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| Wednesday, June 10, 2009 1:06 PM |
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News Stories- June 10th 2009
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Jacmel Bus Stand Attack
Story by
Clinton Reynolds |
Vincent Edward was attempting to defend his turf when he got shot in a robbery early Tuesday morning. Witnesses say the 70-year-old driver was at the Jacmel Bus Stand on Victoria Road when two masked men approached demanding money. Jonathan Auguste witnessed the incident as it unfolded around 7:20 in the morning. This is not the first time drivers have been robbed. Lucille Emmanuel has a boutique close by and she has witnessed |
robberies in the past, though she says this is the first time someone has got hurt physically. Police are continuing to investigate the shooting. The President of the Jacmel Association – Marcus Howard says he’s very concerned about the latest development. Howard says the Association has made many calls to the authorities to get the bus stand out of it present location.
Tuesday morning shooting underscores the seriousness of the gun problem on the island, and particularly in the capital city. The drivers are traumatized by the morning incident and some are thinking of adjusting the times they work on the stands. Criminal Investigation Department Detectives are appealing for information about the matter.
The injured driver was admitted to hospital where he remains in a stable condition. |
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Fire In The Hole
Story By
Desmond Collymore |
Fire in the early Tuesday morning hours almost destroyed the residence of a police officer in Hewanorra Orchard in Vieux Fort. Lawrence James’ vehicle was sitting in his garage when it ignited. James says he has no trouble with anyone and was alerted about the fire by a neighbour around 1:30 in the morning. |
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TQFC Wants Redress From Fair Trade
Story By
Carmy Joseph
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Tropical Quality Fruit Company says the National Fair Trade Organization is threatening the local banana industry by denying farmers access to leafspot spray service. TQFC Managing Director – Peter Serieux – says the organization is doing this to protect a status it held for one year – that of certified trader in Fair Trade bananas. Serieux says ever since his company became certified to also trade in fair trade |
bananas – National Fair Trade has engaged in activities designed to undermine its operation. Leafspot spraying was originally done by a company called Pest Management. It was an entity that was formed by all existing banana companies at the time including TQFC and SLBC. That company used to operate on fees paid by farmers for services like leafspot spraying. Serieux says in the past year – Fair Trade – began making payroll for workers of Pest Management – effectively making the company part of their operations in Saint Lucia. He says this shift has resulted in Pest Management not conducting any operations for TQFC farmers – a situation Serieux intends to address.
The Minister of Agriculture has weighed in on the growing unrest between the TQFC and Fair Trade. Ezechiel Joseph has called for an amicable resolution to any outstanding issues. He says the banana industry can ill afford any in-fighting at this point in time. The Fair Trade Organization General Manager – Cornelius Simon – was out of office on Tuesday and could not be reached for comment. Fair Trade operates in Saint Lucia in association with WINFA – the organization is part of the Saint Vincent based WINFA.
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King Says Its Government’s Prerogative
Story By
Clinton Reynolds
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Like many, Leonard is questioning the timing of the move since there are two cases pending against Ministers of Government. In June 2007, Leonard arrested Castries Central MP – Richard Frederick for suspected under-invoicing on two vehicles brought in from the United States. The former Comptroller said some time ago that systemic barriers were hindering his progress in the matter. Still, the two vehicles remain under a |
Customs seal and Frederick is not allowed to use them. Leonard was also investigating Health Minister, and Anse la Raye/Canaries rep – Dr. Keith Mondesir for allegedly using tourism incentives to furnish a private residence at Bonne Terre. That case too is pending. Customs officers met with Leonard and the Civil Service Association yesterday, where they voted to write to the King administration requesting an explanation for the transfer. But King says the administration can move public officers as it sees fit. He says he has nothing official, but he is aware that the officers met Monday.
King says he regards the transfer of Leonard highly since the former Comptroller has been put into a very technical area where his skills in international trade discussion and negotiations can be tapped. The Prime Minister says he doesn’t have a problem with Leonard seeking legal redress to challenge his transfer. King says he would not draw an association between Leonard’s transfer and the ongoing Richard Frederick investigation.
Further, he says the matter is one that pertains to the Customs Comptroller and not Leonard personally. |
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SLASPA Teaches Aeronautics Techniques
Story By
Carmy Joseph
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Guillermo Felix is the facilitator of the certification workshop attended by participants from Latin America and the Caribbean. He says it will teach technical knowledge to participants through the use of shared experiences. The workshop is aimed at teaching skills to ensure proper airport management. It is imperative for facilities where international flights operate such as the two airports in Saint Lucia. |
Felix says the decisions that are taken at airports on a daily basis are difficult ones that require constant training.
Furthermore – technical people learn better from examples of other colleagues – a major component of the workshop The aerodrome Certification and Aeronautical Studies Workshop will be held from June 9th to 12th at the NIC Conference Room. It is being coordinated by SLASPA and the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation. |
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OECS Financing Workshop
Story By
Clinton Reynolds |
The OECS Environmental and Sustainable Development Unit wants to develop mechanisms that will make protected areas more self-sufficient. To that end – the Unit has gathered technocrats from various fields in the hope that they will aid in that endeavour. Participants are also reviewing the findings of a report that studied and evaluated existing and potential mechanisms for sustainable financing of these protected areas. The Head |
of the OECS Environmental and Sustainable Development Unit – Keith Nichols – says these types of areas can no longer depend on government and external funding for their existence. The protected areas in question are located in six OECS countries. They are so defined because they are areas of global diversity and include the Crater Lake in Grenada. The workshop participants have already devised one method of sustainability. It is a fund – sourced from donor agencies or governments - that would be accessed by all the areas. A tax on tickets purchased by visitors to the region would also contribute to that fund. Nichols says it is important that something be put in place to ensure one area can aid another.
The two day workshop is being held at the Bay Gardens Hotel. Participants include representatives from Ministries of Finance, Tourism and Physical Development. |
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Line Jam
Story By
Carmy Joseph |
Line Jam may have moved from its traditional time of Whit Monday to Sunday but that did not deter revellers from taking to the streets in obvious merriment. The Mas Action organized activity was held a little before 3PM until after revellers had made two rounds around Castries. It is an activity that allows revellers from all bands to purchase a package that includes a t-shirt, cup and rag in what organizers say is a warm up for Carnival. |
The activity was well patronized especially by leading soca artistes who jammed on the truck with the TEM Band. It was the first time the activity featured a live band and the traditional DJ. Pitcairn credited the NG Soca Stage for assisting with that part of the event. The Line Jam is sponsored by LIME and Carib beer. Among the soca artistes who participated in the activity this year were Q-Pd, Illah Man, TC Brown, Platinum George, Alpha and the reigning Road March King Ricky T. |
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Workshop For Queens
Story By
Carmy Joseph
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The eight contestants participating in the National Carnival Queen Pageant were recently schooled in the ways of grace and social etiquette. Teaching the class was Joycie Mederick. She says the aim of the class is to teach contestants about the lifestyle of beauty. For her – it is the promotion of a beautiful body and mind. Mederick says workshops of this type are a necessary part of preparations for the pageant. She says it |
is a modern spin on what has become acceptable pageantry training. Mederick – herself a former model – was also quick to defend the job of being beautiful. She says Saint Lucian stereotypes about beauty queens and pageantry need to be changed. Mederick says the focus is now less on the external and more on making a complete package out of every contestant.
Before getting down to the business of etiquette the contestants met the Carnival bands they would be twinned with for the pageant. Participating bands include Just 4 Fun, Red Unlimited, Mas Action and Mosiac HD.
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LIME Still Hunting For Carnival
Story By
Carmy Joseph
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Digicel has taken over as the official sponsor of carnival, but its rival company is not rolling over and playing dead. At a press conference at its offices last week lime reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the national event. Country manager for lime St. Lucia – Sean Auguste says the company will sponsor five carnival bands this year. |
LIME VP for marketing and corporate communications – Laurencia Cadette says the sponsorship is all about support for the arts. The company is also continuing its sponsorship of NG soca stage. Auguste says lime has enjoyed its partnership with NG over the last few years and he says it’s great to team up with them again for the calypso and soca season. LIME has pledged continued support for those carnival bands.
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