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SUNSHINE GIRLS GET
CHRISTMAS SPA VISIT
Friday 19th December 2014
A n t i g u a
a n d
B a r b u d a
Vol.3
No.59
$2.00
Henry receives Ewald
Samuel Award....pg 2
The girls from the
Sunshine Home were
treated to facials and
manicures at the Caribbean Academy of Cosmetology and Trichology,
on the fourth day of the
“Twelve Days of Christmas” program, initiated
by the Halo Foundation.
Director of the Academy Danella Phillip-Raeburn commented, “It was
a pleasure to give back
to our community in this
way. The girls thoroughly
enjoyed the warm hospitality given by our facul-
ty, students and alumni.
We are also happy to be
able to partner with Halo
in their outreach efforts,
and will be playing our
part in the future to assist
whenever needed.”
Just a day earlier, the
cont’d on pg 2
Sir viv donates to cathedral restoration.....pg 4
Innovation in Antigua’s
financial service...pg 10
pg 23 For Voucher
2
Friday 19th December 2014
caribtimes.com
cont’d from pg 1
eight girls from the Sunshine
Home were thrilled to be invited to Deluxe CInema for
movies and popcorn on the
“Twelve Days of Christmas”
program conceptualized by
Halo, a charitable foundation
based in Antigua and Barbuda
and founded by Lady Sandra
Williams.
“Christmas is a time for
giving”, said Lady Williams. “The gifts of love and happiness are the most precious
gifts of all ... and happiness
depends less on exterior things
than most people suppose.
“Our many partners have
worked with us to bring excitement into the lives of those
who have been abused, abandoned and disillusioned. And
this spread of good will, is
surely one step in a right and
meaningful direction”.
Halo is a charitable entity which aims to address the
needs of the many organizations which fall under the patronage of the Governor General Sir Rodney Williams and
Lady Sandra Williams.
Two men convicted of firearm possession
firearms and ammunition,
In two separate cas- both men pleaded guilty
es heard yesterday at the and were convicted and
District C Magistrates fined for the offences.
In the first hearing
Court for possession of
By Terry V La Ragy
the charged, a Mr Cliff
Nedd was ordered to pay
EC$2,000 by the end of
the year or face 90 days at
Her Majesty’s Prison.
Malicious damage to vehicles
spreads around town
By Terry V La Ragy
A number of separate incidents of
malicious damage to vehicles occurred
in St John’s and the surrounding area
over the past 24 hours.
At least five victims reported that
their vehicle’s had been broken into to
the Police with two incidents occurring
on the streets of St John’s and three on
Fort Road.
In all incidents it is believed upon inspection that person/s had shattered side
windows of the vehicles, gaining entry
and then ransacking the vehicles. In all
three incidents nothing was reported stolen. Investigations are continuing.
The second case
against a Mr Eustace
Flinch ended in the same
fate, being fined EC$2,000
and if not paid by the end
of the year, 90 days prison
however Flinch also was
fined EC$1,000 for the
ammunition possession
to be paid by the end of
January next year or face
30 days in Her Majesty’s
Prison.
He was also convicted, reprimanded and discharged on other ammunition matters.
Friday 19th December 2014
caribtimes.com
3
Henry receives Ewald A. Samuel award
On Monday 8th December 2014 the family
and friends of Esquire
Henry joined the principal, staff and students of
the J.T. Ambrose School
in their general assembly
at the All Saints Anglican Church. Esquire was
the proud recipient of the
Ewald A. Samuel Memorial Scholarship Award for
2014.
Millicent David, sister of the deceased Ewald
Samuel gave an overview
of the scholarship which
was established in 2011.
The aim was to honor
the late Ewald A. Samuel
by rewarding the student
living in Swetes Village
and attending the Irene B.
Williams Primary School
who ranks the highest in
Mathematics and Science
in the Common Entrance
Examination.
Thereafter, the Irene
B. Williams Primary
School was closed and the
qualification of the scholarship was revised. Current recipients must be a
resident of Swetes village
attending either Buck-
ley’s Primary School,
Charlesworth T. Samuel
Primary school, J.T Ambrose Primary or Liberta Primary Schools- the
surrounding schools to
which the students of the
Irene B. Williams were
transferred. This year’s
statistics prove that Esquire Henry, a past student of the J.T. Ambrose
Primary School, is the un-
cont’d on pg 4
4
Friday 19th December 2014
caribtimes.com
Sir Viv makes donation to St John’s
Cathedral Restoration Project
By Terry V La Ragy
Antigua and Barbuda’s National Hero, Sir
Isaac Vivian Alexander
Richards has donated the
sum of £25,000 to the restoration project of the St
John’s Cathedral.
The donation was
obtained from a celebrity studded fund raising
dinner, held in Sir Viv’s
honour by the Lord’s Taverners and the Antigua
and Barbuda Tourism Authority which was held at
Lord’s, England in September this year.
The Lord’s Taverners
is one of the UK’s leading
youth sports and disability charities who currentcont’d from pg 3
ly donate over £3 million
pounds per year to programmes that give young
people, particularly those
with special needs, the
opportunity to engage in
Cricket and other sports.
A total of £100,000
was raised from the dinner
and was split between two
charities, with the Lord’s
Taverners receiving 75%
and with 25% going to the
St John’s Cathedral Antigua Restoration Project.
Sir Viv graciously accepted the cheque for a
minimum agreed donation
of £25,000. This cause
was chosen by Sir Viv as
one that is “close to his
heart”. The funds raised
challenged recipient of the award.
Mr. Henry, the first male recipient,
ranked in the top one hundred students, with a score of over 90% in
Mathematics.
The presentation of the trophy
and one thousand dollar check was
made by Mr. Hewlett Samuel Sr.,
younger brother of the late Ewald
Samuel. The family of the late
Ewald Samuel congratulates Mr.
Henry and hopes that the award will
serve as motivation to the other students from Swetes who attend any
aforementioned schools.
In response, a happy Esquire
will provide a ‘substantial
contribution’ towards the
restoration of one of the
nation’s most iconic and
historic landmarks.
Sir Viv’s extremely
proud Mother, Mrs Grathel Richards spoke to a
very grateful Dean of the
St John’s Cathedral, Reverend Rudolph Smithen at
her home in St John’s on
Thursday with members
of the Cathedral, the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism
Authority and Minister of
Sports, the Honourable Mr
Paul ‘Chet’ Greene also in
attendance.
Mrs Richards, who is a
long serving and outstanding patron of the Cathedral
Henry said that the hard work and
commitment that he had invested
in his studies, along with the continuous support and encouragement
from both his parents and teachers
contributed to his excellent performance in the 2014 Grade six National Assessment. He expressed
heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the
Ewald A. Samuel Memorial Scholarship Committee.
Mrs. Millicent David affirmed
Mr. Henry that his success was not
just personal to him, but he has
made his parents, his school and
the entire village of Swetes proud
by his outstanding achievement.
said, “I am very proud and
happy that my Son can
make this donation as part
of the restoration project of
the Cathedral as it is very
close to our family and it
is the place where my Son
grew up, was nurtured and
confirmed in”.
“It is just very nice that
Vivi can give something
back to the Cathedral that
gave him so much”.
This much beloved
and historic Cathedral was
closed in December 2009
to commence the restoration project and any donations to this very worthy
cause can be made at the
gift shop on the Cathedral
grounds.
She encouraged him to continue to
model Excellence as he pursues his
academic goals.
Former recipients of the Ewald
A. Samuel Memorial Scholarship
are Kedesheau Smith – 2011, Shozuan George - 2012, and Zakira Simon – 2013.
caribtimes.com
Friday 19th December 2014
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caribtimes.com
Friday 19th December 2014
US protests provide chance for reform
The anger in the
United States over recent police killings of
black males appears to
be growing into a major
problem for a country
that has wrestled with the
touchy issue of race for
an immeasureable number of years.
On Saturday, over
25,000 people stretching more than 20 blocks
at times, we are told,
marched through Manhattan in New York, ignoring wintry weather to
register their protest.
People in other cities,
namely Washington, DC;
Boston in Massachusetts;
Berkeley, San Francisco,
and Oakland in California; participated in what
has been termed the ‘Justice For All March’ trig-
gered by the killing of
Messrs Michael Brown
and Eric Garner, as well
as that of 12-year-old
Tamir Rice.
Readers
will
recall that an unarmed Mr
Brown was shot dead by
a policeman on August 9,
2014 in Ferguson, Missouri; 12-year-old Tamir
Rice was killed last
month by police in Cleve-
land while in possession
of a toy gun; and Mr Garner died in a chokehold
by a policeman in July
this year.
Grand jury decisions
not to charge the white
police officers in both Mr
Brown’s and Mr Garner’s
deaths have sparked the
anger that we are now
seeing being played out
cont’d on pg 7
Friday 19th December 2014
cont’d from pg 6
on the streets in the land
of the free and the home
of the brave.
The events are most
unfortunate, but they
suggest that there exists
a deep lingering distrust
for the police among the
African-American community.
That, we believe,
has been made worse
by America’s history of
segregation under which
blacks were treated as less
than human and, in many
instances, were lynched
for superficial offences.
To be fair, the US has,
since the 1960s, made
tremendous progress in
the area of race relations,
to the point where a black
man - Mr Barack Obama
- is now serving his second term as chief executive of that country.
Of course, there are
still residue of racism in
the US, but that, we believe, is not unique to
America today.
The issue, though, is
that it still exists and as
such will continue to colour any perceived action
of injustice. For that is
implicit in three words,
‘Black lives matter’,
which is among the slogans being chanted and
displayed on placards by
the protesters.
We had sensed a new
dawn in America in November 2008 after Mr
Obama was elected to the
presidency.
For indeed, with his
victory, the American
people had, as he so rightly said, sent a message to
the world that they have
never been just a collection of individuals or a
collection of red and blue
states; they are the United
States of America.
The hope of change
caribtimes.com
7
that came with his election has admittedly met
the strong wind of resistance. But the resilience
of the American people,
we hold, will help them to
overcome that challenge.
We acknowledge that
it will not be easy, but in
the current controversy
sweeping that country lies
the opportunity to implement the kinds of reforms
that will renew public
trust and confidence in
the institutions established to serve people and
ensure their well-being.
(Reprinted from the Jamaica Observer)
8
caribtimes.com
Friday 19th December 2014
The Bounce-Back
Timing is everything… In every sphere
of Human endeavor, good
timing is the best ally anyone can have. That rule
applies with particular
poignancy in the uncertain
world of politics.
For a case in point
we do not even need to
go back as far as 2009,
when the UPP’s bad timing bumped the Nation
out of the first-class compartment and right off the
luxury train. Right here
and now, our tiny two-island subtropical paradise
is living through another
such episode, as the hapless UPP suffers through a
season where it is forced
to stand and watch as the
Gaston Browne ABLP begins to benefit from the
now opposition party’s
hard work.
What a time to lose a
general election! Professors of Political Science
will counsel their students
to review the saga of the
Baldwin Spencer UPP as
required reading. To the
students the image of former finance minister Harold Lovell, repeatedly reminding the public of the
UPP administration’s fine
work in managing a stuttering economy through
very challenging times,
will rank high as an icon
of the post-election period.
The signs are that
Lovell will have many
opportunities to rehearse
his lines as the New Year
opens. Thanks in great
measure to Lovell’s success (earned at huge cost
to the People’s pocket)
in keeping A&B’s fiscal
affairs afloat and on fairly even keel, PM Gaston
Browne’s ABLP administration is beginning to
reap the fruits of the economic rebound now stirring and set to send out
green shoots in the New
Year.
The stream of optimistic press releases and
happy
announcements,
mixed in with a splashy
ground-breaking or two,
has done much to generate an upbeat mood in the
country. Grumbling is still
widespread, and callers
express bitter complaints
even on ABLP-friendly
broadcast media. Those
who naively expected some sort of magical
cornucopia to open and
shower manna down on a
fainting people have fallen into a deep depression
and taken to their bed; but
they will soon recover, as
economic activity picks
up in 2015.
Tourism is beginning
to stir, as the 2014-15
Winter Season begins to
infuse ready cash at the
lower levels. Taxi drivers
are starting to smile, as the
holidays get close. Almost
daily, St Johns Harbor is
crammed with cruise vessels. The much-maligned
CIP has begun to provide
a sorely needed lifeline for
government finances, and
promises well for the future. The IMF only wants
to make sure it gets its
quarterly cut. Even HMB
Holdings could actually
get to see some money
soon. As several moderate-sized
development
projects take concrete
steps to jump off in 2015,
the business community is
mobilizing to service the
increased demand.
Harold Lovell has
good reason to survey the
developing picture with
considerable justified chagrin. After all, when the
Worldwide Meltdown and
everything else crashed in
on us like a bolt from the
blue, Lovell was the minister who did all the heavy
lifting that eventually
saved the day.
Besides, the UPP
government did not send
home a single government
employee! With a record
like that to boast about,
poor Harold must marvel
at the ingratitude of voters who gave him such a
mighty heave-ho at what
should have been his moment of triumph.
But then voters are
like that; and Lovell is
not the first politician to
be booted out after doing
heroic service to the Nation: British voters turfed
out war leader Winston
Churchill while Hitler’s
Germany lay prostrate
before the victorious Allies. Voters have their own
systems for evaluating
the contributions of politicians, and their calculations often have nothing
to do with the way leaders
see themselves, or prefer
to be seen, or as History
sees them.
Lovell may have done
wonders with the governance thing, but the record
shows that the Body Politic made the UPP pay a
killing price for losing its
way politically. I suppose
we can say that the economy was only part of the
problem, stupid.
Anyway, from Rendezvous Bay to Hodges
Bay to Barbuda and points
in between, optimism
is rising as the economic bounce-back gathers
momentum into the New
Year. Yes, indeed: in politics, timing is everything.
Good timing is a blessing
… bad timing is a curse.
Friday 19th December 2014
caribtimes.com
Digicel gives great deals on
smartphones for one day
St. John’s, Antigua
and Barbuda – Delivering on its promise to
make handsets affordable to everyone this
Christmas, Digicel has
announced that on Sunday December 21st, there
will be a one day smartphone super sale event
where prices on selected smartphones will be
slashed up to twenty-five
per cent.
The exciting deals
will be on the Digicel
DL range of smartphones
and the Huawei Y221
smartphones plus each
phone comes fully loaded with one month free
data.
The store doors for
the super sale event will
open at 10 am on Sunday
and ends at 2 pm and will
only be available from
the Redcliffe Street,
Townhouse and Barbuda
stores.
Patrice Simon, LTE
Marketing
Manager,
says the objective of the
one day smartphone super sale is to give customers great deals on top
end phones by making it
even more affordable.
“The rationale behind the smartphone super sale event is basically giving our customers
an opportunity to avail
of the top smartphones at
the best prices in advance
9
of Christmas so they too
can make an impression
on their prize giving or
whether it’s just simply
to upgrade their current
handset,” she said.
The Huawei Y221
was $199 now slashed
to $159 and the Digicel
DL750 was $299, now
$224; twenty-five per
cent savings across the
board on these smartphone models for one
day only.
10 c a r i b t i m e s . c o m
Friday 19th December 2014
‘Grandfather’ of Antigua’s financial
services leads the way in innovation
This is a United World
interview for USA Today
for a report on Antigua
and Barbuda. Brian Stuart-Young, CEO of Global Bank of Commerce and
Non-resident Ambassador
to China, spoke about opportunities for American
investors in the energy
sector, Antigua’s robust
framework for financial
services, and the potential
for the newly developed
SugaPay to revolutionize
payments across the Ca-
ribbean.
The new government
was elected on the bold
promise to make Antigua and Barbuda the
“economic powerhouse
of the Caribbean”.
Prime Minister Gaston
Browne has appointed
you non-resident Ambassador to China, in order to help him achieve
this vision. What would
you say are the competitive advantages that
Antigua and Barbuda
possesses that give it the
potential to become the
economic powerhouse
of the region if utilised
properly?
Geographically
we
are the crossroads of the
Caribbean, which is very
convenient for a number
of reasons. Our position
is suitable for international business because we
are four hours behind the
markets in Europe at this
time and we are relatively close to Latin America;
this offers advantages that
we can provide through
our international services.
Our deep water harbour is well positioned to
be a port of convenience.
We are identifying and
increasing the capacity
of our harbour to serve
as a hub for major cruise
lines and as a centre for
containerized commercial
shipments. A substantial
restructuring of the port is
being undertaken with the
assistance of the government of China, which will
improve its capacity for
cruise tourism and cargo
services. We know that in
Panama, for example, they
are expanding their canal,
so there will be the need
to have ports on this side
that will be able to meet
the increased commercial
services that will result
from the growth in canal
traffic. Transhipment of
containerized goods that
can be efficiently managed will be an economic
asset.
We are also aware that
there will be a growing
need for containerized
ships to start using LNG
as their energy source,
and we believe that our
port, as it is developed,
will be able to be a bunkering centre for those
LNG-driven vessels. Convenience as the crossroads
of the Caribbean, I think,
can energize us to become
the “powerhouse” that the
prime minister has been
speaking of. The government has
hit the ground running,
approving investments
worth over $3 billion
since being elected in
June, notably in tourism and infrastructure. Could you highlight the
sectors that are most ripe
for further investment
and what can you say
about the enabling environment here to Americont’d on pg 11
caribtimes.com
Friday 19th December 2014
cont’d from pg 10
can investors looking for
opportunities?
There has to be investment in energy here. Everyone is concerned about
reducing emissions and
improving the health of
our air. I think, in a small
jurisdiction like ours, we
are ideally placed for serious investors who want
to provide services to allow us to go as green as
possible, and as quickly
as possible.
Antigua does not have
all of the variations for alternative energy – it does
not have the rivers that can
provide that source of hydroelectric energy, or the
ability to be able to take
geothermal energy from
deep inside of the earth.
But, it does have the sun
and the wind; however
both of them are not necessarily sustainable, and
there must be additional
backing from other energy sources to make them
reliable.
I think there are opportunities for energy
related investments that
can support converting
Antigua into an LNG and
renewable energy centre. We have a high cost
of electricity, which will
be an obstacle relative to
the cost efficiency of our
tourism product, as well
as the provision of IT services and manufacturing.
All these sectors have
good investment potential
but we will need to address the energy costs in
order to make them very
attractive.
Antigua’s image as
an international financial centre was damaged
somewhat by the fallout
from the fraud at Stanford International Bank
– particularly in the
USA – while the image
of offshore banking has
suffered from the austerity that has followed
the worldwide financial
11
Ambassador Brian Stuart-Young.
crisis, and the perception that the poor were
being made to pay whilst
the rich were hiding
their money. What lessons were learnt locally
from the Stanford scandal and how has Antigua
and Barbuda emerged
stronger as a jurisdiction from the twin challenges of Stanford and
the financial crisis? You will find that the
financial services sector
in Antigua has lost all interest in seeking to attract
clientele from the US. I
think it is also true to say
that the sector in general did not know that the
Stanford Bank was actually marketing or seeking CDs or deposits in
the US. We all thought it
was focused on Central
and Latin America. In a
general sense one realizes
that there is no real future
in attracting account relationships from the US,
other than seeking active
corporations; which have
largely gone, I would say,
to the Irish jurisdiction
and others.
For corporations, it
cont’d on pg 18
12 c a r i b t i m e s . c o m
Friday 19th December 2014
Render unto
Ceasar the things
that are Ceasar’s
These are challenging
times for our country and
we note the degeneration
and decline of our country. In Old Testament
times, Amos & Hosea
wrote much of the spiritual decline and social injustices, the likes of which
displeased God.
The foundations of
our country are weakening
and there are those Antiguans who are expressing
great concerns about the
future of our nation and
generations to come.
I for one have the same
concerns, but even greater
concern that the Church
of Jesus Christ is failing
to fulfill her responsibility
in the public and political
arena in this our beloved
nation.
To lift our country
back to the level of decency and morality designed
by our forefathers, Christians must become the
“salt” and “light” Christ
commissioned us to be in
our persona; Jerusalem,
Judea, Samaria and all
world.
When Jesus Christ
tells us “Render unto Caesar the things that are his,
and unto God, the things
which are His, some
have misconstrued this as
meaning that Christians
have no place in Caesar’s
public arena.
That is far from the
reality of what Jesus was
saying. It is clear that He
has commissioned us that
what we are to give are
our time, our efforts and
influence to the things of
God, but also to the actions required for creating
a godly government (Caesar).
So many Christians in
our nation feel that their
involvement in the political processes is somewhat
“unchristian” or outside
the realms of Christian responsibility.
But nothing is father
from the truth. Politics is
not a dirty word and is not
somehow spiritually “taboo” for the followers of
Christ to be in the political
processes of our nation. In
fact, God expects it from
us.
Politics is people. It is
people who vote and those
who receive the votes are
people. When elected,
they become the represen-
BY BISHOP ROLSTON S.M. JEFFREY,
D.MIN; DRE
tatives who provide public policy and direction in
government.
Politics in Antigua
has to do with its citizens
because it is through the
elective process we know
who control our representative government.
When we embrace the
political processes that
bring about change for
the betterment of our fellowmen, we are being the
“salt” and light” commissioned by our Lord.
Now we see what politics does. We see how ordinary people once elected to public office have
extra-ordinary power over
our daily lives.
We are only too familiar with some of these
individuals who rose from
virtual paupers to become
increasingly rich and powerful overtime.
Some have used their
position in politics to become proud and pompous.
But let me remind such
persons that in Daniel 4,
the Bible points us to a
very thrilling account of
a king named Nebuchadnezzar.
God raised him up
from humility and when
he thought he had become
so powerful, arrogant
and full of himself, built
an image and thought all
Babylon had to bow down
to him.
However, he forgot
that there is a Sovereign
God, an omnipotent God,
who would not give and
or share His glory with
anyone. In a dream which
his astrologers and soothsayers could not interpret,
Daniel the prophet was
able to interpret same and
the revelation was that his
kingdom would fall. He
cont’d on pg 13
Friday 19th December 2014
cont’d from pg 12
was driven from his kingdom and his living was in
the fields like an animal.
For seven years he
ate the grass like an oxen.
Pride and self-conceit are
sins which beset great
men. They are apt to take
that glory for themselves
which is due to God only.
While the proud word was
in the king’s mouth, the
powerful word came from
God.
His understanding and
his memory were gone,
and all the powers of the
rational soul was broken.
How careful we ought
to be, not to do anything
which may provoke God
to put us out of our senses.
God resist the proud.
Nebuchadnezzar
would be more than a man,
but God justly makes him
less than a man. We may
learn to believe concerning God, that the Most
High lives forever, and
that His kingdom is like
Himself, everlasting, and
universal.
His power cannot
be resisted. When are
brought to honor God, by
confession of sin and acknowledging His sovereignty, then, and not till
then, they may expect that
God will honor them; not
only restore them to the
dignity they lost by the sin
of the first Adam, but add
excellent majesty them,
from the righteousness
and grace of the second
Adam.
There can be no reasonable doubt that Nebuchadnezzar was a true
penitent, and an accepted
believer. It is thought that
he did not live more than
a year after his restoration.
Thus the Lord know how
to abase those who walk
in pride, but gives grace
and consolation the hum-
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13
ble, broken-hearted sinner
who calls upon him.
We know that politics and government walk
hand in hand. When government is ruled by those
who do good, law and
order prevails as God
gives them power to bring
judgment upon those who
practice evil.
Once again, we must
be reminded that good
government is God’s plan
and His desire is that godly men and women represent us. But godly men
and women cannot get
into leadership until they
are elected.
14 c a r i b t i m e s . c o m
Friday 19th December 2014
Cutting loose the shackles of
the past: Cuba and the US
The US is cutting
loose the shackles of the
past by establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba
after 53 years. But the
first blow in the Western
Hemisphere against those
shackles was struck by
four governments of the
English-Speaking Caribbean. Today that single
act should be a source of
great satisfaction to leaders who put themselves,
their governments and
their countries at risk for
a principle in which they
believed.
In 1972, Shridath
‘Sonny’ Ramphal, then
Foreign Minister of Guyana, told the Cuban Foreign Minister, Raul Roa,
“Trust me”.
The exchange took
place on the eve of a meeting of Foreign Ministers
of Non-Aligned countries
in Guyana. Cuba was
then almost completely
isolated in the world and
especially in the Western
Hemisphere following the
US diplomatic and trade
embargo of 1961. In the
Hemisphere only Canada
and Mexico retained any
relations with Cuba.
Ramphal’s
reassurance to Roa was in response to the Cuban Foreign Minister’s statement
that he had brought to
the Non-aligned Foreign
Ministers’ meeting “a
draft Diplomatic Relations Agreement”. Roa had done so because Guyana’s then President Forbes Burnham
had intimated his interest
in “discussing” diplomatic relations with Cuba. Recording this landmark
moment in his memoir,
“Glimpses of a Global
Life”, Ramphal recalls
telling Roa that Guyana
would establish diplomatic relations with Cuba
By Sir Ronald Sanders
“but would prefer to give
the three other indepen- leaders took was no easy
The leaders did act in
dent
English-Speaking one. unison, recognising the
Caribbean countries the
The ‘cold war’ feud leverage that a joint posichance to join us in doing between the US and the tion gave. so”. The result was that
Soviet Union was raging,
Within three months, and the countries of the four small English-SpeakRamphal, on behalf of Americas - with the ex- ing nations did what much
Burnham met, in the fol- ception of Cuba – were larger and stronger nalowing order, the leaders subject to coercion by the tions were reluctant to do. of Jamaica, Michael Man- economic and military They collectively bucked
ley; Trinidad and Tobago, power of the US. Further, the might of the US for
Eric Williams; and Barba- the US was still very much what they thought was
dos, Errol Barrow. Ram- in the mode that the Carib- right.
phal’s appeal was “to jus- bean was its backyard.
So, on 8 December
tice, to history, to regional
Therefore, the pow- 1972, the establishment of
solidarity”. Together the ers in Washington were diplomatic relations with
four leaders announced accustomed to dictating Cuba was announced by
that they would “seek the the dominant order in the Guyana, Jamaica, Barearly establishment of re- Region and toppling those bados, and Trinidad and
lations with Cuba, wheth- they disliked. The leaders’ Tobago simultaneously. er economic or political or decision required vision As Ramphal recalls in his
both”.
and courage. But, most of memoir, “The effect of
The decision these all, it required unity.
cont’d on pg 15
Friday 19th December 2014
cont’d from pg 14
this sovereign collective
Caribbean act of principle was immediate. The
hemispheric embargo of
Cuba was not just dented;
it collapsed. Today, Cuba
has formal diplomatic
relations with 160 countries”. And, momentously,
it will shortly add to the
list, the nation that has
been its longest adversary
and nemesis, the United
States of America.
The people of the Caribbean have every right
to be proud of the position
that their leaders took 42
years ago. The diplomatic boycott and trade embargo was wrong-headed
when it was implemented
and it continues to be unreasoning now. It should
be recalled that in 1961,
the US government had
other options before it, but
rejected them. Among the
options was to recognise
the Fidel Castro-led government and to engage in
the development of the
country. By discarding
that option, the US opened
the door to heavy-handed
Soviet influence in Cuba;
to the Castro-government
building-up a fortress
mentality in defence of
itself; and, as part of the
latter, a stifling of dissent
and criticism which worsened over the years. Only
the
most
hard-headed and belligerent of the anti-Castroites
in the US, or anywhere
else, would disagree with
President Obama that “we
can do more to support
the Cuban people and promote our values through
engagement”.
Over the last 53 years
the US has expended a
great deal of resources in
pursuing what Obama has
rightly described as “an
outdated approach that,
for decades, has failed to
advance our interests”. Those resources could
have been better spent on
advancing the social and
progress of Cuba, demilitarizing the government,
and allowing Cuba to fulfill its potential for economic prosperity and been
a greater contributor to
Caribbean and hemispheric social development than
it now is.
Nothing can stop the
establishment of diplomatic relations now, and
not even a Republican
President in 2016 would
contemplate such a move. In fact, the Presidential
candidates of both the
Republican and the Democratic parties would be
quietly delighted that
Obama has taken this particular iron out of the fire. However, Obama now
has an uphill task to get
Congressional approval to
end fully the commercial,
financial and economic blockade of Cuba that
is codified in US law. A
few Cuban-Americans,
who are now members
of Congress, will oppose
lifting the embargo. But,
businesses in the US have
long been upset that they
have been blocked from
commercial transactions
in Cuba while Canadian,
Mexican and European
Union companies have
been investing, acquiring
and profiting. Those US
businesses want a share of
a big market that is only
90 miles from their shore.
So businesses will be a
counter-force to the anti-Castroites.
In the meantime, there
are executive measures
caribtimes.com
15
that Obama can take to
ease the embargo, and
clearly he intends to do so.
Of course, there will
be consequences of all this
for Caribbean countries
that will have to sharpen
their tourism and export
strategies and improve
their climate for US investment. But that is a subject
for another column; for
now, the Caribbean’s people should reflect on how
by working in unison their
leaders of the time helped
to correct a grievous hemispheric fault and brought
a large measure of respect
to their nations. 16 c a r i b t i m e s . c o m
Friday 19th December 2014
Most Popular Myths about Dentistry
It seems like everything is known about the
rules and recommendations on how to take care
about our teeth effectively.
However, day after day
new versions of good old
principles of dental care
appear here and there. As
a result, many people still
remain confused about the
basics of brushing, flossing, whitening and other
dental care procedures.
Check out the most popular dental myths and related comments of dental
specialists.
ticular dental situation.
MYTH: Using a sugarless chewing gum with
xylitol after meal can replace brushing and have
the same effect.
TRUTH: Not really,
but if you can not brush
your teeth after every
meal, you can use a sugarless chewing gum to clean
your teeth and refresh your
breath. Do not chew it for
more than 10 minutes.
MYTH: I must not
brush my teeth if my gums
bleed.
MYTH: Brushing my
TRUTH:
Bleeding
teeth several times a day gums is a sign to see your
harms the enamel.
dentist. However, if you
TRUTH: Usually, it is can not do this as soon as
enough to brush your teeth possible, you can brush
two times a day, but if you cont’d on pg 17
have an opportunity to
brush your teeth more frequently (for example, after
every meal), use a soft or
extra soft toothbrush.
MYTH:
Expensive
toothpastes are always
better than cheap ones.
TRUTH: It is not
always true, and some
moderately
expensive
toothpaste can be very effective. Ask your dentist
about the toothpastes that
can be good for your par-
Friday 19th December 2014
cont’d from pg 16
your teeth with a soft or
extra soft toothbrush.
MYTH: Placing a tablet of aspirin beside my
aching tooth can ease the
pain.
TRUTH: Aspirin does
not work effectively for
relieving toothache. Besides, it damages soft tissues in you mouth. Therefore, it is better to use
natural analgesics,.
MYTH: There is no
need in seeing dentist if
there is no visible problem
with my teeth.
TRUTH: You must see
your dentist twice a year,
no matter in what condition your teeth are at the
moment. Sometimes, only
a dentist can see possible
problem, and it is always
better to start treatment on
the earliest stages.
treatment.
MYTH: After a decayed tooth is treated,
there will be no more decaying there.
TRUTH: There is no
guarantee for this. After
the treatment, every tooth
must be properly cared
MYTH: If tooth enam- about: regularly brushed,
el is white, the tooth must flossed and so on.
be considered healthy.
MYTH: It is better to
TRUTH: This is absolutely not true! A tooth can treat a decaying tooth rathlook healthy and white, er then opt for removing it.
TRUTH: Before makbut, at the same time, it
can have cavities, prob- ing a decision whether to
lems with the root or other continue treatment or reabnormalities that require move an aching tooth you
caribtimes.com
17
have to consult a qualified
dental professional. Sometimes, even totally decayed
tooth can be restored, and,
at the same time, there are
situations when even a
healthy looking tooth must
be extracted.
More next time.
A Merry Christmas to
everyone and remember
to Smile and spread the
cheer this holiday season
after all A smile is an expression of happiness and
joy in you. Like an upward
spiral, a smile will boost
the happiness you feel.
Be true to your teeth if
not they will false to you.
18 c a r i b t i m e s . c o m
cont’d from pg 11
is a matter of positioning
yourself into legally operating environments that
provide the best tax benefits. Some may say that
is avoidance, and some
may say that is appropriate tax planning on behalf
of the board. There is a
need to demystify some
of the spectra that has
been raised about international financial services,
and the thought that they
simply drain or attract
money out of major financial markets; part of that
fear comes from a lack of
understanding of how the
Friday 19th December 2014
movement of money operates.
Jurisdictions like Antigua are not money centres, they have no clearing facilities, and they
can only operate with
the support of good correspondent banking relations. If I have a client
that happened to be based
in the US and was, for a
good reason, doing some
investment or work, and
transfers $1million into
his account which he can
legitimately have at my
bank – he has to declare it
of course – where has the
money gone? It hasn’t left
TAX NOTICE
The Inland Revenue Department extends its
ABST Fresh Start Initiative that was launched in
July 2014.
Taxpayers that have arrears for Antigua and
Barbuda Sales Tax (ABST), can have all of their
penalties and interest waived once they make arrangement with the department by close of business on December 31st 2014 to liquidate the outstanding tax amount due to the department.
Taxpayers will have the option of either making one payment to pay off their debt in full, or
entering into a payment plan with the department
to liquidate their debt over time.
The Commissioner invites all ABST taxpayers
who are in an arrears position to take advantage of
this Initiative.
For further information contact the Collections
Unit by calling 468-9488 or 468-9473.
……..Commissioner of Inland Revenue
the US. It has gone from
his bank to our correspondent bank in the US in
which we have an account,
and it is being booked on
that account; the money is
still held in the treasury of
that bank in the US; that
bank has the benefit of
its liquidity, and that US
bank can still turn around
and give a loan to a taxi
driver in the US based on
the liquidity that a foreign corresponding bank
is providing them. It is a
mistake to think that the
money has gone offshore,
but I am afraid that some
of the early movies about
offshore banking kind of
generated that idea because there used to be the
depiction of people taking
raw cash in suitcases to
the Caribbean.
Fifteen years ago, our
jurisdiction became the
first to prohibit its international banking services
from accepting cash deposits, and we may still be
the only one. There is no
anonymous cash placed in
our institutions, funds can
only be deposited via an
electronic transfer or instrument originating from
the remitting bank, and
that means that if there is
a reason to investigate an
account, the clear money
trail is there. I believe that
you will find there is not
a bank manager anywhere
in the world who can lay
his head on a block and
say that his institution
has zero illicit funds; but,
what that bank manager should be able to say
is that if there are illicit
funds at his institution, its
compliance systems will
identify them, and there
will be a trail for an appropriate investigation to
be pursued. That’s what
we do.
It is surprising that
the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) produced
by the US State Department every year, has kept
Antigua and Barbuda on
its list of countries of primary concern for money
laundering and financial
crimes for ages. The asset
base managed in Antigua
in the post-Stanford period is only about US$2billion; do we warrant
or merit a position as a
primary money laundering concern? Can the size
of our international assets under management
be seen as a threat to the
stability of worldwide financial services? I don’t
personally think so, and
our Supervisory Office to
prevent drug trafficking,
money laundering and financial crimes has been
cont’d on pg 19
Friday 19th December 2014
cont’d from pg 18
very effective, but the
INCSR goal posts always
seem to be moving. We have been very
diligent in meeting and
overcoming any of the
AML/CTF deficiencies
that were identified in reviews conducted by the
Financial Action Task
Force (FATF), and the
jurisdiction
graduated
off of the FATF grey list,
and is no longer being
monitored. There was a
recent demand by the Organization for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD) relative
to general compliance
and transparency; and the
government immediately
addressed the legislation
in parliament and ensured
that our international
business corporations are
maintained in accordance
with international best
practices.
Our jurisdiction is a
relatively small financial
centre, but every bank
must comply with international standards, including significant investments in software systems
and human resources to
manage AML/CTF risks
and also meet the requirements of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance
Act (FATCA).
The cost of conduct-
ing international financial services continues to
increase, and the banks
must grow their business
to reach a satisfactory
economy of scale. The
sector does contribute
to creating meaningful
employment with higher
skill sets and professional
support services. Whilst
we are no longer seeking
to attract US clients, we
want to welcome any serious and legitimate business seeking a sovereign,
democratic and stable
jurisdiction to conduct
its international business
services and manage its
wealth portfolio.
Antigua and Barbuda
is opening up its doors
to more business with
Latin America, Asia, and
Europe; I think that we
provide excellent opportunities for businesses and
Latin American clients
whose own jurisdictions
are not conducive to international
commerce,
and are seeking banking
services to support their
requirements for buying
and selling commodities.
As commerce continues
to grow between the Caribbean and China, Global Bank of Commerce has
invested in the provision
of China’s card services to
its clients, which help to
facilitate online payments
to Chinese merchants.
The bank is issuing Union
Pay International cards
and also facilitating transactions by Asian visitors
at tourism-related merchants.
The government has
also pledged to encourage the creation of new
financial services, such
as payment services
and technology-driven
solutions. Global Bank
of Commerce, and your
affiliate, the Global Processing Centre, have
been at the forefront of
technological
innovation in banking here in
Antigua for many years.
SugaPay is one of your
latest innovations that
caribtimes.com
19
is being heavily promoted. What is the appeal of
the SugaPay system and
do you see the potential
for this to expand into
the wider region and beyond?
Our financial group is
not simply all about capturing deposits. There is
no reason why the investments that we make should
not be used for improving
financial services domestically. That is why we
branched out and invested
in other local banks, the
Global Processing Centre,
and SugaPay. All of these
investments can work together with the objective
of improving Caribbean
cont’d on pg 20
20 c a r i b t i m e s . c o m
cont’d from pg 19
Friday 19th December 2014
lifestyles and making payments more convenient.
Everything evolves
in this world, and I think
that in the Caribbean we
have generally been lazy
in innovation; the banking sector internationally
has also been lazy in innovation. The last major
innovation that the banking sector undertook was
when it developed Visa/
MasterCard. Since then,
how innovative have we
been in dealing with payments? PayPal has done
that, iZettle has done that,
ApplePay is doing that
on their phones, where
are the banks? Well, Mr.
Bank, you have abdicated your responsibility,
and these are the entities
now eating your lunch.
Why can’t we innovate
and demonstrate that we
can produce home-grown
payment solutions here in
the Caribbean?
In order to drive financial services you must
have a financial processing centre to manage
electronic financial transactions, and our banking
group has made that investment; we have a centre that is connected into
gateways that can process Visa and MasterCard
transactions, and now we
have a direct integration
with China’s Union Pay
International. If you are
driving a rental car around
Antigua you will notice
that the gas stations will
not take your cards; you
have to pay by cash now
because the retail of gas
has a mandatory small
mark-up cap, and if you
are going to use a branded card the acquiring bank
is going to charge you in
the region of 3-4%. They
need a payment solution
to get them away from
1 MONTH
FREE DATA
SAVE THE DATE FOR THIS
YEAR’S BEST PRICES!
DEC 21
ONLY!
risky cash transactions,
without disrupting their
business.
In a World Bank’s
“Doing Business” Report,
it says the average Antiguan spends something
like 207 hours a year paying taxes. This is because
there is no convenient
payment system and the
payer must either take a
check or cash and wait in
line for a long time to pay
the bill. Everybody recognizes that this is a waste
of time, and it is costing
efficiency in the labour
market.
cont’d on pg 21
Friday 19th December 2014
cont’d from pg 20
Our group considered
the options and initiated
the research and investment needed to create an alternative payment solution, which we branded as
SugaPay – “the sweetest
way to pay”.
It is a marriage between your payment card
and your mobile phone
which delivers trusted and
convenient payment services. The plastic card can
be loaded with a stored
value that is automatically seen and registered on
your designated phone.
Every card transaction
is seen on your phone,
providing a virtual bank
account and alerting the
cardholder of its use.
The phone can also
originate transactions for
payments and receive receipts. In this way, SugaPay can be safely used
for card-present and cardnot-present transactions,
enabling the convenience
of online payments for
government taxes as well
as bill payments and event
tickets.
We also provide a
Smartphone Mobile Terminal that enables micro,
small and medium sized
vendors to offer merchant
services to SugaPay card
holders. In a sense PayPal has done that, and there
is nothing that PayPal is
doing that we cannot do
with SugaPay. It is our
own
home-developed
payment system. We are
able to provide ecommerce at a greatly reduced
“merchant discount rate”
compared to the rate used
for branded cards. At this
time we are doing integrations with different departments of government
and establishing a broad
cross-section of merchants.
We expect to demonstrate that it is a model
for alternative payment
services in Antigua, and
we are already seeing
very good interest from
all the Caribbean islands.
We are noting special interest from credit unions
in the region, and we believe that SugaPay opens
new opportunities for the
micro and small sectors
to participate more safely
with commercial transactions.
We expect that this
SugaPay payment solution service will become
popular, improve the
safety and convenience
of general payments, and
reduce the risk involved
in carrying or receiving
cash. Once you have got
the circulation of this card
and payment service fully
operational, then you can
look towards improving
the efficiency and cost of
diaspora remittances. If
you have a delivery system that can provide remittances at a more efficient and convenient cost,
even after managing all
of the AML/CFT requirements for fund transfer
security, it will provide
a much needed service
within our Caribbean
communities. You are the figurehead of international
banking here in Antigua,
but also a family man.
We understand your two
adult children also work
for the business. What
are the most important
values instilled in them,
and indeed all your employees, that have helped
the business grow to its
caribtimes.com
21
current prominent position?
I am a person of strong
faith and a family man. I
treat our group of companies as my extended family. I try to encourage family values within my work
family, explaining that
in every job that I have
undertaken – and I have
done many – I have treated my work as if I owned
the business. If you do not
enjoy what you are doing
you should move on because you have to enjoy
your workday, and you
have to value it as if it is
your own business and
ensure that you will go
the extra mile to make it
successful. It is that kind
of commitment that everyone needs to make in
order to grow a business.
22 c a r i b t i m e s . c o m
Friday 19th December 2014
US Coast Guard nabs two smugglers,
seizes cocaine in Caribbean Sea
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, CMC
- The United States Coast Guard
says it has detained two suspected
smugglers and seized 71 pounds of
cocaine during an operation in the
Caribbean Sea.
The Coast Guard said that
the operation on Tuesday was a
multi-agency law enforcement effort in support of Operation Caribbean Guard and Coast Guard Operation Unified Resolve.
It said a marine surveillance aircraft last week detected a suspicious
20-foot go-fast vessel with two
people aboard “transiting the area
without the use of their navigational
lights”.
It said the Cutter Dependable
was diverted to interdict the suspect
vessel and observed the suspected smugglers jettisoning multiple
packages overboard during the pursuit.
“The small-boat crew employed
warning shots and disabling fire,
stopping the vessel and recovering
one of the jettisoned bales from the
water,” the Coast Guard said.
Since September 2012, the
Coast Guard, in partnership with
regional law enforcement authori-
ties and international partners in the
Caribbean, seized over 25,500 kilograms of cocaine and 8,000 pounds
of marijuana during multiple law
enforcement at-sea interdictions under Operation Unified Resolve.
The Coast Guard said that the
drugs seized since 2012 are worth
more than US$640 million.
Friday 19th December 2014
caribtimes.com
23
Sony film ‘The Interview’ took aim
at North Korea’s biggest taboo
TOKYO (AP) -- If the
U.S. government’s claim
is correct that North Korea was involved in the
unprecedented hack attack
on Sony Pictures that scuttled Seth Rogen’s latest
comedy, no one can say
they weren’t warned. The
movie, “The Interview,”
pushed all of North Korea’s buttons.
No country would
welcome a movie portraying the glib and graphic
assassination of its leader.
But nowhere could it
be expected to generate
more official outrage and
possible reprisals than in
North Korea, home to the
world’s most intense cult
of personality, where even
the hint of criticism of the
ruling Kim dynasty can
mean a long stint in prison and where it’s a serious
offense to merely crumple
up a newspaper with any
of the leaders’ images.
North Korea’s reaction
to “The Interview” was
swift and loud.
Way back in June,
it warned there would
be severe repercussions
for anyone involved in
the film, which portrays
the assassination of Kim
Jong Un for the CIA by
two American journalists.
When rumors began to
circulate that North Korea was behind the hack,
it was quick to deny it ordered the attack, but suggested it was a “righteous
deed” carried out by sympathizers abroad.
Strengthening suspicions that North Korea’s
involvement might have
been deeper, a U.S. official said Wednesday that
federal investigators have
connected the hacking to
the North. A security professional with knowledge
of the breach said investigators had strong circumstantial evidence and
technical commonalities
pointing to North Korea.
Both spoke on condition
of anonymity because they
were not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation.
Bernadette Meehan,
National Security Council spokeswoman, said the
United States was “considering a range of options”
in response.
Though Washington
has yet to officially lay out
its case, Hajime Izumi, a
leading Japanese expert
on North Korea and a professor at Shizuoka University, said the film crossed
a red line for North Korea
Sony, Actor Randall Park, center, portrays North Korean
leader Kim Jong Un in Columbia Pictures’ “The Interview.”
because it struck at the
country’s biggest taboo:
criticism of its supreme
leader. Suppression of
such criticism is vital to
the very survival of the regime.
“They can’t allow
that,” he said. “I think
their response was fairly
predictable.”
Mockery of North Korea’s leaders in the West
is hardly new or unusual.
A decade ago, the musical farce “Team America:
World Police” had Kim’s
father, Kim Jong Il, turning into a cockroach.
Viral Kim memes are
rife on the Internet and
Hollywood has in recent
years turned to North Koreans as the villains de
jour. The 2012 remake
of “Red Dawn” and last
year’s “Olympus Has Fallen” were both about North
Korean attacks on the
United States.
North Korea has not
always taken the bait:
“Team America” got a
rather toothless response.
Izumi said its more furious reaction to “The Interview” could suggest
a growing lack of confidence in its ability to keep
illegal copies of foreign
movies from being smuggled across its borders and
viewed by ordinary North
Koreans.
Further, because the
film didn’t merely mock
Kim Jong Un but portrayed his assassination
- he dies in a fiery explosion set to a rendition of
the Katy Perry song “Firecont’d on pg 24
24 c a r i b t i m e s . c o m
cont’d from pg 23
work” - North Korea might have felt
the need to respond with more than
just words.
A cyberattack, harder to trace
and less likely to provoke a direct response than, for instance, bombing a
theater, would be a powerful but less
risky means of sending a message
that North Korea does not want to
be taken lightly, whether it be over
the portrayal of its leader or any perceived threat to its regime. And a
severe response from Washington is
unlikely because North Korea is already subject to heavy international
sanctions.
Even if North Korea is not to
blame for the hacking, as it contends, the perception that it is capa-
Friday 19th December 2014
ble of such an attack is a win for the
regime.
North Korea, isolated and still
technically at war with the United
States, has more than its share of
hot-button issues.
Vitriolic outbursts of rage
against the United States, South Korea and Japan have for decades been
a mainstay of North Korea’s staterun media, along with endless praise
of the Kims - national founder Kim
Il Sung, his son Kim Jong Il and now
Kim Jong Un - as peerless leaders
who enjoy nothing but the undying
love and devotion of their nation.
But since Kim Jong Un assumed
power in late 2011, North Korea has
responded with what some U.S. officials have called “hyper-reactions”
in several standoffs with Washington, including a rapid escalation of
tensions following its rocket launch
and nuclear test last year and, over
the past couple of months, a U.N.
resolution that could in theory open
the door for its leaders - including
Kim - to be hauled before the International Criminal Court for crimes
against humanity.
The feeling is that North Korea’s
ruling regime, wary of what it sees
as an effort by the U.S. to test the
relatively young and inexperienced
Kim Jong Un, has been overcompensating to demonstrate its unwillingness to be cowed or coerced.
“I don’t think they would have
reacted this way to a movie in the
days of his father,” said Izumi.
caribtimes.com
Friday 19th December 2014
Thursday’s Sudoku Solution
25
SUDOKU
C R O S S WO R D
Across
1. One making checks and balances?
4. Marchers’ respites
9. Fossil container, sometimes
14. Wasn’t brave
15. Not just up
16. Mediterranean nation
17. Flood survivor
18. Short-order order
20. Jungle roamers
22. Get rid of
23. Brides’ escorts
24. Fellow graduate
26. Dashed off
28. Easy, unobstructed progress
33. Valentine’s Day offering
34. Components of happy faces
35. Throng
38. D&D character
39. ‘’Peer Gynt Suite’’ composer
40. Title role of a 2004 Oscar
winner
41. Short report?
42. Roof support
43. Sub device
44. What many graduates look
forward to
46. Cartoonist’s accomplishment
48. Celestial sights
49. Home to a prolific old
woman
50. OT book
53. Affirm
57. Good host’s offering
60. What a milker’s cold hands
may cause
61. Tailors do it often
62. Wiser companion
63. Sidekick
64. Minute
65. You may provide a bed for
one
66. Kind of dog
Down
1. Sourpuss
2. Skin
3. ‘’Put Your Head on My
Shoulder’’ crooner
4. 2004 speaker of the house
5. Improper practices
6. General Nol of Cambodia
7. Popular salad
8. River down under
9. Cherbourg chum
10. Rabies victim
11. Sound off sheepishly?
12. Recital piece
13. Knocks
19. Home Economics class
topic
21. Have mercy on
25. It’s hooked
27. ICU workers
28. Ninja’s motion
29. Small construction block
30. Wild West hero
31. St. Patrick’s converts
32. Is dishonest with, in a way
35. Chef’s compilation
36. Actor Sharif
37. Tedious type
39. Influenza
40. ‘’You’re wrong!’’
42. Numerical prefix
43. Undermine
44. Major West German port
45. Optician’s wares
46. Mud, after centuries
47. Egg-laden dessert
49. Hit the buzzer?
51. Walk wearily
52. Legal org. co-founded by
Jane Addams
54. Diamond quartet, briefly
55. Certain global warming
culprit
56. Divine
58. Sardonic
59. Lines of homage, collectively
26 c a r i b t i m e s . c o m
Friday 19th December 2014
“The Inter-School Recycling Competition starts again in
January 2015! Interested schools may contact the Environment Division at 562-2568 by January 10th, 2015. Remember Recycling is a good habit! Pick it up!”If you have any
questions please feel free to contact me at 464-8157.
“The life you save could be someone you know”
Antigua & Barbuda Red Cross Is Offering Certified FIRST
AID/CPR Training Course Mondays and Thursdays 5:00pm
to 8:00pm Starting on Thursday January 12th, 2015 For Further Information: Call Tel # 462 0800/ 771-8253
The Ministry of Education wishes to advise the General
Public of its closure of the Ministry’s Headquarters from
23th December 2014, to accommodate minor repairs and
the spraying for termite infestation. Normal operations will
return on Monday 29th December, 2014. Please be guided
accordingly.
Its the Birthday of A King ....Come out and celebrate with
the Spring Gardens Moravian Church on Sunday 21st December 2014, 6pm. Dress up as travellers and come on
Down the Road to Bethlehem - a programme of drama recalling the story of Christ's birth and singing of Christmas
carols. Come and be blessed.
St. Paul’s Christmas Schedule
It’s that time of year (again) when the children of the St.
Paul’s constituency are treated to our annual Christmas
Party and our elders, sick and shut ins to the joy of Christmas through gift baskets and food hampers.
Below is a list of activities for the entire season sponsored
by the Hon. E.P. Chet Greene
Friday 19th
Distribution of Ham & Turkey
Saturday 20th Carolling on the Bloc at Yasoso Corner and
Community Awards Ceremony 7 – 11:00 p.m.
Sunday 21
Children Christmas party at Yasoso Corner
from 2:00 p.m.
Monday 22nd Distribution of packages to the elderly
Thursday 25th Bloc Party (all day)
Friday 26th
Bloc Party (continued)
Thursday 1st January 2015
Bloc Party (all day)
Employment
Cashier/ Administrative Assistant needed. Must be fully
qualified with cxc subjects including math and English.
Apply in person at Shoe Palace on Redcliffe Street with
resume. Tel number 462-2362.
Domestic helper needed. Must have experience in similar
job. Apply in person at Shoe Palace on Redcliffe Street or
call 726-0374.
Sale
At Flo’s Perfume + we care! on Friday 19 and Saturday
20th come and enjoy 15% off store wide, from a wide selection of Giftsets, Mini-sets , Body Spray and Cosmetics
“Come Go With The Flo”. Tel:562-5618
ASHLEY @ THE FURNITURE GALLERY; Sofa, Loveseat & Chaise Sets starting from $4320, 3 Piece Occasional Sets starting from $900, Upholstered Bar Stools starting
from $370, Queen Headboards at $500.
For Sale - one queen sized bed frame and divan set, one double
sized divan set and a Daewoo Automatic Washing Machine.
All in good condition. Interested persons call 770-7801.
Annette’s Orchids! Only 5 days to Christmas!! Have you
visited us at one of our 3 locations? Hurry while stocks
last. “Beautiful Plants Make Homes Beautiful” And are
great gifts. Lots to choose from. See you today! Paradise
View Drive. 461 9496
@ THE FURNITURE GALLERY; New Whirlpool Top
Load Washers starting at $1995.
Service
Barbuda Express is sailing everyday except Mondays &
Wednesdays. Tours available 4 days a week, For more
info and reservation, please call 764-2291. You may also
visit our website http://www.barbudaexpress.com.
Friday 19th December 2014
caribtimes.com
27
DEAR LADY X HOROSCOPE
During a disagreement with my boyfriend, he called me a
“b----.”
We have been together for 13 years,
and he has never disrespected or degraded
me that way before.
He
apologized
later and said what
he meant was I was
acting like one (as
if that’s any better),
but I’m having a hard
time getting past this.
When he called me
that, I was stunned.
I felt nauseated the
rest of the day, as if he
had literally punched
me in the stomach.
Am I wrong to re-
act this way?
Am I making a
big deal out of it, and
should I just accept
his apology and let it
go?
I just feel so hurt.
-- DEGRADED
DEAR DEGRADED: People often
say things they don’t
mean -- or something
they later regret -- in
the heat of an argument.
One slip of the
tongue after 13 years
together shouldn’t be
a deal-breaker.
Accept his apology and move on already.
Thursday’s Crossword Solution
ARIES (March 21-April 19).
When plans snag, you might
wonder whether your intuition
is off. It’s not. Believe it or not,
the snag is for the best. Eventually, all will work out in an
unexpected and fortuitous way.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20).
You don’t need to measure up
to anyone else’s standards, only
your own. It will be good luck
to listen to the person who is,
for some reason, often ignored.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21).
If there’s a better way to make
money, you’re likely to notice
it today. That person performing a task you find fascinating is doing the thing that you
could be doing and being paid
well for it, too! Investigate.
CANCER (June 22-July 22).
Those ideas about wrong and
right may look good on paper,
but they play out in such nuanced and complicated ways
that in the end the moral stance
doesn’t settle so neatly.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Start
the conversation. Whether or
not things take off, you’ll be
glad you took the initiative,
if only for the education of it.
Saying interesting things isn’t
necessary. The point is just to
get the other person talking. It’s
about rapport.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). In
recent days, your heart song
has been a hummable, pleasant
melody. Today it has operatic
force. The affection you feel
is a gift, whether or not you
choose to do anything about it.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23).
People will communicate to
you messages that you already
knew but maybe weren’t supposed to. Regardless of how
good of an actor you are, your
kindness will not allow you to
deflate anyone’s ego.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21).
You’re inclined to share freely
all that you’ve learned, but first
consider where your parents
are coming from. Some people
aren’t ready for your knowledge, and it will be wasted on
them.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec.
21). Make a resolution for
yourself and stick to it. This
will be good practice for New
Year’s. Even if you stick to it
for only a day, you’ll be building your “stick to it” muscles.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan.
19). The older folks will do
the “these kids today” talk,
and the younger ones will feel
annoyed, but not as annoyed
as a middle group who realize
that the minute they say “these
kids today,” they are not among
them.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb.
18). It’s been said that just
because you own a hammer
doesn’t mean you can build a
house. However, you’re a lot
closer to being able to build one
than the person who doesn’t
own a hammer. Have faith and
get more tools.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20).
Most people don’t like to feel
controlled, and the strongwilled creative types absolutely hate it. Anyone trying to
impose a view or a timeline on
you will automatically go on
your “watch list.”
28 c a r i b t i m e s . c o m
Friday 19th December 2014
5:00 AM - 6:30 AM
LIVE BROADCAST FROM THE EBENEZER METHODIST
CHURCH
6:40 AM - 7:00 AM
ANNIVERSARY BIRTHDAY CLUB WITH YOKO DEE
7:30 AM - 9:00 AM
12:05 PM
REPEAT OF: THE QUEEN'S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE
THE QUEEN'S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE
THE GOVERNOR GENERAL'S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE
THE GOVERNOR GENERAL'S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE
THE PRIME MINISTER'S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE
THE PRIME MINISTER'S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE
THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION CHRISTMAS MESSAGE
THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION CHRISTMAS MESSAGE
CHRISTMAS MESSAGES FROM:
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH
THE METHODIST CHURCH
THE MORAVIAN CHURCH
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
CHRISTMAS WITH: GWEN TONGE, YVONNE MAGINLEY
DAME BRIDGETTE HARRIS AND DR. MATHURIN JURGENSON
HOSTED BY FRANKLYN MOSES
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
THE SALVATION ARMY
CHRISTMAS ON STEEL WITH LAUCHLAND JOSEPH
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
4:000 PM - 6:00 PM
THE GREATEST GIFT
CHRISTMAS IN THE CARIBBEAN WITH EUGENE ISAAC & FRIENDS
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
CHRISTMAS REQUEST LINE WITH YOKO DEE
A CARIBBEAN GOSPEL CHRISTMAS WITH LESLIE DUNNAH
11:00 AM - 11:45 AM
8:00 PM - 10:00 PM
CHRISTMAS REQUEST LINE FOR OVERSEAS LISTENERS
THE YEAR AT A GLANCE WITH ZDK'S NEWS TEAM
11:45 AM - 12:00 NOON
10:00 PM - 1:00 AM
SOUNDS OF SOLID GOLD
THE MUSIC OF CHRISTMAS
caribtimes.com
Friday 19th December 2014
29
Celtics Trade Rondo To Mavericks
BOSTON (AP) -- The Boston
Celtics traded point guard Rajon Rondo to Dallas on Thursday night, cutting ties with the last remnant of their
last NBA championship while giving
Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks a
chance at another title.
The Celtics will send Rondo and
forward Dwight Powell to Dallas for
Jameer Nelson, Jae Crowder, Brandan Wright, two draft picks and a
$12.9 million trade exception.
“Welcome to Rajon Rondo the
newest member of the Dallas Mavericks,” team owner Mark Cuban wrote
on the social media application Cyber
Dust shortly before the official announcement. Cuban also thanked the
three departing players, calling them
“Amazing players and better people.”
Boston got a first-round pick in
next year’s draft and a second-rounder in 2016. The Celtics have eight
first-round picks in the next four
years, picking them up in trades for
Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce and
even coach Doc Rivers as they shed
the pieces of the New Big Three that
earned the franchise its unprecedented 17th NBA title in 2008.
The Mavericks get a pass-first
point guard - a four-time all-star - to
team with Nowitzki, Monta Ellis,
Chandler Parsons and Tyson Chandler in what they hope will make them Boston Celtics guard Rajon Rondo (9)
a contender again. Dallas is 19-8 this drives during the second half of an NBA
season but in third place in the South- basketball game against the Orlando
cont’d on pg 30
Magic in Boston.
SHOUL’S TOYS GIFTS AND HOUSEWARES
OPENING TOMORROW
SUNDAY 21ST
1:00 P.M. TO 5:00 P.M.
CHRISTMAS EVE
8:30 A.M. TO 10:00 P.M.
A Blessed Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year from
SHOUL’S TOYS GIFTS AND HOUSEWARES
30 c a r i b t i m e s . c o m
cont’d from pg 29
west Division and sixth in
the Western Conference.
The Mavericks, who
won their only NBA title
in 2011, have not won a
playoff series since. The
deal has been years in the
making, with the Celtics
shopping Rondo every time
a coach grows tired of his
moods or his contract expectations grow too large
for their budget. But every
previous time Boston management decided that the
offers weren’t enough.
Celtics general manager Danny Ainge found a
partner in Dallas, which is
coached by his former Bos-
Friday 19th December 2014
ton teammate Rick Carlisle.
Rondo, 28, joined the
rebuilding Celtics as the
21st overall pick out of
Kentucky in 2006 and became the point guard for an
NBA champion in his second year when Boston acquired Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett the next summer.
They helped the Celtics
reach the NBA finals again
two years later.
With the once-proud
franchise mired in what
now looks to be an extended rebuilding process,
though, Rondo became
more valuable as a trading
chip. Due to be a free agent
at the end of the season, he
was reportedly expecting a
contract at or near the NBA
maximum.
Rondo has averaged 11
points, 8.5 assists and 4.7
rebounds over his career.
He missed the second half
of the 2012-13 season and
the first half of last season
to have reconstructive knee
surgery, and then reportedly fell in the shower in Las
Vegas on the eve of training
camp and missed all of the
preseason.
In 22 games this season
for Boston, Rondo had an
NBA-best 10.8 assists per
game and also averaged 8.3
points and 7.5 rebounds.
Nelson, who signed
a two-year, $5.5 million
deal last summer after 10
seasons in Orlando, was
starting at point guard
for Dallas, averaging 7.3
points and 4.1 assists while
shooting 37 percent from
the field.
Wright has played
about 19 minutes a game,
averaging 8.8 points, 4.1
rebounds and 1.6 blocks.
Crowder has averaged 3.6
points per game for Dallas.
Powell has totaled nine
points and nine minutes in
five games for Boston this
season as the Celtics (9-14)
opened their second season
under new coach Brad Stevens.
caribtimes.com
Friday 19th December 2014
31
Empire secured three valuable
points in their promotion bid
By Vanroy Burnes
Cool & Smooth Empire the former 13 times
Premier division champions are making case to
return to that division next
season.
The Empire team
looks a shadow of the team
it once been in the earlier
years and once known to
others that the Empire
will strike back has an
open chance this season to
make their dreams come
true for the teams and the
many ardent fans and the
pride of Grays Farm com-
munity.
In their latest match
played on Thursday December 18th Empire beat
Seven Seas All Saints
United by a single goal to
nil at King George. It was
Nickardo Lindsay scored
the lone goal in the 73rd
minute. The victory lifted
them to 27 points from
their 16 matches the same
as Hill Top.
However Hill top by
virtue of a goal difference
of 12 to that of Empire
8, Hill Top occupied the
second spot behind SaniPro Bullets who is on 35
cont’d from pg 32
wood, but he coughed up the chance.
Amla took advantage to rack up
his third double-century, but on 208,
he miscued a lofted drive and was
pouched on the boundary by Taylor
off Benn.
In his first Test as skipper on
19 December 2014
points from 16 matches.
In other matches
played, Potters Tigers occupied the fourth position
with 25 points after beating
Celtics 3 goals to1 at Potters. Celtics in the meantime remains on 7 points
from their 16 matches.
Potters goals came from
Watendy Grayman in the
14th minute, Traymayne
Jeremy in the 69th minute
and Cleon Adams in the
74th minute, while Celtics
lone goal came from Darlington Arentakor in the
21st minute.
Liberta and Sea View
home soil, it truly was a captain’s
innings. With a declaration looming, Van Zyl was given the chance to
make a Test century on debut, and he
did not pass up the chance.
The declaration followed shortly after South Africa had gone past
550, and the rain arrived to deny
Until 20 December 2014
Farm played to a two all
draw at Sea View Farm
with both teams earning
a point each. Liberta two
goals came from the boot
of Kevin Warner in the
45th minute and Travern
Ralph in the 54th minute,
while Sea View Farm
goals came from the boot
of Enrico Hunte in the 50th
minute and Astel Joseph
in the 35th minute.
Liberta moves to
21 points from their 16
matches, while Sea View
Farm moves to 7 points
the same as Celtics both
from 16 matches each.
Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Co.
a crack at the West Indies batsmen.
The pressure is firmly on the
West Indies batsmen to show up in
a manner their bowlers did not, as
they will need to bat for long spells
to save the game. (Reprinted from
BleacherReport.com)
22 December 2014
32 c a r i b t i m e s . c o m
Friday 19th December 2014
Van Zyl maiden century and Amla
double century sink West Indies
CENTURION, South Africa South Africa’s dominance of the first
Test with West Indies continued on
Day 2, but they were denied a chance
to attack the tourists’ batting by rain.
Hashim Amla helped himself to
a double-century and Stiaan van Zyl
bagged a maiden Test ton, as South
Africa declared on 552 for 5.
Shortly afterward, the rain arrived at Centurion and forced an early end to the day’s play.
West Indies were in dire need of
a wicket, and they got it 25 minutes
into the second day.
AB de Villiers, as he had done
so superbly on countless occasions
in his innings, went to drive through
the covers. However, on this occasion, on 152, he miscued slightly and
picked out Jermaine Blackwood at
backward point.
It was an innings deserving of a
standing ovation, and it is what it received, as the superstar batsman took
the acclaim of the Centurion crowd
as he departed the scene.
It is not clear if Stiaan van Zyl
required treatment overnight for pa-
The weather closed in as South Africa declared meaning West Indies did not
have to bat on the second day.
drash, having spent most of the previous day watching from the pavilion as Amla and De Villiers scored
freely.
Having waited so long for his
Test debut, Van Zyl should have departed on two. He turned a ball from
Sulieman Benn off his pads to leg
gully, but Kraigg Brathwaite shelled
the chance. It was a moment that typified the West Indies effort.
Effort is a loose term to throw at
their display in the field. Shorn of the
services of Kemar Roach—the pick
of the West Indies bowlers on the
first day—the tourists looked completely flat.
Van Zyl took advantage of the
less-than-testing bowling to ease
himself into the Test arena, while the
juggernaut that is Amla continued on
his merry way.
On 180, Amla offered up another
chance. A loose flick to midwicket
off Jerome Taylor picked out Black-
cont’d on pg 31
Caribbean Times is printed and published at Woods Estate /Friars Hill Road By Kimon Drigo who is also the Editor and resides at
Sugar Factory. Contact P.O Box W2099, Wood Estate /Friars Hill Road, St.John's Antigua/ Tel: (268) 562 - 8688 or Fax: (268) 562 8685.Email: [email protected]/Advertising: [email protected]/www.caribtimes.com