ARAWAKROOTS NEWS
Vol.8 ; #3
April, 2010
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS (BBC/CARIBBEAN-3/11/10)- CARICOM leaders are insisting that the regional grouping should play 'a clear role' in the reconstruction of Haiti, devastated by the Jan. 12 earthquake. Haiti is CARICOM's newest member state.
St. Kitts & Nevis' Prime Minister Denzil Douglas has accused some members of the international community of excluding the Caribbean from reconstruction efforts in Haiti. Mr. Douglas said, "CARICOM wants to impress upon the minds of those who are leading the international financial institutions that the Caribbean Community has a voice on behalf of Haiti and nothing should take place in terms of Haiti's future development unless we are the center of those activities."
PJ Patterson, CARICOM's special envoy to Haiti, echoed similar sentiments. "We are not going to become mere passengers on any bus taking Haiti in whatever direction others may choose," he said. "We can not and will not abdicate our responsibility to our kith and kin in this hour of need."
With the approach of the rainy season, the challenge is to prevent a second disaster.
ST. CROIX, US VIRGIN ISLANDS (VI DAILY NEWS-4/16/10)- Alpine Energy Group's reworked plan to build 2 waste-to-energy power plants using less petroleum coke are expected to be put before the VI Legislature in about a month. (See Vol. 7 #6 and #7, Vol. 8 #2 for more info.)
The changes to the Alpine proposals will reduce the amount of petroleum coke- a byproduct of oil refining- used for energy production because of negative impacts on the environment. The plants are intended to reduce the territory's dependence on oil, lower energy costs and address the issue of mounting solid waste.
GEORGETOWN, CAYMAN ISLANDS(BBC/CARIBBEAN-4/17/10)- What are believed to be the world's deepest undersea volcanic vents have been discovered in the Caribbean Sea. The vents, known as "black smokers", are located 5,000m (3.1 mi.) down in the Cayman Trough.
The volcanic chimneys, which spew out water hot enough to melt lead, were caught on film by a British-led team. The team, led by the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, is sailing across the Caribbean and the Southern Ocean on the research vessel, the JAMES COOK.
Previously, the deepest smokers were found in the Ashadze vent field in the mid-Atlantic Ridge at a depth of 4,040m.
The discovery was made with the help of 2 deep sea vehicles. First, a robotic submarine enabled the team to map the seafloor in detail. Then a vehicle called HyBIS, equipped with high-definition cameras, was lowered down and captured detailed images of the smokers.
"It was like wandering across the surface of another world," said geologist Bramley Murton, who piloted the HyBIS. "The rainbow hues of the mineral spires and the flourescent blues of the microbial mats covering them were like nothing I had ever seen before."
ST. CROIX, USVI (VI DAILY NEWS- 3/6/10)- Hotel on the Cay has been inundated with hundreds of cattle egrets this season, causing health concerns for people in the area and safety concerns for the endangered St. Croix ground lizard. Federal and local wildlife officials are attempting to bring the problem under control using firecrackers and lasers, hoping the harrassment will discourage the birds from nesting on the small island in Christiansted Harbor.
The birds come to the island- Protestant Cay- at dusk to roost in the mahogany trees on the hotel property, leaving fecal matter behind. In addition, the birds- which feed on small frogs, lizards and fish- eat the St. Croix ground lizard, protected under the Endangered Species Act. It is found only on 4 small islands around St. Croix, one of which is Protestant Cay.
Enter Toby Hairston, a US Dept. of Agriculture employee who specializes in dealing with birds that pose a hazard to humans or other species. He was permanently stationed in the territory last September. He says the egrets- which are not endangered- had to be moved, but no one wanted to kill them. So he has been using 2 techniques to annoy the birds- shining a non-lethal, red laser on them while shooting off a special pyrotechnic gun that sounds like a screaming bottle rocket.
The birds have been responding to the dual disturbance. Hairston said that when he began, there were about 300 egrets roosting every night. Since the harrassment began, that number is down to 60. The goal is to keep the birds from nesting. Wildlife officials will not remove nests. When only the nesting birds remain, Hairston will wait for the chicks to fledge and fly away before resuming the harrassment.
Hotel staff is pleased that the tactics are working and are considering cutting down the mahogany trees. This would stop the egrets from returning to the island, and if native plants and trees replace them, it will benefit the ground lizard. There are about 200 of them on Protestant Cay.
ST. JOHN, USVI (VI DAILY NEWS- 3/5/10)- The developers of Grande Bay- the enormous condo development that sits on the edge of Cruz Bay- asked the VI Senate to approve a zoning change for their property. Bay Isle Associates is seeking rezoning of a plot that already has 2 buildings on it; One- a 3-story amenities building that includes a sundry shop- the other, an empty shell that is 3 stories plus a basement level (essentially a 4th story).
Under its W-1(waterfront-pleasure) zoning, the building is designed to have 2 units with 12 bedrooms. Under an R-4(residential-medium density) designation, it would house 6 units with 9 bedrooms. In addition, Bay Isle is seeking a use variance for the sundry shop. Under W-1, the sundry shop was allowed; under R-4, it is not. So a use variance is required to keep it.
Bay Isles Associates lead partner Elita Kane said that the rezoning is important for the developers, the condo owners and the residents of St. John because no one wants to see unfinished buildings and unfinished properties on the island. (The same sorry excuse being used by SIRENUSA- eds.)
Grande Bay has been embroiled in lawsuits and controversy since development began in 2003. One lawsuit, filed by the Trey and Jadan families, alleges that the developers violated VI zoning regulations and seeks a court order to have the top two floors of the buildings taken off. The suit is still pending, but a 2008 court ruling allowed developers to close on the sale of the condos despite the lawsuit. (For more on St. John's continuing zoning woes see Vol. 7, #6)
CLEVELAND, OHIO USA (BBC/CARIBBEAN- 3/16/10)- Reggae pioneer Jimmy Cliff has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, becoming the second reggae act to be afforded that honour- the first being Bob Marley in 1994.
Cliff was among the first to export reggae music from Jamaica. In 1964 he was chosen as one of the Jamaican representatives at the WORLD'S FAIR and soon after signed with Island Records. Cliff starred in the 1972 classic reggae film- "The Harder They Come". He won the 1985 'Best Reggae Album' Grammy for "Cliff Hanger". In 2003, Jimmy Cliff was awarded the Order of Merit, Jamaica's 3rd highest honour, in recognition of his contributions to film and music.
"I look at it[the award] as a good thing that I am getting- but it's not just for me, it's for all Jamaica, Caribbean and African people. It will be given to me, but it is for all of us", Cliff told THE GLEANER.
During the ceremony, he performed his best known songs: "You Can Get It If You Really Want", "The Harder They Come" and "Many Rivers To Cross".Speaking at the function, Wyclef Jean stated: "When we saw Jimmy Cliff, we saw ourselves."
KINGSTON, JAMAICA (OBSERVER- 4/14/10)- International soca act Machel Montano, who will be performing at the 29th International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA) on May 1st, has received 5 nominations including: Best Calypso/Soca Entertainer, Bob Marley Award for Entertainer of the Year, Most Outstanding Stage Personality, Songwriter of the Year and Most Outstanding Show Band/Group as the frontman of XTATIC.
Montano, born in Trinidad & Tobago, is renowned as the international king of soca music and the only soca artiste to have sold out 2 back-to-back shows at Madison Square Garden in New York. The consummate showman, Montano, one of the Caribbean's most sought after performers, has taken soca music to new heights and always works hard to bring the genre from Trinidad to the mainstream.
The 29th IRAWMA is the longest running reggae and world music event in the country and also recognises artists in gospel, salsa, Latin, reggaeton, calypso, African, soukous, compas, racine and hip-hop. Performers and nominees for IRAWMA 2010 include: Julian Marley, Dean Fraser, Queen Ifrica, Tarrus Riley, Gramps Morgan, Tony Rebel, Sean Paul, Beenie Man, Vybz Cartel and Montano, among others.
ST. JOHN, USVI (ARAWAKROOTS NEWS- 4/15/10)- Rumours have been running rampant lately that Paul (Ras Paul, Osisi) Samms, vocalist and percussionist for INNER VISIONS, has left the group. After speaking personally with both "Grasshopper" Pickering (Guitar, vocals) and Paul himself, we are reporting this to be true.
Due to differences in the direction the band is taking, Paul has decided to step away from the band and begin work on a solo album. The rest of INNER VISIONS will tour the US as planned this Spring and Summer to promote the release of their latest album, the last with Samms.
Ironically, the title of the new album is "Stay Alive".
Paul Samms(2nd from left)
FROM THE ARAWAKROOTS WEBNEWS DESK:
I received a comment recently via my ROOTSREGGAECAFE profile from Meena Lindo, Producer and VJ at VIDDYMS TV, inviting me to take a look at their online video program. With a new program produced monthly out of Orlando Florida, ViddymsTV keeps you in tune with the latest and greatest videos in reggae, reggaeton, soca and loversrock, while sprinkling in a classic video or two. Meena says the term "Viddyms" is a synthesis of 2 words- video and rhythms, technology meets reggae.
The website includes the latest reggae news and you can view over 100 past programs, which run approximately a half hour each.
Check out VIDDYMS TV and the lovely Meena at:
www.viddyms.com
SPORTS:
SABINA PARK, JAMAICA (BBC/CARIBBEAN- 4/17/10)- Ramnaresh Sarwan's century helped the West Indies beat Ireland here after the visitors threatened to earn a surprise win. Half-centuries from Stirling and O'Brien helped Ireland post 219 all-out.
With the Windies chasing 213 from 45 overs, Chanderpaul and Fletcher departed quickly in the first 2 overs, leaving them 1-2. They needed the arrival of Narsingh Deonarine(57) alongside Sarwan in the 18th over to give impetus to the Windies. The duo put on 111 for the 4th wicket before Deonarine was caught off Stirling's bowling. But Sarwan's unbeaten century and Dwayne Bravo(28 not out) guided the Windies over the line with one over to spare.
