Although there were a number of pertinent matters for discussion, the recent passing of the Speaker of the Anguilla House of Assembly, the Hon. Leroy Rogers, and the Convention of the governing Anguilla United Front, overshadowed the Government’s press conference on Tuesday, November 6.
Another matter that interfaced with the press conference was the soft launch, several minutes before, of the Health Authority’s Foundation that was held earlier at the same location – the Executive Council Chambers.
Chief Minister, Mr. Victor Banks, took the opportunity to repeat his condolences to the family of the late Speaker who died on Sunday, October 28, following a long illness. A National Funeral for him was arranged for Friday, November 9, preceded by a Special Sitting of the House of Assembly on Wednesday, November 7, for tributes. “We are thankful for the life of Leroy Clifford Rogers, for the service he has given to Anguilla, and we look forward to appropriately paying our respects to him over the next few days…,” Chief Minister Banks said.
In a passing comment, he told the media representatives that this week’s main agenda item was the launching of the Health Authority of Anguilla Foundation which he described as “a critical project for the advancement of the delivery of healthcare services in Anguilla”. He said, “it was taking on board persons who live outside the island and were friends of Anguilla – and the philanthropy that is out there that is very much interested in supporting health initiatives throughout the world.”
He added: “This is a very important initiative. The Minister of Health must be complimented for the amount of time he has spent in putting this entire initiative together. From the very beginning he indicated that the delivery of healthcare services and facilities would be a major aspect of his service during his tenure and beyond. This is the first step of formalizing a Foundation that will be able to receive donations and put them to very good use in an arrangement that is properly organized and that is accountable and responsible…”
The Chief Minister reported that over the past weekend the Anguilla United Front held its Convention. “There are a number of new officers elected to the committee. The new Chairman is a young man within the community by the name of Mr. Lockhart Hughes. He has worked in the hospitality industry for many, many, years and has been very much involved and vocal in the discussion of issues of concern for Anguilla… He has also been a member of the Anguilla United Front, and has been a believer in the issues that we promote – and the way that we set about representing ourselves. He has put himself forward as somebody who is ready and willing to serve in the capacity of Chairman of the Anguilla United Front.
“While we welcome him to this challenge that he has taken up, we also want to thank Mr. Fritz Smith who has held that position for ten years, and has come as close to indispensable, as somebody can be, to the development and organization of our party – the Anguilla United Front. I want to publicly thank Mr. Smith for his service as well as the other officers who have assisted him in this process.”
The Chief Minister continued: “We also have as Deputy Party Leader, Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge. She has moved up from her position as the General Secretary of the Party. Mr. Evan McNiel Rogers has stepped down and has given an opportunity for a new member of the party, and a new elected official and Minister of Government, to be the Deputy Leader of the Anguilla United Front Party. Mr. Rogers continues to be the Deputy Chief Minister…It doesn’t has to be in the Constitution for me to call him the Deputy Chief Minister because that is what he is. I would like to thank Mr. Rogers for his service. He is not leaving the party. He is just stepping down as the Deputy Leader of the party. And so is the Chairman. He is not leaving the party. He continues to serve with the party. He is just stepping down as Chairman of the party.
“The new General Secretary is Mr. Othlyn Vanterpool; the Chairman of the Women’s arm of the Party is Mrs. Venetta Connor-Webster; and the new Chairman of the Youth Arm of the Party is Mr. Jose Vanterpool, a young man who is the island’s scholar. He studied in the UK for the last four and a half years and now has his Masters in Programming and IT. He is back in Anguilla serving and has accepted the responsibility of guiding the Youth Arm of our Party.”
In other matters, Mr. Cardigan Connor, Parliamentary Secretary, Tourism, spoke about the start of the tourism season with a number of hotels, villas and restaurants now reopened. He looked forward to the reopening of Belmond Cap Juluca and Malliouhana-Auberge which are both working hard to that end.
Mr. Connor, who also has responsibility for Sports, was delighted that Thursday, November 8, was the start of the Anguilla Tennis Cup, an initiative of the Anguilla Tourist Board in conjunction with the Tennis Academy. “It is sports tourism which will kick start the tourist season by bringing in people who were never here before. This year there will be ninety players coming from as far as France, United States, Japan, Italy, Brazil and others from the Caribbean,” he stated. “It is a tennis tournament that goes over four days at the Anguilla Tennis Academy. It is very much part of our promotion of sports tourism. Carl Hale is the proprietor of all of that. In fact, he invited six young Anguillian tennis players to the Rogers’ Cup in Canada. On Thursday, as well, we also have an exhibition match as has been the case in the last couple of years. Sports tourism is something that is paramount to us when we talk about diversifying the tourism industry.”
Mr. Connor also referred to Anguillian athletes Shara Proctor and Zharnel Hughes whose high level performances are contributing factors to sports tourism in Anguilla. He also spoke about Dee-Ann Kentish Rogers, a noted Anguillian Commonwealth Games athlete, who recently won the title of Ms. Universe Great Britain and will be competing for Miss Universe among ninety-five contestants in Thailand on December 16. She is rated in the top ten. “We are very proud of what she has achieved. She needs some support and from the Government’s and the Tourist Board’s standpoint we will look at what we can do to help her,” Mr. Connor stated. “I also appeal to all of Anguilla to give her the support that is required.”
Minister of Infrastructure, Mr. Curtis Richardson, spoke mainly about port development at Blowing Point. He referred in particular to the “Big Jim Building” which is being converted to serve as a temporary passenger terminal until the permanent facility is constructed and commissioned. Mr. Richardson was grateful to the Romney family, who were moving out of the building to facilitate the renovation work, for the sacrifices they are making.
The Minister also spoke about improving the ferry service between Blowing Point and Dutch St. Maarten where the Anguilla Government operates a passenger/port service for tourists and other persons bound for Anguilla; road development, airport development and other infrastructural work. He promised to hold “a serious meeting” with ANGLEC next week about providing lights for a number of persons – with security concerns – which he hoped to address.
Mr. Richardson took the opportunity to pay tribute to the late calypsonian, Dynamite, whom he described as “a great man in the Blowing Point community who had a very heavy role to play in social commentary.” He added: “He was a very close and personal friend of mine, and I will miss him dearly. I also offer my condolences to the family of the late Speaker, Mr. Leroy Rogers, as I did before. He was a very important to me as a young man who got involved in politics. I think he has left a very good lesson for me to understand and study about politics.”
Minister Evans McNiel Rogers was pleased with the soft launch of the Health Authority of Anguilla Foundation, and he thanked the members of its Council for their continued contribution to the overall development of Anguilla, and to the healthcare sector in particular.
He announced that there will be a formal reopening of adults and pediatric wards at the Princess Alexandra Hospital on November 22. “A lot of work is going on there and there are quite a bit of issues to be sorted out – and we have to work towards achieving the deadlines,” he said. “I must say that the expat community has been very supportive and generous in assisting us to improve our healthcare services – and I am sure in education and other areas as well.”
According to the Minister, apart from the physical health facilities, much work is being done in the areas of training, customer service, and the delivery of various forms of healthcare on the island.
Mr. Rogers briefly commented on his commitment to serve Anguilla and, at the same time, to give way to other able persons like Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge who is the new Deputy Leader of the Anguilla United Front.
In wrapping up the Government’s press conference, Chief Minister Banks said in part: “I want to commend the Minister of Ports and Port Development for what is happening at Blowing Point. There are a lot of things that happened there that engendered a lot of criticism, but there is a plan and a vision that Mr. Richardson has put into play and he has been able to achieve a great deal as a result of that.
“You know he has a tendency to be very extreme in some of his comments but, at the end of the day, there is a plan and we are hopeful that within a couple of weeks that the visitor experience, in this interim period, at Blowing Point will be a good one for visitors. We want to involve our stakeholders in trying to find ways and means of improvement – and in the final analysis the delivery of a proper facility in Blowing Point that the Minister is speaking about.”
Mr. Banks informed media representatives that the Government of Anguilla will be signing an agreement with the UK Government for the financing [by the UK] and construction of a new residence for the Governor. The agreement has to do with land use in Anguilla.
