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Local news, News, Politics

Operation Rescue Maintaining Watchdog Role

Published: 3 April 2017

St Kitts and Nevis (WINN): Operation Rescue officials have vowed to press on with their watchdog role, despite criticism coming from the Team Unity administration.

The criticisms are directed mainly at former government minister Dwyer Astaphan, who has been urging the administration to speed up the process of implementing good government measures including integrity in public life legislation and a freedom of information act.

Astaphan and his colleague Richard Caines host a weekly Operation Rescue radio programme in which Astaphan occasionally criticizes the government on the good governance issue.

Could that explain why Mr Caines is being officially recognized by Dr Harris while Astaphan hasn’t been.

International news, Local news, News, Politics, Regional News

US Ambassador Offers Advice To Caribbean States

Published: 3 April 2017

St Kitts and Nevis (WINN): St Kitts and Nevis and other Caribbean nations are getting some advice on measures that should be taken in their quest to strengthen their economies.

US Ambassador Linda Taglialatela, who heads the American Embassy in Bridgetown, says regional states are having a hard time like the rest of the world.

She is of the view however, that there are measures that can be taken to help islands she labels very proud Caribbean nations move forward economically despite existing hardships.

“Each island needs to have a long term plan, I think first they need to not only look at building additional hotels and attracting more tourism but look at infrastructure. Work on their roads, work on their schools, look at ways to diversify out of the tourism sector. I realize that’s probably the biggest and primary source of revenue but they need to look beyond that. I know that St Kitts and Nevis is looking at geothermal energy, I think they do need to diversify to get their energy costs down and they need to find ways to attract business, both private and foreign investors in their country. There are some issues with youth unemployment which leads to the risk of youths turning to crime, I think you need to address how we’re going to deal with it but I think on a whole, each of them has a plan it’s just a matter getting to the point of implementing.”

Ambassador Taglialatela is expecting continued good relations between the Caribbean and the United States.

“I think that the Caribbean has a lot to offer to the world and has a lot to offer the United States as far as a partnership goes. I think that we will continue to have a good relationship and I think that there has to be a good partnership and collaboration between the United States and the Caribbean. We have over 2 million Americans coming to the Caribbean every year and a number of dual citizens living both in the United States and here in the Caribbean and there will always be a close tie between the two areas.”

Local news, News

Student Athletes Must Balance Academics And Sports To Be Successful

Published: 3 April 2017

St Kitts and Nevis (WINN): Track & Field has countless opportunities for students to secure a promising future, but they can easily lose these opportunities if academics are not prioritized.

This is according to Virgil Hodge, Assistant Coach of the Washington Archibald High School track & field team.

Ms. Hodge is speaking from experience as a former student athlete, Olympian and current national record-holder in 100m and 200m categories.

“My advice to them is stay in school, get an education. Once you are not doing well in school you are going to be ineligible and you can’t compete if you are ineligible in college [or] university and be disciplined, you have to be disciplined to the sport, you have to be disciplined to your academics.”

A student athlete and a coach speaking to WINN FM at the 41st edition of the TDC Inter-School Championship discussed the difficulties of balancing schoolwork with athletic training.

“The demands of athletics in terms of training, sometimes can take them away from their schoolwork, so I think it’s difficult from them to know when to put aside the sports and focus on their schoolwork or vice versa” said the coach.

“Yes, because at times I am kind of tired, but I still have to push myself because then at the end of it all, I’ll excel, because I want to go to a university.”

A coach from Sandy Point High School’s Track & Field team said that schools try their best to ensure that student athletes are properly managing both their academic and athletic responsibilities.

“At this present moment there is a balance, we ensure outright that athletics and education is balanced out so we don’t necessarily have a problem with that we just ensure that it’s really balanced out.”

The Charles E. Mills Secondary School retained their status as the defending champions of the TDC Inter-School Championships for the fourth consecutive time, winning 31 gold medals, 25 silver medals, and 12 bronze medals.

Local news, News, Politics, Regional News

Hon. Lindsay Grant Attends CARIFORUM Ministerial Consultations in Jamaica

(Times Caribbean) St.Kitts-Nevis Minister of Tourism, International Trade and Industry Hon. Lindsay Grant joined counterparts from throughout Caricom in discussions at two Ministerial consultations of the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, held in Jamaica.

The first meeting dealt with the Caribbean within the framework of the relations between the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). The second will address the future of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP), as well as the future of the ACP-EU relations after the Cotonou Agreement expires in 2020. Approximately 10 Ministers and 60 senior officials from across the Caribbean participated in the consultations which were held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston from March 29-30.

The CARIFORUM consultation was held in the context of the ACP Group’s broader reflections on the future direction of the Group, including its relations with the EU. The ultimate aim is to ensure that the ACP Group becomes a more effective global player, with the ability to influence development policy at the global level so that tangible benefits will redound to the peoples of the ACP Member States.

While there is overwhelming support for the continuation of the ACP-EU partnership there is consensus that the ACP must chart its own course and reposition itself in the global arena.

The organisation of the meetings was spearheaded by the CARIFORUM Directorate and the Senator the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, in her capacity as Chair of the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States.

Jamaica’s chairmanship of the CARIFORUM commenced last year July and will end June 30, 2017.

Hon. Grant served as Chairman of ACP Council and ACP-EU Joint Council from 1 August 2016 to 31 January 2017.

Note

The Georgetown Agreement was signed in 1975, and created the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP). The group is composed of 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific States. The Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) refers to the group of Caribbean ACP States that are signatories to the Georgetown Agreement.

All CARIFORUM States, with the exception of Cuba, are signatories to the ACP-EU Cotonou Partnership Agreement (Cotonou Agreement) and the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), respectively.

CARIFORUM States are: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.

Health, Local news, News

PM Harris encouraged by large turnout at his monthly health walk

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, April 1, 2017 (PLP PR Media Inc.) — Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr the Hon Timothy Harris, who is well known for the advocacy role he plays in promoting healthy lifestyles was on Saturday April 1 impressed by the massive turnout by health enthusiasts who joined him for his monthly Constituency #7 Health Walk.

Dr Harris who is also CARICOM’s lead spokesman on human resource, health and HIV matters, and is also the Political Leader of the Peoples Labour Party (PLP) expressed his satisfaction at the awareness that the walk has raised, and the fact that a number of PLP members and supporters from the various constituencies branches joined him for the walk which takes participants from Belle Vue to Ottley’s.

“I thank all the family members of the Peoples Labour Party who came out this morning and made this walk the most interesting and one of the largest we have put,” said the Party Leader at the end of the walk.

“We walk in solidarity with each other, and we walk to improve on our wellness and on our health. So I would want to encourage all of us to continue doing as much physical exercise as we can; to eat healthy foods so that we could live longer and more successful lives.”

The walkers had been flagged off at 5:30 am, and the first group of walkers to get to Ottley’s arrived a few minutes to 7:00 am. Dr Harris promised the walkers that the next health walk will be held at the end of April and will be done again each month thereafter in succession. A healthy breakfast prepared and served by Ms Shirley Williams warmed up the exhausted walkers.

“I extend an invitation to all the groups to come and invite someone at your next occasion on which we will be having this health walk,” advised the Prime Minister. “I thank all of you for the tremendous support at our first convention. We feel we are strong, we feel we are positive about the future, and we will continue to build the PLP as the strongest political party there is, to serve all the people in Team Unity.

“The stronger we are together, the better we will be, and so I want to wish you well, stay strong, stay healthy. Your Party Leader, your Team Unity Leader will stand firm with you and I want you to stand firm with your Team Unity Movement.”

Prime Minister Harris, who was mobbed by persons who took part in the walk and others who were waiting for them at Ottley’s Village, took time to commend the oldest walker, 64-year old Mrs Sylvia Berridge of Phillips Village who arrived at the finish point at 6:56 am a few minutes before the Prime Minister and his entourage who arrived at 7:02 am.

“I also want to thank the Deputy Party Leader, Senator the Hon Akilah Byron-Nisbett for making her first walk and she did it in style,” added Dr Harris. “I want to thank all the branch leaders who came out from Number 1, Number 2, Number 3, Number 4, Number 5, Number 6, and Number 8.”

PLP’s Deputy Political Leader Senator the Hon Akilah Byron-Nisbett, and who represented Number 3 expressed that it was a pleasure walking with the Peoples Labour Party family.

“We had a lot of persons represented from all the constituencies and of course a lot of young people also representing all the constituencies here today,” said the Hon Byron-Nisbett. “We are looking forward to every one – come on out end of this month, next month and every month after and come exercise with us. Make sure you keep healthy, strong and you know, a stronger PLP is a stronger Team Unity.”

From Number 5 (Sandy Point), Ms Marsha Lewis said that she enjoyed the walk and was looking forward to the one that will be held at the end of April and certainly the one to be held in May. “Next month May is my birth month, I am looking forward next month to do this walk over and over again.”

Others who spoke on behalf of their Constituency Branches were, Mr Glenville Mills of Number 5; Ms Shazell Bergan of Number 4; Mr Cante Bowry Chairman Constituency Branch, Constituency Number 1 PLP; and Mr Damien Weekes of Number 3, all who said that they will return and bring more people when the next health walk is held.

A notable finisher was five-year old Miss Briannae Richardson a pupil at the Beach Allen Primary School, who arrived at 7:19 am in the company of her mother. Along the route she changed guidance from her father to her mother periodically and at one time she complained of being tired, but her parents encouraged her on.