florida caribbean sun january 2011 final

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NEWS YOU CAN USE ! Vol. No. 8 · January 2011

FLORIDA CONSIDERS IMMIGRATION BILL

Proximity to Equator a key advantage

Modest growth projected for Jamaica this year

By Doreen Hemlock

J amaica Prime Minister Bruce Golding has said that the entire issue regarding the extradition of Christopher “Dudus” Coke was unfortunate

and the hiring of an American law firm to lobby the US government was a mistake. In an exclusive interview granted recently to jour-nalist Doreen Hemlock for the Caribbean Sun and the South Florida Sun Sentinel newspapers, Golding projected modest growth in the Jamaican economy during 2011. He also spoke of pending legislation to give Jamaicans in the Diaspora a greater role in na-tional development.

Here is the edited text of the interview conducted at Jamaica House in Kingston, the Jamaica capital. Q. Why is Jamaica’s economy basically stagnant and what are your plans to stimulait? A. For years, we pursued a program that was anti-growth: perpetual deficits. When I took office, we had 11 consecutive years of fiscal deficits. We had accumulated huge debt: almost 130 percent of GDP. What created an emergency was the global crisis. Our revenue base suffered severe erosion, three of our four alumina refineries closed, and capital mar-kets shut down completely. –Cont’d on Pg. 10

W hen Curacao’s Prime Minister Gerrit Schotte

announced at last month’s Miami Conference on the Caribbean that his country will offer commercial flights to space beginning January 1, 2014, many in the audience would have said to themselves…”yeah right”.

But the prime minister’s announcement was no Holiday Season joke. Space Experience Curacao (SXC), the company undertaking the project which involves

several stakeholders in-cluding KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and the Curacao Government, is moving at full pace to keep the an-nounced launch date.

In fact, KLM has already announced plans to sell seats on these suborbital flights. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines says it will be sup-porting future suborbital flights through purchases, inclusion in their frequent flyer program, inclusion in future KLM vacation pack-ages to Curacao, and other yet-to-be-named support.

The flights will be made on the XCOR Lynx suborbital spacecraft.

KLM Chief Executive Officer Peter Hartman says “it is a fantastic project that totally fits the pio-neering spirit of KLM.”

Last October, SXC and XCOR Aerospace of Cali-fornia signed a memoran-dum of understanding for SXC to wet lease a produc-tion version of the Lynx suborbital spacecraft, pending United States gov-ernment approvals to sta-tion the vehicle on the is-land of Curacao. Some US officials are skeptical about such approval being given but SXC officials are optimistic.

SXC’s Harry van Hulten told Caribbean Sun “we will only operate space-flights Cont’d on Pg. 7

2 Florida’s Caribbean Sun

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

1013 N. Pine Hills Road, Orlando, FL 32808

Phone (407) 374-2979

Email: [email protected]

Administrative Manager: Melinda Gordon

Advertising: Vanessa Chin Churaman (407) 325-5466

Managing Editor: Laverne McGee

Lifestyles Editor: Sharazade Kirton

www.floridascaribbeansunnews.com

T rinidad and Tobago born

Jennifer Carroll was recent-

ly sworn in as Lieutenant

Governor of the state of Florida

pledging in an interview shortly

after to embrace her Caribbean her-

itage and to rely on the values of

hard work, discipline and fairness

which were instilled in her as she

grew up. At the outset we must

congratulate this daughter of the

Caribbean on her election to this

high office and for creating history

on so many fronts. Further, she is to

be admired for not attempting to

hide her West Indian roots and for

invoking the values which would

have come from her Caribbean her-

itage.

In recent times electorates have be-

come more and more distrusting of

politicians. Many politicians give

mere "lip service" these days to the

aspirations and wellbeing of their

constituents. Ms. Carroll says she

takes her new responsibilities seri-

ously and will exercise her func-

tions with honesty and fairness. We

hope this is not just "lip service".

Time will tell.

The Lieutenant Governor has taken

office at a time when there is a host

of issues affecting Caribbean

Americans in Florida. These issues

include immigration, access to

health care, ethnic profiling, re-

strictions on the import of products

from the Caribbean, the treatment

of farm and hotel workers and ac-

cess to scholarships for higher edu-

cation. While we don't expect "our

girl" to resolve all these issues we

at least hope that she would become

better acquainted with them by en-

gaging from time to time in consul-

tations with Florida's Caribbean

American community.

During her campaign some Carib-

bean American community leaders

lamented the fact that Carroll is a

Republican and expressed some

doubt as to whether Caribbean

Americans would support her mere-

ly because of her Caribbean herit-

age. That analysis might not have

been totally accurate since some

other analysts claim that Caribbean

Americans, especially those outside

of South Florida, voted overwhelm-

ingly for the Scott/Carroll ticket.

Regardless of whether Caribbean

Americans voted for Carroll or not,

if she is truthful about embracing

her Caribbean heritage then she

must reach out to the state's Carib-

bean American communities and at

least understand the challenges that

confront them.

But this process must be a two-way

street. The Caribbean American

communities must seek to reach out

to Carroll as well. They must speak

as a unified voice. We can't have

Trinidadians bombarding her with

their agenda, Jamaicans with theirs

and the rest just complaining be-

cause they are not part of an agen-

da. There must be a single Caribbe-

an community agenda which should

be clearly articulated to the "good

lady" with specific recommenda-

tions as to what assistance we

would like from her.

Florida is a neighbor of the Carib-

bean region. We expect CARICOM

in particular will waste no time in

seeking not only to congratulate Lt.

Governor Carroll on her election

but to engage her in meaningful

discussion on the Florida-

Caribbean bilateral relationship.

CARICOM is a major trading part-

ner with Florida and this alone is a

reason for engaging Ms. Carroll.

As a first step we recommend that

CARICOM invites Lt. Governor

Carroll to their heads -of-

government meeting in July as a

special guest.

Perhaps Prime Minister Kamla Per-

sad-Bissessar could take the lead on

this.

To Lt. Governor Carroll we at Car-

ibbean Sun extend our sincere con-

gratulations. Much is in your hands.

Let your hands be safe hands.

Letters to the Editor Good Investigative Journalism

Dear Editor:

I commend your newspaper on good

investigative reporting. Your December

edition was most informative. I too am

outraged about the way law enforce-

ment targets Caribbean people in Flori-

da. I think our community leaders

should be doing more to help bring an

end to the unfair treatment we face.

Our government representatives in Flor-

ida should also be helping us.

Sincerely,

Shireen

Jacksonville, Fl.

Unfair Editorial

Dear Editor:

The editorial in last month’s issue of the

Caribbean Sun newspaper was very un-

fair to us who work in various Caribbean

community organizations to help chari-

table causes here and back home. Our

organizations are not political and

therefore cannot get involved in issues

of a political nature.

Perhaps those of you who are politically

-minded should set up organizations for

the purpose of protecting us in the com-

munity and promoting our rights.

I like your newspaper very much espe-

cially when it isn’t full of news about

Guyana and Guyanese.

Monty Wilson

Kissimmee, Fl.

Give Us More Details

Dear Editor:

Your newspaper article on the Wikileaks

cables was good but we need to know

more details and specifics. I heard

(Prime Minister) Golding’s wife had

asked America not to deport “Dudus”. Is

that true?

I look forward to reading more details

about the cables concerning Jamaica in

your next publication.

Sincerely

Pat Ellis

Houston, Texas

Immigration Alert

My family and I read the Caribbean Sun

every month. We look forward to it es-

pecially for the Immigration Alert article

by Gail Seeram. The news about the visa

lottery in October was timely.

Thanks to Gail and your newspaper for

giving us really useful news.

Neil

Ocoee, Fl.

Great Newspaper

Dear Editor:

Your newspaper is among the best Car-

ibbean newspapers around the United

States. It is informative and the articles

are professionally written. I get news

from your newspaper that I don’t get

anywhere else.

I have been keeping a file of these pa-

pers for over two years since they come

in handy when I am doing research pa-

pers. What about an on-line edition?

Godfrey Nurse

mailto:[email protected]


Says family medicine central to health care delivery

J amaica is planning a grand homecoming of sev-eral thousands of its nationals to commemorate the country 50th Independence anniversary next year.

In his New Year’s message, Prime Minister Bruce Golding announced plans for the celebration which he said are “moving into high gear”. Golding implored Jamaicans to begin the New Year with renewed hope.

"We have been through some tough times. We have had to endure the worst global economic crisis in 80 years but the worst has passed and we have used the time to put in place measures that will position us not just for recovery but for sustained improve-ment over the medium long term." He called on the nation to face the challenges of the New Year with confidence and determination. PM Golding continued by saying that every opportunity

that the New Year presents should be grasped to make Jamaica a better place to live, work, raise fami-l i e s a n d d o b u s i n e s s . The Prime Minister added that preparations will move into high gear for the commemoration of the country's 50th year of independence in 2012. "It is going to be a grand event and a grand home-coming with thousands of overseas Jamaicans com-ing home for the celebrations."

Dr. Victor Boodhoo (left), received the Award from Dr. Michael Hoyos at the UWI annual meeting in Bar-bados

W ith some 24 primary specialties in medicine and the introduction of modern technology, the family physi-

cian or general practitioner still has a central role to play in the effective delivery of health care services around the world, says Guyana born Dr. Victor Boodhoo who was recently honored by the University of the West Indies (UWI).

Dr. Boodhoo is only the second family physician among some 22 medical practitioners to receive the UWI Distinguished Alumnus Award for ser-vice to medicine and the university in the past 22 years.

As a separate honor, Boodhoo also became the first family physician to deliver the UWI interna-tional conference keynote address. His presenta-tion entitled “Family Medicine: The Prolonged Journey to Recognition” highlighted the struggle for recognition of family medicine as a specialty and the contributions of several illustrious gen-eral practitioners including his fellow country-man Dr. Hardutt Singh. Family medicine was

recognized as a specialty in 1969 in the United States and in 1965 in England.

Boodhoo graduated from UWI in 1966 when it was a college of the University of London. UWI, with campuses in Jamaica, Trinidad and Barbados, has graduated over 7,000 doctors since it started in 1948. The awards ceremony was held in Barbados in November.

Boodhoo practiced in Jamaica for seven years before moving to Titusville, Florida where he has been practicing for 32 years. He is a mem-ber of the medical staff at Parrish Medical Cen-ter where he previously served as president of the PMC medical staff. Board certified in family medicine and geriatrics, Boodhoo is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Practice and also of the Royal Society of Medicine.

He has also been chairman of CME of the Flori-da Academy of Family Physicians, and has been selected every year since 2006 as one of “America’s Top Family Doctors” by the Con-sumer Research Council.


BASIL WILLIAMS

New Executive to be installed Jan 16

T he newly elected executive of the Guyanese American Cultural Association of Central Florida (GACACF) is to be sworn in on Sunday, January

16, 2011 at a special installation ceremony and recep-tion at the Venue, Timehri Banquet Hall in Orlando, Florida.

Presiding over the Installation will be Guyana-born Bre-vard County, Florida District Court Judge Alli B. Majeed.

Business executive George Lyking is the new president of the Guyanese American Cultural Association of Cen-tral Florida (GACACF). He succeeds Samuel Roberts who served two terms as president.

The new executive of the association elected recently is George Lyking, president; Ahmad Manraj, vice-president; Melinda Gordon, secretary; Ralph Seeram, treasurer and Vanessa Chin Churaman, assistant secre-tary/treasurer.

In a letter signed by the new executive members and sent to Guyanese business owners, former and current members and other well wishers, the new leadership urged the support and involvement of all Guyanese and friends of Guyana in Central Florida “as we move to-wards improving members’ confidence, increasing our membership base and developing greater camaraderie in the Guyanese American community.”

The association is currently partnering with Guyanese attorney-at-law Gail Seeram in gathering school and related supplies for shipment to Haiti for use by children

affected by last year’s devastating earthquake.

The GACACF was set up in 2004 and since its inception has been undertaking a number of events including fo-rums on immigration, real estate, financial planning and health care among other issues. The association has an annual scholarship award and provides financial and other assistance to charitable causes and emergencies in both Central Florida and in Guyana.

In 2005, the association raised some $15,000 to assist flood victims in Guyana and through its Carol Pounder Fund has contributed to the Dharam Shala in Berbice, Uncle Eddy’s Home and a children’s home on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

Each year the association hosts the Guyana Republic Ball in February and the Guyana Family Day in May. Among special guests at these events over the years have been author Ted Braithwaite, cricketer Alvin Kal-licharran, actress Carol Pounder, cultural icon Dave Martins, Speaker of the National Assembly Ralph Ramkarran, Minister of the Public Service Dr. Jennifer Westford, Guyana’s Ambassador to the US Bayney Kar-ran as well as local elected officials including State Sena-tor Gary Siplin and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.

A three-member committee, headed by former Guya-nese diplomat Wesley Kirton and including attorney-at-law Gail Seeram and business/entertainment executive Gary Osman, is responsible for planning the installation ceremony and reception.

For further information contact:

Melinda Gordon

(407) 374-2979

[email protected]

Judge Alli B. Majeed

T he Vice Chairman of Guyana’s opposition Peo-ples National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) Basil Williams will visit Orlando January 18-20, 2011

to meet with Guyanese to outline his policies should he be elected president at elections due later this year.

Williams, an attorney-at-law, is one of five candidates seeking to become the PNC/R’s candidate for president. The other candidates are former Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defense Force Brigadier David Granger, former government ministers Carl Greenidge and Dr. Faith Har-ding and 30 year-old attorney-at-law James Bond.

The PNC/R candidates have been visiting North America to whip up support but Williams is the first to visit Flori-da to meet with Guyanese. He will hold a public town hall meeting on Wednesday, January 19 at the Venue, Timehri Banquet Hall, 7365 West Colonial Drive. He is also scheduled to visit a number of Guyanese owned

businesses in addition to a private meeting on Tuesday, January 18 with Guyanese American community leaders at the Rotary Club in Orlando.

Election fever is heightening in Guyana with several can-didates vying to seek their party’s nomination to contest for the post of president. President Bharrat Jagdeo is not up for re-election due to the two-term limit set by Guyana’s Constitution.

The governing Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is still to elect its presidential candidate. Among those that have indicated their candidacy are the party’s general secretary Donald Ramotar, Speaker of the National As-sembly (Parliament) Ralph Ramkarran, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee and former Information Minis-ter Moses Nagamootoo.

Basil Williams to Visit Orlando As elections fever heightens in Guyana

FLORIDA CONSIDERS IMMIGRATION BILL

A s we turn the page into a new year, we also

have new state and federal government lead-

ers. In the State of Florida, we have a new gov-

ernor, Rick Scott (R), who has promised to bring an Arizo-

na style immigration law to the State of Florida. Other

Florida legislative leaders, such as Bill Snyder (R), support

this idea of implementing an immigration law in the State

of Florida. Rep. Snyder has drafted a Florida immigration

bill that will be introduced in the Florida legislature this

spring. If Florida follows in Arizona’s footsteps in trying

to implement an immigration bill at the state level, then

Florida will have a costly legal challenge as the federal

government will likely file a lawsuit against Florida as it

did in Arizona. Currently, Arizona is defending against

seven lawsuits and the key provisions of its immigration

bill have not been implemented. The federal govern-

ment will challenge any type of immigration bill imple-

mented in Florida based on the grounds that the Federal

government has jurisdiction over immigration policy im-

plementation and enforcement under the U.S. Constitu-

tion. The question is whether Florida wants to alienate

itself from immigrant workers, face boycott from poten-

tial business, and carry a costly legal defense bill. Read

more in Immigration Alert, page 6.

By Gail Seeram

PM Baldwin Spencer

A ntiguans and Barbudans are to ben-efit from improved infrastructure during 2011, Prime Minister Bald-

win Spencer announced in his New Year’s message.

Among the benefits will be a new airport terminal, expanded and reliable supply of electricity, improved supply of potable wa-ter and a community center on the island of

Barbuda.

These improvements, the prime minister said, follow improved infrastructure which was put in place last year.

“Some major infrastructure projects were started and completed in 2010. The most massive street lighting program in the histo-ry of our country has positively transformed

and illuminated major road corridors across the nation.

“We have advanced work on a new 30 meg-

awatt power plant, a new water reservoir at

Gray’s Hill, as well a fisheries complex and a

community center on Barbuda, “ the prime

minister announced.


Amount: $500.00

Description: This scholarship will be awarded to a student attending college who is pursuing legal or international studies

Eligibility: The student must meet the following requirements:

1. Be a former Guyanese national (born in Guyana) or a child of Guyanese parents or grandchild of Guyanese grandparents

2. Cumulative GPA of 3.0

Application Process: Submit the following to [email protected]:

1. Name, phone number, email address.

2. Submit proof of Guyanese heritage (copy of birth certificate of qualifying rela-tive)

3. Academic transcript

4. 500 word essay describing how your Guyanese heritage impacted your academic studies or career path

Deadline: January 31, 2011

INTERNATIONAL Reggae star Buju Banton will make his long-awaited return to the stage at the highly anticipated Before the Dawn Concert taking place in South Florida during Martin Luther King, Jr Weekend. Banton, who is currently out on bail and awaiting retrial in February, has not performed live in over a year.

Produced by Rocker's Island Entertainment, the Buju Banton & Friends Before the Dawn Concert will also feature performances by some of Jamaican music's elite: Ste-phen Marley, Wayne Wonder, Sly & Robbie, Gramps Morgan, Shaggy and Freddie McGregor.

The concept is to reunite with the fans and thank them personally for the tremendous level of support they have shown to me during these turbulent times," explains Buju. "I look forward to touching the stage once more and coming together with the mass-es in a spirit of togetherness, harmony, unification and solidarity."

The Buju Banton & Friends Before the Dawn Concert is set for Sunday, January 16 at Bayfront Park Amphitheater in downtown Miami. Buju last month won an appeal against a Court order which sought to deny him the right to perform at this concert. The concert is expected to attract thousands of patrons.

The acclaimed artiste has received his fifth Grammy nomination in the Best Reggae Album category for his prophetic new project, Before the Dawn. Recorded mostly at his own Gargamel Music studio in Kingston, the album boasts some of the most pow-erful songs written by Banton since his professional entry into the music business over twenty years ago.

Banton was previously acknowledged by the Recording Academy for his albums Rasta Got Soul (2009), Too Bad (2007), Friends for Life (2004) and Inna Heights (1999).

Shaggy Buju

The new United States Ambassador to Jamaica says her top priority is strength-ening relations between the two coun-tries. Ambassador Pamela Bridgewater, a ca-reer American diplomat, took up her ap-pointment late last year. She identified the expansion of trade and commercial relations as a key component of the strengthened ties between the two countries. Last month, business executive and for-mer diplomat Wesley Kirton visited Ja-maica during which he held discussions with the new US ambassador at a dinner he hosted at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel. Here, Ambassador Bridgewater is greet-ed on arrival at the Pegasus Hotel by its General Manager Eldon Bremner in the presence of Mr. Kirton.

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President Barack Obama has said the international community must now fulfill the pledges it made to Haiti to ensure a solid and strong long term rebuilding effort. In a statement to mark of first anniver-sary of the devastating earthquake, Obama said that though progress had been made, too many people are still living in tents and too much rubble con-tinues to clog the streets. Here is the text of President Obama's statement: As we mark one year since the cata-strophic earthquake in Haiti, we honor the memory of the quarter of a million Haitians who were lost, along with more than one hundred Americans, many Unit-ed Nations personnel and citizens from dozens of nations. We recall how Americans, civilian and military, joined with people from around the world in one of the largest humani-tarian efforts ever attempted. And we continue to be inspired by the Haitian people, and our vibrant Haitian American community, who have faced unimagina-ble loss with extraordinary courage and faith. Since the first moments of the disaster, the United States has helped to rally in-ternational support for Haiti’s recovery

and reconstruction and respond to new challenges, such as the outbreak of chol-era and Hurricane Tomas. This global effort, led by the Haitian government, continues today and has been matched by the tremendous compassion of the American people, who in difficult eco-nomic times have given generously to help. Over the past year, countless lives have been saved and many Haitians affected by the earthquake now have better ac-cess to food, water and health care than they did before the disaster. Still, too much rubble continues to clog the streets, too many people are still living in tents, and for so many Haitians progress has not come fast enough. As we have said all along, helping the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere recover from one of the worst natural disasters ever to strike our hemisphere will take years, if not decades. So on this day when our thoughts and prayers are with the Haitian people, my message is the same as it was last year. Haiti can and must lead the way, with a strong vision for its future. The interna-tional community must now fulfill the pledges it has made to ensure a strong and sustained long-term effort. And as they forge ahead with the hard work of rebuilding their proud country, the peo-ple of Haiti will continue to have an en-during partner in the United States.


H aiti has been a soft spot in my heart since my travels to this poor country in 2008. The one-year anniversary of the January 12th earth-

quake in Haiti is approaching and Haiti is still in despair. To date, we know that only about 10% of all monies pledged or given to Haiti have actually been deployed. Also, we know that 2% of the rubble created by the earthquake has been removed. There is no visible pro-gress against the challenges of homelessness, hundreds

of thousands of new orphans, the cholera outbreak, and the critical brain and resource drain. Haitians who have the means are cutting losses and emigrating to the U.S. and other countries. However, those that remain need the friendship and partnership of the international com-munity to lead them to a new future.

Some may say, “Haiti is not my problem,” but whether we live by religious principles or basic humanitarian prin-ciples, we have a duty to love our neighbors as ourselves

and treat others, as we would have them treat us. As an outreach to our Haitian brothers and sisters, please con-sider donating school supplies and toiletry items during the month of January. These supplies will benefit chil-dren at the following homes and schools: St. Joseph Homes for Boys, Wings of Hope and Trinity House. All items may be dropped off at the Law Offices of Gail See-ram located at 1013 N. Pine Hills Road, Orlando, FL 32808. For more information, call 407-292-7730.

HAITI – ONE YEAR LATER by Gail Seeram

By Laverne McGee

T rinidad and Tobago born Jennifer Carroll has been sworn-in as Lieutenant Governor of Flori-da, proudly embracing her Caribbean heritage as

she embarks on the responsibilities of her new office.

Speaking with Caribbean Sun’s Managing Editor Laverne Mc Gee shortly after taking the oath of office Carroll said her Caribbean background has helped shaped her core values of hard work, discipline and responsibility.

Carroll, Florida’s first black Lt. Governor said “ I am hum-bled to have been chosen by Floridians to be their 18th lieutenant governor, the first elected female and the first black Caribbean Lt. Governor in the state of Florida. I take this responsibility very seriously for I know that I too will be making a way for women to one day walk in my shoes.”

Carroll was born in Trinidad in 1959 and moved to New

York when she was eight years old. She later enlisted in the army starting out as a jet mechanic and retiring as a lieutenant commander after 20 years.

As a woman who was raised with a strict Caribbean up-bringing, she says she grew up with the mindset that “hard work will always get you ahead. There is no room for people to try to live off the system or be left behind. My hardworking Caribbean background comes up in my core values when I am making decisions about the pub-lic. I believe in giving people the opportunity to help themselves.”

Carroll has identified job creation, education and the welfare of children among her top priorities as she seeks to help improve the quality of life in Florida. Her belief is that parents should be a big part of their kids’ education, and that families should have a choice when it comes to the school their child goes to.

At the inauguration in Tallahassee, she was surrounded by her two sons and daughter. One of her sons has dreadlocks, and some jokingly remarked that this was not the usual hairstyle for Republicans. Her son is also a professional football player with the Miami Dolphins.

Carroll’s shoes were also a big hit. She wore blue high heels with a fancy design that had many people talking. But friends and associates of Carroll say her sartorial elegance and beauty should not be taken for granted since she is a strong, experienced woman who will be able to stand up to lobbyists and others who try per-suade the government to do things that are not in Flo-ridians’ best interest.

Carroll also says she is looking forward to meeting more Caribbean nationals here in Florida.

Jennifer Carroll takes Oath of Office surrounded by

family members A moment in prayer

Governor Scott with Carroll

Below: Haitian students pray before meal


So, we had to take some tough de-cisions. We slashed the budget for the first time in our history, and we did a debt exchange to lower debt service payments from an average rate of 16-17 percent. Q. But how in a crisis can you slash the budget, when stimulus is gen-erally the answer? A. We had no choice. If we had de-cided to borrow more from where we could, it would have been from the domestic market at rates even higher than 28 percent. And we refused to print money, because once you do that inflation rises, and inflation is the most punitive tax

on the poor. We had no wiggle room at all. In the midst of all of this recession, we had to impose three separate tax packages within a year. We have had to ask the country to make the sacrifice. A. But the country hadn’t been growing even before that. Q. We needed to do what should have been done 15 years ago, but was post-poned because the strength of will was not there: to put the country in macro-economic shape to grow. Even in the ‘90s, when developing coun-tries were growing even faster than the developed world, Jamaica wasn’t growing. It’s almost like having a child and no matter how you feed the child, the child won’t put on weight. Now, we’re trying to get our system in order, to get our finan-cial framework right. We’re trying to build confidence, where people will know this country can’t go off the rails again, be-cause there are laws in place to govern how much deficit, how much debt we can accumulate. Q. When do you see Jamaica’s economy growing again? A. We had expected to come out of the recession in the second quarter this year. We didn’t. The reason had to do with the unrest we had in May. We were hoping to at least break even in the third quarter, but we’re worried by the huge costs of the recent flood rains. We certainly expect next year to return to growth. It’s going to be slow. We don’t expect more than 1.5 -2 percent. But it will be a beginning. Q. You mentioned the unrest in May over the extradition of drug lord Christopher “Dudus” Coke, which left more than 70 people dead. If you had it to do over

again, what would you do differently, and what lessons have you learned from the expe-rience? A. The whole extradition matter was unfortunate. In terms of what we would have done different, we certainly wouldn’t have taken measures to engage external assis-tance (a law firm) at a political level, because that has proven (a) not to have been helpful and (b) to have creat-ed enormous controversy… Relations with the US were hampered by the fact

we didn’t have an ambassador here for almost two years. Q. What about the way the security forc-es were handled? A. Some vindication of the strategies we pursued is that unlike previous occasions, we didn’t have any significant casualties involving women and children. People in the community were forewarned. And since that time, and with intense security operations across the island, we have seen a 43 percent reduction in homicides. Up to May, we were averaging 149 murders each month. We are now down to approx-imately 80. We have to try to sustain that effort and bring murders down to a level acceptable by international standards. Q. What about lessons related to extra-dition, why not just extradite some of these dons? A. There are still areas in our extradition arrangements that need to be perfected. In this particu-lar case, there is no doubt that provi-sions of our laws were

breached. We are working with U.S. authorities to see how we can avoid any such breach in the fu-ture. And let me explain the nature of the breach. Under extradition arrangements with the US, we have an obligation to co-operate and provide information that can be used as evidence. That information comes in various forms: witness state-ments, bank records, photographs and intercepted communication. For inter-cepted communi-cation, there’s a special regime. Our Consti-tution guarantees the right to privacy of communication. Parliament can infringe on that right in certain circumstances:

criminal, money-laundering.. .. but a (procedure) must be fol-

lowed. It involves go-ing to a judge, getting an order and getting per-mission to whom can that information in-tercepted be dis-closed.

In this case, the Jamaican authorities did not get permission to provide the infor-mation to the US authorities. That’s where it went wrong. We didn’t refuse the US application. We said (to the Americans), “Do it right. Go to a judge and (ask) to make the (intercepted) information availa-ble.” Q. Why not go government to govern-ment? Why lobby through a law firm and your political party? A. We tried, but we found ourselves talk-ing to bureaucrats who were adamant that they were not going to review any-thing. As far as they are concerned, they have put the matter before us, and they’ve never had any problem before. It was that sort of terse, unpleasant re-sponse. Q. What would the implications have been had you just said no, because more than 70 people died? A. If we had refused that application, we would never have been able to convince anyone that the reason was not Christo-pher Coke’s connection in Tivoli Gardens, which is the constituency I represent, and my party.… The whole thing was overtak-

en by the perception that we were contriving various, unsavory means of protecting Mr. Coke from extradition… You know what is so funny. Mr. Patterson’s government faced a similar situation in 1993, where somebody was extradited with a breach of the treaty. He suspend-ed extradition with the United States for three years, until he could get a review. The difference is.. in that situation, the person

extradited was not identified as a support-er of Mr. Patterson’s party. And there was no suggestion he was “protecting one of his own.” That’s the dilemma I faced: Do I stand for the law and what is right and risk being accused of trying to protect my own, or do I say, since it is going to come down on me that I am misusing my office to protect a criminal, I better send him off -- even though the law has been breached? Q. But the problems of crime, poverty, gangs are extraordinary and predicated on economic growth. A. I’m trying to lay down the foundation, so that in 20 years time, whoever sits in this chair can give you a much, different report, because we did the hard things in the year 2010. Q. But on the street, there’s such dissatis-faction over the economy and extradi-tion. There’s even talk whether you should resign. What are factors to consid-er in deciding whether to resign? A. The most important factor is whether you have the will to offer the country the kind of leadership needed. And in the

present circumstances, that’s not neces-sarily the kind of leadership that expands your popularity, because you have to make tough decisions: tough, tough, tough. Look at the types of things that upset peo-ple: the sale of Air Jamaica, for example. The money Jamaica was losing each year is the same amount we need to repair damages from recent floods. Govern-ment’s central function is to provide a secure environment, make sure we have proper education and health facilities, maintain our roads and infrastructure.. So, why am I spending US$120, 130 million a year to keep Air Jamaica flying? We said, “We’re going to sell it.” It made me vastly unpopular. Q. But the man on the street would say why are you losing money? Why aren’t you making a profit? Since when is government supposed to be adept at running commercial enterprises efficiently. That’s not the business of gov-ernment. That’s the business of private investors. Q. About the diaspora, what can be done to give Jamaicans overseas a more direct, more productive role? I’ve heard com-plaints about too much taxes, too much bureaucracy. A. Let’s not underestimate the role that they play now, particularly in the financial system and construction activity. There’s the question of giving them the right to vote, which they are very passionate about that. It’s something I support. The problem is it can only work in a presiden-tial system, which is a system that I favor but (my party) rejected. In a presidential system, we can have poll-ing booths in Florida for Jamaicans to vote. But in our (parliamentary system) it’s where you live that determines which representative you vote for. And it’s the representatives, who then decide who will be the Prime Minister. So, if someone lives in South Florida or wherever, we can’t fit them into a constituency in Jamaica. What I offered as an alternative (is) to expand the number of seats in the Senate and reserve one or two of the additional seats for the diaspora. The challenge is to find some democratic way in which the diaspora can choose their representatives. That requires a constitutional amend-ment. It’s part of a package that what would go to the people in a referendum, for which a date has not been set. Q. Is there a tentative date, say for like next year? I can’t give a time. I don’t have a two-thirds majority in parliament, and it re-quires a two-thirds majority. So if the op-position doesn’t support it, then it can’t pass. Q. How do you handle the stress that comes with these challenges? Do you do yoga.. A. I pray.

Doreen Hemlock

More of this interview in next month’s edition

“We should

not have hired

law firm”

“I pray”

Golding

“Dudas “ Coke in disguise


T he Caribbean Community will in 2011 have a

new Secretary-General, who will have the unen-

viable task of steering an organization whose

governance structure is in need of an overhaul and in the

face of waning commitment to regional integration on

the part of some of its 15 Member States.

Outgoing Secretary-General Trinidadian-born Edwin Car-

rington has indicated that during his 18-year tenure there

have been significant accomplishments as well as disap-

pointments. Undoubtedly, there have been positive initi-

atives under Carrington’s watch, many of them in the

functional cooperation area.

To address the continued lag in implementing decisions,

at the end of August this year, CARICOM leaders agreed

to the establishment of a Council of Ambassadors. Jamai-

ca’s Prime Minister Bruce Golding explained that the Am-

bassadors will head regional integration units in the indi-

vidual Member States “to follow up, make sure that do-

mestic action is taken to give effect to the decisions of

the Heads.”

Will the Committee have the authority to nudge Minis-

ters who are not following through on decisions taken by

the CARICOM leaders or will they report directly to their

Head of Government and what options will be available

for fast tracking implementation? Perhaps the terms and

conditions of the Ambassadors and when exactly they

will begin functioning will clarify this.

The current scenario where at meetings of the Council

for Trade and Economic Development (COTED),

There is a growing consensus among CARICOM techno-

crats and analysts who have been part of the regional

integration process that it is time to re-examine the pro-

posal for a CARICOM Commission, similar to that of the

Brussels-based European Commission on a scaled-down

basis. The proposal for the regional Commission was the

centre piece of the 1992 “Time for Action” report of the

West Indian Commission chaired by Sir Shridath Ram-

phal.

As Communications Consultant to the Commission, I

recall the many interventions at public consultations

throughout the region where private and public sector

groups as well as Non-Governmental Organizations

(NGOs) sang one tune that was familiar – regional gov-

ernments were not delivering the goods. The lyrics are

pretty much the same two decades later.

One regional consultant who has done several regional

integration studies for CARICOM Governments supports

the proposal for a Commission-type arrangement, where

the Secretary-General would serve the political direc-

torate such as Heads of Government and the COTED,

while a Commission would deal with Executive matters.

“This separation of functions is key to a proper function-

ing of the body. Concern is expressed about the cost of

this but there is room for cutting out a lot of fat to make

this workable since the Secretary-General and his staff

would be much smaller and the bulk of the technical peo-

ple would go to the Commissioners,” the consultant rec-

ommended.

“The present system of waiting for domestic parliaments

to approve all decisions into law is not working. In this

new dispensation, I would get rid of the Bureau, which in

any case, is just another wasteful bureaucratic layer and

there would be no role for a permanent committee of

ambassadors as that can only function well if all countries

have a representative in Georgetown,” he added.

Apart from the fact that several governments oppose the

idea of a Commission, the question that arises is how it

will be financed given the challenging economic circum-

stances of member countries, many of whom are finding

it hard to come up with the funds for the implementation

of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the

European Union and other initiatives, including the re-

gional marketing fund for the tourism industry.

Another key issue that needs to be addressed is more

autonomy for the Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN),

formerly the Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM).

CARICOM watchers familiar with the agency feel it has

lost some of its “teeth” and the spirit of the technical

staff has been affected in the process.

On the issue of a successor to Carrington, it would be

interesting to know the credentials being considered and

in particular whether there will be term limits, a different

mandate, a requirement to be multi-lingual and reduced

travel.

Candidates for the post being mentioned include the

current CARICOM Assistant Secretary-General, Trade and

Economic Integration, Irwin La Roque, former Deputy

CARICOM Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett, current

OECS Director General Dr. Len Ishmael, and Vincentian

Ambassador to the Organisation of American States

(OAS) Elsworth John.

In addition to the search for a new Secretary General, a

replacement will have to be found for Dr. Edward

Greene, Assistant Secretary-General, Human and Social

Development, who has resigned and word is that Colin

Granderson, responsible for Foreign and Community Re-

lations, may not be around for too much longer.

In 2011, there will hopefully be more visible movement

in three areas – the CARICOM Single Market and Econo-

my (CSME), EPA implementation and the trade negotia-

tions with Canada, which are reported to be bogged

down on the CARICOM side.

CARIBBEAN PERSPECTIVES

An in-depth focus on Caribbean issues

Sandra Ann Baptiste

The writer is a business consultant and specialist in Caribbean Affairs

STEERING THE REGIONAL INTEGRATION BOAT

conducted within the applicable safety and security regulations both at the international level and in conformity with requirements under Dutch and US law. This spe-cifically includes regulations per-taining to appropriate certification of the spacecraft and licensing of the crew so as to ensure the safety and security of all space flights.”

The projected price for a 45 mi-nute trip to space from Curacao is US $95,000 and according to the prime minister this project is among bold new initiatives being taken to stimulate the economy. Space tourism is expected to de-velop into a major industry with more than 20,000 space tourists annually by 2020A Space Experi-ence Center, designed to become a major tourist attraction in the Caribbean, is expected to be a part of the project. It will also serve as

a venue for scientific space re-search and development and a view-ing post for the launch of flights to space.

A major benefit of launching such space flights from Curacao, the prime minister told Caribbean Sun, “is the islands close proximity to the Equator. The island’s flat ter-rain, weather conditions and prox-imity to a shoreline are also key advantages.”

Harry van Hulten told Caribbean Sun that “payloads which need to escape Earth’s gravitational well can achieve orbit using less fuel from launch sites closest to the Equator where Earth rotates more quickly.”

Here is the edited text of an exclu-sive interview with SXC’s Harry van Hulten:

CS: What is the $$$ level of invest-

ment for this space port project?

HvH: USD 5M required to start op-erations. The rest will come from pre-sales. CS: Is it KLM that will offer these flights to space and will the craft(s) used be rockets or planes?

HvH: No, KLM is a strategic part-ner and bought a limited number of space tickets. KLM has offered their sales channels and we are working on combined marketing campaigns. We will use a rocket plane.

CS: How many flights per day/week/month are projected and how many crafts will be used?

HvH: The XCOR Lynx can fly 4 times a day. We will start opera-tions in 2014 with approximately 200 flights. These flights will slow-ly increase to approximately 850 in

2020. CS: How many passengers will be accommodated per flight?

HvH: One space tourist per flight. CS: Has there been advanced bookings for these flights? The PM said the cost per person will be $95,000 for a 45 minute trip. Will passengers have to undergo special training and if so is this included in the price?

HvH: We are taking reservations and are currently starting our sales program. So yes, there are already bookings for the first flights. We are targeting a ticket price of USD 95,000 per flight. Passengers will undergo training, which is includ-ed in the ticket price.

CS: Who will sell these flights? Travel agents?

HvH: KLM and a selected number of sales agents.


Sports roundup

************************ Here are the fixtures for the tour. Keep them handy to follow the matches

T he City of Ocoee Parks

and Recreation Depart-

ment located just out-side Orlando in Orange

County will be holding registra-

tion for the 2011 Ocoee Youth

Basketball League on Saturday

January 8, from 9:30am -

5:00pm and on Saturday Janu-ary 15, from 9:30am - 5:00pm

at the Jim Beech Recreation

Center, 1820 A.D. Mims Road.

The league is open to youths

ages 6 to 17.

All interested participants must

register, have a jersey fitting,

perform a skills test, show a birth certificate and bring proof

of residency. Practice will start

January 25 and games will

begin on February 5. The pro-

gram will include a 7-game

schedule and tournament, cer-tified referees, team jerseys and

shorts, trophies for first-place

finishers, T-shirts for the tour-

nament champions and a par-

ticipation award for all others.

The cost is $75.00 for the 1st

child and $65.00 for the 2nd

child (residents), and $100.00 for the 1st child and $90.00 for

the 2nd child (non-residents).

The City of Ocoee is also seek-

ing volunteer parent coaches.

All interested volunteers must

attend a coaches meeting on January 18. The meeting will

be held at the Jim Beech Cen-

ter from 7:30pm - 8:30pm.

For more information, call 407-

905-318

J ack Warner has been elected for an eighth consecutive term as president of the Caribbean Foot-ball Union.

All remaining incumbent members of the Executive Committee have also been nominated unchallenged in their current capacities. Warner, also presi-dent of CONCACAF, received multiple nominations from the CFU’s 30-nation membership.

Warner, who has served as the presi-dent of the CFU since its inception in 1982, described the development as both humbling and invigorating.

“I am humbled today by the trust be-stowed upon me by my Caribbean

broth-ers and sisters; this trust that you my fam-ily has placed upon me has invigor-

ated my spirit and my soul to continue to serve you to the best of my abilities," he told the press.

Jack Warner

DIGICEL SERIES 2011

Pakistan in West Indies April 18: Pakistan v Vice Chancellor’s XI (50 over ) – Beausejour Cricket Ground April 21: Digicel Twenty20 – Beausejour Cricket Ground

Digicel ODI Series April 23: First Digicel ODI – Beausejour Cricket Ground April 25: Second Digicel ODI – Beausejour Crick-et Ground April 28: Third Digicel ODI – Kensington Oval May 1: Fourth Digicel ODI – Kensington Oval May 5: Fifth Digicel ODI – Guyana National Stadi-um May 8 – 9: Pakistan 2 day practice match – Bour-da Cricket Ground

Digicel Tests May 12 – 16: First Digicel Test – Guyana National Stadium

May 20 – 24: Second Digicel Test – Warner Park

India in West Indies June 4: Digicel Twenty20 – Queen’s Park Oval

Digicel ODI Series June 6: First Digicel ODI – Queen’s Park Oval June 8: Second Digicel ODI – Queen’s Park Oval June 11: Third Digicel ODI – Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Grounds June13: Fourth Digicel ODI – Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Grounds June 16: Fifth Digicel ODI – Sabina Park

Digicel Test Series June 20 – 24: First Digicel Test – Sabina Park June 28 – July 2: Second Digicel Test – Kensing-ton Oval July 6 – 10: Third Digicel Test – Windsor Park

**************************************

T he Caribbean will be the venue for some very competitive international cricket later this year when the West

Indies take on Pakistan and then India in a number of test, one-day and T-20 matches.


Aries (21 March - 19 April) Your career and also your home - where,

how, or with whom you live; or a focus on other property you may own; or a family matter - will all be on your mind this month. Of the two, how-ever, your career will get top billing.

Taurus (20 April - 20th May) You are in the mood to travel. Any trip

you would take now (or any actions you take) would have special implica-tions for your future. The start of new ventures things, in a very vivid, exciting way!

Gemini (21 May -21 June) .You had money on the brain most of last

year, but trust that this near-obsession of yours will end sometime soon because good news will come in to soothe you and give you reason for celebration.

Cancer (22 June - 22 August) The New Year begins by opening a door

to a new experience. You will be coaxed to take steps to build a more mature relationship with someone important. You will find the courage to move forward.

Leo (23 August - 22 August )After years of having difficult surprises in

regard to money, January could bring you one staggeringly wonderful surprise. A bounty of cash is likely to come to you, and when it does, it could go far to help you stabilize your financial life. News would come quickly, too - almost the moment the year takes off.

Virgo (23 August - 22 September) You are simply bursting with roman-

tic opportunity during January's first three weeks. Whomever you meet, or if attached, news you receive could bring an improved change to your lifestyle for months - even years - to come! You will have everything you need to enjoy a richer, happier life.

Libra (23 September - 22 October) You are entering a pivotal

month, where decisions you mull over now will stay with you for a long time. Matters involving your home / property and family will top your list of actions to take, and your career will get a large share of your thinking, too. You'll have to be very decisive, because it's an ideal month to make key decisions. You'll be so productive that you will be amazed.

Scorpio (23 October - 21 November The month will take off with a

bang. A quick trip may sound really good. You may be going on a roman-

tic, spontaneous trip with your sweetheart / spouse. Even if you have to travel for business, you'll love being out of the house and driving in a new setting, even if you can't stay long

Sagittarius (22 November - 21 December) .What an amazing

month! Every once in a while, everything you could ever want to happen, happens, in just the right way, in just about every area of your life. Prob-lems you assumed wouldn't be fixed for months or years, or wishes you thought would never come true, suddenly will be delivered now - poof, in the blink of an eye! This month may well seem like a dream.

Capricorn (22 December - 16 January) This month will offer you a

glittering array of opportunities to make your life feel fresher and more relevant to the more mature you that you've become. You had little

choice but to listen to quite a bit advice from various sources over the past 18 months, but this month, birthday time, you have the Sun pro-tecting you, so you will get to speak your mind clearly and confidently.

Aquarius (20 January - 18 February) You would be wise to be off by

yourself in early January and not to tell any others about your plans. You won't need to seek others' advice for most of life's questions, for your intui-tion will be working overtime. Instinctively you will come to all the right an-swers. Heed that small voice within, dear Aquarius, even if you have no idea why you feel the way you do, nor why you should follow your intuition. You are being given night vision now, and you'll want to use it.

Pisces (19 February - 20 March) This will be a magical and en-

chanting month, this month will be all about you, dear Pisces. You will feel as though someone opened the window to let in the fresh air. Sud-denly life will have a new and very different feel, and although you may feel that recently you've been pounded by life, conditions will change dra-matically enough to give you reason for optimism.

Caribbean

Horoscopes

January 2011


ISLAND SATURDAYS SPECIAL EDITION DJ RECONN’S PRESENTS AT

CLUB LIMELITE 367 N. Orange Ave

Orlando, FL 12 YEAR ANNIVERSARY BASH Saturday, January 15, 2011 Ladies free until 11.30 pm

Men $10.00 before 12 a.m. 407-217-4667

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> K.O.L. ENTERTAINMENT & PROFESSOR

G.T. PRESENTS IN CONCERT DEMARCO

AT Royal Santa Fe

630 Emeralda Rd Orlando, FL

Sunday, January 16, 2011 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"THE VENUE" TIMEHRI BANQUET HALL

Will be having an “OLDIES DANCE”

Friday, January 28, 2011 Admission: $5.00 Time: 8pm to ?

7371 West Colonial Drive Orlando, FL

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

VALENTINE’S DAY BASH AT

“THE VENUE” TIMEHRI BANQUET HALL 7371 West Colonial Drive

Orlando, FL Saturday, February 12, 2011

Doors open @ 8pm

Show @9pm Tickets: $10./advance. More at door

Surendra: 407-446-6996 Leon: 321-228-6552

Timehri:407-291-2047 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

GACACF ANNUAL REPUBLIC BALL

“THE BALLROOM” AT CHURCH STREET

Saturday February 19, 2011

7:00PM—2:00AM

Tickets $ 60.00

Contact : Vanessa 407-325-5466

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

ORLANDO COCONUT GROVE 5233 Old Winter Garden Road

Orlando, FL PRESENTS

“CULTURE MIX” Reggae band EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT

AT 8 PM AND

INDIAN KARAOKE LIVE SINGERS

EVERY SUNDAY NIGHT AT 5 PM

407-440-6100 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

GRENADA INDEPENDENCE GALA AT

THE HOLIDAY INN, HOTEL & SUITES 5905 Kirkman Road

Orlando, FL Saturday, March 19, 2010

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

Contact: Val @321-303-9345/Rita @407-299-8316

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The show Straight out of Florida was

successfully launched on the Trinidad

radio station Wackradio901fm the first

Sunday of the New Year 2011. WACK

Radio, which has a strong on-line pres-

ence around the globe, as well as on the

dial in Trinidad and Tobago, is known for

its motto “we are culture crazy”, and

bringing information that is important to

Trinidadians and Tobagonians firstly

then disseminate such to its West Indian

counterparts. The concept of Lyma

Dunbar of Oildown Productions, the

program, Straight out of Florida, has a

focus to bring information and ideas to

West Indians wanting to reside or vaca-

tion in the state of Florida. Hosted by

Lyma and Kevin “Triniboy” Amoroso, the

show boasts a blend of music, talk and

information, and guests, Attorney

Wayne Golding, and Prince of Prestige

Real Estate have started the ball rolling

with this pertinent information.

Utilizing a talented team of DJs in Mili-tia, Fyah Squad and Kemis the Mixolo-gist, the latter of which also edits and produces the show; Straight out of Flori-da brings a fresh new approach to West Indian talk radio; the difference, is that the show crosses over from the bounda-ries of Central Florida and interacts with an international audience through WACK Radio. Oildown Productions wants to credit its current sponsors, Dollar and More, Upper Level Sounds and Island Riddum Radio with climbing aboard, and welcome incoming spon-sors to its program. Log on every Sun-day on www.wackradio901fm.com from 1-2 pm Eastern Standard Time, please be advised that with the upcom-ing Daylight Savings time, the new time will be 2-3 pm. For more information on how you can become a sponsor, please contact Lyma @ [email protected] or 321-263-9939.

Straight out of Florida on Trinidad’s

WACK Radio 90.1fm every Sunday

By Lyma Dunbar

T he film Reason to Hope (Global Film

Network, 2010) is available for class-

room use beginning this month, the one

year anniversary of Haiti’s devastating

earthquake.

This 45-minute film chronicles some of the real life

situations following last January's devastating

earthquake in the French-speaking Caribbean is-

land.

"Despite all the heartache and misery the film con-

cludes that there is still Reason to Hope," says pro-

ducer Regge Life.

The earthquake that struck Haiti in January of 2010

brought tragedy to an island that has seen more

than its share of sorrow. Within days, the world-

wide media descended on the island and just as

quickly departed as other stories were deemed

more important.

Independent film and television producer Regge

Life presents a film featuring CBS journalists, corre-

spondent Bill Whitaker and producer Erin Lyall

George, who had the fortune to remain in Haiti for

a month, witnessing more than any other network

journalists.

Regge Life holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from

New York University School of Arts. He is the

founder of Global Film Network, Inc. and Executive

Producer/Director for Doubles and After America.

. . After.

Life produced his first work in Japan in 1992; the

film was called Struggle and Success: The African

American Experience in Japan. Life has worked

with CBS News’ “Saturday Night with Connie

Chung” and NBC’s “Yesterday, Today, and Tomor-

row.” He is the recipient of many awards including

four CINE Golden Eagles. He was honored by the

Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame and chosen a Sony

Innovator in 1991.

WE COME TO YOU

((407) 350-4888

http://www.wackradio901fm.com




New Orange County Mayor, The-

resa Jacobs after receiving the

gavel from Mayor Crotty at the

Oath of Office Ceremony held

January 4, 2011 at the Orange

County Convention Center

Above & Below: Enjoying Caribbean

Supercenter’s Holiday party

Above: Tiffany Moore Russell being sworn in

as Orange County Commissioner, District 6

Right : Ole Time Carolers, Members of

GACACF revisit Christmas time in GT

florida caribbean sun january 2011 final

Documents