ARAWAKROOTS CARIBBEAN NEWS
VOLUME 2 NUMBER 6
AUGUST, 2004
ST. THOMAS, VIRGIN ISLANDS (VI DAILY NEWS- 8/3/04)- Schools in the Virgin Islands can purchase $1 million in textbooks and instructional materials with money from the Public Finance Authority, now that Gov. Charles Turnbull has approved a bill to spend dividends paid this year by the West Indian Co. However, questions remain about how the money will be spent.
On July 16, Education Commissioner Noreen Michael said that she was not sure what textbooks the department would buy with the money. She stated that it would cost $9 million to purchase the textbooks needed in schools throughout the territory. The money could be used to buy mathematics textbooks, but she did not commit to a spending plan. Michael said the legislation took her department by surprise as that she was not consulted before the bill was proposed.
Senator Carlton Dowd said that the Education Dept. should have had a contingency plan in place for spending money. “This is real money- we know we have the million dollars,” he said.
KINGSTON, JAMAICA (GLEANER- 7/27/04)- Private sector groups represented by the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) have placed the reform of the nation’s education system as a central plank of an economic development plan, dubbed Partnership For Progress. The initiative aims to build a social partnership including the private sector, unions and government, to ensure that Jamaica’s socio-economic climate improves.
The president of the PSOJ, opted not to comment on the document, saying it was not yet finalised. “We had our first meeting with government representatives and we are in discussions,” said Beverly Lopez.
Last year, Education Minister Maxine Henry-Wilson said that the ministry would have to reorder its priorities as approximately 95% of its $23 billion budget was being spent on salaries and wages.
ST. THOMAS, V.I. (VI DAILY NEWS- 7/14/04)- Senators mustered just enough votes to override Gov. Charles Turnbull’s veto of legislation that appropriates $3 million to buy 17 acres of East End land near Vessup Beach to protect it from development. The government now will move to acquire the land by eminent domain- much to the dismay of developer Alfredo Lowenstein.
Lowenstein’s plans for the area include a 50-room hotel, 130 condominium units, a personal private residence, redevelopment of the Vessup Bay marina and a restaurant. And the government may not be able to stop him.
To acquire land by eminent domain, the government must pay fair market value and must use the land for parks, public recreation areas or preserves. Lowenstein says the property is worth as much as $18 million.
Turnbull had vetoed the legislation in May, citing both a lack of money and the fact that the government already was trying to acquire by eminent domain, 21 acres near Lindqvist Beach. The override forces the government to set aside the money earned on debt service. Attorney General Iver Sridiron said, “We can begin the process tomorrow.”
That process begins with the V.I. Justice Dept. contracting 3 licensed real estate appraisers to determine the fair market value of the property. (See related story- News, vol.2, #4)
ST. THOMAS, V.I. (VI DAILY NEWS- 7/14/04)- The V.I. Senate approved a temporary loophole in the territory’s casino regulations that would grant automatic casino licenses for hotels in which the government has a 25% share. The proposal would apply to only 2 hotels and would expire Sept. 30, 2005. It is designed to speed up the process for developers, who in turn would share a portion of their profits with the government.
The legislation will immediately benefit JS Carambola, a newly formed partnership that is trying to purchase and expand Carambola Beach Resort on St. Croix. Gov. Turnbull has signed an agreement with JS Carambola that would give the government a 25% share of Carambola for at least 5 years.
Casino Control Commission Chairperson Eileen Petersen told the senate that she would be more comfortable with the legislation if it required hotels to adhere to the Casino and Resort Control Act of 1995. Specifically, Petersen was concerned that hotels would be able to ignore guidelines that set minimum casino square footage based on the number of rooms in the hotel. The senate passed an amendment designed to address Petersen’s concerns.
KINGSTON, JAMAICA (OBSERVER- 7/18/04)- Minister of Tourism and Industry Aloun Assamba has tabled a bill seeking to formally introduce a tourism enhancement fee from which the administration would help fund the Master Plan for Sustainable Tourism Development. (See related story- News, vol. 2, #4)
When Assamba first announced the fee in the budget debate in April, she did not say how much it would cost each tourist or when it would be introduced. Her announcement received mixed reactions. Some hoteliers described the fee as a new “head tax” that would add to the already burdensome level of tourism taxation.
The tourism master plan provides a comprehensive framework for the sustainable development of Jamaica’s tourism sector over a 10-year period.
ST. THOMAS, V.I. (VI DAILY NEWS- 8/3/04)- More than 20 leaders of island universities from around the world will gather at the University of the Virgin Islands for a United Nations consortium to discuss sustainable development – “smart growth” – for small islands. The universities are working against a Jan. 2005 deadline to prepare a plan for advancing the study of sustainable development, to be presented to world leaders at a UN conference of Small Islands Developing States.
The consortium arrives as the V.I. government faces controversy over the use of well-known plots of land at Vessup Bay and Lindqvist Beach.
Island development- zoning for recreation, industrial, residential, or other uses- poses unique challenges because in a smaller area, actions tend to have a greater impact in a shorter period of time.
The consortium meetings will include delegates from the universities in the Virgin Islands, Malta, Singapore, Mauritius, Samoa, the West Indies, and Puerto Rico.
ENVIRONMENT:
ST. JOHN, VIRGIN ISLANDS (VI DAILY NEWS- 8/3/04)- Something about the few nights after the full moon every August puts corals near the Virgin Islands in the mood for reproduction. Scientists and biologists expect elkhorn, staghorn and star corals surrounding the territory to spawn. Coral spawning is usually an annual event that offers swimmers a rare opportunity to see coral reproduction.
Jeff Miller, a fisheries biologist on St. John, said that the timing of coral spawning is difficult to predict. “It’s not an exact science….It’s oriented around the full moon in August. With the full moon so late in July, the corals may spawn very soon.”
Scientists worldwide have postulated that tides, water temperature, and light all contribute to coral reproduction. Predictions for spawning are often made with consideration of the timing of full moon and the timing of the coral’s spawning in previous years.
Caroline Rogers, marine ecologist for the US Geological Survey, said she plans to dive and observe local spawning. In the Virgin Islands, there are several good places on each island to watch the coral spawn. “We’re lucky- you can swim and find them just off-shore,” said Rogers.
CULTURE:
TORTOLA, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS (VI DAILY NEWS- 8/3/04- On any other day, a man wheeling an ironing board through the streets of Road Town, then stopping to iron a shirt: or a woman pulling a donkey and carrying a bundle on her head, would be unusual sights. But during the B.V.I.’s 50th anniversary Festival Parade, the sights are welcome signs of a party!
The 7-hour parade was the largest in recent memory, filled with color, culture and pageantry. Thousands of islanders and visitors lined the 1-mile parade route to see the 75 entries in the parade, which began an hour and 45 minutes late (early by the 4-hour standard set in previous years).
Entrants from the B.V.I., the U.S.V.I., St. Kitts, the Dominican Republic and others paraded with troupes, floats and bands under the blazing sun. The cheering crowd swelled after radio stations announced that the parade had begun.
One of the most photographed entries was that of Moveine Fahie, who walked her donkey loaded with coal, sugar cane, bananas and potatoes she had harvested. Fahie said she was bringing back old-time BVI culture to the Festival. “In the olden days, you had to catch the ferry to St. Thomas and exchange coal for food and bring back material to make clothes for your kids. My mother brought her eight kids up on culture…
And we’re trying to keep it alive,” she said.
ENTERTAINMENT:
PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD (EXPRESS-7/18/04)- Spektakula Promotions International presented 2 concerts by the Calypso King of the World, the Mighty Sparrow (Dr. Slinger Francisco). The 2 nights of fantastic, “jump-up” entertainment were in celebration of Sparrow’s 50th anniversary as a calypsonian and his 69th birthday (July 9). The shows were held at Queens Hall in St. Ann.
On July 12, the ageless entertainer and honorary Doctor of Letters was presented with a Citation from the Port of Spain City Corp. in recognition of the contribution he has made and continues to make to the country’s indigenous artform of calypso.
Historians make much of the fact that Sparrow and Dr. Eric Williams, Trinidad & Tobago’s first Prime Minister, burst on the scene at the same time. It is little wonder that Sparrow’s early, brilliant work traced the progress of the nationalist movement even as he found time to take a sassy look at some of the developments in the wider world. One of the extraordinary characteristics of the Mighty Sparrow is that as a man who has had to carve his career in the often dog-eat-dog world of show business, he has remained a stickler for justice and fair play.
In the words of celebrated author, C L R James: “Sparrow’s use of the language over and over again makes memorable lines of ordinary Trinidad speech. He represents, makes known, what the people really think, what they really are and how they speak. Here was a man who comes once in 50 years.”
POINT FORTIN, TRINIDAD (EXPRESS-7/9/04)- Already this country’s top grosser, Neil “Iwer” George further justified his latter day sobriquet as “The Big Man in the Business”, by becoming 1 of 13 applicants for new broadcast licenses.
Pressed for details on his programme format, Iwer said, “I don’t want to tell you that we will be presenting 100% soca music, because Point Fortin produces other art forms suitable for radio, but this borough has also delivered a remarkable amount of entertainers in the soca and calypso arena. We couldn’t have a station in their backyard and not respect the art.”
Iwer sees the community station as a major victory for residents of Point Fortin. “People who live in Port of Spain do not realise how much trouble you experience down here to pick up radio signals coming from other counties. It also brings additional opportunities for business in the area. Another major focus of the station will be to facilitate businesses.”
It is merely another high water mark for Iwer, 37, who burst onto the soca scene in 1987, with the phenomenal “Boom Boom Time”. In the 17-year interim, he flavored each Carnival with energetic and novel variations on the concept of celebrating body parts. He has been celebrated and imitated by fellow calypsonians. Those who still live with the futile dream of silencing “The Big Man in the Business” may find that task infinitely more difficult.
PATO REPORTS:
Pick up the August issue of RELIX Magazine. It’s their big Reggae issue, and it is jam-packed with great articles. The illustrious “Postman Roger Dread”(Roger Gilles) was tapped to compile a Top-25 list of the Most Influential Reggae Albums of All Time- a pretty tall order. After collecting input from some of the great collectors of our era (Kelly Maurice- head honcho of EIGHT FOR EIGHT MUSIC, Reggae film-maker “Bear”, and yours truly), The Postman compiled TWO Top-25 lists- the above-mentioned “most influential” list and the Top-25 “Cult Favorites”! Great reading; at your local newsstands.
SPORTS:
NEW YORK CITY, USA (BARBADOS NATION-7/17/04)- Marlon Samuels, the elegant Jamaica strokemaker, has signalled his readiness to return to the West Indies team with some sensational performances in the American ProCricket 20/20 Competition. The 23-year-old, who has been out of the W.I. team with a troubling knee injury, is in pristine touch scoring 157 runs in 2 innings for the New York Storm without being dismissed.
He hit the tournament’s only century- a blistering 106 not out- off just 45 balls against the DC Forward recently. Coming to the crease after Darren Ganga fell in single figures, Samuel’s launched 7 sixes and 8 fours to set the Richmond County Ballpark in Staten Island on fire.
Samuels was pleased with his Player-of-the-Match performance, but maintained his main focus was returning to the West Indies team now that his knee was back together. )See related story- News vol.2, #5)
FOOD:
The following 2 articles appeared in the TRINIDAD EXPRESS
(7/24/04)- Breadfruit is nutritious and energy producing. Boiled, roasted, baked, stuffed, steamed, cooked in curry or prepared in salads, breadfruit makes good eating!
Long ago, people living in rural parts of Trinidad ensured that a breadfruit tree was planted in their yards or estates. It was commonly referred to as “sky rice” since those who wanted the fruit had to climb the tall trees and pluck the fruits off with a long bamboo rod.
A breadfruit tree stands out in any garden or landscape. The plant is native to Polynesia and in that region the nutrition-packed, starchy fruit became a way of life. Jamaica was the first country in the Caribbean to be recipient of this beautiful plant. From there, it spread throughout the Caribbean.
A breadfruit tree produces fruits year round. Some trees yield a few hundred fruits while others produce less, but fruits are always present on the tree.
The plant was first spotted in 1769 by visiting British seamen on the island of Tahiti. They reported to King George III that the fruit had great potential feeding slaves in the Caribbean islands. The infamous Captain William Bligh and the HMS Bounty were appointed to collect plants from Tahiti and Timor and transport them to the Caribbean in 1788.The rest is Hollywood history (He was successful bringing the plant to Jamaica in 1793).
The fresh breadfruit’s pulp is 70% water, but once dried its composition is similar to wheat flour. Wheat flour contains more protein, but less fat, minerals and vitamins than breadfruit. It may be used as a substitute for wheat flour in tropical regions where there is a lack of bread-producing grains.
Breadfruit is a rich source of carbohydrate(as starch), iron, calcium, potassium, protein, fat, sodium, vitamin C, riboflavin and niacin. Besides its use as flour, it can be eaten raw, cooked, roasted or fried. It can be sliced and fried into chips. The latex has medicinal value and as a massage ointment. The yellow leaves are brewed into a tea to control high blood pressure. The leaf juice is used as ear drops and burned leaf ash is rubbed on skin infections.
(7/17/04)- Besides being delicious, mangoes can help with the following maladies:
Arteriosclerosis- Mangoes are rich in the 3 most powerful anti-oxidant vitamins A, C and E.
Diabetes- Diabetics can benefit from eating mangoes because the fruits positive effect on the arteries helps prevent the circulatory complications associated with diabetes.
Mangoes are of great benefit to the circulatory system, are diuretic and rich in potassium and low in sodium. They are highly recommended for high blood pressure.
Eating abundant amounts of mangoes is recommended in cases of eczema, dermatosis, skin dryness and as a preventative to premature aging. Mango consumption is recommended whenever there is vision loss due to retinal conditions, such as night blindness.
GUEST EDITORIAL:
The following appeared in the V.I. Daily News on April 2, 2004, and was written by St. Thomas resident Donna Pagano:
Gone are the days of seeing lovely West Indian women walking down the road with hand-made woven baskets balanced perfectly on their heads. Is this one of those generational customs that gets passed down to the granddaughters, like the hula in Hawaii? I pray it is, although it’s no longer a sight we see on St. Thomas anymore.
As I write this, I am filled with sadness at the overwhelming Americanization of St. Thomas. At least I can find small comfort in knowing that we are not headed for statehood. Our local government leaders would not be allowed to continue with their usual greed and corruption as blatantly as they always have if we became a state!
The intersection at Tutu still boggles my mind as I reminisce about the days when we used to jokingly call it “malfunction junction”. Actually, it wasn’t dysfunctional at all but merely an example of community cooperation- people waiting patiently, nodding at one another, gesturing that it is now your turn. Yesterday, I was angrily honked and screamed at while waiting for the signal to change because I did not immediately accelerate the moment the light turned green. Admittedly, I was in a fog as I gazed at the many franchises perched all around and I was mentally transported to any intersection in Anywhere, USA, complete with road rage.
I feel a bit disoriented as I go up the Donoe Bypass and see the massive, architecturally unimaginative Home Depot building and I ache knowing that my friend Harry, closed the doors to his long-time business- Island Block- because of it…Couldn’t we at least have insisted that they build to fit our local style?
Last night, as I drove past the tall Boca Raton-looking buildings of the Ritz-Carlton, I flashed on the playground of my children’s youth, which was all of Bluebird’s beach and the surrounding hillsides- the humble, pink condominiums of Cabrita Point Resort and a handful of houses was all there was. There were deer roaming everywhere and I worry and wonder where they will go now that Lionstone, a state-side developer, has recently begun to purchase Cabrita Point and has grandiose plans of building massive, multi-million dollar houses on every available lot, complete with yet another key-pad security gate. Soon, our island will be full of relatively segregated, perfectly groomed, gated neighborhoods- just like Hilton Head!
Botany Bay, our last big piece of residential property, has also been sold to developers who will cleverly get whatever zoning they need to turn that too, into some fancy state-side looking resort over time. Lindqvist is likely to be developed as well- the new chain-link fence is a reminder of that. It’s a shame that our Virgin Islands government didn’t rally in enough time to buy these beautiful places and turn them into parks for future generations to enjoy.
There will be a day when we no longer see the lush green hills of Hans Lollick[Island] through the many rooftops of the massive development project that will eventually happen there. What about the wild donkeys who have lived there for decades? Where will they fit in their ambitious building plans?
I drove along the East End, by Wyndham Sugar Bay, and saw heavy equipment tearing apart the hillside and I felt the pain Mother Earth must feel as these huge blades stripped away every living thing in its path.. If we cut down all our trees, will it rain here often enough? I wondered that as I watched the earth-changing machinery do their worst.
The other night, I gave thanks that I was headed west as I came down Raphune Hill on my way to Charlotte Amalie and I saw the snake of bumper to bumper traffic in the east-bound lane. We seem to have zero consciousness as to how many vehicles we can feasibly accommodate on this island, but then, we are in a deliberate state of denial on so many issues here. Bottleneck traffic is just one more.
I dread the day when there will no longer be local fishermen selling their morning’s catch along the waterfront in Frenchtown or in Smith and Hull Bays because some huge, stateside grocery retailer has opened a fancy, air-conditioned market and can ship it in cheaper.
Should the day come, when I can no longer see our local men slamming down dominoes on the surface of a plywood, make-shift table under the shade of a tamarind tree and I can no longer hear their wonderful laughter as they joke with their friends because of the din of heavy traffic, it will be time for me to move. Undoubtedly to an island that still has the lovely ladies strolling down the road carrying baskets on their heads.
WEATHER:
So far, a quiet Atlantic basin. However, the peak of the hurricane season occurs mid-August to mid-October, so be prepared. Recently, leading forecasters down-graded their predictions for this hurricane season, as a mild El Nino effect has formed in the Pacific Ocean, inhibiting storm formation in the Atlantic.
