2006 – YEAR IN REVIEW JANUARY – MARCH
JANUARY
l Danielle Daniella Edwards was the first baby for the New Year. She was born to Michelle Edwards of Rockies.
l Deputy Prime Minister Louis Straker knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in her New Year Honours.
l The Opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) boycotted the first sitting of the House of Assembly protesting what they saw as irregularities in the December 2005 general elections.l Problems erupted in the National Youth Council when unsuccessful efforts were made to suspend the president Michael Johnson.{{more}}
l Beverly Forbes, 33, of Chateaubelair won the National Lottery Jackpot of $461,000.
l Digicel announced the acquisition of Cingular Wireless and promised favourable roaming rates.
l 99.9 WE FM listeners voted Zekiel “Mr Trigger Ridge” Samuel as the Number One radio caller.
l NBC Radio announced a net operations profit of over $100,000 – the first in many years – credited to new general manager Corletha Ollivierre.
l Basketballer Sophia Young was named SEARCHLIGHT’s Sports Personality of 2006
l Shop owners in Little Tokyo, the Central Market, and the temporary market owed up to $70,000 in rent arrears.
l Leon “Brods” Gumbs, 49, died in a freak accident when he was crushed to death by his own truck.
l Green Party Leader Ivan O’Neal said that Vincentians are no longer seeing him as a “crazy man” but are now sensitised to the issues being raised by him.
l PM Gonsalves said that a promise to build an international airport was no elections gimmick. The Argyle International Airport should become a reality by 2010/2011. ET Joshua Airport to get $10 million overhaul.
l The cause of death of 2-to-4-week-old chicks might just be poor diet according to Dr Richard Julian, Avian Pathologist at the University of Guelph.
l UNESCO launched a community radio station in Sandy Bay as one way to help to revive the Garifuna culture.
l A World War II unexploded bomb found off Cane Garden Point by dive operator Kay Wilson.
l Petrol prices increased. Gas went from $8 to $9.50 per gallon and diesel from $7.25 to $9.25 per gallon.
l An 11-year-old awarded the top prize in the “Pimp My Hairoun Ride” by the Gaming Commission after a controversy over her entry.
l UWI created history by hosting its first local graduation for Vincentian students in St Vincent.
l FirstCaribbean International Bank staff staged industrial action severely disruption operations.
FEBRUARY
l PM Gonsalves awarded the “Democracy Prize” from the New York-based Caribbean Guyana Institute of Democracy.
l The number of road traffic accidents continued to climb with the death of Eversley Cudjoe whose jeep ran off the road. His was the first for February and the fifth for the year.
l Deighton Butler was named Cricketer of the Year by SVG Cricket Association.
l Poultry farmer Kelvin Pierre disputed findings by a Guelph University avian pathologist that a spate of deaths among 2-to-4-week-old chicks was due to poor diet. Agricultural officials agreed that more tests were required.
l A salary increase of $3,228 for Speaker of the House of Assembly Hendrick Alexander sparked much public debate.
l PM Gonsalves said that Texaco threatened to stop selling LPG to SVG if did not get a price increase.
l The first Blues Fest was a big hit with Vincentian of all ages.
l Vincentians were among top ten of people applying for refugee status in Canada but only 37 per cent were successful in 2005.
l Farmers at Buccament on the Bay were singing the blues after learning they were to make way for a multi-million dollar tourism development.
l PM Gonsalves revealed that the OECS will be signing onto the CARICOM Single Market as a group.
l New Taiwanese ambassador Yu-Tai “Jack” Cheng presented his credentials to Governor-General Sir Frederick Ballantyne.
l Prime Ministers of SVG, Antigua and Barbuda, and Barbados meet to discuss financial woes of LIAT and a request for US$10 million cash.
l Stakeholders in Bequia meet under NIPI to discuss tourism issues.
l Fish vendors defied management of the fish market at Little Tokyo to close shop at 5 pm – an hour and a half earlier than normal.
l An auction in Bequia to raise funds for the island’s School for Children with Special Needs raised a record $24,000.
l The cricket association gets rights to develop infrastructure at the Buccament Bay Playing Field and the football association protest calling it a sporting bias.
l Pamenos Ballantyne was not included in SVG line up for the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
l Industrial action at FirstCaribbean International Bank entered its third week with threats to escalate nationwide.
l Minister of Social Development Mike Browne met with shopkeepers at Little Tokyo to hear their grievances and encourage them to pay their rents.
l Elected members of the Unity Labour Party were told they will be replaced if they do not perform.
l Small to medium size businesses stand to benefit from $20 million in assistance from the European Union under a project for alternative economic activity in agriculture and other productive sectors.
l Coleen McDonald was appointed President of the Family Court.
l Newly appointed chairman of the Local Organising Committee of Cricket World Cup, Fitz Huggins, said that promised a greater information flow on this country’s preparation to host the 2007 Cricket World Cup warm up matches.
l Minister of Sports Glen Beache said that a National Stadium is in the offing, noting that $5 million was set aside in the budget for the design of the stadium which would also be home for the football fraternity.
l Another round of talks with Texaco failed to agree on a new price for LPG.
l Pamenos Ballantyne named Sports Personality of the Year for 2005.
MARCH
l Vincentians woke up to the shocking and unbelievable news that former broadcaster and press secretary to the prime minister Glens Jackson was dead. He was found with a gunshot to his chest in his vehicle in Cane Garden. A reward of $50,000 offered for information leading to the arrest of his killer was doubled in a matter of weeks to $100,000. His widow, Susan, was confident that the person or persons responsible would be caught but she had already forgiven them.
l Thousands turned out to Glenn Jackson’s funeral. PM Gonsalves announced a media scholarship in honour of his slain press secretary.
l Scotland Yard has been asked to investigate the Glenn Jackson death.
l Senator Ronald Marks and Patricia Way were growling at each other in a dispute which seemed to be headed for the law Courts for a determination of just who is the owner of a two year old dog.
l A sickout by LIAT’s pilots stranded hundreds.
l Director of Forestry Brian Johnson said SVG was losing its forest at a rate of three per cent per year.
l Test started on the sustainability of 25 varieties of cassava, imported from Columbia to determine which would be able to grow locally.
l There was no growth in agriculture in 2005 forcing the ministry of agriculture back to the drawing board to chart a growth path.
l PM Gonsalves assured that farmers at Buccament Bay who are to make room for an upscale tourism development will be treated fairly.
l Girls’ High School swept the CXC’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Exam.
l SVG was removed from the blacklist of the OECD.
l Lawyers were unhappy that the contract of the President of the Family Court, Sharon Morris-Cummings, was not renewed.
l The Civil Registry went high tech producing electronic birth, marriage, and death certificates.
l Sir Vincent Beache has hinted that laws may soon be introduced to make telephone tapping legal. The Parliamentary Opposition called it “starling, shocking and alarming” but PM Gonsalves said phone tapping won’t happen without Parliamentary approval.
l Tax payers owed the treasury $70 million in arrears over 11 years and the Comptroller of Inland Revenue believed that only half can be recovered.
l Rev Leopold Friday became the first Vincent Anglican cleric to be appointed Bishop of the Windward Islands
l PM Gonsalves has heavily criticised the media and the UWI School of Continuing Studies for a lack of serious public policy debate.
l Former Vincentian fast bowler Neil Williams died at age 43 after being in a coma for over a month.
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