News

Not many aircraft watchers assembled at the road-side perimeter fence at Wallblake Airport to look at the arriving and departing executive jets, now back in Anguilla in large numbers. But the ground handlers were beaming with delight in the run-up to and during the Christmas holiday period as a flotilla of the planes, absent for several months, swooped in at the runway one after the other.

Even as Pastor Norril Gumbs, of the First Baptist Church at Welches, was delivering his sermon at the Christmas morning service at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, on the birth of Christ in a manger, maternity nurses there were busily recording the birth of a boy and girl a few hours apart.

Anguillian, the Rt. Rev. Errol Brooks, Bishop of the Diocese of the Northeastern Caribbean and Aruba, has been honoured by Her Majesty The Queen.

Whenever the Christmas Season comes around, the story surrounding the ancient city of Jerusalem and the birth of the Christ Child takes centre stage. It was therefore not uncommon for the celebrated St. Augustine’s Choral, directed by professional musician Lennox Vanterpool, and the Youth Chorale, led by Margaret Augustus to dub their joint programme on Sunday, December 20, Reflections on Bethlehem.

The roof of Bethel Methodist Church at South Hill reverberated but remained intact as choir after choir, six in all, plus other groups and the congregation in general, burst forth in lively Christmas hymns in what was termed a Festival of Choirs on Sunday, December 21.

Schoolchildren from across the island, up to the age of 12 years, were given a brighter Christmas when the National Bank of Anguilla held its 21st Annual Christmas Tree Lighting and Gift Give-Away on Monday, December 21, in the Bank’s Parking Lot.
The programme was chaired by Marisa Gumbs, Manager of NBA’s Branch in the western area of the island, who welcomed the children and their parents to the well-attended event.

With the commencement of the tourist season, Anguilla has successfully benefited in a big way from meeting hundreds of top selling travel agents in the New York Tri-State area. The island’s Tourist Board in North America, in conjunction with representatives from a number of hoteliers here, kicked off the season with their annual December Fall Seminars.

St. Mary’s Street in The Valley was blocked to traffic on Tuesday afternoon this week to facilitate hundreds of young school children who attended the 2009 Christmas Gala held for the 9th year by the Caribbean Commercial Bank.

In a media teleconference from London on Wednesday, Anguilla’s Chief Minister, Osbourne Fleming, told reporters that unlike in July this year, the meeting between the Anguilla delegation and others with the UK Minister, Chris Bryant, was more cordial this week at the Overseas Territories Consultative Council conference.

He gave as one example the talks on the borrowing guidelines with the Anguilla delegation when Mr. Bryant was unmovable about their relaxation in order for the Anguilla Government and other territories to borrow money to help meet their financial and economic problems.

The students of the International Cuisine class at the Anguilla Community College proudly showcased their talent at a dinner under the theme “A Taste of Around the World” on Thursday, December 3.
The class commenced on September 3 under the tutelage of Mrs. Karimah Carty, Chef de Partie/Trainer at the College. The students’ backgrounds varied from cooks to public servants and others interested in the culinary field. They are Larry Brooks, Catherine Carbon, Antoine Carty, Godfrey John, Marva Phillip, Josian Rahael and Erlene White who will be taking their final examination shortly.

The LIAT staff at Wallblake Airport in Anguilla has been awarded not only for winning the airline’s on-time performance in September 2009 in Zone A, but for having won it more times in the calendar year than any other destination. The monthly competition was suspended for two months due to industrial problems affecting the regional carrier, but in the ten months during which it was held, Anguilla won nine times in that period.

Cap Juluca will be re-opening and managing the Temenos Golf Course, as of December 19, it was announced this week. Cap Juluca Properties Ltd Chairman and CEO Adam Aron issued the following statement:

For the first time, some of the wild flowers of Anguilla, so often disregarded by even the most discerning naturalist and floral lover, have been depicted on a set of six postage stamps released on Tuesday, December 1, by the General Post Office in The Valley.

Tourists and Anguillians alike are flocking to Crocus Bay at the foot of The Valley. The area has become a place of much attraction, fine dining, and relaxation. This is not only due to the opening of the lovely, top-notch and formal locally-owned DaVida Restaurant, but now the addition of its informal exquisite Bayside Bar and Grill and related services.

A recently-qualified Anguillian medical professional, Dr. Ayanna Twanna Gumbs, has taken up a one-year appointment in St. Lucia.

She is the daughter of Anne Edwards, retired Deputy Principal at the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School, and Tracey Gumbs.

One of the most promising and impressive offers recorded so far to take over and develop the Temenos/Flag Luxury Property in Anguilla, was put forward on Monday this week, November 23. That was when Mrs. Sheila Johnson, principal of Salamander Hospitality LLC and her team of advisers, met with Government and members of the Opposition and wrapped up their discussions with a press conference, all meetings having been held at Sheriva Boutique Hotel.

The Government and people of Anguilla, as well as CuisinArt Resort and Spa, have been honoured this week to host the 50th meeting of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Authority from Wednesday evening to Friday afternoon, November 18-20.

An Anguillian-owned luxury accommodation property, fittingly named Modena Villa, to reflect its modern, new and different architectural concept, was showcased on Tuesday this week leaving guests who attended the delightful open house function virtually spellbound. In short, as the invitation brochure described it, the villa, owned Mr. Leslie Richardson and family, is “a work of art.”

Unlike other public schools in Anguilla, the Alwyn Allison Primary School at West End does not have on its premises a portrait of the educator whose name it bears.

In view of this, the principal and staff there, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and the children of the late Mr. Alwyn Allison Richardson, a former headmaster there, are making arrangements to have a portrait of him mounted at the school.

Long-serving senior Anguillian police officer, Deputy Commissioner, Illidge Richardson, has been praised for his high level of commitment to policing on the island and the respect and dignity with which he bore himself.

The commendation came from Chief Minister and Minister of Home Affairs, the Hon. Osbourne Fleming, and Minister of Finance, the Hon. Victor Banks, at their press conference on Tuesday this week.