Black Immigrant Daily News

The owners of the Harbour Master party boat have broken their silence on a brawl that took place on their vessel on Wednesday night between members of staff and Grenadian athletics star Anderson Peters.

In a statement on Thursday, the Harbour Master’s management said: “The recent violence on our ship involving Anderson Peters is disheartening to both our management and staff.”

“We emphatically declare that we do not condone acts of violence of any kind. We understand the public’s concern and the overall sensitivity of the situation.

“Currently, the full details surrounding the incident are still forthcoming, but we are working with the relevant authorities to gain a clearer understanding of what occurred.”

The Royal Grenada Police Force said on Wednesday night, Peters, 24, sustained minor injuries during an incident on the Harbour Master. The vessel was docked in Grenada for a party.

Police took several crewmen into custody to assist with their investigations. The men in custody are said to be T&T nationals.

Grenadians have expressed their outrage at the treatment of the two-time Javelin World Champion.

The Opposition New National Party (NNP) led by Dr Keith Micthell in a statement said:

“The New National Party registers dismay regarding an incident involving acts of violence meted out to our beloved double World Javelin Champion, Anderson Peters which occurred Wednesday, August 10, 2022.

We strongly denounce all acts of violence and submit that such should not be tolerated. Grenada is marked by its peaceful nature and without a doubt, we subscribe to the rule of law. We anticipate a swift judicial process and justice in accordance with the laws of Grenada.

The New National Party extends best wishes for a speedy recovery to Anderson Peters.”

The Grenada Olympic Committee says it is saddened by the news of what it says was the cowardly actions of some five persons who physically assaulted Grenada’s national sporting hero and icon.

The Committee says it joins with all of Grenada in condemning these barbaric actions and look forward to the relevant authorities taking decisive action against all the perpetrators.

The Grenada Olympic Committee adds that it stands ready to lend support to his recovery and looks forward to an expeditious resolution of the matter.

Prime minister Dickon Mitchell condemned the acts of violence as he wished Anderson a speedy recovery.

“As a Government, we unequivocally condemn violence of any kind and call on all citizens and visitors to maintain a posture of respect to differing perspectives and to opt for rational debate over extreme behaviour,” he said in a statement on Facebook.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

La presidenta de la Federación de Maestros de Puerto Rico, Mercedes Martínez, manifestó en RADIO ISLA que “la perspectiva de género salva vidas” y que “el pueblo tiene que educarse”. 

“La perspectiva de género y la educación con perspectiva de género salvan vidas y es una pena que la gente no conozca de lo que trata. La gente que habla de la perspectiva de género, en su gran mayoría, desconoce totalmente de qué trata la perspectiva y, para mi es lamentable”, expresó Martínez. 

Por su parte, el presidente de la Sociedad Puertorriqueña de Pediatría, Gerardo Tosca, también favoreció la educación con perspectiva de género. “Definitivamente, sí”, contestó Tosca al ser cuestionado sobre si es importante para él que sea educación con perspectiva de género.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

PHILIPSBURG — The role of financial manager Ron Elferink in real estate transactions at the port have remained unclear for a long time. When he was asked about it as a witness in the Zebec case on June 22, 2021, he invoked his right to remain silent. “Answering this question would expose me to criminal prosecution.” he said according to the minutes of this interrogation.

Jeroen Veen, the attorney for real estate developer Zebec asked Elferink at the time how his involvement in real estate transactions came about, citing a letter dated January 25, 2015, from Skylight Real Estate to St. Maarten Harbor Cruise Facilities. Elferink declined to answer, saying that he is a suspect in the Larimar-investigation.

The Larimar-case ended in 2020 in the Court in First Instance with a 5-year sentence for Theo Heyliger, the founder of the United People’s party; Elferink was sentenced to community service for money laundering.

The letter attorney Veen referred to during the witness-interrogation shows Elferink’s involvement in the real estate business. The letter states that Skylight takes over all responsibilities for an agreement Frivol Realty signed on September 30, 2003. This agreement refers to the 10-year lease of a ground floor shop of 160 square meters and office space of the same size at the cruise terminal. Elferink signed this letter as the managing director of Skylight.

Frivol was represented at this deal by a trust company; the agreement lists Diamonds International Watch and Design as the lessee. (See Fig. 1.) Moshe Hakimi is the managing director of this company; brothers Albert and Morris Gad are its shareholders.

The lessee agreed to pay a monthly lease-fee of $22,000 plus turnover tax (at the time 3 percent) for the first five years. Of this fee, $17,000 was to be paid to the Harbor Arcade and $5,000 to Frivol. Harbor Arcade also received a non-refundable franchise-fee of $250,000 and a security deposit of $22,000.

Elferink told the court in 2021 that a company called Skyline was a holding of which he was the ultimate beneficial owner. “I was the only shareholder of Skylight,” he said at the time.

Elferink arrived in 2011 in St. Maarten. Initially he worked in the banking sector for RBC as its Vice President Area Banking for St. Maarten and Saba. Later he became an independent entrepreneur and in 2015 he started working for St. Maarten Shipping & Stevedoring, a company owned by George Pelgrim.

During the witness-interrogation Elferink invoked his right to remain silent several times. He did not want to say which real estate Skylight had taken over from Frivol and whether Skylight paid Frivol for it. He also declined to explain why Skylight had taken over the Frivol-activities and how he came in a position that allowed him to lease real estate at the harbor.

One of the issues during the interrogation was a lease-contract between Skyline and Deliwo, a company controlled by Diamonds International. Elferink said at the time that this contract was never executed.

A copy of the contract dated April 13, 2017, between ODP (Ocean Drive Properties) and Deliwo shows that Skyline and Elferink were not involved in this deal: the contract partners were ODP, represented by Jelle Hamtra, and Deliwo, represented by Moshe Hakimi. Elferink said that he was not aware of this contract. Hamstra is the statutory director of ODP. Its ultimate beneficial owners are Peter Mirpuri (managing director of Ballerina Jewelers) and Danny Ramchandani.

There were other lease-agreements at the port where Elferink was involved. An example is the contract between Skyline and Yaelle (see Fig, 3 above), represented by Baback Hemarian. It was signed on February 16, 2015, for a retail store of 212 square meters at the cruise terminal. The monthly lease was $21,200 and Yaelle had to pay $350,000 to a contractor for finishing the building, as well as a $21,200 security deposit.

Skylight also signed a lease-agreement on January 21, 2015, with Utrima (see Fig, 2 above), represented by Ashok Aswani, for a retail store of 286 square meters at a monthly fee of $19,000. Utrima also agreed to pay a contractor $325,000 “in close consultation with Skylight.”

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The past and the present came together during a night of cultural entertainment when this year’s BVI Fungi Fest was held as part of the August Emancipation Festival activities.

“The music known as fungi music is said to have traveled with our ancestors from Africa and has evolved into what it is today,” Bernadine Louis said as she welcomed the audience to the July 30 show in the Eileene L. Parsons Auditorium at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College.

The event showcased musical performances by Elmore Stoutt & Zion Sounds, the Razor Bladez, and DC Four Strong — all of which were accompanied by VI saxophonist Kamau Georges.

The line-up also included song and storytelling by Rosie Smith and dancing by the BVI Heritage Dancers.

‘Sweet, pulsating sound’

Ms. Louis, the director of the VI Studies Institute at HLSCC, reminded attendees that fungi is the territory’s official music.

“The music is a combination of many different types of instruments that produce a sweet, pulsating sound,” she said. “Many of the instruments were made from things like sardine tins, pumpkin vines, papaya stems.”
Between performances, Mr. Stoutt noted the music’s versatility.

“That’s the thing about fungi: You can mix it up any place,” he said when he was joined on stage by Mr. Georges.

The Heritage Dancers took the stage twice, performing a polka and a two-step. The group has performed on a float in the August Monday Parade for 25 years, and members serve as government ambassadors through the BVI Tourist Board, Ms. Hodge said.

Eileene Parsons sat on the front row at Fungi Fest, where she was one of three people honoured for contributions to Virgin Islands culture. (Photo: SARIAH LAKE)

Tributes

The dance group’s founder — former legislator Eileene Parsons — was one of three people honoured at the event in tributes read by emcee Debra Hodge, HLSCC’s director of student affairs.

“Mrs. Parsons played and continues to play a vital role in the promotion of culture and the performing arts in this territory,” Ms. Hodge said.
Besides her contributions to culture, Ms. Parsons was the first woman to hold a ministerial post in the VI government, Ms. Hodge added.

Mr. Stoutt was also honoured.

“For more than 50 years, he has been involved in the advancement of young people,” Ms. Hodge said.

Outside of his teaching career — which included a stint as principal of the high school that now bears his name — Mr. Stoutt has been “a major player in the preservation of Virgin Islands culture through music and storytelling,” she added.

The third honouree was Janice Stoutt, who has “given of her time and energy in helping to promote Virgin Islands culture through poetry, short stories and drama,” according to Ms. Hodge.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

During the Festival Food Fair on July 29, Olive Vanterpool was demonstrating the process of making cassava bread as live steel pan music played in the background.

Her mission was cultural preservation through local recipes.

“After my generation, I’m not sure what’s going to happen,” Ms. Vanterpool said, encouraging young people to learn the time-consuming process of making the traditional bread. “I know it’s tedious, but it’s important.”

Ms. Vanterpool was among about 20 vendors in the Cyril B. Romney Tortola Pier Park that day selling a variety of local dishes such as fried fish, johnny cake, patties, conch soup, peas soup, corned pork, cassava bread, traditional candies, tarts, and much more.

The event kicked off with an opening ceremony, where Gen Y Factor 2022 winner Yohance Smith sang the territorial song and national anthem and the Nouveau Royale group performed a cultural dance.

In opening remarks, Education, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Sharie De Castro described the food fair — which was organised by the Virgin Islands Festivals and Fairs Committee — as an opportunity to display local dishes that are “native to who we are as a people.”

Cultural preservation

Ms. Vanterpool, who has participated in the annual fair for at least 10 years, also bakes other local pastries. But this time she chose to set up the cassava bread demonstration to allow people a window into her process.

At her booth, she displayed a step-by-step recipe and made the bread as attendees sampled two varieties: plain and coconut-cinnamon.

Many other vendors were similarly passionate about cultural preservation through local foods.

Jehree D. Clarke of JD’s Candies said she is interested in “keeping local candy-making alive.” The business, which has been part of the annual fair since 2016, specialises in local sweets such as peppermint candy, coconut fudge, guavaberry fudge, and more.

Fashion show

As the food fair concluded, UMI models used the pathway through the pier park to model designs in the 28th annual Festival Fashion Fete.

The show included a variety of outfits for child and adult models alike.

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