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TAXI DRIVERS UNITE
Thursday 26th February 2015
A n t i g u a
In a rare show of unity, taxi operators drawn from the three major
taxi associations gathered Wednesday
afternoon to discuss a matter they describe as ‘extreme concern’ for members in the profession.
At issue is a letter dated January
5, 2015, written by Neil Keeling of
a n d
B a r b u d a
the Antigua and Barbuda Tour Operators Association and which was
addressed to Tourism Minister, Hon.,
Asot Michael.
In the 10-page document, Keeling lays out a case for members of
ABTOA to acquire their own buses to
transport visitors to the island arriving
Vol.4
No.12
$2.00
on pre-paid tours whether their port
of entry was the St John’s Harbour or
VC Bird International Airport.
Keeling signs only as a member
of the ABTOA, but the taxi operators
are of the view that his position is
shared by the general membership of
cont’d on pg 2
Race record shattered
Phaedo^3 broke the multihull race record set by Claude Thelier
and John Burnie’s ORMA 60, Region Guadeloupe by 6 hours,
35 minutes and 35 seconds. Story on page 3.
2
Thursday 26th February 2015
caribtimes.com
Antigua hosts regional magistrates
Magistrates from across the Caribbean are meeting in Antigua today to advance the Juvenile Justice
System project in the region.
Attorney General and Minister
of Justice, the Hon Steadroy Cutie
Benjamin, will declare the conference open at the Trade Winds Hotel.
A statement from the Ministry
says the Juvenile Justice Reform
Committee is hosting the Magistrates’ Conference which will provide an opportunity for Magistrates
to interact with stakeholders in the
Juvenile Justice System, including
NGO’s. The statement says the meeting
seeks to raise awareness of available youth related services as well
as establish a framework for the operation of Diversion Programmes.
This, the statement adds, is to
be done in collaboration with the
courts, in the absence of the adoption of the Child Justice Bill and establishment of a Legal Framework
for diversion.
The meeting will also considcont’d from pg 1
ABTOA.
Wednesday’s
meeting at the Multi-Purpose
Cultural Centre attracted
over 300 taxi operators and
brought together members
of the St John’s Taxi Association, which groups those
who ply their trade among
cruise passengers, the National taxi Association,
which represents hotel taxi
operators and United taxi
Association, whose members operate at VC Bird In-
er the standardization of Juvenile
Court Management Procedures, to
facilitate Diversion, Monitoring and
Reporting within the court system.
It is anticipated that stakeholders will engage each other in open,
honest discourse, which will lead
to a more coordinated approach towards juvenile justice, particularly
youth at risk and conflicts with the
law.
The regional Juvenile Justice
Reform Project has identified a
number of goals it seeks to achieve
measurable over the medium to
long term.
It noted that formal sentencing
options for juveniles are limited in
the region, with non-custodial sentences and court avoidance procedures being the exceptions rather
than the norm.
There is a lack of investment in
alternative sentencing and restorative justice models. OECS Member States juvenile
justice systems continue to be characterized by punitive rather than re-
ternational Airport.
Public Relations Officer for the St John’s Taxi
Association,
Keithroy
‘Number One’ Lake, said
the taxi operators all were
strongly of the view that the
move proposed by Keeling
would severely harm their
livelihood and they pledged
to unite and fight what they
see as a threat.
He said the taxi operators will also request a
meeting with Minister Michael to voice their grave
Attorney General and Minister of Justice, the Hon Steadroy Cutie Benjamin
habilitative sentencing; this is due
to a lack of alternatives available to
the court, and poorly developed foster care programs and/or childcare/
protection support options. In the absence of these program
and established legal aid services,
children and/or youth in conflict
with the law continue face custodial/punitive sentences.
concerns over the proposal,
and they intend to take the
matter to the highest levels
to ensure that their livelihood is protected.
A delegation from the
association also plans to
seek legal advice later today to explore that option if
and when it becomes necessary. The Keeling letter
cites a number of matters it
claims that are harmful to
the tourism industry in Antigua and Barbuda. Among
them, it said taxi operators
do not carry the required
insurance for public service
vehicles as desired by the
cruise lines and others in
the trade. Additionally, it
said the influx of more people into the taxi trade has
helped to lower standards
in Antigua compared with
other territories.
But the taxi men see
the comments detailed in
the letter as insulting and
intended to degrade taxi
operators in the sight of the
minister.
Thursday 26th February 2015
caribtimes.com
3
RORC race record shattered
Hundreds of spectators packed the dock on
Falmouth Harbour Tuesday night to celebrate
Phaedo^3’s
magnificent
achievement.
Phaedo^3 broke the
multihull race record set
by Claude Thelier and
John Burnie’s ORMA 60,
Region Guadeloupe by 6
hours, 35 minutes and 35
seconds.
“Fast, really fast,” commented a shattered looking
owner Lloyd Thornburg as
Phaedo^3 tied up in Falmouth Harbour.
“Sailing with such a
crew was an incredible experience, a totally amazing experience continued
Thomburg.
Commendations to the
Antigua Yacht Club and
the Royal Ocean Racing
Club for the well organized
RORC Caribbean 600 race.
The RORC Caribbean 600, based in Antigua
is the first offshore race in
the Caribbean which has
been an instant success and
the RORC has extended
its organizational expertise
by creating a new Transatlantic Race from Lanzarote to Grenada, the first
of which was in November
2014.
Multiple
America’s
Cup winner and Rambler
88 tactician, Brad Butterworth said this is the first
time he did this race and it
was an interesting course
from a tactical and navigational point of view. With a
big season planned there is
cont’d on pg 4
4
Thursday 26th February 2015
caribtimes.com
NEVA – A Caribbean graduate
preparation and career training centre
In just 10 weeks at National Educational Venture
Alliance (NEVA), Caribbean National, Khaleel Atkinson improved her Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)
scores with a 300 point
jump earning a score above
2000 on the SAT exam.
The SAT exam is a
compulsory exam for students aspiring to study in
the USA. With such impressive scores, Khaleel
has applied to Harvard,
Columbia, the University
of Chicago and other Ivy
League schools.
“I found Dr. Alexander’s classes just in time!”
said an excited Khaleel. “I
received one-on-one sessions with Dr. Alexander
who advised me about the
different colleges I could
apply to, the application
process required for each
and the financial aid,” she
continued.
cont’d from pg 3
Others who took the
SAT exam also witnessed
a significant improvement
in scores. Jamaicans Jordan
Gordan and Odaine Anderson both witnessed a whopping 360 and 340 points
increase, respectively.
Dr. Neva Alexander
is the Founder of National
Educational Venture Alliance (NEVA), an American
based non-profit organization that focuses on educational services –particularly
graduate preparation and
career training for overseas work opportunities.
NEVA’s student offerings
include test preparation for
the SAT, American College Test (ACT) exams,
the Graduate Record Exam
(GRE) and several others.
Currently, NEVA has
locations in Jamaica, New
York and Florida. Dr. Alexander has assisted students
from the Caribbean, Cana-
potential for a great 2015 as the RORC
Caribbean 600 race has provided a lot of
data and ideas which will go towards improving performances.
The crew of Phaedo^3 includes Lloyd
Thornburgh (Owner), Romain Attanasio,
Samuel Bason, Pete Cumming, Michel
Desjoyeaux, Warren Fitzgerald, Sam
Goodchild and Brian Thompson.
George David’s Juan K designed
Rambler 88 was the next boat to finish
taking Monohull Line Honours for the
RORC Caribbean 600.
Dr. Alexander (left) congratulates Khaleel for attaining an
impressive SAT score. Dr. Alexander further rewarded
Khaleel with a Samsung Galaxy S5. da, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain,
Egypt and India realize
their dreams of studying in
the USA. Dr. Alexander
prepares students across the
world through her accessible online tutoring sessions.
The affordable prices of her
course offerings are standard and remain the same
irrespective of a student’s
Rambler 88 was approximately four
hours short of the monohull race record,
set by George David’s Rambler 100 in
2011.
The crew of Rambler 88: George David (Owner), Rodney Ardern, Silvio Arrivabene Stuart Bannatyne, Scott Beavis,
Curtis Blewett, Brad Butterworth, Simon
Daubney, Wendy David, Jan Dekker, Brian Giorgio, Nathan Hislop, Brad Jackson,
Jerome Kirby, William McCarthy, Artie
Means, Robert Naismith, Mark Newbrook, Dean Phipps, Andrea Visintini,
Matthew Welling, Stuart Wilson.
location.
“The instructors were
really engaging, accessible
and motivational,” recalled
Khaleel, “The instruction
had me hooked; I was
given a productive study
schedule, tested often, exposed to more than 1000
new words, and given numerous tips and insight on
the SAT exam.”
Unlike some Caribbean Nationals who study
abroad, Khaleel intends
to return to Jamaica upon
completion of her medical
studies. “I love my country,
and I am driven to achieve
my life-long goal of becoming a valuable member
of its developing medical
field. I want to be able to
advance our current health
care system,” said an enthusiastic Khaleel.
caribtimes.com
Thursday 26th February 2015
5
PM Browne and the determined
actions of his Cabinet
My government is determined
first to fix the problems, and then to
grow the economy. We are resolved
to increase employment, alleviate
poverty, create the tax climate for
prosperous business, and to deliver
the goods and services expected of
us. The task is not easy; nor is the
burden light. But, we will take decisive measures to restore fiscal and
debt sustainability. (Prime Minister
Gaston Browne, 2015 Budget Statement).
There is little doubt that the
Prime Minister of Antigua & Barbuda has set lofty ideals at which to
aim in order to bring about a resurgence in the socio-economic climate
of the twin-isle paradise. The fact
that there is a deluge of economic
morass left over from the previous
Spencer-led administration speaks
volumes about the commitment
the Prime Minister has invested in
bringing about positive changes so
that the population of all Antigua
and Barbuda can benefit.
The appearance of possible malfeasance coupled with gross mismanagement, and the evidence of
less than prudent decision making
by the previous United Progressive
Party (UPP) while in government,
has effectively thwarted or slowed
the best efforts of Prime Minister
Browne and his hard-working Cabinet. Nonetheless, this proactive
leader for the past eight months
has demonstrated that he is eager to
move Antigua and Barbuda from an
underperforming nation into a regional powerhouse.
That the state of affairs in Antigua and Barbuda resides in good
hands is welcoming; that the country’s priorities are as much social
as they are economic will address a
calamity that was allowed to fester
from years of neglect under the UPP.
It is of major significance that tough
decisions by the current administration have already been formulated
to stop the rot which had set in as
a practical routine. Investor confidence in the twin-isle had plummeted to alarming lows, the country’s youth became increasingly
apathetic to the productive streams
that would point Antigua and Barbuda on an upward trajectory. Unemployment and underemployment
became entrenched to the point that
it was disturbingly obvious that a
certain fallout was increased crime.
While many of the remaining
social and economic sores persist,
the disease of the past has given
way to the people’s mandate. There
is hope for a better tomorrow. The
numerous parties - local, regional,
and extra-regional - that are getting
onboard the country’s resurgence
is a testimony to the importance of
strong and effective leadership. In
the current Prime Minister, there is
a growing sense of respectability
and ‘can do’ that are together being
spoken of within the country and
throughout the CARICOM region.
Bleak outlooks are no longer
Prime Minister Gaston Browne.
the forecasts for an economy that
struggled under Harold Lovell and
Baldwin Spencer. Realistically, they
probably meant well but lacked the
intestinal fortitude to bring about
positive outcomes for the majority of the population. Worrisome is
the lingering effect of crime on the
local population and the potential
damage to a rebounding tourist industry. However, the Cabinet and
of note, the Attorney General have
sought to implement programmes,
training, and have gone as far as
to bring back a sense of purposeful
duty among the ranks of the Police.
In addition to addressing major
areas earmarked for reform, and
starting the empowerment of the nation’s youth, the ABLP administration continues attracting major investments in almost every sphere of
industrial and commercial activities.
The Government of Antigua and
Barbuda - being ably led by Prime
cont’d on pg 7
6
caribtimes.com
By Cecil E. W. Wade
During the past several weeks as I
travelled around the Country, I could not
be less than marvelled at the powerful
efforts being made to clean up Antigua,
which had become one big rubbish heap!
It is a pleasant sight to see all the working
gangs cutting back the over-grown sides
of the roads, picking up the garbage and
generally cleaning up the various areas –
a healthy impression.
I do not know what the landscaping program is, and do not want to be
pre-emptive, but I hope that it includes
employing heavy-duty equipment to remove the large tree roots and reshape the
berm (road shoulder) to a gradual slant,
and widen it.
It may be necessary to transport top
soil to fill in the depressed areas and create a level path over which a sit-on lawn
mower could be used for its maintenance
from time to time.
Then behind the berm , there could
be planted, bougainvillea, crotons and
oleanders. These plants are hardy and
able to survive in dry weather. Palms
could be placed at intervals, if aestetically necessary.
I would like to suggest that the grass,
after being cut, be just thrown in the hinterland where it will degrade into top soil,
thereby reducing the expense of trucking
it away to far places.
It is disheartening to see an area
which has been cleaned today be dirtied
by tomorrow. How could we in 2015, be
Thursday 26th February 2015
A Healthy Impression
still dumping our rubbish at the side of
the roads? The Government will have to
find a way to deal severely with the delinquents who continue to engage in this
bad practice.
There is no question that Health
Minister, Molwyn Joseph is doing a remarkable job in the Health Ministry.
Immediately upon entering office
he began to work like horse; and has accomplished more in 7- months than his
predecessor, heavily bejewelled minister,
did in 10- years. He just came, saw, conquered and departed without a whimper;
soon to be gloriously retired, with full
salary to live the life of Riley, among his
devout 9- dogs
Sadly in the news today, we heard
that the Nursing School will be closed
indefinitely because the teachers and students have been complaining for years
about the intolerable conditions under
which they have to function.
It can clearly be seen that the legacy
of the incompetent UPP Government will
not be easily overcome. Unfortunately,
changing the Government does not automatically change the horrible conditions which subsisted during the past 10years. It is the beginning of a process, not
the end of it.
We can see work being done, and
progress being made, in every department of government, especially in the
Ministry of Health. Unlike previously,
when the Minister was rarely seen; and
his department would work one half of a
day for years, on account of the building
having an asbestos roof. I suppose that
if the office building made the workers
sick, then working half day would have
made them only half sick.
Meanwhile the Ministry rented new
quarters for years without occupying the
building. In retrospect, what do you really think about those clowns that were
running Government?
For years the public medical services
in this Country were almost non- existent. And because of the bad economic
situation many could not afford to pay for
medical treatment; therefore some people might have died, and others maimed
or physically set back.
Of course, the Ministers were not
affected they could have afforded to fly
off to the United States to treat their ailments, mild or severe.
One of them boasted about having
15 Doctors attending to him at the same
time. Yet the sick people he left behind
could not afford to have one half of a
Doctor attending to them at any time!
We are still a long away from home;
but there is a plan in place to guide us as
we envision the light at the end of the tunnel; and the Gaston Browne lead Antigua
and Barbuda Labour Party has gained the
confidence of the Antigua people; even
though some are somewhat frustrated,
as proper methodology for good governance is being put into place. Their being
accustomed to seeing things done in a
hodge- podge fashion, makes it difficult
for them to adjust to new effective methods. But the end will justify the means.
I would like to compliment Health
Minister Molwyn Joseph and his team,
including all the road gangs, for the
splendid job they are doing to create a
healthier outlook on the Country.
Viva the ABLP!
caribtimes.com
Thursday 26th February 2015
7
Forget the Mischief, No Confusion
It appears clear that
there are particular elements working within the
Antigua media circles in
order to perpetuate the
mischief and divisiveness
which became hallmarks of
Antiguan society under the
last Baldwin Spencer administration. The anti-government and anti-ABLP
posturing being practiced
by a few and seen by many
is often carried in the Observer Newspaper. This
is especially worrisome
since those commentaries
and opinions that are portrayed on radio, carried in
the newspaper, and viewed
on the Observer website
are regularly prejudiced
without discounting for
the fact that a majority of
Antiguans and Barbudans
overwhelmingly gave a
mandate to Prime Minister
Browne and his Antigua &
Barbuda Labour Party.
For instance, this week
cont’d from pg 5
the Observer appears at
pains to create the illusion
of confusion regarding the
Prime Minister and one of
his senior Cabinet members. The Observer’s editorial of February 24th,
2015 indicated that “what
has us confused is the apparent lack of synergy between Minister Yearwood
and the prime minister” on
this matter of LIAT. The
editorial further suggested
that: “With all the rumours
that have been circulat-
Minister Gaston Browne - has attracted numerous scholarships for
its citizens, created new incentives
for enhancing local productivity
while being conscious of the need
to be globally competitive. New
and non-traditional opportunities
are springing up for those focussed
on an entrepreneurial spirit.
Furthermore, the Cabinet has
ing about job cuts and LIAT’s possible relocation to
Barbados, we would have
thought that the administration would have met in
advance and come up with
a script to speak with one
voice on behalf of Antigua
& Barbuda. Maybe, this
did happen and something
got lost in translation or a
new tact was decided at
the last minute by Minister Yearwood during the
meeting.” The Observer’s
agenda is rendered naked
received the financial backing to
build out a proper housing stock,
and therefore fulfil a primary manifesto promise of robust housing
provision.
The ABLP Members of Parliament continue to bring to the
legislature the types of Bills that
would assist in the repositioning of
the country as an example of good
governance practices. It is worthy
and its motives for the editorial are distinctly inflammatory.
The Observer’s approach to this perennial
problem affecting LIAT is
self-serving. The Observer’s editorial does not take
a stand to clear the air on
the real issues, nor does it
seek to provide the public
with a true sense of the economic and political tightropes which come with indwelling challenges. This
cont’d on pg 8
of repetition: “The task is not easy;
nor is the burden light. But, we will
take decisive measures to restore
fiscal and debt sustainability.” Antigua and Barbuda is in good hands
and we must all put our hands to
the plough and accept that it is our
collective responsibility to assist in
the rebuilding and regeneration of
all our villages, communities, and
the twin-isle paradise.
8
caribtimes.com
cont’d from pg 7
is an opportunistic neglect
by the Observer that is disingenuous to the Government and to the workers
who could be affected by
rash decisions being taken by any one or more of
the shareholder governments. Given that there is
absolutely no mention of
clarifications sought, nor
is there any robust analysis
that seriously considers the
fact that politics (local and
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
IN THE HIGH COURT OF
JUSTICE A.D. 2015
(Probate)
In the Matter of the Estate of HUBERT BALTIMORE, deceased
NOTICE IS HEREBY
GIVEN that after the expiration of fourteen (14) days
from the date of this Notice,
an Application will be filed
in the Probate Registry of the
High Court of Justice for an
Order that Grant Letters of
Administration of the estate
of HUBERT BALTIMORE,
deceased, late of Willikies,
St. Phillip, Antigua who died
on the 1st day of July 1998
be granted CALVERT F. L.
BALTIMORE, of Willikies,
St. Phillip Antigua, the son
and personal representative
and one of the persons entitled to share in the Estate of
the said deceased.
Dated the 25th day of February, 2015
Lawrence Daniels
Daniels, Phillips & Associates
Solicitors for the Applicant
Thursday 26th February 2015
regional) are focal points
in the midst of economic
arguments are telling.
One would have expected that a responsible
media outlet would speak
to the managerial decisions and concerns which
revolve around LIAT’s
viability, efficiency, and
the elimination of excesses (labour and operating
costs). Surely no one wants
the Antigua and Barbuda Government to be to
be cornered into positions
that are untenable at a local
level or acrimonious at the
regional level. The considerations that the management must prioritise are
effectively different from
the political dimensions
and vice versa.
It is remarkable and
regrettable that the ‘offending’ editorial would
offer the view that conspiracy theorists “have been
having a field day with
these very public statements from what people
NATURALIZATION
NOTICE
Notice is hereby given that
Mashhor Nader, of Belmont, St. John’s, Antigua, is
applying to the Minister of
Naturalization, and that any
person who knows of any
reason why naturalization
should not be granted should
send a written and signed
statement of facts to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry
of External Affairs.
are calling the two labour
factions.” For the Observer
to descend into the murky
waters of rabble-rousing
does not bring any comfort to LIAT’s current staff
or pacify any tensions that
may exist among stakeholders, or the public at
large.
The attempt to throw
discord into the mix when
clarification is necessary
only goes to show that
there is publisher’s dishonesty clashing with the more
important quest to minimise “the ramifications of
very serious changes to LIAT’s structure and its employees,” which in all truth
have been bandied about,
both directly and indirectly, for more than ten years
and counting.
Cleverly but not unnoticed, the very editorial
while in one breath praising the Prime Minister for
asking caution and a temporary hold on the matter
of relocation and job-cutting, went on to say that
“PM Browne also tried to
score some political points
on the United Progressive
Party (UPP) by levelling
blame for the current predicament at their feet for
having allowed Barbados
to inherit majority shares
in LIAT, calling it the party’s ‘single fatal mistake’.
Was PM Browne wrong
in his assessment? Would
it not be factual to suggest
that it makes economic and
political sense for Prime
Minister Browne to fully
consider all of the available options that would
avert job loss for Antigua
and Barbuda?
Perhaps it is not that
there is confusion between
the statements of the Aviation Minister and the Prime
Minister. Rather, there is a
clear need for much more
light to be shed on the economic and political realities. It makes no sense or
provides no satisfaction for
the Observer or any other
media house to conclude
that there are rifts within
‘Labour’ or that “the topic
is LIAT so confusion is the
order of the day.”
The challenge for the
Government of Antigua
& Barbuda, LIAT’s management, the shareholder
governments, the region’s
people as stakeholders, is
how best to find win-win
situations and make LIAT
a force that continues to
bind the cross-cultural
nuances living and travelling the region. The media
has a responsible role and
as such, clarity and accuracy are more satisfying
than the discordance being
pushed into the minds of
naturally emotive people.
The media must rise to the
challenge rather than fall
to cheap politicking.
Thursday 26th February 2015
caribtimes.com
She can keep you, I don’t want you
Tell me why this happened to me, another woman claim that he belong to she;
We got married from way back then, and I thought you were a God send.
You had promised to be true and faithful to me, all of a sudden
I name “Flabby Mommy”!
Is six times I done breed for you, and your big guts hang over too.
Can you believe, now I am not your taste,
and you move in with that big cow face?
Every night you hearing “moo”, is that cow that live with you.
You abandoned your home and your kids, and cussing me that my teeth want fix;
Yes, I am very angry with you, but little by little I will overcome you. You better let MOO take good care of you; if you die before
me meh nah have none money to bury you.
Oh you might as well include meh pickney in your will,
BECAUSE they are your children still.
You left a nice, clean, good home, and in that nasty place you gone and roam.
Galvanized windows, BUGS in the bed
and all at night ROACHES crawling on your head.
Is not you confessed to my cousin Louse, who paid a visit to your house?
He then asked you what happened to your teeth,
you say “Boss, she can’t cook, is the hard meat.”
You then tell Louse, “I must say something to you.
Moo take all meh money and knuckled meh too.
Look at this pickney, you see if it belongs to me,
I am raw Black and he’s pure Chiney.
WOE good for you; now you get a pig in a bag, I was the best thing you ever had.
You called me “Flabby Mommy”, but you never questioned any of my pickney.
I must say I feel sorry for you, to see what has become of you;
I have peace within myself, you have done it to yourself.
SHE CAN KEEP YOU. I DON’T WANT YOU.
Written By Mrs. Jacqueline Wetherill.
9
10 c a r i b t i m e s . c o m
Thursday 26th February 2015
Sandals Chairman a Special Guest on
Barbados’ Bank on ME Entrepreneur show
A gathering of young promising entrepreneurs in Barbados has
received invaluable coaching from
Caribbean hotelier, hospitality tycoon
and Chairman of the fast-growing
Sandals Resorts International – Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart.
The group of four finalists in the
Bank on ME program reality television show met with Mr. Stewart
at a recent sit-down at the Savannah Beach Hotel in Hastings, Christ
Church Barbados.
While there, the Chairman spoke
to his journey through the wilderness
of his entrepreneurial ambitions while
pointedly underlining the lessons –
both positive and negative – that he
has learnt throughout the four-decade
long journey.
The Bank on ME reality show is
a television production in Barbados
that invites entrepreneurs to take on
challenges and pitch their business
ideas to a panel of judges for various
forms of potential investment and
support.
During his talks with the final
four, Mr. Stewart cited his resounding
success strategies and the sustained
growth and innovations of Sandals
Resorts over the past 30 years.
During the 45-minute talk, he
said one of his biggest fears at the
beginning of his entrepreneurial pursuits was simply that of not being
able to honour the wages of the scores
of men and women under his employ,
on time.
“There have been times it has
been difficult. I was good at selling
but not very good at collecting,” he
told the gathering of young aspiring
entrepreneurs.
He went on to encourage that
they keep their aspirations “simple”
and make every effort to understanding any business move before getting
into it.
“Don’t go into anything you don’t
understand. If you are in charge of the
business you have to be knowledgeable about the business,” the Sandals Chairman said, while cautioning
them further to consider the sacrifices
of family and possibly personal health
when committing to the demands of
running a successful endeavor.
Referring specifically to the hotel aspect of his business empire, Mr.
Stewart admitted that each new hotel
is deliberately designed to outdo the
previous – a business approach that
has undoubtedly yielded amazing results over the years.
The Sandals Chairman further
exhorted the youngsters to consider
the moral obligation of protecting and
preserving the environment within
which they do business and to consider including environmentally friendly
practices into as much of their potential operation as possible.
He cited the many ecofriendly awards collectively obtained by
his group of companies, but he was
quick to point out that the objective
was never to win and award but each
company was instead recognized for
exercising the passion they have for
running an efficient and responsible
operation.
The group was also encouraged
to set the example they are looking
to see in whatever avenue of business
they opt to enter into.
“Motivation is easy. Just set the
example. This is a service world.
People will go somewhere with a
poor product but with good service.
But will not go where there is a good
product but with bad service. That
makes all the difference,” Mr. Stewart said.
The program’s Managing Director Alison Saunders said Mr Stewart’s
dialogue with the four young entrepreneurs was “both inspiring and educational not just for the finalists but
also for our other Bank on ME contestants.”
Extracts of the discussion will be
included and aired on the one hour
finale of Bank on ME, which will
broadcast in Barbados on March 3
2015 and thereafter to 24 television
stations throughout the Caribbean.
The Caribbean hotel mogul was
also presented with the Distinguished
Entrepreneur Award, his first Barbadian honour since the introduction of
the Sandals brand to Barbados. Minister of Industry and Commerce, Hon.
Donville Inniss presented the Award
to the Sandals founder.
Efforts are on-going with the assistance of Caribbean Export to develop regional editions of the Bank
on ME program with immediate forecasts for Trinidad and Tobago and the
OECS islands.
caribtimes.com
Thursday 26th February 2015
Wednesday’s Sudoku Solution
SUDOKU
C R O S S WO R D
Across
1. Buy another item for, as a
collection
6. Crowd noise
10. Fellow
14. Yankee Stadium’s borough
15. Dull
16. Wendy’s dog
17. No longer competing
20. Also
21. Mongolian desert
22. Vintage auto
23. Pubs
27. Dundee denial
28. Mom’s partner
29. “You __ here”
30. Cameron of “Charlie’s Angels”
32. Pepsi alternative
34. Engine device, briefly
36. “Watch out for the falling
tree!”
38. Like a D, in school
43. Unable to escape the daily
grind
44. Univ. hotshot
46. Diamond surfaces
49. Bic writers
52. Historic period
53. Doe in “Bambi”
54. ACLU concerns
56. Took it easy
58. Station that uses veejays
59. Quaint oath
61. Possesses
62. Not at all ready to be counted out
68. __ of faith
69. Sports pg. datum
70. Bacon or Kline
71. Lapses
72. Picks up the tab
73. Use a broom
Down
1. Blood typing system
2. Joanne of film
3. “i” ball
4. Govt. debt
5. English university since
about the 12th century
6. President after U.S.G.
7. Cassini of fashion
8. Home run king Hank
9. Squabbles, in slang
10. Larry King channel
11. Coiffure
12. Toughen by heating, as
glass
13. Temple with an upcurved
roof
18. Novelist Morrison
19. Sister’s daughters
23. Tic-toe connector
24. Middle East denizen
25. Miles of “Psycho”
26. Lustful deity
31. Close one’s jacket, perhaps
33. Baby bed
35. Spreadable cheese
37. Mom overseas
39. Salad follower
40. Sign of desperation
41. Albuquerque’s state: Abbr.
42. Cheney’s predecessor
45. Philanderer
46. Woman
47. Buck’s defense
48. Beluga delicacy
50. Classic soft drink
51. Casual pants
55. Year-end list examiner
57. Cockeyed
60. June 6, 1944
63. Corp. execs
64. Gold units: Abbr.
65. “__ been had!”
66. Never, in Nuremberg
67. Econ. yardstick
11
12 c a r i b t i m e s . c o m
Thursday 26th February 2015
Guyana Parliament to be dissolved Saturday
President Donald Ramotar has ended speculation over the status of Parliament, yesterday announcing that its
dissolution is now set for Saturday, February 28.
Ramotar, in a statement, also defended the timing saying that had it been
done earlier, thousands of voters would
have been disenfranchised.
The Head of
State pointed out that in November, he
prorogued the Tenth Parliament of Guyana.
“As I explained then, that action
was taken to allow the parties in Parliament additional opportunities to talk and
hopefully resolve the pressing national
issues that were confronting us.”
He said he wanted also to give
the Guyana Elections Commission
(GECOM) time to have another round of
continuous registration to “enfranchise
those persons, who, through no fault of
their own, did not have the source document to be registered.”
The period of claims and objections
ended last Sunday.
Ramotar said that
failure by the Opposition to engage in
dialogue had left him with no option but
to call elections for May 11, 2015.
“I did not dissolve the Parliament
at the same time because had I done so,
the claims and objections period which
also allows for transfers would have
been truncated. Were the latter to have
occurred, thousands of Guyanese voters
who changed their place of residence
would not have been able to obtain their
transfers, and this could have led to them
being disenfranchised.”
On January 20, as pressure mounted locally and internationally to end the
suspension of Parliament, Ramotar announced the election date.
This meant
that Ramotar, who was sworn in December 2011, would see his Presidency cut short by almost two years. On
November 10, facing a no-confidence
debate by an Opposition-controlled National Assembly that was unhappy over
what was seen as unapproved spending,
among other things, President Ramotar
announced that he was using his powers
to suspend Parliament.
The National Assembly had been
in recess for two months and had faced
delays over its reconvening, because of
wrangling over who had the authority to
recall it. It was an unusual situation that
Guyana had found itself in.
President
Ramotar said that he wanted to stave off
political conflict and engage the Opposition on a number of issues.
His explanation was met with disbelief by the Opposition – A Partnership for
National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance
For Change (AFC) – equally determined
not to engage in talks until the National
Assembly was reconvened or elections
called.
They threatened to block any contracts signed by Government during the
prorogation period.
In his New Year’s
message, the Head of State said that he
would be announcing a date as soon as
possible. The prorogation of Parliament
had seen even the diplomatic community
being drawn into the limelight.
Outgoing British High Commission,
Andrew Ayre, in January made it clear
that his Government could not tolerate
the current situation.
He called for an end to the stalemate,
emphasising that Parliament’s scrutiny
was imperative to its continued financial
assistance. He had immediately attracted
a wave of criticism, including the assertion that Government would be happy to
see the back of him.
The United States had also urged
for the situation to be corrected.
Donald
Ramotar had entered Government facing
an uphill task after the Opposition man-
Guyana President Donald Ramotar.
aged to gain a one-seat advantage in the
65-seat National Assembly. For over two
years, starting in 2012, the Opposition,
boosted by that advantage, leveraged on
its voting powers, and refused to back
key projects.
Falling under the hammer
was key legislation, including for the
US$B Amaila Falls hydro electric project. Also suffering was an amendment to
the current anti-money laundering laws,
which would have allowed for Guyana
to comply with international regulations.
Funding to several programmes like
the Amerindian Development Fund and
the US$150M Timehri airport expansion
project also suffered.
The Ramotar administration has also
not been without its controversy, with
questions over the multi-billion drug
contracts to a sole entity; the failed Skeldon sugar estate project, and corruption
involving key Government officials.
The
relations with private media houses also
sunk to a low, especially with the publication of threats issued to Kaieteur News
by a senior Minister.
Thursday 26th February 2015
caribtimes.com
13
DEAR LADY X HOROSCOPE
I’m in my 40s and my
boyfriend of three years is
12 years older. We are in
love and our relationship
is great.
He travels for work and
lives in another state, so he
flies in to see my daughter
and me every other week.
Because he is older, he
uses Viagra, and it’s kept at
my place in a drawer. I assumed that’s where it was
always kept.
When he left for his
trip yesterday, he took his
Viagra with him! He says
he grabbed the bottle without thinking and that I’m
overreacting.
The rest of his things
are kept in his travel bag,
so it’s not like he just gathered up all of his pills. They
were the only ones. Now
he’s upset with me because
“I don’t trust him.”
Can you help me get
my thinking straight? I
caught him lying about
something when we first
started dating, so he’s not
all squeaky clean like he
acts. -- SUSPICIOUS
DEAR SUSPICIOUS:
Unless your boyfriend was
prescribed the Viagra for a
condition other than ED,
I’d say you have a right to
be suspicious.
Because his little blue
pills were kept apart from
his other medications, it
took special effort for him
to pack them.
Talk with him further
because he may have been
contemplating a “party of
one” during his travels and
not have been looking for
adventure.
Wednesday’s Crossword Solution
ARIES (March 21-April 19).
What does it matter that others have had greater challenges than you in life? It doesn’t
change the fact that your challenges, whatever size they
may be, exist.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20).
Opportunity will knock in the
morning, and if you don’t answer, it disproves the cliche by
coming back at lunchtime and
again in the evening. Opportunity just really wants to connect with you.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21).
Your welcoming attitude will
attract both good and bad, so
you might want to add a screen
to that open-door policy. In
other words, you’re better off
employing a certain amount of
psychic protection.
CANCER (June 22-July 22).
Maybe you felt like “less”
right after certain events, but
feelings can lie, too. The truth
is that you are more because of
what has happened to you in
your life, and you’ll continue
to build on your experiences.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You
are loving and caring and
creative. It doesn’t mean you
have to embrace everyone and
everything. When you’re not
feeling it, just walk away so
you can find something you
are “feeling.”
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22).
There’s a point at which your
brain gets tired of working on
a problem. You’ll be tempted
to work beyond that point in
the name of being a productive
person, but doing so would in
actuality be counterproductive, so just stop!
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23).
Grocery merchandisers put the
milk in the back of the store
so you’ll first have to pass a
number of enticing items that
aren’t on your list. You’ll use
this principle to your benefit
today.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21).
Right after you resolve not to
accidentally embarrass yourself (like the last time), you’ll
learn that the last time was
actually quite effective. Your
offbeat instincts may be in
perfect rhythm, after all.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21). In the physical
world, two objects cannot
occupy the same space at the
same time. In the emotional
world, it feels possible. Maybe it is, maybe not. It’s something you’ll work on, though.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan.
19). What’s missing from a
transaction is your personal
touch. Add that to the logic
and balance of it, and things
will swing in a direction that
is best for all.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb.
18). Many explorers have
been wrongly credited with
discovering new lands. It’s not
a discovery if there are already
people there. This is a time to
be very careful and respectful
about making claims.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20).
You have a team, and things
will work better when you first
make sure that they are all on
the same page. When everyone is working together, you’ll
turn out a result that’s a source
of pride for all.
14 c a r i b t i m e s . c o m
Thursday 26th February 2015
The Antigua and Barbuda Ex-Servicemen Association will
be having a fundraising barbecue and fish fry on Friday 27
February 2015, from 12 until 4 pm, at the Association`s
Headquarters at 1 Prime Minister`s Drive. Tickets for a fish
meal are EC$ 15 and EC$ 10 for a chicken meal, available
from members of the Association on 462-6903, 778- 8679,
721-1970 or 561-1062.
The Antigua & Barbuda Red Cross in collaboration with the
American Red Cross has a First Aid App to launch.
The Antigua & Barbuda Red Cross wants the residents of
Antigua to know the importance of the App and the long
term benefits to our Society. What you can do in case of an
emergency or life threatening condition.
It also has the Red Cross history, activities, sponsors, and
quizzes. We would like the general public to be aware of the
App and feel free to download same, if you have an android
device such as a phone or a tablet kindly use the Android
link and you can use the iOS link for your iPhone device.
iOS devices: 3cu.be/shareatg
Android devices: 3cu.be/shareatg
If you have any questions contact Mr.Martin 723-7258 or
email [email protected] or [email protected]
Service
Shell Beach Marina
DOLPHIN CLASSIC FISHING TOURNAMENT
March 7th 2015. Weigh in starts 3:PM
AFTER PARTY WITH MUSIC
FOOD and DRINKS WILL BE ON SALE
FOR MORE INFO: 268 562 0185
Ruleta Camacho to speak on Environment Bill
Kicking off our 2015 members meetings will be Ms. Ruleta
Camacho, Senior Environment Officer at the Environment
Division. Ms. Camacho will speak to the content of the Environmental Protection & Management Bill, the status of its
reading in Parliament, next steps for its passage, and implications for the public and the environment once passed. Join
us on Saturday 28 February at 7pm, upstairs in the Museum
on Long Street, St. John’s.
caribtimes.com
Thursday 26th February 2015
15
Shaquille Richards slams first century
in Schools Two-day Cricket Competition
By Vanroy Burnes
Shaquille Richards of Otto’s
Comprehensive Schools slammed
the first century in the Massy United Insurance Schools’ two day senior
Boys competition but his team could
only manage a draw.
Playing against Glanville’s Secondary on Monday and Tuesday,
Richards slammed exactly 100 runs
not out as his team declared their second innings on 180 for 1 along with
Ryan Carmichael who made 50 when
stumps were drawn.
Otto’s Comprehensive batted first
and reached 104 for 9 with Richards
hitting 27 and M. James 22. Bowling
for Glanvilles, Emmanuel Lawrence
had 3 for 16, Eron Lawrence had 3
for 10, Navindra Persaud had 2 for 19
and T-J Nathaniel had 2 for 1.
In reply Glanvilles Secondary
made 176 for 6 with Emmanuel
Lawrence 79, Sahcoy Floyd 21 and
Keith Baltimore 17. Bowling for Otcont’d from pg 16
highest all-time score by a
West Indies batsman, and
his 181 against Sri Lanka
as the highest score by a
West Indian in the 40-year
history of the World Cup.
Gayle added a world
record 372 for the second wicket with Marlon
Samuels, who made a career-best 133 not out, and
took two wickets to complete a memorable Manof-the-Match performance.
tos Comprehensive Ryan Carmichael
had 3 for 46 and Zidane Douglas had
2 for 33.
Antigua Grammar beat Clare
Hall Secondary by 9 runs. Antigua
Grammar batted first and reached
116 for 6 with Joshua Thomas 22,
Johie Massiah 21, Keeshan Dawuud
21, Urvin Lewis 16 and Elroy Francis 15. Bowling for Clare Hall Alex
Jno-Baptiste had 3 for 21 and Vishal
Gobin had 2 for 13.
Clare Hall Secondary in reply,
was bowled out for 88 runs with
Dario Hodge hitting 22 not out.
Bowling for Antigua Grammar, Johie
Massiah had 3 for 6, Bryan Burton
had 2 for 13 and Elroy Francis had
2 for 8.
Antigua Grammar batting a second time reached 107 for 7 with Joshua Thomas hitting 59. Vishal Gobin
had 4 for 36 and Alex Jno-Baptiste
had 2 for 40. Clare Hall needed 140
runs for victory was bowled out for
“We must also recognise the valuable effort
from Marlon and the support he gave Chris from
the other end in their World
record partnership which
contributed to putting us
in a strong position in the
match,” said Muirhead.
“Again, they showed
the value of teamwork and
is another fine example to
the people of our region
about how success can be
achieved.”
131 with Tassilo Allen 55 and K.
Henry 17. Elroy Francis had 5 for 33
and Bryan Burton 4 for 24.
All Saints Secondary beat Jennings Secondary by 9 wickets. Jennings Secondary 57 all out with Karima Gore of All Saints Secondary and
Akeem Blackman picking up 5 for 4
and 3 for 10 respectively. All Saints
Secondary in reply 120 for 6 with
Akeem Blackman 28, Karima Gore
23 and Alzarri Joseph 34 along with
Malone Henry 21 not out. Jediah
Martin had 3 for 37.
Jennings Secondary batted a second time and was bowled out for 87
runs with Melvin Charles 25. Karima
Gore picked up 6 for 14 and match
figures of 9 for 18, Akeem Blackman
had 2 for 24 and match figures of 5
for 34.
All Saints Secondary which
needed 24 runs for victory reached
26 for 1 and achieved victory by 9
wickets.
Muirhead hailed the
team’s performance in the
tournament so far, recognising their commendable
victory over Pakistan and
today’s success, and that
they have been able to post
totals of over 300 in each
of their matches.
“We urge them to keep
up the good work,” said
Muirhead.
“They are the source of
inspiration for West Indians of all ages by encour-
aging us to set goals that
lead towards fulfilling our
own dreams of achievement.
“We are always very
proud of their individual
and collective achievements.
“We know these things
do not happen without a
great deal of effort on the
part of all the players, and
we want them to know
how much we appreciate
their efforts.”
16 c a r i b t i m e s . c o m
Thursday 26th February 2015
WICB hails Windies, Gayle’s landmark
ST. JOHN’S, Antigua
– The West Indies Cricket
Board has extended sincere
congratulations to Chris
Gayle, following his amazing double hundred that
propelled West Indies to
their second victory today
in the ICC Cricket World
Cup 2015, when they beat
Zimbabwe by 73 runs under the Duckworth/Lewis
Method.
Gayle was in record-breaking
mood,
smashing an incredible
215 off just 147 balls with
14 fours and 16 sixes before he was out off the last
ball of the West Indies’ innings of 372 for two from
their allocation of 50 overs
in the Pool B match at Manuka Oval in the Australia
capital of Canberra.
He became the first
player to score a triple
century in Tests, a double
century in One-day Internationals and a century in
Twenty20 Internationals.
Gayle’s 22nd ODI
hundred surpassed Garry
Kirsten’s previous best of
188 made against the United Arab Emirates in 1996.
The 16 sixes equalled the
record for the most in an
innings.
“On behalf of the directors, management and
staff of the WICB and the
people of the region, I want
to extend our heartfelt congratulations to the team
for their emphatic win and
Chris for his brilliant innings today,” said Chief
Executive Officer of the
WICB Michael Muirhead.
“It must be a great
feeling for him to have
achieved the highest score
in the history of the Cricket World Cup. His performance, we are sure, helped
to make the day of every
West Indian, whether at
home or abroad, fans of the
game or not.”
Muirhead added: “He
deserves every accolade
that he receives following
such an incredible innings.
Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels struck 21 fours and 19
sixes between them.
We know such an achievement does not come easily
and we want to thank him
for the tremendous effort
he displayed.
“Now that he has accomplished such a feat, he
has now set a high standard for himself and other members of the team
to follow, and we are sure
they’ll meet it or beat it
in the coming weeks of
the tournament! We urge
fans to ‘rally hard’ around
the team, as they set their
sights firmly on winning
the title.”
During the innings,
Gayle reached the 9,000
run landmark in ODIs and
is now second behind Brian Lara 10,405 in the West
Indies all-time list. He also
broke several West Indies
records.
He surpassed Sir Vivian Richards’ 189 not out
against England as the
cont’d on pg 15
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