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Ob SEPTEMBER 2009


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VOL. ZU NO. 10


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September 2009


Bolt, Caribbean shine bright at World Championships in Athletics


GORDON WILLIAMS

BERLIN, Germany The
Caribbean once again flexed
its muscles as a global track
and field power by capturing
26 medals at last month's 12th
IAAF World Championships
in Athletics (WCA) here.
Led by Jamaica's record
WCA haul of 13, including
seven gold, four silver and two
bronze, which placed the
country second overall to the
United States in the medal
table, the region produced
some of the most dazzling
moments of the meet, which
ran from Aug. 15-23.
None were brighter than
the wildly popular Usain
Bolt's world record sprint
double, and the Jamaican's
three gold medals overall.
Bolt shattered his own 100
meters mark of 9.69 seconds,
set at last year's Olympic
Games in China, with a stun-
ning 9.58 on the second night
of the WCA. Tyson Gay of


Bolt, right, wins the 100 meters ahead of Gay, center, and Powell.


the United States finished sec-
ond in an American record
9.71, and Jamaica's Asafa
Powell third in 9.84.
"I was definitely ready for
the world record and I did it!"
Bolt said after the final. "I am
proud of myself. This is a big
moment in history."


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The 6' 5" sprint star, who
celebrated his 23rd birthday
during the WCA, returned


days later to the Olympic
Stadium track to clock 19.19
in the 200 meters and break
his other individual world
mark set at the '08 Olympics.
That result took Bolt more by
surprise.
"The world record, I
did not really have it on my
mind," he said.

REPEAT
Bolt's countrywomen
Shelly-Ann Fraser (100 meters
in 10.73) and Melaine Walker
(400 meters hurdles in a
championship record 52.42),
who also won in China,
repeated at the WCA in their
pet events, while Brigitte
Foster-Hylton won the 100
meters hurdles.
Jamaica won both 4x100
meters relays to complete the
country's gold haul.


The men's team of Steve
Mullings, Michael Frater, Bolt
and Powell, clocked 37.31 sec-
onds to beat Trinidad and
Tobago (37.62) into second
place. Jamaica's women, fea-
turing Simone Facey, Fraser,
Aleen Bailey and Kerron
Stewart, who won 100 silver
in 10.75, romped to the relay
win in 42.06 seconds. The
Bahamas placed second in
42.29.
Jamaicans who journeyed
to the WCA were happy with
their country's performance.
They also soaked in the admi-
ration it brought from other
nations, including the host.
"On a whole it was just
excellent," said Ann Mair,
who came here from New
York. "I enjoyed the whole

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 18)


Caribbean American leaders take census case to Washington


A delegation of Caribbean
American leaders, along with
other nationals from across the
United States, is scheduled to
attend the Congressional
Black Caucus annual confer-
ence in Washington, D.C.
Sept. 23-26.
While in the U.S. capital,
the leaders will meet with
members of the Unity
Coalition, a group of over 50
Black organizations, to solidi-
fy support for "Question 9",
which addresses the issues of
self identification and country
of origin on the 2010 census.
The delegation will sup-
port Congresswoman Yvette
Clarke, co-chair of the week-
end activities and representa-
tive of New York's 11th con-
gressional district, which has
the largest number of people of
Caribbean descent in the U.S.
Representatives of the
Caribbean American Cultural
Coalition Census Committee


in South Florida are encourag-
ing Caribbean nationals to get
an early start in the 2010 cen-
sus process. Acting on a chal-
lenge issued by the Institute of
Caribbean Studies (ICS) in
Washington D.C. to engage
the Caribbean community in
the process, the coalition
deployed representatives
to the Broward County
Complete Count Committee.

AWARENESS
The effort, led by Florida
State Representative Hazelle
Rogers and others, began an
early public awareness cam-
paign at UNIFEST during the
recent Caribbean Heritage
Month. The group also con-
vened a strategy meeting in
North Lauderdale of invitees
to a census department-spon-
sored conference in Orlando,
Florida.
"My motivation is to
increase the number of partic-


3:30 pm
Ransom Everglades Upper School Campus
3575 Main Highway in Coconut Grove
RS VP required by Monday, October 12
to 305.25o0.6875
IMF z7.


Clarke
ipants in my district and the
immigrant community at large
in the 2010 count to ensure
that they understand the full
benefits from an accurate
count," said Rogers in a
recent press release.
A delegation of South
Florida Caribbean leaders
attended the 11th Annual
Legislative Conference spon-
sored by the Institute of
Caribbean Studies (ICS) June
24-26 in Washington, D.C. The
group, which included Rogers,
State Rep. Yolley Roberson,
Councilman Aster Knight,
North Miami City Clerk Alix
Desulme, attorney Marlon Hill,
Hulbert James, Roxanne Valies,
and Maria Kong, also attended
a White House census briefing
that focused on Question 8 and
9. James, chair of the South
Florida census committee, was
selected as one of three national
co-chairs of the National
Caribbean Community Census
Committee.
"We will intensify our
efforts to ensure a complete
count by working with census
staff and complete count com-
mittees at the local, state, and
national level," said James in
the release.
0


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September 2009


CARIBBEAN TODAY

n e WS


r6ww -arbbentda.com


Investors blame U.S. regulators for Stanford 'Ponzi' scheme


LOUISIANA United States
regulators failed to act on
reports that Texas fin-
ancier Sir Allen -g
Stanford was operat- 4
ing an alleged multi-
billion dollar Ponzi
scheme, a United
States Senate
Banking Committee
has been told.
Investors appear-
ing before the com-
mittee last month
said that they had Stanford
provided information
to the U.S. regulators about
the alleged $7 billion Ponzi
scheme by Sir Allen that
involved his Antigua-based
Stanford International Bank
(SIB).
"These agencies, along
with Stanford, have robbed
me of my American dream,"
said 55-year-old Craig Nelson.
"I feel the U.S. government is
responsible for my loss."
Leyla Wydler, an ex-
Stanford Group financial
adviser, said that regulators at
the National Association of
Securities Dealers ignored her
when she alleged in 2003 that
the financier was conducting a
Ponzi scheme. Wydler who


U.S. seeks

to extradite

suspected

drug kingpin

NEW YORK, CMC The
United States has asked
Jamaica to extradite
Christopher "Duddus" Coke,
the alleged leader of the
"Shower Posse" gang, who is
facing weapons and drug-traf-
ficking charges in New York.
In the indictment,
unsealed in the U.S. Southern
District Court of New York
late last month, Coke, 40, also
known as PrL,,d ii and
"Shortman", is charged with
"conspiracy to distribute
cocaine and marijuana" and
"conspiracy to illegally traffic
in firLirm .
The indictment further
alleged that members of
Coke's "Shower Posse" traf-
ficked in marijuana and
cocaine in the New York met-
ropolitan area and elsewhere,
funneling the profits back to
Coke, who the U.S. Justice
Department has labeled as
"one of the world's most dan-
gerous drug kingpins."
The indictment said Coke,
a "businessman" in Jamaica's
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 4)


made a similar charge to the
U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC),
which charged
Stanford of engaging
in the "massive" Ponzi
scheme in February -
** said she was fired in
2002 because she
declined to offer the
"high yield" certifi-
cates of deposit (CDs)
to clients.
"The finan-
cial advisers who sold
CDs were praised and
compensated for doing so, and
those who did not sell the CDs
were fired," she testified.
'TOO SLOW'
Many of the investors said
the SEC, the U.S. financial
regulatory agency, was also
too slow in responding to alle-
gations levelled against Sir
Allen.


"The system absolutely
failed us; and now, we are left
destitute, defrauded and
dependent on others," said


a6.^ _


Troy Lillie, a retired Louisiana
refinery worker.
But Rose Romero,
regional director at the SEC's


Fort Worth office in Texas,
said it was difficult to build a
case against Sir Allen because
of the clandestine nature of


his operations.
"Stanford built a veil of

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 4)


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N E s


Court hears of 'blood oath' between Stanford, Antiguan financial regulator


HOUSTON, Texas A
United States federal court
has been told that the rela-
tionship, between indicted
Texas financier Sir Allen
Stanford and the former
Antigua and Barbuda chief
financial regulator Leroy
King, had been sealed through
a so-called "blood oath."
Former chief financial
officer of the Stanford Group,
James M. Davis, in a plea
agreement filed in the Federal
District Court in Houston,
said that Sir Allen and King
took the "blood oath" at a
meeting in 2003.
Davis told the court that
the oath "promoted an elabo-
rate N. IIL m to hide the $7
billion Ponzi scheme, of which
Sir Allen, King, Davis and
other Stanford Group top


associates are accused of run-
ning through Stanford-owned
the Stanford International
Bank (SIB) in Antigua.
After the pact, David said
that King called Stanford "Big
Brother", telling the court
that King received $8,000 in
American Football Super
Bowl tickets for himself and
his girlfriend. In addition,
Davis alleged that King
accepted regular bribe pay-
ments from a secret Swiss
bank account that Davis said
Sir Allen told him to handle.

TWIST
The unusual twist to the
Stanford case came as Davis
pleaded guilty late last month
to fraud and conspiracy in the
federal court.
Davis, who oversaw the


Investors blame U.S. regulators for

Stanford 'Ponzi' scheme


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3)
secrecy around him," she tes-
tified.
Sir Allen is being held in
a Houston jail awaiting civil
and criminal trial for what
prosecutors said could begin
in about a year's time. He has
repeatedly denied any wrong-


doing.
Ralph Janvey, the court-
appointed receiver for
Stanford's assets, was not
present at the hearing, but
said in a letter that his testi-
mony would impair the crimi-
nal case against Sir Allen.
0


movement of vast sums of
money at SIB, also said in the
plea agreement that Sir Allen
ordered him to "report false
revenue and false investment
portfolio balances to banking
rgljiItr, as far back as
1988, when Sir Allen ran an
offshore bank in Montserrat.
"I did wrong. I'm sorry. I
apologize. And I take respon-
sibility for my actions," Davis
said after the hearing.
Sir Allen was also sched-
uled to appear in court on
Aug. 27, but was hospitalized
after his pulse rate soared, his
lawyer said.
While he has repeatedly
denied accusations that he ran
a Ponzi scheme involving cer-
tificates of deposit issued by
SIB, Sir Allen has also insist-
ed that if anything illegal did


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3)
inner city, faces a maximum
sentence of life in prison if
convicted.
Rohan Powell, a spokesman
for Jamaica's Justice Ministry,
told reporters late last month the


happen, it must have been
Davis's fault. Davis, who had
been a friend of the accused
financier since they were
roommates at Baylor
University in Waco, Texas,
now faces up to 30 years in
prison.

PLEA
The plea agreement and a
court presentation on Aug. 27
by prosecutors repeated many
facts that were outlined in
June in an indictment of Sir
Allen, several Stanford Group
officials and King.
They are accused of
defrauding 30,000 investors of
$7 billion, filing false reports
to regulators and investors,
diverting more than $1.6 bil-
lion into undisclosed personal
loans to Stanford, and con-


extradition request is "under
rt i, \% and that an arrest war-
rant is yet to be issued.
Coke's lawyer, Tom
Tavares-Finson, described the
allegations as h1 p1-1 adding
that his client is perplexed.
"He can't understand


spring to obstruct an investi-
gation by the US Securities
and Exchange Commission
(SEC), the financial regulator.
Davis told the court that
he, Stanford, King and others
had proposed various respons-
es designed to mislead the
American regulators, which
King was expected to transmit
back to the SEC.
The plea agreement also
stated that King "helped mis-
lead rgulaht 'r, of the
Eastern Caribbean Central
Bank (ECCB) when it began
raising questions about the
SIB operations.
King is awaiting extradi-
tion to the U.S. to face the
charges.
0


what it could possibly be,"
Tavares-Finson said. "We'll
wait and see. I don't know
what's going to happen with
the Jamaican government."
0


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lTOP HEADLINES


U.S. seeks to extradite suspected

drug kingpin


on


September 2009




CARIBBEAN TODAY


_____________ South Terminal I


MIA's South Terminal new stores, restaurants,
architecture and artwork, and proudly serving
the following airlines:

Aerogal; Aerolineas Argentinas; Air Berlin; Air Canada;
Air France; Alitalia; Avianca; Bahamasair; Caribbean Airlines;
Continental; Copa; Delta; LACSA; LAN; Lufthansa; Lynx Air;
TAM; TACA; United; and US Airways.


www.miami-airport.com


Photography courtesy of Miami-Dade Aviation Department Carybe murals photo courtesy of Steven Brooke Studios


MIAMMI3D


September 2009





CARIBBEAN TODAY


- usw^cribbentoda..o I


Broward County politicians put down their gavels and picked up stethoscopes and white coats as part of "National Health Center
Week" last month, celebrating the quality accessible care provided to underserved populations by community health centers.
Among those who showed up at the Broward Community Family Health Center (BCFHC) were, left to right, Jamaican-born Florida
State Representative Hazelle Rogers; West Park Vice Mayor Thomas Dorsette; and BCFHC President and Chief Executive Officer
Rosalyn Frazier. "National Health Center Week" included health fairs, tours, screenings and educational events at the three Florida
locations of BCFHC Hollywood, Pompano and West Park.


Bisphosphonates effective in fighting osteoporosis


DR. ROBERT
SHMERLING

QUESTION: For many years,
I took Aciphex and then
learned it may have been a
factor in giving me osteoporo-
sis. I do not want to take bis-
phosphonates for mild osteo-
porosis. My naturopathic heal-
er suggests calcium aspartate,
along with a high dose of vita-
min D and weight-bearing
exercise, as well as eating
dark, leafy greens. Can this
regimen, as well as stopping
the Aciphex, reverse osteo-
porosis?

ANSWER: Supplemental cal-
cium and Vitamin D and
weight-bearing exercise are
routinely recommended to
maintain bone health, espe-
cially for postmenopausal
women or those who do not
get enough of these nutrients
in the diet.
What's enough? For most
adults, 1,200 milligrams/day of
calcium and 800 international
units of Vitamin D are recom-
mended. Green, leafy vegeta-
bles are a good dietary source
of calcium, but dairy products
(such as milk and yogurt) are
even better. Vitamin D can be
found in fish (especially
salmon and tuna), eggs and
fortified milk.
Increasing your intake of
calcium and Vitamin D and
increasing weight-bearing
exercise may slow bone loss,
especially if intake of calcium
and Vitamin D are low.


However, the evidence is
mixed on the ability of calci-
um, Vitamin D and exercising
more to actually reverse
osteoporosis (that is, increase
bone density, not just slow its
decline) and lower fracture
risk. If they can, the effect
seems to be small.

REVERSING
The most effective way to
reverse osteoporosis and
reduce the risk of fracture is
by taking a bisphosphonate
(such as alendronate/Fosamax
or risedronate/Actonel).
Raloxifene (Evista) and estro-
gen therapy also increase bone
density and reduce fracture
risk, but their side effects and
lower effectiveness (compared
with bisphosphonates) make
these less-appealing options.
Rabeprazole (Aciphex) is
a "proton-pump-inhibitor"
(PPI) which reduces acid in
the stomach. It can treat
ulcers, heartburn and other


acid-related stomach disor-
ders. Before blaming rabepra-
zole for your osteoporosis,
keep in mind that in extensive
studies of its effectiveness and
safety, no link between
rabeprazole and osteoporosis
was identified.
While it's possible that PPI
use increases the risk of osteo-
porosis, it's also possible that
people taking PPIs have more
risk factors for osteoporosis
than those who don't take
PPIs. For example, people tak-
ing PPIs may be sicker and
more likely to have been
admitted to the hospital
(where PPIs are often pre-
scribed). Or, they may take less
calcium or vitamin D, drink
more alcohol, or take corticos-
teroids more frequently than
people who don't take PPIs.
Even if PPIs are found to
increase osteoporosis risk, it's
possible that some PPIs (includ-
ing rabeprazole) have little
effect on bone density, while
others weaken bone more.

Dr. Robert H. Shmerling,
M.D. is associate physician at
Beth Israel Deaconess
Medical Center, Boston,
Massachusetts, and associate
professor at Harvard Medical
School.

2008 President and Fellows
of Harvard College. All rights
reserved Distributed by
Tribune Media Services, Inc.
0


U.S. scientists warn of coral


bleaching in the Caribbean


'DOCTORS' IN THE HOUSE


m


WASHINGTON, D.C. -
United States scientists have
warned that conditions are
favorable for significant coral
bleaching and infectious coral
disease outbreaks in the
Caribbean.
Scientists from the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) made
their forecast in the July Coral
Reef Watch outlook, released
here recently. They cautioned
that their forecast will be partic-
ularly felt in the Lesser Antilles
in view of continued high water
temperatures through October.
"Just like any climate
forecast, local conditions and
weather events can influence
actual temperatures," said Dr.
Mark Eakin, NOAA's coral
reef watch coordinator.
"However, we are quite
concerned that high tempera-
tures may threaten the health
of coral reefs in the Caribbean
this year."
Eakin said he is concerned
that bleaching may reach the
same levels or exceed those
recorded in 2005, the worst
year of coral bleaching and
disease in Caribbean history.


Social Secu

and yoi
To help readers under-
stand more about Social
Security in the United
States, Caribbean Today, with
the help of the Social Security
Administration (SSA), is offer-
ing the following questions and
answers:

DISABILITY
Question: I was disabled
for a while several years ago.
My health has since improved.
Can I receive disability benefits
for the time I was disabled?
Answer: If you were disabled
,L \ L ral years ,j,', but are not
disabled now, you probably
can't get benefits at this point.
Whether or not you are entitled
to what we call a <. I .J period
of disability" depends on:
When you became dis-
abled; and
When you apply for Social
Security disability benefits.
You may be entitled to a
I ..LJ period of disability"
when medical evidence estab-
lishes you were unable to
engage in substantial gainful
work activity for a continuous
period of 12 months, but by
the time the disability decision
is made, you have medically
recovered. You must also
meet the following require-
ments to be entitled to a closed
period of disability:
You must file an applica-
tion within 14 months after the
disability ended; or


He said in parts of the Eastern
Caribbean, as much as 90 per-
cent of corals were bleached
and over half of those died
during that event.

'CORAL DEATH'
Eakin said prolonged
coral bleaching of more than a
week can lead to coral death
and the subsequent loss of
coral reef habitats for a range
of marine life. It also affects
local economies and tourism.
Scientists have said that
coral bleaching is associated
with a variety of factors, espe-
cially increased ocean temper-
atures. This causes the coral to
expel symbiotic micro-algae
living in their tissues algae
that provide sustenance for
coral.
They also said that the
loss of algae leaves coral tis-
sue devoid of color, making it
appear bleached.
Eakin said the bleaching
risk may be higher in certain
regions in the Caribbean than
in this initial forecast.




ity benefits

Health
You must have filed an
application between 15 to 36
months after the disability ended
and you must show that your
failure or inability to file a timely
application was due to your
physical or mental condition.
If you meet the require-
ments for disability benefits,
there is a five-month waiting
period before your first month-
ly benefit can be paid. You can
receive up to 12 months of
retroactive benefits from the
date you file an application
with Social Security. Learn
more about Social Security dis-
ability benefits at
www. socialsecurity.gov/dis-
ability

MEDICARE
Question: It seems difficult
to figure out what plan to get
for Medicare prescription drug
coverage. What is the easiest
way to compare plans?
Answer: The easiest way to
get a handle on Medicare pre-
scription drug plans is to use
the Medicare Prescription
Drug Plan Finder at
www.medicare.gov. There
you can find and compare
plans in your area. Or, you
may find it better to get per-
sonalized counseling about
plans in your area by calling
1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-
633-4227).
0


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September 2009


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1 11 IE n t T 91 / oE n v i R o n m oE nT






CARIBBEAN TODAY


F nT U R 6


LWW-crbbatoa.co


Britain determined to revamp politics in Turks and Caicos Islands


PETER RICHARDS

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks
and Caicos Islands, CMC At
the end of their annual summit
in Guyana in July, Caribbean
community (CARICOM) coun-
tries reiterated their opposition
to moves by Britain to suspend
the constitution of the Turks
and Caicos Islands (TCI).
The end of summit com-
muniqu6 noted that the leaders
of the 15-member bloc, while
"deeply disturbed" by the find-
ings of a commission of inquiry
into possible corruption into
the former Michael Misick gov-
ernment, still felt London had
an obligation to find an alter-
native solution rather than sus-
pending the constitution and
imposing direct rule.
In March, the leaders from
countries that were once British
colonies the French country
of Haiti being the exception -
said that the plans by London
were "not the most effective
tools to bolster good gover-
nance and effective administra-
tion in the territory".
In May, CARICOM used
the United Nations Second
International Decade for the
Eradication of Colonialism
conference in St. Kitts to push
for support for its position.
"The CARICOM position
on this matter calls for deeper
reflection by all involved in
order to arrive at a solution that
will minimize constitutional dis-
ruption," said Permanent
Secretary in the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs Astona Browne.
She noted that given the
geographical proximity and
cultural ties of the people of
the Caribb.ii it should not be
surprising that CARICOM
continues to regard the decolo-
nization process of the remain-
ing overseas territories as fun-
damental to Caribbean region-
al integration.
Galmo Williams, who took
over the leadership of the TCI
government in March from
Misick, also addressed the U.N.
conference and later travelled
to London at the head of a
two-member delegation in a
bid to get the British govern-
ment to accede to his request
for the citizens of the island to
have a say in their future.

ONLY OPTION
But a dejected Williams,
upon his return, told the
Caribbean Media Corporation
(CMC) that political
Independence seems to be the
only option now available to
the Turks and Caicos Islands.
"It is our only way out, self
determination. It is our only
way out to nationhood. They
are determined we must be
ruled by one man (governor)
and I think it is unfair. I think I
have to continue speaking out


against it. Independence has to
be the only way that we in this
country must look...it is our
only way for our long term
growth," he told CMC.
Britain had said its action
would last at least for two years
and follows the conclusion of a
one-man commission of
inquiry, which reported that it
had found "clear signs" of cor-
ruption in the government. At
the center of the corruption
claims is Misick, who is alleged
to have amassed a multi-mil-
lion-dollar fortune since he was
elected in 2003.
According to the inquiry
team's document, the corruption
appears to have consisted of
"bribery of
Ministers
and/or public
officers by over-
seas developers
and other
investors, so as
to secure
Crown Land onMisick
favorable Misick
L rilllh'.
The commission also dis-
coveredle r i u, deterioration
- from an already low level in
the territory's systems of gover-
nance and public financial
management and at all eiiir .
The contributing factors to
this decline include "the poten-
tial and encouragement in the
system of governance for abuse
of public office, concealment of
conflict (of) interest at all lev-
els of public life". Another fac-
tor was the lack of effective
constitutional checks and bal-
ances "to protect the public
purse, the inefficient from
scrutiny, the dishonest from
discovery and the vulnerable
from ,blu f L
Sir Robin Auld, the head
of the commission, has recom-
mended criminal action against
Misick and other politicians
who are accused of enriching
the mInll ep.
Britain's Overseas
Territories Minister Gillian
Merron said that the investiga-
tion had discovered a "high
probability of systemic corrup-
tion or serious dishonesty" in
the TCI. CARICOM had
hoped that London would have
used the period during which
the final report would have
been submitted and the legal
challenges to "more profitably
find solutions that would avert
the IlirL, IL nIdLJ constitutional
and democratic dislocation.
"In this regard, the rejec-
tion by the governor of the
proposal of the new premier to
allow the people of TCI to
elect a new government which
could have adopted and imple-
mented the measures required
to improve the administration
of the territory and strengthen
integrity in public life was,
regrettably, a lost opportunity,"
the regional leaders said at the


end of their summit in July.
"The people of the Turks
and Caicos Islands and their
ability to govern IlILII1mLIS in
the long run
will benefit far
more from
strengthening
their adminis-
trative and
good gover-
nance process-
es through
their own Wetherell
efforts than by Wetherell
the administra-
tions through the governor
under direct rule."

NOT IMPRESSED
Britain was not impressed.
London delivered its verdict on
the island that enjoys one of
the more dynamic economies
in the Caribbean.
In 2002 Turks and Caicos
was removed from a list of
countries and territories con-
sidered to be uncooperative tax
havens by the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD), which
seeks to end harmful tax prac-
tices around the globe.
However, by 2009 it remained
on the OECD's grey list of
countries that have promised
to comply with rules on sharing
tax information. Tourism is
also a major revenue earner.
Governor Gordon
Wetherell said that he has since
signed the necessary proclama-
tion suspending the constitution
of the island that was once a
dependency of Jamaica and
became a crown colony upon
Jamaica's Independence in 1962.
The final hurdle to Britain's
move came last month when
the British Court of Appeal dis-
missed arguments by Misick
that the TCI Constitution Order
- that allows for suspending the
constitution contravenes
European Union laws. The
three-member panel also ruled


that there was little evidence to
support the case going any fur-
ther.
The governor said that
with "immediate effect, minis-
terial government and the
House of Assembly are sus-
pended...and the House of
Assembly is dissolved and
Members' seats are vacated.
"The constitutional right to
trial by jury is also suspended
with immediate effect. In
accordance with the Order in
Council, this will be for a peri-
od of two years, subject to
extension or abbreviation as
necessary," Wetherell said.

'COUP' CONDEMNED
The governor said that dur-
ing the two-year period, he
would be responsible for the
government of the Turks and
Caicos Islands and that he has
appointed British-national
Martin Stanley as chief execu-
tive to head the TCI public
service. But Williams con-
demned the "coup" by London.
"...As the grand children of
slaves, left abandoned on these
barren shores centuries ago,
we, together with those who
came later on, have turned
these Islands into something
that we can all be proud of,
and indeed something that our
once delinquent masters, have
stated that they will do any-
thing except a return to slavery
to repossess," Williams
stressed.


"As the legitimately and
duly elected leader of this
country," Williams said that he
was siro ni; objecting to the
recommendations outlined in
the Report of the Commission.
"But I am convinced that
this coup d'6tat committed
against the LgililliaJIL govern-
ment of our Turks and Caicos
Islands by the United Kingdom
puts them on the wrong side of
history, for I can assure you that
this action which they have
taken against us was not done
because it is the right thing to do
nor because it is necessary, but
rather it is being taken because
they are able to do such things in
a country of our size and status."
But the British governor
has dismissed the talks of a
"take over," telling citizens "we
can finally move ahead togeth-
er towards a fresh start for the
Islands.
"Our guiding principles
will be those of transparency,
accountability and responsibili-
ty," Wetherell said. "I believe
that most people in the Turks
and Caicos will join with me in
welcoming these changes."
"This is not a 'British
takeover'," he insisted. "The
British government and I are
committed to working towards
holding free and fair elections
by July 2011."

- CMC
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4
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CARIBBEAN TODAY


FOOD


September 2009


-t ~ /

cc, C -


I ww.caibeatoa.comI


Mix up, mix up: Sweet and sour chicken with coconut and ginger rice


Jr I
,b. 4l



-. *f ,


'Simple touches are among the secrets to steak success'.


Little sweetness, a little
spice are always nice
to Caribbean people.
As home to so many races and
cultures, the region is always
welcoming a variety of dishes.
So this month, Caribbean
Today is serving up Oriental-
style chicken, flavored with
familiar coconut and ginger.
Try it nuh!

Ingredients
* 1 1/2 cups water
* 1 (8-ounce) can pineapple


chunks in juice (drained)
* 1 (7-ounce) box coconut gin-
ger rice
* 1 tablespoon sesame oil
* 4 cups frozen popcorn chick-
en bites
* 1 (16-ounce) bag frozen
broccoli stir-fry
* 1 (16-ounce) jar sweet and
sour dinner sauce
* 2 tablespoons honey

Method
Place water in medium
saucepan. Cover and bring to


boil on high heat for rice.
Stir rice and seasoning packet
(from rice) into boiling water.
Reduce heat to low, cover and
simmer 20 minutes.
Preheat wok on high for
two minutes.
Place sesame oil in wok
and swirl to coat. Add chicken
and cook three minutes, stirring
frequently to prevent burning.
Add pineapple and broc-
coli stir-fry. Stir, cover and
reduce heat to medium-high.
Cook seven minutes, stirring
occasionally.
Add sweet and sour sauce
and honey. Stir, cover and
reduce heat to low. Simmer
eight minutes.
Remove rice from heat
and let stand four minutes.
Serve chicken and vegetables
over rice.

Oriental salad

Ingredients

* 1 cup cherry tomatoes
* 1 yellow squash
* 6 cups romaine lettuce
leaves
* 1/4 cup Oriental salad
dressing

Method
Wash tomatoes, squash


wokn ardnothepHere' utoeo h
way to save




























publix0/


and lettuce. Tear lettuce into
bite-size pieces and place in
salad bowl.
Slice tomatoes in half and
squash into half-inch cubes.
Add to lettuce.


Add dressing, toss and
serve.

- Recipe obtained from
Publix Apron's Simple Meals.
0


Grace Kennedy Limited,
a leading Caribbean
food manufacturer and
distributor, has announced it is
the new title sponsor of a large
Caribbean food festival in the
United States.
The Jamaican Jerk
Festival, now named the Grace
Jamaican Jerk Festival, will be
held Nov. 8 at Markham Park
in Sunrise, Florida.
"To have Grace Kennedy,
the foremost producer of
authentic Caribbean food prod-
ucts as the title sponsor is just a
natural fit," Eddy Edwards,
chairman of the board of
Jamaican Jerk Festival USA,
Inc., said in a recent press
release. "The company has
been a supporter and partici-
pant in the festival since our
launch in 2001...


"Grace Kennedy has
always considered this festival
to be one of our most impor-
tant annual events in the
region, allowing us to connect
with the large Caribbean com-
munity here in South Florida as
well as the expanding audience
of jerk lovers," said Joy
Thomas, market manager,
southern U.S.
"Being the title sponsor
presents us an opportunity to
do more than just showcase
our brand. We will be able to
play a part in all of the day's
entertainment and activities,
really interact with the festival
goers and serving up dishes
made primarily with our jerk
line of products."
0


Grace Kennedy is new sponsor

of 'Jamaican Jerk Festival'





CARIBBEAN TODAY


More than miles separate us


Our story so far:
L ast year, Barack Obama
was elected president,
the first American of
African heritage ever to reach
that office. If this was regard-
ed as a new beginning by most
Americans, it was regarded
apocalyptically by others who
promptly proceeded to lose
both their minds and any pre-
tense of enlightenment.
These are the people who
immediately declared it their
fervent hope that the new pres-
idency fail, the ones who
cheered when
the governor
of Texas
raised the
specter of
secession, the
ones who
went online
to rechristen
the executive
mansion the LEONARD
L I, PITTS, JR.
House, and to
picture it with
a watermelon patch out front.
In the debate over health-
care reform, they are the ones
who have disrupted town hall
meetings, shouting about the
president's supposed plan for
"death pak 1,l to euthanize
the elderly.
Now, they are the ones
bringing firearms to places the
president is speaking.

MYTH
It remains unclear, once
you get beyond the realm of
Internet myth, alarmist rheto-
ric and blatant lie, what the
substance of the president's
supposed tyranny might be.
"Socialized health care"?
Given that our libraries,
schools, police and fire
departments are all "social-
ized", that's hard to swallow.
When and if the implied
violence comes, perhaps its
author will explain. Meanwhile,
expect those who stoked his
rage i.e., the makers of
Internet myths, alarmist rheto-
ric and blatant lies to disdain
any and all moral responsibility
for the outcome.


These are strange times.
They call to mind what historian
Henry Adams said in the mid-
1800s: "There are grave doubts
at the hugeness of the land and
whether one government can
comprehend the whole."
Adams spoke in geo-
graphical terms of a nation
rapidly expanding toward the
Pacific. Our challenge is less
geographical than spiritual,
less a question of the distance
between Honolulu and New
York than between you and
the person right next to you.
Such as when you look at a
guy who thought it a good
idea to bring a "gun" to a
presidential speech and find
yourself stunned by incompre-
hension. On paper, he is your
fellow American, but you
absolutely do not know him,
recognize nothing of yourself
in him. You keep asking your-
self: Who "is" this guy?

OLD MARKERS
We frame the dill r It
in terms of t.<'n- r\lli%\L and
"liberal", but these are tired
old markers that with overuse
and misuse have largely lost
whatever meaning they used
to have and with it, any ability
to explain us to us. This isn't
liberal vs. conservative, it is
yesterday vs. tomorrow, the
stress of profound cultural and
demographic changes that will
leave none of us as we were.
And change, almost by
definition, always comes too
fast, always brings a sense of
stark dislocation.
Round and round we go
and where we stop, nobody
knows. And it is an open ques-
tion, as it was for Henry Adams,
what kind of country we'll have
when it's done. "Can" one gov-
ernment comprehend the
whole? It may be harder to
answer now than it was then.
The distances that divide
us cannot be measured in miles.

Tribune Media Services Inc.
Leonard Pitts is a columnist
for the Miami Herald.
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n T


I E W P O I I


F
There is a time in every
woman's life when she is
most dangerous, and
indeed, it is a wise man who
knows that the female of the
species is more deadly than
the male.
Usually it's the nearest
thing in her proximity, her
man, who feels the brunt of
this rage and gets burnt,
scalped and scarred by the
inferno. No man can match it.
Many men don't even know it
by name, but all they know is
that at a certain time, they
better not argue, say anything,
or even LIu-',l touching her,
but just hold their corner and
let her be.
It goes by the name PMS,
and some men know it and
fear it, while others haven't a
clue. But it comes in many
forms, many shapes, and is in
all women.
Now I know that you're
thinking of the traditional cycli-
cal PMS, where like the lunar
cycle, emotions and actions are
affected. No, it's not that one,
for there are many other sorts
of PMS that exist.

MOOD SHIFTS
One of them is Perpetual
Mood Shifts. Any man knows
that he is in big trouble if he
doesn't bend and sway to those
mood shifts. A woman will be
in a perfectly good mood, hav-
ing a great time, then suddenly
it's like the moon has covered
the face of the sun and every-
thing goes dark.
Not even she can explain
it. Ask no questions, make no
queries, step away if you can,
walk away to another room. If
you live elsewhere, go home.
Sometimes, if you're lucky, it
will shift back to normal as
suddenly as it had changed.
Then there is the Puffy
Mid Section, yet another PMS
that affects women. For some
strange reason, a man with a
puffy mid section is accept-
able. A woman with a puffy
mid-section is looked upon
with derision. They like it not.
Still, I saw a woman with
a huge mid section, wearing
an impy skimpy outfit that
showed off her fat. When I
commented quietly to my

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'MS explained


friend, the
response was,
"Yu nuh
know what a
gwaan, is
belly a wear
now."'
Yes folks,
belly is in sea-
son. TONY
'MENROBINSON
SUCK'
Plainly Men Suck. No,
no, no, not in the way that
you're thinking. There are
women who every now and
then go through a phase
where, as far as they're con-
cerned, all men suck. They
are bitter, angry women. As
far as they are concerned,
there is not one good man in
existence, and all men in her
life, past, present and future,
are the scum of the earth,
worthless vagabonds. They
usually preface their sentences
with the words, all a "unoo",
as in, "All a unoo worthless."
From you hear those
words, back off and retreat,
for that PMS is deadly. Those
women usually end up alone,
or in the arms of other
women. A few who have made
that switch, after a while, the
same problems that they had
with men are the same ones
they have with women.

FAULT FINDING
Hot on the heels of that
PMS is the other more general
one, People Make me Sick, or


PMMS. These women find
fault with everything and
everyone, even their own chil-
dren whose lives they inter-
fere with. After a while every-
one avoids them.
The lighter type of PMS
includes, Provide Me with
Sweets, Perpetual Munchie
Spree, Pimples May Surface.
In those, the woman has those
cravings for chocolate or
munchies until invariably they
break out in pimples.
Those you can live with.
What you don't want to hear is
the deadly PMS, Pack My Stuff.
That has left many a grown
man weak-kneed and sobbing,
b, -inii- her not to leave.
But how do you counter
all these various types of PMS
in women? Well, there is, and
it's quite simple. It's all in the
approach. If a man suspects
any form of PMS in his
woman, he should not go
home and just ask her "What's
for dinner?" Also, don't ever
ask her, "Are you really wear-
ing that?" Instead, look on
her and say "Wow that outfit
looks great." Or even better,
"Wow you look fabulous."
Also, no matter what she's
eating, don't ever ask, "Should
you be eating that?" as it
implies that she's fat.
So you thought you knew
what PMS was, well now you
know the different types.

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CARIBBEAN TODAY


- usw^caribeantoda..om


C U tT U R


'The Harder They Come' a delightful, nostalgic Caribbean experience


DAWN A. DAVIS

If South Floridians didn't
know about "nine night"
(aka setup), they certainly
learned about the Jamaican
tradition late last month at
Miami's Adrienne Arsht
Center for the Performing
Arts.
A rousing nd-off" of
the deceased on the ninth
night after death, the ritual is
truly a last hurrah party in
honor of the departed. This
lavish ritual was the opening
scene of the much anticipated
musical "The Harder They
Come".
On its North American
tour, the United Kingdom
production opened at the
Arsht Center to enthusiastic
audiences hungry for the
much loved music from the
1972 movie produced and
directed by Perry Henzell and
co-written with Trevor Rhone.
Like the film, the musical
production tells the story of
Ivanhoe Martin, an aspiring
reggae singer who comes to


town (Kingston, Jamaica)
to make his mark, but is
cheated by crooked music
industry bigwigs. Hurt and
bent on revenge, Ivan gets
caught up in a world of vio-
lence and criminality that
leads to his ultimate end.
The audience walks in on
the in-progress "nine night"
with mourning, singing,
domino playing, rum drink-
ing, dancing, and wailing.
The packed theater vibrates
with energy as the superb
cast of London-based
actors brings Ivan's story -
incidentally based on true
events to life.
Ivan, played by Rolan
Bell, a British citizen born
of Jamaican parents, brings
authenticity to the role,
deftly portraying the inno-
cence of a country boy who
comes to town with ,i, r '
in his eyes. Ivan transforms
into a hardened Kingstonian
as he navigates the harsh-
ness of life on the road to
infamy.

'CHURCHIFIED'
The one constant in his
miserable life, Elsa, played
by Jamaican-born Joanna
Francis, tempers his exis-
tence. The 'churchified'
Elsa is drawn out of her
religious stupor by the
charismatic, handsome Ivan
to the chagrin of the lecher-
ous preacher, played by
Victor Romero Evans. The "\
main characters' rough ride
is supplemented by first-
class performances by Chris
Tummings who plays the cor-
rupt police detective Ray
Pierre; Marcus Powell, the
thieving music industry execu-
tive Mr. Hilton; the warm-
hearted Pedro played by Lain
Gray; and Susan Lawson-
Reynolds in the role of the
sexy city girl Pinky.
But it is the music that
makes this stage production
unforgettable. Indeed, Jimmy
Cliff's recordings are what


Ian" lives again in 'The Harder They Come'.

transformed the film into a
cult classic. The world-
renowned songwriter, who
also played Ivan in the film,
penned the haunting words to
"Many Rivers to Cross" and
of course the instantly recog-
nizable title song "The Harder
They Come". With a clearly
visible on-stage band, the pro-
duction is more like getting a
two-for-one deal a live music
concert and a stage play at the
same time.
By the end of the per-


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formance, the overwhelming
comment is: "It is nostalgic".
Indeed, with classic hits from
the movie soundtrack such as
"You Can Get It If You
Really Want", "The Bigger
They Come The Harder They
Fall", "Johnny Too Bad" and
"By the Rivers of Babylon",
the musical production brings
back memories of Jamaica's
turbulent, but nationalistic
'70s.

TALENT
Francis, besides being a
talented actress, wows the
audience with her incredibly
melodious and controlled
voice. It's a pity we didn't get
to hear more of her. Gray, too,
should also consider a singing
career based on his soulful
delivery. And, although Bell is
a good fit for the leading role,
he does not have the strongest
voice.
An opening night after-
party that allowed guests to
mingle with the actors and
dignitaries allowed fans to
continue reminiscing about a
time in Jamaica that helped
shape them. With footage
from the movie and other


noteworthy clips featuring
Bob Marley, Barrington Levy,
Inner Circle, Black Uhuru,
and wicked music by DJ Tom
La Roc, the musical produc-
tion never stopped.
A surprise appearance by
Jamaica's Minister of
Information and Culture
Olivia "Babsy" Grange was a
fitting cap to a night of
Jamaican musical culture.
Bursting with pride, the minis-
ter lauded the actors for their
stellar contribution to a strong
tradition that has helped put
Jamaica on the world stage.
Also on hand were some of
the Henzell clan representing
their father who died in 2006.
"The Harder They Come"
produced by Jan Ryan,
Robert Fox, and Michael
White and directed by Dawn
Reid and Kerry Michael, will
be at the Adrienne Arsht
Center for the Performing Arts
through Sept. 13. It's the play's
only North American run.

Dawn A. Davis is a freelance
writer.




N 10 .. .
Street Address:
9020 SW 152nd Street, Miami, FL 33157
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 6010
Miami, FL 33116-6010.
Telephone: (305) 238-2868
(305) 253-6029 Fax: (305) 252-7843
Toll-Free Fax: 1-866-290-4550
1-800-605-7516 Jamaica: 654-7282
E-mail: editor@caribbeantoday.com
Send ads to: ct_ads@bellsouth.net
Vol. 20, Number 10 SEPT. 2009

PETER A WEBLEY
Publisher
GORDON WILLIAMS
Managing Editor
SABRINA HOPKINS
Graphic Artist

DOROTHY CHIN
Account Executive

SHARON LEE
Account Executive
CARMEN CHANG
Account Executive
JACQUELINE RUBIANO
Accounting Manager
Caribbean Media Source
Media Representatives
Opinions expressed by editors and writers
are not necessarily those of thepublisher.
Caribbean Today, an independent
news magazine, is published every month
by Caribbean Publishing & Services, Inc.
Caribbean Today is not responsible
for unsolicited manuscripts or photos. To
guarantee return, please include a self-
addressed stamped envelope.
Articles appearing in Caribbean
Today may not be reproduced without
written permission of the editor.


OWEN TAYLOR
Principal Agent

18001 Old Cutler Road, Suite 648
Palmetto Bay, Florida 33157
305.232.8222
Fax: 305.232.9334
Cell: 786.512.0174
otayior@bellsouth.net


September 2009

























































Three Miami students
emerged winners in this
year's annual Jamaica
Independence Essay
Competition in Florida,
United States.
They were 15-year-old
Trevon Chambers, nine year-
old Druscilla Daley, and eight-
year-old Deianeira Hoffenden,
all residents of Miami.
The winners were selected
from a group of some 23
entries, each entrant detailing
his or her experiences from a
wide range of topics relating
to the history and culture of
Jamaica and its diaspora.

CELEBRATION
The competition, organized
by the Jamaica Information
Service in Miami, is part of the
annual festivities celebrating
Jamaica's Independence in
Florida. It is open to Jamaican
children, first and second
generation, who reside in the
U.S. state.
Hoffenden, a fourth grade
student, wrote a story about
her two favorite places in
Jamaica, which earned her
first place in the five to eight
age group category.


In her essay, Daley dis-
cussed the "Significance of
Jamaica's Six National sym-
bols", which won in the age
category nine to 13.
In the 13-18 category,
Chambers won for his essay
about an outstanding
Jamaican in the diaspora and
paid tribute to Jennifer Grant,
director of the Sierra
Norwood Church Children's
Choir.
Hoffenden, a second gen-
eration Jamaican, said she was
inspired by her love for travel,
especially places she visited
during her trips to Jamaica.
Daley was born in
Jamaica and migrated to
South Florida in April. She
was motivated by Jamaica's
rich culture and heritage.
Chambers is also second
generation with an interest in
his Jamaican heritage. He is
active in his church's Music
Department at the Sierra
Norwood Calvary Baptist
Church, where Grant is the
music director.

- Information provided by the
JIS.
0


CARIBBEAN TODAY

iO c n Ai


Teens learn about finances

during Miami workshops
MIAMI With teenagers the United States and made it
accounting for approximately harder for teens to find part-
$125 billion in spending each time jobs, causing some to
year, the Miami-Dade County rethink their shopping habits
4-H Youth Program has been and scrimp on purchases like
working with local teens to concerts, movies and restau-
help them budget their rants.
finances and teach them what The workshops, titled
it takes to make it in life. "On My Own: Challenge for
Living", simulated real-life
experiences in day-to-day and
long-term financial planning
that teens can expect to face
as adults. Participants were


The 4-H program recently
wrapped up two summer
finance workshops with 48
students at the Northwest
Boys and Girls Club and
African Square Park in
Miami. The workshops were
held in the wake of an eco-
nomic pinch that has taken
hold of household budgets in


assigned careers, salaries and
family situations. They were
tasked to stay within their
budget as they shopped for
household supplies, and paid
for transportation, housing,
food, utilities, insurance, child-
care and entertainment.
Teens also learned the dif-
ference in gross and net pay,
how to write a check while
avoiding check fraud and the
importance of keeping a bal-
anced checkbook to prevent
overdraft fees.
For more information on the
4-H program, visit http://miami-
dade.ifas&ql.edu/4h or call 305-
888-5010, ext 107.
0


LW-S^^ caribbeantoday


Getting answers about Social Security benefits


help readers under-
stand more about Social
Security in the United
States, Caribbean Today, with
the help of the Social Security
Administration (SSA), is offer-
ing the following questions and
answers:

Question: Can a widow
receive Social Security bene-
fits on her husband's record?

Answer: Yes. When a person
who has worked and paid
Social Security taxes dies, cer-
tain members of the family
may be eligible for survivors
benefits. Social Security sur-
vivors' benefits can be paid to:
A widow or widower full
benefits at full retirement age,
or reduced benefits as early as
age 60;
A disabled widow or widower
- as early as age 50;
A widow or widower at
any age if he or she takes care



VOLUNTEER FEST
The Adrienne Arsht Center for
the Performing Arts of Miami-
Dade County in Florida will
open its doors to the public for a
free volunteer festival from noon
to 6 p.m. Sept. 11.
The center's first-ever "United
We Serve Volunteer Miami Day"
will feature seminars covering top-
ics in energy conservation, arts
education programs, personal and
career advancement and communi-
ty involvement. Live musical per-
formances and a preview of the
Arsht Center's 2 r, i. 1111 season
will also highlight the program.


of the deceased's child who is
under age 16 or disabled, and
the child gets Social Security
benefits;
Unmarried children under
18 (or up to age 19, if they are
attending high school full time);
Children at any age who
were disabled before age 22
and remain disabled; and
Dependent parents age 62
or older.
Even if you are divorced,
you may still qualify for sur-
vivors' benefits.

RETIREMENT

Question: How do I qualify for
benefits as a divorced spouse?

Answer: You can receive ben-
efits as a divorced spouse on a
former spouse's Social
Security record if you:
Were married to the for-
mer spouse for at least 10 years;
Are age 62 or older;



The Adrienne Arsht Center
is located at 1300 Biscayne Blvd.
in Miami.

MIAMI CARNIVAL
The 25th annual Miami Carnival
is scheduled for Oct.11 at
Bicentennial Park in downtown
Miami, Florida.
The year's event is being
sponsored by the Broward and
Miami carnival committees.

DIVALI CELEBRATION
South Florida will host the
East Indian ,. kihr.ii' 'in of
"Divali", "Diwali" or "Deepavali"


Are unmarried; and
Are not entitled to a high-
er Social Security benefit on
your own record.
In addition, the former
spouse must be eligible to
receive his or her own retire-
ment or disability benefit. If
the former spouse is eligible
for a benefit, but has not yet
applied for it, you can still
receive a benefit if you meet
the eligibility requirements
and have been divorced from
the former spouse for at least
two years.
Generally, the SSA won't
continue to pay benefits if you
remarry someone other than
your former spouse.
Learn more, and deter-
mine what your benefit might
be by visiting our online
Benefit Calculators at
www.socialsecurity.gov/plan-
ners/benefitcalculators.htm.
0


September 2009


Miami winners in essay

contest


over three days next month.
The Divali Nagar Inc. will
be the celebration, also known as
the Hindu Festival of Lights,
Oct. 14-16 at the new Central
Broward Regional Park, State
Road 7 and Sunrise Boulevard in
Lauderhill.
Ethnic foods, refreshments,
live entertainment, cultural semi-
nars, kids' workshops will be
among the activities.
For more information, visit
www.divalinagar.us, e-mail
info@divalinagar.us or call 954-
846-9895.
$





CARIBBEAN TODAY


SATURDAY, AUGUST 29TH
11AM 1:30PM
2-for-1 tickets
lor The Harder They Comme'
"Valid for walk-up box office purchases only Not applicable to
previously purchased tickets Limit 6 tickets per purchase.


-J


ARTS & ENTERTAInmENT

Singer Chris Brown sentenced

for assaulting Bajan pop star


LOS ANGELES, California -
A Los Angeles judge has sen-
tenced singer Chris Brown to
five years probation and
ordered him to do 180 days of
community labor for assaulting
his former girlfriend, the
Barbadian pop star Rihanna.
Los Angeles County
Superior Court
Judge Patricia
SeliIL' *last
month also
ordered Brown
to stay clear of w
Rihanna, whose
real name is
Robyn Rihanna Rihanna
Fenty, for the
next five years or face a stay in
California state prison. She also
ordered Brown to attend a year
of domestic violence counseling.
The sentencing was part of
the plea deal that spared Brown
any jail time in the Feb. 8 brutal
beating that left the singer with
bruises and a black eye. The
judge said she was aware of
reports that Brown, 20, and
Rihanna, 21, were close to cross-
ing paths and demanded it stop.
"Even though you have pro-
bation, this is a felony, and it does
come with the potential of prison
if you violate it," she ruled.
StliL,' ordered Brown to
stay 100 yards away from
Rihanna except at industry
events where the distance is 10


yards. She also forbade tele-
phone and written contact.
NO EASE
Rihanna's lawyer Donald
Etra said the judge wasn't
interested in hearing an
expected request to ease the
protection order.
"Rihanna knows what her
legal options are if she wishes
to seek a modification of the
order," he said.
The probation pre-sentenc-
ing report included a rundown
of prior fights Brown had with
Rihanna. It
noted "he has
already apolo-
gized to the
victim on a few
different occa-
sions" and that
"he is uncer-
tain of the sta-
tus of their Brown
relationship.
Nlta 1l the
incident occurred, he has been
very 'depressed,'" the report
noted.
Rihanna, did not attend
the sentencing. Brown was
accompanied by his mother.
He admitted guilt to
felony assault in June, and
issued a public apology for the
attack.
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September 2009





CARIBBEAN TODAY


Gay, lesbian groups force

cancellation of Banton's U.S. tour


KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC -
Jamaican reggae star Buju
Banton has had to cancel his
performances in the United
States following protests by
gay and lesbian groups.
Banton, whose real name
is Mark Myrie, was due to
perform in Chicago, Las
Vegas, Dallas and Houston,
beginning early this month.
But promoter "Live Nation"
said the performances had
been cancelled and that ticket
holders would be refunded.
Gay rights activists have
been campaigning against
Banton since his 1990 hit
"Boom Bye Bye", which they
said incite violence against gay


Labor Day Carnival: Where Caribbean

culture takes center stage in New York


NEW YORK Caribbean resi-
dents in New York are gearing
up for one of the bi,..LI events
on the American cultural calen-
dar the West Indian American
Day Labor Carnival to be
held on Sept. 7.
At a reception last month
at Gracie Mansion the official
residence of New York City's
Mayor Michael Bloomberg -
Caribbean Americans joined
the mayor and his staff to cele-
brate the 42nd anniversary of
the parade, which attracts mil-
lions of revelers and onlookers
each year to Brooklyn's Eastern
Parkway.
"Labor Day in New York is
where Caribbean culture takes
center stage and Caribbean
nationals from Guyana to
Grenada display solidarity


and diversity as well as the cre-
ativity of one of the most
remarkable regions of the
world," said Lorine St. Jules of
the St. Lucia Tourist Board in
New York.
"The West Indian
American Day Carnival and
Parade (is) the city's big end-of-
summer party, and it brings mil-
lions of people to Brooklyn
from all over the United States,
Canada, and certainly from the
West Indies," said Mayor
Bloomberg as he addressed
Caribbean Americans at Gracie
Mansion. "The parade is a


wonderful celebration of the
diversity that makes New York
the greatest city in the world."

AWARENESS
Carnival association
President Yolanda Lezama-Clark
said that while the association
fulfills its mission of LIkbrIinig
Caribbean heritage and culture
on the world stage, spotlighting
social and economic issues was
also extremely important.
"This year we have chosen
cancer awareness and Census
2010," she said, announcing
"Jump for the Cure, Jump Up
and Be Counted!" as the
theme of this year's carnival.
The association is partner-
ing with the American Cancer
Society in a social awareness
campaign to get people tested,
while the alliance with the U.S.
Census Bureau will spread the
message of the importance of
being counted in the upcoming
2010 Census.
"This is a particularly
important issue for Caribbean
people who have traditionally
been undercounted. But more
so, being counted is about our
economic power. (It is) impor-
tant in order to ensure increas-
ing community resources in the
areas of housing, Healthcaree),
and education," she said.
Six Caribbean personali-
ties were honored at the
mayor's reception, including
five Trinidadians: mas designer
Clyde Bascombe, community
leader Gemma Bidjou, steel-
band founder Cyrus Busby,
costume maker and educator
Monica Carrington, and one of
the earliest supporters of the
carnival Horace Morancie.
NYPD Detective Nivrose
Duncan, from Haiti, was also
recognized for playing a key
role in making sure the parade
runs smoothly and safely.
0


people. More than 600 people
complained to Live Nation,
who owns the "House of
BlIt, 'venues where the
Jamaican would have per-
formed during his U.S. tour.
In Oct. 2006, Banton was
forced to cancel two of his
concerts as a result of pressure
from the gay activist group.
Two years ago, Banton was
reported to have signed up with
the Reggae Compassionate
Act, promising not to perform
songs that advocate homopho-
bia, in a deal brokered by
British-based gay activist group
Stop Murder Music. The
singer later denied making any
such commitment.
0


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CARIBBEAN TODAY


-usw^caribbeantodj..c..


~ A Caribbean Today special feature

Belize offers multiple cultures from Caribbean, Central America


elize, formerly British
Honduras, is located on
the Caribbean coast of
northern Central America.
Culturally, Belize consid-
ers itself to be both Caribbean
and Central American.


Belize has a diverse socie-
ty, composed of many cultures
and speaking many languages.
Although Kriol and Spanish
are also widely spoken among
the populace, Belize is the
only country in Central


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Phone: 305-251-3975 Fax: 305-251-9839


America where English is the
official language.
It is bordered by Mexico
to the north, Guatemala to
the south and west, and the
Caribbean Sea to the east.
With 8,867 square miles of ter-
ritory and 320,000 people, the
population density is the low-
est in the Central American
region and one of the lowest
in the world. However, the
country's population growth
rate, 2.21 percent is the high-
est in the region and one of
the highest in the western
hemisphere.
The origin of the name
Belize is unclear, but one idea
is that the name is from the
Maya word belix, meaning
"muddy N ,L r applied to the
Belize River.
Before the arrival of
Europeans, the Maya civiliza-
tion spread itself over Belize
beginning around 1500 B.C.
and flourished until about
A.D. 800. In the late classic
period of Maya civilization
(before A.D. 1000), as many
as 400,000 people may have
lived in the area that is now
Belize. Some lowland Maya
still occupied the area when
Europeans arrived in the


CAN WE TALK?


Peter A. Webley,
Publisher


1500s. By then the primary
inhabitants were the Mopan
branch of the Yucatec Maya.
Spanish colonists tried to
settle the inland areas of
Belize, but Maya rebellions
and attacks forced them to
abandon these efforts.
BRITISH INFLUENCE
English and Scottish buc-
caneers known as the Baymen
first settled on the coast of
Belize in 1638, seeking a shel-
tered region from which they
could attack Spanish ships.
The settlers turned to cutting
logwood during the 1700s.
The wood yielded a fixing
agent for clothing dyes that
was vital to the European
woolen industry. The Spanish
granted the British settlers the
right to occupy the area and
cut logwood in exchange for
an end to piracy. Historical
accounts from the early 1700s
note that Africans were
brought to the 1 1ill inI II
from Jamaica to work as
slaves and cut timber.
The British first appoint-
ed a superintendent over the
Belize area in 1786. The
Spanish, who claimed sover-
eignty over the whole of


Central America, repeatedly
tried to gain control by force
over Belize, but were unsuc-
cessful. In the early 1800s, the
British sought greater control
over the settlers. A series of
institutions were put in place
to ensure the continued pres-
ence of a viable labor force.
In 1836, after the emanci-
pation of Central America
from Spanish rule, the British
claimed the right to adminis-
ter the region. In 1862, Great
Britain formally declared it a
British Crown Colony, subor-
dinate to Jamaica, and named
it British Honduras.
INDEPENDENCE
Demonstrations and riots
in 1934 marked the beginning
of an Independence move-
ment. Economic conditions
improved during World War
II (1939-1945) when many
Belizean men entered the
armed forces or otherwise
contributed labor to the war
effort. Following the war, the
colony's economy again stag-
nated. Britain's decision to
devalue the British Honduras
dollar in 1949 worsened eco-

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 16)


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are going to a party or a formal function, don't you
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If we agree on that, then think of this. Why should it
be any different for your business? If you want to
project a favorable image of your company, in
order to win customers, you should keep your com-
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MENW- I ............... ........ ........ "Il""Ill""Ill!"",""",
SPOTtIGRIT on Betize





CARIBBEAN TODAY


POTA Caribbean Today special feature

~ A Caribbean Today special feature


'Belize We are Free', 'Jump 4


Belize' win song competitions


September Celebrations
2009" got off to an early
start in Belize with the
announcement of the winners
of the patriotic and carnival
song competitions last month.
"Belize We are Free",
done by Bea Armstrong,
Alexander Evans and Herchel
Armstrong of Belize City, won
the patriotic song competition.
The winners earned a prize
package that included $3,000
and a trophy. "Take Me Back
to Belize", a song by Nello
Player (Kernel Parks), also of


Belize City, was second.
Barrington Castillo of La Isla
Bonita, San Pedro, captured
third place for his song "Shout
Belize". The runners-up each
received a cash prize and a
trophy.
Mervin Budram of
Belmopan won first place in the
carnival song competition with
"Jump 4 Belize". He received
$3,000 and a certificate. Salus
Magana, of Corozal Town, was
second with "Belizean United".
"Fayaah in the SIrLL i, earned
Capt. Roby, of Orange Walk


District, third place. Magana
and Capt. Roby each received a
cash prize and certificate.
Some 17 entries were
received for the patriotic song
contest, while 11 entries were
submitted for the carnival
competition. All entries had
to be original and the compe-
titions were open to nationals
of Belize, home and abroad.
The winning songs were
announced at the House of
Culture.
0


Youngsters get tourism program scholarships


As a part of the Belize
Tourist Board's com-
mitment to the growth
and development of young
Belizeans, the BTB has
announced this year's scholar-
ship recipients for tourism
degree programs at various
educational institutions
throughout the country.
Galen University extend-
ed to the Ministry of Tourism
and Culture one full tuition
scholarship per year for the


bachelor's degree program in
hospitality and tourism. The
recipient of this year's scholar-
ship is 22-year-old Lorenzo
Gonzalez, a graduate of
Sacred Heart Junior College.
The Jean Shaw Scholarship
is awarded yearly to a young
Belizean woman who wants to
pursue a career in tourism. This
year's recipient is 20-year-old
Andrea Usher, who has been
accepted into the bachelor of
science in hospitality and
tourism management program


at Galen University.
Jovita Requena, a recent
graduate of Toledo Community
College, was awarded an asso-
ciate's degree in tourism schol-
arship to San Pedro Junior
College, while Judith Vidal and
Ida Castillo were awarded
scholarships to SJC School of
Professional Studies to pursue
an associate's degree in hospi-
tality and tourism management.
Roberto Guerra, a recent
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 16)


National symbols of Belize
-* The Keel Billed Toucan
SThe Keel Billed Toucan
(Ramphastos sulfuratus) is
the national bird of Belize. It
is noted for its great, canoe-
j shaped bill, brightly colored
green, blue, red and orange
... feathers. Toucans are found in


* Black Orchid
The national flower of
Belize is the black orchid
(Prosthechea cochleata), also
known as Encyclia cochleata).

* Mahogany Tree
The national tree of
Belize is the mahogany tree
(Swietenia macrophylla).
British settlers exploited the
Belizean forest for mahogany,
beginning around the middle
of the 17th century. It was
originally exported to the
United Kingdom in the form
of squared logs, but shipments
now consist mainly of sawn
lumber. The motto "Sub
Umbra Florero" means:
Under the shade (of the
mahogany tree) I flourish.


open areas of the country
with large trees.

* Baird's Tapir
Belize's national animal is
the Baird's Tapir (Tapirus
bairdii), the largest land mam-
mal of the American tropics.
It is also known as the moun-
tain cow, although it is actual-
ly related to the horse and the
rhinoceros. It is protected
under the law.
0


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CARIBBEAN TODAY


- mu.t


POTtIGIT Ton BELtZE

~ A Caribbean Today special feature


What to see

in Belize
Belize District
* Altun Ha
* The Great Blue Hole
* La Isla Bonita Ambergris Caye
* Hol Chan Marine Reserve
* Museum of Belize
* Fort Street Tourism Village
* The Bliss Centre for the
Performing Arts
* Old Belize Museum and Cucumber
Beach.
* The Belize Zoo (called "The best
little zoo in the world").
* Caye Caulker
* Belikin Beer Brewery
* San Pedro Town
* Numerous Cayes (islands)

Stann Creek District
* Cockscomb Basin Wildlife
Sanctuary and Jaguar Reserve
" Placencia
" Hopkins
* Victoria Peak
* Tobacco Caye
* Numerous Cayes

Orange Walk District
* Lamanai
* San Estevan (Maya site)
* Rio Bravo Conservation and
Management Area

Cayo District
* Caracol
* Xunantunich
* Cahal Pech
* El Pilar
* Blue Hole (park)
* Guanacaste National Park
* Chiquibul National Park
* Mountain Pine Ridge Forest
Reserve
* Barton Creek Cave and Actun
Tunichil Muknal (cave)
* 1,000 feet Falls
* Chaa Creek
* Big Rock Falls
* Belize Botanic Gardens
* Victoria Peak, Belize's second
highest point at 1,120 meters
(3,675 ft)* Doyle's Delight,
Belize's highest point at 1,124
meters (3,688 ft)
0


eptember celebration in
Belize is one of the most
exciting times for the
country, which obtained its
Independence during the
month.
Below are some of the
highlights scheduled for this


I CARNIVAL CELEBR


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15)
graduate of Stann Creek
Ecumenical College, was grant-
ed a scholarship to pursue an
associate's degree in tourism
management at Ecumenical
Junior College, while Rasheda
Rhys has received a partial
scholarship to pursue a bache-
lor's segree in tourism at the


year's celebrations throughout
September:
Sept. 5 2 p.m., Opening
ceremonies/band fest at
People's Stadium, Orange Walk
Town; 7 p.m., "Queen of the
Bay P.,.ini Sports Complex,
Punta Gorda and Belize Civic
Center, Belize City;
7 p.m. "Miss
TAllOI Glamour Queen",
Iull GrMethodist School
Grounds, Dangriga;
8 p.m. "Miss San
Pedro P.,g,.ni ,
Old Football Field,
San Pedro; 11 p.m.
Kriol Dance
Concert, Malibu
Beach Club,
Dangriga.
Sept. 6 10
a.m. Sports Day,
Andres Campos
Civic Center,
Corozal District;
6 p.m. "Culture
Sunday", Drums of
Our Father
Roundabout,
Dangriga.
Sept. 7-7
p.m. "Evening of
Patriotic Songs and
Pt, .mN", Wesley
Church, Belize
City
Sept. 8 6
p.m. "Youth
E \1pIn Why
Not Island,
Dangriga.
Sept. 9 9
ry's a.m. "Kriol
eptember Cultural Promotion
Day", Central


University of Belize.
"Tourism is a crucial sec-
tor in our country," said
Belize's Tourism Minister
Manuel Heredia, Jr. in a recent
BTB press release. "Training
continues to be an important
ingredient for cultivating
young tourism professionals.
The Ministry of Tourism and
the Belize Tourism Board


extends heartfelt congratula-
tions to all scholarship recipi-
ents and wish them success in
their studies."
0


Belize offers multiple cultures

from Caribbean, Central America


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(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14)
nomic conditions and led to
the creation of the People's
Committee, which demanded
Independence. The People's
Committee's successor, the
People's United Party (PUP),
sought constitutional reforms
that would expand voting
rights to all adults.
Constitutional reforms
were initiated in 1954 and
resulted in a new constitution
10 years later. Britain granted
British Honduras self-govern-
ment in 1964, and the head of
the PUP Independence
leader George Price became
the colony's prime minister.
British Honduras was official-


ly renamed Belize in 1973.
Progress toward
Independence, however, was
hampered by a Guatemalan
claim to sovereignty over the ter-
ritory of Belize. When Belize
finally attained full
Independence on Sept. 21,1981,
Guatemala refused to recognize
the new nation. Guatemala's
president formally recognized
Belize's Independence in 1992.
The following year the United
Kingdom announced that it
would end its military involve-
ment in Belize.

- Edited from Wikipedia
0


September is always a time to remember in Belize


Colorful carnival parades, marking the count
Independence, are part of Belize's exciting S
celebrations.


Youngsters get tourism program scholarships


September 2009


Park, Punta Gorda; 6 p.m. "Fire
Engine and Bicycle Parade",
Corozal Town; 7 p.m. "ACC
Pageant and Dance", Royal
Orchid Hotel, Belize City; 8
p.m. "Free Jump Up", Miami
Beach, Corozal District; 8 p.m.
motorcade parade, Benque
Viejo;9 p.m. Ii.iiik of the
Bands", Arthur Street, Orange
Walk Town; fireworks displays,
11 p.m. Marshalleck Plaza,
Benque Viejo and 11:59 p.m.
Miami Beach, Corozal District.
Sept. 10 6 a.m.
"Sounding of the Sirens",
Corozal District and Punta
Gorda; "September 10th
Ceremony", 9 a.m., BTL Royal
Princess Park, Dangriga,
10 a.m. Central Park, Punta
Gorda and Corozal District;
11 a.m. multi-cultural fair,
Belize City; 11 a.m. "Miss San
Pedro" coronation, Old
Football Field, San Pedro;
"Jump Up", 5 p.m.
Independence Park, Belmopan
and 7 p.m. Benque Viejo.
Sept. 11 -7 p.m. "Pan
Yard Steel Pan Concert",
House of Culture, Belize City.
Sept. 12-13 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. "Expo Belize", SJC
Gymnasium, Belize City.
Sept. 13 "National Day
of Prayer".
Sept. 14 7 p.m. "Tribute
to Belizean P.ii r iis ', Sports
Complex, Punta Gorda.
Sept. 15 6 p.m.
"Children's Night", Corozal
District; 6 p.m. "Kriol Cultural
Storytelling", BTL Princess
Royal Park.
Sept. 16 6 p.m. "Festival


of Arts", Central Park, Punta
Gorda.
Sept. 17 7 p.m.
"Education Forum", Town
Hall, Dangriga; 7 p.m. "Tribute
to Belizean P.i r i,Is Bliss
Center for the Performing Arts,
Belize City.
Sept. 18 Children's ral-
lies in Orange Walk Town,
Punta Gorda, Belize City,
Belmopan, Dangriga and
Corozal District; 6 p.m.
"Schools Talent Night", Orange
Walk Town; 8 p.m. "Hollywood
Drug Free Teen Dance".
Sept. 19 4 a.m.
"Carnival l.u '1.rl ', Belize City
streets; 1 p.m. "Carnival Road
March", Belize City; 7 p.m. rock
concert, Orange Walk Town;
7:30 p.m. Kii HI! of the Bands",
Corozal District.
Sept. 20 1 p.m.
"Carnival Parade", Santa Rita
Hill, Corozal District; 8 p.m.
"International Marching Band
Display", Benque Viejo; 9 p.m.
flag raising countdown; 10 p.m.
Independence eve ceremony,
San Pedro; flag raising cere-
monies and fireworks displays
in Orange Walk Town, San
Ignacio/Santa Elena, Corozal
District, Punta Gorda and
Dangriga.
Sept. 21 9 a.m. Belize
City Independence Day cere-
mony; 9 a.m. Independence
Day Thanksgiving Mass,
Benque Viejo; 9 a.m. Official
Independence Day Ceremony,
Independence Plaza, Belmopan;
Independence Day ceremonies
in Punta Gorda, Corozal
District, Orange Walk Town,
Dangriga and Benque Viejo;
8 p.m. "Free Jump Up" in
Benque Viejo.

Information obtained from
"September Celebrations
Belize".
0








AIDATRD & TOBAGO IAlDEPEfADElE ''a y


Deceased champion boxer gets highest honor at T&T's 47th Independence


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


balanuy
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad,
CMC Trinidad and Tobago
observed its 47th year of polit-
ical Independence from
Britain on Aug. 31 with the
traditional military parade and
bestowing its highest national
award on a female world
champion boxer killed in a
motor vehicular accident earli-
er this year.
Jizelle Salandy, who died
on Jan. 4, was the lone recipi-
ent of Order of Trinidad and
Tobago for distinguished and
outstanding national service in
the field of boxing.
The 21-year-old, who held
eight world titles, including
the World Boxing Council
(WBC), the World Boxing
Association (WBA) and the
Women's International Boxing
Association (WIBA) belts,
was killed when the car she
was driving crashed into a pil-
lar on the Beetham Highway
on the outskirts of the capital.
In 2007, she was given the
country's second highest
award the Chaconia Medal
(Gold) and after her death
Sports Minister Gary Hunt
described her as an icon, a
great contributor and a moti-
vator.
Veteran journalist Keith
Smith was among 20 persons
honored this year. He received
the Hummingbird Medal
(Silver) for his contribution to
journalism, while 41-year-old
housewife Dianne Avolone
Baptiste, who disarmed a ban-
dit, struck him with a flower
pot and kept him in an arm
lock until the police arrived,
received Hummingbird Medal
(Gold) for gallantry.


Pannist Len HBioo, L"
Sharpe also received the
Humming Bird (Gold) for cul-
ture while ethnomusicologist
Dr. Geraldine Conner received
the second highest national
award, the Chaconia Medal
(Gold).
Diplomat Dr. Cuthbert
Joseph, who was a member of
a committee examining a
political and economic award
between Trinidad and Tobago
and the Organization of
Eastern Caribbean States
(OECS), received the
Chaconia Medal (Silver).

MIXED MESSAGES
As expected, the message
from the two main political
figures here differed with
Prime Minister Patrick
Manning urging discipline and
production to help the country
emerge from the global eco-
nomic crisis, while Opposition
Leader Basdeo Panday said
the sovereignty that the coun-
try's Independence was under
threat.
Manning said the country
has made great strides in its
last 47 years and urged citi-
zens to rededicate themselves
to the national watchwords of
discipline, tolerance and pro-
duction, which he said were
"enduring concepts that con-
tributed to producing the best
of human civilization.
"Productivity is more crit-
ical than ever as we face the
serious challenges from an
economic slowdown. We must
all work harder and become
more efficient, creative and
resourceful. Trinidad and
Tobago needs to maintain a


IrQ


CARIBBEAN TODAY


',-
CI f


r~v


aribbean culture has influenced
the world in many ways oVer the -
years, from the exotic beauty of the i .j,
islands and people, to the pulsating
rhythms of their music reggae, soca,
salsa and merengue.
Now, Caribbean food is beginning to
play a new and vibrant role in how the .,
world views this region, from jerk pork to i ,,'. <
curry chicken, fried plantains, fried yuca,
cracked conch to flying fish, from mango chutney to
quava jelly.
Caribbean beers, rum and liquors are seen all over the world. Come with
Caribbean Today as we take you from the tip of the Yucatan to the jungles of Guyana, as
we explore the tastes of the Caribbean. We willtt tell you where you can find those hard-to-
get products and foods.


CALL NOW TO ADVERTISE!
1-800-605-7516 305-238-2868
Fax 305-252-7843
e-mail: sates@caribbeantoday.corm
Articles for Editorial Consideration: October 17th, 2009

ADVERTISING DEADLUE: OCTOBER 24TH, 2009


September 2009


CARIBBEAN TODAY


satisfactory momentum in this
extremely competitive, global-
ized environment," he said.
Manning called on citizens
to ensure that the country
emerges from
the economic
slowdown occa-
sioned by the
global econom-
ic situation,
adding "that is
our inescapable
responsibility
as citizens of Manning
this country."
The prime minister also said it
was every citizen's responsibili-
ty "to continue practicing the
tolerance that has been an
important part of our society
since Independence... particu-
larly our leaders at all levels,
have a special responsibility in
strengthening the fabric of our
society.
"Let us always remember
the powerful words of the
psalmist reminding us of how
good and pleasant it is for


brethren to dwell together in
unity," Manning said.
But Panday called on citi-
zens to revive their patriotic
spirit and stand up against the
efforts of the ruling People's
National Movement (PNM)
administration to undermine
democracy in the country.
"The sovereignty that our
Independence pioneers fought
for and achieved in 1962 is
now under threat as Prime
Minister Patrick Manning in a
megalomaniac haze, charges
ahead with plans for the coun-
try's political union with
Eastern Caribbean countries,
completely disregarding the
citizens' opinions," said
Panday.
The Opposition leader
said the prime minister has
been consistently battering the
checks and balances in the
current constitution while the
draft constitution "seeks to
eliminate the distinction
between the legislature and
the executive, putting under


political control and direction,
the very institutions which are
required to be independent."
Panday said the Judiciary,
Integrity Commission, the
Director
of Public
Prosecutions, -
Police Service
and the service
commissions
have all come
under attack
by the present
government. Panday
"Even as
we celebrate
our nation's Independence
today, the very foundation of
our freedom is under attack.
Not from foreign invaders or
colonial masters but from
those charged with the gover-
nance and care of Trinidad
and Tobago, as they continue
the onslaught to destroy the
safeguards imprinted in the
Constitution of Trinidad and
Tobago," Panday said.
0


, r-C) 'rc)






CARIBBEAN TODAY


-usw^caribbeantodj..c..


GORDON WILLIAMS

BERLIN, Germany Athletes
born in the Caribbean, who
competed for countries out-
side the region, shared at least
four gold medals between
them at last month's 12th
IAAF World Championships
in Athletics (WCA).
Sanya Richards and
Kerron Clement, natives of
Jamaica and Trinidad and
Tobago, respectively, won two
gold each for the United
States at the meet, which ran
from Aug. 15-
23 here.
Kingston-
born Richards
took the
women's 400
meters in a
world leading
time of 49 sec-
onds, ahead of
Jamaica's
Shericka
Williams, 49.32.
She credited
her Jamaican
bloodline for
the final victory
push, which
gave her a gold
medal in a Richards
major meet -the
Olympic Games or WCA for
the first time after several pre-
vious disappointments.
"I've never tried to deny
my Jamaican roots and I'm
very, very proud of Jamaicans,"
an elated Richards told
Caribbean Today after the
Aug. 18 final. "Even today I
think I pulled on some of my
Jamaican strength and speed to
be able to finish that race."


Also running for the U.S.
was Jamaican-born Debbie
Dunn, who finished sixth in
the race. Novlene Williams-
Mills, another Jamaican, was
fourth in 49.77.

BOLT OF INSPIRATION
Richards admitted that
she took inspiration from the
performances of Jamaica'sl00
and 200 meters world record
holder Usain Bolt, who won
the double at the WCA.
"In the
last 100 EAi


(meters) I
wanted to chan-
nel Usain and
run as fast as I
could," she
said.
"I really
admire Usain,"
she added. "He's an amazing
athlete; very humble. I think
he's so great for our sport. So
I'm happy to be in the same
time with him."
Also embracing the
WCA was Port of Spain-born
Clement, who clocked a world
leading time of 47.91 to win
the 400 meters hurdles ahead
of Javier Culson of Puerto
Rico. It was Clk m i\', second


SPORT


Jamaica holds Ecuador to soccer draw


consecutive win in the event
at the WCA. Jehue Gordon
of T&T was fourth with
Jamaican Danny McFarlane
sixth in 48.65 and Dominica's
Felix Sanchez eighth in 50.11.
Clement, like Richards,
said he chose to run for the
U.S. partly because the coun-
try represented a better
chance to succeed in his sport
and most of his family resided
in the U.S. However, he said
he still has a soft spot for the
land of his
birth and was
confident
T&T backed
him as well.
"I repre-
sent a lot of
things,"
Clement told
Caribbean
Today here.
"I'm from
Trinidad, of
course. A lot
of people in
Trinidad also
support me. I guess I go both
ways as far as Trinidad and
the U.S.A."
Richards and Dunn would
later run as part of the U.S.
victorious 4x400 meters relay
team. Clement, who said he
once contacted T&T with the
hope of representing that
country but "it didn't go
through," was also a member
of America's men 4x400 which
won gold.

Gordon Williams is Caribbean
Today's managing editor.


Caribbean American athletes strike gold


GORDON WILLIAMS

EAST RUTHERFORD, New
Jersey Caribbean soccer
champion Jamaica, in a bid to
revitalize its senior national
team, suffered from the same
flaws which haunted it in the
past despite a creditable 0-0
draw with Ecuador last month
at Giants Stadium here.
The Reggae Boyz, without
their quota of English-based
professionals, held the World
Cup 2010 hopeful from South
America in their first interna-
tional since disappointingly
bowing out of the CONCA-
CAF Gold Cup in July. In that
tournament Jamaica scored
one goal in three games and
failed to advance to the second
round. Against Ecuador, the
Boyz couldn't find their scoring
touch either.
"If we keep going over the
chances, from the Gold Cup, that's
been haunting us," Jamaica's coach
Theodore Whitmore told
Caribbean Today. "I think that's the
most important part of our game
where we need to get organized."
Despite the lack of efficien-
cy in front of goal, Jamaica
matched a quality Ecuador team
step for step. Jamaica, the top
team in the region, is ranked
69th in the world by soccer's
governing body FIFA. Ecuador
is ranked 36th.

EVEN
Yet the gap in ratings did
not show on the field. Both
teams played fast, open soccer.
That created scoring opportuni-
ties, but Jamaica and Ecuador
could not find the back of the
net.
Jamaica squandered the
best early chances. Dane
Richards, who plays for New
York Red Bulls in U.S. Major


Bolt, Caribbean shine bright at World Championships in Athletics


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2)
championships and every time
I see a Jamaican out there I
feel good. You get nuff respect
here."
Yet Caribbean gold was
not restricted to Jamaica.
Barbados's Ryan Brathwaite
won his country's only medal
at the WCA in the 110 meters
hurdles for men. Brathwaite
timed 13.14 seconds to nip
Americans Terrence Trammell
and David Payne, who both
clocked 13.15, at the line.
"This is just great!" said
Brathwaite. "It did happen. I
am very happy."

CUBA SECOND
Cuba, meanwhile, secured
a gold among its six medals
for the meet from triple
jumper Yargeris Savigne, who
leapt 14.95 meters to finish
ahead of countrywoman
Mabel Gay (14.61). Cuba also
earned four silver and a
bronze to finish second best


BarDados's Bratnwaite celeDrates victory.
Caribbean country on the
medal table.
T&T managed three
medals, a silver and two
bronze, while The Bahamas


won two, a silver and bronze.
Puerto Rico earned a silver.
The gold medalists aside,
the Caribbean also placed sev-
eral athletes in finals, especially
on the track. Including Fraser
and Stewart, Jamaica account-
ed for four of the eight women
in the 100 final. Overall, the
Caribbean featured six of the
finalists for that event, among
them Bahamians Chandra
Sturrup and Debbie Ferguson-
McKenzie. In the men's 100,
five of the eight were from the
Caribbean.
Jamaica's Veronica
Campbell-Brown, who finished
fourth in the short sprint,
returned to capture silver
behind American Allyson Felix
in the 200, with Ferguson-
McKenzie third. Two more
Jamaicans, Anneisha
McLaughlin (fifth) and Facey
(sixth) also made the 200 final.
Shericka Williams finished sec-
ond to Jamaican-born Sanya
Richards of the U.S. in the


Fraser took gold in the 100 meters.
women's 400 meters.
Jamaica's Delloreen
Ennis-London earned a
bronze in the 100 meters hur-
dles, while Josanne Lucas did
the same for T&T in the 400
hurdles.
In the women's 4x400


relay, Jamaica's team of
Rosemarie White, Novlene
Williams-Mills, Shereefa
Lloyd and Shericka Williams
finished second to the U.S. A
silver was also earned by
Cuba's Yarelis Barrios in the
women's discus, while T&T's
Renny Quow won bronze in
the 400 meters. His country's
team of Darrel Brown, Marc
Burns, Emmanuel Callander
and Richard Thompson, cap-
tured silver in the 4x100.
Puerto Rico's Javier
Culson won his country's only
medal of the WCA by placing
second in the men's 400 hur-
dles.
"I know I am going to be
a hero at home," Culson said
after the final.
The same could have been
said for many of the Caribbean
athletes who competed here.

Gordon Williams is Caribbean
Today's managing editor.
0


League Soccer, slipped a
defense-splitting pass to Devon
Hodges, but the striker stumbled
before hitting his shot straight to
Ecuador's goalkeeper Jos6
Francisco Cevallos. Minutes
later
Richards
was sent
clear by
Hodges,
but he
failed to
score from
a tight
angle. I a
From
then the
tone was
set. Richards
Cevallos
and Jamaica's goalkeeper
Dwayne Miller were both
forced to make several saves
during the game. Ecuador hit
the crossbar twice, but was also
guilty of poor marksmanship.
Ecuador, which is compet-
ing in the CONMEBOL region
for a place in next year's World
Cup alongside powerhouse
teams such as Brazil and
Argentina, complimented the
Boyz' performance.
"Jamaica is a good team,"
said coach Sixto Vizuete. "They
really got into the game."
Whitmore, meanwhile, said
he was pleased with Jamaica's
showing, especially because the
Boyz have initiated a rebuilding
plan for the team and included
mostly players based in the
Caribbean island.
"It was an excellent per-
formance from the players,"
the coach said. "You saw effort,
commitment and the whole
balance."

Gordon Williams is Caribbean
Today's managing editor.
0


September 2009





CARIBBEAN TODAY


A Caribbean Today special feature

~ A Caribbean Today special feature


-wwScaribbeantoday^com


Miami International opens multi-purpose airport business center Jamaican diaspora urged to invest


Jamaica's Minister of Finance
and the Public Service Audley
Shaw has urged members of
the diaspora to look for
investment opportunities in
overseas markets to meet
unfilled demands for Jamaican
food products.
Shaw was the guest speak-
er at the annual Independence
worship service held recently
at the Kendall Community
Church of God in Miami,
Florida.
The minister said that
nationals overseas have a cru-
cial role to play in the island's
efforts to recover from the
effects of the global recession.


n"We have a
unique oppor-
tunity to grasp
victory and
success out of
crisis," Shaw
said.
Jamaicans, he
Shaw explained, are
a resilient peo-
ple, noting accomplishments
in sports, entertainment, aca-
demia, corporate leadership
and public service.

Information obtained from
the JIS


Ask high in salary negotiation


A passenger uses one of the five computers in the new ICE Business Center in MIA's South Terminal.


MIAMI, Florida Passengers
traveling through Miami
International Airport now
have a one-stop location
where they can fax or photo-
copy documents, rent a
mobile phone for use in the
United States or abroad, or
hold a business meeting in
between flights all without
leaving MIA.
Located past security
between concourses H and J,
in the South Terminal, the
International Currency
Exchange (ICE) Business
Center features five comput-
ers with Internet access and
printing capability; a fax
machine with domestic and
international service; a photo-
copy machine; a conference
room that can accommodate
up to 10 people; currency
exchange service; pre-paid
domestic and international
calling cards; cellular phone


rentals; and pre-paid SIM


cards for passengers to use
with their existing cell phones.
Also available for pur-
chase are travel insurance
plans to cover medical expens-
es and other costs associated
with a flight accident, car
rental accident, lost or
delayed baggage or a can-
celled or interrupted trip.
Plans are available at per-trip
or annual rates.

ADDITION
The business center is the
latest addition to the two-
year-old South Terminal facili-
ty, which serves passengers
from 20 domestic and interna-
tional carriers. Clothing retail-
ers Hugo Boss and Cubavera
opened a joint location in May
in the 1,000-foot long conces-
sion hall past security that fea-
tures several stories, including
10-Minute Manicure; Bijoux


Terner; Brookstone; Duty
Free Americas; Island Styles
clothing boutique; L'Occitane;
Havana To Go gift shop;
Navarro pharmacy and gift
shop; Rosetta Stone; Sunglass
Hut; Sunglass Icon; Sweet
Factory; and a Taxco Sterling
jewelry store.
Opening in May as well in
the 8,900-square-foot South
Terminal food pavilion that
overlooks the MIA airfield
were Gilbert's Bakery and
McDonald's, which joined six
other food pavilion options:
Bongos Cuban Caf6; Famous
Famiglia Pizzeria; Haagen
Daz; Island Chicken Grill;
Italian coffee shop Illy; and
La Pausa Restaurant.
The South Terminal fea-
tures more than 30 retail, din-
ing and duty-free concession
locations pre- and post-securi-
ty for travelers and visitors.
0


JOYCE LAIN KENNEDY

DEAR JOYCE: Only looking
for two months and am a final-
ist for a job I want. I have
research showing that my salary
should be way bigger than what
I think they'll offer. But I'm
worried that if I tell them my
real desired salary, they'll pick
someone else. What's your
advice? C.H.

ANSWER: Guest columnist
Jack Chapman, author of the
best-selling strategy guide
Ni', I n.ill; Your Salary, How
to Make $1,000 a Minute" (Mt.
Vernon Press), says go for it -
with two caveats. Chapman rec-
ommends you'll do better nego-
tiating down from a high num-
ber than up from a low one.
Because you are correct in fear-
ing that a big number might
prompt employers to skip over
you for a lower-priced candi-
date, here's what to do:
Establish value Name
your ideal (big) compensation
number only after you've laid the
groundwork by explaining how
you can make or save money for
them. Explain how your skills
will nurture the organization and
how your past accomplishments
will translate to your future
accomplishments. Make them
anxious to hire you. Any time
before that point is too soon.
If money comes up earlier
in the interview, say with con-
fidence that you anticipate no
difficulties working out a salary
if you're the candidate they
want to hire.
Your best advantage is
gained by not disclosing any
numbers at all. Not past earn-
ings, nor future expectations.
Just remain open on the sub-
ject. But many employers and
almost all recruiters will insist
on knowing your salary param-
eters. Your answer then: Give
info that is in a range that won't
screen you out.
Verify firm offer Once they


extend an offer or say that they'll
be putting one 1t' ;, ih1 r it's almost
time to share your research.
Before you do, when you're still
worried that they'll abandon you
for a lower-priced candidate, do a
"lockdown" move, which is my
term for getting an agreement that
they'll hang in with your negotia-
tions until you get an agreement
from upstairs on you and your
price tag.
This lockdown move gives
away a little negotiating lever-
age, but that's the price of safe-
ty. It doesn't guarantee they
won't talk to an interloper, but
it has the strength of a "hand-
shake deal" if they agree.
Make your move Now it's
time to shoot for the moon. Let
them know your ideal compen-
sation number or range; "ideal"
means the absolutely b1xi.l
package you can possibly imag-
ine getting. Tell them the num-
ber or the range. Share as many
indicators as possible that vali-
date your ideal amount: salary
surveys, other offers you're
entertaining or applying for,
projected earnings or savings
you'll create on the job, past
earnings, recruiters' estimates -
and anything else you can think
of to corroborate your number.
Talk specifics Imagine
their offer of $80,000 when you
want $95,000. Instead of trying
to split the difference, lock
down the $80K, then share an
ideal compensation plan that
would pay you $125,000 made
up of salary, bonus and commis-
sions. Justify your reasoning and
then say, "So while the $125,000
is not unreasonable, it's more
than you planned on. Can we
discuss how we can start to
approach that number?"
This tactic is much more
likely to reach the $95,000-or-
higher level than starting with
the $95,000 figure.

- Edited from Tribune Media
Services
0


September 2009





CARIBBEAN TODAY


n e WS


rwww~.carbba-tda.co.


24 candidates for Montserrat's Sept. 8 elections


BRADES, Montserrat, CMC
- Twenty-four candidates have
registered to contest the nine
Legislative Council seats up
for grabs at the Sept. 8 general
elections, the supervisor of
elections here has confirmed.
The Movement for
Change and Prosperity
(MCAP) is the only party
fielding a full slate, while the
Montserrat Labour Party
(MLP) and the Montserrat
Reformation Party (MRP)
each have three representa-
tives on the ballot. Nine inde-
pendent candidates are also
contesting the poll.
"Things have gone
smoothly and there were no
objections," Supervisor of
Elections Claudette Weekes
told the Caribbean Media
Corporation (CMC) at the
end of the Nomination Day
exercise last month.
Chief Minister Lowell
Lewis, one of the independ-
ents contesting the poll, was
the first to confirm his partici-
pation with electoral officials.
He earlier expressed his confi-
dence that he would win a seat
at the election despite failing
to present a team from his
Montserrat Democratic Party.
"It is important for me to
make myself available to the
people of Montserrat. I am a
trained legislator, I have had
the experience of working as
Chief Minister, I know how
government work, I know


how to get things done," Dr.
Lewis said in an interview on
local radio the day before
Nomination Day.

OPTIMISTIC
Meantime, MCAP leader
Reuben Meade said he was
optimistic about his party's
chances, especially since it is
the only one to present a com-
plete ticket to
the electorate.
"We're
extremely con-
fident that we
will be the
government.
We are the
only organized
grouping on Lewis
the ground,
we're the only one that has a
full slate of nine," he told
CMC.
However, Meade said his
party was guarding against
complacency in the weeks
ahead.
"In politics everything
could be a surprise. So what we
are saying to our candidates is
'go out there and continue
doing the hard work'...uand we
will work as hard as possible
until September 8th. We will
not let up on the amount of
work that we have been
doing," the MCAP leader said.
Former legislator
Chedmond Browne said the
goal of the MLP, on whose
ticket he is running, is to


ensure that Montserratians
have proper representation in
the Legislative Council.
"Even if we can't carry a
majority we can definitely rep-
resent the people to make
sure that they know what is
going on... and that we can
speak on their behalf,"
Browne said.
Newspaper editor
Bennette Roach was among
the last candidates to register
for the election. He told CMC
that based on his interaction
with the public it is unlikely
that any party would secure
an outright majority and
therefore independent candi-
dates stand a good chance of
being elected.
"This election is hardly
about parties. I'm talking
about the mode of the people
and what they are talking
about," Roach said.
Just over 3,500 voters are
eligible to vote in the general
elections, the third to be con-
tested under the new at large
system introduced following
widespread devastation
caused by eruptions at the
Soufriere Hills Volcano.
Since the volcano began
erupting in 1995, most of the
seven former constituencies
have been evacuated and
there has been mass migration
of overseas.
0


Guyana's president not interested in third term


September 2009


Legislation for new St. Vincent

constitution reaches Parliament


KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent,
CMC Legislation aimed at
providing a new constitution
for St. Vincent and the
Grenadines was scheduled to
be presented to Parliament this
month, less than three months
before citizens vote whether to
accept or reject the new docu-
ment in a referendum.
In recent weeks there
have been meetings involving
legislators and members of
the Constitution Review
Committee on possible
amendments to the bill.
Citizens will be asked to
vote on the new constitution
in November to replace the
one that that came into effect
when the island gained politi-
cal Independence from
Britain 30 years ago.
Both the government of
Prime Minister Dr. Ralph
Gonsalves and the main
Opposition New Democratic
Party (NDP) have announced
differing positions on the
issue. Gonsalves has promised
"a spirited campaign" as the
government seeks to secure
the necessary two-thirds
majority required for the new
constitution.
"You are going to see a
spirited campaign for a 'Yes'
vote as you would see for any
election," he told reporters
last month.

NO SUPPORT
But NDP Leader Arnhim
Eustace has pledged to


embark on a campaign to get
citizens to vote against the
proposed constitution.
"We will campaign against
it fully like if we are running
an election campaign,"
Eustace said.
The NDP has withdrawn
its support for the proposed
constitution, saying that it
does not advance the 1979
document.
The legislation for pro-
posed new constitution will be
tabled after six years of con-
sultations with Vincentians at
home and in the diaspora.
Meanwhile, the People's
Movement for Change
(PMC), a local pressure
group, is calling for a post-
ponement of the referendum
until after the next general
elections. The PMC said that
\ ur, of effort and scarce
financial resources expended
so far can be saved if the ref-
erendum is depoliticized" by
delaying the referendum until
"a time when both major par-
ties will have the opportunity
to think in the national inter-
est rather than from a partisan
vantage point".
General elections are not
due here until the end of next
year, but the grouping said
rescheduling the referendum
"would effectively minimize
the current partisan approach
to the proposed constitution
Bill 2009".


GEORGETOWN, Guyana,
CMC President Bharrat
Jagdeo has brushed aside sug-
gestions that he would seek a
third term as head of state
despite a recent opinion poll
that indicated more than half
of the population would sup-
port such a move.
"Let me tonight clear this
up. I have no intention, no
desire, nothing to run for
another term so all of this
speculation out there; it's just
that, speculation," Jagdeo told
a function here on Aug. 28.
President Jagdeo's consti-
tutional two term ends in 2011
and there has been specula-
tion that the country could
vote in a referendum allowing
the Russian trained economist
to contest as the People's
Progressive Party (PPP) presi-
dential candidate in the 2011
elections.
But Jagdeo, insisting that
he is not interested in another
term, also dismissed as "spec-
ulation" that he might find a
way to maneuver himself into
a third term.
Jagdeo, however, gave no
indication whether he would
support an amendment to the


Jagdeo: "It's just that, speculation."
legislation after he steps down
from office.
Jagdeo was appointed
head of state in Aug. 1999
after then President Janet
Jagan stepped down due to
health reasons. He contested
and won the 2001 and 2006
general elections as the PPP
presidential candidate.
A mid July 2009 poll con-


ducted by the North
American Teachers
Association (NACTA)
revealed that Jagdeo is the
most popular politician in
Guyana and if he contests for
the presidency in the next
elections he would win out-
right.
0


PM. ponders civil action against


former St. Lucia administration


CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC -
Members of the former St.
Lucia Labour Party (SLP)
administration could face civil
action as a result of the find-
ings of a recent commission
of inquiry, Prime Minister
Stephenson King has
announced.
Up to late last month the
final report of the commission
headed by Guyanese jurist Sir
Fenton Ramsahoye was still in
the hands of the government
and Cabinet ministers had
been receiving briefings from
their legal counsel on the doc-
ument.
Although the commission
set up to investigate question-
able activities of the SLP
administration under the watch
of former Prime Minister
Kenny Anthony cited no
instances of criminal liability,
King said it did establish a
strong case for mismanage-
ment that cost taxpayers mil-
lions of dollars.
"The outcome of the com-


mission of inquiry may very
well result in amendments to
certain bits and pieces of legis-
lation that will bring even
more stringent measures in as
far as the conduct of ministers
of finance and ministers of
government generally," he
said.
King served notice last
month that he planned to table
the report of the commission
of inquiry in Parliament as
soon as the next sitting. He
confirmed that the report is
being studied by Cabinet min-
isters with "a view to determin-
ing an appropriate course of
action to address any incidents
of wrong doing identified by
the commission."
The Opposition has
accused the government of
wasting taxpayers' money on a
probe, which did not come up
with the indictable informa-
tion that the ruling party was
hoping for.
0







Se 2 CAR IBBEAn/ TO R



Caribbean's major attraction in decline

~ Collapse of reefs blamed on climate change


A diver explores the Caribbean's coral reefs.
LONDON, England A
study has found massive col-
lapse of coral reefs through-
out the Caribbean, a big
tourist attraction in the
region, and is blaming climate
change for the situation.
The study by researchers
from Simon Fraser University
in Canada and the University
of East Anglia in England
was recently published in the


Royal Society's journal,
"Biology LL IIL r .
Referring to what it
termed "reef flattening", the
study found that not only
were the reefs dying faster
and on a wider scale than pre-
viously thought but that they
were quickly crumbling after
death.
"Probably, the most stark
finding of our result is that


this isn't just a flattening in
one patch, one area the size of
Vancouver, or even an area
the size of British Columbia,
the whole Caribbean has been
flattened in the past decade,
mainly as a result of climate
change," said Dr. Nicholas
Dulvy, one of the researchers
at Simon Fraser's department
of biological sciences.
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 22)


Sandals buys Bahamas Four Seasons


KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC -
Sandals Resorts International
(SRI) says it has bought the
Four Seasons Resort Great
Exuma in The Bahamas.
It said that the 500-acre prop-
erty, which features a champi-
onship Greg Norman golf
course and world-class mari-
na, is to be renamed Sandals
Emerald Bay, Great Exuma,
Bahamas.
SRI gave no details of the
purchase price, but said that
the resort will open on Jan.
22, next year.
"This is a remarkable
moment in the history of
Sandals Resorts. We are
acquiring one of the most
spectacular pieces of real
estate in the Caribbean, which
was operated by one of the
world's most highly regarded
hotel companies," said
Gordon 'Butch' Stewart,
Sandals Resorts founder and
chairman.


"This is a reflection of all
that Sandals Resorts has
accomplished and a tremen-
dous opportu-
nity to further
demonstrate
our commit-
ment to pro-
viding the very
best vacation
in the
Caribbean.
We look for- Stewart
ward to bring-
ing our Luxury Included expe-
rience to this special property,
which has been kept to impec-
cable standards."
Stewart said the all-suite
resort will offer a selection of
190 luxury accommodations
and SRI said that the "fully-
protected, deepwater marina
offers 133 slips and is equipped
to accommodate and service
yachts up to 300 feet in
length."


Travelers beware Wi-Fi hackers


AWi-Fi hotspot is a con-
venient tool for travel-
ers who want to keep
in touch with friends, family
or the office while away from
home. It is a wireless
Internet network that can be
found just about anywhere,


such as airports, hotels, coffee
shops, parks and school cam-
puses.
However, Wi-Fi hotspots
are vulnerable to hackers who
set up what's known as "evil

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 22)


September 2009


CARIBBEAN TODAY





CARIBBEAN TODAY


lww .crbenoa. comi. T


Travelers beware Wi-Fi hackers


(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21)
twin" networks, or phony Wi-
Fi hotspots, to steal your per-
sonal information.

RIP-OFF WARNINGS
Watch out for fake login
pages Hackers set up fake
pages that look like the real
thing to trick people into typ-
ing their login information
and passwords. Glance at the
address bar to verify that you
are at the authentic webpage.
Check for typos on a login
site They are usually a give-
away that the site is not
authentic.
Check for security symbols
- While you're on the login
page, if your browser doesn't
display the lock symbol in the
bottom right corner indicating
that the connection is encrypt-
ed, disconnect immediately.

CONSUMER SMARTS
Avoid logging into finan-
cial accounts of
any kind Never
enter sensitive


data such as Social Security
numbers, bank account or
credit card information.
Don't e-mail or instant
message unless your work-
place or other institution has
given you access to a virtual
private network, or VPN.
Keep the security on your
electronic Wi-Fi devices up-to-
date Make sure you have
firewall, antivirus and antispy-
ware software installed.
Don't use the same pass-
word for all your online
accounts so that if it is stolen,
hackers won't be able to use it
on more than one webpage.
Make sure your computer
does not automatically log on
to wireless networks by
adjusting the Internet security
settings on your computer.
Turn off the computer
when you're not around to
ensure that it's not picking up
a wireless network signal.

- Miami-Dade Consumer
Services Department
0


Caribbean's major attraction in decline
(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21)
"There are no detectable complex reefs
(left)," he added.

RAPID DECLINE
Dulvy said the team of international
researchers looked at nearly 40 years of data com-
piled in 500 surveys of 200 reefs. He said that for
the first time researchers were able to piece
together the big picture of what has been happen-
ing throughout the Caribbean, famous for its thou-
sands of beautiful reefs, including one second in
size only to Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
Dulvy said wherever they looked, they found
signs of rapid and devastating decline, adding that
reefs were dying and then collapsing on them-
selves, filling in the nooks and crannies that pro-
vide shelter for a myriad of species.
"We've lost 80 percent of the living coral cover
in the Caribbean over the last four decades,"
Dulvy said.
He said it was known that many individual
reefs were dying from disease outbreaks, the
impact of hurricanes and climate change, which
heats shallow waters so much that reefs become
bleached by sunlight.

RECOVERY
But he said he had thought the process was
slow enough that reefs had a chance to regenerate
before the tall branches of "stag horns" that pro-
trude up to two meters from the reef bed collapsed.
"What this study is showing is that reefs are
collapsing pretty much as the coral is dying," he
said.
In addition to losing biological diversity, Dulvy
said the process is robbing the Caribbean of thou-
sands of natural sea breaks, which could have dev-
astating results when rising sea levels and increas-
ingly violent hurricanes combine. Dulvy said "reef
flattening" is so widespread in the Caribbean that
it is probably a phenomenon happening globally.
Lorenzo Alvarez of the University of East
Anglia said the importance of this is going to
increase, warning that many scientists think there
will be more hurricanes in the future.
"In future, we'll need to change our behavior
and reduce the stress on the reefs," he said.
0


-'^gracefoods^c


September 2009


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









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September 2009


CARIBBEAN TODAY




CARIBBEAN TODAY


l'A


M._ALUHCAR]E


September 2009

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PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POST AGE P AID MIAMI, FL PERMIT NO. 7315 V ol.20 No.10 SEPTEMBER 2009 T el: (305 1-800-605-7516 editor@caribbeantoday .com ct_ads@bellsouth.net Jamaica: 655-1479 We cover your world INSIDEThe Caribbean, as home to so many races and cultures, isalways welcoming a variety of dishes. So this month, Caribbean Today is serving up Oriental-style chicken, flavor ed with familiar coconut and ginger , page 8. Jamaican reggae starBuju Bantonhas had to cancel his performances in the United States fol lowing protests by gay and les bian groups, page 15. News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Featur e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Cultur e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Local . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Arts/Entertainment . . . . . . .12 Spotlight on Belize . . . . . . . 14 Spor t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Successful in Business . . .19 T ourism/T ravel . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Classified Adver tising . . . . 23 THE MUL TI AWARD-WINNING NEWS MAGAZINE CALL CARIBBEAN TODAY DIRECT FROM JAMAICA 655-1479 A study has found massive col lapse of coral r eefs thr oughout the Caribbean, a big tourist attraction in the region, and isblaming climate change for thesituation, page 21. ~ Jamaican Usain Bolt’s world record sprint double led the Caribbean’swhopping 26-medal haul and stamped the region’s top class quality on the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics,page 2. Sept2009.qxd 9/2/09 2:58 PM Page 1

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GORDON WILLIAMS BERLIN, Germany – The Caribbean once again flexedits muscles as a global trackand field power by capturing 26 medals at last month’s 12thIAAF W orld Championships in Athletics (WCA e. Led by Jamaica’ s record WCA haul of 13, including seven gold, four silver and two bronze, which placed the country second overall to theUnited States in the medal table, the region producedsome of the most dazzlingmoments of the meet, which ran from Aug. 15-23. None were brighter than the wildly popular Usain Bolt’s world record sprint double, and the Jamaican’sthr ee gold medals overall. Bolt shatter ed his own 100 meters mark of 9.69 seconds, set at last year’s Olympic Games in China, with a stun-ning 9.58 on the second night of the WCA. Tyson Gay of the United States finished second in an American record9.71, and Jamaica’ s Asafa Powell third in 9.84. “I was definitely r eady for the world r ecord and I did it!” Bolt said after the final. “I am proud of myself. This is a big moment in history The 6’ 5” sprint star, who celebrated his 23rd birthdayduring the WCA, r eturned days later to the Olympic Stadium track to clock 19.19 in the 200 meters and breakhis other individual worldmark set at the Olympics. That result took Bolt more bysurprise. “The world r ecord, I did not r eally have it on my mind,” he said. REPEAT Bolt’s countrywomen Shelly-Ann Fraser (100 meters in 10.73) and Melaine Walker(400 meters hur dles in a championship r ecord 52.42), who also won in China, repeated at the WCA in their pet events, while Brigitte Foster-Hylton won the 100 meters hurdles. Jamaica won both 4x100 meters r elays to complete the countr s gold haul. The men’s team of Steve Mullings, Michael Frater, Bolt and Powell, clocked 37.31 seconds to beat Trinidad and Tobago (37.62 place. Jamaica’s women, featuring Simone Facey, Fraser,Aleen Bailey and Ker ron Stewar t, who won 100 silver in 10.75, romped to the relay win in 42.06 seconds. The Bahamas placed second in42.29. Jamaicans who journeyed to the WCA were happy withtheir countr s performance. They also soaked in the admi ration it brought from other nations, including the host. “On a whole it was just excellent,” said Ann Mair, who came here from New York. “I enjoyed the whole A delegation of Caribbean American leaders, along withother nationals fr om across the United States, is scheduled to attend the Congressional Black Caucus annual confer-ence in W ashington, D.C. Sept. 23-26. While in the U.S. capital, the leaders will meet withmembers of the UnityCoalition, a gr oup of over 50 Black organizations, to solidify support for “Question 9”, which addresses the issues ofself identification and countr y of origin on the 2010 census. The delegation will suppor t Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, co-chair of the weekend activities and r epr esentative of New York’s 11th congressional district, which has the largest number of people ofCaribbean descent in the U.S. Representatives of the Caribbean American CulturalCoalition Census Committee in South Florida are encouraging Caribbean nationals to getan early star t in the 2010 census process. Acting on a challenge issued by the Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICSW ashington D.C. to engage the Caribbean community in the process, the coalitiondeployed r epr esentatives to the Broward County Complete Count Committee. AWARENESS The effort, led by Florida State Repr esentative Hazelle Rogers and others, began an early public awareness cam-paign at UNIFEST during the recent Caribbean HeritageMonth. The gr oup also con vened a strategy meeting in North Lauderdale of invitees to a census department-spon-sor ed confer ence in Orlando, Florida. “My motivation is to increase the number of participants in my district and the immigrant community at large in the 2010 count to ensurethat they understand the full benefits from an accuratecount,” said Rogers in a recent press release. A delegation of South Florida Caribbean leadersattended the 11th Annual Legislative Conference sponsored by the Institute ofCaribbean Studies (ICS 24-26 in Washington, D.C. Thegr oup, which included Rogers, State Rep. Yolley Roberson,Councilman Aster Knight, North Miami City Clerk AlixDesulme, attor ney Marlon Hill, Hulbert James, Roxanne Valies, and Maria Kong, also attendeda White House census briefingthat focused on Question 8 and9. James, chair of the SouthFlorida census committee, was selected as one of three nationalco-chairs of the NationalCaribbean Community CensusCommittee. e will intensify our efforts to ensure a completecount by working with census staff and complete count com-mittees at the local, state, and national level,” said James in the release. Caribbean American leaders take census case to WashingtonBolt,Caribbean shine bright at World Championships in Athletics 2 CARIBBEAN TODAYSeptember 2009 NEWS NEWS www.caribbeantoday.com Bolt, right,wins the 100 meters ahead of Gay,center,and Powell. Clarke (CONTINUED ON P AGE 18) Sept2009.qxd 9/2/09 2:58 PM Page 2

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LOUISIANA United States r egulators failed to act on reports that Texas financier Sir Allen Stanford was operat-ing an alleged multi-billion dollar Ponzischeme, a UnitedStates SenateBanking Committeehas been told. Investors appearing before the com-mittee last month said that they had pr ovided information to the U.S. r egulators about the alleged $7 billion Ponzi scheme by Sir Allen thatinvolved his Antigua-based Stanford International Bank(SIB “These agencies, along with Stanfor d, have robbed me of my American dr eam,” said 55-year -old Craig Nelson. “I feel the U.S. government is r esponsible for my loss.” Leyla Wydler, an exStanford Group financialadviser , said that regulators at the National Association of Securities Dealers ignored herwhen she alleged in 2003 thatthe financier was conducting a Ponzi scheme. Wydler who made a similar char ge to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC which charged Stanford of engagingin the “massive” Ponzi scheme in February -said she was fir ed in 2002 because she declined to offer the “high yield” certifi-cates of deposit (CDsto clients. “The financial advisers who sold CDs wer e praised and compensated for doing so, andthose who did not sell the CDswer e fir ed,” she testified. OO SLO Many of the investors said the SEC, the U.S. financialr egulatory agency, was also too slow in r esponding to allegations levelled against SirAllen. “The system absolutely failed us; and now, we are leftdestitute, defrauded anddependent on others,” said T roy Lillie, a retired Louisiana r efinery worker. But Rose Romero, regional director at the SEC’s For t Worth office in Texas, said it was dif ficult to build a case against Sir Allen because of the clandestine nature of his operations. “Stanfor d built a veil of Investors blame U.S.regulators for Stanford Ponzi’ scheme September 2009CARIBBEAN TODAY 3 NEWS NEWS www .caribbeantoday.com U.S. seeks to extradite suspected drug kingpin NEW YORK, CMC – The United States has askedJamaica to extraditeChristopher “Duddus” Coke,the alleged leader of the“Shower Posse” gang, who isfacing weapons and dr ug-trafficking charges in New York. In the indictment, unsealed in the U.S. Southern District Court of New Yorklate last month, Coke, 40, alsoknown as “Pr esident” and “Shor tman”, is char ged with “conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana” and“conspiracy to illegally traf fic in fir earms”. The indictment further alleged that members of Coke’s “Shower Posse” traf-ficked in marijuana andcocaine in the New Y ork metr opolitan area and elsewhere, funneling the profits back to Coke, who the U.S. Justice Department has labeled as “one of the world’s most danger ous drug kingpins.” The indictment said Coke, a “businessman” in Jamaica’s (CONTINUED ON PAGE 4) Stanford (CONTINUED ON PAGE 4) Sept2009.qxd 9/2/09 2:58 PM Page 3

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secrecy around him,” she testified. Sir Allen is being held in a Houston jail awaiting civiland criminal trial for what prosecutors said could begin in about a year’s time. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Ralph Janvey, the courtappointed receiver for Stanford’s assets, was not pr esent at the hearing, but said in a letter that his testimony would impair the crimi-nal case against Sir Allen. inner city, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted. Rohan Powell, a spokesman for Jamaica’s Justice Ministry, told reporters late last month the extradition request is “under review” and that an arrest war-rant is yet to be issued. Coke’ s lawyer , T om Tavares-Finson, described the allegations as “hype,” adding that his client is perplexed. “He can’ t understand what it could possibly be,” Tavares-Finson said. “We’ll wait and see. I don’t knowwhat’ s going to happen with the Jamaican government.” HOUSTON, Texas – A United States federal cour t has been told that the r elationship, between indicted Texas financier Sir Allen Stanford and the formerAntigua and Barbuda chief financial regulator Leroy King, had been sealed througha so-called “blood oath.” For mer chief financial officer of the Stanford Group,James M. Davis, in a plea agreement filed in the FederalDistrict Cour t in Houston, said that Sir Allen and Kingtook the “blood oath” at ameeting in 2003. Davis told the cour t that the oath “promoted an elaborate scheme” to hide the $7billion Ponzi scheme, of whichSir Allen, King, Davis and other Stanford Group top associates are accused of running thr ough Stanford-owned the Stanfor d International Bank (SIB After the pact, David said that King called Stanford “Big Brother”, telling the court that King received $8,000 inAmerican Football SuperBowl tickets for himself andhis girlfriend. In addition,Davis alleged that King accepted regular bribe payments from a secret Swissbank account that Davis saidSir Allen told him to handle. TWIST The unusual twist to the Stanford case came as Davispleaded guilty late last monthto fraud and conspiracy in the federal court. Davis, who oversaw the movement of vast sums of money at SIB, also said in theplea agr eement that Sir Allen or dered him to “report false revenue and false investment portfolio balances to banking regulators” as far back as1988, when Sir Allen ran an offshore bank in Montserrat. “I did wr ong. I’m sorry. I apologize. And I take r esponsibility for my actions,” Davissaid after the hearing. Sir Allen was also scheduled to appear in cour t on Aug. 27, but was hospitalizedafter his pulse rate soar ed, his lawyer said. While he has r epeatedly denied accusations that he ran a Ponzi scheme involving cer-tificates of deposit issued by SIB, Sir Allen has also insist-ed that if anything illegal did happen, it must have been Davis’ s fault. Davis, who had been a friend of the accusedfinancier since they wer e roommates at Baylor University in Waco, Texas,now faces up to 30 years inprison. PLEA The plea agr eement and a court presentation on Aug. 27 by prosecutors repeated many facts that were outlined inJune in an indictment of Sir Allen, several Stanford Groupof ficials and King. They ar e accused of defrauding 30,000 investors of $7 billion, filing false reports to regulators and investors, diverting more than $1.6 bil-lion into undisclosed personal loans to Stanford, and conspiring to obstruct an investigation by the US Securitiesand Exchange Commission(SEC egulator. Davis told the court that he, Stanford, King and others had proposed various respons-es designed to mislead the American regulators, whichKing was expected to transmitback to the SEC. The plea agreement also stated that King “helped mislead regulators” of theEaster n Caribbean Central Bank (ECCBraising questions about theSIB operations. King is awaiting extradi tion to the U.S. to face the charges. Investors blame U.S. regulators for Stanford ‘Ponzi’ schemeU.S.seeks to extradite suspected drug kingpinCourt hears of ‘blood oath’ between Stanford,Antiguan financial regulator 4 CARIBBEAN TODAYSeptember 2009 NEWS NEWS www.caribbeantoday.com (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3) (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3) Sept2009.qxd 9/2/09 2:58 PM Page 4

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September 2009CARIBBEAN TODAY 5 Sept2009.qxd 9/2/09 2:58 PM Page 5

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6 CARIBBEAN TODAYSeptember 2009 WASHINGTON, D.C. United States scientists have warned that conditions arefavorable for significant coralbleaching and infectious coraldisease outbr eaks in the Caribbean. Scientists from the National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration (NOAA their forecast in the July Coral Reef Watch outlook, releasedher e recently. They cautioned that their for ecast will be particularly felt in the Lesser Antilles in view of continued high water temperatures through October. “Just like any climate forecast, local conditions andweather events can influenceactual temperatur es,” said Dr. Mark Eakin, NOAA s coral r eef watch coordinator. “However, we are quite concerned that high temperatures may threaten the health of coral reefs in the Caribbeanthis year .” Eakin said he is concerned that bleaching may reach the same levels or exceed thoser ecor ded in 2005, the worst year of coral bleaching and disease in Caribbean history. He said in parts of the Eastern Caribbean, as much as 90 percent of corals were bleachedand over half of those diedduring that event. ‘CORAL DEATH’ Eakin said prolonged coral bleaching of more than aweek can lead to coral deathand the subsequent loss of coral reef habitats for a rangeof marine life. It also af fects local economies and tourism. Scientists have said that coral bleaching is associated with a variety of factors, especially increased ocean temperatures. This causes the coral to expel symbiotic micro-algaeliving in their tissues – algaethat pr ovide sustenance for coral. They also said that the loss of algae leaves coral tissue devoid of color, making itappear bleached. Eakin said the bleaching risk may be higher in certain regions in the Caribbean than in this initial forecast. DR. ROBERT SHMERLING QUESTION:For many years, I took Aciphe x and then learned it may have been a factor in giving me osteoporo sis.I do not want to take bisphosphonates for mild osteo-porosis .My naturopathic healer suggests calcium aspartate , along with a high dose of vitamin D and weight-bearinge x ercise ,as well as eating dark,leafy greens.Can this r egimen, as w ell as stopping the Aciphex,reverse osteoporosis? ANSWER: Supplemental cal cium and Vitamin D and weight-bearing exercise arer outinely r ecommended to maintain bone health, especially for postmenopausalwomen or those who do notget enough of these nutrientsin the diet. What’ s enough? For most adults, 1,200 milligrams/day of calcium and 800 internationalunits of V itamin D are recommended. Green, leafy vegetables ar e a good dietar y source of calcium, but dair y pr oducts (such as milk and yogur t) are even better. Vitamin D can befound in fish (especiallysalmon and tuna), eggs andfor tified milk. Increasing your intake of calcium and V itamin D and increasing weight-bearing exercise may slow bone loss,especially if intake of calcium and V itamin D ar e low. However, the evidence is mixed on the ability of calci um, Vitamin D and exercising more to actually reverseosteopor osis (that is, increase bone density, not just slow its decline) and lower fractur e risk. If they can, the effectseems to be small. REVERSING The most ef fective way to reverse osteoporosis and reduce the risk of fracture isby taking a bisphosphonate(such as alendr onate/Fosamax or risedronate/Actonel).Raloxifene (Evista o gen therapy also increase bone density and r educe fracture risk, but their side effects and lower effectiveness (compared with bisphosphonates) make these less-appealing options. Rabeprazole (Aciphex a “proton-pump-inhibitor” (PPIthe stomach. It can tr eat ulcers, heartburn and other acid-related stomach disorders. Befor e blaming rabepra zole for your osteoporosis, keep in mind that in extensivestudies of its ef fectiveness and safety, no link between rabeprazole and osteopor osis was identified. While it’s possible that PPI use increases the risk of osteo-por osis, it’ s also possible that people taking PPIs have more risk factors for osteoporosisthan those who don’ t take PPIs. For example, people taking PPIs may be sicker andmor e likely to have been admitted to the hospital (where PPIs are often pre-scribed). Or , they may take less calcium or vitamin D, drink more alcohol, or take corticosteroids more frequently than people who don’t take PPIs. Even if PPIs ar e found to incr ease osteopor osis risk, it’ s possible that some PPIs (including rabeprazole) have littleef fect on bone density , while others weaken bone more. Dr.Robert H.Shmerling, M.D.is associate physician atBeth Israel DeaconessMedical Center , Boston, Massachusetts,and associate professor at Har vard Medical Sc hool. 2008 President and F ellows of Harvard College.All rights reser ved. Distrib uted by Tribune Media Services,Inc. U.S.scientists warn of coral bleaching in the Caribbean To help readers understand more about SocialSecurity in the United States, Caribbean Today , with the help of the Social Security Administration (SSAing the following questions and answers: DISABILITY Question: I was disabled for a while se veral years ago. My health has since impro v ed. Can I receive disability benefits for the time I was disa bled? Answ er: If you wer e disabled “several years ago”, but ar e not disabled now, you probably can’ t get benefits at this point. Whether or not you ar e entitled to what we call a “closed period of disability” depends on: When you became disabled; and When you apply for Social Security disability benefits. You may be entitled to a “closed period of disability”when medical evidence estab lishes you were unable toengage in substantial gainfulwork activity for a continuousperiod of 12 months, but by the time the disability decision is made, you have medically recovered. You must also meet the following require-ments to be entitled to a closedperiod of disability: You must file an application within 14 months after the disability ended; or Y ou must have filed an application between 15 to 36 months after the disability endedand you must show that your failur e or inability to file a timely application was due to your physical or mental condition. If you meet the r equir e ments for disability benefits, there is a five-month waiting period before your first month-ly benefit can be paid. Y ou can r eceive up to 12 months of retroactive benefits from the date you file an application with Social Security . Lear n mor e about Social Security dis ability benefits at www.socialsecurity.gov/disability MEDICARE Question:It seems difficult to figure out what plan to getfor Medicar e pr escription drug coverage.What is the easiest way to compare plans? Answer: The easiest way to get a handle on Medicar e pr e scription drug plans is to use the Medicar e Prescription Drug Plan Finder at www.medicare.gov . There you can find and compareplans in your ar ea. Or , you may find it better to get personalized counseling about plans in your area by calling 1-800-MEDICARE ( 1-800633-4227 ). Social Security benefits and your healthBisphosphonates effective in fighting osteoporosis HEALTH HEALTH / / ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENT www.caribbeantoday.com ‘DOCTORS’ IN THE HOUSE Broward County politicians put down their gavels and picked up stethoscopes and white coats as part of “National Health Center Week”last month,celebrating the quality accessible care provided to underserved populations by community health centers. Among those who showed up at the Broward Community Family Health Center (BCFHCleft to right,Jamaican-born Florida State Representative Hazelle Rogers; West Park Vice Mayor Thomas Dorsette; and BCFHC President and Chief Executive Officer Rosalyn F razier . “Na tional Health Center W eek”included health fairs,tours,screenings and educational events at the three Florida locations of BCFHC Hollywood,Pompano and West Park. Sept2009.qxd 9/2/09 2:58 PM Page 6

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PETER RICHARDS PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands, CMC – Atthe end of their annual summit in Guyana in July, Caribbean community (CARICOM tries reiterated their oppositionto moves by Britain to suspend the constitution of the Turksand Caicos Islands (TCI The end of summit com muniqu noted that the leadersof the 15-member bloc, while“deeply disturbed” by the find ings of a commission of inquiry into possible cor ruption into the former Michael Misick government, still felt London had an obligation to find an alternative solution rather than suspending the constitution and imposing direct rule. In Mar ch, the leaders from countries that were once British colonies – the Fr ench country of Haiti being the exception said that the plans by London were “not the most effective tools to bolster good governance and effective administration in the territory”. In May , CARICOM used the United Nations Second International Decade for theEradication of Colonialism conference in St. Kitts to push for support for its position. “The CARICOM position on this matter calls for deeperr eflection by all involved in or der to ar rive at a solution that will minimize constitutional dis r uption,” said Per manent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Astona Browne. She noted that given the geographical proximity andcultural ties of the people ofthe Caribbean, it should not besurprising that CARICOM continues to regard the decolo-nization pr ocess of the remaining overseas ter ritories as fun damental to Caribbean regional integration. Galmo Williams, who took over the leadership of the TCI government in March from Misick, also addr essed the U.N. confer ence and later travelled to London at the head of a two-member delegation in abid to get the British gover n ment to accede to his request for the citizens of the island to have a say in their future. ONLY OPTION But a dejected Williams, upon his return, told the Caribbean Media Cor poration (CMC that political Independence seems to be the only option now available to the T urks and Caicos Islands. “It is our only way out, self determination. It is our only way out to nationhood. They are determined we must be ruled by one man (governorand I think it is unfair . I think I have to continue speaking out against it. Independence has to be the only way that we in thiscountr y must look...it is our only way for our long ter m growth,” he told CMC . Britain had said its action would last at least for two yearsand follows the conclusion of aone-man commission ofinquir y, which reported that it had found “clear signs” of cor ruption in the government. At the center of the corruptionclaims is Misick, who is allegedto have amassed a multi-mil lion-dollar for tune since he was elected in 2003. Accor ding to the inquiry team’ s document, the corruption appears to have consisted of “bribery ofMinistersand/or public officers by over-seas developersand otherinvestors, so as to secureCr own Land on favorable terms”. The commission also dis cover ed “serious deterioration fr om an alr eady low level in the territory’s systems of governance and public financial management and control”. The contributing factors to this decline include “the potential and encouragement in the system of governance for abuse of public office, concealment of conflict (ofels of public life”. Another fac tor was the lack of ef fective constitutional checks and bal ances “to protect the public purse, the inefficient from scrutiny, the dishonest fromdiscover y and the vulnerable fr om abuse”. Sir Robin Auld, the head of the commission, has recommended criminal action againstMisick and other politicianswho ar e accused of enriching themselves. Britain’s Overseas Territories Minister Gillian Merron said that the investigation had discovered a “high probability of systemic corrup-tion or serious dishonesty” inthe TCI. CARICOM hadhoped that London would haveused the period during which the final report would have been submitted and the legalchallenges to “mor e profitably find solutions that would aver t the threatened constitutional and democratic dislocation. “In this regard, the rejection by the governor of the proposal of the new premier toallow the people of TCI to elect a new government whichcould have adopted and imple mented the measures required to improve the administration of the territory and strengthen integrity in public life was, regrettably, a lost opportunity the regional leaders said at the end of their summit in July. “The people of the Turks and Caicos Islands and theirability to gover n themselves in the long run will benefit far more from strengtheningtheir adminis trative andgood gover nance processes throughtheir ownef forts than by the administra tions thr ough the governor under dir ect rule.” NO T IMPRESSED Britain was not impressed. London delivered its verdict onthe island that enjoys one of the more dynamic economiesin the Caribbean. In 2002 T urks and Caicos was removed from a list of countries and territories con-sider ed to be uncooperative tax havens by the Organization for Economic Cooperation andDevelopment (OECDseeks to end har mful tax prac tices ar ound the globe. However, by 2009 it remained on the OECD’s grey list of countries that have promised to comply with rules on sharing tax information. Tourism is also a major revenue earner. Governor Gordon Wetherell said that he has since signed the necessary proclama-tion suspending the constitutionof the island that was once adependency of Jamaica and became a crown colony upon Jamaica’s Independence in 1962. The final hurdle to Britain’s move came last month when the British Cour t of Appeal dis missed ar guments by Misick that the TCI Constitution Order that allows for suspending theconstitution contravenesEur opean Union laws. The three-member panel also ruled that there was little evidence to support the case going any fur-ther . The gover nor said that with “immediate effect, ministerial government and the House of Assembly are sus-pended...and the House ofAssembly is dissolved andMembers’ seats ar e vacated. “The constitutional right to trial by jury is also suspended with immediate effect. In accordance with the Order inCouncil, this will be for a peri od of two years, subject toextension or abbr eviation as necessar y,” Wetherell said. ‘COUP’ CONDEMNED The governor said that during the two-year period, hewould be r esponsible for the government of the Turks and Caicos Islands and that he hasappointed British-national Martin Stanley as chief execu-tive to head the TCI publicser vice. But Williams condemned the “coup” by London. “...As the grand children of slaves, left abandoned on thesebar r en shores centuries ago, we, together with those who came later on, have turned these Islands into something that we can all be proud of,and indeed something that ouronce delinquent masters, have stated that they will do anything except a return to slavery to repossess,” Williams stressed. “As the legitimately and duly elected leader of thiscountr y,” Williams said that he was “str ongly” objecting to the recommendations outlined in the Report of the Commission. “But I am convinced that this coup d‘tat committedagainst the legitimate gover nment of our T urks and Caicos Islands by the United Kingdom puts them on the wrong side of history, for I can assure you thatthis action which they havetaken against us was not donebecause it is the right thing to donor because it is necessar y, but rather it is being taken becausethey ar e able to do such things in a countr y of our size and status.” But the British governor has dismissed the talks of a“take over ,” telling citizens “we can finally move ahead together towards a fresh start for theIslands. “Our guiding principles will be those of transparency,accountability and r esponsibility,” Wetherell said. “I believe that most people in the Turksand Caicos will join with me inwelcoming these changes.” “This is not a ‘British takeover’,” he insisted. “The British government and I are committed to working towards holding free and fair electionsby July 2011.” CMC Britain determined to revamp politics in Turks and Caicos Islands September 2009CARIBBEAN TODAY 7 FEATURE FEATURE www .caribbeantoday.com Misick Wetherell Sept2009.qxd 9/2/09 2:58 PM Page 7

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8 CARIBBEAN TODAYSeptember 2009 Alittle sweetness, a little spice are always nice to Caribbean people. As home to so many races and cultur es, the region is always welcoming a variety of dishes. So this month, Caribbean Today is serving up Orientalstyle chicken, flavored with familiar coconut and ginger.T r y it nuh! Ingredients 1 1/2 cups water 1 (8-ounce chunks in juice (drained 1 (7-ounce ger rice 1 tablespoon sesame oil 4 cups frozen popcorn chicken bites 1 (16-ounce ozen broccoli stir-fry 1 (16-ounce sour dinner sauce 2 tablespoons honey Method Place water in medium saucepan. Cover and bring to boil on high heat for rice. Stir rice and seasoning packet (from rice. Reduce heat to low, cover andsimmer 20 minutes. Preheat wok on high for two minutes. Place sesame oil in wok and swirl to coat. Add chicken and cook three minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Add pineapple and broccoli stir-fry. Stir, cover andr educe heat to medium-high. Cook seven minutes, stirringoccasionally . Add sweet and sour sauce and honey . Stir, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer eight minutes. Remove rice from heat and let stand four minutes. Serve chicken and vegetablesover rice. Oriental saladIngredients 1 cup cherry tomatoes 1 yellow squash 6 cups romaine lettuce leaves 1/4 cup Oriental salad dressing Method Wash tomatoes, squash and lettuce. T ear lettuce into bite-size pieces and place insalad bowl. Slice tomatoes in half and squash into half-inch cubes.Add to lettuce. Add dr essing, toss and ser ve. Recipe obtained from Publix Apron’s Simple Meals. Mix up,mix up: Sweet and sour chicken with coconut and ginger rice ‘Simple touches are among the secrets to steak success’. FOOD FOOD www.caribbeantoday.com Grace Kennedy Limited, a leading Caribbeanfood manufactur er and distributor, has announced it is the new title sponsor of a largeCaribbean food festival in theUnited States. The Jamaican Jerk Festival, now named the GraceJamaican Jerk Festival, will beheld Nov . 8 at Markham Park in Sunrise, Florida. o have Grace Kennedy, the for emost producer of authentic Caribbean food products as the title sponsor is just anatural fit,” Eddy Edwar ds, chair man of the board of Jamaican Jerk Festival USA, Inc., said in a recent press release. “The company hasbeen a suppor ter and participant in the festival since our launch in 2001 “Grace Kennedy has always considered this festival to be one of our most impor-tant annual events in the region, allowing us to connect with the large Caribbean community here in South Florida aswell as the expanding audience of jerk lovers,” said Joy Thomas, market manager , southern U.S. “Being the title sponsor presents us an opportunity to do more than just showcase our brand. We will be able to play a part in all of the day’senter tainment and activities, really interact with the festival goers and serving up dishesmade primarily with our jerkline of pr oducts.” Grace Kennedy is new sponsor of ‘Jamaican Jerk Festival’ Sept2009.qxd 9/2/09 2:58 PM Page 8

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Ther e is a time in every woman’ s life when she is most danger ous, and indeed, it is a wise man who knows that the female of the species is more deadly thanthe male. Usually it’ s the nearest thing in her proximity, her man, who feels the brunt of this rage and gets burnt, scalped and scarred by the inferno. No man can match it.Many men don’ t even know it by name, but all they know is that at a certain time, they better not argue, say anything, or even suggest touching her,but just hold their cor ner and let her be. It goes by the name PMS, and some men know it and fear it, while others haven’t aclue. But it comes in manyfor ms, many shapes, and is in all women. Now I know that you’re thinking of the traditional cyclical PMS, where like the lunar cycle, emotions and actions are affected. No, it’s not that one, for there are many other sortsof PMS that exist. MOOD SHIFTS One of them is Perpetual Mood Shifts. Any man knows that he is in big trouble if hedoesn’ t bend and sway to those mood shifts. A woman will be in a perfectly good mood, having a great time, then suddenly it’s like the moon has covered the face of the sun and everything goes dark. Not even she can explain it. Ask no questions, make noqueries, step away if you can, walk away to another room. If you live elsewhere, go home. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, it will shift back to normal as suddenly as it had changed. Then there is the Puffy Mid Section, yet another PMS that affects women. For some strange reason, a man with a puffy mid section is acceptable. A woman with a puffymid-section is looked upon with derision. They like it not. Still, I saw a woman with a huge mid section, wearing an impy skimpy outfit that showed of f her fat. When I commented quietly to my friend, the response was, u nuh know what a gwaan, isbelly a wearnow Yes folks, belly is in sea son. ‘MEN SUCK’ Plainly Men Suck. No, no, no, not in the way that you’re thinking. There are women who ever y now and then go through a phase where, as far as they’re concerned, all men suck. They are bitter, angry women. As far as they ar e concerned, there is not one good man inexistence, and all men in her life, past, pr esent and futur e, are the scum of the earth, wor thless vagabonds. They usually pr eface their sentences with the wor ds, all a “unoo”, as in, “All a unoo wor thless.” From you hear those wor ds, back of f and r etr eat, for that PMS is deadly . Those women usually end up alone, or in the arms of otherwomen. A few who have made that switch, after a while, the same pr oblems that they had with men ar e the same ones they have with women. F A UL T FINDING Hot on the heels of that PMS is the other more generalone, People Make me Sick, or PMMS. These women find fault with everything andever yone, even their own children whose lives they interfere with. After a while every-one avoids them. The lighter type of PMS includes, Provide Me with Sweets, Perpetual Munchie Spree, Pimples May Surface.In those, the woman has thosecravings for chocolate ormunchies until invariably they break out in pimples. Those you can live with. What you don’t want to hear is the deadly PMS, Pack My Stuf f. That has left many a grown man weak-kneed and sobbing,begging her not to leave. But how do you counter all these various types of PMS in women? Well, there is, andit’ s quite simple. It’ s all in the appr oach. If a man suspects any form of PMS in his woman, he should not gohome and just ask her “What’ s for dinner?” Also, don’ t ever ask her , “Are you really wearing that?” Instead, look on her and say “W ow that outfit looks gr eat.” Or even better , ow you look fabulous.” Also, no matter what she’s eating, don’t ever ask, “Should you be eating that?” as it implies that she’ s fat. So you thought you knew what PMS was, well now you know the dif fer ent types. seido1@hotmail.com Our story so far: Last year , Barack Obama was elected president, the first American of African heritage ever to reach that office. If this was regard-ed as a new beginning by mostAmericans, it was r egarded apocalyptically by others who promptly proceeded to lose both their minds and any pre-tense of enlightenment. These are the people who immediately declared it theirfer vent hope that the new presidency fail, the ones whocheer ed when the governor of T exas raised thespecter ofsecession, theones whowent onlineto r echristen the executivemansion the“Black”House, and to picture it witha water melon patch out front. In the debate over healthcare reform, they are the ones who have disrupted town hallmeetings, shouting about the president’s supposed plan for“death panels” to euthanize the elderly. Now, they are the ones bringing firearms to places thepr esident is speaking. MYTH It r emains unclear , once you get beyond the realm of Internet myth, alarmist rheto-ric and blatant lie, what the substance of the president’ssupposed tyranny might be.“Socialized health car e”? Given that our libraries, schools, police and firedepar tments are all “socialized”, that’s hard to swallow. When and if the implied violence comes, perhaps itsauthor will explain. Meanwhile,expect those who stoked hisrage i.e., the makers ofInter net myths, alar mist r heto ric and blatant lies to disdain any and all moral responsibilityfor the outcome. These ar e strange times. They call to mind what historian Henry Adams said in the mid1800s: “There are grave doubtsat the hugeness of the land and whether one government can comprehend the whole.” Adams spoke in geo graphical ter ms of a nation rapidly expanding toward thePacific. Our challenge is lessgeographical than spiritual,less a question of the distancebetween Honolulu and NewY ork than between you and the person right next to you.Such as when you look at aguy who thought it a goodidea to bring a “gun” to a presidential speech and find yourself stunned by incomprehension. On paper, he is yourfellow American, but youabsolutely do not know him,r ecognize nothing of yourself in him. Y ou keep asking yourself: Who “is” this guy? OLD MARKERS We frame the differences in ter ms of “conservative” and “liberal”, but these ar e tir ed old markers that with overuse and misuse have largely lostwhatever meaning they usedto have and with it, any ability to explain us to us. This isn’t liberal vs. conservative, it is yesterday vs. tomorrow, the stress of profound cultural anddemographic changes that will leave none of us as we were. And change, almost by definition, always comes toofast, always brings a sense ofstark dislocation. Round and round we go and where we stop, nobody knows. And it is an open ques-tion, as it was for Henr y Adams, what kind of country we’ll have when it’s done. “Can” one gov-er nment comprehend the whole? It may be harder to answer now than it was then. The distances that divide us cannot be measur ed in miles. T rib une Media Ser vices Inc. Leonard Pitts is a columnist for the Miami Herald. PMS explainedMore than miles separate us September 2009CARIBBEAN TODAY 9 VIEWPOINT VIEWPOINT www .caribbeantoday.com TONY ROBINSON LEONARD PITTS,JR. Sept2009.qxd 9/2/09 2:58 PM Page 9

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10 CARIBBEAN TODAYSeptember 2009 DA WN A. DAVIS If South Floridians didn’ t know about “nine night” (aka setup learned about the Jamaicantradition late last month atMiami’ s Adrienne Arsht Center for the Per forming Ar ts. A rousing “send-off” of the deceased on the ninthnight after death, the ritual is truly a last hurrah party in honor of the departed. This lavish ritual was the opening scene of the much anticipated musical “The Harder TheyCome”. On its North American tour, the United Kingdom production opened at theArsht Center to enthusiastic audiences hungry for the much loved music from the 1972 movie produced and directed by Perry Henzell and co-written with Trevor Rhone. Like the film, the musical pr oduction tells the stor y of Ivanhoe Martin, an aspiring r eggae singer who comes to town (Kingston, Jamaica to make his mark, but is cheated by crooked musicindustr y bigwigs. Hurt and bent on r evenge, Ivan gets caught up in a world of vio lence and criminality that leads to his ultimate end.The audience walks in onthe in-pr ogr ess “nine night” with mour ning, singing, domino playing, r um drinking, dancing, and wailing. The packed theater vibrates with energy as the superb cast of London-based actors brings Ivan’s story incidentally based on true events to life. Ivan, played by Rolan Bell, a British citizen bor n of Jamaican parents, brings authenticity to the role, deftly portraying the innocence of a country boy whocomes to town with “stars” in his eyes. Ivan transforms into a hardened Kingstonianas he navigates the harsh ness of life on the r oad to infamy. ‘CHURCHIFIED’ The one constant in his miserable life, Elsa, played by Jamaican-born Joanna Francis, tempers his existence. The ‘churchified’ Elsa is drawn out of her religious stupor by the charismatic, handsome Ivan to the chagrin of the lecher ous preacher, played byV ictor Romer o Evans. The main characters’ r ough ride is supplemented by firstclass performances by Chris Tummings who plays the corrupt police detective Ray Pierre; Marcus Powell, the thieving music industry executive Mr. Hilton; the warmhearted Pedro played by Lain Gray; and Susan LawsonReynolds in the r ole of the sexy city girl Pinky. But it is the music that makes this stage production unforgettable. Indeed, Jimmy Cliffs recordings are what transfor med the film into a cult classic. The worldrenowned songwriter, who also played Ivan in the film, penned the haunting words to “Many Rivers to Cross” and of course the instantly recognizable title song “The Har der They Come”. With a clearly visible on-stage band, the production is mor e like getting a two-for-one deal a live music concer t and a stage play at the same time. By the end of the per for mance, the overwhelming comment is: “It is nostalgic”. Indeed, with classic hits from the movie soundtrack such as ou Can Get It If You Really Want”, “The Bigger They Come The Harder They Fall”, “Johnny T oo Bad” and “By the Rivers of Babylon”, the musical production brings back memories of Jamaica’ s turbulent, but nationalistic s. T ALENT Francis, besides being a talented actress, wows theaudience with her incr edibly melodious and controlled voice. It’ s a pity we didn’ t get to hear mor e of her . Gray , too, should also consider a singing car eer based on his soulful deliver y. And, although Bell is a good fit for the leading r ole, he does not have the strongestvoice. An opening night afterpar ty that allowed guests to mingle with the actors and dignitaries allowed fans to continue r eminiscing about a time in Jamaica that helped shape them. With footage fr om the movie and other noteworthy clips featuring Bob Marley, Barrington Levy, Inner Circle, Black Uhuru,and wicked music by DJ T om La Roc, the musical pr oduction never stopped. A surprise appearance by Jamaica’s Minister of Information and CultureOlivia “Babsy” Grange was a fitting cap to a night of Jamaican musical cultur e. Bursting with pride, the minister lauded the actors for their stellar contribution to a strong tradition that has helped put Jamaica on the world stage. Also on hand were some of the Henzell clan representingtheir father who died in 2006. “The Har der They Come” produced by Jan Ryan, Robert Fox, and Michael White and directed by Dawn Reid and Kerry Michael, willbe at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts through Sept. 13. It’s the play’sonly Nor th American run. Dawn A.Davis is a freelance writer . ‘The Harder They Come’ a delightful,nostalgic Caribbean experience CULTURE CULTURE www.caribbeantoday.com Street Address: 9020 SW 152nd Street, Miami, FL33157 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 6010 Miami,FL33116-6010. T elephone: (305 (305305 Toll-Free Fax: 1-866-290-4550 1-800-605-7516 Jamaica: 654-7282 E-mail: editor@caribbeantoday.com Send ads to: ct_ads@bellsouth.net Vol.20,Number 10 SEPT.2009 PETER AWEBLEY Publisher GORDON WILLIAMS Managing Editor SABRINA HOPKINS Graphic Artist DOROTHY CHIN 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. To guarantee return, please include a selfaddressed stamped envelope. Articles appearing in Caribbean Today may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor. “Ivan”lives again in ‘The Harder They Come’. Sept2009.qxd 9/2/09 2:58 PM Page 10

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September 2009CARIBBEAN TODAY 11 MIAMI W ith teenagers accounting for appr oximately $125 billion in spending each year, the Miami-Dade County 4-H Youth Program has beenworking with local teens tohelp them budget their finances and teach them what it takes to make it in life. The 4-H program recently wrapped up two summerfinance workshops with 48 students at the NorthwestBoys and Girls Club andAfrican Squar e Park in Miami. The workshops were held in the wake of an eco-nomic pinch that has takenhold of household budgets in the United States and made it har der for teens to find parttime jobs, causing some to rethink their shopping habits and scrimp on purchases like concerts, movies and restau-rants. The workshops, titled “On My Own: Challenge forLiving”, simulated r eal-life experiences in day-to-day andlong-ter m financial planning that teens can expect to face as adults. Participants were assigned careers, salaries and family situations. They weretasked to stay within theirbudget as they shopped forhousehold supplies, and paid for transportation, housing, food, utilities, insurance, childcare and entertainment. Teens also learned the difference in gross and net pay,how to write a check whileavoiding check fraud and the importance of keeping a bal-anced checkbook to pr event overdraft fees. For more information on the 4-H program, visit http://miamidade .if as .ufl.edu/4h or call 305888-5010 , ext 107 . Thr ee Miami students emerged winners in this year s annual Jamaica Independence EssayCompetition in Florida, United States. They wer e 15-year-old Trevon Chambers, nine yearold Dr uscilla Daley , and eightyear-old Deianeira Hoffenden, all residents of Miami. The winners wer e selected from a group of some 23 entries, each entrant detailing his or her experiences from a wide range of topics relating to the history and culture ofJamaica and its diaspora. CELEBRA TION The competition, or ganized by the Jamaica Information Service in Miami, is part of theannual festivities celebrating Jamaica’s Independence inFlorida. It is open to Jamaican children, first and second generation, who reside in the U.S. state. Hof fenden, a four th grade student, wrote a story about her two favorite places in Jamaica, which earned her first place in the five to eight age group category. In her essay , Daley discussed the “Significance of Jamaica’s Six National sym-bols”, which won in the age category nine to 13. In the 13-18 categor y , Chambers won for his essay about an outstandingJamaican in the diaspora andpaid tribute to Jennifer Grant, director of the SierraNor wood Chur ch Childr en’ s Choir . Hof fenden, a second gen eration Jamaican, said she was inspired by her love for travel,especially places she visitedduring her trips to Jamaica. Daley was bor n in Jamaica and migrated toSouth Florida in April. She was motivated by Jamaica’s rich cultur e and heritage. Chambers is also second generation with an interest inhis Jamaican heritage. He isactive in his chur ch’s Music Department at the Sierra Norwood Calvary Baptist Church, where Grant is the music director. Information provided b y the JIS . To help readers under stand more about SocialSecurity in the United States,Caribbean Today,withthe help of the Social Security Administration (SSAis offer-ing the follo wing questions and ans wers: Question:Can a widow receive Social Security benefits on her husband’s record? Answer: Yes. When a person who has worked and paidSocial Security taxes dies, cer tain members of the family may be eligible for survivorsbenefits. Social Security sur vivors’ benefits can be paid to:A widow or widower fullbenefits at full r etirement age, or reduced benefits as early asage 60;A disabled widow or widower as early as age 50; A widow or widower at any age if he or she takes care of the deceased’s child who is under age 16 or disabled, andthe child gets Social Securitybenefits; Unmarried children under 18 (or up to age 19, if they ar e attending high school full time); Children at any age who were disabled before age 22 and remain disabled; and Dependent parents age 62 or older. Even if you ar e divorced, you may still qualify for sur vivors’ benefits. RETIREMENT Question:How do I qualify for benefits as a divorced spouse? Answ er: Y ou can receive benefits as a divor ced spouse on a for mer spouse’s Social Security record if you: W ere married to the former spouse for at least 10 years; Are age 62 or older; Are unmarried; and Are not entitled to a higher Social Security benefit on your own record. In addition, the former spouse must be eligible tor eceive his or her own retirement or disability benefit. If the former spouse is eligiblefor a benefit, but has not yetapplied for it, you can still receive a benefit if you meetthe eligibility r equirements and have been divor ced from the for mer spouse for at least two years. Generally , the SSA won’ t continue to pay benefits if you remarry someone other than your former spouse. Learn more, and determine what your benefit mightbe by visiting our onlineBenefit Calculators at www.socialsecurity.gov/planner s/benefitcalculators.htm . Teens learn about finances during Miami workshopsMiami winners in essay contestGetting answers about Social Security benefits LOCAL LOCAL www .caribbeantoday.com FYI VOLUNTEER FEST The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County in Florida willopen its doors to the public for a free volunteer festival from noon to 6 p .m. Sept. 11 . The center’s first-ever “United W e Ser ve V olunteer Miami Day” will feature seminars covering topics in ener gy conser vation, ar ts education programs, personal and career advancement and community involvement. Live musical per formances and a preview of theArsht Center s 2009-2010 season will also highlight the program. The Adrienne Arsht Center is located at 1300 Biscayne Blvd.in Miami. MIAMI CARNIVAL The 25th annual Miami Carnival is scheduled for Oct.11 at Bicentennial Park in downtown Miami, Florida. The year’s event is being sponsored by the Broward and Miami carnival committees. DIV ALI CELEBRATION South Florida will host the East Indian celebration of“Divali”, “Diwali” or “Deepavali” over three days next month. The Divali Nagar Inc. will be the celebration, also known asthe Hindu Festival of Lights, Oct.14-16 at the new Central Broward Regional Park, State Road 7 and Sunrise Boulevard in Lauderhill. Ethnic foods, refreshments, live entertainment, cultural seminars, kids’ workshops will be among the activities. For mor e infor mation, visit www .divalinagar.us , e-mail info@divalinagar.us or call 954846-9895 . A teen participates in Miami-Dade 4-H Youth Program. Sept2009.qxd 9/2/09 2:58 PM Page 11

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Singer Chris Brown sentenced for assaulting Bajan pop star 12 CARIBBEAN TODAYSeptember 2009 ARTS ARTS & & ENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT LOS ANGELES, Califor nia A Los Angeles judge has sentenced singer Chris Brown tofive years pr obation and or dered him to do 180 days of community labor for assaulting his former girlfriend, theBarbadian pop star Rihanna. Los Angeles County Superior CourtJudge PatriciaSchnegg lastmonth also ordered Brownto stay clear of Rihanna, whoser eal name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty , for the next five years or face a stay in California state prison. She also ordered Brown to attend a yearof domestic violence counseling. The sentencing was part of the plea deal that spared Brown any jail time in the Feb. 8 brutalbeating that left the singer with bruises and a black eye. Thejudge said she was awar e of reports that Brown, 20, andRihanna, 21, wer e close to cr ossing paths and demanded it stop. “Even though you have probation, this is a felony, and it does come with the potential of prisonif you violate it,” she r uled. Schnegg or der ed Br own to stay 100 yards away from Rihanna except at industr y events where the distance is 10 yar ds. She also forbade telephone and written contact. NO EASE Rihanna’ s lawyer Donald Etra said the judge wasn’t interested in hearing anexpected r equest to ease the protection order. “Rihanna knows what her legal options are if she wishesto seek a modification of the order,” he said. The probation pre-sentencing r eport included a rundown of prior fights Br own had with Rihanna. Itnoted “he hasalr eady apologized to thevictim on a few different occa-sions” and that “he is uncertain of the sta-tus of theirr elationship. “Since the incident occur red, he has been very ‘depressed,’” the reportnoted. Rihanna, did not attend the sentencing. Brown was accompanied by his mother. He admitted guilt to felony assault in June, andissued a public apology for theattack. Rihanna Brown Sept2009.qxd 9/2/09 2:58 PM Page 12

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NEW YORK Caribbean residents in New York are gearingup for one of the biggest events on the American cultural calen-dar the W est Indian American Day Labor Carnival to beheld on Sept. 7. At a reception last month at Gracie Mansion the official residence of New York City’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg Caribbean Americans joinedthe mayor and his staf f to cele brate the 42nd anniversary of the parade, which attracts millions of revelers and onlookers each year to Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway. “Labor Day in New York is wher e Caribbean cultur e takes center stage and Caribbean nationals fr om Guyana to Grenada display solidarity and diversity as well as the cr e ativity of one of the most remarkable regions of theworld,” said Lorine St. Jules of the St. Lucia Tourist Board in New York. “The West Indian American Day Car nival and Parade (is s big end-ofsummer party, and it brings mil-lions of people to Br ooklyn from all over the United States,Canada, and cer tainly from the West Indies,” said Mayor Bloomber g as he addr essed Caribbean Americans at Gracie Mansion. “The parade is a wonderful celebration of the diversity that makes New York the greatest city in the world.” A W ARENESS Carnival association Pr esident Yolanda Lezama-Clark said that while the association fulfills its mission of celebrating Caribbean heritage and culture on the world stage, spotlighting social and economic issues wasalso extr emely impor tant. “This year we have chosen cancer awareness and Census 2010,” she said, announcing “Jump for the Cure, Jump Upand Be Counted!” as the theme of this year’s carnival. The association is par tner ing with the American Cancer Society in a social awar eness campaign to get people tested, while the alliance with the U.S. Census Bureau will spread the message of the importance of being counted in the upcoming 2010 Census. “This is a par ticularly impor tant issue for Caribbean people who have traditionallybeen under counted. But mor e so, being counted is about our economic power . (It is tant in order to ensure increasing community resources in thear eas of housing, (healthcar e), and education,” she said. Six Caribbean personali ties were honored at the mayor’s reception, including five Trinidadians: mas designer Clyde Bascombe, community leader Gemma Bidjou, steelband founder Cyrus Busby,costume maker and educatorMonica Car rington, and one of the earliest supporters of thecar nival Horace Morancie. NYPD Detective NivroseDuncan, fr om Haiti, was also recognized for playing a key r ole in making sur e the parade runs smoothly and safely. KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Jamaican reggae star BujuBanton has had to cancel his performances in the United States following protests by gay and lesbian groups. Banton, whose r eal name is Mark Myrie, was due toper form in Chicago, Las V egas, Dallas and Houston, beginning early this month. But promoter “Live Nation”said the per formances had been cancelled and that ticket holders would be refunded. Gay rights activists have been campaigning againstBanton since his 1990 hit“Boom Bye Bye”, which theysaid incite violence against gay people. More than 600 people complained to Live Nation,who owns the “House of Blues” venues where the Jamaican would have performed during his U.S. tour. In Oct. 2006, Banton was forced to cancel two of his concer ts as a result of pressure fr om the gay activist group. Two years ago, Banton was reported to have signed up withthe Reggae Compassionate Act, promising not to perform songs that advocate homopho-bia, in a deal br okered by British-based gay activist gr oup Stop Murder Music. The singer later denied making anysuch commitment. Gay,lesbian groups force cancellation of Banton’s U.S.tour September 2009CARIBBEAN TODAY 13 ARTS ARTS & & ENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT Buju Banton Mayor Bloomberg,left,with St.Jules. Labor Day Carnival: Where Caribbean culture takes center stage in New York Sept2009.qxd 9/2/09 2:58 PM Page 13

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Belize, formerly British Honduras, is located onthe Caribbean coast of northern Central America. Culturally, Belize considers itself to be both Caribbean and Central American. Belize has a diverse society , composed of many cultures and speaking many languages. Although Kriol and Spanish are also widely spoken among the populace, Belize is theonly countr y in Central America where English is the of ficial language. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, Guatemala to the south and west, and the Caribbean Sea to the east.W ith 8,867 square miles of territory and 320,000 people, thepopulation density is the low est in the Central American region and one of the lowest in the world. However, thecountr s population gr owth rate, 2.21 per cent is the high est in the region and one of the highest in the western hemisphere. The origin of the name Belize is unclear, but one ideais that the name is fr om the Maya word belix, meaning “muddy water”, applied to theBelize River . Before the arrival of Europeans, the Maya civiliza-tion spr ead itself over Belize beginning around 1500 B.C. and flourished until aboutA.D. 800. In the late classicperiod of Maya civilization(befor e A.D. 1000), as many as 400,000 people may have lived in the area that is nowBelize. Some lowland Mayastill occupied the ar ea when Europeans arrived in the 1500s. By then the primary inhabitants wer e the Mopan branch of the Yucatec Maya. Spanish colonists tried to settle the inland areas of Belize, but Maya rebellionsand attacks for ced them to abandon these efforts. BRITISH INFLUENCE English and Scottish buccaneers known as the Baymenfirst settled on the coast ofBelize in 1638, seeking a shel tered region from which they could attack Spanish ships. The settlers turned to cuttinglogwood during the 1700s.The wood yielded a fixingagent for clothing dyes that was vital to the Europeanwoolen industr y . The Spanish granted the British settlers the right to occupy the area andcut logwood in exchange foran end to piracy . Historical accounts from the early 1700s note that Africans wer e brought to the settlement from Jamaica to work asslaves and cut timber . The British first appoint ed a superintendent over the Belize area in 1786. TheSpanish, who claimed sover eignty over the whole of Central America, repeatedly tried to gain contr ol by force over Belize, but were unsuccessful. In the early 1800s, the British sought greater control over the settlers. A series ofinstitutions wer e put in place to ensure the continued pres-ence of a viable labor for ce. In 1836, after the emancipation of Central America from Spanish rule, the Britishclaimed the right to adminis ter the r egion. In 1862, Gr eat Britain formally declared it a British Crown Colony, subor-dinate to Jamaica, and namedit British Honduras. INDEPENDENCE Demonstrations and riots in 1934 marked the beginningof an Independence move ment. Economic conditions improved during World WarII (1939-1945 Belizean men entered thear med for ces or other wise contributed labor to the war effort. Following the war, thecolony’ s economy again stagnated. Britain’ s decision to devalue the British Honduras dollar in 1949 worsened ecoBelize offers multiple cultures from Caribbean,Central America 14 CARIBBEAN TODAYSeptember 2009 SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT ON ON BELIZE BELIZE www.caribbeantoday.com (CONTINUED ON PAGE 16) ~ A Caribbean Today special feature A panoramic view of Belize City. Sept2009.qxd 9/2/09 2:58 PM Page 14

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Black Orchid The national flower of Belize is the black or chid (Pr osthechea cochleata), also known as Encyclia cochleata). Mahogany Tree The national tree of Belize is the mahogany tr ee (Swietenia macrophyllaBritish settlers exploited theBelizean for est for mahogany, beginning ar ound the middle of the 17th century. It was originally expor ted to the United Kingdom in the for m of squared logs, but shipments now consist mainly of sawnlumber . The motto “Sub Umbra Florero” means: Under the shade (of the mahogany tree) I flourish. The Keel Billed Toucan The Keel Billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus the national bird of Belize. It is noted for its great, canoe-shaped bill, brightly color ed gr een, blue, red and orange feathers. Toucans are found in open ar eas of the country with large trees. Baird’s Tapir Belize’s national animal is the Bair s Tapir (Tapirus bairdii), the largest land mammal of the American tropics. It is also known as the moun-tain cow , although it is actual ly r elated to the horse and the rhinoceros. It is protectedunder the law . September Celebrations 2009” got of f to an early start in Belize with the announcement of the winners of the patriotic and carnivalsong competitions last month. “Belize – We are Free”, done by Bea Armstrong,Alexander Evans and Her chel Ar mstrong of Belize City, won the patriotic song competition. The winners earned a prizepackage that included $3,000 and a trophy. “Take Me Backto Belize”, a song by Nello Player (Kernel Parks Belize City, was second. Barrington Castillo of La Isla Bonita, San Pedro, captured third place for his song “Shout Belize”. The runners-up each received a cash prize and atr ophy. Mer vin Budram of Belmopan won first place in the carnival song competition with “Jump 4 Belize”. He received $3,000 and a certificate. Salus Magana, of Corozal Town, wassecond with “Belizean United”. “Fayaah in the Streets” earnedCapt. Roby , of Orange Walk District, third place. Magana and Capt. Roby each received a cash prize and certificate. Some 17 entries were received for the patriotic song contest, while 11 entries weresubmitted for the car nival competition. All entries hadto be original and the compe titions were open to nationals of Belize, home and abroad. The winning songs were announced at the House ofCultur e. National symbols of Belize‘Belize – We are Free’,‘Jump 4 Belize’ win song competitions As a part of the Belize Tourist Board’s commitment to the growth and development of youngBelizeans, the BTB has announced this year’s scholarship recipients for tourism degree programs at variouseducational institutions throughout the country. Galen University extended to the Ministry of Tourismand Cultur e one full tuition scholarship per year for the bachelor s degree program in hospitality and tourism. The recipient of this year’s scholarship is 22-year-old Lorenzo Gonzalez, a graduate of Sacred Heart Junior College. The Jean Shaw Scholarship is awar ded yearly to a young Belizean woman who wants to pursue a career in tourism. This year’s recipient is 20-year-oldAndr ea Usher , who has been accepted into the bachelor of science in hospitality andtourism management pr ogram at Galen University . Jovita Requena, a r ecent graduate of Toledo Community College, was awarded an associate’s degree in tourism scholarship to San Pedro JuniorCollege, while Judith V idal and Ida Castillo wer e awar ded scholarships to SJC School of Professional Studies to pursue an associate’s degree in hospi-tality and tourism management. Roberto Guerra, a recent Youngsters get tourism program scholarships September 2009CARIBBEAN TODAY 15 SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT ON ON BELIZE BELIZE www .caribbeantoday.com ~ A Caribbean Today special feature (CONTINUED ON P AGE 16) Sept2009.qxd 9/2/09 2:58 PM Page 15

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nomic conditions and led to the cr eation of the People’ s Committee, which demanded Independence. The People’sCommittee’ s successor , the People’s United Party (PUP sought constitutional r efor ms that would expand voting rights to all adults. Constitutional r eforms wer e initiated in 1954 and resulted in a new constitution 10 years later. Britain granted British Honduras self-government in 1964, and the head of the PUP Independence leader George Price became the colony’ s prime minister . British Honduras was of ficial ly r enamed Belize in 1973. Progress toward Independence, however, washamper ed by a Guatemalan claim to sovereignty over the territor y of Belize. When Belize finally attained fullIndependence on Sept. 21, 1981,Guatemala r efused to recognize the new nation. Guatemala’ s president formally recognized Belize’ s Independence in 1992. The following year the UnitedKingdom announced that it would end its military involvement in Belize. Edited from W ikipedia September celebration in Belize is one of the most exciting times for the country, which obtained itsIndependence during themonth. Below are some of the highlights scheduled for this year s celebrations throughout September: Sept.5 – 2 p.m., Opening ceremonies/band fest at People’s Stadium, Orange WalkT own; 7 p .m. , “Queen of the Bay Pageant”, Spor ts Complex, Punta Gorda and Belize Civic Center , Belize City; 7 p.m . “Miss Glamour Queen”,Methodist SchoolGr ounds, Dangriga; 8 p .m . “Miss San Pedr o Pageant”, Old Football Field, San Pedro; 11 p.m. Kriol Dance Concer t, Malibu Beach Club, Dangriga. Sept.6 – 10 a.m. Sports Day, Andres Campos Civic Center, Corozal District; 6 p .m. “Cultur e Sunday”, Drums of Our FatherRoundabout,Dangriga. Sept.7 – 7 p.m . “Evening of Patriotic Songs andPoems”, W esley Chur ch, Belize City . Sept.8 – 6 p.m. outh Explosion”, WhyNot Island, Dangriga. Sept.9 – 9 a.m. “Kriol Cultural PromotionDay”, Central Park, Punta Gor da; 6 p .m. “Fir e Engine and Bicycle Parade”, Corozal Town; 7 p.m. “ACC Pageant and Dance”, Royal Orchid Hotel, Belize City; 8p.m. “Fr ee Jump Up”, Miami Beach, Cor ozal District; 8 p.m. motorcade parade, Benque V iejo; 9 p .m. “Battle of the Bands”, Arthur Street, Orange Walk Town; fireworks displays, 11 p.m . Marshalleck Plaza, Benque V iejo and 11:59 p .m. Miami Beach, Cor ozal District. Sept. 10 – 6 a.m. “Sounding of the Sirens”, Corozal District and Punta Gorda; “September 10thCer emony”, 9 a.m. , BTL Royal Princess Park, Dangriga, 10 a.m. Central Park, Punta Gorda and Corozal District; 11 a.m. multi-cultural fair, Belize City; 11 a.m. “Miss San Pedro” coronation, Old Football Field, San Pedro;“Jump Up”, 5 p .m. Independence Park, Belmopan and 7 p.m. Benque Viejo. Sept.11 – 7 p.m . “Pan Yard – Steel Pan Concert”, House of Culture, Belize City. Sept.12-13 9 a.m.to 5 p.m. “Expo Belize”, SJC Gymnasium, Belize City . Sept. 13 – “National Day of Prayer”. Sept.14 – 7 p.m . “Tribute to Belizean Patriots”, Sports Complex, Punta Gorda. Sept. 15 – 6 p .m . “Childr en’ s Night”, Corozal District; 6 p.m. “Kriol Cultural Storytelling”, BTL PrincessRoyal Park. Sept.16 – 6 p.m. “Festival of Ar ts”, Central Park, Punta Gorda. Sept.17 – 7 p.m. “Education Forum”, Town Hall, Dangriga; 7 p.m. ribute to Belizean Patriots”, BlissCenter for the Per forming Arts, Belize City. Sept. 18 – Childr en’s rallies in Orange Walk Town, Punta Gorda, Belize City,Belmopan, Dangriga andCor ozal District; 6 p .m. “Schools T alent Night”, Orange W alk T own; 8 p .m. “Hollywood Drug Free Teen Dance”. Sept.19 – 4 a.m. “Carnival Jouvert”, Belize City str eets; 1 p .m. “Car nival Road Mar ch”, Belize City; 7 p .m . r ock concert, Orange Walk Town; 7:30 p.m . “Battle of the Bands”, Corozal District. Sept.20 – 1 p.m. “Carnival Parade”, Santa Rita Hill, Corozal District; 8 p.m. “Inter national Marching Band Display”, Benque Viejo; 9 p.m. flag raising countdown; 10 p.m. Independence eve ceremony, San Pedro; flag raising ceremonies and fireworks displays in Orange Walk Town, San Ignacio/Santa Elena, CorozalDistrict, Punta Gor da and Dangriga. Sept. 21 – 9 a.m. Belize City Independence Day ceremony; 9 a.m. Independence Day Thanksgiving Mass,Benque V iejo; 9 a.m . Of ficial Independence Day Cer emony , Independence Plaza, Belmopan; Independence Day ceremonies in Punta Gorda, Corozal District, Orange Walk Town, Dangriga and Benque Viejo; 8 p .m. “Fr ee Jump Up” in Benque Viejo. Information obtained from “September CelebrationsBelize”. September is always a time to remember in Belize 16 CARIBBEAN TODAYSeptember 2009 SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT ON ON BELIZE BELIZE www.caribbeantoday.com CARNIVAL CELEBRATION Colorful carnival parades, marking the countrs Independence,are part of Belize’s exciting September celebrations. ~ A Caribbean Today special feature (CONTINUED FROM P AGE 14) What to see in BelizeBelize District Altun Ha The Great Blue Hole La Isla Bonita Ambergris Caye Hol Chan Marine Reser ve Museum of Belize Fort Street Tourism Village The Bliss Centre for the P erforming Arts Old Belize Museum and Cucumber Beach. The Belize Zoo (called “The best little zoo in the world”). Caye Caulker Belikin Beer Brewer y San Pedro Town Numerous Cayes (islands Stann Creek District Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and Jaguar Reserve Placencia Hopkins Victoria Peak Tobacco Caye Numerous Cayes Orange Walk District Lamanai San Estevan (Maya site) Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area Cayo District Caracol Xunantunich Cahal P ech El Pilar Blue Hole (park Guanacaste National Park Chiquibul National Park Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve Barton Creek Cave and Actun Tunichil Muknal (cave) 1,000 feet Falls Chaa Creek Big Rock Falls Belize Botanic Gardens Victoria Peak,Belize’s second highest point a t 1,120 meters (3,675 ftyle’s Delight, Belize’s highest point at 1,124 meters (3,688 ft graduate of Stann Creek Ecumenical College, was granted a scholarship to pursue anassociate’ s degr ee in tourism management at Ecumenical Junior College, while RashedaRhys has r eceived a par tial scholarship to pursue a bachelor’s segree in tourism at the University of Belize. ourism is a cr ucial sector in our country,” said Belize’s Tourism Minister Manuel Heredia, Jr. in a recentBTB pr ess r elease. “T raining continues to be an important ingredient for cultivating young tourism professionals. The Ministry of Tourism andthe Belize T ourism Board extends heartfelt congratulations to all scholarship r ecipi ents and wish them success in their studies.” (CONTINUED FROM P AGE 15) Youngsters get tourism program scholarshipsBelize offers multiple cultures from Caribbean,Central America Sept2009.qxd 9/2/09 2:58 PM Page 16

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PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Trinidad and Tobagoobser ved its 47th year of political Independence from Britain on Aug. 31 with the traditional military parade andbestowing its highest national award on a female worldchampion boxer killed in a motor vehicular accident earli-er this year . Jizelle Salandy, who died on Jan. 4, was the lone recipi-ent of Or der of Trinidad and Tobago for distinguished and outstanding national ser vice in the field of boxing. The 21-year-old, who held eight world titles, includingthe W orld Boxing Council (WBCorld Boxing Association (WBA Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA was killed when the car shewas driving crashed into a pil lar on the Beetham Highway on the outskirts of the capital. In 2007, she was given the country’s second highestawar d the Chaconia Medal (Gold Sports Minister Gary Huntdescribed her as an icon, agr eat contributor and a moti vator. Veteran journalist Keith Smith was among 20 persons honored this year. He received the Hummingbird Medal(Silverjour nalism, while 41-year-old housewife Dianne A volone Baptiste, who disarmed a bandit, struck him with a flower pot and kept him in an arm lock until the police arrived, r eceived Hummingbird Medal (Gold. Pannist Len “Boogsie” Sharpe also received theHumming Bir d (Gold ture while ethnomusicologist Dr. Geraldine Conner receivedthe second highest nationalawar d, the Chaconia Medal (Gold Diplomat Dr. Cuthbert Joseph, who was a member ofa committee examining a political and economic award between Trinidad and Tobagoand the Or ganization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS eceived the Chaconia Medal (Silver MIXED MESSAGES As expected, the message from the two main political figures here differed withPrime Minister Patrick Manning urging discipline andpr oduction to help the country emer ge fr om the global eco nomic crisis, while Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday saidthe sover eignty that the coun try’s Independence was under thr eat. Manning said the country has made great strides in its last 47 years and urged citi-zens to r ededicate themselves to the national watchwords of discipline, tolerance and pro-duction, which he said wer e “enduring concepts that contributed to producing the bestof human civilization. “Pr oductivity is more critical than ever as we face the serious challenges from an economic slowdown. We must all work harder and become more efficient, creative and r esourceful. Trinidad and Tobago needs to maintain a satisfactor y momentum in this extr emely competitive, globalized environment,” he said. Manning called on citizens to ensure that the country emerges fromthe economic slowdown occa-sioned by the global econom-ic situation,adding “that isour inescapable responsibilityas citizens ofthis countr y. The prime minister also said it was every citizen’s responsibili-ty “to continue practicing thetolerance that has been an important part of our society since Independence... particu-larly our leaders at all levels,have a special r esponsibility in str engthening the fabric of our society . “Let us always remember the powerful words of the psalmist reminding us of howgood and pleasant it is for br ethren to dwell together in unity ,” Manning said. But Panday called on citizens to revive their patrioticspirit and stand up against the efforts of the ruling People’sNational Movement (PNM administration to underminedemocracy in the countr y. “The sovereignty that our Independence pioneers foughtfor and achieved in 1962 is now under threat as PrimeMinister Patrick Manning in a megalomaniac haze, chargesahead with plans for the coun tr s political union with Eastern Caribbean countries, completely disregarding thecitizens’ opinions,” said Panday. The Opposition leader said the prime minister hasbeen consistently battering thechecks and balances in thecur rent constitution while the draft constitution “seeks to eliminate the distinction between the legislature andthe executive, putting under political contr ol and direction, the ver y institutions which are required to be independent.” Panday said the Judiciary, Integrity Commission, the Director of Public Prosecutions,Police Ser vice and the servicecommissionshave all comeunder attack by the present government. “Even as we celebrate our nation’s Independence today, the very foundation of our freedom is under attack. Not from foreign invaders or colonial masters but from those charged with the gover-nance and car e of Trinidad and T obago, as they continue the onslaught to destr oy the safeguards imprinted in the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago,” Panday said. Deceased champion boxer gets highest honor at T&T’s 47th Independence September 2009CARIBBEAN TODAY 17 TRINIDAD TRINIDAD & & TOBAGO TOBAGO INDEPENDENCE INDEPENDENCE www .caribbeantoday.com Salandy Caribbean cultur e has influenced the world in many ways over the years, fr om the exotic beauty of the islands and people, to the pulsating r hythms of their music r eggae, soca, salsa and merengue. Now, Caribbean food is beginning to play a new and vibrant role in how the world views this r egion, fr om jerk pork to cur ry chicken, fried plantains, fried yuca, cracked conch to flying fish, from mango chutney to guava jelly. Caribbean beers, rum and liquors are seen all over the world. Come with Caribbean T oday as we take you fr om the tip of the Y ucatan to the jungles of Guyana, as we explore the tastes of the Caribbean. We will tell you where you can find those hard-toget products and foods. CALL NOW TO ADVERTISE!1-800-605-7516 305-238-2868Fax 305-252-7843e-mail: sales@caribbeantoday .comArticles for Editorial Consideration: October 17th, 2009 ADVERTISING DEADLINE:OCTOBER 24TH, 2009 Manning P anday Sept2009.qxd 9/2/09 2:58 PM Page 17

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GORDON WILLIAMS EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey – Caribbean soccerchampion Jamaica, in a bid tor evitalize its senior national team, suffered from the same flaws which haunted it in the past despite a creditable 0-0draw with Ecuador last monthat Giants Stadium her e. The Reggae Boyz, without their quota of English-based professionals, held the World Cup 2010 hopeful from SouthAmerica in their first inter national since disappointingly bowing out of the CONCACAF Gold Cup in July. In that tournament Jamaica scoredone goal in thr ee games and failed to advance to the second round. Against Ecuador, theBoyz couldn’ t find their scoring touch either. “If we keep going over the chances, from the Gold Cup, that’s been haunting us,” Jamaica’s coachTheodor e Whitmore told Caribbean Today . “I think that’s the most important part of our game where we need to get organized.” Despite the lack of efficiency in front of goal, Jamaicamatched a quality Ecuador team step for step. Jamaica, the top team in the region, is ranked69th in the world by soccer s governing body FIFA. Ecuadoris ranked 36th. EVEN Yet the gap in ratings did not show on the field. Both teams played fast, open soccer. That created scoring opportuni-ties, but Jamaica and Ecuadorcould not find the back of thenet. Jamaica squander ed the best early chances. Dane Richar ds, who plays for New Y ork Red Bulls in U.S. Major League Soccer, slipped a defense-splitting pass to DevonHodges, but the striker stumbledbefor e hitting his shot straight to Ecuador’s goalkeeper Jos Francisco Cevallos. Minuteslater Richardswas sentclear byHodges,but hefailed to score froma tightangle. Fr om then the tone wasset.Cevallosand Jamaica’ s goalkeeper Dwayne Miller were both forced to make several savesduring the game. Ecuador hit the crossbar twice, but was alsoguilty of poor marksmanship. Ecuador , which is compet ing in the CONMEBOL r egion for a place in next year s World Cup alongside power house teams such as Brazil and Ar gentina, complimented the Boyz’ per formance. “Jamaica is a good team,” said coach Sixto V izuete. “They really got into the game.” Whitmore, meanwhile, said he was pleased with Jamaica’ s showing, especially because the Boyz have initiated a rebuilding plan for the team and included mostly players based in theCaribbean island. “It was an excellent performance from the players,” the coach said. “You saw effort, commitment and the wholebalance.” Gordon Williams is Caribbean Today’s managing editor. GORDON WILLIAMS BERLIN, Germany – Athletes born in the Caribbean, whocompeted for countries out side the r egion, shared at least four gold medals between them at last month’s 12th IAAF World Championshipsin Athletics (WCA Sanya Richards and Ker ron Clement, natives of Jamaica and Trinidad andT obago, respectively, won two gold each for the United States at the meet, which ran from Aug. 1523 here. Kingstonborn Richardstook the women’s 400meters in aworld leading time of 49 sec-onds, ahead ofJamaica’ s Shericka Williams, 49.32.She cr edited her Jamaicanbloodline for the final victorypush, whichgave her a goldmedal in amajor meet –theOlympic Games or WCA for the first time after several pre-vious disappointments. “I’ve never tried to deny my Jamaican roots and I’m very, very proud of Jamaicans,”an elated Richar ds told Caribbean Today after the Aug. 18 final. “Even today Ithink I pulled on some of my Jamaican strength and speed tobe able to finish that race.” Also running for the U.S. was Jamaican-born DebbieDunn, who finished sixth in the race. Novlene Williams-Mills, another Jamaican, wasfour th in 49.77. BOLT OF INSPIRATION Richards admitted that she took inspiration from the performances of Jamaica’s100 and 200 meters world recordholder Usain Bolt, who wonthe double at the WCA. “In the last 100 (meters wanted to chan nel Usain and run as fast as Icould,” shesaid. “I r eally admire Usain,” she added. “He’s an amazing athlete; very humble. I thinkhe’ s so gr eat for our spor t. So I’m happy to be in the same time with him.” Also embracing the WCA was Por t of Spain-bor n Clement, who clocked a world leading time of 47.91 to winthe 400 meters hur dles ahead of Javier Culson of Puerto Rico. It was Clement’ s second consecutive win in the event at the WCA. Jehue Gordon of T&T was fourth withJamaican Danny McFarlanesixth in 48.65 and Dominica’ s Felix Sanchez eighth in 50.11. Clement, like Richards, said he chose to run for the U.S. partly because the country represented a better chance to succeed in his sport and most of his family residedin the U.S. However , he said he still has a soft spot for the land of his birth and wasconfidentT&T backedhim as well. “I represent a lot ofthings,”Clement told Caribbean Today here. “I’m from Trinidad, ofcourse. A lot of people in Trinidad also support me. I guess I go bothways as far as T rinidad and the U.S.A.” Richards and Dunn would later r un as part of the U.S. victorious 4x400 meters relay team. Clement, who said heonce contacted T&T with the hope of representing that country but “it didn’t gothr ough,” was also a member of America’ s men 4x400 which won gold. Gordon W illiams is Caribbean T oday’s managing editor. championships and ever y time I see a Jamaican out there I feel good. Y ou get nuf f respect her e.” Yet Caribbean gold was not restricted to Jamaica.Barbados’ s R yan Brathwaite won his country’s only medal at the WCA in the 110 meters hurdles for men. Brathwaitetimed 13.14 seconds to nipAmericans T errence Trammell and David Payne, who bothclocked 13.15, at the line. “This is just great!” said Brathwaite. “It did happen. I am very happy CUB A SECOND Cuba, meanwhile, secur ed a gold among its six medals for the meet from triple jumper Yargeris Savigne, who leapt 14.95 meters to finishahead of countr ywoman Mabel Gay (14.61 earned four silver and a bronze to finish second best Caribbean countr y on the medal table. T&T managed three medals, a silver and two bronze, while The Bahamas won two, a silver and br onze. Puerto Rico earned a silver. The gold medalists aside, the Caribbean also placed sev-eral athletes in finals, especiallyon the track. Including Fraserand Stewar t, Jamaica account ed for four of the eight women in the 100 final. Overall, theCaribbean featur ed six of the finalists for that event, among them Bahamians Chandra Sturrup and Debbie FergusonMcKenzie. In the men’s 100, five of the eight were from theCaribbean. Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown, who finishedfour th in the shor t sprint, returned to capture silver behind American Allyson Felixin the 200, with Fer gusonMcKenzie thir d. T wo more Jamaicans, Anneisha McLaughlin (fifth(sixth Shericka Williams finished second to Jamaican-born Sanya Richards of the U.S. in the women’ s 400 meters. Jamaica’s Delloreen Ennis-London earned a bronze in the 100 meters hurdles, while Josanne Lucas did the same for T&T in the 400 hurdles. In the women’s 4x400 r elay , Jamaica’ s team of Rosemarie White, Novlene W illiams-Mills, Sher eefa Lloyd and Shericka Williams finished second to the U.S. A silver was also earned byCuba’ s Y ar elis Bar rios in the women’s discus, while T&T’s Renny Quow won bronze inthe 400 meters. His countr s team of Darrel Brown, Marc Bur ns, Emmanuel Callander and Richard Thompson, captured silver in the 4x100. Puerto Rico’s Javier Culson won his countr s only medal of the WCA by placing second in the men’s 400 hur-dles. “I know I am going to be a hero at home,” Culson saidafter the final. The same could have been said for many of the Caribbean athletes who competed here. Gordon Williams is Caribbean Today’s managing editor. Jamaica holds Ecuador to soccer drawCaribbean American athletes strike gold 18 CARIBBEAN TODAYSeptember 2009 SPORT SPORT www.caribbeantoday.com Richards Clement Richards Barbados’ s Bra thwaite celebra tes victor y. Fraser took gold in the 100 meters. (CONTINUED FROM P AGE 2) Bolt,Caribbean shine bright at World Championships in Athletics Sept2009.qxd 9/2/09 2:58 PM Page 18

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September 2009CARIBBEAN TODAY 19 Jamaica’s Minister of Finance and the Public Ser vice Audley Shaw has ur ged members of the diaspora to look for investment opportunities inoverseas markets to meetunfilled demands for Jamaican food products. Shaw was the guest speaker at the annual Independenceworship ser vice held recently at the Kendall Community Church of God in Miami,Florida. The minister said that nationals overseas have a crucial role to play in the island’sef forts to recover from the ef fects of the global recession. e have a unique oppor tunity to graspvictor y and success out of crisis,” Shawsaid. Jamaicans, he explained, are a resilient people, noting accomplishments in sports, entertainment, aca-demia, corporate leadership and public service. Information obtained from the JIS MIAMI, Florida Passengers traveling through MiamiInter national Airpor t now have a one-stop location where they can fax or photo-copy documents, r ent a mobile phone for use in the United States or abroad, orhold a business meeting inbetween flights all withoutleaving MIA. Located past security between concourses H and J, in the South Terminal, theInter national Cur rency Exchange (ICE Center featur es five comput ers with Internet access and printing capability; a faxmachine with domestic andinter national ser vice; a photo copy machine; a conference room that can accommodateup to 10 people; cur rency exchange service; pre-paid domestic and inter national calling cards; cellular phone rentals; and pre-paid SIM cards for passengers to usewith their existing cell phones. Also available for purchase are travel insuranceplans to cover medical expens es and other costs associated with a flight accident, car rental accident, lost or delayed baggage or a cancelled or interrupted trip.Plans ar e available at per -trip or annual rates. ADDITION The business center is the latest addition to the twoyear-old South Terminal facility, which serves passengers from 20 domestic and interna-tional car riers. Clothing r etail ers Hugo Boss and Cubavera opened a joint location in Mayin the 1,000-foot long conces sion hall past security that featur es several stories, including 10-Minute Manicure; Bijoux Terner; Brookstone; Duty Free Americas; Island Stylesclothing boutique; L ’Occitane; Havana To Go gift shop; Navarro pharmacy and giftshop; Rosetta Stone; SunglassHut; Sunglass Icon; Sweet Factory; and a Taxco Sterling jewelry store. Opening in May as well in the 8,900-square-foot SouthT er minal food pavilion that overlooks the MIA airfield were Gilbert’s Bakery andMcDonald’ s, which joined six other food pavilion options: Bongos Cuban Caf; FamousFamiglia Pizzeria; HaagenDaz; Island Chicken Grill; Italian coffee shop Illy; andLa Pausa Restaurant. The South Terminal features more than 30 retail, din-ing and duty-fr ee concession locations preand post-security for travelers and visitors. Jamaican diaspora urged to investAsk high in salary negotiationMiami International opens multi-purpose airport business center SUCCESS SUCCESS IN IN BUSINESS BUSINESS www.caribbeantoday.com ~ A Caribbean Today special feature JOYCE LAIN KENNEDY DEAR JO YCE: Only looking for two months and am a finalist for a job I want.I have research showing that my salary should be way bigger than what I think the y’ll offer.But I’m worried that if I tell them my real desired salary,they’ll pick someone else.What’s your advice? C.H. ANSWER: Guest columnist Jack Chapman, author of thebest-selling strategy guide“Negotiating Y our Salar y, How to Make $1,000 a Minute” (Mt. Vernon Press), says go for it with two caveats. Chapman recommends you’ll do better negotiating down from a high num-ber than up fr om a low one. Because you are correct in fearing that a big number mightpr ompt employers to skip over you for a lower -priced candi date, here’s what to do: Establish value Name your ideal (bignumber only after you’ve laid thegr oundwork by explaining how you can make or save money forthem. Explain how your skills will nurture the organization andhow your past accomplishmentswill translate to your futur e accomplishments. Make themanxious to hir e you. Any time before that point is too soon. If money comes up earlier in the inter view , say with con fidence that you anticipate no difficulties working out a salaryif you’r e the candidate they want to hire. Your best advantage is gained by not disclosing any numbers at all. Not past earnings, nor future expectations.Just r emain open on the subject. But many employers and almost all r ecr uiters will insist on knowing your salary parameters. Your answer then: Give info that is in a range that won’t screen you out. V erify firm offer Once they extend an of fer or say that they’ll be putting one together, it’s almost time to share your research. Before you do, when you’re still worried that they’ll abandon youfor a lower -priced candidate, do a “lockdown” move, which is my term for getting an agreement that they’ll hang in with your negotiations until you get an agreement from upstairs on you and yourprice tag. This lockdown move gives away a little negotiating lever age, but that’s the price of safety. It doesn’t guarantee theywon’ t talk to an interloper , but it has the strength of a “handshake deal” if they agree. Make your move Now it’s time to shoot for the moon. Let them know your ideal compen-sation number or range; “ideal”means the absolutely biggest package you can possibly imag-ine getting. T ell them the number or the range. Share as many indicators as possible that vali date your ideal amount: salary surveys, other offers you’re entertaining or applying for,pr ojected ear nings or savings you’ll create on the job, past earnings, recruiters’ estimates -and anything else you can thinkof to cor r oborate your number . T alk specifics Imagine their offer of $80,000 when youwant $95,000. Instead of tr ying to split the difference, lock down the $80K, then shar e an ideal compensation plan thatwould pay you $125,000 made up of salary, bonus and commis-sions. Justify your r easoning and then say, “So while the $125,000 is not unreasonable, it’s morethan you planned on. Can wediscuss how we can star t to appr oach that number?” This tactic is much more likely to r each the $95,000-or higher level than star ting with the $95,000 figure. Edited from Tribune Media Services A passenger uses one of the five computers in the new ICE Business Center in MIA s South Terminal. Shaw Sept2009.qxd 9/2/09 2:58 PM Page 19

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20 CARIBBEAN TODAYSeptember 2009 KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, CMC – Legislation aimed at providing a new constitution for St. Vincent and theGr enadines was scheduled to be pr esented to Parliament this month, less than thr ee months before citizens vote whether to accept or reject the new document in a referendum. In recent weeks there have been meetings involvinglegislators and members ofthe Constitution ReviewCommittee on possibleamendments to the bill. Citizens will be asked to vote on the new constitution in November to replace the one that that came into effectwhen the island gained politi cal Independence fr om Britain 30 years ago. Both the government of Prime Minister Dr. RalphGonsalves and the mainOpposition New Democratic Party (NDPdif fering positions on the issue. Gonsalves has promised “a spirited campaign” as the government seeks to securethe necessar y two-thir ds majority required for the new constitution. ou are going to see a spirited campaign for a ‘Yes’vote as you would see for any election,” he told reporterslast month. NO SUPPOR T But NDP Leader Arnhim Eustace has pledged to embark on a campaign to get citizens to vote against the proposed constitution. e will campaign against it fully like if we ar e running an election campaign,”Eustace said. The NDP has withdrawn its support for the proposedconstitution, saying that itdoes not advance the 1979document. The legislation for proposed new constitution will be tabled after six years of consultations with Vincentians athome and in the diaspora. Meanwhile, the People’s Movement for Change (PMCgr oup, is calling for a postponement of the r eferendum until after the next general elections. The PMC said that “years of effort and scarce financial resources expended so far can be saved if the referendum is depoliticized” bydelaying the r efer endum until “a time when both major parties will have the opportunity to think in the national inter-est rather than fr om a par tisan vantage point”. General elections are not due here until the end of next year, but the grouping said rescheduling the referendum “would effectively minimize the current partisan approach to the proposed constitutionBill 2009”. CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC Members of the for mer St. Lucia Labour Party (SLP administration could face civil action as a result of the findings of a recent commission of inquiry, Prime MinisterStephenson King hasannounced. Up to late last month the final r epor t of the commission headed by Guyanese jurist Sir Fenton Ramsahoye was still in the hands of the governmentand Cabinet ministers had been receiving briefings fromtheir legal counsel on the doc ument. Although the commission set up to investigate question able activities of the SLPadministration under the watch of former Prime Minister Kenny Anthony cited no instances of criminal liability, King said it did establish astr ong case for mismanage ment that cost taxpayers millions of dollars. “The outcome of the commission of inquiry may very well r esult in amendments to certain bits and pieces of legislation that will bring even more stringent measures in asfar as the conduct of ministersof finance and ministers ofgover nment generally ,” he said. King served notice last month that he planned to table the report of the commissionof inquir y in Parliament as soon as the next sitting. He confirmed that the report is being studied by Cabinet min-isters with “a view to deter min ing an appropriate course of action to address any incidentsof wr ong doing identified by the commission.” The Opposition has accused the government of wasting taxpayers’ money on a probe, which did not come up with the indictable informa-tion that the r uling par ty was hoping for. GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – President BharratJagdeo has br ushed aside sug gestions that he would seek a third term as head of state despite a recent opinion poll that indicated more than halfof the population would sup por t such a move. “Let me tonight clear this up. I have no intention, nodesir e, nothing to r un for another term so all of this speculation out there; it’s justthat, speculation,” Jagdeo told a function here on Aug. 28. President Jagdeo’s constitutional two ter m ends in 2011 and there has been speculation that the country couldvote in a r efer endum allowing the Russian trained economist to contest as the People’ s Progressive Party (PPPesi-dential candidate in the 2011elections. But Jagdeo, insisting that he is not inter ested in another ter m, also dismissed as “spec ulation” that he might find a way to maneuver himself into a third term. Jagdeo, however, gave no indication whether he would support an amendment to the legislation after he steps down fr om office. Jagdeo was appointed head of state in Aug. 1999 after then President Janet Jagan stepped down due to health r easons. He contested and won the 2001 and 2006 general elections as the PPP pr esidential candidate. A mid July 2009 poll con ducted by the North American T eachers Association (NACTA) revealed that Jagdeo is themost popular politician in Guyana and if he contests for the pr esidency in the next elections he would win outright. Legislation for new St.Vincent constitution reaches Parliament P .M.ponders civil action against former St. Lucia administrationGuy ana’s president not interested in third term BRADES, Montserrat, CMC Twenty-four candidates haver egistered to contest the nine Legislative Council seats upfor grabs at the Sept. 8 general elections, the supervisor of elections here has confirmed. The Movement for Change and Prosperity(MCAP ty fielding a full slate, while theMontser rat Labour Party (MLP rat Reformation Party (MRP each have three representatives on the ballot. Nine independent candidates are alsocontesting the poll. “Things have gone smoothly and ther e were no objections,” Supervisor of Elections Claudette Weekestold the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC at the end of the Nomination Day exercise last month. Chief Minister Lowell Lewis, one of the independ ents contesting the poll, was the first to confirm his partici-pation with electoral of ficials. He earlier expr essed his confi dence that he would win a seat at the election despite failing to present a team from hisMontser rat Democratic Par ty. “It is important for me to make myself available to the people of Montserrat. I am atrained legislator , I have had the experience of working as Chief Minister, I know how government work, I know how to get things done,” Dr. Lewis said in an interview onlocal radio the day befor e Nomination Day . OPTIMISTIC Meantime, MCAP leader Reuben Meade said he was optimistic about his party’schances, especially since it is the only one to present a com-plete ticket tothe electorate. e’re extremely con-fident that wewill be the government.W e are the only or ganized grouping on the ground, we’re the only one that has afull slate of nine,” he told CMC . However, Meade said his par ty was guarding against complacency in the weeksahead. “In politics everything could be a surprise. So what wear e saying to our candidates is ‘go out there and continue doing the har d work’and we will work as hard as possible until September 8th. W e will not let up on the amount ofwork that we have beendoing,” the MCAP leader said. For mer legislator Chedmond Browne said the goal of the MLP, on whose ticket he is running, is to ensure that Montserratians have proper representation inthe Legislative Council. “Even if we can’ t carry a majority we can definitely r epresent the people to make sure that they know what isgoing onand that we canspeak on their behalf,”Br owne said. Newspaper editor Bennette Roach was amongthe last candidates to r egister for the election. He told CMCthat based on his interactionwith the public it is unlikely that any party would securean outright majority andther efore independent candidates stand a good chance ofbeing elected. “This election is hardly about parties. I’m talkingabout the mode of the people and what they are talkingabout,” Roach said. Just over 3,500 voters ar e eligible to vote in the generalelections, the thir d to be contested under the new at large system intr oduced following widespr ead devastation caused by eruptions at the Soufrier e Hills Volcano. Since the volcano began er upting in 1995, most of the seven former constituencieshave been evacuated and there has been mass migrationof overseas. 24 candidates for Montserrat’s Sept.8 elections NEWS NEWS www.caribbeantoday.com Lewis Ja gdeo: s just that,speculation.” Sept2009.qxd 9/2/09 2:58 PM Page 20

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KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC Sandals Resorts International(SRI Four Seasons Resort GreatExuma in The Bahamas.It said that the 500-acr e proper ty, which features a championship Gr eg Norman golf course and world-class marina, is to be r enamed Sandals Emerald Bay, Great Exuma,Bahamas. SRI gave no details of the purchase price, but said thatthe r esort will open on Jan. 22, next year . “This is a remarkable moment in the history ofSandals Resor ts. We are acquiring one of the most spectacular pieces of realestate in the Caribbean, whichwas operated by one of the world’s most highly regardedhotel companies,” said Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, Sandals Resorts founder andchair man. “This is a reflection of all that Sandals Resorts has accomplished and a tremendous opportunity to furtherdemonstrateour commit ment to pr oviding the very best vacationin theCaribbean. We look forward to bring-ing our Luxur y Included experience to this special pr operty, which has been kept to impeccable standards.” Stewar t said the all-suite resort will offer a selection of 190 luxury accommodationsand SRI said that the “fullyprotected, deepwater marina offers 133 slips and is equipped to accommodate and serviceyachts up to 300 feet inlength.” AWi-Fi hotspot is a convenient tool for travel ers who want to keep in touch with friends, family or the office while away fromhome. It is a wir eless Internet network that can be found just about anywher e, such as airpor ts, hotels, coffee shops, parks and school campuses. However, Wi-Fi hotspots are vulnerable to hackers whoset up what’ s known as “evil LONDON, England A study has found massive collapse of coral reefs through-out the Caribbean, a bigtourist attraction in the r egion, and is blaming climate change for the situation. The study by researchers fr om Simon Fraser University in Canada and the University of East Anglia in England was recently published in the Royal Society’s journal, “Biology Letters”. Referring to what it termed “reef flattening”, thestudy found that not only wer e the r eefs dying faster and on a wider scale than previously thought but that theywer e quickly cr umbling after death. “Pr obably , the most stark finding of our result is that this isn’t just a flattening in one patch, one area the size of Vancouver, or even an areathe size of British Columbia,the whole Caribbean has been flattened in the past decade, mainly as a result of climate change,” said Dr. NicholasDulvy , one of the r esearchers at Simon Fraser’s department of biological sciences. Sandals buys Bahamas Four SeasonsTravelers beware Wi-Fi hackersCaribbean’s major attraction in decline ~ Collapse of reefs blamed on climate change September 2009CARIBBEAN TODAY 21 TOURISM TOURISM / / TRAVEL TRAVEL www .caribbeantoday.com A diver explores the Caribbean’s coral reefs. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 22) Stewart (CONTINUED ON PAGE 22) Sept2009.qxd 9/2/09 2:58 PM Page 21

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twin” networks, or phony W iFi hotspots, to steal your per sonal infor mation. RIP-OFF WARNINGS Watch out for fake login pages Hackers set up fake pages that look like the real thing to trick people into typ-ing their login infor mation and passwor ds.Glance at the addr ess bar to verify that you are at the authentic webpage. Check for typos on a login site -They are usually a give-away that the site is not authentic. Check for security symbols While you’r e on the login page, if your br owser doesn’t display the lock symbol in the bottom right corner indicating that the connection is encrypted, disconnect immediately. CONSUMER SMARTS A void logging into financial accounts of an y kind Never enter sensitive data such as Social Security numbers, bank account or credit card information. Don’t e-mail or instant message unless your work-place or other institution has given you access to a virtualprivate network, or VPN. K eep the security on your electronic Wi-Fi devices up-todate Make sur e you have firewall, antivirus and antispyware software installed. Don’t use the same password for all your onlineaccounts so that if it is stolen, hackers won’t be able to use iton mor e than one webpage. Make sur e your computer does not automatically log on to wireless networks by adjusting the Internet security settings on your computer. Turn off the computer when you’r e not around to ensure that it’s not picking up a wireless network signal. Miami-Dade Consumer Services Department “There are no detectable complex reefs (left RAPID DECLINE Dulvy said the team of international researchers looked at nearly 40 years of data com-piled in 500 sur veys of 200 r eefs. He said that for the first time researchers were able to piece together the big picture of what has been happening throughout the Caribbean, famous for its thousands of beautiful reefs, including one second in size only to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Dulvy said wher ever they looked, they found signs of rapid and devastating decline, adding that reefs were dying and then collapsing on them-selves, filling in the nooks and crannies that pr o vide shelter for a myriad of species. e’ve lost 80 per cent of the living coral cover in the Caribbean over the last four decades,” Dulvy said. He said it was known that many individual r eefs wer e dying fr om disease outbr eaks, the impact of hurricanes and climate change, which heats shallow waters so much that reefs becomebleached by sunlight. RECO VER Y But he said he had thought the process was slow enough that r eefs had a chance to r egenerate before the tall branches of “stag horns” that protr ude up to two meters fr om the r eef bed collapsed. “What this study is showing is that r eefs ar e collapsing pretty much as the coral is dying,” he said. In addition to losing biological diversity , Dulvy said the pr ocess is robbing the Caribbean of thousands of natural sea breaks, which could have dev-astating r esults when rising sea levels and incr easingly violent hurricanes combine. Dulvy said “reef flattening” is so widespread in the Caribbean thatit is pr obably a phenomenon happening globally. Lorenzo Alvarez of the University of East Anglia said the importance of this is going to increase, warning that many scientists think there will be more hurricanes in the future. “In futur e, we’ll need to change our behavior and r educe the str ess on the r eefs,” he said. Caribbean’s major attraction in decline 22 CARIBBEAN TODAYSeptember 2009 TOURISM TOURISM / / TRAVEL TRAVEL www.caribbeantoday.com (CONTINUED FROM P AGE 21) (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21) Travelers beware Wi-Fi hackers Sept2009.qxd 9/2/09 2:59 PM Page 22

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F or listings 800-366-9783 ext 5461. Bank Foreclosures! 4Bd 2Ba $14,900! Only $199/Mo! 5% down 20 years @ 8% apr.5 Br $48,900! $469/Mo! For listings 800-366-9783 ext 5466 **Bank Owned Homes** 4bdr 2ba $225/mo! 3bdr F oreclosure! $199/mo! 5% dw,15yrs @ 8% F or Listings 800-366-9783 ext 5558 BEST BUY IN THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS! 2.5acre parcel.Gated development. Spectacular view .High altitude.Bryson City $39,500.Owner financing.Owner 1-800-810-1590 www.wildcatknob.com FORECLOSED HOME AUCTION 500+ Florida Homes REDC/F ree Brochure www.Auction.com RE No.CQ1031187 FRACTIONAL OWNERS WANTED: (1-2 Only Stunning Utah Mountain Cabin Has It All!!! Ski Winters; Leave Florida Heat In Summers.Only $225,000. (727Virtual tour/ details: gsha pir1@tampabay.rr.com ***FREE Foreclosure Listings*** Over 400,000 properties nationwide. Low down payment. Call no w 800-446-5830 GEORGIA Sumter Co.,127 ACRES $1,525/AC. Hunting season is coming! Grea t place to hunt or live! 478-987-9700 St.Regis Paper Co. HUD HOMES! 3bd 2ba only $199/mo! 4bdr 3ba $215/mo! Stop Renting! 5% dw,15 yrs @ 8% apr For Listings 800-366-9783 ext 5638 LOG CABIN SALE ON 5 ACRES WITH DOCKABLE LAKEFRONT only $69,900.1680 sf log cabin kit on 5 acres with lakefront on 12,000 acre recre a tional lake. Boa t to Gulf of Mexico.Excellent financing.Call now 1-866-952-5339,x1561. www.grandviewharbor.com MOUNTAINS OF NC New 1328 sf unfinished log cabin with loft, front porch,large deck on acreage with access to bold stream.$84,900. Minutes to Chimney Rock state park.For pictures & details 828-286-1666. NC MOUNTAINS Alarka Highlands,Premier Gated Community,40 Mile Views,4300’ Elevation,Clubhouse,Tennis,Fitness Center, Waterfalls,Bryson City,90% Owner F inance 1-877-504-0005 AlarkaHighlands.com NC MOUNT AINS CLOSEOUT SALE! Cabin Shell, 2+ acres with grea t view,very private,big trees,waterfalls & large public lake nearby, $99,500.Bank financing Call 1-866-789-8535 Owner Must Sell 4+ acres $57,300 Nice oak trees,private access to lake.All utilities in. Ready to build when you are! Financing available.Call now 866-352-2249. www.fllandbargains.com S.E. Tenn Mtns LAND DISCOUNTED 5+ acre T racts from $24,900 w/ utilities.Must Sell! Ocoee/Hiwassee River Area.Large MTN Tracts from $2250/acre.1-800-531-1665 or 1-931-260-9435. TENNESSEE LAND ...5 acre tracts for $24,995. Great schools.Owner financing as little as $250 down and $99 month.JDL Realty,800-3303390 or 931-946-2484, ask for Darin. 3Br 2Ba Only $199/Mo! Buy ,$10,500!! 4Br $26,900! 5% down 30years 8%.HUD Homes Available! For listings 800-366-9783 ext 5781 3 Bdrm 2Ba Only $199/Mo! Buy ,$10,500!! 4Br $26,900! 5% down 30years 8%.HUD Homes Available! For listings 800-366-9783 ext 5947 HEALTH & BEAUTY ONLINE PHARMACY Buy Soma Ultram Fioricet Prozac Buspar ,$71.99 for 90 Qty and $107 for 180 Qty Price Inc ludes Prescription! W e will ma tch any competitor’s price! 1-866-601-6463 or www.tri-rx.com AUTOMOBILES Acura Integra 98 $500! Nissan Altima 99 $500! Honda Civic 01 $550! Police Impounds! For listings Call 800-366-9813 ext N580 Donate Vehicle Receive $1000 Grocery Coupon Noah’s Arc Support No Kill Shelters,Research to Advance Veterinary Treatments Free Towing, T ax Deductible, Non-Runners Accepted 1-866-912-GIVE Donate your Car Truck or Boat to HERITAGE FOR THE BLIND Free 3 Day Vacation,Tax Deductible, Free Towing,All Paperwork Taken Care Of. 1-866-905-3801 Honda Civic 2001 $550! Police Impounds for Sale! Man y Makes and Models Priced to Sell! F or listings call 800-366-9813 ext 9480 $500! P olice Impounds for Sale! Cars/Trucks/SUVs from $500! Many Makes and Models,Must See! For listings call 800-366-9813 ext 9482 METAL ROOFING & STEEL BUILDINGS.Save $$$ buy direct from manufacturer . 20 colors in stock with trim & acces.4 profiles in 26 ga.panels.Carports,horse barns,shop ports. Completely turn key jobs. All Steel Buildings,Gibsonton,Florida.1-800-331-8341. www.allsteel-buildings.com. Sept2009.qxd 9/2/09 2:59 PM Page 23

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24 CARIBBEAN TODAYSeptember 2009 Sept2009.qxd 9/2/09 2:59 PM Page 24