News

Though at present not in a position to provide a second daily flight to Anguilla from the San Juan hub, American Eagle has embarked on new initiatives to help sell the island. It is a collaborative effort involving the airline, the Tourist Board, the Hotel and Tourism Association and the Government. As an integral part of the arrangement, the airline has now stationed a local representative in Anguilla in the person of Mary-Jo Koebele.

Anguilla, like a number of other offshore financial centres in the Caribbean, is being called upon by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to put certain requirements in place in order to be a white-listed or clean jurisdiction for such business operations. So far, the island is well on such a path, according to Mrs. Lorna Smith, a Consultant to the Governments of Anguilla and the Turks & Caicos Islands on Tax Information Exchange Agreements (TIEAs).

The older generation may not readily realise it, but among the younger generation, and onlookers, dancing is rapidly becoming the major activity and pastime in the development of the performing arts in Anguilla.

School children in Anguilla returned to their classrooms this week feeling much safer than the week before when they were believed to be more exposed to infection from the swine flu.

The Supervisor of Elections, Mr Colville Petty, has repeated his call to all persons who are qualified to vote to make sure that their names are on the register of voters by going to the Central Electoral Office, which is open during regular business hours Monday through Friday, except on public holidays, and having them registered.

History was created at Island Harbour when the school there was renamed the Vivien Vanterpool Primary School in honour of the dignified and well-respected former educator, whose life and work contributed greatly to the educational development and success of many of the island’s professionals today.

After a long period of planning and fund-raising, the dream of a new Central Baptist Church Christian School, by Pastor Cecil Richardson, is being fulfilled with construction work having started on Monday this week.
The construction site, on six acres of land, is tucked away in the far north of what will be in time a major education and sports complex, involving Government and the private sector, located off The Quarter main road into the Cauls Pond Section.

This year the Open Campus Anguilla site, can boast of six graduands. They are Ingrid Richardson, Glen Boothe, Angelene Benn-Henry, Ruth Payne and Fiona Wilkinson with BSc Management Studies degrees from the Faculty of Social Science, and Shauna Connor with a B.Ed Administration from the Faculty of Humanities and Education. All the graduands will be awarded honours degrees. However, one student accomplished truly outstanding results; Ms Ingrid Richardson, currently the Senior Library Assistant at the Anguilla Public Library, obtained a First Class Honours degree with a 3.93 grade point average and was among the seven finalists regionally for the choice of Valedictorian of the Class of 2009.

As the electioneering campaign gathers momentum in Anguilla, a new candidate, in the person of Mr. Sutcliffe Hodge, has stepped into the political arena motivated by a desire to serve, or, in his words, “to rescue Anguilla.”

Mr. Hodge, an independent candidate, is highly qualified and experienced in business management and marketing, is known to be a very astute and assertive gentleman and is a graduate of Nova University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The Anguilla Government has instituted a medical air ambulance service for all Civil Servants and Pensioners and the first beneficiary has been school teacher. That person was recently flown to St. Kitts for treatment at an overall cost of US$15,000.

The Government entered an agreement with Medical Air Services Association (MASA) to provide the air ambulance transport, which was first announced by Chief Minister, Osbourne Fleming, at a recent press conference.

The governing United Front Party in Anguilla is now on the campaign trail with a series of public meetings, having just emerged from a two-weekend Convention. The indoor and private sessions were held among the party’s executive members and others at the Scouts and Guides Ruthwill Auditorium.

Prolonged applause echoed throughout the 7,200-square-foot Campus B auditorium on Monday evening this week, as the multi-purpose facility was renamed the Rodney MacArthur Rey Auditorium in honour of the distinguished educator.

The honour, approved by the Executive Council, was conferred on Mr. Rey as he sat in the company of a large and appreciative audience. The gathering included family members, scores of Government officials, fellow educators, past and present students at the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School and a large cross-section of the public including members of the Bethel Methodist Church.

A number of young upcoming footballers from the Primary Schools, as well as various members of Kicks United Football Club, were recipients of awards presented to them by Kicks United at a ceremony at the Teachers’ Resource Centre on Saturday evening, September 26.

After some concerns expressed particularly by the Elected Member for Road North, the Hon. Edison Baird, in connection with the parent Proceeds of Crime Bill, recently passed in the Anguilla House of Assembly, an amending measure, which has come closely on its heels, was passed on Tuesday, September 22.

It has come to light from a report received this week that Non-Self-Governing Territories like Anguilla may be in a position to get assistance from United Nations bodies in the area of economic and social development. With this available information, it may be worth the while for the Anguilla Government to make some inquiries and appeals at the UN in these difficult times.

The Church, Judiciary, Bar, Police and Government came together in Anguilla yet again on Tuesday this week in observance of Law Year 2009/2010. It all started at St. Mary’s Anglican Church in The Valley where the dignitaries and other representatives gathered at a special service officiated by the Rt. Rev. Errol Brooks and Rev. Menes Hodge.

Magistrate in Anguilla, Mrs. Birnie Stephenson Brooks, has been appointed a Judge in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court with effect from October 25, 2009 and has been assigned to Dominica.

A new Resident High Court Judge in the person of Madam Justice Louise E. Blenman, has been assigned to Anguilla. The Guyanese-born jurist was welcomed to Anguilla and to the Bench at an official ceremony at the Court on Tuesday, September 14, in observance of the commencement of Law Year 2009-2010. (See story elsewhere in this edition of The Anguillian.)

The Teachers’ Resource Centre was the scene of a well-attended public forum, on Tuesday evening this week, on the dire financial and economic situation in Anguilla on Tuesday evening this week and on how to find a way out of the fiscal difficulties that have overtaken the island.

Hon Chief Minister Osbourne Fleming and Hon Minister of Finance and Tourism, Victor Banks, reported on the serious financial situation in the country, to members of the press, at the Government’s weekly press conference on Wednesday September 1.