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Ordrick Samuel, also know as Jicky or Montgomery, operates the MRS Radio Station from his home. He broadcasts from speakers on his roof on Monday to Saturday at 6.30 am to 7.15 am and when necessary in the afternoon. He provides Barbudans with general news, village information, notices, and birthdays. Every Tuesday morning Elder Mills broadcasts religious thoughts and music. Every Friday morning Pastor Ralph Payton of the Seventh Day Adventist Church advises on marriage education. MRS Radio also features guest DJs. Jicky can be contacted on 460 0087 within Antigua and Barbuda.
We carry the latest news as it happens in Barbuda. Moreover we feature forthcoming events anywhere in the world, for example family reunions or graduations. Use the contact us form to provide information about your activity and we will include it here.
Click archive to read news from February, March, April, May, June, and July, 2004.
The principal of the Holy Trinity School, John Mussington, returned to Barbuda after 2 weeks in Guyana. John had been attending an induction course for project managers responsible for execution of the CREP programme in 13 countries in the region. John Mussington is the project manager for the sustainable development of the Codrington Lagoon in Barbuda. Read more about CREP below.
John Mussington spent 2 weeks at the Iwokrama Rainforest in the heart of Guyana. Iwokrama is one of the last 3 remaining untouched tropical rainforests in the world. It is the home of the Makushi people, the indigenous people of Guyana, who are Arawak Amerindians. Visit the Iwokrama Rainforest web site at www.iwokrama.org to learn about the area and its people.
Visit our Amerindian page to learn more about the Arawak presence in Barbuda.
The Food Fair, held at the Caribana Ground, attracted over 15 food stalls and 3 handicraft stalls. The Block Club won first prize overall for their food while Claire Frank won first prize for her handicraft stall. Click to see photos of the Food Fair.
Visit our latest athletics news page to read an email from Peter Cuffy, who is studying hard in a cold Budapest.
The Museum of Antigua and Barbuda are planning a field trip to Barbuda. Eddie Barreto has agreed to guide the visit. Go to the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda web site for more information or email Michele Henry on museum@candw.ag.
On 1 November Antigua and Barbuda celebrates the twenty-third anniversary of independence from Britain. Click schedule to read the series of events organised by the Independence Committee over the two-week period. The members of the committee are Shawn David, Connie Desouza, Daphne Desouza, Judith Harris, John Mussington, Eleanor Thomas, Trevor Walker (Chairperson), Devon Warner, Alice Webber David.
The Barbuda Independence Committee held its Homecoming Queen Show as part of this year's Independence celebrations. The contestants were Anne Marie Baltimore, Jamie Desouza, Ashley James, Alana Nedd, and Connie Nedd. All contestants will participate in the National Independence Homecoming Queen Show in Antigua, where the area winners will be announced and go forward to the final. The show will be at the ARG on 30 October at 8 pm. Judith Harris at the Barbuda Council office organised the show and she can be contacted on 460 0077 or 562 1921 for details.
The High Court in Antigua will hear arguments in open court regarding five orders brought by the Barbuda People's Movement for Change (BPMC). The orders are to
The Wesleyan Holiness Church Girls' Club will be hosting a variety gospel concert in aid of purchasing supplies for their weekly meetings. The concert will begin at 7 pm with admission for children $5 and for adults $10. Come and be blessed as the talented teens praise God in song, dance, poetry, and drama.
The High Court Judge set the date of 13 October for hearing arguments in open court for the reinstatement of the five BPMC Barbuda Councillors disqualified for failing to attend three meetings of the council. The councillors are Tyrone Beazer, George Burton, Dave Desouza, Arthur Nibbs, and Everit Thomas. It is alleged that they failed to attend three of the seven Barbuda Council meetings held between November 2003 and January 2004. The councillors were disqualified under the Barbuda Local Government Act. The issue turns on the calling of meetings. A quorum of six councillors is needed for business to be transacted. The BPMC councillors are seeking a declaration from the High Court that there was not a quorum at these meetings and, therefore, no meetings were held.
The staff of the Holy Trinity School held a food fair and dress day, which raised $1970 for a teacher Mrs Danie Beazer Joseph who is seriously ill. Mrs Joseph has had to travel to New York for medical treatment which is unavailable in Antigua. The students donated $2 each to wear home clothes instead of their usual uniform. Best wishes to Mrs Joseph for a speedy recovery from all in Barbuda.
The photo to the right shows Form V. They are (back row) Hudson Walbrook, Lenisha Desouza, Kerreanna Baltimore, Dennica Beazer, Stephanie Harris, and Kazim Thomas, and (front row) Amelia Beazer, Shawn-Marie David, and Naketa Walker.
Barbudans have contributed to disaster relief for the island of Grenada, which was severely damaged last week by Hurricane Ivan. The supplies, despatched earlier this week, included water, clothing, batteries, candles, blankets, canned food, milk, and sugar. Donations can be delivered to Tessa Webber of the Disaster Preparedness Office in the Old Clinic between 8 am and 3 pm, Monday to Friday. Tessa can be contacted on 562 3339.
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Tickets for the Holy Trinity School bus can be purchased from Tessa Webber at the Old Clinic. The tickets cost $2 per week. Tessa can be contacted on 268 562 3339.
The Commonwealth Review Team will be visiting Barbuda to review the relationship between Barbuda and Antigua since Independence in 1981. The visit is to follow up the report presented by the previous Commonwealth Review Team in 2000 and to assess the extent of the report's implementation.
On Wednesday evening the team will hold a village meeting in the Holy Trinity School at 6.30 pm to canvas the views of the community on the report's implementation. On Thursday at 10 am the team will meet with the Barbuda Council in the representative's office. Afterwards the team will take submissions from organisations and individuals in the community who wish to comment on the implementation of the December 2000 report.
Two members of the team have been appointed by the Commonwealth Secretariat in London. They are Professor Dennis Benn, the Michael Manley Professor of Public Affairs and Public Policy at the University of the West Indies and Mr Pierre Bienvenu, a Canadian jurist from Montreal. One of the directors of political affairs at the Commonwealth Secretariat is co-ordinating the team's activities in Barbuda.
The Caribbean Regional Environmental Programme (CREP) will be launched by the Barbuda Council, the Environment Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environmental Awareness Group. The project will form and implement a management plan for the lagoon and its resources to enable the community to manage and use these sustainably.
The idea is to get in one room all the various stakeholders, that is everyone who has an interest in or will be affected by the lagoon. These include fishermen, tour operators, taxi drivers, and hotel owners. They will be given a chance to hear about the project and to select representatives to sit on a stakeholder board, which will act as an oversight committee.
CREP is financed by the European Union, authorised by CARIFORUM, and implemented by the Caribbean Conservation Association. The project seeks to strengthen collaboration between government and non-government organisations to manage natural resources and support sustainable development. John Mussington, the project manager in Barbuda, can be contacted on 268 724 7084 for further information.
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Barbuda experienced two days of torrential rain from Tropical Storm Jeanne. Jeanne passed to the west of the island, via Monserrat and St Kitts and Nevis.
Barbuda's prayers are with Karisha Burton, Wayde Burton, and Affie Charles as they go through Hurricane Ivan. Take care and stay indoors.
There will be a sitting of the Barbuda Magistrates' Court from 13 to 16 September. The sitting begins at 9 am daily.
Peter Cuffy, Barbuda's track and field coach, left to attend a three-month coaching course at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at the Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary. See our athletics news page for further information.
The Hanna Thomas Hospital requires technicians to be trained to operate its new x-ray machine. Applicants need 5 CXC or GCSE passes including English. Anyone interested should apply to the Secretary of the Barbuda Council by phone on 268 460 0077 or by fax on 268 460 0410.
The Holy Trinity School held its first PTA meeting of the 2004 - 2005 academic year. Staff, parents, and guardians discussed events for the new term, the use of cellular phones, uniforms, the exam results, and the responsibilities of parents and students. The meeting was held in the main hall from 5 pm to 7 pm.
The new mortuary was officially opened by the representative, Trevor Walker. The mortuary was built with contributions from Barbudans who live in the United Kingdom. The mortuary is administered by Elizabeth Saunders of Straffie's Funeral Home. The building includes a small chapel and is situated to the west of the hospital waiting room. Contact the Barbuda Council on 268 460 0077 for information about jobs at the mortuary.
Students returned to the Holy Trinity School today for the start of the 2004 - 2005 academic year. The teachers went back to school on Monday 30 August to spend 2 days preparing for the return of the students.
Sadly the school's sheep were killed by dogs during the summer vacation. On Sunday mornings young men bathe their dogs in the lagoon. One Sunday the dogs attacked and killed the sheep. The police placed poison in the bodies of the sheep and subsequently 12 dogs were killed. The agricultural science teacher, Inshan Beazer, reports that the fences will be strengthened and the sheep replaced. Happily the goats survived the attack and are thriving.
Hurricane Frances, the fifth hurricane of the 2004 season, passed very close to Barbuda on Monday and Tuesday. Tropical storm force winds extended out from the eye for 140 miles. At its closest, at 2 am on Tuesday, Frances was 150 miles due north of Barbuda. People boarded their houses and packed valuables, but fortunately the island experienced only a small increase in wind speed. The sky was overcast, but no rain fell. There was thunder and lighting on Tuesday afternoon as Hurricane Frances moved away in a northwestly direction to St Martin, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.
Berwin Webber, agricultural assistant with the Barbuda Council, is offering a deworming service to all small stock owners for $10 per animal. Berwin can be contacted at 772 0231 (mobile), 460 0580 at home, or 460 0217 at work.
The results of the CXC exams were released this week. The HTS students achieved success at the General and Technical Levels. Devin Jeffrey received 9 passes, Bethsheba Gray, Andrea Lee, and Terry Teague received 7 passes, Alia Jones and Zane Teague 6 each, Eldene Beazer 5, Joel Beazer 4, Leonard Desouza 3, and Ransford Walbrook 2. The CXC exams were taken in May and June 2004. Congratulations to the Form V students.
Trevor Walker, Barbuda's recently elected representative, opened his new office on Monday. Trevor will be in the office on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays when he is available to constituents by appointment. He will be in Parliament on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Faith John and Renée Desuza have been appointed as secretaries, Gwendolyn Thomas is a liaison officer, and Devon Warner is Trevor Walker's personal assistant and driver. The office has a reception area, two offices, kitchen and bathroom.
The Barbuda Youth Empowerment Organisation (BYE-O) held a forum for the students of Forms III, IV, and V of the Holy Trinity School. The representative Trevor Walker was the inspirational speaker. Pastor Nigel Henry, John Mussington, Chad Alexander, and Keisha Frank spoke about their personal experiences of studying for a career.
BYE-O has been set up by past students of the Holy Trinity School. These young people have continued their education and are directing their efforts towards those who have not. Their aims are to prepare young people for CSME by helping with self-assessment and career choices. They will provide a big brother/big sister mentor programme and will assist with college and job applications. Faith John is the BYE-O president, Dorothy Symister is the Vice-President, Kerriann Walbrook the Secretary, Goldene John the Treasurer, and Keisha Frank and Brent Parker are dealing with PR.