Letters To The Editor

The Editor
The Anguillian

Dear Editor

WORRYING MATTERS, BUT ON THE UP SIDE

Over the last weeks it seems as if the media in Anguilla has been filled with articles, items and letters to the editor regarding people’s concern about where Anguilla is going as a nation. Lack of civic pride, increases in burglary and other serious crimes are of great concern to nationals and residents alike. If we could cast our minds further back than a couple months, and take an honest look though, I think we would have to admit that where we are today has been coming at us for years now. Never mind the expressions of ‘outrage’ from some quarters. Many, including our leaders may have hoped that our problems would go away on their own. Unfortunately, that’s not the way it works.

Civic pride, values and ethics are all learnt behaviours. Whether taught to our people as a subject in school, lessons in church or by example, they are learnt. As we criticize and complain we must all take a hard honest look at ourselves and see what we are teaching our youngsters and others whom we can and do influence. What are we teaching by our silence and inactivity? What are we saying by our double standards and fence-sitting? How can we complain about litter on beaches and public places and not see our own front and back yards?

But on the upside. I think in response to the lamentations about the state of our island’s roundabouts, roadsides and even people’s personal yards and immediate environs, there are a number of civic-minded individuals and organisations who try to make a difference and perhaps are just being taken for granted.

I would like to commend the Anguilla Beautification Club on the wonderful job that they are doing in caring for the South Hill roundabout. That very same organisation in collaboration with the Anguilla Tourist Board has been struggling to pull off a ‘best village competition’ for several months now. I wonder how many entries have been submitted?

And what of the Wallblake roundabout? I am sure that Cable & Wireless spends a considerable amount on the maintenance and perhaps electricity and water bills to keep that landmark so beautifully manicured. We drive by and get an accurate reading of temperature and time without giving it a thought. Further, I often admire the grounds of Tropical Shipping, Dr Lo’s clinic, the Post Office, and the gardens of Elneth Lake, and Edris Philips’ homes to name a few. And of course there are our lush hotel gardens including Royal Caribbean where oases have been developed – hopefully with environmentally friendly pesticides and fertilizers.

I am convinced that it is not too late to arrest and address most the areas which have become major concerns to citizens; but in the process let’s not forget to encourage and support those who are already diligently working to make a difference in the various facets of Anguillian life. As the virtues project teaches, let’s encourage the positive even as we work to speedily contain and correct the challenges and the negatives.

Observer


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The Editor,
The Anguillian

Dear Sir:

The name Elliott Carty has never surfaced neither in the calypsonian lyrics nor in the radio talk shows concerning his contribution to boat-racing on Anguilla. I am therefore led to believe that all that he has done for boat-racing has been interred with him in the grave.

Through the medium of your widely-read newspaper, The Anguillian, I would therefore like to suggest to the Anguillian Boat Racing Committee that they should name the August Monday boat race, which is held annually at Sandy Ground, the “Elliott Carty August Monday Boat Race” with immediate effect.

Mr. Elliott, as he was fondly called, did more for boat-racing on this island than anyone else before his time, and since his time and I express this fact without fear of contradiction.

During those years he was the sole organiser of the August Monday boat races and everything was done at his own expense. His name should therefore top the list in the Hall of Fame for boat-racing on Anguilla and he should be honoured posthumously for his contribution in keeping our national sport very much alive to enable it to go from strength to strength in future years.

Among the boats that took part in the races like The Ebenezer, The Hummingbird, The Violet, The Polaris and many others, he owned two of them, namely, The Winsall, an ‘A’ class boat, and The Pathfinder, a ‘B’ class boat.

The Winsall had several helmsmen during the Carty era, the last of whom was Lenny Richardson who could outwit and out-manoeuvre the best of the other helmsmen during a race.

The helmsman for The Pathfinder was Everette Carty who is still alive at Sandy Ground. We fondly refer to him as “Ev”. Besides his two racing-boats he owned two small sloops, namely: The Spitfire and The Atomic which took part in races, one against the other. These vessels traded with the neighbouring islands and when they returned to the Sandy Ground Harbour a race would take place in order to determine whether George Richardson, the captain of the Spitfire, was a better helmsman than Elliott Carty who captained the Atomic for boat racing purposes as he was not the regular captain of that sloop. These were very exciting races which drew large crowds from the neighbouring villages as spectators.

For further information concerning Elliott Carty’s contribution to boat-racing on Anguilla, the members of the Committee may contact the following persons from Sandy Ground: Anthony Mussington, Belta Carty, Everette Carty and Sir Emile Gumbs. These persons were intimately involved in boat-racing during the Elliott Carty era.

I trust that the information I have provided will bear fruit with the Boat Racing Committee and with the Government of Anguilla.

Adrian T. Hazel,


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Dear Mr. Hodge,

My name is Maria Muzio and my husband, Guy. I own a home on Jeremiah Gumbs Road, quite close to Blowing Point. We purchased the home in January ‘06, after having spent vacations in Anguilla for the past 17 years, staying at Cap Juluca. We fell in love with your wonderful island at first sight and have never looked back.

When we purchased the home from the previous owners, there were literally no doors or windows and we were led to believe that we were perfectly safe. Although we did install windows and doors that locked, we rarely used them because, again, we were led to believe that it was unnecessary and frankly, it spoiled the view and night sounds that we had grown to love. We found out last week that not only is it necessary to lock doors and windows, but it may not be enough to guarantee our safety.

Our property comprises 3 separate cottages. The middle one, “the main house”, has one bedroom and on the evening of April 9 our guest was staying in that bedroom alone. My husband and I were in the cottage next to it and 2 other couples were in the third. We all had our windows closed with the air conditioning on. However, the door to the main house was not locked.

At about 1:00 am, my friend was awoken by a man standing over her with a gun pointing at her. Because of the closed windows, no one heard her screams and she was beaten and robbed. When she was finally able to open a window, we ran out to find her bleeding and quite hysterical. The police were called and were there in just a few minutes.

Although the police response was quick and their work seemed thorough, I am so sad to say that we will never feel safe again in our lovely island home. The next few nights, we hired an armed security guard to be there and we are now in the process of installing an expensive security system. We will be locking all doors and windows and taking every precaution that we can in order to guard against another intruder, but I don’t think we will ever to be able to fall asleep without feeling nervous.

My daughters have spent time at our house alone with their friends, but I doubt they will be comfortable doing that again and we have already cancelled a “girls” week that I had been planning with my friends, since I can’t imagine being there without a male in residence.

All of this makes me very sad and after I found out that this was not an isolated incident, it makes me very angry as well. What can we do to make Anguilla a place where we can relax and enjoy the beauty, without fear of attack? Locked doors are, of course, a necessity everywhere in the world today and not to have done that was foolish and naive, I know. But if I have to resort to electrified fences and armed guards, Anguilla can no longer be the place I want to go to with my friends and family. That makes me so very sad, because Anguilla truly is my favorite place in the world.

The response from everyone on the island that I’ve told about this has been overwhelmingly kind and genuinely concerned. I have spoken to Althea Turner and she suggested that I write to you and let you know what happened to us and that maybe you would write about it in the paper. Please feel free to use any or all of this letter in your paper, if you think it will help with awareness and a possible solution.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Maria Muzio
San Francisco, CA