New York Liberty Star

1FRIDAY, JANAURY 22, 2010 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR *

Caribbean NewsPage 6

EntertainmentPage 16

•• Copyright © 2006, New York Liberty Star WWW.NYLIBERTYSTAR.COM VOL. 10 ISSUE 186FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2010

CONRAD MURRAY is set to be chargedwith involuntary manslaughter in thepop star’s death, says prosecutors.

JACKSON’S DOCTORSET TO BE CHARGED

BARBADOS PRIME MINISTER DAVIDTHOMPSON says the laws governingdual citizenships for Caribbeanleaders should be reviewed.

BAJAN PM WANTSDUAL CITIZENSHIP

AIR JAMAICA CLAIR JAMAICA CLAIR JAMAICA CLAIR JAMAICA CLAIR JAMAICA CLOSE OSE OSE OSE OSE TO DEAL TO DEAL TO DEAL TO DEAL TO DEAL WITH CARIBBEAN WITH CARIBBEAN WITH CARIBBEAN WITH CARIBBEAN WITH CARIBBEAN AIRAIRAIRAIRAIR50 CENTS

FULL STORY, P. 3

2 FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2010 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

DUDUS STILL WANTEDA senior United States official saysWashington has no plans to reversethe extradition request for “Dudus”.

CONTENTSCONTENTS

US BLOCKING HELPJagdeo believes the United States iscreating obstacles to the involvementof the Caribbean Community.

4 7

SITTING CAN KILL YOUScientists are increasingly warningthat sitting for prolonged periods couldbe bad for your health.

59 Y-O SINGER DIESTeddy Pendergrass died recently aftera long illness and spending his last 28years in a wheelchair.

14 15

CHRISTOPHER COKEPM BHARRAT JAGDEO

HEALTH NEWS TEDDY PENDERGRASS

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By Nelson King

WASHINGTON, D.C. – UnitedStates immigration authorities saytens of thousands of Haitians livinghere illegally began filing applicationsfor Temporary Protected Status (TPS),Thursday.

Last Friday, US Secretary ofHomeland Security Secretary JanetNapolitano announced that the UShad granted TPS for Haitians “livingand working in our country for thenext 18 months.”

“Providing a temporary refugefor Haitian nationals whose personalsafety would be endangered by return-ing to Haiti is part of thisadministration’s continuing effort tosupport Haiti’s recovery,” she said ina statement.

But Alejandro Mayorkas, the di-rector of the US Citizenship and Im-

migration Services, said only Haitianswho had been in the US before lastweek’s catastrophic earthquakewould be eligible for TPS. An es-timated 100,000 Haitians live inthe US illegally.

Mayorkas said the agency wasbracing for an onslaught of appli-cations, adding: “We are drawingon expertise from the past.”

The Obama administrationhad come under heightened pressureto grant TPS to Haitians here, espe-

cially in the wake of last Tuesday’smassive earthquake.

Jamaican American Congress-woman Yvette. D. Clarke, who repre-sents the 11th Congressional Districtin Brooklyn, the largest district ofCaribbean immigrants in the US, wel-comed the latest move by the US.

“I am extremely pleased thatTemporary Protected Status has beenextended to Haitian nationals in theUnited States,” said Clarke, thedaughter of Jamaican immigrants.

“I commend the president andSecretary [Janet] Napolitano for thededication to the Haitian people in thelight of such a dark and challengingtime,” she added.

“This is, indeed, a giant symbolof this administration’s support for thepeople of Haiti – both in this countryand (in Haiti).”

TPS is usually given to certainimmigrants in the United States whocannot safely return to their countriesbecause of armed conflicts, natural di-sasters or other emergencies. Those

Haitians In US Begin Filing ForTemporary Protected Status

“Providing a temporary refuge for Haitian nationals whosepersonal safety would be endangered by returning to Haitiis part of this administration’s continuing effort to supportHaiti’s recovery.”

US Secretary of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano

AssemblymanUrges AmnestyFor All Haitians

eligible for TPS are allowed to remainin the US.

But a Jamaican-bornlegislator in New York,who had also called forTPS for Haitians, hasgone further in urging theObama administration togrant “total amnesty” forthe undocumented Hai-tians.

New York State AssemblymanNick Perry, who represents the pre-dominantly Caribbean 58th AssemblyDistrict in Brooklyn, said the 18-month TPS is too short a reprieve forHaitians.

“The best thing America can dofor Haitians is to put the amnesty billin quick motion,” Perry said.

“That would benefit the Haitianshere and elevate their status to per-manent residence,” added Perry

“Haiti is a special case. People[Haitians] who are here have nothingto go back to,” he continued, warn-ing that if the US does not grant am-nesty to Haitians, the impoverished,French-speaking Caribbean countrycould become a “Protectorate” State.

“It’s likely that America will bede facto running Haiti,” Perry said.“America will have so much respon-sibility in keeping order that Haiti willbe in a protectorate status. Short ofthat, Haiti will be another Somalia.”

Andrea Quarantillo, district director for the U.S. Citizenship andImmigration Services (USCIS), field questions during a community briefingin New York, Wednesday. More than 200 representatives of communitybased organizations attended the briefing to learn of the TemporaryProtected Status (TPS) for Haiti, a 18-month legal immigration status forHaitians affected by the earthquake. Applicants must prove their Haitiancitizenship as well as their residence in the U.S. before the earthquakestruck Jan. 12.


By Pharoh Martin and Kendra DesrosiersNNPA National and Special Correspondent

WASHINGTON (NNPA) - It’s been described as “Theworld’s Katrina”. The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that com-pletely devastated and uprooted the Black island nation ofHaiti, leaving an estimated 100,000 dead and millions morehomeless, injured and in despair.

Government officials are predicting that the death tollcould eventually rise to half a million, making it one of themost destructive natural disasters ever.

Already reeling from a string of recent national set-backs, including political upheavals and an overwhelmingseries of hurricanes in 2008, one of the poorest nations inthe Western hemisphere now has to deal with this tragedy.

“Port-au-Prince is destroyed. We have a lot death, alot of casualties, human casualties, material casualties, weare dead,’’ said Cassandra Valbrun in a phone interviewfrom Haiti. The 34-year-old married mother of two worksin the Pout-au-Prince suburb of Pétionville. She was stillat work when the earthquake struck Jan. 12.

“We need water, medication and tents because peopleare sleeping outside of their house,’’ she said. “We are sleep-ing on the street, on yards, on open fields and it’s cold atnight. It’s like 21-Celsius degree. It’s cold. I’m sleeping ina neighbor’s back yard. We are surviving. We are on ourown with food we’ve had at home. We’ve come togetherand we’ve tried to give some cereal to the kids. We adultseat once in the day to make the food last, so we don’t spoilit. And I don’t know how long we will keep doing that.’’

Howard University international student RoberteExantus is also from the Haitian suburb of Pétionville. The20-year-old was in Washington, D.C. when the earthquakehit and while she was fortunate enough to hear from herparents she still has heard no news from other members ofher family.

“My father, I recently heard from him, but my friends,my brother is still there. But I’m waiting, I’m hoping andwaiting and praying,’’ she shared. When Exantus spoke toher father by phone she said that he seemed to be in a de-lirious mental state. He just told her to stay strong.

“He was just saying the dead people are everywhere,’’Exantus said. “Everyone is on their own right now. A lottalk about a lot of the help they are getting but, accordingto my dad, they are waiting. Nothing has gotten there yet.Food is scarce in Haiti right now so, I don’t know what thedeal is how he’s getting food but … he doesn’t care aboutfood at the moment he only cares about finding familymembers.’’

The recovery of Haiti in the aftermath of the country’sbiggest earthquake in 200 years is enormous. In fact, therecovery will involve one of history’s largest internationalrelief efforts.

Americans were just getting over the perceived donorfatigue tied to the Gulf Coast recovery after HurricaneKatrina that hit nearly five years ago. Nevertheless, basedon reports from relief organizations, the American publichas responded fervently upon hearing news of Haiti.

President Obama has pledged $100 million dollars inU. S. aid as and spared no expense in resources for relieffor the Caribbean nation.

“At this very moment one of the largest relief effortsin our recent history is moving towards Haiti,’’ the presi-dent said. “More American search and rescue teams arecoming. More food. More water. Doctors, nurses, para-medics. More of the people, equipment and capabilitiesthat can make the difference between life and death.’’

Flanked by former Presidents George W. Bush and BillClinton, he also announced the formation of a relief fundunder their names, which can be found atwww.ClintonBushHaitiFund.org

The Department of State, USAID and the United StatesSouthern Command have begun working to coordinate anassessment on humanitarian assistance.

“This is one of those moments that calls out for Ameri-can leadership,’’ Obama said.

Not even a week before the disaster, USAID swore innew administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah and its mission directorfor Haiti, Dr. Careene Dei, two officials who will likely beresponsible for spearheading the United States’ relief ef-forts.

According to USAID, the federal government’s agencythat is responsible for administering civilian foreign aidwill provide 14,550 tons of food aid that consists of rice,corn soy blend and vegetable oil, which they hold will helpfeed 1.2 million people for two weeks.

“Food aid will be critical in the coming weeks,’’ saidShah. ‘’By acting quickly now, we can help those mostaffected by this disaster in their time of need.’’

The U.S. Navy will send more than a half dozen shipsto Haiti and the Pentagon will be sending thousands ofMarines to assist with relief and security.

The federal government has granted Temporary Pro-tected Status (TPS) to Haitian nationals currently in theU.S. This designation will provide temporary refuge toHaitian nationals already in the country for the 18 monthsby legally allowing them to live and work in the U.S. liv-ing and working in the country for the next 18 months.

Help Pours Out For HaitiAs Death Count Grows

A woman is transferred for examination by U.S. soldiers at the General Hospital in Port-au-Prince. Cash becameavailable and buses started running in Haiti's wrecked capital but earthquake survivors are still desperate forfood and aid.


GEORGETOWN, Guyana -President Bharrat Jagdeobelieves the United States iscreating obstacles to the involve-ment of the Caribbean Commu-nity (CARICOM) and othercountries in earthquake-devas-tated Haiti.

During a meeting with the Iranian Vice Presi-dent Veep Rahimi on Wednesday in the Islamic Re-public, Jagdeo said he wasinformed that a delegationcomprised of Latin Americanleaders who were seeking tovisit Port au Prince faced ob-jection from the US govern-ment and therefore could notmake the humanitarian move.

In the wake of the disas-ter and the decision of theHaitian authorities to handover control of the airport tothe US, Rahimi also raisedobjection, saying the presenceof US forces in Haiti was se-riously affecting efforts byother countries to provide as-sistance to the country in itshour of need.

“I am agreed with the entire axes of your com-ments,” Jagdeo told the Iranian official.

He added that Guyana has always pursued in-dependent policies. “Although we live in the vicin-ity of the United States, we are not agreed with theirentire stance, and we do express our dissatisfaction

Jagdeo Says US BlockingCaribbean Help In Haiti

with lots of their policies and viewpoints now andthen,” the Guyanese leader said, stressing that “manyof the moves of the Americans around the globe areagainst the norms and merely ensure their own in-terests”.

Jagdeo referred to the economic advancementof Asian countries, saying “today the Americansopenly declare that they are concerned about somedeveloping countries’ rapid advancement, such asChina, towards becoming developed economicpoles, since those countries can leave behind theUnited States economically in the future.”

He reiterated, “there are many countries andnations in the world today that do not seek salva-

tion through attachment tothe United States, havingchosen other paths.”

A high level CARICOMmission to Haiti, comprisingheads of government andleading technical officials,had to be aborted last Fridayafter it was refused to permis-sion to land in Haiti follow-ing the impact of the massive7.0 earthquake on January 12.

On Friday afternoon, theUS State Department con-firmed signing two Memo-randa of Understanding withthe Government of Haiti thatmade “official that the UnitedStates is in charge of all in-

bound and outbound flights and aid offloading”.Further, according to the agreements signed, US

medical personnel “now have the authority to oper-ate on Haitian citizens and otherwise render medi-cal assistance without having to wait for licencesfrom Haiti’s Government”.

“Although we live inthe vicinity of theUnited States, we arenot agreed with theirentire stance, and wedo express ourdissatisfaction withlots of their policiesand viewpoints ...”

President Bharrat Jagdeo

Guyanese President Bharrat Jagdeo

U.S. Marine Corporal Stephen Tillman sits in afield near Leogane, Haiti, Wednesday. TheMarines have secured the area waiting for thearrival of aid. TDespite relief aid flowing into Haitiafter last week’s deadly earthquake, many peopleare still without food and water.


GEORGETOWN, Guyana — A study onthe situation of Caribbean youth has revealedthat youth ‘risky behaviors are wreaking seri-ous havoc on the economies of the Caribbean.’

The Study was conducted by former WorldBank Economist Jad Chaaban as part of the re-search done by the CARICOM Commission onYouth Development (CCYD) in keeping withits mandate from CARICOM Heads of Govern-ment to analyze the situation of Caribbean youthand recommend policy interventions to em-power them and improve their well-being.

According to the Study, murder rates in theCaribbean - at 30 per 100,000 annually - werehigher than any other region of the world andthat youth were the primary perpetrators as wellas the victims of crime and violence.

The Study revealed that the economic costsof youth crime had two components: the firstwere direct financial costs related to public ex-penditure on security, policing, arrest, judicialprocessing, and incarceration. The second com-ponent was indirect costs, linked to the fore-gone earnings of the criminal while he/she wasin prison, and to the losses in tourism revenueslinked to youth crimes. Lost tourist revenues asa result of crime had reached in excess ofUS$200 million per year for the CARICOMregion, and overall youth crime was costing atleast 7% of the region’s Gross Domestic prod-uct (GDP).

Based on the findings of the Study, teenagepregnancy was seemingly costing CARICOMgovernments on average $US2000 per year forevery young pregnant mother. These motherswere also losing potential earnings they couldhave achieved, if they had been able to delaytheir motherhood and continue to higher edu-cational levels.

With regard to HIV/AIDS, the Study illus-

trated that CARICOM countries were spendingUS$17 million per year on HIV treatment, withan average cost of antiretroviral therapy esti-mated at US$641 per person.

But this is not the only costs imposed byHIV/AIDS: according to the Study, every youngman or woman with untreated HIV faced a riskof death, and society would lose much of itshuman capital as a result of the AIDS epidemic.“Each person dying from AIDS could havejoined the labor market at prevailing conditionsand earned annual income, which if summed upacross individuals would represent a potentialfor each youth cohort of nearly US$1 billionfor the CARICOM region in future earnings,”the Report noted.

In quantifying the costs incurred by Gov-ernments and individuals as a result of theserisky behaviors, the Study pointed to estimatesthat indicated that if youth unemployment wereto be reduced to the level of that of adult unem-ployment (i.e. on average for the Caribbean areduction from 23% to 8%), the Caribbeaneconomy as a whole would benefit from an av-erage increase of 1% in GDP.

The findings of the Study have been incor-porated in the Report of the CARICOM Com-mission on Youth Development and will be sub-mitted to CARICOM Heads of Government ata Special Summit in Suriname next week-end(29-30 January), under the theme: YOUTHNOW for the Community Tomorrow.

The Summit has been supported by theUnited Nations Development Program (UNDP);the European Union and the Caribbean Devel-opment Bank. The Commission’s work has beensupported by the Governments of Spain andItaly; the United Nations Population FundAgency (UNFPA) and the Canadian Interna-tional Development Agency (CIDA).

Youth’s Risky BehaviorsA High Cost To The Region


AmericanFound DeadOn AntiguaBeach

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua - Po-lice say they are seeking to de-termine the motive behindTuesday’s killing of an Americanvisitor to the island that hasprompted emergency talks in-volving tourism stakeholders.

The body of Nina ElizabethNilssen, 29, who arrived inAntigua and Barbuda aboard thepleasure boat “The Royal Clip-per”, was discovered at the popu-lar Pigeon Point Beach by a Brit-ish tourist at around 5PM Tues-day.

A police statement said thevictim was wearing a multicol-ored wrap skirt, a beige blouseand leather sandals. Her bodywas found lying face up, bearinga stab wound to the neck andwhile her shoulder bag with be-longings were found close to herbody, Senior Sergeant WilliamHolder said it was too early torule out robbery as a motive.

An autopsy has been sched-uled for next week.

The police spokesman saidinvestigators were looking for aperson of interest who may haveinformation that could movethem closer to finding Nilssen’skiller.

The individual is describedas a tall and slim black male withan afro-type hair style. He had agold tooth, was missing someteeth and was wearing 3/4 lengthjeans.

Meanwhile, tourism stake-holders spent Wednesday after-noon in a meeting discussing acoordinated response to thecountry’s first homicide for theyear.

Grenada MPBannedFrom UsingCell Phones

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada- Speaker of the House of Repre-sentatives George McGuire hasbanned the use of cell phones byparliamentarians during sittingsof the Lower House.

He made the announcementat the end of the 2010 budgetdebate on Thursday.

McGuire said that he wouldno longer tolerate disturbancesfrom electronics devices and gad-gets when the House is in session.

“It’s not only intolerable tohave electronics devices disturb-ing the proceeding but it’s wrongand should not be accepted,” hetold MPs in his wrap up com-ments.

During the four-day debatewhich began on Monday, ringingcell phones were frequentlyheard.

While imposing the ban,McGuire said that he would makeprovision for his staff to answermembers’ phones and to providemessages to them once the Houseis in session.

JagdeoDispleasedWithTeachers,Healthcare

GEORGETOWN, Guyana –Despite huge increases in budgetaryexpenditures for almost 20 years re-sults from the health and educationsectors are below par and this mustbe reversed this year PresidentBharrat Jagdeo has said.

Jagdeo outlined his position dur-ing the ongoing cabinet retreat in Re-gion Six (East Berbice/Corentyne)more than 100 miles from the capital.

He said that his administrationhas invested heavily in expandingsocial services such as education andhealth and in upgrading the physicalinfrastructure of the country, but “theresults that have been achieved fromthis focus have not been satisfactory”.

To highlight his discontentJagdeo referred to unacceptable lev-els of absenteeism among teachers“which is affecting students,” warn-ing that in 2010 government will workto reverse the trend.”

“There must be a cultural shift,”Jagdeo said pointing to public sectordoctors who also operate private prac-tices “that limit the amount of timethey spend with patients in the numer-ous newly constructed public hospi-tals across the country.”

He said that the country mustdemand greater value for projectsfunded from the public purse and thatunless punitive measures were imple-mented mediocrity would continue.

“Unless we put penalties peoplewill not change,” Jagdeo said.

Jagdeo noted that since 1992,when the ruling People’s ProgressiveParty/Civic (PPP/C) came to officemore than G$300 billion(US$1.5billion) in external debt hadbeen repaid ensuring the previouslyHeavily Indebted Poor Country(HIPC) is now a low-middle incomecountry which uses four per cent ofits revenues to service external debtsas compared to 94 per cent in previ-ous years.

The Home Circuit Court sen-tenced Lennox Swaby and CalvinPowell to face the gallows for thedeath of Richard Lyn and his wife,Hulia, who were from the central par-ish of Manchester.

Government prosecutors hadsought the death penalty, which wasstrongly opposed by the defence. Butin her summary, presiding judge

Marva McIntosh said the men hadshown no remorse for their actionsand were beyond reform.

Prosecutors had argued that therewas serious concern about the rise inkidnappings and murders in Jamaicaand the two were prime candidates forthe death penalty. Lyn and his wifewere kidnapped from their home onDecember 9, 2006.

Barbados Prime Min-ister David Thompson onThursday added his voiceto the raging debate in theregion over the issue ofdual citizenship, saying hebelieves the current situ-ation in which persons canbe disqualified for leader-ship on such grounds isflawed.

“This is a matter that I considerworthy for analysis at this crucialjuncture in our history,” said Thomp-son, in making his position known onthe issue.

Addressing a large gathering forErrol Barrow Day celebrations inBarbados that included the DominicaPrime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit,who is facing such a challenge athome, Thompson said he was veryconcerned that “on our present trajec-tory, if something sensible is not done

that soon we may not have a compe-tent cadre of individuals from whichto choose our leaders in the Carib-bean.

“I find it somewhat flawed thatwe educate our children, send themabroad for education to gain valuableinsights and experiences in otherlands and then we tell them that thelegal status they would have acquiredwhile residing in those countries pre-vents them from serving in and help-ing to build their own countries aslegislators.

“It gets even worse. Some exist-ing constitutions also stipulate thateven holding citizenship or having apassport from a sister Caribbean is-land disqualifies you from serving inour own country as a legislator,” hesaid, adding that the time had comefor a review of the provisions “as theywill hamper and prevent us from at-tracting vitally needed talent in themanagement and administration ofthese islands at this critical period inour development”.

Skerrit, whose Dominica Labour

Party (DLP) scored a resounding vic-tory in the December 18 general elec-tions, faces the possibility of beingdisqualified on the grounds that he isa holder of French citizenship.

The opposition United WorkersParty (UWP), which claimed three ofthe 21 seats in the Dominica parlia-ment, has taken the matter to court.

While not making specific refer-ence to the Dominica situation, Th-ompson chose to highlight the lifework of Barrow who he said couldhave qualified for citizenship in quitea few Caribbean countries and else-where.

“Could you imagine the void thatmight have existed in Barbados’ his-tory had he been denied the right toserve in the parliament of Barbadosin 1958 because he was a citizens ofanother Caribbean country?” heasked.

In the case of Jamaica, where thematter of dual citizenship has beensettled by the court the pre scri ptionhas been to order a by election in caseswhere the candidate is disqualified.

Jamaicans Sentenced To Hang ForMurder Of Prominent Businessman

After killing the Lyns, the mencontacted their family members de-manding a ransom.

Investigators, who had searchedfor the couple for several weeks, tes-tified that Powell, a garbage truckdriver, was the man who led them tothe bodies that were hidden at a dumpsite on December 29 of that year.

The two accused had claimed thatthe Lyns were killed by a policeman.However, the prosecutors dismissedthe allegations and argued that appli-ances stolen from the Lyns residencewere found in the possession of themen.

KINGSTON, Jamaica - A Jamaica court onWednesday sentenced two men to death for thekidnapping and murder of a prominent business-man and his wife in 2006.

Bajan PM WantsDual Citizenship

Barbados’ Prime Minister David ThompsonPresident Bharrat Jagdeo


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trinidad & Tobago733 Third Avenue, Suite 1716New York, N.Y. 10017Tel. 212-682-7272

‘Dudus’ Still AWanted Man

KINGSTON, Jamaica – A seniorUnited States official says Washingtonhas no plans to reverse the extraditionrequest for Jamaican Christopher“Dudus” Coke on drugs and gun relatedcharges.

“As of now we have no intent to remove the request. Webelieve we have sound grounds to make the request, wewouldn’t have put it forward without it. We do our due dili-gence quite well before we take any measures of that type,”the US State Department’s Deputy Assistant Secretary forCentral America and the Caribbean, Julissa Reynoso told anews conference here.

“We are working with the government. Extradition is anissue of utmost importance to our judicial system and to ourdomestic and international policies. This individual is con-sidered to be a person of very high interest and we are ac-tively engaged with the government of Jamaica to make thishappen as soon as possible,” she said.

Last August, US prosecutors said they wanted the Ja-maican government to hand over Coke over to them to facegun and drug-running charges. If convicted he faces a maxi-mum sentence of life imprisonment.

We consider this individual to be a person of very highinterest,” Reynoso said.

The Jamaica government, however, has stalled signingthe order, requesting additional information on the caseagainst Coke, 40, a well known supporter of the ruling Ja-maica Labour Party (JLP).

Reynoso, who is scheduled to leave here on Wednesday,said that the issue of Coke’s extradition and other topics ofnational importance had been discussed with Foreign Af-fairs Minister Kenneth Baugh on Tuesday.

She, however, did not disclose the details of talks, indi-cating however that the delay in extraditing Coke has notaffected the relationship between the two countries.

“We are actively engaged in having this thing resolvedbut it is not the heart and soul of our relationship,” she said.

By Carlyle McKetty

Within a few days of the start of the newyear, homicides in Jamaica were occurring ata pace that threatens to exceed the record rateof 2009 when the country recorded 1680 ho-micides, 241 at the hands of the police.

In 2008, only 29 percent of the homicideswere “cleared up”, which usually refers toidentifying a suspect for the crime,not necessarily solving it. As themurder rate climbs, and the percent-age of crimes that are cleared upfalls, it comes as no surprise thatPaula Llewellyn, the Director ofPublic Prosecutions, is warning thatcorruption will remain a major prob-lem until Jamaicans decide to ac-tively fight against the scourge.

"Jamaicans will have to be pre-pared to assist in exposing corrup-tion," she says. "They have to be pre-pared to give a statement and givethe evidence, cost it what it will," she told TheSunday Gleaner, and she is supported by Dr.Trevor Monroe, director of the National In-tegrity Action Forum, who also contends thatJamaicans must be prepared to take a standagainst corrupt practices even in the face ofpossible violent actions.

In pursuing this course, Ms. Llewellynand Mr. Munroe will face a few problems.First of all, as Bob Marley pointed out, “Rastadon't work for no CIA” but perhaps more im-portantly, it appears that Attorney General,Dorothy Lightbourne and Prime MinisterBruce Golding are themselves, dragging theirfeet when it comes to cooperating with theU.S. Department of Justice regarding the ex-

tradition of Christopher “Dudus” Coke.Last year, the U.S. Drug Enforcement

Agency (DEA) added Mr. Coke to its list ofthe world's most dangerous drug dealers, charg-ing him with conspiracy to distribute ganja andcocaine and conspiracy to illegally traffic infirearms.

In August, the DEA requested his extradi-tion, claiming that "The charges illustrate the

dangerous connection be-tween the international trade innarcotics and illicit firearms."Yet in December, four monthslater, the extradition paper-work remained on the attorneygeneral's desk, with someclamoring for her to sign it soMr. Coke can have his day incourt and a decision can bemade as to whether to extra-dite him. When questioned inparliament, the Prime Minis-ter made it clear that the gov-

ernment would not go into details about theextradition.

A recent Gleaner editorial pointed out thatWestern Kingston, where Dudus is known asThe President, is also the prime minister's con-stituency, and suggested that in that area, Dudusis perhaps more powerful there than Mr.Golding. Ms. Llewellyn and Mr. Munroeshould know the value of leadership by ex-ample. If they truly want Jamaican people toput themselves in harms way to solve the crimeproblem in Jamaica, I recommend that theybegin by directing their admonitions to thePrime Minister and the Attorney General, be-fore they ask anyone else to take a stand againstcorrupt practices, cost it what it will.

What Happened ToLeadership By Example

CARLYLE MCKETTY

OP-ED REAL TALK

The US stands by its extradition order for JamaicanChristopher “Dudus” Coke

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KINGSTON, Jamaica - The Bruce Golding-led administration and some of the nation’s wealthi-est holders of government bonds were due on Thurs-day to sign off on an unprecedented deal to easeJamaica's mammoth debt burden.

The Prime Minister and some holders of highinterest rate bonds were scheduled to meet at theheadquarters of the Bank of Jamaica to cement thegovernment's debt exchange programme.

In a national broadcast late Wednesday, Goldingcame to the country with more details of the debtmanagement programme that was crafted as part ofa three-pronged economic plan that will get the In-ternational Monetary Fund (IMF) to release US$2.4million to Jamaica over the next two years.

The debt restructuring programme will see highcost debt being replaced by low cost debt.

All financial institutions were invited to comeon board and the Prime Minister assured them ofthe full backing of the government.

"We will formally invite the holder of thesebonds to exchange them for new bonds that willcarry much lower interest rates and extended matu-rity. The offer will remain open until January 26and the actual exchange transaction must be com-pleted by February 16. The principle amount of thesebonds will be fully honoured," he said.

On Monday, the government concluded talkswith the Washington-based financial institution,with the government outlining the structure of theprogramme.

Golding said the programme is expected to savethe country US$14 million per year.

In his national broadcast, Golding called on Ja-maicans to fully support this initiative and prom-ised that the government would place the country

seamless transition for Air Jamaica passengers andthere will be no disruption to operations,” he said.

Staff was also told that as with any consolida-tion, there will be efficiencies gained in operation,resulting in some job reductions.

The memorandum went on to state that pres-ently there were no estimates of personnel goingforward since major decisions about fleet, schedules,administration and other issues are still to be deter-mined.

Talk of the proposed Air Jamaica/CAL dealcomes amid a statement released by CAL and theother carrier, which is responsible most of the re-gional aviation business in the southern Caribbean,LIAT of closer cooperation.

In a joint statement on Thursday, the two saidofficials had ended “frank, cordial and productive”discussions with “agreement between the parties toput measures in place immediately for further directdiscussions between the management of CAL andLIAT.

“The focus of the planned meetings will be toexplore the nature and extent of LIAT and CAL co-operation in the best interests of the Caribbean re-gion,” the joint statement said.

Meanwhile, the National Workers Union(NWU), which represents some categories of em-ployees at Air Jamaica is still seeking to have a meet-ing with Prime Minister Bruce Golding to get anupdate on the sale of the airline.

NWU Vice President Granville Valentine saidthe union was upset as Golding did not show up fora promised meeting earlier this week nor has he re-scheduled.

“We believe that it’s a little disrespectful thatthe Prime Minister has still not contacted the unionsto try and get that meeting off. The workers are verydistraught at this time and feel that the governmenthas (no) respect (for) them,” Valentine said.

He also noted that the union still hopes that thegovernment will make an about turn and seriouslylook into the bid put forward by the Jamaica AirlinePilots Association to purchase Air Jamaica.

KINGSTON, Jamaica -Workers at the financiallytroubled national carrier AirJamaica have received theclearest indication yet thata take over deal may soonbe signed with the Trinidadnational carrier, CaribbeanAirlines (CAL).

In a memorandum to staff, the Air JamaicaPresident and Chief Executive Officer Bruce Noblesupdated them on the divestment process.

The memo, which has been made available tothe media, said bidders for Air Jamaica were nar-rowed down to two finalists - one being Indigo Part-ners, the owners of several airlines, including Spiritairlines and the other, Caribbean Airlines, ownedby government of Trinidad and Tobago.

Nobles stated that Air Jamaica’s divestmentcommittee initially recommended that an agreementbe reached with Indigo partners but informed thatafter several months of negotiations, the two sideswere unable to reach an agreement. The governmentthen turned to Caribbean Airlines.

“A letter of intent is now required and this isbeing finalised with Caribbean Airlines,” the com-munication to staff said.

“The letter is non-binding and requires thatCaribbean Airlines undertake the necessary due dili-gence before final documents are completed andapproved,” he added.

This approval process is likely to take severalweeks and according to Nobles press reports sug-gesting a specific deadline are incorrect.

He noted that the proposal with Caribbean Air-lines is to create a larger, stronger more robust air-line serving the region by combining CAL’s routeswith the key routes of Air Jamaica.

“The proposed strategy would be to create a

on a path for economic growth and prosperity."I have asked the financial institutions for their

full support. Tonight, I ask for the support of theindividual bond holders - the businessman, indi-vidual investor, the pensioner who have invested inthese bonds. “You have earned good returns on thesebonds up to now. Tonight, I am asking you to sharethe burden that must be borne at this critical junc-ture in our journey through this unprecedented pe-riod of crisis."

"Some of you will ask: Have we not heard thisbefore? Yes, you have, but this time it is different. Itis different because under the IMF agreement wewon't be left on our own. We will have to meet rigidperformance tests dealing with, among other things,the fiscal deficit, inflation, debt levels and debt-to-GDP ratio," Golding said.

He argued that the public will be able to moni-tor the performance of the government.

"It is a belt-and-braces approach because, makeno mistake, we can't afford to deviate from thisprogramme; we can't afford to slip back into the waysof the past. Slackness, skylarking and failure are nolonger options that are open to Jamaica," the primeminister said.

While pledging that there will be "no more GCTor gas tax" Golding said the state’s tax administra-tion programme will go into overdrive targetingproperty owners.

"Come April 1st, adjustments will be made. thelevel of adjustments will be tempered by an aggres-sive drive to collect property tax from those whohave not been paying... we are going to get tough.We will use our powers to advertise for sale thoseproperties whose owners refuse to pay their tax," hesaid.

Air Jamaica CloseTo Deal With CAL?

Government Seeking ToBring Down High Debt


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This prayer is good for keeping away demons.This is a good pocket piece as well.

Read this prayer before going to bed.

“Saint Philomenahelp us all.”

Our Father, who art in heaven,hallowed be thy name.Thy Kingdom come,thy will be done,on earth as it is in heavenGive us this day our daily bread.And forgive us our trespasses,as we forgive those who trespass against us.And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil.For thine is the kingdom, the power and theglory, for ever and ever. Amen

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“Saint Peter open all doors for us all.”

“Saint Joseph keep ussteady in our doings.”


(ARA) - Whether it’s the dog tracking inmud or the kids carrying in dirt and leaves, thereare many ways floors can become dirty and un-attractive. Unfortunately, for many people theprocess they use to clean their wood flooringmight be doing more harm than good.

“There are a lot of misconceptions aboutfloor care that lead to premature deterioration,”says Tom Sullivan, founder of Lumber Liqui-dators, the largest retailer of specialty hardwoodflooring.

Some cleaning techniques to avoid, becausethey can damage hardwood flooring, are:

* Vacuuming. Contrary to the belief thatvacuuming is the best way to rid wood flooringof dust and debris, it’s actually harmful. The hardbristles on the rotating brush can scratch thewood, and small amounts of damage to the woodover time will make the surface look worn anduneven.

* Damp mopping. Many people think thatdamp mopping is a quick way to clean woodflooring, but the water in the mop causes dete-rioration of both the wood and the floor’s fin-ish. This increases the likelihood that the woodwill warp or squeak in the future.

* Cleaning with vinegar and water. Whilemany people clean wood flooring with a home-made mixture of vinegar and water, the acidicnature of the solution actually eats away at thewood finish. Corrosion of the wood finish de-

tracts from its healthy appearance and increasesvulnerability, making the wood more prone towear and tear.

* Applying oil soaps. Although oil soapsare a typical way to clean wood flooring, thesesoaps and detergents can leave a harmful film.Eventually, this film causes the wood finish toyellow, “alligator” or crack, requiring refinish-ing.

Instead of using one of the above methodsto clean hardwood floors, it is recommended thathomeowners follow a few simple cleaningguidelines.

* Lightly sweep wood flooring with a soft-bristled broom twice a week. This is a quickand easy way to clear away debris particles sothat they do not build up.

* Clean wood flooring once a week with aterry-cloth mop and a cleaner specifically madefor wood flooring, like Bellawood’s soy-basedhardwood floor cleaner. This will get rid of theheavier dirt build-up that can cause a dull ap-pearance.

“Soy-based products clean and shine hard-wood flooring without being harsh on the fin-ish and without producing harsh fumes that canirritate your family and pets,” says Sullivan. “Itdoesn’t take a lot of effort to give your floorsthe maintenance they deserve, and in doing soyou’ll not only improve the look of your home,but extend the lifespan of the flooring.”

How To Care Your Floors


(ARA) - If you are still searching for thatsilver lining in the present economic doldrums,going back to school this year might be the rem-edy for you. Whether you are a first-time fresh-man or a returning student looking for a newdegree to move your career forward, for manythe timing could not be better.

College enrollment across the United Stateshas risen more than 40 percent, according to anOctober report issued by the Pew Research Cen-ter that was based on data released from the U.S.Census Bureau. America is still witnessing notonly record highs in unemployment rates, butalso in setting college enrollment records dur-ing the recession.

Of course, the age-old dilemma still remainsfor most present and potential scholars: “Howam I going to pay for college? If I’ve lost myjob, or I’m still looking for a job, how do I startto fund my education?”

“Dedicated students who want to study canalways find a way to make it happen,” saysTressa A. Brush, director of Student FinancialServices at South University in Savannah, Ga.“After a student applies to college, the first placestudents should look for financial aid is withthe U.S. Department of Education. Financial aidis available for those who qualify.”

As part of the American Recovery and Re-investment Act of 2009, the Department of Edu-cation bolstered student financial aid resourcesfor post-secondary education. Hope ScholarshipCredits are widely used, and the moneys avail-able via Federal Pell Grants for students whoare eligible have been increased.

“When students begin looking for moneyto attend college, I provide them with many

possibilities, but then, the real work begins. Stu-dents must begin conscientious and thoroughsearches for scholarships and loans. Thesesearches can reap very positive results frompublic and private organizations,” Brush says.

In addition, the current outlook for interestrates on some federal college loans is favorable.The current rate has held at 5.6 percent sinceJuly 1, and the rate is expected to be even lowerin July 2010.

“Funding, and sustaining funding, for edu-cational endeavors can be a rigorous, but wor-thy task. If you do the work well, great payoffscan happen, and of course, the biggest payoff isthe investment you will make by getting an edu-cation. Earning a college degree can lead youso much further on your career path,” Brushsays.

Seeking financial aid for education?Where to start:

* Visit the Department of Education online,www.fafsa.ed.gov.

* Check out the benefits of your presentworkplace. Often, employers offer their employ-ees tuition reimbursements. Ask your humanresources department.

* Talk to your close friends and family. Newtrends indicate increasing financial assistanceis coming through the benevolence of one’s ownkin.

* Check with your local college’s financialaid office to research the availability of loans.

* Check with your local civic and non-profitentities such as the Daughters of the AmericanRevolution, the Lions’ Club, and Elks’ Club forscholarship opportunities.


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LONDON – Here’s a new warn-ing from health experts: Sitting isdeadly. Scientists are increasinglywarning that sitting for prolongedperiods — even if you also exerciseregularly — could be bad for yourhealth. And it doesn’t matter wherethe sitting takes place — at the office,at school, in the car or before a com-puter or TV — just the overall num-ber of hours it occurs.

Research is prelimi-nary, but several stud-ies suggest peoplewho spend most oftheir days sittingare more likely tobe fat, have a heartattack or even die.

In an editorial published this weekin the British Journal of Sports Medi-cine, Elin Ekblom-Bak of the Swed-ish School of Sport and Health Sci-ences suggested that authorities rethinkhow they define physical activity tohighlight the dangers of sitting.

While health officials have issuedguidelines recommending minimumamounts of physical activity, theyhaven’t suggested people try to limit

how much time they spend in aseated position.

“After four hours of sitting,the body starts to send harmfulsignals,” Ekblom-Bak said. She

explained that genes regulating theamount of glucose and fat in the

body start to shut down.Even for people who ex-

ercise, spending longstretches of time sitting at a

desk is still harmful. TimArmstrong, a physical activ-

ity expert at the World HealthOrganization, said people whoexercise every day — but stillspend a lot of time sitting —

might get more benefit if thatexercise were spread acrossthe day, rather than in asingle bout.

That wasn’t welcomenews for Aytekin Can, 31,who works at a London fi-nancial company, andspends most of his days sit-ting in front of a computer.

Several evenings a week,Can also teaches jiu jitsu,

Sitting Too MuchCould Be Deadly

a Japanese martial art involving wres-tling, and also does Thai boxing.

“I’m sure there are some detri-mental effects of staying still for toolong, but I hope that being activewhen I can helps,” he said. “Iwouldn’t want to think the sittingcould be that dangerous.”

Still, in a study published lastyear that tracked more than 17,000Canadians for about a dozen years,researchers found people who satmore had a higher death risk, inde-pendently of whether or not they ex-ercised.

“We don’t have enough evidenceyet to say how much sitting is bad,”said Peter Katzmarzyk of thePennington Biomedical ResearchCenter in Baton Rouge, who led theCanadian study. “But it seems themore you can get up and interrupt thissedentary behavior, the better.”

Figures from a U.S. survey in2003-2004 found Americans spendmore than half their time sitting, fromworking at their desks to sitting incars.

Experts said more research isneeded to figure out just how muchsitting is dangerous, and what mightbe possible to offset those effects.

“People should keep exercisingbecause that has a lot of benefits,”Ekblom-Bak said. “But when they’rein the office, they should try to inter-rupt sitting as often as possible,” shesaid. “Don’t just send your colleaguean e-mail. Walk over and talk to him.Standing up.”


Smokers WithCancer Could QuitAnd Double SurvivalBy Maria Cheng

LONDON – People with early lung cancer who quitsmoking could double their chances of surviving, a newstudy says.

Until now, there has been little proof that quittingsmoking after developing lung cancer makes any differ-ence to survival.

British researchers analyzed previous data from 10studies examining how long smokers survived after be-ing diagnosed with lung cancer.

People with lung cancer who continued smokinghad a 29 to 33 percent chance of surviving five years.But those who kicked the habit had a 63 to 70 percentchance of being alive after five years. The research waspublished Friday in the BMJ, formerly known as theBritish Medical Journal.

Lung cancer is the top cancer worldwide, and theprognosis is usually poor. Only about 7 percent of pa-tients make it to five years, though about 20 percent ofpatients are diagnosed early enough to be treated.

“The message is you should never give up on giv-ing up (smoking),” said Amanda Parsons, of the U.K.Centre for Tobacco Control Studies at the University ofBirmingham, who led the study. “Even at the stage whereyou have been diagnosed with early stage lung cancer ...if you give up smoking, your body can still partially re-cover and your risk is reduced,” she said.

While some doctors recommend lung cancer patientsquit smoking, not all do. Some doctors and nurses “thinkit is inhuman to dwell on the matter — that it adds tofeelings of guilt and takes away a lifelong comfort fromthe dying patient,” wrote Tom Treasure of UniversityCollege London and Janet Treasure of King’s CollegeLondon in an accompanying editorial in the BMJ.

They said patients and their families should now betold about the study results, “because the potential ben-efit is great.”

The research might also provide some clues on howsmoking causes cancer. Scientists aren’t sure if tobaccosmoke or nicotine affect lung cancer once it has devel-oped, though there is some evidence they may speed upthe disease. Knowing how cigarettes impact cancer couldpotentially lead to new treatments, Parsons and col-leagues wrote.

The study was paid for by the British Heart Foun-dation, Cancer Research U.K. and other governmentalbodies.

Erectile DysfunctionSignals Heart AttackBy Ed Edelson

Erectile dysfunction is a strong warning sign that aman might be at increased risk for heart attack, strokeand other cardiovascular problems, a long-running studyindicates.

“We saw that adjusting for age and Framingham[Heart Study] risk factors, men with erectile functionstill had a 40 percent increased risk,” said Andre Araujo,director of epidemiology at New England Research In-stitutes and lead author of a report published online Jan.19 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiol-ogy. Though adding erectile dysfunction to the list ofknown risk factors determined by the Framingham HeartStudy — cholesterol, smoking, high blood pressure —doesn’t improve the prediction of future cardiovasculartrouble, it can be a quick, free addition to risk assess-ment, Araujo said.

“If a man presents with erectile dysfunction, thephysician should work him up for cardiovascular dis-ease,” he said. “It is low cost — indeed, no cost — withno risk associated with it.”

The study is the latest of several that have linkederectile dysfunction to cardiovascular disease. That is tobe expected, Araujo said, because the same artery-block-ing conditions that reduce blood flow to the heart andbrain can also reduce flow to the penis.

The study followed 1,057 men, aged 40 to 70, foran average of 12 years. Overall, 37 percent of the menwith erectile dysfunction were in the high-risk categoryaccording to the Framingham standards, compared with17 percent of men without erectile dysfunction.

Once the link to cardiovascular problems was es-tablished, “we started modeling to see if we added erec-tile dysfunction to the Framingham risk profile we couldreclassify some men,” Araujo said. “In fact, it doesn’tdo much.”


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THE SPYNEXT DOOR

Bob Ho is an undercover CIA super-spy who decides to give up his ca-reer in espionage to settle down withhis next-door neighbor and girlfriend,Gillian. But Bob has one more mis-sion to complete before Gillian agreesto marry him: winning over her threeopinionated kids. When Gillian sud-denly has to leave town, Bob volun-teers to babysit the children so he canearn their approval. But when one ofthe kids mistakenly downloads a top-secret formula from his computer,Bob's archenemy, a Russian terrorist,moves in for the attack, forcing Bobto juggle the roles of spy and prospec-tive stepfather in the most challeng-ing mission of his career!

WHAT’SPLAYING ATTHE MOVIES?

the person said the Los Angeles Police Depart-ment will follow the formality of presenting thecase to the district attorney.

A large number of witnesses have been in-terviewed including those who were presentduring Jackson’s last days and those whoworked with him in preparation for his come-back concert, This is It.

Authorities have also lined up medical ex-pert witnesses who will testify about the nor-mal standard of care in a situation such asJackson’s andwill give opin-ions on whyMurray’s ac-tions consti-tuted grossnegligence,the personsaid.

We Are OurBrothersAnd Sisters

With the horrific disaster unfolding inHaiti, charitable giving seems ever presentin the news with the many cases of gener-ous outpourings, too many stories of ques-tionable activities and the ever present mat-ter of straight up bandulu dealings. Charityhowever, is always in the news with an oc-casional eyebrow-raising story every nowand then. I must admit that it raised my eye-brows when, after hearing about the successof Buju Banton’s summer tour, I saw a storyfrom his manager that he was loosing weightin jail from not eating well until ShabaRanks donated $100 to his commissary ac-count so he could buy and prepare his ownfood, based on his dietary code. It has sincebeen reported that Buju has donated $1,000to Haiti disaster relief.

Then there is the story of ConnieCampbell, Tarrus Riley’s back up singer whobecame ill in September while on his U.S.tour and remains comatose in a Marylandhospital today, her family reaching out tothe Jamaica Diaspora Advisory Board forfunds to tackle mounting bills while herplight is not widely known to the music fra-ternity and the public.

Then there are the heart warming sto-ries. One such story started more than a yearago and only gets better. Without the moti-vation of a dire emergency, (beyond the dev-astated economy of everyday Jamaica), orthe promise of personal gain, while the Ja-maican economy was faltering, interna-tional dancehall artist, Shaggy stepped upto make a difference and established theMake a Difference Foundation to benefit theBustamante Children’s hospital, the only pe-diatric hospital in the English speaking Car-ibbean. His goal was to raise US $2 millionfor the hospital with an event called Shaggyand Friends, held on the lawn at JamaicaHouse. The first staging took place on Janu-ary 3, 2009 and although he did not reachhis goal, after the festivities were over, thefoundation had raised J$20 million, and wasable to provide the hospital with muchneeded equipment including an ENT (earnose and throat) Microscope, Vital SignsMonitors, Volumetric Pumps, Stretchers anda Blood Warmer.

This year, the second staging of Shaggyand Friends was held on January 2nd and waseven more successful than the first, raisingJ$30 million at a time when Jamaica is hurt-ing, Crooner in Chief, Beres Hammond can-celled his previously profitable Moment inTime holiday concert and Prime MinisterGolding is petitioning the IMF to raise US$1.3 billion.

Maya Angelou said it well when shesaid “…do all good things, knowing thatwe are more than keepers of our brothersand sisters. We are our brothers and sis-ters.” Indeed we are, and we should makethis successful start of the Make a Differ-ence Foundation the beginning of greaterthings to come.

By Linda Deutsch

LOS ANGELES — Prosecutors are pre-pared to seek an indictment of Michael Jackson’sdoctor, Conrad Murray, on a charge of involun-tary manslaughter in the pop star’s death, theAssociated Press has learned.

A law enforcement source who spoke oncondition of anonymity because the investiga-tion remains open said Friday that Murray wouldbe prosecuted on a theory of gross negligencealleging that his treatment of Jackson was anextreme departure from the standard of care nor-mally followed by physicians.

Miranda Sevcik, a spokeswoman in Hous-ton for Murray and his lawyer, Edward Chernoff,said the doctor had no comment and reiteratedhe neither prescribed nor administered anythingthat should have killed Michael Jackson.

Jackson died at his Los Angeles home inJune while under Murray’s care as the singerprepared for an ambitious concert schedule.

The district attorney’s office is waiting forthe Los Angeles police to turn over the casebefore presenting it to a grand jury.

To prove a charge of involuntary man-slaughter, authorities must show there wasa reckless action that created a risk of deathor great bodily injury. If a doctor is awareof the risk, there might also be an issue ofwhether the patient knows that risk and de-cided to take it.

Before an indictment can be sought,

NEW YORK, NY — Legendary singerTeddy Pendergrass, dead after a long illness atage 59, spent his last 28 years in a wheelchair,left to wonder what life might have been likehad a car crash not completely altered his des-tiny.

Before the crash, Pendergrass was one ofthe most electric and successful figures in mu-sic. He established a new era of R&B with anexplosive, raw voice that symbolized masculin-ity, passion and the joys and sorrow of romancein songs such as Close the Door,It Don’t HurtNow,Love T.K.O. and other hits that have sincebecome classics.

He was an international superstar and sexsymbol. His career was at its apex — and stillclimbing.

Friend and longtime collaborator KennyGamble, of the renowned production duoGamble & Huff, teamed with Pendergrass onhis biggest hits and recalled how the singer waseven working on a movie.

“He had about 10 platinum albums in a row,so he was a very, very successful recording art-ist and as a performing artist,” Gamble saidThursday. “He had a tremendous career aheadof him, and the accident sort of got in the wayof many of those plans.”

Pendergrass, who was born in Philadelphiain 1950, suffered a spinal cord injury in a 1982car accident that left him paralyzed from thewaist down — still able to sing but without hissignature power. The image of the strong, virilelover was replaced with one that drew sympa-thy.

But instead of becoming bitter or depressed,Pendergrass created a new identity — that as arole model, Gamble said.

“He never showed me that he was angry atall about his accident,” Gamble said in a tele-phone interview with The Associated Press. “Infact, he was very courageous.”

Pendergrass died Wednesday in suburbanPhiladelphia, where he had been hospitalizedfor months.

The singer’s son, Teddy Pendergrass II, saidhis father underwent colon cancer surgery eightmonths ago and had “a difficult recovery.”

“To all his fans who loved his music, thankyou,” his son said. “He will live on through hismusic.”

Pendergrass left a remarkable imprint on themusic world as he ushered in a new era in R&Bwith his fiery, sensual and forceful brand of souland his ladies’ man image, burnished by hisstrikingly handsome looks.

Gamble said Pendergrass was one of a kindas an artist and boasted a powerful voice and “agreat magnetism.”

“He was a great baritone singer, and he hada real smooth sound, but he had a real roughsound, too, when he wanted to exert power inhis voice,” Gamble said.

EntertainmentNEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

Michael Jackson’sDoctor To Be Charged

Dr. Conrad Murray

Teddy Pendergrass Dies

Teddy Pendergrass



BROOKLYN, NY -- Comedi-enne Andrea Wright, who is popularlyknown as Delcita and hailed asJamaica’s queen of comedy, will graceseveral New York city stages thisvalentine’s weekend in the outra-geously funny stage play, The Extor-tionist.

Andrea in her signature role asDelcita, is undoubtedly the funniestwoman on stage from the island of

Jamaica and has been attracting mas-sive audiences to her performances,never failing to entertain, as she sendsher audience into fits of laughter.

Delcita’s most recent productionswere “The Driva” and “MoneyWorries”, both of which were hugebox office hits due to the verytalented cast and Delcita’s uncannystyle of comedy.

Anyone who has seen Delcita on

stage or on DVD, in the past, willmost definitely agree that she will in-deed give you a good dose of laugh-ter for your money.

The Extortionist is currently play-ing in Jamaica to sold-out houses andhas been receiving rave reviews. The-ater goers and play lovers in NewYork and its environs will most defi-nitely enjoy this play which tells thestory of Mavis, a married woman withthree children, and a citizen of theUSA, who runs off to reside in Ja-maica out of a dire necessity for herto conceal her identity and flee theFEDS because of her involvement ina robbery that resulted in three mur-ders.

After thinking that the heat on hermay have subsided, she is ready toreturn to the USA to claim her shareof the ill-gotten gains. However, whenher cover is blown, all hell breaksloose and what follows is unique mixof crime, loyalty and betrayal of trustand of course sly, slick and outrageousJamaican comedy.

The Extortionist is definitely notto be missed, to see a preview of theplay visit www.itpOnStage.com.

The EXTORTIONIST will beplaying in Queens on Friday Feb. 12th

at 8 pm; in Brooklyn on Saturday Feb.13th at 8 pm; and in the Bronx on Sun-day Feb. 14th at 6:30 pm.

Tickets and information can beobtained by calling 718-739-4764 or347-398-4872.

Delcita Back In NYCWith New Hit Play

Andrea Wright plays Delcita in Money Worries. (File photo)


S U D O K U

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

EXPLORERSAMUNDSEN, BARBOSA, BASS, BOONE, BURKE AND WILLS,

CABOT, CARTIER, COLUMBUS, COOK, CORTES, DIAS, DRAKE,ERIKSSON, FAWCETT, FLINDERS, FROBISHER, GRAY, HAWKINS,HERIOLFSSON, HUDSON, KINGSLEY, LIVINGSTONE, MAGELLAN,MARCO POLO, PARK, RALEIGH, SCOTT, SHACKLETON, STURT,TASMAN, TENZING, VANCOUVER, VASCO DA GAMA, VESPUCCI.

COMICS

Connect the dots and color the picture.

See solution, Page 23

Pop’s Brain TeasersFind the LettersSome letters of thealphabet are missingfrom the circle.Can you use themissing lettersto find somethingto eat?

Answer: Page 23

DPH’s Connect The Dots


DININGNEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

(ARA) - Americans know whatthey need to do to keep their heartshealthy. But is their heart really in theeffort? A new survey seems to indi-cate many of us aren’t as diligentabout making heart healthy choices aswe know we should be.

More than 80 percent of thosepolled by the Florida Department ofCitrus in a new survey said they feltwell-informed about ways to maintainheart health. Yet fewer than halfchoose heart healthy options whenthey eat out or shop for groceries, andonly slightly more than a third (37percent) stock their pantries with hearthealthy foods, the survey revealed.

Those who failed to make healthychoices cited time pressures and per-ceived expenses as the most commonreasons why they felt challenged tomaintain a healthy lifestyle.

“You don’t need to overhaul yourlifestyle to be heart healthy,” says Dr.Richard Collins, The Cooking Cardi-ologist and director of wellness atSouth Denver Cardiology Associates.“You can take many easy steps to im-prove heart health, from substitutingingredients in recipes to choosing theright beverages and making the mostof the activities you already enjoy.Many heart healthy steps can be rela-tively quick and easy to incorporateinto your lifestyle, and they don’t haveto break your budget.”

Dr. Collins offers these easy-to-

follow heart healthy tips:* Be careful to avoid rebound

hunger following your workout. Ifyou maintain a moderate level of dailyexercise, you burn roughly anywherefrom 13 to 18 calories per pound ofbody weight a day and should onlyconsume that amount of calories tomaintain your current weight.

* When reading nutrition labels,look for foods that are rich in vitaminC. Vitamin C can support heart healthby helping to neutralize free radicals

that can cause cell and tissue damage- damage that may contribute to thedevelopment of chronic health issueslike heart disease and cancer. Manyfruits and vegetables, such as 100percent orange juice, are excellentsources of vitamin C.

* Not all fats are bad. While youshould avoid saturated fats and transfats, omega-3 fats may help reduce therisk of heart disease and stroke.Omega-3 fats are found in foods suchas walnuts, flaxseed and fatty fish,such as salmon or tuna.

Since many of the risk factors forheart disease may be impacted by diet,Collins says supporting heart healthmay be as simple as learning whichfoods are heart healthy and how toincorporate them into regular meals.

For example, the orange juice thatstarts many Americans’ mornings pro-vides nutrients such as potassium,which may help maintain healthyblood pressure and promote hearthealth. Additionally, drinking oneserving of citrus juice a day was as-sociated with a 25 percent reducedrisk of stroke, according to a studypublished in “The Journal of theAmerican Medical Association.” Or-ange juice can go beyond the break-fast table. One cup added to your fa-vorite salad dressing, smoothie ormarinade is an easy and delicious wayto incorporate the beverage’s nutrientsinto your meals.

Help Your Heart Stay Healthy

The orange juice that starts manyAmericans’ mornings providesnutrients such as potassium, whichmay help maintain healthy bloodpressure and promote heart health.


People’s DelightRestaurant & Caterers

For the Very Best Jamaican Cuisine

Having a partyor event?

Let us handle the cooking!Call Bro. Danny at (917) 215-8416or visit us at: 1347 Flatbush Ave

(Bet. Foster & E26 St) Brooklyn, NYWe have all your favorite Jamaican dishes.

JamaicanFestival RecipePreparation Time: 15 minutesCooking Time: 20 minutesServes: 10 people

INGREDIENTS:· 1/2 cup flour· 1 tsp. baking powder· 1 Tbsp. Margarine· 1 cup cornmeal· 1/4 cup sugar· 1 tsp. nutmeg· 1/2 tsp. salt· 1 tsp. lime juice· 1/2 cup water· 1/2 cup vegetable oil

METHOD / DIRECTIONS:In one large bowl, sift flour and baking

powder. Add cornmeal, sugar, nutmeg, salt,margarine, lime juice and enough water to bindmixture to a manageable dough.

Leave to stand for two minutes.Heat Grace Frying Oil in a pan, shape fes-

tival into fingers and fry.Drain on absorbent paper.

Curried GoatINGREDIENTS:2 lbs. Mutton or lamb trimmed and cut intocubes¼ cup chopped onion2 tbsp. Turmeric2 cloves chopped garlic½ tsp. Hot pepper sauce2 tsp. Grated ginger½ cup red wine¼ tsp. cooking oil¼ cup tomato ketchup1 tsp. curry powder½ tsp. Salt1 tsp. vinegar3 tbsp. Chutney

METHOD / DIRECTIONS:Season meat with garlic, salt, vinegar and

hot pepper. Allow to marinate for about 1 hour.Heat oil, add curry powder, then meat andbrown. Add remaining ingredients. Cover andsimmer over low heat until meat is tender. Ad-just seasoning. Serve on a bed of rice.

Recipes


VI’s Jones-Ferrette And Malone Win Indoors

SPORTSNEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

“Sport has always been a toolof social transformation, it is a bea-con of hope when we seem to be inan abyss of hopelessness. The pic-tures published on the internationalmedia depict a grim and desolatepeople.

“I know that we at FIFA andCONCACAF understand our role,not only as sport administrators butour role in ensuring that we harnesssport to improve the lives of thosewho need it most.”

Following the meeting of theFIFA Finance Committee on Feb-ruary 5, Warner will also discuss theHaiti crisis at the next CFU Con-gress scheduled for February 27.

“We are our brother’s keeper.We are a region which shares a com-mon history, we face common chal-lenges and we share a bond that isunbreakable,” said the Caribbean’smost powerful football figure.

“We must unite for the sake ofour region. Our children and ourgrandchildren will judge us harshlyis we fail to act on this matter. Letus not turn our backs but let us uniteas a Caribbean region to save oneof our own. At the CFU Congress,I know that the football family willstand united on this issue.”

Haiti have been a powerfulpresence in Caribbean football,winning the region’s premier tour-nament – the Digicel CaribbeanCup in 2007.

They are currently ranked 10th

in CONCACAF and 90th in the FIFAWorld Rankings.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad –Regional football mogul JackWarner has thrown TT$100 000(US$ 15 797) of his own money be-hind relief efforts for disasterstricken Haiti, and says he plans tolobby football’s world governingbody, FIFA, along with the Carib-bean Football Union, to follow suit.

Speaking while opening a FIFAtraining course here Thursday,Warner said it was imperative theCaribbean showed solidarity withHaiti, also a member ofCONCACAF and the CFU.

“I am a son of the Caribbeansoil [and] I cannot and will not standidly by and allow my brothers andsisters to endure such inhumanehardships,” said Warner, who is aninfluential FIFA vice-president.

“I am as much a Trinidadian,as I am a Haitian, I will make everyeffort possible to assist in ensuringthat the lives of those affected bythis tragedy return to some level ofnormalcy soon.”

On Tuesday, Haiti was struckby a massive earthquake measuring7.0 on the Richter scale. It resultedin massive damage and widespreadloss of life in the capital Port-au-Prince.

Since then, a colossal global re-lief effort has been launched andWarner said he wanted to ensurethat FIFA and the CFU also playedsignificant roles.

“I have written to FIFA and Ihave asked that relief efforts to Haitibe discussed at the Finance Com-mittee meeting next month,” saidWarner, who is the president ofCONCACAF.

called home,” added Berto, who be-came world champion in June 2006when he defeated Mexican MiguelAngel Rodriquez to lift the vacantWBC 147-pound crown.

Berto boasts an impressive recordof 25-0 with 19 knockouts.

Mosley expressed disappoint-ment over the cancellation but ac-cepted the Haitian’s decision.

“I’m disappointed that the fighthas been called off, but I understandthat Andre is going through a verydifficult time. My heart goes out tohim, his family and the people of Haitiduring the aftermath of this terribletragedy,” Mosley said.

MIAMI, Florida –Distraught Haitian worldboxing champion AndreBerto has pulled out hisscheduled month-endtitle defence againstAmerican Shane Mosleyfollowing the cata-strophic earthquake inhis Caribbean country.

Florida-based Berto, holder ofthe World Boxing Council (WBC)welterweight title, announced in apress release Tuesday that he is“physically and emotionally unable toprepare” for his clash with Mosleyand has withdrawn from the January30 main bout in Las Vegas.

The entire card, which shouldhave also featured Jamaican lightheavyweight Glen Johnson againstAmerican Yusaf Mack, has been can-celled.

Given the close proximity to thedate of the event and the difficulty infinding a suitable replacement forBerto, promoters abandoned the en-tire card.

Johnson and Mack should haveclashed in an International BoxingFederation (IBF) title eliminator, the

co-feature on the card.The undefeated Berto announced

that he is focusing on his family andthe Haitian people, who are facing an“inconceivable battle for survival”and had no choice but to withdrawfrom the bout.

“I lost several family members tothe earthquake and after two dayswithout word, was relieved to learnthat my sister, Naomi and her daugh-ter, Jessica survived, but were lefthomeless,” Berto said.

“I have seen the pain in my par-ents’ eyes as they attempt to under-stand what has happened to our home-land and recognize a place they once

HOUSTON, Texas – Virgin Is-lands standouts Laverne Jones-Ferrette and Chantal Malone recordedvictories this past weekend at theLeonard Hilton Memorial Indoormeet at the University of Houston.

US Virgin Islands’ Jones-Ferretteclocked a personal best and world-leading 7.14 seconds to land thewomen’s 60 metres and British Vir-gin Islands’ Malone captured thewomen’s long jump at 6.06 metres.

After equalling JamaicanMichelle Freeman’s meet record of7.20 seconds in the preliminaries,Jones-Ferrette went even faster in the

final and broke Carlette Guidry’s 14-year-old track record of 7.18 seconds.

American Gloria Asumnu wassecond in 7.20 seconds and Trinidad& Tobago’s Wanda Hutson (7.50) wasseventh.

Hutson (25.18) was second in the200 metres behind Olivia Kizzee(25.02).

Malone, who won the BVI’syouth Athlete of the Year award ear-lier this month, easily landed thewomen’s long jump crown.

Her winning effort was 6.06metres, topping Tai’Shea Reese at5.92 metres

Berto Pulls Out Of Title Fight

Boxers Shane Mosley, left, and WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto.

Laverne Jones-Ferrette

WarnerPledges$100KTo Haiti

Jack Warner


PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad –Wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin says hewill use his time away from the vice-captaincy of the West Indies team tofocus on his form.

The 24-year-old was axed onMonday as Chris Gayle’s deputy forthe upcoming one-day tour of Austra-lia next month after serving just overa year in the position.

“I am not disappointed at beingrelieved of the vice-captaincy. It willgive me more time to focus on mybatting and wicketkeeping and makea more positive contribution to theWest Indies team,” Ramdin said be-fore his departure for Trinidad &Tobago’s third round game of theWICB Regional first class tournamentagainst Barbados in Bridgetown thisweekend.

While Ramdin’s glove-work has

EstwickDisappointedWith Windies

ShowingAgainst PNGCHRISTCHURCH, New

Zealand – Assistant West Indies Un-der-19 coach Roddy Estwick hasknocked his side for their lacklustreperformance against Papua NewGuinea on Tuesday and says they needto improve if they are to win the ICCUnder-19 World Cup.

The young Windies stuttered andstumbled before overhauling a mod-est target of 188 set for victory in theirfinal Group D preliminary match inPalmerston North.

They were struggling at 43 forfour at one stage before pulling them-selves around to reach their target andpost a comfortable five-wicket win inthe end.

“I was very disappointed with theplayers approach to the game,” saidEstwick.

“They looked very flat, they werenot motivated for some reason andthey expected to just show up thereand win the match.”

West Indies needed a lively, fifthwicket century stand between prolificopener Kraigg Brathwaite andwicketkeeper Shane Dowrich to en-gineer a recovery.

Brathwaite stroked 82 from 79balls, his second half-century of thetournament, while Dowrich slammeda near run-a-ball 84 from 85 balls, asthe Barbadian pair featured in an en-tertaining stand of 118 off 119 balls.

It steered the Windies to theirsecond win and into the quarter-finalswhere they will face a powerful En-gland side on Saturday (Friday, East-ern Caribbean time).

Estwick said he believed WestIndies could win the tournament oncethey played to their potential.

“I don’t mind who we play in therest of the draw. I believe that one hasto beat everybody in order to win theWorld Cup and be true champions,”he contended.

been impressive, his form in front thestumps has been disappointing. Theright-hander averages 23 from 39Tests and has scored just one century– 166 against England in the Carib-bean almost a year ago.

Since then, he has managed just249 runs at an average of 22 in alacklustre batting display.

He signalled at a return to formlast week when he slammed a centuryagainst Guyana in the second roundof the WICB Regional first classchampionship in Antigua.

“I am placing a little more em-phasis on my batting. I am being verycautious and trying not to be too ag-gressive,” Ramdin said.

He was first appointed vice-cap-tain on the tour of New Zealand inlate 2008 when Ramnaresh Sarwanquit the post.

SOLUTION to Sudoku, P19

POP’S BRAIN TEASERSFrom Page 18

Answer: BREAD

Ramdin Takes AxeIn Positive Light

West Indies wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin was axed this week as ChrisGayle’s deputy for the upcoming one-day tour of Australia.


SPORTSNEW YORK LIBERTY STAR WARNER GIVES

$100K TO HAITIP. 22

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