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The abandoned barge at Little Bay is to be cut up and removed using joint FCO / DFID monies. The barge which sank in Little Bay during the construction of the airport has been driven ashore by recent heavy sea swells and is now lodged on the rocks just behind the Green Monkey Dive Shop.
The barge, at the time of its sinking in November 2004, was carrying aggregate for the airport construction and got into difficulties as it approached Port Little Bay where it was due to unload its cargo. Some attempts were made at the time to refloat it but these were unsuccessful. Later the operators of the barge went into receivership and abandoned the barge to the mercies of the sea.
The barge became a hazard to shipping and marine life and was causing damage to the Bay's reef system and funds were sought to have it removed. The FCO's special OTPF fund came to the rescue and these monies were matched by DFID.
The Trinidad based company charged with removing the barge are expected to commence operations early July. The barge will be cut up, towed out to sea and sunk in deep waters. The entire operation will take approximately two months and will cost over a quarter of a million dollars.Storm names for 2008 are Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gustav, Hanna, Ike, Josephine, Kyle, Laura, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paloma, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky, and Wilfred. Already, Tropical Storm Arthur caused flood damage in Belize very early in the season.
A National Hurricane Conference was organised by the Disaster Management Co-ordination Agency (DMCA) late in May to examine and discuss several agency's disaster plans which had been reviewed. The conference brought together Government Departments, utility companies, communications companies, representatives from the Airport and Sea Port, the MVO, Hospital officials, police and search & rescue personnel as well as important NGO's such as the Red Cross.
Already, public education messages about the hurricane season are being broadcast on radio and TV by the Montserrat Red Cross and the regional agency, CDERA courtesy of the DMCA. The last hurricane to impact Montserrat was Hurricane Lenny in 1999 which caused coastal damage around the island.
In addition, a major disaster conference was held in Montserrat in mid June for British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean to coincide with the start of the hurricane season.
Representatives from Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Caymen Islands, Montserrat and the Turks & Caicos Islands attended the conference.
Infants under one year are immunized against diphtheria, tetanus and Pertussis (DPT), hepatitis B and haemophilus influenzae. These five vaccines are combined into a Pentavalent vaccine, which reduces the number of shots for the children. This age group also receive polio drops given by mouth, as well as BCG vaccine against tuberculosis. During their second year they are vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), as well as receiving boosters for some of the others. Boosters of certain vaccines are also given at around four and a half years and fifteen years of age.
This regime ensures that the island has a well protected child population. Montserrat has quite a large migrant population but this is not a problem, since children arriving on the island are added to the system and their vaccines updated as necessary. Tetanus boosters are needed every ten years, and Nursing Manager Brown, who is also EPI Manager, is encouraging adults to come for these booster shots so that they too can remain protected. MMR is also offered to adults if they did not receive it as children.
Rubella (German measles) is part of the MMR vaccine, and Montserrat has not had a case of Rubella for many years. This vaccine is particularly important, since pregnant mothers exposed to it can give birth to babies with congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), which features a number of possible defects, including deafness. Immunization specialist Dr Beryl Irons of the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC) points out that it is therefore crucial to continue immunizing children against rubella, well before they move into the reproductive age group.
At a recent workshop, nurses and other health care workers received an update on vaccines in current use and vaccine preventable diseases, as well as information on additional vaccines that are available. The EPI programme is in use throughout the world, and in our Caribbean region CAREC ensures that its member countries are kept up to date on immunization issues, and encourages them to follow the recommended immunization schedules.
In Montserrat the immunization programme is a well accepted part of local life, and over the years has helped to keep the population healthy. However continued vigilance is always necessary, so workshops such as this are a vital ingredient of a successful immunization programme.
CAREC, which was formed in 1975, is based in Trinidad, It is administered by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), which is WHO's regional office for the Americas. CAREC has twenty-one member countries, comprising the English and Dutch speaking countries of the Caribbean. It is dedicated to improving health and preventing disease in the Caribbean through technical cooperation, service, training and research.
Her Majesty The Queen's Official Birthday was celebrated in Montserrat on Saturday 14 June 2008 with a military parade held for the first time at the Cricket Ground in Little Bay.Several hundred spectators watched members of the Royal Montserrat Defence Force, the Royal Montserrat Police Force, Fire Officers, Prison Officers, MSS Cadet Force, Red Cross, Boy Scouts, Girl Guides and the Girl's Brigade march in front of Sir Howard A. Fergus the Acting Governor.
Several Defence Force Officers received promotion medals and several policemen, long service medals at the end of the ceremony.
Applicants will complete a visa application form on line on the United Kingdom Border Agency’s webpage. They will be required to pay the visa fee by internationally recognised credit card at the time of completing the online visa application form. In addition, the applicant will need a valid E mail address.
Applicants will need to attend the British High Commission in Barbados and will be contacted by E mail and offered a choice of appointment dates / times to submit their necessary paperwork and biometric data.
The British High Commission in Barbados will then forward the application and passport in individual sealed packages to the British Consulate in New York by courier service. The decision whether or not to issue a visa will be made in New York and they will inform applicants by E mail whether or not their application for a visa has been successful. There is no need for visa applicants to visit New York.
The British Consulate in New York will courier back the passports to the British High Commission in Barbados for collection by the applicant. However, those people not living in Barbados can pay an additional fee when completing their application form, to request that their passports be sent directly to them.
It is envisaged that applicants should receive decisions within three weeks of submitting their applications.
Holders of European Union passports (full British passports) or British Overseas Territories Citizens passports (Montserrat passports) do not require a visa to enter the United Kingdom and the new arrangements do not apply to them.
Sir George has dedicated himself to a wide range of philanthropic causes including the UK's Prince's Trust which he helped to found and which is dedicated to improving the lives of disadvantaged youth. It offers opportunities in job training, access to the workplace, personal development, mentoring and advice.
In addition, Sir George helped to found the Montserrat Foundation whose aims are to eliminate poverty, the advancement of education, the promotion of health, and the protection of historic sites & the environment in Montserrat. In the wake of the island's volcanic eruption, Sir George created the George Martin Music Foundation and the funds raised by it built the Montserrat Cultural Centre which includes the George Martin Auditorium.
A release from the GRAMMY Foundation states that Sir George's committment to social, cultural, economic and educational concerns exemplifies the spirt of the organisation's Leadership Award and that his charitable works align with the mission of the Foundation.
Delegates from the five UK Caribbean Overseas Territories (Angulla, British Virgin Islands, Caymen Islands, Montserrat, Turks & Caicos Islands) and Bermuda met in Montserrat from 16 - 18 June 2008 to share best practice and experience in disaster risk reduction and emergency response policy and practice.The seminar was sponsored by the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for International Development (DFID).
Montserrat's Acting Governor, Professor Sir Howard Fergus, the Hon Chief Minister Dr. Lowell Lewis and Frank Savage, former Governor of Montserrat and the BVI and Advisor to the FCO on Disaster management, gave addresses at the opening ceremony.
Representatives from CDERA, PAHO, the International & British Red Cross, the Royal Navy and the World Bank also attended the Seminar and made presentations.
Presentations were also made by Montserrat's Director of Planning, Mrs Angela Greenaway and Hon Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Housing and the Environment and former Chief Minister Reuben T. Meade.
Frank Savage outlined the UK's responsibilities for its Overseas Territories and response arrangements in place for the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. Martin Rapley gave a presentation on DFID's response arrangements and introduced Roger Bellers who has recently been appointed as the new Regional Risk Reduction Adviser based in Barbados. Mr Bellers, who had previously held the post of DFID's Disaster Management Adviser for the Overseas Territories in the Caribbean, gave an overview of DFID's new DRR programme for the Caribbean. There were also presentations from the FCO's Law Enforcement and Prison Reform Advisers, Larry Covington and Steve Fradley respectively. The UK Regional Consular Director, Gary Nicholls, briefed the seminar on consular contingency planning for the Caribbean.
The Disaster Management Seminar addressed the roles and responsibilities of the various national and international partners to promote closer collaboration and coordination, best practice and areas of special expertise.