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O MARCH 2009


0 0 E
O O I
Y^_~~~ .Y1^ J


W e c o v e r y


o u r


-in


v- o r I d


r-Co
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VOI. 20 NO. 4


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: 655-1479


Caribbean
American
billionaire
Sir Allen
Stanford has
been
charged by
United States
financial
regulators
for allegedly
orchestrating a "fraudulent,
multi-billion dollar investment
scheme", page 4.


American R&B star Chris
Brown, right, has been charged
with two felonies following the
alleged beating of his girlfriend,
Barbadian pop singer Rihanna,
page 15.
Jamaican-
born Glen
Johnson
kept on
track for
another shot
at a world
boxing title
by scoring a
Unanimous
decision win over American
Daniel Judah in their light
heavyweight bout at the Hard
Rock Live arena, page 18.


INSIDE
New s .................... 2 View point ................ 9 Local ................... 15 Sport ................... 18
Financial Planning ........ 5 Vacation Planning .......11 Culture .................. 16 Food .................... 19
Feature ..................7 Spring Shipping .........13 Arts/Entertainment .......17


- fK


O1
(- 0
Au









-usw^caribbeantodj..c..


CARIBBEAN TODAY


n e WS


Mistrial in ex-Miramar commissioner's gun case


MIRAMAR, Florida A judge
in South Florida has declared a
mistrial in a court matter involv-

born former
Miramar City
Commissioner
Fitzroy
Salesman after
learning that a
juror had
brought a dic-
tionary to the Salesman
jury room.
Broward
Circuit Judge Matthew Destry
had earlier ordered jurors to quit
deliberating pending a hearing on
the issue.
Salesman, 52, a former
commissioner of Miramar, a city
north of Miami and south of
Fort Lauderdale, is charged
with assault with a firearm.
The controversy with the
dictionary started on Mar. 2
when the jury asked for the defi-
nition of "imminent" in trying to
decide whether Salesman was in
imminent danger when con-
fronted by two teenage boys
during an altercation in a crowd-
ed supermarket in Nov. 2007.


Prosecutors said Salesman
reacted by pulling a gun on the
teens because he "feared for his
life".
Court officials said the juror
apparently brought the diction-
ary into the jury room on the
morning of Mar. 3 to look up
the word "imminent". Several
jurors said they also read the
definition from the dictionary.

'HARMLESS'
The juror who brought in
the dictionary, John Fanning,
said he didn't think anything was
wrong with looking up the word
or bringing in the dictionary.
"I thought it was harmless,"
he said. "I really don't like what
happened here. It was a waste
of time to me. We just weren't
sure about the word."
A new trial is expected to
start next month.
Prosecutors and Salesman
agreed a mistrial was appropri-
ate despite spending almost two
weeks battling it out in court.
"The law is clear on this.
Jurors have to rely on the law
and not definitions in a diction-
ary," said Eric Schwartzreich,


Salesman's attorney.
If convicted, Salesman
would face a mandatory three-
year prison sentence.
He was slated to be on the
Mar. 10 ballot, seeking to
reclaim his position. Now, politi-
cal observers say voters will
have to make a decision about
whether to choose Salesman
without knowing whether he
can truly serve the term.
Since Salesman would still
have a felony charge pending, if
he wins his political race, Florida
Governor Charlie Crist would
issue a new order suspending him
from office, according to Crist's
spokesman, Sterling Ivey. That
would force the city to hold a spe-
cial election to fill Salesman's seat.
Miramar held a special
election last year to fill
Salesman's seat after he was
suspended for a "Driving under
the Influence charge", on which
he was later acquitted.

Salesman vows to run on his
"record". See related feature on
page 7.
0


Jamaicans among dead in New York plane crash


BUFFALO, New York Four
Jamaicans were among 50
people who were killed in a
plane crash here last month.
The Continental
Connection flight from
Newark, New Jersey was on its
approach to Buffalo Niagara
International Airport when it
crashed shortly after 10 p.m. on
Feb. 12. There were no sur-
vivors from the 45 passengers


and four crew members on
board. One person on the
ground was also killed.
The Jamaicans who per-
ished on the ill-fated flight were
identified as Danny Massop,
42, his wife Dawn Massop, 43,
their 13-year-old son Shaun
Ferrice Reid, and an unnamed
sister of Mrs. Massop.
According to a relative in
Jamaica, the family was in a


state of shock.
"This has affected the family
k rnhll said Kenneth Meikle
last month. "It's not only the hus-
band but the wife, the son and a
sister in law. The family was only
in Jamaica two weeks ago."
Investigations were con-
tinuing up to late last month
to determine the cause of the
crash.
0


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MIAMI


March 2009


Hundreds rally to protest


U.S. deportation of Haitians


FORT LAUDERDALE,
Florida Around 250 persons
attended a rally in Pompano
Beach just north of here late
last month urging the Barack
Obama administration to stop
deportations to Haiti.
Speakers at the Feb. 28
rally said the United States
government should grant
Temporary Protected Status
(TPS) to Haitians because of
the humanitarian crisis facing
the impoverished Caribbean
nation, which is still struggling
to recover from a serious of
deadly storms that devastated
the country last year.
If TPS is granted, thou-
sands of Haitians living in the
U.S. illegally would be given
the right to remain and work
in the country.
Immigration and Customs
Enforcement figures show
that more than 30,000 Haitian


nationals have been ordered
to return to their home coun-
try. Around 6,000 of them are
being held in U.S. detention
centers.
Hip hop artiste and
Haitian
Goodwill
Ambassador
Wyclef Jean
made a sur-
prise appear-
ance at the
event.
"It's impor-
tant that
Wyclef Jean Haitians get
the justice that
our Cuban brothers and sis-
ters get," said Jean.
"This is not a Haitian
cause, it's a human being
cause."


Holder makes first


Caribbean visit as AG


WASHINGTON Newly-
appointed United States
Attorney General Eric Holder,
Jr. made his first official visit to
the Caribbean late last month,
touring the Guantinamo Bay
detention center in Cuba.
Holder, the son of a
Barbadian father, visited the
Spanish-speak-
ing Caribbean
island as part
of the Barack
Obama admin-
istration's
review of its
pledge to close
the center in
eastern Cuba.
U.S. Holder
Justice
Department officials said Holder
engaged in discussions with offi-
cials at the base on detention
and interrogation practices.
Matthew A. Miller, a Justice
Department spokesman, said the
U.S. attorney general discussed
case histories of specific
detainees and charges which
were pending before President
Obama suspended military com-
missions as part of a comprehen-
sive terrorism policy review.

FIRST
Holder, 58, was officially
sworn in last month as the first
Caribbean American attorney
general of the U.S. He is also
the first black attorney general.
"Nowhere but in this great
country could a person like me
or the president hope to achieve
the positions we are now so for-
tunate to hold," said Holder,
after Vice President Joe Biden
administered the oath of office.
The U.S. Senate had voted


overwhelmingly to confirm
Holder as the highest law
enforcement official in America,
becoming the nation's 82nd
attorney general. Holder is now
in charge of about 110,000
employees at the U.S. Justice
Department.
Meantime, detainees'
lawyers and human rights groups
have assailed an 85-page report
that U.S. Navy Admiral Patrick
M. Walsh sent to the White
House recently, declaring condi-
tions at the Guantinamo Bay
prison as humane.
"There is no basis to
believe, other than his say-so,
that this was an independent
report," said Vincent Warren,
executive director of the
Washington-based Center for
Constitutional Rights.
Admiral Walsh, appointed
by Secretary of Defense Robert
M. Gates to conduct a review of
Guantinamo conditions that
was ordered by the president,
conceded that there had been
widespread accusations of vio-
lence against detainees, humili-
ating treatment and other abus-
es. But "we found no such evi-
dence," he told reporters.
The report addressed 27 cat-
egories of treatment, including
health care and disciplinary rules.
It also proposed many possible
improvements, including more
human contact for detainees and,
to assure humane treatment,
videotaping their interaction with
guards. But detainees' lawyers
issued their own report, and pro-
duced letters from some of their
clients, describing severe isolation
and brutal tactics.
0





CARIBBEAN TODAY

n e WS


r6ww -arbbentda.com


U.S. accuses Caribbean of widespread human rights abuses


w


NELSON A. KING

WASHINGTON The
United States has issued a
scathing report on human
rights practices in Caribbean
community (CARICOM)
countries, accusing member
states of a myriad human
rights violations.
In its 2008 Country
Reports on Human Rights
Practices, the U.S. State
Department said while CARI-
COM governments "generally
respected the human rights of
citizens, there were problems"


in a number of areas.
The agency said it was
concerned about a variety of
developments ranging from
excessive use of force by
police to poor prison condi-
tions, and from violence
against women to sexual
abuse of children.
But the report was partic-
ularly critical of alleged
human rights offences in
Guyana and Haiti. The State
Department highlighted
reported abuses in Guyana of
"potentially unlawful killings
by police, mistreatment of sus-
pects and detainees by the


*1


security forces, poor prison
and jail conditions, lengthy
pre-trial detention, govern-
ment corruption, and sexual
and domestic violence against
women and children".
POOR PRACTICES
It said prison conditions
there were "poor and deterio-
rating, particularly in police
holding Ll 11, and that the
Bharrat Jagdeo administration
"did not permit monitoring of
prison conditions by either
independent bodies or by
Members of Parliament, and
turned down requests for


monitoring visits from the par-
liamentary opposition and
from a diplomatic mission".
Poor training, inadequate


equipment, and acute budget-
ary constraints were identified
by the State Department as
reasons why the effectiveness
of the Guyana Police Force
was "severely limited", noting
that public confidence in and
cooperation with the police
remained low.
"There were reports of
corruption in the I >. it
added.
"Lengthy pre-trial deten-
tion, due primarily to judicial
inefficiency, staff shortages,
and cumbersome legal proce-
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 8)


4<


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CARIBBEAN TODAY

n e wS


U.S. challenges Jamaica to sprint showdown


The United States, still
smarting from Jamaica's
outstanding perform-
ance at last year's Olympic
Games, is challenging the
Caribbean country to a show-
down on the track this year.
The Americans have pro-
posed a dual meet format
against Jamaica a home-and-
home series, "head to head
team, scored competition" for
sometime in May/June 2009.
The formal invitation, for
the proposed "USA-Jamaica
Challenge", was made to
Jamaica's Neville "Teddy"
McCook by U.S. Track and
Field's (USATF) Chief
Executive Officer Doug
Logan in a letter this month.
A press release issued by
USATF explained that the
meets would feature male and
female athletes competing in
the 100, 200 and 400 meters;
100/110 and 400 meters hur-
dles; long jump; and the
4x100, 4x400 and medley


relays. Three or four athletes
from each country would par-
ticipate in each individual
event and two teams each for
relays.

RIVALRY
"It was obvious to every-
one that with the rise of your
country's great sprinters and
hurdlers, a compelling rivalry
between Jamaica and the
United States had developed",
Logan wrote to McCook, area
group representative of the
NACAC. "These competi-
tions would offer a means to
showcase our phenomenal
strengths to the NACAC
region and the world".
At the 2007 IAAF World
Championships, Americans
won the men's 100, 200 and
400 meters, sweeping the
longer race, as well as the
women's 200, both relays,
women's 100 hurdles and men's
400 hurdles. Jamaica won the
women's 100 and numerous sil-


ver and bronze medals. An
American or Jamaican won 10
of 12 medals in the men's and
women's 100 and 200 meters
and went one-two in three of
the four relay events.
At the 2008 Olympic
Games, Jamaicans won the
men's and women's 100 and
200 meters, including a sweep
in the women's 100. Usain Bolt
broke the world record in the
100 and 200. The 4x100 relay,
on which he ran third leg, also
broke the world record.
Jamaica won the women's
400 hurdles, while Americans
swept the men's 400 meters
and 400 hurdles, won two
medals in the men's 110m hur-
dles and took gold in the
women's 100 hurdles.
Collectively, U.S. and
Jamaica won 11 of 12 medals in
the 100 and 200; 16 of 18 in the
100 through 400; and five of six
medals in the 400m hurdles.
0


Jamaican executed by lethal injection in U.S.


An eleventh hour appeal
to Virginia Governor
Timothy Kaine failed
to win a stay for a convicted
Jamaican death row inmate in
the United States.
Edward Bell, who was
convicted of killing a U.S.
police officer nearly a decade
ago, was executed last month.
In a release posted on his
website, the governor declined
to intervene to save Bell from
lethal injection.
"Having carefully reviewed


the petition for
clemency and
judicial opin-
ions regarding
this case, I find
no compelling
reason to set
aside the sen-
tence that was Bell
recommended
by the jury,
and then imposed and affirmed
by the courts," the governor
said in his statement.
Bell, 44, who maintained
his innocence, was from the


eastern parish of Portland. He
was convicted in 2001 for the
capital murder of Winchester
City Police Officer Richard
Timbrook in Virginia.
Gov. Kaine noted that in
two separate sentencing hear-
ings culminating on Jan. 26,
2001, a jury had sentenced Bell
to death. He also noted that
Bell's trial, verdict, and sen-
tence had been reviewed by
state and federal courts, includ-
ing the U.S. Supreme Court.
0


Photograph by LA PRESSE CANADIENNE /Sean Kilpatrick
Michaelle Jean, right, Haitian-born governor general of Canada, meets with Barack
Obama during the United States leader's visit to Ottawa last month, his first over-
seas assignment since being sworn in as president on Jan. 20.

Caribbean American billionaire

on 'shocking' fraud charge in U.S.


HOUSTON, Texas United
States financial regulators have
charged the Antigua-based
Texan billionaire Sir Allen
Stanford for orchestrating a
"fraudulent, multi-billion dollar
investment ,k .i lm .


Stanford


The Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC)
named Sir Allen, 58, and his
Antigua-based Stanford
International Bank (SIB),
Houston-based broker-dealer
and investment adviser Stanford
Group Company (SGC), and
investment adviser Stanford
Capital Management as players
in the alleged $8 billion dollar
fraud by misrepresenting the
safety and liquidity of the unin-
sured rlifii-.,iL of deposits
(CDs).
"We are alleging a fraud of
shocking magnitude that has
spread its tentacles throughout
the world," Rose Romero,
regional director of the SEC's
Fort Worth Regional Office,
said last month.
A U.S. judge has also
issued a temporary restraining
order, freezing the defendants'
assets and appointed a receiver
to marshal those assets.
"Stanford and the close cir-


cle of family and friends with
whom he runs his businesses
perpetrated a massive fraud
based on false promises and
fabricated historical return data
to prey on investors," said
Linda Chatman Thomsen,
director of the SEC's Division
of Enforcement.
"We are moving quickly
and decisively in this enforce-
ment action to stop this fraudu-
lent conduct and preserve
assets for investors," she added.

BIG PROMISES
The SEC's complaint, filed
in federal court in Dallas, alleges
that acting through a network of
SGC financial advisers, SIB has
sold approximately $8 billion of
so-called LLrlllh.tjLlof
dLp< ,NII to investors by promis-
ing improbable and unsubstanti-
ated high interest rates.
These rates were suppos-
edly earned through SIB's
unique investment strategy,
which purportedly allowed the
bank to achieve double-digit
returns on its investments for
the past 15 years, a release on
the SEC's website said.
The SEC's complaint also
alleges an additional scheme
relating to $1.2 billion in sales by
SGC advisers of a proprietary
mutual fund wrap program,
called Stanford Allocation
Strategy (SAS), by using materi-
ally false historical performance
data.
Sir Allen is a naturalized
Antigua and Barbuda citizen
and has built a corporate
empire on the twin-island
nation with various financial,
media and sporting franchises
based in St John's.
0


March 2009


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CARIBBEAN TODAY


~ A Caribbean Today special feature


IMF official worries over impact of economic crisis on Caribbean
SHINGTON A top offi- major achievements of higher estimates that at least $25 bil- and potentially also for politi- is to double the IMF's conces
of the International growth, lower poverty, and lion in urgent concessional cal stability, stating that spend- sional lending capacity, station
netary Fund (IMF) is wor- greater political stability that financing will be needed this ing on targeted social safety that the IMF is also looking
many low-income countries year in the most affected coun- net programs "should be ways to make its lending to
S have made over the past tries, ramped up to protect the low-income countries more


decade," he added.
The IMF study found that
a number of countries are par-
ticularly vulnerable to the
unfolding crisis. Strauss-Kahn


CAUTION
Strauss-Kahn cautioned
that lower growth could have
serious implications for poverty


poor." At the same time, he
said it will be critical to protect
spending on health, education,
and vital infrastructure.
Strauss-Kahn said his goal


flexible, "reflecting their grow-
ing diversity and heightened
exposure to global volatility."


Crafting a better financial future


Strauss-Kann


tried about the impact of the
unfolding global economic crisis
on vulnerable nations, including
those in the Caribbhan, and sug-
gests that the donor community
needs to respond with "urgent"
and ;L nk rl IuI" action.
"After hitting first the
advanced economies and then
the emerging economies, a
third wave from the global
financial crisis is now hitting
the world's poorest and most
vulnerable countries," said
Managing Director
Dominique Strauss-Kahn at
the recent launch of a new IMF
study, entitled "The Impact of
the Financial Crisis on Low-
Income CI'1 iiriL '.
"This puts at risk the


ERIC BENDEROFF
Dan Hassenplug's month-
ly expenses used to
include around $300 for
lunch and three or four books
bought from Amazon. com.
Now he's pl1ulLd into a new
breed of social network that
helps him manage his finances.
"When you see a graph that
says you averaged $10 a day for
lunch about $300 for the month
- well, that's a lot of money," said
the 24-year-old design manager
from Geneva, Illinois.
Now he's cut that expense
in half by packing a lunch most
days and buying only one book
a month.
"There's a library down
the street," he said.
With the economy wob-
bling and people worried about
job security and stretching their


dollars, memberships
at social finance sites
such as Mint which -.iz
Hassenplug uses --
and Wesabe.com
have grown as peo-
ple look for financial
discipline. The sites,
which are free to
join, are more than
Facebook meets
your checkbook.
They offer forums
where users discuss
spending habits and
solicit feedback from
peers.
In addition, the sites
employ interactive tools that
help teach users how to budget
and search for the best deals
based on the spending habits
of all users. Useful spending
patterns can be determined
because the social finance sites


A


S,
/
1
Ii



*. -

place."


are linked to a users'
bank, brokerage and
other accounts.
Individual account
data remains anony-
mous and secure.
Typical finan-
cial software is
"good at telling you
were your money
went," said Marc
Hedlund, Wesabe
chief executive offi-
cer and founder.
That's helpful, but
it's not g ,, ,d at get-
ting you to a better


UNCOMFORTABLE
He said most people are
uncomfortable talking about
personal finance, even with
close friends. But on a social
site, where users have only a


screen name, they are open
and honest.
"People go into the discus-
sion area and say, 'This is my sit-
uation, what should I do about
it?' People can see they are not
alone," Hedlund said, "and they
can learn from others."
The interactive tools at
Wesabe make specific ,u,.,.-
tions on how to save.
For example, the site
might nI,.,JLI using a different
auto mechanic, noting that
other users have saved money
using an independent repair
shop. The site is able to pro-
vide specific store names
because it bases its advice on
aggregated payments culled
anonymously from users'
checking accounts.
Wesabe, launched in 2006,
has more than 100,000 mem-
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 6)


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March 2009


S-
ng
at





CARIBBEAN TODAY


-usw^caribbeantodj..c..


~ A Caribbean Today special feature


How to: Finding ways to save money


Since loans are tough to
get and retirement funds
are shrinking fast as the
stock market crashes, we
thought we'd share some old-
fashioned penny-pinching tips.
Keep a thrifty home Unplug
electronics that aren't being
used. Replace your light bulbs
with compact fluorescents.
Seal ducts and add insulation.
Paying (and cutting) bills -
Pay biweekly instead of
monthly on your mortgage.
You'll make an extra payment
annually and save thousands
on interest over the life of the


loan.
Your ride and your routine -
Consolidate trips to save gas.
Carpool. Buy a fuel-efficient,
reliable car.
Eat healthy, pay less Cook
more meals at home and turn
last night's dinners into today's
lunch.
Go online for savings Sign
up for online polls; you can
earn gift cards.
Use credit cards wisely Get a
credit card with rebates you
can use.
Travel more, spend less Use


Hotwire or other online sites
to book hotel rooms. Don't be
afraid to negotiate with hotels
for a lower rate.
Stay fit, let savings fatten -
Lose the gym membership
and take a walk or a run.
On holidays, be a scrooge -
Shop for Christmas and other
gift-giving times throughout
the year to take advantage of
sales.
- McClatchy Newspapers.
Distributed by McClatchy-
Tribune Information Services.
0


Crafting a better financial future


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5)
bers across the United States.
The average user is a 28-year-
old earning $50,000 to $60,000,
Hedlund said. But recently, as
the depth of the nation's eco-
nomic woes became more
apparent, Wesabe has seen its
bi-I-L, growth, with a 35 per-
cent month-over-month
increase in membership.

GROWTH
At Mint, the average user
is 30 years old with an income
of about $75,000, said Donna
Wells, chief marketing officer.
Mint has been growing steadily
since its launch in Sept. 2007 -
it has more than 475,000 users -
but in the last month, "there's
been a notable uptick in
usage," Wells said. "People are
looking for any new tool to


help them budget and save."
Cli g media planner
Ryan RulkdJg; 24, uses Mint
to track his 401(k) plan, his stu-
dent loans, checking and sav-
ings accounts plus the balances
on his five credit cards. He
rents an apartment in a two-
flat and is working on paying
off more than $20,000 in stu-
dent loans.
"It shocked me when I saw
I was spending $500 eating out
every month," he said.
He has cut back, to about
$350 a month, and is working to
lower that. The ability to track
how much he spends and at
what restaurants has helped
reign in those expenses, he said.
Rutledge is spending about
the same each month, with one
key difference: he's spending
"at least $100 more a month"


to pay off his debts.
Rutledge is reflective of
Mint users overall. Each month
since January they have
reduced spending by four per-
cent on gifts and charitable
donations. And they are treat-
ing ilLIiI ILS a little less, too.
"I went from spending $75 a
month to less than $40 a month
at iTunes," Rutledge said.
But he admits to being an
impulse buyer. He couldn't stop
himself from buying the new
Keane album at the online
retailer.
"Of course you try to save
money, but I really am spend-
ing more wisely," he said.

2008, Chicago Tribune.
Distributed by McClatchy-
Tribune Information Services.
0


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Money advice: A head-to-toe guide


KARA MCGUIRE

Dean Junkans barely
passed high school
biology, but that didn't
stop the Wells Fargo executive
from seeing many parallels
between the human anatomy
and investing.
"In the human body, a
number of key organs and
body parts must work togeth-
er to sustain life. An individ-
ual investment portfolio, the
various parts of it, and the
individuals managing it, must
also work together to have a
sustainable and successful
experience," Junkans, chief
investment officer at Wells
Fargo Private Bank, writes in
his new book "The Anatomy
of In\'II g .
Junkans links
several body parts
to core financial
planning and
investment con-
cepts. The result is
a thorough and
accessible head-to-
toe financial guide.
Brain: The log-
ical, analytical left
brain is your invest-
ment plan, or road
map to your goals.
The right brain rep-
resents your emo-
tional side.
In investing, individuals
shouldn't let the right brain
get too involved, especially in
uncertain times when fear and
greed can easily take over. But
you don't want to cut the right
brain out completely.
"Add some fun and cre-
ativity to the portfolio" by
owning stocks in companies
that you know, Junkans said.

BACKBONE
Spine: The backbone of
your portfolio is asset alloca-
tion. This is your mix of
investments such as stocks,
bonds, real estate, commodi-
ties and cash. To have a
healthy backbone, your
investment mix must be well
diversified.
Eyes: "The eyes were put
in the front of the head, not
the back of the head, for a
reason," Junkans said. "And a
lot of investors look back-
ward...investors tend to chase
performance."
Or, in down markets, they
tend to avoid recent bad per-
formance. I guess that
explains why billions of dol-
lars were taken out of mutual
funds recently. Investors
should really be looking for-
ward to determine how to
position themselves for the
future. Given broad market
declines, Junkans says he sees
value in all corners of the


market with the exception of
pricey U.S. Treasuries -
although he favors domestic
stocks to international devel-
oped market stocks.
Ears: The ears have the
big job of filtering out noise
about the stock market and
the economy, which can cause
investors to think they need to
make constant tweaks to their
portfolio.

SNIFFING OUT
Nose: Use the nose to
sniff out whether an invest-
ment opportunity smells right.
If the return is really high,
check the risks. In a market
such as the one we're in, bad
actors tend to materialize,
claiming that they can reverse
your losses with their invest-
ment scheme. Be
wary.
Mouth and
S- stomach: The mouth
and stomach feed
k k r your portfolio. This
market might have
demonstrated to you
how much risk you
can stomach. Unless
you need the cash
right now, Junkans
says "generally it's
going to be a mis-
take to notch down
the risk after a 40
percent drop in the
market." Instead, make more
conservative current contribu-
tions going forward.
Neck: The neck is your
portfolio's flexibility. Have
cash on the sidelines so you
can take advantage of oppor-
tunities that arise.
Heart: A core portfolio of
dividend and income-paying
stocks is one strategy for heart
health. And don't overlook
putting the heart into your
financial life. Consider socially
responsible investing with
mutual funds that screen
stocks based on your values,
or supporting charities that
matter to you, which may also
earn you a tax deduction.
Kidneys: The kidneys get
rid of toxins. Cleanse your
portfolio from time to time to
realize tax benefits.
Lungs: Rebalance periodi-
cally to avoid shortness of
breath. You'd be surprised
what this market has done to
your investment allocation pie.
Arms and legs: Get mov-
ing and pick your investment
vehicles, but not before you
understand how the rest of
your body works in concert to
realize your investment goals.

2008, Star Tribune
(Minneapolis). Distributed by
McClatchy-Tribune
Information Services.
0


March 2009


momm- I ............... ........ ........ "I,"",,,"",,,"M""
i rinnnci nt Ptnnni nG





CARIBBEAN TODAY


FEATU RE


LW-S^^ caribbeantoday


'My record says it all' ~ Salesman

~ Embattled Jamaican-born politician runs for office again


DAWN A. DAVIS
Come Mar. 10 will former
City Commissioner
Fitzroy Salesman, 52,
run for Commission Seat #1 in
the Miramar, Florida munici-
pal election?
Jamaican-born Salesman is
facing charges of aggravated
assault with a firearm follow-
ing an incident on Nov. 21,
2007 when he brandished a


Salesman


gun against a fellow shopper in
a crowded Miramar Winn-
Dixie supermarket. Then com-
missioner, he was suspended
from his post by Florida
Governor Charlie Crist in
December that year.
It was not the first time
Salesman had been suspended.
In 2005 he was stripped of his
commission seat by former
Governor Jeb Bush for "flee-
ing or attempting to elude a
law enforcement officer in vio-
lation of Section 316.1935(1),
Florida
Statutes, and
driving under
the influence,
in violation of
Sections
316.193(1) and
316.1934(1),
Florida
'NIllII , Sharief
according to
the State of Florida Executive
Order. He was acquitted of
that charge.
The embattled politician
has publicly claimed his inno-
cence, stressing that he acted
in self-defense against the 19-
year-old man he allegedly
pointed the gun at. His trial
started Feb. 23, 2009, just two
weeks before the Miramar city
elections in which he hopes to
take part. Earlier this month
the judged declared a mistrial,
so Salesman will likely be back
in the courtroom next month.
If convicted, Salesman
faces a three-year sentence.
Before the mistrial decision,
Miramar city spokesperson
Gus Zambrano told Caribbean
Today: "If he wins (the elec-
tion) and is found not guilty,
he has to go through reinstate-
ment, then he can take office.
That governor reinstatement


has to occur because it's the
governor who suspended him.
"Acquittal doesn't auto-
matically mean he takes back
his office," added Zambrano.
"If that occurs, then a certain
amount of back pay and bene-
fits are due to him."

UPHILL BATTLE
Salesman faces an uphill
battle, but is determined to
prove his innocence and pur-
sue his political career in
Miramar. According to the
city's official website, Salesman
qualified to run for seat #1 on
Jan. 5, 2009. Also in the race
are incumbent Carl J. Lanke,
Joseph Romero and Barbara
Sharief.
"I am confident,"
Salesman told Caribbean
Today. "You have to trust the
justice system; you are not liv-
ing a true democracy if you are
not willing to trust the justice
system. I am going to put the
facts out there with my attor-
neys, and I will let the jury
look at the facts, and I am sure
they will come back with the
right decision."
The
upbeat
Salesman said
he was "still
serving,"
adding "my
absence from
the commis-
sion has never Romero
precluded me
from serving. I get more calls
as a suspended commissioner
than any other sitting commis-
sioner there right now.
"I am letting the people
know that I am out here, I
don't plan on going anywhere.
And the most important thing
I want them to understand is,
regardless of the outcome of
this election, win or lose, I will
always be there for my fellow
citizens."
Asked about his platform,
Salesman boasted: "I stand
squarely on my record, on the
premise that there has never
been, now or before, with the
exception of Vicky Coceano
who has been designated
'Mother of the City', anyone
who has done more individual-
ly as a commissioner to benefit
the residents of this city. My
record says it all."

STRAIN
Incumbent Carl J. Lanke is
running on the platform that
put him in seat #1 last year:
Safety, foreclosures, and his
"green" initiative. In his first
year the commission has added
14 new tactical officers on the
streets of Miramar with a net
result of reduced criminal activ-
ities, Lanke said.
The commissioner


bemoaned that lI'rl Is 'Ir s
are killing us," noting that the
foreclosure rate in Miramar is
10 percent. He added that the
resulting stress is causing a rip-
ple effect in the city's economy.
To help ease the crisis, the

"I am confident. You have to
trust the justice system; you
are not living a true democ-
racy if you are not willing to
trust the justice system. I
am going to put the facts
out there...and I am sure
they will come back with the
right decision" Salesman

commissioner explained that
the city will offer "forgivable
loans" to residents from the
$10 million the city received
from the Housing and Urban
Development (HUD). This,
along with other initiatives,
such as partnering with local
hospitals and mental health
institutions to help those who
are mentally affected by the
economic strain, characterizes
Lanke's objectives. Then he
takes his own subtle shot at the
ex-commissioner.
"I've been there, I'm sin-
cere, I've been active within
the community, I'm not going
anywhere...Plus I have nothing
in the court system," Lanke
quipped.

COMMUNITY ACTIVISM
Contender Barbara
Sharief is campaigning on her
record of community activism
and business background.
"Miramar has the highest
foreclosure rate in Broward
County," she said. "That is
why a large part of my cam-
paign and community activities
has been focused on stopping
foreclosures and helping peo-
ple find jobs."
Sharief is adamant about
stemming increases in city fees
to residents and finding cre-
ative ways to cut government
costs. The successful business-
woman believes that support-


I www.casthelyortho.com


ing small business develop-
ment is key to the city's eco-
nomic development and said
she will, as commissioner, offer
free advertising
to small busi-
nesses through
the city's
newsletter,
commission
meetings, and
local television
station.
Asked Lanke
about the legal
problems surrounding
Salesman, Sharief said: "We
are in a democratic country
where every man is innocent
until proven guilty."

PROTEST
Romero, the fourth candi-
date for seat #1, called his plat-
form "compassion.
"The drive for me is the
will to help, the will to have


transparency, the will to have
things fair," said the
Dominican Republic-born can-
didate.
On Salesman, he said: "He
has his supporters, he's done
his work. He was a worker
when he was there. He is going
through a process, through the
judicial system and they will
render their verdict. So we
have to wait for that to hap-
pen. Everybody is entitled to
due process."
In addition to the race for
seat #1, well-known Jamaican
broadcaster Winston F. Barnes
is vying to keep his position as
commissioner in seat #3.
Alejandro Casas is running
against him.

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


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March 2009






CARIBBEAN TODAY


F nT U R 6


Caribbean states among world's major money launderers U.S.


WASHINGTON The
United States has named
four Caribbean community
(CARICOM) member states
among 59 major money laun-
dering jurisdictions.
In its 2009 International
Narcotics Control Strategy
Report, the State Department
identified Antigua and
Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize
and Haiti among "jurisdictions
of primary concern, whose
financial institutions engage in
currency transactions involving
significant amounts of pro-
ceeds from international nar-


cotics trafficking.
"The category
'Jurisdiction of Primary
Concern' recognizes this rela-
tionship by including all coun-
tries and other jurisdictions
whose financial institutions
engage in transactions involv-
ing significant amounts of pro-
ceeds from all serious .rineI .
The State Department
also listed nine CARICOM
states as "Jurisdictions of
Concern". They are Barbados,
Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica,
St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia,
St. Vincent and the


Grenadines, Suriname and
Trinidad and Tobago.
Dominica is named among
"Jurisdictions Monitored".
The agency said
"Jurisdictions of Concern" and
"Other Jurisdictions
Monitored" are identified on
the basis of several factors,
including whether the country's
financial institutions engage in
transactions involving signifi-
cant amounts of proceeds from
serious crimes; the extent to
which the jurisdiction is or
remains vulnerable to money
laundering, notwithstanding its


money laundering countermea-
sures, if any; and the nature
and extent of the money laun-
dering situation in each juris-
diction, whether it involves
drugs or other contraband.

SUSCEPTIBLE
The State Department
said Antigua and Barbuda
runiL in, susceptible to money
laundering due to its offshore
financial sector and Internet
gaming industry".
On The Bahamas, the
agency said money laundering
is primarily related to finan-


cial fraud and the proceeds of
drug trafficking.
Money laundering, prima-
rily related to narcotics traf-
ficking, and contraband smug-
gling, is 'uIp. kILd to occur
through onshore banks oper-
ating in Belize", it added.
Haiti is seen as a "major drug-
transit country with money
laundering activity linked to
the drug trade and to kidnap-
ping".

- CMC


U.S. accuses Caribbean of widespread human rights abuses


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3)
dures, remained a problem",
the report further stated.
In addition, the State
Department said while the
law provides for criminal
penalties for official corrup-
tion, "the government did not
implement the law effective-
ly", pointing to the World
Bank's worldwide governance
indicators that reflected that
"government corruption was a
serious problem".

HARSH ON HAITI
The report was equally
harsh on Haiti, identifying
among the impoverished coun-
try's human rights problems
the "failure to hold timely par-
liamentary elections; alleged
unlawful killings by Haitian
Nation Police (HNP) officers;
ineffective measures to
address killings by members of
gangs and other armed groups;
HNP participation in kidnap-
pings; and overcrowding and
poor sanitation in prisons".
Others grouses listed were
"arbitrary threats and arrests;
prolonged pre-trial detention;
an inefficient judiciary subject
to significant influence by the
executive and legislative
branches; severe corruption in
all branches of government;
violence and societal discrimi-
nation against women; child
abuse, internal trafficking of
children, and child domestic
labor; and ineffective enforce-
ment of worker rights".
The State Department
said organized criminal gangs
were primarily responsible for
the "arbitrary or unlawful
deprivation of life".
It said prisons and deten-
tion centers throughout the
French-speaking country
remained overcrowded, poorly
maintained, and often unsani-
tary, and many prisoners and
detainees suffered from a lack
of basic hygiene, malnutrition,
poor quality health care, and
the presence of rodents.
The report noted efforts
to reform the Haitian National
Police remained incomplete,
and officers were occasionally


implicated in corruption, kid-
napping, and narcotics traf-
ficking.
"In practice, authorities
widely ignored the constitu-
tionally provided right to a
fair public trial", the reported
noted.

JAMAICAN INJUSTICE
In Jamaica, the State
Department said serious prob-
lems comprised "unlawful
killings committed by mem-
bers of the security forces,
abuse of detainees and prison-
ers by police and prison
guards, poor prison and jail
conditions, impunity for police
who committed crimes, an
overburdened judicial system
and frequent lengthy delays in
trials, violence and discrimina-
tion against women, traffick-
ing in persons, and violence
against suspected or known
homosexuals".
It said the police employed
"lethal fI ,rn, 'in apprehending
criminal suspects on many
occasions, which resulted in
224 deaths during 2008, a drop
from the 272 fatal police shoot-
ings of civilians in 2007.
Although the law prohibits
such practices, reports of physi-
cal abuse of prisoners by guards
continued, despite efforts by
the government to remove abu-
sive guards and improve proce-
dures, the report stated.
"Prison conditions
remained poor, primarily due
to overcrowding and poor
sanitary conditions", it noted,
adding that medical care also
was poor, primarily a result of
having only three full-time
doctors, one full-time nurse,
and one psychiatrist to cover
13 facilities with 4,790 inmates
across the island.
In addition, the State
Department said the Jamaica
Forum for Lesbians, All
Sexuals and Gays (J-FLAG)
continued to report human
rights abuses, including "arbi-
trary detention, mob attacks,
stabbings, harassment of
homosexual patients by hospi-
tal and prison staff, and tar-
geted shootings of homosexu-
als. Police often did not inves-


tigate such incidents".
In Antigua and Barbuda,
the U.S. agency said there
were "occasional reports of
police brutality, corruption,
excessive force, discrimination
against homosexuals, and alle-
gations of abuse by prison
guards".
The report said prison con-
ditions in Antigua and
Barbuda were very poor and
that the country's only prison,
which housed 229 convicted
prisoners at the end of last
year, "overcrowded, did not
have toilet facilities, and slop
pails were used in all 122 L l .1
It attributed overcrowd-
ing, in part, to a law that limit-
ed the ability of magistrates to
grant bail to those accused of
certain offences.

DISCRIMINATION
The report stated, in The
Bahamas, there were "com-
plaints of abuse by police and
prison and detention centre
guards, poor detention condi-
tions, poor functioning of the
judicial system leading to
delays in trials and lengthy
pre-trial detention, violence
against women and children,
and discrimination against
persons of Haitian dL nLI .I
The State Department
said violence against women
was also a rh Lou, wide-
spread problem" in The
Bahamas.
In Barbados, the U.S. said
problems included excessive
use of force by police, poor
prison conditions, and societal
violence against women and
children.
"While the constitution
specifically prohibits torture
and inhuman or degrading
punishment or other treat-
ment, there were reports that
police sometimes used exces-
sive fIrt. it stated.
Belize was another coun-
try cited for lengthy pre-trial
detention, with the State
Department also identifying
domestic violence, discrimina-
tion against women, sexual
abuse of children, trafficking in
persons for sexual and labor
exploitation, child labor and


human rights problems, includ-
ing brutality and use of exces-
sive force by security forces.

CORRUPTION
Human rights problems in
Grenada included allegations
of corruption, violence against
women, and instances of child
abuse, the State Department
reported. It said prison condi-
tions generally met interna-
tional standards, with the
exception of overcrowding,
describing it as "significant".
It claimed the 386 prisoners,
of which nine are women, are
held in space designed for 98
persons.
Poor prison conditions,
violence against women and
children, and adverse condi-
tions experienced by indige-
nous Kalinago (Carib) Indians
were the main human rights
issues in Dominica, the report
stated.
Excessive force by police,
poor prison conditions, cor-
ruption, and violence against
women were the major human
rights problems in St. Kitts
and Nevis, the report noted.
Prisons were overcrowded,
and resources remained limit-
ed. In addition, it said violence
against women was a problem,
but there were "no prosecu-
tions or convictions for domes-
tic violence during the year".
In St. Lucia, problems of
abuse of suspects and prison-
ers by the police, long delays
in trials and sentencing, vio-
lence against women, and
child abuse predominated.
According to the State
Department, corruption had
become a serious issue.
"Observers expressed con-
cern that the country was mov-
ing backwards in terms of
transparency and accountabili-
ty," it stated, adding that there
was also "widespread concern
that some members of the gov-
ernment (was) associated with
known narcotics traffickers".
The State Department
said "impunity for police who
used excessive force, poor
prison conditions, abuse of
official position by govern-
ment officials to circumvent


the judicial process, an over-
burdened court system, vio-
lence against women, and
abuse of children" were the
major problems in St. Vincent
and the Grenadines.

- CMC
0


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Vol. 20, Number 4 MAR. 2009

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March 2009





CARIBBEAN TODAY


V I P 0


When Rihanna's private life


becomes public obsession


Are you happy now?
All your eyes pressed to
the window staring at the
detritus of someone else's life,
all your mouths chattering
together like birds on a wire,
all you watchers and voyeurs,
you Peeping Toms and
Thomasinas, you eye spies
and inquiring minds that had
to know, did you get what you
needed, did you see what you
wanted? Are you happy now?
I'd think
you would be.
The photo,
after all, is
pitilessly
explicit: a
close-up of a
woman facing
the camera I
with eyes LEONARD
closed in a PITTS JR.
face scarred
by bruises and
abrasions, and what looks like
dried blood in the corner of
her mouth. Los Angeles
police say it appears to be
authentic, an image of singer
Rihanna taken as part of their
investigation of singer Chris
Brown, who allegedly assault-
ed her on Feb. 8.
The department has
launched a probe, continuing
as of this writing, to determine
how the picture could have
made it from their files onto
TMZ.com, the celebrity gossip
web site, on Feb. 22. There is
suspicion that some cop or
clerk stole it and sold it, trad-
ing a young woman's misery
for personal profit.

INFO LUST
But hey, you had to know,
right? All you fans and fanat-
ics who scour the web obses-
sively for the latest dish on
Brad and Angie, Tom and
Katie, Chris and Rihanna and
other luminaries who don't
know you from Adam but
with whom you are, neverthe-
less, on a first-name
basis...you needed this infor-
mation, did you not? You had
a sacred right to stare into the
battered face of a hurt and
vulnerable woman on one of
the worst nights of her life.
As a poster who fancies
herself (maybe himself?)
"Sultry IrL n puts it on
TMZ's site: "And for all you
saying TMZ shouldn't have
posted the photo. Shut it up!
We wanted to see it and TMZ
always delivers."
Amen. Because we all
know that what you want is all
that really matters.
I expect to get some flak
for giving you flak, though.
See, while you were debating
whether Rihanna, in the view
of one post, "was asking for
it," I was debating a Pentagon
policy (overturned last month)


that banned pictures of the
ceremony they hold when cas-
kets containing the remains of
American military personnel
are returned to Dover Air
Force Base in Delaware. I
argued against the ban in this
space, saying that we should
not be shielded from
reminders of what happens
when we send our children off
to war.
So yes, I'm expecting
some folks to see a disconnect
between that opinion and this
one. But there isn't really. On
the one hand, we're talking
about a matter of compelling
national interest. On the
other, we're talking about
humiliating a woman so you
can get your jollies.
And it strikes me now
how quaint was the former
debate over the morality of
images, how anachronistic the
attempt to balance public
needs with private ones, in the
world you are creating. In that
world, there is no morality
higher than "we wanted to see
it" and no
need to bal-
ance public
and private
because they
are one and
the same.r

BEING
'THERE' Rihanna
An ambu-
lance comes for Britney
Spears and You Are There.
Paris Hilton has sex and You
Are There. Robyn Rihanna
Fenty is photographed as the
victim of an alleged assault, in
a state with laws that theoreti-
cally protect the privacy of
assault victims. And yet, You
Are There.
The lives of others are
one big reality show to you,
aren't they? One more excuse
to press your face against the
window glass and gather chat-
tering on the wire.
Excuse the rest of us if we
don't see it that way, if we
think we have a right to rea-
sonable control over how and
when we are presented to the
world, if we believe that our
triumphs and sorrows are just
that "our" triumphs and sor-
rows, not an entertainment
produced for your amuse-
ment. Because life is not a
reality show.
Get one, and you'll see.

2009 The Miami Herald.
Distributed by Tribune Media
Services, Inc.

Editor's note: Rihanna was
born in Barbados.
0


There are so many obsta-
cles to true love before
we can truly know who is
the right person for us.
For some of us, it may take
years to find the right person,
while for others it's the prover-
bial love at first sight.
Whatever happened to the
phrases, "Haste makes ,.M1L ,
"Fools rush in where angels
fear to trLdd "Take time to
know her", "Marry in haste,
repent at leisure?" There are
so many, and for each there is a
counter, or someone giving
advice as to what to do.
No wonder those advice
columns are so popular, as peo-
ple want to know exactly what
they're getting into before
making that potentially fateful
plunge. It's easy when buying a
car or house, as all one has to
do is make a thorough investi-
gation of both. Oh if we could
do that with prospective spous-
es, but we can't.

SIGNS
In romance or relation-
ships, there are certain signs
that you should look for before
making that fateful leap, certain
obstacles that will prove too dif-
ficult to overcome, that will
doom it from the beginning.
For example, is it wise to
engage in a relationship with a
woman who is much older?
First there is the self esteem
and insecurity of the older
woman dealing with the
younger man. Many women
suffer from low self esteem,
insecurity and jealousy, even
those who are young, attrac-
tive, educated and even quite
beautiful. Now just imagine
how a woman who is much
older than her spouse must
feel, knowing, or at least won-
dering, if he's going to leave
her for a younger woman.
Now I don't want you
older ladies to pillory me now,
but would you want your 20-
year-old son settling down with
a 40-year-old woman, your best
friend perhaps? Makes you
think now, doesn't it?

LONG DISTANCE
Then there are long dis-
tance relationships. Now why
in heaven's name would some-

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Can previous
children be a
hindrance to a
relationship?
Now that's a
tough one, as
children can
be such a joy
But they can
TONY also prove to
ROBINSON be major
obstacles in
relationships,
and tales of the wicked step-
mother or abusive stepfather
are not unfounded.
If you meet a woman and
she already has a child, that
can be cool. If she has two, the
stakes rise a bit. But if she has
three or more, that can prove
to be a major obstacle. I'm not
saying in all cases, but an
instant family for a young man
can create major problems;
worse if those kids have differ-
ent fathers. The same applies
to women who meet men with
multiple baby mothers too. Just
think, will he stop with you?
Another obstacle is the in-
law. Nothing is worse than a
meddling in-law, and they
should be outlawed.
So as you race on this
romantic road, there are certain
obstacles that we must steer
clear of, run around, push aside
and avoid, for if we don't, those
same obstacles will become a
ball and chain around your
ankle.

seidol@hotmail. corn
0


one get involved with a long
distance lover? It's hard
enough dealing with someone
who lives right here.
Some people have it thrust
on them, as after being
involved for a few years, one
has to go away to school, or
work, or something beyond
their control. But why would
you get involved with someone
who lives far from you right
from the beginning?
And yet people meet while
on vacation, or strike up pen pal
or e-mail relationships and then
think about making it perma-
nent. Bad move, very bad
move. As the old saying goes,
"Love and sea water don't mix".
You can write and phone so
much, e-mail until your fingers
go numb, the fact is, the person
is there and you are here, and
never the twain shall meet.

ORAL BOUNDARIES
Then what about oral sex,
is it an obstacle to romance?
Well, talking about sex can't do
any harm, but what about the
real deal, getting on down, one
stop above 68, if you know what
I mean? Times have changed. It
is a definite obstacle if she
wants it, expects it, demands it
and he doesn't, for she'll seek it
elsewhere. So just do what the
majority of Caribbean men do,
indulge her, but lie about it to
your male friends.
The same applies to sexual
incompatibility, for if there is
inequality, don't even go there.
If appetites vary greatly, it's
doomed from the start.


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(305) 666-4334


Obstacles to romance


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FAMILY DENTISTRY


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March 2009




CARIBBEAN TODAY


Cail


I beLieve ^ving the PLonet i1 >4Po6ibLe.


L:


When you come from a history so rich in dreams and accomplishment,
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r


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I


March 2009


. domlik..








n T I o n PiLAn An nI ei.

~ A Caribbean Today special feature


It can be wonderful fun taking Spring Break with the kids


EILEEN OGINTZ
Anne and Jim Stewart
and their two teenagers
are happily counting
down the days till their
Jamaica Spring Break.
They're not rich or crazy
to take a vacation when every-
one is cutting back. In fact,
they almost didn't go this year,


Brown, senior editor at
Travelocity.com Her tip: Book
an air-hotel package and save
$300 or more. She likes San
Diego (www.sandiego.org) with
plenty of kid-friendly attrac-
tions, a 10 percent decrease in
airfare and a whopping 17 per-
cent decrease for hotel rooms
in March and April.
Even the national parks


There are many activities in the Caribbean for kids and adults.


says Anne, a Connecticut
physical therapist. Yet, despite
the recession, they didn't want
to forgo the opportunity for
some much-needed family
time.
"It won't be too long
before the kids are off to col-
lege and won't want to be with
us," she explained.
So the family compro-
mised. Instead of a full week,
they're going for just five days.
And a web search yielded a
terrific deal at an all-inclusive
resort so there shouldn't be
many extra expenses just
$3,000, including flights for the
four of them.
The best part: "The kids
are really excited about going
and being with us," said
Stewart.
As we count down to
Spring Break in March and
April, a lot of you are telling
your kids, "Not this year!" 79
percent of those surveyed by
TripAdvisor (www.tripadvi-
sor.com), in fact. But maybe
it's time to think again. We all
need a break from all the
gloom and doom even the
First Family. Michelle Obama
told People magazine recently
that her family will be heading
off on a family Spring Break
this month.

AFFORDABLE
They haven't said where
they're going, but you can get
away, too whatever your
budget or wherever you'd like
to take the kids you'll be sur-
prised at what you can afford
this year.
"We haven't seen deals like
this in years," said Genevieve


have gotten into the act. Every
"A" on a report card earns $10
off the room rate (up to $30)
at the Grand Canyon
(www.grandcanyonlodges. com
). (Use the code STAY4A.)
You'll find plenty of bargains
at state parks, too.
And by traveling you'll be
doing your bit to help the
economy. Consider that almost
200,000 jobs were lost in the
travel industry last year and,
according to the United States
Department of Commerce,
another 250,000 will be lost
this year. All of those waiters
and cooks, hotel maids and
front desk clerks have families
too. And they'll thank you.
Take your pitchers and
third basemen to Spring
Training either in Florida
(www.floridaspringtraining.com)
or Arizona
(www.cactusleague.com) where
tickets are a lot cheaper than
major league stadiums and your
little leaguers might get close
enough to get an autograph.
The best part: flights and hotels
cost less than last year, notes
Brown.
Check out deals in
Arizona at Best Western's
Dobson Ranch Inn in Mesa,
(www. dobsonranch inn. cornn,
which include breakfast, or the
just-renovated Westward Look
Resort in Tucson (www. west-
wardlook.com) where you can
check out the night critters in
the desert with special goggles,
go horseback riding or laze at
the pool when you're not try-
ing to catch a fly ball.
Sarasota
(www.sarasotaftlorg), mean-
while, is celebrating the final


Spring Training season with the
Cincinnati Reds before they
head to Arizona and offers
plenty of appealing hotel deals.

DEALS
"We're seeing three times
as many hotel promotions
now," added Orbitz.com


spokesman Jeanenne
Tornatore, with plenty of rooms
to be had for under $100 a night
across the country. There are
also plenty of deals on condo
rentals so you can save more on
meals, and even invite a friend
along for your teen (www.vaca-
tionrentals.com), orbitz com)


or (www.Zonder.com). You'll
even find plenty of deals and
freebies in Orlando with their
new Bundles of Free Smiles
campaign (www.bundlesof-
freesmiles.com) and packages at
Walt Disney World (disney-

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 12)


www.AirJa maica .com* 1.800.523.5585
A d r~ h, kl ;, u I l % AWyndrnd mu igh w miqh gof oon nd 1m-iwi ln ,ot


March 2009


CARIBBEAN TODAY


a M-r- / c Z-ok 7 cip





CARIBBEAN TODAY


-usw^caribbeantodj..c..


~ A Caribbean Today special feature

Be prepared for new document requirements starting in June


ED PERKINS

If you're heading out of the


Residential/Commercial m




Office: (954) 467-0105
Mobile: (954) 696-6792
Fax: (954) 467-2722
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country and expect to return
after June 1, it's time now to
make sure your documents
comply with the tightened
requirements that will apply.
Those tightened require-
ments focus on re-entry by land
or sea from countries partici-
pating in the Western
Hemisphere Travel Initiative
(WHTI) program (Bermuda,
Canada, the C.iribbc.in, includ-
ing The Bahamas, and Mexico).
To enter those countries and
cross the border back to the
United States you will need
either:

* A U.S. passport the tradi-
tional, all-purpose document
for international travel.

* A passport card the new
credit-card-size ID, valid for
travel to/from only countries
in the WHTI program. It is
issued by the U.S. State
Department; it's a less expen-
sive alternative for travelers
interested mainly on cross-bor-


der travel by car or foot.


* An enhanced driver's license
(EDL) the updated, high-tech
version of a conventional dri-
ver's license that requires proof
of citizenship as a condition of
issue.

* An ID from one of the
"Trusted Traveler" programs.

This rule has two prominent
exceptions:
* Children under age 18 with-
out the documents required for
adults will be able to enter or
return from WHTI participat-
ing countries with any accepted
proof of citizenship, including
birth certificate (original or
copy) or citizenship card.

* Cruise ship passengers on
, IcJd loop" iliinir.iric, (cruises
that begin and end at the same
U.S. port) can enter or leave
with a birth .crifiik.iki or gov-
ernment-issued photo ID. (You
may, however, need a U.S. pass-
port to debark at some ports.)


Border Protection Agency tout-
ing its new high-tech facilities
at the Tijuana-San Ysidro bor-
der crossing, the nation's
busiest. By scanning the radio
frequency ID (RFID) chips in
the latest high-tech travel docu-
ments, U.S. agents can speed
the flow of traffic through the
checkpoint and they hope -
reduce the long lines of vehicles
that currently clog the border
crossing. All passports, passport
cards and EDLs contain chips,
which provide instant access by
agents to the g, 1% c r c iI LliiI
passport database, and all
future passports will contain
them.
Some folks are worried
that hackers will be able to
extract personal data from
EDLs and other chip-enabled
cards. The people who make
these systems and the govern-
ment say that a metal sleeve
will prevent unauthorized read-
ing.
Air travelers arriving from
any foreign country, including
those in the WHTI program,


U.S. citizens traveling out of the country
by air will need a passport to return.

infants. The only exceptions are
for active-duty military person-
nel, merchant mariners, travel-
ers with NEXUS cards, and
permanent residents groups
with their own specific ID
requirements.
For more detail on any bor-
der crossing documentation
issues, log onto the U.S. Customs
and Border Protection Website
at www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/.
And if you think you'll need a
passport, apply now: I'm sure
that a short-staffed State
Department will again be slow in
filling applications.


will see i no cnanges. ou neeu a
"0 h...Deli ious!" HI-TECH passport; the passport card 2009 Tribune Media
This column was prompt- won't do. This requirement Services, Inc.
ed, in part, by a news release applies to travelers of any age,

vor rush AsAS from the U.S. Customs and including children and even
_____orush It can be wonderful fun taking Spring Break with the kids


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A Dr. Chung-James, practicing in Miami since 1983,
well-known in the Caribbean community.
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(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11)
world.disney.go.com) and
Universal Studios (www.univer-
salorlando.com) that offer free
nights, theme park admission
and significant savings. One
local vacation rental
home company
(www.ImagineVacationHomes.
com) has even piL,_\l.kLd on
Disney World's promise of a
free ticket on your birthday,
offering birthday tickets for
your whole family, if you book a
five-night stay. The best part -
three-bedroom houses that start
at $159 a night.
You don't need to plan
ahead either this year, even for
the busiest times.
"Families need to know
this year we're seeing a lot of
excellent last-minute deals
with hotels willing to throw in
freebies or perks to entice
guests at the final hour," says
Arabella Bowen, editorial
director of www.shermanstrav-
el.com, which focuses on deals.

CRUISE
Maybe this is the time to
try a cruise. Go from a port
near home and you can save on
airfare. Many cruise lines are
offering significant shipboard
credits and deals where kids
cruise for $99 (Norwegian, for
example, www.ncl.com), or even
free (www.disneycruises.com).
On a four-day cruise, Carnival is
offering deals under $1,400 for a
family of four.
"There are still plenty of


opportunities for families to
snag a good deal," says Carnival
spokesman Jennifer de la Cruz.
Cruise Compete
(www. cruisecompete. cornn,
which enables travel agents to
offer you the best deals they
have for the time you want to
travel, touts some Holland
America sailings for just $70 a
person a day, says spokesman
Heidi Allison-Shane.
Look at an all-inclusive.
Club Med (www.clubmed.com)
offers $499 per person deals for
an entire week at some of its
family resorts. Don't discount
places you thought were too
pricy either, especially if you
can snag a cheap flight. Use up
those frequent flier miles. And
go for a long weekend rather
than a week. Windjammer
Landing in St. Lucia
(www. windjammer-
landing.com), for example, is
offering 50 percent off the
room rate in "sun d, ILair' ,
credit for food and activities.
Mention Taking the Kids and
you can get a parents' massage
too. Hotels.com, meanwhile,
has a luxury for less sale
(www. hotels. com/luxuryforless
) that promises upscale lodging
for as low as $89 in cities across
the country.
Try something you've
never done. Go to the Frost
Valley YMCA camp in the
Catskills (www.frostvalley.org)
and you can see how maple
syrup is made. Join a flotilla of
sailing boats in the British


Virgin Islands and save 25 per-
cent with Sunsail (www.sun-
sail.com). (Other deals offer
as much as 35 percent off.)

FREE SKI
There are so many third-
night-free deals in ski country
that you can find an entire
page devoted to them at
(www. ski. com/3rdnightfree).
Ski.com's Dan Sherman added
there are many second-night-
free deals in Park City, while
Vail and Beaver Creek have
just extended their kids-fly free
ski-free deal (book by Mar. 14
(with your travel deadline of
Mar. 31) one child flies and
skis free for each paying adult
(www.flyvail.com).
Also www.perfectfamily-
vacation.com has just slashed
prices significantly from last
year's rates at Shadow Ridge
Resort in Park City Utah.
Wherever you want to go,
don't be shy about asking the
resort/cruise line/hotel to up
the ante a better room, free
breakfast, free kids' club.
Remember, they want and
need your business. And you
need that time together.
"The kids are only going
to be this age once," says
Anne Stewart.

2009 Eileen Ogintz.
Distributed by Tribune Media
Services, Inc.
0


March 2009


I.


MENW- I ............... ........ ........ "Il""Ill""Ill!"",""","
I V ON C ON T Ion Ptn n n in G





CARIBBEAN TODAY


S 1 p p I n G


-S^caribbeantoday^co
= ww ^^^M^^


~ A Caribbean Today advertising feature


Caribbean shipping execs to meet in Colombia in May


T op names in the regional
shipping industry, includ-
ing owners, shipping
executives and industry leaders,
are expected at a three-day
Caribbean Shipping Executives
Conference in Cartagena,
Colombia in mid-May.
The eighth conference, set
for May 18-20 at Hotel Las
Americas Global Resort, is
scheduled to feature speakers
from several countries world-
wide.
Issues to be discussed will
include the following:
Is the shipping industry
in the Caribbean and Latin
American region ready to deal
with the current global finan-
cial crisis?
Are businesses equipped
to seize the opportunities that
will present themselves during
this time?
What is the future of the
cargo and cruise shipping
industries and how can stake-
holders in the region position
their businesses to stay "afloat"
and maximize growth?
Is it time to implement
National Port Community
Systems throughout the region
to improve supply chain effi-
ciency, security and customer
satisfaction?
The conference is being
presented by the Caribbean
Shipping Association (CSA) in
collaboration with Sociedad
Portuaria Regional de Cartagena
(SPRC).


Scheduled sessions include:
"The Business and Economic
Outlook for Global Trade";
"Repercussions of the Global
Recession on Port Operators:
Liner Companies, Shipping
Agents and Labor"; "Today's
Opportunity for Tomorrow's
Growth"; "Strategic Positioning
of Cruise Tourism to Maximize
Growth for All Stakeholders";
"The Luxury Yacht Sector:
Business Opportunities for the
Region"; and "Secured
Commerce for Economic
Growth".
Among the scheduled
keynote speakers are: Dr.
Walter Kemmsies, chief econo-
mist, Moffatt & Nichol; Robert
West, principal, trade and trans-
portation, Halcrow; Rupert
Conner, president and chief
executive officer, Luxury Yacht
Group; Michael Horton, princi-
pal Latin America, Moffatt &
Nichol; Michael McFadden,
vice president, Halcrow; Iker
Allison, senior commercial
manager, SSA Mexico; Dr.
Andrew Coggins, professional
consultant School of Hotel &
Tourism Management, The
Chinese University of Hong
Kong; Giovanni Benedetti,
director of marketing and sales,
Sociedad Portuaria Regional de
Cartagena; and Joseph
Cervenak, principal, Kemper-
Joseph LLC.
0


Collapsible shipping container

could transform cargo trade


MIAMI FREIGHT & SHIPPING CO. LTD.
(305) 885-0558
Fax: (305) 887-6684
7790 NW 46th Street Unit 18 Miami, Florida 33166 email: xiohnston@miamifreight.net


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Ocean carriers spend $16
billion annually on
repositioning empties.
?A collapsible container


Collapsible containers could save the
industry space and money.
designed by two professors
from the Indian Institute of
Technology in Delhi, India,
could revolutionize the marine
cargo sector.
In less than four minutes,
the container is collapsed
hydraulically to one-quarter its
original size. Kept together
with a self-locking mechanism,
four vertically stacked contain-
ers take up exactly the same
space as a regular 20-foot box.


More than 52 years ago,
Malcom McLean, a North
Carolina trucking entrepre-
neur, originally hatched the
idea of using containers to
carry cargo. He loaded 58 con-
tainers onto his ship, Ideal X,
in Newark, New Jersey, and
once the vessel reached
Houston the uncrated contain-
ers were moved directly onto
trucks and reusable rectan-
gular boxes soon became the
industry standard.
Anoop Chawla and
Sudipto Mukherjee from IIT's
mechanical engineering
department worked on the col-
lapsible concept for three and
a half years.
"We made at least two
models before coming up with
the current proof of concept,"
Chawla said. "There were
many difficulties we encoun-
tered in the entire process -
right from conceptualization to
ensuring the structural rigidity
of the collapsible container.
For instance, we had to ensure
there were proper sealing and
locking conditions."
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 14)


www.AirJamaica.com/cargo


cargosales-@airjamaica.com
KIN: 8769248750/9248848. MIA: 305 5262390/1 *JFK:71891 76171


CAfto
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March 2009


mimplim- I ...............
s p R i n G





CARIBBEAN TODAY


~ A Caribbean Today advertising feature


KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC -
Controversy has erupted over
a decision by the Jamaica gov-
ernment to import low-cost
fertilizer from the United
States, which Agriculture
Minister Dr. Chris Tufton
has revealed is made with
human waste.
The matter, which was the
subject of heated debate in
the Parliament recently, has
spilled out of the chamber,
with Opposition Leader Portia
Simpson Miller demanding
that Prime Minister Bruce
Golding provide answers to
the country.
Simpson-Miller, speaking
at a People's National Party
(PNP) workers mrn L l i said
she was extremely concerned
that the fertilizer, containing
human excrement, had


T Simpson Miller

Tuftton

tor.?Her statement came
hours after Roger Clarke,
Opposition spokesman on
agriculture, sought answers
from Tufton during debate in
the House.
"Human faeces (import-


ed) to Jamaica,
I am asking out
of the interests
of not just the
Jamaican
farmer but the
Jamaican peo-
ple, what is the
protocol in
place with the
use of it?" asked
Clarke.
Tufton stout-
ly defended the
imports and insisted that the
product, made primarily from
domestic sludge and waste
water, has been tested by the
U.S. authorities.
Clarke called for tests to
be conducted locally on the
fertilizer.
0


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Jf i g MIAMI (305) 592-6000
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Jamaica importing fertilizer with

human waste ~ minister


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13)

COMPATIBILITY
The concept also had to be
compatible with existing equip-
ment for intermodal trans-
port.?Speed was another con-
cern.
"We wanted to keep the
folding and unfolding time to
within three to four minutes,"
he said. The watertight con-
tainer, which is fabricated from
Corten steel like the standard
container and equals its
strength, opens upward to
allow top loading of commodi-
ties.? A system to collapse and
erect the container also had to
be conceptualized.
"We designed a base sta-
tion or special platform to fold
and unfold the container hori-
zontally within the target time
of three to four minutes,"
Chawla said. "The system,
which could be
hydraulic-based, helps
collapse the container
automatically."
It takes a


Edited from an article
written by Kathlyn
Horibe and published
recently on Caribbean
Shipping Inc's website.
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semi-skilled person half a day
to one day to be trained on the
base station, said Avinder
Bindra of Simpri Investments
Ltd., who financed the contain-
er project. A former banker,
Bindra approached IIT, one of
India's best engineering
schools, about taking on the
challenge. He felt collapsible
containers could improve the
logistics and decrease the cost
of backhauling empty contain-
ers.
The shipping industry
spends a great deal of time and
money repositioning empty con-
tainers. If trade were balanced,
there would be no empties. But
trade imbalance has resulted in
approximately 2.5 million TEUs
of empty boxes stored in yards
worldwide with empties com-
prising 20 percent to 23 percent
of the movement of containers
around the world.
According to research con-
ducted by International Asset
Systems, the average container
is idle or undergoing reposi-
tioning for more than 50 per-
cent of its lifespan. It also
determined shipping
companies spend $16
billion in repositioning
empties. To compen-
sate for these costs, car-
riers add surcharges to
S freight rates. These
range between $100
and $1,000 per TEU.
It is estimated that if
75 percent of empty
containers were folded
by 2010, the result
would be a yearly sav-
ing in shipping of 25
million TEUs, or 50
percent of the total vol-
ume of empty contain-
68 cl ers shipped.


Collapsible shipping container

could transform cargo trade


OWEN TAYLOR
Principal Agent

4004 Al ,1. C, a D^nA 0fl d -Qi


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Palmetto Bay, Florida 33157
305.232.8222
Fax: 305.232.9334
Cell: 786.512.0174
otaylor@bellsouth.net


March 2009


................ ........ -
i p p i n G






CARIBBEAN TODAY


S0O c n A


LWW-crbbatoa.co


South Florida celebrates 'Miss Lou' pioneer of Jamaica's 'patwa'


DAWN A. DAVIS
The legacy of Louise
Bennett-Coverley has
left an indelible impres-
sion on Jamaica and the
Caribbean. It is this icon, this
tradition, this birth right, that
was commemorated at the
South Regional Broward
College Library in Pembroke
Pines, Florida last month.
Under the patronage of
Sandra Grant-Griffiths,
Jamaica's consul general to
the southern United States,
the event brought together
linguists, educators, writers,
performers and friends who
celebrated an indigenous lan-
guage and culture and
"Miss Lou", the woman who
instilled pride in Jamaican

Journalist, playwright,
director, actress and cultural
activist Barbara Gloudon was
among those honoring the
woman that gave voice to
Jamaica.
"Louise was marked out


"Louise was marked out to
free the tongue of the
Jamaican people" Gloudon


to free the tongue of the
Jamaican people," Gloudon
said.
"Louise was born for a
particular purpose, at a partic-
ular time. As happens in every
generation, one or two people
are born to change time.
Barack Hussein Obama car-
ries that burden, Nelson
Mandela carries that burden,
Martin Luther King Jr. carried
that burden, Marcus Mosiah
Garvey carried that burden.
So, we need to take her work
seriously."


Miss Lou was the major
force in promoting Jamaican
language as a legitimate form
of communication. She used
Jamaican patwa, a mixture of
African languages brought to
the island by slaves, and
English in her writings as a
young journalist, in perform-
ances, and everyday life with-
out shame. And, in time, her
genius was recognized with a
scholarship to Britain's Royal
Academy of Dramatic Arts,
an institution that represented
the system she fought to
loosen its grip on Jamaican
culture.
According to Gloudon,
Miss Lou was part of a politi-
cal movement. The statements
in her poetry were political,
the strongest being her railing
against the British. In those
days, all things British was
good. Hence, a whole genera-
tion was made to feel
ashamed of their tongue
because it was not "the
Queen's English".


Gloudon


PANTOMIME
Among the stages Miss
Lou used to showcase her
proud heritage, talent, and
persistence was pantomime, a
British tradition of acting out
children's stories onstage that
traditionally opened on
Boxing Day each year. Miss
Lou performed in 25 pan-
tomimes between 1943 and
1975; several times alongside
her famous sidekick Ranny
"Mas Ran" Williams. She


became a prolific director and
performer, peppering her pro-
ductions with the language of
her people. The tradition con-
tinues today.
"She gave us no end of
proverbs, which were in fact
parables; they were almost
biblical in their connotations,"
Gloudon said. "For example,
'wen chubble tek man, pick-
ney shut fit im'. It is clear,
when trouble takes man a
child's shirt will even cover
you. It was almost biblical wis-
dom, which she would put
into folk language, and little
by little they have become
part of our history. If you look
in the Oxford dictionary now,
it is carrying words out of the
Jamaican autography."
But, it was not only pan-
tomime that benefited from
the strength and character of
p ai%., '. Not just a theatrical
genius, Miss Lou weaved her
stories, poems, and plays with
folkloric tales in the voice of
the characters she brought to
life. And, she did not keep it
to herself, but passed on the
tradition to those around her.
Gloudon was one of her pro-
teg6s.
Miss Lou, and Gloudon
after her, were perhaps the
first journalists to use pai.. ',
in the print media for every-
day communication. Both
women worked at The
Gleaner, Jamaica's oldest
newspaper, in their early
careers.
"The Gleaner received
enormous amounts of com-
plaints that Louise Bennett
and myself had conspired to
cheapen the Jamaican lan-
guage and weaken the identify
of the people," explained
Gloudon.
Later, when Gloudon
started her radio call-in pro-
gram "Hotline", she was again


R&B star faces felony charges for alleged beating of Rihanna


LOS ANGELES, California -
The District Attorney's office
here says R&B star Chris
Brown has been charged with
two felonies following the
alleged beating of his girl-
friend, Barbadian pop singer
Rihanna.
The singer made a brief
appearance in court with his
attorney Mark Geragos early
this month and did not enter a
plea to the two felony charges
of assault and making criminal
threats.
The judge granted Brown's
request for a continuance on
April 6.
If convicted, Brown faces
anywhere from probation to a
maximum four years and eight
months in state prison,


District Attorney spokes-
woman Sandi Gibbons said.
The formal charges come
almost a month after the cou-
ple argued on the morning of
Feb. 8, just hours before
Rihanna, 21, and Brown, 19,
were both scheduled to per-
form at the Grammys.
U.S.-based media organi-
zations published the sordid
details of the incident, while
quoting an affidavit which
chronicles the attack in which
Brown allegedly punched,
bloodied and threatened to
kill his girlfriend. They also
indicate that the couple has
reunited following the inci-
dent.
0


criticized for speaking in
p' il \\ '.
In spite of that, and per-
haps because of that, the show
has grown to become one of
Jamaica's most popular com-
munity radio shows. Listeners
can call in and air their opin-
ions in a language they are
comfortable with.

BEYOND COMEDY
Gloudon implored schol-
ars to look beyond Miss Lou's
comedic performances for she
was much more than that.
"We have forgotten to
spend some time on the
importance of the journey that
she took and its relevance to
the development of Jamaica,"


"In time, her genius was
recognized with a scholar-
ship to Britain's Royal
Academy of Dramatic Arts,
an institution that represent-
ed the system she fought to
loosen its grip on Jamaican
culture"

she said "...Her purpose was
to be tongue and voice to a
people who had no voice...The
work I do as a writer is all
driven by Louise...But, we
have to understand that the
road ahead still nuh dun."
Gloudon is involved in a
project that will help keep
Miss Lou and Jamaica's
indigenous voice alive. A web-
site, www.ltmpantomime, has
been created. It celebrates 60
years of Jamaican theater. The
site features a detailed history
of the movement as well as
directors, producers, and cast
members from every pan-
tomime performed since 1941.
Packed with a dizzying array
of facts, visitors to the site will
also learn about choreography
trends, designers, and little
known facts about the pan-
tomime company and
Kingston's Little Theatre.
Even the Canadian gov-
ernment recognizes the valu-
able contribution Louise
Bennett-Coverley made to
Jamaican culture with the cre-
ation of "Miss Lou's Room".
Opened on July 26, 2007 at
the Harbourfront Centre in
Toronto on the first anniver-
sary of Miss Lou's death, the
facility provides a permanent
display on her life and per-
formances and houses DVDs,
audiocassettes, and interactive
media that allows visitors to
".- rh Irm" along with the
beloved Jamaican icon.

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


March 2009





CARIBBEAN TODAY


66-, US, Utoayco -


CU L T U R E


'My Nappy Roots' sparks hair-raising questions about African heritage


DAWN A. DAVIS

Images of regal Africans
with elaborately plaited
natural hair, beautifully
decorated with cowrie shells,


or mud-encased locks flash
across the screen. Larger-
than-life pictures of Caribbean
musical icons Bob Marley,
Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer
flashing their "natty" rein-


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forces the message: natural
black hair is beautiful.
Unfortunately, this is not
universally embraced by
blacks.
Ever wonder why the sub-
ject of black hair is so vexed?
Why are issues of self-esteem
image, power, control inter-
twined with black hair. These
questions and more are tack-
led in the documentary "My
Nappy Roots: A Journey
Through Black lIIr-iIgL ,
which was screened at Fort
Lauderdale's Nova
Southeastern University in
celebration of Black History
Month in February. The 78-
minute film explores the
social, psychological, and cul-
tural issues that surround the
sometimes touchy subject of
black hair.
Producer/Director Regina
Kimbell takes us on a psycho-
logical journey with "My
Nappy Roots", forcing viewers
to question their own attitude
to black hair. Pre-slavery
Africans on the continent were
proud of their natural crowns.
It was not until they were
enslaved and brought to the
Americas that terms such as
\\<,l ', "nappy" and "bad
hair" became the signifier of
black hair as another means of
power and control by slave
masters.
The strategy worked, nega-
tively marking an entire race of
people. The expressions "boad
'ed", "dry 'ed", "natty 'ed",
often heard in some Caribbean
nations, are just a few examples
of how African descendants
have come to accept the nega-
tive definition of black hair in
its natural state.

MONEY-MAKER
But out of all this negativ-
ity, emerged a billion-dollar
black hair care industry.
Kimbell interviews some of
the most successful and pow-
erful figures in the business,
including George Johnson of
the Johnson products line and


Edward Gardner of "Soft
,hi ii Madame C.J. Walker
is celebrated as the African
American who created the
black hair hair care business.
The film walks through
the evolution of black styles
and the messages they sent
during a particular era. For
example, noted African


Film producer/director Regina Kimbell gets to
hair debate.

American entertainers such as
Cab Calloway and Nat King
Cole wore the early "relaxed"
hairstyles called the "conk",
which required a painful
chemical process to ultimately
straightened the hair. Today's
relaxers may be more sophisti-
cated and less chemically
harsh, but the process can be
painful, both physically and
mentally. Nonetheless, it is the
price many are willing to pay
for straight hair.
The 1960s saw the re-
emergence of natural when
afros and corn-rowed braids
were all the rage, signifying a
return to black pride and
power. Today black hairstyles
run the gamut from natural to
straight. But many choose to
follow the European standard
of beauty long, flowing, silky.

TOUCHY
Black celebrities, wearing
their preferred styles, speak
about the touchy hair issue.
Actress Kim Fields, with
shoulder length locks, discuss-
es her preference but warns
that blackness is more than
just a hairstyle. Actress Vivica
A. Fox applauds those who
wear naturals, but prefers her
roots straightened.
Kimbell highlights both


sides of the hair story. Her
goal, she says, is to educate
black folks about the chemi-
cals and processes they use on
themselves without being
judgmental.
"It's about being fully
aware of the choices you
make," she said.
A host of historians, writ-
ers, and hairstyl-
ists offer their
perspectives on
the culture, histo-
ry, and business
of black hair, giv-
ing the film a
a broad-based
appeal beyond
that of ordinary
documentaries.
The "Hair Wars"
segment is per-
haps the most
entertaining,
highlighting the
best of the
biL_,,I African
American hair
shows in the
the root of the United States
that showcases
the artistry of
hairstylists, along with the
most elaborate, outlandish
hairdos they create.

CONVERSATIONS
"My Nappy Roots" also
nudges the viewer to think
about the implications of skin
color and class issues. It points
out the significant impact of
the media on image and self-
esteem. Ultimately, the film
applauds black creativity, but
underscores: Whatever the
style natural, straight,
wigged, bald, weaved black
hair starts with strong nappy
roots that crown a people.
"These are conversations
we need to have, particularly
with our young people," says
Kimbell.
She continues, "Once we
know what our true beauty is,
we can be free to express it in
whatever way we like."
But, the arguments for or
against the natural continues.
One viewer put it this way:
"The feeling of betrayal is
always there if I hide my
African-ness with someone
else's hair."

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


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March 2009








Trh 2 n RiET R Ton a n m e n T lkoroay

Burning Spear wins reggae Granmmy Miami's story arrives at 'Black Crossroads'


Jamaican reggae icon
Burning Spear was the
lone Caribbean winner at
the 51st Annual Grammy
Awards in Los Angeles last
month.
The singer, whose real
name is Winston Rodney, won
the Best Reggae Album for
"Jah is Real". The album was
released by Burning Music
Production.
In 2000, Burning Spear
won the Best Reggae Album
for his "Calling Rastafari"
album, but lost out to Stephen
Marley with "Mind Control"
for the title in 2007.
In all, he has received 12
Grammy nominations to date.
Other nominees for the 2008
Best Reggae Album were
Elephant Man for "Let's Get
Physical"; Heavy D for
"Vibes"; Sly & Robbie for
"Amazing"; and Shaggy for
"Intoxication".


GORDON WILLIAMS

ATLANTA, Georgia What
should have been a celebra-
tion of Caribbean spirit and
creativity was marred here last
month by mourning over the
death of a man known for his
work promoting the region's
culture.
The body of a Marc
Stewart, who over the years
has helped staged many
Caribbean entertainment
events in the United States,
was found in the state of
Georgia days after he was
reported miss-
ing by his fam-
ily.
The 38-
year-old
Stewart was
involved in the
promotion of
"What Goes e
Around", a Stewart
movie by
Jamaican filmmaker Steve
"Tehut Nine" McAlpin. The
film was scheduled for a
screening on Feb. 15 in the
Stone Mountain area of
Georgia, where Stewart
resided. Due to his death, a
candlelight vigil, attended by
dozens of Caribbean immi-
grants, was held outside the
Torch Theaters.

LOSS
Prior to the rL L ninei
McAlpin lamented the loss of
Stewart, who he had met a
few years ago during the pro-
motion of another film, and
who he described as a friend.
"It hits very hard,"
McAlpin said. "...Life is just


Black Uhuru was awarded
the first Reggae Grammy for
"Anthem" in 1985.
Barbadian pop-singing
sensation Rihanna failed to
get a 2008 Grammy Award.
She was nominated for
three, including Best Pop
Collaboration with Vocals.
Rihanna was also expected to
perform at the annual event,
but was a no show.
0


complex and unpredictable.
Sometimes you hear things
like this happen and you
never think it will happen to
people close to you.
"It feels like a nut or bolt
that holds things together is
just gone."
Up to press time Georgia
police were still searching for
clues leading to Stewart's
killer. He reportedly was shot
in the head. No arrests had
been made.
The promoter reportedly
called his wife from Marietta,
Georgia, the last time anyone
heard from him. He was later
reported missing. His body
was found in Gwinnett
County. Reports later indicat-
ed that it appeared someone
may have tried to use his cel-
lular telephone and bankcard
shortly after Stewart had
called his wife.
Those attending the can-
dlelight vigil last month sang
hymns and paid tribute to
Stewart.
"He was too young to
die," one mourner said.
"Marc, we love you and
know you're alright," added
another.
"What Goes Around",
primarily a story focusing on
the twists and turns of love
and the deadly threat of
AIDS, was first released last
year. Stewart was trying to
help promote the film, which
features primarily a Caribbean
cast.

Gordon Williams is Caribbean
Today's managing editor.
0


DAWN A. DAVIS

FLORIDA Miami, ranked
the third richest in the United
States in 2008, is what it is
today because of the contribu-
tions of the African diaspora in
building and shaping this so-
called Ml, ;i. City".
A major exhibition at
Miami's Historical Museum of
Southern Florida (HMSF) puts
it all in perspective with unfor-
gettable photographs, video
stories, historical documents,
and artifacts.
A pre-opening event host-
ed late last month by Miami-
based law firm Delancy Hill
gave a throng of museum and
art supporters a special pre-
view of the show, dubbed
"Black Crossroads: The
African Diaspora in Miami". In
keeping with the spirit of the
exhibition, former County
Commissioner Betty T.
Ferguson was honored for her
work in helping to inspire
change and development
through community activism.
The exhibition runs through
Jan. 24,2010. It highlights the
labor and cultural connection
that African Americans and
African Caribbean groups have
with Miami, from 1896 to the
present.

LABOR OF LOVE
The large exhibition was a
three-year labor of love
according to Haitian-born chief
curator Joanne Hyppolite.
After painstaking research,
which involved going through
historical documents, talking to
community members, and six


months of building and con-
structing, the story is now
being told.
The mostly black and
white photographs show black
neighborhoods, men at work
on bridges, hotels, and the
roads that marked out this
coastal city. Neat row houses in
tight clusters where colored
folk lived almost seem to serve


Patron Guy Bury stares at a Ku Klux Klan
robe.

as a racial line of demarcation,
for Miami in the late 19th cen-
tury and into the 20th century
was a segregated city, as much
of the American South.
Majestic landmarks, like
the Lyric Theater in what was
then called "Colored Town"
(today's Overtown) come alive
in pictures. Opened in 1913,
this 400-seat theater, built by
Geder Walker, a black man
from Georgia, is a concrete
example of the economic, cul-
tural, and political impact
blacks had on Miami. It still


stands today.

SHOCKING
There are also photo-
graphs that show how blacks
lived under the heavy hand of
racism. Disturbing images of
men and women packed in
rickety boats is not much dif-
ferent from the pictures of
Haitians landing on the Miami
shores today, most ending up in
detention centers and ultimate-
ly deported. More shocking
still, because of its in-your-face
reality, is a Ku Klux Klan robe
protected behind glass. And,
not far from it, a companion
symbol a burnt cross still
standing erect.
With over two million pho-
tographs in its archives, much of
the pre-World War II images on
display come from the muse-
um's collection. Among them
are photos by Commodore
Munroe, an early settler in
Coconut Grove who hired some
of the early Bahamians to help
build the city There is also a
large number of images taken
by Claude Matlack, a commer-
cial photographer who was
active in Miami in the 1920s.
A powerful exhibition,
"Black Crossroads" sheds light
on Miami's past, its develop-
ment and present. It shares
with viewers the melting pot of
cultures that defined the city in
its infancy, and why it remains
a city of mixed voices bursting
to tell their stories.

Story and photograph by
Dawn A. Davis, a freelance
writer for Caribbean Today.
0


Caribbean entertainment promoter

goes missing, found murdered


Our Hours have


Changed!

The Building Code Compliance Office

(BCCO) is now open

Monday through Thursday

7am to 6pm

The Office is

CLOSED on Fridays.
"-...



MIAMIPl D


For more information "
call 305-375-2901 or visit
www.miamidade.gov/buildingcode


March 2009


CARIBBEAN TODAY





CARIBBEAN TODAY


rwww~.carbba-tda.co.-


SPORT


Jamaican Johnson dominates Judah in light heavyweight boxing clash
GORDON WILLIAMS and avenge a draw against the and will to win. the ring as soon as possible
American in 2003. "It seems like when they and with a cut it would kinda
HOLLYWOOD, Florida Fighting in the colors of get in the ring with me it's be a setback. I was a little bit
Jamaican-born Glen Johnson his homeland, Johnson, who more like a survival tactic nervous there with the colli-
k knt on track for another shot now lives in Miami, looked than anything else," said sion."


at a world title by scoring a
unanimous decision win over
Daniel Judah of the United
States in their light heavy-
weight bout at the Hard Rock
Live arena here late last
month.
The former world champi-
on took the 10-rounder with a
commanding performance,
dominating Judah throughout
to earn a huge margin of vic-
tory on the judges' scorecards


BOISE, Idaho Caribbean
athletes came in for high
praises from Special Olympics
Caribbean Executive Director
Candilla Berment after a
claiming a cluster of medals at
the World Winter Games here
last month.
Jamaicans won two gold
medals, a silver and two
bronze medals competing in
floor hockey and speed skat-
ing, while Trinidad and
Tobago secured a floor hock-
ey bronze medal.


decisive from the opening bell
and almost ended the fight
early with a thunderous right
hand that sent Judah tumbling
into the ropes where he was
given a standing eight count
by the referee. But Judah
refused to go down the
remainder of the way, denying
Johnson the knockout he
craved but earning criticism
from the Jamaican for failing
to show enough n--,-rL "i III


"Our teams performed
excellent, which should not
come as a surprise," Berment
said. "We prepared well for
these games."
She said the athletes' vic-
tories would go a long way in
creating more awareness in
the Caribbean that people
with disabilities are capable of
living productive lives and can
achieve wonders, if given the
opportunity.
Jamaica's floor hockey
team picked up the country's


It's time once again to
plan for spring classes and summer
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Johnson while cooling down
in his dressing room after the
bout.
"A lot of guys don't really
try to win and then the rest of
them kinda try to run around
and try to throw some pitty
pat shots as they're moving,
trying to create space. It's just
another way of surviving, try-
ing to not let me get close to
them to throw combinations."


first gold medal with an upset
win against Canada in the
Division Two final. Richard
Hillary captured an individual
gold for Jamaica in the 200
meters speed skating and
teammate Monique Brown
won three medals for Jamaica
in speed-skating events.
A total of 85 countries rep-
resented by over 3,000 ath-
letes competed at the World
Winter Games.
0


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Photograph by Sean Young
Johnson raises his fist to celebrate vic-
tory over Judah.
CLASH OF HEADS
Yet Johnson occasionally
got too close to Judah for his
own good, resulting in the
fighters clashing heads and
raising concern in the
Jamaican's camp that he could
suffer injuries that could
endanger future fights, includ-
ing a title challenge expected
this summer.
"The man bucked me like
a cow," Johnson said of the
head butts, one which caused
the referee to stop the fight
and allow both boxers time to


That aside, Judah offered
little beyond clowning and
taunting. The lopsided win
was reflected in the judges'
scorecard 99-89, 99-90 and
99-90 in favor of Johnson,
the World Boxing Council's
number one contender in the
175-pound weight division.
Johnson, nicknamed the
"Road Warrior", improved his
ring record to 49 wins, 12 loss-
es and three draws.
Although rhe 40-year-old
former world "Fighter of the
Year" in 2004 welcomed the
win, he did not mask his dis-
appointment at not adding
Judah to his list of 33 knock-
out victims.
"It was a successful
night," the Jamaican said.
"And I'm a little bit disap-
pointed, but more than any-
thing satisfied at the victory."

Gordon Williams is Caribbean
Today's managing editor.


ScoverJ. Johnson cover photograph by
"I was just more in fear of Sean Young
getting cut than anything else,
because I wanna get back in

Windies take cricket honors

from England in February


KINGSTON, Jamaica The
West Indies scored a com-
manding win over England to
take a 1-0 lead in the home
cricket Test series, then fought
doggedly to secure that advan-
tage going into the final match
this month
and ensure it
would not
lose the series
to its higher
ranking, tradi-
tional rivals.
The
Caribbean
team opened
the series Sarwan
impressively
last month at Sabina Park
here, ripping into England on
a dramatic fourth day to regis-
ter a massive innings and 23
runs victory.
Batting first, England
made 318 all out, with star
batsman Kevin Peterson get-
ting 97 runs. The West Indies,
led by centuries from captain
Chris Gayle (104) and
Ramnaresh Sarwan (107),
replied with 392 all out.
However, England crum-
bled under an impressive com-
bination of spin and pace to be
bowled out for 51 runs, the vis-
itors' third lowest Test total of
all time. Fast bowler Jerome
Taylor finished the second
innings with figures of five


wickets for 11 runs. Spinner
Sulieman Benn picked up four
for 31.

REVERSAL
Gayle commended his
players for a r,,ll, really
brilliant" performance and
hinted that the result could
reverse the Caribbean team's
struggling fortunes of late.
"It's definitely a turning
point," said Gayle. "...We
combined together. It was
tremendous."
The euphoria did not last
long. The second Test at Sir
Vivian Richards Stadium in
Antigua was abandoned dur-
ing the second over, when
umpires ruled the outfield
unfit for play.
The teams moved to the
Antigua Recreation Ground
for the third Test, where the
West Indies held on for a
draw.
The final Test in February,
played in Barbados, also
ended in a draw.
Both teams traveled to
Trinidad for the final Test,
Mar. 6-10, with the seventh
ranked West Indies assured it
cannot lose the series to
England, rated fifth in the
world.

- Gordon Williams
0


Caribbean athletes shine at special winter games


meow ^W 4m Maio W L


"ql


March 2009





CARIBBEAN TODAY

rOOD


/4 C~ ow


I .cr gent o


Exotic West Indian flavors hot off the stove at Timehri


DAWN A. DAVIS

L cooking for an exotic
gastronomic experi-
ence? Well, look no fur-
ther than Pembroke Pines,


Variety is the spice at Timehri's restaurant.

Florida where the recently
opened Timehri restaurant
serves up a stunning mix of
West Indian and Chinese cui-
sine.
Timehri, named after the
Guyanese airport, opened its
doors on Feb. 14 to a packed
house with a long line of
patrons waiting for tables up
to one hour. With spicy and
Caribbean seasoned dishes
like jerk chicken chow mein,
dhalpuri, curry channa,
polouri, dhalpuri and curried
goat, barbecue duck, and veg-
etable fried rice, it was defi-


nitely worth the wait. The
price is right too, with entrees
averaging about $10.
A sample of the Guyana-
Chinese chef's specialties left
no doubt that this was indeed
authentic West Indian food


with a definite Caribbean flair.
Highly seasoned, with plenty
pepper as Caribbean food
should be, the food adventur-
er will love the jerk chicken
and even the vegetable lo
mein. The dhalpuri and chan-
na potato is just one of the
variety of dishes that is sure to
satisfy vegetarians.
HALAL
In addition, because South
Florida has its share of devout
Muslims who follow halal food
standards (i.e., some foods are
forbidden and meat can only


be eaten from an animal that
has been slaughtered in the
proper way, not strangled or
beaten), all the meat prepared
by the restaurant is halal. No
pork is served as it is forbid-
den by Islamic law.
A large space, the restau-
rant is clean, airy, and brightly
colored. Piped soca and
Indian music add to the
Caribbean/West Indian feel. It
is set up in two parts, with one


side serving dine-in customers,
while the other half can be
used for private gatherings
such as weddings. Take-out,
catering, and delivery service


are also offered.
OPPORTUNITY
Thirty three-year-old
owner Cindy Narain, who is of
Guyanese and Indian descent,
migrated from Canada to
open what is now the fourth
restaurant in a family-owned
chain started in 1998. With
two operations in Canada and
one in Orlando, Narain took
the leap to invest in the South
Florida market.
"Although it is tough eco-
nomic times, we realized it was
cheaper to purchase now,"
explained Narain. "You just
have to be able to wait out the
storm at the beginning...I know
there was a need for a really
good Chinese-West Indian
restaurant. So, I thought if we
brought the same food we have
in Canada, the same kind of
atmosphere to South Florida, it
would be a restaurant you
could take your family or busi-
ness colleagues to."
Starting this month,
Narain will attract the after-
work crowd with drink spe-
cials and a lime on weekday
evenings. Timehri is open
Tuesday through Sunday in


College Plaza, 7855 Pines
Boulevard.
Story and photographs by
Dawn A. Davis, a freelance
writer for Caribbean Today.
0


Pear manimna,

Now I love you. You have been there si he e birth for me,
with your iiurturiog, loviiig, caring self, You have made
me into who I am today, and I waiit to tell you how
grateful I am to you, because there is no other like
you for me.

Mod


,1 dear Mother, a siter, an aunt, a /riend
and everything ebe you can imagine.
IWe bold you close within our hearts and there
Y,_ shball remain. To walk with us throughout
SPitr ,lives until we meet again. So rest in peace
". ,dear love one and thanks for all you've done.
m Sun-e 415011926-23/9/208 Sunet





Call for Bids or Proposals
For a listing of available Broward College (BC)
open procurement solicitations, visit:
www.broward.edu/purchasing/bids
or contact

954-201-7455

BC strongly encourages participation by minority and women-
owned business enterprises (MWBE firms)


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

Moail your en trances to.
Caribbean Today
9020 SW 152nd. Street,
Miami, R. 33157
or e-moil your entrances to
sales@caribbeantoday.com
orfox to 305-252-7B43

DEADLINE IS MAY 10TH, 2009


SL E,


March 2009


'~ '*1:
~
~00


I


r,




CARIBBEAN TODAY


i I L


Ill"'II


, a


I.


S.-
4sA


- ~. I


III


I


March 2009


iN;


'Alf

PAGE 1

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE P AID MIAMI, FL PERMIT NO. 7315 Vol.20 No.4 MARCH 2009 Tel: (305 1-800-605-7516 editor@caribbeantoday.com ct_ads@bellsouth.net Jamaica: 655-1479 W e cover your world INSIDECaribbean American billionaireSir Allen Stanford hasbeenchar ged by United States financial regulatorsfor allegedly or chestrating a “fraudulent, multi-billion dollar investment scheme”, page 4. American R&B star Chris Brown, right, has been charged with two felonies following the alleged beating of his girlfriend,Barbadian pop singer Rihanna,page 15. News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Financial Planning . . . . . . . .5 Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 V iewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Vacation Planning . . . . . . .11 Spring Shipping . . . . . . . . .13 Local . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Arts/Entertainment . . . . . . .17 Spor t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 THE MULTI AWARD-WINNING NEWS MAGAZINE CALL CARIBBEAN TODAY DIRECT FROM JAMAICA 655-1479 ~ The United States accuses Caribbean of widespr ead human rights abuses, page 3.Jamaicanborn GlenJohnsonkept ontrack foranother shot at a world boxing titleby scoring aunanimous decision win over AmericanDaniel Judah in their lightheavyweight bout at the Har d Rock Live ar ena, page 18. Americans propose head-to-head meets as rivalry with Jamaicans heats up on the track, page T yson Gay Usain BoltV eronica Campbell-Brown Laur yn Williams U .S.WANTS JAMAICA IN SPRINT SHO WDO WN March 2009.qxd 3/7/09 7:44 PM Page 1

PAGE 2

FOR T LAUDERDALE, FloridaAround 250 persons attended a rally in Pompano Beach just north of here late last month urging the BarackObama administration to stopdepor tations to Haiti. Speakers at the Feb. 28 rally said the United Statesgover nment should grant T emporary Protected Status (TPS the humanitarian crisis facingthe impoverished Caribbean nation, which is still strugglingto r ecover from a serious of deadly storms that devastatedthe countr y last year. If TPS is granted, thousands of Haitians living in theU.S. illegally would be given the right to remain and work in the country. Immigration and Customs Enforcement figures showthat mor e than 30,000 Haitian nationals have been or dered to return to their home country. Around 6,000 of them arebeing held in U.S. detentioncenters. Hip hop artiste and Haitian Goodwill AmbassadorW yclef Jean made a sur prise appearance at theevent. s important thatHaitians getthe justice that our Cuban brothers and sis-ters get,” said Jean. “This is not a Haitian cause, it’s a human beingcause.” WASHINGTON – Newlyappointed United States Attorney General Eric Holder, Jr . made his first official visit to the Caribbean late last month, touring the Guantnamo Bay detention center in Cuba. Holder, the son of a Barbadian father, visited the Spanish-speak ing Caribbean island as par t of the Barack Obama admin istration’s review of its pledge to close the center ineaster n Cuba. U.S. JusticeDepar tment of ficials said Holder engaged in discussions with officials at the base on detention and interrogation practices. Matthew A. Miller , a Justice Depar tment spokesman, said the U.S. attorney general discussed case histories of specific detainees and charges which were pending before President Obama suspended military commissions as part of a comprehensive terrorism policy review. FIRST Holder , 58, was of ficially sworn in last month as the first Caribbean American attor ney general of the U.S. He is also the first black attor ney general. “Nowhere but in this great country could a person like me or the president hope to achieve the positions we are now so for-tunate to hold,” said Holder , after Vice President Joe Biden administer ed the oath of of fice. The U.S. Senate had voted overwhelmingly to confirm Holder as the highest law enforcement official in America, becoming the nation’ s 82nd attorney general. Holder is now in charge of about 110,000employees at the U.S. Justice Department. Meantime, detainees’ lawyers and human rights gr oups have assailed an 85-page report that U.S. Navy Admiral Patrick M. Walsh sent to the White House r ecently , declaring conditions at the Guantnamo Bay prison as humane. “There is no basis to believe, other than his say-so,that this was an independentr epor t,” said V incent W ar r en, executive director of the W ashington-based Center for Constitutional Rights. Admiral W alsh, appointed by Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates to conduct a r eview of Guantnamo conditions that was ordered by the president, conceded that ther e had been widespread accusations of violence against detainees, humiliating treatment and other abuses. But “we found no such evidence,” he told reporters. The r epor t addr essed 27 cat egories of tr eatment, including health car e and disciplinar y r ules. It also proposed many possible impr ovements, including mor e human contact for detainees and, to assur e humane tr eatment, videotaping their interaction with guards. But detainees’ lawyers issued their own report, and produced letters from some of theirclients, describing sever e isolation and brutal tactics. MIRAMAR, Florida – A judge in South Florida has declared a mistrial in a court matter involv-ing Jamaicanbor n former Miramar CityCommissioner Fitzroy Salesman after learning that a juror had br ought a dic tionary to the jur y room. Br oward Cir cuit Judge Matthew Destry had earlier ordered jurors to quitdeliberating pending a hearing onthe issue. Salesman, 52, a former commissioner of Miramar , a city north of Miami and south of Fort Lauderdale, is charged with assault with a firearm. The controversy with the dictionary started on Mar. 2 when the jur y asked for the definition of “imminent” in tr ying to decide whether Salesman was inimminent danger when con fronted by two teenage boys during an altercation in a crowded supermarket in Nov. 2007. Prosecutors said Salesman reacted by pulling a gun on the teens because he “feared for hislife”. Cour t officials said the juror appar ently brought the dictionar y into the jury room on the morning of Mar. 3 to look up the word “imminent”. Several jurors said they also read the definition from the dictionary. HARMLESS The jur or who brought in the dictionar y, John Fanning, said he didn’ t think anything was wrong with looking up the word or bringing in the dictionary. “I thought it was harmless,” he said. “I really don’t like what happened her e. It was a waste of time to me. We just weren’t sure about the word.” A new trial is expected to start next month. Prosecutors and Salesman agr eed a mistrial was appropriate despite spending almost twoweeks battling it out in cour t. “The law is clear on this. Jurors have to rely on the law and not definitions in a dictionary,” said Eric Schwartzreich, Salesman’s attorney. If convicted, Salesman would face a mandatory three-year prison sentence. He was slated to be on the Mar . 10 ballot, seeking to r eclaim his position. Now, political observers say voters willhave to make a decision aboutwhether to choose Salesman without knowing whether he can tr uly ser ve the term. Since Salesman would still have a felony char ge pending, if he wins his political race, FloridaGover nor Charlie Crist would issue a new order suspending him from office, according to Crist’s spokesman, Sterling Ivey. That would force the city to hold a special election to fill Salesman’ s seat. Miramar held a special election last year to fill Salesman’s seat after he wassuspended for a “Driving under the Influence charge”, on which he was later acquitted. Salesman vows to run on his “record”. See related feature on page 7. BUFFALO, New York Four Jamaicans were among 50 people who were killed in a plane crash here last month. The Continental Connection flight fr om Newark, New Jersey was on its approach to Buffalo Niagara International Airport when itcrashed shor tly after 10 p.m. on Feb. 12. There were no sur-vivors fr om the 45 passengers and four crew members on board. One person on the ground was also killed. The Jamaicans who perished on the ill-fated flight wer e identified as Danny Massop, 42, his wife Dawn Massop, 43, their 13-year-old son Shaun Ferrice Reid, and an unnamedsister of Mrs. Massop. According to a relative in Jamaica, the family was in a state of shock. “This has affected the family terribly,” said Kenneth Meikle last month. “It’s not only the hus-band but the wife, the son and asister in law . The family was only in Jamaica two weeks ago.” Investigations were continuing up to late last monthto deter mine the cause of the crash. Hundreds rally to protest U.S.deportation of HaitiansHolder makes first Caribbean visit as AGMistrial in ex-Miramar commissioner’s gun case Jamaicans among dead in New York plane crash 2 CARIBBEAN TODAYMarch 2009 NEWS NEWS www.caribbeantoday.com Holder Wyclef Jean Salesman March 2009.qxd 3/7/09 7:44 PM Page 2

PAGE 3

NELSON A. KING WASHINGTON – The United States has issued ascathing r eport on human rights practices in Caribbeancommunity (CARICOMcountries, accusing memberstates of a myriad humanrights violations. In its 2008 Country Repor ts on Human Rights Practices, the U.S. StateDepar tment said while CARICOM governments “generally r espected the human rights of citizens, there were problems” in a number of areas. The agency said it was concerned about a variety ofdevelopments ranging fr om excessive use of for ce by police to poor prison condi tions, and from violence against women to sexual abuse of children. But the report was particularly critical of alleged human rights offences inGuyana and Haiti. The StateDepar tment highlighted r eported abuses in Guyana of “potentially unlawful killings by police, mistreatment of sus-pects and detainees by the security forces, poor prison and jail conditions, lengthy pre-trial detention, govern-ment cor ruption, and sexual and domestic violence againstwomen and childr en”. POOR PRACTICES It said prison conditions there were “poor and deteriorating, particularly in policeholding cells”, and that theBhar rat Jagdeo administration “did not per mit monitoring of prison conditions by eitherindependent bodies or byMembers of Parliament, and turned down requests for monitoring visits from the parliamentary opposition and from a diplomatic mission”. Poor training, inadequate equipment, and acute budgetary constraints were identified by the State Department asr easons why the effectiveness of the Guyana Police For ce was “sever ely limited”, noting that public confidence in and cooperation with the police remained low. “There were reports of corruption in the Force”, itadded. “Lengthy pr e-trial detention, due primarily to judicialinef ficiency, staff shortages, and cumbersome legal proceU.S.accuses Caribbean of widespread human rights abuses March 2009CARIBBEAN TODAY 3 NEWS NEWS www .caribbeantoday.com (CONTINUED ON P AGE 8) March 2009.qxd 3/7/09 7:44 PM Page 3

PAGE 4

HOUSTON, Texas – United States financial r egulators have charged the Antigua-based Texan billionaire Sir Allen Stanford for orchestrating a“fraudulent, multi-billion dollarinvestment scheme”. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SECnamed Sir Allen, 58, and his Antigua-based Stanford International Bank (SIB Houston-based broker-dealerand investment adviser Stanfor d Group Company (SGC investment adviser StanfordCapital Management as playersin the alleged $8 billion dollarfraud by misr epr esenting the safety and liquidity of the uninsured certificates of deposits(CDs e ar e alleging a fraud of shocking magnitude that has spread its tentacles throughoutthe world,” Rose Romer o, r egional director of the SEC’s Fort Worth Regional Office, said last month. A U.S. judge has also issued a temporary restraining order, freezing the defendants’ assets and appointed a r eceiver to marshal those assets. “Stanford and the close circle of family and friends with whom he r uns his businesses perpetrated a massive fraud based on false promises and fabricated historical return datato pr ey on investors,” said Linda Chatman Thomsen, director of the SEC’s Divisionof Enfor cement. e are moving quickly and decisively in this enfor ce ment action to stop this fraudu lent conduct and preserve assets for investors,” she added. BIG PROMISES The SEC’s complaint, filed in federal court in Dallas, alleges that acting through a network of SGC financial advisers, SIB hassold appr oximately $8 billion of so-called “certificates of deposit” to investors by promis-ing impr obable and unsubstanti ated high interest rates. These rates were supposedly earned through SIB’s unique investment strategy, which purportedly allowed thebank to achieve double-digit returns on its investments for the past 15 years, a release onthe SEC’ s website said. The SEC’s complaint also alleges an additional scheme relating to $1.2 billion in sales by SGC advisers of a proprietary mutual fund wrap program,called Stanfor d Allocation Strategy (SAS ally false historical performancedata. Sir Allen is a naturalized Antigua and Barbuda citizenand has built a corporate empire on the twin-island nation with various financial, media and sporting franchises based in St John’ s. The United States, still smarting from Jamaica’s outstanding performance at last year’s OlympicGames, is challenging theCaribbean countr y to a showdown on the track this year . The Americans have proposed a dual meet formatagainst Jamaica – a home-and-home series, “head to headteam, scor ed competition” for sometime in May/June 2009. The for mal invitation, for the pr oposed “USA-Jamaica Challenge”, was made to Jamaica’s Neville “Teddy” McCook by U.S. Track and Field’s (USATF) Chief Executive Officer DougLogan in a letter this month. A press release issued by USA TF explained that the meets would featur e male and female athletes competing inthe 100, 200 and 400 meters;100/110 and 400 meters hur dles; long jump; and the4x100, 4x400 and medley relays. Three or four athletes from each country would par-ticipate in each individualevent and two teams each forr elays. RIVALRY “It was obvious to everyone that with the rise of your country’s great sprinters and hurdlers, a compelling rivalrybetween Jamaica and theUnited States had developed”,Logan wr ote to McCook, area group representative of the NACAC. “These competi tions would offer a means toshowcase our phenomenalstr engths to the NACAC region and the world”. At the 2007 IAAF W orld Championships, Americanswon the men’ s 100, 200 and 400 meters, sweeping the longer race, as well as the women’s 200, both relays, women’s 100 hurdles and men’s400 hur dles. Jamaica won the women’s 100 and numerous silver and bronze medals. An American or Jamaican won 10 of 12 medals in the men’s andwomen’ s 100 and 200 meters and went one-two in thr ee of the four relay events. At the 2008 Olympic Games, Jamaicans won the men’s and women’s 100 and200 meters, including a sweep in the women’s 100. Usain Boltbr oke the world record in the 100 and 200. The 4x100 r elay, on which he ran thir d leg, also broke the world record. Jamaica won the women’ s 400 hurdles, while Americans swept the men’s 400 metersand 400 hur dles,won two medals in the men’s 110m hur-dles and took gold in thewomen’ s 100 hurdles. Collectively , U.S. and Jamaica won 11 of 12 medals in the 100 and 200; 16 of 18 in the 100 through 400; and five of six medals in the 400m hurdles. An eleventh hour appeal to Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine failed to win a stay for a convicted Jamaican death row inmate in the United States. Edward Bell, who was convicted of killing a U.S. police officer nearly a decadeago, was executed last month. In a release posted on his website, the governor declined to intervene to save Bell fromlethal injection. “Having carefully reviewed the petition for clemency andjudicial opin ions r egar ding this case, I find no compelling reason to set aside the sen-tence that wasr ecommended by the jury, and then imposed and af fir med by the cour ts,” the gover nor said in his statement. Bell, 44, who maintained his innocence, was fr om the eastern parish of Portland. He was convicted in 2001 for thecapital mur der of W inchester City Police Of ficer Richar d Timbrook in Virginia. Gov. Kaine noted that in two separate sentencing hear-ings culminating on Jan. 26, 2001, a jury had sentenced Bellto death. He also noted that Bell’s trial, verdict, and sen-tence had been r eviewed by state and federal cour ts, includ ing the U.S. Supreme Court. Caribbean American billionaire on ‘shocking’ fraud charge in U.S.U.S.challenges Jamaica to sprint showdownJamaican executed by lethal injection in U.S. 4 CARIBBEAN TODAYMarch 2009 NEWS NEWS www.caribbeantoday.com Bell CARIBBEAN CONTACT Photogra ph by LA PRESSE CANADIENNE /Sean KilpatrickMichaelle Jean,right,Haitian-born governor general of Canada,meets with Barack Obama during the United States leader’s visit to Ottawa last month,his first overseas assignment since being sworn in as president on Jan.20. Stanford March 2009.qxd 3/7/09 7:44 PM Page 4

PAGE 5

WASHINGTON – A top official of the Inter national Monetary Fund (IMF ried about the impact of the unfolding global economic crisis on vulnerable nations, including those in the Caribbean, and sug gests that the donor community needs to respond with “urgent” and “generous” action. “After hitting first the advanced economies and then the emer ging economies, a third wave from the global financial crisis is now hitting the world’s poorest and mostvulnerable countries,” said Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn at the recent launch of a new IMF study, entitled “The Impact of the Financial Crisis on LowIncome Countries”. “This puts at risk the major achievements of higher gr owth, lower poverty, and greater political stability that many low-income countrieshave made over the pastdecade,” he added. The IMF study found that a number of countries are par-ticularly vulnerable to theunfolding crisis. Strauss-Kahn estimates that at least $25billion in ur gent concessional financing will be needed this year in the most affected coun-tries. CAUTION Strauss-Kahn cautioned that lower growth could haveserious implications for pover ty and potentially also for political stability , stating that spending on targeted social safety net programs “should be ramped up to protect thepoor .” At the same time, he said it will be critical to protect spending on health, education, and vital infrastructure. Strauss-Kahn said his goal is to double the IMF’s concessional lending capacity , stating that the IMF is also looking at ways to make its lending to low-income countries moreflexible, “r eflecting their growing diversity and heightened exposure to global volatility Crafting a better financial futureIMF official worries over impact of economic crisis on Caribbean March 2009CARIBBEAN TODAY 5 FINANCIAL FINANCIAL PLANNING PLANNING www .caribbeantoday.com ~ A Caribbean Today special feature Strauss-Kahn ERIC BENDEROFF Dan Hassenplug’s monthly expenses used to include around $300 for lunch and thr ee or four books bought from Amazon.com. Now he’s plugged into a new breed of social network thathelps him manage his finances. “When you see a graph that says you averaged $10 a day forlunch about $300 for the monthwell, that’ s a lot of money,” said the 24-year-old design manager from Geneva, Illinois. Now he’s cut that expense in half by packing a lunch most days and buying only one book a month. “Ther s a library down the street,” he said. With the economy wobbling and people worried aboutjob security and str etching their dollars, memberships at social finance sites such as Mint whichHassenplug uses and W esabe.com have gr own as people look for financialdiscipline. The sites,which ar e free to join, are more thanFacebook meetsyour checkbook. They of fer forums where users discuss spending habits and solicit feedback frompeers. In addition, the sites employ interactive tools thathelp teach users how to budgetand sear ch for the best deals based on the spending habits of all users. Useful spendingpatter ns can be deter mined because the social finance sites ar e linked to a users’ bank, brokerage and other accounts.Individual account data r emains anonymous and secur e. Typical financial software is“good at telling you were your money went,” said MarcHedlund, W esabe chief executive of ficer and founder. That’s helpful, but it’s not “good at get-ting you to a better place.” UNCOMFORTABLE He said most people ar e uncomfor table talking about personal finance, even with close friends. But on a social site, where users have only a scr een name, they are open and honest. “People go into the discussion area and say, ‘This is my situation, what should I do aboutit?’ People can see they ar e not alone,” Hedlund said, “and they can learn from others.” The interactive tools at Wesabe make specific sugges-tions on how to save. For example, the site might suggest using a dif ferent auto mechanic, noting that other users have saved money using an independent repair shop. The site is able to provide specific store namesbecause it bases its advice on aggregated payments culledanonymously fr om users’ checking accounts. Wesabe, launched in 2006, has mor e than 100,000 mem (CONTINUED ON P AGE 6) March 2009.qxd 3/7/09 7:44 PM Page 5

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KARA MCGUIRE Dean Junkans barely passed high school biology, but that didn’t stop the Wells Fargo executive from seeing many parallelsbetween the human anatomyand investing. “In the human body , a number of key organs and body parts must work together to sustain life. An individual investment portfolio, thevarious par ts of it, and the individuals managing it, mustalso work together to have asustainable and successfulexperience,” Junkans, chief investment officer at WellsFar go Private Bank, writes in his new book “The Anatomyof Investing”. Junkans links several body par ts to core financial planning and investment concepts. The result is a thorough andaccessible head-to-toe financial guide. Brain: The logical, analytical leftbrain is your invest ment plan, or road map to your goals. The right brain represents your emo-tional side. In investing, individuals shouldn’ t let the right brain get too involved, especially in uncertain times when fear and greed can easily take over. But you don’ t want to cut the right brain out completely. “Add some fun and creativity to the portfolio” byowning stocks in companiesthat you know , Junkans said. BACKBONE Spine: The backbone of your portfolio is asset alloca-tion. This is your mix ofinvestments such as stocks, bonds, real estate, commodi-ties and cash. T o have a healthy backbone, yourinvestment mix must be welldiversified. Eyes: “The eyes wer e put in the front of the head, not the back of the head, for a reason,” Junkans said. “And a lot of investors look backwar d...investors tend to chase per for mance.” Or, in down markets, they tend to avoid recent bad per-for mance. I guess that explains why billions of dol lars were taken out of mutual funds recently. Investors should really be looking forward to determine how to position themselves for the futur e. Given br oad market declines, Junkans says he sees value in all corners of the market with the exception of pricey U.S. Treasuries -although he favors domesticstocks to inter national developed market stocks. Ears: The ears have the big job of filtering out noise about the stock market and the economy, which can causeinvestors to think they need tomake constant tweaks to theirpor tfolio. SNIFFING OUT Nose: Use the nose to sniff out whether an investment opportunity smells right. If the return is really high,check the risks. In a market such as the one we’re in, badactors tend to materialize,claiming that they can r everse your losses with their invest ment scheme. Be wary. Mouth and stomach: The mouth and stomach feed your portfolio. This market might have demonstrated to youhow much risk youcan stomach. Unlessyou need the cashright now , Junkans says “generally it’s going to be a mis take to notch downthe risk after a 40 percent drop in the market.” Instead, make mor e conservative current contributions going forward. Neck: The neck is your portfolio’s flexibility. Havecash on the sidelines so you can take advantage of oppor-tunities that arise. Heart: A core portfolio of dividend and income-paying stocks is one strategy for heart health. And don’t overlook putting the heart into your financial life. Consider socially responsible investing withmutual funds that scr een stocks based on your values, or supporting charities thatmatter to you, which may alsoear n you a tax deduction. Kidneys: The kidneys get rid of toxins. Cleanse yourpor tfolio fr om time to time to realize tax benefits. Lungs: Rebalance periodi cally to avoid shortness of breath. You’d be surprisedwhat this market has done toyour investment allocation pie. Arms and legs: Get mov ing and pick your investmentvehicles, but not befor e you understand how the rest of your body works in concert to realize your investment goals. 2008,Star Tribune (MinneapolisDistributed by McClatc h y-T rib une Information Ser vices. Since loans are tough to get and retirement funds are shrinking fast as the stock market crashes, we thought we’d share some old-fashioned penny-pinching tips. Keep a thrifty home Unplug electronics that aren’t beingused. Replace your light bulbs with compact fluorescents.Seal ducts and add insulation. P a ying (and cutting Pay biweekly instead of monthly on your mortgage.Y ou’ll make an extra payment annually and save thousandson inter est over the life of the loan. Your ride and your routine Consolidate trips to save gas. Carpool. Buy a fuel-efficient,r eliable car. Eat healthy,pay less Cook mor e meals at home and turn last night’s dinners into today’slunch. Go online for savings Sign up for online polls; you canear n gift cards. Use cr edit cards wisely Get a cr edit card with rebates you can use. T ravel more,spend less Use Hotwire or other online sites to book hotel rooms. Don’t beafraid to negotiate with hotelsfor a lower rate. Stay fit,let savings fatten Lose the gym membership and take a walk or a r un. On holida ys ,be a scrooge Shop for Christmas and other gift-giving times throughoutthe year to take advantage ofsales. McClatc hy Newspapers. Distributed by McClatchyTribune Information Services. bers across the United States. The average user is a 28-year old earning $50,000 to $60,000, Hedlund said. But recently, as the depth of the nation’s economic woes became more apparent, Wesabe has seen itsbiggest gr owth, with a 35 per cent month-over -month increase in membership. GROWTH At Mint, the average user is 30 years old with an incomeof about $75,000, said Donna Wells, chief marketing officer. Mint has been gr owing steadily since its launch in Sept. 2007 it has mor e than 475,000 users but in the last month, “there’s been a notable uptick in usage,” Wells said. “People arelooking for any new tool to help them budget and save.” Chicago media planner Ryan Rutledge, 24, uses Mint to track his 401(kdent loans, checking and sav ings accounts plus the balances on his five credit cards. He rents an apartment in a two-flat and is working on paying off more than $20,000 in student loans. “It shocked me when I saw I was spending $500 eating out every month,” he said. He has cut back, to about $350 a month, and is working tolower that. The ability to trackhow much he spends and at what restaurants has helpedr eign in those expenses, he said. Rutledge is spending about the same each month, with one key difference: he’s spending“at least $100 mor e a month” to pay off his debts. Rutledge is r eflective of Mint users overall. Each month since January they haver educed spending by four percent on gifts and charitable donations. And they are treat-ing themselves a little less, too. “I went from spending $75 a month to less than $40 a month at iTunes,” Rutledge said. But he admits to being an impulse buyer. He couldn’t stop himself from buying the new Keane album at the online r etailer . “Of course you try to save money , but I r eally am spend ing more wisely,” he said. 2008,Chicago Tribune. Distributed by McClatchyTribune Information Services. Money advice: A head-to-toe guideHow to: Finding ways to save moneyCrafting a better financial future 6 CARIBBEAN TODAYMarch 2009 FINANCIAL FINANCIAL PLANNING PLANNING www.caribbeantoday.com ~ A Caribbean Today special feature (CONTINUED FROM P AGE 5) March 2009.qxd 3/7/09 7:44 PM Page 6

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DA WN A. DAVIS Come Mar . 10 will former City Commissioner Fitzroy Salesman, 52, run for Commission Seat #1 in the Miramar, Florida munici-pal election? Jamaican-born Salesman is facing char ges of aggravated assault with a fir earm following an incident on Nov . 21, 2007 when he brandished a gun against a fellow shopper in a crowded Miramar WinnDixie supermarket. Then commissioner, he was suspended from his post by Florida Governor Charlie Crist in December that year. It was not the first time Salesman had been suspended.In 2005 he was stripped of hiscommission seat by for mer Governor Jeb Bush for “fleeing or attempting to elude alaw enfor cement of ficer in vio lation of Section 316.1935(1 FloridaStatutes, anddriving underthe influence,in violation ofSections316.193(1316.1934(1FloridaStatutes”, according to the State of Florida Executive Order. He was acquitted ofthat char ge. The embattled politician has publicly claimed his inno-cence, str essing that he acted in self-defense against the 19year -old man he allegedly pointed the gun at. His trial started Feb. 23, 2009, just two weeks before the Miramar cityelections in which he hopes to take part. Earlier this month the judged declared a mistrial,so Salesman will likely be backin the cour troom next month. If convicted, Salesman faces a three-year sentence.Befor e the mistrial decision, Miramar city spokesperson Gus Zambrano told Caribbean Today : “If he wins (the election) and is found not guilty, he has to go through reinstatement, then he can take office. That gover nor r einstatement has to occur because it’ s the governor who suspended him. “Acquittal doesn’t automatically mean he takes back his office,” added Zambrano. “If that occurs, then a certain amount of back pay and bene-fits ar e due to him.” UPHILL BATTLE Salesman faces an uphill battle, but is determined to prove his innocence and pursue his political career inMiramar . According to the city’ s official website, Salesman qualified to run for seat #1 on Jan. 5, 2009. Also in the race are incumbent Carl J. Lanke, Joseph Romero and BarbaraSharief. “I am confident,” Salesman told Caribbean Today . “You have to trust the justice system; you ar e not living a true democracy if you are not willing to trust the justice system. I am going to put the facts out there with my attorneys, and I will let the jury look at the facts, and I am sur e they will come back with theright decision.” The upbeatSalesman saidhe was “still serving,”adding “my absence from the commis-sion has neverpr ecluded me from serving. I get more calls as a suspended commissioner than any other sitting commissioner there right now. “I am letting the people know that I am out her e, I don’t plan on going anywhere. And the most important thingI want them to understand is, regardless of the outcome ofthis election, win or lose, I will always be there for my fellow citizens.” Asked about his platform, Salesman boasted: “I standsquar ely on my record, on the premise that there has never been, now or befor e, with the exception of Vicky Coceano who has been designated‘Mother of the City’, anyone who has done more individual-ly as a commissioner to benefitthe r esidents of this city . My record says it all.” STRAIN Incumbent Carl J. Lanke is running on the platform thatput him in seat #1 last year:Safety , for eclosures, and his “gr een” initiative. In his first year the commission has added 14 new tactical officers on the streets of Miramar with a net result of reduced criminal activ-ities, Lanke said. The commissioner bemoaned that “for eclosures are killing us,” noting that the foreclosure rate in Miramar is 10 percent. He added that the resulting stress is causing a ripple effect in the city’s economy. To help ease the crisis, the commissioner explained that the city will offer “forgivable loans” to r esidents from the $10 million the city received fr om the Housing and Urban Development (HUD along with other initiatives, such as partnering with local hospitals and mental healthinstitutions to help those whoar e mentally affected by the economic strain, characterizes Lanke’s objectives. Then hetakes his own subtle shot at the ex-commissioner. “I’ve been ther e, I’m sin cere, I’ve been active within the community, I’m not goinganywher e...Plus I have nothing in the court system,” Lanke quipped. COMMUNITY A CTIVISM Contender Barbara Sharief is campaigning on her record of community activism and business background. “Miramar has the highest for eclosur e rate in Br owar d County,” she said. “That is why a large part of my cam-paign and community activitieshas been focused on stoppingfor eclosur es and helping peo ple find jobs.” Sharief is adamant about stemming increases in city feesto r esidents and finding cr e ative ways to cut gover nment costs. The successful business-woman believes that suppor t ing small business develop ment is key to the city’s economic development and said she will, as commissioner, offer free advertising to small businesses throughthe city’ s newsletter, commission meetings, andlocal television station. Asked about the legal pr oblems surrounding Salesman, Sharief said: “We are in a democratic country where every man is innocent until proven guilty PROTEST Romer o, the fourth candidate for seat #1, called his platfor m “compassion. “The drive for me is the will to help, the will to have transpar ency, the will to have things fair,” said the Dominican Republic-born can-didate. On Salesman, he said: “He has his supporters, he’s donehis work. He was a workerwhen he was ther e. He is going through a process, through the judicial system and they will render their verdict. So we have to wait for that to happen. Everybody is entitled to due process.” In addition to the race for seat #1, well-known Jamaican broadcaster Winston F. Barnesis vying to keep his position as commissioner in seat #3. Alejandro Casas is runningagainst him. Dawn A.Davis is a freelance writer for Caribbean Today. ‘My record says it all’ ~ Salesman ~ Embattled Jamaican-born politician runs for office again March 2009CARIBBEAN TODAY 7 FEATURE FEATURE www .caribbeantoday.com Salesman Sharief Romero Lanke “I am confident.You have to trust the justice system; you are not living a true democracy if you are not willing totrust the justice system. I am going to put the facts out thereand I am surethey will come back with theright decision” – Salesman March 2009.qxd 3/7/09 7:44 PM Page 7

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W ASHINGTON – The United States has named four Caribbean community(CARICOM among 59 major money laun-dering jurisdictions. In its 2009 International Nar cotics Control Strategy Report, the State Department identified Antigua andBarbuda, The Bahamas, Belizeand Haiti among “jurisdictions of primary concern, whosefinancial institutions engage incur rency transactions involving significant amounts of pr oceeds fr om international narcotics traf ficking. “The categor y ‘Jurisdiction of Primary Concern’ recognizes this relationship by including all coun-tries and other jurisdictionswhose financial institutionsengage in transactions involv ing significant amounts of proceeds fr om all serious crimes”. The State Department also listed nine CARICOMstates as “Jurisdictions of Concern”. They are Barbados,Gr enada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia,St. V incent and the Gr enadines, Suriname and T rinidad and Tobago. Dominica is named among “Jurisdictions Monitored”. The agency said “Jurisdictions of Concern” and“Other JurisdictionsMonitor ed” are identified on the basis of several factors, including whether the countr s financial institutions engage in transactions involving significant amounts of proceeds fromserious crimes; the extent towhich the jurisdiction is orr emains vulnerable to money laundering, notwithstanding its money laundering counter measur es, if any; and the nature and extent of the money laundering situation in each juris-diction, whether it involves drugs or other contraband. SUSCEPTIBLE The State Department said Antigua and Barbuda “remains susceptible to money laundering due to its offshore financial sector and Internet gaming industry”. On The Bahamas, the agency said money launderingis primarily r elated to financial fraud and the pr oceeds of dr ug trafficking. Money laundering, primarily related to narcotics trafficking, and contraband smug-gling, is “suspected to occur through onshore banks oper-ating in Belize”, it added. Haiti is seen as a “major drug-transit countr y with money laundering activity linked to the drug trade and to kidnap-ping”. CMC Caribbean states among world’s major money launderers ~ U.S. 8 CARIBBEAN TODAYMarch 2009 FEATURE FEATURE www.caribbeantoday.com dures, remained a problem”, the r eport further stated. In addition, the State Department said while the law provides for criminalpenalties for of ficial corruption, “the government did not implement the law effective-ly”, pointing to the W orld Bank’s worldwide governance indicators that reflected that “government corruption was a serious problem”. HARSH ON HAITI The report was equally harsh on Haiti, identifying among the impoverished coun-tr s human rights problems the “failure to hold timely parliamentary elections; alleged unlawful killings by HaitianNation Police (HNP ficers; ineffective measures to address killings by members of gangs and other armed groups; HNP participation in kidnap-pings; and over crowding and poor sanitation in prisons”. Others grouses listed were “arbitrary threats and arrests;pr olonged pr e-trial detention; an inefficient judiciary subject to significant influence by theexecutive and legislativebranches; sever e cor r uption in all branches of government; violence and societal discrimi nation against women; child abuse, internal trafficking ofchildr en, and child domestic labor; and inef fective enfor ce ment of worker rights”. The State Department said or ganized criminal gangs were primarily responsible for the “arbitrar y or unlawful deprivation of life”. It said prisons and detention centers thr oughout the Fr ench-speaking countr y remained overcrowded, poorly maintained, and often unsani tar y , and many prisoners and detainees suffered from a lack of basic hygiene, malnutrition, poor quality health care, and the presence of rodents. The report noted efforts to reform the Haitian National Police r emained incomplete, and of ficers were occasionally implicated in cor ruption, kidnapping, and narcotics traf-ficking. “In practice, authorities widely ignor ed the constitutionally provided right to a fair public trial”, the reportednoted. J AMAICAN INJUSTICE In Jamaica, the State Department said serious prob-lems comprised “unlawfulkillings committed by mem bers of the security forces, abuse of detainees and prison-ers by police and prison guards, poor prison and jailconditions, impunity for policewho committed crimes, an overburdened judicial system and frequent lengthy delays intrials, violence and discrimina tion against women, trafficking in persons, and violenceagainst suspected or knownhomosexuals”. It said the police employed “lethal force” in apprehendingcriminal suspects on many occasions, which resulted in224 deaths during 2008, a dr op from the 272 fatal police shootings of civilians in 2007. Although the law pr ohibits such practices, reports of physical abuse of prisoners by guar ds continued, despite efforts bythe gover nment to r emove abu sive guards and improve procedur es, the r epor t stated. “Prison conditions remained poor, primarily due to overcrowding and poorsanitar y conditions”, it noted, adding that medical car e also was poor, primarily a result ofhaving only thr ee full-time doctors, one full-time nurse, and one psychiatrist to cover13 facilities with 4,790 inmates across the island. In addition, the State Depar tment said the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All Sexuals and Gays (J-FLAG continued to report human rights abuses, including “arbitrar y detention, mob attacks, stabbings, harassment of homosexual patients by hospi tal and prison staf f, and tar geted shootings of homosexu als. Police often did not investigate such incidents”. In Antigua and Barbuda, the U.S. agency said ther e wer e “occasional reports of police br utality, corruption, excessive force, discrimination against homosexuals, and alle-gations of abuse by prison guards”. The r eport said prison conditions in Antigua and Barbuda were very poor andthat the countr s only prison, which housed 229 convicted prisoners at the end of last year, “overcrowded, did nothave toilet facilities, and slop pails were used in all 122 cells”. It attributed overcrowding, in part, to a law that limit-ed the ability of magistrates togrant bail to those accused ofcer tain of fences. DISCRIMINATION The r epor t stated, in The Bahamas, there were “complaints of abuse by police and prison and detention centre guards, poor detention condi-tions, poor functioning of thejudicial system leading todelays in trials and lengthy pre-trial detention, violenceagainst women and childr en, and discrimination against persons of Haitian descent”. The State Department said violence against women was also a “serious, wide-spr ead pr oblem” in The Bahamas. In Barbados, the U.S. said problems included excessiveuse of for ce by police, poor prison conditions, and societal violence against women andchildr en. “While the constitution specifically pr ohibits tor tur e and inhuman or degrading punishment or other treatment, there were reports thatpolice sometimes used exces sive force”, it stated. Belize was another country cited for lengthy pre-trial detention, with the State Depar tment also identifying domestic violence, discrimination against women, sexual abuse of childr en, traf ficking in persons for sexual and labor exploitation, child labor and human rights pr oblems, including brutality and use of exces-sive for ce by security forces. CORR UPTION Human rights problems in Grenada included allegations of corruption, violence againstwomen, and instances of childabuse, the State Depar tment reported. It said prison conditions generally met interna-tional standar ds, with the exception of over cr owding, describing it as “significant”. It claimed the 386 prisoners,of which nine ar e women, ar e held in space designed for 98 persons. Poor prison conditions, violence against women and children, and adverse condi-tions experienced by indige nous Kalinago (Carib were the main human rightsissues in Dominica, the r epor t stated. Excessive force by police, poor prison conditions, corruption, and violence against women were the major humanrights pr oblems in St. Kitts and Nevis, the report noted. Prisons were overcrowded,and r esources remained limited. In addition, it said violence against women was a pr oblem, but there were “no prosecu-tions or convictions for domes tic violence during the year”. In St. Lucia, pr oblems of abuse of suspects and prison ers by the police, long delays in trials and sentencing, vio-lence against women, andchild abuse pr edominated. According to the StateDepar tment, cor ruption had become a serious issue. “Obser vers expr essed con cer n that the countr y was mov ing backwards in terms of transparency and accountabili-ty ,” it stated, adding that there was also “widespread concern that some members of the government (was known narcotics traffickers”. The State Depar tment said “impunity for police who used excessive for ce, poor prison conditions, abuse of of ficial position by government officials to circumvent the judicial pr ocess, an overburdened court system, vio-lence against women, andabuse of childr en” were the major pr oblems in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. CMC Street Address: 9020 SW 152nd Street, Miami, FL33157 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 6010 Miami, FL 33116-6010. 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.20,Number 4 MAR.2009 PETER A WEBLEY Publisher GORDON WILLIAMS Managing Editor SABRINA HOPKINS Graphic Artist DOROTHYCHIN Account Executive SHARON LEE Account Executive CARMEN CHANG Account Executive JACQUELINE RUBIANO Accounting ManagerCaribbean Media Source Media RepresentativesOpinions expressed by editors and writers are not necessarily those of thepublisher. Caribbean T oday , an independent news magazine, is published every month by Caribbean Publishing & Services, Inc. Caribbean Today is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or photos. Toguarantee return, please include a selfaddressed stamped envelope. Articles appearing in Caribbean T oday may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor . 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Are you happy now? All your eyes pressed to the window staring at the detritus of someone else’s life, all your mouths chatteringtogether like bir ds on a wire, all you watchers and voyeurs, you Peeping Toms andThomasinas, you eye spiesand inquiring minds that had to know, did you get what you needed, did you see what you wanted? Are you happy now? I’d think you would be. The photo, after all, is pitilesslyexplicit: a close-up of a woman facingthe camerawith eyes closed in a face scarred by bruises and abrasions, and what looks like dried blood in the cor ner of her mouth. Los Angeles police say it appears to beauthentic, an image of singer Rihanna taken as part of theirinvestigation of singer Chris Brown, who allegedly assaulted her on Feb. 8. The department has launched a probe, continuing as of this writing, to determine how the pictur e could have made it fr om their files onto TMZ.com, the celebrity gossip web site, on Feb. 22. There is suspicion that some cop or clerk stole it and sold it, trad ing a young woman’s misery for personal profit. INFO LUST But hey , you had to know, right? All you fans and fanatics who scour the web obses-sively for the latest dish on Brad and Angie, T om and Katie, Chris and Rihanna and other luminaries who don’t know you from Adam but with whom you are, nevertheless, on a first-name basis...you needed this information, did you not? You had a sacred right to stare into the batter ed face of a hur t and vulnerable woman on one of the worst nights of her life. As a poster who fancies herself (maybe himself?“Sultr y Siren” puts it on TMZ’s site: “And for all you saying TMZ shouldn’t have posted the photo. Shut it up! We wanted to see it and TMZ always delivers.” Amen. Because we all know that what you want is allthat r eally matters. I expect to get some flak for giving you flak, though. See, while you were debating whether Rihanna, in the view of one post, “was asking for it,” I was debating a Pentagon policy (over turned last month) that banned pictures of the ceremony they hold when caskets containing the remains of American military personnel are returned to Dover AirFor ce Base in Delaware. I argued against the ban in this space, saying that we should not be shielded fromr eminders of what happens when we send our children off to war . So yes, I’m expecting some folks to see a disconnect between that opinion and this one. But ther e isn’t really. On the one hand, we’r e talking about a matter of compelling national interest. On the other, we’re talking about humiliating a woman so youcan get your jollies. And it strikes me now how quaint was the former debate over the morality of images, how anachronistic the attempt to balance public needs with private ones, in the world you are creating. In that world, ther e is no morality higher than “we wanted to see it” and no need to balance public and privatebecause they are one andthe same. BEING ‘THERE’ An ambulance comes for Britney Spears and Y ou Ar e Ther e. Paris Hilton has sex and You Are There. Robyn RihannaFenty is photographed as the victim of an alleged assault, in a state with laws that theor etically protect the privacy of assault victims. And yet, You Are There. The lives of others ar e one big reality show to you, aren’t they? One more excuse to press your face against the window glass and gather chattering on the wir e. Excuse the rest of us if we don’t see it that way, if we think we have a right to reasonable contr ol over how and when we are presented to the world, if we believe that our triumphs and sorrows are just that – “our” triumphs and sor-r ows, not an entertainment produced for your amusement. Because life is not a reality show. Get one, and you’ll see. 2009 The Miami Herald. Distrib uted by Tribune Media Ser vices ,Inc. Editor’s note:Rihanna was born in Barbados. Ther e are so many obstacles to true love before we can truly know who is the right person for us. For some of us, it may take years to find the right person, while for others it’ s the proverbial love at first sight. Whatever happened to the phrases, “Haste makes waste”, “Fools rush in where angelsfear to tr ead”, “Take time to know her”, “Marry in haste, r epent at leisure?” There are so many, and for each there is a counter, or someone giving advice as to what to do. No wonder those advice columns are so popular, as people want to know exactly what they’re getting into beforemaking that potentially fateful plunge. It’s easy when buying acar or house, as all one has to do is make a thorough investi-gation of both. Oh if we could do that with prospective spouses, but we can’ t. SIGNS In romance or relationships, ther e are certain signs that you should look for befor e making that fateful leap, certain obstacles that will prove too difficult to over come, that will doom it from the beginning. For example, is it wise to engage in a relationship with awoman who is much older? First there is the self esteemand insecurity of the older woman dealing with the younger man. Many women suf fer fr om low self esteem, insecurity and jealousy, even those who are young, attrac-tive, educated and even quite beautiful. Now just imagine how a woman who is much older than her spouse must feel, knowing, or at least wondering, if he’s going to leave her for a younger woman. Now I don’t want you older ladies to pillory me now,but would you want your 20year-old son settling down with a 40-year-old woman, your best friend perhaps? Makes you think now, doesn’t it? LONG DISTANCE Then there are long distance relationships. Now why in heaven’s name would someone get involved with a long distance lover? It’s hard enough dealing with someone who lives right here. Some people have it thrust on them, as after being involved for a few years, one has to go away to school, orwork, or something beyond their control. But why would you get involved with someone who lives far from you right from the beginning? And yet people meet while on vacation, or strike up pen pal or e-mail r elationships and then think about making it permanent. Bad move, very bad move. As the old saying goes, “Love and sea water don’t mix”. Y ou can write and phone so much, e-mail until your fingers go numb, the fact is, the person is there and you are here, andnever the twain shall meet. ORAL BOUNDARIES Then what about oral sex, is it an obstacle to romance? W ell, talking about sex can’ t do any harm, but what about the real deal, getting on down, one stop above 68, if you know what I mean? Times have changed. Itis a definite obstacle if she wants it, expects it, demands it and he doesn’t, for she’ll seek it elsewhere. So just do what themajority of Caribbean men do, indulge her, but lie about it toyour male friends. The same applies to sexual incompatibility, for if there is inequality, don’t even go there. If appetites vary greatly, it’s doomed from the start. Can pr evious children be a hindrance to a relationship? Now that’s a tough one, as childr en can be such a joy But they can also prove to be major obstacles in relationships, and tales of the wicked step mother or abusive stepfather ar e not unfounded. If you meet a woman and she already has a child, that can be cool. If she has two, thestakes rise a bit. But if she has thr ee or mor e, that can prove to be a major obstacle. I’m not saying in all cases, but aninstant family for a young man can create major problems; worse if those kids have differ-ent fathers. The same applies to women who meet men with multiple baby mothers too. Just think, will he stop with you? Another obstacle is the inlaw. Nothing is worse than a meddling in-law, and they should be outlawed. So as you race on this romantic road, there are certain obstacles that we must steer clear of, run around, push aside and avoid, for if we don’t, those same obstacles will become a ball and chain around your ankle. seido1@hotmail.com When Rihanna’s private life becomes public obsessionObstacles to romance March 2009CARIBBEAN TODAY 9 VIEWPOINT VIEWPOINT www .caribbeantoday.com LEONARD PITTS JR. Rihanna TONY ROBINSON March 2009.qxd 3/7/09 7:45 PM Page 9

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10 CARIBBEAN TODAYMarch 2009 I can’t go where no man has gone before.willI believe finding the cure is impossible. I believe Stopping homelessness is im I believe saving the planet is impossible.Ending world hunger is impossib World peace is impossible. March 2009.qxd 3/7/09 7:45 PM Page 10

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EILEEN OGINTZ Anne and Jim Stewart and their two teenagers are happily counting down the days till their Jamaica Spring Break. They’re not rich or crazy to take a vacation when everyone is cutting back. In fact, they almost didn’t go this year, says Anne, a Connecticut physical therapist. Y et, despite the recession, they didn’t want to for go the oppor tunity for some much-needed family time. “It won’t be too long befor e the kids ar e off to college and won’ t want to be with us,” she explained. So the family compr omised. Instead of a full week, they’re going for just five days. And a web search yielded a terrific deal at an all-inclusive resort so there shouldn’t bemany extra expenses just$3,000, including flights for thefour of them. The best part: “The kids ar e r eally excited about going and being with us,” said Stewart. As we count down to Spring Br eak in Mar ch and April, a lot of you ar e telling your kids, “Not this year!” 79per cent of those surveyed by T ripAdvisor ( www .tripadvi sor.com ), in fact. But maybe it’s time to think again. We all need a break from all thegloom and doom even theFirst Family . Michelle Obama told People magazine recently that her family will be heading off on a family Spring Breakthis month. AFFORDABLE They haven’t said where they’re going, but you can get away, too whatever your budget or wherever you’d like to take the kids – you’ll be surprised at what you can afford this year . e haven’t seen deals like this in years,” said Genevieve Brown, senior editor at Travelocity.com Her tip: Book an air-hotel package and save $300 or more. She likes SanDiego ( www.sandiego.org ) with plenty of kid-friendly attrac tions, a 10 percent decrease in airfare and a whopping 17 per-cent decr ease for hotel rooms in March and April. Even the national parks have gotten into the act. Every “A” on a report card earns $10 off the room rate (up to $30at the Grand Canyon( www .g randcanyonlodg es .com ). (Use the code STAY4A.) Y ou’ll find plenty of bar gains at state parks, too. And by traveling you’ll be doing your bit to help the economy. Consider that almost 200,000 jobs were lost in thetravel industr y last year and, accor ding to the United States Depar tment of Commer ce, another 250,000 will be lost this year . All of those waiters and cooks, hotel maids and front desk clerks have families too. And they’ll thank you. T ake your pitchers and thir d basemen to Spring Training either in Florida (www .floridaspringtraining.com) or Arizona ( www.cactusleague.com ) where tickets are a lot cheaper thanmajor league stadiums and yourlittle leaguers might get closeenough to get an autograph. The best part: flights and hotelscost less than last year , notes Brown. Check out deals in Arizona at Best Western’sDobson Ranch Inn in Mesa,( www.dobsonranchinn.com ), which include br eakfast, or the just-r enovated Westward Look Resor t in Tucson ( www .westwardlook.com ) where you can check out the night critters in the desert with special goggles, go horseback riding or laze at the pool when you’re not trying to catch a fly ball. Sarasota ( www .sarasotafl.org ), mean while, is celebrating the final Spring Training season with the Cincinnati Reds before they head to Arizona and offersplenty of appealing hotel deals. DEALS e’re seeing three times as many hotel promotionsnow ,” added Orbitz.com spokesman Jeanenne Tornatore, with plenty of roomsto be had for under $100 a night across the country. There arealso plenty of deals on condor entals so you can save more on meals, and even invite a friendalong for your teen ( www.vacationrentals .com ), ( orbitz.com ) or ( www.Zonder.com ). You’ll even find plenty of deals and freebies in Orlando with their new Bundles of Free Smilescampaign ( www.bundlesoffreesmiles .com ) and packages at Walt Disney World ( disneyIt can be wonderful fun taking Spring Break with the kids March 2009CARIBBEAN TODAY 11 VACATION VACATION PLANNING PLANNING www .caribbeantoday.com (CONTINUED ON P AGE 12) ~ A Caribbean Today special feature There are many activities in the Caribbean for kids and adults. March 2009.qxd 3/7/09 7:45 PM Page 11

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world.disney.go.com ) and Universal Studios ( www.universalorlando.com ) that offer free nights, theme park admissionand significant savings. Onelocal vacation r ental home company ( www .Imag ineV acationHomes. com ) has even piggybacked on Disney W orld’s promise of a free ticket on your birthday, offering birthday tickets foryour whole family , if you book a five-night stay . The best par t thr ee-bedroom houses that start at $159 a night. You don’t need to plan ahead either this year, even for the busiest times. “Families need to know this year we’re seeing a lot of excellent last-minute deals with hotels willing to thr ow in freebies or perks to enticeguests at the final hour ,” says Arabella Bowen, editorial dir ector of www.shermanstravel.com, which focuses on deals. CR UISE Maybe this is the time to try a cruise. Go from a portnear home and you can save onair fare. Many cruise lines are of fering significant shipboar d cr edits and deals wher e kids cruise for $99 (Norwegian, for example, www.ncl.com), or even free ( www.disneycruises.com ). On a four-day cruise, Carnival is offering deals under $1,400 for a family of four. “Ther e ar e still plenty of opportunities for families to snag a good deal,” says Car nival spokesman Jennifer de la Cr uz. Cruise Compete ( www.cruisecompete.com ), which enables travel agents to offer you the best deals they have for the time you want to travel, touts some Holland America sailings for just $70 aperson a day , says spokesman Heidi Allison-Shane. Look at an all-inclusive. Club Med ( www.clubmed.com ) of fers $499 per person deals for an entire week at some of its family resorts. Don’t discountplaces you thought wer e too pricy either , especially if you can snag a cheap flight. Use up those fr equent flier miles. And go for a long weekend rather than a week. W indjammer Landing in St. Lucia ( www.windjammerlanding .com ), for example, is offering 50 percent off ther oom rate in “sun dollars”, credit for food and activities. Mention T aking the Kids and you can get a parents’ massagetoo. Hotels.com, meanwhile, has a luxury for less sale( www.hotels.com/luxuryforless ) that pr omises upscale lodging for as low as $89 in cities across the country. Try something you’ve never done. Go to the Fr ost Valley YMCA camp in the Catskills ( www .frostvalley.org ) and you can see how maple syr up is made. Join a flotilla of sailing boats in the British Virgin Islands and save 25 percent with Sunsail ( www .sun sail.com ). (Other deals of fer as much as 35 percent off.) FREE SKI There are so many thirdnight-free deals in ski country that you can find an entirepage devoted to them at( www .ski.com/3rdnightfree ). Ski.com’s Dan Sherman addedther e ar e many second-nightfree deals in Park City, while V ail and Beaver Creek have just extended their kids-fly free ski-free deal (book by Mar. 14(with your travel deadline ofMar . 31) one child flies and skis fr ee for each paying adult (www .flyvail.com). Also www.perfectfamilyvacation.com has just slashed prices significantly from last year’s rates at Shadow Ridge Resor t in Park City Utah. Wherever you want to go, don’ t be shy about asking the resort/cruise line/hotel to up the ante a better r oom, fr ee breakfast, free kids’ club. Remember, they want andneed your business. And you need that time together. “The kids ar e only going to be this age once,” says Anne Stewart. 2009 Eileen Og intz. Distributed by Tribune Media Ser vices,Inc. ED PERKINS If you’re heading out of the country and expect to return after June 1, it’ s time now to make sure your documents comply with the tightened requirements that will apply. Those tightened requirements focus on re-entry by landor sea fr om countries participating in the W ester n Hemisphere Travel Initiative(WHTI ogram (Bermuda, Canada, the Caribbean, including The Bahamas, and Mexico). T o enter those countries and cr oss the bor der back to the United States you will need either: A U.S.passport the traditional, all-purpose document for international travel. A passport card the new credit-card-size ID, valid for travel to/from only countries in the WHTI program. It isissued by the U.S. State Department; it’s a less expensive alternative for travelers interested mainly on cross-border travel by car or foot. An enhanced driver’s license (EDL the updated, high-tech version of a conventional driver’s license that requires proofof citizenship as a condition ofissue. An ID from one of the rusted Traveler” programs. This rule has two prominent exceptions: Childr en under age 18 with out the documents required for adults will be able to enter or return from WHTI participating countries with any accepted proof of citizenship, including birth certificate (original or copy) or citizenship card. Cruise ship passengers on “closed loop” itineraries (cruises that begin and end at the same U.S. port) can enter or leave with a birth certificate or government-issued photo ID. (You may, however, need a U.S. passport to debark at some ports.) HI-TECH This column was prompted, in part, by a news release from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency touting its new high-tech facilities at the Tijuana-San Ysidro border cr ossing, the nation’s busiest. By scanning the radio frequency ID (RFID the latest high-tech travel docu-ments, U.S. agents can speedthe flow of traf fic thr ough the checkpoint and they hope -r educe the long lines of vehicles that currently clog the border crossing. All passports, passport car ds and EDLs contain chips, which pr ovide instant access by agents to the government’s passpor t database, and all future passports will containthem. Some folks are worried that hackers will be able to extract personal data fromEDLs and other chip-enabled cards. The people who make these systems and the government say that a metal sleeve will prevent unauthorized read-ing. Air travelers arriving from any foreign country, including those in the WHTI program, will see no changes: You need a passport; the passport card won’t do. This requirementapplies to travelers of any age, including children and even infants. The only exceptions are for active-duty militar y personnel, merchant mariners, travelers with NEXUS cards, and permanent residents groups with their own specific ID requirements. For mor e detail on any bor der crossing documentation issues, log onto the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Website at www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel /. And if you think you’ll need a passpor t, apply now: I’m sure that a short-staffed State Department will again be slow in filling applications. 2009 Tribune Media Ser vices ,Inc. 12 CARIBBEAN TODAYMarch 2009 VACATION VACATION PLANNING PLANNING www.caribbeantoday.com ~ A Caribbean Today special feature U.S.citizens traveling out of the country by air will need a passport to return. (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11) It can be wonderful fun taking Spring Break with the kidsBe prepared for new document requirements starting in June March 2009.qxd 3/7/09 7:45 PM Page 12

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Ocean carriers spend $16 billion annually on repositioning empties. ?A collapsible container designed by two pr ofessors fr om the Indian Institute of T echnology in Delhi, India, could r evolutionize the marine car go sector. In less than four minutes, the container is collapsed hydraulically to one-quarter its original size. Kept together with a self-locking mechanism, four vertically stacked containers take up exactly the same space as a regular 20-foot box. More than 52 years ago, Malcom McLean, a North Carolina trucking entrepreneur, originally hatched the idea of using containers to carry cargo. He loaded 58 con-tainers onto his ship, Ideal X, in Newark, New Jersey, andonce the vessel r eached Houston the uncrated containers were moved directly onto trucks and reusable rectangular boxes soon became the industry standard. Anoop Chawla and Sudipto Mukherjee from IIT’smechanical engineering department worked on the collapsible concept for three and a half years. e made at least two models befor e coming up with the cur rent proof of concept,” Chawla said. “Ther e were many dif ficulties we encounter ed in the entir e process right from conceptualization to ensuring the structural rigidity of the collapsible container. For instance, we had to ensure ther e wer e pr oper sealing and locking conditions.”Top names in the regional shipping industr y, including owners, shipping executives and industry leaders, are expected at a three-dayCaribbean Shipping Executives Confer ence in Cartagena, Colombia in mid-May. The eighth conference, set for May 18-20 at Hotel LasAmericas Global Resor t, is scheduled to feature speakers from several countries worldwide. Issues to be discussed will include the following: Is the shipping industry in the Caribbean and Latin American region ready to deal with the current globalfinancial crisis? Ar e businesses equipped to seize the oppor tunities that will present themselvesduringthis time? What is the futur e of the cargo and cruise shipping industries and how can stakeholders in the r egion position their businesses to stay “afloat” and maximize growth? Is it time to implement National Port Community Systems throughout the region to impr ove supply chain ef ficiency , security and customer satisfaction? The confer ence is being presented by the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA collaboration with Sociedad Por tuaria Regional de Car tagena (SPRC Scheduled sessions include: “The Business and Economic Outlook for Global Trade”; “Repercussions of the GlobalRecession on Por t Operators: Liner Companies, Shipping Agents and Labor”; “Today’s Opportunity for Tomorrow’s Gr owth”; “Strategic Positioning of Cr uise T ourism to Maximize Growth for All Stakeholders”;“The Luxur y Yacht Sector: Business Oppor tunities for the Region”; and “Secured Commer ce for Economic Growth”. Among the scheduled keynote speakers are: Dr. W alter Kemmsies, chief economist, Mof fatt & Nichol; Robert West, principal, trade and transportation, Halcrow; Rupert Conner , president and chief executive offier, Luxury Yacht Gr oup; Michael Horton, principal Latin America, Moffatt & Nichol; Michael McFadden,vice pr esident, Halcrow; Iker Allison, senior commercialmanager , SSA Mexico; Dr . Andrew Coggins, professional consultant School of Hotel & T ourism Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Giovanni Benedetti, director of marketing and sales, Sociedad Por tuaria Regional de Car tagena; and Joseph Cervenak, principal, KemperJoseph LLC. Collapsible shipping container could transform cargo tradeCaribbean shipping execs to meet in Colombia in May March 2009CARIBBEAN TODAY 13 SPRING SPRING SHIPPING SHIPPING www .caribbeantoday.com ~ A Caribbean Today advertising feature Collapsible containers could save the industry space and money. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 14) March 2009.qxd 3/7/09 7:45 PM Page 13

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KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Contr oversy has erupted over a decision by the Jamaica gov ernment to import low-cost fertilizer from the United States, which Agriculture Minister Dr. Chris Tufton has revealed is madewithhuman waste. The matter, which was the subject of heated debate in the Parliament recently, has spilled out of the chamber, with Opposition Leader PortiaSimpson Miller demanding that Prime Minister Bruce Golding provide answers to the country. Simpson-Miller, speaking at a People’s National Party(PNPshe was extr emely concerned that the fertilizer, containing human excrement, had alr eady been distributed for use by the agricultur e sector.?Her statement came hours after Roger Clarke,Opposition spokesman onagricultur e, sought answers fr om Tufton during debate in the House. “Human faeces (imported) to Jamaica, I am asking outof the inter ests of not just the Jamaican farmer but the Jamaican peo-ple, what is the protocol inplace with theuse of it?” asked Clarke. Tufton stoutly defended the imports and insisted that the product, made primarily fromdomestic sludge and waste water, has been tested by theU.S. authorities. Clarke called for tests to be conducted locally on thefer tilizer. Jamaica importing fertilizer with human waste ~ minister COMPATIBILITY The concept also had to be compatible with existing equip ment for inter modal transport.?Speed was another concern. e wanted to keep the folding and unfolding time to within thr ee to four minutes,” he said. The water tight con tainer, which is fabricated from Corten steel like the standard container and equals its str ength, opens upward to allow top loading of commodi ties.? A system to collapse and erect the container also had to be conceptualized. e designed a base station or special platform to fold and unfold the container horizontally within the target time of thr ee to four minutes,” Chawla said. “The system, which could behydraulic-based, helpscollapse the container automatically It takes a semi-skilled person half a day to one day to be trained on the base station, said Avinder Bindra of Simpri Investments Ltd., who financed the container pr oject. A former banker, Bindra appr oached IIT, one of India’s best engineering schools, about taking on the challenge. He felt collapsible containers could improve the logistics and decrease the cost of backhauling empty containers. The shipping industr y spends a great deal of time and money r epositioning empty containers. If trade were balanced, ther e would be no empties. But trade imbalance has r esulted in appr oximately 2.5 million TEUs of empty boxes stor ed in yards worldwide with empties comprising 20 per cent to 23 per cent of the movement of containers ar ound the world. According to research conducted by Inter national Asset Systems, the average container is idle or undergoing repositioning for more than 50 percent of its lifespan. It also determined shipping companies spend $16 billion in repositioning empties. To compensate for these costs, carriers add surcharges to freight rates. These range between $100 and $1,000 per TEU. It is estimated that if 75 percent of empty containers were folded by 2010, the result would be a yearly saving in shipping of 25million TEUs, or 50 percent of the total volume of empty contain-ers shipped. Edited from an article written b y Kathlyn Horibe and publishedrecently on Caribbean Shipping Inc. s website . Collapsible shipping container could transform cargo trade 14 CARIBBEAN TODAYMarch 2009 SPRING SPRING SHIPPING SHIPPING www.caribbeantoday.com ~ A Caribbean Today advertising feature (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13) Tufton Simpson Miller March 2009.qxd 3/7/09 7:45 PM Page 14

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DA WN A. DAVIS The legacy of Louise Bennett-Coverley hasleft an indelible impr ession on Jamaica and the Caribbean. It is this icon, this tradition, this birth right, thatwas commemorated at the South Regional Broward College Library in PembrokePines, Florida last month. Under the patr onage of Sandra Grant-Grif fiths, Jamaica’s consul general to the southern United States, the event brought togetherlinguists, educators, writers, performers and friends who celebrated an indigenous lan-guage and cultur e and “Miss Lou”, the woman whoinstilled pride in Jamaican“patwa”. Journalist, playwright, director, actress and culturalactivist Barbara Gloudon wasamong those honoring thewoman that gave voice toJamaica. “Louise was marked out to free the tongue of the Jamaican people,” Gloudon said. “Louise was bor n for a particular purpose, at a particular time. As happens in everygeneration, one or two people are born to change time.Barack Hussein Obama car ries that burden, Nelson Mandela carries that burden, Martin Luther King Jr. carriedthat bur den, Mar cus Mosiah Garvey carried that burden.So, we need to take her work seriously Miss Lou was the major force in promoting Jamaicanlanguage as a legitimate for m of communication. She used Jamaican patwa, a mixture ofAfrican languages br ought to the island by slaves, and English in her writings as a young journalist, in performances, and everyday life with-out shame. And, in time, her genius was recognized with a scholarship to Britain’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, an institution that representedthe system she fought toloosen its grip on Jamaican culture. According to Gloudon, Miss Lou was par t of a politi cal movement. The statements in her poetry were political, the strongest being her railing against the British. In those days, all things British wasgood. Hence, a whole genera tion was made to feel ashamed of their tonguebecause it was not “the Queen’s English”. PANTOMIME Among the stages Miss Lou used to showcase her proud heritage, talent, andpersistence was pantomime, aBritish tradition of acting out children’s stories onstage thattraditionally opened on Boxing Day each year. Miss Lou performed in 25 pan-tomimes between 1943 and1975; several times alongsideher famous sidekick Ranny“Mas Ran” W illiams. She became a pr olific director and per former, peppering her productions with the language of her people. The tradition continues today. “She gave us no end of proverbs, which were in fact parables; they were almostbiblical in their connotations,”Gloudon said. “For example, ‘wen chubble tek man, pickney shut fit im’. It is clear , when trouble takes man a child’s shirt will even cover you. It was almost biblical wisdom, which she would putinto folk language, and little by little they have become part of our history. If you lookin the Oxfor d dictionar y now, it is carrying words out of the Jamaican autography But, it was not only pan tomime that benefited from the strength and character of“patwa”. Not just a theatricalgenius, Miss Lou weaved herstories, poems, and plays withfolkloric tales in the voice of the characters she brought tolife. And, she did not keep itto herself, but passed on thetradition to those ar ound her . Gloudon was one of her pr o tegs. Miss Lou, and Gloudon after her , were perhaps the first journalists to use “patwa” in the print media for ever y day communication. Both women worked at The Gleaner , Jamaica’s oldest newspaper , in their early car eers. “The Gleaner received enormous amounts of complaints that Louise Bennett and myself had conspir ed to cheapen the Jamaican lan-guage and weaken the identifyof the people,” explainedGloudon. Later , when Gloudon started her radio call-in program “Hotline”, she was again criticized for speaking in “patwa”. In spite of that, and perhaps because of that, the show has grown to become one of Jamaica’s most popular com-munity radio shows. Listeners can call in and air their opin-ions in a language they ar e comfor table with. BEY OND COMEDY Gloudon implored scholars to look beyond Miss Lou’s comedic performances for she was much more than that. e have forgotten to spend some time on the importance of the journey thatshe took and its r elevance to the development of Jamaica,” she said “...Her purpose was to be tongue and voice to apeople who had no voice...Thework I do as a writer is alldriven by Louise...But, wehave to understand that the road ahead still nuh dun.” Gloudon is involved in a pr oject that will help keep Miss Lou and Jamaica’ s indigenous voice alive. A website, www.ltmpantomime, has been created. It celebrates 60 years of Jamaican theater . The site features a detailed historyof the movement as well as directors, producers, and castmembers fr om ever y pan tomime per for med since 1941. Packed with a dizzying array of facts, visitors to the site willalso lear n about chor eography trends, designers, and little known facts about the pan-tomime company and Kingston’s Little Theatre. Even the Canadian gov er nment r ecognizes the valu able contribution Louise Bennett-Coverley made toJamaican cultur e with the cr e ation of “Miss Lou’s Room”. Opened on July 26, 2007 at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto on the first anniversar y of Miss Lou’s death, the facility pr ovides a per manent display on her life and perfor mances and houses DVDs, audiocassettes, and interactivemedia that allows visitors to “perform” along with thebeloved Jamaican icon. Dawn A. Da vis is a freelance writer for Caribbean Today. LOS ANGELES, California The District Attorney's office her e says R&B star Chris Brown has been charged with two felonies following the alleged beating of his girl friend, Barbadian pop singerRihanna. The singer made a brief appearance in court with his attorney Mark Geragos earlythis month and did not enter a plea to the two felony chargesof assault and making criminal threats. The judge granted Brown's r equest for a continuance on April 6. If convicted, Brown faces anywhere from probation to a maximum four years and eight months in state prison, District Attorney spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said. The for mal char ges come almost a month after the couple argued on the morning ofFeb. 8, just hours befor e Rihanna, 21, and Br own, 19, wer e both scheduled to per for m at the Grammys. U.S.-based media organizations published the sordiddetails of the incident, while quoting an affidavit whichchr onicles the attack in which Brown allegedly punched, bloodied and threatened tokill his girlfriend. They also indicate that the couple has reunited following the inci-dent. South Florida celebrates ‘Miss Lou’ pioneer of Jamaica’s ‘patwa’R&B star faces felony charges for alleged beating of Rihanna March 2009CARIBBEAN TODAY 15 LOCAL LOCAL www .caribbeantoday.com Rihanna,left,and Brown performing. Louise Bennett-Coverley left a huge impression of Caribbean culture on the world. Gloudon “Louise was marked out to free the tongue of theJamaican people” Gloudon “In time, her genius was recognized with a scholarship to Britain’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, an institution that represent-ed the system she fought toloosen its grip on Jamaicanculture” March 2009.qxd 3/7/09 7:45 PM Page 15

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DAWN A. DAVIS Images of regal Africans with elaborately plaitednatural hair , beautifully decorated with cowrie shells, or mud-encased locks flash across the screen. Larger-than-life pictur es of Caribbean musical icons Bob Marley, Peter T osh and Bunny Wailer flashing their “natty” reinforces the message: natural black hair is beautiful. Unfor tunately, this is not universally embraced by blacks. Ever wonder why the subject of black hair is so vexed? Why are issues of self-esteemimage, power , control intertwined with black hair. These questions and more are tackled in the documentary “MyNappy Roots: A Jour ney Thr ough Black Hair-itage”, which was scr eened at Fort Lauderdale’s Nova Southeastern University in celebration of Black Histor y Month in Febr uary. The 78minute film explores the social, psychological, and cul tural issues that surround the sometimes touchy subject of black hair. Pr oducer/Director Regina Kimbell takes us on a psychological journey with “My Nappy Roots”, forcing viewers to question their own attitude to black hair. Pre-slavery Africans on the continent were proud of their natural crowns. It was not until they were enslaved and brought to the Americas that terms such as “wooly”, “nappy” and “bad hair” became the signifier of black hair as another means of power and control by slave masters. The strategy worked, negatively marking an entire race of people. The expressions “boad ‘ed”, “dry ‘ed”, “natty ‘ed”, often heard in some Caribbean nations, are just a few examples of how African descendants have come to accept the nega-tive definition of black hair in its natural state. MONEY-MAKER But out of all this negativity, emerged a billion-dollar black hair care industry.Kimbell inter views some of the most successful and pow erful figures in the business, including George Johnson of the Johnson products line and Edward Gardner of “Soft Sheen”. Madame C.J. Walkeris celebrated as the African American who created the black hair hair car e business. The film walks through the evolution of black stylesand the messages they sentduring a par ticular era. For example, noted African American entertainers such as Cab Calloway and Nat King Cole wore the early “relaxed” hairstyles called the “conk”, which required a painful chemical process to ultimately straightened the hair. Today’s relaxers may be more sophisticated and less chemically harsh, but the process can be painful, both physically and mentally. Nonetheless, it is the price many are willing to pay for straight hair. The 1960s saw the reemergence of natural when afros and corn-rowed braids were all the rage, signifying a return to black pride and power. Today black hairstyles run the gamut from natural tostraight. But many choose to follow the Eur opean standar d of beauty long, flowing, silky . TOUCHY Black celebrities, wearing their pr efer r ed styles, speak about the touchy hair issue. Actr ess Kim Fields, with shoulder length locks, discuss es her preference but warns that blackness is mor e than just a hairstyle. Actr ess V ivica A. Fox applauds those who wear naturals, but prefers her r oots straightened. Kimbell highlights both sides of the hair story. Her goal, she says, is to educateblack folks about the chemi cals and processes they use on themselves without beingjudgmental. s about being fully aware of the choices youmake,” she said. A host of historians, writers, and hairstylists offer theirperspectives on the cultur e, histor y, and business of black hair, giving the film a br oad-based appeal beyond that of ordinary documentaries. The “Hair Wars” segment is per-haps the mostenter taining, highlighting the best of the biggest African American hairshows in theUnited States that showcases the artistry of hairstylists, along with the most elaborate, outlandish hairdos they create. CONVERSATIONS “My Nappy Roots” also nudges the viewer to thinkabout the implications of skin color and class issues. It points out the significant impact of the media on image and selfesteem. Ultimately, the film applauds black creativity, but underscores: Whatever the style natural, straight,wigged, bald, weaved black hair starts with strong nappy roots that crown a people. “These are conversations we need to have, particularlywith our young people,” saysKimbell. She continues, “Once we know what our tr ue beauty is, we can be free to express it in whatever way we like.” But, the arguments for or against the natural continues. One viewer put it this way: “The feeling of betrayal isalways ther e if I hide my African-ness with someone else’ s hair Dawn A. Da vis is a freelance writer for Caribbean Today. ‘My Nappy Roots’ sparks hair-raising questions about African heritage 16 CARIBBEAN TODAYMarch 2009 CULTURE CULTURE www.caribbeantoday.com Film producer/director Regina Kimbell gets to the root of the hair debate. March 2009.qxd 3/7/09 7:45 PM Page 16

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Jamaican reggae icon Burning Spear was thelone Caribbean winner at the 51st Annual GrammyA wards in Los Angeles last month. The singer , whose real name is Winston Rodney, won the Best Reggae Album for“Jah is Real”. The album was released by Burning MusicPr oduction. In 2000, Burning Spear won the Best Reggae Albumfor his “Calling Rastafari”album, but lost out to Stephen Marley with “Mind Control”for the title in 2007. In all, hehas received 12 Grammy nominations to date.Other nominees for the 2008 Best Reggae Album wereElephant Man for “Let’ s Get Physical”; Heavy D for ibes”; Sly & Robbie for“Amazing”; and Shaggy for“Intoxication”. Black Uhuru was awarded the first Reggae Grammy for“Anthem” in 1985. Barbadian pop-singing sensation Rihanna failed toget a 2008 Grammy A ward. She was nominated for thr ee, including Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.Rihanna was also expected to perform at the annual event, but was a no show. DA WN A. DAVIS FLORIDA Miami, ranked the third richest in the UnitedStates in 2008, is what it is today because of the contribu-tions of the African diaspora inbuilding and shaping this so-called “Magic City”. A major exhibition at Miami’s Historical Museum ofSouther n Florida (HMSF it all in perspective with unforgettable photographs, video stories, historical documents, and artifacts. A pr e-opening event host ed late last month by Miamibased law fir m Delancy Hill gave a throng of museum andar t supporters a special preview of the show, dubbed “Black Crossroads: TheAfrican Diaspora in Miami”. Inkeeping with the spirit of the exhibition, for mer County Commissioner Betty T. Ferguson was honored for her work in helping to inspirechange and development through community activism. The exhibition runs through Jan. 24, 2010. It highlights the labor and cultural connection that African Americans and African Caribbean groups have with Miami, from 1896 to the present. LABOR OF LOVE The large exhibition was a three-year labor of love according to Haitian-born chief curator Joanne Hyppolite. After painstaking research, which involved going through historical documents, talking to community members, and six months of building and constructing, the story is nowbeing told. The mostly black and white photographs show black neighborhoods, men at work on bridges, hotels, and the r oads that marked out this coastal city . Neat row houses in tight clusters wher e colored folk lived almost seem to serve as a racial line of demar cation, for Miami in the late 19th cen tury and into the 20th century was a segregated city, as muchof the American South. Majestic landmarks, like the L yric Theater in what was then called “Colored Town” (today’ s Over town) come alive in pictur es. Opened in 1913, this 400-seat theater , built by Geder Walker, a black man from Georgia, is a concreteexample of the economic, cul tural, and political impact blacks had on Miami. It still stands today. SHOCKING There are also photographs that show how blackslived under the heavy hand of racism. Disturbing images of men and women packed inrickety boats is not much dif fer ent from the pictures of Haitians landing on the Miami shores today, most ending up in detention centers and ultimately deported. More shocking still, because of its in-your -face reality, is a Ku Klux Klan robe pr otected behind glass. And, not far fr om it, a companion symbol a burnt cross still standing er ect. With over two million photographs in its ar chives, much of the pre-World War II images on display come fr om the museum’ s collection. Among them ar e photos by Commodore Munroe, an early settler in Coconut Grove who hired some of the early Bahamians to help build the city. There is also a lar ge number of images taken by Claude Matlack, a commer-cial photographer who was active in Miami in the 1920s. A powerful exhibition, “Black Crossroads” sheds lighton Miami’ s past, its develop ment and pr esent. It shar es with viewers the melting pot of cultures that defined the city inits infancy , and why it r emains a city of mixed voices burstingto tell their stories. Story and photograph by Dawn A. Da vis , a freelance writer for Caribbean T oday . Burning Spear wins reggae Grammy GORDON WILLIAMS ATLANTA, Georgia What should have been a celebration of Caribbean spirit andcr eativity was mar r ed her e last month by mourning over the death of a man known for hiswork pr omoting the region’s culture. The body of a Mar c Stewar t, who over the years has helped staged many Caribbean entertainmentevents in the United States,was found in the state of Georgia days after he was reported missing by his fam-ily . The 38year-old Stewart wasinvolved in the promotion of“What Goes Around”, amovie byJamaican filmmaker Steve ehut Nine” McAlpin. The film was scheduled for a screening on Feb. 15 in theStone Mountain ar ea of Georgia, where Stewart r esided. Due to his death, a candlelight vigil, attended by dozens of Caribbean immi-grants, was held outside theT or ch Theaters. LOSS Prior to the scr eening, McAlpin lamented the loss of Stewart, who he had met a few years ago during the pro-motion of another film, and who he described as a friend. “It hits very hard,” McAlpin said. “Life is just complex and unpredictable. Sometimes you hear thingslike this happen and younever think it will happen topeople close to you. “It feels like a nut or bolt that holds things together isjust gone.” Up to pr ess time Georgia police were still searching for clues leading to Stewar s killer . He r epor tedly was shot in the head. No arrests had been made. The pr omoter r epor tedly called his wife from Marietta, Georgia, the last time anyone heard from him. He was later reported missing. His bodywas found in GwinnettCounty . Repor ts later indicat ed that it appeared someone may have tried to use his cel-lular telephone and bankcar d shortly after Stewart had called his wife. Those attending the candlelight vigil last month sang hymns and paid tribute toStewar t. “He was too young to die,” one mourner said. “Mar c, we love you and know you’re alright,” added another . “What Goes Around”, primarily a story focusing on the twists and turns of loveand the deadly thr eat of AIDS, was first released last year . Stewart was trying to help pr omote the film, which features primarily a Caribbean cast. Gordon Williams is Caribbean T oday’ s managing editor. Caribbean entertainment promoter goes missing, found murderedMiami’s story arrives at ‘Black Crossroads’ March 2009CARIBBEAN TODAY 17 ARTS ARTS / / ENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT www .caribbeantoday.com Patron Guy Bury stares at a Ku Klux Klan robe. Burning Spear Stewart March 2009.qxd 3/7/09 7:45 PM Page 17

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GORDON WILLIAMS HOLLYWOOD, Florida – Jamaican-bor n Glen Johnson kept on track for another shotat a world title by scoring aunanimous decision win overDaniel Judah of the United States in their light heavyweight bout at the Hard Rock Live arena here late lastmonth. The for mer world champion took the 10-r ounder with a commanding per formance, dominating Judah throughout to ear n a huge margin of victory on the judges’ scorecards and avenge a draw against the American in 2003. Fighting in the colors of his homeland, Johnson, whonow lives in Miami, looked decisive from the opening belland almost ended the fight early with a thunderous righthand that sent Judah tumbling into the ropes where he wasgiven a standing eight countby the r eferee. But Judah refused to go down ther emainder of the way, denying Johnson the knockout he craved but ear ning criticism from the Jamaican for failing to show enough aggr ession and will to win. “It seems like when they get in the ring with me it’s more like a survival tacticthan anything else,” saidJohnson while cooling down in his dressing room after thebout. “A lot of guys don’t really try to win and then the rest of them kinda try to run aroundand tr y to throw some pitty pat shots as they’re moving,tr ying to create space. It’s just another way of surviving, trying to not let me get close to them to throw combinations.” CLASH OF HEADS Yet Johnson occasionally got too close to Judah for his own good, resulting in thefighters clashing heads and raising concern in the Jamaican’ s camp that he could suffer injuries that could endanger futur e fights, including a title challenge expected this summer. “The man bucked me like a cow,” Johnson said of thehead butts, one which caused the r efer ee to stop the fight and allow both boxers time to recover. “I was just more in fear of getting cut than anything else,because I wanna get back in the ring as soon as possible and with a cut it would kindabe a setback. I was a little bit nervous there with the colli-sion.” That aside, Judah offered little beyond clowning andtaunting. The lopsided win was reflected in the judges’ scorecard – 99-89, 99-90 and99-90 – in favor of Johnson,the W orld Boxing Council’s number one contender in the175-pound weight division. Johnson, nicknamed the “Road W arrior”, improved his ring record to 49 wins, 12 losses and thr ee draws. Although rhe 40-year-old former world “Fighter of theY ear” in 2004 welcomed the win, he did not mask his dis-appointment at not addingJudah to his list of 33 knock out victims. “It was a successful night,” the Jamaican said. “And I’m a little bit disappointed, but more than anything satisfied at the victory Gordon Williams is Caribbean T oday’s managing editor. Johnson cover photograph by Sean Young KINGSTON, Jamaica The W est Indies scor ed a com manding win over England to take a 1-0 lead in the home cricket Test series, then foughtdoggedly to secur e that advan tage going into the final match this monthand ensur e it would not lose the seriesto its higher ranking, tradi-tional rivals. The Caribbeanteam openedthe series impressivelylast month at Sabina Park here, ripping into England on a dramatic fourth day to register a massive innings and 23r uns victor y . Batting first, England made 318 all out, with star batsman Kevin Peterson getting 97 runs. The West Indies,led by centuries fr om captain Chris Gayle (104Ramnar esh Sarwan (107 replied with 392 all out. However, England crumbled under an impressive combination of spin and pace to be bowled out for 51 runs, the visitors’ third lowest Test total of all time. Fast bowler Jer ome Taylor finished the second innings with figures of five wickets for 11 runs. Spinner Sulieman Benn picked up fourfor 31. REVERSAL Gayle commended his players for a “really, really brilliant” performance andhinted that the r esult could reverse the Caribbean team’s str uggling for tunes of late. s definitely a turning point,” said Gayle. “We combined together. It wastr emendous.” The euphoria did not last long. The second Test at SirV ivian Richards Stadium in Antigua was abandoned during the second over , when umpires ruled the outfield unfit for play. The teams moved to the Antigua Recr eation Gr ound for the third Test, where the West Indies held on for a draw. The final Test in February, played in Barbados, alsoended in a draw . Both teams traveled to Trinidad for the final Test, Mar. 6-10, with the seventh ranked West Indies assured it cannot lose the series to England, rated fifth in theworld. Gordon Williams BOISE, Idaho – Caribbean athletes came in for high praises from Special Olympics Caribbean Executive Director Candilla Berment after aclaiming a cluster of medals at the World Winter Games herelast month. Jamaicans won two gold medals, a silver and two br onze medals competing in floor hockey and speed skating, while Trinidad and Tobago secured a floor hockey bronze medal. “Our teams performed excellent, which should not come as a surprise,” Berment said. “We prepared well forthese games.” She said the athletes’ victories would go a long way in creating more awareness inthe Caribbean that people with disabilities are capable of living pr oductive lives and can achieve wonders, if given the opportunity. Jamaica’s floor hockey team picked up the country’s first gold medal with an upset win against Canada in the Division Two final. Richard Hillary captured an individualgold for Jamaica in the 200meters speed skating and teammate Monique Brown won three medals for Jamaicain speed-skating events. A total of 85 countries – repr esented by over 3,000 athletes competed at the World Winter Games. Windies take cricket honors from England in F ebruar yCaribbean athletes shine at special winter gamesJamaican Johnson dominates Judah in light heavyweight boxing clash 18 CARIBBEAN TODAYMarch 2009 SPORT SPORT www.caribbeantoday.com Photogra ph by Sean YoungJohnson raises his fist to celebra te victory over Judah. Sarwan March 2009.qxd 3/7/09 7:45 PM Page 18

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March 2009CARIBBEAN TODAY 19 DAWN A. DAVIS Looking for an exotic gastronomic experi-ence? W ell, look no further than Pembr oke Pines, Florida where the recently opened T imehri r estaurant serves up a stunning mix of West Indian and Chinese cui-sine. Timehri, named after the Guyanese airpor t, opened its doors on Feb. 14 to a packedhouse with a long line of patrons waiting for tables upto one hour . W ith spicy and Caribbean seasoned dishes like jerk chicken chow mein,dhalpuri, cur r y channa, polouri, dhalpuri and curried goat, barbecue duck, and veg etable fried rice, it was definitely worth the wait. The price is right too, with entreesaveraging about $10. A sample of the GuyanaChinese chef s specialties left no doubt that this was indeed authentic West Indian food with a definite Caribbean flair. Highly seasoned, with plentypepper as Caribbean food should be, the food adventur-er will love the jerk chickenand even the vegetable lomein. The dhalpuri and chan na potato is just one of the variety of dishes that is sure tosatisfy vegetarians. HALAL In addition, because South Florida has its shar e of devout Muslims who follow halal food standar ds (i.e., some foods ar e forbidden and meat can only be eaten from an animal that has been slaughtered in thepr oper way, not strangled or beaten), all the meat pr epared by the r estaurant is halal. No pork is served as it is forbidden by Islamic law. A large space, the restaurant is clean, airy, and brightly colored. Piped soca andIndian music add to theCaribbean/W est Indian feel. It is set up in two parts, with one side serving dine-in customers, while the other half can beused for private gatheringssuch as weddings. T ake-out, catering, and delivery service are also offered. OPPOR TUNITY Thir ty three-year-old owner Cindy Narain, who is ofGuyanese and Indian descent, migrated from Canada to open what is now the fourth restaurant in a family-owned chain started in 1998. Withtwo operations in Canada andone in Orlando, Narain tookthe leap to invest in the SouthFlorida market. “Although it is tough economic times, we r ealized it was cheaper to purchase now explained Narain. “You justhave to be able to wait out thestor m at the beginning...I know there was a need for a really good Chinese-West Indian restaurant. So, I thought if we brought the same food we havein Canada, the same kind of atmosphere to South Florida, itwould be a r estaurant you could take your family or busi ness colleagues to.” Starting this month, Narain will attract the after-work cr owd with drink specials and a lime on weekday evenings. T imehri is open Tuesday through Sunday in College Plaza, 7855 Pines Boulevard. Stor y and photographs by Dawn A.Davis,a freelance writer for Caribbean Today. Exotic West Indian flavors hot off the stove at Timehri FOOD FOOD www.caribbeantoday.com Variety is the spice at Timehri’s restaurant. Narain and her five-year-old son Kadin. March 2009.qxd 3/7/09 7:45 PM Page 19

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20 CARIBBEAN TODAYMarch 2009 CAN’T CHOOSE?YOU DON’T HAVE TO. For a limited time. Prices and participation may vary. Valid when product is served. Price of required purchase posted on menu board. Available in Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Okeechobee and Indian River Counties. 9 McDonald’s Right now, with any Extra Value Meal you buy at McDonald’s, you can add a four piece chicken McNuggets made with whitemeatforjust $1 M05721_EVM TradeUp_CaribbeanToday_v1.0.indd 1 2/19/09 3:09:03 PM March 2009.qxd 3/7/09 7:45 PM Page 20