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APRIL 2008


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c o v e r y o u


, o r I d


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Vol. 19 No. 5 i


PRESORTED
STANDARD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
MIAMI, FL
PERMIT NO. 7315
1l: (305) 238-2868
800-605-7516
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amaica: 654-7282


I THE MULTI AWARD-W~INNNE SM G ZN


Caribbean-born light heavy-
weight Glen Johnson will get
what could be his final shot at........................................2 Feature ..................................11 Sport ......................................15 Foo
reclaiming a world boxing
title when he fights American
Chad Dawson in Tampa,
Florida this month, page 15


INSIDE
N ew s ........................................ 2 Feature .................................. 11 Sport ...................................... 15 Food ........................................ 18
Spring/Summer Education ..6 Arts/Entertainment........... 13 FYI ....................................... 16 Politics/Region..................19
Viewpoint ......................... 9 Health .........................1.......4 Business................................17 Tourism/Environment ..........20


W e


Jamaican
Hilca Thomas
has been
named the
"2008 National
Assistant
Principal of
the Year" by
the National
Association of Secondary
School Principals in the
United States, page 5.


SUSPECT



BOMBER

32-year-old Jamaican Kevin
Brown was 'acting strangely'
at the Orlando International
Airport. He was searched,
arrested and charged in
Florida with attempting to
carry bomb parts onboard an
Air Jamaica flight bound for
Montego Bay, page 5.


The roots of Rastafari, a reli-
gious faith which originated in
the Caribbean, can now be
traced through an unprecedent-
ed exhibition at the Smithsonian
National Museum of Natural
History in Washington, D.C.,
page 13.


uv





CARIBBEAN TODAY


lwww-.carbbentdayco


ne ws


U.S. issues final rule for travelers to the Caribbean Guyanese-born U.S. immigration
WASHINGTON The for the land and sea portion and fraud."nt in
United States has issued a of the Western Hemisphere The DHS said it had decid- agent charged demanding
Tr.- I I11, ""n 'A 1_'A V 11 -.I1rT-* -.-, 11 IxTT TPT\ -1 -_-* ,1 ] TTl T 1r 1 1- A -


June 1, 2zu9 deadline for all
American travelers returning
from the Caribbean by land or
sea to have either a passport
or other approved documents
to enter the U.S.
U.S. citizens are already
required to have a passport
when returning home by air,
but the rule will kick in for
cruise passengers as well as
those who re-enter the coun-
try at land crossings.
The U.S. departments of
Homeland Security (DHS)
and State (DOS) indicated
in a joint statement late last
month that the rule, which
also encompasses travel to
Canada and Bermuda, is final


MIAMI In his first official
visit to southern Florida since
winning last September's gen-
eral elections, Jamaica Prime
Minister Bruce Golding called
on nationals here to work
closely with his administration
for the betterment of the
island-nation.
"We need to make a
greater effort," he told a town
hall meeting Mar. 28 at Nova
Southeastern University in
Davie. "Jamaica couldn't sur-
vive without you.
"Jamaicans abroad are
our greatest ambassadors,"
Golding continued. "Jamaica
is too rich to be so poor."
The Jamaican leader said
about 350,000 of Jamaica's 2.5
million people live in poverty.
In addition to remittances
that contribute significantly to
Jamaica's economy, Golding
called on his compatriots
abroad to give of their time,
talent and skills to help the
island grow. The Inter-
American Development Bank
(IDB) said Jamaicans in the
United States sent home an
estimated $2.1 billion last year.


NELSON A. KING

NEW YORK The son of
two Caribbean nationals is the
new governor of New York
following the resignation of
Governor Eliot Spitzer.
The parents of the former
Lieutenant Governor David
A. Paterson were born in
Grenada and Jamaica. His
Grenadian-born father is a for-
mer New York state senator.
Paterson became New
York's 55th governor last
month. He is the state's first
black governor and replaces
Spitzer, who announced his


Travel Initiative (WHT-),
also known as the U.S. pass-
port rule.
"We are on course to
implement and enforce the
Western Hemisphere Travel
Initiative, which is an impor-
tant step forward in securing
the homeland," said Homeland
Security Secretary Michael
Chertoff.
"Limiting and standardiz-
ing the types of documents
presented will result in a more
secure and efficient border,"
he added.
"We will continue to
encourage cross-border travel
and trade while at the same
time decreasing identity theft


Golding also touched on a
wide range of issues, from esca-
lating food prices, finding alter-
native energy sources, over-
hauling the educational system,
to rampant crime. He said the
incumbent Jamaica Labour
Party (JLP) is determined to
address "the causes of crime.
"We have to strengthen
the capacity of the police
force," he said, pointing out,
however, that Kb lh r you can
strengthen that police force
you are going to have to clean
it out."

HONOREES
Last month's town hall
meeting was the first of a
series of events that the
Jamaica prime minister was
scheduled to attend during his
three-day visit to South
Florida. The following day
Golding was expected to
attend church services at the
Maranatha Seventh Day
Adventist Church in Miami.
He was also the featured
speaker on Mar. 30 at the sec-
ond annual Community
Service Awards Ceremony and


resignation following revela-
tions that he was involved in a
prostitution ring.
"I am deeply sorry that I
did not live up to what was
expected of me," Spitzer said.
"To every New Yorker, and to
all those who believed in what
I tried to stand for, I sincerely
apologize."

UNTESTED
Paterson is said to be
liked and respected by leading
figures in both main United
States political parties, but is
also considered untested.
In 2006, he surprised the
Democratic establishment in


ed to issue me WHTI land and
sea final rule more than a year
before its implementation in
order "to give the public ample
notice and time to obtain the
WHTI-compliant documents
they will need to enter or re-
enter the United States on or
after June 1, 2009."
It said many cross-border
travelers already have WHTI-
compliant documents, such as
a passport or a Trusted
Traveler Card NEXUS,
SENTRI, and FAST.
The DOS added that it was
already accepting applications
for the new passport cards.
0


Tea Party in Miami, hosted by
the Jamaica Consulate. During
that event, 12 Jamaican nation-
als were honored for their con-
tributions to the community.
The honorees included
poet Ivy Claudette Armstrong;
Lauderdale Lakes Mayor
Samuel Brown; Tampa com-
munity activist Elloreece B.
Burrell; NASA mission man-
ager Glenn Chin; media spe-
cialist Don Daly; former
Houston, Texas Honorary
Consul Beverly Ford; and
record-breaking pilot
Barrington Irving.
The others were Miami
Anglican priest the Reverend
Horace Ward; Michael and
Jackie Shaw of Sunshine
Theatre Company; founder of
the Jamaica Nurses Association
of Florida Joyce Wright; and
educators Winston Whyte and
Karl S. Wright.

Golding says all the right
things in meeting with
Jamaicans in South Florida,
page 11.
0


Albany, the state's capital, by
leaving the Senate and the
possibility of becoming major-
ity leader if the Democrats
captured a majority there to
run for the largely ceremonial
post of lieutenant governor.
Born in Brooklyn on May
20, 1954, an early childhood
infection left him with severe-
ly limited sight.
Paterson is a graduate of
Columbia University and
Hofstra Law School, both in
New York, and is also an
adjunct professor at Columbia
University.
0


sex for issuing 'green card'


NEW YORK New York
police have arrested a
Guyanese-born United States
federal immigration official
for demanding sex from a
Colombian woman in
exchange for a green card.
Prosecutors in Queens
last month said that Isaac R.
Baichu, 46, was recorded
demanding sex from the
unidentified young woman,
and will be prosecuted on cor-
ruption charges.
Immigration officials said
Baichu handled about 8,000
green card applications during
his three years as an adjudica-
tor in the U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services part of
the federal Department of
Homeland Security.
Prosecutors said he plead-
ed not guilty to felony and
misdemeanor charges of
coercing the young woman to
perform oral sex and of prom-
ising to help her secure immi-
gration papers in exchange for
further sexual favors. If con-
victed, he will face up to seven
years in prison.
An immigration
spokesman said Baichu


has been suspended without
pay, and the inspector general
of Homeland Security is
reviewing his other cases.

MORE VICTIMS
Prosecutors, who said
they recorded a meeting
between Baichu and the
woman on Mar. 11, at which
he made similar demands for
sex, urged any other victims to
come forward.
Money, not sex, is the
more common currency of
corruption in immigration,
officials said.
The young woman in
Queens, whose name is being
withheld because the authori-
ties consider her the victim of
a sex crime, did not even tell
her husband what had hap-
pened, officials said. They said
she came to the U.S. on a
tourist visa in 2004 and over-
stayed.
Authorities said when she
married an American citizen a
year ago, the law allowed her
to apply to "adjust" her illegal
status.
But unless her green card
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 4)


U.S. remains firm on sending

Caribbean criminals back home


BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,
CMC A U.S. State
Department official said that
Washington will continue to
send back criminal deportees
to the region, even though the
George W. Bush administra-
tion was aware that deporta-
tion remained a key issue for
countries in the Caribbean.
The Assistant Secretary
of State for the Western
Hemisphere Thomas Shannon
told the Caribbean Media
Corporation (CMC) that
Washington was bound by law
to deport criminals.
"We are deporting citi-
zens of the Caribbean who
have committed crimes in the
United States and we are
under a legal requirement to
do that," Shannon said.
"This is something.. .we
must do in compliance with
our own law."

CONCERNS
At the June 18-21, 2007
Conference on the Caribbean
held in Washington D.C.,
leaders of the Caribbean
community (CARICOM)
raised the topic of deportation
in their meetings with
President Bush and Secretary
of State Condoleeza Rice. One


of their consistent concerns
was the need to receive more
information on deportees,
including more detailed crimi-
nal records. Shannon said the
U.S. listened to the concerns
and will act accordingly.
"What we can do is work
more closely with out
Caribbean partners to make
sure that when Caribbean
nationals are deported back to
their home countries that their
home countries know who is
coming (and) what crimes they
have committed," he said.
"We've worked through
international institutions like
the International Organization
for Migration (IOM) to help
build capability in these nations
to reintegrate these people in
the Caribbean society."
During the Washington
conference, CARICOM leaders
renewed their call for U.S. assis-
tance with the lik 111 and
reintegration of deportees. The
United Nations Development
Program (UNDP) funds a $1
million project in Haiti to pro-
vide deportee reintegration
services including counseling,
vocational training, skills
development and micro-
credit lending.
0


Jamaica P.RM. calls for closer working


relationship with diaspora in the U.S.


New N.Y. governor has Caribbean roots


April 2008


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April 2008


Canada says no to Caribbean

immigration application cap


MIAMI Police last month
arrested an influential Haitian
American community activist
here and charged him with
more than 20 counts of racket-
eering, theft and money laun-
dering.
Ringo Cayard, 55, direc-
tor of the Miami-based
Haitian American Foundation
Inc. (HAFI), was arrested on
the night of Mar. 20 on the
charges, which include fake
records which he used to give
himself a significant bonus.
Police also charged
Cayard with siphoning thou-
sands of dollars from Miami-
Dade County contracts relat-
ed to staging festivals and pro-
viding meals to the elderly
and that his arrest caps
,\pi npg investigation" of
the foundation's finances over


the past two
and a half
years.
HAFI,
one of the
best-known
social services
agencies in
Miami-Dade's Card
Haitian com-
munity,
received almost $2.9 million in
county contracts and grants
between 2002 and 2006.

PROMINENT
Cayard has been one of
the most prominent voices in
local Haitian politics over the
past 25 years. He's been a
political ally to Miami Mayor
Manny Diaz and County
Commissioner Dorrin Rolle.
Diaz placed Cayard on a city


bond-oversight board.
"To arrest him under
cover of darkness on the eve
of Holy Week is a disgrace,"
said Milton Hirsch, Cayard's
lawyer.
The arrest report also said
Cayard r,. i, ri, d a
scheme to bill the county for
phantom mnal, that HAFI
was supposed to deliver to eld-
erly Haitian residents under a
contract with the county's
Alliance for Human Services.
The report charged that
Cayard and a HAFI employee
submitted fake monthly
invoices six times between
April 2003 and Jan. 2005
when his non-profit failed to
deliver any meals.
0


Jamaican acquitted of shooting at N.Y. cops


NEW YORK A jury in New
York has acquitted a Jamaican
man who was the first person
charged under a new law in
2006 that increased prison sen-
tences for the attempted mur-
der of a police officer.
The jury in State Supreme
Court in Brooklyn last month
found Damien Henry not guilty
in a case in which he was
charged with firing an Uzi auto-
matic machine gun at two police
officers outside a Jamaican
nightclub in the East Flatbush
section of Brooklyn in 2004.
Henry, 27, was shot 18
times by the officers but sur-
vived. The officers were unin-
jured.
Several jurors said they
believed that the officers were


less than completely honest on
the witness stand.
"There were a lot of holes
in the case," said one juror, a
woman in her 20s.
"I felt like they weren't
always telling the whole truth,"
she added.

IN PRISON
Henry is celebrating his
acquittals in prison, where he is
serving a 25-year sentence for
shooting up a Brooklyn restau-
rant in 2005 after being told to
smoke outside.
Henry, who had faced a
possible life sentence for the
attempted murder of two
police officers and two bounc-
ers in the current case, was
convicted on Mar. 5 of second-


Guyanese-born U.S...


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2)
application was approved, she
could not visit her parents or
her brothers' graves and then
legally re-enter the U.S., they
said. And if her application
was denied, she would face
deportation.

PATTERN
The charges against
Baichu, who became a U.S.
citizen in 1991 and earns
roughly $50,000 a year, appear
to be part of a larger pattern,
according to government
records. A Miami agent of
Immigration and Customs
Enforcement, responsible for
transporting a Haitian woman
to detention, is awaiting trial
on charges that he took her to
his home and raped her.
"Despite our best efforts
there are always people ready
to use their position for per-
sonal gain or personal pleas-


ure," said Chris Bentley, a
spokesman for Citizenship
and Immigration Services.
"Our responsibility is to
ferret them out," he added.
According to the criminal
complaint, Baichu told the
Colombian woman he expect-
ed her to do "just like the last
time," and offered to take her
to a garage or the bathroom
of a friend's real estate busi-
ness so she would be "more
comfortable doing it" there.
Prosecutors said Baichu
was arrested as he emerged
from a Queens diner and
headed to his car.
Later released on $15,000
bail, Baichu referred calls for
comment to his lawyer, Sally
Attia.
She said Baichu "did not
have authority to grant or
deny green card petitions with-
out his supervisor's approval."
0


degree weapons possession,
which carries a sentence of
three to 15 years.
In 2002, Henry was charged
with shooting an officer in the
arm, but was acquitted.
In 2004, he intervened in
an arrest and was charged with
punching an officer, Andrew
Rydlewski, in the face. He
pleaded guilty to a low-level
misdemeanor.
It was 10 days after his
plea in the punching case that
Henry got into another con-
frontation with Rydlewski out-
side the Ragtop Lounge in
East Flatbush after being
denied entry. Rydlewski and
Sergeant Ajay Kapour said
that Henry fired an Uzi at
them, and they shot back, strik-
ing him 18 times without hit-
ting any major organs.

NEW LAW
Henry was charged under a
new law that increased the mini-
mum sentence for attempted
murder of a police officer to 20
years, from 15. Henry's lawyer,
Harold C. Baker, mounted a
defense that his client was "set
up" by the police and bouncers.
The bouncers had summoned the
officers with calls to their private
cellular telephones, not to 911.
Several jurors said that
while they did not believe the
conspiracy theory, they were
troubled by testimony by a
police expert in gunshot
residue that several of the
shots that struck Henry were
fired from less than eight inch-
es away. The officers had testi-
fied that they shot him from
about 10 feet away.
"Some of the jurors really
had a bad perception of the
cops, and they didn't believe
them," said the jury fore-
woman, Khadijah Carter.
0


TORONTO, Canada -
Citizenship and Immigration
Minister Diane Finley has
promised that the number of
applicants seeking to enter
Canada yearly from the
Caribbean and the rest of the
world will not be capped and
family re-unification will be
preserved in the legislative
amendments to modernize the
immigration system.
She addressed the con-
cerns with CMC a week after
the Conservative government
tabled sweeping immigration
legislation to clear up the huge
backlog of applicants and
bring in skilled workers more
quickly. The backlog stands at
about 800,000, and some appli-
cants have been waiting for
almost six years to have their
applications looked at.
"That's totally unaccept-
able," declared Finley. "We
are competing with other
countries that have processing
times of three to six months
and we are six years. We are
competing with other coun-
tries for talent that we very
much need right across the
country. We are losing out in
the competitiveness race.
"The changes that we are
making are really about bring-
ing common sense and good
business and management
practices to the immigration


system. Under the existing
system, every application has
to be processed, even if an
applicant has made multiple
applications, a person is dead
or someone chooses to go to
another country.
"The changes have noth-
ing to do with the refugee
system, there are no caps on
the number of applications
and the preservation of family
re-unification is a priority for
us because we care about
family."

SWAP
To expedite the process
quickly and smoothly, Finley
said consideration will be
given to transferring applica-
tions from a country or region
swamped with requests to
enter to Canada to another
country or area where the
workload is not hectic.
Finley also said adminis-
trative changes will be made
and the ministry's computer
system will be upgraded to
fast-track the process in three
to six months.
In its last budget, the gov-
ernment set aside $22 million
over the next two years and
$37 million a year after that
for additional resources to
shorten wait times and reduce
the backlog.
0


Regional leaders hold


'fruitful' talks with Bush


WASHINGTON Three
Caribbean leaders emerged
from talks with United States
President George W. Bush last
month, describing their con-
sultations as fruitful.
Prime ministers Hubert
Ingraham of The Bahamas,
David Thompson of Barbados
and Dean Barrow of Belize
gave no indication of what their
discussions would yield, but
reported that issues of democ-
racy, security, tourism and the
Caribbean Basin Initiative were
among the topics discussed with
the American leader.
"We had a discussion like
you would expect neighbors to
have," President Bush told
members of the media after
the meeting.
"We talked about trade and
tourism. We talked about how
to make sure that our security
needs are met without inter-
rupting the ability for our peo-
ple to travel as freely as possible
and for the ability of people to
be able to make a good living as
a result of tourism."

ASSURANCE
The U.S. leader also gave


the Caribbean heads the
assurance that their region
was important to his country.
"We often times talk
about dealing with the Middle
East or dealing on the conti-
nent of Africa, but it was
important for these leaders to
know that we believe that a
good, strong, healthy, vibrant
neighborhood is in the inter-
ests of the United States,"
Bush said. "So we had a good,
friendly, important discussion,
and I can't thank the leaders
enough for coming."
Referring to the recent
election victories of prime
ministers Thompson and
Barrow, Bush commended
Barbados and Belize for their
g Id, fair, clean elections."
Ingraham, who is also
CARICOM's chairman,
thanked the president on
behalf of the leaders for tak-
ing time out to discuss the
matters.
"We're very pleased and
grateful that the U.S. presi-
dent invited us to come," he
said.
0


Haitian activist arrested on theft,

racketeering charges in Miami





CARIBBEAN TODAY


Bomb parts
A Jamaican national,
reportedly troubled by
past experiences includ-
ing a stint in Iraq and the mur-
der of his mother in the
Caribbean, was detained on
April 1 by officials of the
United States Transport
Security Administration (TSA)


Bomb expert searches Brown at the
Orlando airport.
after "acting strangely" at the
Orlando International Airport
in Florida.
The TSA revealed that the
man, Kevin Brown, a 32-year-
old permanent resident of the
U.S., had "suspicious items"
in his luggage. Those items,
according to a statement by
the Federal Bureau of
Investigations (FBI), included
parts for a bomb, such as galva-
nized pipes, explosive and flam-
mable liquids, end caps, a rocket
igniter, BB gun pellets, batteries
and literature containing bomb-
making information.
Brown had attempted to
take the items with him on an


found in luggage
afternoon Air Jamaica flight
bound for the Sangster
International Airport in
Montego Bay. He told the FBI
that he wanted to show friends
in Jamaica how to build explo-
sives like those he saw in Iraq.
He has been charged with
attempting to place an incendi-
ary or explosive device on an
aircraft and made court appear-
ances in Orlando in the days
following the incident where he
was not granted bail.

'CRAZY MAN'
According to reports of the
incident, Brown, who some
reports indicated had been tak-
ing anti-depressant medication
and living on the streets for a
while, had checked in luggage
at the Air Jamaica ticket count-
er. Eyewitnesses said he then
began rocking and walking back
and forth.
Brown, who also had a lap-
top computer in his carry-on
bag, was pulled aside by TSA
officers, who searched his lug-
gage and found the items. He
was then made to sit down at
the curb outside the airport ter-
minal and searched.
Brown was carrying a
Jamaican passport when he was
apprehended. However, it was
reported that he served in the
U.S. Army, from which he
received an honorary discharge
and a commendation medal,
and later worked as a contrac-
tor in Iraq. Up to press time it
was still not clear if he did mili-


of Jamaican
tary duties in Iraq.

NOT THE SAME
However, people who claim
to know Brown said he was
never the same after returning
from Iraq and his medical
records were being reviewed by
investigators.
"He sees things, he hears
things and he just doesn't act
normal," one woman was quot-
ed in Jamaica's Gleaner news-
paper as saying after the airport
incident.
Hotelier Sandra McLeod,
Brown's mother, was found
strangled at a resort in Negril,
Jamaica in 2005. The murder,
The Gleaner reported, "devas-
tated" Brown.
The Jamaica Observer
newspaper reported that
Brown, who attended schools in
Jamaica and was reportedly on
his way to visit a cousin in
Montego Bay, "told investiga-
tors that he planned to set the
bomb off on a tree stump when
he arrived in Jamaica".
Jamaica's Prime Minister
Bruce Golding ordered the
country's police force to investi-
gate the matter. Investigators in
the U.S. said Brown's act
appeared to be an m,.Lil.d
incident," but they were trying
to determine if he belonged to
any organized group.

Compiled from several news
reports, including CMC.
0


Barbadian authorities aid in capturing int'l fugitive
MIAMI United States International Airport inter- authorities as a fugitive of
Customs and Border Protection cepted Rodrigues on Mar. 18 France.
(CBP) officials have confirmed "as he attempted to transit "Upon his arrival at
that Barbadian law enforce- through the United States en Miami International Airport,
ment authorities had been help- route to his home in Canada. Mr. Rodrigues was stopped by
ful in intercepting an interna- "The fugitive was returned CBP officers for questioning",
tional fugitive last month. to France in keeping with a the statement said.
Officials of the U.S. State 1996 Bilateral Extradition Harold Woodward, the
Department said they were Treaty between the United CBP's director of field opera-
notified by Barbadian immigra- States and France, to face rape tions, said the case "exempli-
tion officials that Amaro and attempted rape ,. Id rgL ,, fies an extraordinary level of
Rodrigues, 54, a fugitive of the statement said. interagency and international
France, was heading to the U.S. The U.S. said the cooperation, resulting in the
after vacationing in Barbados. Canadian citizen was "vaca- arrest and extradition of a
The statement said CBP tioning in Barbados when he dangerous fugitive."
officers at the Miami was identified by Barbadian 4


Caribbean American youth essay competition open through May 9


Entries are still being
accepted for the fourth
annual National
Caribbean American Heritage
Month Youth Essay
Competition.
The 2008 contest, designed
to commemorate the declara-
tion of June as "National
Caribbean American Heritage
Month" by the United States
Congress, is open to 11th and
12th grade students who live in
South Florida's Miami-Dade
and Broward counties and have
a Caribbean heritage as defined
by the competition's rules.
The competition is being


offered through a partnership
between the Institute of
Caribbean Studies, organiza-
tions such as Transforming
America Through Interaction
(TATI), the Greater Caribbean
American Chamber of
Commerce, University of the
West Indies Alumni
Association and area schools.
The winning entry for
each regional/local competition
will be judged in the national
level competition and the
grand winner will receive
airline tickets for two to a
Caribbean destination.
The title for this year's


competition is: "If you were
running for president of the
United States, what are the top
three issues that you would put
on your agenda?"
Winning entries in the
local/regional competition will
be announced on June 1.
Essays should be e-mailed
in MS Word format to: Student
Affairs Director, TATI, Inc.: stu-
dentaffairs@taticaribbean. conm.
Entries must be submitted no
later than May 9. Contact stu-
dent affairs director, TATI, Inc.,
at 954-802-4291 for more infor-
mation about the competition.
0


Jamaican named best

assistant principal in U.S.


MIAMI Jamaican Hilca
Thomas has been named the
"2008 National Assistant
Principal of the Year" by the
National Association of
Secondary School Principals
in he United States.
Thomas, a former
Ardenne High and University
of the West Indies (UWI) stu-
dent in the Caribbean island,
is an assistant principal at
Miami-Dade County Public
Schools' (M-DCPS) Howard
A. Doolin Middle School.
Thomas has been honored
with the national award for
her work in motivating stu-
dents and faculty members to
be lifelong learners. As cur-
riculum assistant principal at
Doolin Middle School since
2000, she has shown leader-
ship in collecting and analyz-
ing student assessment data to
identify students' weakness
and assist teachers in tailoring
instruction accordingly.
She has also made collabo-
ration with the school's faculty,
parents and students the core
of her leadership. M-DCPS
Region V Superintendent
Janet Hupp said one of
Thomas's "most outstanding
capabilities is her ability to
interact and motivate all stake-


holders." Doolin Middle
School Principal Eduardo Tillet
believes Thomas's hard work
and leadership helped move
the school grade designation of
a "C" to "an "A" in 2006.
Thomas received a bache-
lor of science degree in zoolo-
gy from UWI and a master of
science in biol-
ogy education
from the
University of
Miami. She
taught science
at the middle
and high
school levels
Thomas before moving
into adminis-
tration at
Howard A Doolin Middle
School. In Oct. 2007 Thomas
was among a group of M-
DCPS principals and assistant
principals to win five of six
"Outstanding Leadership
Awards" from the Florida
Department of Education.
She will be officially hon-
ored as this year's "National
Assistant Principal of the
Year" at a black-tie event in
Washington, D.C. on April 19.
The award includes a check
for $5,000.
0


NEW YORK Even as the
Trinidad-based Coalition of
Caribbean Rights says it will
seek international assistance
in getting sexual assault
charges made against St.
Vincent and the Grenadines'
Prime Minister Dr. Ralph
Gonsalves heard in court,
Vincentians in New York are
calling for closure to the case.
Deeply concerned about
what they consider to be the
tarnishing of the country's
international image, a number
of Vincentians here have called
for the charges leveled against
Gonsalves to be put to rest
once and for all. Though seem-
ingly sympathetic to the
Vincentian leader, most nation-
als told the Caribbean Media
Corporation it is time to bring
closure to an issue that has
painted a bad image abroad.
"It's a sigh of relief that the
court has found it appropriate
to dismiss the action," said
Arnold "Lydon" Charles, a for-
mer president of the Brooklyn-
based Vincentian umbrella
group, Council of St. Vincent
and the Grenadines
Organizations, U.S.A., Inc.
(COSAGO), alluding to the
recent high court ruling in
upholding the decision of the
Director of Public Prosecutions


to dismiss a private criminal
complaint, filed against Dr.
Gonsalves by four attorneys,
on behalf of a 36-year-old
female police officer.

NORMALCY
Greg Dublin, a director at
the Friends of Crown Heights
Educational Center in
Brooklyn, said
he hopes the
judge's decision
will "bring
some sem-
blance of nor-
malcy" in the
country.
Last
month, High Gonsalves
Court Judge
Gertel Thom
upheld DPP Colin Williams's
decision to discontinue a
charge of rape against
Gonsalves, saying that she
found "no arguable grounds
for a review."
But Hazel Brown, a
spokesperson for the
Coalition of Caribbean
Rights, told a news conference
in Port of Spain recently that
the decision not to proceed
with the matter against
Gonsalves is cause for serious
concern in the Caribbean.
4


Vincentians in N.Y. want closure

to PM.'s sexual assault case


April 2008





CARIBBEAN TODAY


-usw^caribbeantodj..c.


STEVE ROSEN


It's the llth hour no, make
that thel2th hour and the
clock is ticking closer to
midnight in your scramble to
find college money for your
high school senior.
You're standing at the
starting line. You have this
feeling of guilt. Paralysis is set-
ting in. You don't know where
to start.
Unfortunately, experts
say, this is an all-too-com-
mon situation. Not that find-
ing chunks of money for col-
lege is a walk through the
park, but many parents
haven't really come to grips
with what it may take to
cover even a sliver of
tuition, room and board,
and books, said Kal Chany,
a college consultant based in
New York and author of
The Princeton Review's
"Paying for College Without
Going Broke".
If this sounds like your
situation, don't roll over and
give up. You still have time
to take control. Here are
some tips to help you and
your college-bound hopeful
- quickly get focused:

* Do some homework The
lion's share of need-based
financial aid (in the United
States) comes from federal
and state government, so
you need to devote most of
your time to becoming
knowledgeable about the
process, the deadlines and
how eligibility is deter-
mined.
To qualify for federal
financial aid, as well as state
aid and grants from many
colleges and universities, A(
you must file the Free
Application for Federal
Student Aid, or FAFSA
(www.fafsa.ed.gov).
The Department of
Education begins accepting
FAFSA applications for the
2008-2009 school year in
January. Between now and
then, Chany says, parents
should determine at least a
ballpark number for their


expected family contribution,
which is the amount the family
will be expected to contribute
to college costs in the aid for-
mulas.
Why is this important?
Because the cost of attendance
- the sum of tuition and fees
and room and board, plus
allowances for supplies, books,
transportation costs and other
personal expenses minus the
expected family contribution


"Financing College".

* Investigate free merit money -
If you're a top athlete, scholar
or a talented musician, you may
easily qualify for merit-based
scholarships from a school.
But there seemingly are
also scholarships for every
extracurricular activity and
hobby from Scouting to the
environmental club to duck call-
ing. While merit money is avail-


acting quickly may be the difference in getting a chance to study.


gives you an approximate num-
ber for need-based aid.
To crunch your numbers,
check out financial aid calcula-
tors on web sites such as
www.salliemae.com, www.col-
legeboardcom and www.saving-
forcollege.com. There also are
many excellent guidebooks,
including Chany's and Kiplinger's


able from thousands of employ-
ers, organizations and religious
institutions, local awards may be
less of a long shot than national
contests. In addition to a multi-
tude of available web-based
search tools, your child's guid-
ance counselor should have

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 7)


Tips for getting a late start on


finding college money


the private route a better buy.
Consider some creative
solutions on how to manage col-
lege costs. Earning college cred-
it on high school advanced-
placement courses could shave
a year or more off the tuition
tab. Or maybe mom and dad
agree to foot the bill and cover
the loans for the undergrad
years, while graduate school is
on your son's or daughter's
dime.
Finally, keep in mind that
there can be quite a difference
between the listed sticker price
for a school and the actual
price you pay, once scholar-
ships, loans and other financial
assistance flow to the bottom


STEVE ROSEN
Scarcely a week goes by
when I don't field at least
one question from anx-
ious parents preparing for the
day when they'll send their off-
spring to college.
How many schools should
we apply to? Is it worth the
trouble to fill out the federal
financial aid forms? Is hiring a
college consultant to come up
with a list of potential schools
the way to go? And, of course,
how much should we budget
for textbooks and pizza
money?
As the father of two col-
lege students, with a third one
potentially a few years away, I
am keenly aware of the finan-
cial pressures of higher educa-
tion. While writing about kids
and college costs has made me
more conscious of the issues,
I've had my share of financial
successes, failures and surpris-
es too.
From my time in the
trenches, here are some warn-
ings, tips and suggestions that
may save you money and a lit-
tle aggravation while navigat-
ing the twists and turns in the
college-selection process:

TALK THE TALK
Before your teen gets too
far down the college path, have
an honest discussion with him
about the costs and where the
money will come from. How
much are you willing and able
to spend without draining your
bank account? What will be
your student's role in financing
school, and how much might
be needed from scholarships,
loans and work-study pro-
grams to plug the gap?
Talk about what's a rea-
sonable amount to borrow.
Does it make sense, for exam-
ple, to borrow heavily to
attend a school and earn a
degree in a field where post-
graduate earnings potential is
limited?
Would it be worthwhile to
consider a private school
where your student could like-
ly graduate in four years rather
than a public university where
the limited availability of
required classes could lead to a
five-year commitment? In that
vein, the financial might make


'Brain Food' available to South Florida teachers


MIAMI This month, South
Florida teachers will get the
opportunity to experience
"Brain Food", a workshop of
Project MIND that shows fun
and creative learning strate-
gies math and science teachers
can use in the classroom.
Public and private school


teachers in Broward, Palm
Beach, Miami-Dade, and
Monroe counties are eligible
to attend.
Project MIND was origi-
nally developed by Dr. Hui
Fang Huang "Angie" Su in
1988 to help academically at-
risk students improve their


ability to solve math prob-
lems. It is a research-based
Pre-K-12 math enhancement
program.
The workshop will
emphasize the use of games,
story telling, and strategic
methods based on logic and
intuition. It includes lesson


plans, activities, free teacher
resources, online assessment
and learning. Participants are
eligible to receive 30 in-serv-
ice points!
"Brain Food" will be held
from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on three
Saturday, April 12, 19, and 26
in the WLRN Conference


room. All mathematics and
science educators K-12 are
invited to register and attend.
Email Marry Kemp at
mkemp@wlm.org to secure
registration.
0


SPRInG/SUmmER EDUCATIOn

~ A Caribbean Today advertising feature


Graduating from high school means that
tough college choices remain ahead.

line.
Count your lucky stars if
you end up with a high school-
er who is really engaged in vis-
iting campuses, staying on top
of essay deadlines, hunting for
scholarships, and weighing the
pros and cons of each school
on the radar screen. You can
pretty much shift into cruise
control from here on out.
More typical, I think, is the
junior or senior who needs
nudging every step of the way -
right up to packing the family
van and pointing it toward
good old State U. It's perfectly
normal for teens to be wary of
life after high school gradua-
tion.
But if college is indeed in
the cards, how can you deal
with the denial mode? When
our oldest son was a high
school junior, for example, we
jump-started the process by
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 8)


Getting real about college


April 2008





CARIBBEAN TODAY


SPRING/SummER EDUCATION

~ A Caribbean Today advertising feature


PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad,
CMC Government is moving
to ban mobile phones with
cameras from all schools here.
Education Minister
Esther Le Gendre said last
month that principals have
been given guidelines "to
implement a ban on the use of
camera phones in schools."
This latest development
came after pornograhpic
images were taken by students
and put on the Internet
recently. This caused outrage
among several interest groups,
including the Trinidad and
Tobago Unified Teachers
Association and the National
Parent Teacher Association.
Le Gendre said principals,
who are effectively the front-


Tips for getting
(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6)
scholarship lists.
Get right on this, because
many application deadlines are
coming up quickly. Also, Chany
said, as your student bears
down on applications and
essays, keep in mind that "less
than five percent of the money
for college comes from outside
private scholarship sources. So
don't devote a huge amount of
time to this."

* Be wary of the hired gun If
you feel like you're in over your
head, professional help is avail-
able from college consultants and
scholarship search services. But
be careful when considering
some of these national services,
which often rely on direct mail or
mass e-mail blitzes to attract fam-
ilies. Their promises, at the very
least, can be of questionable
value.
On the other hand, some
professional consultants who
walk you through every aspect
of the application and financial
aid process can be worth every
penny. Decide how much time
and money you want to devote
to this project.

* Look for deals As your stu-
dent comes up with a final list
of schools to apply to, it may
pay to look for offers like this
incentive from the University of
Kansas: The university will lock
in a guaranteed tuition rate for
in-state students for four years.
There's another parental benefit
to the plan students will have
added incentive to graduate in
four years.
It is risky, of course, to wait
so late in the game to start eye-
balling the tuition tab. But with
a little bit of knowledge about
the financial aid process, you
can at least get going in the


A
(I
C
fi
w
c;
le


line managers of schools in
this country, "are being asked
to exercise their authority
firmly, fairly and swiftly in
matters of discipline." She
said where it is warranted
sanctions will be placed on
students who breach this new
arrangement.
Le Gendre said in the
wake of recent incidents of
violence and indiscipline in
the nation's schools a security
manager is to be hired on
June 1 to r \ Ki\\ the security
policy of the ministry and
develop a strategic plan for
the management of safety for
schools as well as the facilities
occupied by non-teaching staff
of the ministry."



a late start...
right direction before the clock
strikes 12.


2007 Tribune Media
Services, Inc
0


Haitian students to benefit from laptop project
VASHINGTON The Inter- not only makes for the best audio files and electronic docu-
Lmerican Development Bank team, but also a model for ments, will be translated into
[DB) and the One Laptop Per other countries in the creole and applications will be
'hild Foundation (OLPC) will Caribbean and Latin America."
nance a pilot project to test Emma Nislund-Hadley, the
whether one-to-one computing IDB's project team leader, said
an improve teaching and while there were studies about
-arning in schools in Haiti. the impact of computer labs and


OLPC makes the XO lap-
top, a low-cost computer
designed for children in places
with poor infrastructure. The
rugged machine, which uses
open-source software, can be
powered with car batteries,
solar panels or devices such as
cranks, pedals and pull-cords.
The IDB said it would
make a $3 million grant for the
pilot project, which will distrib-
ute XO laptops to some 13,200
students and 500 teachers in 60
Haitian primary schools.
OLPC will contribute $2
million to the project.
"As one of the poorest
countries in the world, deploy-
ment in Haiti has always been
an important goal for OLPC,"
said Nicholas Negroponte,
founder and chairman of One
Laptop per Child.
"Doing it with our long
standing partner, the Inter-
American Development Bank,


shared computers in the class-
room, I IL rL never been a
comprehensive evaluation of
the learning model based on
giving each child a laptop.
"This is crucial to deter-
mine the effectiveness of this
model under conditions of
extreme poverty and as a tool
for accelerating learning."

ASSESSMENT
The pilot project will
assess how a child-cantered
learning technology can be
used to bridge problems such
as the shortage of qualified
teachers and educating chil-
dren of different grades in the
same classroom. Another
major priority for the Haitian
government is speeding up the
learning process for students
who enter school late or repeat
grades.
Under the project, content
including text books, movies,


Children in Haiti will soon benefit from
low cost laptop computers.
developed for subjects such as
reading and writing, numerical
literacy and problem solving,
environmental studies and
social skills.
Training will be provided
for teachers and students to
operate the laptops and carry
out basic maintenance and
trouble-shooting tasks.
0


T&T plans to ban camera

cellular phones in schools


April 2008





CARIBBEAN TODAY


-usw^caribbeantodj..c.


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6)
taking a college campus road
trip followed by a visit with
admissions officers during a
get-acquainted session at his
high school.
Whatever you do, don't
over-function for your under-
functioning student. This is
their thing, not yours.

THE PRESTIGE FACTOR
Several years ago I attended
a parent meeting in which a high
school guidance counselor asked
for a show of hands among those
who had attended college. Most


everyone raised a hand. Next,
parents were asked if they
attended an Ivy League school.
This time, only a few hands went
up. Finally, the counselor wanted
to know how many people con-
sidered lihLeil\L, happy and
successful. Every hand in the
auditorium went up.
The point of the exercise:
Getting into a highly selective
college is not the meal ticket to
fame and fortune. There are lots
of other factors involved, and
the brand-name schools don't
have a lock on the formula.
The thinking among some
teens (and parents) is that the


more selective a college, the
better the college must be. Not
so. In fact, there are hundreds
of fine schools many you've
probably never heard of that
could provide great educational
experiences.
Look, I'm all for any stu-
dent who has the smarts and
the zeal to pursue a blue-chip
dream school. But, better to
choose a school after weighing
its assets and drawbacks -
rather than on its brand name.
I've always thought the
college-selection process was
like shopping for a car. Kick
the tires, review the pros and
cons, and wait for the salesman
to make you a good offer. And
yes, they do need to sell you on
why their school is worth the
sometimes outrageous sum of
money they want you to spend
on your child's future.

2008 Tribune Media
Services, Inc.



Good advice,

good data

"The Princeton Review: Paying
for College Without Going Broke",
by Kalman Chany

"Kiplinger's Financing College",
from the editors of Kiplinger's
Personal Finance magazine

"Harvard Schmarvard: Getting
Beyond the Ivy League to the
College That Is Best for You", by
Jay Mathews

"Winning the Heart of the College
Admissions Dean: An Expert's
Advice for Getting into College", by
Joyce Slayton Mitchell.
a


Grenadian medical student

scores top grade in science


ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada,
CMC A Grenadian medical
student has emerged with the
top grade in a science examina-
tion involving more than 400
students from around the world.
Roggie Reason, a second
year scholarship student at the
American-owned St. George's
University (SGU), earned the
top score in the Basic Science
Comprehension Examination
(BSCE) at the North Umbria
University in the United
Kingdom.
"It's nice to know that a
Grenadian scholarship student
who did all of his primary and
secondary and undergraduate
work in Grenada was number
one out of 400 students taking
the first year final exam," said
Dr. Chirl,, Mondica, chancel-
lor at SGU.
"I was told that he was not
number one by a point or so;
he was number one by a lot


Youth forum
Free, one-day Jamaica
Youth Forum, aimed
at South Florida high
school and college students,
will be held on April 12 at the
University of Miami.
The forum, being pre-
sented by the Jamaican
Diaspora Southern United
States, will focus on the
theme "Shaping Our Future:
One Aim, One DIIIIn) It
will be conducted from 9 a.m.
to 1 p.m.
The forum will seek to
enlighten and engage young
leaders in discussion relevant
to their success in the U.S.
and abroad. Panel discussion
topics will include "Making
an Impact", "Building
Relationships" and "Cultural
Identity".
Scheduled panelists
include Dr. Lloyd Cohen, pres-
ident of the Jamaican
Association of Miami-Dade
Educators; David Mullings, co-
chair of Jamaica Youth Forum
and chief executive officer of
Realvibez Media; and Kelliann
McDonald, founder of the
Jamaican-American Student
Association (JAMSA) at the
University of Florida.
"Our local Jamaican com-
munity and Jamaica's future is
highly dependent on how well
we nurture our future leader-
ship," said Marlon Hill,
Jamaican Diaspora Advisory
Board member. "This forum is
intended to be a catalyst for
this community-building goal."
For more information,
call 786-349-2584.
0


and we need to acknowledge."
Some 416 students from
around the world sat the
BSCE, climaxing a year of
studies, part of the Keith B.
Taylor Global Scholars pro-
gram to train medical profes-
sionals in developing countries.
The students in the program
take the first year of the basic
medical science phase of SGU's
doctor of medicine degree at
the U.K. university, which has a
long record in teaching bio-
medical sciences.
Reason was among the
first five Grenadian scholarship
students in the program, which
began in 2007.





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
Toll-Free Fax: 1-866-290-4550
1-800-605-7516 Jamaica: 654-7282
E-mail: editor@caribbeantoday.com
Send ads to: ctads@bellsouth.net
Vol. 19, Number 5 APRIL. 2008

PETER A WEBLEY
Publisher
GORDON WILLIAMS
Managing Editor

SABRINA HOPKINS
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.
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.


SPRInG/summER EDUCATIOn

~ A Caribbean Today advertising feature


Getting real about college


PROMISE FULFILLED


Children from the Ecole St. Patrick primary school in Cite Soleil, Haiti, display
photographs of primary schools built by the Digicel Haiti Foundation in its first
year of existence. The Digicel Haiti Foundation last month delivered on a promise
to build 20 schools in its first 12 months of operation, two in each district of Haiti.
The schools, which are furnished and staffed with trained teachers, will provide
more than 7,000 Haitian children with an education.


. Holistic Care For
an Optimum Lifestyle"

Mow Accepting Mew Paotentsll
Telephone: (305) 253-4340
AJ Wfte elocated to W d kmrndl
Y 12955SW132ndl SIreet t uitldg 3, Sue t141 M mni, Fkida 3318g


April 2008





CARIBBEAN TODAY


VIEu P o n T


LW-S^^ caribbeantoday


Carlbcnmt


'MAQ' targets Caribbean

love for cricket in the U.S.


MAOQ

S I'" l


7f there is one sport that
brings Catribbeanii people
together, whether in the
region or overseas in countries
like the United States, it's crick-
et. Yet, despite thousands of
players involved with hundreds
of teams the game has strug-
gled for widespread acceptance
in the US. MahammadA.
Qureshi is hoping to change
that with "MAQ T20", which
highlights the shorter 20 overs
version of the game. The first
tournament is slated for
Memorial weekend in
Lauderhill, Florida. Qureshi
recently discussed his plans
with Caribbean Today's
Managing Editor Gordon
Williams. The following is an
edited version of that interview:

GORDON WILLIAMS: This
is a big investment for you, in
terms of this tournament and
everything involved in 20/20.
What was the chief motivation
behind getting involved with
such a big project?

MAHAMMAD A.
QURESHI: I've been trying to
promote the cricket in the U.S.
The U.S. has never been pro-
moting the cricket. As you
look at it, organizations come
and go. A lot of independent
tournaments are only for one
time. (No) organization has a
two-year plan how we're going
to promote the cricket in the
U.S. We have 750 teams and
they've never been promoted.
So, here, with this thing
we have the chance to bring
the fast version of the cricket,
which is called 20/20. "MAQ
T20"...We have a huge pro-
gram, which will involve sum-
mer camps. We also have inde-
pendent tournaments.
That's all these programs
going for three years ahead of
us. And (we're) trying to pro-
mote this cricket because the
game is the world's second
largest game after soccer and
never got promoted.
The year I stepped in, I
did 1999, first tournament,
short version for Americans.
Cricket, like baseball, two and
a half hours, 20/20, in the city
of Dania Beach (Florida). And
you don't have the proper sta-


dium (there), but we did the
tournament very well. I've
been waiting since then.

G.W.: How much is your
investment worth?


M.A.Q.: Sincel992 we've been
trying to promote the cricket,
I've spent a million or so dol-
lars on my own to promote the
cricket.


G.W.: How much is this (MAQ
T20) tournament going to cost
you?

M.A.Q.: This thing is costing
over a million dollars to just
put it together for a three-day
tournament. Just for three
days, Memorial Day weekend.
It's costing over a million dol-
lars to promote all these
games coming up.. .because we
have a concert after that...

G.W.: What would you use as a
measuring stick to decide the
success or non-success of this
particular event coming up on
Memorial Day?

M.A.Q.: Major thing, basically,
this is the first (cricket) stadi-
um in Broward County. First
(cricket) stadium in the United
States. There is no exposure
worldwide. Everybody is look-
ing at it. U.S., they think, did-
n't play cricket. So this (tour-
nament) is the biggest expo-
sure you're gonna get on this
event. There's telecasting on
T.V, radio and news media. So
this is a big event, we have
covered, for the future of
cricket, coming up for us.

G.W.: You're old enough to
have known cricket when Test
cricket was the biggest game in
town. Is it bittersweet for you,
that the promotion of cricket
in this country (U.S.) is not
resting with your first love,
which is the traditional type of
cricket, but more with a faster
game now, 20/20 cricket?

M.A.Q.: If you look at it like,
you want to promote the crick-
et, you want to bring the best
teams and fast in America,
where Tests have never been
promoted, we bring the short
version. We had to bring the
youngsters. If you look at the
youngsters, they are ready to
go.. .Here, nobody played
cricket. Only baseball, soccer
and all of that. I have the
dream and goal to promote the
cricket. When I became a suc-
cessful businessman after fin-
ishing college in 1989, I opened
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 12)


Seeking

Adonis

In Greek mythology
Adonis was a handsome
young shepherd loved by
Aphrodite.
His name has become
synonymous with perfection in
men, as in: "He was handsome
like a Greek god, so near per-
fection, an Adonis."
That, it seems, is what
women want. Apparently it
appears that many women still
want the knight in a suit of
armor on a white horse, noble,
honest, mannerly, although
that came from the slightly
older ladies.
But in spite of what the
books may say, sex still ranks
high on the list of priorities of
many women as some have
told me. "He must be well
endowed, at least an impres-
sive six inches flaccid," one
wrote.
Oh my, and there you
were buying into the notion
that size doesn't matter. By
now we all know that's bull,
the same way they say that
being poor is no crime, and
that the meek shall inherit the
Earth and all those nice
sounding phrases. Maybe that
would apply one time in the
world's history, but certainly
not now.
Size does matter, and, in
spite of what you hear, it mat-
ters to women. If it didn't mat-
ter they wouldn't sing about,
"We don't want no short short
men, no little teeny eenie
weenie short short men."
Based on my research and
findings, almost all the ladies
expressed that whereas they
didn't necessarily want a man
to be hung like a horse, he
should be amply endowed.
"No cigarettes between the
fingers for me," one lady said.

WORRY
No wonder men spend so
much time fretting about their
size and spend time and
money on those penile size
enhancers, some of which may
cause serious harm. Women
have been known to laugh at


men who
come up
short. They
also said that
Mr. Adonis
must also be
skillful in
that depart-
ment. "It's no
use if he has TONY
the tool but ROBINSON
can't use it,"
a lady
emphatically said.
Not only that but he must
be able to perform for at least
an hour without falling asleep
right after. No wonder men
have high blood pressure and
nervous breakdowns. But this
'falling asleep right after syn-
drome', seems to be a serious
issue. It seems that when a
man is finished all he wants to
do is sleep, or maybe he has
to, in order to recoup. But the
woman still wants to talk, cud-
dle, touch, interact, kiss, needs
affection. "I feel so used, as
he's finished, him just roll over
and start to snore."
Adonis would not only
perform above and beyond
the call of duty, but stay
awake too and give post game
commentary afterwards.
Adonis must not only
look good, but be functional,
according to this lady, for she
says that the man must be
able to cook dinner or break-
fast, or, if he can't, should be
willing to say, "Let's go get
something to eat." He should
also wash the dishes without
the woman having to ask,


leave the toilet seat down and
dry, give gifts for no apparent
reason, and do little chores all
the time...cheerfully.

OPTIONS
This other lady also
expressed to me her version of
Adonis, and curiously, sex was
way down on the list for her.
Her number one was respect.
The man should give her the
same respect that he desires
from her. Sensitivity came sec-
ond: "He must be sensitive to
my feelings and if he does
something to hurt me, he
should apologize and try not
to hurt me the same way
again."
The trouble is most men
don't even know when they're
hurting a woman anyway. The
fact is, sensitivity doesn't fall
high on most men's list of pri-
orities. The reality is, most
men are afraid to show their
sensitive side for fear of being
deemed weak or soft. There's
a popular song on the charts
that says, "I showed you my
sensitive side and you took me
for a ride, I should treated
you like them other guys did.
If I had followed my original
plan, you would've been noth-
ing but a one night stand."
That sentiment is echoed
by many men and recently a
young man e-mailed me, say-
ing how he followed his par-
ents advice and treated this
girl with respect, was a gentle-
man, was honest and moral
and she dished him dirt.
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 10)


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April 2008





CARIBBEAN TODAY


-usw^caribbeantodj..c.


v I W P 0


* "We are not looking at a shal-
low piece pizza, but a deep dish
pizza" Wendell Mottley, a for-
mer Trinidad and Tobago
finance minister now head of
Caribbean operations at a
United States-based financial
institution, on the economic
problems of the Caribbean, par-
ticularly in light of a possible
recession in the U S.


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9)
There are women who
abhor that type of behavior in
men, which just adds more
problems to men's dilemma,
"Who do you treat how?"
Many seek rogues. Every Joe
Grind is a brute, yet women
are still drawn to them. Look
how many women leave their
decent husbands and take up
with sleaze balls. Go figure. In
affairs of the heart, nice guys
seem to finish last.
But back to the ladies
seeking Adonis. "He must be
honest and open with me,
even if what he has to say will
hurt. Gentlemen, don't fall for
that one, it's a trick. What a
tall order, as honesty and talk-
ing can be a deadly combina-


* "Countries that need
resources turn to people who
have resources. Our concern is
about our relationship with the
Caribbean and our interest is
building a strong relationship
between the United States and
the Caribbean. We will never
fault Caribbean countries for
looking for help where they can
find help" US Assistant
Secretary of State for the Western
Hemisphere Ambassador
Thomas .Yit,i1, ,. responding to
decisions by some regional coun-
tries to seek assistance from
other governments which do not
have good relationships with
Washington.


tion. That's why countries
have diplomats who find ways
to say unpleasant things in a
nice way. Too much honesty
can lead to crosses, so some
things are best left unsaid.
Imagine being honest and
saying, "I just saw your best
friend, and my, she looks so
good I'd love to sleep with
lih r, or "I'm going away for
two months, and being a man,
chances are I'll sleep with
another woman if I get the
chance." Those were future
possibilities, flirting with the
laws of probability and wishful
thinking. But honesty with
matters of the past can be even
more devastating. "So did you
sleep with her?" "I cannot tell
a lie, I must be honest, yes I


* "Many women in Trinidad and
Tobago have very little say over
when they have sex and with
whom" Angela Lee-Loy, chair-
man of the National AIDS
Coordinating Committee last
month explaining that fear of
violence or abandonment often
prevents women from discussing
fidelity or negotiating condom
use with their partner, increasing
the possibility of being infected
with HIV

* "The fact is,
there are crimi- I
nals in the force"
- Jamaica's Police
Commissioner


Seeking Adonis
did, and keeping with my hon-
esty, I would do it again if I got
the chance." Not even women
are so honest with their men,
yet they ask that of them.

FAITH AND TRUST
Still seeking Adonis, they
say, "He should not give me a
reason not to trust him." That
I'd love to see, as women will
always find reasons not to
trust their men. If he leaves
the house, it must be woman
house that he's gone to. If he
departs from the norm and
comes home later than usual,
the same applies. If his cell
phone is off, that's proof
enough for mistrust. Women
will always find reasons to
mistrust a man, no matter


Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin last
month saying Jamaica's police
force is riddled with criminals.

* "We would hate that these
violent attacks on innocent
people by warring gangs would
get out of hand, as
it could trigger
migration i he I her
to neighboring
territories or lo
islands of the
eastern Caribbean
- St. Lucia's Prime
Minister Stephenson King last
month expressing concern that
continued unrest in Guyana,
caused by the recent murders of


what they do, no matter what
they say, and that's a fact.
He should remain faithful
to her and her alone. That's a
fair request, but ironically,
women often lose respect for
men who fall into this category.
For some reason they're
attracted to womanizers, then
suddenly expect them to just
settle with them. Very often if
they do, they take them for
granted, and also hold them to
sexual ransom. But if she
knows, or thinks that he has
options, she realizes that if she
slips, he'll get it outta street.
That may keep her on her toes.
Hey, it's just my theory.
Still \L*kin they say that
Adonis should, I'1,,,L me
sexually, be intelligent and


innocent people, may result in
the mass migration of Guyanese
to his and other neighboring
Caribbean states.

* "The people of Dominica
cannot be held accountable for
what everybody says" Minister
for National Security Rayburn
Blackmoore dismissing a sug-
gestion that Dominica may be
joining forces with Venezuela to
form a military alliance against
the United States is laughable.
Compiled from CMC and
other sources.
0


have a good sense of humor."
Many guys who I spoke to said
that they have a great sense of
humor, for whenever they say
anything to their women, the
response always was, "Ha, you
must be joking."
So that's how some women
expressed what their Adonis
should be. Ironically I know
some gay men who would fit
the profile, sensitive, caring,
thoughtful, does dishes, cooks,
cleans, washes, irons. It's only
in the sex department they'd
fall short. Pity Mr. Adonis -
when they do find him for
dog nyam him supper.

seidol@hotmail. com
0


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April 2008





CARIBBEAN TODAY


F nT U R 6


r6ww -arbbentda.com


RM. Golding says all the right things at meeting with Jamaicans in South Florida


PATRICK SMIKLE
Among the political
personalities of who
have emerged in
Independent Jamaica, Orette
Bruce Golding is second only
to the late Michael Manley in
his articulateness.
He is almost the equal of
Manley in his ability to reduce
complex political issues to
crowd-pleasing sound-bites.
He surpasses Manley in
the use of the vernacular to
both get his point across and to
elicit applause. And his turn-
of-phrase reminds this reporter
of retired academician and cul-
tural icon Professor Rex
Nettleford.
These verbal attributes
were on full display when
Prime Minister Golding
addressed a town-hall meeting
at the Rose and Alfred Miniaci
Performing Arts Center on the
Nova Southeastern University
Campus in Davie, Florida on
Mar. 28.
"Jamaica is too rich to be
so poor," he said. "We are too
bright to be struggling so
hard."
There was the obligatory
acknowledging of the "crucial
role" remittances from over-
seas-based Jamaicans have
played in keeping the island's
economy afloat.
"Jamaica couldn't survive
without you," he declared to
resounding applause.
Neither bauxite nor tourism
brings into the economy the
kind of money Jamaicans send
home every year.. .more than
J$2 billion last year, he noted.
"But it's more than just
the money," he said.
More applause.
"Regardless of our num-
bers in any community, in any
situation, we manage to make
our presence felt," Golding
added. "As good as our
ambassadors have been they
haven't had the same impact.
Jamaicans abroad are the
country's best ambassadors."
Even more applause.

DISSONANCE
The government must do
more to utilize the talent, skills
and expertise of Jamaicans
abroad, the prime minister
declared.
And this evokes a sense of
dissonance for this reporter.
Wasn't Golding a senior
Cabinet minister in the 1980-89
government which was infa-
mous for it's preference for
foreign consultants over both
local and other Jamaican
expertise?
The sense of dissonance
set in when Prime Minister
Golding mentioned I., ,d
L Liurni) as one of the priori-
ties of his administration.
"We need to modernize farm-
ing," he told his audience.


In this mission, he foresaw cru-
cial roles for the College of
Agriculture and the Scientific
Research Council.
He posited the need for
food security in the context of
rising commodity prices over
which Jamaica had no control.
He prefaced this prioritizing of
food security with the com-
ment that "Dudley will proba-
bly crack a wry smile when I
mention this." The reference
was to retired Ambassador
Dudley Thompson, sitting in
the audience.
"Never mind the wry
smile. Dudley should be for-
given if he laughed out loud," I
commented to a colleague
reporter.
Amb. Thompson was first
foreign minister and later
National Security Minister in
1972-80 People's National
Party (PNP) government which
made food security a major
component of its development
program. That was after the
Arab countries imposed an oil
boycott following their defeat
in the Yom Kippur War. That
boycott triggered massive
increases in the price of oil and,
as a consequence, most other
imported commodities.

TURNAROUND
Remember the Production
Plan? Remember the slogan
"Eat what you grow. Grow
what you .,i Golding's
Jamaica Labour Party (JLP),
then in Opposition, pooh-
poohed those policies. They
slammed the slogans.
On education, the prime
minister reiterated his party's
promise that if elected to gov-
ernment the JLP would
remove tuition fees for
schools.
"This is not giving parents
a free ride," he told the audi-
ence, noting that in 2005-06
school year, parents spent J$19
billion on the non-tuition
aspects of their children's edu-
cation.
His administration would
also strengthen early-child-
hood education, create a
machinery to facilitate greater
parental support and extend
the school leaving age from 16
to 18.
Long-time political-watch-
ers would probably recall JLP
Education Spokesman Edwin
Allen's unprecedented crossing
of the floor of the House of
Representatives to shake
Michael Manley's hand when
the then prime minister
announced a policy of free ter-
tiary education. Allen's party
frowned on that gesture and
proceeded to oppose the poli-
cy. They accused the govern-
ment of promoting "a freeness
mentality."
Dissonance aside, Golding
said all the right things in this
his first meeting with


Golding
Jamaicans residing overseas
since becoming prime minister
just seven months ago.

CRIME FIGHT
In response to the
inevitable first question at
gatherings such as these, he
spoke of the need to "strength-
en the capacity of the police
fn, in the fight against


crime and violence.
"But first we have to clean
it out," he said to loud cheers.
He had told the commis-
sioner of police that the top cop
had the full support of the gov-
ernment in his efforts to clean
up the force. Additionally,
Golding said, the country had
to address the causes of crime.
A first step in doing this was to
devise programs of upliftment,
which focused on young men.
At the same time, he said,
there was a need to enforce
the law "without fear or favor
or concern for status. Those of
us in leadership, people of
prominence, must set an exam-
ple by obeying the law."
In response to another
question from the audience, he
reiterated another election
platform promise.. .to remove


DLJY


fares
u. ii




r1zi


user-fees at public hospitals.
The technocrats had told him
that the country could not
afford this. His response?
"We cannot afford not to
afford it."
On poverty, Golding
lamented that there were some
365,000 people living below
the poverty line. To ameliorate
their situation, the government
had already spent some J$500
million this year alone on sub-
sidizing basic food items.
These subsidies would be con-
tinued, but they would be tar-
geted in ways designed to
ensure that only the neediest
benefited. The government
would not allow people to buy
subsidized cornmeal to "feed
their Alsatians" he said.
And how would the gov-
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 12)


'ii


*1 o~/omor~o
lb .'~~-'r F~-~Iw~ -


U-


April 2008


r
............





CARIBBEAN TODAY


-usw^caribbeantodj..c.


F nT U R 6


U.S. paints bleak picture of human rights violations in the Caribbean


WASHINGTON The United
States Department of State has
painted a bleak picture of
human rights violations in the
Caribbean.
In its "U.S. Country
Reports on Human Rights
Practices 2007", released last
month, the State Department
accused the region
of a number of
violations,
ranging from
excessive use
of force by
police, to
poor prison
conditions, to '
discrimination
and violence
against women.
The report described
prison conditions in Antigua
and Barbuda as "poor",
attributing overcrowding in
part to "a law that limited the
ability of magistrates to grant
bail to those accused of certain

The State Department


said though the constitution
provides for freedom of speech
and of the press, the Baldwin
Spencer administration
respects these rights on a
"somewhat limited basis".

PROBLEMS
In The Bahamas, the
report stated that while the
,-.overnment generally
respects the human rights
of its citizens, there were
problems in some areas,
including complaints of
abuse by police and
prison and detention cen-
tre guards, lengthy pre-
trial detention, poor deten-
tion conditions, delays in trials,
violence against women and
children, and discrimination
against persons of Haitian
descent.
The State Department
identified alleged human rights
problems in Barbados as
excessive use of force by
police, poor prison conditions,
and societal violence against


women and children.
In Belize, the State
Department said human rights
problems included brutality
and the use of excessive force
by security forces.
The report stated that
human rights problems in
Dominica primarily involve
violence against women and
children and ad\ r,L condi-
tions" experienced by indige-
nous Kalinago or Carib
Indians.
In Grenada, the State
Department said human rights
problems include allegations of
corruption, violence against
women, and instances of child
abuse.
The State Department
said despite some improve-
ments, Haiti's human rights
record remains "poor".
The report said while the
Jamaica government generally
respects the human rights of its
citizens, there were sLri s ,,


pr, blk 1,ms in some areas. It
identified these as "unlawful
killings committed by members
of the security forces; mob vio-
lence against and vigilante
killings of those suspected of
breaking the law; abuse of
detainees and prisoners by
police and prison guards; and
poor prison and jail conditions".
In St. Kitts and Nevis, the
State Department said prob-
lems include poor prison con-
ditions, corruption, and vio-
lence against women.
The State Department
said abuse of suspects and pris-
oners by the police, long
delays in trials and sentencing,
violence against women, and
child abuse are the major alle-
gations in St. Lucia.
In St. Vincent and the
Grenadines, the State
Department said problems pri-
marily surround "impunity for
police who used excessive
force, poor prison conditions,


an overburdened court system,
violence against women, and
abuse of children".
The report said problems
in Suriname include police
alleged mistreatment of
detainees at the time of arrest;
abuse of prisoners by guards;
overcrowded detention facili-
ties; an overwhelmed judiciary
with a large case backlog; and
lengthy pretrial detention.
In Trinidad and Tobago,
the report highlighted police
killings during apprehension or
custody, inmate illness and
injuries due to poor prison
conditions, high-profile cases
of alleged bribery, violence
against women, inadequate
services for vulnerable chil-
dren, and unsafe working con-
ditions as some of the alleged
major human rights violations.

- CMC
0


RM. Golding says all the right things in

meeting with Jamaicans in South Florida


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11)
ernment pay for all this?
Here Prime Minister
Golding returned to the issue
of the more affluent members
of society obeying the laws of
the country. The government
intended to close tax loop-
holes, he said. While wage and
salary earners had their
income taxes deducted at
source under the country's
Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) sys-
tem, self-employed people,
many of whom were lawyers
and doctors, were not paying
their fare share. He said that
at present just two percent of
registered companies paid 70
percent of corporate taxes.
That had to change.
Just prior to leaving
Jamaica Golding said he met
with the country's energy
chiefs to work out solutions in
that area. While he was not in
a position to make a specific


announcement at this time,
Golding said, he expected the
solution (or solutions) to be
built around the use of natural
gas, coal or both.
Another question from
the audience elicited an
announcement on foreign poli-
cy. The government would
establish embassies in Haiti,
Brazil, Spain and a Gulf State.
When moderator Winston
Barnes called an end to the
proceedings, some 40-minutes
after the scheduled close, sev-
eral people were standing in
line to ask questions. Given
that fact, and the sustained
standing ovation he received,
Golding can chalk up this first
meeting with Jamaicans resi-
dent overseas as a resounding
success.

Patrick Smikle is freelance
writer for Caribbean Today.
0


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9)
my business up and I thought
one day I was gonna put my
teams together here to play
cricket. The time's now.

G.W.: The adaptation of cricket
in the U.S. has always rested
with the ex-pats. How impor-
tant is it for you that the
youngsters, the American-
born, catch on to the game?

M.A.Q.: See, any game (from
outside) America, they're
never gonna promote it.. .So
you are a promoter and (if
you) really want to promote
the cricket you have to start
with the youngsters. Bring
them so the parents come in.
When the parents come in and
participate, county, city and
state they'll be watching the
game and recognize it...

G.W.: Stanford 20/20 has
shown to the Caribbean and a
lot of the world that a tourna-
ment like that can be very suc-
cessful. A shorter version of
the game, properly promoted
and the exposure. Have you


looked at the Stanford 20/20
tournament and taken any
kind of lesson from it?

M.A.Q.: If you remember...
back in 1999 I'm the first one
who created the 20/20 tourna-
ment in Dania Beach park
(Florida). After that the world
started playing (that version of
the game). So I had the vision
prior to (Stanford 20/20 and)
what anybody started in the
world. So we are the ones who
created this thing and people are
learning from our creation. So
we don't have to go back to learn
from others' creation. Even the
ICC (International Cricket
Council) did a tournament after
us. Any good thing we always
want to learn. Anything. (But)
our organization was there (at
Stanford 20/20) to watch. We can
be as successful to learn from
other things.

G.W.: This (20/20) idea, you've
been in it from the beginning.
You say you'll be in it for the
long haul this tournament on
Memorial weekend and the
others. How long do you think


you think you'll be in it before
you determine if this is a suc-
cess or not a success?

M.A.Q.: It's gonna be a yearly
project...I was planning to put
the stadium in Orlando. We
own the land up there by
Disney. So we're gonna build a
stadium similar like this (in
Lauderhill).. .So once we kick
off from here we need more
stadiums. We're already ready
for a next stadium. So it'll take
a year to promote the whole
game so we're gonna spend a
lot of money during the year.
Several million dollars just to
promote these games until
2009...Then we will have a suc-
cessful result...
Every country is playing,
except America, which is not
playing very much exposure-
wise. They've been playing,
nobody's been promoting. So
here we are. We're trying to
promote this game...One day
we're going to bring the (U.S.)
team to World Cups and bring
the cups to home in America.
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'MAQ' targets Caribbean love for cricket in the U.S.


April 2008








T /oEnTI R T i / E T RTA In I gNTE-^^ibat


Rastafari makes it to top of U.S. capital hill Bolton, Air Supply join

GORDON WILLIAMS for Marley's famous song Rastafari, waited for the St i a J 77
"War". The posting also emperor in Jamaica, is on dis- St. Lucia Jazz


WASHINGTON, D.C. The
roots of Rastafari, a religious
faith which originated in the
Caribbean island of
Jamaica, can now be
traced through an
unprecedented exhi-
bition at the
Smithsonian
National Museum of
Natural History in
the United States
capital.
The milestone 1
exhibition here, titled
"Discovering k
Rastafari!", began
early last November
and is scheduled to
run for a year.
"Rastafarism has
never been in any
major museum," said
Jake Homiak, cura-
tor of the exhibition. A photogra
Yet the exhibi-
tion in itself is not a validation
of Rastafari's presence, which
first sprung up in 1930s colo-
nial Jamaica, but spread
throughout the Caribbean and
the globe. Reggae, now
among the world's most
potent musical forces,
has long carried the ban-
ner for Rastafari, espe-
cially through the works
of icons such as Bob
Marley, Peter Tosh and
the Burning Spear.
In his song "Black
Man Redemption"
Marley made it clear that
Selassie, through his
ancestry, and Rastafari
ruled:
"Coming from the
root of King David,
through to the line of
Solomon, his imperial
majesty is the power of
authority."
The exhibition,
housed in one room, is Late
not the only one on show point
at the museum. Yet it is
amongst the most intriguing.
"Discovering Rastafari!"
takes observers through the
journey of the faith via a col-
lection of photographs, signs
and artifacts. It makes impor-
tant note of Rastafari's strong
ties to Africa and late
Ethiopian Emperor Haile
Selassie I. The connection of
the black man of the African
diaspora is also shown
through the focus on Marcus
Garvey, a Jamaican who
sought to return blacks to the
continent.

MOVEMENT
The emphasis of Rastafari
to seek peace, equality and
harmony is summed up at the
entrance to the exhibition,
where a placard offers a quote
from a Selassie speech, which
eventually made up the lyrics


explains that "Rastafari is a
cultural, religious, and revolu-
tionary movement that began


play. One elder described the
visit as a fulfillment of
prophecy.


ph of Rastafarian elder Tawny, left, and members of his family, are part of the exhibition.


in Jamaica in the 1930s.
Inspired by Biblical prophecy
and the teachings of Emperor
Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia,
followers of Rastafari identify
themselves as Africans seek-


Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I is the focal
of the Rastafari faith.

ing to return to the conti-
nent..."
The exhibition goes a
long way in explaining many
issues surrounding Rastafari,
in an easy way that both
attracts and enlightens visi-
tors. The photographs show
Rastafari in many moods -
celebratory, prayer and reflec-
tion. Another postcard makes
it clear that "Roots reggae
artists continue to place
Ethiopia and Emperor
Selassie at the center of their
music..."
Among the highlights are
photographs and articles doc-
umenting Selassie's historic
trip to Jamaica in 1966. The
original of a huge placard car-
ried by Ras Daniel Heartman
as he, along with members of
the Church Triumphant of Jah


However, the centerpiece
of "Discovering Rastafari!" is
the video presentation, which
features members of the faith
offering testimony. They talk
about various aspects of
Rastafari, including the sacred
herb, food, language, locks,
family, role of women and dif-
ferent factions of the faith,
ranging from the Twelve
Tribes to the Nyahbinghi.
The narrator offers that
"the message of Rastafari has
truly become an international
movement." But although
Rastafari is more readily
embraced by widespread soci-
ety these days, it was not
always that way.
"There was so much dis-
crimination," one elder said
while explaining the earlier
persecution experienced by
Rastafari.
They also talk about
returning to Ethiopia, where
Selassie once pledged land for
them to re-settle.
"For Rastafari, Africa is
their sacred homeland," said
the narrator.
For visitors to "Discover
Rastafari!" the journey offers
a type of spiritual connection
with an often misunderstood
faith. The many signatures in
the reception book showed its
impact on the variety of peo-
ple different nationalities
and ages who have caught a
glimpse of the display. From
"It's really cool" written by a
child, to "It's about time!!
Free for all to see and learn",
the exhibition which closes
in early November has
struck an important chord.
Rasta has made it to the
top of the hill.

Gordon Williams is Caribbean
Today's managing editor.
0


Grammy Award winning
American balladeer
Michael Bolton, as well
as soft rock duo Air Supply,
have joined the line-up for the
2008 St. Lucia Jazz festival, set
to celebrate its 17th anniver-
sary from May 2-11.
Also booked for the festi-
val, which is produced by the
St. Lucia Tourist Board in part-
nership with BET Event
Productions, are Angie Stone,
Anita Baker, Dianne Reeves,
Dionne Warwick, Jonathan
Butler, Najee and Wyclef Jean.
"We expect St. Lucia Jazz
to be another spectacular event
on the island's tourism calendar
this year," Cybelle Brown, vice
president of sales and business
development for BET Digital
Networks, was quoted as say-
ing in a recent press release.
"This
year we're
continuing to
improve the
quality of the
event," said
Senator
Allen
Chastanet,
St. Lucia's
minister of
tourism and Bolton
civil aviation,
who added major infrastructur-
al improvements were being
planned, including showcasing
St. Lucia's premium restaurants
on Pigeon Island.
"Our aim is to re-establish


St. Lucia as hosts of the pre-
mier jazz festival in the
Caribbean. Having great
artistes is not enough if we
don't bolster the experience."
Other acts carded for the
festival include the Juilliard
Quintet, fea-
turing saxo-
phonist Ron
Blake, trum-
peter Eddie
Henderson,
drummer
Carl Allen
and bassist
Ben Wolfe.
Also per- Wyclef Jean
forming at St.
Lucia Jazz
will be saxophonist Jacques
Schwartz-Bart; keyboardist
Alex Bugnon, guitarist Nick
Colionne and neo-soul singer
Ledisi; along with local and
Caribbean performers.
St. Lucia's 10-day jazz cele-
bration focuses on the straight
jazz category as well as
acoustic, new age, jazz, soul,
fusion, R&B and hip hop held
in a variety of locations and
venues around the island,
including Jazz on the Square in
Castries and Fond d'Or Jazz in
Dennery.
For more information, visit
the official St. Lucia Jazz web-
site at www.stluciajazz org, or
contact the St. Lucia Tourist
Board toll-free (888) 4-ST-
LUCIA.
0


ENTERTAINMENT BRIEFS


* DJ Movado on shooting
charges
Jamaican dancehall deejay Movado,
who had been slapped with gun-
related charges, was offered bail
when he appeared in court late last
month.
The 27-year-old performer, whose
real name is David Brooks, was arrest-
ed on Mar. 26 by detectives assigned
to the Major Investigations Task Force.
He was held when he showed up for
questioning in connection with a
shooting incident on July 27 last year.
Movado has been charged with two
counts of shooting with intent and ille-
gal possession of a firearm.

* Musician takes Digicel to
court
A Dominican musician confirmed
last month that he was taking Irish
mobile giant Digicel to court over
an alleged copyright infringement.
Daryl Bob, the former lead
singer of the once popular Rough
and Ready Band, has claimed that
the company used one of his songs
in the production of a commercial
without first obtaining his permis-
sion. Up to press time Digicel had


declined to comment on the matter.
* St. Maarten celebrates
carnival
Music, dancing in the streets, fun
and pageantry will highlight two
weeks of carnival celebrations in
St. Maarten.
This year's version of the annu-
al affair, which features festivities
like jump-up parades, calypso com-
petitions, beauty pageants and the
annual "Jouvert" celebration, will
be held between April 17 and May
3. For more information, visit
www.stmaartencarnival.com

* Legend, Ocean headline St.
Kitts Music Festival
American soul singer John Legend
and Caribbean artiste Billy Ocean are
among the headliners scheduled for
this summer's three-night St. Kitts
Music Festival, set for June 21-23.
The festival, now in its 12th
year, will be staged at the Warner
Park Football Field.

Compiled from CMC and other
sources.
0


I


April 2008


CARIBBEAN TODAY





CARIBBEAN TODAY


-usw^caribbeantodj..c.


11 6 n t T 91


Supplements: Can they boost athletic performance?


DR. HOWARD LEWINE
There are over 100 com-
pounds advertised to be
supplemental
rg,, gL iK aids", substances
you eat that improve your use
of energy, increase energy
production, or shorten the
time needed to recover from
exercise.
Of these, only a few actu-
ally have any evidence to sup-
port their use as performance
enhancers. But many are
known to be dangerous or
potentially harmful.
Previously, I discussed the
ergogenic qualities of vitamins
and minerals, amino acids and
proteins, and caffeine. Used
appropriately in moderate
amounts, they are generally
safe. And some of them can
boost athletic performance,
especially the vitamins and
minerals when an athlete is
not getting sufficient amounts
from a balanced diet.
Most other supplements
do not have a dietary origin,
and in fact act like drugs. But
unlike control over prescrip-
tion medications, the United
States Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) does
not have the same regulatory
control over supplements.

EPHEDRA (Ma Huang) -
Ephedra and related com-
pounds, such as phenyl-
propanolamine, ephedrine,
epinephrine and phenyle-
phrine don't enhance athletic
performance nor do they pro-
vide any nutritional benefit.
Ephedra-like substances
stimulate the nervous system,
increase heart rate and blood
pressure, and speed up the
metabolism. They are consid-


ered illegal substances by the
(International Olympic
Committee) IOC and
National Collegiate Athletic
Committee. Ephedra was
banned by the FDA in Dec.
2003. Athletes have died from
taking amphetamine-like sub-
stances.
Drugs related to ephedra
are used in asthma treatment,
but even if prescribed can dis-
qualify an athlete. Athletes
with asthma competing at the
highest levels need to inform
the sports association of the













Supplements
medications they are taking.
The athletes must be certain
that none of their medications,
including inhalers, is on the
list of banned substances.
Many of the over-the-counter
asthma sprays contain banned
substances.
If you have asthma but
exercise non-competitively,
good control of the condition
with medications means more
enjoyment of exercise and
better performance.

ANDRO Despite the claims,
"andro" (short for androstene-
dione) doesn't build muscle
mass or enhance athletic per-
formance. It may boost testos-
terone levels a bit, but most of


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the supplement is converted to
the female hormone estrone, a
form of estrogen.
As an estrogen booster,
andro can increase breast size
(called gynecomastia). In addi-
tion, the supplement increases
heart-attack risk, lowers HDL
(good) cholesterol, and pro-
motes acne. Over the long
term, it can increase the size of
the prostate gland. The FDA
recently sent letters to 23 com-
panies requesting them to stop
distributing supplements con-
taining andro. Andro is a
banned substance for competi-
tion at the amateur level and
also for many professional
sports.

DHEA
(Dehydroepiandrosterone) -
DHEA is a naturally occur-
ring steroid made primarily in
the adrenal glands. DHEA
tends to fall as we age, and
one study showed that DHEA
given to older men improved
strength in some.
This one piece of evi-
dence has been wrongly
applied to younger people,
especially athletes. The reality
is that DHEA isn't effective in
improving athletic perform-
ance or strength training. Side
effects of DHEA are
unknown. Because DHEA
can be converted to testos-
terone and estrogen, DHEA
may result in problems similar
to those of andro. In addition,
researchers recently discov-
ered that DHEA increases the


blood level of a substance
associated with prostate
enlargement.

COENZYME Q10 -
Coenzyme Q10 (Co Q10) is
one of the key enzymes that
are essential to energy pro-
duction inside the body's cells.
Within each cell, Coenzyme
Q10 resides in the mitochon-
dria, the powerhouse of aero-
bic metabolism.
Since this is a natural
energy booster inside all cells,
it's easy to understand why
people would be excited about
a coenzyme Q10 supplement.
But after many years of trying,
scientists have been unable to
show any performance-
enhancing benefit when it is
taken by mouth. Reports of
side effects are rare.

Dr. Howard LeWine is a
member of the Harvard
Medical School faculty and
practicing internist with
Harvard Vanguard Medical
Associates and Brigham and
Women's Hospital, Boston,
Massachusetts. He serves as
chief medical editor of
Internet publishing at
Harvard Health Publications.

2008 President and
Fellows of Harvard College.
All rights reserved.

Distributed by Tribune Media
Services, Inc.
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HEALTH

BRIEFS
Grim HIV/AIDS news for
Caribbean
Caribbean health officials claim
that at least 31 people are dying
daily in the Caribbean from the
deadly HIV/AIDS virus.
UNAIDS Director Karen Sealey,
speaking at the launch of an HIV
Epidemic and Response Synthesis
in the Caribbean last month, said
that the statistics also show that
47 persons had become infected
with the virus on a daily basis last
year.
Figures show that at the end of
2007, an estimated 230,000 peo-
ple were living with HIV and AIDS
in the Caribbean. Some 17,000
people were newly infected during
2007, and there were 11,000
deaths due to AIDS. In The
Bahamas, Haiti and Trinidad and
Tobago more than two percent of
the adult population is living with
HIV.

New plan to
tackle dia-
betes in
youth
The Barbados
government has
unveiled a new
plan to tackle
the worrying Estwick
trend of diabetes
in young people here.
According to Health Minister
Dr. David Estwick, there has been
an increase in diabetes in children
and adolescents in recent times.
He said that surveillance systems
will be implemented in the poly-
clinics across the country to report
on the incidence of diabetes and
other non-chronic diseases among
young people.

User fees
removed from
Jamaican
hospitals
Health Minister
Ruddy Spencer
says all is in
place for the
removal of user Spencer
fees at Jamaica's
public hospitals and clinics starting
this month.
Spencer told a news confer-
ence late last month that some
J$60 million ($845,172) had
already been disbursed to regional
health authorities to carry out
immediate upgrading of some pub-
lic health facilities and to purchase
additional chairs, filing cabinets
and tents to accommodate the pro-
jected 30 percent increase in
patients expected on April 1.
The minister said it would cost
the government J$3.85 billion
($54,231,921) to support the new
policy.

Compiled from CMC reports.
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April 2008





CARIBBEAN TODAY


S PO0 R T


Jamaican gets shot at world boxing title


GORDON WILLIAMS

Jamaican-born light heavy-
weight Glen Johnson will get
what could be his final chance
at reclaiming a world boxing
title when he fights American
Chad Dawson in Tampa,
Florida this month.
The April 12 showdown at
the St. Pete's Times Forum
offers the Miami-based Johnson
a shot at Dawson's World
Boxing Council (WBC) crown.
The 39-year-old Jamaican
told Caribbean Today recently
that he is fit and ready to bat-
tle for the full 12 rounds if
necessary.
"All is a go," Johnson
said. "Training is good. I can't
complain."
He also promised not just
to take the 25-year-old
Dawson's title, but punish his
opponent as well.
"Everything is sweet,"
Johnson said. "Pure lick the
boy a go get."
Meanwhile, manager
Henry Foster backed
Johnson's claim that the fight-
er's preparations for the bout
were going smoothly.
"Glen is doing great,"


Foster told Caribbean Today
recently. "His training is in full
swing."
According to Foster,
Johnson was sparring up to
three times a week in Miami
leading into
the champi-
onship bout,
but was
expected to
I, back"
by the first
week of April.
Johnson's
Johnson sparring part-
ners were
handpicked for their youth,
power and especially speed to
simulate the younger
Dawson's style.
"Everything is a little
more quicker," the man called
the "Road Warrior" said.

LAST CHANCE?
Johnson, the 2004
"Fighter of the Year" who
once held the International
Boxing Federation (IBF)
crown for the 175-pound
weight division, believes time
may be running out for him to
reclaim a world title. For that
reason he set aside a title bout


against Britain's Clinton
Woods to take on Dawson.
"Anytime you get a shot
at the world title can be realis-
tically your last," Johnson
said.
"We gave up our manda-
tory IBF shot to take this one
because it came before the
Woods bout. Now we have to
go out and capture the title.
"This guy (Dawson) chose
me," he added. "Now we'll
just have to deal with him."
The Clarendon-born
fighter said he had no predic-
tions for the Dawson fight. He
plans to seek an early knock-
out, but if that doesn't work
he said he is ready to go the
distance. The only object,
he said, is to win, and for
Johnson the title fight could
not come soon enough.
"This is an urgency from
two years now, since we last
lost the title in 2005," said
Johnson. "The time for me is
now, definitely. We're not
looking towards tomorrow.
April 12 is it."

Gordon Williams is Caribbean
Today's managing editor.
0


Caribbean clubs crash out of CONCACAF soccer


GORDON WILLIAMS

WASHINGTON D.C. The
gulf between professional soc-
cer in the Caribbean and
United States was again
exposed last month during
the quarterfinal round of the
CONCACAF Champions Cup
(CCC) between American club
D.C. United and Harbour
View of Jamaica.
The home and away tie, which
featured four-time U.S. Major
League Soccer (MLS) champi-
on D.C. United and Caribbean


Harbour View Football Club's Ronny
Amaguana, right, tries to escape from
D.C. United's Fred.
kings Harbour View ended in
a lopsided 6-1 aggregate loss
for the regional team, follow-
ing a 1-1 draw in Kingston on
Mar. 12 and a 5-0 drubbing at
the RFK Stadium here on Mar.
18.
After a spirited showing
from Harbour View in the first
leg, and a creditable first half
here, the Jamaican champions
crumbled under a stepped-up


showing by D.C. United at
home, conceded three goals
within five minutes in the sec-
ond half, and crashed out of
the CCC. The second half
swoon was indicative of the
long road ahead for regional
teams if they are to match their
North American counterparts.
"There's a big gap
between us and the MLS up
here," admitted Harbour
View's coach Lenworth Hyde.

SETBACKS
D.C. United was expected
to give an improved showing at
home. Coach Tom Soehn
lamented his team's pre-season
rust in Kingston MLS began
late last month -and also the
unfavorable playing surface at
the Harbour View mini-stadi-
um. He looked forward to fan
support at the RFK Stadium.
But neither D.C. United
nor Harbour View was at full
strength in front of the 12,394
fans who showed up at RFK.
The home team was without
top striker Bolivian Jaime
Moreno, who was injured in
Kingston. Harbour View field-
ed a team minus two starters,
Rafiek Thomas and Kemeel
Wolfe, from the first leg. Both
were denied U.S. visas.
Harbour View still boasted
several Jamaica senior national
players. Yet that could not stop
a talented D.C. United club
featuring several players from
soccer hotbed South America,
including Luciano Emilio,


Franco Niell and Fred from
Brazil, and Argentine Marcelo
Gallardo. Emilio scored twice
at RFK and Fred once. Devon
McTavish, who got D.C.
United's lone goal in Kingston,
scored a double at home.
Harbour View reached the
quarterfinal after eliminating
Joe Public from Trinidad and
Tobago to become Caribbean
champions.

Gordon Williams is Caribbean
Today's managing editor.
0


BASSETERRE, St. Kitts,
CMC Jamaica's junior ath-
letes produced another colos-
sal display and strode to an
unchallenged 24th consecutive
medal-topping performance as
the 37th CARIFTA Games
last month.
Propelled by champi-
onship records from distance
runners Natoya Goule and
Kemoy Campbell, the
Jamaicans won 11 of the 22
gold medals during the last
session of the three-day meet
at the Jubilee Stadium.
They piled up 69 medals,
comprising 29 gold, 25 silver


*Caribbean bags four medals
at World Indoors
Bahamian Chris Brown and
Jamaica's 1600-metre men's relay
team boosted the English-speaking
Caribbean's medal haul to four as
the 12th IAAF World Indoor track
and field championship ended last
month.
Brown took the bronze medal in
the men's 400 meters in 46.26 sec-
onds and Jamaica's men chased the
United States to collect silver in the
4x400 meters relay. Their medal suc-
cesses added to those of Kim Collins
and Tahesia Harrigan, who had
picked up silver and bronze medals,
respectively, in the 60-meter sprint
on the meet's opening day.

* Jamaican Cummings scores
in MLS
Jamaican-born forward Omar
Cummings scored a second-half
goal to help the Colorado Rapids
open the new Major League Soccer
season with a 4-0 home victory
over the Los Angeles Galaxy late
last month.
The 25-year-old Cummings,
playing his second season for
Colorado, scored the third goal for


and 15 bronze to overwhelm
the opposition again.
Trinidad and Tobago
placed second with 30 medals,
10 gold, 10 silver and 10
bronze, and The Bahamas col-
lected eight gold, three silver,
and 12 bronze to finish third
with 23 medals.
Barbados placed next on
the medal grid in fourth place
with 26 medals, seven gold, 10
silver and nine bronze, fol-
lowed by Martinique with 14
medals (5-3-6), and Grenada
with eight (3-2-3).
0


the Rapids.

* Caribbean athletes win U.S.
junior college sprints
Caribbean athletes Ryan Brathwaite
and Natasha Ruddock registered
impressive wins in the sprint hur-
dles at the National Junior College
Athletic Association (NJCAA) Indoor
Track and Field Championships in
the United States last month.
Both athletes posted meet
record victories in the semi-finals
before collecting gold in the finals.

* Bahamas, Bermuda
advance in World Cup soccer
The Bahamas and Bermuda chose
contrasting routes but still booked
their places in the next round of
the World Cup qualifying campaign
late last month.
While Bermuda trounced the
Cayman Islands 3-1 to win 4-2 on
aggregate, The Bahamas drew 2-2
with the British Virgin Islands to
finish with a 3-3 tie on aggregate,
advancing on the away goal rule.

Compiled from CMC reports.
0


Jamaica dominates


CARIFTA Games again


SPORT BRIEFS


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Peter A. Webley, r b I f a
paJfrhiA Consistently credible
For information, p -se call
30238-28, orfw ax 3 X5-252-7W43


April 2008






CARIBBEAN TODAY


r I


FORECLOSURE CLINIC
Congressman Kendrick B.
Meek (Democrat-Florida) will
host a "Foreclosure
Prevention Clinic" from 10
a.m. to 3 p.m. April 12 at the
Miami-Dade College, North
Campus, 11380 N.W. 27th
Ave. in Miami, Florida.
The clinic will focus on
various mortgage and foreclo-
sure issues such as loan terms,
foreclosure prevention, loss
mitigation counseling, delin-
quency procedure, under-
standing various options, refi-
nancing, reverse mortgage and
legal assistance.
Those who attend will also
have the opportunity to partic-
ipate in a private session with
their lender and receive per-
sonal, private advice on their
particular housing concern.
Individuals planning to
participate in the clinic should
bring all relevant mortgage
and financial information, as
well as proof of income.

ARTS & CRAFTS
FESTIVAL
A variety of attractions
from the Caribbean and else-
where will be featured at the
Christ The King Catholic
Church's two-day "International
Arts & Craft Spring t Li i\ lI
April 26-27 in Miami, Florida.
The festival, which is free


UNITED NATIONS, New
York Former Barbados Senior
Minister Dame Billie Miller has
been awarded the 2008 United
Nations Population Award.
The U.N. Population
Fund (UNFPA) said last
month that Dame Billie, who
was also a former foreign
affairs minister and a gender
advocate, is the recipient of
the award along with a New
York-based non-governmental
organization that IK Ip, to
save the lives of women in
developing i. u ii rL" .I
Dame Billie and Family
Care International (FCI) were


and open to the public, will be
held at the church grounds
16000 S.W. 112th Ave. The
opening day will run from
9 a.m. to sunset. The second
day's program is from noon to
5 p.m.

DISCOVER BELIZE
The South Florida
Chapter of the Caribbean
Tourism Organization, Belize
Tourism Board and The
Belize Tourism Industry
Association Members will
hold a "Discover Belize" func-
tion on April 8 at the Ten
Palms Restaurant, Gulfstream
Park in Hallandale, Florida.
The function begins at
6 p.m. with a networking ses-
sion for hoteliers and other
travel industry interests. For
more information, call 305-
823-3939.

MISS FLORIDA
CARIBBEAN
Females of Caribbean ori-
gin, ages nine to 25, single,
residing in Florida for over six
months and who have never
been married or given birth to
a child, are being invited to
enter in the 2008 "Miss
Florida Caribbean" pageant.
Selected delegates will under-
go eight weeks training in a
self-development workshop,
which includes grooming,


chosen from
among 11
individual and
seven institu-
tional nomi-
nees from
around the
world, the
UNFPA said. Miller
The
award is given
each year to individuals and
institutions for their "outstand-
ing work in population and in
improving the health and wel-
fare of individuals", UNFPA
said.
Dame Miller, an attorney


stage presentation, speech and
physical conditioning. "Miss
Florida Caribbean" 2008 will
make appearances events such
as fundraisers, carnivals, talk
shows and festivals.
The pageant finals will be
staged on Nov. 9 at the Hilton
Fort Lauderdale Airport
Hotel.
For more information,
call 954-882-2729.

CARIBBEAN FESTIVAL
The fifth annual "Jerk &
Caribbean Culture L i\ I
will be held on May 26 at the
Meyer Amphitheatre, down-
town West Palm Beach,
Florida.
For more information,
call 561-236-2537.

WHEELCHAIRS
Wishes on Wheels is mak-
ing available power wheel-
chairs to non-ambulatory sen-
ior citizens, ages 65 and over,
and the permanently disabled
of any age, if they qualify.
Usually there is no charge
or out-of-pocket expense or
the power wheelchair, includ-
ing shipping and delivery to
the home by a technician.
For more information,
call 1-800-823-5220 or visit
www. threewishes2. com.
0


by profession, was first elected
as a Member of Parliament in
1976 and was the first woman
to be named minister in
Barbados. In addition to hold-
ing a numerous ministerial
portfolios, including health
and education, UNFPA said
Miller "has been promoting
population and gender issues
in several .JpiJ iIlt .
The awards will be pre-
sented at U.N. headquarters
in New York on May 22.
0


MIaMN MJiAMI'BR1.J.JI
WachiMal Ir..ri. .Iven'mr I ,iiii ul,., iu.rI
2X1 %tuth Pltnrr Rijltir-. iji 2?O335D I.. I4NIth A'v[-rL.Se 110
Mt zj). Ri.l 33131 M1)Airminr, FL i327
Tel 784777?-414 Faxt 784777-0174 Ttel! 944H74I1736 Fax: 9i4430*9342Z
info.aidelancyhill.com F wwwAelancyhill.com
Nri jlo.-ir .. n lpEM fr-..i~r Cs~kaJ x>l:~ FudICCIlSAh,.E'rt:^ '~+ **I &Ukll JCUC&Iu Vtd tulr k'ni1W Ii34Tdb.E.t CJ'r- MIt 3l* Uf'.-.ic


New Jamaican envoy presents credentials to OAS


WASHINGTON In present-
ing his credentials to the
Organization of American
States (OAS) last month, new
Jamaica Ambassador Anthony
Johnson pledged the continua-
tion of his country's "impor-
tant role" in the hemispheric
body.
An OAS statement said
Johnson "underscored
Jamaica's continued commit-
ment to the principles of the
OAS charter and to the orga-
nization's essential purposes -
the promotion of democracy
and human rights in present-
ing his credentials to OAS
Secretary General Jos6 Miguel
Insulza.
Johnson also promised to
uphold the charter's mainte-
nance of peace and security,
and the promotion of econom-
ic development to eradicate
extreme poverty.

OVERVIEW
Johnson, who is also
Jamaica's envoy to the United
States, gave a brief overview
of his government's emphasis
on promoting economic devel-
opment, based primarily on
tourism, agriculture, mining
and energy. He also thanked
the OAS for its "engagement
and collaboration with
Jamaica over years, including


through the electoral observa-
tion team led by Assistant
Secretary General Albert
Ramdin that monitored the
general elections on the island
last September", the state-
ment said.
Insulza lauded Jamaica
for its "tradition of providing
leadership at the regional and
sub-regional levels, an ele-
ment that is always important
to the activities of the OAS",
it added. The
secretary gen-
eral expressed
confidence
that Jamaica
would "contin-
ue to lead the
way in our
organization
Johnson for better
understanding,
peace and cooperation among
our to liiulrIL. .
The new Jamaican envoy
replaces Professor Gordon
Shirley, who demitted office
last September.
Prior to his current assign-
ment, Johnson was senior lec-
turer in the Department of
Management Studies at the
University of the West Indies;
Opposition spokesman on
agriculture; and minority
leader of the Jamaica Senate.
0


Tax time is here. You
should have already
received your W-2s from
your employers) and tax infor-
mation from the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS).
Carefully check your name,
Social Security number and all
of the data on your W-2s and
on your Social Security card. A
mismatch could delay your tax
refund and cause
problems with
your Social
Security benefits
in the future.
Such errors are
easy to fix now.
This informa-
tion includes
name changes. If
you've legally
changed your name due to mar-
riage, divorce, court order, or
for any other reason, make sure
you change your name with
Social Security by applying for
a new Social Security card.
Make sure you change your
name with your employer as
well. If you change with one
source but not the other, it
could cause your earnings to be
improperly recorded.

BABY'S NUMBER
If you are the parent of a
newborn, you want to make
sure that the newest family
member has a Social Security


number too. Most people apply
for their baby's Social Security
card while they're still in the
hospital at the same time they
apply for the birth L r ii fkaiL
But if you didn't, you'll need to
apply for your child's Social
Security number in order to
claim the child as a dependent
on your tax return. You'll also
need it if you ever need to
apply for government benefits
on behalf of
tthe child or
your family.
To apply for a
Social Security
S card, all you
need to do is
complete a
one-page
application
and provide proof of identity,
age, and citizenship. In the case
of a child's first card, you'd also
need to prove that you are the
parent. For a name change,
you'd need to provide docu-
mentation with your old and
new names.
For more information
about getting a Social Security
card and number for your child,
or to change your name and get
a replacement card for yourself
with your updated information,
visit Social Security's website at
www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnum-
ber.
0


-usw^caribbeantodj..c.


Former Barbados minister wins U.N. award


Does your information match up?


April 2008





CARIBBEAN TODAY


U.S. legislators table bill to close


tax loopholes in the Caribbean


WASHINGTON United
States presidential hopeful
Barack Obama has joined
three Democratic colleagues
in tabling a bill in the U.S.
Senate that would close a
loophole which now allows
rich Americans to avoid pay-
ing taxes through offshore
havens in the Caribbean.
Obama, an Illinois sena-
tor, and senators John Kerry
of Massachusetts, Brad
Ellsworth of Indiana and
Rahm Emanuel of Illinois
introduced the Fair Share Act
of 2008 in the wake of the
"fleecing of the American tax-
payer by almost US$100 mil-
lion a year" by U.S. defense
contractor KBR, Inc.
"It was discovered that
KBR has avoided paying its
fair share of Social Security
and Medicare taxes by creat-
ing shell companies in the
Cayman Islands," the senators
said in a joint statement.
"The Fair Share Act of
2008 will end the practice of
U.S. government contractors
setting up sham companies in
foreign jurisdictions to avoid


payroll taxes," it added.

RESPONSIBILITY
Obama said American
companies have a responsibili-
ty to pay taxes, and "guaran-
tee that their employees will


ubama


receive the Medicare and
Social Security benefits they
are entitled to through their
employment.
"It's unacceptable for fed-
eral contractors to use foreign
affiliates or tax shelters in
order to avoid paying their
share of payroll taxes and to
shirk on their basic obligations
to American N rk1 rk the


statement said.
The Fair Share Act of
2008 legislation will, among
other things, amend the
Internal Revenue Code and
the Social Security Act to
treat foreign subsidiaries of
U.S. companies, performing
services under contract with
the government, as American
employers for the purpose of
Social Security and Medicare
payroll taxes.

PROBE
In the wake of the U.S.
Department of State's release
of a scathing report on alleged
money laundering in the
Caribbean, the U.S. Congress
recently dispatched a team of
investigators to the Cayman
Islands.
The Cayman Islands gov-
ernment said the U.S. inves-
tigative team met with offi-
cials to address "any misper-
ceptions about the role of
Cayman's financial services
sector relative to U.S. business
interests."
0


What's the secret to successful

investing? Start with discipline


HUMBERTO CRUZ

QUESTION: I would like to
know all about the stock mar-
ket, what you look for in stocks
and how you go about picking
winners and why you feel you
have been successful.

QUESTION: I was always
taught that your money should
work for you. I'm looking for
an investment to grow dramati-
cally over the coming years.
Any advice would be great.

ANSWER: I don't know of any
investments that will grow "dra-
matically" over the coming
years. Nobody does, least of all
the self-anointed gurus and
investment newsletter publish-
ers who promise huge, huge
profits in bold-faced letters if
you subscribe. If they really
knew, why would they tell?
Could it be their real profits
come from the money their
clients and subscribers pay them
rather than from the invest-
ments they so loudly tout?
My success as an investor -
yes, I have been successful has
come not from picking "hot"
stocks but from having the dis-
cipline to adhere to basic and
time-tested principles.
I've always had a clear
goal, including the amount of
money I wanted to have accu-
mulated at different stages in


life. To achieve that goal,
depending on how much
money I would save every
month, I calculated the rate of
return my investments needed
to achieve. I then picked an
asset allocation likely to give
me such a return with the least
amount of risk.
Asset allocation in its
broadest sense means how you
divide your money among dif-
ferent "asset I,, such as
stocks, bonds and cash. I
believe that low-cost, broadly
diversified mutual funds and
exchange-traded funds are the
most efficient and effective
building blocks that investors
can use for their asset alloca-
tion, particularly their alloca-
tion to stocks.

OPTIONS
Many people I respect dis-
agree and argue that investors
willing to put in the time and
effort can build a diversified
portfolio of stocks on their own
without the management fees,
other costs and potential tax
drawbacks of mutual funds.
Those who want to learn
more about picking stocks -
and investing in general -
should consider joining the
American Association of
Individual Investors
(www.aaii.com), a not-for-prof-
it investor education group
founded in 1978 with about


150,000 members.
At $29 a year, its basic
membership is one of the best
bargains I've found, providing a
wealth of investment education
and guidance, including an ad-
free magazine 10 times a year,
annual mutual fund and tax
guides, model stock and mutual
fund portfolios and free stock
reports. The magazine never
touts "Must Buy" lists or "hot"
tips but rather stresses invest-
ment education and understand-
ing. The web site, while offering
special content to members, also
has extensive free educational
materials for everyone.
Another not-for-profit
investor education organization
worth considering is
BetterInvesting (www.betterin-
vesting.org), formerly the
National Association of
Investors Corporation.
BetterInvesting, an umbrella
group for nearly 12,000 local
investment clubs, offers a free
one-month trial membership.
After that, it costs $6.95 a
month or $79 a year.
For my money, I prefer
AAII. But BetterInvesting may
appeal to those interesting in
forming investment clubs, and
several people I know belong
to both organizations.

Edited for space. 2008
Tribune Media Services Inc.
0


Weakening U.S. dollar

will affect region ~ minister


ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada,
CMC A former finance min-
ister in Grenada has said the
weakening United States dol-
lar would have an adverse
effect on visitor arrivals to the
Caribbean, as well as the
region's ability to repay
national debt.
Anthony Boatswain, the
current minister of economic
development, made his projec-
tion as the U.S. economy grap-
ples with an escalating credit
crunch sparked by a mortgage
crisis.
As the U.S. dollar
declined against currencies
such as the Japanese yen and
the Euro, Boatswain said
Caribbean countries would
have to dig deeper to pay for
imports from outside the U.S.
"It means that we would
have to pay more for the
goods that we import from
countries outside of the U.S.
with which we trade, for
example Japan, Canada
Europe... because the U.S.


dollar is floating vis-a-vis
these currencies and the U.S.
dollar is moving downwards it
means that we have to pay
more," Boatswain explained.

FALLOUT
Boatswain's comments
echoed similar sentiments by
Prime Minister of St. Vincent
and the Grenadines Dr. Ralph
Gonsalves and former Central
Bank Governor of Trinidad
Dr. Terrence Farrell.
While Gonsalves was con-
cerned about countries' ability
to service their national debts,
Dr. Farrell said the region's
tourism sector would begin to
feel the effects of the crisis as
U.S. consumers cut spending.
Boatswain is ',u-- linn
two key counter measures to
combat the effects of the U.S.
credit crunch and the falling
currency an increase in local
production and a reduction of
the country's dependence on
foreign goods.
0


JOSE H. CARABALLO

It's most homebuyers' worst
nightmare. They've finally
found the perfect house.
They sign the purchase agree-
ment and begin planning for
life in their new dream home -
only to find out that they can't
qualify for the loan.
Fortunately, that scenario
frequently can be avoided
thanks to the growing popularity
of pre-approved loan programs.
Today, most lenders encour-
age prospective homebuyers to
secure financing before they
start shopping for a home. Pre-
approval saves time for every-
one and makes the closing
process more efficient. It also
lower costs, since buyers do not
pay upfront fees for credit
checks and appraisals only to
find that they didn't qualify.
Before discussing how pre-
approval can take the uncer-
tainty out of shopping for the
home of your dreams, it is
important to understand the
difference between pre-qualify-
ing and pre-approval.
Prequalification is simply a ver-
bal exchange in which lenders
tell prospective buyers the max-
imum mortgage amount they
are able to borrow based on
their financial status. Pre-
approval goes a step further by
verifying credit information at
the time of loan application. It
is a commitment to lend subject
to receipt of satisfactory prop-
erty appraisal, and no changes


or omissions in the information
on which the pre-approval was
granted.

ADVANTAGES
There are several important
advantages of pre-approval:
Because sellers and real
estate agents view consumers
who are pre-approved as seri-
ous buyers, you can increase
your purchasing power and,
hlil rL f rL may be able to nego-
tiate a better deal.
Once you know how
much you can afford, real
estate agents can guide you
toward properties in the right
price range.
Since verification of
financial information can take
place up front while you are
shopping, the total underwrit-
ing time, and the eventual clos-
ing of the loan, is faster and
more efficient, meaning you
enjoy the tax benefits of home-
ownership sooner.
Credit problems caught
early, such as late payments on
a credit card, can frequently be
resolved so that the loan
process can move forward.
Getting pre-approved for a
home loan is a smart step. When
you find that perfect home, you
can plan your future with a
smile.

Jose H. Caraballo is a home loan
consultant with the Pembroke
Pines, Florida office of
Countrywide Home Loans, Inc
0


Getting financing first can clear

path to dream homeownership


April 2008








.............


CARIBBEAN TODAY


FOOD


April 2008


1~
- C -


Eww.carbbanodagcm


Island style: chicken calypso with rice and peas


Calypso is the exuberant spirit
of the Caribbean. Upbeat,
spicy and sweet. This month's
Caribbean Today dish, cour-
tesy of Publix Apron's Simple
Meals, fits the bill precisely.

Cooking sequence
* Preheat grill
* Prepare rice through step
three to five minutes
* While rice cooks, prepare
and grill chicken 15 minutes
* Complete rice and chicken;
serve 10 minutes

Meal time 30 minutes.
Serves four.
Suiie LIe Ld items sweet plan-
tains, bakery Cuban bread,
apple pie.

Wine suggestion A smooth,
medium-bodied wine such as
Clos Du Bois Chardonnay,
which has fruity flavors of
pear, green apple, butter, and
toasty oak.


CHICKEN CALYPSO

Ingredients
* 1 3/4 lbs. boneless, skinless
chicken thighs
* 1 1/2 teaspoons Complete
seasoning
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* olive oil cooking spray
* 1/4 cup molasses
* 1/4 cup pre-sliced green
onions
* 3 tablespoons Asian sweet
chili sauce
* 1 tablespoon cilantro herb
paste
* 1 lime (for juice; rinsed)

Steps
1. Preheat grill. Sprinkle
both sides of chicken with sea-
soning and pepper; coat with
cooking spray. Place on grill
(wash hands); close lid (or
cover loosely with foil). Cook
five to six minutes on each
side or until internal tempera-
ture reaches 165F. Use a


meat thermometer to accu-
rately ensure doneness.
2. Combine remaining
ingredients, including juice of
one-half lime (one table-
spoon), in medium bowl. Add
chicken, turning to coat even-
ly; cover (with foil) and let
stand five minutes, turning
occasionally, until flavors have
blended. Serve chicken with
sauce for dipping.

ISLAND RICE AND
PEAS

Ingredients
* 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut
milk
* 1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium
chicken broth
* 1/4 cup raisins (optional)
* 1 1/2 teaspoons jerk
seasoning
* 1 (10-ounce) package yellow
rice mix
* 1 cup frozen green peas


Steps
1. Combine coconut milk,
chicken broth, raisins, and
jerk seasoning in medium
saucepan. Cover and bring to
boil on high.
2. Stir rice mix into boil-
ing mixture. Cover and
reduce heat to low; cook 22 to


25 minutes (covered), without
stirring, or until most of liquid
is absorbed and rice is tender.
3. Stir in peas; cover and
cook four to five more min-
utes or until peas are heated.
Fluff rice with fork and serve.
0


An easy pan roast chicken you all will crave


WOLFGANG PUCK
ou know a recipe
you've cooked is a clas-
sic when people
remember it and crave it years,
or even decades, after they
first ate it.
What makes a chicken
recipe a classic? First, it's the
way the chicken is cooked. For
roasting, I always like to but-
terfly a whole chicken, cutting
out its backbone and flattening
it. Then, I brown the chicken
skin-down in an ovenproof
skillet before finishing the
cooking in the oven.
The result is a beautiful,
evenly cooked bird with crispy,
golden-brown skin.
Then there's the sauce. It's
really simple to make, a quick
reduction of port wine and
chicken broth. Next, the sauce


is enriched with a little cream
and, finally, the whole-grain
mustard (in the style of
Meaux, France, available in
most food stores) and some
Dijon mustard are stirred in at
the last minute, naturally
thickening the sauce. Just be
sure to reduce the heat to low
before you add the mustard, so
it will blend smoothly and


won't form clumps.
That's all there is to it.
And the result is a roast chick-
en that will linger in the mem-
ories of the people who eat,
and give you the reputation of
a wonderful cook capable of
creating a kitchen classic.

PAN-ROASTED CHICKEN
WITH WHOLE-GRAIN
MUSTARD AND PORT

Ingredients
* 1 whole frying chicken, about
four pounds
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil
* 1/2 cup port wine
* 1/2 cup store-bought organic
chicken broth
* 1/3 cup heavy cream
* 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
* 1 tablespoon Meaux
(whole-grain) mustard
* Salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped
fresh parsley leaves
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped
fresh tarragon leaves

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 400
degrees F. (200 degrees C).
Meanwhile, butterfly the
chicken. With poultry shears or
a sharp knife, carefully cut along
the ribs on both sides of the
backbone to remove it. Spread
out the chicken, skin up, on a
clean work surface and press
down firmly with the heel of
your hand to flatten the chicken.
Over high heat, preheat a
heavy ovenproof skillet large
enough to hold the flattened
chicken. Add the olive oil and
swirl it in the skillet. As soon
as you begin to see slight wisps


of smoke, carefully place the
chicken skin side down in the
skillet. Sear the chicken, undis-
turbed, while reducing the heat
little by little to medium, until
its skin has turned golden
brown and crisp, five to seven
minutes. With tongs or a large
fork, carefully turn the chicken
skin side up.
Transfer the skillet to the
oven and roast until the chick-
en is deep golden brown and
the juices run clear when the
thickest part of the thigh is
pierced with a skewer, 10 to 15
minutes. When the chicken is
done, transfer it to a carving


board, and cover with alu-
minum foil to keep it warm.
Pour off all but a thin
layer of fat from the skillet.
Add the port, put the skillet
over high heat, and boil until
the port has reduced by half,
about five minutes, stirring and
scraping with a wooden spoon
to deglaze the pan deposits.
Add the broth and continue
boiling until the liquid has
reduced by half again, about
seven minutes.
Stir in the cream, bring the
liquid back to a boil, and cook
for about three minutes.
Reduce the heat to low, stir in

EASTER FEAST


the Dijon and Meaux mus-
tards, and adjust the seasonings
to taste with salt and pepper.
With a heavy knife, cut the
chicken into serving pieces.
Return the chicken pieces to
the skillet, spoon some of the
sauce over them, and sprinkle
with parsley and tarragon
before serving.
Serves four.

Edited for space.
2008 Wolfgang Puck
Worldwide, Inc. Distributed by
Tribune Media Services Inc
0


Miami-Dade Commissioner Dorrin D. Rolle and some of the crowd at Arcola Lakes Park get some food during a fun afternoon at
his fifth annual "Easter Egg Bash" last month. Hundreds of children, their parents and guardians were entertained with games,
music and a performance by the dance group Royalty.





CARIBBEAN TODAY


U.S. official v


promises to review CARICOM leaders announce


promisess to review CARICOM leaders announce


c7AiICMscrime fighting needs


BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,
CMC A high-ranking
United States official has
urged Caribbean governments
to identify what they need to
deal with the growing crime
problem in the region.
Assistant Secretary of
State for the Western
Hemisphere Ambassador
Thomas Shannon told the
Caribbean Media Corporation
(CMC) that as Caribbean
community (CARICOM)
leaders prepared for their spe-
cial Crime and Security
Summit in Port-of-Spain, they
should compile a list of their
pressing needs.
"We're going to be look-
ing to Caribbean countries to
help us understand that (crime
problem) better. We hope to

Fraud case c


delayed in

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC -
Attorneys for embattled
Jamaican parliamentarian
Kern Spencer, who is charged
in connection with the Cuban
light bulb scandal, have
expressed concern about the
delay in the start of the for-
mer minister's trial.
Spencer who is facing
fraud charges related to the
controversial project appeared
in court late last month, but
the prosecution made a suc-
cessful submission for more
time to present its case.
The Director of Public


Caribbean
DR. MARCIA MAGNUS
For immigrants, one of
the disadvantages of
moving to a new country
that has a different political
system is that we often auto-
matically transfer expectations
from our native country to
the host country.
Many Caribbean
American immigrants who
were ready to cast their ballot
for their presidential candi-
date on Jan. 29, 2008 got a
surprise they could not vote
for their presidential candi-
date because they were regis-
tered as independents! They
had no party affiliation.
To vote on all ballot ques-
tions, including the presiden-
tial question, in any primary
election, you need to have a
party affiliation. You need to
be either a declared Democrat
or a Republican.
If you are registered to
vote as an "independent" with
no party affiliation, if you do


be able to
have a conver-
sation with our
Caribbean
partners to get
their under-
standing of
how we can
better help Shannon
them," he told
CMC after meeting with
Barbadian Prime Minister
David Thompson in
Bridgetown.

AID
The U.S. has pumped
$170 million into initiatives in
the Eastern Caribbean over
the past three years and
this year the U.S. State
Department said it had bud-
geted an estimated $1.6 mil-


lion to help those countries
boost technical and material
capacity in maritime security
and law enforcement.
However, Shannon
acknowledged there was still
more to be done.
"We need to put more
resources into the region and
that's the bottom line. A lot of
Caribbean countries are
expending a lot of their budg-
et on security issues...and we
need to recognize that and
help out," he said.
"So we'll be working with
our Congress to make sure
that as our budgets go forward
we have the resources we
need to help our Caribbean
partners."
0


against Jamaica ex-minister

i Cuban light bulb scandal


Prosecutions
(DPP) Paula
Llewelyn told
the court that
the Crown
was not yet in
a position to
hand over the
relevant docu- Spencer
ments to the
defense and
an adjournment until May 16
was granted in the high-profile
matter.
"We have to get our case
together. We have to deal with
certain matters and it's usually


American vo
not declare a party affiliation,
you will not able to vote on
the presidential ballot ques-
tion in future primary elec-
tions (usually in January), you
need to declare a party affilia-
tion by July 25, 2008.
There are two ways to
declare your party affiliation.
First, you can pick up and fill
out a new voters' registration
application, indicate a party
change, and mail the completed
form to the Supervisor of
Elections office. Or you can
download the form and mail it
to the Supervisor of Elections
office in your county. (The fol-
lowing are contacts for offices in
Miami-Dade, Broward and
Palm Beach counties in Florida:)
www.miamidade.gov/elections
305-499-8683
www.browardsoe.org 954-357-
7050
www.pbcelections. org 561-
656-6200

As an independent regis-
tered voter, you will still be


a courtesy that is given on
many occasions in many cases
and the Crown regards this as
it would any other case," she
said after emerging from
court.
The decision did not sit
well with Spencer's legal team,
which argued that the delay
was too long.
"There is nothing for us to
do. We can't prepare a defense
because we don't know what
the charges are," contended
attorney Deborah Martin.



ters' alert
able to vote for a presidential
candidate in the November
presidential election. But
don't be caught unaware in
the next primary presidential
election. Declare your party
affiliation now so that you
won't have another surprise.
Do it now and get it over
with!
See you at the polls!

Dr. Marcia Magnus is chair-
person of Caribbean-
American Politically Active
Citizens, a group of
Caribbean Americans who
are committed to increasing
voter turnout. Members are
non-partisan and, based on
the recommendations of a
panel of advisors, make rec-
ommendations on which can-
didates and issues would be
most beneficial to Caribbean
Americans in South Florida.
For more information, call
954-454 -7473.
0


plans for June confab in N.Y.


NASSAU, The Bahamas,
CMC Caribbean communi-
ty (CARICOM) leaders have
announced that they will hold
a conference in the United
States in the next three
months, which will coincide
with the Conference of the
Caribbean which was held in
Washington on June 20, 2007.
At the closing press con-
ference of the 19th Inter-ses-
sional Summit of the
Conference of Heads of
Government here last month,
chairman and host Prime
Minister Hubert Ingraham
said leaders took the decision
to accept an invitation from
the chairman of the Ways and
Means Committee of the U.S.
House of Representatives,
Congressman Charles Rangel
to have the meeting in New
York.
"It's called the New York
Conference of the Caribbean
Community 2020 Vision
Continued", Ingraham said.
"We expect to meet with
the mayor of New York, the
governor of New York state
and business leaders to dis-
cuss trade and investment,


culture, education and other
issues of interest and concern
to the region."
Congressman Rangel,
who is regarded as a friend of
the Caribbean, was instru-
mental in organizing the 2007
conference at which the lead-

and Barbuda,
The Bahamas,
Barbados,
Belize,
Dominica,
Grenada,
Guyana, Haiti,
Jamaica, St.
Kitts and Rangel
Nevis, St. Rangel
Lucia, St.
Vincent and the Grenadines,
Suriname and Trinidad and
Tobago met with U.S.
President George W. Bush.
At that meeting the leaders
reaffirmed their unequivocal
commitment to a secure and
prosperous region and future
for the benefit of all
Caribbean and U.S. citizens.
The New York meeting
will be held over two days
from June 19 to 20.
0


residential elections are
held every four years in
the United States. This
process was set up in the U.S.
Constitution. The constitution
requires a candidate for the
presidency to be:
* At least 35 years old
* A natural born citizen of the
U.S.
* A resident of the U.S. for 14
years
So how does one become
president of the United States?
The following steps outline the
general process for presidential
elections.

Step I: Primaries and caucuses
There are many people
who would like to become
president. Each of these peo-
ple have their own ideas about
how our government should
work. Some of these people
can belong to the same political
party. That's where primaries
and caucuses come in. In these
elections, party members get to
vote for the candidate that will
represent their party in the
upcoming general elections.

Step 2: National conventions
At the end of the primaries
and caucuses, each party holds
a national convention to final-
ize the selection of one presi-
dential nominee. During this
time, each presidential candi-
date chooses a running-mate
(or vice-presidential candidate).

Step 3: The general (or popu-


lar) election
Now that each party is rep-
resented by one candidate, the
general elections process
begins. Candidates campaign
throughout the country in an
attempt to win the support of
voters. Finally in November, the
people vote for one candidate.
When a person casts a vote
in the general elections, they
are not voting directly for an
individual presidential candi-
date. Instead, voters in each
state actually cast their vote for
a group of people, known as
electors. These electors are part
of the Electoral College and
are supposed to vote for their
state's preferred candidate.

Step 4: The Electoral College
In the Electoral College
system, each state gets a cer-
tain number of electors, based
on its population. Each elector
gets one electoral vote. For
example, a large state like
California gets 54 electoral
votes, while Rhode Island gets
only four. All t< ili, r, there
are 538 electoral votes.
In December (following
the general elections), the elec-
tors cast their votes. When
the votes are counted in
January, the presidential candi-
date that gets more than half
(270) wins the elections.

- Ben's Guide to U.S.
Government for Kids.
0


Deciding U.S. presidential elections


April 2008


P





CARIBBEAN TODAY


rwww~.carbba-tda.co


U.S. travel alert for Guyana expires May 1


WASHINGTON The
United States Department of
State says its travel alert for
Guyana expires on May 1.
It said the alert, first
issued on Feb. 26, is issued to
"inform U.S. citizens of safety
and security concerns
throughout Guyana following
recent events in Lusignan and
Bartica by armed criminal ele-
ments.
"U.S. citizens should care-
fully consider the risks of trav-
el to Guyana in light of recent
attacks in the Georgetown
suburb of Lusignan and the
Essequibo River town of
Bartica", it said, noting that in


both places, attacks were con-
ducted by "heavily armed
galg' .
The Jan. 26 and Feb. 17
attacks resulted in the deaths
of more than 23 people,
including five children and
three police officers, it said.
"Due to the seemingly
random nature of these
crimes, the disparate locations
in which they occurred, and
the fact that the perpetrators
have not all yet been appre-
hended, additional attacks in
other parts of the country can-
not be ruled out", the state-
ment said.
"The U.S. Embassy urges


U.S. citizens traveling in
Guyana to maintain a high
level of vigilance, consider
security issues when planning
activities throughout Guyana,
minimize movement when
possible while avoiding large
crowds, and not to travel at
night.
"Guyanese authorities are
conducting an investigation in
response to the recent inci-
dents and may institute fur-
ther actions or precautions,
including roadblocks or other
nml iurL it added.
0


Montserrat volcano still dangerous ~ scientists


BRADES, Montserrat, CMC
- Scientists monitoring the
Soufriere Hills volcano have
reported that while lava extru-
sion has stopped, the dome is
still capable of either collaps-
ing or exploding.
"During heavy downpours,
ions, lahar activity in drainages
around the volcano remain a
potential hazard," said Director
of the Montserrat Volcano
Observatory Dr. Vicky Hards
in a statement issued on
Mar. 31.


She, however, noted that
the likelihood of an explosion
or collapse of the dome which
still consists of a large mass of
hot lava, was decreasing with
time as the dome slowly
cooled.
The statement also noted
that measurable activity at the
Soufriere Hills Volcano, which
began erupting in July 1995,
showed no significant change.
"Recorded seismic activi-
ty remained low and the seis-
mic network recorded just a


single rock fall signal," the
statement added.
The release also indicated
that the alert level on the
island remained at four.
Access to all areas on the
southern flanks of the Belham
Valley, except Isles Bay Hill
and to the east of the Belham
Bridge, has been prohibited,
as well as the area south of
Jack Boy Hill to Bramble air-
port and beyond.
0


Anguilla upgrading disaster warning system


THE VALLEY, Anguilla,
CMC Anguilla has taken the
lead among Caribbean islands
in rolling out its National
Disaster Warning System.
Disaster management offi-
cials here said the system was
designed to provide emergency
alerts and notification and will
"take advantage of multiple
communications means to get
the message out".


The first phase of the
national system was tested here
late last month, following a suc-
cessful pilot project last year.
Officials said the second
phase of the project will be
the establishment of a website
through which the public can
register to receive emergency
and tourism information mes-
sages. Information on pur-
chasing a warning system FM


radio receiver will also be
included on the website.
Partners in the project
include the Anguilla Tourist
Board and the Anguilla Hotel
and Tourism Association,
Radio Anguilla, Royal Anguilla
Police Force, the DDM, and
the Media Coordination Group
of the National Disaster
Management Committee.
0


Region urged to focus on health, wellness tourism


BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,
CMC The Caribbean region
has been encouraged to market
itself to the United States,
Canada and Europe as a mecca
for health and wellness tourism.
Tourism Minister Richard
Sealy said since many
Caribbean economies rely
on tourism as a major foreign
exchange earner, it was time
for the region to create a new
niche for itself.
"I think that it is a neces-
sity for us given that tourism
is our main industry, and given
our limited resources and the
fact that a hardworking and
well educated work force is
about all we have going for
us," he told regional partici-
pants at a recent Caribbean
Export Development Agency
three-day seminar.
"My understanding where


trade and health tourism is
concerned is that there have
been several approaches
adopted worldwide and gov-
ernments can get involved in
the sector as part of their
national policies in many dif-
ferent ways."

ON THE CARDS
Commenting directly on
how Barbados planned to
assist investors in health and
wellness tourism ventures,
Minister Sealy noted that leg-
islative amendments were on
the cards.
"There is already enabling
legislation (the Tourism
Development Act) and all
that is required is for the
sponsor of the project to
prove to the minister of
tourism that it is a tourism-
related project and that there


are some concessions avail-
able," Sealy explained.
Executive Director of
Caribbean Export Phillip
Williams, who also addressed
the conference, added that the
Caribbean was ideally suited
to service the North American
market given its geographic
proximity, direct flights, com-
mon language and its sun,
sands and sea, which all con-
tribute to the region's attrac-
tiveness as a primary destina-
tion for health tourism. He
said the time was ripe for
service firms to explore con-
crete business opportunities
and for business support
organizations to develop serv-
ice sector strategies to facili-
tate two-way trade between
Canada and the region.
0


New 'one stop' Caribbean


travel website launched


NEW YORK The Caribbean
Tourism Development
Company (CTDC), the market-
ing and business development
unit owned equally by the
Caribbean Hotel Association
(CHA) and the Caribbean
Tourism Organization (CTO),
has launched its official website.
www.CaribbeanTravel.com
is designed as the first central
portal for all things related to
Caribbean travel.
"Our goal with
CaribbeanTravel.com is to
create a one-stop shop for
travelers and travel agents
with all necessary information,
images and vacation offers at
their fingertips," said Vincent
Vanderpool-Wallace, co-chief
executive officer of the
CTDC. "In today's web-ori-
ented world,
it's all about
the rich con-
tent and our
site provides
visitors with a
complete vir-
tual experi-
ence that will
both whet Sanguinetti
their appetites
and provide all the tools they
need to plan and book their
trip."
The website was designed
to offer travelers the most cur-
rent destination information


including weather reports,
upcoming festivals and events,
news from the Caribbean,
travel deals and promotions.
Travelers can also utilize the
site to book a Caribbean trip
with Travelocity, the website's
official travel booking engine,
or to be connected to a
Caribbean specialist travel
agent to plan
or book their
vacation.
Other dis-
tinctive fea-
tures of the
site include: a
"Hot DL ,I
section with
special travel Vanderpool -Wallace
values; maps
of the region; and detailed
descriptions of places to stay,
things to do and special events
throughout the year.
"Our goal since day one
of the creation of the CTDC
has been to create buzz and
business for the Caribbean,"
said Alec Sanguinetti, co-
CEO of the CTDC. "We are
achieving both of these goals
on this new site. Never before
have travelers had the oppor-
tunity to find so much dedicat-
ed information in one place as
they now have available on
CaribbeanTravel.com."


GEORGETOWN, Guyana,
CMC The Guyana govern-
ment says it has no intention
of lowering its environmental
standards to attract foreign
investment in the mining sec-
tor.
Prime Minister Sam Hinds,
speaking at a one-day Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR)
workshop organized by the
Canadian High Commission last
month, said that there would be
no adulteration of the global
environmental guidelines.
Hinds, a Canadian-trained
mining expert, said the local
standards would not be "an
iota 11~ \\ l r than the interna-
tional benchmarks because of
heightened searches for min-
eral resources in Guyana by
overseas-based companies.
But he praised the historic
role foreign companies have
played in the country's eco-
nomic development adding
that they bring "connection
and integration in the world
market."
Hinds said with interna-
tional nervousness created by


Hinas


global warming "there have
been renewed attention to
finding uranium resources
here as an alternative energy
source to the popular, but
expensive, fossil fuel."
The prime minister, who is
also the minister of mining in
the Bharrat Jagdeo administra-
tion, said there were three for-
eign companies that have been
exploring alternative energy
resources in the country.
0


-1


Guyana rejects lowering


standards for investors


April 2008


111111irmilm- ....... ....... -
I T 0 U R I S M / T R n V IE t

PAGE 1

PRESOR TED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID MIAMI, FL PERMIT NO. 7315 Vol.19 No.5 APRIL 2008 Tel: (305 1-800-605-7516 editor@caribbeantoday.comct_ads@bellsouth.net Jamaica: 654-7282 W e cover your world INSIDEJamaican Hilca Thomashas beennamed the NationalAssistantPrincipal of the Year” bythe National Association of Secondar y School Principals in the United States, page 5. The roots of Rastafari, a religious faith which originated in the Caribbean, can now be traced through an unprecedented exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., page 13. Caribbean-born light heavyweight Glen Johnson will getwhat could be his final shot at reclaiming a world boxingtitle when he fights American Chad Dawson in Tampa,Florida this month, page 15 News ........................................ 2 Spring/Summer Education .. 6 Viewpoint................................9 Featur e .................................. 11 Ar ts/Enter tainment ..............13 Health....................................14 Spor t ...................................... 15 FYI .......................................... 16 Business................................17 Food ........................................ 18 Politics/Region .................... 19 Tourism/Environment..........20 THE MULTI AWARD-WINNING NEWS MAGAZINE CALL CARIBBEAN TODAY DIRECT FROM JAMAICA 654-7282 32-year-old Jamaican Kevin Brown was ‘acting strangely’ at the Orlando Inter national Airport. He was searched, arrested and charged in Florida with attempting to carry bomb parts onboard an Air Jamaica flight bound for Montego Bay, page 5. SUSPECT BOMBERFINAL WARNING ~ The United States has issued a June 1, 2009 deadline for all travel-ers r etur ning from the Caribbean by land or sea to have either a passport or other approved documents toenter the U.S., page 2. April2008.qxd 4/8/08 11:13 PM Page 1

PAGE 2

NEW YORK – New York police have ar rested a Guyanese-bor n United States federal immigration of ficial for demanding sex fr om a Colombian woman in exchange for a green card. Pr osecutors in Queens last month said that Isaac R. Baichu, 46, was recordeddemanding sex fr om the unidentified young woman,and will be pr osecuted on corr uption charges. Immigration officials said Baichu handled about 8,000gr een card applications during his three years as an adjudica-tor in the U.S. Citizenship andImmigration Ser vices part of the federal Department of Homeland Security. Prosecutors said he pleaded not guilty to felony and misdemeanor charges ofcoer cing the young woman to perform oral sex and of promising to help her secure immi-gration papers in exchange for further sexual favors. If con-victed, he will face up to sevenyears in prison. Animmigration spokesman said Baichu hasbeensuspendedwithout pay ,andtheinspectorgeneral of HomelandSecurityis r eviewinghisothercases. MORE VICTIMS Prosecutors, who said they r ecor ded a meeting between Baichu and the woman on Mar. 11, at whichhe made similar demands for sex, urged any other victims tocome for ward. Money , not sex, is the more common currency of corruption in immigration,of ficials said. The young woman in Queens, whose name is beingwithheld because the authori ties consider her the victim ofa sex crime, did not even tell her husband what had happened, officials said. They saidshe came to the U.S. on atourist visa in 2004 and over stayed. Authorities said when she married an American citizen ayear ago, the law allowed herto apply to “adjust” her illegalstatus. But unless her green card BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – A U.S. State Department official said that Washington will continue tosend back criminal depor tees to the region, even though the George W. Bush administration was aware that deportation remained a key issue for countries in the Caribbean. The Assistant Secr etar y of State for the Western Hemisphere Thomas Shannontold the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC that W ashington was bound by law to deport criminals. e ar e depor ting citizens of the Caribbean who have committed crimes in theUnited States and we ar e under a legal requirement to do that,” Shannon said. “This is somethingwe must do in compliance with our own law CONCERNS At the June 18-21, 2007 Conference on the Caribbean held in Washington D.C., leaders of the Caribbean community (CARICOM raised the topic of deportation in their meetings with President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice. One of their consistent concerns was the need to r eceive mor e information on deportees, including more detailed crimi-nal r ecor ds. Shannon said the U.S. listened to the concerns and will act accordingly. “What we can do is work more closely with out Caribbean partners to makesur e that when Caribbean nationals are deported back to their home countries that theirhome countries know who iscoming (andhave committed,” he said. e’ve worked through inter national institutions like the International Organization for Migration (IOMbuild capability in these nations to reintegrate these people in the Caribbean society During the W ashington confer ence, CARICOM leaders renewed their call for U.S. assis-tance with the settlement andr eintegration of deportees. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP million project in Haiti to provide deportee reintegration services including counseling, vocational training, skills development and microcredit lending. MIAMI – In his first official visit to southern Florida since winning last September’s gen-eral elections, Jamaica Prime Minister Bruce Golding calledon nationals her e to work closely with his administration for the betterment of theisland-nation. e need to make a gr eater effort,” he told a town hall meeting Mar. 28 at NovaSoutheaster n University in Davie. “Jamaica couldn’t survive without you. “Jamaicans abroad are our greatest ambassadors,”Golding continued. “Jamaicais too rich to be so poor The Jamaican leader said about 350,000 of Jamaica’s 2.5million people live in pover ty. In addition to remittances that contribute significantly toJamaica’ s economy , Golding called on his compatriots abroad to give of their time,talent and skills to help the island grow. The Inter-American Development Bank(IDBUnited States sent home anestimated $2.1 billion last year . Golding also touched on a wide range of issues, from escalating food prices, finding alternative energy sources, over-hauling the educational system,to rampant crime. He said theincumbent Jamaica Labour Party (JLP address “the causes of crime. e have to str engthen the capacity of the police force,” he said, pointing out,however , that “befor e you can strengthen that police force you ar e going to have to clean it out.” HONOREES Last month’ s town hall meeting was the first of a series of events that theJamaica prime minister wasscheduled to attend during histhr ee-day visit to South Florida. The following dayGolding was expected to attend church services at theMaranatha Seventh Day Adventist Church in Miami. He was also the featured speaker on Mar. 30 at the sec-ond annual CommunitySer vice Awards Ceremony and Tea Party in Miami, hosted by the Jamaica Consulate. During that event, 12 Jamaican nationals were honored for their contributions to the community. The honor ees included poet Ivy Claudette Armstrong; Lauderdale Lakes Mayor Samuel Brown; Tampa com-munity activist Ellor eece B. Bur rell; NASA mission manager Glenn Chin; media spe-cialist Don Daly; for mer Houston, Texas Honorary Consul Beverly For d; and record-breaking pilot Barrington Irving. The others were Miami Anglican priest the Rever end Horace Ward; Michael and Jackie Shaw of SunshineTheatr e Company; founder of the Jamaica Nurses Association of Florida Joyce W right; and educators W inston Whyte and Karl S. Wright. Golding says all the right things in meeting with Jamaicans in South Florida, page 11. NELSON A. KING NEW YORK – The son of two Caribbean nationals is thenew gover nor of New Y ork following the r esignation of Governor Eliot Spitzer. The parents of the former Lieutenant Governor David A. Paterson were born inGr enada and Jamaica. His Grenadian-born father is a former New York state senator. Paterson became New York’s 55th governor last month. He is the state’ s first black gover nor and r eplaces Spitzer, who announced his resignation following revelations that he was involved in a prostitution ring. “I am deeply sorry that I did not live up to what wasexpected of me,” Spitzer said. o every New Yorker, and toall those who believed in whatI tried to stand for , I sincer ely apologize.” UNTESTED Paterson is said to be liked and respected by leading figures in both main United States political par ties, but is also consider ed untested. In 2006, he surprised the Democratic establishment in Albany, the state’s capital, by leaving the Senate and the possibility of becoming majority leader if the Democrats captur ed a majority there to r un for the lar gely cer emonial post of lieutenant governor. Bor n in Brooklyn on May 20, 1954, an early childhood infection left him with severe-ly limited sight. Paterson is a graduate of Columbia University and Hofstra Law School, both in New York, and is also an adjunct pr ofessor at Columbia University . WASHINGTON – The United States has issued aJune 1, 2009 deadline for allAmerican travelers r eturning from the Caribbean by land or sea to have either a passport or other approved documentsto enter the U.S. U.S. citizens are already r equired to have a passport when r eturning home by air, but the rule will kick in for cruise passengers as well as those who re-enter the country at land crossings. The U.S. departments of Homeland Security (DHSand State (DOSin a joint statement late last month that the rule, whichalso encompasses travel to Canada and Bermuda, is final for the land and sea portion of the W estern Hemisphere T ravel Initiative (WHTI also known as the U.S. pass port rule. e are on course to implement and enforce the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which is an impor-tant step for ward in securing the homeland,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. “Limiting and standardizing the types of documents presented will result in a moresecur e and efficient border he added. e will continue to encourage cross-border travel and trade while at the same time decreasing identity theft and fraud.” The DHS said it had decid ed to issue the WHTI land andsea final r ule more than a year before its implementation in order “to give the public amplenotice and time to obtain theWHTI-compliant documents they will need to enter or re-enter the United States on orafter June 1, 2009.” It said many cross-border travelers already have WHTI-compliant documents, such as a passport or a Trusted Traveler Card – NEXUS,SENTRI, and F AST. The DOS added that it was alr eady accepting applications for the new passport cards. Jamaica P.M.calls for closer working relationship with diaspora in the U.S. New N.Y.governor has Caribbean rootsGuyanese-born U.S.immigration agent charged with demanding sex for issuing ‘green card’U.S. remains firm on sending Caribbean criminals back homeU.S.issues final rule for travelers to the Caribbean 2 CARIBBEAN TODAYApril 2008 NEWS NEWS www.caribbeantoday.com (CONTINUED ON PAGE 4) April2008.qxd 4/8/08 11:13 PM Page 2

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April 2008CARIBBEAN TODAY 3 April2008.qxd 4/8/08 11:13 PM Page 3

PAGE 4

NEW YORK – A jury in New York has acquitted a Jamaican man who was the first person charged under a new law in 2006 that increased prison sentences for the attempted murder of a police officer. The jury in State Supreme Court in Brooklyn last month found Damien Henry not guiltyin a case in which he was charged with firing an Uzi automatic machine gun at two police officers outside a Jamaicannightclub in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn in 2004. Henry, 27, was shot 18 times by the officers but survived. The officers were uninjured. Several jur ors said they believed that the officers were less than completely honest on the witness stand. “There were a lot of holes in the case,” said one juror, awoman in her 20s. “I felt like they weren’t always telling the whole truth,” she added. IN PRISON Henry is celebrating his acquittals in prison, where he is serving a 25-year sentence for shooting up a Brooklyn restau-rant in 2005 after being told to smoke outside. Henry, who had faced a possible life sentence for the attempted murder of two police officers and two bouncers in the cur rent case, was convicted on Mar. 5 of seconddegree weapons possession, which carries a sentence of three to 15 years. In 2002, Henry was charged with shooting an officer in the arm, but was acquitted. In 2004, he intervened in an arrest and was charged with punching an officer, Andrew Rydlewski, in the face. Hepleaded guilty to a low-level misdemeanor. It was 10 days after his plea in the punching case that Henry got into another confrontation with Rydlewski outside the Ragtop Lounge inEast Flatbush after being denied entry. Rydlewski and Sergeant Ajay Kapour said that Henr y fired an Uzi at them, and they shot back, striking him 18 times without hitting any major organs. NEW LA W Henr y was char ged under a new law that incr eased the mini mum sentence for attempted murder of a police officer to 20 years, fr om 15. Henr s lawyer , Har old C. Baker , mounted a defense that his client was “set up” by the police and bouncers.The bouncers had summoned the of ficers with calls to their private cellular telephones, not to 911. Several jur ors said that while they did not believe the conspiracy theor y , they wer e tr oubled by testimony by a police exper t in gunshot r esidue that several of the shots that str uck Henry were fir ed from less than eight inches away. The officers had testified that they shot him from about 10 feet away. “Some of the jurors really had a bad perception of the cops, and they didn’t believe them,” said the jur y for e woman, Khadijah Carter. MIAMI – Police last month ar rested an influential Haitian American community activist here and charged him with more than 20 counts of racketeering, theft and money laun-dering. Ringo Cayard, 55, director of the Miami-basedHaitian American Foundation Inc. (HAFI rested on the night of Mar. 20 on the charges, which include fake records which he used to give himself a significant bonus. Police also charged Cayard with siphoning thousands of dollars fr om MiamiDade County contracts related to staging festivals and pr oviding meals to the elderly and that his ar rest caps “sweeping investigation” of the foundation’s finances over the past two and a halfyears. HAFI, one of thebest-known social services agencies in Miami-Dade’sHaitian com munity , received almost $2.9 million in county contracts and grants between 2002 and 2006. PROMINENT Cayard has been one of the most pr ominent voices in local Haitian politics over the past 25 years. He’ s been a political ally to Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and County Commissioner Dorrin Rolle. Diaz placed Cayard on a city bond-oversight boar d. o arrest him under cover of darkness on the eve of Holy Week is a disgrace,” said Milton Hirsch, Cayard’s lawyer. The arrest report also said Cayard “orchestrated a scheme to bill the county forphantom meals” that HAFI was supposed to deliver to eld erly Haitian residents under a contract with the county’s Alliance for Human Services. The report charged that Cayard and a HAFI employee submitted fake monthly invoices six times betweenApril 2003 and Jan. 2005 when his non-pr ofit failed to deliver any meals. W ASHINGTON – Thr ee Caribbean leaders emerged from talks with United States President George W. Bush lastmonth, describing their con sultations as fr uitful. Prime ministers Hubert Ingraham of The Bahamas,David Thompson of Barbadosand Dean Bar r ow of Belize gave no indication of what their discussions would yield, but reported that issues of democ-racy , security , tourism and the Caribbean Basin Initiative wer e among the topics discussed with the American leader. e had a discussion like you would expect neighbors to have,” President Bush toldmembers of the media afterthe meeting. e talked about trade and tourism. We talked about how to make sure that our securityneeds ar e met without interrupting the ability for our people to travel as freely as possible and for the ability of people tobe able to make a good living as a r esult of tourism.” ASSURANCE The U.S. leader also gave the Caribbean heads the assurance that their region was important to his country. e often times talk about dealing with the MiddleEast or dealing on the conti nent of Africa, but it was important for these leaders toknow that we believe that agood, str ong, healthy , vibrant neighborhood is in the interests of the United States,”Bush said. “So we had a good,friendly , impor tant discussion, and I can’ t thank the leaders enough for coming.” Referring to the recent election victories of primeministers Thompson and Barrow, Bush commendedBarbados and Belize for their “good, fair, clean elections.” Ingraham, who is also CARICOM’s chairman, thanked the president onbehalf of the leaders for tak ing time out to discuss the matters. e’re very pleased and grateful that the U.S. president invited us to come,” he said. Regional leaders hold ‘fruitful’ talks with Bush TORONTO, Canada Citizenship and ImmigrationMinister Diane Finley has promised that the number ofapplicants seeking to enter Canada yearly from the Caribbean and the rest of theworld will not be capped andfamily r e-unification will be pr eserved in the legislative amendments to modernize the immigration system. She addressed the concerns with CMC a week after the Conservative governmenttabled sweeping immigrationlegislation to clear up the hugebacklog of applicants andbring in skilled workers mor e quickly. The backlog stands at about 800,000, and some appli-cants have been waiting foralmost six years to have theirapplications looked at. “That’s totally unacceptable,” declared Finley. “We are competing with other countries that have processingtimes of thr ee to six months and we are six years. We are competing with other coun-tries for talent that we ver y much need right across the countr y . W e ar e losing out in the competitiveness race. “The changes that we are making are really about bring-ing common sense and goodbusiness and managementpractices to the immigration system. Under the existing system, every application has to be processed, even if anapplicant has made multipleapplications, a person is deador someone chooses to go to another country. “The changes have noth ing to do with the r efugee system, ther e are no caps on the number of applications and the preservation of family re-unification is a priority for us because we care about family SW AP T o expedite the process quickly and smoothly , Finley said consideration will be given to transferring applications from a country or region swamped with requests toenter to Canada to another country or area where theworkload is not hectic. Finley also said administrative changes will be madeand the ministr s computer system will be upgraded to fast-track the process in threeto six months. In its last budget, the gover nment set aside $22 million over the next two years and$37 million a year after that for additional resources toshor ten wait times and r educe the backlog. Canada says no to Caribbean immigration application capHaitian activist arrested on theft, racketeering charges in MiamiJamaican acquitted of shooting at N.Y.cops 4 CARIBBEAN TODAYApril 2008 NEWS NEWS www.caribbeantoday.com application was approved, she could not visit her parents orher br others’ graves and then legally re-enter the U.S., they said. And if her applicationwas denied, she would facedepor tation. P A TTERN The char ges against Baichu, who became a U.S. citizen in 1991 and ear ns r oughly $50,000 a year , appear to be part of a larger pattern, according to governmentr ecor ds. A Miami agent of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, responsible fortranspor ting a Haitian woman to detention, is awaiting trial on charges that he took her to his home and raped her. “Despite our best efforts there are always people ready to use their position for per sonal gain or personal pleasur e,” said Chris Bentley , a spokesman for Citizenship and Immigration Ser vices. “Our responsibility is to fer r et them out,” he added. Accor ding to the criminal complaint, Baichu told the Colombian woman he expect-ed her to do “just like the lasttime,” and of fered to take her to a garage or the bathroomof a friend’ s r eal estate business so she would be “more comfor table doing it” ther e. Pr osecutors said Baichu was arrested as he emerged from a Queens diner andheaded to his car . Later released on $15,000 bail, Baichu referred calls for comment to his lawyer, Sally Attia. She said Baichu “did not have authority to grant or deny gr een car d petitions with out his super visor s approval.” Guyanese-born U.S... Cayard (CONTINUED FROM P AGE 2) April2008.qxd 4/8/08 11:13 PM Page 4

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MIAMI – Jamaican Hilca Thomas has been named the National Assistant Principal of the Year” by theNational Association of Secondary School Principalsin he United States. Thomas, a for mer Ar denne High and University of the W est Indies (UWI dent in the Caribbean island, is an assistant principal atMiami-Dade County Public Schools’ (M-DCPSA. Doolin Middle School. Thomas has been honored with the national awar d for her work in motivating stu-dents and faculty members to be lifelong learners. As cur-riculum assistant principal atDoolin Middle School since 2000, she has shown leader-ship in collecting and analyz ing student assessment data toidentify students’ weaknessand assist teachers in tailoring instruction accordingly. She has also made collaboration with the school’s faculty, parents and students the core of her leadership.M-DCPSRegion V SuperintendentJanet Hupp said one of Thomas’s “most outstandingcapabilities is her ability to interact and motivate all stakeholders.” Doolin Middle School Principal Eduardo Tillet believes Thomas’s hard workand leadership helped movethe school grade designation ofa “C” to “an “A” in 2006. Thomas received a bachelor of science degr ee in zoology fr om UWI and a master of science in biol ogy education fr om the University ofMiami. Shetaught scienceat the middleand highschool levels before moving into administration at Howard A Doolin MiddleSchool. In Oct. 2007 Thomaswas among a gr oup of MDCPS principals and assistantprincipals to win five of six“Outstanding Leadership Awards” from the Florida Department of Education. She will be officially honored as this year’s “NationalAssistant Principal of theY ear” at a black-tie event in Washington, D.C. on April 19. The award includes a checkfor $5,000. NEW YORK – Even as the Trinidad-based Coalition ofCaribbean Rights says it will seek international assistancein getting sexual assault charges madeagainst St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Prime Minister Dr. RalphGonsalves hear d in cour t, V incentians in New York are calling for closure to the case. Deeply concerned about what they consider to be thetar nishing of the countr s international image, a number of Vincentians here have called for the charges leveled againstGonsalves to be put to r est once and for all. Though seem ingly sympathetic to the Vincentian leader, most nation-als told the Caribbean Media Cor poration it is time to bring closure to an issue that haspainted a bad image abr oad. s a sigh of relief that the cour t has found it appropriate to dismiss the action,” said Arnold “Lydon” Charles, a for-mer pr esident of the Brooklynbased Vincentian umbrella group, Council of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Organizations, U.S.A., Inc.(COSAGO recent high court ruling inupholding the decision of the Director of Public Prosecutions to dismiss a private criminal complaint, filed against Dr.Gonsalves by four attor neys, on behalf of a 36-year-old female police of ficer . NORMALCY Greg Dublin, a director at the Friends of Cr own Heights Educational Center in Brooklyn, saidhe hopes the judge’s decisionwill “bring some semblance of normalcy” in thecountr y . Last month, High Court JudgeGer tel Thom upheld DPP Colin W illiams’s decision to discontinue a char ge of rape against Gonsalves, saying that she found “no ar guable grounds for a review But Hazel Brown, a spokesperson for theCoalition of Caribbean Rights, told a news conference in Port of Spain recently that the decision not to proceedwith the matter against Gonsalves is cause for serious concern in the Caribbean. AJamaican national, r eportedly troubled by past experiences including a stint in Iraq and the mur-der of his mother in theCaribbean, was detained on April 1 by officials of theUnited States T ransport Security Administration (TSA after “acting strangely” at the Orlando International Airport in Florida. The TSA r evealed that the man, Kevin Brown, a 32-yearold permanent resident of theU.S., had “suspicious items” in his luggage. Those items, accor ding to a statement by the Federal Bur eau of Investigations (FBI parts for a bomb, such as galvanized pipes, explosive and flam mable liquids, end caps, a r ocket igniter , BB gun pellets, batteries and literature containing bombmaking information. Br own had attempted to take the items with him on an afternoon Air Jamaica flight bound for the SangsterInter national Airport in Montego Bay . He told the FBI that he wanted to show friends in Jamaica how to build explo-sives like those he saw in Iraq. He has been char ged with attempting to place an incendiary or explosive device on anair craft and made court appearances in Orlando in the days following the incident wher e he was not granted bail. ‘CRAZY MAN’ According to reports of the incident, Brown, who somer eports indicated had been taking anti-depressant medication and living on the streets for awhile, had checked in luggage at the Air Jamaica ticket count-er . Eyewitnesses said he then began rocking and walking back and for th. Br own, who also had a laptop computer in his carry-onbag, was pulled aside by TSA officers, who searched his luggage and found the items. He was then made to sit down at the curb outside the airport terminal and searched. Br own was car rying a Jamaican passport when he was apprehended. However, it was reported that he served in the U.S. Army, from which he received an honorary dischargeand a commendation medal, and later worked as a contractor in Iraq. Up to press time it was still not clear if he did mili tary duties in Iraq. NO T THE SAME However , people who claim to know Br own said he was never the same after returning fr om Iraq and his medical r ecords were being reviewed by investigators. “He sees things, he hears things and he just doesn’ t act nor mal,” one woman was quoted in Jamaica’ s Gleaner news paper as saying after the airport incident. Hotelier Sandra McLeod, Brown’s mother, was found strangled at a resort in Negril,Jamaica in 2005. The mur der, The Gleaner reported, “devastated” Brown. The Jamaica Observer newspaper reported thatBr own, who attended schools in Jamaica and was reportedly on his way to visit a cousin in Montego Bay , “told investigators that he planned to set the bomb off on a tree stump when he arrived in Jamaica”. Jamaica’s Prime Minister Br uce Golding or dered the country’s police force to investigate the matter. Investigators in the U.S. said Br own’ s act appeared to be an “isolated incident,” but they were trying to determine if he belonged to any organized group. Compiled from several news reports,including CMC. MIAMI United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP that Barbadian law enforce-ment authorities had been help ful in inter cepting an inter na tional fugitive last month. Officials of the U.S. State Depar tment said they wer e notified by Barbadian immigration of ficials that Amar o Rodrigues, 54, a fugitive of France, was heading to the U.S.after vacationing in Barbados. The statement said CBP officers at the Miami International Airport intercepted Rodrigues on Mar. 18 “as he attempted to transit through the United States enr oute to his home in Canada. “The fugitive was r etur ned to France in keeping with a 1996 Bilateral ExtraditionT r eaty between the United States and France, to face rape and attempted rape char ges”, the statement said. The U.S. said the Canadian citizen was “vaca tioning in Barbados when hewas identified by Barbadian authorities as a fugitive of France. “Upon his arrival at Miami International Airport,Mr . Rodrigues was stopped by CBP of ficers for questioning”, the statement said. Harold Woodward, the CBP’ s dir ector of field opera tions, said the case “exemplifies an extraor dinar y level of interagency and international cooperation, resulting in thear rest and extradition of a danger ous fugitive.” Jamaican named best assistant principal in U.S.V incentians in N.Y.want closure to P .M.s sexual assault caseBomb parts found in luggage of Jamaican Barbadian authorities aid in capturing int’l fugitive Entries are still being accepted for the fourthannual National Caribbean American HeritageMonth Y outh Essay Competition. The 2008 contest, designed to commemorate the declara-tion of June as “NationalCaribbean American HeritageMonth” by the United States Congress, is open to 11th and 12th grade students who live in South Florida’ s Miami-Dade and Broward counties and have a Caribbean heritage as defined by the competition’s rules. The competition is being offered through a partnership between the Institute ofCaribbean Studies, or ganizations such as T ransfor ming America Through Interaction (TATI), the Greater CaribbeanAmerican Chamber ofCommer ce, University of the W est Indies Alumni Association and area schools. The winning entr y for each regional/local competition will be judged in the national level competition and the grand winner will receive airline tickets for two to a Caribbean destination. The title for this year’s competition is: “If you were running for president of theUnited States, what ar e the top thr ee issues that you would put on your agenda?” Winning entries in the local/regional competition willbe announced on June 1. Essays should be e-mailed in MS Word format to: StudentAf fairs Dir ector, TATI, Inc.: stu dentaffairs@taticaribbean.com. Entries must be submitted no later than May 9. Contact student affairs director, TATI, Inc.,at 954-802-4291 for more information about the competition. Caribbean American youth essay competition open through May 9 April 2008CARIBBEAN TODAY 5 NEWS NEWS www .caribbeantoday.com Bomb expert searches Brown at the Orlando airport. Thomas Gonsalves April2008.qxd 4/8/08 11:13 PM Page 5

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STEVE ROSEN Is the 11th hour no, make that the12th hour and theclock is ticking closer to midnight in your scramble to find college money for your high school senior . You’re standing at the star ting line. You have this feeling of guilt. Paralysis is setting in. You don’t know where to start. Unfortunately, experts say , this is an all-too-common situation. Not that find-ing chunks of money for col lege is a walk thr ough the park, but many parents haven’t really come to gripswith what it may take tocover even a sliver of tuition, room and board, and books, said Kal Chany,a college consultant based inNew Y ork and author of The Princeton Review’ s “Paying for College Without Going Broke”. If this sounds like your situation, don’t roll over andgive up. Y ou still have time to take control. Here are some tips to help you andyour college-bound hopefulquickly get focused: Do some homework The lion’s share of need-basedfinancial aid (in the UnitedStates) comes fr om federal and state government, so you need to devote most ofyour time to becomingknowledgeable about the process, the deadlines and how eligibility is deter-mined. To qualify for federal financial aid, as well as state aid and grants from manycolleges and universities, you must file the FreeApplication for FederalStudent Aid, or F AFSA (www.fafsa.ed.gov). The Depar tment of Education begins accepting F AFSA applications for the 2008-2009 school year in January. Between now and then, Chany says, parentsshould deter mine at least a ballpark number for their expected family contribution, which is the amount the familywill be expected to contribute to college costs in the aid for-mulas. Why is this impor tant? Because the cost of attendancethe sum of tuition and fees and room and board, plusallowances for supplies, books, transportation costs and otherpersonal expenses minus theexpected family contribution gives you an appr oximate number for need-based aid. T o cr unch your numbers, check out financial aid calculators on web sites such as www .salliemae .com, www .col legeboard.com and www.savingforcollege.com. There also are many excellent guidebooks, including Chany’s and Kiplinger’s “Financing College”. Investigate free merit money If you’re a top athlete, scholaror a talented musician, you mayeasily qualify for merit-basedscholarships fr om a school. But there seemingly are also scholarships for everyextracur ricular activity and hobby from Scouting to the environmental club to duck call-ing. While merit money is avail able fr om thousands of employers, organizations and religiousinstitutions, local awar ds may be less of a long shot than national contests. In addition to a multi tude of available web-based search tools, your child’s guid-ance counselor should have Getting real about college MIAMI – This month, South Florida teachers will get the opportunity to experience “Brain Food”, a workshop of Project MIND that shows fun and creative learning strategies math and science teachers can use in the classroom. Public and private school teachers in Br oward, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties are eligible to attend. Project MIND was originally developed by Dr. Hui Fang Huang “Angie” Su in 1988 to help academically atrisk students improve their ability to solve math pr oblems. It is a research-based Pre-K-12 math enhancement pr ogram. The workshop will emphasize the use of games, story telling, and strategic methods based on logic andintuition. It includes lesson plans, activities, fr ee teacher resources, online assessment and learning. Participants are eligible to r eceive 30 in-service points! “Brain Food” will be held from 8 a.m.to 4 p.m . on three Saturdays,April 12,19,and 26 in the WLRN Conference r oom. All mathematics and science educators K-12 are invited to register and attend. Email Mar ry Kemp at mkemp@wlrn.org to secure registration. ‘Brain Food’ available to South Florida teachersTips for getting a late start on finding college money 6 CARIBBEAN TODAYApril 2008 SPRING SPRING / / SUMMER SUMMER EDUCATION EDUCATION www.caribbeantoday.com ~ A Caribbean Today advertising feature Acting quickly may be the difference in getting a chance to study. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 7) STEVE ROSEN Scarcely a week goes by when I don’t field at leastone question fr om anxious par ents preparing for the day when they’ll send their of f spring to college. How many schools should we apply to? Is it worth thetr ouble to fill out the federal financial aid forms? Is hiring a college consultant to come up with a list of potential schoolsthe way to go? And, of course, how much should we budget for textbooks and pizzamoney? As the father of two col lege students, with a third one potentially a few years away, I am keenly aware of the financial pressures of higher educa-tion. While writing about kidsand college costs has made me more conscious of the issues, I’ve had my share of financial successes, failures and surprises too. From my time in the trenches, here are some warn-ings, tips and suggestions that may save you money and a little aggravation while navigat-ing the twists and tur ns in the college-selection pr ocess: TALK THE TALK Before your teen gets too far down the college path, havean honest discussion with himabout the costs and wher e the money will come fr om. How much are you willing and able to spend without draining your bank account? What will be your student’s role in financingschool, and how much might be needed from scholarships, loans and work-study pro-grams to plug the gap? Talk about what’s a reasonable amount to borrow.Does it make sense, for exam ple, to bor r ow heavily to attend a school and ear n a degree in a field where postgraduate earnings potential islimited? W ould it be wor thwhile to consider a private schoolwher e your student could like ly graduate in four years rather than a public university wherethe limited availability of required classes could lead to afive-year commitment? In thatvein, the financials might make the private route a better buy. Consider some cr eative solutions on how to manage col lege costs. Ear ning college credit on high school advanced-placement courses could shave a year or more off the tuition tab. Or maybe mom and dad agree to foot the bill and coverthe loans for the under grad years, while graduate school ison your son’ s or daughter’s dime. Finally, keep in mind that there can be quite a differencebetween the listed sticker pricefor a school and the actual price you pay, once scholar-ships, loans and other financialassistance flow to the bottom line. Count your lucky stars if you end up with a high school-er who is r eally engaged in visiting campuses, staying on top of essay deadlines, hunting forscholarships, and weighing the pros and cons of each school on the radar scr een. You can pretty much shift into cruise control from here on out. More typical, I think, is the junior or senior who needs nudging every step of the way -right up to packing the family van and pointing it towardgood old State U. It’ s perfectly nor mal for teens to be war y of life after high school gradua tion. But if college is indeed in the cards, how can you dealwith the denial mode? Whenour oldest son was a highschool junior , for example, we jump-started the process by Graduating from high school means that tough college choices remain ahead. 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scholarship lists. Get right on this, because many application deadlines ar e coming up quickly. Also, Chany said, as your student bearsdown on applications andessays, keep in mind that “lessthan five per cent of the money for college comes from outside private scholarship sources. So don’t devote a huge amount oftime to this.” Be wary of the hired gun If you feel like you’r e in over your head, professional help is available fr om college consultants and scholarship search services. But be careful when considering some of these national services,which often r ely on dir ect mail or mass e-mail blitzes to attract fam ilies. Their promises, at the very least, can be of questionablevalue. On the other hand, some professional consultants who walk you through every aspectof the application and financialaid pr ocess can be wor th ever y penny . Decide how much time and money you want to devote to this project. Look for deals As your student comes up with a final listof schools to apply to, it may pay to look for offers like thisincentive fr om the University of Kansas: The university will lockin a guaranteed tuition rate forin-state students for four years.Ther s another par ental benefit to the plan students will have added incentive to graduate infour years. It is risky, of course, to wait so late in the game to start eyeballing the tuition tab. But with a little bit of knowledge about the financial aid pr ocess, you can at least get going in the right direction before the clock strikes 12. 2007 Tribune Media Ser vices , Inc. WASHINGTON The InterAmerican Development Bank(IDBChild Foundation (OLPC finance a pilot project to testwhether one-to-one computingcan impr ove teaching and lear ning in schools in Haiti. OLPC makes the XO laptop, a low-cost computer designed for children in places with poor infrastructure. Ther ugged machine, which uses open-source software, can bepower ed with car batteries, solar panels or devices such as cranks, pedals and pull-cords. The IDB said it would make a $3 million grant for the pilot project, which will distrib-ute XO laptops to some 13,200students and 500 teachers in 60Haitian primar y schools. OLPC will contribute $2 million to the project. “As one of the poorest countries in the world, deploy-ment in Haiti has always been an important goal for OLPC,” said Nicholas Negroponte, founder and chairman of One Laptop per Child. “Doing it with our long standing partner, the Inter-American Development Bank, not only makes forthe best team, but also a model forother countries in theCaribbean and Latin America.” Emma Nslund-Hadley, the IDB’ s project team leader, said while ther e were studies about the impact of computer labs and shared computers in the classroom, “there’s never been a comprehensive evaluation of the learning model based ongiving each child a laptop. “This is crucial to determine the ef fectiveness of this model under conditions of extreme poverty and as a tool for accelerating learning.” ASSESSMENT The pilot project will assess how a child-canteredlear ning technology can be used to bridge problems such as the shortage of qualified teachers and educating children of different grades in thesame classr oom. Another major priority for the Haitian government is speeding up the learning process for students who enter school late or r epeat grades. Under the project, content including text books, movies, audio files and electronic documents, will be translated into creole and applications will be developed for subjects such as r eading and writing, numerical literacy and problem solving, environmental studies andsocial skills. Training will be provided for teachers and students to operate the laptops and carryout basic maintenance and trouble-shooting tasks. POR T OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC Gover nment is moving to ban mobile phones with cameras from all schools here. Education Minister Esther Le Gendre said lastmonth that principals havebeen given guidelines “toimplement a ban on the use ofcamera phones in schools.” This latest development came after por nograhpic images were taken by students and put on the Internet recently. This caused outrage among several interest groups, including the Trinidad and Tobago Unified TeachersAssociation and the National Parent Teacher Association. Le Gendre said principals, who are effectively the frontline managers of schools in this countr y, “are being asked to exer cise their authority firmly, fairly and swiftly in matters of discipline.” She said where it is warrantedsanctions will be placed on students who breach this new arrangement. Le Gendr e said in the wake of r ecent incidents of violence and indiscipline in the nation’s schools a security manager is to be hired on June 1 to “review the security policy of the ministry anddevelop a strategic plan forthe management of safety forschools as well as the facilities occupied by non-teaching staff of the ministry Tips for getting a late start...Haitian students to benefit from laptop projectT&T plans to ban camera cellular phones in schools April 2008CARIBBEAN TODAY 7 SPRING SPRING / / SUMMER SUMMER EDUCATION EDUCATION www .caribbeantoday.com ~ A Caribbean Today advertising feature (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6) Children in Haiti will soon benefit from low cost laptop computers. April2008.qxd 4/8/08 11:14 PM Page 7

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Afr ee, one-day Jamaica Youth Forum, aimed at South Florida high school and college students,will be held on April 12 at theUniversity of Miami. The forum, being presented by the Jamaican Diaspora Southern UnitedStates, will focus on the theme “Shaping Our Future:One Aim, One Destiny”. Itwill be conducted fr om 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The for um will seek to enlighten and engage young leaders in discussion relevantto their success in the U.S.and abr oad. Panel discussion topics will include “Making an Impact”, “BuildingRelationships” and “CulturalIdentity”. Scheduled panelists include Dr. Lloyd Cohen, president of the Jamaican Association of Miami-DadeEducators; David Mullings, cochair of Jamaica Youth Forum and chief executive officer ofRealvibez Media; and KelliannMcDonald, founder of theJamaican-American StudentAssociation (JAMSAUniversity of Florida. “Our local Jamaican community and Jamaica’ s future is highly dependent on how well we nurture our future leader-ship,” said Marlon Hill,Jamaican Diaspora Advisor y Board member. “This forum isintended to be a catalyst forthis community-building goal.” For mor e information, call 786-349-2584 . Y outh forum ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC A Grenadian medical student has emerged with the top grade in a science examina-tion involving mor e than 400 students fr om around the world. Roggie Reason, a second year scholarship student at the American-owned St. George’s University (SGU top score in the Basic Science Comprehension Examination (BSCE th Umbria University in the United Kingdom. s nice to know that a Grenadian scholarship student who did all of his primary and secondary and undergraduatework in Gr enada was number one out of 400 students takingthe first year final exam,” saidDr . Charles Mondica, chancellor at SGU. “I was told that he was not number one by a point or so;he was number one by a lot and we need to acknowledge.” Some 416 students from around the world sat theBSCE, climaxing a year ofstudies, par t of the Keith B. T aylor Global Scholars program to train medical professionals in developing countries. The students in the program take the first year of the basic medical science phase of SGU’s doctor of medicine degree at the U.K. university , which has a long record in teaching biomedical sciences. Reason was among the first five Grenadian scholarship students in the program, whichbegan in 2007. taking a college campus road trip followed by a visit with admissions officers during aget-acquainted session at hishigh school. Whatever you do, don’t over-function for your under-functioning student. This istheir thing, not yours. THE PRESTIGE F ACTOR Several years ago I attended a parent meeting in which a highschool guidance counselor askedfor a show of hands among those who had attended college. Most everyone raised a hand. Next, parents were asked if theyattended an Ivy League school.This time, only a few hands wentup. Finally , the counselor wanted to know how many people con sider ed themselves happy and successful. Every hand in the auditorium went up. The point of the exercise: Getting into a highly selectivecollege is not the meal ticket tofame and for tune. There are lots of other factors involved, and the brand-name schools don’t have a lock on the formula. The thinking among some teens (and parents more selective a college, the better the college must be. Not so. In fact, there are hundredsof fine schools many you’vepr obably never heard of that could pr ovide great educational experiences. Look, I’m all for any student who has the smarts andthe zeal to pursue a blue-chip dream school. But, better tochoose a school after weighingits assets and drawbacks -rather than on its brand name. I’ve always thought the college-selection process was like shopping for a car. Kick the tires, review the pros andcons, and wait for the salesman to make you a good offer. Andyes, they do need to sell you on why their school is worth the sometimes outrageous sum of money they want you to spend on your child’s future. 2008 Tribune Media Services,Inc. Grenadian medical student scores top grade in scienceGetting real about college 8 CARIBBEAN TODAYApril 2008 SPRING SPRING / / SUMMER SUMMER EDUCATION EDUCATION www.caribbeantoday.com Street Address: 9020 SW 152nd Street, Miami, FL33157 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 6010 Miami,FL33116-6010. T elephone: (305 (305305 Toll-Free Fax: 1-866-290-4550 1-800-605-7516 Jamaica: 654-7282 E-mail: editor@caribbeantoday .com Send ads to: ct_ads@bellsouth.net V ol. 19,Number 5 APRIL.2008 PETER AWEBLEY Publisher GORDON WILLIAMS Managing Editor SABRINAHOPKINS Graphic Artist DOROTHY CHIN Account Executive SUNDAYSELLERS Account Executive JULISSARAMOS Accounting ManagerCaribbean Media Source Media Representatives TOM JONAS 353 St. Nicolas Street, Suite 200 Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2Y 2P1 T el: (514514 E-mail: tom@cmsworldmedia.com Jamaica Bureau MARIE GREGORY (876 P .O. Box 127, Constant Spring Kingston 8, JamaicaOpinions expressed by editors and writers are not necessarily those of the publisher . Caribbean Today , an independent news magazine, is published every month by Caribbean Publishing & Services, Inc. Caribbean Today is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or photos. To guarantee return, please include a selfaddressed stamped envelope. Articles appearing in Caribbean Today may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor . ~ A Caribbean Today advertising feature PROMISE FULFILLED Children from the Ecole St.Patrick primary school in Cite Soleil,Haiti,display photographs of primary schools built by the Digicel Haiti Foundation in its first year of existence.The Digicel Haiti Foundation last month delivered on a promiseto build 20 schools in its first 12 months of opera tion, two in each district of Haiti. The schools,which are furnished and staffed with trained teachers,will provide more than 7,000 Haitian children with an educa tion. (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6) Good advice, good data “The Princeton Review:Paying for College Without Going Broke”, by Kalman Chany “Kiplinger’ s F inancing College”, from the editors of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine “Harvard Schmarvard:Getting Beyond the Ivy League to theCollege Tha t Is Best for Y ou”,by Jay Mathews “Winning the Heart of the College Admissions Dean:An Experts Advice for Getting into College”,byJo yce Slayton Mitchell. April2008.qxd 4/8/08 11:14 PM Page 8

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In Gr eek mythology Adonis was a handsome young shepherd loved by Aphrodite. His name has become synonymous with perfection in men, as in: “He was handsome like a Greek god, so near perfection, an Adonis.” That, it seems, is what women want. Apparently it appears that many women still want the knight in a suit ofar mor on a white horse, noble, honest, mannerly, althoughthat came fr om the slightly older ladies. But in spite of what the books may say, sex still rankshigh on the list of priorities of many women as some have told me. “He must be wellendowed, at least an impr essive six inches flaccid,” onewr ote. Oh my , and ther e you were buying into the notion that size doesn’t matter. By now we all know that’s bull,the same way they say thatbeing poor is no crime, andthat the meek shall inherit the Earth and all those nicesounding phrases. Maybe thatwould apply one time in theworld’ s histor y , but cer tainly not now. Size does matter, and, in spite of what you hear , it mat ters to women. If it didn’t matter they wouldn’ t sing about, e don’t want no short shortmen, no little teeny eenie weenie short short men.” Based on my r esear ch and findings, almost all the ladies expressed that whereas theydidn’ t necessarily want a man to be hung like a horse, he should be amply endowed. “No cigarettes between thefingers for me,” one lady said. W ORR Y No wonder men spend so much time fretting about theirsize and spend time andmoney on those penile sizeenhancers, some of which may cause serious harm. Womenhave been known to laugh at men who come upshor t. They also said that Mr. Adonismust also beskillful in that department. “It’s nouse if he hasthe tool butcan’ t use it,” a lady emphatically said. Not only that but he must be able to perform for at leastan hour without falling asleep right after. No wonder men have high blood pressure andner vous br eakdowns. But this ‘falling asleep right after syndrome’, seems to be a seriousissue. It seems that when aman is finished all he wants todo is sleep, or maybe he hasto, in or der to r ecoup. But the woman still wants to talk, cuddle, touch, interact, kiss, needsaf fection. “I feel so used, as he’ s finished, him just r oll over and start to snore.” Adonis would not only per for m above and beyond the call of duty, but stay awake too and give post game commentary afterwards. Adonis must not only look good, but be functional,accor ding to this lady , for she says that the man must be able to cook dinner or break-fast, or , if he can’ t, should be willing to say, “Let’s go get something to eat.” He shouldalso wash the dishes withoutthe woman having to ask, leave the toilet seat down and dry, give gifts for no apparentr eason, and do little chores all the timecheerfully. OPTIONS This other lady also expressed to me her version of Adonis, and curiously, sex wasway down on the list for her . Her number one was r espect. The man should give her the same respect that he desires from her. Sensitivity came sec-ond: “He must be sensitive tomy feelings and if he does something to hurt me, he should apologize and try not to hurt me the same wayagain.” The trouble is most men don’t even know when they’re hurting a woman anyway. The fact is, sensitivity doesn’t fall high on most men’s list of pri-orities. The r eality is, most men are afraid to show theirsensitive side for fear of beingdeemed weak or soft. Ther s a popular song on the char ts that says, “I showed you my sensitive side and you took mefor a ride, I shoulda tr eated you like them other guys did. If I had followed my original plan, you would’ve been noth-ing but a one night stand.” That sentiment is echoed by many men and r ecently a young man e-mailed me, say ing how he followed his par-ents advice and tr eated this girl with respect, was a gentleman, was honest and moral and she dished him dirt. Seeking Adonis‘MAQ’ targets Caribbean love for cricket in the U.S. April 2008CARIBBEAN TODAY 9 VIEWPOINT VIEWPOINT www .caribbeantoday.com If there is one sport that brings Caribbean people together,whether in the region or overseas in countries like the United States,it’s cricket.Yet,despite thousands of pla yers involved with hundreds of teams the game has strug gled for widespread acceptance in the U.S. Mahammad A. Qureshi is hoping to change that with “MAQ T20”,which highlights the shorter 20 o vers version of the game .The first tournament is slated for Memorial weekend in Lauderhill,Florida.Qureshirecently discussed his plans with Caribbean Today’s Managing Editor Gordon Williams. The following is an edited version of that interview: GORDON WILLIAMS: This is a big investment for you,in terms of this tournament and everything involved in 20/20.What was the chief motiv ation behind getting involved with such a big project? MAHAMMAD A. QURESHI: I’ve been tr ying to promote the cricket in the U.S. The U.S. has never been promoting the cricket. As you look at it, organizations come and go. A lot of independent tour naments ar e only for one time. (No two-year plan how we’r e going to promote the cricket in the U.S. W e have 750 teams and they’ve never been promoted. So, here, with this thing we have the chance to bring the fast version of the cricket, which is called 20/20. “MAQ T20”W e have a huge pr o gram, which will involve sum mer camps. We also have independent tournaments. That’s all these programs going for three years ahead of us. And (we’r e) trying to promote this cricket because the game is the world’s second largest game after soccer and never got promoted. The year I stepped in, I did 1999, first tournament,shor t version for Americans. Cricket, like baseball, two anda half hours, 20/20, in the city of Dania Beach (Florida you don’t have the proper stadium (there tour nament very well. I’ve been waiting since then. G .W.:How much is your in vestment worth? M.A.Q .: Since1992 we’ve been trying to promote the cricket, I’ve spent a million or so dol lars on my own to promote thecricket. G.W.:How much is this (MAQ T20) tournament going to cost you? M.A.Q .: This thing is costing over a million dollars to just put it together for a three-day tournament. Just for threedays, Memorial Day weekend. It’s costing over a million dollars to promote all thesegames coming upbecause we have a concer t after that G .W.:What would you use as a measuring stick to decide the success or non-success of this particular event coming up on Memorial Day? M.A.Q .: Major thing, basically , this is the first (cricket um in Br owar d County . First (cricket States. Ther e is no exposur e worldwide. Everybody is looking at it. U.S., they think, didt play cricket. So this (tournament) is the biggest exposur e you’r e gonna get on this event. There’s telecasting on T.V., radio and news media. So this is a big event, we have covered, for the future ofcricket, coming up for us. G .W.:You’re old enough to ha v e kno wn crick et when T est cricket was the biggest game in to wn. Is it bittersw eet for you, that the promotion of cricket in this country (U .S .) is not resting with your first love, which is the traditional type of cricket,but more with a fastergame no w , 20/20 crick et? M.A.Q.: If you look at it like, you want to pr omote the cricket, you want to bring the best teams and fast in America, where Tests have never been promoted, we bring the short version. We had to bring the youngsters. If you look at the youngsters, they ar e ready to goHere, nobody played cricket. Only baseball, soccerand all of that. I have the dream and goal to promote the cricket. When I became a successful businessman after fin-ishing college in 1989, I opened TONY ROBINSON (CONTINUED ON P AGE 10) (CONTINUED ON PAGE 12) April2008.qxd 4/8/08 11:14 PM Page 9

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There are women who abhor that type of behavior in men, which just adds more problems to men’s dilemma,“Who do you tr eat how?” Many seek rogues. Every Joe Grind is a brute, yet women are still drawn to them. Lookhow many women leave theirdecent husbands and take up with sleaze balls. Go figure. In affairs of the heart, nice guysseem to finish last. But back to the ladies seeking Adonis. “He must behonest and open with me,even if what he has to say will hurt. Gentlemen, don’t fall for that one, it’s a trick. What a tall order, as honesty and talk-ing can be a deadly combina tion. That’s why countries have diplomats who find waysto say unpleasant things in a nice way. Too much honesty can lead to crosses, so somethings ar e best left unsaid. Imagine being honest and saying, “I just saw your bestfriend, and my , she looks so good I’d love to sleep with her,” or “I’m going away fortwo months, and being a man, chances are I’ll sleep withanother woman if I get the chance.” Those were future possibilities, flirting with thelaws of pr obability and wishful thinking. But honesty with matters of the past can be evenmor e devastating. “So did you sleep with her?” “I cannot tella lie, I must be honest, yes I did, and keeping with my honesty, I would do it again if I gotthe chance.” Not even women are so honest with their men,yet they ask that of them. FAITH AND TRUST Still seeking Adonis, they say , “He should not give me a reason not to trust him.” ThatI’d love to see, as women will always find reasons not to trust their men. If he leavesthe house, it must be woman house that he’s gone to. If he departs from the norm andcomes home later than usual,the same applies. If his cell phone is off, that’s proofenough for mistr ust. Women will always find r easons to mistrust a man, no matter what they do, no matter what they say, and that’s a fact. He should remain faithful to her and her alone. That’s a fair request, but ironically,women often lose r espect for men who fall into this category. For some reason they’reattracted to womanizers, thensuddenly expect them to just settle with them. Very often ifthey do, they take them forgranted, and also hold them tosexual ransom. But if sheknows, or thinks that he has options, she realizes that if sheslips, he’ll get it outta str eet. That may keep her on her toes. Hey, it’s just my theory. Still seeking, they say thatAdonis should, “Please me sexually, be intelligent and have a good sense of humor Many guys who I spoke to said that they have a great sense of humor, for whenever they sayanything to their women, ther esponse always was, “Ha, you must be joking.” So that’s how some women expr essed what their Adonis should be. Ironically I knowsome gay men who would fit the profile, sensitive, caring,thoughtful, does dishes, cooks, cleans, washes, irons. It’s only in the sex department they’d fall short. Pity Mr. Adonis -when they do find him for dog nyam him supper. seido1@hotmail.com Seeking Adonis 10 CARIBBEAN TODAYApril 2008 VIEWPOINT VIEWPOINT www.caribbeantoday.com e are not looking at a shallow piece pizza,but a deep dishpizza” Wendell Mottley,a former Trinidad and Tobagofinance minister no w head of Carib bean operations at a United States-based financial institution,on the economic problems of the Caribbean,par-ticularly in light of a possible recession in the U.S. “Countries that need r esources turn to people who have resources.Our concern is about our relationship with the Caribbean and our interest is building a strong relationship between the United States and the Caribbean.We will neverfault Caribbean countries forlooking for help wher e they can find help” – U .S.Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere AmbassadorThomas Shannon responding to decisions by some regional coun-tries to seek assistance from other governments which do nothave good relationships withW ashington. “Many women in Trinidad and T obago have very little say over when they have sex and with whom” Angela Lee-Loy,chairman of the National AIDS Coordinating Committee lastmonth explaining that fear ofviolence or abandonment oftenprevents women from discussingfidelity or negotiating condomuse with their partner ,increasing the possibility of being infected with HIV. “The fact is, ther e are criminals in the force” – J amaica’s Police Commissioner Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin last month sa ying Jamaica’s police force is riddled with criminals. e would hate that these violent attacks on innocent people by warring gangs would get out of hand,asit could triggermigration whetherto neighboringterritories or toislands of theeastern Caribbean St.Lucia’s Prime Minister Stephenson King lastmonth expressing concern thatcontinued unrest in Guyana,caused b y the recent mur ders of innocent people ,may result in the mass migration of Guyaneseto his and other neighboring Caribbean states. “The people of Dominica cannot be held accountable for what everybody says” Minister for National Security Ra yburn Blac kmoore dismissing a suggestion that Dominica ma y be joining forces with Venezuela to form a military alliance against the United States is laughable. Compiled from CMC and other sources. (CONTINUED FROM P AGE 9) April2008.qxd 4/8/08 11:14 PM Page 10

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PATRICK SMIKLE Among the political personalities of who have emerged in Independent Jamaica, Or ette Bruce Golding is second only to the late Michael Manley inhis ar ticulateness. He is almost the equal of Manley in his ability to reducecomplex political issues to crowd-pleasing sound-bites. He surpasses Manley in the use of the vernacular to both get his point across and to elicit applause. And his turnof-phrase reminds this reporter of retired academician and cultural icon Professor Rex Nettleford. These verbal attributes were on full display when Prime Minister Golding addressed a town-hall meeting at the Rose and Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center on the Nova Southeastern UniversityCampus in Davie, Florida on Mar. 28. “Jamaica is too rich to be so poor ,” he said. “W e ar e too bright to be struggling so hard.” There was the obligatory acknowledging of the “crucial role” remittances from over-seas-based Jamaicans have played in keeping the island’s economy afloat. “Jamaica couldn’t survive without you,” he declar ed to resounding applause. Neither bauxite nor tourism brings into the economy thekind of money Jamaicans send home every yearmore thanJ$2 billion last year , he noted. “But it’ s mor e than just the money ,” he said. Mor e applause. “Regar dless of our num bers in any community, in any situation, we manage to make our presence felt,” Golding added. “As good as our ambassadors have been they haven’t had the same impact. Jamaicans abroad are the country’s best ambassadors.” Even mor e applause. DISSONANCE The government must do more to utilize the talent, skills and expertise of Jamaicansabr oad, the prime minister declar ed. And this evokes a sense of dissonance for this r epor ter . Wasn’t Golding a senior Cabinet minister in the 1980-89 government which was infamous for it’ s preference for for eign consultants over both local and other Jamaican expertise? The sense of dissonance set in when Prime Minister Golding mentioned “food security” as one of the priorities of his administration. e need to modernize farming,” he told his audience. In this mission, he for esaw crucial roles for the College of Agriculture and the Scientific Research Council. He posited the need for food security in the context ofrising commodity prices over which Jamaica had no control. He prefaced this prioritizing of food security with the comment that “Dudley will proba-bly crack a wr y smile when I mention this.” The r eference was to retired Ambassador Dudley Thompson, sitting in the audience. “Never mind the wr y smile. Dudley should be forgiven if he laughed out loud,” I commented to a colleague reporter. Amb. Thompson was first foreign minister and laterNational Security Minister in 1972-80 People’s NationalPar ty (PNP made food security a major component of its development program. That was after theArab countries imposed an oilboycott following their defeat in the Yom Kippur War. That boycott triggered massive incr eases in the price of oil and, as a consequence, most other imported commodities. TURNAROUND Remember the Pr oduction Plan? Remember the slogan “Eat what you grow. Grow what you eat”? Golding’s Jamaica Labour Party (JLPthen in Opposition, pooh-poohed those policies. Theyslammed the slogans. On education, the prime minister reiterated his party’s promise that if elected to government the JLP wouldr emove tuition fees for schools. “This is not giving par ents a fr ee ride,” he told the audi ence, noting that in 2005-06 school year, parents spent J$19billion on the non-tuitionaspects of their childr en’ s edu cation. His administration would also strengthen early-childhood education, create amachiner y to facilitate greater par ental suppor t and extend the school leaving age from 16to 18. Long-time political-watchers would probably recall JLPEducation Spokesman EdwinAllen’ s unpr ecedented crossing of the floor of the House of Repr esentatives to shake Michael Manley’ s hand when the then prime ministerannounced a policy of fr ee tertiary education. Allen’s party fr owned on that gesture and proceeded to oppose the poli-cy . They accused the gover n ment of promoting “a freeness mentality Dissonance aside, Golding said all the right things in thishis first meeting with Jamaicans r esiding overseas since becoming prime minister just seven months ago. CRIME FIGHT In r esponse to the inevitable first question at gatherings such as these, he spoke of the need to “str engthen the capacity of the police force” in the fight against crime and violence. “But first we have to clean it out,” he said to loud cheers. He had told the commissioner of police that the top cophad the full suppor t of the gover nment in his efforts to clean up the force. Additionally, Golding said, the country had to address the causes of crime.A first step in doing this was todevise pr ograms of upliftment, which focused on young men. At the same time, he said, there was a need to enforce the law “without fear or favor or concer n for status. Those of us in leadership, people of prominence, must set an example by obeying the law In response to another question from the audience, he reiterated another election platform promiseto remove user -fees at public hospitals. The technocrats had told him that the country could not afford this. His response? e cannot afford not to af ford it.” On pover ty, Golding lamented that there were some 365,000 people living below the poverty line. To ameliorate their situation, the governmenthad alr eady spent some J$500 million this year alone on sub sidizing basic food items. These subsidies would be continued, but they would be tar geted in ways designed to ensure that only the neediest benefited. The government would not allow people to buy subsidized cornmeal to “feedtheir Alsatians” he said. And how would the govP.M.Golding says all the right things at meeting with Jamaicans in South Florida April 2008CARIBBEAN TODAY 11 FEATURE FEATURE www .caribbeantoday.com Golding (CONTINUED ON P AGE 12) April2008.qxd 4/8/08 11:14 PM Page 11

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ernment pay for all this? Here Prime Minister Golding returned to the issue of the more affluent members of society obeying the laws ofthe countr y . The gover nment intended to close tax loopholes, he said. While wage and salary earners had theirincome taxes deducted atsour ce under the country’s Pay-As-Y ou-Ear n (P AYE) system, self-employed people, many of whom wer e lawyers and doctors, wer e not paying their far e shar e. He said that at present just two percent of registered companies paid 70 percent of corporate taxes.That had to change. Just prior to leaving Jamaica Golding said he met with the country’s energychiefs to work out solutions inthat ar ea. While he was not in a position to make a specific announcement at this time, Golding said, he expected the solution (or solutions built around the use of naturalgas, coal or both. Another question from the audience elicited an announcement on foreign policy. The government wouldestablish embassies in Haiti,Brazil, Spain and a Gulf State. When moderator W inston Bar nes called an end to the pr oceedings, some 40-minutes after the scheduled close, several people were standing inline to ask questions. Given that fact, and the sustained standing ovation he r eceived, Golding can chalk up this first meeting with Jamaicans resident overseas as a resoundingsuccess. Patrick Smikle is freelance writer for Caribbean Today. my business up and I thought one day I was gonna put my teams together here to play cricket. The time’s now. G .W.:The adaptation of cricket in the U .S . has alwa ys rested with the ex-pats.How important is it for y ou that the youngsters,the Americanborn,catch on to the game? M.A.Q.: See, any game (from outside) America, they’re never gonna pr omote itSo you ar e a promoter and (if you) r eally want to pr omote the cricket you have to start with the youngsters. Bring them so the parents come in. When the parents come in and participate, county, city and state they’ll be watching the game and r ecognize it G .W .:Stanford 20/20 has shown to the Caribbean and a lot of the w orld that a tournament like that can be very successful.A shorter version of the game,properly promoted and the e xposur e . Ha v e y ou looked at the Stanford 20/20 tournament and taken anykind of lesson from it? M.A.Q .: If you r emember back in 1999 I’m the first one who created the 20/20 tournament in Dania Beach park (Florida started playing (that version ofthe game). So I had the vision prior to (Stanford 20/20 and what anybody started in theworld. So we ar e the ones who created this thing and people arelear ning fr om our cr eation. So we don’t have to go back to learn fr om others’ creation. Even the ICC (International Cricket Council) did a tournament after us. Any good thing we always want to lear n. Anything. (But our or ganization was ther e (at Stanford 20/20) to watch. We can be as successful to learn from other things. G.W.:This (20/20you’ve been in it from the beginning. Y ou say you’ll be in it for the long haul this tournament on Memorial weekend and theothers . Ho w long do you think you think you’ll be in it before you determine if this is a suc-cess or not a success? M.A.Q .: It’ s gonna be a yearly pr ojectI was planning to put the stadium in Orlando. We own the land up ther e by Disney. So we’re gonna build a stadium similar like this (in Lauderhill)So once we kick off from here we need more stadiums. We’re already readyfor a next stadium. So it’ll take a year to promote the wholegame so we’r e gonna spend a lot of money during the year. Several million dollars just to promote these games until 2009...Then we will have a successful result Ever y countr y is playing, except America, which is not playing very much exposurewise. They’ve been playing, nobody’s been promoting. So here we are. We’re trying to promote this gameOne day we’re going to bring the (U.S. team to W orld Cups and bring the cups to home in America. WASHINGTON – The United States Department of State has painted a bleak picture ofhuman rights violations in theCaribbean. In its “U.S. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2007”, released last month, the State Department accused the regionof a number ofviolations, ranging fromexcessive use of force bypolice, topoor prisonconditions, todiscriminationand violenceagainst women. The report described prison conditions in Antiguaand Barbuda as “poor”, attributing overcrowding in part to “a law that limited theability of magistrates to grantbail to those accused of cer tain of fences”. The State Depar tment said though the constitution provides for freedom of speech and of the press, the BaldwinSpencer administrationr espects these rights on a “somewhat limited basis”. PROBLEMS In The Bahamas, the report stated that while the government generally r espects the human rights of its citizens, there were problems in some areas, including complaints of abuse by police and prison and detention centre guards, lengthy pretrial detention, poor deten tion conditions, delays in trials,violence against women and children, and discriminationagainst persons of Haitiandescent. The State Department identified alleged human rights problems in Barbados asexcessive use of for ce by police, poor prison conditions,and societal violence against women and children. In Belize, the State Department said human rightspr oblems included brutality and the use of excessive for ce by security forces. The report stated that human rights problems inDominica primarily involveviolence against women and children and “adverse condi-tions” experienced by indige nous Kalinago or Carib Indians. In Grenada, the State Department said human rights problems include allegations of corruption, violence againstwomen, and instances of childabuse. The State Depar tment said despite some improvements, Haiti’s human rights record remains “poor”. The report said while the Jamaica government generally respects the human rights of itscitizens, ther e were “serious problems” in some areas. It identified these as “unlawfulkillings committed by membersof the security for ces; mob violence against and vigilantekillings of those suspected of breaking the law; abuse ofdetainees and prisoners by police and prison guards; andpoor prison and jail conditions”. In St. Kitts and Nevis, the State Depar tment said problems include poor prison conditions, corruption, and vio-lence against women. The State Department said abuse of suspects and pris-oners by the police, longdelays in trials and sentencing,violence against women, andchild abuse ar e the major allegations in St. Lucia. In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the State Department said problems primarily surround “impunity forpolice who used excessivefor ce, poor prison conditions, an overburdened court system, violence against women, and abuse of children”. The r eport said problems in Suriname include police alleged mistreatment of detainees at the time of arrest; abuse of prisoners by guards; overcrowded detention facilities; an overwhelmed judiciary with a large case backlog; andlengthy pr etrial detention. In Trinidad and Tobago, the report highlighted police killings during apprehension or custody, inmate illness andinjuries due to poor prison conditions, high-profile casesof alleged briber y, violence against women, inadequateser vices for vulnerable children, and unsafe working conditions as some of the allegedmajor human rights violations. CMC U.S.paints bleak picture of human rights violations in the Caribbean 12 CARIBBEAN TODAYApril 2008 www.caribbeantoday.com FEATURE FEATURE (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9) P.M.Golding says all the right things in meeting with Jamaicans in South Florida (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11) ‘MAQ’ targets Caribbean love for cricket in the U.S. April2008.qxd 4/8/08 11:14 PM Page 12

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Grammy Award winning American balladeerMichael Bolton, as well as soft r ock duo Air Supply, have joined the line-up for the 2008 St. Lucia Jazz festival, set to celebrate its 17th anniversary from May 2-11. Also booked for the festival, which is pr oduced by the St. Lucia Tourist Board in partnership with BET Event Productions, are Angie Stone, Anita Baker, Dianne Reeves,Dionne W arwick, Jonathan Butler, Najee and Wyclef Jean. e expect St. Lucia Jazz to be another spectacular event on the island’s tourism calendar this year,” Cybelle Brown, vice president of sales and businessdevelopment for BET Digital Networks, was quoted as say-ing in a r ecent press release. “This year we’recontinuing toimpr ove the quality of theevent,” saidSenatorAllenChastanet, St. Lucia’sminister oftourism andcivil aviation, who added major infrastructur-al impr ovements wer e being planned, including showcasing St. Lucia’ s pr emium r estaurants on Pigeon Island. “Our aim is to re-establish St. Lucia as hosts of the premier jazz festival in the Caribbean. Having great artistes is not enough if we don’t bolster the experience.” Other acts carded for the festival include the Juilliar d Quintet, fea turing saxophonist RonBlake, tr umpeter Eddie Henderson,dr ummer Carl Allen and bassist Ben Wolfe. Also performing at St.Lucia Jazzwill be saxophonist Jacques Schwar tz-Bart; keyboardist Alex Bugnon, guitarist Nick Colionne and neo-soul singerLedisi; along with local and Caribbean performers. St. Lucia’ s 10-day jazz celebration focuses on the straightjazz categor y as well as acoustic, new age, jazz, soul, fusion, R&B and hip hop heldin a variety of locations and venues around the island,including Jazz on the Squar e in Castries and Fond d’Or Jazz inDenner y . For mor e infor mation, visit the of ficial St. Lucia Jazz web site at www.stluciajazz.org , or contact the St. Lucia T ourist Board toll-free (888LUCIA. GORDON WILLIAMS WASHINGTON, D.C. The roots of Rastafari, a religiousfaith which originated in theCaribbean island ofJamaica, can now be traced through anunpr ecedented exhibition at theSmithsonianNational Museum of Natural Histor y in the United States capital. The milestone exhibition here, titled“DiscoveringRastafari!”, beganearly last Novemberand is scheduled to run for a year. “Rastafarism has never been in anymajor museum,” said Jake Homiak, cura-tor of the exhibition. Y et the exhibition in itself is not a validation of Rastafari’s presence, which first sprung up in 1930s colonial Jamaica, but spread throughout the Caribbean andthe globe. Reggae, now among the world’s most potent musical forces,has long car ried the ban ner for Rastafari, especially through the worksof icons such as Bob Marley, Peter Tosh andthe Bur ning Spear . In his song “Black Man Redemption”Marley made it clear thatSelassie, thr ough his ancestry, and Rastafari ruled: “Coming from the root of King David,through to the line ofSolomon, his imperial majesty is the power of authority. The exhibition, housed in one room, isnot the only one on show at the museum. Yet it isamongst the most intriguing.“Discovering Rastafari!”takes obser vers thr ough the journey of the faith via a collection of photographs, signsand ar tifacts. It makes impor tant note of Rastafari’s strong ties to Africa and late Ethiopian Emperor HaileSelassie I. The connection ofthe black man of the Africandiaspora is also shown through the focus on Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican whosought to r etur n blacks to the continent. MOVEMENT The emphasis of Rastafari to seek peace, equality and harmony is summed up at theentrance to the exhibition, where a placard offers a quote from a Selassie speech, which eventually made up the lyrics for Marley’s famous song ar”. The posting also explains that “Rastafari is a cultural, religious, and revolutionary movement that began in Jamaica in the 1930s. Inspired by Biblical prophecy and the teachings of EmperorHaile Selassie I of Ethiopia,followers of Rastafari identifythemselves as Africans seek ing to return to the continent” The exhibition goes a long way in explaining many issues surrounding Rastafari,in an easy way that bothattracts and enlightens visi tors. The photographs showRastafari in many moods – celebratory, prayer and reflec-tion. Another postcar d makes it clear that “Roots r eggae artists continue to place Ethiopia and Emper or Selassie at the center of theirmusic” Among the highlights are photographs and articles doc-umenting Selassie’ s historic trip to Jamaica in 1966. The original of a huge placard carried by Ras Daniel Heartmanas he, along with members of the Church Triumphant of Jah Rastafari, waited for the emper or in Jamaica, is on display . One elder described the visit as a fulfillment of prophecy. However, the centerpiece of “Discovering Rastafari!” is the video presentation, which features members of the faith offering testimony. They talkabout various aspects of Rastafari, including the sacredherb, food, language, locks,family , r ole of women and dif ferent factions of the faith, ranging from the Twelve Tribes to the Nyahbinghi. The narrator offers that “the message of Rastafari hastr uly become an inter national movement.” But although Rastafari is more readilyembraced by widespr ead soci ety these days, it was not always that way . “There was so much discrimination,” one elder saidwhile explaining the earlierpersecution experienced byRastafari. They also talk about r eturning to Ethiopia, where Selassie once pledged land for them to r e-settle. “For Rastafari, Africa is their sacred homeland,” said the narrator. For visitors to “Discover Rastafari!” the journey offersa type of spiritual connectionwith an often misunderstood faith. The many signatures inthe r eception book showed its impact on the variety of people – different nationalitiesand ages – who have caught aglimpse of the display . Fr om s r eally cool” written by a child, to “It’s about time!! Fr ee for all to see and learn”, the exhibition – which closesin early November has struck an important chord. Rasta has made it to the top of the hill. Gordon Williams is Caribbean Today’s managing editor. Bolton,Air Supply join St.Lucia JazzRastafari makes it to top of U.S.capital hill April 2008CARIBBEAN TODAY 13 ARTS ARTS / / ENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT www .caribbeantoday.com ENTER T AINMENT BRIEFS DJ Movado on shooting charges Jamaican dancehall deejay Movado, who had been sla pped with gunrela ted charges, was offered bail when he appeared in court late last month. The 27-year -old performer , whose real name is David Brooks,was arrested on Mar . 26 by detectives assigned to the Major Investigations Task Force. He was held when he showed up forquestioning in connection with ashooting incident on July 27 last year . Movado has been charged with two counts of shooting with intent and ille-gal possession of a firearm. Musician takes Digicel to court A Dominican musician confirmed last month that he was taking Irishmobile giant Digicel to court overan alleged copyright infringement. Daryl Bob,the former lead singer of the once popular Rough and Ready Band,has claimed that the compan y used one of his songs in the production of a commercial without first obtaining his permission. Up to press time Digicel had declined to comment on the matter. St. Maarten celebrates carniv al Music,dancing in the streets,fun and pageantry will highlight twoweeks of carnival celebra tions in St.Maarten. This year’ s version of the annu al affair,which features festivities like jump-up parades,calypso competitions,beauty pageants and theannual “Jouvert” celebra tion, will be held between April 17 and May 3 .For more information,visit www .stmaartencarniv al.com Legend, Ocean headline St. Kitts Music Festival American soul singer John Legend and Caribbean artiste Billy Ocean areamong the headliners scheduled for this summer’s three-night St.Kitts Music Festival,set for June 21-23. The festival, no w in its 12th year,will be staged at the Warner P ark F ootball Field. Compiled from CMC and other sources. Late Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I is the focal point of the Rastafari faith. A photograph of Rastafarian elder Tawny,left,and members of his family,are part of the exhibition. Wyclef Jean Bolton April2008.qxd 4/8/08 11:14 PM Page 13

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DR. HOWARD LEWINE There are over 100 compounds adver tised to be supplemental “er gogenic aids”, substances you eat that improve your use of energy, increase energy production, or shorten the time needed to recover from exercise. Of these, only a few actually have any evidence to sup por t their use as performance enhancers. But many are known to be dangerous or potentially harmful. Previously, I discussed the er gogenic qualities of vitamins and minerals, amino acids andpr oteins, and caffeine. Used appr opriately in moderate amounts, they ar e generally safe. And some of them can boost athletic performance,especially the vitamins andminerals when an athlete isnot getting suf ficient amounts from a balanced diet. Most other supplements do not have a dietary origin,and in fact act like dr ugs. But unlike control over prescription medications, the United States Food and DrugAdministration (FDA not have the same regulatory control over supplements. EPHEDRA (Ma Huang Ephedra and r elated compounds, such as phenylpropanolamine, ephedrine, epinephrine and phenyle-phrine don’ t enhance athletic performance nor do they provide any nutritional benefit. Ephedra-like substances stimulate the nervous system, increase heart rate and bloodpr essur e, and speed up the metabolism. They are considered illegal substances by the (Inter national Olympic Committee) IOC andNational Collegiate AthleticCommittee. Ephedra wasbanned by the FDA in Dec. 2003. Athletes have died from taking amphetamine-like sub-stances. Dr ugs related to ephedra are used in asthma treatment, but even if prescribed can dis-qualify an athlete. Athleteswith asthma competing at thehighest levels need to infor m the sports association of the medications they are taking. The athletes must be certainthat none of their medications,including inhalers, is on thelist of banned substances. Many of the over-the-counterasthma sprays contain bannedsubstances. If you have asthma but exer cise non-competitively , good control of the condition with medications means moreenjoyment of exer cise and better performance. ANDRO Despite the claims, “andro” (short for androstenedione) doesn’t build musclemass or enhance athletic per formance. It may boost testosterone levels a bit, but most of the supplement is converted to the female hor mone estrone, a for m of estrogen. As an estrogen booster, andro can increase breast size (called gynecomastia tion, the supplement increases heart-attack risk, lowers HDL(good ol, and promotes acne. Over the long term, it can increase the size of the prostate gland. The FDA recently sent letters to 23 companies requesting them to stopdistributing supplements con taining andro. Andro is abanned substance for competi tion at the amateur level andalso for many pr ofessional sports. DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone DHEA is a naturally occurring steroid made primarily inthe adr enal glands. DHEA tends to fall as we age, andone study showed that DHEA given to older men improved strength in some. This one piece of evidence has been wronglyapplied to younger people, especially athletes. The reality is that DHEA isn’t effective inimpr oving athletic per for mance or strength training. Side effects of DHEA areunknown. Because DHEA can be converted to testosterone and estrogen, DHEAmay r esult in pr oblems similar to those of andro. In addition, researchers recently discov-er ed that DHEA incr eases the blood level of a substance associated with pr ostate enlar gement. COENZYME Q10 Coenzyme Q10 (Co Q10 one of the key enzymes that are essential to energy pro-duction inside the body’ s cells. W ithin each cell, Coenzyme Q10 resides in the mitochondria, the powerhouse of aero-bic metabolism. Since this is a natural ener gy booster inside all cells, it’s easy to understand whypeople would be excited abouta coenzyme Q10 supplement.But after many years of tr ying, scientists have been unable to show any performance-enhancing benefit when it is taken by mouth. Reports of side effects are rare. Dr .Howard LeWine is a member of the Har vard Medical School faculty andpracticing internist with Harvard Vanguard MedicalAssociates and Brigham and Women’s Hospital,Boston, Massachusetts.He serves as chief medical editor ofInternet publishing atHar vard Health Publications . 2008 President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Distrib uted b y T rib une Media Services,Inc. Supplements: Can they boost athletic performance? 14 CARIBBEAN TODAYApril 2008 HEALTH HEALTH www.caribbeantoday.com HEALTH BRIEFS Grim HIV/AIDS news for Caribbean Caribbean health officials c laim tha t at least 31 people are dying daily in the Caribbean from thedeadly HIV/AIDS virus. UNAIDS Director Karen Sealey, speaking at the launch of an HIVEpidemic and Response Synthesisin the Caribbean last month, said tha t the statistics also show that 47 persons had become infected with the virus on a daily basis last year. Figures show that at the end of 2007,an estimated 230,000 people were living with HIV and AIDSin the Caribbean. Some 17,000 people were newly infected during2007, and there were 11,000 deaths due to AIDS.In The Bahamas,Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago more than two percent of the adult population is living with HIV. New plan to tackle diabetes inyouth The Barbados government hasunveiled a newplan to tacklethe worr ying trend of diabetes in young people here. According to Health Minister Dr.David Estwick,there has beenan increase in diabetes in childrenand adolescents in recent times. He said that surveillance systems will be implemented in the polyclinics across the country to reporton the incidence of diabetes andother non-chronic diseases amongyoung people. User fees remo ved from Jamaican hospitals Health Minister Ruddy Spencersays all is inplace for theremoval of user fees at Jamaica’spublic hospitals and c linics starting this month. Spencer told a news confer ence late last month that someJ$60 million ($845,172 already been disbursed to regionalhealth authorities to carr y out immediate upgrading of some public health facilities and to purchaseadditional chairs, filing cabinets and tents to accommodate the projected 30 percent increase inpa tients expected on April 1. The minister said it would cost the government J$3.85 billion($54,231,921 policy. Compiled from CMC reports. Supplements Spencer Estwick April2008.qxd 4/8/08 11:14 PM Page 14

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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, CMC – Jamaica’s junior athletes produced another colossal display and strode to anunchallenged 24th consecutivemedal-topping per formance as the 37th CARIFT A Games last month. Propelled by championship records from distance runners Natoya Goule andKemoy Campbell, theJamaicans won 11 of the 22gold medals during the lastsession of the thr ee-day meet at the Jubilee Stadium. They piled up 69 medals, comprising 29 gold, 25 silver and 15 bronze to overwhelm the opposition again. Trinidad and Tobago placed second with 30 medals,10 gold, 10 silver and 10br onze, and The Bahamas collected eight gold, thr ee silver, and 12 bronze to finish third with 23 medals. Barbados placed next on the medal grid in fourth placewith 26 medals, seven gold, 10 silver and nine bronze, fol-lowed by Mar tinique with 14 medals (5-3-6 enada with eight (3-2-3 GORDON WILLIAMS Jamaican-born light heavyweight Glen Johnson will getwhat could be his final chanceat r eclaiming a world boxing title when he fights AmericanChad Dawson in T ampa, Florida this month. The April 12 showdown at the St. Pete’s Times Forum offers the Miami-based Johnson a shot at Dawson’s World Boxing Council (WBC The 39-year -old Jamaican told Caribbean Today recently that he is fit and ready to battle for the full 12 rounds ifnecessar y. “All is a go,” Johnson said. “Training is good. I can’tcomplain.” He also pr omised not just to take the 25-year-old Dawson’s title, but punish hisopponent as well. “Everything is sweet,” Johnson said. “Pur e lick the boy a go get.” Meanwhile, manager Henry Foster backedJohnson’ s claim that the fight er’s preparations for the bout were going smoothly. “Glen is doing great,” Foster told Caribbean Today recently. “His training is in full swing.” According to Foster, Johnson was spar ring up to thr ee times a week in Miami leading into the champi-onship bout,but wasexpected to“scale back”by the firstweek of April. Johnson’ s spar ring partners were handpicked for their youth,power and especially speed tosimulate the younger Dawson’s style. “Everything is a little more quicker,” the man called the “Road Warrior” said. LAST CHANCE? Johnson, the 2004 “Fighter of the Year” who once held the International Boxing Federation (IBF crown for the 175-poundweight division, believes timemay be r unning out for him to reclaim a world title. For that reason he set aside a title bout against Britain’s Clinton Woods to take on Dawson. “Anytime you get a shot at the world title can be realis-tically your last,” Johnsonsaid. e gave up our mandatory IBF shot to take this one because it came before the Woods bout. Now we have to go out and capture the title. “This guy (Dawson me,” he added. “Now we’lljust have to deal with him.” The Clar endon-born fighter said he had no pr edictions for the Dawson fight. He plans to seek an early knockout, but if that doesn’t work he said he is ready to go thedistance. The only object, he said, is to win, and forJohnson the title fight couldnot come soon enough. “This is an urgency from two years now, since we last lost the title in 2005,” said Johnson. “The time for me is now, definitely. We’re not looking towards tomorrow. April 12 is it.” Gordon W illiams is Caribbean Today’s managing editor. Jamaica dominates CARIFTA Games again Jamaican gets shot at world boxing title GORDON WILLIAMS WASHINGTON D.C. The gulf between professional soc-cer in the Caribbean andUnited States was againexposed last month during the quarterfinal round of theCONCACAF Champions Cup(CCCD.C. United and Harbour View of Jamaica.The home and away tie, which featured four-time U.S. MajorLeague Soccer (MLS on D.C. United and Caribbean kings Harbour V iew ended in a lopsided 6-1 aggr egate loss for the r egional team, following a 1-1 draw in Kingston onMar . 12 and a 5-0 dr ubbing at the RFK Stadium here on Mar. 18. After a spirited showing fr om Harbour V iew in the first leg, and a creditable first half here, the Jamaican champions cr umbled under a stepped-up showing by D.C. United at home, conceded thr ee goals within five minutes in the sec-ond half, and crashed out ofthe CCC. The second halfswoon was indicative of the long road ahead for regional teams if they are to match theirNor th American counterpar ts. “There’s a big gap between us and the MLS up here,” admitted Harbour View’s coach Lenworth Hyde. SETB A CKS D.C. United was expected to give an improved showing athome. Coach T om Soehn lamented his team’s pre-season r ust in Kingston – MLS began late last month -and also the unfavorable playing surface at the Harbour View mini-stadi-um. He looked for war d to fan support at the RFK Stadium. But neither D.C. United nor Harbour View was at full strength in front of the 12,394fans who showed up at RFK.The home team was withouttop striker Bolivian Jaime Moreno, who was injured inKingston. Harbour V iew field ed a team minus two starters, Rafiek Thomas and KemeelW olfe, from the first leg. Both wer e denied U.S. visas. Harbour View still boasted several Jamaica senior national players. Yet that could not stop a talented D.C. United club featuring several players fromsoccer hotbed South America, including Luciano Emilio, Franco Niell and Fred from Brazil, and Ar gentine Mar celo Gallardo. Emilio scored twice at RFK and Fred once. Devon McTavish, who got D.C.United’ s lone goal in Kingston, scored a double at home. Harbour View reached the quar ter final after eliminating Joe Public from Trinidad and T obago to become Caribbean champions. Gordon Williams is Caribbean T oday’ s manag ing editor . Caribbean clubs crash out of CONCACAF soccer April 2008CARIBBEAN TODAY 15 SPORT SPORT www .caribbeantoday.com SPOR T BRIEFS Johnson Harbour View Football Club’s Ronny Amaguana,right,tries to escape from D.C.United’s Fred. Caribbean bags four medals at W orld Indoors Bahamian Chris Brown and Jamaica’s 1600-metre men’s relayteam boosted the English-speaking Caribbean’s medal haul to four asthe 12th IAAF W orld Indoor track and field championship ended last month. Brown took the bronze medal in the men’s 400 meters in 46.26 seconds and Jamaica’ s men chased the United States to collect silver in the 4x400 meters relay.Their medal successes added to those of Kim Collinsand T ahesia Harrigan, who had picked up silver and bronze medals, respectively,in the 60-meter sprint on the meet’s opening day. Jamaican Cummings scores in MLS Jamaican-born forward Omar Cummings scored a second-halfgoal to help the Colorado Ra pids open the new Major Lea gue Soccer season with a 4-0 home victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy latelast month. The 25-year-old Cummings, playing his second season for Colorado,scored the third goal for the Rapids. Caribbean athletes win U.S. junior college sprints Caribbean a thletes Ryan Brathwaite and Natasha Ruddock registered impressive wins in the sprint hurdles at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAAT rack and Field Championships in the United States last month. Both athletes posted meet record victories in the semi-finalsbefore collecting gold in the finals. Bahamas,Bermuda advance in World Cup soccer The Bahamas and Bermuda chose contrasting routes but still bookedtheir places in the next round of the World Cup qualifying campaign late last month. While Bermuda trounced the Cayman Islands 3-1 to win 4-2 on aggregate,The Bahamas drew 2-2 with the British Virgin Islands to finish with a 3-3 tie on aggregate, advancing on the away goal rule. Compiled from CMC reports. April2008.qxd 4/8/08 11:14 PM Page 15

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W ASHINGTON – In presenting his cr edentials to the Organization of American States (OASJamaica Ambassador Anthony Johnson pledged the continuation of his country’s “impor-tant r ole” in the hemispheric body . An OAS statement said Johnson “underscored Jamaica’s continued commit-ment to the principles of the OAS charter and to the orga-nization’ s essential purposes the pr omotion of democracy and human rights – in pr esenting his credentials to OAS Secr etar y General Jos Miguel Insulza. Johnson also promised to uphold the charter’s maintenance of peace and security,and the pr omotion of economic development to eradicateextr eme poverty. O VERVIEW Johnson, who is also Jamaica’s envoy to the UnitedStates, gave a brief over view of his gover nment’ s emphasis on promoting economic development, based primarily ontourism, agricultur e, mining and energy. He also thanked the OAS for its “engagementand collaboration withJamaica over years, including thr ough the electoral observation team led by Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin that monitored thegeneral elections on the island last September”, the state-ment said. Insulza lauded Jamaica for its “tradition of pr oviding leadership at the regional and sub-regional levels, an element that is always importantto the activities of the OAS”, it added. Thesecr etary general expr essed confidencethat Jamaicawould “contin ue to lead theway in our organizationfor betterunderstanding, peace and cooperation amongour countries”. The new Jamaican envoy r eplaces Professor Gordon Shirley, who demitted office last September. Prior to his cur rent assignment, Johnson was senior lec turer in the Department of Management Studies at theUniversity of the W est Indies; Opposition spokesman on agriculture; and minorityleader of the Jamaica Senate. Tax time is here. You should have alreadyr eceived your W -2s fr om your employer(s mation fr om the Inter nal Revenue Service (IRS Carefully check your name, Social Security number and allof the data on your W -2s and on your Social Security card. A mismatch could delay your taxr efund and cause problems with your SocialSecurity benefits in the future. Such errors areeasy to fix now . This infor mation includesname changes. Ifyou’ve legallychanged your name due to mar riage, divorce, court order, or for any other reason, make sureyou change your name withSocial Security by applying for a new Social Security card. Make sure you change yourname with your employer aswell. If you change with onesour ce but not the other, it could cause your earnings to be impr operly recorded. BABY’S NUMBER If you are the parent of a newborn, you want to make sure that the newest familymember has a Social Security number too. Most people apply for their baby’s Social Securitycar d while they’re still in the hospital at the same time they apply for the birth certificate. But if you didn’t, you’ll need toapply for your child’ s Social Security number in order to claim the child as a dependent on your tax return. You’ll alsoneed it if you ever need to apply for government benefits on behalf ofthe child or your family. T o apply for a Social Security car d, all you need to do iscomplete aone-pageapplication and provide proof of identity,age, and citizenship. In the caseof a child’ s first card, you’d also need to prove that you are the par ent. For a name change, you’d need to provide docu-mentation with your old andnew names. For mor e information about getting a Social Security card and number for your child,or to change your name and get a replacement card for yourself with your updated infor mation, visit Social Security’s website at www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber . FORECLOSURE CLINIC Congressman Kendrick B. Meek (Democrat-Floridahost a “For eclosure Pr evention Clinic” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.April 12 at the Miami-Dade College, North Campus, 11380 N.W. 27th Ave. in Miami, Florida. The clinic will focus on various mortgage and foreclosure issues such as loan terms, foreclosure prevention, lossmitigation counseling, delin quency pr ocedure, understanding various options, r efinancing, reverse mortgage and legal assistance. Those who attend will also have the opportunity to partic-ipate in a private session with their lender and receive per-sonal, private advice on their particular housing concern. Individuals planning to participate in the clinic should bring all relevant mortgage and financial information, as well as proof of income. ARTS & CRAFTS FESTIVAL A variety of attractions fr om the Caribbean and else where will be featured at the Christ The King Catholic Church’s two-day “InternationalAr ts & Craft Spring Festival” April 26-27 in Miami, Florida. The festival, which is free and open to the public, will be held at the church grounds 16000 S.W. 112th Ave. The opening day will run from 9 a.m.to sunset . The second day’s program is from noon to 5 p .m. DISCOVER BELIZE The South Florida Chapter of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, Belize Tourism Board and The Belize Tourism IndustryAssociation Members will hold a “Discover Belize” function on A pril 8 at the T en Palms Restaurant, Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Florida. The function begins at 6 p.m. with a networking session for hoteliers and other travel industry interests. Formor e information, call 305823-3939 . MISS FLORIDA CARIBBEAN Females of Caribbean origin, ages nine to 25, single, residing in Florida for over sixmonths and who have neverbeen mar ried or given birth to a child, ar e being invited to enter in the 2008 “Miss Florida Caribbean” pageant. Selected delegates will under-go eight weeks training in aself-development workshop, which includes grooming, stage pr esentation, speech and physical conditioning. “Miss Florida Caribbean” 2008 willmake appearances events such as fundraisers, carnivals, talkshows and festivals. The pageant finals will be staged on No v.9 at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale AirportHotel. For more information, call 954-882-2729 . CARIBBEAN FESTIVAL The fifth annual “Jerk & Caribbean Culture Festival” will be held on Ma y 26 at the Meyer Amphitheatre, downtown W est Palm Beach, Florida. For more information, call 561-236-2537 . WHEELCHAIRS Wishes on Wheels is making available power wheelchairs to non-ambulatory senior citizens, ages 65 and over, and the permanently disabledof any age, if they qualify . Usually there is no charge or out-of-pocket expense orthe power wheelchair , including shipping and deliver y to the home by a technician. For more information, call 1-800-823-5220 or visit www .threewishes2.com . UNITED NATIONS, New York Former Barbados Senior Minister Dame Billie Miller has been awarded the 2008 United Nations Population A war d. The U.N. Population Fund (UNFP A) said last month that Dame Billie, who was also a former foreign affairs minister and a genderadvocate, is the r ecipient of the awar d along with a New Y ork-based non-gover nmental organization that “helps to save the lives of women indeveloping countries”. Dame Billie and Family Care International (FCI chosen from among 11 individual and seven institutional nomi nees fr om ar ound the world, the UNFPA said. The awar d is given each year to individuals and institutions for their “outstand ing work in population and in improving the health and welfare of individuals”, UNFPAsaid. Dame Miller, an attorney by profession, was first elected as a Member of Parliament in 1976 and was the first womanto be named minister inBarbados. In addition to hold ing a numer ous ministerial por tfolios, including health and education, UNFPA said Miller “has been promotingpopulation and gender issuesin several capacities”. The awar ds will be pr e sented at U.N. headquar ters in New York on May 22 . New Jamaican envoy presents credentials to OASDoes your information match up?Former Barbados minister wins U.N. a ward 16 CARIBBEAN TODAYApril 2008 FYI FYI www.caribbeantoday.com Miller Johnson April2008.qxd 4/8/08 11:14 PM Page 16

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ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – A for mer finance minister in Gr enada has said the weakening United States dol lar would have an adverse effect on visitor arrivals to theCaribbean, as well as the region’s ability to repaynational debt. Anthony Boatswain, the current minister of economic development, made his projection as the U.S. economy grapples with an escalating credit crunch sparked by a mortgagecrisis. As the U.S. dollar declined against cur rencies such as the Japanese yen and the Euro, Boatswain saidCaribbean countries wouldhave to dig deeper to pay for imports from outside the U.S. “It means that we would have to pay more for thegoods that we impor t from countries outside of the U.S.with which we trade, forexample Japan, Canada Europebecause the U.S. dollar is floating vis--vis these cur rencies and the U.S. dollar is moving downwar ds it means that we have to pay more,” Boatswain explained. FALLOUT Boatswain’s comments echoed similar sentiments byPrime Minister of St. V incent and the Grenadines Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and former Central Bank Governor of Trinidad Dr. Terrence Farrell. While Gonsalves was concerned about countries’ abilityto ser vice their national debts, Dr . Farrell said the region’s tourism sector would begin to feel the effects of the crisis asU.S. consumers cut spending. Boatswain is suggesting two key counter measures to combat the effects of the U.S. credit crunch and the fallingcur rency – an increase in local pr oduction and a reduction of the countr s dependence on foreign goods. WASHINGTON – United States presidential hopefulBarack Obama has joined three Democratic colleaguesin tabling a bill in the U.S.Senate that would close aloophole which now allowsrich Americans to avoid pay ing taxes through offshore havens in the Caribbean. Obama, an Illinois senator, and senators John Kerryof Massachusetts, Brad Ellsworth of Indiana andRahm Emanuel of Illinoisintr oduced the Fair Share Act of 2008 in the wake of the “fleecing of the American tax-payer by almost US$100 mil lion a year” by U.S. defensecontractor KBR, Inc. “It was discovered that KBR has avoided paying its fair share of Social Security and Medicare taxes by creat-ing shell companies in theCayman Islands,” the senatorssaid in a joint statement. “The Fair Share Act of 2008 will end the practice of U.S. government contractorssetting up sham companies in foreign jurisdictions to avoid payroll taxes,” it added. RESPONSIBILITY Obama said American companies have a responsibili-ty to pay taxes, and “guaran tee that their employees will receive the Medicare and Social Security benefits they are entitled to through theiremployment. s unacceptable for federal contractors to use foreign affiliates or tax shelters in order to avoid paying their share of payroll taxes and toshirk on their basic obligationsto American workers”, the statement said. The Fair Share Act of 2008 legislation will, amongother things, amend the Internal Revenue Code andthe Social Security Act totr eat foreign subsidiaries of U.S. companies, per forming services under contract with the government, as Americanemployers for the purpose of Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes. PROBE In the wake of the U.S. Department of State’s release of a scathing report on allegedmoney laundering in the Caribbean, the U.S. Congress recently dispatched a team ofinvestigators to the CaymanIslands. The Cayman Islands government said the U.S. investigative team met with officials to address “any misperceptions about the role of Cayman’s financial services sector relative to U.S. business interests.” HUMBERTO CRUZ QUESTION: I w ould like to kno w all a bout the stock mar ket,what you look for in stocks and how you go about pickingwinners and why y ou feel y ou have been successful. QUESTION:I was always taught that your money shouldw ork for you.I’m looking for an in v estment to gro w dramati cally over the coming years. Any advice would be great. ANSWER: I don’t know of any investments that will gr ow “dra matically” over the coming years. Nobody does, least of all the self-anointed gurus andinvestment newsletter publish ers who promise huge, huge profits in bold-faced letters ifyou subscribe. If they r eally knew, why would they tell? Could it be their r eal pr ofits come from the money their clients and subscribers pay them rather than from the invest-ments they so loudly tout? My success as an investor yes, I have been successful has come not from picking “hot” stocks but from having the discipline to adher e to basic and time-tested principles. I’ve always had a clear goal, including the amount of money I wanted to have accumulated at different stages in life. To achieve that goal, depending on how much money I would save everymonth, I calculated the rate of return my investments neededto achieve. I then picked anasset allocation likely to give me such a return with the leastamount of risk. Asset allocation in its broadest sense means how you divide your money among dif-fer ent “asset classes”, such as stocks, bonds and cash. I believe that low-cost, broadlydiversified mutual funds and exchange-traded funds are themost ef ficient and ef fective building blocks that investors can use for their asset allocation, particularly their alloca-tion to stocks. OPTIONS Many people I respect disagree and argue that investors willing to put in the time andef for t can build a diversified portfolio of stocks on their own without the management fees,other costs and potential taxdrawbacks of mutual funds. Those who want to lear n more about picking stocks and investing in general should consider joining the American Association ofIndividual Investors (www .aaii.com), a not-for -pr of it investor education group founded in 1978 with about 150,000 members. At $29 a year, its basic membership is one of the bestbar gains I’ve found, pr oviding a wealth of investment education and guidance, including an ad-fr ee magazine 10 times a year , annual mutual fund and tax guides, model stock and mutual fund portfolios and free stock reports. The magazine nevertouts “Must Buy” lists or “hot”tips but rather str esses invest ment education and understanding. The web site, while offeringspecial content to members, also has extensive free educationalmaterials for ever yone. Another not-for-profit investor education organization worth considering isBetterInvesting (www .betterin vesting.org), formerly the National Association ofInvestors Corporation. BetterInvesting, an umbrellagr oup for nearly 12,000 local investment clubs, of fers a fr ee one-month trial membership. After that, it costs $6.95 a month or $79 a year. For my money , I prefer AAII. But BetterInvesting may appeal to those interesting in forming investment clubs, and several people I know belong to both organizations. Edited for space . 2008 Tribune Media Services Inc. Weakening U.S.dollar will affect region ~ minister JOSE H. CARABALLO I s most homebuyers’ worst nightmare. They’ve finally found the perfect house. They sign the pur chase agr eement and begin planning for life in their new dream home only to find out that they can’tqualify for the loan. Fortunately, that scenario fr equently can be avoided thanks to the growing popularity of pre-approved loan programs. T oday, most lenders encourage prospective homebuyers to secur e financing befor e they start shopping for a home. Preapproval saves time for every-one and makes the closingpr ocess mor e ef ficient. It also lower costs, since buyers do not pay upfront fees for creditchecks and appraisals only tofind that they didn’ t qualify . Befor e discussing how preapproval can take the uncer-tainty out of shopping for the home of your dreams, it isimpor tant to understand the dif fer ence between pr e-qualify ing and pre-approval. Prequalification is simply a ver-bal exchange in which lenders tell prospective buyers the maximum mortgage amount they are able to borrow based on their financial status. Preapproval goes a step further by verifying credit information atthe time of loan application. Itis a commitment to lend subject to receipt of satisfactory property appraisal, and no changes or omissions in the information on which the pre-approval wasgranted. ADVANTAGES Ther e ar e several important advantages of pre-approval: Because sellers and r eal estate agents view consumers who are pre-approved as serious buyers, you can increaseyour pur chasing power and, therefore, may be able to negotiate a better deal. Once you know how much you can afford, realestate agents can guide you toward properties in the rightprice range. Since verification of financial infor mation can take place up front while you are shopping, the total underwriting time, and the eventual closing of the loan, is faster and mor e efficient, meaning you enjoy the tax benefits of homeownership sooner. Credit problems caught early , such as late payments on a cr edit car d, can fr equently be resolved so that the loan process can move forward. Getting pre-approved for a home loan is a smart step. Whenyou find that per fect home, you can plan your future with asmile. Jose H.Caraballois a home loan consultantwith the Pembroke Pines,Floridaoffice of Countr ywide Home Loans , Inc. Getting financing first can clear path to dream homeownershipU.S.legislators table bill to close tax loopholes in the CaribbeanWhat’ s the secret to successful investing? Start with discipline April 2008CARIBBEAN TODAY 17 BUSINESS BUSINESS www .caribbeantoday.com Obama April2008.qxd 4/8/08 11:14 PM Page 17

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WOLFGANG PUCK You know a r ecipe you’ve cooked is a classic when people remember it and crave it years,or even decades, after theyfirst ate it. What makes a chicken r ecipe a classic? First, it’s the way the chicken is cooked. For r oasting, I always like to but ter fly a whole chicken, cutting out its backbone and flattening it. Then, I brown the chickenskin-down in an ovenpr oof skillet before finishing the cooking in the oven. The result is a beautiful, evenly cooked bird with crispy,golden-br own skin. Then ther s the sauce. It’ s really simple to make, a quick reduction of port wine andchicken br oth. Next, the sauce is enriched with a little cr eam and, finally, the whole-grain mustard (in the style ofMeaux, France, available in most food stores) and some Dijon mustard are stirred in at the last minute, naturallythickening the sauce. Just be sure to reduce the heat to low before you add the mustard, so it will blend smoothly and won’t form clumps. That’s all there is to it. And the r esult is a roast chicken that will linger in the mem ories of the people who eat, and give you the reputation ofa wonder ful cook capable of creating a kitchen classic. PAN-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH WHOLE-GRAIN MUSTARD AND PORT Ingredients 1 whole frying chicken, about four pounds 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup port wine 1/2 cup store-bought organic chicken broth 1/3 cup heavy cr eam 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon Meaux (whole-grain d Salt Fr eshly gr ound black pepper 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves 2 tablespoons finely chopped fr esh tar ragon leaves METHOD Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. (200 degrees C Meanwhile, butter fly the chicken. W ith poultr y shears or a sharp knife, carefully cut along the ribs on both sides of the backbone to remove it. Spreadout the chicken, skin up, on aclean work sur face and press down firmly with the heel of your hand to flatten the chicken. Over high heat, preheat a heavy ovenproof skillet large enough to hold the flattened chicken. Add the olive oil andswirl it in the skillet. As soon as you begin to see slight wisps of smoke, carefully place the chicken skin side down in the skillet. Sear the chicken, undis turbed, while r educing the heat little by little to medium, until its skin has turned goldenbr own and crisp, five to seven minutes. With tongs or a large fork, car efully tur n the chicken skin side up. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the chick-en is deep golden br own and the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh ispier ced with a skewer , 10 to 15 minutes. When the chicken is done, transfer it to a car ving board, and cover with aluminum foil to keep it warm. Pour of f all but a thin layer of fat fr om the skillet. Add the port, put the skillet over high heat, and boil untilthe por t has r educed by half, about five minutes, stirring and scraping with a wooden spoonto deglaze the pan deposits. Add the broth and continueboiling until the liquid hasr educed by half again, about seven minutes. Stir in the cream, bring the liquid back to a boil, and cook for about three minutes.Reduce the heat to low , stir in the Dijon and Meaux mustards, and adjust the seasonings to taste with salt and pepper . W ith a heavy knife, cut the chicken into serving pieces. Return the chicken pieces tothe skillet, spoon some of thesauce over them, and sprinklewith parsley and tar ragon before serving. Serves four. Edited for space . 2008 Wolfgang Puck Worldwide,Inc.Distributed byT rib une Media Services Inc. Calypso is the exuberant spirit of the Caribbean. Upbeat, spicy and sweet. This month’s Caribbean Today dish, courtesy of Publix Apron’s Simple Meals , fits the bill pr ecisely. Cooking sequence Preheat grill Prepare rice through step three to five minutes While rice cooks, prepareand grill chicken 15 minutes Complete rice and chicken;ser ve 10 minutes Meal time – 30 minutes. Serves four. Suggested items – sweet plantains, bakery Cuban bread,apple pie. Wine suggestion – A smooth, medium-bodied wine such as Clos Du Bois Chardonnay, which has fruity flavors of pear, green apple, butter, andtoasty oak. CHICKEN CALYPSOIngredients 1 3/4lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 1/2 teaspoons Complete seasoning 1/4 teaspoon pepper olive oil cooking spray 1/4 cup molasses 1/4 cup pre-sliced green onions 3 tablespoons Asian sweet chili sauce 1 tablespoon cilantro herb paste 1 lime (for juice; rinsed Steps 1. Pr eheat grill. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with sea-soning and pepper; coat with cooking spray. Place on grill (wash hands); close lid (or cover loosely with foil). Cookfive to six minutes on each side or until internal temperature reaches 165F. Use a meat thermometer to accurately ensure doneness. 2. Combine remaining ingredients, including juice of one-half lime (one table-spoon), in medium bowl. Addchicken, tur ning to coat evenly; cover (with foil stand five minutes, turning occasionally, until flavors have blended. Serve chicken withsauce for dipping. ISLAND RICE AND PEASIngredients 1 (13.5-ounce milk 1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth 1/4 cup raisins (optional 1 1/2 teaspoons jerk seasoning 1 (10-ounce rice mix 1 cup frozen green peas Steps 1. Combine coconut milk, chicken br oth, raisins, and jerk seasoning in mediumsaucepan. Cover and bring toboil on high. 2. Stir rice mix into boiling mixtur e. Coverand r educe heat to low; cook 22 to 25 minutes (cover ed), without stirring, or until most of liquid is absorbed and rice is tender . 3. Stir in peas; cover and cook four to five more minutes or until peas are heated. Fluff rice with fork and serve. An easy pan roast chicken you all will crave 18 CARIBBEAN TODAYApril 2008 Island style: chicken calypso with rice and peas FOOD FOOD www.caribbeantoday.com EASTER FEAST Miami-Dade Commissioner Dorrin D.Rolle and some of the crowd at Arcola Lakes Park get some food during a fun afternoon at his fifth annual “Easter Egg Bash” last month. Hundreds of children, their parents and guardians were entertained with games, music and a performance by the dance group Royalty. April2008.qxd 4/8/08 11:14 PM Page 18

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NASSAU, The Bahamas, CMC – Caribbean communi ty (CARICOM announced that they will hold a conference in the United States in the next threemonths, which will coincide with the Conference of theCaribbean which was held inW ashington on June 20, 2007. At the closing pr ess conference of the 19th Inter-sessional Summit of the Conference of Heads of Government here last month, chairman and host Prime Minister Hubert Ingrahamsaid leaders took the decisionto accept an invitation fr om the chair man of the Ways and Means Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Charles Rangelto have the meeting in New York. s called the New York Confer ence of the Caribbean Community 2020 V ision Continued”, Ingraham said. e expect to meet with the mayor of New York, the governor of New York state and business leaders to dis-cuss trade and investment, culture, education and other issues of inter est and concern to the r egion.” Congressman Rangel, who is regarded as a friend of the Caribbean, was instru-mental in or ganizing the 2007 conference at which the lead-ers of Antiguaand Barbuda,The Bahamas,Barbados,Belize,Dominica, Grenada,Guyana, Haiti,Jamaica, St.Kitts andNevis, St.Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago met with U.S. President George W. Bush.At that meeting the leaders reaffirmed their unequivocalcommitment to a secur e and pr osperous region and future for the benefit of all Caribbean and U.S. citizens. The New York meeting will be held over two days from June 19 to 20. Pr esidential elections ar e held ever y four years in the United States. This pr ocess was set up in the U.S. Constitution. The constitution r equir es a candidate for the presidency to be: At least 35 years old A natural bor n citizen of the U.S. A resident of the U.S. for 14 years So how does one become pr esident of the United States? The following steps outline the general process for presidentialelections. Step I: Primaries and caucuses There are many people who would like to become president.Each of these peo-ple have their own ideas abouthow our gover nment should work.Some of these peoplecan belong to the same political party.That’s where primaries and caucuses come in. In these elections, party members get to vote for the candidate that will represent their party in the upcoming general elections. Step 2: National conventions At the end of the primaries and caucuses, each par ty holds a national convention to finalize the selection of one presi-dential nominee. During this time, each pr esidential candi date chooses a running-mate (or vice-pr esidential candidate). Step 3: The general (or popular) election Now that each party is repr esented by one candidate, the general elections processbegins. Candidates campaign thr oughout the country in an attempt to win the support of voters. Finally in November , the people vote for one candidate. When a person casts a vote in the general elections, they are not voting directly for an individual pr esidential candi date. Instead, voters in eachstate actually cast their vote for a group of people, known aselectors. These electors ar e par t of the Electoral College and ar e supposed to vote for their state’ s preferred candidate. Step 4: The Electoral College In the Electoral College system, each state gets a cer tain number of electors, based on its population.Each electorgets one electoral vote. For example, a lar ge state like Califor nia gets 54 electoral votes, while Rhode Island getsonly four . All together , ther e ar e 538 electoral votes. In December (following the general elections), the elec tors cast their votes. When the votes ar e counted in Januar y, the presidential candidate that gets mor e than half (270 Ben’ s Guide to U.S . Government for Kids. BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – A high-ranking United States official has urged Caribbean governmentsto identify what they need to deal with the growing crime problem in the region. Assistant Secr etary of State for the Western Hemisphere AmbassadorThomas Shannon told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC that as Caribbean community (CARICOMleaders pr epared for their special Crime and Security Summit in Port-of-Spain, theyshould compile a list of their pressing needs. e’re going to be looking to Caribbean countries tohelp us understand that (crimepr oblem) better. We hope to be able to have a conver-sation with ourCaribbean partners to get their under-standing ofhow we canbetter helpthem,” he told CMC after meeting with Barbadian Prime MinisterDavid Thompson inBridgetown. AID The U.S. has pumped $170 million into initiatives in the Eastern Caribbean over the past three years and this year the U.S. State Department said it had bud-geted an estimated $1.6 mil lion to help those countries boost technical and materialcapacity in maritime security and law enforcement. However, Shannon acknowledged there was still more to be done. e need to put more resources into the region and that’s the bottom line. A lot of Caribbean countries are expending a lot of their budg-et on security issuesand we need to recognize that andhelp out,” he said. “So we’ll be working with our Congress to make sure that as our budgets go forward we have the resources weneed to help our Caribbean partners.” KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Attorneys for embattledJamaican parliamentarian Kern Spencer, who is chargedin connection with the Cubanlight bulb scandal, have expressed concern about thedelay in the star t of the former minister s trial. Spencer who is facing fraud charges related to thecontr oversial pr oject appear ed in court late last month, but the pr osecution made a suc cessful submission for more time to present its case. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPPLlewelyn told the court thatthe Cr own was not yet in a position tohand over ther elevant docu ments to the defense andan adjour nment until May 16 was granted in the high-profile matter . e have to get our case together. We have to deal with certain matters and it’s usually a courtesy that is given on many occasions in many cases and the Crown regards this asit would any other case,” shesaid after emer ging fr om court. The decision did not sit well with Spencer s legal team, which ar gued that the delay was too long. “There is nothing for us to do. W e can’ t pr epare a defense because we don’t know what the char ges ar e,” contended attorney Deborah Martin. CARICOM leaders announce plans for June confab in N.Y.Deciding U.S.presidential electionsU.S.official promises to review CARICOM’s crime fighting needs DR. MARCIAMAGNUS For immigrants, one of the disadvantages ofmoving to a new countr y that has a different political system is that we often auto-matically transfer expectations from our native country to the host countr y . Many Caribbean American immigrants whower e ready to cast their ballot for their pr esidential candi date on Jan. 29, 2008 got a surprise they could not votefor their pr esidential candi date because they were register ed as independents! They had no par ty affiliation. T o vote on all ballot questions, including the presidential question, in any primary election, you need to have a party affiliation. You need to be either a declared Democrat or a Republican. If you ar e r egister ed to vote as an “independent” with no party affiliation, if you do not declar e a par ty af filiation, you will not able to vote on the presidential ballot ques-tion in futur e primary elections (usually in Januar y), you need to declar e a par ty affiliation by July 25, 2008. Ther e ar e two ways to declare your party affiliation. First, you can pick up and fill out a new voters’ registration application, indicate a party change, and mail the completedfor m to the Super visor of Elections of fice. Or you can download the form and mail itto the Super visor of Elections office in your county. (The following ar e contacts for of fices in Miami-Dade, Br oward and Palm Beach counties in Florida:) www.miamidade.gov/elections 305-499-8683 www.browardsoe.org 954-3577050 www.pbcelections.org561656-6200 As an independent r egistered voter, you will still be able to vote for a pr esidential candidate in the November presidential election. Butdon’ t be caught unaware in the next primar y pr esidential election. Declar e your par ty affiliation now so that you won’ t have another surprise. Do it now and get it over with!See you at the polls! Dr.Marcia Magnus is chairper son of CaribbeanAmerican P olitically Active Citizens,a group ofCaribbean Americans w ho are committed to increasing voter turnout. Member s are non-partisan and, based on the recommendations of a panel of advisors,make recommendations on which can-didates and issues would bemost beneficial to Caribbean Americans in South Florida. For more information,call 954-454 -7473. Caribbean American voters’ alertFraud case against Jamaica ex-minister delayed in Cuban light bulb scandal April 2008CARIBBEAN TODAY 19 POLITICS POLITICS / / REGION REGION www .caribbeantoday.com Shannon Rangel Spencer April2008.qxd 4/8/08 11:14 PM Page 19

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NEW YORK The Caribbean Tourism DevelopmentCompany (CTDC ing and business developmentunit owned equally by theCaribbean Hotel Association(CHA Tourism Organization (CTO has launched its official website. www.CaribbeanTravel.com is designed as the first central por tal for all things related to Caribbean travel. “Our goal with CaribbeanTravel.com is to create a one-stop shop fortravelers and travel agents with all necessary information, images and vacation offers attheir finger tips,” said Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, co-chief executive officer of the CTDC. “In today’s web-ori-ented world, it’s all about the rich con-tent and oursite pr ovides visitors with a complete vir-tual experi ence that will both whettheir appetites and provide all the tools theyneed to plan and book theirtrip.” The website was designed to offer travelers the most current destination information including weather reports, upcoming festivals and events,news fr om the Caribbean, travel deals and pr omotions. T ravelers can also utilize the site to book a Caribbean trip with Travelocity, the website’s official travel booking engine,or to be connected to aCaribbean specialist travelagent to planor book theirvacation. Other distinctive features of thesite include: a“Hot Deals”section withspecial travelvalues; maps of the region; and detailed descriptions of places to stay,things to do and special events throughout the year. “Our goal since day one of the cr eation of the CTDC has been to cr eate buzz and business for the Caribbean,”said Alec Sanguinetti, co-CEO of the CTDC. e are achieving both of these goals on this new site. Never before have travelers had the opportunity to find so much dedicated information in one place asthey now have available onCaribbeanT ravel.com.” GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC The Guyana govern-ment says it has no intentionof lowering its envir onmental standards to attract foreign investment in the mining sec-tor . Prime Minister Sam Hinds, speaking at a one-day CorporateSocial Responsibility (CSR workshop organized by theCanadian High Commission lastmonth, said that ther e would be no adulteration of the global environmental guidelines. Hinds, a Canadian-trained mining expert, said the localstandar ds would not be “an iota lower” than the inter na tional benchmarks because of heightened searches for min-eral r esources in Guyana by overseas-based companies. But he praised the historicr ole foreign companies have played in the countr s eco nomic development adding that they bring “connectionand integration in the world market.” Hinds said with international nervousness created by global warming “there have been renewed attention tofinding uranium r esour ces her e as an alternative energy sour ce to the popular , but expensive, fossil fuel.” The prime minister, who is also the minister of mining inthe Bhar rat Jagdeo administration, said ther e wer e three foreign companies that have been exploring alter native ener gy resources in the country. WASHINGTON The United States Department ofState says its travel aler t for Guyana expir es on May 1. It said the aler t, first issued on Feb. 26, is issued to “inform U.S. citizens of safety and security concerns throughout Guyana following recent events in Lusignan and Bartica by armed criminal ele-ments. “U.S. citizens should carefully consider the risks of travel to Guyana in light of recentattacks in the Geor getown suburb of Lusignan and theEssequibo River town ofBar tica”, it said, noting that in both places, attacks were conducted by “heavily armedgangs”. The Jan. 26 and Feb. 17 attacks r esulted in the deaths of more than 23 people, including five children and three police officers, it said. “Due to the seemingly random nature of thesecrimes, the disparate locationsin which they occur red, and the fact that the perpetrators have not all yet been appre-hended, additional attacks inother par ts of the country cannot be ruled out”, the state-ment said. “The U.S. Embassy ur ges U.S. citizens traveling in Guyana to maintain a highlevel of vigilance, considersecurity issues when planningactivities thr oughout Guyana, minimize movement when possible while avoiding large crowds, and not to travel atnight. “Guyanese authorities are conducting an investigation inr esponse to the recent incidents and may institute further actions or precautions, including roadblocks or othermeasur es”, it added. New ‘one stop’ Caribbean travel website launchedGuyana rejects lowering standards for investorsU.S.travel alert for Guyana expires May 1 BRADES, Montserrat, CMC – Scientists monitoring theSoufrir e Hills volcano have reported that while lava extrusion has stopped, the dome is still capable of either collaps-ing or exploding. “During heavy downpours, ions, lahar activity in drainages around the volcano remain a potential hazard,” said Director of the Montserrat VolcanoObser vator y Dr . V icky Har ds in a statement issued on Mar. 31. She, however, noted that the likelihood of an explosionor collapse of the dome which still consists of a large mass ofhot lava, was decr easing with time as the dome slowlycooled. The statement also noted that measurable activity at the Soufrire Hills Volcano, which began erupting in July 1995,showed no significant change. “Recor ded seismic activi ty remained low and the seismic network recorded just a single rock fall signal,” the statement added. The r elease also indicated that the alert level on the island r emained at four . Access to all areas on the southern flanks of the BelhamV alley, except Isles Bay Hill and to the east of the Belham Bridge, has been prohibited, as well as the area south of Jack Boy Hill to Bramble air-por t and beyond. Montserrat volcano still dangerous ~ scientists THE VALLEY, Anguilla, CMC Anguilla has taken thelead among Caribbean islandsin r olling out its National Disaster Warning System. Disaster management officials her e said the system was designed to provide emergency alerts and notification and will“take advantage of multiplecommunications means to getthe message out”. The first phase of the national system was tested here late last month, following a suc-cessful pilot pr oject last year . Officials said the second phase of the project will bethe establishment of a website through which the public can register to receive emergency and tourism information mes-sages. Infor mation on pur chasing a warning system FM radio receiver will also be included on the website. Partners in the project include the Anguilla T ourist Board and the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association,Radio Anguilla, Royal Anguilla Police Force, the DDM, and the Media Coordination Groupof the National DisasterManagement Committee. Anguilla upgrading disaster warning system BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – The Caribbean regionhas been encouraged to marketitself to the United States,Canada and Eur ope as a mecca for health and wellness tourism. Tourism Minister Richard Sealy said since many Caribbean economies rely on tourism as a major for eign exchange earner, it was time for the region to create a newniche for itself. “I think that it is a neces sity for us given that tourism is our main industry, and givenour limited r esour ces and the fact that a hardworking and well educated work force is about all we have going for us,” he told regional participants at a recent Caribbean Export Development Agency thr ee-day seminar . “My understanding where trade and health tourism is concerned is that there have been several approachesadopted worldwide and gov er nments can get involved in the sector as part of their national policies in many dif-fer ent ways.” ON THE C ARDS Commenting directly on how Barbados planned toassist investors in health andwellness tourism ventur es, Minister Sealy noted that leg islative amendments were onthe car ds. “There is already enabling legislation (the Tourism Development Act) and all that is required is for the sponsor of the project to prove to the minister of tourism that it is a tourismrelated project and that there ar e some concessions avail able,” Sealy explained. Executive Director of Caribbean Expor t Phillip W illiams, who also addr essed the conference, added that the Caribbean was ideally suitedto ser vice the Nor th American market given its geographic pr oximity , dir ect flights, com mon language and its sun, sands and sea, which all con-tribute to the r egion’s attractiveness as a primar y destina tion for health tourism. He said the time was ripe forser vice fir ms to explore concrete business opportunities and for business support organizations to develop service sector strategies to facilitate two-way trade between Canada and the region. Region urged to focus on health, wellness tourism 20 CARIBBEAN TODAYApril 2008 TOURISM TOURISM / / TRAVEL TRAVEL www.caribbeantoday.com Vanderpool-Wallace Hinds Sanguinetti April2008.qxd 4/8/08 11:14 PM Page 20