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Quotes:
"A quick summary of the regular imported programming would include: soaps; chat/gossip shows; wrestling; cartoons; and pornography (which has been aired more often and at earlier times over the last few weeks). If this indicates the level of our collective intellect it is sad indeed. ... Why is it always the lowest denominator of programming that is shown?"
M. Joseph, letter to the editor, 'Stop showing us garbage' (The Star, 28th October).
"Hold tight, we will survive!"
Prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony to banana farmers (Thursday Voice 26th, The Star, 28th October).
"I do remember that in my days students did drink alcohol, smoke marijuana, and were definitely having sex under the mango and guava bushes. During end of terms, I felt left out, I felt out of place, I felt like an outsider, because my strict Seventh Day Adventist upbringing didn't allow me to join the other students as they partied, drank their rum, smoked their ganja, and engaged in the other happenings called having a good time. During those times I was so miserable that I used to curse the day I was born an Adventist. So it seems to me that my generation wasn't as tamed and well-behaved as they would like their children to believe".
Anderson Reynolds on his student years at the Vieux Fort Secondary School during the early 1970s (The Mirror, 27th October).
"An interesting feature of the event, which went unnoticed to many, was the existence of a house 110 years old. Some of the old boards on the house have been changed but the structure still has that ancient look".
The Mirror South, reporting on Jounen Kweyol in Vieux Fort (27th October).
"And if this current trend of making bomb-scare telephone calls is but a fad, let us hope that, like most other St. Lucian fads, it is a short-lived one".
Victor Marquis (The Voice, 28th October).
"One hotelier has put it bluntly: is the national bird of the Caribbean now an ostrich?"
The Voice on Caribbean hoteliers' fears that governments in the region are not sufficiently aware of the competition land-based tourism is facing from the growing cruise ship industry (28th October).
"Early (adj. and adv.) - a non-existent concept to the Saint Lucian mind".
"Eccentric (adj.) - annoying behaviour expected from the rich. Poor persons who display this type of behaviour are shot by the police".
"Equality (n) - the erroneous belief that all persons are born stupid".
One Caribbean, alternative dictionary of St. Lucian usage (28th October).
"Disappointed and despondent, they continue to be told why they cannot make ends meet in language they do not understand".
'Hummingbird'', anonymous columnist in the Wednesday Star on the alleged position of most banana farmers (25th October).
"I like to think of myself as a thoroughly modern woman. Which is to say I take easily in stride things guaranteed to make my mother cringe. Your mother too, I daresay".
Lorraine Williams on why despite being modern, she takes offence at the latest TV ad for Grant's whiskey, in which a white couple is attacked by "a group of near-naked black men, painted-up cannibals armed with spears ... and evidently on the prowl" (Wednesday Star, 25th October).
"Women in St. Lucia who prove to be, according to be well-positioned men uppity, unmanageable, contentious, controversial and outspoken tend to find themselves marginalised, blackballed, victimised or silenced. Don't ever underestimate the gender politics or the seeming largesse of a scholarship granted or the bounty of a boondocks job!"
Yasmine Solitahe Odlum on whether St. Lucia's female politicians are commonly used as political 'fall guys' - that is: easy victims or scapegoats (Wednesday Star, 25th October). |
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PM to farmers: 'Hold tight, we will survive!'
Prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony this week told banana farmers in the south of the island to "Hold tight, we will survive!" Meeting with individual farmers in Belle Vue, Grace/Woodlands, Viellelitre, Banse and Laborie, the PM answered questions and gave assurances that the industry would continue to receive assistance from government. Amongst the initiatives mentioned were the 1.2 million dollars from the European Union to help fight leafspot disease, the relief of consumption taxes and duties on inputs and the lowering of the price of boxes by a dollar each. According to a press release in the Thursday Voice and The Star, "Dr Anthony says he found that many of the farmers were unaware of some of these initiatives and is surprised that the reductions in the cost of inputs, apparently were not being passed on to the farmers".
Later in the week, the PM and his delegation (consisting of the minister of Agriculture Cass Elias, Ambassador to the UN Julian Hunte and other banana officials) visited banana estates in the Dennery and Babonneau areas.
One Caribbean is the only paper to add a critical note to the PM's visit, saying that "In recent times our Prime Minister has taken to walking up and down the hills and valleys of the banana areas, seeking to persuade the depressed farmers of this country that it will be alright next year, if not in the morning".
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Farmers demand resignation of entire SLBC board
Some 280 farmers/shareholders of the St. Lucia Banana Corporation have signed a petition demanding the resignation of the entire board of the SLBC and that a general meeting of shareholders be called before the one planned for the 20th of November. This call follows the resignation, two weeks ago, of chairman and chief executive officer Patrick Joseph, amidst allegations of theft and embezzlement. Joseph was accused in a letter written by the acting chief-accountant Dean Nicholas and addressed to the commissioner of police, of having "stolen from, embezzled or defrauded the St. Lucia Banana Corporation of $68,205.76".
According to the 280 shareholders and farmers, they are "disenchanted with the chaos taking place in St. Lucia's farming sector at this time". Spokesmen for the farmers, Peter Hunte, is quoted as saying this in the Tuesday Voice. The farmers want the current board members to resign and an investigation to be conducted into the affairs of the SLBC. However, according to The Mirror, SLBC secretary Lawrence Freemont has said that it is practically impossible for the entire board to resign because there is ongoing day-to-day business that needs to be conducted. The 280 farmers who have signed the petition represent the minimum of five percent of shareholders required to call a compulsory meeting of shareholders within three weeks. David Vitalis, in The Mirror, predicts that this special shareholders meeting may well lead to "the end of the SLBC as we know it".
Meanwhile, SLBC director Erasmus Alfred has also resigned and is calling on the remaining five directors to do the same, "thereby enabling farmers to regain some measure of confidence in the industry". Alfred says shareholders are justified in seeking the resignation of the entire board. "It is only fair in the face of this scandal [that] farmers should be given the opportunity to choose a board that will oversee the investigation of the conduct of the former executive chairman during his tenure in office". The Wednesday Star and Thursday Voice both report this. The Mirror adds that Patrick Joseph has said that he has not yet received "any formal invitation to appear before auditors. But he promised to tell auditors all he knew about the finances of the SLBC".
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Cooking street vendors to have fire extinguishers
Street vendors in Castries may soon be seen equipped with fire extinguishers, if the directives of the Castries City Council (CCC) are followed to the word. Once again, the CCC is clamping down on persons using open fires along the sidewalks of the city. According to town clerk Lambert Nelson, having an open fire, barbecue or coalpot in a public place is illegal under the Public Health Nuisance Regulations. As a result, vendors ought to seek "approval from the fire department and equip themselves with a fire extinguisher", writes the Wednesday Star. Alternatively, suggests Lambert Nelson, they should prepare the food at home and then bring it for sale on the sidewalks. The Star ends the article by saying that according to the town clerk, vendors "occupy about 80 percent of the sidewalks in central Castries, making it 'impossible for pedestrians to move around easily'."
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Castries Car park virtually empty
The new Castries Car park that was opened two weeks ago with much anticipation of its potential for relieving traffic congestion in the city, has not yet captured the imagination of car owners. According to the Wednesday Star, the multi-storey facility is still mostly empty, while parking on the city's streets remains as chaotic as ever. But the Castries Car park's management remains optimistic. A spokesman is quoted as saying: "I do notice that it is not being used as much as we would have liked it to, but we expect that to change very soon. I do not believe this will be the trend and we expect it to be much busier in the months leading up to Christmas".
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Msg Patrick Anthony: voice of the church
Monsignor Patrick 'Paba' Anthony has been appointed to serve as prinicipal information officer for the Archdiocese of Castries, and as press secretary to Archbishop Kelvin Felix. This is reported in the Wednesday Star. In addition to this, Monsignor Anthony will also serve as chairman of the Archdiocesan Communications Commission and assume responsibility for all public statements and official information released on behalf of the Catholic church in St. Lucia. Monsignor Anthony is already director of the Pastoral Centre at Marisule.
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Third bomb scare disturbs secondary classes
The third bomb scare in two weeks: after the Castries Comprehensive and Sir Ira Simmons secondary schools, this week it was the Bocage Secondary School where students had to be sent home for the day following an anonymous phonecall announcing that a bomb was planted at the school and scheduled to explode at 10:00 am. The warning came at 8:10, and the Special Service Unit was immediately called in. Students and staff were evacuated and a thorough search of the school's premises executed. Although no bomb was found, students were sent home. The Voice reports on this in both its Thursday and weekend issues, commenting that "The question of how to curb these mischievous crank calls - if crank calls they are - remains a difficult one. And if this current trend of making bomb-scare telephone calls is but a fad, let us hope that, like most other St. Lucian fads, it is a short-lived one".
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New Alliance unites LIAT, Winair, Air Caraibus
With services to some 46 destinations in the English, Dutch, French and Spanish Antilles, a combined fleet of 32 aircraft, and a total of some 1,400 employees, a new strategic alliance between Caribbean airline companies Air Caraibus, LIAT and Winair is expecting to transport some 1.6 million passengers annually, and turn over US$145 million. This is reported in the Thursday Voice. 'Carib Sky Alliance, Passport to the Islands' is the name given to the new cooperative effort of the three existing Caribbean airlines, which claims to be the first network of its kind in the Caribbean. Chairman of the Carib Sky Alliance, Mike Ferrier, says the initiative is expected to ensure "a very strong indigenous intra-Caribbean air transportation network, which will benefit and support the sustainability of the tourism economies in the region through promoting increased intra-regional traffic and improved international feed". Carib Sky Alliance will be providing a convenient one ticket and through check-in and baggage service. Ferrier: "Caribbean nationals as well as visitors using the alliance will be able to purchase a 'Passport' that will enable them to holiday in more than one territory served by the Alliance, enjoying a sun holiday in the region whilst embracing the various cultures which make our region so unique. This is what out 'Passport to the Islands' slogan is all about".
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Moderate enthusiasm for Jounen Kweyol 2000
Jounen Kweyol has come and gone and although thousands of St. Lucians and tourists visited last weekend's activities in Boguis, Gros Islet and Vieux Fort, the weekly newspapers carry rather little enthusiasm for this year's Jounen Kweyol festivities. More saltfish and green figs, another exhibition of old-fashioned utensils with little cards spelling out the Kweyol names for them, and at the end of it all: more hi-fi music drowning out the sounds of traditional drummers, and vendors grilling chicken. Although World Creole Day is internationally celebrated on the 28th of October, Jounen Kweyol activities in St. Lucia have in recent years become more dissipated, spreading out over several weekends and days. Jounen Kweyol has been celebrated since 1983 and most of the activities are instigated here by the Folk Research Centre. The FRC is expected to release a review of this year's activities when all festivities are over.
The Thursday Voice, Mirror and Star all report on Jounen Kweyol 2000.
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New man at helm of Poverty Reduction Fund
Donovan Williams is the new executive director of the Poverty Reduction Fund (PRF), having been appointed for a two year-period. Williams was formerly the deputy permanent secretary in the ministry of Planning, Development, Environment and Housing. In April of this year, the chairman and entire board of directors of the PRF resigned on the orders of prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony. The PM's explanation at the time was that he wished to make the PRF "more vigorous and efficient in its implementation of poverty reduction programmes". But a month later, in May, the PM had to admit that an audit had established that "several administrative lapses and infelicities" had taken place at the PRF since its establishment in April 1998. The PM explicitly denied however that there had been any misappropriation of funds at the PRF.
The Mirror, Voice and Star all report on Donovan Williams' appointment.
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Retail sector sees sales drop in 2000
Retailers are having a hard time, according to the latest Business Performance Survey from the Chamber of Commerce. Of 57 firms surveyed (half of which are in retail), 80 percent reported decreases in sales during the first half of this year as compared to the same period in 1999. This is reported in The Mirror. Over all sectors surveyed (banking and finance, construction, distribution, insurance, manufacturing, other services and retail), 60 percent of respondents said they had experienced lower sales between January and June, when compared with last year. When comparing the period January - June 2000 to the period July-December 1999, the survey showed that overall, 72 percent of respondents had better sales in the 2000 period than in the previous six months - but again, this does not apply to retailers. "But 80 percent of respondents from the retail sector had lower sales this half year than in the second half of last year", writes The Mirror.
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C&W monopoly expected to end 31st March 2001
Cable and Wireless' monopoly on telecommunications in five member states of the Organisation of Caribbean States (OECS) is due to end on the 31st of March 2001. This is the date set by the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL), the St. Lucia-based authority which will oversee the formation of a unified telecommunications policy in Dominica, Grenada, St. Vincent, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Lucia. First chairman of ECTEL is St. Lucia's communications minister, Calixte George. Legislation recognising ECTEL in St. Lucia was passed through the senate last week. Minister George, in his address, said: "The most difficult aspect of the process of liberalisation has been negotiations with Cable and Wireless. Over the past two years we have seen and heard many persons representing Cable and Wireless from their many offices in the region and elsewhere. We have stood our ground and have attempted to engage them on a level playing field but the situation is still asymmetrical because we are only beginning to be acquainted with vital information needed for reaching proper and purposeful decisions in the interest of our people. We have placed before Cable and Wireless the need for all termination dates for licenses to converge by March 31, 2000 [sic - 2001] and anticipate that as a good corporate citizen it would abide by the laws in this completely new environment. We have indicated the rights of new entrants to participate in the sector without hindrance. The legislation and regulations will provide for these changes". This is reported in One Caribbean. The Mirror mentions 31st March 2001 as the expected date.
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Sandals Halcyon to start expansion in April
Sandals Halcyon expects to start construction of 100 additional rooms and suites by April 2001. Environmental issues, in particular the pollution of the Choc Beach, have delayed the hotel expansion [search news archives] but according to Sandals chairman Gordon 'Butch' Stewart, these problems are expected to be solved soon. The new wing at Sandals Halcyon will be executed in a 'Victorian' style and encompass 28 one-bedroom suites, 24 junior suites and 48 deluxe rooms, and 8,000 sq ft main pool, a swim-up pool bar, cascading waterfalls, two new restaurants and a business center. The addition is expected to cost US$21 million, employ some 200 construction workers and last for eighteen months. After that, the Sandals expansion will create some 170 new jobs in St. Lucia. The new wing at Sandals Halcyon will bring Sandals total room count in St. Lucia to 600. This is reported in The Voice.
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Gov't to spend $3M for Nov/Dec clean-up work
One thousand persons will be employed over the months of November and December at a cost of EC$3 million from the public purse, in projects undertaken by the ministry of Communications and Works and the National Conservation Authority (NCA). This was announced by prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony. "He said the additional employment will come through new drainage, road repairs, retaining walls, sidewalks and other such micro projects to be undertaken by the Communications & Works Ministry in several communities across the island", writes The Voice. According to this newspaper, the PM said that these and several ongoing projects also funded by the government "will help to consolidate the country's physical and social infrastructure and will go a long way in fulfilling the government's permanent goal of always providing more employment for St. Lucians".
Commenting on this particular pronouncement, The Voice's editor writes: "It is a sad reality that although the Government's goal is a permanent one, its solution for these persons is always short term. Eleven million was borrowed for a Short Term Employment Programme [STEP] which left a few with some job experience but many with no acquired saleable skill. It would seem that this nameless new programme is heading in the same direction as STEP. In the end, it will only serve to give short term relief to those persons whose plight and social conditions need to be addressed seriously and consistently and not simply at Christmas time". One Caribbean newspaper makes a similar point, saying: "People need permanent jobs and not frivolous nonsenses which only occupy them for a short time".
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Gang rape: suspects walk free, police appeal for help
The two suspects who were detained following the brutal gang-rape of a 24-year-old French woman and the beating of her male companion last week, have been released because, as a spokesman said, the police has "not been able to pin anything on them". This is reported in The Star. The woman and her friend - both residents of Morne Coubaril Estate - were attacked early last Sunday by a gang of four or five men on the road between Vieux Fort and Soufriere [see last week's news]. According to The Star, the police has recovered the stolen jeep used by the men to abduct the woman but the police could not confirm if the suspects' fingerprints had been checked against possible fingerprints in the vehicle. "In addition, sources close to the case told the Star that the male victim ... had never been asked if the could identify the men who were held. The man ... left the island for Martinique last Wednesday and up to that time had never been asked by police if he could make a positive identification, the source said".
The French ambassador last week said that although a travel warning will not be issued for St. Lucia, the victim's family is "very anxious" to see results from the police investigation. Earlier this year, the murder suspect in the stabbing and killing of Canadian tourist Tom Nugent walked away from the court a free man after witnesses did not come forward.
Meanwhile, on the issue of last week's hideous crime, the police is appealing for help from the public "to come forward and tell us about anything they might have seen and who was in this vehicle". The car used by the assailants is a dark greenish-blue Suzuki Samurai rental jeep (soft top), which was stolen from Pigeon Island on Thursday, 12th October. The assailants used this car to visit Laborie Day on Saturday 14th October, before committing the crimes of rape and inflicting grievous bodily harm.
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