NEWS YOU CAN USE ! Vol. 8 No. 2 · March 2011

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C aribbean American restaurant owners in

Florida are striving to keep prices in

check even as they are faced with rising

costs brought on by soaring fuel prices and wild

weather. Many are reporting a significant de-

cline in revenues as a result of the reduction in

spending power of their customers.

Caribbean American restaurant and grocery

store owners tell Caribbean Sun that the costs

of food items rose significantly last month in

addition to which distributors are now adding a

fuel surcharge to deliveries.

Global food prices rose 25 percent last year and

set a record last month, the U.S. Department of

Agriculture (USDA) estimates.

In the United States, the USDA predicts food

costs will rise as much as 4 percent across the

board this year. U.S. retail food prices, in gro-

ceries and restaurants, are expected to increase

faster than the overall rate of inflation both this

year and next.

Still, food inflation is accelerating at the fastest

pace since reaching a 28-year high in 2008, the

USDA said last month in a report. The U.S. Bu-

reau of Labor Statistics estimates that food pric-

es rose 0.5 percent in January, the biggest jump

since September 2008, and were up 1.8 percent

in the past 12 months.

“The cost of tomatoes has tripled,” said Timehri

restaurant owner Lake Naraine who pointed

also to a significant increase in prices for

shrimp and a host of other items. The increase

in tomato prices is attributed to a chilly winter

in Florida, Texas and Mexico, said Lester Lall,

owner of Circa 1926 in Winter Park. It is ex-

pected that tomato prices will come down in

April.

With gas prices averaging about $3.50 per gal-

lon in Florida and as high as $3.80 per gallon in

south Florida, food distributors have been

forced to increase delivery charges thereby re-

sulting in higher prices for staples such as

meats, eggs, cooking oil, fruits and vegetables,

cereal and baked goods including bread.

“I can’t pass on these increases to the customer.

They are already feeling the crunch. To do that

will kill my business…..I just got to ride it out,”

said Lake Naraine who shared Lester Lall’s

view that cutting back on quality is never an

option in the restaurant business.

Food costs rise as fuel prices soar ... but restaurant owners trying to keep prices “in check”

T his year is perhaps the most criti-cal for post independent Guyana as it prepares for an election that

must result in an administration that will ensure the country is not left be-hind. And Guyanese in the Diaspora have a critical role to play in helping to ensure the election of a government committed to democracy, good govern-

ance, racial harmony, equity and the respect for human rights.

“Without adherence to these basic prin-ciples Guyana cannot move forward in keeping with the challenges of a rapidly changing global economy and the coun

try will be left behind,” said Dr. Vincent Adams, currently the highest ranking Guyanese American serving in the Unit-ed States Federal Government. He over-sees the US government’s nuclear ener-gy program.

Adams, who is the offspring of an Afri-can father and an Indian mother from Linden (formerly McKenzie) in Guyana, was the guest-of-honor and keynote speaker at the Guyanese American Cul-tural Association of Central Florida (GACACF) annual Republic Anniversary Gala held last month at the historic Ballroom at Church Street in Orlando.

Some 300 Guyanese and friends of Guy-ana, decked out mostly in tuxedos and evening gowns enjoyed an elegant even-ing of fine dining, dancing and meaning-ful discourse as they celebrated their homeland’s 41st anniversary as a Repub-lic.

Adams told the ethnically diverse audi-ence that “racial harmony must be a genuine commitment of any govern-ment if it is to mold Guyana into a de-cent, fair and united society effectively confronting the challenges of the global economy and moving the country for-ward from promise to prosperity.

A critical year for Guyana

Dr. Adams 6th from left with the sponsors of the GACACF Republic Anniversary Gala

Continued on PG 6

2 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

Florida’s Caribbean Sun is published by Caribbean Sun Publishers, LLC

1013 N. Pine Hills Road, Orlando, FL 32808

Phone (407) 374-2979

Email: caribbeansunnews@gmail.com

Editor in Chief: Melinda Gordon

Chief Photographer/Editor: Mark Bannister

Managing Editor: Laverne McGee

Lifestyles Editor: Sharazade Kirton

Advertising: Vanessa Chin Churaman (407) 325-5466

Layout & Design by The Highland Agency, Inc.

D uring the past two months the Guyanese American community in Central Florida has been very

active, demonstrating in the process that it has the capacity to organize well and to earn the attention and respect of influential people both at home and abroad.

First, it was the Installation of the new executive committee of the Guyanese

American Cultural Association of Cen-tral Florida, held at The Venue at Timehri Banquet Hall. Almost 100 Guy-anese and friends of Guyana turned out for the event which had as its guest of honor, Judge Alli B. Majeed of the Brevard County Court.

Judge Majeed's speech was a master-piece. His message was "bang on"....we must be good Guyanese and proud Americans ...."there is nothing we can-not achieve if we work hard, stay fo-cused and obey the law. We must reject homegrown terrorism in all its forms whether it manifests itself through our mosques, mandirs or churches. We must uphold values of love for family and re-spect for one another."

The Guyanese gathered at this event, of all ethnic, religious and social back-grounds, were all brimful of pride not only about the "heights" this son of the soil had made in America but of the dis-play of genuine unity among them-selves.

The second event, held at the same ven-ue, was a Town Hall Meeting with PNC/

R candidate for nomination for the presidency of Guyana, Basil Williams. Again, a diverse crowd of Guyanese turned out to meet him and hear his message. He was asked some really tough questions and was even heckled several times by sections of the audi-ence. And although the majority in the audience was not PNC/R supporters, perhaps not supporters of any political party in Guyana, at the end of the event

they all "hung out" and fired a few drinks with Basil, asking more ques-tions about Guyana and in some cases even contributing to his campaign.

Then came Peter Ramsaroop another candidate seeking the presidency of Guyana at elections due later this year. The band of hecklers was out again. Would this Indo-Guyanese group of hecklers who gave Basil Williams a “rough time” do the same to Ramsa-roop. Indeed they did. But at the end of it all there was hugging and laughing and drinking.

Next was a retirement reception for out-going Guyana born Orange County Sher-iff’s Office Commander Russell Permaul. Guyanese as well as scores of law en-forcement personnel turned out to the

reception. The Guyanese and wider Car-ibbean American community were hailed for their good citizenry and law abiding nature.

This was followed by another town hall meeting this time held by the Alliance for Change presidential candidate and Member of Parliament Khemraj Ramjat-

tan. This was yet another interesting political meeting and again there was heckling….this time the heckler was asked to leave.

Then, there was the elegant Republic anniversary gala held at the historic Ballroom at Church Street with the spe-cial guest being Dr. Vincent Adams, the highest ranking Guyanese American currently serving in the US government.

All these events but the Republic Gala were held at The Venue at Timehri res-taurant, owned by Guyanese Lake Na-raine who made the facility available free of cost for all these events, as he did for a similar event last November when Prime Minister Sam Hinds visited Central Florida. We commend the man-agement of Timehri for providing a “home away from home” for Guyanese irrespective of race, political or reli-gious affiliation.

One had to be at these events to really capture the genuine spirit of Guyanese unity. As elections in Guyana draw near, the Guyanese community in Cen-tral Florida has undoubtedly demon-strated political maturity, ethnic har-mony and a sense of national pride which should be emulated by other Guy-anese communities at home and abroad. We are sure that there are differences and problems within the Guyanese American community in central Florida but so far these differences don’t seem to have divided the community….at least not on the surface.

3 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

By Doreen Hemlock

J amaica‟s Prime

Minister Bruce

Golding says

there are two differ-

ent Jamaicas, one

that is the best in

the world for many

things such as ath-

letics, music and

coffee and another

that is quite violent

despite being a very

Christian nation.

In an exclusive interview with journalist

Doreen Hemlock for the Caribbean Sun and

the South Florida Sun Sentinel newspapers,

the first part of which was published in our

last edition, the prime minister disclosed that

a complete review of government is now being

undertaken with a view to becoming more effi-

cient.

Here is the final edited part of the interview:

Q. How do you handle the stress that comes

with these challenges? Do you do yoga?

A. I pray.

Q. For something specific?

A. No. Just for guidance. Remember that story

of the man who was walking, and he looked

back at his life and he saw that there was a

period when there was only one pair of foot-

steps. And he asked God, “How could you have

abandoned me at a time when I needed you the

most?” And God said: “That was the period

when I carried you. The footsteps you saw

there are mine.” Maybe, I‟m into that period

when I want one pair of footsteps. Are you a

spiritual person?

Q. I am. Although I went to a meeting on

non-violence the other day and was struck

by a remark there – that’s it’s a conundrum

that Jamaica has one of the highest per-

capita rates of churches and also, one of the

highest per-capita rates of murders. Perhaps

the churches are not doing enough to help

combat crime?

A. It‟s part of a problem we have, where in so

many aspects of our lives, we have two differ-

ent Jamaicas. Jamaica is a very Christian

country, but we‟re a very violent country. Ja-

maica has been deprived of so much progress,

and yet there are so many respects in which we

are the best in the world: athletics, coffee.. I

think it‟s some internal dysfunction we have.

Some of which is our politics. Some of it is our

culture. We can‟t address this simply by pass-

ing laws or changing governments. There are

basic transformational tools that have to be

employed.

Q. But that’s my starting point. I’ve been

coming to Jamaica for 25 years, and it real-

ly hasn’t changed much compared to China

that is zooming ahead. It’s not for a lack of

smart people or committed people. But

somehow, the systems don’t work

A. That‟s part of our problem. We‟re trying to

get right. Right now, for example, we are doing

a complete review of government. We are not

doing it primarily to

reduce staff but to

increase efficiency. We

are trying to cut out

processes. Instead of

having to go through

70 steps before you

get a particular li-

cense, you can do it in

two or three. But in

the process, there is going to be displacement.

It‟s not going to make me popular. But it has to

be done.

Q. But at the same time you have displace-

ment, you have to provide some opportuni-

ty for the displaced people, so you don’t

have more violence. It has to be integrated..

A. That kind of thinking that has prevented us

from doing it for the last 20-odd years. That

you can‟t do it, because it‟s going to create

problems over here. You have to determine: Do

you want to grow in the future, and are you

prepared to take the tough decisions? Margaret

Thatcher did it, and look what has happened to

the British economy.

Q. But what do you do for the displaced

when you have a culture of crime?

A. You seek to create new opportunities. Some

will be created by outsourcing part of what gov-

ernment used to do before. But ultimately, to

create jobs, you need (private) investment. How

do you get investment? You have to make gov-

ernment efficient. You have to get government

out of the business Cont’d on PG 4

We have two different Jamaicas-PM

4 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

(From L-R) Paul & Anita Singh and Dr. Vincent Adams during a

tour of the new Laparkan facility on Silver Star Road

CARIBBEAN BUSINESS

J amaica‟s sugar industry has been

fined by the United States for ship-

ping poor quality sugar in January and has been warned that imports of this

commodity could be suspended in the fu-

ture, according to information obtained by

the Caribbean Sun newspaper.

Sources in Guyana have said that the US

is looking to source sugar there having threatened to ban consolidated imports of

sugar from Jamaica.

But Jamaican authorities say that the US

has given the 7,270 metric tons of sugar

imported in January “a passing grade for its polarization (the measurement of su-

crose content) but has fined the Sugar In-

dustry Authority (SIA) for three quality in-

fractions –grain size, color and high levels

of dextran, an organism found in stale

cane.

Jamaica has been fined $14,247, $3,344

and $27,477 respectively for each of the

quality infractions.

Jamaica‟s Agriculture Minister Dr. Christo-

pher Sulton has ordered an investigation into the cause of the shortfall in quality of

the sugar exports to the US.

Jamaica sugar sweet but…..

A merijet last month opened its

Orlando Cargo Receiving station

in the Plaza Shopping Center at 2516 West Colonial Drive, in the heart

of the West Indian business communi-

ty in Central Florida.

The opening hours are Monday to Fri-

day 10-6 and Saturday 9.30 to 6.00

pm.

Amerijet says its new facility will re-

ceive international air and ocean

freight export shipments including gen-

eral personal and commercial cargo,

large and small packages, barrels, val-uable and or fragile goods.

Amerijet opens in Orlando

Forum on Haiti March

H aiti One Year Later is the theme for an

international business forum to be held in Miami on March 9. Put on by the Organi-

zation of Women in International Trade (OWIT) in

conjunction with the Haitian American Chamber

of Commerce, the forum will examine social and

economic re-development in Haiti and business opportunities arising from the re-development

master plan.

Among the lead speakers at the forum will be

Ralph Latortue, Consul General of Haiti along

with Cristina Barrios, Louise Leger and Gael de

Maisonneuve, the consuls general of Spain, Cana-da and France respectively.

The forum, sponsored by Seafreight Agencies and

the Miami River Group will be moderated by Mark

D‟sa, senior advisor for industrial development at

the US State Department.

L aparkan Shipping, which has operated in central Florida for many years at

6100 West Colonial Drive in Or-lando, will be moving to a new facility as of March 31, 2011.

The new office and warehouse will be located at 1934 Silver Star Road, just east of John Young Parkway.

Paul and Anita Singh owners of PS Freight Systems, who man-age the Laparkan operations in central Florida, told Caribbean Sun that the new 4,500 square foot facility will offer customers improved facilities including space for packing their boxes and barrels as well as more space for parking.

“We will also be able to provide heightened levels of customer

service and offer a hassle free experience to our customers coming into the facility,” said Anita Singh. Refurbishing of the building has been taking place over the past three months. A formal grand open-ing is being planned for sometime in April.

This facility was among the Guyanese owned businesses visited by Dr. Vincent Adams, the highest ranking Guyanese American in the US Federal government, while in central Florida last month as the guest of honor of the Guyanese American Cultural Association of Central Florida (GACACF).

Dr. Adams congratulated Paul and Anita Singh and Laparkan for their ongoing commitment to providing their customers with quality service and for having confi-dence in the US economy to expand their operations.

where it borrows all the money. When I came

to office, 65 percent of the banking system

credit was gobbled up by government, which

meant that 35 percent was what was left for

everyone else.

In America, some people have turned on

Obama, because they say “You‟re spending too

much. Cut the spending.” You don‟t get any-

body in Jamaica saying, “You‟re spending too

much.” What the people in Jamaica say is

“Spend more.” And I don‟t have it to spend.

So, you determine your priorities. What do you

need to do to get the country to a stage where

growth is self-sustained, where it attracts more

investment and growth? Who is going to invest

in a country where you can lend your money to

government and get 28 percent, or at one time,

52 percent interest? It was the taxpayers of

Jamaica helping to pay that. This is the kind of

game-changing we have to do. Do you think

it‟s easy? Do you think it makes you popular?

Q. But why did Jamaica get so indebted in

the first place, so your job is cleaning up

debt?

A. It started back in the 1970s, when you had

a government that was headed directly into

Cuban-type socialism. We drove every serious

investor out of Jamaica. They fled. The prime

minister at the time got so annoyed, he told

them that they could take any of the five flights

a day that go to Miami, they could get out. We

have never recovered from that.

Do you know in 1973, Lee Kuan came to a

Commonwealth ministers meeting in Jamaica

and took a look at what Jamaica was doing in

terms of investment – mind you, we were still

fledgling, we had screwdriver- type industries,

but they were employing people -- and he said,

“How did you guys do this?” He sat with some

of the architects of it, went back with the ide-

as, and the rest is history. At that time, Jamai-

ca and Singapore were roughly at the same

level… So, having missed our way and found

ourselves in the jungle, we are trying to see if

we can find our way back to the track. But it‟s

certainly not something that can be done in

three years. It‟s a work in progress.

CARIBBEAN BUSINESS

Laparkan moving to Silver Star Road

J amaica’s Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton has appealed for increased investments in the agricultural sector, citing sig-

nificant opportunities from growing local produce. He is encouraging Jamaicans in the Diaspora as well as for-eign companies to look into investment opportunities in the agriculture sector.

Speaking at the launch of the 'Eat Jamaican’ Campaign in downtown Kingston, Dr, Tufton said that, based on the sector’s performance, it was an opportune time for investors to get involved by applying entrepreneurship

and creativity to improving production systems, through investment and better management.

“I am prepared to sit with you, to talk to you, not just about opportunities that exist, but how we can facili-tate your engagement in that process, either through policy, through legislation, through accommodation or facilitation; as long as it’s going to lead to greater value being created, jobs being created, foreign exchange being earned or saved, and overall, a more improved and sustainable agricultural sector,” he said.

Jamaica encouraging investment in agriculture

Cont’d from Pg. 3 We have two different Jamaicas-PM Cont’d from Pg. 3 We have two different Jamaicas-PM

J amaica‟s sugar industry has been

fined by the United States for ship-

ping poor quality sugar in January and has been warned that imports of this

commodity could be suspended in the fu-

ture, according to information obtained by

the Caribbean Sun newspaper.

Sources in Guyana have said that the US

is looking to source sugar there having threatened to ban consolidated imports of

sugar from Jamaica.

But Jamaican authorities say that the US

has given the 7,270 metric tons of sugar

imported in January “a passing grade for its polarization (the measurement of su-

crose content) but has fined the Sugar In-

dustry Authority (SIA) for three quality in-

fractions –grain size, color and high levels

of dextran, an organism found in stale

cane.

Jamaica has been fined $14,247, $3,344

and $27,477 respectively for each of the

quality infractions.

Jamaica‟s Agriculture Minister Dr. Christo-

pher Sulton has ordered an investigation into the cause of the shortfall in quality of

the sugar exports to the US.

Jamaica sugar sweet but…..

A merijet last month opened its

Orlando Cargo Receiving station

in the Plaza Shopping Center at 2516 West Colonial Drive, in the heart

of the West Indian business communi-

ty in Central Florida.

The opening hours are Monday to Fri-

day 10-6 and Saturday 9.30 to 6.00

pm.

Amerijet says its new facility will re-

ceive international air and ocean

freight export shipments including gen-

eral personal and commercial cargo,

large and small packages, barrels, val-uable and or fragile goods.

Amerijet opens in Orlando

Forum on Haiti March

H aiti One Year Later is the theme for an

international business forum to be held in Miami on March 9. Put on by the Organi-

zation of Women in International Trade (OWIT) in

conjunction with the Haitian American Chamber

of Commerce, the forum will examine social and

economic re-development in Haiti and business opportunities arising from the re-development

master plan.

Among the lead speakers at the forum will be

Ralph Latortue, Consul General of Haiti along

with Cristina Barrios, Louise Leger and Gael de

Maisonneuve, the consuls general of Spain, Cana-da and France respectively.

The forum, sponsored by Seafreight Agencies and

the Miami River Group will be moderated by Mark

D‟sa, senior advisor for industrial development at

the US State Department.

Jamaica encouraging investment in agriculture

5 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

6 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

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THE HOLIDAY INN, HOTEL & SUITES 5905 Kirkman Road

Orlando, FL Saturday, March 19, 2010

Time: 7 pm-1 am Tickets: $55.00 in advance only

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INDIAN HORIZON PRESENTS HOLI 2011

AT CITRUS BOWL

1610 Church Street Orlando, FL

Sunday, March 20, 2011 Time: 11 am to 6 pm

Contact: 321-8407-889-887282-1887/

Community Calendar

R ihanna has never shied away from being sexy in her videos, but it seems she’s gone too far for some

with her colorful video and lyrics for S&M. Not only has the video been deemed “inappropriate for some users” by YouTube, where viewers must verify they are 18 or older before watching it, but a handful of radio stations are also re-acting to the song’s racy lyrics. In the video – while singing lyrics like “Sex in the air/ I don’t care/ I love the smell of it/ Sticks and stones may break my bones/ But chains and whips excite me” – she dances around in latex, poking fun at the ball-gag-wearing media. The clip includes whips, a

dog-leashed Perez Hilton and Rihanna being handled by the Press. According to the British tabloid Daily Mirror, 11 countries have already banned the video from airplay, and BBC 1 Radio won’t play the track before 7 p.m. A rep for the radio station said airplay was being considered for the Loud track: “We are waiting for an edited version before deciding whether it will be played in the day-time.” The singer herself is responding to the reaction .

Rihanna video banned

Continued from the Front Page -

“My mother was Indian and my father was black. I love the black side of my family no more than I love the Indian side. I was raised by my mother who could not read or write but who struggled not only to raise me but about 23 children from the com-munity who made our small house, their home. Racial harmony can be achieved in Guyana if only we can find an Indian can-didate that blacks can trust or an African candidate that Indians can trust. I don‟t know who that candidate is but we in the Diaspora have to help ensure that the next president is someone who is truly commit-ted to racial harmony, balance, equity and fairness,” Adams told the audience to loud applause.

“Guyana cannot allow the issue of race to continue to thwart our quest for develop-

ment. So when these politicians come to the Diaspora looking for money we must let them know that we have had enough of the politics of race. Let them know that you will hold them accountable and unless they operate in a way that shows that they are fair, honest and not racist then they need not come back expecting red carpet treatment,” Adams said.

While emphasizing that he is not a sup-porter of any political party in Guyana, Ad-ams noted that Guyana should have been much further ahead of many of its Carib-bean neighbors but that “the country‟s de-velopment has been restricted because over the years we have had people running things about which they don‟t have a clue. We have had and continue to have too many square pegs in round holes. And successive governments have failed to use

the best brains and expertise available to them simply because of politics and race.”

Adams, along with Eldon Bremner-general manager of the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, Commander Russell Permaul of the Or-ange County Sheriff‟s Office and dental hy-gienist and community worker Urla King were honored for their long and dedicated service in their respective fields and for their contributions to the Guyanese com-munity.

Among the speakers at the event were Guyana Member of Parliament Khemraj Ramjattan who brought greetings on be-half of the Parliament of Guyana and Anti-gua and Barbuda‟s Ambassador-at-Large Rupert Blaize who brought greetings on behalf of the CARICOM countries.

A Critical Year for Guyana

K arene Asche was crowned 2011 Calypso Monarch, at the

Queen's Park Savannah, in Port of Spain, as carnival in Trinidad and Tobago was in full swing.

Trinidad All Stars steelband won the national panorama competi-tion while Wade Madray claimed the Kinfg of Carnival title and Machel Montana the International Soca Monarch ti-tle.

Asche, a three-time National Junior Calypso Monarch cap-tured the $2 million first prize with her two selections, "Be Careful What You Ask For" and "Uncle Jack".

Michael "Sugar Aloes" Osouna copped second spot, ahead of Dr Hollis "Chalkdust" Liverpool and Devon Seale.

Defending champion Kurt Allen had to settle for sixth spot, while Soca artiste Rodney "Benjai" Le Blanc finished 12th and last.

Wade Madray, with his portray-al of "Pacific Tsunami", claimed the King of Carnival title. And Peola Marchan - "D Jeweled

Chandelier" - was named Queen of Carnival.

With a score of 278 points, Neal & Massy Trinidad All Stars creat-ed history by becoming the first steelband to receive a hefty $2 million for winning the National Panorama competition.

In winning the prestigious title, All Stars, a highly popular band whose dethroned last year’s champion PCS Silver Stars, by a mere three points during a keenly-fought Panorama finals.

Singer Machel Montano walked away with a $2 million prize after giving a showstopping per-formance at this year’s 2011 International Soca Monarch Competition.

Montano’s performance was his first at the competition in 16 years but it wowed the crowds and the judges and he picked up the grand prize in the ‘Power Soca’ category with his song ‘Advantage’.

Neil Iwer George came in se-cond, earning him $600,000 in prize money.

Karen Asche, Montano, All Stars shine at Trinidad Carnival

7 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

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By Laverne McGee

U NC Florida, one of

the organizations that

was instrumental in

helping elect Trinidad Prime

Minister Kamla Persaud Bis-

sessar, has a new vision for

2011.That’s according to re-

elected President Devika Ra-

goobarsingh. UNC’s initial

role was as a political arm of

the party in Trinidad. Howev-

er, now that there is a new

government in place in Trini-

dad, UNC Florida wants to

focus their efforts on fund-

raising. The Prime Minister

is dedicated to helping under-

privileged children in Trini-

dad who are unable to afford

lifesaving healthcare. UNC

will be raising funds for the

Children’s Fund along with

several other charities.

The group is based in Ft.

Lauderdale but has members

all over Florida. Ra-

goobarsingh says at one time

they had considered not mov-

ing forward as a group but

due to overwhelming support

of their efforts in the commu-

nity, they are ready to help

Trinidadians here and at

home. She has had support

from American officials as

well. Broward County Com-

missioner Dale Holness, of

Jamaican descent, recently led

a trade delegation to Trinidad.

He has been an active sup-

porter of Caribbean American

efforts, including UNC Flori-

da’s charity initiatives.

Ragoobarsingh says they

are planning an outreach to

Trinidadian nationals all over

Florida. She welcomes their

membership in UNC, Florida.

UNC Florida President Devika Ragoobarsingh with Broward

County Commissioner Dale Holness and Florida Caribbean

Sun's Managing Editor Laverne McGee

B BC Caribbean Service has only a few weeks left in op-eration as it gets ready to

end its broadcasts on March 25. The decision by BBC World Ser-vice is part of cuts which will amount to over 600 jobs lost. BBC said the closures are part of its response to a cut to its Grant-in-Aid funding from Britain‟s For-eign & Commonwealth Office (FCO). The final week of broadcasting by the Caribbean Service will include a regional call-in and discussion program looking at the future of pan-Caribbean news and current affairs. The last editions of the morning and evening drive time editions of BBC Caribbean Report and BBC Caribbean Magazine will be aired

on March 25. Debbie Ransome, Head of BBC Caribbean Service said: “After one of our best years ever editorially, this has been a great blow for the team here.” Controller, Languages at BBC World Service, Liliane Landor de-scribed BBC Caribbean as: “One of the oldest and most distin-guished services that the BBC has provided in English.” The Caribbean Service transmis-sions are used on 48 partner sta-tions across the English, Spanish, and Dutch Caribbean and as part of the Caribbean stream on four FM relays in Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, and Antigua-Barbuda. The early roots of the Caribbean Service began in 1939. (BBC)

BBC’s Caribbean Service final broadcast

R etired Guyana Defense Force Brigadier, David Granger was last month

elected to be the Peoples National Congress Reform‟s (PNCR) presi-dential candidate in a keenly con-tested poll.

Media reports initially had former finance minister Carl Greenidge as winner of the poll but after a re-count Granger emerged the candi-date. Granger won 279 votes and Economist, Carl Greenidge won

264 votes. The other contestants-Basil Williams got 88 votes, Dr. Faith Harding 20 and attorney-at-law James Bond 13 votes.

Granger‟s campaign platform over the last six months among party members and supporters has been on security, youth-education, con-stitutional reform, job-creation, economic development and the re-introduction of a non-militarized national service.

G uyanese are likely to go to the polls on Au-gust 22, this year, ac-

cording to some analysts and media reports.

Preliminary projections are that Guyanese could go to the polls on August 22 to elect a government of their choice. But other sources tell Caribbean Sun that the elec-tion will most likely be held in early December.

With schools expected to close from July 8 to Septem-ber 5 for the „August holiday‟, they will be available for use

as polling stations.

One source, demerara-waves.com is reporting that the Claims and Objections period could begin in early April after the Elections Com-mission evaluates the recent-ly concluded cycle of continu-ous registration. That evalua-tion is scheduled to be con-ducted during the next two sittings of the seven-member commission. The Claims and Objections period is sched-uled to last six weeks after which the commission would prepare the Official List of Electors (OLE).

8 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

GACACF 7th Annual Republic Anniversary GALA held at The Ballroom at Church Street

©Photos by Mark Bannister

A glimpse of the sartorial splendor of the evening

The ethnic, gender and era diversity of the Gala’s patrons (below & above)

Dancing the night away The Scantlebury Family

From (l to r) Linda Felix, Brian Bacchus and Sakina Bell

Dr. Vincent Adams, Wesley Kirton and Guyana MP Khemraj Ramjattan

Urla King receives her

award from GACACF’s

President George Lyking

9 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

The Alliance For Change Town Hall Meeting in Orlando

Guyanese in Central Florida with

Guyana Peoples Partnership Presi-

dential candidate Peter Ramsaroop

at the end of a Town Hall Meeting

at The Venue

Below: Guyanese pose with PNC-R

Member of Parliament Basil Williams

at the end of his Town Hall Meeting at

The Venue in Orlando

Judge Alli B Majeed swears in the new Executive of the GACACF at Installation ceremony

© Charles Bigby

Attendees at the GACACF Installation

ceremony in prayer. © Charles Bigby

Retiring Orange County Sheriff ‘s Office Commander Russel Permaul with Colleagues at

a Retirement Reception hosted in his honor by Florida’s Caribbean Sun Newspaper, and

Timehri Restaurant

Circa’s restaurant proprietor Lester Lall (standing) welcomes

guests at Brunch he hosted as part of the Guyana Republic

Anniversary celebrations in Central Florida

10 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

KISSIMMEE # 407-201-3066

11 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS !!

U rla King is currently the Senior

Registered Dental Hygienist at

Orange Dental in South Orlan-

do. She received her accreditation from

New York City Technical College, City

University of New York where she grad-

uated as the Valedictorian in 1990. Urla

began her dental studies in 1976 as part

of the first batch of Dental Nurses re-

ceiving a scholarship from the Guyana

Government to the Dental Auxiliary

School in Kingston, Jamaica earning

exceptional honors at graduation. In

1980 she was awarded a World Health Organization scholarship and

was the first from Guyana to study and earn a Diploma in Advanced

Dental Nursing from the University at Wellington, New Zealand.

Before relocating to Central Florida in 1994, Urla was the Senior

Dental Hygienist at Jamaica Hospital, Queens, New York for a num-

ber of years and also worked with several dental specialties in the

Greater New York area. She has been an active member of the Cen-

tral Florida Community in the area of Dental Hygiene and Preventa-

tive Dental Health Education. She is the consummate professional

and often volunteers at community health fairs and clinics and has

even made goodwill trips to her hometown of Queenstown, Essequi-

bo where she rendered dental services to members of that communi-

ty on a voluntary basis.

Urla is a longstanding member of the Caribbean and Floridian Asso-

ciation and has been a member of the Guyanese American Cultural

Association of Central Florida from its inception. She is married to

Andy King and they have 2 children between them; Son Steffan, a

Medic in the United States Navy and Daughter Nicole, currently pur-

suing a teaching career by way of Valencia Community College.

R ussell Permaul served the Orange

County Sheriff’s Office for over 31

years. His long and dedicated ser-

vice of an exceptionally high standard result-

ed in his rise through the ranks to the posi-

tion of Commander of the Metropolitan Bu-

reau of Investigations (MBI) division of vice

organized crime, from which he will retire in

a few days.

“Russ” as he is popularly known, hails from humble beginnings in Al-

bouystown, Guyana, a ward of the capital city of Georgetown which be-

cause of stereotypes, would hardly be expected to produce an honest, disci-

plined and hardworking young man who would choose law enforcement as

a profession.

Over the years Russ has not been just a policeman as he would be called in

Guyana. He has been a community worker as well. While his dedicated

service has seen him put criminals behind bars, go undercover to “root out”

drug barons and other ruthless criminals and indeed been shot at; he has

also counseled young people, educated the community about their civil

rights, advised business owners on security precautions and generally inter-

acted with the community, especially the Guyanese American community

in a positive and meaningful way.

Over the years Commander Permaul has served in various capacities

among them Administrator of the Gang Resistance Education and Training

(GREAT) program for the Southeast United States; Commander of the Or-

lando International Airport Narcotics Unit and Supervisor of the Orange

County Package Unit.

He holds a Bachelor Degree in Criminal Justice from Columbia College

and a Masters in Organizational Management from Phoenix University. He

has also participated in several specialized training courses. He is also the

recipient of several awards and recognitions including the Distinguished

Service Award (3 times); the Purple Heart; the Medal of Valor; the Medal

of Merit; the Combat Ribbon and the Sheriff’s Citation.

Russ is a lover of animals and lives on his ranch in Geneva, Florida.

12 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

13 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

Aries (21 March - 19 April) This will be a glorious month. Last month brought you a variety of opportunities and a few changes, especially in the career area. If you did not make it happen, here is your second chance. Look out now as you start to receive all sorts of gifts.

Taurus (20 April - 20th May) March is a stellar month for your

career. Others might even become a little envious but it’s your

turn now. On the job front this month belongs solely to you.

Gemini (21 May -21 June) You will adore March! You'll start to

see evidence that you are indeed finding yourself in an enviable

place in the universe, and this will become apparent very quickly,

in the first week of the month. As you may have guessed, you

have entered one of your best months of 2011.

Cancer (22 June - 22 August) Lots of change is taking place in

your horoscope, and the very best has to do with your brilliant

career aspects. Luck, entered your tenth house of honors, awards,

and achievement for the first time since early 1999 so get ready

for a number of lucky career breaks.

Leo (23 August - 22 August ) You seem ready to join forces with

someone special, and that's unusual for you. You seem excited by

the possibilities of this "coming together" of you and one special

individual. Talks and plans will begin to shape up quickly this

month.

Virgo (23 August - 22 September) If there is one part of life that

gives you enormous satisfaction, it's feeling fully prepared and

absorbed in a fascinating project. This month, you will be polish-

ing one assignment until it gleams, and later you will feel rightly

proud that you made it the very best it can be. That is why you

will be so happy in March.

Libra (23 September - 22 October) What a terrific month! What

all Libras need, including you, is a happy month filled with a few

lucky breaks and a sprinkling of lots of fun. Here it comes, dear

Libra! They've already opened the bottle of champagne, so all

they are waiting for is their guest of honor, you!

Scorpio (23 October - 21 November ) You will be thinking

about how to make your home more comfortable and cozy. Wow

- harness this energy and you certainly will be able to make things

happen - your way! You may also want to make an effort to see

family members too, and enjoy catching up on news of what eve-

ryone in the clan have been doing.

Sagittarius (22 November - 21 December) You will love March!

It's a strong and sturdy month that will allow you to make excep-

tional progress. It's clear all kind of good news is about to come

barreling toward you quickly, dear Sagittarius!

Capricorn (22 December - 16 January) This will be a big finan-

cial month. It started in February. Cut the cards, make the deal,

and find ways to earn more money, dear Capricorn, but do it early

in the month when you will have your very best aspects for mak-

ing a really good deal.

Aquarius (20 January - 18 February) The past few months might

have been all right, although perhaps a bit lackluster, but March

will be simply beautiful for you. It comes all wrapped and tied

with a big red bow. March is due to be a glorious month, as eve-

rything works together to create a dramatic and exciting set of

opportunities for you.

Pisces (19 February - 20 March) This month, is a crown of glit-

tering stars - you may get ideas when you sleep and dream, or get

flashes at odd times like when in a taxi cab or in the shower. Your

intuition and instinct are so sharp that your ideas won't only be

brilliant, but also right on target for the public to buy, too.

Caribbean Horoscopes March 2011

14 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

Caribbean Fusion

March at Heritage Park

P lans have been finalized for this year’s Caribbean Fusion- a cultural extravaganza- in Kis-

simmee which is to be held on Sunday, March 27 at Heritage Park. The Carib-bean and Floridian Association, Inc., (CAFA) will be the sole host of the “Caribbean Fusion” event this year. Traditionally, the City of Kissimmee co-hosted, but due to budgetary con-straints, it is no longer able to co-host the event. There is also a new venue for this year’s Caribbean Fusion. Due to the renovation of the Lake Front Park, the event will be held on March 27, 2011 at Heritage Park, 1875 Silver Spur Trail, Kissimmee, FL 34744. “We expect that there will be approxi-mately 3000-5000 people in attend-ance at this event. Every year around Easter time for the past eighteen years, Caribbean Fusion has been able to present and promote cultural events that bring diversity into the Greater Orlando/Osceola area, by showcasing the best of Caribbean Cul-

ture with its foods, music, and arts. Also, a free health fair will be part of the festivities,” said Andy King, one of the planners of the event. . Many tourists from surrounding coun-ties and states and as far away as New York and Canada have made their way to attend and we fully expect that this year’s festival will bring them back again to enjoy the Sunshine State. Admission is free, and the vendors have to pay for their booths. Proceeds go to various charitable organizations such as Osceola Council for the Aging, CAFA scholarship foundation, Red Cross, and the YMCA. “Good music, great food, beautiful crafts, dance, and happy people on a beautiful day are a combination that is hard to beat! As a result, we are sure that local hotels and restaurants will benefit from additional tourists as well. All in all, it is a win-win situation for everyone, and we are hoping to see you there,” King said.

T he United States is the fifth most-generous country on earth, tied with Switzerland,

according to a new ranking from Gallup’s World Giving Index.

Guyana ranked 16th in the survey thus making Guyanese among the most generous people in the world.

The index is based on surveys and oth-er research on 153 different countries, which together constitute about 95 percent of the world’s population. The survey asks in part about charitable behavior, including donations, volun-teering habits and taking time to help strangers.

Based on this index, Australia and New Zealand are tied as the most generous nations on earth.

The top 21 most generous countries, in order, are:

1. Australia 1. New Zealand 3. Ireland 3. Canada 5. Switzerland 5. United States 7. Netherlands

8. Britain 8. Sri Lanka 10 Austria 11. Lao People’s Democratic Republic 11. Sierra Leone 13. Malta 14. Iceland 14. Turkmenistan 16. Guyana 16. Qatar 18. Hong Kong 18. Germany 18. Denmark 18. Guinea

Gallup’s analysis of the data found that giving money is more strongly correlated with happiness than with a nation’s gross domestic product.

“It would be reasonable to conclude that giving is more an emotional act than a rational one,” the report says.

Among the other findings, age and gender affected generous behaviors. Globally, giving money to charity in-creases with age, largely explained by changes in disposable income. Women are generally more likely to give than men, but only just barely – 30 percent versus 29 percent

By CATHERINE RAMPELL

Guyanese among most generous people

A Miami-based lawyer who said he advised Buju Banton to take a plea deal soon after his arrest on cocaine charges in 2009, says it’s unlikely that

the singer will succeed in an appeal against his convic-tion.

Professor David Rowe, in an interview on Radio Jamaica recently, suggested that Buju should have thrown in the towel a long time ago because of the evidence that had been gathered against him.

The lawyer’s comments came after the 37-year-old sing-er was found guilty of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than 11 pounds of cocaine; attempted possession with the intent to distribute co-caine; and using a communication facility to facilitate a drug-trafficking offence. The jurors, who returned with their decision on day two of deliberations, found him not guilty of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offence.

Buju, whose real name is Mark Myrie, could get 15 years in jail. His attorney, David Markus, has indicated that an appeal will be filed, as well as a request for bail pending a hearing.

But Professor Rowe said that as far back as the night of Buju’s arrest – December 10, 2009 – he recommended that the singer not go to trial to avoid being hit with a heavy prison term.

“When I read the probable cause affidavit, I suggested that he immediately take a plea which would have prob-

ably resulted in a two or three year resolution to this case,” Professor Rowe told the radio station.

“But he elected not to do so, he elected to hire attorneys and run a very, very exotic defense of entrapment but the entrapment defense does not work in federal court…To tell a jury that the reason why I did something was because I was not prone to do it and somebody over-came my will is very difficult to explain. It’s statistically a very difficult defense," he added.

Buju’s friend Ian Thomas who is godfather to two of the singer’s children, and another man, James Mack, both of whom were arrested when they tried to buy cocaine from an undercover detective the same day Buju was arrested, pleaded guilty to their charges and are now awaiting sentencing.

During the trial, the defense argued that government informant Alexander Johnson – whom Buju first met on a flight from Madrid, Spain to Miami, Florida in the sum-mer of 2009 – pressured the entertainer to enter a drug deal with him.

The prosecution produced audio of a series of conversa-tions in which Buju was heard discussing buying and sell-ing cocaine, as well as videotaped evidence of him tasting cocaine in a warehouse.

But when he took the witness stand, Buju said the con-versations were “just talk”. As for the video, he said he thought he was being taken to see a boat and when he realized Johnson was serious about dealing drugs, he

feared for his life and decided to play it cool and go along with it.

After the 12-member jury, by virtue of the ver-dict, threw out Buju’s defense, the singer re-mained com-posed. He hugged his law-yer and blew a kiss at crying sup-porters in the courtroom before being taken into custody.

He later issued a brief written statement, which was read by his attorney: “Our life and our destiny are sometimes pre-destined and no matter where this journey takes me, remember I fought the good fight. It was a great man that said my head is bloody but still unbowed. I love you all thank you for your support.”

Buju’s trial began February 14, a day after he won his first Grammy.

It was his second trial, the first having ended in mistrial after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict. (Caribbean 360)

Buju’s appeal unlikely to succeed-Rowe

15 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

CRICKET WORLD CUP roundup

T he bus carrying the West Indies cricket team

from the stadium to their hotel in Bangladesh

was stoned on after they thrashed Bangladesh

by nine wickets in Mirpur. There were no injuries, but

the players were shaken and the incident raised ques-

tions about the effectiveness of security at the World

Cup championship currently beinfg played in India, Sri

Lanka and Bangladesh.

News of the incident spread across the world within mo-

ments as Chris Gayle tweeted “a stone by stone” ac-

count of the incident which resulted in a window of the

bus being broken.

"This is some b*******," Chris Gayle tweeted moments

after the incident. "Bangladesh stoning our bus!!! Freak-

ing glass break!!! This is c***, can't believe..what next

bullets!!!! Kiss teeth".

The team's media manager, Philip Spooner, confirmed

that two windows cracked, but none shattered, and

hence no stone made its way inside. "We left the

ground, and on our way back to the hotel, a couple of

stones did hit our window," Spooner said.

The incident occurred after West Indies completed a

crushing nine-wicket victory over the hosts in a match

that lasted all of 31.1 overs. The discontent among the

crowd could be seen when they started throwing the

placards that have "4" and "6" written on them onto the

playing field the moment Bangladesh lost their last wick-

et to be bowled out for their lowest-ever ODI total - 58.

The stones hit the bus when it was about three minutes

on its way back to the hotel. Spooner said that the team

manager, Richie Richardson, would notify the respective

boards and the ICC soon. There was no panic, he said.

"Just make sure you mention that nobody got hurt, eve-

rybody is safe. There is no panic, everybody is fine."

Gayle was not that calm about it. He tweeted again:

"This is ridiculous!!! Damn!!! W Cup with so many securi-

ty an this happen!! Big Joke!!! Trust me I'm not keen

here!!! Av (every) players lay flat!!!"

A Bangladesh police official said the fans had mistaken

the West Indies bus for the Bangladesh bus. "The fans

thought it was the Bangladeshi team bus and they hurled

stones at it," Imtiaz Ahmed, deputy commissioner of

police in Dhaka, told AFP. "The window panes were

shattered, but no one was injured."

Mustafa Kamal, the Bangladesh Cricket Board president,

apologized for the incident, but insisted that there was

enough security in place. "We are sorry about the inci-

dent. This is the first time it is happening here," he said.

"Now we will take extra care. Much more security

measures will be taken care of."

Kamal said the stones did not come from inside the cor-

doned-off area, but from far away from the main road.

"Enough and adequate security measures were in place,"

he said. "The teams were moving away from the ground

to the hotel, and there were enough convoys. There

were three buses: one was a dummy bus and the two

others were the team buses. The entire route was cor-

doned off by the police, and the security was enough.

"Four or five stones came at one go from maybe five or

six people standing far away from the main road. All the

stones came in at one time and they were coming from

far away from the main road. That's why the glass was

not shattered. The matter is being investigated. Definite-

ly, they will be able to catch the guys."

W est Indies batsman Marlon Samuels has con-firmed that he has refused an offer to replace the injured Dwayne Bravo in the Caribbean

team's World Cup squad in the sub-continent.

Samuels, who was banned for two years for passing on information to bookmakers, said he was approached by selectors to replace Bravo but turned down the offer because he is not yet ready for a comeback to interna-tional cricket.

"First of all, I want to say thanks to the regional selectors for sitting down and thinking about selecting me for the World Cup. I am honored to get such a phone call," Sam-uels was quoted as saying by a Caribbean FM radio sta-tion.

"But as I had said in interviews before the start of the

tournament, I want to, at this moment, focus on four-day and not one-day cricket, and try to be out there in the sun for hours on top of hours. I am doing that at the mo-ment.

"However, despite this, I still don't think I am 100 per cent ready and I want to be honest with myself. I hope the selectors understand and respect my decision," add-ed the 30-year-old.

However, according to a report in 'The Trinidad Express', the tainted Samuels rejected the opportunity as he feared being arrested in India, one of the co-hosts of the mega-event along with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Samuels represented West Indies in 29 Tests and 103 ODIs before being slapped with a two-year ban by the

ICC in May 2006 for his alleged involvement with book-makers.

Guyana leg-spinner Davendra Bishoo replaced Bravo in the squad and when contacted, the West Indies Cricket Board neither confirmed nor denied the reason for Sam-uels' refusal.

Samuels, who has so far scored three centuries and a 50 since returning to regional four-day cricket, however said that he was looking forward to playing against India and Pakistan in the upcoming Digicel home series.

"I am definitely looking to play in the upcoming Digicel homes series, so hopefully, I will continue on the road that I am and continue to score centuries," he said.

W hen West Indies comprehensively beat

Bangladesh recently in their world cup en-

counter captain Darren Sammy praised the

“pep talk” given his team by Chris Gayle just prior to the

start of the match.

For many West Indies fans this “pep talk” came from the

most unlikely source, Chris Gayle whose attitude often

suggests that he does not appreciate what West Indies

cricket mean to the people of the Caribbean.

When Darren Sammy was named West Indies captain in

October last year, one of the few people he received

support from was the man he replaced - Chris Gayle,

who said at the time: "We are all there to try and guide

and help him." Gayle lived up to his word recently giving

the West Indies team a pre-match motivational speech

and warning that Bangladesh would be up for the game.

Sammy was appreciative of Gayle's contribution. "We

were a little flat in the warm-up and he *Gayle+ didn't like

that, so he encouraged us to go out there and remember

Bangladesh would be coming hard at us," Sammy told

AFP. "Gayle told us 'do not take Bangladesh lightly'."

West Indies obviously took Gayle seriously, for what fol-

lowed was a nine-wicket demolition of Bangladesh which

lasted just 31.1 overs.

Gayle led West Indies for three years before he was

axed, a decision the West Indies board made shortly

after Gayle had decided against signing a central con-

tract, thus freeing him to play Twenty20 competitions in

other countries even if board commitments had to be

compromised. He is, however, still a vital part of West

Indies' squad, and Sammy praised his commitment to

the team, saying Gayle played even though he was not

feeling well.

"It was a brilliant performance by my team-mates," Sam-

my said. "Chris Gayle wasn't feeling well today but I

thought he came out and showed how committed he is

to the cause." Sammy, himself, made an important con-

tribution, taking three wickets and a sharp slip catch to

remove the dangerous Tamim Iqbal, as West Indies

bowled Bangladesh out for 58.

There was not much left for Gayle to do with the bat, but

he crossed an important landmark, going past 8,000 one-

day runs on his way to an unbeaten 37. Gayle said he

was a bit surprised that the match, which had been built

up as a crunch tie in Group B, had been such an anti-

climax. "I was expecting a bigger occasion than this but

having said that the wicket seems to be doing a bit,"

Gayle said. "Kemar Roach *who took 3 for 19+ did a bril-

liant job and all the bowlers stepped up to the plate. The

wicket seems to be doing a bit for the spinners."

The win gives West Indies four points from three games,

and Gayle was confident his team was on their way to

the knockouts. "This will take us through to quarter-

final," he said, but was quick to add: "We can't relax.

Ireland, India and England games are coming. I am trying

to spend some time in the middle; I was trying to sort

things out as quickly as possible and I will try to give the

team good starts."

West Indies went into the game ranked lower than Bang-

ladesh in the ICC one-day rankings, and many tipped

Bangladesh's home advantage to give them the edge.

Sammy, however, said he was always confident it was a

winnable game. "We went out there knowing how cru-

cial this game was for us," he said. "We've always fancied

ourselves, but it's up to us to go out there and play com-

petitive and consistent cricket." They will now hope to

take that consistency into their next game, another cru-

cial one, against Ireland on March 11.

16 Florida’s Caribbean Sun