Julian Bissette in beach volleyball action.

Saint Lucian middle blocker Julian Bissette had two reasonably strong games over the weekend, but his club team split the two, falling out of contention for the Greek League Cup. MENT beat Aris 3-1 on Friday, but lost to PAOK 0-3 on Saturday, with the tall Caribbean import starting both games and ranking among the team leaders on both sides of the ball.

But he insists that he and his team can do better.

Julian, 23 years old and a Babonneau native, had 10 points as MENT overcame a first-set reversal 26-28 to beat Aris in just under two hours. The men from Thessaloniki beat Aris 26-24, 25-17 and 25-16 in the last three sets. On Saturday, although MENT lost in three to one of the top teams in Greece, the final set stretched to 42 minutes, going 32-34, and Julian contributed 14 points.

“I had a good game,” Julian acknowledged, speaking after the tough loss on Saturday. “But it was not good enough. PAOK is ranked in the top two teams in Greece this year – they are good. But our goal is to remain in the first division and be competitive. Our coach knows what we need to do, and we are working towards achieving our team goals and our personal goals.”

Next week, MENT get their Greek Volley League campaign underway against Panathinaikos, the first time they’ve played in the top division of the Greece Hellenic League structure in years. Julian says he is adjusting well to the speed of the game in Greece, not mention the language and culture. He feels that from a playing perspective, he was well prepared for the move.

“They play really fast here and they play the balls low,” he explained. “So I’m trying to adjust to this style here on blocking and attack. But my fitness is very good since I practiced beach with Coach Cafe [a Brazilian coach who has been working with the Saint Lucia national team], and I have the ability to jump and move fast, so the level is not difficult. It’s just about being consistent every game.”

Having played with some success over the past four years on the NORCECA Beach Tour with long-time partner Joseph Clercent, Julian opines, has also been of immense benefit to him. “That was a big help,” he says, “especially with my physical to allow me to have a great physical appearance when am attacking or blocking.”

From a cultural standpoint, Julian says all is well. “The culture here in Thessaloniki is pretty much a relaxed one; everyone is so relaxed and laid back here.” At least, off the court! On his way to set up his Greek phone number, he points out that Greek “is a difficult language” but he quickly adds that he is “trying to learn some sentences.”

Julian also has expressed his desire to pave the way for future Saint Lucian professionals to follow in the footsteps of himself and national captain, Jason Octave, who has had various stints internationally. “If the players are tall and have good athletic ability, they can make it,” he stresses. “I hope I open the door for other guys in Saint Lucia. I’ve only been here a few weeks, but now everyone wants to know Saint Lucia.”

MENT Volleyball Squad Photo 2014 – Julian Bissette #10 (back row centre)

Gibson-Marks

Former Registrar of the High Court in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Vanessa Tamara Gibson-Marks, was fined $10,500 on Tuesday, Oct. 14.

The St. Lucian had pleaded guilty to stealing EC$21,925 and the abuse of authority in office.

According to I-Witness News, District 1 Magistrate Carla James fined Gibson-Marks EC$4,500 on the theft charge with the sum to be paid in one month or three months imprisonment. She fined EC$6,000 on the abuse of authority charge, to pay in three months or spend six months in jail.

Director of Public Prosecution Colin Williams had discontinued the other charge — that “on May 7th, 2014 in Kingstown St. Vincent and the Grenadines being a person employed in the public service who being authorized to give a certificate touching any matter by virtue whereof the rights of any person may be prejudicially affected did give a certificate which was to your knowledge false in a material particular to wit an order claim 96/1980”.

Gibson-Marks initially pleaded not guilty to all three charges and was granted bail with one surety when she appeared in court on August 21, three months after Attorney-General Judith Jones-Morgan asked her to resign.

Gibson-Marks was represented in court by St. Lucian lawyer, Alberton Richelieu.

I-Witness News has reported that the court is expected to hear soon an application by Attorney General Judith Jones-Morgan to have Gibson-Marks disbarred from practicing law in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

George.

One man is dead following a motorcycle accident in Caye Mange, Gros Islet this afternoon around 2:30 p.m.

He is 27-year-old Garvey George, also known as Kartel, a resident of Lafeuille, Monchy. He sustained a gruesome head injury.

According to numerous eyewitnesses, George was heading towards the Beausejour Cricket Grounds from Caye Mange when he swerved to avoid hitting a vehicle and ended up hitting the drain.

One eyewitness gave a different account, saying George crashed whilst attempting to overtake a vehicle. He fell into a gutter and died on the spot.

Tire marks on the road, believed to have been caused by George’s motorcycle, are visible from a distance.

Rambally’s Funeral Parlour arrived on the scene around 4 p.m. to remove the body and left about 4:35. A doctor arrived on the scene about half hour earlier (around 3:35) to pronounce the body dead.

SNO will provide more information as it becomes available.

Injured man.

A mentally ill man went berserk this afternoon, injuring one man and damaging a few vehicles.

The incident occurred sometime after 5:00.p.m today in Choiseul.

The injured man has been identified as Lenton Charley.

An eyewitness told St. Lucia News Online (SNO) that Charley was on his balcony, when the mentally ill man started pelting a few stones in his direction.

The police and fire service responded and transported the victim to a hospital for treatment.

The mentally ill man was captured and was tied at his feet and hand.

PRESS RELEASE - Petroleum prices have been adjusted effective Monday, October 20 2014, to reflect changes in import prices of fuel products from July to October 2014.

While there have been slight decreases in the price of diesel, kerosene,  100lb LPG Cylinder and bulk LPG, the price of gasoline and the 20lb LPG and the 22lb LPG cylinders remain unchanged. The following is a schedule of the retail price of fuel products:

Petroleum Products        Old Retail Prices        New Retail Prices

Gasoline - $3.49 per litre or $15.85  per gallon     – $3.49    per litre or $15.85  per gallon

Diesel  - $3.34    per litre or $15.18  per gallon       – $3.33    per litre or $15.14  per gallon

Kerosene  - $2.57    per litre or  $11.68  per gallon –  $2.52    per litre or  $11.44  per gallon

100 Pound Cylinder LPG - $260.58 per 100 pound cylinder  -$255.94 per 100 pound cylinder

20 Pound Cylinder LPG - $36.93 per 20 pound cylinder  - $36.93 per 20 pound cylinder

22 Pound Cylinder LPG - $41.00 per 22 pound cylinder   –  $41.00 per 22 pound cylinder

Bulk LPG -  $5.57 per kilogram   – $5.47 per kilogram

Even with this price adjustment, the revenue collected on fuel is below the projected intake as announced in the 2014/2015 budget.

However, the Cabinet of Ministers has agreed to forgo the targets so as to ensure that the public can benefit from current reductions in the landed price of some petroleum products.

The next price adjustment will be due on Monday, January 12, 2015.

Stephanie Devaux-Lovell competing for Saint Lucia.

Stephanie Devaux-Lovell is representing Saint Lucia this week at the Laser Radial South American Championships in Paracas, Peru.

The 19-year-old is competing in the third Pan-Am Games 2015 qualifier for one of four spots at next year’s hemispheric event. There are 10 different nations in contention for those four spots, and the South American Championships includes 46 radial sailors with the boys and girls all racing together.

With 12 races scheduled over the course of four days, competition got underway on Saturday. With long, strong, gusty winds, building up to 15 knots throughout the race, Stephanie got off to a rough start, failing to accelerate off the line. Working her way from the back of the pack, however, the Gros Islet native used her downwind speed to pick off her rivals one by one, eventually crossing the finish line in 22nd place.

The Saint Lucian teenager got off to a better start in the second race, ending in 17th position, and then ended the opening day fighting back from the mid thirties to end Race 2 in 20th overall. Unfortunately, Stephanie was disqualified in her best race of the day, thanks to a protest by a Chilean competitor. With nine more races to sail, and the opportunity to discard her worst result, there is still all to compete for.

Following the first day of competition, coach Beth Lygoe, who represented Saint Lucia in laser radial at the 2012 Olympics, remained upbeat.

“The good thing is we get to discard our worst races and we have 12 races to sail,” she said. “Stephi knows she can sail well against these girls, and I know she is fast enough and smart enough around the race course. We will try to channel this frustration to sail well and sail fast with no mistakes.”

Wayne Neale, holding Greening the Caribbean’s 2014 SEA award for Urban and Regional Development, stands with Bradley Googins, a member of the panel that selected the 2014 winners. Photo Credit: New York Daily News.

The Castries based Recycling & Waste Management Solutions firm was recently presented with an award for its work in the field of sustainable development. The company  copped the international Sustainable Entrepreneurship Award (SEA).

Managing Director Wayne Neale traveled to Vienna, Austria on October 7, to receive the honor. The St. Lucia-born, former Hollis, Queens resident accepted the Urban and Regional Development category honor from the awards group.

The SEA recognised sustainable energy initiatives around the world and also projects and companies from the U.S., Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Austria.

The St. Lucia project, started in 2010 and began providing recycling and waste management services to the island businesses earlier this year through a key partnership with the Recycle It St. Lucia firm.

It creates a one-stop shopping destination for the green disposal of waste for businesses.

“What we actually do is establish workplace recycling programs for businesses. We train the staff on how to maintain a separation of waste, we provide the education materials, we do the collection and transport and the processing of the recyclable materials,” Neale said.

Job creation, the development of a green economy and increased foreign exchange — by exporting sought-after recycled wasted to other nations — are the “Greening the Caribbean’s” goals.

“Just like bananas can be exported, we’re exporting waste materials,” said Neale, giving credit for his company’s successes to its team — master mechanic Ravon Henville, the materials recovery coordinator; Aloysius Jn. Francois, the e-waste coordinator and workplace recycling field supervisor; natural building specialist Mirelle Lemaine; and information technology specialist and graphic designer Nathan Lee.

With hope of expanding to the island’s households, Neale said a residential recycling pilot program to show the feasibility and benefit of recycling materials instead of just dumping them in a landfill.

READ MORE AT: www.greeningthecaribbean.com and check out Jofaphat Small’s Recycle It St Lucia video at http://bit.ly/RecycleItStLucia.

During the course of this week, the Ministry of Health will be working towards strengthening its Ebola response. A statement from the ministry said that officials will be engaged in continued preparedness of the health care points of service for case management.

Focus will also be placed on both physical plants and training of health care workers. A team from the ministry will be meeting with the St. Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA) and representatives from the yachting sector on Monday October 20, 2014, to discuss preparations.

The statement said the Permanent Secretary and representatives of the Ebola Steering Committee will also meet with health oriented representative bodies (Nurses, SLMDA, Pharmacy, Laboratory, Fire, Allied health) on Tuesday October 21, 2014 for discussions on the Ebola Virus Disease as public health threat.

Further, the Ministry of Health will be presenting to Parliament a progress report on its Ebola preparedness on Thursday, October 23, 2014.

Minister of Health Alvina Reynolds will also accompany Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony to Cuba, to explore feasible opportunities for the strengthening of preparations for the response Ebola.

Given the extent of the outbreak of Ebola affecting Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, on Wednesday, October 15 St. Lucia declared that it will prohibit persons from travelling to Saint Lucia. All visitors from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone will be denied entry into Saint Lucia until further notice.

Despite the fact that the President of Nigeria has declared that Nigeria is Ebola free, visitors from Nigeria will be required to present a recent medical certificate which clears him/her of the virus, in addition to a VISA to be allowed entry into Saint Lucia.

The Prime Minister said the Government of Saint Lucia continues to monitor the outbreak and has allocated resources to prepare for any possible threat. Recent events in Dallas, Texas have prompted a heightened awareness and necessitate strong action to ensure that Saint Lucia is protected.

Alfred Emmanuel.

Alfred Emmanuel has been retained as Treasurer of the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees, CANOC.

The 52-year-old former secondary school teacher was elected as CANOC held its General Assembly in Barbados over the weekend.

The founder and leader of Rock Spurs Track Club, Mr Emmanuel is a long-serving executive member of the Saint Lucia Athletics Association. Between 2001 and 2004 he held the distinction of sitting on the Executives of National Federations in three sports.

He has been Secretary General of the Saint Lucia Olympic Committee (SLOC) from 1996 to present and has served the North and Central American and Caribbean Athletics Confederation as Treasurer from 1999.

Mr Emmanuel will serve CANOC in his present position until 2018, along with the remainder of the seven-member board. Re-elected to lead the organisation is veteran Barbados sports administrator Steve Stoute.

Keith Joseph of St Vincent and the Grenadines was elected Secretary.

The new executive.

The other Board members are Brian Lewis (Trinidad and Tobago), Angel Morales (United States Virgin Islands), Alphonso Bridgewater (St Kitts-Nevis) and Donald McLean (Cayman Islands). Lewis, who had vied for the Presidency against the 72-year-old Stoute, is a first-time Board member, as is Bridgewater.

The General Assembly received reports from some of the major organising committees for upcoming games, including Pan American Games in Toronto in 2015 and The Rio 2016 Local Organising Committee.

CANOC also held a workshop to update its members on work undertaken to date and plans for the future.

Securing of the broadcast rights for the 2016 Rio Olympic took centre stage when members of the Caribbean Broadcasting Incorporated walked members through what has been achieved to date.

Mr Emmanuel also represented Saint Lucia at the Olympic Solidarity Regional Workshop On Good Governance, along with SLOC President Fortuna Belrose.

That meeting was addressed by International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach via a video link.

CANOC was officially formed 11 years ago to represent the 26 National Olympic Committees based in the Caribbean.

St Lucia has recorded a further decrease in the total number of undifferentiated fever over the last month.

The Ministry of Health said there has been a 29 per cent decrease in the last week, which indicates a downward trend in the number of Chikungunya cases.

Bio Statistician of the Ministry of Health Phil Leon told St Lucia News Online (SNO) that the recent report of a decrease is based on effective measures being put in place, to fight not only Chikungunya, but Dengue as well.

“So our fever cases are actually on its way down, out of the outbreak epidemic range to a normalcy decrease for St Lucia,” Leon told SNO.

Leon said there have been a consistent decrease, beginning from the first quarter of September, beginning with 11 per cent and a further drop of 14 per cent in the following week.

The ministry had intensified its vector-reduction interventions, by fogging and increasing public awareness through social mobilisation in schools and churches, households too need to play their part in helping to reduce and possibly ending the spread of both mosquito borne viruses.

Meanwhile, the medical official also revealed that recent reports indicate that there has been an increase in gastroenteritis in children under five years.

“This increase is not normal and the little climb there is a little alert and we are monitoring it daily. We see an increase, but it is still in the norm,” he added.

The statistician said the increase of the food borne illness may be linked to the the current Creole celebrations being observed.

Clint Mathurin * Photo provided

POLICE PRESS RELEASE - On Sunday, October 19, 2014 about 10:00 p.m., a joint operation involving the Marine Unit, Special Services Unit, Criminal Investigations Department and the Intelligence Unit was conducted towards the capture and arrest of 29-year-old Clint Mathurin of Arundell Hill.

The operation took place within the territorial waters off the Northern tip of Cape Estate, known as “Pointe Du Cape”. During the interception the suspect Clint Mathurin jumped overboard but was unable to evade the lawmen. Three other individuals who were onboard the vessel is now in police custody.

On October 13, 2014, a Warrant of Arrest in the First Instance was issued in the name of Clint Mathurin. Mathurin is the key suspect in the investigation of the homicide of 36-year-old Bathelomy Cox of Ciceron. During the course of Monday, October 20, 2014, a formal execution of the Warrant of Arrest will be effected on Clint Mathurin.

The suspect also had previous police matters emanating from 2013 where he was scheduled to make a court appearance on October 11, 2013 for the offence of kidnapping which is reported to have occurred on January, 3rd, 2013.

Participants of BOSLIL partnership seminar.

PRESS RELEASE - Bank of Saint Lucia International Limited (BOSLIL) a subsidiary of ECFH, continues to take proactive measures to do its part to develop the island’s international banking industry and establish St. Lucia as one of the leading International Financial Service Centers in the Caribbean.

BOSLIL recently hosted a Strategic Seminar for local partners and key stakeholders.

The event, held at the Bay Gardens Inn, provided a forum to discuss various challenges, trends, methods to better serve clients and collective strategies to move the industry forward.

CEO of BOSLIL, Ryan Devaux delivered a presentation on promoting St. Lucia as an international financial services jurisdiction.

Some of the other key areas included regulatory changes to applications forms; the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) and its implications; and other new regulatory requirements.

At the close, participants were invited to a “Meet Your Banker” tour, which took place at BOSLIL’s headquarters in Massade, Gros Islet.

The just concluded seminar forms part of BOSLIL’s mandate to continue to seek and take advantage of opportunities in the global market to increase foreign investment and help rebuild the island’s economy.

Devaux explained that the bank’s business model, as a transactional bank for global commerce is simple but effective.

He said this can be attributed to a focus on understanding international commerce and the commercial realities of such activities, delivering a very high level of service and managing the risk effectively, including working primarily with professional/regulated intermediaries and following robust due diligence and international compliance standards.

This is further bolstered by the ongoing partnership with resident professional companies and registered agents.

BOSLIL was named Service Exporter of the Year at the 2013 Saint Lucia Business Awards and is currently celebrating 10 years of international banking service.

Five persons were seriously injured in an accident this afternoon. An infant was one of the persons injured.

Reports are that the accident occurred at about 4:00.p.m today in Dennery.

St Lucia News Online (SNO) understands that the vehicle was travelling to Castries, when the accident took place.

An eyewitness told SNO that the vehicle flipped over multiple times, before landing on its top.

Emergency services responded to the scene and transported the injured persons to the hospital.

The circumstances surrounding this incident is still unclear at this time.

Police are currently carrying out their investigations.

From left: Director of Finance Mr. Francis Fontenelle, ECCB’s Mr. Gregor Franklyn and Bankers Association president Mrs. Corliss Charles-Sutton.

PRESS RELEASE - Financial Information Month is in full swing with several activities being conducted by local financial institutions in order to raise the level of financial education in Saint Lucia.

Officially launched on October 3rd and held under the theme “Soar to Success” Financial Information Month is aimed at increasing the public’s understanding of financial matters. This will be taken a step further as commercial banks and other financial institutions come together for a financial fair on the William Peter Boulevard on Thursday from 9am to 3pm.

Eight financial institutions are expected to be represented at the event and the public is invited to come get free, valuable information that will enable them to make the type of financial decisions that can result in an improvement in their quality of life. The unity of the banks for this event is a symbol that they all understand the importance of creating a consumer that is more financially savvy and better informed.

At the launch of Financial Information Month, a collaborative effort of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) and the Bankers Association of Saint Lucia, Director of Finance, Francis Fontenelle stressed the importance of the month of activities.

“We are inundated with financial issues in our every day lives and it is imperative that we have an appreciation of this issues and it is imperative that we have more than just an appreciation of those issues but that we are cognizant of how our lives are affected,” said Mr. Fontenelle.

President of the Bankers Association Mrs. Corliss Charles-Sutton also spoke at the launch and encouraged the public to take advantage of the month of activities and visit their various financial institutions to ask questions.

“We would like the public to really participate and come out to support such initiatives,” said Mrs. Sutton.

Many financial institutions have focused this year on spreading financial knowledge to our youngest citizens with school visits and presentations. The financial fair is an opportunity to reach a wide section of Saint Lucians who may have financial questions.

Did you know you know that during the 1940′s seaside towns and villages developed into commercial centres with permanent stores to complement the Saturday market?

While most estates had shops for their workers, prices were high and the owners often tried to in-debt workers to secure their future labour. Travelling saleswomen/merchands/hucksters travelled from plantation to plantation with trays on their heads, containing madras head-kerchiefs, prints etc, which they retailed and made enormous profits. However, some labourers travelled to Castries on a Saturday morning to vend plantains, yams and other produce which they harvested from their garden.

Historian, Henry Hegart Breen, stated that every second house in Castries displayed a shop of some description, crammed with every imaginable item from a pipe to a prayer book. Even the most respectable ladies and the wives of the wealthiest merchants deemed it not derogatory to hawk goods on the streets.

Dennery, Gros islet, Anse la Raye, Choiseul, Laborie, Micoud, Vieux Fort and Soufrière had house shops in abundance. Elderly women bought leftover wares from the Saturday market cheaply and sold them from their balconies during the week.

In 1841, Soufrière had 228 houses, and just about every third house was a shop, where some kind of commodities was sold. About six or seven was respectable enough to merit the name of “stores.” These ”stores” usually sold cured provisions and dried goods such as salted beef, salted pork, mackerel, codfish, butter, lard, salt, oil, sugar, rice and green-tea.

Salted/cured goods were very popular with the farmers; they sold their poultry and pigs to the market and used the money to buy salted/cured products instead. Fresh meats were usually reserved for feast days such as Christmas.

Source: A History of St. Lucia by Harmsen, Ellis & Devaux = 2012

This feature runs every Tuesday and Thursday. It is compiled by daughter of the soil Anselma Aimable, a former agricultural officer and former correspondent for Caribbean Net News, who has a deep interest in local culture and history. Send ideas and tips to doublea@candw.lc. 

Ethan Dyke Elliott in competition.

Saint Lucia’s team for the 24th Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Swimming Championships has been named by the Saint Lucia Amateur Swimming Association (SLASA).

The 34-member team gets into action 7-9 November at Saint Lucia’s Rodney Heights Aquatic Centre and Pigeon Island Beach. For the first time an Open Water Swim has been added to the OECS programme, and will feature a 5km swim for athletes aged 14 years and over.

Jordan Augier

Team Saint Lucia is once again led by Jordan Augier, a University of Tampa student who is currently preparing to participate in the Central American and Caribbean Games, also next month in Veracruz, Mexico. Augier is the only OECS swimmer to have made the qualifying time for the CAC Games. Last year, he dominated the 18 & Over division at OECS, just the second swimmer ever with a perfect score at that meet, setting three National Records.

Jordan, a member of the dominant Sharks club here in Saint Lucia, also set two of the 12 Saint Lucia age group records recorded at last year’s meet, in addition to his National Records. Ethan Dyke Elliott of Seajays set four; club teammate and rival Terell Monplaisir added one. Those two will be among the ones to look out for the 11-12 Boys category. Ziv Reynolds (Lightning Aquatics) leads the 9-10 Boys, and Jenna-Lee Campbell is not on the team.

The majority of the Saint Lucia team comprises athletes from Sharks, who make up nearly half of the 34. Racers has six swimmers on the squad, whilst Seajays and Lightning have four each. The other swimmers are from Southern Flying Fish, Sports Academy and Cobra Adventures. The team held their first training session last Sunday, under the guidance of Head Coach, Brian Charles, Assistant Coach Dr. Diane Simkins-Worrell, Assistant Coach Roosevelt Romain, and Team Manager, Brender Portland-Reynolds.

Last November, Grenada won their 11th OECS title at Rodney Heights. Saint Lucia remains ahead with 12 titles, and according to a release from SLASA, “coaches and officials are confident that the trophy will remain on Saint Lucian soil.” Participating teams in the OECS Swimming Championships include Antigua-Barbuda, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, St Vincent & the Grenadines and Saint Lucia.

The Saint Lucia National team consists of:
8 & Under Girls – Naima Hazell (Lightning Aquatics) and Jorja Mederick (Racers)
8 & Under Boys – D’Andre Blanchard (Lightning), Therron Herrelle (Racers), Antoine Destang (Sharks)
9 to 10 Girls – Shalini Joseph (Racers), Maya Hilaire (Sharks), Mikaili Charlemagne (Lightning), Natalya Guillaume (Sharks)
9 to 10 Boys – Ziv Reynolds (Lightning), Allandre Cross (Racers)
11 to 12 Girls – Eden Crick, Katelin Samuel, Katie Kyle (all three Sharks)
11 to 12 Boys – Terell Monplaisir, Ethan Dyke-Elliot, Jayhan Odlum-Smith (all three Seajays)
13 to 14 Girls – Mikaela Casimir, Abbie Pultie, Zanaii Taylor (all three Sharks)
13 to 14 Boys – Jyasi Daniel (Sharks), Christopher Phillips (Sharks), Omar Alexander (Racers)
15 to 17 Girls – Laura Bruce (Sharks), Thalia Bergasse (Seajays)
15 to 17 Boys – Mark Emanus (Southern Flying Fish), Stefon Emmanuel (Southern Flying Fish), Jonathan McLennon (Racers)
18 & Over Female – Vanessa Eugene (Cobra Adventures), Clare Tenger (Sharks), Shernice Popo (Sports Academy)
18 & Over Male – Jordan Augier, Jonathan Calderon, Michael Louis Fernand (all Sharks)

SVG Opposition leader Arnhim Eustace. Below: Tamara Gibson-Marks (left) with her lawyer Alberton Richelieu. * Photo credit: The Vincentian

St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace has expressed disappointment with a recent court ruling involving St. Lucian born Attorney-at-Law Tamara Gibson-Marks, who is accused of stealing and abusing her office as registrar of the High Court of SVG.

I-Witness News said Eustace described the penalty handed down to Gibson-Marks as “scandalous”. He made this statement on a radio programme yesterday.

Gibson-Marks was fined EC$10,500 after pleading guilty to a charge of theft of EC$21,925 and abuse of her authority as registrar of the High Court.

Magistrate Carla James last Tuesday fined Gibson-Marks EC$4,500 to be paid in one month or three months imprisonment on the theft charge. On the abuse of authority charge, Gibson-Marks was ordered to pay EC$6,000 in three months or spend six months in jail.

Eustace was quoted as saying, “I think the whole issue of the registrar has left a very bitter taste in the mouth of Vincentians and in the minds of many Vincentians.”

The SVG politician said “people believe we have two systems of justice: one for those who we figure are important, another one for those who we figure are poor and unimportant”.

“This decision of the court, even the charges that were laid, to my mind are lacking, and the decision taken, as far as that is concerned, for me is scandalous,” Eustace said.

Eustace is also of the opinion that the outcome of the case “sends a very wrong message to the population of SVG, and it sends a wrong message to the young people of SVG, who, for crimes of much lesser importance and gravity, we find many of our youngsters in jail.”

The SVG opposition leader made it clear that the message from this particular issue “is not a good one at all. And it will have repercussions further down the road.”

He said people are going to point to decisions like these and question the role of the court.

“It lessens the court in people’s eyes, because they expect justice and they don’t see this as justice, because lesser crimes have taken place with more severe punishment.”

Eustace said this action should not be tolerated in SVG. “We can’t have two sets of rules, or what it seems like to the general public that people are being threated differently because of their status in society. We can’t have that.”

“We don’t want our people to grow up thinking that is what we are doing, but that is what it appears to be. And in fact, that is what it is. And while we talk about crime and so on in our society and so forth, and what we need to do about this issue here, people put their hands up in the air. Where are we going?” Eustace said.

Gibson-Marks was asked to resign in May, and an investigation was later launched into her conduct as registrar of the High Court. She had pleaded not guilty to all three charges when she initially appeared in court on Aug. 21. Gibson-Marks was also accused of attempting to flee the island.

Gibson-Marks had repaid over $300,000 that had been withdrawn from an account she held in trust at the St. Vincent Cooperative Bank. She was not charged in relation to the EC$300,000.

SVG’s Director of Public Prosecutions, Colin Williams, discontinued a false certification charge against Gibson-Marks after she pleaded guilty two weeks ago to the theft and abuse of power charge.

Ahead of the sentencing last week, defence attorney Alberton Richelieu submitted to the court documents providing that Gibson-Marks had repaid a total of EC$21,925.

Gibson-Marks is married to Vincentian lawyer, former Unity Labour Party senator, Ronald Marks.

Kwame Anatole

A 13-year-old male student of the Choiseul Secondary School died mysteriously on Sunday, October 19.

Kwame Anatole of Choiseul died at the St. Jude Hospital hours after being rushed to the emergency room.

His mother, Loucilla Anatole, told St. Lucia News Online (SNO) today that her teenaged son started showing signs of illness on Sunday while putting on his clothing.

The distraught woman said after realising that her son was having some difficulty, she went to his assistance and inquired  how he was feeling. Kwame told his mother that his head was hurting, but according to her, he did not look normal and he could not stand on his feet.

Loucilla said she called her brother to assist Kwame to the hospital. However, the teenager was reluctant and told his mother, “Mommy I am not going to the hospital, just give me a Panadol and I will be alright.”

Loucilla said she gave him the Panadol to drink, but insisted that he go to the hospital. The grieving mother had already called the ambulance and was preparing to take her son to St. Jude. Little Loucilla knew that would have been the last words her son would say to her.

Loucilla told SNO that after drinking the tablet, Kwame fell to the ground. She then shouted for help. Two men outside came to her assistance and helped her to lift him from the ground and place him in a vehicle. He was transported to St. Jude.

The grieving mother said her son was drooling on his way to the hospital and became unconscious.

“His side was already giving way and his face turning up,” she explained.

Upon his arrival at St. Jude, Loucilla said she had difficulty taking him out of the vehicle and placing him in a wheel chair, before he was seen by a doctor.

The ambulance never showed up.

“When the doctor saw him, he said it wasn’t a good sign,” she told SNO.

Kwame subsequently died sometime after 5 p.m. that same evening.

A tearful Loucilla told SNO that she still cannot come to grips with her son’s death. She is also questioning how her young son died so mysteriously. She said Kwame never showed any signs of illness before.

“He was a healthy boy. I never had any problem with him, he was never hospitalised,” she explained.

Loucilla described her son as a very energetic, loving, hardworking and quiet young man, who would be missed, not only by relatives, but his friends.

Jade Mountain Resort.

St. Lucia continues to receive high accolades for its thriving tourism sector and its hotels have continuously been ranked as some of the finest in the Caribbean.

Nine of St. Lucia’s hotels have claimed spots in the luxury travel ideas and guides and UK’s leading travel magazine – Condé Nast Traveller- 50 Best Resorts in the Caribbean: Readers’ Choice Awards 2014.

St. Lucia’s Jade Mountain Resort was voted as number one with 94.834 per cent.

Coming in on sixth spot was Ladera Resort with (92.379), at 13 is Cap Maison (90.234), 17 Anse Chastanet (88.787), 22 Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort (87.037), 26 Capella Marigot Bay (85.115) and at 31, The Landings (84.095).

The two final spots for St. Lucia were 42 Sandals La Toc Golf Resort & Spa (82.192) and at 46 Sandals Halcyon Beach (81.812).

READ MORE AT: http://www.cntraveler.com/readers-choice-awards/2014/caribbean-atlantic/best-resorts-in-the-caribbean-readers-choice-awards-2014

Minor accident involving two minibuses at Lower Morne Road, Castries between 3:30 and 4 p.m. this afternoon.