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O SEPTEMBER 2006


cItff @ciTh
Oi. O\I^~LJ


e r y


o u r w o r I d


PRESORTED
STANDARD
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PAID
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Tel: (305) 238-2868
1-800-605-7516
caribtoday@earthlink.net
ct ads@bellsouth.net


I T E M LTIAW RD-INNNG EW MA AZIE


Many people who are not
affected by migraine
headaches, a legitimate health
condition, continue to believe
commonly-held myths about
migraine, page 13.


Next month, Bicentennial
Park will be the venue for the
Miami Carnival 2006 Parade &
Festival, the closing of a
series of fetes and special
events that showcase colorful
Caribbean celebration,
page 16.


New s .................... 2
View point ................ 9
Education/Youth ..........11


INSIDE
Health ................... 13 Business ................ 17 Region .................. 21
Food .................... 15 Sport .................... 19 Politics .................. 22
Arts/Entertainment ....... 16 Tourism/Travel ........... 20 FYI ...................... 23


W e


c 0 V









-usw^caribbeantodj..c..


CARIBBEAN TODAY


n e WS


September 2006


Lack of funds ground around-the-world solo flight by young Jamaican.. .for now


GORDON WILLIAMS
Jamaican-born pilot
Barrington Irving's plan to
fly solo around the world
has been grounded for a while
longer due to lack of funding
to support the venture.
According to the 22-year-
old Irving, who lives in South
Florida and wanted to become
the youngest ever to complete
the journey, the Sept. 1 take-off
could not get the green light
because he had not secured the
$1 million needed. Fundraising


for the project has so far netted
about $700,000.
"Basically we still have to
meet the fundraising goal,"
Irving told Caribbean Today
last month.
He said the new departure
date for "Experience Aviation
World Tour", an east-to-west
route which is expected to take
30 days with more than 90
hours flying time beginning in
Florida, is being re-scheduled
for sometime next spring. Any
take-off before that would not
be wise, Irving explained, due


to the expected change of
weather patterns, especially on
his return, which could result
in his Columbia 400 aircraft
flying into dangerous winter
conditions.
"There was no possibility
of going (anytime soon) after
Sept. 1," he said. "That would
be winter time, if I was sup-
posed to leave say in October.
Anytime later than September
the window closes."

AVIATION BOOST
Irving originally con-


~Centrinoc 1k


ceived the idea to fly solo
around the world to convince
young people especially
minorities that aviation is a
great career and that any goal
can be accomplished if gen-
uine commitment is applied to
the task. He holds
public seminars
and lectures at
schools to pro-
mote those ideals.
However, he said
companies, the
main targets of
his fundraising
efforts, have been
asking for more
in return for their
contribution.
"Corporations,
the dollars we are
asking for, they
want to see more
than me just talk-
ing to kids," he
said.
So, the man
who prides him-
self on his
Caribbean roots, Irving inspects
emphasizing that
his "values, character and
principles are built on my
Jamaican background," has
embarked on an additional
project. He plans to open a
learning center at his base, the
Opa-Locka Airport in Florida,


to teach middle and high
school students about careers
in aviation.

MOTIVATION
In the meantime, Irving
said he has been able to han-



^^^ ^,


^^- H *"


dle the disappointment of
postponing his dream, prefer-
ring to look at the positives he
has accomplished so far.
"I've still made great
progress from where I was six
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 4)


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BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,
CMC An Internet scam pur-
porting to come from the
United States Internal Revenue
Service (IRS) has resurfaced,
the U.S. embassy in Barbados
and the eastern Caribbean
reported late last month.
According to the embassy,
the scam resurfaced earlier in
August when a number of
persons received "notifica-
tion" purportedly from the
IRS claiming they were enti-
tled to a refund and all that
was needed was for the recipi-
ent to give their credit card
number and the money would
be credited to their account.
"It is not the practice of the
IRS to request this type of
information via e-mail. The IRS
warns that care should always
be taken when disclosing per-
sonal information," the
embassy warned in a statement.
Jim Dupree, a spokesman
for the IRS in Baltimore, said
the scam was very serious
since "people see something
(purporting to be) coming
from a government agency as
more serious and needs more
attention."
The embassy said the
frauds send an e-mail to indi-
viduals posing as an IRS rep-


resentative informing them
that, if they are awaiting a
refund, they can check the
progress of the refund by
clicking on a link contained
in the email.

LINK
This link directs individu-
als to a website that requests
personal information including
Social Security Numbers (SSN)
and credit card information
and the website may also
attempt to infect systems with
malicious code. According to
the embassy, the IRS has
investigated 12 phishing scams
from 11 countries since
November last year. Last
month the IRS received exam-
ples of nearly 1,300 fake email
correspondence from con-
cerned taxpayers.
Taxpayers have been
urged to be suspicious of
emails that urge them to
act quickly or their accounts
will be suspended or closed,
emails that are generic and
don't address them by name
or any e-mails requesting
personal information such as
account numbers, SSN credit
card numbers or pass words.
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September 2006


CARIBBEAN TODAY

n e WS


Jamaica's P.M. among most powerful women in the world


KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC -
Jamaica's Prime Minister
Portia Simpson Miller has
been included in the United
States-based Forbes Magazine
list of the 100 most powerful
women in the world.
Simpson Miller is the only
person from the Caribbean
included on the list. She was
ranked at number 89.
According to Forbes
Magazine, German
Chancellor Angela Merkel
has overtaken U.S. Secretary
of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice
as the world's most powerful
woman. Merkel was not
included in the Forbes top
100 index in 2005.
Chilean President

Accountant jailed

in N.Y. for swindling

Bermuda gov't
HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC
- A 35-year-old Bermudian
accountant, who stole almost $2
million in the bi--,-l ever fraud
against the Bermuda govern-
ment, has been jailed for four
years and seven months in New
York City, the Royal Gazette
newspaper has reported.
Harrison Isaac, Jr. looted
a Bank of New York account
set up by the Bermuda gov-
ernment to pay vendors in
United States dollars under
post-9/11 financial regulations.
Isaac was employed in
the Accountant General's
Department, where he was
given sole responsibility for the
online account in question. He
exploited a loophole in safety
checks to siphon off $1,899,888
through Internet transfers over
an eight-month period from
May 2003.
The offenses were deemed
to have taken place in New
York, and addressing the U.S.
District Court in Manhattan
that dealt with Isaac last
month, Bermuda's Attorney
General Larry Mussenden said
he had let the island down.
Isaac was caught by police
while at Bermuda International
Airport in April 2004. He had
an outbound ticket to Atlanta,
Georgia and was found with
five access cards for the
Bank of New York account
in the names of staff from
the Accountant General's
Department as well as hand-
written notes saying: "Sell
everything", "liquidate", and
"reset password".
He was arrested and in
Nov. 2004 extradited to the
U.S. where he remained in cus-
tody up until last month's hear-
ing. Isaac pleaded guilty to 15
fraud-related charges during a
previous court session.
0


Michelle Bachelet is listed at
number 17, while Liberian
President Ellen Johnson-
Sirleaf took 51st position
and South Korean Prime
Minister Han Myung-sook
made it onto the list at 68.
Other leading women
politicians include the Chinese
Vice-Premier Wu Yi, known


in China as the "Iron Lady",
who dropped one place to
number three.
Simpson Miller, who was
appointed prime minister ear-
lier this year, has been leading
in a recent poll published in
the Jamaica Observer newspa-
per. The poll states that more
Jamaicans believe that


Simpson Miller and the ruling
People's National Party (PNP)
would do a better job of run-
ning the country than the
Opposition Jamaica Labour
Party( JLP) led by Bruce
Golding.
0


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CARIBBEAN TODAY

n e WS


September 2006


Caribbean workers return to U.S. jobs after Hurricane Katrina


GORDON WILLIAMS
Many Jamaican work-
ers who fled the
United States after
Hurricane Katrina's extensive
damage to their workplaces
are back on the job, according
to at least one employer.
The management of Beau
Rivage Biloxi said that it has
retained a full quota of rough-
ly 200 Jamaican workers,
although not all of those were
on the job last August when
Katrina lashed the Mississippi
resort, forcing it to close.
"We have about the same
number, but not all of them
were here previously," Beau
Rivage Biloxi's Director of
Human Resources Rogena
Barnes told Caribbean Today
late last month when the
resort officially reopened.
"Not all of them came back."
According to Barnes,
some of the workers had since
taken jobs with other resorts
in the U.S. and were unable to
break their contracts to return
to Beau Rivage Biloxi. She


KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC -
National Security Minister Dr.
Peter Phillips and United
States Ambassador to Jamaica
Brenda LaGrange Johnson
have signed a $529,300 agree-
ment to assist Jamaica in
securing its borders against
drug trafficking.
"Illegal drugs are often
exported to the United States;
they often poison and distort
our own local environment, so
the governments of Jamaica
and the United States have a
mutual interest in ensuring
that we reduce the impact of


said "roughly a third" of the
original 200 had returned.
"They had opportunities
to work for other companies
while we were rebuilding,"
Barnes explained. "They just
couldn't leave until their time
had had expired."

SCARED, ANGRY
Last August most of those
guest workers, who were
employed mainly in house-
keeping and maintenance jobs,
wanted to do anything but stay
in Biloxi. Traumatized by the
fury of Katrina, the worst nat-
ural disaster in the history of
the U.S., which had forced
them to evacuate their lodg-
ings and live on bare necessi-
ties for days at a shelter with-
out proper sanitary conven-
iences, many vowed never to
return to work in the U.S.
"We were scared," Serene
Samuels told Caribbean Today
on the day she left for Jamaica
last year.
Some workers were also
angry at what they called the
unfair treatment they received


illegal drugs
through our
own territori-
al space and
prevent its
export to
other coun-
tries, includ-
ing the Phillips
United
States," Phillips said at the
recent signing ceremony.
He said that the funds
would provide a further boost
in the fight against drug traf-
ficking in Jamaica.
0


in terms of compensation
prior to their departure.
Workers showed Caribbean
Today checks valued as low as
44 cents. The workers argued
that although Beau Rivage
Biloxi secured transportation
for them to the shelters and
generally treated them well,
they did not believe the resort
should have deducted certain
expenses after the tragedy.
"What happened, (the
Jamaicans) believed that they
(Beau Rivage Biloxi) should-
n't take any rent from their
pay because we were there
not working more than a week
(during the hurricane)," said
Delroy Coke, a floor care
worker at the time.
The issue was raised by
the workers with Jamaica's


Ministry of Labour when
they returned home to the
Caribbean island. Caribbean
Today's efforts to contact the
relevant government authori-
ties in Jamaica and the U.S.
were unsuccessful late last
month.
Beau Rivage Biloxi, mean-
while, chose not to address the
issue of the workers' compen-
sation.
"We are not allowed to
discuss compensation," Barnes
said late last month. "That is
one particular thing we don't
discuss with the public."
However, Barnes said
Beau Rivage Biloxi was happy
that Jamaican workers decid-
ed to return to the job and the
resort was pleased with their
performances.


Katrina, a Category Five
hurricane, swept through the
southern U.S., including the
states of Florida, Louisiana,
Alabama and Mississippi.
Some 350 Jamaican employ-
ees, primarily in Mississippi
and Lousiana, were out of
jobs after the hurricane, which
killed roughly 1,700 people,
231 in Mississippi. Louisiana
was the hardest hit, with near-
ly 1,500 deaths in that state
attributed to the hurricane.

Gordon Williams is Caribbean
Today's managing editor.
0


Lack of funds ground around-the-world solo

flight by young Jamaican.. .for now

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2) Gordon Williams is 2006 you may e-mail him at
or three months ago," he Caribbean Today's managing editor@caribbeantoday.com.
explained. "(The postpone- editor. Beginning Nov. 1,
ment) is discourag-
ing, but at the
same time it moti-
vates me."
Irving is
encouraged by the
progress because,
he admitted, when
he first conceived
the idea for the
solo flight he didn't
really believe he
could pull it off.
In addition, the
amount raised so
far has also exceed-
ed his expectations.
Now there is no '
turning back.
"It will be
done," he said.
But, Irving
added, a wise
approach is neces-
sary. By the time
he eventually
makes the journey
he will have turned
23, yet flying
before the weather
clears next spring
would go against
one of the same
principles he has
taught the children
he visits... ..
"It's just
not the safest or
smartest (thing
to do)," he
explained about
tackling unfavor-
able winter condi-
tions in a small i
plane, especially in .
places like Alaska.
"You'd just be ask-
ing for trouble." Irving


Jamaica, U.S. sign border

security agreement




CARIBBEAN TODAY


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September 2006




CARIBBEAN TODAY


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CARIBBEAN TODAY


ne u Ws

-~ Elections in Guyana

Jagdeo leads ruling PPP/C

back to power in Guyana


GEORGETOWN, Guyana -
The incumbent People's
Progressive Party Civic
(PPP/C) government, led by
Bharrat Jagdeo, has formed
Guyana's ninth government
since the developing country
gained political Independence
from Britain 40 years ago.
The victory in the Aug. 28
elections secured another five-
year term for the PPP/C.
Jagdeo's party won 36 of 65
parliamentary seats and 183,887
or 54.6 percent of the 338,839
valid votes cast in regional and
general elections to beat its
main rival the People's National
Congress Reform One Guyana
(PNCR-1G) in both polls.
The PNCR-1G won 22
seats with 114,608 votes, while
the newly formed Alliance for
Change won five seats after
securing 28,366 votes.
Absent from Parliament
will be the Rise Organise and
Rebuild (ROAR) Movement;
The United Force (TUF) headed


by Manzoor Nadir, Tourism,
Industry and Commerce Minister
in the last PPP/C government; and
the Guyana Action Party (GAP),
which held a combined five seats

Parliament.
In the last
Parliament,
the PPP/C got
34 seats; the
PNC/R 27;
GAP/WPA
two; ROAR Jagdeo
one; and TUF
one.

'WALK WITH ME'
The 42-year-old Jagdeo
was sworn in as Guyana's sixth
executive president at a cere-
mony at State House in the
capital less than a week after
the elections and immediately
called on citizens of the multi-
racial republic to "walk
with me" in developing
the Caribbean community
(CARICOM) state.


"I am fully aware on the
responsibilities that now fall on
my shoulders very human
shoulders," Jagdeo said. "These
are responsibilities that I cannot
carry out alone. I need you to
walk with me, as I walk with you
along the road of development."
Last month's elections
turned out to be a largely
peaceful exercise. The PPP/C
had also won the violent and
bloody 1992, 1997 and 2001
polls comfortably.
The principal election con-
testants complained of low voter
turnout for the 2006 polls. In
1997 voter turnout was 86.4 per-
cent and climbed in 2001 to 89.4
percent.
Jagdeo, a Russian-trained
economist, will have to grapple
with an ailing economy, as well as
dealing delicately with bridging
the bitter racial divide between
the two main ethnic groups here.
0


Voters in Guyana wait in line outside a polling station for a chance to make their choices.


Voting process satisfies

CARICOM observer mission


GEORGETOWN, Guyana -
The Caribbean community
(CARICOM) electoral
observer mission which moni-
tored the recent regional and
general elections in Guyana
has expressed "general satis-
faction" with the conduct of
the poll.
In a statement released
days after the Aug. 28 polls,
the team said while some peo-
ple encountered problems
locating their polling stations
at locations with multiple sta-
tions, the Guyana Elections
Commission (GECOM) did


its best to facilitate electors
when these problems arose.
"The CARICOM
Electoral Observer Mission
is pleased with the way in
which the process of voting
was conducted and expresses
its general satisfaction with
the logistical arrangements
for the conducting of the
poll," the team, which was
led by Hensley Robinson, a
former chief electoral officer
in Barbados said.
"The CARICOM
Electoral Observer Mission
acknowledges, with satisfac-


tion, the efforts of all involved
in the multiple aspects of the
electoral process. The
Observer Mission is especially
encouraged by the participa-
tion of Guyana's youth", the
13-member team said in its
statement issued through the
CARICOM Secretariat.
The Organization of
American States (OAS) also
said it was pleased with the
conduct of the polls. It said it
was also pleased that the elec-
tions had passed off peacefully.
0


GEORGETOWN, Guyana -
The Guyana Private Sector
Commission (PSC) says
the maturity displayed by
Guyanese voters on Aug. 28
disappointed the chorus of
local and foreign 'naysayers'
who were forecasting
unprecedented violence
at the polls.
PCS Executive Major
General Norman McLean
said the 2006 model has so
far produced peaceful general
and regional elections and
should be used as a guide for
future polls. McLean did not
believe that armed Joint
Services ranks who patrolled
the country "can take credit
for the peace-
ful poll," but
said it was a "Guyanese n(
collaborative that they can
effort.
He said views and op
the education
program pur- coming to bl(
sued by the We have to gi
Guyana
Elections credit for disi
Commission
(GECOM), maturity..."
political par-
ties and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) must
take the credit for the "digni-
fied and efficient manner" in
which electoral workers and
voters conducted themselves
on polling day.
"Guyanese now under-
stand that they can express
their views and opinions with-
out coming to blows about it.
We have to give the public
credit for displaying maturity,"
McLean said.
Some 492,000 voters were
expected to vote, but accord-
ing to preliminary figures,
voter turnout was disappoint-


ex
ini
ows
ive
plal


ingly low.

HAPPY
PSC Chairman Yesu
Persaud, speaking about the
absence of bloody violence
which characterized all polls
here since 1992, said "we are
all today happy," that the
anticipated violence never
occurred.
Persaud admitted that
local businessmen, especially
in the volatile urban centers,
including the capital, were
expecting "all hell and fire"
on election day, but it turned
out to be "the most peaceful
poll in a number of years," in
the former British colony.
Meanwhile,
the United
understand States embassy
press their in Georgetown
joined the cho-
ons without rus of praise
showered on
About it. Guyanese vot-
the public ers "for exercis-
ing their demo-
ying cratic franchise
in a calm,
responsible
manner". An
embassy media statement said
"the 23 U.S. Embassy person-
nel who participated within
the OAS Observer Mission
reported that the election day
process went smoothly except
for a few instances of disor-
ganization that were not suffi-
cient to affect the outcome.
"The Embassy applauds
the tireless efforts of dedicated
GECOM staff, polling station
officials, party agents, and vot-
ers in carrying out the General
and Regional Eu n I i, Liii the
statement added.
0


Stories compiled from CMC sources. Photographs
from other wire services, including AR


LWW-crbbatoa.co


Peace at the polls,


organizers hailed


A voter casts her ballot.


September 2006









-usw^caribbeantodj..c..


CARIBBEAN TODAY


n e WS


September 2006


Cyclist completes 4,000 miles in 40 days to raise awareness,


resources to improve lives of Haiti's children


MIAMI Haiti Kids
Foundation Chairman Jesse
Johnson cycled into Toussaint
L'ouverture Elementary School
in Miami's Little Haiti neighbor-
hood last month, ending his
4,000-mile in 40 days cross coun-
try "Bike for Haiti Kids" trip.
There, he was greeted by
more than 500 school children
as well as Haitian American
community leaders and sup-
porters.
Johnson departed Seattle
on July 14 to raise awareness
of the needs of Haitian chil-
dren with the goal of raising
$1 million along the way.
"The Bike for Haiti Kids


has been challenging on many
levels, but in the end a success
because we have informed
and engaged thousands of
people across the country on
the issues facing the children
of Haiti," said Johnson.
Councilman Jacques
Despinosse presented
Johnson with a city proclama-
tion. The school's principal
Dr. Lilane Delbor welcomed
Johnson to Miami and the
school and joined the students
in cheering his efforts.

INSPIRATION
Haiti Kids Foundation is a
nonprofit organization dedi-


cated to improving the lives
and futures of Haitian chil-
dren by providing safe living
environments and life sustain-
ing care. The foundation
plans to direct all funds raised
from the Bike For Haiti Kids
project to supporting and
extending the work of quality
orphanages in and near Port-
a-Prince. Long-term plans
include developing new
orphanages and programs to
strengthen living environ-
ments for all Haitian children.
"My hope all along was
that people will be inspired by
this ride to learn more about
the children of Haiti, and get


involved in mak-
ing life changing
improvements in
their lives," said
Johnson. "Even if
people contribute
only a few dol-
lars, that money
will make a dif-
ference to a child
in need."
To find out
more about the
Haiti Kids
Foundation, visit
www.haitikids-
foundation. org
0


Jesse JlnnSOn is greetie Dy me students ati e ioussalni
L'ouverture Elementary School in Miami.


Caribbean Today's publisher gets lifetime achievement award


Peter Webley, publisher of
the South Florida month-
ly newspaper, Caribbean
Today, has been selected as a
recipient of the Caribbean
Peer Awards Life Time
Achievement Award for 2006.
Webley was among four
awardees, all Caribbean nation-
als, who were honored for their
sterling contribution to the
growth and ongoing develop-
ment of Caribbean media in the
area of sales, marketing and
advertising. The other awardees
include: Ken Gordon, of
Trinidad and Tobago; and
Lester Spaulding and Neville
Blythe, both well-known
Jamaican media personnel.
The honorees were selected
from a list of 10 Caribbean
nationals by the Peer Awards
Foundation of AKM
Communications.

PIONEER
DL, rsId as one of the
pioneers of Caribbean news
publishing in South Florida,
Webley launched the
Caribbean monthly newspaper
in Dec. 1989. As the
Caribbean diaspora began to
grow in the early 1980s in this


region, Webley told JIS News
that he saw a need for greater
and better news coverage of
the Caribbean region and of
the nationals here in Florida.
With a distribution of
almost 40,000, circulation of
Caribbean Today has grown
outside the region to include
United States cities Atlanta
and Chk.iti, plus communities
in Connecticut, New Jersey
and New York, as well as some
Caribbean islands.
The paper is free to the
public and covers news, fea-
tures, entertainment and sports
especially related to the
Caribbean community.

WEBSITE
Earlier, this year, the
Caribbean Today developed a
website to include on-line
readers.
"Readers of Caribbean
Today would also note a
refreshingly positive portrayal
of minorities," Webley said.
A recent audit conducted
by the City of Miami Metro
Communications Department,
indicated that among 72 publi-
cations Caribbean Today
ranked sixth overall, and first


vveuley
among the black population in
the South Florida region.
A recipient of several
awards over the years, Webley
was into the Miami Hall of
Fame inducted in May last year
for his outstanding contribution
in the area of journalism.
Other outstanding awards
for business development and
community contribution
include the United Coalition of
Minority Business Enterprises
2003, the Minority Enterprise
Development (MED Week)
Award 2003, and the Broward
Black Elected Officials'
Business Leader Award 2006.
He has also received other
awards from several schools in


the South Florida community,
where he continues to work
with students on educational
projects.
Webley is also a founding
member of the Florida-based
Jamaica USA Chamber of
Commerce (JAUSACC) and
the Kendal South Dade chap-
ter of the Kiwanis Club.
According to Webley,
Caribbean Today is now a
thriving news magazine that
has contributed greatly to rais-
ing the positive profile of
South Florida's Caribbean
community.
"Perhaps our most
poignant achievement is that by
providing the community with a
positive reflection of its many
faces, the paper has helped the
community to understand the
diverse cultures that embrace
this community," he added.
The Peer Awards
Foundation was incepted in
1998 by AKM Communications
to recognize Jamaican media
personnel in the areas of mar-
keting, advertising and sales.
This year, the program was
developed to include the
Caribbean media community.
0


U.S. gaming company in Antigua closes shop


ST. JOHN'S, Antigua, CMC -
The United States-based gam-
ing company BETonSPORTS
(BOS) plans to cease opera-
tions in Antigua and Barbuda.
The company said that it
would also close its operations
in Costa Rica. The decision fol-
lows the issuance of a tempo-
rary restraining order from a
U.S. District Court preventing it
from continuing its operations.
The order required BOS
to close its U.S. facing Internet
gaming websites and post a
notice promising to pay clients
outstanding money. In a state-
ment issued last month, the
company said after "thorough-


ly reviewing possible alterna-
tive business plans" it could
"no longer considers the U.S.
facing operations of the com-
pany, which are based in Costa
Rica and Antigua, to be
viable" in light of the tempo-
rary restraining order.
It said it would not accept
any wagers from U.S.-based
customers and that it would
also end its operations in
Antigua and Costa Rica "as
soon as pr., Ik.blh .

JOBS LOST
As a result of the decision,
800 employees in Antigua and
Costa Rica were scheduled to


lose their jobs.
The company has prom-
ised to pay "any liabilities to
staff and creditors in an order-
ly manner and repay balances
due to U.S. customers in an
orderly manner". But it
warned that payment would
depend upon its ability to per-
suade banks and cash proces-
sors to release its funds.
On July 17, the U.S.
unsealed a 22-count indict-
ment against BOS executives
accusing them of running an
illegal Internet gambling
operation. Prosecutors have
indicated they will seek a
$4.5 billion penalty against


the company.


ELUSIVE
Many Americans use the
Internet to place bets on sport-
ing events and the industry has
been largely considered out-
side the reach of U.S. legisla-
tors and prosecutors who do
not have jurisdiction over off-
shore operations.
U.S. prosecutors insist that
offshore Internet casinos vio-
late the Federal Wire Act of
1961, but legal experts say the
position is untested.
0


Street Address:
9020 SW 152nd Street, Miami, FL 33157
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 6010
Miami, FL 33116-6010.
Telephone: (305) 238-2868
(305) 253-6029 Fax: (305) 252-7843
1-800-605-7516
E-mail: caribtoday@earthlink.net
Send ads to: ct ads@bellsouth.net
Vol. 17, Number 10 SEPT. 2006

PETER A WEBLEY
Publisher
GORDON WILLIAMS
Managing Editor
DAMIAN P. GREGORY
Deputy Managing Editor
SABRINA FENNELL
Graphic Artist

DOROTHY CHIN
Account Executive
SUNDAY SELLERS
Account Executive

AMANDA ECHEVERRI
Accounting Manager
Caribbean Media Source
Media Representatives
TOM JONAS
353 St. Nicolas Street, Suite 200
Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2Y 2P1
Tel: (514) 931-0422 Fax: (514) 931-0455
E-mail: tom@cmsworldmedia.com
Jamaica Bureau
MARIE GREGORY
(876) 925-5640
P.O. Box 127, Constant Spring
Kingston 8, Jamaica

Opinions expressed by editors and
writers are not necessarily those of the
publisher.
Caribbean Today, an independent
news magazine, is published every month
by Caribbean Publishing Services, Inc.
Subscription rates are: US$20 per year
(Bulk); 1st Class $35 per year.
Caribbean Today is not responsible
for unsolicited manuscripts or photos. To
guarantee return, please include a self-
addressed stamped envelope.
Articles appearing in Caribbean
Today may not be reproduced without
written permission of the editor.





CARIBBEAN TODAY


SV I U WP O I N T


Reggae makes 'Splash


wwcarT beaTn- to'day. .cs *I


High maintenance


GORDON WILLIAMS
L ast month, reggae, the
music which blossomed
throughout the world
after springing from its
Caribbean roots in Jamaica, wit-
nessed two important milestones
- one good, the other sad.
Most satisfying was that,
for the first time in nearly a
decade the musical festival
"Reggae Sunsplash" returned
with a tour that ran from its
birthplace throughout the
United States.
On a sour note, reggae
lost one of its greatest ambas-
sadors, Joseph Hill, leader of
the group "Culture", who died
while on tour of Europe.
No one needs to be con-
vinced of reggae's popularity
today. The steady, intoxicating
beat heavy on drum and bass
- that first generated attention
more than four decades ago,
has survived admirably in the
topsy turvy world of popular
music. It has made a huge
impact, and fans everywhere
have lapped it up. It has helped
to put the Caribbean squarely
on the world music map.
It is no surprise, for exam-
ple, that the late Bob Marley's
CDs still sell briskly a quarter
of a century after the music's
rebel icon passed away.

CHANGES
Today the music has wit-
nessed startling changes or
influences. It has altered other
musical genres as well. Along
the way, dancehall the dee-
jay-flavored spin-off made
popular by the likes of U-Roy,
Shaggy, Beenie Man, and even
one of Bob's children Damion
"Jr. Gong" Marley has
forced its way into main-
stream thought as well. Yet,
sometimes, the message, so
important to the early r< oi, '
reggae promoters, including
Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny
Wailer, Culture and Burning
Spear, has taken a bit of a
back seat to more likeable
lyrics and beats. Still the
music's core thrives.
Now Sunsplash, which
drooped into dormancy espe-
cially following the death of
one of its founders, is on the
mend. The start of the U.S.
tour in Florida has given every
indication that the music is still
satisfying to many, even with
the limited dancehall influ-
ence. In West Palm Beach,
Tampa and Cocoa Beach, the
crowds warmed to mellow
sounds of Third World, Maxi
Priest, Toots and the Maytals
and headliners UB40.
A group like Culture
would have fit right in on a
slate like that as well. Or
would it?
The response of the audi-
ence on the early part of the
U.S. Sunsplash tour said the


bouncy mixture of reggae fla-
vored with R&B and rock was
just as tasty as anything
Marley could have conjured
up. They danced in the aisles
for Maxi Priest and rushed to
the front of the stage to greet
him when he climbed off-stage
as part of his performance.

GOOD RECEPTION
Despite the less-than-
capacity audiences at the
Florida sites, the fans present
all embraced his hits as if they
were rolling up today's charts.
The same reception was show-
ered on Toots, Third World
and UB40. If the reggae pitch-
er had been emptied in the
U.S. due to the absence of
Sunsplash, the tour was serving
up a refill with added flavor.
But those audiences were
predominantly white. While
young black Americans long
a target of Bob Marley in his
heyday have grabbed hold of
dancehall's appeal, especially
when tied to hip hop, the
early Sunsplash returns in the
U.S. tuI_'-,', that the mellow
roots reggae is still struggling
to get their attention.
Yet that does not mean
that the Sunsplash tour does-
n't offer quality entertain-
ment. When Third World,
Priest, Toots and UB40
appear on any show a myriad
of hit tunes are bound to be
unleashed. It's nice, clean
entertainment.
The promoters must be
pleased. The question is:
should they be? Has the real
force behind reggae, the
protest edge that helped to
launch its worldwide appeal,
eluded the music after the
departure of Marley and
Tosh? Bunny Wailer once
said: reggae is the music that
carries the message, it tells of
history, the truth and the
rights. Sweet love songs with
catchy drum and bass are all
right great, even. But maybe
the music is heading a tad bit
wide of its original target. Has
reggae lost its sting?
Now the death of Hill
leaves even a bigger void. The
group Culture, whose origin
coincided with the launch of
roots reggae with such telling
songs as "Two Sevens Clash",
will carry on, at least for a
while without its influential
lead singer. But the music's
old guard is disappearing.
But let's not get ahead of
ourselves just yet. It's time to
celebrate Sunsplash's return.
It's reggae's original shining
symbol, a great celebration
still creating waves.

Gordon Williams is Caribbean
Today's managing editor.
Beginning Nov. 1, 2006
you may e-mail him at edi-
tor@caribbeantoday.com
0


t's a fact, some women are
high maintenance and cost
an arm and a leg, plus tax,
just to squire, wine and dine
them.
Apparently there is some
myth that it's a man's world and
that women really have it hard.
That may be true yes, that
some women do have it hard,
but so do the mass of men.
Women come into this
world and everything is hand-
ed to them. They expect to be
wined, dined and if they feel
like, bedded, wooed. We all
know what wooing is, it means
to court a woman, to wit,
spend a coil of money on her,
feeding her, buying her food
that she can eat and flowers
that she can't eat.
It takes money to woo.
But women are conditioned
that men are supposed to pay
for everything, and no amount
of argument will ever con-
vince them otherwise. It can
prove to be very expensive.
Let's take a man and a
woman who are involved
somehow, both earning the
same amount of money, or she
even more. She gets pregnant.
The man is expected to pay


for all proce-
dures, all
doctor visits,
all medicine,
hospital fee,
pre and post
natal. Come
delivery time
he better
pray that it's TONY
a natural ROBINSON
birth too, and
not a C-sec-
tion, or it'll take a few C notes
to pay.
This caught a good friend
of mine who, as the saying
goes, only 'tief' a piece had a
one night stand with a co-
worker who wasn't even his
real woman either. She got
pregnant, had some complica-
tions and had a C-section plus
other surgical stuff at a private
hospital which cost the earth.
To this day that man rued that
night when he stole forbidden
fruit. The female produce
market can be a very expen-
sive place.
The lady had a good job,
plenty money, but society dic-
tates that the man must spend
on her. Be careful when you
offer to spend your life with a


woman, all she hears is the
word 'spend'.
After the child is born,
there is this thing called child
maintenance, which the man
better fork over every month
or he's hauled before the
courts and shamed like dog.
All school fees and such must
be paid by him.
"Who made these laws
anyway, a woman?" was the cry
of many men who I spoke to.

EXPECTATIONS
It's not that they want to
shirk their responsibilities
either, as children are expen-
sive and many women can't
manage, but in many cases the
woman has a big job with
loads of cash, but just expects
that the man must pay for
everything. It doesn't matter
that he's out of work, lost his
job through redundancy or
fallen on hard times.
Many women are so
locked into this maintenance
syndrome, that their hearts
turn to stone. No wonder you
have the term, high mainte-
nance women.
"As you look pon some
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 10)


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* r-r


September 2006





CARIBBEAN TODAY


-usw^caribbeantodj..c..


VIE W P 0 I n T


The fun of reality


Hey Tony,
I found your article in
Caribbean Today of July 2006
('Woman on top') to be so
interesting and hilarious. You
are perfectly correct in your
facts about the role that
women play. Most men would
not buy your arguments, but
that's sad for them if they


Barbados or vice versa
requires the completion
of more forms than
applying for a major
bank loan" President
of the Caribbean
Broadcasting Union
(CB U), Vic Femandes
commenting last month on the
way nationals are still being
treated as aliens when they go to
other countries in the region.

* To say that my objective
stability has gotten consider-
ably better would not be a lie.
To affirm that my recupera-


can't face reality.
You are not bashing any-
one, you just call a
"spade a spade", you
just don't sugar coat
anything, you are my
kind of a guy. I love you
for that. I am a returning
resident from the USA and
it's so wonderful to be home
irrespective of the negatives
hi wings that have been por-
I rayed about my blessed para-
dise.

One love brother,
Jean Grant
q(gmgrant@yahoo. com)


Beautifully written

I sat in the doctor's office on
July 26, I started reading
Caribbean Today, and on the
second page (of the supple-
ment) was an article written
by Tony Robinson. I read the
article. I must tell you that for


tion will not



incorrect" -
Cuba's
President
Fidel Castro
delivering a
message to the Cuban people
last month to be optimistic
about his health, but to be pre-
pared for any bad news.

* "Once they point guns at
you, you have to take them
out" Guyana's President


a long time I have not read
anything as beautifully written
as this article.
I got so obsessed that I
started turning the pages of all


Bharrat
Jagdeo last
month call-
ing on the
security
forces to use
whatever
means neces-
sary to take
back control
of the crime situation in the
country.

* "Whatever numero uno says
goes. I am saying we must
correct that" Trinidad and
Tobago's former President Sir


the papers looking for more.
I found another one entitled
"Woman on top". I certainly
enjoyed the writings. Today I
went out looking for papers.


Ellis Clarke
saying
S recently that
Stood much
-tpower has
been placed
/ in the hands
of every
j-.- prime minis-
ter since the
oil rich republic attained
Independence in 1962.

Compiled from CMC and
other sources.
0


The articles are excellent.

Always DElSam
(delsamcook@bellsouth.net)
0


High maintenance


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9)
girl so, yu know say dem is
high maintenance, me can't
afford dat league," say some
men as they look on wistfully
and longingly at some beauti-
ful women.
Some women appear to
be out of the leagues of many
men, leading some guys to
resort to all sorts of schemes
just to get and hold them,
including stealing. She expects
to have money lavished on her
all the time. Don't bother to
show up at Miss Uptown's
house in an old bruk down car
with no money in your pocket
and expect to take her out.
And even if you manage to
reach somewhere and wish to
make a commitment it's going
to cost you, as is diamond ring
dem want. Remember the old
saying, "Diamonds are a girls
best friend."
There's this T.V. commer-
cial for engagement rings that
says, 'If you really love her, is
six months salary enough to
prove it?' Women don't have
that pressure. Mortgage your
life, for a little love.

PAY PER VIEW
If perchance your eye
catches a woman and you wish


to take her out, be assured
that it's you, the man, who
spends. You find transport to
pick her up, take her to the
movies, you pay as she walks
in and heads straight for the
cafeteria like nuh food nuh
deh at her yard. Come inter-
mission, she wants more, so
you pay again, and after the
movie if you decide to go else-
where, you pay again, cover
charge, drinks, more food, the
man pays.
The irony is that some of
these ladies could buy and sell
the man, as they have high
powered, high paying jobs, but
it is the unwritten law of their
nature that man must mind
them. Invite a woman to din-
ner and it's the man who is
expected to pay. All she has to
do is say yes and sit and wait
for him. And when she orders,
it's the top of the line food
too. No curry goat or ackee
and salt fish, but food she
can't even pronounce. No
Pepsi or Coke, but foreign
wine, and of course, after the
main course, the most expen-
sive desert to finish off the
guy. So much so that in some
restaurants there are separate
menus for men and women.
Guess which menu has the
prices on it? The one for the
man of course. She can blithe-
ly order anything she wants
with no regard for the price.
Meanwhile his brain is
going, ka-ching, ka-ching, like
a cash register, as she orders.
Very rarely does a woman say
to a man, 'hey let's go out
later, my treat, I will pay for
EVERYTHING'. It's so rare,
that when it happens, it's a big
deal. Women cry for equality,
but when it comes to paying,
no way. That's why some men
don't have many women any
more. It's just too expensive.

STRATEGY
It's the norm for women
to expect this from men. They


sometimes hit hard and hit
quickly, for as they meet the
man, the sob story starts.
"Listen, I know I just met you,
and normally I don't do this
sort of thing, but I'm a little
short this month, and the rent
is due, so... ka-ching, ka-ching,
ka-ching."
Either that or it's, "The
car is in the shop and I can't
even get it out as I'm a little
short this month."
Are there no tall women
anymore, is everyone a little
short?
Pity the man who starts
to pay the rent or buy gro-
ceries just to get the woman,
for it's precedent, and law is
precedent, and it's the law
that men pay.
Even if you get married
and divorced, it costs the man,
as the dreaded alimony is
another lifetime of living hell.
Why can't she pay him alimo-
ny, after all her salary is more
than his? It should be spelt
allthemoney. That's why some
men simply disappear, it's
cheaper than getting divorced.
Life is stacked against men in
that department. From the day
they are born they are expect-
ed to pay for women. Young
boys, saving up lunch money,
walking home to save bus fare,
starving, just to have money to
take out girls. Why couldn't it
be that it happens half and
half, instead of the woman just
sitting back and waiting to be
maintained? As for those spe-
cial days like Valentine's and
such, the man's pocket better
be deep. That's why men are
so stressed out, die before
women and leave them behind
to spend the insurance money.
High maintenance women
drive so many men to their
graves, from which they keep
on paying. Ka-ching, ka-ching.

seidol@hotmail.com
0


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I


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Spebr C D U CAo T In TAP o Dn tv Yi mmCa bean


CXC reports big growth in CAPE entries in the Caribbean


BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,
CMC The Barbados-based
Caribbean Examination
Council (CXC) said that candi-
date entries and unit entries
for the Caribbean Advanced
Proficiency Examination
(CAPE), had shown a signifi-
cant increase for 2006 over last
year.
It said that unit entries
increased by 36 percent, from
43,993 in 2005 to 69,018 entries
this year, while candidate entries


also increased by approximately
r% pL ri. n from 13,651 in 2005
to 19,019 this year.
Communication studies
became the first CAPE subject
to surpass the 10,000 candidates
mark, with 10,218 entries this
year. Other units with large
entries were Caribbean studies
(7,259), pure mathematics unit
one (4,413), management of
business unit one (3,878) and
sociology unit one (3,670).
In 16 of the 43 units exam-


ined, more than 90 percent of
the candidates achieved Grades
I to V, while in 14 of the units
more than 80 percent achieved
Grades I to V. Only in two units
did less than 60 percent of the
candidates obtained acceptable
grades. These were Computer
science unit two (54 percent)
and law unit two (50 percent),
CXC said.
It said there were improved
performance in French unit,
communication studies, history,


biology, accounting, pure math-
ematics and electrical and elec-
tronic technology.
CXC said that candidates
who completed seven CAPE
units this year are eligible for
the CXC associate degrees.
"The degrees will be based
on performance in both the


2005 and 2006 sittings.
Candidates must have com-
pleted seven units including
Caribbean studies and commu-
nication studies and must have
achieved Grades I to V in each
unit", it added.
0


Caribbean youth still careless about HIV/AIDS Douglas


MARVIN HOKSTAM

TORONTO, Canada, CMC -
St. Kitts and Nevis Prime
Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas
says greater efforts would be
needed to get young people of
the Caribbean to adopt pre-
ventive measures against the
deadly HIV/AIDS virus.
"Our goal is to devise a
new strategic framework (for
the Pan Caribbean Partnership
Against HIV/AIDS, PAN-
CAP), one with continuing
efforts at prevention," said
Douglas, the CARICOM
spokesman on H1V/AIDS and
PANCAP chairman.
"Because even though we
see a decrease in prevalence,
there are still 70 percent of our


ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC -
The Dominica government
says it will introduce alternative
sentencing for young offenders
as it seeks to deal with a grow-
ing prison population.
Attorney General
Ian Douglas said that the
Community Services Order
pilot project would allow law
enforcement authorities to
give an alternative to a jail
term for minor crimes.
He explained that the
project could be implemented
by October and would help
reduce the over crowding situ-
ation at the lone prison.
There are more than 310
prisoners at the Stock Farm
prison, just on the outskirts of
the capital.


young people not taking meas-
ures to protect lth mL h LS and
that are putting l i 1N L, s a
risk of being infected with the
disease. We need to repackage
the promotional aspect of our
efforts."
Douglas
was attending
the 16th
International
AIDS
Conference
here and held
discussions
with former Clinton
United States
President Bill Clinton. He said
the meeting with Clinton was
to request assistance from the
Clinton Foundation in devis-
ing and executing the new
strategic framework.


Superintendent of Prisons
Algernon Charter earlier this
year expressed concern over
the growing number of young
people in prison.
Charter has also welcomed
the introduction of the pilot
program, saying it would also
reduce government's spending
on the prison.
"I think it's a good move
for us and it is something that
we always wanted. It is going
to cost the government much
more to maintain an inmate as
opposed to making them do
community service," he said.
Douglas said the pilot
program would help in the
rehabilitation of prisoners.
0


"I have extended an invi-
tation to Mr. Clinton to attend
our next 'Champions for
Change' gathering," said the
prime minister.
Clinton has said that the
Caribbean is making progress
in the fight against HIV and
AIDS.
The first Champions for
Change gathering was held in
St. Kitts in November 2004
and it is being hailed as a
"landmark event" that
brought together a wide cross-
section of Caribbean parlia-
mentarians, cultural and
sporting icons and representa-
tives of non-governmental
organizations in an effort to
stimulate debate on the dis-
ease in the Caribbean. The
next gathering is scheduled for
Barbados and according to
Douglas the aim is to get
Caribbean media on board.
*


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Dominica introducing alternative

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CARIBBEAN TODAY


11 6 n t T 91


I www .caibeatoa.com I


TORONTO, Canada, CMC -
Three international founda-
tions have come together
to pump $1 million into a
Caribbean-wide media cam-
paign on HIV/AIDS.
The Ford Foundation and
the Elton John Foundation
announced last month that
they would be joining with
the Kaiser Family Foundation
to support the operations of
the Caribbean Broadcasters
Media Partnership on
HIV/AIDS, the region's
first media-led initiative
on HIV/AIDS.
"We know that the media
is our most powerful tool to
get out information and
change attitudes. I am delight-
ed that my foundation, in con-
junction with our partners
Kaiser and Ford, will work
directly with Caribbean
broadcasters to help educate
their audiences, promote tol-
erance, and change the public

Dispelling


myths fr
Many people who are not
affected migraine headaches,
a legitimate health condition,
continue to believe common-
ly-held myths about migraine.
According to the National
Headache Foundation (NHF)
in the United States, some of
the more common myths are
as follows:

Myth: Caffeine cannot help
relieve a migraine.

Fact: For certain migraine suf-
ferers, caffeine is a migraine
inhibitor, for others it is a trig-
ger. Keeping a headache
diary can help determine
whether caffeine helps or
hurts your migraine. Caffeine
is found naturally and as an
additive in coffee, tea, choco-
late, cola, certain soft drinks,
and some pain relieving and
acute migraine medications.

Myth: Migraines are not
trigged by stress.

Fact: Stress is a commonly rec-
ognized trigger of migraines.
Stress can be physical or emo-
tional. It can be good or bad.
It is an unavoidable part of
modern life.
Events causing emotional
stress can trigger a migraine
headache. Migraine sufferers
are thought to have highly
sensitized brains. In times of
emotional stress, certain
chemicals are released that
provoke the vascular changes
that can cause a migraine
headache. Factors related to


dialogue about this epidemic,"
Sir Elton John, founder of the
Elton John Foundation said.
Also speaking at the
International AIDS Conference
in Toronto, where the


Sir Elton John


announcement was made, Ford
Foundation executive Dr. Jacob
Gayle said: "Media is a central
part of Caribbean communica-
tion and culture. It is well

migraine


'om fact
stress include anxiety, worry,
shock, depression, excitement,
and mental fatigue.


Headaches can make life uncomfortable.

After a stressful period
there may be a letdown
which can, in itself, trigger
a migraine headache.

Myth: Regular exercise may
not help reduce migraine
frequency.

Fact: For those who suffer
from chronic, recurring
migraines, exercise can either
provoke an attack or lessen
the frequency and severity of
these headaches. If exercise or
physical strain induce a
headache, it is important to
see a healthcare provider.
Maintaining a regular exercise
program can reduce the
number of headaches and
contribute to overall good
health.
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 14)


placed to bring HIV/AIDS
concern and awareness into the
households, hearts and actions
of our families and communi-
ties."

LEVERAGE
Dr. Allyson Leacock,
head of the seven member
broadcasters steering commit-
tee and general manager of
the Caribbean Broadcasting
Corporation, said the collabo-
rative effort was a way to
leverage communication
power to raise awareness,
fight stigma and intolerance
and support people already
suffering with the disease.
She said the 30 television
and radio stations operating in
22 regional countries who
were involved in the partner-
ship were committed to
reserving a minimum of 30
seconds per hour 12 minutes
per day for HIV/AIDS
messages across all program
genres, including news, public
affairs and entertainment.
The strategy involved a pan-
Caribbean public service cam-
paign; original HIV-themed
entertainment, such as soap
operas; program workshops
for writers, producers and
on-air talent; journalist train-
ings and briefings and comple-
mentary information sources.
The partnership was
launched in May.
0


Haitian seniors get

medical help in Miami


M iami-Dade County
Mayor Carlos Alvarez,
in partnership with
the Miami-Dade County
Department of Health's
Consortium for a Healthier
Miami-Dade and the Alliance
for Aging, recently hosted the
"Haitian Wellness Expo for


tion to seniors regarding the
existence of free or low-cost
health, safety and fitness
resources. Our goal is to fos-
ter healthy lifestyles and
reduce the risk of disease," said
Mayor Alvarez. "The initia-
tive's ultimate goal is to elimi-
nate all barriers to healthcare.


Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez, left, presents a key
to the county to Dr. Ronv Francois. secretary of health. Florida


Department of Health.
SL In 1rr' at the Haitian
Emmanuel Baptist Church in
Miami.
More than 250 seniors
attended the expo to learn
about improving their health
and quality of life. They also
participated in tai chi classes,
and blood pressure, glucose
and cholesterol screenings.
"The initiative's events
provide much needed informa-


thus improving
the health of
the community
overall."
The "Mayor's
Initiative on
Aging: To Life!"
is the result of a
public and private
partnership of
organizations
dedicated to the
wellbeing of
Miami-Dade
County residents
55 and over.
During 2006, a
series of promo-
tional, education-
al and fitness
activities will be


held exclusively
to engage Miami-
Dade's senior residents. This
public awareness campaign will
have a minimum of 12 main
monthly events designed to
encourage positive aging.
For more information
about the mayor's initiative,
call 305-375-3333 or visit
www. mayorsinitiativeonag-
ing. com
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September 2006





CARIBBEAN TODAY


lwww -arib e g -dy~om1


HEALTH BRIEFS


* Cubans setting up regional
eye facility
Cuba is assisting in the establish-
ment of a state-of-the-art regional
eye care facility to be based in St.
Lucia, Prime Minister Dr. Kenny
Anthony has confirmed.
The prime minister said last
month that plans were "proceeding
apace" for the establishment of the
ultra-modern ophthalmology center
which would provide expert servic-
es to patients from neighboring
islands through Cuba's Miracle eye
care project "Plan Milag".
* HIV/AIDS battle may be
lost
Marcus Day, head of the Caribbean
Drug Research Institute (CDRI),
says the war against the HIV/AIDS
virus will be lost if the authorities
fail to adopt critical measures to
help young people protect them-
selves against the pandemic.


"We have to depend less on
promoting the theory of absti-
nence, and that young people
should stay away from sex," said
Day, who has called for condoms
to be made available in schools
and health centers on demand.
* Cuba upgrades nursing
program for St. Lucians
The Cuban government has
agreed to upgrade its scholarship
nursing program to allow St.
Lucians studying in that country
to obtain higher qualifications, St.
Lucia's administration announced.
The government also revealed
it would be recruiting another 100
students to help fill the island's
original quota of scholarships
offered by Havana.
Compiled from CMC and other
sources.
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Caribbean countries seeking to introduce

smoking laws for Cricket World Cup 2007


BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,
CMC Some Caribbean coun-
tries have signaled their inten-
tion to introduce legislation
banning smoking in public
places in time for next year's
Cricket World Cup.
This was the word coming
out of the recently concluded
meeting of the Caribbean com-
munity (CARICOM) Cricket
World Cup Health Sector
Subcommittee, which was held
in Barbados late last month.
Chairman of the
Subcommittee, Barbados's
Minister of Health Dr. Jerome
Walcott, said both Barbados
and St. Lucia were moving in
the direction of banning smok-
ing in public places, while
Grenada's Minister of Health,
Senator Ann David Antoine,
said her country also intended
to introduce similar legislation.

FINAL STAGES
Walcott said Barbados's


legislation was in its final
stages and should be laid in
the Parliament in October.
"Anti-smoking legislation
is before Chief Parliamentary
Counsel Shirley Belle for fine
tuning. The legislation has
been much talked about for
some time and we have had
discussions with the various
stakeholders," Walcott told
members of the press at the
end of the meeting.
He said the International
Cricket Council had stipulated
that there would be no smok-
ing at stadiums except in desig-
nated areas, but those regula-
tions would be superseded by a
country's legislation in cases
where that legislation existed.
In the case of Grenada,
Antoine said while they
planned to introduce the legis-
lation, it was not at a stage
where it could be taken to
Parliament for discussion.
"Grenada is one of the


countries that has responded
to the request to address the
issue of smoking in public
places. We are very concerned
about the public health issue
at it relates to smoking in pub-
lic. There is also the issue of
safety," she said.
Victor Roach, president of
the Caribbean Chapter of the
International Committee for
the Prevention of Alcohol and
Drug Dependency, told the
Caribbean Media Corporation
his organization would contin-
ue its lobbying to ensure that
regional countries introduced
legislation prohibiting public
smoking. With regards to the
CWC 2007, he said the previ-
ous tournament in South
Africa was smoke-free and
there was no reason why this
should not be the case in the
Caribbean next year.
0


Dispelling migraine myths from fact


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13)

Myth: Dietary supplements
cannot be helpful in migraine
treatment.

Fact: Those suffering from
frequent migraines may have
a low magnesium level.
Magnesium has a relaxant
effect on smooth muscle, such
as in blood vessels. Daily sup-
plementation of 500 mg to 750
mg increases the body's mag-
nesium level. Riboflavin
(Vitamin B2) assists nerve
cells in the production of ATP,
an energy producing sub-
stance, which is essential for
many chemical reactions to
occur in the body. High doses
of riboflavin (400 mg. is rec-
ommended) may reverse
cells' "energy crisis" during
migraine attacks.

Myth: Migraines are not trig-
gered by a lack of sleep.


Fact: Migraine can be trig-
gered by lack of sleep. Go to
sleep at the same time every
night and wake up the same
time each morning, including
on weekends. This maintains
the body's natural circadian
rhythm.

Myth: Migraines cannot be
trigged by exposure to smoke,
odors or perfume.

Fact: Certain fumes and
vapors can initiate a migraine
headache. Perfumes are also
often a culprit. Being in pub-
lic places which are smoke-
filled or poorly ventilated can
result in the onset of a
migraine.

Myth: Migraines do not run in
families

Fact: Migraines can be heredi-
tary. If one parent has
migraine, the child has a 50
percent chance of having


them. If both parents have
them, there is a 75 percent
chance the child will develop
migraine and if even a distant
relative has migraines, there is
a 20 percent chance the child
will also experience them.
ISuti,, migraine is an
often misunderstood disease,
it is important to dispel myths
that may contribute to the
confusion," said National
Headache Foundation
Executive Director Suzanne
E. Simons. "It is our hope
that this effort will further the
understanding that migraine is
neuro-biologic disease."
For more information on
headache causes and treat-
ments, visit www.headaches.org
or call 1-888-NHF-5552
(Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. CST).

- National Headache
Foundation
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CARIBBEAN TODAY


FOOD


~-,. .
- Jo,, C, -


I ww.caibeatoa.comI


'Sweet Hands' stir tasty tradition into a Caribbean


TITLE: SWEET HANDS:
ISLAND COOKING FROM
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
AUTHOR: RAMINGANESHRAM
REVIEWED BY: DAWN A.
DAVIS
Food reflects culture.
And, when a culture is
as diverse as the
Caribbean's, the cuisine is
bound to be as varied, and
exotic.
Sweet Hands is more than
just a cookbook. Not only
does the author showcase the
enticing ethnic cuisine of the
twin island republic, she clev-
erly intertwines the history
and folklore that surrounds
a particular dish.
Born in New York to
a Trinidadian father and
Iranian mother, Ramin
Ganeshram goes back to her
roots through the culinary
arts of the Caribbean island
known for carnival and "dou-
ble a tasty breakfast treat
or late-night snack of spicy
chickpeas served between two
pieces of fried dough.

JUST TWO HANDS
If you ever crave "Trini"
food, but don't know where to
find it, well this book is for
you. Its simple directions, with


accompanying pictures and
fascinating stories on the ori-
gin and tradition behind the
recipe, ensure a successful
meal. No complicated equip-
ment needed, just your two
hands, some provisions, flour,
fish, meat, etc.
Adding to the book's allure
is how cleverly Ganeshram
weaves her own family stories
between the pages, giving each
recipe a personal touch. We
learn of her father, Krisnaram,
who watched the women in his
Trinidadian household cook in
"coal pots" under the house
that sat high on stilts. He
watched them bake the breads
he so loved, yet his hands just
weren't "set for it", until years
later when he migrated to New
York. He became a prophetic
baker.

MELTING POT
Trinidad is a melting pot
of Indian, African, Chinese
and other cultures. Africans
are descendants of the West
African slaves brought to the
New World, while the large
Indian population is a result
of the indentured servants
brought to the island by the
British after the abolition of
slavery. They brought with
them their foods and religions.


The mixture created a blend
of tastes unique to Trinidad.
In fact, no household is com-
plete without Indian curry,
West African callaloo (a root
food used for its leaves) and
fried rice.
From street foods
(cooked and served roadside)
to soups, vegetables, and
black cake, the reader can
pick and choose from well-
organized sections. There is
even a glossary that defines
the unique Caribbean foods.
Ever heard of "Buss Up
Shut"? Check page 116 for
detailed preparation tech-
niques. Trinidad's famous corn
soup, a staple during carnival
time, is not left out; neither is
roti, a favorite among many
Caribbean people.
Vegetarians too will feel
quite at home with this cook-
book. With recipes like dal
puri, a tasty bread filled with
spicy cooked lentils, and
breadfruit oil-down, stewed
breadfruit with spices like hot
pepper, scallions, and thyme
cooked in coconut milk, the
non-carnivore can prepare
delicious and nutritious meals.

WORTH ITS SALT
Throughout the book,
Ganeshram highlights many


old traditions, some that
are sadly "heading dan-
gerously close to cultural
subjugation to computers
and tL k \ NI IIN One
such tradition is "Dancing
the Cocoa", where vil-
lagers walk through cocoa
beans spread out on level
ground in order to poli,, '
them before being roasted
and ground to make cocoa
sticks. The payoff is a nice
steaming cup of "cocoa
tea", a Caribbean favorite.
Speaking of traditions, no
Caribbean cookbook would
be worth its salt without a
mention of rum punch, ginger
beer, and sorrel. Well,
Ganeshram does these bever-
age recipes justice and even
adds some appetite-whetting
drinks such as mango wine,
soursop punch and sugar cane
wine. Of course, the Trinidadian
aromatic bitters that gives most
drinks (worldwide) their
oomph, Angostura Bitters,
takes pride of place with a little
history. Manufactured under a
veil of secrecy since 1824, "the
bitter ingredients arrive by ship
to Port of Spain and are stored
in a special warehouse that is
guarded at all times. There are
never any markings on any bag,
box, or label to give even a hint


Z4 ,/M
as to the contents of those
precious containers," cites
Ganeshram.
Sweet Hands is filled with
much more interesting histori-
cal tidbits. So, what will you get
from this book? Hopefully
,\\ i hands", the highest
complement a cook can
receive, and a little Lign,.pp '
(extra) or "brawta" as they say
in Jamaica.

PUBLISHER: Hippocrene
Books, Inc.

Dawn A. Davis is a freelance
writer for Caribbean Today.
0


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'One Love' voted


'Top Foreign Song'


KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC -
"One Love", the popular reg-
gae song by the late Jamaican
singer Bob Marley, has been
voted the "Top Foreign Song"
by a foreign-based magazine.
According to the Conde
Nast Traveler magazine, more
than 12,000 readers chose
the song by the legendary
Marley as the top tune. The
September edition of the
magazine carries an article
entitled "Around the World
in 50 songs" in which it
allowed readers to pick the
top 50 tunes.
Journalist Jim Farber,
who wrote the article, said
"One Love" was selected as
top song for its powerful evo-
cation of Jamaica's hopes for
peace.
"Bob Marley's sumptuous
melody and caring vocal stand
as testaments to the island's
finest resources and aspira-
tions," he said.
"One Love", which was
designated the Song of the
Millennium by the British
Broadcasting Corporation
(BBC) in 2000, has been used
by the Jamaica Tourist Board


in its advertising campaign for
many years.
"The popularity of an
identity that reggae and Bob
Marley generate made it
easy to select 'One Love' as


Marley


Jamaica's advertising theme. It
brings instant recognition as
consumers around the world
connect. So it's a perfect fit,"
said Donny Dawson, Jamaica's
interim director of tourism.
0


DAWN A. DAVIS
Come Oct. 8 Miami's
Bicentennial Park on
Biscayne Boulevard
will once again be the venue
for the Miami Carnival 2006
Parade & Festival.
Celebrating its 22nd
anniversary, the climactic
event brings to a close a two-
week long series of fetes and
special events that showcases
colorful mas bands, gyrating
bodies, and the latest in soca.
Historically plagued with
logistical problems and lack
of a venue they could call
"home", organizers seem to
have found some stability, at
least for the time being, at
their new location in
Bicentennial Park. With ade-
quate space for vendors, revel-
ers, and enough "road" to
showcase the bands as they
enter the park, this year's car-
nival should be smooth sailing.

ORGASMIC
Miami Carnival season
actually kicked off in July with
a free fete with music by
Miami and Orlando DJs,
steelband music, partying, and
costume displays at Haulover
Beach in Miami.
Revelers will get a pre-


view of the orgas-
mic parade that
draws thousands
with a Mini
Carnival Costume
Parade at Bayside
Hut, Key
Biscayne on Sept.
23. Billed as a
"Warm-Up and -
Taste of Miami -
Carnival" mas
bands and steel
bands, the Miami Miami Carniv'
Pan Symphony,
the Tamboo
Bamboo Steel Orchestra,
Miami DJs and a host of ven-
dors with arts and crafts and
Caribbean food will come
together in this appetite whet-
ting event.
To gear up for the ulti-
mate party, here is a rundown
of other fetes that will build
up to the road march:

STEELBAND PANORAMA
JAMBOREE & J'OUVERT
PARADE
Friday, Oct. 6
Hialeah Park, 2201 E. 4th
Avenue, Hialeah

INTERNATIONAL
CARIBBEAN MUSIC
FESTIVAL
Saturday, Oct. 7,
Bicentennial Park


J'OUVERT & BREAKFAST
Saturday, Oct. 7

MIAMI CARNIVAL 2006
PARADE & FESTIVAL -
CARICOM CONSULAR
VILLAGE MACHEL
MONTANO & XTATIK
Sunday, Oct. 8

The parade starts at noon at
N.E. 36th Street and N.E.
Second Avenue. It proceeds
south on N.E. Second Avenue,
east on N.E. 19th Street, south
on N.E. Fourth Avenue and
into Bicentennial Park.
Festivities in the park
continue until 11 p.m.

Dawn A. Davis is a freelance
writer for Caribbean Today.


Culture's lead singer

dies while on Euro tour


Internationally acclaimed
veteran artiste Joseph Hill,
the lead singer of the reg-
gae group "Culture", died last
month in Berlin, Germany
while in the middle of a
European tour.
Hill, who was born in the
central parish of St. Catherine,
Jamaica in 1949, began his
career in music at the leg-
endary Studio One. He found-
ed the reggae group in 1976
and recorded songs written
in response to the State of
Emergency declared by the
Jamaican government in
that year.


Hill
was the lead
voice behind
hits such as
"Two Sevens
Clash", a ref-
erence to the
numerologi-
Hill cal coinci-
dence of July
7, 1977; "Natty Never Get
Weary" and "Stop the Fussing
and Fighting".
Hill, who last performed
at Reggae Sunsplash in
Jamaica last month, had over
22 albums to his credit.
0


Bounty Killer arrested in Jamaica


KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC-
Internationally acclaimed
dancehall artiste Rodney
"Bounty Killer" Pryce was
arrested by the police last
month following a show in the
eastern parish of St. Thomas.
Bounty Killer was taken
into custody by the police after
he reportedly used expletives
and blasted police officers who
had earlier taken action against
some artistes on the "Saddle to
the E.,,I show who had also
used expletives.
However, his arrest did not
go down well with some resi-


dents from the
community of
Grants Pen in
the parish who
blocked the
road to protest
against his
arrest.
Police Bounty Killer
granted bail to
the singer. He appeared in court
late last month to answer to
charges of using abusive and
indecent language and pleaded
not guilty. He is slated to return
to court on Oct. 4
0


Play mas with Miami Carnival


September 2006


momm- I ............... ........ ........ "Il""Ill""Ill!"",""","
I n RTS / e nT 6 R T n i n m e nT


I - - N -





CARIBBEAN TODAY


KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC -
Jamaica's economy grew by
nearly three percent
during the period April to
June this year, according to
Director General of the


Hughes
Planning Institute of Jamaica
(PIOJ) Dr. Wesley Hughes.
He said the 2.8 percent
growth was as a result of the
strong recovery in agriculture
and tourism.


The tourism sector grew
by 19.5 percent, with tourists
spending some J$447 million
($6.7 million) over the three-
month period, while the agri-
cultural sector recovered from
a severe drought to record a
17 percent growth.
Hughes said the strong
performance of the agriculture
sector was due to more favor-
able weather conditions,
which saw domestic crop pro-
duction growing by 24.2 per-
cent, while export crop pro-
duction increased by 15.8 per-
cent.
The mining sector also
had a significant turnaround,
with a 1.4 percent increase
after two consecutive quarters
of decline.
Hughes said the increased
demand for alumina in China,
which is experiencing a boom
in its productive sectors,
improved mining technolo-
gies, and a more stable indus-
trial environment, resulted in
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 18)


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Sn es s


TODD N. ROSENBERG
& MICHAEL ROSENBERG

Because of various con-
cerns such as privacy,
confidentiality, avoid-
ance of probate and protecting
beneficiaries from the claims of
potential creditors, many for-
eigners decide that leaving their
foreign assets in an
intervivos revoca- 7 "
appropriate plan-
ning strategy when
United States per- -- -
son beneficiaries 2003 1
are involved.
Many tax prac-
titioners would --
agree with this 2003
overall conclusion,
but one should
always note that ___"
each situation
should be considered separately
and additional planning will
most likely be necessary upon
the passing of the grantor.
Upon the passing of the
grantor, and if the trust remains
foreign (for example, due to
the fact that the trust continues
to be governed by the laws of a
foreign jurisdiction), said trust


LWW-crbbatoa.co


will become an irrevocable for-
eign non-grantor trust, and in
this situation, various U.S.
income tax consequences will
arise.
In the case of a foreign non-
grantor trust, foreign source
income and foreign source capi-
tal gains are generally not sub-
ject to U.S. income tax. Special




0. 20031 Ii'/ll 2 '" 201i.':4
.. .. -


-EZ Q_' 2003 It" I -*




source rules apply to foreign
persons so that even gain, for
instance, from the sale of shares
in a U.S. corporation, can consti-
tute foreign source capital gain.
Capital gains are taxable to
such a trust if said gains result
from the disposition of a U.S.
real property interest (USRPI)
or if such gains are effectively


connected with a U.S. trade or
business (ECI).
MODIFICATIONS
A U.S. person beneficiary
of such a trust must include in
his or her gross income the
amount of the trust's income
which is required to be distrib-
uted, or is otherwise properly
paid or credited to the benefici-
ary during the taxable year, to
the extent of the trust's distrib-
utable net income (DNI).
Simply put, DNI is the foreign
trust's taxable income with spe-
cial modifications.
Thus, the maximum
amount of the trust's current
income that may be taxable to
any U.S. person beneficiary will
be the amount of the trust's
DNI allocated to said benefici-
ary.
In the case of a foreign
non-grantor trust, foreign
source income and any net cap-
ital gains are included in DNI
pursuant to rules that modify
the starting taxable income
base. If such income or net
capital gain is distributed in the
tax year earned (or within 65
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 18)


Jamaica's economy

grows by nearly 3%


A tax tip to ponder for beneficiaries,

foreign estates in the United States


GUYANA BATS FOR DIGICEL


Guyana's President Bharrat Jagdeo, left, receives a cricket bat signed by members
of the Digicel-sponsored West Indies cricket team from Colm Delves, chief execu-
tive officer of Digicel Group last month. Delves was informed by the Guyana gov-
ernment that Digicel will receive a license to offer Guyana technology and mobile
telecommunications services. The new license will also expand the company into
South America.


CARIBBEAN TODAY


TfTIVAA t' OFcWf

Caribbean culture has influenced the world
in many Ways over the years, from the erotic
beauty of the islands and people, to the
pulsating rhythms of their music ;
reggae, soca, salsa and merengue.
Now, Caribbean food is beginning to
play a new and vibrant role in how the
world Views this region, from jerk .
pork to curry chicken, fried plan- I
tains, fried yuca, cracked conch to
flying fish, from mango
chutney to guava jelly.
Caribbean beers, rum and liquors
are seen all oVer the world. Come with
Caribbean Today as we take you from the tip
of the yucatan to the jungles of Guyana, as we explore the tastes of the Caribbean.
We will tell you where you can find those hard-to-get products and foods.

CALL NOW TO ADVERTISE!
1-800-605-7516 305-238-2868
Fax 305-252-7843
e-mail: sates@caribbeantoday.com
Articles for Editorial Consideration: October 19th, 2006
ADVERTISING DEADLINE: OCTOBER 27TH, 2006


September 2006





CARIBBEAN TODAY


-usw^caribbeantodj..c..


BUS


I n ESS


T&T using soccer hype to attract European investments


PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad,
CMC Trinidad and Tobago is
seeking to capitalize on the
interest generated by the Soca


TUI rU


Warriors' participation in the
2006 World Cup soccer finals in
Germany to drive European
investment in its non-energy
sectors.
Trade and Industry Minister
Ken Valley said the twin-island
republic is sending a mission to


CONTINUEU
a 7.7 percc
ite produce

STRUGG
Manu
struction 1
to Nlrun--Il
tion had d
than 19 pe
responding
activity in
sector.
Hught


CONTINUEU
days there,
ter" of suc
ordinary in
etc.) will fl
U.S. perso
If such
tal gain is i
rently, thus
a current I
trust's leve
quences w
trust later
person ben
accumulate
The so
tion throw


European capitals since investors
there have been expressing a lot
of interest about investment
opportunities in Trinidad and
Tobago in the aftermath of the
tournament.
The minister said the mission
will play a main part in the gov-
r ni .L I's economic diversifica-
tion thrust by focusing mainly on
laying the groundwork for these
European nations to invest in the
country's non-energy sector.
The mission is to be made
up of government officials as well
as public and private sector rep-
resentatives from organizations in
the energy and non-energy sec-
tors of the economy Additionally
Valley said efforts are being
made to ascertain if former
national football captain Dwight
Yorke will be willing to be part of
the mission. He said FIFA Vice-
President Jack Warner will also
be welcomed to join the mission
if he chose to do so.


However, when contacted
last month Warner said no one
had invited him to be part of
the mission.


Warner


Valley said the Sept. 4-22
tour include Ireland, Germany,
Spain, France and England. The
minister said other investment
missions will be sent to the Far
East and Latin America.
0


Jamaica's economy grows by 3%
ED FROM PAGE 17) tive macroeconomic perform- million) less than recorded in
ent increase in baux- ance should be seen within the the corresponding period of
;tion in Jamaica. context of low inflation rate of 2005 and that is moving in the
2.8 percent, stability in the right direction," he explained.
;LE foreign currency exchange He predicted that "the
facturing and con- rate and increased revenue economy will remain positive
however, continued intake, which was J$1 billion for the future quarter" owing
as cement produc- ($15.1 million) more than pro- to "the continued growth in
declined by more jected. tourism and agriculture and a
-rcent, causing a cor- "The fiscal deficit has per- return to expansion in con-
g 3.5 percent drop in formed better than projected struction sector, should be the
the construction at J$2.5 billion ($30.3 million) main domestic drivers."
less than programmed and 4
es said that the posi- J$4.5 billion ($60.6

A tax tip to ponder for beneficiaries,
JED FROM PAGE 17) beyond the scope of this article, bution from a foreign non-
after), the "charac- but any U.S. person beneficiary grantor trust. In fact, the result
h distributions (e.g., of a foreign non-grantor trust may be the receipt of income or
come, capital gain, that is accumulating or is think- gains U.S. tax-free.
ow through to the ing about accumulating income Consider the following situa-
n beneficiaries, or net capital gains should seek tion: A foreign non-grantor trust
4 income or net capi- immediate counsel. holds the deceased grantor's for-
not distributed cur- On the other hand, if a eign vacation house which has a
s potentially avoiding U.S. person beneficiary basis of $500,000. The trust holds
J.S. income tax at the receives a distribution from a the property for a few years
1, adverse conse- foreign estate that generates when the trustee decides to sell
ill arise when the foreign source income and net the asset in order to produce liq-
distributes to a U.S. capital gains, there is a viable uidity so that a monetary distri-
ieficiary any such argument that the U.S. person bution can be made to the U.S.
ed amounts. beneficiary will be in a better person beneficiary.
)-called "accumula- position from a U.S. income tax Presume a $1,000,000 gain
back rules" are point of view than if said bene- on the sale of the property and
ficiary received the same distri- the trustee makes a $1,500,000


James P. GS, PA4
Immigraon Law Offices
Professionals and specialty workers
Managers for U.S, Subsidiaries
Nannys & Home Care Workers i
Family Petitions
Importers/Exporters & Investors
Artists, Athletes & Entertainers
Businessmen, Scientists, Educators
Labor Certification & Residence: Employees & Families
Waivers and petitions at U.S. consulates abroad
Criminal Immigration Matters
Deportation: Asylum, Cancellation of Removal
Citizenship 305.444.7775
jgagel@jgagel.com www.visas-anwmerica.co
150 Alhambra Circle, Suite 1270 Coral Gables, FL 33134,


NEW YORK, CMC -
International rating agency,
Standard & Poor's, has main-
tained healthy financial ratings
for Trinidad and Tobago.
While warning that a signifi-
cant increase in g, ,\ L rImIL 111 s
already "high level" of fiscal
spending could lead to a reversal,
the agency last month affirmed
its 'A-' long-term foreign and
'A+' long-term local currency
sovereign credit ratings for the
oil-rich Caribbean country.
Additionally, the agency
maintained the country's 'A-2'
short-term foreign and 'A-I'
short-term local currency
sovereign credit rating.
Roberto Sifon Arevalo, the
agency's credit analyst, said the
ratings reflected continuing sur-
pluses in the republic's fiscal
and external accounts which
stood at 30 percent of gross
domestic product in 2005, and
it is estimated to reach a high
33 percent of GDP in 2006.
"This performance along
with Trinidad and Tobago's
political and macroeconomic
stability, high energy prices,
and increased output-boost pol-
icy flexibility underpin strong
economic growth prospects
over the medium term,"
Arevalo said.

SLOW GO
The credit analyst said the


foreign estates
distribution to the U.S. person
beneficiary. Although such gain
is not considered taxable income
to the trust for U.S. income tax
purposes, the realized capital
gain will be included in the
trust's DNI and if distributed in
the same year realized (or with-
in 65 days thereafter), the U.S.
person beneficiary will be sub-
ject to tax on the $1,000,000 gain
(which gain will maintain its
character as capital gain).

LOSING GAINS
If the distribution is not
made in the year the capital
gain is realized, but is made in a
subsequent year, the distribu-
tion will lose its capital gain
treatment and will also be sub-
ject to the adverse accumula-
tion throwback rules.
If instead, it was a foreign
estate and not a foreign trust
which sold the vacation house, a
viable argument exists that the
entire distribution to the U.S.
person beneficiary could be U.S.
income tax free. Foreign
estates are generally subject to
U.S. income tax in the same
manner as nonresident alien
individuals. Nonresident alien
individuals are generally not
subject to U.S. income taxation
on foreign source income or
capital gains (unless said gain is


expansionary fiscal stance was
accompanied with slow devel-
opment and tax reductions in
the more labor-intensive non-
energy sector, increases the
non-energy deficit (overall
deficit minus energy revenue)
to 16 percent of GDP in 2005
from eight percent of GDP
in 2004.
"This performance high-
lights the country's heavy
exposure to changes in energy
prices, a risk that is compound-
ed by large increases in govern-
ment expenditure. However,
general government and public
sector debt continue to decline
on both a gross and a net
basis," he said.
Net general government
debt was 2.8 percent of GDP
in 2005, and the government is
expected to reach a net creditor
position of 1.0 percent of GDP
in 2006, far better than the 'A'
median's 30 percent net debtor
position, he said.
Arevalo said the stable
outlook balanced the expecta-
tion that external and fiscal
trends would remain positive
and that the growing Heritage
and Stabilisation Fund (HSF)
would provide an increasingly
important buffer for the
open,






ECI or from the disposition of a
USRPI).
Unlike a foreign non-
grantor trust, the computation
of a foreign estate's DNI does
not include foreign source
income or realized capital
gains. In this respect and in
comparison to the example
above, the $1,000,000 gain
should not be included in the
foreign estate's DNI.
Therefore, the distribution
should not be taxable to the
U.S. person beneficiary as the
maximum amount of the distri-
bution that would be taxable to
said U.S. person beneficiary
would be the amount of the
estate's DNI, which in this case
would be zero.
If you or a loved-one are a
U.S. person taxpayer and are
the beneficiary of a foreign
non-grantor trust or a foreign
estate, U.S. tax counsel should
be considered to guide you or
your loved-one through the
complex U.S. tax rules.

Michael Rosenberg is a share-
holder and Todd Rosenberg is
an associate with the Coral
Gables law firm of Packman,
Neuwahl & Rosenberg and can
be reached at 305-665-3311.
0


T&T keeps healthy rating


from Standard & Poor's


September 2006






CARIBBEAN TODAY


SPORT


r6ww -arbbentda.com


Jamaican soccer player on comeback trail in U.S.


GORDON WILLIAMS

Just months after his most
successful season as a pro-
fessional soccer player,
Jamaican international Fabian
Dawkins was forced to the
sidelines following a knee
injury which threatened his
promising career. Now he is
on the road back.
Just days before Dawkins
faced South Florida's Miami
EC. on Aug. 25 he was given
the green light by doctors to
play the entire game for his
club the Atlanta Silverbacks,
which competes with Miami
EC. and 10 other teams in
America's United Soccer
Leagues (USL). Prior to that
game, doctor's orders restrict-
ed him to the bench and limit-
ed appearances as a substitute.
"I just got cleared from
the doctor (Aug. 23) to play a
full match," a happy Dawkins
told Caribbean Today prior to
his departure for Miami for a
game at Tropical Park on
Aug. 27 which featured other
Caribbean players such as
Jamaican Sean Fraser and
Haiti's Stephan Guillaume,
plus teammate Machel
Millwood, who is also
Jamaican.

BATTLE
Dawkins believes his
full recovery could not have
come soon enough. The
Silverbacks are locked in a
battle to secure a USL playoff
berth. Consecutive losses to
Miami late last month proved
to be major setbacks for the
Atlanta, Georgia-based club,
which dropped from the sixth
and final playoff spot to sev-
enth following the second
straight loss a 7-1 thrashing -
to Miami.
However, the forward/
midfielder who last represent-
ed Jamaica versus the United
States in a friendly interna-
tional in April, is looking for-
ward to recapturing the form
that resulted in 15 goals and
four assists in 26 games and a
spot on the USL All-League
First Team last season. He is
also focused on playing at a
higher level in the future. The
USL is the second-tier profes-
sional competition in the U.S.
"Right now I'm coming
off injury. My immediate
plan is to get 100 percent fit,"
Dawkins explained. "From
there, I'd love to move on to a
higher standard somewhere in
Europe. My main goal is to
play (for Jamaica) in the 2010
World Cup."
Dawkins injured himself
on May 16, 2006 while training
with the Silverbacks. An MRI
showed medial and lateral
meniscus tear in his right knee.
He had surgery to repair the
damage on May 23. He


returned to the team in June
and by late July described
himself as being "70 to 75 per-
cent" fit. However, through
the end of last month he had
still to make any starts for


the team.
"I'm still working in,"
Dawkins told Caribbean
Today recently.
"It (knee) is feeling
alright," he added. "No pain."

GOING HOME
After the USL season,
which could end early this
month for the Silverbacks if
the club fails to make the
playoffs, the former national
youth player may return to
Jamaica to turn out for his
club Village United, where he
enjoyed tremendous success
last season. The all-round


competition of Jamaica's
National Premier League is
about the same as the USL,
Dawkins said, with a few dif-
ferences.
"Here (in the U.S.)
coaches are more adamant
to stick to the game plan," he
said. "In Jamaica they tend
to stray from the game plan
more."
He also has his eyes on
becoming a permanent mem-
ber of Jamaica's Reggae Boyz
senior national team, which
recently rehired Carl Brown
as technical director on an
interim basis. Despite only
recently recovering from the
injury, Dawkins was named in
Jamaica's squad to train for
two friendly matches against
Canada this month. He is hop-
ing other chances will pop up,
especially since he may be
able to showcase his talents
in Jamaica's NPL.
In the meantime,
Dawkins is hoping that
his performance for the
Silverbacks will help other
Caribbean players, particular-
ly those from his native coun-
try, to secure professional
contracts in the U.S.
i,,,d on what I've done
here my coach is always inter-
ested in Jamaica," Dawkins
said. "He's always asking if I
know players I think will blend


in (with the Silverbacks)."
Dawkins has no problem
with that, as long as the coach
does not forget that his star
striker is definitely on his way


back to full force.

Gordon Williams is Caribbean
Today's managing editor.
0


Jamaica's Asafa Powell acknowledges the crowd's applause after equaling his
own world record in the 100 meters last month in Zurich, Switzerland. Powell
ran 9.77 seconds in the event, the third time he has clocked that time. American
Justin Gatlin has also run that time, but his records are under scrutiny after he
tested positive for banned substances.


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RECORD REPEAT


CARIBBEAN SAMBA CELEBRATION


Photograph from Miami hC.


Former soccer superstar Romario, left, celebrates with Caribbean teammate Sean
Fraser, center, and fellow Brazilian Diego Walsh after their club scored one of seven
goals against the Atlanta Silverbacks in a United Soccer Leagues game in Miami,
Florida late last month. Romario scored three times in the game, while Fraser, a
Jamaican, scored twice and assisted on two of the Brazilian World Cup winner's goals.


September 2006


I





CARIBBEAN TODAY


- u s ..atdy Q


KINGSTON, St.
Vincent CMC The
St. Vincent and the
Grenadines govern-
ment has signed a con-
tract to begin further
development of an
airstrip on the
Grenadine island
of Canouan.
A $15 million loan
from Scotiatrust and
Merchant Bank of
Trinidad and Tobago
was awarded to
Canouan Construction
Associates, CCA Ltd.
to redevelop the airport
and its facilities.
The facelift would
see an additional
2,300 feet added to


the 7,000 meters
airstrip along with improve-
ments to the airport's termi-
nal building and fire fighting
facilities.

TRANSFORMATION
Prime Minister Dr. Ralph
Gonsalves said the expansion
would transform the airport
into the country's first jetport


Canouan offers an impressive 18-hole golf course.


and would result in the contin-
ued growth of passenger
arrivals to the country. The
prime minister noted that the
requirement to expand the
airport arose due to the
restructuring policy of U.S.-
based carrier American Eagle,
which operates a shuttle serv-
ice to the island.


The Building Code Compliance
Office ensures uniform code
compliance County-wide
Miami-Dade County's Building Code Compliance Office (BCCO), created by the
County Commission in 1991, is a regulatory department that provides oversight
on building code issues throughout Miami-Dade County, administers the
issuance of local contractor/tradesman licenses and approves construction
products that are used to build structures in the County.
BCCO's mission of uniform code compliance throughout Miami-Dade County is
achieved through its work in three department sections: Code Compliance,
Contractor Licensing/Enforcement and Product Control.


Code Compliance:
* BCCO Code Compliance
Specialists author revisions and
amendments to the statewide
Florida Building Code.
* BCCO Code Compliance
Specialists ensure uniform
application of building code
County-wide and provide technical
assistance to municipal building
officials by completing routine field
visits
* BCCO Code Compliance
Specialists disseminate new code
provisions by conducting monthly
building officials meetings and
industry trade organizations and
teaching continuing education
courses for code certified
personnel
Contractor
Licensing/Enforcement:
* BCCO Code Compliance
Investigators conduct monthly
Contractor Commercial Vehicle
Checkpoints and construction site
sweeps in a proactive effort to
curtail the number of unlicensed
contractors as well as conduct
Reverse Contractor Stings to
curtail unlicensed contractors
* BCCO Code Compliance
Investigators investigate
unlicensed contractor complaints.


Investigators work closely with
Miami-Dade Police and the State
Attorney's Office in the attempt to
gain financial restitution for the
homeowners, as well as provide
information that could lead to the
unlicensed contractor's arrest.
* BCCO Contractor Licensing
process contractor exam
applications and issue licenses
and certificates of competency for
building and trade categories
Product Control:
* The Product Control Section
oversees the Product Approval
process for building envelope
materials to ensure that they meet
the County's rigorous standards
* The Product Control Section
monitors the products submitted to
state to obtain the optional state
product approvals
* The Product Control Section
researches new methods of
standards to enhance the
performance requirements in the
High Velocity Hurricane Zone.
* The Product Control Section
oversees a Quality Assurance
program to ensure that products
approved with a Notice of
Acceptance are maintaining the
standards of production.


For more information on BCCO, visit the department's website at
www.miamidade.gov/buildingcode or call 3-1-1.

MLAM


He said with the airline
increasing its fleet to accom-
modate larger volumes of pas-
sengers from Miami to the
Grenadine Island, the exten-
sion would enable the carrier
to use larger aircraft on its
Canouan route.
According to Gonsalves,
the new runway at Canouan
would create opportunities
for other commercial aircraft
to exploit the Grenadines
market.


I


ITOU R ISM


Airport plans set to transform Canouan


TALLER TASTE


The "Red Stripe Ambassador", right, presents a bottle of the new, bigger version of
the famous Red Stripe Beer to Jamaica's Ambassador to Washington Gordon
Shirley, on Jamaican Independence Day last month in Washington, D.C. Red Stripe
is well known worldwide and travelers often visit Jamaica, where the beer is
brewed, to sample the taste. It has become a popular brew with tourists. The new
size is 24 ounces, but the familiar "stubby" shape of the bottle remains the same
as the 12-ounce version.




Call for Bids or Proposals
For a listing of available Broward Community College (BCC)
open procurement solicitations visit:
www.broward.edu/purchasing/bids
or contact
954-201-7455
BCC strongly encourages participation by minority and women-
owned business enterprises (MWBE firms)


"There are lots of
Vincentians who would use
the Canouan airport rather
than to go through Barbados
and St. Lucia to connect to
their international carriers,"
Gonsalves said.
Nestled between
Mustique
and the
Tobago
Keys,
Canouan
has become
one of the .
economic .
boons of
the
Grenadines
attracting Gonsalves
the atten-
tion of foreign investors to
it shores.
The island is home to
the now world renowned
Raffles resort and the popu-
lar Trump international Jim
Fazio-designed 18-hole golf
course.
St. Vincent and the
Grenadines, a multi-island
state, has five functional air-
ports, and plans are in the
pipeline to construct an inter-
national airport by 2011.
0


Couples to expand

resorts in Jamaica

Couples Resorts has
announced plans for
expansion with the
addition of a fifth resort to its
brand.
The new resort will be sit-
uated near the multi-billion
dollar Harmony Cove luxury
tourism project in the parish
of Trelawny, Jamaica. The
370-room resort is estimated
to be a $57 million investment
and will be built on 38-acres
of land owned by Lee Issa,
Couples Resorts' chairman.
The construction is esti-
mated to be completed in 2008.
"Couples has been in
expansion mode for the past
few years," Glenn Lawrence,
Couples chief executive offi-
cer, said in a press release
issued late last month.
"We have created a highly
successful resort model, which
has allowed us to grow expo-
nentially. We started with a
single resort, Couples Ocho
Rios, over 28 years ago and
now offer 900 rooms spread
amongst four resorts..."
Couples Resorts, head-
quartered in Montego Bay,
Jamaica, currently owns and
operates four properties in
Jamaica.



Cheaper getaways

to Jamaica this fall
The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) has
made a listing of resorts in the
Caribbean island which are offering
vacation packages as the summer
draws to a close. Among them are
the following:

* Half Moon's "Homecoming
Package" for parents who want to
spend quality time with their chil-
dren before the school year gets on
its way. Runs through Oct. 31. Check
www.halfmoon.com
* Coyaba Beach Club is offering
the fifth night free on any booking
until Nov. 16. Visit www.coyabaja-
maica.com

* Jamaica Inn is offering a "Pay
for Four Nights Stay for Five" special
until Dec. 14, with blackout dates
from Nov. 21-29. Check
www.jamaicainn.com

* Sandals Resorts is offering discounts
of up to 50 percent off published rack
rates at www.sandals.com

* Sunset Beach Resort & Spa -
During September, October and
November, all children ages 12 and
under stay free. Visit www.sunset-
beachjamaica.com/
There are many more equally
attractive packages. Visit the JTB's
website at www.visitjamaica.com
0


September 2006


............ ........
T R n V 6 t





CARIBBEAN TODAY


T&T minister defends decision

to hire police officers from U.K.


PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad,
CMC Trinidad and Tobago
Minister of National Security
Martin Joseph has defended
government's decision to
recruit United Kingdom cops
to fight crime in the country.
His latest defense came
after the Chamber of Commerce
issued a statement saying gov-
ernment should have followed
Guyana's example to use the
crime fighting skills of former
New York Police Commissioner
Bernard Kareck.
However, in a letter to
Chamber President Ian Welsh,
Joseph pointed out that Kareck
is currently under two federal
investigations for financial
impropriety. He further stated


Barbad

thumbs i
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,
CMC Barbadian public ser-
vants have voted to accept a
$20 million payout from gov-
ernment to offset the increased
cost of living over the last year.
However, Walter Maloney,
president of the National Union
of Public Workers, said they do
not want the money as a one-
off payment as had been pro-
posed by government, but
instead want it to be treated as
a retroactive pay increase for
the last year of a three-year
agreement which ended in May.
"We are saying that the
two percent should be added
to the basic pay of public ser-
vants and that it be retroac-


that his ministry has not been
secretive about its crime
fighting tactics and reminded
Welsh that it was just recently
that his ministry met with the
chamber to discuss how it is
fighting crime.

UNDER PRESSURE
Joseph has recently come
under attack for recruiting 27
Scotland Yard officers to help
fight crime in the country.
Each officer is being paid a
million Trinidad and Tobago
dollars (TT $1 = U.S. 16
cents) a year, a figure which in
some instances is eight times
higher than what senior local
cops are being paid a year.
That is the equivalent of the


os' public work(

up to govt's inflal
tive. So we have not dismissed
the $20 million that the gov-
ernment is offering, but we
have said that $20 million
must not be a one-off pay-
ment," Maloney said.
The Daily Nation newspa-
per quoted Maloney as saying
that once the money was
added to salaries as a retroac-
tive payment it would be
reflected in the pensions and
gratuities of the public offi-
cers. Government put the
offer on the table since there
was an agreement with trade
unions that public workers
would be given additional
funds once the inflation rate
climbed over five percent dur-


U.K. salaries of
the officers
who have been
on the job in
the Caribbean
since April.
Cabinet
granted
approval for Joseph
the Scotland
Yard detectives to be appoint-
ed to the anti-crime unit
because of the unprecedented
upsurge in crime in the country,
Joseph said. Joseph also said
the ministry is open to more
discussions with the chamber
pertaining to how to keep the
country and citizens safe.




ers give

lion offer
ing the final year of a three-
year wages agreement.
According to Central
Bank Governor Dr. Marion
Williams the inflation rate
reached seven percent up to
the end of June this year.
"We applaud the govern-
ment for accepting that there
was a move in the inflationary
rate and so the offer of $20
million," Maloney said.
The umbrella trade union
body, the Congress of Trade
Unions and Staff Associations,
previously said it was not in
agreement with the one-off
payment.
0


CARIBBEAN BAR ASSOCIATION
Cordially Invites ou to Join Us at our
Tenth Annual
SCHOLARSHIP AND AWARDS BANQUE
Saturday, September 30, 2006


This Year's Banquet will feature
,f ff^ /-/ // / //- f-

Cocktail reception: 6:30 p.m.
Dinner: 7:30 p.m.
"* Cost: $I00 per person

Honorees: Dr. Karl Wright-Florida Memorial University
1 .0B Winsome "Lady C" Charlton
0- Ocho Rios Miami Inc. a s

Location: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.


Sir George Alleyne receives

Suriname's highest national award


PARAMARIBO, Suriname,
CMC Sir George Alleyne,
former director of the Pan-
American Health Organization,
has been decorated with
Suriname's highest national
award.
In a brief ceremony at
the Presidential Palace in
Paramaribo last month, the
distinction as "Bearer of the
Grant Sash in the Honorary
Order of the Palm" was con-
ferred to Sir George by
President Ronald Venetiaan.
In his remarks the head


of state noted the illustrious
career and regional and
worldwide achievements of


the former PAHO director,
who is currently chairman of
the Caribbean Commission on
Health Development and
United Nations special advi-
sor on HIV/AIDS.

DEDICATION
Venetiaan said the
Barbadian national has dedicat-
ed a great part of his career to
medicine and health care and
uplifting the standard of public
health for the benefit of his
people and the overall process
of Caribbean development.
He said one of Sir
George's major philosophies -
"the wealth of the Caribbean
is the health of the Caribbean"
- became the cornerstone of
the Caribbean community
(CARICOM) policy on health
and development.
The president said as
director of PAHO, Sir Alleyne
has dedicated a great part of
his life to the health of the
Caribbean people and was a
tireless advocate of economic
growth and development of
the Pan-American population.
0


Caleb Center
5400 NW 22 Ave. 1st Floor
(M-F 8 AM to 4:30 PM)

South Dade Government Center
10710 SW 211 St. 1st Floor
(M-F 8 AM to 4:30 PM)


LeJeune Office
3575 S. LeJeune Rd.
(M-F 8 AM to 5 PM)

Douglas
3071 SW 38 Ave. 1st Floor
(M-F 8 AM to 5 PM)


Get 7E




Join the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department
(WASD), and the Adopt-A-Tree Program

Saturday, September 23rd
9 am to 12 noon
Florida Memorial University
15800 NW 42 Ave, Miami Gardens

For the chance to receive a new high-efficiency
showerhead ABSOLUTELY FREE in
exchange for your previous model!

If you can't make it to the launch event on
Saturday, don't worry -~~ You can still get
your FREE high-efficiency Showerhead!

Simply visit any of the following four WASD
"Exchange Locations":


MIAMl

Or visit us online at www.miamidade.govlwasdl or
call 786-552-8955 for more information on how the
Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department
can help save YOU water and money


September 2006


-2P4 r





CARIBBEAN TODAY


- u scrbes..


ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC -
An executive member of the
Dominia Labour Party (DLP)
has severed links with ruling
party and is discussing his
political future with a recently
formed political party.
Kenrick Ambo, who held
the position of assistant secre-
tary with the DLP, said he is
leaving the party because of
his disappointment with the
treatment he received since
unsuccessfully contesting the
May 2005 general elections on
the party's ticket. In that elec-


tion he was beaten in the
Salisbury constituency by
United Workers Party Leader
Earl Williams.
"I am severing ties with
the Dominica Labour Party
and resigning as the assistant
general secretary of the
party," Ambo announced on
state radio late last month.
Ambo says his decision is
based on two fundamental
reasons: "One, the party's lack
of respect for the people of
Salisbury, Morne Rachette
and Coulibistrie. Two, for the


P 0 1 I T I C S


Robertson in charge of PNP

campaign for upcoming polls


KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC -
The governing People's
National
(PNP) eased
into election
mode last
month when
it announced
the appoint-
ment of politi-
cal talisman
Dr. Paul
Robertson as Robertson
the party's
campaign director for polls
widely expected within
months.


Robertson, one the party's
most seasoned strategists,
assumed the post he has held
in previous campaigns, includ-
ing the 2002 elections which
saw the party getting a fourth
consecutive term in power.
He developed a reputa-
tion as a brilliant campaigner
in 1986 when as general secre-
tary of the party, he helped to
lead the PNP to the local gov-
ernment elections then the
general elections in 1989.
Colin Campbell, PNP
general secretary, confirmed
Robertson's appointment and


told local media that a formal
announcement about the cam-
paign hierarchy would be
made in due course.
Robertson, Member of
Parliament for South East St.
Catherine, has already
announced his intention to
quit representational politics.
He was campaign manager for
Dr. Peter Phillips, who lost
against Portia Simpson Miller
in internal elections to choose
a new party leader earlier this
year. Simpson Miller is
Jamaica's prime minister.
0


/


GEORGETOWN, Guyana -
Re-elected President Bharrat
Jagdeo has said there would
be changes to his new Cabinet
following the Aug. 28 regional
and general elections.
When asked whether there
would be any change in the
composition of his new Cabinet
Jagdeo replied: "There will be
changes to my Cabinet."
Speaking at a news con-
ference here before the results
of the elections were officially


announced, Jagdeo said that
he was "very very confident
about the parliamentary
majority" his ruling People's
Progressive Party Civic
(PPP/C) would enjoy in the
new National Assembly.
Prior to the elections
Jagdeo said that his party was
seeking a 51 percent majority
in the 65-seat legislature,
adding that any thing above
that figure would be "a bonus".
0


RM. hails national unity

at T&T's Independence


PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad,
CMC As Trinidadians celebrat-
ed the country's 44th anniversary
of political Independence late
last month, Prime Minister
Patrick Manning commended
nationals for their spirit of
national unity
In his Independence mes-
sage Manning said citizens have
transformed "our highly-multi-
ethnic nation into one society,
breaking down the barriers of
race, class, gender and other
prejudices inimical to our col-
lective peace and progress. He,
however, lamented that the
country has "not been able to
escape the difficulties of organ-
ised crime."
According to Manning, 44
years ago Aug. 31 Trinidad
and Tobago took the "impor-
tant and necessary dLL. i< 1n' to
part with colonialism and
Independence provided the
opportunity for greater control
over the country's affairs.
"Since the achievement of
our Independence, our nation
has made remarkable progress
in our human development, the
living standards of our citizens,
our economy, and our relations
with the nations and peoples of


the world," he
said, adding
that these
outcomes are
not inadver-
tent.
Manning
said the twin-
island republic Manning
continues to
pursue national development on
the foundations of an open and
liberal democracy, the suprema-
cy of the constitution, the rule of
law, and equality of justice.

ONE SOCIETY
"Through the nurturing of
goodwill, understanding and
genuine appreciation of all
among our citizens, we have
transformed our highly-multi-
ethnic nation into one society,
breaking down the barriers of
race, class, gender and other
prejudices inimical to our col-
lective peace and progress."
He added that out of the
difficult economic circum-
stances of the past, Trinidad
and Tobago has evolved into a
strong, stable, progressive and
promising economy.
0


party's lack of respect and
appreciation for the level of
sacrifice that I have made and
my family have made on
behalf of the party."
Ambo, a police officer
who resigned his job to enter
politics, says he is not satisfied
with the management of the
state, and several attempts to
reach the prime minister to
discuss matters pertaining to
his constituency have been
rejected.
0


Former Dominica parliamentarian dies


ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC -
Pat Stevens, a former legislator
and member of the Dominica
Freedom Party (DFP), died
last month after a prolonged
battle with cancer of the blad-
der, relatives said. He was 71
years old.
Stevens, who once repre-
sented the Marigot constituen-
cy, north of here, died at the
Princess Margaret Hospital.
He began his political


career at the age of 26 where
he unsuccessfully contested the
Eastern District constituency
in the 1961 general elections
on a ticket of the Dominica
Labour Party (DLP). But he
entered Parliament in 1973
when he contested a by-elec-
tion following the decision of
his father, W.S Stevens, to
retire from active politics.
In the 1975 general elec-
tions, Stevens contested the


Marigot constituency as an
independent candidate and
won and later joined the DFP
in 1978. He represented the
constituency until his retire-
ment from active politics in
1990.
Prime Minister Roosevelt
Skerrit, in his condolence
message, described Stevens as
a "great son of the soil."
0


Guyana polls could be turning point in

country's history ~ Carter Center


GEORGETOWN, Guyana,
CMC The Carter Center,
which observed the Aug. 28
elections in Guyana, says the
peaceful polls could be a turning
point in the country's history.
"The character and
resilience of the Guyanese
people has been borne out by
these elections (and) if the
current spirit is maintained,
and Guyana's political leaders
make wise and far-sighted
choices, acknowledge deeply-
held concerns, this could be a
turning point in Guyana's his-
tory," head of the Carter


Center team, Sir John
Compton, said last month.
Sir John, a former St.
Lucia prime minister, said the
orderliness of the elections
speaks of "the maturing of
Guyana's political culture and
the deep yearning for peace
and progress which is shared
by all Guyanese."

PRAISE
He praised the Guyana
Elections Commission
(GECOM), political parties
which contested the polls and
the wider Guyanese public for


"the most
peaceful and
orderly elec-
toral process
in recent his-
tory." He said
notwithstand-
ing the politi-
cal maturity Compton
displayed,
"the frustration and fear that
exists across society must be
acknowledged and mitigated
through actions of political
leaders over the coming days
and beyond.
0


Executive member severs ties

with Dominica's ruling party


September 2006


Christie puts party on

election alert in Bermuda
NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC to guarantee that the people
Prime Minister Perry Christie, of this country are fully
who turned 63 last month, has aware of the integrity of our
called on his colleagues in the purpose.
Progressive Liberal Party "Our focus is
(PLP) to prepare for the next to ensure that
general elections. this country
The PLP won 29 of the continues to
40 seats in Parliament in the be a stable
2002 elections to take power democracy,
from the Freedom National continues to
Movement. move forward
Christie told supporters and upward,
that the PLP is the party of Christie and that we
choice and he is looking for- do so and not
ward to winning a second term allow people who are out to
in the next poll, due 2007. stop us to distract us from the
"One by one, step by step, work we have to do," Christie
community by community, said.
island by island. And we
will be relentless in our efforts

Jagdeo promises

Cabinet shake-up






CARIBBEAN TODAY


JAMAICAN JERK FEST
The tasty spice and flavor of
cooking done with Jamaican
jerk seasoning will again be
available this month at the
Markham Park in Sunrise,
Florida.


passport applications can call
1-877-487-2778. Customer
service representatives are
available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Monday through Friday,
excluding Federal holidays.
Automated information is


A plate of tasty Jamaican jerk chicken.


The fifth annual
"Jamaican Jerk It %i aIl I will
be held on Sept. 24, featuring
cooking and domino contests,
live entertainment, a new art
of food and wine pairing com-
petition, plus a fun zone for
children.
Activities begin at 9 a.m.
For more information,
call 305-891-1242; or visit
info@jerkfestival. com.

PARENTS NIGHT OUT
The Art and Culture Center
of Hollywood, Florida will
hold a I'arL ni, Night Out"
event on Oct. 13.
I'arL in Night Out" is a
chance for parents to have an
evening out on the town alone
while their children ages four
to 12 create art, participate in
creative movement activities,
play games, eat pizza and
watch movies at the center,
1650 Harrison Street.
During this event, parents
will drop their children off at
6 p.m. and pick them up at
10 p.m.
The theme is "What Do
You Want to be When You
Grow Up?" Kids should dress
up as someone in their chosen
profession. Each event costs
$15 per child for center mem-
bers or $20 per child for non-
members.
For more information
and reservations, call 954-921-
3274.

PASSPORTS
The National Passport
Information Center (NPIC),
the United States Department
of State's single, centralized
public contact center for U.S.
passport information, is offer-
ing a toll free service and has
expanded its service availabili-
ty/options.
Persons with questions or
need status checks on pending


available 24 hours a day, seven
days a week.
For e-mail access, visit:
npic@state.gov Website of
passport and other interna-
tional travel information is
available at travel.state.gov

'GREEN CARD' FILING
The United States
Citizenship and Immigration
Services (USCIS) has
announced that aliens must
mail applications to renew or
replace permanent resident
cards, commonly known as
"Green Cards", directly to the
Los Angeles Lockbox.
The Lockbox is a process-
ing facility used by USCIS to
accelerate the collection of
applications and petitions.
The announced change allows
the agency to improve the
processing of
Form 1-90
(Application to
Replace
Permanent
Resident Card)
by electronically
capturing data
and images and
by performing
fee receipting
and depositing m
from one central
location, rather
than at the local
district office,
service center, or
application sup-
port center
(ASC).
Aliens filing
a Form 1-90,
regardless of
their state of res- y^
idence, must
mail those appli-
cations with an
application fee Sea Cargo *
of $185 and a
biometrics fee I
$70 to one of the M ff


rFYI

following addresses:
For U.S. Postal Service
(USPS) deliveries:
U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services, P.O.
Box 54870 Los Angeles, CA
90054-0870;
Or for non-USPS deliver-
ies (e.g. private couriers):
U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services,
Attention: 1-90, 16420 Valley
View Ave., La Mirada, CA
90638
Applicants should not
include initial evidence and
supporting documentation
when submitting the Form I-
90 to the Los Angeles
Lockbox.
Applicants will receive a
notice for a biometrics pro-
cessing appointment at an
ASC and will submit their ini-
tial evidence during that
appointment.
Applicants will receive
their biometrics appointment
in the mail.

CRISIS HOTLINE
Multi-lingual counselors
are available to respond per-
sons suffering from stress or
needing help with housing,
food, child care, caring for
teens or other similar prob-
lems.
Call 211 from a regular
telephone or 954-537-0211
from a cellular.
The free service is being
offered as part of Broward
County's helplines.

NEW JTB DIRECTOR
A Jamaican national, who
held a senior position in The
Bahamas tourist industry, has
been appointed as new head
of the Jamaican Tourist Board
(JTB).
Basil Smith, a veteran in
the tourist industry, has been
selected to replace Paul


LW-S^^ caribbeantoday


Pennicook as the director of
the organization.
Smith, who was a deputy
director of the JTB from 1995-
1997, currently works in The
Bahamas as the senior direc-
tor of communications in The
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism.
He has also served as the
executive vice president of
The Bahamas Hotel
Association.
In a press release issued
last month, the JTB said
Smith will aid in the expan-
sion of its global reach and
develop strong partnerships
with the private sector.
Earlier this year
Pennicook opted not to renew
his three year contract with
the JTB and on June 1 he
joined the national airline Air
Jamaica as senior vice-presi-
dent of sales and marketing.

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR
CARIBBEAN NATIONALS
The Caribbean Hotel
Foundation (CHF) has award-
ed a record
number of
scholarships
to
Caribbean
nationals to
pursue stud-
ies in
tourism
related
fields. Sanguinetti
It said
that the scholarships to 39
Caribbean nationals reaffirm
the program as the LargL I
scholarship program in the
Caribbean hospitality industry
and one of the top programs
in the industry worldwide".
"The scholarships granted
are a testimony of tomorrow's
trends and practices in our
industry. From summer
schools in profitability and
food service management to


certifications in eco-tourism,
almost all of the applicants'
educational interests are
somehow related to the sus-
tainable development of the
tourism product and the
preservation of Caribbean's
identity, especially through
cuisine," said Gill Titcombe,
coordinator of the CHE
Alec Sanguinetti, director
general and chief executive
officer of the Caribbean Hotel
Association (CHA), praised
the regional private sector
including the Florida-based
Caribbean Cruise Association
(FCCA) and other cruise lin-
ers for their contribution
towards the program.
"Thanks to contributions
of our industry partners and
the hard work of our coordi-
nator, the Caribbean Hotel
Foundation has become the
bi-_-L.,I and most versatile
scholarship program in the
tourism and hospitality indus-
try, with awards to promising
students and industry profes-
sionals at all levels,"
Sanguinetti said.

LOW COST TO FLY TO
BERMUDA
Low-cost Canadian air-
line, WestJet, plans to start
flights to Bermuda as well as
several Caribbean destina-
tions, the Royal Gazette
newspaper has reported.
WestJet, which already
flies to numerous locations
within Canada and the United
States, has received approval
from the Canadian govern-
ment to provide services to
10 regional locations including
Bermuda, the Cayman Islands,
Jamaica and The Bahamas.
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PRESOR TED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID MIAMI, FL PERMIT NO. 7315 V ol.17 No.10 SEPTEMBER 2006 Tel: (305 1-800-605-7516 caribtoday@earthlink.net ct_ads@bellsouth.net We cover your world INSIDEOne year ago Caribbean guest workers employed at r esor ts in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana were forced to flee the U.S. after Hurricane Katrina damaged their work-places. Some of them ar e back, page 4. Many people who are not af fected by migraine headaches, a legitimate healthcondition, continue to believecommonly-held myths aboutmigraine, page 13. Next month, Bicentennial Park will be the venue for the Miami Carnival 2006 Parade &Festival, the closing of aseries of fetes and special events that showcase colorfulCaribbean celebration, page 16. News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Education/Youth . . . . . . . . . .11 Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Arts/Entertainment . . . . . . .16 Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Sport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Tourism/Travel . . . . . . . . . . .20 Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Politics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 FYI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Financial constraints have grounded – for now the dream of Barrington Irving tobecome the youngest ever to fly solo around the world. But the Jamaican-born pilot hasnot given up and vows the journey will be completedsoon, page 2. Following last month’s elections, the incumbent People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C Jagdeo, was set to form the ninth Guyanese government since the countrygained political Independence fr om Britain 40 years ago, page 7. Jagdeo,PPP/C return to power in Guyana THE MULTI AWARD-WINNING NEWS MAGAZINE CALL CARIBBEAN TODAY DIRECT FROM JAMAICA 654-7782 Sept2006.qxd 9/10/06 9:27 PM Page 1

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BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC An Internet scam pur-por ting to come fr om the United States Internal Revenue Ser vice (IRS esur faced, the U.S. embassy in Barbados and the eastern Caribbeanr eported late last month. Accor ding to the embassy , the scam resurfaced earlier in August when a number ofpersons r eceived “notifica tion” purportedly from the IRS claiming they wer e enti tled to a refund and all that was needed was for the recipient to give their credit cardnumber and the money wouldbe cr edited to their account. “It is not the practice of the IRS to r equest this type of information via e-mail. The IRS war ns that car e should always be taken when disclosing personal information,” the embassy warned in a statement. Jim Dupr ee, a spokesman for the IRS in Baltimore, said the scam was very serious since “people see something (purporting to be fr om a government agency as more serious and needs more attention.” The embassy said the frauds send an e-mail to indi viduals posing as an IRS representative informing them that, if they are awaiting ar efund, they can check the progress of the refund by clicking on a link contained in the email. LINK This link dir ects individu als to a website that requests personal information includingSocial Security Numbers (SSN and credit card informationand the website may alsoattempt to infect systems with malicious code. According to the embassy, the IRS hasinvestigated 12 phishing scamsfr om 11 countries since November last year. Lastmonth the IRS r eceived exam ples of nearly 1,300 fake email cor r espondence fr om concerned taxpayers. Taxpayers have been urged to be suspicious ofemails that ur ge them to act quickly or their accounts will be suspended or closed, emails that are generic and don’t address them by name or any e-mails r equesting personal information such as account numbers, SSN cr edit car d numbers or pass wor ds. GORDON WILLIAMS Jamaican-born pilot Bar rington Irving’s plan to fly solo ar ound the world has been gr ounded for a while longer due to lack of funding to support the venture. According to the 22-yearold Irving, who lives in SouthFlorida and wanted to becomethe youngest ever to completethe jour ney, the Sept. 1 take-off could not get the gr een light because he had not secured the$1 million needed. Fundraising for the project has so far netted about $700,000. “Basically we still have to meet the fundraising goal,”Ir ving told Caribbean Today last month. He said the new depar ture date for “Experience Aviation World Tour”, an east-to-west route which is expected to take 30 days with more than 90hours flying time beginning in Florida, is being re-scheduled for sometime next spring. Any take-off before that would not be wise, Irving explained, due to the expected change of weather patterns, especially on his return, which could result in his Columbia 400 aircraftflying into danger ous winter conditions. “Ther e was no possibility of going (anytime soon Sept. 1,” he said. “That would be winter time, if I was supposed to leave say in October.Anytime later than September the window closes.” AVIATION BOOST Irving originally conceived the idea to fly solo around the world to convinceyoung people – especiallyminorities that aviation is agr eat career and that any goal can be accomplished if gen uine commitment is applied tothe task. He holdspublic seminars and lectures at schools to pro-mote those ideals. However, he said companies, the main targets of his fundraising efforts, have been asking for more in return for their contribution. “Corporations, the dollars we ar e asking for, they want to see more than me just talking to kids,” hesaid. So, the man who prides him self on his Caribbean roots, emphasizing thathis “values, character and principles are built on my Jamaican background,” hasembarked on an additionalpr oject. He plans to open a learning center at his base, the Opa-Locka Airport in Florida, to teach middle and high school students about careersin aviation. MO TIVATION In the meantime, Ir ving said he has been able to han dle the disappointment of postponing his dream, prefer-ring to look at the positives hehas accomplished so far . “I’ve still made gr eat progress from where I was six U.S. warns Caribbean of fraud on the Internet Lack of funds ground around-the-world solo flight by young Jamaicanfor now 2 CARIBBEAN TODAYSeptember 2006 NEWS NEWS www.caribbeantoday.com Ir ving inspects his Columbia 400 plane. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 4) Sept2006.qxd 9/10/06 9:27 PM Page 2

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HAMIL TON, Bermuda, CMC A 35-year-old Bermudianaccountant, who stole almost $2million in the biggest ever fraudagainst the Ber muda gover n ment, has been jailed for four years and seven months in NewY ork City , the Ro y al Gazette newspaper has reported. Harrison Isaac, Jr. looted a Bank of New York account set up by the Bermuda government to pay vendors inUnited States dollars under post-9/11 financial regulations. Isaac was employed in the Accountant General’ s Department, where he was given sole r esponsibility for the online account in question. Heexploited a loophole in safety checks to siphon off $1,899,888thr ough Inter net transfers over an eight-month period from May 2003. The of fenses were deemed to have taken place in New Y ork, and addr essing the U.S. District Court in Manhattan that dealt with Isaac last month, Bermuda’s AttorneyGeneral Lar r y Mussenden said he had let the island down. Isaac was caught by police while at Bermuda InternationalAirpor t in April 2004. He had an outbound ticket to Atlanta, Georgia and was found withfive access car ds for the Bank of New York account in the names of staf f fr om the Accountant General’ s Department as well as handwritten notes saying: “Sellever ything”, “liquidate”, and “reset password”. He was arrested and in Nov. 2004 extradited to the U.S. where he remained in custody up until last month’ s hearing. Isaac pleaded guilty to 15 fraud-r elated char ges during a pr evious cour t session. KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Jamaica’s Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller hasbeen included in the UnitedStates-based Forbes Magazine list of the 100 most powerful women in the world. Simpson Miller is the only person fr om the Caribbean included on the list. She was ranked at number 89. According to Forbes Magazine, GermanChancellor Angela Merkel has overtaken U.S. Secretaryof State Dr . Condoleezza Rice as the world’s most powerfulwoman. Merkel was notincluded in the Forbes top 100 index in 2005. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet is listed at number 17, while Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf took 51st position and South Korean PrimeMinister Han Myung-sookmade it onto the list at 68. Other leading women politicians include the Chinese Vice-Premier Wu Yi, known in China as the “Iron Lady”, who dropped one place to number three. Simpson Miller, who was appointed prime minister earlier this year, has been leadingin a r ecent poll published in the J amaica Observer newspa per . The poll states that more Jamaicans believe that Simpson Miller and the ruling People’s National Party (PNP would do a better job of running the country than theOpposition Jamaica Labour Party( JLPGolding. Jamaica’s P.M.among most powerful women in the world September 2006CARIBBEAN TODAY 3 NEWS NEWS www .caribbeantoday.com Simpson Miller Accountant jailed in N.Y.for swindling Bermuda gov’t Sept2006.qxd 9/10/06 9:27 PM Page 3

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GORDON WILLIAMS Many Jamaican workers who fled theUnited States after Hurricane Katrina’s extensivedamage to their workplacesar e back on the job, according to at least one employer. The management of Beau Rivage Biloxi said that it has retained a full quota of rough-ly 200 Jamaican workers, although not all of those wereon the job last August whenKatrina lashed the Mississippi r esort, forcing it to close. e have about the same number, but not all of them were here previously,” Beau Rivage Biloxi’s Director ofHuman Resour ces Rogena Barnes told Caribbean Today late last month when the resort officially reopened. “Not all of them came back.” According to Barnes, some of the workers had since taken jobs with other resorts in the U.S. and were unable tobr eak their contracts to r etur n to Beau Rivage Biloxi. She said “roughly a third” of the original 200 had returned. “They had opportunities to work for other companies while we were rebuilding,” Barnes explained. “They justcouldn’ t leave until their time had had expir ed.” SCARED,ANGRY Last August most of those guest workers, who were employed mainly in house-keeping and maintenance jobs,wanted to do anything but stay in Biloxi. Traumatized by the fury of Katrina, the worst natural disaster in the history of the U.S., which had forced them to evacuate their lodgings and live on bare necessities for days at a shelter with-out pr oper sanitary conveniences, many vowed never to return to work in the U.S. e were scared,” Serene Samuels told Caribbean Today on the day she left for Jamaica last year. Some workers wer e also angr y at what they called the unfair treatment they received in terms of compensation prior to their departure. Workers showed Caribbean Today checks valued as low as 44 cents. The workers arguedthat although Beau RivageBiloxi secur ed transportation for them to the shelters and generally treated them well, they did not believe the resort should have deducted certain expenses after the tragedy. “What happened, (the Jamaicans) believed that they(Beau Rivage Biloxi t take any rent from their pay because we were there not working more than a week (during the hurricane Delroy Coke, a floor careworker at the time. The issue was raised by the workers with Jamaica’ s Ministry of Labour when they returned home to theCaribbean island. Caribbean Today s efforts to contact the relevant government authori-ties in Jamaica and the U.S.wer e unsuccessful late last month. Beau Rivage Biloxi, meanwhile, chose not to address the issue of the workers’ compen-sation. e are not allowed to discuss compensation,” Barnessaid late last month. “That is one particular thing we don’tdiscuss with the public.” However, Barnes said Beau Rivage Biloxi was happy that Jamaican workers decided to return to the job and the resort was pleased with theirper formances. Katrina, a Category Five hurricane, swept through the southern U.S., including thestates of Florida, Louisiana,Alabama and Mississippi. Some 350 Jamaican employ-ees, primarily in Mississippiand Lousiana, wer e out of jobs after the hurricane, which killed roughly 1,700 people,231 in Mississippi. Louisiana was the hardest hit, with near-ly 1,500 deaths in that state attributed to the hurricane. Gordon Williams is Caribbean Today’s managing editor. KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC National Security Minister Dr.Peter Phillips and UnitedStates Ambassador to JamaicaBr enda LaGrange Johnson have signed a $529,300 agreement to assist Jamaica insecuring its bor ders against drug trafficking. “Illegal dr ugs ar e often exported to the United States; they often poison and distort our own local environment, sothe gover nments of Jamaica and the United States have a mutual interest in ensuring that we reduce the impact of illegal dr ugs through our own territori-al space andpr event its export to other coun-tries, includ ing the UnitedStates,” Phillips said at the recent signing ceremony. He said that the funds would pr ovide a fur ther boost in the fight against drug trafficking in Jamaica. Jamaica,U.S.sign border security agreementLack of funds ground around-the-world solo flight by young Jamaicanfor nowCaribbean workers return to U.S.jobs after Hurricane Katrina 4 CARIBBEAN TODAYSeptember 2006 Phillips NEWS NEWS www.caribbeantoday.com or three months ago,” he explained. “(The postpone-ment) is discourag ing, but at the same time it moti-vates me.” Irving is encouraged by thepr ogr ess because, he admitted, when he first conceivedthe idea for the solo flight he didn’t really believe he could pull it off. In addition, theamount raised sofar has also exceed ed his expectations. Now there is notur ning back. “It will be done,” he said. But, Irving added, a wise approach is neces-sar y . By the time he eventually makes the journey he will have turned23, yet flyingbefor e the weather clears next springwould go againstone of the sameprinciples he hastaught the childr en he visits. s just not the safest or smartest (thing to do),” heexplained about tackling unfavorable winter conditions in a small plane, especially in places like Alaska. ou’d just be asking for trouble.” Gordon Williams is Caribbean Today’s managingeditor . Be ginning Nov.1, 2006 you may e-mail him at editor@caribbeantoday.com. (CONTINUED FROM P AGE 2) Irving Sept2006.qxd 9/10/06 9:27 PM Page 4

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GEORGETOWN, Guyana The incumbent People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C Bharrat Jagdeo, has formedGuyana’ s ninth government since the developing countrygained political Independence from Britain 40 years ago. The victory in the Aug. 28 elections secured another fiveyear term for the PPP/C. Jagdeo’s party won 36 of 65 parliamentary seats and 183,887or 54.6 per cent of the 338,839 valid votes cast in r egional and general elections to beat its main rival the People’s National Congress Reform One Guyana (PNCR-1G The PNCR-1G won 22 seats with 114,608 votes, while the newly for med Alliance for Change won five seats after securing 28,366 votes. Absent from Parliament will be the Rise Or ganise and Rebuild (ROAR The United For ce (TUF by Manzoor Nadir, Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister in the last PPP/C government; and the Guyana Action Party (GAPwhich held a combined five seatsin the last Parliament. In the last Parliament, the PPP/C got 34 seats; thePNC/R 27; GAP/WPA two; ROARone; and TUF one. ALK WITH ME’ The 42-year-old Jagdeo was sworn in as Guyana’s sixth executive president at a ceremony at State House in the capital less than a week afterthe elections and immediately called on citizens of the multiracial republic to “walk with me” in developing the Caribbean community (CARICOM “I am fully aware on the responsibilities that now fall on my shoulders very humanshoulders,” Jagdeo said. “These are responsibilities that I cannotcar ry out alone. I need you to walk with me, as I walk with youalong the r oad of development.” Last month’s elections turned out to be a largely peaceful exercise. The PPP/Chad also won the violent and bloody 1992, 1997 and 2001 polls comfortably. The principal election con testants complained of low voter turnout for the 2006 polls. In 1997 voter turnout was 86.4 percent and climbed in 2001 to 89.4 percent. Jagdeo, a Russian-trained economist, will have to grapple with an ailing economy , as well as dealing delicately with bridging the bitter racial divide between the two main ethnic groups here. A voter casts her ballot. GEORGETOWN, Guyana The Guyana Private SectorCommission (PSCthe maturity displayed byGuyanese voters on Aug. 28 disappointed the chorus oflocal and for eign ‘naysayers’ who were forecasting unprecedented violence at the polls. PCS Executive Major General Norman McLeansaid the 2006 model has so far produced peaceful general and regional elections andshould be used as a guide for future polls. McLean did notbelieve that ar med Joint Services ranks who patrolled the country “can take credit for the peace-ful poll,” butsaid it was acollaborativeef for t. He said the education program pur-sued by theGuyanaElectionsCommission(GECOMpolitical par ties and non-governmental or ganizations (NGOs take the credit for the “dignified and efficient manner” inwhich electoral workers andvoters conducted themselves on polling day. “Guyanese now understand that they can expresstheir views and opinions with out coming to blows about it. W e have to give the public cr edit for displaying maturity McLean said. Some 492,000 voters wer e expected to vote, but according to preliminary figures, voter turnout was disappointingly low. HAPPY PSC Chairman Yesu Persaud, speaking about theabsence of bloody violencewhich characterized all polls here since 1992, said “we are all today happy,” that theanticipated violence never occurred. Persaud admitted that local businessmen, especiallyin the volatile urban centers, including the capital, wereexpecting “all hell and fir on election day, but it turned out to be “the most peacefulpoll in a number of years,” in the former British colony. Meanwhile, the UnitedStates embassy in Georgetownjoined the cho rus of praise shower ed on Guyanese voters “for exercising their demo-cratic franchisein a calm, responsiblemanner”. An embassy media statement said“the 23 U.S. Embassy person nel who participated within the OAS Observer Mission reported that the election daypr ocess went smoothly except for a few instances of disorganization that were not sufficient to affect the outcome. “The Embassy applauds the tir eless efforts of dedicated GECOM staf f, polling station of ficials, par ty agents, and voters in car rying out the General and Regional Elections”, thestatement added. Peace at the polls, organizers hailedJagdeo leads ruling PPP/C back to power in Guyana V oters in Guy ana wait in line outside a polling station for a chance to make their choices. GEORGETOWN, Guyana The Caribbean community(CARICOM observer mission which monitored the recent regional andgeneral elections in Guyana has expressed “general satis-faction” with the conduct ofthe poll. In a statement released days after the Aug. 28 polls, the team said while some people encountered problemslocating their polling stations at locations with multiple sta tions, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM its best to facilitate electors when these pr oblems arose. “The CARICOM Electoral Observer Mission is pleased with the way inwhich the pr ocess of voting was conducted and expresses its general satisfaction withthe logistical ar rangements for the conducting of thepoll,” the team, which was led by Hensley Robinson, a former chief electoral officerin Barbados said. “The CARICOM Electoral Observer Mission acknowledges, with satisfaction, the efforts of all involved in the multiple aspects of theelectoral pr ocess. The Observer Mission is especially encouraged by the participa-tion of Guyana’ s youth”, the 13-member team said in its statement issued through theCARICOM Secr etariat. The Organization of American States (OASsaid it was pleased with the conduct of the polls. It said itwas also pleased that the elec tions had passed of f peacefully . V oting process satisfies CARICOM observer mission September 2006CARIBBEAN TODAY 7 NEWS NEWS www .caribbeantoday.com Stories compiled from CMC sources.Photographs from other wire services,including AP. Ja gdeo “Guyanese now understand that they can express theirviews and opinions withoutcoming to blows about it . We have to give the publiccredit for displaying maturity” ~ Elections in Guyana Sept2006.qxd 9/10/06 9:27 PM Page 7

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ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC The United States-based gaming company BETonSPORTS (BOS tions in Antigua and Barbuda. The company said that it would also close its operations in Costa Rica. The decision fol lows the issuance of a temporary restraining order from a U.S. District Court preventing it from continuing its operations. The order required BOS to close its U.S. facing Internet gaming websites and post a notice promising to pay clients outstanding money. In a state-ment issued last month, the company said after “thoroughly reviewing possible alternative business plans” it could“no longer considers the U.S. facing operations of the com pany, which are based in Costa Rica and Antigua, to be viable” in light of the temporar y restraining order. It said it would not accept any wagers from U.S.-basedcustomers and that it wouldalso end its operations inAntigua and Costa Rica “as soon as practicable”. JOBS LOST As a result of the decision, 800 employees in Antigua and Costa Rica were scheduled to lose their jobs. The company has promised to pay “any liabilities to staf f and creditors in an orderly manner and repay balances due to U.S. customers in an orderly manner”. But it war ned that payment would depend upon its ability to persuade banks and cash processors to release its funds. On July 17, the U.S. unsealed a 22-count indictment against BOS executives accusing them of running an illegal Internet gambling operation. Prosecutors haveindicated they will seek a $4.5 billion penalty against the company. ELUSIVE Many Americans use the Internet to place bets on sporting events and the industry has been largely considered outside the r each of U.S. legislators and prosecutors who do not have jurisdiction over offshore operations. U.S. prosecutors insist that offshore Internet casinos violate the Federal Wire Act of 1961, but legal experts say theposition is untested. Peter Webley, publisher of the South Florida month-ly newspaper , Caribbean Today, has been selected as a recipient of the Caribbean Peer Awards Life Time Achievement Award for 2006. Webley was among four awardees, all Caribbean nationals, who were honored for theirsterling contribution to the growth and ongoing develop-ment of Caribbean media in the area of sales, marketing and advertising. The other awardeesinclude: Ken Gor don, of Trinidad and Tobago; and Lester Spaulding and NevilleBlythe, both well-knownJamaican media personnel. The honorees were selected fr om a list of 10 Caribbean nationals by the Peer A wards Foundation of AKM Communications. PIONEER Described as one of the pioneers of Caribbean newspublishing in South Florida,W ebley launched the Caribbean monthly newspaperin Dec. 1989. As theCaribbean diaspora began togr ow in the early 1980s in this region, Webley told JIS News that he saw a need for greaterand better news coverage ofthe Caribbean r egion and of the nationals here in Florida. With a distribution of almost 40,000, cir culation of Caribbean T oday has gr own outside the region to include United States cities Atlantaand Chicago, plus communitiesin Connecticut, New Jersey and New York, as well as someCaribbean islands. The paper is free to the public and covers news, fea-tur es, enter tainment and spor ts especially related to the Caribbean community. WEBSITE Earlier, this year, the Caribbean Today developed awebsite to include on-line readers. “Readers of Caribbean Today would also note a refreshingly positive portrayal of minorities,” Webley said. A r ecent audit conducted by the City of Miami Metr o Communications Department,indicated that among 72 publi cations Caribbean Today ranked sixth overall, and first among the black population in the South Florida r egion. A recipient of several awar ds over the years, W ebley was into the Miami Hall of Fame inducted in May last yearfor his outstanding contributionin the ar ea of jour nalism. Other outstanding awar ds for business development and community contributioninclude the United Coalition ofMinority Business Enterprises2003, the Minority Enterprise Development (MED Week) Award 2003, and the BrowardBlack Elected Of ficials’ Business Leader Award 2006. He has also received other awards from several schools in the South Florida community, where he continues to workwith students on educationalpr ojects. Webley is also a founding member of the Florida-based Jamaica USA Chamber ofCommer ce (JAUSACC the Kendal South Dade chapter of the Kiwanis Club. Accor ding to W ebley, Caribbean Today is now a thriving news magazine that has contributed greatly to raising the positive profile of South Florida’s Caribbeancommunity . “Perhaps our most poignant achievement is that bypr oviding the community with a positive r eflection of its many faces, the paper has helped the community to understand thediverse cultur es that embrace this community,” he added. The Peer A war ds Foundation was incepted in 1998 by AKM Communications to recognize Jamaican mediapersonnel in the ar eas of mar keting, adver tising and sales. This year, the program wasdeveloped to include the Caribbean media community. MIAMI Haiti Kids Foundation Chairman JesseJohnson cycled into T oussaint L ’ouverture Elementary School in Miami’s Little Haiti neighbor-hood last month, ending his 4,000-mile in 40 days cross country “Bike for Haiti Kids” trip. There, he was greeted by more than 500 school childrenas well as Haitian Americancommunity leaders and sup por ters. Johnson departed Seattle on July 14 to raise awar eness of the needs of Haitian children with the goal of raising$1 million along the way . “The Bike for Haiti Kids has been challenging on many levels, but in the end a successbecause we have infor med and engaged thousands of people across the country on the issues facing the childrenof Haiti,” said Johnson. Councilman Jacques Despinosse presented Johnson with a city proclama-tion. The school’s principal Dr . Lilane Delbor welcomed Johnson to Miami and theschool and joined the studentsin cheering his ef for ts. INSPIRATION Haiti Kids Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives and futures of Haitian chil-dr en by providing safe living envir onments and life sustaining care.The foundation plans to direct all funds raised from the Bike For Haiti Kids project to supporting andextending the work of quality orphanages in and near Port-a-Prince. Long-term plans include developing neworphanages and pr ograms to strengthen living environments for all Haitian childr en. “My hope all along was that people will be inspired bythis ride to lear n more about the children of Haiti, and get involved in making life changingimpr ovements in their lives,” saidJohnson. “Even ifpeople contribute only a few dol-lars, that money will make a difference to a childin need.” T o find out mor e about the Haiti Kids Foundation, visit www.haitikidsfoundation.org U.S. gaming compan y in Antigua c loses shopCaribbean Today’s publisher gets lifetime achievement awardCyclist completes 4,000 miles in 40 days to raise awareness, resources to improve lives of Haiti’s children 8 CARIBBEAN TODAYSeptember 2006 NEWS NEWS www.caribbeantoday.com Street Address: 9020 SW 152nd Street, Miami, FL33157 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 6010 Miami, FL 331 16-6010. T elephone: (305 (305305 1-800-605-7516 E-mail: caribtoday@earthlink.net Send ads to: ct_ads@bellsouth.net V ol.17,Number 10 SEPT.2006 PETER AWEBLEY Publisher GORDON WILLIAMS Managing Editor DAMIAN P. GREGORY Deputy Managing Editor SABRINAFENNELL Graphic Artist DOROTHYCHIN Account Executive SUNDAYSELLERS Account Executive AMANDA ECHEVERRI Accounting ManagerCaribbean Media Source Media Representatives T OM JONAS 353 St. Nicolas Street, Suite 200 Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2Y 2P1 Tel: (514514 E-mail: tom@cmsworldmedia.com Jamaica Bureau MARIE GREGORY (876 P .O. Box 127, Constant Spring Kingston 8, JamaicaOpinions expressed by editors and writers are not necessarily those of the publisher. Caribbean Today , an independent news magazine, is published every month by Caribbean Publishing Services, Inc. Subscription rates are: US$20 per year (Bulk . Caribbean T oday is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or photos. To guarantee return, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Articles appearing in Caribbean Today may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor . Jesse Johnson is greeted by the students at the Toussaint L’ouverture Elementary School in Miami. Webley Sept2006.qxd 9/10/06 9:27 PM Page 8

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GORDON WILLIAMS Last month, reggae, the music which blossomed throughout the world after springing from itsCaribbean r oots in Jamaica, witnessed two important milestones – one good, the other sad. Most satisfying was that, for the first time in nearly adecade the musical festival“Reggae Sunsplash” r eturned with a tour that ran from its birthplace throughout theUnited States. On a sour note, r eggae lost one of its gr eatest ambassadors, Joseph Hill, leader of the group “Culture”, who died while on tour of Europe. No one needs to be convinced of reggae’s popularity today. The steady, intoxicating beat – heavy on dr um and bass that first generated attentionmor e than four decades ago, has sur vived admirably in the topsy turvy world of popular music. It has made a huge impact, and fans everywherehave lapped it up. It has helpedto put the Caribbean squar ely on the world music map. It is no surprise, for example, that the late Bob Marley’s CDs still sell briskly a quarter of a century after the music’s r ebel icon passed away . CHANGES T oday the music has wit nessed startling changes or influences. It has altered other musical genres as well. Along the way, dancehall – the deejay-flavored spin-off made popular by the likes of U-Roy, Shaggy, Beenie Man, and even one of Bob’s children Damion“Jr . Gong” Marley has for ced its way into main stream thought as well. Yet, sometimes, the message, so important to the early “roots” reggae promoters, includingMarley , Peter Tosh, Bunny W ailer , Culture and Burning Spear , has taken a bit of a back seat to mor e likeable lyrics and beats. Still the music’s core thrives. Now Sunsplash, which drooped into dormancy espe-cially following the death ofone of its founders, is on the mend. The start of the U.S. tour in Florida has given everyindication that the music is still satisfying to many , even with the limited dancehall influ ence. In W est Palm Beach, T ampa and Cocoa Beach, the crowds warmed to mellow sounds of Third World, MaxiPriest, T oots and the Maytals and headliners UB40. A group like Culture would have fit right in on aslate like that as well. Or would it? The r esponse of the audi ence on the early part of the U.S. Sunsplash tour said the bouncy mixture of reggae flavored with R&B and rock wasjust as tasty as anythingMarley could have conjur ed up. They danced in the aisles for Maxi Priest and rushed to the front of the stage to greet him when he climbed off-stage as part of his performance. GOOD RECEPTION Despite the less-thancapacity audiences at the Florida sites, the fans presentall embraced his hits as if theywer e rolling up today’s charts. The same reception was shower ed on Toots, Third World and UB40. If the reggae pitcher had been emptied in theU.S. due to the absence of Sunsplash, the tour was ser ving up a r efill with added flavor. But those audiences wer e predominantly white. While young black Americans – longa tar get of Bob Marley in his heyday have grabbed hold of dancehall’ s appeal, especially when tied to hip hop, theearly Sunsplash r eturns in the U.S. suggest that the mellow roots reggae is still struggling to get their attention. Yet that does not mean that the Sunsplash tour doest offer quality entertainment. When Third World, Priest, Toots and UB40appear on any show a myriadof hit tunes ar e bound to be unleashed. It’ s nice, clean enter tainment. The pr omoters must be pleased. The question is: should they be? Has the real force behind reggae, the protest edge that helped to launch its worldwide appeal,eluded the music after the departure of Marley and Tosh? Bunny Wailer once said: reggae is the music thatcar ries the message, it tells of histor y , the tr uth and the rights. Sweet love songs with catchy drum and bass are all right – great, even. But maybethe music is heading a tad bitwide of its original tar get. Has r eggae lost its sting? Now the death of Hill leaves even a bigger void. Thegr oup Cultur e, whose origin coincided with the launch of roots reggae with such telling songs as “Two Sevens Clash”, will carry on, at least for awhile without its influential lead singer. But the music’s old guard is disappearing. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet. It’ s time to celebrate Sunsplash’s return. It’ s reggae’s original shining symbol, a gr eat celebration still creating waves. Gordon Williams is Caribbean T oday’ s managing editor. Beginning Nov.1,2006 you may e-mail him at editor@caribbeantoday.com Is a fact, some women are high maintenance and cost an arm and a leg, plus tax, just to squire, wine and dinethem. Apparently there is some myth that it’s a man’s world andthat women r eally have it hard. That may be tr ue yes, that some women do have it hard, but so do the mass of men. W omen come into this world and everything is handed to them. They expect to bewined, dined and if they feel like, bedded, wooed. We allknow what wooing is, it meansto cour t a woman, to wit, spend a coil of money on her, feeding her, buying her foodthat she can eat and flowers that she can’t eat. It takes money to woo. But women are conditioned that men are supposed to pay for everything, and no amountof ar gument will ever con vince them otherwise. It can prove to be very expensive. Let’ s take a man and a woman who are involved somehow , both ear ning the same amount of money, or she even more. She gets pregnant.The man is expected to pay for all procedur es, all doctor visits,all medicine,hospital fee, pre and postnatal. Come delivery time,he better pray that it’sa natural birth too, andnot a C-sec tion, or it’ll take a few C notes to pay. This caught a good friend of mine who, as the saying goes, only ‘tief’ a piece had aone night stand with a coworker who wasn’t even his real woman either. She gotpr egnant, had some complica tions and had a C-section plus other surgical stuff at a privatehospital which cost the ear th. To this day that man rued that night when he stole forbidden fruit. The female produce market can be a very expen-sive place. The lady had a good job, plenty money, but society dictates that the man must spend on her . Be careful when you of fer to spend your life with a woman, all she hears is the wor d ‘spend’. After the child is born, there is this thing called childmaintenance, which the man better fork over every monthor he’ s hauled befor e the courts and shamed like dog. All school fees and such mustbe paid by him. “Who made these laws anyway, a woman?” was the cryof many men who I spoke to. EXPECTATIONS It’ s not that they want to shirk their responsibilities either, as children are expensive and many women can’t manage, but in many cases the woman has a big job withloads of cash, but just expectsthat the man must pay for everything. It doesn’t matterthat he’ s out of work, lost his job through redundancy or fallen on har d times. Many women are so locked into this maintenance syndrome, that their heartstur n to stone. No wonder you have the term, high maintenance women. “As you look pon some Reggae makes ’Splash High maintenance September 2006CARIBBEAN TODAY 9 VIEWPOINT VIEWPOINT www .caribbeantoday.com TONY ROBINSON (CONTINUED ON PAGE 10) Sept2006.qxd 9/10/06 9:27 PM Page 9

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The fun of reality Hey T ony , I found your article in Caribbean Today of July 2006 oman on top’) to be so interesting and hilarious. You ar e per fectly correct in your facts about the role that women play. Most men would not buy your arguments, butthat’ s sad for them if they can’t face reality. You are not bashing anyone, you just call a “spade a spade”, you just don’t sugar coat anything, you are my kind of a guy . I love you for that. I am a returning resident from the USA and it’ s so wonderful to be home irrespective of the negatives things that have been por-trayed about my blessed para dise. One love brother, Jean Grant (jgmgrant@yahoo.com) Beautifully written I sat in the doctor’s office on July 26, I star ted reading Caribbean T oda y , and on the second page (of the supplement) was an article writtenby T ony Robinson. I r ead the article. I must tell youthat for a long time I have not read anything as beautifully written as this article. I got so obsessed that I started turning the pages of all the papers looking for more. I found another one entitled oman on top”. I certainly enjoyed the writings.Today Iwent out looking for papers. The articles are excellent. Always DElSam (delsamcook@bellsouth.net girl so, yu know say dem is high maintenance, me can’t afford dat league,” say somemen as they look on wistfully and longingly at some beauti-ful women. Some women appear to be out of the leagues of manymen, leading some guys to resort to all sorts of schemesjust to get and hold them,including stealing. She expectsto have money lavished on her all the time. Don’t bother to show up at Miss Uptown’s house in an old bruk down carwith no money in your pocketand expect to take her out.And even if you manage to reach somewhere and wish tomake a commitment it’ s going to cost you, as is diamond ringdem want. Remember the old saying, “Diamonds are a girlsbest friend.” There’s this T.V. commercial for engagement rings that says, ‘If you really love her, is six months salary enough topr ove it?’ W omen don’t have that pr essur e. Mor tgage your life, for a little love. P A Y PER VIEW If perchance your eye catches a woman and you wish to take her out, be assured that it’ s you, the man, who spends. Y ou find transport to pick her up, take her to themovies, you pay as she walksin and heads straight for thecafeteria like nuh food nuhdeh at her yar d. Come intermission, she wants more, soyou pay again, and after the movie if you decide to go elsewhere, you pay again, coverchar ge, drinks, mor e food, the man pays. The irony is that some of these ladies could buy and sellthe man, as they have high powered, high paying jobs, butit is the unwritten law of their nature that man must mind them. Invite a woman to din-ner and it’ s the man who is expected to pay. All she has to do is say yes and sit and waitfor him. And when she or ders, it’ s the top of the line food too. No cur r y goat or ackee and salt fish, but food she can’ t even pr onounce. No Pepsi or Coke, but foreign wine, and of course, after the main course, the most expensive desert to finish off the guy. So much so that in somer estaurants ther e ar e separate menus for men and women. Guess which menu has theprices on it? The one for the man of course. She can blithe-ly or der anything she wants with no r egar d for the price. Meanwhile his brain is going, ka-ching, ka-ching, likea cash r egister , as she or ders. Very rarely does a woman say to a man, ‘hey let’s go outlater , my treat, I will pay for EVERYTHING’. It’s so rare, that when it happens, it’s a bigdeal. W omen cry for equality, but when it comes to paying, no way. That’s why some men don’t have many women any more. It’s just too expensive. STRA TEGY It’ s the norm for women to expect this from men. They sometimes hit hard and hit quickly , for as they meet the man, the sob stor y starts. “Listen, I know I just met you, and normally I don’t do this sort of thing, but I’m a little short this month, and the rentis due, soka-ching, ka-ching,ka-ching.” Either that or it’s, “The car is in the shop and I can’t even get it out as I’m a littleshor t this month.” Are there no tall women anymore, is everyone a littleshor t? Pity the man who starts to pay the rent or buy gro-ceries just to get the woman, for it’s precedent, and law is precedent, and it’s the lawthat men pay . Even if you get married and divorced, it costs the man,as the dr eaded alimony is another lifetime of living hell.Why can’ t she pay him alimo ny, after all her salary is more than his? It should be spelt allthemoney. That’s why somemen simply disappear , it’ s cheaper than getting divorced. Life is stacked against men in that department. From the daythey ar e bor n they ar e expect ed to pay for women. Y oung boys, saving up lunch money,walking home to save bus far e, starving, just to have money to take out girls. Why couldn’ t it be that it happens half andhalf, instead of the woman justsitting back and waiting to bemaintained? As for those spe cial days like Valentine’s and such, the man’s pocket betterbe deep. That’ s why men are so stressed out, die before women and leave them behindto spend the insurance money . High maintenance women drive so many men to their graves, from which they keep on paying. Ka-ching, ka-ching. seido1@hotmail.com High maintenance 10 CARIBBEAN TODAYSeptember 2006 VIEWPOINT VIEWPOINT www.caribbeantoday.com e talk of aCaribbeanSingle Market andEconom y, yet travel to Trinidad from say Barbados or vice versa r equires the completion of more forms than applying for a majorbank loan” President of the CaribbeanBroadcasting Union (CBU),Vic Fernandes commenting last month on thewa y nationals are still being treated as aliens when they go toother countries in the region. To say that my objective stability has gotten consider-a bly better would not be a lie. T o affirm that my recuperation will not tak e long would be absolutely incorrect” Cuba’sPresidentFidel Castrodelivering a message to the Cuban peoplelast month to be optimistic about his health,but to be prepared for any bad news. “Once they point guns at y ou,you have to take them out” Guyana’ s President Bharrat J agdeo last month calling on thesecurityforces to usewhatever means neces-sary to takebac k control of the crime situation in the country. “Whatever numero uno says goes.I am saying we must corr ect that” Trinidad and T obago’s former President Sir Ellis Clarke sa ying recently that too much power hasbeen placedin the handsof everyprime minis ter since the oil rich republic attainedIndependence in 1962. Compiled from CMC and other sources. (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9) Sept2006.qxd 9/10/06 9:27 PM Page 10

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BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC The Barbados-basedCaribbean Examination Council (CXCdate entries and unit entriesfor the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination(CAPE cant incr ease for 2006 over last year. It said that unit entries increased by 36 percent, from43,993 in 2005 to 69,018 entriesthis year , while candidate entries also increased by approximately 30 per cent from 13,651 in 2005 to 19,019 this year . Communication studies became the first CAPE subjectto surpass the 10,000 candidatesmark, with 10,218 entries thisyear . Other units with large entries wer e Caribbean studies (7,259 one (4,413business unit one (3,878sociology unit one (3,670 In 16 of the 43 units exam ined, more than 90 percent of the candidates achieved GradesI to V , while in 14 of the units more than 80 percent achieved Grades I to V. Only in two units did less than 60 percent of thecandidates obtained acceptablegrades. These wer e Computer science unit two (54 per cent) and law unit two (50 percent CXC said. It said there were improved per formance in French unit, communication studies, histor y, biology, accounting, pure mathematics and electrical and elec tr onic technology. CXC said that candidates who completed seven CAPE units this year are eligible for the CXC associate degrees. “The degr ees will be based on per formance in both the 2005 and 2006 sittings. Candidates must have com pleted seven units including Caribbean studies and commu-nication studies and must haveachieved Grades I to V in eachunit”, it added. CXC reports big growth in CAPE entries in the Caribbean September 2006CARIBBEAN TODAY 11 EDUCATION EDUCATION / / YOUTH YOUTH www .caribbeantoday.com MARVIN HOKSTAM TORONTO, Canada, CMC St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglassays gr eater efforts would be needed to get young people ofthe Caribbean to adopt pr eventive measures against the deadly HIV/AIDS vir us. “Our goal is to devise a new strategic framework (for the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS, PAN-CAP), one with continuingef for ts at pr evention,” said Douglas, the CARICOM spokesman on HIV/AIDS and PANCAP chairman. “Because even though we see a decrease in prevalence, there are still 70 percent of our young people not taking measures to protect themselves and that are putting themselves arisk of being infected with thedisease. W e need to repackage the pr omotional aspect of our ef forts.” Douglas was attendingthe 16th InternationalAIDSConfer ence here and helddiscussions with formerUnited StatesPr esident Bill Clinton. He said the meeting with Clinton wasto r equest assistance fr om the Clinton Foundation in devis ing and executing the new strategic framework. “I have extended an invitation to Mr. Clinton to attendour next ‘Champions forChange’ gathering,” said theprime minister . Clinton has said that the Caribbean is making pr ogress in the fight against HIV and AIDS. The first Champions for Change gathering was held inSt. Kitts in November 2004and it is being hailed as a“landmark event” that brought together a wide crosssection of Caribbean parlia-mentarians, cultural andspor ting icons and r epresentatives of non-gover nmental or ganizations in an ef for t to stimulate debate on the dis ease in the Caribbean. The next gathering is scheduled for Barbados and according toDouglas the aim is to get Caribbean media on board. Caribbean youth still careless about HIV/AIDS ~ Douglas ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC The Dominica government says it will intr oduce alter native sentencing for young offenders as it seeks to deal with a gr ow ing prison population. Attorney General Ian Douglas said that the Community Services Order pilot project would allow law enforcement authorities togive an alter native to a jail term for minor crimes. He explained that the project could be implementedby October and would help reduce the over crowding situ-ation at the lone prison. There are more than 310 prisoners at the Stock Farmprison, just on the outskir ts of the capital. Superintendent of Prisons Algernon Charter earlier this year expr essed concer n over the growing number of young people in prison. Charter has also welcomed the introduction of the pilot program, saying it would also reduce government’s spending on the prison. “I think it’s a good move for us and it is something that we always wanted. It is goingto cost the gover nment much more to maintain an inmate as opposed to making them do community service,” he said. Douglas said the pilot program would help in the rehabilitation of prisoners. Dominica introducing alternative to prison terms for young offenders Clinton Sept2006.qxd 9/10/06 9:27 PM Page 11

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TORONTO, Canada, CMC Thr ee international foundations have come together to pump $1 million into a Caribbean-wide media cam-paign on HIV/AIDS. The Ford Foundation and the Elton John Foundationannounced last month thatthey would be joining with the Kaiser Family Foundation to support the operations of the Caribbean Broadcasters Media Partnership onHIV/AIDS, the r egion’s first media-led initiative on HIV/AIDS. e know that the media is our most power ful tool to get out information and change attitudes. I am delighted that my foundation, in conjunction with our partners Kaiser and Ford, will work directly with Caribbeanbr oadcasters to help educate their audiences, pr omote tolerance, and change the public dialogue about this epidemic,” Sir Elton John, founder of theElton John Foundation said. Also speaking at the International AIDS Conference in Toronto, where the announcement was made, Ford Foundation executive Dr. JacobGayle said: “Media is a central par t of Caribbean communication and cultur e. It is well placed to bring HIV/AIDS concer n and awareness into the households, hear ts and actions of our families and communi ties.” LEVERAGE Dr. Allyson Leacock, head of the seven member broadcasters steering commit-tee and general manager ofthe Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation , said the collaborative effort was a way toleverage communication power to raise awareness,fight stigma and intoleranceand suppor t people already suf fering with the disease. She said the 30 television and radio stations operating in 22 regional countries who were involved in the partnership were committed to reserving a minimum of 30seconds per hour 12 minutesper day for HIV/AIDS messages acr oss all program genr es, including news, public affairs and entertainment. The strategy involved a panCaribbean public service cam-paign; original HIV -themed entertainment, such as soap operas; program workshops for writers, producers and on-air talent; jour nalist train ings and briefings and complementary information sources. The partnership was launched in May. Haitian seniors get medical help in Miami Many people who are not af fected migraine headaches, a legitimate health condition, continue to believe common-ly-held myths about migraine. According to the National Headache Foundation (NHFin the United States, some of the more common myths areas follows: Myth:Caffeine cannot help relieve a migraine. F act: For cer tain migraine suf ferers, caffeine is a migraine inhibitor , for others it is a trig ger.Keeping a headache diary can help determinewhether caf feine helps or hur ts your migraine. Caf feine is found naturally and as an additive in coffee, tea, choco-late, cola, cer tain soft drinks, and some pain relieving and acute migraine medications. Myth:Migraines are not trigged by stress. F act: Str ess is a commonly r ecognized trigger of migraines. Str ess can be physical or emo tional. It can be good or bad. It is an unavoidable par t of modern life. Events causing emotional str ess can trigger a migraine headache.Migraine sufferers ar e thought to have highly sensitized brains. In times of emotional str ess, certain chemicals ar e r eleased that provoke the vascular changes that can cause a migraine headache.Factors related to stress include anxiety, worry, shock, depr ession, excitement, and mental fatigue. After a stressful period there may be a letdown which can, in itself, trigger a migraine headache. Myth:Regular exercise may not help reduce migraine frequency. F act: For those who suf fer from chronic, recurringmigraines, exer cise can either provoke an attack or lessen the fr equency and severity of these headaches. If exercise orphysical strain induce aheadache, it is impor tant to see a healthcare provider. Maintaining a r egular exercise pr ogram can r educe the number of headaches and contribute to overall good health. Dispelling migraine myths from fact Foundations pump $1 million into media HIV/AIDS campaign September 2006CARIBBEAN TODAY 13 HEALTH HEALTH www .caribbeantoday.com Sir Elton John Headaches can make life uncomfortable. Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez,in par tnership with the Miami-Dade CountyDepar tment of Health’s Consortium for a Healthier Miami-Dade and the Alliance for Aging, recently hosted the “Haitian Wellness Expo for Seniors” at the Haitian Emmanuel Baptist Church inMiami. More than 250 seniors attended the expo to learn about improving their health and quality of life.They also participated in tai chi classes,and blood pr essur e, glucose and cholesterol screenings. “The initiative’s events pr ovide much needed infor mation to seniors r egarding the existence of fr ee or low-cost health, safety and fitness resources.Our goal is to fos-ter healthy lifestyles and reduce the risk of disease,” said Mayor Alvarez.“The initia-tive’ s ultimate goal is to eliminate all barriers to healthcare, thus impr oving the health of the communityoverall.” The “Mayor’s Initiative on Aging: To Life!” is the result of apublic and privatepar tnership of or ganizations dedicated to thewellbeing ofMiami-Dade County residents 55 and over.During 2006, aseries of pr omotional, educational and fitness activities will beheld exclusivelyto engage MiamiDade’s senior residents.This public awareness campaign will have a minimum of 12 mainmonthly events designed toencourage positive aging. For more information about the mayor s initiative, call 305-375-3333 or visit www.mayorsinitiativeonaging.com (CONTINUED ON P AGE 14) Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez,left,presents a key to the county to Dr .Rony Francois,secretary of health,Florida Department of Health. Sept2006.qxd 9/10/06 9:27 PM Page 13

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Caribbean countries seeking to introduce smoking laws for Cricket World Cup 2007 14 CARIBBEAN TODAYSeptember 2006 HEALTH HEALTH www.caribbeantoday.com BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC Some Caribbean coun tries have signaled their inten tion to introduce legislation banning smoking in public places in time for next year’s Cricket World Cup. This was the wor d coming out of the r ecently concluded meeting of the Caribbean com munity (CARICOM World Cup Health SectorSubcommittee, which was heldin Barbados late last month. Chairman of the Subcommittee, Barbados’sMinister of Health Dr . Jerome W alcott, said both Barbados and St. Lucia wer e moving in the direction of banning smoking in public places, while Grenada’s Minister of Health,Senator Ann David Antoine, said her country also intended to introduce similar legislation. FIN AL ST AGES Walcott said Barbados’s legislation was in its final stages and should be laid inthe Parliament in October . “Anti-smoking legislation is before Chief ParliamentaryCounsel Shirley Belle for finetuning. The legislation hasbeen much talked about forsome time and we have haddiscussions with the various stakeholders,” Walcott told members of the press at theend of the meeting. He said the International Cricket Council had stipulated that there would be no smok-ing at stadiums except in desig nated ar eas, but those regulations would be superseded by a country’s legislation in cases where that legislation existed. In the case of Grenada, Antoine said while they planned to introduce the legislation, it was not at a stagewher e it could be taken to Parliament for discussion. “Grenada is one of the countries that has r esponded to the r equest to address the issue of smoking in public places. We are very concernedabout the public health issue at it relates to smoking in public. There is also the issue ofsafety ,” she said. V ictor Roach, president of the Caribbean Chapter of the International Committee for the Prevention of Alcohol and Drug Dependency, told the Caribbean Media Corporation his organization would continue its lobbying to ensure thatr egional countries introduced legislation pr ohibiting public smoking. W ith regards to the CWC 2007, he said the previous tournament in South Africa was smoke-free and there was no reason why this should not be the case in the Caribbean next year. Dispelling migraine myths from fact Myth:Dietary supplements cannot be helpful in migraine treatment. Fact: Those suffering from frequent migraines may have a low magnesium level.Magnesium has a r elaxant effect on smooth muscle, such as in blood vessels. Daily sup-plementation of 500 mg to 750 mg increases the body’s mag-nesium level. Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) assists nerve cells in the production of ATP, an energy producing sub-stance, which is essential formany chemical r eactions to occur in the body.High doses of riboflavin (400 mg. is rec-ommended) may r everse cells’ “ener gy crisis” during migraine attacks. Myth:Migraines are not trigger ed by a lack of sleep . Fact: Migraine can be triggered by lack of sleep.Go to sleep at the same time ever y night and wake up the same time each morning, includingon weekends. This maintainsthe body’ s natural cir cadian rhythm. Myth:Migraines cannot be trigged by exposure to smoke, odors or perfume . Fact: Certain fumes and vapors can initiate a migraineheadache. Per fumes ar e also often a culprit.Being in public places which are smoke-filled or poorly ventilated can result in the onset of amigraine. Myth:Migraines do not run in families Fact: Migraines can be hereditar y . If one parent has migraine, the child has a 50 percent chance of having them.If both parents have them, there is a 75 percent chance the child will developmigraine and if even a distant relative has migraines, there is a 20 percent chance the childwill also experience them. “Because migraine is an often misunderstood disease, it is important to dispel myths that may contribute to the confusion,” said NationalHeadache Foundation Executive Director Suzanne E. Simons.“It is our hopethat this ef for t will fur ther the understanding that migraine is neuro-biologic disease.” For more information on headache causes and treat-ments, visit www.headaches.org or call 1888-NHF-5552 (Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST). National Headache F oundation HEALTH BRIEFS Cubans setting up regional eye f acility Cuba is assisting in the establish ment of a state-of-the-art regional eye care facility to be based in St. Lucia,Prime Minister Dr.Kenny Anthony has confirmed. The prime minister said last month that plans were “proceeding apace”for the establishment of the ultra-modern ophthalmology centerwhich would provide expert ser vices to pa tients from neighboring islands through Cuba’s Miracle eye care project “Plan Milag. HIV/AIDS battle may be lost Marcus Day ,head of the Caribbean Drug Research Institute (CDRI says the war against the HIV/AIDSvirus will be lost if the authorities fail to adopt critical measures to help young people protect them-selves a gainst the pandemic. e have to depend less on promoting the theory of abstinence,and that young people should stay away from sex,saidDay ,who has called for condoms to be made a vailable in schools and health centers on demand. Cuba upgrades nursing program for St.Lucians The Cuban government has agreed to upgrade its scholarship nursing program to allow St. Lucians studying in that countryto obtain higher qualifica tions,St. Lucia’s administration announced. The government also revealed it would be recruiting another 100 students to help fill the island’soriginal quota of scholarshipsoffered by Ha vana. Compiled from CMC and other sources. (CONTINUED FROM P AGE 13) Sept2006.qxd 9/10/06 9:27 PM Page 14

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TITLE: SWEET HANDS: ISLAND COOKING FROM TRINIDAD & TOBAGOAUTHOR: RAMINGANESHRAMREVIEWED BY : DAWN A. DAVIS Food reflects culture. And, when a culture is as diverse as the Caribbean’ s, the cuisine is bound to be as varied, andexotic. Sweet Hands is more than just a cookbook. Not only does the author showcase theenticing ethnic cuisine of the twin island republic, she cleverly inter twines the history and folklor e that surrounds a par ticular dish. Born in New York to a T rinidadian father and Iranian mother, RaminGaneshram goes back to herr oots through the culinary arts of the Caribbean islandknown for car nival and “doubles”, a tasty br eakfast treat or late-night snack of spicy chickpeas served between twopieces of fried dough. JUST TWO HANDS If you ever crave “T rini” food, but don’t know where tofind it, well this book is foryou. Its simple dir ections, with accompanying pictures and fascinating stories on the ori-gin and tradition behind the recipe, ensure a successfulmeal. No complicated equip ment needed, just your two hands, some provisions, flour,fish, meat, etc. Adding to the book’s allure is how cleverly Ganeshramweaves her own family storiesbetween the pages, giving eachr ecipe a personal touch. We lear n of her father, Krisnaram, who watched the women in his Trinidadian household cook in“coal pots” under the housethat sat high on stilts. He watched them bake the breadshe so loved, yet his hands just weren’t “set for it”, until yearslater when he migrated to NewY ork. He became a prophetic baker . MELTING POT Trinidad is a melting pot of Indian, African, Chineseand other cultur es. Africans are descendants of the West African slaves brought to the New World, while the largeIndian population is a r esult of the indentured servants brought to the island by the British after the abolition ofslaver y . They br ought with them their foods and religions. The mixture created a blend of tastes unique to Trinidad. In fact, no household is complete without Indian curry,W est African callaloo (a root food used for its leaves) andfried rice. From street foods (cooked and served roadsideto soups, vegetables, and black cake, the reader can pick and choose from well-or ganized sections. There is even a glossar y that defines the unique Caribbean foods. Ever heard of “Buss Up Shut”? Check page 116 for detailed preparation techniques. Trinidad’s famous corn soup, a staple during carnivaltime, is not left out; neither isr oti, a favorite among many Caribbean people. V egetarians too will feel quite at home with this cookbook. With recipes like dal puri, a tasty bread filled withspicy cooked lentils, andbr eadfr uit oil-down, stewed breadfruit with spices like hot pepper, scallions, and thymecooked in coconut milk, thenon-car nivor e can pr epare delicious and nutritious meals. WORTH ITS SALT Thr oughout the book, Ganeshram highlights many old traditions, some that are sadly “heading dangerously close to culturalsubjugation to computersand televisions”. Onesuch tradition is “Dancing the Cocoa”, where villagers walk through cocoa beans spread out on level ground in order to “polish” them before being roasted and ground to make cocoasticks. The payof f is a nice steaming cup of “cocoatea”, a Caribbean favorite. Speaking of traditions, no Caribbean cookbook would be worth its salt without a mention of rum punch, ginger beer, and sorrel. Well, Ganeshram does these bever-age r ecipes justice and even adds some appetite-whettingdrinks such as mango wine,soursop punch and sugar cane wine. Of course, the Trinidadian aromatic bitters that gives mostdrinks (worldwideoomph, Angostura Bitters,takes pride of place with a little history. Manufactured under a veil of secrecy since 1824, “thebitter ingr edients ar rive by ship to Port of Spain and are stored in a special warehouse that is guarded at all times. There are never any markings on any bag,box, or label to give even a hint as to the contents of those precious containers,” cites Ganeshram. Sweet Hands is filled with much mor e interesting historical tidbits. So, what will you get from this book? Hopefully “sweet hands”, the highest complement a cook canr eceive, and a little “lagniappe” (extrain Jamaica. PUBLISHER:Hippocrene Books,Inc. Dawn A.Davis is a freelance writer for Caribbean Today. ‘Sweet Hands’ stir tasty tradition into a Caribbean September 2006CARIBBEAN TODAY 15 FOOD FOOD www.caribbeantoday.com Sept2006.qxd 9/10/06 9:27 PM Page 15

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Internationally acclaimed veteran artiste Joseph Hill,the lead singer of the r eg gae group “Culture”, died last month in Berlin, Germanywhile in the middle of a European tour. Hill, who was bor n in the central parish of St. Catherine,Jamaica in 1949, began his career in music at the leg-endar y Studio One. He found ed the reggae group in 1976 and r ecor ded songs written in response to the State of Emergency declared by the Jamaican government in that year . Hill was the leadvoice behindhits such as wo Sevens Clash”, a ref-er ence to the numerological coinci dence of July 7, 1977; “Natty Never Get Weary” and “Stop the Fussingand Fighting”. Hill, who last performed at Reggae Sunsplash inJamaica last month, had over 22 albums to his credit. DAWN A. DAVIS Come Oct. 8 Miami’ s Bicentennial Park on Biscayne Boulevard will once again be the venue for the Miami Carnival 2006Parade & Festival. Celebrating its 22nd anniversary, the climacticevent brings to a close a two-week long series of fetes and special events that showcases colorful mas bands, gyratingbodies, and the latest in soca. Historically plagued with logistical problems and lack of a venue they could call “home”, organizers seem to have found some stability, atleast for the time being, attheir new location in Bicentennial Park. With ade-quate space for vendors, r evelers, and enough “road” toshowcase the bands as theyenter the park, this year s carnival should be smooth sailing. ORGASMIC Miami Carnival season actually kicked off in July with a free fete with music byMiami and Orlando DJs,steelband music, par tying, and costume displays at Haulover Beach in Miami. Revelers will get a preview of the or gasmic parade thatdraws thousandswith a Mini Carnival CostumeParade at BaysideHut, KeyBiscayne on Sept.23. Billed as a arm-Up and T aste of Miami Car nival” mas bands and steel bands, the Miami Pan Symphony, the TambooBamboo Steel Or chestra, Miami DJs and a host of ven-dors with ar ts and crafts and Caribbean food will come together in this appetite whet-ting event. To gear up for the ultimate party, here is a rundownof other fetes that will build up to the road march: STEELBAND PANORAMA JAMBOREE & J’OUVERT PARADE Friday, Oct. 6 Hialeah Park, 2201 E. 4th Avenue, Hialeah INTERN ATIONAL CARIBBEAN MUSIC FESTIVAL Saturday, Oct. 7, Bicentennial Park J’OUVERT & BREAKFAST Satur day, Oct. 7 MIAMI CARNIVAL 2006 PARADE & FESTIVAL CARICOM CONSULAR VILLAGE MACHEL MONTANO & XTATIK Sunday , Oct. 8 The parade starts at noon at N.E. 36th Str eet and N.E. Second Avenue. It proceeds south on N.E. Second Avenue,east on N.E. 19th Str eet, south on N.E. Fourth Avenue andinto Bicentennial Park. Festivities in the park continue until 11 p.m. Dawn A.Davis is a freelance writer for Caribbean Today. Culture’s lead singer dies while on Euro tour KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – “One Love”, the popular reg-gae song by the late Jamaican singer Bob Marley, has been voted the “Top Foreign Song” by a foreign-based magazine. According to the Conde Nast Traveler magazine, mor e than 12,000 r eaders chose the song by the legendar y Marley as the top tune. The September edition of the magazine carries an article entitled “Around the Worldin 50 songs” in which it allowed readers to pick thetop 50 tunes. Jour nalist Jim Farber, who wr ote the article, said “One Love” was selected as top song for its powerful evocation of Jamaica’s hopes forpeace. “Bob Marley’s sumptuous melody and caring vocal stand as testaments to the island’sfinest r esour ces and aspirations,” he said. “One Love”, which was designated the Song of theMillennium by the BritishBr oadcasting Corporation (BBC by the Jamaica Tourist Board in its adver tising campaign for many years. “The popularity of an identity that reggae and BobMarley generate made it easy to select ‘One Love’ as Jamaica’s advertising theme. It brings instant r ecognition as consumers around the world connect. So it’ s a per fect fit,” said Donny Dawson, Jamaica’s interim director of tourism. ‘One Love’ voted op Foreign Song’ KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMCInter nationally acclaimed dancehall artiste Rodney “Bounty Killer” Pr yce was arrested by the police last month following a show in the easter n parish of St. Thomas. Bounty Killer was taken into custody by the police after he reportedly used expletives and blasted police of ficers who had earlier taken action against some ar tistes on the “Saddle to the East” show who had also used expletives. However, his arrest did not go down well with some residents from the community ofGrants Pen inthe parish whoblocked the road to protest against hisar rest. Police granted bail to the singer . He appear ed in cour t late last month to answer to char ges of using abusive and indecent language and pleaded not guilty . He is slated to r etur n to court on Oct. 4 Bounty Killer arrested in JamaicaPlay mas with Miami Carnival 16 CARIBBEAN TODAYSeptember 2006 Marley Hill Bounty Killer Miami Carnival is time to get dressed up and jam. ARTS ARTS / / ENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT www.caribbeantoday.com Sept2006.qxd 9/10/06 9:27 PM Page 16

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TODD N. ROSENBERG & MICHAELROSENBERG Because of various con cer ns such as privacy, confidentiality , avoidance of pr obate and protecting beneficiaries fr om the claims of potential creditors, many foreigners decide that leaving theirfor eign assets in an intervivos revocable trust is an appropriate planning strategy when United States per-son beneficiaries are involved. Many tax practitioners would agree with this overall conclusion,but one shouldalways note thateach situation should be considered separatelyand additional planning willmost likely be necessar y upon the passing of the grantor. Upon the passing of the grantor, and if the trust remains foreign (for example, due tothe fact that the tr ust continues to be gover ned by the laws of a for eign jurisdiction), said tr ust will become an irrevocable foreign non-grantor tr ust, and in this situation, various U.S.income tax consequences willarise. In the case of a foreign nongrantor trust, foreign sourceincome and for eign source capital gains ar e generally not subject to U.S. income tax. Special source rules apply to foreign persons so that even gain, forinstance, fr om the sale of shares in a U.S. corporation, can constitute foreign source capital gain. Capital gains are taxable to such a trust if said gains result from the disposition of a U.S. real property interest (USRPI or if such gains are effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business (ECI MODIFICATIONS A U.S. person beneficiary of such a trust must include in his or her gross income theamount of the tr ust’s income which is r equired to be distributed, or is other wise properly paid or credited to the beneficiary during the taxable year, to the extent of the tr ust’ s distributable net income (DNI Simply put, DNI is the foreign trust’s taxable income with spe-cial modifications. Thus, the maximum amount of the tr ust’s current income that may be taxable to any U.S. person beneficiary willbe the amount of the tr ust’s DNI allocated to said beneficiary. In the case of a for eign non-grantor trust, foreign source income and any net cap-ital gains ar e included in DNI pursuant to rules that modify the starting taxable income base.If such income or netcapital gain is distributed in the tax year earned (or within 65 GUYANA BATS FOR DIGICEL KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC Jamaica’ s economy grew by nearly three percent during the period April to June this year, according to Director General of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ. Wesley Hughes. He said the 2.8 per cent growth was as a result of the strong recovery in agriculture and tourism. The tourism sector grew by 19.5 per cent, with tourists spending some J$447 million ($6.7 million month period, while the agricultural sector recovered froma sever e drought to record a 17 percent growth. Hughes said the str ong per formance of the agriculture sector was due to mor e favorable weather conditions, which saw domestic crop production growing by 24.2 percent, while export crop pro-duction incr eased by 15.8 percent. The mining sector also had a significant tur naround, with a 1.4 per cent increase after two consecutive quarters of decline. Hughes said the increased demand for alumina in China,which is experiencing a boom in its productive sectors,impr oved mining technolo gies, and a more stable industrial environment, resulted in Jamaica’s economy grows by nearly 3%A tax tip to ponder for beneficiaries, foreign estates in the United States September 2006CARIBBEAN TODAY 17 www .caribbeantoday.com Hughes Guy ana’ s President Bharra t Ja gdeo, left, receives a cricket ba t signed by members of the Digicel-sponsored W est Indies cricket team from Colm Delves, chief execu tive officer of Digicel Group last month.Delves was informed by the Guyana government that Digicel will receive a license to offer Guyana technology and mobile telecommunications services.The new license will also expand the company into South America. BUSINESS BUSINESS (CONTINUED ON PAGE 18) (CONTINUED ON PAGE 18) Sept2006.qxd 9/10/06 9:27 PM Page 17

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NEW YORK, CMC International rating agency, Standard & Poor’s, has main-tained healthy financial ratingsfor T rinidad and Tobago. While war ning that a significant incr ease in government’s already “high level” of fiscal spending could lead to a reversal, the agency last month affirmed its ‘A-’ long-term foreign and ‘A+’ long-term local currency sovereign credit ratings for theoil-rich Caribbean countr y. Additionally , the agency maintained the countr s ‘A-2’ short-term foreign and ‘A-1’ short-term local currency sovereign credit rating. Roberto Sifon Arevalo, the agency’s credit analyst, said the ratings reflected continuing surpluses in the republic’s fiscal and exter nal accounts which stood at 30 percent of gross domestic product in 2005, and it is estimated to reach a high 33 percent of GDP in 2006. “This per formance along with T rinidad and T obago’s political and macroeconomic stability, high energy prices, and increased output-boost pol-icy flexibility underpin str ong economic gr owth prospects over the medium term,”Ar evalo said. SLO W GO The credit analyst said the expansionary fiscal stance was accompanied with slow development and tax reductions in the more labor-intensive non-ener gy sector, increases the non-ener gy deficit (overall deficit minus ener gy revenue) to 16 percent of GDP in 2005 from eight percent of GDP in 2004. “This performance highlights the country’s heavy exposure to changes in energyprices, a risk that is compound ed by lar ge increases in government expenditur e. However, general government and public sector debt continue to decline on both a gross and a netbasis,” he said. Net general government debt was 2.8 percent of GDP in 2005, and the government is expected to r each a net creditor position of 1.0 percent of GDP in 2006, far better than the ‘A median’s 30 percent net debtor position, he said. Ar evalo said the stable outlook balanced the expecta tion that external and fiscal trends would remain positive and that the growing Heritageand Stabilisation Fund (HSFwould pr ovide an increasingly important buffer for theopen, days thereafter), the “character” of such distributions (e.g., ordinary income, capital gain,etc.) will flow thr ough to the U.S. person beneficiaries. If such income or net capi tal gain is not distributed cur r ently , thus potentially avoiding a current U.S. income tax at the trust’s level, adverse conse-quences will arise when the trust later distributes to a U.S. person beneficiary any suchaccumulated amounts. The so-called “accumulation throwback rules” are beyond the scope of this ar ticle, but any U.S. person beneficiar y of a for eign non-grantor tr ust that is accumulating or is thinking about accumulating incomeor net capital gains should seekimmediate counsel. On the other hand, if a U.S. person beneficiary receives a distribution from a foreign estate that generates for eign sour ce income and net capital gains, there is a viable argument that the U.S. person beneficiary will be in a better position from a U.S. income tax point of view than if said bene-ficiar y r eceived the same distri bution fr om a for eign nongrantor tr ust. In fact, the r esult may be the r eceipt of income or gains U.S. tax-free. Consider the following situation: A foreign non-grantor trust holds the deceased grantor’s for-eign vacation house which has a basis of $500,000.The trust holds the property for a few years when the trustee decides to sell the asset in or der to pr oduce liquidity so that a monetary distribution can be made to the U.S. person beneficiary. Presume a $1,000,000 gain on the sale of the property andthe tr ustee makes a $1,500,000 distribution to the U.S. person beneficiar y . Although such gain is not consider ed taxable income to the trust for U.S. income tax purposes, the realized capitalgain will be included in the trust’s DNI and if distributed in the same year realized (or within 65 days thereafter), the U.S. person beneficiary will be subject to tax on the $1,000,000 gain (which gain will maintain itscharacter as capital gain). LOSING GAINS If the distribution is not made in the year the capitalgain is r ealized, but is made in a subsequent year , the distribu tion will lose its capital gain tr eatment and will also be sub ject to the adverse accumulation throwback rules. If instead, it was a foreign estate and not a foreign trustwhich sold the vacation house, aviable ar gument exists that the entir e distribution to the U.S. person beneficiar y could be U.S. income tax fr ee.Foreign estates are generally subject to U.S. income tax in the same manner as nonresident alien individuals.Nonresident alien individuals are generally notsubject to U.S. income taxation on foreign source income or capital gains (unless said gain is ECI or fr om the disposition of a USRPI). Unlike a for eign nongrantor trust, the computation of a foreign estate’s DNI does not include foreign source income or realized capital gains.In this respect and incomparison to the exampleabove, the $1,000,000 gain should not be included in the for eign estate’ s DNI. Therefore, the distribution should not be taxable to the U.S. person beneficiary as the maximum amount of the distri-bution that would be taxable tosaid U.S. person beneficiar y would be the amount of theestate’ s DNI, which in this case would be zer o. If you or a loved-one are a U.S. person taxpayer and are the beneficiary of a foreign non-grantor trust or a foreignestate, U.S. tax counsel shouldbe consider ed to guide you or your loved-one thr ough the complex U.S. tax r ules. Michael Rosenberg is a shareholder and Todd Rosenberg is an associate with the Coral Gables law firm of Packman, Neuwahl& Rosenberg and can be reached at 305-665-3311. PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC T rinidad and Tobago is seeking to capitalize on the interest generated by the Soca W arriors’ participation in the 2006 World Cup soccer finals in Germany to drive European investment in its non-energysectors. Trade and Industry Minister Ken Valley said the twin-island republic is sending a mission to European capitals since investors ther e have been expressing a lot of inter est about investment opportunities in Trinidad and Tobago in the aftermath of the tournament. The minister said the mission will play a main par t in the gover nment’s economic diversification thrust by focusing mainly on laying the groundwork for these European nations to invest in the country’s non-energy sector. The mission is to be made up of government officials as well as public and private sector representatives from organizations inthe ener gy and non-energy sectors of the economy. Additionally V alley said efforts are being made to ascertain if former national football captain Dwight Yorke will be willing to be part ofthe mission. He said FIF A VicePresident Jack Warner will also be welcomed to join the missionif he chose to do so. However, when contacted last month W arner said no one had invited him to be par t of the mission. V alley said the Sept. 4-22 tour include Ireland, Germany, Spain, France and England. Theminister said other investmentmissions will be sent to the FarEast and Latin America. a 7.7 percent increase in bauxite production in Jamaica. STR UGGLE Manufacturing and construction however, continued to struggle, as cement produc-tion had declined by mor e than 19 percent, causing a corresponding 3.5 percent drop inactivity in the constr uction sector. Hughes said that the posi tive macroeconomic performance should be seen within thecontext of low inflation rate of 2.8 percent, stability in the foreign currency exchange rate and increased revenueintake, which was J$1 billion ($15.1 millionjected. “The fiscal deficit has perfor med better than pr ojected at J$2.5 billion ($30.3 million less than programmed andJ$4.5 billion ($60.6 million) less than recorded in the cor responding period of 2005 and that is moving in the right direction,” he explained. He predicted that “the economy will remain positive for the future quarter” owing to “the continued growth in tourism and agriculture and a return to expansion in con-str uction sector , should be the main domestic drivers.” T&T keeps healthy rating from Standard & Poor’sA tax tip to ponder for beneficiaries,foreign estates T&T using soccer hype to attract European investmentsJamaica’ s economy grows by 3% 18 CARIBBEAN TODAYSeptember 2006 Yorke W arner BUSINESS BUSINESS www.caribbeantoday.com (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17) (CONTINUED FROM P AGE 17) Sept2006.qxd 9/10/06 9:27 PM Page 18

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GORDON WILLIAMS Just months after his most successful season as a pr ofessional soccer player , Jamaican inter national Fabian Dawkins was forced to the sidelines following a knee injury which threatened his promising career. Now he is on the road back. Just days before Dawkins faced South Florida’ s Miami F .C. on Aug. 25 he was given the gr een light by doctors to play the entire game for his club the Atlanta Silverbacks,which competes with Miami F.C. and 10 other teams in America’s United SoccerLeagues (USL game, doctor’s orders restrict-ed him to the bench and limit ed appearances as a substitute. “I just got cleared from the doctor (Aug. 23full match,” a happy Dawkinstold Caribbean Today prior to his depar ture for Miami for a game at T ropical Park on Aug. 27 which featured other Caribbean players such asJamaican Sean Fraser andHaiti’ s Stephan Guillaume, plus teammate MachelMillwood, who is alsoJamaican. BATTLE Dawkins believes his full r ecovery could not have come soon enough. The Silverbacks ar e locked in a battle to secure a USL playoff berth. Consecutive losses to Miami late last month provedto be major setbacks for the Atlanta, Georgia-based club, which dropped from the sixth and final playoff spot to seventh following the second straight loss a 7-1 thrashing -to Miami. However, the forward/ midfielder who last represent-ed Jamaica versus the United States in a friendly international in April, is looking forward to recapturing the form that resulted in 15 goals andfour assists in 26 games and aspot on the USL All-League First Team last season. He isalso focused on playing at ahigher level in the futur e. The USL is the second-tier professional competition in the U.S. “Right now I’m coming of f injur y . My immediate plan is to get 100 percent fit,” Dawkins explained. “Fr om there, I’d love to move on to a higher standard somewhere in Europe. My main goal is toplay (for Jamaica World Cup.” Dawkins injured himself on May 16, 2006 while training with the Silverbacks. An MRI showed medial and lateralmeniscus tear in his right knee. He had sur ger y to r epair the damage on May 23. He returned to the team in June and by late July describedhimself as being to 75 per cent” fit. However , through the end of last month he had still to make any starts for the team. “I’m still working in,” Dawkins told Caribbean T oday r ecently. “It (knee alright,” he added. “No pain.” GOING HOME After the USL season, which could end early thismonth for the Silverbacks ifthe club fails to make the playoffs, the former national youth player may return to Jamaica to turn out for hisclub V illage United, wher e he enjoyed tremendous success last season. The all-round competition of Jamaica’s National Pr emier League is about the same as the USL,Dawkins said, with a few dif ferences. “Here (in the U.S. coaches are more adamant to stick to the game plan,” hesaid. “In Jamaica they tend to stray fr om the game plan more.” He also has his eyes on becoming a permanent member of Jamaica’s Reggae Boyzsenior national team, which recently rehired Carl Brownas technical dir ector on an interim basis. Despite onlyr ecently recovering from the injury, Dawkins was named in Jamaica’s squad to train fortwo friendly matches against Canada this month. He is hop-ing other chances will pop up,especially since he may beable to showcase his talents in Jamaica’ s NPL. In the meantime, Dawkins is hoping that his per formance for the Silverbacks will help other Caribbean players, particularly those from his native coun-tr y , to secur e professional contracts in the U.S. “Based on what I’ve done here my coach is always inter-ested in Jamaica,” Dawkins said. “He’s always asking if Iknow players I think will blend in (with the Silverbacks Dawkins has no pr oblem with that, as long as the coachdoes not for get that his star striker is definitely on his way back to full force. Gordon Williams is Caribbean T oday’s managing editor. Jamaican soccer player on comeback trail in U.S. September 2006CARIBBEAN TODAY 19 Dawkins SPORT SPORT www .caribbeantoday.com RECORD REPEAT Jamaica’s Asafa Powell acknowledges the crowd’s applause after equaling his own world record in the 100 meters last month in Zurich,Switzerland.Powell ran 9.77 seconds in the event,the third time he has clocked that time.American Justin Gatlin has also run that time,but his records are under scrutiny after hetested positive for banned substances. CARIBBEAN SAMBA CELEBRATION Photograph from Miami F.C.Former soccer superstar Romario,left,celebrates with Caribbean teammate Sean Fraser,center,and fellow Brazilian Diego Walsh after their club scored one of seven goals against the Atlanta Silverbacks in a United Soccer Leagues game in Miami, Florida late last month.Romario scored three times in the game,while Fraser,aJamaican, scored twice and assisted on two of the Brazilian W orld Cup winner’ s goals. Sept2006.qxd 9/10/06 9:27 PM Page 19

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The Jamaica T ourist Board (JTB made a listing of resorts in the Caribbean island which are offeringvaca tion packa ges as the summer draws to a close.Among them are the follo wing: Half Moon’s “Homecoming Package”for parents who want tospend quality time with their chil dren before the school year gets on its way.Runs through Oct.31.Check www .halfmoon.com Coyaba Beach Club is offering the fifth night free on an y booking until Nov .16.Visit www .coyabajamaica.com Jamaica Inn is offering a ay for Four Nights Stay for Five”special until Dec. 14, with blackout da tes from Nov . 21-29. Check www.jamaicainn.com Sandals Resorts is offering discounts of up to 50 percent off published rackra tes at www .sandals.com Sunset Beach Resort & Spa During September,October and November,all children ages 12 and under stay free. Visit www .sunset beachjamaica.com/ There are many more equally attractive packages.Visit the JTB’s website at www.visitjamaica.com KINGSTON, St. Vincent CMC The St. Vincent and theGr enadines government has signed a con tract to begin fur ther development of an airstrip on the Grenadine island of Canouan. A $15 million loan fr om Scotiatrust and Merchant Bank ofT rinidad and Tobago was awarded to Canouan Constr uction Associates, CCA Ltd. to redevelop the airport and its facilities. The facelift would see an additional2,300 feet added tothe 7,000 metersairstrip along with impr ove ments to the airport’s terminal building and fire fightingfacilities. TRANSFORMATION Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves said the expansion would transform the airport into the country’s first jetport and would result in the continued growth of passenger ar rivals to the country. The prime minister noted that ther equirement to expand the airport arose due to the r estr ucturing policy of U.S.– based carrier American Eagle, which operates a shuttle serv-ice to the island. He said with the airline increasing its fleet to accommodate lar ger volumes of passengers fr om Miami to the Gr enadine Island, the extension would enable the carrier to use lar ger air crafts on its Canouan route. According to Gonsalves, the new runway at Canouan would create opportunities for other commercial aircrafts to exploit the Grenadines market. “There are lots of Vincentians who would use the Canouan airport ratherthan to go thr ough Barbados and St. Lucia to connect totheir inter national carriers,” Gonsalves said. Nestled between Mustiqueand the TobagoKeys, Canouan has becomeone of the economic boons ofthe Grenadines attracting the attention of foreign investors to it shor es. The island is home to the now world renowned Raffles resort and the popu-lar T rump international Jim Fazio-designed 18-hole golfcourse. St. Vincent and the Gr enadines, a multi-island state, has five functional airports, and plans are in the pipeline to construct an international airport by 2011. Cheaper getaways to Jamaica this fallCouples to expand resorts in Jamaica Couples Resorts has announced plans forexpansion with the addition of a fifth r esort to its brand. The new resort will be situated near the multi-billion dollar Harmony Cove luxury tourism project in the parish of Trelawny, Jamaica. The 370-room resort is estimatedto be a $57 million investmentand will be built on 38-acr es of land owned by Lee Issa, Couples Resorts’ chairman. The construction is estimated to be completed in 2008. “Couples has been in expansion mode for the past few years,” Glenn Lawrence,Couples chief executive of ficer , said in a press release issued late last month. e have created a highly successful r esort model, which has allowed us to grow exponentially.We started with asingle r esort, Couples Ocho Rios, over 28 years ago and now offer 900 rooms spread amongst four resorts” Couples Resor ts, headquar ter ed in Montego Bay , Jamaica, currently owns and operates four properties inJamaica. Airport plans set to transform Canouan 20 CARIBBEAN TODAYSeptember 2006 Canouan offers an impressive 18-hole golf course. Gonsalves TOURISM TOURISM & & TRAVEL TRAVEL www.caribbeantoday.com T ALLER T ASTE The “Red Stripe Ambassador”,right,presents a bottle of the new,bigger version of the famous Red Stripe Beer to Jamaica’s Ambassador to Washington Gordon Shirley , on Jamaican Independence Day last month in Washington,D.C.Red Stripe is well known worldwide and travelers often visit Jamaica,where the beer is brewed,to sample the taste.It has become a popular brew with tourists.The newsize is 24 ounces, but the familiar “stubby” sha pe of the bottle remains the same as the 12-ounce version. Sept2006.qxd 9/10/06 9:27 PM Page 20

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PARAMARIBO, Suriname, CMC Sir George Alleyne, former director of the PanAmerican Health Organization,has been decorated withSuriname’ s highest national award. In a brief ceremony at the Presidential Palace inParamaribo last month, the distinction as “Bearer of the Grant Sash in the HonoraryOr der of the Palm” was confer red to Sir George by Pr esident Ronald Venetiaan. In his remarks the head of state noted the illustrious car eer and r egional and worldwide achievements of the former PAHO director, who is currently chairman ofthe Caribbean Commission onHealth Development andUnited Nations special advi sor on HIV/AIDS. DEDICATION Venetiaan said the Barbadian national has dedicated a great part of his career to medicine and health care anduplifting the standar d of public health for the benefit of hispeople and the overall pr ocess of Caribbean development. He said one of Sir George’s major philosophies -“the wealth of the Caribbeanis the health of the Caribbean” became the cornerstone ofthe Caribbean community(CARICOMand development. The president said as director of PAHO, Sir Alleyne has dedicated a great part ofhis life to the health of theCaribbean people and was a tireless advocate of economic growth and development ofthe Pan-American population. Sir George Alleyne receives Suriname’s highest national award BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC Barbadian public ser-vants have voted to accept a $20 million payout from government to offset the increasedcost of living over the last year . However, Walter Maloney, president of the National Union of Public Workers, said they donot want the money as a one-of f payment as had been proposed by gover nment, but instead want it to be treated as a retroactive pay increase forthe last year of a thr ee-year agreement which ended in May. e ar e saying that the two percent should be added to the basic pay of public servants and that it be retroactive. So we have not dismissed the $20 million that the gov-er nment is of fering, but we have said that $20 million must not be a one-off pay-ment,” Maloney said. The Daily Nation newspaper quoted Maloney as sayingthat once the money was added to salaries as a retroac-tive payment it would ber eflected in the pensions and gratuities of the public officers. Government put theof fer on the table since ther e was an agreement with trade unions that public workerswould be given additionalfunds once the inflation rate climbed over five percent during the final year of a threeyear wages agreement. Accor ding to Central Bank Governor Dr. Marion Williams the inflation rater eached seven per cent up to the end of June this year. e applaud the government for accepting that there was a move in the inflationaryrate and so the of fer of $20 million,” Maloney said. The umbrella trade union body, the Congress of TradeUnions and Staf f Associations, previously said it was not in agr eement with the one-of f payment. POR T OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC Trinidad and Tobago Minister of National Security Martin Joseph has defended government’s decision to recruit United Kingdom cops to fight crime in the country. His latest defense came after the Chamber of Commer ce issued a statement saying gov ernment should have followed Guyana’s example to use the crime fighting skills of former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kareck. However, in a letter to Chamber Pr esident Ian Welsh, Joseph pointed out that Kar eck is cur rently under two federal investigations for financial impropriety. He further stated that his ministr y has not been secretive about its crime fighting tactics and reminded Welsh that it was just recently that his ministry met with thechamber to discuss how it isfighting crime. UNDER PRESSURE Joseph has r ecently come under attack for recruiting 27 Scotland Yard officers to help fight crime in the country. Each officer is being paid a million Trinidad and Tobagodollars (TT $1 = U.S. 16cents) a year , a figure which in some instances is eight timeshigher than what senior local cops are being paid a year.That is the equivalent of the U.K. salaries of the officerswho have beenon the job inthe Caribbeansince April. Cabinet grantedappr oval for the Scotland Yard detectives to be appoint-ed to the anti-crime unit because of the unprecedented upsurge in crime in the country,Joseph said. Joseph also said the ministry is open to morediscussions with the chamberper taining to how to keep the countr y and citizens safe. Barbados’s public workers give thumbs up to govt’s inflation offerT&T minister defends decision to hire police officers from U.K. September 2006CARIBBEAN TODAY 21 Alleyne Joseph REGION REGION www .caribbeantoday.com Sept2006.qxd 9/10/06 9:27 PM Page 21

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NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC Prime Minister Perry Christie, who turned 63 last month, hascalled on his colleagues in the Progressive Liberal Party (PLPgeneral elections. The PLP won 29 of the 40 seats in Parliament in the 2002 elections to take power from the Freedom National Movement. Christie told supporters that the PLP is the par ty of choice and he is looking forward to winning a second termin the next poll, due 2007. “One by one, step by step, community by community,island by island. And wewill be r elentless in our efforts to guarantee that the people of this country are fully aware of the integrity of our purpose. “Our focus is to ensure thatthis countr y continues to be a stable democracy , continues to move forward and upward,and that wedo so and not allow people who are out tostop us to distract us fr om the work we have to do,” Christie said. ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC An executive member of theDominia Labour Par ty (DLP has severed links with ruling party and is discussing his political future with a recently formed political party. Kenrick Ambo, who held the position of assistant secr etary with the DLP, said he is leaving the party because of his disappointment with the tr eatment he received since unsuccessfully contesting theMay 2005 general elections on the party’s ticket. In that election he was beaten in the Salisbury constituency byUnited W orkers Par ty Leader Earl Williams. “I am severing ties with the Dominica Labour Party and resigning as the assistantgeneral secr etar y of the par ty,” Ambo announced on state radio late last month. Ambo says his decision is based on two fundamentalr easons: “One, the party’s lack of respect for the people of Salisbury, Morne Rachette and Coulibistrie. Two, for the par ty’s lack of respect and appreciation for the level of sacrifice that I have made andmy family have made on behalf of the party.” Ambo, a police officer who resigned his job to enterpolitics, says he is not satisfiedwith the management of thestate, and several attempts to reach the prime minister to discuss matters pertaining to his constituency have been rejected. KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC The gover ning People’s National(PNPinto electionmode lastmonth whenit announced the appoint-ment of politi cal talisman Dr. Paul Robertson as the party’scampaign dir ector for polls widely expected withinmonths. Robertson, one the party’s most seasoned strategists,assumed the post he has held in previous campaigns, includ-ing the 2002 elections whichsaw the par ty getting a fourth consecutive ter m in power. He developed a reputation as a brilliant campaignerin 1986 when as general secr etary of the party, he helped to lead the PNP to the local government elections then the general elections in 1989. Colin Campbell, PNP general secretary, confirmed Robertson’s appointment and told local media that a formal announcement about the cam paign hierar chy would be made in due course. Robertson, Member of Parliament for South East St.Catherine, has alr eady announced his intention to quit representational politics.He was campaign manager for Dr. Peter Phillips, who lost against Portia Simpson Miller in internal elections to choose a new party leader earlier thisyear . Simpson Miller is Jamaica’s prime minister. Christie puts party on election alert in Bermuda GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Re-elected President Bharrat Jagdeo has said there would be changes to his new Cabinet following the Aug. 28 regional and general elections. When asked whether there would be any change in thecomposition of his new Cabinet Jagdeo replied: “There will be changes to my Cabinet.” Speaking at a news con ference here before the results of the elections were officially announced, Jagdeo said that he was “very very confident about the parliamentary majority” his ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C new National Assembly. Prior to the elections Jagdeo said that his party was seeking a 51 percent majorityin the 65-seat legislatur e, adding that any thing above that figure would be “a bonus”. Jagdeo promises Cabinet shake-up PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC As Trinidadians celebrated the country’s 44th anniversaryof political Independence latelast month, Prime MinisterPatrick Manning commendednationals for their spirit of national unity. In his Independence message Manning said citizens havetransfor med “our highly-multiethnic nation into one society , br eaking down the bar riers of race, class, gender and other pr ejudices inimical to our col lective peace and progress. He, however, lamented that the country has “not been able to escape the difficulties of organ-ised crime.” According to Manning, 44 years ago – Aug. 31 Trinidadand T obago took the “important and necessary decision” to par t with colonialism and Independence pr ovided the opportunity for greater control over the country’s affairs. “Since the achievement of our Independence, our nation has made remarkable progressin our human development, the living standards of our citizens, our economy, and our relationswith the nations and peoples of the world,” he said, addingthat these outcomes arenot inadver tent. Manning said the twinisland republiccontinues topursue national development on the foundations of an open and liberal democracy , the supr ema cy of the constitution, the r ule of law , and equality of justice. ONE SOCIETY “Through the nurturing of goodwill, understanding and genuine appreciation of allamong our citizens, we have transformed our highly-multi-ethnic nation into one society , breaking down the barriers of race, class, gender and otherpr ejudices inimical to our collective peace and progress.” He added that out of the difficult economic circumstances of the past, T rinidad and Tobago has evolved into a strong, stable, progressive and promising economy. P .M.hails national unity at T&T’s IndependenceExecutive member severs ties with Dominica’s ruling party ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC Pat Stevens, a former legislatorand member of the Dominica Freedom Party (DFPlast month after a pr olonged battle with cancer of the bladder, relatives said. He was 71years old. Stevens, who once represented the Marigot constituen cy, north of here, died at thePrincess Mar gar et Hospital. He began his political career at the age of 26 where he unsuccessfully contested the Eastern District constituencyin the 1961 general electionson a ticket of the Dominica Labour Party (DLP entered Parliament in 1973when he contested a by-elec tion following the decision of his father , W .S Stevens, to retire from active politics. In the 1975 general elec tions, Stevens contested the Marigot constituency as an independent candidate andwon and later joined the DFP in 1978. He represented theconstituency until his r etir e ment from active politics in 1990. Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, in his condolencemessage, described Stevens as a “great son of the soil.” Former Dominica parliamentarian dies GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC The Carter Center,which obser ved the Aug. 28 elections in Guyana, says the peaceful polls could be a tur ning point in the country’s history. “The character and resilience of the Guyanesepeople has been bor ne out by these elections (and current spirit is maintained, and Guyana’s political leaders make wise and far-sighted choices, acknowledge deeplyheld concerns, this could be a tur ning point in Guyana’ s his tory,” head of the Carter Center team, Sir John Compton, said last month. Sir John, a for mer St. Lucia prime minister, said the or derliness of the elections speaks of “the maturing of Guyana’s political culture and the deep yearning for peaceand pr ogress which is shared by all Guyanese.” PRAISE He praised the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM which contested the polls and the wider Guyanese public for “the most peaceful andor derly elec toral process in r ecent his tory.” He said notwithstanding the politi-cal maturitydisplayed, “the frustration and fear that exists across society must be acknowledged and mitigated through actions of politicalleaders over the coming days and beyond. Guyana polls could be turning point in countrys history ~ Carter Center Robertson in charge of PNP campaign for upcoming polls 22 CARIBBEAN TODAYSeptember 2006 Robertson Christie Manning Compton POLITICS POLITICS www.caribbeantoday.com Sept2006.qxd 9/10/06 9:27 PM Page 22

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JAMAICAN JERK FEST The tasty spice and flavor of cooking done with Jamaicanjerk seasoning will again beavailable this month at theMarkham Park in Sunrise,Florida. The fifth annual “Jamaican Jerk Festival” willbe held on Sept.24 , featuring cooking and domino contests, live entertainment, a new art of food and wine pairing competition, plus a fun zone forchildr en. Activities begin at 9 a.m. For more information, call 305-891-1242 ; or visit info@jerkfesti val.com. PARENTS NIGHT OUT The Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, Florida willhold a “Par ents Night Out” event on Oct. 13 . “Parents Night Out” is a chance for parents to have anevening out on the town alone while their children ages fourto 12 cr eate ar t, par ticipate in creative movement activities, play games, eat pizza and watch movies at the center,1650 Har rison Str eet. During this event, parents will drop their children off at 6 p .m. and pick them up at 10 p.m. The theme is “What Do You Want to be When You Grow Up?” Kids should dress up as someone in their chosenpr ofession. Each event costs $15 per child for center members or $20 per child for non-members. For more information and r eser vations, call 954-9213274. PASSPORTS The National Passport Infor mation Center (NPIC the United States Depar tment of State’ s single, centralized public contact center for U.S. passport information, is offering a toll free service and has expanded its service availability/options. Persons with questions or need status checks on pending passport applications can call 1-877-487-2778 . Customer ser vice representatives are available from 8 a.m.to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday , excluding Federal holidays. Automated information is available 24 hours a day , seven days a week. For e-mail access, visit: npic@state.gov Website of passport and other international travel information isavailable at travel.state.gov ‘GREEN CARD’FILING The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCISannounced that aliens mustmail applications to r enew or replace permanent resident cards, commonly known as“Gr een Car ds”, dir ectly to the Los Angeles Lockbox. The Lockbox is a pr ocess ing facility used by USCIS to accelerate the collection ofapplications and petitions.The announced change allows the agency to improve the processing ofFor m I-90 (Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card) by electronicallycapturing dataand images and by performingfee r eceipting and depositing fr om one central location, ratherthan at the local district office,ser vice center , or application support center(ASC Aliens filing a Form I-90,r egardless of their state of r esidence, must mail those appli-cations with an application fee of $185 and a biometrics fee of $70 to one of the following addresses: For U.S. Postal Ser vice (USPS U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, P.O.Box 54870 Los Angeles, CA90054-0870; Or for non-USPS deliveries (e.g. private couriers U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Attention: I-90, 16420 Valley View Ave., La Mirada, CA90638 Applicants should not include initial evidence andsuppor ting documentation when submitting the Form I-90 to the Los AngelesLockbox. Applicants will r eceive a notice for a biometrics processing appointment at an ASC and will submit their initial evidence during thatappointment. Applicants will receive their biometrics appointmentin the mail. CRISIS HOTLINE Multi-lingual counselors are available to respond persons suffering from stress orneeding help with housing, food, child care, caring for teens or other similar prob-lems. Call 211 from a regular telephone or 954-537-0211 fr om a cellular . The free service is being offered as part of BrowardCounty’ s helplines. NEW JTB DIRECTOR A Jamaican national, who held a senior position in The Bahamas tourist industry, hasbeen appointed as new head of the Jamaican Tourist Board (JTB Basil Smith, a veteran in the tourist industr y , has been selected to replace Paul Pennicook as the director of the or ganization. Smith, who was a deputy director of the JTB from 19951997, currently works in The Bahamas as the senior direc-tor of communications in The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism.He has also ser ved as the executive vice pr esident of The Bahamas Hotel Association. In a press release issued last month, the JTB said Smith will aid in the expansion of its global reach anddevelop str ong partnerships with the private sector. Earlier this year Pennicook opted not to renew his thr ee year contract with the JTB and on June 1 he joined the national airline Air Jamaica as senior vice-president of sales and marketing. SCHOLARSHIPS FOR CARIBBEAN NA TIONALS The Caribbean Hotel Foundation (CHF ed a recordnumber ofscholarshipstoCaribbeannationals to pursue stud-ies intourism relatedfields. It said that the scholarships to 39Caribbean nationals r eaffirm the pr ogram as the “lar gest scholarship program in the Caribbean hospitality industryand one of the top pr ograms in the industry worldwide”. “The scholarships granted are a testimony of tomorrow’s trends and practices in our industry. From summerschools in pr ofitability and food service management to certifications in eco-tourism, almost all of the applicants’ educational inter ests are somehow related to the sustainable development of the tourism product and the preservation of Caribbean’s identity, especially throughcuisine,” said Gill T itcombe, coor dinator of the CHF. Alec Sanguinetti, director general and chief executive officer of the Caribbean HotelAssociation (CHA the regional private sector including the Florida-basedCaribbean Cr uise Association (FCCAers for their contribution towards the program. “Thanks to contributions of our industry partners and the hard work of our coordinator, the Caribbean Hotel Foundation has become thebiggest and most versatile scholarship program in the tourism and hospitality industry, with awards to promising students and industry professionals at all levels,”Sanguinetti said. LOW COST TO FLYTO BERMUDA Low-cost Canadian airline, WestJet, plans to start flights to Bermuda as well as several Caribbean destinations, the Royal Gazette newspaper has r epor ted. WestJet, which already flies to numerous locationswithin Canada and the UnitedStates, has r eceived appr oval from the Canadian government to provide services to 10 r egional locations including Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica and The Bahamas. September 2006CARIBBEAN TODAY 23 FYI FYI www .caribbeantoday.com Sanguinetti A plate of tasty Jamaican jerk chicken. Sept2006.qxd 9/10/06 9:27 PM Page 23

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