it cannot be done. We have turned a new page. We are writing on a clean sheet of paper now. We are moving forward to win (after sitting on the sideline for so long moping about life). We have identified a new course that we will take or a new skill that we will learn. We will resume our exercise programme or return to that ‘special diet” that had us feeling good about ourselves. We will dust off some old talent that we had unwisely placed in the corner. We will visit that forgotten neighbour, relative, or friend and let them know that we care. We will write that letter or email of encouragement that will cheer up the recipient. We will make that telephone call that will lift the spirit of the person on the other end. Today, we proceed with renewed energy and commitment. Today, we will inspire and encourage. Today, we discard the doubts and fears that kept us back. Today, we join forces with others who are committed to dignified pursuits. Today, we smile at life again, knowing that we are in the best place for the next moment. Send comments, criticisms & suggestions to julesferdinand@gmail.com

London - City of plunder IN A FEW DAYS TIME, the English organizers of the Olympic Games will roll out the red carpet for a multitude of visitors from all over the world. The English will seek to dazzle and impress visitors and athletes with the fabulous sights of the city of London. No doubt, most of these visitors will be awestruck by the sheer massiveness and opulence of many of the buildings and other elements of the infrastructure of London. But before such visitors get too carried away, we would admonish them to ask some hard and piercing questions about the source of the wealth that is behind these wonderful edifices. We would also encourage them to seek out an answer to their questions by looking very carefully at the historical personalities that the British Establishment has chosen to honor and memorialize in their holiest of places - London’s St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminister Abbey and in the many parks and other public spaces dotted across the London landscape. We can assure them that they will find historical personalities such as Sir John Hawkins, Sir Francis Drake, Lord Kitchener, Major Charles George Gordon, Sir Robert Clive, Lord Nelson, Cecil Rhodes, Lord Frederick Lugard, Sir Henry Morgan, Lord Baden - Powell and General Jan Smuts among many other archimperialists and plunderers of the socalled “Third World”. It is not surprising that the British elite have chosen to memorialize these rogues, for it was upon their exertions that the vast wealth of London was built. You see, London, like Paris, Madrid, Lisbon and other European capitals, is really a repository or storehouse of centuries of accumulated loot and plunder that was stolen by the British and other European colonizers from virtually every conceivable corner of the world. This, after all, is the true meaning of the phrase - “the sun never sets on the British Empire.” Indeed, if we wanted to pinpoint the beginning of the British Establishment’s career in international theft of resources, we would have to go as far back as the ‘Third Crusade’ of 1188, when King Richard I of England led a mercenary army to the Middle East and captured and pillaged Cyprus and the town of Jaffa (Present day Tel Aviv.) But perhaps a more poignant starting point for Africans and the Black Africans in the Diaspora would be the year 1564 when Queen Elizabeth I provided Captain John Hawkins with a 700 ton ship and sent him to the West Coast of Africa to burn and destroy the towns, and to capture the black men and women that he found there and reduce them to slavery. This was the beginning of the British organized trans-Atlantic slave trade - an evil, criminal enterprise that delivered untold wealth to the London-based elite. Indeed, the trade in African human beings provided the British

economic elite with a springboard to launch their imperial activities into the rest of the African continent, the Caribbean, North America and South America, Australia, India, China, New Zealand, the Middle East, the islands of the Pacific and Indian oceans, Iran; indeed across the entire world. And it was not merely theft - often it was theft coupled with the most extreme and barbaric violence. Take, for example, the case of Lord Kitchener, the so-called “Conqueror of the Sudan”. In 1898, Lord Kitchener, the so-called “conqueror of the Sudan’ machine-gunners slaughtered 10,000 relatively defenseless Sudanese troops. A British soldier captured the horror of this event in his diary when he recorded - “The many thousands of Mahdists dying and wounded on the battlefield received no aid from the British, who simply turned their backs and marched away........ they called for water and they called for our aid, but our officers spurned them”. But as horrible as this incident was, it probably has to take a back seat to Britain’s decision - in 1839 - to go to war against China because the Chinese government, alarmed at the number of drug addicts that was being created, had dared to attempt to halt the flow of British produced opium into China. After three years of warfare, the Chinese acceded to British terms by opening a number of their ports to the opium trade, paying an indemnity, and ceding the island of Hong Kong to Britain. These are but two horror stories in a long list of atrocities - all committed in the interest of feathering the nests of the political and economic elites of the United Kingdom, headquartered in the capital city of London. However, it behoves the Olympicsbound Caribbean visitor to recall that for 175 years, the British monarchy extracted an onerous 4½ per cent duty on every single item produced in Barbados and shipped from Barbados and other Caribbean islands. Surely, many of those splendid buildings in the heart of London must have been built with the proceeds of this pernicious “thieving” tax. We who suffer so much in these islands may not know that for centuries the Caribbean was known as the most profitable piece of real estate in the world. The profits from these islands built us not only London, but other European capitals. Enjoy the games, sights and sounds emanating from London, but do not harbour historical amnesia. Except for minor additions, this column is based on a statement issued by the Peoples Empowerment Party in Barbados. Send comments, criticisms & suggestions to wefirst@aol.com

12. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN

Opinion

$3.013 billion wasted between 2001-2012

economy and bring in proper, competent management of SVG’s finances. The poor THE TELECOMS COMPANY LIME announced Virtually all that can be seen for the squandered management of finance is the core problem of the country. The ULP regime has shown that they have on Thursday 12 July 2012, a significant downsizing of billions is the Belle Isle jail, three new police severe difficulties in dealing with figures. its workforce in SVG. This downsizing comes at a bad stations, a new electronic gun firing range and an The solution to our country’s stagnation has to be time, with the level of unemployment already at such a unhappy nation. There has been no return on this mass job creation; the significantly high rate of seriously high level and many households struggling to very large sum of money. unemployment is putting far too much pressure on feed their families. It takes a special kind of incompetence to waste the poor and low income families. It is very bad news when companies have to sack over $3 billion. One must be a Doctor of We have millions of gallons of fresh water people. Incompetence to spend over $3 billion and leave our running into the sea every day going to waste, but Between 2001 and 2012, SVG has been in a country as an empty shell with no university, no this water could be exported in bulk tanker loads to sustained period of financial pressure. Under poor factories, no net new creation of jobs, no money create jobs and revenue. To kick-start economic management, our economy has become weaker and circulating, high unemployment, high crime, an growth, we need a fish canning and export factory, weaker, and taxpayers’ money has been agricultural sector in tatters, and thousands of VAT abolished and taxes to be lower, to adopt wasted. The table shows that the ULP regime has people going hungry. greenhouse production of short crops and reduce squandered over $3 billion dollars between 2001 and The Honourable Dr. Ralph Gonsalves is not a imports to create jobs in SVG. 2012. university graduate in finance. He has clearly shown that when it comes to finance and economics, The time has come for a Green revolution and a Green economy driven by science, technology and Budget estimates 2001 to 2012 $2,343,000,000 he is feeling his way in the dark and getting it the creation of new industries, new products and wrong. The most painful thing about this is that NCB fatal overdraft $170,000,000 thousands of new jobs. An SVG Green Party governSVG has so much potential to become a prosperous Estimated ALBA bank loan and $500,000,000 ment will drive poverty from our shores and replace nation, but instead, our people are suffering. Petro-Caribe money it with prosperity and vitality. Mr Ivan O’Neal has a Masters in Budgeting, Total $3,013,000,000 Economic Modelling and Macro Economics. Mr. SVG Green Party O’Neal strongly believes that SVG must adopt a www.svggreenparty.org (Researched by Ivan O’Neal BSc(Hons), MSc, MBA) strong, disciplined structural adjustment of the

Chicks stolen from BCK returned Conroy Huggins, told THE VINCENTIAN that A VERY WICKED and the students who were unconscionable act has scheduled to work with been perpetrated against the birds, turned up at the rincipal, staff and school the next day, students of the Bishop’s Thursday, to officially College Kingstown. begin their School Based The school only Assessment (SBA). All recently, Monday 2nd went well. Yannick July, 2012, had Bacchus, a Fourth Form conducted a launching student and resident of and handing over Pauls Avenue, was ceremony for its chosen to be the careAgricultural Science taker of the chicks Crops and Poultry during the summer Production Project 2011- vacation. 2015. On the morning of For the production of Sunday, 15th, however, crops, a set of tools and when Yannick arrived at seed were handed over the school, he noticed by President Verrol that the poultry pens Young, Chairman of the had been broken into Food Initiative Project of and all the birds, save the Church of Jesus two, had been stolen. He Christ of Latter Day told THE Saints, on that day. As VINCDENTIAN that he far as the poultry immediately reported production was this to an adult on the concerned, a set of birds, compound. The 40 broilers and 30 layers Principal was then called from the Dumbarton and the police was Hatchery, were handed informed. Mr. Huggins over to the school by the reported that it was church, on Wednesday, while on his way to 11th July. church that he received Teacher of the terrible news from Agricultural Science, Mr. Mrs. Cecelia King, the by GLORIAH…

Principal. Members of the Paul’s Avenue community were alerted and a suspect was readily identified. Word spread, and within hours, the suspect gathered up the chicks and eventually Some of the chicks in the pen after returned they were returned by the thief. them. All the layers were experiences and returned, but 15 broilers information right at are still unaccounted for. school. Broiler chicks The police, who were are important in the subsequently informed of Animal Science portion this action, are carrying of the SBA, while the out investigations. layers are important for Before this project the practical segments. came on stream, the Undaunted, the students were taken to students were out in full various farms numbers working on throughout St. Vincent their plots up to press and the Grenadines, time on Wednesday. with the farmers’ permission, in order to The BCK project has complete their SBA’s. also suffered the theft of their agricultural The project had given crops. This ear of corn the opportunity to was left as evidence. receive hands on

Conroy Huggins (left) and Yannick Bacchus standing in front of the pen which shows a broken door.

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. 13.

Commentary

AMES and the ALL:

Questions abound

2011…” It is critical, therefore, that we understand how we (tax payers) could gain from On April 23, 2012, four separate legal actions against the Buccama Bay Resort foreign (pictured) went before High Court Master Georgis Alexander. investments. In the case of a purchaser’s country, a least, Mr. Ames had been test from the United foreign investor like Mr. banker’s reference and negotiating a Kingdom, a banker’s David Ames, land character reference. government waiver of his reference (given his transaction costs provide The acquisition of real obligation under ALL. history of bankruptcy) a very good gauge of the estate does not Secondly, did Mr. Ames and a character revenue value of his automatically grant obtain an ALL reference? Fourthly, how investment. As a citizenship.” “authorization” before recently was Mr. Ames foreign buyer, his costs Having set the the purchase of the granted Vincentian David Ames, Principal of Senator Julian Francis would be fees of about background for Mr. Buccament Bay was nationality? Fifthly and the Harlequin Properties has called on 10.75% - 17.25% of the Ames’s claim to completed? In other the bottom line question Vincentians to promote value of the property he Ltd, developers of the Vincentian nationality words did he have a is whether Mr. Ames was the Buccama Bay Buccama Bay Resorts. is buying: legal fees of and the public “backing” Deed to the land on enabled to maneuver his Resort. 1.50% - 2.00%, of the ruling ULP, the which he carried out way out of or around the registration fee of 0,25%, Vincentian public work? Thirdly, did Mr. Alien Land Holders present, 120 villas are in stamp duty of 5.00% and by LUZETTE KING NEEDS to know firstly, Ames ever satisfy the License to deny the operation, with two five- Alien Land Holders Producer and Host, the veracity of the claim ALL requirement to public purse tax returns storey apartment Global Highlights License (ALL). The that up until 2010, at provide a police clearance on Buccama Bay Resort. buildings still under globalhighlights@gmail.c seller would pay only 5% construction. Each of om stamp duty. In essence, these apartment the people of SVG would “MR AMES … said he was buildings, he said, will have had revenue of recently made a citizen of have 300 or 350 rooms.” about 15.75% - 22.25% of At this point though, St Vincent and has the the value of the backing of the ruling Unity the ACTUAL benefit to Buccament Bay property Vincentian taxpayers can at the time of purchase. Labour Party … .” only be an expert’s So states the British In any case, some of Mr. ‘guestimate’, and with investigative journalist Ames’s costs would be the use of certain legal Jon Austin in a recent offset by tax concessions instruments. Harlequin under the Hotel Aids Act article, ‘WICKFORD MAN AT THE CENTRE Properties Ltd (1988). (Harlequin) has not been OF STORM IN THE If there is merit to the compliant with their CARIBBEAN allegation that as statutory obligation to PROPERTY MARKET’ recently as 2010 Mr. file annual reports and (Echo, Tuesday July 10, Ames was still tax returns to the 2012). negotiating a Commerce and The article occasions government waiver of his questions about the cost Intellectual Property obligations under ALL, Office (CIPO). Between of this “backing” to then Messrs. Francis and 2006 and May 2012, Vincentian taxpayers. Ames have some In fact, a senior Minister Harlequin has filed explaining to do, and annual reports and tax of Government Julian this should be guided by returns only once, 2007- the requirements of the Francis has urged 8. At that time, they Vincentians to look at Alien Land Holders and promote this foreign claim they did not meet Licence: the threshold for paying investment project at “A foreign national Buccament, in the same taxes since their assets who wishes to acquire were no more than way as they would the real estate in St. Vincent EC$4m, and they had no and the Grenadines will Argyle International turnover of more than Airport. “They go hand need an authorization EC$2m. in hand ... They are known as an Alien Land Since then, the report Holding licence as twins. One can’t survive in Echo is that “Buccama stipulated by the laws of without the other, ” Bay … has seen average the country. Once a Francis declares. Further, the potential room rates from tour property has been benefit from this foreign operators increase from selected and prior to a around US$350 (£226) investment project is purchase being per night on opening, to hardly hidden when completed, an application £591 per night.” The Julian Francis is should be made for an claim also is that “The reported in the June 1, Alien Land Holding edition of the Searchlight resort has now been License. This independently valued at application is usually to have said “… the developers have invested approximately made by a lawyer and over EC$400 million into £155million based on an involves a police inspection in July the project, and at clearance from the

14. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN

Youth

Taiwan-SVG youth camp gets going by GLORIAH…

Su-Ying Hsu presents laptop computer to Nigel Scott.

SIX YOUTH AMBASSADORS from the Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology (STUST), will be involved in the 3rd Annual Summer Camp between youths of Taiwan and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The ambassadors, Yang-Ju Chen or ‘Led’, Yu-Hsuan Chiu or ‘Irene’, Ching-Ya Wang or ‘Julia’, Chun-Feng Hung or ‘Roman’, MeiFen Huang or ‘Miriam’ and and Chiao-Ling Chen or ‘Lynn’ were introduced to the public at the Summer Camp’s Opening Ceremony, which was held at the Methodist Church Hall last Monday, 16th, July. These Ambassadors will interact with local youth of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College, learning aspects of each

other’s culture, language, and simply establishing bonds of friendship. For the next two weeks, sessions will be conducted at the College at Villa, and will culminate with a Closing The Taiwanese Youth Ambassadors in cultural wear, performed a number of Ceremony on Friday traditional dances at the opening. 27th July, where the public will be able to see our local youths. “The confidence that the and the STUST, were aspects of what each international exchange exchanges among the handed over to Mr. Scott group would have learnt programme,” he said, participants will render of the Community from the other. “gives the ambassadors long lasting information College, as a gesture of the opportunity to and friendships. friendship. Endorsements understand the culture of Minister of Tourism, Leader of the our country.” Sports and Culture, Hon. ambassadorial At the Opening Mr. Gordon Shallow, Cecil Mc Kie, also shared delegation, Su-Ying Hsu Ceremony, remarks were President of the SVGsimilar sentiments. said ASUS has worked made by a number of Taiwan Alumni Additionally, he wished hand in hand with individuals, each of Association, expressed the Ambassadors a STUST, hence the whom endorsed the unambiguous wonderful stay in SVG, realization of the gifts. programme. enthusiasm for the camp inviting them to partake The gifts, she said, is a Ambassador of the which he described as of what we have to offer friendly gesture that will Republic of China on having established itself here. help to deepen the Taiwan, H. E. Weber V. as a tradition between relationship between the B. Shih, expressed his the two countries. Friendship gesture two countries. delight that, yet another Deputy Director of the Mr. Scott accepted the year, a group of SVG Community College, At the function, a laptops, assuring that Taiwanese young people Mr. Nigel Scott, also lent quantity of six laptops, they will be used in each have come to these his support for the camp courtesy the Taiwanese of the four campuses of shores to interact with and registered his computer giants, ASUS the College.

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. 15.

Arts

Rowland ÂScrapieÊ Dopwell:

50 Years of Mas Rowland ‘Scrapie’ Dopwell today.

by KARISSA CLARKE

more.” He is now known to be associated with SVG Players International, but ‘Scrapie’ recalls the band he played with in that year, 1977, as being themed ‘Artistique’ under Band Leader Eddison ‘Sheggy’ John. “What I really want people to know is that I got my career from playing Carnival — I remember Lennox ‘Skully’ Hunt, he gave me my start. I started building for his band, and when I left school and couldn’t find a job, I went to him and he had sketches of 3 earrings that he was showing to a friend. I came upstairs, made the earrings and he gave m $15. Until then I hadn’t realized that art could work like that. And now Art is my life.”

50 years of Mas – “Times Change”

WELL KNOWN VINCENTIAN MAS MAN, JEWELER, CRAFTS MAN AND ARTIST EXTRAORDINAIRE Rowland ‘Scapie’ Dopwell celebrated 50 years of participation in Carnival this Vincy Mas. THE VINCENTIAN sat down with Dopwell for an interview to get some insight into his experiences after 50 years of Mas. ‘Scrapie’ as he appeared in SVG Players Internation 2012 ‘Come Fly with Me.’

The Beginning ‘Scrapie’ grew up in a mas environment and his first real experience came in 1962. “I was 8 and for the first 2 years, I played what we call Indian Mas.” But his more vivid earliest memories began at the age of 10 when he played Junior King of Carnival, then known as ‘Prince of Carnival’. “ Back then, all first place contenders were brought on stage to be judged. I remember I won and shouted excitedly at my friends. In those times the winner got to sit with the Carnival Queens on Carnival Tuesday, but I didn’t really want that, I wanted to be in the middle of the Mas!” In time, his love for arts and carnival grew, and he assumed the nickname ‘Scrapie’ arising out of a childhood habit of carving and scraping his imaginings into the simplest of things.

all the old materials and make a costume from all the recycled materials that year.” He also observes a lack of innovation. “We cannot allow ourselves to get lazy. What carnival needs is a difference. If you line up all the bands ‘Scrapie’ plays a page boy (2nd from right) in that pass through Kingstown and remove the ‘Fairy Tales’. section and band banners, could you tell the difference?” And for Scrapie’s future in Mas and craft he Dopwell remembers a “tamer and safer” carnival says: “I see myself continuing until it’s done, until during his youth. “I can remember the rope that I’m done. Art is my life. Carnival is our biggest they would use as a barrier to keep people out of the cultural festival, we have to look at it like that.” mas bands, Now anyone can just rush in.” THE VINCENTIAN congratulates Dopwell on 50 As far as costume designs are concerned, he said, years of artistry and contribution to Vincentian “The costumes are so much skimpier. I remember Culture and looks forward to seeing him decked out in 1968 when we did ‘Fairy Tales, the queen was in costume for 2013. “Carnival gave me my start” dressed in a long, long dress down to her ankles and that was what we called mas! But now carnival for ‘Scrapie’ continued to play mas, but also honed women is dressing skimpy, and I guess I his artistic and craft skills. understand.” When asked which year would have been his On the question of change, Scrapie who has favourite, he said without a second thought, “1977 himself been through many changes in his life, was the best! There was a changeover of Carnival, including the loss of most of his sight, says “I accept and ‘town’ was set up differently . We had more it, I might not appreciate everything about Mas time to plan, and we could enjoy the mas and create that’s changed, but I accept it.” Emphatically he says “I don’t complain, I give God the Glory, because despite all that has happened, I know that people love me. The only thing is that these days we often take people like me for granted, the Mas men are forgotten.”

“Art is my Life” – Looking to the Future

‘Scrapie’ Dopwell designed and played this costume : ‘The Sun God’.

Looking to the future, ‘Scrapie’ candidly states that he thinks there is still work to be done on Carnival. “There’s work to be done in terms of management of the Carnival. We need to showcase art in its entirety.” The craftsman that he is, he believes craftsmen need to be seen and showcased more just as “ our own culture needs to be showcased more.” Giving some insight into his imagination, he told of his observation that Mas Bands often waste many of their pieces on a yearly basis and should find ways to recycle. “What I had planned to do one year before I lost my sight was to use

‘Scrapie’ in a 1960s African Band.

16. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. 17.

18. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN

Entertainment

ÂTop Notch SwiftÊ showing maturity by COLIN KING

a very impressive study in discipline and a careerKellon ‘Top Notch Swift’ oriented, goal setting Belgraves is a young man. powerhouse. His resume is He studied in Florida

and has an Associate Degree in sound engineering, and honed his D.J’ing skills under D.J. Clint and Julian ‘Ju

Ju’ Payne. His work on radio began at Nice Radio, April 4, 1998, from which he ‘graduated’ to Hitz

FM where he was not only an on-air personality, but also a production assistant. ‘Top Notch Swift’ is also a performing artiste. Some of his hits include ‘Water,’ a typical innuendo song, and the very impressive cover of complement to P’Tani Brah’s ‘Put um hyah, and rack with Brah’, a song reminiscent of the early direction of soca. His participation in a 2008 H20 Soca Wet Fete, 14th June 2008, was a memorable event. This writer finds it surprising that his offering, ‘Chipping’, for this year’s carnival, met with a lukewarm response. It is clever lyrically, e.g. ‘Chippin a woman with iron’, and musically has elements of spooge and soca. ‘Top Notch Swift’ seems to be growing out of an immaturity. In 2008 for example, and 2010, one sensed a sort of fatalistic abandon in the music he chose to play. Now, 2012, his choice is of an expose type, read- between-thelines approach, and an improved sense of responsibility. Maybe he has been taking note of some of this writer’s comments in the press- on media harming young people with negative programming codes in the music played on air. Subject to correction,

the word from some quarters is that ‘Top Notch Swift’ is engaged to be married. If this be true, maybe he will soon be thinking of how the very music he plays and/or performs as part of his job and maybe contractual obligations, affects his own children. Here is a general tip for listeners to radio in SVG: All things done in moderation, can be educational and beneficial. ‘Top Notch Swift’, must be applauded for his sense of discipline, commitment, and the superstar energy quality he brings to his every endeavour.

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. 19.

News

Sister Thomas receives donations on behalf of the Layou Clinic.

Layou Clinic gets medical supplies THE EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS of the Layou Neighbourhood Watch handed over medical supplies valued at over US$800, to the Layou Health Center on Monday, July 16, 2012. Area representative, Maxwell Charles, was present at the short

ceremony which also included members of the public. The supplies were secured as a donation from two US companies by the current secretary, Mrs. Stephanie Scott. Other board members present were Carlton

Browne â&#x20AC;&#x201D; President, Freddie Barbour â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Treasurer, and Hermus Patrick. The items in the package were: blood pressure monitors, stethoscopes, digital thermometers, nebulizing machine,

oxygen masks, kidney dishes, hydrogen peroxide, antibiotic ointment, alcohol prep pads, band aids, bandages and sanitizers. Receiving on behalf of the clinic were Sister Thomas and Staff Nurse Browne.

20. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN

Opinion

Help!!! SVG Calypso Competition 2012 Editor’s Note: Dorbrene O’Marde, Antiguan, is a producer, songwriter and lobbyist for the performing arts (calypso included). He has written numerous African, Caribbean influenced plays, and his work with and for calypso has been as songwriter, producer and editor of the popular calypso magazine ‘Calypso Talk’. He has also judged the national calypso competitions in Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Barbados, Montserrat and St. Kitts and Nevis. HE IS ALSO a major contributor to the development of the Caribbean region’s cultural policy. THE VINCENTIAN is honoured to have him share his impressions of the 2012 National Calypso Competition and by extension, the state of calypso in this country. I arrived at ten to seven p.m. The radio announcers said seven, so too did the official poster of the St Vincent and Grenadines calypso competition. I was a guest on the NICE Radio commentary team and did not risk lateness. There were perhaps ten patrons on the grounds; the bars not yet open. The show started at sevenfifty-three, fifty-three minutes late. The crowd was sparse. Calypso seemed to be losing its grip on and appeal to the Vincentian public — as in Antigua and Barbuda and so many of our Caribbean countries. (Poorsah, Man Zangie, Sunny

Banks, Abijah, Reality, Fya Empress, Zion-I, Joy-C, Bro. Ebony, Bump-I) vs. King Tajoe: The judges were directed to score as follows - Lyrics/30, Melody/30, Originality/10, Rendition/20, Presentation/10 — interesting, but I always wonder why the total points awarded to a calypso must add to one hundred (100). The award of less than one third of the points to lyrics perhaps presaged the quality of calypsoes we were to hear later. Barbadian columnist Ridley Greene (The Nation, 11th July 2012) suggests that ‘songs must make sense: argue a point, beg a favour, tell a story’. Herein lies part of the challenge that our calypsonians fail. Today their main challenge is ‘originality of thought’; they fail the lyrical excitement and relevance tests. Calypso can no longer be ‘the editorial in song’ as Duke famously sang. There is no shortage of editorials in the country — three newspapers in the country and endless call-in programmes on the electronic media provide instant editorial reporting, hourly. Calypso has also surrendered its ‘dance’ role to the soca artists, and is becoming reluctant to explore new melodies and rhythms. It only now occasionally challenges for road march. Fya Empress’ ‘True Vincy’ with its experimental rhythm was therefore unusual in this competition.

Returning to relevance

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The vehicle to take calypso back to relevance is ‘lyrics’. It is lyrical structure of the song that tends to determine its melody. This is not a rule — some writers start with melodies. Unless they are very creative — musically, a melodic sameness however permeates their work. Writers on the other hand, who work around standard lyrical structures, tend to produce standard melodies. (Of course - there are exceptions!). The sameness of lyrical structure and melody lessens the award for originality. The adherence to theme and its development, the use of language and its tools, and the distribution of material between verse and chorus are important considerations in the assessment of ‘lyrics’. The spirit of calypso is rooted in its history - it has always been anti-establishment, though not stupidly so; the good use of the masque and humour has always enhanced lyrical composition and communication. A martyred Zion-I is of no value to SVG calypso.

Unexciting melodies Sunny Banks’ interpretation of the man/woman relationship done through long verses and short chorus of ‘Violence against men’ was interesting. His use of humour and imagery was evident also in his ‘Put your money where your mouth is’, but the latter never came alive. He had problems with his timing, and his calypso styling was not particularly strong. The SVG Competition offered few adventurous lyrical structures, and therefore, few exciting melodies. There were echoes of the melodies of popular standards sprinkled across the competition. Very few of the songs told arresting stories or argued points convincingly. Most did not beg original favours. Most addressed familiar and ‘safe’ topics — there were at least four songs about man/woman relationships, These facts alone ruled out fifty percent of the contenders, leaving Poorsah, Fya Empress, Zion-I, Joy-C and Brother Ebony as contenders for the crown. Judges included Tajoe in this forerunner’s group, inexplicably.

Rendition and presentation Two other elements are important in judging — the performance/rendition and the presentation. Calypso is a sung artform; those who master the calypso style of singing tend to get higher points for rendition. Fya Empress, in a singing style (Singing Sandra) now popular among Trinidad female singers, outscores all others, but Poorsah is also an excellent singer of calypso, as is Joy-C. Fya Empress’ presentations were thoughtful and tasteful. Poorsah and Brother Ebony surrendered points here. Zion-I’s solo performances were energetic. African people ‘see’ music. The visual is always critical in their assessment of the quality of musical performance. Confusing visuals therefore detract. Tajoe forfeited points in this category, getting lost, occasionally, in his own props. Calypso kings do not make those mistakes. Zion-I (’26 Years’ and ’I brave’) excited the crowd, eagerly awaiting some excitement, some hint of daring and backbone, some stray from the safe lyric. His remedies for corruption and incompetence in ‘the leadership’ might be questionable in democratic society, but at least he demonstrated the spunk that made calypso the powerful socio-political expression it

still is. But his melodies were common and his diction/clarity/rendition was mediocre only. Zion-I’s line of direct defiance gratefully reveals that calypso has not lost the relentless battle pitched by the establishment to relieve it of its revolutionary elements. Unfortunately judges - who genuinely love calypso have become agents for the neutering. Their decisions as to ‘what is best’ influence the thinking of composers and therefore, the lyrical content and direction of the artform. Joy-C rendered two credible performances. Her ‘Under his thumb’ took a different view on the male/female relationships, and she delivered it with near perfect diction and clarity. Her ‘Implementation a must’ however never developed into ‘the calypso’. It remained as an essay, academic and not very appealing. Fya Empress’ ‘I am Woman’ never developed beyond the string of clichés and statements of the obvious, but her performance was superb and the arranger’s use of horns brought life to a simple but infectious melody. Her ‘True Vincy’ carried two themes in its soca structure and should not have scored highly for its lyrics or its originality. Brother Ebony’s ‘Nothing at all’ was without doubt the most clever composition of the night, and his Valentino delivery style enhanced the pitiful nature and lack of ownership in his life. His ‘Ladder of Success’ worked, but philosophical calypsoes tend not to do well in competition unless they are brilliant. Poorsah produced a balanced overall performance with his ‘Oneness’ and ‘Woman for Loving’. The concept of moving to ‘oneness’ in the former was original and interesting. The treatment of the man/woman relationship in his second tune did not echo the politically-correct interpretations experienced in other similarly themed compositions, and judges may have inadvertently judged his lyrics as ‘reactionary’. Calypso and song generally should not be judged primarily by ‘what is said’ but ‘how it is said’. Calypsonians must hold the right to express their own opinions, even though they are at odds with popularly held notions. His exclusion from the top three of the competition came as a surprise. Another panel of judges may have even crowned him.

Intervention for improvement Without doubt, there is need for official [and other] interventions to improve the standards of calypso performance. Calypso is a cultural product that has helped define our Caribbean identity, our way of life. It is one of our important contributions to world culture. Its performance must be supported - even by the Governments and Carnival Development Committees that it relentlessly attacks. After all, Opposition Parties and officials are afforded - from taxpayers’ money offices and vehicles and official protection and financial subventions to function in their constitutional roles. Calypso should be treated no differently in its traditional roles. History can be inculcated. Singing skills can be developed. Dramatic presentation can be taught. Lyricists can be trained. Judges too! Dorbrene E. O’Marde Antigua and Barbuda doromarde@gmail.com

Leisure

ARIES (Mar. 21- April 20) You will be in the doghouse if you are being. Emotional matters may not be easy for you to handle. Leave your checkbook and credit cards at home. Abstain from getting involved with married individuals. TAURUS (Apr. 21- May 21) Make any decisions you have to in order to avoid feeling unsettled. Things are looking good for you, so open your eyes and get to it. Your health may suffer if you don't control your present situation. Romantic encounters will develop through group activity. GEMINI (May 22-June 21) Deception in your home is evident. Don't beat around the bush. You may have the energy to clear up that mound of paperwork facing you. Romance can surface if you get into some of those fitness programs you've been putting off. Self-deception regarding your own worth may lead you down the wrong path. CANCER (June 22-July 22) Try to be tolerant of the moods of those around you. You may need the space, but you need the extra cash more. You may have difficulties finishing projects you start. However, be careful with luggage; it may be rerouted. LEO (July 23-Aug 22) Relatives will not agree with the way you are dealing with your personal problems. Be diplomatic and honest, and that person will only be made to look bad. Do things for them but don't allow them to make unreasonable requests. You can make extra cash if you act on a hunch. VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23) You will meet new romantic partners if you get involved in seminars or travel. You should catch up on correspondence. If you join intellectual or cultural groups, you should meet individuals who stimulate you. Opportunities to make money may interfere with your personal plans.

LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23) Travel will promote new romantic en counters. Secret affairs may be tempting. Direct your energy into physical entertainment. Your business sense will be leading you in a direction that indicates more travel and communication. SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) Pursue outdoor activities or any physical exertion. You can receive recognition for the work you've done. Talk about your intentions and confirm that you both feel the same way. Don't let your emotions interfere with your professional integrity. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21) Go out with close friends who understand your situation and your needs. You will have no problem getting your point across to those in a position to help you. Lack of funds may add stress to your already uncertain situation. Try to make your lover understand that you need to do things with your friends. CAPRICORN (Dec 22.- Jan. 20) Ideas may sound good, but be careful if people are just looking for handouts. Travel in pursuit of pleasure and knowledge. You have worked hard and the payback is now. You can expect changes in your financial situation as well as in your status. AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 -Feb. 19) Help elders in your family. An older member of your family may have left you with a pressing situation. Don't consume more than necessary. Be sure to think twice before you say something that might hurt your partner's feelings. PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20) Opportunities for love will develop while traveling or while attending religious functions. You may want to take a look at courses offered at a local institute. Before you proceed be sure to talk your plans over with those they will affect. A lack of support and negativity have been the main problems.

ACROSS

Cline 42. Salon serv ice 1. Takes a chair 44. Ship’s 5. Fan’s cry freight 8. “Masterpiece 46. Edison’s Theatre initials network 47. __ St. (abbr.) Vincent 11. “__ the Millay light!” 49. Greek god (2 wds.) of war 12. Currency 52. Building unit on Italy extension 13. Jackie O’s 53. Singer second McEntire husband 54. Rivals 14. The __ of 55. Dorothy’s Avon aunt et al. 15. Cleft 56. Min. part 16. Heartless 57. Receive Romeo wages 17. Govern 19. Makes DOWN inquiries 21. Smug smile 1. Bro, to sis 23. One, in Berlin 2. “The Lady __ Tramp” (2 24. Wheel wds.) center 3. Ivan the __ 25. NYC 4. Passover waterway feast (2 5. Devastate wds.) 5. Dog’s sound 31. Painter’s 7. Type of medium popcorn 33. Hockey popper (2 great wds.) Bobby __ 8. Prepare for a 34. Become trip fatigued 9. Lingerie 35. False purchases shows 10. Funnyman 38. Ripken of Caesar Coopers12. Energy unit town 18. Alibi __ 39. Pub bever 20. Peevish age mood 40. Singer

21. Go market ing 22. Naturalist John 23. To be (Fr.) 26. Tops (2 wds.) 27. Fourth-year students (abbr.) 28. Former British queen 29. Significant periods 30. Trust 32. Get top billing 36. Mr. Fudd et al. 37. When crocuses bloom (abbr.)

41. Tequila source 42. Florida tree 43. Congers 44. Financial market channel 45. Drivers’ org.

LAST WEEK’s SOLUTION

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. 21.

46. Golfer’s device 48. Poor grade 50. Always, in verse 51. 9-digit item (abbr.)

22. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN

Advice

Getting the silent treatment treatment since. I always told her that I would I HAVE A PROBLEM which I never lie to her, and she must never accuse me of did not expect to have at anything that I did not do, all. This problem has me especially when she and my girlfriend at war. cannot produce any She is not talking to me evidence of it. I am very and, as a result, I have taken a position not to talk upset over the fact that she does not take my word to her as well. as truth, and also because The problem started she has no basis to make when one night we were the accusation she made. in bed together doing our I am not guilty of what thing, when she accused me of calling my ex wife’s she said I did, and Im not name. I immediately told sure how much longer I her that I did not call her can continue like this. We name, and told her exactly have been together for 6 years and lived in the what I said. She refused to believe me, and insisted same house for the past 3 years. that I mistakenly called my ex wife’s name, and Hurt proceeded to push me off of her and turned her back Dear Hurt, in vexation. I told her three times what it was It is not a good feeling that I said, but to no to have when you are avail. She left the house accused wrongfully, and I right after and did not enter into your feelings. return for several hours. However, what this boils When she came back, she went completely silent down to is your word against hers, and in such and has been giving me a case, the benefit of the that same silent Dear George,

doubt has to be given to someone. The fact that you are absolutely certain you did not do what she said you did, and she has refused to give you the benefit of the doubt, could be an indication that there are trust issues that are unresolved in the relationship. Whatever those issues are, you need to discuss them. The silent war that now exists will not help the relationship, and if the plan here is to be together, then there needs to be

dialogue between you two. You need to also find out why is it she cannot take your word as truth, or what is it exactly that she is afraid of as it relates to your ex wife. It is incumbent on you to reopen the dialogue and speak directly to the issue. If that does not work and you want the relationship to continue, then I suggest you both seek professional help. It makes no sense to be in a relationship where there is no trust. George

Living with a nagging wife Dear George, WOULD YOU WANT to be with a woman who nags you night and day and who refuses to cook your meals (not that I am ordering her to do so ) and who refuses to sleep with you night or day? Would you want to live with a woman who carries your

Sexual inactivity brings problem choice. I am upset with him because he wanted to literally jump on me I AM SEEING this guy during the time I was now for the past 14 menstruating, and when I months, and since refused to allow that, he meeting him, I have become very settled in my almost physically hurt mind. We have been good me. He lifted his hand to together so far, except for hit me, and ended up pushing me away, causing this one problem which has me terribly upset with me to stumble, nearly hitting my head on the him. bedroom dresser. He During the time we have been together, there scared me stiff, George! I am having second has not been much sexual thoughts about this guy activity, and that is by now, but I just want to hear your day with this woman. How do I get out of this hell hole? views on it. Dear George,

business on the street every chance she gets, and who looks for every reason to find you in fault, a woman who makes noise with you if you talk to any other woman besides her? Well, I am living with such a woman, and she is my wife of nine years. It has been the worst nine years of my life! I have not been saying anything because I believe in keeping those kind of stuff within the marriage. I am not a happy man, and I have not been since I married this woman. People think she is such a wonderful woman, and I have decided not to embarrass her by telling them who she is exactly. My wife does not sleep with me! To be honest, I can count the number of times she has slept with me in any one year! Every day, it is just cursing and nagging for every little ‘stupidness’. It is driving me crazy. Now I know why her mother asked me if I was sure I wanted to marry her daughter. I did not make much of it then, but now I know. I do not think I can live one more

Jim Boy

Scared

Dear Jim Boy,

Dear Scared,

You have me wondering why you waited nine years to get the help you need. You should have spoken out earlier. It would be useful to reflect on the reasons why you married her and to know why she married you. That’s a good place to begin. Learning how to be a wife or husband is a process and from time to time, we all need help with this process in order to make it work. I am suggesting that you immediately get some marital counselling to help you work through the problems you outlined. You may be surprised to learn that she is not totally responsible for the way things are. To answer your question: No, I would not want to live with a woman like that, but I would want to find out why is she like that, and that is why I would seek marital counselling.

Time eventually reveals who we are, and in your case, it has revealed some important information about your boyfriend. You do not want to get any further in a relationship with a man who is that unreasonable, and who has shown that he has no problem with striking you if the situation (in his assessment) calls for it. Your relationship has the potential for domestic violence, and you should look at that very closely. Frankly, I think you have seen enough.

George

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. 23.

Business

Karib Cable promo ends

MS. MAURESSA DELECIA is the final prize winner in Karib Cable’s ‘Come Celebrate and Win’ promotion. Delecia, who resides in New Montrose, collected two tickets to the Miss Carival Show, and Karib Cable related merchandise as her prizes.

“I feel real good to have finally won something, but this wouldn’t have been possible without the efforts Karib Cable has been doing to give back to the public,” said Ms. Delecia as she collected her prizes. “I will give one of the tickets to a friend of mine so that

both of us can go to the show and enjoy ourselves.” Vance Garraway, Karib Cable Marketing Executive, labeled the ‘Come Celebrate and Win’ promotion as yet another way of his company thanking their loyal customers for supporting Karib Cable

Right: Mauressa Delecia (centre) with the Carib Kable girls.

products throughout the years. He assured that there will be many other promotions throughout the year, in which customers can sign up to any one of Karib Cable’s services and win fantastic prizes in the process.

24. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. 25.

Youth

Girl Guides host song and dance competitions By Gloriah… THE JUNIOR COUNCIL of the Girl Guides Association of SVG hosted its Clash of the Choirs and Brownies Dance Off competitions last Friday, 13th July, at the Methodist Church Hall in Kingstown. The song competition was in The No 11 Girls’ High School doing their winning choice piece for choirs. its second year while the dance contest was an inaugural one. and a greater variety of moves in their Chosen Piece The Clash of the Choirs competition was among Kingstown Preparatory School – winners of the the Girl Guides and Ranger companies, and it saw a and was adjudged 2nd place. Third place went to the Kingstown Anglican Brownies. Set Piece contest for Brownies. total of four Guide companies and one Ranger company taking part: 1st Kingstown Guide Company (GHS), No. 3 Kingstown Guide Company (GHS), No. 10 Kingstown Guide Company (HIS), No. 11 Kingstown Guide Company (GHS), and No. 17 Ranger Unit. The Dance Off featured Brownies only, and three Packs participated: The Kingstown Anglican Brownie Pack, the Kingstown Preparatory Brownie Pack, and the St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Brownie Pack.

Competition rules Each competition had a set piece to be sung by all in the competition, and a chosen piece. The Set Piece for the choirs was the Michael Jackson-Lionel Richie written ‘We Are The world’, and the Set Piece for the dance was ‘Move Ya Body, sung by Beyonce. The choirs were to have a minimum of six singers for both pieces. The Brownies were allowed a minimum of ten dancers for the test piece and only three for the chosen piece. The choirs, in their Set Piece, showed a variety of interpretations of the song. Some groups used a number of solo acts while others concentrated on solos. For the chosen piece, some groups employed combinations of different genres and adding dramatic antics. Songs ranged from: ‘Gone Too Soon”, a version of Michael Jackson’s song in tribute to past Commissioner, Mrs. Althea Commissiong; a medley of hip hop tunes including ‘A Hopeless Place’ and ‘I Believe I Can Fly’.

Choir competition After a superb presentation in Round One, the No. 11 Kingstown Guide Company gave a stellar performance with their ‘African Culture’ medley. It was clear that this group, last year’s overall winner, had come back to do the double. They had it all — the attention-grabbing introduction, the proper unified swaying, the awesome costume and the voices. They placed first. No. 1 was the exact opposite in song choice, with a smooth, stereotypical, yet absolutely great rendition of ‘Gone Too Soon’. They placed second. In third position was the No 17 Ranger Unit who tried an experiment with R+B and rap. All in all, the competition unearthed a wealth of talent and has proven to be an excellent avenue for the Girl Guide membership to get their talents noticed.

Dance competition The three Brownie Packs danced their way through the Set Piece, wowing the audience as they took their tiny bodies through every manoeuvre. It was clear that each girl was having a ball. Some of the moves, however, were too adult for the age group of the children. It would have been more appropriate had there been a succession of ‘girlie’ moves, choreographed for each group. The Kingstown Preparatory Brownie Pack came closest to this ideal in both rounds of the competition. They won the Set Piece contest. The St. Mary’s R. C. Brownie pack showed more energy

26. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012 . 27.

All aboard for 2013 BARRING ANY UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, the entire St Vincent and the Grenadines Under-23 netball team, victors in the 2012 ECCB/OECS tournament which climaxed in Grenada last week Wednesday, will be available for the 2013 tournament in Antigua and Barbuda. St Vincent and the Grenadines played unbeaten in Grenada to claim the OECS title for the thirteenth time out of the twenty- two occasions in which the tournament was staged. Coach of the St Vincent and the Grenadines team, Godfrey Harry, believes that more titles are on the horizon, and was always confident of the title. “We kept rallying the team, pressing them; I know the other managers were sort of disgusted with the way I was handling our team, as I was very vocal and everybody knows me by now; that is my style, I wanted the girls to stay focused, and it paid off for us, and will continue to

pay off for us, as long as I am around and the Association decides to use me, that is how it is going to be,” Harry said. Harry singled out Mary Ann Frederick, who played goal attack in the last match, and Delonie Sam, who played goal defence and was able to nullify any threat by the tall Ronelle Morton of St Kitts. “ We have a lot of talented have to search within themselves and do some more developmental work, and to ensure they move to the next level,” Harry cited. Harry is among a list of coaches who have been in charge of the U-23 team since Rose Clair Hall in 2007. Others in the interim were Nichole Sandy in 2008 and 2010, Joan Foster Baynes in 2009 and Skiddy Francis Crick in 2011. President of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Netball Association, Dellarice Duncan, said she wanted the team to

stay

together as they will form the core of the senior team in the future. As far as the Tournament was concerned, the Vincentians beat the 2011 winners and 2012 1st runner-up St Kitts, 47-42, in the deciding match. The Vincentian girls, voted the best defensive The victorious SVG Under-23 SVG Netball team. team, scored 371 goals and conceded 181, in their six Inset: Godfrey Harry, coach of the SVG Under-23 Netball team. matches. Mary Ann Frederick St Kitts was the team with Grenada. was her team’s top shooter the best shooting average, and The best centre court player with 259 from 291; Shelisa was Kittitian Kerisha Stephens, Montserrat, the most disciplined Davis had 51 from 65 and team. and the player of the Rochelle Franklyn 61 of her 84 Others placing in the tournament, Christa Stephens attempts. tournament were: Grenada of Grenada. But the most accurate third, S. Lucia fourth, Dominica St Vincent and the shooter was Ronelle Morton of fifth, Antigua and Barbuda St Kitts, with the best defender Grenadines’ most valuable sixth and Montserrat seventh. player was Bownie Allicott. being Denise Cameron of

Small Goal Football Tournament opens THE ST. VINCENT BREWERY/ Rose Hall Small Goal Football Tournament was officially opened on Saturday 14th, at the Rose Hall playing field. The opening ceremony witness the march past from some of the teams registered to compete, after which there were brief remarks from notable persons in the community, followed by a cultural performance from Tevin Samuel. Organizer of the Tournament, Kenville Horne, in his feature address, stated that the objective of the tournament “is to assist and develop youth football in the community, and in so doing, stamp out the chances of idleness among the youths and young men.” Even as he expressed disappointment with the number of sponsors for the event, citing the need for help with transportation and equipment, Horne was in high praise for the St. Vincent Brewery Limited for “quick and generous response to the call for assistance, in spite of the economic down turn. We have therefore found it fitting to name the tournament in their honor.” Assistance also came from the SVG Football Federation, the Sports Division and Premier Distributors. Horne singled out the playing field in Rose Hall for scrutiny, saying that there was a committee entrusted with the responsibility for maintenance of the field, “yet the condition of the field was a case for concern.” He appealed to those in authority to consider the development of the

Action in the U-15 clash between Layou and Rose Hall on an unkept Rose Hall playing field. Action in the Senior Division match between Fonado Forces and Future Legend. community. The journalist and coach, who is employed with THE VINCENTIAN newspaper, also urged the footballers to show respect for the referee’s decision, and encouraged persons to support the tournament. Twelve teams are registered to participate in the Tournament: six in

Inset: Kenville Horne, Tournament Organizer, made the state of the Rose Hall field a feature of his address. the Under-15 division and six in the senior division. Teams will come from Layou, Barrouallie, Troumaca , Rose Hall, Chateaubelair and Fitz Hughes. In one of the two opening matches,

Layou defeated Rose Hall 1 nil in an Under-15 encounter, Aaron Thomas being the lone goal scorer. In the other match, a Senior Division clash between Fonado Forces and Future Legend, the former had a 1 nil victory, Kesron Browne scoring the lone goal. Games will be played every Saturday and Sunday, with the finals expected on August 5th.

28. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN

Sports

SVG Olympic team named

Panam Games in Mexico, hence, received a universality qualification, otherwise referred to as a wild card selection. The athletics coach is Kittitian Tolga Ackayli Fitzroy Francis, and the swimming coach is Vincentian Neisha Alexander. Jacintha Ballantyne, Treasurer of Team Athletics SVG and the NOC, is the Chief of Mission; Leroy Llewellyn, Vice President of Team Athletics SVG, is the Team Manager; and Keisha Sutherland, Secretary of Team Athletics SVG, is the chaperone. Earlier it was announced that Basil Charles will Kineke Alexander continue his role as the team’s attaché to this the TRACK ATHLETES Kineke Alexander and XXX Olympiad. Courtney Williams, and swimmer Tolga The Olympic Games run Ackayli are heading for the 2012 London from 27th July to 12th Olympics. August. The three were named as this Courtney Williams country’s participants by the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of St Vincent and the Grenadines last Friday. President of the NOC, Trevor Bailey, made the announcement. Alexander will participate in the 400M female, and Williams, the 100M men. Ackayli will do the 50M freestyle. None of the athletes made the A or B standards, but were given spots under the IAAF rules. Ackalyi got the nod because of his participation in the 2010 FINA world championships in Shanghai and the

Peters’ effort earns Saints points KENROY PETERS, gearing up for the Winlott 20/20 tournament next month, propelled Saints to first innings points over Police One in a drawn game of the NLA Premier Division cricket competition on the weekend, with a good all-round performance. Police One batting first, made 129. Randy Yorke led with 43. Kenroy Peters played a Bowling awards went captain’s role with 67 and to Sunil Ambris, three match figures of 7 for 73. for 32,and Kenroy Peters, three for 33. Saints, in their only innings, made 216 for six declared. Kenroy Peters topscored with 67, and Imran John hit 49. Renford Jack, two for 35, and Wendell Corridon, two for 47, were the main wicket takers for Police One. Batting a second time, Police One were 112 for eight at the close. Bertille Davis made a topscore of 30, and Athwell John 27. Kenroy Peters bagged four for 40, Sunil Ambris two for 16 and Dominic Audain two for 25. This weekend, Victors will face Radcliffe at Arnos Vale Two in the NLA Premier Division. In the NLA First Division, Smashers oppose Victors Two at Stubbs, Sion Hil face Belmont at Buccament, and Bryden’s Frutee Youth United take on Radcliffe Too at North Union. I.B.A.ALLEN

SVG, Grenada head U-19 standings SVG AND GRENADA were front runners on 16 points each following comfortable wins in the second round of matches in the Windward Islands Under-19 cricket tournament in Dominica. Following their no decision match against Grenada in the first round, SVG secured full points after beating hosts Dominica by an innings and 33 runs in their second. Batting first, Dominica were dismissed for 95. Jerlano Robinson topscored with 46 and Kimiah Straun hit 21 not out. Ray Jordan grabbed 5 for 36 and Kenneth Dembar 4 for 22. SVG replied with 252. Gidron Pope continued his prolific form from the West Indies Under-17 tournament in Tobago last week, when he hit 58. He was joined among the runs by Kenneth Dembar, 54, and Kimran Kwashi who topscored with 60. Brian Nelcy took 3 for 54 and Ian Lewis 2 for 43. In their second innings,

Dominica were bowled out for 124. Jerlani Robinson led with 25, Gian Benjiman 21, and Ordel Hamilton 20. Kenneth Dembar took 4 for 49 and Andrew Thomas 3 for 15. Grenada also recorded their first win when they defeated St Lucia by 128 runs. Grenada’s win was centered on Roland Cato’s century, the first of the tournament, as they piled up 181. Cato hit 101 not out, and was supported by Chris Greenidge 27. Shelton Arneau took 3 for 18 and Canis Richardson 3 for 36. St Lucia stuttered to 83 all out, Walter Emmanuel leading with 20. Preston McQueen took 4 for 23. Grenada declared their second innings at 155 for 5. Nickozi St Hilaire topscored with 51, Roland Cato had 34 not out and Lelvin Gordon 25. Larry Edwards took 4 for 63. St Lucia fared better a second time around, but fell short of their victory target. They closed on 131. Tarryck Gabriel led with 44, Vidal

Crandon 28. Chris Greenidge took 4 for 31, Thomas Lewis 4 for 31. In a first round match, St Lucia and Dominica played to a draw. St Lucia registered 203 batting first. Tonius Simon hit 52, Vidal Gordon 35 and Tarric Gabriel 31. Brian Nelcy took 4 for 58 and Dylan Joseph 3 for 37. Dominica made 155. Gian Bengiman hit 27, Elijah Toulon 21 and Kyle Cabey 26. Vince Smith had 3 for 32 and Tonius Simon 2 for 26. In St Lucia’s second innings of 215 for 7, Junior Henry topscored with 72. Tarric Gabriel hit 22, Vidal Crandon 36 and Vince Smith 28 not out. Ordel Hamilton took 2 for 33, Briel Thomas 2 for 42, Brian Nelcy 2 for 49, Dominica’s chase closed at 100 for 5. Chad Phillip led with 38. Ordel Hamilton contributed 29 and Briel Thomas 16. Larry Edwards took 3 for 25. St Lucia took first innings points. In the other first round

Ray Jordan took 5 for 36 to hold Dominica to below 100 runs.

Gidron Pope continued in a good vein of form. encounter between Grenada and SVG, Grenada made 122 on the backs of Roland Cato with 20 and Keon George 19. Kenneth Dembar impressed with 5 for 29. Shaquille Browne, 2 for 18, and Ray Jordan, 2 for 44, also caught

the eye. SVG were 11 without loss at the close in a match limited to one day after Grenada had arrived late for the Tournament. Each team was awarded four points. The final round of matches will feature SVG against St Lucia, while Grenada take on Dominica. The tournament ends today, Friday. I.B.A.ALLEN

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. 29.

Sports

New Zealand versus West Indies

by EARL W. ROBINSON AT THE BEGINNING of 1972, only six teams were playing Test cricket. And according to the unofficial ICC rankings, Pakistan was the only team ranked below West Indies. New Zealand was at number four. England, Australia and India held the top three spots. Although New Zealand began playing Test cricket in 1930, it was not until 1972 (40 years ago) the Kiwis or Black Caps, call them what you like, made their first trip to the Sir Richard Hadlee, perhaps Vivivan Richards Caribbean, including St. New Zealand’s greatest returned from the Vincent. cricketer. India, Pakistan On that debut tour, and Sir Lanka tour they played a full series of writer, his in 1974-75, to five Tests. That was the last time reaction was “A record his they were given that privilege. Prior team, once the first regional to that visit, they had appeared in world standard century. four other five Tests series, losing for three and drawing one. professionalism, has become a In my time, they have produced collection of supercool dudes, good cricketers: Bevan Congdon, Glen dumb and deaf to reason, and Turner, Sir Richard Hadlee, Martin easily defeated in two days of the Crowe, Chris Cairns, Stephen allotted five, the enterprise of Fleming, Shane Bond, Daniel Vettori West Indies cricket had crashed.” and Ross Taylor, to name a few. At the start of the 1972 However, and without casting season, some new names aspersions on this cricketing nation emerged at the Combined openly, I say they were never worldIslands trial match in Dominica. For beaters, and I do not believe they will the Leewards were James ‘Jim’ Allen ever be. It took them forty-five and Vivian ‘Viv’ Richards, and for the attempts before they accomplished Windwards Douglas Haynes and their first Test victory. That was Colville Browne. All were making against West Indies in New Zealand their debut at first-class cricket. at Eden Park, Auckland in 1956. This Before the season ended, three of was the match when Vincentian, those players represented the Alphonso ‘Alfie’ Roberts made his Combined Islands. Browne had to debut. wait until 1978. When New Zealand arrived in St. Back to the rankings Vincent for their tour match, the Windwards selectors had chosen In spite of the defeat suffered by Haynes in the final eleven. the hands of Mark Taylor’s Unfortunately, rain ruined the match. Australians in May 1995, West Indies Earlier on the tour, Richards held their unofficial number one played against the tourists and scored rankings until August. Failure to win 82 and nought. His first innings score England in that summer caused them remained his highest score in the valuable points and they slipped to West Indies until 1975. However, the fourth position. selectors had the vision to include By the time the official Test him in the team to India, Pakistan rankings commenced in June 2003, and Sir Lanka in 1974-75. they were at number eight. Only In his first Shell Shield match on Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, the his return, he reached 112 vesus minnows, stood below them. Guyana, his first century in the Now that the latest rankings are Caribbean. It was Stanley Hinds’ first published, on the eve of this series in Shell Shield match. Tony Cozier said, the West Indies, the home teamis at “One of the reasons why Clive Lloyd’s the familiar position, eighth, and New teams of the 1970s and 80s were so Zealand at seven. The admission of great was that many of them played Zimbabwe and Bangladesh to in the finishing school of English international cricket has been a league and county cricket. That was saving grace for these two teams that enormously important to the West have been playing Test cricket before Indies’ strength; before, they were World War Two. Both of them have amateurs coming from club cricket been languishing at the bottom of the who played only on weekends. list for a long time. Thanks to Playing in England turned them into Zimbabwe and Bangladesh for saving professionals and enhanced their their blushes. natural ability.” Forget about Anglo-centricity and Back by 40 years? Afro-centricity, what he said was factual. So will you agree that cricket in Historians must try to produce the West Indies has gone back by history that is accurate, objective and forty years (1972-2012)? At least in veracious as possible, meaning that 1972 there was the emergence of everything we write must be based on Lawrence Rowe and Alvin solid evidence. Kallicharran. Their batting was the Obviously, there will be many more epitome of beauty. Back then, when false dawns in West Indies cricket. you looked at batsmanship, it was Several aficionados will see the team like poetry. Now, it is sheer brutality. turn the corner and turn back: a The technical aspect of batting went foolish thought, to say a sorry sight. with Carl Hooper and Brian Lara. Weaknesses exist in players and the When the frustration struck one administration.

Friends of Cricket help female cricket THE PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATION, Friends of Cricket, has yet again made a direct contribution to sport development here. Earlier this week, the organization handed over some $14,000.00 to an SVG Female Cricket Development team, to facilitate the team’s participation in an Under-19 Development Tournament to be staged in Trinidad and Tobago, July 19 to the 22nd. The SVG team comprises players who for the first time took part in the NLA National Female Cricket competition this year. SVG team will come up against

players from St Lucia, ICC Americas, Trinidad and Tobago and TTWCA team. The team reads, Venisha King Captain, Edlelyn Justin vice-captain, Shankar Daniel, Samantha Cain, Crystal John, Venisha King, Kenore Homer, Captain of the Jeffrena Joseph, SVG development Erica Williams, Ronisha Glasgow, team. Sue-Ann Martin, Filisha Browne, Primidonna Chambers. Jenita Lewis is the manager and Cleton Burnett is the coach. Lewis said the main objective of going to the tournament “is to gain as much experience.” She believes playing in a different country and against different players will only help the team.

Gwenette Anthony of Friends of Cricket hands over cheque to Jenita Lewis (front left).

I.B.A. Allen

NOC courses for Swimming and Taekwondo The St Vincent and the Grenadines Amateur Swimming Association and the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Taekwondo Association are the two latest beneficiaries of technical courses from the National Olympic Committee. Details of the courses were unveiled last Friday at a press conference held at Olympic House. Barbadian David Farmer will, for the next six months, conduct sessions with the local swim coaches and swimmers. The recently commissioned pool at Shrewsbury House will be the centre of the sessions, but sessions will also be conducted in the sea: two in the Villa/ Calliaqua area and one on the leeward side of the island, as the sport is taken to the communities. Farmer is also expected to make periodic visits to evaluate work being carried out by the local coaches, who are earmarked to carry out the mandate of developing a coaching structure here. The swimming course costs US $ 30 000. The Taekwondo Association, on the other hand, has a short course,

David Farmer will conduct sessions for swimmers and swimming coaches. ten days, valued at US $ 8000. The course began last Saturday at the X-pert computer conference room and concludes this weekend. The course instructor is Korean Seok San Kim, an international referee and seventh degree black belt . He will work with both young aspiring Taekwondo exponents as well as seasoned practitioners. Kim will also teach the instructors on the techniques of judging Taekwondo.

Seok San Kim will work directly with Taekwondo exponents here.

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VEHICLE FOR SALE 1 Toyota Hiace 18-seater year 2002 Tel: 456-5262

30. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN

THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2012. 31.

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FRIDAY,

JULY 20, 2012

VOLUME 106, No. 29

Toronto, Canada, where most relatives reside, and had moved him into their mother’s apartment. A few months ago, relatives said A BEQUIA-BORN WOMAN has been Mills hired Simmons to watch her stabbed to death by her compatriot and belongings at her condominium, and family friend in her condominium in he enjoyed free room and board, as Chicago, Illinois, police say. well as a small monthly stipend. Police said Elle Mills, 52, of On Jul. 9, relatives said Mills Edgewater, Chicago, formerly known travelled to New York, filed an as Elveador ‘Elvie’ Ollivierre of La application for a renewed passport and Pompe, Bequia, was fatally stabbed by applied for travel documents at the St. Michael ‘Mikey’ Simmons, 53, formerly Vincent and the Grenadines’ of Port Elizabeth, Bequia, about 1:50 Consulate General, so she could leave a.m. on Jul. 11. the country. Chicago police said they have After leaving the consulate, Mills charged Simmons, a former Florida took the train to the Canarsie section resident, with murder. of Brooklyn, New York, visiting her Officers said they discovered Mills cousin, Annette Stowe, the Internet dead in her apartment in the 6100 Content Administrator at the block of North Sheridan Road in the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s Edgewater neighborhood. She had stab (CTO) New York Office, for a few wounds to her chest. hours before leaving for John F. A spokesman for the medical Kennedy International Airport in New examiner’s office confirmed that Mills York, heading head back to Chicago. was dead at the scene. Mills called her, Stowe said, from Police said Simmons, who called the airport, stating that she did not them to the crime scene, admitted to make the flight because the American the fatality. He was arrested and Airline attendant was not familiar taken into custody by detectives. with her form of identification, the same form of identification Stowe said Simmons taken in she used to travel from Chicago.

www.thevincentian.com

EC$1.50

By Nelson A. King naking@verizon.net US CORRESPONDENT

Simmons was homeless when Mills hired him to watch her belongings when she was not at home, according to Andy Conklin, a spokesman for Chicago’s Cook County State Attorney’s Office. Mills had traveled home from New York to confront Simmons after a reported dispute, and to order him to leave her residence, Conklin and relatives said. Relatives said Simmons was a close friend of Mil’’s older sister for about 40 years and had, as well, become a family friend. They said after they had found out he was homeless, living under a bridge in Florida, they had sent for him in

In touch during the journey home According to Stowe, Mills then decided to drive back to Chicago in a rental car. She began her 12-hour journey shortly after 10:00 p.m. on Jul. 9. They kept in contact throughout the journey. During one of those conversations, Stowe said Mills disclosed that she had spoken with Simmons earlier, claiming that he became enraged because she had not returned on Monday night (Jul. 9) as promised, and he needed to leave the condo (condominium). Mills claimed Simmons threatened to burn the building down, Stowe said.

Elle Mills, formerly Elveador ‘Elvie’ Ollivierre, of La Pompe, Bequia was stabbed to death. morning. “She said she will give him US$600 and will drop him to the motel, pick him up the following day and take him to the airport,” Stowe said. She said despite Mills’ discomfort, she did not want Simmons to find his own way to the airport. At 9:31a.m., on Jul. 11, Stowe said she called Mills and left a message on her voice mail, asking her to return Michael ‘Mikey’ Simmons, the the call to let her know how things alleged killer of Elle Mills of Bequia. had transpired. “She did her best she said to reason “I guess you are still sleeping after with him and told him what the driving all day yesterday,” said Stowe consequences of such actions would on the voice mail. be,” Stowe said. “Of course, Elle (Mills) was already “She further stated that she was not dead,” she added. comfortable with the way he behaved Chicago police said Simmons is and would not have him stay in the being held in lieu of US$750,000 bail, condo that night,” she added. as the investigation continues. Stowe said Mills told her she had Mills’ funeral service and wake will “already gotten her ex-husband to be held in Toronto on Monday, Jul. 23. book a flight for Mikey (Simmons) to She will also be interred in Toronto, go back to Florida the following relatives said.

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Printed by the SVG Publishers Inc., Campden Park.