Local News

The Anguilla National Trust has a new governing Council to spearhead its operations during this year in which it observes its tenth anniversary. The major challenge facing this Council will be to maintain the sustainability of the organization in the face of recent budgetary cutbacks that necessitate the phasing out of the Trust’s Biodiversity Conservation Programme and the strengthening of its Cultural Promotion and Preservation Programme.

The Anguilla General Post Office is on the verge of making yet another innovative service available to the Anguillian public.

Plans for the expansion of Wallblake Airport in Anguilla to accommodate larger aircraft and improved overall services are well advanced with actual construction work to commence in September. But the arguments for and against the development of the site continued this week with Opposition Leader Hubert Hughes calling for the Brimigen site on the north of the island to be developed. The Government’s position is that such a venture is a costly and unrealistic affair and in fact is a dead proposal dating back to a number of years.

As plans continue for the International Yacht Regatta in Anguilla at the end of the month, All Island Cable Television has made a substantial donation of US $2,500 towards the event.

Phase 2 of the European Road Improvement Project in Anguilla is due to commence on June 2 following the signing of the contract on Wednesday, May 7 at the Chief Minister’s Office. The work involves the construction of a 2.1-mile road linking Blowing Point and Little Harbour through Lockrum Estate.

The Immanuel Methodist Church which serves the West End and Long Bay community, celebrated its Golden Jubilee with a Thanksgiving Service on Sunday May 4. In her welcome remarks, staunch member, Gracita Christopher, called to memory the courage and perseverance of those involved in the planning and building of the church.

The Anguilla House of Assembly placed on record its support and recognition for a young national, Omari Banks, who is the first Anguillian to be selected as a member of the West Indies Cricket Team. The move by the House came on Monday this week, May 5, as Banks played in a match against Australia in Barbados.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Torch is expected to arrive in Anguilla on Saturday 10th May as part of CARICOM’s 30th Anniversary Celebrations in the region. CARICOM has planned a number of regional activities, one being the Torch of Unity Run. The torch will be accepted at 11:35 a.m. by the Hon. Acting Chief Minister Victor Banks. A motorcade will go around the Valley and end at the Teachers’ Resource Centre where speeches will be made.

The following is part two of an address delivered by the Hon. Eric Reid, Minister of Social Development to the Rotary Club of Anguilla on Thursday April 24.

The Sandy Ground playing field has now been fenced, a big step towards the improvement of the area. The project was sponsored by Island Community Development Limited, a group of local persons committed to providing more recreational facilities in Anguilla.

After paying rent over a period of eight years, the Anguilla Tourist Board has its own permanent building which was officially opened on Wednesday April 30 by Chief Minister and Minister of Tourism, Osbourne Fleming. Accommodation has also been provided for the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association, thus emphasing the close collaboration of both offices in promoting the island’s hospitality industry.

Anguilla’s Chief Minister Osbourne Fleming praised the Caribbean Centre for Development Administration (CARICAD) for choosing Leadership for Good Governance in the 21st Century as the theme of its Seventh Annual Public/Private Sector Policy Forum in Anguilla. He thought it was a topic of much interest in small island states like Anguilla and regretted that all the politicians on the island were not in attendance at the forum held at Cocoloba Beach Resort on April 28 and 29.

The Anguilla Government and Cable & Wireless have agreed on a series of new rates to take effect from June 1 as a first step towards the full liberalisation of the telecommunications market within one year. The only rate taking effect on May 1 is an adjustment to the cost of calls from a fixed line to a mobile phone which has been increased from 49 to 55 cents per minute and will later go up to 60 cents.

Queen’s Counsel Miss Bernice Lake of Anguilla has accepted an invitation to deliver an address at the UNESCO celebration commemorating World Press Freedom Day 2003 in Jamaica on May 3.

The Association’s President, Perinet Hodge, has expressed thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of the activities. She was particularly grateful to all the employers who gave time off to their office professionals to enable them to attend the annual seminar held at Paradise Cove under the theme “The Power of Professionalism”.

A two-day Aglow International Conference held in Anguilla from April 24-26 attracted a large number of delegates from various parts of the region. They attended from the Bahamas, Jamaica, the US and British Virgin Islands, St. Kitts-Nevis, Montserrat, Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and host island Anguilla.

Minister of Social Development, Eric Reid, has hailed a newly-written policy as a major requirement for the participation of young people in national development in Anguilla. He made the statement at the final consultation on the document held on April 24 at the Teachers’ Resource Centre.

The following is part one of an address delivered by the Hon. Eric Reid, minister of social Development to the Rotary Club of Anguilla on Thursday April 24.

Some thirty large bags of garbage were collected from the Forest Bay, on the south central coast of Anguilla by students at the Teacher Gloria Omolulu Institute who were accompanied by their teachers.

As plans continue for the commencement of the Wallblake Airport extension in September, construction work is now in progress to replace the first of a number of dwelling houses which have to be relocated to facilitate the lengthening of the runway. The replacement house of 2,200 square-feet is for Poland Arrindell and family who have been living immediately across the road at the eastern end of the airstrip for many years.