Black Immigrant Daily News

The land met the sea on Tuesday evening when vendors mingled with yacht brokers and crew during one of the first events of the Charter Yacht Society’s annual BVI Fall Charter Yacht Show.

“My family has been provisioning for yachts since the seventies, so we’ve been doing this for a long, long time,” said Aragorn Dick-Read, owner of Good Moon Farm. “My father would bring in all kinds of exotic and foreign stuff from all over the world to supply boats, and now I’m supplying everthing that’s local.”

Mr. Dick-Read’s farm was one of nearly three dozen businesses represented at Vendors’ Night.

The turnout pleased CYS Executive Director Janet Oliver. “It’s probably the biggest that we’ve ever had,” Ms. Oliver said. “We have about 35 businesses represented tonight.”

However, the number of boats registered for the show — 27 — was lower than hoped, Ms. Oliver explained. In 2019, just before the pandemic, 50 boats participated in the fall event. Nevertheless, this year’s turnout was not exactly bad news, she said.

“We would’ve expected more, but actually the VI is in high demand since Covid-19, so the vast majority of our members are on charter,” she said. “We have 27 boats, which is more than last year, but it’s not really our standard.”

Ms. Oliver added that the season has started earlier than usual and that she expects a strong tourist season.

“Charters began as early as October,” she said.

“We have some members who have closed out their calendars for the year.”

Vendors

On Tuesday, vendors were busy setting up stalls near Peg Leg’s during the day.

Mr. Dick-Read and others remained focused on what the brokers and their clients were looking for in land-based services.

“People come expecting to find local food,” he said. “When they come to the supermarkets and see all exported food, they get very disappointed.”

Ms. Oliver said the Vendors’ Night is geared toward connecting vendors like Mr. Dick-Read to the yacht industry.

“These are the businesses that look to the industry to be their clientele, and the reverse: These businesses help make the guests’ vacation of a lifetime a good experience,” she said.

Last year, the event was held in a nearby location on Nanny Cay due to Covid-19.

“We had everyone bring their own tents,” Ms. Oliver said. “Last year we had to have a certain amount of distance, and it created much more of a marketplace where people were able to customise their own booths better.”

However, this year’s venue worked out well too, she added.

Other events

The yacht show started on Sunday with an orientation where new crewmembers met at Peg Leg’s, according to organisers.

The next day, yacht crew were welcomed as they registered during the late afternoon hours. In the evening, they were invited to socialise at Omar’s in Nanny Cay.

Tuesday was the first day that brokers were invited to view the boats. Registration began early in the morning, and then brokers were invited to take a trip to Anegada aboard a Virgin Charter Yachts vessel.

There, brokers got a chance to visit the conch shell mound, tour the sister island, and eat lunch before returning to Tortola.

Those who opted out of the tour had the opportunity to view yachts and talk to crewmembers.

The show continues today with yacht viewings and the annual cocktail contest sponsored by Mount Gay Rum. During the evening, a crew and broker dinner and an awards ceremony will be held.

The final day of the show is tomorrow when all events will wrap up by noon.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

There are at least 10 different types of soil in the Virgin Islands, and each one has unique properties that can help people understand what areas are more susceptible to disasters like landslides, according to a scientist visiting the territory.

To augment this knowledge, a soil study on all the major islands in the territory and the establishment of a soil laboratory are underway with the help of a scientist from the University of Portsmouth in
the United Kingdom.

Professor of Geoinformatics and Disaster Risk Reduction Dr. Richard Teeuw, along with Department of Disaster Management Director Jasen Penn and Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour Joseph Smith-Abbott, hosted a press conference Tuesday morning to announce the launch of the study.

The VI currently lacks digital soil maps — a critical gap in datasets needed for environmental management, according to Dr. Teeuw.

“Soil mapping dates back in the Virgin Islands probably to the early 1950s — maybe even earlier than that, particularly for agricultural purposes,” said Mr. Smith-Abbott. “This particular initiative is very important because it’s decades in the making.”

He added that the project will create more robust digitised maps that will inform decisions related to construction, waste management, and more.

Mr. Penn said the survey will also help the DDM do its job.

“The work we do in terms of risk reduction and planning for future hazards relies on good information. When it comes to the makeup of our soil, details matter,” Mr. Penn said. “Knowing whether a particular parcel is more or less clay, more or less bedrock, etcetera, gives us insight into how vulnerable that parcel is to hazards like earthquakes and landslides.”

Project outcomes

The study will also provide guidance for land development, help map areas susceptible to erosion and landslides, and help determine soil sustainability for construction and waste disposal, Dr. Teeuw explained.

Additionally, the findings will highlight soil types that have good fertility and water retention for agriculture, he said.

A final report is scheduled for March 2024.

The data collected in the project will be accessible to various government agencies, officials explained.
“This means that the information gained from this study won’t sit on shelves gathering dust,” Mr. Penn said. “We’ll have it on hand for our daily work.”

He added that the project can be “built upon” for future projects and studies.

Grant funding

The study went through several grant funding steps be- fore taking off, officials explained.

Through UK aid via the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Darwin Initiative for Biodiversity, a proposal was set out for the scientists to conduct a multi-purpose soil survey with the VI government.

VI project partners include the DDM, the National Parks Trust, the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, the MNRL, the Environmental Health Division, the Agriculture and Fisheries Department, and the Town and Country Planning Department.

In January, Dr. Teeuw will return along with two other University of Portsmouth scientists to conduct surveys focused on waste management, civil engineering, and water-and-soil chemistry.

Next June, four scientists focusing on how the soils affect construction and biodiversity will conduct training for government officials, Dr. Teeuw said.

By January 2024, the group will publish maps and guidelines on soil sustainability for various types of land use and assessments of climate change impacts, he added.

Dr. Teeuw plans to submit a final report by March 2024 and then host an online workshop highlighting key project outputs, he said.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) Narcotics Division disrupted a transnational drug trafficking syndicate operating between the United States (US) and Jamaica, following the seizure of a large quantity of cocaine with an estimated value of over $100m in Ocho Rios.

Eight cruise line passengers were taken into custody. Reports are that the eight people – all US nationals – earlier disembarked the vessel which arrived in Ocho Rios from Miami, Florida, St Ann on Wednesday, November 09.

At about 1:30 pm, they were re-boarding the vessel for departure, and anomalies were detected in their luggage. During a search by members of the Narcotics Division, a total of twenty-four packages containing cocaine weighing just over 17 kilograms (38 pounds) were found concealed in their bags. The passengers were arrested for breaches of the Dangerous Drugs Act.

However, their identities are being withheld pending further investigations. The seized has an estimated street value of US $850 000.00 Investigations continue.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

REAL NEWS: Her Excellency Josette Christine Michael was laid to rest following a funeral Mass at the Holy Family Cathedral yesterday, November 10.

The longtime Ambassador, who died on October 30, was accorded an official funeral by the Cabinet.

As is traditional, Governor-General Sir Rodney Williams delivered the First Reading, while Acting Prime Minister Steadroy “Cutie” Benjamin read the Second.

However, upstaging both was Grammy-Award winner Gramps Morgan, who performed his hit “People Like You” in tribute to Ambassador Michael, backed by several of Antigua and Barbuda’s finest female singers.

Paying tribute, as well, was her granddaughter Marissa, who said that Michael, an independent free-thinker,  had taught her that a woman can run a house without a man.

Meanwhile, Dr. Errol Cort, a family friend and Michael’s longstanding attorney, said that, to the world, she had been a mother; but to her three children, she had been the world.

MP Asot Michael, the Ambassador’s only son, delivered the eulogy in which he lauded his mother’s devotion to her husband and extended family; her business acumen, having run a highly successful department store; her generosity to good causes, to her church, and to the Antigua Labour Party; and her legendary skills as a hostess to local, regional and international dignitaries.

“She gave to all, irrespective of their walk in life,” said Michael of his mother.

“She always had time for and was ready and willing to assist those less fortunate in life…. She helped in whatever way she could, and she did it without publicity.  Her generosity simply knew no bounds. …

“She was humble, ordinary, forthright and kind,” he said.

Among the mourners were several Cabinet Members and Parliamentarians; former Prime Minister Dr. Baldwin Spencer; United Progressive Party Political Leader Harold Lovell; Chairperson D.Gisele Isaac; and Candidates Pearl Quinn-Williams, Alister Thomas and Anthiny Smith, Jr.

– “It was a beautiful send-off,” Isaac says of the funeral. “And I was happy to be able to pay my last respects. She was always very kind and warm to me. Very human.  May her soul continue to sleep in peace.”

Michael, a native of Guadeloupe, had lived in Antigua since 1962, and passed at the age of 81 years.

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