Local News

A National Consultation for a Regional ICT Digital Development Strategy was held in Anguilla at the Wallbalke Conference Centre on Wednesday this week, under the auspices of CARICOM.

Tomatoes are among the vegetable crops grown in Anguilla which not only can satisfy the local market, to some extent, but also partially meet the demand in St. Martin/St.Maarten, Anguilla’s closest neighbour.

Free-lance writer, James Harrigan, has been pre-occupied over the past couple of weeks and was not in a position to offer a contribution in his regular column, “A Great Day’s Coming”. Mr. Harrigan states that he is indeed keeping in touch with striking affairs all around the world, and should be producing an article in next week’s issue. However, he was recently invited to make a keynote address at a Special Needs Education event held on the evening of March 16th, at the Blossom Center at the Aukland House, and this address follows now with a special poem as a prelude.

Former Senior Customs Officer in the Anguilla Public Service, Calvin E. Scarborough, has successfully completed his studies at the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies. He is now a Teacher in the Humanities Department of the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School.

Anguilla’s fashion landscape is about to experience a revolutionary, creative explosion of fashion at the chic Coba Restaurant location at Viceroy Resorts and Residences. “Fashions from the Earth …. Passion for the Youth” will be presented by the dynamic Runway Anguilla on Sunday April 10th 2011 from 12:30 pm – 4 pm. The generous cadre of corporate support headlines Viceroy Resort & Residences as Platinum Sponsor and LIME, Cape Air and ix Cosmetics (out of St. Martin) as Supporting Headline Sponsors.

The following are remarks by Miss Erica Richardson at the launching of the programme on the 21st March 2011, at the Rodney MacArthur Rey Auditorium:

On Friday March 18, Chief Minister Hubert Hughes and developer Jeffery Goldstein signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a development at Shoal Bay, called Zemibeach Resort. It is described as comprising 65 luxury condominiums and a boutique hotel with 22 rooms, a restaurant, bar, spa and a board room for small meetings. The condominiums, that are one or two-bedroom or studio units, will supplement the hotel rooms and increase Anguilla hotel room count by 148.

On Saturday, 19th March 2011, Rob Willsher, Scuba Diving Instructor of Vigilant Divers, Anguilla, caught an adult lionfish during a dive off Anguillita, a small island at the west end of Anguilla.

Members of the Progressive Youth Octagon Club (PYOC), at the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School, Campus A, and the Best End Junior Optimist Club at the Morris Vanterpool Primary School, spent some quality time reading to several of the island’s special needs children on Thursday 17 March 2011.

FirstCaribbean International Bank is continuing to show its commitment to sports and the development of youth in Anguilla.

On Friday March 18 the doors of Unique Trading were opened to the public. Unique Trading has moved to its grand new Super Centre in The Quarter with a wide range of groceries, furniture, appliances, electronics and hardware. It is owned by Leon Wu and Bonnie Lewis. Bonnie is an Anguillian and Leon is an Anguillian national of Chinese descent.

“Having a mentor assists children to successfully navigate those challenging developmental stages when they can easily go off course,” stated Minister of Social Development, Edison Baird speaking at the launch of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Programme on Monday March 21. The Programme was initiated by the Education Welfare Department, and ten mentors were introduced who will start off the project. The them is: “Holding Hands to Make a Difference.”

If Lord Oliver Cromwell were Lord Protector of England today he would say to the Chief Minister exactly what he said to the “rump”(a reference to the Parliament of his time): “You have sat too long for any good you have done lately! Depart I say and let us have done with you! In the name of God go!” He would be right to do so because, like the “Rump,” Hughes is not achieving. He is causing nothing to happen but confusion.

Dexter Carty, a native of Anguilla, and a designer with Gresham, Smith and Partners, was part of the design team that was honored in the semi-annual Alabama Chapter International Interior Design Association (IIDA) awards. The firm was awarded "Best Construction Detail" for design of Bay Medical Center in Panama City, Florida. The five-story, 200,000-square-foot patient tower designed by GS&P opened in November 2010 and serves as the new main entrance to the facility.

The Second Nominated Member and Deputy Speaker in the Anguilla House of Assembly, Leroy Rogers, presided over the sitting on Wednesday, March 23, for the first time since his appointment last year.

Police Report

There were seven criminal reports in Anguilla during the period March 9-16, according to the Police press briefing on Wednesday this week.

Anguilla’s former Chief Minister, Osbourne Fleming, who retired early last year, in the run-up to the February general election, told a public meeting of the Anguilla United Party, he once led, that he was unhappy with the current situation on the island.

The following is a Written Ministerial Statement dated March 10, 2011 from The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs William Hague. It was issued in Anguilla through the Governors Office.

The news that two Anguillian fishermen were possibly lost at sea was broken on radio last week Thursday, March 10, by former Chief Minister, Osbourne Fleming. He had interrupted the broadcast of the Anguilla United Front’s public meeting at South Hill, at which he had spoken earlier, to make the announcement.

The Soroptimist Conference Centre was the scene of a large number of persons at a workshop on Sunday, March 3. It was conducted by Ras Bobby, a resident of St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, who described himself as “a naturopathic healer, not a naturopathic doctor.”