Ana(center), Bill(lower right) and Claudette(upper left)
ST. THOMAS, US VIRGIN ISLANDS (VI DAILY NEWS- 8/18/09)- A weakened Tropical Depression Ana passed to the south of the territory, while Tropical Storm Bill, churning in the Atlantic, became the seasons first hurricane. Ana- located south of Hispaniola- had dissipated into a low-pressure trough with no closed circulation, and all tropical storm watches had been lifted.
Ana passed about 70 miles south of St. Croix. The depression did bring some showers and thunderstorms to the territory, with Doppler estimates of up to an inch of rain fell across St. Croix and up to 1 1/2 inches in both St. Thomas and St. John.
The weather caused some flight delays, although the territory's seaports and airports remained open. The weather also prompted some cruise ships to change their itineraries.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Bill was located about 850 miles east of the Lesser Antilles Islands, moving west-northwest at 17 mph with sustained winds of 100 mph.
ST. JOHN, USVI (ARAWAKROOTS NEWS- 8/30/09)- All eyes were on the NOAA map websites here on St. John, as the 2 low pressure systems that became TS Ana and Hurricane Bill first appeared one behind the other off the African coast August 14th. The original forcasts at that time had both storms heading directly our way. By the next day, it was determined that Ana would be sheared apart as the storm headed south into drier air. Bill on the other hand, would slowly move northwest, but continue to grow.
As Ana passed just to the south of St. Croix, the thunderstorms were intense from time to time on St. John on August 17th, but were short-lived and created no flooding.
Because Hurricane Bill was rather slow in taking its turn to the northwest, noone took their eye off of Hurricane Bill until the storm passed the 20N line. As Bill passed about 350 miles to the the north of St. John, the island got caught in one of the hurricane's inflows. Instead of receiving rain from one of the outflow bands, the air was basically sucked away- very still, heavy, hot and humid. Most St. Johnians said it was definitely the hottest day that summer.
Ana(center), Bill(lower right) and Claudette(upper left)
On August 24th, the tropical wave that organized into TS Danny formed just to the Northeast of Tortola, BVI. Heavy rains fell on St. John, however no winds were associated with the system as it passed north of the Virgin Islands. Over 2 inches of rain fell in parts of the hill country, however no rain fell in the southeast end of the island.
Now all eyes are on the Atlantic once again as TS Erica gets revved up. It's shaping up to be an interesting season. To follow the tropical storm season, click on our Weather Maps page, where you can choose from different NOAA maps.
ST. THOMAS, USVI (VI DAILY NEWS- 8/11/09)- The Virgin Islands government and Alpine Energy Group entered into an agreement to construct two alternative power plants- one each on St. Croix and St. Thomas- that will reduce the territory's dependence on oil, lower energy costs and solve the territory's mounting waste problem.
Colorado-based Alpine Energy Group President James Beach said the company will invest $440 million in the territory, create 600 jobs during the peak construction period and 75 permanent jobs in each district to operate the facilities upon completion. The plants will burn garbage that would otherwise enter the territory's landfills. To bolster the amount of energy produced, the plants will also burn petroleum coke- a byproduct produced at the HOVENSA oil refinery on St. Croix.
The Water And Power Authority(WAPA) signed 20-year power purchase agreements and will annually receive a minimum of 33 megawatts from the St. Thomas plant and 16 watts from the St. Croix plant. WAPA estimates that the new power plants will save the average residential consumer about $10 on their monthly bill and will save WAPA from buying 600,000 barrels of oil a year.
Similarly, the Waste Management Authority signed 20-year agreements with Alpine Energy to pay $18 million a year for Alpine to process the territory's solid waste. The agreements with Alpine will ensure that the Virgin Islands will be able to manage its solid waste stream. Waste Management is under a deadline to close the Anguilla Landfill on St. Croix by Dec. 31 and plans to close the Bovoni Landfill on St. Thomas in 5 to 7 years in order to meet federal regulations and come into compliance with orders from the EPA and District Court.
Alpine Energy is aiming to have both plants up and running by 2013.
ST. THOMAS, USVI (VI DAILY NEWS- 8/17/09)- To boost the catches of commercial and recreational fishermen, the VI Division of Fish and Wildlife is planning to deploy 50 special devices to attract fish. Fish aggregation devices (buoys) have been placed across the territory in limited numbers for the past 2 decades. The reason is because the devices are expensive and the cost of deployment high.
To save money and allow for more devices placed in the water, Fish and Wildlife decided to design its own cheaper version. Gerald Greaux, an environmental specialist at the devision, came up with 3 designs that were shown to international specialists, who told him the designs would work as fish buoys.
The first design prototype was deployed Aug. 7, off St. Thomas and St. Croix. The buoys will be placed on the waters surface and at different depths to see what works best. The design with the best results will be used to build 47 buoys- 21 for St. Croix and 26 for St. Thomas. The devices are made from recycled tires, PVC pipe and anchored with I-beams. Each is equipped with a GPS unit, a solar light and Radar reflector. The buoys grow algae and provide a hiding place for bait fish, which then attract larger fish that feed on them.
Part of the Project will be to update and maintain an existing database with data collected from the buoys. Fishermen's required reports on catches will provide information about species and abundance around the buoys. The buoys will be placed in strategic locations to attract tuna, marlin and dolphinfish. The locations of the buoys will be published once they are deployed.
ST. JOHN, USVI (STJ TRADEWINDS- 8/25/09)- When several recent large-scale developments pushed building heights on St. John to new records, residents feared towering skysrapers were just around the corner. VI Senator-at-Large Craig Barshinger is trying to ensure that never happens.
Barshinger is sponsoring a bill to restrict building heights on St. John to 3 stories. The building cap would protect the architectural feel of the island and protect the community from large-scale developments. The bill would also close loopholes in the building code which allow for some buildings, while remaining technically within the zoning limits, to have visual impacts of taller structures- the SIRENUSA development being a major case in point.
While the current bill is worded for holding only residential buildings to the 3-story height limit, it is hoped to expand the scope to include all buildings.
In a related story, it is rumored that Banco Popular has foreclosed on the SIRENUSA project and sold the property to a Puerto Rico-based developer.
ST. THOMAS, USVI (VI DAILY NEWS- 8/20/09)- The US federal government will reconsider placing 2 native Virgin Islands plants on the endangered species list after a settlement agreement was reached in a federal lawsuit regarding their status. The 2 species are agave eggersiana, an aloe-like plant native only to St. Croix, and slonum conocarpum, a bushy plant with small purple flowers found only on St. John. (Go to "Archived News" Vol.4 #3)
The Center for Biological Diversity- represented by the University of Denver Environmental Law Clinic- reached a settlement agreement with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Dept. of the Interior to revisit the issue. However, this agreement does not gaurantee that the plants will make it to the federally protected list.
In 1996, the VI Dept. of Planning and Natural Resources petitioned the federal government to protect the 2 plants under the Endangered Species Act. Two years later, the US Fish and Wildlife Service submitted an initial report that agreed with the local government. Although a final report was supposed to be submitted within 9 months, six years went by without any action by the feds.
In 2004, the Center for Biological Diversity picked up the territory's cause and took the federal government to court. When the final finding was submitted, US Fish and Wildlife reversed its initial position and found the petition to protect the plants unwarranted. The CBD filed another lawsuit, stating that the Fish and Wildlife Service ignored its own experts and other evidence that proved the vulnerability of the plants.
In this most recent settlement, the government agreed to revisit its 1996 rejection. The new agreement lays out a timeline for the government to produce new findings. If the plants are listed as endangered species, the government would create a recovery plan to reintroduce the plant into the wild and protect the plant's critical habitat.
WASHINGTON D.C. (AP- 8/21/09)- July was the hottest month for the world's oceans in almost 130 years of record-keeping. The average temperature world-wide was 62.6 degrees, according to the National Climatic Data Center. The previous record was set in July 1998 during a powerful El Nino in the Pacific.
Meteorologists said there is a combination of forces at work: a natural El Nino just getting started on top of worsening man-made global warming and a dash of random weather variations. Already the resulting ocean heat is harming coral reefs. In the summer of 2005, an increase in water temperatures led to a massive coral die-off, both here in the Virgin Islands and globally.
The Gulf of Mexico has temperatures hovering around 90 degrees. Most of the water in the Northern Hemisphere has been much warmer than normal. The Mediterranean is about 3 degrees warmer than normal and higher temperatures rule in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
The phenomenon is most noticeable near the Arctic, where water temperatures are as much as 10 degrees above average.
And in the "You must be joking" Dept.:
ST. CROIX, USVI (VI DAILY NEWS- 8/19/09)- Police on St. Croix confiscated an undisclosed number of marijuana plants after a police chase in which passengers in the fleeing vehicle started flinging the plants along the roadway.
The Police Dept. reports that around 10:30 PM, an officer from the traffic division was on patrol on Queen Mary Highway when a large passenger van cut him off. The officer turned on his lights and siren and the van pulled over. At that time the officer noticed the windows were covered with black trash bags. When the officer ordered everyone out, the van sped off. A chase ensued, with other officers providing support.
An off-duty officer heard the call and went out to set up spike strips along the path of the chase. As the chase wound around the island, the traffic officer noticed that passengers in the van were tossing out marijuana plants and fertilizer.
When the chase reached the spot where the spike strips were deployed, 3 of the vans tires were deflated. The van turned onto a dirt road, where it got ahead of the pursuing officers, stopped and the occupants fled into the bush.
Officers found that the van contained marijuana plants ranging from one to six feet high, and were likely being transported from an indoor cultivation site. Noone was apprehended in connection with the chase. However, police have a number of leads.
SPORTS::
BERLIN, GERMANY (AP- 8/17-24/09)- Looking around and seeing no one close in the biggest race of the year, Jamaica's Usain Bolt proved again he races in a world all his own. The Olympic champion won a huge matchup against Tyson Gay in the 100M at the world championships, beating his chest after he crossed the line and watched the clock stop at 9.58 seconds.
Running full-out in ideal conditions and against the toughest competition possible, Bolt blew away his own world record by .11 seconds and made Gay seem slow despite setting a U.S. record of 9.71 seconds, the 3rd fastest time in history. It was the biggest increase in the world record since electronic time was introduced. Asafa Powell of Jamaica took bronze in 9.84.
The record time was hard to believe even with Bolt's knack of doing the unbelievable. He grabbed a flag, hugged Powell and wrapped themselves in the Jamaican flag.
In the women's 100M, the Jamaican and American women got their own sprint rivalry going. Kerron Stewart ran 10.92 for the best time, leading a Jamaican team effort which placed 3 of their runners in the top four. Carmelita Jeter of the U.S. was the only one able to split the trio, running 10.94 for silver.
Tabarie Henry became the first USVI sprinter to win a race at the World Campionships by winning his qualifying heat in 45.14 seconds, the 2nd fastest time of the day in the men's 400M and advanced to the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, in women's 400 competition, Sanya Richards of the U.S. ran with confidence, overwhelming the field and taking the gold in 49 seconds. She held off Jamaica's Shericka Williams for the win.
On the third day of competition, USVI's Tabarie Henry placed 2nd in his heat to advance to the finals of the 400M. The St. Thomian crossed the finish line with a time of 44.97, behind Bahamian Chris Brown's 44.95. St.Croix's Laverne Jones-Ferrette came 1/10 second from joining Henry for medal contention when she failed to qualify for the final in the women's 200M.
Bolt winning the 200M
On Day 4, Usain Bolt extended his stunning domination in the sprints, adding the 200M gold to his tally with another world record. Gritting his teeth and pointing to the clock as soon as the record flashed, Bolt is now 5-for-5 in major sprint events going back to the Beijing Olympics, each time with a world record. His time of 19.19 slashed .11 seconds off the mark he set last year. Alonso Edward of Panama took silver- amassive .62 behind- and Wallace Spearmon of the U.S. took bronze.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
Click here: Guest Editorial to read a guest editorial that appeared in the VI Daily News on 8/13/09 concerning the "alternative" power plants being built on St. Thomas and St. Croix. It gives a counterpoint to the so-called "green" technology being proposed for the power plants.
(photo courtesy of Christian Simescu/VI Daily News)
Holiday Edition - 2009|caribbean_news22.shtml|01-1-2011||ARAWAKROOTS NEWS
HOLIDAY EDITION
Vol.7; No.7
December 2009
ST. THOMAS, US VIRGIN ISLANDS (VI DAILY NEWS-11/17/09)- The thunderstorms that hit the Virgin Islands on 11/16 were actually part of a trough associated with a low-pressure system that used to be Hurricane Ida, according to the National Weather Service.
Ida formed almost 2 weeks ago in the southwestern Caribbean Sea, moved into the Gulf of Mexico, made landfall as a tropical storm in Alabama USA and weakened. Its remnants moved up the eastern coast of the US as a powerful "Nor'easter". Those remnants have drifted into the central Atlantic Ocean.
St. Thomas and St. John received over 4 inches of rain with St. Croix receiving over 2 inches. Flash flooding occurred in those areas that typically see it during heavy rains. Cyril King Airport on St. Thomas had flooding in the main terminal causing flight delays.
ST. THOMAS, USVI (VI DAILY NEWS-11/12/09)- A group of taxpayers have asked the Public Services Commission to reconsider its approval of the power purchase agreement between the Water & Power Authority (WAPA) and Alpine Energy Group. In October, the PSC approved 2-20 year agreements for waste and petroleum coke energy plants Alpine plans to build in the territory. (See Vol.7 #6 for more details.)
Because the deal between Alpine and WAPA ultimately will affect the ratepayer, the PSC was charged with ensuring that the deal will save money in the long run. At the series of public hearings held, many residents spoke of their concerns, particularly the large number of unknown costs that may be passed on to them.
The problem with the agreement is the high economic risk involved. Included in those risks are construction cost overruns, fluctuating petroleum coke prices, and special incentives to get Alpine to burn more trash than pet coke. Stricter regulation of carbon emissions in the future could end up costing the ratepayer. Pet coke is 80% carbon and one of the highest emitters of CO2. The agreement makes WAPA responsible for any penalties or upgrades needed because of new regulations.
Alpine Energy President James Beach said the provisions to protect Alpine are standard and necessary to obtain financing for the $440 million project.
The PSC was not charged with considering the environmental impact of the project. The project must still jump several hurdles- the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers being 2 of them- before construction can begin.
ST. THOMAS, USVI (VI DAILY NEWS- 11/12/09)- The brown pelican has made its way back from the brink of extinction and has been removed from the endangered species list. Known for its swooping and diving for fish in the Caribbean's turqoise waters, the brown pelican provides an essential element to the Virgin Islands experience.
Photo courtesy Denise Beal
The US Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that there are 650,000 brown pelicans in the US, Caribbean and Latin America today. They were listed as endangered in 1970 after pelicans were discovered dying from eating fish laced with the pesticide DDT. The species began to recover after DDT was banned in 1972.
Past efforts to protect the brown pelican led to the birth of the National Wildlife Refuge System more than a century ago. Paul Kroegel, appalled by the slaughter of pelicans for their feathers, approached President Theodore Roosevelt who later created the first National Wildlife Refuge at Pelican Island in Florida in 1903. Kroegel was named the first refuge manager and today the system has grown to 550 refuges.
The agency has developed a post-delisting plan which is designed to monitor the pelican for the next 10 years. The plan is based on tracking colonies and nesting pairs at breeding grounds. If a decline in the colonies is observed, Fish and Wildlife will investigate the causes and can even re-list the brown pelican on the Endangered Species List.
Although the brown pelican has been removed from the list, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Lacey Act will continue to protect the bird, its nests and its eggs.
KINGSTOWN, ST. VINCENT (BBC/CARIBBEAN- 10/26/09)- Food prices remain stubbornly high in the Caribbean even as countries wrestle with increasing food production. Island nations are being urged to produce much more than they are. A new report from Great Britain's Royal Society is warning that the world must increase food production by 50% by 2050, when the population is expected to reach 9 billion.
A combination of changing diets, growing population, demand for farmland for biofuels, and high energy prices have stoked food prices and renewed interest in agriculture. St. Vincent & the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves is among those worried by prices in local markets. "I can't understand how ripe bananas in Kingstown Market are more expensive than in supermarkets in London.", he said in reference to the fact that the fruit is produced locally.
Gonsalves said that his country's food bill last year was almost $70 million(US). He stated that a Taiwan-backed program of agricultural diversification was bearing fruit, with St. Vincent now self-sufficient in pork production as one example of progress. In Barbados, the government is considering establishing its own bulk import agency to bring down the cost of imported food. CARICOM's total import food bill has been estimated at US$3.5 billion.
Editor's Note: In the article that follows, when the reporter refers to "skunk" cannabis, I believe she is speaking of Cannabis Indica as opposed to Cannabis Sativa.
LONDON, UK (BBC NEWS- 12/4/09)- People who smoke potent skunk cannabis are more at risk of psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia than those who use other types of cannabis, scientists suspect. According to new research, regular users more than double their risk of psychosis, with the increase in the levels of THC being the primary culprit.
The authors of the research- published in the British Journal of Psychiatry- were quick to stress that their work is merely to inform. They point out that drug use accounts for only 10-15% of cases of psychotic illness. But they say Cannabis, particularly skunk, should be considered a potential health hazard in a similar way to alcohol.
When doctors at the Institute of Psychiatry screened 280 patients admitted with psychotic symptoms for the first time, they found most- nearly 80%- were heavy skunk users. Unlike skunk, hashish- cannabis resin- contains substantial quanities of another chemical called cannibidiol. Research suggests this can act as an antidote to high concentrations of THC.
Experts are concerned because skunk cannabis has come to dominate the cannabis market in recent years.
CARIBBEAN NEWS BRIEFS from the BBC/CARIBBEAN:
ROSEAU, DOMINICA- Hundreds of angry residents from the community of Layou brought traffic to a 7 1/2 hour standstill as they protested about health problems being caused by a nearby French quarrying company, Emile Gaddarkhan et fils. They are also protesting the proposed opening of an asphalt plant, which the MP for the area said the company has not been given permission.
ST. JOHNS, MONTSERRAT- There are plans to launch a long-term ferry service between Antigua and Montserrat beginning in January. The 100-seat ferry will be jointly owned by the governments of the 2 islands. The vessel is due to sail from Southampton UK to St. Thomas VI this month. In the meantime, Montserrat is introducing temporary ferry service for December to cope with increased travel during the holiday season.
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO- Sceintists say that lower-than-feared sea temperatures over the past few months have given a break to fragile coral reefs across the Caribbean that have been severely damaged in recent years. Unusually warm sea temperatures causes the organisms that make up coral to expel the colourful algae they co-exist with, creating "bleaching", eventually causing death. At a meeting of the US Coral Reef Task Force here, one scientist stated: "We dodged a bullet this year."
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:
KINGSTON, JAMAICA (JA OBSERVER- 11/1/09)- Newly-appointed managers of the Peter Tosh estate plan to resurrect the late reggae legend's slumping royalties via a marketing campaign invoving albums, apparel, internet, film, TV and video game exposure. JAM INC. will release a Tosh album next year and is currently focusing on building an official website and creating pages on Facebook, MySpace and other social networking sites. It will also align Tosh's image and philosophy with human rights organisations.
Jam Inc. is also acquiring the services of 7 different marketing companies- including US-based ROCKET SCIENCE- to increase the presence of Tosh in various media.
Peter Tosh is arguably the most important reggae star after Bob Marley. However, while Marley dominates the charts and has an incomparable online popularity, this eludes Tosh. Jam Inc. blames poor marketing for his waning influence, particularly among teenagers.
With Tosh's masters in the hands of 5 different labels, releasing albums will require cooperation. Negotiations are in the works with Sony surrounding the albums "Legalize It" and "Equal Rights".
Jam Inc. also manages the estates of rock icons The Doors and Janis Joplin.
KINGSTON, JAMAICA (AP- 11/1/09)- Bob Marley's heirs are plunging into the global trademark wars, seeking to enforce their exclusive rights to an image that has grown steadily since Marley's death in 1981. The Marley name, look and sound are estimated to generate $600 million a year in sales of unlicensed wares. Legal sales generated a mere $4 million in 2007.
The family has hired Toronto-based Hilco Consumer Capital to protect their rights to the brand. The turn to big business has stirred some grousing from die-hard fans in Internet chat rooms, who say it goes against the grain of a singer who preached non-materialism and popularised the Rasta credo of oneness with nature.
However, a representative of the Bobo Ashanti Order- a Rastafarian community- stated in an e-mail release: "Bob Marley was and still is a stepping stone for many around the world who seek Rastafari roots and culture. We can only hope and pray for the family's success, as the task seems insurmountable due to the years of piracy and counterfeiting."
The family says it cares less about moving merchandise than about preserving the patriarch's legacy. "People need to know what they're getting is from the Marley movement", said Rohan Marley as he showed the AP around his organic coffee farm, whose product is dried, roasted and packaged in bags emblazoned with Marley song titles such as One Love and Misty Morning.
(Editor's Note: Marley Organic Coffee can be purchased by clicking on the "ReggaeNetLink" icon on our Home Page. You'll find the Marley Coffee icon towards the bottom of their Home Page.)
MUSIC REVIEWS:
compiled by Pato
RAS ZACHARRI- HERBSMAN
Just released on Shem Ha Boreh Records, Ras Zacharri's debut album HERBSMAN is a blessing. A perfect mix of roots reggae and dancehall stylings, the album consists of 15 solid tracks, with Luciano, Gregory Isaacs and Natty King lending vocal support on various tracks.
From the opening 30-second intro, you sit up and take notice, and not just for Zacharri's powerful voice. I could hear from the start the production and engineering values- it sounded in perfect balance. The harmony vocals are as up front in the mix as any of the instruments and play a crucial role in conveying each of the songs messages ("Dem A Fight I" and "We Survive" stand out). As the album played on, I noticed there were no boom-boom, wah-wah guitar solo's- nothing like that. And there was no need- each song said what it had to say and got out of the way for the next one. "Jah Reign" revives a classic reggae bass-line and breathes new life into Jamaican Dub. "Knock Knock" is a sweet Lovers Rock with Gregory's voice adding the perfect backdrop. Speaking of featured vocalists- Luciano's cameo on "River Jordan" is a perfect blend with Zacharri's chants and the message of the lyrics. The messages for the youth in "Gun Boom and Bullets" and "Too Much Youths A Die" are not gentle exhortations, but messages to be heeded. The Binghi Mix of "Dem A Fight I" proves the song's worthy in any genre. And the Dubs that round out the album are pure engineering artistry- homages to the masters of Jamaican Dub. The album is mixed and mastered at Anchor Recording Studio in Jamaica. Head to our Music Store to hear more samples after I entice you with "River Jordan" below.
River Jordan-Ras Zacharri w/Luciano
CARLTON LIVINGSTON/ECHO MINOTT
Over the summer I mentioned, right here on this page, the 7" vinyl release on Uniteam Records by 2 household names in the annals of reggae music- Carlton Livingston and Echo Minott. If you never got the chance to mosey over to Uniteam's website (it was summer after all), let me get you caught up:
Carlton Livingston has recorded for legendary producers and his classic album "100 Weights Of Collie Weed" is still distributed by Greensleeves Records. His work with Sir Coxsone- Why, Here I Stand, Predictions, etc.- were on many different labels like Channel One and Bull Whackies. Echo Minott released his first album at age 17 working with Prince Jammy. His album with George Pheng, "Echo Minott Meets Sly & Robbie" is classic. His first #1 Jamaican single- Love Problems- was produced by Joe Gibb. His singles with Jammys label- Original Fat Thing, What The Hell, etc.- were Jamaican hits.
Flash forward to now, with the UNITEAM ALL-STARS producing a classic reggae riff and bringing 2 legendary vocalists into the studio to dub their latest vocal styling over top and you've got the classic "Mix Up Maggie/Summertime".
Carlton Livingston-Mix Up Maggie sample
Echo Minott-Summertime sample
MOSAIC FOUNDATION
Led by the soul-stirring vocals of Laura "Eva Bless" Haykel, this 9-piece(!) roots band from Rochester,NY blasts the power of a 3-piece horn section, a strong rhythm foundation and some tasty guitar licks and mixes in lyrics sometimes of social justice ("We Stand Strong", "Solutions"), sometimes easy-breezy lovers rock ("The Long Way Home") to easily prove that-"yeh, Rochester Rocks!"
The double-whammy of having a live horn section and a strong female vocalist (a rarity these days), makes this band a must see. Already opening for acts as diverse as Toots and the Maytals, Rebelution, and John Brown's Body makes it a sure bet they'll be coming your way soon!
Mosaic Foundation-The Long Way Home sample
JUAKALI
My man JuaKali has had a busy, busy year. Bouncing coast-to-coast, producing 2 of his own phenominal EP's (BreakGround and Come From Yard) and appearing on trend-setting DJ's albums from around the world (Sub Swara's Coup D'Yah, Kush Arora's Dread Bass Chronicles, Other Weapons' Basis To Break This, and various Babylon Station singles), he is now preparing (with a little help from his friends) his next video project for his song "Dem City".
Directed by Cory Shaw, the story goes something like this: JuaKali's music and lyrics open up a dimension that turns the city into a surreal landscape of all the evils of Babylon. His soundpower protects and guides him through the treachery....Whew, can't wait for this one!
JuaKali-New Cycle sample
JuaKali-Dem City sample
RANKIN & SMOKES - The HAPPY LIFE RIDDIM
Direct from St. Lucia, Mezzo Forte Records released this installment of their "Riddim Vendor Series" in October. Alot like The Uniteam All-Stars, RANKIN & SMOKES (Rankin Morgan and Irvine Springer) had produced a great riddim and searched out St. Lucia's best vocalists to each add their "vision" to the track.
The Happy Life Riddim fuses rock guitar and sudden pop overtones with a signature dancehall bass-line that gives each vocalist room to express their ideas full on. Although Louis Dan, Mac 11, and Pizo appear on the EP, featured here is Bounty Hype/Baby Blue's version, "Up In The VIP".
Bounty Hype feat. Baby Blue-Up In The VIP sample
A Holiday Gift from ArawakRoots News:
Check our FREE MUSIC DOWNLOAD page Dec. 24-25 for a special treat.
CARIBBEAN HOLIDAY CULTURE:
This article and recipe came from the ST. JOHN TRADEWINDS and was submitted by Eliza Magro:
SEASONAL SORREL
You may have seen sorrel juice on sale during the Holiday season as it is a common beverage in the Caribbean and West Indies during this time of year.
Caribbean Sorrel, an annual herb- as opposed to the perennial European Sorrel- is a tropical fruit cultivated and harvested. It can grow to 7 feet with flowering branches. It begins flowering in October and is ready for harvesting in late November. One can often find the red, fresh sorrel flowers for sale in December, while the rest of the year it is most commonly sold dried. Sorrel Juice is easy to make and has a fruity taste.
5-6 one-inch slices of Ginger
1 cup dried sorrel petals
1 tablespoon of Cloves
Brown Sugar Syrup (1 cup water + 1 lb. brown sugar boiled together)
Orange Peel for flavor (optional)
Dark Rum (optional)
1.Let cut ginger sit for 2-3 hours. The longer it sits, the stronger it becomes.
2.Boil ginger in 2 qts. of water.
3.Once water is boiling, add sorrel, cloves and orange peel.
4.Boil for 30 minutes.
5.Cover tightly and steep over-night.
6.Strain and add sugar syrup and rum to taste.
7.Chill and serve.
As seen from this recipe, a juice or a rum drink can be made with this flavorful flower. Sorrel liquid should be juicy and syrupy after chilling. If it is too syrupy, dilute it with water or club soda. The strong color of sorrel juice, which is also used as a natural food coloring, is also excellent for frostings. With its orange and clove flavors, it is like a Caribbean-style mulled cider. It gives off a wonderful aroma while boiling and is simple to make. Although it really is a seasonal beverage due to its harvest time and considered a holiday treat, experiment with it. In the meantime, enjoy this spiced, fruity drink!
If you need to make something quick for a Holiday gathering, check out this uniquely Caribbean recipe:
CANNED BISCUIT MONKEY BREAD
3 (7.5 oz.) cans of country-style biscuits (Note: If you use the 16-oz. cans of larger biscuits, such as Home-Style Grands, cut into quarters instead of halves)
1/2 cup of sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
1/2 cup butter
1 cup of light brown sugar, lightly packed.
1 Bundt Pan
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.Open 1 can of biscuits and separate into individual pieces. Combine sugar and 1-1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon in a bowl and stir until well-combined.
3. Cut each biscuit in half and toss in the cinnamon sugar, coating completely.
4. Pile coated biscuit pieces in a bundt pan. (Pile them in an even layer, but don't worry about spaces between the pieces.)
5.Sprinkle half the walnuts into the pan. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar over that.
6.Continue with second can of biscuits, ending with remaining walnuts and more sprinkled cinnamon sugar.
7.Finish with the final can and any remaining sugar.
8. Place butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until melted. Bring to a boil and boil 1 minute.
9.Pour hot syrup evenly around the biscuit pieces in the bundt pan
10.Place in oven and bake 40 minutes.
11. Remove from pan and let stand for 10 minutes. To Remove: Run a knife around the outer edges and the center tube of the pan. Place a plate on top, invert the cake onto the plate and remove the pan. Serve warm. (Can be wrapped in foil and reheated before serving.)
Pato's Holiday Tip:
Be sure to have plenty of Trinidad Charlie's Hot Pepper Sauce on hand, especially the West Indies Pumpkin flavour. It will heat up the coldest nights!
At this auspicious time of year, I am reminded of these words credited to Jesus. The passage comes from one of the so-called heretical Gospels- the Gospel of St. Thomas, Verse 28:
"Jesus said, 'I took my stand in the midst of the world, and in flesh I appeared to them. I found them all drunk, and I did not find any of them thirsty. My soul ached for the children of humanity, because they are blind in their hearts and do not see. For they came into the world empty, and they also seek to depart from the world empty. They are drunk. When they shake off their wine, then they will change their ways.' "
Happy Holy Days from ArawakRoots News!
Caribbean News Vol.8,#1|Caribbean_News1.shtml|02-1-2011||ARAWAKROOTS NEWS
Volume 8, #1
January, 2010
PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (BBC/CARIBBEAN-1/13/10)- A massive 7.0-magnitude earthquake has struck the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The extent of the devastation is still unclear, but there are fears tens-of-thousands of people have died.
Haiti's worst quake in 2 centuries hit south of the capital, wrecking the presidential palace, UN headquarters and other important structures. A number of UN personnel were reported missing. Many people spent the night outside in the streets amid fears of more aftershocks. The Red Cross says over 3 million people have been affected.
The quake, which struck about 15km (10 mi.) southwest of Port-au-Prince, was quickly followed by 2 strong aftershocks of 5.9 and 5.5 magnitude. The tremor hit in the late afternoon on Tuesday, Jan. 12.
Haiti's ambassador to the US said the presidential palace, the tax office, the ministry of commerce and the foreign ministry had all been damaged, but the airport is intact. He said that President Rene Preval and his wife had survived the quake.
In the minutes after the quake, a visiting official from the US Dept. of Agriculture said he had seen houses tumble into a ravine. An operations manager with Food For The Poor said the capital was in total darkness overnight, with thousands of people sitting in the streets with nowhere to go.
A number of nations- including the US, UK and Venezuela- are gearing up to send aid. US President Obama said he expected an "aggressive, coordinated aid effort by the US. Venezuala said it will send a "50-strong humanitarian assistance team". The Red Cross is dispatching a relief team from Geneva and the UN's World Food Programme is flying in 2 planes with emergency food aid.
Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere and has suffered a number of recent disasters, including 4 tropical storms and hurricanes in 2008.
If you would like to help in the relief effort, contact the Red Cross, OXFAM, UNICEF or Wyclef Jean's Twitter.
ArawakRoots News will be updating this story as it unfolds.
KINGSTON, JAMAICA (BBC/CARIBBEAN-12/23/09)- An American Airlines jet has overshot the runway on landing in heavy rain in the Jamaican capital, injuring more than 40 people, 4 seriously. The fuselage broke apart after the incident and the plane came to a halt just 3-5 meters (10-15 ft.) from the sea.
The plane, which originated in Washington DC, was carrying 148 passengers and 6 crew. An American Airlines spokesman said the fuselage of the Boeing 737 was cracked, the right engine had broken off and the landing gear had collapsed.
Local journalist Roland Henry said passengers thought the plane was landing normally before there was a series of jolts and luggage tumbled from overhead lockers.
A team of investigators from the US National Transportation Safety Board has arrived in Jamaica to help with the investigation.
In a related story:
KINGSTON, JAMAICA (JA OBSERVER-1/1/10)- The Airports Authority of Jamaica says repair work on the approach lights at Norman Manley International Airport is scheduled for completion this month. The approach lights were out at the airport on Dec. 22 when American Airlines flight 331 overran the runway, crossed the Port Royal Road and crash landed mere metres from the Caribbean Sea.
However, the authority noted that the absence of approach lights has never been detrimental to an aircraft landing safely before. According to a pilot who spoke on condition of anonimity, the high-tech instruments landing system on newer aircraft do not require a pilot to even be familiar with an airport.
Meanwhile, NBC NEWS has reported that the Boeing 737 had exceeded its weight limit and this could have made it difficult for the pilot to properly land the aircraft. It quoted sources familiar with the investigation as saying the plane was carrying extra fuel for the return trip- a practice known as ferrying fuel.
ENTERTAINMENT:
KINGSTON, JAMAICA (JA OBSERVER-12/30/09)- Distinguished poet, performer and political activist, Linton Kwesi Johnson- or LKJ, will give an illustrated lecture on African Consciousness in Reggae Music on January 3rd. His lecture marks the launch of the Global Reggae Studies Centre, a private sector initiative of Doctor Carolyn Cooper.
Born in Jamaica, LKJ migrated to the UK at age 11. As a teenager, he joined the Black Panther Movement which shaped his political consciousness. He found his voice as a poet and performed with Rasta Love, a group of upful poets and drummers. His poems were first published in the journal RACE TODAY, which also released his first collection of poetry- "Voices of the Living and the Dead"- in 1974. Johnson has more than 20 albums to his credit including "Poet and the Roots" and the 3-volume "LKJ in Dub".
Dr. Cooper has done pioneering work to establish reggae studies as an academic enterprise in Jamaica and internationally. She is a professor of literary and cultural studies at the University of the West Indies- Mona and is the author of 2 innovative books on Jamaican culture: "Soundclash: Jamaican Dancehall Culture at Large" and "Noises In The Blood: Orality, Gender and the 'Vulgar' Body of Jamaican Popular Culture".
KINGSTON, JAMAICA (JA OBSERVER- 1/1/10)- Music aficianados, members of the media and the music fraternity were constantly reminded of the holistic concept on which REBEL SALUTE was established as the 17th edition of the popular cultural showcase was launched. Speaker after speaker extolled the virtue of the positive approach taken by FLAMES PRODUCTION in the promotion of reggae music that has characterized REBEL SALUTE since its inception in 1994.
Minister of Agriculture Dr. Christopher Tufton- in whose constituency the cultural fiesta unfolds at the Port Kaiser Sports Club in St. Elizabeth on January 16- stressed that music has a critical role to play and leadership requires us to buck the trend when the trend is going in the wrong direction.
"Rebel Salute does that", he observed.
Recognising the widespread support from home and abroad for this musical product, Tony Rebel- founder of FLAMES PRODUCTIONS- defended the theme around which the product is built. "You can't preach violence in music and expect the people of Germany to accept it. Because Hitler already show them what violence is. You can not teach the French and the Americans about sex. A dem mek it. What they love about us, is when them going through hardship and terrible times, dem hear 'don't worry about a ting'. That is what they want....So mi want tell all a you sey- Don't apologise for endorsing and loving and support the real authentic side of Jamaica music", he said.
According to Rebel, the line-up for the 2010 REBEL SALUTE includes: Steel Pulse, Queen Ifrica, Tarrus Riley, Etana, Capleton, Lady Saw, Ritchie Spice, Gramps Morgan, Freddie MacGregor, Junior Murvin, Daddy U-Roy, Pinchers, Ronnie Davis of The Itals (Itals member David Isaacs died recently, so the group will not be performing) and many others.
ST. CROIX, VIRGIN ISLANDS (VI DAILY NEWS-12/31/09)- Music thumped loudly as thousands of people danced their way down King Street for J'ouvert. Bodies packed tightly and with calls of "hands in the air", the dancers moved in unison, inching slowly toward the Crucian Christmas Festival Village.
UMB Soldiers led the crowd with hundreds of fans dancing alongside the big rig truck they used as a stage. They were followed by X-Press Band, Daddy Jones and Crew, Stroka Band, The Stylee Band and Fusion Band. The event, as usual, started a bit late and the sun was high in the sky as it ended at the village. Across the crowd, smiles dominated as people pressed close to the booming music.
Before J'ouvert was over, the enticing aromas of Crucian cuisine had already begun to waft through the park. By noon, the feeding frenzy and celebration of local culture that is the Crucian Christmas Festival's Food, Arts and Crafts Fair was under way in earnest.
Former US President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalyn, along with several family members, created a stir when they showed up in the early afternoon, strolling through the fair and stopping to order food from the Frederiksted Moravian Church booth. Rev. Dion Christopher stated, "Now I can boast that the president has eaten with the Moravian Church."
The Food Fair honoree this year was Corrine Milligan, who has cooked for the fair for more than 20 years. Her specialties include pates, bullfoot soup and rice. Milligan acquired her gift for cooking from her grandmother, she says.
At a booth featuring the cooking of Daphne Davis and her sister, the seafood kallaloo was a crowd favorite and was gone by noon. At De Cake Man booth, Keith James, decked out in a madras shirt and chef's hat, served up vienna cake and Southern Red Velvet cake.
Carter gave a short speech, introducing himself as someone who "used to be President of the Virgin Islands" and quipping that with 31 members of the Carter family vacationing on the island, they were doing their part for the local economy. "We could go anywhere for our vacation", he said, "but we are very glad to be here." He closed with, "Keep the island beautiful- that's all we can ask."
John "Mighty John" Williams claimed the Crucian Christmas Festival Calypso Monarch crown after nearly 5 hours of competition among the 10 calypsonians who were vying for the title. Williams, who won his first Calypso Monarch title 6 years ago as a teenager, unseated reigning monarch Campbell "King Kan" Barnes.
The announcement came well after midnight following an evening of rollicking music, biting social commentary, clever lyrics, robust competition and an enthusiastic, responsive audience at Island Center For the Performing Arts.
King Kan was first runner-up, while Morris "King Generic" Benjamin was 2nd runner-up.
CULTURE: MAUBY
(BBC/CARIBBEAN-12/24/09)- Mauby adorned many a dinner table this holiday season in the Caribbean. And there might be a good reason to drink up, particularly those suffering from high blood pressure.
The drink made from the bark of the mauby tree is quite popular in many Caribbean countries. For generations, folk medicine practitioners have claimed all sorts of health benefits. Some claim it is an aphrodisiac and others say it helps arthritis.
Now a new study appears to give support to one that claims mauby might be useful in lowering blood pressure. It was conducted by Trinidad-born Kwame Amin, a student at City University at New York's Manhatten Community College. Amin's work won him first prize at this year's Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students.
Also known as mavi in Puerto Rico, and mabi in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, the drink is made with sugar and the bark of certain species of the mauby tree, a small tree native to the northern Caribbean region. Recipes usually include other spices as well, aniseed being the most common. Often the drink is fermented using a portion of the previous batch.
Mauby is often bought as a pre-made syrup and then mixed with water, but many still make it themselves at home. It's taste is initially sweet, somewhat like root beer, but changes to a bitter aftertaste. To many it is an acquired taste. In several Caribbean countries, it is a Christmas cordial.
Pato's note: There is a commercial carbonated drink called "Mauby Fizz" that is sold throughout the Caribbean. Give it a try and see if you like it before trying Granny's home brew.
Caribbean News Vol.8,#1B|Caribbean_News1b.shtml|02-15-2011||ARAWAKROOTS NEWS
EARTHQUAKE IN HAITI
Vol.8, #1B
Jan. 23, 2010
"Page 2" of our coverage of the earthquake in Haiti:
DEBT FORGIVENESS:
The Inter-American Development Bank has announced that it would forgive Haiti's $480 million debt to its organisation. Additionally, the bank said it was prepared to grant Haiti $364 million that can be put to use immediately, and establish a fund to finance Haiti's reconstruction over the next 6 years.
HAITIAN NEEDS:
Trinidad & Tobago's PM Patrick Manning stated that the reconstruction of the institutions of Haiti is one of the most immediate needs. He told reporters in Port of Spain that the government in Port-au-Prince had "effectively collapsed".
CLINTON DEFENDS EFFORT:
Former US President Bill Clinton, who is UN's special envoy to Haiti, has been defending the relief effort here. He told reporters he didn't believe help had been slow to arrive. He also said American and UN troops were cooperating to get aid to those who needed it most.
ENOUGH FOOD:
The Spanish News Agency- EFE- quotes a Haitian government official as saying the country has received more food in international aid than it can store and distribute. Michel Chancy, the secretary of state for agriculture, was named to coordinate food aid in the wake of the Jan. 12 earthquake.
"In principle, he told EFE, "we have enough food. The problem is unloading and storing it."
UNITED EFFORT:
The Premier of the British Virgin Islands, Ralph O'Neal has called for residents to coordinate local aid effort aimed at Haiti. Their government wants to discourage groups and individuals from initiating multiple fund-raising efforts. "The government is appealing for a coordinated territorial approach", he said.
HAITI'S RECONSTRUCTION:
Four CARICOM leaders joined the presidents of Haiti and the Dominican Republic and officials from the EU and international agencies in Santo Domingo. In a communique, the coordinating committee stated that a team will be tasked with drawing up a draft strategy plan for the reconstruction of Haiti. It further stated: "Going beyond emergency aid, it will help strengthen the viability and social, economic and political stability of Haiti." Haitian President Rene Preval pledged to strengthen his country's institutions.
The communique also said that the government and people of Haiti are, and must continue to be, the main protagonists in the reconstruction of their country. "For thousands of Haitians, this tragedy has assumed an end. It is our responsibility to ensure that, for millions of citizens of this and other continents, it will likewise be a new beginning."
(Acknowledgements to BBC/CARIBBEAN NEWS)
SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS OF THE QUAKE:
Since the ground shook Port-au-Prince and sent the densely populated city into chaos, scientists have been harnessing every possible tool to quickly assemble a detailed picture of a region in which scientific research has already been difficult to conduct. A geophysicist at Purdue University said, "The question we are trying to address right now is if there could be other faults nearby or perhaps other portions of the fault to the east or west that could go." Purdue has been using GPS stations to monitor the area since 2003.
The shallow earthquake occurred along the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault system, one of several major faults defining the boundary between the Caribbean and North American tectonic plates that move past each other in an east-west direction near Haiti. A section of fault approximately 50k long moved during the quake. The largest amount the fault slipped was 4.5 meters.
Poor building construction and dense population have made what by seismic standards is a big but not massive earthquake, into a major disaster. Scientists are now acquiring all the imagery they can in order to examine possible landslide-dammed drainages that could create subsequent flash flood hazards, identify surface ruptures and look for the extent of ground failure.
Though the planet is littered with some 4,000 seismic stations that constantly detect waves produced as the Earth's crust moves and shifts, not one station is in Haiti. For measuring the big quake, that's not a problem. "Every sand grain on the planet dances to the music of those seismic waves", says Ross Stein of the USGS, who is part of a team working to quickly model the possible after affects of the quake. But, there are no local stations in the immediate vicinity of the epicenter from which to obtain data to help constrain very detailed characteristics.
Most aftershocks are smaller than the first rupture and they become less frequent with time. But the strength of aftershocks doesn't necessarily decrease with time. A small percentage of them can be larger than the main shock. And a large aftershock could still hit a hundred days later. For the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault system, the early data from other Caribbean seismic stations shows aftershocks defining a western limit to the portion of fault that slipped. When the rupture stops at those strong points, the change imparts large stresses that can make those areas more likely to experience quakes.
It wasn't until 2003 that the researchers were able to begin quantifying the movement along the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault. In 2008, the research team announced at a meeting of the Caribbean Geological Conference that the fault posed a major seismic hazard. The team had measured plate motion of 7mm a year, 1/5 of the motion of the San Andreas, which is a similar type of fault. The problem is the fault had been quiet for quite a long time. The last major earthquake on the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault was in 1770. By Jan. 12 of this year, a large amount of stress had built up along the fault.
The fault was behaving as most faults do, but the quake hit a place totally unprepared for it. And it hit just as scientists were able to quantify what's going on there. Unfortunately, the progress came too slow and the earthquake happened too early.
Acknowledgements to Science News (www.sciencenews.org)
THE CARIBBEAN'S EARTHQUAKE HISTORY:
The Caribbean region may be better known for hurricanes, but as any regular reader of ARAWAKROOTS NEWS knows, the area is always at risk for earthquakes. Our News Archives are laced with stories of earthquakes large and small in the region- from 3.5 temblors north of the Virgin Islands to the major 7.4 quake near Martinique.
The Seismic Research Unit of the University of the West Indies says hundreds of earthquakes occur each year, in and around the Eastern Caribbean. The first earthquake in the sub-region this year was recorded on Jan. 4 north of Paria Peninsula in northern Venezuela and was felt in Trinidad.
The 7.0 tremor in Haiti was the largest known to hit the island nation, according to the USGS. The quake occurred along a vertical fault line that runs from Montego Bay in Jamaica to the southern part of Hispaniola.
Below is a list of the major historical earthquakes in the Caribbean region:
June 7,1692- Port Royal, Jamaica- unknown magnitude, 2000 dead, much of the city slipped into the sea.
May 2,1787- Puerto Rico- magnitude 8.0, possibly the strongest to hit the region, widespread damage.
February 8,1843- Leeward Islands- magnitude 8.5, at least 5000 dead, largest earthquake in Eastern Caribbean, felt from St. Kitts to Dominica.
October 11,1918- Mona Passage, Puerto Rico- magnitude 7.5, 116 deaths, $4 million in property damage.
August 4,1946- Samana, Dominican Republic- magnitude 8.1, quake and resulting tsunami killed 1600.
November 29,2007- Martinique- magnitude 7.4, because of the earthquake's depth only one death, but much infrastructure damage.
January 12,2010- Port-au-Prince, Haiti- magnitude 7.0, number of confirmed dead- over 100,000 and rising, infrastructure devastation.
EDITORIAL:
We at ARAWAKROOTS NEWS felt that you, our readers, had been saturated with stories of the shock, sadness, triumphs and tribulations from your major News sources as well as the opposite viewpoints from such sources as DEMOCRACY NOW!, that we felt it was a moot point to tell basically the same story here. I thought it strange to hear and see NBC NEWS finally report about people in Haiti eating dirt cookies to survive, as if this was something new. ARAWAKROOTS NEWS reported this story back in April, 2008 (Archived News- Vol.6,#2), as well as the fact that the aid has been pouring in to Haiti for years, but because of corrupt government and port workers, so much has been left to rot or eaten by vermin. We have also reported on the more positive reports on the Haitian relief efforts over the years. Probably the happiest story we reported out of Haiti appears in our Vol.5,#2 edition.
Anyway, this is the reason for the leaning in reporting ARAWAKROOTS NEWS is doing: to study the science and history, culture and society, and mistakes of the past, to come up with the best, most expediant solution to help Haiti help itself back to its feet.
Arawak Promotions has joined in the relief aid campaign for Haiti. Click here:
ArawakRoots Top 10 for Haiti
to join in our unique way of supporting Haiti in its time of need.
Caribbean News Vol.8,#2|Caribbean_News2.shtml|04-1-2011||ARAWAKROOTS NEWS
Volume 8, No.2
March 1, 2010
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (BBC/CARIBBEAN- 2/24/10)- Latin American and Caribbean leaders from 32 countries have agreed to set up a new regional grouping that excludes the US and Canada. The accord was announced at a summit here by the host, President Felipe Calderon who said the new alliance would represent an alternative to the Organisation of American States(OAS). The OAS- which includes both the US and Canada- has been the main international forum for the region for the past half-century.
Calderon emphasised the benefits of the new community and said the new bloc "will consolidate and globally project a Latin American and Caribbean identity."
Dominica's Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, who is also current chairman of CARICOM, said that the establishment of a new hemispheric organisation should not be seen as an attempt to replace existing arrangements in the region. Skerrit said Cariibbean countries were not aligning themselves with Latin America to do away with the OAS- only that it would create another avenue where the countries could meet together.
The leaders agreed to meet again in Venezuela in 2011 when furthur details of the new bloc, including its name, were to be decided.
The summit also expressed full support for Argentina in the dispute with Great Britain over the Falkland Islands, as well as repeating calls for the US to lift its decades-old sanctions on Cuba.
Cuban President Raul Castro was one of the first to laud the new bloc as an historic move toward "the constitution of a purely Latin American and Caribbean regional organisation." Cuba was suspended from the OAS in 1962 and, although the body last year voted to readmit the communist island, Havana has expressed no wish to rejoin the US-based organisation.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (BBC/CARIBBEAN- 2/26/10)- Through all the devastation here, another small but deadly event almost slipped under the radar. Researchers have discovered that January's earthquake triggered a tsunami.
Along with 4 Haitian colleagues, Dr. Hermann Fritz, a civil engineering professor at Georgia Institute of Technology in the US, travelled around the coast of Haiti gathering evidence before it disappeared forever. He had heard reports that a wave up to 3 meters high had hit some areas of the coast south of the capital and had claimed at least 3 lives.
"This was a relatively small event," Fritz told BBC News. "Most of the fatalities were due to the earthquake, but at least 3 victims survived the earthquake and were hit by the wave." A father and his 2 sons were on the shore at Petit Paradis watching the wave instead of heading for higher ground. "And on the border with the Dominican Republic, fishermen were taking photos and video of the draw-down of the sea. It was pure luck that the misinformation didn't kill more people."
The ominous draw-back in the water level is a classic sign that a big wave is approaching- although it should be noted that not all tsunamis are preceded by this behaviour.
Despite the devastation it caused, the Haiti earthquake was not of the type or magnitude usually associated with tsunamis. It also occurred on land and, to generate a tsunami, the event must be under the sea.
Dr. Fritz explained that the main causes of the Haitian tsunami were "local landslides". "But there are fault lines in this region where you are more likely to generate a tsunami," he said. "In the north of Hispaniola [Haiti/D.R.], we have fault lines running along very deep water." (In 1946, a Mag 8.1 earthquake hit the Dominican Republic, producing a tsunami that killed almost 2000 people.)
Fritz stated, "Education is critical to local tsunamis. Once you see the water draw down, you really shouldn't be there taking pictures."
The Haitian tsunami gave scientists a chance to find out how well vital and potentially life-saving warning systems were working. NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory has developed a warning system- called DART(Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis), that picks up signals of tsunamis directly from the sea floor. If seismometers detect an earthquake, the DART buoys determine what is happening to sea levels and whether a big wave might be on the way. This information is sent via sattelite to a central location which can organise an alert.
Within 50 minutes of the Haiti earthquake, the system was able to issue an alert to other countries in the Caribbean to say that a small tsunami had been triggered, and that it was unlikely to affect them. Right now, there are 50 of these DART buoys around the globe- 4 of which are in the Caribbean.
Of course, the infrastructure needs to be in place. In Haiti, the warning came in by telephone to a police station that had already collapsed.
CASTRIES, ST. LUCIA (BBC/CARIBBEAN- 2/26/10)- Caribbean agriculture officials, already struggling to cope with a prolonged dry spell, are now facing another major challenge- a deadly plant fungus known as Black Sigatoka. The fungus, which affects mainly banana and plantain crops, causes premature ripening, which is a serious defect in exported fruit. The disease can cause a reduction of as high as 50% of the banana crop.
Black Sigatoka has been reported in at least 3 member states of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS): Dominica, St. Lucia and St. Vincent & the Grenadines. There have also been suspected cases in Jamaica, Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago.
Sigatoka is spread by wind, water, insects, and humans in a number of ways including field visits and successive handling of diseased and healthy plants.
Agriculture economist for the OECS, George Alcee, called for stringent management and control practices in managing the disease. "One of the ways of helping curb the disease is for the quarantine experts to be more vigilant," he said. "You also need to intensify your management practices...such as detrashing to prevent spores from germinating in the field."
Black Sigatoka is not new in the Western hemisphere. The disease was first spotted in Fiji in 1963 and in Honduras in 1972, before making its way into the Caribbean.
CASTRIES, ST. LUCIA (BBC/CARIBBEAN- 2/18/10)- Several Caribbean nations are battling prolonged low rainfall and the pattern could continue for some time, according to forcasters. The drought has been affecting countries from Jamaica to Guyana, as residents and farmers battle a shortage of water.
St. Lucia, the latest to report a crisis, is said to be ready to declare a "water-related emergency". The John Compton Dam, which supplies the north of the island, has seen its levels drop by a foot per day.
Drought-like conditions are not uncommon at this time of year in the Eastern Caribbean. But the situation has been exacerbated by the fact that the low rainfall began in October, the wettest month in the sub-region. The Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology anticipates that the dry spell should last through March and possibly beyond.
Farmers in Guyana are crying out as well. The important rice industry is forcasting that production will be down by 6% because there is insufficient water for irrigation.
Other countries experiencing drought to varying degrees include Barbados, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Antigua & Barbuda, Jamaica and Grenada.
In Barbados, bush fires triggered by flammable dry conditions and aided by high winds, have soared. The local fire service said it has responded to 587 grass fires, up from 35 last year. This has meant the diversion of water from domestic sources to fight fires.
ST. CROIX, US VIRGIN ISLANDS (VI DAILY NEWS- 2/24/10)- Proponents and opponents of 2 proposed power plants hashed out their positions at a Senate hearing here. No decisions on the controversial project were made at the hearing and the full Senate has yet to decide whether to OK the lease of government property on St. Thomas for one of the plants. (See Vol.7,#6 and Vol.7,#7 for more info)
The plants, to be built by Alpine Energy Group of Colorado, are to be fueled by petroleum coke and fuel derived from burning garbage from the landfills. They are being presented as a way to reduce the territory's dependence on oil, lower energy costs and solve the territory's mounting waste problem.
However, the Alpine plants will be considered major sources of air pollution because of the rate at which they emit particulate matter, volitile organic compounds and oxides of nitrogen, and will require a "prevention of significant deterioration" permit from the EPA. Alpine will also have to show projected ground level emission impacts in nearby communities.
Water & Power Authority Executive Director Hugo Hodge Jr. said, "Computer dispersion models show that our citizens will still experience clean healthy air once the AEG plants are built and their impacts are combined with those of all other major sources. The clean air areas of St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix will continue to remain clean and healthy based on comparisons to EPA air quality standards."
Opponents however, raised health and environmental concerns incuding: the disposal of the tons of ash produced as a byproduct of the process, the impact on St. Croix's south shore marine and wetland environments and the emission of dioxins into the atmosphere.
Michael Barron, a board member of the St. Croix Environmental Association said, "Communities all over the mainland have completely rejected coal-fired generation of power and 111 of 150 proposed coal and petroleum coke burners have been stopped by municipalities that decided not to take the easy way out. I submit that there is no such thing as 'clean petroleum coke' ".
Planning and Natural Resources Commissioner Robert Mathes said the selection of Alpine was based on "the most comprehensive due diligence" and that those who negotiated the contracts "did the Virgin Islands proud."
ST. CROIX, USVI (VI DAILY NEWS- 1/28/10)- Castle Nugent is one step closer to becoming a National Historic Site, winning a vote in the US House of Representatives despite opposition from House Republicans. They used the Castle Nugent measure as an example of unnecessary spending in a tough economy.
"The Republicans were trying to make points in advance of the President's State of the Union Address and tried to make our bill a poster child for too much spending," Delegate to Congress Donna Christiansen said. "We got the votes we needed to pass the bill and move the process on to the US Senate."
The measure would add 2,900 acres to the National Park Service, protecting Caribbean dry forest, extensive coral reef and a substantial black mangrove population. It also would preserve the archeological remains of indigenous Taino inhabitants and a Danish colonial estate house that already is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The National Park Service has found that Castle Nugent meets the criteria to determine national significance, suitability and feasability to become a National Historic Site. (See Archived News- Vol.3,#6 for an early look at this bill.)
The land currently operates as a cattle ranch owned by St. Croix resident Caroline Gasperi and operated by the University of the Virgin Islands, where Senepol- a breed native to St. Croix- has been raised since 1957. Cotton and indigo have also been grown on the farm, which was cultivated as early as the 1730's.
The bill ensures a continuing relatioship with UVI to support ongoing scientific research on Senepol cattle.
ST. JOHN, USVI (VI DAILY NEWS- 2/25/10)- Fundraising drives for relief efforts in Haiti are ongoing throughout the Virgin Islands and continue with a concert here by more than a dozen local musicians on Feb. 27.
The Haitian Relief and Goodwill Concert, a grassroots effort organized by local musicians, is scheduled to run from noon to midnight at Winston Wells Ballfield. Donations collected at the concert will support the Doctors Without Borders in providing medical relief to earthquake-torn Haiti.
The event is the brainchild of guitarist Phillip "Grasshopper" Pickering and the other members of Inner Visions, St. John's premier reggae band. They reached out to St. John Administrator Leona Smith and Ira Wade from Public Works for coordination assistance, informing the public and collecting donations.
The musical line-up includes: Inner Visions, Cool Sessions Brass, Ah We Band, Wrecktion Band, Echo People, Mighty Groover, Michael Beason, The Pan Dragons and many others.
Caribbean News Vol.8,#3|Caribbean_News3.shtml|05-1-2011||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.
Caribbean News Vol.8#4|Caribbean_News4.shtml|07-15-2011||ARAWAKROOTS NEWS
ST. JOHN FESTIVAL EDITION
Volume 8, No.4
July, 2010
These were the themes as historian and community activist Mario Moorhead told the story of Emancipation Day to hundreds gathered at Frederiksted's Buddhoe Park, on the spot where thousands of slaves from the island's west end rallied to demand their freedom 162 years earlier.
Moorhead's talk was one of many activities on a full slate of events to celebrate the day that enslaved Africans in the territory won their freedom on July 3rd, 1848, a pivotal day in Virgin Islands history.
The celebration on St. Croix began with the 9th annual Fort to Fort Walk to Freedom, starting early in the morning at Fort Christiansvaern in Christiansted and continuing along Queen Mary Highway to Emancipation Drive and Fort Frederik in Fredericksted. The walk began with more than 100 participants and, 15 miles later, ended with more than 500. A cultural food village and parade, as well as Moorhead's speech and a street quadrille rounded out the activities in Fredericksted.
On St. Thomas, the Pan-African Support Group and Emancipation Day Coalition hosted its 23rd celebration of Emancipation Day in Emancipation Garden. Dozens of people watched or took part in the event, which featured the tolling of the replica Liberty Bell for one hour, a wreath laying ceremony, poetry, music and discussions of self-determination and history.
When the British abolished slavery in their colonies in 1834, while enslaved laborers on other islands were experiencing even more hardship, the word was out and slaves began to rise up throughout the Caribbean. In the Virgin Islands, Gov. Peter von Scholten in the summer of 1847, announced that slaves would be freed gradually, but most adults would have to wait 12 years. At that point, Moses Gottlieb- a freed slave who was known as "General Buddhoe" and his comrade Martin King, began organizing. Word circulated and a plan was devised. Many were rallied by drums beating, conch shells blowing and bells ringing. In the early morning of July 3rd, 1848, thousands of slaves marched into Frederiksted to demand their freedom. Buddhoe, in a splendid red uniform, delivered an ultimatum- freedom by noon or they would burn the town down. Von Scholten stalled and the crowd ransacked the judges and police offices and tore down the whipping post and threw it out to sea.
After hastily arriving in Frederiksted later that afternoon, von Scholten asked his troops why they had not fired on the crowd. Little did they know that part of the planning involved disarming the fort. All of the gunpowder that fueled both cannons and firearms had been replaced with sand. Seeing the thousands gathered around the fort, he had no choice but to declare all in the Danish West Indies free.
As Mario Moorhead said in his speech, "Without gunpowder, not a cannon, not a musket, not one weapon could fire."
ST. JOHN, USVI (VI DAILY NEWS- 7/1-6/10)- The St. John Festival Village-"Powellville"- named for St. John native and longtime Carnival contributor, Selwyn Powell- came to life June 30 and people crowded into the temporary town to eat, drink and dance. Booths opened their doors as the sun faded from the evening sky, and dignitaries and Festival royalty took to the stage for the opening ceremony.
After music from the always-inspiring Love City Pan Dragons warmed the crowd, dignitaries welcomed everyone. Miss St. John- Shante Monsanto-Weeks, and Princess Destini Garcia were crowned. Young Miss Garcia said to the crowd, "Let's all live in peace and harmony."
After the ribbon cutting, people lined up at over 20 booths to get a taste of fresh Festival cooking. With everything ranging from chicken legs to whelks in butter sauce and all the sweet treats imaginable, there was great variety in a small area. The children's village offered slides, bouncing
rooms and many games for the young at heart.
During Festival Week, many great musical acts played in the village. Ah We Band, Extreme and WCK (Dominica) played on the 1st. Imaginations Brass, UMB Soldiers and El-A-Kru played on the 2nd. Red Hot Flames, ODISI(Nevis) and Daddy Jones & Crew fired up Saturday night. On Sunday evening Pan-In-Motion, Wrection, Xpress Band and Nu Vybes played, with Destra taking it long into the night. Then, after the wild times at j'ouvert Monday morning, Cool Sessions Brass, Jam Band and Shurwayne Winchester kept it lively through the Fireworks up till the closing of the village.
More on the music in a moment. Let's move on to J'ouvert. Pounding bass rang in the dawn of July 5th as Festival came to its zenith. And the sun pounded back, beating down on the revelers as they gyrated through the winding Cruz Bay streets.
Dancers clung to semi trucks carrying this years musical acts- Wrection Band and Spectrum Band. Young women in tight, provocatively-torn t-shirts emblazoned with the word "Hello..." drew the crowd's eyes, wherever they went. Spectrum Band- whose soca hit "Kallaloo" was the road march for St. Thomas Carnival- was all that was needed to get everybody pumped. A trio of Crucian men bambooshayed along sporting identical canary-yellow shirts that declared them the "Wuk Up Crew". One of the "Crew" stated that they take revery seriously. "Like people celebrate Christmas...j'ouvert is what we do."
Then, came the downpour! But dripping steel pans, soggy headdresses and whipping winds were no match for these reveler's spirits. Spectrum Band told the crowd to welcome the showers as "a blessing", and Hugga Bunch troupe did just that, shaking drops from their costumes as they gyrated for the parade judges.
The heaviest drenching came as Pan-In-Motion performed at the judges tent. The sun did shine through at times during the parade. The Westin troupe, swarming the booth with dizzying colors and feathers, with their Bird of Paradise theme- its centerpiece being a float with a gilded cage where Miss Westin smiled and shook her tail feathers.
There were the Middle-Aged Majorettes back for another Festival and the local fire dancers, Brenda and April, who had to give up the flames this year for flourescent flags.
State-side visitors comments summed up the parade best: "It's not like state-side parades that are all monotone and boring. This one has rhythm!" "It's a welcome respite from what's going on back home." "I'm coming back!".
Into the evening played the music, with St. John's own Cool Sessions Brass mixing in nice "wine-yuh-wais' " calypso with the soca. The fireworks display was top-notch, but left the ears ringing for some time after.
For more on the music, this article appeared in ST. JOHN TRADEWINDS July 5th edition:
With a close-knit drama-free setting and entertainment from across the Caribbean, people from all over gather in the Village to enjoy what this little island has to offer. And this year's line-up has been a huge hit.
Beginning June 30 with soothing pan playing by Love City Pan Dragons, Love City's own Cool Sessions Brass and Road March Champions Spectrum Band, the village this year kept festival-goers highly entertained night after night. On July 1, a huge crowd was in attendance to move to the melodies of Ah We Band and Extreme Band. With WCK coming up from Dominica, the audience was in for a surprise. The band filled the night sky with an abundance of powder and flour. By night's end, many in the crowd were covered from head to toe!
Friday and Saturday nights were no different. Imaginations Brass, UMB Soldiers and first-timers El-A-Kru had locals and visitors rocking in harmony from early evening Friday till the wee hours of the morning Saturday. Saturday evening, Red Hot Flames were truly on fire. ODISI, from Nevis, displayed their unique style of music and well-known Daddy Jones & Crew were accompanied by V.I. singers Pumpa and Rudy. All 3 bands drew people of all ages to groove out in the village. While the youth jumped up to the music in front of the stage, the older crowd swayed their hips back and forth further back near the booths.
The celebration was sure to continue on Sunday night with Pan-In-Motion, St. John's Wrection Band, Xpress Band, Nu Vybes (formerly Suga Band), and internationally-renowned Destra, who has been a Festival Village favorite for several years. And it did- till long, long into the night. Powellville wraps up Monday night with Cool Session Brass taking the stage, followed by the Virgin Islands' all-star entertainers Jam Band and hugely-popular Trinidadian Soca artist Shurwayne Winchester, known to bring energy, grace and momentum to every event he performs.
While the weather was not too cooperative at the beginning of Festival, the rain has let up just in time for the crowds to enjoy the great musical line-up at Powellville. With clear, cool nights, everyone has enjoyed Love City's Musical Trend for Festival 2010!
(Editor's note: A big hail-up to Malik Stevens who penned the above article. Young Malik, who can't be more than 19 years old, is one of the rising stars of journalism in the V.I. Keep up the good work, Malik!).
ArawakRoots News also contributed to this lengthy treatise.
ST. CROIX, USVI (VI DAILY NEWS- 7/6/10)- The US National Park Service will conduct public meetings to present and obtain input on its draft St. Croix National Heritage Feasibility Study, which was released last week. National Heritage area designation is a strategy that supports local residents in preserving their natural and cultural heritage, and does not impact private property or fishing rights.
To receive the designation, an area must have nationally distinctive natural, cultural, scenic and historic resources that, when linked together, tell a unique story about the nation. National Heritage Areas are different from National Parks and feature community-centered initiatives with decision-making at the local level. They are not part of the National Park System, nor does the Park Service own or manage them. Instead, the Park Service acts in an advisory capacity.
The draft study- which was developed with public input- found that St. Croix meets the National Park Service criteria for designation as a National Heritage Area. It also found that public comments on nationally significant places, people, traditions, customs and beliefs on St. Croix tended to fall within five different themes: Early cultures, Slavery and emancipation, The seven flags of St. Croix, Geography and the Natural Environment, Modern day St. Croix- cultures in contact.
The draft study's vision statement reads: "St. Croix's authentic natural, cultural, historic, and scenic features are a celebration of our people, young and old alike, and a testament to our splendor. This is our shared heritage where Crucians- past, present and future- represent a colorful kallaloo of our nation, the Caribbean, and the world."
The US Congress is responsible for designating National Heritage Areas. V.I. Delegate to Congress Donna Christiansen started the process for St. Croix by introducing legislation seeking funding for a feasibility study, which Congress passed in 2006, with funding authorized in 2008. Congress may decide on the designation by year's end.
ST. CROIX, USVI (VI DAILY NEWS- 7/7/10)- The Trust for Virgin Islands Land has acquired a conservation easement to preserve 30 acres of land in Estates Prosperity and Sweet Bottom for public enjoyment. The Robert D. Armstrong Conservation and Scenic Easement is upland from the Carambola Beach Resort and is near Maroon Ridge on the island's rugged and remote northwest end.
Negotiations between the local land trust and Armstrong Family Charity Foundation and River Development Corp. led to the formation of the easement. It is the first acquisition for the fledgling land trust.
With the easement, the ownership of the land does not change, but the owner gives up the right to develop the land. The trust has the responsibility of stewarding the land in perpetuity, preventing any degradation through development. The purpose of the easement is "to perpetually protect the natural scenic, forested, open space, native plants and animals and biological diversity of the Prosperity and Sweet Bottom property and to enhance the public benefit derived by the preservation effort," a release from the Trust for Virgin Islands Land states.
According to the release, the trust was formed "to protect tracts of agricultural and natural landscapes that provide significant benefits to the citizens of the territory by purchasing and holding threatened lands for transfer to conservation-minded ownership, providing assistance to landowners wanting to limit future development through conservation easements and advocating sound land use policy."
ST. THOMAS, USVI (VI DAILY NEWS- 6/29/10)- A counterfeiter's chemical treatment of $100 bills circulating in the territory has bested the pens used by many businesses to detect the authenticity of money. In a statement, the police department said the bills are passing because they are passing the pen test, despite a number of variations from real bills.
Here's what to look for, so you don't end up with one of them:
1.The watermark contains the image of Ulysses Grant instead of Benjamin Franklin.
2. They do not have the color-shifting ink that causes the 100 in the right corner to appear green from one angle and black from another.
3.They do not have the micro-printing on the collar and blue and red threads.
4.They are not made of cloth material.
5.The security thread is blue instead of pink and reads "Five USA" instead of "100 USA".
6.The security thread is correctly placed in the left corner, but incorrectly spaced.
ST. THOMAS, USVI (VI DAILY NEWS- 7/7/10)- Tourism officials injected a little Carnival fun into NBC's "Today Show", getting the show's hosts to dance the "kalallo". The territory was featured for about 5 minutes on July 5th.
Kathy Lee Gifford and Hota Kotb wore huge feathered headpieces while interviewing V.I. Tourism Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty and getting a dance lesson from Carnival dancers. The Caribbean Ritual Dancers and the All-Stars Caribbean Orchestra played steel pan music and demonstrated Virgin Islands Carnival Dancing.
According to the Tourism Dept., the segment reached 2.5 million viewers- an advertising equivalent of approximately $300,000.
IN OTHER CARIBBEAN NEWS:
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO (AP- 7/7/10)- Puerto Rico's top health official warned that the island could face its worst-ever dengue fever outbreak if people don't act quickly to destroy breeding areas for disease-spreading mosquitoes. Health Secretary Lorenzo Gonzalez Feliciano issued the warning after a 37-year-old woman from the northern town of Hatillo died from the hemorrhagic form of the tropical virus. Her death was the third fatality from dengue fever so far this year.
The government has dispatched trucks to neighborhoods and schools to spray a mist that kills mosquitoes but, Gonzalez said too many Puerto Ricans have let down their guard against the virus.
Damp, hot weather creates favorable breeding conditions, so the situation may be worsened by the unusually wet weather that soaked Puerto Rico in May and June.
Puerto Rico's worst dengue fever outbreak was in 1998, when the virus sickened 17,000 and caused 19 deaths. Dengue has no vaccine.
Once thought to have been nearly eliminated from Latin America, dengue has gained strength in the region since the early 1980's, in part because tourism and migration are circulating four different strains, increasing the risk of multiple exposure, making it more probable of coming down with the hemorrhagic strain.
HAVANA, CUBA (AP- 7/8/10)- The Roman Catholic Church has released a statement saying that Cuba's government has agreed to free 52 political prisoners and allow them to leave the country in what would be the island nation's largest mass liberation of disidents in decades. Five would be released in a matter of hours and planned to exile in Spain, while the remaining 47 would be liberated in "a process that will take 3 or 4 months starting now," according to the statement.
The deal was announced following a meeting between President Raul Castro and Havana's Archbishop, Cardinal Jaime Ortega. Also participating were the Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos and his Cuban counterpart, Bruno Rodriquez.
Ortega's office said that those to be released were all members of a group of 75 leading political opposition activists, community organizers and journalists. They were rounded up in a crackdown on dissent in March 2003. Some of the 75 had previously been released for health reasons or after completing their terms, but the 52 have remained behind bars, serving lengthy sentences.
Many cheered the news, including Sarah Stephens, head of the Washington-based Center for Democracy in the Americas, which supports lifting the US' 48-year-old trade embargo against Cuba. "This is joyful news for the prisoners and their families, a credit to the Cuban Catholic Church," Stephens said, "and a lesson for U.S. policy makers that engagement- talking to the Cubans with respect- is accomplishing more right now, than the embargo has accomplished in 50 years."
NASSAU, BAHAMAS (AP- 7/7/10)- Police were hunting across a tourist island yesterday for signs of a pilot who vanished after wrecking a small plane in the Bahamas and investigators in the U.S. turned their suspicions toward an American teenager on the run dubbed "the Barefoot Bandit". The single-engine Cessna that crashed in shallow waters off Abaco Island was apparently stolen more than 1,000 miles away in Bloomington, Indiana. By the time rescuers arrived on Sunday, nobody was inside.
The plane was stolen over the weekend from the Monroe County Airport. It was unclear how the thief broke into the airport, which has coded access gates. Authorities said the heist has similarities to other thefts attributed to 19-year-old Colton Harris-Moore, a Washington-state teenager with no formal flight training.
The teen got his nickname for allegedly commiting crimes while shoeless. He is suspected of stealing cars and small airplanes to evade authorities since escaping from a halfway house near Seattle in 2008. To date, Harris-Moore has stolen 5 planes, luxury cars and power boats. The FBI says a warrant was issued for Harris-Moore after the theft of an airplane from Bonners Ferry, Idaho on Sept. 29, 2009.
In Abaco, a sparsely populated northern Bahamian island known for fishing and sailing, police were handing out wanted posters appealing for information about Harris-Moore. The FBI is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
A team of detectives has travelled from Nassau to join the investigation and aid in the search.
(Editor's note: Believe it......or not.)
NEWS FLASH:(ARAWAKROOTS NEWS- 7/11/10)- Well, you knew it had to end. When the "barefoot bandit" had the whole USA to hide in, he could continue his escapade. Crash land on a sand bar, not too many places to hide. I must hand it to the boy, he still managed to ransack a couple of Bahamian buildings before his capture by Bahamian Police. I wouldn't doubt he did it to stay in the Bahamas. I'm sure he thinks he has a better chance of escaping a Bahamian jail than an American jail. Anyway, no more halfway houses for young Colton.
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO (AP- 7/7/10)- A Puerto Rican judge will lead a commission investigating into last week's violent clash between police and demonstrators at the territory's capital. The commission will investigate whether anyone's civil rights were violated.
The melee broke out when university students and other protestors tried to storm the legislature. Authorities had closed access to the general public after groups announced plans to demonstrate against budget cuts and other policies of Governor Luis Fortuno. Police used pepper spray and struck people with batons, while protestors threw eggs, swung barricades and grappled with police.
SPORTS:
2010 CENTROBASKET TOURNAMENT:
SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (VI DAILY NEWS- 7/6-8/2010)- For the US Virgin Islands Senior Mens Basketball team, it was too little, too late. Walter Hodge scored a team-high 16 points and the USVI outscored the BVI in the 4th quarter, but it wasn't enough as the BVI held on for a 59-50 upset victory in both team's first game at the 2010 Centrobasket Championship here.
For the British Virgin Islands team, the win served as its inaugural Centrobasket tournament victory and its first-ever victory over its American cousins.
The 10-team tournament consists of 2 groups. The USVI has a bye next, but will meet the remaining teams from Group A- Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Panama- before the tournament semi-finals. The BVI takes on Panama next. This tournament is important for a number of reasons. The top 8 will advance to the 2010 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Mayaguez, P.R. later this month; and the top 4 will be invited to the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship ; and the top 3 qualify for the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. *****
The BVI team rallied from a huge first half deficit, only to see Panama take control of the game in the second half as the BVI national basketball team lost their second game in the Centrobasket Tournament, 75-61. Coming off an impressive win over the USVI, the BVI team was hoping to continue their success against a Panama squad that lost to host Dominican Republic in their first game, 63-56.
BVI jumped out to an early lead, but Panama went on a 20-6 run and ended the 1st quarter up 27-18. Panama would increase that lead by as much as 15 points in the 2nd (35-20) with under 6 minutes remaining. That's when BVI began using a full court press on defense and inside scoring on offense and whittled the score to 43-37 at the half. The gameplan continued to work early in the 3rd as BVI started with an 8-0 run, giving them their only lead in the game. After that, it was all Panama.
Early in the 4th, Panama went on a 24-4 run and never looked back.
Next up for BVI is a match with Jamaica.*****
A dominant 2nd quarter performance was just enough. Walter Hodge netted a team-high 22 points as the USVI basketball team opened up a huge halftime lead and pulled out a 82-74 victory over Panama here at the 2010 Centrobasket Championship.
It was the USVI's first victory of the tourney after losing their opener to the British Virgin Islands. Hodge, a former University of Florida point guard filled the stat sheet with his 22 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Jason Edwin, who played at Kent State and St. Louis, tallied 18 points and Temple signee Aaron Brown exploded in the second period for 15 points. The USVI shot 47% from 3-point range compared to the dismal 14% against BVI.
The USVI led by 17 points with 4:42 remaining when both teams left the court because of the stadium's poor playing conditions. The air-conditioning had malfunctioned, making the playing surface slippery and the game was suspended for over an hour.
Because of the malfunctioning AC unit, the BVI's match with Jamaica had to be postponed for a day. There are worries that unless the malfunction can be fixed, the venue may have to change. The Palacio de los Deportes- the host stadium, was built in 1974.
At the present, the Group A standings are:
Dominican Republic 2-0
US Virgin Islands 1-1
British Virgin Islands 1-1
Panama 1-2
Jamaica 0-1
(Eds. note: you can continue to follow the tournament, by reading the VI Daily News at their website; or the Gleaner or the Observer or.....)
SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (VI DAILY NEWS- 7/6/10)- St. Croix's Allison Peter and the BVI's Chantel Malone bagged gold medals in the 200 and 400 meters respectively, leading to the Virgin Islands' haul of 6 medals at the 18th Central American and Caribbean Jr. Track & Field Championships at Felix Sanchez Stadium here.
Virgin Islands athletes who stood on the podium each of the 3 days of the competition walked off with 2 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals as well as 2 fourth and a fifth place finish. Peter, who used the meet as a final tune-up for the July 19-25 IAAF World Jr. Championships in Moncton, Canada, won her heat in 23.65 seconds, the day's fastest time. Trinidad & Tobago's Kai Selvon finished second at 23.73.
After mining gold in the 400 that featured a record 3 Virgin Islands women in the final, Malone closed out her junior career in regional competition with a long jump silver medal leading the BVI's record 4-medal haul and 11 finalists in competition.
CD REVIEW:
ECHO PEOPLE - VOLUME 1 (self-released)
Personnel: Drums, Percussion, Vocals- Ital Anthony(Lead); Kebo Brown; Feba Reid; Jahbo Demming; M. Kelshall.
Easily one of the brightest moments I enjoyed at St. John Festival was meeting up with Ital in Festival Village one evening. When I asked if Echo People were doing anything new and he calmly told me they had released a CD, my head about exploded and I sent him immediately back to his stand to procure one for me. You see, this is a big deal! For many years I've watched Echo People perform at various locales around the island- always one of the most stunning performances to see.
And I've always wondered if a recording could ever match what they do live in performance.
Ital always spoke of someday recording a CD, but time always seemed to pass......
Well, well. You know how they say- patience is a virtue? Echo People's Volume 1 was well worth the wait. This is African drumming in all its purity, with the Caribbean's slavery roots giving it extra fire and passion.
The CD begins with "Funga", a traditional call and response greeting song, with Ital on lead vocal.
Funga sample(click here)
The next track is " 6' 8' ", an instrumental in a heartical rhythm.
6 ' 8 ' sample (click here)
Track 3 is Ital's wonderful "Mario", a song in dedication to Crucian activist and notorious "pot stirrer", Mario Moorhead. Great track!
Mario sample(click here)
Another great Ital track follows, "KakiLambey", done, once again in a more traditional style.
KakiLambey sample (click here)
Kebo steps forward to lead "Deh Deh Africa", a shout-up to Echo People's and the Virgin Islands African roots!
Deh Deh Africa sample (click here)
The CD finishes in fine style and leaves you sweating, but begging for more with Echo People's version of "Bambala".
Bambala sample (click here)
So, there you have it- Volume 1. An excellent slice of VI culture, done right here in St. John! I'll be placing orders with Ital, so if you are interested in a copy, they are $15 each, plus $2 shipping. E-mail me at: pato@ arawakroots.com and I'll hook you up!
IN OTHER MUSIC NEWS:
ST.JOHN, USVI (ARAWAKROOTS NEWS- 7/7/10)- In our last edition, we announced the departure of Paul (Ras Paul, Osisi) Samms from the St. John reggae group, Inner Visions. In the article, we stated that although the parting was amicable, there was a difference in opinion as to the direction the band was taking. It goes without saying that Paul felt it was in his (and the band's) best interest if he stepped away.
Since the article appeared, it was bandied about that Osisi had "retired", something about touring being too much for him and such. When he caught wind of this, it saddened him because it is rumour. So, I took it upon myself to at least let Osisi's fans know, via our Inner Visions page on the website, that he was not touring with the band this year. Unfortunately, because of my wording, I've been taking some heat from various corners of "Inner Visions Land", claiming I'm sussin' the remaining members of the group for carrying on without Paul. Nothing could be further from the truth.
I've lived and learned so much from Jupiter and Grasshopper, hung out with "the yout' dem" since they joined....but Osisi is a brother, too. Many, many deep livications with this man- late into the night. And always, always there when I am in need.
So, while here in St. John, covering events, I got to have a good sit-down with Osisi, renew tight bonds and discuss the past, present and future. I even got to hear a little taste of the new music he's recording at a small studio on island.
So, here is what I have to report: Paul is in the process of preparing a press release, and when it is ready, you will read it first, here at ArawakRoots News. He will also send it out in e-mail form to all the people that matter (and you know who you are). Nuff said.
Now go out and enjoy Inner Visions. Osisi sez.
HOTEL REVIEW:
CARIB BEACH RESORT - St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
OK, OK- I know what you're saying: "What is this I'm seein'? Pato? Staying at a beach resort in St. Thomas?! Yuh mus' be jokin'!". So, let me explain just how this "American in Paradise" moment occurred.
My assistant, Brandie Barnard and I, had come to St. John to join in on a tropical plant identification seminar, do some promotion work with Nzeeba and Trinidad Charlie, as well as do coverage of the St. John Festival for ArawakRoots News (It's tough being a journalist). I had booked us to stay the entire 10 days at Trinidad Charlie's larger 2-room eco-cottage. During the 3-week period before our arrival on June 28th, it rained constantly and even though it stopped soon after, you KNOW what happens then....the mosquitoes appeared in swarms- and were everywhere... and DEET meant NOTHING to them. Not to say we didn't enjoy our stay in the eco-cottage, but by the 8th day we were feelin' (and smellin') a bit funky. So, knowing we had an early flight out of St. Thomas anyway, I got Brandie to call the 3 hotels that I knew were right in the vicinity of Cyril King Airport. We chose Carib Beach Resort because; A. They were the closest to the airport, and: B. They surprisingly had the best price for what they were offering. Now mind you, we made our reservation less than 48 hours before we needed the double-occupancy room.
All I can say is- we couldn't have made a better choice! The staff was very courteous and friendly, and even though we arrived an hour early, they stashed our bags for us and directed us to the water's edge until our room was ready. Although the "Fajita Grille" wasn't open until 5, the staff told me to watch for the bartender to be mostly set up and I could probably get a drink. After Brandie and I got in some wonder-full down-time in the cabana chairs along the "shore", listening to the waves lapping in while watching the jets, one by one, taking off for parts unknown, she took a nap while I snapped some quick pix around the grounds.
While walking back to our chairs, I noticed the man behind the bar SEEMED close to set up, so I asked that, when he was open to give a "heads up" to me and he jovially said that he would. Within minutes, he was leaning over the rail stating, "For you, I am open. Come." 
After setting me up with a frosty Carib, he introduced himself as Paolo, a native of Portugal. After some chat about the soccer tourney and the up-coming finals, our room was ready and we were off for some well-deserved showers.
Now remember- less than 48 hours...I really wasn't expecting much on such short notice. But what a treat. A nice sized, clean room with a dazzling balcony view of Lindbergh Bay, 3rd floor- though the entry was at ground level. For us, it was perfect!
After getting clean and feeling refreshed, it was back to the Fajita for dinner. Now, I figured- not being a food critic- that if I ordered one of the most expensive dishes on the menu and walked away feeling that I had got my money's worth, then it must be a good dish. So, I ordered the "Pargo Acopulca", while Brandie ordered the "Burrito Supreme". First, let me say, the Burrito Supreme lived up to its name- stuffed full with delicious ingredients. There was no way the woman could finish it! However, the same could not be said as I dove into the Pargo. The chef had to be pleased to see a plate come back so clean! And you know why? Because I never had to chew. Each sumptuous bite just seemed to melt in my mouth. So,the answer is yes- try the Pargo Acopulca. After topping it off with a piece of delicious chocolate cake, I leisurely walked Brandie back to our room, where we snapped some more pix of the lights of St. Thomas and simply breathed it all in.
Fantastic! Brandie wanted to kick back and read a bit in the night air, so I headed back to the Fajita for a nightcap and a final chat with Paolo. He mixed me up a "Rum Racer" (but of his own special design), that was sweet, tart and, dare I say, "buzzy", all at the same time. While we were telling jokes and trading information, in walked a full family on vacation, ready for drinks and dinner. Then, Paolo became "the Master", putting everyone at ease with light banter and jokes while mixing cocktails, all in his fluid Portuguese accent. After finishing my drink, I courteously handed over the "Grille" to this new family of compatriots and retired to my room for a much-needed deep sleep.
In the morning, it was so easy just knowing that the airport was but a walk away- no taxi, no shuttle-
just a slow, easy walk (if you time it right). As I said, our flight was early, so we waited until after we were through Customs to have breakfast. (FYI- they make excellent johnny cakes at the airport grille. I always have them wrap me up a few extras for the plane ride. Hey, it sure beats pretzels, peanuts and cookies.)
So, I know this isn't your standard hotel review. But then, I'm not your standard reporter. The best thing I can say about the Carib Beach Resort is that if, like us, you want a stress-free day before your flight out, this is the place! A nice atmosphere, great spirit all around....it was fun! I give the Carib Beach Resort- 4 Rastars!
You might be saying, "Well, this was a one-shot deal for Pato. He'll go back to his "usual" ways."
Well, not so fast. It was SO stress-free, I'm thinking that on my next trip to St. John, I might give it a try BEFORE I go over on the ferry. Usually I arrive, hustle out to a taxi to try to catch the next Red Hook ferry over before it gets dark, only to arrive desheveled, sweating profusely. And Ras Paul, standing on the dock, shaking his head and laughing as he tosses my bags in the back of his Jeep.
No- I like this idea. Sign me up for another stay!
P.S.- Sorry, I couldn't take better photo's. It was a very bright day. Go to their website for the "professional" camera eye. They are a Best Western affiliate.
Carib Beach Resort(click here)
AND...A FINAL NOTE:
I recently discovered that ARAWAKROOTS NEWS is now considered in the top-30 Caribbean News organisations! Man, up with the greats like The Gleaner, BBC/Caribbean, The Express, The Nation, The Observer, the VI Daily News....We are humbled! Blessings to all of our readership! You keep us strong.
And muchas gracias to my fearless, intrepid Assistant, Brandie Barnard. I couldn't have done it without you! Put in for a raise!
