FINN(COM) DAILY RECORD: TUESDAY, 21 SEPTEMBER 2004
Compiled by J. Brock (FINN)
REINDEER FEATURE AT NEW WEST STORE MEAT COUNTER
By J. Brock (FINN)
Several kinds of fresh meat can now be purchased at the newly opened West Store Meat Counter, operated by FRESHCO’s staff.
On offer for the first time is reindeer meat that comes from a recent Government sale of castrated animals originating from the National Reindeer Stud Flock. The steaks, mince, roasts and other cuts went on sale this morning. According to Freshco’s butcher, Nigel Leach, it’s strongly flavoured meat that tastes similar to beef. Besides preparing the meat in soups, casseroles, stews and burgers, it can be eaten on its own.
Mr. Leach told FIBS that butchering reindeer is different than doing beef because the animal isn’t as big. There were only three animals slaughtered and butchered. “We just got three of them - enough to go through this week,” he said.
The amount sold should be a good indication to farmers who have taken on Reindeer of the market for their product. Mr. Leach told FIBS’s Sue Gyford that the price of reindeer meat is roughly the same as beef.
The meat counter has been opened in the West store as a result of an agreement between FIC and FRESHCO’s earlier this year that resulted in the closing of the shop on John Street.
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-- - Amendments to the bank's charging structure are being made effective 1 October 2004 and a copy of the amendment to the Guide to Our Charges is attached. For convenience a copy of the original Guide to Our Charges is also attached.
Should you consider the changes newsworthy the following quotes (from the manager, Nick Hutton) can be used to explain the changes effective 1 October:
On why charges connected with use of debit cards are now "Refer to card rules".
"There have been no changes to the fees connected with using debit cards. However, debit cards are issued to our clients by Standard Chartered, Jersey on our behalf and Jersey sets the charges. Therefore, we now refer card holders to the card terms and conditions rather than this branch's general tariff. In doing so I am not aware of any planned changes to the card fees."
On the change in the SWIFT cost for telegraphic transfers.
"In early 2003 we had to change the communication system for international payments from telex to SWIFT. This had an affect on the communications costs and we had to increase our charges from £15 to £20. However, over time the costs have settled down and we are now pleased to be able to reduce the cost from £20 to £14. This means that the minimum cost of a telegraphic transfer has fallen from £26 to £20."
On the introduction of a SWIFT charge for issuing bank drafts.
"Since the bank tariff was reviewed last year there have been changes to the procedures connected with issuing bank drafts. We are now required to advise by SWIFT the banks on which we draw the drafts details of each draft we issue so that they can track payment. This has been a cost that the bank has borne since the requirement was introduced but we are now having to pass the cost onto the user. The SWIFTs we have to send are shorter than those for telegraphic transfers so we have set the charge at half of that for TTs, that is, £7. Regrettably, this does mean that the minimum cost for a bank draft is now £15, from £8 previously."
On the increase in the cost of returned cheques.
"Regrettably some clients seem blase about writing "bad" cheques, that is when there are insufficient funds in their accounts to cover the cheque amount. This causes a lot of work for the bank and to recoup some of the cost and to act as a deterrent the returned-cheque charge is being increased from £8 to £10. Hopefully, by deterring drawers from writing "bad" cheques this will help protect the cheque payees, that is, the people receiving the cheques. They accept these cheques in good faith only to have them "bounce". The fewer "bad" cheques there are the better all 'round."
20 September 2004.
EYE WITNESS ACCOUNT OF IVAN’S TERRIBLE FURY
By Carla Rae
We are deeply touched by your concern and prayers for Media Workers in particular and Grenadians in general. We all thank you. So far it has been difficult to make contact with colleagues in the media so even now I am hoping and praying that we suffered no losses.
I have seen and/or spoken to Media Managers Mr. Errol Maitland, Mr. Leslie Pierre, Mr. Richard Purcell, Mr. George Worme, Alphonso Strachan {City Sounds FM} (learnt that Paul Roberts of Spice Capital is out of state); and media workers Johnson Richardson, Rawle Paterson Margaret Mitchell and Denis Thomas of Informer; Elton Straker Maitand, Gregory Mitchell of MTV/VOGFM; Michael Bascombe, Calistra Farrier, Lew Smith and George Grant.
We have indeed suffered much loss, with transmission towers haven fallen, antennas being damaged and transmitters and computers having been smashed and water logged. But we are alive - even though most our homes have been devastated as most other Grenadians, by wind, rain and burglars!
My office is now with all telephone lines, electricity, a bit damp but workable. And I'm ready to write and download photos, even though I don't really know where to start.
Here's a bit of my personal experience:
Today is Friday 17th September 2004, ten days after Hurricane Ivan ravished Grenada. I still cannot believe that I actually am alive and at my office, using the computer, telephones and Internet. All my life I was told and enjoyed listening to stories from my elders about Hurricane Janet, which struck here on September 22 1955. Little did they prepare me for this experience.
At about twelve thirty on the afternoon of Tuesday September 7th, having spoken to my Dad who lives in Miami and Cousin who lives in Barbados, I left St. George's for Greenville by way of the Eastern Main Road (St. David). I was accompanied by Carlyle Noel (photographer) and Kelvin Lewis (driver) we were so excited about actually covering a hurricane - little did we know how much of that we would really do!
We got to Grand Bacolet in St. Andrew (East Coast) and stopped to photograph a fallen golden apple tree. As soon as we drove off a fully loaded, huge breadfruit tree fell where we had parked. We were shaken but really excited. We continued to the Cuma intersection and decided stayed in that area taking photos. A group of four to five young men from the area were right there roasting breadfruit on a roadside fire.
We spoke to former government minister, Cuthbert Brian McQueen who advised us to head for home as the ocean had already flooded Marquis and that we would not be able to pass on that roadway as planned.
We were still determined to travel on but were deterred when another huge tree fell, blocking our path. Instead, as the wind strength increased, we sheltered under a little wooden house and photographed a few rooftops as they got blown off. We left Cuma/Grand Bacolet and began to drive the way we had come. But coconuts, breadfruits and branches were falling all over the roadway. Further down the street a pole had fallen leaving us with the job of finding an alternate route. We called the Police to seek help in finding a way out of the area but the officer who sounded as scared as I was only advised us to get off the road.
Turning we remembered that we had passed a turn off leading to Mamma Cannes and headed there - no use, there were fallen telecommunications, cable and electricity power lines and trees up that roadway so we turned again and headed for the Cuma Intersection. We realised at that moment that Ivan had arrived! And, that we were into the race of our lives! We were competing with a Category Three Hurricane.
Did we speed like the devil was on our tails? Yes! We got to Cuma, parked and go out of the vehicle. The young men were still there but not the fireside. We sought shelter under the eaves of a small building, covered our cameras but kept shooting and prayed that we would survive Ivan.
Its hard to describe the hurricane - galvanize sheets flying, branches breaking, power lines hitting the asphalt, wooden houses collapsing upon themselves and the everlasting hissing of the winds. There had to have been a few tornados in that hurricane. A massive tree was uprooted. From the depths of the earth where it had stood it was wrung up and came crashing down! A complete rooftop from a big concrete house was lifted as a whole and swept away. Everything was just being blown away - our vehicle was lifted first on its two left wheels then on the two right ones.
We finally got to enter the small building and shut ourselves in there listening to the upper section come tumbling down around us. We tied down the eaves with cement rope that happened to be in our vehicle. But Ivan was having none of that, he wanted that bit of galvanize too.
The young men told us of a church which was a shelter and we discussed trying to make it there, but looking out and seeing all the flying galvanize stopped us from moving. At that time I wondered whether we would ever make it back to our homes alive and unhurt.
I prayed for our lives, for our families and for the people of Cuma. I believed that God would save us and He did. It’s hard to relive the worse part of Ivan even now that I am safely seated at my desk. But I'm trying.
Again I thank you all for your prayers, it helped. Will be in touch again soon, Goodbye, Carla.
FIBS NEWS DIRECT: 21 SEPTEMBER 2004
NEW SENIOR MAGISTRATE:
The Falklands new Senior Magistrate, Claire Fouls, was sworn in at Government house this morning. Mrs. Fouls, who is from the Isle of Man, arrived on yesterday’s Airbus to take up her post. She’s here on a two-year contract. She’s not the only new arrival. Next month, Melanie Chilton will arrive from Bedfordshire as the new Crown Council.
OVERSEAS TERRITORIES CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL:
The sixth Overseas Territories Consultative Council started today, hosted by British MP, Bill Rammel. The Council, which will be held at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, is hosted annually in London. It will be attended by Cllrs. Jan Cheek and Norma Edwards. Mr. Rammel sail that the annual council meeting provides an excellent forum for consultation with leaders of the territories’ governments. The discussion this year will cover sustainable development, the relationship between the UK and the Overseas Territories, EU development assistance and constitutional reform.
CHRIS DOYLE TO HILL COVE:
Telecommunications consultant, Chris Doyle is due to fly to Hill Cove this morning to discuss the Camp Telephone System in a meeting co-ordinated by Ian Hansen. He is then scheduled to travel overland to Fox Bay for a meeting in the Southern Cross Social Club and spend the night in the settlement before heading to Goose Green tomorrow.
TELESCOPE PARTLY MADE OUT OF ICE:
A telescope partly made out of ice could be set up in Antarctica to give better images than even the Hubble Space Telescope, according to the Anglo-Australian Observatory in Sydney. Dr. Will Saunders from the University of New South Wales says that the telescope will be able to perform as well as any one else on earth and that it is nearly as good as being in space.
(100X Transcription Service)
