CARIBBEAN NEWS VOLUME 11
SEPTEMBER, 2003WASHINGTON,D.C.(OBSERVER-9/28)- The United States plans to sponsor a conference
on security in the Caribbean early next year as the Bush administration seeks to
reinforce an anti-terrorism partnership with a region Americans describe as their 3rd-
and potentially vulnerable- border.
The Americans are concerned that the Caribbean, a haven for millions of American
tourists annually, could be a tempting soft target for terrorists.
Although the conference will be primarily for the 15-member CARICOM, it is likely
to embrace other Caribbean nations.
Officials agree that the security threat to the region comes not only from radicals with
an anti-American agenda. Narco-traffickers are also a destabilizing force for the small,
poor states in the region.
"The principal way for countries to protect themselves from terrorism is with intelli-
gence.. Even small countries with limited resources can do things to protect them-
selves if they know what is going to happen", stated one official.
KINGSTON,JAMAICA (GLEANER-9/28)- Any moves by the government to introduce
the Caribbean Court of Justice by way of the Queen's removal as head of state, and
the introduction of a republican form of government, have been "check-mated",
Opposition leader Edward Seaga claimed.
Seaga said that even if the government succeeds in removing the Privy Council as
final appellate, Jamaicans could still appeal the London-based final court of appeal
via petitions to the Queen.
"The intention of the PNP(Peoples National Party) to establish a Caribbean Court
of Justice as the final court of appeal would have to be by way of removing the
Queen and the Queen cannot be removed without a referendum in which the people
would go with a vote of 66%. This has never been achieved in our history".,Seaga
said.
Seaga said while the JLP(Jamaica Labor Party) has no problem with the concept of
a republic, its members were concerned about the type of republic. He said there
was no way the JLP would endorse a system which has an executive president
where all levels of power will reside in one hand. The JLP believes that the best
republican system is one with a ceremonial president.
ST.THOMAS,VIRGIN ISLANDS(VI DAILY NEWS-9/28)- The Board of Education
granted 397 teachers certification, bringing the territories schools in line with a
federal mandate that requires all 1400 teachers are certified by 2007.
The mandate, which is part of the No Child Left Behind Act, states that between
2002-2007, 20% of the territories teachers meet certification requirements each
year.
The president of the St. Thomas/St. John Federation of Teachers said that she
was pleased that the board had certified the teachers, but felt they had dragged
their feet. "This should have been done a long time ago. Teachers who were
certifiable were just waiting for the board to do it".,she said.
ST.THOMAS,VIRGIN ISLANDS(VI DAILY NEWS-9/27)- The Virgin Islands will get
a $800,000 bonus from the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services for reducing
its numbers of out-of-wedlock births by one of the highest percentages in the
country. The money will be used to promote healthy families. Maryland, Colorado,
Wyoming, Texas and Washington D.C. also will receive bonuses.
This is the 2nd year in a row that the territory has received one of the bonuses.
According to figures, the out-of-wedlock birthrate fell by 2.4% in the V.I. from 1998-
2001, second only to Washington D.C., which reduced its out-of-wedlock rate by
5.5%.
However, the V.I. still has a higher rate than any other state or territory. According
to figures, 66% of the births from 2000-2001 were to unmarried women. Washington
D.C. was 2nd with 58%, followed by Puerto Rico with 50%.
ROSEAU,DOMINICA(DAILY NATION-9/28)- All CARICOM leaders should have
been at the meeting with U.S. President Bush- certainly not the few hand-picked by
the White House. At least thats how Pierre Charles, Dominica's Prime Minister
believed the meeting should have been arranged. He said that CARICOM as a
group should have selected its own delegation to meet with Bush.
Charles and Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur were in New York at the same
time Bush was meeting with Grenada's Prime Minister Keith Mitchell, Guyana's
President Bharrat Jagdeo, Bahama's leader Perry Christie and St. Lucia's leader
Kenny Anthony. Charles said he was in the dark as to why some leaders were in-
vited and others weren't.
"I have no idea why those countries were chosen and.....that has to be a concern",
he said. Charles also said that any attempt to split CARICOM would be unsuc-
cessful.
RIO CLARO,TRINIDAD(EXPRESS-9/28)- A man is expected to appear before magi-
strates here, charged with possession of 13 Green turtles.
Game wardens had questioned the man about the turtles and he claimed to have
purchased them from a Guayare fisherman and was keeping them for a friend.
He was charged with 13 counts of possession of a protected animal. The turtles
are killed for their meat and can fetch up to $1,000 each. The turtles seized weighed
between 50 lbs. and 230 lbs.
ST. CROIX,VIRGIN ISLANDS(VI DAILY NEWS-8/20)- Eight hurricane sirens worth
more than $100,000 lie in the weeds behind a government warehouse outside
Frederiksted. They are part of a $1 million warning system bought with federal
money but never set up because the installation money was spent elsewhere.
After Hurricane Hugo in 1989, the U.S. Dept. of the Interior funded a territory-wide
warning system. The deal came through in 1994.
The sirens can run for hours even if the power fails. Each siren has 2 - 12 volt bat-
teries. They are built to withstand winds in excess of 240 mph.
Conrad Knowles of the V.I. Territorial Management Agency said,"The money was
misused. The money came from the Department of the Interior, but it never made it
to VITEMA. We started to install them, but the money ran out."
ST. CROIX,VIRGIN ISLANDS(VI DAILY NEWS-8/20)- Almost a year after it began
broadcasting, the territory's only public radio station is conducting its second
membership drive
Last summer, Los Angeles-based enterpreneur Keith Bass, established the non-
profit Caribbean Community Broadcasting, purchased WVGN and began broad-
casting NPR news and public affairs programming throughout the U.S & British
Virgin Islands and parts of Puerto Rico. (see related story- Archived News-Vol.#8
Oct.2002)
During the last year several new programs such as Car Talk, Prairie Companion,
and The Doug Lewis Show- produced locally- have been added.
"I'm hoping to take public radio to a different level", said Jennifer Poyser-Blaize,
Station Manager at WVGN. "It's like a breath of fresh air to have this kind of
programming. If you want us to stay, you have to support us."
The station also is soliciting local businesses to underwrite programs. For more
information, visit the station's web-site at www.wvgn.org.
ST. CROIX,VIRGIN ISLANDS(VI DAILY NEWS-8/15))- After St. Croix's second
reported sea turtle death in a month, the National Park Service has issued renew-
ed warnings to boaters, urging them to slow down and exercise increased
caution especially during nesting season. The adult female Green sea turtle was
found dead along the north-east shore of Protestant Cay in Christiansted
harbor. She had been tagged in 1988 on Buck Island.
"She is one of our long-time nesters, One of the original ones. We started
tagging in 1988.",said Kimberley Woody, science technician with the Park
Service. "It's a sad day for certain."
The turtle was struck either by a propeller or a direct boat hit. On July 12, a dead
Green sea turtle was found on a beach on St. Croix's north-east shore, also from a
boat strike.
Three adult Green sea turtles, 3 juvenile Green sea turtles and one Hawksbill sea
turtle have been found dead this year in the waters around St. Croix.
ST.THOMAS,VIRGIN ISLANDS(VI DAILY NEWS-8/17)- A stroll to a swimming
spot on the Peterborg Peninsula led to the discovery of a mysterious hole in the
ground, belching hot, melted rocks and a foul, sulfurous odor. Scientists and
government officials sped to the remote spot, but as yet have only speculation
about the nature and origin of the phenomenon.
The discovery began when 5 people noticed a strong sulfur smell as the ap-
proached the end of the rocky point en route to a swimming spot. They were
shocked to see a hole near the side of the road, venting the gas. Pebble-sized
chunks of glass-like black material were scattered up to 15 feet away.
Within an hour, a DPNR director, 2 UVI professors, and a UVI natural resources
agent were on the scene. They have given 3 possible causes for the hole:
1. Human activity, such as discarded military ordinances catching fire or power
lines shorting out and smoldering ; 2. Hydrocarbons such as small oil or natural
gas deposits catching fire between layers of rock below the surface.; 3. Volcanic
activity. The scientists plan to contact a volcanologist from the University of
Rhode Island who is familiar with the region's geology. The Virgin Islands is in
an active geological region. The boundary of the Caribbean and North American
plates is about 15 miles north of St. Thomas in an area called the Sombrero Region.
However, according to carbon dating of rock samples taken from St. Thomas, the
island was formed by volcanic activity 24 million years ago with activity ceasing
millions of years ago.
ENTERTAINMENT:
PORT OF SPAIN,TRINIDAD(EXPRESS-9/26)- Condolences and tributes to the late
Mystic Prowler (Roy Lewis) have been pouring in non-stop since news of his
untimely death reached fans around the world. He was described as one of the
"purest entertainers ever to grace the calypso stage. Prowler will be remembered
as one of the best who sang vintage calypsoes."
Mystic Prowler succumbed to a heart attack on Sept. 19th.
GREAT BARRINGTON, MASS.,USA(ST.THOMAS SOURCE-7/18)- A large, white
van rolled into a small village in the Berkshire Mtns.. The reggae group, Inner
Visions, all the way from St. John, had come to town. Reggae fans from through-
out the area would soon experience the "positive-message music" that Inner
Visions is known for in the Virgin Islands and increasingly on the U.S. mainland.
The 6-member band is in the midst of an extensive state-side tour promoting the
release of their new C.D.,"Street Corner Musicians". Inner Visions is a group
recognized for its great discipline as well as its talent. After many years of per-
forming throughout the Caribbean for loyal fans, the band is meeting with impres-
sive success on the mainland.
ENVIRONMENT:
BRIDGETOWN,BARBADOS(DAILY NATION-9/19)- Eco-tourism practitioners Jenny
Tryhane and Andrea Allen are sick and tired of the indiscriminate destruction of
Barbados' native trees, at a time when global warming is taking center-stage.
Co-directors of Caribzones Barbados Limited, they literally wrestled with a bull-
dozer sent by a landowner to destroy a small forest bordering their home in St.
George. The women stopped the destruction, but only temporarily.
'Let's stop the destruction now",they said. "We must wake up to the fact that we're
not the only people providing sea, sun and sand anymore. Eco-tourism cannot
take off without the natural beauty and protection of trees."
OCHO RIOS,JAMAICA(OBSERVER-9/28)- Dolphin Cove,the sea-side nature park
whose popular "swim-with-the-dolphins"attraction has angered animal rights
activists, has begun construction on a second lagoon for 12 additional dolphins.
The dolphins would be captured or imported.
Despite objections from environmentalists, the park's owners received permits
to construct the 30,000 sq.-ft. enclosed lagoon at 12-15 ft. deep.
The park draws 400-700 visitors a day, mostly cruise ship passengers. At least
240 visitors per day participate in dolphin swims.
The advocacy group, Jamaica Environment Trust, steadfastly opposes the new
lagoon and capture and importation of dolphins. They have contended that
captive dolphins have displayed a variety of stress-related behaviour, including
self-inflicted trauma, stress-induced vomiting and excessive sexual behaviour.
They insist that parks like Dolphin Cove, no matter how idyllic-looking, support
a cruel and poorly regulated international trade in the mammals.
SPORTS:
MONTEGO BAY,JAMAICA(OBSERVER-9/28)- West Indies cricket captain Brian
Lara, is aiming to leave a positive legacy for West Indies cricket and build a team
that can top world cricket.
Lara, 34, expressed pride in his team's record-breaking Test match victory over
Australia in the 4th and final Test in Antigua in May. He pointed out that the game
would go down as one of the most memorable of his career. "To see the character
that was shown, in face of defeat, in a time when we were down and out, against
the best team in the world- what happened on the 4th and 5th days- is something
I'll never forget," he said.
Lara said he would be paying special attention to those players who shared a vision
for West Indies cricket but needed help to improve their performance.
NUTRITION HISTORY:
CASSAVA, also known as manioc, yucca and casabi, is deeply ingrained in Caribbean
dietary culture. It is indigenous to the tropics and transcends the ancient customs
of the Amerindian and African people. Commencing in the 1600's, the daily bread of
Caribbeans of African and European descent was made from cassava. The Amerin-
dians- Carib and Arawak- cultivated cassava for consumption as a major food crop in
their agricultural food practices thousands of years ago.
In historical times, islanders were aware that the fresh root and sap were poisonous
and were knowledgeable in the techniques required to make it safe for human
consumption.
Several products are derived from cassava. The small dried balls of starch that acum-
ulate when the roots are mashed, kneaded and washed is known today as tapioca.
The Arawaks make a beer from cassava they call prinmar.
The cassava has the admirable quality that it will keep on growing for several years
beyond the time that it is ready for harvesting. After the roots are grown, they
remain available on an indefinate basis in the ground without spoiling. In difficult
times African and Amerindian tribes used the plant as food reserves.
Cassava is rich in vitamin C and complex carbohydrates.
The Caribbean area has been blessed so far during this hurricane season, with no
major tropical storms striking any of the islands. We can only pray for this to
continue through the next month.
