Local News

Members of the 52-strong staff at the Caribbean Commercial Bank performed in such a striking manner in their Gospel Extravaganza Concert on Thursday, March 8, that it sent the large crowd in attendance rocking and clapping in their seats or to their feet in prolonged applause.

Mr. Delwin Ferguson, a Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Instructor, was in Anguilla recently conducting an Emergency Care and Treatment (ECAT) in Disasters Course.

The current construction work to complete the Alwyn Allison Primary School at West End, now in full gear, has added to the number of projects now being built in that area of the island including hotel development.

Thursday March 22nd 2007 at the Teacher’s Resource Centre will be the venue for a youth development lecture and panel discussion entitled, “I am a citizen: The role of young people in the democratic process.”

A junior club of the Optimists--Junior Optimist Octagon International (JOOI) has been formed at the Road Primary School and on Wednesday March 14 officers and members of the Club were installed and received their badges. Adviser to the Club, Optimist Emma Ferguson said that the group started last year and has already been involved in beach clean-ups and other functions of the Optimist Club.

The Soroptimist Club of Anguilla is supporting mammograms for 25 ladies. The mammograms are being conducted at Hughes Medical Centre by Radiology Technician Patrick de Reu from St Martin and Nurse Gloria Bennett.

Despite the prevailing drought conditions in Anguilla, agricultural plots in the Valley area abound with vegetables. This farming is helping to supply the local market – thanks to a number of small farmers using drip irrigation methods.

Limestone Bay Café, one of the island’s popular local restaurants and situated at one of the quietest locations, was the venue this week of a retreat by members of the House of Assembly to discuss the proposed amendments to the Anguilla Constitution.

The Teacher Gloria Omolulu Institute, which has been experiencing accommodation and other related difficulties over the years, is now to have its own permanent home – a new classroom building on land provided in a lease by the Anguilla Government.
The lease agreement was signed in the Executive Council Chambers on Tuesday this week by Governor Andrew George along with Foster Rogers, Permanent Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office, and Dr. O. M. Linda Banks, founder of the school. The agreement was witnessed by Barrister-at-Law Courtney Abel, Chairperson of the school’s steering committee. Director of Lands and Surveys, Gifford Connor, was present in his role as Commissioner of Oaths.

The National Bank of Anguilla has taken the opportunity of the attractiveness of the island to investors to re-launch its Investment Services, a move which adds to the Bank’s advertised theme that it “is more than banking.”
The Investment Services Launch took place at CuisinArt Resort & Spa on Tuesday evening and was attended by Government officials and members of the business community.

The Royal Anguilla Police Force has reported that two young men from North Valley were arrested in connection with the firearms incident at Grillers Restaurant, Stoney Ground, in the early hours of Sunday, February 18.

Long lines of students, many of whom lay aside their uniforms and donned black attire, held up traffic as they solemnly accompanied their dead school mate from the Christian Fellowship Church, on the Blowing Point Road, to the Sandy Ground Cemetery on Monday afternoon.

The late James Watkin Emmanuel Hodge, MBE, was accorded the honour of lying in state in the Atlin Harrigan Parliamentary Building, just down from the Speaker’s Chair on Friday, March 2, during a short official farewell ceremony. It was attended by Members of the House of Assembly, other officials, family members and invited guests.

The National Bank of Anguilla has donated EC$10,000 to assist Vera Harrigan and her two young children who lost their home, at Deep Waters, and their personal possessions in a fire on January 21.

What was first a mystery surrounding an abandoned yacht found in the eastern deep waters off Anguilla, late last week, and another discovered behind the Shoal Bay North reef, some days after, may have been cleared up.

A reception hosted by His Excellency Governor Andrew George and Mrs George to mark the retirement of John Lawrence as Director of the Financial Services Commission. It was attended by many colleagues in the financial industry, Government officials, family and friends.

The Health Authority of Anguilla has now achieved accreditation of its health services, an aim it has been working towards some months following its inception.

When the three new piers are fully completed, linked together and operational, the Blowing Point Harbour will be a pride of this island and its people and a delight to visitors travelling between Anguilla and St. Martin/St. Maarten. This of course is the first phase of a larger project which will later include other contracts for the upgrading of buildings and the development of the land side to provide for boutiques, other tourism facilities and for vehicle parking. Some land acquisition by Government will be necessary to facilitate part of the development work.

Anguilla joined the eight other jurisdictions of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court on Tuesday, February 27, in celebrating its 40th Anniversary with a Thanksgiving Service at St. Mary’s Anglican Church and a Special Sitting of the Court.

There is a considerable amount of mourning in Anguilla over the tragic death of a promising athlete, Chezroy Desouza, of Blowing Point, who died in a road accident on the Jeremiah Highway on Saturday, February 24.