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Quotes:
"Position: Flight Attendant. Qualification: CXC/GCE passes including Maths and English; Swimming certificate mandatory."
Job advertisement for regional airline (The Star 16th June)
"We eh have no MIRROR on our list. I was told NO MIRROR".
Doorman at the Soca Village Tent refusing entry to Mirror reporter Toni Nicholas, who has been critical of the quality of calypso this year. Also denied entry were Mirror colleague David Vitalis and Radio St. Lucia's Lawrence Adonis (15th June).
"There are many ways in which I could expound the notion that this year many Calypsonians are singing offal, no, not awful (that too) but just offal, which has a nicer ring to it than garbage".
Toni Nicholas (The Mirror, 15th June).
"They had hoped that the incident could be dealt with as so many incidents of school sex, school violence and school drug abuse are dealt with - under the covers, with nobody looking. ... One teacher who is related to a Mirror employee was told that next year, she might have to find a job at another school".
Mirror editorial following the newspaper's revelation, last week, that seven male students had sex on the school premises with a female form one student. Education authorities continue to shun the word 'rape' in describing the incident (The 15th June).
"The Rapid Response Unit of the National Conservation Authority (NCA), received a donation of a 14" Goldstar TV for use in their Officer's quarters. This donation will be used as a training tool by officers who are given the responsibility for tourist related Crime Prevention in the North of the Island".
'Courts, A Good Corporate Citizen' (The Mirror, 15th June).
"The audience was interesting. You saw Labour supporters, loyal to Bro. George handing out Alliance T-shirts to Flambeaus".
Jason Sifflet on the launching of the National Alliance for Unity, two weeks ago (The Mirror, 15th June).
"St. Lucia is so strangely located, you have St. Vincent to the south where all the ganja comes from, then you have Martinique to the north where they go and steal motorcycles. They have even attempted to bring a car here by canoe".
Police press officer Sgt. Albert James on the problems facing the police (Wednesday Star, 13th June).
"You and I both know that the car park has not been successful"
Matthew Sargusingh, chief executive officer of NIPRO, the company managing the Castries multi-storey CarPark (Wednesday Star, 13th June).
"The [Employers'] Federation had two members, I think there were two union members, two governmental members and two Labour department members. I'm sure you will see where the segmentation took place".
Anthony McNamara, lawyer for the Employers' Federation, on the proposed new Labour Code for St. Lucia. Private sector organisations are now rushing to effect changes to the draft code before the next ILO meeting on June 22nd (Wednesday Star, 13th June).
"On the one hand we have had increasing incidents of crime in certain respects, but there are some areas where crime has actually dropped".
Prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony (Wednesday Star, 13th June).
"If our police force is derelict in their duty and that fact coincides with a dip in reported trafficking you cannot confidently sit there and say it is because trafficking has in any way slowed down. It simply means your police may be worse than you imagine".
Rick Wayne to prime minister Dr Anthony (Wednesday Star, 13th June).
"As to that particular matter, the prime minister said Calixte George had apologised to Cable & Wireless - 'privately'."
Wednesday Star on PM Anthony's admission, for the first time, that minister of Communications and Works Calixte George, in his role as chairman of the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Committee ECTEL, had insulted Cable & Wireless' director of Legal Affairs, earlier this year. Minister George reportedly refused to shake hands with the director - a black Trinidadian woman - saying he would not shake the hand of "a house slave, and a woman at that". Cable & Wireless subsequently broke off negotiations and later threatened to pull out of St. Lucia (13th June).
"They also indicated that the governments were not disposed to submit to pressure from extremist groups who were only interested in narrow objectives, as against the broader national interest".
Press secretary Earl Bousquet on why the government will vote pro-whaling, with Japan, against a lobby of regional and international environmental organisations as well as local whale-watching marine tourism operators and the St. Lucia National Trust (Wednesday Star, 13th June).
"I cannot possibly agree with this caller that Pat Joseph is responsible for the problems of the banana industry. That is unfair. That is clearly not correct. Pat Joseph is not in St. Vincent. St. Vincent has serious banana problems. Pat Joseph is not in Dominica. Dominica is in serious debt. So in trying to ascribe the problems we have in the banana industry to Pat Joseph, really is very shortsighted as to the real reason why bananas are in trouble throughout. But the point I want to make is this: the suggestion that Pat was put in place because of political favour, I am not... this is very absurd".
Prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony on 'Talk' (Star, 16th June).
"You have to be very careful that you don't shock the economy".
PM Dr Anthony on 'Talk', on why his government has not yet abolished the need for work permits for foreign employees. Rick Wayne, espousing the view that the economy is on its last legs and foreign investment needs to be stimulated, replied: 'I don't think there's much risk of that!' (The Star, 16th June).
"The man is under pressure. You see, that reconditioned car you're buying the tyres for? The payments are killing him, and the new family court and social welfare have caught up with him: children he had forgotten he had are now needing Nike's and Vasco jeans".
Victor Marquis on the present-day dilemma of St. Lucian men (The Voice, 16th June).
"Sometimes I am not able to say what I really want to say about crime, and criminal behaviour precisely because what I may say could compromise the quality of justice".
PM Dr Anthony (The Star, 16th June).
"According to the director of statistics, Edwin St Catherine, enumerators are faced with firstly the problem of too many dogs in the yards and residents saying that they do not have the time".
The Star on why 25% of residents in Cap Estate have not yet been counted for the 2001 census (16th June).
"The young male (99% of St. Lucian males qualify for that category regardless of age) is free to follow an endless lime. ... On Saturday at Constitution Park, liming. After work on the football field? Liming. I do believe that the only reason Christ ended up with an all male disciple squad was because the women were at home busily taking care of their children while most of the men were out liming and comparing robes".
Alexandra Grant on male marginalisation (The Voice, 16th June).
"Believe it or not, despite becoming disabled at birth, T. is married with two children ages 5 and 7. He has problems with his sight, his upper right arms, his lower limbs, and his speech."
The Voice (16th June). |
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Wilson 'Mighty Tinker' JnBaptiste laid to rest
Old-time calypso favourite the 'Mighty Tinker' is no more. The body of Wilson JnBaptiste, who passed away on the eve of his 56th birthday, was laid to rest last Friday, amidst a poignant rendition by family members and friends of one of Tinker's all-time favourites, 'Woop-Wap' - a song describing the treatment meted out to him by a schoolteacher after he is unable to spell the word 'pussycat'. All newspapers commemorate Tinker's life, remembering him as a well-dressed master of improvisation, a man who never put his songs on paper but who could produce several songs every season, always sticking to short, simple lines that end in rhyme, creating easy sing-alongs for the audience. The Mirror writes: "On stage he had an equally demanding presence and captivated his audience with his stylish patrol of the performing area and his insistence on good accompaniment by the musicians. On occasions when he went out of key, or just for the sake of attention, he would stop the band with attitude (as if it was the band's fault) and start over from the beginning. ... He was a favourite at all the calypso venues of the 1960's and 70's, when calypso was a sidekick of a tiny but dedicated group of practicioners, who composed songs from the top of their heads during social evenings in the bars around the island. Being of that era, he was without question a master at improvisation, who added verses to his pieces on every performance. He made calypso look easy, composing tunes on the spur of the moment, and as circumstances dictated". The Tuesday Voice adds that Wilson JnBaptiste was born on June 9th, 1945. In 1999, he was first runner-up in the Soca Monarch competition with 'Bahn mwen-ye'. According to the Wednesday Star, 'Tinker' died of liver complications.
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Celebrity Golf attracts tourists to island
The promotion of sports tourism in St. Lucia continues with preparations for the second annual Charity Celebrity Golf Tournament to be held from June 28 to July 1 shifting into high gear. At a press conference this week, Richard Michelin of the Cap Estate Golf and Country Club announced this year's line-up of celebrities and stars at the event - which last year raised EC$25,000. Sir Vivian Richards, Maurice Foster, Jeffrey Dujon, Kevin Dobson (Knots Landing), Dennis Haskins (Saved by the Bell), Ron Harper (LA Lakers), Clifton Davis (AMEN), Kiki Vanderwait (coach of the Dallas Mavericks), Lee Elder (the first African-American to play in the golf Masters) and Rudy Duran (Tiger Wood's early teacher) are on the list of invitees, as is retired NBA basketball player Charles Smith (New York Knicks), who will run a basketball clinic at the Vigie Sports Complex on June 27th.
The following day, June 28th, will see a practice round for early arrivals at the Cap Estate Golf Course, topped off by a pairing party and cocktails. The 35 celebrities and about 95 'ordinary' golfers will start serious play on June 29, with a long ball driving contest in the early hours, followed by the actual tournament from 9:30 am onwards. The evening of the first day of play sees cocktails and a banquet at the Hyatt, an auction, and entertainment with Dakota Horvath. Play continues on June 30th, and is rounded off that same evening with the awards presentation and a dinner at the Golf and Country Club. July 1st is traditionally the day for the kids 'Drive, Pitch and Putt Competition'.
Last year, funds raised during the Celebrity Golf Tournament were donated to the St. Lucia Sickle Cell Association and the Gros Islet Youth Center. This year, funds are destined for the Gros Islet Youth Centre and the Child Development and Guidance Centre run by Dr Bridgitte Schulding, located at the Dunnottar School.
Director of Tourism Hilary Modeste welcomed the event, saying that it "provides us with another opportunity to grow in St. Lucia, especially as golf is a major attraction and one of the fastest growing sporting activities in the world today. We recognize that with the installation of a new [18-hole] golf course in St. Lucia, there is the opportunity for us to target specific markets such as the conference and incentive market". The Voice reports this. The Star adds that Modeste also mentioned the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, the Bill Fish Tournament and Motor Cross as sports capable of better promoting St. Lucia as a holiday/sporting destination.
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PM: 'retailers in trouble for making wrong choices'
Retail businesses in St. Lucia that are experiencing financial difficulty are probably making "the wrong choices" and instead ought to "analyse the strength of the economy and discover where they can expand", says prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony. Rather than invest further in the retail sector, the PM suggests, they should look towards the services sector - particularly telemarketing and call centres. "People have to be very careful that they do not enter into something with limited possibilities", Dr Anthony warns retailers and other entrepreneurs. "Look at what is happening in services. That is where you require a certain quality of mind. My view is that there is far more room for investment in the services sector. People need to sit back and think very carefully before going into the retail sector. ... We need very seriously to go into telemarketing and call centres. That sector has attractions".
The prime minister's statement came last Sunday during an appearance on Rick Wayne's DBS talkshow 'Talk'. Being questioned on the state of St. Lucia's economy (which according to several businesspeople is getting worse by the day), Dr Anthony argued that between 1999 and the present, the government has effected "a dramatic turnaround in tourism". Although admitting that St. Lucia "has lost $400 million in banana exports", that "the economy has been stripped of money", and that at the time of his government's third year in office, "it had begun to bite, there was less money in circulation", the prime minister nevertheless claimed that "in the last year or so the liquidity has eased".
Wayne then suggested to the PM that the money earned in the tourism sector "does not begin to measure up to the loss" from the banana industry. Dr Anthony, in reply, stated that he does "not quite" agree with that point of view. "Tourism has grown. The problem is that the ownership in the tourism industry is not the same as in the banana industry. Fifty to sixty million in the banana industry moved directly back into the economy. Unlike Barbados, we are just beginning to expand and develop our tourism plan. There are some businesses that are under stress and this must happen. But my friends also have to understand that the nature of business is also changing very, very rapidly. People can now get on the net and make their purchases and more crucially can make choices elsewhere. Some business people have not made those adjustments. There is also some concentration in business. Look at what's happening in the supermarket sector. Huge supermarkets are beginning to dominate the landscape. Clearly these supermarkets will put the smaller ones out of business. ... A lot of our business people make the wrong choices. If they are smart they will decide where they are going".
Wayne then urged the PM take his analysis of the situation to a higher level - that of finding a solution for the predicament of these "potential dead people". Wayne asked: "It is serious enough to say that they will go out of business. Say someone is in a certain kind of business and things are getting tight, only big businesses doing well. You might advise the small people to give up their businesses and diversify. But that's easier said than done. First there must be the scope for diversification. Our private sector, not counting the hotels, our private sector comprises mainly wholesale and retail. That's a harsh reality. So people who have been in the small-shop business you tell them to diversify. You can't very well tell them all to open up shopping malls like Michael Chastanet. So you tell them to diversify. But into what?"
Dr Anthony's response was that investments in the services sector are the future basis of St. Lucia. "You have to be very careful that you don't shock the economy", the PM said (chosing to ignore Wayne's facetious, "I don't think there's much risk of that"), and continuing: "We need very seriously to go into telemarketing and call centres. That sector has attractions".
This is reported in The Star.
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SLHTA's Rodinald Soomer wins Caribbean award
Rodinald Soomer, vice-president of the St. Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA), has been awarded the 'Hotel Association Executive of the Year' award from the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) in the category 'associations with more than 2,000 rooms'. Soomer came in for high recommendation from the CHA at last week's Caribbean Hotel Industry Conference in Puerto Rico. "Rodinald's presence as an association executive represents a change to a new generation of professional association management, born of an in-depth understanding of the workings of both the public and private sectors. In that regard, he is the most appropriate and deserving executive to have won this year's award", said John Bell, director-general of the CHA. Soomer, who is Berthia Parle's right-hand man at the SLHTA, is quoted in The Voice as happily commenting that "This award demonstrates that we have a very progressive and pro-active organisation, working effectively on behalf of all of our members".
Before joining the SLHTA three years ago, Rodinald Soomer worked first as a senior economist and later as chief economist in the ministry of Planning. Both The Voice and Star report on his prestigious award.
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Castries Car Park 'not successful' says NIPRO
The Castries Car Park, which was opened in October last year and constructed at a cost of EC$21.6 million (according to news reports last year), is operating at just one-third of its capacity - a situation which has forced management this week to send home six employees. "You and I both know that the car park has not been successful", says Matthew Sargusingh, chief executive officer of NIPRO in this week's Wednesday Star. NIPRO is the company that manages the Castries Car Park. The multi-storey car park offers space for 325 vehicles but has so far not been used to its full potential. Earlier this year, The Star claimed that the operation was earning less than $100 per day. Although announced by the government as part of the solution to the parking and congestion problems in Castries, opposition voices have from its inception deemed the Castries Car Park a 'white elephant'. Matthew Sargusingh, who over the past months continued to express hope that stricter rules for on-street parking would boost business at the car park, is further quoted this week as saying: "We are now looking to cut costs and minimise loss. Business is very slow".
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GIS on Channel 2: third local television channel
In the near future St. Lucians can expect to see an increase in the number of local television channels, from two to three, with the launch of 24-hour broadcasting by the Government Information Service (GIS) on Channel 2. So far, GIS has broadcast two experimental series on the new local channel and, according to principal information officer Roger Joseph in The Star, has found it "a major challenge. The fact is, it comes on top of the regular duties that the GIS has to perform and we have our hands full".
If all goes well, GIS intends to run for four hours per day, to be recycled within the 24-hour period. About one quarter of that material will be specifically produced by GIS, for Channel 2. The remainder will be sourced locally (other governmental agencies and private producers) and regionally. Although classic films may become part of the GIS programming, soap operas certainly will not be, says Joseph. "GIS and the new Cablevision Channel 2 will be providing alternative and not competitive programming. We're not going into the soap opera and sitcoms", quotes The Star. "What we're hoping to provide is material that you will not find on the other television channels. We intend to make sure that our people see themselves on television - St. Lucians will be the stars".
When exactly Channel 2 will begin its daily broadcasts is yet to be announced.
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Two policemen charged: wounding and illegal gun
Two policemen from Dennery were arrested last weekend and charged, one with possession of an illegal firearm and the other with wounding. The two are also alleged to have been involved in drug-trafficking, reports The Mirror. The incident which led to their arrests happened on May 27th, at a nightclub, presumably in the Dennery area. According to The Mirror, the two off-duty officers got into a fight with a third man, during which shots were fired. The third man reportedly managed to knock out one of the policemen, take away his gun, and run off. Interestingly, The Mirror speculates on what it claims would "ordinarily" have followed the incident - ostensibly irrespective of who had attacked whom. "Several witnesses saw the incident and most expected that [X] would have been in big trouble with the law after assaulting an officer and taking possession of his weapon", writes The Mirror. "This incident would not ordinarily have put an officer in trouble. All the two lawmen had to do was go down to the station, make a report on the altercation and the stolen firearm. But they didn't. They didn't even come up with a cover story to take care of the fact that witnesses saw them fighting a man in a dancehall".
But the follow-up turned out differently. The alleged victim went to the police himself, claiming to have been attacked by the two police officers, handing in the gun he had taken from one of them. As it turned out, the gun was licensed - but not to the officer in question, making it illegal for him to have carried this particular firearm. Furthermore, the alleged victim stated that he has, in the past, acted as a drug runner for "certain police officers who financed a trip to St. Vincent, among other things. But he says the officers were shortchanging him, so on the last deal, he simply kept the cash for himself, instead of paying off his bosses. The May 27 incident, he believes, is payback for his actions".
The alleged victim has not been charged. A police investigation into the charges laid against the two officers is currently underway.
Prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony, during his appearance at 'Talk' with Rick Wayne, used the arrest of the two Dennery policemen to demonstrate that his administration tackles crime and indiscipline within the police force more seriously than its predecessors. "I think that the fact that these things are beginning to happen is an indication that we are beginning to manage the issue of accountability. But one other thing Rick, while I understand the anxieties, often we don't also measure success. One of the areas in which the government has been extremely successful and in fact has won praise even from governments abroad, is drug interdiction. I want to suggest that one of the reasons why we have had an upsurge is because they have been very successful in dealing with the trafficking of drugs, precisely because they are successful in apprehending the drug traffickers. ... The record is there to prove it. Now one consequence of reducing the trafficking is to, in effect, create a situation where those who are addicted to drugs and traffic in the drugs do not receive the drugs either to get an income or to feed their habit. Once that happens you also have a situation that they now turn to other crimes. I am not suggesting that some of these crimes were not there before. But we are now talking of increases in certain types of crime. And we know for a fact that a lot of the drug pushers, and the addicts, and even the pushers are going towards other forms of crime".
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Social Security issues in senate on Tuesday
Papers to be laid before the members of the senate at their meeting this coming Tuesday are: 'Understanding on Social Security between St. Lucia and Quebec', 'Agreement on Social Security between St. Lucia and Canada' and 'Convention on Social Security in the OECS'. Bills to be discussed are the 'Companies and Income Tax (Amendment)' bill and the 'St Lucia Development Bank (Amendment)' bill. The Star reports this.
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Sculptor Jallim Eudovic in Francophonie Games
Jallim Eudovic (20) says he is "honoured and privileged" to be St. Lucia's representative at the La Francophonie Games which will be held in Ottawa between the 14th and 24th July. The young member of the locally renowned sculptors' family Eudovic will be competing against representatives from 25 other countries, including France, Canada, Egypt, Poland and Romania. Each participant has to present two works of art, one of which must be sculpted in front of an audience during the games. The Star features an article on Jallim Eudovic, who specialises in abstract art.
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Bus driver killed; gang shoot-out; 19 drug arrests
Another fatal shooting occurred in St. Lucia this week, leaving dead Anthony Marius of Paix Bouche, a bus driver who worked the Castries/Babonneau route. It is suspected that the motive for the killing was robbery. Marius was found sitting in the driver's seat of his van early on Thursday morning, having been shot in the head. According to The Voice (the only main newspaper to report on the killing, in a short article on page 12), the police is "completely baffled as to the possible identity of the person or persons who could have carried out this latest blatant act of murder in our society. There seems to be no connection to any of the gang wars which are currently rife on the island, nor to any other drug-related activity". Neighbours describe Marius as "a quiet, pleasant individual who seemed to have no enemies in the world".
In critical condition is a Conway man who was shot last Friday at 2:45 am on Chisel Street in Castries, allegedly by an escaped convict. The victim was shot twice from close range with a shotgun, and sustained wounds to the right arm and abdomen. The Tuesday Voice states that "It is alleged that the incident is actually a continuation of the running gun battles and continuing rival gang wars which are presently taking place between criminally-bent organizations in the country. This particular demonstration apparently represents an act of revenge -retaliation for the shooting of ... a gang member, which occurred earlier last week.
Police press officer Sgt Albert James, asked by the Wednesday Star what the police can do about the gang shootings (in which an innocent 34-year-old woman was killed by a stray bullet on 25th of May while driving down Darling Road with her husband and daughter), replied: "What can we do? Crime prevention is a two way thing. We could put 20 officers in Castries now and we can never cover the entire city. ... It is impossible to have officers lining the streets. The manpower is just not there. ... If everyone sits back and says leave it to the police, then the criminals are going to over-run us. You cannot have innocent people being shot. The bad guys are not being shot and there is no inquest when a bad guy shoots an innocent person. There are two principal gangs in Castries who are waging war on each other and hurting innocent people".
Finally, the Vieux Fort police, in a raid earlier this week, arrested eighteen persons for possession of illegal substances -ten were found with cannabis and eight with cocaine in their possession. Last Sunday, a 37-year-old British national was arrested at Hewanorra International Airport also in Vieux Fort, having been found in possession of five kilos of cocaine whilst attempting to board a plane bound for Gatwick Airport.
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Administrative Professionals come together
St. Lucia, as of this week, has its own chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP). The IAAP, a not-for-profit organisation, is the world's largest professional grouping for administrative support staff. It has almost 700 chapters world-wide, and 40,000 members and affiliates. According to The Star, the establishment of an IAAP chapter in St. Lucia will help local members to network locally, and regionally at meetings, conferences, workshops and seminars during the IAAP's annual International Convention and Education Forum. The St. Lucia chapter was launched at the Royal St. Lucian Hotel, in the presence of international IAAP president Candy Daniels.
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