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24th February 2001

Sir John brings UWP and new alliance together

CSA/NDC conflict: a 'ding-dong battle'

C&W reconsiders pull-out after OECS mediates

Man sentenced to death for Guesneau murder

Local beef imports under scrutiny after BSE

Government withdraws property tax assessments

American Drywall apology: genuine regret or snub?

Truancy in Soufriere causing dangerous situations

National Beauty Pageant replaces Carnival Queen

Export value drops, call to optimise bananas

National employment centre off  the ground

Waste haulers dump in rivers and down cliffs

Mago Estate tops North America and Caribbean

Garth St. Omer receives Gold Medal of Merit

Confusion about SSU look-alike robbers in Entrepot

 

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Quotes:

"The people who did this should get their just desserts, but how can we do that when we don't have money?"
Mother of alleged victim of police abuse (Wednesday Star, 21st Feb).

"Snags had reportedly botched the last round of talks between the company and the governments on January 31st ..."
Press secretary Earl Bousquet on the meeting between C&W and the St. Lucia government which failed, allegedly, after St. Lucia's minister Calixte George refused to shake the hand of C&W's director of Legal Affairs and called her "a white man's house slave". Government has neither confirmed nor denied the allegations (Wednesday Star, 21st Feb).

"This government has never asked Cable & Wireless to leave St. Lucia - either directly, by behaviour, subtle signal, or otherwise".
PM Dr Kenny Anthony, address to the nation (Tuesday Voice, 20th Feb).

"If you look at it my way, you would agree that Calixte George is a St. Lucian and he is doing a very good job for us. It's not like he's lapsing or anything. Why is it we never want to appreciate our own?"
Man responding to question 'What do you think of the OECS' decision to remove Calixte George as head of the negotiating team with C&W?' (One Caribbean, 24th Feb).

Errald Millar said that the 'rocket launch could still be aborted', provided that today's talks are successfull".
Wednesday Star on the possibility of C&W reconsidering its withdrawal  from St. Lucia (21st Feb).

"During the half hour spent at the intersections we observed more than four near vehicular collisions as a result of motorists who ran red lights or those who came speeding along the road in an effort to beat the light. ... When asked if it would not be easier for pedestrians if the lights worked, Baptiste ... pointed to light poles on the sidewalk which were supposed to have push buttons to activate pedestrian crossing lights. All that remained were gaping holes. 'Every time we install new push buttons they are destroyed. When we clean this up you wouldn't believe what we find in there. Condoms, icicle bags and nylon bags, and a host of other things'."
Wednesday Star (21st Feb).

"It is well known that our economy has been on the decline for some time now and all of us have felt the pinch. ... I had nowhere to put the lumber and if I did not clear it I would pay rent to the Port Authorities and worsen my already abysmal cash flow situation".
Leading businessman William Charles, CEO of American Drywall Building Centre, explaining why he broke a court order to stop construction on a lumber shed (One Caribbean and Wednesday Star, 24 and 21 Feb).

"If to be female and single automatically suggest a particular sexual preference, an invitation to be abused verbally and otherwise, then what about the man who is single? Clearly, the choice to be single, whether made by a man or a woman, should be respected without foolish comment. But how many of us know that?"
Lorraine Williams, commentary (The Star, 24th Feb).

"Studies show that 23 percent of all adult males engage in bisexual behaviour even though their main sexual activity is heterosexual. This means that for women there is a one in four chance that the next man they meet has had some homosexual experiences".
The Voice on 'Aids Awareness' (24th Feb).

"An old SLP star was mistaken for a Chinese communist insignia. Bleach was produced. This gives new meaning to the phrase, 'Oh yeah? You and whose army?'"
Chris Barnard on local paranoia and/or speculation concerning the presence of 100 US Air Force and Marine Corps personnel in St. Lucia (The Star, 24 Feb).

"Bringing over three hours of tedium to an end, the judges announced Tiberchous Eristhee as the winner. ... Tiberchous will go on to participate in Caribbean Male Exposé ... on June 2 at the National Cultural Centre. From now until then he will undergo extensive training".
The Star on the 'Manhunt 2001' show. The Crusader carries a positive report of the evening.

"He was remorseful, teary-eyed and very, very concerned. He admitted to me, he was having sex with the girl as it pleased him, and he was sorry that he got caught and that he cannot understand himself. ... The mother says her daughter is lying".
Probation officer's testimony in court. The Babonneau man in question was found not guilty of unlawful carnal knowledge with his girlfriend's 14-year-old daughter, despite his apparent admission, and despite the girl testifying that he has had sex with her since she was aged 12. The girl's mother had refused to obey a family court's order to have the girl placed in her grandmother's care (The Star, 24th Feb).

"Many of the new-fangled revolutionaries, all they wanted to do was to sit in the master's chair, put on the master's costume, be in the master's house - take the master's place".
Dunstan St. Omer on the penetration of the ideals of independence (The Star, 24th Feb).

"Which proves you can't win the hearts and minds of West Indians by sponsoring cricket and jazz and give customer service that would be scoffed at even in the remotest regions of Outer Mongolia where cellphones are still a rare and tasty delicacy".
Richie Pringle, 'Go C&W, Just Go!' (The Star, 24th Feb).

"What that means is that we have paid $50,000 for a soil test report which proved inaccurate and the stadium is likely to be delayed by a few months".
Minister of Sport Mario Michel on soil problems encountered at the new National Stadium - problems not foreseen by Strata Engineering Consultants Ltd. of St. Lucia (The Star, 24th Feb).

"We cannot expect people to spend their hard-earned dollars on items badly prepared and hope and demand that they buy it because we want to make a living. ... I would be less than honest if I pretend that our local handicraft must be bought simply because it is local".
Minister of Commerce Philip J. Pierre speaking at a handicraft training program (The Voice, One Caribbean, 24th Feb).

"The organisation's undergarments are all up in a bunch - and over what? ... Apart from Independence in 1979, this David and Goliath showdown is potentially the biggest event in decades. My money is on David - where is yours?"
R. Brandford on the C&W issue (The Voice, 24th Feb).

"To women everywhere, from a man who's had enough:
* If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us. We refuse to answer.
* Sometimes, we're not thinking about you. Live with it.
* Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as navel lint, the shotgun formation, or wrestling.
* You have enough clothes. You have too many shoes.
* If something we said can be interpreted two ways, and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one.
* Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during commercials.
* ALL men see in only 16 colours. Peach is a fruit, not a colour.
* If we ask what's wrong and you say 'nothing', we will act like nothing's wrong. We know you're lying, but it's just not worth the hassle".
Victor Marquis (The Voice, 24th Feb).

"Personally, I recall being clobbered repeatedly about my head, neck and shoulder by my great Aunt Miss Amy for reading. I was never encouraged. 'Yuh wan to be a lawyer? A doctor? A writer? Put de damn book down and go an do some work', I was yelled at often".
Willie James on the importance of reading (The MIrror, 23rd Feb).

"WASCO, I am developing serious carbuncles trying to understand what I have done for you to allow one of life's most useful resources to pass me by".
'Stressed Out' from Carellie Heights on the lack of water in the area (The Mirror, 23rd Feb).

"To remain with the old fashion or traditional way of doing things is a recipe for one to descend to the lowest wrong of the business ladder".
Eldridge Stephens on challenges faced by small businesses (Crusader, 24th Feb).

"Not too long ago, another man was acquitted of having unlawful carnal knowledge of a three-year-old infant, on the grounds that the child was unable to identify him as the perpetrator of the crime".
(Crusader, 24th Feb).

"We make these remarks in the context of our country's independence celebrations this week, the theme this year featuring the word 'Respect'. ... An apology on behalf of Senator Calixte George would have made the point with so much more force".
One Caribbean editorial (24th Feb).

"It is baffling that Cable & Wireless would challenge our decision to grant such a license mere months before the expiration of its license that the governnment so graciously extended. Is it that Cable & Wireless does not care about the hundreds of St. Lucians who are now employed, but cares only about the sanctity of its licenses?"
Prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony on the decision to grant Helen IT a satellite license, in breach of C&W's monopoly license. C&W explained two weeks ago that it had "in fact, offered HTS IT very competitively priced call centre services. A good example of Cable & Wireless' commitment is the facilitation given to Call Centres of Grenada, which currently employs 700 people". (Tuesday Voice, 20th Feb).

 

PM's 2001 New Year Message

The Constitution of St. Lucia 

Budget 2000 speeches

Casino Survey Report

Full Text of  Blom-Cooper inquiry report

 

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Sir John brings UWP and new alliance together

    At the instigation of former prime minister Sir John Compton, the current leadership of the United Workers Party (UWP) has decided to enter into dialogue with a group of community leaders, business people and former political activists who have reportedly united under the banner of the 'Citizens Group'. According to The Mirror, Sir John has acknowledged that he was "approached to do something" about what Sir John allegedly described as "the growing level of discontent with the lack of performance of the Government and the lacklustre response of the opposition". It is the first time that John Compton has admitted his involvement in a concerted move to organize and/or provide opposition to the current St. Lucia Labour Party government.
    Rumours that an organised political movement was being assembled from across party ranks and the business community have existed since November of last year – usually reported in The Mirror - but none of the people mentioned have to date openly acknowledged their alleged involvement. Again this week, it is The Mirror which carries the news as its main story – perhaps lending credence to the rumour that its editor, Guy Mayers, may be involved in the new political movement - but once again, apart from Sir John's acknowledgement, no other names have been revealed. However, The Mirror does quote "a spokesman for the group" as saying that the Citizens Group also includes "members of the current administration who are said to be frustrated with the failure of Dr. Anthony's Government to come anywhere close to meeting the expectations of St. Lucians". The Mirror further states that it "understands that one of the major planks of the new Group, if elected, would be to seriously consider the formation of a Government of National Unity as a means of ending the divisions among the people of the country".
    One Caribbean also reports on the alleged new alliance, saying: "The information we have received is that the new grouping will be a mixture of many stalwarts of both existing parties, the UWP and the SLP and some outstanding personalities in Business, Commerce and the Professions, mixed in with a large percentage of Youth. The plan is to prepare the youth for eventual leadership without thrusting them into the hot seats as the SLP did and causing the country all the confusion and problems it is now undergoing". One Caribbean also announces that "The Alliance plans to hold public meetings very shortly and at those meetings will declare at least some of those whom it proposes to contest the next General Elections".
    The Mirror, for its part, predicts that if the Alliance/Citizens Group's initiatives do indeed bear fruit, politically, that Dr. Anthony's Labour Party, in the upcoming general election, may face "not a United Workers Party under Dr. [Morella] Joseph but rather an amalgamation of forces, much as the one he led in 1997 when there was a concerted effort to dump Dr, Vaughan Lewis' UWP administration. On that occasion, Labourites boasted of having achieved a 'consolidation of the opposition forces' in the country and with Dr Anthony's installation as party leader, Labour had the tools with which to defeat the UWP, winning all but one of the 17 seats. Now, it appears, the same strategy is being put together to fight the SLP".
    Meanwhile, the Tuessday Voice, Crusader and Mirror all report on the election of a new SLP candidate for Micoud North, Nicholas Jn.Baptiste, last week. The attorney from Mon Repos was elected unopposed during the SLP's constituency run-off held at the Patience Combined School, last Saturday. According to the Tuesday Voice, it is expected that Jn.Baptiste will also soon be named to replace Perry Thomas in the Senate. Thomas resigned recently from that position in order to make place for another youth representative. It is not clear from this week's newspapers whether the 41-year-old Jn. Baptiste will in fact also act as youth representative.

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CSA/NDC conflict: a 'ding-dong battle'

    Now you see her, now you don't - the conflict between the National Development Corporation (NDC) and Civil Service Association (CSA) continued to seesaw this week over the position of Martha Fontenelle, a (former) NDC employee and secretary of the CSA's National Executive. Fontenelle's position was recently made redundant by the NDC board - a decision that infuriated the CSA. The CSA accused NDC general manager Elizabeth Charles-Soomer of "anti-union" behaviour and threatened industrial action.On Monday, personnel at the ministry of Planning, General Post Office, Government Printery and NDC offices in Castries and Vieux Fort reportedly did indeed go on strike, despite the fact that the NDC, over the weekend, had decided to retract the letter of termination of employment and re-enter discussions with the CSA.
    However, when Fontenelle reported for work on Monday morning, she received yet another letter from the NDC management, ordering her to immediately proceed on indefinite leave. Again, the CSA at once took up the gauntlet, and resumed its threats of industrial action. The matter was taken before the minister of Labour, Velon John, following which there were two days of intensive negotiations between the NDC and CSA. The minister's intervention resulted in what Velon John described as "an amicable resolution" - although The Mirror adds that John "had to do some arm-twisting to get one of the parties to agree to the terms, which he eventually ended up dictating, using the prerogative of his office". The upshot of the meeting was that Fontenelle would be reinstated to her old position but would then voluntarily resign from it. She would also receive an improved compensation package.
    All seemed well, therefore, apart from the fact that, as part of the agreement, both parties had promised not to divulge "information about salient matters and agreements arrived at during that meeting [with Velon John] to the media, until all had been put in order". The Wednesday Star, however, quotes "senior management" of the NDC as describing Fontenelle as a "trouble-maker whose personnel file contained letters from several managers over the years complaining about her attitude to work and those in Authority", and similar allegations. According to The Voice, this has once again infuriated the CSA which is now demanding that "senior management" of the NDC refute the said statements or Fontenelle may not resign at all, or else industrial action will be taken after all.
    In the meantime, the CSA has released information painting a more positive picture of Fontenelle's career at the NDC. That the present issue may cloud other, perhaps more long-standing, issues is suggested by two letters, one last week and one this week, published in various newspapers. Last week, Trevor Anderson claimed that the conflict represents not just a matter of victimization on the part of the NDC, but also of complicity on the part of the CSA, which he claims has not always represented its members equally. This week, Rufina Paul argues in a similar vein that the general secretary of the CSA has smeared Elizabeth Charles-Soomer's reputation for the cheap gain of furthering his own agenda, that is, to seek "absolution from CSA members for his pro-government posture, and the various accusations of not representing the interests of CSA workers".
    The Voice dubs the entire issue "a ding-dong battle which, on her [Mrs. Fontenelle's] behalf threatens to engulf the entire island in a state of industrial action". All newspapers report on the matter.

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C&W reconsiders pull-out after OECS mediates

    Cable and Wireless (C&W) is reconsidering its announced withdrawal from St. Lucia, after negotiations were resumed satisfactorily last week. Negotiations took place  under the auspices of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and under the chairmanship of prime minister Keith Mitchell of Grenada, who recently replaced St. Lucia's minister of Communications Calixte George as chairman.  On January 31st, minister George allegedly caused negotiations to grind to a halt by insulting a C&W representative, calling her "a white man's house slave". Various newspapers carry paid advertisements and/or long statements made by the parties involved: prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony, C&W St. Lucia, the employees of C&W St. Lucia, and a joint statement from the OECS and C&W. The latter states that "good progress towards the introduction of competition in the OECS" was made at last Wednesday's meeting (21st February) in St. Kitts and Nevis and that both parties "expressed satisfaction at the outcome". Both parties explicitly stated their willingness to participate in the development of a new, liberalised and competitive telecommunications environment in the Eastern Caribbean, including St. Lucia. A number of "key issues" were decided upon at Wednesday's meeting, including the establishment of "working groups to work out the details of key areas such as cost-oriented prices, and a fair and transparent regulatory environment". The statement goes on to say that: "It was also decided that both teams would continue negotiations to determine the shortest practicable time for full liberalisation and resolution of the legal issues that have arisen".
    With C&W's monopolistic licenses due to end on March 31st, the telecommunications company has for months been pressing St. Lucia's government to provide clarification of the rules and regulations to be implemented in a future, liberalised telecoms environment. Last December, prime minister Dr Anthony acknowledged that negotiations needed to be brought back on track speedily - but little progress was made. When negotiations broke off on January 31st, C&W repeated its threat, first issued last December, that it would pull out of the island altogether. Following last Wednesday's meeting under the chairmanship of Keith Mitchell, however, C&W's CEO for the Caribbean, Errald Miller, stated: "I hope that the matter of withdrawal from St. Lucia can still be resolved before our license expires on March 31".

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Man sentenced to death for Guesneau murder

    Twenty-eight-year-old Mervin Moise was sentenced to death this week by Justice Suzie d'Auvergne after a twelve-member jury found him guilty of murdering Peter St. Hill during the December 4, 1998 robbery of the Guesneau gas station. According to the Tuesday Voice, Moise was identified by several witnesses, including the deceased man's daughter. Moise pleaded not guilty. The death sentence - execution by hanging - carries an automatic appeal. The Wednesday Star also reports this.

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Local beef imports under scrutiny after BSE

    Following new occurrences of  'mad cow disease' (Bovine Spongiforme Encephalopathy or BSE) in Europe, the ministry of Agriculture in St. Lucia is considering what (additional) measures may be needed to safeguard local consumers and to protect the local livestock industry from contamination. According to the Tuesday Voice, since the first BSE scare surfaced some years ago, no beef from BSE-affected countries has been imported into St. Lucia. The paper writes that St. Lucia's "main sources of imported beef are the United States, Australia and New Zealand". The Wednesday Star adds that the importation of beef products from Brazil is now coming under scrutiny as well. Some Caribbean states are reportedly already following the example of the US, Canada and Mexico "in imposing a temporary ban on canned beef products from Brazil as a result of the prevalence of mad cow disease or its human variant [there]". Minister Cass Elias told the Wednesday Star that no decision has yet been taken to restrict the import of, for example, corned beef, from Brazil, but assures that "some attention is being paid to the issue" and that "if we have to restrict or ban the importation of those items, no stone will be left unturned and this will be done at the earliest possible time".

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Government withdraws property tax assessments

    Last Monday's court hearing at Gros Islet resulted in a resounding victory for lawyer Lorraine Williams and her clients, on whose behalf she had objected to the Inland Revenue's assessment of their properties - assessments which in some cases had reportedly "skyrocketed from $500 to $3,000 per year". Before magistrate Horace Frazer, Paul Thompson, who appeared on behalf of the government, withdrew the assessments in question. Thompson stated: "Under the circumstances we recognise a number of errors and in the best interest of all those concerned we would like to withdraw the assessments".
    It was the fourth hearing in the case. In previous hearings, magistrate Frazer had sent the Inland Revenue Department back 'to do its homework', ordering it to justify the increases and bring evidence to demonstrate how it had arrived at the assessments. Since then, however, and in the face of more comprehensive opposition to the government's renewed drive to execute the Tax Ordinance of 1929, prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony had implied that he was likely to lower land and house tax rates. According to the Wednesday Star, Lorraine Williams, following Monday's hearing, said: "[I]f we had not stood our ground, they could easily have gone ahead  with the matter and tried to assess the tax. I took on the government and I am very proud of all the people this morning who stood by me on this matter, because it was wrong. It was unfair. There was absolutely no legal foundation for the assessments".

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American Drywall apology: genuine regret or snub?

    There was speculation this week about whether prominent Castries businessman William Charles - president of American Drywall Building Centre and husband of Supreme Court Justice Madam Indra Hariprashad-Charles - is in violation of conditions laid down by Justice Dennis Barrow, last week, after Barrow found him guilty of violating a court order to cease construction of an extension to the American Drywall building on the John Compton Highway.
    Barrow sentenced Charles to one week in prison, unless Charles published an apology to the court in at least two newspapers, had the same apology read out at the end of various newscasts on the electronic media, and made a generous donation to a charitable organisation. Charles did have a page-long message printed in The Star and One Caribbean this weekend - but whether it constitutes the apology that Justice Barrow had in mind remains to be seen. Claudius Francis in The Star, for one, thinks not.
    William Charles' message reads thus: 'Apology. Respect for the Rule of law is the fundamental pillar on which civilization is founded. I have the deepest regard for the system of laws which govern our Country and it has never been my intention to flout the law. I know that Order of Court must be obeyed. When I gave an undertaking to the Court that I would cease construction on an open shed that I was constructing attached to my American Drywall Building it was my intention to comply totally with this order. The order permitted me to complete a drain located to the rear of the shed and nothing more.
    It is well known that our economy has been on the decline for some time now and all of us have felt the pinch. To make matters worse it is common knowledge that one of the oldest and most established names in business in St. Lucia has decided to open a branch directly opposite my business and clearly planned to capture the Christmas crowd by opening just before Christmas. What was more I was aware that that competitor had plans to go into the sale of lumber in a big way and squeeze my lumber department out of the market. The only chance I had was to beat them to the punch and expand on my lumber department first. The Competitor's lumber department was not due to open until early in this new year.
    My plan therefore was to increase my order of lumber from my overseas suppliers and apply for and obtain permission to build a shed to warehouse the increased stock of lumber. Accordingly I properly applied to the Development Control Authority on 16th November 2000 hoping to have approval by the end of November. I also placed my order for lumber and waited.
    DCA approval did not come by the end of November and my anxiety deepened especially when my application was deferred by the Authority who requested additional information and the Christmas season arrived. I kept hoping that any day I would receive DCA approval and that all would be well.
    Hours turned into days and still no approval came. The competitor staged a gala opening complete with balloons and giveaways and still no approval came. Hope turned to desperation. The drain was completed and still no approval came from the DCA. The order of lumber arrived and lay on the docks. I had nowhere to put the lumber and if I did not clear it I would pay rent to the Port Authorities and worsen my already abysmal cash flow situation. It was the proverbial catch 22 position. Desperation drove me to breach the undertaking that was given to the Court on my behalf on 21st December 2000. I sincerely apologise for my actions". Signed: William J. Charles, President/CEO American Drywall Building Centre Ltd., 21st February 2001.
    'Apology or snub?' wonders The Star newspaper. In a page-long article, Claudius Francis opines that Charles has "spat in the face of a court order so that he could make a buck or two. He did not care that his defiance was of a public nature. He did not care that his wife was a judge and that his refusal to obey could cause speculation about his wife's position. He did not care that persons who appeared before her would be less likely to heed her order if her own husband would not heed the orders of other judges. The maxim of Caesar's wife was lost upon him for all he cared about was the fact that M&C Home Depot may have gotten all of the Christmas business. At least that's what his so-called apology said".
    Whether Charles' explanation of the rationale for his actions will be considered a further insult to the court or, instead, an example of transparency in the face of a (typical) business dilemma, will be decided on the 5th of March when Justice Barrow is due to review the evidence and decide whether Charles has met the conditions laid down in his earlier ruling.

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Truancy in Soufriere causing dangerous situations

    The old police station on Market Street in Soufriere and an adjacent wooden building - both abandoned - were burnt to the ground last Friday allegedly after two schoolboys playing truant (10 and 14) had roasted sardines in the building and failed to properly out the fire. Quick response by the fire brigade prevented further damage to the town. The Wednesday Star reports this. The Soufriere police says that truancy amongst school children is a serious problem in the west-coast fishing town, despite the efforts of special officers to get the boys away from the jetty area and back into school. A spokesman for the Soufriere police told the Wednesday Star: "This is a problem not only for the police to deal with but also parents and other members of the public. We speak to the parents and some of them tell us, 'Officer, I've tried everything and I don't know what to do anymore. I give up'. But I tell them that they can't give up." The paper reports that a meeting has been scheduled for early March where parents, police and school principals will develop a plan of action to tackle truancy in the town.
    The damage following last Friday's fire is estimated at $3,000.

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National Beauty Pageant replaces Carnival Queen

    No longer will St. Lucia have a Carnival Queen - following a decision by the National Carnival Development Committee (NCDC) to abandon the title and introduce instead the 'National Beauty Pageant'. The rationale behind this name change is that it ought to stimulate communities from all around the island to participate more fully in the contest and to each send a contestant. This is reported in both The Voice and Star. The NCDC is currently inviting entries for the contest. The deadline is March 30th. According to a press release from the NCDC, the National Beauty Pageant would make contestants "true products of their community, ... giving dress makers, costume builders and so on an opportunity to showcase their talents".

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Export value drops, call to optimise bananas

    Banana exports from St. Lucia in the year 2000 were the lowest for the past decade, totalling just EC$82.2 million. Although by weight, banana exports from the Windward Islands as a whole rose by 7.7 percent in 2000, compared to 1999, the value of these exports were less: EC$160.6 million in 2000 compared to $176.8 million in 1999. These figures were released this week by WIBDECO, the Windward Islands Banana Development and Exporting Company. St. Lucia occupies a central role in WIBDECO. St. Lucia's banana exports went up from 65,231 tonnes in 1999 to 70,281 in 2000. Of this, 49,982 tonnes came from the St. Lucia Banana Corporation (SLBC), 10,574 tonnes from the Tropical Quality Fruit Company (TQFC), 5,766 tonnes from ACTCO and 3,464 tonnes from the Banana Salvation Marketing Company. A press release from WIBDECO further states that: "During the month of December 2000, a sharp increase in poor quality fruit, especially in St. Lucia, pushed the Windward Islands assessment scores down, from 82.1 percent in November to 77.89 percent in December".
    Meanwhile, both the ministry of Agriculture and WIBDECO are pushing the notion that in order to survive, the use of agricultural land must be optimised. A two-day meeting was held in St. Lucia last week with the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), where it was concluded that "the age-old system of indiscriminate banana cultivation must come to an end". Permanent secretary Dr Jimmy Fletcher confirmed something which WIBDECO chief Bernard Cornibert has been saying for some time now, namely that "for the banana industry to be viable, production must be confined only to those areas and lands that are optimally suited for banana production. This means that the days of farming on steep slopes and in areas with little access to water for irrigation must be behind us. In these present days of fierce market competition such production patterns are no longer commercially feasible". The Star, Voice and Mirror all report on the matter.

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National employment centre off  the ground

    In a half-page advertisement in The Voice, the National Skills Development Centre (NSDV) calls on unemployed persons and employers to register their names and requirements, to allow the new centre to create a better fit between supply and demand of labour in St. Lucia. Unemployed persons between the ages of 16 and 60 are urged to register their names, employment goals and existing job skills in the NSDV's database, "so that Employers may know about your abilities as a prospective employee".
    In addition, the NSDV offers so-called 'orientation sessions', which reportedly include: "Understanding the changes taking place on the job market; How to cope with being unemployed (the Emotional Roller Coaster) by developing your Action Plan; Access to labour market information; Attending career counselling sessions; identify your training and employment goals; applying for child care and training services". The NSDV says it offers "job search, soft skills and life coping skills training to all unemployed persons free of charge", as well as "technical vocation skills training". At the same time, the NSDC asks employees to advertise their vacancies at the centre free of charge, offers them access to their database "to find the right match for your advertised position"; "pre-screening interviews and soft skills training" to clients who have been selected by an employer, and an apprenticeship programme and soft skills training workshops for existing staff, "to ensure more productivity and efficiency on the job".
    The NSDC has centres at the Bisee Industrial Estate as well as at La Fargue, Anse la Raye, Marc, Patience and Black Bay.

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Waste haulers dump in rivers and down cliffs

    "A large percentage" of waste collected by private waste contractors, especially in the south-west of St. Lucia, ends up in rivers, cliffs and on the verges of roads and highways and not in one of the designated dumps. This is alleged by the St. Lucia Solid Waste Management Authority (SLSWMA) in The Voice. The authority expresses deep concern at this practice and reminds the public that indiscriminate dumping of solid waste carries a maximum penalty of $5,000 and/or imprisonment. So far, a number of people have been successfully prosecuted for this offense. The SLSWMA also urges persons employing private waste haulers to make sure that they have a valid license to do so, and that the waste is properly disposed of. Reports of indiscriminate and illegal dumping can be made in full confidentiality to the SLSWMA, telephone 453-2208.

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Mago Estate tops North America and Caribbean

    "Surprised and honoured" were the immediate reactions of Monica Charles, manager of Mago Estate Hotel in Soufriere, when she found out that her property had won a prestigious international award, topping hotels from around North America and the Caribbean to bring home the 'Johansens Special Award for Excellence'. Mago Estate is the first-ever St. Lucia-based hotel to have won this award. According to reports in One Caribbean, The Star and Mirror, Johansens is best-known for its illustrated travel guides, which feature "the most prestigious independently owned properties spanning the continents of the world". All properties are inspected before being included in the guides. Finalists for the Johansens Special Award for Excellence are selected from more than four thousand properties that are included in the Johansens guides. Selection criteria include surprise annual inspection, and demonstration of unique architecture and atmosphere. Only one special award is given out per region. According to manager Monica Charles, "Last year our hotel appeared on the cover of the Johansens North America and the Caribbean Guide and that in itself was quite a feat for us. But to win this award for the entire North American and Caribbean region, as a small property, it's all really quite flattering".

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Garth St. Omer receives Gold Medal of Merit

    Dr Garth St. Omer was awarded the St. Lucia Gold Medal of Merit for meritorious service in the fields of arts and literature. St. Omer's award was announced last Thursday, during the annual parade to celebrate and commemorate St. Lucia's attainment of Independence, in 1979. Also awarded the Gold Medal of Merit were Ignatius Tisin (performing arts) and Charles Patterson (literary arts). The St. Lucia Silver Medal of Merit went to Thomas Hinkson Sr. (community service), Florita Marquis (folk arts) and Gregor Williams (for dedicated service in the arts, archaeology and history). The Star reports this.
    Also on Independence Day, the Silver Les Pitons Medal was awarded to Rosella Bushell and Millicent King-Asgill (public service) and Lydia Fevrier (community service). The Bronze Les Pitons Medal went to Martha Saltibus, Stanfield Joseph and Reginald Cherubin (public service). National Service Medals were awarded to David Myers, Peter John, Catherine Agdomar and Winston Bastien. Finally, from the teaching service were honoured Winnifred Servé and Esther Stephens, from the Royal Police Force Calista Albertini and Cyrus Faulkner, from the Fire Service Hilton Oculien and Mitchel Gaspard, and from the Prison Officers department, Nicholas Lubin and Ethelbert Fontenelle.

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Confusion about SSU look-alike robbers in Entrepot

    Men dressed in what is being described as "SSU uniforms" - that is, camouflage battle fatigues - are reportedly causing fear in the Entrepot and surrounding districts of Castries, where several persons claim they have been "accosted and searched", as well as robbed of their belongings, by small groups of such men. This is reported in The Crusader. The paper cites two separate incidents that allegedly occurred during the past two weeks, both times late at night. In both cases, the men were stopped, searched, robbed of whatever cash they happened to be carrying, and told to disappear "and do not look back". Both men made reports to the police but, according to the newspaper, "Police at Central Police Station claim that they have no knowledge of such incidents and there are no records of such reports". In one case, a complainant was allegedly told by police "that SSU officers would never do things like that".
    Ironically, last week's issues of The Voice and Star reported that an SSU officer was charged with causing unlawful harm to a 16-year-old boy from Gros Islet and for threatening to kill him. The boy was allegedly severely beaten. Furthermore, The Star this week further reports that the boy has been receiving threats not to proceed with the court case against the officer, and has been offered $25,000 to drop the charges. It is the first time that an SSU officer has actually been charged for using excessive force, although there have been almost weekly reports of alleged police violence over the past months and years. In several cases, alleged victims have stated that the officers in question were dressed in civilian clothes and did not identify themselves as policemen. Upon resisting these men's attempts to search or hold them, alleged  victims have in the past been charged with 'resisting arrest' [search news archives].
    In unrelated reports, The Star and Crusader this week highlight the case of a 23-year-old man from Reduit, who was allegedly abused by policemen after he found himself naked, robbed of his clothes, whilst bathing in a Monchy river. The man alleges that he was picked up by three policemen, handcuffed, "dragged, pushed and kicked", and cut in the scalp after the policemen forcibly removed his dreadlocks by "sawing" them off with a cutlass. He was then locked up at Golden Hope mental hospital, where he was allegedly injected with drugs and forced to take pills orally. The man, who says he has no history of mental illness and no criminal record, allegedly spent a week at Golden Hope before his family finally managed to get him released. He has since contacted human rights lawyer Mary Francis, who has taken up his case.

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