Highlights from the PrintNewspaper edition - Issue No. 210
Updatedas of | Wednesday,10 July 2002 | 10:00 AM
| |
Up Front
Editorial
News
News from Our Region
News Analysis
Health Care
Sound Scne
Chiropractic
Current Affairs
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FrontPage
Ina move to prepare and retrain Caymanians who may be consideringnew and career positions in the competitive Hospitality Industry,it has been conirmed ...
Gov't To Acquire Hotel
Past discussionsof a Hotel Training School has become a reality with the Government'spurchase of the John Silver Inn. In fact, the Minister of Tourism,the Hon McKeeva Bush in conjunction with his colleague, the Hon.Roy Bodden, Minister of Education are committed to having thetraining facility on line in time for the 2003 winter season-justa little over a year from now.
The JohnSilver Inn, located on North Church Street in the district ofWest Bay.
As Cayman Net News recently reported, Mr.Bush said that he is committed to assisting the jobless whilebeefing up the entire country's economic status. "There isabsolutely no reason that employees of hotels should continueto be imported, when we could have our own from training facilitiesright here in Cayman to offer a comprehensive hospitality curriculumhere on our own soil," said Bush." places as Bermuda,Bahamas or Miami when we have the knowledge and, now, the facilities
Built in the 1980's, the hotel located inthe District of West Bay has long struggled with financial woes.Finally, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the mortgage holderfor the property, threatened to foreclose if payment wasn't made.
Aware of the owner's crisis, the Governmentstepped is purchasing the 12-room hotel, having put aside CI$652,000with the intention of converting it into a training facility forthose interested in the Hospitality industry.
Though the Community College of the CaymanIslands (CCCI) offers hospitality courses, the curriculum is missingone vital ingredientthere is no interaction with people. As withthe 100-plus room Stonington Hill Hotel Training School in Bermuda,and the 21 room property Pomeraine in Barbados, the John SilverInn facility "will open its doors to guests and continueto provide a quality Cayman vacation experience to vacationers,complete with tastefully decorated rooms, manicured grounds, excellentfoods and event coordination", Mr. Bush affirmed.
And in exchange, the hotel guests will providethe hands-on personal interaction trainees will need to successfullycomplete their courses and obtain certification in the hospitalityindustry.
The Caribbean Tourism Association (CTA)will be working with the Government to establish a marketableproduct and an inclusive curriculum that will offer a wide spectrumof concentrations. Students will be able to learn everything fromlandscaping and housekeeping, general maintenance and administrationas well as the culinary arts.
"There is far more to the hospitalityindustry than making beds and washing soiled linens," saidMr. Roy Bodden.
"The people of the Cayman Islands arean intelligent breed, capable of learning all facets of the touristtrade and executing multi-tasking abilities with ease. And Governmentis dedicated to providing the ability to do so."
The Administration also believes that, despitethe existence of several high-quality training programs in othercountries, the Cayman Islands will be able to outshine such programmes.For instance, the Bahamas has long been touted as having one ofthe best hospitality courses in the Caribbean. However, they haveno hotel for the students to actively practice their skills.
Though the particulars of the programmeare still being discussed such as cost of tuition, uniforms, andtextbooks, the Government has no concerns that guests, who willbe offered competitive rates, will be scarce. It is just up tothe Cayman people to fill the classroom chairs.
"It is no secret that the Cayman Islands'financial and tourism industry has taken a beating as a resultof global economic woes," said Bush. "However, we canand will bounce back and sustain the Tourism industry no matterwhat the length of this recession is. What we, as Caymanians alongwith residents put into the hospitality industry will determinewhat rewards we as a country will reap. In order to sustain theTourism industry, we must take control of it and not send ourcitizens abroad for training or bring in outsiders to controlour industry."
Past Presidentof the Rotary Club Central of Grand Cayman, Al T. Thompson withDistinguished Service Award for Oustanding and Dedicated Servicerecepient, Rotarian Kent Eldemire. Full report and photos in Friday'sedition.
Tourismand Education Reps Attend Workshop in Barbados
EducationOfficer for Social Studies, Mr. James Watler and Department ofTourism, Industry Development Officer Mrs. Alma McKenzie
Education Officer for Social Studies, Mr.James Watler and Department of Tourism, Industry Development OfficerMrs. Alma McKenzie attended a three day "Tourism Train theTrainer Workshop" in Barbados (June 19-21, 2002).
The workshop was delivered to a group ofCaribbean primary school teachers and tourism educators by theCaribbean Tourism Organization in collaboration with the CaribbeanTourism Human Resources Council.
The overall goal of the workshop was toprovide tourism trainers with the necessary knowledge and skillsto guide primary school teachers in the concepts of tourism. Moreimportantly, this training was aimed at informing the teachersas to how to impart these concepts to their students in creativeand effective ways.
"Tourism is very critical to the Caymanianeconomy. In order for us to reach our goal of educating the entirepopulation on the importance of tourism, every student, at boththe primary or secondary level should have a general awarenessof the industry and the role they can play in its sustainabilityand growth" stated Mrs. Alma McKenzie.
Both Mr. Watler and Mrs. McKenzie hope toconduct similar workshops targeting the social studies primaryschool teachers to assist them in their preparation and deliveryof the tourism programme.
Tourism Today,Secures Tomorrow
Whether it is free trips for an airlineflight attendant or large gratuities for a bartender of a resort,every job has its benefits. For instance, both employees are providedwith adequate salaries, professional uniforms and the promiseof added bonuses as they prove themselves in their capacity. Bothemployees have access to all kinds of people from the four cornersof the world. And both are performing a service.
In fact, no matter what the job is-fromwaiters, cooks and plumbers to bankers, politicians and lawyers-performinga service is the name of the game. And the better you are at the"performance," the more lucrative the position willbecome. The key is to pinpoint the thriving economic footholdsendemic to a region and grab on to a piece of the action.
Here in the Cayman Islands, there is noquestion that the Financial and Tourism industries are those footholds.Unfortunately, the financial industry is failing because of theOECD and FATF fall out and less people capable of taking on loansfor homes, cars, education or business. Sure, banks will alwaysexist and money will be shifted around but not at the rate itonce didnot for some time anyway.
However, the Tourism industry will nevergo away. On the contrary, tourism can make or break this country.The Cayman Islands has long been an escape for vacationers onshort, medium and long holidays as well as professionals suchas doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs and investors who com to Caymanto escape the rigors winter season and the tax-man abroad. A one-weekstay at a local resort extends to the purchase of a seasonal time-share,real estate and duty free shopping. And with sun seekers cometheir walletslodging, food, drinks, entertainment, sightseeing,souvenirs, and transportationthere is big money in the Tourismtrade.
Yet, traditionally, Caymanians look downtheir nose at the very concept of "hospitality." Whichis ironic when the country is known for it's friendly inhabitantsand their good looks, sense of humor, wit and warmth. Caymaniansare more than happy to hand potentially lucrative jobs over tooutsiders. In fact, some Caymanians would rather come up shortin earnings than "serve" someone.
Well, who wants to travel half way aroundthe world from rainy Texas to be greeted at the entrance of oneof Seven Mile Beaches' resorts by a fellow Texan spouting, "Welcometo our country." No wonder why so many people find Cayman 'Americanised'
The fact is there is no job in the worldin which "serving others" is not the rudimentary requirementsfor the job. From teachers to flight attendants, bankers to carsalesmen, in order to succeed at any job, one must serve an interestedparty.
If making a bed, cooking a meal, or drivinga tour bus could lead to running the front desk, overseeing astaff of line cooks or managing a sightseeing supplier, then whatis the problem?
The hospitality industry in the Cayman Islandsis as lucrative a career move as any other. There are Labour Lawsthat protect workers' rights to fair distribution of what aresometimes substantial gratuity collections. The wait staff aretreated with as much respect and, in fact, paid well, sometimeson par with the cooks who prepare the meals.
And there is room for growth. A groundskeeper,who is organized, dedicated and willing to learn can become afront desk administrator and, eventually a property manager.
Who better to represent Cayman than thosewho were born under its aquamarine skies? Those who exude andsustain the country's rich history and impeccable reputation throughhard work and honest living.
It is time for Caymanians to realize thathospitality is not menial. It is noble and also lucrative. Doorscan open with every foreigner that steps foot on Cayman soil.Knowledge can be gained from every vacationer who plants his orher sunburned seat on a resort barstool. And, the more Caymanianswho are available to visitors, the more visitors will want togive their time, their experiences, and their money to Caymanians.
Northward PrisonEducation Volunteers Recognised
Dr. McField(standing centre) with prison officials and volunteer teachers. Photo by Lennon Christian/GIS
A recent gathering was held at HM PrisonNorthward in honour of volunteer teachers and contributors tothe institution's education programme. Officials present includedDr. the Hon. Frank McField, the minister responsible for prisonservice; Prison Director John Forster; prison education co-ordinatorMr. Adam McIntyre, and full-time teachers Lynn Western-Lait andElaine Golding.
The officials credited the education programmewith making the facility even calmer and more positive now thanbefore the prison disturbances last year. The Rotary Club ofGrand Cayman sponsors the programme, with literacy and numeracyclasses held three times each week. Volunteers teach the prisonersbasic education as well as creative and self-help classes designedto help inmates improve their knowledge and skills. Areas offocus are basic literacy, art, health risk management and computerskills. An educational psychologist also offers counselling support.
Presenting certificates of appreciationat the ceremony, the minister said he was grateful to the volunteersand donors for giving so much time over so many years. "Inaddition, your presence brought a sense of normality and realityinto a very closed environment," Dr. McField said, "Thisinvolvement is an essential part of inmates' rehabilitation andre-integration into society. It is important that the communityshows support by volunteering time and goods, for the prison serviceis also a community service."
Also commending the prison service for itscommitment to education as well as security, the minister notedthat volunteers would not be possible if safety and security wereestablished priorities.
The Prison director added that educationis seen as an essential priority, especially in the current workclimate. Mr. McIntyre thanked the volunteers for working longhours to restore a future to those who have been "dispossessedof all hope and self-esteem." He also applauded their spousesand employers for supporting their work at the prison.
Volunteers representative Mrs. Ann Peasethanked prison authorities for their trust and confidence, saying,"We don't always know the results of our efforts, and soare very appreciative of the function to acknowledge that we havemade a difference."
Also presented with certificates of appreciationat the function were three of the many benefactors of the programme:Cable and Wireless has donated $5,500 towards prison education,and was represented by Executive VP Retail Services Mr. CollinLittle; Dr. Elsa Cummings of ICCI was recognised for the college'sdonations of books; and Ms. Rina Partinton represented CIBC FinancialCentre, which donated five computers.
The other volunteers who received awardsat the function were: educators Dorinda Wilson, Herbert Crawford;art teachers April Bending and Kidane; remedial studies teachers Diana Jones, Geraldine Lewis, Anne Pease, Ethel Jackson, LindaBarlow, Janet Heard, Liz Ridley and Linda Thursfield; Jeremy DeValk,computer instructor; and Lynn Campanario, sexual health and riskmanagement instructor.
PressStatement from the Police Commissioner
Detective Chief Inspector Connor has beenconvicted in the Grand court of the Cayman Islands of 3 countsof dishonesty. He has yet to be sentenced.
Most police officers will shed a tear ofsympathy for it is a tragedy that such a well respected and honouredpolice officer should fall foul of laws he has worked so longand hard to himself enforce. Particularly so on the eve of hisretirement.
I hope the image and reputation of the RoyalCayman Islands Police is not damaged by the failings of one individual.On the contrary, I trust that fair-minded people will see thatthe integrity of the Police Service here is sufficiently strongto identify such failings, bring them to notice and openly demonstratethat no one is above the law in the Cayman Islands, regardlessof their position or the esteem in which they are held.
Since the outset of this matter, DCI Connorhas been suspended from duty. In the light of these criminal convictions,he will now face police discipline proceedings.
D. Thursfield,
Commissioner of Police
Student counsellorsShelly Ann Barnaby and Arek Nicholson chat during a lunch break.
Having being trained aspeer counsellors, a select group of volunteer high school studentsare now equipped to assist friends and fellow students. An intensivetraining course was attended by 20 students and marks a new levelfor John Gray High School's peer mediation effort, which is coordinatedby Cayman Against Substance Abuse (CASA) and directed by CASAMaster Trainer, Linda McField.
The programme has now reacheda point of momentum that promises to be perpetual. The studentcounsellors report that their peers can now be assured that theyhave the skills necessary to approach and deal with the myriad"minor" issues which teenagers face each day.
In another first, the highschool group made presentations to younger pupils at the GeorgeHicks Junior High, as well as to students during their schooltutorials. Participating Year 12 students were also "pinned"with the peer-counsellor identification lapels by Mrs. SuzanneSmith, wife of the former governor, before her departure.
Nine of these John Graypeer counsellors were amongst the recent Year 12 graduating class. They are Sasha Powell, Melissa Williams, Omar Wright, CelineManoosingh, Deidre Garcia, Jilynne Monteith, Renee Caudeiron,Georgi-Ann Jackman and Shawn Guttierrez.
The Year 11 students, whowill be seniors in September, will continue their role havingcompleted two training sessions. They are Ricarda Harvey, BrandonWashingtion, ShellyAnn Barnaby, Jonelle Ebanks, Lauren Ebanks,Roje Williams, Arek Nicholson, Alice Andrews, Kamaal Conolly,Lacy Ann Stultz, and Arlene Ocho.
Year 11 peercounsellors and teachers.
In addition, the first groupof Year 10 students have been trained, and as they enter Year11 next term, the process will continue with the younger students.
Over the last two monthsof the school year the students met at lunch times to networkand be trained. They also conducted tutorial meetings to educatestudents of the service, and to dispel myths and rumours. Anotherimportant objective was to encourage student participation inpositive after-school activities, and to keep communication linesopen with their parents, teachers, and peer counsellors.
The training agenda includedverbal and non-verbal communication, emphatic listening, roleplay, questioning, giving and receiving feedback, and referrals. All peer counsellors take an oath of confidentiality, and onlyserious issues beyond their abilities are referred to senior schoolcounsellors for further assistance.
Year 11 peer counsellorLauren Ebanks said, "We all identify with each other, soit's good to be able to talk with each other in confidence." Teenager Shelly-Ann Barnaby added that they work with the schoolcounsellors to help students with issues open up and talk abouttheir problems, noting, "We are happy that we helped someget over their problems." She said that the communicationtechniques learned and the experience of helping others has alsochanged the personalities of the student counsellors in a positiveway. "We want to be more active, and we are looking intostarting a school newspaper in September, and organizing activitiesfor students who usually stay to themselves.
Fellow-counsellor Arek Nicholsonsaid, "I especially enjoyed the talks with the senior GeorgeHicks students. We were impressed by their level of maturity,and by the sensible questions they had for us. I feel we helpedthem become much more comfortable with coming over to John Grayin September."
Assisting CASA are the highschool counsellors Veronica Evans and Keith Nelson, the Life SkillsCoordinator Nathaniel King and school teachers/facilitators, SandraLanigan, Theresa DaCosta, Anthony Eastman, and Elaine Chang-Moore.
Preparations are also underwayon Cayman Brac for the programme, with the first training sessionconducted for high school students on that island on 2nd Julyby Mr. King.
CustosEdmund Parsons Award - A Highlight of Rotary Club of Grand CaymanChangeover
(left toright) Past President Chris Evans, Dale Parsons, Mr. Will Jackson,Paul Harris Fellowship Award recepient, Mr. Reggie Parsons andMs. Carmilee Pierson
The night of July 4th sawthe Change-over of officers of the Rotary Club of Grand Caymanat a gala dinner held at the Grand Pavilion Conference Centre,with His Excellency the Governor. Mr. Bruce Dinwitty and Mrs.Emma Dinwitty in attendance.
Past PresidentAlan Roffey, John Kartonchuk and Rotarian Sharon Hurlston
Commencing the evening'sevents, out-going President Chris Evans announced the introductionof the Custos Edmund Parsons Award. This annual award will bemade to a Caymanian for services to the community Initiated byRotarian Reginald Parsons, it honours the memory of his ancestorEdmund Parsons, the last Custos of the Cayman Islands. RotarianReggie presented the first such award in a touching ceremony toMr. Percival "Will" Jackson of East End.
(Left toright) Rotarian Joey Hew, Joanna Boxall, David and Christine Kirkaldy
During and following dinner,President Chris reviewed his year of office for the more than100 assembled Rotarians and invited guests, including His Excellencythe Governor Mr. Bruce Dinwiddy and his wife Emma.
Rotarianand Mrs. Ornon Whittaker (left) and Mrs. Reese and Rotarian LionelDowner
He announced that the Club'sFund Raising Committee, chaired by Rotarian Bryan Murphy, hadattained the outstanding goal of raising CI$65,000. Coupled withdonations of $6,500 that had been received during the year, thetotal amount of funds raised from our community was over CI$70,000. This magnificent achievement was even more impressive when consideredagainst the challenging fund-raising environment this year.
RotarianRaymon Whittaker and Special Friend
The entire proceeds of theCamelot Auction fundraiser, amounting to some CI$40,000, had beencommitted to in-coming President Nick Freeland's Youth Initiativeprogramme for the year 2002-2003.
IncomingPresident Nick Freeland (left), H. E. the Governor Mr. BruceDinwiddy (centre) with Chris Evans
The Club had truly followedthe 2001-2002 Rotary theme "Mankind Is Our Business"both in Cayman and all around the world. Here at home, the donationof two cars to the DARE programme, made in conjunction with theRotary Clubs of Grand Cayman Central, Hockessin-Pine Creek, Delawareand Car City, had allowed the programme to be extended for thefirst time to every school on Grand Cayman.
New Rotarianmembers Rodney Frederick (left) and Nick Robson (centre) withRotarian Ian Jagger
The DARE programme is administeredby the Community Relations Department of the Royal Cayman IslandsPolice and gives our children the tools they need to resist thetwin evils of drug abuse and violence. The donation of 11 road-sideintoxylizers to the Police enabled all traffic cars to be ableto test motorists suspected of driving under the influence tobe tested road-side, thereby quickly establishing whether theyshould be arrested or allowed to continue their journey. TheClub is assisting a number of young school children at the GeorgeTown Primary school who would not have a mid-day meal otherwise. Assistance was given to the Teacher McField Centre for kitchenequipment, the Cayman Hospice, The Cayman Islands Marine Centre(originally built by the Club and donated to Government as theBonaventure Boys Home), the National Drug Council, the CaymanIslands Reading Aids programme and the Club is assisting prisonersat Northward to attain their high school diploma so that theywill have a better chance of re-joining society upon their releasefrom the prison.
RotarianJeremy Hurst with Iris and Larry Chomyn
He noted that the centrepieceof the Club's community involvement in Grand Cayman continuedto be its' Meals on Wheels programme which serves over 16,000hot and nutritious lunches each year to the infirm and the needy. The Club was pleased to have secured corporate funding of CI$35,000for this programme this year.
Noel andMary Jane Riley with Xiomara and Benny Moore
The Annual Christmas TreeLighting Ceremony and the Boxing Day Senior Citizen's events were,as always, extremely well attended this year and President Chrisacknowledged the work of Rotarian Rosie Jamieson in organisingthose two events.
Internationally, the Clubhad assisted with almost a dozen Rotary projects around the worldto the tune of over CI$20,000. These projects included homesin Haiti and Fiji, an adult literacy programme in South Africa,programmes assisting the handicapped in Brazil and Turkey, HurricaneIris relief and AIDS education in Belize, assistance to a homefor wayward boys in Jamaica and the donation and distributionof school books in Guatemala.
Rotarian Benny Moore travelledto Guatemala and personally assisted in this programme.
President Chris announcedthat this year's award for Rotarian of the Year would be madeto a Rotarian of many years, who held the distinction of 21 yearsperfect attendance (no weekly meetings missed), who always madeit a point to greet Rotarians from elsewhere visiting our Cluband who generally epitomised what Rotary means. To the absolutedelight of all Club members present and to the total surpriseof the recipient he announced the name, ". our friend andcolleague and my Rotary sponsor, Reggie Parsons!"
Past Club President DavidFoster was presented with a special "Service Above Self"award to recognise his tremendous services of the years not onlyto Rotary but also to the community at large. President Chris,in initiating this award, noted that Rotarian David is a specialperson in our community who can always be counted on to help andwhose caring deeds and donations to many causes over the yearswere long-past due for recognition.
President Chris thankedall his Rotary colleagues for helping to make his year as ClubPresident one that he would never forget.
The Rotary District 7020Governor's representative for the Cayman Islands, Assistant GovernorJeremy Hurst, then inducted the new Board of Directors for theyear 2002-2003.
They are:
President Nick Freeland
Immediate Past President Chris Evans
President Elect Jonathan Nicholson
Vice President Ray Whittaker
Secretary Marjorie Du Feu
Treasurer Bruce Stirling & Alan Brooks
Sergeant-at-Arms Alan Brodie
Directors:
Community Service Jackie Doak, Joey Hew and Peter Broadhurst
Vocational Service Richard Coles
International Service Ray Whittaker
Creative & Public Relations John Doak
Fund Raising Rob Jamieson
Fellowship Rosie Jamieson
In-coming President NickFreeland spoke to those present of his plans for the forthcomingyear and he introduced to them the Rotary theme for 2002-2003"Sow the Seeds of Love". He said that emphasis wouldbe placed this year on assistance to various youth initiativeson the Island, which were badly needed and which would be addressingthe needs and concerns of our youth.
He was also pleased to announcethat the Club would be having a visiting Rotary student from Thailandstaying with us for the year and since the in-coming Presidentof Rotary International is also from Thailand, the Club wouldbe extending an invitation for him to visit the Island duringthe year. President Nick thanked the Club for having faith inhim and he pledged to do his utmost to uphold and continue thegood works and traditions of the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman.
Bush defendsdecision not to attend NAACP annual convention being held in Texas
(left toright) US President, George Bush, National Security Adviser CondoleezzaRice, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, Civil rights leader, Rev. Jesse Jackson
WASHINGTON, (UPI) -- President George W.Bush on Monday defended his decision not to attend the NAACP's93rd annual convention being held in Texas this week during anafternoon news conference with White House reporters.
The president was in the midst of answeringquestions, when Dallas Morning News reporter Bob Hillman askedthe president to respond to criticism that he has not attendeda NAACP convention since his election and that his administration'scivil rights record was not considered stellar.
Bush paused briefly and with a slight smile,answered Hillman's question.
"Let's see. There I was, sitting aroundthe table with foreign leaders, looking at Colin Powell and CondiRice. Yeah," Bush said.
Hillary Shelton, director of the NAACP'slegislative office in Washington, reacted with some surprise.
"He said that?" said Shelton fromthe group's convention in Houston.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell andnational security adviser Condoleezza Rice are two of the highest-rankingblacks in Bush's administration along with U.S. Department ofEducation Secretary Rod Paige.
Some of the criticism that hurled at Bushupon his decision to appoint Rice and Powell was that they wouldbe token minorities who would have no real power, but that assertionwas quickly discounted with intimate consultation with Bush onall aspects of foreign affairs, particularly that involving theescalating crisis in the Middle East.
Shelton told United Press Internationalthat while his organization celebrates Rice and Powell's rolein the administration, it recognizes that they have no impacton domestic policy important to blacks.
"They are both involved in internationalissues which means that at best they are involved in human rightsissues abroad. Civil rights issues are always handled quite differently.Civil rights issues are internal, domestic policy, and neitherCondoleezza Rice or Colin Powell helped author, construct or craftdomestic policy," Shelton said. "It misses the pointto point to your international policy people when you're talkingabout domestic policy concerns."
Shelton called it "outrageous"that Bush has refused to address the organization that has branchesin every state in the union and a European delegation representingblacks living in countries around the world.
"For him not to be willing to dialoguewith the NAACP is rather outrageous," said Shelton. "Whenyou have a system in place, a clear voice of the concerns of aparticular community that we know have disproportionate problemsin this country ... health care disparity, education, home ownershipthat he has a lot of control over. To be unwilling to come andaddress the NAACP is outrageous."
Bush's comments come as he has been tryingto shore up support in the black community where he netted lessthan 9 percent of the vote during the 2000 presidential election.Bush lost the popular vote to Democratic candidate Al Gore, butwon the Electoral College after an exhaustive 36-day electioncontest that landed before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Shelton also pointed to Bush's promisesto address the issue of racial profiling and hate crimes havealso fallen by the wayside, and that he has taken to appointing"right-wing extremist judges" to the bench.
"He does have a very troubling recordon civil rights," Shelton said of Bush.
Bush came under fire during the NAACP conventionwhere he was accused of ignoring the concerns of blacks and supportingthe right wing of the Republican Party. NAACP Board Chairman JulianBond criticized Bush during his speech before the convention onSunday.
"We have a president who owes his electionmore to a dynasty than to a democracy," Bond said. "Whenhe spoke to our convention in Baltimore in 2000, he promised toenforce the civil rights laws. We knew he was in the oil business-- we just didn't know it was snake oil."
Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson alsovoiced his dismay with Bush.
"We have a government that is enfranchisedby miscounted or uncounted votes. Even though it lost the election,it operates as if it has a mandate to take our rights," Jacksonsaid during the convention on Monday.
In September, the NAACP is planning a "legislativemobilization" with members of the organization convergingon Capitol Hill and the White House to urge passage of legislationsuch has election reform that has been lingering in congressionalcommittees.
Birth Control Pills Equation to Abortion Averted
WILDER, Ky., (UPI) -- Northern Kentuckyhealth officials have narrowly rejected a proposal that equatedbirth control pills with abortion, declining to refuse federalTitle X family planning services funding.
The Northern Kentucky Independent HealthDistrict voted 14-13 late Wednesday, turning back the 5-year-oldeffort by Kentucky Right to Life to ban birth control pills.
More than 200 people jammed Wednesday night'shearing, one holding a sign reading, "Just say NO to a KentuckyTaliban."
"This issue is like the slavery issue,"said Robert Cetrulo, president of the group, which is not associatedwith any national Right to Life organizations. "It is notgoing to go away until we prevail."
Women's rights advocates hailed the boarddecision but acknowledged the fight is not over.
Board Chairman Greg Kennedy cast the decidingvote after the panel deadlocked 13-13 to reject $170,000 in annualfamily planning money in a proposal that called for implementationof new women's health programs that are "free of dangerousdrugs and side effects, that respect a woman's natural fertilityand that assist her to make healthy choices out of her self-knowledge,self-control and self-respect."
The board also approved not offering themorning-after pill RU-486, which is designed to induce miscarriageand is not covered by Title X.
The board serves four, largely Catholiccounties across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, providing servicesto an estimated 4,500 poor women. Those opposed to Title X fundingblame it for an increase in sexually transmitted diseases andclaim it creates a wedge between adolescents and their parents.
"The evidence is quite clear now thatthe public health department distribution of these powerful anddestructive chemicals and medicines constitutes bad morals, badmedicine and bad public policy," Cetrulo has said. "Itcertainly doesn't constitute public health. In fact, it's quiteunhealthy."
However, board member Mary Lou Gastrightcharacterized the pill as "a miracle." She said shehad already given birth to eight children by the time birth controlpills became available, giving women the ability to control thesize of their families.
"The woman was no longer kept barefootand pregnant down on the farm," she said.
The American Civil Liberties Union had labeledthe rejection proposal "extreme" and accused anti-abortionsupporters of trying "to take us back in time."
"Extreme anti-choice officials almostsucceeded in carrying out a foolish plan to cut off funds forcontraception," said legal director Elizabeth Cavendish ofthe National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League. "Thisclose call should remind Americans that freedoms we take for granted,like contraception, are under attack."
Cassandra Wilson- Belly of the Sun
By Eden Hurslton
Well, you may have guessedby now that I am a jazz fan. Last week, we took a peek at someof the hottest modern instrumental jazz with The PhiladelphiaExperiment. This week's column takes us back to the vocal sideof modern jazz. While Diana Krall and the young Norah Jones havebeen enjoying recent commercial success, the queen of modern jazzsinging has been cultivating a twenty-year career while stayingbasically anonymous in the mainstream. Her name is CassandraWilson and her smoky, seductive voice, like fine wine, gets betterwith age.
After a dozen albums, 'Bellyof the Sun' is Cassandra's most fluid and creative work yet. Now, I can wholeheartedly recommend any of her albums to musicfans that wish to get hip to the cream of contemporary jazz butthis latest effort really showcases her amazing range and talentedsongcrafting. The overall feel and production of the album isthat of the Mississippi Delta-a down home, back porch style thatis both soothing and passionate. 'Belly' is rife with acousticguitars, congas, melodic basslines, and dynamic percussion. Therelaxed feel makes the whole album flow like a warm breeze ona Sunday afternoon.
She chooses unique coverslike "The Weight," Dylan's "Shelter from the Storm"and Robert Johnson's classic, "Hot Tamales," deliveringthem with a grace and comfort that are the trademarks of her vocalstyle. What really shines on this disc though, is her originalmaterial. She has composed music for all of her major albums,expertly exploring themes and weaving stories with her sultrylyrical stylings (check out 199's 'Travelling Miles.') 'Belly,'with its blues inspired motif, provides a vast open territoryin which Cassandra's amazing songwriting talent can freely expressitself in beautiful and diverse forms. In the softly textured"Just Another Parade," she teams up with neo-soul superstarIndia.Arie for an uplifting soft jazz tune in which their harmonizedvocals dance over the rich instrumentation. In "Drunk asCooter Brown," she uses a laid back rock steady beat, steel pans and mandolin accompaniment for some subtle yet swingingvocal work. Another highlight is the soulful love song, "ShowMe a Love," which would feel right at home on R&B radio.
Cassandra Wilson has doneit again. She makes great albums in a time when great jazz singersare rare and 'Belly of the Sun' is another creative milestone. The album is currently number two on the Billboard Jazz chart,showing that her blues infused smoothness is reaching a lot offolks. The next time you check out the sunset, maybe you shouldlisten to the 'Belly of the Sun.'
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Until next time, keepthe beat beneath your feet and let your soul sing.
Eden
Hottrax
Sciatica (pinchednerve)
Dr JemalKhan,
Chiropractor
The sciatic nerve is a largenerve that begins at the low back and travels down the back ofthe leg. "Sciatica" is the word that is used when thisnerve is inflamed. The pain of sciatica can be severe and constant,or it may come and go depending on activity. This is commonlycalled a "pinched nerve", although it is rare for thenerve to be truly pinched.
The pain of sciatica is confusing because it is felt in the leg,but the spine causes it. Many patients with sciatica have littleor no back pain, but a brief exam of the spine can quickly revealthe problem.
The usual treatment forsciatica has always been bed rest and painkillers, and in severecases, surgery. Research has shown this is NOT an effective courseof treatment, and surgery is now discouraged. Even the bed restpart of the treatment has been shown to worsen the problem ifdone for more than two or three days. Studies have shown thata very effective treatment is chiropractic adjustments along witha gentle exercise program.
Usually, the reason thespine is causing the nerve to be painful is because it has anirritated or improperly working joint. If the joint does not workproperly, it is irritating to all the other parts in the area-including the muscles, discs, and nerves. With most patients,the muscle pain is the worst, and they have a "common backache".With others, the joints themselves are stressed, and wear outprematurely, causing symptoms of arthritis. For some reason, thosewith sciatica have more nerve irritation than joint or musclepain, and their pain is in the leg.
The symptoms that a personfeels will depend on how badly the nerve is irritated. If thenerve is slightly irritated, the first symptom can be a "pinsand needles" feeling that comes and goes. As the irritationworsens, the feeling becomes constant. Pain- often a burning pain-is a sign of more irritation, and weakness is the next. When theirritation is so bad that there is a loss of reflex, strength,and true numbness, the irritation is severe. In some cases ofsciatica, the discs that rest between the bones of the back rupture,and a part of the disc actually will touch the nerve. This isthe most severe (and least common) type of sciatica. Sometimesthe disc slowly gets reabsorbed, but in a few cases surgery isneeded to remove the part of the disc that is hitting the nerve.It used to be routine that these cases went to surgery, but severalstudies have shown that chiropractic can relieve the pain withoutsurgery.
Dr. Jemal Khan,
Chiropractor
Cayman Chiropractic Clinic
OBM organizesCharette, a town planning exercise for the British Virgin Islands
Presidentand CEO of OBM International, Bill Bissell
All over the world, there are cities andtowns renowned for their quaint architecture, buzzing touristspots and amazing public gardens. Similarly, there are spots thatmystify and downright confuse visitors. Dubbed "eye sores"these towns were thrown together, willy-nilly, in the hopes ofthrusting forward with "development" with no commiserationbetween developers, town officials or the citizens themselves.
In the US, for instance, one of Boston'smost important infrastructures is City Hall. Yet, the concretemess is such an eye sore, even tourist trolleys divert away fromthe mass of concrete and steel in the hopes of enticing visitorswith more serene and "organized" sections of the state'sCapital.
On the contrary, the quaint town of Altinain Rome, Italy has been systematically mapped out and its newerbuildings carefully constructed to resemble and blend in withthe Romantic period that set the precedent for the vitalizationof the village.
Participantsin the Eastern Caribbean's first urban design charrette work togetheron "Road Town 2020."
Such an eye for detail, symmetry and harmonyor lack thereof can make or break a region. In the Eastern Caribbean,the rise of tourism in the past decade as well as the expansionof businesseslarge and smallhas led to plans for everything fromnew waterfront parks to trolley systems. Some areas in the Bahamashave adopted Vegas-like resorts and sky scrapers where other areasin countries like Bermuda have opted for cottage settings in vibrant,crisp, Caribbean blues and yellows.
Bill Bissell, President and CEO of OBM Internationalindicates that he would like to see a similar charrette approachmade here in Grand Cayman, and particularly as it pertains toGeorge Town. Such an approach was made to the Chamber of Commerceand the Planning Department two years ago and received an enthusiasticresponse but has gone no further.
Timothy Peck(far left), Managing Director of OBM Limited's BVI office anda facilitator of the charrette, listens to a "Road Town 2020"master plan presentation.
"Here in the Cayman Islands, we havecreated a little of everything and fallwithin the middle ground,"said Bissell who is working with local authorities to instillthe need for participation in a Cayman Island's charrette.
What makes one community charming and anotherconfusing? These were just a few of the questions asked at "RoadTown 2020," the Eastern Caribbean's very first urban designcharrette, or visionary workshop, held from June 21-24 in RoadTown, Tortola, British Virgin Islands (BVI).
The ultimate goal of this endeavor is thatby the year 2020, Road Town will emerge as a world-class tourist,residential, commercial, and financial centre. It will reflectthe rich human diversity with pedestrian-friendly communitiesand efficient transportation systems. The culture and heritagewill be retained, while contributing to the social and economicwell being of the people of the territory.
Developed and adopted by architects andtown planners, a charrette is intended to encourage communityparticipation from property owners, business owners, residents,government officials, professional architects and town plannersin design development, resulting in a final plan that reflectsa collaborative vision. Because the visions, values and perspectivesof the participants vary, the charrette process provides a forumfor communication and collaboration.
"There is nothing more energizing fora community than to be able to say 'this is our own unique town,shaped by the forces of nature and the needs of people over generations. We love its idiosyncrasies, we celebrate its rich heritage, wewill tinker with its deficiencies, but we will not make it someplaceelse'," said Tim Peck, Managing Director, OBM Limited (BVI).
To provide for a stronger knowledge baseand expertise in master planning for this region's first designcharrette, Timothy Peck, implemented the skills of OBM's Miami-basedUrban Design Studio, headed by Principal Raul A. Lastra. Lastraassisted in guiding participants to reach the goal of the charrette,which was to identify critical issues and develop strategies toprotect and enhance the positive characteristics of Road Town,as well as creating a physical, achievable master plan.
Now that the charrette is completed, therecommendations, plans and drawings, along with other factors,such as policy recommendations, cost-estimates and implementationstrategies, will be compiled and submitted for review, refinementand ultimately adoption. Due to the implementation of the charretteprocess in the designing of Road Town's future, its goal willundoubtedly be ensured. The BVI government envisions:
With the charrette already a successfultrend throughout the U.S., it is believed that "Road Town2020" will act as a catalyst for other island nations toincorporate the charrette process in the planning of their future.
BVIGovernment Establishes its Financial Services Marketing Unit
The KPMG Report, which was designed to tightenregulation and improve the supervision of the financial servicesindustry, mandated the formal separation of regulation from marketingand promotions, for the avoidance of conflict of interest, andas a means of ensuring that financial services programs, practices,policies and procedures comply with international standards andbest business practices.
Thus, as a result of the recent launch ofthe Financial Services Commission, the marketing and promotionalrole has been transferred to the Financial Services MarketingUnit (FSMU), which will operate as a department under the ChiefMinister's Office.
The FSMU will be responsible for the design,coordination and implementation of the Government's marketingand promotions, media relations, and communication strategiespertaining to the BVI financial services (international business)industry.
The FSMU will work in close consultation/collaborationwith the Financial Services Commission and the local industrypractitioners. The vital functions of the unit will include,but not be limited to:
· Preserving and enhancing theBVI's status as a leading international business centre by providingaccurate and timely information on the programmes, services andproducts offered by the BVI's financial services industry.
· Designing, organizing and implementingpromotional seminars and workshops, and participating in samefrom to time.
· Coordinating the territory'sparticipation in relevant exhibitions and conferences
· Producing industry related brochures,infomercials, press releases, advisory and other services to theprivate sector, the local and international business communitiesand other stakeholders related to the promotion of the BVI financialservices industry.
In essence, the FSMU's critical purposewill be the design and management of a comprehensive marketing,promotional and media relations program to meet the needs of theGovernment and the industry, while maintaining the integrity ofthe BVI as a situs of legitimate business by increasing confidenceand expanding the knowledge and awareness of the BVI financialservices industry among international business investors and otherkey stakeholders.
The establishment of the FSMU will thereforeprovide an appropriate platform from which clear, concise, consistent,coordinated and carefully targeted messages can spread that theBVI is a most competitive, innovative and business friendly, well-regulatedinternational business centre. It will also re-affirm Government'scommitment as a means of supporting industry development andestablishing a professional mechanism for defending the jurisdictionwhen it faces unwarranted or unjustified criticism in the internationalmedia. It will help identify and market the appropriate strategicopportunities with a view to attracting new business, capital,investment, creating employment and reinvigorating the BVI's economy.
The FSMU will be headed by its ExecutiveDirector, Mrs. Lorna Smith.
ExCoPlaces Moratorium on Foreign Labor for Construction Sector inSaba
Leader of Government and Commissioner GeneralAffairs Will Johnson, told the Saba Government Information Service(SGIS), that the Executive Council has placed a six-month moratoriumon the issuing of work permits for the construction sector.
Mr. Johnson told SGIS that the constructionsector has slowed down considerably and the Island Governmentmust react to the challenges that have presented themselves.
"We have a number of local constructionworkers that are out of work. Whatever projects that are goingto start in the coming months, the contractors will have to firstconsider hiring the unemployed workers.
"I call on the business community tolook inward first and stop the nonsense of crying down Sabans. We have a list of unemployed construction workers at the office. All you have to do is give us a call and we will make the contact.
"We must help our own first and thenconsider looking outward if the demand is there," Mr. Johnsonsaid.
Microarraysfind cancer-fighting clues
By ED SUSMAN,
UPI Science News
Microchip technology is providing scientistswith powerful new tools to "dissect" cancer cells tofind out what makes them tick and unmask how the dangerous cellsrespond to chemotherapy.
The new chips, called microarrays, can acceleratethe pace of cancer research greatly because they can analyze tensof thousands of genetic expressions, or biochemical activities,at one time.
"This oligonucleotide gene expressionprofiling technology is like using a molecular microscope,"Suzanne Fuqua, professor of medicine at the Breast Center at theBaylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, told United PressInternational.
When a pathologist uses a microscope toanalyze tissue, the doctor can determine if the specimen is cancerousor not, Fuqua explained, but he or she cannot determine whetherthat particular cancer will spread or succumb to standard chemotherapy.
"What we think we can do with microarraytechnology," she continued, "is to diagnose disease,to provide a prognosis for disease and find therapeutic targetsto defeat the disease. We are working toward validating studiesthat we hope will accomplish that."
The technology involves extracting DNA froma tissue specimen in a multistep procedure. Then the extract isdeposited on a microarray, which interacts with the DNA and produceseither a red or green dot representing each gene, indicating activityor inactivity.
Some chips are custom-made in individuallaboratories, while others can be obtained commercially from companiessuch as Affymetrix of Santa Clara, Calif., whose GeneChip productscan analyze as many as 30,000 different gene expressions simultaneously.Within a matter of days, the microarray returns a mosaic of redand green dots. Computer software packages manipulate the dotsinto clusters of genes of interest.
Fuqua said decoding the information on themicroarrays could lead to drugs that target critical genes involvedin the life cycle of the cancer cell.
Studies using microarrays are beginningto dominate science discussions at major medical meetings. Forexample, Donald Schwartz, a postdoctoral researcher in pharmacologyat the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, said his experimentscould help pathologists distinguish between various types of ovariancancer.
At the annual meeting of the American Associationfor Cancer Research in San Francisco, Schwartz noted ovarian cancercan have four major classifications, and often pathologists havedifficulty distinguishing them.
"We analyzed gene expression in 38cell lines using the Affymetrix 6,300-gene microarray," Schwartztold UPI, finding distinct gene expression profiles in differenttumor types. If his data are confirmed, doctors may be able tomake diagnoses and treatment decisions on the basis of gene expression.
Another University of Michigan group hasdeveloped a custom-made microarray that can track how proteinscalled annexins behave in a difficult-to-treat form of prostatecancer. Dr. Wei Xin, a medical research resident, said annexinsplay a key role in the regulation of several cellular functions,including how cells signal one another.
At the annual meeting of the American UrologicalAssociation in Orlando, Fla., Xin said scientists expected thatannexin 7 would be involved in the cancer, but they also foundroles for annexins 1, 2, 4 and 11 in a type of prostate cancercalled hormone refractory prostate cancer. He said the findingsmight point to new drugs for the cancer, a disease for which treatmentoptions are limited.
Other examples of research involving genemicroarrays include:
· Scientists at Roswell Park CancerInstitute in Buffalo, N.Y., have employed microarray technologyto observe effects of chemotherapy on ovarian cancer cells.
· At the AACR, Suzanne Hector, amolecular biologist, using a 12,000-gene microarray panel fromAffymetrix, reported she observed how the administration of differentdrugs changed patterns of gene signaling activity. Hector saidthe patterns changed as cancer cells confronted by chemotherapysought alternative pathways to evade the cancer-killing agents.
· At the Mayo Clinic in Rochester,Minn., research fellow Xiao-li Wang has be able to identify whichgenes are changed in thyroid cancer when compared to normal thyroidtissue. Using another 12,000-gene microarray from Affymetrix,Wang reported at AACR that 28 genes became upregulated, or moreactive, in the thyroid cancer specimens and 95 genes became down-regulated,or less active. He said most of the down-regulated genes -- atthis point in time -- have no known influence on cancer spreador growth. The research may open new doors for exploration, hesuggested.
Dr. Bryan McIver, a consultant in endocrinologyat the clinic, said, "The key to the use of this technologymay be not that we get an answer to a question about the complexnature of tumor development, but how we use the data to answerthe next set of questions."
Dr. Todd Golub, assistant professor of pediatricsat Harvard Medical School and the Dana Farber Cancer Institutein Boston, told UPI, "What is really exciting about geneexpression technology is the notion that one may be able to usethese gene expression signatures not only as diagnostics but asfingerprints of some piece of biology that you want to modulatepharmacologically."
Golub said research indicates the technologycould predict a cancer patient's response to therapy, based uponthe gene expression signatures at the time of diagnosis.
"We need therefore to start thinkingabout how we are going to bring this to the clinic," he said."I think the limiting factor is just going to be the timethat it takes to confirm these studies so we can convince enoughto get people to change their current practice of care."
Silk Road:15 lashes on the back
By Anwar Iqbal, UPISouth Asian Affairs Analyst
WASHINGTON, (UPI) -- The lights were offall over the dark city, so the full moon shone in all its glory.Free from the dwarfing influence of the neon lights and electricbulbs, it looked beautiful. But I shut my window, lit a candleand tried to read an old newspaper.
The jasmine and the Queen of the Night waftedthrough the closed doors. But even their aroma could not makeme open the window.
I could not wipe the picture off my mind.There he was, Nasir Zaidi, chained to a hospital bed with tworifle-toting police constables flanking him.
We were not friends yet, but I knew himas a gentle and soft-spoken man, respected by everybody for hishonesty and an almost religious fervor for a free press. But whenhis time came, his honesty and softness could not protect him.He had to receive all 15 lashes on his back and was now lyingon a hospital bed, chained and handcuffed like a common criminal.
His crime? He defied a dictator's orderto close down some newspapers that dared criticize the army'sinterference in politics.
On May 13, 1978 the then military governmentin Pakistan ordered four journalists flogged for refusing to toethe official line. The government issued a brief press note toannounce the verdict.
Three of them were flogged within 70 minutesafter the judgment and sent to prison to complete their terms.The fourth escaped because the prison doctor declared him unfitfor the lashes.
The whipping was in reprisal for a countrywideagitation by the journalists against the government's media policy.
Within a year after taking over, the martiallaw government had closed down 11 newspapers and fined 13 others.
Two of the journalists flogged during GenZia al Huq's martial law -- Zaidi and Jafri --are my friends now.Jafri is emotional, robust and quarrelsome. Zaidi is quiet andshy. He also suffers from asthma. We never saw him arguing withanyone. Although we were convinced that all four were innocent,we never understood how could anyone flog Zaidi. He was so friendlyand polite that everybody loved him. Even his editors never calledhim by his first name.
He was always addressed as Zaidi Sahib;an Urdu equivalent of Mr. His flogging was a shock for the entiremedia community. I saw several of his friends crying.
Zaidi is so humble that even now he doesnot say he did for any big political ideal. He says that as ajournalist he had a personal reason to protect the dictator'sdecision to close down newspapers. Like other, he says, the journalistsalso have the right to work and if there are no newspapers, therewill be no work for journalists.
Besides, he says, the journalists also haveprofessional reasons for disliking dictators. The press, accordingto him, does not prosper in a controlled society. There is notmuch a journalist can do in a dictatorship.
A free press and a dictatorship are likeoil and water; they don't mix.
And he has a point. In a controlled press,most of the words are handed down by the dictator's ministry ofinformation and journalists simply reprint or broadcast them.
Nobody knows it better than journalistsfrom the Silk Road nations. With the honorable exception of India,most Silk Road nations have totalitarian regimes. From CentralAsia to South Asia, the media are run by the rulers.
Journalism, as it is known in democracieslike India or the United States, does not exist.
The government already ran the electronicmedia and newspapers, too, were brought under direct governmentcontrol through coercive laws that closed all options for freedom.
Every evening we had to take our newspapersto the information department where a bureaucrat -- and sometimesa military officer, usually a major -- would read the entire paper,front to back. They would take out anything they did not like.
The government issued broad guidelines tonewspaper editors: They could not publish anything against thegovernment -- federal, provincial, or local. Any news that a governmentofficer thought could incite people against the rulers was censored.Criticism of the army, the judiciary or the religious establishmentwas not allowed. Even stories that could arouse sexual feelingswere declared censored. Newspapers also needed permission to re-printwhat had already been published, such as excerpts from a bookor a poem.
Many times the censor officers showed theirpersonal likes and dislikes in selecting news items. For example,if a newspaper wanted to carry a feature on open sewers in anarea where a censor officer lived, he could take it out if hethought it would make his neighborhood look bad. Sometimes evenfilm reviews were censored if the officer happened to like thefilm that the writer was criticizing. All decisions were arbitrary.There was no appeal.
Journalists hated these restrictions. Therules denied them some of their basic rights and spawned variousprofessional problems. It was already difficult to find storiesthat would not cross the guidelines. But even when they did, theywere not sure if the censor board would approve the stories, sothey had to write two or three covering stories for every storythey feared could be censored.
The officials insisted on seeing the pagesafter they were designed, complete with headlines and photos.This meant that a story removed by the officials disturbed theentire layout and the whole page had to be redesigned. Sometimesit also disturbed other pages where the censored story was carriedover.
Those were not the days of computers; everythinghad to be done with scissors and glue, s such changes often delayedthe newspaper. To overcome this problem, editors tried to completethe pages as early as possible. Thus they often missed importantlate events. But sometimes missing a story also annoyed the government.Authorities believed newspapers missed stories on purpose to letpeople know how strict the censorship was.
The intention behind all these restrictionswas to teach self-censorship to the journalists. The governmentwanted them to learn how to write "positive" stories.It wanted to create a docile and subservient press. But this didnot work.
Most journalists resisted these restrictionsat every stage.
In the beginning most newspapers refusedto fill the space left behind by a censored story. Instead theyjust printed a sketch of a pair of scissors in that space to showthat the news item or article had been censored.
Sometimes one newspaper would have severalscissor-filled spaces. This made the government look bad and sothe censor officers prevented newspapers from doing it.
The newspapers then found another device.They would print a neutral, non-offensive headline and the writer'sbyline but leave the rest of the space empty. Thus sometimes anewspaper would have eight stories, which only had headlines andbylines. The government also banned this practice.
Now newspapers started printing irrelevantor unimportant stories on the front or back pages to fill a censoredspace. Stories which in a more normal world would not have beenpublished at all. When the government banned this too, Pakistanijournalists learned to write between the lines.
In the beginning, they were not sure whetherthe readers would understand what they were trying to say. Butthe readers proved more intelligent than the writers thought.Readers understood everything and would often do their own investigations,based on the clues they found in a newspaper.
If they read about a sudden shortage oftomatoes and eggs in a particular market, and another story somewhereelse in the newspaper reported that a federal minister had visitedthe market the same day, they guessed that the minister had hadto face a barrage of rotten vegetables when he visited the mall.
Sometimes newspapers just published thesketch of a story, allowing the readers to fill in the gaps. Inthe early 1980s a worker of Murtaza Bhutto's Al Zulfikar groupfired a rocket at Zia's helicopter near Islamabad, the next day'snewspapers had a story about a rocket fired at an unknown helicopterand urged the police and intelligence agencies to be more vigilantagainst terrorists. The censor officers were not aware of theattack, so they allowed it to be published. And the next day everybodyknew that someone had tried to kill Zia.
Scores of political jokes started makingrounds: some new, others adapted from the outside world to suitthe local situation. The journalists struggled and the peoplesupported them. But this enthusiasm did not lead to a popularuprising. It was more a passive resistance.
In Pakistan people seem to have a lot ofpatience. No matter how bad the situation, they can sit and wait.They wait for years until their patience runs out. Then they wakeup, hold rallies and processions. The rallies lead to countrywidestrikes. Buses and shops are burnt, people are killed, and thegovernment changes with the help of both violent and peacefulmethods.
But before it can lead to a real change,people go back to their passive mood. So the change is alwayscosmetic.
Only a few faces change; the system remainsas oppressive as ever. We get another set of corrupt rulers. Wecurse them, but we learn to live with them until the next uprising.
Mortgage rates fall to seven-month low
WASHINGTON, (UPI) -- Freddie Mac said lastFriday long term mortgage rates fell to their lowest level inseven months, knocked down by falling U.S. Treasury yields.
Freddie Mac, which adjusts mortgage ratesaccording to prices that mortgage-backed securities bring in thesecondary bond market, said the average rate on the popular 30-yearloan to homebuyers dropped to 6.55 percent from 6.63 percent lastweek and the 6.71 percent level lenders were asking two weeksearlier.
The 30-year loan has not been this low sincethe week ending Nov. 16, 2001, when lenders were asking 6.51 percent.A year ago, the 30-year average was 7.11 percent, Freddie Macnoted.
Rates on 30-year mortgages hit a low of6.45 percent in early November of last year, their lowest pointsince Freddie Mac began conducting its nationwide survey in 1971.
Even though rates have moved higher sincethat time, analysts believe mortgage rates will be fairly stablethis year and will continue to support the housing market.
Mortgage rates climbed to a record 18.66percent in October 1981 and have been hovering around the 6.5to 7 percent level since January 2001, trading in a tight rangeof 6.45 percent to 7.20 percent.
Mortgage rates peaked in mid-May last yearwhen lenders were asking 8.64 percent for the popular 30-yearloan, which was the highest level since lenders were asking 8.73percent back during the week of Feb. 24, 1995.
Analysts noted rates had been moving loweras a result of the Federal Reserve's yearlong string of interestrates reductions during last year.
Meanwhile, Freddie Mac said the rate onthe 15-year loan fell to 5.99 percent from 6.08 percent last weekand from the 6.17 percent level lenders had been asking over theprevious two weeks. A year ago, the 15-year loan averaged 6.63percent.
The group said the rate on the 1-year adjustablemortgage inched up to 4.61 percent from 4.60 percent last weekbut remained below the 4.67 percent level lenders were askingtwo weeks earlier. This time last year, the one-year ARM averaged5.77 percent.
The rates do not include add-on fees knownas points, which averaged 0.5 percent on the 30-year and 15-yearloans and 0.4 percent on the 1-year adjustable loan.
Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac chief economist,said, "Corporate accounting concerns caused fierce investorbuying of U.S. Treasury bonds, thereby lowering their yields.Other long-term interest rates followed in suit bringing fixed-ratemortgage rates within a slim margin of their 30-year record lowset last November.
"Low mortgage rates have kept the housingmarket vibrant with activity. New home sales hit an all-time recordin May, and more recently, refinancing rose to about half of newmortgage originations last week," Nothaft added.
The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation,which has been tracking rates since 1971, surveys 125 banks, savingsand loans and mortgage lenders, to calculate rates.
Freddie Mac is a corporation chartered byCongress that buys mortgages from lenders and packages them intosecurities for investors.
Community
East End Debuts Improved Reading Programme
Teachers say an excitingnew reading scheme has dramatically improved East End Primarystudents' language arts performance over the past year.
After adopting the McGrawHill programme in September 2001, students' scores rose an averageof two years by summer 2002.
Explaining that East Endvolunteered to pilot the scheme after identifying language artsperformance as a challenge during the school's site-based planningprocess, Principal Raphael Daniel says the new material has revitalisedand transformed teachers and students attitudes towards reading.
"The Education Departmenthad been looking for a replacement reading scheme for some timewhen it decided to pilot programmes from competing publishingcompanies. Our own research showed McGraw Hill was very well suitedto the school's needs and to date we have been extremely satisfiedwith our choice," he comments.
This decision was furtherprompted during school inspectors' visit in March 2001, the principaladds, when they identified areas for improvement that includedactively involving students in the lessons, matching work to individuallearning needs and tackling underachievement.
In light of these challengesthe school has found the structure of the McGraw Hill programmeto be well suited to its needs. "Levelled" supplementaryreaders accompany each text, reinforcing the same skills but atchildren's individual reading levels. There are also suggestionsfor activities, including games, quizzes, dramatic productions,artwork and Internet research. Teachers can also take advantageof added resources that allow them to more closely monitor students'performance, including which and how many books children haveread, as well as identifying and targeting areas of weakness intheir performance.
Educators are particularlyenthusiastic about the programme's "flexibility,"
"McGraw Hill sent atrainer to show us how the material could be adapted to meet specificchallenges. Since then teachers have been able to comfortablymodify units to better address areas for which they may have previouslyhad insufficient time. As each lesson targets multiple skill areas,they are also able to cover more material, more efficiently. Infact the programme so lends itself to integration that it caneven be used to teach subjects as varied as maths, science, socialstudies, geography and Spanish," the principal declares.
Deputy Principal Vicki Frederick,a year two teacher, praises the scheme's cross-cultural links.
"McGraw Hill is gearedto international rather than North American audiences, so studentscan open a book and read about countries around the world, aswell as island-cultures like Jamaica and Cuba with which theyare more familiar. Reading has really come alive for studentsnow it is something they can relate to," Ms Frederick says.
Her colleague, year threeteacher Lorna Wilson cites eight-year-old Antascio Rankine asan example of how the programme has stimulated students' readingskills.
"Students used to beunmotivated," Ms Wilson remarks, "these days McGrawHill's interesting topics, and vibrant, attention-getting illustrationsmake it difficult for them to put down any book. They also spenda deal of time talking about what they have read. Recently weused a story about bats to discuss conservation efforts in Caymanas well as the bat caves in Cayman Brac. This new ability to relatematerial to their own culture has been so successful at drawingthem out that Antascio is now reading above his age level, andhas taken to walking around with a box of his favourite books."
East End also relies onthe programme's rich range of material for its after-school andhome-reading programmes.
The after-school schemeprovides extra tutoring to children performing below their yearlevel in subject areas like language arts, while the home-readinginitiative encourages children to read with their families.
The result has been, MsFrederick notes, that McGraw Hill has affected even parents' outlookon reading. "These days they are excited to see what booktheir child is going to bring home, and they are always very eagerto find out when children will advance to the next level,"she comments.
Community Health Services It's Time for NewStudents' Health Screening
Before entering public orprivate schools, all new students regardless of grade must have health screenings, reminds the Community Health Services.
It is also essential forall children to have up-to-date immunisations to protect themagainst communicable diseases, says Medical Officer of Health,Dr. Kiran Kumar, who adds that the health screenings can be donethrough private practitioners or the School Health Services.
The examination consistsof checking the student's medical history, a basic physical andvision and hearing screening, as well as reviewing and administeringnecessary immunisations. The child's immunisation card and anyother medical records should be presented to health practitionerat the time of the appointment.
Parents may make an appointmentwith the School Health Services at the time of school registration;a detailed information sheet is available at each school. Alternately,parents may arrange to have the screening done by private physicians.
The completed school healthrecord should be then submitted either to the Community HealthServices, located at the Cayman Islands Health Services Complex,or the John Gray health centre. Both are open Monday to Fridayfrom 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information pleasecontact the John Gray High School Health Centre at 949-2501 orthe Community Health Services at 244-2621.
Sports
MoneyExpress Division 2 Cricket
Knock Out competition hasnew champions.
Cable & Wireless Schoolsdefeated West Bay on Saturday at the Smith Road Oval.
C&W Schools had outstandingperformances throughout the year and produced another team effortto defeat the defending champions. West bay lead by Jimmy Powell,fought all the way but there was no stopping the C&W Schools.
This is the first successfor C&W Schools and the youngsters were extremely happy.
Scores
West Bay 158 runs
Sydney Moore 51 runs
Joseph Kirkconnell, 2 wickets for 8 runs,
Omar Bryan 2 wickets for 20 runs.
Cable & Wireless Schools 160 runs for 6 wickets
Abali Hoilett, 23 runs n.o, Paul Chin 22 runs,
Theo Cuffy 53 runs n.o.
Joybert Blackman 3 wickets for 20 runs
Cable & Wireless won by 4 wickets.
Congratulations Cable & Wireless Schools.
Money Express Division 1Final is scheduled for Sunday 14 July at the Smith Road Oval from11.00am.
The two finalists are defendingchampions BY RITE and last year runners up Environmemtal All Stars.See you there.
Cydonie Mothersill
Jeff Kingstad, a memberof the Phoenix Athletic Club, recently took first place in thepole vault in the 40-49 year old age group at the annual BadgerState Games in Wisconsin. He cleared a height of 14 feet forthe victory.
Cydonie Mothersill competedat an international track meet in Zagreb, Croatia on July 8. Her efforts gained her sixth place in the Women's 100 meters witha time of 11.57, while her clocking of 23.16 at 200 meters earnedher the fourth finishing position.
Scholars Football Camp at the Town HallField
Scholars will have theirFootball Camp from July 22 to July 26 from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30p.m. at the Town Hall Field (School Field). Lunch will be providedand everything is free!!
The camp is for playerswho want to learn and improve their football skills in a fun andexciting football environment.
Local coaches and team playerswill combine fun games and football basics to help players learnand improve the fundamentals of the world's most popular sport. The goal of the camp is to enhance and increase the growth anddevelopment of football in each athlete.
FACTS ABOUT Cayman Net News ...
The current printedition of Cayman Net News isnow on sale on newsstands everywhere in the Cayman Islands
Cayman NetNews' website is up-dated at 1:00 pm every Tuesdayand Thursday. There are also frequent News Updates on other days,including weekends and public holidays.
Cayman NetNews' full editionincluding Display and Classified ads can also be read on-line,by clicking the appropriate box on the home page.
The CaymanIslands Government'sofficial web siteis now accessed by clicking the the appropriate box on the homepage. This important feature allows viewers to access a multitudeof important information and features of the Cayman Islands including:Directories, General information and Guides, Immigration Services,current Weather, and other top Cayman links
READER SERVICES -
Community,sports and service organizations areencouraged to send announcements and photos of up-coming eventsfor publication.
Corporateand business press releases withphotos relevant to the Cayman Islands are considered for publication.
Feedbackand Letters to the Editorare encouraged from viewers.
Forwardvia e-mail to:caymanet@candw.ky or Fax to:(345) 949-0679
CORPORATE andPRODUCTION OFFICES -
Cayman Net Ltd.
19 Compass Drive
Grand Cayman
Cayman Islands, BWI
Telephone: (345) 946 6060 / Emergencies(345) 916 4622
This Site was designed andis maintained by Cayman Net Ltd., publishers of:
Cayman NetNews tabloid newspaper;
caymannetnews.com online news edition
ThisWeek in Cayman A Weekly Magazine, Tourist and TV Guide.
® All rights reserved.