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Volume 7 Issue 4

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CONNECTION

Caribbean Leaders Approve Reparation Plans

Page 12

CARIBBEAN

Barbados Seeking To Abolish Mandatory Death Penalty

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COMMUNITY

My Marriage and My Green Card

Page 4

POWERELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Contracting & ConsultingResidential Commercial Industrial

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6603 Harvest Trail Ln, Katy, TX 77449281-780-7116 Fax 281-345-4254www.powerelectricalsystem.com

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Where to EatCONTENTSThe Publisher’s Thoughts

Community Pages 4 and 5• The Caribbean Bash at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin• HPD Takes Corrective Action in Its Homicide Division• GM Recall Their Vehicles

Caribbean Pages 6 and 7• Jamaica to be a Transshipment Hub• Chikungunya in the Caribbean• VI Celebrates Transfer Day• Dominica To Use Translucent Ballot Boxes in the Next Elections• Barbados Seeking To Abolish Mandatory Death Penalty• The Trinidad and Tobago Police in Action• Guyana to Spend $338M on Demerara Harbor Maintenance

Connection• TMW Medical Mission to Jamaica• Triston Thompson - Faith even in the most difficult times• Dancehall Artist Vybz Kartel Receives Life Sentence• Caribbeanites Urged to Explore Challenges to Sustainability• Because of Jesus…

Open Editorial• Caribbean Leaders Approve Reparation Plans

Health and Wellness• Should you have your silver fillings • Check-Up Checklist• Know the Sign of a Heart Attack

• Easter in the Caribbean

The Saint Lucia Association of TexasServing the Saint Lucia Diaspora in Texas since 1979

Memorial Day PicnicAt the Ranch in Baytown

Thompson RdBaytown, TX 77521

Sunday, May 25, 2014From 3:00 to 10:00 pm

For more informationCall Joan at 832-414-1172

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The Publisher’s ThoughtsOkay folks. Have you ever dealt with a per-son who is trying desperately to sell you something and you quickly realize that they are blowing smoke in your face? Have you ever worked with a so-called expert who knows very little about their expertise? Better yet, have you met someone who uses “big words” and do not know its definition? Trying to look important, they would bellow out words in the wrong context and conno-tation. Does that irk you?

What’s wrong with just being quiet? Or re-searching and understanding the subject at hand? In today’s world, with a few key-strokes, you can find practically any infor-mation you want.

Well last month, some so-called Caribbean experts in Houston tried to school me on the relationship of the United States Virgin Is-lands with the United States. During that time, a quote from the bible, just engulfed my reaction, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (NIV Luke 23:34) I eventually concluded that some folks just cannot keep their naïveté on a subject matter to themselves. They find it a difficult task to say, “I don’t know?”

Take for example, if your “expertise” deals with the Caribbean, it would be logical for one to assume that you have some strong background on the history, culture, econo-mies, and attractions of the Caribbean is-lands. But to my surprise, the expert did not know that the Dominican Republic is not Dominica, Anguilla in not Antigua, or Ber-muda is not Barbuda. Quite embarrassing!

Another amazing perception was the think-ing that Bermuda is in the Caribbean. I am still unsure of its origin. For goodness sake, the island is in the middle of the North At-lantic in the same longitude as North Caro-lina. But, what was even more surprising, my friend-expert did not know (nor have never heard) about Carriacou, Petite Mar-tinique, Bequia, Saba, St. Eustatius, Marie Galante, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Vieques, or Culebra. The excuse is these are “smal-lie.” But I have news; these islands are the jewels of the region. Go figure.

Now back to the subject at hand, the US Virgin Islands (USVI). What I have found out that not much is known and under-stood about USVI in regards to its history and culture by the folks of the CARICOM countries. And if they do, they most prob-ably lived on one of the islands. Therefore, I want to take this time to dish out some information about the USVI.

When we look at the history of the USVI, there are some key points one should re-member.

1. First, the Virgin Islands early peoples were primarily the Tainos; however, arche-ologists have found many indictors to show some existence of Caribs on the islands.

2. At one point or another, most of the key European players have laid claim to the Virgin Islands: Holland, England, France, Spain, and the Knights of Malta. Like the game of monopoly, these islands served as the play toys of rich Europeans, selling and buying them as they please. But it was the purchases by Denmark and its Danish West India Company who began the development of the islands. But, at the end of the nine-teenth century, Denmark was bankrupt and broke by the complexity of the indus-trial revolution, and was forced to sell the

islands to the United States.

So why did America purchase these islands? What was so important? Read on. I’ll tell you soon.

3. Virgin islanders are proud of their history in particular Emancipation Day, and the Fire-burn. Emancipation Day commemorates the day in July 3, 1848 when enslaved Africans on St. Croix revolted, demanded, and won their freedom, along with freedom for all slaves in the then Danish West India territory.

“At the sound of the ̀ `conchshell,’’ slaves from across the island of St. Croix converged on Fort Frederik under the leadership of Moses ``General Buddhoe’’ Gottlieb and threatened to destroy the island unless their freedom was granted immediately. In response to the reports of the uprising, Danish Governor Peter Von Scholten rushed from the town of Christianst-ed and encouraged by his mulatto mistress Anna Heegaard, issued his famous proclamation, ``All un-free in the Danish West Indies are from today free.’’ (VI History)

Thirty years after slavery ended in the Dan-ish West Indies, the African were being paid a pittance for their labor. The 1878 Labor Riot on St. Croix, also known as Fireburn was a labor riot on St. Croix started on October 1, 1878, led by four women. These V.I. heroines were Queen Mary Thomas, Queen Mathilda Macbean, Susanna “Bottom Belly” Abraham-son and Axeline “Queen Agnes” Salomon.

Now you have read the interesting history of VI before the US purchase.

So, the United States purchased the now USVI (St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, and Water Is-lands) and the transfer of ownership was on March 31, 1917. So the question I have most often been asked is, “Why would the US pur-chase “dem smallie island?” Of course, I can explain it in two word: money and security.

You see, at the begin of the 20th Century, the United State faced two major events: World War I and the opening of the Panama Canal. Both had a direct link to the Virgin lslands. With its natural deep water harbors, the VI was a resupply point for sea traffic to and from Europe, the Panama Canal, and the US east coast. And of course, the US wanted se-curity for its ocean traffic. But most impor-tantly, with Denmark being broke and the Germans wanting a foothold in the Carib-bean, the US was not going to allow the Ger-mans to purchase the islands. They were just not having it.

Upon the purchase, Congress gave the De-partment of the Navy to manage the islands. So go figure. The Navy, whose job is to fight, managing a populace of primarily Africans, who at the time were not US citizens, had a basketful of problems to deal with.

In 1927, Congress gave US citizenship to all Virgin Island natives.

All persons born in the Virgin Islands of the United States on or after January 17, 1917, and prior to Feb-ruary 25, 1927, and subject to the jurisdiction of the United States are declared to be citizens of the Unit-ed States as of February 25, 1927; and all persons born in those islands on or after February 25, 1927, and subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, are declared to be citizens of the United States at birth. (US Congress)

The government of the Virgin Islands is or-ganized under the Organic Act, which was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1936 and amended in 1954. The government has three

branches: executive, unicameral legis-lative, and judicial. The governor serves a maximum of two consecutive four-year terms in the executive branch. Senators serve a two-year term.

Virgin Islanders elect a delegate to Congress from their at-large congres-sional district, which is currently held by Congresswoman Donna M. Chris-tensen. However, the elected delegate, while able to vote in committee, cannot participate in floor votes.

Having said all, I can say the relation-ship the Virgin Islands have with the US is complicated. It almost like hav-ing one foot in and the other out. And I believe that the islanders love it in that way.

Today the USVI is an unincorporated United States territory; the islands are considered an insular area, which is a U.S. territory that is not related to any of the 50 U.S. states or the District of Columbia. It is administered by the Of-fice of Insular Affairs at the US Depart-ment of the Interior.

As with any U.S. citizen, Virgin island-ers are free to travel in the US with-out a passport, just as they may travel freely between states and other ter-ritories without a passport. If any US Citizen takes residency in the VI, then they may vote in Democratic and Re-publican Party presidential primary elections. However, they do not vote in general elections for the U.S. president and vice president. If they reside in one of the fifty states, then they can.

Products manufactured in USVI are considered to be “Made in the USA.” Most federal taxes are not levied and no federal income tax is collected from island residents, except for federal em-ployees.

Currently, Virgin Islanders serve in all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, and have served in every conflict since World War I. I have to add this… As a Virgin Islander, I served in the US Army: 4 year active and 12 years re-serve. It was my ticket to the world.

This is a very brief history about the VI. Of course, we can go on and on.

So until then, One Love!

Sylvanus Donaie, BA, BSEE, MTM, MPM, MBAPublisher

Page 4 ONE LOVE CARIBBEAN APRIL 2014

Latania Mena Immigration Attorney Contributing Writer to OLC

OLC: Zig Ziglar once said “many marriages would be better if the husband and wife clearly understood that they are on the same side.”

Sometimes however, it is easier said than done, and in spite of all the cooked food, romance, roses and compromises, many a marriage will fail. More often than not, Caribbean Nationals find themselves on U.S soil, on a quest to follow their hearts and the ones they choose to love. Many will marry their U.S. citizen “soulmates” and ap-ply for green cards to stay and build new lives here in the U.S.

For those persons with mar-riages less than two years old, they must first file for a two-year conditional green card and at a later date, submit a Form I-751 to remove the conditions on residence and obtain a 10 year green card. Typically an I-751 filing is a joint endeavor done by both the U.S Citizen spouse and the foreign national.

But what happens if you pack all your Bob Marley CDs, your best island T-shirt, Aunt May’s favorite conch soup recipe, and take that bold trek to the U.S. and it doesn’t work out? What happens if divorce becomes im-minent and you can’t reconcile your differences? What hap-pens if your spouse becomes abusive to you and the children? Will you lose your green card and be forced to return home to pick up life where you left off?

Many folks believe that once the marriage ends, the memo-ries, the sentiments, the invest-ments and ultimately, the green card are lost for good. Others opt to continue in marriages that are not working for fear of losing it all, or in hopes that their U.S. citizen spouses will change their minds, complete the joint filing and agree to go to the interview.

Now while I can’t tell you what will happen to the memories you created, or if you will be able to retrieve your painting of Dunn’s River Falls you were forced to leave behind, I can tell you that it is still possible to obtain the permanent resident card with-

out the U.S. Citizen spouse.

Many of us have heard of sto-ries of U.S. Citizens threatening their foreign national spouses with withdrawing their support on the eve of that dreaded in-terview for the permanent green card. The horror stories are end-less, but it is important for you to know that you can seek the per-manent green card by yourself by filing the I-751 Waiver.

This means filing the I-751 Form as a “Waiver of the Joint Filing Requirement” and submitting certain evidentiary documenta-tion to prove that you entered the marriage in good faith. There are multiple grounds on which a person with a condi-tional green card may obtain a waiver of the joint filing require-ment; however this article is fo-cused on the ground of divorce.

First, if you find yourself in this predicament, you would benefit tremendously from seeking the advice of an experienced immi-gration attorney; the I-751 waiv-er is not for the faint of heart, nor an application to take lightly. Yes, regrettably, the marriage must legally end; therefore you will need to seek a divorce to pursue the permanent green card.

Crucial to the I-751 Waiver is evidence to establish that the marriage was entered into, in good faith. You must be able to show how you and your spouse met, how your feelings grew for each other, the courtship, wed-ding, and any events chronicling the union you had together.

Secondly, you must gather cer-tain vital documentation, such as your marriage certificate, chil-dren’s birth certificates, photos, ticket stubs of trips together in happier times, letters addressed to you and your spouse, love let-ters and gifts to you from your spouse and photos. You must also get in touch with people who have knowledge of the relation-ship between you and your for-mer spouse, ask these people if they would provide written state-ments regarding their knowledge of the relationship between you and your former spouse.

Gather proof of all the assets you and your spouse com-mingled, that is: bank accounts, insurance policies, credit cards, mortgages, automobiles, leases,

joint income tax returns that you and your spouse signed togeth-er and filed jointly with the IRS. You must also obtain a copy of your divorce decree, and finally prepare yourself for an interview with a USCIS officer.

The I-751 Waiver interview is dif-ferent from the initial green card interview. The USCIS Officer is not interested in how you came to the U.S., or if you committed fraud, but it is equally intense because the officer will want to know if you had a real and genu-ine marriage and why the mar-riage broke down. They will want to know who initiated divorce, when you moved out of the mat-rimonial home, and what steps were taken to resolve the issues.

The key to the I-751 Waiver, is establishing that the marriage was real, that it was irretriev-ably broken down so you had to seek a divorce and it was not your fault. Therefore if you had an extra-marital affair and this resulted in a child being born outside your marriage, you are not likely to succeed in your waiver application.

But what happens in instances that are not so clear cut? Typi-cally to remove the conditions, you are required to file the I-751 before the two years of condi-tional residency expires. It can be filed up to 90 days in advance of that date. In many instances the marriage encounters prob-lems and it is often not possible to obtain a divorce without the couple first being separated for an extended period of time.

Legal requirements for separa-tion vary from state to state, with common timeframes ranging from six months to two years. An I-751 Waiver can be filed at any time, even after the two year period has passed. The I-751 Waiver can also be filed by persons who are legally sep-arated but not divorced, as long as you can provide proof when required that the marriage end-ed in divorced or annulment. You will need the legal dissolu-tion of the marriage to get the case ultimately approved, but you can file your I-751 Waiver before you obtain the divorce.

Another variation with I-751 Waiver filings involves couples who file jointly, but who become legally separated or in the pro-

cess of a divorce before the per-manent green card is approved. In these instances USCIS will re-view the cases carefully for fraud at the inception of the marriage, request that the joint petition be treated as a waiver application and request proof of termina-tion of the marriage. This allows the foreign national to obtain the waiver, if the marriage has been terminated, without having to re-file the I-751 application. If the marriage is not terminated within the timeline and any extensions granted, USCIS will adjudicate it as a joint petition and the re-sults will depend on evidence of a bona fide marriage.

The reality of life is that some-times happily ever after ends abruptly. In those instances you must jump the hurdle of the I-751 Waiver to secure the permanent green card. You can vie for the permanent card on your own. It becomes impera-tive in these instances to seek legal advice on how to tackle your situation. Every situation is different and the I-751 when

filed jointly, during those mo-ments of marital bliss, can be a simple exercise, but one which can turn into many sleepless nights and deportation if you are forced to file it as a Waiver Petition and you fail to meet the eligibility requirements. Do not however close the chapter on your life in the U.S., if you are in a failing marriage. Educate yourself on the steps you need to take and consult an experi-enced immigration attorney.

You owe it to yourselves to know your rights as you live, work, study and travel through-out the U.S. Until next time, walk good!

The analysis and suggestions of-fered in this article do not create a lawyer-client relationship, is for in-formation only, and are not a sub-stitute for personalized representa-tion that is essential to every case.

Latania Mena is an Immigration Attorney and a Caribbean Nation-al based in the Southwest Hous-ton, Texas.

If all is fair in love and war,

does that mean I lose my green card too?

A SPECIAL REPORT ON IMMIGRATION

1st Annual Caribbean Breast Cancer Foundation Walk.

For information or registration call:281-222-3415 or 832-573-1794 or713-256-7033 or 832-892-9523.

Volunteers needed to assist at the walk

Register your Team to win a prize for the best decorated head or face gear (hat, cap, mask, etc.)

Saturday, May 17, 2014.Buffalo Run Park

1122 Buffalo Run, Missouri City, Texas 77489

Introducing the “Caribbean Breast Cancer Foundation” A Texas non-profit organization, established to provide literacy and support for women affected by breast cancer, and promote wellness, through education and early detection, among those who are unaffected.

Attorney Latania Mena

APRIL 2014 ONE LOVE CARIBBEAN Page 5HPD Takes Corrective Action

in Its Homicide DivisionTropical

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By Laura Dowrich-Phillips

March 12, 2014: Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) Soca Super Stars Ian “Bunji Garlin” Alvarez and his wife, Fay-Ann Lyons, took the stage performing at South by South West (SXSW) in Austin, Texas.

Garlin, hailed by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the Top 25 Must See acts for SXSW, performed at The Empire Ga-rage, which featured a two-part show, one in the day featuring American electronic music star Skrillex as the headliner and another in the evening featur-ing rapper Riff Raff and elec-tronic music producer Paper Diamond as the headliners. Garlin performed in the night on the main stage, delivering his hits Differentology, Carnival Tabanca and the Tun Up remix by Jus Now. Lyons performed her 2014 releases Catch Me and Gimme Dat. “It’s the first time soca ever represent at SXSW and it is an honor for me and Fay to bring it, we sell it off,” said Bunji, via telephone from Austin, Texas,

where the festival is held. Garlin and Lyons were invited to SXSW by Mad Decent, a re-cord label spearheaded by Diplo of the DJ collective Major Lazer, and when word got out that they would be at the festival they were invited to perform at other events, namely the Large Up and House of Marley showcases. “The first day we did the House of Marley and after our perfor-mance the DJ went into half an hour of level soca he didn’t know he had there,” he said. The excitement evident in his voice, Garlin said this experi-ence is one that he cannot stop smiling about.

“It was really, really good, it was fruitful. The first day we started making crazy links and connec-tions, it is a healthy atmosphere for every artiste and we would like to be a part of it every year,” he said. Describing the festival as a real melting pot, Bunji said SXSW is where people come to discover new sounds and new people. Asked what benefits he could see emerging from their experience, he would only say: “We have some surprises for T&T soon.”

In APRIL 2014, South by South-west (SXSW) hosted its 28th annual conference, trade show, and festival in Austin, Texas.Source: T&TGuardian Online

Soca’s first couple, Bunji Garlin and Faye Lyons

The Caribbean Bash at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin

By Shamin ChibbaMedia Club South Africa

The judge presiding over the Oscar Pistorius trial is accus-tomed to high-profile cases. Since becoming a high court judge in 1998, Thokozile Ma-sipa has presided over numer-ous ground-breaking trials. But despite gaining so much media attention over the years, she remains reserved and averse to the spotlight.

While working as a crime re-

THE WORLDporter for The World, Post and The Sowetan newspapers, she reported on the difficulties of life under apartheid. It piqued her in-terested in law and she became an advocate in her late forties before being the third black woman in South Africa to be ap-pointed to the bench in 1998, following Constitutional Court Judge Yvonne Mokgoro and High Court Judge Lucy Mailula.

In the years that followed, Masi-pa has presided over cases that attracted media attention. Two in particular showed her will-ingness to hand out maximum sentences to men convicted of violent crimes against women.

In May last year she handed down a 252-year sentence to serial rapist and robber, Shep-herd Moyo, after he was arrest-

ed and tried after a seven-year crime spree. Moyo terrorized residents in northern Johan-nesburg; he would ransack their homes and in some in-stances, rape his victims.

Masipa presided over a land-mark case in 2009 that gave precedence to the rights of the poor. In June 2005 Blue Moonlight, the new owners of a building in Saratoga Avenue in Berea, Johannesburg, posted notices asking its 86 occupiers to vacate the property. The City of Johannesburg followed this up in October that year by issu-ing their own notice to occupi-ers to vacate the premises un-der its Fire Brigade Service Act. The residents did not move.

When the matter reached the court, Masipa sided with the occupiers, saying the City had failed to fulfil its obligations to find alternative accommodation for squatters who were Continue on Page 14

A Change in South Africa After ApartheidThe eloquent Judge Thokozile Matilda Masipa

OLC: Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland disciplined eight Houston police officers and supervisors and terminated one sergeant after an Internal Affairs investigation into pro-cesses and procedures within the HPD Homicide Division.

The investigation showed that in about 24 cases, going as far back as 2004, had deficiencies. Talking to the press, McClel-land said, “There were some cases where their supplemen-tal reports were inadequate. …Did not contain the details that reflect the professionalism of the investigative process that we have come to expect.”

“A lengthy and intensive inves-tigation determined the major problems identified were the di-rect result of the actions of one individual, Sergeant Ryan Chan-dler, and not pervasive through-out the division. Out of the 24 cases, 21 were connected to Sgt. Chandler. The investigation determined Sergeant Chandler was less than forthright with his supervisors and fellow employ-ees, failed to conduct proper fol-low-up in the manner in which he was trained and expected to per-form, and appeared to have tak-en advantage of the trust placed in him as a supervisor in the Homicide Division. Also, during the Internal Affairs investigation, Sgt. Chandler was untruthful. Sergeant Chandler was cited for attention to duty, untruthfulness, insubordination, evidentiary pro-cedure and controls and sound judgment. As a result, Chief Mc-Clelland indefinitely suspended Ryan Chandler today,” the de-partment released.

“When we mess up, we fess up, and we clean up,” said Mc-Clelland

In addition the department said, “In addition, four other officers, K. Carr, B. Oxspring, R. Moreno and L. Lovelace were each cit-ed for Attention to Duty for other policy violations in these cases. Officer Carr received a 10-day suspension, Officer Lovelace received a 5-day suspension, Officer Moreno received a 2-day suspension, and Officer Oxspring received a written reprimand. Also cited for their involvement were three other supervisors, Lieutenants J. Mc-Galin and R. Lakind and Ser-geant B. Roberts. Sgt. Roberts received a 5-day suspension, Lt. McGalin received a one-day suspension and Lt. Lakind re-ceived a written reprimand.”

The internal affair department has fully investigated 15 of the 24 cases and the remaining nine are still under investigation and waiting for additional leads, testing and evidence.

Continue on Page 14

A defect in 1.4 million GM cars sold in the U.S could cause the car’s engine and electrical sys-tem to shut off, and disable the air bags. For a decade GM and government safety regulators re-portedly failed to address this de-fect, which has been implicated in the deaths in crashes where the front air bags did not deploy.

From January through APRIL 2014, GM recalled the following cars:• Chevrolet Cobalt – 2005 to 2010• Chevrolet HHR – 2006 to 2011• Opel GT – 2007• Pontiac G5 – 2007 to 2010• Pontiac Pursuit – 2005 to 2006• Pontiac Solstice – 2006 to 2010• Saturn Ion -- 2003 to 2007• Saturn Sky – 2006 to 2010

In the recalled cars, the ignition switch can turn off the engine and shut off the car’s electrical system on its own. This can occur if the ignition key is inadvertently jarred.

Or it can occur when the car goes over a bump. GM has also stated that if the driver has a heavy key ring attached to the ignition key, the weight of the ring can pull the key into the “off” position.

If the ignition switch is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury or fatality.

Until the recall repairs have been performed, GM said it that is very important that you remove all items from your key ring, leaving only the vehicle key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be re-moved from your key ring.

GM will repair vehicle at no charge to the owner, and be-cause of scheduling require-ments, it is likely that dealers will need to keep affected vehicles longer than about 30 minutes.

GM Recall Their Vehicles

Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland

ARIBBEANARIBBEANBriefs

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Page 6 ONE LOVE CARIBBEAN APRIL 2014

Jamaica to be a Transshipment Hub

Elite Caribbean Disaster Managers Enhance Their Skills

St. Croix, Virgin Islands — An elite team of emergency man-agers came together March 17–24 at the U.S. Virgin Islands National Guard Regional Train-ing Institute to enhance their disaster-response skills. It was delivered through the partner-ship of the Caribbean Disas-ter Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), and the United States Southern Com-mand (US SOUTHCOM).

The CARICOM Disaster Re-sponse Unit (CDRU) is a 35-person quasi-military team made up of military members, firefighters and police officers from 18 Caribbean nations that are members of CARICOM. When deployed their main tasks include the management of relief supplies and emergen-cy telecommunications support and the provision of appropri-ate personnel for repairing criti-cal lifeline facilities.

They came to St. Croix to com-plete their annual training, en-suring they are ready to deploy

at a moment’s notice when a disaster strikes the region.

The need for such a unit was first realized in 1988 after Hur-ricane Gilbert struck Jamaica. The following year, the first iter-ation of the CDRU deployed in support of relief operations fol-lowing the devastation of Hur-ricane Hugo. However, the unit has really hit its stride in the last decade.

When people think of hazards in the Caribbean, most only think of hurricanes. However, the region is host to just about every known hazard there is. These include floods, tsuna-mis, earthquakes and volca-noes. The CDRU specializes in preparedness for all disasters.

While the training event is an-nual, this is the first time that troops from the U.S. Virgin Islands National Guard were included. “This initiative came about two years ago,” said Hil-da Cruz, a Southcom regional Continue on Page 14

Members of the CARICOM Disaster Response Units are briefed by Airmen from the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico Air National Guard on C-130 loading procedures March 21, 2014 on St. Croix. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Raymond Hoy)

OLC: If you are traveling to the Caribbean, the CDC advises you to be aware of Chikungunya. It is a mos-quito borne disease trans-mitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is the same vector that transmits den-gue fever. This is the first time that local transmission of chikungunya has been reported in the Americas.

Chikungunya is an illness caused by a virus that spreads through mosquito bites. The most common symptoms of chikungunya are fever and joint pain. Other symptoms may in-clude headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash.

Travelers who go to these islands in the Caribbean are at risk of getting chikun-gunya. In addition, travelers

to Africa, Asia, and islands in the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific are also at risk, as the virus is present in many of these areas. The mosquito that carries chi-kungunya virus can bite dur-ing the day and night, both indoors and outdoors, and often lives around buildings in urban areas.

The best way to prevent chikungunya virus infection is to avoid mosquito bites. There is no vaccine or pre-ventive drug currently avail-able. Prevention tips are similar to those for other vi-ral diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, such as den-gue or West Nile virus.

• Use insect repellent con-taining DEET, Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535 on exposed skin. Al-

ways follow the directions on the package.

• Wear long sleeves and pants (ideally treat clothes with permethrin or another repellent).

• Have secure screens on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out.

• Additionally, a person with chikungunya fever should limit their exposure to mosquito bites to avoid further spreading the in-fection. The person should use repellents when out-doors exposed to mos-quito bites or stay indoors in areas with screens or under a mosquito net.

Chikungunya in the Caribbean

The Government has signed a Framework Agreement with China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) for the de-velopment of a transshipment hub in the Portland Bight.

Speaking at the signing cer-emony on March 28, at the of-fices of the Ministry of Trans-port, Works and Housing, in St. Andrew, portfolio Minister, Dr. the Hon. Omar Davies, empha-sized that all regulations will be adhered to in the “normal way.”

“We treasure the preservation of the environment, as much as any other group, and we are concerned about the human beings and the plight of pov-

erty, and the impact which that has on the environment,” the Minister said.

The proposed transshipment hub, which is part of the Logis-tics Hub Initiative, is expected to create 2,000 jobs during the construction phase, and 10,000 jobs when the project is fully implemented.

Dr. Davies argued that a proj-ect which does not harm the environment, and will improve people’s living standards, must be explored. “After all the re-quired studies are carried out, including the environmental as-sessment, this project will be going ahead,” he said.

“If we can find a project which provides productive employ-ment for our citizens…and at the same time restricts any damage, then we have a win-win situa-tion,” the Minister argued.

With the assistance of the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ), CHEC has made moves to en-gage the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) in its feasibility study of the project.

Once the economic benefits are clearly void of environmen-tal harm, implementation will begin, and “in China Harbour, we have a trustworthy partner,” Minister Davies said.

Ambassador Jarl Frijs-Madsen, Consul General of Denmark with Virgin Islands Delegate to Congress, Congresswom-an Donna M. Christensen at Transfer Day Ceremony in St. Croix on March 31, 2014

“We are just three short years away from the 100th anniversa-ry of the Transfer of the Virgin Islands from Denmark to the United States,” She reminded the attendees. “This should be a time of reflection and intro-spection on the past as well as a time to plan for the future,” the Congresswoman concluded.

USVI Celebrates Transfer Day

APRIL 2014 ONE LOVE CARIBBEAN Page 7Barbados Seeking To Abolish Mandatory Death Penalty

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The Trinidad and TobagoPolice in Action

Guyana to Spend $338M Demerara Harbor Maintenance

March 23, 2014 - In keeping with the Ministry of National Secu-rity’s drive to strengthen law enforcement operations to more ef-ficiently combat crime, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service conducted overnight anti-crime operations that resulted in the fol-lowing success: Northern Division Police conducted an exercise during which sev-eral persons were arrested and the following seized:• Thirty-six (36) rounds of 0.44 ammunition• One (1) round of 0.45 ammunition• One (1) AK-47 assault rifle with magazine• One (1) Mossberg 12-gauge pump-action shotgun• One (1) Ruger 0.357 revolver with six (6) rounds of ammunition• One S&W 0.44 revolver with six (6) rounds of 0.44 ammunition(Photo Courtesy: guardian.co.tt)

The Demerara Harbour Bridge has continued to attract very spe-cial budgetary attention with re-gards to its continued longevity, as evidenced by the significant sum of $338M allocated to its program of maintenance, there-by ensuring its serviceability.

This is part of budgetary mea-sures that involves investment in the construction and upkeep of vital physical infrastructure, said Dr. Ashni Singh, Guyana’s Minister of Finance, during the presentation of the country’s largest budget of $220B.

The allocation continues a similar initiative of sustained funding for restorative works

towards this very strategic link, when $300M had been given in Budget 2013. During the pe-riod 2002 to 2011 government provided more than US$12M to support the bridge’s operations.

Commissioned on July 1978, the Demerara Harbor Bridge is a 6,074 foot (1,15 mile) long floating toll bridge. It consists of a retractor to allow ships to pass under and a pedestrian foot walk to allow foot traffic.

The bridge allows crossing of the Demerara River at the south of Georgetown, the capital of Guy-ana. It links East Bank Demerara at Peter’s Hall to West Bank De-merara at to Schoon Ord.

The Government of Barbados will be seeking to remove the mandatory death penalty im-posed on people convicted of murder when it pursues amend-ments to the “Offenses Against the Persons Act” in April.

Attorney General and Minister of Home Affairs, Adriel Brathwaite, made this disclosure during an in-terview with the media, following the opening ceremony of a ‘Boys to Men’ workshop at University of the West Indies, Barbados.

The Attorney General said that he was aware that it would be a ‘battle’ to remove the manda-tory death penalty, but stressed that the entire country will be en-

gaged in dialogue on the issue, as Government prepares to take legislation before Parliament.

“Barbadians generally feel that once you commit murder, you should forfeit your life, but that is until one of their family members is involved,” he stated.

However, Brathwaite said he hoped those views would change, following the expected public dialogue on the issue. “I know it will be a battle, but… I believe that it is a better path for the country,” he said.

Brathwaite also disclosed that Cabinet had agreed to the con-cept of parole, but stated that

the necessary infrastructure needed to be in place before it is implemented.

“We need to address issues of resources, training those who would work with such a system, and the space,” he said, adding that the electronic monitoring of persons on parole would also have to be considered.

Dominica will use translucent ballot boxes in the next general elections, constitutionally due in 2015 to ensure free and fair polls.

Chief Elections Officer Steven Larocque confirmed that the Government of Dominica has purchased three hundred bal-lot boxes, which will replace the wooden boxes previously used. This move is in keeping with in-ternational best practices.

According to Larocque, use of the translucent ballot boxes at the next general elections is a deliberate move by electoral commission to improve the methods of conducting elec-tions in Dominica.

It increases the trust of voters, candidates, observers and the media, in the proper conduct of the election at polling station level and beyond. In addition, the durability of the new trans-

lucent ballot boxes the govern-ment of Dominica will realize significant savings.

The election official said the translucent ballot boxes will be used in approximately two hun-dred and fifty polling stations across the country.

Larocque explained that the ballot box and the opening in the lid can easily be sealed with seven uniquely serialized se-curity seals, either to facilitate a safe pause in polling or the transportation of ballot papers or other sensitive materials.

The translucent ballot boxes come in three sizes: 45, 60 and 80 liters.

“Plans are to meet with the political parties to discuss with them the new concept of the ballot boxes,” Larocque con-cluded.

Dominica To Use Translucent Ballot Boxes in the Next Elections

ROTIMADE FRESH

DAILY

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Happy Easter 2014

Page 8 ONE LOVE CARIBBEAN APRIL 2014

Islander on the Move Texas Multicultural Women

1st Annual Caribbean Breast Cancer Foundation Walk.

For information or registration call:281-222-3415 or 832-573-1794 or713-256-7033 or 832-892-9523.

Volunteers needed to assist at the walk

Register your Team to win a prize for the best decorated head or face gear (hat, cap, mask, etc.)

Saturday, May 17, 2014.Buffalo Run Park

1122 Buffalo Run, Missouri City, Texas 77489

Introducing the “Caribbean Breast Cancer Foundation” A Texas non-profit organization, established to provide literacy and support for women affected by breast cancer, and promote wellness, through education and early detection, among those who are unaffected.

The story of Triston Thompson takes on a world of its own. It would inspire everyone to have faith even in the most difficult times. But let’s begin with him as it re-flection of today. Triston works as a Cardiac Sonographer/ Vascular Technologist at the Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Cen-ter in Houston. And for the past three years, he has work in the field of Echocardiography both in Houston and Jamaica.

But it was not always that bright.

He grew up in Portland, Jamai-ca, and attended the Titchfield High School where his love for the sciences and talent for singing grew. After graduation, he moved to Louisiana on a partial academic scholarship to study Chemistry at the Gram-bling State University.

At Grambling, he continued to excel academically and musi-cally; he was a member of the University’s choir. Being in the choir saved him a “penny here and penny there.” Later, after a few semesters, he was broke, and he realized that his finan-cial situation could no longer support his aspiration of finish-ing his Chemistry degree. Hav-ing nowhere to go, he stayed on campus as long as possible until the campus police threat-ened to put him out on the street. Later, his friends were hiding him from room to room.

But destiny is always timely, and a Houston based organiza-tion, “Repairer of the Breach” (ROTB) under the leadership of Carol Williams and Jennifer Norman came to his rescue. It

happened that Triston’s brother was a recipient of the non-profit work that ROTB was doing in Jamaica. The connection was made and Triston headed to Houston by bus. He considered it as, “The longest bus ride of his life.” Nonetheless, He was welcomed to the home of un-known Jamaicans, who he now considers his adopted family.

Being safe in Houston, the Caribbean Community rallied around the former Grambling student. At that time, the ques-tion, he had to answer, was what’s next. He was pointed to Joan Douglas of the Cardiotech Ultrasound School. He men-tioned in particular Marilyn D. Jones of Caribbean Impact, who networked him with the school and a number of people and or-ganizations who supported him during that period of uncertainty to include the Jamaica Founda-tion of Houston and the Houston Panamanian Association.

Upon having met all require-ments, Cardiotech Ultrasound School accepted Triston to study Cardiac Sonography. There he discovered his talent in Sonography and affinity for the medical world. During this Sonography program, he was privileged to complete his ex-ternship at St. Luke’s Episcopal hospital (now Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center).

At the end of his clinical rota-tion, he went back to Jamaica, where he worked in Kingston at the Heart Institute of the Carib-bean. There he shared much of his knowledge and experience with the medical community through presentations at Echo-cardiography Conferences Continue Page 11

Triston ThompsonFaith even in the most difficult times

Texas Multicultural Women (TMW) hosted its annual Prayer Breakfast at the Hilton Houston Westchase on March 14 at 9:00 a.m. The event featured Rev. Wycliffe Bailey, keynote speak-er, Triston Thompson, guest soloist and Jessica Dowdy, em-cee. TMW is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization that offers

community support through volunteering and collaborating with other organizations that support humanitarian needs lo-cally and internationally, includ-ing women’s advocacy groups.

In addition, next month (April 28 to May 4, 2014), TMW will be partner with the Africa Cancer

Medical Mission to Jamaica

TMW Mission to Jamaica 2012

Care, Inc. to conduct a medi-cal mission in rural Jamaica. Africa Cancer Care Inc. under the leadership of Dr. Eucharia Iwuanyanwau, is a non-profit group based in Houston, Texas devoted to educating the mass-es about cancer and providing support to victims in and out-side of the United States.

The overarching goals of the TMW and Africa Cancer Care partnership are to improve healthcare access for medically underserved individuals in rural Jamaica and to empower them to lead healthy lives.

Through health education, TMW seek to enhance both self-advocacies in healthcare systems and commitment to well-being by giving people the tools with which they can address health issues at any stage of their lives.

The staff will provide medica-tions that will meet their imme-diate health needs. Volunteers confirmed for the trip include physicians, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, health educators, physician assistants, and medi-cal assistants.

Headed by Veronica Ricketts, TMW’s membership consists of a group of women with a variety of international backgrounds, interests and experiences who reside in the Houston Metropoli-tan area.

TMW’s mission is to meet the needs of women from multicul-tural environments living in and outside the United States. The extreme disparity in health out-comes and access to health-care that exists today between the world’s rich and the world’s poor is unjust and unsustain-able. TMW recognizes these disparities and supports organi-zations providing health servic-es to people across the world.

For more information or to make a donation to this wor-thy event, please contact tex-asmulticulturalwomen@ymail.com or 832-890-6725 or 713-320-2950.

Texas Multicultural Women at their Prayer Breakfast 2014

Happy EasterOne Love Caribbean

LIEELIFECARIBBEAN

APRIL 2014 ONE LOVE CARIBBEAN Page 9

PHOTOSPHOTOSHouston Caribbean Dancehall Artist Vybz Kartel

Receives Life Sentence

Justice Lennox Campbell of the Jamaica Supreme Court handed down sentences to Jamaican dancehall and reggae star, Vybz Kartel, along with three other co-defendants in a 65-day trial; it was the longest criminal court proceeding in Jamaican history.

Justice Campbell sentenced Kar-tel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, to life in prison for the 2011 murder of Clive “Lizard” Wil-liams. He and the other defen-dants was found guilty of killing Williams at his house in Haven-dale, a suburb north of Kingston, on August 16, 2011.

The other convicts include Shawn Campbell, 35, and Kahira Jones will serve 25 years before they can apply for parole. André St John, 26, otherwise called ‘Mad Suss’, will serve 30 years before he can be eligible for parole. A fifth defendant, Shane Williams, was found not guilty.

“As far as [Kartel] is concerned, we are not surprised about the sentence based on the posture of the judge at this stage,” one of Kartel’s lawyers, Christian Ta-vares-Finson, told the Jamaica Gleaner. “We will be appealing both conviction and sentence on instructions from our clients. Kar-tel has maintained his innocence, and that he’s interested in ap-pealing his conviction.”

According to the Jamaican po-lice, Williams was killed after be-ing accused of stealing two guns from Kartel and other members

of his crew. But, the victim’s body was never found. However, Kar-tel was said to have described the corpse in text messages: “Tween me an u a chop we chop up the bwoy Lizard fine fine,” [Translation: Between you and I, we chopped up the boy “Lizard” fine, fine.] Kartel allegedly wrote. “Yeah man a mince meat dat … As long as u live dem can never find him.” [Translation: Yes man, he is mincemeat… As long you live, they will never find him.]

In August, Kartel will face further charges related to the Williams murder case. He is accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Meanwhile, should Kartel, one of the world’s biggest reggae artists, be allowed to record and release music from prison? This is a ruling the Justice Lennox Campbell is currently considering. Vybz has already record a 61-song album since his arrest in 2011, which he recorded on his smartphone. Justice Campbell is also report-edly evaluating whether profits from Kartel’s recordings made in prison should be diverted to the family of the victim.

Happy EasterOne Love Caribbean

THE NATIONONNECTIONSONNECTIONS

Caribbeanites Urged to Explore Challenges to Sustainability

Page 10 ONE LOVE CARIBBEAN APRIL 2014

By Terrance LayneStaff Writer

In early March 2014, I tuned into a popular local media talk show when Dr. Lester King of Rice Uni-versity’s Shell Center for Sustain-ability was guest speaker on the topic of “Disparities in Education and Income in Houston. Actually around the same timeframe, Amy Hodges, a Senior Media Rela-tions Specialist at Rice’s Office of Public Affairs did a report summa-rizing the major issues of sustain-ability outlined by Dr. King during the talk show. In fact, these dis-parities were seen as “stagger-ing.” And essentially, the report could be seen as a public call for improving our educational levels in Houston to protect the city’s current economic expansion.

To understand this publicized concern, we need an apprecia-tion for the degree of “intellec-tual capital and skills reservoir” it takes to attain and sustain a thriving economy for the fourth largest city in the United States of America. And when reliable research shows that we have 39% of persons not having a high school diploma were un-employed; and 50% of Hous-tonians with no degree beyond high school, then it becomes clearer what lies ahead for H-Town, if no remediation occurs.

Clearly, this is not to say that we don’t have people actively en-gaged in higher learning beyond high school. The concern seems to be first, a quantitative matter.

Additionally, Dr. King explored “sustainability” in 88 super neigh-borhoods and found that only 4 had more than 25% of the pop-ulation with graduate degrees. Incidentally, a super neighbor-hood is an area, geographically stipulated within which residents, community organizations and institutions work together with businesses to identify, plan, and set goals to address needs or concerns in that particular neigh-

borhood. Implicitly then, not only do we need to improve our rates of graduation from high school within the Houston area, but ad-ditionally, we also have a need to encourage greater numbers of people to enroll in and complete Masters level academic pro-grams. Lester King also stressed the significance of Trade School Degrees as being “just as essen-tial” as academic programs in or-der to be viably competitive in the 21st century.

In a related point King added that it was almost common knowledge that communities having proportionately higher levels of education and skills training would ultimately attract or produce better jobs and high-er incomes. And because of this correlation between training and income, the report underscored existing income disparities across the super neighborhoods throughout Houston. While he found neighborhoods with me-dian incomes far exceeding $100,000, he also reported oth-er neighborhoods with median incomes below $25,000.

And when we closely examine the issue of income inequal-ity, it invariably brings us to yet another consideration covered in Dr. King’s report on sustain-ability in Houston. The sore topic well known to most Af-rican American communities across the country is that of unemployment. There were hardly any revelations made by the demographic findings in the study. But simply for the sake of reminding ourselves of the work yet to be completed, these numbers are cited. In 2010 Houston had an unem-ployment rate of 10%. Accord-ing to the report, our numbers in unemployment by demo-graphic groups at that time was Caucasians 6.2%, Hispanics 9.5%, and African Americans (including Afro-Caribbeans) 16.5%. Lester King used a scholarly description of this pic-ture as “disproportionate hiring or employment instability” for African-Americans in Houston.

Again, the point here is not so much to bring new light on this matter, as it is to raise pub-lic consciousness about what needed to be purposefully ad-dressed in our plans for im-provement of living within the Greater Houston community.

I applaud and thank the many

families, who are already en-gaged with preparing themselves or children with learning beyond high school in academics or skills training. I also thank and com-mend the members of our local Associations and civic organi-zations who work tirelessly at raising funds for annual scholar-ships, as they encourage others toward self improvement and professional development. And while we may not all reside in any single geographic community, we continue to reach out beyond boundaries to support these ef-forts that make our community better than we found it. In addi-tion, I want to publically thank our friends and supporters through-out the large community who assist and contribute time and money to the different initiatives aimed at improving our neighbor-hoods as we know them.

But in the end, we can’t stop here with self satisfaction. We’ve got to keep doing more, and encour-aging more. In fact, our work will never “end here” not in one life-time! These challenges which confront our neighborhoods at least affect us all collectively. And history teaches us that an individu-al response to a collective threat is not our optimal corrective action.

I understand our current ap-proach in working for community improvement within autonomous groups and established organiza-tions. This is a good model, and it may even be better to continue our current course. But when we consider the magnitude and chro-nicity of our “employment instabil-ity” among African Americans, for example, I wonder if there might a “best model” hidden out there somewhere unexplored and un-tapped. The “concept of improve-ment,” as I understand it, implies good becoming better, and better becoming “best.”

And if an appetite to improve should ever be ignited concern-ing how to proceed, perhaps the conceptual model of a su-per neighborhood might be a good place to examine. Just thinking right now…wherever it leads, nobody knows.

Terry is a retired counselor with broad experience in the fields of mental health and education for more than thirty years. As a part of his retirement activities, he now en-joys freelance writing with a strong interest in people their social insti-tutions. Layne hold a M.A. in Coun-seling Psychology.

The once-popular mayor of New Orleans, Mayor Ray Nagin walks out of federal court in New Orleans with his wife, Seletha by his side. His is also escorted by his attorney, Robert Jenkins (right).

On Feb. 12, 2014, a jury found the 57-year old former mayor guilty on 20-21 counts of corruption including bribery, conspiracy, and wire fraud. He faces 10-20 years in prison.

Ray Nagin served two terms as mayor, but is most remembered for managing New Orleans during and after Hurricane Katrina.

Nagin is on home confinement in Frisco, Texas, until his sentenc-ing by U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan on June 11, 2014

Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin Found Guilty of Corruption

Kwasi Enin. the first-generation son of immigrants from Ghana has accomplished the rare feat of being accepted to all eight of the “Ivy League” universities: Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, Yale and the University of Pennsylvania. He was also accepted by SUNY Binghamton, SUNY Geneseo, Stony Brook University, and Duke.

Seventeen-year-old Kwasi of Long Island, NY is a straight-A stu-dent and scored in the 99th percentile on his SAT. He is a also a shot putter, viola player and a cappella singer.

Son of Immigrants Accepted into American 8 Ivy League Schools

In the United States, slave reparations has often been a controversial topic. Though the House apologized for slavery in 2008 and the Senate in 2009, neither has mentioned reparations for

African Americans descended from slavery.

DID YOU KNOW

Because of Jesus… APRIL 2014 ONE LOVE CARIBBEAN Page 11

By Charmaine Bailey, Staff Writercbailey@olchouston.com

Nowadays, it is possible to go to church, interact with people, listen to a sermon and leave without hearing the name of Jesus mentioned. Most times, people will speak extensively about God, but there is reluctance to mention the name of Jesus. Jesus was and still is the center of con-troversy but He also is the agent of radi-cal change in the lives of many and it is impossible to ignore Him since He is the central figure of the Christian faith. Acts 17:28 says that “in Him we live and move and exist”, but who is this Jesus? In Isa-iah 9:6-7 it is said of Him, “…he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.”

In Matthew 28:18, Jesus announced Who He was saying: “I have been given all au-thority in heaven and on earth.” He further stated that He was “the truth, the life and the only way to God the Father”. (John 1:14) In Philippians 2:9-11 the apostle Paul validated him by stating “…God el-evated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord...”

But, what effect has Jesus had in your life? Recently I heard a speaker pose this chal-lenge to his listeners: “Write the phrase “because of Jesus” and complete it with a phrase of your own”. This caused me to stop and think about the things in my own life which took place “because of Jesus” and I decided to share them. I accepted Jesus at age 16 and my heart and life were completely changed. It wasn’t overnight, but I learned a new way of living, stopped being fearful and insecure, learned to trust Him for my past, present and future, and developed a new attitude to life and peo-ple. I learned to live by faith and not just by what I see happening around me, even during difficult times.

Because of Jesus...• I am a new person; I have new life -

abundant and eternal. • I am healed from past hurts and am

can to forgive those who hurt me.• I have the power of the Holy Spirit liv-

ing in me, directing me and helping me to grow in faith. I live a supernat-ural life; I am growing to be a person of character.

• I now live with purpose and I can do the difficult things that alone, I would not be able to accomplish.

• I have been healed and walk in health.

• I love my husband, my family and myself and gained a loving church family.

• I love others and have learned to be generous.

• My life is dedicated to serving others and to being a blessing to the King-dom of God.

• I have peace. I do not fear death or any type of evil.

This list could continue, but suffice it to say that Jesus is a Life-changer and He still changes hearts and lives. This Eas-ter is the perfect time to let Him come alive in your heart and life and bring about the positive changes that you have always wanted. Simply ask Him!

Charmaine Bailey is a speaker and a Christian Educa-tion Teacher. She studied Christian Education at Ja-maica Theological Seminary and hold a BA Linguistics

from the University of the West Indies.

From Page 8 Tristonattended by physicians practicing in Jamaica. This proved an excellent plat-form for building both his confidence and knowledge in the field of Echocar-diography.

But, his love for music never died, as his church choir in Port Antonio won nation-al awards under his leadership. He also recorded his first original single “You Reign” produced by his older brother, Clenton Thompson.

Upon deciding to move back to Texas, Triston accepted employment at Bay-lor St. Luke’s Medical Center where he continues to do what he loves and ex-pand his knowledge in the field of Car-

diac and Vascular Ultrasound.

Triston never allows himself to forget the God has always been moving on his behalf and continues to move even to-day. Changing career paths was not an easy move for him but he firmly believes that God is constantly in control of and is concerned with every facet of his ex-istence.

He continues to make mention, and speak highly, of the many individuals and organizations who gave a helping hand in his time of great need: Repairer of the Breach, Cardiotech Ultrasound School, Caribbean Impact, Jamaica Foundation of Houston, and the Hous-ton Panamanian Association.

BIRTHDAYS IN THE DIASPORA

Alex St Clair St. Lucia

Francis Theodore Mitchell St. Lucia

Jerry Castro-CayetanoGuatemala

Rebecca RomeoPanama

Dr. Junior ThompsonBarbados

Choco Trini Guevarra Trinidad and Tobago

Thecia JenkinsTexas

Ke’vaughn WaldonJamaica

Milton RoyerDominica

Michelle Duncan Trinidad and Tobago

Lawrence HermanSt. Lucia

Dr Patricia JankiGuyana

Roselle JosephTrinidad and Tobago

AndreTrinidad and Tobago

Marva LaynePanama

Michelle BurtSt. Kitts

Linda Newton-JosephSt. Kitts

Email your birthday announcement to info@olchouston.com

Garnet Jean BaptisteSt. Lucia

Happy Easter 2014

OPEN EDITORIAL Page 12 ONE LOVE CARIBBEAN APRIL 2014

Caribbean Leaders Approve Reparation PlansCARICOM Nations Plan to Sue Europe for Problems Stemming from Slavery

Last month, Caribbean leaders met in St. Vincent to discuss a landmark legal claim to sue Eu-ropean states to include Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. They claim that the root for many of the problems lingering in the Caribbean can be traced back to the slave trade.

But is monetary reparation the answer? No! Instead, the lead-ers have adopted a 10-point plan demanding, among oth-er things, European aid in strengthening the region’s pub-lic health, and educational and cultural institutions such as mu-seums and research centers. The plan also seeks debt can-cellation and an apology from former colonizers.

The group of 15 Caribbean countries, called Caricom, in-tends to seek reparations for slavery and the genocide of na-tive peoples. They created the Caribbean Reparations Com-mission to push the issue and present their recommendations to political leaders.

The idea of the countries that benefited from slavery paying some form of reparations has been a decades-long quest but only recently has it gained seri-ous momentum in the Caribbean.

1. FULL FORMAL APOLOGYThe healing process for victims and the descendants of the en-slaved and enslavers requires as a precondition the offer of a sincere formal apology by the governments of Europe. Some governments in refusing to of-fer an apology have issued in place Statements of Regrets.

Such statements do not ac-knowledge that crimes have been committed and represent a refusal to take responsibility for such crimes. Statements of regrets represent, furthermore, a reprehensible response to the call for apology in that they sug-gest that victims and their de-scendants are not worthy of an apology. Only an explicit formal apology will suffice within the context of the Caricom Repara-tions Justice Program (CRJP).

2. REPATRIATIONOver 10 million Africans were stolen from their homes and forcefully transported to the Ca-ribbean as the enslaved chattel and property of Europeans. The transatlantic slave trade is the largest forced migration in human history and has no

parallel in terms of man’s inhu-manity to man.

This trade in enchained bod-ies was a highly successful commercial business for the nations of Europe. The lives of millions of men, women and children were destroyed in search of profit. The descen-dants of these stolen people have a legal right to return to their homeland.

A Repatriation program must be established and all available channels of international law and diplomacy used to resettle those persons who wish to re-turn. A resettlement program should address such matters as citizenship and deploy avail-able best practices in respect of community re-integration.

3. INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

The governments of Europe committed genocide upon the native Caribbean population. Military commanders were giv-en official instructions by their governments to eliminate these communities and to remove those who survive pogroms from the region.

Genocide and land appropria-tion went hand in hand. A com-munity of over 3,000,000 in 1700 has been reduced to less than 30,000 in 2000. Survivors remain traumatized, landless, and are the most marginalized social group within the region.

The University of the West Indies offers an Indigenous Peoples Scholarship in a des-perate effort at rehabilitation. It is woefully insufficient. A Devel-opment Plan is required to re-habilitate this community.

4. CULTURAL INSTITUTIONSEuropean nations have invested in the development of communi-ty institutions such as museums and research centers in order to prepare their citizens for an understanding of these Crimes against Humanity (CAH).

These facilities serve to rein-force within the consciousness of their citizens an understand-ing of their role in history as rul-ers and change agents.

There are no such institutions in the Caribbean where the CAH were committed. Caribbean schoolteachers and researchers do not have the same opportunity.

Descendants of these CAH continue to suffer the disdain of having no relevant institutional systems through which their experience can be scientifically told. This crisis must be rem-edies within the CJRP.

5. PUBLIC HEALTH CRISISThe African descended popula-tion in the Caribbean has the highest incidence in the world of chronic diseases in the forms of hypertension and type two diabetes.

This pandemic is the direct result of the nutritional experi-ence, physical and emotional brutality, and overall stress pro-files associated with slavery, genocide, and apartheid. Over 10 million Africans were import-ed into the Caribbean during the 400 years of slavery.

At the end of slavery in the late 19th century less than 2 million remained. The chronic health condition of Caribbean blacks now constitutes the greatest fi-nancial risk to sustainability in

the region. Arresting this pan-demic requires the injection of science, technology, and capi-tal beyond the capacity of the region.

Europe has a responsibility to participate in the alleviation of this heath disaster. The CRJP addresses this issue and calls upon the governments of Eu-rope to take responsibility for this tragic human legacy of slavery and colonization.

6. ILLITERACY ERADICATIONAt the end of the European colonial period in most parts of the Caribbean, the British in particular left the black and indigenous communities in a general state of illiteracy. Some 70 percent of blacks in British colonies were functionally illit-erate in the 1960s when nation states began to appear.

Jamaica, the largest such com-munity, was home to the larg-est number of such citizens. Widespread illiteracy has sub-verted the development efforts of these nation states and rep-resents a drag upon social and economic advancement.

Caribbean governments allo-cate more than 70 percent of public expenditure to health and education in an effort to up-root the legacies of slavery and colonization. European govern-ments have a responsibility to participate in this effort within the context of the CRJP.

7. AFRICAN KNOWLEDGE PROGRAM

The forced separation of Afri-cans from their homeland has resulted in cultural and social alienation from identity and ex-istential belonging. Denied the right in law to life, and divorced by space from the source of historic self, Africans have craved the right to return and knowledge of the route to roots.

A program of action is required to build ‘bridges of belonging’. Such projects as school ex-changes and culture tours, com-munity artistic and performance programs, entrepreneurial and religious engagements, as well as political interaction, are re-quired in order to neutralize the void created by slave voyages.

Such actions will serve to build knowledge networks that are necessary for community reha-bilitation.

8. PSYCHOLOGICAL REHABILITATION

For over 400 years Africans and their descendants were classi-fied in law as non-human, chat-tel, property, and real estate. They were denied recognition as members of the human fam-ily by laws derived from the par-liaments and palaces of Europe.

This history has inflicted mas-sive psychological trauma upon African descendant populations. This much is evident daily in the Caribbean. Continue of Page 14

Caribbean Heads of Government at the 25th Intersessional Meeting of the Conference in St Vincent and the Grenadines

(Photo from facebook.com/cc.secretariat)

Health & Wellness

Check-Up Checklist Things to Do Before Your Next Check-Up

CALL 9-1-1

Getting check-ups is one of many things you can do to help stay healthy and prevent dis-ease and disability.

So, you’ve made the appoint-ment to see your health care provider and reviewed the in-structions on how to prepare for certain tests. In addition, you’ve done the usual paper-work. Done, right?

Well, not quite.

Before your next check-up, make sure you do these four things.

Review your family health history.

Are there any new conditions or diseases that have occurred in your close relatives since your last visit? If so, let your health care provider know. Family his-tory might influence your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, diabetes, or cancer. Your provider will assess your risk of disease based on your family history and other factors. Your provider may also rec-ommend things you can do to help prevent disease, such as exercising more, changing your diet, or using screening tests to help detect disease early.

Find out if you are due for any general screenings or

vaccinations.

Have you had the recommend-ed screening tests based on your age, general health, fam-ily history, and lifestyle? Check with your health care provider to see if its time for any vac-cinations, follow-up exams, or tests. For example, it might be time for you to get a Pap test, mammogram, prostate can-cer screening, colon cancer screening, sexually transmitted disease screening, blood pres-sure check, tetanus shot, eye check, or other screening.

Write down a list of issues and questions to take with you.

Review any existing health prob-lems and note any changes.

• Have you noticed any body changes, including lumps or skin changes?• Are you having pain, dizzi-ness, fatigue, problems with urine or stool, or menstrual cy-cle changes? • Have your eating habits changed? • Are you experiencing depres-sion, anxiety, trauma, distress, or sleeping problems?

If so, note when the change be-gan, how it’s different from be-fore, and any other observation that you think might be helpful.

Be honest with your provider. If you haven’t been taking your medication as directed, exer-cising as much, or anything else, say so. You may be at risk for certain diseases and condi-tions because of how you live, work, and play. Your provider develops a plan based partly on what you say you do. Help ensure that you get the best guidance by providing the most up-to-date and accurate infor-mation about you.

Be sure to write your questions down beforehand. Once you’re in the office or exam room, it can be hard to remember everything you want to know. Leave room between questions to write down your provider’s answers.

Consider your future.Are there specific health is-sues that need addressing con-cerning your future? Are you thinking about having infertility treatment, losing weight, tak-ing a hazardous job, or quitting smoking? Discuss any issues with your provider so that you can make better decisions re-garding your health and safety.

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Dr. Ka-Ron Y. WadeShould you have your silver fillings

Dr. Ka-Ron Y. Wade, DDS

By Dr. Ka-Ron Y. Wade, DDS

it is well-known to science that mercury is dangerous. It’s dan-gerous to touch. It’s even more dangerous to ingest. Mercury is the most toxic non-radioactive metal known to man and many people have it in their mouths. Is this safe?

The silver fillings that most of us have in our teeth are com-posed of 50% mercury, 35% sil-ver, 15% tin and other metals. In spite of having long been a subject of debate over patient safety, the silver amalgam fill-ings are still widely used by dental professionals in most ar-eas of the world.

While there have been no con-clusive studies relating the mercury in amalgam fillings to any dangers, mercury by itself is very toxic. Since it is known that a miniscule amount of mer-cury vapor is released from amalgam when the restora-tions are placed or removed, and through chewing and tooth grinding; many opponents of amalgam have blamed the sub-stance for a variety of general health problems (i.e., nerve damage, autism, allergies, Parkinson’s Disease, ADHD, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, kidney problems, birth defects, compromised immunity, arthri-

tis, chronic fatigue, fibromyal-gia, and several “auto-immune” illnesses.

There is now a growing moun-tain of evidence that it is not safe to have the amalgam fill-ings. Currently, some coun-tries like Sweden, Canada and Germany, have either banned or imposed serious limitations on amalgam usage. The FDA even acknowledged that mer-cury vapor is released during chewing on an amalgam filling. Their website declares these fillings could have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing fetuses and chil-dren. The website goes on to further state that, “Pregnant women and persons who may have a health condition that makes them more sensitive to mercury exposure, should not avoid seeking dental care, but should discuss options with their health practitioner.”

Whether or not the amount of mercury released from silver fillings is harmful to the body is a subject of controversy. Most people have some silver amal-gam fillings in their teeth with no apparent adverse effects. No harm from the mercury in amalgam fillings has ever been absolutely proven. However, it has never been proven that

it is not harmful, either. Many people prefer the mercury-free fillings because of this health issue. Most in the dental com-munity do not endorse the idea that amalgam causes illnesses, but they don’t call it safe, either. It is a personal decision to have your silver fillings replaced with a safer tooth colored resin composite filling, also known as porcelain fillings.

If you are interested in more information about the effects of silver amalgam fillings and the options to replace them, talk to your dentist. Dr. Ka-Ron Wade is a practicing Cosmetic dentist at The Dentistry of Dr. Ka-Ron Wade in Houston, Texas. Wade is a member of the Academy of General Dentistry, the American Orthodontic Society, American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, and the American Association of Women Dentist.

Know the Sign of a Heart AttackOLC: The five major symptoms of a heart attack are:• Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, or back.• Feeling weak, light-headed, or faint.• Chest pain or discomfort.• Pain or discomfort in arms or shoulder.• Shortness of breath.

If you think that you or someone you know is having a heart at-tack, you should call 9–1–1 im-mediately.

If the blood supply to the heart muscle is cut off, a heart attack can result. Cells in the heart muscle do not receive enough oxygen and begin to die. The more time that passes without treatment to restore blood flow,

the greater the damage to the heart. Having high blood pres-sure or high blood cholesterol, smoking, increased age, physi-cal inactivity, unhealthy diet, and having had a previous heart at-tack or family history of stroke, obesity, or diabetes can increase a person’s chances of having a heart attack.

According to the American Heart Association, about 785,000 Americans have an initial heart attack and another 470,000 have a recurrent heart attack each year.1 According to a CDC re-port,2 almost half of the cardiac deaths in 1999 occurred before emergency services and hospital treatment could be administered.

It is important to recognize the

signs of a heart attack and to act immediately by calling 9–1–1. A person’s chances of surviving a heart attack are increased if emergency treatment is given to the victim as soon as possible.

COMMUNITY MARKETPLACEAPRIL 2014 • ONE LOVE CARIBBEAN • Page 14

Mount Bethel House of Prayer in Houston6818 Cullen Boulevard Houston, TX 77021‎

Spiritual Baptist Church

Mother Kathleen Joseph(713) 842-2990

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Specializes in Brazillian Knot Extension, Fusion Extension, and Regular Services

Guyana President Donald Ramotar and St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves

From Page 12 Reparation

Only a reparatory justice ap-proach to truth and educa-tional exposure can begin the process of healing and repair. Such an engagement will call into being, for example, the need for greater Caribbean in-tegration designed to enable the coming together of the frag-mented community.

9. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFERFor 400 years the trade and production policies of Europe could be summed up in the Brit-ish slogan: “not a nail is to be made in the colonies.”

The Caribbean was denied par-ticipation in Europe’s industrial-ization process, and was con-fined to the role of producer and exporter of raw materials. This system was designed to extract maximum value from the region and to enable maximum wealth accumulation in Europe.

The effectiveness of this policy meant that the Caribbean en-tered its nation building phase as a technologically and scien-tifically ill-equipped- backward space within the postmodern world economy.

Generations of Caribbean youth, as a consequence,

have been denied membership and access to the science and technology culture that is the world’s youth patrimony. Tech-nology transfer and science sharing for development must be a part of the CRJP.

10. DEBT CANCELLATIONCaribbean governments that emerged from slavery and colo-nialism have inherited the mas-sive crisis of community poverty and institutional unprepared-ness for development. These governments still daily engage in the business of cleaning up the colonial mess in order to prepare for development.

The pressure of development has driven governments to carry the burden of public em-ployment and social policies designed to confront colonial legacies. This process has re-sulted in states accumulating unsustainable levels of public debt that now constitute their fiscal entrapment.

This debt cycle properly be-longs to the imperial govern-ments who have made no sustained attempt to deal with debilitating colonial legacies. Support for the payment of do-mestic debt and cancellation of international debt are neces-sary reparatory actions.

From Page 5 HPD

threatened with eviction. She criticized the City for trying to distance itself from the prob-lem. “This, indeed, is at odds with the Constitution and is tan-tamount to failure by the City to comply with its constitutional obligations,” she said.

In December 2010, Masipa ruled against an R85-million lawsuit that former Eskom chief executive, Jacob Maroga, brought against his previous employees for unlawful dis-

From Page 5 HPD

Houston Mayor Annise Parker released a statement which read in part, “The severity of this cannot be minimized. The victims and family members in-volved in these cases deserved better. However, the action of a few individuals should not devalue the work done by the rest of the homicide division, or

missal. He asked that he either be reinstated as the utility’s chief executive or be compen-sated. However, Eskom main-tained that Maroga offered to resign and the board accepted his resignation.

According to Masipa, Maroga’s story was contradictory, unreli-able and “demonstrably lacking in credence” and she conclud-ed that his version of events was a fabrication. Masipa or-dered Maroga to pay the costs of the trial, which included the employment of five counsels.

by the 5,300 men and women who serve and protect our city on a daily basis. Chief McClel-land has taken effective and corrective action regarding the officers involved and has tight-ened policies and procedures to keep this from happening again. The public can rest as-sured that HPD will pursue ev-ery possible lead when it comes to murder investigations.”

From Page 6 Caribbean Disaster

outreach specialist. “We want the Virgin Islands National Guard to stay engaged with the CDRU so they can step in to assist them when needed. It is important for the teams to be familiar with each other when there is a disaster.”

Of all the American forces, the Virgin Islands National Guard is the perfect American representa-tive for its Caribbean neighbors.

“The Virgin Islands (VI) is a micro-cosm of the entire Caribbean ba-sin, to include Central and South America,” said Army Lieutenant Colonel Ken Alleyne, Manager of the VI National Guard’s Stra-tegic Initiatives and Plans Divi-sion. “When you come to the VI, you’re going to find pockets of people representing every one

of these island nations. We want to continue to support our Carib-bean island brothers and sisters. For us, these are our relatives, our family, they are our friends.”

Training has expanded over the years. The first CDRU training was two days. It gradually expanded to three days, and then five. Now the training has expanded to eight days and includes training along-side members of the Air National Guard in the Virgin Islands and in Puerto Rico.

“We always try to stay engaged with CARICOM and by support-ing CDEMA, we are supporting CARICOM as well,” Cruz said. “We want to help strengthen the capacity of CARICOM so they can be there to help their neigh-bors when they are in need.”

The capacity of the CDRU con-

tinues to grow with Southcom’s help. With the completion of this training, they are one step closer to their ultimate goal.

“Over the last nine years, with the support of [U.S. Southern Com-mand], the CDRU system has flourished,” said Joanne Persad, program manager for response and recovery at CDEMA. “The unit has grown, it has been equipped, and has been deployed in several instances. Two critical instances were in Grenada in 2004 for Hur-ricane Ivan and in Haiti for the earthquake in 2010.”

“The ultimate goal is to have two teams per year fully equipped and ready to go,” Persad said. “We also want to be recognized, more so than it is now, as a key aspect of the regional re-sponse mechanism.”

August 15, 2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Panama Canal, a milestone which is of importance to Barbados as approximately 50,000 Barbadians migrated to Panama to work on the Canal, with the result-ing remittances being used to assist many families. This also contributed to

the emergence of a Barbadian middle class society.

DID YOU KNOW

Jamaica PM Portia Simpson-Miller and St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves

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April 2012 • ONE LOVE CARIBBEAN • Page 15

ISLAND RECIPESTHE ART OF CARIBBEAN COOKING

ISLAND STYLEEJOKES, SATIRE AND POEMS

The Lawyer of Frozen CrabsA Dominican lawyer boarded LIAT Air-line in Piarco International Airport in Trinidad traveling to Antigua. He was traveling with a box of frozen crabs and asked a blonde hair flight atten-dant to take care of them for him.

She took the box and promised to put it in the crew’s refrigerator. The lawyer advised her that he was holding her personally responsible for them stay-ing frozen, mentioning in a very arro-gant manner that he was a lawyer, and proceeded to rant at her about what would happen if she let them thaw out.

Needless to say, she was annoyed by his behavior. Shortly before landing in Antigua, she used the intercom to announce to the entire cabin, “Would the lawyer who gave me the crabs, in Trinidad, please raise your hand.

Not one hand went up.... So she took them home and ate them.

Over the PA: Man DownA Grenadian man and his wife went shopping at their local Real Value Supermarket in Spiceland Mall, St Georges

The husband picks up a small case of Guinness and puts it in their cart. “What do you think you’re doing? Man, how come you so fast,” asks the wife.

‘They’re on sale, only $10 for a doz-en,” he replies.

‘Put dem back, we can’t afford dem,” demands the wife, and so they carry on shopping.

A few aisles further on Aisle 25, his wife picked up a $20 jar of facial cream and puts it in the basket

“Wah tis be? Wah you think you’re do-ing?” asks the husband. “It’s my face cream. It makes me look beautiful,” replies the wife.

Her husband gave some backchat. “So does a dozen Guinness and it’s half the price.”

Suddenly you heard over the PA sys-tem, “Man down on aisle 25.”

A Smart HaitianThree Caribbean men were arguing about what kind of moon it was. The first man, a Dominican, said it was a full moon, the second man, a Lucian, was arguing that it was a half moon and the third man, a Vincy, was saying that it was a quarter moon.

They could not agree, so they called in a fourth man, a Haitian, who was passing by and asked him what kind of moon it was. The Haitian took one look at the three men, then looked up at the sky and said: “Let me tell you this. You asked the wrong man. I just came into Houston after the earthquake. I am not from around here.”

ULTUREULTURE

Antiguian Ducana SWEET POTATO DUMPLINGS

Ingredients: 2 cups grated coconut2 cups sweet potatoes2 cups of sugar1 tsp cinnamon1 tsp grated nutmeg1 tbsp of vanilla extract1 cup of raisins (optional)1 ½ cups of flour

Directions:Cut coconut in one inch cube. Place in a blender. Add 1½ cup of water . Grate sweet potatoes. Add grated coconut. Blend well. Place mixture in a large bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients to the mixture and mix well.

Cut 10×12 pieces of foil paper to wrap the mixture. Use a ladle or large spoon to scoop the batter into the center of the foil then fold and seal the mixture. The foil and batter should look like a flat-tened cylinder.

Place ducana in boiling water and allow cooking for 30 minutes at medium heat. Remove it from water and allow cooling for before opening them.

Mackerel Run DownIngredients: 2 lbs pickled boneless mackerel 2 cups coconut milk 1 cup water 1 large onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 stalks scallion, chopped 2 large tomatoes, chopped 4 sprigs thyme 1 scotch bonnet pepper, chopped 1 tbsp vinegar Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:Soak mackerel in water overnight. Drain

Ducana and Saltfish

Easter in the Caribbean

One Love CaribbeanCall 281-769 2253

Caribbean Proverb PoemsJames Berry

Jamaica

Dog mornin prayer is, Laardwhat teday, a bone or a blow?

Tiger wahn fi nyam pickney, tiger seyhe could-a swear e woz puss.

If yu cahn mek plenty yeyewaterfi funeral, start a-bawl early mornin. Hungrybelly an Fullbellydohn walk same pass.Fullbelly always a-tell Emptybelly‘Keep heart’.

Yu fraid fi yeyeyu cahn nyam cowhead.Yeye meet yeyean man fraid!

Yu si yu neighbour beardketch fire, yu tek wateran wet fi yu.When lonely man dead,grass come grow a him door.

Satan may be olbut Satan not bedriddn.Man who is all honey,fly dem goin nyam him up.

Trini Dad and Son Camping An illiterate Trinidad father with his educated son with a PhD in Astrology went on a camping trip.

They setup their tent and fell asleep. Some hours later, the Father wakes his Son and asks: Look up to de sky and tell me what yuh see? Son: I see millions of stars. Father: What does that tell yuh Son? Son: Astronomically, it tells me there are millions of galaxies and planets in our solar system !

Father remains silent for moment then says, “No jack! You stupid! Dem thief we tent!”

The Guyanese Joke To End All Guyanese Jokes!

There was a Guyanese woman who was having financial troubles so she decided to kidnap a child and demand a ransom. She went to a local park, grabbed a little boy, took him behind a tree and wrote this note. “I have kid-napped your child. Leave $10,000 in a plain brown bag behind the big oak tree in the park tomorrow at 7 AM.” She signed as ‘The Guyanese.’

She pinned the note inside the little boy’s jacket and told him to go straight home. The next morning, she returned to the park to find the $10,000 in a brown bag, behind the big oak tree, just as she had instructed.

Inside the bag was the following note.... “Here is your money. I cannot believe that one Guyanese would do this to another!”

Lucian Penepis

Mackerel Run Down

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water. Place mackerel with water in pan. Allow to boil for 30 minutes to remove to remove salt from the mackerel.

Drain water of the mackerel and cut into small pieces.

Sauté onion, garlic, scallion, tomatoes, scotch bonnet pepper, thyme, and vine-gar. Add mackerel and 1 cup water and cover the pot. Allow to cook for 10-12 minutes on medium heat

Add coconut milk and allow to simmer for 10 minutes at low heat. Add Salt and Pepper to taste.

Pain D’ Espices (Penepis) A Thin Oval Biscuit

Ingredients½ lb. fresh ginger, 1 cup water

2 tbsp. butter, 2 tbsp. brown sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. nutmeg

2 cup all purpose flourDirections:Peel ginger. Grate ginger. Place ginger in a mixer. Add sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Blend in water and sugar. Mix in flour and butter. Knead until it is very smooth.

On a flat surface, spread and roll the dough in a very thin layer about 1/8 of an inch.Place in a greased cook sheet. Cut off excess. Cut in 3 inch squares or oval shapes.

Keep a watchful eye, it burns fast. Bake in medium hot oven for 3 minutes or until baked.

Easter Lamb RoastIngredients: 1 Leg of lamb (4-5 lbs).1 tbsp. of rosemary1/2 cup of chopped onions1/4 cup of minced garlic1/4 cup of chive1 tsp. of salt1 tsp. of black pepper

Directions: Rinse lamb with cold water. Dry meat with a paper towels. Make small slits with a small knife. Rub the lamb with salt, black pepper, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, onions, and garlic.

Place lamb in a baking pan. Add water and cover lamb with foil paper. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.Then place lamb in for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Roast for about 25 to 30 min-utes per pound.

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12 noon to 6pmSunday Buffet

12 noon to 3pm

Mon: 50 cent Jerk WingsTue: Patty with a mealWed: BuffetThu: Fish day 12.99 Fish Dinner

Fri: Buffet/Jerk FridaySat: Family Pack - Jerk or Ja-maican Style Fried Chicken with Cole Slaw, Rolls, or Festival

Daily Lunch Box $5.99 includes Jerk or Jamaican Style Fried Chicken with Fries or Festival

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7433 Bissonnet St. Houston, TX 77074 Tel: (713) 772 8225 | Fax: (713) 774-7428

April 20, 2014EASTER IN THE PARKING LOT

Family Fun Day

Food, Music, Dominoes, and GamesBun Eating Contest