News

December 19, 2002 was the date of the second annual presentation of National Sports Awards for “sporting heroes and heroines – past and present in Anguilla.”

The New Year will see the Anguilla Government placing more emphasis on the whole process of financial management, according to Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Victor Banks. He made the statement during the delivery of the Budget Address on December 10, 2002 which had as its theme “Being Effective Stewards Today.”

WITH DINNER AND AWARDS PRESENTATION

The Social Security Board brought a year of activities celebrating its Twentieth Anniversary to a close on Saturday December 28th with a Dinner and Awards Presentation at the new Flavours Restaurant on Back Street, South Hill.

Company's Performance Revealed

A General Meeting of the National Investment Company of Anguilla (NICA) has re-elected a number of persons to serve on the Board of Directors.

At the beginning of every year many individuals make resolutions, some of them are kept while others do not materialize. Our health is so important to us, yet many persons fail to include anything about preventative health in their New Year resolutions. The beginning of a New Year is a good time to make some resolutions to safeguard your health.

Sexual Activity Among School Children

The Primary Health Care Department in Anguilla has recently released the findings of a national Adolescent Health Survey in the seven primary schools and the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School. The survey, undertaken in March and April 2002, involved the participation of 1,225 of the 1,499 enrolled school children from ten years upwards.

One cannot but marvel about the fleeting time and sometimes how we are really unaware of it until a new year has dawned upon us.

The lighting of Coronation Avenue in The Valley, the Sandy Hill Roundabout, Uncle Charlie Tamarind Tree (also in the Sandy Hill area) and elsewhere on the island, has done much to promote the spirit of Christmas on the island. It not only engenders a feeling of cheer and provides some places to visit at night, but is a silent demonstration of how members of the various communities and sponsors from the business sector can come together in a simple way to contribute to the common good of Anguilla.

The Royal Anguilla Police Force Criminal Investigation Department is carrying out investigations into a burglary at Albert Lake’s Hardware and Supermarket on the Stoney Ground Road, which occurred between 23:00 hrs on 13th December 2002 and 07:18 hrs on 14th December 2002.

A number of needy children in Anguilla have benefited from a plan undertaken by Governor Peter Johnstone to provide them with gifts for the Christmas season.

Anguilla and the rest of the world are poised at the back door of a fleeting year and at the threshold of a fast approaching one. For us and everybody else it is a time for reflection and hope. Looking at our own situation, the outgoing year has been a challenging one. Recovery from the impacts on our economy and financial position by world events, and perhaps by our own failings has been slow. The result has been a lessening of employment opportunities and a reduction of our purchasing power.

Thursday December 12, the day before the closure of the West End Primary School for the Christmas holidays, the owners and staff of Blanchards Restaurant at Meads Bay threw a Christmas party for all of the children. The delicacies, fruit punch and gifts brought a great deal of merriment among the pupils and the principal and teaching staff were elated by the kind and thoughtful efforts of the contributors.

Fellow Anguillians at home and abroad, residents, visitors and my brothers and sisters in our neighbouring islands. It gives me great joy to bring you greetings this Christmas season. Why do I have this joy? I have this joy because the Christ of Christmas has been good to us individually and collectively. In the midst of a global economic recession God has enabled us as a nation to stand firm.

Scotia Bank Anguilla this week sponsored the annual Christmas Food Basket Distribution programme which was coordinated by the staff of the Anguilla Tourist Board.

Anguilla continues to receive exposure in its major markets with the release of articles and reports from journalists who visited the island over the past few months.

$2.4M To Compensate Land Owners
The Anguilla Government has no choice but to start work on the extension of Wallblake Airport in the New Year. Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Victor Banks, emphasised this fact while delivering the 2003 Budget Address in the House of Assembly on Tuesday, December 10.

Anguilla’s Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Victor Banks, on Tuesday December 10, introduced into the House of Assembly a Recurrent Expenditure budget of 89 million East Caribbean dollars to finance the Government’ services for 2003. The Recurrent Revenue budget has been established at $92.1m, showing a revenue surplus of $3.1m.

The one hour and a half presentation of the national budget for 2003 in the Anguilla House of Assembly by the Minister of Finance on Tuesday December 10, appears to call on the people of the island to tighten their belts as was suggested last year.

The Royal Anguilla Police Force has issued a release stating that its Criminal Investigation Department is carrying out inquiries into a burglary at Island Gases and Mini Mart, on the Long Path, which occurred between 22.00 hours on December 8 and 06.30 hours on December 9, 2002.

School Recognises Outstanding Students
A large crowd braved the inclement weather conditions across Anguilla on Tuesday evening to attend the Speech Night function of the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School.