A press conference was called by ANGLEC on Tuesday, April 30th, to make the public aware of its proud winnings in the 2019 CARILEC Symposium and Rodeo held in St. Kitts just after Easter.
The symposium consisted of a series of training sessions and the Rodeo involved vigorous tests of the skill sets of linesmen from all around the Caribbean. These events took place during the period Monday, April 15th to Thursday April 18th at Frigate Bay in St. Kitts. The Rodeo, which involves pole climbing contests and pole and line maintenance techniques, took place on April 18th, as ANGLEC exhibited a stellar quality of performance with heads above the rest.
According to ANGLEC’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Jemila Morson-Hodge, “The Rodeo provided a platform for linesmen to represent both themselves and their utility through various competitive pole-climbing events which challenged them to safely demonstrate their skills under pressure. They demonstrated agility and accuracy and, in addition to being strictly timed, these challenges demanded safe execution with little or no room for error.”
The competition focused on two categories of linesmen, namely Apprentice Linesmen and Experienced Linesmen. ANGLEC had put forward six of its best linesmen into the Rodeo contest. In the Apprentice Linesmen league were: Barry Telemacque, Akeem Laing and Omari Hamiltion — all of whom had 4 years or less working with ANGLEC. The Experienced Linesmen team included: Delroy Carty, Bevon Webster and Emmanuel Monsanto.
All six of ANGLEC’s contestants competed against LUCLEC of St. Lucia, VINLEC of St. Vincent, MONLEC of Montserrat, DOMLEC of Dominica, SKELEC of St. Kitts, BPL of Barbados, BVI EC of Tortola, Belize Electric Company, and Williams Electrical of St. Lucia.
Winning positions were as follows: In the Experienced Linesmen Category, 1st Place went to ANGLEC; 2nd to LUELEC; and Belize got 3rd Place. In the Apprentice Category, ANGLEC garnered 1st Place; LUCELEC came in at 2nd Place; and APUA won 3rd place.
The kind of activities that the teams participated in included: HV Earth Installation, 3-Fuse Cutout Installation, Pole Speed Climbing, Hurtman Rescue, and a mystery event which was “Changing a Fuse Link”.
ANGLEC wishes to thank its following associates who assisted immensely in preparing the six-man team. These are: Mr. Lincoln Hodge, Mr. Ivor Ible, Ms. Shenique Claire, and Mrs. Mariscia Roach-Grant who accompanied the team and performed on the panel of judges for the competition.
ANGLEC’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. David Gumbs, equated the winning spirit of the team with its commitment and dedication that it displayed in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in 2017. He said: “I understand the joy that people were overcome with when they realized that our linesmen would have them re-connected in December after such a devastating hurricane. The customers were excited and so was our ANGLEC team. It is this same kind of excitement and team spirit that they took with them to compete in the recent Rodeo.
“The team that sits here today embodies that commitment. This team has taken a personal approach to making sure that they carry on at developing and growing within the linesmen craft. Some of the members of this team went over to Dominica to assist in restoring electricity there when that island’s grid was devastated by Hurricane Maria. They did that work with commitment, and their participation in the symposium, and the Rodeo this past month, was no exception.
“This is a top-notch team which competed against other top-notch Caribbean teams, and these awards and trophies here, today, are a reflection of how commitment, dedication, talent, and teamwork bring rewards.”
Mr. Gumbs expressed the view that it was a proud moment for ANGLEC to celebrate the noble achievements that the linesmen made possible as a united team. At the end of his address, he initiated a rousing applause and congratulated them for their outstanding accomplishment.
The Anguillian heartily congratulates the winning ANGLEC team for an exemplary performance.
– Staff Reporter, James R. Harrigan
