The Ministry of Health and Wellness has assured the public that the problems experienced by some patients seeking to fill prescriptions at polyclinic pharmacies have been drawn to its attention and are being addressed as a matter of urgency.

Some people complained on the radio call-in programme that they had been turned away from government pharmacies which were without some prescribed hypertensive and diabetic drugs.

The ministry has indicated that steps have been taken to resolve the issues and the government pharmacies should once again be fully stocked by mid next week.

Persons are cautioned against sharing prescribed medication with anyone, including persons who may suffer from similar ailments. The ministry apologizes for any inconvenience which may have been caused.

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As a young husband, Taurean Roach dreams of starting a family with his wife Kimberlee Thompson-Roach soon. But he is worried that he may not be able to spend enough time with his new baby after birth, because some workplaces allow fathers very little time off for paternity leave.

He shared the concern with representatives of the Bureau of Gender Affairs and the Men’s Committee last night, during a panel discussion on the topic ‘Is Paternity Leave Essential?’

“I think that it is unfair that the lady has to go through childbirth and the man is only allowed to have one week or two weeks’ leave in order to support his partner or spouse,” he said.

Roach’s sentiments were echoed by several members of the audience who believe it is necessary for fathers to be given adequate time to bond with their newborns.

The discussion came one month after telecommunications company FLOW announced a new parental policy under which fathers are granted eight weeks paid paternity leave, while mothers get double the time off.

[caption id="attachment_305251" align="alignnone" width="650"] Patricia Boyce - Director, Bureau of Gender Affairs.[/caption]

Director of the Bureau of Gender Affairs, Patricia Boyce, said the Government views paternity leave as a vehicle for social change and equality, as well as a means of building stronger families and communities.

“The arrival of a baby is usually a joyous occasion, but as many of you may know or may have experienced, a newborn baby is a challenge. For most, taking care of a newborn baby is a 24/7 job that usually entails sleep deprivation.

“And it is usually the women [who are] tasked with this with this care, because of the ideology that supports the notion that since women are able to bear children they are more suited to care for the child,” she said.

According to Boyce, paternity leave helps to strengthen the parents’ partnership and also increases the wellbeing of the mother and child.

“Research has shown that father and baby bonding actually improves a father’s ability to care for his children in the long term, and means he is more engaged and involved as a parent.

“Some women and men, particularly some first-time fathers, are often afraid to take up and hold a newborn baby in the very early stages. But research has shown that being a father who is around in the early stages gives lasting confidence in caregiving,” she said.

[caption id="attachment_305254" align="alignnone" width="650"] Taurean Roach and wife Kimberlee[/caption]

Retired Chief Community Development Officer, Patricia Hackett-Codrington also supported the move, saying it is necessary, given that more men are taking on a more active role in raising their children.

“Over the years, fathers have moved to become more involved in the lives of their children. And we’re trying to break down the division of labour in such a way that we understand that roles in the home must be shared, because in this era both men and women work, they both go out, and therefore if the family is to be successful then both people must share in what is happening in the family,” she said.

Retired Director of the National Assistance Board, Reverend Clayton Springer, favours the term ‘parental leave’ over paternity or maternity leave, as he is of the view that both parents should share the responsibility of raising their child.

“Therefore, the whole question of parental leave would help us to see the involvement of both a mother and father. And the benefits that have been readily identified have indicated that it is a win-win situation for mother, for father and for children as well.

“And since in this era, especially, we are so concerned about where society is going, the falling level of morals and lack of ethical behaviour on all corners, it is incumbent that we do everything we can to establish some support systems for the family as a family, and I believe that parental leave. . . is one such strategy that can have a lot of benefits for the restoration of what we call traditional values that seem to have become outdated,” said Reverend Springer.

For Executive Director of the Barbados Family Planning Association, Anderson Langdon, a discussion on paternity leave was long overdue.

“Involved fatherhood helps children thrive. Involved fatherhood helps boys and girls to achieve their full potential now and in future generations. Involved fatherhood makes men happier and confident. Men involved in caregiving bring a level of equity back to our society. Fathers want to spend time with their children more than they have, but the opportunity hasn’t been presented. Men’s participation and support are urgently needed to ensure that all children are wanted children,” he said.

Langdon suggested that men be given six weeks of paternity leave to help them bond with their newborns; however he noted that there are several issues that need to be worked out before an official period can be set.

One person who would have liked to spend more time with his new babies is father of two, Fabian Sargeant.

The Programme Officer at the Barbados Youth Service said he took advantage of all the time he was allowed following the births of his children.

“I think paternity leave for men should be the same time as women.…I would love three months to be home with my children,” he said. “I have lived that bonding experience and I said…I need to create a difference in terms of what I was seeing in communities among men.”

Dr Alison Bernard was present with her husband, Lawson, who she described as her “constant support”.

She too, supports calls for paternity leave, saying it would benefit both parent and child, particularly in the area of breastfeeding.

“There’s so much evidence that shows that if Dads support mothers in breastfeeding they will breastfeed for much longer. We have a terrible breastfeeding rate in this country –19.7 per cent as of seven years ago. And the World Health Organization says get it up to 50 per cent by 2025 [so] we have a lot of work to do,” the medical doctor told the audience.

The audience, which was made up mainly of men, were in full support of paternity leave.

Moderator Sanka Price lamented the lack of representation from the trade unions at last night’s discussion. But for Taurean Roach, the event was a welcome start to a conversation that he hopes will lead to a national policy on paternity leave in the future. (MCW)

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The winners of the Child Care Board’s Champion In You poster competition received their prizes on Friday at the Board’s Cheapside, St Michael headquarters.

During the presentation, Board Member Kevon Henry said the competition, which coincided with Child Month 2019, observed in May, allowed children to express themselves through art.

The age categories were seven to 11, 12 to 15 and 16 to 18.

Henry told members of the media that he was pleased with the response to the competition, which was held for the first time this year.

He explained that going forward, there would be a few changes to the rules of the competition.

“The numbers that we had so far were pretty encouraging. We would really like to see more people participating in it because we really want everybody to express their artistic side. We just want to have children express themselves more.

“Sometimes we only see people celebrating the academic side of things and not necessarily the artistic side and the other skill sets that they have. Next year we are going to open the entry dates early so that more people have the ability to focus and be able to be a part of these activities. Maybe we would be able to expand it [the competition] into writing, as well as other artistic forms of expression,” Henry said. (AH)

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A small crowd gathered in Solidarity House to await the results, hoping to see their favorite calypsonians heading to Kensington Oval aiming to dethrone Mr Blood on August 2, 2019.

Tent Managers from Cave Shepherd All Stars, Eleanor Rice-Watkins House of Soca Calypso Tent, Sharon Carew and First Citizens De Big Show, Merle Niles sat eagerly to hear the verdict of their tents’ performance.

There were some cheers as the finalists were announced, and broad smiles on the faces of some of the tent managers, but on the other hand there were wails and confusion. Even though the final tent to judge was new tent Shining Stars Calypso Show, no one from that tent was able to get a nod from the judges.

Super Gladiators Tent suffered the same fate although performers such as Frank White, Apollo, and Long fellow received encores week after week for their performances.

It was also shocking that after a good showing at Stray Cats De Doc was not given a nod from the judges for the finals.  Also shocking was the omission of House of Soca Calypso Tent Keerah who sang I Care as she did a commendable performance on judging night.

As the old adage goes, the judges’ decision is final.

First citizens De Big Show has the most calypsonians in the finals this year as seven of their contestants made it through. They are AC, Chrystal Cummins-Beckles, Mistah Dale, Edwin Yearwood, TC, Classic and Jslo.  The tent also has the reigning monarch Mr Blood.

Speaking to Barbados TODAY this morning Niles said that she believes the hard work that the calypsonians in her tent had put in on judging night is what led to her receiving the lion’s share of the finalists.

“I am very proud of everyone in the tent for what they did in the night of judging and I am happy that we have seven finalists as well as the reigning monarch.  Special mention must be made of Jamal Slocombe who is one of the youngest competitors in Pic-O-De-Crop and Soca Monarch respectively. On behalf of Team De Big Show wish to congratulate all of the finalists in the Pic-O-De-Crop and Soca Monarch competitions,” she said.

Admiral Nelson, veteran broadcaster and entertainment critic, questioned how De Doc was not able to make the finals of the competition.

“I think it is interesting. One or two people that I did not hold out hope for that I am still happy that they made it. I believe that this is a strong group of people who have been chosen. As is the case with every choice that is made, you are going to have people who say, ‘I wonder why this person ain’t get in’ but you have to go to all of the tents to understand,” he said.

“If I had one wish tonight, I would have wished De Doc from Stray Cats had really got into this competition. But clearly, they think he had not done enough to warrant a position, I would challenge that but I am OK with this. Let’s see what happens in the finals, it is going to be a pretty interesting final.”

Cheyne Jones from Waterstreet Boyz told Barbados TODAY he is excited for all four of the calypsonians he wrote for - Teri, Rameses, TC and Faith.

“We are extremely delighted. We thought we had the material to do so. We worked really hard with the artist and we were quietly confident that we would have everyone in and it came back. We are sorry that Quon could not sing his song that he is singing in Junior Monarch as he is the defending monarch. We expect him to win there and we are looking for five out of five,” he said.

Jones revealed persons have been telling him that they have never heard of a songwriter having all of the calypsonians they wrote for in the finals.

“We are humbled by it and we will keep on moving from strength to strength. You start from zero again and you have to bring something fresh. So, the work starts for us tonight. We are going to be analyzing the entire list all of the people because we love pecong,” he said.

Finalists

Cave Shepherd All Stars Calypso Tent - Donella - De Ship
Cave Shepherd All Stars Calypso Tent - Granny - Bring Back De Old Days
Cave Shepherd All Stars Calypso Tent - Jude Clarke - Before We Pray
Cave Shepherd All Stars Calypso Tent - Kid Site - No Sense
Cave Shepherd All Stars Calypso Tent - Sammy Dello - Elected To Serve
Cave Shepherd All Stars Calypso Tent - Teri - Bajans Up In Arms
De Big Show - AC - Christmas In Cropover
De Big Show - Chrystal Cummins-Beckles - One Song
De Big Show - Classic - One Song
De Big Show - Edwin Yearwood - Conversation
De Big Show - Jslo - Elephant In The Room
De Big Show - Mistah Dale - Daddy
De Big Show - TC - Iron Lady
House of Soca - Faith - Build It
House of Soca - Ms Sammy-G - Write Me A Song
House of Soca - Rameses - Doan Like Ramesees
Straycats Calypso Tent - Sammi Jane - Peace In the House

(LG)

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Clarissa Geraldine Brathwaite joined the elite club of centenarians today surrounded by family, including those who flew in from the US and the UK for the special occasion.

Brathwaite, dressed in a cream suit and matching hat, was joined by Governor General Dame Sandra Mason and Reverend Angela Phillips of St Patrick’s Anglican Church at her home in Pritchard Hill, St Patricks, Christ Church.

She was surrounded by nine of her ten children, and several of her grand and great grandchildren.

Her first granddaughter, Marcelle Greenidge, who lives in California, gifted her with a photo of her great-great-grandchildren, and another enlarged photo of Brathwaite which she asked everyone, including Dame Sandra to sign.

“I am so happy to have my grandmother and be able to have a gathering like this, because I think with a gathering like this, it only comes when there’s a funeral but here we are. We’re so happy to celebrate life, and with life you have 100 years of it. Think of all the people who never made it to 100,” Greenidge said.

Brathwaite is being cared for by her granddaughters Dawn and Deidre Brathwaite, the latter describing her as “my baby”.

“I was blessed to have a baby that is 100 years old and I’m so proud,” Deidre said, much to the amusement of all in the room.

Dame Sandra, meanwhile, congratulated Brathwaite on reaching this milestone, and presented her with birthday cards from Queen Elizabeth II and herself.

She also shared that like Brathwaite, she also came from a large family; she is one of nine children.

“I know what it is to have occasions like this and as you said, normally you have everybody together when there’s a funeral. Because people and their busy schedules cannot come this time and cannot come the next time; it’s never possible to get everybody together. So it really is a beautiful occasion where [almost] everybody can come to celebrate your life,” Dame Sandra said.

“I tell everybody that I have a lot of duties but this one is the most pleasant and pleasurable one that I have; meeting people as old as you, partly because I want to live to 100 myself. But when I meet somebody looking like you, there is hope for all of us,” she told Brathwaite.

Brathwaite was born in Dolphin Park in St Patricks and received her early education at St Patricks Girls School.

She began working at age ten at Yorkshire Plantation, and was later employed as a domestic worker at the Ministry of Transport and Works.

Brathwaite said her marriage to Charles Herbert Brathwaite produced ten children. Charles died at age 42.

Today Brathwaite is a proud grandmother of 21, great-grandmother of 24, and great-great-grand mother of 12, with another on the way.

She thanked her family and Dame Sandra for sharing her special day, saying she felt “good good good” to become Barbados’ newest centenarian.

She was also full of gratitude to her family for taking care of her.

“Just how I treat the children, they treating me,” she said.

She has been worshipping at St Patricks Anglican Church and is a member of the Mother’s Union.

She attributes her longevity to a regular breakfast of plantains, sardines and biscuits. She also enjoys ground provisions - sweet potato and yams, as well as breadfruit – “old-time food” as she called it.

According to her granddaughters, a normal day will find Brathwaite watching television or chatting with anyone, young or old, who happens to stop by.

“I love my children, my grandchildren, great-grand and everybody,” Brathwaite said. (MCW)

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Minister of Home Affairs Edmund Hinkson is calling on corporate Barbados to give back to civil society organizations such as the Substance Abuse Foundation (SAF).

Hinkson made his remarks Saturday at the graduation ceremony for 24 people from the Verdun and Marina House.

The SAF, which has joined the ranks of the Samuel Jackman Prescod Technical Institute and the Barbados Community College as a certified institution, congratulated the graduating class of the Solar Photovoltaic Panel Installation (Roofer/Fitter), level 2 Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ).

The ceremony was also attended by the Chief Justice, Sir Martson Gibson and Minister in the Ministry of Housing, Lands and Rural Development, Charles Griffith, who is the parliamentary representative for the constituency of St John.

Hinkson implored the private sector to offer assistance to charities, such as the SAF, which were contributing to the social and economic development of Barbadians.

“We call on corporate Barbados who are now the beneficiaries of reduced corporation tax . . . not to only think about the profit motive involved in your enterprises but to see how you could advance Barbados in terms of giving back,” he said.

“The calls of drug treatment and rehabilitation of those who have unfortunately found themselves in a challenging position in terms of illegal substance abuse must be one of the areas that both individual volunteers and corporate Barbados can seek to be involved in, so that we can continue this government’s ultimate goal to return Barbados to the kind of place it should be and ought to be in terms of our global structure.”

Hinkson reiterated that Barbadians must unite to offer financial and other forms of assistance that would benefit national development. He suggested that more volunteers were needed to perform civic duties such as helping the less fortunate in the country. He contended that “strong partnerships” between the Government and the third sector were critical as the island faced numerous social and economic challenges.

During his address, the Minister of Home Affairs announced finalizing of the Anti-Drug Plan for 2020 to 2025. The plan, which has yet to be laid before parliament, seeks to achieve interventionist methods for drug users.

Hinkson says it also seeks to “continue to advance measures, which enhance the capacity of our government and our people, minimize the entry into our country of illegal drugs and to curtail the use and abuse of the same drugs”.

He emphasized that the Government must protect its people from the negative effects of illegal substance abuse while promoting drug-free lifestyles.

While broaching on the low number of female clients at the rehabilitation center, the Minister urged females to come forward and seek assistance. He encouraged them to not only seek rehabilitation but also participate in the training programmes and CVQs offered at the centers.

“I urge more women to be part of this process because we understand the growing difficulty and challenges of more women being involved in illegal substance abuse,” Hinkson said. (KK)

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Members of the public are advised that the following Magistrates’ Courts and offices will be closed at noon on Tuesday, July 23, to allow staff to undergo training.

They are: District “B”/Oistins Magistrates’ Court; District “B”/Boarded Hall Magistrates’ Court; District “C” Magistrates’ Court; District “D”/Cane Garden Magistrates’ Court; Holetown Magistrates’ Court; and District “F”/Horse Hill Magistrates’ Court.

However, the offices and courts at the District “A” Magistrates’ Court at Coleridge Street and the District “A” Civil and District “A” Domestic Courts at St Matthias, Christ Church, will remain open.

Any inconvenience caused is regretted.

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Two kings and a queen were crowned Saturday night at the Soctiabank Junior Monarch held at the Wildey Gymnasium.

For the first time ever, 19 contestants in three different categories participated in three separate ding dong battles for one of the top spots.

At minutes to 1 a.m. Sunday, Quon was crowned king in the 15 to 18 category for the second straight year.

Quon received the highest score of 82 points for his dynamic performance of Smart. In the 11 to 14 category Queen Shontae amassed 90 points singing Stop De Violence while The Mighty Bit Bit scored a perfect 100 points with his De Style Of Old Calypso in the new 6 to 10 category.

Here are the other places in the three categories:
15 to 18 category:
Second: De Overcomer singing Last scored 72 points.
Third: Yahandje singing My Reality gained 68 points.
Fourth: Raanan singing Dust Dem Out and A@-lee-aah Join De Campaign with 62 points each.

11 to 14 category:
Second: Xavi singing Reduce, Reuse, Recycle scored 86 points.
Third: Mhizz Khibaba singing Her Story gained 68 points.
Fourth: Brown Star singing Broken Family got 62 points.

6 to 10 category:
Second: Dee Jay singing My Time scored 74 points.
Third: Riyah B singing Indiscipline gained 66 points.
Fourth: Le Andre singing Big Ambitions.

At the time, no points were announced for Le Andre. (IMC)

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Less than five privately-owned public service vehicles (PSVs) are presently signed onto the Transport Augmentation Programme (TAP) but Government is not ready to give up on the scheme just yet.

With reports reaching Barbados TODAY about the lack lustre support for the initiative, acting assistant director for planning at the Transport Authority Carolyn Yarde has insisted all hope is not yet lost for the three-month-old programme.

Back in April, days before the TAP was scheduled to start, chairman of the Transport Authority Ian Estwick said while he hoped to have 100 PSVs sign onto the project, he was expecting “around 20 or so”.

One month later he revealed that 28 PSVs had signed on and that applications for 42 others were pending.

However, since then there has been a steady decline of interest from PSV operators, leading to the paltry numbers.

In an interview with Barbados TODAY, Yarde said it was early days yet and Government was not in a position to scrap the project.

And while she declined to give the number of private PSVs currently in the programme, she revealed that a review was being done with the goal of introducing some improvements.

“The TAP programme isn’t going as well as we had anticipated, but there are still persons in the programme so it is still ongoing and from what we have gathered so far those persons are not having any issues with it,” Yarde said.

“Whether it makes sense to continue, is being reviewed at this point in time to see how best we can shore up what we have, but persons are still expressing an interest in it. Daily we get queries from permit holders who want to know what it is about and what it is involved in it, so there is still some interest out there.

“The programme is still in its infancy…so it is still early days. We have not given up on TAP, so once we do a review and see where any issues that came up are, then we will know how to proceed from there, but TAP is still very much alive,” she added.

President of the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) Roy Raphael told Barbados TODAY that TAP was the brainchild of his organisation.

He said the initiative presented to Government was initially named the Transport Implementation Project (TIP), but was eventually tweaked and renamed.

However, he claimed, some of the changes made by Government were responsible for its failure thus far.

Raphael said if Government was willing to implement AOPT’s initial proposal, he believed the programme could be successful.

“The proposal that we gave to Government was workable but there were some adjustments done to it and some of the expectations that some operators went in with, they were unable to proceed and it created some problems for them.

“In the form in which we suggested, TAP would have worked, but in the form in which it was presented, we would have seen some issues there,” Raphael maintained.

“We still support TAP. We believe it is workable, but I believe that Government will have to sit with us again and revisit the whole concept of the project.”
randybennett@barbadostoday.bb

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Government will not immediately ban the biodegradable alternatives to single-use plastics that have tested positive for higher than acceptable levels of fluorine, Minister of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy Kirk Humphrey has revealed.

Instead the Mia Mottley administration will continue to seriously monitor the development, while asking importers to help with the process of filtering any undesirable alternatives out of circulation.

“We had a meeting with the Barbados National Standards Institution (BNSI), the Ministry of Health and we had a conversation on the way forward with respect to these containers. The truth is that there is no place in the world that handles polyfluoroalkyl (PFA) [Chemical
component of fluorine] in a manner that suggest that they should be banned,” Humphrey said

He further explained, “We brought all of the major importers into a room and we told them what we found and ask them to have a conversation with their suppliers and over time we can gradually move to a state where we don’t have these PFA containers in Barbados.”

Humphrey told Barbados TODAY that there were tests still to be done, as it is still to be determined if the PFA’s found in the products coming into Barbados are long chain or short chain. The traditional long chain PFA’s are considered most problematic. He therefore assured Barbadians that further testing and intense scrutiny will continue as it relates to these products.

“This is where we are at now and we have asked the suppliers to ensure that every shipment that they bring in, they give us the composition of what is inside the containers. In the meantime, we will continue to do testing,” he said, while acknowledging that the products, in which the BNSI found high fluorine levels, would most likely not pass certification for some international bioplastic agencies.

Just days after the July 1 start of the ban on single-use plastics, Minister of Small Business, Entrepreneurship and Commerce Dwight Sutherland expressed serious concern with some of the replacement products coming into Barbados. Though noting that there was no need for alarm, Sutherland called for importation standards to be put in place, as it relates to the biodegradable alternative to single-use plastics.

“We can’t just say we are banning plastics and our replacement biodegradable products have high levels of fluorine, which in effect, poses the same danger as the single-use plastics,” he said.

However, Humphrey, who was instrumental in implementing the ban, made it clear that he was not caught off-guard by the recent revelation.

In fact, he contended that it was his Ministry that had instructed the BNSI to test the containers in the first place, adding that this was done out of an abundance of caution.

This morning Humphrey told Barbados TODAY that the testing was all part of Government’s due diligence in implementing the ban on single-use plastics, pouring cold water on the notion that he had jumped the gun, as it relates to the month-old prohibition.

“We haven’t been responding, we have been leading. So, the truth is that the tests on all of the alternatives were done by the Ministry… During the consultations we had a representative from Trinidad speak to the composition of the container and the high concentration of fluorine. So out of our own personal due diligence, the Ministry made a request to have the containers tested. We contacted BNSI and other players to do the tests on behalf of the Ministry, through an institution in the US known for doing those tests,” he noted.

The Minister also assured the country that the products posed no threat to humans or the environment, noting that it would take a tremendous accumulation over a very long time to raise any serious concerns.

“The science has suggested to us that you would have to consume a tremendous amount of these PFA’s in order to have problems. A lot of the containers that we already use have PFA’s. These are not new containers. You can also find PFA’s in a lot of the wrappers for fast food and even found in water. I think the Ministry is showing a lot of due diligence by testing these containers and then over time be in a position to phase them out as other alternatives arise,” he said, making it clear that a return to single-use plastics was not an option. colvillemounsey@barbadostoday.bb

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Two elderly Gemswick St Philip siblings are crying out for help after their 82-year-old neighbour Eustace Waterman blocked what they are claiming to be the only access to their home.

[caption id="attachment_305354" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Eustace Waterman says he blocked this road because it is a part of his property.[/caption]

An upset 68-year-old Audrey Darlington said she was surprised when she looked through her window this morning to see boulders being placed on the tenantry road her family has been using for almost 100 years.

[caption id="attachment_305353" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Siblings Kenneth and Audrey Darlington want what they claim to be the only access to their home unblocked.[/caption]

But, Waterman who said he was prepared to go to court for the action he had taken insisted the road he blocked was legally his since it formed part of his 1.262-acre property.

However, an unimpressed Darlington told Barbados TODAY that this development meant that private or emergency vehicles could not drive on the road to get to her home.

She said that her brother 72-year-old Kenneth Darlington who is ill and in a wheelchair would also be seriously affected since he sometimes has to be taken for healthcare by an ambulance or private vehicle.

“He say he going to block the road that we can’t pass. Well that is the only access for we to get in and out. I did here for years. This road is the road that was here for years. My old man pass at 105-years-old and this is the road he uses to use,” Darlington said.

“I don’t understand what he doing. We did here for years.

Darlington’s nephew Harlington who said he looked out for the well being of his aunt and uncle, explained that on Sunday he got a call from Waterman warning him about the move to block the road.

“He called me and say ‘I know you is the quietest in the family, this is my land and I get it survey last week’. So he saying he built his guard wall thinking that was the landmark, but the other surveyor now saying this is his landmark here. He saying all this is his land so he gone and block it off.

“But all of this come about because my cousin throw concrete on the road about a month ago, and from the time that there happen he was out here quarreling that nobody shouldn’t put concrete on his land. But he come and find we here.

“This is ridiculous. I don’t think you could block access to anybody home. My uncle got to get to the doctor next week. How he will get out of here when I got to come for he? I does transport he with my jeep all the time,” Harlington said.

Meanwhile, Waterman told Barbados TODAY that while he had given the Darlington’s notice regarding his intended action, he could not understand why they were complaining.

He said he decided to make the move at this point in time since he was in the process of putting necessary measures in place to ensure his children were given their due from his estate.

The Justice of the Peace (JP) also argued that the family had enough unoccupied land to “make a road and get access to their house.

“They have an access, they just don’t want to use it. They were given notice more than two months ago. It was verbal, nothing written. I didn’t have to give them a written notice because I never made any agreement with them.

“This is my property. All I doing is claiming the rest of my property. But I warned them, I alerted them, I told Harlington. I clearing my hand in case I drop down suddenly, my children business would be straight. Everybody wants what belongs to them,” Waterman said.

Police visited the area today to speak to the concerned parties.
anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb

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After a few hiccups in the beginning with frustration over an early rush, all appears to be settled and moving smoothly as Resolution Life Assurance Company Ltd (ResLife) enters its seventh week of payouts in cash and bonds settlement to former CLICO policyholders.

ResLife’s Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator Geralyn Edward revealed that to date, more than 6,000 policyholders have received their payments from Government’s settlement package of $103 million in cash payouts and $300 million in bonds.

[caption id="attachment_305359" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Policyholders in the lobby of ResLife’s Worthing Corporate Centre headquarters last month.[/caption]

She revealed that the operations of ResLife are expected to wind up by September 6, as the insurance company moves to execute Government’s plan to liquidate the state-owned entity and offer payouts to its policyholders. To fast track this process, the company has temporarily brought on 26 people to staff ResLife’s Worthing Corporate Centre.

But Edward pointed out that the only problem at this current juncture are those policyholders for whom the company has no contact information or current address.

She said: “In an effort to complete the process, ResLife is asking former policyholders who have not received settlement letters to check the local newspapers in the coming days.

“The names of over 1,200 policyholders who are eligible for payments but for whom ResLife has no contact information or current addresses will be published.

“Following the announcement by Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Mia Amor Mottley in her March 20, 2019 Budget that ResLife wrap up its operations and undertake the orderly dissolution of the company, thousands of policyholders have received cash payments of up to $20,000 and Government bonds.”

In a town hall meeting two months ago, it was revealed that eligible policyholders were those holding active policies as of March 31 that had a positive net cash or fund values. Claims that remain unpaid up to March 31, as well as surrendered cash value claims that were unpaid for the same period, are also eligible to benefit. Pensions and Flexible Premium Annuities are also on the list to be paid.

It was also revealed that policyholders with two or more policies that cumulatively amount to more than $20,000, will still only receive one cash payment of $20,000 and the balance in bonds.

But policies that do not generate a cash value would not be part of the settlement process. Among these would be, term life policies, critical illness policies, individual health policies or group policies and lapsed policies. It was also noted that the company was in the process of selecting bidders to give some of these policyholders the option of switching.
colvillemounsey@barbadostoday.bb

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Amid concerns about a falloff in registered revelers for Grand Kadooment, promoters of some of the island’s biggest fetes for the Crop Over season are reporting bumper business.

Several promoters told Barbados TODAY that party lovers  are coming out in their numbers for the events.

In its third year, the all-white fete Tipsy, has become a Crop Over staple with its array of local artistes and the headlining performer Kes from Trinidad and Tobago. The event, which was held on Sunday at Daiquiri Beach, Bridgetown recorded over 4,000 patrons. The tickets, priced at $100, were a hot commodity on social media after promoters announced on Friday they were sold out.

Public Relations Officer for Twisted Entertainment Tracy Highland was pleased with the public’s response to Tipsy and said locals are in “a party mood” this year.

“I honestly can say it was probably our best event ever,” said Highland, who added, “Based on what was happening at Tipsy people were in the party mood, they are definitely in the party mood and I am thankful and very grateful that the patrons continue to support us.”

Highland who is also the publicist for Beach House Breakfast Party reported that the all-inclusive event held at at the Sunset Crest facility sold out as well. She indicated that Splash Pool Party and Panache were “on track to be sold out events”.  She asserted that patrons were willing to come out to enjoy the Crop Over festivities once they were certain to have a wonderful experience.

“If you place a lot of emphasis on making sure your patrons have a good time and a quality experience, then you find it is a lot easier to move the tickets the following year because people remember the experience so they will pay to have that experience again,” she indicated.

“People are in the Crop Over mood and they are feeling the vibe and they are partying and they are ready to have a good time,” Highland continued.

Director of 4D Entertainment, Rudy Maloney, the organisers of the annual Soca On De Hill, reported a spike in the numbers.

Approximately 8,000 patrons ventured to Farley Hill National Park, St Peter for nine hours of non-stop soca. Maloney attributed the success of the annual event to its high-quality production and execution
which ensured a thrilling experience for socaholics.

“This has been a fantastic year,” Maloney told Barbados TODAY. “We always look at giving the patrons a production, not just people coming on. It is a whole production.”

Organiser of the weekly Party Central fete, Tamara Arthur suggested locals were coming out to enjoy themselves but still watching their pockets. Arthur recorded over 400 patrons at her first weekly event and anticipated reaching over 1,000 by the last week before the climax of the season.

“I think people are watching their pockets and honestly the economy is really tight right now . . . . Whereas somebody was saying I’m not jumping this year but I will go and enjoy a couple of the parties and enjoy myself that way and the money that I would have put into a costume I would put it back to school or travel,” she explained.
katrinaking@barbadostoday.bb

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With the deadly Ebola outbreak now declared a global health emergency, the Ministry of Health is reviewing and updating its Ebola Plan to ensure that authorities are able to respond effectively if the need arises, the ministry said today.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on July 17 declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a public health emergency of international concern.

More than 1,600 people have died since last August in the second-deadliest Ebola outbreak in history, which is unfolding in a region that has been described as a health war zone.

A declaration of a global health emergency is intended to bring greater international attention and aid. But the status also comes with rising concerns that governments might overreact with border closures.

The statement said Minister of Health and Wellness Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bostic had met with senior civil servants and officials of the Bridgetown Port, the Grantley Adams International Airport and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital to review the status of preparedness.

The ministry assured the public that it would continue to take steps to strengthen its level of preparedness and these measures would inform the revision of the Ebola Plan, the statement added.

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A new code of conduct for public service vehicle (PSV) owners, operators and conductors has received the thumbs up from at least one body which represents those workers.

However, while president of the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) Roy Raphael has thrown his full support behind the code of conduct issued by the Transport Authority, he has also sent a stern warning to commuters using the private transport.

Raphel said PSV operators were continually having to deal with unruly passengers who threatened them and refused to pay the required fare.

He said while the code of conduct guided PSV operators, those disorderly passengers would also feel the full weight of the law.

The code of conduct comes into effect in the next nine days on July 31, 2019.

“The Transport Authority has set out some codes on how PSVs should conduct themselves while using the terminal. It was copied to us and in its present form we believe it is workable.

“We want to make an appeal to the operators out there to read the code of conduct very carefully and comply. And we also want to give a stern warning to passengers out there who continue in any way to harass, threaten or refuse to pay the fare to our PSV operators that they will feel the full weight of the law,” Raphael cautioned.

“There are still a couple people who are getting onboard the vehicles and refusing to pay the conductors and in the same vein, conductors must be properly attired and must have their IDs displayed so passengers can see that they are authorized by the licensing authority. We want to encourage the operators out there to wear their uniforms and we want the passengers to pay the fare and not threaten our operators.”

In the eight-page code of conduct which was posted on its website over the weekend, the Transport Authority said it was intended to encourage best practices among PSV owners and operators.

“The Code of Conduct is intended to provide the guidelines which will facilitate the effective running of the transport system for which the Transport Authority is responsible. This code is also intended to provide permit holders, drivers and conductors with information on how they are expected to conduct themselves while operating routed public service vehicles, in the interest of the public,” it read.

Those found to have breached the code of conduct will have their respective matters referred to the authority’s Disciplinary Sub-Committee.

There are three scales which carry varying penalties.

A level one offence will be penalised with a warning letter; a level two offence will carry a suspension, while a level three offence will result in permit revocation.

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Government’s decision to shift northern private minibus and route taxi operators from their roadside base to the Speightstown Bus Terminal will meet no opposition from at least one of the major PSV associations, as long as the newcomers are guaranteed fair treatment.

President of the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) Roy Raphael has called for neutral monitoring at the terminal, to ensure that the privately-owned PSVs will not be playing second fiddle to the state-owned Transport Board buses.

He told Barbados TODAY that his organization needed to be assured that the Transport Board buses would not be given preferential treatment when it comes to loading passengers but rather all users must be equal within the queuing system.

He said: “We want to state clearly that in order for this amalgamation of the private and public transport entities to work, there must be neutral management at the terminal that must be set up to ensure safety of the passengers and workers.

“In addition, the terminal management must ensure equity for all users of the terminal.

“If there is a committee already in place then we want to make sure that we [AOPT] have a seat on that committee to ensure equity and that everything goes well.”

The AOPT has not yet put forward their demand to Government but will be doing so shortly, Raphael revealed. But he noted that their demand is not without substantiation because, he claimed, the Transport Board as a statutory body is not subjected to the same rigours as their private-sector counterparts.

“Too often we have situations where we get complaints from PSV operators where they are reported by police officers while Transport Board buses get a free pass for the same offence.”

Last week, Transport Authority chairman Ian Estwick declared the move was for the safety of operators as well as the travelling public.

Estwick said then: “I haven’t had any feedback yet, but it will be naïve of me to think they will be responding positively, because it has been my experience in my first year [as chairman] that this is one sector that is extremely resistant to change.

“So I don’t expect that it will be a bed of roses for everybody, but it is something that has to happen. It is much too dangerous out there and I have seen schoolchildren climbing through bus windows, not only to the eastern side but to the western side, which means they are exposing themselves to traffic and we can’t sit back as an authority and let something like that happen because we wouldn’t be able to justify our existence.”

But the AOPT head made it clear in his interview with Barbados TODAY that his organization is in no way opposed to the concept and in fact was on the verge of making the suggestion.

Raphael told Barbados TODAY: “The association is willing to support such a move because we also visited the terminal earlier in the year and we thought that it made perfect sense to marry the two sectors and give persons the opportunity to have more choices.

“We are clearly of the view that privately-owned public transportation sector and the Transport Board should work as a collective because right now there is simply too much competition.”
colvillemounsey@barbadostoday.bb

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Tears of joy, screams of excitement and cheers from stalwarts in the entertainment industry greeted fellow entertainer Kareen
Clarke and her daughter Trinity Clarke as they arrived victorious from a world performing arts contest.

Hugs were shared by her cousin Sherry-Ann, in-law Heather Williams, Terry Mexican Arthur, Admiral Nelson, Shirley Stewart, Edwin Yearwood, Starlitz Cheer, Patsy Newton, Francia Hunte who was one of the sponsors of Ten 22 Designs and Patsy Newton from sponsor Destination Florals Barbados presented Trinity with a crown of flowers as her mother cried, overwhelmed by the response as they emerged from the arrivals hall at the airport.

[caption id="attachment_305372" align="aligncenter" width="300"] From left Terry ‘Mexican’ Arthur, Kareen Clarke, cousin Of Trinity and Kareen Clarke Sherry-Ann Pile and Trinity Clarke outside the Arrivals Hall at the Grantley Adams International Airport .[/caption]

Her daughter won one gold and two silver medals at the World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) in Long Beach California. Her mother Kareen also won a gold and a silver.

This was the first time in the 23 years of the World Championships of Performing Arts that Barbados has been represented in the international festival which is considered the Olympics for performance artistes.

Speaking to the media, an emotional Clarke said despite Trinity not making it to the semifinals or finals of the competition she was still able to be awarded a medal based on her impressing the judges with her voice.

She said: “The finals is actually a show in itself so they choose an artiste that has the best showmanship for the actual production, it was an excellent production.

“All you had was a minute but you had to put a lot of power, energy, and creativity in one minute. Out of that, the judges chose an overall winner, although we did not make the semifinals or finals we were still eligible for medals. We were happy that we got this.”

Kareen said the experience was humbling because she had taken herself out of the limelight in order to let the young performers shine.

She said: “Everything is adding up that says let the youth shine. I have shared myself so many times on so many stages.

“We have Shontae who is the 11-14 Junior Monarch who was my client and I trained and I coached her. I believe that if we get a lot more Shontae’s and a lot more Trinity’s and Bit Bits, we would see a whole revolution.”

Clarke suggested tapping into the arts could be a viable solution to curb bullying in the island.

“Tap into the arts because it occupies them it engages them it allows them to spend their time wisely and they would not have time to bully anyone as they would have time to develop their talent and I believe very strongly about it,” she said.

Twelve-year-old Trinity was flabbergasted when she saw the placards which were being held by members of the Starlitz Cheer.

Speaking of her medal-winning performance, she said: “It was good I was a bit nervous at first because I did not know the people.”

Her mother Kareen said that after winning her gold medal Trinity now has the opportunity to work with talent agents as well as record labels who are very interested to work with her as they are astounded by her talent.

“We have the opportunity to get in contact with talent agencies and influential industry people some of which are already interested in her. So, we are looking to pursue that,” she said.

Terry Mexican Arthur who organised the welcome told the media he wanted to ensure they were celebrated fully.

He said: “We were here to welcome Trinity after her success in World Championships of Performing Arts after she won one gold and two silvers. As you can see it was a very emotional meeting especially for her mom. We had Edwin Yearwood, Admiral, Shirley Stewart and Felix from Krosfyah and I am glad everyone turned up and we had a good welcome.”

Admiral Nelson told Barbados TODAY he became involved with the celebrations because he believes entertainers should be celebrated before they can become world-renowned like Grammy award-winning superstar Rihanna.

“This young lady has been working so hard to try to put Barbados on the  map and as you heard she went to Los Angeles and she did well and she allowed the world to know we have a lot of talent in Barbados.”

Nelson also thanked Kareen Clarke for staying the course despite what he claimed were a myriad of attacks that have been thrown at her by the public for the way in which she coaches her daughter.

Kareen Clarke noted that the Ministry of Creative Economy, Culture, and Sports, having sponsored the Clarkes on this trip should send a bigger contingent of performers to represent WCOPA 2020 which will be held at Disney World.

Noting that superstar Rihanna is celebrated as an international icon and puts Barbados in the limelight of excellence, Clarke said a bigger contingent would help to represent superstar Rihanna’s brand as well as promote the country.

The post Songbirds praised appeared first on Barbados Today.

Ronnie De Announcer Clarke has received stiff criticism this Crop Over for his tune Reading For Pleasure a tune that makes reference to the Barbadian obsession with novelist Eric Jerome Dickey.

However, the song has received mixed reviews from calypso connoisseur Harvey Pop Daniel, former Pic-O-De-Crop winner David Popsicle Hall and calypsonian Adonijah.

Back in 2010, Popsicle also coined, a party soca entitled Eric Jerome Dickey, the song was a hit and made it to the finals of the inaugural Party Monarch Competition but much like De Announcer’s, Popsicle’s single was banned from the airwaves of the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and Starcom Network.

[caption id="attachment_305373" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Adonijah and Popsicle[/caption]

While he empathised with Clarke’s plight, Popsicle recommended that Clarke learn from the experience and “get up and go again”.

“I have had numerous songs banned before and it is just one of those things. Certain songs that you put out there may not rub people the right way. Just look at it as an inconvenience or a loss and move on,” he voiced.

“Everybody has their own opinions, some people could have found it entertaining and people probably would have found it distasteful, it depends on the individual. What has happened to the song is unfortunate but he just needs to get up and go again, pen something else that hopefully, this time it won’t be up for such scrutiny,” suggested Popsicle.

Meanwhile, Daniel commended De Announcer on the witty piece but indicated he had gone overboard with his style and delivery. In his opinion, Reading for Pleasure was “a little raw”. He contended that the controversial play on author surname referenced a word well-known in Barbadian parlance but not used in a public setting.

The veteran calypso writer supported the stance of the media houses, saying that once the public finds the music offensive it should be banned.

“In a Bajan society, we know what it means, as a double entendre. But you still have to consider the impression it has on the citizens because TV and radio are in everybody’s home,” said Daniel.

“Whether it is well written or not, as a Bajan you need to understand the implications of any song,” he continued.

However, Adonijah gave his full support to De Announcer amidst the social media backlash and the banning of the song by local media corporations.

“It is nothing new, it is the traditional double entendre. It has been done before,” Adonijah argued. “I don’t agree with ‘it isn’t fit for the public’s ears’. I don’t agree with that at all.”

The veteran calypsonian contended that the reaction of the public to the song’s chorus reflected Barbadian hypocrisy as similar songs have played on the island’s radio stations without any problems.

“The reaction to the song exposes a serious hypocrisy that we practice all the time because there are some things that are fine for some and for other people there not. I feel it is too much hypocrisy and people that are taking up this moral stance as if Barbados is some kind of Islamic country . . . and is so morally correct,” Adonijah added.

He suggested that a more structured and clearly defined system should be implemented to determine which songs could be played on the airwaves.

“In the absence of structure, people ban songs based on whether they like them or not which is not fair to the artiste. . . . It has to be a more precise and scientific way of judging these things. What might be distasteful to one person may be hilarious to another,” he reasoned. katrinaking@barbadostoday.bb

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Government is moving to pump more money into Fund Access to finance new and ongoing small and medium-sized businesses, Minister of Small Business, Entrepreneurship and Commerce, Dwight Sutherland has announced.

While speaking at the fund’s “Mix and Mingle” social networking event on Saturday, Sutherland said: “We recognize all over the world that if you speak to one challenge within the small and medium enterprise sector it is accessing financing.

“Our Government, we have started talks with non-governmental entities, international agencies, whether the loans will be secured or non-secured we recognised that Fund Access has a number of clients who are knocking on the door.”

In 21 years of operations, Fund Access has approved over $64 million to 1,500 clients.

Chairman of the fund David Simpson said: “We have also approved an additional 138 loans, and refinanced a further 266, all accounting for job creation of just below 2,400 jobs.”

He also pointed out that they had surpassed $6 million in disbursements for the calendar year 2018, having approved and disbursed in excess of $5.9 million in loans and created 144 jobs.

Up to June 30, the Fund has disbursed $2.4 million to 51 clients and created 68 jobs in 2019

Some of the fund’s newest clients, Simpson added, included a dairy farm, a digital advertising firm, an online education company, a veterinary medicine facility and a water treatment plant.

But Minister Sutherland said there was a “dearth” of infrastructural development and financial investment in the transport industry, and he suggested that the money going into Fund Access could be used to revitalise transport.

Sutherland added: “We as a Government will sit with Fund Access and with those non-governmental agencies and international agencies to see how best we can facilitate these funds going into Fund Access so the transportation sector will indeed become a vibrant sector again in this country.”

The Minister also disclosed Fund Access applications will be accessible online. With the new system, applicants will be provided with the application form online and applicants can request appointments online. The online application form will allow prospective Fund Access clients the ability to upload the required documents, choose their appointment date and track the progress of their applications.

The event also saw the launch of a relationship with digital payment system mMoney which the chairman said was expected to facilitate easier transfer of funds on approval to clients, providing an additional payment mechanism.

Simpson said: “mMoney is not just a payment platform… but you can also be a merchant allowing it to receive files into your business easily and it can all be done, of course from your smart device.”

The Minister for Small Business also revealed that the Small Business Development Centre (SBDC) is also to be relaunched as SBDC Barbados - a network to create economic opportunities for micro and small businesses and assist businesses until they eventually become profitable.

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A retired public officer is suing the Government over its decision to change the terms of his $250,000 Treasury Note investment as part of its recent debt restructuring programme.

Former school teacher Alvin Foster of No. 30 Stage 1, St Silas Heights, St James is asking the High Court for an injunction to reverse the decision claiming that Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Mia Mottley overstepped her authority when she – along with the Government - unilaterally changed the terms of his contract to his detriment, to give effect to the Debt Holder (Approval of Debt Restructuring) Act, 2018. He will have his day in court tomorrow.

In a 12-page claim document dated May 13, 2019, that calls for a judicial review of the decision, the 64-year-old pensioner has  also included in the suit, the Accountant General Dane Coppin as the first respondent; the Central Bank of Barbados as the second and the Attorney General Dale Marshall as the fourth.

He has submitted 12 points of relief which he wants High Court Justice Cecil McCarthy to grant him.

“An injunction to prohibit the respondents from taking any action that would breach the contract between the applicant and the Government of Barbados with respect to the Treasury Notes purchased by the applicant and if such action has already been taken, a halt and reversal of that action,” the pensioner stated through his attorney Guyson Mayers.

Foster is also requesting unspecified damages from the four respondents and a declaration by the court that the decision of the Minister of Finance and the Government to breach the obligations under the agreement of December 5, 2017, was contrary to law, an abuse of power and an unreasonable or irregular or improper exercise of discretion. He contends that the court should also rule that the same decision was an unlawful deprivation of his property and that the action was ultra vires.

Justice McCarthy is also being urged to declare that Foster had a legitimate expectation that the Minister and Government would not alter or vary the terms of his investment unilaterally and without his consent or approval.

The retired school teacher also wants the High Court to make a declaration on how he was affected by the voting system which the Government had introduced to determine the level of support for the changes it had proposed.

He is asking the court to agree with him that the weighted system of voting was set up in such a way that the outcome was a forgone conclusion where Government, through its various agencies, entities or bodies, held most of the instruments. He said that in the circumstances, the respondents acted improperly in breach of the contract and natural justice.

“Put differently, under the guise of the proposed Bill, the respondents purported to offer a transparent proposal, the outcome of which was calculated and/or determined before the fact. That is, the variation would be affected. The entire process was a formality to a foregone conclusion,” the claimant contended in his list for relief.

Further to that relief, Foster is asking the court to make an order quashing any decision or application of any law, rule or regulation that would breach or allow for the breach of the Government’s contract with him or contravene his Constitutional right to protection of his property.

He explained that his contract with the Government required that he be paid interest of six dollars on every hundred dollars per year in half-yearly installments on the November 30 and May 31 each year and that the principal would be fully redeemable on May 31, 2019.

“The claimant is 64 years old and the act of the defendants would deny him the money due under his contract, which was due in one year for 15 years. Should be survive, he will be 79 years old. However, he faces a real likelihood that he may not receive the monies due to him during his lifetime,” said the claim document in outlining the particulars of the case.

But in commenting on the eve of the hearing, Queen’s Counsel Roger Forde who is representing the four respondents in association with Carrington and Sealy law firm, told Barbados TODAY that Foster’s claim against the Prime Minister was ill-conceived.

“Our case is simple. He doesn’t have judicial review against the Minister because it was not her decision which changed the terms of the bond,” Forde said.

He was also asked if the court were to uphold the pensioner’s claim, if it would affect the loan arrangement which Barbados has with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which forms part of the same debt restructuring programme.

“In a limited way. The majority of persons who hold bonds, approved them. So that is why I say in a limited way.  The others already voted in favour of the process. They can’t change their votes. What is the worse case scenario is a fellow might say ‘I want my money now.’ But they can’t change their votes,” the Q.C. reasoned.

While Forde was not willing to comment any further on the matter, a senior lawyer explained to Barbados TODAY that the retired public servant did not have a case against the Government because it was Parliament which changed the contract through enactment of the legislation and not the Minister or the Government.

The short-term bonds had been replaced with 15-year instruments.
emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

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