A prominent attorney-at-law is challenging fast food restaurants in Barbados to make more healthy meals available on their menus.

This call came from Queen’s Counsel, Andrew Pilgrim, who declared while delivering a speech on ‘Civic Engagement Beyond the Call in Programme’, during the Elsie Payne Awards function, at Queen’s College, on Wednesday evening, that Barbados’ healthcare bill is too “massive”.

“There can be no doubt that if we eat better and exercise more, the non-communicable diseases which are 85 per cent of our budget for health, would be significantly reduced, just by eating better and exercising better.

“We live in one of the countries in the world in which you can exercise every single day of your life. And almost all of we got ground around we house, although we try to concrete as much of it as possible and put as much square on it,” he said.

On that note, Pilgrim suggested that while a large amount of the food Barbadians consume is being produced by fast food vendors, he is throwing out a challenge to the local fast food chains, to produce two healthy meals each.

“If they exist already, I apologise because I don’t go in at them,” he said.

Pilgrim indicated that he is not just talking the talk about more Barbadians getting active. He said a decision was recently taken at his chambers, to close the doors every Friday at three o’clock, for the staff to participate in hiking activities.

“If you are willing to exercise, you can leave early that one day of the week. Our view is that it improves the relationship of people within the office, and it improves our productivity,” he said. (AH)

Chief Executive Officer of LIAT Airlines, Julie Reifer-Jones expressed that she is proud of the emergency planning systems developed by the airline’s Operations Team.

The CEO’s comments came during a handing over ceremony, which took place at CIBC First Caribbean’s Headquarters yesterday evening. She explained that their Operations Team monitored the activity in the region in relation to hurricanes and systems and noted that once they have a track that indicated that a system would be developing into a storm or hurricane, then they make their assessments and decide where they should focus their energies.

For Irma, she noted that they moved the ten aircrafts to Barbados. However, before this relocation, they needed to plan ahead of time to protect any passengers that would potentially be caught in their decisionto shut down the network.

“In the case of Irma, we relocated all the aircraft to Barbados and relocated our operations team and part of the engineers; so we had quite a bit of activity happening in Barbados, so that we could continue to have the flight schedule in the south because the impact was more to the north,” she explained.

“Hurricane Maria was more of a challenge because the system moved through the South of the network and up to the north very quickly, strengthening as she moved. Very quickly we had to make those plans and move the aircraft to Trinidad to get the assets out of harms way. There was a lot of planning and logistics going on in the background in terms of preparing for the impact of the weather,” it was also stated.

She noted that usually the plan would be formed based on how strong the system is, so the operations team has been extremely busy during the past couple of weeks. The CEO commended the work of the Operations Team, because they were able to save all their airlines and not have any damage done to them as a result of the hard work done by the Operations Team.

Dr. Janice Gibbs, Education Officer for Special Needs in Barbados, has highlighted that there is an increase in autism cases in Barbados, and generally across the world.

As such, the Ministry of Education has taken action to train teaching professionals in this area.

She was speaking to The Barbados Advocate yesterday at the workshop on Autism Spectrum Disorders and Behavioural Interventions, held at the Erdiston Teachers’ Training College, and facilitated by the Department of Education in New Brunswick, Canada.

Dr. Gibbs indicated, “It is a global phenomenon they are noticing right around the world that there are more students presenting with autism in the UK, USA and Canada than previous years – where it was one in 10 000 before, now it is one in 55 in certain territories Therefore, that is cause for alarm, intervention and action, thus the Barbados Government Ministry of Education has partnered with the Department of Education in New Brunswick to see if we can increase that human resource on the island that would be able to assist those students who are diagnosed or suspected to be on the spectrum.”

She added, “Overall awareness and sensitivity is very important for dealing with all persons with special needs. We need to sensitise persons in the employment area and government that even though a child may have a challenge, when he or she becomes an adult they and can join the employment market. There are still certain skills they can bring on board; it is not just the disability we are looking at, we are looking at the abilities of certain students – some are amazing artists, singers, skilled in computer technology etc.”

Kaye Sargeant, Senior Education Officer responsible for Student Support Services Unit at the Ministry of Education noted, “The workshop is with teachers, tutors from Erdiston Teachers college and officers from the Ministry of Education. We have been participating in an online course over the last few months with the Department of Education of New Brunswick in Canada…and this workshop is the face-to-face with facilitators that have come to Barbados…as a follow up to what has been going on over the last few months online.

“Over the past 15 years we have seen a steady increase in children, who have been referred to the student support services of the section of the Ministry, …that have been diagnosed with being autistic or children who are displaying characteristics of autistic like behaviour. Over the past year, of the total number of children referred we can say 21 per cent of those were children with autism.

“There are several indicators of autism, but essentially it is a social communication disorder so that is one of the first things that you think about when you see a child who may not be reaching their milestones when it comes to language and communication. We direct parents to The Albert Cecil Graham Development Centre for intervention and diagnosis.”

Isabelle Cowan, Learning Specialist, Autism & Complex Behaviour Education Services at New Brunswick Canada, the facilitator at the workshop, explained, “The workshop is being conducted with teachers who have completed the online course. We are pleased to be here to spend some time with them to go through the practical applications of the course.

“The statistics around autism are estimated at one in 68 children so there is certainly a number of children with autism in schools and it is important that teachers have the knowledge and skills to be prepared...”
(NB)

THREE distinguished Barbadians were awarded for their outstanding contribution to national development, at the Elsie Payne Memorial Lecture and Awards, on Wednesday.

The memorial lecture, held at Queen’s College (QC), pays tribute to Dame Elsie’s legacy and tradition of excellence.

The Daphne Roett Award for Outstanding Service to the Queen’s College Association (QCA), named after the legendary QC greeter, who kept in touch with many generations of alumni, was presented to Grace Jordan.

Barbados’ first female surgeon, Dame Selma Jackman, received the Fertur Lux Award for Outstanding Contribution, for a demonstrated commitment to excellence in the tradition of QCA’s epitomising the QCA’s motto: “Fertur Lux” (the light is being carried).

The Elsie Payne Award for Excellence, for a demonstrated commitment to excellence in their field and for having made significant contribution to Barbados or the international community, was awarded to Neil Harper.

Dame Elsie was a teacher and the first Barbadian to serve as principal of QC. She was also the first women knighted in Barbados for her long dedication to education and the nation. (AH)

Thirty-nine-year-old Dominican born Gaird Charles, who has been living in Barbados for almost 20 years, is thankful to have survived the ordeal of Hurricane Maria which battered his homeland.

However he is quick to tell those who ask him about his experience, that it is one he never wants to relive.

He is now safely back in Barbados, but at the same time, hurting for his countrymen who are struggling to survive in a country that was beaten to pieces by the strong winds and heavy rain that came with the powerful Category 5 hurricane.

When it comes to describing what he saw during, and after the hurricane, Charles is still at a loss for words.

He is trying to keep the memories of the lush green beauty of the nature isle alive in his mind. The beauty he admired and took pictures of, just hours before Maria made landfall on the island, on the night of Monday September 18. “I keep remembering the destruction and devastation I left behind,” he said in a soft voice, as he began to tell his story.

Charles, who has been working in the diving industry in Barbados for years, was in Dominica on vacation. He went to visit his 17-year-old daughter who has special needs, and other relatives. “I was there about three days and was trying to get a flight out to come back home, but all the flights were cancelled,” he said.

His daughter was based on the southern side of Dominica’s capital Roseau, while he was at the middle of the island. As the system passed, he saw the forest moving in ways he initially thought could not have been possible.

He said the powerful force that the wind and water created was frightening. Outside was dark; making the ability to see what was going on limited.

However, the Dominican said the sound of trees breaking, galvanise lifting off of houses, the wind howling, and rain beating on structures, was loud and clear. At that time, the television was off because of the lack of electricity, but
what Charles was hearing outside made him feel like he was listening to a scene from a movie. “It was terrible,” he said.

He recalled that about two days after the hurricane passed, after ensuring that his aunt who had just had surgery, and his sister, were okay, he started on a six-to-eight hour journey, by foot, to his daughter’s home to ensure that she and her relatives were okay.

“My first reaction was to sort out the house where I was staying. There was no other man at the house at that point, so I had to make sure that they were okay. Before I left there, I cleared a water source so that they would have
access to water coming from a stream.

“I cleared around the property, moving away debris, but fortunately nothing major happened to the house. The house is pretty much intact, just that there is lack of water or electricity, as is the case across the island. Compared to most, my family is fortunate that they are okay,” he said.

“I then started the hike to town. It took about six to eight hours. I crossed about nine landslides. I saw damage and devastation. Roofs were gone, houses had disappeared, but it was when we got down to the coast that we saw the true devastation. I cannot describe it to be anything but a scene out of a movie. It was two days after, and people were still sitting there in disbelief,” he added.

Speaking about disbelief, Charles recalled that he was in the middle of Roseau sitting with a friend, waiting on word about the possibility of getting back to Barbados with his daughter, via a Barbados Coast Guard vessel, just feeling numb.
Hours had passed, but he still could not believe that his island was flattened.

Sitting outside of his G Fish Watersports shop during the interview yesterday afternoon, Charles indicated that he was happy he made the decision to go Dominica, and was able to enjoy the beauty of his homeland before it was battered by Hurricane Maria.

“Right now the island is destroyed. It is going to take at least another 50 years for Dominica to recover. The last time we had anything close to that was hurricane David when I was a baby. After the passing of Maria, everyone was saying that David was a joke, and David had flattened Dominica,” he said.

When Charles got to his daughter’s house, everyone there was okay and unscathed. He said, due to the location of the house, his offspring, her relatives, and their home, was saved from the powerful winds and rain that caused the death of many Dominicans.Charles praised the members of the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) who are playing a pivotal role in the relief efforts in Dominica, including getting people out of the hurricane-ravaged country. He thanked Captain Maria Moore, Major Andrew Darlington, and Commander Aquinas Clarke, for their exceptional contribution in assisting the island.

“I came back home on the boat which was headed by Captain David Harewood, last week Wednesday. I must commend him for going out of his way to make sure that all of the ladies, children and everybody, was comfortable and felt safe. They were very professional and helpful. Hats off to them!

“Actually, a lot of the members of the coast guard were trained by me [in areas such as] dive master, search and recovery, rescue. So when they saw me, they recognised me. It was very comforting to know I had that existing rapport with them,” he said.

He was also full of praise for his Caribbean people who assisted his countrymen in any way possible. Charles noted that the overwhelming support was evidence that while organised forums across the Caribbean, fail to work at times, when there is a disaster, “all countries come together to help their affected brothers and sisters.”

“It just goes to show that should we need to unify and become one – we very well can,” he declared.

Since the professional diver came back to the Barbados, he has been busy, putting aspects in place to make his daughter comfortable, as well as looking after his business. However much of his time is also occupied trying to collect building materials, personal items, and food, to take to Dominica. He is asking Barbadians to donate galvanise, nails, hurricane clips, medical supplies, and non-perishable foods, among other needed items.

“I think a lot of small communities where the people are not able to actually reach areas where you need to go to get help, are not getting support. Unless somebody takes the support to them, they are not going to get it. So by next week, I would like to collect the goods to take to Dominica next weekend,” Charles said.

Those who want to contribute money or tangible items to Charles' relief effort for the people of Dominica can do so through taking their donation to G Fish Watersports, or the Barbados Cruising Club, Pebbles Beach.

Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Richard Sealy, believes that if we stay the course that Tourism will continue to reap significant benefits for the growth and development of Barbados.

While speaking at the Astor B. Watts Lunchtime Lecture Series at DLP headquarters on Friday, he stated, “Barbados with all things being equal will achieve full employment around the year 2020. At that time we will also be close to being a net exporting nation with the capacity to make our way in the world – finally.”

The Minister highlighted, “The current financial 2017/2018 will see the opening of Sandals Royal at Casuarina with 220 suites to the inventory of the island and will employ in excess of 600 persons on completion. To date the project is on stream for a December opening and currently they are in excess of 1 000 construction workers on the project.

“The commencement of major works to the Sam Lords castle by Wyndham with 450 rooms. Currently the foundation works are ongoing. This project is expected to provide 1 000 permanent jobs for the country and its expected completion is late 2019. The Sands Condo Hotel continues to progress with its development of 150 rooms and is expected to reach full operation in early 2018, employing 300 persons. The Sea Breeze Hotel expansion with 44 rooms is also expected to be operational in early 2018. The Accra Hotel expansion at Miami Beach of 44 rooms is yet another project on stream for a 2018 opening.

“The Downtown Hyatt is expected to commence construction also in this financial year with 220 rooms and will employ over 250 persons in completion. There are a number of projects which are scheduled to commence construction next year for completion in 2020. These include Sandals Beaches on the Almond Village site, this project will be a family resort with over 500 suites. In addition, Pure Beach Resort at Foul Bay in St. Philip with 309 rooms is also set to start construction in 2018.”

Sealy indicated, “These projects which commence with the opening of Sandals Casuarina in 2015 will see full completion by 2020, representing 2 300 new rooms in production, providing a much needed boost and modernisation to the Tourism Industry in Barbados. Indeed they will build the capacity required for sustained growth not only for the industry but the economy as a whole as tourism’s final product is dependent on all the sectors of the economy and likewise they depend on Tourism. We have also sought to ensure that wherever possible, the developers take cognisance of the environment and its sustainability.

“These project represent US$1 billion investment and on completion will employ directly in the establishment 4 750 persons. It should be noted that 2 300 rooms will increase the regular hotel room inventory of the island by over 40 per cent by 2020. It is estimate that the number of tourist in the island will increase to just around 800 000 by 202 and tourism revenue to increase from US$1.1 billion to US$1.5 billion by 2020.”

“The amendments to the Tourism Development Act (TDA) in 2014 fostered a higher level of investment and upgrading of the existing plant on the island. In fact the BHTA reported that over 40 properties have upgraded their
facility,” he noted. (NB)

WITH the new school term already into its fourth week, a number of students, who had difficulties starting their classes, are getting much-needed assistance thanks to Digicel Barbados.

The total communications and entertainment company teamed up with New Covenant Inheritors Ministries to provide several families with uniforms and school supplies, allowing their children to attend school in comfort.

Alex Tasker, Digicel Barbados CEO, said about the initiative, “This presentation comes on the heels of our involvement in the MaaS360 project where 9 000 tablets were donated to schools in conjunction with IBM and the Ministry of Education. We recognise the importance of providing advanced technology for the development of our students and make the commitment to leave no child behind, as it is equally important to ensure that they can attend school to benefit from the technology.”

He continued, “We, as a society, often forget that after the back-to-school buzz, there are still many students who are unable to attend school simply because they do not have the basics such as uniforms, shoes, stationery and other supplies. At Digicel, we want to do whatever we can to ensure that our youth have every opportunity to succeed in their studies, so that they can go on to make a great and positive impact on society. We were therefore more than happy to work on this important project.”

New Covenant Project Coordinator, Phillipe Taitt, thanked Digicel for the assistance. He said, “I am grateful for the continued support of Digicel, which has gone towards assisting families who are in need. Efforts such as this give hope to the community and plant a seed that will help these families out of their current situations.”

New Covenant Inheritors caters to over 100 children from various families. They provide students from a number of schools throughout the island with breakfast and dinner daily as part of their feeding and assistance programme.

The partnership with Digicel started last year when the company provided over 20 families with household hampers for the Christmas season.

THE Personnel Administration Division (PAD) is taking a big step as it moves from a system of paper to a digital system called the Correspondence Management System (CMS).

Speaking at the launch of the CMS, which was held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre on Friday morning, Chief Executive Officer of PAD Gail Atkins revealed that after 19 months of planning and engineering, with the assistance of the LPA Corporate Solutions, they were finally able to launch the CMS. She explained that CMS was designed to allow PAD to receive, process, track and disseminate correspondence electronically from both external government entities and the general public.

“There were several factors that propelled us to consider this solution; the foremost among these is the need to manage large volumes of correspondence,” she said.

“Our records indicate that we receive, on average, 450 individual pieces of mail weekly. One can therefore imagine from a logical perspective the challenges experienced, especially when matters required input from more than one unit in the division.”

In addition to the incredible amount of mail coming in, Atkins noted that PAD also needed to provide storage for the large volume of correspondence, expressing that “the division is now at the point where space for storage and files effectively compete with the need to provide individual workspace”.

She noted that CMS therefore provided the opportunity for them to effectively transform PAD from a paper-based environment to one that is electronic, which reduces the need for physical storage and provide a safer way to archive files in a central depository. She believed that in this regard, CMS represented a major public sector reform initiative that will benefit the department for years to come.

Prime Minister the Right Honourable Freundel Stuart commended PAD for their initiative as there were several benefits to be derived from the introduction of the system.

“The introduction of the Correspondence Management System therefore is evidence that the Personnel Administration Division recognises that digital and communication technology has been changing life experiences not only in the home, but also in the workplace,” he said.

Barbados pledges to work closely with Brazil to address the challenges that face the two countries individually and as a region.

Speaking at a musical evening in celebration of Brazil’s 195th Anniversary of Independence, featuring renowned Brazilian pianist Pablo Rossi, at the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination, last Friday evening, Minister of Foreign Affairs Senator Maxine McClean said the two nations would have enjoyed many years of amicable and productive relations, since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1971.

She indicated that over the years, Barbados and Brazil have continuously sought new ways to strengthen their ongoing relationship through consultations and enhanced co-operation, having signed a series of agreements in the areas of education, health, culture, agriculture and services.

“Despite the obvious differences in our size, land mass, populations and economies, we share many common challenges on which we collaborate to find solutions. The negative impact of climate change, the need to find suitable paths for sustainable development, securing of access to clean and reliable water for our populations, the achieving and maintaining of economic growth, are just a few of the challenges that our respective governments struggle to overcome,” she said.

McClean noted that working with Brazil to overcome the mentioned challenges has proven to be tremendously beneficial to the nation, as several officials from Barbados have been exposed to training and workshops organised by Brazil’s government.

She said while Barbados acknowledged 50 years of Independence last year, the two countries share a pride in nationhood that propels “our people to chart our destinies into the future as guardians of heritage”.

As Brazilian Ambassador to Barbados Luiz Gilberto Seixas de Andrade delivered brief remarks, he too emphasised that the two countries have established friendly relations along the years.

He said in 2010, the relations progressed to a higher level when Barbados opened an embassy in Brazil. The Ambassador pointed out that Barbados’ Prime Minister Freundel Stuart, and Minister of Foreign Affairs have both attended high-level meetings in his country.

He made reference to the fact that Brazil intends to assist Barbados’ cultural industry through a costume making workshop, and also to teach Barbadians Portuguese.

Acting Governor General, Sir Philip Greaves, was among the many people who gathered to enjoy the sweet sounds created by Rossi, who is a winner of the first Nelson Freire National Competition for New Brazilian Talents in 2003. He has performed as a soloist with various orchestras across the world, and this was his first time performing in the region. (AH)

Ninety-five per cent of cancers are due to genetic mutations influenced by external factors and as a result, persons should have yearly check-ups for certain cancers, even though these cancers may not run in their family.

This comment was made by Dr. Ian Lewis as he delivered an address at the Cancer Support Services Lecture series at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre last week. He revealed that 95 per cent of cancers are environmentally driven and revealed that things such as tobacco, alcohol, red meats, obesity and radiation were external factors that could ultimately lead to damaged genes, which means only five per cent of cancers are truly inherited through family genes.

“So the lady coming to me and saying, ‘Doc, I’m surprised I have breast cancer because it doesn’t run in the family,’ fits exactly into this. Examples of genes that run through family lines would be breast, ovarian and colon cancers,” he said.

Because of this, Lewis noted that it was important for persons to have yearly check-ups, even though a particular cancer may not run through their “family’s gene pool”.

Lewis went on to reveal that all cancers had a genetic basis and noted that there was a difference between hereditary basis and genetic basis. He explained that hereditary cancers suggested cancers that will traverse generations because of specific genes, but a genetic basis suggests that it could be inter-generational or intra-generational, which means that the mechanism is related to the centre of the cell.

He noted that research revealed that there would be 30 per cent less cancer deaths in the world if people did not flood their lungs with nicotine and smoke. He also noted that obesity was a factor that caused 14 to 20 per cent of cancer deaths in America. Additionally, 18 per cent of all cancers were infectious, which means they were caused by radiation, which is all around us.

“So overall, the best way to tie this all together in terms of the influence that determine cancer causation is to say that cancer is a complex interplay of bad genes, bad habits and the environment, and some people would put bad luck in there as well. So check-ups are important,” he said.

Barbadians are being called upon to be proactive and to take action to secure a consistent supply of water for their households, by signing up for the Barbados Water Authority’s (BWA) Personal Tank Programme (PTP).

Joy-Ann Haigh, Rapid Response and Communications Manager at the BWA, in a recent interview with The Barbados Advocate, revealed that since the launch of the PTP back in July of this year, approximately fifty-two 400-gallon tanks were issued free of cost to vulnerable residents in the hardest-hit parishes of St. John, St. Peter, St. Joseph, St. Andrew and St. Thomas, given the effects of the prolonged drought seen in 2015 and 2016, which has led to persistent water outages. Disabled and infirm persons as well as those with very limited financial means, were able to benefit from that aspect of the initiative.

The PTP, which is operated under the Rapid Response Unit, was then expanded during the month of August, to include the wider public across all 11 parishes and those who are in the middle-income category or under are now eligible for the programme.

“So the BWA has introduced a no-interest tank. It’s a 400-gallon tank with all of the pipe fittings, the concrete base, the non-return valves, the pump and the installation and the total is Bds$4 800. However, you get to pay $80 a month, over a five-year period. So we are basically charging you what it costs us, so there is no interest,” Haigh announced.

“Now the introduction of the tank was not only as a response to the drought, but it also was introduced so that customers can have uninterrupted supply when there are water outages caused by ruptured mains, technical problems at our pumping stations, our reservoirs, a power outage that might be caused by the electrical utility company (Barbados Light & Power) and of course more recently, because this is hurricane season, a natural disaster,” Haigh explained.

“We have had quite a few people come forward, but we want to get more people on board as we are going to be moving into our projects with further upgrades, which will see shutdowns. Also our mains replacement programmes, which will lead to some level of disruption. So we want to appeal to Barbadians now that we are offering the tanks with a reasonable payment plan, that they should act now for the management of their own water supply,” she further commented.

Haigh is urging Barbadians to respond quickly to this affordable initiative, as there are only a limited number of tanks offered under Phase One of the programme, which will run to December.

In particular, persons in vulnerable communities such as Mount Brevitor, St. Peter; Drax Hall in St. George; Lancaster, Apes Hill and Orange Hill in St. James; Gibbons in Christ Church; Hillaby and White Hill in St. Andrew and surrounding districts should come on board, the BWA suggests, due to the recent frequent water outages that customers have been experiencing as a result of ruptured mains and electrical problems at some of the pumping stations in these areas.

“When you have your tank, instead of storing water in buckets and then having to wait for the trucks to replenish it and then lift the buckets, you will find that this is so much better. We set up the system, so it runs from the main directly to the tank and then into your general plumbing. The tank system will sense when there is no water or low pressure in the main and automatically kick in. If the water supply is off for an extended period, the personal tanks will then be replenished by the water trucks from the Rapid Response Unit,” the communications manager said.

“So it’s a great initiative. It’s a win-win situation for all. We are able to carry out the upgrades to improve our system, without disrupting the customers. The customers then in turn have a tank that they can have under a fair payment plan, especially as Christmas approaches,” she added.

“If there is nothing else you do for yourself this Christmas, at the very least, give yourself the gift of a consistent water supply and purchase a personal tank,” Haigh urged.

THE General Secretary of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), George Pilgrim, is sending a warning to the Opposition Barbados Labour Party that his party intends to camp out in The City, until it regains the seat.

According to Pilgrim, the constituency, which the DLP lost in the last General Elections, is in need of leadership. He admitted that there is much work to be done in The City, but assured constituents that DLP Candidate Henderson Williams, who was selected earlier this year, has reported for duty.

“Today, the Democratic Labour Party is serving notice on the Opposition Member of Parliament [Jeffrey Bostic] in The City, that there is a new guy on the block and his name is Henderson Williams, selected by the Democratic Labour Party to be the next Member of Parliament in The City,” Pilgrim said.

Pilgrim sent the strong warning as he spoke to members of the media, at King Street, yesterday, as Williams, accompanied by the Member of Parliament for Christ Church East Central, Ronald Jones, and the Member of Parliament for St. Michael West Central, James Paul, canvassed various areas of The City. It was at that location that Williams indicated that the City is a marginal constituency, which is also technically divided uptown and downtown. However, Williams said he has been constantly interacting with residents, getting to know their needs, while he has initiated a community social cohesion project, where dialogue has been started with churches and community practitioners, in The City, about working together to find urgent resolution to issues.

Williams said though he has not yet touched every area; he was currently making his presence felt in The City. “We are well assured that we are on course to take The City, in terms of, my taking The City is a function of all the residents of The City. They are fed up with persons coming and saying we are going to do this, then there is neglect for four years or whatever, and that has been some of the issues that they have been articulating to me. I have given my assurance, that this is not the type of politics that I have signed on to.

“People who know me from The City, know my personality and they know the type of individual that I am, and I believe that will carry us a way in relation to this particular seat,” Williams said.

Meanwhile, Jones said that while the DLP is always searching for good candidates, in his opinion, Williams has proven to be a superb candidate who was born and raised in The City, and as a result, is familiar with the constituency.

The Minister of Education declared that The City cannot be neglected any longer, since it is the country’s business hub. “We are looking to the residents of The City to strongly endorse, support and elect Henderson Williams as the next Member of Parliament for The City.

“We are serious about this, when we listen to the things he talks about and the various ideas that he has for the revitalisation, reinvigoration and renewability of The City – we are impressed.

“Some of those ideas will find their way into our manifesto because it means that we will go, full push on engineering and reengineering someof those issues,” Jones said. (AH)

Simone Espinet, a member of the Ark Animal Welfare Society Shelter, wants persons to remember the importance of spaying and neutering their dogs.

Her comment came during an interview with The Barbados Advocate at yesterday’s “Dog Lives Matter” event, which was held in Carter’s car park, Wildey, yesterday morning.

“We stress a lot on spaying and neutering, and the reason is because male dogs can pick up on a female in heat from a long distance away and he will do anything short of hanging himself just to get out of the environment to get to that female. As a result they just go to that female and spend like a week or two in their environment,” she said.

“In that scenario, you run the risk of losing your dog. They may not be used to traffic and get hit. He could be poisoned because people see some strange dog hanging around in their yard following their female dog. The dog runs a lot of risks from wandering so far from home; they can’t find their way home and they get picked up off the street and get adopted. If we fix that urge to leave, then that risk goes down to zero, which inevitably keeps your dogs safe.”

Espinet noted that it was important to fix your female dogs as well, so that you keep unwanted dogs out of the yard. In addition to that, she noted it reduces the awkward situation of having unwanted puppies and donating them to an animal
shelter.

“Veterinarians also noted that spaying and neutering reduces and prevents the dogs from contracting urinary infections and other cancers, and so on, because every season they come into heat and if they’re not breeding then it affects their cycle, metabolism and a lot of other things,” she said.

In this regard, in addition to keeping the dog population under control, Espinet stressed that spaying and neutering your dogs, also protected their health.

A Government agency is set to be established to ensure that any buildings constructed in this country are well done and meet certain standards.

Minister of Transport and Works, Michael Lashley, says that the legislation to provide the legal framework to establish the Building Standards Authority is near completion, and is expected to go to Parliament for approval shortly.

In an interview with The Barbados Advocate at his office in The Pine, St. Michael, the Minister revealed that the proposed Building Standards Authority Act will be a safeguard to ensure that there is proper compliance of the standards set out in that piece of legislation and the Barbados National Building Code.

“We are moving in the direction where we are basically making it mandatory for persons to ensure that their investment in a building is secured and the contractors are not compromising their work and are maintaining a high standard of construction. Let me say from what I have seen, Barbadian contractors in general have always displayed a high standard of work, so this Bill will simply enhance that,” he added.

His comments came as he disclosed that his Ministry recently received notes from the Chief Parliamentary Counsel’s Chambers on the Bill, and once they are acceptable to the Ministry, the Bill, which has been over ten years in the making, is ready to go. With that in mind, he said they are working assiduously to have it in place as soon as possible.

“Then it will be the administration of it and of course it will take a little time to get the Authority up and running with the requisite personnel for that, as well as the Building Appeals Tribunal. But those things can only be put in place after the Act is passed,” he stated.

Minister Lashley went on to explain that the Bill seeks to ensure that there is structural integrity with any house or building constructed and that contractors and anyone involved in the construction industry abide by prescribed standards.
Moreover, he said it will also ensure that building practitioners, as outlined in the Bill; architects, engineers, artisans and contractors; will have to register with the Standards Authority.

“We have seen reports where buildings have collapsed, people have complained of cracks in buildings and we feel strongly that once there is a Building Standards Authority in place that will supervise construction work done in this country; we can then ensure the structural integrity of whatever is built, especially given our susceptibility to hurricanes, storms and other natural disasters. At the end of the day, our ultimate goal is ensuring the safety of Barbadians. We might not be able to build to withstand the strong winds of a category five hurricane, but of course we can ensure that our houses and buildings are the very best and strongest they can be,” he indicated.

Reflecting on the devastation seen across the region during this hurricane season as a result of the passage of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, both category five systems, he said the Bill is timely and will endeavour to ensure that Barbados is keeping up with best practices in the construction industry.

“We have seen the destruction caused by hurricanes in some part of the Caribbean and I am not questioning the integrity of the buildings in those countries, but I believe that if we here can adhere to a strict building code and building standards we can in most instances safeguard persons’ dwellings and get away from the reliance on the State to spend millions of dollars in rehabilitation,” he stated.

Lashley added that in an effort to get the buy in of the public and building practitioners for the Bill, his Ministry will be conducting a comprehensive public awareness programme. He said they intend to have in depth discussions with the
relevant stakeholders and public as they move towards getting the Bill passed and implementing the measures contained within.

With that in mind, Minister Lashley indicated that his Ministry is optimistic that coming out of the passage of this Bill, will be a building contractors association, encompassing small and large contractors, so there is body that represent their interests and with whom the Ministry and other entities can relate. (JRT)

We must ensure that persons with mental health conditions are not denied opportunities to contribute to social and economic life and that their human rights are protected.

This remark was made by Minister of Health, John Boyce, during the Psychiatric Hospital’s Service at Mount of Praise Wesleyan Holiness Church yesterday. Speaking on the theme, “Mental Health in the Workplace”, Minister Boyce added that with this focus, we must raise public awareness of mental disorders and direct our attention to the attitude and treatment of individuals in the workplace.

“The public’s lack of understanding and misconception about mental illness and emotional disturbances still, to some extent, produce stigmatisation and stereotypes which fuel fear, discrimination and mistreatment – all which can be manifested in our workplace,” said Boyce.

Fear to get treatment
Additionally, the Minister commented on the fact that, in cases of persons with mental health issues, they do not seek the treatment, services and support that they would need. He also highlighted people’s fear of disclosing their illness and its negative consequences for their employment and relationships with family and friends.

In his speech, he noted the current globally statistics from the World Health Organisation, where 450 million people suffer from mental disorders. He acknowledged that, in Barbados, while the society has changed, the Ministry is aware of the stressful work environment on the performance of individuals.

“The reality is that the inability to cope with increased work-related stress … makes some of us unwell,” said Boyce.

Role of the Ministry
Speaking on his Ministry, he noted his department’s efforts to enhance community-based mental health services, adding that there are currently psychiatric consultation sessions being offered in the polyclinic setting, which make it more convenient and reduces stigma for those with mental health conditions.

There is also the the National Mental Health Commission, which the Minister said helps plan and promote mental health programs and provides education to improve the status of mental health of the population.

“The Ministry of Health remains committed to the goal of excellence in quality health care and it is with this in mind that the promotion of health, in particular mental health in the workplace, cannot be underestimated,” Minister Boyce concluded.

We are more than mail!

This reminder from Postmaster General Margaret Ashby, who was speaking during a church service held at the St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic to mark World Post Day, which is being celebrated worldwide today.

Using the opportunity to remind Barbadians of the many services offered by the Barbados Postal Services, she conceded that there have been challenges, including the influx of local international courier companies into the market.

However, she noted that the Postal Service has still managed to see continuous growth in the processing of packages as a direct link to the growth of E- commerce. “In 2015, over 35 000 packages were processed; in 2016 the number of packets processed was over 75 000. This growth is expected to continue during this year with figures up to July being in excess of 75 000 packets.”

While highlighting the changing face of the Post, she acknowledged that there is the view that technology will be the death of the Post. However, the Postmaster General revealed that technology has actually revitalized the postal industry worldwide. “The rapid expansion of e-commerce has resulted in an influx of merchandise items from nontraditional postal partners, China, Japan, Hong Kong and India, as customers have the access of purchasing goods within the global market place.”

She also noted that technology has also afforded the Post Office the opportunity to provide customers with alternative locations to pay their utility bills, which includes part-payments, paying reconnection fees, paying bills with arrears or payments after the discount date has expired. “No longer are customers required to travel far distances or wait in long queues to pay their bill as this service is now available at their local post offices.”

Ashby also explained that technology has provided the opportunity for the tracking of all recorded mail items through the Post. “For those who may not be comfortable with technology, the Barbados Post has risen to the occasion by offering our online service at the General Post Office, to assist in applying for their United States of America Visa or making their appointment for a Barbados passport.”

She noted that the Direct Mail Service offers businesses (small, medium or large) an affordable and effective means of targeting customers through the distribution of samples, flyers and brochures. Our Post Express Courier Service provides an affordable delivery option for online businesses.”
The Postmaster General used the opportunity to thank the members of the local postal family for their dedication in serving the Barbados population over the past 165 years.

A Health Fair/Customer Appreciation Day will be hosted today featuring health tests and product sampling in the Jackie Opel Amphitheatre at the General Post Office, (GPO) Cheapside, St. Michael, from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

Customer Appreciation Day will also be celebrated throughout the week, starting today, at the GPO and at all District Post Offices. (JH)

The fact that oceans today are staying a lot warmer than in previous years is a clear indication that global warming is real, contrary to what some people may think.

So says Dr. Leo Brewster, director at the Coastal Zone Management Unit, who spoke at the launch of the EU Oceans Awareness event held recently at the Bellairs Research Institute at Folkstone.

Dr. Brewster warned, “We have to be prepared. The ocean governs how this world functions. When you are hearing wave heights in excess of three meters, which is above normal for Barbados, and they are running frequently, you have to be concerned. Those things have a direct and immediate impact on beaches. It means that our beaches are narrower, especially for our winter season, which can have an impact on our potential tourist arrivals in the long term. Also, tourists would like to come during the winter to find nice warm beaches. It is important how you manage, how you develop your coastline and ensure that it is sustainable. The Richard Haynes Board Walk, it is the best example of sustainable coastal engineering anywhere in this region.”

Dr. Brewster recounted “We found in 2008 when there was the first set of significant bleaching on the island, when we dived at 60ft down, we were getting temperatures of 30 degrees centigrade. That was one of the worst bleaching episodes the Caribbean has ever experienced. Since that time we have found that water temperatures continue to remain very warm here, well after the hurricane season. By October we should normally see the temperature prepare to cool down in preparation for the Winter season, even this current year we are still seeing that the water temperatures are around the 30 degree range again at the surface.

“What we have been doing at the Coastal Zone Management Unit is to try to deal with the matters of costal stabilization, enhancement and protection. We have started to put down temperature probes around the island to monitor the water temperatures. We have always been working steadfastly to get a better understanding of how waves impact our coastline…”

He added, “It is significant to note that as an agency, because of the type of work we do, we are very interdisciplinary in nature so the issue of oceans has expanded to the question of ocean governance. I think the protection of the coast and the oceans will be a long-standing focus for all small islands. Unless we can better deal with the conditions and prepare for them, our livelihoods and future will be under threat.

“Taking Irma and Maria under consideration as coastal hazards that are potentially going to be more prolific in the coming years, one thing that people don’t think about are persons who are suffering from devastation and have to be relocated somewhere else to survive. This is a reality that small islands have to be conscious of, because the impact that can happen can be very long term.” (NB)

In a bid to become more entrepreneurial and much more self-reliant, the UWI Cave Hill Campus will be embarking on a multi-million dollar development project at Dukes, St. Thomas, which is predicted to yield a high number of income generating activities.

During the launch of the project, entitled “The UWI-Dukes Agri-business Development Park”, in the main conference room of the Campus yesterday, Professor Eudine Barriteau, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Principal of the UWI Cave Hill Campus, acknowledged that the university will now be making full use of the gift of twenty-eight and a half acres of land presented in 2012 by gracious benefactors Charles and Vanessa Edghill, owners of Dukes Plantation in St. Thomas.

Revealing that Town and Country Planning approval has been secured, she pointed out that this now paves the way for the implementation phase of the two-year project, which will officially get going around the second quarter of next year. “Ladies and gentlemen, what you see before you is a master plan for a multi-million-dollar development project at Dukes, St. Thomas. This will create an environmentally-friendly, state-of-the-art science/agricultural park, in the heartland of rural Barbados,” Professor Barriteau said as she presented the project.

“The UWI Cave Hill Campus, which is already a major, multifaceted contributor to the economic life of this country, is about to make its economic presence felt in an even more significant way. This mega-community of agri-business activity will not only offer a diverse range of employment opportunities, but will position Barbados to become a regional hub for entrepreneurial development, educational training and cutting-edge agri-business research, in a 21st century, expansive, multi-faceted complex,” she observed.

“When you consider that the campus site at Cave Hill occupies just over 40 acres and this is almost 30 acres, you gain a sense of the scale of activity which is in store,” she further commented.

In terms of how the project will be financed, Barriteau noted that an estimated US$34 million has been obtained by the Government of Barbados, via its bilateral aid programme with the Government of the People’s Republic of China. Whilst the Chinese will have a major hand in the construction phase, the UWI has made it clear that there will be opportunities for local players to also get some employment.

Professor Leonard O’Garro, an outstanding internationally recognised Caribbean scientist, has been credited as the intellectual visionary behind the Dukes Project, which is just one of several which the UWI Cave Hill Campus has initiated under its Centre for Food Security and Entrepreneurship (CFSE).

Whilst having his say on the project, Professor O’Garro revealed that a significant portion of the land will be set aside for farming. The Park will also accommodate agro-processing and meat curing capabilities. It will also feature a chocolate manufacturing and training facility, cotton processing facilities, a food standards laboratory, a sewerage treatment plant, a day-care facility, some residential accommodation and recreational spaces. The Park will also consist of a 500-seat conference facility, ATM facilities, retail shops and restaurants. (RSM)

ONE of the things that persons can do to prevent stress is to set realistic goals.

This is coming from President of the Barbados Society of Psychology, Dr. June Caddle, who spoke with The Barbados Advocate on Sunday after the church service to mark Psychology Week 2017 at the St. Thomas Parish Church.

“You need to be realistic in your goal setting and in your commitments to your lives and to the lives of others, because sometimes you commit to the lives more than you are capable of giving and that is another source of stress.”

She said that one of the ways that they can do this is to look at what they were able to achieve before and then set incremental goals where they can work their way up to attaining what they want to achieve in the end.

“The first thing that you need to do is to look at what you were able to achieve before and then base your goals and what was possible before and then incrementally, set your targets higher. In a lot of cases, people set their targets at impossible levels and then they get frustrated and go into stress-related situations because of their inability to reach those impossible goals and sometimes that is a form of self-sabotaging because that is always a fallback excuse.”

Dr. Caddle said that another way that persons can prevent stress is to talk to someone that they trust before things get out of hand and psychologists can help in this regard.

“In other cases, it is just a need for someone to be a sounding board; someone in a confidential situation who is willing to listen. Sometimes we know the answers, but we cannot place ourselves in the situation where we can access and explore those answers and responses. So sometimes it is just for a listening ear and psychologists are trained to do that.”

The President stated that planning also helps in this regard and she suggested that persons make a chart where they can prioritise their schedule.

She stated that this is important because there are times when persons already have too many things to do and then in some cases, they may also have a difficult time saying no to others, which only leads to them taking on too much on their schedules and this can lead them down the path of a stressful life.

Therefore, she noted it is best to plan ahead so that you can avoid getting in too deep before it is too late.

“In most cases, you can examine your life and you can make some charts to determine what can be left out and what is a commitment and what is essential and what is desirable. Make your decisions, prioritise things and if you prioritise things and deal with things over which you have control and just being able to do that or asking the assistance of psychologists to be able to go that process, sometimes that helps a whole lot.”

ON World Post Day, the General Post Office of Barbados in Cheapside, the City showed their appreciation to their customers in a special way.

Speaking to The Barbados Advocate about the day’s activities, Deputy Postmaster General of International Affairs and Business Development, Iris Lashley, said the annual event was usually held in the General Post Office’s amphitheatre for its customers on October 9. She explained that Barbados is a member of the Universal Postal Union, which is made up of 192 countries which celebrate World Post Day. She highlighted that Barbados was re-elected on the Council of Administration, a vital post of the Union. The Deputy Postmaster General also mentioned that all 19 post offices across the island will select a day during this week to host their appreciation day for customers.

Starting around 11 a.m., customers were invited to visit various booths which represented several public services and businesses in Bridgetown and around the island. Some of the booths included the Asthma Association of Barbados, the Labour Department, the Bradford Taitt Polyclinic, the National Nutrition Centre, the Fair Trading Commission, the Barbados Family Planning Association (BFPA), Amaze, Wibisco and Demario’s Cycle World. Lashley noted that this was one way of giving back to their customers.

Testing, screening and education

One of the highlights of the Appreciation Day was the opportunity for customers and staff to receive testing. Lashley said that the polyclinic provided PSA testing, syphilis testing, blood pressure and blood sugar testing as well as vaccinations for tetanus. Stationed on the outskirts, the Mobile Breast Clinic provided information and screenings to customers. Nearby, the BFPA gave information on the appropriate application and use of contraceptives while National Nutrition Centre’s Community Nutrition Officer, Leanda Hurdle, spoke about sugars in soft drinks, healthy food choices and portion sizes.

Other activities included sampling of new health and food products, karaoke and refreshments. Additionally, postal workers were shown appreciation by one of the service providers of the Barbados Postal Service, Demario’s Cycle World. The business offered a wish list to the postal workers for any parts needed for their motorcycles.