00006-2008 ( .pdf )

00006-2008_pdf.txt

00006-2008_Page_07.txt

00006-2008_Page_12.txt

00006-2008_Page_17.txt

00006-2008_Page_08.txt

00006-2008_Page_14.txt

00006-2008_Page_06.txt

00006-2008_Page_10.txt

00006-2008_Page_02.txt

00006-2008_Page_19.txt

00006-2008_Page_13.txt

00006-2008_Page_15.txt

00006-2008_Page_04.txt

00006-2008_Page_09.txt

00006-2008_Page_16.txt

00006-2008_Page_11.txt

00006-2008_Page_18.txt

00006-2008_Page_20.txt

00006-2008_Page_05.txt

00006-2008_Page_03.txt

00006-2008_Page_01.txt

S0 JUNE 2008


00
O O/ ^? mn^/ Tl
Vl2- V^^^S


c o v e r y o u r % o r I d


2Q-


)./


( I
Al-


o/I l. 19 No. 7


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


Caribbean
leaders will
seek
( increased
trade and
direct foreign
investment
from the
United States
when they meet Congressman
Charles Rangel and other U.S.
leaders during this month's
Conference on the Caribbean
in New York, page 3.


Miami F.C. has expanded its
core of Caribbean players,
adding Trinidad and Tobago
World Cup star Avery John to
its United Soccer Leagues
(USL) roster. The move has
already started to pay positive
dividends, page 17.


a_ caim


fasestma onth plne,


INSIDE
New s ................... 2 Food ................... 10 Business ............... 14 Politics................. 18
Local .................... 8 Arts/Entertainment ....... 11 Health .................. 15 Region ................. 19
Viewpoint ............... 9 Tourism/Travel .......... 13 Sport ................... 16


W e


Jamaican-
born Trevor
Graham, a
former
Olympic ath-
lete who has
coached
some of the
world's
greatest
track stars, has been found
guilty of lying to United States
prosecutors in one of the
biggest doping scandals to hit
the sport, and now faces time
in prison, page 7.


CARIBBEAN


CONTRIBUTION
~ June is Caribbean American Heritage
Month and at least one elected United States
official, Georgia State Representative Billy
Mitchell, believes native-born Americans
have much to learn from the people of the
region, page 2.


11i/ in A









-usw^caribbeantodj..c.


CARIBBEAN TODAY


n e wS


Caribbean community in the U.S. can


CaribohDt no longer be ignored ~ Mitchell


Georgia State
Representative
Billy Mitchell
(Democrat-
Stone
Mountain) says
his stint as a
United States
government Mitchell
employee in the
Caribbeani was the best year of
his life. That declaration, com-
ing from a politician whose
constituency has one of the
largest Caribbean communities
in the U.S., may raise some eye-
brows. But Mitchell has had a
close up look at Caribbean cul-
ture and its influence on the
U.S. Last month he shared
some of those insights with
Caribbean Today's Managing
Editor Gordon Williams.

GORDON WILLIAMS: How
would describe the evolvement
of the Caribbean influence in the
United States up to this point?

BILLY MITCHELL: I'm very
impressed. How I would
d,%t ribi it, it is certainly having
a great impact on our economy,
certainly our community
involvement. Fact of the matter
is I'm so proud at what the
Caribbean community has
been able to contribute to our
community at large because, as
a result of what they are doing,
we have better businesses.
Certainly we're talking about a
community that is better off for
their involvement in just our
general community at large.

G.W.: How do you think the
Caribbean people, the people
who have come to the United
States, specifically to Georgia,
and specifically to your con-
stituency, have managed to
merge into the American socie-
ty? And also, how do you think


the American society has
responded to the Caribbean
community, especially because
it is growing?

B.M.: You know, I've often said
that the Caribbean community
in particular has been able to
take advantage of the American
way more so than a lot of
Americans because I believe
they appreciate the opportuni-
ties. And it's such a good thing.
I like to say businesses, particu-
larly small businesses, is the
backbone of any governmental
structure in the community.
And the Caribbean community
has come in and certainly has
really grasped that concept.
And as a result of that our
cities, our state, is a better place
to be as a result of that. And
that's why I am so proud to see
what's going on there. They've
made certainly a great contribu-
tion to our communities.

G.W.: Do you think the
Caribbean community fully
understands, or fully grasps, the
growing influence that it has been
having in the American society?

B.M.: You know, that's a very
good question. I would perhaps
say that, because I have found
that the Caribbean is a hard
working people, they're interest-
ed to make certain their families
are intact and their businesses
are growing. As a result of that I
don't believe that they fully
understand their impact that
they have on our community. I
think that's going to increase as
more C(irila,,,i, involve them-
selves in the economy and in
business and in our community,
which is a very good thing.

G.W.: Do you think that there
is anything specific that they
need to do in order to fully


Cui-ii murinlr ieds n.c cmpinafKeipreA6a eie~ i aid dprdessmona
to awi se a ndoa t npraf sLcu orgriza ig orat. i rTm profits' vmslut
semre aid coTimineN pide tt and hon l ctihfren, wonw, aled, tie
1 slt-d ad rnf after g-rius cBrmw'd Ccuny











HOPE YOU WUL SHRE YOUR EXECUTIVE TALENT M EBERIECETO HELP
BETTER YOUR W IT I NT EED h S

ffy at Maw *v 4ubwuo d iwpvwh Ms oarkm M*t fbytP a cW
Ed GM r or E0t 9 544$4-71 17 Fi 9W4444M
n*WBfmBB-WBBBm~jeaiqr


understand their influence in
the American society?

B.M.: You know one of the
things that they ought to do is
what I'm seeing being dis-
played here (at the launch of
Atlanta's Caribbean carnival
last month). They need to sup-
port the Caribbean initiative,
the Caribbean heritage,
because it is a very fine her-
itage. They need to support
Caribbean businesses. They
certainly need to encourage
other Caribbean businesses to
support other businesses as
well. That in itself will kind of
help develop even more oppor-
tunities for them.

G.W.: The American society in
general, how has it embraced
the Caribbean presence, the
growing Caribbean presence?

B.M.: You know one of the
things about America is that
we are all immigrants. Despite
what some may feel, we are all
immigrants, and the fact of the
matter is I think the city of
Atlanta, the Atlanta metropoli-
tan area, embraces those who
can come in and contribute to
the community. And certainly
the Caribbean community has
certainly done that. And I
think, by and large, they have
embraced them. As a country
of immigrants we understand
what it takes to really ingrati-
ate yourself, get involved in the
community, and they have
done that, certainly as best as
any group. And I think, by and
large, the Atlanta community is
certainly welcoming.

G.W.: Your bio tells me you had
a significant role to play in the
establishment of Caribbean
American Heritage Month. How
far do you think that has gone to
establish the Caribbean presence
here in the United States?

B.M.: I think it has gone a
great deal. I must say to you
that in trying to get this legisla-
tion passed, we've had other
initiatives that were on the bal-
lot. As a matter of fact, proba-
bly the most controversial, at
the same time, was the initia-
tive to get the state to apolo-
gize for slavery. That failed.
However, when I came forward
with this initiative to recognize
Caribbean Heritage Month, we
got widespread support from
every corner of Georgia, from
every political persuasion,
because they recognize the
value of the Caribbean com-
munity. And that made me
proud, that that wasn't some-
thing that I had to go and twist
arms to do. They recognize the


value and as a result of that we
were able to get this passed in
short order.

G.W.: You said you had some
experience living in Jamaica
for a year as an employee of
the U.S. government...How
much did that change, or affect,
your view of the Caribbean and
Caribbean people? You talk
about the physical beauty of
the area, but in terms of how
you perceive the Caribbean
people and what they're aiming
for when it comes to the
United States, how did that
year of experience affect that?

B.M.: You know that's another
great question. As a matter of
fact, I always say that that per-
haps was the best year of my
life. I've got great friends... I go
back and I see them often. As
a result of being there, I
thought this would be just a
year of me just getting involved
and maybe going to the beach-
es and the like. But I really
enjoyed myself. I saw a side of
the country that a normal
tourist would not see and I was
a better person for that. And I
was so struck by a number of
things, even the athleticism.
You know Jamaica produces
more Olympic athletes per
capital than any other country
in the world for that matter?
The culture, the education. As
a matter of fact, I've often said
that the education system in
Jamaica is far superior than the
education system that our
(American) youth are going
through. This notion of uni-
forms there I could tell you
what school a student went to
by the colors that their uni-
forms were. And these are the
kinds of things that I think if
everyone in this country saw
they would appreciate Jamaica
so much better and try to
implement what they are doing
there as well.

G.W.: Generally Caribbean
people, though, what do you
think the Americans have
learned from them? You, as
one man, has learned a lot
from a year in the Caribbean.

B.M.: You know, one of the
things I think that they are cer-
tainly teaching us is that, you
know, hard work pays off. How
you can come and work hard
and you can do just about any-
thing that you want to when
you work hard and you are
industrious.

G.W.: You are a politician, you
are in the political circle. What
is the feedback on the circuit,
outside of public comment? Is


there a general movement
embracing and recognizing
more, from a political stand-
point, the Caribbean contribu-
tion in the United States?

B.M.: I must say to you, politi-
cians doing what politicians do,
voters are important to them.
And as more and more
Caribbean voters are around,
certainly they recognize that
they must avail ili i11 Mh lL
more. They must certainly cater
certain bills, certain laws, cer-
tain advocacy towards the
Caribbean community. And
that's just the fact of the matter.
Wherever there are con-
stituents that need to be served,
that politicians will certainly go
that way. But I tell you, I can
even say that I learned some-
thing about politics in Jamaica
because they take their politics
very seriously in Jamaica, which
is the way it ought to be. We
certainly should take it serious-
ly because just about every
aspect of our lives is affected by
politics and it's good to see that
the numbers that the Caribbean
community has because they
deserve to be represented as
well.

G.W.: So, from the political cir-
cles in America, they are cer-
tainly, now, starting to take full
notice of what's going on the
Caribbean community?

B.M.: Oh, no question about
that. I had a conversation with
Vin Martin, the honorary con-
sul general (for Jamaica in
Atlanta). He's a constituent of
mine. Lives in Stone Mountain.
That's one of his endeavors
that he'd like to encourage as
well, that there be more politi-
cal participation by those in the
Caribbean. When you're
involved, you're involved more
politically, it's easier to ask for
services that you deserve and
be heard.

G.W.: It (the Caribbean) com-
munity is no longer a communi-
ty that can be just overlooked
or ignored (in America)?

B.M.: Absolutely not. As a
matter of fact, you will find
other communities... the
Hispanic community has
learned that they're getting
more involved. Other commu-
nities have learned. The fact of
the matter is, when you're pre-
sented with the kind of num-
bers that the Caribbean com-
munity now has, they're a com-
munity that cannot be ignored.

Cover photograph of Mitchell
by freelancer Dale Nicholson.
0


June 2008





CARIBBEAN TODAY


Usain Bolt shattered the 100
meters world record held by
Jamaican countryman Asafa
Powell and in that blistering
run stamped himself as the
fastest man on the planet late
last month in
New York.
Running
at the Reebok
Grand Prix
meet on a wet
night, but in
front of a
large turnout
of enthusias-
tic, flag-wav-
ing supporters
from his
homeland,
Bolt clocked
9.72 seconds
to beat world
champion 2
Tyson Gay of
the United
States and
eclipse
Powell's
record of 9.74
set in Sept.
2007.
"Just Bolt celebrates his w
coming here,
knowing a lot
of Jamaicans were here giving
me their support, it meant a
lot," Bolt said after the race.
"I just wanted to give them


what they wanted."

NO SURPRISE
It was only Bolt's fifth 100
meters race at the senior level,
but the record run was not a


world record time.


total surprise. Last month,
in winning the event at the
Jamaica International
Invitational meet in Kingston,


he warned the world that he
was geared up for an historic
run by clocking 9.76 seconds,
.02 seconds outside Powell's
mark.
World and Olympic cham-


Photograph by Sharon Bennett


pion Veronica Campbell-
Brown of Jamaica had sig-

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 4)


Caribbean leaders want more


trade, investment from U.S.


NEW YORK Caribbean
leaders will seek increased
trade and foreign direct
investment from the United
States during this month's
Conference on the Caribbean,
according to a statement
issued here by the Caribbean
community (CARICOM)
Consular Corps of New York.
It said that the June 19-20
conference would also exam-
ine the growth and develop-
ment of the Caribbean com-
munity.
The Caribbean diplomats
said that the two-day event,
dubbed "The New York
Conference on the Caribbean
Community: A 20/20 Vision
Continued", would be attend-
ed by regional leaders, policy
makers, representatives of
various international organi-
zations, the academic commu-
nity and the private sector.
During the conference,
the regional leaders will meet
with Harlem Congressman
Charles Rangel, chairman of
the powerful U.S. House of
Representatives' Ways and
Means Committee, as well as
New York Governor David
Paterson and New York City
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.


"Through this conference
we hope to once again direct
the attention of the people of
the United States one of the
Caribbean's major trading
partners and the home of the
largest number of migrants
from the region to the
future of the Caribbean and
its peoples," said McCliLhniy
Emanuel, the Antigua and
Barbuda con-
sul general
and chairman
of the New
York
Conference
on the
Caribbean
Community.
Caribbean
Rangel leaders held a
meeting with
U.S. President George Bush
during the first Caribbean
conference last year.
Key highlights at this
month's conference include an
education symposium at
Brooklyn's Medgar Evers
College, which features sever-
al CARICOM heads of gov-
ernment and ministers, along
with leading educational
authorities in the city.
0,


Jamaica's Bolt is world's fastest


Publv% Joins You in (ielebraduip Bahamas fiIldepncii11ce IDay-7.10.(08


Publix

it jhfw -n


June 2008










r w caibbeatoUS.coU


CARIBBEAN TODAY


n e wS


Jamaican bomb suspect held in Florida without bail until trial


ORLANDO A Jamaican
man arrested in Florida for
attempting to carry pipe-
bomb components onto a
flight has been ordered by a


federal judge to be held with-
out bail until trial.
United States Magistrate
Karla Spaulding said that
Kevin Christopher Brown's


possession of flammable and
explosive nitro-methane in his
luggage, his lack of financial
or residential ties to Central
Florida and evidence that he


FKS Or tP.0Engles I uF661ve an Kof the n AKOtieadalrlmtcndIouments, plMe vs AN
I nKWwAulZI 100 101 nAl netMY. L All1 A M0it; K V? SQ


Para risjar In wersioer ItradLrcda aspal de msd avma y tod'cs los. dcumerrtEs rportamts dl lCos., visited
wnma.AmmFirSrefSemeStniw.com q ILpmcal I- 80096 7W7-


zklfwn- r ii ahir'r l atml ~pcri.U fit Fa&sjIT w: SInl F4411lur. i7Ti1
,hp~lllcl 1 Fmi p. sd1f4m Li I 41Mail. NIl 21 6111114 .14i41 jI4J14iIT)Use. LLI.
'wxsk o'eriizciumjI ir 4p 61,3w,. Mo..l ipn'r20-ii45s,51pa FOic-qr11Mrw.
S M IP.wJ IlikedtLWsa.ii kir. ltltA m dinbiE cikiIll.& Ythit Lri.? Tidhififii
.hl.RtWziu a iim t pa D lJ biiS f el~l 1n '~a inu lur45 3.ti.J a ILki!i
:U1ILIW uF.1A 4 H testI 4 I IIliki, 4.1 ln 4-1 : = 1 l- bII Ii r.1 kN12 IM I Jl.P, PillI.A1
CflSivia VuI: YLISC -. LiCMiC 91 Si-41iW riri (ii vrl'imM& NIAerr.Gavul.
,Ftkif2 11CCAAhItb a i i me'iMi ImiulxwiRif4lEsh~wlyuluiilu i 4tu P.qq.yak
'klll.UI I iflYAM iw .Lr11' llu -1 wJCil~ld' .. ?AIMlu.:mc.u h14 ill
*5'V't ifS? I:lrN 4 W&lSH 4u Wait' N-IlIll jLII minp r'I;C1 14


c:111h~ri-pruP1140 wit liirl i i1,511m p, V14 irNiiI?. 111iail L4I LV 'i114M.1 1k 141
t'ma I, 1. u:tvu~p yv LsrAor,.IAol IS:s D il e nstwfa el ilarm-, Umm
199I7 JIMlL-sic ItIOL999 z"I 4irIf~irflierrestic ir ilrlr4!dML~.rWA$
aelS ion `d*4niid n3e3 p,:n Ctev~px Da I 1J r~liiJ!O.CIp~ju!-.J"
rlqtiq5.Pv-i1 13 ,4&m. I r .m %vm4-e11 FYIts iFiiiivlil~h s mEl
IN9 jcrii *4l itur ILWImi Iv ij-l *lq "Wilil Mi r, FlVi"lSl r1 rrv~r~til
,triirn;eI ;wim~c. 14Kweknavhoka psu sisfl .54!* C Oisic. %eWi
'AW.IL a10n b3T.diitSlK'C~i.51xbIODIaM~ s W'.CuCi~ OXq
i110,111fi .% "IFA10 1r4L. r,.cto: ikym i ttlI5. 1 IAll. 11i'im-llli r : p.14u lid
ndLjPuegcmL'p : a' 1cql "Sir~uocirzn3ra.045hEM .e crd Ir
ni L:IJ LA %.11q. WLu4. ml .1 lpJF6. tRIu i2S1 1f~u* MCIIt -1.11.14.1Ie. Ait
*a':'n iFoC--a N0 .11 iv3 I :Kfl :isztiJ CAih'TA~q4S .3 h.QAC
.1591.11i %41 14111 i.M .131 9:4fiWAiu i Vl et 11 l.4: lb.9111. H
KHMIuWA F,16 iMRA9OffdA Fe OP f ."iu)I-) UWm ue1--j.u imm
"di-cl it411 WA miH41hi".fl, ihm1, list nhllo,.qmi&4ik-dlp ir pi- 14luh
'k4 Il iu 'I 1l,41 -wi ii All hhF r.4lp MTjl.14114i :fti .iihfm
W, p.UrI -P IiV--IYu 1-*s[u-c 4W,1 hiiir-liruik 41 vs I~. E4~hAr W7dyN.PScj ,u K-. C;A
:reye phne.CQ ia. 1- L1, i51fl- rhjy filae NfI%5i.99? 99 l kS5 3,. F
mifjl i bKC nw.VF'TWI %hiVmU dimmili MnrGw31 In
KI Berieft l ij mwuf D.,k~wsw cDt lii!-A-eva 0,rrb~xr ii a
lim :it zn kWr LjqII iii MinF:slltJi4mSCU 11 .4. a.4114 fu is ilkeiaii G14441
ma Wibt1 &A Imu iscl 4ii wsa ctl>Pvcld~pe parltI niI That? a
miaJkuss. Rsd~it.1)51 4js11Owed pw* tiiasIliulti '21iJup 1 .4 VIdiUt~ISI
*b'4(O nain MilicAO.$ 1n hi OliiriEIp)A fdqunik wlulud.OCini marnn
Gi'-i' IIi 1.4. l.blm mla hI .4 r.iilii isi l l. idr I *H I 1114 1u41uI i lw ilI
".](IfitOMJLP 12'L P1.2%C. 141 IIA-ifl. PaLif vi N~I Is.:punaLW_ t, IMI~
11j'l 41 N149uU4 1P4. 15t41JuiiE141U4 x4ui ~iI .4.11Luihwwr Pu Ill i'trm
a3 LU L.'g.Iij I ..'. l:AIWu&IP4:4E%itLS~lulk -IA3W_' lu& 4a -Iafiii liaul
,lT.,UU1190 t AdF, ill VIWI..4iu1+7W k.. LsilJ4 aewrU11.44
hi- ,IN -17 11 .1. ulliLdil rIT II u q PN U911 11111 Vl 61 1 4:U 11 r'i II141
,01, 3k- -) CLI).> 1-c A' Y.~TI.c.:u u-I)ao.:.Ik -:.e4h iVf G~~t
N A .44 ilUP 114141 IpP 4ivri-rr rl.iu 14ITIIiIwLI 1il 11 uIdiIIU. ul,

PetlrUFA-vigicr,r i*U.3 a: isLWnse I 3PA-DJU)C ran ryw.D',SII
a ap lrase ;Iox .'uallF*r 1.011(41 &I. D*triF.>' PDpinI
m in darormZ4W hyI. evi.rmitl mire Is rwl9Im sinetrairg rtlipwl rillFt
'C4TnlwI *we .41 *patiwiKorrrmria. Chakrriarwn SGwr'.p la ewelivrm
d~mapcu ft I rinirtim i n rrbnamn qrc Y.IIUS.3K k rozirsman g
0fen A .so .a Sp olnm l rilqil 1rywic bM~r ml s s&L_* 2gM kaf
yu Nu iM. awuvi wa pcu cicta pain yazi rarhanrrai. Dinm mu tutir
yo t&]EtwLman pa1died LE.VGaYrtI. 01St Pab zlp-COi Ott hu V
HWIC.iiW..4l141.4l' ICIfHllb ~plu. T-.hiAl44CCU 111.411 eyii-duil
C4U s itlS.U~idebpdhcvyu .1'%loclLV -IJWi i Jii.ust llI 5 i9htLLu
:1110 i.JIIN iNiCUiSII Ii t. N :W2. Ill:hI: .4 .44 11111411141.1 14.. Kiel Aul1di
&W P as Rgenlarpet dcni 3Ciml' Uu~bln (I Frofel. ON*l
d1JOITi CmhNUO l IM Amnitlg4 PLu I. y nIIr ei'I MEiidihuM .44 &


11F'rii :;hill it i L L.yi 1 Y 4 ff 44111ihululll IIr .11 iol 4 11. 1 1114 llIN 111
ou $0 & l 'o-L kihoI!, 1a RC 1@u )uIu4kkFL~.lm uIru S eiLli yl
hji '41i Lw-NI hI"11N614 U04.iom4peri111. 444141 hJi :h V14:II !; m11%'
r 1iier l04TFi l liW4 PMr 41L1i l ii %I I 1II I 43 ip ..u7rt'ln"Tim 14u
X1LIX6 DTMS14hCl N:AI55. L 5 jtbii Dl uA 11fl2 e YUDAXD ME*', mC
Kka.vilmmTm DON]E w n a~wai 4~artj&Eokimma-
SCu One r iiDCrfi-d l. :.-mk ;1ari~c.vyridi. qrIrirN 1* lM ap b.MI
2 Le.FIirr 200aC Edna n. iwadcu.Ifn mr .r C .. Icon,. L I
u.-b P, i:O- .ap pac -r erirrertp b:2icrr. lhibui Flu
6.Eal51 Dm~F3 i' I. Fulvn.v.iiU ~ii .d1. 4. 11911iNs bI4r-ii Uhilid FI-WpW~iii.11
'Onan nitu*ilic IOS~i 750.51W .kar on *1FC-ig Owam anMsbta~mu
Ali Igir'lT. wik .9fuh hskil 11.4 iI:l~ii..i il.ilI4' :p.149. NAid ,adiFA Miu
2&b~kvfF ifIpEcrjulj a L 'q~piv-63LU 4f u.hfi bCA4Y.llI Suit S&*V0
Kbo r wpin tot414 61riventme PieEu.JiALt nrt tnt 104C*. itWS-,.v. Li)iij
;IIJUIP" mliii 14iili '-tN ailki.l HPILV9 1 I'ill hi~q:i*1ni'ivtillCu 111
utfnuu u4'. 4 Ce'tu 0%. %tnusui'..tu6L a 6WOtt u1b.OuF51 CA,u'.9I
yu4:11IFi 11141.hIIrI 4i4.rV 61 14w14. is-d,6auLd Lq *4: %iilly I I wI wIiI I Ld.a. i 14,4. 1IF141
7j-, miuriu.d e p a. *$uj mn:,,m p1 :uh* ukuiuc3 iheij At e 14ti iISW

PuAn Mmnozaik a ikorKe
Meqnlijmit l9. ,rfIULna
SeWiwemrAarrnsuvn
Ft SoU 3170
FufarLt&t SR 3T
OwfbiltmiS Its idayflrm
C~lk .LI IFrK CUsi
0"1aiCawi, kaac Anbas vcfa(Iulafiin1fir &tMedlit-Ohak cfUEL



indite IlirEwnf so i
IPnWi. ud'*, wto' ,:- [nrq oll(in Ott
W ti !IU HerlIie*24o Lme wAttN# IM Du4 r Sr*njv AK


aL S-*: all:
1=8 CA 3M. 05-2Ui7 CA,3Mi. ep
5L N ANI& WIJi ullJlIL biJLlu1'.1nINA-
.1. F5%Xh2V4(~4LpaC IA-;" LCLi. NO.CIE'S
It. ttmdIIH% "lFl Mil4A:pm H U.AAU.

rup'Li IIL. 1.,o'" 2
!"Ae'rlnu m--i .qqul 1 141 Fr3iqiifP4a-ji-
CAL Da: R-otpe 0 :&L-. 1!1-1tcei.w c
2, OF Pii p spuun PuncWai PmIXIIk m RPh~m mrdpiqcl
3. CuD a: liwes:blj pse~ri Ixu rcsc.2lerA crui fr. !j.ri% qCa
FICAlI Ft AI IXFI111
4. Tflkw pu rtneflrftgewwih~isiNiclVtU . Lsas nkrlry) 5,A43
.1 M1 l:.kLI lust :14.U '% IN uhidinai IA... smiuiL41
Lu 1J. I, Lai10MIA1] I Ihfeit.1IMI.L. ii ,HU.Le.1 iIi Iu .0IMII
e :.q. ii .l j*"fllr4iii .4. hiflO iU mi sl 1hs*l ill, Ilii
a fI"lu '+,oNYl 1"I.w1S ii.4 bijhlabim -A IYM N1 1;i111111 I
5CMiE 3OW E'AT EENAFC1;J PAUL 1EMUZIOWMAIN AIM4P KIiJ GWui
1T~hU flllDaTE MailyAN ow oslrt 204)6 Si WPA F1Eomt $OF mom TRSivqomOOLA
i VPRESAW U, NAMCPLIJ E3KUflON (>IVJAPP 0AN AFAIR DIIWD
CC)ISY OYI F5 3LEMJ9N4z~r aol311110 flJSa IfrOC AM EDT. ran
amCgprix p2.i dGsrcl il 1 vrn 0u lbiisocmN, supc. 11 & rds j.1Ih~spcri
.:A-uj; InpAJ hcI~kimlRcpcmn m. us.ap&.liiii p-.i.I Vw csi Rsr~ir.n
,0 'an Pulge '130 hj 1. reCrlxrkN S3, a~aEu3N "AD r%3 ba'nb te n
Slx1mr iNLtqill AmisAwlulla,;33hil 2-ce a 1C.cd:u AYdmr '.111I iil IIajIiic
Iholrn PIapuvSe-u3a rINE VuxCfl1Xu Aw.11&iklTa N 0.li.ie'OkAckai ya tSRsi.
IIim!ua-W .14 .ltO.W4, '.itLlhl lk 1611.Ijildlaikvik k.to. l*Iim nQ91114 odmb ait 11
1rj.Q :E jrnYCB1.
&tI 111dlCll M2jl 141i flM I;A1ll 1111 &a.I _Z1 h1114blIl1M hI;EHIr.9.-1 191"111

I 'Ir mrm i4-siq.1qi dpI~mriu iIIuqlI14qmiwi do, IAml.44A4M4rd lt L4iu
3NIHII a I,.ol M I-*rl*5NmU"II .!4o, tpirPaucot4,
CUlL9.e ..-k"-" -u 3I
CGi DWS S63U r WI9WN I JDIRI DU US CREFW TV01 LLAANWA tIM
JrVE 2008 PA LWpos I0S SwE&5s CA6i
Ouik if Ihm. Ciii.
Qn~i Qain. Eesml, chiudcaiCvA* u:n arniixk kMmn-Dalo CtM.
?shcsi fluti-mi
MIhAamFl 'L41.1)3
OW, ICAM YQrf *0'lOP OWE P4YOM $A YO r0iJ&Ak LPfO BA. T0vT AC0IA'i
'"NcE uE ABA #4CR1 iAWvLoLO A owi CaprEiN rums KMffl A vrAny 1
smrg 2000
HmaiAV Daiollnopa, Puf1inoirakflnEpNie
j uecl) auLLCqI! &-xur"
Ch% -I zia C1 m An .srirwI
d44 SW R-o c &. 5Si! 0E
Molcrl.-FL1flL32
Tui-Am6E u~t,ZfEq4.
tniiAll :.,lb
Cot sII& R lIV.SlC. -'A.
2M..pluu A*1 3 .1 k53
Ncssfllmybilins G..wup Is-
MriSri. ii.w &t4r
rAlI: n_" uj I i air. t~e
M83J PAin' ", y
oM~i iFl flIII*4CU*'
KvtM, Detmnspcu Aduno & fi. LUP.
ftntl L Ktarwr, EIq.
CAlznl a l:. eL4B.-EA

MamIIIKL:csu.L~
TuCWaI..l 11 ~ S'. 11H-11 l AMY.t..u vC.i.i. ~uIi 10 ..iVAI*..il' dL1;hu 1
'WA ~UJ ilinf lrlfl wluIJ cmFI i 1. Au
Si cm raurrietatqe~ayui aijyc S i TFUMI b nla t ieFopa p4 xw ISOt
rtii opup.J491l rhqrt-diiumr 11111.CI4MlI~piiqi %il11 Iti, ,Mg Innil NIF CUlEtio
y',A1 :Cm le f3.YYdrpiF yko, nr,131!.

P.41 4145 ~l.1.11- IIIKl.101.4L API.- Fmk).r H. 1.9..J:ll 1114,.l11 JI1UibA
uJei P L~.l m *i t. LkW1 IrtqJi"11 al 0ISD.. 1. q t31hiu11.91 I.3' IV4IaIu JSjrl hni.Pt,
A-1 l.flj4I-. .&4 Lo.4Au.iW N-Am.m1,ai ilf'. iSi 1:YA. L;ik1144[IIIFiid 61.
1:Ltl infuNl MaIS- 14n14.J1.IUUM2imiiu JdC b.hi-osh~rii na a. Fttyr
j1% PA41Z.JihAlA.0 k41111ii HI4Adl.ul-IHitI-uu.41 IILJ IL~di Ml4u RP 9'N4il
Ik~Iinb lub 3Iu.llu1 L.usuuIr.Nuu uil5l A.F J.G.4k$SflAb W4WI*
[t iIMF] )'kij1.4.LAIIAHF: 1uh 10iw A.'""LI i A i wil iiI rAiN im 1 :rM.. I 41111
L::URJAZ0k0 0 I b XV- k 6L- -d W f
nmnpial knowvuu wu W'pb'n AM au hnwyn m It" 116PikiuSDhimwod
Aarm..usawl.y u.. 45hilm4) cekMm~nwnbl.uik &9mM 40 a flwIl"l** I
*N)-WI-75tIT aflewA ikapb wo dhiIs kaidiq Ikiboirro~l in siiulkl 511 Wr o i
.e'u&p iFier,4 a-W uwn~wrrahmFirfeft~ne~tI~Ms:Av.TLfL~'u EwKapb
euprlins Fgink enamurI Rr*~mnba~rrcnasmpn sil .ltfIn
TRhNW FA RaE fIRM 1A BROSEYE JMIPJL LA OSW MSVMW1.IE
A11 V )tP AP AMUDJ FtEJAWWI2WI M=WU WflM
flia:.5FnA20CE. ronPaftr.FIVida.


was involuntarily admitted to
a Veterans Affairs hospital for
psychiatric problems, were
key factors in her decision to
detain him.
In a six-page ruling
released last month, Spaulding
determined by "clear and con-
vincing evidence" that no
combination of bail conditions
would protect the community
or assure Brown's appearance
in court.

DEFENSE
At an hour-long hearing,
defense lawyers Wayne
Golding and Tim McClain
argued that
their client
only possessed
bomb compo-
nents and not
completed
explosives that
could have
endangered
passengers. ,
They also pre-
sented testimo- .
ny from a
brother and his
stepmother
who said
Brown could
reside with
aunts or
cousins in
Orlando and
that he was
scheduled to
inherit millions
of dollars from Brown being search
his late moth- accosted for suspici
er's estate.
Psychiatrist Dev Chacko
further testified that Brown
had post-traumatic stress dis-
order and was not a threat to
himself or the community as
long as he took medication.
He added that in his opinion
Brown was competent to
stand trial.
Assistant U.S. Attorney
Vincent Citro and FBI Task
Force Agent Kelly Boaz told
the judge that Brown, an
Army ambulance driver in
Iraq in 2003 and a logistics
contractor there last year, had
a history of psychological


problems.
Brown, 32, was scheduled
to fly to Montego Bay on an
Air Jamaica flight on April 1
when Transportation Security
Administration officers at the
Orlando International Airport
spotted him acting suspicious-
ly and detained him.
He was searched and offi-
cers discovered two galva-
nized pipes, end caps, two
small containers of BB pellets,
batteries and two containers
of liquid in his luggage. A lap-
top computer and bomb-mak-
ing literature were also found
in his backpack.


led by a law enforcement officer after being
ious behavior at the Orlando airport on April 1.


Early last month, a U.S.
federal grand jury indicted
Brown on one count of
attempting to carry an explo-
sive device on an aircraft.
Citro said in court docu-
ments that Brown was return-
ing to his native Jamaica to
get revenge against two men
charged with strangling his
mother, Sandra McLeod, a
Jamaican hotelier in June
2005. Both suspects in her
murder are out on bail.

0


Jamaica's Bolt is world's fastest


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3)

naled earlier that the evening
of May 31 would be good for
sprinting by winning the
women's 100 meters in 10.91
seconds, a fast time in a field
packed with world stars such
as Americans Alyson Felix
and Lauryn Williams. But the
meet at first seemed an
unlikely place for track and
field's premier event world
record to fall. The day was
plagued by thunderstorms.
Races were run on a wet
track, although in perfect mid-


70s temperatures. The 100
meters for men was even ham-
pered by a false start.
But none of that affected the
6' 5" Bolt, a 21-year-old who
started running the 100 meters
to improve his start and speed
for the 200 and 400 meters.
"He ran a perfect race,"
the American Gay told
reporters after finishing sec-
ond in 9.85.

Wire service reports
contributed to this story.

0


June 2008


/





CARIBBEAN TODAY


n e WS


r6ww -arbbentda.com


l"


U.S. agency pledges another $25M in food aid to Haiti
MIAMI The United States United States has a vital stake istic of its generosity of (help- 200 years now," she said, responding to the urge
Agency for International in providing both emergency ing) Haiti," he said. adding that "I think it's time crisis in his native land
Development (USAID) says assistance as well as long-term The announcement came for us to re-assess our inter- "Together for Hait
it will be dispatching $25 mil- support for Haiti's economic, six weeks after violent riots vention and understand it is which has the support (
lion more in food aid to Haiti, social and economic develop- over rising food prices rocked better for us to invest in bring- er Grammy-Award wir
bringing its total to $45 mil- Haiti, leaving several people musician Paul Simon, m
lion. [- I dead and the country without Petra Nemcova and inf


"We know that we are not
the full solution, we are a part,"
said USAID Administrator
Henrietta Fore in a meeting
late last month with Haitian
American leaders at the
USAID warehouse in West
Miami-Dade County.
"We are trying to be sup-
portive, and we are trying to
help," she added.
Fore said USAID would
help provide 36,000 tons of
food staples to 2.5 million
Haitians through three types
of programs targeting the dis-
abled, orphans, mothers, chil-
dren and the elderly.
The programs are to be
administered by the United
Nations World Food Program
(WFP), Catholic Relief
Services and World Vision,
and will pay Haitians with
food in exchange for helping
to rebuild irrigation systems
and roads to boost domestic
production efforts.
"As close neighbors, the


ment," Fore said.


PRAISE
The announcement was
welcomed by South Florida's
congressional delegation,
including Congressman
Lincoln Diaz-Balart, who
introduced Fore at the event.
Diaz-Balart said that the
U.S. Congress in a "bipartisan
basis" had approved $250 mil-
lion in aid to Haiti.
"Today, the United States
takes another step, character-


a working government. In the
wake of that unrest, Haitian
senators fired the prime minis-
ter on April 12, blaming him
for the crisis.
The Lower House, the
Chamber of Deputies, also
rejected President Rene
Preval's choice of the prime
minister's successor after the
Senate confirmed him.

CRITICISM
But Haitian activist
Marleine Bastien criticized
what she described as U.S.
short-term relief.
"What we are doing here
today, it's only for short-term
relief," said the executive
director of Haitian Women of
Miami, who recently visited
the impoverished, French-
speaking Caribbean country
as part of a delegation led by
U.S. civil rights activist
Reverend Jesse Jackson.
"The U.S. has been
engaged in Haiti for almost


Wyclef Jean


ing Haitian agriculture to its
past grandeur."
Meantime, Haitian-born,
international hip-hop artist
Wyclef Jean and two leading
development organizations
have collaborated in dispatch-
ing immediate food aid to Haiti.
The Grammy Award-win-
ning Jean last month said that
his foundation, Yele Haiti, the
WFP and the Pan American
Development Foundation
have established a group
called "Together for Haiti" in


ent food
J.
i",
of anoth-
ning
nodel
luential


economist Jeffrey Sachs, would
provide food, create jobs and
support local agriculture in
response to the crisis.
Jean said they plan, over
the next six months, to create
labor-intensive jobs, paying
workers with cash and food;
distribute food to malnour-
ished children under five and
pregnant women, as part of
WFP's existing food assistance
programme; and provide fertil-
izer, seeds, training and micro-
enterprise grants, as well as
support local agriculture.
"It starts with the
ground," Jean said.
"Let's start implementing
projects, so that we can create
jobs. Job creation will slow
down the violence."
He said, to date, the cam-
paign has raised $1.5 million,
with the Haitian cell phone
company, Voila, among the
corporate contributors.
0


NEW YORK Guyana's
President Bharrat Jagdeo last
month joined an international
conservation group in launch-
ing a new global campaign that
focuses on the "vital role of
healthy tropical fI ,rL "L in sta-
bilizing the climate.
Jagdeo and top executives
of Conservation International
(CI) told reporters at the
launching ceremony that they
would like to change the prac-
tice of burning and clearing
tropical forests, since such a
practice emits at least 20 per
cent of total greenhouse gases
that cause climate change.
"We must create incen-
tives to reward the conserva-
tion of existing forest and sup-
port our communities with
new economic development
alternatives for the 21st centu-
ry," Jagdeo said.
"This will compensate
countries like Guyana that
have protected their forests
for decades, and prevent the
migration of deforestation to
countries where it historically
has not taken place."

DAMAGE
Jagdeo and CI leaders
said the central message of
the "Lost There, Felt Here"
campaign, which includes a
video featuring actor Harrison
Ford, is that "destroying trop-
ical forests anywhere hurts
people everywhere".


They said the pri iii '
forests that are home to half
the species on Earth also
combat climate change and
provide essential resources to
the people who live in and
around them.
Jagdeo said he was work-
ing with CI and other interna-
tional and local partners in
creating incentives to conserve
the irrLpLI,.LJhL habitat."
He has offered to place his
country's forest under a strict
regime that pays Guyana for
the carbon dioxide stored in
the trees and other biomass.
Currently, the Kyoto
Protocol on Climate Change
does not recognize forest pro-
tection actions such as
Guyana's as valid carbon
credits. But CI executives said
United Nations' negotiators
were now considering an
expanded market to include
forest conservation.
Jagdeo said Guyana has
retained up to 80 percent of its
original Amazon forest cover.
"Conserving forests is one
of the quickest and most cost-
effective ways to combat cli-
mate change and help people
adapt to the impacts of a
warming planet," said CI
Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer Peter Seligmann.
"We need to ensure that
these investments are propor-
tionate to the magnitude of
the problem."


"These irreplaceable
forests are under threat from
increasing demand from a
resource-hungry world," said
CI President Russell A.
Mittermeier.
"The fact that the carbon
market is finally beginning to
look at the critical importance
of forest carbon provides a
unique new opportunity to
compensate tropical countries
for protecting these forests at
a scale far beyond anything
that has been done to date
and in a way that is truly sus-
tainable both ecologically and
economically," he added.
Mittermeier commended
Guyana's "enlightened
approach" to this issue, noting
that it could serve as a "model
for many other forest-rich
countries around the world."
The "Lost There, Felt
Here" campaign calls for the
harnessing of nature's technol-
ogy the healthy ecosystems
that regulate the climate and
sustain life on Earth.
"The goal is to raise aware-
ness of the cost and harm to all
of us from destroying some of
the richest tropical forests in
the world," said Bill Bruce,
chairman and chief creative
officer of BBDO New York,
which created the campaign.
"It is intended to shake
people up and get them to
take action."
0


Children gain from World Bank's

$65M loan package for Jamaica


WASHINGTON The World
Bank Board has approved a
$65 million loan package for
Jamaica that would strengthen
the social safety net, improve
health and education services
for children and support
HIV/AIDS prevention and
control.
"The World Bank is
pleased to continue supporting
the g< >\ I rnLn ik 111 social and eco-
nomic development strategy by
investing in projects that pro-
mote equal opportunities for all
Jamaicans," said the World
Bank Country Director for the
Caribbean Yvonne Tsikata.

CHILDREN'S AID
The bank said that $40
million would go towards the
Social Protection Project
aimed at strengthening the
country's social insurance and
social assistance system by
supporting a number initia-
tives, including the improve-
ment of the Program of
Advancement through Health
and Education (PATH) a
cash transfer program that
provides benefits on the con-
dition that children attend
school and visit health centers
periodically.
Since its launch in 2002,
PATH has become the
Jamaica's flagship social assis-
tance program, providing cash
transfers to almost 230,000


beneficiaries in 2007.
"The World Bank's sup-
port will also allow the govern-
ment to increase the benefit
level by 23 percent to adjust
for inflation, to increase grants
for secondary school students
by up to 75 percent to stimu-
late grade progression and
high school completion and to
give a one-time bonus to stu-
dents moving to tertiary educa-
tion or training", a statement
from the World Bank said.
"It also will expand benefit
coverage by 50 percent to
reach approximately 14 percent
of the population, the equiva-
lent of the country's poverty
rate in 2007. The increase in
benefits also addresses loss of
purchasing power of PATH
benefits due to the sharp
increase in food prices and the
need to compensate families
for the increasing opportunity
cost of schooling".
The second loan for $15
million will be used to co-
finance the implementation of
the National Strategic Plan for
Early Childhood Development,
while the final loan of $10 mil-
lion would help support the
government's National
HIV/AIDS Program by target-
ing high-risk groups and
increasing access to treatment,
care and support services.
0


June 2008


Guyana's president collaborates

with int'l group on climate change









-usw^caribbeantodj..c.


CARIBBEAN TODAY


n e wS


Tourism summit offers opportunities U.N. monitoring cost of living

for Caribbean diaspora to connect in U.S. impact on Caribbean children


WASHINGTON, D.C. The
Caribbean diaspora in the
United States will have the
opportunity to directly inter-
act with visiting Caribbean
tourism ministers this month
during town hall meetings
organized in conjunction with
the first Annual Caribbean
Tourism Summit (ACTS).
Ministers of tourism will
converse with Washington/
Virginia/Maryland-based
nationals in open forum dis-
cussions on June 22. The
event is designed to appeal to
Caribbean nationals,
Caribbean Americans,
Caribbean interest groups and
young adults considering a
career in tourism.
The Caribbean Tourism
Development Company
(CTDC), the marketing and
business development unit
owned equally by the
Caribbean Hotel Association
(CHA) and the Caribbean
Tourism Organization (CTO),
has created ACTS as a major
forum in which to focus on the
economic future of the
Caribbean region. A primary
objective of ACTS is to bring
the services industry in the
Caribbean, of which tourism is
a part, to the forefront of
development discussions.

ENGAGEMENT
The conference will take
place June 21-24 at the
International Trade Center at
the Ronald Reagan Building
in downtown Washington,
D.C and will celebrate
Caribbean heritage while
coinciding with June's
Caribbean American Heritage
Month in June.
"We have designed this
conference as a way to engage
influencers to help grow
tourism and increase invest-
ment in the Caribbean
region," said Hugh Riley, co-
chief operating officer for
CTDC.


"At the same time, we
want to celebrate the tremen-
dous contributions of the peo-
ples of the Caribbean and to
continue raising the awareness
of our brand."
All events and activities
are open to participants who
register. In addition to town
hall meetings, there will be:

* June 21 CTDC and Cond6
Nast Bridal Media will host a
"Capital Caribbean
Wedding", resulting from
Cond6 Nast Bridal Media's
online search for a couple
with a compelling story on
the theme of "When You
Knew Your Love was
Monumental! Tell us Your
Love Story or Your Picture
Perfect Proposal". The win-
ning couple will publically
exchange vows and receive a
honeymoon to a Caribbean
destination. There's free
admission to attend the wed-
ding, but registration is
required.

* June 22 Founder and
Senior Pastor of Bahamas
Faith Ministries International
Dr. Myles Munroe will make a
presentation at a motivational
brunch. There is an admission
fee of $35. Register online.


is in needof 55 andover adu o assist'n 'td an
.mrtzn nzatiorn acro D ;=dc= M~ IyeLlhai9c
'21 Wendc~Iet'ecanLriL~uteyo~ur wnd~coma e!LpEri~mnc
R51VP ltedqYOU.
To learn miore Bboht haw you can enrich the lives af diikhm
mho rFmIy oceJ your help, wi~dom, and fimc;
Please call Hlazl. at 954-484-7117 ext. 109

Aim "" /MM"'6


Wg (SFNIO


Urimd WWay Bnu..d Cnmi


* June 23 Gala Awards
Dinner and Ball. The black-tie
event will feature music from
Byron Lee and the
Dragonaires. Caribbean per-
sonalities, including Professor
Rex Nettleford and the Mighty
Sparrow, are among those list-
ed to attend. Contemporary
luminaries from entertainment,
public service and sports will be
presented with awards named
after famous Caribbean
heroes. Ticket information
available at www.ACTSdrccom.

* June 24 Financial experts
will convene for an interac-
tive "Workshop on Small
Business Investment in the
Tourism Sector", featuring
information on how to source
funding, technical assistance
and incentives offered by gov-
ernments, hotel chains and
investment groups to ensure
greater business success.
Admission fee is $25.

* June 24 Rum & Rhythm
Celebration, from 6 p.m. to 10
p.m. The event will include a
sampling of premium
Caribbean rums, traditional
Caribbean hospitality, and
interactive demonstrations on
how rum is made. Tickets are
at $60.
For more information on
the first ACTS and to register
for all events, visit
www.ACTSdc.com or call
800-603-3545.
0


LONDON, CMC The
London-based human rights
group Amnesty International
says murder and police
killings in Jamaica have
remained at a high level.
"Police officers were
largely unaccountable and
rarely brought to justice for
human rights violations.
Discrimination and violence
against women and gay men
were widespread", the human
rights group stated in its 2008
report released late last
month.
It said homicide rates
reached another record high
with more than 1,500 people
murdered during last year.
Amnesty said that
although the Jamaican Justice
System Reform Task Force
launched its preliminary
report last May, with compre-
hensive reform recommenda-
tions, "no clear plan for their


BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,
CMC A top official at the
Barbados office of the United
Nation Children's Education
Fund (UNICEF) says the
U.N. is concerned about the
impact which the rising cost of
living is having on children
and other vulnerable groups
throughout the Caribbean.
Tom Olsen,
UNICEF repre- -; ,
sentative at the .
Office for .V ,


Barbados and
the Eastern
Caribbean, told
reporters at a
media exchange
last month that
governments
need to do more
to mitigate the
effects of the


implementation had been
devised by the end of the
year".

CONCERN
It added that while there
has been a continuation of a
review of the Jamaica
Constabulary Force, initiated
by the previous administra-
tion, "there was concern
about the lack of consultation
with human rights organiza-
tions".
Amnesty said that during
2007, reports of police brutali-
ty also increased.
"According to the Bureau
of Special Investigations, 203
people were killed by police
between January and
September, a significant
increase compared with 2006.
Victims were mainly from
socially excluded inner-city
communities", it stated.
"Although the police rou-


ness on it," he added.
Olsen said UNICEF's
office in Barbados has to
come up with a strategy to
offer assistance to children
and families affected by the
increasing food prices.
"When we are responding
to it we want to do it adequate-
ly with facts and data and not
,, - ,v. --- *? -.- r" ",


L~yML


global problem -
on children U.N. worried aboi
"What do region's children.
you do in the
meantime? I think that's
where you have to get a gov-
ernment that is proactive.
Government needs to be on
top of it as well and having
mechanisms in place to ensure
that there are fair prices out
there," he said.
"I hear many people talk-
ing and saying I don't under-
stand because last week the
food prices were like
this'...They come in the shop
today and food prices have
gone up and no container has
come into the port. I would
say somebody is doing busi-


ut impact rising food prices is having on


only making statements. I
think we need some time to
develop that kind of strategy to
see how we can deal with the
increase in food prices and the
impact on children and the
most vulnerable groups," the
U.N. official added.
He noted that the issue of
high food prices is bigger than
the region, pointing to the fact
that U.N. Secretary General
Ban Ki Moon has established
a special committee to deal
with the issues.
0


tinely claimed that these
killings occurred during shoot-
outs with criminal gangs, eye-
witness accounts often alleged
that police had extra judicially
executed victims".

SEXUAL VIOLENCE
Amnesty also said that
sexual violence against women
and girls was prevalent
throughout the country, and
that "the authorities failed to
bring those responsible to jus-
tice".
Amnesty also said while no
one was executed in 2007, the
new government announced
there would be a free vote
"allowing representatives to
vote according to personal con-
science, in Parliament on the
resumption of hangings".
The last execution in
Jamaica took place in 1988.
0


June 2008


Amnesty International worries over

human rights abuse in Jamaica





CARIBBEAN TODAY


NEWS


Jamaican-born coach guilty in U.S. athletics doping scandal


Trevor Graham, a
Jamaican-born former
Olympic athlete-turned-
track-coach to several of the
sport's bi_-,,,LI names, has
been found guilty of lying to a
United States grand jury and
faces time in prison.
Graham, who was a mem-
ber of the Caribbean island's
4x400 meters silver medal-win-
ning squad at the 1988
Olympic Games and later
trained world stars including
Justin Gatlin, Marion Jones
and Tim Montgomery, was
convicted on one of three
counts of lying to federal inves-
tigators following a trial which
concluded in San Francisco,
California late last month.
The jury could not agree
on a verdict for the other two
charges of lying to Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) agents,
which had been laid against
Graham following federal
investigations into the use of
performance-enhancing drugs.
He was convicted of a


Gatlin


charge linked to his relation-
ship with Texas resident Angel
"Memo" Heredia, a key prose-
cution witness, who testified
that he supplied Graham with
drugs for some of his athletes.
Graham, who did not testify at
the trial, had earlier denied
those allegations.

TRAIL
Graham's name first sur-
faced in the doping investiga-
tions after a syringe contain-
ing the performance-enhancer


known as "the clear", then an
undetectable steroid, was
traced to the Bay Area
Laboratory Co-Operative
(BALCO) several years ago.
BALCO had been linked to
supplying top athletes with
performance-enhancing drugs.
The syringe had been original-
ly sent to the U.S. Anti-
Doping Agency by an
unknown source. Graham
later admitted that he had
sent it.
Since then BALCO's boss
Victor Conte has been con-
victed of supplying perform-
ance-enhancers. American
Jones, a multi-Olympic cham-
pion who at first vehemently
denied using performance-
enhancers, was later convicted
of lying to federal agents and
sentenced to six months in
prison. Montgomery, also of
the U.S. and a former world
record holder in the 100
meters, also admitted to using
enhancers. Gatlin, another
American, tested positive for


performance-enhancers and
was banned from the sport for
four years. He is appealing his
sentence.
All three, plus several
other prominent track and field
athletes, trained with Graham
at his Sprint Capitol USA club
based in North Carolina.

SCAPEGOAT?
William Keane, Graham's
attorney, called his client "the
original whistleblower in
BALCO" who was being


made a scapegoat.
Several of Graham's for-
mer athletes testified at his
trial. Among them was
American Antonio Pettigrew,
an Olympic 4x400 meters
relay gold-medal winner, who
admitted, for the first time,
that he had used performance-
enhancers since 1997.
Up to press time prosecu-
tors had not yet announced if
they would again try Graham
on the other two charges.
Keane said he would try to get
the charges dismissed.
The conviction on the lone
charge carries a maximum sen-
tence of a $250,000 fine and
five years in prison. But
Graham, a first time offender,
is likely to be locked away for
under a year. His sentencing is
scheduled for Sept. 5.

Several sources, including
wire reports, contributed to
this story.
0


Antigua resolute despite gaming dispute with U.S.


HALIFAX, Canada In the
midst of a five-year battle with
the United States over
Internet gaming, the Antigua
government has insisted it has
no plans to give up on its
financial services sector.
Speaking at the 38th
Annual Meeting of the
Caribbean Development Bank
Board of Governors, Finance
and Economy Minister Dr.
Errol Cort highlighted the
important role of the sector in
the country's economy and
said his government would
continue to pursue policies to
diversify the industry and to
ensure its future growth and
sustainability.
"In an attempt to position
Antigua and Barbuda as a
premier jurisdiction for asset
protection and wealth man-
agement, a number of pieces


of legislation have been enact-
ed. These include the
International Trust Act, the
International Foundation Act
and the International Limited
Liability Company Act," Cort
said last month.
"The government recog-
nizes the need to continuously
update its domestic laws,
thereby ensur-
ing that a
strong regula-
tory frame-
work is main-
tained and, in
this regard, we
have enacted
new legislation
that allows the
Financial
Services
Regulatory Commission
(FSRC) to operate as a single
regulatory authority for all


non-bank financial institutions
in addition to all International
Business Corporations," he
added.

BLOW
His comments come as
the country's financial sector
recovers from a blow dealt by
Washington when, two years
ago, it barred U.S. banks and
credit card companies from
processing payments made to
online and offshore gambling
operators in Antigua. The
move prevented the twin-
island nation from tapping
into the lucrative American
gaming market.
The matter was taken to
the World Trade Organization
(WTO) where a panel of arbi-
trators awarded $21 million in
sanctions against the U.S.
0


Jamaican, Haitians die after boat capsizes


NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC -
Bahamian authorities identi-
fied the bodies of the three
persons who died when the
boat they were on capsized in
a storm late last month.
They said the deceased
were a Jamaican man and a
man and a woman from Haiti.
Justin Snisky, chairman of
the Bahamas Air Sea Rescue
Association, said a fourth vic-
tim was snatched away by
sharks before officials could
retrieve the body.
Bahamian authorities said
they are also trying to deter-
mine what happened to the
skipper of a sailboat en route
to the Netherlands from Fort
Lauderdale, Florida after his


vessel was caught in the same
storm on the night of May 24
that saw 45 mile-per-hour
winds and 12-foot seas.
It was while looking for the
captain on May 25 that U.S.
Coast Guard officials spotted


the overturned fishing boat
about 13 miles west of Grand
Bahama Island. Bahamas police
spokesman Basil Rahming said
the vessel was apparently head-
ed for the U.S. coast.
0


ww.broward~edn/'Purchasing/bkki

954-201-7455
BCC strogly Pn imiragK prliriparinn by minHry nr vud w'inen-
owned husiness ewnteprikes MWLE flrms)


YOUR HOME OR CONDO
WE THERE, STAY THERE,
AND LEF IT PAY YOU
FOR

FIND OUT HOV A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
HEVFRSF MORTC.ACF. CAN B1NEFITYOU.
















CONTACT:
The Reverse Mortgage Specialists
Robert G. Malatino David N. Roberts
954-292 -1967 954-604-5680
Seniorlt@bdllisuth.net rmtradingbellsofud.net


CitcJ aragin CoAf-ta


Adv~oucy Gtow


I-I
WU6'E,1,T


Wr 1 vis~J ityou 141dx cif Mfon oj( yar 6w and 4provick yo it4uibl1a


LWW-crbbatoa.co


June 2008









-usw^caribbeantodj..c.


CARIBBEAN TODAY


S0 c n AI


IMMIGRATION

VKORNER '

QUESTION: How do I get a
re-entry permit into the U.S.?

ANSWER: If you want to get a
re-entry permit, file Form I-
131, Application for Travel
Document, says the U.S.
Citizenship & Immigration
Services (USCIS).
Officials say you should file
this application well in advance
of your planned trip. The 1-131
is available at uscis.gov and the
instructions on the form will
give you more details. If you
have questions after reading
the instructions, call customer
service at 1-800-375-5283.
A re-entry permit estab-
lishes a presumption that you
did not abandon your legal sta-
tus in the United States, and it
allows you to apply for admis-
sion to the U.S. after traveling
abroad for up to two years,
without having to obtain a
returning resident visa, the
USCIS say.


Getting a re-entry permit into the U.S.


Re-entry permits are nor-
mally valid for two years from
the date of issuance. It can help
prevent problems associated
with your Permanent Resident
Card becoming technically
invalid for re-entry into the
U.S. if you are absent from the
U.S. for one year or more, or
your U.S. permanent residence
being considered as abandoned
for absences shorter than one
year, if you take up residence
in another country.
You may also want to get a
re-entry permit if you plan on
traveling outside the U.S. and
cannot, or do not wish to get a
passport from your home coun-
try. Many countries throughout
the world may allow you to use
a re-entry permit much like you
would use a passport placing
necessary visas, and entry and
exit stamps in the permit so
you may use it as your main
travel document. Be sure to
check with the countries you
plan on visiting about their
requirements before you travel.
U.S. immigration rules do
not require you have the docu-
ment in your possession when


you depart, but they do require
that you apply for the permit
before you leave the U.S.
Note that re-entry permits
can't be extended. If your per-
mit expires, you'll need to
apply for a new one. If you
have a valid re-entry permit in
your possession, you will need
to send it in when you apply
for a new one. You need not
send in an expired re-entry
permit. For security reasons,
the USCIS says it will not issue
a new re-entry permit to some-
one who already has a valid
one in his or her possession.
If you need a new re-entry
permit because your previous
one was lost, stolen, or destroyed,
please indicate this on your appli-
cation for the new permit.
Compiled by Felicia Persaud
The answers provided here are
for information purposes only,
and do not create an attorney-
client relationship; nor are they
a substitute for "legal advice",
which can only be given by a
competent attorney after review-
ing all the facts of the case.


FYI


GETTING TO KNOW YOU



I .......


June is "Caribbean American
Heritage Month". Caribbean
Today will use its FYI col-
umn to list some of the activ-
ities during the month.

HIV/AIDS AWARENESS
June 8 of Caribbean
American Heritage Month in
the United States is being
used to observe National
Caribbean American
HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
(NCAHAAD).
NCAHAAD is a national
mobilization effort designed
to encourage Caribbean
Americans and individuals
born in the Caribbean, across
the U.S. and its territories, to
get educated, tested, treated
and involved. It is also a time
to reflect, memorialize and
show compassion for those
infected or affected by
HIV/AIDS.

TAMPA CELEBRATES
The Caribbean American
Heritage Foundation of
Tampa Bay, Florida has lined
up several events to mark
Caribbean American Heritage
Month. They will be held in
Tampa. Among them are the
following:
* June 7, noon to 5 p.m. -
Caribbean American Business
Expo, Carrollwood Cultural
Center Annex, 13335 Casey Rd.
* June 8-22 Caribbean Art
Festival, Orange Park Gallery,
1215 N. Franklin St.
* June 18, 6:30 p.m. Wide
Awake Wednesday's topic:
"Caribbean American
Commonalities and
Misconceptions", Mango's,
4237 Armenia Ave.
* June 21, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. -
Caribbean American Wellness
Health Festival, Carrollwood
Cultural Center Annex.
* June 28,9 p.m. Tampa Bay
Seventh Annual Calypso
Competition.
* June 29, noon to 6 p.m. -
Caribbean American Family
Olympics, Rowlette Park,
North 22nd Street and
Rowlette Dr.

GEORGIA EVENTS
The Georgia Caribbean
American Heritage Coalition
(GCAHC) has announced
several events in June. They
include the following:
* June 7,6 p.m. to 9 p.m. -
Caribbean Cultural Variety
Show, co-hosted by the
Atlanta Caribbean
Association, Hillside
Presbyterian Church, 1879
Columbia Dr., Decatur.
* June 13, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. -
Launch reception of the
GCAHC's mentorship/intern-
ship program, Junor Fine Art
Gallery, 114 E. Ponce de Leon
Ave., Decatur.
* June 19, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. -
Business opportunities semi-


June 2008


nar, Clark Atlanta University,
223 James P. Brawley Dr.,
Atlanta.
* June 25-26, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. -
Caribbean Arts and Culture
Symposium. June 25 event at
Savannah College of Art and
Design, Atlanta campus, 1600
Peachtree St. June 26 event
at Auburn Research Library
on African American Culture
and History, 100 Auburn Ave.
Visit www.caribbeansympo-
sium.com for more informa-
tion.
* June 28, 7:30 p.m. Awards
banquet and silent auction,
John Williams Ballroom, The
Galleria Centre, 2 Galleria
Parkway, Atlanta. Visit
www.cobbgalleria.com or call
404-667-7933 for more infor-
mation.






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: ctIads@bellsouth.net
Vol. 19, Number 7 JUNE 2008

PETER A WEBLEY
Publisher

GORDON WILLIAMS
Managing Editor

SABRINA HOPKINS
Graphic Artist

DOROTHY CHIN
Account Executive
SHARON LEE
Account Executive

JACQUELINE RUBIANO
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 thepublisher.

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.


JIS/NYC photograph
Geneive Brown Metzger, center, consul general of Jamaica in New York, was among several of her peers who were feted at a
recent reception for new consuls general organized by the Society of Foreign Consuls (SoFC). The consuls general and their guests
were hosted by Christopher Forbes, right, vice chairman, Forbes, at the Forbes Galleries in Manhattan. At left is Michael Hess, sen-
ior managing partner of Giuliani Partners, LLC.


Vlk6eMO Diplarrmb
Moftffl BogVd DI FaMily PMCIIOS
9"--- A7--


-nosucw care Pror
an Optimum Lifestyle"

Now Accopting New Pationttsff
Telephone: (305) 253-4340

Ws~m R*WoaMIod kWsUI KvmnI
129MMV 12ndStrel 8wkimug 2B, $oe 1034 MwianF~irsda 3186





CARIBBEAN TODAY


VIEW uPO n T


LWW-crbbatoa.co


Never return to old stomping grounds


((Oh to turn back the hands
of time," they say, or, "If I
knew now what I knew then,
things would be different."
Well, I always say what's
past is past, what's gone is gone,
it's all water under the bridge,
so it's best we leave it be.
Still, some people insist on
trying to recapture the past, go
back to the glory days, relive
their youth, or worse yet, return
to a former lover. Well, take it
from me, you shouldn't go back.
Have you ever gone back to your
old primary or prep school and
wander through the classrooms?
The first thought that hits you, is
how small everything seems, the
classroom, the tiny desks and
chairs and the playground.
Everything just seems so out of
proportion and you wonder how
you ever managed to fit into that
tiny world. You have grown.
What is true is that memo-
ry is selective, and usually we
tend to remember only the
good things from past relation-
ships, hence the saying, the
good old days. Heck, there was
nothing particularly good about
the good old days. They were
just normal days, fraught with
peril and misfortune as well as
good times. But as time passed,
we, by process of elimination,
sifted out the bad times and left
only the good memories, and
voila, it's the good old days.
As the book "A Tale of
Two ( IIIc, said: "It was the
best of times, it was the worst
of tim c,. The same applies to
relationships, and if you had
the experience of leaving one,
it's best to leave well enough
alone and don't return. There is
a reason why you left in the
first place. Either she left you
or you left her, or it was by
mutual agreement. But what
matters is that things got so bad
that you had to part ways.

JUSTIFICATION
Now years have passed and
the selective memory kicks in,
and suddenly she looks so
appealing again and you want
to have another go. Big mis-
take. First you try to justify all
the reasons to return. "Oh, I
must forgive and forget, let
bygones be bygones, I must
turn the other cheek and take
her back." You only say that
now because your selective
memory has erased all the pain
and hurt that she put you
through over the years. You
forgot the tears, the pain,
anguish and anger that you felt
when she tore up your heart.
If you're a lady, the grief that
he put you through as he ran
around with your best friend
has perhaps abated, and now
you're willing to give him a sec-
ond chance. "Oh, he has
changed, and he won't hurt me
again," you think.
So whether you are man or
woman, you reckon that the
past relationship is worth


another shot,
so you decide
to turn back
the hands of
time and give it
another go.
Well first
of all, time has
marched on,
and as time TONY
passed, so have ROBINSON
both parties
grown. Many
people expect to just pick up
exactly where they left off
when they broke up years ago.
She was 25, he was 30, now she
is 30 and he is 35. It's been a
long five years of separation
and plenty water has gone
under the bridge. Yet so many
couples just expect to resume
life the same place that they
left it.

REALITY CHECK
After a few weeks ilere', a
harsh reality check, as the world
comes crashing down when reali-
ty sets in and both realize that
things and times have put a dif-
ferent spin on the relationship.
No longer is she the young naive
waif like girl who he could bowl
over with his charms. When they
were together he was her idol
and she hung on to every word
that he said like a starry eyed
pupil listening to a professor. In
those five years apart she has
grown, gained her independence,
became .,,c rli1c increased in
stature, has more self esteem,
landed a great new job and is
certainly not dependent on any
man, including him, for anything.
Or flip it, he has grown
tremendously, while she has
remained the same disco queen
of yesteryear, still flitting from
club to club every weekend
night, refusing to mature and be
responsible. For her, the party
has not ended. What happens
too, is that the circle of friends
on both sides may have expand-
ed or become different, and
suddenly he or she is thrust into
a world not of their liking.
"Who are those people that
she's now hanging about with? I
can't relate to them at all" Or,
"Now he's taken up with a rum


before you, but to know that in
the six years that you've been
apart, it's about two or three
different men who have run
through, partook of your pre-
cious fruit. It's perhaps a bit
much to bear. Now when you
make love to her all you can
think about is those big tough
back dudes who encroached on
your property. The thought is
often agonizing, and even
though it might not manifest
itself in the bI-iiiiiiiinn after a
while it will seep through and
come to the fore. And that's
why you should not return.

'DAMAGED GOODS'
Interestingly, this doesn't
seem to bother women as much
as men, as it's mostly men who
have expressed this to me. "My
God, every time I see her talk-
ing to a man I wonder if she
had a thing with him when we
were apart. I now see her as
damaged p, d, .
What happens when you go
back is the past somehow
creeps back in, and the selective
memory isn't as selective as it
used to be. Suddenly you start
to remember his annoying little
habits, how lazy he was around

Minister Stephenson King last
month dismissing reports that
he planned to resign over the
current crisis within his govern-
ment that was sparked by calls
by disgruntled legislators for
the dismissal of Economic
Affairs Minister Ausbert
D'Auvergne.

* "Whatever may have
inspired and motivated it
(embargo), it belongs to an era
that is long past" Jamaica's
Prime Minister Bruce Golding
last month calling for the lifting
of the United States-imposed
economic embargo on Cuba.

* "When one gets a feeling of
invincibility, of arrogance, then
that is the time the party must
take stock" Ken Valley,
deputy leader of the ruling
People's National Movement
(PNM) in Trinidad and
Tobago, last month calling for
the removal of Prime Minister


drinking gambling crowd, I am
certainly not used to that."
Another reason why you
shouldn't return is because of
what took place in that dash
between when you broke up
and now. Suddenly, the woman
who was once only yours, now
has a history of exes in the
space between then and now.
Your virgin bride has been sul-
lied, tainted by recent experi-
ences. It was all well and good
if she had a boyfriend or two


* "The relationship between the
police force and the community
has to be 100 percent. You can-
not demand respect from peo-
ple; you have to earn it and once
you earn it any problem is sur-
mountable"- Jamaica's recently
appointed Minister of National
Security Trevor MacMillan last
month discussing his solution to
the crime problem.

* "I am not too
sure where this
is coming from
but I am the
prime minister;
I am here to
serve and I will
continue to
serve in the interest of the
people" St. Lucia' s Prime


." .* Cosmetic
Restorative
S* Preventive

Member American Dental Association
Most insurance A c-t- ,c'i

6701 Sunset Drive, Suite 114
1South Miami,.FL 33143


the house, how dependent he is
on his mother even now, and
the floodgates of the negative
waters of hell burst open as you
remember everything. Suddenly
he remembers that she was sexy
only once or twice for the
month, but his selective memo-
ry had blocked out the periods
of forced .bi iniiciL. c
As romantic as it may seem
my friends, you can't return. My
findings are backed up by scien-
tific \i.1ii K il data which proves
that most second tries do not
work. Always remember, things
had to get really bad for you to
have parted in the first place, so
why do you think that those bad
things have gone away?
If you want to relive the
past, it's best to get someone
who closely resembles your ex.
That way you'll have the best
of both worlds same physical
appearance, but a brand new
experience. Perhaps she will
bring you crosses too, but at
least it's new crosses.
You can't return, just look
ahead and stop trying to relive
the past.

seidol@hotmail. com


Patrick Manning last month.

* "The recent downturn in the
U.S. economy is not impacting
the interest in the Caribbean" -
Alec Sanguinetti, director gen-
eral of the Caribbean Hotel
Association, expressing opti-
mism last month about the
region's tourism future.

* "I'm very disappointed. I've
had sleepless nights after that
hearing. I think what happened
is unfortunate" Richie
Richardson, a member of the
West Indies Cricket Board dis-
ciplinary committee and former
captain of the region's team, last
month hitting out at the deci-
sion to ban Marlon Samuels for
two years over his involvement
with an alleged Indian bookie.

Compiled from CMC and
other sources.


Oral Surgery
Oral Cancer Screening
Root Canal Treatment
Orthodontics


(305) 666-4334


PAUL W. MOO YOUNG, D.D.S.

FAMILY DENTISTRY
EMERGENCY WALK-IN SERVICE


June 2008









~L~"
coo V -


CARIBBEAN TODAY


FOOD


June 2008


~ /
00 V -


I ww .caibeatoa.com


Versatile shrimp offers easy fix for Caribbean seafood treat


BEV BENNETT
Shrimp is a wonderful
ingredient when you're
cooking for two. You can
buy shrimp by the ounce so


you have just enough for a
meal without leftovers and
you can prepare the seafood
in so many ways you won't get
tired of it.
But shrimp comes in so
many forms, from fresh, which
rare, to cooked, peeled and
ready to eat. Each preparation


style has its virtues and draw-
backs. If you choose the
preparation that suits your
needs you'll save time and
expense.
For example, if you're
lucky enough
to find fresh
shrimp in
your super-
L market, savor
the delicate
taste with a
simple prepa-
ration, such
as shrimp in
a lemon-but-
ter sauce.

Shrimp that's
cooked with
the peel is
more succu-
lent and fla-
vorful. If
a m you're
preparing
shrimp to use
in a salad
and you have the time, buy
unpeeled shrimp. Rinse the
shrimp under cold water so
the shrimp meat contracts
slightly from the shell and is
easier to remove. Start with 12
ounces of peel-on shrimp and
assume you'll lose about two
ounces of the initial weight.


You have to peel raw
shrimp you're going to use in
soup, stew or a dish with
sauce. Whether you buy
peeled raw shrimp or do the
work yourself depends on
your time and budget. Peeled
shrimp are more expensive,
but you'll shave five minutes
off preparation, if that's
important. Peeling small raw
shrimp is tedious and I recom-
mend buying the peeled prod-
uct.
Shrimp have a long dark
vein that runs down the back.
In small shrimp, the vein isn't
an issue; in large shrimp, the
vein can be filled with grit.
You can buy de-veined
shrimp. If you have to do the
job yourself, take a small par-
ing knife, make a slash down
the back and pull out the strip.
Your supermarket fish
counter also offers cooked,
peeled shrimp. This is pricey
and limits your options. Use
precooked shrimp in salads or
for appetizers. Avoid adding
the shrimp to a dish you're
cooking; the results will be
tough and dry.
For the following recipe
of shrimp in a zesty chipotle
chile tomato sauce, start with
large shrimp and peel them
before cooking.


SHRIMP WITH CHIPOTLE-
TOMATO SAUCE

Ingredients
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 1 small onion, peeled and
chopped
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced
roasted tomatoes (see note)
* 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile
flakes (see note)
* 1/4 teaspoon crushed dried
oregano
* 12 ounces large raw shrimp,
peeled
* 2 teaspoons lemon juice
* Salt and pepper to taste
* Couscous with herbs
(follows)

Method
Heat the oil in a large skil-
let. Add the onion and garlic
and cook over medium heat
for three minutes or until ten-
der. Add the tomatoes with
liquid, chili flakes and
oregano. Reduce heat to low
and simmer for one minute.
Add shrimp. Cover skillet and
cook for 10 minutes, or until
shrimp are cooked through.
Stir occasionally. Stir in lemon
juice, salt and pepper.
To serve, spoon couscous
onto two plates. Top each with
the shrimp and sauce.


Makes two servings.

NOTE: If roasted tomatoes
aren't available, use plain
diced tomatoes. Chipotle chile
flakes are available in the
spice section of supermarkets.
If not available substitute
crushed red pepper flakes and
a pinch of chili powder.

COUSCOUS

Ingredients
* 2 cups chicken broth
* 1 cup large pearl couscous,
also called Middle Eastern
couscous
* 2 tablespoons minced
cilantro
* 2 tablespoons minced chives
or scallions, green parts only

Method
Bring the broth to a boil
in a medium pot. Stir in the
couscous. Reduce heat to low,
cover and simmer for five
minutes or until broth is
absorbed and couscous is ten-
der. Remove from heat. Stir in
cilantro and chives.

2008, Bev Bennett.
Distributed by Tribune Media
Services Inc.
0


A M



a.NigbohooaNeg@brhod


NEW NEIGHBORS


WL-IL~nurF iWnewII-hb'110 ii a w vry specialI p~irtof w;at we Jo
i..I.'-idin Smith ( ornimii~uy II h)%.d. piI.irT 4 h. Jc JLk~son I eih
SNreni, is proud to olfkr coniprelienive rnawrnky ivrviccsto our
inI iukhL IM'i L. LastI cye"ar aon.ur mawI~inityujiji wd'. Illejd an'r~e
th.ini *fW'ouor newest- arid c~ates neghor.Arld WC !Take .ri
of Mom a *nd IDal 1`00WArhour Uinkquc hre~ktiamrin bhid pr4Fa!V;LII.

) IJI gtal %IL ut ) k Icpdw rwi& 1 h0NxI hLCK chy I AUik W '):J'e a
.jack-vjn I VO~pr L IouC.n Like coml~ort in kll[M iil"thfir WC 'L 11[110
iwre f the. be%r and hripjhre~ LILLrIm, nurses. anid sraff ar-4-timrd.
\\iroud prtod ibw [xi rL u f t ILL iI I ig i i.IliciodJ.andd we waliLit YOU (0
k iowio rdo rs wA-%t' O[O-[0 NI -wr Ve VOLI I xI Ior( i n Forimat ijJi'
oJakson.44L1Souith visit ww 1 [tmmLim Lorg or ,i i13' )5,2.5 1, 2 4H 1.


kxkI I flt 4 yI Ic N'TIAI


www.jhsniiarni.org
3052i1.2500


good



Yew i Zl- n I lt I





CARIBBEAN TODAY


Guyana expecting record

participation for CARIFESTA
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, that other countries, such as
CMC The 10th staging of the Australia, United Kingdom,
Caribbean Festival of the Arts China, French Guiana and
(CARIFESTA X) is set to Morocco had also indicated an
attract record participation interest in participating in
from Caribbean, Latin CARIFESTA X, which is
American, North American being hosted under the theme
and European countries, "One Caribbean, One Purpose
according to Guyana's Minister Our Culture, Our Life".
of Culture, Youth and Sport Expressing satisfaction
Dr. Frank Anthony. with the response so far,
He said that approximately Anthony said that an an-rL,,-
1,300 of the expected 2,000 del- sive awareness campaign,"
egates from 22 countries have which is to be launched soon,
already confirmed their partici- would further stimulate more
pation in the Caribbean's pre- international interest in the
mier cultural event to be staged festival and assured that ade-
in Guyana this year Aug. 22-31. quate accommodation would
Traditionally, CARIFES- be provided.
TA had showcased the top He pointed to 3,041 exist-
creators of the Caribbean in ing hotel rooms and announced
their varied artistic spheres. his intention to augment this by
However, the festival has reactivating the Bed and


opened its doors to countries
outside of CARICOM and
Latin America.
The culture minister added


Breakfast programme that was
successfully operated during
Cricket World Cup 2007.
0


Grenada carnival sticks

with foreign judges


ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada,
CMC Carnival organizers here
say they are planning to use for-
eign judges for local calypso
competitions again despite
objections from the Grenada
Progressive Association of
Calypso and Tents (GPACT).
The announcement was
expected to upset GPACT,
whose opposition to foreign
judges sparked a conflict that
thrLJIL nid to throw last year's
carnival celebrations into dis-
array.
"GPACT as you all know
took us to court for that
action last year and they had
expressed to us in our post
mortem meeting that they are
against foreign judges," said
Arthur Hosten, Grenada's chief
carnival organizer.
ILEd on what happened
last year with the confidence
and integrity of the process,

Guyana reviving
GEORGETOWN, Guyana,
CMC Guyana is spending an
estimated $20,000 to acquire
32 steel pans from Trinidad
and Tobago in a bid to resus-
citate the local steel pan
industry.
The pans will form the
nucleus of a national steel
band which, according to a
Government Information
Agency (GINA) statement,
will hopefully take its place in
the national cultural arena.
"The National Steel Band
will consist of approximately
56 persons and rehearsals will
commence shortly", the state-
ment added.


we are continuing with foreign
judges this year."

COMPROMISE
The dispute played out in a
Grenada High Court at the
height of carnival celebrations
last year after Justice Kenneth
Benjamin ruled in favor of an
application by GPACT to pres-
ent their case against the
Grenada Cultural Foundation
(GCF).
However, the start of the
calypso finals, part of De
Manche Gras, the main carni-
val show, was delayed by more
than four hours due to a back
stage quarrel between officials
and GPACT over the composi-
tion of the final judging panel.
Carnival, Grenada's major
cultural showpiece will climax
Aug. 11-12.



steel pan industry
"Steel band was a popular
form of entertainment for sev-
eral years in Guyana but went
into decline. It is hoped that
this initiative will bring it back
to its former glory and reach
even further hi igl, .
Andrew Tyndal, project
consultant for the National
Steel Band and Development
Project, said that the resuscita-
tion of steel band in three
schools has commenced, with
tutors conducting training ses-
sions at St. Joseph's High,
Dolphin Secondary and Lodge
Community High School.
0


eNTERTnAINmenT


LW-S^^ caribbeantoday


SnimrE*W 7b Aa- MJJa*1x'


BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL


Jamaican artist Paul Blackwood shows his artwork to his country's Ambassador to the United States Anthony Johnson next to him.
The pieces were on display last month at the Embassy of Jamaica in Washington, D.C. Also viewing the artwork are, from left, fel-
low Jamaican artist Courtney Morgan and Stephen Salny. The four-day exhibition showcased over 75 works by the two artists,
specializing in landscapes, abstracts and semi-abstracts, oil on canvas and collages. It was the third year that the two artists have
shown their works in the U.S. capital.


0 1


June 2008





CARIBBEAN TODAY


Photograph by Dale Nicholson
Costumed revelers show off some of their moves on the streets of the Georgia,
United States city during last month's Atlanta Caribbean Carnival. The carnival sea-
son featured several colorful events, including the King and Queen Band
Competition, a parade in downtown Atlanta, a Caribbean Carnival Festival Village,
and live performances by some of the region's top entertainers, including Iwer
George, Pater Ram, Jamesy P., Problem Child, Burning Flames, WCK and 21ntrigue.


Jamaican jerk fest

moved to November


Citing the constant threat
of rain and the
September heat, pro-
moters of the annual
"Jamaican Jerk I tili\ Il have
moved the event to early
November.
This year's festival will
take place on Nov. 9 at
Markham Park in Sunrise,
Florida.
The "Jamaican Jerk


I i i\ ,ial is a family treat, with
attractions and activities for
all ages. Each year its package
of Caribbean foods especial-
ly "jerk" dishes and enter-
tainment attract a huge crowd.
Last year rain brought the
festival, produced by Riddims
Marketing and Jamaica
Awareness Inc., to a prema-
ture end.
0


'An Amazing Grace' hits South

Florida stage on June 15


Jamaican actor Christopher
Daley will do double duty as
director in the play "An
Amazing Grace" which pre-
miere's June 15 at the Coral
Springs Center for the Arts in
South Florida.
The play is written by
South Florida-based graphic
artist Roy "Artbwoy" Martin.
"An Amazing G ri.L is
Martin's first effort at play-
writing, but Daley has been a
popular actor/comedian in
Jamaica for years. Years ago
he gained recognition for his
role as "Little Johnny" in the
television show "Lime Tree
Lane" and has appeared in
several stage productions
since, including "Yard '99",
"Dis Ting", "Oliver and the
Gene", "Cindy Relisha and
the DJ Prince" and "Jamaica
2 Rahtid".
"An Amazing G( rt. L, is a
story about "Johnny", played
by Daley, an aspiring reggae
singer with dreams of making
it big. He struggles with his
criminal past with bad man
"Dredie", played by Andrew
Clarke, and "Puddy", played
by Sammy Question.


Daley plays entertainer "Johnny" in "An Amazing Grace".


"Queenie", played by Ann
"Charm" McKenzie, is
Johnny's love interest. The
"other woman" is church
sister "Grace", played by


Chanise Brady.
For more information,
call 305-405-1059.
*


Tobago to celebrate heritage festival July 11-Aug. 1


The island of the Tobago
will celebrate its 21st
annual heritage festival
with the theme "One Hand
Can't Clap".
This year's event, set to
take place July 11-Aug. 1, is a
commemoration of the
island's traditions and the
impact of its predominant
African heritage.
Tobago was originally
inhabited by Amerindians.
However, it quickly became
home to many African slaves
after the colonization by
Europeans. These historical
experiences have come
together to define what it
means to be Tobagonian and
essentially given birth to the
cultural extravaganza that is


"Tobago Heritage ILil I .I.
CELEBRATION
Since the festival's incep-
tion in 1987, Tobagonians
from various communities
have used the annual celebra-
tion of culture to educate and
entertain visitors and the
youth. Each village con-
tributes its own presentation.
The main event is the tradi-
tional "Ole Time Wedding",
hosted in the village of
Moriah. This marriage cere-
mony highlights the influences
of European culture on the
local population. It features a
colorful procession of the
satin-garbed and top-hatted
wedding party and guests
dancing in the streets.


The reception features a
chorus of fiddle music, local
cuisine, speeches and period
entertainment.
The festival is also consid-
ered a family affair, with
children displaying their tal-
ents at the "Junior Heritage
Explosion". The climax of
festivities is the crowning of
"Miss Heritage Personality"
and the "Heritage Calypso
Monarch".
Tobago, along with
Trinidad, is part of a twin-
island republic located in the
southeastern region of the
Caribbean.
For more information,
www.visittobago.gov.tt or call
800-816-7541.
0


S-w1


(305)251.3975
9275 SW. 152 Sireet. Sale 204
Miami. Fl 33157


ere is a goodhews fr dcIprie oplf ihMdcr


Dr. Olive Chung-James and Dr. John T. McAdory
have join ftwoes to bring you the new
MedChoice Health Center of South Dado Aroa.
Private practice with all the personalized services
of a great Medical Center.


(305)253-2655
9380 SW 150 Stit Suite 100
Miami, R 33176


Your best coice in pt manycoMedi4" Wre Plans.


-usw^caribbeantodj..c.


S RTS/ ENTE R TAI n


CELEBRATION ISLAND STYLE


June 2008


I











Animal rights group intensifies lobby


for boycott of St. Kitts and Nevis


NORFOLK, Virginia An
international animal rights
group has launched a global
campaign aimed at getting
travel agencies to boycott St.
Kitts and Nevis over alleged
cruelty to animals at the
Ross University School of
Veterinary Medicine.
The Virginia-based People
for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals (PETA) has to date
succeeded in getting at least
two major travel agencies in
the United States in boy-
cotting the twin-island federa-
tion over the alleged mutila-
tion and killing of healthy
sheep, donkeys and goats at
the veterinary school.
PETA, in a statement
issued last month, said that
while some travel agencies were
"planning quietly" to steer trav-
elers to other destinations, the
Washington-based Green Earth
Travel was the latest in publicly
announcing that it would
encourage its clients not to visit
the Caribbean nation "until the
school ends its cruel and deadly
surgical procedures on ani-
mals".
In April, the Las Vegas-
based Holiday Systems
International, a high-end trav-
el agency, said it had started
to refuse to book holidays to
St. Kitts and Nevis for its over
300,000 clients.
Donna Zeigfinger, presi-
dent of Green Earth Travel,
said she was urging clients to
vacation elsewhere "because of


BARBADOS High airfares
are grounding the develop-
ment of future air travelers,
according to a young travel
expert from the Caribbean.
Javon Griffith, designated
junior minister of tourism of
Barbados 2004-2005, is
lamenting the high cost of
intra-Caribbean travel, claim-
ing it is hindering efforts to
develop a youth travel market.
"The continuing increase
in the cost of travel is limiting
the ability of the Caribbean to
develop a youth travel mar-
ket," said Griffith, who
believes Caribbean youth need
to be educated early about the
importance of tourism to the
region's economy.
"They need to understand
that without the contribution
of tourism to the Caribbean
the region would be rendered
economically non-viable," the
20-year-old said.
"Furthermore, they need
to understand that this is why


the harmful and outdated sur-
geries that are performed on
animals at Ross and the St.
Kitts government's defense of
them.
"We will only resume
encouraging people to book
their travel to St. Kitts once
Ross University ends the
needless suffering of animals
by using humane veterinary
teaching alternatives recom-
mended by PETA", she said
in a letter to PETA.

ALERT
Zeigfinger added that
Green Earth Travel had also
posted an alert in its newslet-
ter about the alleged animal
cruelty at Ross University.
PETA which has affili-
ates in the United Kingdom,
Germany, the Netherlands,
India, and the Asia-Pacific
region said it had urged the
Denzil Douglas administration
in St. Kitts and Nevis to inves-
tigate the veterinary school
for alleged violations of the
United States' Protection of
Animals Act. It said it had
received complaints from
"concerned Ross students"
about "cruel teaching proce-
durLe .
But PETA said while the
St. Kitts and Nevis' Ministry
of Agriculture had launched
an investigation, the veteri-
nary school reportedly "con-
tinues to conduct needless
practice sessions on healthy
animals that often result in


it is argued so often that the
Caribbean is the most tourism
dependent region in the
world."

IMPACT
Griffith recently complet-
ed a bachelor of science
degree in hospitality and
tourism management from the
University of
the West
Indies. He has
worked as a
part-time serv-
er at the Fish
Pot Restaurant
in Barbados.
He said
affordable Griffith
travel options
help to shape the youth's
world view and address their
need to understand "the scope
of tourism's impacts, the level
of job creation and the valu-
able foreign exchange to be
earned from the sector.


death".
The group also called on
the school to establish a vet-
erinary teaching hospital to
help sick and injured animals
instead.
A St. Kitts and Nevis gov-
ernment statement in April said
"the citizens of St. Kitts and
Nevis are peaceful, hardwork-
ing and law-abiding and do not
condone any acts of cruelty
anywhere to animals or humans
alike. Any insinuation by
PETA that our government and
people think or behave other-
wise is a gross misrepresenta-
tion of our proud Caribbean
culture and traditions".
The administration said it
viewed the boycott threats as "a
ploy to attract attention by
PETA and to force the inter-
vention of the St. Kitts govern-
ment into a dispute between
two privately-owned and oper-
ated organizations, both of
which are headquartered in the
United States of America and
which operate under U.S. laws".
0


A V EI i i 6 6.od o


Retirement of U.S. planes


troubling for
ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada,
CMC The director general of
the Caribbean Hotel
Association (CHA) has
warned that regional
economies stand to suffer sig-
nificantly by the third quarter
of this year as a result of the
decision by major United
States airlines to retire dozens
of their planes from
September.
Addressing members of
the Grenada Hotel and
Tourism Association during
their annual general meeting
last month, Alec Sanguinetti
said that industry analysts esti-
mate that airlines will trim
their fleets because of high
fuel costs and a downturn in
the U.S. economy.
"Airlines will be trimming
between five and ten percent
of their aircraft," Sanguinetti
told the tourism stakeholders
"...I see serious negative
effects on our tourism indus-
try, serious negative effects on
the growth of the region's
economy and serious negative


region CHA
effects on our social life."

CUTS
While American Airlines
has declined to provide exact
details of its mass plane retire-
ment, the
CHA head
said that
United
Airlines plans
to cut 30 of its
oldest 737
planes,
Continental
will retire 34, Sanguinetti
and Delta and
Northwest between 15 and 20.
"All these major cuts
mean less seats available, less
planes available and ultimate-
ly less persons coming to our
region. These changes spell
trouble and it's time for us to
realize that life is not the same
and things should not contin-
ue as we know it in terms of
travel and tourism."
0


GI Ai .d~t.!-LINI, ?flO. iic ,Ianrd obLEJ~ij


(iaribbs~i n TAA%,Inviesir;l.141~-v
community la Jaii .mLaicatand ke United



SU P PI. EM ENT! Jwpwiak iat 46 -ion
JIUlPIi..ht~d i LfJuk ''MCQ8, vikd] p-'Lv tribuie
tf) .Jamnaica's b1]storL. -- L.turI2, gro rth A n d
d evelopme2nt 111 L A i n he ach~ievement.
and global contributions of a remarkablfl
people-
Promote your products and se-rvices.- in t hil.
40-p~iigc kcepsake edition, to he distribmetd
widdey chi'Oi~rhoui Flrida. New NYork. A\I~Lia
and the Carib.bcan.


CALL NOW TO ADVERTISE!
1-800-605-7516 305-238-2868
Fax 305-252-78413
e-mail: sales@caribbean today.corm

ADVERTISING DEADLINE: JUNE 20th, 2008
... if kE,-L9


High airfares affecting youth

travel in Caribbean ~ delegate


I


June 2008


CARIBBEAN TODAY





CARIBBEAN TODAY


-usw^caribbeantodj..c.


B u s I n e s s


Jamaica embraces plans to increase


trade with U.S. 'City of Brotherly Love'


PHILADELPHIA,
Pennsylvania Jamaica's
Ambassador to the Unites
States Anthony Johnson has
announced that his govern-
ment is looking at ways of
increasing trade with the
United States city of
Philadelphia.
"All efforts will be made to
increase export from Jamaica
to Philadelphia which now
stands at just under US$100
million to US$200 million,"
Johnson told the Philadelphia
City Council recently.
"All efforts will be made
to fortify a stronger trade rela-
tion with Jamaica and
Philadelphia."

STRENGTHENING
In the 18th century,
Jamaica and Philadelphia,


also known as
the "City of
Brotherly
Love", "had a
strong trading
relationship;
and there's no
reason why I
we cannot Johnson
strengthen
that relationship back, so both
Jamaica and Philadelphia can

"All efforts will be made to
fortify a stronger trade
relation with Jamaica and
Philadelphia"
Ambassador Johnson

benefit economically," the
diplomat said.
He said that trade could
be doubled by making


Philadelphia a port of entry
"for a wide range of Jamaican
products". In addition, the
new U.S. envoy called for the
enhancement of Jamaican
products in Philadelphia, stat-
ing that rum, sauces, pepper
products, liqueurs and beers
are some of the goods that
could be exported from
Jamaica to the large U.S city.
Carol Brooks, manager of
International Trade for the City
of Philadelphia's Department of
Commerce, said in 2007 a total
of $67,538,013 in goods were
imported from Jamaica, a 39.36
percent increase over 2006.
She said the top imports
were beverages, spirits, vine-
gar, vegetables, fruits, and
nuts.
0


Small businesses to highlight


Miami trade summit in July


MIAMI, Florida Medium-to-
small companies from a dozen
countries, including the
Caribbean, are expected to
participate in the Miami
International Trade Days
Summit 2008 next month.
The two-day event will be
held July 11-12 at the
Sheraton Mart Plaza here.
The showcase, sponsored
by the corporate members of
the Minority Chamber of
Commerce, will feature
exhibitors in businesses such
as beverages, food, construc-
tion, furniture and textiles.
"We are excited about
bringing a new vision to our
expos here in Miami, Florida,"
Doug Mayorga, chair of the
chamber's committee, said in a


press release issued recently
to promote the event.
"Miami International
Trade Days Summit will focus

"We are excited about bring-
ing a new vision to our
expos here in Miami,
Florida"
- Doug Mayorga, "Miami International
Trade Days Summit will focus
on all aspects of business."

on all aspects of business, such
as connecting with prominent
exporter and importer compa-
nies as well as providing visi-
tors with leading edge infor-
mation that can offer a true
competitive advantage for
small entrepreneurs."
Among the activities


scheduled for the event are a
series of educational confer-
ence sessions featuring indus-
try insights and business devel-
opment ideas to help stream-
line costs, introduce new items
and grow businesses, and focus
issues about certification for
"nostalgic products".
Registration is limited to
export-import industry profes-
sionals, including owners of
small businesses, supermar-
kets, restaurants, retail stores
and wholesale distributors. It
is not open to the general
public.
For more information,
call Juan Maltes at 786-260-
1965.
0


Z.)L ~l I Fimh ncR'iIap -lo.d',m\1'rL 250 ;L'`5W. I 4h ih Aiv.r".. 4umi 110
MonWok ~ii 33~13~1 )irmjiwr, FL I33027
Tch '1 %4777-01 4 a Fixr 7M~-777-0174 Tiel! 94 W74t 1736 '1 Fax: 9i4"441s9342
1nfw4~:de~a ncyhi11xom -www.delancyhill.com
rw 'M LE I6d.1nJ iPAd cr.[N f i dU.JkA IVkl~dWd LI AJ-fMGC~h 34: .'A k..X. itK.Rv q iIrmo.I I k'ARAbif bm ( 4 CJlk* i of A


Protecting credit during divorce


JOSE H. CARBALLO
When a marriage ends
in divorce, the lives
of those involved are
changed forever. During this
time of upheaval, one thing
that shouldn't have to change
is the credit status you've
worked so hard to achieve.
Unfulfilled promises to
pay bills, the making out of
credit cards, and a total break-
down in communication fre-
quently lead to the annihila-
tion of at least one spouse's
credit. Depending upon how
finances are structured, it can
sometimes have a negative
impact on both parties.
Yet by taking a proactive
approach and creating a specif-
ic plan to maintain one's credit
status, anyone can ensure that
"starting over" doesn't have to
mean rebuilding credit.
The first step for anyone
going through a divorce is to
obtain copies of your credit
report from the three major
agencies: Equifax, Experian,
and TransUnion. It's impossi-
ble to formulate a plan without
having a complete understanding
of the situation. (Once a
year, you may obtain a free
credit report by visiting
www.AnnualCreditReport. com.)
Then create a spreadsheet,
and list all of the accounts that
are currently open. For each
entry, fill in columns with the
following information: creditor
name, contact number, the
account number, type of
account (e.g. credit card, car
loan, etc.), account status (e.g.
current, past due), account
balance, minimum monthly
payment amount, and who is
vested in the account
(joint/individual/authorized
signer).

PLAN
Now make a plan. There
are two types of credit
accounts, and each is handled
differently during a divorce.
The first type is a secured
account, meaning it's attached
to an asset. The most common
secured accounts are car loans
and home mortgages. The sec-
ond type is an unsecured
account. These accounts are
typically credit cards and
charge cards, and they have
no assets attached.
For a secured account,
your best option is to sell the
asset. This way the loan is
paid off and your name is no
longer attached. Next best is
to refinance the loan. In other
words, one spouse buys out
the other. This only works,
however, if the purchasing
spouse can qualify for a loan
by hli mI, 1Ls and can assume
payments on their own.
Your last option is to keep
your name on the loan. This is


the most risky option because
if you're not the one making
the payment, your credit is
truly vulnerable.
In the case of a mortgage,
enlisting the aid of a qualified
mortgage professional is
extremely important. This
individual will review your
existing home loan along with
the equity you've built up and
help you to determine the best
course of action.

SPEED
When it comes to unse-
cured accounts, you will need
to act quickly. It's important to
know which spouse (if not
both) is vested. If you are
merely a signer on the
account, have your name


removed immediately. If you
are the vested party and your
spouse is a signer, have their
name removed. Any joint
accounts (both parties vested)
that do not carry a balance
should be closed immediately.
If there are jointly vested
accounts, which carry a bal-
ance, your best option is to
have them frozen. This will
ensure that no future charges
can be made to the accounts.
When an account is frozen,
however, it is frozen for both
parties. If you do not have any
credit cards in your name,
obtain one before freezing all
of your jointly vested accounts.
By having a card in your own
name, you now have the
option of transferring any joint
balances into your account,
guaranteeing they'll get paid.
Ensuring payment on a
debt, which carries your name,
is paramount when it comes to
preserving credit. One 30-day
late payment can drop your
credit score as much as 75
points. It is also important to
know that a divorce decree
does not override any agree-
ment you have with a creditor.
So, regardless of which spouse
is ordered to pay by the judge,
not doing so will affect the
credit score of both parties.
Not only eliminate all joint
accounts, but do it quickly.

Jose H. Caraballo is branch
manager for the Coral Gables
office of Source One mort-
gage. You can contact him at
caraballol2345@comcast.net
or 305-968-1257.
0


.---


June 2008





CARIBBEAN TODAY


11 6 n t T 91


Fit to a tea: green or black, they pack punch


GREG ISAACSON
The leaves of the camellia
sinensis plant contain an
array of bioactive sub-
stances, but scientific interest is
brewing over the medicinal
properties of antioxidant
polyphenol compounds known
as flavonoids.
In green, or unprocessed,
tea, the most potent are the
catechins. As tealeaves are fer-
mented by air exposure to pro-
duce black tea, the catechins
are transformed into
theaflavins and thearubigins.
Though all have benefits for
brain and body, it may be best
to consume a variety of teas.

GREEN TEA
1. Arthritis: Epigallocatechin
gallate (EGCG) inhibits
inflammation, bone erosion,
and joint damage from
rheumatoid arthritis.
2. Cancer: Populations that
drink green tea have lower
rates of cancer. EGCG com-
bats free-radical cell damage
and activates p57, a protein
that protects healthy cells.
3. Cholesterol: Lowers total
cholesterol and raises good
HDL cholesterol.
4. Intestinal inflammation:


EGCG has potent anti-inflam-
matory properties that could
help treat inflammatory bowel
disease.
5. Liver disease: Lowers risk of
developing liver disorders in
men. May also protect liver
against damaging effects of
alcohol.










A cup of tea offers many health benefits.

6. Sunburn: EGCG mitigates
sunburn reaction. May protect
against skin cancer.

BLACK TEA
1. Bone health: May increase
bone mineral density.
2. Cancer: May reduce risk of
many cancers. Theaflavin-3'-
monogallate (TF-2) acts as a
COX-2 inhibitor to suppress
cancer cells.
3. Cholesterol: Drinking five
cups of black tea per day low-


Finding ways to stop
DR. HARVEY B. SIMON .-


Question: I know I should quit
smoking. I'm 27 years old and
just started three years ago. I
always believed I could quit any
time I wanted. Now, almost
four months have gone by since
I made my New Year's resolu-
tion to give it up for good. But I
am still smoking a pack per day.
What can I do?

Answer: In addition to nicotine
replacement you can buy with-
out a prescription, your doctor
has additional tools to help
you quit.
Two forms of nicotine
replacement require a pre-
scription.
Nicotine inhalers (Nicotrol
Inhaler) Each cartridge deliv-
ers a "puff" of vapor contain-
ing four mg of nicotine through
a plastic holder. The holder
may help satisfy a smoker's
oral urge. The average dose is
six to 16 cartridges a day for up
to 12 weeks, followed by a
gradual reduction in dose over
the next 12 weeks.
Most of the nicotine is
absorbed through the mouth,
not the lungs. Side effects may
include mouth or throat irrita-
tion and cough.
Nicotine nasal spray
(Nicotrol NS) Each spray
delivers 0.5 mg of nicotine.
Use one spray in each nostril
when you feel the urge to
smoke, up to a maximum of 10
sprays an hour or 80 a day for
three months. Side effects may


include nasal irritation, sneez-
ing, tearing, and cough.

DRUGS
Many smokers need more
than just nicotine replacement
and behavioral therapy to stop
smoking. Two of the drugs pre-
scribed most often are bupropi-
on (Wellbutrin, Zyban) and
varenicline (Chantix).
Bupropion (Wellbutrin) -
This antidepressant was
approved for smoking cessa-
tion under the name Zyban. It
doesn't contain nicotine and
can be used in combination
with nicotine replacement
therapy. Start taking bupropi-
on one to two weeks before
your quit date. The dose for
the first three days is 150 mg
once a day, then 150 mg twice
a day for the next eight to 12
weeks or longer if needed.
Bupropion may help prevent
weight gain after quitting. Side
effects may include dry mouth
and insomnia; seizures are very
rare.
Varinicline (Chantix) -
This is the newest drug
approved for smoking cessa-
tion. Although experience is


ers total cholesterol and bad
LDL cholesterol.
4. Heart disease: Helps lower
blood pressure. May reverse
endothelial dysfunction; also
reduces blood platelet activa-
tion. Note: Adding milk to tea
cancels the beneficial effect.
5. Stress: Speeds recovery from
stressful events, reducing levels
of cortisol and diminishing
blood platelet activation.

BOTH
1. Brain health: Catechins in
both green and black tea
(although more concentrated
in green tea) protect against
buildup of amyloid deposits,
implicated in Alzheimer's and
other age-related neurodegen-
erative diseases.
2. Diabetes: Improves glucose
tolerance in borderline diabetics.
3. Oral health: Rich in fluoride,
which protects against cavities.
Theobromine found in teas
appears to strengthen teeth
and protect against cavities
better than fluoride. Added to
chewing gum, green tea extract
protects gum tissue and stimu-
lates salivary glands.
4. Weight control: Catechins
stimulate thermogenesis,
boosting fat metabolism and
calorie expenditure.


smoking
still limited, it appears to be
the most effective quit-smok-
ing drug. It blocks nicotine
receptors in the brain while
also partially stimulating these
receptors to reduce nicotine
withdrawal symptoms. The
usual dose is 0.5 mg once a day
for the first three days, then
0.5 mg twice a day for four
days, followed by the full dose
of one mg a day for 12 weeks
or longer. The dose should be
lowered in patients with severe
kidney disease. Nausea is com-
mon and bad dreams may
occur. Contact your doctor if
you experience behavior or
mood changes.
Smoking is the top threat
to public health. So if you
smoke, quitting should be your
top priority.
Over 45 million Americans
have quit smoking and you can,
too.

Dr. Harvey B. Simon is an
associate professor of medi-
cine at Harvard Medical
School and a member of the
Health Sciences Technology
Faculty at Massachusetts
Institute of Technology. For
additional consumer health
information, please visit
www. health., harvard edu.

2008 President and Fellows
of Harvard College. All rights
reserved

Distributed by Tribune Media
Services, Inc.


2008 Sussex Publishers,
Inc. All rights reserved.


HAVANA, Cuba, CMC Cuba
and Antigua and Barbuda have
signed a memorandum of
understanding (MOU) provid-
ing a legal framework for the
free eye surgery program,
"Operation MIraj.k that has
already benefited more than
1,000 patients from the English-
speaking Caribbean nation.
The document was signed
by Cuban Health Minister
Ramon Balaguer and Antigua
Prime Minister Baldwin
Spencer, who was on an official
visit to the country at the invi-
tation of President Raul Castro
last month.
Balaguer told the Cuban
News Agency (ACN) that
Spencer was particularly inter-


Distributed by Tribune Media
Services, Inc.
0


ested in the Cuban experience
in the treatment of diabetes, a
disease that is significantly
affecting the people of the
twin-island federation.
The prime minister also
expressed his interest in
increasing cooperation in the
training of Antiguan nursing
personnel in Havana.
Operation Miracle, a pro-
gram that began in 2004, has
already benefited more than
1.1 million people from 32
countries, mainly from Latin
America and the Caribbean.
Patients from Antigua and
Barbuda entered the program
on July 22, 2005.
0


Donovan 0. Taylor, M..D.

Board Certified Family

children -idwlts -gymeculosy

Omma im TOY. M D

(305)6W6-702
G( radm+i i vf CU WI. IPr~imih tp rnmi imlcMwet f

NEW LUKCA1ON
Di!1~lw~n i -4'nliiA~mrHI A\ H..A1pnorFAmmiy PFiwmioo

Fafis A. Hann AMD., FA.C.O.G, P.A.
Offering TheLNklow~ t in Somth Flfrv4dm Qw44Lv Ikah~ri4uwc
ISPEIAL~uItjNG;IN
()hizetric54

compvi'henuit'itCare


(305) 652-0040

115 0 North M5h Avenue, Suite 675
Hollvw-nod, FLirii 10~~2 1
Diploauhutr Armeicpimwi ilhard of Obstt~rics w~d 4in.iu&A


r6ww -arbbentda.com


Cuba offers free eye

surgeries to Antiguans


IAN C JONES, D.D.S.
* Preventive Dentistry
* Restorative & Co5metic
Dentistry
* Crowns, Bridges, Dentures
* Oral Surgery & Root Canals
' Bleaching of Teefi


6300 W, Adantc BIv. Margate, FL 33063

SD* (954) 956-9500


June 2008





CARIBBEAN TODAY


-usw^caribbeantodj..c.


LAUDERHILL, Florida A
West Indies All-Stars team,
comprising several former Test
players, marched to a 37-run
victory over Canada All-Stars
to win the MAQ Twenty20
championship last month.
After winning the toss and
choosing to bat first, the West
Indies scored 128 runs in their
allotted 20 overs, and Canada
could only reach 91 all out in
18.5 overs when they replied
at Central Broward Regional
Park here.
The Windies All-Stars
included Richie Richardson, a


former West Indies captain,
Philo Wallace, Franklyn Rose,
Stuart Williams and Courtney
Browne.
About 600 fans attended
the championship match, many
cheering for the Caribbean
team that was a crowd favorite
all Memorial weekend.
The West Indies All Stars
won all three matches in the
weekend tournament, which
also included a World XI and
Pakistan All Stars teams.
"It's exciting," said
Richardson, the West Indies
All-Stars captain.


SPORT


Windies stumble late, lose cricket Test to Australia


GORDON WILLIAMS

KINGSTON, Jamaica A dis-
appointing batting display by
the West Indies on the final
day of a captivating match
handed Australia an impres-
sive victory to open the three-
Test cricket series between the
two long-time rivals in the
Caribbean which began late
last month.
Asked to make 287 runs
to win with one full session
and the entire fifth day in glo-
rious weather the home side,
enthusiastic and competitive
throughout the first four days,
crumbled to 191 all out to lose
by 95.
Only Denesh Ramdin,
Darren Sammy, Devon Smith
and Daren Powell offered any
second innings resistance, and
what was headed for a cliff-
hanger finish fizzled into a
huge anti-climax, although the
players appeared satisfied
with the spirit of the contest.
"I think anyone who
played in this game certainly
enjoyed the atmosphere,"
Australian captain Ricky
Ponting said.
The match was filled with
pulsating intrigue from the
first day. Australia, the top
team in the world, won the
toss and elected to bat at
bright, warm Sabina Park
here, but in front of a disap-
pointing crowd considering
the traditional rivalry and the
recent improvement shown by
the eight-ranked West Indies.

'TIGER'S' TURN
The visitors got off to a
wobbly start at 37 runs for two
wickets on an uneven pitch,
but then asserted lh L mIlNL '
to take control. Ponting top
scored with a century, while
pace bowler Fidel Edwards
grabbed five wickets, as
Australia finished at 431 all
out on the second day.
The West Indies started its
response solidly. Openers


Brenton Parchment and Smith
added 47. Runako Morton
chipped in with 67 and
Dwayne Bravo 46. But it was
senior batsman Shivnarine
Chanderpaul who once again
proved to be the backbone of
the West Indies batting. The
little Guyanese they call
"Tiger" ticked off his 18th
Test century to lead his team's
fight back. Chanderpaul,
despite suffering a crashing
blow to the head that numbed
his body after he ducked into
a short ball from pacer Brett
Lee, scored 118 runs to push
the home team to 312 all out.


Chanderpaul's heroics could not save
the Windies against Australia.

The West Indies began
its second stint in the field
brilliantly. The mighty
Australians were buckled by
the Edwards-Powell one-two
late evening punch and ended
with 17 for four, 136 runs
ahead with six wickets stand-
ing. The crowd, sensing a
home team fight-back, broke
into song "Rally 'Round The
West IndiL, as the match
swung towards an exciting cli-
max.
"It has been an eventful
day," West Indies coach John
Dyson said after day three.

PRESSURE MOUNTS
The Caribbean team piled
on more pressure, Powell tak-
ing an early wicket to leave
Australia at 18 for 5, its lowest


start in decades, barely 10
minutes into day four. But the
visitors gradually pulled them-
selves back into the contest
and finished their second
innings at 167 all out. But
after putting just 22 on the
board, Parchment edged man-
of-the-match Stuart Clark to
the wicketkeeper to add to the
mounting drama. When bad
light forced the players off at
46 for one on day four, the
West Indies still needed 241 to
win with nine wickets stand-
ing. Bravo, who took four
wickets in Australia's second
innings, sounded positive his
team could pull it off.
"We are in a position of
strength," he said.
Yet a dramatic start to the
final day sent the West Indies
spiraling towards defeat. The
home team lost five wickets
before lunch and stumbled to
82 for 6. Late resistance by
Sammy, Ramdin and Powell
brought respectability to the
total, but a golden chance to
lead the Test series had
already slipped away.

Final scores: Australia 431
(Ricky Ponting 158, Andrew
Symonds 70 not out; Fidel
Edwards five wickets for 104
runs) and 167 (Symonds 79;
Dwayne Bravo four for 47,
Edwards three for 40).
West Indies 312 (Shivnarine
Chanderpaul 118; Brett Lee
three for 63, Stuart Clark
three for 59) and 191 (Ramdin
36, Sammy 35, Devon Smith
28 and Daren Powell 27;
Clark five for 32).

REMAINING SCHEDULE
BETWEEN THE TWO
TEAMS: Second Test May
30-June 3, Antigua; Third Test
- June 12-16, Barbados; plus
one 20/20 on June 20; and five
one-day internationals June
24, St. Vincent; June 27 and
29, Grenada; and July 4 and 6
in St. Kitts.
0


"Even though I've been
retired from the international
game for a long time, I feel a
little bit of buzz," added the
46-year-old, who captained
West Indies from 1991 to 1996.
In the West Indies total,
Browne top-scored with 48,
while Stuart Williams (13),
Philo Wallace (13) and
Richardson (11) also got to dou-
ble figures.
Geoff Barnett (28) and
Sanjay Thuraisingham (25)
were Canada's chief scorers in
their failed run chase.
0


GORDON WILLIAMS

PHILADELPHIA,
Pennsylvania It's clear,
Aaron Ross is drawn to speed.
From pee wee league, through
high school, college and even
now in his job, as a profession-
al American football player,
Ross is about matching strides
with the game's fastest.
But successfully chasing
Jamaican-born track star
Sanya Richards, for what
eventually should be her hand
in marriage, was a different
ballgame than scurrying after
wide receivers. Ross was sim-
ply unaware of what he was
getting into when he first saw
Richards at a track meet in his
home state of Texas a few
years ago.
"To tell you the truth I
didn't know she was a
Jamaican until later on in our
relationship," said the rookie
defensive back for the Super
Bowl champions New York
Giants of the National
Football League (NFL)
recently at the Penn Relays,
which he attended here to be
with his fiancee as she com-
peted for the United States.
Now that he does, he has
some catching up to do and
Ross, even his ladylove
agrees, is not doing badly so
far. The Texan and the
Jamaican appears a game-win-
ning combo.
"She's been a joy in my
life ever since I met her," Ross
said of Richards, "so it's been
great."

CARIBBEAN ROOTS
An early encounter with
her parents enlightened him
about Richards's Caribbean
background.
"I had a chance to meet
her father (former Jamaican
soccer player Archie
Richards) and I heard his
accent; her mother's and all
that," he said.
Now he's learning to work
himself into the Jamaican cul-
ture. A key approach, Ross
explained, is simply listening
and absorbing the nuances.
But his best strategy to inte-
grate, he said, is to lean on his
own upbringing, where cour-
tesy always worked.
"Just a smile," he said, as
both he and Sanya burst out
laughing. "I'm a Texas gentle-
man."
The two met as students
at the University of Texas
where Richards ran track for
the Longhorns and Ross
played football. Ross was a
productive first round draft
pick of the Giants in 2007 and
is set to earn millions of dol-
lars as a pro. Richards has
already bagged huge sums on


the international track circuit.
They are both financially
secure and may get married in
2010.
With Richards as his side,
Ross said he is getting com-
fortable with the Jamaican
culture. Sanya's family has
made his assimilation smooth
as well. And all he has to do
is, well, show up.
"Just being myself," he
said, explaining his game plan.
"I'm around them all the time,
with the family. So everything
is good."
That carries some bene-
fits. Ross now claims to love
Jamaica's reggae music.
Crooner Beres Hammond is
his favorite. But mealtime at
the Richards home has some
perks too.
"I'm loving the food," he
said.

FORTUNE
Sanya is happy too.
"I feel very fortunate,"
said the 23-year-old Richards,
who moved from Jamaica at
age 12 and chose to run for
the U.S. "because they've
given me so much."
Despite struggling last
season, where she was slowed
by illness and failed to make
the U.S. team to the 2007
World Championships (W.C.)
in her pet event the 400
meters, Richards still consid-
ers the past year a success.
She earned a gold medal in
the W.C. 4x400 meters relay
and in February attended the
Super Bowl to root for her
man and share his triumph.
"My fiance had the best
year of his life," she said.
"...So I feel definitely fortu-
nate. I'm very happy and my
personal life has gone great."
Yet when she was at her
lowest point, Ross stepped up.
It was a time for him to slow
to Sanya's pace and be sup-
portive.
"Absolutely. I mean, it was
exciting to come off my season
and come straight into his and
see him," she said of
:, 11" i 1 is. "As soon as I got
back to the States he became
the starting cornerback and
then it was just success, suc-
cess. So it was good and it defi-
nitely kept me in good spirits."
She is eyeing a 400-meters
gold medal at this summer's
Olympic Games in China. But
Ross's NFL commitments
could prevent him from
attending. It shouldn't matter
much. There will be time for
him to catch up. After all, he
can't let her get away.

Gordon Williams is Caribbean
Today's managing editor.
0


Caribbean-born runner matches

strides with American grid star


Team of ex-Windies stars wins


20/20 cricket tourney in Florida


June 2008





CARIBBEAN TODAY


SPORT


r6ww -arbbentda.com


T&T star joins Miami professional soccer club Caribbean legends for U.S.

GORDON WILLIAMS you are competing, once you loss to England due to suspen-
are fit and once you're doing sion, and returned against Cricket Hall of Fame


MIAMI, Florida Miami EC.
has expanded its core of
Caribbean players, adding
Trinidad and Tobago World
Cup defender Avery John to
its United Soccer Leagues
(USL) roster.
John, a key member of the
"Soca Warriors" who made an
historic appearance at the
game's showpiece event in 2006
in Germany, joined Jamaican
attackers Sean Fraser and Sean
Barrett, and Haitian defender
Stephane Guillaume at the
USL club last month.
The 32-year-old signed
with the South Florida-based
team last month after failing
to agree to contract terms
with his former club New
England Revolution of higher
rated Major League Soccer.
He played for the Revolution
from 2004-2007, appearing in
the MLS finals.
However, John told
Caribbean Today that the
drop in professional level
would not dampen his enthu-
siasm for the game nor his bid
to return to the "Soca
Warriors" squad in time for
the World Cup 2010 qualifiers,
which begin this month.
"It doesn't affect much,"
said the man who has repre-
sented T&T more than 50
times.
"At the end of the day,
wherever you are playing, it
could be the MLS, it could be
the USL it could be the
English first, second, third
division, it could be some-
where else in the world once


what is needed to be on the
national team and competing

7AA1

< -


week in week out, you should
earn a (national) call."

IMPACT
John's presence appeared
to make an almost immediate
with Miami EC., which had
struggled early this season
under new coach Zinho, who
was a member of Brazil's win-
ning 1994 World Cup team and
up to last season played for the
USL club. Although Miami
EC. lost its first game with
John, the team rebounded to
record two consecutive shutouts
with him at central defense its
first of the season in a win
and a draw later in May.
John is refusing to rest on
the laurels of his World Cup
success, where he played
against Sweden in a surprising
draw with the European pow-
erhouse team, missed out in a


Paraguay, another Tl& loss.
Both coach and player


have put a positive spin on
John's arrival at Miami EC.
"He has experience and
he has leadership," Zinho
described John's attributes to
Caribbean Today. "He has the
World Cup experience and so
he knows how things should
be done at the back."
John, meanwhile, said he
is still cognizant of the fact
that he is also representing the
region, no matter what level
he is playing.
"Always, everytime I step
on the pitch anywhere I go, I
know I represent Trinidad, I
represent the Caribbean," he
said.

Gordon Williams is Caribbean
Today's managing editor.
0


NELSON KING

HARTFORD, Connecticut -
Former star West Indies open-
ing batsmen Gordon Greenidge
and Desmond Haynes will be
inducted into the United States
Cricket Hall of Fame, organiz-
ers say.
The Hartford, Connecticut-
based U.S. Cricket Hall of
Fame said last month the
Caribbean legends will be
bestowed the honor on Sept. 20
at the Marriott Hotel, down-
town Hartford.
The other nominees are
Florida cricket administrator,
Barbadian Jeff Miller, co-
founder of
Lucas
Sports
Club in
New York ,
Jamaican
Mascelles
Bailey, l '
and
Guyanese
Mohamed f F
Baksh, a .' ..1A
m e m b e r .; : "m" "
of the I
West
Indies Haynes
Cricket
Umpires' Training and
Examination Committee.
Greenidge, one half of
the West Indies' prolific open-
ing partnership with Haynes,
began his career in 1974
against India and continued to
play international cricket until
1991. He played in 108 Test


r


matches and scored 7,558 runs
with 19 centuries.
Fellow Barbadian Haynes
was Wisden Cricketer of the
Year in 1991. Haynes formed a
formidable partnership with
Greenidge, "which was inte-
gral to the success of the West
Indies team in the 1980s", the
statement said. Haynes com-
piled a 7,487 runs in 116 Test
matches at an average of 42.29.
The
organizers
said
Miller,
who began
his cricket
career as a
S youngster
in his
native
e, Barbados,
estab-
lished
himself in
the U.S.
both as a
reenidge player and
an admin-
istrator. Bailey was co-founder
of The Bankers Athletic
Cricket League in New York in
1971. Baksh, from an early age,
was involved with sports at
various levels, serving on a
number of community organi-
zations and regional cricket
boards. For a number of years,
he was a member of the West
Indies Cricket Umpires'
Training Examination
Committee.
0


Miami celebrates Caribbean culture at Little Haiti Soccer Park


MIAMI The City of Miami
last month celebrated the
grand opening of the Little
Haiti Soccer Park.
The South Florida park
was also renamed after the
late Emmanuel "Manno"
Sanon, one of Haiti's most cel-
ebrated soccer players, during
the event.
To kick off the ,k.1rai ii, i,
Miami City Commissioner
Michelle Spence-Jones joined
Mayor Manny Diaz and other
elected officials from the City of
Miami, Miami Dade County,
North Miami, North Miami
Beach and members of the Little
Haiti community in a day-long
event. The celebration included
the Toussaint L'Ouverture
Parade, three soccer matches
that included local Haitian teams
and L'Athletique D' Haiti (from
Haiti) and a Haitian festival with
Caribbean music and live bands.

VISION
Spence-Jones said the late
Commissioner Arthur E.
Teele first introduced the idea


Photograph by J. Perez, Office of Communications, City of Miami.
Soccer matches highlighted the opening of the new park in Little Haiti.


for a "first-class full/service-
park" park in Little Haiti five
or six years ago.
"His vision included a
facility that exemplifies and
captures the Haitian culture,
rich with the colors of the
Caribbean," she said. "The
recreational and cultural com-
ponents of the park will pro-
vide the Little Haiti, Edison,
Little River, Buena Vista, and
Lemon City residents with a
park that they can truly call
their own."
The Little Haiti Soccer
Park and Cultural Complex is
the first state-of-the-art-facili-
ty in the Little Haiti/Lemon
City area. The soccer park
includes both a practice field
and a playing field, covered
seating for 580 people, a tot
lot with a jungle gym under a
canopy, and a children's water
splash park.
Commissioner Spence-
Jones's vision is to eventually
create a soccer exchange pro-
gram between the City of Miami
and L'Athletique D' Haiti.


"What we want to bring
to the park is a cultural
exchange program where kids
from Little Haiti and Haiti
can interact and communicate
with each other," she said.
To ensure that the new
park incorporates the
Haitian/Caribbean culture, the
City of Miami has created com-
mittees that will provide input
on the cultural and recreational
components of the park and
the cultural complex. In addi-
tion, the office Spence-Jones
has created partnerships with
the city of Jacmel and Port-au-
Prince Haiti.
The Little Haiti Soccer
Park and Cultural Complex is
funded by both the City of
Miami and Miami Dade
County. The total project cost
approximately $36.9 million,
of which the City of Miami
contributed $29.6 million and
Miami Dade County con-
tributed $7.3 million.
0


June 2008





CARIBBEAN TODAY


-usw^caribbeantodj..c.


P 0 1 I T I C S


Jamaican politician renounces U.S. citizenship


KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC -
The way is now clear for
embattled Jamaica Labour
Party (JLP) candidate Daryl
Vaz, to seek re-election as the
Member of Parliament for the
West Portland constituency.
Vaz announced last month
that he had officially
renounced his American citi-
zenship, allaying concerns
about his eligibility for the by-
election in the West Portland
constituency which was
ordered by court in April.
Chief Justice Zaila
McCalla made the ruling after
the Opposition People's


Jduuuuu, Illl, VdL


National Party (PNP) candi-
date Abe Dabdoub chal-
lenged Vaz's election on the
grounds of his dual citizen-
ship.
Vaz's renunciation of his
American citizenship is the
most recent development in


the dual citizenship row here.
Last month, Director of
Elections Danville Walker
resigned with immediate effect
after it was disclosed that he
too held dual citizenship.
Vaz said that he supported
Walker's decision to resign and
also called on Members of
Parliament across the political
divide to declare their loyalties.
Dabdoub has said he
would take the issue to the
Privy Council if he was not
named the M.P. for West
Portland.
0


... JLP candidate follows opponent, files appeal


KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC -
Less than 24 hours after the
Opposition People's National
Party's (PNP) Abe Dabdoub
filed an appeal to be declared
the Member of Parliament for
the West Portland constituen-
cy, the sitting M.P Daryl Vaz
appealed a judge's decision
that disqualified him from
holding the seat.
In documents filed in
court on May 15 the Jamaica
Labour Party's (JLP) Vaz said
Chief Justice Zaila McCalla
was wrong in ruling that he
was not qualified to sit as M.P.


because he holds a United
States passport.
Vaz also intends to chal-
lenge the ruling that he was
not duly nominated in August
last year, just ahead of the
Sept. 3, 2007 general elections.
"Mr. Dabdoub filed an
appeal.. .so as a result I have
had to file an appeal.. .so that
in the worse case scenario I will
be able to stay in Parliament
during the life of the appeal,"
Vaz explained.
"But I am hoping that we
will be successful in arguing
against any stay being granted


which means it would clear
the way for a by-election. If
that is done then obviously
there would be no need for
me to pursue the appeal," he
added.
In April, Chief Justice
McCalla ruled that Vaz should
be disqualified from sitting in
Parliament because he holds
dual citizenship. But instead
of turning over the seat to
Dabdoub she ordered a by-
election, prompting the PNP
candidate to file his appeal.


Haitian Parliament rejects


nominee for prime minister


PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti,
CMC One month after the
Senate dismissed Prime
Minister Jacques Edouard
Alexis, law-
makers in
Haiti have
rejected
President
Rend
Prival's lat-
est nominee
for the post.
The
Lower Prbval
House of
Parliament
last month voted by a margin
of 51-35, with nine absten-
tions, to reject economist
Ericq Pierre as Alexis's
replacement.
"We didn't really believe
in the plan that he had for the
people of this country,"
Levaillant Louis Jeune, a
leading Opposition legislator
told reporters.
Pierre, 63, a senior official
with the Inter-American
Development Bank (IDB),
had been nominated by
President Preval to replace
Alexis who was dismissed on
April 12 over criticism that his
government failed to show


leadership and mismanaged
the economy before violent
food protests that left seven
people dead.

CONFIDENCE
Preval will have to nomi-
nate another candidate, who
must win a vote of confidence
in the two houses of
Parliament and Stephen
Benoit, a
member of
Pr6val's
Lespwa
party, said
Haitians
must unite
behind the
next nomi-
nee.
Pierre "We
need to
have a new prime minister in
office soon," he said.
Prival nominated Pierre
for the same position in 1997,
but he was rejected after
promising to push a United
States-backed economic plan
that would have resulted in
thousands of government
workers being laid off and pri-
vatized state-run enterprises.
0


June 2008





CARIBBEAN TODAY


Economic situation on Jamaica


diaspora conference agenda


Bahamas's budget


offers relief


KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC -
The Jamaica government has
said that the economic situa-
tion in the country would be
among agenda items to be dis-
cussed at the third Biennial
Diaspora Conference to be
held here this month.
A government statement
said Prime Minister Bruce
Golding would discuss the
country's economy and related
development initiatives at the
June 16-17 event.
The statement added that
the role of Jamaicans in the
diaspora would also be dis-
cussed at the two-day meeting
that is expected to be attend-
ed by more than 700 nationals
from the diaspora, including a
high-level delegation from the
United States.
Junior Foreign Affairs
and Foreign Trade Minister
Dr. Ronald Robinson said the
conference would be held
under the theme "A
Borderless Partnership for
Development". He said the


ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada,
CMC China has donated $1
million to Grenada that will
help the government follow
through on a promise of back
pay for civil servants as well as
carry out a number of devel-
opment projects.
The grant, according to
Prime Minister Dr. Keith
Mitchell and China's
Ambassador to Grenada Zhang
Wanhai, who signed the agree-
ment, was in keeping with the
memorandum of understanding


GEORGET
CMC The
Partnership
between the
Commission
Caribbean F
Caribbean a
(CARIFOR
signed next


theme underscores the "con-
centrated efforts of many
Jamaicans on the island who
seek to build stronger rela-
tionships with Jamaicans in
the diaspora to achieve
greater economic develop-
ment".
Robinson said that the
conference, organized by the
Jamaica Diaspora Foundation
(JDF), "will bring all the dias-
pora representatives together
in one place, where the prime
minister and ministers of gov-
ernment can articulate to them
the policies and direction of
the new administration.
"We are looking to have a
conference this year with a
big, big difference," he added.

CORE AREAS
The government state-
ment said that experts and
government officials would
discuss five core areas of
development, including eco-
nomic growth and investment,
education and culture, crime


signed between the two coun-
tries at the resumption of diplo-
matic relations three years ago.
"It's clearly written in the
memorandum of understand-
ing that this sum is to be given
annually until the year 2009,"
Mitchell said.

SUPPORT
He explained that the
money would be used for,
among other things, budgetary
support and payment of
retroactive salaries to public


and justice, the church role
and faith based organizations
in development and youth and
leadership.
Robinson said the
Golding administration is
seeking to bring more young
people into the diaspora
movement and to encourage
them to assume leadership
roles to ensure continuity.
"For the first time this
year's conference will have a
delegation of youngsters com-
ing with the members of the
diaspora and we will have a
special session where that is
concerned," he said.
"We will be engaging
these individuals not just as a
new administration, but also
in terms of building on what
was there before. This means
that the conference will be
looking to actualize a lot of
the ideas and thoughts and so
this conference for us is a very
important one."
0


servants in June as provided
for in the recently signed col-
lective agreements with the
Grenada Public Workers
Union and the Grenada
Technical and Allied Workers'
Union.
"In this period every bit of
grant is important to us because
it is money we don't have to
pay back and I assure that it
will be put into productive use,"
the prime minister said.


Caribbean ready to sign EPA in July
FOWN, Guyana, to a statement issued by the trade and industry
Economic Caribbean community (CARI- had considered po
Agreement (EPA) COM) Secretariat. for signing and the
European It said that the EPA had application of the
i (EC) and the been discussed at the special and reported they
worum of African, meeting of the Council for consultations with
nd Pacific States Trade and Economic the subject.
UM) is to be Development (COTED) in
month, according Antigua last month and that


y ministers
possible dates
e provisional
agreement
were in
the EC on


NASSAU, The Bahamas,
CMC Bahamas Prime
Minister Hubert Ingraham has
delivered what he described as
a balanced budget to "cushion
the harshness of the impact of
international turbulence" on
citizens.
In tabling
the $1.8 billion [
fiscal package
in Parliament
late last
month,
Ingraham said
his govern-
ment "careful-
ly determined Ingraham
the size and
components of the fiscal pro-
gram which will touch every
family with significant finan-
cial relief.
"At the same time we will
not under any circumstances
compromise the sound fiscal
status of our economy which
we have worked so hard to
maintain through several
terms in government," he said.

LESS TAXES
The budget, which prima-
rily focused on providing relief
for low income families who
are mostly impacted by the ris-
ing cost of living, included the
elimination of several taxes on
food items and suspension of
taxes on fuel imports.
"Having reduced the
stamp tax on food items from
four per cent to two per cent
during our last stint in office
we are now moving to elimi-
nate the two per cent stamp
tax on some 160 food items,"
the prime minister said.
The measure will result in
the elimination of import
duties on a number of citrus
fruits, frozen vegetables, cere-
als, oatmeal, and breads.
With regards to the rising
cost of fuel, the prime minister
announced that his govern-
ment will grant a two-year
suspension of customs and
stamp duties on the Bahamas


Electricity Corporation's
(BEC) fuel imports to address
the rising utility surcharge.
Ingraham admitted that
some of these measures will
result in revenue losses for the
government, but said they will
provide some much-needed
relief for consumers and
homeowners.

LION'S SHARE
With respect to the alloca-
tion of budgetary funds, the
ministries of Tourism and
Aviation, National Security
and Education received the
bi-n,-l shares.
"Once again education
receives the greatest call on
the government's resources.
This ought to be no surprise
as we believe that the educa-
tion of our children is the

"Once again education
receives the greatest call
on the government's
resources"
Ingraham

most critical investment that
we can make in the future of
our nation," Ingraham said.
"The education, youth,
sports and culture services
receive a total of $312 million
or 20 percent of total recur-
rent expenditure."
He also announced salary
increases for civil servants,
with every public officer
expected to get a $750 hike
and each teacher in the coun-
try's public schools being
promised a $1,250 pay rise.
Despite the global uncer-
tainties, Prime Minister
Ingraham has projected that
the economy will grow 2.8 per-
cent this year, a drop from the
4.8 percent growth recorded in
2006. However, he said, the
anticipated growth was "com-
mendably strong in the con-
text of the developing interna-
tional economic downturn.
0


China provides $1M grant to aid Grenada


5SIu Anniversawy eciniwwre


11020lS.W 176 Street
Miami, FL 33157





Friidy, fuly 11, 200B
I7:0oO pm
efr wre- IlA mwtin cill
(305) 258-4470


Bishop M~i has God Given Power of Prayer


kIOyw hIm busi0lisd hEkop r~ IN ilDWISwi llt.~

~~no kI tJu lh 9Wprat iith yxi

*IWPtIL W1IrilaItshum$a* -1 vishIilig WO Ikies aid Awirah ad
IIt soeuI ~*SlTIil ig 1lt I I [iv iok to
EDc PWII m.iw I~mdNip fhelli a DpublaW igp rw *
Ines W"

PUJAani KARMA Offrrimgs
Call Today: BIS&-410 5I-4 1951-320


June 2008


TF^'




CARIBBEAN TODAY


ed nesdays


all summer long


June 2008

PAGE 1

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POST AGE P AID MIAMI, FL PERMIT NO. 7315 Vol.19 No.7 JUNE 2008 Tel: (305 1-800-605-7516 editor@caribbeantoday.com ct_ads@bellsouth.net Jamaica: 654-7282 W e cover your world INSIDECaribbean leaders willseek increasedtrade and direct foreigninvestmentfr om the United States when they meet Congr essman Charles Rangel and other U.S. leaders during this month’sConfer ence on the Caribbean in New York, page 3. Jamaicanbor n Trevor Graham, a former Olympic ath-lete who has coachedsome of the world’s greatest track stars, has been foundguilty of lying to United Statespr osecutors in one of the biggest doping scandals to hit the sport, and now faces time in prison, page 7. News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Local . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8V iewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Arts/Entertainment . . . . . . .11T ourism/T ravel . . . . . . . . . . 13 Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Spor t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Politics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 THE MULTI AWARD-WINNING NEWS MAGAZINE CALL CARIBBEAN TODAY DIRECT FROM JAMAICA 654-7282 CARIBBEAN CONTRIBUTION~ June is Caribbean American Heritage Month and at least one elected United States official, Georgia State Representative Billy Mitchell, believes native-born Americans have much to learn from the people of ther egion, page 2. ~ Jamaica’s Usain Bolt ran a blistering 9.72 seconds in the 100 metersat the Reebok Grand Prixin New Y ork to break the world record held by countryman Asafa Powelland claim the title as thefastest man on the planet,page 3.Miami F.C. has expanded its core of Caribbean players, adding Trinidad and Tobago World Cup star Avery John toits United Soccer Leagues (USL. The move has already started to pay positivedividends, page 17. June2008.qxd 6/4/08 1:49 PM Page 1

PAGE 2

Georgia State RepresentativeBilly Mitchell(Democrat-StoneMountain) sayshis stint as aUnited States governmentemployee in theCaribbean was the best year of his life. That declaration, com-ing fr om a politician whose constituency has one of the largest Caribbean communitiesin the U.S., may raise some eye brows. But Mitchell has had a close up look at Caribbean cul-tur e and its influence on the U.S. Last month he sharedsome of those insights with Caribbean Today’s Managing Editor Gordon Williams. GORDON WILLIAMS:How would describe the evolvementof the Caribbean influence in theUnited States up to this point? BILLY MITCHELL: I’m very impressed. How I woulddescribe it, it is cer tainly having a great impact on our economy, certainly our communityinvolvement. Fact of the matter is I’m so proud at what theCaribbean community hasbeen able to contribute to our community at large because, as a result of what they are doing,we have better businesses. Certainly we’re talking about a community that is better off fortheir involvement in just our general community at large. G.W.:How do you think the Caribbean people,the people who have come to the UnitedStates , specifically to Georgia, and specifically to y our constituency,have managed to merge into the American society? And also , ho w do y ou think the American society has responded to the Caribbean community,especially because it is growing? B .M.: Y ou know, I’ve often said that the Caribbean community in particular has been able totake advantage of the American way more so than a lot ofAmericans because I believe they appreciate the opportuni-ties. And it’ s such a good thing. I like to say businesses, par ticularly small businesses, is the backbone of any gover nmental structure in the community.And the Caribbean communityhas come in and cer tainly has really grasped that concept.And as a r esult of that our cities, our state, is a better placeto be as a r esult of that. And that’s why I am so proud to see what’s going on there. They’ve made certainly a great contribu-tion to our communities. G.W.:Do you think the Caribbean community fully understands,or fully grasps,thegro wing influence that it has been having in the American society? B .M.: Y ou know , that’ s a very good question. I would perhaps say that, because I have found that the Caribbean is a hard working people, they’re interested to make certain their familiesar e intact and their businesses are growing. As a result of that I don’t believe that they fullyunderstand their impact that they have on our community. Ithink that’ s going to incr ease as more Caribbeans involve themselves in the economy and in business and in our community,which is a ver y good thing. G.W.:Do you think that there is an ything specific that they need to do in order to fully understand their influence in the American society? B.M.: You know one of the things that they ought to do iswhat I’m seeing being dis played her e (at the launch of Atlanta’s Caribbean carnival last month). They need to support the Caribbean initiative,the Caribbean heritage, because it is a very fine her-itage. They need to suppor t Caribbean businesses. They certainly need to encourageother Caribbean businesses to support other businesses aswell. That in itself will kind ofhelp develop even mor e opportunities for them. G .W.:The American society in general, how has it embraced the Caribbean presence,the growing Caribbean presence? B .M.: Y ou know one of the things about America is that we are all immigrants. Despite what some may feel, we are all immigrants, and the fact of thematter is I think the city of Atlanta, the Atlanta metropolitan area, embraces those whocan come in and contribute to the community. And certainlythe Caribbean community has certainly done that. And I think, by and large, they have embraced them. As a countryof immigrants we understand what it takes to really ingrati-ate yourself, get involved in thecommunity , and they have done that, certainly as best as any gr oup. And I think, by and large, the Atlanta community is certainly welcoming. G .W .: Y our bio tells me y ou had a significant role to pla y in the establishment of Caribbean American Heritage Month. How far do y ou think that has gone to esta blish the Caribbean pr esence here in the United States? B.M.: I think it has gone a gr eat deal. I must say to you that in tr ying to get this legisla tion passed, we’ve had other initiatives that were on the bal-lot. As a matter of fact, pr oba bly the most contr oversial, at the same time, was the initia-tive to get the state to apolo gize for slavery. That failed. However , when I came for war d with this initiative to r ecognize Caribbean Heritage Month, we got widespr ead support from ever y corner of Georgia, from every political persuasion, because they recognize the value of the Caribbean community. And that made me proud, that that wasn’t some-thing that I had to go and twist ar ms to do. They r ecognize the value and as a result of that we were able to get this passed in short order. G.W.:You said you had some e xperience living in Jamaica for a y ear as an emplo yee of the U.S.governmentHow much did that change,or affect, your view of the Caribbean and Caribbean people? You talk about the physical beauty ofthe ar ea,but in terms of how y ou perceive the Caribbean people and what there aiming for when it comes to the United States,how did that year of experience affect that? B.M.: You know that’s another gr eat question. As a matter of fact, I always say that that per haps was the best year of my life. I’ve got great friendsI goback and I see them often. As a result of being there, Ithought this would be just ayear of me just getting involved and maybe going to the beaches and the like. But I really enjoyed myself. I saw a side ofthe countr y that a nor mal tourist would not see and I was a better person for that. And Iwas so str uck by a number of things, even the athleticism. You know Jamaica produces more Olympic athletes per capita than any other countryin the world for that matter?The cultur e, the education. As a matter of fact, I’ve often said that the education system inJamaica is far superior than theeducation system that our(American e going through. This notion of uniforms there I could tell youwhat school a student went toby the colors that their uni for ms were. And these are the kinds of things that I think if ever yone in this country saw they would appr eciate Jamaica so much better and tr y to implement what they are doingther e as well. G .W .: Generally Caribbean people , though, what do y ou think the Americans have learned from them? You,asone man, has learned a lot from a y ear in the Caribbean. B .M.: Y ou know , one of the things I think that they are certainly teaching us is that, youknow , har d work pays of f. How you can come and work hard and you can do just about any thing that you want to when you work hard and you are industrious. G.W.:You are a politician,you are in the political circle.Whatis the feedback on the circuit, outside of public comment? Is there a general movement embracing and recognizing more,from a political standpoint,the Caribbean contribu-tion in the United States? B .M.: I must say to you, politi cians doing what politicians do, voters are important to them. And as more and more Caribbean voters are around, certainly they recognize thatthey must avail themselvesmor e. They must certainly cater certain bills, certain laws, certain advocacy towar ds the Caribbean community. And that’s just the fact of the matter.Wher ever there are constituents that need to be served,that politicians will cer tainly go that way . But I tell you, I can even say that I lear ned something about politics in Jamaica because they take their politics very seriously in Jamaica, whichis the way it ought to be. W e certainly should take it seriously because just about every aspect of our lives is affected by politics and it’s good to see thatthe numbers that the Caribbeancommunity has because they deserve to be represented aswell. G.W.:So,from the political circles in America,they are certainly,now,starting to take full notice of what’s going on theCaribbean community? B.M.: Oh, no question about that. I had a conversation with Vin Martin, the honorary con-sul general (for Jamaica in Atlanta). He’s a constituent ofmine. Lives in Stone Mountain. That’s one of his endeavorsthat he’d like to encourage aswell, that ther e be more political participation by those in the Caribbean. When you’r e involved, you’r e involved mor e politically , it’ s easier to ask for services that you deserve and be hear d. G .W .: It (the Caribbean munity is no longer a communi ty that can be just overlooked or ignored (in America)? B .M.: Absolutely not. As a matter of fact, you will findother communitiestheHispanic community haslear ned that they’r e getting mor e involved. Other commu nities have learned. The fact of the matter is, when you’r e presented with the kind of num bers that the Caribbean community now has, they’re a community that cannot be ignored. Cover photograph of Mitchell by freelancer Dale Nicholson. Caribbean community in the U.S.can no longer be ignored ~ Mitchell 2 CARIBBEAN TODAYJune 2008 NEWS NEWS www.caribbeantoday.com Mitchell June2008.qxd 6/4/08 1:49 PM Page 2

PAGE 3

NEW YORK – Caribbean leaders will seek increased trade and foreign directinvestment fr om the United States during this month’ s Conference on the Caribbean, according to a statement issued here by the Caribbean community (CARICOM Consular Corps of New York. It said that the June 19-20 confer ence would also examine the gr owth and development of the Caribbean com munity. The Caribbean diplomats said that the two-day event, dubbed “The New York Conference on the Caribbean Community: A 20/20 VisionContinued”, would be attend ed by r egional leaders, policy makers, representatives of various international organizations, the academic community and the private sector. During the conference, the r egional leaders will meet with Harlem Congr essman Charles Rangel, chairman of the powerful U.S. House ofRepr esentatives’ Ways and Means Committee, as well as New York Governor David Paterson and New York CityMayor Michael R. Bloomber g. “Through this conference we hope to once again directthe attention of the people ofthe United States – one of theCaribbean’ s major trading partners and the home of the largest number of migrants from the region – to the future of the Caribbean andits peoples,” said McChesneyEmanuel, the Antigua and Barbuda con sul generaland chair man of the New Y ork Conferenceon theCaribbean Community. Caribbean leaders held ameeting with U.S. President George Bushduring the first Caribbean conference last year. Key highlights at this month’ s conference include an education symposium at Brooklyn’s Medgar Evers College, which features sever-al CARICOM heads of gov er nment and ministers, along with leading educational authorities in the city. Caribbean leaders want more trade,investment from U.S. June 2008CARIBBEAN TODAY 3 NEWS NEWS www .caribbeantoday.com Usain Bolt shatter ed the 100 meters world r ecord held by Jamaican countr yman Asafa Powell and in that blistering run stamped himself as thefastest man on the planet latelast month in New York. Running at the ReebokGrand Prixmeet on a wetnight, but in front of a large turnout of enthusias-tic, flag-wav ing supportersfr om his homeland,Bolt clocked9.72 secondsto beat worldchampion Tyson Gay ofthe UnitedStates andeclipse Powell’s record of 9.74set in Sept.2007. “Just coming here,knowing a lot of Jamaicans were here giving me their support, it meant alot,” Bolt said after the race.“I just wanted to give them what they wanted.” NO SURPRISE It was only Bolt’s fifth 100 meters race at the senior level, but the record run was not a total surprise. Last month, in winning the event at the Jamaica InternationalInvitational meet in Kingston, he war ned the world that he was gear ed up for an historic r un by clocking 9.76 seconds, .02 seconds outside Powell’s mark. World and Olympic champion Veronica CampbellBrown of Jamaica had sigJamaica’s Bolt is world’s fastest (CONTINUED ON PAGE 4) Rangel Photograph by Sharon BennettBolt celebra tes his world record time. June2008.qxd 6/4/08 1:49 PM Page 3

PAGE 4

ORLANDO A Jamaican man ar rested in Florida for attempting to car ry pipebomb components onto a flight has been ordered by a federal judge to be held with out bail until trial. United States Magistrate Karla Spaulding said that Kevin Christopher Brown’s possession of flammable and explosive nitr o-methane in his luggage, his lack of financial or residential ties to CentralFlorida and evidence that he was involuntarily admitted to a V eterans Affairs hospital for psychiatric pr oblems, were key factors in her decision to detain him. In a six-page ruling released last month, Spaulding determined by “clear and con-vincing evidence” that nocombination of bail conditionswould pr otect the community or assur e Brown’s appearance in court. DEFENSE At an hour-long hearing, defense lawyers W ayne Golding and Tim McClainar gued that their clientonly possessed bomb compo-nents and notcompletedexplosives thatcould have endangeredpassengers. They also presented testimony from abr other and his stepmotherwho saidBr own could reside with aunts orcousins inOrlando andthat he wasscheduled toinherit millions of dollars from his late mother’s estate. Psychiatrist Dev Chacko further testified that Brownhad post-traumatic str ess dis order and was not a threat to himself or the community aslong as he took medication.He added that in his opinion Brown was competent tostand trial. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent Citro and FBI TaskFor ce Agent Kelly Boaz told the judge that Brown, an Ar my ambulance driver in Iraq in 2003 and a logistics contractor there last year, had a history of psychological pr oblems. Br own, 32, was scheduled to fly to Montego Bay on anAir Jamaica flight on April 1 when Transportation Security Administration officers at the Orlando International Airport spotted him acting suspicious-ly and detained him. He was sear ched and officers discover ed two galvanized pipes, end caps, twosmall containers of BB pellets,batteries and two containers of liquid in his luggage. A laptop computer and bomb-mak-ing literatur e were also found in his backpack. Early last month, a U.S. federal grand jury indictedBr own on one count of attempting to carry an explosive device on an air craft. Citr o said in cour t docu ments that Brown was returning to his native Jamaica toget r evenge against two men charged with strangling his mother, Sandra McLeod, aJamaican hotelier in June2005. Both suspects in hermur der ar e out on bail. naled earlier that the evening of May 31 would be good forsprinting by winning thewomen’ s 100 meters in 10.91 seconds, a fast time in a field packed with world stars suchas Americans Alyson Felix and Lauryn Williams. But themeet at first seemed anunlikely place for track and field’s premier event world record to fall. The day was plagued by thunderstor ms. Races were run on a wet track, although in perfect mid70s temperatures. The 100 meters for men was even ham pered by a false start. But none of that affected the 6’ 5” Bolt, a 21-year-old whostar ted r unning the 100 meters to impr ove his start and speed for the 200 and 400 meters. “He ran a per fect race,” the American Gay told reporters after finishing sec-ond in 9.85. W ire service reports contributed to this story. Jamaican bomb suspect held in Florida without bail until trialJamaica’ s Bolt is world’ s f astest 4 CARIBBEAN TODAYJune 2008 NEWS NEWS www.caribbeantoday.com (CONTINUED FROM P AGE 3) Brown being searched by a law enforcement officer after being accosted for suspicious behavior at the Orlando airport on April 1. June2008.qxd 6/4/08 1:49 PM Page 4

PAGE 5

WASHINGTON The World Bank Board has approved a$65 million loan package forJamaica that would str engthen the social safety net, improve health and education servicesfor childr en and suppor t HIV/AIDS prevention and contr ol. “The World Bank is pleased to continue supporting the government’s social and eco-nomic development strategy by investing in projects that promote equal opportunities for allJamaicans,” said the W orld Bank Country Director for the Caribbean Y vonne T sikata. CHILDREN’S AID The bank said that $40 million would go towar ds the Social Protection Project aimed at strengthening the country’s social insurance andsocial assistance system bysuppor ting a number initia tives, including the impr ove ment of the Program of Advancement through Health and Education (PATH) acash transfer pr ogram that pr ovides benefits on the condition that children attend school and visit health centers periodically. Since its launch in 2002, PATH has become theJamaica’ s flagship social assistance program, providing cash transfers to almost 230,000 beneficiaries in 2007. “The World Bank’s support will also allow the govern-ment to incr ease the benefit level by 23 percent to adjust for inflation, to increase grantsfor secondar y school students by up to 75 percent to stimulate grade pr ogr ession and high school completion and to give a one-time bonus to students moving to tertiary educa-tion or training”, a statement from the World Bank said. “It also will expand benefit coverage by 50 per cent to reach approximately 14 percent of the population, the equiva lent of the countr s pover ty rate in 2007. The increase in benefits also addresses loss ofpur chasing power of P A TH benefits due to the sharp increase in food prices and theneed to compensate families for the increasing opportunitycost of schooling”. The second loan for $15 million will be used to co-finance the implementation ofthe National Strategic Plan forEarly Childhood Development,while the final loan of $10 mil lion would help support the gover nment’ s National HIV/AIDS Program by targeting high-risk groups and increasing access to treatment,car e and support services. NEW YORK – Guyana’s President Bharrat Jagdeo lastmonth joined an inter national conser vation gr oup in launch ing a new global campaign that focuses on the “vital role of healthy tr opical for ests” in sta bilizing the climate. Jagdeo and top executives of Conservation International (CI launching cer emony that they would like to change the practice of burning and clearing tropical forests, since such apractice emits at least 20 per cent of total gr eenhouse gases that cause climate change. e must create incentives to reward the conservation of existing forest and suppor t our communities with new economic development alternatives for the 21st century,” Jagdeo said. “This will compensate countries like Guyana that have protected their forests for decades, and prevent the migration of defor estation to countries where it historically has not taken place.” D AMAGE Jagdeo and CI leaders said the central message of the “Lost There, Felt Here” campaign, which includes a video featuring actor Harrison Ford, is that “destroying tropical forests anywhere hurts people everywhere”. They said the “pristine” forests that are home to halfthe species on Ear th also combat climate change and provide essential resources to the people who live in and ar ound them. Jagdeo said he was work ing with CI and other international and local partners in creating incentives to conserve the “ir r eplaceable habitat.” He has offered to place his country’s forest under a strict regime that pays Guyana for the carbon dioxide stored in the tr ees and other biomass. Currently, the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change does not recognize forest pro-tection actions such as Guyana’ s as valid carbon credits. But CI executives said United Nations’ negotiators were now considering an expanded market to include forest conservation. Jagdeo said Guyana has retained up to 80 percent of its original Amazon for est cover . “Conserving forests is one of the quickest and most cost-ef fective ways to combat climate change and help people adapt to the impacts of a warming planet,” said CI Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Peter Seligmann. e need to ensure that these investments are proportionate to the magnitude of the problem.” “These irreplaceable forests are under threat fromincr easing demand fr om a r esour ce-hungr y world,” said CI President Russell A. Mittermeier. “The fact that the carbon market is finally beginning to look at the critical importance of forest carbon provides a unique new opportunity to compensate tr opical countries for protecting these forests at a scale far beyond anything that has been doneto date and in a way that is truly sustainable both ecologically and economically,” he added. Mittermeier commended Guyana’s“enlightened approach” to this issue, noting that it could ser ve as a “model for many otherforest-rich countries around the world.” The “Lost There, Felt Her e” campaign calls for the harnessing of nature’s technology the healthy ecosystems that regulate the climate and sustain life on Ear th. “The goal is to raise awareness of the cost and har m to all of us fr om destroying some of the richest tr opical forests in the world,” said Bill Br uce, chairman and chief creative officer of BBDO New York, which created the campaign. “It is intended to shake people up and get them to take action.” MIAMI – The United States Agency for Inter national Development (USAID it will be dispatching $25 million more in food aid to Haiti, bringing its total to $45 mil-lion. e know that we are not the full solution, we ar e a part,” said USAID AdministratorHenrietta For e in a meeting late last month with Haitian American leaders at the USAID warehouse in West Miami-Dade County. e are trying to be supportive, and we are trying tohelp,” she added. For e said USAID would help pr ovide 36,000 tons of food staples to 2.5 million Haitians through three types of programs targeting the disabled, orphans, mothers, children and the elderly. The programs are to be administered by the United Nations World Food Program(WFP Services and World Vision, and will pay Haitians with food in exchange for helping to rebuild irrigation systemsand r oads to boost domestic production efforts. “As close neighbors, the United States has a vital stake in pr oviding both emergency assistance as well as long-term support for Haiti’s economic, social and economic development,” Fore said. PRAISE The announcement was welcomed by South Florida’s congressional delegation, including Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart, who introduced Fore at the event. Diaz-Balart said that the U.S. Congress in a ‘’bipartisan basis’’ had approved $250 mil-lion in aid to Haiti. oday, the United States takes another step, characteristic of its gener osity of (helping) Haiti,” he said. The announcement came six weeks after violent riots over rising food prices rockedHaiti, leaving several people dead and the country without a working government. In thewake of that unr est, Haitian senators fir ed the prime minister on April 12, blaming himfor the crisis. The Lower House, the Chamber of Deputies, also rejected President Rene Preval’s choice of the prime minister’s successor after theSenate confir med him. CRITICISM But Haitian activist Marleine Bastien criticizedwhat she described as U.S. short-term relief. “What we are doing here today, it’s only for short-term relief,” said the executive director of Haitian Women of Miami, who recently visited the impoverished, Frenchspeaking Caribbean country as part of a delegation led byU.S. civil rights activistRever end Jesse Jackson. “The U.S. has been engaged in Haiti for almost 200 years now ,” she said, adding that “I think it’ s time for us to re-assess our intervention and understand it is better for us to invest in bringing Haitian agriculture to its past grandeur.” Meantime, Haitian-born, international hip-hop artist Wyclef Jean and two leading development organizations have collaborated in dispatch-ing immediate food aid to Haiti. The Grammy Award-winning Jean last month said that his foundation, Yele Haiti, theWFP and the Pan AmericanDevelopment Foundation have established a group called “Together for Haiti” in r esponding to the urgent food crisis in his native land. ogether for Haiti”, which has the support of another Grammy-Award winningmusician Paul Simon, modelPetra Nemcova and influential economist Jeffrey Sachs, wouldpr ovide food, create jobs and suppor t local agriculture in r esponse to the crisis. Jean said they plan, over the next six months, to create labor-intensive jobs, payingworkers with cash and food; distribute food to malnourished children under five andpr egnant women, as part of WFP’ s existing food assistance pr ogramme; and provide fertilizer, seeds, training and microenterprise grants, as well as support local agriculture. “It starts with the ground,” Jean said. s start implementing projects, so that we can create jobs. Job creation will slowdown the violence.” He said, to date, the campaign has raised $1.5 million, with the Haitian cell phone company, Voila, among thecorporate contributors. Children gain from World Bank’s $65M loan package for JamaicaGuyana’s president collaborates with int’l group on climate changeU.S.agency pledges another $25M in food aid to Haiti June 2008CARIBBEAN TODAY 5 NEWS NEWS www .caribbeantoday.com Bastien Wyc lef Jean June2008.qxd 6/4/08 1:49 PM Page 5

PAGE 6

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC A top official at theBarbados of fice of the United Nation Childr en’s Education Fund (UNICEF U.N. is concerned about theimpact which the rising cost of living is having on children and other vulnerable groupsthr oughout the Caribbean. Tom Olsen, UNICEF r epresentative at the Office forBarbados andthe Easter n Caribbean, told reporters at amedia exchangelast month that governments need to do moreto mitigate the effects of the global problem on children. “What do you do in themeantime? I think that’ s wher e you have to get a gov ernment that is proactive. Government needs to be ontop of it as well and havingmechanisms in place to ensur e that there are fair prices out there,” he said. “I hear many people talking and saying ‘I don’ t under stand because last week the food prices were likethis’They come in the shoptoday and food prices havegone up and no container hascome into the por t. I would say somebody is doing business on it,” he added. Olsen said UNICEF’s of fice in Barbados has to come up with a strategy toof fer assistance to children and families affected bythe incr easing food prices. “When we are responding to it we want to do it adequate-ly with facts and data and not only making statements. I think we need some time todevelop that kind of strategy tosee how we can deal with the increase in food prices and theimpact on childr en and the most vulnerable groups,” the U.N. official added. He noted that the issue of high food prices is bigger than the region, pointing to the fact that U.N. Secretary GeneralBan Ki Moon has establisheda special committee to dealwith the issues. WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Caribbean diaspora in theUnited States will have the opportunity to directly inter-act with visiting Caribbeantourism ministers this monthduring town hall meetings organized in conjunction withthe first Annual Caribbean Tourism Summit (ACTS Ministers of tourism will converse with Washington/ Virginia/Maryland-basednationals in open for um discussions on June 22. Theevent is designed to appeal toCaribbean nationals,Caribbean Americans, Caribbean interest groups andyoung adults considering a career in tourism. The Caribbean Tourism Development Company(CTDCbusiness development unitowned equally by theCaribbean Hotel Association(CHA Tourism Organization (CTOhas cr eated ACTS as a major forum in which to focus on the economic future of the Caribbean region. A primaryobjective of ACTS is to bring the services industry in theCaribbean, of which tourism is a part, to the forefront ofdevelopment discussions. ENGAGEMENT The conference will take place June 21-24 at the International Trade Center atthe Ronald Reagan Buildingin downtown W ashington, D.C and will celebrate Caribbean heritage whilecoinciding with June’ s Caribbean American Heritage Month in June. e have designed this conference as a way to engage influencers to help growtourism and incr ease invest ment in the Caribbean region,” said Hugh Riley, cochief operating officer forCTDC. “At the same time, we want to celebrate the tremendous contributions of the peo-ples of the Caribbean and to continue raising the awarenessof our brand.” All events and activities are open to participants whor egister. In addition to town hall meetings, ther e will be: June 21 CTDC and Cond Nast Bridal Media will host a“Capital Caribbean Wedding”, resulting from Cond Nast Bridal Media’s online search for a couple with a compelling story onthe theme of “When Y ou Knew Y our Love was Monumental! Tell us Your Love Story or Your PicturePer fect Pr oposal”. The win ning couple will publically exchange vows and receive ahoneymoon to a Caribbean destination. There’s freeadmission to attend the wed ding, but registration is required. J une 22 Founder and Senior Pastor of Bahamas Faith Ministries InternationalDr . Myles Munr oe will make a presentation at a motivational br unch. Ther e is an admission fee of $35. Register online. June 23 Gala Awards Dinner and Ball. The black-tie event will feature music from Byron Lee and the Dragonaires. Caribbean per-sonalities, including Pr ofessor Rex Nettlefor d and the Mighty Sparrow, are among those listed to attend. Contemporar y luminaries from entertainment, public service and sports will be presented with awards namedafter famous Caribbeanher oes. Ticket information available at www .ACTSdc.com. June 24 Financial experts will convene for an interactive “Workshop on SmallBusiness Investment in the Tourism Sector”, featuring information on how to sourcefunding, technical assistanceand incentives of fered by governments, hotel chains and investment groups to ensuregr eater business success. Admission fee is $25. J une 24 Rum & Rhythm Celebration, from 6 p.m. to 10p.m. The event will include a sampling of premium Caribbean rums, traditional Caribbean hospitality, andinteractive demonstrations on how rum is made. Tickets areat $60. For mor e infor mation on the first ACTS and to register for all events, visit www.ACTSdc.com or call 800-603-3545 . LONDON, CMC – The London-based human rightsgr oup Amnesty Inter national says murder and police killings in Jamaica have remained at a high level. “Police officers were largely unaccountable andrar ely br ought to justice for human rights violations. Discrimination and violenceagainst women and gay men were widespread”, the humanrights gr oup stated in its 2008 report released late lastmonth. It said homicide rates r eached another record high with more than 1,500 people murdered during last year. Amnesty said that although the Jamaican Justice System Refor m Task Force launched its preliminary r epor t last May , with compr ehensive r efor m recommendations, “no clear plan for their implementation had been devised by the end of theyear”. CONCERN It added that while there has been a continuation of a review of the JamaicaConstabular y For ce, initiated by the previous administration, “there was concernabout the lack of consultation with human rights organiza-tions”. Amnesty said that during 2007, reports of police brutali-ty also incr eased. “Accor ding to the Bureau of Special Investigations, 203 people were killed by police between January and September, a significant incr ease compared with 2006. Victims were mainly from socially excluded inner -city communities”, it stated. “Although the police r outinely claimed that these killings occurred during shoot-outs with criminal gangs, eye witness accounts often alleged that police had extra judiciallyexecuted victims”. SEXUAL VIOLENCE Amnesty also said that sexual violence against women and girls was prevalentthr oughout the countr y, and that “the authorities failed to bring those r esponsible to jus tice”. Amnesty also said while no one was executed in 2007, thenew gover nment announced there would be a free vote “allowing representatives to vote according to personal conscience, in Parliament on the r esumption of hangings”. The last execution in Jamaica took place in 1988. U.N.monitoring cost of living impact on Caribbean childrenTourism summit offers opportunities for Caribbean diaspora to connect in U.S.Amnesty International worries over human rights abuse in Jamaica 6 CARIBBEAN TODAYJune 2008 NEWS NEWS www.caribbeantoday.com Riley U.N. worried about impact rising food prices is having on region’ s children. June2008.qxd 6/4/08 1:49 PM Page 6

PAGE 7

NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC – Bahamian authorities identi-fied the bodies of the thr ee persons who died when the boat they wer e on capsized in a stor m late last month. They said the deceased were a Jamaican man and aman and a woman fr om Haiti. Justin Snisky, chairman of the Bahamas Air Sea RescueAssociation, said a four th victim was snatched away by sharks befor e officials could retrieve the body. Bahamian authorities said they ar e also tr ying to deter mine what happened to the skipper of a sailboat en route to the Netherlands from Fort Lauderdale, Floridaafter his vessel was caught in the same storm on the night of May 24that saw 45 mile-per -hour winds and 12-foot seas. It was while looking for the captain on May 25 that U.S. Coast Guard officials spotted the over turned fishing boat about 13 miles west of GrandBahama Island. Bahamas policespokesman Basil Rahming saidthe vessel was appar ently head ed for the U.S. coast. Trevor Graham, a Jamaican-born former Olympic athlete-turnedtrack-coach to several of the sport’s biggest names, hasbeen found guilty of lying to aUnited States grand jur y and faces time in prison. Graham, who was a member of the Caribbean island’s 4x400 meters silver medal-win-ning squad at the 1988 Olympic Games and later trained world stars includingJustin Gatlin, Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery, was convicted on one of thr ee counts of lying to federal investigators following a trial which concluded in San Francisco, California late last month. The jury could not agree on a verdict for the other twochar ges of lying to Internal Revenue Service (IRSwhich had been laid againstGraham following federal investigations into the use of performance-enhancing drugs. He was convicted of a char ge linked to his relationship with Texas resident Angel “Memo” Heredia, a key prose-cution witness, who testifiedthat he supplied Graham with drugs for some of his athletes.Graham, who did not testify atthe trial, had earlier deniedthose allegations. TRAIL Graham’ s name first surfaced in the doping investiga tions after a syringe contain ing the performance-enhancer known as “the clear”, then an undetectable steroid, was traced to the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative(BALCOBALCO had been linked tosupplying top athletes with performance-enhancing drugs. The syringe had been original-ly sent to the U.S. AntiDoping Agency by an unknown source. Grahamlater admitted that he had sent it. Since then BALCO’ s boss Victor Conte has been convicted of supplying per formance-enhancers. American Jones, a multi-Olympic champion who at first vehemently denied using performance-enhancers, was later convicted of lying to federal agents and sentenced to six months inprison. Montgomer y , also of the U.S. and a former world record holder in the 100meters, also admitted to usingenhancers. Gatlin, anotherAmerican, tested positive for performance-enhancers and was banned fr om the sport for four years. He is appealing hissentence. All thr ee, plus several other prominent track and fieldathletes, trained with Grahamat his Sprint Capitol USA club based in North Carolina. SC APEGOAT? W illiam Keane, Graham’s attorney, called his client “the original whistleblower inBALCO” who was being made a scapegoat. Several of Graham’s former athletes testified at histrial. Among them wasAmerican Antonio Pettigr ew, an Olympic 4x400 metersr elay gold-medal winner, who admitted, for the first time, that he had used performance-enhancers since 1997. Up to press time prosecutors had not yet announced ifthey would again tr y Graham on the other two charges.Keane said he would tr y to get the charges dismissed. The conviction on the lone charge carries a maximum sen-tence of a $250,000 fine and five years in prison. But Graham, a first time offender,is likely to be locked away for under a year. His sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 5. Several sources,including wire reports,contributed tothis stor y. Jamaican, Haitians die after boat capsizes HALIFAX, Canada – In the midst of a five-year battle withthe United States over Internet gaming, the Antigua government has insisted it hasno plans to give up on its financial services sector. Speaking at the 38th Annual Meeting of theCaribbean Development Bank Board of Governors, Financeand Economy Minister Dr . Er rol Cort highlighted the important role of the sector in the countr s economy and said his government would continue to pursue policies to diversify the industry and to ensure its future growth and sustainability. “In an attempt to position Antigua and Barbuda as a premier jurisdiction for assetpr otection and wealth management, a number of pieces of legislation have been enacted. These include the International Trust Act, the International Foundation Act and the International Limited Liability Company Act,” Cortsaid last month. “The gover nment r ecog nizes the need to continuously update its domestic laws, thereby ensur-ing that astr ong regulatory framework is main tained and, in this r egar d, we have enacted new legislationthat allows theFinancial Services Regulatory Commission(FSRC regulatory authority for all non-bank financial institutions in addition to all Inter national Business Corporations,” he added. BLOW His comments come as the countr s financial sector r ecovers from a blow dealt by Washington when, two years ago, it barred U.S. banks andcr edit car d companies fr om pr ocessing payments made to online and offshore gamblingoperators in Antigua. The move prevented the twin-island nation fr om tapping into the lucrative Americangaming market. The matter was taken to the W orld T rade Or ganization (WTO trators awarded $21 million insanctions against the U.S. Antigua resolute despite gaming dispute with U.S.Jamaican-born coach guilty in U.S.athletics doping scandal June 2008CARIBBEAN TODAY 7 NEWS NEWS www .caribbeantoday.com Ga tlin Jones Cort June2008.qxd 6/4/08 1:49 PM Page 7

PAGE 8

J une is “Caribbean American Heritag e Month”.Caribbean Today will use its FYI column to list some of the activ-ities during the month. HIV/AIDS AWARENESS J une 8 of Caribbean American Heritage Month inthe United States is being used to obser ve National Caribbean American HIV/AIDS A war eness Day (NCAHAAD NCAHAAD is a national mobilization ef fort designed to encourage CaribbeanAmericans and individualsbor n in the Caribbean, across the U.S. and its ter ritories, to get educated, tested, treated and involved. It is also a time to reflect, memorialize andshow compassion for thoseinfected or af fected by HIV/AIDS. TAMPACELEBRATES The Caribbean American Heritage Foundation ofT ampa Bay, Florida has lined up several events to markCaribbean American HeritageMonth. They will be held in Tampa. Among them are thefollowing: June 7,noon to 5 p.m . – Caribbean American BusinessExpo, Car rollwood Cultural Center Annex, 13335 Casey Rd. June 8-22 – Caribbean Art Festival, Orange Park Gallery,1215 N. Franklin St. June 18,6:30 p.m. – Wide A wake W ednesday’ s topic: “Caribbean American Commonalities and Misconceptions”, Mango’s,4237 Ar menia A ve. June 21,11 a.m.to 4 p.m. Caribbean American WellnessHealth Festival, Car r ollwood Cultural Center Annex. J une 28, 9 p .m. – T ampa Bay Seventh Annual CalypsoCompetition. June 29,noon to 6 p.m. Caribbean American FamilyOlympics, Rowlette Park, North 22nd Street andRowlette Dr . GEORGIA EVENTS The Georgia Caribbean American Heritage Coalition (GCAHCseveral events in June. Theyinclude the following: June 7,6 p.m.to 9 p.m. Caribbean Cultural V ariety Show, co-hosted by the Atlanta CaribbeanAssociation, Hillside Presbyterian Church, 1879Columbia Dr ., Decatur. J une 13,6 p.m.to 9 p.m. Launch reception of the GCAHC’s mentorship/internship program, Junor Fine Art Gallery, 114 E. Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur. June 19,6 p.m.to 8 p.m. Business oppor tunities semi nar , Clark Atlanta University, 223 James P . Brawley Dr., Atlanta. June 25-26,9 a.m.to 5 p.m. Caribbean Arts and CultureSymposium. June 25 event at Savannah College of Art andDesign, Atlanta campus, 1600Peachtr ee St. June 26 event at Auburn Research Library on African American Cultur e and History, 100 Auburn Ave. V isit www .caribbeansympo sium.com for more information. J une 28,7:30 p.m. – A wards banquet and silent auction,John W illiams Ballroom, The Galleria Centr e, 2 Galleria Parkway , Atlanta. Visit www.cobbgalleria.com or call 404-667-7933 for mor e information. QUESTION: How do I get a r e-entry permit into the U.S.? ANSWER: If you want to get a re-entry permit, file Form I131, Application for Travel Document, says the U.S.Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS Of ficials say you should file this application well in advance of your planned trip. The I-131is available at uscis.gov and the instructions on the form will give you more details. If you have questions after reading the instr uctions, call customer ser vice at 1-800-375-5283 . A re-entry permit establishes a presumption that you did not abandon your legal sta-tus in the United States, and it allows you to apply for admis-sion to the U.S. after traveling abroad for up to two years,without having to obtain a returning resident visa, the USCIS say. Re-entr y permits are normally valid for two years fr om the date of issuance. It can helppr event problems associated with your Permanent Resident Card becoming technicallyinvalid for r e-entry into the U.S. if you are absent from the U.S. for one year or more, oryour U.S. per manent r esidence being considered as abandoned for absences shorter than one year, if you take up residence in another country. You may also want to get a r e-entr y permit if you plan on traveling outside the U.S. and cannot, or do not wish to get a passport from your home country. Many countries throughoutthe world may allow you to use a re-entry permit much like you would use a passport – placing necessary visas, and entry and exit stamps in the permit – soyou may use it as your main travel document. Be sure tocheck with the countries youplan on visiting about theirr equir ements befor e you travel. U.S. immigration rules do not require you have the docu-ment in your possession when you depar t, but they do require that you apply for the per mit befor e you leave the U.S. Note that r e-entry permits can’t be extended. If your permit expires, you’ll need toapply for a new one. If you have a valid re-entry permit in your possession, you will needto send it in when you apply for a new one. You need not send in an expired re-entry permit. For security reasons,the USCIS says it will not issue a new re-entry permit to someone who alr eady has a valid one in his or her possession. If you need a new r e-entr y permit because your previous one was lost, stolen, or destroyed, please indicate this on your application for the new permit. Compiled by Felicia Persaud. The answers provided here are for information purposes only,and do not create an attorney-client relationship; nor are they a substitute for “le g al advice”, w hic h can only be g i ven b y a competent attorney after review ing all the f acts of the case . FYIGetting a re-entry permit into the U.S. 8 CARIBBEAN TODAYJune 2008 LOCAL LOCAL www.caribbeantoday.com Street Address: 9020 SW 152nd Street, Miami, FL 33157 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 6010 Miami, FL 331 16-6010. 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 Vol.19,Number 7 JUNE2008 PETER AWEBLEY Publisher GORDON WILLIAMS Managing Editor SABRINA HOPKINS Graphic Artist DOROTHYCHIN Account Executive SHARON LEE Account Executive JACQUELINE RUBIANO Accounting ManagerCaribbean Media Source Media Representatives TOM JONAS 353 St. Nicolas Street, Suite 200 Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2Y2P1 T el: (514514 E-mail: tom@cmsworldmedia.com Jamaica Bureau MARIE GREGOR Y (876 P.O. Box 127, Constant Spring Kingston 8, JamaicaOpinions expressed by editors and writers are not necessarily those of thepublisher. 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. T o guarantee return, please include a selfaddressed stamped envelope. Articles appearing in Caribbean Today may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor . GETTING TO KNOW YOU JIS/NYC photographGeneive Bro wn Metzger,center,consul general of Jamaica in New York,was among several of her peers who were feted at a recent reception for new consuls general organized by the Society of F oreign Consuls (SoFCThe consuls general and their guests were hosted by Christopher Forbes,right,vice chairman,Forbes,at the Forbes Galleries in Manhattan.At left is Michael Hess,senior managing partner of Giuliani Partners,LLC. June2008.qxd 6/4/08 1:50 PM Page 8

PAGE 9

Oh to turn back the hands of time ,they say,or,“If I knew now what I knew then, things would be different. Well, I always say what’s past is past, what’s gone is gone, it’s all water under the bridge,so it’ s best we leave it be. Still, some people insist on trying to recapture the past, go back to the glor y days, relive their youth, or worse yet, return to a for mer lover. Well, take it fr om me, you shouldn’t go back. Have you ever gone back to your old primary or prep school and wander through the classrooms?The first thought that hits you, is how small everything seems, the classr oom, the tiny desks and chairs and the playground. Everything just seems so out of proportion and you wonder howyou ever managed to fit into that tiny world. You have grown. What is true is that memory is selective, and usually we tend to remember only the good things from past relation-ships, hence the saying, thegood old days. Heck, ther e was nothing particularly good about the good old days. They were just nor mal days, fraught with peril and misfortune as well as good times. But as time passed, we, by process of elimination, sifted out the bad times and leftonly the good memories, and voila, it’s the good old days. As the book “A Tale of Two Cities” said: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”. The same applies to relationships, and if you had the experience of leaving one, it’ s best to leave well enough alone and don’t return. There is a reason why you left in the first place. Either she left you or you left her, or it was by mutual agr eement. But what matters is that things got so bad that you had to part ways. JUSTIFICATION Now years have passed and the selective memory kicks in, and suddenly she looks soappealing again and you want to have another go. Big mistake. First you try to justify all the reasons to return. “Oh, I must forgive and forget, letbygones be bygones, I must turn the other cheek and take her back.” You only say that now because your selective memory has erased all the pain and hurt that she put you through over the years. You for got the tears, the pain, anguish and anger that you felt when she tore up your heart. If you’re a lady, the grief that he put you through as he ran around with your best friend has per haps abated, and now you’re willing to give him a second chance. “Oh, he has changed, and he won’t hurt meagain,” you think. So whether you ar e man or woman, you reckon that the past r elationship is worth another shot, so you decide to tur n back the hands of time and give it another go. W ell first of all, time has marched on,and as time passed, so have both parties grown. Many people expect to just pick up exactly where they left off when they broke up years ago. She was 25, he was 30, now she is 30 and he is 35. It’s been along five years of separation and plenty water has gone under the bridge. Yet so many couples just expect to resume life the same place that they left it. REALITY CHECK After a few weeks there’s a harsh reality check, as the worldcomes crashing down when r eality sets in and both realize that things and times have put a different spin on the relationship. No longer is she the young na•ve waif like girl who he could bowl over with his char ms. When they wer e together he was her idol and she hung on to ever y wor d that he said like a starry eyed pupil listening to a pr ofessor . In those five years apar t she has gr own, gained her independence, became assertive, increased in statur e, has mor e self esteem, landed a gr eat new job and is cer tainly not dependent on any man, including him, for anything. Or flip it, he has grown tr emendously , while she has r emained the same disco queen of yester year , still flitting from club to club every weekend night, refusing to mature and be responsible. For her, the party has not ended. What happens too, is that the cir cle of friends on both sides may have expanded or become different, and suddenly he or she is thrust into a world not of their liking. “Who are those people that she’s now hanging about with? I can’t relate to them at all” Or, “Now he’ s taken up with a rum drinking gambling crowd, I am certainly not used to that.” Another r eason why you shouldn’t return is because of what took place in that dash between when you br oke up and now . Suddenly, the woman who was once only yours, now has a history of exes in the space between then and now. Your virgin bride has been sullied, tainted by recent experi-ences. It was all well and good if she had a boyfriend or two before you, but to know that in the six years that you’ve beenapar t, it’s about two or three different men who have run through, partook of your precious fruit. It’s perhaps a bit much to bear. Now when youmake love to her all you canthink about is those big tough back dudes who encroached on your property. The thought isoften agonizing, and even though it might not manifest itself in the beginning, after a while it will seep through and come to the fore. And that’s why you should not return. AMAGED GOODS’ Interestingly, this doesn’t seem to bother women as much as men, as it’s mostly men who have expressed this to me. “My God, every time I see her talk-ing to a man I wonder if shehad a thing with him when we were apart. I now see her asdamaged goods”. What happens when you go back is the past somehow cr eeps back in, and the selective memory isn’t as selective as itused to be. Suddenly you star t to r emember his annoying little habits, how lazy he was around the house, how dependent he is on his mother even now , and the floodgates of the negative waters of hell burst open as you remember everything. Suddenly he remembers that she was sexyonly once or twice for themonth, but his selective memo ry had blocked out the periods of forced abstinence. As romantic as it may seem my friends, you can’ t return. My findings are backed up by scientific statistical data which pr oves that most second tries do not work. Always remember, things had to get really bad for you tohave par ted in the first place, so why do you think that those bad things have gone away? If you want to relive the past, it’s best to get someone who closely resembles your ex.That way you’ll have the bestof both worlds same physicalappearance, but a brand new experience. Perhaps she will bring you crosses too, but atleast it’ s new crosses. You can’t return, just look ahead and stop tr ying to r elive the past. seido1@hotmail.com Never return to old stomping grounds June 2008CARIBBEAN TODAY 9 VIEWPOINT VIEWPOINT www .caribbeantoday.com TONY ROBINSON “The relationship between the police force and the community has to be 100 percent.You cannot demand respect from peo-ple; you have to earn it and once y ou earn it an y problem is sur mounta ble” – J amaica’ s recently appointed Minister of National Security T revor MacMillan last month discussing his solution to the crime problem. “I am not too sure where thisis coming frombut I am theprime minister;I am her e to serve and I will continue toserv e in the inter est of the people” – St.Lucia’ s Prime Minister Stephenson King last month dismissing reports that he planned to resign over thecurrent crisis within his go vernment that was sparked b y calls by disgruntled legislators for the dismissal of EconomicAffairs Minister A usbert D’Auvergne. “Whatever may have inspired and motivated it (embargoit belongs to an erathat is long past” J amaica’ s Prime Minister Bruce Golding last month calling for the liftingof the United States-imposedeconomic embargo on Cuba. “When one gets a feeling of invincibility,of arrogance,thenthat is the time the party musttak e stock” K en V alley , deputy leader of the ruling People’s National Movement(PNM Trinidad and Tobago,last month calling for the remo val of Prime Minister Patrick Manning last month. “The recent downturn in the U .S.economy is not impacting the inter est in the Caribbean” Alec Sanguinetti,director general of the Caribbean HotelAssociation, expressing opti mism last month about the region’s tourism future. “I’m very disappointed.I’ve had sleepless nights after thathearing. I think what ha ppened is unfortunate” Richie Richardson,a member of theW est Indies Cric ket Board disciplinary committee and former captain of the region’ s team, last month hitting out at the decision to ban Marlon Samuels for two years over his involvementwith an alleged Indian bookie . Compiled from CMC and other sources . June2008.qxd 6/4/08 1:50 PM Page 9

PAGE 10

10 CARIBBEAN TODAYJune 2008 BEV BENNETT Shrimp is a wonderful ingredient when you’re cooking for two. You can buy shrimp by the ounce so you have just enough for a meal without leftovers and you can prepare the seafood in so many ways you won’t gettir ed of it. But shrimp comes in so many forms, from fresh, which rare, to cooked, peeled and ready to eat. Each preparation style has its virtues and drawbacks. If you choose the preparation that suits yourneeds you’ll save time andexpense. For example, if you’re lucky enough to find freshshrimp in your super-market, savorthe delicatetaste with asimple pr eparation, suchas shrimp in a lemon-but-ter sauce. Shrimp that’s cooked withthe peel ismor e succulent and fla vorful. If you’re preparingshrimp to use in a salad and you have the time, buyunpeeled shrimp. Rinse theshrimp under cold water sothe shrimp meat contractsslightly fr om the shell and is easier to remove. Start with 12 ounces of peel-on shrimp andassume you’ll lose about twoounces of the initial weight. You have to peel raw shrimp you’re going to use insoup, stew or a dish withsauce. Whether you buypeeled raw shrimp or do thework yourself depends onyour time and budget. Peeled shrimp are more expensive,but you’ll shave five minutes off preparation, if that’s important. Peeling small raw shrimp is tedious and I recommend buying the peeled prod-uct. Shrimp have a long dark vein that runs down the back. In small shrimp, the vein isn’t an issue; in large shrimp, thevein can be filled with grit. You can buy de-veinedshrimp. If you have to do thejob yourself, take a small par ing knife, make a slash downthe back and pull out the strip. Your supermarket fish counter also offers cooked, peeled shrimp. This is priceyand limits your options. Use precooked shrimp in salads or for appetizers. Avoid adding the shrimp to a dish you’re cooking; the results will be tough and dry. For the following r ecipe of shrimp in a zesty chipotle chile tomato sauce, start with large shrimp and peel them before cooking. SHRIMP WITH CHIPOTLETOMATO SAUCE Ingredients 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 small onion, peeled and chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 1 (14.5-ounce roasted tomatoes (see note 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile flakes (see note 1/4 teaspoon crushed dried or egano 12 ounces large raw shrimp, peeled 2 teaspoons lemon juice Salt and pepper to taste Couscous with herbs (follows Method Heat the oil in a lar ge skillet. Add the onion and garlicand cook over medium heat for three minutes or until tender. Add the tomatoes withliquid, chili flakes and oregano. Reduce heat to low and simmer for one minute.Add shrimp. Cover skillet andcook for 10 minutes, or until shrimp are cooked through.Stir occasionally . Stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper. To serve, spoon couscous onto two plates. Top each withthe shrimp and sauce. Makes two servings. NOTE: If roasted tomatoes aren’t available, use plaindiced tomatoes. Chipotle chile flakes are available in thespice section of super markets. If not available substitute crushed red pepper flakes and a pinch of chili powder. COUSCOUS Ingr edients 2 cups chicken br oth 1 cup large pearl couscous, also called Middle Easterncouscous 2 tablespoons minced cilantro 2 tablespoons minced chives or scallions, gr een parts only Method Bring the broth to a boil in a medium pot. Stir in the couscous. Reduce heat to low,cover and simmer for five minutes or until broth is absorbed and couscous is tender. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro and chives. 2008, Bev Bennett. Distributed by Tribune Media Services Inc. Versatile shrimp offers easy fix for Caribbean seafood treat Delicious shrimp in chipotle sauce FOOD FOOD www.caribbeantoday.com June2008.qxd 6/4/08 1:50 PM Page 10

PAGE 11

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC Guyana is spending an estimated $20,000 to acquire 32 steel pans from Trinidadand T obago in a bid to r esus citate the local steel pan industry. The pans will form the nucleus of a national steel band which, according to aGover nment Information Agency (GINA will hopefully take its place in the national cultural arena. “The National Steel Band will consist of approximately 56 persons and rehearsals will commence shor tly”, the state ment added. “Steel band was a popular form of entertainment for several years in Guyana but went into decline. It is hoped thatthis initiative will bring it back to its former glory and reach even further heights”. Andrew Tyndal, project consultant for the National Steel Band and DevelopmentPr oject, said that the resuscitation of steel band in thr ee schools has commenced, with tutors conducting training sessions at St. Joseph’s High, Dolphin Secondary and LodgeCommunity High School. Guy ana reviving steel pan industr y ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC Car nival or ganizers her e say they ar e planning to use foreign judges for local calypso competitions again despite objections fr om the Gr enada Pr ogr essive Association of Calypso and Tents (GPACT). The announcement was expected to upset GPACT, whose opposition to for eign judges sparked a conflict that threatened to throw last year’s carnival celebrations into disarray. “GP ACT as you all know took us to court for that action last year and they had expressed to us in our post mor tem meeting that they ar e against foreign judges,” said Arthur Hosten, Grenada’s chief carnival organizer. “Based on what happened last year with the confidence and integrity of the process, we are continuing with foreign judges this year COMPROMISE The dispute played out in a Gr enada High Cour t at the height of car nival celebrations last year after Justice Kenneth Benjamin ruled in favor of an application by GPACT to present their case against the Grenada Cultural Foundation (GCF However, the start of the calypso finals, part of De Manche Gras, the main car ni val show, was delayed by more than four hours due to a back stage quarrel between officials and GP ACT over the composi tion of the final judging panel. Carnival, Grenada’s major cultural showpiece will climax Aug. 11-12. Grenada carnival sticks with foreign judges GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – The 10th staging of the Caribbean Festival of the Arts (CARIFESTA X) is set toattract r ecord participation fr om Caribbean, Latin American, North American and European countries, according to Guyana’s Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr. Frank Anthony. He said that approximately 1,300 of the expected 2,000 del egates from 22 countries have alr eady confirmed their participation in the Caribbean’s premier cultural event to be staged in Guyana this year Aug. 22-31. Traditionally, CARIFEST A had showcased the top creators of the Caribbean intheir varied ar tistic spheres. However, the festival has opened its doors to countries outside of CARICOM andLatin America. The culture minister added that other countries, such as Australia, United Kingdom, China, French Guiana and Morocco had also indicated aninter est in participating in CARIFEST A X, which is being hosted under the theme“One Caribbean, One Purpose Our Culture, Our Life”. Expressing satisfaction with the response so far, Anthony said that an “aggres-sive awar eness campaign,” which is to be launched soon, would fur ther stimulate more international interest in the festival and assured that adequate accommodation would be provided. He pointed to 3,041 exist ing hotel rooms and announcedhis intention to augment this by reactivating the Bed and Br eakfast programme that was successfully operated during Cricket World Cup 2007. Guyana expecting record participation for CARIFESTA June 2008CARIBBEAN TODAY 11 ARTS ARTS / / ENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT www .caribbeantoday.com BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL Jamaican artist Paul Blackwood shows his artwork to his countrs Ambassador to the United States Anthony Johnson next to him. The pieces were on display last month at the Embassy of Jamaica in Washington,D.C.Also viewing the artwork are,from left,fellow Jamaican artist Courtney Morgan and Stephen Salny.The four-day exhibition showcased over 75 works by the two artists, specializing in landsca pes,abstracts and semi-abstracts,oil on canvas and collages.It was the third year that the two artists have sho wn their works in the U.S.capital. June2008.qxd 6/4/08 1:50 PM Page 11

PAGE 12

Citing the constant threat of rain and the September heat, promoters of the annual“Jamaican Jerk Festival” havemoved the event to early November. This year’s festival will take place on Nov . 9 at Markham Park in Sunrise, Florida. The “Jamaican Jerk Festival” is a family treat, with attractions and activities forall ages. Each year its packageof Caribbean foods – especial ly “jerk” dishes and enter tainment attract a huge crowd. Last year rain brought the festival, pr oduced by Riddims Marketing and Jamaica A war eness Inc., to a pr ema ture end. Jamaican jerk fest mo ved to No vemberTobago to celebrate heritage festival July 11-Aug.1 12 CARIBBEAN TODAYJune 2008 ARTS ARTS / / ENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT www.caribbeantoday.com The island of the T obago will celebrate its 21stannual heritage festival with the theme “One HandCan’ t Clap”. This year’s event, set to take place July 11-Aug. 1, is acommemoration of the island’s traditions and theimpact of its pr edominant African heritage. Tobago was originally inhabited by Amerindians.However , it quickly became home to many African slaves after the colonization byEur opeans. These historical experiences have come together to define what itmeans to be T obagonian and essentially given birth to the cultural extravaganza that is obago Heritage Festival”. CELEBRA TION Since the festival’s inception in 1987, T obagonians from various communities have used the annual celebration of culture to educate andenter tain visitors and the youth. Each village contributes its own presentation.The main event is the tradi tional “Ole Time Wedding”, hosted in the village of Moriah. This marriage cere-mony highlights the influences of European culture on thelocal population. It featur es a colorful procession of the satin-garbed and top-hatted wedding party and guests dancing in the streets. The reception features a chorus of fiddle music, localcuisine, speeches and period entertainment. The festival is also consid ered a family affair, with children displaying their talents at the “Junior HeritageExplosion”. The climax of festivities is the crowning of“Miss Heritage Personality”and the “Heritage Calypso Monarch”. T obago, along with Trinidad, is part of a twinisland republic located in the southeastern region of theCaribbean. For more information, www.visittobago.gov.tt or call 800-816-7541 . Jamaican actor Christopher Daley will do double duty asdir ector in the play “An Amazing Grace” which pr emier s June 15 at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts in South Florida. The play is written by South Florida-based graphic artist Roy “Artbwoy” Martin. “An Amazing Grace” is Mar tin’s first effort at playwriting, but Daley has been apopular actor/comedian in Jamaica for years. Years agohe gained r ecognition for his role as “Little Johnny” in the television show “Lime TreeLane” and has appear ed in several stage pr oductions since, including “Yard ”, “Dis Ting”, “Oliver and theGene”, “Cindy Relisha andthe DJ Prince” and “Jamaica2 Rahtid”. “An Amazing Grace” is a stor y about “Johnny”, played by Daley , an aspiring reggae singer with dreams of making it big. He struggles with hiscriminal past with bad man“Dr edie”, played by Andr ew Clarke, and “Puddy”, played by Sammy Question. “Queenie”, played by Ann “Char m” McKenzie, is Johnny’ s love inter est. The “other woman” is chur ch sister “Grace”, played by Chanise Brady. For mor e information, call 305-405-1059 . Daley plays entertainer “Johnnin “An Amazing Grace”. CELEBRATION ISLAND STYLE Photograph by Dale NicholsonCostumed revelers show off some of their moves on the streets of the Georgia, United States city during last month’s Atlanta Caribbean Carnival.The carnival sea-son fea tured several colorful events, inc luding the King and Queen Band Competition, a parade in downtown Atlanta,a Caribbean Carnival Festival Village, and live performances by some of the region’s top entertainers,including Iwer George,Pater Ram,Jamesy P.,Problem Child,Burning Flames,WCK and 2Intrigue. An Amazing Grace’ hits South Florida stage on June 15 June2008.qxd 6/4/08 1:50 PM Page 12

PAGE 13

BARBADOS High air far es are grounding the development of future air travelers, according to a young travel expert from the Caribbean. Javon Grif fith, designated junior minister of tourism ofBarbados 2004-2005, islamenting the high cost ofintra-Caribbean travel, claim ing it is hindering ef for ts to develop a youth travel market. “The continuing increase in the cost of travel is limitingthe ability of the Caribbean todevelop a youth travel mar ket,” said Grif fith, who believes Caribbean youth need to be educated early about theimpor tance of tourism to the r egion’s economy. “They need to understand that without the contributionof tourism to the Caribbean the region would be rendered economically non-viable,” the 20-year-old said. “Furthermore, they need to understand that this is why it is ar gued so often that the Caribbean is the most tourism dependent region in theworld.” IMP ACT Grif fith r ecently complet ed a bachelor of science degree in hospitality andtourism management fr om the University of the WestIndies. He hasworked as a part-time serv-er at the FishPot Restaurantin Barbados.He saidaf fordable travel options help to shape the youth’sworld view and addr ess their need to understand “the scope of tourism’s impacts, the level of job creation and the valuable foreign exchange to be earned from the sector. ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC The director general ofthe Caribbean HotelAssociation (CHAwar ned that regional economies stand to suf fer significantly by the thir d quarter of this year as a result ofthe decision by major United States airlines to retire dozens of their planes from September. Addr essing members of the Grenada Hotel and T ourism Association during their annual general meeting last month, Alec Sanguinetti said that industry analysts estimate that airlines will trimtheir fleets because of high fuel costs and a downturn in the U.S. economy . “Airlines will be trimming between five and ten per cent of their aircraft,” Sanguinetti told the tourism stakeholders “I see serious negative effects on our tourism industry, serious negative effects on the growth of the region’s economy and serious negative effects on our social life.” CUTS While American Airlines has declined to pr ovide exact details of its mass plane r etirement, theCHA headsaid thatUnitedAirlines plans to cut 30 of its oldest 737planes, Continental will retire 34,and Delta and Northwest between 15 and 20. “All these major cuts mean less seats available, less planes available and ultimately less persons coming to our region. These changes spell tr ouble and it’s time for us to realize that life is not the same and things should not continue as we know it in terms of travel and tourism.” High airfares affecting youth travel in Caribbean ~ delegate Retirement of U.S.planes troubling for region ~ CHA Animal rights group intensifies lobby for boycott of St.Kitts and Nevis June 2008CARIBBEAN TODAY 13 TOURISM TOURISM / / TRAVEL TRAVEL www .caribbeantoday.com NORFOLK, Virginia – An international animal rightsgr oup has launched a global campaign aimed at gettingtravel agencies to boycott St.Kitts and Nevis over alleged cruelty to animals at the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. The Virginia-based People for the Ethical T reatment of Animals (PET A) has to date succeeded in getting at least two major travel agencies in the United States in boycotting the twin-island federation over the alleged mutilation and killing of healthy sheep, donkeys and goats atthe veterinar y school. PET A, in a statement issued last month, said that while some travel agencies wer e “planning quietly” to steer trav-elers to other destinations, theW ashington-based Green Earth Travel was the latest in publiclyannouncing that it wouldencourage its clients not to visitthe Caribbean nation “until the school ends its cruel and deadly surgical procedures on ani-mals”. In April, the Las Vegasbased Holiday SystemsInter national, a high-end trav el agency, said it had started to r efuse to book holidays to St. Kitts and Nevis for its over300,000 clients. Donna Zeigfinger, president of Gr een Ear th T ravel, said she was urging clients to vacation elsewhere “because of the harmful and outdated surgeries that are performed onanimals at Ross and the St.Kitts gover nment’s defense of them. e will only resume encouraging people to booktheir travel to St. Kitts once Ross University ends the needless suffering of animalsby using humane veterinar y teaching alter natives recommended by PETA”, she said in a letter to PETA. ALERT Zeigfinger added that Green Earth Travel had also posted an aler t in its newsletter about the alleged animalcr uelty at Ross University. PETA – which has affiliates in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands,India, and the Asia-Pacificr egion – said it had urged the Denzil Douglas administration in St. Kitts and Nevis to investigate the veterinary schoolfor alleged violations of the United States’ Protection ofAnimals Act. It said it hadr eceived complaints fr om “concerned Ross students” about “cruel teaching proce-dur es”. But PETA said while the St. Kitts and Nevis’ Ministr y of Agriculture had launched an investigation, the veterinary school reportedly “con-tinues to conduct needlesspractice sessions on healthy animals that often result in death”. The group also called on the school to establish a vet erinar y teaching hospital to help sick and injur ed animals instead. A St. Kitts and Nevis government statement in April said “the citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis are peaceful, hardwork-ing and law-abiding and do not condone any acts of cr uelty anywhere to animals or humans alike. Any insinuation by PETA that our government and people think or behave otherwise is a gross misrepresentation of our proud Caribbean cultur e and traditions”. The administration said it viewed the boycott thr eats as “a ploy to attract attention by PET A and to for ce the intervention of the St. Kitts government into a dispute betweentwo privately-owned and oper ated organizations, both of which are headquartered in theUnited States of America andwhich operate under U.S. laws”. Sanguinetti Griffith June2008.qxd 6/4/08 1:50 PM Page 13

PAGE 14

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania Jamaica’ s Ambassador to the UnitesStates Anthony Johnson has announced that his govern-ment is looking at ways of increasing trade with theUnited States city ofPhiladelphia. “All ef forts will be made to incr ease export from Jamaica to Philadelphia which nowstands at just under US$100million to US$200 million,”Johnson told the Philadelphia City Council recently. “All efforts will be made to fortify a stronger trade rela-tion with Jamaica andPhiladelphia.” STRENGTHENING In the 18th centur y, Jamaica and Philadelphia, also known as the “City ofBr otherly Love”, “had a strong trading relationship; and there’s no reason whywe cannotstr engthen that r elationship back, so both Jamaica and Philadelphia can benefit economically,” the diplomat said. He said that trade could be doubled by making Philadelphia a por t of entry “for a wide range of Jamaicanpr oducts”. In addition, the new U.S. envoy called for the enhancement of Jamaican products in Philadelphia, stating that rum, sauces, pepper products, liqueurs and beers are some of the goods thatcould be expor ted from Jamaica to the lar ge U.S city. Car ol Brooks, manager of International Trade for the City of Philadelphia’ s Department of Commerce, said in 2007 a total of $67,538,013 in goods were imported from Jamaica, a 39.36 percent increase over 2006. She said the top impor ts were beverages, spirits, vinegar, vegetables, fruits, andnuts. MIAMI, Florida Medium-tosmall companies from a dozencountries, including the Caribbean, are expected topar ticipate in the Miami International Trade Days Summit 2008 next month. The two-day event will be held July 11-12 at the Sheraton Mart Plaza here. The showcase, sponsored by the corporate members ofthe Minority Chamber ofCommer ce, will featur e exhibitors in businesses such as beverages, food, construc-tion, fur niture and textiles. e are excited about bringing a new vision to our expos here in Miami, Florida,” Doug Mayorga, chair of the chamber’s committee, said in a press release issued recently to promote the event. “Miami International Trade Days Summit will focus on all aspects of business, such as connecting with prominent exporter and importer compa-nies as well as pr oviding visitors with leading edge information that can of fer a tr ue competitive advantage for small entrepreneurs.” Among the activities scheduled for the event are a series of educational conference sessions featuring industry insights and business devel-opment ideas to help str eam line costs, introduce new items and grow businesses, and focusissues about cer tification for “nostalgic products”. Registration is limited to export-import industry profes-sionals, including owners of small businesses, supermar-kets, r estaurants, r etail stor es and wholesale distributors. It is not open to the generalpublic. For more information, call Juan Maltes at 786-2601965 . Protecting credit during divorceJamaica embraces plans to increase trade with U.S.‘City of Brotherly Love’Small businesses to highlight Miami trade summit in July 14 CARIBBEAN TODAYJune 2008 BUSINESS BUSINESS www.caribbeantoday.com JOSE H. CARBALLO When a marriage ends in divorce, the lives of those involved are changed forever. During thistime of upheaval, one thing that shouldn’t have to changeis the cr edit status you’ve worked so har d to achieve. Unfulfilled pr omises to pay bills, the maxing out of credit cards, and a total breakdown in communication frequently lead to the annihilation of at least one spouse’s cr edit. Depending upon how finances are structured, it can sometimes have a negative impact on both parties. Yet by taking a proactive approach and creating a specific plan to maintain one’s creditstatus, anyone can ensur e that “starting over” doesn’t have tomean r ebuilding credit. The first step for anyone going thr ough a divorce is to obtain copies of your credit report from the three major agencies: Equifax, Experian, and T ransUnion. It’ s impossi ble to for mulate a plan without having a complete understanding of the situation. (Once a year , you may obtain a fr ee credit report by visiting www.AnnualCreditReport.com .) Then create a spreadsheet, and list all of the accounts that are currently open. For eachentr y , fill in columns with the following information: creditor name, contact number, theaccount number , type of account (e.g. credit card, car loan, etc.), account status (e.g. current, past due), accountbalance, minimum monthlypayment amount, and who isvested in the account( joint/individual/authorized signer ). PLAN Now make a plan. Ther e are two types of creditaccounts, and each is handled differently during a divorce.The first type is a secur ed account, meaning it’ s attached to an asset. The most common secured accounts are car loansand home mor tgages. The sec ond type is an unsecured account. These accounts aretypically cr edit cards and charge cards, and they have no assets attached. For a secur ed account, your best option is to sell the asset. This way the loan is paid off and your name is nolonger attached. Next best isto r efinance the loan. In other words, one spouse buys out the other. This only works, however, if the purchasing spouse can qualify for a loanby themselves and can assumepayments on their own. Y our last option is to keep your name on the loan. This is the most risky option because if you’re not the one making the payment, your credit is truly vulnerable. In the case of a mortgage, enlisting the aid of a qualified mortgage professional is extremely important. This individual will review yourexisting home loan along withthe equity you’ve built up and help you to determine the bestcourse of action. SPEED When it comes to unsecur ed accounts, you will need to act quickly. It’s important toknow which spouse (if notboth) is vested. If you ar e merely a signer on theaccount, have your name r emoved immediately . If you are the vested party and your spouse is a signer , have their name removed. Any joint accounts (both parties vested that do not carry a balanceshould be closed immediately . If there are jointly vested accounts, which carry a bal-ance, your best option is to have them frozen. This willensur e that no futur e charges can be made to the accounts. When an account is frozen, however, it is frozen for bothpar ties. If you do not have any cr edit cards in your name, obtain one before freezing all of your jointly vested accounts. By having a card in your ownname, you now have the option of transferring any jointbalances into your account,guaranteeing they’ll get paid. Ensuring payment on a debt, which car ries your name, is paramount when it comes to preserving credit. One 30-daylate payment can dr op your credit score as much as 75 points. It is also impor tant to know that a divor ce decree does not override any agreement you have with a cr editor . So, r egar dless of which spouse is ordered to pay by the judge, not doing so will affect thecr edit scor e of both par ties. Not only eliminate all joint accounts, but do it quickly. Jose H.Caraballois branch manag er for the Coral Gables office of Source One mortg ag e . You can contact him at caraballo12345@comcast.net or 305-968-1257 . Johnson All efforts will be made to fortify a stronger trade relation with Jamaica andPhiladelphia” Ambassador Johnson e are excited about bringing a new vision to our expos here in Miami, Florida” Doug Mayorga,“Miami International T rade Days Summit will focus on all aspects of business.” June2008.qxd 6/4/08 1:50 PM Page 14

PAGE 15

GREG ISAACSON The leaves of the camellia sinensis plant contain an array of bioactive substances, but scientific interest is brewing over the medicinalpr operties of antioxidant polyphenol compounds known as flavonoids. In green, or unprocessed, tea, the most potent are thecatechins. As tealeaves ar e fermented by air exposure to produce black tea, the catechins are transformed into theaflavins and thear ubigins. Though all have benefits for brain and body, it may be bestto consume a variety of teas. GREEN TEA 1.Arthritis: Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG inflammation, bone erosion, and joint damage fr om rheumatoid arthritis. 2.Cancer: Populations that drink green tea have lowerrates of cancer . EGCG combats free-radical cell damage and activates p57, a protein that pr otects healthy cells. 3. Cholesterol: Lowers total cholester ol and raises good HDL cholester ol. 4. Intestinal inflammation: EGCG has potent anti-inflam matory properties that could help treat inflammatory bowel disease. 5.Liver disease: Lowers risk of developing liver disorders in men. May also pr otect liver against damaging effects of alcohol. 6. Sunburn: EGCG mitigates sunburn reaction. May protect against skin cancer. BLA CK TEA 1. Bone health: May incr ease bone mineral density . 2.Cancer: May reduce risk of many cancers. Theaflavin-3’-monogallate (TF-2 COX-2 inhibitor to suppresscancer cells. 3.Cholesterol: Drinking five cups of black tea per day low ers total cholester ol and bad LDL cholesterol. 4.Heart disease: Helps lower blood pressure. May reverseendothelial dysfunction; also reduces blood platelet activation. Note: Adding milk to tea cancels the beneficial effect. 5.Stress: Speeds recovery from stressful events, reducing levels of cortisol and diminishing blood platelet activation. BOTH 1.Brain health: Catechins in both green and black tea (although more concentratedin gr een tea) protect against buildup of amyloid deposits, implicated in Alzheimer’s and other age-related neurodegenerative diseases. 2. Diabetes: Impr oves glucose tolerance in bor derline diabetics. 3.Oral health: Rich in fluoride, which protects against cavities. Theobr omine found in teas appears to str engthen teeth and pr otect against cavities better than fluoride. Added to chewing gum, green tea extract protects gum tissue and stimulates salivary glands. 4.Weight control: Catechins stimulate thermogenesis, boosting fat metabolism and calorie expenditur e. 2008 Susse x Publishers, Inc.All rights reserved. Distrib uted by Tribune Media Services,Inc. HA VANA, Cuba, CMC Cuba and Antigua and Barbuda havesigned a memorandum of understanding (MOU ing a legal framework for thefr ee eye surgery program, “Operation Miracle”, that has alr eady benefited more than 1,000 patients fr om the Englishspeaking Caribbean nation. The document was signed by Cuban Health MinisterRamon Balaguer and AntiguaPrime Minister Baldwin Spencer, who was on an official visit to the country at the invitation of President Raul Castrolast month. Balaguer told the Cuban News Agency (ACN) that Spencer was particularly interested in the Cuban experience in the tr eatment of diabetes, a disease that is significantly affecting the people of the twin-island federation. The prime minister also expr essed his interest in incr easing cooperation in the training of Antiguan nursingpersonnel in Havana. Operation Miracle, a pr ogram that began in 2004, has already benefited more than 1.1 million people from 32 countries, mainly from LatinAmerica and the Caribbean. Patients from Antigua and Barbuda entered the programon July 22, 2005. Cuba offers free eye surgeries to AntiguansFit to a tea: green or black,they pack punch DR. HAR VEYB. SIMON Question:I know I should quit smoking. I’m 27 y ears old and just started three years ago.I alwa ys belie v ed I could quit an y time I wanted.Now,almost four months ha v e gone by since I made my New Year’s resolution to give it up for good.But I am still smoking a pack per day. What can I do? Answer: In addition to nicotine r eplacement you can buy without a prescription, your doctor has additional tools to help you quit. Two forms of nicotine replacement require a prescription. Nicotineinhalers(Nicotrol Inhaler) Each cartridgedeliversa“puff”ofvaporcontaining fourmgofnicotinethrough aplasticholder.Theholder mayhelpsatisfyasmokers oralurge.Theaveragedoseis six to 16 car tridges a day for up to 12 weeks,followedbya gradual r eduction in dose over thenext12weeks. Most of the nicotine is absorbed through the mouth,not the lungs. Side ef fects may include mouth or thr oat irritation and cough. Nicotine nasal spray (Nicotrol NS delivers 0.5 mg of nicotine. Use one spray in each nostril when you feel the urge tosmoke, up to a maximum of 10 sprays an hour or 80 a day for thr ee months. Side ef fects may include nasal irritation, sneezing, tearing, and cough. DRUGS Many smokers need mor e than just nicotine replacement and behavioral therapy to stop smoking. Two of the drugs prescribed most often ar e bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban) and varenicline (Chantix Bupropion (Wellbutrin) This antidepressant wasappr oved for smoking cessation under the name Zyban. It doesn’t contain nicotine and can be used in combination with nicotine replacement therapy . Star t taking bupropion one to two weeks before your quit date. The dose for the first thr ee days is 150 mg once a day , then 150 mg twice a day for the next eight to 12 weeks or longer if needed. Bupropion may help prevent weight gain after quitting. Side effects may include dry mouthand insomnia; seizur es ar e very rare. V arinicline (Chantix This is the newest drug approved for smoking cessation. Although experience is still limited, it appears to be the most effective quit-smoking dr ug. It blocks nicotine r eceptors in the brain while also partially stimulating these receptors to reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms. The usual dose is 0.5 mg once a day for the first three days, then 0.5 mg twice a day for fourdays, followed by the full doseof one mg a day for 12 weeks or longer. The dose should be lower ed in patients with sever e kidney disease. Nausea is common and bad dr eams may occur. Contact your doctor if you experience behavior or mood changes. Smoking is the top thr eat to public health. So if you smoke, quitting should be your top priority. Over 45 million Americans have quit smoking and you can,too. Dr.Harvey B.Simon is an associate professor of medi cine at Harvard Medical Sc hool and a member of the Health Sciences Technology Faculty at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.For additional consumer health information,please visit www.health.harvard.edu. 2008 President and Fellows of Harvard College.All rightsreser ved. Distrib uted b y T ribune Media Ser vices,Inc. Finding ways to stop smoking June 2008CARIBBEAN TODAY 15 HEALTH HEALTH www .caribbeantoday.com A cup of tea offers many health benefits. June2008.qxd 6/4/08 1:50 PM Page 15

PAGE 16

GORDON WILLIAMS PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania – It’s clear,Aar on Ross is drawn to speed. Fr om pee wee league, through high school, college and even now in his job, as a professional American football player,Ross is about matching strides with the game’s fastest. But successfully chasing Jamaican-bor n track star Sanya Richar ds, for what eventually should be her hand in marriage, was a different ballgame than scurrying after wide receivers. Ross was simply unaware of what he wasgetting into when he first sawRichar ds at a track meet in his home state of T exas a few years ago. o tell you the truth I didn’t know she was aJamaican until later on in our relationship,” said the rookiedefensive back for the Super Bowl champions New YorkGiants of the NationalFootball League (NFL recently at the Penn Relays, which he attended here to be with his fiance as she competed for the United States. Now that he does, he has some catching up to do andRoss, even his ladylove agrees, is not doing badly sofar . The T exan and the Jamaican appears a game-winning combo. s been a joy in my life ever since I met her ,” Ross said of Richards, “so it’s been gr eat.” CARIBBEAN ROOTS An early encounter with her par ents enlightened him about Richards’s Caribbean background. “I had a chance to meet her father (former Jamaicansoccer player Ar chie Richards) and I heard his accent; her mother’s and allthat,” he said. Now he’ s lear ning to work himself into the Jamaican cul ture. A key approach, Rossexplained, is simply listeningand absorbing the nuances.But his best strategy to inte grate, he said, is to lean on his own upbringing, where cour-tesy always worked. “Just a smile,” he said, as both he and Sanya burst outlaughing. “I’m a T exas gentleman.” The two met as students at the University of Texas where Richards ran track for the Longhorns and Ross played football. Ross was a productive first round draft pick of the Giants in 2007 and is set to earn millions of dollars as a pro. Richards has alr eady bagged huge sums on the inter national track circuit. They ar e both financially secur e and may get married in 2010. With Richards as his side, Ross said he is getting comfortable with the Jamaicancultur e. Sanya’ s family has made his assimilation smoothas well. And all he has to dois, well, show up. “Just being myself,” he said, explaining his game plan. “I’m around them all the time, with the family. So everythingis good.” That carries some benefits. Ross now claims to loveJamaica’ s reggae music. Cr ooner Beres Hammond is his favorite. But mealtime at the Richards home has some perks too. “I’m loving the food,” he said. FOR TUNE Sanya is happy too. “I feel very fortunate,” said the 23-year-old Richards,who moved fr om Jamaica at age 12 and chose to run for the U.S. “because they’vegiven me so much.” Despite struggling last season, where she was slowedby illness and failed to makethe U.S. team to the 2007 World Championships (W.C.)in her pet event the 400 meters, Richards still consid-ers the past year a success. She earned a gold medal in the W.C. 4x400 meters relay and in February attended theSuper Bowl to r oot for her man and share his triumph. “My fianc had the best year of his life,” she said.“So I feel definitely for tu nate. I’m very happy and my personal life has gone great.” Y et when she was at her lowest point, Ross stepped up. It was a time for him to slow to Sanya’s pace and be supportive. “Absolutely. I mean, it was exciting to come of f my season and come straight into his and see him,” she said of2007/2008. “As soon as I gotback to the States he becamethe star ting cor nerback and then it was just success, suc cess. So it was good and it definitely kept me in good spirits.” She is eyeing a 400-meters gold medal at this summer’sOlympic Games in China. ButRoss’ s NFL commitments could pr event him from attending. It shouldn’ t matter much. There will be time for him to catch up. After all, he can’t let her get away. Gordon W illiams is Caribbean Today’s managing editor. GORDON WILLIAMS KINGSTON, Jamaica – A disappointing batting display by the West Indies on the finalday of a captivating match handed Australia an impressive victory to open the three-T est cricket series between the two long-time rivals in theCaribbean which began latelast month. Asked to make 287 runs to win with one full session and the entire fifth day in glorious weather the home side, enthusiastic and competitivethr oughout the first four days, cr umbled to 191 all out to lose by 95. Only Denesh Ramdin, Darren Sammy, Devon Smith and Daren Powell offered any second innings resistance, and what was headed for a cliff-hanger finish fizzled into ahuge anti-climax, although the players appeared satisfiedwith the spirit of the contest. “I think anyone who played in this game cer tainly enjoyed the atmosphere,” Australian captain RickyPonting said. The match was filled with pulsating intrigue from the first day. Australia, the topteam in the world, won thetoss and elected to bat at bright, warm Sabina Parkher e, but in fr ont of a disap pointing crowd considering the traditional rivalry and ther ecent impr ovement shown by the eight-ranked West Indies. ‘TIGER’S’ TURN The visitors got off to a wobbly start at 37 runs for twowickets on an uneven pitch, but then asserted themselves to take control. Ponting top scor ed with a century, while pace bowler Fidel Edwar ds grabbed five wickets, as Australia finished at 431 allout on the second day . The West Indies started its r esponse solidly . Openers Brenton Parchment and Smith added 47. Runako Mortonchipped in with 67 andDwayne Bravo 46. But it wassenior batsman ShivnarineChanderpaul who once againpr oved to be the backbone of the W est Indies batting. The little Guyanese they call iger” ticked off his 18th Test century to lead his team’sfight back. Chanderpaul, despite suffering a crashingblow to the head that numbedhis body after he ducked intoa shor t ball fr om pacer Brett Lee, scored 118 runs to push the home team to 312 all out. The West Indies began its second stint in the field brilliantly. The mightyAustralians wer e buckled by the Edwards-Powell one-two late evening punch and endedwith 17 for four , 136 r uns ahead with six wickets standing. The crowd, sensing a home team fight-back, brokeinto song - “Rally ‘Round The West Indies” as the matchswung towar ds an exciting cli max. “It has been an eventful day ,” West Indies coach John Dyson said after day three. PRESSURE MOUNTS The Caribbean team piled on more pressure, Powell tak-ing an early wicket to leaveAustralia at 18 for 5, its lowest start in decades, barely 10 minutes into day four. But the visitors gradually pulled them-selves back into the contestand finished their secondinnings at 167 all out. Butafter putting just 22 on theboar d, Parchment edged manof-the-match Stuart Clark to the wicketkeeper to add to themounting drama. When bad light forced the players off at 46 for one on day four, the West Indies still needed 241 towin with nine wickets stand ing. Bravo, who took four wickets in Australia’s secondinnings, sounded positive histeam could pull it of f. e are in a position of strength,” he said. Yet a dramatic start to the final day sent the W est Indies spiraling towards defeat. The home team lost five wickets before lunch and stumbled to 82 for 6. Late resistance bySammy , Ramdin and Powell brought respectability to thetotal, but a golden chance tolead the T est series had alr eady slipped away . Final scores: Australia 431 (Ricky Ponting 158, Andr ew Symonds 70 not out; Fidel Edwards five wickets for 104 runs) and 167 (Symonds 79; Dwayne Bravo four for 47, Edwards three for 40). W est Indies 312 (Shivnarine Chanderpaul 118; Brett Lee three for 63, Stuart Clarkthr ee for 59) and 191 (Ramdin 36, Sammy 35, Devon Smith 28 and Daren Powell 27;Clark five for 32). REMAINING SCHEDULE BETWEEN THE TW O TEAMS: Second Test – May 30-June 3, Antigua; Third Test– June 12-16, Barbados; plusone 20/20 on June 20; and fiveone-day inter nationals – June 24, St. Vincent; June 27 and29, Gr enada; and July 4 and 6 in St. Kitts. LAUDERHILL, Florida A West Indies All-Stars team,comprising several for mer T est players, mar ched to a 37-run victor y over Canada All-Stars to win the MAQ Twenty20 championship last month. After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, the W est Indies scored 128 runs in their allotted 20 overs, and Canadacould only r each 91 all out in 18.5 overs when they replied at Central Broward Regional Park here. The Windies All-Stars included Richie Richar dson, a former West Indies captain, Philo Wallace, Franklyn Rose,Stuar t W illiams and Cour tney Br owne. About 600 fans attended the championship match, manycheering for the Caribbean team that was a crowd favorite all Memorial weekend. The West Indies All Stars won all three matches in theweekend tour nament, which also included a World XI and Pakistan All Stars teams. s exciting,” said Richardson, the West Indies All-Stars captain. “Even though I’ve been retired from the internationalgame for a long time, I feel alittle bit of buzz,” added the46-year -old, who captained West Indies from 1991 to 1996. In the W est Indies total, Browne top-scored with 48, while Stuar t W illiams (13 Philo Wallace (13 Richardson (11ble figur es. Geoff Barnett (28 Sanjay Thuraisingham (25 were Canada’s chief scorers in their failed run chase. Caribbean-born runner matches strides with American grid starWindies stumble late,lose cricket Test to AustraliaTeam of ex-Windies stars wins 20/20 cricket tourney in Florida 16 CARIBBEAN TODAYJune 2008 SPORT SPORT www.caribbeantoday.com Chanderpaul’s heroics could not save the Windies against Australia. June2008.qxd 6/4/08 1:50 PM Page 16

PAGE 17

NELSON KING HARTFORD, Connecticut – Former star West Indies opening batsmen Gordon Greenidgeand Desmond Haynes will beinducted into the United StatesCricket Hall of Fame, or ganizers say . The Hartford, Connecticutbased U.S. Cricket Hall ofFame said last month theCaribbean legends will bebestowed the honor on Sept. 20 at the Marriott Hotel, down-town Har tford. The other nominees are Florida cricket administrator, Barbadian Jeff Miller, co-founder ofLucas SportsClub inNew Y ork Jamaican Mascelles Bailey,andGuyaneseMohamedBaksh, amemberof the WestIndiesCricket Umpires’ Training andExamination Committee. Greenidge, one half of the West Indies’ prolific open-ing par tnership with Haynes, began his career in 1974 against India and continued to play international cricket until 1991. He played in 108 Test matches and scored 7,558 runs with 19 centuries. Fellow Barbadian Haynes was Wisden Cricketer of theY ear in 1991. Haynes formed a for midable partnership with Greenidge, “which was integral to the success of the WestIndies team in the 1980s”, the statement said. Haynes compiled a 7,487 runs in 116 Testmatches at an average of 42.29. The organizerssaid Miller,who beganhis cricket career as ayoungster in his nativeBarbados, establishedhimself in the U.S. both as a player and an administrator. Bailey was co-founderof The Bankers Athletic Cricket League in New York in 1971. Baksh, from an early age, was involved with sports at various levels, serving on a number of community organi-zations and r egional cricket boards. For a number of years, he was a member of the WestIndies Cricket Umpir es’ Training Examination Committee. GORDON WILLIAMS MIAMI, Florida Miami F.C. has expanded its core ofCaribbean players, adding Trinidad and Tobago World Cup defender Avery John toits United Soccer Leagues(USL oster. John, a key member of the “Soca Warriors” who made anhistoric appearance at thegame’ s showpiece event in 2006 in Germany, joined Jamaicanattackers Sean Fraser and SeanBar rett, and Haitian defender Stephane Guillaume at theUSL club last month. The 32-year-old signed with the South Florida-basedteam last month after failing to agree to contract terms with his former club NewEngland Revolution of higherrated Major League Soccer . He played for the Revolution from 2004-2007, appearing inthe MLS finals. However, John told Caribbean Today that the drop in professional level would not dampen his enthusiasm for the game nor his bid to return to the “Soca Warriors” squad in time for the World Cup 2010 qualifiers,which begin this month. “It doesn’ t af fect much,” said the man who has represented T&T more than 50times. “At the end of the day, wherever you are playing, itcould be the MLS, it could bethe USL it could be the English first, second, thirddivision, it could be some where else in the world once you are competing, once you are fit and once you’re doingwhat is needed to be on thenational team and competing week in week out, you should earn a (national IMPACT John’s presence appeared to make an almost immediate with Miami F.C., which had struggled early this seasonunder new coach Zinho, who was a member of Brazil’s winning 1994 World Cup team andup to last season played for theUSL club. Although Miami F.C. lost its first game withJohn, the team r ebounded to record two consecutive shutouts with him at central defense – itsfirst of the season – in a win and a draw later in May. John is r efusing to r est on the laurels of his World Cup success, where he playedagainst Sweden in a surprisingdraw with the Eur opean pow er house team, missed out in a loss to England due to suspension, and returned against Paraguay, another T&T loss. Both coach and player have put a positive spin on John’s arrival at Miami F.C. “He has experience and he has leadership,” Zinho described John’s attributes to Caribbean Today . “He has the World Cup experience and so he knows how things shouldbe done at the back.” John, meanwhile, said he is still cognizant of the fact that he is also representing the region, no matter what levelhe is playing. “Always, ever ytime I step on the pitch anywhere I go, I know I represent Trinidad, Ir epresent the Caribbean,” he said. Gordon Williams is Caribbean Today’s managing editor. MIAMI The City of Miami last month celebrated the grand opening of the Little Haiti Soccer Park. The South Florida park was also renamed after the late Emmanuel “Manno” Sanon, one of Haiti’ s most cel ebrated soccer players, during the event. To kick off the celebration, Miami City Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones joined Mayor Manny Diaz and other elected officials from the City of Miami, Miami Dade County, Nor th Miami, Nor th Miami Beach and members of the Little Haiti community in a day-long event. The celebration included the T oussaint L’Ouverture Parade, thr ee soccer matches that included local Haitian teams and L’Athletique D’ Haiti (fromHaiti) and a Haitian festival withCaribbean music and live bands. VISION Spence-Jones said the late Commissioner Arthur E.T eele first intr oduced the idea for a “first-class full/ser vicepark” park in Little Haiti five or six years ago. “His vision included a facility that exemplifies and captures the Haitian culture, rich with the colors of the Caribbean,” she said. “The r ecr eational and cultural com ponents of the park will pr o vide the Little Haiti, Edison, Little River, Buena Vista, and Lemon City r esidents with a park that they can tr uly call their own.” The Little Haiti Soccer Park and Cultural Complex is the first state-of-the-ar t-facili ty in the Little Haiti/Lemon City area. The soccer park includes both a practice field and a playing field, cover ed seating for 580 people, a tot lot with a jungle gym under a canopy, and a children’s watersplash park. Commissioner SpenceJones’s vision is to eventually cr eate a soccer exchange pr o gram between the City of Miami and L ’Athletique D’ Haiti. “What we want to bring to the park is a cultural exchange pr ogram wher e kids fr om Little Haiti and Haiti can interact and communicate with each other,” she said. To ensure that the new park incorporates the Haitian/Caribbean cultur e, the City of Miami has cr eated com mittees that will provide input on the cultural and recreational components of the park and the cultural complex. In addi tion, the office Spence-Jones has created partnerships with the city of Jacmel and Por t-auPrince Haiti. The Little Haiti Soccer Park and Cultural Complex is funded by both the City of Miami and Miami Dade County. The total project cost approximately $36.9 million,of which the City of Miamicontributed $29.6 million and Miami Dade County con-tributed $7.3 million. Caribbean legends for U.S. Cricket Hall of FameT&T star joins Miami professional soccer clubMiami celebrates Caribbean culture at Little Haiti Soccer P ark June 2008CARIBBEAN TODAY 17 SPORT SPORT www .caribbeantoday.com Photograph by J.Perez,Office of Communications,City of Miami.Soccer matches highlighted the opening of the new park in Little Haiti. John Haynes Greenidge June2008.qxd 6/4/08 1:50 PM Page 17

PAGE 18

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, CMC – One month after theSenate dismissed PrimeMinister Jacques Edouar d Alexis, law makers inHaiti haver ejected PresidentRenPrval’ s latest nomineefor the post. The LowerHouse ofParliament last month voted by a margin of 51-35, with nine absten-tions, to r eject economist Ericq Pier re as Alexis’s replacement. e didn’ t really believe in the plan that he had for the people of this countryLevaillant Louis Jeune, aleading Opposition legislator told reporters. Pierre, 63, a senior official with the Inter-AmericanDevelopment Bank (IDBhad been nominated by President Prval to replaceAlexis who was dismissed onApril 12 over criticism that his government failed to show leadership and mismanaged the economy before violent food protests that left sevenpeople dead. CONFIDENCE Prval will have to nominate another candidate, whomust win a vote of confidencein the two houses ofParliament and Stephen Benoit, amember of Prval’sLespwa party, saidHaitiansmust unitebehind thenext nomi nee. e need to have a new prime minister in office soon,” he said. Prval nominated Pierre for the same position in 1997, but he was rejected after promising to push a UnitedStates-backed economic planthat would have r esulted in thousands of government workers being laid off and pri-vatized state-r un enterprises. KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC The way is now clear forembattled Jamaica Labour Party (JLP Vaz, to seek re-election as theMember of Parliament for the West Portland constituency. V az announced last month that he had of ficially r enounced his American citizenship, allaying concerns about his eligibility for the byelection in the West Portlandconstituency which was ordered by court in April. Chief Justice Zaila McCalla made the r uling after the Opposition People’ s National Party (PNP date Abe Dabdoub chal lenged Vaz’s election on the grounds of his dual citizenship. Vaz’s renunciation of his American citizenship is the most recent development in the dual citizenship r ow here. Last month, Director of Elections Danville Walker resigned with immediate effectafter it was disclosed that hetoo held dual citizenship. Vaz said that he supported W alker’s decision to resign and also called on Members ofParliament acr oss the political divide to declare their loyalties. Dabdoub has said he would take the issue to thePrivy Council if he was not named the M.P. for West Portland. KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC Less than 24 hours after the Opposition People’s National Par ty’s (PNP filed an appeal to be declared the Member of Parliament for the West Portland constituency, the sitting M.P. Daryl Vaz appealed a judge’s decision that disqualified him from holding the seat. In documents filed in cour t on May 15 the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLPaz said Chief Justice Zaila McCalla was wrong in ruling that hewas not qualified to sit as M.P . because he holds a United States passpor t. Vaz also intends to challenge the r uling that he was not duly nominated in August last year, just ahead of the Sept. 3, 2007 general elections. “Mr. Dabdoub filed an appealso as a result I havehad to file an appealso that in the worse case scenario I will be able to stay in Parliamentduring the life of the appeal,” Vaz explained. “But I am hoping that we will be successful in arguingagainst any stay being granted which means it would clear the way for a by-election. Ifthat is done then obviously ther e would be no need for me to pursue the appeal,” he added. In April, Chief Justice McCalla ruled that Vaz should be disqualified from sitting inParliament because he holds dual citizenship. But instead of turning over the seat toDabdoub she or der ed a byelection, prompting the PNPcandidate to file his appeal. Haitian Parliament rejects nominee for prime ministerJamaican politician renounces U.S.citizenshipJLP candidate follows opponent,files appeal 18 CARIBBEAN TODAYJune 2008 POLITICS POLITICS www.caribbeantoday.com Dabdoub,left,Vaz Pierre Prval June2008.qxd 6/4/08 1:50 PM Page 18

PAGE 19

NASSAU, The Bahamas, CMC – Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham has delivered what he described asa balanced budget to “cushionthe harshness of the impact ofinter national turbulence” on citizens. In tabling the $1.8 billionfiscal packagein Parliamentlate lastmonth,Ingraham saidhis gover nment “careful-ly deter mined the size andcomponents of the fiscal pr ogram which will touch every family with significant financial relief. “At the same time we will not under any circumstances compromise the sound fiscalstatus of our economy which we have worked so hard to maintain through several terms in government,” he said. LESS T AXES The budget, which primarily focused on providing relieffor low income families who are mostly impacted by the ris-ing cost of living, included theelimination of several taxes onfood items and suspension of taxes on fuel imports. “Having r educed the stamp tax on food items from four per cent to two per centduring our last stint in of fice we are now moving to eliminate the two per cent stamptax on some 160 food items,”the prime minister said. The measure will result in the elimination of impor t duties on a number of citrus fruits, frozen vegetables, cere-als, oatmeal, and br eads. W ith r egar ds to the rising cost of fuel, the prime minister announced that his govern-ment will grant a two-yearsuspension of customs andstamp duties on the Bahamas Electricity Corporation’s (BEC ts to address the rising utility surcharge. Ingraham admitted that some of these measures will result in revenue losses for thegover nment, but said they will provide some much-neededr elief for consumers and homeowners. LION’S SHARE With respect to the allocation of budgetary funds, the ministries of Tourism andA viation, National Security and Education received thebiggest shar es. “Once again education r eceives the greatest call on the government’s resources. This ought to be no surprise as we believe that the education of our children is the most critical investment that we can make in the future ofour nation,” Ingraham said. “The education, youth, sports and culture services receive a total of $312 million or 20 percent of total recurrent expenditure.” He also announced salar y increases for civil servants, with every public officerexpected to get a $750 hike and each teacher in the coun-tr s public schools being promised a $1,250 pay rise. Despite the global uncertainties, Prime MinisterIngraham has pr ojected that the economy will grow 2.8 percent this year, a drop from the4.8 per cent growth recorded in 2006. However , he said, the anticipated gr owth was “com mendably strong in the context of the developing inter na tional economic downturn. KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC The Jamaica government has said that the economic situation in the country would be among agenda items to be discussed at the third BiennialDiaspora Confer ence to be held her e this month. A government statement said Prime Minister Br uce Golding would discuss the country’s economy and relateddevelopment initiatives at theJune 16-17 event. The statement added that the r ole of Jamaicans in the diaspora would also be dis cussed at the two-day meeting that is expected to be attended by more than 700 nationals from the diaspora, including a high-level delegation from theUnited States. Junior For eign Affairs and For eign Trade Minister Dr. Ronald Robinson said the conference would be heldunder the theme “A Borderless Partnership forDevelopment”. He said the theme underscor es the “concentrated efforts of manyJamaicans on the island who seek to build stronger rela-tionships with Jamaicans inthe diaspora to achievegr eater economic development”. Robinson said that the confer ence, or ganized by the Jamaica Diaspora Foundation (JDF“will bring all the diaspora representatives together in one place, where the primeminister and ministers of gov er nment can articulate to them the policies and dir ection of the new administration. e are looking to have a conference this year with a big, big difference,” he added. CORE AREAS The gover nment statement said that exper ts and government officials would discuss five core areas ofdevelopment, including eco nomic growth and investment, education and culture, crime and justice, the chur ch role and faith based organizationsin development and youth andleadership. Robinson said the Golding administration isseeking to bring mor e young people into the diasporamovement and to encouragethem to assume leadership roles to ensure continuity. “For the first time this year’s conference will have a delegation of youngsters com-ing with the members of thediaspora and we will have aspecial session wher e that is concerned,” he said. e will be engaging these individuals not just as anew administration, but also in terms of building on what was there before. This meansthat the confer ence will be looking to actualize a lot ofthe ideas and thoughts and so this conference for us is a veryimpor tant one.” ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC China has donated $1 million to Grenada that willhelp the gover nment follow through on a promise of back pay for civil servants as well as carry out a number of devel-opment pr ojects. The grant, according to Prime Minister Dr. KeithMitchell and China’ s Ambassador to Grenada Zhang W anhai, who signed the agr ee ment, was in keeping with the memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries at the r esumption of diplo matic relations three years ago. s clearly written in the memorandum of understanding that this sum is to be given annually until the year 2009,”Mitchell said. SUPPORT He explained that the money would be used for,among other things, budgetar y support and payment of retroactive salaries to public servants in June as provided for in the r ecently signed col lective agreements with the Gr enada Public W orkers Union and the Grenada Technical and Allied Workers’ Union. “In this period ever y bit of grant is important to us because it is money we don’t have topay back and I assur e that it will be put into productive use,” the prime minister said. Bahamas’s budget offers reliefEconomic situation on Jamaica diaspora conference agendaChina pro vides $1M grant to aid Grenada GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC The EconomicPar tnership Agr eement (EP A) between the European Commission (ECCaribbean For um of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (CARIFORUMsigned next month, accor ding to a statement issued by the Caribbean community (CARI-COM) Secr etariat. It said that the EPA had been discussed at the specialmeeting of the Council for Trade and EconomicDevelopment (COTEDAntigua last month and that trade and industr y ministers had considered possible datesfor signing and the pr ovisional application of the agreement and r epor ted they wer e in consultations with the EC on the subject. Caribbean ready to sign EPA in July June 2008CARIBBEAN TODAY 19 REGION REGION www .caribbeantoday.com “Once again education receives the greatest call on the government’s resources” Ingraham Ingraham June2008.qxd 6/4/08 1:50 PM Page 19

PAGE 20

20 CARIBBEAN TODAYJune 2008 June2008.qxd 6/4/08 1:50 PM Page 20