Local News

The Government of Anguilla, with the support of all political factions and the general public on the island, is hotly pursuing full internal self-government even at the cost of being forced into independence although this ultimate status is not yet on the cards.

The air and sea ports are among the places which the police, with assistance from security personnel, will be monitoring in an effort to apprehend anyone taking away various items suspected to have been stolen in the spate of burglaries and thefts in Anguilla.

Anguilla’s Chief Minister, Osbourne Fleming, has promised “to do something” to help relieve residents suffering from a rapid escalation in the price of basic food items. He made the pledge in the island’s House of Assembly on Tuesday, April 29, while commenting on a motion by Minister of Finance, Victor Banks, to provide duty-free concessions for a businessman setting up a warehouse on the island.

The Anguilla House of Assembly gave its approval on Tuesday, April 29, to a motion introduced by Opposition Member Hubert Hughes in which he called for the appointment of “suitable police officers for requisite training abroad.”

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Environmental concerns and food security are two new issues which the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Youth Ambassadors (CYAs) have identified as growing risks to the regional youth population, and plan to play a more active role in these areas.

The 2008 National Sports Awards with the theme “Honouring our Heroes and Heroines Past and Present,” occurred on Saturday, April 26 at 8 pm at the ALHCS Campus B auditorium. Cocktails were served at 7:15 with entertainment provided by Dumpa Martin and Company. The honourees and dignitaries took their seats after walking in a procession style format promptly at 8 pm.

The 5th Annual AARF Yard Sale at the Agriculture Department on Saturday April 26th was once again a great success, thanks to a huge community effort to help raise money to meet the organization’s 2008 budget. Collecting for the sale was a continuous process; and the sorting and pricing for the sale began weeks ago at the AARF container.

On Saturday April 26 the Caribbean Women’s Association ended its conference held here with a dinner and awards ceremony at LA Café. Several awards were presented to Anguillians and members from the region. The dinner was held under the distinguished patronage of Chief Minister Osbourne Fleming and Ruby Fleming who is the patron of the Anguilla National Council of Women.

As in previous years, the Soroptimist Concert was a lively one with a good variety of performers keeping the audience amused. It was held at the Ruthwill Auditorium on Friday April 25 with Michelle Roberts-Queely as the MC.

The presidency of the Soroptimist Club was handed over from Alison Carty to Stella Horsford at the Annual General Meeting on Tuesday April 29. Reports of activities for the past year as well as financial reports for the club and the Day Care Centre were presented.

The results of the 2008 ALHCS Science Fair were announced at a closing ceremony on Friday, April 25 at the Teacher’s Resource Centre at 10:00am. The Honourable Deputy Governor, Mr. Stanley Reid attended the ceremony chaired by Mr. Winston Duncan, Curriculum Officer, Science. Many other education officers were present as well as the students who participated. Mr. Duncan explained that there has been a six year hiatus since the last Science Fair and he hopes that it continues on an annual basis. According to him, “a science fair lets students show their love for different subjects and permits them to be creative.”

The Anguilla Branch of FirstCaribbean International Bank launched the annual local segment of the Unsung Heroes competition at the Teachers’ Resource Centre on Wednesday, April 30.

The long-established Bethany Gospel Hall on the Stoney Ground Road, the only such religious denomination in Anguilla, is featuring a Barbadian Church team in a series of revival services it is conducting.

Two big and separate meetings were being held simultaneously in Anguilla in the middle of the week. One of them was the first mid-year review of the island’s tourism strategy and was held at the Royal Caribbean Resort conference room facility.

Officers of the Anguilla Fire Service battled for a considerable period at around midday on Wednesday, April 23, to put out a fire which completely gutted one of the island’s semi-traditional houses at North Valley.

Police in Anguilla are making every effort to find the persons who are stealing various valuable items from homes, business places and construction sites and to possibly recover the stolen property.

Anguilla’s Minister of Social Development, Evans Rogers, took the opportunity of Administrative Professionals’ Week to appeal to managers in the public and private sectors to show respect, courtesy, understanding, patience and empathy for office professionals.

The pulpit of a Seventh-day Adventist Crusade in Welches, Anguilla, was the setting for an appeal by Minister of Social Development, Evans Rogers, for a return to the values of family life, religion and Christian living which had characterized and shaped the Anguillian society in years gone by.

The Second Annual Charity Golf Tournament in aid of raising funds towards the construction of the Central Christian School on six acres of land in the Cauls Pond area, just across from the Farrington main road, will be played at the Temenos Golf Club on Saturday, April 26. It promises to be an exciting event with golfers in attendance from St. Maarten, Anguilla as well other visitors and with various added features.

The various categories of National Sports Awards to be presented to deserving nominees on Saturday, April 26, at the Campus B Auditorium, were officially announced on Tuesday this week at a press briefing at The Anguillian Newspaper.