What a Xmas Eve it was?

Last night as I lay in bed with a burning fever I posted Merry Xmas greetings to all my FB friends, reminding them that just in case I am down today I would have been pleased that I sent the greetings. Today, I am sure, many, especially those with the other networks apart from mine, those with no battery charge are not happy for not being able to check their favorite social media. Soufriere is worst off as nothing seems to be coming out of there regardless of network.
Initially, although in bed, and sick, I was enjoying the loud music with no amps present, the christmas light show, and the free non-alcoholic drink that poured and poured. Fhap! Yo pwen light la. But the Xmas light show continued to light up the place and the a new sound effect was introduced to produced a whistling sound to the amp-less music. What a night is was!
It would take the next morning to realise the damage that was done: land slippage everywhere, fallen trees, fallen utility poles and the washed away Piaye Bridge - just to mention Choiseul.
At the Piaye bridge scene, a large crowd had gathered to witness the catastrophe for themselves. Persons stranded on the VF side of the bridge were taking risks crossing the raging river with the support of a rope tied across from bank to bank.
There is a power outage from Rivere Doree down to Soufriere and according to a LUCELEC spokesman, restoring the power may take some time due to the washing away of the Piaye bridge.
In my community, a few homes got flooded, the Lamaze community is cut off due to a landslide and there are numerous land slippage on the roadside in Debreuil.
Have this stopped the Christmas spirit in the community? Definitely it is not what it was last year. As I write I hear the sound of fireworks and the sound of a group of boys screaming at the top of their voice, 'Nwel la weva'
Apart from this, the sky is still gloomy, the wind still gusting off and on, all radio stations are off except Hot Fm and things are just quiet. Many of the expected family and friends who usually come down from Castries this time of year to make the place merry are not here.

Dedan Makes His Views Known.

Obama's Tribute To Nelson Mandela

To Graça Machel and the Mandela family; to
President Zuma and members of the government;
to heads of state and government, past and
present; distinguished guests - it is a singular honor
to be with you today, to celebrate a life unlike any
other. To the people of South Africa - people of every race and walk of life - the world thanks you
for sharing Nelson Mandela with us. His struggle
was your struggle. His triumph was your triumph.
Your dignity and hope found expression in his life,
and your freedom, your democracy is his cherished
legacy.
It is hard to eulogize any man - to capture in words
not just the facts and the dates that make a life, but
the essential truth of a person - their private joys
and sorrows; the quiet moments and unique
qualities that illuminate someone's soul. How much
harder to do so for a giant of history, who moved a nation toward justice, and in the process moved
billions around the world.
Born during World War I, far from the corridors of
power, a boy raised herding cattle and tutored by
elders of his Thembu tribe - Madiba would emerge
as the last great liberator of the 20th century. Like
Gandhi, he would lead a resistance movement - a
movement that at its start held little prospect of success. Like King, he would give potent voice to
the claims of the oppressed, and the moral
necessity of racial justice. He would endure a brutal
imprisonment that began in the time of Kennedy
and Khrushchev, and reached the final days of the
Cold War. Emerging from prison, without force of arms, he would - like Lincoln - hold his country
together when it threatened to break apart. Like
America's founding fathers, he would erect a
constitutional order to preserve freedom for future
generations - a commitment to democracy and rule
of law ratified not only by his election, but by his willingness to step down from power.
Given the sweep of his life, and the adoration that
he so rightly earned, it is tempting then to
remember Nelson Mandela as an icon, smiling and
serene, detached from the tawdry affairs of lesser
men. But Madiba himself strongly resisted such a
lifeless portrait. Instead, he insisted on sharing with us his doubts and fears; his miscalculations along
with his victories. "I'm not a saint," he said, "unless
you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on
trying."
It was precisely because he could admit to
imperfection - because he could be so full of good
humor, even mischief, despite the heavy burden s
he carried - that we loved him so. He was not a bust
made of marble; he was a man of flesh and blood -
a son and husband, a father and a friend. That is why we learned so much from him; that is why we
can learn from him still. For nothing he achieved
was inevitable. In the arc of his life, we see a man
who earned his place in history through struggle
and shrewdness; persistence and faith. He tells us
what's possible not just in the pages of dusty history books, but in our own lives as well.
Mandela showed us the power of action; of taking
risks on behalf of our ideals. Perhaps Madiba was
right that he inherited, "a proud rebelliousness, a
stubborn sense of fairness" from his father.
Certainly he shared with millions of black and
colored South Africans the anger born of, "a thousand slights, a thousand indignities, a
thousand unremembered moments.a desire to
fight the system that imprisoned my people."
But like other early giants of the ANC - the Sisulus
and Tambos - Madiba disciplined his anger; and
channeled his desire to fight into organization, and
platforms, and strategies for action, so men and
women could stand-up for their dignity. Moreover,
he accepted the consequences of his actions, knowing that standing up to powerful interests
and injustice carries a price. "I have fought against
white domination and I have fought against black
domination," he said at his 1964 trial. "I've
cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society
in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope
to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an
ideal for which I am prepared to die."
Mandela taught us the power of action, but also
ideas; the importance of reason and arguments; the
need to study not only those you agree with, but
those who you don't. He understood that ideas
cannot be contained by prison walls, or
extinguished by a sniper's bullet. He turned his trial into an indictment of apartheid because of his
eloquence and passion, but also his training as an
advocate. He used decades in prison to sharpen hi s
arguments, but also to spread his thirst for
knowledge to others in the movement. And he
learned the language and customs of his oppressor so that one day he might better convey to them
how their own freedom depended upon his.
Mandela demonstrated that action and ideas are
not enough; no matter how right, they must be
chiseled into laws and institutions. He was practical,
testing his beliefs against the hard surface of
circumstance and history. On core principles he was
unyielding, which is why he could rebuff offers of conditional release, reminding the Apartheid
regime that, "prisoners cannot enter into
contracts." But as he showed in painstaking
negotiations to transfer power and draft new laws,
he was not afraid to compromise for the sake of a
larger goal. And because he was not only a leader of a movement, but a skillful politician, the
Constitution that emerged was worthy of this
multi racial democracy; true to his vision of laws that
protect minority as well as majority rights, and the
precious freedoms of every South African.
Finally, Mandela understood the ties that bind the
human spirit. There is a word in South Africa-
Ubuntu - that describes his greatest gift: his
recognition that we are all bound together in ways
that can be invisible to the eye; that there is a
oneness to humanity; that we achieve ourselves by sharing ourselves with others, and caring for those
around us. We can never know how much of this
was innate in him, or how much of was shaped and
burnished in a dark, solitary cell. But we remember
the gestures, large and small - introducing his
jailors as honored guests at his inauguration; taking the pitch in a Springbok uniform; turning his
family's heartbreak into a call to confront HIV/AIDS
- that revealed the depth of his empathy and
understanding. He not only embodied Ubuntu; he
taught millions to find that truth within themselves.
It took a man like Madiba to free not just the prisoner, but the jailor as well; to show that you
must trust others so that they may trust you; to
teach that reconciliation is not a matter of ignoring
a cruel past, but a means of confronting it with
inclusion, generosity and truth. He changed laws,
but also hearts.
For the people of South Africa, for those he inspired
around the globe - Madiba's passing is rightly a
time of mourning, and a time to celebrate his heroic
life. But I believe it should also prompt in each of us
a time for self-reflection. With honesty, regardless of
our station or circumstance, we must ask: how well have I applied his lessons in my own life?
It is a question I ask myself - as a man and as a
President. We know that like South Africa, the
United States had to overcome centuries of racial
subjugation. As was true here, it took the sacrifice
of countless people - known and unknown - to see
the dawn of a new day. Michelle and I are the beneficiaries of that struggle. But in America and
South Africa, and countries around the globe, we
cannot allow our progress to cloud the fact that our
work is not done. The struggles that follow the
victory of formal equality and universal franchise
may not be as filled with drama and moral clarity as those that came before, but they are no less
important. For around the world today, we still see
children suffering from hunger, and disease; run-
down schools, and few prospects for the future.
Around the world today, men and women are still
imprisoned for their political beliefs; and are still persecuted for what they look like, or how they
worship, or who they love.
We, too, must act on behalf of justice. We, too, must
act on behalf of peace. There are too many of us
who happily embrace Madiba's legacy of racial
reconciliation, but passionately resist even modest
reforms that would challenge chronic poverty and
growing inequality. There are too many leaders who claim solidarity with Madiba's struggle for
freedom, but do not tolerate dissent from their own
people. And there are too many of us who stand on
the sidelines, comfortable in complacency or
cynicism when our voices must be heard. The questions we face today - how to promote
equality and justice; to uphold freedom and human
rights; to end conflict and sectarian war - do not
have easy answers. But there were no easy
answers in front of that child in Qunu. Nelson
Mandela reminds us that it always seems impossible until it is done. South Africa shows us that is true.
South Africa shows us we can change. We can
choose to live in a world defined not by our
differences, but by our common hopes. We can
choose a world defined not by conflict, but by
peace and justice and opportunity.
We will never see the likes of Nelson Mandela again.
But let me say to the young people of Africa, and
young people around the world - you can make his
life's work your own. Over thirty years ago, while
still a student, I learned of Mandela and the
struggles in this land. It stirred something in me. It woke me up to my responsibilities - to others, and
to myself - and set me on an improbable journey
that finds me here today. And while I will always fall
short of Madiba's example, he makes me want to
be better. He speaks to what is best inside us. After
this great liberator is laid to rest; when we have returned to our cities and villages, and rejoined our
daily routines, let us search then for his strength -
for his largeness of spirit - somewhere inside
ourselves. And when the night grows dark, when
injustice weighs heavy on our hearts, or our best
laid plans seem beyond our reach - think of Madiba, and the words that brought him comfort within the
four walls of a cell:
It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul. What a great soul it was. We will miss him deeply.
May God bless the memory of Nelson Mandela. May
God bless the people of South Africa.

The Roblot Multi-Purpose Centre Has Gone To The Dogs

Any serious and concerned citizen in any community or enclave will always strive for the good welfare of the people. He will put his neck on the block, challenge the relevant authorities, take unorthodox steps, just to make sure the constituents where he lives are taken care of with good representation.
Dr Augustin Charles quickly comes to mind. One will remember his constant pleas demanding that the people of his area are not made to suffer for a want of pipe-borne water. After much strife and callings, he finally reverted to writing an open letter to the PM, and by all accounts it seems that this plea was finally heard and soon water was gushing in the pipes in Mongouge and environs. Bravo Bolo!
Yes, it is the little things we write on facebook and the blogs that get things going for our people. These are the little things, which our Rep vehemently gave a bashing at the Choiseul Constituency Conference, that work for the Choiseul constituents. Although 'ROPE' (Representing Ourselves Par Excellence) has not yet been launched, the little things are getting things done.
This brings me to my frequent calls for some sought of security service to guard the materials of the Roblot Multi-purpose Centre since its devastation during Hurricane Tomas. One will recall a post earlier this year calling on the attention of the Rep.
The Choiseul Constituency Council must take full responsibilty for the present state of the Centre. ( By the way, isn't there a Councilor from Roblot?) According to the Council Act, all public buildings in a constituency are the responsibiltity of the Council to protect and maintain them.
Vandals, many of them known to the the residents have had a field day looting lumber, toilet facilities, doors, windows and galvanize and constructing little shacks near their homes, selling the materials to friends and/or stock piling at their abode. The pics clearly show the level of looting that has taken place.
One must not forget the frequent pleas by the residents and this blog in particular, to the District Rep to pay a visit to the Polling division I5 to see first hand the condition the Centre is in; And to take the matter up with the relevant authorities for consideration. For the two years in office, he has not seen it fit to tour the area. Lorne has failed everyone in this polling division - from the newly born to the just recently buried 92 yr. Old.
Today, at about 11:30 am, the police almost made an arrest at the Centre. The vandals were using the cover of the inclement weather to strip the centre of more flooring boards and galvanize. Shots were fired, but they, the culprits got away by fleeing into the thick brush that surrounds the Centre.
Lets hope the police are skillful enough with their investigations to come up with a conviction.

The Roblot Multi-Purpose Centre Has Gone To The Dogs

Any serious and concerned citizen in any community or enclave will always strive for the good welfare of the people. He will put his neck on the block, challenge the relevant authorities, take unorthodox steps, just to make sure the constituents where he lives are taken care of with good representation.
Dr Augustin Charles quickly comes to mind. One will remember his constant pleas demanding that the people of his area are not made to suffer for a want of pipe-borne water. After much strife and callings, he finally reverted to writing an open letter to the PM, and by all accounts it seems that this plea was finally heard and soon water was gushing in the pipes in Mongouge and environs. Bravo Bolo!
Yes, it is the little things we write on facebook and the blogs that get things going for our people. These are the little things, which our Rep vehemently gave a bashing at the Choiseul Constituency Conference, that work for the Choiseul constituents. Although 'ROPE' (Representing Ourselves Par Excellence) has not yet been launched, the little things are getting things done.
This brings me to my frequent calls for some sought of security service to guard the materials of the Roblot Multi-purpose Centre since its devastation during Hurricane Tomas. One will recall a post earlier this year calling on the attention of the Rep.
The Choiseul Constituency Council must take full responsibilty for the present state of the Centre. ( By the way, isn't there a Councilor from Roblot?) According to the Council Act, all public buildings in a constituency are the responsibiltity of the Council to protect and maintain them.
Vandals, many of them known to the the residents have had a field day looting lumber, toilet facilities, doors, windows and galvanize and constructing little shacks near their homes, selling the materials to friends and/or stock piling at their abode. The pics clearly show the level of looting that has taken place.
One must not forget the frequent pleas by the residents and this blog in particular, to the District Rep to pay a visit to the Polling division I5 to see first hand the condition the Centre is in; And to take the matter up with the relevant authorities for consideration. For the two years in office, he has not seen it fit to tour the area. Lorne has failed everyone in this polling division - from the newly born to the just recently buried 92 yr. Old.
Today, at about 11:30 am, the police almost made an arrest at the Centre. The vandals were using the cover of the inclement weather to strip the centre of more flooring boards and galvanize. Shots were fired, but they, the culprits got away by fleeing into the thick brush that surrounds the Centre.
Lets hope the police are skillful enough with their investigations to come up with a conviction.

Bolo "Pissed Off" With Lorne? "..... My Patience May Have Reached Dielectric Breakdown...." He Tells PM

Below is a letter posted on Facebook yesterday to the Prime Minister. This letter is written against the backdrop of numerous complains by the writer to get the relevant authorities to get a water problem which affects the community of Mongouge and its environs addressed. This letter is timely since at the last SLP conference in Choiseul the District Rep took more Jabs at individuals who oppose him rather than deal with the issues that affect the constituents. The leatter reads:
DEAR MR PM,

This is a little missive to you; it's not meant to hurt or
embarass you, even if it may sound a little angry. It
may just be that my patience may have reached its
"dielectric breakdown" point. After all, we are all
human!
Mr PM, let me begin with the old saying that "the more
things change, the more they remain the same". Just
when we thought a solution to our water crisis was
struck, things became just as worse as quickly as
they got better.
In the past 12 days, I have received water once! Most
persons in my zone affected by the problem have
told me that they have received none at all and with
absolutely no explanation.
Mr PM, what's even more disturbing is the fact that
none of the key stakeholders has added a voice to
the ongoing water crisis. I hope it's not the case that
they are mute or afraid to speak about it head on!
They either seem to have recoiled completely into
their shells and seem to have taken a vow of silence or they have completely ignored the problem. The
responsible agency has stayed away completely with
apparently no interest in the matter.
Mr PM, at the recently concluded SLP constituency
conference, more time was spent defending the
parliamentary rep's absenteeism and poor
performance rather than the needs of the
constituency itself. The parliamentary rep himself
went on the offensive against his constituents, excoriating them because they spoke against two
major problems facing the constituency, rather than
launching an offensive on the problems we face. Up
to now sir, he has not seen fit to contact the affected
persons for feedback on the nature and gravity of
the water problems. Tell me, Mr PM, would you say that this is the
re presentation we deserve? Mr PM, it's approaching a year since I was told by a
top WASCO official that upgrade and improvement
works of the water infrastructure are 80% complete.
Every anomaly is being attributed to that "80%
complete" frame of reference.
Mr PM, I was a public servant and I understand very
well what "80% complete" means. It's an apology for
substandard service. The problem we face has very
little to do with the "80% complete. The problem is
lack of sensitivity.
I can vouch that the line feeding us has been
ruptured and throwing thousands of gallons daily
into the bush but because the nature of the terrain
poses access problems and (I believe) the lack of the
necessary strong supervision, such problems drag to
eternity.
Mr PM! Apparently, while WASCO focuses on its grand
designs like desilting the JC damn (and I know you
would be pleased with that), the suggestion is
people like me in the deep rural areas can "go to
hell". It's precisely for reasons of that nature that, we,
the vulnerable and the oppressed can go to hell - but there's a time for hell for every body.
I wish Mr PM that after reading this letter that you
would post comment in earnest, for I don't believe
you subscribe to the prevailing state of affairs.
Indeed, if "Water is Life", then don't allow us to suffer
and then die!
Mr PM, I know you have a busy and difficult schedule
and I don't want you to micromanage anything;
more over, Choiseul has a capable but invisible
parliamentary rep. It is in that context that I, Bolo, Mr
PM, implore you to intervene and give directives that
will redound to the people of your colleague natives.
Please Mr PM . . Do it in the name of justice, in the
name of love, in the name of caring for your people?
You can reach me at 1-758-461-7056.
Thanking you in advance, Mr PM; and seasons
greetings.

Sincerely
Bolo

Apology - There's No Spining It!

By Melanius Alphonse
In retrospect, Timothy Poleon's apology as written and delivered, probably at the directive of the legal luminaries familiar with the pending action, makes it clear for all to see the trivial-mindedness, and the state of affairs in Saint Lucia under the St Lucia Labour Party.
On the heels of the Labour Party's newly found adoration of President Nicolás Maduro's government in Venezuela, and on the second anniversary of the SLP narrow return to power (November 28), the Labour government may have just celebrated their foremost achievement in office -- an apology. Melanius Alphonse is a management and development consultant.
As hard as one may try to separate the party and the government, in this regard, the outcome is to accomplish a common purpose.
A common purpose that should not be taken lightly, particularly as it serves to have a chilling effect on the freedom of speech and press freedom in Saint Lucia. Given the nature of the SLP regime, this action is reminiscent of what socialist countries and dictators thrive on -- intimidating their people, and controlling their local domain.
But if there was any doubt why the backdoor formation of the National Broadcasting Network (NBN) by the government of Saint Lucia, then there must be even more vigilance and a rapid response to debunk fallacies.
What these occurrences revealed is a scheme to suppress information dissemination. Which recalls to memory: "Whoever controls the media, controls the mind." -- Jim Morrison (The Doors) Timothy's apology, if intended to bring one to their knees and to make columnists, reporters and journalists afraid of touching critical issues pertaining to the government of Saint Lucia, may have produced the opposite result in the regional and international press.
Prior attempts to oppress and intimidate the local media with the introduction of article 361 amendment did not work. As such, no amount of calculated attempts to instill fear in opponents with the intent to silence voices and derail strongholds of freedom, or to disregard the rights of freedom of expression guaranteed under the constitution of Saint Lucia, or even to show signs of manipulating the democratic process should be tolerated by any government or group of persons. This leads me to understand Rick Wayne's frustration with the Saint Lucia Media Association's "need to step up and take their responsibility to citizens more seriously." He describes the Saint Lucian media as silent and incompetent, advocating that they learn their profession and their rights. If anything, the current (apology) stunt should become St Peter's stone and help to urgently hasten the demise of this socialist SLP regime and their puppeteers.
At the same time, this epic catastrophe must not permeate right thinking Saint Lucians, and should rather wake them up from their blindfolds and guard against the detrimental elements of socialism and political dogma, that has no place in western democracies.
It is the role of citizens to ask questions, especially in the face of allegations and apologies that try to mislead and have international organizations asking what is going on in Saint Lucia. The country is becoming a different place, more in decline and complicating matters.
One indication is an unashamed and two-faced SLP regime that seems comfortable parading a make- believe agenda, bloated with smiling faces that lack major skills and international clout; including economic and capital development capabilities. As such they rely on hand-to-mouth economics and heavy borrowing that has to date placed Saint Lucia's debt service ratio in the vicinity of 80%, to keep Labour Party hacks and the socialist mafia wealthy. This influence, in combination with a fearful symmetry, is inclining the country to a welfare-state to tolerate a dependency regime that is dodging social and economic collapse.
It would be highly fortunate for a turn of events and major changes to take place. But evidently, one knows a perfect storm is up ahead when a minister of government can acclaim that EC$5, in Saint Lucia, can adequately feed a hungry belly, and "block-a- hole."
Where's the apology from the wordsmiths of a SLP bureaucratic regime? "A regime that is sensitive to 'distorted' messaging, and prides itself with credibility."
And, as for the Apology - there's no spinning it! It's an irreconcilable SLP bureaucratic regime. A regime with a legacy of low standards, poor decision-makers and pipe-dreamers! An unapologetic legacy that stifles nonconformists, except to service Labour elites at their fancy and to reward the socialist mafia!
Labour's apology web is troublesome for a country that needs peace, order and good governance. Not a despondent regime!

It's The Little Things That Counted

The rooster has finally come home to roost. That's how this blog sees Lorne's latest actions. In spite of him taking shots at us bloggers and social media users at the latest SLP conference in Choiseul, threatening us with the statement, "I will deal with them." these little things he said we write on facebook and blogs has finally brought him to his senses.
This blog has repeatedly called for his attention to the Roblot community and the rotation of supervisors for the STEP workers. Not that this blog is completely pleased with his latest moves to get into our good books, but it shows that the " macho" stands he took in the past seem to be dissipitating.
Two days ago two so-called contractors named Royden Theophilus, Lorne cousin, from the Choiseul Village and one Umbert from Tete Morne, where awarded contracts from Lorne's Office to construct 'curb and slipper' and 'box drains' in the community of Roblot. According to this blog's investigations out of twenty workers employed only two workers are from the Roblot community.
Can this be fair? Each contractor came into the community with their workers from another community, while our very own workers just have to stand by and look on. This brings to mind the incident that happened on the Canaries bridge back in 2012 when the Canaries residents prevented workers outside their community from doing works in Canaries. This is what should have happened in Roblot. God forbid. Selection of contractors for these small jobs, must be selected from the community.
This is not the first time that this has happened in polling division I5. Sometime late last year and earlier this year two contractors one from Reunion and the other from Grace in Vieux Fort, respectfully, executed contracts with workers from their communities while local workers just looked on.
Finally, the little things posted on facebook and blogs calling for less favouritism in the STEP programs did make an impact on this term's selection of workers, albeit because of a new supervisor for I5 in the person of Cecilia Cooper. At least we saw some UWPs in the group this time around.
Yes, Mr Rep, it's these little things that helped you pull up your socks up and step up to the plate.
Bravo to the blogs and social media. A force to be reckoned with.