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O0n MARCH 2007


E0cL
O O/l? mn)/
\Mo~~~ AA3(


e r y o u r w o r I d


] PRESORTED
STANDARD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
MIAMI, FL
PERMIT NO. 7315
O Tel: (305) 238-2868
1-800-605-7516
editor@caribbeantoday.com
ct ads@bellsouth.net
Vol. 18 No. 4 Jamaica: 654-7282


I T E M LTIAW RD-INNNG EW MA AZIE


Haitian
medical
practitioner
Mathieu
Eugene cre-
ated history
by becom-


French-speaking Caribbean
country to hold elective office


leaders like
Dr. Ralph
Gonsalves
left last
month's mid
term summit
with a
vision of
2008 as a
"date with destiny" and set the
Caribbean's focus on 2015 for
the regional integration move-
ment, page 11.


IMs
Barbados


'tt


Antigua and Barbuda




St. Kitts and Nevis


-~ Billions across
the globe will see
brian Lara lead the
Vest Indies team Jamaica
unto historic
Cricket World
.. Cup battle on
home soil, S
the biggest Grenada
international
sporting
ectacle to
R it the nations -
Caribbean, Guyana
.Guyan


St. Luda


Trinidad and Tobago


j.r, v. i.uv.v~ra


INSIDE
News ...................... 2 Feature ................... 11 Books..................... 14 Business/Tax Planning .....17
Local ...................... 7 Tourism/Travel ............. 12 Culture .................... 15 Sport ..................... 23
View point .................. 9 Arts/Entertainment ......... 13 Health .................... 16 Region .................... 25


W e


C o V


Boxer O'Neil Bell returns to
the ring this month for his first
fight in more than a year. His
title of undisputed world
cruiserweight champion is on
the line, but the Jamaican
says he is ready to rumble,
page 23.


^-








-usw^caribbeantodj..c..


GORDON WILLIAMS

C ricket, a sport the
S Caribbean inherited from
its colonial past but
which bonds its people to this
day, will, beginning this month,
showcase its grandest spectacle
when the region hosts the ulti-
mate championships for the
one-day version of the game.
The International Cricket
Council's (ICC) Cricket World
Cup (CWC) 2007, featuring
16 countries, including the
C(,rib,,Iiin s representative
the West Indies, will be played
in eight countries across the
region.
Official activities begin
with the Mar. 11 opening cere-
mony in Trelawny, Jamaica.
The first match is on Mar. 13,
when host West Indies plays
Pakistan at Sabina Park in
Kingston, Jamaica. The tourna-
ment culminates with the final
on April 28 at Kensington Oval
in Barbados.
A total of 51 official games
will be played, with an estimat-
ed live and broadcast audience
of close to two billion world-
wide. It will be the largest
sporting event ever held in the
Caribbean. The winning team
is set to earn $2.2 million and
the ICC expects to generate
more than $230 million in rev-
enue from the tournament.


Despite doubters, Cricket World Cup's Chief Ex
Chris Dehring, left, and WICB President Ken Go
the Caribbean can pull off a grand show for th
Administrators in the
Caribbean have long expressed
confidence in delivering an
exciting, safe and well-organ-
ized tournament.
"We do rise to the occa-
sion," CWC's Chief Executive
Officer Chris Dehring told
Caribbean Today earlier in the
preparations.
"We're very confident that
we're going to deliver," he
would add later.

FEVER
The CWC fever has been
steadily heating up over the
past few months in the
Caribbean. Host countries
have spent millions of dollars
getting match venues ready


CARIBBEAN TODAY

n e WS


while also
sprucing up
tourist attrac-
tions for the
expected mas-
sive influx of
visitors. Teams
began arriving
late last
month.
Caribbean
leaders have
also bonded
for the event
with wide-
ecutive Officer spread co-
trdon are confident operation in
e world. many areas,
including the
delicate area of security, for
which help has been sought
from international agencies
worldwide.
It also appears most peo-
ple from the region are expect-
ing grand success as well,
although some recognize that
there are still doubters who
may not believe the Caribbean
can put on an efficient show.
"(CWC 2007) has got to be
the greatest spectacle we would
have had here for many a
year," Clive Lloyd, who cap-
tained the West Indies to the
first two CWC titles in 1975 and
1979, told the Caribbean Media
Corporation late last month.
"It is a situation where we
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 4)


Law enforcement authori-
ties said last month that
several suspects held in
connection with a multi-million
dollar lottery scam in Jamaica
could be extradited to the
United States.

American inv'

to Antigua's
ST. JOHN'S, Antigua, CMC -
Billionaire American investor
Sir Allen Stanford has extended
the proverbial "olive branch" to
end his verbal feud with
Antigua and Barbuda's Prime
Minister Baldwin Spencer.
Both men have been
engaged in a recent war of words
over Sir Allen's decision to take
his plans to develop the off-shore
Guiana Island into a top class
resort and launch a community
development initiative in select
constituencies including that of
the prime minister.
ACCUSATIONS
Spencer accused Sir Allen of
political meddling and branded
him "haughty, obnoxious and
arrogant" to which Sir Allen said
the outburst was designed "to
deflect the attention of the citi-
zens of our nation away from
your inept leadership."


March 2007


"The scam is becoming
wider and more intense than we
first anticipated...there is a dis-
tinct possibility that some of
these persons who have been
charged could be extradited to
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 4)

estor apologies

prime minister


Spencer Stanford
Sir Allen has published an
apology in his Antigua SUN
newspaper and the Daily
OBSEVER newspaper, calling
for an end to the public squabble.
"My only desire is to see
Antigua and Barbuda be devel-
oped to its fullest potential", the
statement read in part. "I recog-
nize the need for cooperation to
attain that goal and in that spirit
apologize to those who may have
deemed my actions offensive".
Up to press time Spencer
had not yet responded to the
latest development.
0


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Caribbean aims to stage spectacular CWC 2007


U.S. residents conned

in Jamaica lotto scam


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-usw^caribbeantodj..c..


NEW YORK, CMC A
Haitian medical practitioner
created history last month by
becoming the first ever
national from the French-
speaking Caribbean country


cuyene


to hold elective office in New
York City.
With the strong backing of
newly-elected Caribbean
American Congresswoman
Yvette D. Clarke, Dr. Mathieu
Eugene, 54, convincingly won
the special election for the 40th
Councilmanic District seat in
Brooklyn that was vacated by
Clarke after she was elected to
the United States House of
Representatives in last


November's general elections.
"This is the Haitian
sensation," shouted Eugene,
flanked by the Clarkes.
"This victory is not only
my victory, it's our victory.
This is going to give hope to
all the children, no matter
their background. It was not
easy," he continued, referring
to his campaign. "This is proof
that what money cannot do,
people can do."

'LANDSLIDE'
Eugene, who is also a
youth counselor, beat nine
challengers including four
Caribbean nationals, for the
seat in the heart of the
Caribbean community in cen-
tral Brooklyn.
In what some political
observers considered to be a
LindihdI, ', he secured 1,982
votes, or 33.6 percent, of the
5,898 ballots cast. His closest
rival was Costa Rican-born
Jennifer James.
James, a former finance
campaign manager for Clarke
and her mother, Jamaican-
born, ex-New York City
Councilwoman Una Clarke,


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


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


CARIBBEAN TODAY

n e WS


the first Caribbean woman to
hold elective office in the city,
received 887 votes, or 15.07
percent.
Jamaican-born educator
and entrepreneur Wellington


Sharpe placed third with 719
votes, or 12.19 percent, while
Harry Schiffman, who observers
had predicted could be a "spoil-
er" in the race, received 454
votes, or 7.69 percent.
African American lawyer
Jesse Hamilton, a district
leader in Brooklyn who traces
his roots to Barbados, placed
fifth with 433 votes, or 7.34

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 6)


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


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


Haitian wins council seat,

creates history in New York


March 2007


Caribbean and Latin
American did not know where
it stood and unless there was
unity the region would remain
under the control of "the
American Empire".
"We need to make a huge
effort to put back together
those pieces so that we
become again a powerful
Latin America and a powerful
Caribbean. As long as we do
not do that we will remain
under the control, we will con-
tinue being dominated and
improvised," Chavez said.
0


Caribbean aims to stage spectacular CWC 2007


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2)
have got to be proud that we
can host something of this
nature, it is the third largest
event in the world (behind
soccer's World Cup and the
Olympic Games), there will
be two billion people watch-
ing...and they will be looking
for all the little nasty things,"
the 62-year-old Lloyd added.
"They are not going to be
looking at too many of the
great things, but let's hope we
can surprise them and show
that we can perform and put
on a great spectacle."

UP AND DOWN
The region's top cricket
administrators have also admit-
ted that there are people anx-
ious to see the Caribbean fail in
CWC on and off the field.
The West Indies has had an up
time in recent years, and despite
possessing one of the greatest
batsmen of all time in captain
Brian Lara and a host of prom-
ising youngsters, the former
two-time CWC champions is
not currently ranked among the
top three one-day international
teams in the world today.
The team has also been
plagued by internal political
issues, involving players and the
West Indies Cricket Board
(WICB), which have also spilled
over into the region's general
political arena. At times the
issues surrounding the region's
cricket have caused bitter divi-
sions. However, many are looking


at CWC as a shot at redemption
for the Caribbean as a whole.
"We have a propensity to
shoot ourselves in the foot,"
WICB President Ken Gordon
told Caribbean Today just over
a year ago. "We've got to real-
ize that this (CWC) is an
opportunity to rise above that."
In many corners of the
C(,rihlb ian the team's on-the-
field performance will deter-
mine the ultimate success rate
of CWC 2007.
"It would be magnificent
effort to do so (win the World
Cup)," said Lloyd. "People are
calling other teams but they are
still thinking that West Indies
have a very good chance. It
would give us that type of boost
that is needed in the region."
No nation has ever won
CWC while serving as hosts.
For Lara, now 37 and likely
playing his final CWC tourna-
ment, there could be no more
fitting end for the region than
raising the winner's trophy on
April 28. Yet while the batting
genius is confident the West
Indies will do well in its back-
yard, he acknowledged the
best approach would be a bit
more caution.
"We have a very good
record at home," Lara said
recently. "...We are looking to
make the semi-finals and then
take it from there."

Gordon Williams is Caribbean
Today's managing editor.
0


U.S. residents conned in Jamaica lotto scam


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2)
the United States of America,"
said Inspector Steve Brown, the
spokesman for Operation
Kingfish, the task force to deal
with drug trafficking and crimi-
nal organizations in Jamaica.
Brown said that local law
enforcement officials had been
holding discussions with their U.S.
counterparts "and people who
have been fleeced have been giv-


ing us some useful information."
Police uncovered the multi-
million racket in sections of western
Jamaica and held several suspects.
Police said that as a result of
the scam U.S. citizens were
tricked into sending large sums
of money to Jamaica after
being told that they had won the
lottery.
0


KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent,
CMC Venezuela President
Hugo Chavez has accused the
United States of wanting to
keep the Caribbean and Latin
America
divided and
improvised.
Speaking at a
rally to signal
the end of his
24- hour
working visit
to St. Vincent
Chavez and the
Grenadines
last month, Chavez said the


Chavez accuses U.S.

of dividing Caribbean


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March 2007





CARIBBEAN TODAY


World Bank launches first ever

Caribbean disaster insurance plan
WASHINGTON The World Most Caribbean community
Bank has launched a disaster (CARICOM) member states
insurance plan that will benefit will be beneficiaries of the fund,
at least 18 Caribbean countries the World Bank said, pointing
in the event of natural disasters, out that they would be required
The bank said that the to pay a "one-off, non-refund-
"Caribbean Catastrophe Risk able entry fee and an annual
Insurance Facility" (CCRIF), premium".
launched late last month, would "Countries still need to
be restricted to hurricanes and engage in mitigation and
earthquakes. improve territorial building
"The facility will allow codes and emergency services,"
CARICOM governments to pur- said senior World Bank urban
chase coverage akin to business specialist Francis Ghesquiere.
interruption insurance that would The Caribbean countries
provide them with immediate have been hard hit by hurri-
cash payment after the occur- canes in recent years, with
rence of a major earthquake or Grenada's economy being dev-
the passing of a hurricane", it stated two years ago when
said in a statement. hurricanes Ivan and Emily
The World Bank said last lashed the island. Caribbean


month's donor meeting in
Washington, involving the
European Union, Britain, France
and Japan, would seek to raise
between $30 million and $50 mil-
lion in reserves for the CCRIE


countries have also complained
in the past of the slow pace of
immediate relief to their recon-
struction efforts in the wake of
natural disasters.
0


Angela King, former

U.N. diplomat, dies


ngela King, former
assistant secretary-gen-
eral of the United
Nations and special adviser to
the secretary general of the
U.N. on gender issues and
advancement of women, died
last month at New York's
Memorial Sloan-Kettering
Cancer Centre. King had been
battling cancer for sometime.
King, who retired from the
U.N. in April 2004 for health
reasons, after 40 years of serv-
ice, was born in Kingston,
Jamaica and attended St.
Hilda's High and Wolmer's
High schools. As assistant sec-
retary general, she made histo-
ry in being the first woman and
first Jamaican to hold that post.


Besides advising the secretary
general on women's affairs,
King was also
chairperson
of the U.N.
International
Committee
on Women's
Rights.
"Angela
King led the
United
King Nations'
efforts for
the empowerment of women
with knowledge, passion and
courage", read a statement
issued recently by the spokesper-
son for U.N. Secretary-General
Ban Ki Moon.
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n e w s


Bahamas government minister resigns

in Anna Nicole Smith controversy


NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC -
Prime Minister Perry Christie
last month accepted the resig-
nation of his Immigration
Minister Shane Gibson, who


Gibson


had become embroiled in a
controversy involving the late
United States Playboy model
Anna Nicole Smith.
Christie described
Gibson's resignation as "the
correct course of action."
Gibson had been facing


severe criticism and calls for
him to step down after a news-
paper published a photo show-
ing him in bed with the late
model, who died last month in
a hotel room in the U.S.
Gibson had also been
accused of favorably fast track-
ing Smith's immigration appli-
cation for a r ,ini 1,i1 permit.
"I unconditionally deny
that I ever abused my ministe-
rial office by granting Anna
Nicole Smith any permit of
which she was undeserving or
for which she was not quali-
fied under the laws of The
Bahamas," Gibson said in a
television broadcast announc-
ing his resignation.

APOLOGY
Gibson apologized "to all
persons who may in any way
have been offended by any-
thing that I have said, done or
perceived to have said or
done."
He was critical of those
"mischievous" persons, who in
the political season had sought


to create an impression that
did not exist.
"I didn't have an individ-
ual relationship with her, it
was a family relationship,"
Gibson said, telling viewers
that family members were
present when the pictures
were taken out with Smith.
Christie is preparing to
call general elections later
this year.
Meanwhile, Smith's
body was flown back to The
Bahamas for burial.
0


N.Y. City Council challenges status


of newly elected Haitian legislator


NEW YORK, CMC The
Speaker of New York City
Council last month said she is
seeking legal advice from the
New York state's attorney
general regarding the appoint-
ment of the council's first-ever
elected Haitian legislator.
Speaker Christine Quinn
said that she had sent a letter
to Attorney General Andrew
Cuomo requesting his opinion
on the fate of Dr. Mathieu
Eugene, who convincingly
won last month's special elec-
tion, in a 10-way race, for the
predominantly Caribbean
40th Councilmanic District
seat in Brooklyn.
"Is it your view that a
council member must be a res-
ident on the date of the elec-
tion?" she asked Cuomo, cit-
ing the Public Officers Law.

RESIDENCY
New York City Board of


UUIIIII
Elections officials said last
month that the city council is
the one to determine Eugene's
residency in order for him to
be formally sworn-in as the
duly elected representative for
the district. The council last
month postponed Eugene's
official swearing-in ceremony
amid reports that he does not
live in the district.
City council officials, how-
ever, said they expected to


swear-in Eugene early this
month after confusion about
his residency is clarified.
The seat was vacated by
newly-elected Caribbean
American Congresswoman
Yvette D. Clarke, who replaced
retired veteran African
American Congressman Major
Owens as representative for
the 11th Congressional District
in Brooklyn.
Paul Wooten, Eugene's
lawyer, said he had asked the
council to postpone his client's
swearing-in ceremony until
the election results are certi-
fied. He claimed that Eugene
had moved into the district
before the elections.
"It wasn't a factor from
our point of view," Wooten
said, alluding to questions
about Eugene's residency out-
side the district.
0


Haitian wins council seat, creates history in New York


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4)
percent, and Pakistani
Mohammad Razvi got 420
votes, or 7.12 percent.
Jamaican-born communi-
ty activist Leithland "Rickie"
Tulloch received 299 votes, or
5.06 percent. Former
Vincentian United Nations
Ambassador Joel Toney fell
close to the bottom of the
race, receiving only 369 votes,


or 6.25 percent, while
Panamanian entrepreneur
Zenobia McNally secured 269
votes, or 4.56 percent with
Jamaican domestic violence
counsellor Karlene Gordon in
the cellar position, receiving
just 66 votes.

COMING OF AGE
Eugene urged his rivals to
work with him for the advance-


ment of the community.
"We're blessed with
another extraordinary con-
stituency," Congresswoman
Clarke said.
"We have demonstrated
that we have come of age,
socially and economically,
and, as we take our seat at the
table, no one will be left
behind."
0


March 2007





CARIBBEAN TODAY

S0 c n AI


Photograph by Sharon Bennett
Howard Dodson, left, executive director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, explains aspects of the trans-
atlantic slave trade route ("Middle Passage") to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, who earlier this month declared
open an exhibition commemorating the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade at U.N. headquarters in New York.
The exhibition, entitled "Lest We Forget The Triumph Over Slavery" and scheduled to run through Mar. 30, covers the Caribbean's
link to the slave trade. Some 35 such pieces are on display at the U.N. Visitor's Lobby in Manhattan, including a freshly minted
Jamaican $500 bank note featuring National Hero Nanny of the Maroons, as a heroine of the abolition movement.
The exhibition is being presented with the cooperation of CARICOM, the Permanent Mission of India to the U.N., UNDPI,
UNESCO and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, New York. It is the first in a series of events leading
up to Mar. 26, 2007 when member states of the U.N. will recognize the day with a global celebration New York.


U.S. reveals new travel booklets with

enhanced security features


WASHINGTON United
States Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS)
has issued a redesigned travel
booklet as part of ongoing
security improvements to
update agency documents.
The identification book-
lets, which the USCIS claims
are fraud resistant, include dig-
ital photographs and signatures
and other enhanced security
features to deter potential
counterfeiting schemes.
Additional improvements
include a new teal blue cover
and color images of patriotic
symbols of the U.S., such as
the Statue of Liberty and the
American flag.
"We intend to periodically
update our documents to capi-
talize on advances in security
technology and to stay ahead
of efforts to circumvent our
legal immigration system,"
said USCIS Director Emilio
Gonzalez in a press release
issued in mid-February.

PERMITS
The personalized pass-
port-style booklets contain
either a Permit to Reenter
the United States (Form I-
327); or a Refugee Travel
Document (Form 1-571).
The reentry permit establish-
es that permanent or condi-
tional residents do not aban-
don their legal status when
they travel outside the U.S.
for more than one year.
A person with refugee or


asylum status who wishes to
travel abroad should carry the
Refugee Travel Document to
return and maintain their sta-
tus. In most cases, a refugee
may use the document for
travel purposes in place of a
passport.
Travel documents current-
ly in circulation are valid until
the expiration date in the
booklet. USCIS issues approx-
imately 200,000 travel book-
lets each year.
USCIS said it has notified
federal and international law
enforcement and homeland
security agencies of enhanced
forensic security features
included in the booklet so
that agents and inspectors
may recognize and validate
the redesigned documents.
Permanent and conditional
legal residents may find more
information on the reentry per-
mit on the USCIS web site at:
http://www.uscis.gov/files/arti-
cle/B5.pdf
Details on how to apply
for a refugee travel document
is available online at:
http://www.uscis.gov/files/arti
cle/d4_english.pdf
On Mar. 1, 2003, the USCIS
became one of three former
Immigration and Naturalization
Service components to join
theU.S. Department of
Homeland Security. USCIS is
charged with transforming and
improving the delivery of immi-
gration and citizenship services,
while enhancing the integrity of


our nation's security.


r niHow to adopt a non-U.S,

'iMMIGRATION resident; and getting a

V KORNER job or work permit


QUESTION: I was wonder-
ing if someone who is a United
States citizen can file for a
child that is not biologically his
but names him as the father on
the birth certificate?

ANSWER: The only means that
this can happen legally is through
adoption, says attorney Kerry
William Bretz of the Manhattan-
based law firm of Bretz & Coven,
LLP. A U.S. citizen can bring
his/her adopted child to live per-
manently in the U.S., but note
that merely naming a U.S. citizen
on the birth certificate does not
satisfy the complex rules regard-
ing overseas adoption, added the
attorney Your best option to
make this work is to consult a
competent immigration attorney.
Note that U.S. law allows
the adoption and immigration of
children who are under 16 years
of age, with two exceptions: bio-
logical siblings of a child adopt-
ed by the same parents may be
adopted if under 18 years of age;
and orphans over the age of 16
may be adopted, as long as the
1-600 petition was filed on their
behalf before their 16th birth-
day, or in the case of an orphan
who is the sibling of a child
adopted by the same parents,
before their 18th birthday.

QUESTION: I would like to


work and live legally in the U.S.
but do not have a work
permit/visa. I have a valid 10-
year visitor's visa, but do not
want to spoil it by over staying.
What avenues can I use to seek
employment legally in the U.S.?

ANSWER: You cannot work in
the U.S. when you are present
on a B1/B2 non-immigrant visa,
advises attorney Courtney
Smith of the Bronx-based law
firm of Palma & Smith.
The avenues you can seek
to obtain employment legally
in the U.S. are to apply for a
H-1B and H-2B non-immi-
grant visa, he added. You
should seek the advice of an
immigration attorney before
applying for a H-1B or H-2B
non-immigrant visa.
Additionally, where an
immigrant visa petition has
been filed on your behalf -
example, through a parent,
spouse or sibling sponsorship -
and a visa is immediately avail-
able, you can apply for work
authorization. But note that it
is of the utmost importance that
you do not over stay on your
current visa, Smith added.

Compiled by Felicia Persaud
The above column is created

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 8)


March 2007


STRUGGLE AND TRIUMPH


It's a place where you are not a customer.









-usw^caribbeantodj..c..


CARIBBEAN TODAY


SLO c n i


Photograph by Sharon Bennett
Five recipients were cited for outstanding service to the community at the annual Sons & Daughters of Jamaica (S&DoJ) Ancestral
Heritage Awards presented during last month's celebration of Black History Month (BHM) at the Jamaican Consulate in Manhattan,
New York. Photograph shows, from left, Junior Jawara Blake, radio host of The Meeting In The African Village Square-WVIP, 93.5
FM; Hyacinth Simms, president of Simms Tax Services of Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Violet Russell-Forrest, fashion designer;
Aubrey Campbell, from the Jamaica Information Service, N.Y., who represented recipient Dr. Basil K. Bryan, Jamaica's consul gen-
eral; and E. Wayne McDonald, artistic director of the Caribbean Cultural Theatre, Inc., Brooklyn. The BHM celebration was co-spon-
sored by the Jamaican Consulate and S&DoJ, Inc.


Go online for your 1099 tax form


With tax season well
on its way, millions
of taxpayers in the
United States are busy gather-
ing all the forms and docu-
ments needed to file federal,
state and local tax returns.
Some people who receive
Social Security may have to
pay taxes on a portion of their
benefits. For them, a Social
Security Benefit Statement
(Form SSA-1099) is an impor-
tant tax document.
The SSA-1099s for tax
year 2006 were all automati-
cally mailed to beneficiaries
by Jan. 31, 2007. Anyone who
receives Social Security but
has not yet received a Form
SSA-1099 for 2006 can request
a replacement online at
www.socialsecurity.gov

BENEFITS
The SSA-1099 shows the
total amount of benefits
received in the previous year
and is used to find out if any
benefits are subject to tax, and
to complete a federal income
tax return. Basically, the fed-

How to adopt a no

and getting a job
(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7)
especially for immigrants con-
cerned or unsure of issues per-
taining to United States immi-
gration law. It aims to answer
some of our readers'frequent-
ly asked questions and provide
responses from qualified
immigration attorneys and
advocates lobbying for the
U.S. immigration cause. The


eral tax laws about Social
Security benefits state that:
Up to 50 percent of Social
Security benefits may be sub-
ject to income tax for individ-
uals with a combined income
between $25,000 and $34,000,
or for couples with a com-
bined income between $32,000
and $44,000; and
Up to 85 percent of Social
Security benefits may be sub-
ject to income tax for individu-
als with a combined income
above $34,000, or for couples
with a combined income above
$44,000. (Note: "Combined
income" means adjusted gross
income, plus nontaxable inter-
est, plus one-half of Social
Security benefits.)
Less than a third of cur-
rent Social Security beneficiar-
ies have incomes that exceed
the thresholds, requiring them
to pay taxes on a portion of
their Social Security benefits.
For more information on
taxation of Social Security
benefits, call the IRS's toll-
free telephone number, 1-800-
829-3676 and ask for


)n-U.S. resident;

or work permit
answers provided here are for
information purposes only,
and does not create attorney-
client relationship, nor is it a
substitute for "legal advice",
which can only be given by
a competent attorney after
reviewing all the facts of
the case.


Publication 554, "Older
Americans' Tax Guide". The
publication is also available
from the IRS website at
www.irs.gov
For more information
about Social Security, or to
request a replacement SSA-
1099, visit www.socialsecuri-
ty.gov
Or call Social Security's
toll-free number, 1-800-772-
1213 (TTY1-800-325-0778)
and ask for a replacement
SSA-1099.
0


March 2007


Antigua demands 'tangible


results' for world's women


WASHINGTON Antigua
and Barbuda has called for
greater efforts so that there
would be "more tangible"
results for women.
In her first address before
the Permanent Council of the
Organization of American
States (OAS), as president
of the Inter-American
Commission (CIM), Antigua
and Barbuda Labor, Public
Administration and
Empowerment Minister
Jacqui Quinn-Leandro said
these results should make
women "enjoy their rights
to the fullest extent."
The OAS Permanent
Council, which comprises
member state diplomats, is
chaired by Uruguay's
Permanent Representative
Maria del Lujin Flores.
Quinn-Leandro said the
empowerment of women and
gender equality "are prerequi-
sites for achieving political,
social, economic, cultural and
environmental security among
all peoples."
In quoting a statement
at the historic 1995 World
Conference on Women, in
Beijing, China, Quinn-
Leandro said "the advance-
ment of women and the
achievement of equality
between women and men are
matters of human rights and
conditions for social justice."
She said every effort should
be made to ensure that
women play a pivotal role in
the decision-making process in
the public and private
domains, and that they have
access to resources and bene-


fits of development, an OAS
statement said.
"The CIM objectives of
equality must be fulfilled, not
only because they are man-
dates but
also because
they are an
indispensable
component
of the devel-
opment
process of
our coun-
tries," said
Quinn-Leandro Quinn-
Leandro,
who was
elected last November to head
CIM for a two-year term.






Street Address:
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Mailing Address: P.O. Box 6010
Miami, FL 33116-6010.
Telephone: (305) 238-2868
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E-mail: caribtoday@earthlink.net
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Vol. 18, Number 4 MAR. 2007

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

JULISSA RAMOS
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
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Today may not be reproduced without
written permission of the editor.


HONORING OUR HERITAGE


ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN


Photograph by DerrickA. Scott
Lissette Wade, left, a Jamaican who resides in Lake Park, Florida, shows off an
award he recently received from United States President George W. Bush to
Jamaica's Ambassador to the U.S. Professor Gordon Shirley.
Wade was the only Jamaican among the 100 African Americans who were
honored as business and community leaders for "Black History Month" at a recep-
tion held at the White House in Washington D.C.






CARIBBEAN TODAY


V I E W P 0


Right man for her


The right man for her is
so elusive, for women
are never satisfied, as
men are loved, hated, reviled,
cursed, despised, wanted,
sought after, chased away, yet
chased after by women.
Women seem to be so
confused when it comes to
men, that either they don't
know what they want, or don't
want it when they have it.
As usual, many New
Year's Eve and Valentines'
nights saw many attractive
women out at functions, either
by ili minI\ s, or in a collec-
tive herd. Whatever, there
they were, all dressed up on
perhaps the most romantic
nights of the year, with no
man beside them. It is a com-
mon scenario, and while I
would not dare to ask them
about their plight on that
occasion, I have spoken to
them at different times about
their manless existence. For
some it was by fate, for others
it was by choice.
Usually the response was
the same, "I just can't find the
right man, why can't the right
man come into my life?"
One lady, who was
divorced twice, even told me
that she wants to get married
again, and that if the third one
failed, she'd go at it a fourth
time. "You see, I'm not one of
those women who can live
alone, I have my needs and I
need a man to fulfill them, so
I won't stop looking until I
find the right man."
The right man, there goes
that term again. But what
makes a right man, what sets
him apart from other men,
what makes him different?

MADE MAN
Well, the right man is
rarely born, but is made. A


young man
growing up
has to be
molded the
right way,
steered in the
right direc-
tion if he is to
become the
future right TONY
man. ROBINSON
There
are a few par-
ents who recognize this and
pass on these values to their
sons. The mothers make sure
that the boys are able to cook,
sew on buttons if needs be,
wash and iron, and generally
take care of lhel, meyi re. As
one old time mother told me,
"I made sure that he could do
all those things, so that he'd
not be at the mercy of any
woman."
Can you imagine the fias-
co if a man marries a woman
who is as helpless as a fish on
dry land? There they are, both
of them in the house and nei-
ther of them can do a damn
thing to help tohL IN L, s, not
even water they can boil, but
have to depend on a maid or
fast food for every single thing
that passes through their
mouth. It starts with simple
chores, that eventually leads
to independence, which then
leads to self-confidence.
The right man has man-
ners, and that too has to be
learned and cultivated from
an early age. Over the past
few months I chatted with a
lot of people, and I heard sto-
ries of young men coming to
pick up young women that
were simply horrific. One par-
ent told me how this young
man drove up to his gate to
attend his daughter's sweet 16
party. The lad was dressed in a
washrag type of tee shirt, torn


I n T


rolled up jeans, uncombed
hair, and more rings through
every part of his body than a
circus freak. "Yow, yow dads,
is Lisa party this, a ya so me
and my crew a buss!"
Now that must be every
parents' nightmare, and he is
certainly not the right man
that most women are always
seeking. But he wasn't born
that way, so the twig is bent it
grows, they say.

RESPECT
The right man respects his
woman. I always find it
strange how American black
males have this habit of call-
ing their women bitches and
ho's. Our men don't use those
said terms, but the lyrics of
some of the songs are oftimes
worse.
This lack of respect
towards women makes you
wonder if those guys were
spawned in a test tube. But
then again, you'll say that
some women respond to it
and even call for it. No matter,
it should not be done, and

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 10)


LWW-crbbatoa.co


* "They expect us in the
Caribbean to fail" Caribbean
soccer adminis-
trator Austin
"Jack" Warner
expressing his
view on what the
world believes
will happen at
Cricket World
Cup in the
region.

* "We have come here to the
Caribbean to win it, otherwise it
wouldn't have
made much
sense coming" -
Australian cap-
tain Ricky
Pointing after
arriving in the
Caribbean for
Cricket World
Cup.

* "We've got a good catch" -
David Wimhurst, spokesman for
MINUSTAH, the United Nations
peacekeeping mission in Haiti, on
successfully completing the first
phase of a crackdown on armed
gangs in one of the violence-rid-
den neighborhoods in Port au
Prince last month.


* "Merger is not the panacea
people like to think it is and the
next time somebody throws the
merger word out, you should ask
them for a copy of the plan as to
how it all will come together" -
Air Jamaica's President and ( in,.f
Executive Officer Michael Conway
offering his views on a proposed
single airline for the Caribbean.

* "Down with U.S. imperialism!
Long live the people of this
world" Venuzuela's President
Hugo ( t,.,.. during a visit to St.
Vincent and the Grenadines last
month.

* "Europe has
apologized to
several other
peoples across
the world so
why can't they
apologize to
us?" -
Dominica 's
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit
last month backing a call from
Caribbean community (CARI-
COM) (rite r i.,n Dr. Ralph
Gonsalves for European coun-
tries to issue an unqualified apol-
ogy for slavery.

* "The event is too important for
anyone to think of disturbing it"
- Trinidad Islandswide Cane
Farmers Association ( lnt,#i.,r, n
Raffique ,li/, last month dis-
pelling talk that the organization
would participate in a protest dur-
ing the Trinidad leg of the 20"0-
Cricket World Cup to seek com-
pensation from the government to
get out of the sugar industry.

* "We (are) going to shut the
island down" Lester Bird,
Opposition leader in Antigua and
Barbuda, last month threatening
action to protest the government's
introduction of a new sales tax.

* "It seems, however, that things
have literally fallen apart and we
are not surprised at this because
they were not done properly in
the first place" Jamaica's
Opposition spokesman on Energy
( i.- Mullings criticizing a deal
between his country's government
and Trinidad and Tobago.
Compiled from CMC and other
sources.
0


IAU

d4w i
-' o
--7. .'


* "You have to
look out for
what is best for
you as a coun-
try" Mary
Ourisman, the
newly-appointed
United States
ambassador to


Barbados and the Eastern
Caribbean, last month saying that
Caribbean states were free to
develop relationships with any
country they saw fit, including
Venezuela.

* "We remain concerned by the
level of violence that currently
threatens our way of life" -
Barbados's Police Commissioner
Darwin Dottin last month
expressing alarm at the country's
rising crime rate.


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March 2007





CARIBBEAN TODAY


-usw^caribbeantodj..c..


v 1 6w 0


I n T


Right man for her


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9)
perhaps if more parents
stressed the need to respect
women from an early age,
then the cycle would stop. At
times this lack of respect
stems from the man's own low
self esteem. So, to big up him-
self, he tears down women.
The right man has man-


ners. Now I know that many
nowadays youth have no idea
what I'm talking about, but
good manners goes such a far
way and is so sought after by
women. All the ladies who
I've spoken to have expressed
this, how it's so refreshing
when a man takes them out
and displays good manners.
He opens the car door, holds


the door open for her when
entering a building, pulls out
her chair, offers her food and
drink, generally makes her
feel comfortable and secure.
"Those are the qualities
that I look for in a man,
believe it or not, good man-
ners," this lady told me.
Some may not know the
term. but know when a man


shows it to them. "Him treat
me right, mek me feel good,
me check fi him." And that's
another thing, a good man
takes out his lady, and it does-
n't have to be anywhere fancy
either, but most women love
to dress up and go out once in
a while. That's why movies are
still so popular, even though
we have cable and satellite


Send Money To the and


dish. Women still love to dress
up and go out, and the right
man recognizes this. And I
don't mean taking out a new
woman just to impress her
either, but taking out your
wife or long time woman.
The right man has eyes
only for his woman. Okay,
let's get realistic and rephrase
that. The right man has eyes
only for his woman when he's
around her. She must feel spe-
cial, he can't be with her yet
ogles other women. As long as
he's with her, she must be the
one. Which leads naturally
into the next prerequisite of
the right man, fidelity. The
right man must deal with only
his woman and nobody else.
Now I know that's a tall order,
but it's what women want in
the right man. "I want my
man to only be with me alone,
I don't want to share him with
any other woman," so many
ladies have told me.
Others qualified it by say-
ing, "As long as him don't
dash it in my face and disre-
spect me and have woman
calling me and tracing me off,
I won't mind, although I
would rather he didn't, but
man is man I suppose."
The right man commits,
no stringing along business,
but really commits. Oh, the
right man is so hard to find.

HIT AND MISS
Women are forever seek-
ing the right man, this elusive
being that somehow keeps
slipping from their grasp.
Some women meet the right
men who eventually turn out
to be wrong, while others just
can't seem to meet even a hint
of a right man.
Others caught the right
man but couldn't hold on to
him, as their jealousy and
insecurity drove him away.
Still, there are others who will
never stop looking for the
right man, the man who will
fulfill all their needs, their
desires, their wants, their obli-
gations. "I won't settle for any
and anybody, I want the right
man for myself." "Why can't I
find the right man, either
they're married, gay, too
young, too old, worthless,
thieves, liars or unemployed."
But still, so many women
find men but also find faults in
all of them, so they are forev-
er seeking this elusive impos-
sible person and end up alone.
That seems to be the fate of
many women who are seeking
the right man. And anyway,
are you the right woman for
the right man?

seidol @hotmail.com
0


See Agent. clerk, to
-.........


March 2007





CARIBBEAN TODAY


F nT U R 6


CARICOR
PATRICK KNIGHT

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados -
Caribbean community (CARI-
COM) leaders left last month's
mid term summit in St. Vincent
and the Grenadines with a
vision of 2008 as a date with
destiny even as they firmly set
the region's focus on 2015 as
the marker for a new milestone
in the regional integration
movement.
In many respects Chairman
Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, the St.
Vincent and the Grenadines
prime minister, was accurate
when he identified 2008 as "the
region's date with destiny," as
that year will see the ushering
in of the CARICOM Single
Economy and the start of new
trade relationships with
Europe, the United States and
globally through the World
Trade Organization.
But while the first feeble
steps towards the Single
Economy the second compo-
nent of the CARICOM Single
Market and Economy will be
taken in 2008, it will not be
until seven years later in 2015
that the long held vision of a
fully integrated Caribbean
community could become a
reality.
While some regional com-
mentators view the 2015 date
as a delay, Barbados Prime
Minister Owen Arthur, the
man charged with the responsi-
bility for overseeing the
CSME, said it was never the
intention of regional leaders to
implement the Single Market
as a "done deal" in 2008, but
only to have the framework in
place to start the complex task.
"Do not expect to see the
Single Economy coming in one
fell swoop, we have sequenced
the activity in two phases, that
which will take place between
2008 and 2009 and then up to
2015," Arthur said, noting that
the plan was not about offering
"quick fix" solutions.

REALISTIC OR NOT?
But is the seven-year win-
dow to achieve the CSME a
realistic target?
Arthur believes that once
the timelines in the Professor
Norman Girvan study "Towards
a Single Economy and a Single


A eyes 2008 as Caribbean's 'date with
Development Vision" are strict- Full implementation of the
ly adhered to, the Single free movement of service Implementation schedule for
Economy can become a providers; harmonization of financial reg-
Caribbean reality by the 2015 tar- ulatory environment.
get. The implementation of legal


"The Single Economy will
not simply appear. We are
seeking to take 15 separate
economies and put them
t< g;L Ilh r, developing the sec-
tors >I;L IIL r, have similar poli-
cies, have regional institutions
that support the functioning of
the sectors, address matters rel-
ative to whether we are going
to have a monetary union or
not and have social institutions
to make the economy func-


status for the CARICOM
Charter for Civil Society.

* The establishment and com-
mencement of the Regional
Development Fund;

* Establishment of the
Regional Stock Exchange;


uuncan


Gonsalves


tion," Arthur said.
"This is now spelt out for
the first time in the Girvan
paper but it does not mean that
the economy comes into exis-
tence merely because this doc-
ument has been prepared and
approved, but it now means
that we have set out how we
are going to approach it."
The paper by Girvan, a
former secretary general of the
Association of Caribbean
States, sets out the sequencing
for the implementation of the
Single Market in two phases -
up to the end of 2008 and from
2009 2015. Key areas included
in the first phases to be imple-
mented by mid-2008 are:

* Political approval for the
broad outline of the develop-
ment vision and regional devel-
opment strategy;

* Extension of the categories
of CARICOM nationals bene-
fiting from free movement;


* Political approval of the
CARICOM Investment Regime
and CARICOM Financial
Services Agreement; and

* Collaboration with stake-
holders on regional policy
frameworks for energy related
industries, agriculture, sustain-
able tourism and agro-tourism,
new export services, transport
and small and medium enter-
prises.

AGREEMENT
Needing political agreement by
July 2008 and to be implement-
ed no later than Jan. 1, 2009 are:

* Negotiation and political
approval of the protocol on
enhanced monetary cooperation;

* Agreement among central
banks on CARICOM currency
numeraire (generally a com-
modity in terms of which all
goods are valued);

* Implementation schedule for
harmonization of taxation
regimes and fiscal incentives; and


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8750 S.W. 144th Street, Suite 207
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March 2007


PHASE TWO
Phase two 2009 2025 pro-
vides for the consolidation and
completion of the Single
Economy through:

* Implementation of common
sectoral policies, e.g. tourism,
transport, energy etc.;

* Harmonization of taxation
systems, incentives and regula-
tory environment;

* Harmonization of fiscal and
monetary policies;

* Implementation of regional
competition policy and regional
intellectual policy regime; and

* Implementation of CARI-
COM Monetary Union.

'MYSTIFIED'
While leaders emerging
from the summit appeared
happy with the staged implemen-
tation scheduled, regional politi-
cal scientist Professor Neville
Duncan told the Caribbean
Media Corporation he is "mysti-
fied" that governments still feel
they have some major hurdles to
overcome before full implemen-
tation of the CSME.
"If you have established a
development fund which is sup-
posed to ease the challenges and
burdens to countries which are
likely to be initially disadvan-
taged by the single market and
economy why then should one
have to wait until 2015?" Prof
Duncan asked.


"But I guess 2015 is anoth-
er magical date because that's
when there's a hope that the
millennium development goals
will be fulfilled, but that does-
n't look the case for many
countries," the director of the
Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of
Social Economic Studies
(SALISES) at the Mona cam-
pus of the University of the
West Indies added.
He said Caribbean people
were fully supportive of the
integration movement and sug-
gested that if they were unsure
of where the region's people
story, CARICOM leaders
could engage an agency such as
SALISES to conduct a regional
survey to gauge the region's
position on the matter.
"Maybe then they would
be persuaded but clearly the
study done in Jamaica shows
conclusively the strong com-
mitment of Jamaican people in
general towards integration
and we see from Caribbean
business people that they are
not laggard in what needs to be
done," Prof. Duncan said.
As they continue the
march towards the 2015 vision,
the words of Dr. Gonsalves, a
poet as much as a prime minis-
ter, will remain relevant to
Caribbean leaders:
"We, who have come with
our limiting burdens of yester-
day, face today with immense
possibilities, amidst an amazing
grace for our glorious tomor-
rows. We remember, we know,
we dream, and we act for our
people and for generations
unborn. It is our destiny."

- CMC
0






CARIBBEAN TODAY


mim .i .ii


Caribbean has much to gain from sport tourism ~ expert


BRIDGETOWN, Barbados -
The Caribbean has much to
gain by developing its sport
tourism p ,linii.il, an expert in
this field has said.
"There are considerable
economic, sport and communi-
ty benefits to be gained
through developing the niche
market that is sport tourism,"
said Andrew Preece, a director
of the consultancy firm PMP.


Preece explained last month
that sport tourism can take sev-
eral forms, but primarily involves
hosting sports events like the
International Cricket Council
Cricket World Cup (CWC)
which begins in the Caribbean
this month which bring both
competitors and spectators who
spend money in the community
gLcnir.ill\ and in tourism ameni-
ties such as hotels and restau-


rants in particular.
Preece, who has been part
of the PMP team working on
legacy planning for the
Barbados leg of the CWC, will
be a panelist at the "9th
Annual Caribbean Conference
on Sustainable Tourism
Development", otherwise
called the "Sustainable Tourism
Conference (STC-9)", in the
Cayman Islands in May. The


general session,
"Securing
Environmental
and Human
Capital", takes
place on May 23.
Preece's presen-
tation will be on
community sport
tourism.
"Community ..
sport tourism
can lead to
improved sport Enthusiastic fans
development, tries, including tl
enhanced com-
munity pride,
and more active populations,"
Preece said.

EFFECTIVE APPROACH
Preece's presentation is
expected to examine the
approach to effective planning
for community sport tourism in
order to maximize the benefits,
and will include as a case study,
the four step "Community Sport
Tourism Planning Pr< igrani
developed by 2010 Legacies
Now and Tourism British
Columbia. Themed "Health
and Wellness: Communities,
Environments & E n, uin ilIcs ,
STC-9 will be held May 21-24 at
the Westin Casuarina Resort &
Spa in Grand Cayman, the


s will often follow their teams to other coun-
hose in the Caribbean.
Cayman Islands. General
sessions include: Health and
Wellness Tourism: Opportunities
and Challenges; Securing
Environmental and Human
Capital; Defining the Way
Forward and Stakeholders
Speak Out featuring discussions
about "Developing Valuable
Tourism Resources Within
Our Communities: the Grand
Cayman Go East Initiative,"
SPrccrx n ig Our Culture:
Preserving a Caymanian
IdcLninl '" R\ iig the Bar:
Customer Service Standards
for the Tourism Sector," and
"The Role of the National Trust
in Tourism Development."
0


Caribbean free movement expansion plans put on hold


KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent,
CMC Caribbean community
(CARICOM) leaders have
put a hold on plans to expand
the categories of Caribbean
nationals enjoying free move-
ment across the region.
Antigua Prime Minister
Baldwin Spencer told the
Caribbean Media Corporation
(CMC) that regional leaders,
during their 18th inter-session-
al meeting here last month,
decided against expanding the
list to include artisans as was
originally planned at a previ-
ous summit.
"It was felt that member
states who are in a position to
implement that immediately
(free movement of artisans)
should so do, but it was also
felt that it was necessary to
look at individual situations
emanating from the various
territories in terms of how
soon and this matter obviously
will be reviewed when next we


meet," said Spencer.
"In July hopefully the sit-
uation would have undergone
some change in terms of some
territories implementing and
others being in a position to
report how far they have
reached in terms of the imple-
mentation of artisans as part
of the free movement."

WORK IN PROGRESS
He told CMC the year-old
CARICOM Single Market
(CSM) was still a work in
progress and most countries
were yet to implement all leg-
islative changes necessary to
allow for the free movement
of the six categories previous-
ly approved to benefit from
free movement across CARI-
COM states.
"One of the things that
ought to be borne in mind is
that in every territory certain
legislative underpinnings have
to be put in place and all of us


openul u


have not completed that exer-
cise, for example in the case
of Antigua and Barbuda,
although we passed the free
movement of skills legislation
there was some problem
attendant to that so we have
to go back to Parliament
now," Spencer explained.
"Countries are updating
their legislative agenda and
doing the things that are nec-


essary, so yes the CSM is in
place as it stands but every
aspect of it is not likely to
come on board in every terri-
tory at the same time because
there are different considera-
tions, but we are all commit-
ted to the idea."
Spencer said the leaders
had also agreed to mandate
the Guyana-based CARI-
COM Secretariat to conduct a
study on the free movement
exercise in Antigua and
Barbuda before the country
was asked to implement the
free movement of teachers
and nurses.

SPECIAL CASE
At last July's summit it
was agreed that all members
states, with the exception of
Antigua, would add nurses
and teachers to the categories
of persons enjoying free
movement. But Spencer said
Antigua was a special case


since 40 percent of its work-
force originated from other
Caribbean countries even
before CSM.
"Clearly this represent
a significant percentage and
while it is true that we will
continue to play our part
and we will continue to have
Caribbean nationals coming
to Antigua living and working
and so on, we have to look at
the impact that it is going to
have on Antigua and Barbuda
in a comprehensive and a real-
istic way and for us to make
decisions based on that study,"
he said.
Presently university grad-
uates, media workers, ath-
letes, performing artistes,
teachers and nurses are cov-
ered under the free movement
initiative.
0


SWIMSUIT SPLASH


SI.com photographs
Some of the world's most beautiful models visited the Caribbean recently to shoot photographs for the pages of Sports
Illustrated magazine's 2007 swimsuit issue.
The models, including Bar Refaeli, Marisa Miller, Anne V. and Selita Ebanks, graced the property at The Caves hotel in
Negril, Jamaica, using the ocean-side bluffs, Caribbean sunsets and lush tropical flora as the setting for their work.
The photographs above, taken by Raphael Mazzucco, appear at SI.com. At left model Selita Ebanks wears a swimsuit by
Amare.At right, Bar Refaeli shows off swimwear by Pompei Beach.


March 2007


0 U R I S M / T R n V IE t





CARIBBEAN TODAY


Ziggy Marley captures 'Best

Reggae Album' at Grammy Awards


LOS ANGELES, CMC Ziggy
Marley, the eldest son of the
late legendary Jamaican reggae
superstar Bob Marley, last
month captured the "Best
Reggae Album" at the 49th
Annual Grammy Awards at
the Staples Center in Los
Angeles, California.
Ziggy won the award with
his "Love Is My Religion"
solo-studio album, eclipsing
compatriot Buju Banton,
Jewish reggae artist Matisyahu,
Sly and Robbie, and the British
group, UB 40.
"Love Is My Religion"
was released on the Tuff Gong
Worldwide label. It was Ziggy
Marley's fourth Grammy award.
Ziggy's previous win in the


Marley


"Best Reggae Album" catego-
ry was in 1997 for "Fallen Is
Babylon" by Ziggy Marley &
the Melody Makers.
0


PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad,
CMC Soca artiste Iwer
George was crowned the 2007
"International Power Soca
Monarch" after outclassing
his rivals in the finals of the
competition at the Hasely
Crawford Stadium in Trinidad
last month.
Bajan artiste, Biggie Irie,
captured the "Groovy Soca
Monarch" title in that competi-
tion.
Both competitions were
part of annual carnival celebra-
tions.
Iwer, singing "Fete After
Fete", and Irie performing "Nah
Going Home", each wrested the
respective titles from Shurwayne
Winchester, who placed third in
the Power Soca Monarch with
"Open The GL 'and fourth in
the Groovy Soca Monarch
singing "Alequa".
Winchester, who captured
the People's Choice Awards
for both competitions, deliv-
ered elaborate presentations
that featured troupes of


dancers, additional musicians
and several stylized props.
Iwer and Irie kept their
presentations simple, depend-
ing mainly on raw talent and
synergy with the audience to












Iwer
pull off their respective
victories. Iwer took home
TT$400,000 ($63,994) for his
efforts, while Irie received
TT$150,000 ($23,998).
0


ENTERTAINMENT BRIEFS


* Stephen Marley's tour
kicks off in March
Stephen Marley will launch his
much anticipated tour this month,
kicking off on Mar. 30 in the
United States and running
through more than 40 cities.
The three month tour of the
U.S. and Canada, billed as the
"Mind Control" North American
tour, will also feature special
guest "Jr. Gong" Marley,
Stephen's brother, and K'naan. It
will include performances at the
World Ski and Snowboard
Championships in Whistler, British
Columbia on April 15, Coachella
Music Festival in Indio, California
on April 27, and Jazzfest in New


Orleans on May 5.
* 'Best of the Best' reggae
Some of the biggest names in
reggae/dancehall music are
scheduled to perform at the "Best
of the Best" show on May 27 at
Bicentennial Park in downtown
Miami, Florida.
Buju Banton, Shaggy, Bounty
Killer, Elephant Man, Lady Saw,
Capleton and Barrington Levy are
among the top acts. For more
information, call 305-438-9488.
Compiled from CMC and other
sources.
0


L ~crbbatoa.co


Caribbean performers to feature

at Miami's 'Jazz in the Gardens'


Prominent Caribbean
artistes are listed among
those scheduled to per-
form at the two-day "Jazz in
the Gard n iimusic festival
this month in Miami, Florida.
Jamaican singer/song-
writer Luciano, and renowned
saxaphonist Dean Fraser and
the Jah Messenjah Band will
be joined during the second
annual jazz and R&B festival
by India Arie, Sergio Mendes,
Boney James, Will Downing,
Paquito d'Rivera and Pieces
of a Dream, Mar. 24-25 at
Dolphin Stadium.
"We want people to know
'Jazz in the Gardens' as a cel-
ebration of the music and cul-
ture that lives and grows in
Miami Gardens," the city's
Mayor Shirley Gibson said in
a recent press release.
While Luciano is known
for a soulful, articulate blend
of "roots r ,_. India Arie
is a neo soul icon, and Sergio
Mendes is often touted as the
undisputed king of Brazilian
jazz.
Boney James, whose
latest release "shiii' rose
rapidly on the Billboard
Contemporary Jazz charts, is
also scheduled to perform
along with the international
contingent that includes


Cuban legend Paquito
D'Rivera.
For more information
about the event visit


www.jazzinthegardens. com
or call the event hotline at
305-622-8043.
0


Once-in-a-lifetime



richer ihpirates' treasures




A city ostto the sea


"Wickedest



Experience the exhibition


city on


Earth"


ort Aoyal
JAMAICA


Organized by The Insdtute of Jamaica and the Historical Muiseum of Southern Florida,
on display February 16 through June 3, 2007.
Yaur Stor'fi Your Communily... 1Thur Museum
iTORICAL Mfis-EUM 305.375.1492 ww.hinsf org E MNR
OF SOUTHERN FLORIDA 101 W Flagler St Downtown Miami AI8ltNT1 Z
"GV F~~AL .am~cais.pcwf i~n pa y Th. U.-mtwi d. nc~nrl3L. The JamaicaCormtt... Ai. Jla-A. .Jar.- ca rl BioBam a,~Jaraca A-enm kdta.. 4cpbonn u
rece ho.. do Stais ofFie OGPL 0' a-6. D o C.1-1 aIAle- Pe Am ~Coi.i- d & lH 0 ,~i ~ I W R- .",U-,a--&CGi-.I1 D.of CL'..-A.AI AP..V. "aC..'bh
Affair. Coun-a. m inbMam.Ojo. Crourm, Mayor &I he Miami-Dads CawVn 8 ... a of Cwun,, Comm13wanerB. an, l[hemmnmhera ofthe l~orical Iseum of acuihern Floulo


Iwer George is T&T's

new 'Soca Monarch'


March 2007


...... ........
n R T S / e nT 6 R T n i n m oE nT





CARIBBEAN TODAY


BOOKS


Colorful guide to the Caribbean

for Cricket World Cup 2007


V visitors to Cricket traverse the nine host ven-
World Cup 2007 w ill u s, following the
have a colorful guid ICC Cricket
to some of the most attract World Cup.
tive spots in the
Caribbean. SHOWCASE
Want to know the Produced
best restaurants, places by Jamaica-
to party and what's hap- based compa-
pening while they're in nies Great House
town for the event Publishing and
during this month and MAPCO Printers,
next? Try getting it showcases many
"The ICC CWC elements regarding
2007 Official the countries staging
Visitor's Guide", a CWC matches,
fan companion, including: Overview of
especially for first-time the territories; ICC
guests from outside the region. Cricket World Cup 2007
The full-color pocket refer- match schedule and related
ence of the Caribbean features information; things to see and
140 pages of information which do; restaurants and bars; beach-
visitors will find useful as they es in the region; carnival attrac-


tions; historic sites, museums,
etc.; entertainment and
nightlife; environmental/wildlife
attractions; and essential tele-
phone directories (taxis, emer-
gency, etc.).
The guide, being sold in
bookstores and other retailers
throughout the Caribbhni will
also be available through con-
cessionaires, as well as itiner-
ant vendors at CWC matches.
The guide to the West
Indies is being distributed in
Jamaica by Novelty Trading
and MAPCO Printers and in
the Eastern Caribbean by
Trinidadian style magazine,
MACO, and its distribution
company, Moving Magazines
Caribbean Limited.
0


U


every Tuesday


is a rjamaica.comQ

at airjamaica.com


Lovebird
@eSavers


A neat little pocket piece

when setting out for 'Yard'


* TITLE: JABARI
AUTHENTIC JAMAICAN
DICTIONARY

* AUTHOR: RAS DENNIS
JABARI REYNOLDS

* REVIEWED BY:
GORDON WILLIAMS

There is a never-ending quest to
capture the flavor of Jamaica's
popular patois or creole lan-
guage in writing.
Reading publi-
cations which
attempt that task I3 A
will make most A T~u'M
Jamaicans chuckle, m
because they do not I 3
believe anyone can
fully capture that fla- ,
vor in writing. Not
down pat anyway.
But it is worth a
try, especially since
the language has been -;,
spread globally, mostly 3
through reggae music.
People outside Jamaica are
always interested in the words,
how they are pronounced and
exactly what they mean.
"Jabari Authentic Jamaican
Dictionary of the Jamic
Language" offers another
attempt to tame the slippery
patois. The book makes its own
bold claim to snare "Jamaican
Patwa and Rasta Iyaric
Pronunciations and Definitions"
in "The First Jamic Dictionary"
right there on the black, green
and gold cover complete with
the Jamaican flag. In 142 pages
and more than 3,000 entries, it
goes quite a distance to try and
back up the claims. In some
ways, it succeeds admirably. In
others, like spelling there is no
'correct' spelling of patois
words it is not as convincing.

AID
The thumbnail pronuncia-
tion guide on every other page


is useful. First, it offers the
reader a quick glance while
going through the various
words and phrases on each
page. There is no need to go
back and forth from the page
in question to another section
of the book just to figure out
how to pronounce a word.
Also, the bold print of each
word or phrase, followed by the
non-bold meaning, makes the
dictionary's contents easy to fol-
low. And the "Guide
To The Dictionary",
near the front of the
RE j book, which offers,
AMrAICAN | for example, expla-
AtY nations and pronun-
.IUAE ciation tips, is help-
Kim.: ful as well.
S'"pth But after that,
the tame, academic
stuff ends and the
rollicking ride
through Jamaica's
delicious home-
spun language
begins. From taunt of
"a-bey" to the insulting "zut-
tupek", "Jabari" dives into pat-
ois head first.
Most of what's delivered
in the book is not unique, but
it is definitely informative and
interesting. It could prove quite
useful this month and next when
thousands of tourists are expect-
ed to flock to Jamaica for
Cricket World Cup as several
matches will be played
in the Caribbean island. Maybe
they should take the "Jabari
Authentic Jamaican Dictionary"
along with them. More than
likely they will need it.

PUBLISHER: Around the
Way Books, Waterbury,
Connecticut.

Gordon Williams is Caribbean
Today's managing editor.
0


A I a'-4 0 f "77 9-- a~
1.800.523.55855 1alrjamalca.comn


Resource guide available

for parents in Miami-Dade


The Miami-Dade County
Public Schools and The
Education Fund have
co-published a free Parent
Resource Guide 2006-2007 for
the public.
The 88-page guide, spon-
sored by global financial serv-
ices provider ING, gives par-
ents information they need to
know about their child's
school, curriculum and stu-
dent requirements.
The guide is printed in
three languages -English,
Spanish and Haitian creole.
Each school in the system will


receive additional copies for
use in parent-teacher meet-
ings.
The guide may also be
viewed online at www.educa-
tionfund.org (under "Our
Publications") and www.dade-
schools.net (under RI' u rs L ").
The 2006-2007 guide pro-
vides a wealth of information
including revised curriculum
requirements, test schedules,
immunization requirements,
student services, legal rights
and parental involvement.
0


Ewww .carbbanodagcm


--''U


March 2007


r -
I


-Am





CARIBBEAN TODAY


DAWN A. DAVIS
The mention of Port Royal
conjures up images of
swashbuckling pirates,
hidden treasures, lewd and las-
civious
lifestyles, and
murderous
debauchery.
But in its
heyday in the
17th and 18th
centuries Port
Royal was an
important
commercial Assamba
center colo-
nized by the English. It was the
center of the slave trade, import-
ed goods and naval power.
But its "wicked" past lives
on in folk tales as many believe
that the massive earthquake
that swallowed up the city on
June 7, 1692 was punishment for
its evil history.
An exhibition at Miami's
Historical Museum of Southern
Florida, opened recently in col-
laboration with the Institute of
Jamaica's Museums of History
and Ethnography, showcases this
infamous city. The display of
over 150 unique artifacts, some
discovered by historians and
underwater archeologists, repre-
senting life in the port city then
and now, will be on display until
through June 3, 2007. The ele-
gant pewter tableware, dishes,
hair combs and chamber pots
("chimmey") tell of people
going about their daily lives.

NOT 'DIBBY DIBBY'
In declaring the exhibition offi-


cially opened, Jamaica's Minister of
Tourism, Entertainment and
Culture Aloun Assamb, reminded
the audience: "Our findings reaf-
firms that tourism to our shores is
much more than beaches. More
and more tourists come for our
culture and to learn about our
way of life."
"Port Royal is no dibby
dibby place," she added.
The audience, including
Jamaicans, Americans, and
other Caribbean islanders, were
drawn to a series of old Spanish
coins with unique symbols
and numbers still intact. A
large map of Port Royal
depicted the shoreline as it
was before and after the
earthquake. A 19th century
picture of Port Royal shows
a city strikingly similar to
the Port Royal of today.
Pictures taken by Jamaica's
noted photographer Maria
LaYocona, show a vibrant
city teeming with life amidst
buildings still standing from
the pirates' days.
This port city that has
rebounded from disaster, once
again rose from the ashes after
Hurricane Charley destroyed
it in 1951. Today it comes alive
for people who come to sam-
ple the famous fish and
bammy, the old fort with its
grand canons, and the giddy
house, a structure half sunken
in the earth after the great
earthquake.

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


C U tT U R


I www.caibeatoa.comI


Caribbean trade negotiators push


culture as new creative sector


BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,
CMC Regional trade nego-
tiators have identified the cul-
tural industry as a sector
which could give Caribbean
community (CARICOM)
countries clear comparative
advantages in a global trading
environment.
With this in mind, Dr.
Richard Bernal, director gener-
al of the Caribbean Regional
Negotiation Network (CRNM),
said the region's ability to lever-
age benefits for the sector


would be boosted greatly by a
new study on the cultural indus-
tries, which would be presented
to all CARICOM governments
and cultural stakeholders.
"The creative sectors hold
tremendous potential for pro-
moting the development and
economic diversification of
this region. This study is
therefore critical as it will
assist the region in formulat-
ing the policies that address
the key issues and challenges
currently affecting this


region," Bernal said recently.
According a CRNM
release, the study, titled "The
Cultural Industries in CARI-
COM: Trade and Development
Clill ng1,", concluded that
investing in the cultural indus-
tries would be beneficial to
Caribbean countries as it would
generate new, high valued-
added and indigenous forms of
employment, production and
exports".
0


FUN AND FROLIC


One of the Caribbean's biggest cultural attractions, the Trinidad and Tobago
carnival, was staged last month. The streets of Port of Spain were filled with
revelers dressed in colorful costumes and sequins like these ladies. The
2007 carnival drew an estimated 45,000 visitors, most of whom participated
in the festivities, enjoying music, sunshine and the chance to play mas.


RETURN


ENJOY YOUR RETURN FLIGHTS FOR LESS
From Miami to Port of Spain and Georgetown.
To book now call 800 920 4CAL toll-free and quote Caribbean Today,
visit www.caribbean-airlines.com or call your local travel agent.


the warmth of the islands


Taxm and suzrdiaqpswill mt emmed $111. No n adorsbfLMmr. o eundahkL


Port Royal exhibit offers


more than 'wicked' past


PORT OF SPAIN FROM $360
GEORGETOWN FROM $478


March 2007





CARIBBEAN TODAY


-usw^caribbeantodj..c..


ii El In T ii


Basketball's Mourning teams up

with Florida's organ, tissue donors


Professional basketball
player Alonzo
Mourning, who has
overcome serious kidney
problems, has agreed to
become a spokesman promot-
ing a new Florida specialty
license plate, designed to pro-
mote organ and tissue donor
awareness and fund research,
transplant patient services and
education.
Created and sponsored by
The Transplant Foundation,
affiliated with the Miller
School of Medicine at the
University of Miami, the spe-
cialty tag Donate organs.
Pass it on is now available at
County Tag Agencies, Tax
Collector offices and online
through the Transplant


Mourning
Foundation at www.trans-
plantfoundation.org.
"I owe my livelihood, and


J Olive Chung-James, M.D.

BBoard Certified Family
Physician
children* adults* gynecology
mo eaganenw M. weight management
A Dr. Chung-James, practicing in Miami since 1983,
well-known in the Caribbean community.
NEW LOCATION:
9275 SW 152 Street, Suite 204. Miami, Florida 33157
(Across from Jackson South ER.)
(305) 251-3975


MEMMA


6300 W. Atlantic Blvd. Margate, FL 33063

1 (954) 956-9500



Leighton A. Taylor, M.D.

Board Certified
Plastic Surgeon

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(954) 963-1337
Fax (954) 981-7955
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(across from Memorial Hospital Pembroke)


more importantly my life, to
the fact that someone donated
an organ to replace the one
that had failed me," the
Miami Heat player said in a
recent press release.
Mourning was diagnosed
with kidney disease in 2000
and had a kidney transplant in
2003.
"Now Floridians have
the opportunity to help save
someone else's life," he added.
"And who knows? Maybe
some day their own."
For more information,
contact Transplant
Foundation at 1-866-901-3172
or visit www.transplantfoun-
dation.org.



HEALTH BRIEFS
Jamaica bans blood from
countries with mad cow
Jamaica is maintaining a ban on
blood donations from persons
who have lived for over a year in
countries where "mad cow" dis-
ease or a variant of the
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD),
which causes dementia in cows,
have been found.
St. Lucia trying to avoid
'Bird Flu' outbreak
The St. Lucia government has
announced measures to protect
the island from the spread of the
avian influenza (Bird Flu) during
this month's Cricket World Cup
that is likely to attract visitors
from Britain and other countries
affected by the disease.
T&T recruit doctors,
nurses from Cuba
More than 100 health profes-
sionals, including 40 doctors, are
scheduled to arrive from Cuba to
begin working in Trinidad and
Tobago, Health Minister John
Rahael announced recently.
Compiled from CMC and other
sources.


Feel secure shopping

for medication online


SUZY COHEN

QUESTION: Sometimes I
have to take muscle relaxers,
which make me sleepy and
dizzy. Getting to the pharmacy
as frequently as I need to is a
challenge, but I'm scared of
using my credit card online.
Do I have other choices to get
my toiletries and refills?
ANSWER: Yes, you can send
a friend or family member in
to purchase your medication,
but they will be asked a few
personal questions at the reg-
ister before your medicine is
handed over.
I know you're scared
about shopping online and,
with so many bogus pharma-
cies and counterfeit pills sold
off the Internet, who could
blame you? But trust me;
there are respectable pharma-
cies that offer safe and secure
shopping. Big-name retailers
would not risk your security
and they encrypt credit card
information. If that doesn't
persuade you, I'll give you
another secret shortly.
Now, you will want to
make sure your online phar-
macy has VIPPS certification,
another level of authenticity.
Look at the home page; there
should be VIPPS emblem
clearly visible.
LESS STRESS
Personally, I feel very
comfortable shopping with dis-
count chain pharmacies that
have web sites. Buying online
reduces stress because you
don't have to wait in long phar-
macy lines, which means you
don't have to breathe in germs.
Hey, who wants to get sneezed
on while waiting in line?
Shopping over the
Internet is private, too. You
can buy your tampons and toi-
let paper (and, ahem, private
goodies) without the cashier
yelling, "Price check, aisle 6,
Preparation H" or LniigL rg
is Vagisil buy one, get one?"
You can get your medica-


tions with just a few clicks of a
button. Most pharmacies will
deliver everything to your
door for a small shipping fee,
including prescriptions, unless


they are Class II narcotics or
other non-shippable drugs.
SECRET
Now, here's that secret I
alluded to. If you call your
bank (or go to its web site), it
will issue a temporary credit
card number you can use on
the computer. This service is
free, so consumers have a safe
way to shop online without
ever revealing their true credit
card number.
I can't possibly list all
the pharmacies that have
online pharmacy web sites,
but here are a few reputable
ones: www.cvs.com; www.wal-
greens.corn; www.costco.com;
www.riteaidcorm;
www.Ianartconm; www.albert-
sons.comrn; www.duanereade.com;
www.samsdub.com; www.eck-
erdcomrn; www.walmart com;
www.kroger.com; www.drug-
store.corn; www.target.com;
www.medicineshoppe com
This information is not
intended to treat, cure or
diagnose your condition. Suzy
Cohen is a registered pharma-
cist. To contact her, visit
www.dearpharmacist. com.
2007 Dear Pharmacist, inc.
Distributed by Tribune Media
Services, Inc.
0


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FAMILY DENTISTRY
EMERGENCY WALK-IN SERVICE


Cosmetic
Restorative
Preventive

Member American Dental Association
Most Insurance Accepted
6701 Sunset Drive, Suite 114
kSouth Miami, FL 33143


Oral Surgery
Oral Cancer Screening
Root Canal Treatment
Orthodontics


(305) 666-4334


IAN C. JONES, D.D.S.
* Preventive Dentistry
* Restorative & Cosmetic
Dentistry
* Crowns, Bridges, Dentures
* Oral Surgery & Root Canals
* Bleaching of Teeth


March 2007





CARIBBEAN TODAY


i nESS/TS X Pnnn i nG .ca-bbeanto

Conference to focus on financial planning for disabled children


Planning for the financial
future of children with
disabilities will be the
focus of a conference this
month hosted by the University
of Miami-Nova Southeastern
University Center for Autism
and Related Disabilities
(UM/NSU CARD).
The conference will be
held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Mar. 31 at Health Professions
Division Nova Southeastern
University Steele Auditorium
in Davie, Florida.
It will feature a variety of
topics related to planning for
the financial future of your
child living with a disability,
including Social Security ben-
efits, Med Waiver, estate plan-
ning, guardianships, special
needs trusts, etc.
Registration is free, but
required. To register, contact
Maria Lis de Gisperi at
305-284-5263.
UM/NSU CARD pro-
vides free family support,

Reconsidering

U.S. citizenship

or long term

residency rules
DENNIS GINSBURG &
MICHAEL ROSENBERG
In Dec. 2004, we wrote
about the changes in the
United States tax law that
had then been made in the
U.S. "expatriation" tax rules


that apply to U.S. citizens and
certain long-term permanent
residents who give up their
citizenship or "green card".
Instead of completely
overhauling the expatriation
tax regime (as had often been
proposed), the U.S. Congress
instead attempted to close the
perceived loopholes that exist-
ed under prior law.
Now, Congress is again
considering a major revision
in these rules and, even if no
immediate change is made, it
has been made clear that
these changes might be made
"soon" as a source of revenue
that would allow for other
"tax cuts" that Congress wants
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 18)


outreach, and educational
support services to children
and adults of all levels of
intellectual functioning who


have autism and autistic-like
disabilities. Services for fami-
lies throughout Miami-Dade,
Broward and Monroe coun-


1


CONTRIBUTIONS


ties in Florida include family
support, technical assistance
and consultation, parent and
professional training pro-


grams, and public education
activities.
0


OF


TO OUR COMMUNITY!


March 15,2007 6:15 p.m.
Broward County Convention Ceter
1950 Eisenhower Boulevard
Fort Lauderdale, Florida


RSVPs are a must.
RSVP online at www.africanamericanachievers.com or
Call: 866-516-2497 or Fax: 800-728-0156
Reservation deadline is Tuesday, March 13, 2007.




(fTOYOTA Local. 1 ,,1. .
sW11brWi.Ara uns.Lu' 5aaB .. 4*R >..^ Today' R&B Hits and Oldies


JOIN

JM FAMILY ENTERPRISES

IN CELEBRATING


March 2007


'W-FA


.a





CARIBBEAN TODAY


-usw^caribbeantodj..c..


Reconsidering U.S. citizenship or long term residency rules


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17)
to put in place.
Therefore, we think that it
is time for all who have ever
considered expatriation to go
through the analysis once
again.

OVERVIEW
The following is a general
overview of some of the major
aspects of the expatriation tax
regime and the major change
that is proposed.
As an initial matter, an
XpI r uk is generally
defined as: 1) a U.S. citizen
who renounces his or her U.S.
citizenship; or 2) a long-term
lawful permanent resident
alien (a so called "green card"
holder) who has held such sta-
tus for eight of the prior 15
years and who then relin-
quishes his or her "green
card".
In either situation, an
expatriate is not automatically
subject to the expatriation tax-
ation regime, but instead,
must violate certain qualifying
tests meant to determine
whether or not he has as one
of his or her principal purpos-
es in expatriating the avoid-
ance of U.S. taxes.
Under current law, an
expatriate needs to violate
one of three tests to be con-
clusively considered to have a
tax avoidance purpose the
"Net Income Tax Test", the
"Net Worth Test", or the
"Failure to Comply Test".
Under the relevant law, the
only exceptions to these
objective standards are for
certain adult and minor indi-
viduals with dual citizenship.

CAVEAT
However, these excep-
tions have a significant caveat,
in that such an individual can-
not have any "substantial con-
tacts" with the U.S. at the
time of expatriating, meaning
generally that the individual
a) never was a resident alien
(RA) under the three-year
weighted average substantial
presence test; b) never held a
U.S. passport; and c) was not
present in the U.S. for more
than 30 days during any calen-
dar year which is one of the 10
calendar years preceding the
individual's loss either of U.S.


citizenship or his or her green
card.
Once it has been deter-
mined that an individual has a
tax avoidance purpose in
expatriating from the U.S., the
individual then becomes sub-
ject to the "Alternative Tax
Regime" for the 10-year peri-
od subsequent to the taxpay-
er's expatriation (the "tainted
period") where he will be
taxed, generally speaking, in a
somewhat hI brid manner
that is both more comprehen-
sive than the taxation scheme
for taxing a typical nonresi-
dent alien/nonresident alien
domiciliary (NRA/NRAD),
but less comprehensive than
the worldwide tax scheme that
applies to a U.S. citizen or res-
ident alien/resident alien
domiciliary (RA/RAD).
However, even if an indi-
vidual has given up his or her
U.S. citizenship or green card,
that individual will continue to
be taxed as a U.S. citizen or
RA until he or she gives prop-
er notice to certain prescribed
U.S. agencies and files an
information statement with
the Internal Revenue Service
on IRS Form 8854. The indi-
vidual is then required to file
the same form for each year
during the "tainted period".
With a limited exception,
should the expatriate during
the "tainted period" be physi-
cally present in the U.S. on
more than 30 days in any cal-
endar year, the individual will
be taxed as a U.S. citizen or as
an RA/RAD during that year,
and will, therefore, be subject
to worldwide taxation for U.S.
income, estate, and gift tax
purposes for such year.

RULES REVISION
The U.S. Senate has now
proposed a major revision of
these rules. Under the Senate
bill, generally, a "covered
expatriate" will, with certain
exceptions, pay tax on the net
unrealized gain in all of their
property as if the properties
were sold at fair market value
on the day before expatria-
tion. The first $600,000 of gain
would be exempted from tax.
Special rules are provided
for interests in trusts and
retirement plans as well as
certain U.S. real property
interests.


While, in order to avoid
immediate payment of the tax,
it would be possible to make a
special election to continue to
be taxed as a U.S. citizen with
respect to the property
owned, that election would
"lock in" continuing U.S.
income, estate, gift and gener-
ation skipping transfer tax lia-
bility with respect to the prop-
erty and require the posting of
security for the payment of
the deferred tax (including
interest, penalties and certain
other items). An individual
would alternatively be permit-
ted to elect to defer the pay-
ment of the mark-to-market
tax on any one or more prop-
erties for which the election is
made. Interest would be
charged and security would
need to be posted. The defer-
ral would end upon the dispo-
sition of the property or the
death of the taxpayer.
Obviously, these rules
would be a marked change in
the way in which expatriates
are taxed. Most importantly,
outlasting the 10-year "tainted
period" or restructuring assets
so that they would not be sub-
ject to the alternative tax
would no longer be sufficient
to avoid the new tax regime.
However, as proposed,
these rules would only apply
after the date of enactment
and, as of the date this article
was written, it appeared
as though the House of
Representatives would not
include this provision in the
tax provisions they were pro-
posing.
In any case, as we noted
at the beginning, it would
appear that this mark-to-mar-
ket tax regime is being looked
at as a future source of funds
that can be used to offset tax
cuts elsewhere. Therefore, for
anyone who has or would at
all consider expatriating, it
becomes critical to reconsider
that action now.

Dennis Ginsburg and
Michael Rosenberg are share-
holders with the Coral
Gables, Florida law firm of
Packman, Neuwahl &
Rosenberg and can be
reached at 305-665-3311.
0


RAGS TO RICHES



















Businessman Vincent HoSang, left, receives a special award from Albert Lettman,
president of the Greater Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce, during the
GCACC's annual banquet and officer installation ceremony last month in Florida.
HoSang is the president and chief executive officer of Caribbean Food Delights Inc.,
a division of Royal Caribbean Bakery Inc. He was born in Jamaica and dropped out
of high school to help in the family business. He migrated to Bronx, New York in the
1960s and began his first job in the U.S. earning $1.60 an hour assembling briefcas-
es in a factory. HoSang currently owns and operates two factories with multi-million
dollar sales. He was the guest speaker at the function.


Getting back to budget basics Tips

to create a realistic, workable budget


Financial experts have a
myriad of tools and
resources at their dispos-
al detailed reports, econom-
ic outlooks and market analy-
ses that can be too complicat-
ed for the rest of us to com-
prehend.
But for your own personal
finances, the most useful tool
is actually one of the easiest to
understand and often over-
looked.
It's the personal budget.
A document that simply meas-
ures the amount of money
that comes in, and the amount
of money that goes out. Mike
Sullivan, director of education
for Take Charge America,
says you don't have to be a
finance guru to create a work-
able budget.

EASY
"Budgets are easy to cre-
ate, especially with the free
templates that are available
online," he said. "Putting
your budget on paper helps
you track your expenses, rec-
ognize poor spending patterns
and establish a savings plan."
In the United States,


where the average household
has racked up more than
$9,000 in high-interest debt, it's
obvious that many consumers
are living well outside their
means. Sullivan says a work-
able budget can help con-
sumers prevent financial blun-
ders, such as acquiring exces-
sive credit card debt and not
saving. He offers four tips:
Establish goals Before
you create a budget, establish
short and long-term financial
goals. Are you trying to get
out of debt? Do you hope to
retire early? Do you want to
put your children through col-
lege? Are you a travel enthu-
siast? It's important that your
budget provides for avenues
to accomplish these goals.
The sooner you start working
toward your goals, the easier
they will be to accomplish.
Layout A budget can
be easy to understand and
create.
The "extras" You
budget needs to include
\Iri| outside of monthly
bills. This includes entertain-

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 20)


Foronly


I


Jamaica,


Trinidad & Tobaao


*


WM W Transfer Fee

Send up to
$100


WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER*

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March 2007


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I BusinIESS/TnX ip t n n n i n G


olimoomp. 4 4APP Ap-





CARIBBEAN TODAY


Longing for some of that home cooking?
Oh! That aroma from the kitchen! Satisfy your
hunger with some of grandma's rice and peas.
finger licking jerk pork and savory curry goat -
all with family and friends.


)~L1

1~i..


It's an opportunity not only to whet that appetite but also to
reacquaint with family, reconnect with friends and relish in the
fun and warmth of just being home in great company. There's
no time like now. Come enjoy the feast! Catch up with friends!
Let's have some fun!
If you haven't been home for a while, a lot has changed.
There's so much to see and do. Both airports are being
upgraded. There are new roads and highways. If you're not
careful you might get lost.
Jamaican holiday periods offer sheer excitement no matter
what the holiday. What better place to spend this holiday
season than at home with family and friends, great food and
lots of fun.
And though you may have been away for a long time, and
are a green card holder, or became a US citizen, remember,
all persons traveling by air between the United States and
Jamaica now need to have a passport to enter or re-enter
the United States.
We look forward to welcoming you home. For further
information contact your travel agent or www.visitjamaica.com


March 2007





CARIBBEAN TODAY


-usw^caribbeantodj..c..


Property tax deadline

for Broward County


Mar. 31 is the last day for
Broward County, Florida prop-
erty owners, which includes hun-
dreds of Caribbean Americans,
to pay 2006 property taxes with-
out interest and penalties.
Pursuant to Florida
statute, taxes become delin-
quent on April 1, at which
time interest and penalties are
assessed. Taxes not paid by
May 23, 2007, will have a tax
certificate (lien) sold to pay
the delinquent taxes.


To make a payment via
the Internet, using a credit
card or electronic check, visit
www.broward.org/revenue. A
fee will be assessed for credit
card payments, but no fee is
charged for electronic checks.
To make a payment via
the Integrated Voice Response
System using a credit card, call
1-800-601-1069 (a fee will be
assessed for credit card pay-
ments).
0


Caribbean will borrow

more in 2007 ~ study


NEW YORK, CMC Gross
long-term borrowing by Latin
American and Caribbean coun-
tries will increase slightly in
2007, the international financial
ratings company, Standard &
Poor's Ratings Services stated
in a report issued last month.
The report, entitled
"Borrowing By Latin American
And Caribbean Sovereigns To
Expand In 2007", is Standard &
Poor's third annual survey of
government debt issuance in
the region.


operational by
KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent,
CMC Barbados Prime Minister
Owen Arthur says the much-
touted Regional Development
Fund (RDF) should be in opera-
tion by July and called on
regional countries to pay up
their contributions.
The anticipated $250 mil-
lion fund is a critical component
of the Caribbean community
(CARICOM) Single Market
and Economy (CSME), Arthur


"Standard & Poor's finds
that gross long-term borrowing,
including official and commer-
cial debt, by 25 Latin American
and Caribbean sovereigns
should reach US$427 billion in
2007," said the company's credit
analyst Joydeep Mukherji.
"Gross borrowing by
local and regional governments in
Latin America and the Caribbean
is also expected to grow very
modestly in 2007."


July Arthur
said. However, he explained
that all CARICOM states must
now be prepared to honor the
contribution schedule, which
would see countries collectively
contributing $120 million to the
RDF over a four-year period.
The RDF is designed to sup-
port development projects in the
sub-regional Organization of
Eastern Caribbean States
(OECS).
0


TAGHRID G. HASSAN
ATTO RN EY AT LAW
ADMITTED IN FL, N.Y. & N.J.

HURRY! APPLY FOR YOUR
CITIZENSHIP BEFORE -
THE APPLICATION FEES
INCREASE IN APRIL 2007!
REASONABLE RATES
EGREENCARDS, FIANCEE VISAS, FAMILY PETITIONS,
WORK PERMITS, CONSULAR PROCESSING, WAIVERS, BOND AND
REMOVAL HEARINGS, APPEALS AND CITIZENSHIP
r DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE, MARITAL AGREEMENTS,
CHILD CUSTODY, CHILD SUPPORT AND ADOPTION
Tel: (954) 862-1763
12555 Orange Drive, suite 218, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33330
Fax: (954) 625-6863 Email: taghridhassanca'hotmail.com
Tice hir, ig 'fa ,awy.r is an impirlt~ t decision Lil Ehfcld riot be basrlm sliIy upop ai ,.r1ispients.
Bel rc6 you o.hiu;..a k is t.) wp.1 yOu ['v written ilnfor ,i' aiop a-ut our qJlifirq .Tjin' f an M xpr1ennfe..


Several business interests attended last month's luncheon session to promote trade and investment opportunities between a
group of New York-based Pakistani entrepreneurs and the Caribbean during Cricket World Cup in the region. They included, from
left, Junaid Mirza, director of Travel Treat, Inc.; Mahmood "Max" Shaukat, chief executive officer, Digital TV; Kirk Kennedy, execu-
tive director of JAMPRO, Jamaica's trade agency; and Dr. Basil K. Bryan, consul general of Jamaica to New York. A group of New
York Pakistani entrepreneurs will be attending the CWC which begins this month.


Miami-Dade to conduct free

business, counseling seminars


This month, the Miami-Dade
Enterprise Community Center
will conduct its "Emerging
and Expanding Business
Seminars Series".
The seminars, which are
free and open to the public,
are expected to offer informa-
tion on local business taxes,
certificates of use, tangible per-
sonal property taxes, sales and


use taxes, Miami-Dade County
business incentives, business
contracts, loans, lines of credit,
business technology, how to
start a successful business and
a business plan lab series.
Those that register can
receive the ECC Certificate
Program upon completing the
seminar series.
The seminars are to be


held at 3050 Biscayne Blvd.,
Suite 201 in Miami and are to
be divided into two parts con-
sisting of the "Emerging
BtuIni i, and the "Expanding
Btliii 'series.
For more information,
305-579-2730 or visit the ECC
at www.ezonetrust.org
0


Getting back to budget basics ~ Tips to create a realistic, workable budget


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18)
ment, child care, education,
retirement and savings, among
other specific interests, activi-
ties and goals. Savings are
vitally important. Even $25 a
month can be a big help. A
little cash cushion can prevent
you from falling deeper into
debt when emergencies occur.
Monthly evaluations -
A budget shouldn't be set
in stone. As incomes and
expenses fluctuate, budgets


need to be adjusted according-
ly. Take a close look at your
budget at the end of each
month. Have you noticed any
poor spending habits? Are
there areas where you can
trim funding? As you track
your spending, you will
inevitably come across areas
where you can free up money
to use more effectively.
To locate a reputable
financial advisor, visit the
Better Business Bureau at


www.bbb.org or visit
www. takechargeamerica.org
for more information.
Information obtained from
Take Charge America, a
nonprofit organization which
offers a variety of services
including financial education,
credit counseling and debt
management.
0


CRICKET BUSINESS


Regional Development Fund


Consider Metropolitan Baptist Church, an exciting, growing, multi-ethnic
S multi-cultural congregation, meeting at I
7200 Davie Road Extension, Hollywood, FL 33024
SUNDAYS: 10:00 a.m. with Sunday School at 9:00a.m. Joyful worship,
warm fellowship and anointed preaching await you.
Visit us next Sunday-for an experience of blessing! 10:00 a.m.
For more information call the Church Office: 954.963.0634
Rev. Hervin Green Proclaiming Jesus Christ as Savior & Lord! Rev Clinlon Chisholm
Pastor www.metropolltanbaptistonline.com Associate Pastor


March 2007


momm- I ............... ........ ........ "Il""Ill""Ill!"",""","
I BusinIESS/TnX ip t n n n i n G





CARIBBEAN TODAY


O n R "G ^ aiend^ o.4


~ A Caribbean Today feature


Caribbean
Increased use of mega con-
tainerships in trans-ocean
trades is forcing the develop-
ment and use of large transship-
ment hubs serving as container
distribution and collection cen-
ters for large trading areas.
The Caribbn, n though
small in population and econom-
ic activities except for tourism,
constitutes a major crossroads
for international trade. This is
not only because of its proximity
to the Panama Canal, but also as
a major focal point for
north/south Atlantic trades and
trades with the east and north-
ern coasts of South America.
The major problem for
lines serving Northern and
Eastern South American coun-
tries are the lengths of their
coastlines and the resulting
huge inter-port distances, com-
bined with significant but not


transshipment emerges
large container trades, mostly delivery of cargo, reduce in
foreign trades. This makes it transit inventory, and make the
difficult to justify direct ship- total origin-to-destination
ping by large containerships. movement of containerized
Similarly, the large distances cargo more seamless.
to their principal trading partner In other words, the pur-
ports make the use of smaller, pose is not just to reduce ori-
less efficient container ships gin-to-destination transport
unattractive. This has led to the and handling or transfer costs,
development of transshipment but to make the whole supply
ports in the Caribbean designed chain, including all involved
to serve South America and the transactions, more efficient and
Gulf of Mexico. more responsive to the ever-
changing market place.
OBJECTIVES Transshipment also offers
The objectives of trans- opportunities for cargo consoli-
shipment are not only to dation or deconsolidation and
reduce the total cost of collect- value added activities such as
ing and/or distributing the con- assembly, calibration, and cus-
tainers carried by a mega- tomizing to meet specific local
mainline container vessel from or time varying demands. To
and to numerous origin and make transshipment attractive
destination ports, each of the economic and operational
which only contributes a part benefits must outweigh added
of the mainline vessel cargo, economic and operational costs
but also to improve just-in-time such as additional handling


LOVEBIRD'S 25-YEAR AFFAIR


Photograph by Derrick A. Scott
Sue Rosen, left, Air Jamaica's senior vice president of customer service, accepts a proclamation from Maryland's Secretary of
Transport John Porcari, on behalf of the U.S. state's Governor Martin O'Malley, in recognition of Air Jamaica's 25 years of service to
Baltimore Washington International Airport. Sharing in the presentation are, from right, Basil Smith, Jamaica's director of tourism;
Will Rodgers, recently retired vice president of Air Jamaica; Sharon Miller, deputy chief of missions, Embassy of Jamaica; and
George deMercado, the airline's vice president of sales. The presentation was held recently at the Baltimore Hyatt Hotel. Over
the last 25 years the airline claimed it has carried more than a million passengers into Jamaica from the airport while maintaining
an average load factor of over 79 percent.
Air Jamaica began service out of the airport on Feb. 16, 1982.


MIAMI MIRAMAR-BROWARD
Wachovia Financial Center Huit inti. nn squa,*
200 South Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 2680 3350 S.W' 14.5h A\ enu, Suic 110
Miami, Florida 33131 Miramar, FL 33027
Tel: 786-777-0184 Fax: 786-777-0174 Tel: 954*874* 1736 Fax: 954*430*9342
info@delancyhill.com www.delancyhill.com
The bhiing ofa law)v is an i pouni decision thai should o be baed solely upon K r't iscmn s. Belrre yl decide, pklea ask us 10 seoi you lice ortte neormawon abol our qialificains and epaiicace


at crossroads for trade


costs, port dues, and possibly
extra voyage distances or devi-
ations. At the same time,
transshipment is often neces-
sary to attain economies of
scale in shipping as well as the
overall logistics chain.
During recent years trans-
shipment has caught on in the
Caribbean and a large number


of transshipment ports have
been developed. Additional
transshipment ports are under
construction or being planned.

The above article was edited
from a paper written by Ernst
G. Frankel.
0


I '
I I



UDYes, send me 1 year (12 issues) of Caribbean Today
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March 2007


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CARIBBEAN TODAY


-usw^caribbeantodj..c..


~ A Caribbean Today feature


Photograph by Sharon Bennett
Jamaica's Minister of Transport Robert Pickersgill, center, is greeted on arrival at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Queens, New York by
Sabrina Hosang, left, daughter of Vincent Hosang, director of operations at Caribbean Food Delights/Royal Caribbean Bakery; and
AnnMarie Grant-Brown, executive director, American Foundation for the University of the West Indies. Pickersgill was the keynote
speaker at last month's Anniversary Charity Ball organized by the Children of Jamaica Outreach (COJO), Inc., held at the hotel. Dr.
Basil K. Bryan, consul general of Jamaica, served as patron of the gala, proceeds from which will benefit charities in Jamaica and
the United States.


U.S. authorities seize $15 million worth of narcotics in Caribbean


SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -
United States Coast Guard and
Customs and Border Protection
operations in San Juan, Puerto
Rico, along with other members
of the Caribbean Corridor
Initiative, announced Feb. 28 the
seizure of approximately 396
kilos of cocaine and 123.1 kilos
of heroin with an estimated
street value of $15,056,400.
Six people were arrested in
the operation.
After coordination between
the crew of Coast Guard Cutter
Northland and Caribbean
Corridor participating agencies,
Coast Guard intercepted a fast
boat about 92 nautical miles
north of Venezuela. The boat
had six people onboard and 18
bales containing narcotics. Coast


CAN WE TALK?


Peter A. Webley,
Publisher


Guard apprehended the crew
and narcotics, and transported
them to the base where Customs
and Border Protection and other
federal agencies provided addi-
tional assistance in the operation.
GETAWAY ATTEMPT
While the Northland Cutter
was on its way to the base it
encountered another fast boat
that attempted to elude the cut-
ter. The Coast Guard disabled
the engines and rescued five peo-
ple that were onboard the fast
board. The captain of the vessel
failed to abide federal regula-
tions when attempting to outrun
the cutter. All five crewmembers
were detained and were also
transported the base for ques-
tioning and processing.


Intelligence sources place
high-caliber drug traffickers
moving tons of drugs, and
money through the Caribbean.
The Caribbean Corridor
Initiative is a Drug Enforcement
Strike Force that includes agen-
cies such as Customs and Border
Protection (CBP), U.S. Coast
Guard, Drug Enforcement
Administration, Federal Bureau
of Investigation, Immigration and
Customs Enforcement and U.S.
Attorney's Office.
"The Caribbean Corridor
Initiative has once again proven
that compiling resources pro-
vides results," said Marcelino
Borges, director of field opera-
tions in the region for CBP.


Most of us try to attract other people by the friends
we keep and the way we carry ourselves, If you
are going to a party or a formal function, don't you
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impression of ourselves to other people we meet
and talk to.
If we agree on that, then think of this. Why should it
be any different for your business? If you want to
project a favorable image of your company, in
order to win customers, you should keep your com-
pany with good friends and... dress your company
well in...


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Consistently credible
For information, please call
305-238-2868, or fax 305-252-7843


Regional carriers defend


pricing system for CWC


BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,
CMC A top regional airline
official is defending the pricing
structure now in use by
Caribbean carriers for the
International Cricket Council
Cricket World Cup (CWC)
2007 which runs through April
28.
Michael Conway, presi-
dent and chief executive offi-
cer of Air Jamaica, said while
the airline is seeking to make a
profit from the venture, it
could not be accused of price
gouging.
"Any time you have fewer
entities providing the goods and
services by definition there is less
competition. And it's opposite of
what a free market place is. The
more people providing the
goods, the better deal the con-
sumer will get," Conway said.

COMPLAINTS
In recent months there
have been complaints from
passengers that the prices of
airline tickets and accommoda-
tion have increased significant-
ly as a result of the World Cup
games that begin this month.
Conway said he was not about
to defend the charges now in


use for regional hotel rooms,
but explained there was a logi-
cal reason for the recent hike
in regional airfares.


Conway


"Any time you have a high
demand for something that is
going to drive prices up. I
think the airlines will be full. I
know we will be full on our
trips from Jamaica to
Barbados for the final. So what
does one do? Do they keep the
same prices or do you match
your pricing with the demand?
I think that's what people are
doing," Conway said.
0^


To ensure shipping and
cargo security at its bor-
ders, the United States
has implemented a Container
Security Initiative (CSI), which
consists of four core elements.
These are: 1) establishing
security criteria to identify high-
risk containers; 2) pre-screening
those containers identified as
high-risk before they arrive at
United States ports; 3) using
technology to quickly pre-screen
high-risk containers; and 4)
developing and using smart and
secure containers.
To be eligible to participate
in CSI, the Member State's
Customs Administration and
the seaport must meet the fol-
lowing three requirements:
* The Customs Administration
must be able to inspect cargo
originating, transiting, exiting,
or being transshipped through a
country.
Non-intrusive inspectional
(Nil) equipment (including
gamma or X-ray imaging capa-
bilities) and radiation detection
equipment must be available
and utilized for conducting such
inspections. This equipment is
necessary in order to meet the
objective of quickly screening
containers without disrupting
the flow of legitimate trade.
The seaport must have regu-
lar, direct, and substantial con-


trainer traffic to ports in the
United States.

RISK MANAGEMENT
As part of agreeing to par-
ticipate in CSI, a Member
State's Customs Administration
and the seaport must also:
Commit to establishing a
risk management system to
identify potentially high-risk
containers, and automating that
system. This system should
include a mechanism for vali-
dating threat assessments and
targeting decisions and identify-
ing best practices.
Commit to sharing critical
data, intelligence, and risk man-
agement information with the
U.S. Customs and Border
Protection in order to do collab-
orative targeting, and develop-
ing an automated mechanism
for these exchanges.
Conduct a thorough port
assessment to ascertain vulnera-
ble links in a port's infrastruc-
ture and commit to resolving
those vulnerabilities.
Commit to maintaining
integrity programs to prevent
lapses in employee integrity and
to identify and combat breaches
in integrity

Edited from the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security's website.
0


MAN IN THE MIDDLE


Tighter security demands at

U.S. borders, ports


March 2007


............... M M R
c n R G 0






CARIBBEAN TODAY


GORDON WILLIAMS

Jamaican-born O'Neil
"Supernova" Bell will
defend his undisputed world
cruiserweight boxing crown
against Jean-Marc Mormeck in
Paris, France this month.
Bell, with a ring record of
26 wins with 24 knockouts,
wrapped up the bulk of his
training in California late last
month and returned to his
Atlanta, United States home
confident that he is in the best
shape to defend the World
Boxing Council and World
Boxing Association titles he
took from Mormeck when the
two first met in Jan. 2006.
"I couldn't be more ready,"
Bell told Caribbean Today.
The much-anticipated Mar.
17 rematch in the 200-pound
weight class will be Bell's first
bout since knocking out
Mormeck in New York's
Madison Square Garden. He
has since been stripped of his
International Boxing Federation
belt for failing to defend that
title last year. Bell said he was
unable to make the mandatory
IBF fight against American
Steve Cunningham because of a


medical problem.

FIT, READY
However, he claimed he is
now fit and ready for Mormeck.
Bell stepped up preparation dur-


ing a month-long training stint at
Big Bear, California where he
also had to overcome a legal
problem. Last month the cham-
pion was charged with assaulting
one of his sparring partners, but


the charge was later dropped.
Bell claimed the incident has
only served to rev him up for the
Mormeck fight.
"It was definite motivation
for me," he said.
Bell's camp said he sparred
more rounds for the rematch
than when he first fought
Mormeck. With the physical
aspect of his training now com-
plete, the champion, who plans
to leave the U.S. for France
around Mar. 12, said he is cur-
rently working on sharpening
his mental approach.
"It's just to focus, make sure
everything is perfect," he said.
For the return fight Bell
told Caribbean Today he
expects Mormeck to be in much
better physical shape, but he
does not see the Frenchman
changing ring tactics. Neither
does he plan to change his own
approach.
"It will be like two freight
trains clashing head on," Bell
said. "I don't expect him to box
and I don't want to box him."

Gordon Williams is Caribbean
Today's managing editor.


S PO RT


Jamaica's O'Neil 'Supernova' Bell


defends cruiserweight crown Mar. 17


soccer
GORDON WILLIAMS

Two more Caribbean-
born soccer players are
hoping to boost their
professional careers with
Miami EC., a Florida-based
club which competes in the
United Soccer Leagues (USL)
in the United States.
Club sources confirmed to
Caribbean Today late last month
that Jamaican Sean Barrett and
Gerghiny Obas of Haiti were
among less than a dozen players
who survived the cut at open
tryouts with the club last month.
Beginning this month, they will
train with the team with the
hope of making Miami F.C.'s 22-
player official roster for opening
day in mid-April.
Barrett, a forward, and
midfielder/defender Obas
competed for the coveted non-
contract "walk-on" spots with
more than 300 players at the
tryouts. They are hoping to
emulate the feats of country-
men Sean Fraser and Stephane
Guillaume, who were both
signed by Miami EC. based on
their performance at tryouts
last season.
Fraser, from Jamaica, and
Guillaume of Haiti both had


USA Cricket Association suspended by world body


CAPE TOWN, South Africa,
CMC The International
Cricket Council has suspend-
ed the membership of the
United States of America
Cricket Association
(USACA).
An ICC release said the
suspension was as a result of
the USACA's failure to meet


"the agreed and subsequently
extended deadlines for the
adoption of the new USACA
constitution and the holding
of Ln.IIIII .
The West Indies Cricket
Board, the only full member
in the ICC Americas region,
has been asked to monitor the
progress of the USACA and


subsequently make a recom-
mendation on the lifting of
the suspension.
"It gives the ICC Board
no pleasure to re-enact this
suspension but given the lack
of progress towards a func-
tioning administration of USA
Cricket it has been left with
little alternative," ICC Chief


Executive, Malcolm Speed
said.
Under the suspensions,
the USACA will be hit by
several sanctions. The team
will be withdrawn from the
World Cricket League
Division Three Series sched-
uled for Australia in May and
relegated from that division.


Additionally, the grant
used to prepare for that event
will be withheld along with the
direct funding support from
the ICC Americas Region
Development Program. The
USACA will also miss out on
the annual ICC grant due on
April 15.
0


ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 match schedule


The following is a listing of matches to be
played during Cricket World Cup 2007, Mar.
13-28, in the Caribbean. All matches start at
9:30 a.m. local time.
GROUP STAGE GAMES
Group A St. Kitts and Nevis
Mar. 14 Australia v. Scotland
Mar. 16 South Africa v. The Netherlands
Mar. 18 -Australia v. The Netherlands
Mar. 20 South Africa v. Scotland
Mar. 22 Scotland v. The Netherlands
Mar. 24 -Australia v. South Africa
Group B Trinidad and Tobago
Mar. 15 Sri Lanka v. Bermuda
Mar. 17 -India v. Bangladesh
Mar. 19- India v. Bermuda
Mar. 21 Sri Lanka v. Bangladesh
Mar. 23 India v. Sri Lanka
Mar. 25 Bermuda v. Bangladesh
Group C St. Lucia
Mar. 14 Kenya v. Canada
Mar. 16 England v. New Zealand
Mar. 18 England v. Canada
Mar. 20 New Zealand v. Kenya
Mar. 22 New Zealand v. Canada
Mar. 24 England v. Kenya
Group D Kingston, Jamaica
Mar. 13 -West Indies v. Pakistan
Mar. 15 Zimbabwe v. Ireland


Mar. 17 Pakistan v. Ireland
Mar. 19 -West Indies v. Zimbabwe
Mar. 21 Zimbabwe v. Pakistan
Mar. 23 -West Indies v. Ireland
SECOND STAGE SUPER EIGHT. TOP TWO
TEAMS FROM EACH GROUP ADVANCE
MARCH
Mar. 27 Second place in Group D v.
winner of Group A in Antigua and Barbuda.
Mar. 28 Second place in Group A v.
winner of Group B in Guyana.
Mar. 29 Second place in Group D v.
winner of Group C in Antigua and Barbuda.
Mar. 30 -Winner Group D v. second place in
Group C in Guyana.
Mar. 31 -Winner in Group A v. second place
in Group B in Antigua and Barbuda.
APRIL
April 1 Second place in Group D v. winner
of Group B in Guyana.
April 2 Second place in Group B v. winner
of Group C in Antigua and Barbuda.
April 3 -Winner of Group D v. second place
in Group A in Guyana.
April 4 Second place in Group C v. winner
of Group B in Antigua and Barbuda.
April 7 Second place in Group B v. second
place in Group A in Guyana.
April 8 Winner of Group A v. second place
in Group C in Antigua and Barbuda.
April 9 -Winner of Group D v. winner of
Group C in Guyana.


April 10 Second place in Group D v.
second place in Group A in Grenada.
April 11 Second place in Group C v.
second place in Group B in Barbados.
April 12 -Winner of Group B v. winner of
Group C in Grenada.
April 13 -Winner of Group A v. winner of
Group D in Barbados.
April 14 Second place in Group A v.
winner of Group C in Grenada.
April 15 Second place in Group B v.
winner of Group D in Barbados.
April 16 -Winner of Group A v. winner of
Group B in Grenada.
April 17 Second place in Group A v.
second place in Group C in Barbados.
April 18 -Winner of Group D v. winner of
Group B in Grenada.
April 19 Second place in Group D v.
second place in Group B in Barbados.
April 20 -Winner of Group A v. winner of
Group C in Grenada.
April 21 Second place in Group D v.
second place in Group C in Barbados.
SEMI FINAL ROUND
JAMAICA
April 24 Second v. third
St. LUCIA
April 25 First v. fourth
FINAL
April 28 BARBADOS


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players
fairly successful seasons play-
ing alongside Brazilian World
Cup greats Romario and
Zinho at Miami EC., which
advanced to the play-offs in its
first USL season. Both players
started numerous games and
later received contract exten-
sions at Miami F.C. They were
also selected for their national
team to play in the Digicel
Caribbean Cup.
Fraser's career earned an
added boost when he was
selected for a loan spell with
top Brazilian club Boavista. He
is set to rejoin Miami F.C. for
the start of the USL season.

TRIAL
According to club sources,
Barrett and Obas will be on
trial when they participate in
pre-season training, which was
scheduled to start earlier this
month.
"The pre-season is an
excellent opportunity to further
analyze the players who
already signed with Miami EC.
and also the ones chosen at the
tryouts, especially the latter,"
said Chiquinho de Assis, head
coach for Miami EC.
0


Miami F.C. boosts Caribbean


March 2007





CARIBBEAN TODAY


mim .i .ii


SPORT


Guyana's Harris awaits boxing world title shot


BROOKLYN, New York -
Guyana's world-rated light-
welterweight boxer Vivian
Harris is now awaiting confir-
mation of an International
Boxing Federation (IBF) title
shot against champion Junior
Witter of Britain.


Harris qualified for the
world title bout by defeating
Mexico's Juan Lazcano in an
IBF eliminator in Las Vegas
last month.
It is expected that Harris
and Witter will meet later this
year for Witter's belt and the


Caribbean 140-pound pugilist
is waiting patiently while his
promoter negotiates the fight
arrangements.
"I leave that up to Gary
Shaw. He's a great promoter
and I am happy to have him as
a promoter," Harris said in an


interview recently on the
BoxingTalk web site.
"I know he (Shaw) is
going to come back to the
table with what's best for me,"
Harris added.
IMPRESSIVE
Harris boasts a ring
record of 27 wins (18 knock-
outs) against two losses and
one draw, while Witter has 35
wins (20 knockouts) against
one loss and two draws. In a
competitive bout with
Lazcano on Feb. 10 at the
Mandalay Bay Resort in Las
Vegas, Harris secured a unani-
mous points decision victory.
A former World Boxing
Association (WBA) light-wel-
terweight champion, Harris
was classy early in the bout
and dominated Lazcano, but
the Mexican rallied with a
strong third round and Harris
was forced to fend off sus-
tained ,,_-rL,,iiin in some of
the middle and late rounds en
route to a victory, 115-112
(twice) and 114-113.
"I am pleased with my
performance (against Lazcano)
and ready to move on to the
next one," Harris said of his
latest win.
NEW CHAPTER
The 28-year-old Harris
recently married his long-time
partner and hopes this new
chapter in his life will enhance
his boxing career.
"We finally tied the knot
at a small service.. .this is the
woman I want to spend the
rest of my life with. That's
what life is, when the family is
strong, everything else is
strong," Harris said.


Harris


In Oct. 2002, Harris beat
Cuba-born Diosbelys Hurtado
in two rounds to win the
WBA belt, becoming
Guyana's third world boxing
champion after Andrew
Lewis and Wayne Braithwaite.
He defended the crown three
times before losing to
Colombian Carlos Maussa.

Photograph and story from
CMC.



Jamaica,

St. Kitts youth

soccer world

championship

bids fizzle

The Caribbean's hopes
of sending a team to
soccer's under-20 world
championships this summer
in Canada fizzled badly last
month.
Jamaica and St. Kitts and
Nevis were both knocked out
of the finals after suffering
two losses in the last round
of qualifiers in Mexico.
Jamaica was beaten 2-0
by both Costa Rica and the
hosts during group play. St.
Kitts and Nevis lost 2-0 to
Mexico and 3-2 to Costa Rica
to be eliminated.
The two Caribbean teams
drew 1-1 in the final group
game to secure a point each,
but it was not good enough to
advance to the world champi-
onships. Mexico and Costa
Rica finished in the first
two places of the four-team
group and will represent the
CONCACAF region in the
tournament.
0


BEST BOYZ IN HONG KONG


Jamaican player Kavin Bryan tries to deceive his Chinese opponent with the ball during last month's final of the Lunar New Year
Cup 2007 in Hong Kong.
Jamaica drew 0-0 with China, but the Reggae Boyz won the four-team soccer tournament by defeating the Chinese five to
four on penalty kicks after extra time.
Australia finished third after beating the Hong Kong League XI also in a penalty shootout.
It was the first time that Jamaica had been invited to the tournament, which also marked the debut assignment for the
Reggae Boyz' new technical director Bora Milutinovic. Earlier in the tournament Jamaica tied 1-1 with Australia, but advanced to
the final by defeating the Aussies in a penalty shootout.


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CARIBBEAN TODAY


REGION


LWW-crbbatoa.co


CARICOM leaders agree on key economic issues


KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent,
CMC Caribbean community
(CARICOM) heads of govern-
ment have agreed to fully imple-
ment the single economy com-
ponent of the regional integra-
tion movement on a phased
basis by 2015 and allow for the
full free movement of the com-
munity's nationals by 2009.
Chairman, St. Vincent and
the Grenadines Prime Minister
Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, Trinidad
and Tobago Prime Minister
Patrick Manning and Barbados
Prime Minister Owen Arthur
said these were some of the
major decisions coming out of
an "extremely productive" 18th
Inter-Sessional CARICOM
Heads of Government conference
which concluded here last month.
"It was a very positive three


market the second component
of the CARICOM Single
Market and Economy (CSME) -
would be on target for the 2008
schedule, it was agreed to accept


days of work done in a very joy-
ous, warm spirit without ran-
cour, with camaraderie and with
love," Gonsalves said at the
closing press conference.

PHASING IN
Arthur said while the
framework for the single


the recommendation of a report
on the CSME which suggested


the phased implementation of
the schedule.
"Do not expect to see the
single economy coming in one
fell swoop, we have sequenced
the activity in two phases, that
which will take place between
2008 and 2009 and then from
2010 up to 2015," said Arthur,
who has lead prime ministerial
responsibility for the CSME.
He said while *i inpl. i '
components would be
approached in the earlier peri-
od, more complex issues such as
harmonization of fiscal and
monetary policy and eventually
a single currency would be in
the last period.
Manning, the prime minister
with lead responsibility for secu-
rity issues, also announced that
effective Feb. 16, CARICOM


nationals traveling throughout
the Single Domestic Space
would not need to use passports.
He, however, suggested that peo-
ple still traveled with their pass-
ports as there would be random
security checks.
0


PM. marks Independence by urging St. Lucians to rise to global challenges


CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC -
Prime Minister Sir John
Compton has said that while
St. Lucia achieved a lot in 28
years of Independence, he is
not happy with life in the
country.
In a national address to
mark Independence Day, Feb.
22, Sir John lamented that
there was great reason to be
concerned about crime, securi-
ty of person and property and
general attitudes in the country.
"It is said of us that it is
much easier to accumulate
wealth that to acquire good
manners, as it is in our stan-
dard of behavior and personal
consideration for others that
we have fallen sort. We have
not necessarily prepared our-
selves to get ahead but always
to push to get in front," Sir
John said.

CAUTION
He cautioned against
allowing the saying to become
a fact "that the children of St.
Lucia have gone forth into the
wilderness of materialism,
where nothing is consecrated,
nothing is ordained."
Sir John, who was
addressing the nation on the
occasion of the anniversary of
Independence for the first time


in 10 years, also regretted the
fact that St. Lucia was not pre-
pared for the Caribbean com-
munity (CARICOM) Single
Market and Economy.
Additionally, the prime
minister said the education
system was in shambles and
the Universal Secondary
Education "so hurriedly
rushed into operation without
preparation, would be a disas-
ter if left in its current form."
He said that the free
movement of skilled persons
had already been agreed to by
all CARICOM governments,
but there was no certification
process in St. Lucia.

CHALLENGE
The prime minister said
that the challenge now was to
educate, train and improve
the nation's work force and
repeated his intention to
investigate what he said was
millions of dollars in cost
overruns under the previous
administration.
"If we fail to inquire into
these matters, this new gov-
ernment would be accom-
plices and would be just as
guilty for not exposing, con-
doning the shortcoming and
the conduct of government
affairs," he said.


Compton
Sir John said that despite
the many challenges facing
the country, there were also
opportunities available,
adding that the nation must
be prepared to take advantage
of these opportunities.
With the Independence
theme "Rising to the Global
C'hiIlg '1", Sir John urged
his countrymen to prepare
lthL m%,1 ; through education
and skills training for the local
and regional job markets,
adding that the country's
exports must be of the quality
to meet global competition.
Activities for the obser-
vance of Independence
included a national parade,


competitions among schools
in various educational, sport-
ing and cultural events, and a


major national concert.


Marc 25th 2007
SDONpIW IuM

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
AT DOLPHIN STADIUM AND ALL TICKETMASTER LOCATIONS.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: 305.622.8043
JAZZINTHEGARDENS.COM


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CARICOM re-appoints Carrington, Bernal


KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent,
CMC Trinidadian Edwin
Carrington has been re-
appointed secretary general of
the Caribbean community
(CARICOM) for another
term, according to the official
communique issued at the end
of the 18th Inter-Sessional
summit here last month.
Carrington, the former


secretary general of the
African Caribbean and Pacific
(ACP) group, was first
appointed to the post in 1992.
He is the fifth CARICOM
secretary general and heads
the Guyana-based secretariat.
His new five-year term will
begin Aug. 1.
The regional leaders
also agreed to re-appoint


Jamaican-born Ambassador
Richard Bernal as director-
general of the Caribbean
Regional Negotiating
Machinery (CRNM) for a
further two-year term. The
CRNM coordinates the
region's negotiations at inter-
national forums.
0


March 2007





CARIBBEAN TODAY


P 0 1 I T I C S


Alex Scott in the party's leader-
ship battle last October.
"Brown's elevation to the


viously been a member of
either political party but it was
important to "become involved


CMC


JFea. mamma,
How I love you. you hae been there sine birth for me, uwith y nrtur nurture,
lofinq, caring self. you ha/e made me into who I am today, and I want
to tell yon how grateful I am to you, because there is no other like you for me.

Caribbean Today invites you, the reading public, to participate in our
"Dear Mamma" contest. Write and tell us why you think that yo
mother is the best in the world and you
could find your mother and yourself
jetting away to any Caribbean Island
that Air Jamaica flies to for free.
This is a great chance for you to
show the world how much your
mother means to you, and what's .
even better you could i
WINI! WIN!! WINI!


Moil your entrances to
Caribbean Today
9020 SW 152nd. Street.
Miami, R. 33157
or e-mail your entrances to
caribtoday@earthlink.net
or fox to 305-252-7843. .

_, -


Whites ready to run for Bermuda's ruling

Progressive Labour Party
IVAN CLIFFORD top post is said by PLP sources instead of sitting back and com-
to have attracted new members, plaining about issues."
HAMILTON, Bermuda All including whites, drawn by his Addressing the issue of
22 of the governing Progressive reputation for getting things race, she said: "I think it is time
Labour Party (PLP) Members done", the Sun reported. race is put aside. I believe the
of Parliament are black in an The newspaper earlier way forward for all Bermudians
island where 40 percent of the reported that construction com- is to respect each other."
population is white. But the pany boss Zane DeSilva, a close The UBP body blows came
political landscape could friend and golfing buddy of the when Pembroke West MP Jamahl
change considerably in the next premier, who is Simmons, at 35 the youngest
general elections, which is due also tourism member of the House of
by 2008 but widely expected to and transport Assembly, and party Chairwoman
be called this summer. minister, will be Gwyneth Rawlins both resigned in
Businesswoman Jane a PLP candi- protest against alleged manipula-
Correia, a former commodore date at the next tion and control of the party by
of the Royal Bermuda Yacht polls, while for- the island's white elite.
Club, once a bastion of white mer UBP UBP veteran Maxwell
male supremacy, is the latest Senator Burgess then stuck the knife in
white person to confirm she Brown Wendell Hollis by claiming the party was divid-
wants to run for the PLP, which is now a PLP ed and ailing and called on
has been in power since ending supporter, although he says he party leader, black businessman
30 years of uninterrupted rule has too many commitments to Wayne Furbert, to resign.
by the United Bermuda Party run for Parliament. Both are But Furbert dug his heels
(UBP) in Nov. 1998. white, in, stating: "We are not down
The bi-weekly Bermuda and out. We expect to win. We
Sun newspaper said 43-year-old 'WHITE FACE' have reached rock bottom, the
Correia's plan to run for the "The newly emerging only way is up."
PLP "will be seen by many as 'white face' of the PLP might The PLP has had only one
symbolic of our island's shifting skew the widely-held belief that white face in Cabinet, Tourism
political power base." the PLP exists solely to serve Minister David Allen, who died
black interests", the Sun stated. of cancer five years ago. At the
TURMOIL Correia, a friend of Brown, a last election the PLP ran only
The UBP had 14 MPs, six 60-year-old physician, and his one white candidate hotelier
of them white, elected at the wife Wanda, said she joined the Leopold Kuchler who was
last elections, but has been in PLP after Brown became pre- heavily defeated in the UBP
turmoil in recent weeks follow- mier. Asked by the Sun why she stronghold of Paget West.
ing two high-profile resigna- wanted to run, Correia said: "I The UBP, which in the past
tions and, according to opinion feel it is important to be proac- received virtual blanket support
polls, now trails a distant sec- tive in a community. I believe in from white voters, was finally
ond behind the PLP which has the direction that the PLP is driven from power when the
been given fresh impetus by going." black middle class deserted the
Ewart Brown since he ousted She said she had never pre- party at the 1998 election.


GEORGETOWN, Guyana,
CMC Guyana last month
marked the 37th anniversary
of being a republic, with the
Bharrat Jagdeo government
appealing to the multi-racial
nation to unite in the interest
of accelerating national devel-
opment.
President Jagdeo, accompa-
nied by senior members of
his Cabinet including Prime
Minister Samuel Hinds;
Culture, Youth and Sport
Minister Dr. Frank Anthony,
as well as the acting Police
Commissioner Henry Greene,
and the Chief of Staff Brigadier
Edward Collins, attended the
flag raising ceremony at
Parliament Buildings in the
capital on Feb. 23.
Jagdeo took the presiden-
tial salute, inspected the Guard
of Honor, which comprised


GEORGETOWN, Guyana,
CMC A Caribbean communi-
ty (CARICOM) mission that
observed the general elections
in the Turks and Caicos last
month said the results reflected
the will of the electorate, even
while calling for better voter
education programs in the
Overseas British Territory.
In a preliminary assess-
ment released here, the three-
member team headed by


PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad,
CMC Leader of the governing
People's National Movement
(PNM), Prime Minister Patrick
Manning, has told supporters to
put their houses in order and
await his announcement of gen-
eral elections.
"As we face the electorate
in a little while, your responsi-
bility as a political party is to
be ready," Manning urged
party faithful, following his
walkabout in the Sangre
Grande area in east Trinidad
late last month.
Party members have been
touring several parts of the
country as the country waits
on Manning to signal his
intention to go to the polls.
Sangre Grande now falls
within the ambit of a new con-
stituency of Cumuto-Manzanilla
in one of the five new electoral
boundaries created by the
Elections and Boundaries
Commission. With the changes,
the number of constituencies
has now moved from 36 to 41.

'PAYBACK'
Manning described the


more than
100 members
of the Joint
Services,
before the
National
Flag was
raised to the
traditional
21-gun
salute. Jagdeo
Racial
and political polarization have
historically dogged this
Caribbean community (CARI-
COM) country and Human
Services and Social Security
Minister Priya Manickchand, in
a speech to mark the republican
celebration, reminded the popu-
lation that "each Guyanese has
a role to play in the develop-
ment of their country."


Carson Raggie, the chief elec-
tions officer in St. Lucia, noted
that the preparations for the
conduct of the elections were
adequate, "despite concerns
raised about the Voters List in
relation to registration of vot-
ers."
Premier Michael Misick and
his ruling Progressive National
Party were re-elected to office.
0


mim .i .ii


Manning puts T&T

on election alert


Guyana celebrates

republican status


Turks re-elects PNP


March 2007


pending general elections as
"payback time" for the 33-3
defeat of the PNM in 1986 by
the National Alliance for
Reconstruction. He said the
party needed to put a "spe-
cial" constitution in place
before calling the elections,
noting that he wanted a spe-
cial majority in Parliament.
Manning warned support-
ers to not be complacent even
as its main political rival the
United National Congress
(UNC) recovers from frac-
tious political divisions and
leadership squabbles. The
UNC was split last year when
its political leader Winston
Dookeran walked out to start
his own party Congress of
the People. Analysts have
argued that this will benefit
the governing party and lead
it to a return to office in the
elections due this year.
The PNM was expected to
hold a special general council
earlier this month to discuss
matters relating to both the
local and general elections.
0






CARIBBEAN TODAY


LWW-crbbatoa.co


WOMEN'S HISTORY
LUNCHEON
Pioneering women
interred in the Miami City
Cemetery will be honored
during the ninth annual
Women's History Luncheon
noon Mar. 19 at City of Miami
Legion Park 6447 N.E. 7th
Ave. in Miami.
During the event, present-
ed by The African American
Committee of Dade Heritage
Trust in Florida, the women's
lives will be portrayed in a skit
written by Leome Culmer and
performed by members of The
Singing Angels a community
group under the direction of
Dr. Richard Strachan.
The 2007 honorees are:
Margaret Gilbert Amason,
Vera Parks Albury, Monica
Hanna, Bessie Forbes, Arlean
McKenzie, and Olive F
Scavella.
For tickets and more
information, call Enid
Pinkney at 305-635-5130 or
305-635-5800.

SERVICE AWARDS
The Consulate General of
Jamaica will present its first
Community Service Awards
Ceremony and High Tea at
3:30 p.m. Mar. 25 at the
Biltmore Hotel in Coral
Gables, Florida.


Jamaica's Governor
General Kenneth Hall is the
guest of honor.
For more information,
call the consulate at 305-374-
8431.

KNOWING GOV'T
Starting this month, resi-
dents of Broward County,
Florida are being invited to
participate in a new program
that offers them an opportuni-
ty to learn about the county's
government.
During the free eight-
week program, called the
Broward County Academy,
residents will learn how coun-
ty government delivers servic-
es to enhance and promote
the quality of life for resi-
dents, businesses and visitors.
The goal is to raise public
awareness about county pro-
grams and services, and to
increase community involve-
ment and participation in local
government.
The academy will run
through Mar. 29.
All county residents age
18 or older are eligible to
apply. There is a limit of 25
students for each academy,
and two academies will be
offered each year. Acceptance
will be granted on a first
come, first serve basis. There


is no registration fee or cost to
participants.
Applications for the
Broward County Academy are
available on the Broward County
web site www.broward.org/
academy, by e-mailing
publicinfo@broward.org or by
calling the Broward County
Public Communications Office
at 954-357-6990.

PASSPORT REMINDER
The Western Hemisphere
Travel Initiative (WHTI) took
effect in January.
The WHTI requires all
those United States citizens
traveling by air to the
Caribbean to have a passport.
For information about
applying for a U.S. passport,
visit http://usps.com/passport
or call 800-ASK-USPS.

PASSPORT
APPLICATION
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
passport applications can call


FALLING IN LINE


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
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
from one central location,
rather than at the local district
office, service center, or appli-
cation support center (ASC).
Aliens filing a Form 1-90,
regardless of their state of res-
idence, 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 Service
(USPS) deliveries:


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)




MIAM W

CKiens' Indepmndunt Transportation Trust (CITT)
The CITT Nominating Committee is now accepting applications from cizens who wish to serve as CITT
volunteers. The Nominating Commitee will consider applicants countyide for the Mayors selecli without
regad to District specic residency. Additionally, the Committee will screen applications for Commission
Districts 6,10,11,12, and 13. To maintain an ample pool of inteestd volunteers, applications wil be
accepted countwide for all Commission Districts and will remain on fle for two-years should an additional
vacancy become available. The CITT is a 15-member board created in 2002 to monitor, oversee, review,
audit aid invesigate the implementation of the transportation and transit-related projects listed in the
People's Transportation Plan and all other projects funded in WAe or in pat with the Charter County Transit
System S es Surtax (Surta proceeds. Members serve without compensation for a four-year term. The
MiamiDade Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, upon recommendaon n of the Nominating
Committee, will make their appointment to the CITT Applications may be obtained online at
ww.miamidade.gic or by cing 305-375-1357. Al applications must be received by the C W of the
Board, at 111 NW 1st Street Suite 17-202, Miami, FL 33128, no laterthan Monday,Apil 2,2007, by 4p.m.


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.

PAGEANT ENTRY
Partners for Youth
Foundation is accepting appli-
cations the "Miss Jamaica
Florida 2007 Paglin to be
held on June 24 at the Coral
Gables Center for the Arts.
The pageant is open to
Jamaican-born females or
those of Jamaican parentage.
The categories are "Little
Miss" (ages five to eight);
"Junior Miss" (nine to 12);
"Miss Teen" (13-16) and
"Miss Jamaica Florida" (17-
21).
The deadline for applica-
tions is April 30.
For more information, call
Marcia Baker at 954-600-0334.
0


Photograph by JIS/NY
With the recent implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), mandating all air travelers returning to the
United States to have a valid passport on arrival at all ports of entry, the Jamaican Consulate has seen a sharp rise in the number
of persons applying for passports at its midtown, Manhattan, New York location. The rise in applications may also be attributed to
those persons traveling to the Caribbean for Cricket World Cup 2007 which begins this month. Here, walk-in applicants wait in the
crowded lobby area of the passport/visa section of the consulate to turn in paperwork for a passport that now takes anywhere from
four to six weeks to be processed.


INVITATION TO BID
RFB 600000083
CANAL SIDE SLOPE MOWING SERVICES

The South Florida Water Management District will accept bids from qualified firms to provide side slope
mowing services of canal embankments located in the Ft. Lauderdale Field Station service area.
Bids shall be submitted to the Procurement Department, 2nd Floor, B-1 Building, 3301 Gun Club Road, West
Palm Beach, Florida, 33406, on April 6, 2007, at 2:30 P.M. local time, at which time bids will be opened
and publicly read.
An optional PRE-BID CONFERENCE will be held March 16, 2007, at 10:300 A.M. at the Ft. Lauderdale
Field Station located at 2535 Davie Road Davie, FL 33317. All bids must conform to the instructions in
the Request for Bids and include a properly executed Contract Compliance Disclosure Form.
Solicitation documents will be available March 2, 2007 in the SFWMD Procurement Department at the
above address, by downloading a copy from the District's website at www.sfwmd.gov, or by calling (561)
687-6391. Interested bidders may also call the 24-hour BID HOTLINE 800-472-5290. The public is
invited to attend the RFB opening. Information on the status of this solicitation can be obtained at our
web site www.sfwmd.gov.
For more information, please contact Don Hill, Contract Specialist at (561) 682-2045.


March 2007


r FY I






CARIBBEAN TODAY


Ill


I,
~,


-I_


Limited lime oer lor computer owners in Comcast serviceable areas. Not available in all areas, Oiler limited to new Comcass High-Speed Internet residential customers, Comcasi speed lers range from 4.0 to 8.0 Mlps download speed (maximum upload speed from 384Ktps to 768Kbps respectively)-
The speed tier received and pricing will vary depending upon the level of Comcast video service (if any} received. Speed tier is an additional $10 per monlh over the regular service price which vanes depending on level of video service (it any) received Seed comparisons are lor downloads only and are
compared io 56K dial-up and 3.OMbps DSL AAcual speeds may vary and are not guaranteed Many actors alect download speed : 1 Ir 1j ,v11 r e,:i .,5i ,U] | c ,T : ,:,.,vcn.i. -.,trrrCI..,: m ,v ,,,. ..r,r. ,u,,inr, v. . '.i..t.- ;,: i, 1.1., p-.;licv,,r..- ,:r, i,. .,, ,1,:: ri, r ,:r,, n. r,
of the data network; the number of users and overall traffic on i e rne andusers co pl h: : r data network and all users' compliance wih the *:I:?p :ii, i :' L : : F ': ,. rP, rwi .r:...:i n ,, m.i, :ipl ti 11,h. .: p, ..: .r'i rI.1v',, : .. ..rr .t.-,, r,,T,:.nnlr ,r....t.i .i .L i ..i ;..:.ur iri,.rI .-i :,.-,
Installation, equipment, addional data oulutlet, change of service, and lher charges may apply. You may be required o leave a deposit lor your services. Video Mail is not compatible with Macintosh systems and requires additional equipmen-L Comcast Security Channel requires a Windows XP platform,
192MB of RAM and at least 566MHz processor McAfee service provided with service subscription and automatically lerminates upon service telination, Certain features of Rhapsody Radio Plus and PPholoShow Deluxe may require a credit card, Home Networking speeds, pricing, features and requirements
vary by area. Comcast Home Nelworking will let you connnec up 10 5 PC's (IP devices) Io the Internet at one time. Corrmuters using a wireless connection must be wihin 150 level of the gateway. Certain devices using a radio frequency (including 24GHz cordless phones and microwave ovens) may Iterfere
with or disrupt ilernet connections. Forquestions aboul minimum computer requirements and complete details about the service and prices. call 954. COMCAST- @2007 C cast All rights reserved.


March 2007

PAGE 1

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE P AID MIAMI, FL PERMITNO. 7315 Vol.18 No.4 MARCH 2007 Tel: (305 1-800-605-7516editor@caribbeantoday .com ct_ads@bellsouth.net Jamaica: 654-7282 W e cover your world INSIDEHaitian medicalpractitionerMathieu Eugene cre-ated histor y by becom ing the first ever nation al fr om the French-speaking Caribbean countr y to hold elective office in New Y ork City, page 4. CARICOM leaders like Dr . Ralph Gonsalvesleft lastmonth’ s mid ter m summit with avision of2008 as a “date with destiny” and set the Caribbean’s focus on 2015 for the regional integration move-ment, page 11. Boxer O’Neil Bell r etur ns to the ring this month for his first fight in mor e than a year. His title of undisputed world cruiserweight champion is onthe line, but the Jamaicansays he is r eady to r umble, page 23. News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Local . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7V iewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Tourism/Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Ar ts/Enter tainment . . . . . . . . .13 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Business/Tax Planning . . . . .17 Sport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 ~ Billions across the globe will see Brian Lara lead the West Indies teaminto historic Cricket World Cup battle on home soil, the biggest international sporting spectacle to hit the nations of the Caribbean, page 2. THE MULTI AWARD-WINNING NEWS MAGAZINE CALL CARIBBEAN TODAY DIRECT FROM JAMAICA 654-7782 CALL CARIBBEAN TODAY DIRECT FROM JAMAICA 654-7782 CTMar07.qxd 3/11/07 10:53 PM Page 1

PAGE 2

GORDON WILLIAMS Cricket, a spor t the Caribbean inherited fr om its colonial past but which bonds its people to this day, will, beginning this month,showcase its grandest spectacle when the region hosts the ulti-mate championships for theone-day version of the game. The Inter national Cricket Council’ s (ICCorld Cup (CWC 16 countries, including the Caribbean’s representative the West Indies, will be playedin eight countries acr oss the region. Of ficial activities begin with the Mar. 11 opening ceremony in Trelawny, Jamaica. The first match is on Mar. 13,when host W est Indies plays Pakistan at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica. The tourna-ment culminates with the finalon April 28 at Kensington Ovalin Barbados. A total of 51 of ficial games will be played, with an estimated live and broadcast audience of close to two billion world-wide. It will be the lar gest sporting event ever held in the Caribbean. The winning team is set to earn $2.2 million andthe ICC expects to generatemor e than $230 million in revenue fr om the tour nament. Administrators in the Caribbean have long expressedconfidence in delivering an exciting, safe and well-organizedtournament. e do rise to the occasion,” CWC’ s Chief Executive Officer Chris Dehring told Caribbean Today earlier in the pr eparations. e’re very confident that we’re going to deliver,” he would add later. FEVER The CWC fever has been steadily heating up over thepast few months in theCaribbean. Host countrieshave spent millions of dollars getting match venues ready while also spr ucing up tourist attractions for the expected mas-sive influx of visitors. Teams began arrivinglate lastmonth.Caribbeanleaders havealso bondedfor the event with wide-spr ead cooperation in many areas,including the delicate area of security, forwhich help has been sought from international agenciesworldwide. It also appears most peo ple fr om the region are expecting grand success as well, although some recognize that there are still doubters whomay not believe the Caribbean can put on an efficient show. “(CWC 2007 the greatest spectacle we would have had here for many a year ,” Clive Lloyd, who cap tained the West Indies to the first two CWC titles in 1975 and1979, told the Caribbean Media Corporation late last month. “It is a situation wher e weLaw enforcement authorities said last month that several suspects held in connection with a multi-million dollar lottery scam in Jamaica could be extradited to the United States. “The scam is becoming wider and mor e intense than we first anticipated...there is a dis-tinct possibility that some ofthese persons who have been charged could be extradited to U.S.residents conned in Jamaica lotto scam ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC Billionair e American investor Sir Allen Stanfor d has extended the proverbial “olive branch” to end his verbal feud withAntigua and Barbuda’ s Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer. Both men have been engaged in a recent war of words over Sir Allen’s decision to takehis plans to develop the of f-shore Guiana Island into a top class resort and launch a communitydevelopment initiative in selectconstituencies including that of the prime minister. A CCUSATIONS Spencer accused Sir Allen of political meddling and branded him “haughty , obnoxious and arrogant” to which Sir Allen said the outburst was designed “to deflect the attention of the citizens of our nation away from your inept leadership.” Sir Allen has published an apology in his Antigua SUN newspaper and the Daily OBSEVER newspaper, calling for an end to the public squabble. “My only desir e is to see Antigua and Barbuda be devel-oped to its fullest potential”, the statement read in part. “I recognize the need for cooperation toattain that goal and in that spiritapologize to those who may have deemed my actions offensive”. Up to pr ess time Spencer had not yet responded to the latest development. 2 CARIBBEAN TODAYMarch 2007 NEWS NEWS www.caribbeantoday.com Despite doubters, Cricket World Cup’s Chief Executive Officer Chris Dehring, left,and WICB President Ken Gordon are confident the Caribbean can pull off a grand sho w for the world. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 4) (CONTINUED ON PAGE 4) Caribbean aims to stage spectacular CWC 2007 Spencer Stanford American investor apologies to Antigua’s prime minister CTMar07.qxd 3/11/07 10:53 PM Page 2

PAGE 3

March 2007CARIBBEAN TODAY 3 CTMar07.qxd 3/11/07 10:53 PM Page 3

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KINGSTOWN, St. V incent, CMC Venezuela PresidentHugo Chavez has accused theUnited States of wanting tokeep the Caribbean and Latin Americadivided andimpr ovised. Speaking at arally to signalthe end of his24hourworking visit to St. Vincentand theGr enadines last month, Chavez said the Caribbean and Latin American did not know where it stood and unless there was unity the region would remain under the control of “the American Empire”. e need to make a huge ef fort to put back together those pieces so that we become again a powerfulLatin America and a power ful Caribbean. As long as we do not do that we will remain under the control, we will con-tinue being dominated andimpr ovised,” Chavez said. NEW YORK, CMC A Haitian medical practitionercr eated history last month by becoming the first evernational fr om the Frenchspeaking Caribbean country to hold elective of fice in New York City. With the strong backing of newly-elected Caribbean American Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, Dr. Mathieu Eugene, 54, convincingly won the special election for the 40thCouncilmanic District seat in Brooklyn that was vacated byClarke after she was elected tothe United States House of Representatives in last November’s general elections. “This is the Haitian sensation,” shouted Eugene,flanked by the Clarkes. “This victor y is not only my victory, it’s our victory. This is going to give hope to all the children, no matter their background. It was not easy,” he continued, referring to his campaign. “This is proofthat what money cannot do,people can do.” ‘LANDSLIDE’ Eugene, who is also a youth counselor, beat ninechallengers including four Caribbean nationals, for the seat in the heart of theCaribbean community in cen tral Br ooklyn. In what some political observers considered to be a “landslide”, he secured 1,982 votes, or 33.6 percent, of the5,898 ballots cast. His closest rival was Costa Rican-born Jennifer James. James, a former finance campaign manager for Clarkeand her mother , Jamaicanborn, ex-New York City Councilwoman Una Clarke, the first Caribbean woman to hold elective office in the city,r eceived 887 votes, or 15.07 per cent. Jamaican-bor n educator and entrepreneur Wellington Sharpe placed thir d with 719 votes, or 12.19 percent, while Harry Schiffman, who observers had predicted could be a “spoiler” in the race, received 454 votes, or 7.69 percent. African American lawyer Jesse Hamilton, a district leader in Brooklyn who traces his roots to Barbados, placedfifth with 433 votes, or 7.34 Chavez accuses U.S. of dividing Caribbean have got to be pr oud that we can host something of this nature, it is the third largest event in the world (behind soccer’s World Cup and the Olympic Games), there will be two billion people watch-ingand they will be lookingfor all the little nasty things,” the 62-year-old Lloyd added. “They are not going to be looking at too many of the gr eat things, but let’s hope we can surprise them and show that we can perform and put on a great spectacle.” UP AND DOWN The r egion’ s top cricket administrators have also admitted that there are people anx-ious to see the Caribbean fail inCWC – on and of f the field. The West Indies has had an up time in recent years, and despitepossessing one of the gr eatest batsmen of all time in captain Brian Lara and a host of pr om ising youngsters, the former two-time CWC champions is not currently ranked among thetop thr ee one-day inter national teams in the world today. The team has also been plagued by inter nal political issues, involving players and the W est Indies Cricket Boar d (WICB over into the region’s general political arena. At times theissues sur r ounding the r egion’ s cricket have caused bitter divisions. However, many are looking at CWC as a shot at r edemption for the Caribbean as a whole. e have a propensity to shoot ourselves in the foot,” WICB President Ken Gordontold Caribbean Today just over a year ago. “We’ve got to real-ize that this (CWC opportunity to rise above that.” In many corners of the Caribbean, the team’s on-thefield performance will deter-mine the ultimate success rateof CWC 2007. “It would be magnificent effort to do so (win the WorldCup),” said Lloyd. “People ar e calling other teams but they are still thinking that West Indies have a very good chance. Itwould give us that type of boost that is needed in the region.” No nation has ever won CWC while serving as hosts.For Lara, now 37 and likelyplaying his final CWC tour nament, there could be no more fitting end for the r egion than raising the winner’s trophy on April 28. Yet while the batting genius is confident the WestIndies will do well in its back yard, he acknowledged the best approach would be a bit more caution. e have a ver y good r ecord at home,” Lara said recentlye are looking tomake the semi-finals and then take it from there.” Gordon W illiams is Caribbean Today’s managing editor. Caribbean aims to stage spectacular CWC 2007 the United States of America,” said Inspector Steve Br own, the spokesman for Operation Kingfish, the task force to deal with drug trafficking and criminal or ganizations in Jamaica. Br own said that local law enforcement officials had been holding discussions with their U.S. counterparts “and people who have been fleeced have been giving us some useful infor mation.” Police uncovered the multimillion racket in sections of western Jamaica and held several suspects. Police said that as a result of the scam U.S. citizens were tricked into sending lar ge sums of money to Jamaica after being told that they had won the lottery. U.S. residents conned in Jamaica lotto scamHaitian wins council seat, creates history in New York 4 CARIBBEAN TODAYMarch 2007 Eugene Yvette Clarke Chavez NEWS NEWS www.caribbeantoday.com (CONTINUED FROM P AGE 2) (CONTINUED FROM P AGE 2) (CONTINUED ON P AGE 6) CTMar07.qxd 3/11/07 10:53 PM Page 4

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W ASHINGTON – The World Bank has launched a disaster insurance plan that will benefitat least 18 Caribbean countries in the event of natural disasters. The bank said that the “Caribbean Catastrophe RiskInsurance Facility” (CCRIFlaunched late last month, would be restricted to hurricanes and earthquakes. “The facility will allow CARICOM gover nments to purchase coverage akin to business inter ruption insurance that would pr ovide them with immediate cash payment after the occur-r ence of a major ear thquake or the passing of a hur ricane”, it said in a statement. The W orld Bank said last month’s donor meeting in Washington, involving theEur opean Union, Britain, France and Japan, would seek to raise between $30 million and $50 mil-lion in r eserves for the CCRIF. Most Caribbean community (CARICOMwill be beneficiaries of the fund,the W orld Bank said, pointing out that they would be r equired to pay a “one-of f, non-refundable entry fee and an annual premium”. “Countries still need to engage in mitigation and improve territorial buildingcodes and emer gency services,” said senior W orld Bank urban specialist Francis Ghesquiere. The Caribbean countries have been har d hit by hurricanes in recent years, withGr enada’ s economy being devastated two years ago when hur ricanes Ivan and Emily lashed the island. Caribbeancountries have also complainedin the past of the slow pace ofimmediate r elief to their reconstruction efforts in the wake of natural disasters. NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC Prime Minister Perry Christielast month accepted the r esignation of his Immigration Minister Shane Gibson, who had become embroiled in a controversy involving the lateUnited States Playboy modelAnna Nicole Smith. Christie described Gibson’ s resignation as “the cor r ect course of action.” Gibson had been facing severe criticism and calls for him to step down after a news-paper published a photo show ing him in bed with the late model, who died last month in a hotel room in the U.S. Gibson had also been accused of favorably fast tracking Smith’s immigration appli-cation for a r esident’s permit. “I unconditionally deny that I ever abused my ministe rial office by granting Anna Nicole Smith any per mit of which she was undeserving or for which she was not quali-fied under the laws of TheBahamas,” Gibson said in atelevision br oadcast announcing his r esignation. APOLOGY Gibson apologized “to all persons who may in any way have been offended by any-thing that I have said, done or perceived to have said ordone.” He was critical of those “mischievous” persons, who inthe political season had sought to create an impression that did not exist. “I didn’t have an individual relationship with her, itwas a family r elationship,” Gibson said, telling viewersthat family members wer e pr esent when the pictures wer e taken out with Smith. Christie is preparing to call general elections later this year. Meanwhile, Smith’s body was flown back to TheBahamas for burial. World Bank launches first ever Caribbean disaster insurance plan Angela King, former assistant secr etar y-gen eral of the United Nations and special adviser to the secretary general of the U.N. on gender issues and advancement of women, died last month at New Y ork’ s Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centr e. King had been battling cancer for sometime. King, who retired from the U.N. in April 2004 for health reasons, after 40 years of service, was born in Kingston, Jamaica and attended St. Hilda’ s High and W olmer s High schools. As assistant secr etar y general, she made histo ry in being the first woman and first Jamaican to hold that post. Besides advising the secretary general on women’s affairs, King was also chairperson of the U.N. Inter national Committee on W omen’ s Rights. “Angela King led theUnited Nations’ ef for ts for the empower ment of women with knowledge, passion and courage”, read a statement issued r ecently by the spokesper son for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon. Angela King,former U.N. diplomat, dies NEW YORK, CMC The Speaker of New York City Council last month said she is seeking legal advice from theNew Y ork state’ s attor ney general regarding the appointment of the council’s first-ever elected Haitian legislator. Speaker Christine Quinn said that she had sent a letterto Attor ney General Andr ew Cuomo requesting his opinion on the fate of Dr. MathieuEugene, who convincingly won last month’s special elec-tion, in a 10-way race, for the predominantly Caribbean40th Councilmanic District seat in Brooklyn. “Is it your view that a council member must be a resident on the date of the elec-tion?” she asked Cuomo, cit ing the Public Of ficers Law . RESIDENCY New Y ork City Boar d of Elections officials said last month that the city council is the one to determine Eugene’s residency in order for him to be formally sworn-in as the duly elected representative forthe district. The council lastmonth postponed Eugene’ s official swearing-in ceremony amid reports that he does notlive in the district. City council officials, however , said they expected to swear -in Eugene early this month after confusion about his residency is clarified. The seat was vacated by newly-elected Caribbean American Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, who replaced retired veteran African American Congressman Major Owens as representative forthe 11th Congr essional District in Brooklyn. Paul Wooten, Eugene’s lawyer , said he had asked the council to postpone his client’s swearing-in ceremony until the election results are certi-fied. He claimed that Eugenehad moved into the districtbefor e the elections. “It wasn’t a factor from our point of view,” Wootensaid, alluding to questionsabout Eugene’ s r esidency out side the district. N.Y.City Council challenges status of newly elected Haitian legislator per cent, and Pakistani Mohammad Razvi got 420 votes, or 7.12 percent. Jamaican-born community activist Leithland “Rickie” Tulloch received 299 votes, or 5.06 percent. Former Vincentian United Nations Ambassador Joel T oney fell close to the bottom of the race, receiving only 369 votes, or 6.25 percent, while Panamanian entr epreneur Zenobia McNally secured 269 votes, or 4.56 percent withJamaican domestic violence counsellor Karlene Gordon inthe cellar position, r eceiving just 66 votes. COMING OF A GE Eugene ur ged his rivals to work with him for the advancement of the community. e’re blessed with another extraordinary constituency,” CongresswomanClarke said. e have demonstrated that we have come of age, socially and economically, and, as we take our seat at the table, no one will be leftbehind.” 6 CARIBBEAN TODAYMarch 2007 Quinn King Gibson Smith NEWS NEWS www.caribbeantoday.com Haitian wins council seat, creates histor y in New Y orkBahamas government minister resigns in Anna Nicole Smith controversy (CONTINUED FROM P AGE 4) CTMar07.qxd 3/11/07 10:53 PM Page 6

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WASHINGTON – United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS has issued a r edesigned travel booklet as part of ongoingsecurity impr ovements to update agency documents. The identification booklets, which the USCIS claims are fraud resistant, include dig-ital photographs and signatur es and other enhanced security featur es to deter potential counterfeiting schemes. Additional improvements include a new teal blue coverand color images of patrioticsymbols of the U.S., such as the Statue of Liberty and theAmerican flag. e intend to periodically update our documents to capitalize on advances in security technology and to stay aheadof ef for ts to cir cumvent our legal immigration system,” said USCIS Dir ector Emilio Gonzalez in a press release issued in mid-February. PERMITS The personalized pass por t-style booklets contain either a Per mit to Reenter the United States (For m I327); or a Refugee Travel Document (Form I-571 The reentry permit establishes that permanent or conditional r esidents do not abandon their legal status when they travel outside the U.S. for mor e than one year . A person with r efugee or asylum status who wishes to travel abroad should carry the Refugee Travel Document to r etur n and maintain their sta tus. In most cases, a refugee may use the document for travel purposes in place of a passport. Travel documents currently in circulation are valid until the expiration date in the booklet. USCIS issues approx-imately 200,000 travel book lets each year. USCIS said it has notified federal and inter national law enforcement and homeland security agencies of enhanced forensic security featuresincluded in the booklet so that agents and inspectors may recognize and validate the redesigned documents. Permanent and conditional legal r esidents may find mor e infor mation on the reentry permit on the USCIS web site at: http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/B5.pdf. Details on how to apply for a refugee travel documentis available online at: http://www .uscis.gov/files/arti cle/d4_english.pdf. On Mar . 1, 2003, the USCIS became one of three former Immigration and Naturalization Service components to join theU.S. Department of Homeland Security . USCIS is charged with transforming and impr oving the deliver y of immigration and citizenship ser vices, while enhancing the integrity of our nation’s security. Photogra ph by Sharon BennettHoward Dodson,left,executive director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture,explains aspects of the transatlantic slave trade route (“Middle Passage”) to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon,who earlier this month declaredopen an exhibition commemora ting the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade at U.N.headquarters in New York. The exhibition,entitled “Lest We Forget – The Triumph Over Slaverand scheduled to run through Mar.30,covers the Caribbean’s link to the slave trade.Some 35 such pieces are on display at the U.N.Visitor’s Lobby in Manhattan,including a freshly mintedJamaican $500 bank note fea turing National Hero Nanny of the Maroons,as a heroine of the abolition movement. The exhibition is being presented with the coopera tion of CARICOM,the Permanent Mission of India to the U.N.,UNDPI, UNESCO and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, New York.It is the first in a series of events leading up to Mar.26,2007 when member states of the U.N.will recognize the day with a global celebration New York. U.S. reveals new travel booklets with enhanced security features QUESTION:I was wondering if someone who is a United States citizen can file for a child that is not biologically hisbut names him as the father on the birth certificate? ANSWER: The only means that this can happen legally is throughadoption, says attor ney Kerry W illiam Bretz of the Manhattanbased law firm of Bretz & Coven, LLP . A U.S. citizen can bring his/her adopted child to live per manently in the U.S.,but note that merely naminga U.S. citizen on the birth certificate does not satisfy the complex rules regarding overseas adoption, added theattor ney. Your best option to make thiswork isto consult a competent immigration attorney. Note that U.S. law allows the adoption and immigration of childr en who are under 16 years of age, with two exceptions: bio logical siblings of a child adopted by the same parents may beadopted if under 18 years of age;and orphans over the age of 16may be adopted, as long as theI-600 petition was filed on their behalf before their 16th birthday, or in the case of an orphanwho is the sibling of a child adopted by the same par ents, before their 18th birthday. QUESTION:I would like to work and live legally in the U.S. but do not ha ve a work permit/visa.I have a valid 10year visitor’s visa,but do notwant to spoil it by o ver staying. What avenues can I use to seek employment legally in the U.S.? ANSWER: You cannot work in the U.S. when you are present on a B1/B2 non-immigrant visa, advises attor ney Courtney Smith of the Bronx-based law firm of Palma & Smith. The avenues you can seek to obtain employment legally in the U.S. are to apply for aH-1B and H-2B non-immi grant visa, he added.You should seek the advice of animmigration attor ney before applying for a H-1B or H-2Bnon-immigrant visa. Additionally, where an immigrant visa petition hasbeen filed on your behalf – example, through a parent, spouse or sibling sponsorship and a visa is immediately avail-able, you can apply for work authorization.But note that it is of the utmost importance that you do not over stay on your cur rent visa, Smith added. Compiled by Felicia Persaud T he above column is created How to adopt a non-U.S. resident; and getting a job or work permitSTRUGGLE AND TRIUMPH March 2007CARIBBEAN TODAY 7 LOCAL LOCAL www .caribbeantoday.com (CONTINUED ON PAGE 8) CTMar07.qxd 3/11/07 10:53 PM Page 7

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especially for immig rants concerned or unsure of issues per taining to United States immigration law.It aims to answer some of our readers’ frequently asked questions and provide responses from qualified immigration attorneys and advocates lobb ying for the U.S . immig ration cause.The answer s provided here are for information pur poses only, and does not create attorney-client relationship, nor is it a substitute for “le gal advice”, w hic h can only be given by a competent attorney after reviewing all the facts of the case. WASHINGTON Antigua and Barbuda has called for greater efforts so that there would be “more tangible” results for women. In her first address before the Per manent Council of the Organization of AmericanStates (OAS esident of the Inter -American Commission (CIM and Barbuda Labor, PublicAdministration and Empowerment Minister Jacqui Quinn-Leandro saidthese r esults should make women “enjoy their rights to the fullest extent.” The OAS Per manent Council, which comprisesmember state diplomats, is chaired by Uruguay’s Permanent Representative Mar’a del Lujn Flores. Quinn-Leandro said the empowerment of women andgender equality “ar e pr erequisites for achieving political, social, economic, cultural and environmental security amongall peoples.” In quoting a statement at the historic 1995 World Conference on Women, inBeijing, China, QuinnLeandro said “the advance-ment of women and theachievement of equality between women and men arematters of human rights andconditions for social justice.” She said every effort should be made to ensure thatwomen play a pivotal r ole in the decision-making process in the public and privatedomains, and that they have access to resources and benefits of development, an OAS statement said. “The CIM objectives of equality must be fulfilled, not only because they are mandates butalso because they are anindispensablecomponentof the devel opment process of our coun-tries,” saidQuinnLeandro,who was elected last November to headCIM for a two-year ter m. Photograph by Sharon BennettF ive recipients were cited for outstanding service to the community at the annual Sons & Daughters of Jamaica (S&DoJAncestral Herita ge Awards presented during last month’s celebration of Black History Month (BHMt the Jamaican Consulate in Manhattan, New York.Photograph shows,from left,Junior Jawara Blake,radio host of The Meeting In The African Village Square-WVIP,93.5 FM; Hyacinth Simms,president of Simms Tax Services of Flatbush Avenue,Brooklyn,N.Y.; Violet Russell-Forrest,fashion designer; Aubrey Campbell,from the Jamaica Information Service,N.Y.,who represented recipient Dr.Basil K.Bryan,Jamaica’s consul general; and E.Wayne McDonald,artistic director of the Caribbean Cultural Theatre,Inc.,Brooklyn.The BHM celebration was co-spon-sored by the Jamaican Consula te and S&DoJ,Inc. With tax season well on its way , millions of taxpayers in the United States are busy gathering all the forms and docu-ments needed to file federal, state and local tax returns. Some people who receive Social Security may have topay taxes on a por tion of their benefits. For them, a Social Security Benefit Statement (Form SSA-1099tant tax document. The SSA-1099s for tax year 2006were all automatically mailedto beneficiariesby Jan. 31, 2007. Anyone whor eceives Social Security but has not yet received a Form SSA-1099 for 2006 can request a replacement online at www .socialsecurity .g ov BENEFITS The SSA-1099 shows the total amount of benefitsr eceived in the pr evious year and is used to find out if any benefits are subject to tax, andto complete a federal incometax r etur n. Basically , the fed eral tax laws about Social Security benefits state that: Up to 50 percent of Social Security benefits may be sub-ject to income tax for individ uals with a combined income between $25,000 and $34,000, or for couples with a com-bined income between $32,000and $44,000; and Up to 85 percent of Social Security benefits may be sub ject to income tax for individuals with a combined incomeabove $34,000, or for coupleswith a combined income above$44,000. (Note: “Combinedincome” means adjusted gr oss income, plus nontaxable interest, plus one-half of SocialSecurity benefits.) Less than a third of curr ent Social Security beneficiar ies have incomes that exceed the thresholds, requiring them to pay taxes on a portion oftheir Social Security benefits. For more information on taxation of Social Security benefits, call the IRS’s tollfree telephone number, 1-800829-3676 and ask for Publication 554, “Older Americans’ Tax Guide”. Thepublication is also available from the IRS website at www .ir s .g ov F or more information about Social Security,or to request a replacement SSA1099,visit www.socialsecuri-ty .gov Or call Social Security’s toll-free number , 1-800-7721213 (TTY1-800-325-0778 and ask for a re placement SSA-1099. How to adopt a non-U.S. resident; and getting a job or work permitAntigua demands ‘tangible results’ for world’s womenHONORING OUR HERITAGE Go online for your 1099 tax form 8 CARIBBEAN TODAYMarch 2007 LOCAL LOCAL www.caribbeantoday.com ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN Photograph by Derrick A.ScottLissette Wade,left,a Jamaican who resides in Lake Park,Florida,shows off an award he recently received from United States President George W.Bush to Jamaica’ s Ambassador to the U.S. Professor Gordon Shirley. Wade was the only Jamaican among the 100 African Americans who were honored as business and community leaders for “Black Histor y Month” a t a recep tion held at the White House in Washington D.C. 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 Jamaica: 654-7282 E-mail: caribtoday@earthlink.net Send ads to: ct_ads@bellsouth.net V ol.18,Number 4 MAR.2007 PETER AWEBLEY Publisher GORDON WILLIAMS Managing Editor DAMIAN P. GREGORY Deputy Managing Editor SABRINAFENNELL Graphic Artist DOROTHY CHIN Account Executive SUNDA YSELLERS Account Executive JULISSA RAMOS Accounting ManagerCaribbean Media Source Media Representatives T OM JONAS 353 St. Nicolas Street, Suite 200 Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2Y2P1 T el: (514514 E-mail: tom@cmsworldmedia.com Jamaica Bureau MARIE GREGOR Y (876 P .O. Box 127, Constant Spring Kingston 8, JamaicaOpinions expressed by editors and writers are not necessarily those of the publisher. Caribbean T oday , 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 selfaddressed stamped envelope. Articles appearing in Caribbean Today may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor . (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7) Quinn-Leandro CTMar07.qxd 3/11/07 10:53 PM Page 8

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The right man for her is so elusive, for women are never satisfied, as men ar e loved, hated, r eviled, cursed, despised, wanted, sought after, chased away, yet chased after by women. Women seem to be so confused when it comes to men, that either they don’ t know what they want, or don’t want it when they have it. As usual, many New Year’s Eve and Valentines’nights saw many attractive women out at functions, eitherby themselves, or in a collec tive herd. Whatever, there they wer e, all dr essed up on per haps the most r omantic nights of the year , with no man beside them. It is a com mon scenario, and while I would not dare to ask themabout their plight on that occasion, I have spoken to them at different times about their manless existence. For some it was by fate, for others it was by choice. Usually the r esponse was the same, “I just can’ t find the right man, why can’t the right man come into my life?” One lady, who was divorced twice, even told me that she wants to get married again, and that if the thir d one failed, she’d go at it a four th time. “You see, I’m not one of those women who can live alone, I have my needs and Ineed a man to fulfill them, so I won’t stop looking until I find the right man.” The right man, there goes that ter m again. But what makes a right man, what sets him apart from other men,what makes him dif fer ent? MADE MAN W ell, the right man is rarely born, but is made. A young man growing uphas to be molded the right way, steered in the right direc-tion if he is to become the future right man. Ther e are a few parents who recognize this andpass on these values to their sons. The mothers make sure that the boys are able to cook, sew on buttons if needs be,wash and ir on, and generally take care of themselves. Asone old time mother told me, “I made sur e that he could do all those things, so that he’d not be at the mer cy of any woman.” Can you imagine the fiasco if a man marries a woman who is as helpless as a fish on dry land? There they are, both of them in the house and neither of them can do a damn thing to help themselves, not even water they can boil, but have to depend on a maid or fast food for every single thing that passes through their mouth. It starts with simple chor es, that eventually leads to independence, which thenleads to self-confidence. The right man has man ners, and that too has to be lear ned and cultivated fr om an early age. Over the pastfew months I chatted with a lot of people, and I hear d sto ries of young men coming to pick up young women that were simply horrific. One par-ent told me how this young man drove up to his gate toattend his daughter s sweet 16 party. The lad was dressed in a washrag type of tee shirt, torn r olled up jeans, uncombed hair, and more rings through ever y part of his body than a circus freak. “Yow, yow dads, is Lisa party this, a ya so me and my crew a buss!” Now that must be every parents’ nightmare, and he is cer tainly not the right man that most women are always seeking. But he wasn’t bornthat way , so the twig is bent it grows, they say. RESPECT The right man respects his woman. I always find it strange how American blackmales have this habit of call ing their women bitches and ho’s. Our men don’t use those said ter ms, but the lyrics of some of the songs are oftimes worse. This lack of r espect towards women makes you wonder if those guys were spawned in a test tube. But then again, you’ll say that some women respond to it and even call for it. No matter , it should not be done, and Right man for her March 2007CARIBBEAN TODAY 9 VIEWPOINT VIEWPOINT www .caribbeantoday.com TONY ROBINSON “They expect us in the Caribbean to fail” Carib bean soccer administrator Austin acWarner expressing hisview on what the world believes will happen at Cricket World Cup in theregion. e have come here to the Caribbean to win it, otherwise it wouldn’t havemade much sense coming” Australian captain Ric ky Ponting after arriving in the Caribbean for Cricket World Cup. e’ve got a good catch” David Wimhurst,spokesman for MINUST AH, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti,on successfully completing the first phase of a crackdown on armed gangs in one of the violence-ridden neighborhoods in Port au Prince last month. ou ha v e to look out for what is best for you as a country” Mary Ourisman,the newly-appointed United States ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Carib bean, last month sa ying that Caribbean states were free to develop relationships with any country they saw fit,including Venezuela. e remain concerned by the le v el of violence that curr ently threatens our way of life” – Barbados’ s Police Commissioner Darwin Dottin last month expressing alarm at the country’s rising crime rate. “Merger is not the panacea people like to think it is and the ne xt time somebody throws the merger word out,you should ask them for a copy of the plan as to how it all will come together” Air Jamaica’s President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Conwayoffering his views on a proposed single airline for the Caribbean. “Down with U.S.imperialism! Long live the people of this w orld” V enuzuela’s President Hugo Chavez during a visit to St. Vincent and the Grenadines last month. “Europe has apologized to several other peoples across the w orld so why can’t they apologize to us?” – Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit last month backing a call from Caribbean community (CARICOM) Chairman Dr.Ralph Gonsalves for European coun tries to issue an unqualified apology for slavery. “The event is too important for an yone to think of disturbing it” Trinidad Islandswide Cane F armers Association Chairman Raffique Shah last month dispelling talk that the organization would participate in a protest during the Trinidad leg of the 2007 Cricket World Cup to seek com-pensation from the go vernment to get out of the sugar industry . e (are) going to shut the island down” – Lester Bird, Opposition leader in Antigua and Barbuda,last month threatening action to protest the government’s introduction of a new sales tax. “It seems,however,that things ha v e literally fallen a part and we are not surprised at this because they were not done properly in the first place” – Jamaica’s Opposition spokesman on Energy Clive Mullings criticizing a deal between his country’ s go vernment and Trinidad and Tobago. 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perhaps if more parents stressed the need to respect women from an early age,then the cycle would stop. Attimes this lack of r espect stems fr om the man’s own low self esteem. So, to big up him self, he tears down women. The right man has manners. Now I know that many nowadays youth have no ideawhat I’m talking about, butgood manners goes such a farway and is so sought after bywomen. All the ladies whoI’ve spoken to have expr essed this, how it’ s so refreshing when a man takes them out and displays good manners. He opens the car door, holds the door open for her when entering a building, pulls out her chair, offers her food anddrink, generally makes her feel comfortable and secure. “Those ar e the qualities that I look for in a man, believe it or not, good man ners,” this lady told me. Some may not know the term, but know when a man shows it to them. “Him treat me right, mek me feel good, me check fi him.” And that’sanother thing, a good man takes out his lady, and it doest have to be anywhere fancy either , but most women love to dr ess up and go out once in a while. That’ s why movies are still so popular, even though we have cable and satellite dish. Women still love to dress up and go out, and the right man recognizes this. And I don’t mean taking out a new woman just to impress hereither , but taking out your wife or long time woman. The right man has eyes only for his woman. Okay , let’s get realistic and rephrase that. The right man has eyes only for his woman when he’s ar ound her. She must feel special, he can’ t be with her yet ogles other women. As long as he’ s with her, she must be the one. Which leads naturally into the next prerequisite of the right man, fidelity. Theright man must deal with onlyhis woman and nobody else. Now I know that’s a tall order, but it’s what women want inthe right man. “I want my man to only be with me alone, I don’t want to share him with any other woman,” so manyladies have told me. Others qualified it by saying, “As long as him don’t dash it in my face and disrespect me and have woman calling me and tracing me of f, I won’ t mind, although I would rather he didn’t, butman is man I suppose.” The right man commits, no stringing along business, but really commits. Oh, the right man is so har d to find. HIT AND MISS W omen ar e for ever seek ing the right man, this elusive being that somehow keepsslipping fr om their grasp. Some women meet the right men who eventually turn out to be wrong, while others just can’t seem to meet even a hintof a right man. Others caught the right man but couldn’t hold on to him, as their jealousy and insecurity dr ove him away . Still, ther e ar e others who will never stop looking for the right man, the man who will fulfill all their needs, their desires, their wants, their obligations. “I won’t settle for any and anybody , I want the right man for myself.” “Why can’t Ifind the right man, either they’r e mar ried, gay , too young, too old, worthless, thieves, liars or unemployed.” But still, so many women find men but also find faults in all of them, so they are forever seeking this elusive impossible person and end up alone. That seems to be the fate of many women who are seeking the right man. And anyway, ar e you the right woman for the right man? seido1@hotmail.com Right man for her 10 CARIBBEAN TODAYMarch 2007 VIEWPOINT VIEWPOINT www.caribbeantoday.com (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9) CTMar07.qxd 3/11/07 10:53 PM Page 10

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PATRICK KNIGHT BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Caribbean community (CARI COM) leaders left last month’ s mid term summit in St. Vincent and the Grenadines with avision of 2008 as a date withdestiny even as they fir mly set the region’s focus on 2015 as the marker for a new milestone in the r egional integration movement. In many r espects Chairman Dr . Ralph Gonsalves, the St. V incent and the Gr enadines prime minister, was accurate when he identified 2008 as “ther egion’s date with destiny,” as that year will see the ushering in of the CARICOM Single Economy and the start of new trade r elationships with Europe, the United States andglobally thr ough the World T rade Organization. But while the first feeble steps towards the Single Economy – the second compo-nent of the CARICOM SingleMarket and Economy – will betaken in 2008, it will not beuntil seven years later in 2015that the long held vision of afully integrated Caribbean community could become ar eality . While some regional commentators view the 2015 date as a delay, Barbados Prime Minister Owen Ar thur , the man char ged with the r esponsibility for overseeing the CSME, said it was never the intention of r egional leaders to implement the Single Market as a “done deal” in 2008, butonly to have the framework in place to start the complex task. “Do not expect to see the Single Economy coming in onefell swoop, we have sequenced the activity in two phases, that which will take place between 2008 and 2009 and then up to 2015,” Arthur said, noting that the plan was not about offering“quick fix” solutions. REALISTIC OR NO T? But is the seven-year window to achieve the CSME a realistic target? Ar thur believes that once the timelines in the Professor Norman Girvan study – “Towards a Single Economy and a Single Development Vision” are strictly adhered to, the SingleEconomy can become a Caribbean reality by the 2015 tar-get. “The Single Economy will not simply appear. We are seeking to take 15 separateeconomies and put them together, developing the sectors together, have similar policies, have regional institutionsthat suppor t the functioning of the sectors, addr ess matters relative to whether we are going to have a monetar y union or not and have social institutions to make the economy function,” Arthur said. “This is now spelt out for the first time in the Girvan paper but it does not mean that the economy comes into existence merely because this document has been prepared and approved, but it now means that we have set out how we are going to approach it.” The paper by Girvan, a former secretary general of theAssociation of Caribbean States, sets out the sequencing for the implementation of the Single Market in two phases – up to the end of 2008 and from 2009 2015. Key areas included in the first phases to be implemented by mid-2008 are: Political approval for the br oad outline of the develop ment vision and regional development strategy; Extension of the categories of CARICOM nationals bene fiting fr om fr ee movement; Full implementation of the free movement of servicepr oviders; The implementation of legal status for the CARICOM Charter for Civil Society. The establishment and com mencement of the Regional Development Fund; Establishment of the Regional Stock Exchange; Political approval of the CARICOM Investment Regime and CARICOM Financial Services Agreement; and Collaboration with stake holders on regional policy frameworks for energy related industries, agriculture, sustainable tourism and agro-tourism, new export services, transport and small and medium enter-prises. AGREEMENT Needing political agreement by July 2008 and to be implemented no later than Jan. 1, 2009 are: Negotiation and political approval of the protocol on enhanced monetary cooperation; Agreement among central banks on CARICOM currency numeraire (generally a commodity in terms of which all goods are valued); Implementation schedule for harmonization of taxation regimes and fiscal incentives; and Implementation schedule for har monization of financial regulatory environment. PHASE TWO Phase two 2009 – 2025 provides for the consolidation andcompletion of the Single Economy through: Implementation of common sectoral policies, e.g. tourism,transpor t, energy etc.; Har monization of taxation systems, incentives and regulatory environment; Harmonization of fiscal and monetary policies; Implementation of regional competition policy and regional intellectual policy regime; and Implementation of CARICOM Monetar y Union. ‘MYSTIFIED’ While leaders emer ging fr om the summit appeared happy with the staged implementation scheduled, regional political scientist Professor Neville Duncan told the Caribbean Media Corporation he is “mystified” that gover nments still feel they have some major hurdles to overcome before full implementation of the CSME. “If you have established a development fund which is supposed to ease the challenges and burdens to countries which are likely to be initially disadvantaged by the single market and economy why then should one have to wait until 2015?” Prof Duncan asked. “But I guess 2015 is another magical date because that’swhen ther s a hope that the millennium development goals will be fulfilled, but that doest look the case for many countries,” the director of the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute ofSocial Economic Studies (SALISESpus of the University of the West Indies added. He said Caribbean people wer e fully supportive of the integration movement and suggested that if they wer e unsure of where the region’s people story, CARICOM leaderscould engage an agency such as SALISES to conduct a regional survey to gauge the region’s position on the matter. “Maybe then they would be persuaded but clearly thestudy done in Jamaica shows conclusively the str ong com mitment of Jamaican people in general towar ds integration and we see from Caribbean business people that they are not laggar d in what needs to be done,” Pr of. Duncan said. As they continue the march towards the 2015 vision, the words of Dr. Gonsalves, a poet as much as a prime minister, will remain relevant to Caribbean leaders: e, who have come with our limiting burdens of yesterday, face today with immense possibilities, amidst an amazing grace for our glorious tomorrows. We remember, we know, we dream, and we act for our people and for generations unborn. It is our destiny CMC CARICOM eyes 2008 as Caribbean’s ‘date with destiny March 2007CARIBBEAN TODAY 11 FEATURE FEATURE www .caribbeantoday.com Duncan Gonsalves CTMar07.qxd 3/11/07 10:53 PM Page 11

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BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – The Caribbean has much to gain by developing its sport tourism potential, an expert inthis field has said. “Ther e are considerable economic, spor t and community benefits to be gainedthr ough developing the niche market that is sport tourism,” said Andrew Preece, a director of the consultancy firm PMP. Preece explained last month that sport tourism can take several forms, but primarily involves hosting sports events like the International Cricket CouncilCricket W orld Cup (CWC which begins in the Caribbeanthis month – which bring bothcompetitors and spectators whospend money in the community generally, and in tourism amenities such as hotels and restaurants in particular. Preece, who has been part of the PMP team working onlegacy planning for theBarbados leg of the CWC, willbe a panelist at the thAnnual Caribbean Confer ence on Sustainable T ourism Development”, other wise called the “Sustainable Tourism Conference (STC-9 Cayman Islands in May.The general session, “Securing Environmentaland HumanCapital”, takesplace on May 23.Pr eece’s presentation will be oncommunity spor t tourism. “Community sport tourismcan lead to improved sportdevelopment, enhanced com-munity pride, and more active populations,” Preece said. EFFECTIVE APPROACH Preece’s presentation is expected to examine theappr oach to effective planning for community sport tourism in order to maximize the benefits, and will include as a case study, the four step “Community Sport Tourism Planning Program”developed by 2010 LegaciesNow and T ourism British Columbia. Themed “Health and Wellness: Communities,Envir onments & Economies”, STC-9 will be held May 21-24 at the W estin Casuarina Resor t & Spa in Grand Cayman, the Cayman Islands. General sessions include: Health and Wellness Tourism: Opportunitiesand Challenges; Securing Environmental and Human Capital; Defining the Way Forward and StakeholdersSpeak Out featuring discussionsabout “Developing V aluable T ourism Resources Within Our Communities: the GrandCayman Go East Initiative,” “Preserving Our Culture: Preserving a Caymanian Identity,” “Raising the Bar:Customer Ser vice Standar ds for the T ourism Sector ,” and “The Role of the National Trust in T ourism Development.” KINGSTOWN, St. V incent, CMC Caribbean community(CARICOMput a hold on plans to expandthe categories of Caribbean nationals enjoying free movement across the region. Antigua Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC that r egional leaders, during their 18th inter-sessional meeting here last month,decided against expanding thelist to include ar tisans as was originally planned at a previous summit. “It was felt that member states who are in a position toimplement that immediately (free movement of artisansshould so do, but it was alsofelt that it was necessar y to look at individual situationsemanating fr om the various territories in terms of howsoon and this matter obviously will be reviewed when next we meet,” said Spencer . “In July hopefully the situation would have undergone some change in terms of someter ritories implementing and others being in a position to report how far they have reached in terms of the implementation of artisans as part of the free movement.” WORK IN PROGRESS He told CMC the year-old CARICOM Single Market(CSM progress and most countries were yet to implement all leg-islative changes necessar y to allow for the free movement of the six categories pr evious ly approved to benefit from free movement across CARI-COM states. “One of the things that ought to be bor ne in mind is that in every territory certainlegislative underpinnings haveto be put in place and all of us have not completed that exer cise, for example in the case of Antigua and Barbuda, although we passed the freemovement of skills legislationther e was some problem attendant to that so we haveto go back to Parliament now,” Spencer explained. “Countries ar e updating their legislative agenda and doing the things that are necessar y, so yes the CSM is in place as it stands but every aspect of it is not likely to come on board in every terri-tor y at the same time because there are different considerations, but we are all commit-ted to the idea.” Spencer said the leaders had also agreed to mandatethe Guyana-based CARI COM Secretariat to conduct a study on the free movementexer cise in Antigua and Barbuda befor e the countr y was asked to implement the free movement of teachersand nurses. SPECIAL C ASE At last July’s summit it was agreed that all membersstates, with the exception ofAntigua, would add nursesand teachers to the categories of persons enjoying freemovement. But Spencer saidAntigua was a special case since 40 per cent of its workforce originated from other Caribbean countries even before CSM. “Clearly this r epr esent a significant percentage and while it is true that we will continue to play our part and we will continue to haveCaribbean nationals coming to Antigua living and workingand so on, we have to look atthe impact that it is going tohave on Antigua and Barbudain a compr ehensive and a r eal istic way and for us to make decisions based on that studyhe said. Presently university graduates, media workers, ath letes, performing artistes, teachers and nurses are cov-er ed under the free movement initiative. Caribbean has much to gain from sport tourism ~ expert Caribbean free mo vement e xpansion plans put on hold 12 CARIBBEAN TODAYMarch 2007 Spencer Enthusiastic fans will often follow their teams to other countries,including those in the Caribbean. TOURISM TOURISM / / TRAVEL TRAVEL www.caribbeantoday.com SWIMSUIT SPLASH SI.com photogra phs Some of the world’s most beautiful models visited the Caribbean recently to shoot photographs for the pages of Sports Illustrated magazine’s 2007 swimsuit issue. The models,including Bar Refaeli,Marisa Miller,Anne V.and Selita Ebanks,graced the property at The Caves hotel in Negril,Jamaica,using the ocean-side bluffs,Caribbean sunsets and lush tropical flora as the setting for their work. The photographs above,taken by Raphael Mazzucco,appear at SI.com.At left model Selita Ebanks wears a swimsuit by Amare.At right,Bar Refaeli shows off swimwear by Pompei Beach. CTMar07.qxd 3/11/07 10:53 PM Page 12

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LOS ANGELES, CMC Ziggy Marley, the eldest son of the late legendary Jamaican reggae superstar Bob Marley, last month captured the “BestReggae Album” at the 49thAnnual Grammy A wards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Ziggy won the award with his “Love Is My Religion”solo-studio album, eclipsingcompatriot Buju Banton, Jewish reggae artist Matisyahu,Sly and Robbie, and the Britishgr oup, UB 40. “Love Is My Religion” was released on the Tuff GongW orldwide label. It was Ziggy Marley’s fourth Grammy award. Ziggy’s previous win in the “Best Reggae Album” category was in 1997 for “Fallen IsBabylon” by Ziggy Marley &the Melody Makers. Prominent Caribbean artistes are listed among those scheduled to perform at the two-day “Jazz in the Gardens” music festivalthis month in Miami, Florida. Jamaican singer/song writer Luciano, and renowned saxaphonist Dean Fraser andthe Jah Messenjah Band willbe joined during the secondannual jazz and R&B festival by India Arie, Sergio Mendes,Boney James, W ill Downing, Paquito d’Rivera and Piecesof a Dr eam, Mar .24-25 at Dolphin Stadium. e want people to know ‘Jazz in the Gardens’ as a celebration of the music and culture that lives and grows in Miami Gardens,” the city’sMayor Shirley Gibson said ina r ecent press release. While Luciano is known for a soulful, articulate blendof “r oots reggae”, India Arie is a neo soul icon, and Ser gio Mendes is often touted as the undisputed king of Brazilianjazz. Boney James, whose latest release “Shine” rose rapidly on the BillboardContemporar y Jazz char ts, is also scheduled to perform along with the inter national contingent that includes Cuban legend Paquito D’Rivera. For more information about the event visit www.jazzinthegardens.com or call the event hotline at 305-622-8043 . PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Soca artiste Iwer George was crowned the 2007 “International Power SocaMonar ch” after outclassing his rivals in the finals of thecompetition at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Trinidadlast month. Bajan ar tiste, Biggie Irie, captured the “Groovy Soca Monarch” title in that competition. Both competitions wer e part of annual carnival celebra-tions. Iwer, singing “Fete After Fete”, and Irie per for ming “Nah Going Home”, each wr ested the respective titles from Shurwayne Winchester, who placed third inthe Power Soca Monar ch with “Open The Gate” and fourth in the Groovy Soca Monarchsinging “Alequa”. Winchester, who captured the People’ s Choice A wards for both competitions, deliv ered elaborate presentations that featured troupes of dancers, additional musicians and several stylized props. Iwer and Irie kept their presentations simple, depend-ing mainly on raw talent and synergy with the audience to pull off their respective victories. Iwer took homeTT$400,000 ($63,994ef for ts, while Irie received TT$150,000 ($23,998 Iwer George is T&T’ s new ‘Soca Monarch’Caribbean performers to feature at Miami’s ‘Jazz in the Gardens’ March 2007CARIBBEAN TODAY 13 ARTS ARTS / / ENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT www .caribbeantoday.com Marley Iwer Luciano ENTER T AINMENT BRIEFS Stephen Marley’s tour kicks off in March Stephen Marley will launch his much anticipa ted tour this month, kicking off on Mar.30 in the United States and runningthrough more than 40 cities. The three month tour of the U.S. and Canada,billed as the “Mind Control”North Americantour , will also feature special guest “Jr.Gong”Marley, Stephen’s brother,and K’naan.It will include performances at the World Ski and Snowboard Championships in Whistler,British Columbia on April 15,Coachella Music F estival in Indio, California on April 27,and Jazzfest in New Orleans on May 5. ‘Best of the Best’ reggae Some of the biggest names in reggae/dancehall music arescheduled to perform a t the “Best of the Best” show on May 27 a t Bicentennial Park in downtownMiami, Florida. Buju Banton,Shaggy,Bounty Killer,Elephant Man,Lady Saw,Ca pleton and Barrington Levy are among the top acts.For more information,call 305-438-9488 . Compiled from CMC and other sources. Ziggy Marley captures ‘Best Reggae Album’ at Grammy Awards CTMar07.qxd 3/11/07 10:53 PM Page 13

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TITLE: JABARI AUTHENTIC JAMAICANDICTIONAR Y AUTHOR: RAS DENNIS JABARI REYNOLDS REVIEWED BY: GORDON WILLIAMS Ther e is a never-ending quest to captur e the flavor of Jamaica’s popular patois or cr eole language in writing. Reading publications whichattempt that taskwill make mostJamaicans chuckle,because they do notbelieve anyone can fully capture that fla-vor in writing. Not down pat anyway. But it is worth a try, especially sincethe language has been spread globally, mostly through reggae music.People outside Jamaica ar e always interested in the words, how they are pronounced andexactly what they mean. “Jabari Authentic Jamaican Dictionar y of the Jamic Language” offers another attempt to tame the slippery patois. The book makes its ownbold claim to snar e “Jamaican Patwa and Rasta Iyaric Pronunciations and Definitions” in “The First Jamic Dictionary” right there on the black, greenand gold cover complete withthe Jamaican flag. In 142 pages and more than 3,000 entries, it goes quite a distance to try andback up the claims. In some ways, it succeeds admirably. In others, like spelling – there is no ‘correct’ spelling of patois words – it is not as convincing. AID The thumbnail pronunciation guide on every other page is useful. First, it offers the reader a quick glance while going through the various words and phrases on each page. There is no need to goback and for th from the page in question to another section of the book just to figure out how to pronounce a word. Also, the bold print of each word or phrase, followed by thenon-bold meaning, makes thedictionar s contents easy to follow . And the “Guide To The Dictionary”, near the fr ont of the book, which offers, for example, explanations and pr onunciation tips, is helpful as well. But after that, the tame, academic stuff ends and the rollicking ride through Jamaica’s delicious home spun language begins. From taunt of “a-bey” to the insulting “zuttupek”, “Jabari” dives into pat-ois head first. Most of what’s delivered in the book is not unique, but it is definitely infor mative and interesting. It could prove quite useful this month and next when thousands of tourists are expect-ed to flock to Jamaica for Cricket World Cup as severalmatches will be played in the Caribbean island. Maybethey should take the “JabariAuthentic Jamaican Dictionar along with them. More than likely they will need it. PUBLISHER:Around the Way Books,Waterbury,Connecticut. Gordon Williams is Caribbean T oday’s managing editor. Visitors to Cricket World Cup 2007 will have a colorful guide to some of the most attrac-tive spots in theCaribbean. W ant to know the best r estaurants, places to party and what’s happening while they’re intown for the eventduring this month and next? Try getting“The ICC CWC2007 Of ficial V isitor’s Guide”, a fan companion,especially for first-time guests from outside the region. The full-color pocket reference of the Caribbean features 140 pages of information whichvisitors will find useful as they traverse the nine host venues, following the ICC CricketW orld Cup. SHO WCASE Produced by Jamaicabased companies Great House Publishing and MAPCO Printers, it showcases many elements r egarding the countries staging CWC matches, including: Overview of the territories; ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 match schedule and related information; things to see anddo; r estaurants and bars; beaches in the r egion; carnival attractions; historic sites, museums, etc.; entertainment and nightlife; environmental/wildlifeattractions; and essential tele phone dir ectories (taxis, emergency , etc.). The guide, being sold in bookstores and other retailers throughout the Caribbean, will also be available through concessionaires, as well as itiner-ant vendors at CWC matches. The guide to the W est Indies is being distributed inJamaica by Novelty T rading and MAPCO Printers and in the Eastern Caribbean by Trinidadian style magazine,MACO, and its distribution company, Moving Magazines Caribbean Limited. A neat little pocket piece when setting out for Yard’Colorful guide to the Caribbean for Cricket World Cup 2007 14 CARIBBEAN TODAYMarch 2007 BOOKS BOOKS www.caribbeantoday.com Resource guide available for parents in Miami-Dade The Miami-Dade County Public Schools and TheEducation Fund have co-published a fr ee Parent Resource Guide 2006-2007 forthe public. The 88-page guide, sponsored by global financial serv-ices pr ovider ING, gives parents infor mation they need to know about their child’ s school, curriculum and student requirements. The guide is printed in three languages -English, Spanish and Haitian cr eole. Each school in the system will r eceive additional copies for use in parent-teacher meetings. The guide may also be viewed online at www.educationfund.org (under “Our Publications”) and www.dadeschools.net (under “Resources” The 2006-2007 guide pr ovides a wealth of infor mation including revised curriculum r equirements, test schedules, immunization requirements, student ser vices, legal rights and par ental involvement. CTMar07.qxd 3/11/07 10:53 PM Page 14

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BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC Regional trade nego tiators have identified the cul tural industr y as a sector which could give Caribbean community (CARICOMcountries clear comparativeadvantages in a global tradingenvir onment. W ith this in mind, Dr. Richar d Bernal, director general of the Caribbean Regional Negotiation Network (CRNM said the region’s ability to lever-age benefits for the sector would be boosted greatly by a new study on the cultural indus tries, which would be pr esented to all CARICOM gover nments and cultural stakeholders. “The creative sectors hold tremendous potential for pro-moting the development andeconomic diversification ofthis r egion. This study is ther efore critical as it will assist the region in formulating the policies that addressthe key issues and challenges currently affecting this region,” Bernal said recently. Accor ding a CRNM r elease, the study, titled “The Cultural Industries in CARI COM: Trade and Development Challenges”, concluded that investing in the cultural indus-tries would be beneficial toCaribbean countries as it wouldgenerate new , high valuedadded and indigenous for ms of employment, production and exports”. DA WN A. DAVIS The mention of Port Royal conjures up images of swashbuckling pirates, hidden treasures, lewd and las-civious lifestyles, and murderous debauchery. But in its heyday in the 17th and 18th centuries Port Royal was an important commercial center colo nized by the English. It was the center of the slave trade, imported goods and naval power. But its “wicked” past lives on in folk tales as many believe that the massive ear thquake that swallowed up the city onJune 7, 1692 was punishment for its evil histor y. An exhibition at Miami’s Historical Museum of Southern Florida, opened recently in collaboration with the Institute of Jamaica’ s Museums of Histor y and Ethnography, showcases this infamous city . The display of over 150 unique artifacts, some discover ed by historians and underwater archeologists, representing life in the port city then and now, will be on display until through June 3, 2007. The elegant pewter tablewar e, dishes, hair combs and chamber pots (“chimmey” going about their daily lives. NOT ‘DIBBY DIBBY’ In declaring the exhibition officially opened, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Entertainment and Culture Aloun Assamb, reminded the au dience: “Our findings reaffirms that tourism to our shores is much more than beaches. More and more tourists come for ourcultur e and to learn about our way of life.” “Port Royal is no dibby dibby place,” she added. The audience, including Jamaicans, Americans, and other Caribbean islanders, were drawn to a series of old Spanish coins with unique symbolsand numbers still intact. A large map of Port Royal depicted the shor eline as it was before and after the earthquake. A 19th century picture of Port Royal shows a city strikingly similar to the Port Royal of today. Pictures taken by Jamaica’s noted photographer Maria LaY ocona, show a vibrant city teeming with life amidst buildings still standing from the pirates’ days. This por t city that has rebounded from disaster, once again rose from the ashes after Hurricane Charley destroyed it in 1951. Today it comes alive for people who come to sample the famous fish and bammy, the old fort with itsgrand canons, and the giddy house, a structure half sunken in the ear th after the gr eat earthquake. Dawn A.Davis is a freelance writer for Caribbean Today. Port Royal exhibit offers more than ‘wicked’ past One of the Caribbean’ s biggest cultural attractions,the Trinidad and Tobago carnival,was staged last month.The streets of Port of Spain were filled with revelers dressed in colorful costumes and sequins like these ladies. The 2007 carnival drew an estima ted 45,000 visitors,most of whom participated in the festivities,enjoying music,sunshine and the chance to play mas. FUN AND FROLIC Caribbean trade negotiators push culture as new creative sector March 2007CARIBBEAN TODAY 15 CULTURE CULTURE www .caribbeantoday.com Assamba CTMar07.qxd 3/11/07 10:53 PM Page 15

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SUZYCOHEN QUESTION: Sometimes I ha ve to take muscle relaxers, which mak e me sleepy and dizzy.Getting to the pharmacy as frequently as I need to is a challenge,but I’m scared of using my credit card online. Do I have other choices to getm y toiletries and refills? ANSWER: Yes, you can send a friend or family member in to purchase your medication,but they will be asked a few personal questions at the register before your medicine ishanded over . I know you’re scared about shopping online and, with so many bogus pharmacies and counterfeit pills sold off the Internet, who could blame you? But trust me;ther e are respectable pharmacies that of fer safe and secur e shopping. Big-name r etailers would not risk your security and they encrypt credit card information. If that doesn’tpersuade you, I’ll give you another secret shortly. Now, you will want to make sure your online phar-macy has VIPPS cer tification, another level of authenticity. Look at the home page; thereshould be VIPPS emblemclearly visible. LESS STRESS Personally , I feel ver y comfortable shopping with discount chain phar macies that have web sites. Buying online reduces stress because you don’t have to wait in long phar-macy lines, which means you don’t have to breathe in germs. Hey, who wants to get sneezedon while waiting in line? Shopping over the Inter net is private, too. Y ou can buy your tampons and toi let paper (and, ahem, private goodies) without the cashieryelling, “Price check, aisle 6, Preparation H” or “Manager, is Vagisil buy one, get one?” You can get your medications with just a few clicks of a button. Most pharmacies will deliver everything to yourdoor for a small shipping fee, including prescriptions, unless they are Class II narcotics or other non-shippable drugs. SECRET Now, here’s that secret I alluded to. If you call your bank (or go to its web site will issue a temporary credit card number you can use on the computer. This service isfr ee, so consumers have a safe way to shop online without ever revealing their true credit card number. I can’ t possibly list all the phar macies that have online pharmacy web sites, but here are a few reputableones: www.cvs.com;www.walg reens.com;www.costco.com; www.riteaid.com; www .kmart.com; www.albertsons.com;www.duanereade.com; www .samsclub.com; www .eckerd.com; www .walmart.com; www.kroger.com;www.drugstore.com;www.target.com;www .medicineshoppe .com This information is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose your condition.Suzy Cohen is a re g istered pharmacist. T o contact her , visit www.dearpharmacist.com . 2007 Dear Pharmacist, inc. Distributed by Tribune Media Ser vices , Inc. Feel secure shopping for medication online Pr ofessional basketball player Alonzo Mourning, who has overcome serious kidney problems, has agreed tobecome a spokesman pr omoting a new Florida specialtylicense plate, designed to pr omote or gan and tissue donor awar eness and fund research, transplant patient services and education. Created and sponsored by The Transplant Foundation, affiliated with the MillerSchool of Medicine at theUniversity of Miami, the spe cialty tag Donate or gans. Pass it on is now available at County Tag Agencies, Tax Collector offices and online through the Transplant Foundation at www.transplantfoundation.org . “I owe my livelihood, and mor e importantly my life, to the fact that someone donated an organ to replace the onethat had failed me,” theMiami Heat player said in a recent press release. Mour ning was diagnosed with kidney disease in 2000and had a kidney transplant in 2003. “Now Floridians have the opportunity to help save someone else’s life,” he added. “And who knows? Maybesome day their own.” For more information, contact T ransplant Foundation at 1-866-901-3172 or visit www .transplantfoundation.org. Jamaica bans blood from countries with mad cow Jamaica is maintaining a ban on blood dona tions from persons who have lived for over a year in countries where “mad codis-ease or a variant of theCreutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD which causes dementia in cows, have been found. St.Lucia trying to avoid ‘Bird Flu’ outbreak The St.Lucia government has announced measures to protectthe island from the spread of the avian influenza (Bird Flu this month’s Cricket World Cuptha t is likely to a ttract visitors from Britain and other countries affected by the disease. T&T recruit doctors, nurses from Cuba More than 100 health professionals, inc luding 40 doctors, are scheduled to arrive from Cuba to begin working in T rinidad and Tobago,Health Minister John Rahael announced recently. Compiled from CMC and other sources. Basketball’s Mourning teams up with Florida’s organ,tissue donorsHEALTH BRIEFS 16 CARIBBEAN TODAYMarch 2007 Mourning www.caribbeantoday.com HEALTH HEALTH CTMar07.qxd 3/11/07 10:54 PM Page 16

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DENNIS GINSBURG & MICHAELROSENBERG In Dec. 2004, we wrote about the changes in theUnited States tax law that had then been made in theU.S. “expatriation” tax r ules that apply to U.S. citizens and certain long-term permanentr esidents who give up their citizenship or “gr een car d”. Instead of completely overhauling the expatriationtax r egime (as had often been proposed), the U.S. Congress instead attempted to close theper ceived loopholes that existed under prior law. Now, Congress is again considering a major r evision in these r ules and, even if no immediate change is made, ithas been made clear thatthese changes might be made “soon” as a source of revenue that would allow for other “tax cuts” that Congr ess wantsPlanning for the financial future of children withdisabilities will be the focus of a confer ence this month hosted by the Universityof Miami-Nova Southeaster n University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities(UM/NSU CARD The conference will be held fr om 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mar.31 at Health Professions Division Nova Southeaster n University Steele Auditoriumin Davie, Florida. It will feature a variety of topics related to planning for the financial future of your child living with a disability,including Social Security ben efits, Med W aiver, estate planning, guardianships, special needs tr usts, etc. Registration is free, but required.To register, contactMaria Lis de Gisperi at 305-284-5263 . UM/NSU CARD pr ovides fr ee family support, outreach, and educational suppor t services to children and adults of all levels ofintellectual functioning who have autism and autistic-like disabilities. Services for families thr oughoutMiami-Dade, Br oward and Monroe counties in Florida include family suppor t, technical assistance and consultation, par ent and pr ofessional training programs, and public education activities. Reconsidering U.S.citizenship or long term residency rulesConference to focus on financial planning for disabled children March 2007CARIBBEAN TODAY 17 BUSINESS BUSINESS / / TAX TAX PLANNING PLANNING www .caribbeantoday.com (CONTINUED ON PAGE 18) CTMar07.qxd 3/11/07 10:54 PM Page 17

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Businessman Vincent HoSang,left,receives a special award from Albert Lettman, president of the Grea ter Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce,during the GCACC’s annual banquet and officer installation ceremony last month in Florida. HoSang is the president and chief executive officer of Caribbean Food Delights Inc., a division of Royal Caribbean Bakery Inc.He was born in Jamaica and dropped out of high school to help in the family business.He migrated to Bronx,New York in the 1960s and began his first job in the U.S.earning $1.60 an hour assembling briefcas-es in a factor y.HoSang currently owns and operates two factories with multi-million dollar sales. He was the guest speaker at the function. to put in place. Therefore, we think that it is time for all who have everconsider ed expatriation to go thr ough the analysis once again. OVERVIEW The following is a general over view of some of the major aspects of the expatriation taxr egime and the major change that is pr oposed. As an initial matter , an “expatriate” is generally defined as: 1) a U.S. citizen who renounces his or her U.S. citizenship; or 2) a long-termlawful per manent resident alien (a so called “green card”holder) who has held such sta tus for eight of the prior 15 years and who then relinquishes his or her “green card”. In either situation, an expatriate is not automaticallysubject to the expatriation tax ation regime, but instead,must violate cer tain qualifying tests meant to determinewhether or not he has as one of his or her principal purpos-es in expatriating the avoid ance of U.S. taxes. Under current law, an expatriate needs to violateone of thr ee tests to be con clusively considered to have a tax avoidance purpose the “Net Income Tax Test”, the “Net Worth Test”, or the“Failur e to Comply Test”. Under the r elevant law , the only exceptions to these objective standards are forcer tain adult and minor indi viduals with dual citizenship. CAVEAT However, these exceptions have a significant caveat,in that such an individual can not have any “substantial contacts” with the U.S. at thetime of expatriating, meaninggenerally that the individuala) never was a r esident alien (RAweighted average substantial presence test; b) never held aU.S. passpor t; and c) was not present in the U.S. for more than 30 days during any calen-dar year which is one of the 10 calendar years preceding theindividual’ s loss either of U.S. citizenship or his or her green card. Once it has been determined that an individual has atax avoidance purpose inexpatriating fr om the U.S., the individual then becomes sub ject to the “Alter native Tax Regime”for the 10-year period subsequent to the taxpayer’s expatriation (the “tainted period”) where he will betaxed, generally speaking, in asomewhat “hybrid” manner that is both more comprehen-sive than the taxation scheme for taxing a typical nonresident alien/nonresident alien domiciliary (NRA/NRAD but less comprehensive thanthe worldwide tax scheme that applies to a U.S. citizen or resident alien/resident alien domiciliary (RA/RAD However, even if an individual has given up his or her U.S. citizenship or green card,that individual will continue to be taxed as a U.S. citizen or RA until he or she gives pr oper notice to certain prescribed U.S. agencies and files an information statement with the Internal Revenue Service on IRS Form 8854.The indi-vidual is then r equir ed to file the same form for each year during the “tainted period”. W ith a limited exception, should the expatriate during the “tainted period” be physi cally pr esent in the U.S. on more than 30 days in any calendar year, the individual willbe taxed as a U.S. citizen or as an RA/RAD during that year, and will, therefore, be subjectto worldwide taxation for U.S.income, estate, and gift taxpurposes for such year . RULES REVISION The U.S. Senate has now pr oposed a major r evision of these rules. Under the Senate bill, generally , a “cover ed expatriate” will, with certain exceptions, pay tax on the net unrealized gain in all of theirpr oper ty as if the pr oper ties were sold at fair market value on the day beforeexpatria-tion. The first $600,000 of gain would be exempted from tax. Special r ules ar e pr ovided for interests in trusts and retirement plans as well as certain U.S. real propertyinter ests. While, in order to avoid immediate payment of the tax,it would be possible to make aspecial election to continue tobe taxed as a U.S. citizen withr espect to the property owned, that election would“lock in” continuing U.S. income, estate, gift and generation skipping transfer tax liability with respect to the property and require the posting ofsecurity for the payment ofthe defer red tax (including interest, penalties and certainother items). An individual would alternatively be permitted to elect to defer the pay-ment of the mark-to-market tax on any one or more prop-er ties for which the election is made. Interest would be charged and security would need to be posted. The deferral would end upon the disposition of the property or the death of the taxpayer. Obviously , these rules would be a marked change inthe way in which expatriates are taxed. Most importantly,outlasting the 10-year “tainted period” or restructuring assets so that they would not be subject to the alternative taxwould no longer be suf ficient to avoid the new tax regime. However, as proposed, these r ules would only apply after the date of enactment and, as of the date this ar ticle was written, it appear ed as though the House of Representatives would notinclude this pr ovision in the tax provisions they were proposing. In any case, as we noted at the beginning, it wouldappear that this mark-to-mar ket tax r egime is being looked at as a future source of funds that can be used to offset taxcuts elsewher e. Ther efor e, for anyone who has or would at all consider expatriating, it becomes critical to reconsider that action now. Dennis Ginsb urg and Michael Rosenberg are shareholders with the CoralGables , Florida law firm of Packman,Neuwahl & Rosenberg and can be reached at 305-665-3311. RAGS TO RICHES Financial experts have a myriad of tools andr esour ces at their disposal – detailed reports, economic outlooks and market analyses that can be too complicated for the rest of us to comprehend. But for your own personal finances, the most useful toolis actually one of the easiest tounderstand – and often over looked. It’ s the personal budget. A document that simply meas-ur es the amount of money that comes in, and the amount of money that goes out. Mike Sullivan, director of education for Take Charge America, says you don’t have to be afinance gur u to cr eate a work able budget. EASY “Budgets are easy to create, especially with the fr ee templates that ar e available online,” he said.“Putting your budget on paper helpsyou track your expenses, r ec ognize poor spending patterns and establish a savings plan.” In the United States, where the average household has racked up more than $9,000 in high-interest debt, it’sobvious that many consumersar e living well outside their means.Sullivan says a workable budget can help con sumers pr event financial blun ders, such as acquiring excessive credit card debt and notsaving. He of fers four tips: Establish goals – Before you cr eate a budget, establish short and long-term financial goals.Are you trying to getout of debt? Do you hope tor etir e early? Do you want to put your children through college?Are you a travel enthu-siast? It’ s impor tant that your budget provides for avenues to accomplish these goals. The sooner you start working toward your goals, the easierthey will be to accomplish. La y out – A budget can be easy to understand and create. The xtras” – Y ou budget needs to include “extras” outside of monthly bills.This includes entertainGetting back to budget basics ~ Tips to create a realistic,workable budget Reconsidering U.S.citizenship or long term residency rules 18 CARIBBEAN TODAYMarch 2007 BUSINESS BUSINESS / / TAX TAX PLANNING PLANNING www.caribbeantoday.com (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17) (CONTINUED ON P AGE 20) CTMar07.qxd 3/11/07 10:54 PM Page 18

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March 2007CARIBBEAN TODAY 19 CTMar07.qxd 3/11/07 10:54 PM Page 19

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Mar.31 is the last day for Broward County, Florida property owners, which includes hundreds of Caribbean Americans, to pay 2006 property taxes with-out inter est and penalties. Pursuant to Florida statute, taxes become delin quent on April 1, at which time interest and penalties are assessed. Taxes not paid byMay 23, 2007, will have a tax certificate (lienthe delinquent taxes. To make a payment via the Internet, using a credit card or electronic check, visit www.broward.org/revenue . A fee will be assessed for creditcar d payments, but no fee is char ged for electronic checks. T o make a payment via the Integrated Voice Response System using a credit card, call 1-800-601-1069 (a fee will be assessed for credit card pay-ments). ment, child care, education, r etir ement and savings, among other specific interests, activities and goals.Savings are vitally important.Even $25 amonth can be a big help. A little cash cushion can prevent you from falling deeper intodebt when emer gencies occur . Monthly evaluations – A budget shouldn’ t be set in stone.As incomes andexpenses fluctuate, budgets need to be adjusted accordingly.Take a close look at yourbudget at the end of each month.Have you noticed anypoor spending habits? Ar e there areas where you can trim funding?As you track your spending, you willinevitably come acr oss ar eas where you can free up money to use more effectively. T o locate a r eputable financial advisor, visit the Better Business Bur eau at www.bbb.org or visit www.takechargeamerica.org for mor e infor mation. Information obtained from Take Charge America,a nonprofit organization which offers a variety of servicesincluding financial education,credit counseling and debt management. Property tax deadline for Broward County NEW YORK, CMC Gr oss long-ter m borrowing by Latin American and Caribbean countries will increase slightly in 2007, the international financial ratings company, Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services stated in a report issued last month. The r eport, entitled “Borrowing By Latin American And Caribbean Sovereigns To Expand In 2007”, is Standard & Poor’s third annual survey of gover nment debt issuance in the region. “Standar d & Poor’s finds that gr oss long-term borrowing, including official and commercial debt, by 25 Latin American and Caribbean sovereigns should reach US$427 billion in 2007,” said the company’s creditanalyst Joydeep Mukherji. “Gr oss borrowing by local and regional governments inLatin America and the Caribbean is also expected to grow verymodestly in 2007.” Caribbean will borrow more in 2007 ~ study KINGSTOWN, St. V incent, CMC Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur says the much-touted Regional Development Fund (RDFtion by July and called onr egional countries to pay up their contributions. The anticipated $250 million fund is a critical componentof the Caribbean community(CARICOMand Economy (CSME thur said. However , he explained that all CARICOM states must now be prepared to honor thecontribution schedule, whichwould see countries collectivelycontributing $120 million to theRDF over a four -year period. The RDF is designed to support development projects in thesub-r egional Or ganization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS Regional Development Fund operational by July ~ Arthur This month, the Miami-Dade Enterprise Community Center will conduct its “Emergingand Expanding BusinessSeminars Series”. The seminars, which are free and open to the public,ar e expected to offer information on local business taxes, cer tificates of use, tangible per sonal property taxes, sales and use taxes, Miami-Dade County business incentives, business contracts, loans, lines of credit, business technology, how tostar t a successful business and a business plan lab series. Those that register can r eceive the ECC Certificate Program upon completing the seminar series. The seminars are to be held at 3050 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 201 in Miami and are to be divided into two parts consisting of the “EmergingBusiness” and the “ExpandingBusiness” series. For more information, 305-579-2730 or visit the ECC at www.ezonetrust.org Miami-Dade to conduct free business,counseling seminars 20 CARIBBEAN TODAYMarch 2007 www.caribbeantoday.com CRICKET BUSINESS Several business interests attended last month’s luncheon session to promote trade and investment opportunities between a group of New York-based Pakistani entrepreneurs and the Caribbean during Cricket World Cup in the region.They included,from left,Junaid Mirza,director of Travel Treat,Inc.; Mahmood Shaukat,chief executive officer,Digital TV; Kirk Kennedy,executive director of JAMPRO,Jamaica’s trade agency; and Dr.Basil K.Bryan,consul general of Jamaica to New York.A group of New York Pakistani entrepreneurs will be attending the CWC which begins this month. Getting back to budget basics ~ T ips to create a realistic,workable budget (CONTINUED FROM P AGE 18) BUSINESS BUSINESS / / TAX TAX PLANNING PLANNING CTMar07.qxd 3/11/07 10:54 PM Page 20

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Increased use of mega containerships in trans-ocean trades is forcing the development and use of lar ge transshipment hubs serving as container distribution and collection centers for large trading areas. The Caribbean, though small in population and econom ic activities except for tourism, constitutes a major crossroads for international trade. This is not only because of its proximityto the Panama Canal, but also asa major focal point for north/south Atlantic trades and trades with the east and northern coasts of South America. The major pr oblem for lines serving Northern and Easter n South American countries are the lengths of their coastlines and the resulting huge inter-port distances, com-bined with significant but not large container trades, mostly foreign trades. This makes itdif ficult to justify direct shipping by large containerships. Similarly , the large distances to their principal trading partner ports make the use of smaller, less efficient container shipsunattractive. This has led to thedevelopment of transshipment ports in the Caribbean designed to serve South America and theGulf of Mexico. OBJECTIVES The objectives of trans shipment are not only to reduce the total cost of collecting and/or distributing the con-tainers car ried by a megamainline container vessel from and to numer ous origin and destination ports, each of which only contributes a part of the mainline vessel cargo,but also to impr ove just-in-time delivery of cargo, reduce in transit inventory, and make thetotal origin-to-destinationmovement of containerized car go more seamless. In other words, the purpose is not just to reduce origin-to-destination transportand handling or transfer costs,but to make the whole supplychain, including all involved transactions, more efficient andmor e responsive to the everchanging market place. T ransshipment also offers oppor tunities for cargo consolidation or deconsolidation and value added activities such as assembly, calibration, and cus-tomizing to meet specific local or time varying demands. To make transshipment attractive the economic and operationalbenefits must outweigh addedeconomic and operational costssuch as additional handling costs, port dues, and possibly extra voyage distances or devi-ations. At the same time, transshipment is often necessar y to attain economies of scale in shipping as well as the overall logistics chain. During recent years transshipment has caught on in the Caribbean and a large number of transshipment ports have been developed. Additionaltransshipment por ts are under construction or being planned. The above article was edited from a paper written by Ernst G.Frankel. ~ A Caribbean Today feature March 2007CARIBBEAN TODAY 21 TRANSPORT TRANSPORT & & CARGO CARGO www .caribbeantoday.com LOVEBIRD’S 25-YEAR AFFAIR Photogra ph by Derrick A.ScottSue Rosen,left,Air Jamaica’s senior vice president of customer service,accepts a proclamation from Maryland’s Secretary of Transport John Porcari,on behalf of the U.S.state’s Governor Martin O’Malley,in recognition of Air Jamaica’s 25 years of service toBaltimore W ashington Interna tional Airport.Sharing in the presentation are,from right,Basil Smith,Jamaica’s director of tourism; Will Rodgers,recently retired vice president of Air Jamaica; Sharon Miller,deputy chief of missions,Embassy of Jamaica; and George deMercado, the airline’s vice president of sales.The presentation was held recently at the Baltimore Hyatt Hotel.Over the last 25 years the airline claimed it has carried more than a million passengers into Jamaica from the airport while maintaining an average load factor of over 79 percent. Air Jamaica began ser vice out of the airport on F eb. 16,1982. Caribbean transshipment emerges at crossroads for trade CTMar07.qxd 3/11/07 10:54 PM Page 21

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BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC A top r egional airline of ficial is defending the pricing str ucture now in use by Caribbean carriers for the International Cricket Council Cricket World Cup (CWC2007 which r uns through April 28. Michael Conway, president and chief executive officer of Air Jamaica, said whilethe airline is seeking to make apr ofit from the venture, it could not be accused of price gouging. “Any time you have fewer entities providing the goods and services by definition there is less competition. And it’s opposite ofwhat a fr ee market place is. The more people providing the goods, the better deal the con-sumer will get,” Conway said. COMPLAINTS In recent months there have been complaints from passengers that the prices of airline tickets and accommoda tion have increased significantly as a result of the World Cup games that begin this month.Conway said he was not about to defend the char ges now in use for r egional hotel rooms, but explained ther e was a logical r eason for the recent hike in r egional airfares. “Any time you have a high demand for something that isgoing to drive prices up. Ithink the airlines will be full. I know we will be full on our trips from Jamaica to Barbados for the final. So what does one do? Do they keep the same prices or do you match your pricing with the demand? I think that’s what people aredoing,” Conway said. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – United States Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection operations in San Juan, Puerto Rico, along with other members of the Caribbean CorridorInitiative, announced Feb. 28 theseizur e of appr oximately 396 kilos of cocaine and 123.1 kilos of heroin with an estimated str eet value of $15,056,400. Six people were arrested in the operation. After coor dination between the crew of Coast Guard Cutter Northland and CaribbeanCor ridor par ticipating agencies, Coast Guard intercepted a fast boat about 92 nautical milesnor th of V enezuela. The boat had six people onboard and 18 bales containing narcotics. Coast Guard apprehended the crew and narcotics, and transported them to the base where Customs and Border Protection and other federal agencies provided addi-tional assistance in the operation. GET A W A Y ATTEMPT While the Northland Cutter was on its way to the base itencounter ed another fast boat that attempted to elude the cutter. The Coast Guard disabledthe engines and r escued five peo ple that were onboard the fast board. The captain of the vesselfailed to abide federal r egula tions when attempting to outrun the cutter. All five crewmemberswer e detained and wer e also transported the base for questioning and processing. Intelligence sources place high-caliber drug traffickers moving tons of drugs, and money through the Caribbean. The Caribbean Corridor Initiative is a Drug Enforcement Strike Force that includes agen-cies such as Customs and Bor der Protection (CBP Guard, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bur eau of Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S.Attor ney’ s Of fice. “The Caribbean Corridor Initiative has once again proventhat compiling r esour ces pr ovides results,” said Marcelino Borges, director of field opera-tions in the r egion for CBP . Regional carriers defend pricing system for CWC To ensur e shipping and car go security at its bor ders, the United States has implemented a Container Security Initiative (CSI consists of four cor e elements. These are: 1) establishing security criteria to identify highrisk containers; 2) pre-screening those containers identified as high-risk befor e they ar rive at United States ports; 3) using technology to quickly pr e-scr een high-risk containers; and 4) developing and using smart and secure containers. To be eligible to participate in CSI, the Member State’ s Customs Administration andthe seapor t must meet the following thr ee r equir ements: The Customs Administration must be able to inspect car go originating, transiting, exiting, or being transshipped through a countr y . Non-intrusive inspectional (NII) equipment (including gamma or X-ray imaging capa bilities) and radiation detection equipment must be available and utilized for conducting suchinspections. This equipment is necessary in order to meet theobjective of quickly scr eening containers without disrupting the flow of legitimate trade. The seaport must have regular , direct, and substantial container traffic to ports in the United States. RISK MANAGEMENT As part of agreeing to participate in CSI, a Member State’s Customs Administration and the seapor t must also: Commit to establishing a risk management system to identify potentially high-risk containers, and automating that system. This system should include a mechanism for vali dating thr eat assessments and targeting decisions and identifying best practices. Commit to sharing critical data, intelligence, and risk management information with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in order to do collaborative tar geting, and develop ing an automated mechanism for these exchanges. Conduct a thorough port assessment to ascer tain vulnera ble links in a port’s infrastructur e and commit to r esolving those vulnerabilities. Commit to maintaining integrity pr ograms to prevent lapses in employee integrity and to identify and combat br eaches in integrity . Edited from the U.S . De partment of Homeland Security’s website. Tighter security demands at U.S. borders, portsU.S.authorities seize $15 million worth of narcotics in CaribbeanMAN IN THE MIDDLE 22 CARIBBEAN TODAYMarch 2007 Photograph by Sharon BennettJamaica’s Minister of Transport Robert Pickersgill,center,is greeted on arrival at the Crowne Plaza Hotel,Queens,New York by Sabrina Hosang,left,daughter of Vincent Hosang,director of operations at Caribbean Food Delights/Royal Caribbean Bakery; and AnnMarie Grant-Brown,executive director,American Foundation for the University of the West Indies.Pickersgill was the keynote speaker at last month’s Anniversary Charity Ball organized by the Children of Jamaica Outreach (COJOInc.,held at the hotel.Dr. Basil K.Bryan,consul general of Jamaica,served as patron of the gala,proceeds from which will benefit charities in Jamaica and the United Sta tes. Conway TRANSPORT TRANSPORT & & CARGO CARGO www.caribbeantoday.com ~ A Caribbean Today feature CTMar07.qxd 3/11/07 10:54 PM Page 22

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CAPE TOWN, South Africa, CMC – The InternationalCricket Council has suspend ed the membership of the United States of AmericaCricket Association(USACA An ICC release said the suspension was as a r esult of the USACAs failure to meet “the agreed and subsequently extended deadlines for theadoption of the new USACAconstitution and the holdingof elections”. The West Indies Cricket Board, the only full member in the ICC Americas region,has been asked to monitor the progress of the USACA and subsequently make a recommendation on the lifting ofthe suspension. “It gives the ICC Board no pleasur e to r e-enact this suspension but given the lack of progress towards a func-tioning administration of USACricket it has been left with little alternative,” ICC Chief Executive, Malcolm Speed said. Under the suspensions, the USACA will be hit byseveral sanctions. The team will be withdrawn from the World Cricket League Division Three Series sched-uled for Australia in May and relegated from that division. Additionally, the grant used to prepare for that eventwill be withheld along with the direct funding support fromthe ICC Americas Region Development Program. The USACA will also miss out on the annual ICC grant due onApril 15. The following is a listing of matches to be played during Cricket W orld Cup 2007, Mar . 13-28, in the Caribbean. All ma tches start a t 9:30 a.m.local time. GROUP STAGE GAMES Group A – St.Kitts and Nevis Mar.14 – Australia v.Scotland Mar .16 – South Africa v.The Netherlands Mar.18 – Australia v.The Netherlands Mar . 20 – South Africa v.Scotland Mar . 22 – Scotland v . The Netherlands Mar.24 – Australia v.South Africa Group B – Trinidad and Tobago Mar . 15 – Sri Lanka v . Bermuda Mar.17 – India v.Bangladesh Mar .19 – India v.Bermuda Mar . 21 – Sri Lanka v.Bangladesh Mar.23 India v.Sri Lanka Mar . 25 – Bermuda v . Bangladesh Group C – St. Lucia Mar .14 – Kenya v.Canada Mar.16 – England v.New Zealand Mar.18 – England v.Canada Mar.20 – New Zealand v.Kenya Mar.22 – New Zealand v.Canada Mar . 24 – England v.Kenya Group D – Kingston,Jamaica Mar.13 – West Indies v.Pakistan Mar .15 – Zimbabwe v.Ireland Mar.17 – Pakistan v.Ireland Mar . 19 – W est Indies v.Zimbabwe Mar . 21 – Zimbabwe v . P akistan Mar.23 – West Indies v.Ireland SECOND ST AGE – SUPER EIGHT .TOP TWO TEAMS FROM EACH GROUP ADV ANCE MARCH Mar.27 – Second place in Group D v. winner of Group A in Antigua and Barbuda.Mar . 28 – Second place in Group A v . winner of Group B in Guyana. Mar.29 – Second place in Group D v. winner of Group C in Antigua and Barbuda. Mar.30 – Winner Group D v.second place in Group C in Guy ana. Mar . 31 – Winner in Group A v.second place in Group B in Antigua and Barbuda. APRIL April 1 – Second place in Group D v.winner of Group B in Guy ana. April 2 – Second place in Group B v.winner of Group C in Antigua and Barbuda. A pril 3 – Winner of Group D v.second place in Group A in Guyana. A pril 4 – Second place in Group C v .winner of Group B in Antigua and Barbuda. April 7 – Second place in Group B v.second place in Group A in Guyana. April 8 – Winner of Group A v.second place in Group C in Antigua and Barbuda.A pril 9 – Winner of Group D v.winner of Group C in Guyana. April 10 – Second place in Group D v. second place in Group A in Grenada. A pril 11 – Second place in Group C v . second place in Group B in Barbados. April 12 – Winner of Group B v.winner of Group C in Grenada. April 13 – Winner of Group A v.winner of Group D in Barbados. A pril 14 – Second place in Group A v. winner of Group C in Grenada. A pril 15 – Second place in Group B v . winner of Group D in Barbados. April 16 – Winner of Group A v.winner ofGroup B in Grenada. April 17 – Second place in Group A v. second place in Group C in Barbados. April 18 – Winner of Group D v.winner ofGroup B in Grenada.A pril 19 – Second place in Group D v . second place in Group B in Barbados. A pril 20 – Winner of Group A v . winner of Group C in Grenada. A pril 21 Second place in Group D v. second place in Group C in Barbados. SEMI FINAL ROUND JAMAIC A April 24 – Second v.third St.LUCIA April 25 – First v.fourth FINAL April 28 BARBADOS USA Cricket Association suspended by world bodyICC Cricket World Cup 2007 match schedule GORDON WILLIAMS Two more Caribbeanborn soccer players are hoping to boost their professional careers with Miami F.C., a Florida-based club which competes in theUnited Soccer Leagues (USL in the United States. Club sources confirmed to Caribbean T oday late last month that Jamaican Sean Barrett and Ger ghiny Obas of Haiti were among less than a dozen players who survived the cut at open tryouts with the club last month. Beginning this month, they willtrain with the team with the hope of making Miami F .C.’s 22player official roster for opening day in mid-April. Barrett, a forward, and midfielder/defender Obascompeted for the coveted noncontract “walk-on” spots with mor e than 300 players at the tr youts. They are hoping to emulate the feats of countr ymen Sean Fraser and Stephane Guillaume, who wer e both signed by Miami F .C. based on their performance at tryoutslast season. Fraser, from Jamaica, and Guillaume of Haiti both had fairly successful seasons play ing alongside Brazilian World Cup gr eats Romario and Zinho at Miami F.C., which advanced to the play-of fs in its first USL season. Both players started numerous games and later r eceived contract extensions at Miami F.C. They were also selected for their national team to play in the Digicel Caribbean Cup. Fraser’s career earned an added boost when he wasselected for a loan spell withtop Brazilian club Boavista. He is set to rejoin Miami F.C. for the star t of the USL season. TRIAL According to club sources, Bar rett and Obas will be on trial when they participate in pre-season training, which was scheduled to star t earlier this month. “The pr e-season is an excellent oppor tunity to further analyze the players who already signed with Miami F.C. and also the ones chosen at the tryouts, especially the latter said Chiquinho de Assis, head coach for Miami F.C. Miami F.C.boosts Caribbean soccer players GORDON WILLIAMS Jamaican-born O’Neil “Supernova” Bell willdefend his undisputed world cr uiserweight boxing crown against Jean-Marc Mormeck in Paris, France this month. Bell, with a ring record of 26 wins with 24 knockouts,wrapped up the bulk of histraining in Califor nia late last month and returned to hisAtlanta, United States homeconfident that he is in the best shape to defend the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association titles he took from Mormeck when the two first met in Jan. 2006. “I couldn’ t be more ready Bell told Caribbean Today. The much-anticipated Mar. 17 rematch in the 200-pound weight class will be Bell’s first bout since knocking out Mormeck in New York’sMadison Squar e Gar den. He has since been stripped of his International Boxing Federation belt for failing to defend that title last year. Bell said he was unable to make the mandatory IBF fight against AmericanSteve Cunningham because of a medical pr oblem. FIT ,READY However , he claimed he is now fit and ready for Mormeck. Bell stepped up pr eparation during a month-long training stint at Big Bear, California where he also had to overcome a legal problem. Last month the champion was charged with assaulting one of his sparring partners, but the char ge was later dropped. Bell claimed the incident has only ser ved to rev him up for the Mor meck fight. “It was definite motivation for me,” he said. Bell’ s camp said he spar red mor e rounds for the rematch than when he first fought Mor meck. With the physical aspect of his training now com plete, the champion, who plans to leave the U.S. for France around Mar. 12, said he is currently working on sharpening his mental appr oach. s just to focus, make sure everything is perfect,” he said. For the r eturn fight Bell told Caribbean Today he expects Mormeck to be in muchbetter physical shape, but he does not see the Frenchmanchanging ring tactics. Neither does he plan to change his own appr oach. “It will be like two freight trains clashing head on,” Bell said. “I don’t expect him to box and I don’t want to box him.” Gordon Williams is Caribbean Today’s managing editor. Jamaica’s O’Neil ‘Supernova’ Bell defends cruiserweight crown Mar.17 March 2007CARIBBEAN TODAY 23 SPORT SPORT www .caribbeantoday.com Bell CTMar07.qxd 3/11/07 10:54 PM Page 23

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BROOKLYN, New York – Guyana’s world-rated light-welter weight boxer Vivian Har ris is now awaiting confirmation of an Inter national Boxing Federation (IBF shot against champion Junior Witter of Britain. Harris qualified for the world title bout by defeatingMexico’ s Juan Lazcano in an IBF eliminator in Las V egas last month. It is expected that Harris and Witter will meet later this year for Witter’s belt and the Caribbean 140-pound pugilist is waiting patiently while hispr omoter negotiates the fight ar rangements. “I leave that up to Gar y Shaw. He’s a great promoter and I am happy to have him as a promoter,” Harris said in an interview recently on the BoxingTalk web site. “I know he (Shaw going to come back to thetable with what’ s best for me,” Harris added. IMPRESSIVE Harris boasts a ring record of 27 wins (18 knock-outs) against two losses andone draw , while Witter has 35 wins (20 knockoutsone loss and two draws. In acompetitive bout withLazcano on Feb. 10 at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, Harris secured a unanimous points decision victory. A former World Boxing Association (WBA ter weight champion, Harris was classy early in the bout and dominated Lazcano, but the Mexican rallied with a strong third round and Harris was forced to fend off sustained aggression in some of the middle and late r ounds en route to a victory, 115-112 (twice “I am pleased with my performance (against Lazcano and ready to move on to the next one,” Harris said of his latest win. NEW CHAPTER The 28-year-old Harris recently married his long-timepar tner and hopes this new chapter in his life will enhance his boxing car eer . e finally tied the knot at a small servicethis is the woman I want to spend ther est of my life with. That’ s what life is, when the family is strong, everything else isstr ong,” Har ris said. In Oct. 2002, Harris beat Cuba-born Diosbelys Hurtado in two rounds to win theWBA belt, becomingGuyana’ s third world boxing champion – after Andrew Lewis and Wayne Braithwaite. He defended the crown three times befor e losing to Colombian Carlos Maussa. Photograph and story from CMC. Guyana’s Harris awaits boxing world title shot The Caribbean’ s hopes of sending a team to soccer’s under-20 world championships this summer in Canada fizzled badly lastmonth. Jamaica and St. Kitts and Nevis were both knocked out of the finals after sufferingtwo losses in the last r ound of qualifiers in Mexico. Jamaica was beaten 2-0 by both Costa Rica and the hosts during group play. St.Kitts and Nevis lost 2-0 toMexico and 3-2 to Costa Ricato be eliminated. The two Caribbean teams drew 1-1 in the final group game to secure a point each,but it was not good enough toadvance to the world champi onships. Mexico and CostaRica finished in the first two places of the four-team group and will represent the CONCACAF r egion in the tournament. BEST BOYZ IN HONG KONG 24 CARIBBEAN TODAYMarch 2007 Harris Jamaican player Kavin Bryan tries to deceive his Chinese opponent with the ball during last month’s final of the Lunar New Year Cup 2007 in Hong K ong. Jamaica drew 0-0 with China,but the Reggae Boyz won the four-team soccer tournament by defeating the Chinese five to four on penalty kicks after extra time. Australia finished third after beating the Hong Kong League XI also in a penalty shootout. It was the first time that Jamaica had been invited to the tournament,which also marked the debut assignment for the Reggae Bo yz’ new technical director Bora Milutinovic. Earlier in the tournament Jamaica tied 1-1 with Australia, but advanced to the final by defea ting the Aussies in a penalty shootout. SPORT SPORT www.caribbeantoday.com Jamaica, St.Kitts youth soccer world championship bids fizzle CTMar07.qxd 3/11/07 10:54 PM Page 24

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KINGSTOWN, St. V incent, CMC T rinidadian Edwin Carrington has been reappointed secretary general ofthe Caribbean community(CARICOM term, according to the official communiqu issued at the end of the 18th Inter-Sessional summit her e last month. Carrington, the former secr etary general of the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACPappointed to the post in 1992.He is the fifth CARICOMsecr etar y general and heads the Guyana-based secretariat. His new five-year term will begin Aug. 1. The r egional leaders also agreed to re-appoint Jamaican-bor n Ambassador Richar d Bernal as directorgeneral of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNMfur ther two-year ter m. The CRNM coordinates the region’s negotiations at international forums. KINGSTOWN, St. V incent, CMC Caribbean community(CARICOM nment have agreed to fully implement the single economy component of the regional integration movement on a phased basis by 2015 and allow for the full free movement of the community’ s nationals by 2009. Chair man, St. Vincent and the Gr enadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, Trinidadand T obago Prime Minister Patrick Manning and Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur said these were some of the major decisions coming out of an “extremely productive” 18th Inter -Sessional CARICOM Heads of Gover nment conference which concluded here last month. “It was a very positive three days of work done in a ver y joyous, warm spirit without rancour, with camaraderie and withlove,” Gonsalves said at the closing press conference. PHASING IN Ar thur said while the framework for the single market the second component of the CARICOM SingleMarket and Economy (CSME would be on target for the 2008 schedule, it was agreed to accept the recommendation of a report on the CSME which suggested the phased implementation of the schedule. “Do not expect to see the single economy coming in one fell swoop, we have sequencedthe activity in two phases, that which will take place between 2008 and 2009 and then from 2010 up to 2015,” said Arthur, who has lead prime ministerial r esponsibility for the CSME. He said while “simpler” components would be appr oached in the earlier period, more complex issues such as harmonization of fiscal and monetary policy and eventually a single currency would be in the last period. Manning, the prime minister with lead r esponsibility for security issues, also announced that effective Feb. 16, CARICOM nationals traveling thr oughout the Single Domestic Space would not need to use passports. He, however, suggested that people still traveled with their passpor ts as there would be random security checks. CARICOM re-appoints Carrington,Bernal CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC Prime Minister Sir JohnCompton has said that whileSt. Lucia achieved a lot in 28years of Independence, he isnot happy with life in the country. In a national addr ess to mark Independence Day, Feb. 22, Sir John lamented that ther e was gr eat reason to be concerned about crime, security of person and property and general attitudes in the country. “It is said of us that it is much easier to accumulate wealth that to acquire good manners, as it is in our stan dard of behavior and personal consideration for others thatwe have fallen sor t. W e have not necessarily prepared ourselves to get ahead but always to push to get in front,” Sir John said. C A UTION He cautioned against allowing the saying to become a fact “that the childr en of St. Lucia have gone forth into the wilder ness of materialism, wher e nothing is consecrated, nothing is ordained.” Sir John, who was addressing the nation on the occasion of the anniversary of Independence for the first time in 10 years, also regretted the fact that St. Lucia was not prepared for the Caribbean com-munity (CARICOM Market and Economy. Additionally, the prime minister said the education system was in shambles and the Universal SecondaryEducation “so hur riedly r ushed into operation without preparation, would be a disaster if left in its current form.” He said that the free movement of skilled persons had already been agreed to by all CARICOM governments, but ther e was no cer tification process in St. Lucia. CHALLENGE The prime minister said that the challenge now was to educate, train and improve the nation’s work force and repeated his intention to investigate what he said was millions of dollars in cost overruns under the previous administration. “If we fail to inquire into these matters, this new gov er nment would be accom plices and would be just as guilty for not exposing, condoning the shortcoming and the conduct of government affairs,” he said. Sir John said that despite the many challenges facing the country, there were also opportunities available, adding that the nation must be prepared to take advantage of these opportunities. W ith the Independence theme “Rising to the Global Challenges”, Sir John urgedhis countr ymen to pr epare themselves through education and skills training for the local and regional job markets, adding that the countr s exports must be of the quality to meet global competition. Activities for the obser vance of Independence included a national parade, competitions among schools in various educational, sport-ing and cultural events, and a major national concert. P.M.marks Independence by urging St.Lucians to rise to global challengesCARICOM leaders agree on key economic issues March 2007CARIBBEAN TODAY 25 REGION REGION www .caribbeantoday.com Arthur Manning Gonsalves Compton CTMar07.qxd 3/11/07 10:54 PM Page 25

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PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC Leader of the governing People’s National Movement(PNM Manning, has told supporters toput their houses in or der and await his announcement of gen eral elections. “As we face the electorate in a little while, your responsibility as a political party is to be ready,” Manning urged party faithful, following his walkabout in the Sangre Grande area in east Trinidadlate last month. Party members have been touring several parts of the country as the country waitson Manning to signal hisintention to go to the polls. Sangr e Grande now falls within the ambit of a new con stituency of Cumuto-Manzanilla in one of the five new electoral boundaries created by theElections and Boundaries Commission. With the changes,the number of constituencies has now moved from 36 to 41. AYBACK’ Manning described the pending general elections as “payback time” for the 33-3defeat of the PNM in 1986 bythe National Alliance for Reconstruction. He said thepar ty needed to put a “special” constitution in placebefor e calling the elections, noting that he wanted a special majority in Parliament. Manning warned supporters to not be complacent evenas its main political rival the United National Congress (UNCtious political divisions andleadership squabbles. TheUNC was split last year when its political leader Winston Dookeran walked out to start his own party Congress ofthe People. Analysts havear gued that this will benefit the governing party and lead it to a return to office in the elections due this year. The PNM was expected to hold a special general councilearlier this month to discuss matters relating to both thelocal and general elections. GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC Guyana last month marked the 37th anniversary of being a republic, with the Bhar rat Jagdeo gover nment appealing to the multi-racial nation to unite in the inter est of accelerating national development. President Jagdeo, accompanied by senior members of his Cabinet including Prime Minister Samuel Hinds; Cultur e, Youth and Sport Minister Dr . Frank Anthony , as well as the acting Police Commissioner Henry Greene, and the Chief of Staff Brigadier Edward Collins, attended the flag raising ceremony at Parliament Buildings in the capital on Feb. 23. Jagdeo took the presidential salute, inspected the Guar d of Honor, which comprised more than 100 members of the Joint Services, befor e the National Flag was raised to the traditional 21-gun salute. Racial and political polarization have historically dogged this Caribbean community (CARI COM) country and Human Services and Social Security Minister Priya Manickchand, in a speech to mark the republican celebration, reminded the population that “each Guyanese has a r ole to play in the develop ment of their country GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC A Caribbean communi ty (CARICOM observed the general electionsin the T urks and Caicos last month said the results reflectedthe will of the electorate, evenwhile calling for better voter education programs in the Overseas British T er ritor y . In a preliminary assessment released here, the threemember team headed by Carson Raggie, the chief elections of ficer in St. Lucia, noted that the preparations for the conduct of the elections wereadequate, “despite concer ns raised about the Voters List in relation to registration of vot-ers.” Premier Michael Misick and his r uling Pr ogr essive National Party were re-elected to office. IVAN CLIFFORD HAMILTON, Bermuda – All 22 of the governing Progressive Labour Party (PLP of Parliament are black in an island where 40 percent of the population is white. But the political landscape couldchange considerably in the next general elections, which is due by 2008 but widely expected to be called this summer. Businesswoman Jane Correia, a former commodoreof the Royal Ber muda Yacht Club, once a bastion of whitemale supr emacy, is the latest white person to confirm she wants to run for the PLP, whichhas been in power since ending 30 years of uninterrupted rule by the United Ber muda Party (UBP. 1998. The bi-weekly Bermuda Sun newspaper said 43-year-old Correia’s plan to run for thePLP “will be seen by many as symbolic of our island’s shifting political power base.” TURMOIL The UBP had 14 MPs, six of them white, elected at the last elections, but has been in turmoil in recent weeks follow-ing two high-pr ofile r esignations and, according to opinion polls, now trails a distant second behind the PLP, which has been given fresh impetus by Ewart Brown since he oustedAlex Scott in the par ty’ s leader ship battle last October . “Br own’ s elevation to the top post is said by PLP sour ces to have attracted new members, including whites, drawn by his r eputation for getting things done”, the Sun r eported. The newspaper earlier reported that construction com-pany boss Zane DeSilva, a close friend and golfing buddy of the premier, who is also tourism and transport minister, will be a PLP candidate at the next polls, while for mer UBP Senator Wendell Hollis is now a PLP supporter, although he says he has too many commitments to run for Parliament. Both are white. ‘WHITE F ACE’ “The newly emerging ‘white face’ of the PLP might skew the widely-held belief that the PLP exists solely to serve black interests”, the Sun stated. Correia, a friend of Brown, a 60-year-old physician, and his wife Wanda, said she joined the PLP after Brown became pre-mier . Asked by the Sun why she wanted to run, Correia said: “I feel it is impor tant to be pr oac tive in a community. I believe in the dir ection that the PLP is going.” She said she had never pr eviously been a member of either political party but it wasimpor tant to “become involved instead of sitting back and com plaining about issues.” Addr essing the issue of race, she said: “I think it is timerace is put aside. I believe the way forward for all Bermudians is to respect each other The UBP body blows came when Pembroke West MP Jamahl Simmons, at 35 the youngest member of the House of Assembly, and party Chairwoman Gwyneth Rawlins both resigned in protest against alleged manipulation and contr ol of the party by the island’ s white elite. UBP veteran Maxwell Burgess then stuck the knife in by claiming the party was divid-ed and ailing and called on party leader, black businessman Wayne Furbert, to resign. But Furbert dug his heels in, stating: “W e are not down and out. W e expect to win. We have r eached rock bottom, the only way is up.” The PLP has had only one white face in Cabinet, TourismMinister David Allen, who died of cancer five years ago. At thelast election the PLP ran onlyone white candidate – hotelier Leopold Kuchler – who was heavily defeated in the UBPstr onghold of Paget W est. The UBP, which in the past r eceived vir tual blanket suppor t from white voters, was finally driven fr om power when the black middle class deserted the par ty at the 1998 election. CMC Manning puts T&T on election alertGuy ana celebrates republican statusT urks re-elects PNP Whites ready to run for Bermuda’s ruling Progressive Labour Party 26 CARIBBEAN TODAYMarch 2007 Bro wn Ja gdeo POLITICS POLITICS www.caribbeantoday.com CTMar07.qxd 3/11/07 10:54 PM Page 26

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WOMEN’S HISTORY LUNCHEON Pioneering women interred in the Miami City Cemetery will be honoredduring the ninth annual Women’s History Luncheon noon Mar.19 at City of Miami Legion Park 6447 N.E. 7th Ave. in Miami. During the event, pr esented by The African American Committee of Dade Heritage Trust in Florida, the women’s lives will be portrayed in a skit written by Leome Culmer andper for med by members of The Singing Angels a community gr oup under the dir ection of Dr. Richard Strachan. The 2007 honor ees ar e: Margaret Gilbert Amason, Vera Parks Albury, Monica Hanna, Bessie Forbes, Arlean McKenzie, and Olive F.Scavella. For tickets and more information, call Enid Pinkney at 305-635-5130 or 305-635-5800 . SERVICE AWARDS The Consulate General of Jamaica will pr esent its first Community Service Awards Cer emony and High T ea at 3:30 p.m.Mar.25 at the Biltmor e Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida. Jamaica’s Governor General Kenneth Hall is theguest of honor . For more information, call the consulate at 305-3748431. KNOWING GOV’T Starting this month, residents of Broward County, Florida are being invited to participate in a new program that offers them an opportunity to learn about the county’s government. During the fr ee eightweek program, called the Broward County Academy, residents will learn how county government delivers services to enhance and promote the quality of life for resi-dents, businesses and visitors.The goal is to raise public awareness about county pro-grams and ser vices, and to increase community involvement and par ticipation in local government. The academy will run through Mar.29 . All county residents age 18 or older ar e eligible to apply. There is a limit of 25 students for each academy , and two academies will be offered each year. Acceptancewill be granted on a first come, first serve basis. There is no registration fee or cost to participants. Applications for the Broward County Academy are available on the Broward Countyweb site www.broward.org/ academ y , by e-mailing publicinfo@broward.org or by calling the Broward County Public Communications Office at 954-357-6990 . PASSPORT REMINDER The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTIef fect in Januar y . The WHTI requires all those United States citizens traveling by air to the Caribbean to have a passport. For information about applying for a U.S. passport,visit http://usps .com/passport or call 800-ASK-USPS . P ASSPORT APPLICATION The National Passpor t Information Center (NPIC the United States Department of State’s single, centralizedpublic contact center for U.S. passpor t infor mation, is of fering a toll free service and has expanded its ser vice availability/options. Persons with questions or need status checks on pending 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 infor mation is available 24 hours a day , seven days a week. For e-mail access, visit: npic@state .gov W ebsite of passport and other international travel information isavailable at travel.state.gov ‘GREEN CARD’FILING The United States Citizenship and ImmigrationSer vices (USCIS announced that aliens mustmail applications to r enew or r eplace permanent resident cards, commonly known as “Green Cards”, directly to the Los Angeles Lockbox. The Lockbox is a processing facility used by USCIS toaccelerate the collection of applications and petitions. The announced change allows the agency to improve the processing of Form I-90 (Application to ReplacePer manent Resident Card) by electronically capturing data and images and by performingfee r eceipting and depositing fr om one central location, rather than at the local district of fice, ser vice center , or appli cation support center (ASC Aliens filing a Form I-90, regardless of their state of residence, must mail those applications with an application fee of $185 and a biometrics feeof $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, CA 90054-0870; Or for non-USPS deliveries (e.g. private couriers U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Attention: I-90, 16420 ValleyV iew Ave., La Mirada, CA 90638 Applicants should not include initial evidence and supporting documentation when submitting the Form I-90 to the Los AngelesLockbox. Applicants will r eceive 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 appointmentin the mail. P AGEANT ENTRY Par tners for Youth Foundation is accepting applications the “Miss Jamaica Florida 2007 Pageant” to beheld on J une 24 at the Coral Gables Center for the Arts. The pageant is open to Jamaican-bor n females or those of Jamaican par entage. The categories are “Little Miss” (ages five to eight “Junior Miss” (nine to 12 “Miss Teen” (13-16“Miss Jamaica Florida” (17-21). The deadline for applica tions is April 30 . For mor e infor mation, call Marcia Baker at 954-600-0334 . March 2007CARIBBEAN TODAY 27 FYI FYI www .caribbeantoday.com FALLING IN LINE Photogra ph by JIS/NYWith the recent implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTImandating all air travelers returning to the United States to have a valid passport on arrival at all ports of entry,the Jamaican Consulate has seen a sharp rise in the number of persons applying for passports at its midtown,Manhattan,New York location.The rise in applications may also be attributed to those persons tra veling to the Caribbean for Cricket World Cup 2007 which begins this month.Here,walk-in applicants wait in the cro wded lobby area of the passport/visa section of the consulate to turn in paperwork for a passport that now takes anywhere from four to six weeks to be processed. CTMar07.qxd 3/11/07 10:54 PM Page 27

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28 CARIBBEAN TODAYMarch 2007 CTMar07.qxd 3/11/07 10:54 PM Page 28