July 27, 2008

The Redemptorist priests paid tribute by the St. Patrick’s parish.

On Sunday 20^th July, the redemptorist priests serving in Dominica were paid a rousing tribute by the parish church of St. Patrick as the order completed its tour of duty in that parish. A mass concelebrated by Father Mark Owen, Father Vanty Auguiste and Father Jude, with Fr. Lamote in attendance was a fitting tribute for the unselfish work that the priests did in Grand Bay and the south of the island. From 1972 to today, except for a brief period between 1986 and 1990, the order of priests served the parish with dedication and hard work. They accomplished a lot, building churches and chapels, organizing church groups for prayer and relief  of the needy, spreading the gospel, baptizing, confirming, marrying and burying thousands. They gave support to the development of young and old alike.

The priests who served the parish are as follows: Fr. Standaerd  (1972 – 78), Fr. Francis Boogaerts (1973), Fr. Albert Lamote (1974 – 2008), Fr. Vanackere (1978 – 82), Fr. Stoeckel (1982), Fr. Bergmans (1982 – 86), Fr. Jerome Moody (1990 -96), Fr. Joe Bertrand (1990), Fr. John McLoughlin (1991 – 1993), Fr. Vanty Auguiste (1994 – 1999), Fr. Werner (1996 – 1999), Fr. Joseph Krastel (1999 – 2005), Fr. Clement Jolly (1999), Fr. John Gallagher (1999), Fr. Francis Okorafor (2005 – 2006), Fr. Mark Owen (2005 – 2008), and Fr. Jude Ibe (2007 -2008). (Source – Church Bulletin of July 20).

The new parish priest is expected to be Fr. Kelvin Felix, former archbishop of Castries.

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Monday 7, 2008

Pierre Charles Secondary and Grand Bay Primary hold graduation ceremonies.

On June 23, the Pierre Charles Secondary School (PCSS) graduated 79 students. Featured speaker at the occasion was Mrs. Melanie Henderson (Teacher Nanie). In her speech she urged the students to continue to aim for success. She examined some of the prerequisites of success and concluded that to achieve success, one had to be consistent, have the right attitude and apply their endowed aptitude. The Chief Education Officer, addressing the function asked teachers to reflect on some of the aspects of school life and ponder on how they could work towards getting all the students of the fifth form to graduate.

Student of the year was head girl Josette John of Montine.

On Thursday July 3, the Grand Bay Primary School held a ceremony to honour the students who will be leaving grade 6 to enter the Pierre Charles Secondary. Seven of these students received bursaries. Top student was Dean Desiree of Grand Coulibrie.

Featured speaker Willie Fevrier complimented the Principal Mrs Samuel for the way she has transformed the physical environment of the school. Working with the PTA, Mrs Samuel got the front  and lobby of the school freshly   painted. She also got some classrooms painted but her major achievement was the establishment of a computer room with about 30 computers.

Mr. Fevrier urged parents to get more involved in the education of their children, especially in the area of reading. He urged parents to communicate with teachers about their children’s progress and give support to the Principal and staff.

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June 30, 2008

Pierre Charles Secondary School remembers the late Prime Minister

The Pierre Charles Secondary School on Monday June 30, the birth anniversary of the late Prime Minister Pierre Charles holds a memorial celebration in honour of the man after whom the school is named. A packed program of cultural and educational activities is planned for the day with appearances being made by His Excellency the President of Dominica Dr. Nicholas J. O. Liverpool, representatives of the Government, the Parliamentary Representative Mr. John Fabien, the chairman of the village council, Mr. Willie Fevrier, the principal of the school Mr. Benedict Charles and other distinguished members of the Grand Bay and surrounding communities.

The ceremony is expected to highlight the life of the late Prime Minister and it is expected that students will be inspired by what they see and hear. The principal, staff and students of the school, working with a community committee, put the program together for this patriotic event.

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June 29, 2008

Dominicans in Atlanta reorganize.

Dominicans living in Atlanta have come together to form the Dominica Atlanta Cultural Association (DACA). At a highly successful inauguration celebration on Saturday June 28, the group was addressed by Consul General to the UN Ms Barbara Dailey. The following officers were installed: John Baptiste John (Holeday), president, Jennifer  Beazer as vice president, Lisa Blaize - secretary, Kenyatta Eugene – treasurer, Paula John (Abie) – assistant secretary/treasurer and Kevin Laurent – PRO. The group intends to maintain and promote Dominica’s cultural heritage in the US, assist in the development of Dominica and assist members in their own development. Many members of the group are originally from Grand Bay but there are members from other communities.

We congratulate Holeday and the members of DACA  on this initiative and we look forward to their collaboration with us and the other organized groups in New York, St. Thomas, London and Toronto as we move in unison to make Grand Bay and Dominica a better place to live. I am sure that Grand Bayrians living in other big cities will be encouraged by this move and will examine the possibility of getting themselves organized into a functional group.

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Monday June 2, 2008

Youth Centre Club (YCC) wins Digicel award

The Youth Centre Club under the direction of Mr. Julien Pacquette won the Digicel Caring Connections award for the southern district. The youth group was given a prize of EC$10,000 to expand their music program. The club has been engaged in teaching music and playing musical instruments such as the recorder, guitar, keyboard and steel band. Several young people are engaged in this program and they showed off their newly learned skill at an awards function on Saturday May 31 at the Old Fort in Grand Bay. Mr. Derrick Francis, former principal of the Grand Bay Primary School is the music teacher. Mr. Francis is himself an accomplished musician and guitarist par excellence.

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Monday June 2, 2008

Young People of Grand Bay are doing positive things, too.

On Sunday 11 May 2008, 10 young men and 9 young women were enrolled in the 41 strong  Pierre Charles Secondary School (PCSS) cadet corps. Under the direction of Police Officer Lennard Henderson, the new cadets showed off their drilling skills accompanied by the corps’ marching band in the court yard of the school . Present at the ceremony were Major Francis Richards, national commandant of the cadet corps, Mr. Benedict Charles, Principal of the PCSS, Mrs Techar Cuffy Charles, an officer in the cadet corps and Mr. Bonty Liverpool, Deputy Scout Commissioner who is making a great effort to revive scouting in Grand Bay. Some parents of the cadets were also present for the ceremony.

Hon. Urban Baron took the salute while cadet Larissa Bonnie won an award for being the best cadet. Young people should be encouraged to join the cadet corps.

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May 13, 2008

Feast of St. Isidore 2008

The most essential part of the celebration of the feast of St. Isidore is the Mass at the Roman Catholic Church during which the fruits of the farmers’ labour are presented at the alter in thanksgiving for God’s abundant love which has allowed the fertility of the land to produce such good food for the people’s nourishment. Before the final blessing, the church honoured six farmers of the district. Simon Fevrier and Julien Victorin of Grand Bay, John Moise of Stowe,  Rudolph Fontaine (Papa Mark) of Petite Savanne, Martina Charles of Pichelin and Philip Bedminister of Tete Morne. After the Mass, some of the provisions went on sale in the church yard while the people were being entertained by Sakis and the local steel band. The Pichelin cultural group also put in a performance to entertain the audience.

Following this activity, the band of beautifully dressed ladies paraded up Lallay led by Sakis lapo cabwit band.

On Mothers Day, the 11^th June, at Ma Tutu’s Park, South Style Production led by Ed Registe and Carleton Henry put on the Miss South pageant. Five young ladies, Vernanda Mitchel of  Petite Savanne, Joanna Walter of Tete Morne, Shernelle Thomas of Grand Coulibrie,  Nakiba Angol of Pichelin and Bella Leatham of Grand Bay vied for the title of Miss Reunion Isidore 2008. The competition was won by Miss Bella Leatham of Geneva Housing area.

The show was quite a spectacular one against the backdrop of a well decorated and freshly painted stage at Ma Tutu’s Park.

On Monday afternoon the crowd in Grand Bay was treated to an open air live band concert at Tete Lallay with Midnight Groovers being the  main performers. However, they were joined by Golden Squad, Fire Burners Crew and other performers.

All in all, while the visiting crowd was not as thick as in previous years, the feast of St. Isidore 2008 provided some good entertainment and a degree of circulation of currency in the community.

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April 28, 2008

Jerome Mellow Unity B and Bafondpointe of Bagatelle score victories.

In the Lambert Henderson Cricket League on Saturday 26, the Jerome Mellow Unity B defeated Unity A of Hagley by four wickets. Batting first, Unity A scored a healthy 156 for 8 with A. Matthew topscoring with 39, J. Xavier 28 and L. Loblack 20. Bowling for Unity B, A. Jolly got 2 for 26, D. Liverpool 2 for 31 and J.Xavier  Jn. 2 for 12. Chasing 157 for victory, Unity B scored 159 for 6 with D. Liverpool scoring 39, A. Jolly 29 and B. Defoe 26. J. Charles took 2 for 43 and A. Matthew 2 for 12. Jerome Mellow Unity B won by four wickets.

On Sunday 27, Bafondpointe of Bagatelle overcame a challenge by Taverners to win by 2 wickets. Batting first Taverners scored 97 with J. Liverpool taking 3 for 14, K. Thomas 2 for 21 and M. Thomas 2 for 25. In reply Bagatelle squeezed home scoring 98 for 8 with J. Liverpool scoring 25 and S. Edwards 23. For Taverners K. Benjamin got 3 for 16 and T. Kentish 3 for 19. Bafondpointe won by 2 wickets.

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April 24, 2008

Pierre Charles Secondary School Wins Kiwani’s Club Debating Competition.

The Pierre Charles Secondary School  (PCSS) led by Josette John of Tete Morne and Marie Addie Nelson also known as Gitana of Grand Bay yesterday edged out the North Eastern Comprehensive School (NECS)  in the finals of the Kiwani’s Club 16^th annual secondary schools debating competition. The subject of the debate was “An Oil Refinery is in the best interest of Dominica”. The North Eastern Comprehensive proposed and the Pierre Charles Secondary opposed.

Both teams were pretty forceful in presenting their well researched arguments for and against the topic. NECS emphasized the economic benefits that may accrue by the establishment of an oil refinery, referring to the number of employees that may be engaged as in the case of the oil refinery in neighbouring St. Croix. The team also argued that there would be little effect on the tourism industry as many might suggest, citing the coexistence of both industries in Curacao, Trinidad and St. Croix. NECS also argued that Dominica should embrace the opportunity for industrialization thereby stemming the outflow of talented and skilled young people to other industrialized countries.

The Pierre Charles team  based its arguments on the disastrous impacts that an oil refinery could have on Dominica’s pristine environment, citing possible oil spills, including a recent spill at the tank farm at Jimmit, explosions, air, land and water pollution, and damage to the image of the island as the nature island of the Caribbean.

The team also dismissed the claim that economic benefits would be great as, by its calculation, only a few unskilled Dominicans would be employed if a modern 10000 barrel per day refinery would be established here. Furthermore, it argued, if Dominica has a wealth of geothermal, wind and solar energy, all renewable energy sources, why should the country resort to oil refining when countries with oil are trying to mitigate the damage that the industry had inflicted on them? PCSS argued that Dominica should instead develop the more sustainable renewable energy sources for its future development.

In the end, the judges determined that PCSS had scored 151 points to NECS’ 144. Marie Addie Nelson of PCSS was adjudged the best speaker.

According to the moderator Mr. Ibrahim Brohim, there are no losers in these debates and indeed, NECS presented its case very well but came second in this debate.

Congratulations to the students, their teachers and all those who assisted in their preparation for this excellent exercise.

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April 16, 2008

Fire in Hagley

At about 8:30 am on Tuesday April 15, fire virtually destroyed the interior of a three bedroom building at Hagley. The occupant Margaret Liverpool was not in the building at the time that the fire broke out. According to Margaret, by the time the alarm was raised and she arrived on the scene, there was smoke and fire throughout the building. She could not have entered to save any of her belongings.

The Fire and Ambulance service responded quickly but could not extinguish the fire before the interior was totally burnt.

Margaret and her family have had to seek shelter at relatives.

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Wednesday 2^nd April, 2008

Cricket in Grand Bay Resurrects on Easter Sunday

A bright and sunny Easter Sunday morning the 23^rd of March, saw the commencement of the Lambert Henderson Cricket League at the Geneva Playing field. The league is once again sponsored by the Dominica National Lottery. Four teams participated in the Ball-o-rama that morning. Berricans made an early exit as they were eliminated by Bagatelle, while Unity A got the better of Unity B. The final match was a very exciting affair down to the last ball. Needing only 7 runs off the last over to beat Unity B, Bagatelle managed a boundary, two wides and a couple more runs to clinch victory.

On Sunday 30^th March, the first of a knock-out 20/20 competition sponsored by MaxRoy Trading also ended in a tight finish. In response to a score of 98 posted by Bagatelle, Taverners cruised to victory with one ball to spare. Cummings Shillingford (Chico) played a sheet anchoring knock of 37 to ensure victory for the senior men.

After the 20/20 knock out competition, the 40 overs competition will begin. Seven teams are expected to participate. In addition to the four teams which took part in the ball-o-rama, Taverners, Petite Savanne and Bellevue are expected to join the competition.

Meanwhile Grand Bay Credit Union Colts started their season with a hard-fought victory in the Augustus Gregoire Cricket League First Division against Marinor Blasters (formerly Renegades) at the Windsor Park Sports Stadium. Batting first Marinor were bowled out for 117. In reply Colts bounced back from 64 for six to lead by only three runs. Batting a second time Marinor were bowled out for a meagre 97 runs leaving Colts with only 95 to win. From a position of 40 without loss, Colts managed to lose 8 wickets in scoring the 95 runs needed for victory. Kade Brown (30) and Lindy Jules (37) put a strong opening partnership only to give their wickets away. However, Colts prevailed at the end and registered their first victory of the 2008 season.

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Program of Activities for Reunion Isidore 2008

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Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Prime Minister pledges Million Dollars for housing improvement in Grand Bay.

At a ceremony at the Old Fort in Lallay, the Honourable Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica handed over to the Chairman of the Grand Bay Village Council Mr. Willie Fevrier, a cheque in the sum of EC$300,000 for the repair of homes damaged by Hurricane Dean. These funds will allow for the continuation of housing repair and improvement work undertaken by the Government of Dominica as part of the Housing Revolution. In handing over the cheque, the Prime Minister said that the money was only part of the Government’s pledge to give support to the Grand Bay constituency. He pledged to provide some more funds to a total of one million dollars to continue the process of housing development in Grand Bay, Montine and Tete Morne.

Mr. Skerrit also gave a commitment to provide some funds for the paving of some of the roads in the newly developing areas of the village, namely Bala Park and Bolom.

The Prime Minister disclosed that these funds were made possible through the kind generosity of the Government and people of Venezuela and the ALBA agreement that has been much maligned. He reiterated his determination to go to friendly governments and organizations to raise financial resources to help the needy people of the country that he leads.

Hon. Skerrit showered praise on Parliamentary Representative Hon. John Fabien for his commitment and dedication in serving the people of his constituency. He urged the people of Grand Bay to be patient and to continue to support the Dominica Labour Party.

Parliamentary Representative Hon. John Fabien refuted claims by detractors that nothing was being done for Grand Bay by the Government. He pointed to the much improved network of paved roads at Back Street, Mabouchay, Hagley and Chemin Cabway, and recalled almost forty years ago when the Council of Mr. Joseph Alcendor actually built some of these roads which were constantly being patched over the years by deceased Mr. Gaspar Blanc. Today he said these roads are fully resurfaced. Several homes have been repaired since Hurricane Dean and farmers have been given assistance to resume farming.

In receiving the cheque from the PM, the Chairman of the Council, Mr. Willie Fevrier expressed gratitude on behalf of the community for this substantial sum of money to help people whose houses were damaged by Hurricane Dean. He thanked the Prime Minister, the Parl. Rep., the Government of Dominica and the Government and people of Venezuela. The Chairman called on villagers to make their own contribution to the Council by paying their house rates and giving a helping hand to each other and those needing help through the koudmain. He commented that the Council already had a long list of people who had reported that their homes were damaged during the last hurricane. He cautioned people that though the sum of money appears large, it will not meet the needs of all. He further stated that people tend to say that nothing is done in the community and that the money was wasted. He advised that the books of all councils were audited and therefore there was no risk of misappropriation. He confirmed that the Council will do all it can to ensure equitable distribution and efficient use of the funds.

Before the Chairman’s vote of thanks, the Hon. Reginald Austrie addressed the audience and dispelled many of the rumours and inuendos from the opposition forces in the country.

Armour Thomas, Councilor and chairman of the Labour Party branch in Grand Bay chaired the function which was extremely well attended.

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Ash Wednesday, 06 February 2008

Carnival 2008

It would have been nice to report today that there was an incident-free carnival in Grand Bay. Things were going reasonably well until Tuesday night (last lap) when a shooting incident left about four revellers injured. Otherwise the people seemed to have had a great time.

However, there are certain practices during carnival that must be stopped. The carnival order stipulates that revellers shall not carry weapons of any description. This order apparently does not apply to Grand Bay because it is not enforced. The carnival parade in Roseau is monitored by many police officers. Not so in Grand Bay. The police, it is understood, made brief appearances in Lallay on carnival Monday. Constant patrolling is not done as it is done in Roseau. It is alleged that the police prefers to stay away in order to avoid a bloody confrontation with revellers who are carrying cutlasses and guns. It is also believed that Grand Bay people are generally uncooperative in assisting the police in carrying out their duties and, in a situation where there are so many people in a carnival band carrying weapons, it may be wiser to leave them alone.

It should be known, though, that there is a groundswell of support for the elimination of those unlawful practices during carnival. A week before carnival there was a “peace” rally organized by the Youth Centre Club calling on revellers to leave weapons out of the carnival band and desist from violent activities, drug abuse and excessive alcohol consumption. Furthermore, the chairman of the Council and the carnival queen contestant for the south addressed the students of the Pierre Charles Secondary School, admonishing them to keep clear of violence and be safe during carnival. Yet, it is reported that the main perpetrators of the bottle breaking are school children. The question is where are their parents?

There were some positive aspects of the Carnival. The highlight was the introduction of the Montine/Tete Morne carnival band, complete with the hottest Lapo Cabwit, the loudest Lavway, the largest group of uniformed revellers, the best organized group and weapon free. The Montine group must be highly commended for this effort.

There were other very colourful groups such as Swefers Combo, sporting their “colombie” head gear and red and white costumes and accompanied by a High Fi system on a truck,  the Guada group (Grand Bayrians in Guadeloupe and their friends) in their blue and white costumes, the Hagley Young Outgoing stars, the Mabouchay crew and the Highland group of young ladies to name some small gangs.

There was indeed some colour and the ever present Sakis were there as usual.

The truth is Grand Bay carnival could be special but for the breaking of bottles and the carrying of weapons in the band. It is about time that the young people who are involved in these unlawful acts reflect on the negative impact that their foolish activities are having on the image of the community. Furthermore, they and their supporters should think of the danger that these activities pose to innocent people who are just trying to have a good time. Also, the effect on the present and future economic development of Grand Bay is in jeopardy and they are the ones who will suffer the consequences of a languishing community. It is time for all to speak out against these unruly acts and it is about time that a strategy be devised to enforce the carnival order in Grand Bay as it is in Roseau.

Queen Marva Launched

Marva Williams of Pichelin is the carnival queen contestant representing the south of the island in 2008. Miss Williams is no stranger to the stage as she has competed in various competitions from her primary school days. Marva is very talented and has been one young person who has been involved in helping to preserve our cultural heritage. She has taken part in creole song contest, conte competition and has danced belaire as part of a cultural group. At present she is a member of the cultural group Moulin Culture.

Marva is also very involved in community work. She is the deputy chairperson of  the Pichelin Village Council.

She is employed at the Festivals Commission as a secretary. She is quite versed in the Creole language and often promotes the activities of the Commission in patois.

The entire southern district is supportive of Miss Williams in her quest to capture the Reunion Carnival Queen come February 1, 2008.

November 25, 2007

What’s Going On?

That is the question on many minds following strange happenings at the Pierre Charles Secondary School (PCSS) on Thursday 22^nd November, 2007. Most people would have heard the story that about 25 female students experienced varying degrees of what might be described as psychosomatic disturbances which manifested in their fainting, experiencing seizures, making unintelligible utterances, and in some cases downright demonic expletives (swearing and cursing etc). The health team at the Grand Bay Health Centre led by Dr. Kenneth Darroux was challenged but with the help of Dr. Griffin Benjamin, consultant psychiatrist at the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) was able to manage the chaotic situation. The team was also assisted by various pastors, the Catholic priest, the children’s parents and other volunteers. About eight of these students had to be transferred to the psychiatric ward of the PMH where they were observed overnight.

Dr. Benjamin described the children’s condition as “conversion disorder”. However, most people who saw the reaction of the students ie the seizures, their uncontrollable and vigorous movements, their utterances, have speculated that what they saw was beyond a medical condition and that it involved some sort of demonic possession of the young girls.

Prayers flowed and it is reported that the prayers had a calming influence on the children.

The following day, many officials of the Ministry of Education, pastors, some parents and sympathetic observers went to the school and participated in prayers for the recovery of the students.

Now, it is not clear what the cause of these happenings is. People speculate. There is need, however, for a thorough investigation into the matter. Such an investigation should be conducted by a team which should include the psychiatrist, the doctor, a counselor, a parent, a pastor, a priest and the police. A thorough background check of the children and their parents should be conducted and documented. There should be group interactions (ie with the group of affected students) and there should be individual interviews.

The incident at the PCSS must have shaken the community but people should ask themselves whether they have performed the supervision of their girls as well as they should have.

For what it is worth, there has been a call for lots of prayer for the children, their parents, the community and our country, for today it is Grand Bay tomorrow it may be another community. Pray people, pray!

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Death Announcement : Mrs. Madlen Bedminster Morancie  (Ma Pal) - age 66

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Hurricane Dean Relief going well.

After the passage of Hurricane Dean, the Government of Dominica requested an assessment of damage to homes in the community. The Village Council proceeded to make an evaluation and presented to the Government an estimate of the damage suffered. Within weeks funds were received by the Village Council, through the Parliamentary Representative to provide assistance to people who suffered damage to their homes.

In collaboration with the Parl. Rep., the Council decided to issue cheques to those persons who were felt to be capable of effecting repairs by themselves and contracted Bernard Noel to assist those persons who were not capable of doing the repairs by themselves.

So far, several people have fixed their leaky roofs, while Bernard has completed the repairs to three houses including the complete refurbishment of a house in the Geneva Housing area.

In addition to the home repairs, several families received food supplies sent by the Government and distributed by the Village Council.

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Monday, November 5, 2007

Community Day of Service, a celebration of our Koudmain tradition.

As the celebration of Dominica’s twenty-ninth anniversary of independence comes to a close with the Community Day of Service, there is one tradition that continues to hang on quite strongly. It is the koudmain tradition. The word “koudmain” appears to have derived from the French phrase “Coup de main”, meaning “helping hand”. In the past, families helped each other in building a house, planting a garden, or doing some other important work by volunteering their labour free of charge to one another. Especially in the planting of a garden, two or three families teamed up one Saturday and planted one family’s garden. Then the following Saturday the team planted the garden of another member of the team and so on until all the gardens of the team members were planted. This tradition still persists as part of Dominica’s culture. It is demonstrated strongly when someone has to cast a floor or roof in concrete where intensive labour is required and where the job has to be done in one go. The people are mobilized. Food and drinks, including the all-important rum, are provided and the labour is given free by the participants.

The Community Day of Service is an extension of this concept. It was introduced by the late Dame Eugenia Charles government. It requires that on the day following 3^rd November, National Independence day, nationals are called on to volunteer their labour to do some work to develop their community. This concept has been refined to the point where the Department of Community Development receives project proposals, evaluates them, approves and supplies materials for the execution of these projects. The communities select a project leader for each project and mobilize volunteers to work on community day of service. Again, each project organizes to have food and drink prepared for the workers. Generally, the men do the major physical work like mixing concrete while the women do the cooking and the lighter work. It is not unusual, though, to find some women doing heavy physical work while some men do the cooking. Village Councils usually submit several project proposals for different sub-communities within their jurisdiction. Therefore it is possible that a community like Grand Bay could have from four to eight projects on that day. However, individuals could also submit proposals to the department for consideration. It is important, though, that all projects have the objective of improving the commu