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ELECTION SPECIAL INSIDE Worst School Massacre In US History Page 21 VOL 16 NO. 278 Tuesday, April 17, 2007 U.S. 50 CENTS / NAf. 1.-- / EC$ 1.25 PHILIPSBURG--Community councils in every district have been tasked with pinpointing young adults ages 18-25 to benefi t from a new entrepreneurship training called “Be Your Own Boss” launched by the Small Business Development Founda- tion (SBDF) Monday afternoon. The pilot programme with 12 youngsters will run for nine months, with the end result expected to be 12 new small businesses owned and operated by youngsters, geared to condomin- ium and marine maintenance. Explaining the segments of Be Your Own Boss, SBDF Director Ludwig Ouenniche said the project aimed at poverty alleviation and youth empowerment through entrepreneurial training. The programme starts with practical and work ethics training, followed by on the job training. The 12 youngsters will also be given entrepreneurial training and off- job/-business mentoring after the programme is completed. SBDF will also aid the youngsters in developing business plans. Participants will be given a sti- pend of NAf. 700 for their on- the-job training. They must be able to swim and work in the sun, Ouenniche said. The selection process for the 12 youngsters starts immediately and will be taken care of by the various community More than 12 youngsters may be allowed to take part in the fi rst training step, but only 12 will be selected for the on-the-job training and the others will be accom- modated in the next phase of the councils. Continued on page 4 PHILIPSBURG--Twenty-fi ve potential home owners can head to the banks today to apply for loans to purchase 25 of the 184 Belve- dere lots put up for sale by government. Sales and purchase agreements for this batch of lots were signed by Housing Commissioner Roy Marlin and the potential buyers at the Government Administra- tion Building Monday afternoon. Before signing the agreements, Marlin cautioned the potential buyers to be realistic about what they could afford when they were ready to build their homes. “Just like I urged you when you were choosing the lots to choose one to suit your income, I am saying the same now for when you are ready to build.” All the potential buyers have until May 16 to acquire the funds for the land purchase, or their agreements will become void and their lots will be allocated to other persons registered on a long waiting list. All lots have already been mea- sured by the Kadaster and have separate certifi cates of admeasurement. While potential buyers can approach any commercial bank, the commissioner said FirstCarib- bean International Bank, which is already involved in the Belvedere Housing Project as the mortgage Continued on page 4 Commissioner Theo Heyliger (left) greets a little girl as Soulouiga Jump Up Brass Band makes its way up Back Street for the offi cial reopening. See story on page 5. ~ PPA will raise matter with Council of Churches ~ EBENEZER--St. Maarten Acad- emy PSVE teachers showed up at school on Monday to fi nd that seven offi ces in the main building had been vandalised and ran- IN BRIEF sacked and that several items had been stolen. Burglar bars ripped off a window, telephone lines leading to the school ripped out and severed, a section of the ceiling destroyed and holes punched in walls were some of the damage left behind by the burglars. The barbed wire fencing above the recently completed wall around the school’s perimeter was also damaged. School offi - cials speculated that the burglars had destroyed the wire so that they could take the stolen items off the school premises. A hole Continued on page 3 SUCKER GARDEN--People’s Progressive Alliance (PPA) leader Gracita Arrindell says she will be approaching the Council of Churches in the hope that it will denounce an advertisement that was published by a local newspaper Monday. The paid advertisement by the Democratic Party purported to show Arrindell going shopping instead of attending to the people’s business during the negotiation of the November 2, 2006 Accord (Final Agreement) in the Netherlands. She said it was regrettable that the DP would superimpose her head on someone else’s body, to suggest that she had been shopping “God knows where.” She said she had explained to the people of St. Maarten on the fl oor of the Island Council what had happened during the break on that day, “but it seems that the DP cannot justify that they Continued on page 6 Simpson Bay GOOD SEASON A five to ten per cent increase has been registered by small hotels and guesthouses for the high season. Most of the guests were repeat visitors from the Caribbean region. Page 3. Marigot MINISTER VISIT New French Minister of Overseas Territories Hervé Mariton arrived on the island yesterday for his first official visit to St. Martin and St. Barths. Page 5. Willemstad FINAL STATEMENT Forsa Kòrsou (FK) Antillean Parlia- ment Member of Glenn Camelia wants to put an end to the millions of guilders being spent on election campaigns in Curaçao. Page 6.

Editorial 2 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 Keep it nice There has been some concern about the decision not to ban the sale of alcohol on Election Day in St. Maarten. The decision is based on the experience with the last referendum, where voters went to the polls for the fi rst time without the ban. An election is different than a referendum, of course, but in Curaçao, where they already dropped the ban in last year’s parliament election, also based on the referendum experience, there were no problems to speak of, so they have decided to drop it altogether. Hopefully the experience here will be the same, although people should remember that being drunk and disorderly in public is still against the law and that the police will act. In general, it is a good idea to go easy on the drinking, because elections can become emotional and combining emotions with excessive alcohol consumption is dan- gerous. Speaking of emotions, the campaign is expected to heat up even more in the last few days, while one could safely argue that it is already one of the most hotly contested elections in the island’s political history. While there is certainly nothing against campaigning hard, it is important to maintain respect for each other and to keep things civil and clean in the last few days. In today’s issue is our election special, where the political leaders are interviewed about their plans and other issues. We encourage our readers to read what is said so they can judge the parties in the race for themselves and make an informed decision, rather than just go by rhetoric, commercials, billboards and other campaign gimmicks. The Island Councils to be elected in each of the three Windward Is- lands and the Executive Councils they will appoint will have to prepare the islands for a new constitutional future, with a target date of December 15, 2008. As a new Parliament for St. Maarten will probably have to be elected by then, the term of offi ce of the next Island Government probably will not be much more than a year, but it will be a crucial year during which much work needs to be done, not just to prepare the island for its country status, but to address some of the more pressing social and environmental issues resulting from its spectacular economic growth, while at the same time safeguarding the tourism economy. Go out and vote on Friday. It is not just a democratic right for which many have died all over the world, but a civic duty. Just remember that while emotions may run high, we will all wake up together on “The Friendly Island” come April 21. Member of the Inter American Press Association Published by The Caribbean Herald NV Bush Road 22 St. Maarten N.A. P.O.Box 828 Bankers: RBTT Bank St. Maarten acc. 212938 President R.F.Snow Managing Director Mary Jane Hellmund Publisher Paul De Windt Editorial Courtney Gibson (Editor in Chief) Gordon H. Snow (Managing Editor) Rajesh Chintaman (Night Editor) Suzanne Koelega Judy Fitzpatrick Alita Singh Alfred Harley John van Kerkhof Gino Bernadina Thomas A. Burnett Jr. (Sports) John Halley (photos) Editorial Assistant Marie Brown Correction Saresa Gray Sharon van Arneman Marga Hart Corinne van Putten Correspondents Brenda Carty (Anguilla) Althea Merkman & Lynn Kennedy (Statia) Suzanne Nielsen(Saba) Bob Morgan(Saba-photo) Tamu Browne (St.Kitts / Nevis) Alistair Edwards (St.Kitts sports) Robert Luckock (St. Martin) Arny Belfor (Suriname) Lay-Out Richard James Rodolphe O. Boirard Stephen Morris Operations Manager Steven De Windt Production Coordinator Alvin Prescod Offi ce Manager Mijke Stenz Rosalie Davis (assis.) Accounting Ada van Luling Mercedes De Windt Advertising Stephanie Culbert Moira Marcelle Sandra Martina Muriel Berthé Harmen Rijsdijk Ellen Kusters Latoya Philips (assis.) Graphics Mark Martelly Evadney Henriques Kwame Boyce Special Editions Dimitri Likissas (webmaster) Elisenda Peters Wim Hart Reception Ethlyn Joubert WEATHER Today: Variably cloudy, with a shower possible over some spots. Winds: Southeast to South, occasionally 4-12mph. Sea conditions: Generally light. Wind force: 2-4. Seas: 1-3 feet. Forecast high: 31°C 88°F Forecast low: 23°C 73°F SYNOPSIS: A large area of low pressure over the Western North At- lantic Ocean is causing our surface winds to shift gradually toward the South. A few clouds will move over our islands at times and some of these could become dense enough to generate a couple of showers over isolated spots. Otherwise, dry weather should prevail today. A better chance of showers exists Wednesday as the remnants of a cold front located yesterday morning near the Southeastern Bahamas move closer to the Northeastern Caribbean. The light to gentle winds will keep sea conditions favourable for boating. Northwesterly swells will reach our surrounding waters late this evening or early Wednesday. A small craft advisory and a high surf advisory may be required at that time because of expected breaking waves and possible coastal fl ooding. SPECIAL FEATURES: None. HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK: None. VOLCANIC ACTIVITY: None. 5264 2693 1865 53028 81814 72883 2235 8056 4417 Outlook until Wednesday midday: Variably cloudy with light to gentle winds between South and Southwest, and locally a shower or two. Rainfall probability: 30 per cent. Rainfall potential: Up to 2mm. Sunrise: 5:54am Sunset: 6:29pm Agenda St. Maarten / St. Martin Date April 17 Disney Magic Vessel Place Arrival Departure Agent Pier 6:00 19:30 S.E.L. Maduro contact Janet Lambert 5577616 or 00590 590 294406. SKALCLUB ST. MAARTEN/ST. MARTIN meets 1st Tuesday of the month. For location call: 5424432 (Jennifer). ST. MARTIN meeting at the St. Maarten Academy every Friday at 1.30 p.m. KIWANIS SOUALIGA 1st & 3rd Monday 7: 00pm Holland House JCI St. Maarten (JAYCEES) meeting at the UTS Training and Development Center every last Thursday of the month. PHILIPSBURG TOASTMASTERS CLUB bi-monthly sessions every first and third Thursday of every month at the Library conference room at 8:00 p.m. STMARTIN MUSEUM Frontstreet 7, Philipsburg, tel 542-4917 Opening hours from March 1st: Monday - Friday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m. - 12 noon Sundays: closed. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS Mon-Fri, 6-7pm, Red Cross Building, Airport Road. Saturday and Sunday at Mullet Bay beach next to restaurant 8.30-9:30am. Tel. 5571271 (day) 544-3203 (evening) AIDS COORDINATOR Shanna van Eer tel 5422079 Health Department, e-mail: healthaf@sintmaarten.net. NATURE FOUNDATION ST. MAARTEN Great Bay Marina, Office Unit #3 POB 863, Philipsburg. Tel. 542-0267, Fax. 542- 0268.Email: naturesxm@megatropic.com ANIMALS R. FRIENDS Mailbox La Palapa Center, Simpson Bay • Email: arf_sxm@yahoo.com, www.arfsxm.org WOMEN’S DESK, Frontstreet 141 (opposite Tel-Cell). Monday - Friday 9am-5pm. Tel: 542-7940, Fax: 542-7941. E-mail: womensdesk@sintmaarten.net SAFE HAVEN, providing shelter and support to victims of family violence. POB 636; Hotline: 9333; Office 9277; Fax: 9368 CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT, Richardson street 11-b; Tel. 542-1000/542- 1008; Fax: 542-1001 French Honorary Consul, POBox 803, Philipsburg. Tel: (00590) 879989. Fax: (00590) 879625. E-mail: Stanislas. GRAIRE@wanadoo.fr COASTGUARD NA&A, (24 HRS): 113 LEGAL AID CENTER, Law Clinic, open every Saturday 9:00am - 12.00 noon. Free advise on personal legal issues. Administration Building, tel. 5422337 THE ST. MAARTEN RED CROSS, (24hrs), #34 Airport Road Simpson Bay, Tel. 54- 55263/52304, Fax. 54-52333. Email: redcross@sintmaarten.net. For activities call: 556-4357 SALVATION ARMY Union Rd 59 Cole Bay POBox5184 Tel/fax:5445424 cell:5477353 Sun 9:00am, Tue 7:00pm, Wed 6:30pm, Thu 7:00pm, Sat 4:00pm ST.MAARTEN CHAPTER OF BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN holds their general monthly meetings every third Monday at the Delta Hotel at 7:00 pm. DIABETES INFORMATION CENTER, A.Th. Illidge Road (behind Desktop/Napa building) Free blood-glucose testing every Thursday from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. USO St. Maarten/St. Martin (USA militairy), ST. MAARTEN TELEPHONE INFO Tel-em: 542-2211 E. Caribbean Cellular: 542-4100 Weather Info: 123 ST. MAARTEN TOURIST OFFICE W.G. Buncamper road, Vineyard Building, tel. 542-2337, fax. 542-2734 ST MAARTEN ZOO Madame Estate: tel. 543-2030 Open daily 10 am - 6 pm. October-March 9 am - 5 pm. Admission: Adults: $10, kids $5. Cole Bay Community Council: meeting 1st. Thursday of month at Sun Flower Kinder Garten School, Union Rd. Cole Bay at 7:30pm SERVICE CLUBS ROTARY meeting at Divi Little Bay Beach Resort, every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. Rotary Mid Isle meets every Tuesday 6-8pm, Le Charolais Restaurant, Royal Islander Club, Maho Plaza. LIONS meeting at the Upper Princess Quarter Community Centre Lions Den in Sucker Garden every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month at 8 p.m. ST.MAARTEN LEO CLUB meeting at Jubilee Library 1st, 3rd Friday every month at 6:30 p.m. KIWANIS meets at Wifol Building on Thursday each month at 7.30pm. Kiwanis Key Club of the St. Maarten Academy CALLING E.C. THE DAILY HERALD POLICE STATION Philipsburg tel. 542-2222 Simpson Bay tel. 545-5500 HOT LINE 108 EMERGENCY 911 FIRE DEPARTMENT Tel. 542-6001 or 120 HOSPITAL Medical Center, Cay Hill 24-hour Emergency Service tel. 543-1111 or 910 AMBULANCE Philipsburg tel. 542-2111 or 912 MEDICAL EMERGENCIES For medical emergencies the doctors on call can be reached outside clinic hours. Patients of Dr. Bouman, Dr. Bryson, Dr. Bus, Dr. Hermanides, Dr. Knol, Dr. Mercuur, Dr. Scheffers and Dr. Spencer, please call tel. 577010. Patients of Dr. Datema, Dr. Foeken, Dr. Herles, Dr. van Osch and Dr. Tjaden and Dr.. Deketh / Dr. Van der Waag, please call tel. 577007. Patients of Dr. van der Waag, please call 570444.Patients of Dr. Abadjeff, Dr. Dennaoui and Dr. Gumbs should contact their own doctor. Animal Ambulance Team 5598887 CRIME STOPPERSANYMOUS TIP LINE: 543-TIPS(8477) POLICE MUNICIPALE tel. (00590) 590 87.50.04 GENDARMERIE tel. (00590) 590 87.50.10 FIRE DEPARTMENT tel. (00590) 590 87.50.08 AMBULANCE Tel. (00590) 590 52-00-52 Cell. (00590) 690 57-13-28 Fax. (00590) 590 29-08-11 HOSPITAL tel. (00590) 590 52 25 25 DISPENSAIRE Marigot 8 a.m. - 3p.m. tel. (00590) 590 87.50.93 DISPENSAIRE Orléans 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. tel. (00590) 590 87.37.21 C.R.O.S.S. (Center, Research, Organization, Rescue, Security) is on stand by 24 hours at 0596 709292. SERVICE CLUBS ROTARY Club St. Martin-Nord meeting at Flamboyant Hotel, Baie Nettle every Thursday at 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. LIONS First and third Tuesday at Nadaillac, Marigot at 7.30 p.m. KIWANIS: See St. Maarten. MUSEUM ST. MARTIN Facing the grand parking at Marina Royale - Marigot. Open from 9 am-1pm/3pm- 7 pm, tel. (00590) 590 29.22.84. ST. MAARTEN Telephone 5425253/5425597/ 5420931/5437236 FAX 5425913 E-Mail: dherald@sintmaarten.net advertising@thedailyherald.com editorial@thedailyherald.com ANGUILLA/3138/fax 8707 SABA 4162381/4162881(sales) 4162731(edit) STATIA 182401/182936/fax 182136 NEVIS 469-0607/fax 0606 ST KITTS 466-8609 PHILIPSBURG JUBILEE LIBRARY Ch.E.W.Vogestr. 12, Tel. 542-2970. Open: Mo: 4-6.30, Tu: 9-12.30/4-9, We/ Fri: 9-12.30/4-6.30, Th: 4-9, Sa: 10-1.

Islands 3 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 By Alita Singh “The strong airlift this past season, with addition of United Airlines fl ights from Washington D.C. and Chi- cago, have brought more visitors to the island. We have noticed an increase in travellers from the other islands. In particular, the small hotels have benefi ted from our active marketing in regional and North American publications,” Glass said. The division’s website www.smallhotelssxm.com has also drummed up needed business for the small hotels throughout the island. Elizabeth Vaughn of The Horny Toad concurred with Glass’ view. She said, “The season has been very good. We are full right now and have been for a while.” This high season was a bit better than the last one, but guests continue to be mostly repeat clients, Vaughn said. The small hotels division has worked for the small properties, she said. “It was needed and so far it has been working.” Patricia Lake-Maxwell of Llama Guesthouse said the property in the heart of Philipsburg had been mostly fully booked for the season. At present, all rooms are booked and occupied by mostly repeat customers. Last high season and low season were also good for Llama Guesthouse. This summer/low season is expected to be good as Caribbean shoppers fl ock to the island to shop for supplies for the new school year. Most small hotels and guesthouses, especially those in Philipsburg, are expected to fully occupied for the main weekend of Carni- val, April 27 to May 2. Head of St. Maarten Tour- ist Bureau Regina LaBega was happy to learn about the good season for the small hotel/guesthouses. The bureau continues to do its part to promote the properties in the region and in Europe with the Small Hotel, Guesthouses and Inns Brochure that was created by SHTA Small Hotels Division. Travel agents invited for the upcoming St. Maarten/ St. Martin Annual Regional Tradeshow (SMART), set for May 9-11, are scheduled to visit and stay in the small hotels around the Dutch side. SIMPSON BAY--A fi ve to ten per cent increase has been registered by small hotels and guesthouses for the high season. Most of the guests were repeat visitors from the Caribbean region. The Small Business Divi- sion of St. Maarten Hospi- tality and Trade Associa- tion (SHTA) reported that its members were generally happy with the season numbers and were looking forward to a good summer. Most of the properties have not increased individual advertising to attract book- ings, but word of mouth advertising has generated good responses. For the summer/low season, the properties in the division have pooled resources to advertise in Skylights, the May/June magazine of low cost carrier Spirit Airlines, which commences thrice-weekly fl ights to St. Maarten on Friday. Carter Glass of Turquoise Shell Inn told The Daily Herald the island was doing well economically and the small hotels were benefi ting from this growth. This caterpillar excavator toppled over onto its right side when the earth underneath it reportedly gave way while it was being used on a building site in Grand Case Monday morning. It was not known if the operator was in the cab at the time, but there were no reports of any injuries. The machine’s hydraulic digging arm crashed onto an adjacent dump truck, apparently preventing damage to the cab itself. A crane was later dispatched to right the excavator. Witnesses said they had noticed the excavator sitting at precarious angles on mounds of earth at the site. (John Halley photo) Academy vandalised Continued from page 1 in-fl ight was also punched in the wall of a Math classroom. Two computers, a monitor, a printer, an electric point- er, a projector, two speakers and two DVD players were among the items stolen during the burglary, which school offi cials believe was perpetrated between late Saturday night and early Sunday morning. The academic section of St. Maarten Academy had also been burglarised and vandalised during the previous (Easter Holiday) weekend, with the thieves carting off computers and other electronic equipment valued at thousands of dollars. The latest burglary at the PSVE campus occurred just two days before a number of students are scheduled to sit exams. School offi cial Romeo Pantophlet said that while the exams would not be affected, the fl ow of work would be interrupted. He said several teachers were now without tools to work, as their computers had been stolen. One of the stolen computers was used by the school’s social worker and the other was in the job training offi ce. When The Daily Herald visited the scene late Mon- day morning, the vandalism was evident. One teacher was sitting at his desk mi- nus his computer, while two students were sitting at a nearby table working with telephones, and other items were strewn about the fl oor as evidence of the burglary. Several doors were also broken. Even the door of Academy offi cial Romeo Pantophlet points to the steel grill that was ripped off a window during a break-in at the school over the weekend. PHILIPSBURG--Two men have been detained in con- nection with the alleged beating of a female mo- torist who was robbed of her vehicle near Builder’s Paradise around 2:30am on April 6. Police spokesman Inspec- tor Ricardo Henson said the suspects J.R.B. and R.R.R. were both of St. Maarten. The victim reported that she had been travelling along A.J.C. Brouwer Road when she realised she was being followed by two men on a scooter. She tried to escape, but was cornered near Builder’s Paradise on Welgelegen Road, as she was forced to stop to avoid hitting the scooter riders. One of the scooter riders opened her car door and started beating her. She was then dragged out of the car and her purse containing money and personal belongings and the car were stolen. Henson said the two suspects had been arrested during the weekend. He also said there had been nine reports of breaking and entering, seven reports of cars being stolen, four reports involving de- struction of property and three cases of mistreatment over the weekend. Baked Chicken, M ixed Vegetable Rice & Green Salad $4.95 Items strewn on the fl oor in one of the offi ces at the school. the storeroom was ripped out. Two computers had been set aside in a corner on the fl oor of the Principal’s offi ce as though the burglars had intended to take them away as well. Pantophlet said the security personnel, who do “spot checks” at the school on weekends, had discovered the burglary around 1:30am Sunday and immediately contacted school manager Vance James. The police were subsequently contacted, but didn’t show up until late Monday morning, he said. He explained that the burglars had gained entry to the school by ripping away a steel grill from a window securing the principal’s offi ce. “There was a lot of damage,” Pantophlet “They wrecked the place really badly.” He said the school had no idea who could have perpetrated the crime. The school was still tally- ing its losses up to late yesterday. ASSELL Muffler & Service Center H RADIATOR Repair Replacing Cleaning Sales Muffler/Tips MUFFLER Repair Replacing Performance- AUTO SERVICE General Servicing Shocks, CV joints Brakes, Alignment Chassis Repair said. Orange Grove | Cole Bay Call us at: (599) 544 2222 | 544 2300 | Fax: (599) 544 2300 ANY MUFFLER, ANY RADIATOR, ANY VEHICLE (We deliver to the neighbouring Islands)

Islands 4 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 PHILIPSBURG--Good to Grow, a small business stimulation programme tar- geting youngsters, is a plan opposition party National Alliance (NA)plans to im- plement 120 days after the party takes offi ce if it wins the majority in the April 20 Island Council Elections. Alliance candidate Terry Peterson said Monday that poverty remained the central challenge facing the Netherlands Antilles, including St. Maarten. “Its debilitating conditions se- verely affect young people,” he said. Statistics from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) and Youth Monitor indicate that “many young people in St. Maarten live a reality of social exclusion,” he said. “In a youthful population of 4,035 (CBS 2005) and a booming economy which expanded by some 4.5 per cent in terms of real Gross Domestic Product, still approximately one in every seven youths in the labour force is unemployed and thus unable to earn an income or access career opportunities.” Although, the unemployment rate has decreased to be unemployed because they have not found a job they like or want. Commenting on the CBS fi gures, Peterson said young people accounted for the largest segment of the unemployed, with economically active young adults often unable to fi nd work or get a start in business. Census fi gures indicate about 40 per cent of youngsters ages 16-24 are high school dropouts. St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association in Voice, March 2007, indicated that dropouts made up nearly half the prison population and nearly half of house- holds on welfare, he added. “About 60 per cent of teenagers who drop out of secondary school before graduation are under age 17 and of those dropouts, 26 per cent turned to violence, while the majority was either unemployed or had very low jobs,” he said. Providing these youth with daily productive vocational training and business management skills, and qualify- ing and empowering them as citizens, leaders and entrepreneurs will allow them to break the cycle of misery and violence, thus opening doors for a better and healthier future, Peterson said. Economic Affairs Commissioner Theo Heyliger (second left) speaks at the launching of the “Be Your Own Boss” programme at Philipsburg Cultural and Community Centre. ‘Be Your Own Boss’ Continued from page 1 Terry Peterson programme. In general small business stimulation, helped with the creation of 60 new businesses last year. Ouenniche said some eight new businesses had been registered last week. In the marine and condo sectors, mentors will guide the young entrepreneurs in their on-the-job training and during their business start-up phase. NAf. 240,000 was allocated to Be Your Own Boss by the Netherlands Antilles Implementing Foundation USONA. SBDF ran a similar programme more than a year ago called Youth Appren- ticeship and Community Help Training (YACHT) in which several youngsters were trained in various fac- ets of the marine sector and placed in jobs. At the programme launch, Economic Affairs Commis- sioner Theo Heyliger said the programme would help youngsters to get a piece of the very lucrative condo- minium and marine sectors that have “grown in leaps and bounds.” He commended the SBDF board and management for continuing to come up with projects to stimulate small business locally. Small business stimulation is a very important goal of government and this has led to the budget allocation to SBDF to be “almost quadruple in 2007.” He said government’s support of SBDF has been paying off, as the number of people who have been helped by the foundation, as well as the number of people seeking information to start businesses continues to increase. SBDF President Veronica Webster commended Hey- liger for his continued support of the foundation and its work as well as Ouen- niche for working tirelessly to complete projects. Meanwhile, SBDF came under fi re for Be Youth Own Boss project writer Terry Peterson, who is a National Alliance candidate in the April 20 Island Council Elections. Peter- son sent out a communiqué to the press saying he had not been credited for the programme in an article printed in a paid newspaper insert that featured Hey- liger on Monday. Asked about Peterson’s claim, Ouenniche said Pe- terson had been paid to further develop the programme idea that had been coined by SBDF. from 17.5 to 13.4 per cent in the Netherlands Antilles, in St. Maarten it remains relatively high among young people at the rate of 30.4 per cent, according to CBS, he said. CBS fi gures confl ict with those of the Island Labour Offi ce which shows a lower fi gure. The difference between the two fi gures comes from CBS record- ing all unemployed people living in St. Maarten, documented and undocumented, while the Labour Offi ce only counts documented persons. Also, CBS also collect statistics of people who are able to work, but choose SBDF has community MR. DIABY CLAIRVOYANT - MEDIUM He solves all your love problems, tenderness & fidelity, work, protection against enemies. Exorcism, luck. Specialist in making lovers come back, chance in game, impotence, business, all exams, sexual power, trade.... Quick & efficient results, 100% success. An appoinment every day: 9:00 AM to 8:30 PM. 1ST CONSULTATION FREE! (00 590) 690 35.52.55 / (00 599)551-0055 PHILIPSBURG--The police have announced that the Detective Department has arrested a man suspect- ed of committing an armed robbery outside a toy store in Cole Bay on April 14. Police also said another man was being sought, using the description given by the two robbery victims. According to police spokesman Inspector Henson, the man D.A.F. and woman E.M.C. were at the toy store in Cole Bay when they were suddenly held at gunpoint by two bandits. During the robbery the suspects took money, cellular phones and personal belongings from the two victims. Luckily, the victims were able to give some description of their robbers and that information led to the arrest of one suspect with the arrest of the second still pending. Ricardo Housing Commissioner Roy Marlin (right) discusses points of the sales and purchase agreement with potential Belvedere house lot owners at Government Administration Building. 25 Belvedere house lots Continued from page 1 holder, was offering 100 per cent fi nancing for land and the bank management was “excited” about the lot sales. Another 25-30 sales and purchase ments should be signed by Wednesday, Marlin said. In defl ecting criticism by the opposition that the proposed sale of the house lots was an election hoax, Mar- lin said yesterday’s signing proved that the move was “not a hoax or political strategy.” He said that with a large number of the potential buyers living in the Belve- dere Housing Project, their success in acquiring loans to buy the land and build their own homes would make rental units available for people registered with St. Maarten Housing De- velopment Foundation who are in desperate need for housing. agree-

Islands 5 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 ~ Second section closed this morning ~ PHILIPSBURG--The drums of Soulouiga Jump Up Brass Band echoed up Back Street as the band made the fi rst offi cial trip on newly paved Back Street, from Plaza Olivia to Philipsburg Cultural and Community Centre. The street was reopened to vehicular traffi c Monday afternoon. The fi rst section of the beautifi ed street was reopened by Commissioner Theo Heyliger who initiat- ed the project paid for by a concession fee St. Maarten Port Authority (SMPA) pays to the Island Govern- ment. Back Street is part of the Philipsburg project, which includes the the completed upgrading of Front Street and the Ex- ecutive Council-approved plans for the upgrading of Cannegieter and E.C. Rich- ardson Streets. The only fi nishing touches that need to be completed on this completed section of Back Street are the place- ment of bollards to prevent parking on the sidewalks and the removal of the overhead cables and utility poles. All utility cables have been placed underground and the overhead cables will be removed when the entire street is completed in four months. The second phase of the Back Street beautifi cation starts today at 9:00am when the section from the Parlia- ment building to the Ka- daster offi ce is closed off to vehicular traffi c. Opening the fi rst phase now will allow Carnival shoppers to carry out their business in comfort, Hey- liger told the press after the drum band had fi nished en- tertaining the crowd of on- lookers, construction crew and other offi cials. The project started on time and was completed in time. “And I am yet to see a major court case [fi led] or questions being asked,” he said referring to the threat of Peoples’ Progressive Al- liance (PPA) leader Gracita Arrindell to go to court to stop the work soon after it started more than three months ago. She claimed the work was illegal because it had not been approved by the Is- land Council of which she is a member. However, Hey- liger said in response that the project had been approved with the 2007 Island Government Budget. “Now, everyone can shop in St. Maarten instead of going to Europe. You can buy books and everything in Philipsburg and help to stimulate the local economy,” he said. Several persons on site were of the opinion that vehicular traffi c be restricted on the street because of the ease experienced by shoppers and other pedestrians who had used the street during the repaving when traffi c was barred. Heyliger shares this view and believes it would encourage more people to shop on Back Street, but said the street would remain open to vehicles for now, until other projects around town were completed. should Minister of Overseas Territories Hervé Mariton (second from right) was welcomed to the island yesterday by (from left) General Councillor Louis-Constant Fleming, Mayor Albert Fleming and Prefet Délégué Dominique Lacroix. The minister is on an offi cial visit to St. Martin and St. Barths. rejuvenation MARIGOT--New Minister of Overseas Ter- ritories Hervé Mariton arrived on the island yesterday for his fi rst offi cial visit to St. Martin and St. Barths. The minister and his delegation were welcomed at Princess Juliana Interna- tional Airport by Mayor Al- bert Fleming, Préfet Délégué Dominique Lacroix and Gen- eral Councillor Louis-Con- stant Fleming in his capacity as UMP representative for St. Martin. The minister is a member of the UMP Execu- tive Council. Mariton spoke briefl y to reporters soon after his arrival, stating his wish that the new Collectivité and its elected offi cials would work hand- in-hand with the State on the major issues of the day. French He said the new laws of the Collectivité were well adapt- ed and in the best interests of the population, adding that he fully understood that security and immigration, among other issues, were concerns that needed to be addressed. The minister met with elected offi cials in the Mai- rie before meeting with State representatives at the Sous- Préfecture and offi cials of the Police aux Frontières and the Gendarmerie. At the closed meeting in the Mairie, Mayor Albert Flem- ing took the opportunity to bring up several points, most of which had to do with fi - nancing of the Collectivité, transferring bilities, and the role of the State. Fleming asked how long before the responsibilities of the Region and Department would be transferred to the Collectivité, as well as their accompanying human and fi nancial resources. He asked for a Commission to be created to evaluate what the respective fi nancing would be. The meeting was slightly overshadowed by discontent outside as several councillors chose not to attend because they had not been given place names. “I’m not saying it was done on purpose, but I believe 35 councillors should all be treated equally,” complained opposition councillor Aline Choisy. “When we walked in there were only place names for the Deputy Mayor, General Councillors and Regional Councillor. Everybody should have had place names. That is a lack of respect for us. If that’s the way they want to continue politics, with a chosen few, let them go ahead.” One of the minister’s key duties while on the island is to offi cially inaugurate the function of the Préfet Délé- gué. Dominique Lacroix was nominated to the post by the Council of Ministers on Feb- ruary 7 and arrived to take up duties on March 21. President of the Regional Council Victorin Lurel has voiced some criticism about this appointment, questioning why the Collectivités of St. Martin and St. Barths had been given a Préfet Délégué and not a Préfet with full authority. The Minister fl ies to St. Barths today before return- ing in the afternoon to catch his fl ight back to Paris. He is to hold a press conference before he leaves. PHILIPSBURG--Police offi cers of the Operation Quick Response Team were called to the Pointe Blanche prison on Monday morning to conduct an emergency control on contraband smuggled into the prison. Police spokesman Inspector Ricardo Henson told reporters later on Monday that the control had netted a number of cellular phones and self-made weapons in the cells of several prisoners and all contraband had been confi scated. How these items got into the prison is not clear, but according to Henson, Prison Director Rudsel Ricardo has launched a full investigation. Henson did not say what had prompted the request, but said Ricardo had called for police assistance during the morning hours on Monday. of responsi- SOUTH REWARD--Par- ents and guardians of primary school sixth graders are being asked to attend an informative about Milton Peters Col- lege (MPC) and Sundial School at MPC today Tues- day, April 17, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. Sundial Director Mireille Regales and MPC Director Yvette Halley will facilitate the session, the schools said in a joint announcement. session Tip #153: 10 TO15 MIN. A DAY OF STRESS-REDUCING ACTIVITY CAN LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE AND REDUCE THE CHANCE OF HEART ATTACK. Call your Sagicor Advisor today at 542-2070 to learn about our Triple Protector Plan.

Islands 6 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 PHILIPSBURG--Police offi cers and other justice personnel will receive training in the new electronic registration system for the whole Justice Chain ACTPOL in two weeks. Justice Minister David Dick organised a seminar recently on the use of the ACTPOL system for justice offi cials of Bonaire, Saba, St. Eustatius, Aruba and Suriname. He said St. Maarten hadn’t been able to participate in the seminar for certain reasons, but experts would come to St. Maarten in two weeks to train the local staff. The system is already partially implemented in Curaçao and is part of a NAf. 19 million funding by the Dutch Funding Agency USONA to buy new computers and software for the judicial chain. Dick explained that all departments of the judicial chain would be intercon- nected through ACTPOL. “The judicial chain has 39 points of contact related with each other. The current system is almost inac- cessible to get reliable information. There have been no centralised information system and almost no form of quality Information and Communication Technol- ogy (ICT),” he said. Therefore, a standardised platform has been created to work in a uniform way. This centralised processing of information also sends relevant information to each department that needs it, Dick said. To give an idea of how the Arrindell slams DP ad Continued from page 1 system works, he said the registration of data started as soon as the police received a phone call and it would be transferred to the Detective Department, Prosecutor’s Offi ce, Court and the Bureau for Reha- bilitation and After Care if an arrest was made and a suspect was convicted. The Immigration Depart- ment too will be connected to the system. “The system will give an overview of who’s entering and leaving your country. The application for a residence permit will be guided by the system, which will see to it that a person cannot go to a next step in the process of obtaining a permit without completing the fi rst step. All steps should be followed; otherwise, a residence permit will not be issued,” Dick said. In addition, Immigration offi cers at the airport will receive special scanners to scan passports. The passport scanners will also identify the ID protection of the document. The intention is that all departments of the judicial chain such as Court of Guardianship, Bureau for Rehabilitation and After Care, the prison and other services such as the Census Offi ce will be connected to the main server of the system soon. People’s Progressive Alliance leader Gracita Arrindell presented the party’s manifesto while standing on the party’s campaign trailer during a public meeting in Sucker Garden Monday night. SUCKER GARDEN--Peo- ple’s Progressive Alliance (PPA) leader Gracita Ar- rindell presented the party’s manifesto Monday evening during a public meeting in Sucker Garden. The manifesto states that in the fi rst 100 days of government the PPA will set in motion measures for strengthening ily, educating children, empowering young people and caring for the elderly within vibrant and responsible communities. Some of the issues with which the manifesto deals are better quality of life for all through responsible and sustainable management of resources, and executing a new strategy for combating crime and corruption. Good governance based on principles of transpar- ency and accountability, participation, effective co- ordination and integrity in public offi ce as well as achieving country status for St. Maarten through real negotiations that will start after the election are also mentioned in the manifesto Furthermore the introduc- tion of an Ombudsman to investigate and solve the lack of timely response, and quality compulsory education from kindergarten through high school based on a new education policy will be priorities for PPA. Other issues addressed in the manifesto are youth development, housing, affordable health care, a clean environment, traffi c congestion and Cen- tral Government employees. Regarding the latter, Ar- rindell said Central Gov- ernment civil servants still hadn’t received clarity from government on what will happen to them after St. Maarten obtains country status. “We have to prevent that the same thing happens as when Aruba obtained its country status, when all the Central Government civil servants went back to Cura- çao,” she said. affordable PHILIPSBURG--Former St. Maarten Academy student Dwight Thomas will be pursuing studies in Avia- tion Management at Flori- da Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida. A press release said the Cay Hill resident, who graduated from Academy in 2006, would enter the university for the 2007-2008 academic year. He is the son of Julius Thomas and Paula Thom- as-Proctor. The release said Florida Tech was the only independent, scientifi c and tech- nological university in the southeast Florida serving the needs of students and an industry through its educational, training, research the fam- Dwight Thomas and consulting activities. “Florida Tech offers more than 140 degree programmes in science and engineering, aviation, business, education, liberal arts and psychology, including 22 doctoral degrees and more than 70 Masters’ degrees,” it said. WILLEMSTAD--Forsa Kòrsou (FK) Antillean Par- liament Member of Glenn Camelia wants to put an end to the millions of guilders being spent on election campaigns in Curaçao. He says there are estimates that more than two million guilders were spent on the campaign in support of the Final Statement. He said these millions would have been better spent on combating poverty. “If the fi nal statement was really that good, why invest so much money to defend it? Shouldn’t the content of the document be suffi cient defence?” he asked. “Millions of guilders are invested, while there is an alternative on the table,” said Camelia, referring to report Curaçao Autono- mous and Responsible by the Committee on Finan- cial Prospects for Country Curaçao headed by Caryl Monte. Several called the report unrealis- tic. However, Camelia said there were more alternatives. “There are alternatives, but, of course, only if they are willing to listen and set all stubbornness aside. If your heart and soul are with the Final Statement it is diffi cult to get out of it, because you will then lose face and pride.” He says it was unfortu- nate that many parties and others in the local society had opted not to wait for Monte’s alternative, but had spent millions on a campaign in support of the Final Statement. Monte’s alternative is to introduce stringent supervision mechanisms to solve the debt problem. Accord- ing to Camelia, even the parties that are in favour of the Final Statement support the supervision mechanism described in the Monte report. He said there was suffi - cient common ground for dialogue. He also pointed out that advocates as well as opponents of the Final Statement had trouble with the direction-authority of the Dutch Justice Minister for the local Prosecution and the fact that the document in question assumed one Attorney General for all the islands of the Dutch Caribbean. experts an accord that is not in the interest of the country and as a camoufl age, they use such a picture.” She said several lawyers whom she had approached on the matter had all indicated that the picture used in the ad was illegal. “The ad is disturbing and we are very disappointed. For me personally and the PPA, the Democratic Party (DP) has become desperate and desperate people commit desperate acts,” Arrindell told The Daily Herald. She also said she hoped the Council of Churches and the people of St. Maarten would take note of what the DP was capable of doing. PPA will approach the Council of Churches and ask it to follow up in taking action it deems appropriate to stop these types of actions. “We know that they have been intimidating people for a long time, but that will not prevent the PPA and myself from keeping our heads high and continue to deal with the people’s business. While the DP denounces certain political propaganda, the same party turns around and uses someone else’s body to de- fame the leader of the PPA. That is against the law. I checked it out.” Arrindell said PPA was studying measures the party could take against the ad in the next couple of days although, because of time constraints, it was unlikely that court action would be pursued at this stage. “The PPA has been fi rm and critical on failed policies of government, but has not resorted to these kinds of tactics,” Arrindell said. She said the ad went against the collective psyche of all women of St. Maarten. “I have been a fervent sup- porter and defendant of women rights, long before I came into politics. That ad is just as bad. Two wrongs don’t make a right,” she said.

Islands 7 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 PHILIPSBURG--The three major political parties will have their fi nal public meetings before the election on Wednesday. People’s Progressive Alli- ance will have it last public meeting in the parking lot outside Le Grand Marché and National Alliance has scheduled its last meeting in St. Peters. The fi nal public meeting of the Democratic Party is planned to take place in front of the Government Administration Building. All three political parties have planned some surpris- es in the form of additional entertainment for their supporters attending the public meeting. The people of St. Maarten will elect the members of the Island Council on Election Day, Friday, April 20. AUC’s Alpha Omega Phi Honour and Service Society representatives with representatives of the organisations that received donation on Monday. CUPECOY--Alpha Omega Phi Honour and Service So- ciety of American Univer- sity of the Caribbean (AUC) School of Medicine donated US $6,400 to three local organisations on Monday to help fuel their work. Honour Society Presi- dent Justin Millard said the amount was the largest the Society had ever raised and donated in one semester. Special Olympics Founda- tion received US $2,800, St. Maarten Nature Founda- tion $1,800 and Safe Haven $1,800. In addition, the AUC Student Government Associ- ation (SGA) gave Prins Wil- lem Alexander School $300. Special Olympics Founda- tion had requested the funds to purchase airline tickets for its clients to travel to com- pete in the Special Olympics World Games in Shanghai, China, October 1-13. St. Maarten Special Olym- pians Lindomar Carvon and Linda Richardson, who will be competing in China, ac- companied Special Olympics President Angela Richards- Huggins to express their thanks to the Society for its gesture. Millard said the Society tried to make donations each semester. The funds were raised during several fund- raising activities held over the past four months, including a wine and cheese party, a silent auction, a T-shirt sale and a basketball tournament. AUC Director of Commu- nity Services Dr. Sue Atch- ley said the students were already planning new events and fundraisers for the summer semester to be able to assist more foundations in the community. The donations were handed out by Millard and outgoing SGA President Jody Sadler. Also present at the ceremony were Safe Haven Director Oldine Bryson-Pantophlet, Nature Foundation President Beverly Mae Nisbeth and the principal of Prins Willem Al- exander School. A group of teachers participating in the fi rst class for the Foundation Based Education (FBE) Cycle 2 re-training programme, at the Seventh Day Adventist Primary School in Cole Bay. COLE dation (FBE) Cycle 2 re-training programme commenced at the Seventh Day Adventist Primary School in Cole Bay yesterday. University of St. Maarten (USM) and the Island Gov- ernment of St. Maarten on behalf of Bureau for Edu- cational Research, Policy, Planning and Innovations (BERPPI) signed an agree- BAY--The Based Foun- ment whereby USM would be responsible for carry- ing out the mandatory fi ve- module two-year re-training programme for all Cycle 2 subsidised and public school teachers. The classes will be taught in both Dutch and English for the Dutch- and English- speaking teachers. Classes will be taught at three different schools throughout the week: Methodist Agogic Centre, the Seventh Day Ad- ventist Primary School and St. Dominic Primary School. USONA has provided funding for the re-training programme, which cost NAf. 336,000. The FBE Cycle 2 re- training programme will co- incide with the new Teacher Education programme that will be offered at USM as of August. Education MARIGOT--With only a few days to go to the fi rst round of voting in the French presidential elections on Saturday, April 21, campaigning in St. Martin appears to be decidedly low key, in direct contrast to mass rallies and a proliferation of billboards, posters, and fl ags sprouting all over the Dutch side. Some elected offi cials have admitted the presidential elections will be greatly overshadowed by the Dutch side elections, the two being so close together. Only a few posters have been spotted around Marigot and the designated billboards are mostly unfi lled. On the road to Sandy Ground, the faces of only three of the 12 presidential candidates – Olivier Besancenot, Ségolène Royal and Fran- çois Bayrou – are on the billboard. Reports said Sarkozy’s poster had already been ripped off. “It is very low key on the French side,” agreed First Deputy Mayor Jean-Luc Hamlet. “More campaigning goes on behind close doors privately and you don’t have so many of these big rallies you have on the Dutch side. Historically, voter turnout for presidential elections has not been that great here,” he said. Hamlet’s comments were borne out by one French met- ropolitan who remarked, “Expatriates living here are more interested in the local elections than the presidential elections.” The only parties that are campaigning in a big way in St. Martin so far are UMP and the Socialists. The 13 polling stations will be open from 8:00am until 6:00pm this Saturday beckoning to 14,557 eligible voters. When Jacques Chirac won the presidency fi ve years ago in 2002, there were 3,227 votes from 13,364 voters (24.14 per cent) in St. Martin in the fi rst round and 4,161 votes from 13,366 on the electoral list (31.13 per cent). Just 1,905 people voted in the European elections of 2004, a turnout of 13.7 per cent. April 16, ‘07 April 16th, ‘07 DRAW DATE 25 11 10 08 48 15 27 44 14 37 17 39 21 16 31 03 13 30 38 36 737 562 716 5786 2227 6484 # 02 03 04 14 18 20 28 29 The first 20 balls + 35 12 07 13 14 15 17 21 22 The first 22 balls + 255 525 910 8172 2770 7066 19 50 24 The first 25 balls + 41 45 40 32 23 04 46 18 06 34 April 14, ‘07 04 07 18 22 25 30 The first 35 balls + 33 28 26 07 18/04/07 860 270 246 4329 2012 8729 $130,500 $19,000

8 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Islands 9 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 PHILIPSBURG--The Island Government’s HIV/AIDS Programme Management Team in collaboration with the Caribbean Health Re- search Council held a two-day workshop for HIV/AIDS tors at the Carl’s Unique Inn conference room recently. According to the Gov- ernment Information Service (GIS), the purpose of this workshop was to train the HIV/ AIDS coordinators on how to effectively monitor and evaluate HIV/ AIDS programmes. Topics covered during the two-day training were: what is monitoring and evaluation and why it is important, charac- teristics of monitoring systems, national monitoring evaluation, and evaluation indicators for the St. Maarten HIV/ AIDS Strategic 2007-2011. Attending the workshop were HIV/AIDS coordinators represent- ing various sectors of the community, such as the tourism sector, education sector, legal sector, private sector and non- governmental organizations. HIV/AIDS Programme Manager Suzette Mo- ses-Burton to GIS that to achieve the goal of the 2007- 2011 HIV/AIDS Stra- tegic Plan “To increase the involvement of all sectors in the HIV response on St. Maarten” a multi-sector approach must be used ensuring all key sectors in the community are involved in implementing the national plan. Ansari Ameen of the Caribbean Health Re- search Council facili- tated the workshop, the third in a series started in December 2006 to develop and strengthen the capacity of the HIV/ AIDS coordinators in the various programmat- ic areas related to HIV. The coordinators will participate in a Behav- iour Change Communi- cation Training in May 2007 that will enable them to increase their knowledge and skills in the area of Behaviour Change Communica- tions. This will contrib- ute to their ability to increase prevention work in their respective sectors. coordina- Henriquez, Croes and Company (HCC), an accounting and business advisory fi rm operating in St. Maarten, Aruba, Curaçao and neighbouring islands celebrated 35 years of being established in St. Maarten on April 7. For the occasion, the Aruba management and staff travelled St. Maarten to join the local team for an Easter weekend of festivities, which included a catamaran trip to Anguilla, an island bus tour, a celebration dinner at Rare restaurant and an evening at Cheri’s Café. In photo: The St. Maarten and Aruba teams. WILLEMSTAD--More than a year after the production of the documentary “Bon Futuro 2005” on Curaçao’s prison, the fi lm has had several television showings in Curaçao, Aruba, Suriname and the Netherlands. Schools in the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba have received a DVD of the fi lm to be shown to the students. It is also used in prevention programmes that stimulate awareness of the risks and consequences of crime. Following the positive effects of the fi lm, a number of institutions and individual persons have requested Renée Gielen, the producer of the documentary, to produce a sequel to the fi lm. “A number of the juve- nile delinquents we saw in Bon Futuro 2005 are doing well. They are free – but how are they handling their freedom and what kind of support are they getting. As for those, who are still in detention, how are they far- ing, one year later,” states the release. Renée Gielen has responded to this request. She has prepared the scenario for a logical sequel, and has found the necessary sponsors. With fi nancial backing from Banco di Caribe, ENNIA, Nationale Investerings Bank, Fun- dashon Bon Intenshon and Karel Frielink, production costs have already been se- cured. Filming began last week and footage will be shot inside the penitentiary this week. The new fi lm shows how the youngsters are picking up their lives, but also sheds light on the home situation, which is sometimes dispar- aging. In addition, the fi lm sheds light on other aspects, acknowledging the fact that not only young people from poor or socially vulner- able backgrounds commit crimes such as armed rob- beries. What thoughts and emotions play a role in the minds of these young offenders, and do they realize the consequences of their actions? Not only old faces, but also new detainees are seen in this fi lm. The new documentary pays attention to the institutions that the young detainees are confronted with during their detention and zooms in on the method of dealing with drug-related offenders. It also looks at the government crime prevention programmes, such as drop- out centres, information campaigns, better organized education, “keeping youths off the street”, and preventing their “escape” to the Netherlands. With these programmes the government strives to bring to their awareness that there is a better way than the path of crime. Meanwhile, in the detention centre, a “second chance” project has been started for detainees. This project aims at giving ex-in- mates a “another chance” in society. Bon Futuro 2007 brings all these aspects to the viewer’s attention in a most revealing way. Announcements will ap- pear in the media well ahead of its premiere and television broadcast. Plan mentioned Commissioner of Youth Affairs Louie Laveist (right) was the sponsor of Raheen ‘Mighty Hefe Junior’ Frederick (left) who recently won the Junior Roadmarch crown. Laveist is seen holding a T-shirt made for Frederick’s supporters. The T-shirts were also contributed by Laveist. AMSTERDAM--The court handling of the trial of crime boss suspect Willem Holleeder and nine others was temporarily suspended on Monday. The court said it would review the situation in the beginning of May. The court will then de- cide whether Holleeder, who had major heart surgery last week, has recovered enough to continue his trial. Prosecutor Koos Plooij said Holleeder could be discharged from hospital in two weeks and described his lawyer’s call for a three- to six-month recovery period a “defence strategy.” Plooij stressed that there was a difference between a full recovery and being well enough to continue trial.

Islands 10 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 AGENDA WILLEMSTAD--The position of the Democratic Par- ty with Norbert George as new leader and the ‘doubters’ -people who do not know yet whether to vote for a party that is in favour or against the Final State- ment- could prove decisive for the direction that would Curaçao take after Friday’s Island Council elections. This is evident from an analysis of a recent poll in which PAR leads with 8 seats and FOL loses with just 1 seat. In the poll conducted by Key Research, part of the University of the Dutch Caribbean (UDC), in co- operation with the Dutch research bureau view NSS, most of the 550 people surveyed indicated that “they don’t know yet” or that “they don’t want to say,” respectively 34.1 and 12.9 per cent; almost 50 per cent together. The interviewers could tell which parties the doubters had in mind. For example, 8.3 per cent was indecisive between PNP and PAR, 1.9 per cent between FOL and PAR, 1.8 per cent between MAN and PAR. In total, 5.7 percent is indecisive between parties that are in favour or against the Final Statement. If the doubters were included, the pro-Final State- ment parties PAR and PNP with 40.3 per cent together would not obtain the majority. But, the parties that are against the Final Statement wouldn’t win either. In such a scenario DP could be the key party in the pro/ contra fi ght. DP has not yet indicated whether the party is pro or contra. At fi rst the new party leader Nor- bert George said he didn’t know, then he became pro, however the party has gone back to being indecisive recently. According to the interviewers, including all the doubters between DP and another party, DP would have a potential of 9.2 per cent of the votes. Added to the 5.7 percent of doubters between pro and contra, this would be decisive. However, one must bear in mind that this is a poll conducted some time ago and that 12.9 per cent of the interviewees refused to give an answer. Further- more, these types of polls have a normal error rate of approximately 4 per cent. ST. EUSTATIUS Police Station 182333 Emergency 111 Hot Line 108 Fire Department 120 Hospital 182211/182371 Landsradio 182210 Post Offi ce 182207 St. Eustatius Historical Foundation Museum 182288 Winair Offi ce 182362 Lions Club meets every 1st and 3rd Wednesday at the “Den” next to the Airport Drug Prevention Foundation meets every Tuesday 5:30pm at the Golden Era Hotel. Coastguard NA&A 113 St. Eustatius National parks: Gallows Bay: 318 2884 SABA Police Station The Bottom, tel. 4163237 Emergency 111/112 Hospital The Bottom, tel. 4163288/4163289 Fire Department Airport Flat Point tel. 4162210 SATEL The Bottom, tel. 4163211 WINAIR, Airport Flat Point, tel. 4162255/2713 Taxi Service Airport Flat Point, tel. 160 Administration Building The Bottom, tel. 4163311/4163312/4163313 Tourist Offi ce Windwardside, tel. 4162231 Harbour Offi ce Fort Bay, tel. 4163294 Saba Marine Park Fort Bay, tel. 4163295 Nature & Hike Guide James Johnson The Bottom, tel. 4163307 Service Club Saba Lions Club general meeting every 1st and 3rd Tuesday 8:00 p.m. at Eugenius A. Johnson Center. Coastguard NA&A 113 Red Cross General meeting every last Monday, 6 p.m, Eugenius A. Johnson Center. Lt. Governor Sorton accepts the coat of arms of the HNLMS Zuiderkruis from Com- mander van Lent. Inter- SABA--Lt. Governor Sydney Sorton received a courtesy call from Oscar van Lent, Commanding Offi cer of the HNLMS Zuiderkruis, the Dutch Navy ship currently serving as the West Indian Guardian Ship on Monday morning. Van Lent presented the ship’s coat of arms to Sor- ton. The Commander said that the Netherlands always has a ship in the Caribbean and the Zuiderkruis has been on a more than fi ve-month tour, which has been very successful. Van Lent said the ship had been responsible for the area’s biggest drug bust in the last 10 years when it confi s- cated 18 bales of cocaine and heroin valued at over US $30 million just a month ago. Since the criminals were caught on the high seas rather than in territorial waters, they were turned over to the US Coast Guard for prosecution. The Dutch Navy works closely with the Joint Task Force fi ghting transhipment of drugs in the Caribbean basin. In addition to being part of the anti-drug campaign in the region, the presence of the guardian ship is also for humanitarian purposes and to “show the fl ag.” About 30 per cent of the 180-member able to visit Saba during the one-day stay. The ship was moored off Ladder Bay. It was the fi rst visit for Van Lent, who invited Sorton, Commissioner Will Johnson, and Harbour Master Bruce Zagers to return with him to have lunch on board and enjoy a ship’s tour. The vessel has two speed- boats, a helicopter, and two boarding teams. The Com- mander is also empowered as a special police offi cer, which allows him to make arrests. ANGUILLA EMERGENCY Police 911 Fire 911 Ambulance 911 Police Station 497 2333 Hospital 497 2551 Dental clinic 497 2343 Radio Anguilla 497 2218 Tourism Department 497 2759 Crimestoppers 0800 7777777 AIRLINES American Eagle 497 3501 Winair 497 2748 Liat 497 5000 Tyden Air 497 2719 Air Anguilla 497 2643 Trans Anguilla 497 8690 COURIER SERVICE DHL 497 3400 Federal Express 497 2719 UPS 497 2239 SERVICE CLUBS Rotary Club of Anguilla Roy’s Restaurant 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Every Thursday. Soroptimist International Day Care Centre 4.30 p.m. 2nd Tuesday in each month Tel: 497 3509 Lions Club The Valley Primary School 1st and 3rd Tuesday at 8.00 p.m. Tel: 497 6259 National Council of Women Arts and Craft Centre 4.30 p.m. 1st Monday in month. Interact Club of Anguilla Meets every Friday at 3.15 p.m. at theAlbena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School Alcoholic Anonymous meetings every Sunday at 8:30 am and Monday at 5:00 pm on Shoal Bay picnic area. SABA--The Saba Labour Party (SLP) will hold its public meeting Tuesday evening, at the Sunny Valley Youth Centre in The Bottom, starting at 7:00pm. Founder of the party Ish- mael Levenstone returned to the island on Monday afternoon from Curaçao where he had been hospi- talized for the past three weeks. Levenstone said he is “very happy” to be back home and was feeling much better than before he left. “Thank God, I am now able to walk, and I am thankful to the doctors and nurses of the A.M. Edward’s Medi- cal Centre and also those at the St. Elisabeth hospital in Curaçao. I must also thank the many persons that have called and sent their get- well wishes to me while in Curaçao,” he said. The public meeting of the SLP will deal with many issues, among which the island’s constitutional status, it was stated in a press release issued Monday. crew were tonight, THE HAGUE--Former Dutch PvdA party leader Ad Melkert was closely involved in events surrounding the confl ict of interest scandal currently facing World Bank leader Paul Wolfowitz, according to World Bank documents. The documents show that Melkert, chairman of the World Bank’s ethics committee, gave Wolfowitz a “personal and confi dential” memo on behalf of the committee in October 2005 to acknowledge the “resolution of the confl ict of interest.” “This matter can be treated as closed,” Melk- ert wrote. Wolfowitz has been under considerable pressure to resign since it emerged that he was involved in getting a new job and salary increase for his girlfriend Shaha Riza. The 100 pages of once- confi dential documents released by the World Bank at the end of last week reveal a cosy relationship between the president and not only his friend, but also the chairman of the ethics committee. “Dear Paul,” Melkert added in a hand-written note, “This is (formally worded for the records) just to confi rm the outcome regarding extraordinarily diffi cult issue.” Melkert went on to thank Wolfowitz and wish Riza happiness in her “new assignment.” “PS,” he added, “Please let me know whether you could accept an invita- tion to you and Shaha at our place …” Reuters reported last week that a spokesman for Melkert had confi rmed that his committee had advised Wolfow- itz that Riza should be moved outside the bank to avoid breaking rules on inter-company relationships, but had left it up to management to determine the terms. this Subscribe to PHONE 5425253

Islands 11 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 ST. EUSTATIUS--Con- tractor Elvin Manpower N.V. raised the fl ag and poured champagne on the rafters after the highest point of the construction of the multipurpose classroom at Golden Rock School was reached. Contractor Elroy Aven- turin said a “milestone” had been reached. He spoke of the several set- backs the project had encountered with the delivery of the necessary building material. He especially thanked his workers, “for without them,” he said, “the work could not have been done.” The 100-square-meter classroom was fi nanced by USONA. The design and supervision were carried out by Niek van der Ree of Pream Archi- tects. Also involved were Maldwin Timber of the Planning Bureau with the assistance of Siem Dijkshoorn. After everyone had toasted on the special occasion, Golden Rock School Principal Debbie Clarke-Brown said she Principal Clarke-Brown (left) pours champagne on the rafters of the new multipurpose classroom at Golden Rock School, while a construction worker is hoisting the Statia fl ag. was looking forward to the opening of the new classroom. Timber and school board member Ingrid Whitfi eld both congratu- Two human traffi ckers, Hector Ramon Rojas Acosta and Henry Gonzales Henao are taken back to prison after they have been sentenced. lated the contractor and his workers. Dijkshoorn expressed his hope that the project would be continued without any- more hiccups. ARUBA--A captain and a mate, who transported 18 persons from Venezuela early January, were sentenced to respectively 16 and 20 months imprisonment, for their involvement in human traffi cking. On January 6th of this year, the Coast Guard detected a small boat on the radar that was making conspicu- ous movements, didn’t have lights and was not registered. The Coast Guard stopped the boat near the harbour of Barcadera and arrested the 20 persons on board. They said two seamen 36- year old Venezuelan Hec- tor Ramon Rojas Acosta and 44-year old Colombian Henry Gonzales Henao were the captain and the mate respectively. The two were locked up in separate cells in San Nicolas. The passengers were also detained pending deportation. The purpose of their journey was to seek a livelihood in Aruba. They came in a small boat because they had no passport and no money for an airplane ticket. The judge said airline tickets would have been cheap- er, considering the fact that Gonzalez had paid 6,400 dollars for the boat, including the engines. The group of person on board had come from Colombia to Punto Fijo (Venezuela) and had paid Rojas 320 US dollars each for the trip to Aruba. The passengers, who couldn’t swim, had been promised that they would have been taken to shore however, they would still have to swim if things did not work out. Due to the economic situation in Colombia, people leave their country to seek a better exis- tence elsewhere, in this case Aruba. The captain of the boat contended the boat had been purchased by all the persons on board for this purpose, but in essence the people had paid for the trip and he would have probably kept the boat. The prosecution presumes that an organised human traffi cking gang is behind this transport, because close to shore, someone in the boat signalled with a light to somebody on shore. This means that there is a network and the boat with passengers was expected. Gonzales had already been deported before and has no legal papers. The prosecution demanded three years for Gonzalez and 18 months for Rojas. The judge said this was not the fi rst human traffi cking case. The Court considers human smuggling a very serious offence. He also said that Gonzales had shown no respect for the law in Aruba. He had been deported before and had still tried to come back. He concluded that it was proven that Rojas had accepted money for the trip and that he was the captain. However, he still thought the prosecution had demanded too severe a punishment. ARUBA—Giovanny statia (33) died in Aruba on Sunday, after he had lost control of the motorcycle he had been riding at high speed, slamming into the side of a pick-up truck at the Mondi Fierno intersec- tion in Balashi. By the time the ambulance arrived, Eustatia had suc- cumbed to severe injuries to the head was no was longer showing any sign of life. He was declared dead on the spot by a doctor soon after. It’s the seventh fatal road accident in Aruba for the year. Eu- That the campaign in Curaçao is heating up is evident from the poster on this bus. It says the Final Statement announces the death of the parties PAR and PNP (which support it-ed) and that the funeral will be on April 21, the day after the election.

Islands 12 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 WILLEMSTAD--Camac International Corporation established in wants to reach an agreement with the Island Terri- tory of Curaçao on a partnership in the Isla oil-refi n- ery. Vice-president of the refi nery’s current operator, Venezuela’s state owned oil company PdVSA, Alejan- dro Granado will come to Curaçao on April 23rd for deliberations on PdVSA’s partnership in Isla. After all negotiations have been completed Curaçao, which currently owns the refi nery, will keep a minority share. Camac’s chief executives gave a presentation to the Executive Council regarding their desire to engage in a partnership in the refi n- ery. Camac has good relations with Citgo, the Amer- ican daughter company of PdVSA, and according to Commissioner of Curacao’s government-owned companies Nelson Pierre (NPA), Camac is currently engaged in the take-over purchase of three American refi ner- ies belonging to PdVSA. tee consisting of Pierre, Herbert Mensche, director of the government-owned holding company of the refi nery “Refi neria di Kòr- sou,” and Oscar Steenbaar, deliberated with Camac’s chief executives for hours on recommendations and possibilities. Since Steenbaar was not on the island, two members of the technical committee, Clark Gomes Casseres and Jaime de Sola reinforced the committee. During its weekly meeting on Wednesday, the Execu- tive Council will receive the formal announcement of the above-mentioned part- nerships in a letter to Pd- VSA for approval. The vice-president of the state-owned oil company PdVSA, Alejandro Gra- nado will come to Curaçao on April 23rd to discuss the proposals of the island and PdVSA. It is quite possible that a representative of Ca- mac will attend the discus- sions. Pierre says the appraisal of the refi nery will be ready by next week. ABN Amro has drawn up an appraisal report while a South-Ameri- can organization has made a study on the geopolitical value of Isla. Camac’s delegation con- sisted of chief executive offi cer Kase Lawal, executive vice-president Joseph Alex Loftus and vice-president West Africa Steve Hill. Ca- mac was the fi rst independent gas and oil producer in Nigeria and is number 272 on the Forbes list of private companies in the US. Camac was also chosen as Company of the Year by Black Enterprise Maga- zine, and Lawal is considered one of the wealthiest and most infl uential black persons in the US. Houston ‘Kuifje’ (‘Tintin’ in French and English), the famous Bel- gian comic book series about a boy, his little white dog and their adventures, has been published in Papiamentu for the fi rst time. ‘E Asuntu di Florisol’ (‘The Case of the Sun- fl ower’) was the fi rst edition to be translated, with 10,000 copies printed. One half goes to Bonaire, where the initiative came from, and the other half to Curaçao. The 70,000 US dollar cost was covered by sponsors in Bonaire. After the bible, Kuifje is the most-translated literary work ever, already available in 72 other languages and dialects. Chief executive offi cer Kase Lawal of Camac Interna- tional Corporation. On account of the excellent relations with PdVSA, the latter won’t have a problem accepting Camac as the third partner. As already known, PdVSA has indicated its desire to acquire 49 per cent of the refi nery’s shares. PdVSA would also like to have a say in the selection of a third party. Last year, at the beginning of the deliberations on renegotiating the current lease contract which expires in 2019, Pierre indicated his preference of an American company as the third shareholder. This third party will have to share the remain- ing 51 percent of the shares with the Island Territory if PdVSA indeed gets the 49 per cent. Pierre says the island will settle for 5 to 10 per cent, provided that it retains a special say in the refi nery, because the refi nery is established on the island. A perfect situation involves both PdVSA and Camac paying one billion dollars for a combination of shares and investments in the refi nery, said Pierre. There was no reaction from the other members of the Executive Council on Camac’s presentation. After the presentation, the negotiation commit- ST. cruise ship visitor arrivals will receive a boost from the addition of the Carnival Des- tiny cruise ship, which will bring approximately 130,000 cruisers to St. Kitts. A press release issued by the St. Kitts Tourism Author- ity said the ship’s fi rst call will be on January 10, 2008 and it will spend a full day in port, allowing passengers ample time to explore the island. Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism, Sports and Culture Richard Skerritt was quoted as saying, “we are approaching the 400,000 annual passenger milestone in the growth of St. Kitts’ cruise tourism industry. However, increasing the number of passenger arrivals is not our biggest concern. We are more concerned about seasonality, sustainability and the quality of visitor experience and visitor expenditure.” He said the year round arrival of the Carnival Destiny will make a major difference to all of these concerns, and KITTS--Next year’s is a development which high- lights the emergence of St. Kitts as a world-class desti- nation with unique cultural and recreational experiences that are being sought after by today’s discerning travellers. The Minister also reported that in response to the an- ticipated growth in tourism from cruise passenger arrivals as well as overall arrivals, St. Kitts has certifi ed more than 60 new taxi drivers over the past year alone and continued to provide duty and tax exemptions on vehicle imports to local taxi operators to accommodate the increased demand for transportation and island tours by visitors. All taxi operators are required to complete extensive hospitality training prior to licensing to ensure the consistent delivery of a top quality taxi experience. The St. Kitts Tourism Authority has announced that its cruise arrivals will increase by over 70 per cent in 2008.

Islands 13 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 ARUBA--Due to the fact that Aruba is already a country within the Kingdom and has had experience being a country for 21 years, while Curaçao and St. Maarten still have to acquire country status, Aruba demands that the presiding judge of the Joint Court of Justice have his/her seat in Aruba after the dis- solution of the Netherlands Antilles. This is stated in a memo from Justice Minister Rudy Croes, published by the Ami- goe newspaper. The memo was discussed in a committee consisting of lawyers and several government services. In the meantime it has been sent to the Ministers of Jus- tice of the Netherlands and the Netherlands Antilles, stating Aruba’s offi cial position. The judicial power and legal system organisation are subjects that need to be settled again within the Dutch King- dom, when at the end of next year, the Netherlands Antil- les ceases to exist in its current constellation. Aruba is part of this, because the judicial power and the legal system is currently regulated via the Coopera- tion Regulation Netherlands Antilles and Aruba SWR, which prescribes that all judges are members of the Joint Court and the cases in First Instance are distributed by the presiding Judge of the Court. In addition, all the ap- peal cases are heard in Cura- çao. In the negotiations, Aruba will demand that the Presid- ing Judge have his/her seat in Aruba, and that the island retain its own Attorney Gen- eral. Aruba does agree with the Dutch viewpoint on one Court for the six islands, as the current presiding judge Luis de Lannoy proposed, and that the judicial power and legal system be laid down in a Kingdom law, which would replace the SWR. This means that the proce- dural law and the legal position of the members Court and also the Public Prosecu- tor shall all be included in the Kingdom law. Government maintains that the appointment procedure of abovementioned members must remain the same as much as possible. Currently, the appointment is done by Royal decree via the Council of Ministers of the countries and upon recommendation of the Court. Duck International has been operating on the island St. Maarten for over 10 years and is the owner and operator of the new Coral Beach Club Resort. As a responsible corporate entity, we recognize our obligations to operate our facilities in full compliance with Government’s regulations and the laws. Duck International’s representative, Peyton Cromwell, has been a dedicated businessman contributing to the island’s development for more than 20 years. The other partners in the Coral Beach project have also invested millions of dollars in St. Maarten’s tourism industry. Therefore, in commencing the Coral Beach operations we are making sure that we operate in the framework of good corporate citizenship. Unfortunately, however, the ongoing dispute and groundless claims made by Ms. Verwoord are not only unwarranted, but are also negatively impacting the image of Duck International. By virtue of this press release, we would like to set the record straight and give you, the people of St. Maarten and visitors alike, a complete and truthful account of the actual situation. The objective of the Coral Beach Club development is clear. As developers, we intend to cultivate a tourism product for St. Maarten that caters to the upscale market of the tourism industry, a market that has been thus far overlooked. We plan to do so by establish- ing a boutique resort, which essentially is a small property of 23 luxury villas that offers an enhanced level of service at a premium price and is marketed to affluent clientele. This goal can only be achieved by ensuring that the resort’s surroundings are on par with a luxury accommodation, which is attractive and appealing to our guests. Such accommodations will benefit the economy of St. Maarten because it will attract the high-end visitor with a large disposable income. Relative to our present litigation, our “Meet Brief” or “Certificate of Admeasurements” shows the beach in our deed and from that understanding we approached Ms. Verwoord regarding the terms and conditions of her vending license. Ms. Verwoord’s operation and lavatory facilities did not meet the required hygienic standards and thus became a concern for us. With this concern, we met with Ms. Verwoord and requested that she live up to the terms of her vending license. Ms. Verwoord was not pleased with any of our requests and demanded in excess of USD 1 million dollars for her departure from the beach. Based on her demands, we had no other choice but to seek legal action. Despite these litigations, we remained in good faith and on January 2007, we sat with Ms. Verwoord and her many advisors to ne- gotiate a mutually acceptable and amicable agreement that culminated in a conclusive Memorandum of Understanding to resolve our ongoing disputes and litigations. Ms. Verwoord agreed to our Memorandum of Understanding, because after reading it, she signed its contents and shook our hands in agreement. Along with the representatives of Duck International, Ms. Verwoord acknowledged and agreed to the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. A cash payment of USD 50,000.00. A rent free booth on the property of Coral Beach Club Resort from which to operate. Exclusive rights to provide beach chairs and umbrellas to Coral Beach Club Resort’s guests. Exclusive rights to provide room service to Coral Beach Club Resort guests. A 50% discount on a USD 400,000, restaurant commercial space measuring 2,500 square feet with restrooms and other amenities. As an added bonus, Ms. Verwoord was offered owner’s financing at 6 % interest, no money down, thus a very low payment of only USD $1,000.00 per month for 3 years, which would give her sufficient time and leverage to seek a bank loan. It is important to note, that without any external pressure whatsoever, Duck International took the initiative to provide these favorable terms and conditions to Ms. Verwoord. These terms and conditions by far exceed any Court decisions and recommendations and would have contributed quite profitably to Ms. Verwoord’s business development with an enhanced Ms. B’s restaurant brand. In addition, they would have resolved the “false negative” impressions promulgated by Ms. Verwoord. Duck International was falsely accused of: ~ Says the IMF in its annual report ~ ST. KITTS--The Washing- ton-based Monetary Fund while predicting lower economic growth in the Ca- ribbean this year and next, says St. Kitts and Nevis will be among the best performers in 2007. The IMF also said Cricket World Cup could be a mixed blessing for the region. In its annual report, the IMF said the economies of 15 Caribbean countries collectively should grow by 5.4 per cent this year. That’s down from the 8.3 per cent real Gross Domes- tic Product of 2006. The IMF forecast covers the nations that make up the Cariforum region – the 14 independent Caribbean Community Caricom States and the Dominican Repub- lic. The IMF forecast that the best performers are likely to be the Republic of Trini- dad and Tobago (seven per cent), the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis (six per cent) and the Dominican Republic (six per cent). The IMF said the factors in determining mance this year included the ripple effect of a sharp- er-than-expected downturn in the United States economy and tighter global credit conditions. It anticipates that things will be no better for most countries in 2008, with overall growth expected at just over four per cent for the entire region. Meanwhile, the Wash- ington-based lender said the Caribbean’s inaugural hosting of the Cricket World Cup has been a boon to the region’s economy. But it warned the party might end in a debt and fi scal hangover. Caribbean governments have spent about $250 million in the past two years to build or upgrade stadiums and other infrastructure in the nine countries hosting the March 5 to April 28 contest. “Partly as a result of this expenditure, primary balances have deteriorated in most countries, and average public debt remained over 100 per cent of GDP at end-2006 in host countries,” the IMF said in its semiannual regional outlook. (CUOPM) International (IMF), 1. 2. 3. Denying public access to the beach for purposes. Big business commercialization of the beach. Big business denying business opportunities to local persons on the beach. Actual Situation: Following the January 2007 agreement, Duck International was under the impression that the issue was finally resolved and both parties were prepared to embark on a productive and amicable working relationship. However to our dismay, Ms. Verwoord used several months to pressure Government, obviously, for other incentives. She also presented Duck International with a counter proposal that included an additional 50% increase of the cash payment and an even more liberal financing scheme for the purchase of commercial space. In addition, Ms. Verwoord made a list of demands for the Island Government, among which she demanded that Government grants her a 20 year tax free holiday, exclusive use of the beach long term and payment of her legal expenses. It then became very clear from Ms. Verwoord’s counter proposal, that she was neither interested in the social causes she professed to champion, nor in having any other local person doing business with her on the beach. Further, if the agreement was so unfair, why did the other beach vendor accept the terms and conditions without any protest? Ms. Verwoord obviously was not interested in an amicable resolution. She just wanted to, in her own words to, “go back to court.” Due to her statement, we have no other recourse but to believe that she has other motives. Thus, based on Ms. Verwoord’s constant expression of indecisiveness, questionable motives and volatility, Duck International has decided not to accept her new demands and pursue further litigation. multilateral In conclusion, it is important for the people of St. Maarten to know that it is neither Duck International’s intentions nor motives to negatively impact any local small business development. On the contrary, our Memorandum of Understanding with Ms. Verwoord calls for a more sustainable business than she currently has with her one year renewable vending license. A testament of our corporate policies and practices can be verified through the building process with the Coral Beach Club Resort’s construction when we awarded building contracts to local contractors and subcontractors. Also, in anticipation of the opening of our resort we have employed local employees to perform various tasks in the resort. Further, it was and never will be Duck International’s intention to restrict public access to the beach. In reality, we have dedicated additional parking spaces for the public and a paved public access route from our premises to the beach. It is also important to note, that Duck International. has no corporate intention to commercial- ize the beach. We would instead wish to maintain the natural beauty and tranquility of the beach’s present surroundings. What we would also like the people of St Maarten to know and understand is that we remain committed to improving the social and economic wellbeing of the island through discretionary business practices and contributions of good corporate resources. And what we rightfully want as a corporation is the opportunity to develop, construct, and operate a successful high end boutique resort that will be second to none in the region. Sincerely, Duck International perfor-

Islands 15 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 ANGUILLA--A three-day training course in Geo- graphic Information Sys- tems (GIS) started here on Monday under the sponsor- ship of the Department of International Development in London, England. The course, which is being conducted by Miguel Gar- riga, President of the GIS Consulting and for the Enterprise, based in Florida, has attracted 12 participants from the Disas- ter Management Committee and Government personnel who may serve in the Na- tional Emergency Opera- tions Centre. The software and manu- als are being supplied by Environmental Systems Re- search International. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance Adrian Harrigan in remarks at the opening session said the course was an important one because Anguilla was trying to vamp up all disaster arrangements. He noted that mitigation is one thing but after a disaster the response is important and it was necessary to use all available technology to be able to have all the information ready. Disaster Manager Eliza- beth Klute stressed the need to have a clear picture of what has happened and where. With the information set up it will be possible to take it and quantify it to build a complete picture. She said that the fi rst day will involve the concepts of intelligent mapping. The second day will be a smaller group of persons for the technical training and the third day will be the complete group that will learn how to use the mapping techniques to support a disaster. There will also be an exercise on damage assess- ment mapping. Training From left: Adrian Harrigan, Roger Bellers (Disaster Adviser for DFID), Miguel Garriga and Elizabeth Klute at the opening of the GIS training workshop. NEVIS--Jamali Chapman, a young man in his early twen- ties, was shot several times about the head and body and has died of his injuries. Reports indicate that the incident occurred in the wee hours of Sunday morning in Bath Vil- lage. Police in Nevis are investigating what is the second ho- micide in Nevis for this year so far, and the fourth in the Federation. BONAIRE--The Council did not pass the two motions that opposition party DP-Bonaire proposed in the public meeting. The governing party UPB used its majority and voted them down. UPB-leader Ramonsito Booi called the motions outdated, because had been scheduled for the meeting of March 22nd. Booi says that in the meantime Finance Commission- er Reginald Dortalina had given the Island Council information in a professional manner. It was DP-Bonaire that requested the Abraham did this after the council had received the report of the General Au- dit Chamber of the Neth- erlands Antilles about the investments in Bonaire’s airport. The meeting was ad- journed for two days and took place last Friday. Abraham is very disappointed in the outcome, because the council has not received the documents it had asked for; documents the Executive Council had promised to give. Abraham says the Execu- tive Council kept saying that the Audit Chamber Island had not received information from the Bonaire Gov- ernment, as if this had been the only issue brought up by the chamber. “The report is crushing. It mentions that no information could be given. But that’s not everything. That same report also says that rules concerning lawfulness and suitability had not been complied with. But the Ex- ecutive Council doesn’t say a word about this.” The DP-Bonaire proposed two motions: one to have the government accountant foundation Soab perform an audit on the investments in the airport and Bonaire International Airport NV, and one ordering the executive Council and the Lt. Governor to give the Audit Chamber and the Island Council the while rejecting the plan to develop the project Invest- ments Airport of Bonaire. Booi says the motions are outdated, because, in the meantime, the Executive Council has responded to the chamber report and the Island Council has also received that response. “That information was not available two weeks ago, but it is now, therefore the motions are outdated.” they meeting. documents

16 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association P.O. Box 486 Philipsburg St. Maarten Ph.: 599-542 0108 Fax: 599-542 0107 info@shta.com www.shta.com Do you want to know more about the important Issues of the Island? It starts with tourism ?SHTA White Papers WHITE PAPERS ?Tourism Master Plan * Safety & Security * Environment * Traffic & Congestion * Education ?Vision for St. Maarten Download at www.SHTA.com

Regional 18 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 PORT-OF-SPAIN, dad--Half of the country has been seriously affected by what has been described as a water crisis by Public Utilities Minister Pennelo- pe Beckles, who yesterday pleaded with the nation to have patience, as some TT$600 million had been approved by the Govern- ment to bring long-term relief to this pressing problem. Beckles is expected to make an address to the nation on the issue soon. In an interview with I95.5 radio station, Beckles said reservoirs were dry, lines were leaking and there are Trini- A release from the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) stated that there was an electrical problem which forced the shutdown of the Desalination Plant at Pt Lisas and affected areas such as Cunupia, Chagua- nas, Carapichaima, San Fernando, La Romaine, South Oropouche, Debe, Penal, Santa Flora, Palm- iste, Rousillac, Palo Seco, Avocat, La Brea and Fyz- abad. WASA also advised that emergency repairs were still being conducted and half the country would be without water for another 24-hour period. An initial statement on Saturday had said water would be back in 24 hours. But in addition to these areas, Beckles admitted there were water woes in her own constituency of Arima, as well as in Navet, where water was being rationed as a result of the low reserves. “We are under pressure as well in my constituency, simply because it is a situation where the reservoirs are going down, water is evaporating because of the dry season,” Beckles said. “In Navet, there is a serious leakage problem there. Actually we are probably losing more water than we are producing. “As I speak the desalination plant is not yet on. This is putting additional pressure on the system, in addition to the fact we are having a very, very dry season as compared to the last four years.” Beckles lamented that a lot of the reservoirs were dry, some at a 65 per cent level, and this had forced WASA to schedule water. At recent Parliament sit- tings, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar as well as Princes Town MP Subhas Panday had raised, as a matter of urgent public importance, the lack of water in their constituencies and environs. “Even before the desalination plant was shut down we have been having problem, even my own constituency,” Persad-Bissessar told the Express Sunday. (Trinidad Express) Pennelope Beckles technical problems at the desalination plant that had resulted in a large number of dry taps in the Central and South regions of the country. EILANDGEBIED ST. MAARTEN NEDERLANDSE ANTILLEN KINGSTON, Jamaica--Gor- don ‘Butch’ Stewart, chairman of the Sandals/ATL Group, has cautioned that without greater dialogue between the private sector, the opposition and the government, Jamaica had no where going as a country. Stewart urged the Portia Simpson Miller administration to involve the business community and the opposition in all major decision- making for the good of the country. Repeating his call for a business-friendly ment, he noted that there were governments which did not like to see business develop “because they consider the private sector having strong businesses as taking power and control out of their hands”. “It’s imperative that if Ja- maicans are to move forward, we have to foster dialogue between the private sector and the government, proper planning between both the government and the opposi- Stewart said it was more and more critical for the government to be friendly towards business, doing the things that were going to help business for the good of the country. “There are a lot of governments throughout the world that don’t like to see business develop because their philosophies are counter to the development of the private sector. A lot of governments don’t like to see that because they consider private sector having strong businesses taking power and control out of their hands,” he said. Suggesting that “nothing could be further from the truth”, Stewart said: “Good governments develop good businesses and that in turn helps them to develop quality political direction and better quality governments...” But he noted there were also many administrations that made decisions without bringing the private sector into the discussion “and then you wonder why you have skewed policies, faulty policies and policies that work against the interest of the country”. “We have set records in this part of the world in going around in circles. We have set records on borrowing money and can’t fi nd it. We have set records in spending hard-earned or borrowed capital and squandered it, and it is about time that the people in the country understand, fi rst and foremost, the need for being business- friendly.” Stewart acknowledged the need for proper regulation of business operations, but insisted that that should not militate against the government incorporating the business community in all major decision-making. (Jamaica Observer) Bij de handhaving van de openbare veiligheid speelt de Brandweer een belangrijke rol. De taken van de brandweer zijn onder andere het beperken en het bestrijden van branden en het verrichten van technische hulpverleningen. Zeker zo belangrijk zijn de taakonderdelen welke gericht zijn op het voorkomen van onveiligheid en het voorbereiden op daadwerkelijke acties in het kader van de brandweerzorg en de rampenbestrijding. Ter versterking van het managementteam van de brandweer zijn wij op zoek naar : Twee kandidaat brandweerofficieren Opleiding: Nadat u de sollicitatieprocedure met goed gevolg heeft doorlopen wordt u geplaatst in de post-HBO opleiding tot brandweerofficier aan de Brandweeracademie van het Nederlands Instituut voor Fysieke Veiligheid (NIFV) in Arnhem, Nederland. Deze voltijds dagopleiding duurt 18 maanden en heeft een duaal karakter van leren en werken. De lesweken aan de Brandweeracademie worden regelmatig afgewisseld met praktijkweken bij een brandweerorganisatie. De opleiding kent de volgende leergangen: • Instroomcursus Officier van Dienst; • Operationeel Management; • Specialist Planvorming en Rampenbestrijding; • Officier van Dienst; • Specialist Risico’s en Veiligheid. Na het succesvol voltooien van deze opleiding zult u aangesteld worden als officier bij het brandweerkorps van het Eilandgebied Sint Maarten. Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart govern- tion - whoever that might be - and the private sector, because without it, we have no where going,” said Stewart, who is also chairman of the Jamaica Observer. His comments came at a luncheon he hosted last week for nominees of the pres- tigious Business Observer Business Leader Awards, at the Observer’s Beechwood Avenue offi ces in Kingston. The awards will be presented on May 2, 2007. Functie-eisen: • Minimaal HBO-diploma; • Rijbewijs categorie B; • Goede lichamelijke en geestelijke gesteldheid; • Een goede beheersing van de Nederlandse en Engelse taal in woord en geschrift; • Bij voorkeur van Sint Maartense afkomst. Persoonlijkheidseisen: • Zelfstandig kunnen werken en over een goed doorzettingsvermogen beschikken; • Leidinggevende capaciteiten en natuurlijk overwicht; • In staat om zowel zelfstandig als in groepsverband te werken; • Een accurate, kritische en dienstverlenende instelling bezitten; • Zakelijk, resultaatgericht en integer; • Gevoel voor ambtelijke, politieke en bestuurlijke verhoudingen. KINGSTON, Jamaica--Consumers will be able to purchase Panadol Multisymptom only from pharmacies, following a restriction imposed by the Ministry of Health last month. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had imposed the same restriction, amidst concerns that the drug, which contains pseudoephedrine, is being used inappropriately by consumers. Pseudoephedrine is a commonly used decongestant to relieve nasal congestion commonly associated with colds or allergies. It is found in many over-the-counter preparations either as single-ingredient preparations, or more commonly in combination with antihistamines, paracetamol and or ibuprofen. “The Ministry of Health has restricted the sale of the over-the-counter (OTC) products containing pseudoephedrine (PSE), such as Panadol Multisymptom and Panadol Non Drowsy, due to the inappropriate use of the product by some consumers,” distributor of the product GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Caribbean Limited said in a notice in the Observer Sunday. (Jamaica Observer) Salaris: • Gedurende de opleiding in Nederland ontvangt u aldaar een salaris van € 1780,51 per maand. Van het Eilandgebied ontvangt u een studie- en onkostenbijdrage; • Na de opleiding wordt u aangesteld in salarisschaal 9 (maximaal Nafl. 4450,- per maand) en men heeft daarnaast recht op een Bovenwindse toelage van 16,3 %; • De rechtspositie van het overheidspersoneel is na afronding van de opleiding van toepassing. Wilt u graag meer informatie over de functie, dan kunt u die inwinnen bij dhr. L.W. Salomon, Commandant Brandweer (e-mail: winston.salomon@brandweersxm. net), of dhr. P.T.C. Martens, Hoofd Rampenbestrijding (e-mail: paul.martens@ islandgov-sxm.org) of per telefoon +599.542.1215 Sollicitaties dienen binnen 14 dagen na publicatie van deze vacature gericht te worden aan de heer L.W. Salomon, Commandant Brandweer, Backstreet 56, Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Nederlandse Antillen.

Regional 19 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 KINGSTON, Jamaica--Chris Dehring has stopped short of branding as disingenuous the impression of ignorance about the requirements for hosting Cricket World Cup 2007 that is slowly emerging from within Caribbean governments. In a letter to the Observer, responding to what he said were “various articles on the chronology of the hosting of the Cricket World Cup”, Dehring, the managing director & CEO of the ICC Cricket World Cup WI 2007 Inc - the fi rm formed by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to manage the event - said that each host country knew what they were getting into. “WICB and CWC 2007 Inc wished to ensure that countries knew and understood beforehand what they were undertaking in decid- ing whether or not to bid to host matches in the Cricket World Cup,” Dehring said. “Each country was provided with a 298-page Bid Book, which contained the technical specifi cations and requirements of hosting the event and a Host Venue Agreement (HVA) which mirrored WICB’s and ICC’s obligations in the HA and MRA, respectively.” The MRA (Master Rights Agreement) set out the terms and conditions of the tournaments, which the ICC (International Cricket Coun- cil) was mandated to deliver in order to receive US$550 million under an exclusive commercial rights deal with Global Cricket Corporation (GCC) running from 2001 pre-determined share of that US$550 million as each tournament is staged”. He said that in addition to their share of the commercial rights, the tournament hosts retained other ancillary rights such as ticket revenues, licensing and mer- chandising. “In 2003, the WICB signed the Host Agreement (HA) with the ICC for the event, which, for obvious reasons, mirrors the MRA,” said Dehring. “The HA outlines the terms and conditions which the ICC, and conse- quently any host of an ICC tournament, must deliver in order to satisfy the MRA.” Minister Davies, in his exchange with Mullings earlier this month, had said that “if all the terms and conditions were clear from the beginning, there would have been tougher bargaining”. But Dehring said that while it was reasonable to question whether the WICB could have negotiated different terms in the HA in 2003 from what the ICC had already contractually committed to in its MRA two years before, it would have been highly unlikely as a new deal would have to be agreed with the GCC with the possibility of the ICC suffering fi nancial losses. Jamaica Observer) KINGSTON, The Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Sunday provided a brief outline of its election manifesto, disclosing that the party’s remedy to solve the country’s social and economic problems is contained in a 78-point plan, which it says is a blueprint for the development of Jamaica. The manifesto, or development plan, according to general secretary Karl Samuda, was being fi ne- tuned and would be put to the party’s grass roots, and stakeholders to begin discussion. Speaking at the party’s monthly Area Council One meeting at Tyrell Plaza in Red Hills, St Andrew Sun- day, Samuda said the development plan would be made public soon. “Contained in this document, which is getting its fi nal review, are 78 areas of change and development Jamaica— Chris Dehring to 2007. On April 3, Finance Min- ister Dr Omar Davies had indicated that the nine Ca- ribbean countries hosting the Cricket World Cup were not satisfi ed with the revenue-sharing arrangements with the ICC, organisers of the tournament and world cricket’s governing body. Davies was responding to questions raised by Op- position parliamentarian Clive Mullings regarding the US$550-million rights deal. Dehring, in his letter, did not give a breakdown of the proposed revenue share, offering only that “The host of each ICC tournament, along with the 98-member countries of the ICC, receive a Jamaica Labour Party general secretary Karl Samuda (left) addressing Sunday’s meeting of the party’s Area Council One in St Andrew. (Jamaica Observer photo by Joseph Wellington) that we are proposing to the Jamaican people. It is 78 new points of concern and solutions that we have identifi ed,” Samuda said. Still not giving a deadline as to when the manifesto would be ready, the JLP general secretary said it has gone through several drafts and was being fi ne-tuned. “We have prepared a document that is at the moment to be reviewed and brought to you the people, for you to be exposed to what is in it,” he told members and supporters of Area Council One. The general secretary said that once it was published, the people of Jamaica should never again say they are unaware of the party’s plans for Jamaica, when they become government. According to Samuda, the manifesto was not a JLP plan, but a Jamaica plan for the benefi t of all. (Jamaica Observer) ~ Says two polls could cause confusion ~ PORT-OF-SPAIN, dad--Prime Minister Patrick Manning proposes to seek Cabinet support to post- pone the local government elections, giving way instead for a 2007 general elections. With both local government and general elections due this year, Manning said two elections in the country at the same time “could lead to a tremendous amount of confusion, which we do not want”. According to political sources, Manning can post- pone the local government elections up to six months or a year by a simple majority. Addressing a crowd of enthusiastic PNM supporters at the Canaan Presbyterian School on Saturday evening, following a walkabout in the new Oropouche East constituency, Manning said he would approach Parliament shortly and propose post- poning the local government elections. He said this would allow the party to “concentrate on the national general elections and the major issues associated with that”, rather than seeking to confuse the electorate “by putting too many issues before the national community at the same time”. Among the issues which Government had successful- Trini- ly addressed, Manning said, was the housing shortage. He said the housing lots that were valued at TT$120,000 would be made available to former Caroni workers for about TT$20,000 or TT$30,000. The process for the distribution of those lots is to start this week. He contended that the Op- position parties were quick to say that the houses provided by Government were only for People’s National Movement supporters “but that is not so”. In the Golconda and Debe housing projects, he added that some 600 lots would go to the former Caroni workers. He said the Government had met its target of con- structing 10,000 houses annually. “We targeted 100,000 in ten years and targeted ten thousand a year, but we have met our target and as we build more houses, the demand for houses is rising,” he said. Manning added that a new development in the housing sector was to ensure that all public utility lines be placed underground. Some lots in Central, he noted, even have natural gas lines underground, subscribing to the new standard for development. (Trinidad Express) TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN Goddard Catering Group St. Maarten requires an Executive Chef Mr. JOHN TEFFT of Exeter, New Hampshire, U.S.A., hereby makes known to the public, that, by deed of prescriptive rights to be executed by J.P .G.H. Schaep- man, civil law notary on Sint Maarten, or his substitute, he intends to acquire the ownership of the following immovable property: Requirements are as follows: 5 years experience Knowledge of executing the C.T.R/ lean manufacturing programs Knowledge of executing the H.A.C.C.P . program To be fully familiar with conducting and reporting monthly and yearly airline food and hygiene audits based on I.F.C.A/I.F-S.A and Madina standards. To effectively conduct yearly certified H.A.C.C.P . training for employees. To conduct [Airline food presentation] through the creation of menus specification based on the nutritional and dietary requirements A parcel of land, situated at Lower Hell’s Gate on the Island of Saba, having an area of THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN SQUARE METERS (318M2), described further in Certificate of Admeasurement number 20/1984, formerly in possession of Francis A. Bunker who sold the said property to Mr. John Tefft, aforementioned, by private document dated December 21st, 1984. Co ordinating the activities of purchasing /operations/kitchen departments to ensure quality standards as per airline requirements Anyone having valid claims towards said property or having valid objections against said prescriptive rights, is hereby requested to lodge such claim or objection, in writing, before May 15th, 2007, with said civil law notary, at the office of Good purchasing, communication skills and knowledge of food cost in association with the inflair program Computer literate in Word, Lotus, Exel, Power Point since much of the work is computer generated Schaepman & Speetjens, Frontstreet 5, Philipsburg, Sint Maarten (tel. 599 5422339 - fax 599 5422439) website: www.notaryschaepman.com Good Managerial skills to handle airline/employee matters Only suitably qualified Antilleans may apply by sending CV to our office at the Princess Juliana International Airport.

US/World 21 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 BLACKSBURG, Va.,-- A gunman killed 32 people at a Virginia university on Mon- day, calmly gunning down students attending class and then killing himself in the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history. Most of those killed were students attending classes at a hall at Virginia Tech, where the gunman apparently used chains to lock the doors and prevent the victims from es- caping, university and police offi cials said. Fifteen people were wounded, included those shot and students hurt jumping from windows in a desperate attempt to escape the gunfi re, offi cials said. One student told CBS News the killer was an Asian male, about 6 feet (1.8 metres) tall, who walked into his German class and shot a student and professor before systemati- cally shooting nearly all of the other students in the room. “I hid under the desk and he proceeded to shoot everybody else in the class, prac- tically,” said Derek O’Dell, who suffered an gunshot wound in his arm. “There were probably 15 to 20 people in the class and he shot 10 to 15 of them.” “We had no reason to suspect any other incident was going to occur,” Steger said of the fi rst shooting. But some students expressed anger that e-mails warning about a possible gunman were not sent out until more than two hours after the fi rst attack. More than 30,000 people die from gunshot wounds in the United States every year and there are more guns in private hands than in any other country. But a powerful gun lobby and support for gun ownership rights has largely thwarted attempts to tighten controls. In 1999, two student gun- men killed 12 other students and a teacher before killing themselves at Columbine High School in Colorado. “We live in a society where guns are pretty well accepted,” said Jim Sollo, of Virginians Against Handgun Violence. “There are 200 million guns in this society and obviously some in the wrong hands.” Virginia Tech, with 26,000 students and some 100 buildings on 2,600 acres (1,050 hectares), is located in the town of Blacksburg and set in lush rolling hills in the southwest corner of the state, about 240 miles (390 km) from Washington. Multiple fatalities in U.S. campus shootings At least 32 people were killed and 28 injured after a gunman went on the rampage at the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. There were two separate incidents – at West Ambler Johnston Hall, a student dormitory, and Norris Hall, an engineering building 9.15am: Many dead, including gunman, in second incident in Norris Hall classroom New York Washington VIRGINIA Drill field Blacksburg 7.15am: Gunman opens fire at West Ambler Johnston Hall. One confirmed dead WASHINGTON--Virginia Tech students described the mayhem on campus on Monday and criticized offi cials for not shutting the university down quickly enough after 33 people were killed including a gunman. Andrew Gisch, a second-year student, was walking across a quadrangle listening to his iPod when he heard “a big bang.” “I recognized the sound of gunfi re but was mostly confused. I looked around at the other students on the drill- fi eld, most of them confused like myself. It clicked in everyone’s head immediately the sound we heard was a gun shot and everyone started running. I went back to the dorm, locked the door, and turned on the news.” Daniel Smith said he was aware of shootings at other schools but he never thought it could happen at this university. “It hits you in the heart. It’s more of a shock to me because I’m an engineering major and when that list (victims’ names) comes out, I know I’m going to see some friends on there and its scaring me inside right now.” Jason Piatt criticized the way university offi cials reacted after the fi rst shooting. “I’m pretty outraged that someone died in a shooting in a dorm at 7 o’clock in the morning and the fi rst e-mail about it had no mention of locking down the campus, no mention of canceling classes,” Piatt told CNN. “They just mentioned that they were investigating a shooting,” he said. “That’s pretty ridiculous. Meanwhile, while they sent out that e-mail, 21 people got killed.” Matt Waldron, a student and football player, said one of the many calls of concern he had received was from Iraq. “He’s a friend that called from Iraq and was putting out his concerns to everybody over here. He’s a soldier over there, and was just wondering and making sure everybody’s OK,” Waldron told CNN. Justin Merrifi eld said he noticed four police cars and a girl crying in front of West Ambler Johnston Hall, the dormitory where the fi rst shooting occurred, at about 9 a.m. But he did not realize the magnitude of the crisis until he arrived at his 10 a.m. class. “We were inside the classroom maybe fi ve or 10 minutes and our teacher never showed up,” said Merrifi eld, 21, a senior majoring in animal science. “Somebody came in and said the place is on lock-down. And when the teacher never showed up and we found out we were on lock-down, we all took off running.” Students were alerted by announcements over campus loudspeakers, he said. “There was a voice that just kept repeating, `Gunman on campus, stay indoors, get away from windows,’ over and over, basically,” said Merrifi eld. Virginia Tech: State university is home to 26,000 students 275m 900ft Source: Virginia Tech © GRAPHIC NEWS room, but returned and fi red into the door before leaving again, O’Dell said. By the time police reached the second fl oor of the building, the fi ring had stopped and they later found the gunman lying dead in a classroom. “It was probably one of the worst things I’ve seen in my life,” said campus police chief Wendell Flinchum. Television images of ter- rifi ed students and police dragging bloody victims out of the building revived mem- ories of the infamous Colum- bine High School massacre in 1999 and is likely to renew heated debate about U.S. gun laws. The rampage began two hours earlier at a dormitory a half-mile (0.8 km) away where a male and a female student were shot dead as other students began criss- crossing the sprawling campus for morning classes. Police said they had thought it was an isolated incident and believed the gunman had left the campus, drawing criticism that they were slow to warn other students of the danger. Flinchum said police had a preliminary identity of the gunman, but disclosed only that he was a male. He said two unspecifi ed weapons had been recovered by police, and that there was a male “person of interest” connected with the fi rst shooting who police had been questioning when the second shooting occurred . “We are trying to determine if the two incidents are connected. Part of that will be the ballistics test.” Flinchum earlier said it appeared there was only one gunman. The Washington Post said law enforcement sources told it that one person was responsible for both incidents. The death toll was worse than a massacre at the Uni- versity of Texas in Austin on Aug. 1, 1966, when Charles Whitman, a 25-year-old student, killed 13 people and wounded 31 in a 90-minute spree. “Today our nation grieves with those who have lost loved ones at Virginia Tech,” President George W. Bush said. The fi rst shooting was reported to campus police at about 7:15 a.m. (1115 GMT) in West Ambler Johnston Hall, a dormitory housing some 900 students. It was followed by more shooting at Norris Hall, site of the science and engineering school. During the two hours after the fi rst shooting some students had ventured out again. University police were still investigating the fi rst shooting at the dormitory when they got word of gunfi re at the classroom building. “I’m really at a loss for words to explain or understand the carnage that has visited our campus,” Virginia Tech Pres- ident Charles Steger said at a news conference. Steger, facing questions over the university’s initial response, stressed that its efforts to alert students could not possibly reach the thousands of people moving around the campus at the start of the school day. He said the gunman, who was wearing a black leather coat and maroon hat, fi red several shots from a handgun, reloaded and resumed shooting. The man left the square km)--nearly the size of Belgium. Runners in the Boston Marathon, the world’s oldest annually contested marathon, began the race wearing gloves and facing sideways rain with wind gusts of up to 50 mph (80 kph) before conditions improved and the rain eased. “I’ve not run in conditions this bad,” Mike Stirling said as he prepared himself for the race, which was the slowest since 1977 because of the strong headwinds. Local media called it the “soak-athon” or “monsoon Monday” as race fans huddled under umbrellas or garbage bags. “The weather was not so good, so the race was tough,” Robert Cheruiyot of Kenya said after winning his third Boston Marathon. New York City saw its biggest daily rainfall for April at 7.57 inches (19.2 cm). That fi gure was just shy of the daily record for any month of 8.2 inches (20.8 cm) set on Sept. 23, 1882, according to the National Weather Service. Parts of northern New York, Vermont and New Hamp- shire received up to 17 inches (43 cm) of snow, while people in southern areas sloshed through fl ooded homes. BOSTON--Record soaked New York while gale- force winds slowed Boston Marathon runners, 17 inches (43 cm) of snow blanketed Vermont and lost power as a fi erce storm whipped the U.S. Northeast on Monday. “This is without question the wettest storm we’ve ever seen in April,” said Tim Morrin, meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s bureau for New York City. Rains washed out more than 75 roads in New Hampshire, where 200 National Guard troops helped evacuate four towns and reinforce cresting rivers with sandbags. “The damage I have seen today is some of the worst our state has experienced in the last 20 years,” Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell after surveying the hardest-hit areas in his state. At least three people died including a man who drowned in his stalled car in New Jersey, according to local news reports. Tens of thousands lost electricity after high winds uprooted trees and downed power lines. In Maine alone, 125,300 homes and businesses were without power by late afternoon in an area spanning 11,000 square miles (28,490 rainfall thousands All effects have causes & solutions! Mr. Mamadou *Well Known African Spiritual Healer *22 years of experience Solves all your problems even desperate cases. He brings a quick and precise solution. 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International 23 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 lenge is fading. The CSA poll showed his fi rst round score at 19 percent, down 2 points from the previous poll. But with as many as 40 percent of voters still to make up their minds, the result remains uncertain and no one is ruling out another surprise from Le Pen. Le Pen’s score rose to 15.5 percent in the latest opinion poll but that is still far behind the two front- runners. Twelve candidates will contest the vote on April 22 and if, as looks almost certain, none of them wins an abso- lute majority, the top two will go forward to the runoff ballot. Worries over jobs and security have dominated the campaign but, more than in previous elections, the fi nal choice for many voters is likely to come down to per- sonality rather than policy. Sarkozy, seen as the most economically liberal of the contenders, is admired by supporters for his crackdown on rioting in France’s poor suburbs in 2005 and for his tough line on illegal immigration and crime. But he is also hated by many voters who consider him danger- ously authoritarian and who are incensed by his plans for a ministry of immigration and national identity, a project they say is designed to take votes from the far-right National Front. On Monday, he paid a visit to the tomb of Charles de Gaulle, founder of the Fifth Republic and an icon to con- servatives, in a move apparently aimed at countering accusations of extremism. “For me, General de Gaulle embodied the passion for France and we need to talk more about France and its identity,” he told reporters. PARIS--France’s right-wing presidential candidate Nico- las Sarkozy has lost his lead over his main rival, Socialist Segolene Royal, and the two will now go neck-and-neck into the second round runoff, an opinion poll showed on Monday. If correct the poll’s fi ndings just before the fi rst round on Sunday will be a boost for 53- year-old Royal, campaigning to become France’s fi rst woman president. Support- ers say she breathes life into male-dominated politics. But French opinion polls have proved unreliable in past presidential elections, notably in 2002 when far- right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen stunned the country by reaching the second round run-off. Monday’s CSA poll for Le Parisien newspaper put Sar- kozy slightly ahead of Royal for Sunday’s fi rst round but said they would both get 50 percent in the second round on May 6. Sarkozy, who previously had a consistent lead in opinion polls, dropped by one point from the previous CSA poll while Royal rose by one point. Royal, whose campaign has struggled with a series of gaffes and nebulous policy proposals, has sounded increasingly confi dent in the past few days. “I am confi - dent,” Royal, who has put forward a left-wing economic platform combined with a strong emphasis on traditional social values, told 9,000 people at a meeting in Nantes in western France. Some left-wing supporters have urged Royal to link up with centrist rival Francois Bayrou in a bid to beat Sar- kozy, a former interior minister. Bayrou, who initially appeared open to the idea, pulled back on Monday and Key issues in French presidential election Segolene Royal, 53: Socialist party candidate Francois Bayrou, 55: Centrist head of UDF Nicolas Sarkozy, 52: Conservative UMP party E C O N O M Y, TAX E S Wipe out government deficit within three years. 20% of public contracts to small businesses J O B S , WAG E S Allow companies to hire two staff without social charges. No tax on overtime over 35 hours H E A LT H , P E N S I O N S Introduce new points- based pension system to give bigger pensions to those who work longer. Raise minimum pensions I M M I G R AT I O N , L AW A N D O R D E R Help poor countries encourage their populations to stay put. Minimum terms for repeat offenders E U RO P E A N U N I O N , I N T E R N AT I O N A L A F FA I R S New constitutional treaty put to referendum. In favour of Turkey joining EU. Brussels-led Middle East peace initiative. Maintain ‘critical’ stance towards U.S. over Iraq pressure on France C O S T O F P O L I C I E S 35-63 billion EUR 21-28 billion EUR Cut record national debt by giving tax breaks for exporters and firms creating jobs Cut debt, 50% ceiling on personal tax, scrap inheritance tax except for super-rich. Increase VAT Boost minimum wage by 20% to 1,500 EUR per month. 90% of salary for year after losing job Scrap charges on overtime, bypass 35-hour working week to allow people to work more Increase medical fees. Reform pension scheme that enables state employees to retire early on full pension Free health care for young (16-25), increase state pension by 5%, reform generous public company schemes NEW YORK--Mother Nature has always ensured that male births outnumber female ones, but the gap has been gradually narrowing over the past three decades in the U.S. and Japan, according to a new study. Researchers suspect the decline in male births can be explained, at least in part, by paternal exposure to environmental toxins, such as certain pesticides, heavy metals, solvents or dioxins--chemical byproducts produced during incineration or the manufacture of other chemicals. Traditionally, it’s been expected that for every 100 girls born, there will be about 105 boys. This balances out the higher death rate among male fetuses and infants. But since 1970, the U.S. and Japan have experienced a downward shift in this male-to-female birth ratio, researchers report in the online edition of the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. In the U.S., the proportion of boys dropped from 105.5 per 100 girls in 1970 to 104.6 in 2001; in Japan, the male-to-female ratio dropped from 106.3 boys for every 100 girls to just fewer than 105 per 100. The changes may seem small, but the study authors suspect they are one manifestation of the effects of environmental pollutants on the male reproductive system. The decline in male births has occurred “at the same time that we’ve been seeing other signs that male reproductive health is in danger,” said lead study author Dr. Devra Lee Davis, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. These other signs, she told Reuters Health, include lower testos- terone levels and sperm counts, as well as increases in testicular cancer, a disease that most often affects young men. Environmental toxins may be a common denominator here, according to Davis and her colleagues. Such exposures may specifi cally lower rates of male, rather than female, births for a few reasons. They may, for example, affect the viability of sperm that bear the Y chromosome, which determines male sex--or the viability of male fetuses. Davis’s team found that while fetal deaths have declined overall in recent decades, the proportion of male deaths is growing. In Japan, in particular, male fetuses accounted for about two thirds of all fetal deaths in the 1990s. Over the years, there have been a number of reports showing that heavy exposure to certain pollutants may affect a man’s likelihood of fathering a son. Men in the Italian town of Seveso who were exposed to large amounts of dioxin through an industrial explosion in 1976 fathered signifi cantly more girls than boys. Similarly, a study of workers at a Russian herbicide plant found that only 38 percent of children born to male workers were boys; female workers, on the other hand, had the expected ratio of male-to-female children. It’s not known whether chronic low-level exposure to toxic chemicals could have similar reproductive effects, according to Davis. But it’s important to fi nd out what’s behind the decline in male births, she and her colleagues point out. Restore right to citizenship after 10 years of residency. Military-style training camps for young offenders Create ‘ministry of immigration and national identity.’ Cap immigration. Community service for young offenders New referendum, but on ‘more transparent’ treaty. Privileged partnership for Turkey rather than full membership. Resist U.S. No new referendum submit stripped-down treaty to parliament. Opposes Turkey joining EU. Wants friendship with Washington, but says U.S. should take criticism 32-74 billion EUR Sources: Wire agencies, Institut de lÕEntreprise © GRAPHIC NEWS ruled out any alliance. Royal again dismissed talk of deal- ings to forge an anti-Sarkozy front. “There is no agreement about an alliance imaginable in a presidential election before the (fi rst round) vote,” Bayrou told France Inter radio. Bayrou has been campaigning to break the grip on French politics by Sarkozy’s centre-right UMP party and the Socialists but recent polls have suggested his chal- America,” and “Nuclear technology is our right.” Ahmadinejad is not the most powerful fi gure in Iran’s system of rule which gives the fi nal word on policy, including nuclear affairs, to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khame- nei. But the president is often the most prominent voice both inside Iran and abroad because of his fi ery and usually anti- Western speeches made on regular tours of the country. The Security Council in March imposed a second round of sanctions on Iran for refusing to halt enrichment work, ban- ning Tehran’s arms exports and putting fi nancial bans on indi- viduals and institutions. That resolution followed one in De- TEHRAN--Iran will announce unspecifi ed new achievements” if the United Nations takes fresh steps against it over its disputed atomic programme, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday. “If they (the United Nations) pass another resolution against Iran, our nation will reveal new nuclear achievements,” Ahma- dinejad told a rally in the central province of Fars, the offi - cial IRNA news agency reported. Defying a U.N. demand to halt uranium enrichment, Iran said last week it was capable of industrial-scale enrichment, a process the West fears Tehran will use for bomb-making. Iran denies this, saying its aim is to produce electricity. The announcement prompted the United States to say it was likely the U.N. Security Coun- cil would impose further penalties against Tehran. In Iran’s fi rst public reaction to the U.S. warning, Ahmadine- jad had earlier accused world powers of using international organisations like the U.N. for their own ends and said Iran would not give up its right to nuclear technology. “The Ira- nian nation will stand up for its legal right and will not retreat even one iota to preserve its nuclear right,” Ahmadinejad said in a televised speech to a rally in the central Iranian city of Shiraz. The crowd chanted “Death to cember. Ahmadinejad said Iran would not yield to international pressure, calling on the West to give up its “bullying methods”. “Abandon your oppressive behaviour. Otherwise you (the West) and your nations will be harmed,” Ahmadinejad said, without elaborating. Iran has threatened, if pres- sured, to review its membership of the nuclear Non-Prolif- eration Treaty, the accord that obliges non-nuclear states to renounce the pursuit of atomic weapons. Iran said on Sunday it would seek bids in the next few days for two new nuclear power plants and will partly run them on fuel produced at home. “nuclear

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International 25 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 ABUJA--Nigeria’s Supreme Court on Monday raised doubts over the results of fl awed state elections last weekend and cleared the way for a last-minute presidential bid by Vice President Atiku Abubakar. As protests spread over widespread electoral abuses and local and European observers said the balloting was seriously fl awed, the court ruled the offi cial electoral body did not have the power to block Abubakar from the Saturday presidential poll. The ruling affected not only Abubakar, who said he would now stand for the opposition in the election, but at least six governorship candidates previously disqualifi ed from the state elections last week. They could now mount legal challenges. “Governorship elections where any candidates were disqualifi ed by INEC are null and void,” said Lai Mo- hammed, spokesman for Abubakar’s Action Congress party. European Union (EU) observers said they had serious concerns over the April 14 vote and called on the Inde- pendent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure major improvements before the presidential poll. Washington seconded the call. “We would urge that offi - cials address any problems in order to ensure that Sat- urday’s presidential election, that those polls are free and fair and conducted in an at- mosphere free of violence,” said White House spokes- woman Dana Perino. A coalition of civil society observers said malpractice in last Saturday’s balloting meant the results in 10 of Nigeria’s 36 states, “cannot be said to have refl ected the will of the people and we therefore reject them”. Abubakar told journalists: “What happened on Satur- day was absolutely not an election, it was worse than robbery.” There was no immediate comment INEC. President Obasanjo has tried every possible manoeuvre to block Abubakar, with whom he has engaged in a bitter personal feud for years. Obasanjo failed to change Nigeria’s constitution so he could run for a third term but analysts say he wants to dominate any future government of his ruling People’s Demo- cratic Party (PDP). Opposition parties were due to meet on Tuesday to discuss joining forces under a single candidate against PDP’s presidential candidate, Umaru Until the court ruling, the strongest opposition challenge was expected from former army strongman Mu- hammadu Buhari of the All Nigeria People’s Party. In Obasanjo’s home town, locals said armed gangs loyal to PDP overran voting stations and stuffed ballot box- es last Saturday. Many talk of boycotting this week’s polls--billed as Nigeria’s fi rst fully democratic handover of power since independence from Britain in 1960. TOKYO--Japan and China are working to set up a 24-hour hotline between their armed forces to make emergency contact easier, the daily Yomiuri Shimbun reported in its evening edition on Monday. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited Japan last week on the fi rst visit by a Chinese leader since 2000, and he and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to set up a contact system between the militar- ies of the two Asian giants, the paper added. According to the Yomi- uri, the hotline would aim primarily at incidents such as confron- tations between ships and aircraft provoked by intru- sions into the other nation’s waters or air space. Offi cial agreement to launch the hotline would be reached at a bilateral meeting of defence offi cials set for Sep- tember. A Defence Ministry spokesman in Tokyo said the issue was being investi- gated, but declined to comment further. from U.N. soldiers remove road spikes from a checkpoint at the military buffer zone in Tiebissou on Monday, as part of an agreement signed last week by rival Ivory Coast leaders to dismantle the buffer zone that has divided the West African country for four years since a failed coup sparked a civil war. Olusegun preventing TIEBISSOU, Ivory Coast- -Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo said on Monday “the war is over” between his government and northern rebels, as the two sides moved to dismantle a military buffer zone and reunite the war-divided country. “The country is being re- united, the war is over, dear friends and compatriots, the war is over,” Gbagbo said as he and Prime Minis- ter Guillaume Soro, an ex- rebel leader, inspected the fi rst joint parade of government and rebel forces since a 2002/2003 civil war split the West African country in two. The parade in the capital Yamoussoukro took place shortly before U.N. forces started pulling back from a buffer zone checkpoint at Tiebissou under a peace plan signed last month by Gbagbo and Soro in the world’s No. 1 cocoa producer. Under the March 4 plan, U.N. and French peacekeepers in the buffer zone will pull back in stages and be gradually replaced by mixed brigades of government and rebel soldiers. Al- though fi ghting between the two sides had ceased four years ago, the buffer zone had effectively marked the division between the rebel- held north and the government-held south, hindering transport and communication between the two halves. The peace plan, a home- grown deal which followed the failure of several in- ternationally brokered ac- cords, foresees the holding of elections by early next year after key disarmament and national identity proce- dures are carried out. Gbagbo said the ceasefi re zone dividing the country was the biggest obstacle to polls being held. “From today onwards, we have no more excuses not to orga- nise elections. Mr Prime Minister, prepare the elections,” the president said, although he did not specify a date. President Yar’Adua. BERLIN--A drunken man who fell under a train after being jolted out of a nap at a railway station emerged unscathed from beneath the locomotive. The 19-year-old had fallen asleep on the station platform in Cologne but was startled by the incoming train. Losing his balance, he fell in front of the locomotive, police said. “According to the man he fell exactly between the two tracks and just felt a light knock on the head,” Co- logne police said in a statement. The shocked train driver pulled the emergency brakes only to see the man emerge unaided from under the engine. He was taken to hospital for observation.

International 26 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 by the existing assemblies as unconstitutional. Bhutto also told a Pakistani news channel earlier this month that she would not strike a deal with Musharraf while he held onto his army uniform. The more liberal PPP is regarded as a natural constituency for Musharraf, if his vision of Pakistan following a path of “enlight- ened moderation” is to become more than words. by signs of strain in his relationship with the United States, his chief external source of support. Bhutto went into self-exile in 1998, even before Mush- arraf ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 1999, and the longer she stays away the more her infl uence will dwindle. Musharraf’s em- issaries have met Bhutto privately in the past few months, and offi cers running a graft investigation against her were recently re-assigned. This year is a crunch year in Pakistan, and the chances for compromises are ripe. Elections for the National Assembly and provincial assemblies are due either late this year or in early 2008. Musharraf is expected to seek another term as president from either the outgoing assemblies or the newly elected ones. He is also obliged to step down as army chief this year, though he is believed to be reluctant to do so and many observers expect him to try to hang onto a post he has regarded as crucial to his authority. The PPP statement said Bhutto would regard any re-election of Musharraf ISLAMABAD--A paper interview with Paki- stan’s former prime minister Benazir Bhutto fuelled expectations on Monday that she will strike a power- sharing deal with President Pervez Musharraf before or after coming elections. Britain’s Sunday Times reported that Bhutto, speaking to the newspaper from self-exile in Dubai, had said she wanted such a deal, but added it was “premature” to say one was imminent. Widely quoted on Pakistani television news channels, the report reinforced belief Musharraf is reaching out to the self-exiled Bhutto to consolidate a second term as president, and to form a common front against conservative religious forces in the Muslim nation. Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) issued a statement to try to dampen talk of her cosying up to Paki- stan’s military leader, with elections looming in late 2007 or early 2008. “When asked by the Sunday Times about the reports of a deal between her and the Mush- arraf regime she said that there was no deal,” said the statement, issued by Far- hatullah Babar, spokesman news- Bhutto for Bhutto in Islamabad. Analysts said that drew little more than a thin veil over talks between Bhutto and Musharraf to accommodate each other, most probably after elections. “I think that the deal is all but done,” said Najam Sethi, editor of Pakistan’s Daily Times newspaper. Sethi expected Bhutto to return to Pakistan and lead the PPP, and the government to assure her that graft cases against her would be left to gather dust. “Mush- arraf has no option but to do a deal, and Benazir has no option but to do a deal,” he said. Musharraf’s popularity has sagged, damaged by ongoing moves to sack the country’s top judge, and rivals have been encouraged Palestinians walk next to posters of kidnapped BBC correspondent Alan Johnston in Gaza on Monday. Johnston, who live in Scot- land, said in a statement this was a “desperately wor- rying time” for them. “We make a heartfelt ap- peal to anyone who may have knowledge of Alan’s situation and to contact the authorities in Gaza,” they said. “Our son has lived and worked amongst the people of Gaza for the last 3 years to bring their story to the outside world--and we ask every one of them to help end LONDON--The parents of BBC journalist Alan John- ston, kidnapped in Gaza more than a month ago, ap- pealed on Monday for news of his condition after an Islamist group said it had killed him. Prime Minister Tony Blair’s offi ce said it was urgently seeking more information on Johnston, who has not been heard from since his car was found abandoned on March 12. Graham and Margaret this ordeal.” An e-mail sent to media organisations on Sunday, issued in the name of the Tawhid and Jihad Brigades, said the group had killed Johnston and would release a video of the killing later. The group was hitherto unknown in Gaza, but its name is similar to that used by movements elsewhere affi liated to al Qaeda Is- lamists. The e-mail blamed the British and Palestinian authorities for failing to meet demands that prisoners be freed from Israeli jails. No such demand has been made publicly since John- ston disappeared. Blair’s offi cial spokesman said British offi cials were “actively engaged” in investigating reports of John- ston’s killing. “We continue to work extremely closely with the Palestinian Au- thority and we are urgently seeking further information from them and a number of other sources on these reports,” he said. The BBC was not able to confi rm the claim that Johnston, who is one of the few Western reporters based in the troubled territory, had been killed. “The BBC has still had no independent verifi cation of rumours concerning Alan Johnston,” it said in a statement. wellbeing

International 27 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 bodies. No resolution is planned in this fi rst round of speeches. “We are lukewarm because of where it is discussed,” Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said. “The Security Council is not the right place for the debate. We didn’t take a vote but there was not much enthusiasm.” Britain made its case in a “concept paper,” distributed to U.N. members on April 5, that suggested large parts of the world risked being unin- habitable by rising sea levels, a shortage of fresh water or land suitable for agriculture. “Some estimates suggest up to 200 million people may be displaced by the middle of the century,” as a result of migration from rural areas to cities and across international borders, thereby increasing “the potential for instability and confl ict,” the paper said. Britain said confl icts were still likely to break out for a variety of other reasons, but said “the cumulative impacts of climate change could exacerbate drivers of confl ict, and par- ticularly increase the risk to those states already suscep- UNITED NATIONS--Brit- ain will try to convince reluctant U.N. Security Coun- cil members that global warming poses a threat to international peace and security when the body holds its fi rst debate on climate change on Tuesday. Foreign Secretary Mar- garet Beckett chairs the meeting on an issue which remains contentious many governments, including the Bush administration that has fought mandatory caps on greenhouse gases emissions that spur climate change. Ministers from two or three impacted nations are not on the 15-member council are expected to attend the debate. They include the Maldives, one of 37 small island states that fear they may disappear under the waves as the Earth warms up. Many members, including Russia, China and some developing nations, question whether the issue belongs in the Security Council, which deals only with threats to international peace and security, as they feel the council is increasingly encroaching on the work of other U.N. tible to confl ict.” Climate change is expected to complicate the existing competition for scarce energy resources, although if that change is gradual and managed it could lessen the risk of confl ict, Britain said. British offi cials have in- voked the impact of the council’s January, 2000 debate on AIDS, which had previously been as a public health matter. At that meeting, chaired by then-Vice President Al Gore, the United States said AIDS was changing the face of Africa and placed the issue in the context of U.N. peacekeeping which the council autho- rizes. The result was special AIDS awareness programs for peacekeepers, included in many council resolutions. The U.S. Congress is think- ing along similar lines. Sena- tors Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, and Chuck Ha- gel, a Nebraska Republican, on March 31 introduced bipartisan legislation that would require an assess- ment by U.S. intelligence agencies of security challenges presented by climate change. for viewed Mandla Mandela (C), grandson of Nelson Mandela, attends a ceremony where he was installed as chief of the Mvezo Traditional Council in Mvezo, eastern Cape 1100 km (684 miles) south of Johannesburg, on Monday. which operations, MVEZO, South Africa-- Nelson Mandela’s grandson was draped in the lion’s skin of an African tribal chief on Monday at a ceremony that anointed the 32-year-old as political heir to the anti- apartheid icon. Mandla Mandela, who recently graduated with a political science degree from South Africa’s Rhodes Uni- versity, vowed to lift up the people of the rural East- ern Cape, which is home to Mandela’s Xhosa tribe and one of the nation’s poorest regions. “There are a lot of expectations, especially with the sur- name I carry,” the younger Mandela said before the ceremony that installed him as chief of the Mvezo Tradi- tional Council. Nelson Mandela, now 88, was among a large crowd of dignitaries who assembled for the ceremony in Mvezo, the village where the former South African president was born. Tribal elders from across South Africa, many of them dressed in beaded mony where Mandla Mande- la was formally invested with the traditional lion’s skin that marks tribal leadership. “It is a dream come true, it is something that shows the old does meet the new.” Mandla Mandela admits politics is in his blood, raising expectations he may follow in the footsteps of his grandfather in the ruling African National Congress and even the presidency. He said his priority as chief would be to push education and employment for the tribe, which is among the many black communities that continue to struggle with grinding poverty 13 years after the end of white rule. “There are no jobs at all around here. People used to be reliant on agriculture and now most of them rely on government grants,” he said. Traditional authorities say the young Mandela will have his hands full presiding over local ceremonies, resolv- ing disputes and acting as a spokesman for his community. traditional robes and animal skins and clutching offi cial staffs as well as cellular phones, applauded as South Africa’s premier statesman arrived. Mandla Mandela’s acces- sion to one of the Xhosa nation’s chieftaincies marks a return for the Mandela family after nearly 70 years without a member of the Madiba clan assuming tribal leadership responsibilities. Nelson Mandela’s father, Chief Henry Mandela, was deposed in the early 1900s after a dispute with a local magistrate. Nelson Mandela later renounced his claim to the title to become a lawyer and pursue his struggle to end white minority rule in South Africa. Xhosa authorities recently decided to resurrect the Mandela chieftaincy and the elderly Mandela, who retired as president in 1999, said it should go to his grandson. “This is very symbolic for all of us in South Africa,” East- ern Cape Premier Nosimo Balindlela said at the cere- these

Business 29 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 to match the offer of the consortium,” Keefe, Bruyette & Woods said in a note on Monday. “In our view, in order to remain in the competition, Barclays will need to go back to its drawing board and consider either selling some ABN assets in a competitive tender or construct its own consortium.” Sources close to the situation have said Barclays could sell assets like ABN’s U.S. business LaSalle to raise cash. ABN’s results, boosted by the sale of its U.S. mortgage business to Citigroup earlier this year, showed profi tabil- ity in line with expectations, with net profi t up 30.6 percent at 1.31 billion euros in the fi rst quarter. Earnings per share from continued operations rose 30 percent to 0.65 euros. ABN said it issued the sum- mary of results ahead of a planned April 26 date--which would have coincided with its key annual shareholder meeting--”in order to be fully transparent.” “This might indicate that Barclays, without hard state- ments on the current year, is not able to hand in a reasonable bid,” said Petercam analyst Thijs Berkelder in a client note. “The proposal by Fortis, RBS and Santander now really has opened a potential bidding war.” ABN’s period of exclusivity with Barclays is expected to end around Wednesday, just days ahead of the AGM, and the two banks are expected to say by then whether the British bank, under pressure from shareholders not to enter a value-destroying bidding war, will table an offer or scrap the talks. A M S T E R DA M - -A B N AMRO reported double- digit earnings gains on Mon- day, strengthening the hand of the underperforming Dutch lender as it enters the last days of merger talks with Barclays and faces a rival break-up bid. ABN shares--on the fi rst day of trade since a rival consortium of three suitors emerged late on Friday-- rose more than 5 percent to a record 35.6 euros in morning trade, taking it above the level Barclays is expected to pay and valuing ABN at 68 billion euros ($92.13 billion). Spain’s Santander, Royal Bank of Scotland and Dutch- Belgian group Fortis approached ABN last week asking for access to its books and management, days before ABN’s 30-day period of exclusive talks with Bar- clays ends on Wednesday. The banks say they want their bid to be friendly, but sources close to the matter said late on Sunday ABN would not open its books until it had more details on the consortium’s plans--raising the prospect of what another source close to the situation called a “more aggressive approach” from the trio. Monday’s share climb and a looming bidding war for ABN, already trading at one of the sector’s highest mul- tiples, raises the stakes for Barclays. Barclays had been seen offering a maximum of 35 euros per share for ABN- -a level the trio of banks is expected to beat, given higher synergies, with analysts forecasting a potential offer closer to 40 euros. “From an ABN shareholder perspective, the offer of Bar- clays stand-alone is unlikely WASHINGTON--A priority for France’s next leader is a labour law shake-up that ends a system where you either have a job for life or little job security at all, the IMF’s economic policy director for Europe said. In an interview, Michael Deppler told Reuters that France needed to introduce a single employment contract that struck a balance between “insiders” with ul- tra-secure employment and “outsiders” who can only get precarious short-term contracts. “They need to address this duality in the labour market and in our view they need to move towards a single employment contract,” Deppler said. “Basically, there’s the traditional segment of the labour market where essentially you get very large protection, basically a job for life, and then a very fl exible segment, where people basically have no job security.” The IMF generally argues for what it calls greater labour market fl exibility in continental Europe, code for rolling back job protection on the basis that employers who can fi re more easily will also hire more readily. Dep- pler was responding to questions on what France needed to do after presidential and parliamentary which begin on Sunday with a fi rst-round presidential contest. “They’re not going to be fully successful in reducing unemployment unless they reduce this segmentation of the labour market,” he said. Stock Market Report Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez (L) and his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attend a ceremony of a signing of an agreement between the companies Braskem and Pequiven at the petrochemical complex of Jose in the eastern city of Barcelona on Monday. PORLAMAR, -South America’s political heavyweights clashed over ethanol, exposing a rift on Monday at the start of an energy summit that host Venezu- elan President Hugo Chavez hoped would cement anti-U.S. unity. Brazilian President Luiz Ina- cio Lula da Silva, the leader of the continent’s largest economy who has moved closer to U.S. President George W. Bush over ethanol output, swiped at Chavez, rejecting his fellow leftist’s criticism of their plan. Chavez, who wins political infl uence with the OPEC nation’s subsidized energy exports to its neighbors, de- nounced Bush’s project to promote ethanol production in developing countries as a sure-fi re way to increase hun- ger by lifting food prices. Venezuela- But Lula, who has cultivated ties with both right-winger Bush and his leftist antagonist Chavez, said there was suffi cient arable land in South America. “We have a huge territory, not only in Brazil, but in all South American countries, and Africa, which can easily produce oil seeds for biodie- sel, sugar cane for ethanol, and food at the same time,” Lula said on his weekly radio show before arriving at the two-day, 12-nation summit. Venezuela, the fi fth-largest exporter of oil to the United States, has urged Latin Amer- ica to pass over ethanol and instead rely on its vast oil reserves and cooperate in developing ways to reduce energy consumption. Aides to Lula say ethanol is his obsession despite being labeled genocidal by Cuban leader Fidel Castro, Chavez’s political mentor. In public, Chavez and Lula shared hugs, smiles and mutual congratulations for their leadership on a tour of a Brazil- ian-Venezuelan petrochemical project. But they also said they expected to discuss ethanol at a later closed-door meeting of the almost dozen presidents. Chavez wants the South American summit on the Ca- ribbean tourist island of Mar- garita to focus on regional integration as a counterweight to the United States and can expect support from the leaders of countries such as Bolivia and Ecuador. “We are above all South- -South--Americans and we should put all efforts into creating the great homeland that is South America,” he told presidents from the region in a speech decrying what he said was the U.S. colonialism of the “North”. “That’s why these meetings are so important.” Security is tight at the summit. In the last few days, gray military vessels have churned through crystalline and helicopters have clat- tered above sunbathers on the island that is popular with Venezuelan vacationers for its white-sand beaches and tax- free stores. Local authorities have also been sprucing up the island, repainting street markings and replacing road- side lampposts leading to the airport. Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa, fresh from a resound- ing referendum victory back home on Sunday, was inspired. Pointing at the airport to the nations’ fl ags, several of which are tricolors of yellow, red and blue, he said, “They speak to us of a common past, waiting to fi nd a common present and future.” waters elections, Key Stock Movements April 16 2007 DAY’S CHANGE 2006 YEAR 2006 YEAR CLOSE IN POINTS HIGH LOW NEW YORK 12,720.46 +108.33 12,786.64 LONDON 6,516.2 +53.8 TOKYO 17,628.3 +264.35 18,215.35 FRANKFURT 7,338.06 +125.99 7,338.06 London Currency Fixing Rates April 16 2007 they are working on their own advertising network. Yahoo said it wants a stronger foothold in the local Web ad market and closer ties with the newspaper industry. It is facing fi erce competition from Web search leader Google Inc. Yahoo and the newspapers will share ad revenue. Executives on a conference with reporters and analysts on Monday declined to say what percentage each would get. Newspapers are anxious to capitalize on Internet opportunities as their paid print circulation declines and advertising sales slow because of competition from other media, primarily television and the Internet. “You have to think where we were prior to the creation of the consortium,” Belo Chief Executive Robert Decherd told Reuters. “We had 12 companies, more or less pursuing the same kinds of objectives, each with its own strategy and each with its own technology.” The Yahoo partnership, which was formed in Novem- ber, consists of newspapers in 44 states, including the Miami Herald and Hearst Corp.’s San Francisco Chronicle. “I believe there’s momentum behind this consortium,” McClatchy CEO Gary Pruitt told Reuters. “I hope and expect that there will be additional companies joining the group.” Over the next 18 months, the group’s newspaper sites will incorporate Yahoo’s technology for graphical advertising. Financial terms were not disclosed. NEW YORK--Yahoo Inc. said on Monday it has expanded an online advertising partnership with U.S. newspapers to include McClatchy Co., while two large publishers said they would not join the group. Newspapers hope the partnership, which consists of more than 264 newspapers, will bring them more Internet advertising revenue because it reaches a wider audience through a network of newspaper sites that includes Belo Corp., EW Scripps Co., Journal Register Co. and Lee Enterprises. The consortium does not include Tribune Co. and Gannett Co. Inc., which publish some of the largest newspapers in the country, including the Los An- geles Times and USA Today. The companies told Reuters 10,667.39 (Feb 20/07) (Jan 20/06) 6,516.2 (Apr 16/07) (Jun 13/06) 5,519.6 14,218.60 (Feb 26/07) (Jun 13/06) 5,292.14 (Apr 16/07) (Jun 13/06) Following are the middle exchange rates for leading currencies against the dollar: Euro Japanese Yen 119.71 British Pound 1.9894 Swiss Franc 1.2142 Australian Dollar 0.8327 Brazilian Real 2.0315 Canadian Dollar 1.1314 Hong Kong Dollar 7.812 Mexican Peso 10.9955 South African Rand 7.0873 CURRENT HIGH LOW 1.3528 1.3576 1.3533 119.87 118.99 1.9939 1.9864 1.2147 1.2117 0.8357 0.8314 2.0363 2.022 1.137 7.8144 7.8124 11.005 7.1915 7.0865 1.1302 10.9665 Gold (ounce) $687.75 (683.45)

30 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 A parcel of land for sale at Co- naree Village, St.Kitts. the selling price is $5,50 (EC) a square foot. The overallsize of the land is 3,995 square feet. Royston Berkel: 524- 1615/524-1616. For sale: 2003 Toyota Corolla $6,500 as is. 2004 Kia Rio $6,000 as is. Tel: 527-2740. rent. Brand new! Magnificent view over Great Bay. ±120 m², kitchen, large terrace and lots of private parking. 2 min. walk from Philipsburg. Please call:581-4388 for information. For sale: Brand new Yumbo Road- power 125cc Scooter. Color yellow. Very fast, a must see! $1,750. Con- tact: J@526-5766 or 553-5766. All Miami motors documents. 1 bedroom apartment for rent in Beacon Hill. $500 per month, un- furnished. Please call: 542-3126 or 526-2608. Beacon Hill: Beautifully renovated two bedroom, two bath, private home with pool near Simpson Bay beach. Must see! $449,000. Seri- ous inquiries only. Call: 545-4330 or 551-0309. One 2 bedroom apartment, fully furnished, air conditioned. Ample parking on Union Road, Cole Bay. 3 bedroom, 2 bath, semi furnished. Spectacular view. For more info call: 526-5397. Accommodation in Barbados & Airport pick up. 5 minutes drive to U.S. Embassy Reasonable rates. Call Janice Ward, Rossomar Guest House for more information: 001- (246) 424-0098 E-mail: rossomar- rentals@hotmail.com http://barbados.org/apt/rossomar. Belair: Overlooking ocean. 3 bedrooms, 2½ baths, terrace lounge, dining, kitchen, utility, full airco. Patio, garden, parking, 2 swimming pools, garden. In good order. Best offer over $350,000. Tel: 542-2382/524-6377. with tires for sale. Ferretis $1,200. Please call: 526-2027. Website: ½ bath, semi furnished villa with pool and dramatic ocean views. Gated with security system. Immediately available.$3,500 month long term. Tel:543-7900 or 543- 6124. . Call Super Bikes: 544-2704/544-2779 or visit our www.sxmcars.com. 2 satellite dish with receiver, sofa set, dining table, king size bed set 4pc. TV, home theater, crib, 18,000 btu airco, Mahogany cupboard, computer & table, lots more. Call: 523-1568. Apartments furnished in Cole Bay, Pelican area. From $750 per month. For rent or for sale, 3 bedroom + studio apartment in Cole Bay. For information call: 557-0683 from 12pm- 5pm. website -150, V.8, 5.4L 2002. Automatic, 4x4, 22’ chrome rims. For more information please call: 00590- 690-31-62-33 00590-590-87-54-17. <Check this out>. A few 400 m² lots available in Cole Bay $80,000 each. Pre sale with 10% down. Call: 552-3461. 125cc Scooter for sale. Good mo- tor, needs new piston rings. Other wise runs good. $500 o.b.o. Call: 581-4630. or (home) Pointe Blanche: One bedroom furnished apartment. Fantastic views, pool, laundry, internet, airco, sat.TV and more. $1,100 per month. Phone: 526-0159. jane. c.richardson@gmail.com. 20 ft container. Just arrived $1,800. Solid wooden round dining table including 4 chairs $400. Tel: 522-9710 or 522-5196. Beacon Hill: 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, furnished. A/C, parking $1,200. 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, semi furnished, washer/dryer, fridge & stove $1,300. Call: 522-5139. For sale: Grand Cherokee Jeep 1999, automatic, air condition, $8,500. Call: 554-9594. Cole Bay, charming building with 3 units with good rental income. Pri- vate parking, landscaped garden, hurricane shutters, A/C, furnished & equipped. Call for more info: 557- 0247/00590-690-55-70-46. 1994 Mazda 323, standard. Runs well, needs body work. Inspected until Feb. 2008. $600 o.b.o. Tel: 581- 8049 after 3:30 pm. Antique furniture for sale. one bedroom set, one Credenza, one Cedar chest also modern black wall unit 135” wide. One diningroom set also 2 sewing machines. For information visit www.mostelegant.com or call: 522-8468. For sale: Kia Sportage, year 2000. Automatic, A/C, 55,000 miles. Very good condition $5,500. Phone: 580-0354. rent Pointe Blanche oceanfront . Gated, spacious, open fl oor plan. Pool, maid, plantation furnishings, electric shutters, ac, 3 bedrooms, 3½ baths, no pets. First/security. Wireless internet. $2,900 + utilities. 544-3107/552-3200. 1994 Suzuki Side Kick, standard (stick shift), 4 doors. Air conditioned, inspection until 2009. $2,800. 1997 Ford Explorer, good condition. Call: 580-7165/581-6191. $2,000, 2-level, fully furnished house, 3 bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms. located, common swimming pool, nice sea view. Please call for info and appointment tel:542-5103. /Cupecoy-1 bedroom condo, renovated, furnished, Decorative window guards, hurricane shutters, lagoon view, AC, ceiling fan. No brokers. 2% finders fee for private referral. Price $180,000. Contact:sxmsale@yahoo.co m. Centrally appliances. For sale: Renault Clio, 1.6 L. 2002 (April), 80,000 km, $4,200. Call: 00590-690-27-50-06. For Sale - King Size Bed, only 1 year old, bought for $1000, asking $750. Also, twin bed w/ picket fence headboard $150. Call 520-5220. 1995 Green Grand Cherokee for sale. Asking price $5,000. Vehicle in good shape. Please call: 522-1065. Grand Cherokee Jeep 2000. Low mileage, leather interior, sunroof, CD changer, automatic & fully loaded. Call: 522-1839. Recently constructed two bedrooms, one bath apartment in Betty’s Estate. Includes burglar bars, alarm system, hot/ cold water, beautiful view. $750 per month, two months security deposit required. Call: 554-8239. Dawn Beach: For rent for 6 to 12 months, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathroom house, fully furnished. Air conditioned, price is $3,000 per month. For more info contact Ron: 520- 1038. 1997 Harley Davidson Sportster. Many extras, too may to list. Runs great, $4,500 o.b.o. Call: 526-8802. For sale a Steelmaster building still in it’s crates $15,000. Q-model, width 33’, lenght 48’. Building type Q33-16. Only serious inquiries. Call: 524-3307. prop- Jeep Wrangler 1990, hard-top, standard. $2,500. Please call: 553- 0476 or 524-0883. erties for sale Dutch and French side commercial & residential beach front properties, houses and apartment complex for sale. Also in Anguilla, Nevis-St.Kitts and Dominican Rep. Call: ECL N.V. Real Estate Agent. L. J. Gumbs. Tel: 599-545- 5551. Fax: 599-545-2375. Tele/Fax: 599-548-4916. E- m a eurocaribbeanlinkup@caribserve.net or our website www.eclsxm.com. 1998 Jeep Wrangler. New fl ip back soft top, custom stereo with roll bar speakers, $7,000. Call: 545-4330 or 551-0309. Divi Little Bay, one bedroom/one bathroom apartment. Large terrace overlooking Great bay. Newly renovated, newly furnished, private parking, gated and very private. Must see! $1,000 per month. Please call: 581-4388. Simpson Bay Yacht Club. Large furnished, one bedroom garden apartment, 2 baths, pool, tennis, 24 hr. security, internet, satellite TV. Available May 1st. Call: 522-5140. Bay, office space on Airport Road. Call: 551- 1770. email:klarmony@gmail.com. Kia Sephia II LS, 2002 model. Full automatic, gray color, in very good condition. Asking price $4,200. Price is negotiable. Call: 580-2746 or 524-6279. 1999 Isuzu Amigo, 4 speed. Manual transmission, A/C, convert- ible soft-top. $5,000 o.b.o. Phone: 581-9530. Leaving the island, must sell! 2000 Suzuki Grand Vitara, limited edition, fully loaded, extra clean. Like new, low mileage, new tires, excellent condition. Call: 522-8464. Dutch Lowlands: Small but attractive, waterfront studio apartment. A/C, furnished and equipped, own parking and night security guard. Long term only. Rent $775 per month. Call: 545-2674 or 522- 7850. i l : 1999 Hyundai Accent, A/C. Runs, great condition. $1,500 o.b.o. Call: 554-9950. St. John’s Estate: New gorgeous four (4) bedrooms, 3½ baths house, beautiful pool. All stainless steel kitchen appliances, gated sur- rounds, private and secure. Avail- able immediately for $3,500 p/m. Call Mr.Collins:520-4777. bedroom apartment, water front view. Includes 24 hr. security weekends, 12 hr. security week nights. Parking on premises, airco, laundry, private dock. $1,250, two months security deposit. Call:522-0412. ft. Tiara Express Cruiser. Excellent condition $35,000 obo owner leaving island anxious to sell can be seen @ Porto Fino marina. Call: 557-6200/ 522-5132. 2000 Chevy C6500 Towing truck. Straight six caterpillar diesel engine. Fully automatic, 19 feet fl atbed. Very good condition, $28,500. Call: 523-2868/556-5591. Leaving the island: 1998 Ford Taurus, like new. One of the most comfortable Ford cars. V6, AC, CD, fully powered, pearl white. $6,000. Call: 580-1830 or 556-0603. Huge lot In Whitestone , Pelican Key. Fantastic Scenic view overlooking St. Barths & Saba. $398,000 Dapper Dan 557-6200. For rent in Terres Basses, 2 bedroom spacious apartment, well furnished. Immense terrace with sea view. Monthly 1,700 Euros, utilities included. Contact: 586-6739 or 00590-690-77-13-10. For sale: 15 ft Zodiac jet boat. Needs minor work. Seats 5 persons. $5,000. Call: 524-1856. over- sized condo, spacious 2 bedroom. Extensive patio with 270 degrees landscap- ing. Designer washer/dryer, direct pool/ beach access. Financing available $475,000. No brokers, please. Tel: 544-3005, ext 1141. 2000 Toyota 4 Runner, 24V, V6. CD, A/C, power everything, new tires and brakes. Great island truck, rolls over everything. $10,500. Call Kerry: 553-5625. For sale: Tumble dryer, 10 kg size, great for the Dutch side only. Price $130. Speaks only French. Call: 00590-690-22-88-50. kitchens, Available, For rent, June 1st on Simpson Bay beach, spacious apartment. New & well furnished. 2 bedrooms + ensuite baths, exceptional beach and sea view. Monthly $2,500. Con- tact: 586-6739. 2003 Chrysler Sebring con- vertible. Fully loaded, full power, leather interior. Like new, must see. Excellent condition, low mileage, $15,500. Tel: 520-1427. White Sands Beach Club, on the mile long beach of Simpson Bay, left of Beacon Hill. One & two bedrooms from $500 weekly. Longer stays upon request. Appointments only. Tel:545-4496. Leaving the island. Must sale, new queen bed frame $200, cable box $125, caribserve box $125, weight bench $30, miscellaneous things. Call: 554-9950. Pointe Blanche ocean front villa, private, spacious 3 bedroom, 3½ baths. Includes two apartments. Beautifully furnished, large ve- randa, gated entrances. New airco, roll shutters, pool, many extras. Re- duced $900,000. 522-6853/544- 3107. price only $9,000. Late model vehicles in very good condition. Call now:(599) 586-7910 (Ezzy) or email:ezzycars@hotmail.com . Large 2 bedroom, 2½ bath. 2 sto- rey apartment in St. John’s, gated community. Brand new appliances, fridge, stove, washer/dryer. AC in all rooms. Corporate applicants preferred. $1,600. Call: 554-6275. Leaving the island: Dining table with 4 Rattan chairs, washing machine (220v). Small fridge (220v), couch, vacuum cleaner, livingroom table, dressoir. Any reasonable offer will be accepted. Call: 580-2302. Maho: Brand new one large studio. Fully furnished, equipped. AC, washer/dryer, internet. Satellite TV. Balcony, ocean view, separate kitchen, private parking, security. $950 per month, 2 months deposit. Call: 523-3241. Rainbow Beach Club at Cupecoy. Direct ocean views, fully furnished 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. 1 unit in Tennis building, 2 units in Towers building. $425,000 to $475,000. No brokers. Call: 580-9755. needs front desk attendant. Must have:Excellent skills, quickbooks, Excel, Word, internet, cash register, calculator. Must be: Customer friendly, computer literate, able to work eve- nings & weekends. Email resume to jobvacancysxm@yahoo.com Reduced to $35,000. 2003 28 foot Master Craft Ski boat. Seats 10, new engine, 2 hours. New $125,000 with trailer. Steal of a deal. Perfect condition. Divorce sale. Call: 557-7469. SE, 4x4, 26k miles. Good condition. Price Call: 520-1083. $25,000. Don’t miss this steal. 1996 Dodge Caravan, newly painted, AC. Per- fect engine, only fuel pump needed. Asking $2,600. 2006 Honda Civic, black, like new. Asking $16,000. Se- rious inquiries only. Call: 554-4801. Nice and spacious apartments. Tamarind Hill, Dawn Beach. Fully furnished with airco, washer/dryer, generator, nice terrace, own parking. Wonderful ocean view, 24-hrs security. From $900, no pets. Tel: 580-6653. Rainbow Beach Club at Cupecoy. Tower building level 6. Direct ocean views. Fully furnished, 2 bedroom, 2 bathrooms. No brokers please. $425,000. Please call: 580-9755. . Fully loaded. Please call: 527-1136/527-4242. for a 801m² land. Mary’s Fancy, beautiful view on valley sloped, all utilities available. For sale by owner $95,000. Serious inquiries only. Tel: 554-8979 between 6 - 10 pm. Email:dandgrealty@gmail.com. person to work as a handy- man/mechanic. For further information contact: Kenny Levenstone, Bottom, Saba. Phone:416- 2388. Saba: Spacious 2 Bedroom 2 bathroom house, apartment down- stairs, approximately 650 sq. m of property. Perfect for family home or rental property. Asking $175,000. Contact 416-3671 or craig@sa- bactransport.com For sale: 2000 Chrysler Caravan, automatic. Great A/C, good condition. Just arrived from Miami. Call: 522-5031 or 526-2608 for the price. Mr. The One bedroom apartment $550 included utilities. Daily room rentals. Call: 553-1236.

Opinion 31 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 Dear Editor, Defi cits. A huge debt to Holland. Think for a moment. Where did and does all our tax monies go? Can it be that the government apparatus is leaking? If you have a leakage at home, who do you call? A school teacher? A web designer? An artist? A politician? No. You call a plumber. If the government apparatus is leaking then what the government of St. Maarten needs is a plumber. Our government needs people who can go in there and detect where and how much of our tax monies are leaking. Our government needs people who know about leakages and how to fi x them. In other words we need some plumbers. Among our politicians are there any plumbers? Has any politician shared and con- vinced you that he or she is capable of doing any plumb- ing? I can imagine politicians who just stand below the leakages or who plan to go stand as the previous have and take whatever is leaking. They will never say they found a leak and will never admit they benefi t from the leakages. They might not have created the leakages but will not do anything about them either. Many politicians keep the population ignorant of the real problem in government. That is the apparatus is leaking. The more we let it leak, the more serious the leakages become. We complain about schools not being built, monies not being invested in health, etc. But how can we, if the apparatus is leaking? Our main problem is the leakage and not the schools, not the health, etc. Once we solve the leakage problems all other things will more easily fall in place. When nothing is done with a leakage, guaranteed that the next bill will be very high. Who will have to pay the bill? We as taxpayers will have to pay the bill by paying more in taxes. And to fi nance country status will make the situation even worse. For Holland to say they will forgive us our debt does not eliminate the leakage problem. On the contrary, they will come as has always been the case, and benefi t from the leakage problem themselves. Noth- ing is for nothing people. Now think for a moment. Who hires the plumbers? Aren’t we as voters? If we continue to have leakage problems whose fault is it? Isn’t it ours? We have been hiring our families and friends with undoubtedly good credentials but sorry to say very few so far were and are real plumbers. We need to become more responsible when we vote. So this election let us hire, or vote for some plumbers to take care of the leakages in our governmental apparatus. If not we better prepare to pay the coming high bills of these leakages. experienced DISHNETWORK sales, installa- tion and service. Enjoy over 300 choice TV programming. We also buy working DISHNET receivers with working cards. Call:5815555/ 5240666 or e-mail: thespecial- istssxm@gmail.com cook to work in a restaurant in Simpson Bay. Also looking for a deli attendant. Please call: 580-7337. reps (opc’s). Must be legal. Will give training if needed. for more info please call: 522- 1065. Dutch lessons. Would you like tutoring for your child? Homework assistance or a Dutch language course? Do you need help writing business letters? Call: 581-7403. Lessons are scheduled on week days. looking for 2 qualified care giv- ers. Must Resume requested. Pass by Dr.Tjon-Sie-Fat St. #23, Cole Bay. Please call: 580-7866/ 520-4979. have L.B.O. Helena, your qualified Canadian Registered Practical Nurse for pre- ventative diabetic foot care, respite and palliative care. For information call: (599)586-2747. Serious inquiries only please. for experienced chef and wait- ress. Pick up a application or drop resume at St.Maarten Jewelry Repair Shop. Must have valid papers. Call:542- 2603. Horse boarding. Private club, not public stable, scenic views. Two horses per deluxe lean to paddock. Ring over looks sea with night lights. Excellent feeding/cleaning, trails/ beach riding. Space limited. Call: 581-8348. Patricia Varlack (male or female) for a rock band. Serious rockers only! Call Liron: 520-1064. party etc etc, Back Street #184. We rent wedding gowns, tuxedo’s, bridal bou- quets, plates, silverwares, wine & champagne glasses, arches, wedding chairs, gazebos. Call:523-7676/ 553-4968. Dear Editor, All of a sudden it was ‘déjà vu’ all over again. Conse- quently, it brought back vivid experiences of my past schooldays in Aruba, some of which had a traumatic impact on many of us growing up and even into adulthood. Granted, Mr. Oosterwijk did not necessarily address me. But still, as a proud and conscious native St. Martiner, I too felt offended. Just having to digest the contents of the article, simply “kinda” made my “blood crawl.” The “overall tone,” lecturing at best and perhaps more realistically very conde- scending to say the least. Yes, of course I am referring to that letter to the editor in The Daily Herald of Thursday, April12, written by a certain M. J. Oosterwijk. It was entitled “St. Maarten does not need proposed hotel and convention centre complex.” The only thing I found “amusing” in the article is the man’s pride of having been a resident on the island since 1978. “Wattat- ing.” Obviously, this “sab- batical” from his homeland was considered justifi cation enough by this gentleman to offend someone whose ancestor’s roots deeply pen- etrate the traditional period of this island’s history, certainly way before the day Mr. Oosterwijk “blessed” this island with his appearance. Besides, how many local people did not grow up eat- ing “Sardine’s bread,” long before the Friendly Island was discovered by many new adventurers of the sea. But that is alright. As I stated before, the very tone of the article in question had something very reminis- cent of my old Aruba schooldays - the days when the colo- nial masters taught us among other subjects, algebra and ABN (proper Dutch). Also not to forget, that is was expected from us, for instance, to know exactly where the river Rhine en- tered the Netherlands as well as the many very patriotic songs like “Sarie Mareis,” “Piet Heyn….Piet Heyn… zijn daden benne groot” and “Moriaantje zwart als roet……ging eens wandelen zonder hoed…..” But, more than any curricular subject, we were effectively brain- washed and conditioned never to forget our place. In other words, as long as you were well-behaved and knew the social-economic limitations for your kind, you were considered a role-model of sorts. You were never to forget that yours was a sub- servient role, submissive and inferior versus Massa. Du moment people of our kind ever forgot their places and crossed the social de- marcation lines, there were harsh lessons to be learned by these rebels and radicals. Lord have mercy on students of our kind in those days, who ever had and, worse yet, dared to express any ambition beyond be- coming teacher, analyst or nurse. In other words, those good for nothing rebels, who dared to even consider going to the HBS-b in order to further their studies at a Dutch University, could count on the type of scolding and deni- grating remarks as expressed by this Mr. Oosterwijk. After all, any such deviant social behaviour of those radicals could be interpreted as a direct threat to the co- lonial pecking-order of the day. Reason being that it had the potential of destabilizing society in terms of the natural roles of the various stakeholders, as formulated by, of course, Mr. Man. So, these are some of the feelings I got, when I read the dissertation by Mr. Oost- erwijk. I could not avoid the impression that in the books of Mr. O., the sins of Mr. Sardines were that he had megalomaniac ideas. (too ambitious for his kind). Don’t forget that in certain social circles on the Friendly Island, the rights of having great ambitious concepts are not the privilege of the kind like a Mr. Sardine. Of course, if Mr. Sardine had been working as an employee of the likes like Mr. Oosterwijk, perhaps he would have been awarded outstanding bar-tender or taxi-driver of the month. But then, of course, Mr. Sardine would have clearly shown that under all circumstances, he knew his place and that was never to aim for the stars, but stay close to the ground. My message to Mr. Oost- erwijk and those sharing his world of thoughts is this: Wake up. Wake up. It’s a new day - a new beginning… There is a new paradigm under construction on the Friendly Island - a new St. Martin Order. It is called the nation building and uni- fi cation process and it will herald the empowerment of the native St. Martiners. The reclamation of the rightful positions of native St. Mar- tiners in this their own and only country. As part of this process, St. Martiners will take ownership of what is due them. That will also mean that, it will no longer be the highest expectation and ambition of St. Martiners to work for others and to make others look good. This will be OUR time to dare to dream the most out- rageous ideas and to go for them, REGARDLESS of what others think or perhaps IN SPITE OF what others think or not. In that context alone, whether or not we agree with the ideas of Mr. Sardine, as a native of this country, who has worked in many capaci- ties abroad and on the island to build others, we will defend his and the ideas of other St. Martiners to believe in any project or concept and to share it publicly as well on their own island. Megalomaniac as Mr. Oost- erwijk calls the idea of Mr. Sardine or not, who cares what others think? We for sure are not motivated, inspired by what others think or expect of us; we are intrin- sically inspired. So remember it is OUR time to think how WE want to think, without asking permission from others. As such, Mr. Oosterwijk, there is nothing you can do about that awakening of our pride and you should simply get accustomed to it, because you ain’t see anything yet…. Once our people realize their own potentials, there will be no stopping them….. Mr. Sardine’s investment of over 350 million dollar is just a very humble beginning of the dawn of the new St. Mar- tiner….it is OUR time now to fail in trying, which is our prerogative. Have a nice day and tot ziens. Experienced hard working lady is seeking a job as a housekeeper for a small family or to take care for the elderly or as a babysitter. Please call: 523-7736. Experienced young lady is seeking job as a housekeeper or to take care of the elderly or babysitting. Please call: 580-2632. hard working Experienced hard working young lady is seeking a job as a babysitter, day or night. Please call: 522-3348 Thank you. Looking for a small apartment or studio in Cole Bay area for a young couple. Price range $300- $350. Phone: 581-7121. Mature lady is looking for a live in, live out job as a housekeeper for small family , to take care of the elderly. Speak, read, write English fluently. Phone: 581-7121. Urgently looking for: Two experienced ladies to take care of an elderly lady. Must be able to live 3½ days each separately. Must have documents for the island. Please call: 520-2878. We are looking to buy a 2 or 3 bedroom house. Tel: 524-3102. Young experienced lady is seeking a job as a hairdresser, store clerk or housekeeping. Please call: 586-7811. Computer and notebook repairs, upgrade and networking services. Fast and reliable service at a reasonable fee. For service call:5815555 / 5240666 or E-mail: thespecialistsxm@gmail. com Computer classes: climb the ladder of success. Improve your computer skills with classes in: Basic computer operation skills, Microsoft word, Microsoft Excel, internet. Sign up today. For information call: 581-0172. Drs. Leopold JAMES President SNBF/ Association L’Esprit de Concorda

Opinion 32 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 We are Milton Peters Col- lege students Jessica Weeks and Takira Charles who choose to work at The Daily Herald as part as our job training from Wednesday, April 11 to Friday, April 13. We wanted to get a sneak peek into what it is like to be a journalist, here’s our experience… As we slowly made our way up the stairs to face a small, brownish door, we soon realised that the defi nition of a true journalist given by the Oxford Dictionary could never fully describe the life and task of a true journalist. Each year, MPC students of pre-exam classes from sections HAVO and VWO get the opportunity to take a deeper look into the career fi elds they would later on want to pursue. Can product that would refl ect all that we had learned and experienced thus far working with the very lovely journalists of The Daily Herald. Though the last day went by quickly we do believe that the lessons we’ve learnt and the people we’ve met throughout our three days will never be forgotten. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to those who made our three days most memorable. Especial- ly to those who worked very closely with us and made sure we were never left idle; Hazel Durand, Gordon Snow, John van Kerkhof, Judy Fitzpatrick, Alfred Harley, and of course Alita Singh and MPC teacher/career guidance counsellor Mrs. Rogers. Two MPC students explore the profession you imagine our excite- ment to fi nd out we would be going to spend three days amongst the very skil- ful journalists of The Daily Herald? Wow! We arrived at The Daily Herald late morning feeling a bit jittery and wondering if we would make good fi rst impressions. We were told by the teacher who assigned us to the newspaper that they wanted enthusiastic, ready to work interns and we were prepared to give it our all. Not knowing what to expect, we were surprised to be greeted by friendly faces fi lled with warmth and acceptance. Right away we were invited to join the daily meeting of the journalists from the editorial section. We noticed as they discussed their tasks for the day and though they were balancing very heavy workloads, they all had great relationships and communication with each other and weren’t too tired to crack jokes. After the meeting we were immediately thrust into the hectic life of a journalist. We were sent on an assignment with one of the journalists to the opening of the new Simpson Bay Fish Market. There we were given the task to write an article in order to learn and hone our writing skills. This meant that we didn’t have time to relax or socialize much with the prominent political fi gures and other high ranking offi cials who were present. We were too busy jotting down notes, names and getting information. We observed how important it is for a journalist to conduct themselves in a certain manner in order to establish and maintain contact that may be important for future articles. Though we were only scheduled to work from 11:00am to 6:00pm, we quickly learnt that a journalist’s job does not fi nish when they leave the work- place and may often require late nights. We went home that evening exhausted but still on a high from the days events. Alas, we didn’t get to rest just yet. We still had to fi nish up our articles, which took up the rest of the night. The next day, we got in- sight into other aspects of journalism such as inter- views and photography. We got the opportunity to interview a local rap group Oddyssey for which we had to write an article to be featured in Saturday’s newspaper. Later that day we at- tended the offi cial opening of Caricement, this time we recorded the most important speeches and took pictures. The end of our journey was vastly approaching and so we set out to produce a Wednesday Jessica Weeks Takira Charles Dear Mr. Heyliger, We have been coming to visit the lovely island of St. Maarten since 1988. Each year we look forward to our stay with great anticipation. We purchased our timeshare 19 years ago. We frequent the shops and res- taurants and recommend them to our friends. We have travelled to all parts of the island feeling safe and secure. Whenever we travel, we respect the laws, rules, and regulations of the area we are visiting. On Tuesday, March 20, we had a very unpleasant experience. We parked our car (license plate R680) and then went shopping in Phil- lipsburg on Front Street. Upon our return we were very upset to fi nd our car had been towed from the street where Nagico Insur- ance Co. is located. We looked for some indica- tion of why this occurred and could fi nd none. We asked a security guard (name provided) working for the insur- ance company who was there when we came back but not when we parked the car. He told us this was a “No Park- ing” area, but that the sign that should indicate this had been removed. We walked to the police station. No one there really seemed to want to talk to us, just to call the towing company. When we were taken to the Black Dog Towing Company lot located on the premises of the Good Shepard Baptist Church, Frankie informed us that the fee was $65 payable in cash only. Since we did not have that much money with us in cash, Frankie was willing to accept a somewhat lesser amount. We never received a ticket for the parking vio- lation and never got a re- ceipt for the cash we paid. We did leave with our automobile. Next we went to the De- partment of Control and Security and met with an Inspector in order to voice our complaint about our automobile being unjustifi ably towed. The Inspector was unwilling to listen to our explanation of no signage to indicate a “No Parking” area. Our car was the only car towed on that particular block. We had rental plates. The other cars had local plates. The signage on the street that caused the problem is inadequate and con- fusing, especially to tourists. If there is no parking on either side of the street, signs should be there to indicate such and missing signs should be replaced. For example: A sign for prohibited parking at a bus stop should say more than “bushalte.” It would be helpful to include “bus stop” as the majority of the tourists on the Dutch side understand English. The new signage at the airport is easier to understand and most likely will prevent future towings. Why can’t the same explicit signs be used in Phillipsburg as well? To clarify our position, we have enclosed photographs we took at the location of our problem. Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise. Psalm 109, v With great sadness we announce the passing of Inspection, Jesus said. “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” John 8:12 With deep sadness we announce that our dear husband, father and grandfather, son, brother and uncle, Drs. Rudy Ewald Jap Ngie suddenly passed away on Saturday, April 14th, 2007 at the respectful age of 70 Mr. Hubert Maynard, better known as Doc of Nazareth, Dutch Quarter, born in La Brea, Trinidad. He leaves to mourn: His wife: His children: Sunrise: February 15, 1934 Sunset: April 13, 2007 Wilma Jap Ngie - del Prado Sharon and family Jimmy Kara Louise van Hetten Just Jap Ngie & family Carla Jap Ngie & family Truus Jap Ngie & family Rinia Asmus & family Caretaker: Yvette Hope Leaves to mourn: His wife: Children: His granddaughter: His mother: His brother: His sisters: Dulcie Maynard Sybil Maynard Elsa Daniel Donna St. John Keith Maynard Lenroy Carrabon Mabel Peters Beryl Bell Thelma Vialva Monique, Prispan, Jashua, Kert, Seenance, Yen Keranph and La Shell; and 1 great- grandchild, all living in Trinidad. Mr. Wilmoth Brown, Mr. Donald Kelly, Mr. MelvinYates, Mr. Derrick Canhigh and family. Brother: Sisters: Funeral service will be at the Royal Funeral Home on Thursday, April 19th, 2007: 16:00 - 17:00 hours: viewing of the body 17:00 - 18:00 hours: thanksgiving service Grandchildren: Close friends: He will be laid to rest in the Netherlands on Tuesday, April 24th, 2007. Other friends too numerous to mention. Thanksgiving service will be held at Bible Baptist Church on Arch Road, Sucker Garden, on Wednesday, April 18, 2007. Viewing of the body will be from 2:00pm until 3:00pm. Service commences at 3:00pm, then burial will be at the Cul de Sac cemetery. Address for condolences: Lampe weg # 4, Ebenezer. Rest in peace dear Rudy, we will miss your friendliness and compassion. Irma and Lloyd Getz New Jersey, USA May you rest in peace.

Opinion 33 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 By Eugene Robinson people, don’t deceive your- selves that it’s precisely the same thing. Don’t pretend that 388 years of history – since the fi rst shackled Afri- can slaves arrived at James- town – never happened. The First Amendment notwith- standing, it has always been the case that some speech has been off-limits to some people. I remember a time when black people couldn’t say “I’d like to vote, please.” Now, white people can’t say “nappy-headed hos.” You’ll survive. While we’re at the business of blunt truth, do the big- time media luminaries who so often graced Imus’ show have some explaining to do? You bet, and so do the parent news organizations, including my own, that allowed their journalists to go on a broadcast that routinely crossed the aforementioned line. All these trained observers couldn’t have failed to notice Imus’ well-prac- ticed modus operandi. “He never said anything bad while I was on” doesn’t cut it as a defense. Nor is there much exculpa- tory power in Imus’ defense of himself, which can be paraphrased as, “I’m not a racist, I just keep saying racist things.” What character- istics, do you suppose, could possibly identify a person who was indeed a racist? You think maybe that saying racist things might be a fairly reliable clue? One of the most interesting things about the Imus melt- down is how MSNBC and its parent company, NBC Universal, moved sluggish inaction to ordering a two-week suspension to bidding Imus, his cowboy hat and his unfunny entou- rage an abrupt adios. A day later, CBS Radio followed suit and canceled Imus. The pressure applied by Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and other activists certainly got NBC’s and CBS’ attention, and the news conference held by the offended Rutgers team was devas- tating. News stories citing Imus’ past transgressions were embarrassing. And the withdrawal of Imus’ biggest advertisers – General Motors, GlaxoSmithKline, American Express, Ditech. com, Procter & Gamble, Staples, Sprint Nextel – removed any fi nancial incen- tive for MSNBC to keep the show on the air. It would be logical to con- clude that money talked and therefore Imus walked. But I tend to believe NBC News President Steve Capus when he says that the biggest fac- tor was the internal reaction from NBC News employees, who told him in no uncertain terms that enough was enough. Two of the network’s on- air stars – “Today’s” weath- erman Al Roker and NBC correspondent Ron Allen – authored strong anti-Imus posts on NBC blogs. Pro- ducers of NBC and MSN- BC news shows gave the controversy nonstop cov- erage. Meanwhile, Capus was hearing from dozens of NBC employees who worried about what continued association with Imus would do to NBC’s reputation. Among them were women and minorities who told Capus they felt the sting of Imus’ attacks personally. Which is a sign of how the world has changed. Four decades ago, when Imus started his long and lucrative radio career, there were few women and minorities at NBC in a position to infl uence the company’s decision on an issue like this one. Take it another step: There were few women and minorities in positions of authority at the fi rms that advertised on Imus’ show. In think tanks and on college campuses, intellectuals still argue about diversity, but in corporate America the issue is settled: Di- versity is a fact of today’s world. In the nation’s two most populous states, Cali- fornia and Texas, minorities already form a majority. Companies realize they cannot survive, let alone thrive, without courting diversity among their employees and their customers. You certainly can’t run a television network these days without taking diversity into account. Imus’ advertisers couldn’t afford to be associated with racist, misogynistic views, and neither could NBC. This doesn’t portend any sort of chilling effect on free speech, as some have suggested. It doesn’t mean that white males are being relegated to the dust- bin of history. Last time I checked, guys, you still ran most of the world. You just have to be a bit nicer these days, and you have to share. WASHINGTON -- Now that the networks have pulled the plug on Don Imus, let’s have no hyper- ventilation to the effect that the aging shock jock’s fall from undeserved grace raises some important question about just who in our society is permitted to say just what. Wherever “the line” delineating acceptable discourse might be, calling those young women from Rutgers University “nappy- headed hos” is miles on the other side. Especially for a 60-ish white man with a long history of racist, sexist and homophobic remarks. For young black hip-hop artists to use such language to demean black women is similarly deplorable – and, I would argue, even more damaging. But come on, from ACROSS 1 Six feet of water 7 Sort or kind 10 Make well 14 Tropical lizard 15 Extinct bird 16 Ms. Fitzgerald 17 Boneless cut of meat 18 Verbal picture 20 Otherwise 21 Second appearance on stage 23 __ of Cortez 24 At present 25 Pile wood 26 Sudden feeling of anxiety 27 Unusual 28 Startle 31 Seaside 33 Docs' grp. 36 Sub weapon 38 Spanned 40 Nevertheless 41 Type of boom 43 Pugilist's weapons 44 Woman last mentioned 45 Plays trump 47 Hilo hi 50 Actor's parts 51 Sturdy cup 54 Donees 56 Strike an attitude 57 Light musical production 58 Cut choppers 60 Perform ushering 61 Work unit 62 Rugged ridges 63 Sea eagles 64 One of the Three Stooges 65 Poe's lady Dear Mr. Editor, Since my last letter a few weeks ago, about it being our responsibility to get all undocumented children into school, I’ve received quite a few reactions. From, “What happened? You have one out here?” to, “We should round them up all and ship them back.” I’ve realized that most people don’t see the ramifi cations of this problem in our daily lives. Well, in this letter I’ll not talk about the humanitarian side of this drama and I’ll try to look at the problem from a business point of view. Maybe I’ll open some eyes on how this will affect our daily lives. The undocumented kids will not remain kids forever. They will grow up and in turn have undocumented kids of their own. That is to say that the number of them will only increase. The strain on our social and health care system will be unbear- able to the point of bankruptcy. Our justice system will explode. The tomorrow undocumented adults, at the least most of them, will turn to crime for survival. Their children will not even wait until they have grown up, we’ll have the young- est criminals in the Carib- bean. Remember, they are totally illiterate and their quest for survival will make them ruthless. They will be roaming the streets of St. Maarten in gangs that will make the present crime situation look like paradise. Tourists will run away from St. Maarten (they have already started). We are a very small island and we cannot have all in- clusive resorts like Jamaica and the Dominican Re- public, where the tourists are taken off the plane, put into buses, driven to their resorts miles away from the locals and don’t come out again until they are ready to leave. Here the tourists have to mix with us, thus making them very good and easy targets for the criminals. The Police will be as usual understaffed and ill- equipped to deal with such large scale criminality. What are we going to do? Here is where the vigilante mentality that sleeps in all of us will awake. Next thing we will have death squads out here, shooting criminals without trial. Lots of undocumented children will start disappearing. Useless to say what that will do for our image abroad, and you can imagine the effects on our Economy (businesses closing, unemployment, social etc...) All the beautifi cation, the roundabouts, the airport, the port will become useless monuments to our stupidity and lack of vision. It sounds like a far-fetched scenario, I agree, but we must look at that as a possible one and deal with the problem now before it is too late. Unfortunately in St. Maarten we have became masters at sweeping problems under the carpet to deal with later. unrest 6 __ of honor 7 Charge a public official 8 Daft 9 Miniature race car 10 Messenger 11 Large antelope 12 Mrs. Kramden 13 By and by 19 Exchanges of sorts 22 Prolific U.S. inventor 24 Assume a fixed form 26 Soda 27 Bruins' great Bobby 28 Porker's pad 29 "The Raven" poet 30 Table scrap 32 Supernatural 33 Blockhead 34 Encountered 35 Want __ 37 Unknown John 39 Bro's sibling Max Choisy 42 Last B.C. era 44 Blouses 46 Befitting a gala occasion 47 Popped up 48 Outcast 49 Indian or Arctic 50 Stylishly out-of- date 51 Words to live by 52 Wedding worker 53 V-formation flock 55 Agenda topic 56 Hammer part 59 Afore DOWN 1 High-pitched flutes 2 Nimble 3 Oklahoma city 4 Robust 5 Individual

Comics 34 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 By Linda C. Black Today’s Birthday (April 17). Being best will not be good enough for you this year. You’ll also want to become prosperous. That takes different skills, but you can do it. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Aries (March 21-April 19) - Today is a 9 - Continue to speak decisively. Others depend upon your sense of certainty now. Luckily, for you, this is not a problem. Taurus (April 20-May 20) - Today is a 5 - The good news is that the work you’re doing is increasing your reserves. The bad news is that you have to hustle more than you fi nd comfortable. You’ll survive. Gemini (May 21-June 21) - Today is a 7 - Let people know you appreciate their advice, but don’t follow it all. Check it out with your partner fi rst. The best schemes will meet with approval, the reckless ones won’t. Cancer (June 22-July 22) - Today is a 9 - Follow or- ders, and also use your own imagination. It’s OK if superiors don’t know that you ever make mistakes. Produce results and smile, as you accept the kudos. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) - Today is a 7 - You’re still lucky, and you’re starting to get a little more sen- sible. Don’t depend too heavily on a fl aky assistant. Make sure the job gets done right. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) - Today is a 5 - You can put away money for the future by letting a client pay later. Only do this for somebody you’re certain can be trusted. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) - Today is an 8 - Don’t let your partner spend all the money. There’s a great temptation to simply have somebody else make all the decisions. That’s not a good idea. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) - Today is a 9 - You’ll have time to relax later, after your associate is trained. Don’t have a helper in training? Get on that right away. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) - Today is an 8 - You’re slightly more interested in settling down to work. This is good, but don’t go exactly by the book. The latest theory does not apply well. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) - Today is a 5 - Sud- denly, it all makes sense. In the next moment, you wonder why you worried. After that, you can forget all about it, and get onto the next question. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) - Today is a 6 - Your research is producing results, or it will, if you keep at it. Don’t schedule anything demanding for tonight. You’ll want to mull things over. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) - Today is a 9 - Make sure everybody knows who’s in charge of your production. It’s you, of course. Taking full responsibility makes the job easier.

Community Essay Contest House of Nehesi Publishers in collaboration with Conscious Lyrics Foundation and sponsored by Kwik Bargains is orga- nising an essay competition for six graders. Students interested in participating select a topic 1 - The History of Carnival in St. Martin (South) 2 - What Does Carnival Mean To Me? 3 - Write an Essay about Your Favourite Calypsonian (based on an interview with him or her) and submit the essay by April 19. Contact the principal and 6th grade teacher of your school for essay contest rules and more details. 35 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 Parents are reminded to have the following documents on hand for registration, Birth Certifi cate, Registration form from the Census Offi ce, Proof of Dutch nationality for Antil- leans, A valid residence permit of the child for non-Antille- ans, Immunization card and Two (2) passport pictures. GED and SAT classes Sophi’s Camp Foundation is taking application for the start of their GED and SAT programs which will start June 1, at12 Van Buren Dr, Cole Bay. For more information call 581- 3716. Tae Kwon Do Classes Dragon Princess Tae Kwon Do School is registering students for classes in Simpson Bay Tuesdays, Thursdays and Satur- days, 5:00-6:30pm and in St. Peters Monday, Wednesday and Fridays, 5:00-6:30pm. For more information call 526-6073. Extended Hours Census Offi ce will be extending their opening hours April 16 to 19 from 8:30am to 7:00pm for citizens who have not received their voting cards. On Election Day, April 20, the offi ce will be open from 7:00am to 5:00pm. Dear Queenie, I gave my girlfriend a box of candy for Valentine’s Day. When some friends of hers dropped by she offered them some of the candy and they each took a couple of pieces. There wasn’t much left after that. Later on we had a big argument about this. I told her I bought the candy for her, not for her friends, and I was hurt that she thought so little of me and my gift that she just gave it away, as if it wasn’t good enough to be worth keeping. She said the candy was just great and she liked it very much, and she is accustomed to sharing good things with people she cares about. She says I’m selfi sh to be upset about what she did. Queenie, who is right?—Offended Baby Clinic Move White & Yellow Cross Backstreet Baby Clinic informs the general public that it has moved from Back Street 29 to: St. Johns Road 6, St. Johns. Opening hours: Mondays, 8:30am to 12:30pm and 1:15-3:30pm; Fridays, 8:30am to 12:30pm. Adventist Church Building, Belvedere. Opening hours: Thursday 8:30am to 12:30pm and 1:15-3:30pm. Patients are advised to start using the new locations. Please note that the Clinic hours for Cole Bay on Tuesdays, and in St. Johns Estate on Wednesdays will remain the same. For more information tel: 54-84128 or email us at dnursing@ whiteyellowcross.org Ark relocation Management and staff of Victorious Living Foundation and Y2X makes known that its offi ces have been relocated from the Ark Outreach Center to the Rupert I. Maynard Com- munity Center in St. Peters. Victorious Living Foundation and Y2X will be operating solely from their St. Peters location until their second location on the Back Street 158-B is ready. Victory Net Cafe will resume operations when the Back Street location is open. To contact Victorious Living call 524-8731 or 548-5022. Library Open Philipsburg Jubilee Library announces that on Friday, April 20 elections day the library will be open during the morning hours: 9:00am to 12:30pm. Kinder Care Center Registration Kinder Care Center is accepting three-year-olds for its Head Start and Early Stimulation in Preparation for Kindergarten. Call tel. 524-1122 or 553-5475. Dear Offended, She is. Once a gift is given it belongs to the recipient, to do with as she or he pleases. Your girlfriend has a generous spirit to want to share her goodies with others. What else did you expect her to do? Eat all of it her- self (and get fat)? Share the candy only with you? If so, you should have told her so when you gave it to her. But of course, that would have made you look pretty mean- spirited, wouldn’t it? Just like your reaction to her giving some of it to her friends. Volunteers Needed Animals R Friends foundation is looking for volunteers to help feed feral cats at the Cat Cafes. Cat food will be provided by ARF. Transportation is needed. For more information e-mail us at arf_sxm@yahoo.com or call 580-1627 or 556-1191 School Volunteers The Community Schools Project of St. Maarten is looking for qualifi ed volunteers to assist and share their skills with our youngsters. Persons skilled in drama, local dance, track and fi eld, cooking, story telling, handicrafts, aerobics, computers, Math, English, Dutch and other areas are needed. For more information, call Project Leader Lusandra Wilson, tel. 542-2056. Softball recruitment United Female Youth Softball Foundation is recruiting girls 19 and under, at John Copper/Jose Lake Jr. Park on Satur- days from 9:00am to 1:00 pm, to play softball. For more information email unitedfemaleyouthsoftball@hotmail.com or call Maria at 544-4177. Only notices of fund-raising events for non-profi t or educational organisations will be placed in the Events/Notices column. Notices/Events should be sent to notices@thedailyherald.com in the format used on this page. Do not send fl iers or press releases to this address. EVENTS The Law in Focus April: The last Island Council Elections within the Netherlands Antilles, with Mr. Louis Duzanson, and comments from the three Political leaders represented in the Island Council, followed by the rights of the citizen against (non) actions or decisions taken by Government, through Administrative Legal proceedings. The Law in Focus is aired on St. Maarten Cable TV Chan- nel 15 every Thursday, 9:30-10:00pm, with rebroadcasts on the Wednesday following, 6:00-6:30pm; on Saba Cable TV Mondays and Statia Cable TV Tuesdays, 7:00-7:30pm; on Radio 98.1 FM/Pearl FM on Tuesdays at 1:30pm; on Statia radio on Tuesdays at 12:30pm, with a repeat on Sundays at 6:00pm; and on MSR Cable TV Channel 9 in French Saint Martin. The public is encouraged to send questions on legal issues to fax 547-3754 or e-mail lawinfocus@burofocus. com . Teenage Parenting Centre for Early Childhood Education and Care (SIFMA) invite teenagers to a course on teenage parenting. Topics to be discussed include child development, family planning, sex education, budgeting, time management etc. The course is planned for March to July. For more information contact SIFMA at: 543-7298/ 543-7299. Sunday, April 15 to 20 CRUSADE Organised by Philipsburg Pioneer Pathfi nder Place: Philipsburg Seventh Day Adventist Church at Zagers- gut Road. Time: 7:15pm nightly For more information call Dir. I. Knight at 547-0101. Volunteers needed Island Vision Foundation is seeking exhibitors and volunteers for upcoming environmental events. A forum of speakers, fi lms, educational activities, entertainers, green organizations and food/beverage providers who offer healthy, cre- ative and fun alternatives to what is commonly available in mainstream venues will be provided. Nominations will also be accepted for the awards. For more details, contact island- visionfoundation@gmail.com or call 556 4746. NOTICES Self Esteem Workshop Brahma Kumaris Organisation invites the general public to a two-day workshop on “Self Esteem, A State of Inner Dig- nity” on Saturday, April 21 and Saturday, April 28 at Port De Plaisance from 9:00am to 1:00pm. To register call 527-3597. Professor SANOUSSY Great Psychic Efficient - 100% results guaranteed School Registration The Department of Education informs parents and guardians wishing to register their children at a public school to do so at the school located in the area where they live. Registra- tion will take place from Tuesday, April 17 through Thursday, April 19, from 12:00pm to 3:00pm at the following schools: Ruby Labega School, Oranje, Marie Genevieve de Weever, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School, Leonard Conner, Charles Leopold Bell Primary School for grade 4, 5, and 6. WORLD FAMOUS NEVER FAILS. Overpowers voodoo, removes unhappiness and transforms your life. Gives permanent results, ends confusion, no false promises, returns lover to stay. 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People 37 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 der-Man 4” if there was one. But that didn’t stop him from telling fans that Tokyo was one of the few cities in the world suited to “Spider-Man”--a ref- erence to the superhero’s habit of swinging from skyscraper to skyscraper, weaving webs between towering buildings. “If we do a fourth movie, we might need Spider-Man to come to Tokyo,” he told a group of cheering fans before the premiere. “Spider-Man 3” stays true to the series’ tradi- tion of stunning special effects, but it is also a darker, more psychological fi lm than the other two in the series. In the third, Peter Park- er (a.k.a. Spider-Man), played by Maguire, is fi nally enjoying life with the beautiful Mary Jane Watson, played by Dunst, when he discovers a mys- terious black suit that gives him special powers, but also stirs hidden feelings of bitterness and revenge. What follows is a battle between good and evil, revenge and forgive- ness that is played out in airborne superhero fi ghts as well as more mundane rows with friends and colleagues. “To see Spider-Man cry so much was different,” said Gerry Penacoli, critic for Extra entertainment magazine, after seeing the “Spider-Man” pre- view in Tokyo ahead of the evening premiere. “It’s more intense--you still have great action but certainly it’s the deepest of the three. Kids and adults will learn so much more from this than from a movie that’s just wham- shezam,” he added. The special effects were also a reminder of the production cost of slightly more than $250 million, making the movie a huge fi nancial gamble for Sony Corp.’s Columbia Pictures. While sequels tend to do less well than the original movie, “Spi- der-Man 3” could draw new fans with its sophis- ticated plot, some fi lm experts said. Initial reaction from Japanese viewers was positive. “It’s better than `Spider-Man 2’. He’s more human, more tension between Peter Parker and his Spi- der-Man character,” said Kumiko Hayashida, a critic who writes for entertainment Web sites. “The story is better, more psychological. And Japanese people animation, so they like this story because of the comic,” he added. Launching the sequel in Japan, home to a huge community of superhero comic fans, rather than the United States, was seen as a shrewd push into the faster-growing international market that could help boost box-offi ce revenues. Over the next week and a half, the fi lm will also have gala openings in London, Rome, Berlin, Madrid, Moscow, New York and Stockholm in a marketing plan aimed at seeing “Spider-Man 3” do as well at the box offi ce as its predecessors, which collectively grossed $1.6 billion. In an interview with Re- uters Television on the red carpet at the Tokyo opening, Maguire said he loved the latest fi lm. “It’s very different than `Spider-Man 2’. It’s a whole different movie. I think we did a good job in continuing the stories that we set up in 1 and 2, but moving further beyond that, and using our experience to try to make a better fi lm.” Maguire has tried not to give any hints as to whether he would star in a “Spi- TOKYO--”Spider-Man 3”, the latest and possibly last fi lm in one of the world’s most successful movie franchises, pre- miered on Monday with thousands of screaming fans cheering stars To- bey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. there’s like Cast members Kirsten Dunst (R) and Tobey Maguire attend the world premiere of their movie “Spider-Man 3” in Tokyo on Monday. celebrity magazine’s Web site, ew.com. Entertainment Weekly asked Raimi if he might direct “The Hobbit” instead of Jackson, who won Oscars and scored huge box offi ce hits with the trilogy of movies based on Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” fantasy novels. “I don’t know what’s going to happen next for me right now,” Raimi said. “First and foremost, those are Peter Jackson and Bob Shaye’s fi lms. If Peter didn’t want to do it, and Bob wanted me to do it--and they were both okay with me picking up the reins--that would be great.” Shaye is co-chief executive of New Line Cinema, the studio that distributed the “Lord of the Rings” movies and owns rights to make a fi lm based on fantasy “The Hobbit”. LOS ANGELES--Although a “Spider-Man 4” movie is not yet on Hollywood’s drawing board, series star Kirsten Dunst says a sequel without her, co-star Tobey Maguire and director Sam Raimi would be a box offi ce fl op. Entertainment Weekly magazine on Monday cited Raimi as confi rming a long- held Hollywood rumors that he might take the di- recting reins on a movie version of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” if Peter Jack- son is not eventually hired. Separately Dunst told En- tertainment Weekly that if that happens, a “Spider- Man 4” without Raimi, her and Maguire--who plays the comic book superhero- -would be “disrespectful to the whole team.” “Audiences aren’t stupid. It’d be a big fl op without me, Tobey or Sam,” Dunst said in a story posted on the

People 39 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 RIO DE JANEIRO--Brazil’s hugely popular television soap operas usually deal with tear-fi lled But the violence engulfi ng the country has upstaged the is set, and around the country, despite complaints that people are weary of the real-life bloodshed and gory newscasts. “We are showing things as they are in Rio-- slums, drug traffi ckers, corrupt cops, rotten politicians, and common people caught in the middle of all that,” director Alexandre Avancini said. The prime-time telenovela on the Rede Record network, shot partly in a real slum, has beat leading network Globo in the ratings several times when pitted against big league soccer games--an un- deniable sign of popularity in Brazil. “We are glad that we are encouraging this discussion on violence. The Brazil- ian TV dramaturgy has been very slow in absorbing reality,” Avancini said. A love story is not missing. “Vidas Opostas” is the story of a young millionaire heir who loves a girl who lives in a slum, or favela. The favela is controlled by a drug gang that is in the middle of a turf war with a rival group, which has the backing of a corrupt cop, a typical scenario in many of Rio’s 600-plus shan- tytowns. Many scenes are borrowed from daily life, like a shoot- out in a tunnel full of cars, with panicked drivers aban- doning their cars and running for cover. In another, a rival gang invades a slum in a convoy of cars, their machine guns and rifl es spitting fi re in all directions, making slum- dwellers drop to the fl oors of their shacks. In a police raid that follows, an offi cer shoots an innocent man and plants a melodrama and taken one “telenovela” to the top of the ratings. “Vidas Opostas” (Opposite Lives) is a hit with residents of Rio de Janeiro, where it romance. TV 15 (local) St. Maarten Cable TV Local time Programme Tuesday, April 17 8:00am Replay AVS News 8:30am Replay GIS Bulletin 9:00am Prime Time Caribbean 5:25pm Music Videos 5:30pm Prime Time Caribbean 6:00pm GIS Productions 6:30pm From Cuba To You 7:00pm In Depth 7:30pm AVS News 8:00pm Oral Gibbes Live 9:00pm Island Life Destinations 9:30pm Robbie’s Lottery 9:35pm Music Videos 10:00pm St. Maarten Lottery 10:05pm Music Videos 10:30pm ICC Cricket World 11:00pm AVS News 11:30pm Caribbean Newsline Undated handout photo of a scene from the Brazilian soap opera “Vidas Opostas” (Opposite Lives), a hit with residents of Rio de Janeiro where it is set and from where many scenes are borrowed from the city’s violent daily life. gun in his dead hand. “I think recreating this reality on TV could help to have a healthy debate on violence, help people understand how normal slum residents live and suffer. This realism is better than watching some Hollywood action movie,” said Ignacio Cano, a sociolo- gist and expert on Rio violence. Avancini said feedback from the audience showed an overwhelming majority of viewers liked the idea of having a realistic picture of Rio’s life. The series, which runs to 210 episodes through to July, attracts a lot of male viewers because of the “not- so-melodramatic” twist, he said. “The general feedback is that Brazilians are ready to see the reality and to discuss it, that the audience has ma- tured.” He denied the studio was exploiting a hot topic to boost ratings and brushed off criticism of creating “gangster hype”. “These are chronicles, stuff that happens, an X-ray of the day-today life. The intention is to show it, not exploit it. And we are being very careful to show that the traffi ckers are the villains and the people suffer because of them.” In an attempt to match its rival’s success, Globo borrowed a shocking scene from real life for its own soap opera, in which a character is killed in a bus torched by a gang. It is based on homicides that occurred in December during a wave of gang attacks. Nine passengers were burnt to death. TeleCuraçao Channel 30 St. Maarten Cable TV Local time Programme Tuesday, April 17 6:30am Moru Bondia 9:30am Ban Halsa e Standarte 10:00am Sitcoms 11:30am Buen Provecho 12:00pm Al Dia 12:30pm Telenotisia Merdia 1:00pm Bo Tra’i Merdia 3:30pm Telsell 3:45pm Atardi Hubenil 4:30pm Solo Ta Sali Pa Nos Tur(Youth Exp) 5:30pm Tropenstage 6:00pm Ministerio di Finansa 6:30pm Programa DP Martiza Becher 7:00pm Programa Partido PAR 7:15pm Gobiernu ta informa 7:30pm Programa Partido Demokrat 7:45pm Ban Papia Turismo 8:00pm Telenotisia 8:45pm Pagina Sosial Forsa Korsou 8:55pm Pagina Sosial PNP 9:00pm Wega di Number Korspu 9:05pm Partisipashon di Morto 9:15pm Foro Politiko live 11:15pm TBA 11:45pm Telenotisia (r) 12:45am Estreno LOS ANGELES--Two-time Academy Award nominee Edward Norton will play scientist-turned-superhero Bruce Banner in a new movie version of “The Incredible Hulk”, Marvel Entertain- ment said on Monday. The new movie is based on the comic book series telling of the exploits of Banner, a scientist who transforms into a giant green brute, and it follows a 2003 big-budget fi lm called “Hulk” that failed to catch fi re with audiences or critics. Norton, 37, is among Holly- wood’s most versatile actors, having appeared in more than 20 fi lms including “Ameri- can History X” and “Primal Fear”, both of which earned him Oscar nominations for acting. For the most part, his roles have been in dramas such as 2006’s “The Illusion- ist”, making his choice to portray a comic book hero a novel idea. “His ability to transform into a particular role makes him the ideal choice to take on the character of Bruce Ban- ner/The Hulk,” said Kevin Feige, president of production at Marvel Studios. “The Incredible Hulk” will be directed by Louis Leter- rier, a Frenchman whose previous fi lms include the action adventure “The Transport- er”. The new movie is expected to be in theaters by June 2008, and will be distributed by Universal Pictures. Universal, owned by Gen- eral Electric, and Marvel teamed up in 2003 to produce and distribute “Hulk”, which was directed by Ang Lee, who later won a best director’s Oscar for “Broke- back Mountain”. His version of “Hulk” raked in $245 million at global box offi ces, but the amount was deemed to be a modest sum given its high expectations and budget of nearly $140 million. “Hulk” also earned generally poor reviews. BVN (Dutch/Flemish) TV Channel 46 St. Maarten Cable TV LOS ANGELES--A court- ordered auction of the rights to O.J. Simpson’s quasi-confessional book “If I Did It” was canceled because the former football star’s surrogate company has declared bankruptcy, an attorney for the father of murder victim Ron Gold- man said on Monday. But Fred Goldman said he would ask a U.S. bankruptcy court to sell him the book rights as part of a campaign to collect some of the $33.5 million in damag- es Simpson was ordered to pay in 1997, lawyer David Cook said. “O.J. Simpson just hired the federal trustee as the auctioneer,” Fred Goldman’s lawyer, David Cook, said. The auction had been scheduled for Tuesday with the proceeds going to Goldman. The book, which was scrapped in November amid a public furor, was billed by publisher HarperCollins as a hypothetical account of how Simpson could have murdered his ex-wife Ni- cole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman- -though he maintains his innocence to the crime. Fred Goldman originally condemned the book as shameful exploitation but could ensure its publication by putting the rights up for auction. Lorraine Brooke Associ- ates, a company set up to collect the reported $1 million book advance, declared bankruptcy in Miami on Friday, effectively halting further collection actions pending further litigation. Cook has said he has no idea how much rights to the book might fetch at auction. Simpson has paid little of the $33.5 million judgment but in recent months lawyers for Goldman have ag- gressively pursued his fi lm and TV earnings as well as the money from “If I Did It”. Plans to bring out “If I Did It” and an accompanying TV interview were both canceled by News Corp. media tycoon Rupert Murdoch after a torrent of public outrage. News Corp is the corporate parent of HarperCollins. Publisher Judith Regan, who brokered the book deal and conducted the interview, was fi red from her HarperCollins imprint, Re- ganBooks, about a month later. Local times Programme Tuesday, April 17 12:10pm Terzake 12:40pm Man bijt hond 1:00pm VRT Journaal 1:30pm De Thaise reistafel 1:55pm Max & Catherine 2:45pm Keuringsdienst van waarde 3:10pm De wereld draait door 4:00pm NOS Journaal 4:05pm Tik tak 4:10pm Sesamstraat 4:35pm Kinderen voor kinderen clip 4:40pm Samson & Gert 5:00pm Piet piraat 5:05pm Swok 1 5:15pm Het klokhuis 5:25pm Jeugdjournaal.NL 5:30pm Blokken 6:00pm Thuis 6:25pm Onderweg naar morgen 6:50pm De rode loper 7:10pm VRT Journaal 7:55pm Een vandaag 8:20pm Sportjournaal 8:30pm NOS Journaal 8:50pm Weerbericht 8:55pm Twee voor twaalf 9:30pm Holland Sport 10:20pm Adieu, BZN 10:45pm Nova/Den Haag vandaag 11:20pm Pauw & Witteman bankruptcy

Sports 40 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 At 3:30pm also in the 9 and under group, Sister Regina School will take to the pitch against Learning Unlimited. 11 AND UNDER CIA’s older team in the 11 and under group will go up against Genevieve de Weever at 3:30pm this afternoon, while Martin Lu- ther King Jr. School meets Sister Magda and Ruby Labega takes on St Domi- nic at 4:00pm SECONDARY SCHOOL In the Secondary Schools competition, PSVE will pitch against CIA in the 12 to 14 age bracket at 5:00pm this afternoon, while St. Dominic will face CIA in the 15 to 18 group. THURSDAY Action continues Thurs- day in the primary division as the 13 and under group takes the fi eld. Oranje PHILIPSBURG--The Stars Search Primary and Sec- ondary School Football Competition with games at Raoul Illidge Sports Complex this afternoon and Thursday. Sister Magda A will face Caribbean Academy (CIA) at 3:00pm this afternoon in the nine and under division and Sister Magda B will go up against Montessori. School faces Leonard Con- ner at 3:00pm while St. Dominic takes on Ruby Labega. Sister Borgia will go up against Sister Magda at 3:45pm. In the secondary school competition Mil- ton Peters College takes on St. Dominic in the 12 to 14 group of the Second- ary Schools Competition at 5:00pm and St. Maarten Academy kicks off against MPC in the 15 to 18 group. continues International encouraged Joel Simmonds to stay with him. Simmonds added 22 as the other key contributor, while the extras and digits contributed by the tail enders gave Nevis an imposing total. Jacques Taylor with 3 for 26 from his four overs was the most impressive of the St. Kitts bowlers. St. Kitts started with Greg Stanley (28) and Leverette Taylor (13.) But they were all looking for the big shots and once they missed, the run rate kept climbing. Tay- lor and Stanley tried their best to keep up, but once they departed St. Kitts began losing wicket regularly. Codville Rogers was bowled by left arm leg spinner Jason Campbell. The middle order could not keep pace with the asking rate. Shane Jef- fers (29) who batted at #3 showed little promise, but when he was out it appeared as if all hope was lost. Eventually, the St. Kitts innings folded at 119 when Elvin Berridge made a ST. KITTS/NEVIS--Under the lights at Grove Park with about 400 fans looking on the Nevis senior cricket team defeated St. Kitts by 47 runs in a friendly encounter. The match was preceded by a similar type game between Nevis Masters and St. Kitts Masters which Nevis won on the penultimate ball. In the feature game of the night, Keiron Powell blasted all the St. Kitts bowlers in a superlative knock of 85 not out while guiding his team to 166 in 20 overs. Wickets fell constantly around him as his opening partner Javia Liburd was bowled by Elvin Berridge and the in form Tonito Willet was deceived by Terrance Warde with a drifter that took out his centre stump. Allan, Kieron’s brother, did not last long either as Jacques Taylor had him caught behind. Meanwhile, at the other end Kieron Powell lashed all and sun- dry for fours and sixes and one- ball duck. Willette Re- deemed his failure with the bat to record the best bowling fi gures of 3 for 26, while Jornel turner helped with 2 for 13 at the end In the fi rst game the masters, St. Kitts put up a better fi ght than the senior team. Batting fi rst Ingle Liburd and Noel Guishard each scored 33 to set up a challenging 135. Percy Daniel and Luther Kelly added 14 and 15 respectively. Former West Indies player Keith Aurthuton and Lewis Newton were very tight and penetrative. Both grabbed two wickets to prevent St. Kitts from piling on more runs The St. Kitts Masters were ahead for most of the game, but fell away in some key parts and allowed Nevis back in. One bowler Don Farrell yielded 28 in two overs, while some slack fi elding at times gave away some unnecessary runs. Despite that, Nevis needed 18 runs from the last two overs and managed to eek them out because of a poor penultimate over and a crucial drop catch in the last over that turned the game Nevis’ way. Keith Aurthur- ton led the way with 48 before he was stumped off the bowling of Saunders and Winston Sutton added greatly with 33. After they were both removed, Errol Boddie (19) took advantage towards the end. The organisers Ingle Li- burd of St. Kitts and former test player Stuart Williams of Nevis revealed that this will be a series of matches to prepare both teams for competition later this year. The Leeward Is- lands Masters Competition will be hosted in St. Kitts-Nevis this year. There is word that the Stan- ford 20/20 is expected to commence its second year shortly. The winning teams received $1000.00 for their efforts. The Marigot Ballers grabbed the rebound and went on to win their fi rst game in the Soualiga Youth Basketball Association Competition at L.B. Scott Sports Auditorium yesterday. The Ballers defeated Middle Region Vipers 77-64. In the early game the sixth place Cole Bay Diplomats defeated the second place Marigot Clippers 53-42. This afternoon Cay Hill Celtics tip off against Dutch Quarter Stunners at 4:30pm. Cole Bay Stallions face Sucker Garden Show Stoppers in the second game of the day. helped organize the scholarship for York. Two weeks ago York went o for fi ve. He was hit by a pitch, but had no errors in the fi eld. “Last week he went 3 for 4, and hit by a pitch,” said Plai- sir who is monitoring York’s progress. “He had one error in last Friday’s game. They won 11-9 and last Sunday’s game he went 1 for 2 with one error. They won 15-6.” Currently York platoons at shortstop with a sophomore from the Dominican Repub- lic. “He is playing with sophomore player one year older than him and holding his own,” Plaisir reported. Indian Hills, while only a community college, has a solid reputation as a baseball training centre. The school features two teams com- prised of 60 athletes. Ap- proximately fi ve get signed to pro contacts a year and 10 move on to play college ball at bigger schools. The team had a winning record of 48- 13 last year. The school features two out- door lighted ball fi elds, plus a complete indoor training area with four batting cages and pitching machines. York has a full scholarship at Indian Hills which include tuition, books, fees and room and board for the entire term. IOWA--Indian Hills Com- munity College with a record of 20-4 jumped up seven slots in the National Junior Col- lege Athletic Association Di- vision 1 standings to be tied with the University of Arkan- sas at number 10. Among the ballplayers on the team is Nelcicio York of St. Maarten. York received a scholarship to the school to play shortstop. “It seems he had a bad week then a good week,” said Reg- gie Plaisir of Skillz Baseball Academy of St. Maarten who ing the option of individual or team participants. There are several age groups; 12 years and under, 13 to 17, 18 and over and over 50. Cash prizes are being awarded in the Serious In- dividual and Team events with a US $400 fi rst prize, a $300 second prize and a $200 third. Winners in the other categories will receive tro- phies and medals. Registration forms will be available on line on the Op- timist website www.optimi- staxa.org or from members of the Club. The registration fee is US $10. for adults and $5 for children. ANGUILLA--The Optimist Triathlon has been postponed for one week and will now take place on Sun- day, April 29. It is the 9th annual triathlon organized by the Club and usually attracts athletes from Anguilla, St Martin, St Maarten, Guade- loupe and other Caribbean islands. It will start at Meads Bay at 9:30am with the swimming segment, followed by the cy- cling and then the running which ends at Elodias Beach Bar at Shoal Bay. Accord- ing to the organizers there are two main categories—serious and fun-, with each hav- Annual

Sports 41 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 ATLANTA-- Boo Weekley spectacularly chipped in to save par on the last two holes and claim his maiden PGA Tour victory by a shot at the weather-delayed Heritage Classic in Hilton Head, South Carolina on Monday. Two off the pace after Sat- urday’s third round, the 33- year-old American carded a three-under-par 68 at the Harbour Town Golf Links for a 14-under total of 270. Boosted by an eagle at the par-fi ve fi fth, Weekley overhauled early paceset- ter Stephen Leaney of Aus- tralia before producing his dramatic fi nish over the wind-swept closing stretch. World number fi ve Ernie Els birdied the last for a 70 and second place at 13 under, one stroke better than Leaney, who double-bo- geyed the par-four 16th on his way to a 68. U.S. Ryder Cup player Vaughn Taylor parred the last four holes for a 70 as winds gusted up to 35 mph to share fourth place at 10 under with fellow Ameri- can Kevin Na (73). Weekley, who lost out in a four-way playoff for last month’s Honda Classic, was almost at a loss for words after securing the winner’s cheque for $972,000. “It’s unreal, this is unreal,” he told reporters after watching Els narrowly fail to eagle the par-four last to force a playoff. The smooth-swinging South African, in the right rough off the tee, struck a superb approach to within two feet of the fl ag to set up his fi fth birdie of the round. Els, hunting his fi rst PGA Tour title since the 2004 WGC-American Championship, Weekley by a stroke with two holes to play but bo- geyed the par-three 17th after his tee shot ended up in reeds behind the green. For much of the fi nal round, Leaney appeared to be on track for a break- through victory on the PGA Tour. Bidding to become the fi fth Australian to triumph at the Heritage, the 38- year-old charged one shot clear after a sizzling front nine of six-under 30 that included an eagle at the par- fi ve second. After briefl y surrendering the lead to Weekley with a bogey on 13, Leaney drew level by rolling in a monster birdie putt from 70 feet at the par-three 14th. But the Australian dropped three shots over the next two holes, hitting his approach into a tree and out of bounds on 16, as he slipped back into third place. America’s Cup challenger Desafi o Espanol 2007’s bowman Jaime Arbones works on the bow before races were called off during the Valencia Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robin 1 Day 1 in Valencia yesterday. lost the America’s Cup to Alinghi in 2003, U.S. syn- dicate BMW Oracle and Luna Rossa, one of three Italian challengers, are the favourites to win the LV Cup but others have been working hard over the win- ter and are sailing strongly in their new boats. “There’s not a single team that can’t take a race off one of the top teams,” said BMW Oracle skipper Chris Dickson. “In the two round robins, there are 20 races and they are all going to count.” At the end of the round robins, the top four pair up for the semi-fi nals, which are raced as the best of nine, as are the fi nals. The winner takes on Alinghi from June 23. pick up. The lack of racing did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of thousands of people who crowded along the waterfront for the start of the regatta, which coincided with a Valencian fi - esta. Young families and old couples clapped and shout- ed every time one of the sleek yachts was towed past, the loudest cheers going to Team New Zealand as it was led out from its base by a traditional “waka” boat, paddled by Maori warriors calling them to battle. The 11 challengers start by racing the others one by one in two round robins. By May 7, seven crews will have been knocked out. Team New Zealand, which WIZARDS VALENCIA, Spain-- Va- lencia swung into full fi esta mode on Monday to cheer the yachts fi ghting for the America’s Cup out to the race courses for the beginning of sailing’s most pres- tigious regatta. However, the start was not auspicious as the sea breeze limped along and racing was delayed, the crews bobbing around in the Mediterra- nean doing more sunbath- ing than sailing. After three years of warm- up regattas, 11 teams are due to begin a gruelling series of head-to-head matches to win the Louis Vuitton Cup. But their eyes are not so much on the glittering silver trophy but rather the perk that goes with it -- the right to challenge Swiss defenders Alinghi in June for the America’s Cup, the most coveted prize in yachting. “We’re looking forward to a series which should be as everyone expects -- very diffi cult given its format and the level of competitors,” said Francesco de Angelis, Luna Rossa’s skipper. Training in the last few weeks has been hampered by heavy spring rains and a lack of wind. On Monday the sun was blazing down on the new port built especially for the 32nd America’s Cup but organisers were still praying for the arrival of Valencia’s sea breeze. One of the reasons Alinghi decided to base this year’s America’s Cup in Valencia was precisely because the summer wind is relatively regular but after a chilly wet spring, nobody is quite sure when the breeze might Express trailed end. McLaren lead Fer- rari by fi ve points in the constructors’ standings and both teams can see substantial performance gains to be made before their next appearance at the Circuit de Catalu- nya. Ferrari, who also won in Australia with Raik- konen, have major aero- dynamic updates in the pipeline, among other improvements. McLaren will have work to do on their braking systems, with Alonso ill at ease in his car all weekend and fi nishing fi fth in Bahrain after leading Hamilton in a one-two in Malaysia the previous weekend, but they are confi dent. “One of the races that I am looking forward to is Spain because that will help demonstrate how hard our development programmes work and how successful each team will be in trying to get ahead of the other,” said team boss Ron Den- nis in Bahrain. “Going to Spain we have every intention of making it a two horse LONDON-- Three races in Asia and the Middle East, producing three different winners and a three-way tie at the top of the drivers’ championship, have lit the touch paper for a thrilling For- mula One season. The return to the sport’s heartland, with the fi rst European race in Spain on May 13, promises plenty of fi reworks with McLaren’s double world champion Alonso, British rookie team mate Lewis Ham- ilton and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen all level on 22 points. Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, winner in Bahrain on Sunday, has 17 in a four- way title battle. The next few weeks will see all the teams hard at work, testing and developing their cars and hoping to make big steps forward in performance. “For all the teams, you would imagine that from this race to the next race is when you would expect the largest incremental improvement during the season,” said McLaren chief executive Martin Whitmarsh at the week- race (between Alonso and Hamilton),” continued Dennis. Spain will be Alonso’s home race and the fl ow- ing and familiar Circuit de Catalunya is also far more to his liking than the hard braking charac- teristics of Bahrain. “This race (Bahrain) is so unique and it was complicated by wind and sand contamination, so it had all sorts of things making it diffi cult for the drivers,” said Dennis. As far as the drivers are concerned, several things are clear already -- Alonso has a real fi ght on his hands to retain the title he has held for the past two years, and not least from his team mate. Hamilton has been the revelation of the season, if not the decade, in be- coming the fi rst driver in the history of Formula One to stand on the po- dium in all his fi rst three races. Third in Australia, second in Malaysia and Bahrain, he will surely join the winners before the year is out. Continued from page 44. in eight games. The Wizards are clinging to sixth spot in the conference with a 40-40 record and could fall to eighth if they drop their fi nal two games of the regular season. Coach Eddie Jordan remains optimistic despite his team’s embarrassing 101-68 home loss to the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. “The playoffs are different,” Jordan said after Monday’s practice. “We have veterans. I’m sure everybody’s intensity is going to go up and we’ll see if we have enough talent. “That’s what it boils down to. Sometimes hard guts- out work will overcome some of that lack of talent. Hopefully, we play harder, longer than our opponent.” The Wizards’ dream of reaching the NBA Finals for the fi rst time in nearly three decades probably evaporated when their top two players got injured. Arenas, who averaged 28.4 points and six assists, went down with a knee injury on April 4 and will only be able to return in the unlikely event the Wizards make it to the NBA Finals. Butler broke a bone in his hand three days earlier and optimistically hopes to have his 19-point, seven-rebound average back in the line-up by the second round of the playoffs. Washington look likely to play either Chicago or To- ronto in the opening round of the playoffs, which begin on Saturday. The Wizards host Orlando (38-42), currently the eighth seed, on Tuesday at the Verizon Centre. Fernando

Sports 42 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 League table. Ferguson is already missing four defenders due to injury -- Gary Neville (ankle), Mikael (shoulder), John (calf) and Nemanja Vidic (shoulder) -- and can ill-afford to lose the centre half. * Borussia Moenchenglad- bach’s American goalkeeper Kasey Keller will be out for the rest of the season after tearing a thigh muscle in the 1-0 loss on Friday to Ham- burg SV, his club said on Monday. LONDON-- Soccer news in brief from around the world: * Manchester United’s Eng- land defender Rio Ferdinand could be fi t to face Sheffi eld United on Tuesday, according to manager Alex Fergu- son, despite being forced out of their FA Cup semi-fi nal win over Watford on Satur- day with a groin injury. Ferguson said Ferdinand had a chance of facing the Blades as United look to ex- tend their three-point lead over Chelsea in the Premier The U.S. goalkeeper, whom Gladbach were counting on to help them in their battle to avoid relegation, will be out for four to six weeks. Keller’s contract with Mo- enchengladbach runs out at the end of the season. He had a brilliant year last season but made a number of costly blunders this season. * Ireland winger Damien Duff has been ruled out for the rest of the season because of an ankle injury, Newcastle United manager Glenn Ro- eder has confi rmed. Duff limped off during Newcastle’s 2-1 defeat by Portsmouth on Saturday and underwent a scan on Sunday which revealed no break but lots of swelling. “It’s bad luck for Damien coming at a time when he was beginning to show the sort of form we have been looking for from him,” Roeder said on the club’s Web site Duff will miss Newcastle’s clash with his former club Chelsea on Sunday. * Auckland City won the New Zealand Championship title for a third season in a row after a 3-2 victory in the grand fi nal over 10-man Waitakere Unit- ed in Auckland on Monday. Waitakere had reached the fi nal after fi nishing the regular season top of the standings. But they never recovered from a 34th-minute red card for striker Commins Menapi, who had earlier can- celled out Liam Mulrooney’s opener for Auckland. Striker Paul Urlovic and captain Neil Sykes put the game beyond reach before Jeff Campbell scored a second for Waitakere. Silvestre O’Shea Robert K Cheruiyot of Kenya (R) runs past a fallen television motorcycle on Boylston Street on his way to winning the men’s division of the 111th Boston Marathon in Boston, Massachu- setts, yesterday. BOSTON back. He needs to eat,” said Cheruiyot. “When I am in front, I don’t spare my time.” In the women’s fi eld, Grig- oryeva overtook 2006 runner-up Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia in the fi nal 10 minutes, hoisting a Russian fl ag above her head after crossing the fi nish. Madai Perez of Mexico fi nished third. “The weather conditions made a difference,” said Grigoryeva. “At around 35 km (21 Continued from page 44. break Hill, the steepest climb on the course, and was shoulder-to-shoulder at times with Kwambai. “I didn’t envision being a three-time champion. My mind was focusing on the course,” said Cheruiyot. Cheruiyot, who moved into the lead at the 25th mile, said he felt that the “real marathon” with three miles left as he fellow Kenyans jostled for the lead. “When a lion is chasing an antelope, he doesn’t look miles) I understood I had the power to win. The hilly course was easier than expected.” Defending champion Rita Jeptoo of Kenya came fourth, while U.S. Olympic bronze medallist Deena Kastor, the women’s favourite, fi nished fi fth. “I just had a really bad day out there,” said Kastor, who faded from the leading pack at the 14th mile when stomach problems caused her to take a bathroom break. BOSTON-- An American as- tronaut became the fi rst person to run the Boston Mara- thon in space on Monday, completing the 26.2 miles (42.16 km) on a treadmill in the orbiting International Space Station. Suni Williams, who was an offi cial entrant in the race, took four hours 23 minutes 46 seconds, said John Yem- brick, a spokesman for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. On Earth, Williams has run marathons in about 3- 1/2 hours. Williams said in a media briefi ng early this month: “Just the fact that I’m running that much slower is going to be a little bit tedious because it’s going to be a long time on the treadmill.” Race offi cials were not able to calculate her fi nishing spot immediately, but based on last year’s results, she would be ranked at about 6,300th place among about 7,600 women runners. Williams ran in steady 75 degree Fahrenheit (23.8 Cel- sius) temperatures in the still air of the space station. She faced very different conditions from the frigid rain, 50 mph (80 kph) maximum wind gusts and 50 degree Fahrenheit (10 Celsius) temperatures handled by her earthbound competitors. While many of the athletes complained that the weather conditions made for a slow, uncomfortable race, Lidiya Grigoryeva, the women’s champion, said she’d been ready for it. “During the training in Rus- sia, the weather conditions were similar to the conditions today,” Grigoryeva, told reporters after the race. Williams, 41, who considers Needham, Massachusetts, her hometown, qualifi ed for the race by fi nishing among the top 100 women in the 2006 Houston Marathon. She has been in orbit since December and has trained on a specially modifi ed treadmill. began Football front. Second-placed Sevilla, who lost ground on Barce- lona in the league after a 2-0 defeat at Valencia on Sunday, travel to Deportivo Coruna in the other semi- fi nal on Thursday. Sevilla are the only Span- ish side still playing in three competitions this season, but their exertions in the league, Cup and UEFA Cup are beginning to take their toll. Leading striker Frederic Kanoute missed the Valen- cia match after suffering a recurrence of groin problems following the mid- week aggregate victory over Tottenham Hotspur while keeper Andres Palop was also unavailable. Opponents Depor, who are coached by Sevilla’s former boss Joaquin Caparros, also lost at the weekend, going down 1-0 to regional rivals Celta Vigo on Sunday. With mid-table obscurity beckoning, the Galicians know that the Cup remains their only chance of adding a bit of glitter to an otherwise forgettable season. MADRID-- Bernd Schus- ter’s Getafe have been lifted by a morale-boosting victory as they prepare to face the German’s former club Barcelona in their King’s Cup semi-fi nal, fi rst leg at the Nou Camp on Wednesday. The modest Madrid-based side ended a seven-match winless streak on Sunday with a 3-0 home win over Villarreal and are quietly confi dent they can give Barca a run for their money in their fi rst ever Cup semi- fi nal. “It was the perfect way to start a very diffi cult week,” Schuster told reporters after his side’s victory at the Coliseo. “I’m very pleased with the result and with the way we played. “With a 3-0 win under our belts we are going to Barce- lona with all the enthusiasm in the world. “Barcelona are the clear favourites, but we will be looking for a miracle and anything is possible in football.” Getafe have already taken the scalps of Valencia and Osasuna on their way to the semis and with just one league loss at home this season even a narrow defeat could be a good result ahead of the second leg on May 9. While Getafe cruised to victory over Villarreal, Bar- celona scrambled a 1-0 win at home to mid-table Real Mallorca thanks to a last- gasp own goal from their former player Fernando Navarro. With Ronaldinho missing after going down with a throat infection last week, the Catalans gave a ponderous display as they struggled to break down the islanders’ well-organised defence. “We always try to play attractive football, but we can’t do it every time,” said coach Frank Rijkaard. “Without Ronaldinho it is always more diffi cult to open up opposition de- fences.” Ronaldinho will be missing again on Wednesday, but with Samuel Eto’o, Lionel Messi, Javier Savi- ola and Eidur Gudjohnsen all available Rijkaard will still be spoilt for choice up Madrid fi rst team, has been the target for criticism in recent seasons because of his failure to recapture the sort of form that once made him Spain’s most prized player. Raul admitted that the decision of successive coaches to play him in a deeper role had affected his form and that he was delighted that present boss Fabio Capello was now playing him in his favoured position up front. “I’m a goal scorer and the closer I play to the area, the better, although if I have to play elsewhere I will always be prepared to sacrifi ce myself for the club.” The striker, who has scored twice in the last two games, distanced himself from media criticism of the referee for awarding two controver- sial penalties against Real in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Rac- ing Santander. “We are all upset because we thought we could win the game,” he said. “The referee made a mistake on two occa- sions and of course you become a little angry, but we all make mistakes. “I always respect the ref- erees because they’ve got a very diffi cult job.” Real, who have not won a major trophy since 2003, are in third place in the Prim- era Liga, fi ve points behind leaders Barcelona with eight games to play. They host fourth-placed Valencia on Saturday. MADRID-- Real Madrid captain Raul reiterated his desire on Monday to see out his career at the Bernabeu despite media reports that the club are prepared to offl oad him at the end of the season. “I have heard nothing from Real Madrid so I’m relaxed about it. My future is here and I’ve got three years left on my contract,” Raul told a news conference. “The stories about me leaving must be because someone wants me to go, but I don’t know where they are coming from. I’ve proved my commitment to this club over many years and I’ve no intention of leaving.” The 29-year-old, who is in his 13th season in the Real

Sports 43 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 BRIDGETOWN, dos-- Ireland coach Adrian Birrell is preparing for an emotional farewell when the team play their last Barba- match of the World Cup against Sri Lanka in Gre- nada on Wednesday. South African Birrell, 46, has guided Irish cricket from the international wil- derness to the heights of the World Cup Super Eights having beaten 1992 champions Pakistan to qualify and then another test side Bangladesh on Sunday. “Five years ago we were ranked below Denmark (who did not play in the World Cup) and now we are ranked ahead of all the other associates,” Birrell told reporters. “It’s very satisfying to know that I have moved it forward that much. “I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved. It’s not only me, we have a great squad of players and we are tight and there is a wonderful team spirit. “I’m very proud of the fi ve years I’ve spent in Ireland,” he added. “It’s been a great experience for me. The people have accepted me as one of their own. “There have been hard decisions and tough times along the way but the over- riding feeling was that we made progress every year and we have certainly moved forward in the last few weeks.” Ireland were promoted to become the 12th member of the offi cial one-day international rankings ladder with their 74-run win over Bangladesh. It was expected that the two wins would even take them ahead of Kenya into 11th place. Birrell has worked with his successor, the former West Indies player Phil Simmons, throughout the campaign. “We’ve got a hell of a coach and he has been one of the best motivators I have ever been involved with,” captain Trent Johnston said, attributing the team’s response against Bangladesh from a thrashing by Austra- lia to Birrell. Birrell has told reporters that his next move will be “to play golf” but before he eventually moves back to South Africa he will coach coaches and generally take a back seat from what has been a draining and dramatic World Cup for him. “I am very emotional at emotional times but I’m bearing up,” Birrell said. “I’m looking forward to Wednesday. It’s my last day at work and I’m ready for that. “It’s been a long, enjoy- able and satisfying journey but that journey has come to an end.” Australia’s Andrew Symonds bowls during the World Cup cricket Super Eights match against Sri Lanka in St. George’s on Grenada yesterday. AUSTRALIA WINS ets, fi nishing on 66 not out from 80 balls after hitting a six to win the match. Andrew Symonds struck 63 from 71, hitting Sanath Jayasuriya over long-on for six in consecutive overs on his way to his fi rst half-century of the tournament. The day began promisingly for Sri Lanka after Jayawar- dene had won the toss and decided to bat. Jayasuriya punched a four through the covers from Nathan Bracken’s opening over and reached 12 from as many balls when he was lbw to the left-armer playing across the line. Kumar Brad Hogg’s left-arm spin Continued from page 44. Sangakkara was lbw to Glenn McGrath for a duck and Upul Tharanga was caught by Hayden at fi rst slip for six. Shaun Tait could not command the accuracy of his colleagues and Silva fl icked a four past Hayden and square-cut another when the Australia fast bowler returned for his second spell. Jayawardene lofted Tait for a six to leg to bring up his 50 from 64 balls and the 100 partnership at the same time. Silva’s dismissal caught by Clarke at short fi ne-leg off was the beginning of the end. Jaywardene was stumped in Hogg’s next and fi nal over and apart from two sixes from Malinga Bandara (17) the innings fell away. Bracken, who consistently beat the bat, fi nished with the outstanding fi gures of four for 19 from 9.4 overs. Sri Lanka play their fi - nal second-round match against Ireland on Wednes- day while Australia con- clude their group stage fi x- tures against New Zealand two days later. England’s Andrew Flintoff keeps his eye on the ball at a training session during the World Cup cricket tournament in Bridgetown yesterday. BRIDGETOWN, Barbados- - South Africa’s team management have attempted to play down a controversy over a number of their players staying out drinking late on Saturday night after a World Cup defeat against New Zea- land. South African team manager Goolam Rajah brushed aside the issue, suggesting no player faced any disciplin- ary action over the incident which happened in Grenada after the fi ve-wicket defeat left the team concerned for their semi-fi nal berth. “A few guys had a few drinks after the match,” Rajah told Reuters on Monday. “It is not an issue at all. It is closed.” South Africa face England in Barbados in a round-robin Super Eights match on Tues- day which both teams need to win to claim the last semi- fi nal berth. Skipper Graeme Smith dismissed the issue, telling a news conference on the match eve that some players were “blowing off some steam”. Smith said no player fl outed rules which clamped down on late drinking 48 hours before a match. “Two days before the game they really calm down,” he joked. South African media quoted a cricket fan as telling a radio station that the players were seen “intoxicated’. Smith said such issues crop up when the team loses. “There were probably a few guys who had a few drinks, but I don’t know what highly intoxicated is. “I think probably we have been the quietest team in this World Cup, probably because of where we’ve been based.” South Africa played their group matches in St Kitts and then have been based in Guyana and Grenada before arriving in Barbados. “Really to attack our guys for having one night of re- laxation is not something I’m going to...,” he said. “It is a long tournament and there is a lot of pressure on. “The guys will be well prepared by tomorrow. If there had been issues, the guys had crossed the lines, they would be dealt with,” he said. England all-rounder An- drew Flintoff was stripped of his vice-captaincy and fi ned with other team members after a late-night drinking session earlier in the event. BRIDGETOWN, Barbados- - West Indies coach Bennett King said Caribbean cricket needed change to take advantage of the legacy of the World Cup if the results of the side are to improve in the future. The hosts have lost all four of their second-stage Super Eights matches leaving them with vir- tually no chance of reaching the semi-fi nals and attention is already turning to how the decline of West Indian cricket can be reversed. “We have to make sure that some of the structures we are looking to put in place off the fi eld are actually put in place. Our performance will stay the same unless we make a move and progress,” Australian King told reporters this week. The hosting of the World Cup had meant new stadiums and training facilities have been built across the region and the coach, who helped draft a development plan for the region’s cricket, is keen that they are fully taken advantage of. “It is only in the last month that we have had these facilities up and running. It is going to take time, nothing happens overnight. Certainly the boys have the skill but they need the support,” he said. “Now we have the facilities my priority is to make sure those facilities can be maintained in each of the regions. We have to look at how we are going to support groundstaff to maintain training facilities. “There are new gym facilities but who is going to look after the gym facilities? Who is going to run them? Are they going to be accessible to players? What are the costs involved? These are questions that I can’t answer and I don’t know who can,” added King. The Australian said the key to bringing Caribbean cricket up to the level of other countries is ensuring that support is present across all of the islands that make up the collective West Indian side so that players get well treated before reaching the full international stage. The biggest problem con- fronting the West Indian Crick- et Board is lack of resources, however. The governing body has debts that are reported in local media to be between $15- 20 million and King says that limits the chances of progress. “We are $15 million in debt and we are trying to get people to put money in -- we have to clear that debt before we can move forward. “It’s pretty obvious when you compare what we have got with what every other nation has got. You can’t get blood out of a stone sometimes but what we can still do is try to get performances out of players,” he said. But King is optimistic about the quality of young players coming through in the Carib- bean and believes that is more than a match for rival countries. “I’ve seen a very high number of players -- and I have been in the Australian system -- that have had more skill and ability at that age. “In the 15 to 18 years age group you have an enormous amount of talent but it has got to be nurtured and harnessed and moved forward. “We haven’t got the same things as other countries but we can’t use that as an excuse all the time. We have to fi nd a way to make use of that talent,” he said. West Indies face Bangladesh on Thursday before fi nishing off their Super Eights games against England on Saturday.

44 THE DAILY HERALD, Tuesday, April 17, 2007 ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada- - Australia dismissed the challenge of a deliberately weakened Sri Lanka side with ruthless ease on Mon- day to record a seven-wicket win in their penultimate World Cup Super Eights clash. As both teams had already qualifi ed for the semi-fi nals on April 24 and 25, Sri Lan- ka decided to rest their two leading bowlers Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Murali- tharan while injured strike bowler Lasith Malinga was again omitted. In their absence the world champions, set a modest 227 for victory, cruised to 232 for three from only 42.4 overs. Australia captain Ricky Ponting said before the game his unbeaten team hoped for a “hard, honest contest”. Instead, after the top Sri Lanka three had all returned to the pavilion before the score had reached 30, it needed a partnership of 140 between captain Ma- hela Jaywardene (72) and Chamara Silva (64) to take Lidiya Grigoryeva of Russia celebrates after winning the women’s division of the 111th Bos- ton Marathon in Boston, Massachusetts yesterday. BOSTON-- champion Robert Cheru- iyot won his third Boston Marathon on Monday and fellow Kenyans were second and third, while Rus- sian Lidiya Grigoryeva won the women’s race in stormy weather. Cheruiyot, facing gale- force winds and sideways rain at the start of the race, pulled ahead in the latter stages, followed closely by last year’s Beijing Mara- thon winner James Kwam- bai and New York Mara- thon runner-up Stephen Kiogora. “The weather was not so good, so the race was tough,” Cheruiyot told a news conference after winning the $100,000 prize. It was the 15th time in the last 17 years that a Kenyan has won the world’s oldest Defending annually contested marathon but it was also the slowest race since 1977 as runners faced cold headwinds gusting up to 50 miles per hour (80 kph). Cheruiyot, 28, fi nished the 111th edition in an offi cial time of two hours, 14 minutes and 13 seconds. The rain tapered after about 30 minutes but a cold headwind hampered the nearly 23,870 runners. Fans huddled under umbrellas and ponchos. Some local media called it the “soak-athon”, but the tem- perature was a warmer- than-expected 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 Celsius). Kwambai fi nished second in 2:14:33 and Kiogora third in 2:14:47. Kenyan James Koskei fi nished in fourth place and Ethiopian Teferi Wodajo in fi fth. No American has won the race since Greg Myer in 1983. LIKE A ‘LION’ Cheruiyot, winner of last year’s Chicago Marathon, put distance between himself and a thinning pack of U.S. runners after Heart Continued on page 44 Sri Lanka’s Russel Arnold is bowled by Australia’s Shaun Tait during their World Cup cricket Super Eights match in St. George’s on Grenada yesterday. them to 226 all out from 49.4 overs. Adam Gilchrist (30) and Matthew Hayden (41) took 11 off Dilhara Fernando’s opening over to set the tone for a run chase pursued with the Australians’ customary effi ciency. Hayden lofted Farveez Ma- haroof for six over long-on and took another off Rus- sel Arnold’s fi rst ball of the tournament. Arnold, though, had the fi - nal say when Hayden mishit his fi fth ball to Tillakaratne Dilshan at mid-wicket and in his next over Gilchrist, who was dropped by Ar- nold at short-cover on 10, was lbw to the off-spinner. The pair’s opening stand of 76 was their 25th of 50 or more in one-day interna- tionals. SYMONDS’ FIFTY Ponting passed 50 for the fourth time in the tournament with a chanceless innings featuring some de- lightful footwork and swift running between the wick WASHINGTON-- Bruised, bloodied and limping toward the regular season fi nish line, the Washington Wizards’ once-promising campaign is spiralling out of control. Injuries to All-Stars Gil- bert Arenas and Caron Butler in the stretch run have the Wizards looking for answers and searching for bodies just days before the playoffs begin. “Frustration has set in,” Butler told reporters on Monday. “And it should.” A season that offered hope of an Eastern Con- ference championship has been whittled down to a two-week run of misery highlighted by seven losses Continued on page 44 Continued on page 44

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