Local News

Thirty-six golfers participated in the first AGA Tournament of the new year held at Temenos Golf Course Saturday, 9 January. Format was a four-person scramble and winning team had a low gross score of 69. A social gathering followed when refreshments were served and prizes awarded.

In a spirit of friendly rivalry, yet with all the intensity of the game, four domino teams battled for supremacy at Police Headquarters in Anguilla on Sunday, January 24.

Candidates in the seven electoral districts contesting the February 15 General Election in Anguilla have been exhorted, as incumbent and aspiring political leaders, to focus their attention on good leadership and to follow the example of the Biblical Nehemiah.

This week is a history-making period in Anguilla as it is the first time that a Roman Catholic Church Diocesan Assembly has been held on the island. It is the 26th Meeting of the Association of the Diocesan Clergy of the Province of Castries with over 30 Priests and Deacons attending from across the region. The five-day Assembly opened with a Mass on Monday evening, January 18, at St. Gerard’s Parish Church at Wallblake.

The Anguilla Police reported with some relief on Wednesday, that criminal activities on the island were comparatively low during the January 13-20 period when other previous periods were taken into account.

The report showed that there were 8 crimes committed during the above period. Detective Inspector, Emris Rogers, said that among them were two burglaries at South Hill, where an Ipod, cellular phone and an undisclosed amount of money were stolen.

Early this morning the authorities at the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications, Utilities, Housing, Agriculture and Fisheries learnt that some French fishermen were blockading both the Port of Marigot in St Martin and the entrance into the lagoon; when the first ferry leaving from Anguilla the “Ocean Three”, was denied entry to the port. After learning of the incident and recognizing the impact on the ferry services and the travelling public, numerous phone calls were made to the various St. Martin port officials and an emergency meeting was held at the Chief Minister’s Office, where a decision was made that a delegation from Anguilla should go over to St. Martin to speak with the local authorities there.

The name of Joshua Hodge and the Open Book he displayed as his symbol, will not appear on the ballot papers in the District 1 constituency at Island Harbour for the February 15 General Election after all.

In a demonstration of national awareness and education, the Social Security Office in Anguilla has presented several copies of the latest history book, Bless Our Forebears, written by Mr. Colville L. Petty, to the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School for distribution to Campus A and B students.

Not to be outdone by other organisations, the Friends of the Hospital entertained, at their annual luncheon, some 250 elderly persons from throughout the villages of Anguilla as well as from the Miriam Gumbs Senior Citizens Home and the Tender Loving Care Home.

Heidi Hughey is back with her suitcase full of books for the school children of Anguilla. Several years ago, with the tenacity of Teacher Art Engel and the support of Bob Greene, Island Books was born. It is a simple project where visitors to the island are asked to bring a new or gently used children’s book.

In the second in a series of political debates, organised by the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School Literary and Debating Society, the participating candidates were Mr. Hubert Hughes, Leader of the Anguilla United Movement, and Mr. Brent Davis, Leader of the Anguilla Progressive Party. Both candidates are contestants in District 6 (Road South).

A young and enterprising Anguillian businessman, Eldon Rey, of Little Harbour, has come up with a thoughtful and much-needed transportation facility. It is a limousine service for the elderly and disabled.

Rotary District 7020 – to which the Rotary Club of Anguilla belongs – is doing an outstanding and awesome job providing relief to Haiti after the devastating earthquake of Tuesday, January 12.

With the General Election in Anguilla announced for Monday, February 15, all the machinery relating to the polling has virtually been put into place by the Supervisor of Elections, Mr. Colville Petty, OBE.

St. James School of Medicine was launched in Anguilla on Monday this week in a brand new locally-owned building in The Quarter, with an initial 25 students, from the United States and Canada, enrolled.

Of the 12 crimes committed in Anguilla during the period January 6-13, there were five burglaries in The Valley, Sandy Ground, West End and Island Harbour, as reported by Inspector Emris Rogers. The items stolen included alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, a digital camera, a DVD player and a sum of money.
In addition, there were four thefts at South Hill, Blowing Point, Cauls Bottom and George Hill. The thieves made off with car tyres, a laptop computer, beach chairs, liquor, money and goats.

Travellers from Blowing Point, Anguilla, to St. Martin, and from that French territory to here, were taken aback on Wednesday morning, January 13, to find that access for the Anguilla ferries to the Marigot pier was blocked. As a consequence, the first ferryboat to have left Anguilla was forced to return to Blowing Point with its passengers. The situation was however resolved by St. Martin and Anguilla officials, thus allowing the ferryboat service to resume at 1.30 p.m.

The Police Marine Unit in Anguilla has undertaken to mark the area where a yacht sunk in Anguillian waters off Scrub Island on January 10 after reportedly striking a submerged object.

Office World in St. Maarten has donated a quantity of chairs and desks to the Ministry of Education in Anguilla as apart of the company’s observance of its 20th Anniversary.

The furniture was presented at the Alwyn Allison Primary School at West End by Preston Bass, a representative of Office World on Thursday, January 7.

The Caribbean Commercial Bank continues its outreach programme in the Anguillian community, giving back to the people of the island in various ways and forms of assistance.