Local News

Pumpkins are among a number of vegetables that can easily be grown in Anguilla in large quantities with good added value at the supermarkets, hotels and restaurants on the island.

The Health Authority of Anguilla recently held a closing ceremony for a seven day course in which the island’s resident emergency medical technicians received further training in the art of saving lives. At 7pm on Friday May 9, medical personnel gathered in the Teacher’s Resource Centre to join in congratulating those who completed the Advanced Cardiac Life Support Provider Course. The teachers and organizers of the course were absolutely blown away by the outstanding performance of the students.

Mrs. Jocelyn Johnson-Carty, Chief Probation Officer of the Department of Probation returned to the island on Sunday 4th May following a two week Public Administration International Training in the United Kingdom. The training was under the theme Protecting Society: Challenges in delivering effective prison and probation service and targeted Prison, probation and related criminal justice officials.

The High Court in Anguilla has handed down a historic judgment in which Resident Judge Justice Janice George-Creque delivered an overnight ruling on Tuesday this week halting the construction of a dolphin pier at the protected Sandy Point Bay Beach, Blowing Point.

The period April 30-May 7 has been a busy time for the Royal Anguilla Police Force with a series of criminal incidents including robbery, burglary and theft with one particular case headlining the others. There have even been cases involving youngsters setting off explosives in plastic bottles to the danger of persons in the community.

Retiring Superintendent Carl Ruan, of the Royal Anguilla Police Force, whom his fellow senior officers described “as a very emotional person” who might breakdown in tears at the farewell ceremony, proved them to have been quite wrong. He stood serious and erect at the podium and, instead of weeping and making them cry as well, he lectured his colleagues in his “radio personality voice” to be strong and resolute in carrying out their varied responsibilities in the face of a changing Anguilla and rising challenges to law and order.

A course in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) for doctors, nurses and emergency services personnel was held this week at the Princess Alexandra Hospital. It was conducted by a team of Worldwide International EMS physicians and instructors. Certification and re-certification of Emergency Medical Technicians also took place. Facilitators for the course were from various teaching institutions and hospitals in the USA and included Fernando Daniels, Charles Alakija, Wendell Jones and Doreen Gumbs Vines.

The Anguilla Animal Rescue Foundation was one of 29 island-nations or countries, representing 70 organizations, at the Caribbean Animal Welfare Conference held recently in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Marie Forman (Adoption Chairman) and Suzie Donahue (Vice President & Spay /Neuter Project Manager) joined with 140 others to participate in workshops including organizational development, disaster preparedness, education, spay/neuter clinics, government’s role in humane animal control, alternatives to surgical spay/neuter and many other topics.

Mrs. Renuka Harrigan, Founder and President of the Arijah Children’s Foundation, addressed the Rotary Club of Anguilla at the club’s regular meeting at Roy’s Bayside Grill on Thursday 1 May. Mrs. Harrigan shared information about the Foundation, which is dedicated to help the special needs children of Anguilla.

On Thursday, May 1, a group of international visitors arrived in Anguilla for several days of what is known as the Rotary Group Study Exchange. The visiting GSE team attended the regular weekly Rotary Club dinner meeting held at Roy’s on Thursday evening.

The Blowing Youth Development Centre, a community initiative by members of the Blowing Point Community, and the Ministry of Social Development to provide services for young people, is moving forward. The Centre, at present caters to an average of 30-40 young people daily. It provides homework assistance and classes in English, Mathematics, Information Technology and Reading. It is planned that in the coming months the services offered will be widened.

At a closing ceremony held at the Campus B Auditorium of the ALHCS, on May 2nd, all the second formers were recognized for having completed a thirteen-week D.A.R.E. course conducted by the Royal Anguilla Police Force. Officers James Joyce and Shawn Lake chaired the ceremony with much enthusiasm as it was the first D.A.R.E. graduation at Campus B. In the past, most of the drug abuse education courses were done at the primary level so this was a new venture that was met with some challenges, but was all in all highly successful. The auditorium was filled with students, members of the RAPF as well as parents.

The 2008 Miss Digicel Caribbean Talented Teen Pageant was officially launched in Anguilla at a press briefing on Monday, May 5. The coming event will be staged at the Landsome Bowl Cultural Centre on Saturday, May 24.

The Morris Vanterpool Primary School at East End will soon have a comfortable built-in partitioned library room, thanks to D3 Enterprises, whose Managing Director is Clement Ruan, a former pupil in that district.

Other than Fisherman Patrick having a good Dolphin-fish day, pictured with Sam Webster, some things might be better for our treasured fishing industry. Sam of course has not stopped smiling and feeling gleeful since his recent brush with but ultimate rescue from Davy Jones Locker.

The Government of Anguilla, with the support of all political factions and the general public on the island, is hotly pursuing full internal self-government even at the cost of being forced into independence although this ultimate status is not yet on the cards.

The air and sea ports are among the places which the police, with assistance from security personnel, will be monitoring in an effort to apprehend anyone taking away various items suspected to have been stolen in the spate of burglaries and thefts in Anguilla.

Anguilla’s Chief Minister, Osbourne Fleming, has promised “to do something” to help relieve residents suffering from a rapid escalation in the price of basic food items. He made the pledge in the island’s House of Assembly on Tuesday, April 29, while commenting on a motion by Minister of Finance, Victor Banks, to provide duty-free concessions for a businessman setting up a warehouse on the island.

The Anguilla House of Assembly gave its approval on Tuesday, April 29, to a motion introduced by Opposition Member Hubert Hughes in which he called for the appointment of “suitable police officers for requisite training abroad.”

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Environmental concerns and food security are two new issues which the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Youth Ambassadors (CYAs) have identified as growing risks to the regional youth population, and plan to play a more active role in these areas.