CARIBBEAN NEWS
Vol. 4, No. 4
May 28, 2006
HAMILTON, BERMUDA (BBC/CARIBBEAN-4/6/06)- A tourism
conference here has heard dire predictions about the impact on
Caribbean tourism of new passport rules for Americans. An official of the
World Travel and Tourism Organisation said countries which rely heavily
on the US market may experience a reduction in American visitors. He
named the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Aruba, British Virgin Islands and
St. Kitts as countries which may be hit.
Starting in Jan. 2007, US citizens will have to show a passport or some
other secure document when they re-enter the country from the Caribbean,
Mexico, Canada, Panama and Bermuda. Currently, Americans need only
show a birth certificate or drivers licence to re-enter. The new Dept. of
Homeland Security requirement is supposed to make it harder for
"terrorists" to enter the US.
US domestic tourism, including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands
are expected to benefit if Americans turn their backs on other Caribbean
countries.
At a cost of $125 per document and an average wait time of 12-16 weeks,
the average US citizen or family might be discouraged from applying.
ST. THOMAS, US VIRGIN ISLANDS (BBC/CARIBBEAN-5/5/06)- The US
government has designated 2 corals found in the Caribbean for protection
because of severe damage. The rapidly vanishing Elkhorn and Staghorn
corals will be listed under the Endangered Species act.
The National Marine Fisheries Service said overfishing, marine diseases,
pollution, storms and climate changes have combined to threaten the
existence of the antler-shaped corals. Damage increased last year as the
Caribbean Sea warmed to record levels. Since the 1970's the 2 corals have
declined by more than 97% in some areas. Coral bleaching in 2005 centered
on the Virgin Islands, but stretched from the Florida Keys to Tobago.
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO (BBC/CARIBBEAN- 5/13/06)- Puerto Rican
officials have struck a deal on ending a budget crisis that has shut down
many government offices and sparked massive street protests. The deal
calls for an emergency loan to finance a $740 million shortfall in the US
territory's budget.
The administration was forced to close 43 government agencies putting
95,000 people out of work and closing all schools.
TORTOLA, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS (VI DAILY NEWS- 5/12/06)-
Heavy rain and thunderstorms causing excessive run-off, caused
severe flooding on low lying areas here. The Disaster Management Dept.
determined that a lot of debris from the major construction projects on-
going in Roadtown was deposited into Huntum's Ghutt and Scatliffe
Alley Ghutt, blocking them and causing the flooding.
An estimated 2 inches of rain fell in a short period of time. Governor
David Peary sais, "Hurricane season is just around the corner and we
don't want the same thing to happen in Road Town." He urged everyone
to desist from throwing debris into the guts.
PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD (EXPRESS- 5/13/06)- Three women were
injured here when a steam boiler on a street vending cart exploded.
Mayor Murchison Brown said the explosion highlighted that several
carts on the streets were a recipe for danger. Because vending on the
streets is illegal, he called for a national campaign to have them removed.
The media hasn't pressed the issue, complaining that the government is
harrassing the vendors when they're only trying to make a living. Police
in the area have admitted to purchasing from the vendors.
PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD (EXPRESS- 5/2/06)- The Caribbean region
is not well equipped to deal with natural disasters, the Seismic Research
Unit head stated at a 4-day interactive workshop at the University of the
West Indies.
He also said the region as a whole lacked proper disaster preparedness
and as a result spent too much of their resources on disaster relief. Pre-
paredness can also save lives and physical property.
He stated that although Trinidad & Tobago were under no immediate
threat, residents need to learn from the mistakes of Grenada in preparing
for hurricanes and take warnings more seriously.
BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS (THE NATION- 5/13/06)- Two Americans
are in custody in connection with the discovery of more than $3 million
worth of pure cocaine on a yacht anchored on the west coast of the
island. The men, ages 33 and 26, are also being questioned about a cache
of guns, more than 100 rounds and large amounts of currency.
An operation conducted by the Barbadian Drug Squad earlier led to the
arrest of the 2 men and the interception of the US registered yacht. Before
arriving in Barbados, the pair made a port call in St. Lucia.
PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD (THE NATION- 5/12/06)- The West Indian
Anthem was launched here during a soccer match between Trinidad and
Peru. It was endorsed by 10 heads of government at the close of last
February's CARICOM meeting.
The lyrics to the anthem which follow, were written by Ernie Ross and
Anil Hardithsingh.
"We are united through struggles and triumphs of history
We are the children of proud generations that yearn to be free
Rainbows of people resilient and strong
We've created a home where we belong
The greatness of small treasures on Earth
Paradise lands where cultures converge
To make West Indian nations colorful and proud
Our West Indian nations always shining as one under God."
SPORTS:
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO is the smallest country to ever qualify for
soccer's World Cup. The twin-island republic's population of 1.3
million people has been preparing for this high-profile opportunity
since the end of Carnival in February.
Following their final home match- a friendly against Peru that ended in a
draw- the Soca Warriors embarked on a "meet the people" tour around
the 2 islands. The team will then train in Manchester, England before
flying to Germany for their first game against Sweden on June 10th.
The most well-known T 'n' T player is Dwight Yorke, from the smaller
island of Tobago. He has played for England's Manchester United and
Aston Villa.
The Soca Warriors get their name from the music genre- an upbeat
version of this islands' other musical creation, Calypso. A few hundred
citizens, or "Trinis", have tickets, steelpan (another important Trinidad
creation) and their inexhaustible voices to lend energetic support to their
team in Germany.
And while getting to the 2nd round of the competition would trigger non-
stop parties, former coach Bertille St. Clair wisely stated, "All the boys
have to do is play well and represent their country."
(Pato's note: Trinidad-born JuaKali will be proudly representing T'n'T
when he plays in concert at the FIFA-Fan Festival in Gluckauf
Kampftbahn, Germany on June 27!)
PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD (BBC/CARIBBEAN- 4/26/06)- Legendary
batsman Brian Lara has been named the Windies captain for a third time,
replacing Shivnarine Chanderpaul. While most fans are applauding, his
critics are quick to observe his 2 unsuccessful stints at the helm of West
Indies cricket.
Now 37, Lara- Test Cricket's leading run scorer- said that he was a little
hesitant taking up the job again and that it took alot of support for him to
reconsider. "It is time for us to move on and plan properly to start moving
upwards", he said.
Skeptical fans who have grown accustomed to disappointment are hoping
that Lara will help overturn the now-persistant losing streak. But Lara's
critics aren't holding their breath.
HAMILTON, BARBADOS (BBC/CARIBBEAN-5/1/06)- The West Indies
Cricket Board will get the chance to host a second international tourna-
ment in 4 years time. The ICC, the world governing body, has announced
the award of the 2010 Champions Trophy tourney to the Caribbean.
The region will host the much larger and more prestigious World Cup next
year. The ICC said the Champions Trophy would provide an opportunity
for the West Indies to take advantage of the facilities that are currently
under construction for the World Cup.
The next tournament will take place in October in India when West Indies
will defend the trophy they won in England in 2004.
ENTERTAINMENT:
LONDON, ENGLAND (AP & BBC/CARIBBEAN- 5/26/06)- Ska legend
Desmond Dekker died suddenly of a massive heart attack at his home in
Surrey. He was 64.
Known as the performer who paved the way for groups like the early
Wailers, Maytals and many others, he was the first Jamaican pop act to
enjoy a major international hit. In 1969, his most remembered single,
"Isrealites", reached the Top 10 in both the U.S. and Great Britain.
Dekker was planning a large summer tour of Europe beginning in June.
His manager, Delroy Williams said, "He was in his peak fitness and had
this big tour coming up and he was looking forward to it. He died
peacefully, but it still hurts."
LONDON, ENGLAND (BBC/CARIBBEAN- 5/15/06)- The bassist for Bob
Marley's band, The Wailers, has lost his court battle for unpaid royalties.
Aston Barrett, 60, claimed he was owed royalties from a contract signed
with Island Records in 1974. Barrett played with the Wailers from 1969
until Marley's death in 1981.
But the courts dismissed the claim mainly on the testimony of Island
Records founder Chris Blackwell, who stated Barrett surrendered his
rights to further royalties when he signed an agreement in 1994 for
$500,000.
In a statement issued by the Marley family, it is said: "We always felt
that this would be the outcome and it was hard to listen to Aston reduce
his friend Bob to someone who was more interested in playing football
than making music."
KINGSTON, JAMAICA (OBSERVER- 4/30/06)- The rebirth of Reggae
Sunsplash has been announced for the weekend of August 3-6 in
Priory, St. Ann. Stay tuned for artist line-ups!
Speaking of major Reggae Festivals- mark your calender for this year's
Sierra Nevada World Music Festival in California. Virgin Islands' favorite
sons, INNER VISIONS will be performing there on June 25. Go to:
www.snwmf.com for all the details!
And as I mentioned in the Sports section, JuaKali will be playing at the
music festival at the Soccer World Cup in Germany on June 27. Go to:
www.foreignfamiliar.com for his full European Tour dates!
