New York Liberty Star

1FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2010 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

Caribbean NewsNews

Page 6

EntertainmentPage 11

•• Copyright © 2006, New York Liberty Star WWW.NYLIBERTYSTAR.COM VOL. 10 ISSUE 197FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2010

KY-MANI MARLEY was detainedThursday after having a heatedargument with a radioshow DJ.

KY-MANI DEFENDSMOM FROM DJ DISS

BRUCE NOBLES: With the April 30 saledate for Air Jamaica just a weekaway, workers say they are still in thedark over their future with the carrier.

AIR JAMAICA WORKERSWANT ANSWERS

OUR FOOD SHOULDN’T OUR FOOD SHOULDN’T OUR FOOD SHOULDN’T OUR FOOD SHOULDN’T OUR FOOD SHOULDN’T TRATRATRATRATRAVEL MORE VEL MORE VEL MORE VEL MORE VEL MORE THAN THAN THAN THAN THAN WE DOWE DOWE DOWE DOWE DO,,,,, P26 P26 P26 P26 P2650 CENTS

2 FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2010 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR


TRINIDAD & GRENADASIGN MARITIME TREATY

NURSING EXODUS GETSWORSE FOR JAMAICA

6 7 KY-MANI DEFENDS MOMAFTER DJ ‘DISS’

CARIBBEAN DUO SCOREMAIDEN WINS AT PENNS

11 25

PM MANNINGALLWOOD-ANDERSON KY-MANI MARLEY AKELA JONES

NURSING EXODUS MAYONLY GET WORSE, P6


New York Liberty Star welcomesletters from readers and pressreleases. We reserve the right toedit all materials, in keeping withpublication standards.To submit an article, send email to:[email protected] of operation: M-F, 9 a.m. -5 p.m. All material due by 12 p.m.,two days prior to publication. TheNew York Liberty Star is not respon-sible for typographical errors in adsbeyond the cost of the spaceoccupied by the error. CopyrightNew York Liberty Star 2001. Allrightsreserved / Ivrol D. Hines.

LENECIA HINESEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

IVROL HINESMANAGING EDITOR

LEONARDO HARRISONGRAPHIC DESIGNER & WEBMASTER

EARL “JR JAMROC” LYNVP OF OPERATIONS, NYLS

PAUL HAUGHTONCOMMUNITY RELATIONS LIASON

DAVID LESTERJOAN GOBOURNE

NEAL JOHNACCOUNTS MANAGER

NEW YORK CITYCORPORATE OFFICE397 Rockaway Ave

Brooklyn, NY 11212

LONG ISLAND OFFICE276 Fulton Ave

Hempstead, NY 11550

Telephone:(718) 785-9722

Fax:(215) 294-5903

Send Mail to:New York Liberty Star1930 Rockaway Pkwy.

Brooklyn, NY [email protected]

www.nylibertystar.com

EDITORIAL STAFF

Local NewsNEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

By Mel Cook

Over a year ago Frances-AnneSolomon received an e-mailfrom cultural icon Dr Kamau

Brathwaite, congratulating and thank-ing her for her contribution to Carib-bean film through the annualCaribbeanTales Film Festival, held inToronto, Canada, each July.

As the festival extended back toits roots this year, with the Best ofCaribbeanTales debuting in Barbadosin February, Brathwaite planned totake students from New York Univer-sity (NYU). That fell through, butBrathwaite was determined to makethe connection and Solomon says “hebegan looking into the possibility ofbringing the festival itself to NYU.”

“Through his persistent efforts,the plan bore fruit, and was confirmeda few days ago. The NYU festival istherefore due to the foresight and vi-sion of Kamau Brathwaite, who is anicon of our culture, and clearly seesthe cultural importance and educa-tional significance of the developmentof an indigenous film industry.”

She says Brathwaite chose andprogrammed the films himself. “Heknew exactly what he wanted to show,when and how,” Solomon said.

Therefore Brathwaite, who isProfessor of Comparative Literatureat NYU, will host selections from theBest of CaribbeanTales 2010 fromApril 26th to May 1. The mini-festi-val is part of a larger event, Marassa10 2010: A Festival of CaribbeanFilm, Story and Imagination.

Best of CaribbeanTalesSix feature films and several

shorts from the Best ofCaribbeanTales will be screened.Among them are Stephanie’s Black’sAfrica Unite, Calypso Dreams(Geoffrey Dunn, Michael Horne), AWinter Tale (directed by Solomon),the shorts Directions, Invisible andMami Wata from Trinidad and To-

Caribbean TalesGoes NYU, Cannes

bago, directed by Renee Polonais,Elspeth Duncan and Yao Ramesar re-spectively.

There are also the Maria Govandirected Rain, The Legend of BuchiFil (German Gruber), ChristopherLaird’s Drummit2Summit and theclosing feature Carmen and Geoffrey(Linda Atkins and Nick Doob).

“I am very excited to see giantsof our literature - Brathwaite, DerekWalcott, George Lamming (whospoke at our launch in Barbados), toname a few - prepared to engage andthrow their weight behind our newfledgeling film industry. It is veryhelpful, as it establishes a context forthe work we are doing; they see itsvast possibilities and their supportgives our work a weight and legiti-macy beyond mere ‘entertainment’,”Solomon said.

CaribbeanTales will also be in-volved in the Festival International duFilm Panafricain from April 21 - 252010 in Cannes, France, Solomon re-ceiving the personal honour of beinginvited as ‘Presidente du Jury’ (Presi-dent of the Jury). Among the filmsslated to be screened are RogerMcTair’s Journey to justice, Fabulous

Spaces, (which explores science fic-tion writer Nalo Hopkinson’s work),Blood Dub and the Matriarch (JudySingh’s biopic of dub artistdbi.young.anitaafrika), Jab (AlexDeverteiul ) Gathering the ScatteredCousins (Akin Omotoso); Frances-Anne Solomon’s What My MotherTold Me and I Is A Long MemoriedWoman; Celebration (Yao Ramesar);Crack House (Camille SelvonAbrahams); and Lenny Little White’sGlory to Gloriana.

The inclusion has been long inthe making. Solomon said “I was ap-proached two years ago by Mr BasileNgangue, the Artistic Director of theFestival International Pan African deCannes. This is a festival that takesplace in Cannes, France, betweenMipTV in April and the Cannes FilmFestival in May. Mr Ngangue cameto Canada a couple of times, and lastyear we were able to meet in Toronto.He expressed an interest in includingCaribbean films in his programs andinvited me to participate, so I gavehim a selection of some 30 films totake back with him back to France.”

ExposureA selection committee gave the

nod to 20 of the films which Solomonrecommended.

The implications of the NYU andCannes forays go beyond achieve-ment for CaribbeanTales. Solomonsays “Caribbean culture, includingfilm, is taking its place on the worldstage, alongside other major cultures.The exposure legitimises our verybeing, our very existence as a peopleand a region, with not one but manyoriginal voices. The ability to have avoice, to tell our stories, is key to ahealthy society. So we are growing asa region, we are coming to voice,coming into our own.”

“Wherever there are populationsof Caribbean people there is a thirstto see Caribbean stories. The explo-sion of exciting films and festivals likeours has generated great interest. Itmakes sense that the CaribbeanTalesFilm Festival, which began as a festi-val of films from the Caribbean andits Diaspora - originating in Toronto- would travel the world effortlessly.”

On the strictly business end,Solomon says that CaribbeanTalesWorldwide Distribution will belaunched in May, this in associationwith BBEC, a Barbados-based invest-ment company led by Dr BasilSpringer.

“Effective and targeted distribu-tion of our content is very muchneeded, to give us a platform in theworld marketplace, to find our audi-ences and meet audience with prod-uct. Right now a lot of content is be-ing created but there are no outlets.The infrastructure to monetise thework of creators does not exist. Wehave to change that. A distributioncompany will be the first step to put-ting the production of films on aproper business footing by identify-ing and targeting markets and gener-ating income for producers,” Solomonsaid.

“It is an exciting time and I feelvery privileged to be part of it.”

Saint Barbara

In the name of Shango,Lightning and thunder for

all our enemies.

SPIRITUAL READINGMan from JamaicaWoman from HaitiOne Remedy To Remove Jinx AndBad Luck & Bring You Good Luck1 Elegua candle, 7 green lime, 1 cananga water,1 ball blue, 7 stalks scallion, 1 chinese wash, 1 haysup wash, 1 go away evil wash, 1 btl. verbenawash, 1 btl. white lavener wash, 1 dragon bloodwash, 1 hand full rock salt, 1 btl. protection oil,1 btl. cinamon oil, 1 btl. dragon blood oil.For reading call for appointment:917-216-1507 or 614-805-6530Email: [email protected] www.shawnspiritualreading.webs.com

This psalm is good for protection againstenemies; also good for court cases.This is a good pocket piece as well.

Read this prayer before going to bed.

“Saint PhilomenaKeep us grounded.”

917-216-1507 www.shawnspiritualreading.webs.com

“Saint Joseph keep ussteady in our doings.”

“Saint Peter open alldoors for us all.”

Psalm 35Plead my cause, O LORD, with them thatstrive with me; fight against them that fightagainst me. Take hold of shield and buckler,and stand up for mine help. Draw out also thespear, and block the way against them thatpersecute me. Say unto my soul, “I am thysalvation ...” To be continued.

Read three times daily.

Frances-Anne Solomon



CaribbeanNEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

By Kathy Barrett

The shortage ofnurses throughout theCaribbean has reachedchronic proportions, ina region already strug-gling with an ailinghealth care system.

A World Bank report released onMar. 2 revealed that between 2002and 2006, more than 1,800 nurses leftthe Caribbean for higher paying jobsabroad, mostly in the United States,Canada and Britain.

The director of the World Bank’sHuman Development Department inLatin American and the Caribbean,Dr. Evangeline Javier, predicted thatthe shortage of nurses will worsen incoming years, with increasing demandfor nurses overseas and widespreaddissatisfaction with their salary andworking conditions.

According to World Bank esti-mates, 7,800 nurses are working inEnglish-speaking Caribbean coun-tries, or 1.25 nurses per 1,000 people.That is about one-tenth the concen-tration of nurses in some major ad-vanced economies.

“These shortages have tangibleimpacts that may compromise theability of English-speakingCARICOM (Caribbean Community)countries to meet their key health careservice needs, especially in the areasof disease prevention and care. Inaddition, the shortage of highlytrained nurses reduces the capacity ofcountries to offer quality health careat a time when Caribbean countries

aim to attract businesses and retireesas an important pillar of growth,” thereport stated.

In Jamaica, the largest English-speaking country in the region, aboutthree out of every four nurses trainedhere have migrated to developedcountries.

The migration of nurses from Ja-maica is not a new phenomenon, saysDr. Hermi Hewitt, director of theSchool of Nursing at the Universityof the West Indies.

“The same reasons causingnurses migration in the 1960s con-tinue to be the push and pull factorstoday,” she said. “The key push fac-tors which have driven the migrationwave have been identified as poor re-muneration, lack of opportunities foreducation and training…violence and

stressful working conditions.”Hewitt lists the pull factors at-

tracting nurses as better salary pack-ages, working conditions and oppor-tunities for professional development.In Jamaica, an experienced nurseearns an average of 600 dollars amonth, far less than even a traineewould abroad.

In the face of this constant mi-gration, there is some hope in regionalcollaboration. The single most signifi-cant achievement has been the Man-aged Migration Program, launched in2001 and built on a concept originallydeveloped in Jamaica.

The program has been defined as“a regional strategy for retaining anadequate number of competent nurs-ing personnel to deliver health pro-grams and services to the Caribbean

Nursing Exodus May Only Get Worsenationals”.

In Barbados, for example, thegovernment has worked to increasethe enrolment of nurses in training atthe Barbados Community College onan annual basis.

In St. Vincent, the governmenthad sought bilateral agreements toobtain compensation from health careprovider institutions that recruitnurses away from the country.

Still, nursing migration from Ja-maica – and other countries - has cre-ated severe shortages and majorworkforce challenges - compromisingthe quality of care, creating stressedworking conditions and eroding somecultural norms, such as male and fe-male patients being accommodated inthe same hospital ward.

Edith Allwood-Anderson, thefeisty president of the Nurses Asso-ciation of Jamaica (NAJ), believesthere will be deliberate efforts by theUnited States in particular to lure al-most one million nurses from Carib-bean countries even as the global eco-nomic recession abates.

The NAJ represents registerednurses across Jamaica. Allwood-Anderson says there has been nomeaningful effort on the part of thegovernments to retain local nursesother than lip service.

“It has had absolutely no impact,the dangling of the carrot is not evi-dent anymore and as the World Bankreport said, there is now a windowperiod for Caribbean governmentswhich ordered the study…. to try anddangle and implement retention strat-egies for nurses before the recoveryof the American economy - whichneeds 800,000 nurses and it is theCaribbean that they are banking on,”she said.

“Most of the recommendationswere not put in place… We continueto be underpaid and overworked, butour spirits are very high,” Allwood-Anderson said.

In St. Vincent and the Grena-dines, the government is training morenurses to cope with the drain. But thestruggle is ongoing.

Jerry George is a regional jour-nalist based in St. Vincent and theGrenadines who believes it’s too earlyto tell if any of the strategies imple-mented by the various governmentswould really work.

“Whereas in the past the nursestrained were automatically employedby the Health Ministry, the new sys-tem trains the nurses and they thenhave to apply for available positionsin the health services,” he said.

“What is anticipated is that thosewho don’t make it would be availableto take up job opportunities overseas.Where that strategy falls down is thatthe countries which are looking fornurses are looking for trained andexperienced nurses so how well thisworks as a strategy is still in ques-tion,” he explained.

The World Bank report notes thatin the coming years, demand fornurses in the English-speaking Car-ibbean will increase due to the healthneeds of the aging population.

Christoph Kurowski, the leadauthor of the report, has reiteratedsome aspects of the managed migra-tion program.

“English-speaking Caribbeancountries need to examine their policyresponses towards the migration ofhealth workers,” he said. “Countriesin the region should adopt a joinedapproach that balances the rights andinterests of nurses and governments.”

KINGSTON, Jamaica -One of the unions represent-ing Air Jamaica employeeshas written to the airline’spresident, Bruce Nobles, giv-ing him until the end of thisweek to answer a number ofoutstanding concerns.

With the April 30 sale date for Air Jamaicajust a week away, workers say they are still inthe dark over their future with the carrier.

Their union also says it is still awaiting of-ficial documentation concerning the dealreached between Caribbean Airlines (CAL) andthe Bruce Golding-led administration.

“We are not aware of any information aboutthe culture, the policies, the actual job offer, the

number of persons needed, what are the criteria… moreso, as the union that represents the work-ers until the very last day, we have not been in-formed sufficiently to guide our members,” saidGranville Valentine, spokesman for the NationalWorkers Union (NWU).

He also expressed concern that those em-ployees who have retired and those who haveopted for voluntary redundancy still did notknow how their pension and other benefitswould be worked out.

In a letter to the president on Wednesday,the union said that in order to guarantee a seam-less transition to Caribbean Airlines, informa-tion must be provided by Friday.

“We believe that in the interest of the work-ers and the Jamaican people there is need forfull disclosure. We are not just calling on Presi-dent and by extension the Prime Minister tospeak to the issue,” the union states.

The Jamaica government is selling Air Ja-maica which has for years been a burden on thepublic purse. The airline should have wound upoperations on April 12, but that date was shiftedto April 30 as the divestment team said it neededmore time to complete the negotiations with thenew owners. In his recent contribution to the2010/2011 budget debate, Prime Minister BruceGolding sought to assure the nation that theTrinidad-based Caribbean Airlines was commit-ted to servicing the routes that were vital toJamaica’s interest.

“They will fly these routes under the Air

Air Jamaica Workers Want Answers

Edith Allwood-Anderson, presidentof the Nurses Association ofJamaica

Dr. Hermi Hewitt, director of theSchool of Nursing at the Universityof the West Indies

Bruce Nobles, president of Air Jamaica

Jamaica flag at least for the initial period andunder licence from the government of Jamaica.We have made provisions in the budget to sat-isfy promptly all our obligations to the staff ofAir Jamaica, some of whom will be offered em-ployment by Caribbean Airlines. Our recurring

losses in Air Jamaica will finally come to anend,” Golding said.

However workers are expressing concernabout several administrative matters yet to becleared up, as anxiety heightens over the fate ofthe national airline.

The Jamaicagovernment is sellingAir Jamaica which hasfor years been a burdenon the public purse.


Jamaica To Sell Bauxite/Alumina Stake To China Firm

CASTRIES, St. Lucia -- ForeignMinister Rufus Bousquet believesthe illegal use of St. Lucian pass-ports by persons with criminal in-tent, including nationals from otherparts of the Caribbean,is giving the island abad name in the UnitedKingdom.

The British government recentlyannounced that it was re-consideringwhether to allow St. Lucians and Do-minicans to continue to enter the UKwithout visas.

Bousquet pointed out that as anindependent country, Britain reservedthe right to implement a visa review,even as he admitted that St. Lucia’simage has been somewhat tarnished.

“St. Lucia has become somethingof a poster child for those who are outthere entering the country with ille-gal drugs. There have been a numberof fairly high incidents that have taken place and certainlythe British government has for quite sometime indicatedto the authorities here particular concern,” said Bousquet.

“As you know this has encouraged the perception thatSt. Lucia has quite a number of people who come into theUK illegally and with drugs,” he added.

‘That might not necessarily be the reality but that cer-tainly is a perception,” Bousquet added.

The Foreign Minister further suggested that the prob-lem was not entirely of St. Lucia’s making. He said na-tionals from other Caribbean countries have been comingto the island and obtaining passports illegally, adding thatthe British authorities were aware of the situation and have

therefore been subjecting St. Lucia passport holders togreater scrutiny.

The situation has also contributed to the review of thevisa waiver which St. Lucians currently enjoy in travel-ling to Britain, he said.

“Where there is smoke there is fire and clearly therehas been smoke in that a number of persons, and I wouldrefrain from singling out any country in particular, but

there have been persons from othercountries who have made it a busi-ness of coming to St. Lucia if theywanted to get a passport to traveloverseas, and that practice has goneon for years.

“There have even been accusa-tions that they have been facilitatedthrough persons in the Passport Di-vision and other departments. I don’tknow whether these accusations holdany merit but clearly there is certainlyschools of thought that are quiteadamant that we are so lax in term ofhow we conduct out business thatpersons are able to get away with thatquite easily,” the Foreign Ministersaid.

During the past year, a numberof foreign nationals, most coming

from Guyana, have been arrested and charged for being inpossession of forged St. Lucia passports, and other formsof identification.

Britain and St. Lucia are to enter into a six-monthperiod of detailed dialogue to determine what actionswould be taken to address British concerns and mitigatethe need for visas to be introduced.

During this period St. Lucia and Dominica which arecurrently being reviewed will, according to British offi-cials, need to demonstrate a genuine commitment to putinto effect credible and realistic plans, with clear time-tables to reduce the risk to the UK and begin implement-ing these plans.

CaribbeanConsulatesIn New YorkAntigua & Barbuda610 Fifth Avenue, Suite 311New York, N.Y. 10020Tel. 212-541-4117

Bahamas231 East 46th StreetNew York, NY 10017(212) 421-6420

Barbados800 Second Avenue, 2nd Fl.New York, N.Y. 10017Tel. 212-867-8435

Belize800 Second Avenue, Suite 400GNew York, N.Y. 10017Tel. 212-599-0233

Cayman Islands (Dept. of Tourism)420 Lexington AveNew York, NY 10170(212) 682-5582

Dominican Republic1500 Broadway, Suite 410New York, N.Y. 10036Tel. 212-768-2480

Grenada800 Second Avenue, Suite 400KNew York, N.Y. 10017Tel. 212-599-0301

Guyana866 UN Plaza, Room 304New York, N.Y. 10017Tel. 212-527-3215

Haiti271 Madison Avenue, 17th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10016Tel. 212-697-9767

Honduras80 Wall Street, Suite 415, 4th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10005Tel. 212-269-3611

Jamaica767 Third AvenueNew York, N.Y. 10017-2993Tel. 212-935-9000

Martinique444 Madison Avenue, 16th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10022Tel. 212-838-6887

Montserrat845 Third AvenueNew York, N.Y. 10022Tel. 212-745-0200

Panama1212 Avenue of the Americas, 6th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10036Tel. 212-840-2450

Puerto Rico666 Fifth Avenue, 15th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10103Tel. 800-223-6530

St. Kitts & Nevis414 East 75th Street, 5th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10021Tel. 212-535-1234

St. Lucia800 Second Avenue, 9th FloorNew York, N.Y. 10007Tel. 212-697-9360

St. Maarten675 Third Avenue, Ste. 1807New York, N.Y. 10017Tel. 800-786-2278

St. Vincent & The Grenadines801 Second Avenue, 21st FloorNew York, N.Y. 10017Tel. 212-687-4981

Trinidad & Tobago125 Maiden LaneNew York, N.Y.Tel. 212-682-7272

By Horace Helps

Jamaica’s governmentplans to sell its stake inbauxite producer and alu-mina refiner ClarendonAlumina ProductionLimited to a Chinesecompany, the prime min-ister said.

Bruce Golding told parliamentlate on Tuesday that negotiations wereadvanced for the sale of thegovernment’s 45 percent stake inCAP, also known as Jamalco, to Chi-nese company Zhuhai Hongfan.

The other partner in Jamalco isAlcoa Inc., which owns 55 percent ofthe shares.

“We have entered into an agree-ment with a Chinese firm, ZhuhaiHongfan, for the sale of CAP,”Golding said, adding:

“The sale is subject to the inher-ent right of Alcoa, our joint venturepartner in Jamalco, which has a 90-day right of first refusal”.

Golding said Zhuhai Hongfanhad an alumina supply contract withthe Aluminum Corp of China, thecountry’s top aluminium maker, andhad also secured financing commit-ments from the China DevelopmentBank.

“Hongfan is also committed toexpanding the Jamalco plant from 1.2million tonnes to 2.7 million tonnes,provided adequate long-term bauxite

reserves can be assured,” the Jamai-can prime minister said.

“Representatives of Hongfan,Chalco, China Development Bankand Alcoa met in Jamaica last weekand we are optimistic that the agree-ment will be consummated,” headded.

Hit By Global RecessionJamaica’s strategic bauxite and

alumina export sector was badly hitby the global economic downturn thatreduced international demand, forc-ing several plants on the Caribbeanisland to halt or slash production andlay off workers.

Clarendon Alumina Production,located in the central parish ofClarendon, was the only one not tocut output or lay off workers.

But Golding said that despite theplant’s relatively high level of effi-

ciency, the government found that itwas still losing money on every tonneof alumina produced, and the govern-ment stake had become a heavy bur-den on taxpayers.

He blamed this on “fixed-priceforward sale contracts entered intobetween 2002 and 2005” which werethen affected by the upward move-ment in production costs and down-ward movement in aluminum prices.

“The government has had to pro-vide a total of $176 million to meetCAP’s obligations to Jamalco. Andthat is in addition to assuming $369million of debt for monies borrowedthrough CAP to help finance past bud-gets and cover its share of capital in-vestment costs,” he said.

Reduced bauxite and aluminaexport revenues was one of the fac-tors that forced Jamaica to enter a$1.27 billion standby loan agreementwith the International Monetary Fundin February, in a bid to shore up itsvulnerable economy against eco-nomic shocks. There are some signshowever that the outlook might beimproving for the Jamaican bauxiteand alumina sector.

Mining and Energy MinisterJames Robertson said this week thatRussian aluminum producer, UCRusal, would restart in June produc-tion at its Windalco Ewarton bauxiteand alumina refinery in Jamaica,which closed its doors last year.

The planned reopening, sixmonths earlier than expected, was dueto improving global demand,Robertson said.

Foreign Minister Says St. LuciaIs Getting A Bad Rap In The Uk

Rufus Bousquet says St. Lucia hasbecome something of a poster childfor those who are out there enteringthe UK with illegal drugs.

Trinidad,GrenadaSignMaritimeTreaty

Trinidad and Tobago andGrenada Wednesday signed amaritime delimitation treaty, in-sisting that it would providesocio-economic benefits to bothcountries, despite strong objec-tions from the opposition partiesin both countries.

Prime Minister Patrick Man-ning and his Grenadian counter-part, Tillman Thomas, signed theaccord at a brief ceremony at theDiplomatic Centre on the com-pound of the official residence,ending nearly 17 years of nego-tiations.

Both leaders told the cer-emony that the agreement wouldallow for meaningful investmentin oil and other products in thewaters of the two countries.

Manning said the agreementwould set the stage for “evencloser collaboration as we seek todevelop the resources of the ex-clusive economic zone and thecontinental shelf to mutual ad-vantage in furtherance of the de-velopment of the integrationmovement of which we have nowembarked.

“The maritime boundary willseparate jurisdictions but it willunite governments and peoples,”Manning said.

For his part, Thomas said theagreement “is testament to ourshared commitment to the contin-ued deepening of relations andcooperation between our twostates.

“”It also re-affirms the stronghistorical ties that exist betweenour peoples,” he said, adding “itis those ties that enabled the talksto be conducted in an amicableand cordial manner”.

Thomas said that the signingof the treaty “will eventually as-sist the government of Grenadato increase the level of employ-ment, the level of income, thelevel of productivity, economicgrowth and the general well be-ing of its citizens”.

But as the leaders met to signthe accord, Grenada’s OppositionLeader, Dr. Keith Mitchell, senta letter to Prime Minister Man-ning indicating that “a vast ma-jority of our population is vehe-mently opposed to the signing ofthe treaty and holds the view thatTrinidad and Tobago with its longhistory of oil and gas explorationand development, and its knowl-edge of the resources in the areahas taken advantage of Grenadain its vulnerable state.

Prime Minister Patrick Manning

Bruce Golding


Jamaica CopChargedWith StartingDeadly Fire

A Jamaican police constable wascharged Tuesday with starting a fire thatkilled seven girls at a juvenile lockup thatwas engulfed by flames as authorities weretrying to halt a disturbance.

Prosecutors charged ConstableLawrence Burrell with intentionally ignit-ing the blaze at the Armadale Juvenile Cen-ter with a tear gas canister he threw duringa melee by the youthful inmates last May.

The fire swept through a section of thecramped facility, trapping 23 girls inside.Police rescued all but six, who died. One ofthe rescued girls also died a week later fromburns received in the blaze.

Burrell is charged with administering anoxious substance with intent to injure andmultiple counts of assault, according toprosecutor Paula Llewylyn.

Earlier this year, a government commis-sion found that Burrell inadvertently startedthe fire during the disturbance and criticizedthe juvenile center’s administrators for keep-ing the girls in a poorly maintained dormi-tory that was designed for only five inmates.

Police commanders and a spokesmanfor Golding’s administration did not returncalls seeking comment. It was not immedi-ately known if Burrell had a lawyer.

His first court appearance is scheduledfor April 30.

The Jamaica policeWednesday outlined a 16-plan initiative aimed at gain-ing public support in the fightagainst crime and violence inthe country.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) saidthat the plan includes targeting gang activity inschools, covert anti-gang operations and moreaggressive policing on the island’s road network.

“In order for these policing activities towork and ensure the safety and security of allJamaicans it is important that citizens continue

tend that police were informed of his travel planswell in advance, including details of the clinicwhere he underwent five hours of surgery onMonday, as well as the procedure and name ofthe doctor who would be carrying out his medi-cal treatment.

“This has been an unnecessary and an un-called for piece of drama. At no time didBjerkhamn attempt to leave Barbados withoutadvising the police,” stressed Sir RichardCheltenham.

However, local police have now issued awarrant for the arrest of Bjerkhamn.

In updating the media here on the case onWednesday, Police Commissioner DarwinDottin said he did not consider that the deci-sion to allow Bjerkhamn to leave the island washis to make.

He said the businessman, who had beenpicked up by Miami police, was due to returnto the island this morning to face a manslaugh-ter charge.

Police say they intend tolay a charge of manslaughteragainst a local gun dealer atthe center of a high-profilecriminal investigation intothe death of his 11-year-oldson.

Johan Bjerkhamn, 39, the son of a promi-nent local construction magnate, was arrestedin Miami on Tuesday after slipping out of theisland by private jet on Monday.

His lawyers say their client had gone toMiami for specialised medical treatment.Bjerkhamn had sustained a gunshot wound tohis hand during an April 11 incident at his homein which his son received a fatal shot to thechest.

His attorneys are however unhappy with thetreatment of their client as a fugitive and con-

Barbados BusinessmanCharged For Killing His Son

Johan Bjerkhamn, 39, the son of a prominentlocal construction magnate, was arrested inMiami on Tuesday after slipping out of theisland by private jet on Monday.

to support the police by sharing informationabout criminal activities even where those in-volved are related to them.

“It is also crucial that all Jamaicans obeythe laws of the land and resist temptations totake part in any illegal activities which offer fi-nancial or other benefits,” the JCF said in a state-ment.

The police also warned that family mem-bers and associates of criminals were also at riskadding ‘a criminal offender in the household isan immediate security threat to the entire fam-ily”.

Among the initiatives outlined by thepolice include a higher visibility of uniformedpatrols and presence in communities and

Police Outline New Initiatives To Deal With Crimecommercial areas as well as covert patrols“to surprise and apprehend criminals withevidence”.

The police said there would also be coordi-nated stop or search activities; vehicle checkpoints and road blocks to disrupt criminalsmovements, while intercepting the movementof guns, drugs and stolen commodities.

“Aggressive road policing and traffic lawenforcement to reduce criminal activity on pub-lic transport, curtail breaches of the road trafficact and; reduce traffic accidents,” are also out-lined in the new initiative that also calls for anexpansion of the School Safety Program to re-duce school violence, drug abuse and the influ-ence of criminal gangs in schools.

The police said they also intend to get in-volve in proactive investigation, targeting crimesfor profit such as narcotics trafficking; gun run-ning; extortion/protection rockets; illegal trad-ing in contraband and counterfeit goods; illegalgambling and involvement of children in crimi-nal activities.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Bruce Goldingtold legislators that the importation of illegalguns from the United States is contributing sig-nificantly to the country’s worsening crime situ-ation.

“The security forces recover, on average,600 guns each year. We suspect that a greaternumber enter the island each year, creating anever increasing arsenal of illegal weapons snuff-ing out lives with callous brutality,” Golding toldParliament as he made his contribution to thedebate on the 2010 national budget on Tues-day.

Last year, more than 1,600 persons weremurdered in Jamaica.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding told legislators that the importation of illegal guns from theUnited States is contributing significantly to the country’s worsening crime situation.

“Give YourBusiness A Chance

To Shine”ADVERTISE IN

NY LIBERTY STAR718-785-9722


Best Places To Do BusinessNeed a Plumber?

LUSH BLOOM RADIOThe New Internet Sensation

24/7 Reggae * R&B Gospel * Herbal Info

Log on toUSTREAM.COM

Click on Search forLUSHBLOOM-RADIOFor info, Call us at:

718-944-6937Tune in to the

Caribbean GospelTop 20 Hit Parade

Wed. 10PM - Midnight

Room For RentCanarsie, No Pets

$150/Wk1 Month Security

347-374-4091



New ReleasesKick-Ass

How to Train Your DragonDate Night

Death at a FuneralClash of the Titans

The Last SongWhy Did I Get Married Too?

Alice in WonderlandHot Tub Time Machine

The Bounty Hunter

CLASH OF THE TITANSThe ultimate struggle for power pitsmen against kings and kings againstgods. But the war between the godsthemselves could destroy the world.Born of a god but raised as a man,Perseus is helpless to save his familyfrom Hades, vengeful god of the un-derworld. With nothing left to lose,Perseus volunteers to lead a danger-ous mission to defeat Hades before hecan seize power from Zeus and unleashhell on earth. Leading a daring bandof warriors, Perseus sets off on a per-ilous journey deep into forbiddenworlds. Battling unholy demons andfearsome beasts, he will only surviveif he can accept his power as a god,defy his fate and create his owndestiny.The Fosters, however, don'thave reservations. Hoping to be seatedsometime before the clock strikestwelve, they steal a no-show couple'sreservations. What could it hurt? Philand Claire are now the Tripplehorns.The real Tripplehorns, however, itturns out, are a thieving couple whoare being hunted down by a pair ofcorrupt cops for having stolen prop-erty from some very dangerous people.Forced on the run before they've evenfinished their risotto, Phil and Clairesoon realize that their play-date-for-parents has gone awry, as they embarkon a wild and dangerous series of crazyadventures to save their lives -- andtheir marriage.

WHAT’SPLAYING ATTHE MOVIES?

EntertainmentNEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

To PromoteYour Party or

Entertainment Eventin NY Liberty Star,Call us Today at:(718) 785-9722

REGGAE NEWS

Ky-Mani Marley

MANTEO, N.C. -- Volca-nic ash-related flight cancel-lations in Europe forced Ja-maican reggae star Eek-A-Mouse to miss his scheduledtrial in Dare County this weekon rape and kidnappingcharges, but that didn’t stopa warrant being issued for hisarrest.

The musician, whose real name is RiptonJoseph Hylton, was in Amsterdam and could notfly to the United States, said Phillip Hayes, hisKitty Hawk attorney.

Superior Court Judge Jerry Tillett issued anorder Monday for Hylton’s arrest for failure toappear at the designated time.

N.C. Judge Issues Arrest OrderFor Reggae Star Eek-A-Mouse

“It was difficult for me to understand whythe judge thought this was willful,” Hayes saidafter his motion to continue the case for 60 dayswas denied.

Hylton, 52, was charged in August 2008with first-degree kidnapping, second-degreerape and possession of cocaine, all felonies,stemming from an incident in Kill Devil Hills.

Police reported that a 23-year-old womansaid she was held against her will by the per-former at an Outer Banks motel. Hylton deniesthe charges.

Hayes said the U.S. State Department hadrecently agreed to re-issue Hylton’s visa, whichhad been unexpectedly revoked about a weekbefore. Meanwhile, the singer’s scheduled flightfrom Heathrow Airport in London to Raleigh-Durham was canceled and most air traffic inEurope was suspended.

The case will not be rescheduled untilHylton is served with the arrest warrant, Hayessaid.

Jamaican musician Eek-A-Mouse, whose real name is Ripton Joseph Hylton, was scheduledto be tried this week on kidnapping, rape and drug charges.

CLEVELAND, Ohio —One of the sons of late reggaestar Bob Marley was detainedThursday after having a heatedargument with a Clevelandradioshow host DJ Rover.

Ky-Mani Marley was in Cleveland pro-moting his book about his famous father.

During the interview, Rover, 30, madea sexual comment about Marley’s mother,who was a pingpong champion.

Marley was angered by the comment.He left the studio. Apparently, he turned theradio on in his car and heard Rover still talk-ing about him.

Marley returned to the station andbarged into the studio. A heated, profaneargument ensued, with Marley allegedlythreatening to assault Rover. Much of theprofanity was kept off the air using thestation’s delay system.

The Police was called and Marley wasdetained Marley for about 45 minutes.Rover, whose real name is Shane French,declined to press charges and Marley wasreleased.

Ky-ManiDefends MomAfter DJ ‘Diss’

NEW YORK — WhitneyHouston has again pushedback the European leg of herfirst tour in years on the ad-vice of doctors who are en-couraging her to take time torecover from a respiratory ill-ness, according to a statementissued Wednesday.

Houston had already postponed the Euro-pean kickoff, originally scheduled for Tuesdayin Paris, because of illness. A statement from arepresentative said doctors advised Houston toreschedule concerts Thursday and Friday inManchester, England, and a Sunday perfor-mance in Glasgow, Scotland.

All dates are being rescheduled, and the 46-year-old singer’s tour is now supposed to startnext Tuesday in Birmingham, England.

“Doctors visited Whitney late last night inParis and confirmed that she was suffering froman upper respiratory infection,” the statement

read. “Upon medical advice Whitney has beenadvised that she cannot perform to allow hertime to recover.”

The statement noted she delayed the tourwith “great disappointment.”

Houston, one of pop’s all-time best-sellingartists, had been on a hiatus from music as shebattled drug addiction and ended a tumultuousmarriage to singer Bobby Brown. But with hernew CD, I Look to You, she returned on the topof the charts and declared herself healthy andfree from substance abuse.

The superstar has been on a world tour topromote the CD, which has sold more than 1million copies in the United States alone.

However, the tour has been troubled; per-formances in Australia and elsewhere were nega-tively received by some fans and critics, whocomplained Houston did not showcase the ma-jestic voice she is known for.

Video snippets of her performances showedHouston sweating and struggling to hit notes,leading some to wonder about her health.

In February, her representative issued astatement denying any troubles, saying,“Whitney is in great health and having a terrifictime on her tour and with her fans.”

Whitney Houston Postpones More European Tour Dates

Whitney Houston performs at Saitama Arenain Saitama, near Tokyo, Japan, recently.


With two new tracksand a three-continenttour for April, Jamaicandancehall superstar SeanPaul is keeping quitebusy these days.

Sean Paul, who returned fromperformances in Africa recently, is alsotoasting the success of his single withBritish-born pop sensation Jay Sean,Do You Remember, which is featuredon the iconic pop music compilationNow That’s What I Call Music.

Sean Paul’s two newest singles,Fire Brigade and Down The Line, aredestined as sure-fire club pleasers.Down The Line, produced by JeremyHarding, is a reggae-flavoured slow-melody love song which is featuredon his popular mixtape The Oddessy.The Don Corleone-produced Fire Bri-gade, however, is an unmistakabledancehall tune with all the up-tempoenergy party lovers clamour for andthat which Sean Paul has become fa-mous for.

Sean Paul is rearing to hit the roadand promote these two new tracks.“Working with Don and Jeremy is justamazing. They are creative people andgood at what they do. I know anytimeI go in the studio with them I leavewith a good song. Down The Line isgetting good reviews so far and so isFire Brigade so its time to kick thepromotion for these singles into highgear,” Sean Paul said.

He added that the singles willsoon be available on iTunes, and thatthe producers were two of the produc-ers who did tracks for his album Im-perial Blaze. The album, his fourth,went on to make history on the chartsas it became the first dancehall albumto top the Billboard Rap/Hip Hopcharts.

His newly released singles aside,the Grammy-winning megastar hasbeen racking up the frequent flyermiles and performance hours. SeanPaul has performed in more than 80countries in North, Central, and SouthAmerica, Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Sean Paul will return to thedancehall-loving nation of Japan,where Imperial Blaze debuted at #1selling over 50,000 copies in its firstweek. He has a string of appearancesin Japan, before he heads to engage-ments in Columbia and Australia.These are hectic times for the artiste,who now sports a trendy Mohawk.

Sean Paul is a multi-platinumselling deejay many times over, andthe most successful Jamaican artiste

on the international charts. He’s hadthree #1 singles, five top ten hits, andeven more chart entries over fourworldwide best-selling albums, whichhave sold more than tens of millionsof copies worldwide. In 2009, hecopped the MOBO Award for BestReggae Act, as well as, Best Reggae

Sean Paul Drops NewSingles Ahead Of Tour

Artiste award at the Soul TrainAwards. He adds those trophies to animpressive collection of awards thatincludes a Grammy, MTV MusicVideo Award, Billboard Music Award,American Music Award, MTV EuropeMusic Award, MOBO, BET Awardand others.

Sean Paul






TravelNEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

UNIQUESpring SaleWithout your travel agent you are on your own

Florida............................... 168Trinidad..............................238Kingston............................ 238Montego Bay..................... 238Haiti................................... 298London...............................541St. Lucia.............................318Barbados........................... 278St. Vincent.........................480George Town..................... 458Grenada............................ 622Taxes not included. Restrictions apply. All rates are subject to change.

The ash-spewingvolcano in Iceland hasgiven the Caribbean anunexpected economicboost, causing some ho-tels to fill up withstranded travelers andincreasing demand fortourist activities.

Hotel managers have called inextra staff and hiked purchases offood, helping earnings in a regionstruggling with a tourism downturn.Adventure tour operators also havebenefited as hotels hire them to keepguests entertained.

Not everyone is seeing an in-crease in revenue — especially islandslike Barbados and Antigua that de-pend largely on British vacationersstuck at home by airline flight can-cellations.

But stranded tourists are helpingmake up for that loss, said JohnsonJohnRose, spokesman for the Carib-bean Tourism Organization.

“Some of them may be runningout of money, but they still have tostay here and find something to eatand do things,” JohnRose said.

At Tobago’s Coco Reef resort,Geoff Andrews and his wife are hop-ing to make it back to London in timefor their 50th wedding anniversary

party Saturday, which 75 people areexpected to attend.

While awaiting word from a touroperator, Andrews, 72, has been ex-ploring the island, surfing the Internetand playing golf and tennis with 11other relatives traveling with him.

“There’s no point sitting aroundmoping is there?” he said in a tele-phone interview.

European airports began allow-ing airline flights against Tuesdaynearly a week after Iceland’sEyjafjallajokull volcano erupted,spewing out a huge dust cloud thatforced the cancellation of more than95,000 flights.

It could be weeks before airlinesget back to normal and can get every-one back home again.

“It really comes at a good time,”said Jamaica Tourism Minister EdBartlett.

Tourists Stuck In The CaribbeanProvide Economic Boost

More than 2,500 tourists, most ofthem British, are stuck on Jamaica andeveryone from taxi drivers to farmersto telecommunication companies arebenefiting, Bartlett said.

The disruption in international airtraffic has led to some overbookedhotels, which proved a boon to bedand breakfast inns, Bartlett added.

The Grenadian, one of Grenada’stop hotels, saw its occupancy rate risefrom 35 percent to 80 percent, saidColman Redhead, events and groupmanager at the facility.

About 77 tourists — most ofthem British — are stuck at the hotel.Some have booked sunset boat tripswhile others opted for tours of theoutdoor market, he said.

“They’re making themselveshappy,” said Redhead, who had to callin additional employees and buy morefruits and vegetables.

Tobago’s Coco Reef resort


S U D O K U

W E E K LY W O R D S E A R C HW E E K LY W O R D S E A R C H

WORLD CUP 2010

COMICS

See solution, Page 25

DPH’S CONNECT THE DOTS

People’s DelightRestaurant & CaterersFor the Very Best Jamaican Cuisine

Having a partyor event?

Let us handle the cooking!Call Bro. Danny at (917) 215-8416or visit us at: 1347 Flatbush Ave(Bet. Foster & E26 St) Brooklyn, NY

We have all your favorite Jamaican dishes.

ALGERIA, ARGENTINA, AUSTRALIA, BRAZIL, CAMEROON,CHILE, COTE D' IVOIRE, DENMARK, ENGLAND, FRANCE,GERMANY, GHANA, GREECE, HONDURAS, ITALY, JAPAN,

KOREA DPR, KOREA REPUBLIC, MEXICO, NETHERLANDS,NEW ZEALAND, NIGERIA, PARAGUAY, PORTUGAL, SERBIA,

SLOVAKIA, SLOVENIA, SOUTH AFRICA, SPAIN,SWITZERLAND, UNITED STATES, URUGUAY.


A LITTLEBITTER ISBETTER!A little bitter every day goes a very long

way! It goes through the mouth to stimu-late digestive juices, cleans out mouth

phlegm, thrust, plaque, as well as mucus andbacteria in the throat.

It goes through the blood to clean out para-sites, germs, sugar over-load; and curbs cravingsfor sweets-starches. It goes through the stom-ach to clean out fermented, sour, food waste andmucus.

It goes through the lymphathic system toclean out congregated cell waste, and stimulatesthe immune system.

It goes through the colon and cleans outpetrified waste and sluggish colon, regulatingthe bowels. Most of all it aides in good diges-tion and good elimination; assist in regulatingthe glands and hormones; and stimulates slug-gish liver. It assists with cellular cleansing andprevents cell-erosion.

Eat at least one serving of green leafy veg-etables a day; preferably home grown or organic:kale, mustard greens, collards, endive, escarole,chard, bok choi, spinach, wild dandelion greens,yellow dock greens, sprouts, dandelion flowers(chop and garnish salads), watercress, chick-weed leaves, chicory leaves, purslane, borage,sautéed prickly pear (cactus), artichoke leaves,wheat grass, roasted chestnut; just to name afew.

The following seasonings are beneficial:coriander, fennel, cardamom, caraway, dill,oregano, sage. The following herbs are benefi-cial: gentian, aloe, hops, dandelion root, worm-wood, mauby bark, mugwort, quassia wood.You can also try a slither of whole leaf aloeblended in a little lemon juice, mixed into oneteacup of water, with a dash of cayenne. Or oneto two ounces of Sundial Koromantee Bitters,about one hour after your last meal or prior tobedtime is extremely beneficial as a digestiveaide.

It was a common practice amongst our an-cient African Fore-Fathers, that everyone wasgiven a little cup of bitter tea or tonic about onehour after their meal, or they practiced chewinga (non-flavored) stick or bark after meals.

As you can see, a little bitter is better, ev-

ery day, and goes a long way in improving andmaintaining your health.

This herbal remedy excerpt was taken fromthe book “Basic Herbs For Health And Heal-ing” by Rahsan Abdul Hakim. Dr. Rahsan AbdulHakim specializes in natural and traditional rem-edies regarding healing and health for the en-tire family.

Dr. Rahsan Abdul Hakim

Quick Health TipFrom Dr. Rahsan

Abdul Hakim

As a community contribution, Dr. Rahsanprovides free Health Consultations on Mondayand Wednesday (to the first 10 people); no ap-pointment needed; simply walk-in. Health Con-sultations on Saturdays are by appointment.

Dr. Rahsan’s radio show Health At Sun-rise can be heard during “The Tony Craig Ex-perience”, Radio 94.1 FM – Sunday Evenings

- 10 pm; and Linkage Radio - 101.5 FM FridayMornings 11 am to 12 noon.

For questions, comments or concerns, orto purchase his book, call (718) 798-3962, sendan email to [email protected], or visit thewebsite: www.sundialherbs.com.

Thank you for using SUNDIAL Products(1979-2010).


Become a Certified Baby Nursein as little as 2 weeks. Train tobecome a professional BabyNurse.

Learn about Newborn Babies:* Breast Feeding* Food & Nutrition* Parenthood* Special Care Babies* Allergies* Imminunization And lots more

CPR & First Aid Classes:* Heartsaver CPR (Adult & Infant)* Heartsaver First Aid

(Adult/Child/AED)* BLS Healthcare Provider* Heartsaver AED

(Adult/Child/AED)* HS CPR in the Schools

(Adult/Child/AED)* CPR for Family & Friends

Call today to register for Training

(718) 509-9777JOB PLACEMENT

Firesafety Trainingalso Available!

HealthNEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

lunches healthier.The military group acknowledges

that other things keep young adultsout of the armed services, such as acriminal record or the lack of a highschool diploma.

Although all branches of the mili-tary now meet or exceed recruitmentgoals, retired Navy Rear Adm. JamesBarnett Jr., a member of the officersgroup, says the obesity trend couldaffect that.

“When over a quarter of youngadults are too fat to fight, we need totake notice,” Barnett said. He notedthat national security in the year 2030is “absolutely dependent” on revers-ing child obesity rates.

Recruitment isn’t the only prob-lem posed by obesity. According tothe report, the government spendstens of millions of dollars every yearto train replacements for service mem-bers discharged because of weightproblems.

This isn’t the first time the mili-tary has gotten involved in the debateover school lunches. During WorldWar II, military leaders had the op-

By Mary Clare Jalonick

Too fat to fight?Many Americanchildren are so

overweight from beingfed french fries, pizzaand other unhealthyfoods at school lunch-rooms that they cannothandle the physicalrigors of being in themilitary, a group ofretired officers say in anew report.

National security is threatened bythe sharp rise in obesity rates foryoung people over the last 15 years,the group Mission: Readiness con-tends. Weight problems are now theleading medical reason that recruitsare rejected, the group says, and thusjeopardize the military’s ability to fillits ranks.

In a report released Tuesday, thegroup says that 9 million youngadults, or 27 percent of all Americansages 17 to 24, are too fat to join themilitary. The retired officers were onCapitol Hill advocating for passageof a wide-ranging nutrition bill thataims to make the nation’s school

posite problem, reporting that manyrecruits were rejected because ofstunted growth and inadequate nutri-tion. After the war, military leaderspushed Congress to establish the na-tional school lunch program so chil-dren would grow up healthier.

The program was established in1946, “as a measure of national secu-rity,” according to the original billlanguage.

Today, the group is urging Con-gress to eliminate junk food and high-calorie beverages from schools, putmore money into the school lunchprogram and develop new strategiesthat help children develop healthierhabits.

The school lunch bill, currentlyawaiting a Senate vote, would estab-lish healthier options for all foods inschools, including vending machineitems. The legislation would spend$4.5 billion more over 10 years fornutrition programs.

The Army is already doing its partto catch the problem earlier, workingwith high schoolers and interestedrecruits to lose weight before they areeligible for service, says U.S. ArmyRecruiting Command’s Mark Howell.He added that he had to lose 10pounds himself before he joined themilitary.

“This is the future of our Armywe are looking at when we talk aboutthese 17- to 24-year-olds,” Howellsaid. “The sad thing is a lot of themwant to join but can’t.”

School Food Making Kids Unfit To Serve


YOUR WEEKLYHEALTH WATCH

Serious HospitalInfections On RiseAmongst MinoritiesAnd Poor

WASHINGTON — The nation’s hospitals are fail-ing to protect patients from potentially fatal infectionsdespite years of prevention campaigns, the governmentsaid Tuesday.

The Health and Human Services department’s 2009quality report to Congress found “very little progress”on eliminating hospital-acquired infections and calledfor “urgent attention” to address the shortcomings —first brought to light a decade ago.

Of five major types of serious hospital-related in-fections, rates of illnesses increased for three, oneshowed no progress, and one showed a decline. As manyas 98,000 people a year die from medical errors, andpreventable infections — along with medicationmixups— are a significant part of the problem.

Such medical missteps will have financial conse-quences under President Barack Obama’s new healthcare overhaul law. Starting in a few years, Medicarepayments to hospitals will be reduced for preventablereadmissions and for certain infections that can usuallybe staved off with good nursing care.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius called the report“a pretty clear diagnosis of some of the gaps and short-comings in our nation’s health care system.”

Although the U.S. spends about $2.5 trillion a yearon medical care, patients often don’t receive the carerecommended for their particular condition. Generally,patients are more likely to receive optimal care in a hos-pital as compared to an outpatient facility. The qualityreport was accompanied by a second study that foundcontinuing shortfalls in quality of care for minoritiesand low-income people, particularly the uninsured.

The bleak statistics on hospital infections were adisappointment for officials. It’s been more than 10 yearssince the Institute of Medicine launched a crusade toraise awareness about medical errors and encourageproviders to systematically reduce and, if possible, elimi-nate them.

“We know that focused attention to eliminatinghealth care acquired infections can reduce them dramati-cally,” said Dr. Carolyn Clancy, head of the Agency forHealthcare Research and Quality, which conducted thestudies. It marked the first time her agency attempted acomprehensive assessment of progress on hospital in-fections. The statistics for 2007 were the latest avail-able.

According to the report:— Rates of bloodstream infections following sur-

gery increased by 8 percent.— Urinary infections from the use of a catheter fol-

lowing surgery increased by 3.6 percent.— The overall incidence for a series of common

infections due to medical care increased by 1.6 percent.— There was no change in the number of blood-

stream infections due to central venous catheters — tubesplaced in the neck, chest or groin to administer medica-tions, drain fluids or collect blood samples.

— Rates of pneumonia following surgery droppedby 12 percent, the one bright spot.

The bloodstream infections are the most serious,said Clancy, because they can be fatal. Recovery fromhospital-acquired pneumonia usually depends on theoverall health of the patient. Urinary tract infections arepainful, but they usually respond to treatment with anti-biotics. But any complication for patients in the hospi-tal is of concern.

“If you are looking at patients who are hospital-ized, you are looking at people with multiple underly-ing conditions, who are already fighting for their healthon several fronts,” Clancy said.

The hospital industry said it was disappointed bythe findings, but hopes the next round of studies willshow improvement. Some recent efforts to reduce in-fections may not yet be reflected in the data.

“We’re doing that which we know how to do, andit’s not having the intended effect,” said Nancy Foster,vice president for quality and safety at the AmericanHospital Association. “We need to identify other thingswe can do to drive down that rate of infections.”


Send email to Lisa-Anne Ray Byers at [email protected]

CommentaryNEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

Question: I am a 2nd grade special education teacher.Three of my students have been diagnosed with autism. Withautism on the rise, what can teachers do to meet the students’needs? My district has provided no training.

Answer: This topic has been heating up talk shows, radioprograms, and topics in education venues for many years now.There has been no long term, intensive research to prove or dis-prove whether vaccines have caused the rise in autism in thiscountry or abroad. A few years ago the incidence of autism was1 in every 600 births.

Today it’s 1 in every 150 births. Autism is a developmentaldisability that typically appears during the first three years oflife and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interactwith others. Medical experts don’t have a comprehensive under-standing of what causes autism, but they do know there is a stronghereditary component.

An article in the Associated Press, May 13, 2008, reportsthat lawyers at a hearing in federal court argued that parents’claiming that childhood vaccines cause autism, should not berewarded by the courts when the scientific community has al-ready rejected any link. Nearly 4,900 families have filed claimswith the U.S. Court of Claims alleging that vaccines caused au-tism and other neurological problems in their children. Lawyersfor the families are presenting three different theories of howvaccines caused autism. The theory at issue recently was whethervaccines containing the preservative thimerosal caused autism.A Justice Department lawyer, Lynn Ricciardella, said that theoryhas not moved beyond the realm of speculation. She said theInstitute of Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control andPrevention have rejected any link between thimerosal and au-tism.

Thimerosal has been removed in recent years from standardchildhood vaccines, except flu vaccines that are not packaged insingle doses. The CDC says single-dose flu shots currently areavailable only in limited quantities. My opinion on the subject is

that children have been receiving vaccines for decades and therewas no rise in autism. This is a recent phenomenon. If it is in-deed caused by vaccines, then researchers need to explore whatchanges if any, have occurred in vaccines recently. This is thescientific argument as well. There have been no changes to thesevaccines besides the removal of Thimerosal. Even with it’s re-moval, the incidence of autism continues to rise. If I was a par-ent of a young toddler, I wouldn’t refuse vaccines but I wouldask my pediatrician to administer them in smaller intervals thanusual so that any changes in my child could be seen immedi-ately.

What can parents do to help?Parents must ask questions when visiting the pediatrician

for regular check ups. They must know what is normal develop-ment at each stage of childhood.

The earlier intervention is provided the greater progress willbe seen. There is no one approach to treating autism, however,most children attend special preschool programs or receive spe-cial services at home. Most children with autism respond best tohighly structured behavioral programs. The National Institute ofChild Health and Human Development lists Applied BehaviorAnalysis among the recommended treatment methods for autismspectrum disorders.

Some of the most common interventions are Applied Be-havior Analysis (ABA), Floortime Therapy, Gluten Free, CaseinFree Diet (GFCF). Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, PECS,SCERTS, Sensory Integration Therapy, Relationship Develop-ment Intervention, Verbal Behavior Intervention, and the school-based TEAACH method. Parents must be active partners andreinforce any strategies implemented by the professionals whotreat their children. Having a child with autism can be stressful.

Parents should join support groups and develop a good sup-port base with family and friends when they need a break. Visitwww.autismspeaks.org, www.autism.org, www.autism.com,www.firstsigns.org, www.nationalautismassociation.org for moreinformation.

Do Vaccines Cause Autism?


SportsNEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

WEST INDIES CRICKET

Juan Antonio Samaranch

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada – CaptainTravis Dowlin stroked a responsible, unbeaten49 to steer West Indies A to a nervous, five-wicket win over Zimbabwe in their Twenty20match at the Queen’s Park Stadium on Thurs-day.

The right-handed Guyanese, recently over-

looked by selectors for the ODI series againstZimbabwe last month, anchored the hosts’ in-nings to ensure their reached their target of 114with just two balls to spare.

Earlier, Zimbabwe struggled as the made113 for eight off their allotted 20 overs, afterwinning the toss and opting to bat first.

Dowlin Shines As Windies ATake Nervy Twenty20 WinWest Indies Scores Five-Wicket Win Over Zimbabwe

Only Brendon Taylor, who got 37 from 39balls with a four and a six, showed any enter-prise as off-spinner Shane Shillingford under-mined the innings with three for 14 while fastbowler Jason Holder claimed two for 24.

West Indies A’s start was shaky as they lostJustin Guillen for one in the second over whenthe right-hander gave left-arm spinner Ray Pricea return catch with the score on two.

However, Dowlin and Devon Smith thencarved out the most productive partnership ofthe game, adding 56 from 42 balls for the sec-ond wicket. Dowlin struck just one four and asix in an innings lasting 49 balls while Smithwas the aggressor, smashing three fours and twosixes in his 31 from 27 balls.

When the left-handed Smith drove GregLamb to Timycen Maruma at cover in the ninthover, it sparked a mini collapse where threewickets fell for 21 runs as Kirk Edwards (1) andAssad Fudadin (6) also fell quickly to catchesat the wicket by Tatenda Taibu.

West Indies Under-19 wicketkeeper/bats-man Shane Dowrich then punched a quick-fire14 from 13 balls with two fours to put the hostsin sight of victory.

When Dowrich was stumped in the 18th

over, West Indies still required 16 runs from 14balls but got home safely in the end as bothDowlin and Imran Khan (eight not out) heldtheir nerves.

Earlier, Zimbabwe never got their inningson sound footing after losing two early wicketsinside the first five overs, with openers HamiltonMasakadza and Chamu Chibhabha both fallingfor 10 as the score slipped to 23 for two.

When Shillingford prised out the usuallyaggressive Taibu cheaply at 38 for three in theseventh over, Zimbabwe were left to struggleand never found their way back despite Taylor’sefforts.

The loss was Zimbabwe’s second after theywent down by six wickets in the opening four-day first class match earlier this week.

The two teams clash again on Saturday inthe final T20 march at Progress Park.Captain Travis Dowlin stroked 49 in the win over Zimbabwe.

Sealy PraisesLate SamaranchFor EmbodyingOlympic Spirit

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Re-spected International Olympic Committeeexecutive Austin Sealy has credited lateformer IOC chief Juan Antonio Samaranchwith the expansion of the Olympic spirit.

Sealy, who founded the region’s premierjunior track and field championships,CARIFTA, said Samaranch had embodiedthe Olympic movement which blossomedinto a massive, multi-billion dollar enterpriseunder his watch.

“He had extraordinary vision and ofcourse talent, and can take full credit for thestrong unity which exists in the Olympicmovement,” Sealy told CMC Sports onThursday.

“He developed the court of arbitration,Olympic Solidarity, the list just goes on. Hiswas certainly a distinguished career.

“In spreading the message of universal-ity and giving all countries the opportunityto participate, here in the Caribbean we gotto go to Rome as one team where the WestIndies 4x400m relay team won the bronze.

“His was a very strong message and hewas the architect of Olympic solidarity.”



SOLUTIONto Sudoku, P18

CARIFTA Gameschampions ChanicePorter of Jamaica andAkela Jones of Barba-dos were first time win-ners on Thursday’sopening day at the116th Penn Relays.

Jones, of the Springer Memorialschool, won the girls’ high jump witha leap of 1.81 metres, defeating TaraRichmond of Long Beach Polly inCalifornia (1.76m) and Peter-Gaye St.Elizabeth Technical in Jamaica(1.76m).

The lanky Jones, who was cel-ebrating her 15th birthday, missed outon bettering her CARIFTA record setin the Cayman Islands earlier thismonth when she failed to clear 1.85metres.

“I feel very proud to come hereand represented my school and coun-try .... and to take home the goldmakes it more special,” said Jones, theCARIFTA Under-17 champion.

In the girls’ long jump, Manches-ter High’s Chanice Porter led home aJamaican sweep of the top three spots.

Porter, who was competing at herfirst Penn Relays, was delighted withher 6.12m winning distance.

“It feels great because this is myfirst Penn relays outing,” said Porter,also the CARIFTA Games Under-17champion.

Nickeva Wilson of Camperdownwas second with a leap of 5.80 metreswhile Holmwood Technical’sNickiesha Beaumont got third with5.77.

In the girls’ triple jump, RochelleFarquharson of Jamaica’s St. Eliza-beth Technical took the event for thesecond straight year. Her winning dis-tance was 12.56m.

Farquharson said: “It was goodto win, but I was a little bit disap-

pointed with the distance.“I wanted to jump 13 metres, but

due to the ankle and groin injuries Ipicked up at CARIFTA, I was not ableto achieve that mark.”

Meanwhile, in the relays, Jamai-can schools dominated as mostbooked places in Friday’s finals.

In the 4x800m, Jamaica’s EdwinAllen clocked nine minutes, 01.34seconds while Holmwood finished in9:03.89, to reach the final.

In the Large School 4x100m,

Edwin Allen ran 46.21 seconds to beatLong Beach Poly (46.77) to go intoFriday’s final with the fastest time.

In the 4x100m small schoolsheats, The Queen’s School (46.31),Holmwood (46.34), Herbert Morrison(46.59) and Manchester (46.95) all ofJamaica qualified for the big final.

Camperdown of Jamaica (47.66)and St. Joseph Convent of Trinidad& Tobago (47.79), posted the seventhand eighth fastest times in the heatsto reach the small school final.

Caribbean Duo Porter, JonesScore Maiden Wins At Penns

Akela Jones


RecipesSteamed Callaloo

METHOD:Inspect callaloo and remove any debris, old leaves, or hardstalk, etc. Rinse in a large pot of cold water. Discard the waterthen add enough cold water to cover the callaloo. Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of salt into the water and let sit for 1/2 to 1 hour.The salt will help to remove any additional small debris fromthe callaloo. Throw off the water and rinse the callaloo in an-other pot of cold water. Remove the callaloo and chop in 3/4inch pieces in a slanted motion.In a large pot add the 2 tablespoon oil and 1/8 to 1/4 cup wa-ter. Put four cups of firmly packed chopped callaloo on top.Add the remaining seasonings on top of the callaloo. Put a lidon the pot. Place on a medium flame and cook for roughly tenminutes or until pieces of the callaloo stalks are tender. Thecallaloo must stay green. Any discoloration towards brownmeans the callaloo is being overcooked.

INGREDIENTS:4 cups of firmly packedchopped callaloo1/8 to 1/4 cup water1 medium-sized onion,chopped1 medium-sized well ripenedtomato, chopped1 large clove garlic, chopped1/3 skin of a scotch bonnetpepper finely chopped1/4 teaspoon dried time leaves1/8 teaspoon salt1 table spoon cooking oil1 table spoon butter or marga-rine

Our FoodShouldn’t TravelMore Than We DoBy Maura Curley

Bite into a piece of fruit and think about itsorigin. What about tonight’s dinner?

You might realize that tomatoes don’t growwrapped in cellophane. But do you have a clueabout the nature of your other vegetables, fruit,bread, fish, and especially meat?

Food shouldn’t travel more than we do. Yetmost of it takes a circuitous and sometimes scaryroute to our table.

Organic markets, local farms and movieslike Food Inc. have done a lot to raise our aware-ness that locally grown tastes better and is a lotsafer.

Still it’s more novelty that the norm.We’re still stuck on the stuff on the super-

market shelves with additives and chemicals wecan’t pronounce let alone digest.

A while back I came across an in flightmagazine with a story, which focused on a grow-ing number of stateside committed to eating onlyfoods produced within their region. This move-ment gained momentum from Coming Home toEat: The Pleasures and Politics of Local Foods,written by Professor Gary Paul. The bookchronicled Paul’s yearlong quest to eat onlyfoods produced within a 200 - mile radius ofhis home in Arizona’s Sonoran desert.

The statistics for trekking food across thecountry, let alone from the mainland to the Car-ibbean could be enough make you lose your ap-

petite.Richard Pirog of the Leopold Center for

Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State Univer-sity has calculated that produce travels an aver-age of 1,500 miles in three days to reach hisstate. This continent wide distribution systemfor food uses many times the fossil fuel andemits much more carbon dioxide than a locallyfood based system.

Ironically, here in this tropical climate weimport much of what we consume.

Why can we utilize more island-grown?St Croix, the largest of the Virgin Islands,

has deep agricultural roots. Puerto Rico also hasrich farmlands. Yet the island imports almost90 percent of its food, leaving farmers to lookfor markets for what they grow. Grenada pro-duces a golden crop of spices, especially nut-meg, which it exports around the world. Moregreen neighbors like the Dominican Republic,Dominica, and St. Lucia could keep islanders –and even a healthy tourist population well fed.

Why can’t we strive to create a food cul-ture that is at least 85 percent Caribbean grown?

Does it really make any sense to be depen-dent upon shipping thousands of tons of foodfrom the mainland?

Why can’t we fund and patronize morefarmers and educate more people about agricul-ture? Why can’t we create more specialties madein the Caribbean food products with our abun-dance of coconuts, mangos and lesser-knowndelicacies like soursop, and tamarind?

Locally grown food is better for our bodiesand the Caribbean economy. It would increasetourism too.

Let’s eat well beginning this Earth Day, andencourage our visitors to experience local fruits,roots, breads, poultry and meat — all preserva-tive free in ‘paradise.’



New York Liberty Star

Documents

new york liberty star3friday

thenew york liberty

copyrightnew york liberty

new york university

dowe dowe dowe dowe

p26 p26 p26 p26 p2650

nyu festival istherefore

mani defendsmom