“KFC IS BACK!” screamed the headline in the Midweek SEARCHLIGHT. It might have been the only time in the global history of the franchise that a fast food joint was hailed with a front page newspaper article.

Vincentians welcomed KFC back with open arms, and queued up for hours to get a nibble of the Colonel’s secret recipe. When KFC closed amid business difficulties with former franchise holder Ken Boyea, certain political opportunists tried to blame the shutdown on increasing poverty among customers or the Government’s hostility to businesses.{{more}}

Now that the franchise is reborn under Kelly Glass and paying customers are lined up around the block, those same commentators should be eating their words – with a side of fries and some spicy wings.

RUNNER-UP:

IN SWELTERING, oppressively hot conditions, it was a day for Vincy Heat. The national men’s football team turned up the temperature on visiting Aruba, who wilted in the face of constant, attacking pressure and a merciless sun.

Vincy Heat now needs to get past a rematch on Aruban soil to advance in its improbable quest to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. While we’re proud of Vincy Heat’s victory, we hope that the team has an extra gear for looming matches against the United

States. The missed opportunities, spacing issues and poor communication that we saw against Aruba will be punished severely against the well-coached Americans. But if we get the Yanks in another sweltering Arnos Vale slugfest, with a few thousand boisterous fans, anything is possible.

Let’s go Vincy Heat!

WORST WEEK EVER:

IF SOMEONE WALTZES PAST the walls of the Community College, past the guards posted outside, into a supposedly secure room, and somehow escapes with a vault full of cash, then something is wrong. $31,000 shouldn’t just be lying around for criminals to

run off with. Worse yet, members of the press who’ve asked legitimate questions about the theft have been met with stony silence or outright hostility from Community College officials.

Right when we should be celebrating a record intake of fresh young students, we’re left wondering about crimes and cover-ups. Lift your game SVGCC.

RUNNER-UP:

THE NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY has been turning up their criticisms of civil servants and other non-political types – from Director of Planning Laura Anthony-Browne to VINLEC CEO Thornley Myers to Community College Deputy Director Nigel Scott to Supervisor of Elections Sylvia Findlay-Scrubb.

The NDP’s criticisms have largely gone unanswered because their targets have chosen to remain above the political fray.

But the NDP has apparently stepped on the wrong corn in their continued and pointed parliamentary criticisms of Dr Rudy Matthias, CEO of the International Airport Development Company. After comprehensively refuting all of the falsehoods spread by his critics, Dr Matthias couldn’t resist slamming the “so-called” NDP, and their “disorganised” ways.

“Please don’t drag us into your mess, we’re a professional unit,”

said Dr Matthias. Just like that, the NDP’s strategy of bullying top officials and assuming they’ll stay silent is looking awfully silly.

When credible, apolitical professionals start hitting back, it carries a lot more weight than the usual political bassa bassa.

If I had a question in SVG Parliament

…I’d ask the Leader of the Opposition if it was a good idea to use his radio programme to accuse individual Vincentians – by name – of criminal acts of voter fraud.

Especially since some of the individuals that Eustace accused of illegally transferring into East Kingstown are wellknown and longstanding residents of the constituency.

There must have been a better way.

Media Watch

Instead of just covering the tragedy in Dominica and the relief and fund-raising efforts happening in SVG, why don’t our media houses band together to support our sister island?

Between newspapers, radios, and websites, the Media have the eyes and ears of SVG.

Use your powers for a worthy effort.