The Barbados Meteorological Services is currently monitoring the progress of a series of low pressure systems over the Atlantic.

Of immediate interest is the system closest to us which was centred about 700 miles east of the Lesser Antilles at 2:00 p.m (18UTC) yesterday afternoon.
At present, model guidance is suggesting some slow development is possible over the next few days as it tracks westward at 17 to 23 mph.

Regardless of development, some moderate to heavy showers, periods of rain, scattered thunderstorms and occasional gusty winds are likely to spread across Barbados by this afternoon into early Friday.

Rainfall accumulations of one to two inches (25 – 50mm) are possible with the passage of the system.

Due to the already saturated nature of the soils a Flood-Watch/Warning may be required at short notice.

Marine conditions are also expected to deteriorate with sea swells increasing to 2.0 – 2.5 metres.

With respect to the other two systems over the Atlantic, these are expected to track to the west-northwest over the open waters and away from the island chain, the first around Saturday night/ Sunday and the other Monday night/Tuesday respectively.

Multiple accidents recorded over the Crop Over weekend have caused the Barbados Road Safety Association (BRSA) to reiterate its call for legislative measures to be put in place to halt drinking and driving, distracted driving and driver fatigue on our nation’s roads.

Speaking to The Barbados Advocate recently, President of the BRSA, Sharmane Roland-Bowen, is adamant that those accidents should be a wake-up call for the authorities of the many dangers on our roads and the need to do all within their power to minimise them.

“Now while there is no sure evidence that alcohol is involved in any of the accidents that occur – as persons are still not tested – we have to use our common sense and we cannot put common sense in the back seat. We have to look at all the evidence and look at the collisions we are seeing as indications of what could happen. We cannot keep turning a blind eye to the implications and the realities of the injuries that persons are experiencing,” she said.

With that in mind, she is urging the Ministry of Transport and Works to state definitively when the amendments to the Road Traffic Act, which are to include breathalyser testing and the banning of cellphones while driving, will go to Parliament for approval.

Roland-Bowen added, “We were promised the amendments to the Road Traffic Act after the Budget and now we are hearing September, October. We are tired of all these promises, and no concrete action being taken. We cannot sit back and allow persons to continually be hurt and even be killed, and not agitate for change. It is no use just being in draft on paper or sitting in the Attorney General’s office.”

She made the point as she contended that rum producers and retailers of alcohol also have a major role to play in ensuring that those who consume alcoholic beverages do not get behind the wheel of a vehicle.

“We don’t want to hear only drink responsibly, we want them to come on board, really come on board and help push for the legislation to be enacted and enforced. They can show they care by ensuring that the persons who purchase and consume their alcohol get home safe so they can come and purchase it again,” she said.

The BRSA president added that a person does not have to be stumbling down drunk to be impaired, as even one alcoholic drink can hamper a person’s ability to drive safely. She is therefore calling on persons who know they are going to drink, to identify a designated driver. (JRT)

There is a definitive and strong correlation between the agricultural industry and the tourism industry that should not be ignored.

That’s the view of Kennedy Pemberton, Consultant – Sustainable Tourism Development with the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), who lamented that too many people do not make that connection to the detriment both industries. He made the comments during a press conference held earlier this week at the Dining Club to update the media about the Caribbean Culinary Conference to be held here in Barbados next week.

“This is something that I raised at the CARDI Strategic Consultation maybe about two weeks ago. We have a growing and sizeable food import bill in the Caribbean, and I pointed out to them that they had this particular item listed in their strategic plan as a threat, whereas it really should be considered an opportunity, because what that says is that there is money in agriculture,” he said.

Pemberton noted that billions of dollars are spent annually importing food into the region, but argued such money would best be invested within the region in the agricultural industry. He maintained that if concerted steps could be taken to develop the local agriculture sector and connect it sustainably to the tourism industry, then it would be recognised as a “massive entrepreneurial opportunity” for local farmers.

“Not just in terms of producing the actual raw materials that are used across the tourism value chain, whether it be in the restaurants or the hotels, but also in terms of taking it a step further into agro-processing where we can now infuse and offer across the tourism value chain, items like the jams and the jellies, the processed foods that are locally grown,” he said.

Pemberton further contended that such home-made products and services being integrated into the tourism value chain would not only keep more of the money within each of the countries of the region, but also create much needed employment for locals. (JRT)

There is always room for more organisations to step on board and engage in philanthropic efforts.

This is coming from the Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ronald Jones, who spoke yesterday at the awarding of the Melanie Kristin Price Scholarships for 2017.

In thanking the parents of the late Melanie, in whose honour the Melanie Kristin Price Foundation was formed and which now gives out scholarships to
students from primary, secondary and tertiary level educational institutions, he stated that there is always a need out there and as a result, there is more
room for organisations and individuals to give back.

“More and more philanthropic organisations are coming on board to support civil society, social society, education and social welfare – children, special needs children, children generally, nursery education, so you will find that around the areas of health, education, child care that many persons in fact are beginning to put some emphasis in those areas.”

However, he noted, “There is still room for much more and that is not because we are greedy…but because there is always emerging needs in every society, and as Christian people – I don’t mean people who go to church, I mean people who have the right attitude, the right spirit, the right beliefs… – [we] would always reach out to others who may not be as fortunate as them in some areas.”

The Minister of Education said that from the other end, those persons who seek after these scholarships must ensure that they are always performing at the top because there is a certain prestige associated with being at the top, particularly in fields such as sports and music.

Saskia Singh and Royeal Gaskin are the two recipients of this year’s Indian Association Award.

The former students of the Darryl Jordan Secondary School received the generous donations on Tuesday night at the Barbados Yacht Club. Dr. Philomena Ann Mohini Harris, president and trustee of the Indian Association of Barbados, expressed that it was her hope for Singh and Gaskin to be great examples to those around them and hoped that the rewards help them to achieve everything they set out in life.

Principal of the Darryl Jordan Secondary School, Stephen Jackman, noted that both students deserved to be the recipients of the award.

“Our Motto at the school is ‘Every Talent to Greatest Use’ and I can say that over the last seven years, I have watched these two young people mature. I’ve watched them learn what their talents were and put them to good use and I’m sure they will put the reward to the best possible use as well,” he said.

He revealed that when he got the call from Dr. Harris, he immediately thought of Gaskin to be one of the students to receive the award due to his exemplary behaviour academically and socially.

Senior teacher, Timothy Kellman, echoed Jackman’s sentiments.

“These students would have been seen taking up leadership roles around the school. Saskia and Royeal both had different styles, but what they both did was lead by example. They led by example in their work ethic, they led by example in their deportment and where they could, they embraced the school’s culture,” he said.

He expressed that there was no doubt in his mind that they were going to continue on the same path and continue to make the teachers at the school and their parents proud. He also believed that the two students were positive examples of youth during a time of travesty where young people are in the centre.

Barbadians are being encouraged to work more closely with the Court Process Office, to ensure that their matters can be addressed speedily when matters are filed.

Senior Court Marshal in the Court Process Office, Rosanne Allder, noted that such co-operation is a must, especially in relation to maintenance matters where females with children are seeking financial support from the fathers.

At present, Marshals in the Court Process Office are tasked with the responsibility of serving summonses (inclusive of maintenance summonses) and other documents, which are required to be served by the rules of the court. Their functions also include the executing of writs, warrants, orders, levies for debt and the commands of any Judge or Magistrate.

“I would like the members of the public to know that besides the fact that we are short-staffed, we are trying our best to accommodate them. We are trying our best to execute all the documents that we possibly can, with the little 40 (staff members) that we have,” Allder recently commented.

“It is a big burden for a small group and (members of the public) can work with us a little bit more. Any information at all that they can give us when they come in to do business with the court, in filing your documents, if you can give as much detailed information as possible, even the colour of a home, it helps,” she stated.

“In relation to maintenance, we have to go far and beyond because sometimes the ladies might come in and they make the application and they give just a (telephone) number … but when we call you don’t get through. So then we have to go out on our own, because you are given a date and you must get that document served within seven days of that date,” Allder noted.

“At workplaces, the person may have left that workplace every since. So we only have the home address. Home addresses don’t work, because the family hides them and we can’t be angry for them hiding them, because that’s the only form of protection they have on their hands. So then we have to strategise now… then we finally get that document executed, after a long period,” she maintained.

Allder also noted that producing up to date photographs also helps with the execution of summonses and other documents.

“Ladies can also bring in a picture of the guy. It must be the most recent pic they have, so we can identify that person, whether it be in the streets, whether it be other marshals who meet up with that person. (Once received), we will distribute the photo right through, so that any persons meeting up on them, we will be able then to get the document executed,” Allder stressed. (RSM)

Six local chefs will be the headliners for the Food and Rum Festival which takes place November 16-19 in Barbados.

Now in its eighth year, Minister of Tourism Richard Sealy noted that this represents a “coming of age” of sorts for the award-winning chefs, who will share the spotlight with three international chefs hailing from Barbados’ top source markets.

“That is what the 2017 Food and Rum festival is all about. It is a classic example of how you can see a festival coming of age. We were importing the talent before, but we have seen the cross-over, we have gone over the Rubicon and we now we see the locals taking over the challenge.”

Headlining chefs include Henderson Butcher, Michael Hinds, Michael Harrison, Creig Greenidge, Damian Leach, John Hazzard and Willis Griffith. International chefs Tom Aikens, Chris De La Rosa and Jean-George Vongerichten are also expected to bring their flair to the festival. Minister Sealy also highlighted the talents of award-winning mixologists Jamal Bowen and Ryan Adamson.

Speaking at a the official launch of the festival at the historic George Washington House on Wednesday night, the Minister recalled that the festival has come a long way, starting as the Barbados Food and Wine and Rum Festival partnering with American Express, and shifting focus to local talent and of course local rum by removing “wine” from the title, during the island’s 50th anniversary of Independence last year.

Minister Sealy, while encouraging stakeholders to continue their partnership, noted that with the level of talent in the country, the festival can be expanded even further in the
community and become one of the most important events on the Barbados calendar.

“I think food is so widely celebrated and so unanimously popular that it can be a serious magnet to bring people here around this time... People want to have a part of this. We have to continue to fuse those other elements, the entertainment and so on, that we can have a true festival that can grow from strength to strength.”

The Minister revealed that discussions and plans are already ongoing in terms of the 2018 edition of the festival.

“How we can even broaden the stakeholdership to involve more of our community practitioners as well. So those eateries that may be mobile, the Suzuki vans, the community spots that are so popular, our visitors want a piece of that as well.” (JH)

THE Hyatt case has been adjourned until Madam Justice Sonia Richards rules whether or not, attorney-at-law David Comissiong has the right to challenge Prime Minister Freundel Stuart’s decision to grant permission to developer Mark Maloney to construct the US$100 million Hyatt Centric Resort, on Bay Street.

All attorneys involved in the matter, including Senior Counsel Hal Gollop, who is representing Stuart and Queen’s Counsel, Barry Gale, who is leading the legal team representing Maloney’s Vision Development Inc. company, spent the last two days in the number nine court, presenting their arguments to Madam Justice Richards.

Following yesterday’s hearing, Comissiong told the media that “all the addresses have been made, all the submissions are in, and it is now left to the judge to make a decision”.“Remember, this application is about whether I have locus standi to pursue the case, so if the judge finds that I have locus standi, then the case goes on. It is not the end of the matter,” Comissiong explained.

The social and political activist said since Madam Justice Richards is yet to make a decision, he does not intend to give a detailed comment on the substance that was discussed before her, though he remains rather confident about his contribution.

“I don’t want to set a timetable for the judge. I prefer not to speculate and to leave it up to the judge to make the decision in her own good time,” he said.

From the time Comissiong secured an injunction to immediately suspend the permission granted by Stuart, the political activist argued that the Prime Minister failed to conduct an environmental impact assessment on the project.

The activist outlined on numerous occasions that Stuart had relied on an outdated Physical Development plan, pointing out that Section 11 (1) of the Town and Country Planning Act stipulated that the plan, which is now 14 years old, must be updated every five years. (AH)

THE Barbados Workers’ Union (BUW) seventy-sixth Annual Delegates Conference will focus on the future for workers in the country.

The conference which is scheduled to be held on August 26 and 27, will be focusing on a number of resolutions that will allow delegates and observers, to not only hear the Union’s strategic vision which will be outlined by General Secretary Toni Moore, but also to get an opportunity to feed into that vision, and to shape the strategic direction of the organisation.

“We therefore want our delegates and observers to be buying into the future that they want to see for themselves, but beyond words, we want to be able to formulate an action plan. We started that process last year on the second day of our conference and we found that it was very useful in having our membership understanding the issues that we were trying to communicate to them, and understanding that they are very pivotal to us achieving the strategic objectives that we have set for this organisation,” Moore said, while speaking at the conference during a press conference at BWU’s Solidarity House, headquarters, yesterday.

The first of the five resolutions to be discussed at the conference include, “The Future We Want”. BWU recognises that a sustainable future is possible only if institutions at all levels are effective, transparent, accountable and democratic.

“Then we have two other resolutions that really are constitutional amendments that we will be seeking and I would not want to elaborate on those simply because they are resolutions that will be for the memberships specifically to concern themselves with.

“Those resolutions relate to how we format our annual delegates conference, how we structure that conference going forward. The third one relates to how do we constitute an executive council to make allowances for participation by all the major gender groups; the youth, women, retired members and how do we allow for their participation?” Moore explained.

The General Secretary pointed out that the fourth resolution will be on retiring benefits, a matter which she said should be of concern to all Barbadians, but particularly, the younger generation.

She said younger members have to be concerned with the fact that there is an ageing workforce and the provisions that have to be made to ensure the sustainability of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) as it relates to sustaining national pension.

“The Barbados Workers’ Union recognises that in the last actuarial review, there was a suggestion that the pensionable age could move as far as age 70. Currently, there is in place the provision for the pensionable age to be 67, but with that age moving to age 70, I am sure that a number of our delegates will be interested to get involved in those discussions and to direct the incoming Executive Council as to how we should proceed in those discussions to influence them in ways that would be meaningful to us in the long run,” she said.

The fifth resolution speaks to crime and violence and how the trade union movement can impact some of the social-economic decisions that have to be made, especially as it relates to engagement of young people.

“The Seventy-Sixth annual Delegates Conference is lining up to be a very interesting one for the 473 delegates that we anticipate to see there and our observers. There will be a total therefore of approximately 650 worker participants that we anticipate at the conference. We also expect that there will be a number of motions, put as usual, from the floor, so that our discussions will not be limited to the five areas that I have outlined in resolutions,” she said.

The two-day Conference will be held at Solidarity House. Principal of the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Professor Eudine Barriteau, is scheduled to deliver the feature address at the opening ceremony. (AH)

The Barbados Defence Force: Camp Energy, made a food donation to the HIV/AIDS Food Bank Wednesday afternoon.

During the handing over ceremony that took place at the HIV/AIDS Food Bank, Harriet Clarke, the Force Welfare Officer at the Barbados Defence Force told the media that this year, Camp Energy they wanted to incorporate a service aspect to camp.

“Each year the camp tries to do a service element; so we’re here to make a donation to the food bank,” she said.

Clarke noted that with the theme of camp being “A Day in the Life of...” they looked at different professions that they wanted to expose the children to so that they get a taste of what career options that may be out there as they grow and develop. She explained that the children got a chance to see what the community nutrition officer and Manager of HIV/AIDS Food Bank, Stacia Whittaker, did on a daily basis. She added that the children also got a chance to assist Whittaker in distributing the items in the pantry.

Clarke said that the children, who were extremely willing to help out, donated the items. To ensure that the children donated items that the food bank needed, she said that they got a list from Whittaker and then got the children to get help from their parents to donate the items.

The welfare officer went on to note that the children also got an education session on HIV/AIDS because she believed the information was valuable.

“We know that in the Caribbean, the age of sexual activity is a bit young, under ten, and this group being between the ages of 10 and 14, they have definitely been exposed to the information,” she said.

She believed that in order for the children to make the right choices, they must first have the correct information.

“So any information that exposes them to thinking about a decision and then making a decision that would not put them in harms way or cause them to contribute to harm to anyone else, we believe is important,” she said.

Tropical Storm Harvey may have hindered the start of CARIFESTA XIII, but the show will go on.

At a news conference yesterday evening at his office at Sky Mall, Haggatt Hall, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, Stephen Lashley, announced that the official opening ceremony, originally planned to come off yesterday evening, will now take place on Sunday, August 20, starting at 5:30 p.m. with the pre-show beginning at 4:30 p.m. and all 27 delegations are expected to be in attendance. He said the decision to move the event to Sunday was taken after a meeting with key stakeholders and the host country management committee yesterday.

Despite the change, Lashley said the budget for the festival remains intact. He said there is a cap on the budget and there is no intention to supersede it.

“We haven’t lost anything. We’ve had to reschedule the opening ceremony; the good thing about it is that weather system occurred at the very beginning and the CARIFESTA period runs from the 17th of August to the 27th,” he noted.

Lashley said that the parade which has been planned will still precede the opening ceremony, leaving via the Nelson Gate at Queen’s Park promptly at 3:30 p.m. into Kensington Oval. The Culture Minister added that any parents accompanying children who are taking part in the parade, will be allowed free entry into the event, and he is asking them to contact the main co-ordinator, Alison Sealy-Smith, for passes.

The other major changes to the calendar of events for the 10-day festival, he said, relate to the Youth Village which was slated for yesterday, but which will now open this morning at 9 a.m. at the Barbados Community College and to the Rock Hall Living Museum. He indicated that the latter event originally scheduled for this Sunday, will now take place on August 27 as a result of the change to the opening ceremony.

All other events, he said including the Grand Market and Buyers’ Shopping Mall will get under way tomorrow as planned, starting at 10 a.m. and running to 10 p.m. The opening ceremony for that event is scheduled for 12 noon and the Film Festival will also start today.

“Already we have a number of delegations here in Barbados, more will be arriving later today [Friday], but all systems are go. The Secretariat remains of course very focused on ensuring that all of the accreditations and the arrangements that are necessary as the delegations arrive are promptly provided and so far that has been going quite smoothly,” he said.

Lashley added, “CARIFESTA continues to be one of the major events that brings our region together and we want to ensure that the experience that Barbados provides along with our fellow delegations is one that creates an environment that we can feel that brotherly and sisterly Caribbean love and spirit.”

With that in mind, he gave the assurance that the Royal Barbados Police Force is well prepared security wise to handle the event. Lashley said there is a robust security plan in place ensuring “extremely high and tight” security across all the venues for the festival so that the safety of participants and patrons alike is maintained.

Meanwhile, Festival Director, Andrea Wells speaking to the delegations’ arrivals into Barbados in the wake of the passage of Tropical Storm Harvey, said that 85 per cent of expected participants are here already or have called to confirm they will be arriving on delayed flights. (JRT)

Minister of Public Works and Transport, Michael Lashley, is giving the public the assurance that any road damage caused from the heavy rains experienced as a result of the passage of Tropical Storm Harvey will be addressed as soon as possible.

He made the point during a brief interview with The Barbados Advocate yesterday afternoon to give an update on his Ministry’s work in the aftermath of the storm, which passed Barbados early Friday morning.

Minister Lashley indicated that teams from his Ministry had in fact been out with the first responders from the Department of Emergency Management as soon as the all clear was given, assessing any damage to the country. With that in mind, Lashley indicated that they were able to see firsthand the impact of the storm.

He said his Ministry is well prepared to handle any potholes that may have resulted from the rains and will be out in full force from Monday to start repairs.

“Only Monday this week we actually started again to mobilise teams from the depots across the island to address the potholes that exist, and we also
instructed the technical department to purchase additional equipment to help fix the potholes. So we were prepared well in advance. The fact is our repairs programme has been continuing and we know there are likely to be challenges now so we will be putting a team a place by Monday, but we will look to see what we can do over the weekend too to alleviate some of the problems,” he said.

He made the point while noting that the equipment to be purchased will include mechanical tampers used to help compact the materials into the potholes. While not giving an exact cost for those tools, the Minister made it clear that the pending purchase is necessary as they had experienced some challenges with some of the existing machinery and it is therefore “more economical”, he stated, to buy the additional equipment so that the staff of the Ministry could better execute their duties.

Lashley added that if all goes well they should be in possession of the tampers and any other necessary equipment within a week or so. (JRT)

YESTERDAY was a sad day for some Barbadians whose homes were touched by the trail of Tropical Storm Harvey.

Heavy winds blew off roofs in the areas of Parish Land and Providence Christ Church, while some residents in Speightstown St Peter had to clean their homes which were affected by flooding.

Gushing water even shifted one Round De Town, Speightstown house from its foundation and killed a number of rabbits and two dogs.

At Gills Terrace in Speightstown, a husband and wife were scratching their heads as they studied how they would replace their household items, and especially the newly bought school books and other essentials for their two children – all damaged by water.

Rudolph Underwood told The Barbados Advocate that he was at work when he received a call that his wife Melanie and their children had been trapped in a flooded house.

He said his wife informed him that after waking up to realise the water had reached “as far as the bed head”, she attempted to get out with their eight and nine-year-old sons, eventually receiving help from neighbours.

“Everything damaged – the fridge, the stove, everything gone. I don’t know how, but it is a fresh start for us. In terms of where we are going to go, I am not 100 per cent sure,” Underwood said, noting that he was glad that his family was not swept away by the water.

“It was a horrible experience, especially for the children who woke up and see the bed covered with water. I tried to get them up on the dining table, but the water was still coming up,” a saddened Melanie said.

The Underwood’s neighbour, Eversley Warden, recalled that it was not easy “fighting the current to get me and my mother out of that water.

“From 3:30 this morning out here began flooding and this is not the first time it happen. This was happening from since the 80s and they need to do something about that canal that causing the problem. If you see how the whole of Church Street, going down to Speightstown, was like a river. People out here had to run out of their houses,” Warden said.

Not too far away, at Round De Town, resident Melanie Vieira said she was felling distressed since she only managed to save one of her three dogs and had to say goodbye to all the rabbits which her family raised to eat and to earn an extra dollar.

She said her family of five also lost all of their household items and felt when the house shifted from the foundation, as they were still inside. Vieira recalled that she had to be pulled from the house by a rope because “the water was so rough”.

“It was not an easy experience; it was scary!” Vieira said.

Barbados Labour Party (BLP) candidate for St Peter Colin Jordan said he was quick to gather some young men from the area to assist in the process of clearing mud out of houses. The candidate said he also took a bobcat to assist in the effort of clearing the mud from the area.

“There are people who are also traumatised and that is one of the things that we need to speak about when we are dealing with disaster management. When we can get people to respond, they deal with the physical and infrastructural issues, but there are people who have emotional challenges after waking up and finding the house full of water and children screaming,” Jordan noted, promising to assist all those affected however possible.

Opposition Leader Mia Mottley also visited affected residents. (AH)

Minister of Home Affairs Adriel Brathwaite has identified indiscriminate dumping as a major cause of the flooding which occurred in some St Peter communities yesterday.

He was at the time pointing to a lorry filled with large household items, which included mattresses, removed from the canal in the area of Round De Town.

Brathwaite’s comments came after touring the north of the island which was the hardest hit by the passing of Tropical Storm Harvey.

“The amount of garbage which we saw being removed could have contributed to the water rising to the levels the residents experienced,” he pointed out, calling on Barbadians to cease the undesirable practice.

“I cannot help but to beg Barbadians that rather than throw garbage in every canal you can find, think in terms of what could occur as a result of your indiscriminate dumping.”

When asked if harsher penalties for dumping are needed, he said, “It is not a question of harsher penalties. I think we really need to just capture a few people, charge them and convict them. A guy isn’t afraid of the penalties unless he sees a few people who have been caught. When was the last time you saw someone in one of our newspapers being charged for littering?”

The Home Affairs Minister, who was accompanied by a team consisting of Minister of Housing Denis kellman; Director of the Department of Emergency Management (DEM), Kerry Hinds; and Deputy-Director at DEM, Robert Yearwood also visited the community of Gills Terrace.

On assessment of the neighbouring areas, Brathwaite recalled that issues experienced as a result of the heavy rainfall dates back to 1984, and stressed “this means that we indeed need to find a solution so that this does not happen again.

“This is the second time since I have been minister responsible for Home Affairs that I have been down into this area. So we really need to find a solution.”

According to the DEM Director, “Usually the Drainage Division has a programme where we clear these various waterways and this is throughout the entire island…There are traditional flood areas and because of development there are new ones popping up because of our particular practices. So we endeavour as agencies to ensure that we have a programme in place where we clean the waterways on a regular basis.

“There have been some issues in terms of equipment resources, however we are treating to that – usually we have MOUs with the private sector to assist with the clearing when the state’s resources fall short. But, be assured that we do have a programme in place to service the various communities around Barbados,” Hinds said.

The Housing Minister shared with members of the media that having spoken to the Director of the Rural Development Commission (RDC), that Department will be conducting an assessment of the affected areas.

“We will have to see what we can do under the catastrophe fund, so that we could see how we could solve the problems as it relates to the displacements,” Kellman added. (TL)

BARBADOS was spared the worst from Tropical Storm Harvey, which passed the island between Thursday night and Friday morning.

Though no life was lost, the storm left a trail of damages to houses and properties across the island, particularly in St. Peter and Christ Church.

Following the heavy rains, thunderstorms, fierce lightning and flooding which affected the island for just over 12 hours, officials at the Department of Emergency Management (DEM) told The Barbados Advocate that they received 40 reports from residents across the island.

Some of the reports included damages to houses, flooding, power outages and fallen trees, amongst others.

Minister of Home Affairs and Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite, and DEM’s Director Kerry Hinds led a large team that toured some of the affected areas, particularly in St. Peter, which was hardest hit, to get situation awareness of what was happening on the ground and also to hear the plight of victims.

“We would have reinforced to the residents in the areas who were affected, that we would come to their aid and of course the Welfare Department would do a socio-economic assessment on the situation and then we would come up with a number of solutions in order to remedy the problem. Hopefully, as we go through the process, it would not be too long as we note the position in which our victims are in at this point in time.

“My heart goes out to the persons who would have had some loss as a result of Tropical Storm Harvey. But of course, we are here to offer whatever assistance we can, as humanly possible,” Hinds said, as she spoke to the media during a press conference at Round de Town, Speightstown, St. Peter.

Hinds informed that some victims indicated that they had made arrangements with relatives and friends about storing their belongings. But she assured that officials would look into long-term housing solutions for those affected.

Meanwhile, Brathwaite pointed out that a temporary housing solution was found for one St. Peter family that indicated that they had no place to stay.

The Minister was quick to acknowledge the contribution of residents who assisted those who were in need, during and after the storm passed.

He also thanked members of the emergency personnel who played a role in ensuring Barbados returned to a normal setting as quickly as possible.

Government offices closed from as early as 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, as Barbados remained under tropical storm warning as the Potential Cyclone #9 approached the island.

The Barbados Transport Board had advised that the last bus for Thursday would leave the terminals at 5 p.m., while the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry recommended that private sector entities employ a staggered shutdown approach.

At 8 p.m. on the dot, the island’s roads were relatively clear and the stormy conditions started. The storm warning was lifted around 8 a.m. yesterday and an all-clear was given for government offices and private entities to reopen their doors around midday.

While the time was set for businesses to reopen at noon, around 1 p.m. the doors to some businesses in the City were still closed. In fact, some commercial banks did not open for business yesterday.

Due to the weather system, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) announced the closure of its outpatients’ clinics yesterday. Patients with clinic appointments were contacted by the Medical Records Department to reschedule their appointments. All outpatient clinics resume on Monday, August 21.

Meanwhile, Brathwaite said he was pleased that businesses co-operated with plans to get people off the streets as early as possible. He noted that some business owners assured him that their staff members would be taken to their homes.

“I think generally that we have to give the business community and Barbadians as a whole an A for their co-operation. Even coming down here just now, I didn’t see a lot of vehicles on the road,” Brathwaite said.

Though the hurricane shelters were opened, only one was occupied.

A mother and son went to Gordon Greenidge Primary School.

A statement from the Barbados Light and Power Co. Ltd. (BL&P) indicated that the outages across several parishes were as a result of at least three of the utility feeders going out for just under 20 minutes, affecting small parts of St. Michael, Christ Church and St. Philip. (AH)

Tropical Storm Harvey may have hindered the start of CARIFESTA XIII, but the show will go on.

At a news conference yesterday evening at his office at Sky Mall, Haggatt Hall, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, Stephen Lashley, announced that the official opening ceremony, originally planned to come off yesterday evening, will now take place on Sunday, August 20, starting at 5:30 p.m. with the pre-show beginning at 4:30 p.m. and all 27 delegations are expected to be in attendance. He said the decision to move the event to Sunday was taken after a meeting with key stakeholders and the host country management committee yesterday.

Despite the change, Lashley said the budget for the festival remains intact. He said there is a cap on the budget and there is no intention to supersede it.

“We haven’t lost anything. We’ve had to reschedule the opening ceremony; the good thing about it is that weather system occurred at the very beginning and the CARIFESTA period runs from the 17th of August to the 27th,” he noted.

Lashley said that the parade which has been planned will still precede the opening ceremony, leaving via the Nelson Gate at Queen’s Park promptly at 3:30 p.m. into Kensington Oval. The Culture Minister added that any parents accompanying children who are taking part in the parade, will be allowed free entry into the event, and he is asking them to contact the main co-ordinator, Alison Sealy-Smith, for passes.

The other major changes to the calendar of events for the 10-day festival, he said, relate to the Youth Village which was slated for yesterday, but which will now open this morning at 9 a.m. at the Barbados Community College and to the Rock Hall Living Museum. He indicated that the latter event originally scheduled for this Sunday, will now take place on August 27 as a result of the change to the opening ceremony.

All other events, he said including the Grand Market and Buyers’ Shopping Mall will get under way tomorrow as planned, starting at 10 a.m. and running to 10 p.m. The opening ceremony for that event is scheduled for 12 noon and the Film Festival will also start today.

“Already we have a number of delegations here in Barbados, more will be arriving later today [Friday], but all systems are go. The Secretariat remains of course very focused on ensuring that all of the accreditations and the arrangements that are necessary as the delegations arrive are promptly provided and so far that has been going quite smoothly,” he said.

Lashley added, “CARIFESTA continues to be one of the major events that brings our region together and we want to ensure that the experience that Barbados provides along with our fellow delegations is one that creates an environment that we can feel that brotherly and sisterly Caribbean love and spirit.”

With that in mind, he gave the assurance that the Royal Barbados Police Force is well prepared security wise to handle the event. Lashley said there is a robust security plan in place ensuring “extremely high and tight” security across all the venues for the festival so that the safety of participants and patrons alike is maintained.

Meanwhile, Festival Director, Andrea Wells speaking to the delegations’ arrivals into Barbados in the wake of the passage of Tropical Storm Harvey, said that 85 per cent of expected participants are here already or have called to confirm they will be arriving on delayed flights. (JRT)

The Barbados Meteorological Services and the Department of Emergency Management have both come in for kudos from a Government Minister who has lauded their efforts to keep Barbadians apprised of the situation in the lead up to and during the passage of Tropical Storm Harvey.

Minister of Industry, International Business, Commerce and Small Business Development, Donville Inniss, in an interview with The Barbados Advocate yesterday morning, noted that it was the up-to-date information from these departments yesterday that allowed Government and the private sector to make informed choices about the best times to close for business, so as to ensure that persons would make it home safely. The Industry and Commerce Minister’s comments came as he also said he was heartened that there were no hiccups this time around within the business community about the closure of businesses during an emergency situation.

“The fact is that with Government closing as early as 2:30 pm and the Transport Board indicating that the last buses would leave the terminals at 5 pm, it was a natural progression then that businesses would close their doors, and most closed between 2:30 pm and 4:30 pm, ensuring that workers could get to their homes in as reasonable a time as possible ahead of the storm. We do know of instances where some businesses closed later, but I am pleased to note that in those instances we were assured that they would make provisions to get those staff members home,” he said.

He noted that while in hindsight there may be some critics that will suggest that the country was shutdown too early, he maintained that is always best to operate with an abundance of caution, than to have a catastrophe on one’s hands.

Reflecting then on the flooding that occurred in the North of the island, particularly Speightstown, where a number of businesses operate, Minister Inniss noted that flooding in that part of the island has long been a challenge, and he is insisting that steps should be taken to see what can be done in respect of the infrastructure to prevent such flooding in the future. He said individuals and businesses alike also have a role to play. Minister Inniss said persons need to examine their premises to see what can be done by way of the clearing of drains to alleviate flooding. “So while to some extent we have been spared this time around, we cannot be complacent, we have to be proactive,” he maintained. (JRT)

In order for Barbados and other islands in the Caribbean to make any further progress in the education process, then teachers are going to have to ensure that they nurture the creative juices of the children.
This is coming from Trustee of the Achieve Youth Foundation, Greg Nicholson who spoke to The Barbados Advocate on the sidelines of a cocktail reception for primary school teachers participating in this programme
recently at St. Paul’s Primary School.

“If Barbados and other regional nations are to make future progress, the natural curiosity and creativity of their children must be nurtured from the first day of school and be allowed to flourish unobstructed, on a path
of deep learning to mastery.”

He said that this is one of the messages that he and fellow Trustee, Lady Prue Sobers aim to get across to teachers via their “Achieve” model.

“Achieve’s aim is for student mastery in students’ acquisition of skills – no gaps in learning, no hidden flaws in understanding, so that they can take what they learn and apply it productively in class. This is addressing many of the foundational learning shortfalls that are exhibited by Achieve’s students.” And it has been proven to be beneficial as from his experience in both his native Australia as well as in Barbados, students develop a greater thirst
for knowledge and the learning process and their self-confidence develops as well.

“In my Australian educational organisation of 27 years, and at Achieve Tutoring in Barbados, I have witnessed the excitement of discovery drive students’ desire for greater learning. Students seek to achieve more and to compete with their peers. As they build and refine their skills, confidence and self-belief grow. They learn resilience and begin to take risks in their pursuit of success.”

Nicholson added that the teachers’ contributions and sharing of knowledge and ideas ensures that it is a mutually beneficial partnership.

“In the experience of Achieve trainers, the teachers’ thoughtful and constructive contributions and exchanges, based on their personal day to day experiences within the classroom, are what gives the AMES programme
its very rich and human edge. Their enthusiasm for learning new and creative methods has enhanced collaboration and added greatly to its enjoyment for teacher and trainer alike.”

THE Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgetown believes that the Caribbean is overflowing with talent.

“We have more creativity in our region than many other countries could ever dare to hope for. We produce artists that are world-renowned,” stressed The Most Reverend Dr. Charles Jason Gordon during a celebratory Mass at the St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Cathedral for the Caribbean Festival of Arts – CARIFESTA XIII, which officially got under way yesterday.

The Mass, which attracted CARIFESTA participants, stakeholders and members of the general public, brought to life this year’s theme, “Asserting Our Culture, Celebrating Ourselves”, with colourful, lively and melodious expressions being incorporated into the religious celebration and thanksgiving.

Bishop Gordon, in his message, observed that participants in this festival will have the unique opportunity to share and enjoy God-given gifts of music, dance, art and other cultural expressions.

He said that there is no doubt that art, music, dance and literacy works together play an important role in our societies.

“They appeal to all the senses; they touch our souls. If we look at the literary works of V.S. Naipaul, George Lamming or Jose Marti, we see the society of the day; if we listen to the lyrics of the songs of Bob Marley, David Rudder and Gabby, they tell us stories about the issues of the day.

“Surrounded by all this beauty and talent, how many of you have paused to reflect upon its origin? How many of you have asked yourselves who designed this blueprint upon which your creativity is based? The answer to this question is simple. It is God. God is the original artist,” the Bishop signalled.

A cultural display followed in the churchyard with dance and tuk band rhythms, and an art exhibition in the Church Hall, featuring the original works of members of the diocese under the theme “Windows to the Soul”.

THE School Based Assessments (SBAs) and subject clusters are two of the top concerns that were raised by parents at a Parents and Students Workshop for students entering third and fourth forms this coming academic term.

This is according to Cleveland Sam, Assistant Registrar, Public Information at the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), who spoke to The Barbados Advocate after a session for the parents and the students over the weekend at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill campus.

He said that one parent wanted to know for example, why students have to do SBAs for Mathematics and English.

“One of the things that parents were asking about was SBA and why there is a need for SBAs in Maths and English and in particular one parent wanted to know what format a Math SBA might take. Luckily, we had a parent here who answered that question in terms of the fact that you know, these are problem-solving SBAs.”

Parents also queried about how subject clusters work, he said.

“Parents were also pretty interested in the whole thing of the cluster of the subjects and what constitutes a cluster in a particular area. So we spoke about the Humanities cluster, the Science cluster, the Natural Sciences cluster, the Technical and Vocational cluster, the Information Technology/Computer Science cluster. So it was a very productive day I think.”

The Assistant Registrar stated that they also invited a representative from their partner organisation, the Ministry of Education because they have found that parents would often call CXC for matters that are meant to be handled by that Ministry.

“Of course we had the Ministry of Education, who is a critical stakeholder for CXC Barbados to speak of the role of the Ministry. Again, very often we get a lot of queries that are really specific to the Ministry of Education and should be directed to the Ministry, but they are directed to CXC, I mean simple things such as querying their results for example. That is something that the Ministry of Education takes care of for students and not for CXC.”

Sam said that overall he believes that they had an informative half-day session.

“So we hope that the parents and the students from the half -day found the session very informative and this is a part of the CXC stakeholder relationship (and) management objective really and we would have selected specific stakeholders for each given year to target and third form students and their parents are some of the stakeholders at this time.”