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..... editor@caribbeantoday.com
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W e cover yo ur w o r dVol. 18 No.5 Jamaica:654-7282

W eTc o E MyLTI uW R D -W...................


Dr. Denzil
Douglas has
led the
Caribbean
community's
call for a
"complete
and
unequivo-
cal" apology from leaders of
all colonial powers for their
role in the "despicable" trans-
Atlantic slave trade, page 2.

A strong
Caribbean
link is at the
heart of
unfolding
aviation his-
tory.
Jamaican- born politician Fitzroy Salesman is free of criminal
born Miami charge and ready resume duties as a iramar
residentcitycommissioner in Flrida, page 2.
Barrington Irving Jr. has taken
off on a journey to become the
youngest pilot ever to fly solo
around the world, page 8.















Reggae star Luciano led
Caribbean-flavored perform-
ances that highlighted the
"Jazz in the Gardens" music
festival in Miami last month,
page 15.


INSIDE
News ...................2 Viewpoint...............11 Arts/Entertainment ......15
Local ...................7 Brides and Honeymoons ..12 Business ...............16
Feature .................8 Health .................14 Spring Education .......17


Region .................. 20
FYI ..................... 22
Sport ................... 23









- u scrbes..


CARIBBEAN TODAY


n e wS


Salesman freed of criminal charges,

returns to Miramar City Commission


DAMIAN P. GREGORY
Fitzroy Salesman does
not think he has
changed much in the last
two years.
He is still charismatic and
unafraid to speak his mind -
all traits that have served him
well in the six years that have
been hallmarks of his life in
the public eye.
Now the once powerful
South Florida politician is anx-
iously looking forward to
returning to his post as
Miramar city commissioner
after being freed of criminal
charges.
"I knew that it was only a
matter of time," Salesman
told Caribbean Today shortly
after his acquittal.
Salesman, 50, was freed
late last month after a three-
day trial for driving under the
influence of alcohol and flee-
ing a police officer, felony
charges that could have land-
ed him in jail for years. Yet, he
is still puzzled why he landed
in hot water in the first place.
"The whole thing did not
make sense," Salesman
explained.
"You don't run away from
the police and head to your
home."
According to Miramar


police, in April 2005 Salesman
refused to stop his silver
Mercedes when they attempt-


Salesman
ed to pull him over at 3:45
a.m. They claimed he was
going 61 miles per hour in a
35 mile per hour zone at the
time. Salesman allegedly ran a
four-way stop sign before
pulling into his driveway and
had a blood alcohol level of
.16 or twice the legal limit
under Florida law. He was
arrested and charged.

SUSPENDED
In June 2005, then Florida
Governor Jeb Bush suspend-
ed him from his $31,599-a-
year job on the five-member
Miramar City Commission.
Now that he has been exoner-
ated he is entitled to back pay


of about $60,000, according to
Florida law.
Despite the charges,
Salesman always maintained
his innocence, even as the
media splashed his alleged
drunken mug shot on the news.
"It was a big sensational
story," he said. "Media trucks
were in my neighborhood
talking to my neighbors."
But his Mar. 26 acquittal,
he said, has not received nearly
as much attention. The politi-
cian said no television cameras
were there when a jury cleared
him of all charges, after delib-
erating for two hours.
"I understand it," he
claimed.

REFOCUS
On Mar. 30, Salesman was
reinstated as city commission-
er by current Gov. Charlie
Crist. He said he is now inter-
ested in refocusing his atten-
tion on the issues that he
believes were the reasons he
got re-elected to another four-
year term in Mar. 2005, just
months before his suspension.
Those issues, which include
redevelopment of the city,
easing traffic congestion and
education, will be among his
top priorities when he

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 4)


100 Haitian refugees sail into South Florida


Sailboat carrying more
than 100 Haitians
landed in South
Florida late last month.
According to United
States officials, many of the
Haitians were hungry, tired
and sick when they arrived at
Hallandale Beach and several
had to be taken to hospital
after being at sea for weeks.
Dehydration had reportedly
left a few in critical condition.
The body of on intended
refugee, who apparently died
during the journey, washed
ashore.
One newspaper quoted a
U.S. Coast Guard officer as
saying it was the largest land-
ing of Haitians on American
soil since October 2002, when
more than 200 Haitians made
it to shore at Key Biscayne,
Florida.
The boat used by the 101
Haitians was described by a
Coast Guard spokeswoman as
"unseaworthy and grossly
overloaded."

PLEAS
Up to press time it was
still unclear what the fate of
the surviving Haitians would
be. While U.S. law allows ille-
gal refugee Cubans to remain


in the country, Haitians are
usually sent back.
Meanwhile, some local
activists have asked that the
Hatians not be deported.
"We fear these people will
be deported right away,"
Marleine Bastien, executive


Meek sent letters addressed to
Michael Rozos, field office
director U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (ICE)
and Julie L. Myers, assistant
secretary for ICE, asking
"that these Haitian nationals
be detained in South Florida,


I...- -
A man takes a look at the sailboat which brought more than 100 Haitians to Hallandale
Beach, Florida.


director of Haitian Women of
Miami, an advocacy group,
was quoted as saying in one
newspaper.
"These Haitians, just like
the Cubans, should be afford-
ed the right to due process."
Congressman Kendrick


and not sent to other states or
other r gi n, of the U.S.
"I believe that this is absolute-
ly essential to insure the fair
treatment of these dL IdIIIL ,L
the letter added.
0


CORAL GABLES, Florida -
Barack Obama, the freshman
United States senator from
Illinois who rose to national
attention after speaking at the
2004 Democratic convention
and one of the leading candi-
dates for his party's presiden-
tial nomination, made a stop
here late last month to meet a
receptive audience of party
faithful including many
Caribbean nationals.
The Mar. 25 campaign
stop at the posh Biltmore
Hotel was one of several
scheduled for the area in what
is expected to be a key battle-
ground state in the Nov. 2008
U.S. presidential elections.
Florida was the decisive state
in the 2000 elections and was
hotly contested in the last
presidential race four years
later.
"We're here to change the
nature of politics," the presi-
dential hopeful told an enthu-
siastic crowd gathered at the
event aimed at raising a mini-
mum of $250 per person.
"I've been there long
enough to know Washington
needs to change."

SUPPORT
His message appeared to
have wooed several in the
audience.
"I'm a registered
Republican, but Obama is my
choice," one lady told
Caribbean Today, her face


April 2007


Caribbean demands 'complete,

unequivocal' slave trade apology


UNITED NATIONS, New
York The Caribbean commu-
nity (CARICOM) has called
for a "complete and unequivo-
cal" apology from leaders of all
colonial powers for their role in
the "despicable" trans-Atlantic
slave trade.
Speaking on behalf of
CARICOM, St. Kitts and
Nevis's Prime Minister Dr.
Denzil Douglas told the United
Nations General Assembly
(UNGA) that while it is com-
mendable that some leaders
have expressed "deep ,, rr, %\\
for the event, it is opportune
that others do the same now.
"It is my hope that leaders
of other nations that supported
and profited from the inhu-
mane activity will come for-
ward in like manner," Douglas
told the special commemora-
tive event on the 200th
Anniversary of the Trans-
Atlantic Slave Trade late last
month.
The event was organized
collaboratively by the CARI-
COM diplomatic corps and the


United Nations.
"However, it is important
that leaders of such nations
offer to the descendants of
African slaves, who were
brought to the Caribbean and
the Americas, a complete and
unequivocal apology," Douglas
added.
"It is undisputed that such
nations were developed on the
blood, sweat and tears of our
enslaved forefathers; and it is
only right, and the decent
thing to do, to make amends
and extend their apologies into
the realm of atonement for the
legal and economic support for
the atrocities that were the
norm of the slave trade and
slavery.
"Countries that were
engaged in the slave trade and
slavery have a moral obligation
to make right those crimes
against humanity," Douglas said.

NO CLAIM
The St. Kitts and Nevis
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 4)


beaming after her young son
shook the 45-year-old sena-
tor's hand. "This is a big deal


Obama woos support in South Florida.
Photograph by Peter Webley

for him (her son)."
Jamaican-born attorney
Marlon Hill was recognized by
Obama as he thanked several
key supporters who helped to
mobilize the standing room
only crowd for the 25-minute
speech that hit on democratic
party themes, including the
war in Iraq, the need to have
better healthcare coverage for
working Americans and edu-
cation.
Obama is expected to
make several other campaign
stops in South Florida as the
election nears.

- Damian R Gregory
0


Obama meets Caribbean

nationals at Florida stop


/




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April 2007









- u scrbes..


CARIBBEAN TODAY


n e wS


Groups want illegal immigrants given access to driver's licenses


NEW YORK, CMC A coali-
tion of community groups in
New York has called on
Governor Elliott Spitzer and the
Department of Motor Vehicles
(DMV) to grant "fair .,',s to
driver's licenses for undocu-
mented immigrants, including
those from the Caribbean.
The coalition, which com-
prises labor, religious and civil
rights leaders, said in a state-
ment issued last month that
the state's current policy dis-
criminates against undocu-
mented Caribbean immigrants
because of their status.
"Equal access to a driver's
license, regardless of immigra-
tion status, is essential to the
security and well-being of the
working people of New York
State," said Denis Hughes,
president of the broad-based
American Federation of
Labor-Congress of
International Organizations
(AFL-CIO).
"We need such access now,"


he demanded, stating that access
to driver's licenses is a labor and
civil rights issue that would
make all New Yorkers "safer
and more secure."

OBSTACLE
Caribbean immigration
advocates say the state's denial
of a driver's license to illegal
immigrants essentially prohibits
them from earning a "decent
and legal living wage."
They say many of these
immigrants must possess a dri-
ver's license to perform jobs,
which, among other things,
entail trucking and landscaping.
"The civil rights of tens of
thousands of New York resi-
dents have been and continue
to be violated each day," said
Cesar Perales, president and
General Counsel of the Puerto
Rico Legal Defense and
Education Fund, Inc.
"The new DMV commis-
sioner and the Spitzer adminis-
tration must make timely


changes to their policies so that
families are no longer suffering
because they cannot obtain dri-
ver's licenses or state ID (iden-
tification) cards based on ille-
gally promulgated rules and
immigration status," he added.
The state said the new
measure has been instituted as
part of a broader national poli-
cy in curbing terrorist attacks.
But Chung-Wha Hong,
executive director of the New
York Immigration Coalition,
opposed the policy, stating that
restricting access to licenses,
based on one's immigration
status, does not bolster nation-
al security.
"We are more secure when
more people are registered with
state authorities and accounted
for in public records," she said.
"Keep in mind, people who
apply for a license are subject-
ing Ihl msI,1\ L to scrutiny."
0


Voters deny Caribbean-born candidate city commission seat


Caribbean-born George
Pedlar lost his bid to regain a
seat on the Miramar, Florida
City Commission last month
after he finished third in the
race for Seat #4.
Pedlar, 63, who is original-
ly from Jamaica, received 378
votes, according to the unoffi-
cial voting count. The clear


winner was Yvonne Garth, 37
and the youngest candidate in
the field of four, with 879 or
45.12 percent of the votes
polled at 32 precincts.
Alex Casas, 58, polled 379
votes, one ahead of Pedlar,
who was once part of a historic
Caribbean majority on the
Miramar City Council. Pedlar


was elected a commissioner in
2003, the same year current
commissioner Winston Barnes,
also from Jamaica won a seat.
At that time, Fitzroy
Salesman, also Jamaican-born,
had been a member of the
five-member commission.
In June 2005 legal issues
forced Salesman to relinquish


Salesman freed of criminal charges, returns to Miramar City Commission


his seat. However, in 2003 the
Miramar City Commission
became the first publicly elect-
ed political body in the United
States to hold a Caribbean-
born majority membership.
Last month Salesman was
reinstated on the commission.
Last month, the four con-
tested a seat vacated by
Marjorie Conlan, who retired
after serving for 13 years.


Miramar was one of two
Broward County, Florida cities
monitored by the U.S. Justice
Department to make sure they
complied with the Voting
Rights Act. The law forbids
discrimination based on race,
disability or language.
0


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2)
replaces John Moore, who
was elected in a special elec-
tion following Salesman's
removal from the dais. The
Caribbean American insisted
he had kept abreast with
Miramar's business during his
suspension.
"I was always involved
and I would help residents
who would come to me and
ask, wherever I can,"
Salesman said. "So I was
never really out of the groove,
but because I wasn't a part of
the commission there are cer-
tain executive things that I
was not privy to.


"It will be a matter of
digesting a lot of information
quickly, in order to get fully
up to speed," he added.
He also insisted he is not
bitter following his two-year
legal ordeal.
"I don't have any beef
here," Salesman said. "It is
not about me, it is about the
people and I don't take that
responsibility lightly."
First elected to office in
2001, Salesman was joined by
two other Jamaican nationals,
businessman George Pedlar
and radio personality Winston
Barnes in 2003. For a while
the three held the largest


work making sure that the charges were the
sole basis for the suspension, the governor's
spokeswoman Kathy Torian told Caribbean
Today from Tallahassee, the state capital.
Meanwhile, the popular commissioner is
grateful for the support he received from the
community and vows to continue working
hard for the underdogs of his city.
"I cannot find words to express how sup-
portive people have been," a happy Salesman
said. "I want the residents to know that noth-
ing has changed about Fitzroy Salesman.


majority in United States poli-
tics by Jamaican-born elected
officials.
That majority broke up in
2005, following Pedlar's elec-
tion loss. Subsequent bids-
most recently last month-by
Pedlar to regain a seat on the
commission, which governs
the city between Miami and
Fort Lauderdale, have been
unsuccessful. Estimates are
that about 400,000 Jamaicans
live in South Florida, many of
whom live in Miramar.
Salesman's reinstatement
to the commission came after
Crist's General Counsel's
Office reviewed the paper-


Whether you supported me, yes or no, I will
work for you."
When asked whether he plans to go after
the City of Miramar for the over $42,000 he
paid in legal bills for his defense, Salesman
told Caribbean Today: "Of course, it was their
police department that charged and arrested
me."

Damian P Gregory is a freelance writer for
Caribbean Today.


Duane Crooks


Caribbean demands 'complete, unequivocal' slave trade apology


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2)
leader said no country that was
engaged in the slave trade and
slavery could justifiably claim
support for human rights with-
out first offering an official
apology and atonement in the
form of reparation.
"It is only under such cir-
cumstances that the descen-
dants of slaves can truly for-
give and move forward in the
world," he said, pointing out
that from a Caribbean perspec-
tive, these two matters would
remain "crucial to us for the
indignity, suffering and the
haunting legacies we live with
as a result of the slave trade
and slavery."
Douglas said the region
remains very cognizant of
numerous stereotypes, miscon-
ceptions and prejudices that
were legacies of the trans-
Atlantic slave trade.
"As we commemorate this
200th anniversary..., we must
remain steadfast in our efforts
to fully eradicate the scourges
that continue to plague our
world.
"I speak of the scourges of
human rights violations, or
racism, of human trafficking,
and of underdevelopment," he
said.


Douglas urged leaders not
to forget those events and per-
sons who fought "valiantly" for
the abolition of the trans-
Atlantic slave trade, identify-
ing, among others, the Haitian
Revolution, "countless"" slav-
ery revolts, and abolitionist
William Wilberforce.

MEMORIAL
He said CARICOM is
committed to ensuring that a
permanent memorial, in hon-
our of those who perished
under slavery, is prominently
placed in the halls of the
United Nations, "as an
acknowledgement of the
tragedy and in consideration of
the legacy of slavery." Douglas
said that CARICOM had
established a fund towards this
project and is "deeply grate-
ful" to the government of
Qatar, that had been the first
to make a contribution.
"It is CARICOM's belief
that a permanent memorial in
the United Nations will help to
ensure that future generations
will always be remindful of the
history of slavery and lessons
learned," Douglas said.

- CMC
0


April 2007


IN THE NAME OF HAITI


united states congressman KenaricK B. iieeK (u-Ironaa) recently met witn
Grammy Award winning entertainer Wyclef Jean in his office on Capitol Hill in
Washington, D.C. Rep. Meek represents parts of Miami-Dade and Broward coun-
ties, including "Little Haiti", and has sponsored legislation in Congress providing
preferential trade status to Haiti. Named a "roving ambassador" by Haitian
President Rene Preval, Haitian-born musician Wyclef Jean established Yble Haiti, a
nonprofit charitable foundation to benefit his homeland. Jean recently testified on
Capitol Hill before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on Haiti's economic and
development needs.


I


-1





CARIBBEAN TODAY


n e WS


r6ww -arbbentda.com


N.Y. mayor grants Haitian legislator's request for special City Council election
NEW YORK, CMC New York DEFIANT terse statement that she sup- Eugene said the "vague and being sworn-in after the first
City Mayor Michael Bloomberg A defiant Eugene said he will ported Eugene's decision to call unclear" law and "unfair treat- poll.
last month granted a Haitian contest the new poll this month, another special election. ment" prevented him from
legislator's request for a second confident that "Dr. Eugene won the elec-
special election after the City he will again tion by an overwhelming major- e i a
Council refused to officially emerge tri- ity, as the certification of his CW C m urder investigation
swear him amid growing con- umphant. election clearly demonstrates,"
cerns about his residency. "I am con- she said.

poll for April 24, two months will prevail a lease for an apartment in the
after voters in again," he said district on Feb. 1 and had n-the-field action dead at the University
the predomi- in announcing moved there before the poll. might have shifted Hospital of the West Indies in
nantly his candidacy Quinn He, however, reportedly failed from Jamaica late last Jamaica, after he was rushed
Caribbean 40th in the new to produce copies of his lease month, but there from the hotel. He was
Councilmanic election, and other documents when investigations discovered lying in an uncon-
District in Eugene had sought to asked by City Council investiga- into the death scious state in his 12th floor
Brooklyn over- replace Yvette D. Clarke, the tors. He also of the room at the hotel, shortly
whelmingly daughter of Jamaican immi- declined to Pakistan before noon.
elected Dr. grants, who was elected to the sign a Quinn- coach Bob Shields said that members
Mathieu United States House of mandated affi- Woolmer of the West Indies and Irish
Eugene to the Eugene Representatives in last davit about could also fol- teams and officials who stayed
City Council. November's general elections, residency low some of at the hotel could also be
Eugene created history, in Clarke and her mother, Una requirements., the players, Shields questioned as part of the
the first special election on Feb. Clarke, who had preceded her Quinn had officials and hields investigations.
20, by becoming the first-ever daughter as the City Council asked fans to other "Everybody that was in
Haitian to be elected to political representative for the same dis- Attorney Bloomberg territories participating in the the hotel will be DNA tested;
office in New York City. But his trict, had endorsed Eugene in General International Cricket Council not just team
celebration was short-lived, as the special election. Andrew (ICC) Cricket World Cup members; the
questions arose about his resi- Christine C. Quinn, the Cuomo to interpret the residen- 2007 as well. focus will be
dency at the time of the poll, City Council speaker, said she cy law on special elections, Deputy Police on everybody
forcing the City Council to did not swear Eugene in which many political observers Commissioner Mark Shields who was in
block the official swearing-in because he failed to cooperate said was too vague. Cuomo told a news conference in the hotel, and
ceremony. with city investigators about his responded that candidates must Jamaica that some of his inves- so we are urg-
Eugene then wrote the residency. Eugene had listed the live in the district at the time tigators may be traveling to ing everybody
mayor requesting a new poll after Brooklyn district of Canarsie, a voters go to the polls. the other territories to inter- who was in
the Board of Elections last month few miles from the 40th Election officials estimate it view anyone who was staying the hotel to
certified that he was the duly Councilmanic District, as his would cost the city another at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, come forward Woolmer
elected winner by a wide margin, address with Board of Elections. $340,000 for the rescheduled the day Woolmer was killed. between those
Quinn, however, said in a poll. Woolmer was murdered material times," he said.
by strangulation on Mar. 18, There are also reports
one day after the Pakistanis that Scotland Yard police
African diaspora w ants recognition, status lost, unexpectedly, to Ireland have been called in to assist
Afiaraw a t 'r c n d p a g iion, status and were eliminated from the with the investigations.
UNITED NATIONS, New tenant the currents wherever they may W orld Cup.
V ,,The coach was declared


YorIK, CMIV Formeri Vice
Chancellor of the University of
the West Indies (UWI)
Professor Rex Nettleford has
called for "recognition and sta-
tus" for the African diaspora
within globalization, saying it
threatens to be a i.ikiultiu of
inequality" for the "ex-slave,
post-colonial Caribbean."
Delivering the keynote
address at United Nations activi-
ties commemorating the 200th
Anniversary of the Trans-Atlantic
Slave Trade last month,
Nettleford said such "dignity and
freedom in praxis must continue
to be on the agenda of concerns
and positive action for the African
diaspora in the new millennium.
"Crossing the boundary of
thought to programs of action
that will benefit the millions that


Jamaican bu
KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC -
The Court of Appeal last
month ruled against Jamaican
businessmen Leebert
Ramcharan and Donovan
Williams. The two were then
extradited to the United
States to face drug charges.
Ramcharan, who has been
designated a drug kingpin by
U.S. President George W.
Bush, had contended that such
a designation would prevent


African dias--
pora is itself
an impera-
tive," he said,
adding,
"hence the
need to
incorporate
designs for
social living





MAINSTREAM
INCLUSION
Nettleford said the aim of
the diaspora Africa must be
geared towards helping to deter-
mine the mainstream "and not
merely to float along with the


isinessmen extra
him from getting a fair trial.
But the court, comprising
Justice Paul Harrison, presi-
dent of the Court of Appeal,
Justice Howard Cooke and
Justice Hazel Harris, unani-
mously held that the designa-
tion would not prevent
Ramcharan from getting a fair
trial in the U.S. The court said
the kingpin designation,
though unflattering, has not
been shown to be of such a


LKaC one.I
Nettleford said the abolition
of the slave trade could not help
but facilitate the "re-humaniza-
tion of the offspring" of millions
who were "involuntarily and
inhumanely lured/dragged from
West Africa and the Congo
across the Middle Passage.
"The idea of the Caribbean
person being part-African, part-
European, part-Asian, part-
Native American but totally
Caribbean is still a mystery to
many in the North Atlantic who
has been spoiled by the very
hegemonic control it has had
over empires and far-away real
estate for half a millennium, and
with the indulgences of a trade
in slaves, slavery and colonial-
ism acting in tandem," he said.



edited to U.S.
dimension that it will affect
the trial process.
In June 2004 the two men
were ordered extradited to the
U.S. to face conspiracy
charges. The men had
appealed against a Supreme
Court ruling in Sept. 2006,
which turned down their
application to have the extra-
dition orders set aside.
0


'Sorry' ex-Bahamian banker

jailed for four years in N.Y.


NEW YORK, CMC A fed-
eral judge in New York has
sentenced a former invest-
ment banker in The Bahamas
to four years in prison for
money laundering.
United States District
Judge John Keenan last month
imposed the term on Martin
Tremblay, 44, former president
of Dominion Investments Ltd.,
in Nassau, Bahamas.
Canadian-born Tremblay,
who was convicted for launder-
ing about $20,000 in drug pro-
ceeds, had already served 14
months in prison for the charge.
He was initially charged with
laundering millions of dollars
from drug traffickers.

GUILTY
Prosecutors had also
charged that over $1 billion in
the illegal gains had passed
through Tremblay's Bahamian
account. Last November, he
pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.
Keenan said he did not
want to sentence Tremblay to
70 months in prison because the
penalty, as recommended by
federal sentencing guidelines,
was "too large in this case."


In addition to serving four
years in prison, Tremblay will,
however, pay $12,500 in fines
and forfeit $200,000.
As part of an undercover
sting operation, defense
lawyers charged in court docu-
ments that the U.S. govern-
ment, in early 2005, enticed
Tremblay to New York, where
he met with an undercover
agent posing as a Russian
businessman. The defense said
Tremblay unwillingly con-
curred to launder $20,000
after waiting for six months.

PLEA
Defense attorney Martin
Auerbach told the court that
Tremblay was not motivated
by avarice, stating that he only
pocketed $500 from the sting
operation.
"I don't see the behavior
of someone who was motivat-
ed by insatiable greed," he
said.
Tremblay expressed con-
trition at his sentencing.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I
apologize to my family and to
the court."
0


April 2007


r









-usw^caribbeantodj..c..


CARIBBEAN TODAY

n e WS


April 2007


Consulate honors 18 Jamaicans in South Florida


DAMIAN P. GREGORY

MIAMI Eighteen members
of the South Florida's
Jamaican diaspora, including
the publisher of Caribbean
Today, were honored late last
month at the Consulate
General of Jamaica
Community Service Awards
Ceremony and High Tea at
the ritzy Coral Gables
Biltmore Hotel here.
The Mar. 25 ceremony
featured remarks by Jamaica's
Governor General Professor
Kenneth 0. Hall, who encour-
aged the crowd of mainly
Jamaicans living in Florida to
support their homeland. The
ceremony honored Jamaican
nationals who have made and
are continuing to make contri-
butions to lives of people.
HONOREES
Those honored were:
Norma Bancroft, for her
work as one of five people
who hosted the first Jamaica
Independence Ball in South
Florida. Bancroft, is the
founder and president of the
Florida Organization of
Jamaicans, a charity for the
poor and imprisoned in
Jamaica and disadvantaged ex-
patriots from South Florida.
Ron Burke, a veteran
broadcaster and producer in
South Florida, who first hit


radio airways in 1981 at
WDNA-FM. He is currently
at MYSTIK 1400 AM.
Winsome "Lady C"
Charlton, a veteran broadcast-
er who pioneered the 24-hour
Caribbean radio format in the
United States. Charlton is still
a producer at WAVS 1170
AM and produces the annual
ReggaeSoca Music Awards.
June Chin, one of five to
host the first Jamaica
Independence Ball in South
Florida. Chin is the founder of
both the Florida Chapter of
Missionaries for the Poor and
Florida Organization of
Jamaicans.
Lloyd Daley, founding
member Members Only Social
Club of Miami and Jamaica
United Relief Association.
Norma Darby, for her
contribution to and dissemina-
tion of Jamaican music, histo-
ry, folklore, and dance in
South Florida. She has been
the leader of the Jamaica Folk
Review for almost three
decades.
Carson "Eddy" Edwards,
producer of the longest running
Caribbean radio program in
South Florida. Edwards is also
director of the Jamaica
Awareness Inc., which has
brought entertainment to South
Floridians for over 20 years.
Rev. Dr. Dennis Grant, a
human rights activist in South


Florida who is the
pastor of
Restoration
Ministries.
Elizabeth
Grier, the longest
serving staff mem-
ber at the
Consulate General
of Jamaica in
Miami. She joined
the office in 1987.
Dale Holness,
the current vice
mayor of the City of
Lauderhill, Florida.
Holness established
a sister city partner-
ship between
Lauderhill and
Falmouth, Jamaica
last year.
Laurice
Hunter-Scott, chair-
person of the
Coordinating
Council of the
Kingston-Miami Caribbean Tod
Sister Cities pro- Jamaica's Go
gram since 1989.
The program has
contributed to the establish-
ment of trade, education, dis-
aster preparedness and cultur-
al exchange between Jamaica
and the U.S.
Rev. Noel Hyatt, pastor of
the Gateway Church in Fort
Lauderdale. The church has
had South Florida's predomi-
nant Jamaican congregation


Once-n- a-lifetime



richer thpirates' treasures




A city lostto the sea




"Wickedest city on Earth"


Experience the exhibition


JAMAICAoya


Organized by The Institute of Jamaica and the Historical Museum of Southern Florida.
on display February 16 through June 3, 2007.
Your Story, Your Community... bour Museum
IHISTORICAL MUSEUM 305.375.1492 www.hmsf.org ......mmaN
OF SOUTHERN FLORIDA 101 W Flagler St Downtown Miami
Pr /RoFaf jar. 'r.a .M pc. .n. n i. part ty frhl. M er 4i d ExcnMoi, The Jimi r.t ConJa ltme. AW," Jmana ., .jar.-.ca ro -sl Boapi anI JarnaMi.a Awaren AAdn.hanl iuopprtl
-wA r -aw, Ir-omn i. tain of Fl e D ,L nI B1an.. i DO j E1 C& .lual Adam A F tI Ari ComArrJ & 0l o l Hmonl.nal Rw-ir l fn I am,-L-Oad. CC r, Il DepL ofr Chdiihl 8 AirAl.-. Lr.e Culhral
Aflaira Counir.I. Lre MlamJ-Oade Counly Mofor & the Mnami-DadE Cound. Boara of Counly, Commkiioneri. fi nd the members of 1he Hilorical Muaeum of Southern Mlorkda


day's publisher Peter Webley, displays his community service award while flanked by
governor General Kenneth 0. Hall, left, and Jamaica's Consul General in Miami Ricardo


for more than three and a half
decades.
Claudette Parkin, one of
the five members of the first
Jamaica Independence Ball in
South Florida. Parkin was the
founding member of the
Jamaica Nurses Association of
South Florida and the Convent
of Mercy Alpha Alumae chap-
ter in South Florida.
Sydney Roberts, president
of Jamaica Awareness, Inc.
Roberts was also one of the
five who brought the first
Jamaica Independence Ball to
South Florida.
Joan Seaga-Gonzales, the
founder of the Jamaica United
Relief Association, an organi-
zation which supports health-
care management and delivery
to the neediest persons in both
South Florida and Jamaica.
Seaga-Gonzales was also one
of five who brought the first
Jamaica Independence Ball to
South Florida.


Egeta Thompson-Martin,
played an active part of both
the Clint O'Neil Needy Kids
of Jamaica Foundation and
the Caribbean Music Festival.
Thompson-Martin has also
been the host of the Grand
Jamaica Independence Ball
for almost 21 years.
Peter Webley, publisher of
Caribbean Today, which has
been in continuous circulation
since Dec. 1989. The paper
has a monthly circulation of
40,000 in the United States
and in the Caribbean.
Phillip Wong, South
Florida businessman who
serves on the board of the St.
George's College Old Boys
Association.

Story and photograph by
Damian P. Gregory, a free-
lance writer for Caribbean
Today.
0


STAGHRID G. HASSAN
ATTORNEY AT LAW
ADMITTED IN FL, N.Y. & N.J. A

HURRYI APPLY FOR YOUR
CITIZENSHIP BEFORE
THE APPLICATION FEES
INCREASE IN APRIL 2007
REASONABLE RATES
Mw I'wGREENCARDS, FIANCEE VISAS, FAMILY PETITIONS,
WORK PERMITS, CONSULAR PROCESSING, WAIVERS, BOND AND
REMOVAL HEARINGS, APPEALS AND CITIZENSHIP
S 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: taghridhassan@hotmail.com
The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements.
Before you decide, ask us to send you free written Information about our qualifications and experience.





CARIBBEAN TODAY


S0O c n A


LWW-crbbatoa.co


VI A IIOWN Checking fiancee's application; Six women get Caribbean Citizens Awards
MnMIGRt 'gcATION d.S . ix Caribbean women commentator and lecturer in
S T VPil WiIC" Iwere honored for their sports, politics and the media
KORNER traveling without a 'green card' contributions to the at the University of the West
SB \ 1\ I 1\ra^,r^, Ah~r;n,\1 ^ Tnrm n' | lipe-"


Question: How would I know if
my fiancee petition was
approved? It was filed by my
boyfriend in California last
April 2006?

Answer: A fiancee petition usu-
ally takes approximately eight
months before the United
States government approves it,
say attorneys Kirk Palma and
Courtney Smith of the Law
Office of Palma & Smith.
Once the petition has been
approved, the government will
notify the U.S. citizen's fiance,
by sending out an approval
notice to the address given on
the petition, added the attor-
neys. The government will then
forward the file to the U.S.
embassy that controls the juris-
diction where the beneficiary
resides; thereupon the U.S.
embassy in that jurisdiction will
contact you, Palma and Smith
said.
If neither of you have
received any communication
you can contact the National
Visa Center and refer to any
communications you have
received so far, i.e. the receipt
notice forwarded to your U.S.
citizen fiance when he filed
the petition added the attor-
neys.
If advice is needed, you
may contact your attorney or
the District Office near your
home for a list of community-
based, non-profit organizations
that may be able to assist you
in applying for an immigration
benefit.

Q: I am currently awaiting my
Permanent Resident Card or
"green card" through an
adjustment of status petition,
but wish to travel home soon to
visit an ailing relative? Is this
possible and how can I obtain
permission?


A: The U. S. Citizenship and
Immigration Service says indi-
viduals with an application for
adjustment of status to that of
lawful permanent resident or


downloaded
http://www.
ics/formsfee
Note, h
the Illegal I


those who have been granted
Temporary Protected
Status or have t,-tit
an application .
for an applica-
tion for relief .
under section o
203 of the <^< <<
Nicaraguan -,I A.'' "' s '<"
Adjustment and *".'"


Central
American Relief
Act (NACARA 203), or an
asylum application, must obtain
permission to travel or advance
parole by filing Form 1-131,
Application for Travel
Document with the agency
before traveling abroad.
Advance parole is permis-
sion to re-enter the U.S. after
traveling abroad in order to
continue processing for adjust-
ment of status. Individuals
must be approved for advance
parole before leaving the U.S.
USCIS officials warn that trav-
el outside of the U.S. without
advance parole has severe con-
sequences and individuals who
violate this law may be unable
to return to the U.S. and their
applications may be denied.
Applicants can apply for
advance parole at local USCIS
service centers. Note, process-
ing time for centers ranges
from 90 to 150 days, so appli-
cants needing to travel abroad
should plan ahead due to the
busy summer travel season.
You must file USCIS Form
1-131, Application for Travel
Document, complete with sup-
porting documentation, photo-
graphs and applicable fees to
the center in their neighbor-
hood along with a check made
payable to the USCIS for
$170. This form can be


I directly at
uscis.gov/graph-
l/forms/i-131. htm
however, that under
immigration Reform
and Immigrant
Responsibility
Act of 1996,
migrants who
depart the U.S.
after being
unlawfully
present in the
U.S. for cer-


tain periods


can be barred from admission
to lawful permanent resident
status, even if they have
obtained advance parole.
Those migrants who have been
unlawfully present in the U.S.
for more than 180 days, but less
than one year are inadmissible
for three years, while those
who have been unlawfully pres-
ent for a year or more are inad-
missible for 10 years. Migrants,
who are unlawfully present,
depart the U.S. and subse-
quently reenter under a grant
of parole, may nevertheless be
ineligible to adjust their status.

Compiled By Felicia Persaud
This is a column created espe-
cially for immigrants con-
cerned or unsure of issues per-
taining to the U.S. immigration
law. If you have an immigra-
tion question, then log on to
www. immigrationkorner. com
and submit your question.
Personal answers will not be
provided. The answers provided
here are for information pur-
poses only, and do 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.
0


MIM'I MIRAMAR-DROWARD
Wachovia Financial Center Huntington Square
200 South Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 2680 3350 S.W 148th Avenue, Suite 110
Miami, Florida 33131 Miramar, FLR '7
Tel- 786-777-0184 Fax: 786-777-0174 Tel: 954*874* 1736 Fax: 954*430*9342
info@delancyhill.com www.delancyhill.com
T5e Iifiog of a hawi is an irioanim dcis a dneuld I be ted soley 111A1 lic e Bfr l e us !o sa t e ou K tn inttonmiao w a our quafiafi nsa expn .


IerUon uUli vng iomenis
History Month in March.
Jacqui Quinn-Leandro,
newly elected president of the
Inter-American Commission
on Women (CIM) of the
Organization of the American
States (OAS), made the
announcement last month.
Outstanding Caribbean
Citizens Awards went to
women who have been high-
lighted for international
acclaim. They are:

* Gloria Ballantyne, St.
Vincent and the Grenadines'
first lady of sports and leading
netball administrator;
* Jamaican Dr. Christine
Cummings, a renowned crick-
et fan, sports columnist and


* St. Lucian Nadine George, a
top order batswoman who in
Mar. 2004 became the first
West Indies woman cricketer
to score 100 runs in a Test
match. For her efforts, Nadine
George was awarded the pres-
tigious MBE medal by
Britain's Prince Charles.
* St. Lucian Verena Felicien, a
cricketer who played for the
West Indies team;
* St. Kitts and Nevis educator
and painter Joan Mallalieu, for
her contribution to fine arts;
and
* Trinidad and Tobago's
Giselle La Ronde, who in 1986
became the twin island repub-
lic's first ever Miss World.
0


; . 2-_- -



I t

I Yes, send me 1 year (12 issues) of Caribbean Today
for: D $35(US) First Class D $20(US) Bulk Rate
J Payment Enclosed
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Please make check or Money Order payable to
Caribbean Today, and mail to:
9020 S.W. 152nd Street Miami, Florida 33157
or call: (305) 238-2868


aribb"uan;"day
L---------------------- -J


April 2007


Donovan D. Taylor, M.D.

F Board Certified Family
Physician
children adults* gynecology
S* weight management
Donovan Taylor, M.D.
Please call for an appointment
(305) 655-0702
Graduate of UWI. Previously practiced in 'aii'i ile,
Residency at JMH.
NEW LOCATION
250 NW 183rd Street, Miami. Florida 33169
DiPLOMATE OF THE AMERICAN BOARD OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS






CARIBBEAN TODAY


-usw^caribbeantodj..c..


FEATU RE


Jamaican takes off on historic solo flight around the world


GORDON WILLIAMS

MIAMI A strong Caribbean
link is at the heart of unfolding
aviation history. And inspira-
tion is the vehicle called on to
help it take off.
Barrington Irving Jr., who
has lived in Miami Gardens
since he migrated from his
birthplace Jamaica as a six-
year-old, took off from South
Florida's Opa-Locka Airport
last month on a flight around
the world that, when complet-
ed predictably sometime in
early May will make the 23-
year-old the youngest pilot
ever to do it solo.
At approximately 11:30
a.m. Mar. 23, Irving pulled shut
the door of his Colombia 400
plane, which he named
"Inspiration", and propelled
into the bright blue sky on a
journey that he dreamt about
years ago and is now using to
promote aviation as a career,
especially among children,
after himself being encouraged
as a teen to find his wings by
another Jamaican, commercial
pilot Gary Robinson.

MARK
For the hundreds of chil-
dren who showed up at the air-
port to witness Irving's take-off
on the "Experience Aviation
World Tour", which was pre-
ceded by an aviation career
fair and an elaborate ceremony
to mark the occasion attended
by his parents Barrington Sr.
and Clovalyn, aviation experts,
government officials and a host
of well-wishers, the young pilot
has already made his mark.
"It (Irving's feat) moti-
vates me to pursue the goal,"
said Chris Leslie, a Jamaican-
born teenager with interest in
aviation and, who, along with
his parents attended the func-
tion.
"I can't fly planes,"
explained 10-year-old, Rolik
Beauburn, "but I think I can
learn."
Yet the youngsters were
not the only ones inspired by
Irving's planned trip, which
will take him more than 40
days to complete, crossing con-
tinents and oceans on a jour-
ney that can be tracked via
computer. Adults too
embraced him, some openly
emotional and filled with
pride.
"He's like a fruit from a
tree with strong roots," was
how Jamaican-born Miami res-
ident Michelle Hylton
described her admiration for
Irving as she held a large
Jamaican flag above her head.
"(Irving's accomplishment)
shows the value coming out of
our island. We've always been
leaders and we set good exam-
ples."


DUE CREDIT
Leading up to the historic
morning, Irving had always
credited his Caribbean back-
ground and family influence.
"Mom, dad, we made it," he
told last month's audience to
loud applause.
Irving again pointed to his
roots as the source of his inspi-
ration, but his aim targeted a
future in which he visions
more underprivileged children
following his lead by pursuing
worthwhile careers.
"I didn't start off rich, I
didn't have much," he told the
youngsters in the audience. "I
started off with nothing,
absolutely nothing
You too can live your dream."
After hearing a tribute
from his father, an emotional
Irving Jr. rubbed away tears.
Irving Sr., who himself once
harbored dreams of flying air-
planes, but shelved those to
tend to his family as a new
immigrant arriving in the
United States, deflected much
of the credit for his son's
accomplishment.
"I think I'm just blessed to
be the vessel chosen to carry a
child of destiny," he said short-
ly after "Inspiration" disap-
peared into the distant skies.
Meanwhile, the pilot's
mother downplayed sugges-
tions that she was overly nerv-
ous about her son's solo trip.
She plans to stay in close con-
tact with Irving Jr. throughout.
"As a mother you have
that fLLl1i, just thinking
about him flying around the
world by himself," said
Clovalyn Irving. "(But) I told
him that everywhere he goes
he should get in touch with me
as soon as he lands."
Irving's first stop after
leaving Miami was expected to
be Cleveland, Ohio, to meet
with officials from the National


Barrington Irving Jr. makes his way from the stage following the function to mark his
historic flight. Immediately behind him are his parents, mother Clovalyn, followed by
father Barrington Sr. In front of Irving Jr. is Gary Robinson, the Jamaican commercial
pilot who he said inspired him to pursue aviation.


Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA). Then
it was on to New York before
departing the U.S. for Canada.
His average time on flight legs
is being projected at six to
eight hours, with longest -
from northern Japan to
Sheyma, Alaska along the
Aleutian Islands running 10
to 12 hours. Power settings,
weather conditions and fuel
capacity will determine the
range of each leg.

MINOR MIRACLE
That the world tour even
took off has been described as
a minor miracle. Irving strug-


gled to meet his fundraising
target of close to $1 million
last year, which led to a post-
ponement of the tour. Then
predicted weather conditions
during winter shelved the trip
until last month.
Irving has been labeled a
"hero" and "a symbol" for his
efforts. During the ceremony
tributes poured in from civic
and political leaders, including
a message relayed from
Jamaica's Prime Minister
Portia Simpson Miller, who
said "we in Jamaica will be
closely following your
progress."
"It's incredible, almost beyond


CORRECTIONS/APOLOGIES


Technical difficulties resulted in
errors appearing in Caribbean
Today's March 2007 issue. Among
them:

* The wrong photograph was used
to identify flag of St. Kitts and
Nevis on the cover.
* The name for the flag of St.
Vincent and the Grenadines was


omitted from the display of flags
on the cover.
* No page 16 appeared in the
publication. Instead a duplicate of
page 18 appeared in that spot.

We sincerely wish to apologize for
these errors and we are working to
correct them.


description," said Jamaica's
Consul General in Miami
Ricardo Allicock, who claimed
his government donated
$10,000 to Irving's efforts.
"(What Irving) is doing is still
almost unimaginable. It is a
glorious, glorious achievement
for black America, Jamaica
and mankind."
Irving appeared to under-
stand the implication as well.
"Give me a quick minute to
just soak this in," he said as he
surveyed the large audience
before take-off. "This is truly
amazing for me.
"This moment," he added
later, "I could not picture it
any other way."

Photographs and story by
Gordon Williams, Caribbean
Today's managing editor.



.TIV

Street Address:
9020 SW 152nd Street, Miami, FL 33157
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 6010
Miami, FL 33116-6010.
Telephone: (305) 238-2868
(305) 253-6029 Fax: (305) 252-7843
1-800-605-7516 Jamaica: 654-7282
E-mail: caribtoday@earthlink.net
Send ads to: ct ads@bellsouth.net
Vol. 18, Number 5 APRIL 2007

PETER A WEBLEY
Publisher

GORDON WILLIAMS
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
for unsolicited manuscripts or photos. To
guarantee return, please include a self-
addressed stamped envelope.
Articles appearing in Caribbean
Today may not be reproduced without
written permission of the editor.


April 2007






CARIBBEAN TODAY


n e WS


LWW-crbbatoa.co


U.S. blasts prison conditions in the Caribbean


NELSON A. KING

WASHINGTON The
United States Department of
State has painted a dismal pic-
ture of prisons in the
Caribbean community
(CARICOM), describing con-
ditions as very unsatisfactory.
In its "Country Reports
on Human Rights Practices
2006", the U.S. pointed to
what it described as grave
human rights violations. The
comprehensive, scathing
report, released here last
month, said prison conditions
throughout the region are
generally "poor".
"Overcrowding was a
major problem", it stated
about the Bahamian prison
system, pointing out that the
men's maximum-security
block, originally built in 1953
to hold 450 inmates, held
more than 725 of the approxi-
mately 1,500 total inmate pop-
ulation in 2006.
"Male prisoners placed in
the maximum-security unit
were crowded into poorly ven-
tilated cells that generally
lacked regular running water,
toilets, and laundry faulihi ,,
the report added, stating that
most prisoners lack beds, slept
on concrete floors, and were
locked in small cells 23 hours
per day, "often with human

The report said prison
conditions in Jamaica are sim-
ilarly poor, primarily due to
overcrowding and poor sani-
tary conditions. It said the
Department of Correctional
Services adopted measures
during the year to improve
catering services, and also
entered into a new contract
for insect and rodent control
for all facilities. It added that
medical care is also poor, pri-
marily because of few doctors
on staff.

UNFAIR DETENTION
The report said though
the law requires police to
present a detainee in court
within a reasonable time peri-
od (but) in practice, authori-
ties continue to detain sus-
pects for lengthy periods,
often up to two or three years,
which the government attrib-
uted to an "overburdened
court "L ,m .
In Antigua and Barbuda,
the report said prison condi-
tions are also poor, pointing
out that the country's only
prison holds 193 inmates with
inadequate toilet facilities.
"Prison overcrowding was
attributed in part to a law that
limited the ability of magis-
trates to grant bail to those
accused of certain o11IL n1L ,
the report stated.
"Due to space limitations,


authorities sometimes held
persons on remand together
with convicted prisoners", it
added.
The report said that in
Barbados, where "the govern-
ment generally respected the
human rights of its L I I/L 11n ,
prison conditions remained
"very poor".
It said prisoners continue
to be held in the temporary
prison facility, con-
structed at Harrison
Point, after the Mar.
2005 riots destroyed
Glendairy Prison. A
new permanent
prison, designed to
meet modern inter-
national standards, is
under construction,
with completion slat-
ed for Aug. 2007.
The State
Department alluded
to media reports in
attributing the
motive behind the
Glendairy Prison fire
to "widespread inci-
dents of rape within the
prison", alleging that rape is
also "prevalent" at Harrison
Point.
It referred to an account
by a released British citizen,
who was incarcerated at
Glendairy at the time of the
riot, highlighting prison condi-
tions at both facilities.
"His account alleged
unchecked gang violence,
indifference of guards to med-
ical needs, cramped quarters,
and unsanitary conditions",
the report stated.
The State Department
said prison conditions in
Belize are "poor" and have
failed to meet international
standards.
"During the year, there were
reports that prison authorities
brutalized troublesome pris-
oners, including placing
inmates in a small, unlit, and
unventilated punishment cell
called 'supermax'", it said.
"Inmates claimed that prison
officials sometimes withheld
food and water as further pun-
ishment, conducted strip
searches and beatings, and
extorted money for transfers
to better conditions", the
report stated.

EXCESSIVE PUNISH-
MENT
It said an ombudsman's
investigation determined that
"punishment was excessive"
and the officers involved
should be punished; however,
no further action was taken.
The State Department
said Dominica's lone prison,
Stock Farm, is in a state of
* d irL p ,ir ', adding that "con-
ditions remained unsanitary
and overcrowding was a seri-


ous problem".
It said the prison holds 301
prisoners in a facility designed
for fewer than 200 inmates.
"Juvenile detainees were held
with adults, and pretrial
detainees were held with con-
victed prisoners, due to a lack
of separate fi. Iliii .', the
report stated.
The State Department
said prison conditions in


Grenada generally meet inter-
national standards, with the
exception of overcrowding.
"Overcrowding was a sig-
nificant problem as 334 pris-
oners were housed in space
designed for 98 pI r,, wn, ', the
report stated.
"There was no separate
facility for juveniles, so they
were mixed in with the gener-
al prison population", it said.
In Guyana, the report
said prison and jail conditions
are poor, "particularly in
police holding .LI I In quot-
ing the Guyana Human Rights
Association (GHRA), the
State Department said: "while
the Prison Authority was com-
mitted to creating a humane
and professional prison serv-
ice, capacity and resource con-
straints were a problem".
"Overcrowding was, in
large, part due to backlogs of
pretrial dL Iain 1L it added.
The report said the prison sys-
tem also faces staffing con-
straints and lack of resources.
"However, attempts were
made to give all prison offi-


cers human rights training,
and the senior level manage-
ment of the Prison Service
made serious efforts to com-
bat cruel, inhuman, or degrad-
ing treatment in the prisons",
it said.
"The GHRA did not consider
mistreatment of prisoners a
problem in the prison sys-
tem", it added.
In Haiti, the State
Department said
the prisons remain
"overcrowded,
poorly main-
tained, and unsan-
itary".
It said prisoners
and detainees
continue to suffer
from a lack of
basic hygiene,
malnutrition, poor
quality health
care, and the pres-
ence of rodents,
the report said.

"Furthermore,
most prisons
lacked adequate food and san-
itation and periodically suf-
fered from lack of water, espe-
cially in the provinces", it
added, noting that the inci-
dence of preventable diseases,
such as beriberi, AIDS, and
tuberculosis decreased during
2006 but remain "a serious
issue".
The report said prison
and detention centers in St.
Kitts and Nevis are over-
crowded, and resources are
limited.
It said the prison on St.
Kitts, which has a capacity for
150 prisoners, held 204 prison-
ers at year's end. The report
stated that some prisoners
slept on mats on the floor.
In St. Lucia, the report
said prison conditions general-
ly meet minimum internation-
al standards at the three-year-
old Bordelais Correctional
Facility, which has a capacity
of 500 prisoners, holding
approximately that number.
But in neighboring St. Vincent
and the Grenadines, the State
Department said prison build-


ings are "antiquated and over-
,. r \\d~.d ', with Her Majesty's
Prison in Kingstown, the capi-
tal, holding 377 inmates in a
building originally designed
for 75.
After renovations, the prison
was intended to hold about
150 inmates.
"These conditions result-
ed in serious health and safety
problems", the report said,
pointing out that despite
prison reforms, problems still
exist, such as "endemic vio-
lence, understaffing, under-
paid guards, uncontrolled
weapons and drugs, an
increase in the incidence of
HIV/AIDS, and unhygienic
conditions".
The report said in
Suriname, most facilities, par-
ticularly older jails, remain
"unsanitary and seriously
overcrowded, with as many as
four times the number of
detainees for which jail capac-
ity was intended".

VIOLENCE
It said violence among
prisoners is common, and pris-
oners continue to complain of
mistreatment by guards.
"Human rights monitors
expressed concern about con-
ditions in pretrial detention
facilities, which remained
S\ ~ r.ir,\\dd the report said.
The State Department said
conditions at the eight prison
facilities in Trinidad and
Tobago have been "somewhat
upgraded but continued to be
harsh". It said the recently
built maximum-security prison
in Arouca has helped in
relieving overcrowding at the
Port of Spain prison.
The report said staff short-
ages compelled the prison serv-
ice to limit the "airing" time
provided to prison inmates,
serving as the basis of a com-
plaint filed against the prison
service by death row inmate
Alladin Mohammed, which
was still pending at year's end.


- CMC
4


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April 2007





CARIBBEAN TODAY


-usw^caribbeantodj..c..


F nT U R 6


Drug trafficking poses major problems for Caribbean


04d u's s


NELSON A. KING

WASHINGTON Illicit drug
trafficking continues to pose
major problems in the
Caribbean, according to the
United States Department of
State.
In its 2007 International
Narcotics Control Strategy
Report, released last month,
the U.S. State Department
identified a number of
Caribbean countries, including
The Bahamas, Jamaica,
Guyana, Haiti, Suriname and
the Eastern Caribbean, as
major transit points for
cocaine and/or marijuana
bound for the U.S.
The report stated that
cocaine flow originates in
South America and arrives in
The Bahamas by go-fast
boats, small commercial
freighters, or small aircraft
from Jamaica, Hispaniola
(Haiti and the Dominican
Republic) and Venezuela.


Sport fishing vessels and
pleasure crafts then transport
the cocaine from The
Bahamas to Florida, blending
into the legitimate vessel traf-
fic that moves daily between
these locations.
Larger go-fast and sport
fishing vessels regularly trans-
port between 1,000 to 3,000
pounds of marijuana ship-
ments from Jamaica to The
Bahamas, which are moved to
Florida in the same manner as
cocaine.
"The Bahamas will likely
continue to be a preferred
route for drug transshipment
and other criminal activity
because if its location and the
expanse of its territorial area",
the State Department said,
urging the Bahamian govern-
ment to continue its "strong
commitment to joint counter-
narcotics efforts and its co-
operative efforts to extradite
drug traffickers to the U.S.",
the report said.


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UNLUCKY SEVEN
The State Department said
the seven Eastern Caribbean
countries Antigua and


"insignificant".
"The Government of
Guyana's inability to control
its borders, a lack of law
enforcement presence, and a


Drugs and money seized by U.S. law enforcement officers.


Barbuda, Barbados,
Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts
and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St.
Vincent and the Grenadines -
form the L.,iL rn edge" of the
Caribbean transit zone for
drugs, mostly cocaine and
marijuana products, going
from South America to U.S.,
Europe and other markets.
It said illicit narcotics transit
the Eastern Caribbean mostly
by sea, in small go-fast vessels,
larger fishing vessels, yachts
and freight carriers.
"Drug trafficking and
related crimes, such as money
laundering, drug use, arms traf-
ficking, official corruption, vio-
lent crime, and intimidation,
have the potential to threaten
the stability of the small, dem-
ocratic countries of the Eastern
Caribbean and, to varying
degrees, have damaged civil
society in some of these coun-
tries", the report stated.
The State Department
also said Guyana is a trans-
shipment point for cocaine
destined for North America,
Europe, and the Caribbean,
noting that in 2006, domestic
seizures of cocaine were


lack of aircraft or patrol boats
allow traffickers to move drug
shipments via sea, river, and
air with little rfII n1IL the
report said, stating that the
Bharrat Jagdeo administration
is yet to implement the "sub-
stantive initiatives" of its
National Drug Strategy
Master Plan (NDSMP) for
2005-2009.
"Government counter-
narcotics efforts are under-
mined by the lack of adequate
resources for law enforce-
ment, poor coordination
among law enforcement agen-
cies, and a weak judicial sys-
tem", the report added.
It said Haiti, a "major
transit country for cocaine"
from South America, is expe-
riencing a surge in air smug-
gling of the drug out of
Venezuela, and is a "signifi-
cant transit country for
cocaine destined for the
United States and to a lesser
extent Canada and Europe".
The report said the num-
ber of drug smuggling flights
from Venezuela to Hispaniola
increased by 167 percent from
2005 to 2006, about one-third
of which went to Haiti.
"In addition to 1,125 miles
of unprotected shoreline,
uncontrolled seaports, and
numerous clandestine
airstrips, Haiti's struggling
police force, dysfunctional
judiciary system, corruption, a
weak democracy and a thriv-
ing contraband trade con-
tribute to the prolific use of
Haiti by drug traffickers as a
strategic point of distribu-
tion", the report said.
The State Department
said Jamaica, too, is a major
transit point for cocaine en
route to the U.S., and is also a
key source of marijuana and
marijuana derivative products
for the Americas.


"Jamaica's difficult to patrol
coastline, over 100 unmoni-
tored airstrips, busy commer-
cial and cruise ports, and con-
venient air connections make
it a major transit country for
cocaine", the State
Department said, noting, at
the same time, that the coun-
try remains the Caribbean's
largest producer and exporter
of marijuana.
The report added that
Suriname a transit point for
South American cocaine en
route to Europe and, to a less-
er extent, the U.S. is unable
to control its borders.

LACKING RESOURCES
It added that Suriname is
also hampered by inadequate
resources, limited training for
law enforcement agents, lack
of a law enforcement presence
in the interior, and lack of air-
craft or patrol boats.
"The GOS (Government
of Suriname) is unable to
detect the diversion of precur-
sor chemicals for drug produc-
tion, as it has no legislation
controlling precursor chemi-
cals and, hence, no tracking
system to monitor them", the
report stated.
"The lack of resources,
limited law enforcement capa-
bilities, inadequate legislation,
drug related corruption, a
complicated and time-consum-
ing bureaucracy, and overbur-
dened and under-resourced
courts inhibit GOS's ability to
identify, apprehend, and pros-
ecute narcotic traffickers", it
added.
"Suriname's sparsely pop-
ulated coastal region and iso-
lated jungle interior, together
with weak border controls and
infrastructure, make narcotics
detection and interdiction
efforts difficult", it continued.
The State Department
said Trinidad and Tobago is a
transit country for illegal
drugs from South America to
the U.S. and Europe.
But it noted that while
there has been an increase in
illicit drug traffic out of
Venezuela, the quantity of
drugs transiting Trinidad and
Tobago "does not have a sig-
nificant effect on the U.S."
"Cannabis is grown in
Trinidad and Tobago, but not
in significant amounts", it
said, pointing out, however,
that the country's petrochemi-
cal industry imports and
exports chemicals that can be
used for drug production.
But the State Department
said the Patrick Manning gov-
ernment has instituted export
controls to prevent diversion.

- CMC
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April 2007






CARIBBEAN TODAY


VIEu P o n T


White or blue collar, indeed


TONY ROBINSON
There is currently a huge
lottery scam taking
place in Jamaica, where
people in the United States
are contacted and told that
they have won millions, so
they are to send money to
cover "fees".
What's amazing is how
many fall for this, sending out
thousands of dollars, even
though they never entered any
lottery. Pickpockets, cutpurs-
es, chain grabbers, fowl tief,
praedial larcener, embezzler,
fraudulent converter, tief, all
have the same thing in com-
mon, they want a lot for as lit-
tle effort as possible.
At times though, they real-
ly put a lot of planning and
effort in bilking you or your
organization out of hard earned
money, that it makes you won-
der how well off they'd be if
they had put their resources to
a positive use. But thk r thrill
in crime and there's profit in it.
Trust me, if there wasn't, they
would not do it.
That Enron case years


* "Can the world, without
anguish, accept itself as part
this, part that, part the other
but totally human without one
part of it trying to dominate
the other?" Former
University of the West Indies
Vice Chancellor Professor Rex
Nettleford last month address-
ing the issue of the African
diaspora's inclusion in global-
ization.

* "I believe it
was a night on
which all peo-
ple of
Caribbean ori-
gin were proud
as millions
around the
world were treated to a stun-
ning spectacle" (liui
Dehring, chief executive officer
of ICC Cricket World Cup
2007 commenting on the
event's opening ceremony in
Jamaica last month.

* Caribbean community
(CARICOM) leaders were
also pleased with the tourna-
ment's launch:

"It was fantas-
tic, it was A- I7 kl
plus, it was just
wonderful" -
CARICOM
Secretary
General Edwin
Carrington.


ago in the U.S. is as bizarre as
it's fascinating. If it didn't real-
ly happen, and some writer
concocted such a tale or a
movie was made about it,
nobody would believe it, as it
seems so far fetched. But
truth is indeed stranger than
fiction and thieves are even
more inventive and have more
vivid imaginations than pulp
fiction writers or scribblers of
screenplays.
Enron was real, and very
scary. That a few 'executives'
could sit down and cook up
such a scheme to rob thou-
sands of people, many of them
old pensioners, of their life's
savings and investments, is
simply criminal. One Enron
exec swiped $850 million,
another $350 million, while a
few small fry took only a few
million apiece.
What does one man do
with $850 million U.S. dollars
anyway? But the fact is that
putting bigtime executives in
jail for perpetuating account-
ing fraud has proved very hard
to do. On Aug. 2, 1999,
Fortune magazine ran an arti-
cle that spotlighted the


"I feel like a little baby just
born. I'm really excited" -
Grenada's Prime Minister, Dr.
Keith Mitchell.

"Anywhere you
go in the world, I
do not believe
anyone could put
on a more fan-
tastic show than
what happened
here at Trelawny,
Jamaica" host Prime
Minister Portia Simpson
Miller

"It was magnificent, I was so
filled with joy I almost wanted
to cry; you know the talent we
have, the color, the pageantry,
the way everything was
brought together" St.
Vincent and the Grenadines
Prime Minister Ralph
Gonsalves.

"It must be understood that in
every CARICOM member
state police officers are
accorded certain responsibili-
ties under the law. Their
authority as set out in law
cannot be varied by any
agreement. It will not be tol-
erated" Barbados Deputy
Prime Minister Mia Mottley
last month condemning the
searching of local police offi-
cers by Cricket World Cup
security officials and calling on
the tournament's organizers to
know their limits.

Compiled from CMC and
other sources.
0


HOME GROWN
But let's bring it closer
home where the people at
Enron could perhaps learn a
trick or two from our entre-
preneurs in criminology. The
downtown pickpocket he
cruises the shadows, eyes dart-
ing furtively from victim to
unsuspecting victim, seeking
out the weak, the unwary, the
unwitting, just like the harbor
shark. His fingers are nimble,
his hands are quick, and just
like Jack, his legs can take him
faster and higher with the
stolen candlesticks. 'A fool
and his money are soon part-
ed,' is his motto.
Our pickpockets are leg-
endary, as tales abound about
their prowess. They will
relieve you of your cash
secreted away in your under-
garments, delicately removed
like the master surgeon
removing a tumor, without
spilling a drop of blood.
"All me money gone and
a didn't feel a thing," the vic-
tim wails.
Once a friend of mine, a
prominent surgeon, got taught
a lesson in the delicate art of
cash removal, from one of
those guys. He was buying his
usual Sunday papers at the
stoplight, when one so called
vendor neatly relieved him of
all his paper money, but leaving
the wallet still clutched in my
friend's hand. Well you should
see the good doctor jump out
of his Benz and run down tief.
And he caught him too, but he
was also secretly impressed
with the guy's dexterity.
"This bredda could easily
enroll in the micro surgery
faculty," he quipped, as he
draped the thief and carted
him off.


But
the fact is, for
someone to
have that
skill, it must
have taken
years of prac-
tice to master,
and his many
TONY victims all
ROBINSON wondered
what hit
them. Most
didn't even know until they
reached home and felt for their
money. Oh, don't let the occa-
sional catching and beating of
a few fool you, most get away
and aren't even felt or seen as
the ply their secret trade.

EASY MEAT
But why suffer in the hot
sun with the threat of being
chased and beaten, even by
your own kind, when you can
relax in the comfort of your
air conditioned office and
reap your unjust rewards?
Pillaging, storming castles,
robbing and looting went out
with medieval times. Now, in
the computer age, it's the era
of the white collar crime, and
there's profit in it. We now
seem to have a spate of execu-
tives, middle managers, man-
agers and general workers
willing and able to take their
companies out to lunch, and
stick them with the bill. Every
day we read or hear how so
and so from this or that com-
pany has defrauded the insti-
tution of millions and
absconded. Even white collar
crime has different terms. A
grab thief, grabs and runs, but
an office thief defrauds and
absconds. What an easy way
to make money, juggle and
flee without breaking a sweat.
This plague is in our
banks, our credit unions, our
school bursaries, and any-
where easy money can be had.
Rarely is it a one-time thing,
as the auditors always show
that it was going on for five or
six years or more. That's
another thing, purloining cash


seems to pay so
much that people
RAIM make a habit of it
and are never satis-
fied. They just can't
stop, but make a
career of it. They
wouldn't even take a
one lick and move,
but instead stay and
tief, stay and tief,
settle down and stay
and tief some more,
even as they laugh
and chat up with the
other employees.
Sure, some
get caught, but for
every two caught, 20
are living it up in
Hawaii or
Switzerland or
somewhere in the
South of France. The other
irate employees may say, "But
look how she plan and scheme
and rip and run, what a damn
tief." But secretly and ever so
fleetingly the thought just may
go, "A wonder how she do it,
why I couldn't tink of it? But
me can't take shame yah, and
me nuh have nuh luck."
For most of us, jail time is
not a happy prospect.

FREE WILLIES
Speaking of jail, you won't
find any of those white collar
criminals in jail serving any
long sentence. Oh, they'll steal
millions, but only serve a few
months. "The bigger the
crime, the lesser the time,"
goes the ditty.
White and blue collar
crime pays so much that every-
body's into it. From the
mechanics who say they put in
new parts, but put in old
instead, that is if they even
bother to change the part at all,
to hospitals that pad their bills
and charge thirty dollars for
one aspirin. From lawyers who
take people's house deposit
money and build mansions of
their own, to contractors who
build two houses out of your
house material. From car deal-
ers who sell your car but refuse
to hand over your money, to
bank workers who skim from
old dormant accounts, to bur-
sars who filch from school fees
and book money. From parsons
who accept all denominations,
especially the large bills, for the
"church building fund", to con
men who spin tales of woe or
assure you of get rich quick
schemes.
We live among them and
they do it because there's
profit in it. If crime didn't pay,
they wouldn't do it. And
damn the risk they say, but if
you get caught don't bother to
bawl. If you can't do the time,
don't do the crime.

seidol@hotmail.com
0


LW-S^^ caribbeantoday


April 2007





CARIBBEAN TODAY


-.i.t


ELEANOR M. WILSON
Hype has begun in
earnest, touting wed-
dings and honey-
moons for this century's most
romantic date 7/7/07. Why
dwell on one date when
romance awaits you year-
round at several all-inclusive
Caribbean resorts?
We're all familiar with
Sandals and SuperClubs, so
let's look at inclusives that are
perhaps not so well known.
Galley Bay Beach Resort
spreads leisurely along one of
Antigua's famous white
beaches. From the Sugar Mill
reception entrance, guests are
whisked by golf cart across the
lagoon's wooden bridge to this
secluded resort. Sip
"Sundowners" while sunset
watching on the Teepee Bar's
open deck. Savor sounds of
the surf during a romantic
candlelight dinner under your
own individual palapa at the
Gauguin Restaurant.
Walk right onto the beach
from your first-floor deluxe or
premium beachfront room,
and rinse off at your outdoor


shower.
Premium
beachfront .... ...
suites have
sunken liv-
ing rooms,
extra large
tubs plus
his-and-
hers show-
ers, and
uphol-
stered
wicker
lounges for
snuggling on the patio or bal-
cony.
Go Tahitian in a Gauguin
Cottage overlooking the
resort's lagoon. A sheltered
breezeway connects two
thatched roof roundavels. One
contains your air-conditioned
bedroom, and the other a
dressing room and bathroom
with shower. The cottage
opens to a terrace and private
plunge pool inside a walled
garden.
Nothing says romance like
The Caves, located just south
of Rick's Caf6 in Negril. Just
10 handcrafted cottages are
hidden among lush foliage on


Parents got a vacation of
their own. And so do the kids.
Kids gel unlimited fun And parents get
of their own with Kids their own kind of fun,
Camp with thrilling with owery sport
water park*, golf from scuba diving to
clinics posting zoos, watmrrikiing, the option
action-packed XBO*X of Red LanTe" Spa,
Game Oasis Centers, plus dining at up to I I
all under the watchful restawuats and just
eye of Ultra Nannaes. relaxing on the beach*


the flat cliff top. Steps carved
into the cliffs lead to several
naturally formed, secluded
grottoes. Enjoy a relaxing hot
tub au deux with sea view in
one, an intimate candlelight
dinner in another, while rhyth-
mic waves crash below. Duet
cliff dives from several levels
entice adventurous couples. A
gauze-curtained spa pavilion
hangs on the edge of the
rocks, providing a romantic
setting for couples massages.
Similar dramatic spots invite
super seclusion for sunset
watching. (Room tax and gra-

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 13)


As a proud w so or f
Sesame Silt, Bealch@* perounts
th VEYER ROUND "Carioa n
S AAdv tiwe "ee' ftUring:
Character BreakfastsA Story Time
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Dance with Zoe Make Music with Bert
and Ernie Explore with Grover Dally
Stage Shows Character Parades Dally
Special Events & Much More!


For centuries male suitors
have agonized over how
to surprise their girl-
friends with a marriage pro-
posal. Should he "pop the
qici i i n" during a quiet picnic
in the country? Or kneel down
in a romantic European piazza
to pose that surprise question
- "Will you marry me?"
In recent years, madly in-
love guys have conjured up
ever more novel ways to ask
for their chosen one's hand -
ranging from aerial banners
flown over crowded beaches
to "I love you" signs lighting
up stadium scoreboards.
Now, enamored men will
have yet another unconven-
tional venue to surprise the
lady in question: Princess
Cruises "Engagement Under
the Stars" a pre-arranged
proposal on a giant shipboard
movie screen, on the high seas
under the stars, displaying the
gentleman's proposal. Starting
in June, with the launch of its
newest ship, Crown Princess,
the program will complement
line's successful "Tie the Knot"
shipboard-wedding program.
Not only will the new pro-
gram surprise the unsuspect-
ing lady, it will also turn the
couple into instant shipboard
celebrities, starring in their
own real-life show by having
the prospective groom make
his wedding proposal via a
personal video displayed on
the ship's top-deck 300-
square-foot LED movie
screen, before an audience of
fellow cruise passengers. A
photographer standing by will
capture the couple's special
moment when he surprises her
with the ring on deck.

ROMANCE
Princess Cruises, one of
whose ships was famous as the
romantic setting for "The
Love Boat" television series,
will coordinate the surprise
proposal to take place just
prior to one of the ship's
nighttime outdoor feature
films. At a prearranged time,
the proposer will bring his
girlfriend to the scene under


the guise of watching the
movie. The proposal, in fact,
will have been filmed in a
secret session with the ship's
videographer to create a per-
sonalized and unique segment.
On that special. \ iiiii
the couple will receive a cele-
bratory glass of champagne
and a red rose immediately fol-
lowing the proposal and a bot-
tle of champagne and choco-
late-covered strawberries in
their stateroom that night.
Throughout the voyage
they will be treated to a series
of special amenities including a
dinner for two at one of the
ship's intimate dining venues, a
romantic balcony breakfast and
participation in a pottery class
offered through the ship's learn-
ing program, ScholarShip@Sea,
at which the couple will design
a commemorative "engagement

Other super perks include
candid photographs of the
proposal, plus an engagement
portrait session, a pampered,
couple's massage in the ship-
board Lotus Spa and a $100
credit toward a wedding-at-
sea package on a future voy-
age.
After its debut on Crown
Princess, "Engagement Under
the Stars" will later be extend-
ed to all Princess ships that
feature NM<\ Under the
Stars". Those intrigued by the
magic of an engagement at sea
may visit www.princess.com or
call 1-866-444-8820 for more
information.
"All the gentleman has to
bring is the ring and the ques-
tion," says Jan Swartz,
Princess's senior vice president
of customer service and sales.
And if he forgets the
ring?
"Not to worry," adds
Swartz. "The shipboard bou-
tique has a range of fine jew-
elry including engagement
rings just in case he over-
looked that important detail!"

- Brides News Network
0


Air J offers upgrade to Caribbean newly weds


=--0" 1111!
For More Information,
Call Your Travel Agent
or in the U.S. 1-800-BEACHES IC
or in Jamaica 876-968-4205
www.beaches.com
'jelu Uarfl Ei BaFamily A11I.aIuem 3e Team In A Pow'
Sesame Shert"andassociatedcharacders. Lrafmarksanddesignelemenlsareowiedandligcensed by SesafneWtlshop :2006SesameVofkshoo.Allfnghtsresemed.-SposevwsadditonaI
Activitiesand amenities mayvary by resonl *Addioonalcharge. Not responsile forany en,eror orem'ssmons Inthisad UnquVacstionsjnc rstthewocdwidoropresetativefo OeodhesResols.


Air Jamaica is offering
brides and grooms
traveling to get mar-
ried in any of its Caribbean
destinations a free upgrade to
the airline's new Executive
Business Class.
To qualify, the bride and
groom must book a minimum
of 22 seats (including them-
selves) through Air Jamaica's


group sales office.
By booking as a group,
couples and their guests gain
savings on flights to their des-
tination. The airline also pro-
vides a specially designed
invite to inform guests of the
discount. The bride and
groom request their upgrade
once the group is ticketed.
0


BRIDES & ionEYmOOnS

~ A Caribbean Today advertising feature


Romantic escapes to Caribbean resorts


A new way for guys

to pop the question


April 2007





CARIBBEAN TODAY


I FDes & iionmcY Yono **-**..

~ A Caribbean Today advertising feature


Weddings on idyllic islands: It's all in the planning


Whether it's a gentle tropical
breeze and the swaying of
palm trees that provide the
allure or just jetting away to
somewhere exotic, destination
weddings have become the
marriage celebration of choice
for many couples.
Today, almost two in 10
weddings are destination
events with Caribbean
islands leading the list.
And it's no surprise why.
Tropical destinations have
increasingly attracted celebrity
couples golf icon Tiger Woods
and his bride Elin Nordegren
and Hollywood's Ben Affleck
and Jennifer Garner have
made Caribbean islands their
wedding destinations.
But island nuptials are no
longer just the domain of the
rich and famous. In fact,
thanks to package deals and
seasoned wedding planners,
destination weddings are not
only becoming more attain-
able for many, they're easier
than ever to achieve.
To ensure a perfect out-
come with the desired person-
al touch, it is important to find
an experienced wedding guru
who can, with an excellent
support staff, watch every


Bride and groom at wedding at gazebo,
Jolly Beach Resort in Antigua.

detail and relieve the pres-
sure, so that the bride and
groom can totally enjoy their
dream wedding ceremony.

SUGGESTIONS
Beverly King, of Jolly
Beach Resort on the
Caribbean island of Antigua,
has been planning island wed-
dings for almost 20 years. She
offers these suggestions: "Do
your homework; it's important
to remember that marriage
requirements vary among des-


Romantic escapes to Caribbean resorts


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12)
tuities are not part of the all-
inclusive rate here.)

COZY
At the other end of Negril,
winding paths through land-
scaped gardens lead to Sunset
at the Palms' wooden cottages
on stilts. Central outdoor stairs
reach two cozy accommoda-
tions per cottage. The double
daybed on an open porch is a
perfect hideaway for intimate
moments reflecting on
nature.. .or each other.. .in jun-
gle-like seclusion.
Inside, the large double
shower streams jets from all
directions to rejuvenate and
reenergize. Public buildings
continue the wooden theme,
with both indoor and pavilion-
style restaurants. The
freeform pool, surrounded by
plants and palms, has a
Jacuzzi at one end and a cen-
tral swim-up bar, also accessed
by a curved bridge.
Across the street on
Negril's famous seven-mile
strand, mix and mingle at The
Beach Club's huge circular bar,
or hide under a palm tree at
one of many picnic tables.
Changing rooms and showers
are available, along with a fully
equipped watersports center.

UNIQUE OPTIONS
For a more upscale get-
away, the Royal Paradisus


Villas at Paradisus Punta
Cana, a resort in the
Dominican Republic, promise
royal treatment in every way,
beginning with airport VIP
greeting. These beachfront
suites have everything, includ-
ing butlers to pack and
unpack for you, arrange golf
tee times and spa treatments,
or make dinner reservations at
one of eight a la carte restau-
rants on premises (plus two
with buffet service). Punta
Cana is known for its
sparkling beaches, and this
one is perfect for long walks in
the moonlight.
You can't go wrong hon-
eymooning at any Couples
resort in Negril or Ocho Rios.
Since they specialize in cou-
ples, everything is geared to
pairs...swings, lounges, Bali
beds, spa treatments and the
like. One unusual value here
is that "all-inclusive" means
excursions off property as
well. This can be a trip to
Dunn's River Falls, horseback
riding, a greathouse tour and
so on.
No matter which you
choose, romance is sure to
thrive at these romantic all-
inclusives.

Eleanor M. Wilson is a free-
lance writer for Caribbean
Today.
0


tinations. And if you have
your heart set on a particular
date, make arrangements well
in advance if possible, as cer-
tain times of the year tend to
book quickly. For instance, we
find that the peak months for
weddings are February, April,
May, June, and November.
"Couples who decide on a
destination wedding might
also want to break free from
traditional wedding attire,"
adds King. "I tell my brides
and grooms to consider the
climate and look for pieces
that not only look great but
travel well, like a cocktail
dress in a light fabric and
color. And while an island
breeze helps set the tropical
mood, it makes a veil difficult


a4


to control. As an alternative, I
NLI 1L ".I wearing a small tiara
or using fresh flowers as
accents. Grooms should also
dress with comfort in mind,
say a light linen suit, or dress
pants paired with a shirt and
vest or a classic guayabera for
a true island feel."

PACKAGES
Brides and grooms desir-
ing a sun-kissed destination
wedding shouldn't have trou-
ble finding a wedding package
to fit any budget. For instance,
Jolly Beach Resort's "Dream
Wedding ., IgL
(www.jollybeachresort.com)
offers amenities and choices
ranging from cake and cham-
pagne to photos and bou-


quets, to fulfilling the legal
requirements. Moreover,
engaged couples can choose to
have their ceremony at any
location on the 40-acre prop-
erty; which includes two wed-
ding gazebos one located on
the resort's dazzling half-mile-
long beach.
With the aid of an experi-
enced wedding planning team,
an altar-bound couple can rest
assured that their wedding day
will be hassle-free. King, for
example, not only handles the
details of the wedding cere-
mony and reception, but she
even personally schedules the
appointment to apply for the
marriage license and she, or a
member of her team, escorts
the couple to ensure that


tL\ L r\ I iliiL' s si_, I I lil\ hII 1
t" here is no residency requirement to --
e married in Antigua, but we need couples
to be here one working day prior to the cer-
emony to process the necessary docu-
II In "" n he said.
\\ hli all of the preparations completed
,and IlL license obtained, couples can simply
rilax and be absolutely certain that they
lin\ L h III i1 ia stunning backdrop for their
.LkILhr,iiiin guaranteeing a wedding album
lull <>l JI \ 1Is memories.


Photographs and story obtained from
Bridal News Network.
0


ire


1.800.523.5585www.AirJamaica.com

1.800.523.5585 I www.AirJamaica.com


axwww.mir~jamaica.COm


Buy your ticket on-line at
www.AirJamaica.com by May 16, 2007

UP TO 1 YEAR
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April 2007





CARIBBEAN TODAY


-usw^caribbeantodj..c..


11 6 n t T 91


OECS fights fake drugs Dental exams key to control of oral health


CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC -
A senior official of the
Organization of Eastern
Caribbean States (OECS) has
called for new measures
aimed at combating the prolif-
eration of counterfeit drugs in
the Caribbean.
The OECS
Pharmaceutical Procurement
Service, the agency responsi-
ble for purchasing drugs for
the nine-member sub-region,
said it would be embarking on
an early warning strategy
dubbed "Counterfeit Drugs
Can Kill" in an effort to edu-
cate the public on the dangers
of faked drugs.
In a statement, the agency
said it was reminding the pop-
ulation of a United Nations
report that warns that faked


prescription medicines were
flooding developing nations
with sometimes deadly conse-
quences.
Head of the OECS
Pharmaceutical Procurement
Service, Francis Burnett, said
the slogan would be a simple
message intended to alert the
population in the sub-region
to the dangers of faked drugs
as well as being vigilant with
the purchase of drugs over the
counter.
Burnett said the worse
case has so far been in Haiti,
where three years ago, scores
of children were hospitalized
after ingesting counterfeit cold
syrup.
0


S Olive Chung-James, M.D.

y-y -Board Certified Family
Physician
children adults. gynecology
D I C0 .S M.D. 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
IAcross from Jackson South E R.)
(305) 251-3975


6300 W. Atlantic Blvd. Margate, FL 33063

VA- (954) 956-9500



Leighton A. Taylor, M.D.

Board Certified
Plastic Surgeon

The look you dreamed of:
BREAST AUGMENTATION/REDUCTION
LIPOSUCTION TuY TUMMY TUCKS VARICOSE AND
SPIDER VAIN Ti: Ti r IT KELOID REMOVAL EAR
LOBE REPAIR FACE LIFTS MICRODERMABRASION
Please call for an appointment
(954) 963-1337
Fax (954) 981-7955
2261 North University Dr., Ste 200 Pembroke Pines, FL 33024
(across from Memorial Hospital Pembroke)


You take pretty good
care of your teeth,
brushing and flossing
daily. Is it really necessary for
you to schedule dental exams
unless there's a problem?
Oral health professionals
say there are numerous rea-
sons to keep those checkups
on your calendar, even if you
take good care of your teeth.
"Just because it's been
awhile since you've had a cav-
ity or a dental health issue,
don't give up on those visits to
the dentist," said Dr. Max
Anderson, DDS, a national
oral health advisor for Delta
Dental Plans Association in
the United States.
"Dental checkups contin-
ue to be an important part of
taking good care of teeth, pre-
venting problems and provid-
ing people with greater con-
trol of their oral health."

EARLY DETECTION
Preventive checkups pro-
vide dentists with opportunities
to identify and intervene early
in dental diseases. This can
reduce any pain and the finan-
cial costs associated with more
severe forms of dental diseases.
For example, periodontal
disease that goes unnoticed


Preparing for vacations and
traveling can produce an
added amount of stress
and tension two key triggers in
the onset of headaches.
The National Headache
Foundation (NHF)
(www.headaches.org) in the
United States offers travelers
the following tips:

Maintain normal sleeping and
waking patterns Late-night vis-
its and early morning tours can
lead to headaches by tempting
you to stay up past your bedtime
and wake up earlier than usual.
Try to go to sleep and awaken
the same time as you usually do,
even on weekends.


Plan in advance A well-


for lack of a checkup can
progress into more serious
stages possibly resulting in
pain, tooth loss and other
problems. If caught early, peri-
odontal disease is easier to


manage and, in some cases,
reverse.
Dental professionals can
also use today's dental exams
to screen for periodontal
(gum) disease, oral cancer and
other health issues that can be
difficult to spot on your own.
More than 120 diseases can
cause specific signs and symp-
toms in and around the mouth
and jaw. Dental professionals


planned trip can ease the stress
of traveling. Be prepared for
extra long lines and wait times
at the airport and arrive at least
two hours before your sched-


uled departure.
If you plan to travel by car,
plot your course and make


performing checkups can spot
symptoms that could indicate
serious health problems else-
where in the body that need
attention.
The prevention connec-
tion extends to recent changes
in your health. Regular check-
ups allow your dentist to keep
up with changes to your health
status. Upon learning of med-
ical conditions you've devel-
oped or treatments you're
r.L i\ ini_' your dentist can rec-
ommend strategies to help you
proactively counter the nega-
tive effects the conditions and
treatments would otherwise
have on your oral health.
"Your smile and your
breath, the foods you can eat
and social interactions are all
enhanced through better oral
health," said Dr. Anderson.
""Dental checkups are a great
investment in your oral and
overall health."

- Information obtained from
Delta Dental Plans
Association, based in Oak
Brook, Illinois, a U.S. net-
work of independent not-for-
profit dental service corpora-
tions specializing in provid-
ing dental benefits programs.
0


hotel reservations in advance. It
is also advisable to bring med-
ication in a carry-on bag, as
opposed to checked luggage,
but be sure to follow security
guidelines about liquids, gels
and aerosols.
Discuss travel plans with your
healthcare provider If you are
flying long distances, ask your
healthcare provider about your
dosage schedule. Some medica-
tions should be adjusted for
high altitudes, lack of activity
and different climates.
Don't skip or delay meals An
empty stomach could trigger a
headache. Carry snacks.
0


i PAUL W. MOO YOUNG, D.D.S.
FAMILY DENTISTRY
EMERGENCY WALK-IN SERVICE


"- Cosmetic
Restorative
Preventive

Member American Dental Association
Most Insurance Accepted

6701 Sunset Drive, Suite 114
LSouth Miami, FL 33143


Oral Surgery
Oral Cancer Screening
Root Canal Treatment
Orthodontics


(305) 666-4334


Tips for headache free travel


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


April 2007





CARIBBEAN TODAY


Caribbean stars jazz up Miami Gardens music festival


Caribbean stars jazz up Miami Gardens music festival


GORDON WILLIAMS

MIAMI GARDENS -
Caribbean-flavored perform-
ances added pizzazz to "Jazz
in the GrdL n, ', emerging
among the main highlights of
the two-day festival held here
last month.
Despite the presence of
world-renowned musicians at
the Mar. 24-25 event, includ-
ing American soul singer
India.Arie and Latin icons
like Brazil's Sergio Mendes
and Cuban-born Paquito
D'Rivera, it was Jamaican star
Luciano who generated the
most excitement from the
audience at Dolphin Stadium
in this South Florida city.
Performing on the closing
day and in front of a much
smaller crowd than day one,
Luciano's delivery lifted the
music festival from a mellow
slumber into a soul-searching
roots reggae revival.


in a spiritual armor. "The
Messenger", as he is often
called, belted out several of
his bi,--,LI hits, including
"Sweep Over My Soul",
"Lord Give Me Strength",
"It's Me Again Jah" and
"Your World And Mine",
which had the crowd rising
from its seat, applauding and
dancing in the aisles.
And when he leapt from


utnello Molineaux, from Irinidad and


SHOWMANSHIP Tobago, plays on pan.
Dressed in khaki with
long dreadlocks flashing and the stage to mingle with the
bouncing throughout, the audience, they rushed to
acrobatic Luciano displayed embrace him. He too honoi
showmanship wrapped tightly them, saluting people frontn

St. Lucia to host musical

extravaganza

~ Rodney Bay Village Music Bash

to be held April 23-25

Some of the Caribbean's top
calypso, soca and reggae musi-
cians are scheduled to per-
form at a three-day musical
extravaganza, from April 23-
25, in St. Lucia.
The opening day of the
"Rodney Bay Village Music
Bash", to be held at the
Digicel Coco Cabana in" -
Rodney Bay, will feature
Trinidad and Tobago's David
Rudder and Jamaican crooner
Beres Hammond.


Destra


They will be followed the
next day by Sean Paul, the
Jamaican Grammy-winning
ambassador of dancehall reg-


Jamaican Luciano entertains the crowd at Miami's "Jazz in the Gardens".


red
n


Rudder
gae, who will share the stage
with Trinidadian Queen of
Soca Destra.
The extravaganza closes
with Grammy winner Shaggy,
and Grammy nominee Maxi
Priest.
The three-day event is
being sponsored by Coco
Resorts, TurnKey Productions,
Omni Entertainment and
Digicel's Coco Cabana.
For more information,
call 758-458 2626.
0


all over the Caribbean" with
songs that at once thoroughly
entertained while offering a
message of peace, hope and
happiness.
"We need the spiritual
element in our lives," he told
the crowd, which roared its
approval.

QUALITY
Those who attended the
second "Jazz in the G.rJd n, i


also received quality music
elsewhere, beginning the first
day. Pieces Of A Dream,
Boney James and Bobby
Caldwell, who replaced Will
Downing in the line-up, all
delivered pleasing sets in front
of some 5,000 people on a
cool, breezy South Florida
evening.
Day one closer India.Arie
took the crowd on a sentimen-
tal journey with selections


from her third album
"Testimony: Vol. 1, Life &
Relationship", showing her
wide-ranging musical talent
and versatility dressed in a
,i< >r style all of her own.
Day two attracted a
crowd less than half the size
and served up not only some
of the Caribbean's best enter-
tainers, but the most \ ih, '
as well. Trinidad and Tobago's
Othello Molineaux and his
quartet set the regional tone
with beautiful pan music. His
reggae style "Sentimental
Mood" was special, as the
heavy bass mingled with the
sparkling sound of steel drum.
It was like a thoughtful cruise
with a pleasant breeze soaking
in, and the crowd loved it.
Molineaux was followed
by Jamaican Dean Fraser on
saxophone. Fraser's 15-minute
set was sweet and to the point,
and his popular rendition of
Bob Marley's "Redemption
Song" never disappointed.
Yet when Fraser made
way for Luciano, it was clear
that "Jazz in the G,.rdL n
needed a spark. "The
Messenger" delivered. And
when Luciano left the stage,
with D'Rivera and Mendes still
to come, most of the crowd left
with him, underlining the dom-
inance of the Caribbean influ-
ence on the show.

Photographs and story by
Gordon Williams, Caribbean
Today's managing editor.
0


6etor mamma,
How I lore you. You h ae been there since birth for me, with your nurturing,
fWoing, caring self. you hae made me into who I am today, and I want
to tel( you how qratefut I am to you, because there is no ether tike you for me.

Caribbean Today invites you, the reading public, to participate in our
"Dear Mamm" 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 1
even better you could /
WIN1! WIN!IWINI!


Maoi your entrances to
Caribbean Today
9020 SW 152nd. Street,
Miami, l. 33157 t
or e-mai your entrances to
caribtoday@earthlink.net
or fox to 305-2 52-7843.
., Rb ., .:. ..: y :J
., : ... q ..... ...


April 2007





CARIBBEAN TODAY


-usw^caribbeantodj..c..


UNITED NATIONS A
United Nations agency dedicat-
ed to eliminating rural poverty
has launched a global initiative
aimed at reducing the cost of
remittances services to the
Caribbean and other countries.
The $10 million Financing
Facility for Remittances was
unveiled by the International
Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD) in
Guatemala City, the U.N. said in
a statement issued last month.
It said the first batch of
grant recipients is expected to
be selected and announced
later this year.
The Inter-American
Development Bank's (IDB)
Multilateral Investment Fund
(MIF) has said that remit-
tances to the Caribbean and
Latin America will continue to
grow in coming years.

GROWTH
MIF Manager Donald F.
Terry presented the estimate
for money transfers made by
Caribbean and Latin
American migrants on the eve
of the two-day annual meeting
of the IDB Board of
Governors in Guatemala City.
"Given present economic and
demographic trends in Latin
America and the Caribbean
and in industrialized countries,
remittances will continue to


St. Kitts P.M. urges
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts,
CMC Prime Minister Dr.
Denzil Douglas has called on
Caribbean businessmen to
develop opportunities to take
advantage of the Caribbean
community (CARICOM)
Single Market (CSM).
Speaking last month as
the Trinidad-headquartered
CLICO Group opened a new
headquarters here, Douglas
said it was important that
companies engaged them-
selves in the philosophy of
effective regionalism and
explored the emerging eco-
nomic environment of the
Caribbean region.
"Certainly, it is critical
that the focus of regional com-
panies takes into account the
global competitiveness of the

CCAA al
Washington, D.C. The
Caribbean Central American
Action (CCAA) has appoint-
ed Manuel A. Rosales the
organization's new president.
Rosales joins CCAA after
serving as the assistant adminis-
trator for the United States Small
Business Administration's (SBA)
Office of International Trade.
At SBA, he served as the
SBA administrator's principal


grow in volume over the next
few years to more than $100
billion a year by 2010," he said.
But Terry said, for the
IDB and the MIF this growth
was not a cause for celebration
because it reflected the fact
that the region cannot gener-
ate sufficient income opportu-
nities to prevent millions of
people from migrating. He,
nevertheless, said remittances
will continue
to flow and
have already
exceeded
both foreign
direct invest-
ment and
overseas aid
to Latin
Terry America and
Terry the
Caribbean,
helping millions of families to
escape poverty.
Terry said last year
Caribbean and Latin
American countries received
about $62.3 billion from
migrants, mostly in North
America, Europe and Asia.
That figure was 14 percent
higher than the amount for
2005. He said he expected
remittances to the Caribbean
and Latin America to rise to
about $72 billion for 2007.
Terry said the MIF will sup-
port the new IFAD program


B USI n ESS


LIFELINE
Pedro de Vasconcelos, the
coordinator of the funding
scheme, described remittances
as a vital lifeline for rural fami-
lies around the world.
"These transfers go direct-
ly to improve the living stan-
dards of millions and millions
of poor households," he said.
But he added, while com-
petition had driven down the
cost of remittances services
between major cities, it
remained more expensive to
send money to rural areas,
which often lack formal finan-
cial services.
The U.N. said the new
financing facility would give
funding priority to those proj-
ects or proposals, which link
remittances with the provision
of other financial services, such
as savings, insurance and loans.
"It will assist financial institu-
tions, which either want to
provide remittances services
directly or as agents of banks
or money transfer companies",
the statement said.
The new scheme is established
with the financial support of
the European Commission,
Luxembourg, the U.N. Capital
Development Fund, the
Consultative Group to Assist
the Poor and the IDB.
0


Caribbean business sector to think regional


region, and
is fully and
actively
engaged in
the growth
and devel-
opment of
the people
of the
Caribbean
communi- Douglas
ty," he said.
The prime minister said
the proposed Organization of
Eastern Caribbean (OECS)
economic union would also go
a long way towards assisting
the corporate sector in the sub
region expand its business
scope.
"This proposal is aimed at
further strengthening the
Treaty of Basseterre, thus pro-


viding the framework to take
OECS member states to the
next logical level of functional
corporation, and is intended
to provide a fundamental
nexus to the evolving CSME,"
he added.

CHALLENGING
Douglas said over the
next 10 years the region would
be entering a period that was
challenging and exciting at the
same time.
"It is up to all of us to com-
mit ourselves to the ideal of
being productive, creative and
efficient, of being remarkable
for our Caribbean friendliness
and professionalism," the St.
Kitts and Nevis leader added.
0


points new president


advisor on international trade,
educational and technical
assistance, risk management
and finance programs
designed to assist U.S. small
businesses in the international
marketplace.

BANKING CAREER
Rosales has a long career
in banking and finance. He
has served as vice president of


the Bank of California. He
was also vice president for
Shareholder Relations at the
Capital Preservation Fund
(now known as the Benham
Capital Management Group).
Rosales replaces Federico
Sacasa, who served as execu-
tive director of CCAA from
2002-2005 and president from
2005-2007.
0


amaica's indigenous goods
and services will be on dis-
play during the 17th annual
Jamaica Product Exchange
(JAPEX) to be held in the
Caribbean island this month.
The theme of JAPEX 2007,
from April 29-May 1 in Ocho
Rios, St. Ann, is "Eden by the
Falls". The aim of the event is
to showcase Jamaica's natural
beauty, while promoting its
unique selling opportunities.
One of the Jamaica Tourist
Board's (JTB) largest trade
shows, JAPEX is expected to
attract some 36 delegates from

Legislation

U.S. expati
STEVEN M. ROSENTHAL
MICHAEL ROSENBERG

Recently, legislation was
once again proposed that
would alter the United
Stated tax consequences with
respect to a person who is deemed
to "expatriate" from the U.S.
The proposed rules, which
are similar to prior proposals
which were never enacted into
law, would subject certain U.S.
citizens and long-term residents
who relinquish their U.S. citizen-
ship or residence status to tax on
the appreciation in all property
they own at the time of their
expatriation as if such property
were sold for fair market (com-
monly referred to as a "mark-to-
market tax").
Any gain from such deemed
sale would be subject to current
U.S. taxation to the extent it
exceeds $600,000 ($1.2 million in
the case of married individuals
filing a joint return, both of
whom relinquish citizenship or
terminate residency). This
$600,000 exclusion amount will
be increased each year by a cost
of living adjustment factor.

EXCEPTIONS
Two exceptions exist to this
new proposed mark-to-market
rule. The first exception applies
to an individual who was born
with citizenship both in the U.S.
and in another country; provided
that 1) as of the expatriation date
the individual continues to be a
citizen of, and is taxed as a resi-
dent of, such other country, and
2) the individual was not a resi-
dent of the U.S. for the five tax-
able years ending with the year of
expatriation.
The second exception applies
to a U.S. citizen who relinquishes
U.S. citizenship before reaching
age 18-and-a-half, provided that
the individual was a resident of
the U.S. for no more than five tax-
able years before such relinquish-
ment.
Notwithstanding these pro-
posed rules, a person expatriat-
ing will be permitted to make an
irrevocable election to continue


25 buyer companies and 128
delegates from 34 supplier com-
panies at the Sunset Jamaica
Grande Resort and Spa.
Utilizing a partnership with
the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist
Association (JHTA), JAPEX
plans to offer a forum for lead-
ing suppliers of the Jamaican
tourism product to meet with
travel wholesalers and tour
operators from Europe and the
Americas.
To obtain more informa-
tion on JAPEX, visit
www.jhta. org/japex. htm


seeks to alter

riation rules
to be taxed as a U.S. citizen with
respect to all property that other-
wise would be subject to the
mark-to-market tax. This elec-
tion is an "all or nothing" elec-
tion; an individual is not permit-
ted to elect this treatment for
some property but not for other
property.

RULES
Under this election, following
expatriation, the individual con-
tinues to pay U.S. income taxes at
the rates applicable to U.S. citi-
zens on any income generated by
the property and on any gain real-
ized on the disposition of the
property. In addition, the proper-
ty continues to be subject to U.S.
gift, estate, and generation-skip-
ping transfer taxes.
In order to make this elec-
tion, the taxpayer is required to
waive any treaty rights that
would preclude the collection of
the tax.
In addition, under the pro-
posal, an individual is permitted
to defer the payment of the
mark-to-market tax. Under the
election, the deferred tax attrib-
utable to a particular property is
deferred until the property is
sold or otherwise disposed of. In
such case, interest will be
charged for the period the tax is
deferred at a rate two percentage
points higher than the rate nor-
mally applicable to underpay-
ments of taxes. The election is
irrevocable and is made on a
property-by-property basis.

UNCLEAR
As similar legislation has
been proposed in the past, it is
unclear if this new proposal will
ultimately be passed into law.
Furthermore, if in fact enacted, it
is unclear when the new law
would become effective.

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


U.N. launches scheme to reduce

cost of remittances to Caribbean


Jamaica's business

on show at JAPEX


April 2007





CARIBBEAN TODAY


jMi1nG/summER EDUCATION'
~ A Caribbean Today advertising feature

Youth set to embrace nature at Caribbean summer camp


Developing a positive
outlook for nature will
be the focus of the 8th
Wider Caribbean
Environmental Youth
Program to be held in the
United States Virgin Islands
(USVI) this summer.
Under the theme of
"Natural History, Ecology and
Conservation on Caribbean
Islands" the program will be
presented at the Virgin Islands
Environmental Resource
Station (VIERS) from July 30
to Aug. 4.
The program focuses on
the decision makers of tomor-
row by providing Caribbean
young people with awareness
on environmental issues in a
fun, yet educational way. This
year's eco camp is sponsored
by the Caribbean Hotel
Association (CHA), its envi-
ronmental subsidiary, the
Caribbean Alliance for
Sustainable Tourism (CAST),
American Airlines and Clean
Islands International.
"One of the program
goals is to facilitate the devel-
opment of a positive environ-
mental ethic by students,
which builds their awareness
and strengthens their commit-
ment to conservation of the


natural environment and sus-
tainable development for the
good of human society," coor-
dinator Randy Brown said in
a recent press release.
ACTIVITIES
Students ages 12 to 18 will
be immersed in activities that
cover natural history and ecol-
ogy of selected Caribbean


guided plant walks, hikes to
petroglyphs and reef bays, as
well as group discussions on
personal experiences, eco-sys-
tems and environmental
ethics.
Instructors include profes-
sional presenters and local
experts with practical experi-
ence in conservation, biology,
marine biology, terrestrial
S 1 tropical ecolo-
gy, environmen-
41tal policy, waste
Management
and environ-
mental educa-
tion.
Cultural and
environmental
exchanges are
components of


*the program.
As part of the
S curriculum,
each group will
Educating children about their environment will be beneficial in be invited to


the future.


ecosystems coral reefs, sea
grass beds, mangrove wet-
lands, dry forest and moist
forest conservation issues,
natural resources management
strategies, and environmental
careers. The daily schedule
includes field activities such as


make a presen-
tation about
their history, environmental
issues and concerns affecting
their country. Students will
also take turns to prepare a
local dish from their country
and present it to the entire
group at dinner.
"The key for the success of


this program is that participants
are immersed in a real, first-
hand experience with nature;
not only do they learn about


the surrounding eco-systems,
but they see and feel them as
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 18)


Guyana pursues literacy

program for prison inmates


GEORGETOWN, Guyana,
CMC The Guyana govern-
ment says it will be aggressively
pursuing a literacy program for
prisoners this year in addition
to training in various skills, craft
and agriculture.
Home Affairs Minister
Clement Rohee said that reli-
gious and recreational activities
within the prison's environment
would be a continuing feature.
"We are committed to
improving our prisons' condi-
tion and the literacy capabilities
of prisoners," he said recently.
The Government
Information Agency (GINA)
said that some of the programs
being projected this year
include effective training of
ranks to deal with the multi-
dimensional challenges in the
prison environment, developing
security capabilities at each
prison location and reducing
dietary expenditure through
self-sufficiency.
"In this respect we will


Rohee
work towards utilizing the pris-
ons' estate to cultivate and rear
livestock and produce more
food. This will help us to ease
the budgetary allocation to
dietary expenditure. This
money will now be used up in
other areas," Rohee said.
GINA said that the state
pays an estimated $95 monthly
to treat one inmate, noting that
there are 19,000 prisoners.


Register today! tL Summer classes begin soon

llll 1et






S 4 A


954.201.7200 www.broward.edu


*BROWARD
WE COMMUNITY
E COLLEGE
WE KEEP YOU THINKING.


April 2007


J





CARIBBEAN TODAY


-usw^caribbeantodj..c..


sPRInG/SUMMER EDUCATION

~ A Caribbean Today advertising feature


Caribbean man is new president of Florida Memorial


A Jamaican-born educa- "I always wanted to work with
tor has taken over the students. I thoroughly enjoy
leadership reins of an working with young people,"
institution of higher learning the 54-year-old Wright told
in South Florida. the Miami Herald newspaper
Economist Karl S. Wright, before his installation as head
PhD., has become the 11th of FMU last month.
president of Florida Memorial "That's my commitment; that's
University (FMU). my passion: to open doors for


our young men and women to
allow them to realize the
American dream."
Wright attended Knox College
high school in Jamaica. He
came to the United States
more than 35 years ago.
Wright was inaugurated
the new president of the 128-


year-old South Florida univer-
sity on Mar. 16, during the
school's annual Founders' Day
Convocation.

GOALS
During the inaugural
address, Wright outlined goals
for his administration, includ-
ing continuing to increase the
ethnic and cultural diversity of
the student body, attracting
top-tier professors and admin-
istrators to the University's
faculty, and building strong
relationships with South
Florida's business and civic
communities.
"Our university is a one-
of-a-kind resource that pro-
vides young men and women
access to high-quality academ-
ics while promoting cultural
diversity, global awareness,
and the principles and values
of responsible citizenship all


within the
context and
tradition of a
historically
black univer-
sity," Wright
told the audi-
ence.
"As pres- Wright
ident, I look
forward to
partnering with our faculty
and staff to uphold our grow-
ing reputation for academic
excellence and to develop new
relationships for Florida
Memorial at the local, nation-
al and international levels."

SUCCESSION
Wright succeeds Albert E.
Smith, who served as FMU's
president from 1991 until he
retired in July 2006. Wright
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 19)


Barbados calls on schools

to enforce cell phone ban


BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,
CMC The Ministry of


Griffith Watson advised
school principals in a recent


Education here has mandated memo.
primary and secondary school "Students who defy this
principals to rigidly enforce a rule will have these devices
ban on the use of cellular confiscated and their parents
phones by students while at summoned to collect them".
education institutions. While the Education
Amidst widespread public Ministry had mandated a ban
concern over of the devices
the use of cellu- v since Mar.
lar phones by 2003, the word
school students, O i from education
the Ministry officials was
said the phones that the min-
and other com- istry's policy
munication was not being
devices, such as strictly
pagers, were enforced at all
not permitted at schools and the 100-plus government pri-
called on principals to ensure mary and secondary schools
that the ban, which it first across the island. In addition
imposed in Mar. 2003 was to government run schools,
enforced. the education official's latest
"Students are not permit- recommendation was that the
ted to bring cell phones, guidelines be also observed at
pagers or any other communi- privately-run institutions.
cation devices to school",
Chief Education Officer

Youth set to embrace nature

at Caribbean summer camp


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17)
part of the learning process,"
said Deirdre Shurland from
CAST, adding that participants
are also encouraged to con-
serve water and energy, recycle,
and respect the wildlife around
the camp.
The deadline for reserva-
tions is May 28, and the pro-
gram is available for up to five
students and one chaperone
from up to seven Caribbean


islands, for a maximum of 42
participants.
For more information and
the full program of the 8th
Wider Caribbean
Environmental Youth
Program, including fees, con-
tact Randy Brown at 410-647-
2500; via email at:
rb@islands.org or by visiting
http://www. islands.org/vir-
gin/viers/aachal.htm
0


April 2007





CARIBBEAN TODAY


SPRING/SummER EDUCATION U


~ A Caribbean Today advertising feature

Community forum to aid education grant applicants Sum


BROWARD COUNTY,
Florida Broward County
Commission's Cultural
Division will this month offer
a community forum to aid
applicants for the Education
and Community Development
(ECD) grant program.
The forum will be held
from 10 a.m. to noon April 30
in the Main Library, room
A/B, 100 S. Andrews Ave. in
Fort Lauderdale.
The grant program sup-
ports arts education collabora-
tions that promote skills,
knowledge, and an apprecia-
tion of the arts. Projects
occurring in low-income com-


munities are encouraged to
apply.
The forum will offer
grantees, applicants and other
community art stakeholders,
the opportunity to discuss cur-
rent issues related to the
application and management
process of the Education and
Community Development
grant program.

AGENDA
Scheduled agenda items
include: how have revisions to
the ECD grant guidelines
improved the grant applica-
tion and management process;
what additional changes to the


Helping children with learning disorders


If your child has learning
and/or attention problems, it's
important to recognize that
the shift from school year to
summer break (however wel-
come) represents a transition
phase and may pose special
challenges for your child.
Regardless of the summer
plans you've made, you may
want to ease into summer in a
way that addresses your needs
as well as your child's. Here
are some tips to consider:
1. Revamp but don't
eliminate your child's daily
routine. A daily routine gives
most kids with learning or
attention problems a sense of
structure and security. While

Caribbean man

of Florida
(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18)
previously served as FMU's
executive vice president and
provost, where he was instru-
mental in increasing the uni-
versity's student enrollment,
upgrading faculty credentials,
and overseeing the school's
graduate degree accreditation
process.
"From the day he stepped
foot on campus, Dr. Wright
has been a tireless advocate
for success and was instru-
mental in Florida Memorial's
historic passage from college
to university," said Charles
George, chairman of FMU's
Board of Trustees.
"Now, as president, he will
oversee our continued growth
while ensuring our students
have the resources they need
to succeed during their years
on campus and beyond."
Before joining FMU,
Wright served as dean of the
School of Business at South
Carolina State University for
seven years. Prior to that, he
was assistant professor of
commodity marketing and
economics at North Carolina
A&T State University.


il

al


certain tasks (like doing
homework) can be dropped
during the summer, new ones
(like packing for daily swim
lessons) may be added. For
fun, you might loosen up on
certain chores during the sum-
mer, like designating every
Friday as "Don't make the
bed" day!
2. Prepare your child for
her scheduled activities. If
possible, visit the locations
where she'll be during day
camp or day care in advance.
Have your child talk to coun-
selors, caregivers, as well as
other kids have enjoyed those
same situations and settings.
3. Have your child contribute

s new president

Memorial
Wright is active in several
professional and service
organizations, including the
Miami-Dade County
Investment Advisory
Committee, Greater Miami
Chamber of Commerce, the
Beacon Council, and the 100
Black Men of Fort
Lauderdale.
He has been recognized
by the Kellogg Foundation as
a NAFEO leadership fellow,
and by the American
Association of State Colleges
and Universities, which select-
ed him to participate in the
Millennium Presidential
Leadership Fellows Initiative.
Wright earned his Ph.D.
in economics at Mississippi
State University, and holds
bachelor's and master's
degrees from the University of
Maryland at College Park. His
academic interests include
economic modeling and statis-
tical forecasting.

Information collected from
various sources, including
newspapers and FMU releases.
0


guidelines will further
improve the grant application
and management process; and
an open discussion of partici-
pants' concerns.
Grant awards range from
$3,100 to $30,000. Eligible
applicants include Broward
County public entities cities,
towns, public libraries, Native-
American nations, Broward
County not-for-profit, cultural
organizations, and qualified
individual artists from Martin,
Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-
Dad, or Monroe counties.
The application deadline
is Dec. 1, 2007 for projects
running from Oct. 1,
2008-Sept. 30, 2009.
Organizations looking to
develop arts education pro-
grams should attend the
forum even if they are not eli-
gible to apply. The forum will
teach about the necessary col-
laborations for submitting an
eligible application.
For more information,
call Patricia Zeiler, arts educa-
tion assistant, at 954-357-8010
or e-mail
pzeiler@broward. org.
0


imer tips to keep up


academic skills


Want to help your chil-
dren keep up their
academic skills over
the summer? Here are some
tips from the experts:

* Set aside at least 20
minutes each day for
reading.
* To keep writing skills
fresh, buy children a
notebook and let them
decorate the cover.
Then tell them it's
their vacation journal
and have them write
down three things that
happen each day.
* To keep up math Encoura
skills, buy books of
number puzzles (found at any
bookstore). Also consider
investing in math-related com-
puter games.
* Find ways to make hobbies
educational. A child who
loves to collect baseball cards,
for instance, could practice
penmanship by writing fan let-
ters to players. He could also
work on math skills by track-
ing players' statistics and


sharpen up on reading by tak-
ing out books on baseball
from the library.


age umUilen tU Iu d iu uu iny se a alde time..

If you're taking a family
vacation, bring home
brochures that describe the
history and culture of the
places you'll be visiting. Try
plotting out the trip on a map
with your kids.


- Fam ilyfun. com


April 2007





CARIBBEAN TODAY


- u scrbes..


Cricket World Cup

in blaze of Caribbea


EARL MOXAM

TRELAWNY, Jamaica, CMC
- Mark it down as the day a
dream was fulfilled. The ICC
Cricket World Cup 2007 got
underway last month with a
near flawless opening ceremo-
ny at the Trelawny Multi-pur-
pose Stadium in the North
Western end of the island.
The 16 participating
teams, their officials and visi-
tors from around the region
and the wider world were
treated to a spectacular and
diverse cultural package,
heavily reflective of the music,
dance, and artistic flavor of
the West Indies, but with a
taste of South Africa and
Ireland thrown in for good
measure.
Then, in a poignant
moment, the ninth edition of
the World Cup, the first to be
staged in the West Indies, was
declared officially open by the
iconic Sir Garfield Sobers,
widely acknowledged to be
the greatest all-rounder in the
history of the sport.
The three-hour long cere-
mony got off to a prompt start
at 5.15p.m. with a military dis-
play by the massed bands of
the Corps of Drums of the
Jamaica Defence Force. What
unfolded thereafter were
boundless displays of high
energy from 1,500 young
dancers, and the best of the
region's musical stars.

HIGHLIGHTS
One major highlight was
the CWC 'anthem', written
for the occasion and per-
formed by Rupee, Shaggy and
FayAnne Lyons.
The musical performances


were interspersed with short
speeches by some of the main
dignitaries on hand host
Prime Minister Portia Simpson
Miller, Prime Minister Dr.
Keith Mitchell of Grenada,


who heads CARICOM's sub-
committee on cricket, Chris
Dehring, managing director/
chief executive officer, ICC
CWC WI 2007 Inc, and Percy
Sonn, ICC president.
In a rare unscripted
moment, Val Banks, vice pres-
ident of the West Indies
Cricket Board, delivered the
board's message on behalf of
the president, Ken Gordon,
who it was later revealed -
had a throat ailment. He
appeared to capture the senti-
ments of many in the audience
when he described the event
as a defining moment in West
Indian history.
The parade of the teams
was one of the main highlights
of the. \ iini ii the captains
leading their players onto the
field, whilst holding the hand
of an accompanying child.
Brian Lara, captain of the
West Indies, gave the players'
pledge, on behalf of the par-
ticipants, promising to uphold


starts

n glory

the fine traditions of the game
by abiding by the rules, while
Steve Bucknor, the outstand-
ing umpire from Jamaica,
gave the pledge of the
umpires and match referees.
For hours before the start,
there had been a steady build-
up of fans, the numbers even-
tually swelling to thousands,
packed into the new stadium
for this once-in-a-lifetime
experience.
Beyond the highway, the
glistening waters of the
Caribbean Sea, kissed by the
rays of the setting sun, made
the perfect backdrop for the
start of the evening's spectacle.
As afternoon gave way to
dusk, the shadows provided
the perfect canvass for the
high-energy creations of the
youngsters, dressed in the
beautiful costumes reflective
of the region's carnivals and
other festivals. Members of
the audience were caught up
in the moment, hanging on to
every musical note; every lyric
belted out, while gyrating and
waving fabrics of many colors,
appropriate for the occasion.

MARLEY MAGIC
They were temporarily
awestruck, however, when, in
a moment of high tech magic,
the spirit of reggae legend
Bob Marley was brought to
life on screen. Marley, his
image outlined in bright light,
emerged, acoustic guitar in
hand to the strains of
"Redemption Song".
The past was then merged
with the present, when he was
"joined" live on stage by his
faithful back-up singers, the I-
Three wife Rita, Judy
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 21)


JOSEPH GUYLER DELVA

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti,
CMC- At least eight people
were killed by floods and
mudslides triggered by heavy
rains that lashed this
Caribbean country late last
month, an official has
revealed.
Dieufort Deslorge, a
spokesman for Haiti's civil
protection office, said eight
people were killed and one
was missing and presumed
dead in the western section of
the island. But witnesses have
reported two other deaths in
the northern town of Jean-
Rabel, not taken into account
in the civil protection office's
count.
"Those victims were


St. Vincent pushes motion

for slavery reparation, apology


KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent,
CMC The St. Vincent and
the Grenadines Parliament
has unanimously passed a
motion demanding a full apol-
ogy and reparation from
nations which profited from
the slave trade.
The motion, which was
debated late last month as
part of the country's com-
memoration of the 200th
anniversary of the abolition of
the slave trade, also called on
Parliament to pursue, in con-
junction "with like-minded
persons in the Caribbean and
. I,\\ I iL r the demand for
the apology and financial
redress.
Minister of Culture Rene
Baptiste, who piloted the
motion through the legisla-
ture, said St. Vincent and the
Grenadines fully endorsed the
United Nations sanctioned
one-year celebration of the
bicentennial and encouraged
other Caribbean countries to
be involved in the celebration
of the milestone. Baptiste told
Vincentians that slavery was
not something that they
should mourn about but
rather use as a tool on which
they should build themselves.
The minister noted that even
though slavery in the
Caribbean community


Baptiste


(CARICOM) had been abol-
ished, drug traffickers and
men who prostituted women
had become the modern day
slave masters.
Prime Minister Dr. Ralph
Gonsalves said that the
region's "painful past of slav-
ery" had left Caribbean
nationals something good. He
said that the region had
birthed a new people, who
while diverse in culture and
race, lived together in peace,
love and democracy, an exam-
ple to the wider world.
"Out of the crucible of
our painful past, we have cre-
ated a new people," he said.
0


Eight die in Haiti floods


Most of us try to attract other people by the friends
AN W TAwe keep and the way we carry ourselves. If you
AN W ALare going to a party or a formal function, don't you
dress well? We all want to promote a favorable
impression of ourselves to other people we meet
and talk to.
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taken away by floods or killed
in mudslides resulted from
several days of torrential rains
in some regions," Deslorge
said.
He said several people
were injured, several hundred
houses destroyed or damaged
and over 380 families left
homeless.
"One hundred and ten of
those 380 families have been
housed in shelters set up with
financial support from the
government," said Deslorge.
Haiti is particularly vul-
nerable during rainy and hur-
ricane seasons because of its
flimsy infrastructures and its
shanty towns that generally
offer little resistance to the
least amount of rain.
0


April 2007





CARIBBEAN TODAY


n e WS


LWW-crbbatoa.co


Pregnant J'can beauty queen

keeps 'Miss Caribbean' title


PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad,
CMC An Appeal Court last
month quashed the conviction
of former Prime Minister
Basdeo Panday, set aside his
two-year jail term, and
ordered a new trial.
Panday had been previ-
ously found guilty of failing to
declare a London bank
account to the Integrity
Commission while he served
as head of the Trinidad and
Tobago government.
The three-member Appeal
Court agreed with the argu-
ments put forward by Panday's
defense team that the decision
by Chief Magistrate Sherman
McNicolls not to testify in the
case against the chief justice,
whom McNicolls had accused
of seeking to influence his
decision in the Panday trial,
would have left any reasonable
and fair-minded person to con-
clude that there was bias in the
ruling against the former
prime minister.
McNicolls had sentenced
Panday to three two-year jail
terms to run concurrently on
the three charges, of failing to


Cricket Wor

in blaze of Ca

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20)
Mowatt and Marcia Griffiths -
for a medley of his most
famous songs, climaxing with
the universal anthem, "One
Love".
And, just when some might
have thought that Bob had
put a cap on the .\ Li n in- on
strode his contemporary
Jimmy Cliff for the climax.
The entire ensemble came
back onto the field for one


declare a bank account he and
his wife, Oma, held at the
Natwest Bank in London for
the years 1997, 1998 and 1999,
when he served as prime min-


Panday


ister.
Panday, 73, appealed that
conviction and was released
on TT$300,000 ($50,000) bail.
The Appeal Court said
that it would issue a written
ruling later, but said that the
issue before it involved the
public confidence in the judi-
ciary.



Id Cup starts

aribbean glory

last moment in the spotlight,
as the veteran singer belted
out the fitting finale,
"Wonderful World; Beautiful
People". And as he sang and
the dancers pranced, the skies
were lit up and the air rever-
berated to the sound of fire-
works, timed to perfection.

CMC
0


KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC -
Miss Jamaica World 2006 Sara
Lawrence, who relinquished
her crown last month, will not
be stripped of her Miss World
Caribbean title, pageant rights
holders have revealed.
Following reports that 22-
year-old Lawrence would be
relinquishing her title due to
pregnancy, Julia Morley,
founder and chairman of Miss
World Limited, wrote local
promoters stating that
Lawrence will not be stripped
of the Miss World Caribbean
title and urged them to allow
her to keep the Miss Jamaica
World title.
In her correspondence,


Morley described Lawrence as
"a warm, compassionate and
caring rL r,, iin who should
not be condemned but shown
love and support during her
pregnancy.

STEPPING DOWN
Last month Lawrence,
who placed sixth at the Miss
World competition and won
the Miss World Region
(Caribbean) last August,
announced that she was step-
ping down because of her
pregnancy.
"I relinquish my position
as Miss Jamaica World 2006,
having taken a deeply person-
al decision to face up to my


Lawrence


responsibilities as one who
expects to become a mother
later this year. I believe with
all that is within me that it is


Dominica still undecided on whaling stance P.M.


ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC -
Just days after one of his min-
isters said the government
would not relax its pro-whaling
stance, Prime Minister
Roosevelt Skerrit said no firm
decision has yet been taken on
the matter.
The prime minister said the
government was still contem-
plating what position to take
when the 59th International
Whaling Commission (IWC)
meeting gets underway in
Alaska next month
"The Cabinet has not
taken a decision," Skerrit said
adding, "I am hoping that I can
get a mandate from the Cabinet
in respect to the g' \ L rlIm n11 i
position in 2007 and where the


government should vote."
Minister for Agriculture,
Fisheries and the Environment
Dr. Collin McIntyre said late
last month that Dominica
would continue to vote along-
side Japan for the "sustainable
Uis of commercial whaling
despite stiff opposition from


environmental groups here.
"Usually when these meet-
ings are upcoming you tend to
get a lot of controversy and
strange articles in the press,"
McIntyre said.

'NO REAL ISSUE'
The minister defended
government's pro-whaling
stance saying there was "no
real issue" once there was sus-
tainable harvesting.
"Once it's something that
can be harvested sustainably
without creating problems then
it's okay with me," he said.
Last year Skerrit said that
he would vote based on scien-
tific evidence and called on
opposition groups who had


April 2007


Appeal Court quashes


Panday's conviction


REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
RFP #6000000088
CAMPBELL SCIENTIFIC (CR10) INSTALLATION FOR
THE DISTRICT'S SURFACE-WATER NETWORK
i'i 'li i r .i urll l i 'i j[i-i a lrl i:lTi ull l I|l i [ r illl i I[l[ ,1 i i. l' l l I 1in .111 lil i.] un iir i l I c i lr l lll i ir nli- .1lf i ,I I
,l l r. ,IIrl il M ii 1- l i .IiId ,l11] i.llv ii lri rIi,-ri i, v. i-i V i rll i. iTi..Il i|i II F. iTi rITiirl.l l i i I
ii l ll I 1, I : l'..rl lll :lj rli i [ iL I l I r : i .i % j. I i l i -r : lw
Proposals shall be submitted to the Procu, ITIIoI rii Tiii nFl, Fi,i. ir i I FljIP llli ii, 11 ",I n ilui i;.li1
Ii 1i I' hh, i I I r,.gt J k. lu I 1 I I, rr, IIto1 I ..I r ,I .'.. 1 .r ll [ ., ., '
An OPTIONAL PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE will be held on April 19,2007, at i'i i' l ir, I1..i1.l,lj I1,-,
2-A Bridge Conference Room, 3301 Gun Club Road, West Palm Beach Florida for all ir.-'i-rl:l i-p:.'i naI
All proposals must conform to the instructions in the Request for Proposals and include a properly executed
Contract Compliance Disclosure Form, Solicitation documents will be available April 6, 2007, interested
p r ln i :l'l.[ii' ITI n r li._ il i :r I.l Ih I' l' IFi.-r l- I I rl i, 2l'l, li i- a llrl- i :'-1 i i ij ',il'lli .. Jll i- ;ll i l: 11 .il
II.I IT ll iii 1 11ii i i ii a .i.ii i i i i .] p i i l -ll l l l.* l l i.i .- I I: IIII i .ii llii i i nrii, BID H O TLIN E
(800) 472-5290 il- i:..,. i ,n.iir-1 [ iiill.-nil ii.,- pI,.p, .ii .. r.i, Further information on the slatus of
this solicitation can he obtained on our web site www.sfwmd.gov.
Official public meetings regarding this RFP are scheduled as follows:
1. Oral Presentations: June 14, 2007, at 9:00 a.m 1.00 p Ir, FI.: i.i rl, Hi..rn r,] Ir- .,i r i :rl,.i.. r.,..: H.,:)|iT|
2. Oral Presentations: June 15, 2007, at 1:00 p.m. 5:00 pm Building 1, fichard Rogers Conference Room
Oral presentations are subject to cancellation in the event that the District's fina' rinkin. i^ t :rd ""l ,' n th,
,.% ,h n- ,i hi ,!... jI i ii i-i lijI i ..l % ll % 1 i iI iTl-l I i oI i j t i- l r- i j Ii 11 ri ,] 1 i rilr.Ir, .- i. jI i .,, 11l,0 llllrl i: i ..,lT l,
11l rl, .' ..r .,,. ,i '-" i ril m,-i i1) j I JT l 1,, i l.,t=,,,elr , e llll ll :i r :.uo ri l' :.lll Ii'. l a i i j M aii i r lY.-II iI in r, .1,
Procurement Department, P.O. Box 24680, West Palm Beach, Florida, 3 111 i... i. ,1- ..io. :l.
handicaps who need assistance may contact the District Clerk, (561) 682-6297, at least two business days in
advance of the meeting to make appropriate arrangements.
Should one or more members of the evaluation committee need to attend any o[ the meetings by means of
T uriTi ii' ,, a i ,1' ., i,'l'i:l..I- II MT I!,- ,T,,I-,,,) I 11 teleconference at the dates, times, locations and
conference rooms referenced above.
For more information, please contact Don Hill Contract Specialist at (561) 682-2045





CARIBBEAN TODAY


- u scrbes..


PRESIDENT SPEAKS
United States President
George W. Bush is scheduled
to speak at Miami Dade


College's (MDC) 2007 gradua-
tion commencement exercises
which begin at 5 p.m. April 28
at the Kendall campus, Gibson
Center, 11011 S.W. 104 St.
In addition to Kendall
campus's graduation, six other
commencement exercises for
MDC's other campuses are
scheduled to take place the
same day beginning at 8 a.m.
and concluding at 7 p.m.

PAGEANT ENTRY
Partners for Youth
Foundation is accepting appli-
cations the "Miss Jamaica
Florida 2007 PL ant i 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 to submit
applications is April 30.
For more information, call
Marcia Baker at 954-600-0334.

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
1-877-487-2778. Customer serv-
ice representatives are avail-
able from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Monday through Friday,
excluding Federal holidays.
Automated information is
available 24 hours a day, seven


DAILY W ARGO
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or E-mafl: sales@asmcrijct.coini


days a week.
For e-mail access, visit:
npic@state.gov Website of
passport and other internation-
al travel information is avail-
able 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 Card, ', directly to the
Los Angeles Lockbox.
The Lockbox is a process-


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ing facility used by USCIS to
accelerate the collection of
applications and petitions. The
announced change allows the
agency to improve the process-
ing of Form 1-90 (Application
to Replace Permanent
Resident Card) by electronical-
ly capturing data and images
and by performing fee receipt-
ing and depositing from one
central location, rather than at
the local district office, service
center, or application support
center (ASC).
Aliens filing a Form 1-90,
regardless of their state of resi-
dence, must mail those applica-
tions 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:
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 1-90
to the Los Angeles Lockbox.
Applicants will receive a
notice for a biometrics process-
ing appointment at an ASC
and will submit their initial evi-
dence during that appointment.
Applicants will receive
their biometrics appointment
in the mail.
0


HAITIANS ON CALL


Black Affairs Advisory Board Chairman D.J. Fabien, second right, was among delegates who
recently traveled to Haiti to emphasize the social impact that the deportation of Haitians has on
families living in Miami-Dade County, United States. Prime Minister Jacques Edouard-Alexis,
fourth left, was informed about the Temporary Protective Status (TPS) and its impact on
Haitians living in the U.S. Others are, from left, Jean Robert Lafortune, Steve Forester, Lucie
Tondreau, Yvans Morisseau, Marleine Bastien and Ronald Aubourg.


U


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One Cable & Wireless local JAMAICAN (876) number with
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April 2007


r y I





CARIBBEAN TODAY


GORDON WILLIAMS

FORT LAUDERDALE Top
level international soccer with
a Caribbean flavor returned to
South Florida last month, but
Jamaica's Reggae Boyz failed
to excite their passionate U.S.-
based fans, losing 2-0 to
Switzerland at Lockhart
Stadium here.
Jamaica, featuring talent
based on the island but buoyed
by winning the Lunar New
Year Cup, a four-team tourna-
ment held in Hong Kong in
February, were outclassed in
front of 3,200-plus fans who
braved windy and wet condi-
tions.
Yet Jamaica's new techni-
cal director Bora Milutinovic,
the Serb charged with guiding
the Reggae Boyz to World Cup
in 2010 in South Africa,
seemed unperturbed by the
game's final result. He insisted
that Switzerland was simply the
better team and that the expe-
rience gained from playing the
Ni i ', ranked 17th by world
soccer's governing body FIFA,
would serve his team well in
the future.
"It is important for us if we
can play against a team like
Switzerland," Milutinovic told
Caribbean Today after the
game. "It will be perfect for us,
(our) preparation to be in the
real soccer, real football world.
All of this (Swiss) team's play-
ers play in Europe. (They)


have so many good players."

EARLY SETBACK
Jamaica fell behind in the
seventh minute when Swiss for-
ward Marco Streller swiveled
away from his marker and slot-
ted past goalkeeper Richard
McCallum. In the 12th minute
Gokhan Inler doubled the lead
with a good strike from the top
of the penalty area. From then
on the Swiss dominated play,
wasting numerous chances to
increase their lead as the Boyz


Milutinovic


struggled to keep pace.
"They were physically bet-
ter than us," Milutinovic said.
"They are athletic, real good.
But this is the difference to
being good, the competition,
the league (they play in)."
His assistant Wendell
Downswell, a former technical
director of Jamaica's national
team, attributed Jamaica's poor
start to big game jitters.
"The first half we were a
little bit tentative, a little bit of
nerves," said Downswell. "But
I think the second half we


came out, we made some
changes, and we were far more
competitive."
Jamaica, which in 1998
became the first English-speak-
ing Caribbean team to reach
the World Cup, but which has
stumbled badly recently failing
to make the final round of the
Digicel Caribbean Cup, offered
a handful of bright spots on a
night when their fans' enthusi-
asm was drenched not only by
the team's deficiencies, but
intermittent showers as well.
McCallum was outstanding,
saving the Boyz from a more
embarrassing scoreline with
some fantastic saves.
Meanwhile, Milutinovic
urged fans of the Caribbean
team to be patient as Jamaica
builds up to World Cup quali-
fiers starting next year.
"(That) is important, and I
hope the people from Jamaica
they grow to understand what
is our goal," he said. "Our goal
is clear, to go to the World
Cup. To do this, we need to
work hard, to have patience, to
support our players."
In another friendly inter-
national played in South
Florida late last month,
Caribbean champions Haiti
beat Panama 3-0 at the Orange
Bowl in Miami.

Gordon Williams is Caribbean
Today's managing editor.
0


KEEPING IT CARIBBEAN


Guadeloupe-born Jean-Marc Mormeck raises the world cruiserweight title belt he
won last month by defeating another boxer from the Caribbean, Jamaican O'Neil Bell.
Mormeck, who now resides in France, won a unanimous decision against the United
States-based Bell in Paris to regain the World Boxing Council and World Boxing
Association titles the Jamaican took from him by knocking him out in New York last
year. At left is U.S. boxing promoter Don King.


PWarner re-elected regional soccer boss


Trinidad and Tobago's
Austin "Jack" Warner
was last month re-elect-
ed president of CONCACAF
(Confederation of North,
Central American and
Caribbean Association
Football), the highest-ranking
soccer body in the region.
Warner will serve another
four-year term, which will run
through 2011.
He retained his seat after
the nomination deadline, for a
challenge to his position,
passed without anyone else
stepping forward to contest the


post. The new term will mark
his fifth as CONCACAF boss.
Warner received multiple nom-
inations from every sector of
CONCACAF's membership of
40 nations.
Warner was first elected as
CONCACAF president in 1990
and he has been re-elected on
every occasion since then
(1994, 1998, 2002 and now,
2007). He is also the longest
continuously serving member
of the Executive Committee of
FIFA, world soccer's governing
body, having first taken his seat
there in 1983.


The ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, the
one-day game's biggest show held
every four years, began in the
Caribbean last month. The tourna-
ment runs through April 28, when
the final will be played in Barbados.
Below are some of the highlights,
both on and off the field, that took
place last month:

* Opening with a bang
The opening ceremony in Trelawny,
Jamaica has been described as pos-
sibly the best ever since the CWC
was first staged in 1975 in England.
Most of the countries in the
Caribbean participated in the colorful
event, complete with cultural displays
and music, and attended by many


international artistes and dignitaries.

* Untimely death
Bob Woolmer, coach of the Pakistan
team, was found unconscious in his
Jamaica hotel room on Mar. 18. He
was taken to the University Hospital
of the West Indies where he was
pronounced dead. Police investiga-
tions revealed it was murder by
strangulation. Pakistan lost to Ireland
the day before the incident and was
eliminated from the tournament.

* Sixes for days
South African batsman Herschelle
Gibbs created a new world record
for one-day cricket when he blasted
six sixes against the Netherlands at


Warner Park in St. Kitts. Two other
batsmen, Sir Garfield Sobers of the
West Indies and India's Ravi Shastri,
had managed the feat in first class
games, but no one had, before
Gibbs, done it in a one-day interna-
tional.

* Runs galore
A week into CWC 2007, India
amassed 413 runs in their group
match against Bermuda in Trinidad.
It was the highest score in the his-
tory of the tournament, eclipsing Sri
Lanka's 398 versus Kenya in 1996.

Compiled from CMC and other
sources.
0


SAN FERNANDO, Trinidad,
CMC Trinidad and Tobago's
women's world light mid-
dleweight boxing champion
Jizelle Salandy is to defend her
title next against American
Dakota Stone.
Her manager Boxu Potts
says his 20-year-old charge as
been mandated by the World
Boxing Council (WBC) to
defend her title against Stone,
the number one contender,
probably late this month or
early May.
"The WBC has mandated
Stone as their number one con-
tender and the WIBA has also


mandated her as their top con-
tender," Potts said.
"...No middleweight in the
world can beat Jizelle Salandy
right now," Potts added.
Salandy improved her ring
record last month to 14-0 with six
knockouts when she beat
American Yvonne Reis to retain
her plethora of world and inter-
national titles World Boxing
Council (WBC), World Boxing
Association (WBA), IWBF,
IFBA, NABC, WBE and IWBA.
Stone, 38, has a record of
eight victories, four defeats and
five draws.
0


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)


SPORT


Swiss clip Jamaica's Reggae Boyz

in soccer


CRICKET WORLD CUP BRIEFS


T&T woman to defend

world boxing title soon


REQUEST FOR BID
RFB 600000087
LEASED UNIFORM SERVICES AND UNIFORM PURCHASES
The South Florida Water Management District will accept bids from qualified firms to
provide a full service uniform contract that includes furnishing, laundering, repair and
delivery of uniforms to approximately 460 District Operations staff. This solicitation shall
also be used to establish a price agreement for the furnishing of the same services, as
well as the purchase of uniforms, by other District units.
Bids shall be submitted to the Procurement Department, 2nd Floor, B-1 Building, 3301
Gun Club Road, VVest Palm Beach, Florida, 33406, on April 13. 2007, at 2:30 P.M. local
time, at which time bids will be opened and publicly read.
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 16. 2007 in the SFVVMD Procurement
Department at the above address, by downloading a copy from the District's website at
www.sfwrnd.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 a solicitation can be obtained at our web site -
www.atwmd.gov.
For more information, please contact Don Hill, Contract Specialist at (561) 682-2045.


April 2007





CARIBBEAN TODAY

n e WS


lww~cribeatoay* omlo


April 2007


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PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE P AID MIAMI, FL PERMITNO. 7315 Vol.18 No.5 APRIL 2007 Tel: (305 1-800-605-7516editor@caribbeantoday .com ct_ads@bellsouth.net Jamaica: 654-7282 W e cover your world INSIDEDr . Denzil Douglas has led theCaribbean community’scall for a“completeandunequivo cal” apology fr om leaders of all colonial powers for their r ole in the “despicable” transAtlantic slave trade, page 2. A strong Caribbean link is at the hear t of unfoldingaviation his tor y. Jamaicanborn Miami resident Barrington Irving Jr. has taken off on a journey to become the youngest pilot ever to fly solo around the world, page 8. Reggae star Luciano led Caribbean-flavored perform-ances that highlighted the “Jazz in the Gardens” musicfestival in Miami last month,page 15. News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Local . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Brides and Honeymoons . .12 Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Arts/Entertainment . . . . . . .15 Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Spring Education . . . . . . . .17 Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 FYI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Sport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 ~ After a two-year battle with the law, Caribbeanborn politician Fitzroy Salesman is free of criminal charges and ready to resume duties as a Miramarcity commissioner in Florida, page 2. THE MULTI AWARD-WINNING NEWS MAGAZINE CALL CARIBBEAN TODAY DIRECT FROM JAMAICA 654-7782 CALL CARIBBEAN TODAY DIRECT FROM JAMAICA 654-7782 CTApril07.qxd 4/4/07 10:47 AM Page 1

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UNITED NATIONS, New York The Caribbean commu-nity (CARICOM for a “complete and unequivocal” apology from leaders of all colonial powers for their role inthe “despicable” trans-Atlanticslave trade. Speaking on behalf of CARICOM, St. Kitts and Nevis’s Prime Minister Dr.Denzil Douglas told the UnitedNations General Assembly (UNGAmendable that some leadershave expr essed “deep sorrow” for the event, it is oppor tune that others do the same now . “It is my hope that leaders of other nations that supported and profited from the inhumane activity will come forward in like manner,” Douglas told the special commemora-tive event on the 200th Anniversar y of the TransAtlantic Slave Trade late last month. The event was organized collaboratively by the CARI-COM diplomatic corps and the United Nations. “However, it is important that leaders of such nations offer to the descendants of African slaves, who were brought to the Caribbean andthe Americas, a complete andunequivocal apology ,” Douglas added. “It is undisputed that such nations were developed on theblood, sweat and tears of our enslaved forefathers; and it isonly right, and the decentthing to do, to make amendsand extend their apologies intothe r ealm of atonement for the legal and economic suppor t for the atrocities that were the norm of the slave trade and slavery. “Countries that were engaged in the slave trade and slavery have a moral obligationto make right those crimes against humanity ,” Douglas said. NO CLAIM The St. Kitts and Nevis DAMIAN P . GREGORY Fitzr oy Salesman does not think he has changed much in the last two years. He is still charismatic and unafraid to speak his mind -all traits that have ser ved him well in the six years that havebeen hallmarks of his life inthe public eye. Now the once power ful South Florida politician is anxiously looking forward to returning to his post as Miramar city commissioner after being freed of criminal charges. “I knew that it was only a matter of time,” Salesman told Caribbean Today shortlyafter his acquittal. Salesman, 50, was fr eed late last month after a three-day trial for driving under theinfluence of alcohol and flee ing a police of ficer, felony charges that could have landed him in jail for years. Yet, he is still puzzled why he landed in hot water in the first place. “The whole thing did not make sense,” Salesmanexplained. ou don’t run away from the police and head to yourhome.” According to Miramar police, in April 2005 Salesman r efused to stop his silver Mer cedes when they attempted to pull him over at 3:45 a.m. They claimed he wasgoing 61 miles per hour in a35 mile per hour zone at thetime. Salesman allegedly ran a four-way stop sign beforepulling into his driveway andhad a blood alcohol level of.16 or twice the legal limitunder Florida law . He was arrested and charged. SUSPENDED In June 2005, then Florida Governor Jeb Bush suspended him from his $31,599-a-year job on the five-memberMiramar City Commission.Now that he has been exoner ated he is entitled to back pay of about $60,000, according to Florida law . Despite the char ges, Salesman always maintained his innocence, even as themedia splashed his alleged drunken mug shot on the news. “It was a big sensational story,” he said. “Media truckswer e in my neighborhood talking to my neighbors.” But his Mar . 26 acquittal, he said, has not received nearly as much attention. The politi-cian said no television cameras were there when a jury cleared him of all charges, after delib-erating for two hours. “I understand it,” he claimed. REFOCUS On Mar. 30, Salesman was reinstated as city commissioner by current Gov. Charlie Crist. He said he is now interested in refocusing his atten-tion on the issues that hebelieves wer e the reasons he got re-elected to another fouryear term in Mar. 2005, just months befor e his suspension. Those issues, which include redevelopment of the city, easing traffic congestion andeducation, will be among histop priorities when he Caribbean demands ‘complete, unequivocal’ slave trade apology CORAL GABLES, Florida Barack Obama, the fr eshman United States senator from Illinois who rose to nationalattention after speaking at the2004 Democratic convention and one of the leading candidates for his party’s presiden-tial nomination, made a stop here late last month to meet ar eceptive audience of par ty faithful including many Caribbean nationals. The Mar . 25 campaign stop at the posh Biltmore Hotel was one of several scheduled for the area in what is expected to be a key battleground state in the Nov. 2008U.S. pr esidential elections. Florida was the decisive state in the 2000 elections and washotly contested in the last presidential race four yearslater . e’re here to change the nature of politics,” the presidential hopeful told an enthu-siastic cr owd gather ed at the event aimed at raising a mini mum of $250 per person. “I’ve been there long enough to know Washingtonneeds to change.” SUPPOR T His message appear ed to have wooed several in the audience. “I’m a registered Republican, but Obama is mychoice,” one lady told Caribbean T oday , her face beaming after her young son shook the 45-year -old sena tor’s hand. “This is a big deal for him (her son Jamaican-born attorney Marlon Hill was r ecognized by Obama as he thanked several key supporters who helped to mobilize the standing roomonly cr owd for the 25-minute speech that hit on democratic party themes, including thewar in Iraq, the need to have better healthcare coverage for working Americans and edu-cation. Obama is expected to make several other campaign stops in South Florida as theelection nears. Damian P.Gregory Salesman freed of criminal charges, returns to Miramar City Commission Asailboat carrying more than 100 Haitianslanded in South Florida late last month. Accor ding to United States officials, many of the Haitians were hungry, tired and sick when they arrived atHallandale Beach and severalhad to be taken to hospitalafter being at sea for weeks. Dehydration had reportedlyleft a few in critical condition.The body of on intendedr efugee, who appar ently died during the journey, washed ashore. One newspaper quoted a U.S. Coast Guard officer as saying it was the largest land-ing of Haitians on Americansoil since October 2002, when more than 200 Haitians madeit to shor e at Key Biscayne, Florida. The boat used by the 101 Haitians was described by a Coast Guard spokeswoman as “unseaworthy and grosslyoverloaded.” PLEAS Up to press time it was still unclear what the fate of the surviving Haitians would be. While U.S. law allows illegal r efugee Cubans to remain in the country, Haitians are usually sent back. Meanwhile, some local activists have asked that theHatians not be depor ted. e fear these people will be depor ted right away Marleine Bastien, executive dir ector of Haitian Women of Miami, an advocacy group, was quoted as saying in one newspaper . “These Haitians, just like the Cubans, should be af for d ed the right to due process.” Congressman Kendrick Meek sent letters addressed to Michael Rozos, field office director U.S. Immigration andCustoms Enfor cement (ICE and Julie L. Myers, assistant secretary for ICE, asking“that these Haitian nationalsbe detained in South Florida, and not sent to other states or other regions” of the U.S. “I believe that this is absolutely essential to insur e the fair treatment of these detainees”, the letter added. 2 CARIBBEAN TODAYApril 2007 NEWS NEWS www.caribbeantoday.com A man takes a look at the sailboat which brought more than 100 Haitians to Hallandale Beach,Florida. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 4) (CONTINUED ON PAGE 4) Salesman 100 Haitian refugees sail into South Florida Obama woos support in South Florida.Photograph by Peter Webley Obama meets Caribbean nationals at Florida stop CTApril07.qxd 4/4/07 10:47 AM Page 2

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Caribbean-bor n Geor ge Pedlar lost his bid to r egain a seat on the Miramar, Florida City Commission last month after he finished third in the race for Seat #4. Pedlar, 63, who is originally from Jamaica, received 378 votes, according to the unofficial voting count. The clear winner was Y vonne Gar th, 37 and the youngest candidate in the field of four, with 879 or 45.12 percent of the votes polled at 32 precincts. Alex Casas, 58, polled 379 votes, one ahead of Pedlar, who was once part of a historicCaribbean majority on the Miramar City Council. Pedlar was elected a commissioner in 2003, the same year cur r ent commissioner Winston Barnes, also from Jamaica won a seat. At that time, Fitzroy Salesman, also Jamaican-bor n, had been a member of the five-member commission. In June 2005 legal issues forced Salesman to relinquish his seat. However , in 2003 the Miramar City Commission became the first publicly elect-ed political body in the United States to hold a Caribbeanbor n majority membership. Last month Salesman was reinstated on the commission. Last month, the four contested a seat vacated by Marjorie Conlan, who r etir ed after serving for 13 years. Miramar was one of two Br owar d County, Florida cities monitored by the U.S. Justice Department to make sure they complied with the Voting Rights Act. The law forbidsdiscrimination based on race, disability or language. NEW YORK, CMC – A coali tion of community gr oups in New York has called on Governor Elliott Spitzer and the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV driver’s licenses for undocu-mented immigrants, including those from the Caribbean. The coalition, which comprises labor, religious and civilrights leaders, said in a state ment issued last month that the state’s current policy discriminates against undocumented Caribbean immigrants because of their status. “Equal access to a driver license, r egardless of immigration status, is essential to the security and well-being of the working people of New York State,” said Denis Hughes, pr esident of the broad-based American Federation of Labor–Congress of International Organizations (AFL-CIO e need such access now he demanded, stating that access to driver s licenses is a labor and civil rights issue that would make all New Yorkers “safer and more secure.” OBSTACLE Caribbean immigration advocates say the state’s denial of a driver’s license to illegal immigrants essentially prohibitsthem fr om earning a “decent and legal living wage.” They say many of these immigrants must possess a driver s license to perform jobs, which, among other things,entail tr ucking and landscaping. “The civil rights of tens of thousands of New York residents have been and continue to be violated each day,” said Cesar Perales, pr esident and General Counsel of the Puer to Rico Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. “The new DMV commissioner and the Spitzer adminis tration must make timely changes to their policies so that families ar e no longer suffering because they cannot obtain driver’s licenses or state ID (identification) cards based on illegally promulgated rules and immigration status,” he added. The state said the new measure has been instituted as part of a broader national policy in curbing terrorist attacks. But Chung-Wha Hong, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, opposed the policy, stating that r estricting access to licenses, based on one’s immigrationstatus, does not bolster nation al security . e are more secure when mor e people are registered with state authorities and accounted for in public r ecords,” she said. “Keep in mind, people who apply for a license are subjecting themselves to scrutiny Groups want illegal immigrants given access to driver’s licenses replaces John Moore, who was elected in a special elec tion following Salesman’ s removal from the dais. TheCaribbean American insisted he had kept abreast withMiramar s business during his suspension. “I was always involved and I would help residentswho would come to me and ask, wherever I can,”Salesman said. “So I wasnever r eally out of the groove, but because I wasn’t a part of the commission ther e ar e certain executive things that I was not privy to. “It will be a matter of digesting a lot of infor mation quickly, in order to get fully up to speed,” he added. He also insisted he is not bitter following his two-yearlegal or deal. “I don’t have any beef here,” Salesman said. “It isnot about me, it is about thepeople and I don’ t take that responsibility lightly First elected to office in 2001, Salesman was joined bytwo other Jamaican nationals,businessman Geor ge Pedlar and radio personality Winston Barnes in 2003. For a while the three held the largest majority in United States politics by Jamaican-bor n elected officials. That majority broke up in 2005, following Pedlar s election loss. Subsequent bids most r ecently last monthby Pedlar to regain a seat on the commission, which governsthe city between Miami andFor t Lauder dale, have been unsuccessful. Estimates are that about 400,000 Jamaicanslive in South Florida, many of whom live in Miramar. Salesman’ s reinstatement to the commission came after Crist’s General Counsel’s Office reviewed the paperSalesman freed of criminal charges,returns to Miramar City Commission Voters deny Caribbean-born candidate city commission seat 4 CARIBBEAN TODAYApril 2007 NEWS NEWS www.caribbeantoday.com IN THE NAME OF HAITI United Sta tes Congressman Kendrick B.Meek (D-Florida Grammy Award winning entertainer Wyclef Jean in his office on Capitol Hill in Washington,D.C.Rep.Meek represents parts of Miami-Dade and Broward counties,including “Little Haiti”,and has sponsored legislation in Congress providing preferential trade status to Haiti.Named a “roving ambassador”by HaitianPresident Rene Preval, Haitian-born musician Wyclef Jean established Yle Haiti,a nonprofit charitable foundation to benefit his homeland.Jean recently testified on Capitol Hill before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on Haiti’s economic anddevelopment needs. Duane Crooks (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2) work making sure that the charges were the sole basis for the suspension, the governor’sspokeswoman Kathy T orian told Caribbean Today from Tallahassee, the state capital. Meanwhile, the popular commissioner is grateful for the suppor t he r eceived fr om the community and vows to continue working hard for the underdogs of his city. “I cannot find wor ds to express how suppor tive people have been,” a happy Salesman said. “I want the residents to know that nothing has changed about Fitzroy Salesman. Whether you supported me, yes or no, I will work for you.” When asked whether he plans to go after the City of Miramar for the over $42,000 hepaid in legal bills for his defense, Salesmantold Caribbean T oday: “Of course, it was their police department that charged and arrested me.” Damian P .Gregory is a freelance writer for Caribbean Today. leader said no country that was engaged in the slave trade and slavery could justifiably claimsuppor t for human rights with out first offering an officialapology and atonement in the form of reparation. “It is only under such cir cumstances that the descendants of slaves can truly for-give and move for war d in the world,” he said, pointing out that fr om a Caribbean perspec tive, these two matters would remain “crucial to us for the indignity, suffering and thehaunting legacies we live with as a result of the slave trade and slavery Douglas said the r egion remains very cognizant of numer ous ster eotypes, misconceptions and pr ejudices that were legacies of the transAtlantic slave trade. “As we commemorate this 200th anniversar y, we must r emain steadfast in our efforts to fully eradicate the scourges that continue to plague our world. “I speak of the scourges of human rights violations, or racism, of human trafficking, and of underdevelopment,” he said. Douglas ur ged leaders not to forget those events and persons who fought “valiantly” forthe abolition of the transAtlantic slave trade, identify-ing, among others, the Haitian Revolution, “countless”” slavery revolts, and abolitionist William Wilberforce. MEMORIAL He said CARICOM is committed to ensuring that aper manent memorial, in hon our of those who perished under slavery, is prominentlyplaced in the halls of theUnited Nations, “as anacknowledgement of thetragedy and in consideration of the legacy of slavery.” Douglassaid that CARICOM hadestablished a fund towar ds this project and is “deeply grateful” to the gover nment of Qatar , that had been the first to make a contribution. “It is CARICOM’s belief that a per manent memorial in the United Nations will help to ensure that future generations will always be r emindful of the history of slavery and lessons learned,” Douglas said. 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NEW YORK, CMC New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberglast month granted a Haitian legislator’s request for a second special election after the City Council refused to officially swear him amid growing concer ns about his residency. Bloomberg called the new poll for April 24, two months after voters in the predominantly Caribbean 40thCouncilmanic District in Brooklyn over-whelmingly elected Dr. Mathieu Eugene to theCity Council. Eugene created history, in the first special election on Feb. 20, by becoming the first-ever Haitian to be elected to political office in New York City. But his celebration was short-lived, as questions arose about his resi-dency at the time of the poll, forcing the City Council to block the of ficial swearing-in ceremony. Eugene then wr ote the mayor requesting a new poll after the Board of Elections last month certified that he was the duly elected winner by a wide margin. DEFIANT A defiant Eugene said he will contest the new poll this month, confident that he will again emerge triumphant. “I am con vinced that we will prevail again,” he saidin announcing his candidacy in the newelection. Eugene had sought to replace Yvette D. Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who was elected to the United States House of Representatives in last November’s general elections. Clarke and her mother, Una Clarke, who had preceded her daughter as the City Council representative for the same district, had endorsed Eugene in the special election. Christine C. Quinn, the City Council speaker, said she did not swear Eugene in because he failed to cooperatewith city investigators about his r esidency. Eugene had listed the Brooklyn district of Canarsie, a few miles from the 40th Councilmanic District, as his address with Board of Elections. Quinn, however, said in a terse statement that she supported Eugene’s decision to callanother special election. “Dr. Eugene won the election by an overwhelming majority, as the certification of his election clearly demonstrates,” she said. Eugene said he had signed a lease for an apartment in the district on Feb. 1 and had moved there before the poll. He, however, reportedly failed to pr oduce copies of his lease and other documents whenasked by City Council investiga tors. He also declined to sign a Quinnmandated affidavit about residency requirements. Quinn had asked Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to interpret the residen-cy law on special elections, which many political observers said was too vague. Cuomo responded that candidates must live in the district at the time voters go to the polls. Election officials estimate it would cost the city another $340,000 for the rescheduledpoll. Eugene said the “vague and unclear” law and “unfair treatment” prevented him from being sworn-in after the first poll. On-the-field action might have shifted from Jamaica late last month, butinvestigations into the death of thePakistancoach Bob Woolmer could also fol-low some ofthe players, of ficials and fans to other territories participating in the International Cricket Council (ICCorld Cup 2007 as well. Deputy Police Commissioner Mark Shields told a news conference in Jamaica that some of his inves-tigators may be traveling to the other territories to interview anyone who was staying at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, the day Woolmer was killed. Woolmer was murdered by strangulation on Mar. 18, one day after the Pakistanis lost, unexpectedly, to Ireland and were eliminated from the World Cup. The coach was declared dead at the University Hospital of the W est Indies in Jamaica, after he was rushed there from the hotel. He was discovered lying in an uncon-scious state in his 12th floor room at the hotel, shortly befor e noon. Shields said that members of the West Indies and Irish teams and officials who stayed at the hotel could also bequestioned as par t of the investigations. “Ever ybody that was in the hotel will be DNA tested; not just team members; the focus will be on everybody who was in the hotel, and so we are urging everybody who was inthe hotel to come forwardbetween thosematerial times,” he said. There are also reports that Scotland Y ard police have been called in to assistwith the investigations. CWC murder investigation widens beyond Jamaica NEW YORK, CMC – A fed eral judge in New York has sentenced a for mer invest ment banker in The Bahamas to four years in prison formoney laundering. United States District Judge John Keenan last month imposed the term on MartinT remblay, 44, former president of Dominion Investments Ltd., in Nassau, Bahamas. Canadian-bor n T r emblay , who was convicted for laundering about $20,000 in drug pro-ceeds, had alr eady ser ved 14 months in prison for the charge. He was initially charged withlaundering millions of dollars from drug traffickers. GUIL TY Prosecutors had also charged that over $1 billion inthe illegal gains had passedthr ough Tremblay’s Bahamian account. Last November, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. Keenan said he did not want to sentence Tremblay to 70 months in prison because the penalty , as r ecommended by federal sentencing guidelines, was “too lar ge in this case.” In addition to ser ving four years in prison, Tremblay will, however , pay $12,500 in fines and forfeit $200,000. As part of an undercover sting operation, defenselawyers char ged in cour t docu ments that the U.S. government, in early 2005, enticedT remblay to New York, where he met with an undercover agent posing as a Russianbusinessman. The defense said Tremblay unwillingly concurred to launder $20,000after waiting for six months. PLEA Defense attorney Martin Auerbach told the court thatT remblay was not motivated by avarice, stating that he only pocketed $500 from the stingoperation. “I don’t see the behavior of someone who was motivat ed by insatiable greed,” he said. Tremblay expressed contrition at his sentencing. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I apologize to my family and to the cour t.” ‘Sorry’ ex-Bahamian banker jailed for four years in N.Y .N.Y.mayor grants Haitian legislator’s request for special City Council election UNITED NA TIONS, New Y ork, CMC For mer V ice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies (UWI Professor Rex Nettleford hascalled for “r ecognition and sta tus” for the African diaspora within globalization, saying it threatens to be a “calculus ofinequality” for the “ex-slave,post-colonial Caribbean.” Delivering the keynote address at United Nations activi-ties commemorating the 200thAnniversar y of the T rans-Atlantic Slave T rade last month, Nettleford said such “dignity and freedom in praxis must continue to be on the agenda of concernsand positive action for the African diaspora in the new millennium. “Crossing the boundary of thought to programs of action that will benefit the millions that tenant the African dias pora is itself an imperative,” he said,adding,“hence theneed toincorporatedesigns forsocial living and a posi tive sense of self intomainstr eam development strate gies of a newly-globalized world.” MAINSTREAM INCLUSION Nettlefor d said the aim of the diaspora Africa must be geared towards helping to determine the mainstream “and not mer ely to float along with the cur r ents wher ever they may take one.” Nettlefor d said the abolition of the slave trade could not help but facilitate the “re-humaniza-tion of the of fspring” of millions who wer e “involuntarily and inhumanely lured/dragged from West Africa and the Congo acr oss the Middle Passage. “The idea of the Caribbean person being par t-African, par tEuropean, part-Asian, partNative American but totallyCaribbean is still a myster y to many in the Nor th Atlantic who has been spoiled by the very hegemonic control it has had over empires and far-away realestate for half a millennium, and with the indulgences of a trade in slaves, slavery and colonial-ism acting in tandem,” he said. KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The Cour t of Appeal last month ruled against Jamaican businessmen Leeber t Ramcharan and Donovan Williams. The two were thenextradited to the United States to face drug charges. Ramcharan, who has been designated a dr ug kingpin by U.S. Pr esident George W. Bush, had contended that such a designation would pr event him fr om getting a fair trial. But the cour t, comprising Justice Paul Harrison, president of the Cour t of Appeal, Justice Howar d Cooke and Justice Hazel Harris, unanimously held that the designation would not prevent Ramcharan from getting a fair trial in the U.S. The cour t said the kingpin designation, though unflattering, has not been shown to be of such a dimension that it will af fect the trial pr ocess. In June 2004 the two men wer e ordered extradited to the U.S. to face conspiracy charges. The men had appealed against a Supreme Court ruling in Sept. 2006, which turned down their application to have the extra dition or ders set aside. African diaspora wants ‘recognition, status’Jamaican businessmen e xtradited to U.S. April 2007CARIBBEAN TODAY 5 NEWS NEWS www .caribbeantoday.com Quinn Eugene Bloomberg Shields Woolmer Nettleford CTApril07.qxd 4/4/07 10:48 AM Page 5

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DAMIAN P. GREGORY MIAMI Eighteen members of the South Florida’sJamaican diaspora, includingthe publisher of CaribbeanT oday, were honored late last month at the Consulate General of Jamaica Community Service Awards Ceremony and High Tea atthe ritzy Coral GablesBiltmor e Hotel here. The Mar. 25 ceremony featured remarks by Jamaica’s Governor General Professor Kenneth O. Hall, who encouraged the crowd of mainly Jamaicans living in Florida to support their homeland. The ceremony honored Jamaican nationals who have made and are continuing to make contri-butions to lives of people. HONOREES Those honor ed were: Nor ma Bancroft, for her work as one of five people who hosted the first Jamaica Independence Ball in South Florida. Bancroft, is the founder and president of the Florida Or ganization of Jamaicans, a charity for the poor and imprisoned inJamaica and disadvantaged expatriots from South Florida. Ron Burke, a veteran broadcaster and producer in South Florida, who first hit radio airways in 1981 at WDNA-FM. He is currentlyat MYSTIK 1400 AM. Winsome “Lady C” Charlton, a veteran broadcast-er who pioneer ed the 24-hour Caribbean radio format in the United States. Charlton is still a producer at WAVS 1170 AM and produces the annualReggaeSoca Music A wards. June Chin, one of five to host the first JamaicaIndependence Ball in SouthFlorida. Chin is the founder ofboth the Florida Chapter ofMissionaries for the Poor and Florida Organization ofJamaicans. Lloyd Daley, founding member Members Only Social Club of Miami and JamaicaUnited Relief Association. Norma Darby, for her contribution to and dissemination of Jamaican music, history, folklore, and dance inSouth Florida. She has been the leader of the Jamaica FolkReview for almost thr ee decades. Carson “Eddy” Edwards, producer of the longest running Caribbean radio program in South Florida. Edwards is also director of the Jamaica Awareness Inc., which has brought entertainment to South Floridians for over 20 years. Rev. Dr. Dennis Grant, a human rights activist in South Florida who is the pastor ofRestoration Ministries. Elizabeth Grier , the longest serving staff member at theConsulate Generalof Jamaica inMiami. She joined the office in 1987. Dale Holness, the current vicemayor of the City of Lauderhill, Florida.Holness established a sister city partner-ship between Lauderhill and Falmouth, Jamaica last year. Laurice Hunter-Scott, chair-person of the CoordinatingCouncil of theKingston-Miami Sister Cities pr ogram since 1989. The program has contributed to the establishment of trade, education, disaster preparedness and cultural exchange between Jamaica and the U.S. Rev. Noel Hyatt, pastor of the Gateway Church in Fort Lauderdale. The church has had South Florida’s predominant Jamaican congregation for more than three and a half decades. Claudette Parkin, one of the five members of the first Jamaica Independence Ball in South Florida. Parkin was the founding member of the Jamaica Nurses Association of South Florida and the Conventof Mer cy Alpha Alumae chap ter in South Florida. Sydney Roberts, president of Jamaica Awareness, Inc. Rober ts was also one of the five who br ought the first Jamaica Independence Ball to South Florida. Joan Seaga-Gonzales, the founder of the Jamaica United Relief Association, an organization which supports healthcare management and delivery to the neediest persons in both South Florida and Jamaica. Seaga-Gonzales was also one of five who brought the firstJamaica Independence Ball to South Florida. Egeta Thompson-Martin, played an active part of both the Clint O’Neil Needy Kids of Jamaica Foundation and the Caribbean Music Festival. Thompson-Mar tin has also been the host of the Grand Jamaica Independence Ball for almost 21 years. Peter W ebley , publisher of Caribbean Today, which has been in continuous circulation since Dec. 1989. The paperhas a monthly cir culation of 40,000 in the United States and in the Caribbean. Phillip Wong, South Florida businessman who ser ves on the boar d of the St. George’s College Old Boys Association. Stor y and photog raph b y Damian P . Gregory,a freelance writer for Caribbean Today. Consulate honors 18 Jamaicans in South Florida 6 CARIBBEAN TODAYApril 2007 Caribbean Today’s publisher Peter Webley,displays his community service award while flanked by Jamaica’s Governor General Kenneth O.Hall,left,and Jamaica’s Consul General in Miami Ricardo NEWS NEWS www.caribbeantoday.com CTApril07.qxd 4/4/07 10:48 AM Page 6

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Question: How would I know if my fiance petition was approved? It was filed by my boyfriend in California last April 2006? Answ er: A fiance petition usu ally takes appr oximately eight months befor e the United States government approves it, say attorneys Kirk Palma and Courtney Smith of the Law Office of Palma & Smith. Once the petition has been approved, the government willnotify the U.S. citizen’ s fiance, by sending out an appr oval notice to the addr ess given on the petition, added the attorneys. The government will then forward the file to the U.S. embassy that controls the jurisdiction where the beneficiary resides; thereupon the U.S.embassy in that jurisdiction will contact you, Palma and Smith said. If neither of you have received any communicationyou can contact the NationalV isa Center and r efer to any communications you have received so far, i.e. the receiptnotice for war ded to your U.S. citizen fiance when he filed the petition added the attor-neys. If advice is needed, you may contact your attorney orthe District Of fice near your home for a list of communitybased, non-profit organizationsthat may be able to assist youin applying for an immigrationbenefit. Q:I am currently awaiting my Permanent Resident Card or“gr een card” through an adjustment of status petition, but wish to travel home soon tovisit an ailing r elative? Is this possible and how can I obtain permission? A: The U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Service says indi-viduals with an application foradjustment of status to that of lawful permanent resident orthose who have been grantedT emporary Protected Status or havean application for an application for reliefunder section203 of theNicaraguanAdjustment andCentralAmerican ReliefAct (NACARA 203asylum application, must obtain permission to travel or advance parole by filing Form I-131, Application for TravelDocument with the agency before traveling abroad. Advance par ole is permission to r e-enter the U.S. after traveling abroad in order to continue processing for adjustment of status. Individuals must be approved for advancepar ole befor e leaving the U.S. USCIS officials warn that travel outside of the U.S. withoutadvance par ole has sever e con sequences and individuals who violate this law may be unable to return to the U.S. and their applications may be denied. Applicants can apply for advance par ole at local USCIS service centers. Note, processing time for centers rangesfr om 90 to 150 days, so appli cants needing to travel abroad should plan ahead due to thebusy summer travel season. You must file USCIS Form I-131, Application for TravelDocument, complete with sup porting documentation, photographs and applicable fees tothe center in their neighbor hood along with a check made payable to the USCIS for $170. This form can be downloaded dir ectly at http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/i-131.htm Note, however, that under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, migrants who depart the U.S. after being unlawfully present in the U.S. for certain periods can be bar red from admission to lawful per manent resident status, even if they have obtained advance parole.Those migrants who have been unlawfully present in the U.S. for more than 180 days, but less than one year are inadmissible for three years, while thosewho have been unlawfully pr esent for a year or mor e are inadmissible for 10 years. Migrants, who are unlawfully present, depart the U.S. and subsequently reenter under a grantof par ole, may never theless be ineligible to adjust their status. Compiled By F elicia P er saud. This is a column created especially for immigrants concerned or unsure of issues pertaining to the U.S.immigration law.If you have an immigra-tion question, then log on to www.immigrationkorner.com and submit your question.P er sonal answers will not be provided.The answers provided here are for information pur poses only,and do not createattorney-client relationship, nor is it a substitute for legaladvice, w hic h can only be g i ven by a competent attorney after reviewing all the facts of thecase . Six women get Caribbean Citizens AwardsChecking fiance’s application; traveling without a ‘green card’ April 2007CARIBBEAN TODAY 7 LOCAL LOCAL www .caribbeantoday.com Six Caribbean women were honored for theircontributions to the region during Women’s History Month in March. Jacqui Quinn-Leandro, newly elected president of the Inter-American Commissionon W omen (CIM Or ganization of the American States (OAS announcement last month. Outstanding Caribbean Citizens A war ds went to women who have been high-lighted for inter national acclaim. They ar e: Gloria Ballantyne, St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ first lady of sports and leadingnetball administrator; Jamaican Dr. Christine Cummings, a renowned crick-et fan, spor ts columnist and commentator and lecturer in sports, politics and the media at the University of the WestIndies; St. Lucian Nadine George, a top order batswoman who inMar . 2004 became the first W est Indies woman cricketer to scor e 100 runs in a Test match. For her efforts, Nadine George was awarded the prestigious MBE medal by Britain’s Prince Charles. St. Lucian V erena Felicien, a cricketer who played for theW est Indies team; St. Kitts and Nevis educator and painter Joan Mallalieu, for her contribution to fine arts;and Trinidad and Tobago’s Giselle La Ronde, who in 1986became the twin island r epublic’ s first ever Miss World. CTApril07.qxd 4/4/07 10:48 AM Page 7

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GORDON WILLIAMS MIAMI A strong Caribbean link is at the heart of unfolding aviation history. And inspira-tion is the vehicle called on tohelp it take of f. Bar rington Irving Jr., who has lived in Miami Gar dens since he migrated from his birthplace Jamaica as a sixyear-old, took off from South Florida’s Opa-Locka Airport last month on a flight around the world that, when complet-ed – pr edictably sometime in early May – will make the 23-year -old the youngest pilot ever to do it solo. At approximately 11:30 a.m. Mar. 23, Irving pulled shutthe door of his Colombia 400plane, which he named “Inspiration”, and propelledinto the bright blue sky on a journey that he dreamt aboutyears ago and is now using to promote aviation as a career, especially among children, after himself being encouragedas a teen to find his wings by another Jamaican, commercialpilot Gar y Robinson. MARK For the hundreds of childr en who showed up at the air port to witness Irving’s take-off on the “Experience AviationW orld Tour”, which was preceded by an aviation career fair and an elaborate cer emony to mark the occasion attended by his parents Barrington Sr. and Clovalyn, aviation experts,gover nment of ficials and a host of well-wishers, the young pilot has already made his mark. “It (Irving’s feat) motivates me to pursue the goal,”said Chris Leslie, a Jamaicanborn teenager with interest in aviation and, who, along with his parents attended the func-tion. “I can’t fly planes,” explained 10-year-old, Rolik Beauburn, “but I think I can learn.” Yet the youngsters were not the only ones inspir ed by Irving’s planned trip, which will take him more than 40days to complete, cr ossing con tinents and oceans on a jour ney that can be tracked via computer. Adults tooembraced him, some openlyemotional and filled withpride. s like a fruit from a tree with strong roots,” was how Jamaican-bor n Miami resident Michelle Hyltondescribed her admiration for Irving as she held a large Jamaican flag above her head. “(Irving’s accomplishment)shows the value coming out of our island. We’ve always beenleaders and we set good exam ples.” DUE CREDIT Leading up to the historic morning, Irving had always credited his Caribbean background and family influence.“Mom, dad, we made it,” hetold last month’ s audience to loud applause. Irving again pointed to his r oots as the sour ce of his inspi ration, but his aim targeted a future in which he visions more underprivileged children following his lead by pursuing worthwhile careers. “I didn’ t star t of f rich, I didn’t have much,” he told the youngsters in the audience. “Istar ted of f with nothing, absolutely nothing Y ou too can live your dr eam.” After hearing a tribute from his father, an emotional Irving Jr. rubbed away tears.Ir ving Sr ., who himself once harbored dreams of flying airplanes, but shelved those totend to his family as a newimmigrant ar riving in the United States, deflected much of the credit for his son’saccomplishment. “I think I’m just blessed to be the vessel chosen to car r y a child of destiny ,” he said shor t ly after “Inspiration” disappeared into the distant skies. Meanwhile, the pilot’ s mother downplayed sugges tions that she was overly nerv-ous about her son’ s solo trip. She plans to stay in close contact with Ir ving Jr . thr oughout. “As a mother you have that feeling, just thinkingabout him flying ar ound the world by himself,” said Clovalyn Irving. “(But him that everywhere he goeshe should get in touch with me as soon as he lands.” Ir ving’s first stop after leaving Miami was expected to be Cleveland, Ohio, to meet with of ficials fr om the National Aer onautics and Space Administration (NASA it was on to New Y ork befor e departing the U.S. for Canada. His average time on flight legs is being projected at six toeight hours, with longest –fr om nor ther n Japan to Sheyma, Alaska along the Aleutian Islands – running 10to 12 hours. Power settings,weather conditions and fuel capacity will determine therange of each leg. MINOR MIRA CLE That the world tour even took off has been described as a minor miracle. Irving struggled to meet his fundraising target of close to $1 millionlast year , which led to a post ponement of the tour. Then predicted weather conditionsduring winter shelved the tripuntil last month. Ir ving has been labeled a “hero” and “a symbol” for his efforts. During the ceremonytributes pour ed in fr om civic and political leaders, including a message relayed fromJamaica’ s Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, who said “we in Jamaica will beclosely following your progress.” s incredible, almost beyond description,” said Jamaica’s Consul General in Miami Ricardo Allicock, who claimed his government donated$10,000 to Ir ving’s efforts. “(What Ir ving) is doing is still almost unimaginable. It is aglorious, glorious achievement for black America, Jamaica and mankind.” Irving appeared to understand the implication as well. “Give me a quick minute tojust soak this in,” he said as he sur veyed the large audience before take-off. “This is truly amazing for me. “This moment,” he added later, “I could not picture itany other way Photog raphs and story by Gordon Williams,Caribbean T oday’s managing editor. Jamaican takes off on historic solo flight around the world 8 CARIBBEAN TODAYApril 2007 Last minute checks are made to “Inspiration”,the plane that is expected to take Barrington Irving Jr.around the world. Barrington Irving Jr.makes his way from the stage following the function to mark his historic flight. Immedia tely behind him are his parents,mother Clovalyn,followed by father Barrington Sr.In front of Irving Jr.is Gary Robinson,the Jamaican commercial pilot who he said inspired him to pursue aviation. FEATURE FEATURE www.caribbeantoday.com Street Address: 9020 SW 152nd Street, Miami, FL 33157 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 6010 Miami,FL33116-6010. Telephone: (305 (305305 1-800-605-7516 Jamaica: 654-7282 E-mail: caribtoday@earthlink.net Send ads to: ct_ads@bellsouth.net Vol.18,Number 5 APRIL 2007 PETER A WEBLEY Publisher GORDON WILLIAMS Managing Editor SABRINAFENNELL Graphic Artist DOROTHY CHIN Account Executive SUNDAYSELLERS Account Executive JULISSARAMOS Accounting ManagerCaribbean Media Source Media Representatives T OM JONAS 353 St. Nicolas Street, Suite 200 Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2Y 2P1 Tel: (514514 E-mail: tom@cmsworldmedia.com Jamaica Bureau MARIE GREGORY (876 P .O. Box 127, Constant Spring Kingston 8, JamaicaOpinions expressed by editors and writers are not necessarily those of the publisher . Caribbean T oday , an independent news magazine, is published every month by Caribbean Publishing Services, Inc. Subscription rates are: US$20 per year (Bulk. Caribbean Today is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or photos. Toguarantee return, please include a selfaddressed stamped envelope. Articles appearing in Caribbean Today may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor . CORRECTIONS/APOLOGIES T echnical difficulties resulted in errors a ppearing in Caribbean Today’s March 2007 issue.Amongthem: The wrong photograph was used to identify flag of St.Kitts and Nevis on the cover . The name for the fla g of St. Vincent and the Grenadines was omitted from the display of fla gs on the cover . No page 16 appeared in the publication.Instead a duplicate of page 18 appeared in that spot. We sincerely wish to apologize for these errors and we are working to correct them. CTApril07.qxd 4/4/07 10:48 AM Page 8

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NELSON A. KING W ASHINGTON – The United States Department of State has painted a dismal picture of prisons in theCaribbean community (CARICOMditions as ver y unsatisfactory. In its “Countr y Reports on Human Rights Practices2006”, the U.S. pointed towhat it described as gravehuman rights violations. The comprehensive, scathingr eport, released here last month, said prison conditionsthr oughout the region are generally “poor”. “Over cr owding was a major problem”, it stated about the Bahamian prisonsystem, pointing out that the men’s maximum-securityblock, originally built in 1953to hold 450 inmates, heldmor e than 725 of the approximately 1,500 total inmate population in 2006. “Male prisoners placed in the maximum-security unit were crowded into poorly ven-tilated cells that generally lacked regular running water, toilets, and laundry facilities”, the report added, stating thatmost prisoners lack beds, slepton concr ete floors, and wer e locked in small cells 23 hours per day, “often with humanwaste”. The report said prison conditions in Jamaica ar e sim ilarly poor, primarily due to overcrowding and poor sanitary conditions. It said theDepar tment of Cor r ectional Services adopted measures during the year to improvecatering ser vices, and also entered into a new contract for insect and r odent contr ol for all facilities. It added that medical care is also poor, pri-marily because of few doctorson staf f. UNFAIR DETENTION The r eport said though the law requires police to pr esent a detainee in cour t within a reasonable time period (but ties continue to detain sus-pects for lengthy periods, often up to two or three years, which the government attributed to an “overburdened court system”. In Antigua and Barbuda, the r epor t said prison condi tions are also poor, pointing out that the countr s only prison holds 193 inmates with inadequate toilet facilities. “Prison over cr owding was attributed in part to a law that limited the ability of magis trates to grant bail to those accused of certain offenses”, the report stated. “Due to space limitations, authorities sometimes held persons on r emand together with convicted prisoners”, it added. The report said that in Barbados, where “the government generally respected thehuman rights of its citizens”,prison conditions r emained “ver y poor”. It said prisoners continue to be held in the temporary prison facility, constructed at Harrison Point, after the Mar. 2005 riots destroyedGlendair y Prison. A new permanent prison, designed to meet modern international standards, is under construction, with completion slat-ed for Aug. 2007. The State Depar tment alluded to media reports in attributing the motive behind the Glendairy Prison fire to “widespread incidents of rape within theprison”, alleging that rape isalso “pr evalent” at Har rison Point. It referred to an account by a released British citizen,who was incar cerated at Glendairy at the time of the riot, highlighting prison condi-tions at both facilities. “His account alleged unchecked gang violence, indifference of guards to medical needs, cramped quarters, and unsanitary conditions”,the r epor t stated. The State Department said prison conditions in Belize are “poor” and have failed to meet international standar ds. “During the year , ther e wer e reports that prison authorities brutalized troublesome pris-oners, including placinginmates in a small, unlit, andunventilated punishment cell called ‘supermax’”, it said.“Inmates claimed that prison officials sometimes withheldfood and water as fur ther pun ishment, conducted strip searches and beatings, andextor ted money for transfers to better conditions”, the r epor t stated. EXCESSIVE PUNISHMENT It said an ombudsman’ s investigation determined that “punishment was excessive”and the of ficers involved should be punished; however , no fur ther action was taken. The State Department said Dominica’ s lone prison, Stock Farm, is in a state of “disrepair”, adding that “conditions remained unsanitary and over crowding was a serious pr oblem”. It said the prison holds 301prisoners in a facility designedfor fewer than 200 inmates. “Juvenile detainees were held with adults, and pretrial detainees were held with con-victed prisoners, due to a lackof separate facilities”, ther eport stated. The State Department said prison conditions in Grenada generally meet international standards, with theexception of over cr owding. “Overcrowding was a significant problem as 334 prisoners were housed in spacedesigned for 98 persons”, the report stated. “There was no separate facility for juveniles, so they were mixed in with the gener-al prison population”, it said. In Guyana, the report said prison and jail conditions are poor, “particularly inpolice holding cells”. In quot ing the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA State Department said: “while the Prison Authority was committed to cr eating a humane and pr ofessional prison ser v ice, capacity and resource constraints were a problem”. “Over cr owding was, in large, part due to backlogs of pretrial detainees”, it added. The report said the prison system also faces staffing constraints and lack of resources. “However , attempts wer e made to give all prison officers human rights training, and the senior level manage ment of the Prison Service made serious efforts to combat cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment in the prisons”,it said.“The GHRA did not considermistr eatment of prisoners a pr oblem in the prison system”, it added. In Haiti, the State Department said the prisons remain “overcrowded, poorly main-tained, and unsan itary”. It said prisoners and detainees continue to suffer from a lack of basic hygiene,malnutrition, poor quality health car e, and the presence of rodents, the r eport said. “Furthermore, most prisons lacked adequate food and sanitation and periodically suf-fer ed fr om lack of water , especially in the provinces”, it added, noting that the incidence of preventable diseases,such as beriberi, AIDS, and tuberculosis decreased during 2006 but remain “a seriousissue”. The report said prison and detention centers in St. Kitts and Nevis are overcrowded, and resources arelimited. It said the prison on St. Kitts, which has a capacity for 150 prisoners, held 204 prisoners at year’s end. The report stated that some prisoners slept on mats on the floor . In St. Lucia, the r epor t said prison conditions generally meet minimum internation-al standar ds at the thr ee-year old Bordelais Correctional Facility, which has a capacityof 500 prisoners, holding approximately that number. But in neighboring St. Vincentand the Gr enadines, the State Department said prison buildings ar e “antiquated and overcr owded”, with Her Majesty’s Prison in Kingstown, the capital, holding 377 inmates in abuilding originally designedfor 75. After renovations, the prisonwas intended to hold about150 inmates. “These conditions r esulted in serious health and safety problems”, the report said,pointing out that despite prison reforms, problems still exist, such as “endemic violence, understaffing, under-paid guar ds, uncontrolled weapons and drugs, an incr ease in the incidence of HIV/AIDS, and unhygienic conditions”. The report said in Suriname, most facilities, par-ticularly older jails, r emain “unsanitary and seriouslyover crowded, with as many as four times the number of detainees for which jail capac ity was intended”. VIOLENCE It said violence among prisoners is common, and pris-oners continue to complain of mistreatment by guards. “Human rights monitors expressed concern about con-ditions in pr etrial detention facilities, which remained overcrowded”, the report said.The State Depar tment said conditions at the eight prison facilities in T rinidad and Tobago have been “somewhatupgraded but continued to be harsh”. It said the recentlybuilt maximum-security prison in Arouca has helped in relieving overcrowding at the Port of Spain prison. The report said staff shortages compelled the prison ser vice to limit the “airing” time provided to prison inmates, serving as the basis of a com-plaint filed against the prison service by death row inmateAlladin Mohammed, which was still pending at year’s end. CMC U.S.blasts prison conditions in the Caribbean April 2007CARIBBEAN TODAY 9 NEWS NEWS www .caribbeantoday.com CTApril07.qxd 4/4/07 10:48 AM Page 9

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NELSON A. KING WASHINGTON – Illicit drug trafficking continues to pose major problems in the Caribbean, according to theUnited States Depar tment of State. In its 2007 Inter national Narcotics Control Strategy Report, released last month, the U.S. State Department identified a number ofCaribbean countries, includingThe Bahamas, Jamaica,Guyana, Haiti, Suriname andthe Easter n Caribbean, as major transit points forcocaine and/or marijuanabound for the U.S. The report stated that cocaine flow originates inSouth America and ar rives in The Bahamas by go-fast boats, small commercialfr eighters, or small air craft from Jamaica, Hispaniola (Haiti and the DominicanRepublic) and V enezuela. Sport fishing vessels and pleasure crafts then transport the cocaine from TheBahamas to Florida, blending into the legitimate vessel traf-fic that moves daily betweenthese locations. Lar ger go-fast and sport fishing vessels regularly transport between 1,000 to 3,000 pounds of marijuana shipments from Jamaica to The Bahamas, which are moved toFlorida in the same manner ascocaine. “The Bahamas will likely continue to be a preferred route for drug transshipmentand other criminal activitybecause if its location and the expanse of its territorial area”, the State Department said, urging the Bahamian government to continue its “strong commitment to joint counternarcotics efforts and its cooperative efforts to extradite drug traffickers to the U.S.”, the report said. UNLUCKY SEVEN The State Department said the seven Eastern Caribbeancountries – Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kittsand Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines – form the “eastern edge” of theCaribbean transit zone fordr ugs, mostly cocaine and marijuana products, going from South America to U.S., Europe and other markets. It said illicit narcotics transit the Eastern Caribbean mostlyby sea, in small go-fast vessels, larger fishing vessels, yachts and freight carriers. “Dr ug trafficking and r elated crimes, such as money laundering, drug use, arms trafficking, official corruption, vio-lent crime, and intimidation, have the potential to threatenthe stability of the small, dem ocratic countries of the Eastern Caribbean and, to varying degrees, have damaged civilsociety in some of these coun tries”, the r eport stated. The State Department also said Guyana is a trans-shipment point for cocainedestined for Nor th America, Europe, and the Caribbean,noting that in 2006, domestic seizures of cocaine were “insignificant”. “The Government of Guyana’s inability to control its borders, a lack of law enforcement presence, and a lack of aircraft or patrol boats allow traffickers to move drug shipments via sea, river, and air with little resistance”, the report said, stating that the Bharrat Jagdeo administrationis yet to implement the “sub stantive initiatives” of its National Drug StrategyMaster Plan (NDSMP2005-2009. “Government counternar cotics ef for ts ar e under mined by the lack of adequate resources for law enforce-ment, poor coor dination among law enfor cement agen cies, and a weak judicial system”, the report added. It said Haiti, a “major transit country for cocaine”fr om South America, is expe riencing a surge in air smuggling of the drug out of Venezuela, and is a “signifi-cant transit countr y for cocaine destined for the United States and to a lesserextent Canada and Eur ope”. The report said the number of dr ug smuggling flights from Venezuela to Hispaniola increased by 167 percent from 2005 to 2006, about one-thirdof which went to Haiti. “In addition to 1,125 miles of unprotected shoreline,uncontr olled seapor ts, and numerous clandestine airstrips, Haiti’ s str uggling police for ce, dysfunctional judiciary system, corruption, a weak democracy and a thriv-ing contraband trade con tribute to the pr olific use of Haiti by dr ug traffickers as a strategic point of distribu tion”, the report said. The State Depar tment said Jamaica, too, is a major transit point for cocaine en r oute to the U.S., and is also a key source of marijuana and marijuana derivative products for the Americas. “Jamaica’s difficult to patrol coastline, over 100 unmonitored airstrips, busy commercial and cruise ports, and con-venient air connections makeit a major transit countr y for cocaine”, the StateDepar tment said, noting, at the same time, that the country remains the Caribbean’s largest producer and exporterof marijuana. The report added that Suriname a transit point forSouth American cocaine enr oute to Europe and, to a lesser extent, the U.S. – is unable to control its borders. LACKING RESOURCES It added that Suriname is also hampered by inadequate resources, limited training for law enforcement agents, lack of a law enforcement presence in the interior, and lack of aircraft or patrol boats. “The GOS (Government of Suriname) is unable to detect the diversion of precursor chemicals for drug produc-tion, as it has no legislation controlling precursor chemi-cals and, hence, no trackingsystem to monitor them”, the report stated. “The lack of resources, limited law enforcement capabilities, inadequate legislation,dr ug r elated cor r uption, a complicated and time-consuming bureaucracy, and overbur-dened and under -resourced cour ts inhibit GOS’ s ability to identify, apprehend, and prosecute narcotic traffickers”, itadded. “Suriname’s sparsely populated coastal r egion and iso lated jungle interior, together with weak border controls and infrastructure, make narcoticsdetection and inter diction ef forts difficult”, it continued. The State Department said T rinidad and T obago is a transit country for illegal dr ugs fr om South America to the U.S. and Europe. But it noted that while there has been an increase inillicit dr ug traf fic out of Venezuela, the quantity of drugs transiting Trinidad andT obago “does not have a sig nificant effect on the U.S.” “Cannabis is gr own in T rinidad and T obago, but not in significant amounts”, it said, pointing out, however,that the countr s petr ochemi cal industr y imports and expor ts chemicals that can be used for dr ug pr oduction. But the State Department said the Patrick Manning gov ernment has instituted export contr ols to pr event diversion. CMC Drug trafficking poses major problems for Caribbean ~ U.S. 10 CARIBBEAN TODAYApril 2007 Drugs and money seized by U.S. law enforcement officers. FEATURE FEATURE www.caribbeantoday.com CTApril07.qxd 4/4/07 10:48 AM Page 10

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TONYROBINSON There is currently a huge lottery scam takingplace in Jamaica, wher e people in the United States are contacted and told thatthey have won millions, so they are to send money tocover “fees”. What’ s amazing is how many fall for this, sending outthousands of dollars, even though they never entered any lottery. Pickpockets, cutpurs-es, chain grabbers, fowl tief, praedial larcener, embezzler, fraudulent conver ter, tief, all have the same thing in common, they want a lot for as little effort as possible. At times though, they r eally put a lot of planning and ef fort in bilking you or your organization out of hard earned money, that it makes you wonder how well off they’d be if they had put their resources to a positive use. But there’s thrill in crime and there’s profit in it.T rust me, if there wasn’t, they would not do it. That Enron case years ago in the U.S. is as bizarre as it’ s fascinating. If it didn’t really happen, and some writerconcocted such a tale or amovie was made about it,nobody would believe it, as itseems so far fetched. Buttr uth is indeed stranger than fiction and thieves ar e even mor e inventive and have more vivid imaginations than pulpfiction writers or scribblers of screenplays. Enron was real, and very scar y. That a few ‘executives’ could sit down and cook up such a scheme to r ob thousands of people, many of themold pensioners, of their life’ s savings and investments, is simply criminal. One Enr on exec swiped $850 million, another $350 million, while a few small fry took only a fewmillion apiece. What does one man do with $850 million U.S. dollarsanyway? But the fact is thatputting bigtime executives injail for perpetuating account ing fraud has proved very hard to do. On Aug. 2, 1999,For tune magazine ran an article that spotlighted the accounting scandals of the time. “Of the big ones thengenerating tales of absolutelyegr egious behavior, none has pr oduced jail sentences.” That was taken fr om an ar ticle, “White collar crime, hard time, hardly”, Fortune magazine. HOME GROWN But let’s bring it closer home where the people at Enron could perhaps learn a trick or two from our entrepreneurs in criminology. The downtown pickpocket he cruises the shadows, eyes darting furtively from victim to unsuspecting victim, seeking out the weak, the unwary, theunwitting, just like the harborshark. His fingers ar e nimble, his hands ar e quick, and just like Jack, his legs can take him faster and higher with thestolen candlesticks. ‘A fool and his money are soon parted,’ is his motto. Our pickpockets are legendary, as tales abound about their prowess. They willr elieve you of your cash secr eted away in your under gar ments, delicately r emoved like the master surgeon removing a tumor, without spilling a drop of blood. “All me money gone and a didn’ t feel a thing,” the victim wails. Once a friend of mine, a pr ominent sur geon, got taught a lesson in the delicate ar t of cash r emoval, fr om one of those guys. He was buying his usual Sunday papers at thestoplight, when one so called vendor neatly relieved him of all his paper money, but leaving the wallet still clutched in my friend’s hand. Well you shouldsee the good doctor jump outof his Benz and r un down tief. And he caught him too, but he was also secretly impressed with the guy’s dexterity. “This bredda could easily enr oll in the micr o sur ger y faculty,” he quipped, as he draped the thief and carted him off. But the fact is, forsomeone tohave thatskill, it musthave taken years of practice to master, and his manyvictims all wonderedwhat hitthem. Most didn’t even know until they reached home and felt for their money. Oh, don’t let the occasional catching and beating of a few fool you, most get away and aren’t even felt or seen as the ply their secret trade. EASY MEA T But why suf fer in the hot sun with the threat of being chased and beaten, even byyour own kind, when you can relax in the comfort of your air conditioned office and reap your unjust rewards? Pillaging, storming castles, robbing and looting went outwith medieval times. Now , in the computer age, it’ s the era of the white collar crime, and there’s profit in it. We now seem to have a spate of executives, middle managers, man-agers and general workerswilling and able to take theircompanies out to lunch, andstick them with the bill. Ever y day we r ead or hear how so and so fr om this or that com pany has defrauded the insti tution of millions and absconded. Even white collar crime has different terms. A grab thief, grabs and runs, but an office thief defrauds and absconds. What an easy way to make money, juggle andflee without br eaking a sweat. This plague is in our banks, our cr edit unions, our school bursaries, and anywhere easy money can be had. Rarely is it a one-time thing,as the auditors always show that it was going on for five or six years or more. That’sanother thing, purloining cash seems to pay so much that peoplemake a habit of it and are never satisfied. They just can’tstop, but make a career of it. Theywouldn’ t even take a one lick and move,but instead stay andtief, stay and tief,settle down and stay and tief some more,even as they laughand chat up with theother employees. Sur e, some get caught, but forever y two caught, 20 are living it up in Hawaii orSwitzerland or somewhere in the South of France. The other irate employees may say, “Butlook how she plan and schemeand rip and r un, what a damn tief.” But secretly and ever so fleetingly the thought just maygo, “A wonder how she do it, why I couldn’t tink of it? But me can’t take shame yah, and me nuh have nuh luck.” For most of us, jail time is not a happy pr ospect. FREE WILLIES Speaking of jail, you won’t find any of those white collar criminals in jail serving anylong sentence. Oh, they’ll steal millions, but only ser ve a few months. “The bigger the crime, the lesser the time,” goes the ditty. White and blue collar crime pays so much that everybody’s into it. From themechanics who say they put in new parts, but put in oldinstead, that is if they even bother to change the part at all,to hospitals that pad their billsand char ge thir ty dollars for one aspirin. Fr om lawyers who take people’ s house deposit money and build mansions of their own, to contractors who build two houses out of yourhouse material. Fr om car dealers who sell your car but refuse to hand over your money, to bank workers who skim from old dormant accounts, to bursars who filch from school fees and book money. From parsonswho accept all denominations, especially the large bills, for the “church building fund”, to conmen who spin tales of woe or assure you of get rich quickschemes. W e live among them and they do it because there’spr ofit in it. If crime didn’t pay, they wouldn’ t do it. And damn the risk they say, but if you get caught don’t bother to bawl. If you can’t do the time,don’ t do the crime. seido1@hotmail.com White or blue collar,indeed April 2007CARIBBEAN TODAY 11 VIEWPOINT VIEWPOINT www .caribbeantoday.com “Can the world,without anguish,accept itself as part this,part that,part the other but totally human without one part of it trying to dominatethe other?” – Former University of the West Indies Vice Chancellor Professor RexNettlefor d last month address ing the issue of the African diaspora’s inclusion in global-ization. “I belie ve it was a night on which all peo-ple ofCaribbean ori gin were proud as millionsaround thew orld w er e tr eated to a stun ning spectacle” – Chris Dehring , c hief ex ecutive officer of ICC Cric ket World Cup 2007 commenting on the event’ s opening ceremony in J amaica last month. Caribbean community (C ARICOM) leaders w er e also pleased with the tournament’s launch: “It was fantas tic,it was Aplus,it was just w onderful” CARICOM Secretary General Edwin Carrington. “I feel like a little baby just born.I’m really excited” Grenada’s Prime Minister,Dr. Keith Mitchell. Anywhere you go in the world,Ido not belie v e anyone could put on a more fantastic show than what happened here at Trelawny,J amaica” host Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller. “It was magnificent,I was so filled with jo y I almost wanted to cry;you know the talent we have,the color,the pageantry, the way everything wasbrought together” – St. Vincent and the GrenadinesPrime Minister Ralph Gonsalves. “It must be understood that in every CARICOM memberstate police officers ar e accorded certain responsibilities under the la w . Their authority as set out in la w cannot be varied by any agreement.It will not be tol-erated” Barbados Deputy Prime Minister Mia Mottleylast month condemning thesearc hing of local police officers b y Cricket World Cup security officials and calling on the tournament’s organizers to kno w their limits. Compiled from CMC and other sources. TONY ROBINSON CTApril07.qxd 4/4/07 10:48 AM Page 11

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~ A Caribbean Today advertising feature Air Jamaica is of fering brides and grooms traveling to get married in any of its Caribbean destinations a free upgrade to the airline’s new ExecutiveBusiness Class. To qualify, the bride and groom must book a minimum of 22 seats (including them selves) through Air Jamaica’s gr oup sales office. By booking as a group, couples and their guests gain savings on flights to their destination. The airline also provides a specially designed invite to inform guests of the discount. The bride and groom request their upgrade once the gr oup is ticketed. ELEANOR M. WILSON Hype has begun in earnest, touting weddings and honeymoons for this century’s mostr omantic date 7/7/07. Why dwell on one date when r omance awaits you yearround at several all-inclusive Caribbean resorts? We’re all familiar with Sandals and SuperClubs, solet’ s look at inclusives that are per haps not so well known. Galley Bay Beach Resor t spreads leisurely along one of Antigua’s famous white beaches. Fr om the Sugar Mill r eception entrance, guests are whisked by golf car t across the lagoon’s wooden bridge to this secluded resort. Sip“Sundowners” while sunset watching on the Teepee Bar’s open deck. Savor sounds of the surf during a romantic candlelight dinner under your own individual palapa at theGauguin Restaurant. Walk right onto the beach from your first-floor deluxe or premium beachfront room, and rinse off at your outdoor shower . Premium beachfrontsuites havesunken liv ing r ooms, extra large tubs plushis-andhers show-ers, anduphol ster ed wickerlounges for snuggling on the patio or balcony. Go T ahitian in a Gauguin Cottage overlooking the r esort’s lagoon. A sheltered br eezeway connects two thatched roof roundavels. One contains your air-conditionedbedr oom, and the other a dr essing room and bathroom with shower . The cottage opens to a ter race and private plunge pool inside a walled garden. Nothing says romance like The Caves, located just south of Rick’s Caf in Negril. Just 10 handcrafted cottages arehidden among lush foliage on the flat cliff top. Steps carved into the cliffs lead to several naturally formed, secludedgr ottoes. Enjoy a r elaxing hot tub au deux with sea view in one, an intimate candlelight dinner in another, while rhyth-mic waves crash below . Duet clif f dives from several levels entice adventurous couples. A gauze-curtained spa pavilionhangs on the edge of the rocks, providing a romanticsetting for couples massages. Similar dramatic spots invite super seclusion for sunsetwatching. (Room tax and gra A new way for guys to pop the questionAir J offers upgrade to Caribbean newly weds 12 CARIBBEAN TODAYApril 2007 BRIDES BRIDES & & HONEYMOONS HONEYMOONS www.caribbeantoday.com Romantic escapes to Caribbean resorts For centuries male suitors have agonized over how to surprise their girlfriends with a marriage pro-posal. Should he “pop thequestion” during a quiet picnicin the countr y? Or kneel down in a romantic European piazza to pose that surprise question ill you marry me?” In recent years, madly inlove guys have conjur ed up ever more novel ways to askfor their chosen one’ s hand ranging fr om aerial banners flown over cr owded beaches to “I love you” signs lighting up stadium scoreboards. Now, enamored men will have yet another unconven-tional venue to surprise thelady in question: PrincessCr uises “Engagement Under the Stars” – a pr e-arranged pr oposal on a giant shipboard movie screen, on the high seas under the stars, displaying the gentleman’s proposal. Startingin June, with the launch of itsnewest ship, Cr own Princess, the program will complement line’s successful “Tie the Knot” shipboard-wedding program. Not only will the new pr o gram surprise the unsuspecting lady, it will also turn the couple into instant shipboard celebrities, starring in theirown r eal-life show by having the pr ospective gr oom make his wedding proposal via a personal video displayed onthe ship’ s top-deck 300square-foot LED movie screen, before an audience of fellow cruise passengers. Aphotographer standing by will capture the couple’s specialmoment when he surprises herwith the ring on deck. ROMANCE Princess Cruises, one of whose ships was famous as the romantic setting for “TheLove Boat” television series, will coordinate the surprisepr oposal to take place just prior to one of the ship’s nighttime outdoor featurefilms. At a pr earranged time, the proposer will bring his girlfriend to the scene under the guise of watching the movie. The proposal, in fact,will have been filmed in a secret session with the ship’s videographer to create a per-sonalized and unique segment. On that special evening, the couple will receive a celebratory glass of champagneand a r ed rose immediately following the proposal and a bottle of champagne and choco-late-cover ed strawberries in their stater oom that night. Throughout the voyage they will be tr eated to a series of special amenities including adinner for two at one of theship’ s intimate dining venues, a romantic balcony breakfast andpar ticipation in a pottery class of fered through the ship’s learning pr ogram, Sc holarShip@Sea , at which the couple will designa commemorative “engagementplate”. Other super perks include candid photographs of thepr oposal, plus an engagement portrait session, a pampered, couple’s massage in the ship-boar d Lotus Spa and a $100 credit toward a wedding-atsea package on a futur e voy age. After its debut on Crown Princess, “Engagement Underthe Stars” will later be extend ed to all Princess ships that feature “Movies Under theStars”. Those intrigued by themagic of an engagement at seamay visit www .princess.com or call 1-866-444-8820 for more information. “All the gentleman has to bring is the ring and the ques tion,” says Jan Swartz, Princess’s senior vice president of customer service and sales. And if he forgets the ring? “Not to wor r y ,” adds Swar tz. “The shipboard boutique has a range of fine jewelr y – including engagement rings just in case he over looked that important detail!” Brides News Network (CONTINUED ON PAGE 13) CTApril07.qxd 4/4/07 10:48 AM Page 12

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tuities are not part of the allinclusive rate here.) COZY At the other end of Negril, winding paths through landscaped gardens lead to Sunsetat the Palms’ wooden cottageson stilts. Central outdoor stairsr each two cozy accommoda tions per cottage. The double daybed on an open por ch is a perfect hideaway for intimate moments reflecting onnatur eor each otherin jungle-like seclusion. Inside, the lar ge double shower str eams jets fr om all dir ections to r ejuvenate and reenergize. Public buildings continue the wooden theme,with both indoor and pavilionstyle restaurants. The freeform pool, surrounded byplants and palms, has a Jacuzzi at one end and a central swim-up bar, also accessedby a cur ved bridge. Acr oss the str eet on Negril’ s famous seven-mile strand, mix and mingle at The Beach Club’s huge circular bar, or hide under a palm tree atone of many picnic tables. Changing rooms and showersar e available, along with a fully equipped watersports center. UNIQUE OPTIONS For a more upscale getaway, the Royal Paradisus Villas at Paradisus Punta Cana, a resort in the Dominican Republic, promiser oyal treatment in every way, beginning with airpor t VIP greeting. These beachfront suites have everything, including butlers to pack and unpack for you, arrange golf tee times and spa treatments,or make dinner r eservations at one of eight a la car te r estau rants on pr emises (plus two with buf fet ser vice). Punta Cana is known for its sparkling beaches, and this one is perfect for long walks inthe moonlight. You can’t go wrong honeymooning at any Couples resort in Negril or Ocho Rios. Since they specialize in cou-ples, ever ything is gear ed to pairsswings, lounges, Balibeds, spa tr eatments and the like. One unusual value her e is that “all-inclusive” means excursions off property aswell. This can be a trip toDunn’ s River Falls, horseback riding, a gr eathouse tour and so on. No matter which you choose, r omance is sure to thrive at these romantic allinclusives. Eleanor M. W ilson is a free lance writer for Caribbean T oday . Romantic escapes to Caribbean resortsWeddings on idyllic islands: It’s all in the planning ~ A Caribbean Today advertising feature April 2007CARIBBEAN TODAY 13 BRIDES BRIDES & & HONEYMOONS HONEYMOONS www .caribbeantoday.com (CONTINUED FROM P AGE 12) Whether it’s a gentle tropical br eeze and the swaying of palm trees that provide the allure or just jetting away to somewhere exotic, destination weddings have become the marriage celebration of choicefor many couples. T oday, almost two in 10 weddings are destination events with Caribbeanislands leading the list. And it’s no surprise why. Tropical destinations haveincr easingly attracted celebrity couples golf icon Tiger Woods and his bride Elin Nordegren and Hollywood’s Ben Affleckand Jennifer Gar ner have made Caribbean islands their wedding destinations. But island nuptials are no longer just the domain of therich and famous. In fact,thanks to package deals andseasoned wedding planners, destination weddings are not only becoming more attainable for many, they’re easier than ever to achieve. T o ensur e a per fect outcome with the desired personal touch, it is important to find an experienced wedding gur u who can, with an excellent suppor t staf f, watch ever y detail and relieve the pressur e, so that the bride and groom can totally enjoy their dream wedding ceremony. SUGGESTIONS Beverly King, of Jolly Beach Resort on the Caribbean island of Antigua, has been planning island weddings for almost 20 years. She of fers these suggestions: “Do your homework; it’s important to remember that marriage requirements vary among destinations. And if you have your hear t set on a particular date, make arrangements well in advance if possible, as cer-tain times of the year tend to book quickly. For instance, wefind that the peak months for weddings are February, April,May , June, and November. “Couples who decide on a destination wedding might also want to break free from traditional wedding attire,” adds King. “I tell my bridesand gr ooms to consider the climate and look for pieces that not only look great buttravel well, like a cocktaildr ess in a light fabric and color. And while an island breeze helps set the tropical mood, it makes a veil difficult to control. As an alternative, I suggest wearing a small tiara or using fresh flowers as accents. Grooms should also dress with comfort in mind, say a light linen suit, or dress pants paired with a shirt andvest or a classic guayabera fora tr ue island feel.” PACKAGES Brides and grooms desiring a sun-kissed destination wedding shouldn’t have trou-ble finding a wedding packageto fit any budget. For instance, Jolly Beach Resort’s “Dream Wedding Package”(www .jollybeachresort.com) offers amenities and choices ranging from cake and champagne to photos and bouquets, to fulfilling the legal r equirements. Moreover, engaged couples can choose to have their ceremony at any location on the 40-acre property; which includes two wed-ding gazebos one located on the resort’s dazzling half-mile-long beach. With the aid of an experienced wedding planning team, an altar-bound couple can rest assured that their wedding day will be hassle-free. King, forexample, not only handles the details of the wedding ceremony and reception, but sheeven personally schedules theappointment to apply for the marriage license and she, or a member of her team, escorts the couple to ensure that Bride and groom at wedding at gazebo, Jolly Beach Resort in Antigua. everything goes smoothly. “Ther e is no residency requirement to be married in Antigua, but we need couples to be her e one working day prior to the cer emony to process the necessary documents,” she said. With all of the preparations completed and the license obtained, couples can simply r elax and be absolutely cer tain that they have chosen a stunning backdr op for their celebration, guaranteeing a wedding album full of joyous memories. Photog raphs and stor y obtained from Bridal News Network. CTApril07.qxd 4/4/07 10:48 AM Page 13

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You take pretty good care of your teeth,br ushing and flossing daily. Is it really necessary for you to schedule dental exams unless there’s a problem? Oral health professionals say there are numerous rea-sons to keep those checkupson your calendar , even if you take good car e of your teeth. “Just because it’ s been awhile since you’ve had a cavity or a dental health issue, don’t give up on those visits to the dentist,” said Dr. MaxAnderson, DDS, a nationaloral health advisor for DeltaDental Plans Association inthe United States. “Dental checkups contin ue to be an important part of taking good care of teeth, preventing problems and providing people with greater control of their oral health.” EARL Y DETECTION Pr eventive checkups provide dentists with opportunities to identify and intervene early in dental diseases. This can reduce any pain and the finan-cial costs associated with mor e severe forms of dental diseases. For example, periodontal disease that goes unnoticed for lack of a checkup can progress into more serious stages possibly resulting inpain, tooth loss and otherpr oblems. If caught early, periodontal disease is easier to manage and, in some cases, r everse. Dental professionals can also use today’ s dental exams to scr een for periodontal (gumother health issues that can be difficult to spot on your own.Mor e than 120 diseases can cause specific signs and symptoms in and around the mouth and jaw. Dental professionals performing checkups can spot symptoms that could indicate serious health problems elsewhere in the body that needattention. The pr evention connection extends to r ecent changes in your health. Regular checkups allow your dentist to keepup with changes to your health status. Upon learning of medical conditions you’ve developed or treatments you’rer eceiving, your dentist can recommend strategies to help you proactively counter the negative effects the conditions andtr eatments would otherwise have on your oral health. our smile and your br eath, the foods you can eat and social interactions ar e all enhanced through better oral health,” said Dr. Anderson. “”Dental checkups are a greatinvestment in your oral andoverall health.” Information obtained from Delta Dental Plans Association,based in Oak Brook,Illinois,a U.S.network of independent not-for-profit dental ser vice corporations specializing in providing dental benefits programs. CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC A senior official of the Organization of EasternCaribbean States (OECS called for new measures aimed at combating the prolif-eration of counter feit drugs in the Caribbean. The OECS Pharmaceutical Procurement Service, the agency responsible for purchasing drugs for the nine-member sub-region, said it would be embarking on an early war ning strategy dubbed “Counterfeit Drugs Can Kill” in an ef fort to educate the public on the dangers of faked drugs. In a statement, the agency said it was reminding the pop-ulation of a United Nations report that warns that faked prescription medicines were flooding developing nations with sometimes deadly conse-quences. Head of the OECS Pharmaceutical ProcurementSer vice, Francis Burnett, said the slogan would be a simplemessage intended to aler t the population in the sub-region to the dangers of faked drugsas well as being vigilant with the purchase of drugs over the counter. Bur nett said the worse case has so far been in Haiti, wher e three years ago, scores of children were hospitalized after ingesting counterfeit cold syrup. OECS fights fake drugsDental exams key to control of oral healthTips for headache free travel 14 CARIBBEAN TODAYApril 2007 HEALTH HEALTH www.caribbeantoday.com Preparing for vacations and traveling can pr oduce an added amount of stress and tension two key triggers in the onset of headaches. The National Headache Foundation (NHF (www .headaches.or g) in the United States of fers travelers the following tips: Maintain normal sleeping and waking patterns – Late-night visits and early morning tours can lead to headaches by tempting you to stay up past your bedtime and wake up earlier than usual. Try to go to sleep and awaken the same time as you usually do,even on weekends. Plan in advance A wellplanned trip can ease the stress of traveling. Be prepared forextra long lines and wait timesat the airpor t and ar rive at least two hours before your scheduled departure. If you plan to travel by car , plot your course and make hotel reservations in advance. It is also advisable to bring medication in a carry-on bag, asopposed to checked luggage, but be sure to follow security guidelines about liquids, gels and aerosols. Discuss travel plans with your healthcare provider – If you are flying long distances, ask your healthcar e pr ovider about your dosage schedule. Some medica tions should be adjusted forhigh altitudes, lack of activity and dif fer ent climates. Don’t skip or delay meals An empty stomach could trigger a headache. Carry snacks. CTApril07.qxd 4/4/07 10:48 AM Page 14

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Caribbean stars jazz up Miami Gardens music festival April 2007CARIBBEAN TODAY 15 ARTS ARTS / / ENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT www .caribbeantoday.com GORDON WILLIAMS MIAMI GARDENS Caribbean-flavored perform-ances added pizzazz to “Jazz in the Gardens”, emergingamong the main highlights of the two-day festival held herelast month. Despite the pr esence of world-renowned musicians atthe Mar . 24-25 event, including American soul singerIndia.Arie and Latin icons like Brazil’s Sergio Mendesand Cuban-bor n Paquito D’Rivera, it was Jamaican starLuciano who generated themost excitement fr om the audience at Dolphin Stadium in this South Florida city. Performing on the closing day and in front of a much smaller crowd than day one, Luciano’s delivery lifted the music festival from a mellowslumber into a soul-sear ching r oots reggae revival. SHOWMANSHIP Dr essed in khaki with long dr eadlocks flashing and bouncing throughout, the acrobatic Luciano displayed showmanship wrapped tightly in a spiritual armor. “The Messenger”, as he is oftencalled, belted out several ofhis biggest hits, including“Sweep Over My Soul”, “Lord Give Me Strength”, s Me Again Jah” and our World And Mine”, which had the crowd rising from its seat, applauding anddancing in the aisles. And when he leapt fr om the stage to mingle with the audience, they rushed to embrace him. He too honored them, saluting people “from all over the Caribbean” with songs that at once thoroughlyenter tained while of fering a message of peace, hope and happiness. e need the spiritual element in our lives,” he told the crowd, which roared its approval. QUALITY Those who attended the second “Jazz in the Gardens” also received quality music elsewhere, beginning the firstday . Pieces Of A Dr eam, Boney James and Bobby Caldwell, who replaced WillDowning in the line-up, all delivered pleasing sets in frontof some 5,000 people on a cool, breezy South Florida evening. Day one closer India.Arie took the cr owd on a sentimen tal journey with selections from her third album estimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship”, showing herwide-ranging musical talent and versatility dressed in a “story” style all of her own. Day two attracted a crowd less than half the size and served up not only some of the Caribbean’s best enter-tainers, but the most “vibes”as well. T rinidad and Tobago’s Othello Molineaux and his quartet set the regional tonewith beautiful pan music. His reggae style “SentimentalMood” was special, as theheavy bass mingled with the sparkling sound of steel drum. It was like a thoughtful cruise with a pleasant br eeze soaking in, and the crowd loved it. Molineaux was followed by Jamaican Dean Fraser on saxophone. Fraser’s 15-minuteset was sweet and to the point, and his popular rendition of Bob Marley’ s “Redemption Song” never disappointed. Y et when Fraser made way for Luciano, it was clear that “Jazz in the Gar dens” needed a spark. “The Messenger” delivered. And when Luciano left the stage, with D’Rivera and Mendes stillto come, most of the cr owd left with him, underlining the dominance of the Caribbean influ-ence on the show . Photog raphs and stor y b y Gordon Williams,Caribbean Today’s managing editor. Jamaican Luciano entertains the crowd at Miami’s “Jazz in the Gardens”. Othello Molineaux,from Trinidad and Tobago,plays on pan. St.Lucia to host musical e xtrav aganza ~ Rodney Bay V illage Music Bash to be held April 23-25 Some of the Caribbean’s top calypso, soca and r eggae musi cians are scheduled to perfor m at a thr ee-day musical extravaganza, from April 2325 , in St. Lucia. The opening day of the “Rodney Bay V illage Music Bash”, to be held at the Digicel Coco Cabana inRodney Bay , will feature Trinidad and Tobago’s David Rudder and Jamaican cr ooner Beres Hammond. They will be followed the next day by Sean Paul, the Jamaican Grammy-winning ambassador of dancehall reggae, who will share the stage with T rinidadian Queen of Soca Destra. The extravaganza closes with Grammy winner Shaggy,and Grammy nominee MaxiPriest. The thr ee-day event is being sponsor ed by Coco Resorts, TurnKey Productions, Omni Entertainmentand Digicel’s Coco Cabana. For mor e infor mation, call 758-458 2626. Rudder Destra CTApril07.qxd 4/4/07 10:48 AM Page 15

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Jamaica’ s indigenous goods and ser vices will be on display during the 17th annual Jamaica Product Exchange(JAPEXCaribbean island this month. The theme of JAPEX 2007, fr om April 29-May 1 in Ocho Rios, St. Ann, is “Eden by theFalls”. The aim of the event is to showcase Jamaica’ s natural beauty, while promoting its unique selling oppor tunities. One of the Jamaica T ourist Boar s (JTB shows, JAPEX is expected to attract some 36 delegates fr om 25 buyer companies and 128 delegates from 34 supplier com-panies at the Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort and Spa. Utilizing a par tnership with the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), JAPEXplans to of fer a forum for leading suppliers of the Jamaican tourism product to meet with travel wholesalers and touroperators fr om Europe and the Americas. To obtain more information on JAPEX, visit www .jhta.org/japex.htm UNITED NATIONS A United Nations agency dedicated to eliminating rural poverty has launched a global initiative aimed at reducing the cost of r emittances services to the Caribbean and other countries. The $10 million Financing Facility for Remittances was unveiled by the InternationalFund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Guatemala City , the U.N. said in a statement issued last month. It said the first batch of grant r ecipients is expected to be selected and announced later this year. The Inter -American Development Bank’s (IDB Multilateral Investment Fund (MIFtances to the Caribbean and Latin America will continue to grow in coming years. GROWTH MIF Manager Donald F . Terry presented the estimate for money transfers made by Caribbean and LatinAmerican migrants on the eveof the two-day annual meeting of the IDB Board of Governors in Guatemala City. “Given present economic and demographic trends in LatinAmerica and the Caribbean and in industrialised countries, r emittances will continue to grow in volume over the next few years to more than $100 billion a year by 2010,” he said. But Terry said, for the IDB and the MIF this growth was not a cause for celebration because it r eflected the fact that the r egion cannot generate sufficient income opportunities to prevent millions of people from migrating. He, nevertheless, said remittances will continueto flow and have alr eady exceededboth for eign direct invest-ment and overseas aidto Latin America andthe Caribbean, helping millions of families to escape poverty. Terry said last year Caribbean and Latin American countries received about $62.3 billion fr om migrants, mostly in NorthAmerica, Eur ope and Asia. That figur e was 14 per cent higher than the amount for 2005. He said he expected remittances to the Caribbeanand Latin America to rise toabout $72 billion for 2007. Terry said the MIF will suppor t the new IF AD pr ogram. LIFELINE Pedro de Vasconcelos, the coordinator of the funding scheme, described remittances as a vital lifeline for r ural families ar ound the world. “These transfers go dir ectly to improve the living standards of millions and millionsof poor households,” he said. But he added, while competition had driven down the cost of remittances services between major cities, it r emained more expensive to send money to r ural areas, which often lack formal finan-cial ser vices. The U.N. said the new financing facility would give funding priority to those projects or proposals, which link r emittances with the provision of other financial services, such as savings, insurance and loans. “It will assist financial institu-tions, which either want to provide remittances services dir ectly or as agents of banks or money transfer companies”,the statement said.The new scheme is established with the financial support of the European Commission, Luxembourg, the U.N. CapitalDevelopment Fund, the Consultative Group to Assistthe Poor and the IDB. Jamaica’s business on show at JAPEX STEVEN M. ROSENTHAL MICHAELROSENBERG Recently , legislation was once again proposed thatwould alter the United Stated tax consequences with respect to a person who is deemed to “expatriate” from the U.S. The proposed rules, which are similar to prior proposals which were never enacted into law, would subject certain U.S. citizens and long-term residents who r elinquish their U.S. citizen ship or residence status to tax on the appr eciation in all pr operty they own at the time of their expatriation as if such pr operty were sold for fair market (commonly referred to as a “mark-to-market tax”). Any gain fr om such deemed sale would be subject to cur rent U.S. taxation to the extent itexceeds $600,000 ($1.2 million in the case of mar ried individuals filing a joint return, both of whom relinquish citizenship or terminate residency). This$600,000 exclusion amount willbe incr eased each year by a cost of living adjustment factor. EXCEPTIONS Two exceptions exist to this new proposed mark-to-market rule. The first exception applies to an individual who was bor n with citizenship both in the U.S. and in another country; provided that 1) as of the expatriation datethe individual continues to be acitizen of, and is taxed as a r esi dent of, such other country, and 2) the individual was not a r esident of the U.S. for the five taxable years ending with the year of expatriation. The second exception applies to a U.S. citizen who r elinquishes U.S. citizenship befor e reaching age 18-and-a-half, provided that the individual was a resident of the U.S. for no more than five taxable years before such relinquish-ment. Notwithstanding these proposed rules, a person expatriating will be per mitted to make an irrevocable election to continue to be taxed as a U.S. citizen with respect to all property that otherwise would be subject to the mark-to-market tax. This election is an “all or nothing” elec tion; an individual is not per mit ted to elect this tr eatment for some property but not for other property. RULES Under this election, following expatriation, the individual continues to pay U.S. income taxes at the rates applicable to U.S. citi zens on any income generated by the property and on any gain realized on the disposition of the property. In addition, the property continues to be subject to U.S. gift, estate, and generation-skipping transfer taxes. In or der to make this elec tion, the taxpayer is required to waive any tr eaty rights that would preclude the collection of the tax. In addition, under the proposal, an individual is permitted to defer the payment of the mark-to-market tax. Under the election, the deferred tax attrib-utable to a par ticular pr oper ty is deferred until the property is sold or other wise disposed of. In such case, interest will be charged for the period the tax is deferred at a rate two percentage points higher than the rate normally applicable to underpay ments of taxes. The election is ir revocable and is made on a property-by-property basis. UNCLEAR As similar legislation has been pr oposed in the past, it is unclear if this new pr oposal will ultimately be passed into law. Fur thermore, if in fact enacted, it is unclear when the new law would become ef fective. Michael Rosenberg is a shareholder and Steven Rosenthal is an associate with the Coral Gables ,Florida law firm of Packman,Neuwahl &Rosenberg and can be reac hed at 305-665-3311. Legislation seeks to alter U.S.expatriation rulesU.N.launches scheme to reduce cost of remittances to Caribbean BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, CMC Prime Minister Dr . Denzil Douglas has called on Caribbean businessmen todevelop oppor tunities to take advantage of the Caribbean community (CARICOMSingle Market (CSM Speaking last month as the Trinidad-headquartered CLICO Group opened a new headquarters here, Douglassaid it was impor tant that companies engaged them selves in the philosophy of effective regionalism andexplor ed the emer ging eco nomic environment of the Caribbean region. “Certainly, it is critical that the focus of regional companies takes into account theglobal competitiveness of the region, and is fully andactivelyengaged inthe gr owth and development ofthe peopleof theCaribbean community,” he said. The prime minister said the pr oposed Or ganization of Eastern Caribbean (OECS economic union would also goa long way towar ds assisting the corporate sector in the sub region expand its businessscope. “This proposal is aimed at further strengthening theT r eaty of Basseter r e, thus pr o viding the framework to take OECS member states to thenext logical level of functionalcorporation, and is intendedto pr ovide a fundamental nexus to the evolving CSME,” he added. CHALLENGING Douglas said over the next 10 years the region wouldbe entering a period that waschallenging and exciting at thesame time. “It is up to all of us to commit ourselves to the ideal ofbeing pr oductive, cr eative and efficient, of being remarkable for our Caribbean friendliness and professionalism,” the St. Kitts and Nevis leader added. Washington, D.C. – The Caribbean Central American Action (CCAAed Manuel A. Rosales theor ganization’ s new pr esident. Rosales joins CCAA after serving as the assistant administrator for the United States Small Business Administration’s (SBA Office of International Trade. At SBA, he ser ved as the SBA administrator’s principal advisor on international trade, educational and technicalassistance, risk management and finance programsdesigned to assist U.S. smallbusinesses in the inter national marketplace. BANKING CAREER Rosales has a long career in banking and finance. He has served as vice president of the Bank of California. He was also vice president for Shareholder Relations at the Capital Preservation Fund(now known as the BenhamCapital Management Gr oup). Rosales replaces Federico Sacasa, who served as executive director of CCAA from 2002-2005 and president from 2005-2007. St.Kitts P.M.urges Caribbean business sector to think regionalCCAA appoints new president 16 CARIBBEAN TODAYApril 2007 T erry Douglas BUSINESS BUSINESS www.caribbeantoday.com CTApril07.qxd 4/4/07 10:48 AM Page 16

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Youth set to embrace nature at Caribbean summer camp ~ A Caribbean Today advertising feature April 2007CARIBBEAN TODAY 17 SPRING SPRING / / SUMMER SUMMER EDUCATION EDUCATION www .caribbeantoday.com Developing a positive outlook for nature willbe the focus of the 8th Wider Caribbean Environmental Youth Program to be held in theUnited States V irgin Islands (USVI . Under the theme of “Natural History, Ecology andConser vation on Caribbean Islands” the program will be presented at the Virgin IslandsEnvir onmental Resource Station (VIERSto Aug. 4. The pr ogram focuses on the decision makers of tomor row by providing Caribbean young people with awar eness on environmental issues in a fun, yet educational way. Thisyear s eco camp is sponsored by the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA ronmental subsidiary, theCaribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CASTAmerican Airlines and Clean Islands International. “One of the program goals is to facilitate the devel-opment of a positive envir on mental ethic by students, which builds their awareness and strengthens their commitment to conservation of the natural environment and sustainable development for the good of human society,” coordinator Randy Brown said ina r ecent press release. A CTIVITIES Students ages 12 to 18 will be immersed in activities that cover natural history and ecol-ogy of selected Caribbean ecosystems – coral reefs, sea grass beds, mangrove wetlands, dry forest and moist forest – conservation issues, natural resources management strategies, and environmental careers.The daily scheduleincludes field activities such as guided plant walks, hikes to petroglyphs and reef bays, as well as group discussions on personal experiences, eco-sys-tems and envir onmental ethics. Instr uctors include professional presenters and local experts with practical experience in conservation, biology, marine biology, terrestrial tropical ecology, environmen-tal policy , waste managementand envir onmental education. Cultural and environmental exchanges arecomponents ofthe pr ogram. As part of the curriculum, each group will be invited to make a presen-tation about their history, environmental issues and concerns affecting their country. Students will also take turns to prepare a local dish from their country and present it to the entire group at dinner. “The key for the success of this program is that participants are immersed in a real, firsthand experience with nature; not only do they learn about the surrounding eco-systems, but they see and feel them as Educa ting children about their environment will be beneficial in the future. GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC The Guyana gover nment says it will be aggr essively pursuing a literacy program forprisoners this year in addition to training in various skills, craft and agriculture. Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee said that religious and recreational activities within the prison’s environment would be a continuing featur e. e are committed to improving our prisons’ condi-tion and the literacy capabilitiesof prisoners,” he said r ecently. The Government Information Agency (GINA said that some of the programs being pr ojected this year include ef fective training of ranks to deal with the multi-dimensional challenges in the prison environment, developing security capabilities at each prison location and reducing dietary expenditure through self-sufficiency. “In this r espect we will work towar ds utilizing the prisons’ estate to cultivate and r ear livestock and produce morefood. This will help us to ease the budgetary allocation to dietary expenditure. This money will now be used up in other areas,” Rohee said. GINA said that the state pays an estimated $95 monthly to treat one inmate, noting that there are 19,000 prisoners. Rohee (CONTINUED ON PAGE 18) Guyana pursues literacy program for prison inmates CTApril07.qxd 4/4/07 10:48 AM Page 17

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part of the learning process,” said Deir dre Shurland from CAST , adding that participants ar e also encouraged to conserve water and energy, recycle, and r espect the wildlife around the camp. The deadline for reservations is May 28, and the program is available for up to five students and one chaperone from up to seven Caribbean islands, for a maximum of 42 par ticipants. For mor e information and the full program of the 8th W ider Caribbean Environmental Youth Pr ogram, including fees, con tact Randy Brown at 410-6472500 ; via email at: rb@islands.org or by visiting http://www.islands.org/virgin/viers/aacha1.htm AJamaican-born educator has taken over the leadership reins of an institution of higher learningin South Florida. Economist Karl S. Wright, PhD., has become the 11thpr esident of Florida Memorial University (FMU “I always wanted to work with students. I thoroughly enjoyworking with young people,” the 54-year-old Wright toldthe Miami Herald newspaper before his installation as headof FMU last month.“That’ s my commitment; that’s my passion: to open doors for our young men and women to allow them to realize the American dream.” Wright attended Knox Collegehigh school in Jamaica. Hecame to the United States more than 35 years ago. W right was inaugurated the new president of the 128year -old South Florida university on Mar. 16, during the school’s annual Founders’ DayConvocation. GOALS During the inaugural addr ess, Wright outlined goals for his administration, including continuing to increase theethnic and cultural diversity of the student body, attracting top-tier professors and administrators to the University’sfaculty , and building strong r elationships with South Florida’ s business and civic communities. “Our university is a oneof-a-kind resource that pro-vides young men and women access to high-quality academics while promoting culturaldiversity , global awareness, and the principles and values of responsible citizenship – all within the context andtradition of ahistorically black university,” Wright told the audi-ence. “As president, I look forward to partnering with our faculty and staff to uphold our growing reputation for academicexcellence and to develop newr elationships for Florida Memorial at the local, nation al and international levels.” SUCCESSION Wright succeeds Albert E. Smith, who served as FMU’s president from 1991 until her etired in July 2006. Wright Barbados calls on schools to enforce cell phone banYouth set to embrace nature at Caribbean summer campCaribbean man is new president of Florida Memorial 18 CARIBBEAN TODAYApril 2007 Wright SPRING SPRING / / SUMMER SUMMER EDUCATION EDUCATION www.caribbeantoday.com ~ A Caribbean Today advertising feature Miami-Dade College BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC The Ministr y of Education here has mandated primary and secondary school principals to rigidly enforce aban on the use of cellularphones by students while ateducation institutions. Amidst widespread public concern overthe use of cellu lar phones by school students, the Ministry said the phones and other com municationdevices, such as pagers, werenot per mitted at schools and called on principals to ensure that the ban, which it first imposed in Mar. 2003 was enforced. “Students are not permitted to bring cell phones, pagers or any other communi-cation devices to school”,Chief Education Of ficer Griffith Watson advised school principals in a r ecent memo. “Students who defy this rule will have these devices confiscated and their parentssummoned to collect them”. While the Education Ministry had mandated a ban of the devicessince Mar . 2003, the word fr om education officials was that the ministr s policy was not beingstrictly enforced at all the 100-plus gover nment pri mary and secondary schools acr oss the island. In addition to government run schools, the education official’s latest recommendation was that theguidelines be also obser ved at privately-run institutions. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 19) (CONTINUED FROM P AGE 17) CTApril07.qxd 4/4/07 10:48 AM Page 18

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pr eviously ser ved as FMU’ s executive vice president and provost, where he was instru-mental in incr easing the university’s student enrollment, upgrading faculty cr edentials, and overseeing the school’ s graduate degree accreditation process. “Fr om the day he stepped foot on campus, Dr. Wright has been a tir eless advocate for success – and was instrumental in Florida Memorial’shistoric passage fr om college to university ,” said Charles George, chairman of FMU’s Board of Trustees. “Now , as pr esident, he will oversee our continued growth while ensuring our studentshave the r esources they need to succeed during their years on campus – and beyond.” Before joining FMU, Wright served as dean of the School of Business at South Car olina State University for seven years. Prior to that, he was assistant professor of commodity marketing and economics at North Carolina A&T State University . Wright is active in several pr ofessional and ser vice organizations, including the Miami-Dade County Investment AdvisoryCommittee, Gr eater Miami Chamber of Commerce, the Beacon Council, and the 100Black Men of For t Lauderdale. He has been r ecognized by the Kellogg Foundation as a NAFEO leadership fellow,and by the AmericanAssociation of State Colleges and Universities, which selected him to participate in the Millennium PresidentialLeadership Fellows Initiative. W right earned his Ph.D. in economics at Mississippi State University, and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University ofMar yland at College Park. His academic inter ests include economic modeling and statistical forecasting. Information collected from various sources , including newspapers and FMU releases. BROWARD COUNTY, Florida – Broward County Commission’s Cultural Division will this month offera community for um to aid applicants for the Education and Community Development (ECD The forum will be held from 10 a.m. to noon April 30 in the Main Library, roomA/B, 100 S. Andr ews Ave. in For t Lauderdale. The grant pr ogram supports arts education collaborations that pr omote skills, knowledge, and an appreciation of the arts. Projectsoccur ring in low-income communities are encouraged to apply. The forum will offer grantees, applicants and othercommunity ar t stakeholders, the opportunity to discuss current issues related to theapplication and management process of the Education andCommunity Development grant program. A GENDA Scheduled agenda items include: how have revisions tothe ECD grant guidelines improved the grant application and management process;what additional changes to the guidelines will further improve the grant application and management process; and an open discussion of partici-pants’ concer ns. Grant awards range from $3,100 to $30,000. Eligible applicants include BrowardCounty public entities – cities,towns, public libraries, NativeAmerican nations, BrowardCounty not-for -profit, cultural or ganizations, and qualified individual ar tists from Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, MiamiDad, or Monr oe counties. The application deadline is Dec. 1, 2007 for projectsr unning from Oct. 1, 2008–Sept. 30, 2009. Or ganizations looking to develop ar ts education programs should attend the forum even if they are not eligible to apply. The forum will teach about the necessary col-laborations for submitting aneligible application. For more information, call Patricia Zeiler, arts educa-tion assistant, at 954-357-8010 or e-mail pzeiler@broward.org . Caribbean man is new president of Florida Memorial If your child has lear ning and/or attention problems, it’s important to recognize that the shift from school year to summer break (however welcome) represents a transitionphase and may pose specialchallenges for your child. Regardless of the summer plans you’ve made, you maywant to ease into summer in a way that addresses your needs as well as your child’s. Herear e some tips to consider: 1. Revamp but don’t eliminate your child’s dailyr outine. A daily r outine gives most kids with learning or attention problems a sense of structure and security. While cer tain tasks (like doing homework) can be dropped during the summer, new ones(like packing for daily swimlessons) may be added. Forfun, you might loosen up on certain chores during the summer, like designating every Friday as “Don’t make thebed” day! 2. Prepare your child for her scheduled activities. Ifpossible, visit the locationswher e she’ll be during day camp or day care in advance. Have your child talk to coun-selors, car egivers, as well as other kids have enjoyed those same situations and settings.3. Have your child contribute Summer tips to keep up academic skillsCommunity forum to aid education grant applicants April 2007CARIBBEAN TODAY 19 SPRING SPRING / / SUMMER SUMMER EDUCATION EDUCATION www .caribbeantoday.com (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18) ~ A Caribbean Today advertising feature Florida Memorial College Want to help your children keep up theiracademic skills over the summer? Here are some tips from the experts: Set aside at least 20 minutes each day for reading. To keep writing skills fresh, buy children a notebook and let them decorate the cover.Then tell them it’ s their vacation journaland have them write down three things that happen each day. To keep up mathskills, buy books of number puzzles (found at any bookstore). Also considerinvesting in math-r elated computer games. Find ways to make hobbieseducational. A child who loves to collect baseball cards,for instance, could practice penmanship by writing fan let-ters to players. He could also work on math skills by track-ing players’ statistics and sharpen up on r eading by taking out books on baseball from the library. If you’re taking a family vacation, bring homebr ochures that describe the histor y and culture of the places you’ll be visiting. T ry plotting out the trip on a map with your kids. Familyfun.com Encoura ge children to read during their spare time. Helping children with learning disorders to the family calendar. Together, you can determine key dates (e.g.,community pool opens for r ecr eation swim, July Fourth barbeque) and have your child mark these on the calendar. 4. Involve your child when prepar-ing for family trips and activities.Depending on her age, she can help you map out driving routes ormake a list of the clothing andr ecreational gear the family will need. 5. Encourage summertime learning. Summer outings may presentoppor tunities for your child to learn about history, geography, and natur e. Look for “teachable moments” and encourage her to listen, read, take photographs, collect postcards, and keep a journalof her adventur es. This type of lear ning can boost the self-esteem of a child who struggles in school. Edited from SchwabLearning.org CTApril07.qxd 4/4/07 10:48 AM Page 19

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JOSEPH GUYLER DELVA PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, CMCAt least eight people were killed by floods and mudslides triggered by heavyrains that lashed thisCaribbean countr y late last month, an of ficial has r evealed. Dieufort Deslorge, a spokesman for Haiti’ s civil protection office, said eight people were killed and one was missing and presumed dead in the western section ofthe island. But witnesses have reported two other deaths in the northern town of Jean-Rabel, not taken into account in the civil protection office’scount. “Those victims were taken away by floods or killed in mudslides resulted from several days of torrential rains in some regions,” Deslorgesaid. He said several people wer e injured, several hundred houses destr oyed or damaged and over 380 families lefthomeless. “One hundr ed and ten of those 380 families have been housed in shelters set up with financial support from the government,” said Deslorge. Haiti is par ticularly vulnerable during rainy and hur-ricane seasons because of itsflimsy infrastr uctur es and its shanty towns that generally offer little resistance to theleast amount of rain. Eight die in Haiti floods KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, CMC The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Parliamenthas unanimously passed a motion demanding a full apology and reparation fromnations which pr ofited fr om the slave trade. The motion, which was debated late last month as part of the country’s com-memoration of the 200thanniversar y of the abolition of the slave trade, also called on Parliament to pursue, in con-junction “with like-mindedpersons in the Caribbean and elsewhere” the demand forthe apology and financial redress. Minister of Culture Rene Baptiste, who piloted the motion through the legislature, said St. Vincent and theGr enadines fully endorsed the United Nations sanctioned one-year celebration of thebicentennial and encouragedother Caribbean countries tobe involved in the celebrationof the milestone. Baptiste told Vincentians that slavery wasnot something that theyshould mour n about but rather use as a tool on whichthey should build themselves.The minister noted that eventhough slaver y in the Caribbean community (CARICOM ished, dr ug traf fickers and men who prostituted women had become the modern dayslave masters. Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves said that the region’s “painful past of slavery” had left Caribbeannationals something good. Hesaid that the r egion had birthed a new people, who while diverse in culture andrace, lived together in peace, love and democracy, an exam-ple to the wider world. “Out of the crucible of our painful past, we have created a new people,” he said. St.Vincent pushes motion for slavery reparation,apologyCricket World Cup starts in blaze of Caribbean glory 20 CARIBBEAN TODAYApril 2007 NEWS NEWS www.caribbeantoday.com EARL MOXAM TRELAWNY, Jamaica, CMC Mark it down as the day adr eam was fulfilled. The ICC Cricket W orld Cup 2007 got underway last month with a near flawless opening ceremony at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium in the North Western end of the island. The 16 par ticipating teams, their of ficials and visitors fr om around the region and the wider world were treated to a spectacular anddiverse cultural package, heavily reflective of the music, dance, and artistic flavor of the West Indies, but with ataste of South Africa andIr eland thrown in for good measur e. Then, in a poignant moment, the ninth edition of the World Cup, the first to be staged in the West Indies, was declared officially open by the iconic Sir Garfield Sobers,widely acknowledged to be the greatest all-rounder in the history of the sport. The three-hour long ceremony got off to a prompt start at 5.15p.m. with a military dis-play by the massed bands of the Corps of Drums of the Jamaica Defence Force. Whatunfolded ther eafter wer e boundless displays of high ener gy fr om 1,500 young dancers, and the best of the region’s musical stars. HIGHLIGHTS One major highlight was the CWC ‘anthem’, writtenfor the occasion and per formed by Rupee, Shaggy and FayAnne L yons. The musical performances wer e interspersed with short speeches by some of the maindignitaries on hand – host Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell of Grenada, who heads CARICOM’s subcommittee on cricket, ChrisDehring, managing dir ector/ chief executive of ficer, ICC CWC WI 2007 Inc, and Percy Sonn, ICC president. In a rar e unscripted moment, Val Banks, vice president of the West Indies Cricket Board, delivered the board’s message on behalf of the president, Ken Gordon,who it was later r evealed had a throat ailment. He appeared to capture the senti-ments of many in the audiencewhen he described the eventas a defining moment in W est Indian history. The parade of the teams was one of the main highlightsof the evening, the captainsleading their players onto thefield, whilst holding the handof an accompanying child. Brian Lara, captain of the W est Indies, gave the players’ pledge, on behalf of the participants, promising to uphold the fine traditions of the game by abiding by the r ules, while Steve Bucknor , the outstanding umpire from Jamaica, gave the pledge of the umpires and match referees. For hours before the start, ther e had been a steady buildup of fans, the numbers even-tually swelling to thousands,packed into the new stadium for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Beyond the highway , the glistening waters of theCaribbean Sea, kissed by therays of the setting sun, made the perfect backdrop for thestar t of the evening’s spectacle. As after noon gave way to dusk, the shadows provided the perfect canvass for thehigh-ener gy creations of the youngsters, dressed in the beautiful costumes reflectiveof the r egion’s carnivals and other festivals. Members of the audience were caught upin the moment, hanging on toever y musical note; ever y lyric belted out, while gyrating and waving fabrics of many colors, appropriate for the occasion. MARLEY MAGIC They wer e temporarily awestruck, however, when, in a moment of high tech magic,the spirit of r eggae legend Bob Marley was brought to life on scr een. Marley , his image outlined in bright light, emerged, acoustic guitar inhand to the strains of“Redemption Song”. The past was then merged with the present, when he was“joined” live on stage by hisfaithful back-up singers, the I-Thr ee – wife Rita, Judy Simpson-Miller Baptiste (CONTINUED ON PAGE 21) CTApril07.qxd 4/4/07 10:48 AM Page 20

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PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC An Appeal Court lastmonth quashed the convictionof for mer Prime Minister Basdeo Panday , set aside his two-year jail term, and ordered a new trial. Panday had been previously found guilty of failing to declare a London bankaccount to the Integrity Commission while he servedas head of the T rinidad and Tobago government. The three-member Appeal Court agreed with the arguments put forward by Panday’sdefense team that the decisionby Chief Magistrate Sher man McNicolls not to testify in thecase against the chief justice,whom McNicolls had accusedof seeking to influence hisdecision in the Panday trial, would have left any reasonable and fair-minded person to con-clude that ther e was bias in the r uling against the former prime minister. McNicolls had sentenced Panday to three two-year jailter ms to r un concur rently on the three charges, of failing to declare a bank account he and his wife, Oma, held at theNatwest Bank in London forthe years 1997, 1998 and 1999,when he ser ved as prime minister. Panday, 73, appealed that conviction and was releasedon TT$300,000 ($50,000 The Appeal Cour t said that it would issue a written ruling later, but said that the issue before it involved the public confidence in the judi-ciar y . KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC Miss Jamaica World 2006 SaraLawr ence, who relinquished her cr own last month, will not be stripped of her Miss W orld Caribbean title, pageant rights holders have revealed. Following reports that 22year-old Lawrence would be relinquishing her title due to pregnancy, Julia Morley,founder and chair man of Miss World Limited, wrote local promoters stating that Lawrence will not be stripped of the Miss World Caribbean title and urged them to allowher to keep the Miss JamaicaW orld title. In her cor respondence, Morley described Lawrence as “a warm, compassionate andcaring person”, who shouldnot be condemned but shownlove and suppor t during her pr egnancy. STEPPING DOWN Last month Lawrence, who placed sixth at the Miss World competition and wonthe Miss W orld Region (Caribbean announced that she was step-ping down because of her pregnancy. “I relinquish my position as Miss Jamaica World 2006,having taken a deeply person al decision to face up to my responsibilities as one who expects to become a mother later this year. I believe with all that is within me that it is Appeal Court quashes Panday’s conviction Mowatt and Mar cia Grif fiths for a medley of his most famous songs, climaxing withthe universal anthem, “OneLove”.And, just when some mighthave thought that Bob hadput a cap on the evening, on strode his contemporaryJimmy Clif f for the climax. The entire ensemble came back onto the field for one last moment in the spotlight, as the veteran singer beltedout the fitting finale, onder ful W orld; Beautiful People”. And as he sang and the dancers pranced, the skieswer e lit up and the air reverberated to the sound of fireworks, timed to per fection. CMC Cricket World Cup starts in blaze of Caribbean gloryPregnant J’can beauty queen keeps ‘Miss Caribbean’ title ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Just days after one of his ministers said the governmentwould not r elax its pr o-whaling stance, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said no firmdecision has yet been taken onthe matter . The prime minister said the government was still contem-plating what position to take when the 59th InternationalWhaling Commission (IWCmeeting gets under way in Alaska next month “The Cabinet has not taken a decision,” Sker rit said adding, “I am hoping that I can get a mandate from the Cabinet in respect to the government’s position in 2007 and where the government should vote.” Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and the EnvironmentDr . Collin McIntyr e said late last month that Dominica would continue to vote along-side Japan for the “sustainable use” of commercial whalingdespite stif f opposition fr om envir onmental groups here. “Usually when these meetings are upcoming you tend toget a lot of contr oversy and strange articles in the press,” McIntyre said. ‘NO REAL ISSUE’ The minister defended government’s pro-whaling stance saying there was “no real issue” once there was sustainable harvesting. “Once it’ s something that can be harvested sustainably without creating problems thenit’ s okay with me,” he said. Last year Skerrit said that he would vote based on scien-tific evidence and called on opposition groups who had Dominica still undecided on whaling stance ~ P.M. April 2007CARIBBEAN TODAY 21 NEWS NEWS www .caribbeantoday.com Panday Lawrence (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20) Metro Dade opposed government’s prowhaling position to pr esent evidence that whaling was having a disastr ous impact on the mammals. The Dominica leader reported late last month that “there continues to beinfor mation coming fr om both sides. We welcome additional information from those whohave infor mation in regards to scientific evidence.” He said gover nment will now consult with experts “toadvise us on the technical andscientific soundness of theinfor mation.” my moral obligation to do what I believe to be ethically correctand follow what I believe in my heart to be right”, she stated.Meanwhile W omen’ s Advocate Margaret McCauley argued that Lawrence’s role as an activist for safe sex had beencompr omised by her pr egnancy . However, gender consultant Dr. Glenda Simms came to herdefense stating that no one has the right to condemn the beau-ty queen for getting pr egnant. CTApril07.qxd 4/4/07 10:48 AM Page 21

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PRESIDENT SPEAKS United States President Geor ge W. Bush is scheduled to speak at Miami Dade College’s (MDC tion commencement exerciseswhich begin at 5 p.m. April 28at the Kendall campus, Gibson Center, 11011 S.W. 104 St. In addition to Kendall campus’s graduation, six other commencement exercises for MDC’s other campuses arescheduled to take place the same day beginning at 8 a.m. and concluding at 7 p .m. PAGEANT ENTRY Partners for Youth Foundation is accepting applications the “Miss Jamaica Florida 2007 Pageant” to beheld on June 24 at the Coral Gables Center for the Arts. The pageant is open to Jamaican-bor n females or those of Jamaican parentage. The categories are “Little Miss” (ages five to eight “Junior Miss” (nine to 12 “Miss Teen” (13-16Jamaica Florida” (17-21 The deadline to submit applications is A pril 30. For mor e information, call Mar cia Baker at 954-600-0334 . P ASSPORT REMINDER The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI effect in January. The WHTI requires all those United States citizenstraveling by air to the Caribbean to have a passport. For information about applying for a U.S. passpor t, visit http://usps.com/passport or call 800-ASK-USPS . PASSPORT APPLICATION The National Passport Infor mation Center (NPIC the United States Department of State’s single, centralizedpublic contact center for U.S. passport information, is offer-ing a toll fr ee 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 ser vice 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 Website of passport and other internation-al travel infor mation is available at travel.state.gov ‘GREEN CARD’FILING The United States Citizenship and Immigration Ser vices (USCIS announced that aliens must mail applications to renew orr eplace permanent resident cards, commonly known as “Gr een Car ds”, directly to the Los Angeles Lockbox. The Lockbox is a processing facility used by USCIS to accelerate the collection ofapplications and petitions. Theannounced change allows theagency to impr ove the processing of Form I-90 (Application to Replace Per manent Resident Card) by electronical-ly capturing data and images and by performing fee receipt-ing and depositing fr om one central location, rather than at the local district office, service center, or application supportcenter (ASC Aliens filing a For m I-90, r egar dless of their state of r esi dence, must mail those applications with an application fee of$185 and a biometrics fee of$70 to one of the following addresses: For U.S. Postal Service (USPS U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Ser vices, P .O. Box 54870 Los Angeles, CA 900540870; Or for non-USPS deliver ies (e.g. private couriers U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Attention: I-90, 16420 Valley View Ave., La Mirada, CA90638 Applicants should not include initial evidence andsuppor ting documentation when submitting the For m I-90 to the Los Angeles Lockbox. Applicants will receive a notice for a biometrics pr ocess ing appointment at an ASC and will submit their initial evi dence during that appointment. Applicants will r eceive their biometrics appointment in the mail. 22 CARIBBEAN TODAYApril 2007 FYI FYI www.caribbeantoday.com HAITIANS ON CALL Black Affairs Advisory Board Chairman D.J. Fabien, second right, was among delegates who r ecently traveled to Haiti to emphasize the social impact that the deportation of Haitians has on families living in Miami-Dade County , United States. Prime Minister Jacques Edouard-Alexis, four th left, was informed about the Temporary Protective Status (TPS Haitians living in the U.S. Others ar e, fr om left, Jean Robert Lafortune, Steve Forester, Lucie Tondreau, Yvans Morisseau, Marleine Bastien and Ronald Aubourg. CTApril07.qxd 4/4/07 10:48 AM Page 22

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SAN FERNANDO, Trinidad, CMC Trinidad and Tobago’s women’s world light mid-dleweight boxing championJizelle Salandy is to defend hertitle next against American Dakota Stone. Her manager Boxu Potts says his 20-year-old charge as been mandated by the World Boxing Council (WBCdefend her title against Stone, the number one contender, probably late this month or early May. “The WBC has mandated Stone as their number one con tender and the WIBA has also mandated her as their top contender,” Potts said. “No middleweight in theworld can beat Jizelle Salandy right now,” Potts added. Salandy improved her ring record last month to 14-0 with six knockouts when she beat American Yvonne Reis to retain her plethora of world and international titles World Boxing Council (WBCorld Boxing Association (WBA,IFBA, NABC, WBE and IWBA. Stone, 38, has a record of eight victories, four defeats and five draws. GORDON WILLIAMS FOR T LAUDERDALE Top level inter national soccer with a Caribbean flavor r eturned to South Florida last month, but Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz failedto excite their passionate U.S.-based fans, losing 2-0 to Switzerland at Lockhart Stadium here. Jamaica, featuring talent based on the island but buoyedby winning the Lunar NewY ear Cup, a four-team tournament held in Hong Kong in February, were outclassed infr ont of 3,200-plus fans who braved windy and wet condi tions. Y et Jamaica’s new technical dir ector Bora Milutinovic, the Serb charged with guiding the Reggae Boyz to World Cupin 2010 in South Africa,seemed unper turbed by the game’s final result. He insisted that Switzerland was simply the better team and that the experience gained from playing the“Nati”, ranked 17th by world soccer’s governing body FIFA, would ser ve his team well in the futur e. “It is important for us if we can play against a team like Switzerland,” Milutinovic told Caribbean Today after the game. “It will be perfect for us, (our real soccer, real football world. All of this (Swiss s play ers play in Europe. (They have so many good players.” EARL Y SETBACK Jamaica fell behind in the seventh minute when Swiss for-war d Marco Streller swiveled away from his marker and slotted past goalkeeper Richar d McCallum. In the 12th minuteGokhan Inler doubled the lead with a good strike from the top of the penalty area. From thenon the Swiss dominated play , wasting numerous chances to increase their lead as the Boyz struggled to keep pace. “They were physically better than us,” Milutinovic said. “They are athletic, real good.But this is the dif fer ence to being good, the competition, the league (they play in His assistant Wendell Downswell, a former technical director of Jamaica’s nationalteam, attributed Jamaica’ s poor star t to big game jitters. “The first half we wer e a little bit tentative, a little bit of ner ves,” said Downswell. “But I think the second half we came out, we made some changes, and we wer e far more competitive.” Jamaica, which in 1998 became the first English-speak-ing Caribbean team to r each the World Cup, but which has stumbled badly r ecently failing to make the final round of the Digicel Caribbean Cup, offered a handful of bright spots on a night when their fans’ enthusi-asm was dr enched not only by the team’s deficiencies, but intermittent showers as well.McCallum was outstanding,saving the Boyz fr om a more embarrassing scoreline withsome fantastic saves. Meanwhile, Milutinovic urged fans of the Caribbean team to be patient as Jamaica builds up to World Cup qualifiers starting next year. “(That tant, and I hope the people from Jamaica they grow to understand whatis our goal,” he said. “Our goal is clear, to go to the WorldCup. T o do this, we need to work hard, to have patience, tosuppor t our players.” In another friendly international played in SouthFlorida late last month,Caribbean champions Haitibeat Panama 3-0 at the OrangeBowl in Miami. Gordon W illiams is Caribbean Today’s managing editor. T&T woman to defend world boxing title soon Trinidad and Tobago’s Austin “Jack” Warner was last month re-elected president of CONCACAF (Confederation of North,Central American andCaribbean AssociationFootball), the highest-ranking soccer body in the region. W arner will serve another four-year term, which will run thr ough 2011. He retained his seat after the nomination deadline, for a challenge to his position,passed without anyone elsestepping for ward to contest the post. The new ter m will mark his fifth as CONCACAF boss. Warner received multiple nominations from every sector of CONCACAF’s membership of40 nations. Warner was first elected as CONCACAF president in 1990and he has been r e-elected on every occasion since then (1994, 1998, 2002 and now , 2007). He is also the longest continuously serving memberof the Executive Committee ofFIF A, world soccer s gover ning body, having first taken his seat there in 1983. PWarner re-elected regional soccer bossSwiss clip Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz in soccer April 2007CARIBBEAN TODAY 23 SPORT SPORT www .caribbeantoday.com CRICKET WORLD CUP BRIEFS The ICC Cricket World Cup 2007,the one-day game’ s biggest sho w held ever y four years, began in the Caribbean last month.The tournament runs through April 28,whenthe final will be played in Barbados. Below are some of the highlights,both on and off the field, that took place last month: Opening with a bang The opening ceremon y in T rela wn y , Jamaica has been described as possibly the best ever since the CWC was first staged in 1975 in England.Most of the countries in the Caribbean participated in the colorful event,complete with cultural displays and music,and attended by many international artistes and dignitaries. Untimely death Bob Woolmer,coach of the Pakistan team,was found unconscious in his Jamaica hotel room on Mar.18.Hewas taken to the University Hospitalof the West Indies where he was pronounced dead. P olice investiga tions revealed it was murder by strangula tion. P akistan lost to Ireland the day before the incident and was eliminated from the tournament. Sixes for days South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs created a new world recordfor one-day cricket when he blasted six sixes against the Netherlands at Warner Park in St.Kitts.Two other ba tsmen, Sir Garfield Sobers of the W est Indies and India’ s Ra vi Shastri, had managed the feat in first class games,but no one had,before Gibbs,done it in a one-day interna-tional. Runs galore A week into CWC 2007, India amassed 413 runs in their group ma tch a gainst Bermuda in T rinidad. It was the highest score in the history of the tournament,eclipsing Sri Lanka’s 398 versus Kenya in 1996. Compiled from CMC and other sources. Milutinovic KEEPING IT CARIBBEAN Guadeloupe-born Jean-Marc Mormeck raises the world cruiserweight title belt he won last month by defea ting another boxer from the Caribbean,Jamaican O’Neil Bell. Mormeck, who now resides in France,won a unanimous decision against the United Sta tes-based Bell in Paris to regain the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Associa tion titles the Jamaican took from him by knocking him out in New York last year.At left is U.S.boxing promoter Don King. CTApril07.qxd 4/4/07 10:48 AM Page 23

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24 CARIBBEAN TODAYApril 2007 NEWS NEWS www.caribbeantoday.com CTApril07.qxd 4/4/07 10:48 AM Page 24