Also travelling to San Juan is Gilda Gumbs-Samuel, executive director of the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Assocation.  Several other Anguillian tourism representatives will also attend the conference.

They include Carimar Beach Club, Sunset Homes, Shoal Bay Villas and Paradise Cove. The annual retreat is scheduled for September 9-12.

The Taste of the Caribbean competition is also being staged at the same time. Anguilla will not be fielding a team in this year’s event because of financial constraints. However, a number of the island’s top chefts including Dean Sanuel and Glendon Carty will attend some of the conference sessions.

The theme of this year’s meeting is ‘Serving the Needs of Small and Independent Hoteliers’ and focuses on the smaller hotels consisting of 75 rooms or less.

The project is entitled “Anguilla’s Invasive Species Public Information and Awareness Programme’

Invasive species refer to organisms that have been intentionally or unintentionally introduced to an area, location or region where they do not occur naurally.

They become invasive when they establish and spread or have the potential to do outside of their natural distrubution range.  In so doing, they threaten ecosystems, habitats and or other species potentially causing economic or environmental damage or harm to human health.

The programme will use a variety of mediums to spread the message of the control and management of invasive species.  This includes but is not limited to the use of newspaper articles, public surveys, brochures and workshops.

The project aims to educate the general public about invasive species, ecology, threat and management. It is envisage that Anguillian residents will have the basic knowledge andunderstanding of invasive species and their potential threats.

It will training for personnel in key agencies such as customs, immigration, agriculture and other stakeholders on relevant issues such as detecting,containing and managing alien invasive species.

The project will run for one year. It was paid possible through a grant of 20 thousand pounds sterling by the UK Department for Environment and Rural Affairs in collaboration with the Joint Nature Cpnservation Committee.

After the service and following a photo session on the church steps, a procession will make its way back to the courthouse for the guard of honour to be taken by her Ladyship Madam Justice Louise E. Blenman, resident judge to the Anguilla circuit.

Following the ceremony the Anguilla court presided over by Justice Blenman will hold a court programme.

At 10 a.m. a simulcast broadcast will be received from the courtroom in the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis (St Kitts circuit) where the Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Court Hugh Rawlins will deliver the feature address the eight other circuits of the sub-regional grouping.

The simulcast is being provided by telecommunications company LIME in collaboration with the Department of Information and Technology in Anguilla.

After the Chief Justice’s address there will be addresses by members of the Anguilla Bar Association.

The court will then adjourn and subsequently resume its sitting for matters on the court list. The Magistrate court and the High Court will not sit before 1 p.m. on the opening of the new law year.

The judcial department will provide skeletal staff to cover its opening hours between 8 a.m. to 12 noon.

In deciding what to write about this week, my mind wandered onto a sweet old lady whom I diagnosed with this condition two weeks ago.  For all the world, one would have thought she had a stroke, because her face was drawn to one side.  But this was the clincher; only her face was involved, not a whole half of her body, as would be the case if it were a stroke.

So this is what Bell’s palsy is, a weakness or paralysis of the muscles that control expression on one side of your face.  It results from damage to the Facial Nerve (Cranial nerve 7), which runs beneath each ear to the muscles on the same side of your face.

It may result in a droopy appearance of your face, which can affect your self-esteem.  Usually it is not serious and clears up by itself in weeks or months for most people.

It is a condition which is actually relatively common in Dominica; many of you would have known someone who has had it.  Bell’s can occur at any age.  It is seen more often in pregnant women, diabetics, people with ailments of the upper respiratory tract, such as the cold or flu, and in people with compromised immune systems, such as in HIV/AIDS.

HOW DO WE KNOW IT’S BELL’S?

Signs and symptoms may include:

•    Acute paralysis or weakness on one side of your face, making it difficult to close one eye (on the affected side)
•    Drooping of the face and difficulty with facial expressions
•    Pain behind or in front of your ear on the affected side
•    Headache
•    Sounds that seem louder on the affected side
•    Loss of taste on the front potion of your tongue
•    Facial stiffness or a feeling that your face is being pulled to one side.  Actually, in effect, your strong side does pull the weak side toward it.  In other words, if your right side is affected, it will appear that your face is drawn to the left side.
•    Changes in the amount of tears and saliva you produce

The severity of Bell’s palsy can range from mild weakness to total paralysis on one side of the face.  Onset is usually abrupt, developing to become apparent within several hours to a day or two.  Symptoms may be noticed when you awaken.  The palsy may follow pain in the region of the ear by a day or two.  Weakness or paralysis usually peaks within 48 hours after onset of signs and symptoms, and the faster these signs and symptoms progress, the more serious the palsy you’ll experience.

WHAT CAUSES THIS THING?

Honestly, we don’t know.  And its development is still not well understood.  The theory we most believe is that the facial nerve becomes swollen and injured perhaps by a viral infection.  And the virus that has been implicated most often is of the herpes class.  Yes, Herpes virus again.  Remember chicken pox, shingles, cold sores?

Each facial nerve controls all muscles on one side of your face, except those involved in chewing.  The trigeminal (Cranial nerve 5), motor aspect, is responsible for this. That’s why you can still chew just fine when you have Bell’s.  When electrical impulses cannot be properly conducted along the damaged facial nerve, the muscles which it supplies cannot be stimulated, leading to weakness or paralysis of these muscles.

WHEN TO CHECK OUT THE DOC

Most people recover completely within weeks to months, with or without medical treatment.  But not all cases of facial paralysis or weakness are due to Bell’s palsy.

For a few people, the palsy can be severe or give rise to complications.  So see a doc if you have facial weakness, drooping or paralysis, to determine the severity and the underlying cause of your illness.

HOW IS BELL’S DIAGNOSED?

By looking at your face and asking you to try to move you facial muscles, the doctor can make a diagnosis.  He will bear in mind, though, that stroke, infections and tumors can also cause muscle weakness, so he’ll want to do a full examination and do tests to rule out other possible causes.

If the diagnosis is still in doubt after a few days, a test called electromyography (EMG) can confirm the presence of nerve damage and give us information about severity.  This is an out-patient procedure which can measure:

•    The electrical activity of a muscle in response to stimulation.
•    The nature and speed of the conduction of electrical impulses along a nerve.

To measure electrical currents in your facial muscles, tiny needles are inserted into a muscle to be tested.  The needles are connected to an electronic recording device by a wire.  Recordings of electrical activity are made when your muscle is at rest, and as you voluntarily tighten it.  The patterns of activity appear on a screen and may be recorded on film for further analysis.

To study your nerves, two small recording electrodes are taped on to your skin above the nerve to be tested.  We can’t see them, but we know where they are or should be.  Then a little instrument applies a mild shock over the nerve.  The electrical signal moves down the nerve, passing under the electrode.  We can compare the recording of the signal at each electrode site, and we can calculate the time it takes to travel between them.  The speed of conduction along the nerve is thus determined.

By these tests on your facial nerves, we can determine whether and how much they are damaged, and by testing your facial muscle, we can tell how well they are receiving electrical impulses from these same nerves.  Electricians and technical people should have no trouble understanding this bit.  If you don’t, don’t worry about it.  The doctors will have it under control.

COMPLICATIONS

If damage to your facial nerve is unusually severe, nerve fibers may be irreversibly damaged, leaving you with a permanent paralysis.

Sometimes misdirected re-growth of nerve fibers can occur, leading to involuntary contractions of certain muscles when you’re trying to move others.  For example, you may be smiling, only to find your eye on the affected side may close.

HOW BELL’S TREATED?

Well, we don’t really know the cause, so we can’t treat what we don’t know.  It’s not like when we know, for example, the bacteria that infects your tonsils and can easily treat that.  Besides, most cases are not going to last very long, and yet still we are not sure that what we do makes a difference.

But we may try:
Anti-inflammatory medication: These may reduce inflammation and swelling in the bony channel that the facial nerve travels through.

If we feel strongly that a virus is causative, such as the herpes virus, we may give an antiviral drug which can control, not cure it.  Remember.

Massage: Facial massage may help prevent disfigurements (contractures) of the paralysed muscles before recovery takes place.

CAN YOU HELP YOURSELF?

Yes, you can.  Because you cannot blink on the weak side of your face, damage to the outer layer (cornea) of your eye can occur due to it drying out.  It can become cloudy and even develop an ulcer; which can interfere with vision.  You will need to protect your eye using artificial tears, an eye patch, or a transparent eye shield attached to your face with tape.

See you next week.

Dr. Victor Emanuel has been an educator of medical professionals in training, and the public, for over 20 years in Dominica. The contents of his articles are based on facts and research conducted, and not of his opinion.

Richardson, who was born in Anguilla, took up his appointment on September 1. He is  the pastoral head of the six Methodist Churches on the island with special responsibility for Bethel, Maranatha and Emmanuel Methodist Churches on the island.

Reverend Richardson returns to his native Anguilla from the St Croix circuit where he was stationed for eight years. He told the government run Radio Anguilla that it is good to back home after leaving the isand in 1967.

Rev. Richardson said that he will be continuing the work of the circuit as he is guided by the Spirit and the people. He has spent 40 years in the ministry.

Circuit Minister Rosemary Julius comes to Anguilla from the Nevis circuit but is originally from neighbouring French St Martin. She took up her appointment on September 3.

Rev. Julius has responsibility for Ebenezer, Trinity and Zion Methodist Churches. She has ten (10) years in the ministry.

Meanwhile, Anglicans in Anguilla have also laid out the welcoming carpet for their new priest. He is Father Sean Major Campbell of Jamaica who replaces Fr. Menes Hodge of Anguilla who has retired. Fr. Campbell will be assisting Bishop L. Errol Brooks and working within the St Mary’s, St Augustine’s and St Andrew’s churches.  Fr. Campbell officially started his duties on September 1. He served for two years in his native Jamaica as Rector of the Westmoreland Parish Church,

Fr. Campbell also spent nine (9) years as Rector of the Anglican  church in the Cayman Islands.  During a welcoming service for the new priest at the St Mary’s church on Sunday, Fr.Campbell said that he was pleased to be in Anguilla.

Fr. Sean is accompanied by his wife Janet Major Campbell and their five year old son Sanjay

The school did not open on Monday because of the renovations. The students will be returning to school after a long summer break extended by a week following the passage of Hurricane Earl and Tropical Storm Fiona just over one week ago.

The work on the Island Harbour Primary School was financed by a grant of EC$70,000.00 from the Anguilla Social Security Board. The project and management of the finances was under the supervision of Sam Webster, a resident of Island Harbour and the advisor to Evan Gumbs, Minister of Infrastructure, Communications and Utilities in the government of Chief Minister Hubert Hughes.

The state of desrepair at the school was raised in the House of Assembly last month by Othlyn Vanterpool, a member of the opposition and the parliamentary representative for Island Harbour.

Police here confirmed that on Monday August 30 sometime after 3 a.m. during the passage of Hurricane Earl the Elegante Jewellery store was burglarized.

Police said a said a large sum of cash and jewellery were reported missing.

Law enforcement officials also reported that on September 1 at about 1 a.m. they `responded to a burglary at Professional Barber Shop and Computer Super Store in the Quarter.On arrival the police saw a broken window and observed that the burglar(s) was/were still inside the building. According to police reports the owner unlocked the door and three young men from Stoney Ground were found hiding inside the store with bags of items.

The three young men were arrested and have since appeared before a magistrate. Meanwhile, police arrested and charged two men from North Side for possession of a firearm and ammunition.

The men were remanded to Her Majesty’s Prison after appearing before the magistrate.

The area of disturbed weather that was once Gaston is currently located less than 800 miles east of the Leeward Islands.

According to some media reports there is a high degree of uncertainty on what this system may do over the next several days. Satellite imagery early Sunday showed a well defined low level circulation, however forecasters have indicated there is a limited amount of deep convection associated with the system.  According to weather experts this is likely due to the entrainment of dy air.

According to forecasters the synoptic forecast ahead of the system calls for an upper level trough of low pressure to back away over the next few days and for Ex-Gaston to remain in an area of fairly low wind shear. This system will also be tracking into increasingly warmer ocean waters, especially west of 58 West Longitude.

Forecasters have cautioned  that  all emergency management officials, residents and vacationers in the Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Hispaniola should closely monitor this system and be ready to take quick action, should it become necessary.

Anguilla and several other islands in the northern Leeward Islands were impacted by Hurricane Earl almost one week ago  when it passed through the area as a category two tropical cyclone.

Officials here have said that the aim of the outreach programme is to provide awareness and to educate the public about the possible risks facing non profit organisations.

They also plan to deal with legislation in relation to the non profit bodies.

The first public forum will be held on September 8 at the Teachers’Resource Centre at 6pm.

Members of non profit groups and the general public are being encouraged to attend the meeting.

Addressing a gathering of teachers and education officials in the run-up to the start of the new school year on September 6, Petty-Barrett said there are some teachers who come to work to collect a salary with minimal effort which she notes is very disappointing.

Petty-Barrett, a lawyer, said that teachers are to ensure that the children are well educated.  She reminded that teachers that the over 2,500 children in the education system belong to the residents of Anguilla.

The senior government official said that once the teachers are employed by the government they must do their best for the students. Petty-Barrett said that there is no room for mediocrity in education and that the teachers must raise the bar.

“We must improve our standards because nothing else but excellence will be tolerated, ” Petty-Barrett said.

She also noted that teachers have a critical role to play in nation building because the students are the faces of Anguilla’s future.

Meanwhile, Professor Delroy Louden, president of the Anguilla Community College, believes it is important to improve the level of education of students so that they can meaningfully participate in the economic development of the island.

Dr Louden told the island’s teachers that the leaders of the most advanced countries in the world are concerned about maintaining the level of educational attainment of their citizens.

He said that Anguillian students must be educated as well. Professor Louden said that given the current difficult circumstances facing the island, educators will need to consider the role of education and the role of individual educational achievements and the ability of persons to participate in the labour force.

Professor Louden said that the education system here must begin to produce thoughtful thinkers and leaders as part of the nation building process.

A Social Development Ministry release said because of the financial situation of the government it has been soliciting the assistance of various entities to enable it to carry out several projects.

The Winsong Anguilla Foundation provided over US$ 100,000 to help in the completion of a new classroom block at the Valley Primary School while the Anguilla Social Security Board provided funding to help with the removal and replacement on the roofs on two classrooms at the Vivien Vanterpool Primary School in Island Harbour.

Corporate financing was also secured to build a security wall at the Morris Vanterpool Primary School at East End.  Social Security and the Anguilla Community Development Foundation funded the training of early childhood teachers while telecommunications company LIME assisted with the development of an Information Technology (IT) Centre at the Public Library in the Valley.

The Ministry is also saying thanks to CuisinArt Resort and Spa, Cap Juluca Resort, Sirena, Straw Hat, LIME, Hibernia, Louis Price Gym and Fitness Centre, Digicel, English Rose, Best Buy Supermarket among others for their donations of gifts for the teacher appreciation ceremony held before the start of the new school year.

Schools will reopen on Monday (Sept 6) following the passage of Hurricane Earl last Monday. Students were originally scheduled to return to school on August 30 following a long summer break.

Oh, put the darn phone away. Asking for whereabouts and “who, when, why, what” will not stop anything. People can have sex while talking to someone else on the phone, saying they’re cleaning the house or walking on the street or sleeping.

Take my advice: go home without notice, then let me know what takes place.

“It’s not what it seems,” is what he or she would tell you.

Anyway, have any of you people ever had that experience by the way? Catch your lover having sex with someone else – the whole action? I am not talking about kissing or hugging. I am talking about raw, raw, sweaty, overtime sex.

I guess not because if you did, you would not be reading this column. Most likely you would either be in prison, the mad house or dead (by suicide).

I had a similar experience though.

One day, I forgot a very important document home, and I needed it for work. I tried calling my ex, just to make sure it is home so I won’t waste my time driving two miles home for it. Unfortunately, I had to drive two miles because I could not reach her. Her phone was off. Well, I gave her the benefit of the doubt. I thought probably the battery died or she turned it off to get some sleep because it was her day off.

Well, to me, it would mean surprising her so I bought lunch for both of us, and headed down the country path.

When I arrived, I noticed a car pull up like 200 feet from our gate, which was weird because no other house existed within a mile of us. But I gave “the scenery” the benefit of the doubt.

“Aww maybe someone went into the forest to sh***… naughty peeps,” I thought.

When I reached the door it was locked. I knocked three times but got no answer. No surprise. Maybe she was sleeping, I thought. I went on to open the door to my two-bedroom apartment. As I entered quietly, I was shocked to hear the bed squeaking and faint moaning and kissing (quite loud I may add). First thought is that she is watching porn because both of us are freaks.

I am even freakier so I decided not to say anything. I wanted to peep to see what she was doing because no girl watches porn by herself at that time of the day and is not doing something to herself.

But as I got closer to the door, the squeaking, moaning and kissing got louder. By then, I knew that was no porn movie. That was reality porn!

Alas! My girlfriend was having sex with another man.

OK, immediately I felt a mixture of emotions: my heart was beating fast, I was sweating, I got nervous and then red-hot angry. My knees were shaking, I felt my hands trembling. I pushed the door suddenly.

In front my eyes, I saw something I never saw before: my girlfriend making out with another woman.

I did not faint. I simply joined in the action.

But that was a dream – a dream I still wish could be repeated. When I woke up that early morning, I was sweating and shaking like I was actually there. I wish it was real. But it was a good suspense-thriller-turned-porn-movie. I am not sure if I ended up being the star of the movie – or the dream – but I sure know it would’ve been a lot of fun.

Well unfortunately, not a lot of people are that lucky. Some have experienced the real deal. Catching your man with another man; catching your woman with another man; or catching your man with another woman. And I am sure it is devastating.

The woman-on-woman episode is hardly ever heart-breaking but the suspense can kill.

I have been asking a few peeps what they would do if they caught their lover with another person. Some say they would kill, others say they would walk away or just join in.

But we can say anything when it is not happening to us. When reality hits home we may react totally opposite to what we thought.

Personally, I believe someone’s reaction is dependent on how much you loved the person. If it is someone you wanted off your back then that is a perfect scenario to take off from the sour relationship. If you were in love or loved deeply, chances are you would evoke deadly rage.

Here are some reactions from a few peeps I spoke to (names changed to protect identity):

FF: I would probably faint but it would be quite devastating though.  I would be very angry and I would feel betrayed.

DG: Beat both of them.

SNAPPER: If she lives with me… I will make sure she knows I caught her… and I will continue to live with her and never talk about it. I will continue to be myself in the house but I will never sleep with her. Basically I will fraustrate her a** so much she will go crazy. The hardest thing is to not know what I am thinking, then when she cannot take it no more she will leave and I will blog her a** away pictures and all. If she does not leave with me, same ting but I will just go straight to blogging her a** away. She will never have another man again because the whole world will know. Boss doh worry with me na. I will just shoot her. End of story.

Alana: At first I will laugh. I am at my calmest when I am most angry.  Then somebody would be badly beaten.

Tan: Seriously, I would not let them see me, and go and get some boiling water and douse the two of them. That would be my first reaction.

Ven: Of course after I collect myself and recover from shock I would start throwing things at him. If I don’t have a gun in my hand then he should consider himself lucky, and leave him of course.

AN: Nothing out of the ordinary. Take my immediate needs and find somewhere to go and free myself; would not even want to discuss it.

Dwayne: Not sure.

Georgi: I’d take a pic and walk away. I would need the pic for proof.

Kev: Depends on whose bed it is. Mine? Probably go on the attack because das just disrespectful. Hers? Walk out and leave.

Laden: Beat he den walk out den probably mash up he house.

Helen: I would walk away and never look back.

Lish: Would just walk away
Someone else said would beat them both

Lish: If it is in my bed lol trust me they will be dead.

Lil Pimp: Mmm that’s a hard one.  Wow, I don’t know.

Sherl: I probably would just burst out in tears and then look for the closest weapon in my reach.

Nicky: Shoot em.

Sabby: I would get angry at first but ultimately just let it go. Every person free to do as they please … if my man chooses to cheat on me then that is him. I just have to get rid of him and say screw that. It has other fish – bigger, better fish in the sea.

Teo: Make their lives a living hell.

Jose: I’m gonna kill her! lol

Terry: If it’s a man, it’s pretty much over. If it’s a woman, the question is do you want me to join, watch or go away. If the latter, I’m gone for good.
My conclusion is that if something like that happens to you, it makes no sense being violent because at the end of the day, you’re getting yourself into lots of trouble. And what’s more heartbreaking than being imprisoned and allowed to pay for your lover’s crime? And while you’re there languishing in jail, he or she will be having much more booty calls – possibly with the same person.

I covered a story once where a dude beat up another dude because he allegedly touched his girlfriend’s vagina in a crowded place. Without concrete proof, and basing his actions only on his girlfriend’s words, he went on a punching spree – almost killing the young man. He got several years in prison. When he was released he was killed shortly after (not sure if it was related to his imprisonment). And where is the girl now? She has another man. He is now like a dust in the wind.

Violence is not the answer. Just walk away and vent your frustration on something else.

See ya next week.

During the six-weeks, the Anguillian teachers will be performing tasks similar to students in the university’s practicum experience. The tasks include curriculum planning, lesson plans, anecdotal child observations, creating classroom materials, journal reflections and assignments on professionalism.

Benefiting from the programme are Alda Brooks from the Methodist Pre-School, Janine Richardson (Bethel Methodist Pre-School), Tiffany Proctor (Prophecy Pre-School) and Claudia Proctor (Valley Primary School).

The Ministry and Department of Education extend sincere thanks and appreciation to Social Security and th Anguilla Community Foundation for their sponsorship of the early childhood teachers.

According to the Barbados-based company early reports indicate that Earl downed many power lines in Anguilla. Severe beach erosion and flooding have also impacted the island.  Antigua and Barbuda and St Kitts and Nevis, both also covered by CCRIF policies, were less severely impacted though some flooding and structural damage has been reported.

Anguilla has both tropical cyclone and earthquake policies with the CCRIF as part of the country’s disaster risk reduction management strategy. The storm was of sufficient magnitude to trigger the CCRIF coveage based on preliminary calculations undertaken by CCRIF catastrophe loss model and th most recent data from the Miami-based National Hurricane Center.

The authorities in Anguilla are set to receive a little over US$4 million after two weeks in which time a final calculation of loss and payout will be made. CCRIF is working with regional partners particularly the Caribbean Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology and local disaster management officials in Anguilla to collect on the ground information relevant to hazard and risk assessment.

Beyond offering risk transfer options and making payouts to countries in the region, CCRIF is also engaged in supporting the collection of accurate post impact information in order to better understand the challenges faced  and therefore inform its own and other regional response mechanisms.

CCRIF is hopeful that the rapid payment of funds in Anguilla’s policy will assist the government and people of Anguilla in addressing immediate needs as they begin contemplating thr rebuilding process.

Between 6 and 8 September 2010, six Caribbean ministers of tourism, along with the CTO’s chief executive, will be in London for talks on the Air Passenger Duty (APD) with a range of organisations  including the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), the Caribbean Council, Caribbean Diaspora representatives, the British Air Transport Association and the British Caribbean All Party Parliamentary Group.

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